Bridgend Samaritans
Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements For the Year ended 31 March 2025
Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Contents
Charity Information ......................................................................................................................... 2 Branch Director’s Report ................................................................................................................ 3 Trustees’ Annual Report ................................................................................................................. 4 Independent Examiner’s Report ................................................................................................... 11 Statement of Financial Activities .................................................................................................. 12 Balance Sheet................................................................................................................................ 13 Notes to the financial statements................................................................................................. 14
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Charity Information
Charity Name: Bridgend Samaritans Organisation type: CIO Registered Charity Number: 1170848 Registered Address: Bridgend Samaritans, 2 Green Street, Bridgend, CF31 1HF Website: https://www.samaritans.org/wales/branches/bridgend/ Trustees: JL Griffiths (Director and Chair) R Harbour J Osborne (Secretary) J Thomas (appointed 4[th] June 2024) J Wynne (Treasurer) W Xerri Independent Examiner: P Whiting, Thaw Cottage, City, Cowbridge, CF71 7RW Solicitors: Redkite Law, Old Castle Offices, South Street, Bridgend CF31 3ED Bankers: Lloyds Bank plc, 14 High Street North, East Ham E6 2HN CCLA Fund Managers Ltd, One Angel Lane, London EC4R 3AB
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Branch Director’s Report
It has been another busy and productive year for the branch. One of our key aims for improvement at the start of the year was the return to face-to-face training of our new recruits, which the training team has achieved. Feedback from those who have joined us this year has been very positive about this change, which is pleasing to hear. However, despite a number of new volunteers joining the branch this year, our volunteer numbers are not increasing as we would like. Whilst we appreciate that we are not the only charity finding it more difficult to find volunteers, increasing our membership will continue to remain a priority for us in the coming year.
Having seen our income reduce for two consecutive years, and with a forecasted deficit in funds for 2024/2025 at the start of the year, another key focus for us was to increase our income. With a lot of hard work by those involved in fund raising, and the tremendous generosity of many organisations and individuals who have provided us with grants and donations, undertaken sponsored activities, run a choral event, left us legacies or donated money in memory of loved ones, and individuals who have put their spare change into our collecting boxes hosted by many businesses across the communities that we support, we have thankfully reversed this situation. Thank you, without the financial help we receive we could not be here for our callers to turn to in their darkest hours. As always, we still need to work hard to ensure that we continue to secure sufficient funding to enable us to continue to deliver our service. This includes the work we do in our local community through our outreach work, which is something our branch has always been committed to achieve, as well as taking calls from those in need of emotional support.
As I approach the end of my three-year term as Branch Director, I want to pay tribute to each and every branch member. All aspects of branch management are undertaken by our volunteers. This includes trustees, leadership team members, volunteer recruitment and training, volunteer support, duty leaders, outreach, publicity, fundraising, rota management, premises management, IT and the prison Listener Scheme. In addition to this, many of our volunteers also undertake regional and organisation-wide roles. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of the Bridgend team and to have been able to play a small part in its ongoing development. When I was asked to take on the role of director, I remember saying that ‘I’d get by with a little help from my friends’. What I did not appreciate at the time was quite how many Samaritans friends I had. My thanks to all of you. You, together with our past members, fully deserved the recognition our branch received in June 2024 when we were awarded Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations (BAVO) Unsung Hero Long Service Award. It certainly helped end our 50[th] Anniversary year on a high note.
I have also met and worked with a number of people in other local organisations during my time as director and would like to say thank you for your interest in the work we do and for all the help and support you have offered.
Finally, I would like to thank the family and friends of everyone who volunteers with us. You contribute so much to our service by supporting us to give our time to undertake our shifts and other duties. You are all just as much part of the Bridgend branch team as all our volunteers are.
