|To|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**Trustees' Annual Report**|**for theperiod**|**for theperiod**|**for theperiod**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |||Period start date||||Period end date||| ||**From**|Day
**01**|Month
**01**|Year
**2024**|**To**|Day
**31**|Month
**12**|Year
**2024**| ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name Concern Cymru** **Other names charity is known by** **Registered charity number (if any)** 1182469 **Charity's principal address** The Ark Centre, Ararat Baptist Church Plas Treoda, Whitchurch Cardiff **Postcode CF14 1PT** **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Mr Stuart Gerrish|Chair||| ||Mr Michael Rees|Treasurer||| ||Mrs Sheila Stephen|||| ||Mrs Anna Hartt|||| ||Mr Peter Knight|||| ||Miss Siobhan Walters|||| ||Mrs Camilla Owen||To October 2024|| |||||Appointed by invite of trustees| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** |**Name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**| |---|---| |None|| TAR 1 March 2012 ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Type of adviser**|**Name**|**Address**| |---|---|---| |**Bankers**|CAF Bank Ltd|25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent
ME19 4JQ| |**Independent Examiner**|Mrs Sylvia I. Whitehead|46 Bryn Terrace, Aberdare, CF44 8RA| |||| ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Director: Mr Russell Walters ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Type of governing document - (eg. trust deed, constitution) Constitution registered by Charity Commission for England and Wales, March 14[th] 2019 Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted - (eg. trust, association, company) Appointed by trustees Trustee selection methods - (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** The charity is managed by a board of trustees who set the overall strategy for the operation and development of the organisation. In this they are assisted by a management committee consisting of the director, treasurer and four senior counsellors. This committee, through the director, also oversees the day to day operation of the service. You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: - policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; All trustees and counsellors working with the charity hold current DBS checks. - the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - Concern Cymru is affiliated to the Association of Christians in Counselling (ACC) and operates under the code of ethics of that organisation. - relationship with any related parties; - A system of policies and codes of practice is in place that together with the code - parties; of ethics mentioned above, are designed to manage the inherent risks involved - ● trustees’ consideration of in counselling. These are reinforced by the high standards of initial and ongoing major risks and the system training required to be undertaken by counsellors, and by continuous and procedures to manage supervision. The charities possible financial exposure to professional or public them. liability is covered adequately by insurance. ## **Section C Objectives and activities** The objects of Concern Cymru are: **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** - the advancement of health for the public benefit by providing counselling to people with mental and emotional needs, together with - the advancement of education for the public benefit by providing accredited training and professional development for counsellors. TAR 2 March 2012 **Section C Objectives and activities (cont’d)** In considering the operation and activities of Concern Cymru, the Trustees give due regard to the Charity Commissions guidance on public benefit. Counselling is a well proven and approved technique for addressing a wide variety of mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Talking therapy is approved and provided by the National Health Service with the anticipation that patient's symptoms will be alleviated by counselling. Concern Cymru provides public benefit by mobilising the time and expertise of Christian volunteer counsellors in South Wales to provide a service to supplement the state talking therapy provision, which is increasingly overloaded and unable to meet demand. Its main activity is to provide free counselling to any person in need of such a service. A wide range of problems can be addressed and a number of counselling models are used, depending on the nature of the presenting case **Summary of the main activities** Clients can be offered counselling either in a face-to-face setting, online via a **undertaken for the public benefit** video conference or by telephone. **in relation to these objects (include within this section the** In order to make our services known as widely as possible, we maintain contacts **statutory declaration that** with local GP Health Centres, social services, local community health **trustees have had regard to the** organisations and support services, so that these organisations can refer people **guidance issued by the Charity** to us, who may benefit from our services. Our services are also advertised **Commission on public benefit)** through local media and our web site. Another of our aims is to provide public benefit by increasing the number of qualified counsellors available in the community. This is achieved by organising and running accredited training courses in counselling skills, together with specialised in-house courses and seminars to provide