## **THE BRIDGE FOUNDATION** 

# **Annual Report and Accounts 31 March 2022** 

**Charity Number: 1178918** 



## **WHO WE ARE** 

Founded in 1983 by Sally Box, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist trained at the Tavistock clinic who had the vision of an organisation applying a psychoanalytic approach to understanding issues of everyday life, groups and organisations. 

Today our focus is on providing high quality psychodynamic therapy to children and their families to make a difference at the earlier stages of life. 

In 2021-22, our multi-disciplinary team provided therapy to over 300 children and adults each month. 




## **WHAT WE DO** 


## **Bridge in Schools** 

Psychotherapy delivered in schools in areas of deprivation and diversity. 


## **Psychotherapy services** 

Psychotherapy delivered to vulnerable children via services commissioned through Adoption Support Fund and Social Services spot purchases. Our not-for-profit service for children, families and adults who self-refer. Fees are determined by family income and over 50% are subsidised. 




**Supervision and reflective practice sessions for professionals in schools and healthcare.** 

## **Professional training for counsellors working in schools.** 

## **Conferences and events.** 



## **OUR ETHOS** 

- A commitment to psychodynamic principles underpins every aspect of the work in the organisation This commitment translates into an organisational culture and infrastructure with space and time built in for weekly meetings, CPDs, and group supervisions for therapists to thoroughly consider the clinical work Ensures high quality therapy and clients held by the organisation as a whole Multi-disciplinary team of 42 psychodynamically trained therapists. We place the emotional wellbeing of children and families at the heart of everything we do. 




**My therapist’s gentle encouragement has given me the safe space to explore things from my past that I have never spoken about.** 

**I feel like I know myself more than ever before and this is helping me grow as a person and as a parent.** 




Our schools model was developed thirteen years ago in response to the local needs of the young people in inner city Bristol. 

Through embedding a dedicated psychotherapist in schools in areas of deprivation, we have been successful in engaging with children that fall through the cracks of other statutory services. 

Teachers are best placed to identify vulnerable and at-risk children and operating within schools, enables us to meet mental health challenges when they first emerge. 

## **We provide:** 






One to one therapy with children 

Parent support 

Classroom observations 

Staff consultation, supervision and wellbeing sessions Professional assessments. 

The partnerships are funded through fundraising by The Bridge Foundation and contribution by the schools from Pupil Premium and other income streams. 



## **In 2021-22 we:** 

**14** Worked in partnership with       schools across Bristol and South Gloucester. Provided additional support to another **20** schools throughout the year. 


> supported          children and young people **211** 

## Delivered                 clinical sessions **2,388** 

## **Measuring our Impact** 

We use a range of different nationally validated clinical outcomes measures to evaluate our impact. We have continued to see a rise in the complexity and severity of the mental health issues that children are coming to the service with at the start of therapy.  This is a trend that was noticed before the pandemic but has increased significantly since then. 

In spite of the challenging operating environment and the high levels of emotional difficulty, parents and teachers continued to report a positive impact from our therapeutic work. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
71%<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


of pupils using the service were reported by teachers and parents as seeing an improvement in their emotional and behaviour difficulties. 




Our not-for-profit fee paying service has seen a significant increase in referrals as we continue to see the impact of the pandemic on mental health.   We have invested considerable resources in developing the infrastructure of the organisation as well as recruiting new therapists to be able to meet this demand. 

As a consequence, we have managed to deliver 59% more clinical sessions this year compared to last year. We anticipate that we will continue to see increasing demand for our service and are planning for sustainable growth to meet that. 





## psychotherapy clients **282** 

**51%** of these clients paid a subsidised rate. 

> of these were **14%** commissioned by social services or adoption support fund 

> clinical sessions were **5,431** delivered in total over the year 




**Our therapist was able to offer us so many useful insights into our situation and has increased our confidence in parenting our challenging teen. We will always be grateful for her help.** Parent 



## **OUR FINANCIAL MODEL** 

In uncertain times, it is essential that we are able to sustain ourselves financially to continue to provide the mental health services that are needed now more than ever.  The Bridge Foundation, therefore, maintains a mixed funding stream model to provide that sustainability. 

## **Commissioned services** 

**21% Psychotherapy clients 31% Fundraising 26% Contributions from schools 22%** 

**Our 2021-22  Income Sources** 



## **PLANS FOR THE FUTURE** 

Our Strategic Plan 21-23 has been developed for the organisation to enable us to grow to meet the ever-increasing demand for our services. There are five pillars to this strategic plan: 

## **Accessibility** 

**Innovation** 

Make the Build on our organisation clinical and our expertise to services offer new accessible to services to more diverse engage and communities help clients in different ways 

**Sustainability** 

**Evidence** 

## **Quality** 

Develop our infrastructure to use our resources as effectively as possible to meet the changing needs of clients 

Develop an evidence base to demonstrate the impact and strength of our clinical work 

Develop KPI framework to monitor and evaluate service outputs and outcomes to ensure clinical and operational excellence 

Underpinning all of these priorities is a focus on sustainable growth to ensure that all services are delivered with the same level of clinical excellence. 



