**REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1171148** **UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **FOR** **B:FRIEND** Xeinadin Sidings House Sidings Court Lakeside Doncaster South Yorkshire DN4 5NU **B:FRIEND** **CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Report of the Trustees 1 to 33
Independent Examiner's Report 34
Statement of Financial Activities 35
Balance Sheet 36
Notes to the Financial Statements 37 to 43
Reference and Administrative Details 44
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# **b:friend Annual Report** **2025** b:friend is a charity registered in the UK with registered Charity Number 1171148. ## **Tomasz & Frank** Frank was referred to b:friend after his wife passed away, and as his mobility reduced. b:friend introduced him to Tomasz and they quickly bonded over their shared fondness for all things technical and mechanical. ”I really enjoy visiting Frank, I think that we were paired extremely well. We share a lot of common interests. I am always looking forward to meeting him and we are already arranging other activities that we will do together.” Tomasz loved hearing Frank’s stories from his time as an engineer and from living through World War II. “Frank is keen to share stories from his life, and that is one of the most amazing things that happened to me – it’s a privilege to be able to listen to so many stories from someone’s life.” They even celebrated Christmas Day together with Tomasz’s partner at their house. Frank said: “It was very nice, it meant a lot to me. We see eye to eye and get on well. Getting to know them, it’s been a big change for me.” “I don’t see it as volunteering anymore,” Tomasz added. “It’s just something that’s part of my life and the highlight of my week.” **1** ## **A message from our CEO** 2025 has been such a great opportunity to take stock and plan for the future. With new, focused strategic objectives, some multi-year funding secured, and continued growth in our volunteer and referral numbers, it’s a real reflection of the trust in our work and the growing need for connection in the communities we serve. Over the past year, we’ve continued to grow across our communities, but what’s mattered most isn’t just the numbers, it’s the friendships forming every day. It’s the laughter at our social clubs, the familiar voices catching up each week, and the quiet moments where someone feels seen, heard, and valued again. We’ve taken time to listen and learn, shaping our work around what people tell us they need. That’s led us to strengthen our clubs, better support one-to-one friendships, and explore new ways for people to connect in order for us to deliver where we’re needed most. Of course, it hasn’t all been easy. Like many organisations, we’ve felt the pressure of rising costs and an uncertain funding landscape. But what’s stood out is the way our community has come together, our volunteers giving their time so generously, our supporters backing us, and our team showing real determination and heart. Looking ahead, the need for connection isn’t slowing down, it’s growing. And so are we - carefully, thoughtfully, and always with people at the centre of everything we do. Because at b:friend, it’s never just about services or sessions. It’s about friendship. And that’s something worth building, together, one cuppa at a time. Cheers, Colette Bunker, Chief Executive Officer of b:friend **2** ## **Vision Mission Values** ## **Vision** **At b:friend, our vision is a world where all older neighbours can connect, laugh and inspire others every day.** Loneliness sucks, and we want to help end it. For older people, loneliness is something that doesn’t happen overnight, it creeps up on you. It’s influenced by life events such as deteriorating health, decreased mobility and the passing away of partners and friends. Having no family close by and having to stop driving (from health or confidence issues) can also lead to an older person spending more time alone in their home. 42% of people over 65 live alone. This is set to rise to over 50% by 2041 (ONS data). Loneliness can lead to depression, coronary disease, weaker immune systems and dementia – it’s as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Not only do we want older people to live longer and healthier lives, we want them to have fun! So we don’t take life too seriously and we make sure to challenge stereotypes when it comes to ageing. We also believe that society is missing out on the stories and experiences that older people have to offer. Reconnecting isolated people with their community can lead to younger generations gaining insights and wisdom from their older neighbours. **3** ## **Vision Mission Values** ## **Mission** **Our mission? To facilitate meaningful friendships and enjoyable connections between people and communities** We want to reignite that spark of joy in older people that they may have lost along the way, something that only true friendships can do. So we’re not time-limited and we never charge for friendship. That way, both older neighbours and befrienders know that their connection is genuine and long lasting. Real friendship and social connection can create a sense of self-worth, build confidence and resilience and improve mental and physical wellbeing. In many cases, friendship really can save lives. ## **Values** **Our values are at the heart of everything we do.** **We are…** **4** ## **FUN** No two weeks are the same with b:friend. We celebrate later years and we know from experience that being old in body doesn’t mean being old in mindset. Mental wellbeing is our priority, having something to look forward to and having a good old giggle should be something everyone can enjoy. ## **BOLD** We challenge the stigma around ageing; bingo is banned at b:friend. We’d much rather be cheerleading, boxing or exploring different cultures. We never sit still, we are constantly thinking up new, innovative ideas and ways of making older people’s lives richer. ## **DOWN-TO-EARTH** We are firmly rooted in the local community and everything we do is with a strong sense of place. Being led by our community anchors us to our purpose. You’ll see no fancy business speak here, we say what we mean and we mean what we say. ## **EMBRACING** Friendship is for everyone and everyone is welcome at b:friend. We strive to break down divisions created by age, heritage, digital skills and social norms and make sure people feel comfortable to be themselves. ## **PASSIONATE** The cause drives us and we believe in it whole heartedly. We always have the voice and the best interests of our older neighbours in mind, but you’ll never hear us use the word ‘beneficiary’. Our older neighbours give as much joy and value back to their befrienders and their communities as they receive. **5** ## **WHAT WE DO** ## **A year in numbers** **by the end of 2025 we have delivered…** Volunteering hours 37,104 17 > Social Clubs benefiting 250 older neighbours per week 756 Social Club sessions where no two weeks are the same (that’s over 1500 hours of graffiti art, axe throwing, cheerleading, curling, learning morse code, Mardi Gras, and armchair travels to Mexico, China, Peru and Croatia ...plus hundreds more fun sessions!) 