Julie Griffiths Director and Chair of Trustees Bridgend Samaritans
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Trustees’ Annual Report
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Objectives
The charity’s objects are to: enable persons who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those who may be at risk of suicide, to receive confidential emotional support at any time of the day or night from appropriately trained Samaritans in order to improve their emotional health and to reduce the incidence of suicidal feelings; and to promote a better understanding in society of suicide, suicidal behaviour and the value of expressing feelings which may otherwise lead to suicide or impaired emotional health, and to collaborate with and support Samaritans Central Charity and its affiliated branches in fulfilling these objects.
Our Vision
Our vision is that fewer people die by suicide.
To achieve this, we believe Samaritans has a crucial role to play in:
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reducing the risk factors that make some people more likely to take their own lives;
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ensuring that people who are at increased risk of suicide are supported;
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making it less likely that people who do experience suicidal thoughts act on them; and
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reducing the likelihood that people will develop suicidal thoughts.
Our Mission
We’re here every day and night of the year for anyone struggling to cope. We make sure people have somewhere to turn and support when they need it most. We work with communities to let people know we’re here for them and we campaign to make suicide prevention a priority.
Our Values
Our support services adapt to the changing environment, but the values at the core of our listening service remain constant.
Listening
Exploring feelings alleviates distress and helps people to reach a better understanding of their situation and the options open to them.
Confidentiality
If people feel safe, they are more likely to be open about their feelings.
Non-judgemental
We want people to be able to talk to us without fear of prejudice or rejection.
People making their own decisions
We believe that people have the right to find their own solution and that telling people what to do takes responsibility away from them.
Human contact
Giving people time, undivided attention and empathy meets a fundamental emotional need and reduces distress and despair.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Achievements and performance
The Charity’s core activity is to support the Samaritans national helpline which it does by managing volunteer rotas to ensure the national helpline operates every day of the year and 24 hours a day. Each rota shift is 3-4 hours long and covered by at least two listening volunteers and a shift leader. On average throughout the year (April 2024 to March 2025) 47 listening volunteers spent 3,088 hours on the phone (last year 54 volunteers spent 3,536 hours on the phone). Our listening volunteers are approximately three quarters of our total membership at any one time. Bridgend branch received 13,756 contacts during the year from callers which included 13,632 inbound phone calls, 64 follow up calls, and 59 callers were supported outside the branch through our outreach programme. The majority of the callers were offered emotional support, but 2,793 callers made ‘snap’ calls, where the contact was less than 10 seconds. Where the gender of contacts could be determined 47.9% percent identified as male, 49.2% percent identified as female and 0.2% identified as transgender or some other preferred term. The gender of a caller was unable to be determined in 2.7% of callers.
A priority during the year has been to continue to increase the amount of time we are available to take calls between the hours of 2am and 6am. This year, on average, 9% (9% last year) of our time on the phone has been between the hours of 2am and 6am which is just short of our 10% target. We have, however, exceeded our target to spend 20% of our time taking calls between the hours of 10pm and 2am with an average this year of 26%.
Our rota team, although small, are a vital cog in us getting duties appropriately covered.
Recruitment and selection
Our recruitment and selection team undertook 2 sets of recruitment and selection interviews this year. We received a total of 44 incoming enquiries out of which 15 of these completed their training and commenced as listening volunteers with the branch.
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A number of others did not respond when we contacted them.
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A further 9 have recently been selected and will commence their training on 7[th] June 2025.
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Some of the applicants felt unable to commence training straightaway for a variety of reasons but expressed an interest in remaining on the list to be considered at a future interview.
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Other applicants withdrew their applications stating that it was not the right time to volunteer due to their existing commitments.
Alongside new recruits, we have been delighted to welcome back several volunteers who have been previous listening volunteers both in Bridgend Branch and elsewhere.
The recruitment challenge remains one which the Samaritans organisation as a whole has continued to work hard to address, as the statistics show a slowing down in enquiries post-Covid. Our main source of enquiries is the Samaritans Website which comes through to the Branch Management Tool, with just a handful from direct emails and Samaritans Cymru Central Office.
