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2023-07-31-accounts

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1177874

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

FOR

INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

Page
Report of the Trustees 1 to 7
Independent Examiner's Report 8
Statement of Financial Activities 9
Balance Sheet 10
Notes to the Financial Statements 11 to 15
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 16

INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The CIO object is the relief of need of vulnerable people (including: witnesses; complainants; and defendants) and the promotion of the sound administration of the Law by facilitating communication and the provision of evidence in the Justice System through promoting the work of intermediaries registered either with the Ministry of Justice (England and Wales), The Northern Ireland Department of Justice or non-registered Intermediaries who have attended a course of specialised training from acknowledged trainers in the field and who are able to satisfy the Court of their qualifications and suitability. "Vulnerable" meaning children under 18 (eligible for Intermediary assistance by virtue of their age) and adults whose age, disability, physical or mental disorder, mental health or specific learning difficulties affect their understanding or ability to communicate in words.

RISK MANAGEMENT

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

From July 2022-July 2023, IfJ has focused on continuing to provide our services while easing the cost-of-living crisis that maybe affecting our members. Thanks to the donations of Lady Henrietta St George, the Mishcon Family Trust and the Cheruby Trust, we were able to subsidise the CPD programme and provide courses at the low rates of £50 for a full day of training and £25 for half a day.

We have continued to send out our newsletter/summary on a fortnightly basis to all members of IfJ. This newsletter contains relevant updates and news from IfJ and other organisations, alongside information about IfJ's and other organisations' upcoming events and courses, information to help support members in their intermediary work and summaries of relevant discussions happening in the field .This year has seen a larger focus on how our members support each other by reaching out, asking questions and sharing experiences.

As usual, we have taken opportunities to expand our activities to other professions. It was a major step to be asked to present to Judges by the Judicial College on their Confident Judge Course in February 2023. The directive was to talk about communication, but it was used as an opportunity to explain the intermediary role and about the effect of trauma on communication, as well as vicarious trauma.

IfJ has worked this year with The University of Limerick Eire to present on their first Intermediary training. They held a Knowledge Exchange in June 2023 and IfJ's Chair took part and presented at the event alongside, two other IfJ members .

Following IfJ's survey assessing Intermediary experiences with the Quality Assurance Board (QAB), IfJ have continued to provide support to members facing scrutiny by QAB and have been thanked for this assistance to members.

OUTREACH WORK

IfJ was asked to join the Best Practice Advisory Group (BPAG) regarding discussions around Bluestar Pre-Trial Therapy Training and Accreditation. The advisory group has met on a regular basis.

Following the CPS new guidance on pre-trial therapy https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/pre-trial-therapy, The Green House (Bristol) with Harewood Consultancy under the guidance of the Advisory group, have designed training to support therapists involved in pre-trial therapy. The Bluestar Project at The Green House was designed to understand the barriers to accessing pre-trial therapy services among children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse. The subsequent training and resources have been designed to apply to any practitioner or service working pre-trial with any victims/survivors of any form of abuse/crime. This will be going live shortly.

As a charity we were invited to apply to CPRC - Criminal Procedures Rules Committee and were duly presented with a massive application form. Robert Thomas and I as the Chair were rigorously interviewed in March by four Judges. At the time of writing this we are waiting for the outcome.

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

IfJ was invited to apply to Criminal Practice Rules Committee (CPRC). After some considerable time, it was decided that the role could not be a job share and so Robert Thomas was eventually successful in securing appointment to the Committee. The letter of appointment says that the CPRC 'makes a vital contribution to the effective delivery of criminal justice, and the part played by each member is of great value.' It is a testament to the hard and effective work done over many years by IfJ Trustees and members that we were approached to apply for this position. We would not have secured this position without that work and that achievement, notably under the leadership of our Chair, Catherine O'Neill. The CPRC has two Voluntary Sector representatives of whom one is an IfJ Trustee. We have already made an impact in suggesting, and having adopted, an amendment to the existing Rules in regard to the presence of advisers in the live link room.

