**Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025** ## **Charity name: The Brighton and Hove Independent Mediation Service** ## **Charity registration number: 1181888** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP
ref|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of the
charity as set out in its governing
document|Para
1.17|1) To provide,promote and facilitate for the benefit of
the public, the provision of mediation and other forms of
conflict resolution services for persons, organisations
and groups who are involved in dispute or interpersonal
conflict
2) To advance the education of the public, methods of
mediation and conciliation and the nature and causes of
such disputes and the means to manage them.| |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|The main activity the charity undertook for the public
benefit during the period of this report was providing
community mediation and one-to-one conflict resolution
support to around 214 members of our community.| |Statement confirming whether the
trustees have had regard to the
guidance issued by the Charity
Commission on public benefit|Para
1.18|We affirm that all our activities are undertaken with due
to regard to the guidance issued by the Charity
Commission on public benefit.| ## **Additional information (optional)** |You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:| |---|---|---| ||SORP
reference|| |Policyongrant making|Para
1.38|N/A| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para
1.38|N/A| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para
1.38|Around thirty volunteer mediators delivered the bulk of our
conflict resolution services during the year, providing
skilled listening support and empowering people to
peacefully manage and resolve disputes in their
community.| |Other||| ## **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|BHIMS received 124 conflict resolution referrals in 2024-
25. These were from Sussex Police, Brighton and Hove
City Council, Lewes District Council, Homes First,
Southern Housing Group. In addition, we handled 5 self-
referrals and numerous enquiries.
Feedback from our service users showed that BHIMS’s
support led to people experiencing a significant
improvement in their situation.
We provided accredited Mediation Skills training to 4 new
volunteers, we welcomed an additional 5 pre-trained
mediators to BHIMS, and trained all 9 in conflict coaching
skills.
We maintained engagement and improved the skills of our
volunteer community mediators during the year through
specialist training in suicide prevention, and in-person and
online peer support sessions.
We worked alongside our sister organisation Mediation
Plus to deliver conflict management training for people
working on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
We developed and gained accreditation for a workplace
mediation training programme, which we delivered to 10
people supporting front line workers in our community.
In partnership with Susses Police we delivered mediation
awareness sessions to Pcs and PSCOs across sussex as
part of their Hate Crime training programme. We also set
up a programme of regular attendance at police team
briefings.
Taken together these activities have made a significant
contribution to reducing and repairing the harm caused by
conflict in our communities.
These achievements were delivered against a backdrop of
staffing and wellbeing challenges. The year included a
period of interim leadership, loss of capacity within the
casework team, and increased pressures on staff across
the organisation. Despite these challenges, the team
continued to deliver high-quality services and made
significant progress against our objectives| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Achievements against Para 1.41 objectives set Performance of fundraising Para 1.41 activities against objectives set Investment performance against Para 1.41 objectives Other ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s financial
position at the end of the period|Para
1.21|At the end of the reporting period BHIMS’s income
from charitable activities was £140,640 and total
expenditure on charitable activities was £165,276.
Net income from the year was minus £24,636. Total
funds carried forward at the year-end were £85,537.| |Statement explaining the policy for
holding reserves stating why they
are held|Para
1.22|Our policy is to hold at least six months running
costs in reserve, to help us manage unexpected
losses of income and increases in expenditure.| |Amount of reserves held|Para
1.22|£85,537| |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|N/A| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal sources of
funds (including any fundraising)|Para
1.47|Our principal sources of funding in 2024-25 were
Brighton and Hove City Council, Sussex Police and
Crime Commissioner, East Sussex County Council,
Lewes District Council, Southern Housing Group,
and Clarion Housing Association.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and objectives
including any social investment
policy adopted|Para
1.46|BHIMS invests the reserves it holds above the value
of two months salaries in a deposit fund.| |A description of the principal risks
facing the charity|Para
1.46|The principal risks we face are reduced income from
key funders, increased operating costs and loss of
highly experienced staff members.| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s trusts:||N/A| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para
1.25|We have adopted the Charity Commission’s
‘association’ model constitution for Charitable
Incorporated Organisations.| |How is the charity constituted?
