2024-03-31-accounts - Age Connects Wales

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Registered Company Number: CE011355 (England and Wales) Registered Charity Number: 1173881

Age Connects Wales Unaudited Financial Statements Year ended 31[st] March 2024

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report

Year ended 31 March 2024

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Reference and administrative details

Registered charity name Age Connects Wales Charity registration number 1173881 Company registration number CE011355 Principal office and registered Unit 10 office Sbectrwm. Bwlch Road, Fairwater, Cardiff, CF5 3EF

The Trustees

Mr D A Richards Ms A Price Ms A Reed Ms K Crane Ms R Rowlands Ms M Johnson (joined 27.02.24) Mr J Hawkins (left 31.03.24)

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

Structure, governance and management

Age Connects Wales is a national Charity made up of six local, independent Age Connects organisations, which have over 45 years' experience supporting older people and their Carers in Wales. Age Connects Wales was registered in July 2017. The charity has a legal governing document, to which the Board of Trustees adheres. The Board of Trustees facilitates an annual general meeting and meets at least four times a year, overseeing the governance of the charity, making decisions about the charity's finances, safeguarding, health and safety, project development and activities to ensure they are meeting the charity's aims and objectives.

Recruitment and appointment of board members

Each appointing body (local/regional Age Connects Organisation) may appoint one Trustee each. Articles 9 to 17 of the constitution of Age Connects Wales set out the procedures for recruitment and appointment to the Board of Trustees. Members are elected to serve for a period of three years, after which term, they are eligible to seek re-election. We aim to ensure that our Board is both representative of the people and communities with whom we work and has the necessary combined skills and experience to effectively govern the organisation.

Induction and training of new trustees

Age Connects Wales Trustee induction process is underpinned by a Trustee handbook, includes an informal interview, taking up references, and where policy necessitates, a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check. New trustees also meet existing trustees/directors to explore the role and responsibilities in further detail. Given the role has extensive legal responsibilities, new board members may receive additional informal training, based on a trustee/director welcome pack, which includes topics such as Charity Commission guidance and Age Connects Wales portfolio of business plans.

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

Objectives and activities

Age Connects Wales Charitable Objects:

‘To relieve the suffering of older vulnerable people in Wales by working with Age Connects charitable bodies, liaising with charities, government agencies and other groups to provide such charitable support as the trustees deem fit’.

Corporate Priorities 2021 - 2024

1. Decision making – Ensure older people have access to free, independent information and advice and independent advocacy to help them make their own decisions and be involved in decision-making around the challenges and opportunities associated with ageing.

2. Wellbeing and independence – Ensure older people have the tools and support to maximise independence, feel supported in their community and have increased access to and knowledge of physical activity/exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices.

3. Housing – Assist older people to access appropriate, affordable and accessible housing and housing support that meets their immediate and ongoing needs and aspirations.

Transport – Support older people to access sustainable and accessible transport to enable increased access to healthcare and basic humanitarian needs.
Digital inclusion – Assist older people to access digital technology (including broadband) as well as the means and training to utilise it effectively.

Public Benefit

When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit and have continued to focus our activities on providing a range of accessible services that facilitate social inclusion, while promoting a healthy and active retirement and continuing independence for older people across Wales. We also work closely with all our partners to address identified needs within local and regional strategies and those of the Welsh Government.

Delivery strategy

Through our marketing efforts and outreach delivery strategy, we aim to make our services as accessible as possible to older people across Wales. Information from individual and collective content management systems/databases is cross referenced and analysed extensively, providing a firm basis for forward planning.

We operate in some of the most socially and economically deprived areas in Wales and offer differing levels of support according to individual need and regional demands/pressures. This ranges from the provision of information and advice through telephone helplines, neighbourhood information points, websites, social media platforms, special events and talks, through to robust community-based activity programmes, specialist dementia programmes, hospital discharge services, foot care, befriending services and on-going welfare benefits and advocacy casework. Service users can access our services through home visits, one to one appointments, drop-in services, social media platforms, website, online communication platforms and/or by visiting a local community outreach or hub location. Throughout this reporting period, service delivery has continued to be remodelled to ensure that services were delivered safely and efficiently to continue supporting local older people.

