2023-03-31-accounts - Creative Opportunities

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CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Charity Number: 1176661

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Contents	Pages
Reference and Administrative Information	1
Trustees Annual Report	2 to 3
Independent Examiner’s Report	4
Receipts and Payment Account	5
Statement of Assets and Liabilities	6
Notes to the Financial Statements	7

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Charity Name: Creative Opportunities Charity Number: 1176661 (Charity Commission for England and Wales)

Trustees

During the reporting period, there were 3 Trustees:

A Martin S Roberts H Fox

Principal Address

Creative Opportunities The Vassall Centre Gill Avenue Bristol BS16 2QQ

Bankers

NatWest Bank Plc Fishponds Bristol 778 Fishponds Road Fishponds Bristol City Of BS16 3TX

Independent Examiner

Joshua Kingston BSc, ACA Burton Sweet Limited The Clock Tower 5 Farleigh Court Old Weston Road Flax Bourton Bristol BS48 1UR

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The Trustees present their report and the financial statements of the Charity for the year ending 31 March 2023.

Structure, Objectives and Activities

Creative Opportunities is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registered 15 January 2018) with a Foundation Constitution (dated 28 December 2017) with the following charitable objectives:

The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit amongst disabled people who are unemployed and who are socially excluded (as a result of disability) by providing them with an opportunity to train and become employed, to relieve the needs of those people and assist them to integrate into society.

The charitable and public benefit purpose of Creative Opportunities is to reduce the gap between disabled and non-disabled people in the workplace through the development of accessible and supported training through paid work placements.

The organisation employs disabled adults and/or those with long-term health conditions in horticulture with a focus on learning, work skills and strengthening team working and confidence to transition into continued paid employment.

In constituting the charity and conducting the activities in the year the Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Recruitment of Trustees: When a post becomes vacant the charity advertises the position in disability specific forums and community sites which we are members of. This is to ensure that trustees recruited have experience and skills commensurate with the responsibility of the position. Along with specific knowledge of the charity’s beneficiaries. Trustees are recruited by the board of trustees alongside a panel of beneficiary/s. This is to ensure feedback from users of the charity is taken into account when recruiting the key post of trustee.

Achievements and Performance

Within its fifth year of operation Creative Opportunities has had the following key successes:

Volunteer hours of 2184 supporting smalls groups of volunteers who don’t feel able to commit to regular paid employment due to health or disability. These groups come alongside our usual team and provide peer support in an inclusive and supportive environment. The peer support model feedback from beneficiaries has shown that shared/lived experience of disability, coupled with structure and support around what the volunteer can achieve in the workplace environment has provided meaningful and focussed opportunities for our beneficiaries;

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

3 high quality paid work opportunities in horticulture for adults with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions; whilst retaining valued long-term colleagues;
Creative Opportunities offered a total of 2340 employment hours to disabled adults in the 2022-2023 financial period;
Creative Opportunities facilitated a number of high-quality sector specific training sessions with specific groups throughout the year;
Creative opportunities supported 1664 volunteer hours;
Creative Opportunities donated surplus food grown by our team to causes such as community groups who help our beneficiaries alongside other groups in need with addressing immediate food poverty and isolation.

Financial Review

The charity had receipts of £36,000 (2022: £27,356) and total payments of £26,321 (2022: £34,516) leaving a net surplus of £9,679 (2022: £7,160 deficit). Creative Opportunities goes into 2023/2024 is in a relatively good position of having a surplus and healthy reserves in place. We have costs for overheads and salaries accounted for in advance 6 months ahead.

Reserves Policy

Creative Opportunities goes forward into the new financial year with unrestricted cash reserves of £25,045 (2022: £15,366). Creative Opportunities goes into 2023/24 with reserves which meet our 3-month outgoings and overheads in line with our reserves policy in place to support continued training and employment for our beneficiaries.

Risk Management

Continuing our flexible way of working and supporting our core beneficiaries this year has meant continuing to adapt around our beneficiaries needs. We have made decisions around long term objectives of keeping Charity serving the needs of our beneficiaries in the most financially sustainable way.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees:

S Roberts

23 November 2023 Date: …………………………

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Opportunities

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Creative Opportunities (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Joshua Kingston BSc, ACA Burton Sweet Limited The Clock Tower 5 Farleigh Court Old Weston Road Flax Bourton Bristol BS48 1UR

23 November 2023 Date: …………………………

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

----- Start of picture text -----
Total Funds Total Funds
Unrestricted Restricted 31 March 31 March
Funds Funds 2023 2022
RECEIPTS £ £ £ £
Donations and gifts 1 36,000 - 36,000 20,099
Grants received 2 - - - 7,257
TOTAL RECEIPTS 36,000 - 36,000 27,356
PAYMENTS
Costs of charitable activities
-
Salaries and wages 24,228 24,228 32,954
Seeds and plants 97 - 97 92
Publicity and website 8 - 8 5
Office expenses 211 - 211 425
Subscriptions 96 - 96 103
Insurance 157 - 157 157
Accounts and Independent examination 1,524 - 1,524 780
TOTAL PAYMENTS 26,321 - 26,321 34,516
-
NET RECEIPTS / (PAYMENTS) 9,679 9,679 (7,160)
Cash funds brought forward 3 15,366 - 15,366 22,526
Transfers between funds 3 - - - -
CASH FUNDS CARRIED
FORWARD 3 25,045 - 25,045 15,366
----- End of picture text -----

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

AS AT 31 MARCH 2023

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

Fixed Assets Equipment Current Assets Current account Total Assets Liabilities Accruals Total Liabilities CASH RESERVES Unrestricted funds Brought forward Net receipts/(payments) for the year Transfers Total cash reserves	31 March 2023 £ 1,781 1,781 25,045 25,045 26,826 1,524 1,524 15,366 9,679 - 25,045 25,045	31 March 2022 £ 3,508 3,508 15,366 15,366 18,874 1,524 1,524 22,526 (7,160) - 15,366 15,366

23 November 2023 Signed on behalf of the trustees on …........................................

S Roberts Chair of Trustees

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

----- Start of picture text -----
1 Donations and gifts
Total Total
31 March 31 March
2023 2022
£ £
Donations from;
Donations and gifts 36,000 20,099
36,000 20,099
2 Grants received
Total Total
31 March 31 March
2023 2022
£ £
-
Furlough Grants 7,257
-
22,427
3 Movement in Funds
At 1 April At 31 March
2022 Income Expenditure Transfer 2023
£ £
Unrestricted funds
General funds 15,366 36,000 (26,321) - 25,045
-
15,366 36,000 (26,321) 25,045
-
15,366 36,000 (26,321) 25,045
Prior Year Comparative At 1 April At 31 March
2021 Income Expenditure Transfer 2022
£ £
Unrestricted funds
General funds 22,526 27,356 (34,516) - 15,366
-
22,526 27,356 (34,516) 15,366
-
22,526 27,356 (34,516) 15,366
----- End of picture text -----