Autlstic Chlldren and Carers Together
Registered Charity Number 1169099
TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For the year ended 31 March 2025
Page
Trustees. report
Independent examiner's report
Statement of financial activities
Balance sheet
10
Notes to the accounts
11-15

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31
March 2025.
Legal and Administrative Infonnation
Trustees:
Helen Gilder- Chair
Claire Dyson - resigned 6 August 2024
Margaret Kilner
Nadine Cain
Sara Bartlett Brown
Sharon Court- appointed 24 June 2024
Janet Himan - appointed 21 October 2024
Honorary Trustees:
Dr. Nevyne Chalhoub. Consultant Child and Adolescent
Psychiatrist at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Dr. Val Harpin. Reti￿d Consultant Neurodevelopmental
Paediatrician
Stsff:
Manager, 17.5 hours per week.
Fundraising & Finance Coordinator, 16 hours per week.
Deputy Coordinators tiob share). 13 hours per week;
Project Manager, 6 hours per week.
Sessional Playworkers x 22
Principal Address:
St Mary's Community Centre
Bramall Lane
Sheffield
S2 4QZ
Independent Examiner.
Tery Scully
Bankers:
Lloyds
Church Street
Sheffield

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
Report from the Chair
Tliank you for reading the 2024-25 annual report of Autistic Children and Carers Together
(ACCT). our Sheffield charity supporting autistic young people and their families.
We were pleased to be able to offer such a wide range of activities last year with up to eight
sessions available each week, including the multi-activity Acctivale and Teenage Club, ACCT
Academy football sessions. online and in-person Dungeons & Dragons and other creative
gaming sessions, InterACCT teenage drama group. ACCTing Out young adults, social group,
parent-carer meetings, autism-friendly family swimming and other family trips.
Places at ACCT sessions remained in high demand. We are seeing more young people who
need additional behavioural support to help them access our activities. While challenging. it is
testament to the skill and commitment of the staff and volunteer team that we have been able to
work with so many families to devise strategies and approaches that help young people in need
benefit from their engagement viith ACCT sessions.
ACCT has a strong core staff team supported by excellent sessional workers and volunteers.
Our thanks and best wishes to sessional staff and volunteers who have moved on from ACCT
over the year and a warm welcome to new and retuming personnel.
Financially, we are delighted to have been reappointed to the Sheffield City Council SNIPS
framework for 2025-29 and to have secured Reaching Communities funding for a three-year
project. This funding provides some financial stability as we move into 2025-26 and enables us
to focus on several areas of development work that we hope will improve our financial
sustainability for the long-temi.
It is wonderful that so many people also support ACCT with donations. In addition to the people
who provide monthly or one-off donations towards our work, we also organised a team of
runners who took on the challenge of the Sheffield 10k in September 2024: through sponsorship
from friends, colleagues and families. the runners raised more than £5,000 for ACCT. Two
runners also completed the Sheffield HaEf Marathon in March 2025. raising a further £1.200.
We were honoured to be selected as one of the chartties supported by the Sole Sisters, a group
of women organising events and challenges to raise money for good causes. Ending their
campaign with an epic 20 mile Edale Skyline walk. the Sole Sisters raised more than £4,000 for
ACCT - an amazing effort.
At governance level. long-stsnding trustee Claire Dyson left the board in August 2024. A huge
thank you to Claire for all she has given to ACCT over the years and we are so pleased that
Claire is continuing to be involved as a facilitator of the parent-carer meetings.
We also welcomed Sharon Court and Janet Himan as trustees, who have brought a wealth of
experience to their roles. Many thanks to all my colleagues on the board who volunteer their
time and skills to provide excellent governance and strategic support to the charity. members
and the staff team. The Manager and Trustees have reviewed ACCT'S policies and procedures,
ensuring we are following best practice for a charity of our size working with vulnerable children.
Finally. thank you to all ACCT members and supporters for everything you do to help improve
the lives of autistic children and their faMil￿S in Sheffield.
Helen Gilder, Chair