We are anticipating returning to three intakes over this coming year, which will help increase our volunteer numbers. To help facilitate this, we introduced an information morning where prospective volunteers can come into the branch to learn more about the branch and what we do.
Our thanks go to Dave and Chloe, our former deputy director and present deputy director for recruitment and selection respectively, and their team for being there right at the start of those potential volunteers’ journey in becoming full listening volunteer members of Bridgend Samaritans.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Volunteer training
Our training team has the task of training our new volunteers, as well as ensuring the skill levels of all our active listeners is maintained. They also train our outreach team members to equip them for delivering our service outside of the branch, our branch leadership team members and our Listeners.
Our new volunteers undergo six months of training before becoming active listening volunteers and this involves our core training of 22 hours of face to face training, 18 hours of online training and finally embedding training which is a further 12 hours of face to face training. New volunteers are supported by a period of working with a mentor. Part of the training is skills practice, and we have a small team of trained skills practitioners who use remote skills sessions to help prepare our new volunteers for their role as listening volunteers.
This year the training team delivered two complete sessions of core and embedding training, which enabled 15 new Samaritans to start taking calls in our operations room (last year 20). The role of the mentor in the development of our new starters is crucial in providing them with the best possible experience as they prepare to move forward to full listening Samaritans.
We are very grateful to Wendy and her team of core trainers, to our skill practitioners, Angel and our team of mentors, and to William and his team of embedding trainers. These teams ensure our volunteers are provided with the very best training and mentorship they require to meet the needs of our callers.
Support for volunteers
Listening to users of our service and providing emotional support can be challenging. It is therefore important for us to have a robust structure in place to care for our volunteers. Our specially trained leaders and volunteer care team members provide the support needed to enable our volunteers to help others while maintaining personal well-being.
Leaders
Leaders are the people who look after the Branch on a day-to-day basis. Their role is to make sure shifts are filled with at least two listening volunteers and to be there every shift to support volunteers throughout their shift and to off load to at the end of the shift. This is to ensure that the listening volunteers do not take away any worries or concerns from the shift.
They are also there to guide and advise listening volunteers if they are having difficult calls. We currently have 16 experienced leaders who were carefully selected for their experience, skills and availability. A Leader needs to be available by phone for the full shift and normally undertake to do at least 2 shifts a week.
Our thanks go to Darren and his team of Leaders, who are vital to keeping shifts on our rota open.
Volunteer Support
Our Volunteer Support team is a hard working team of 9 volunteers, who support all our branch volunteers, helping where needed to ensure we all maintain good health and well-being and establish good relationships with the branch. Each team member is assigned a number of branch Samaritans to care for and support. Their role is to ensure they make regular contact to check all is well. This may be worries about their role, or a personal worry or concern. Whatever the circumstances the volunteer support team provides the required back up in complete confidence.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
The ethos of Samaritans is "The care of others" so therefore it is vitally important we care for our own hard working branch volunteers.
Thank you to Vicky and her team for helping us when we need it and the hard work and support from the team.
Our work in the community
Bridgend Samaritans branch undertakes a variety of outreach and awareness raising activities.
In the last 12 months we have undertaken two training sessions and have a further 12 outreach trained volunteers. More than 24 volunteers have undertaken at least one outreach event in the last year, with several volunteers participating in multiple events. This has involved 336 hours of outreach volunteer time (320 hours last year), which has enabled us to engage with approximately 3896 members of the public as well as providing emotional support in the community to 84 people who have reached out to us while attending events. Outreach activities are additional to our regular phone listening duties, and we would like to thank Olivia and everyone in her team who has supported these activities and events throughout the year.