## **LETTER FROM OUR CHAIR** 

Another year has passed – one in which the Bridge has been as busy as it has ever been. Covid has receded as a daily operational issue as the year has progressed. However I believe we are still experiencing lasting effects – ranging from staff absences to increasingly long waiting lists for therapy for children and their families. 

Work at the Bridge continues to expand and develop on an incremental basis. This year has seen the development of our non clinical team who now provide a robust infrastructure, making the most of our two excellent services – Bridge Psychotherapy Service and Bridge in Schools. For example we now have up to the minute data which tells us who is using our services, how long they stay with us, what outcomes were achieved and so on. Importantly it also helps us understand who is not using our services - all information that can be used for planning for the future. 

Our budget increases year on year and we have successfully raised £197,584 in funds towards our work in schools where we provide free individual therapy alongside reflective practice and training in support of a systemic approach to mental health within the school. We are, in particular, developing our work with children with additional needs – practice that I believe to be pioneering and innovative. We continue to support a mix of work – with clients who pay a fee for therapy within the Bridge Psychotherapy Service and therapy that is free to the user within schools, through the Adoption Support Fund and with refugees. Having a mix of income streams continues to ensure a certain stability within our finances. 



With the expansion in therapy sessions we have turned our attention to the development of our staffing structure and succession planning. In order to maximise the skills and contribution of our staff we have introduced a salary banding scheme which acknowledges both level of qualification and responsibility within the team. 

This allows us to develop supervisory and managerial skills and recognise professional expertise. We have also taken on a number of trainee therapists so that we can contribute more widely to the development of the profession and increase diversity within the organisation. 

With Covid receding we have returned to primarily face to face therapy as the year has progressed. Additonally our staff team has grown. This has meant that we are considering again our need for extra therapy space. We have been grateful for the use of outreach space at a children’s centre in Sea Mills but need now to decide whether to move premises or to find additional dedicated space. This will be a project for the next year. 

Finally we have said good bye this year to four long standing trustees including Murray Stewart who made an outstanding contribution as chair of the Bridge for around fifteen years. Jane Cheshire, Michael Randall and Jeff Hurran have also moved on and we shall miss their thoughtfulness and commitment. 

Since then we have welcomed four new trustees – Jess Miles, Laura Vickers, Lindy Wootton and Kristian Cox. It now feels like a new Board of Trustees and I greatly look forward to working together to face the challenges that next year will bring. 

My very best wishes 

## **Cathy Benjamin** 

**The Bridge Foundation | Chair of Trustees** 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Reference and administrative details** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

|**Charity number**|1178918||
|---|---|---|
|**Registered office**|13 Sydenham Road||
||Bristol||
||BS6 5SH||
|**Trustees**|The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this||
||report were as follows:||
||Alison Appshaw - Treasurer||
||Cathy Benjamin - Chair||
||Jane Cheshire|resigned 30 June 2021|
||Kristian Cox|appointed 31 January 2022|
||Caroline Harris||
||Jeff Hurran|resigned 31 January 2022|
||Jessica Miles|appointed 27 September 2021|
||Michael Randall|resigned 1 April 2021|
||Murray Stewart|resigned 27 September 2021|
||Sayi Thomas|resigned 28 March 2022|
||Laura Vickers|appointed 27 September 2021|
||Lindy Wootton|appointed 31 January 2022|
||Lucy Young||
|**Chief executive officer**|Michelle Windle||
|**Bankers**|NatWest||
||40 Queen's Road||
||Clifton||
||Bristol||
||BS8 1BF||
|**Independent**|Godfrey Wilson Limited||
|**examiners**|Chartered accountants and|statutory auditors|
||5th Floor Mariner House||
||62 Prince Street||
||Bristol||
||BS1 4QD||



1 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Constitution and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective from January 2019). 

## **Objectives and activities** 

## **Purpose** 

The objects of the CIO are for the public benefit in Bristol and the South West (the area of benefit): 

- The advancement of the science, skills and application of psychoanalytical psychotherapy; and 

- The promotion of the arts. 

This is done through the advancement of the skills and application of psychoanalytically based therapeutic services and the pursuit of good practice through education, training, consultancy and promotion of the arts. 

## **Aims** 

## _Our vision_ 

At The Bridge Foundation we want a future where every person can feel secure about who they are and relate to others as fully and honestly as possible. 