CONTACT AND SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS

We have continued with our six active WhatsApp groups, that are well used. They are as follows:

*IfJ - Ww Children (for intermediaries working with children)

*IFJ Tribunals & Hearings

IfJ has recently set up a WhatsApp group for our international members of whom there are currently about 30, and we are working to strengthen our contact with intermediaries from NZ, Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa to name a few. These links are proving valuable in sharing best practice.

IfJ decided to commit to three more years subscribing to Widgit, a platform that all members get access to as part of their membership benefits. Widgit allows members to create visual, communication and learning supports in one's web browser using over 20,000 symbols and 100s of easy-to-use templates. Paying for a three-year subscription has allowed IfJ to save money over the previous annually renewed subscription. The management of this is done by volunteer and membership coordinator, Sharon Richardson.

THE CPD PROGRAMME

Our IfJ birthday conference 18th May 23 brought the intermediary community together successfully.

IfJ wish to thank presenters for delivering the following 10 CPD events to IfJ members

*Dr Tina Pereira and Byron Campbell. Working with Interpreters (14th Dec 10-1pm)

*Nicola Lewis and Amy Harrison. Intermediaries in the Family Court (10th Feb 23 9.30-5pm)

*Rachel Jones-Wild.Trauma-informed support for vulnerable people workshop (24th February 2023 10am-1pm)

*Susan Stewart and Catherine Chamberlain. Assessment of Children, Young People and Adults with Developmental Communication Needs (2nd and 9th March 9.30-4.30pm)

*Rachel Jones-Wild. Mindset training for Vicarious Trauma workshop (14th April 2023 10am-1pm)

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

We are immensely grateful to Raymond Lyons and Andrea Heverin, for creating and offering to run the Mental Health course (29th Nov, 6th Dec and 13th Dec 9.30-3pm) but insufficient applicants meant it had to be postponed. IfJ is seeking to reschedule this important course (members listed it as the course they most wished to attend in our survey).

We also had hoped to offer a Working with Defendants course 11th and 13th May 10-3pm but sadly the speakers were unable to assist us with this.

Thank you to Raymond Lyons for continuing to skilfully host the Mental Health CPD SIG (22nd Nov 22, 16th Mar 2023).

IfJ are grateful to Charlie Orrell too for superbly facilitating our monthly drop-in sessions. These sessions continued to be very popular. Intermediaries from around the country as well as overseas, dropped in seeking advice and support on a wide range of issues from administration, court etiquette, assessment ideas etc and the resulting discussions are always helpful and thought provoking- great CPD.

Whilst our courses continued to gain positive feedback from attendees, several courses needed to be subsidised to run and we were aware that applicant numbers for our courses had also reduced compared to last year.

IfJ responded to this change by gathering member views via the CPD questionnaire (Jan 2023). 50% of those completing the CPD questionnaire felt that the rising cost of living crisis had affected their ability to attend IfJ CPD events. 55.6% of members who completed the survey wanted IfJ to try to subsidise CPD events as a response to the rising cost of living crisis.

fJ agreed to subsidise future CPD events to July 2024 so that a 1-day course cost members £50 and a workshop costs members £25. We hope that this enables members to continue to access the valuable CPD they need.

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

SOCIAL MEDIA

This comprises our Twitter account and our WhatsApp activities. At the time of writing, we have just over 2,200 Twitter followers. Our numbers are limited because Twitter employs a formula that allows accounts to follow others in proportion to the number who they themselves follow. At the moment, we follow over 5,000 accounts. Broadly speaking these comprise individuals and groups from across the legal system in this and many other countries including groups advocating for and promoting the rights of the vulnerable. Those are the criteria for deciding which groups we allow to follow us who include: Legal charities like ourselves, relevant government departments, journalists, commentators, police forces, chambers, solicitor firms, inns of court, charities supporting a wide range of vulnerable people, PCCs, academics, university departments and so on. We have followers in justice systems and those supporting the vulnerable across Europe and the USA and in Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The Twitter account serves a very valuable purpose in enabling us to communicate quickly with a range of influencers and those with whom we work, it enables us to disseminate important information that is of consequence in our work and to keep everyone updated on developments in ours and related fields. We can do this by posting relevant tweets on our WhatsApp groups too. The WhatsApp groups are a particularly helpful innovation effectively replacing our Facebook presence with more immediate method of contacting members and of keeping in touch. We are able to use the groups not just as a way of disseminating news and information but of providing support for each other in what can be a solitary role. I think that's very important at a time when we learn that just under 100 RIs have left the profession in the last five years. They are a source of authoritative and often instant advice and counsel to colleagues who find themselves in challenging situations and who are confronted by unfamiliar situations.