We continue to learn from our local, regional and national provision and adapt to ensure it is as accessible and user friendly as possible. Moving forward into next year, we will continue to provide robust services and hope to engage further with service users to understand the challenges faced.

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

Achievements and performance

Age Alliance Wales

We are members of Age Alliance Wales, which is a powerful alliance of 25 national voluntary organisations committed to working together to develop the legislative, policy and resource frameworks that will improve the lives of older people in Wales. Our involvement within this alliance ensures that we contribute to achieving the following key aims:

To represent the concerns and further the interests of older people in Wales to policy makers, strategic planners, and funders.
To maximise the ability of each member organisation to fulfil their role of promoting the wellbeing of older people.
To work with, and for older people, through the co-operative use of the knowledge and expertise contained within the membership of Age Alliance Wales.

HOPE (Helping others participate and engage) Advocacy Project

HOPE is a partnership project between Age Cymru, Age Cymru local partners and Age Connects Wales partners across the whole of Wales. It is funded by Welsh Government to deliver independent advocacy for older people (50+) and carers across Wales. This service supports people to engage, participate, gain information, have their voices heard, understand their rights, make choices, be involved, share experiences, raise awareness of advocacy, and develop skills and knowledge. HOPE delivers advocacy support at a community level through a range of advocacy models by recruiting, training and supporting project volunteers. HOPE supports service users at an early stage in their issues/concerns to help prevent them reaching crisis points and includes a training programme which enables advocates across Wales to further develop their skills and knowledge, whilst also offering training opportunities and workshops to other professionals who would benefit from greater awareness of advocacy

Marketing

Age Connects Wales has a marketing group comprising one representative from each of the six Age Connects regions: Cardiff & Vale, Morgannwg, Neath Port Talbot, North Wales Central, North East Wales, and Torfaen. Through monthly meetings they coordinate marketing and communication activity.

Social media messaging
Website management
PR activity
National and local campaigns
Partnership working
Statistics and reporting

Social Media

Age Connects Wales run social media channels on Facebook and Twitter. These are used to share activity from the Age Connects regions as well as original campaign messaging and service promotions. In the year 23-24, ACW posts on Facebook and Twitter had a combined reach of 123,654.

PR

All communications from Age Connects Wales are supported by a PR initiative. This ensures the shared mission, values and activities of the six organisations are within the public eye. Press releases, case studies, videos and statements are shared with our extensive media list of 108 contacts. The aim is to manage our reputation, make an impact on the community and raise awareness of the issues that matter to the older people we support.

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

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Website Management

In March 2024 Age Connects Wales published a new website at www.ageconnectswales.com the aim was to highlight the joint services offered across the Age Connects Wales network as well as to provide a central platform for campaigns and news. The new site had been fully optimised to perform well on organic search and maximise site traffic.

Campaigns

Dementia Action Week

May 15[th] -19[th] 2023

National campaign organised by Alzheimer’s Society.

Age Connects Wales supported the campaign in two ways. Firstly, we adopted the national campaign messages and shared through our national and local social media pages. Secondly, we used the week to promote dementia services offered by the Age Connects branches. Campaign reach = 16,400.

Volunteer’s Week

1-7 June 2023

A national campaign organised by Volunteer’s Week

Age Connects Wales organised 7days of activity across all six Age Connects regions. This included celebration events, creation of video content, case studies and social media messaging. The social media activity generated from this activity produced our most engaging campaign of the year. Campaign reach = 31,300.

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

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Pension Awareness Week

11-15 September 2023

National campaign organised by Pension Geeks.

We leveraged the campaign platform to raise awareness of pension issues of interest to older people such as drawdown and pension freedom and promoted our pension review services. Campaign reach = 6,900.

Falls Awareness Week

18-23 September 2023

Partnership project with Care & Repair Cymru and Age Cymru.