We provide counselling, psychotherapy, consultation and supervision informed by psychoanalytic thinking in Bristol and the South West. We use a psychoanalytic approach to explore underlying patterns in behaviour and relationships and improve emotional wellbeing and mental health. 

We do this by providing: 

- Psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy; 

- A range of therapeutic services for individuals, couples and families, to help people with different needs at different life stages; 

- Professional training for counsellors working in schools and supervision and work discussion for professionals working with people; and 

- Hosting conferences and events. 

## _Our approach_ 

The Bridge Foundation is a charity where: 

- Our diverse local communities find access to high quality counselling and psychotherapy; 

- People find a space to explore anything that causes mental or emotional distress; 

- Children, young people, adults and families find help from highly qualified and skilled staff; 

- Organisations and professionals find a space for learning and reflecting on clinical practice; 

- A wider audience finds conferences and arts events which use psychoanalytic thinking to bring new perspectives to human experience; 

- Staff and volunteers find opportunities to develop their psychoanalytic practice within an innovative learning organisation; and 

- Commissioners and funders find an organisation committed to evidence-based practice, accountability and sustainable social impact. 

2 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## _Strategic aims_ 

- To provide a high professional standard of psychotherapy and counselling services for individuals, families, parents, children and young people; 

- To respond to disadvantage and diversity through provision of counselling and psychotherapy services for those who would not easily have access to such services; 

- To support appreciation, learning and development of psychoanalytic thinking and its application through provision of conferences, arts events, training and consultation; and 

- To promote monitoring, evaluation, research and intelligence to inform and educate policy and service development. 

## **Organisation developments and performance Bridge in Schools** 

We have witnessed a substantial increase in the level and complexity of issues that children are coming to us with. Pressures on local families (many of whom were already living chaotic and fractured lives before the pandemic) has intensified to unprecedented levels. Multiple lockdowns in overcrowded accommodation, sudden loss of income and increased living costs have compounded existing stress and anxiety. Access to local services and other support systems has been reduced or removed entirely, leaving many families feeling isolated and desperate. 

As a result, the children who access the service are often close to crisis point. This usually means that they require a more in depth and longer intervention to support them through their difficulties. Due to school budget limitations and the increased number of children requiring support, Bridge in Schools is currently only able to support those pupils experiencing the highest levels of emotional distress. We are concerned about the lack of alternate service provision for ‘the missing middle’ – those children who would respond to an effective early intervention to prevent mental health difficulties from escalating but are not able to access appropriate, professional support in a timely manner. 

We continue to advocate our whole school approach to wellbeing which helps schools to prioritise emotional wellbeing within the education system during these challenging times. We have begun to offer local schools a free ‘emotional wellbeing check’, to help them assess the mental health needs of the student and staff population and identify options to work with more effectively. 

We have further developed our online delivery model allowing us to effectively take on new referrals, for Brief Interventions with schools. We are now firmly based back in schools but utilising the online model can be helpful when disruptions occur due to sickness or operational issues. One of the advantages we have also found is that it can be useful to engage with parents through virtual sessions as it gives more flexibility to them and we often have a higher level of uptake through providing them with choice of how to interact with us. 

As a we enter a new academic year, we are proud to have retained all ten partnership schools and secured relationships with two new primary schools in the area. Our outcomes data remains comparable with previous years, and importantly we have been a consistent and reliable source of support for families when access to other services has been severely diminished. 

3 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **Bridge Psychotherapy Service** 

The demand for services saw our not-for-profit fee-paying service have a significant waiting list for the first time in its history. The service has grown incrementally over the years and as it is largely self-funding, in the past we have been able to recruit new staff as demand has risen. The sharp rise in demand after the pandemic meant that we had a five-month waiting list, particularly for those clients that wished to be seen in sessions outside of school hours. We have undertaken a number of measures to address this situation including a staggered recruitment and onboarding strategy for new staff in the team. We have also created a new management structure where senior therapists are being developed to take on new responsibilities that match with their individual strengths. 

Alongside this we have also developed a more streamlined way of taking and allocating referrals to therapists and initiated parental consultation sessions as the first step for parents referring their children in to the service. A therapy group for parents of adolescents is also being developed to provide different options for clients. 

These improvements to our systems and resources have resulted in us in increasing the number of our clinical sessions by 59% from the previous year. We will continue our staggered recruitment programme into the next year to build on this growth in a sustainable way. Alongside these increases in service capacity, we have maintained a strong training programme where staff have undertaken training and development on a range of issues that present in the service including eating disorders, gender identity and working with refugees and asylum seekers. 

## **Plans for the future** 

We are in the second year of our new three-year organisational Strategic Plan launched in April 2021. The plan was developed to enable us to grow to meet the ever-increasing demand for our services whilst also having a focus on sustainable growth to ensure all services are delivered with the same level of clinical excellence. Demand for services has reached higher levels than we have ever seen in our long history and we recognise that we need to strengthen the organisation on all levels to be able to meet the level of need in a clinically robust way. Our Strategic Plan is essential to enable this to happen. 

