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2025-03-31-accounts

BLUE BOX BELPER

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR

31 MARCH 2025

Charity Number 1178483

BLUE BOX BELPER

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Contents Page
Members of the board and professional advisers 1
Trustees’ annual report 2-11
Independent examiners report 12
Receipts and Payments Account 13
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 14
Notes to the Accounts 15-16

BLUE BOX BELPER

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS

The board of trustees

Thomas Wyke (Chair) Sarah Thackeray (Treasurer) John Nelson Eleanor Wyke Mary Dwyer Daniel Dreese Cllr Carol Angharad (Resigned on 8[th] October 2024)

Registered office

85 Mill Lane Belper Derbyshire DE56 1LH

Independent examiners

Derby Community Accountancy Service Babington Lodge 128 Green Lane Derby

DE1 1RY

- 1 -

BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Objectives and Activities

SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document		 Para 1.17 To further or benefit the residents of Parks
Estate (Belper) and the neighbourhood,
without distinction of sex, sexual orientation,
race or of political, religious or other opinions
by associating together the said residents and
the local authorities, voluntary and other
organisations in a common effort to advance
education and to provide facilities in the
interests of social welfare for recreation and
leisure time occupation with the objective of
improving the conditions of life for the
residents. In furtherance of these objects but
not otherwise, the trustees shall have power:
to establish or secure the establishment of a
community centre and to maintain or manage
or co-operate with any statutory authority in
the maintenance and management of such a
centre for activities promoted by the charity in
furtherance of the above objects.
Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.		 Para 1.17 and
1.19		 Blue Box Belper supports residents of the
Parks Estate in Belper to improve our
community. We do this through the provision
and support of a range of local community
activities and the running of the Alder Road
Community Centre.
Having secured the majority of the funds
(including a £499,950 grant from the National
Lottery Community Fund), much of the focus
during the last 12 months was spent trying to
secure a lease agreement for the land on
which to build a new Community Centre.
Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts the
local councils failed to support our plans
within the necessary timeframe that our
funders required. As such we were unable to
claim £580,000 worth ofpledged funds that

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

we had secured. Subsequently, we have had to explore a Plan B for the local provision of a Community Centre. We are deeply frustrated and feel extremely let down by the local councils and are currently requesting detailed answers to understand what went wrong. Whilst our focus has been on the construction project, Blue Box Belper has also continued to develop and deliver a range of community activities and initiatives, to increase community engagement. These have primarily taken place from the Alder Road Community Centre. This particular facility suddenly became available to us as a venue, just at the time our plans for constructing a new Community Centre were reaching a disappointing conclusion. As such we have entered an initial 12 month agreement with the owners (local social housing company) to run the facility, whilst at the same time exploring how investment from the funds that we have raised could be used to improve the facility. In the meantime the use of the venue has enabled us to continue our current activities over the last year, including: ➔ Our Cuppa Cake Chat, as a fortnightly coffee morning space, continues to well attended. We’re also seeing the impact of the connections made through the sessions, in what could be described as an increase in social capital. ➔ Our weekly Chair-o-bics session continues to be fully attended week on week, and due to demand another weekly session is being added. ➔ Our monthly Craft Group has continued to grow and attendees were once again involved in the traditional activities of Welldressing and the Woollen Woods locally. ➔ Continued to support a successful detached youth provision (currently funded

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

by the Town Council), by funding
complimentary activities to further include
holiday activities, such as a climbing wall,
as well as the space being used for 121
mentoring.
➔Delivered a community newsletter three
times during the year.
➔Distributed Welcome Packs to welcome
new residents to the Parks Estate.
➔Supported fundraising activity within the
local community.
Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit		 Para 1.18 We are very pleased and proud that our
community initiatives and associated activities
are continuing to improve the quality of life of
residents in several ways. For example,
previously isolated residents are engaging
with our activities, people are volunteering to
help support our activities, and young people
are engaging with local provision. This all
builds a far greater sense of community
cohesion.
During the last 12 months, we have also
completed a Values Project, to develop an
agreed set of organisational values, that sit
alongside our purpose. This involved a
partnership with a local artist to explore with
trustees, volunteers and those benefitting
from our activities, what they felt Blue Box
Belper’s values are.
These are the set of values by which we run
the organisation by.
Blue Box Belper is…
•
Purposeful:We choose to be
ambitious and reflective in everything
we do, responding to opportunities and
challenges with agility and creativity.
•
Welcoming:We seek to be inclusive,
warm and compassionate to all,
respecting diversity, challenging
inequalities and building social
cohesion by offering accessible
activities acrossgenerations.