(eg unincorporated association, CIO)|Para
1.25|Charitable Incorporated Organisation.| |Trustee selection methods including details
of any constitutional provisions eg election||All trustees are appointed or reappointed at
the AGM.| to post or name of any person or body Para 1.25 entitled to appoint one or more trustees ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures adopted for the
induction and training of trustees|Para
1.51|| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational structure and
any wider network with which the charity
works|Para
1.51|| |Relationship with any related parties|Para
1.51|BHIMS has a consortium agreement with
Mediation Plus. This agreement enables
BHIMS and Mediation Plus to bid collectively
for Sussex-wide contracts, such as the one
we have with Sussex Police and Crime
Commissioner as well as work together on
joint issues, enabling knowledge sharing and
support as required.| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|The Brighton and Hove Independent Mediation Service| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|BHIMS| |Registered charity number|1181888| |Charity’s principal address|47, Ecclesden
Grove Hill
Brighton
BN2 9NG| ## **Names of the charity trustees who managed the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10|**Trustee name**|**Office (if**
**any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|**Name of person (or**
**body) entitled to**
**appoint trustee(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Emily
James|Trustee|to 30/6/24|Members/Trustees| ||SusyTaylor|Trustee|to 22/05/2025|Members/Trustees| ||Sue Regi|Trustee|01/04/2019|Members/Trustees| ||Leo Littman|Trustee|01/04/2019|Members/Trustees| ||Sophie
Clifford|Trustee|to 23/01/2025|Members/Trustees| ||Barbara Hill|Trustee|to 30/06/2025|Members/Trustees| ||Andrew
Abaza|Chair|13/08/2024|Members/Trustees| ||Gill Davies|Trustee|22/05/2025 to 03/12/2025|Members/Trustees| ||Isabel
Harrison|Trustee|08/04/2025|Members/Trustees| ||Robert
Smith|Trustee|12/11/2024 to 12/08/2025|Members/Trustees| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** N/A Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| |---|---|---| |N/A||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |N/A||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Jill Cochrane (interim CEO) - 7 February 2024 – September 2024 Janet Coan (CEO) - 19 November 2024 ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details N/A ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** N/A ## **Other optional information** **N/A** REGISTEREDCEL4RITY NUMBE4lL" AI81888 CHARITY COMMISSION HEPORT OF THE TRUSTF,PS UNAUDTTED FINANCIAL STATEM F.F4TS FOR THE y￿ARELyDF,F) 31 MARCH 202 FOR THE BRIGHTON & HOVF, INDEPENDENT LIiEI)IA TION SEI RVICE FI CRT LitDit¢d Flat 24 WellingtOLiia Court. Laine Close BrigJiLOll E&4tt Su%sex BNI 6'1"D -TAE BRIGirroN & HOVF. INDEPENDENT Mll DIATION SERVICE CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL ST ATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAIiCH 2025 Pthge Report o( the TrustCe5 Indep¢nd¢Nt ExaThiner's Reptsrt St#teJnent Pinaneial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the Finalleial &tate]neJJtS 7 to 13 "YHF BRIGHTON & HOVF. INDEPÈNDENT LVIEDIATIOIY SERVICE REPORT OF THE TRU&•TEKS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The trust¢es present tlieir .report with the