There are five pillars to this strategic plan: 

- **Accessibility** – Make the organisation and our services accessible to more diverse communities 

- **Innovation** – Build on our clinical expertise to offer new services to engage and help clients in different ways 

- **Sustainability** – Develop our infrastructure to use our resources as effectively as possible to meet the changing needs of clients 

- ▪ **Evidence** – Develop an evidence base to demonstrate the impact and strength of our clinical work 

- **Quality** – Develop a KPI Framework to monitor and evaluate service outputs and outcomes to ensure clinical and operational excellence 

4 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **Public benefit** 

Trustees have regard to the two key principles of public benefit set by the Charity Commission. First that there should be clarity over benefits and that they must relate to organisational aims and that such benefits should be balanced against any harmful detriment. The second benefit must be to the public; that beneficiaries must be appropriate and that access to such benefits should not be unreasonably restricted. Trustees consider that the combination of fee paying and free services provided by the Bridge Foundation conform to the conditions and guidance offered by the Charity Commission in relation to public benefit. 

## **Financial review** 

## **Going concern** 

The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy but the charity has managed to maintain a solid financial position as a result of the mixed financial model that it operates. 

The charity holds unrestricted, general reserves of £259,388 and a cash balance of £139,506 at year end. The charity has continued to secure income in 22/23 through its established mixed financial model and the trustees consider that the charity has sufficient cash reserves to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date on which these financial statements are approved. 

## **Financial position** 

The year ended with expenditure of £681,641 against an income of £762,207. At March 2022, total unrestricted reserves amounted to £259,388. 

## **Principal risks** 

Trustees regularly address risk management issues, which are the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces, the maintenance of a risk register, the establishment of systems for the monitoring of risk, and the setting up of contingency arrangements. The Treasurer and Chair review financial performance and cash flow bi-monthly. Clinical risk is currently managed through regular clinical supervision and adherence to the ethics and best practice of relevant professional bodies (BACP, UKCP, BPC and ACP). 

## **Reserves policy** 

Trustees have examined the charity's requirements for reserves in the light of the main risks to the organisation and have established a clear policy. The majority of the Foundation's project running costs are covered by income generated within the financial year or by funding from designated or restricted funds. Such funds fluctuate as a consequence of grants from major funders being received either in advance or in arrears of the financial year in which relevant expenditure is made. 

Trustees have, therefore, established a policy whereby free reserves (the unrestricted funds not committed in tangible fixed assets or otherwise designated by a funder or donor) should be maintained at a minimum level equating to at least three months of unrestricted expenditure (the non-project core costs of the organisation). The intention is that such free reserves should provide sufficient cover for non-project management, administrative and other support costs in case of unexpected funding shortfalls and to allow time to deal with such unexpected events. 

5 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

There is no separate reserves account but the reserves of cash (monitored by trustees and staff monthly) at end of year were sufficient to cover six months of support costs. Support costs for six months amount to £58,262 and as at the balance sheet date, cash reserves were £139,506. 

## **Structure, governance and management Constitution** 

The Bridge Foundation was registered as an unincorporated charity on 1 February 1999 operating under a deed of trust dated 19 October 1998 as amended by a supplemental deed dated 12 May 2009 with charity number 1073759. As of 1 April 2019, the organisation has become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with charity number 1178918. 

## **Method of appointment or election of trustees** 

Potential trustees are initially invited to have an informal discussion with the CEO and / or the Chair and to visit the organisation. Potential trustees are then invited to an interview with two trustees to gain an understanding of the organisation. This involves discussion of the mission, vision and strategic direction of the organisation; the roles and responsibilities of being a trustee, and the difference between governance and management. The meeting explores the skills and qualities the candidate can bring and their capacity and willingness to commit sufficient time to the role. 

On appointment new trustees have the opportunity to attend a board meeting to get the feel of the board, and are later formally appointed by the board with confirmation at the AGM. 

Trustee induction and training consists of a meeting with the Chair and CEO, a tour of the premises and introductions to the Senior Management Team. They also receive an information package that includes the Articles of Association, Annual Report and Accounts and Charity Commission booklets describing the responsibilities of the trustee role. New trustees are strongly encouraged to attend locally organised governance training opportunities, details of which are circulated periodically to all trustees. 

The Bridge Foundation is a member of Voscur – a Bristol based organisation that aims to support, develop and represent Bristol's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector – and The Association of Chairs – a national membership organisation supporting Chairs and Vice Chairs of charities and social enterprises in England and Wales. Both of these organisations provide training and peer support opportunities for members of the board. 

