Charity registration number: 1170734 SUIT WORKS., Appear e • Confidence . Success ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS For the year to 31 March 2025
The Suit Works Contents For the year ended 31 March 2025 Legal and Administrative Information Trustees, Annual Report Structure, Governance and Management Objectives and Activities for the Public Benefit Our Values and How We Operate Data and Performance Activities and Achievements Financial Review Reserves Policy Plans for Future Periods Trustees, Responsibilities Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Suit Works Statement of Receipts and Payments for the year ended 31 March 2025 Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2025 Notes to the Accounts io li 12-13
The Suit Works Legal and Administrative Information For the year ended 31 March 2025 Trustees Jan Harwood Chair Alexis Foster Samantha Headford Tim Jeffery Victoria Clarke Brown Appointed I" April 2025 Ben Wright Resigned 22. October 2024 Sharon Fudge th Resigned 29 January 2025 Charity registration number: 1170734 Registered office Third Floor Suite Carver House 4 Carver Street Sheffield 514FS Accountants Beyond Profit Ltd G104 Bolton Arena Arena Approach Bolton BL6 6LB Independent Examiner It Doesn't Have to Cost the Earth Ltd 47 St. Dunstans C105e Worcester WR5 2Ai
The Suit Works Trustees, Annual Report For the year ended 31 March 2025 The Trustees of the charity Submit their annual report and the statement of accounts for the year to 31 March 2025. Structure, Governance and Management The Suit Works was registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 14 December 2016. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £5. The Trustees work with the CEO on the current and future strategies for the charity. They do this at Board meetings and through regular communication with the CEO. Each Trustee has an area of expertise and an area they provide Support with. The Board of Trustees meets together every quarter and covers standard agenda items: • Trustee updates Director's Report (performance, progress, risks, opportunity) Financial Report (income, expenditure, funding sources and streams) Review and amendments of strategic plans and development Risk Register Regular policy reviews Strategy meetings take place annually. Extraordinary meetings take place as and when required. Board will review, amend or change Trustee roles as required by mutual agreement. Objectives and Activities for the Public Benefit The objective of the charity is the relief of unemployment for the benefit of the public in such ways as may be thought fit, including assistance to find employment. This includes the provision of suitable interview wear, interview coaching and preparation. The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning future activities and setting the grant making policy for the period.
The Suit Works Trustees, Annual Report- continued For the year ended 31 March 2025 Our Values and How We Operate Supporting Vulnerable People We provide a warm welcome and a relaxed atmosphere to help our clients feel comfortable. We give the individual the same experience they would expect from a paid styling service a5 we believe it can be of benefit to everyone not just those who can afford it. We are respectful of individuals and their personal tastes, and we aim to style and accommodate all those who wish to access the service. Building Confidence in people experiencing unemployment Educate people about their style so they can be confident in making future styling choices for interviews and when they start work. Work with them until we find the right outfit so they can be proud of their personal presentation helping them to be at ease in their interview. Encourage people to invest in quality clothing. Our customers should always leave with an outfit that gives them a good feeling. Working with clients on basic interview skills. This can include providing mock interview. Provision of volunteering roles (where available) to build confidence in workplace skills. Contributing to reducing rates of employment Collaborative working with other organisations and other charities to ensure that employability support is provided where needed. Helping the environment We are supported by a local company who clean our suits for free, wherever possible they wet clean which is more environmentally friendly than dry cleaning and they provide u5 Wlth recycled suit bags. Clothes are donated saving them ultimately from landfill and reducing the need for more production and manufacture of clothing. Clothes that are not fit for purpose are recycled. Student5 work with us to upcycle fabric that is no longer wearable in its current State. Clothes that are not suitable for use by The Suit Works are given to other charities to assist with their fundraising or clients. Data and Performance The Suit Works is pleased to report another increase in the number of clients supported during the financial year 202412025. We supported 303 clients this year through our core service. In addition we have supported around 30 students at University of Sheffield through our dedicated pop up support service. This is a 15Yo increase in the number of individuals supported since last year.