We partnered with Care & Repair Cymru and Age Cymru to lead a public awareness campaign all about falls and spread the message that falls are not an inevitable part of ageing. Original campaign messaging was produced and shared across all Age Connects regions. Campaign reach = 23,400.

International Day of Older Persons

1[st] October 2023

International campaign organised by United Nations.

The International Day of Older Persons is a day for us all to recognise and celebrate the integral role of older people, and to remind us of the importance of ageing well. The Age Connects regions collaborated on a video that celebrated our local service users. Campaign reach = 5,700

Welsh Charities Week

13-17 November 2023 National campaign organised by the WCVA.

Age Connects Wales supported Welsh Charities Week and asked our followers to volunteer, donate or give a shout out to your favourite charity or voluntary group. Campaign reach = 9,700.

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

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Christmas Shoe Box Appeal

November/December 2023 Partnership project with Care & Repair Cymru and Age Cymru.

Working in partnership we appealed to the public for the donation of shoe boxes filled with simple gifts for older people experiencing hardship at Christmas. These were donated at a local level and distributed to qualifying service users by the Age Connects branches. The campaign gained significant traction on social media and resulted in over 730 gift boxes being distributed across Wales. Campaign reach = 23,500

Partnership Working

In the year 2023-24, the Age Connects Wales marketing group worked in partnership with the following organisations:

Age Alliance Wales
Centre for Aging Better
Alzheimer's Society
Age Cymru
Care & Repair Cymru
LEAP
WCVA

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

_____________

Reporting and Statistics

The marketing group collect key performance statistics from each of the Age Connects regions and present them to the Age Connects Wales board for quarterly review. These statistics are also disseminated to the public via social media to demonstrate our national impact.

Future Plans

Age Connects Wales was created to maintain the ability of its member organisations to work collaboratively across Wales with those that share their aims and objectives. ACW’s primary objective is campaigning and influencing, and its secondary objective is to fund that work through the development and delivery of high-quality services that improve the lives of older people. Working together to share good practice, reduce costs and improve access to support can significantly enhance the support for older people in the community.

To achieve our future plans, we will secure appropriate funding to support a business development role. This role will identify income generation opportunities that are unrestricted, identify efficiency savings ie, through the delivery of shared services between each member organisation and take ownership for the delivery of a sustainable business plan for Age Connects Wales.

Campaigning and influencing

Welsh Government strategy and policy is increasingly focused on an agenda of localism. It is important, therefore, that the six organisations maintain the community nature and focus of their current activities and the close, positive relationships they enjoy with a wide range of local stakeholders. In so doing, they can continue to deliver effective, efficient, quality services that represent good value for both charitable and public money. It is recognised that as a consortium, the six organisations in ACW can have a much stronger potential influence across Wales than the individual organisations could have on their own

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

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Getting our voice heard

There is little doubt that ACW as a whole will have a significantly stronger voice than its individual components with a number of important bodies. These bodies will include:

Welsh Parliament;
Welsh Government
Political structures at Westminster where appropriate;
The Older Peoples’ Commissioner for Wales
Wales NHS/local health boards;
Local Government;
Welsh academic institutions;
Royal Voluntary Service (RVS);
Age Alliance Wales;
Campaigning organisations and networks;
Care and Repair Cymru;
Other age related bodies;
The media;
The Red Cross;

Common Services

A stronger proposition to commissioners and funders, underpinned by a more effective, flexible structure responding to the external operating environment and the economic pressures prevalent in Wales at the moment.
More influence in negotiations, networking and funding developments.
Increased confidence in the mutual exchange of commercially sensitive information.
Additional resources for research into ageing matters and the development and delivery of courses, seminars and conferences.
Synergy within the ACW structure via greater managerial economies of scale and the promotion of greater specialisation.
The potential for further diversification into areas of Wales in which ACW does not currently have a presence.
The opportunity to develop innovative, quality ‘products’ and services across Wales.
Expansion into other geographical markets where there is an identified need.
• The opportunity to develop and share complementary skills amongst ACW members.