Trustees are appointed for a term of four years in the first instance. 

## **Organisational structure and decision making** 

The board of trustees meets six times a year and is responsible for the finances, the strategic direction and policy of the charity. 

The board of trustees aims to provide a balance of skills and experience relevant and applicable to the work of The Bridge Foundation, our beneficiary groups and the issues we are dealing with. Professions currently represented include child and adult psychotherapy, social work, education, finance, child protection, public relations and human resources. 

6 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

The board has adopted, and will keep under review, a set of policies relating to corporate governance including Equalities, Child Protection and Safeguarding, Vulnerable Adults, Confidentiality, Environment, Health & Safety, Complaints, Employment, Data Protection and Grievance. 

Trustee recruitment has been a focus of the last year with a number of long-standing trustees standing down after Covid and new ones coming on board. The trustees have committed to developing the membership of the board and increasing its diversity. Planning has included more accessible recruitment procedures with wider advertising and clearer supporting information such as trustee job and role descriptions. 

We have returned to in person trustee meetings as well as an in person facilitated away day to bring together staff and trustees after the two years of remote working during Covid. These events form part of the development of the organisation and the formulation of its longer-term strategic thinking and planning. 

Two sub-boards meet regularly and report to the board. 

## **Sub-boards** 

_Strategy, Resources and Business Group (SRB)_ meets six times a year. 

Membership: Senior Management Team and 3 trustees – one of whom acts as Chair. 

- To receive and to interrogate the detail of strategic and business proposals from the SMT and the board of trustees and to recommend proposals to the board for consideration and decision making; 

- To monitor and review progress of services, projects and developments and to report back to the board; and 

- ▪ To keep an overview of the Foundation as an employer and to ensure good employment practice. 

_Finance Group_ meets six times a year. Membership: Finance and Office Manager, the Bridge Foundation Treasurer and one other trustee. Purpose: 

- Preparation of annual budget for approval by board; and 

- Regular monitoring of expenditure and income and related financial matters and quarterly reporting to board. 

The CEO holds responsibility for the operational management of The Bridge Foundation, supported by the Senior Management team who in turn hold responsibility for the management of clinical service teams and for the planning, delivery and monitoring of services. 

The Operations and Finance Manager, assisted by the Finance Assistant, holds responsibility for financial planning and monitoring and for the preparation of management accounts and for audit. The Monitoring and Evaluation Data Analyst has responsibility for the collection and analysis and presentation of monitoring and evaluation information. 

7 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **Pay and remuneration** 

Pay reviews and new posts are assessed and reviewed by a job evaluation panel made up of senior staff and trustees. Recommendations relating to staff (pay, conditions of service, leave of absence, new appointments) are presented to the SRB and either agreed there or passed to the board for endorsement and/or approval. 

## **Insurance** 

The charity holds employer liability, public liability and professional indemnity insurances. 

## **Trustees' indemnities** 

Trustees exercise skill and care in the management of staff, finances, and the delivery of services and receive regular reports with documentation on all aspects of organisational activity. The composition of the board and its meetings and deliberations take place within the terms of the governing document. 

## **Statement of responsibilities of the trustees** 

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income or expenditure, of the charity for the year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to: 

- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statements of Recommended Practice (SORP); 

- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- state whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and 

- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. 

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

8 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Report of the trustees** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. 

## **Independent examiners** 

Godfrey Wilson Limited were appointed as independent examiners to the charity during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity. 

Approved by the trustees on 26 September 2022 and signed on their behalf by 

## Cathy Benjamin 

Cathy Benjamin - Chair of Trustees 

9 



## **Independent examiner's report** 

## **To the trustees of** 

## **The Bridge Foundation** 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Bridge Foundation (the CIO) for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 11 to 24. 

## **Responsibilities and basis of report** 

As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO’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** 

Since the CIO’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies. 

Godfrey Wilson Limited also provides ad hoc bookkeeping services to the CIO. I confirm that as a member of the ICAEW I am subject to the FRC’s Revised Ethical Standard 2016, which I have applied with respect to this engagement. 

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 CIO 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. 

## Alison Godfrey 

Date: 26 September 2022 **Alison Godfrey FCA Member of the ICAEW** For and on behalf of: **Godfrey Wilson Limited** Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD 

