**WWW.STEPPING-FORWARD.ORG.UK** ## ANNUAL REPORT AND **ACCOUNTS 2023-2024** **A F U L L L I F E F O R D I S A B L E D P E O P L E A N D C A R E R S** ## **INTRODUCTION** Stepping Forward works to facilitate and accelerate access to essential services, information, resources and life opportunities so that all disabled people and carers can live a full life. In the UK we run disability awareness sessions in schools, disability confident training and support individuals and families to access essential support and equipment. Our international work aims to provide a catalyst for change. We support practical initiatives that are having an impact on the lives of people with disabilities and support their replication and sustainability. We support changemakers with the resources to increase their effectiveness and provide opportunities for networking and influencing policy locally and internationally. We facilitate access to relevant training opportunities for disabled people and those working to promote the rights of people with disabilities. One billion people, or 15% of the global population, experience some form of disability, but the rights of disabled people are being inadequately protected and promoted. For disabled people in the UK, a steep rise in the cost of living and ongoing cuts to government support continue to push many into extreme hardship. Our Disability Advice Service is extremely busy as people come to us for support with benefits, equipment and resources. ## **Stepping Forward UK** Registered Charity No. 1177955 12A Southview Park, Marsack Street, Reading, RG4 5AF info@stepping-forward.org.uk www.stepping-forward.org.uk In the year 2023-2024, we cannot talk about disability internationally without mentioning Gaza, which is now ‘home to the largest number of amputee children in modern history’ (UN 2024). An average of 30 children a day undergo amputations, many without anaesthetic. We know that disabled people are always the worst affected in conflict situations and doctors in Gaza say that the deaths related to disease and non-battle injuries are many, and largely unrecorded. These deaths will be due to the lack of medication and ongoing supervision for diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, hypertension, and antibiotics for all types of infections. These additional deaths are estimated to number around 200,000 people (Dr Amer Shoaib 2024). Stepping Forward is committed to working with partners on raising the profile of the rights of disabled people and offering practical assistance wherever possible. **1 | A N N U A L R E P O R T A N D A C C O U N T S | 2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4** ## **UK WORK** We provide practical support to disabled people and their families and carers. We undertake sensitisation and awareness work in the community that contributes towards social change. Despite progress in equality legislation and improved access to public spaces, negative public attitudes and awkwardness towards disability remain commonplace. Our Benefits Adviser attends court most weeks, supporting people with tribunals. Our Advice Service is helping people to access essential equipment. ## **DISABILITY ADVICE AND SUPPORT SERVICE** Our Disability Advice and Support Service continued to deliver sessions and support this year. Funding from Awards for All, The Postcode Society Trust and other trusts and foundations enabled us to support individuals and families who are experiencing difficulties accessing essential resources and support. Our part-time Benefits Adviser has supported increasing numbers of people with applications, appeals and tribunals. We are seeing many disabled people and carers facing a reduction in income and changes to their benefits, and there is significant concern about the proposed changes to the support available for disabled people. Initial projections indicate that millions of disabled people will be negatively impacted. We are receiving referrals from agencies, schools, refugee groups and from individuals. Community members continue to recommend us via social media groups related to disability. The other dimension of our Advice service is the one-toone sessions where we identify the resource needs that are preventing individuals and families from living a full life. As well as holding face to face meetings in our office, when invited we take this service into special schools and secure significant practical support for children with disabilities. This direct support to individuals and families addresses the impact of disability on social isolation, increased living costs, the need for specialist equipment and provides access to supported breaks. If requested, we accompany people to doctor/paediatrician appointments, to school meetings and elsewhere to ensure that our clients’ needs are heard, documented and responded to appropriately. The practical support that we manage to secure for clients includes specialist furniture, mobility aids, waterproof mattresses, and IT and communication equipment. **2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4 | A N N U A L R E P O R T A N D A C C O U N T S |** **2** ## **DISABILITY AWARENESS** **Why do young people go through 14 years of schooling and yet receive no education about disability issues? How can we develop the necessary understanding, acceptance, accommodation and infrastructure to ensure the rights of disabled people are met if we do not create the opportunities to learn about disability?