729 Active friendships (That’s 37,908 cuppas!) 3,235 Friendships created since 2017 344 New pairings in 2025 **6** ## **WHAT WE DO** |||||||**WH**|**AT WE D**||**O**|||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||||||||||||| ||||||**A year in**||**numbers**|||||| ||||1064
older neighbours engaging on|||||a weekly basis||||| ||2017|2018|2019||2020|2021|2022
2023||2024|2025||| ||80|180|350||680|700|782
825||1050|1064||| |||||||||||||| **7** ## **Our focus for 2025** This year, our strategic priorities were: - Service Quality - Growth Where Needed Team Success Fundraising We created our Strategy Clubhouse incorporating our Vision, Mission & Values, Focus Pillars all underpinned by our values. **8** ## **Our focus for 2025** ## **Service Quality** We pledged that even as we grow, we’re committed to the high quality of delivery that b:friend is known for. We’ll closely monitor processes and feedback, and introduce new volunteer roles to help enhance the experience for both our older neighbours and our volunteers. This objective was mostly measured through survey feedback across various channels Part of this objective was to do a mass ‘check in’ with every single befriending pairing on our database. For one day, the whole team downed tools and made hundreds of phone calls. This check in served as a reminder to pairings that we’re here if they need us and it led to so many wonderful stories from long-lasting friendships too. The downside of this was that we also learnt that some of our pairings had ended without us knowing. We introduced a new volunteer role called the ‘Check-In Champion’ to continue these calls year-round so now we can have full confidence that our data is up to date and will remain so in future. ## **Team Success** We’re nothing without our passionate and dedicated team, and so this strategic pillar focused on promoting and prioritising learning and development, gave staff more opportunities to feed back on everything to do with the charity - culture, direction, job satisfaction, opportunities and tools to name a few. Staff and the board then took this feedback and created an actionable improvement plan. **9** ## **Our focus for 2025** ## **Growing Where Needed** Firstly a simple growth target based on staffing levels and our new volunteer-led club model: 33% increase in social club attendees 13% increase in 1:1 pairings We tasked ourselves with experimenting with different ways of setting up and managing volunteer-led clubs with the aim of writing our learnings and best practice into a recipe for success that we can use in the future and share with other organisation. Our philosophy with ‘growing where needed’ was that although we would be unlikely to secure funding to increase staffing in a particular geography, or launch into a new county in 2025, we would respond to need in whatever way we could when asked. This led to a growth in out of area pairings, via phone or video call and also a trial of an Allied Health Practitioner project where we collaborated with SLTs and Physios to help address isolation experienced post-therapy, particularly for the elderly with mobility and speech difficulties. ## **Fundraising** This target was all about financial resilience. We have secured multi-year funding, however with costs going up, and our major fund from the Lottery tapered downwards year on year, now is the time to start really focussing on building other income streams. Our most ambitious target was to become Charity of the Year for a medium-sized organisation (50 employees). Although we didn’t secure any partnerships of this size with a fundraising element, our work around it did lay the foundations for a permanent Corporate Partnerships role in 2026. **10** **HOW DID WE DO?** We had ambitious plans for our volunteer-led social clubs, however finding the combination of the right location and the right volunteer proved tricky, often we would have a fantastic volunteer, but the location already had lots of community activities. Our biggest takeaway from this years’ targets was that we need to move away from single-number measurements of success in our surveys. There was some misinterpretations of questions that led to poor scoring accuracy. In 2026 we plan to take a more individualised approach to volunteer and older neighbour goals vs outcomes. ## **AIM OUTCOME** 228 new club members in 2025 161 slow and false starts to new clubs slowed down progress against target 308 new pairings compared with 272 in 2024 344 new pairings in 2025 out of 10 for how 9.5 much a paired olderneighbour looks 9.6 forward to visits out of 10 scored 99% of social club members feeling 94% happier as a result of attending felt happier 75/25 % split between trusts & Achieved foundations (75%) and 75/25 other income (25%) **11** ## **HIGHLIGHTS** ## **Giving Back** This year, thanks to some incredible partnerships with local organisations, our older neighbours had several chances to give back to their local communities and improve local spaces. A partnership with Natural England saw our Thorne club give practical advice to the Peatlands Nature Reserve on accessibility for older people, all of which was acted on. Our partnership with the Age Friendly Steering Group, coordinated by Doncaster Public Health, led to several of our clubs feeding in to ways of making Doncaster a more Age Friendly City. We worked with the Centre for Social Justice, who interviewed some of our older neighbours whose insights were used for their Lonely Nation Report. Cast Theatre worked with one of our social clubs by delivering poetry writing workshops, culminating