THE IfJ WEBSITE

Since last year, IfJ have been working on building a new resource section for the website. This is intended to improve the user experience for members and non-members (some resources are member-only) and expand the resources available on the website as well as keep them more up to date.

The resource working team comprises of trustee, Rochelle Cowan; volunteer, Sharon Richardson; and part-time consultant, Ferne Brewster. The team have limited time, and it is a challenge to co-ordinate schedules; all the meetings take place using Facetime or Zoom. IfJ are very grateful for the dedication of Rochelle, Sharon and Ferne for undertaking this task.

Reorganising the resources into different categories has proved surprisingly complex and requires considerable technical support from the web design company. IfJ has ring fenced some funds for the next financial year to do the first part of the work, and the process is already underway.

There have been changes to the resources, and a much greater reliance on signposting to resources on other websites. This means that all the links need to be checked regularly to make sure they still work and will need to become a regular part of the upkeep of the resources. The categories have been devised in such a way so that they have some longevity i.e. be able to accommodate new material for the next few years. There is also a clear need to update some of the resources which is something that needs to be explored in the future.

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

DATABASE FOR REFERRALS

The website hosts and manages the free referral system: a link between justice system professions requiring an intermediary to work with their client. https://www.intermediaries-for-justice.org/find-intermediary and intermediaries who are available. There are five referral categories: Vulnerable Suspects/Defendants; Family Courts; Tribunals/Hearings; Complainant or prosecution witness; and Defence Witness. While most referrals are automatically managed, there are others that require a personal response, and these are answered by Francesca Castellano. The referral system works in accordance with Adjustments the implementation of the Court Appointed Intermediary Scheme (CAIS) to ensure only members on this scheme access the referral database.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

During the year, the charity received £27,829 from various sources and expended £22,765.

POLICY ON RESERVES

The charity's policy on reserves is to maintain cash of £5,000 (not including the cash held for restricted funds) to enable the settlement of creditors and the payment of administration fees in the event of a voluntary winding up. The cash holdings at the year-end were £49,119.

No funds were materially in deficit.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered on 10 April 2018 and commenced activities on 1 August 2018. Its current Constitution is dated 19 February 2020.

The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the Trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the Trust.

New trustees may be appointed at any time by the members or the charity trustees and in accordance with 13(1)(d) of the Constitution. A person appointed by the trustees shall retire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting next following the date of his appointment. The charity trustees will make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment: (a) a copy of this constitution and any amendments made to it; and 9B0 a copy of the CIO's latest trustees' annual report and statement of accounts.

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.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number

1177874

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

Principal address PO BOX 567 Beckenham BR3 9LY

Trustees

Catherine O'Neill - Chair Francesca Castellano - Secretary Paul Redfern - Treasurer Catherine Chamberlain Rochelle Cowan Esther Rumble (resigned 13/5/2023) Susan Stewart Robert Thomas Emma Hudson (resigned 14/2/2023) Grainne McQuade (resigned 10/10/2022)

Independent Examiner

Grugeon Reynolds Limited Adams and Moore House Instone Road Dartford KENT DA1 2AG Approved by order of the board of trustees on 2 June 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Catherine O'Neill - Trustee

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Intermediaries for Justice

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Intermediaries for Justice (the Trust) for the year ended 31 July 2023.

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

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 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.