** Disability awareness is a neglected issue which receives little priority and few resources. However failure to invest in this area has multiple impacts on the rights of people with disabilities. Our disability awareness training is developed and delivered by disabled people. This work plays an important role in creating a better future for us all; disability awareness promotes inclusion, understanding and acceptance and benefits everyone. A third of people become disabled in their working life. We believe that disability awareness is an essential part of quality education and life-long learning; disability is part of the human experience, affecting friends, family and community. ## **BRINGING ORGANISATIONS TOGETHER** Our annual Winter Draw once again raised more than £5,000 for local charitable organisations and groups working on disability issues. Organisations benefiting this year included Autism Berkshire, The Engine Shed, Rivertime Boat Trust, Reading Mencap, Medical Assistance Sierra Leone and the Berkshire MS Therapy Centre (who sold the winning ticket to a supporter!). We are grateful to The David Brownlow Foundation for funding the prize of John Lewis vouchers, enabling us to raise substantial funds for ourselves and other organisations that are experiencing a severe shortage of resources. We were pleased to be part of the IJAM Festival for young disabled people that took place in Reading in July. We sponsored the fully accessible toilet for this wonderful community event that aimed to create a festival that all young people could enjoy. ## **THE DISABILITY HUB** The Hub continues to be a vital resource for the community. Local organisation, Autangel, led by autistic adults, shares the space which is used for training and support groups. The Hub adds capacity and support to the sector at very difficult time, with many charities forced to reduce services, move out of offices or threatened with closure. The Disability Hub is available free of charge to all local groups working on disability issues, and at reduced costs to other voluntary sector groups. The Hub contains a meeting room, two/three small offices and a space for hot-desking along with disabled toilet facilities. There is plenty of free parking outside. We are a building and a resource offering support and advice on a range of issues related to disability, as well as a place for people to connect and create community. We have supported other organisations to access space in the business park and a new community of interest with shared goals for social justice is developing in this corner of Reading. Currently four local disability organisations use the Hub as their registered address; others use the space for popup sessions, and meeting people for advice sessions. We also store items for a number of local charities in our store room where we have installed rack shelving. In response to many small and micro-organisations now facing closure due to funding difficulties, Stepping Forward continued to offer support with funding applications in the reporting year, assisting organisations to maintain essential support and services. This year the office unit above us became unexpectedly available for sale, at a very reasonable price, and Trustees decided to explore ways in which we could take on this space to expand our offer to the community. By the end of the financial year we had secured a loan from Charity Bank, enabling us to purchase the unit above, doubling our available space. We are now renting this out to a local disability organisation who deliver recreational activities for children and adults. We are open to disability organisations buying this space from us: our priority was to secure resources for the voluntary sector, and organisations supporting disabled people in particular, as the sector is being priced out of Reading and the surrounding areas. Without affordable spaces to meet for advice, support and recreational activities the voluntary sector will become weaker and provision for disabled people will be negatively impacted. Development initiatives must include the needs of all community members. **3 | A N N U A L R E P O R T A N D A C C O U N T S | 2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4** ## **INTERNATIONAL WORK** Disability prevalence is higher in developing countries; globally an estimated 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries. We work internationally with Disabled People’s Organisations and NGOs to promote the rights of people with disabilities, supporting practical initiatives (eg transport, essential medication, university fees) whilst also supporting strategic work which can lead to transformative change. Director Gibrilla Jalloh and Mary Penn-Timity, Chair of the Browne-Penn Autism School, Sierra Leone give a guided tour of the school May 2024. ## **AUTISM INITIATIVES** We continue to support the Sierra