in a film of their poetry readings being shown to the local community at an event celebrating VE Day. Our Dearne clubs also helped to design a sculpture for a new local roundabout. ## **Warm & Welcoming Spaces** Our clubs are not just places to socialse, they are a lifeline, particularly in the colder months. We were delighted to be successful in grants in Doncaster and Derbyshire to run and promote our clubs as Warm & Welcoming Spaces. Delivering sessions around keeping a warm home, financial management and other sources of support. When I'm sat at home with no-one to talk to I feel...desperate. Desperate is the word Social Club Member **12** ## **HIGHLIGHTS** ## **New Clubs** We celebrated 3 new clubs in 2025: Hucknall Swallownest/Augton Hillsborough (volunteer-led) ## **A Very Merry Christmas** Back by popular demand, our Big Christmas Party is now a permanent entry in the b:friend calendar. We have outgrown all previous venues so 250 older neighbours were kindly hosted by Magna at a discounted rate. "”I can't thank you enough for our Christmas dinner. I made friends with lots of other groups" "Thanks to all your team for the fabulous event can’t say a big enough thanks wow what a day ❤ ❤ don’t know how you’re going to better this one 🤭🤭❤❤ " This year we also trialled entering some Christmas tree festivals for brand awareness and to increase volunteer applications and referrals ## **Fun & Bold** It’s important to us to live our values to we decided to create a b:friend calendar for the first time. Our older nieghbours chose some themes and really let their hair down to create this fun product. It even raised over £1500 for b:friend! **13** **HIGHLIGHTS** ## **Spreading the word** We were delighted to get the opportunty to show the impact b:friend makes through both local and national news media and news outlets, with higlights being a feature on ITV News and Virgin Media Radio with Chris Evans. As well as this, two former grant funders of b:friend approached us to film our work in order to showcase what we do. These produced videos that gave insights into both a 1:1 pairings and a social club. **14** ## **HIGHLIGHTS** ## **Amazing Fundraisers** This year, we’ve been blown away by the efforts of some truly inspirational fundraisers: Volunteer Izzy and her partner Will hiked the Yorkshire 3 Peaks in 24 hours, and running mates Neil & Colette ran the Sheffield 10k raising over £1,300 combined. Rachael, One of our teammates, leapt 15,000 feet from a plane to raise over £1500. Staff members at Frasers Group undertook a 24 hour bike ride to ‘Spain’, raising over £1500 **15** ## **HIGHLIGHTS** ## **Community Fundraisers & Creative Campaigns** As part of our ongoing work to diversify income and raise awareness, we ran several successful campaigns of our own: ## Team Walking Challenge We set ourselves a challenge to walk 300 miles in 10 days as a team. The best part of this was that some of our older neighbours joined in and it even launched a new b:friend social walking club in Thurnscoe! ## Bucket Collections We successfully attempted bucket collecting at Chesterfield FC for the first time. ## **And finally...** ## **The power of interns** We’ve had two fantastic interns from the University of Sheffield join us to work on some great projects. Annaleece produced our 2025 Calendar and Jack built our new online shop. These internships have been so valuable to us that we will build them into our annual plans year on year. **16** ## **CHALLENGES** As ever, the year came with its share of challenges. ## **Trial and Error** Being a small charity means that it’s much easier to try new things and fail quickly than it is for larger organisations. We tried a few new projects this year and not all of them worked out. We’ve tried lots of different ways of incorporating digital inclusion into our work and we were excited to launch our latest initiative last year, our Digital Social Club. However despite partnering with a number of digital inclusion specialist and building cross referral pathways, we couldn’t build up a big enough membership to sustain it. We ensured each member was paired with a befriender before closing the club, and they were still welcome to continue to use the link to meet up without staff if they wished. The feedback we had from many older people is that they just aren’t interested in getting online, or if they were, it was’t to socialise, it was to do tasks such as online banking. We have now chosen to focus our efforts on keeping our older neighbours safe online should they choose to use the internet. We have run sessions on cyber security at clubs and have a fantastic partnership with HSBC who have run sessions around scam fraud and plan to do webinars for our volunteers and produce a resource for our older neighbours. Another project that we trialled this year was our Allied Health Practitioners partnership project. We were approached by both Speech and Language Therapists and Physiotherapists with a similar issue. Once treatment had reached its limit, the client’s isolation meant that further improvements weren’t being made. In the case of the Physiotherapist, some clients were continuing to pay for additional unnecessary sessions purely for the company. For isolated SLT clients, it was hard for them to practice their exercises and therefore improvements ceased. We saw a role for b:friend in recruiting people with some level of training (students or retied practitioners) who could continue to visit the clients in order both to practice the exercises they had been taught, and to provide companionship. Although we thought this could work in theory, it proved too difficult to match geographies between volunteer sign-ups and referrals for such a niche role. ## **Income Diversification** We’ve recognised this an an issue for us for quite some time now. Although the dial is moving, it’s slow progress. After a lot of thought and research, we decided that corporate partnerships provided our best opportunity for income diversification. Despite being a small charity, we have amazing partnerships with Sky, Aviva, HSBC and Coop to name a few. We have a lot to offer corporates and so we decided to invest in this strategically. Towards the end of 2025 we began recruitment for our first Corporate Relationships Manager to join the team and drive this potential income stream forwards. **Our Askern club & HSBC at a Aviva staff hosting flower