ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS
APRIL 2024 – MARCH 2025
Boroughbridge Community Charity, 17 St James Square, Boroughbridge, York, YO51 9AR
Tel: 01423 324504 Email: admin@bcccharity.co.uk
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS
1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025
| 1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONTENTS | PAGE | |||
| OVERVIEW | 3 | |||
| STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT | 4 | |||
| FINANCIAL REVIEW | 5 | |||
| RESERVES POLICY | 5 | |||
| CHAIR’S REPORT | 6/7 | |||
| GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT | 8/10 | |||
| FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 11/12 | |||
| NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 13/14 | |||
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT | 15/16 | |||
| BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY | ||||
| ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2024-25 | ||||
| 1 APRIL 2023 TO 31 MARCH 2024 |
OVERVIEW
Boroughbridge Community Charity (BCC) is a charity providing a range of community services to an extensively rural area, its radius being approximately 15 miles, supporting Boroughbridge and 32 surrounding villages.
Our Vision is for everyone in the community of Boroughbridge and District to be connected, included and supported.
Our mission is to:
Provide community support in response to identified needs.
Promote social inclusion.
Encourage and facilitate voluntary activity.
Encourage partnership working.
Advocate for change by being a voice within the community.
The office is located at 17 St James Square, Boroughbridge, YO51 9AR, telephone 01423 324504 and email at admin@bcccharity.co.uk. Bankers: HSBC Bank
Independent Examiner: Malcolm Wilson
The Financial Statements were prepared by Susan Jeyes, BCC Treasurer.
Board of Trustee meetings were held on 2 May 2024, 4 July 2024 (AGM), 5 September 2024, 16 January 2025.
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS
1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Constitution:
Boroughbridge Community Charity (BCC) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is managed by a Board of Trustees to fulfil its constitutional objects.
Organisational structure and decision making: The Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the charity in ensuring that it is well run and that it continues to deliver the charitable objects for the benefit of the people for whom it has been set up. During this period there were the maximum of 12 Trustees on the Board (as listed below).
The Board develops the strategy and agrees and maintains the vision, mission, and valuesof the charity. The Board meets around six times per year, excluding the AGM, when it discusses and monitors the work and performance of the charity.
Recruiting and appointing Trustees:
Trustee vacancies are advertised, and applicants are interviewed prior to meeting with the full Board. Induction into the workings of the Charity is carried out by the Chair.
Management/employees (all part-time, 2.2 FTP equivalent): Karen Parker, General Manager Barbara Cleeland, Deputy General Manager Sue Robson, Administration Assistant
Ann Davidson, Administration Assistant (resigned April 2025)
TRUSTEES during this period
Jules Preston (Chair from January 2023) Susan Jeyes (Treasurer) Nic Holmes Jan Maltby Nigel Brunyee (appointed July 2024) Jonathan Foster (appointed July 2024) Andy Travis (appointed January 2025) Elizabeth Anne Walker (resigned July 2024) Elizabeth Vose(resigned July 2024) Lynn Fox (resigned July 2024) Janine Stone (resigned June 2024) Neil Henly (resigned January 2025)
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS
1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025
FINANCIAL REVIEW
During the financial year 2024-25, the charity received the second year of funding from North Yorkshire Council to work towards becoming a Community Anchor Organisation and also the second year and third year of the North Yorkshire Council Stay Healthy Grant. Both of these are three year grants and were BCC’s main sources of funding in this period.
Other smaller amounts of funding came from NYC Community Passenger Transport to support the charity’s community voluntary car transport scheme; a grant was awarded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to develop a digital hub; The Local Fund Harrogate District awarded a small grant to enable the charity to reach men in the community by offering taster woodworking sessions; the NYC Community Passenger Transport awarded a small grant for staff training and implementation of the proposed Charity Log CRM system. Additionally the charity was also awarded a grant to purchase and run an electric community car, a stipulation of this grant was that the charity agreed to contribute £5,000 towards this purchase.
