2025-01-31-accounts - Change Drivers

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Change Drivers

Accounts for the year ended

31 January 2025

Registered charity number: 1181920

Contents

Trustees Report	3
Trustees Statement	7
Independent Examiner’s Report	8
Statement of Financial Activities	9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities	10
Notes to the Accounts	11

Report of the trustees for the year ended 31st January 2025

Our mission is to inform the public on climate change and mobilise action by each of us, individually and together. Our goal is to create a dynamic and diverse network of people, who are inspired and equipped with the tools they need to catalyse climate action in their own way.

Objectives and activities for the public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the information contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the aims and objectives for Change Drivers and in planning activities and setting policies for the year ahead.

The objectives of Change Drivers are:

1) To advance the education of the public particularly but not exclusively people under the age of 30 in such a way as the charity trustees think fit, including but not limited to in the subject of social and creative enterprise;

2) To develop the skills, capacities and capabilities of young people in such a way that they are better able to identify and help meet their needs and enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible adults.

3) To advance the education of the public on climate change, in such ways as the charity trustees think fit, including but not limited to developing the skills, capacities and capabilities of individuals to stimulate a sense of urgency, agency and action to combat climate change.

Activities, achievements and performance during the year

Change Drivers had a quiet year. Activities included:

1/ Ongoing efforts to complete the Trees4Croydon project;

2/ Climate change workshops

3/ Speaking engagements

1/ Ongoing efforts to complete the Trees4Croydon project

Our delivery partner for this project was, necessarily, Croydon Council. The council has had significant financial challenges resulting in a lack of focus, capability, and the redundancy of our key contact for tree planting. As a result they were not in a position to receive the remainder of the funding we received (c. £7,500) which we have retained.

We continued to follow up on alternatives and at the time of writing anticipate finally spending the funds for the next planting season with Trees for Living Streets, in Croydon and in line with the principles with which we raised the funds.

2/ Climate change workshops

We have carried out monthly, free of charge, climate change workshops at the London South Bank University for a wide range of participants. This has no income or expense implications. In addition we have received some monies from workshops we have carried out for 3[rd] party organisations including Judge Business School and local climate groups.

3/ Speaking engagements

We held 2 panels, one at London Business School and one at the Blue Earth Summit. In both cases we managed the panel, which included some disbursements either as expenses or a speaker fee. Both panels covered the polycrisis including climate to varying levels of detail.

Structure, governance and management

Change Drivers is a registered charity, number 1181920, and is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

At the trustees’ meetings, the trustees agree on the broad strategy and areas of activity for the organisation, including consideration of any grant making, reserves and risk management policies and performance.

Recruitment and appointment of any future trustees shall be appointed by a resolution of the trustees passed at a special meeting.

In selecting persons to be appointed as trustees, the trustees shall take into account the benefits of appointing a person who through residence, occupation, employment or otherwise has a special knowledge of the area of benefit or who is otherwise able by virtue of his or her personal or professional qualifications to make a contribution to the pursuit of the object or the management of the charity.

Upon appointment each new trustee will receive an induction to the charity including a copy of the trust constitution and a copy of the charity's latest report and statement of accounts.

Risk Management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud, error and volunteer’s health and safety when supporting the charity.

Reserves policy

Change Drivers holds both unrestricted (very limited) and restricted reserves. Unrestricted reserves provide protection against the immediate impact of funding changes and to provide cover for unforeseen, essential expenditure. Restricted funds are used as per the terms and conditions agreed with donors.

Each year our Trustee Board reviews our reserves policy and considers the appropriate level of unrestricted reserves. In doing so they consider the level

appropriate for the current size and complexity of the organisation, the economic environment within which we are operating and the risks we are currently managing. Trustees also consider our current risk profile, balancing the need to reflect that risk whilst ensuring that we are not holding funds unnecessarily at the expense of committing funds to meet our charitable objectives.

Reference and administrative information

Registered Charity Number

1181920

Charity Name

Change Drivers

Other names the charity uses

Drivers for Change (DFC)

Principal Office

38 Selcroft Road Purley CR8 1AD

Trustees

Sam Baker, Chair of Trustees Rafi Addlestone Leonie Osborne Natasha Fortuin (resigned 01 September 2024)

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

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

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity 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.

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Sam Baker Chair of Trustees Date: 21/11/2025

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Change Drivers Year ended 31 January 2025

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirements of Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) do not apply and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. 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:

which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements below have not been met

(a) to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the Charities Act; and
(b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act

to which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed:

Name: Peter Stevenson

Date: 29/11/2025

Relevant professional qualifications if any: FCA (ICAEW membership no: 1181385)

Change Drivers

Statement of Financial Activities Year ended 31 January 2025

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Sam Baker Chair of Trustees Date: 21/11/24

Notes to the accounts

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective 1 January 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (FRSSE), and the Charities Act 2011 and applicable regulations.

The financial statements have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.

2. FUND ACCOUNTING

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

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objectives of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

3. INCOME RECOGNITION

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, there is sufficient certainty or receipt and so it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

4. RESOURCES EXPENDED

All expenditure is accounted for on a cash basis and has been classified under the charitable expenditure activity headings with reference to activities performed in the year.

Costs of generating funds are those costs relating to fundraising for new donors or new projects. No costs of this nature were incurred during the year.

Governance costs are those incurred in connection with the administration of the Charity’s constitutional and statutory duties. The only Governance costs incurred during the year are those relating to trustee expenses – see note 7 for further details.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the expenditure heading for which it was incurred.

5. GRANTS MADE TO ORGANISATIONS

None.

6. TAXATION

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

7. TRUSTEE EXPENSES AND REMUNERATION

None of the Trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from employment with Change Drivers (2023/24: 0).

8. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

There have been no related party transactions during the reporting period.

9. STAFF COSTS

During the year the organisation has not employed any staff (2023/24: 0).

10. AUDIT, INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION AND OTHER FINANCIAL SERVICES FEES

No fees have been paid in this reporting period for any audit, independent examination or other financial services (2023/24: 0).