Sky staff volunteering at a Sky-funded concert in Leeds arranging for Gleadless club tea party with venue donated by Gripple** **17** ## **Our plans for 2026** We have a new 3-year income diversification target. A longerterm goal to build sustainable income streams. Success would be measured by our ability to meet the shortfalls that the tapered Lottery grant leaves from Apr 26 ## **Growing Where Needed** ## **Service Quality** We will continue business as usual with targets based on staffing, however we will pay particular attention to growing our remote befriending and out of area volunteer-led clubs Focus will be on retention on volunteers and club members. We will focus on quality of friendships and ensure that volunteers and older neighbours are given plenty of opportunities to tell us if it isn’t clicking. We will also introduce new ways of measuring loneliness that get to the heart of the issue ## **Team Sucess** ## **Fundraising** With new board members in place, part of this focus area will be a governance improvement plan. As a team we will work on our personal and collective development, as well as wellbeing and satisfaction in our roles Not only will this focus area involve income targets, but also brand awareness and stewardship too. **18** ## **FINANCE** **How we spent £1** The majority of our costs are on staffing who deliver our befriending project across the region, support volunteers and older neighbours and make local connections. It costs £7,200 to run a social club for a year It costs £473 to set up each 1:1 pairings and support them for 12 months It costs £5,000 for transport to take all our clubs on Summer outings each year The full cost of our annual b:friend Christmas Party for hundreds of isolated older neighbours is £15,414 **19** ## **OUR IMPACT** **Here’s a few lovely comments from our befriended older neighbours this year:** It's unbelievable. She's the greatest person I've ever met in my life. I've been so lucky to have met her I hope all of your people get a friendship like the one i have with Sam. I think he is probably my best friend We can talk about owt. she's a really caring, compassionate woman. Do you know what she said to me the other day? 'You've got a piece of my heart now' isn't that lovely? (From a daughter of an older neighbour) Hello just spent a week with my mum Jan . Can’t believe what a difference Gill is making to my mums life! I am forever grateful to you and Gill. Such huge health and wellbeing benefits - better mobility , sense of purpose , trying new things! Thank you x 100 I'm so much happier now I have Pam she has changed my life. I feel so proud when I can tell my daughters that my friend is visiting me - I have never had that before! can I say what b:friend does is wonderful, you make people happy. You put people together who wouldn’t be together and that’s wonderful. I have had a great morning and can say I truly feel happy **20** ## **OUR IMPACT** **And here’s a few from our amazing volunteers...** I am really enjoying building friendship with my older neighbour, as we have such different backgrounds, and its really seeing friendship growing from unlikely places I believe that my visits are as helpful to me as to the lady I visit. I struggle much socially myself, a calm, quiet, hours' talking is healing for me. Its wonderful that charities/volunteer opportunities like this exist. I can already see what a difference it makes to peoples lives. I feel incredible lucky to be a part of this journey. When you are paired with the right person it's lovely. The lady I visit is brave and fantastic. The time just flies **21** ## **OUR IMPACT** We ask our Older Neighbours 4 questions at baseline, 3 months & 6 months to assess progress. All are scored **out of 10** **I am content with my friendships and relationships rose from 4.4 to 6.8** **I have enough people I feel comfortable asking for help at any time rose from 4.7 to 6.9** **My relationships are as satisfying as I would want them to be rose from 4.3 to 6.7 Where 10 is extremely lonely, how lonely to do you feel? Answers reduced from 6.9 to 4.6** I've really enjoyed the entire process of being paired with my neighbour, from the initial interview with my coordinator to the fast developing friendship with Margo. I've felt supported throughout and knowing that my coordinator is a phone call away if there are any concerns has been really comforting. My weekly phone calls with Margo are now something I look forward to and I'm really glad that b:friend is available as it's a wonderful way to meet people and make friends. **22** ## **OUR IMPACT** ## **SOCIAL CLUBS** We always have fun and we are not treated as old people. We can use our brains as well I've been in a lot of groups and clubs over the years and when I was in the army but this one is the best one I've ever been in! The last 18 months has been awful for me health wise and family issues. It is only this group that has pulled me through. Gives me a reason to get up and move. Smile with friends and share problems and help one another. Initially I was apprehensive about attending B:friend but once there I found it was such a friendly atmosphere. So welcoming and made to feel comfortable. I would recommend the group to everyone!) **23** ## **CASE STUDIES** ## **Tara & Brian** Tara and Brian were introduced in February 2025 and quickly found a rhythm that works for them both. Brian, 90, keeps Tara on her toes — especially when it comes to games. Most weeks involve dominos, draughts or a jigsaw, with Brian usually coming out on top (Tara’s only beaten him three times so far). They also enjoy watching videos about Greece and looking through old photographs, which often spark conversations about his life and family. Alongside the games and chat, there’s a lot of humour. Tara describes Brian as sharp, funny, and full of stories — someone she genuinely looks forward to seeing each week. They’re now planning to revive Brian’s old chess set, which could bring a whole new level of competition to their visits. What started as a simple introduction has become a consistent, enjoyable part of both their weeks. “Volunteering with Brian every week is an absolute joy. At 90 years old, he’s full of stories, humour, and wisdom. We spend our time playing dominos and draughts, doing jigsaws, watching videos about Greece—one of his favourite topics and looking through old photographs. Our conversations