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

• Collaborative: We partner with other organisations and individuals to help deliver our charity vision and a sustainable and accountable way. • Responsive: We actively listen to our community in order to understand needs and priorities, and where necessary act with social conscience to bring about positive change.

Additional information
SORP reference
In the last year, Blue Box Belper has received
Para 1.38 the support of over 25 volunteers that have
Contribution made by helped in a variety of ways. This includes, but
volunteers is not limited to: being trustees, sub-group
members, running/coordinating community
activities, designing and delivering quarterly
newsletters, organising fundraising activity,
and engaging in our Values Project.

Achievements and Performance

SORP reference
Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.		 Para 1.20 Our achievements during the last 12 months
have been to:
1. Secure a temporary solution for a
community centre venue to ensure that we
can continue our community activities.
2. Continue to offer a wide range of
community activities in the limited
community spaces we have available to
us. Further to this, we have seen an
increase in the number of people
engaging in those community activities.
3. Support fundraising activity within the local
community, including another very
successful Fell Race, as well as stalls at
events. These activities have helped to put
us in a strong position to continue our
community activities, but also have a
significant amount of funds available to
redevelop a community facility in the
future.
4. Develop an agreed set of organisational
values, that sit alongside our purpose.

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

  1. Begin to hold the local councils to account around their decision making process following their failure to support the construction project.

Additional information

Achievements against
objectives set		 Para 1.41 As it stands success is measured in several
ways through several key themes:
1)Ongoing development of the charity,
including the development of a set of
organisational values.
2)Progress with the Construction Project is
measured through key landmarks being
reached. The majority of these were
reached (e.g. funding and planning
permission), however we failed to secure
the lease agreement and therefore the
project ultimately failed in our plans to
construct a new Community Centre.
Despite the failure, we have been able to
secure the use of a venue on the Parks
Estate, that has allowed us to continue to
provide a range of activities. Within the
next 12 months we expect to have
secured a longer term arrangement for
sole use of the Alder Road Centre.
3)Success of fundraising is measured by
income secured to meet identified needs.
It has been a very successful year in
terms of fundraisingboth throughgrant

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

fundraising and community fundraising.
However, due to the failure of the
construction project we were unable to
claim £580,000 in pledged funds.
4)Success of community activities is based
on numbers attending, but also qualitative
feedback. We have certainly continued to
have a positive impact with a strong
attendance of our activities and stories of
lives being impacted in positive ways.
5)Effectiveness of our website and social
media platforms is measured by numbers
engaging. For example, we currently have
over 800 likes and over 900 followers on
our Facebook page, which represents a
9% increase during the year.
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set		 Para 1.41 In the last financial year we secured £11,903,
from a range of sources. These funds have
been allocated to our ongoing running costs,
as well as towards the community building
project.
Unfortunately we had to decline the following
pledged funds from grant-giving organisations
because we could not secure a lease
agreement in the timeframe required:
£499,950 (The National Lottery Community
Fund), £50,000 (Derbyshire County Council),
£15,000 (Bernard Sunley Foundation),
£15,000 (Garfield Weston Foundation).