10 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Statement of financial activities** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

|Restricted<br>£<br>**Income from:**<br>Donations<br>3<br>-<br>Charitable activities<br>4<br>146,269<br>Investments<br>-<br>Other income<br>-<br>**Total income**<br>146,269<br>**Expenditure on:**<br>Raising funds<br>-<br>Charitable activities<br>157,069<br>**Total expenditure**<br>6<br>157,069<br>7<br>(10,800)<br>**Reconciliation of funds:**<br>Total funds brought forward<br>18,880<br>**Total funds carried forward**<br>8,080<br>Note<br>**Net income / (expenditure) and net**<br>**movement in funds**|Unrestricted<br>£<br>29,811<br>581,149<br>-<br>4,978<br>615,938<br>21,003<br>503,569<br>524,572<br>91,366<br>168,022<br>259,388|**2022**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**29,811**<br>**727,418**<br>**-**<br>**4,978**<br>**762,207**<br>**21,003**<br>**660,638**<br>**681,641**<br>**80,566**<br>**186,902**<br>**267,468**|2021<br>Total<br>£<br>33,391<br>570,912<br>38<br>2,437|
|---|---|---|---|
||||606,778|
||||9,132<br>568,733|
||||577,865|
||||28,913<br>157,989|
||||186,902|



All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 14 to the accounts. 

11 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Balance sheet** 

## **As at 31 March 2022** 

|Note<br>**Current assets**<br>Debtors<br>10<br>Cash at bank and in hand<br>**Liabilities**<br>Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year<br>11<br>**Net current assets and net assets**<br>13<br>**Funds**<br>14<br>Restricted funds<br>Unrestricted funds<br>General funds<br>**Total charity funds**|**2022**<br>**£**<br>**149,546**<br>**139,506**<br>**289,052**<br>**(21,584)**<br>**267,468**<br>**8,080**<br>**259,388**<br>**267,468**|2021<br>£<br>134,597<br>96,570|
|---|---|---|
|||231,167<br>(44,265)|
|||186,902|
|||18,880<br>168,022|
|||186,902|



Approved by the trustees on 26 September 2022 and signed on their behalf by 

## Cathy Benjamin 

Cathy Benjamin - Chair of Trustees 

12 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Statement of cash flows** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

|**Cash used in operating activities:**<br>Net movement in funds<br>Interest from investments<br>Decrease / (increase) in debtors<br>Increase / (decrease) in creditors<br>**Net cash provided by operating activities**<br>**Cash flows from investing activities:**<br>Interest from investments<br>**Net cash provided by investing activities**<br>**Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year**<br>Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year<br>**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**|**2022**<br>**£**<br>**80,566**<br>**-**<br>**(14,949)**<br>**(22,681)**<br>**42,936**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**42,936**<br>**96,570**<br>**139,506**|2021<br>£<br>28,913<br>(38)<br>(38,995)<br>16,167|
|---|---|---|
|||6,047|
|||38|
|||38|
|||6,085<br>90,485|
|||96,570|



The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements. 

13 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **1. Accounting policies** 

## **a) Basis of preparation** 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities in preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). 

The Bridge Foundation meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note. 

## **b) Going concern basis of accounting** 

The accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern due to the trustees having a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy but the charity has managed to maintain a solid financial position as a result of the mixed financial model that it operates. 

## **c) Income** 

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. 

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred. 

Income received in advance of therapeutic service provision is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met. 

## **d) Interest receivable** 

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank. 

## **e) Funds accounting** 

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity. 

14 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **1. Accounting policies (continued)** 

## **f) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT** 

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. 

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred. 

## **g) Allocation of support and governance costs** 

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on the proportion of direct costs: 

||**2022**|2021|
|---|---|---|
|Raising funds|**3.1%**|1.6%|
|Charitable activities|**96.9%**|98.4%|



## **h) Debtors** 

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. 

## **i) Cash at bank and in hand** 

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account. 

## **j) Creditors** 

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due. 

## **k) Financial instruments** 

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method. 

## **l) Pension costs** 

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA. 

15 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **1. Accounting policies (continued)** 

## **m) Accounting estimates and key judgements** 

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates. 

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods. 

There are no key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements. 

## **2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities** 

|**Income from:**<br>Donations<br>Charitable activities<br>Investments<br>Other income<br>**Total income**<br>**Expenditure on:**<br>Raising funds<br>Charitable activities<br>**Total expenditure**<br>**Net income and net movement in funds**|Restricted<br>£<br>-<br>103,107<br>-<br>-<br>103,107<br>-<br>84,227<br>84,227<br>18,880|£<br>33,391<br>467,805<br>38<br>2,437<br>503,671<br>9,132<br>484,506<br>493,638<br>10,033<br>Unrestricted|**2021**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**33,391**<br>**570,912**<br>**38**<br>**2,437**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**606,778**|
||||**9,132**<br>**568,733**|
||||**577,865**|
||||**28,913**|