range from light-hearted banter to heartfelt chats about his family and memories. He’s sharp, funny, and always brings a smile to my face. Brian has become a real highlight of my week and someone I genuinely look forward to spending time with”. **24** ## **CASE STUDIES** ## **Rolna - Member of the Chesterfield Club** Rolna has been coming to the club for over a year and started visiting us as she had friends who were members. She has always had a very active life and has done quite a bit of volunteering in the past. She was frustrated that her life had become smaller and she didn't get out and interact as much as she would like. She now has a circle of friends that she spends Monday mornings with as well as meeting up outside of the club. She has also recently been part of our pilot project in schools which she absolutely loved. “I love coming here every week. We are always doing something different and I feel so welcome. When you're amongst friends you forget your aches and pains and get distracted by whatever we are doing during the club. ” **25** ## **CASE STUDIES** ## **Susan & Jo** Susan’s health means she’s mostly housebound, which left her feeling cut off from the social life she once enjoyed. Over time, that isolation began to affect her wellbeing. Jo decided to volunteer after losing her grandparents. She missed those conversations and wanted to make sure others didn’t feel alone. The two were paired through telephone befriending, with weekly calls quickly becoming part of Susan’s routine. They chat about all sorts — especially their different lives — which Susan really enjoys. “Jo is so good. She is definitely my friend, even though we have never met in person. I never thought I would have a friend that I never met in the flesh. She tells me all about her life and where she goes, I feel like I am going out myself because she describes it so well.” As their friendship grew, Jo noticed Susan was finding things harder at home. She raised this with the team, which led to support from Susan’s GP and an occupational therapist. With the right equipment in place, Susan is now much safer and better supported day to day. The calls themselves have made a big difference too, giving Susan regular connection and something to look forward to each week. This friendship shows how a simple weekly call can build real connection — and how volunteers can help spot when a bit of extra support is needed. **26** ## **Our partners** **We'd like to extend thanks to the awesome organisations that partner with our project. Their commitment to reducing isolation is significant & we're able to achieve huge impact as a result of their belief in a more connected society.** **27** Our partners strata HSBC AVIVA EVERSHEDS CO Westfield *¢A•¥d SUTHERLAND op LiJHealth esi/iiergi/ PLATFO RM_ •• •• Energy GR/PP£ Tierneys SOLILI'I'OKS The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire '￿ Since 1624 CADDY. .• Intelligent pensions TESCO b:frlend The retirement speciallsts 28 ## **Our People: The Team** Colette Bunker, Chief Executive Officer Emma Catley, Befriending Coordinator Karen Booker, Befriending Coordinator Rayella Broomhead, Programme Manager Rachael Mullen, Befriending Coordinator Sara Kopecsni, Senior Communications Officer Jenny Pitman, Programme Manager Helen Twelves, Fundraising Manager Maryanne Wylde, Befriending Coordinator Mollie West, Befriending Coordinator Andy Lofthouse, Corporate Relationships Manager **29** ## **Our People: The Board of Trustees** **We took on three new trustees at the end of 2025, Claire, Nicola and Kit, who bring a huge range of skills and experience to b:friend. We are very excited to be working with them going forwards.** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Claire Rintoul, Clare Legg, Becky Marlor,
Chair of the Board of Trustees Treasurer Trustee
Nicola Upton, Kit Barker,
Trustee Trustee
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Let’s end loneliness together, let’s b:friend!** b:friend is a charity registered in the UK with registered Charity Number 1171148. **30** **B:FRIEND** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 October 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicableto charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the FinancialReporting Standard applicablein the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** ## **Objectives and aims** The objectives of the charity are to promote social inclusion amongst elderly persons, in particular, but not exclusive to over 65's, resident in England and Wales and the surrounding areas who are excluded by society, by provision of: - Befriending services through weekly outreach to individuals. Such other ways from time to time as the trustees see fit in furtherance with said objects. B:Friend is a not-for-profit organisation. B:Friend pairs volunteer befrienders with socially isolated older neighbours in the community with the aim of reducing loneliness by reengaging with people and places around them. Our key activities are 1:1 befriending pairings, visiting once a week for a "cuppa" and a chat. B:Friend also provides two hour social clubs, held in various locations that offer peer support through a range of physically and mentally stimulating sessions. All activities undertaken by the charity are to benefit people in the community, be they volunteers or older neighbours, and all remain equitable with services free at the point of delivery. Trustees ensure all activities are in accordance with the charity objects outlined in the constitution and are for the public benefit. ## **Public benefit** The trustees have considered this purpose, the aims and objectives of the charity and its current and planned activities against the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. The Trustees are satisfied that the charity's purpose, aims, objectives and activities are fully consistent with charity purposes as defined in the Charities Act 2011. ## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Charitable activities** - In the reporting period, the charity has created 344 x 1:1 befriending pairings across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. In addition to this our team has supported and managed an additional 691 x 1:1 befriending pairings already in existence. - Facilitated approximately 1536 hours of Social Club activity across the region with weekly activity, peer support and entertainment. - Collaborated with over 150 other charity and community groups, along with statutory health and social care colleagues, on wider social challenges faced across towns and cities we work in. - Created over 37,012 volunteer hours providing community connection for our isolated older neighbours. ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** ## **Financial position & reserves policy** At 31 October 2025 the Charity's accounts show a net surplus of £62,864 (2024: deficit £31,959) and net assets of £433,145 (2024: £370,281). The board monitor the level of funds throughout the financial year. Unrestricted funds, not designated at 31 October 2025 total £344,769, this represents approximately 9.6 months of activities. The Charity's policy is to retain at least nine months' expenditure in the event of a significant loss of funding. Included in this balance is £118,935 of unexpended grant funding for projects, disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. Page 31 **B:FRIEND** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** ## **Principal funding sources** B:Friend was grateful to receive funding from: The National Lottery Community Fund, Garfield Weston, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Doncaster City Council, South Yorkshire Community Foundation, Voluntary Action Rotherham, HSBC Foundation, Derbyshire Voluntary Action, SheffieldUniversityAmbition Internship, Sir George Earle Trust, Freshgate Foundation, Westfield Health, Company of Cutlers Charitable Trust, Derbyshire Voluntary Action, Chesterfield Council, Erewash Voluntary Action, Hedley Foundation, Centre for Ageing Better, Chesterfield Rotary, Wesleyan Foundation, Mansfield Building Society Community Support Fund, Sheffield City Council (East LAC), CSJ Foundation, Coalfields Regeneration Trust, NEDD Lunch Club Grants, Hillards Charitable Trust, Rotherham Council, Blakemore Foundation, Dalton & Thrybergh Ward Alliance. ## **FUTURE PLANS** For future financial planning, we have set a 3 year objective to cover the funding gap that will occur as a result of diminishing income from The National Lottery ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** ## **Governing document** The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity. The organisation is a charitable incorporated organisation formed on 17 January 2017 and registered as a charity. The charity was established under a Constitution which establishes the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Constitution. In the event of the charity being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1. ## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees** The Trustees of the charity for the purposes of charity law and under the charity's Constitution are known as members of the Management Committee. Under the requirements of the Constitution the members of the Management Committee are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting. ## **Organisational structure** The board meet at least four times a year to deal with the business of the Association and is responsible for the governance framework, the strategic direction and policy of the charity. Staff members also attend the meetings but have no voting powers. All decisions on policy changes, introduction of new policy, business, discussion and agreement of all business of the sub-committees, reporting on business from the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) are discussed and agreed at each board meeting. New initiatives, legal requirements and questions raised by Members are all discussed at each meeting. Each meeting's minutes are recorded, circulated to each member and is made available to Members upon request. Day to day enquiries regarding the operational business are dealt with by the SLT. ## **Induction and training of new trustees** New incoming trustees are presented with a full induction pack which includes roles and responsibilities of charity trustees and legal requirements. The Chair and senior leadership team (SLT) are responsible for ensuring a full induction of Trustees takes place, providing information on the structure, future plans, operational policies and any other information seen to be of assistance to the post holder. All documentary changes as signatory to any official documents are put in place by the SLT at the time of the changeover of trustees. ## **Risk management** The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. Page 32 **B:FRIEND** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** 12/08/2026 Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by: Clare Legg ..................................................................... Clare Legg (Aug 12, 2026 15:40:23 GMT+1) C Legg - Trustee Page 33 **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF B:FRIEND** ## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of B:Friend** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of B:Friend (the Trust) for the year ended 31 October 2025. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner's statement** Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies. 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: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicablerequirements 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 in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ## Claire Docherty Claire Docherty (Aug 14, 2026 09:56:16 GMT+1) Claire Docherty The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Xeinadin Sidings House Sidings Court Lakeside Doncaster South Yorkshire DN4 5NU 14/08/2026 Date: ............................................. Page 34 ## **B:FRIEND** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** |Unrestricted
funds
Notes
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
**267,867**
**Charitable activities**
Social welfare
**24,319**
**Total**
**292,186**
**EXPENDITURE ON**
Raising funds
**6,290**
**Charitable activities**
Social welfare
**253,494**
**Total**
**259,784**
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
**32,402**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
**350,367**
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
**382,769**|Restricted
fund
£
**-**
**120,901**
**120,901**
**-**
**90,439**
**90,439**
**30,462**
**19,914**
**50,376**|**2025**
**Total**
**funds**
as
**£**
**267,867**
**145,220**
**413,087**
**6,290**
**343,933**
**350,223**
**62,864**
**370,281**
**433,145**|2024
Total