59% of our clients went on to succeed at interview following support from our service. Whilst this is slightly lower than last yearfs rate of 63¥0, it is important to recognise that success in employability is not defined by interview outcomes alone. Many clients regain renewed confidence, take up volunteering opportunities, or continue their journey through further training and employability programmes. These are valuable steps forward that contribute to long term outcomes. We continue to work closely with our referral partners across the employability sector, acknowledging that supporting individuals into work is a shared re5pon5ibility. We have continued to undertake outreach work. We have engaged with an additional 70 people through visits to various community organisations, including Sheffield United Community Foundation, Street League, DWP and the Kings Trust. At The Kings Trust, we deliver a dedicated module on presentation skills, which is always followed by a group session at The Suit Works- helping participants build confidence and prepare for employment. Whilst not all of these individuals received our core service of smart wear provision, these partnerships have enabled us to connect with people who may benefit from our support in the future as well as benefitted from us providing them with interview preparation support. In addition to working with employability groups, we have also increased our involvement in community events. This growing presence has helped expand our reach and has led to an increase in referrals. As more people become aware of our services, we anticipate an increase in the number of people that we support. Gender Two-thirds of the people we support are male {66%). This is fairly consistent with previous years. The trend may reflect the nature of the community groups and referral partners we currently work with, as well as our origins as a male-only service. While we are proud to support all individuals regardless of gender, we recognise the value of ensuring broader representation and access. Over the coming year, we will continue to Strengthen connections With organisations that support individuals of other genders to help redress this imbalance where appropriate and ensure that our service remains inclusive and accessible to all. The highest percentage of clients we saw were aged 21-30 and under (35¥.}, followed by 20 and under {29Yo). This can be attributed to the number of organisations we work with who support younger people into work. With an increase on focused employability programmes, we predict a continued increase in the number of people we see. We saw an increase in the number of referrals for people aged 41-60. Targeted outreach at the DWP over 50,5 recruitment days have played a significant part in this. Location of clients Whilst the majority of our clients live in Sheffield, we continue to receive referrals from outside of the area. Notable areas include Rotherham, Doncaster, Wakefield and Hull. This is due to the lack of provision in these areas.
The Suit Works Trustees, Annual Report- continued For the year ended 31 March 2025 Of clients that stated their permanent address, two of our top three postcodes IS5 and S21 were also featured in data from the Office of National Statistics as the most socio-economic deprived areas in Sheffield. This is important because these areas have lower income levels but also people living in these areas are more likely to be facing inequalities. S6 continues to see a high number of referrals, with Hillsborough DWP being the most active Job Centre on our referral list. Where our referrals come from Of the 348 total referrals received this year, Sheffield City Council {SCC) remains our top referrer, accounting for 26Yo of all referrals. The Growth Company contributed 22Yo, and 15¥0 of referra15 were from the Department for Work and Pensions {DWP). Notably, we have seen an increase in referrals from the DWP this year. We attribute this to our increased outreach activities in partnership with local job centres and employability teams. We continue to build and strengthen our relationships with a broader range of referrers, and we anticipate that this strategic outreach will result in a further increase in referrals over the next financial year. Activities and Achievements During the financial year 2024-2025, alongside a rise in referrals, The Suit Works again achieved several significant milestones in our ongoing mission to support unemployed individuals into paid employment. l. Staff We were delighted to reach the key milestone of recruiting a Charity Administrator. This has allowed us to streamline our first contact and referral process, ensure the service is equipped to manage an increase in referrals, improve out collection of monitoring data and add a valuable new member to our team. As a result, existing staff have been able to spend more time on their specific roles. 2. Partnership Working We continue to strengthen our relationships with local referral agencies, enabling us to broaden our reach and offer our services to more individuals in need. These agencies often provide complementary support such as job training, housing assistance, and interview coaching. By partnering with them, we are able to offer more holistic support. Our m05t significant new referral partner this year has been the University of Sheff ield. We have supported students in need of formalwear for job interviews, assessment centres, new roles, and graduation. Additionally, we launched a pop-up support shop in the Students, Union Swap Shop, offering single items and guidance on how to aCsS our full referral process.