The partnership of the six organisations in this consortium also presents the opportunity to achieve economies of scale by sharing the following common back office services:

HR;
Marketing;
IT;
Finance and accounts;

In addition, the management functions could be considered for a common service approach over time.

Age Connects Wales

Trustees' Annual Report (continued)

Year ended 31 March 2024

Financial review

During the course of the year, we have continued to maintain a tight fiscal policy, which has enabled us to operate in accordance with our aims and objectives and maintain planned service provision. We were also honoured to receive a £5,000 legacy from the estate of the late Menna Wyn Brown, for which we were very grateful.

During the financial year the charity reported a deficit of £94 (2023: deficit of £4,423).

The unrestricted reserves on 31 March 2024 were £11,142 (2023: £11,236) and restricted reserves were £0 (2023: £0)

Reserves policy

The board has examined the charity's requirements for reserves in respect of the main risks to the organisation and established a policy whereby unrestricted funds held by the charity should be between three and six months of the resources expended. The Trustees are also committed to continue to build reserves in future years to enable the Charity to maintain and expand service provision.

The Trustees' annual report was approved on 18[th] December 2024 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by:

Mr D A Richards Trustee

Age Connects Wales Statement of Financial Activities

Year ended 31 March 2024

Age Connects Wales Annual Accounts 2023/24

Statement of Financial Activities	2023/24	2022/23

Income and Endowments
Donations and legacies	5,000	0
Total Income	5,000	0

Expenditure
Expenditure on raising funds: Costs of raising donations and legacies	0	0
Expenditure on charitable activities: Support Costs	5,094	4,423
Total Expenditure	5,094	4,423

Net income/(expenditure) and net movement in funds	-94	-4,423

Reconciliation of Funds
Total funds brought forward	11,236	15,659

Total Funds Carried Forward	11,142	11,236

Age Connects Wales Statement of Financial Position

Year ended 31 March 2023

Statement of Financial Position	2023/24	2022/23
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand	11,814	11,236
Creditors: Amounts Falling Due within One Year
Trade creditors	672	0
Accruals and deferred income	0	0
	672	0
Net Current Assets	11,142	11,236
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities	11,142	11,236
Net Assets	11,142	11,236
Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds	11,142	11,236

These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 18[th] December 2024, and are signed on behalf of the board by:

BALA Mr D Richards Trustee

Rachel Rowlands Trustee

Age Connects Wales

Notes to the Financial Statements

Year ended 31 March 2024

1. General information

The charity is a public benefit entity and a registered charity in England and Wales and is unincorporated. The address of the principal office is Unit 10, Sbectrwm, Bwlch Road, Fairwater, Cardiff, CF5 3EF.

2. Statement of compliance

These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland', the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Charities Act 2011.

3. Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair value through income or expenditure.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity. The financial statements have been prepared on the accruals basis for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Going concern

There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the charity's purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular future projects or commitments.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through the terms of an appeal, and fall into one of two sub-classes: restricted income funds or endowment funds.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity; it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

Income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
Legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.

Age Connects Wales Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) Year ended 31 March 2024

Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates:

Expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, noncharitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
Expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
Other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.

All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.

Financial instruments

Current assets and current liabilities are subsequently measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received and not discounted.

Debt instruments are subsequently measured at amortised cost.

Financial assets that are measured at cost or amortised cost are reviewed for objective evidence of impairment at the end of each reporting date. If there is objective evidence of impairment, an impairment loss is recognised under the appropriate heading in the statement of financial activities in which the initial gain was recognised.

Defined contribution plans

Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that the prepayment will lead to a reduction in future payments or a cash refund.

When contributions are not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months of the end of the reporting date in which the employees render the related service, the liability is measured on a discounted present value basis. The unwinding of the discount is recognised as an expense in the period in which it arises.

4. Staff costs

Age Connects Wales does not directly employ any employees. Any incurred wages or salary costs are from re-charges from other Age Connects charities.

The average head count of employees during the year was Nil (2023: Nil). No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2023: Nil).

5. Trustee remuneration and expenses

There were no remuneration or other benefits for the year ending 31[st] March 2024.