funds
restated
£
143,647
142,121
285,768
2,812
314,915
317,727
(31,959)
402,240
370,281| |---|---|---|---| The notes form part of these financial statements Page 35 ## **B:FRIEND** ## **BALANCE SHEET 31 OCTOBER 2025** |Unrestricted
funds
Notes
£
**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets
6
**-**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors
7
**10,143**
Cash at bank
**376,649**
**386,792**
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
8
**(4,023)**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**382,769**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
**382,769**
**NET ASSETS**
**382,769**
**FUNDS**
9
Unrestricted funds:
Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted funds:
Restricted
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Restricted
fund
£
**-**
**-**
**50,376**
**50,376**
**-**
**50,376**
**50,376**
**50,376**|**2025**
**Total**
**funds**
as
**£**
**-**
**10,143**
**427,025**
**437,168**
**(4,023)**
**433,145**
**433,145**
**433,145**
**344,769**
**38,000**
**382,769**
**50,376**
**433,145**|2024
Total
funds
restated
£
1,164
4,290
368,412
372,702
(3,585)
369,117
370,281
370,281
281,367
69,000
350,367
19,914
370,281| |---|---|---|---| The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 12/08/2026 ............................................. and were signed on its behalf by: Clare Legg Clare Legg (Aug 12, 2026 15:40:23 GMT+1) ............................................. C Legg - Trustee The notes form part of these financial statements Page 36 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES** ## **Basis of preparing the financial statements** The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicablein the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The FinancialReporting Standard applicablein the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. ## **Income** All income is recognised in the Statement of FinancialActivities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract income) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), the general volunteer time is not recognised, refer to the trustees report for more information about their contribution. ## **Expenditure** Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. ## **Tangible fixed assets** Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life. Computer equipment - Straight line over 3 years ## **Taxation** The charity is exempt from corporation tax on income and gains falling within Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010, to the extent that these are applied to its charitable purposes. ## **Fund accounting** Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside by the directors for specific future purposes or projects. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements. ## **Hire purchase and leasing commitments** Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease. ## **Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits** The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charity's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate. continued... Page 37 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **2. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS** There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 October 2025 nor for the year ended 31 October 2024. ## **Trustees' expenses** There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 October 2025 nor for the year ended 31 October 2024. There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 October 2025 (2024: £91.58) ## **3. STAFF COSTS** |**3.**
**STAFF COSTS**||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
Officers & administration
Management
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
**Aggregate emoluments paid to key management personnel**
**4.**
**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
Unrestricted
funds
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
143,647
**Charitable activities**
Social welfare
40,085
**Total**
183,732
**EXPENDITURE ON**
Raising funds
2,812||**2025**
a
**£**
**242,537**
**14,991**
**5,114**
**262,642**
**2025**
a
**9**
**1**
**10**|s


s|2024
restated
£
224,187
14,215
4,780
243,182
2024
restated
8
1
9| |||**2025**
**£**
**47,590**||**2024**
**£**
46,828| |||Restricted
fund

£
-
102,036
102,036
-|as|Total
funds
restated
£
143,647
142,121
285,768
2,812| continued... Page 38 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **4. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued** |Unrestricted
funds
£
**Charitable activities**
Social welfare
211,471
**Total**
214,283
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
(30,551)
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
380,918
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
350,367|Restricted
fund
as
£
103,444
103,444
(1,408)
21,322
19,914|Total
funds
restated
£
314,915
317,727
(31,959)
402,240
370,281| |---|---|---| ## **5. PRIOR YEAR ADJUSTMENT** The comparative period has been restated to correct funds balances at 01 November 2023 and 31 October 2024. £211,103 presented as restricted funds has been restated to unrestricted funds at 31/10/2023. Restricted funds at 31/10/2023 total £21,322. £38,054 presented in restricted income during the year ended 31/10/2024 has been represented as unrestricted income, £207,040 restricted expenditure during the year ended 31/10/2024 has been represented as unrestricted expenditure. Restricted funds at 31/10/2024 total £19,914. In addition, a balance of £62,031 included in the comparative creditors falling due within one year has been restated as unrestricted income, net deficit has been restated to £31,959 (previously £93,990). In addition, a balance of £142,121 included in the comparative Donations & Legacies has been represented as Charitable activities, net deficit remains unchanged. continued... Page 39 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **6. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS** |**COST**
At 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 November 2024
Charge for year
At 31 October 2025
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 October 2025
At 31 October 2024
**7.**
**DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Trade debtors
Prepayments
**8.**
**CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Trade creditors
Other creditors|Computer
equipment
£