Beyond direct referrals, the University also supported us through clothing drives through collecting donations from their large workforce. We were also invited to attend their internal job and volunteering fairs, further expanding our visibility and engagement. 3. Community Engagement and Events We have significantly increased our community presence. We regularly attend job fairs hosted by the DWP, Sheffield United, and Sheffield City Council, with this year seeing an increase in additional outreach activities that we have attended. We hosted our second annual Suit Works Open Day-a fantastic opportunity for referrer5, supporters, and partners to visit our HQ learn more about our sessions, and meet former clients. This helps our partners speak more confidently about our services to those they refer. We also attended our first Sheffield City Council Moor Market Event, which allowed us to engage directly with the wider public, including those who may not otherwise have heard of our work- broadening our reach even further. 4. Corporate Partnerships This year, we were proud to secure our first Gold Corporate Sponsor; Quickline. Achieving this milestone aligned with our strategic goals for the financial year and directly enabled us to recruit a new team member. This partnership has also opened the door to conversations with other potential corporate sponsors, setting the stage for further collaboration and support. We would like to thank the people of Sheff ield for their support and clothing donations, and we would in particular like to thank: South Yorkshire Community Foundation Henry Boot Sheffield City Council First Degree Ltd Quickline Financial Review The charity had a net outflow of £18,986 (2023/2024: £12,324). This meant the charity finished the year with total cash funds of £23,726 (2023/2024- £42,712) of which £23,726 are unrestricted. During the 2024-25 financial year, we had anticipated receiving a grant of £20,000 which, regrettably, did not materialise. While this presented a challenge, it also prompted a timely and constructive review of our fundraising strategy.
The Suit Works Trustees, Annual Report- continued For the year ended 31 March 2025 In response, we have refined our approach to income generation, placing a greater emphasis on diversifying funding streams and proactively increasing our fundraising activities. This includes strengthening partnerships, expanding our corporate sponsorship base, and enhancing community fundraising efforts. These measures are aimed at safeguarding the organisation's financial resilience and ensuring we are well-positioned to meet any future shortfalls in income without compromising Service delivery. The shortfall faced in this financial year has already significantly reduced in the new financial year of 202512026. The Suit Works considers that its funding for the short and mid-term future will be made up of a diverse blend of restricted and unrestricted income from: larger grants restricted to particular needs, and/or particular outcomes or smaller unrestricted grants; statutory funding; corporate support, both in-kind and financial. This would ideally cover our core costs; individual giving, through one-off donations and through long-term regular giving commitments; legacies; community fundraising; on-line trading. Diversifying the income streams in this way will make the charity more robust and resilient to future funding challenges as well as increasing the visibility of TSW to prospective supporters that would not ordinarily see us. Reserves Policy The Suit Works Reserves Policy is to maintain sufficient level of reserves to enable normal operating activities to continue over a period of up to three months should a shortfall in income occur and to take account of potential risks and contingencies that may arise from time to time. The Trustees consider that for the current level of operation of the Charity the level of reserves required is three months, core operational costs, which is approximately £19,500. As at the end of this financial year the Charity had £23,726 of unrestricted cash funds. Plans for Future Periods The Board continue to acknowledge that moving into 202512026 changes in the external economy, municipal funding and the priorities of funding agencies; mean that operational and financial strategies should be regularly evaluated by the Board as the financial year progresses.
The Suit Works Trustees, Annual Report- continued For the year ended 31 March 2025 The Suit Works continues to grow and adapt to the needs of our clients and that of the financial landscape around us. We want to ensure we continue to engage with services and individuals to ensure everyone is reaching us. In addition, our future aspirations include: To continue to build partnerships with organisations within the employability sector to ensure we are maximising the potential of clients by providing complete wrap around support. To review how we procure stock to maintain the level needed to meet the requirements of all clients. To work more closely with existing peer organisations nationally, to ensure we share best practice and continue to meet the needs of clients nationally. To continually assess the need forThe Suit Works to have a presence in other areas of the country, whilst ensuring our current location is sustainable. To explore small, strategic pilots that test scalable approaches without overstretching the current model. Trustees, Responsibilities The charity Trustees are responsible for preparing a Trustees, annual report and accounts. The accounts have been prepared as receipts and payments as allowed under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011. The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the Constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity's website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of statement of accounts. Declaration The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees report. Signed on behalf of the charitvs Trustees: Name: Position: Jan Harwood Chair Date: Name: Jan Harwood Position: Chair Date:
Independent examinerfs report to the Trustees of The Suit Works ('the Charity) We report to the Trustees on our examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity Trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {" the Act"). We report in respect of my examination of the Charitvs accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out our examination we have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5){b) of the Act. Independent examinerfs statement We have completed our examination. We confirm that no material matters have come to our attention in connection with the examination giving us cause to believe that in any material respect: l. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. The accounts do not accord with those records. We have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Teresa Fennell, ACMA For and for behalf of It Doesn't Have to Cost the Earth Ltd 47 St Dunstans Close, Worcester, WR5 2AJ Date: 18th Dember 2025
The Suit Works Statement of Receipts and Payments For the year ended 31 March 2025 31 Marth 2025 31 March 2024 Unyestrkted Restricted funds funds Notes funds funds Total funds Total funds Receipts: Grants, Dorotions and Other Local Authority Contract Tottsl 26.180 32.5(K) 58.680 26.180 32,5(Kl 58.680 48.129 26.029 74,158 4,672 52,801 26,029 78.830 4,672 Paymènts: Charitable Expenditure Totul 72,994 72.994 4,672 4.672 61,834 61,834 4,672 4,672 66,5Q6 66,506 77,666 Net recelptsllpaymentsl 114,3141 14.6ni 118,9861 12.324 12,324 Coshlunds ot31 Morth 2024 Transfers between funds Coshfunds ut31 Morch 2025 38.040 4.672 41712 25.716 4.672 30,388 23.726 23,726 4,672 42,712 io
The Suit Works Statement of Assets and Liabilities As at 31 March 2025 31 March 2025 Restricted income funds 31 March 2024 Restricted income funds Unrestritted funds UnrestrKted funds Total Total Cash Funds Cash at bank 23.726 23.726 23.726 23.726 38,040 38.040 4.672 4,672 42,712 42.712 Liabilities Independent Examination Fee Pension contributions Social Security costs 440 128 223 791 133 133 284 857 128 290 858 857 The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on.................................................... and signed on their behalf.. Jan Harwood Chair of Trustees li
The Suit Works Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 March 2025 11 Receipts and Payment accounts Receipt5 and payment5 accounts are statements that sumtnarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this conteKt"cash" includes cash equNalents. for example. bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debt5 a5 they becorne due. These accounts present both the current and prioryear figures as receipts and payments. 21 Grants, Donation5 and Other Income 2025 2024 Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Total funds Total funds Donations Grants Other Income The Boutique Works Sale5 26.058 26.058 2,504 2,504 48,672 618 1,007 52.801 4,672 42 42 618 I,W7 48,129 80 26.180 26.180 4,672 31 Charfiable Expendlture 2025 Unrestricted RestrKted funds lund5 2024 Unrestsided Restricted fund5 funds Total fund5 Total funds Accountancy and Payroll Fees Clothin& Suits and Shoes General Expenses Client EXnseS Independent Examiner Fee Insurance Legal and Professional Office Costs Rent, Rates and Utilities 3.925 42 3.925 42 3,gJ9 1,030 43 1.030 43 505 372 505 440 1.881 1,050 2.160 24,4( 37.672 121 440 330 175 I,oii 27,6110 31,377 38 1.881 1,050 2.160 24,406 42.344 121 330 175 i.oii 27,6(KJ 26,705 38 4.672 4.672 Staff Travel and Expenses Subscriptions Telephone Volunteer Expenses 60 274 55 472 55 472 274 86 72,994 86 77.294 26 61.834 26 4.672 4,672 12
The Suit Works Notes to the Accounts- continued For the year ended 31 March 2025 4)Funds Tranrfers between funds Balance at 31 March 2025 Balance at I Incoming April 2024 Resources Resources Expended Restricted Funds.. Moving On Up Total Restricted Funds 4,672 4.672 14,6721 14.6721 Unrestricted funds Total Funds 38,040 42,712 58,680 58,680 172,9941 (77,6661 23,726 23,726 Transfers between funds Balance at 31 March 2024 Balance at I Incoming April 2023 Resources Resources Expended Prioryeurcompurutive Restricted Funds.. Moving On Up Total Restricted Funds 4,672 4.672 4.672 4.672 14.6721 14.6721 4,672 4.672 Unrestricted funds Total Funds 25,716 30,388 74,158 78,830 161.8341 (66,5061 38,(140 42,712 5) Related party transactions and Trustees, expenses and remuneration The Trustees all give freely their time and expertise without any form of remuneration or other benefit in cash or kind {2024: £nill. No Trustees, or person related or connected by business to them has received any payments or other benefits from the charity during the year. Trustee indemnity insurance is covered in the Charity insurance policy. 6) Guarantees and Securities At the year end, there were no potential liabilities for which the charity had provided guarantees nor did the charity have any debts that had been secured by a charge on assets. 13