16 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **3. Income from donations** 

|Donations<br>**Prior period comparative:**<br>Donations<br>Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme<br>**Total income from donations**<br>**Income from charitable activities**<br>Contracts<br>Grants<br>Therapy session fees<br>Conference fees<br>**Total income from charitable activities**<br>**Prior period comparative:**<br>Contracts<br>Grants<br>Therapy session fees<br>**Total income from charitable activities**|Restricted<br>£<br>-<br>Restricted<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>Restricted<br>£<br>-<br>146,269<br>-<br>-<br>146,269<br>Restricted<br>£<br>-<br>103,107<br>-<br>103,107|£<br>29,811<br>£<br>20,105<br>13,286<br>33,391<br>£<br>236,902<br>-<br>342,134<br>2,113<br>581,149<br>£<br>163,884<br>-<br>303,921<br>467,805<br>Unrestricted<br>Unrestricted<br>Unrestricted<br>Unrestricted|**2022**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**29,811**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||2021<br>Total<br>£<br>20,105<br>13,286|
||||33,391|
||||**2022**<br>**Total**<br>**£**<br>**236,902**<br>**146,269**<br>**342,134**<br>**2,113**|
||||**727,418**|
||||2021<br>Total<br>£<br>163,884<br>103,107<br>303,921|
||||570,912|



## **4. Income from charitable activities** 

## **5. Government grants** 

No government grants were received by the charity during the year. The charity received government grants in the prior year totalling £33,286 from Bristol City Council and under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. 

There were no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attaching to these grants. 

17 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **6. Total expenditure** 

|**Total expenditure**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Staff costs (note 8)<br>Sessional staff and other staff costs<br>Fees and subscriptions<br>Advertising<br>Venue hire<br>Travel and subsistence<br>Professional fees<br>IT costs<br>Premises and office costs<br>Bank and card fees<br>Sundry<br>Bad debt<br>**Sub-total**<br>**Total expenditure**<br>Allocation of support and<br>governance costs|Raising<br>funds<br>£<br>16,430<br>-<br>-<br>982<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>17,412<br>3,591<br>**21,003**|Charitable<br>activities<br>£<br>482,059<br>49,157<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>16,490<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>547,706<br>112,932<br>**660,638**|£<br>45,676<br>-<br>607<br>-<br>150<br>731<br>6,758<br>8,630<br>47,031<br>1,443<br>2,241<br>3,256<br>116,523<br>(116,523)<br>**-**<br>Support and<br>governance<br>costs|**2022 Total**<br>**£**<br>**544,165**<br>**49,157**<br>**607**<br>**982**<br>**150**<br>**731**<br>**23,248**<br>**8,630**<br>**47,031**<br>**1,443**<br>**2,241**<br>**3,256**|
|||||**681,641**<br>-|
|||||**681,641**|



Total governance costs were £2,165 (2021: £1,620). 

18 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **6. Total expenditure (continued) Prior period comparative** 

|Staff costs (note 8)<br>Sessional staff and other staff costs<br>Fees and subscriptions<br>Advertising<br>Travel and subsistence<br>Professional fees<br>IT costs<br>Premises and office costs<br>Bank and card fees<br>Sundry<br>Bad debt<br>**Sub-total**<br>**Total expenditure**<br>Allocation of support and<br>governance costs|Raising<br>funds<br>£<br>6,774<br>-<br>-<br>859<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>7,633<br>1,499<br>9,132|Charitable<br>activities<br>£<br>380,339<br>83,227<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>11,805<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>475,371<br>93,362<br>568,733|Support and<br>governance<br>costs<br>£<br>28,829<br>-<br>1,349<br>-<br>14<br>5,793<br>6,605<br>45,650<br>1,014<br>4,219<br>1,388<br>94,861<br>(94,861)<br>-|2021 Total<br>£<br>415,942<br>83,227<br>1,349<br>859<br>14<br>17,598<br>6,605<br>45,650<br>1,014<br>4,219<br>1,388|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||577,865<br>-|
|||||577,865|



19 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

**7. Net movement in funds** 

This is stated after charging: 

|**Net movement in funds**<br>This is stated after charging:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2022**|2021|
||**£**|£|
|Operating lease payments|**28,655**|28,655|
|Trustees' remuneration|**Nil**|Nil|
|Trustees' reimbursed expenses|**5**|Nil|
|Independent examiners' remuneration:|||
|Independent examination|**2,160**|1,620|
|Other services|**173**|-|



One trustee was paid £5 for parking relating to trustee obligations (2021: £Nil). 

## **8. Staff costs and numbers** Staff costs were as follows: 

|Salaries and wages<br>Social security costs<br>Pension costs|**2022**<br>**£**<br>**502,833**<br>**32,176**<br>**9,156**<br>**544,165**|2021<br>£<br>386,422<br>22,779<br>6,741|
|---|---|---|
|||415,942|



No employee earned more than £60,000 during the year. 

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, Finance and Office Manager, School Manager and the BPS Manager. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £129,603 (2021: £127,360). 

|Average head count|**2022**<br>**No.**<br>**14.2**|2021<br>No.<br>12.4|
|---|---|---|



## **9. Taxation** 

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes. 