The Hastings investment bond matured in 2024 and the funds from this were reinvested in a Redwood Bank 95 day Business Savings account. In addition in 2024 the United Trust investment matured and was reinvested again in their 1 Year Charity bond. These investments were made to attain a good return and provide security for the charity.
RESERVES POLICY
The Trustees recognise that there is a significant shortfall of income against expenditure forecasted for the 2025/26 financial year. Should the charity not obtain substantial funding from other sources, the Trustees have decided that this shortfall will be met by taking funds from the charity’s reserves.
The reserves are allocated as follows:
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£65,000 to support operating costs for a projected shortfall in 2025/26
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£50,000 towards replacement of minibus (existing minibuses now 8½ years and 6 years old)
-
£40,000 to support the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan
-
£80,000 towards new office premises
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BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS
1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025
Chair’s Annual Report
As I enter my final year as Chair it is opportune to reflect on the progress made by Boroughbridge Community Charity. 2025 is the year we celebrate our 50th anniversary having been started by the local GP arranging transport for patients finding it difficult to get to the surgery. That continues to be the mainstay of our services but has expanded to hospital appointments, opticians, dentist, picking up prescriptions, shopping, visiting loved ones in hospital and wherever there is a need. Our bus trips are popular going far and wide to places of interest. The team at BCC and our volunteers have continued to provide a literal life-line to many of the most vulnerable in our community.
rd As our services develop and grow and as we enter our 3 year of transitioning into becoming a Community Anchor Organisation we support the Food Larder, working closely with Boroughbridge Lions, which has as much to do with protecting the environment as it does with providing food stuffs that would otherwise go to landfill. We have also become involved in the development of a Men’s Shed which creates space for men to talk safely about mental health issues. Rolling out awareness of the use of information technology is another key development along with stalwarts such as coffee mornings and keep fit classes. We recently acquired an electric vehicle (EV), with parking and charging kindly donated by Reed Boardall, which further enhances our capacity to provide community transport. What continues to change and ever increase is the demand for our services.
The population increase across Boroughbridge and the 19 surrounding Parish Council areas has had had significant impact on demand. We also have to recognise that the spread of age groups across the population has changed. What could we do for younger people? In order to try and answer that and to better understand need, I wrote to all of the Councils in the area to update them of our services, requesting an opportunity to discuss the future with them. Inevitably the focus of our operation is Boroughbridge but we serve a much bigger geographical area. How do those in Tockwith or Whixley know of our services and how can we enable them to take advantage of the opportunities presented? As with most issues, better communications is a significant part of any solution which in turn will help us as we develop to being a Community Anchor Organisation.
A key requirement for future growth, and mentioned previously, is the need to find more suitable premises. Our current location is ideal. Is that a solution going forward? Working more closely with our friends in the library (BACLA) may provide an answer.
We still have healthy financial reserves which gives us the confidence to move forward, but they won’t last forever despite achieving near break-even figures in the last two financial years. The attached accounts demonstrates another good year although some funding was received in advance. We still have some potential and significant expenditure on staffing, the IT system, any solution concerning premises and our mini-buses will need replacing eventually. We can only continue to help the community of Boroughbridge and District if we continue to expand.
During the year there has been several changes to the Board of Trustees. We were pleased to welcome Nigel Brunyee, Jonathan Foster and Andy Travis as Trustees, with Ella Scaife joining us in March 2025. All have made an immediate impact and I, and the other Trustees, are grateful for their input. During the year Liz Vose and Beth walker retired with Lynn Fox and Janine Stone resigning. Lynn continues to support BCC with her specialism being Human Resources. Our thanks for their service as Trustees. Being a Trustee is voluntary so my thanks to all past and present.
I would especially like to thank the BCC team. They work many hours above and beyond in order to serve the community. Thank you. During the year, Rachel Lindley took on the role of secretary to the Board of Trustees.