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period		 Para 1.21 Blue Box Belper is in a very good financial
position to continue to deliver its ongoing
community activities. We also have a
significant amount of designated funds set
aside for the purposes of
developing/redeveloping a community facility.
The trustees have designated funds in the
account(as of 31 March 2025)towards:

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

➢£3,775 for the running costs of the Alder
Road Centre, including: energy costs,
water costs, hiring fees, licenses and
equipment costs.
➢£3,000 for covering community activity
costs, including: a community fun day and
holiday youth activities.
➢£2,420 for ongoing charity running costs,
including: insurance, audited accounts,
website, phone, printing and training.
➢£70,974 for the building redevelopment
project.
➢£7,500 as reserves.
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held		 Para 1.22 As advised by the Charity Commission, Blue
Box Belper reserves policy seeks to provide
sufficient monies to enable the organisation to
properly finance its own termination. The
Board has agreed to provide (wherever
possible) an amount which equates to at least
three months’ running costs.
Last year we increased our reserves, to reflect
both our increased activity, and the need to
have a healthier reserves ready for the
running of a Community Centre.
At 31 March 2025 the charity has unrestricted
reserves of £7,500.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 £7,500
Reasons for holding zero
reserves		 Para 1.22 N/A
Details of fund materially in
deficit		 Para 1.24 N/A
Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern		 Para 1.23 There is no uncertainty about the charity
continuing, since we have a strong set of
trustees and volunteers, as well as a strong
set of finances.

Additional information

In this last financial year, Blue Box Belper has

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)		 Para 1.47 secured funds into its account totalling
£11,901, including:
-
£1,303 grant from National Gas
-
£375 grant from Tesco Charitable Trust
-
£3,039 from local organisations and
groups
-
£2,678 from community fundraising
-
£1,073 from individual donations
-
£1,593 from Interest
-
£1,840 from Gift Aid
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity		 Para 1.46 The trustees believe the main risks for the
charity, alongside our measures to mitigate
any impact, are:
1) Failure to secure a long term lease for the
Alder Road Community Centre. We are
working towards this with the owners and
our current effectiveness in running the
facility and benefitting the local residents,
means we are confident a resolution can
be found.
2) We have raised over £70,000 towards a
community centre project, which we hope
to spend on redeveloping the Alder Road
Centre, but this requires a long term lease
agreement being secured. If this does not
happen then we will seek to spend the
funds on either an alternative facility
solution, or further to the benefit of the
local community.
3) Failure to secure the funds to continue our
charitable activities.
-
The trustees continue to look ahead to
ensure that the funds required to maintain
our current provisions are in place. So far
securing funds to support our ongoing
community activities has been possible.

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document Para 1.25 CIO - FOUNDATION Registered 22 May 2018
How is the charity
constituted?		 Para 1.25 CIO

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees		 Para 1.25 Every appointed trustee is appointed by a
resolution passed at a properly convened
meeting of the charity’s trustees.
Efforts are made to recruit trustees who meet
the skill requirement. The overall composition
of the trustee body aims to be as
representative of the community as is
possible.
Due to the challenges we faced in agreeing a
successor in title arrangement with Belper
Town Council for the lease of land, we
mutually decided to no longer have an elected
councillor to be a trustee. We are currently
seeking an alternative way of ensuring there
is a clear point of contact between us and
Belper Town Council.

Additional information

Additional information
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees		 Para 1.51 Policies are made available for viewing,
including the Trustee Code of Conduct
document. All new trustees are given a full
update on the charity’s activities and plans.
Indeed, we have recently reviewed and
updated all of our policies.
The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works		 Para 1.51 Blue Box Belper operates with trustees that
manage the charity, supporting 4 main
volunteer-run, task-focussed sub-groups:
a) Community Centre Management
Committee;
b) Funding and Grant Applications;
c) Community Activities and Fundraising;
d) Media, Communication and Marketing.
As the charity develops we may seek to
increase the number of trustees, and the
nature of the sub-groups will adapt for the
needs of the charity’s activities and initiatives.
Annual priorities and roles are set at our AGM
against the charity’s mission and objectives.