counsellors with the opportunity for continuous professional development. These courses and seminars are open to anyone with counselling interests, and not only those who work with Concern Cymru. We also provide the opportunity for students studying for counselling degrees or diplomas at local universities and colleges, to work with us. This enables them to build up their practical skills and the necessary number of practice hours required for their courses. **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include Concern Cymru is grateful to the volunteers, who give their time freely to further statements, where relevant, counsel our clients and also to study and improve their counselling skills. about: Without them Concern Cymru would not be able to function in its present ● policy on grantmaking; format, where no compulsory charge is made to clients for counselling. ● policy programme related investment ● contribution made by volunteers. TAR 3 March 2012 Section D Achievements and performance ## **Developments in the Counselling Ministry** **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** The number of people referring to Concern Cymru for counselling continued to rise through 2024. A total of 355 referrals for counselling were received, a 13.8% increase on 2023. As is normal, after an initial discussion with these people who enquire about counselling, a high percentage decide not to go ahead. Of those who applied in 2024, 72 have completed or started a course of counselling sessions and some 30 are waiting to start. Since the Covid pandemic, we have been able to offer clients a choice of online or face to face counselling. Initially, online counselling had become the choice of most people as it saved travelling time and cost to attend our centres. However, in 2024, requests for face to face counselling started to increase again, and approximately 50% of sessions in 2024 were conducted face to face. As a consequence of the increase in face to face counselling , we have extended the one year contract we had with Thornhill Church Centre in Cardiff to provide a room for our sole use to give additional counselling space. We continue to provide up to 15 weekly counselling sessions during term times at St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School, to provide a counselling service for students at this school. 38 new students started counselling this year. Towards the end of 2024 we made a new connection with the Forward Trust charity. This charity helps prisoners in three prisons across Wales to free themselves from addictions. Our role with the charity will be to offer their staff who work with these prisoners, supervision twice a month for 1 hour. In 2024 we supported at 7 of their staff in this way. **Improving Counsellor Skills and Numbers** Our counsellor numbers reduced to 15 during the year and an important focus for 2025 will be to encourage more voluntary counsellors to join us. To help to manage the service with the reduced numbers of counsellors, we are hoping to move into group work where groups of clients suffering from a similar problem, can be brought together and counselled by fewer counsellors in a group setting. It is hoped to start a group for people suffering from anxiety early in 2025. We recruited seven new student counsellors in the year. These students are undertaking counselling degree or diploma courses at local colleges, and we offer them the opportunity to build up the hours of practical counselling they need to complete their courses. It is hoped that some of these students will continue to work us when they are fully qualified. Due to the demand for supervision for students, we have introduced group supervision in 2024, and have recruited an external supervisor for this role. Bi-monthly Continuous Professional Development evenings for counsellors have been run through the year, with guest specialist speakers invited to give our counsellors the best CPD training opportunities we can offer. To support the self-care of our counsellors, we held 2 away days in the year. TAR 4 March 2012 **Section D (cont’d) Achievements and performance** In this year when our staff and volunteers have again been called on to make exceptional efforts to maintain Concern Cymru’s service to the community, we are extremely thankful for the continued prayers and financial support of local churches, clients, friends and private charitable trusts, which have enabled us to maintain the free service we offer. ## **Section E Financial review** **Brief statement of the charity’s** Concern Cymru aims to maintain reserves to cover a minimum of six months’ **policy on reserves** operation. This would allow the charity to arrange for an orderly closure should funding cease, ensuring that any client undergoing counselling at the announcement of closure would have every chance of their case being brought to a conclusion whilst the charity was still able to operate. **Details of any funds materially** There are no funds in deficit **in deficit** ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** Total receipts for the year were £53,344 and payments were £54.873. We also received unrestricted donations from several charitable trusts. These were £9000 from the Ardbarron Trust Ltd and £1,200 from the James Williams Trust. The total reserves held by Concern Cymru at the end of the year were **You may choose to include** £44,322. £42,392 of these reserves were held in the general fund which was **additional information, where relevant