These include:
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re-establishment of our partnership with South Wales Police, particularly Bridwell Custody Suite supporting detainees;
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continued support for both patients and staff at Princess of Wales Hospital;
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regular ‘Feet on the Street’ activities in both Llantwit Major & Bridgend Town Centre;
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regular attendance at a foodbank in Bridgend Town Centre;
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support for events involving young people such as visits to educational premises and attendance at Pencoed Comprehensive school & Brynteg Comprehensive School as well as safeguarding events held at Pencoed & Bridgend College;
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Samaritans national awareness events such as Brew Monday at Bridgend train station; World Mental Health Day, which involved a morning spent hopping on and off the trains running from Maesteg to Pontyclun to raise awareness and offering emotional support; and Rail in Action 24/7 for Samaritans Awareness day;
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Samaritans national awareness campaigns such as Small Talk Saves Lives which involved a Roadshow in Bridgend Town Centre, with volunteers raising awareness and offering emotional support;
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supporting colleagues in other branches by attending events such as the Royal Welsh Show and the Eisteddfod;
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attendance at numerous local events such as Party on the Pitch in Kenfig Hill, Cowbridge Pride, and the May Day Fayre Cowbridge, Dementia Open Day Cowbridge, and World Mental Health Day in Barry Library;
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delivery of workshops to local businesses and organisations in Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan; and
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continued partnership working with the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Parish, with St Illtyd’s Church in Llantwit Major continuing to have our literature on display.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Supporting prisoners
At Bridgend Samaritans we have a dedicated Branch Prison Team of nine volunteers that supports our local prison, HMP & YOI Parc. Parc is a Cat B/C male prison for about 1750 prisoners. It is a private prison run on behalf of the Prison Service by G4S. Every week our Branch Prison Team spends time in the prison supporting our Listeners.
The Listeners is a special scheme run by the Samaritans inside prisons. The Listeners are prisoners who have been selected and trained by the Samaritans to enable them to act as “the Samaritans” inside the prison so that they can provide face-to-face confidential emotional support to their fellow prisoners. Each Listener Scheme is supported by volunteers from the local Samaritans Branch.
Supporting prisoners is important. People in prison are ten times more likely to die by suicide than people in the general population. The mission for Samaritans is to reduce deaths by suicide. We do this by providing a confidential emotional support service every day and every night, each day of the year.
The Samaritans provide emotional support to prisoners in two key ways:
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(i) Samaritans volunteers talk to prisoners who phone us, day and night;
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(ii) through our support and co-ordination of the Listener scheme inside prisons.
The Samaritans also provide confidential help and emotional support to prison staff and to prisoners’ families.
During 2024/25 we had between 18 and 35 trained Listeners in Parc who provided round the clock emotional support to their fellow prisoners. These Listeners are selected and trained by Bridgend Samaritans, so our Branch Prison Team works closely with the Branch Recruitment Team and the Branch Training Team to do this, and we appreciate their help and assistance.
Our Listener Scheme does save lives and the support our Branch gives to Parc means we can continue to help prisoners who are worried, stressed, feeling down, finding it difficult to cope, or who may be in despair.
Bridgend Samaritans Prison Team and our team of Parc Listeners also provide extra emotional support sessions following any deaths in the prison. It was a very sad year for Parc in 2024 when there were a number of prisoner deaths.
Our Branch is grateful for the support we receive from the Management and Safer Custody staff at HMP &YOI Parc for our Listener Scheme.
A grateful “Thank you” goes to Grace our Branch Prison Co-ordinator and all the Branch Prison Team volunteers and to all the other volunteers in our Branch who have been there to support prisons, prisoners and prisoners’ families this year.
Long service awards
It is important that we acknowledge and celebrate key milestones in our volunteers’ journey with us and as is customary, this year we are celebrating the following long service awards with heartfelt thanks for their hard work, dedication, and support.
• Charlie 5 years
- Lola 5 years
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
• Danny 10 years • Wendy 10 years • Barry 15years • Kate 20 years • Jan 27years
Gifts and Donations
Without the generosity of others we could not be here for our callers to turn to in their darkest hours. We can only do what we do through the generosity of others. This includes organisations who provide us with grants and donations; individuals who have undertaken sponsored activities; those who have chosen to leave us legacies or donate money in lieu of flowers when loved ones have passed away; and individuals who put their spare change into our collecting boxes hosted by many businesses across the communities that we support. We are very grateful to everyone who has helped us. We wish to recognise Jan, who continues to manage our collecting boxes distributed across our local community, and Ifor for the sterling work he has done this year fund raising.