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
Structure. Governance and Management
The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution dated 81h September 2016 and as
amended on 17 March 2023.
ACCT previously operated as an unincorporated charity - Asperger's Children and Carers
Together (ACCT) Sheffield. regislered charity 1123714 - which was re-formed as a Charitable
Incorporated Organisation {registered charity 1169099) from 151 April 2017.
The charity name was fomially changed to Autistic Children and Carers Togelher on 17 March
2023 with an amended constitution and charitable object which updated the language used in
relation to autism..
The object of the CIO is to support the needs of autistic children and young people living in the
Sheffield a￿a. in particular by provision of services and assistance to them and their family and
carers. irnespectwe of political or religious affiliation. ra￿, gender or sexual orientation.
Overall governan￿ of the charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected from the
membership and COryOPted at the Annual General Meeting under the terms of the constitution.
The Board of Trustees meets 10 times per year and has responsibility for managing the
business of the organisation, safeguarding the assets and managing funds. Day to day acttvity is
delivered by paid stsff and volunteers.
Trustees serve for a tem of three years at the end of which they are eligible to stsnd for re-
election. Trustees are primarily drawn from ACCTS 700+ members, who are mainly parents and
carers of autisticlneurodivergent children. or autistic people themselves. We may also coFopt
Trustees from outside the membership to bring additK)nal skills or experience onto the board.
Risk Assessment
The Board of Trustees regularly discusses and reviews all the major risks to which ACCT is
exposed. and establishes suitable systems to mitigate Ihose risks. We maintain an organisation-
wide risk regisler which is regularly reviewed and updated by trustees, with risk assessments
carried out for all activities and managed by the ACCT Manager.
Financial Review
Our annual income for the year was £181,092 and expenditure was £195.916. Just over
£20,000 of restricted reserves carried forward from 2023-24 were spent during 2024-25, mainly
the rernainder of our Lottery People's Projects grant.
We would like to thank the many funding bodies and individuals who continue to support our
work financially.
Our current contract agreement with Sheffield City Council's Short Breaks for Disabled Children
{SNIPS) programme ended on 30 April 2025. We applied to the delivery framework for the new
contrad period and were very pleased lo be reappoinled to provide places at Acctivate and
Teenage Club for autistic young people referred via the local authority Short Breaks programme
for the period 2025-29. This local authority contract has long been ACCT'S single biggest source
of funding and its continuation with an uplift to ensure costs are covered is a real boost to
ACCT'S financial stability for the next four years.
We also secured a grant of £10,792 from Sheffield City Council's Universal Youth Grants
programme which supported our InterACCT Drama group through 2024-25.

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
We have been developing our focus on creativity and gameplay and were graleful that the
Nalional Lottery Reaching Communities programme offered ACCT a £120k three-year grant
towards this. Starting in January 2025. the grant supports the continued development of our
online and in-person tabletop and role-playing gaming sessions, and our creative drama-based
activilies group.
It is also hugely welcome to receive unrestricted furKJing from grant-makers who are happy to
support the core work of charities like ours. Amongst others. we were very grateful to receive
£15,000 from the Wharfedale Foundation, £5,000 from the Masonic Charitable Foundation and
to be reappointed to the Sheffield Town Trust's subscription list of grant recipients.
Similarly, we really appreciate the support of ACCT members and other individual supporters
who continue to be generous donors. with regular giving. one-off donations, sponsorships and
gift aid providing 190/0 of ACCT'S income in 2024-25.
In 202&26, we will continue to raise money from a range of contracts. grants and donations.
and wyll be focusing on better engagement with wr wider supporter ne￿ork.
Resarves policy
ACCT needs to hold financial reserves in a realisable fom in order to manage cashflow, meet
unforeseen expenditure needs and ensure an orderly wnd down in the unlikely event that the
charity needs to close.
The trustees consider it prudent that the charity should hold unrestricted reserves sufficient to
cover at least three months. running costs plus an amount set aside to ensure that ACCT can
meet statutory redundancy payments to stsff and other financial obligations in the event that the
charity had to close down.
For 2024-25, this equates to £48.979 to cover three months running costs and £27,737 for
dose-down costs, a totsl tsrget unrestricted reserves level of at least £76,716. At 31 March
2025, our total unrestricted reserves were £86.739.
Public Benefit
Autistic Children and Carers Together provides public benefit by delivering group activity
sessions which support autistic children and young people to develop confidence and emotional
resilience, practice vital lrfe skills and engage with the w(Kld. make lasting friendships, and
become empowered to better understsnd and celebrate the role their neurodivergence plays in
their identty-
We aim to support parent-carers to gain knovAedge. skills and confidence around parenting
autistic children, and for families to develop the emotional resilience to address internal and
external challenges related to neurodivergence. such as managing stressful times of transition,
or dealing with bureaucratic intransigence.
Our activities are designed to enable stronger mutually supportive peer relationships betsyeen
young people, between parents and between families that can continue outside of ACCT. By
supporting a growing and empowered autism community in Sheffield, we can increase autism
awareness in wider society, im￿0vIng outcomes by helping families identify neurc(liversity and
seek support at an earlier stage.
Achievements and Perfomiance
ACCT has been supporting autistic children and their families in Sheffield since 2006. We have