financial stdttmciits ot tknL oharity tor the year ended J l March 20?5. Th¢ trustees have adopted provisio1￿ of Accouiitiiig alld R¢portin,, by Chthriti¢5.' Statsmtrlli nl R¢co￿￿nend¢d PTrctic¢ plicable to charilies preparing tEJeir accounts in acconlanLe iyith the FinanLial KcpoTtii)g Slmdard applicable ill tlie Ulc and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102} {effective l January 2011)). ORJFLTIVES AcfiviTIF.S Objettives and aim5 l.To pryjvide. promote dl)J fa. Lilitate for the public LienLlTrt, Ihc provisiop ot mediatioll alld other fuTm$ ol". Conflict resolLltion services for p￿￿OnS, oii?daiiiSdtionb an(1 gi'oups who are involved Iii dispute or ittrerpersollal conflicL 2.To advattce the educaiiot4 methods ot mediation amq conciliation aJLd the nature attd Lause& of s￿ch disputes a￿d the means to manage them. It took ovei. the assets and operations of The BriEhton and Hove thdep¢ndent Mediation Servic¢ rLgistered charity, number IOJ6021, on 31 January 2020. Aetlvlties Brightoll & Hove Indepcndcnt MediaÉioii Servic¢ (BHIMS) is a ¢oJnrnllnity-based charity with a strongy reputation locally. Ollr n]ission is io brtllg people in our c0j￿￿ulllty logether to p￿Ve￿I and reDair lh¢ harin caused by confiict. WE provid¢ a COTnp￿b￿¥lVt TaT]gc of mLdiation, dispuie Etnd bonl.lici wolution services and profv&%iohAI mediatio,n Iraining across Brigl]ton & Hove alld the suIiDwJdiiig areas ()f l.ewes, Seof(Jrd, Newhaven ￿ld Peacehaven. We WO￿ LD partllershRP Wlth Brighton & Huve Cit} Couneil. Lewes Dlstriet Coullcil, the Su5s¢% Police & Crlme Commi$sion¢r. vaiious liou%ing associaiions, conimunity groups [￿d charitles. As (m¢ ofLW'Q parthers Lhal. Inake up the Su55ex Lvlediation A]lia￿c, i¥e also woIk wTrth mediati[)￿ Plus. Public benefit We a£fiL7n all our activ ties att und¢rttLkeii wirh due tegard to the gllldallce issued by the Charity" Con]￿ls5]011 on public benefLt. Tbe tnain activtties tlie ohariiy ,'mdorLook for the piiblic benefit duriDg the ￿riOd are detailcd in die Annual Report. ACHIEVF,MENT AND PERTrORMANCE Charitable *etivltles The charitable activities are set Dut iu the sgEH.Vdte Annual Rewrtprodllced by.th¢ charity. . FINANCIAL REVIEW FillJJ]eial position The t-ll￿9￿ClaI details of the charity QTt ￿Et out Tn thc separaie Anuual Report. FUTURE PL4NS Tbese al'e 8cl oul in the scpar3te ADnual Report. STRUCTURF, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEfviENT GovÈrlllllg document The chaiity 1,% conLrolled by its Bovernink, doLumen( .a deed of tr￿st aELd consti*utLS a Ch￿itable ]nWtp)￿ed or¢?£￿1¥all0ll. REFEREN￿ AND ADMILYJSTRATIVE DETAtLS Registercd Ch#rity rtumbe¥ 1181888 Page I VV. INDEPFNDENT MF.DIATION SERVJCE REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAII ENDED JI MARCH201 Prillcipal ￿ddTc9S Lowei. Grfjui￿ Floor E¢clesden (rrove Hill Bri￿1t0 East Sussex EIN2 9NC, Tru5t¢e5 as at 31 March 2V25 ivere: A A Abaza {Chait} {atspointed lii8124) S Rcgi {Vice Chair) S Taylor (TTeasurcr) I￿s￿gned 2215125) 8 ClilTord (resigned 3016n.$1 G Davies (appoinied 28,3f2.5 } B Hill (resigned 3016125) L LiLI1tt li Smith (appointed 12111124) Note.