Leone Autistic Society, and shipped some resources for the autism school this year. The relationship that was established with Met Film after the release of the award-winning film ‘The Reason I Jump’ (which featured the work of SLAS) has continued. We have been able to work with Met Film to generate more resources for the work of the Sierra Leone Autistic Society. One of our trustees was able to visit SLAS and the school in Sierra Leone in May 2024 and we continue to explore ways to support this important work. Protective sunscreen reduces skin cancer and saves lives. ## **SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM** People with albinism in Sierra Leone face disabling stigma and are not expected to live beyond their thirties due to skin cancer. There is much that can be done to increase the life expectancy of people with albinism and we are working with the Sierra Leone Association of People With Albinism (SLAPWA) to provide support such as sunscreen, umbrellas, protective clothing, hats and sunglasses. We are collaborating with local environmental NGO Green Ways to source quality protective clothing items and have been able to secure free shipping from a generous supporter. We were able to buy and ship a variety of recommended skin care products, and some protective hats, much of it secured at substantially reduced costs from Inkind Direct. We are grateful for this support. **2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4 | A N N U A L R E P O R T A N D A C C O U N T S | 4** ## **SUPPORTING OUR WORK** Thank you to those people and companies who have supported us during this year. This includes Visa Reading who collected bras at their offices on Earth Day in April. These bras were sent to mothers of disabled children in Sierra Leone to sell as part of an income generating initiative. Our Trustees continue to apply to Trusts and Foundations for ongoing support, and volunteers help us with raffles, Ebay sales and stalls in the community. We will be having a programme of events over the coming year to generate further funds. Supporters who would like to run a marathon, hold a cake sale or organise a fundraising event for Stepping Forward, can contact us for help with publicity and materials. ## **Some of our supporters this year:** ## Prepared by Stepping Forward UK Trustees **26 May 2025** Main photo on front page and two images on page 2 used with thanks & credit to Pixabay; other photos taken by Trustees with permission. Financial Summary 2023-24 l August 2023 to 31 July 2024 Aestilcted Unresirlcied Total 2022-31 Juty2023 Income Consuiianty Granis Coop CoTnmuntyFund Awaids lorAiI SL) 1787.98 1787.98 Souter CttaritableTiust ShanlyFoundaiion rewYlxFoundatlon P051codeSocletyTrusi Met Fllm Pioduciic The Éarleycharlty Hub rental Income 36QO 3000 fjoo 182 10200 8000 2000LI 4088 23140.9 21979.14 46118.04 23140.*1 25179.14 87206.02 11945 21464 Mlscdonaiion5 Totalth¢om 3200 41087.98 Exp•ndltui• Albinism Pfoleci Auis$m Slarra Leone Choiltable Aciivltles D15abllltyAtiknce seM¢e EpiieptySl•irè L￿ne EplleptyUgand8 Le811& piole$6lonall••8 UnllPurcha5e Fundralsln8CO515 GethOfflceexpen5ei HubrunniD8¢OSts Loan Ini•re Raffle Ukrolne Volunteei costs other costs Total ￿PEnd￿ur& 418.50 418.50 300 10034 J929 8028.50 8028.50 7062.59 25168.76 1562. 7062.5è 25166.76 16750 IS82.9) 277 4574 3580.78 ioooo.00 3580.78 yL4)00.00 312 519 7053 239.07 239.07 8190.71 11718. iooo.00 8190.71 11718.9) iooo.oo 1000 922 30.th) &33 628 44013.26 77447.59 Surplusof In¢oTheow expandf 7853.65 2104.78 5,127 6,020 Openlng bank balance CBILS Loanlcapltal repayThenl Surpiusll10551 Closlngbank balarFce 18,278 4631.6 9,758 23.40S 14427 -3170 6020 18278 4631.6 2.105 5,919 17,487 Balance Sheet JAVI 202241 Juty2023 Flxed as5eixleasehoid piopeTtyUnlt i and 2 DebtDr Current8sset-cashat bank Total assets 290,0Tr) 140,0 2,000 18,278 160.278 23,405 313.405 Uabllty.CfyOp COILS loan ChadtyBènk ioanlorunlt 12B 18,2361 1138.6321 11.514 Nel balaD¢e shttt 166,537 148.764 Slgned......... arah Snow,Trustee Independent E¥arnlner:..... A. Grbves 30 May2025 Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Stepping Forward UK I reporttothetrusteeson myexaminationoftheaccountsoftheaboveclo, Registered Charitynumber 1177955,fortheyearended31S1July2024. Respectlve responsibillties of trustees and examiner AsthecharitytrusteesoftheCIO,youareresponsibleforthepreparation ofthe accounts in accordance with the requirements ofthe Charities Act 2011 IThe Act'}. I reportinrespectofmyexamination oftheCIO'saccountscarriedoutundersection 145of the2011 Actand incarryingoutmyexamination, I havefollowedtheapplic8ble directions given bythecharitycommissionundersection 14515llbloftheAct. Ihavecompletedmyexamination.Iconflrmthatnomaterialmatters havecometomy attentioninconnectionwiththeexaminationwhichgivesmecausetobelievethatin any material respect: Accountingrecordswere notk8ptinaccordancewithsection 130oftheActor", Theaccountsdonotaccordwithth88ccountingrecords. I havenoconcernsandh8vecomeacross noothermattersinconnectionwiththe examinationtowhich attentionshould bedr8wnlnordertoen8blea proper understandin8 oftheaccountsto be reached. Signed IndependentExaminer 30 May2025 VA(0 6ALvI I