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
learned a lot about the use of fun activities as a way of helping young people to relax and be
themselves without having to mask or hide behaviours that don't ftt in with what neurotypical
people might expect. And we have continued to develop our activities in order to support the
social development of neurodivergent young people and provide support to parents and family
members.
During 2024-25, we delivered..
Acctivate multi-activity club for 30 children aged &12 on Saturday mornings and Wednesday
evening Teenage Club for 30 teenagers. Sessions include games and construction. arts and
crafts. a sensory room and football and outside activities. Amongst other activities, we were
happy to welcome several University sports teams to run taster sessions for our young people.
These sessions continued to be busy and we manage bookings carefully to ensure that all
places are taken up and that as many young people as possible are able to get the support they
need. We work with Sheffield City Council as part of the SNIPS contract framework on referrals
to these groups as well as supporting a small number of self-referrals from families with young
people in need who are outside the SNIPS eligibility.
ACCT Academy football coachlng for up to 24 children and young people aged 7-16 per
session. These sessions, focused on fun and inclusivity, are held every Friday evening, 6-7pm
at Goals Sheffield. We have two groups for younger and older children.
ACCT Gaming Clubs support cooperative gameplay, imagination, flexibility and promote safe
and positive online behaviour. We ran sessions per week with sessions focusing on
Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop and role-playing games.
ACCTing Out is our vibrant group for young autistic adults which runs fortnightly social events,
supporting young adults to develop independent living skills. This project has gone from strength
to strength and celebrated 100 sessions in May 2025.
Our InterACCT teenage drama group continued with three blocks of sessions during the year.
Many thanks to Forced Entertainment who provided the expert drama facilitation at the
beginning of the year and to A Mind Apart who facilitated sessions in the lalter part of the year
and will continue in 2025-26.
Parentvcarer meetings ran every fortnight, offering a space for discussion, information sharing.
practical advice and peer support, facilitated by ACCT trustees, volunteers and ACCT'S
Manager, Nicola Hough.
We continued to offer whole family activities, including autism-friendly family swimming ev8ry
two weeks at Hillsborough Leisure Centre. As a private hire session, we can better manage the
leisure centre environment to make the sensory experience more accessible to neurodivergent
people. We take a similar approach to our regular private hire family ￿SsIonS at Air Haus.
Thanks to support from the Happy Days programme. we organised a trip to the pantomime at
Sheffield Theatres on a donate-if-you-can basis, an always popular trip that offers many families
an experience they would not otherwise be able to access.
We supported more than 500 autistic children and young people during the year, more than 250
through accessing in-person and online group activities, and 250+ via participation in family
activities. In addition, more than 40 parent-carers accessed support via Parents. Meetings, with
100+ siblings and other family members benefiting from our whole family activities.

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Trustees, Report for the year ended 31 March 2025
Plans for 2025-26
In addition to continuing to develop and deliver a full programme of supportive groups for autistic
young people and their families, there are several key areas of development we are planning to
progress in 2025-26:
Deaf accessibility= including offering interpreters at some family Air Haus sessions to
enable deaf and hard of hearing parents of autistic young people to engage with ACCT.
Swimming accessibility: exploring the issues around accessing leisure swimming as
autistic children or adults, and developing resources for people and providers to help
make swimming more accessible.
Parents and families programme= identifying unmet needs for families within our existing
provision and implementing new and redeveloped activities that best support parents
and families.
Membership engagement: development work to ensure that the wider ACCT
membership has every opportunity to engage with the charity and be involved in shaping
our work.
Trustees, Responsibllltles for the Flnanclal Statements
The Trustees are responsible for preparing financial statements for each financial year which
give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit for the
period. In preparing these financial statements, Trustees are required to-
Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with
reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to prepare
the financial statements. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity
and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other
irregularities.
Independent Examiner
The trustees have appointed Mr. Terry Scully to provide an Independent Examination Report on
the accounts for the year.
On behalf of the board of trustees.
Helen Gilder, Chair
9th October 2025