Structure, governance and management
Bridgend Samaritans (registered charity number 1170848) is a CIO governed by its constitution dated February 2016. The charity is an affiliated branch of the Samaritans (charity 757372), and its service delivery is governed by an operating agreement with that national charity.
The charity is led by a Branch Director (who is also a trustee and the Chair of Trustees) and the trustees who are responsible for its general management. The Branch Director and trustees pay due regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. Bridgend Samaritans does not charge for the charitable services it provides.
The trustees and Regional Director for Wales consult with all branch members and then select who should be appointed as Branch Director for a term of three years. Trustees are elected annually by the members at the Annual General Meeting. The members are the currently serving volunteers at Samaritans Bridgend CIO. The minimum number of trustees is 3 and the maximum 13.
Up to two trustees may be appointed by the existing trustees if any gaps in expertise are identified on the Charity's Board of Trustees. Such trustees are required to retire and seek re-election at the next AGM. The Branch Director and trustees may serve for up to 6 consecutive years.
In addition, a team of deputy directors support the Branch Director in the day-to-day operational management.
Risk management
The trustees have considered the principal risks to which the organisation is exposed and have developed strategies and action plans to mitigate the effects of these where possible.
Key risks identified include the health and safety of volunteers, maintenance of the branch premises, ongoing recruitment and retention of volunteers and the continued financial viability of the charity.
The trustees complete an annual review of the risks and controls at the charity.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Financial review
We are grateful to our generous supporters who in total gave the branch £34,810 (last year £22,785) following the new focus on fund raising this year.
Running costs reduced to £19,473 (last year £29,956 – which included £11,200 on premises safety improvements from designated funds).
The trustees have adopted a low-risk investment strategy and funds are held with Lloyds Bank and CCLA (see note 6).
Future plans - the charity continues to develop new plans to achieve its objectives for the helpline, prison support and local outreach.
Reserves policy
The trustees have set a minimum level of free reserves of 12 months of operating costs, this amounts to approximately £30,000. Reserves have not fallen below this level in either year.
| 31 Mar 2025 |
31 Mar 2024 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Total unrestricted –general funds | 121,018 | 112,944 |
| Less fixed assets | (35,808) | (36,570) |
| Free reserves | 85,210 | 76,374 |
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
Bridgend Samaritans Branch Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities.
In preparing those accounts, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statement on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in existence.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 16[th] June 2025.
JL Griffiths, Branch Director and Chair of Trustees
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Bridgend Samaritans CIO (Charity no. 1170848)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 Cthe Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
l.the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
2.the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3.the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Peter Whiting FCA
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Statement of Financial Activities
Year ended 31[st] March 2025
| Note | Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | 2025 | 2024 | ||
| INCOME | ||||||
| Voluntary income | 2a | 34,810 | - | - | 34,810 | 22,785 |
| Charitable income | 2b | 2,043 | - | - | 2,043 | 10 |
| Interest income | 3,665 | - | - | 3,665 | 3,166 | |
| TOTAL income | 40,518 | - | - | 40,518 | 25,961 | |
| EXPENDITURE | ||||||
| Generating funds | 714 | - | - | 714 | 712 | |
| Charitable activities: | ||||||
| General expenditure | 3 | 19,473 | - | - | 19,473 | 29,956 |
| Grant to Samaritans (national) | 11,495 | - | - | 11,495 | 2,701 | |
| Depreciation | 5 | 762 | - | - | 762 | 762 |
| TOTAL expenditure | 32,444 | - | - | 32,444 | 34,131 | |
| Net income / (expenditure) for the | year | 8,074 | - | - | 8,074 | (8,170) |
| Fund reconciliation: | ||||||