20 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **10. Debtors** 

|**Debtors**|||
|---|---|---|
|Trade debtors<br>Prepayments<br>Other debtors<br>Accrued income|**2022**<br>**£**<br>**77,352**<br>**2,069**<br>**1,881**<br>**68,244**<br>**149,546**|2021<br>£<br>41,351<br>1,484<br>2,693<br>89,069|
|||134,597|



## **11. Creditors : amounts due within 1 year** 

|Trade creditors<br>Accruals<br>Deferred income (see note 12)<br>Other creditors<br> **Deferred income**<br>At 1 April 2021<br>Deferred during the year<br>Released during the year<br>**At 31 March 2022**|**2022**<br>**£**<br>**2,704**<br>**10,418**<br>**6,002**<br>**2,460**<br>**21,584**<br>**2022**<br>**£**<br>**15,632**<br>**6,002**<br>**(15,632)**<br>**6,002**|2021<br>£<br>3,374<br>14,505<br>15,632<br>10,754|
|---|---|---|
|||44,265|
|||2021<br>£<br>9,480<br>15,632<br>(9,480)|
|||15,632|



## **12. Deferred income** 

Deferred income relates to income received in advance of therapeutic service provision. 

21 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **13. Analysis of net assets between funds** 

|**Analysis of net assets between funds**||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Current assets<br>Current liabilities<br>**Net assets at 31 March 2022**<br>**Prior period comparative**<br>Current assets<br>Current liabilities<br>**Net assets at 31 March 2021**|£<br>8,080<br>-<br>**8,080**<br>£<br>18,880<br>-<br>18,880<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Restricted<br>funds|£<br>280,972<br>(21,584)<br>**259,388**<br>£<br>212,287<br>(44,265)<br>168,022<br>Unrestricted<br>funds<br>Unrestricted<br>funds|**Total funds**<br>**£**<br>**289,052**<br>**(21,584)**|
||||**267,468**|
||||Total funds<br>£<br>231,167<br>(44,265)|
||||186,902|



22 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **14. Movements in funds** 

|**Restricted funds**<br>Bridge in Schools<br>**Total restricted funds**<br>General funds<br>**Total unrestricted funds**<br>**Total funds**<br>**Prior period comparative**<br>**Restricted funds**<br>Bridge in Schools<br>**Total restricted funds**<br>General funds<br>**Total unrestricted funds**<br>**Total funds**<br>**Unrestricted funds**<br>**Unrestricted funds**<br>Bristol Community Health -<br>Health & Wellbeing Grant<br>Programme<br>Bristol Community Health -<br>Health & Wellbeing Grant<br>Programme|At 1 April<br>2021<br>£<br>-<br>18,880<br>18,880<br>168,022<br>168,022<br>186,902<br>At 1 April<br>2020<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>157,989<br>157,989<br>157,989|Income<br>£<br>146,269<br>-<br>146,269<br>615,938<br>615,938<br>762,207<br>Income<br>£<br>83,107<br>20,000<br>103,107<br>503,671<br>503,671<br>606,778|£<br>(146,269)<br>(10,800)<br>(157,069)<br>(524,572)<br>(524,572)<br>(681,641)<br>£<br>(83,107)<br>(1,120)<br>(84,227)<br>(493,638)<br>(493,638)<br>(577,865)<br>Expenditure<br>Expenditure|£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>Transfers<br>between<br>funds<br>Transfers<br>between<br>funds|**£**<br>**-**<br>**8,080**<br>**At 31 March**<br>**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**8,080**|
||||||**259,388**|
||||||**259,388**|
||||||**267,468**|
||||||£<br>-<br>-<br>-<br>18,880<br>At 31 March<br>2021|
||||||18,880|
||||||168,022|
||||||168,022|
||||||186,902|



23 



## **The Bridge Foundation** 

## **Notes to the financial statements** 

## **For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

## **14. Movements in funds (continued) Purposes of restricted funds** 

Bridge in Schools 

Brings specialist mental health expertise to schools. The schools make a contribution to the cost of this service and the restricted element represents the fundraised amount from grant giving trusts and foundations. 

Bristol Community Health - Health & Wellbeing Grant Programme 

Grant for a research programme to find a psychological approach to resolve trauma issues which are creating incontinence problems in teenage refugees. 

## **15. Operating lease commitments** 

The charity had operating leases at the year end with total future minimum lease payments as follows: 

|Amount falling due:<br>Within 1 year<br>Within 1 - 5 years|**2022**<br>**£**<br>**28,655**<br>**42,869**<br>**71,524**|2021<br>£<br>28,655<br>71,524|
|---|---|---|
|||100,179|



## **16. Related party transactions** 

There were no related party transactions in the current or prior year. 

24