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Autistic Children and Carers
Together
I report on the accounts of the charity for the period ended 31 March 2025 which are set
out on pages 9-15.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's
trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the
Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act} and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Ac(.
follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity
Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basls of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with the general Directions given by the
Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept
by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also
includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking
explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures
undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and
consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair
view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examine￿$ statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the
requirements:
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act. and
* to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with
the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met., or
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.
T G Scully
63 Argyle Road, Sheffield, S8 9HG
Date 9th October 2025

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Ststement of Financial Activities
For the year ended 31 st March 2025
Unrestricted Restricted
funds
funds
Total
2025
Total
2024
Notes £
Contracts
Grants
Donations
Bank Interest
66,198
44,256
66,198
78,216
34.994
1,684
181,092
57,469
126,165
26,721
1,379
211,734
33,960
34,994
1,684
70,638
110,454
Salaries Nl and Pensions
Rent rates and Room Hire
Activity Delivery Costs
Equipment
Training
Travel
Volunteer costs
Office costs
Fundraising costs
Finance and accountancy costs
DBS checks
Professional fees
Insurance
Depreciation
Examiners Fees
48,579
13,511
4.694
87,371
16,572
8,872
135,950
30,083
13,566
138,865
26,945
17,166
102
2,329
43
675
3,120
872
2,354
905
1,293
1,439
3,758
350
200,216
1,019
1,019
506
2.166
1.607
2.531
859
479
1,492
610
600
78,661
172
678
2,166
1,607
2,531
859
1,957
1,492
3,400
600
195,916
1.478
2,790
117.255
Surplusl(Deficit)
(8,023)
(6,801)
(14,824>
11,518
Total funds brought forward
94.762
25,278
120,040
108,522
Total funds carried fothrd
86.739
18,477
105,216
120,040

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Balance Sheet
At 31 March 2025
2025
2024
note
Fixed Assets
1,825
5,225
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand
Debtors and accrued income
105,053
118,120
105,053
118,120
Current Liabilities
Accruals and deferred income
1,662
1,662
3,305
3,305
Net current assets
103,391
114,815
Net Assets
105,216
120,040
Funds
Restricted
Unrestricted
Total Funds
18,477
86,739
105,216
25,278
94,762
120,040
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on the 20th October 2025
and signed on their behalf by:
Helen Gilder, Chair
10

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 31st March 2025
Accounting Policies
1 The financial statements are prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified
by the revaluation of investments and in accordance with the Statement of
Recommended Practice . Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing
their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable
in the UK and Republic of Ireland {FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 and wth
the Charities Act 2011.
a) Incoming resources
Incoming resources have been induded on a receivable basis. Grants and
voluntary income are accounted for in the year in which they are received
unless receipt has become certain at the balance sheet date, and allocated to
the period in which it applies rf appropriate. Resources restricted to a specific
purpose are carried forward until spent. Other income is accrued as it
becomes due.
b) Resources expended
ReSoUr￿S expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred,
and include attributable VAT vthich cannot be recovered. The analysis follov
a natural classification.
c) Allocation of costs
Costs directly related to an activity are allocated to that activity. Support
costs, which are necessary to deliver an activity but do not themselves deliver
the activity, are allocated in proportion to the benefrt attributaNe. Govemance
costs are those costs incurred in meeting statutory and constitutional
requirements.
d) Restricted funds
Funds are identified as restricted where they are re￿iVed for a specific
purpose or project and where the donor may require repayment if the
conditions are not met.
e} Donations in kind
Donations in kind or goods or services are accounted for using the trustees,
estimate of their value. No value is attributed to the activities of trustees or
voluntary helpers.

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 315t March 2025
Accounting Policies - continued
fj Tanglble fixed assets and depreclatlon
Tangible fixed assets are included at original cost less accumulated depreciation.
Depreciation is provided to write off each asset over its estimated useful lrfe on a
straight line basis.
The applicable rates are:
IT and wsual equipment
25%
Notes to the A¢￿Unts
2 Taxation
As a registered chartty, ACCT is exempt from income and capital taxes on its
charitable activities.
3 Trustees. remuneration and relatèd party transactions
Trustees received no remuneration. Expenses were paid in reimbursement of costs
incurred on behalf of the charity. No more than £100 was involved in total. No
trustees reported any interests in contracts involvtng ACCT.
4 Staff costs and numbers:
2025
2024
Wages and salaries
Pension contributions
Health care scheme
127.084
6,501
2,365
135.950
130,547
6,216
2,102
138,865
2025
28
2024
24
Average number of Staff (part time)
No employees were paid more than £60.000.
5 Fees for examination of accounts
Independent examiner
2025
2024
600
350
12