**19,024**
**17,860**
**1,164**
**19,024**
**-**
1,164
**2025**
2024
as restated
**£**
£
**7,830**
2,000
**2,313**
2,290
**10,143**
4,290
**2025**
2024
as restated
**£**
£
**-**
1,500
**4,023**
2,085
**4,023**
3,585| |---|---| continued... Page 40 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **9. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS** |**Unrestricted funds**
Unrestricted
Designated
**Restricted funds**
Restricted
**TOTAL FUNDS**
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
**Unrestricted funds**
Unrestricted
Designated
**Restricted funds**
Restricted
**TOTAL FUNDS**
**Comparatives for movement in funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
Unrestricted
Designated
**Restricted funds**
Restricted
**TOTAL FUNDS**|At
1.11.24
£
**281,367**
**69,000**
**350,367**
**19,914**
**370,281**
Incoming
resources
£
**292,186**
**-**
**292,186**
**120,901**
**413,087**
At
1.11.23
£
235,918
145,000
380,918
21,322
402,240|Net
movement
At
in funds
31.10.25
£
£
**63,402**
**344,769**
**(31,000)**
**38,000**
**32,402**
**382,769**
**30,462**
**50,376**
**62,864**
**433,145**
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
**(228,784)**
**63,402**
**(31,000)**
**(31,000)**
**(259,784)**
**32,402**
**(90,439)**
**30,462**
**(350,223)**
**62,864**
Net
movement
At
in funds
31.10.24
£
£
45,449
281,367
(76,000)
69,000
(30,551)
350,367
(1,408)
19,914
(31,959)
370,281| |---|---|---| continued... Page 41 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **9. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued** Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: |**Unrestricted funds**
Unrestricted
Designated
**Restricted funds**
Restricted
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Incoming
resources
£
183,732
-
183,732
102,036
285,768|Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(138,283)
45,449
(76,000)
(76,000)
(214,283)
(30,551)
(103,444)
(1,408)
(317,727)
(31,959)| |---|---|---| |**Material Restricted Grants Funds**
**Balance B/f**
**£**
Big Lottery Reaching Communities
Big Lottery Know Your Neighbourhood
18,750
Capital fund
1,164|**Incoming**
**Outgoing**
**Balance C/f**
**£**
**£**
**£**
120,901
70,525
50,376
18,750
-
1,164
-|| |**Total**
**19,914**|**120,901**
**90,439**
**50,376**|| |||| |**Material Unrestricted Grant Funds**
**Balance B/f**|**Incoming**
**Outgoing**
**Balance C/f**|| |**£**
AIM (Doncaster & Barnsley Museums)
4,091
Voluntary Action Rotherham
-
HSBC
12,138
Strata
69,000
Henry Smith
-
Wesleyan Foundation
-
CSJ Foundation
-
Garfield Weston
-
AKO Foundation
-
South Yorkshire Community Foundation
-
Other funds
3,041
**Total**
**88,270**|**£**
**£**
**£**
-
4,091
-
4,901
4,901
-
-
12,138
-
-
31,000
38,000
86,760
50,000
36,760
9,312
9,312
-
50,000
16,667
33,333
35,000
5,833
29,167
14,000
-
14,000
4,900
1,633
3,267
24,440
25,073
2,408
**229,313**
**160,648**
**156,935**|| The National Lottery Community Fund - core work provision in South Yorkshire Henry Smith - Core work provision in UK Garfield Weston - Core work provision in UK Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council - core work provision in Barnsley & provide a collaborative project with Barnsley & Doncaster Museums for the benefit of the elderly Doncaster City Council - Provision of warm spaces, refreshments, and social engagement during winter & core work provision South Yorkshire Community Foundation - Provision of accessible transport in Thorne and Gleadless continued... Page 42 **B:FRIEND** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** ## **9. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued** Voluntary Action Rotherham - core work provision in Rotherham HSBC Foundation - core work provision in Sheffield & a joint staff engagement project Derbyshire Voluntary Action - Provision of warm spaces, refreshments, and social engagement during winter & provision of a Christmas Party for Derbyshire social clubs Sheffield University Ambition Internship - Grant to cover intern wages Sir George Earle Trust - Provision of a new volunteer-led social club Freshgate Foundation - Provision of accessible transport for a Christmas Party Westfield Health - Provision of 30 befriending pairings Company of Cutlers Charitable Trust - Provision of a Christmas Party for older people Derbyshire Voluntary Action - Provision of warm spaces, refreshments, and social engagement during winter Chesterfield Council - Provision of warm spaces, refreshments, and social engagement during winter Erewash Voluntary Action - Capital funding for laptops Hedley Foundation - Provision of a social club in Kimberley Centre for Ageing Better - Provision of 6 social club sessions Chesterfield Rotary - Provision of a barge trip for Chesterfield Social Club Wesleyan Foundation - core work provision in UK Mansfield Building Society Community Support Fund - Provision of core work in Nottinghamshire Sheffield City Council (East LAC) - Provision of accessible transport & refreshments for Gleadless Social Club CSJ Foundation - Provision of core work in Nottinghamshire Coalfields Regeneration Trust - Promotional work in Dearne Valley Area NEDD Lunch Club Grants - Provision of social club resources for Clay Cross Social Club Hillards Charitable Trust - Core work provision in Hucknall Rotherham Council - provision of a Christmas Party Blakemore Foundation - provision of a Christmas Party Dalton & Thrybergh Ward Alliance - provision of a barge trip for Mowbray Gardens Social Club ## **10. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES** There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 October 2025. ## **11. DESIGNATED FUNDS** Exceptional fundraising in 2023 has been designated for costs associated with expansion of services into Nottinghamshire. Page 43 **B:FRIEND** ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2025** **----- Start of picture text -----**
TRUSTEES S Moxon (resigned 5.1.26)
C Legg
M W Lollar (resigned 4.2.26)
Dr R Roberts
C E Rintoul (appointed 24.1.26)
N J Upton (appointed 24.1.26)
C J Barker (appointed 24.1.26)
PRINCIPAL ADDRESS Sidings House
Sidings Court
Doncaster
South Yorkshire
DN4 5NU
REGISTERED CHARITY 1171148
NUMBER
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Xeinadin
Sidings House
Sidings Court
Lakeside
Doncaster
South Yorkshire
DN4 5NU
BANKERS Santander
56 High Street
Doncaster
DN1 1UN
**----- End of picture text -----**
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