| Fund balance brought forward | 112,944 | - | - | 112,944 | 121,114 | |
| Net income / expenditure | 8,074 | - | - | 8,074 | (8,170) | |
| Fund transfers | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Fund balance carried forward | 8 | 121,018 | - | - | 121,018 | 112,944 |
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Balance Sheet
| Note | 31stMarch | 31stMarch | 31stMarch | 31stMarch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Tangible fixed assets | 5 | 35,808 | 36,570 | ||
| Current assets | |||||
| Bank deposits | 6 | 100,838 | 79,571 | ||
| Prepayments | 1,495 | 2,036 | |||
| Total current assets | 102,333 | 81,607 | |||
| Current liabilities | |||||
| Creditors | 3,795 | 285 | |||
| Accruals | 13,328 | 4,750 | |||
| Deferred income | - | 198 | |||
| Total current liabilities | 17,123 | 5,233 | |||
| Net current assets | 85,210 | 76,374 | |||
| NET ASSETS | 7 | 121,018 | 112,944 | ||
| Unrestricted funds | 121,018 | 112,944 | |||
| Designated funds | - | - | |||
| Restricted funds | - | - | |||
| TOTAL FUNDS | 8 | 121,018 | 112,944 |
Approved by the Trustees on 16[th] June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
JL Griffiths, Branch Director and Chair of Trustees
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
Notes to the financial statements
1. Statement of Accounting Policies
Basis of Preparation
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost conversion. The financial statement followed the guidelines of the revised Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting Charities, effective from 1st January 2015 (the Charities SORP FRSSE version) and uses applicable Accounting Standards.
Going Concern
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Fund Accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees, in furtherance of the objectives of the charity and have not been designated for other purposes. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor.
Incoming Resources
Incoming resources are included and recognised in full when deposited in the charity’s bank accounts.
No amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers.
Resources Expended
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to that category.
Fundraising cost are those costs incurred in seeking and receiving voluntary contributions.
Fixed Assets
Assets costing under £2,000 have been expended in the year of purchase as they have been deemed to be minor in nature. Freehold property was previously not depreciated, but from April 2022 it is being written down at 2% per year to better reflect the estimated lifetime of the premises. All other assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis at 20% per year.
Taxation
Bridgend Samaritans is a registered charity and is therefore potentially exempt from taxation of its income and gains to the extent that they fall within section 505 of the Income & Corporation Taxes Act 1998 and section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992. No tax charge has arisen this year.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Charity Registration Number 1170848
Bridgend Samaritans
2. Income
| 2a. Voluntary income | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total 2025 | Total 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | Funds | |||
| Donations | 25,647 | - | 25,647 | 16,417 |
| Gift aid | 1,683 | - | 1,683 | 1,156 |
| Collections and boxes | 6,363 | - | 6,363 | 3,257 |
| Legacies & in memoriam | 1,117 | - | 1,117 | 1,955 |
| Total voluntary income | 34,810 | - | 34,810 | 22,785 |
| 2b. Income from charitable activity | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total 2025 | Total 2024 |
| funds | Funds | |||
| Events & raffles | 2,043 | - | 2,043 | 10 |
| Sales | - | - | - | - |
| Total income from charitable activity | 2,043 | - | 2,043 | 10 |
3. General Expenditure
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Total 2025 | Total 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | Funds | |||
| Premises | 7,524 | - | - | 7,524 | 18,518 |
| Volunteers and training | 3,181 | - | - | 3,181 | 3,945 |
| Materials and literature | 2,463 | - | - | 2,463 | 570 |
| Publicity & AGM | 684 | - | - | 684 | 702 |
| IT and telephones | 2,488 | - | - | 2,488 | 3,030 |
| Van annual costs | 1,981 | - | - | 1,981 | 2,074 |
| General insurance | 1,152 | - | - | 1,152 | 1,117 |
| Total general expenditure | 19,473 | - | - | 19,473 | 29,956 |
4. Employees and Trustees
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year. Trustees were reimbursed for eligible expenses incurred in the year amounting to £1,631 (2024 £1,357).