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 31st March 2025
6 Contracts
2025
2024
SCC Short break contract
66,198
57,469
The SCC contract is part of the Special Needs Inclusion Playcare servi￿ (SNIPS)
framework and funds Short Break activity places for autistic ohildren and young
people at Acctivate and Teenage Club
7 Grants
Unrestricted Restricted
funds
fund$
Total
2025
Total
2024
Ann Rylands Small Doations Scheme
Co-op Local Causes Fund
Cutler's Company Charitable Trust
Fitton Trust
Forrester Family Trust
Hyman Winstone Foundation
James Neill Trust Fund
Kaye Charitable Trust
Masonic Charitable Foundation
National Lottery Reaching Communtties
Olive Lawrence Charitable Trust
SCC Universal Youth Grants
Sheffield Parent Carer Forum
Sheffield Tov4n Trust
STA COMMUNITY STArters
Tesco Community Grdnts
Tesco Stronger Starts
Trustees of Elsie Lawrence Deceased
United Way
Wesleyan Foundation
Wharfedale Foundation
1,500
500
1,000
300
5,000
500
1,500
500
1,000
300
5.000
500
2,500
1.000
5,000
19,569
1.000
10.792
1.000
2.500
1.000
375
1,000
660
1.500
6.520
15,000
78.216
1,000
200
500
2,500
1,000
5.000
19.569
1,000
2,000
10,792
1.000
4,500
1.000
375
1.000
2,125
660
1,500
6,520
15.000
33,960
44.256
10,325
13

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Notes to the Financial Ststements
For the year ended 31st March 2025
Accounting Policies - continued
8 Fixed Assets
IT
Visual
Equipment Equipment Totsl
Cost
At 114124
Additions
At 3113125
14,485
549
15.034
14,485
549
15,034
Depreciation
At 114124
Charge for the year
At 3113125
9,363
3.297
12.660
9,809
3,400
13,209
103
549
Net Book Value
At 3113125
At 3113124
1.825
5,122
1,825
5,225
103
9 Creditors - amounts falling due within one year
2025
2024
Taxes and pensions
Trade debtors
Accnjals
724
2,231
350
3,305
1.062
600
1.662
10 Analysis of Net Assets between Funds
Unrestricted Restricted
funds
funds
Totsl
2025
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Creditors falling due within one year
27
88,375
{1.663)
86,739
1,798
16,679
1,825
105,054
(1,663)
105,216
18,477
14

Autistic Children and Carers Together
Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year ended 31st March 2025
11 Restricted Funds
Balance at Incoming Resources
0110412024 resources èxpended Transfers
Balance at
3110312025
SCC Contract
James Neill Trust Fund
Tesco Community Grants
Hargreaves Foundation
Nat. Lottery People's Projects
Sheffield Parent Carer Forum
SCC Universal Youth Grants
Wesleyan Foundation
Nat. Lottery Reaching Comm's
United Way
STA COMMUNITY STArters
Tesco Stronger Starts
Restricted Asset fund
66,198
2,500
375
(66,198)
(1,040)
{1,013)
{1,875)
(17,677)
(1,500)
(10,792)
(3,803)
(9.067)
(1,500)
1,460
638
1,875
17,677
500
1,000
10,792
6,520
19,569
1,500
1,000
1,000
2,717
10,502
1,000
1,000
1,798
18,477
4,588
25,278
(2,790)
117,255
110,454
Restricted funds were received for the following purposes:
SCC Contract
Staff. venue and activity costs for 28 Acctivate places and
24 Teenage Club places
James Neill Trust Fund
Friday football coaching sessions
Tesco Community Grants
Towards swmming costs (hire and staff time)
Hargreaves Foundation
Football project expenses
Nat. Lottery People's Projects Delivery costs of all young people's groups
Sheffield Parent Carer Forum Stsff costs and venue hire costs for Air Haus family trips
SCC Universal Youth Grants
Drama club
Wesleyan Foundation
In-person ACCT Gaming sessions
Nat. Lottery Reaching Comm's ACCT Gaming, Drama and ACCTing Out sessions plus
contribution towards core
Swimming pool hire and staff coordination costs
To improve swimming accessibility for autistic people
Friday football coaching sessions
United Way
STA CornmUNITY STArters
Tesco Stronger Starts
15