And to all of our wonderful volunteers for truly making a difference. New volunteers will always be very welcome and if you like the thought of driving a minibus to some great places, let us know.
And last but no means least we have the support of a number of businesses and organisations. We also receive many personal donations. The community
of Boroughbridge and District thank you all. It genuinely wouldn’t be possible without you.
Jules Preston MBE,
Chair of the Board of Trustees.
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS
1 APRIL 2024 TO 31 MARCH 2025
GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
Strategic Plan
A Strategic Plan has been developed which responds to the changing times in which we operate and sets the direction and goals for Boroughbridge Community Charity (BCC) over the next three years. Ultimately, we want to be a resilient charity, capable of responding to community needs. Three linked strategic objectives were identified which will help consolidate our position, build firm foundations on which to grow capacity and enable us to respond to more diverse support needs in the future. To be the go-to Community Anchor Organisation for Boroughbridge, financially resilient and to understand, evidence and respond to community need.
Community Anchor Organisation
Funding has been made available to Boroughbridge Community Charity through North Yorkshire Council (NYC) during this financial year 2024/2025 to develop and evolve the role as a Community Anchor Organisation, as a system partner at place.
Stay Healthy Independent and Connected Grant
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We continue to deliver services which address social isolation and loneliness, physical and mental health inequalities and poverty. Our services are aimed at building the resilience of our community and residents to live the life they want, supported by resources in their own community. We provide a space where people have someone or somewhere to turn to when facing difficult times and to support them to find solutions to their challenges.
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) fund Boroughbridge Community Charity under the provision of this 3-year contract.
Community Larder
The Community Larder was formed in April 2022, jointly by Boroughbridge Community Charity and Boroughbridge Lions. The Community Larder is located at Boroughbridge Methodist Church. Refreshments are provided to visitors of the Community Larder by volunteers from the Church. The Community Larder is now entirely volunteer led and self-funding.
The aims of the Community Larder are to engage with the community to reduce food waste and promote environmental action. To date the Community Larder, which opens one day each week for two hours, has received 9,483 service users and saved 50,000 tonnes of surplus food reaching landfill. Volunteers have given 2,059 hours of their time this year in support of the Community Larder.
Minibuses/ Volunteer Car Transport Scheme
Boroughbridge and District is a largely rural area. Key issues include poor transport issues and difficulties accessing health and social care services, banks and post offices. We believe that nobody should be disadvantaged because of where they live and to address these health inequalities we work together with our volunteers to deliver a volunteer car transport scheme, taking those in need to medical and other appointments of a wellbeing nature. During this period our volunteers provided 3,838 journeys to such appointments and gave more than 4,192 hours of their time.
In this period Boroughbridge Community Charity has actively participated with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority in a Decarbonisation Programme for Community Transport. To enhance the transport services for our local community, BCC obtained a grant through Devolution Net Zero Funding to purchase a Kia Niro 4 Electric Vehicle and pledged some match funding.
A local business, Reed Boardall, generously offered BCC a parking space with use of a charging station for the Community electric vehicle. Several of our volunteer community transport drivers have been trained in the use of the vehicle and it is now being used to transport those in need within our community to medical and wellbeing appointments.
A total of 61 outings to places of interest, lunch social meetings and shopping venues were delivered to service users in our two 17 seat minibuses, supported by our volunteer minibus drivers and volunteer escorts. 666 people benefitted from these outings. The minibuses supported by our volunteer drivers were used by schools, scout groups, village events, U3A and WI’s.
Supported Shopping, Shopping and Prescription Deliveries.
Volunteers have delivered shopping and accompanied individuals to support them shopping independently. We have a good relationship with our local doctor’s surgery. Throughout this period, our volunteers each deliver numerous prescriptions to two rural villages. This enables residents who do not have access to transport, to collect their prescriptions locally from their village post office.
Coffee Mornings
Volunteers from BCC hold a weekly coffee morning. There were 1472 people who visited the coffee mornings during this period. We held special celebration events at Christmas, the International Day of Older People and D- Day.