about:** sufficient to meet the requirements of the reserve policy above. ● **the charity’s principal** Most of the charity’s expenditure is used to rent and operate suitable **sources of funds** premises to provide counselling rooms and office accommodation, to **(including any** provide training, and to pay a part time salary to a director and **fundraising);** administrator to oversee the day to day operation of the service. Expenditure is also incurred to provide insurance cover to protect our ● **how expenditure has** counsellors and the service against professional and public liabilities which **supported the key** may arise. **objectives of the charity;** Counsellors are not paid for counselling services given to Concern Cymru to ● **• investment policy and** fulfil the service’s normal voluntary activities, although occasionally **objectives including any** travelling expenses are paid when counsellors have to travel long distances **ethical investment policy** to our counselling centres. However, private counsellors are hired for a fee **adopted** . to provide the contracted services Concern Cymru offer to organisations such as St Teilo’s High School and the Forward Trust. It is also sometimes necessary to hire in specialist professional counsellors to meet particular needs. It is usually necessary to pay fees for this. ## **Section F Other optional information** TAR 5 March 2012 ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature (s) Full name(s)** Michael Bernard Rees John Stuart Gerrish **Position (e.g. Secretary, Chair,** Chair **etc)**[Treasurer ] **Date** 8[th] April 2025 TAR 6 March 2012 ## **Concern Cymru** Registered Charity Number 1182469 ## **Receipts & Payment Account and Statement of Assets & Liabilities** ## **under Part 8 of the Charities Act 2011 for the period of 12 months ending December 31st 2024** |**Receipts:**
Note
_(a) Voluntary Sources_
Client donations
Church gifts
Other donations
2
Income tax recovered
3
_(b) Income from Assets_
Bank interest
4
_(c) Counselling Contracts_
St Teilo's High School receipts
Student counsellor fees
Forward Trust
_(d) Miscellaneous Receipts_
Fund Raising
5
Room Hire
Prepayment for Training Fees
6
Sundry income
7
**Total Receipts**
**Payments:**
_(a) Direct Charitable Expenditure_
Salaries, Staff expenses
8
Schools' counselling counsellor fees
Forward Trust counselling counsellor fees
Student Counsellor counselling fees
Operation of counselling premises
9
Support of counselling service
10
Administration
11
Training and information
12
_(b) Other Expenditure_
Fund raising costs
13
Publicity
14
Retirement/memorial gifts
**Total Payments**
Surplus/(deficit) for the year before transfers
Transfers (Surplus training fees returned to general fund)
**Surplus/(deficit) for the year after transfers**
Balance brought forward
**Balance carried forward**
**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 DECEMBER 2024**
**ASSETS:**
Bank and cash balances:
Debtors
Furniture and fittings (insured value)
**LIABILITIES:**
Creditors|2023
**General**
**Fund**
**Designated**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Total**
Total
Training
Courses
Croeserw
Service
£
£
£
£
£
2,758
-
-
**2,758**
1,551
1,664
-
-
**1,664**
1,713
25,840
-
-
**25,840**
31,385
1,358
-
-
**1,358**
2,792
939
-
-
**939**
541
19,480
-
-
**19,480**
17,187
759
-
-
**759**
-
-
-
**-**
67
-
-
**67**
61
480
-
-
**480**
30
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
-
**-**
-
53,344
-
-
**53,344**
55,259
25,806
-
-
**25,806**
22,306
15,588
-
-
**15,588**
15,046
1,188
-
-
**1,188**
-
200
-
-
**200**
-
7,806
-
-
**7,806**
6,844
2,018
-
-
**2,018**
923
2,103
-
-
**2,103**
1,474
164
-
-
**164**
77
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
-
**-**
250
54,873
-
-
**54,873**
46,919
(1,528)
-
-
**(1,528)**
8,340
**-**
-
(1,528)
-
-
**(1,528)**
8,340
43,920
-
1,930
45,850
37,510
**42,392**
-
1,930
**44,322**
45,850
Note
**2024**
2023
**£**
£
15
**44,322**
45,850
16
**1,898**
3,560
**12,500**
12,500
17
**-**
1,230
**2024**| |---|---| ## **Purpose of Funds:** a) Designated funds hold monies received and spent in connection with counselling training courses provided by Cardiff Concern. Surplus monies remaining after the completion of each course are transferred back to the general fund. b) Restricted funds hold the income and expenditure associated with grants made to Cardiff Concern for specific purposes. _Concern Cymru - Accounts 2024 Page 1 of 3_ ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS:** ## **1. Basis of accounts:** These accounts have been prepared on a 'receipts and payments' basis in accord with the Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2005), UK Accounting Standards and the Charities Act 2011 ## _**Receipts:**_ |**2. Donations and other income:**
Transferred from Cardiff Concern
Friends
Gift Aided
Other
Counsellors
Gift Aided
Other
In Memorium gifts
Grants (restricted)
Ffynon Oer
Windfarm
Benefit
-
People's
Health Trust
-
Llynfi Afan
-
National Lotter
-
Charitable trusts
Arrbarron
Trust
8,000
Hebron Hall
Cardiff YMCA
(1910)Trust
James
Williams Trust
1,200
**3. Income tax recovered:**
From Gift Aid donations
Small Donation scheme
**4. Bank interest:**
CAF Bank Accounts
HMRC interest
**5. Fund Raising:**
Collection Boxes
Sales
**6. Training Fees**
Trauma Course Donations
Level 1/2 course fees
Level 3 course fees
CBT course fees
**7. Sundry income**
Utilities commission
**_Payments:_**
**8. Salaries and staff expenses:**
Director Salary
Director expenses
Director Pension/N.I.