Hakeem Adeleye

Grugeon Reynolds Limited Adams and Moore House Instone Road Dartford KENT DA1 2AG

2 June 2024

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

Unrestricted
Restricted
fund
fund
Notes
£
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
9,014
-
Charitable activities
Charitable activities
18,675
-
Investment income
2
140
-
Total
27,829
-
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
3
1,075
-
Charitable activities
Charitable activities
21,690
-
Total
22,765
-
NET INCOME
5,064
-
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
45,500
-
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
50,564
-
2023
Total
funds
£
9,014
18,675
140
27,829
1,075
21,690
22,765
5,064
45,500
50,564
2022
Total
funds
£
10,629
22,061
8
32,698
2,719
22,475
25,194
7,504
37,996
45,500

The notes form part of these financial statements

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

BALANCE SHEET 31 JULY 2023

Unrestricted
Restricted
fund
fund
Notes
£
£
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
6
2,398
-
Cash at bank
49,119
-
51,517
-
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year
7
(953)
-
NET CURRENT ASSETS
50,564
-
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
50,564
-
NET ASSETS
50,564
-
FUNDS
8
Unrestricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS
2023
Total
funds
£
2,398
49,119
51,517
(953)
50,564
50,564
50,564
50,564
50,564
2022
Total
funds
£
-
46,453
46,453
(953)
45,500
45,500
45,500
45,500
45,500

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 2 June 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

Catherine O'Neill - Trustee

Robert Thomas - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

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 applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in 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 Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

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.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

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.

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continued...

INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

2. INVESTMENT INCOME

3.

Deposit account interest
RAISING FUNDS
Investment management costs
Training costs
2023
£
140
2023
£
1,075
2022
£
8
2022
£
2,719

4. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2023 nor for the year ended 31 July 2022.

Trustees' expenses

The trustees were reimbursed during the year for travelling and other costs amounting to £648 (2022 : £108).

The number of trustees who were reimbursed for travel expenses in 2023 was 3 (2022:1).

5. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted
Restricted
fund
fund
£
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
10,629
-
Charitable activities
Charitable activities
22,061
-
Investment income
8
-
Total
32,698
-
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
2,719
-
Charitable activities
Charitable activities
22,475
-
Total
25,194
-
NET INCOME
7,504
-
Total
funds
£
10,629
22,061
8
32,698
2,719
22,475
25,194
7,504

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continued...

INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

5. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued
Unrestricted Restricted Total
fund fund funds
£ £ £
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward 37,996 - 37,996
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED
FORWARD 45,500 - 45,500
6. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Prepayments 2023
£
2,398
2022
£
-
7. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Trade creditors 2023
£
11
2022
£
30
Other creditors 942 923
953 953
8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Unrestricted funds At 1/8/22
£
Net
movement
in funds
£
At
31/7/23
£
General fund 45,500 5,064 50,564
TOTAL FUNDS 45,500 5,064 50,564
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Unrestricted funds Incoming
resources
£
Resources
expended
£
Movement
in funds
£
General fund 27,829 (22,765) 5,064
TOTAL FUNDS 27,829 (22,765) 5,064

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

Net
movement At
At 1/8/21 in funds 31/7/22
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund
37,996
7,504 45,500
TOTAL FUNDS
37,996
7,504 45,500
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming Resources Movement
resources expended in funds
£
Unrestricted funds
£ £
General fund
32,698
(25,194) 7,504
TOTAL FUNDS
32,698
(25,194) 7,504

9.

RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

During the year £2,400 (2022 : £650) was paid in respect of fees to 3 ( 2022 : 2 ) trustees of the charity for services supplied as professionals, not as trustees. The amounts payable to the individual trustees were as follows :

2022 2022
£ £
Catherine O'Neill 900 -
Susan Stewart 750 350
Catherine Chamberlain 750 300

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

10. ASSETS RETAINED FOR THE CHARITY'S OWN USE

Website design costs in total to 2023 were £35,015 (total to 2022 : £29,625).

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INTERMEDIARIES FOR JUSTICE

DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
Henrietta St George
Other donations
Investment income
Deposit account interest
Charitable activities
Membership income
Event attendance fees
Total incoming resources
EXPENDITURE
Investment management costs
Training costs
Charitable activities
Conference and seminar expenses
Website and IT costs
Accountancy fees
Administration services
Support costs
Governance costs
Trustees' expenses
Total resources expended
Net income
2023
£
5,000
4,014
9,014
140
12,070
6,605
18,675
27,829
1,075
4,990
7,090
942
8,020
21,042
648
22,765
5,064
2022
£
10,000
629
10,629
8
11,479
10,582
22,061
32,698
2,719
4,615
3,180
1,947
12,625
22,367
108
25,194
7,504

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

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