- E James (reSi￿lea J016124) Trllstecs post 31Marcb 2025 A A Abaz& (Chair) S Rcgi (Vi¢.B Chairl R Smtdl (Treasurer) (resigned iJ8Q5) G Davies J P E H¥trrisan {4WUTnted 814125) Trtdependent Ex#tnin¢r Clwistvph¢TRobert Tyler FCA DL'hA FCIE FI CRT Limited Flat 24 Wellittb7tonia Court LaÉoe Close Brighton East Sussex IINI 6'fD Working BHIMS ker5 CAF Bank Lrd 25 Kin"$ Hill Avenue Kings Hill Wesi Malling M1194JQ Telephone 01273 700812 Etnail rnediati(>n c Jbhimq.OTg.uk Website wiw.bhtnJs.org.llk PagTe 2 'THE BRIGHTON & HOVF, INDEPENDENT MEDIATION SFRVJCE REPORT OF THE TRUSTL4 LS FOR THE EAR EIYDED JI MARCH202i STATEMEf+4T OP TRU8TEES' RESPONSIBILITIESY The U￿ske8 are responsible tor prep￿Illg the Report of the 'FnJste&g and. th¥ fin￿¢.1￿7 siaicmenis in accordance witb applieable law and Urti￿d Kingdom AcLoutLLing S￿l￿a5 (Uniled Ilitigdom Generdlly Accepted Accounting PraiLice). The law applic&ble 10 charliies in England ai)d Wales. the Cffiarities Aci ?01 I, Charity IA¢¢ourf$ Reports) Rogu1￿i￿n9 ?Q08 an(t ihL Wl)vi%ioll8 of Lhc trust deed tLquiie5 Ihe ttwL¢es ts) prepare fitwicial Statem￿t￿ foy findn¢ial year which uiye a triie and fair view vf the 51at¢ ()f dffairn ()f rhtr chttrity and ol Ihe incomillg resoU￿e& applicatiou of resource4 in¢liidillg ttLe illco￿ aud expelld5￿re. of the cknarity for tliat p¢riod. Jn prepariDg those fu)aAcial statements, the irustees are required to select suitablc acc()Lmting policic$ andthLn apply them u)nsislent]y,' obseLVe the methods and prit)ctple5 ill the Ch￿rity SORP. niakt judgements and tstiinates thar aTt I'easonable and prudenl; pr¢par¢ Ihe .Iinancial statemLnts th¢ goints c()llc¢rn bdbib unless it 15 inappropTiat¢ to PlL"%ume thal Uie charity will continiw in businLss'. The trustcts are responsible lor keeping proper accounling Monls which disclose ￿[11 rcasoiiable acairacy at any litn the finallcial position of the dmrity and to ejthle the￿ to e115ure that the fmanci31 State￿¢￿t5 cornply with thc Charities Act 2UI I, the ch￿￿ty {Accoullts atkd lieportsl Reglllatio￿ 2008 and the provi5iolls of the ttLisi deed. 'I'hey arL also rEsponsible for safeguarding the as￿L4 of thc charity and hciice for ￿￿1￿5 reasoijablt sleps tor the p.revetrtiOll .(tiiJ dct(Ktion ol.-Iraud and oth¢r iFreguknities. 17liilas.. Approved by order of tbe board ol MS￿eS on... .. . and gigno(L oil its. belLilf by.. A A Abaza- TTh￿e Pa￿3 'JNDEPENDENT V.XAMINF.II'S RF.IJORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRICHTON & HOVE IIYDEPENDENT MFI)IATION SERVIL'E Independent examiner's report to the trustees OI The Brightoll & HoYe,IDdepLndLnt Meda4lioA Serwi£e I report to the cbarity trustees on my examination of the ¢LLCI)LllLts' of Tbp Brighton & Hthve Independent Mediatio sen11￿ {the Trusi) for the year ended 31 Maffh 2025. Resportsibilities and basis of report As the cbarity tti]ste&s of the Trust you atr r¢5POTEsible for the piEpo]xtlon of tjie &counts in accordance with the requirellients ot the Cliariiies Act 2011 Cthe Act). I rqyort in respect of Tlly ExaTniiiation ofth¢'l'rusts ÉtCCtsLints Lattied OUL under Sectioii 145 ot the A¢1 Jnd in £arryll￿ out my exklmln￿tion I have followed all applicable Directions veD by the ChEffity Commission ullder Sectiov 145(5)(b} of th¢ Att. Independent examiner's 5tslernent I have coinpleted my examinat￿0￿. I contirm that no rnaterial Jnatters b3ve co]ne to Jny Erttenti￿7 in ¢onn¢¢tioll uqth thtr examination giving me cause to beliLve ihal in any mutertal respect.. account]ng record& wtre llot kept respect of the Trust a5 required by Sectiun 130 ofthe Act; or i.ho auounts do not aLCOI'd those record5; or the accounts do not Loinply with tbe appliubl¥ rcquirLmcnls cr>n