Administrator Salary/Fees
Training/Supervisor Co-ordinator Salary/Expenses
Counsellor fees /expenses
**9. Operation of counselling premises:**
Rent/Rates
Cleaning
Energy
Supplies,equipment and safety
Repairs/Refurbishment
Building and contents insurance
Events|_General_
_Designated_
_Restricted_
_Total_
19
**19**
2,170
-
-
**2,170**
9,370
-
-
**9,370**
5,080
-
-
**5,080**
1
-
-
**1**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
9,200
-
-
**9,200**
25,840
-
-
**25,840**
1,358
-
-
**1,358**
-
-
-
**-**
1,358
-
-
**1,358**
939
-
-
**939**
-
-
-
**-**
939
-
-
**939**
67
-
-
**67**
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
67
-
-
**67**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
_General_
_Designated_
_Restricted_
**_Total_**
18,270
-
-
**18,270**
-
-
-
**-**
486
-
-
**486**
4,650
-
-
**4,650**
2,400
-
-
**2,400**
-
-
-
**-**
25,806
-
-
**25,806**
7,200
-
-
**7,200**
-
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
202
-
-
**202**
-
-
-
**-**
404
-
-
**404**
7,806
-
-
**7,806**
_2024_
_2024_|_Total_
9,545
1,795
3,745
6,100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9,000
1,200
10,200
31,385
2,792
-
2,792
541
-
541
61
-
-
61
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
_Total_
17,466
-
337
4,210
293
22,306
5,200
-
-
1,254
-
390
6,844
_2023_
_2023_| |---|---|---| _Concern Cymru - Accounts 2024 Page 2 of 3_ ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (cont'd)** ## _**Payments: (cont'd)**_ **----- Start of picture text -----**
2024 2023
10. Support of counselling service: General Designated Restricted Total Total
Liability and accident insurance 396 - - 396 371
Association fees and subscriptions 160 - - 160 152
Group Supervision fees 1,100 - - 1,100
DBS Checks 123 - - 123 158
Counselling Telephone 239 - - 239 242
Books and resources - - - - -
2,018 - - 2,018 923
11. Administration:
Bank Charges 202 - - 202 135
Internet 1,800 - - 1,800 1,309
Postage, stationery 102 - - 102 29
Photocopying - - - - -
2,103 - - 2,103 1,474
12. Training and information:
External courses/conference fees,
114 - - 114 77
expenses, CPD sessions
Course teaching and accreditation fees:
Trauma Course - - - - -
Level 3 - - - -
Level 1/2 - - - - -
CBT - - - -
College Partnership Fees - - - - -
Other training resources 50 - 50 -
164 - - 164 77
13. Fund Raising costs
Promotional pens - - - - -
- - - - -
14. Publicity:
Media advertising - - - - -
Counselling service publicity printing/postage - - - - -
- - - - -
Assets and liabilities:
2024 2023
15. Bank and cash balances: General Designated Restricted Total Total
CAF Cash Account 13,395 - 13,395 5,848
CAF Gold Account 28,997 - 1,930 30,927 40,002
- -
PayPal Account - - - - -
Cash in hand - - - - -
42,392 - 1,930 44,322 45,850
16. Debtors
Payments due for counselling contracts 1,395 - - 1,395 3,560
Unclaimed tax on gift aid donations 503 - - 503 -
1,898 - - 1,898 3,560
17. Creditors
Administrator fees - - - - 330
Charges for School Contract - - - - 900
- - - - 1,230
**----- End of picture text -----**
_**Accounts prepared by Michael B. Rees (Treasurer), January 2025**_ **The accounts and statement of assets and liabilities set out on pages 1 to 3 relating to the year ending 31st December 2024 are as approved by the trustees.** **Signed:** _**Stuart Gerrish (Chair)**_ **Date:** 27th January 2025 _Concern Cymru - Accounts 2024 Page 3 of 3_ **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** ## **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees/** Concern Cymru **members of On accounts for the year** 31[st] December 2024 **Charity no** 1182469 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 1 to 3 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/12/2024 - **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner's statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention ( ~~other than that disclosed below~~ *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. * _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ **Signed: Date:** 12[th] February 2025 **Name:** Mrs Sylvia I. Whitehead **Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):** **Address:** 46 Bryn Terrace Cwmdare Aberdare CF44 8RA 1 **October 2018** **IER** **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . 2 **October 2018** **IER**