Gentle Exercise & Movement to Music Class
Our weekly exercise class continues to be extremely popular. Our thanks go to our volunteers who run this popular event.
Volunteers
Boroughbridge Community Charity has a team of 92 volunteers and an additional 26 Community Larder volunteers, who live within, support and engage with
the communities of Boroughbridge and the 32 surrounding villages. Our volunteers, including our Board of trustees are all DBS checked. Our minibus drivers are MIDAS trained.
The positive spirit, willingness and generosity of our volunteers makes a huge impact and difference to the lives of the people we support within our community.
Digital Inclusion & Men’s Shed
In this period, we secured funding through UK Shared Prosperity Funding to provide regular Digital Inclusion sessions in Boroughbridge and Green Hammerton. 8 new volunteer Digital Champions were recruited to deliver these sessions. Digital Inclusion is providing supported access to information technology, learning or improving digital skills and literacy and making sure that everyone can make informed choices and benefit from the digital world. Following extensive training of the volunteers and purchase of IT equipment the first support sessions started in January 2025. 33 people received support from January 2025 to end March 2025.
Funding was granted through the Harrogate Local Fund, to support a project to engage men in our community to meet, learn or develop existing skills in woodwork. Our thanks to Claro Enterprises, Starbeck, Harrogate for their support with this project.
The staff and I wish to extend our appreciation and sincere thanks to our Board of Trustees and all volunteers for their dedication and willingness to give their time to supporting our community charity.
The following donations outlined do not reflect all those received, these are detailed in the Financial Statement. Numerous donations were received from individuals, local businesses and organisations within our community for which we appreciate immensely.
Church Lane Surgery, Boroughbridge doctors, nurses and staff climbed the Yorkshire Three Peaks and raised a donation of £1350.00 Boroughbridge Ladies Football Club undertook the National Three Peaks and raised £1760.00
Two residents, kindly held a Duck Race on the River Tutt, Boroughbridge and raised £700.00
Kirby Hill WI £133.00
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Yorkshire Women’s Country Association £100.00
Marton cum Grafton Open Gardens £350.00 Great Ouseburn Coffee Morning £260.00
Harrogate Choir £200.00 Dunsforth Parish Council £250.00 Boroughbridge Community Choir £87.00
Alis Barbers £168.00 Ripon Cathedral Fair minibus users’ collection £50.00
The following fundraising events were undertaken by staff, trustees and volunteers:
BCC staff and volunteers ran two fundraising stalls at Boroughbridge Christmas Late Night Shopping event. The Children’s Raffle and the Mulled Wine & Hot Chocolate stalls raised £647.87.
BCC staff and volunteers ran an Easter Coffee Morning with a raffle on Good Friday, a Valentine raffle and the sale of Mother’s Day Gift bags raised £825.00.
The sale of Father’s Day gift bags and a D-Day Celebration coffee morning raffle raised £155.00.
Halloween, raffle and themed gift bags raised £400.00
Christmas Coffee Morning raffle and other fundraising activities £575.00.
Thank you to all who participated in these events and gave generously of their time and funds. I would especially like to thank our enthusiastic and committed BCC staff, Barbara Cleeland, Sue Robson and Ann Davidson who worked over and beyond that expected to organise and deliver our services and events.