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BLUE BOX BELPER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Relationship with any related Para 1.51 Blue Box Belper is currently on a 12 month
parties agreement with Futures Housing Group (from
on 1stOctober 2024) to be the sole hirer of the
Alder Road Centre. We are in negotiations
around a longer term lease agreement and
potential redevelopment of the Centre.
Reference and Administrative details
Charity name Blue Box Belper
Other name the charity uses Blue Box Community Organisation
Registered charity number 1178483
Charity’s principal address 85 Mill Lane, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1LH

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3
4
5
7
8		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not
**for whole year **		 Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee (ifany)
Thomas Wyke Chairperson
Sarah Thackeray Treasurer
John Nelson N/A
Eleanor Wyke N/A
MaryDwyer N/A
Daniel Dreese N/A
Cllr Carol Angharad N/A Until 8/10/2024 Belper Town Council

Declarations

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

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Thomas Wyke Sarah Thackeray Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Chairperson Treasurer Date 27/09/2025

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BLUE BOX BELPER

INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Blue Box Belper

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 13 to 16 .

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to an audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner's statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with 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.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

Mark Newey ACMA Derby Community Accountancy Service Babington Lodge 128 Grteen Lane Derby

Date

- 12 -

BLUE BOX BELPER

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2024
Total
£
62435
Opening Balance
Receipts
15250
Grants
note 1
4263
Fundraising
7319
Donations
287
Interest
282
Gift Aid
27401
Payments
80
Room hire
221
Insurance
1159
Printing, stationery and website
350
Fees
1628
Sports, Youth and other activity
1440
Building costs
47
Equipment
200
Sundry
5124
22277
Net Movement of Funds
0
Transfer between funds
84712
Closing Balance		 2025
Unrestricted
Fund
Designated
Fund
Restricted
Fund
Total
£
£
£
£
0
84712
0
84712
1678
0
0
1678
3576
0
0
3576
3214
0
0
3214
1593
0
0
1593
1840
0
0
1840
11901
0
0
**11901 **
1097
0
0
1097
922
0
0
922
380
0
0
380
350
0
0
350
1457
0
0
1457
3985
0
0
3985
0
0
0
0
754
0
0
754
8944
0
0
8944
2957
0
0
2957
-2957
2957
0
0
0
87669
0
87669

- 13 -

BLUE BOX BELPER STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

AS AT 31 MARCH 2025

2024
£
0		 Fixed Assets
Monetary assets
Bank balance
Cash
Less liabilities
Net Assets
Chair
Treasurer		 2025
£
0
0
84712
0		 0
87485
184
84712 87669
0 0
84712 87669
Date
Date

- 14 -

BLUE BOX BELPER

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025

Note 1 Grants

Note 1
Grants
Derbyshire County Council
Duke of Devonshire Charitable Trust
Ryklow Trust
Belper Town Council
National Gas
Tesco Charitable Trust		 Unrestricted Designated
Restricted
Total
2025
Total
2024
£
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
0
2000
0
0
0
0
5000
0
0
0
0
7500
0
0
0
0
750
1303
0
0
1303
0
375
0
0
375
0
1678
0
0
1678
15250

Note 2

Breakdown of income through donations , fundraising band other income in 2024/25.

Amount Origin
£
£1,073 Individual donations
£2,678 Community Fundraising
£902 Belper Early Years
£500 Derbyshire Voluntary Services
£450 St Swithuns Church
£402 Cyber 1st
£300 Belper Open Gardens
£250 Fleet Arts
£215 Belper Quiz League
£20 Hiring Fees
£1,593 Interest
£1,840 Gift Aid
£10,223

Purpose of funds

Community Activities Community Activities Alder Road Centre running costs Alder Road Centre running costs Alder Road Centre running costs Alder Road Centre running costs Alder Road Centre running costs Towards Craft Group Alder Road Centre running costs Alder Road Centre running costs Charity running costs Building Project

- 15 -

BLUE BOX BELPER

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025

Note 3

Designated Funds

Description
Source
Alder Road Centre
Running costs of the centre
Building project
Various sources
Community Activities
Various sources
Charity Running costs
Ongoing costs including account auditing and insurance
Petty Cash
Small Expenditure
Reserves
From unrestricted funds, designated as reserves
Total in account		 £
3775
70974
3000
2220
200
7500
87669

- 16 -