The charity has no employees (2024 – none).
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
5. Tangible Fixed Assets
| Freehold | Vehicles | Total 2025 | Total 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property | ||||
| Cost: | ||||
| Brought forward | 38,094 | 24,823 | 62,917 | 62,917 |
| Disposals | - | - | - | - |
| Carried forward | 38,094 | 24,823 | 62,917 | 62,917 |
| Depreciation: | ||||
| Brought forward | 1,524 | 24,823 | 26,347 | 26,048 |
| Charge in year | 762 | - | 762 | 762 |
| Disposals | - | - | - | |
| Carried forward | 2,286 | 24,823 | 27,109 | 26,347 |
| Net book value: | ||||
| Brought forward | 36,570 | - | 36,570 | 37,332 |
| Carried forward | 35,808 | - | 35,808 | 36,570 |
Our branch premises are at 2 Green Street, Bridgend, its freehold is held in the name of the charity and is included above at its original cost. Owning the freehold enables the charity to operate without paying commercial rent.
The 2% depreciation charge on freehold property is made to better reflect the revised estimated lifetime of the premises.
6. Bank deposits
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Lloyds Bank | 7,719 | 14,016 |
| CCLA – COIF fund | 93,119 | 65,555 |
| 100,838 | 79,571 |
The above bank deposits are accessible at short notice.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
7. Analysis of Net Assets between Funds
| Current period | Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Total Funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | Funds | Funds | 2025 | |
| Tangible fixed assets | 35,808 | - | - | 35,808 |
| Current assets | 102,333 | - | - | 102,333 |
| Current liabilities | (17,123) | - | - | (17,123) |
| Net assets 31 March 2025 | 121,018 | - | - | 121,018 |
| Prior period | Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Total Funds |
| funds | Funds | Funds | 2024 | |
| Tangible fixed assets | 36,570 | - | - | 36,570 |
| Current assets | 81,607 | - | - | 81,607 |
| Current liabilities | (5,233) | - | - | (5,233) |
| Net assets 31 March 2024 | 112,944 | - | - | 112,944 |
8. Movement in Funds
| Current period | Opening | Incoming | Outgoing | Fund | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | resources | resources | transfers | Funds 2025 | |
| Unrestricted – general funds | 112,944 | 40,518 | 32,444 | - | 121,018 |
| Designated – building fund | - | - | - | - | - |
| Restricted funds – GWR | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total funds | 112,944 | 40,518 | 32,444 | - | 121,018 |
| Prior period | Opening | Incoming | Outgoing | Fund | Closing |
| funds | resources | resources | transfers | Funds 2024 | |
| Unrestricted – general funds | 106,114 | 24,461 | 22,912 | 5,281 | 112,944 |
| Designated – building fund | 15,000 | - | 11,200 | (3,800) | - |
| Restricted funds – GWR | - | 1,500 | 19 | (1,481) | - |
| Total funds | 121,114 | 25,961 | 34,131 | - | 112,944 |
The designated reserve of £nil (2024 - £nil) comprised funds set aside for premises safety improvements which were completed in the year to March 2024 for less than budgeted, on completion the unused funds were transferred back to general funds.
There were no restricted funds in the current year, in 2024 restricted funds comprised the generous support from the GWR Communities and Education and Community Cohesion Programme which was used to create publicity, awareness raising and recruitment of new local volunteers to support local communities over the last 2 years. The funding from the GWR Programme in 2023/24 supported the recruitment and training of outreach volunteers from within and for our local communities, work which matches our own charitable objectives the costs of which are included in general funds.
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Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2025
Bridgend Samaritans Charity Registration Number 1170848
9. Ultimate control and related parties
The charity is controlled by its members who are the currently serving volunteers at the Bridgend Samaritans, the charity trustees are also members of the charity.
Bridgend Samaritans is an affiliated branch of Samaritans (charity 219432).
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).
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