Karen Parker
Strategy Manager
(General Manager 2019- April 2025)
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
| Charity Number 1171451 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 St James Square | |||
| Boroughbridge | |||
| York, YO51 9AR | |||
| Receipts and Payments Account | Note | 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ | ||
| Receipts | |||
| Grants | 2 | 119,513 | 44,559 |
| Fundraising and Donations | 2 | 16,144 | 26,889 |
| Charitable activities – income from | 3 | 28,993 | 26,208 |
| clients | |||
| Investment income | 4 | 4,634 | 1,333 |
| Total receipts | 169,284 | 98,989 | |
| Payments | |||
| Fundraising costs | 2 | 1,858 | 2,196 |
| Costs of charitable activities | 3 | 22,139 | 14,049 |
| Salaries | 71,229 | 64,963 | |
| Other administrative expenses | 5 | 58,650 | 17,425 |
| Total payments | 153,876 | 98,633 | |
| Surplus of income over expenditure | 15,408 | 356 | |
| Operating bank accounts brought forward | 202,176 | 201,820 |
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Operating bank accounts carried forward
217,584
202,176
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Notes to the financial statements
Note 1 The financial statements are prepared on the receipts and payments basis. Note 2 2025
2025 Receipts
2025 2024 2024 Payments Receipts
GRANTS & FUNDRAISING
Payments
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| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | ||||
| NYC grants | 116,983 | - | 29,479 | - |
| Two Ridings Community Foundation | 2,530 | - | 11,580 | - |
| Ripon Community House | - | - | 2,500 | - |
| Mental Health Initiative | - | - | 1,000 | - |
| 119,513 | - | 44,559 | - | |
| Fundraising & Donations | ||||
| Friday coffee mornings | 2,743 | 48 | 2,626 | 49 |
| Other fundraising activities | 6,437 | 540 | 4,502 | 527 |
| Donations | 4,407 | - | 16,778 | - |
| 100 Club | 2,557 | 1,270 | 2,983 | 1,620 |
| 16,144 | 1,858 | 26,889 | 2,196 | |
| Note 3 | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 |
| CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES | Receipts | Payments | Receipts | Payments |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Minibus journeys | 22,991 | 11,460 | 23,195 | 10,381 |
| Car transport | 1,252 | 1,266 | 1,315 | 1,921 |
| Lunch Club outings | 482 | 22 | - | - |
| Wheelchairs | 365 | 151 | 159 | 261 |
| Community larder | 800 | - | - | 333 |
| Exercise classes | 2,460 | 1,395 | 1,500 | 953 |
| GP dispensary deliveries | 603 | 599 | - | - |
| Emergency food parcels | - | 200 | - | 200 |
| Digital Hub project equipment | - | 4,044 | - | - |
| Digital Hub project expenses | - | 2,768 | - | - |
| Men’s Shed project | - | 159 | - | - |
| Sundries | 40 | 75 | 39 | - |
| 28,993 | 22,139 | 26,208 | 14,049 |
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Notes to the financial statements (continued)
| Notes to the financial statements (continued) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Note 4 INVESTMENT INCOME | 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ | |
| Bank & building society interest | 3,704 | 422 |
| COIF Charities Investment Fund dividends | 930 | 911 |
| 4,634 | 1,333 | |
| Note 5 OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE | 2025 | 2024 |
| £ | £ | |
| Rent | 4,971 | 4,704 |
| IT support | 3,389 | 1,026 |
| Office equipment | 614 | 654 |
| Insurance | 509 | 458 |
| Telecommunications | 966 | 1,166 |
| DBS searches | 296 | 566 |
| Postage | 38 | 88 |
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| Donations | - | 93 |
|---|---|---|
| Website | 400 | 2,364 |
| Stationery | 366 | 144 |
| Bank charges | 188 | 220 |
| Staff training | 38 | 697 |
| Secretarial support | 500 | 720 |
| Secretarial sundries | 87 | - |
| PR & Publicity | 1,404 | 1,507 |
| Purchase of Community Car | 43,500 | - |
| Community Car operating costs | 1,384 | - |
| Consultancy fee (strategic plan) | - | 3,018 |
| 58,650 | 17,425 |
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 5th April 2025 which are set out on the previous four pages.
Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the Accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section
144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to
●
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
●
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
●
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view”, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
BOROUGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY CHARITY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2025
Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees (continued)
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention;
which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
●
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
●
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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………………………………… Malcolm Wilson Chartered Accountant 1979 – 2016 (now retired) The Granary Main Street Great Ouseburn York, YO26 9RQ 4 July 2025
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