REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
FOR FURNESS EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP
Furness Education and Skills Partnership Barrow Island Community Primary School Trinity Street Barrow-in-Furness LA14 2SJ
www.fesp.org.uk
FURNESS EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| Charity registration number: | 1183085 (England and Wales) |
|---|---|
| Principal address | Barrow Island Primary School |
| Trinity Street | |
| Barrow-in -Furness | |
| LA14 2SJ | |
| Trustees | Jayne Moorby (Chair) |
| Janet Dixon (Treasurer) | |
| Simon Craig (Secretary) | |
| Members | Stuart Klosinski |
| Mark Nicholson | |
| Rachelle Poyntz | |
| Independent Examiner | Mr P Hornby FCA |
| J F Hornby & Co | |
| Chartered Accountants | |
| The Tower | |
| Daltongate Business Centre | |
| Daltongate | |
| Ulverston | |
| Cumbria LA12 7AJ | |
| Bankers | The Co-operative Bank |
| 1 Balloon Street | |
| Manchester | |
| M60 4EP |
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1-3 |
| Receipts and Payments Accounts and | 4 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 5 |
FURNESS EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The trustees present their report with the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and aims
The charity’s objects are to act as a resource for young people living in Furness and the surrounding areas by providing advice and assistance and organising programmes of physical, educational and other activities as a means of:
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a) advancing in life and helping young people by developing their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals;
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b) advancing education;
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c) relieving unemployment.
The charity’s activities are designed to:
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equip local young people with knowledge, skills and aspirations relevant to a competitive 21st century marketplace
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enable and drive enterprise, innovation and long-term growth in the local, regional and national economy
Our activities:
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build a balanced and effective local education and business partnership
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raise awareness of potential career pathways for young people, not only in the minds of young people themselves, but also in the minds of their teachers and their parents through projects and activities delivered in partnership with local employers (eg Building My Skills programme from Key Stage 1 – Key Stage 4)
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increase young people’s aspirations by making learning experiential, thus removing barriers such as lack of selfbelief, lack of professional voice etc (e.g. Happy & Healthy Lifestyles Project)
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provide current, real-world applied learning opportunities for young people in all three education phases which increases engagement as learning has purpose (eg Barrow & District Association of Engineers Prize Scheme)
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develop those transferable skills which will aid young people at key transition points in their education and into the world of work (eg underpin activities in all projects with key learning and employability skills)
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aid in the development of well-informed, work-ready and employable young people and provide them with a portfolio of valuable experiences and a professional vocabulary
Public benefit
When planning and prioritising projects, trustees reviewed the guidance issued by the charity commission on public benefit.
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities
Over the past year, Furness Education & Skills Partnership (FESPs) work has continued to play a vital role in inspiring young people and connecting education with the world of work. Delivering high-quality programmes that equip young people with the skills, confidence, and aspirations they need to thrive in education, employment, and life.
Through our hands-on, employer-led initiatives, we have engaged with more than 12,900 students across 50+ schools, providing practical opportunities to develop key skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and resilience.
We proudly delivered the Children’s Skills Conference which brought together local primary schools, employers, and skills providers to deliver engaging, interactive workshops that encouraged creativity, confidence, and ambition. We facilitated the Furness STEM Show and supported the organisation of UlverSTEM, two large-scale community events that showcased opportunities within science, technology, engineering, and maths. These events inspired thousands of young people to explore STEM learning and careers, helping to address local skills gaps and strengthen connections between schools and industry. Feedback from pupils and teachers was extremely positive, with many highlighting the impact on children’s enthusiasm for learning and their understanding of future career pathways.
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FURNESS EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Over 200 children benefit on a regular basis from sporting activities linked to the Step Up and Play project which operates in one of the most deprived wards in Cumbria (Overall IMD SCORE 70.58). 7 parents have also become qualified coaches through this programme.
Our ongoing Barrow Engineering Project and Build My Skills programmes at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 continue to receive excellent feedback, supporting pupils to develop employability skills and raising awareness of the pathways available to them.
Alongside programme delivery, we have strengthened our partnerships with schools, education providers, and employers— ensuring FESP continues to deliver meaningful, high-impact opportunities for young people across the Furness area.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves policy
Any reserves accumulated are being used to ensure future sustainability.
Our reserves aim to ensure that our charity maintains sufficient funds to support its ongoing operations and to safeguard against any unforeseen financial challenges. Typically, our goal is to hold a level of reserves which will provide a buffer to cover core expenses, ensuring the sustainability of our work in the event of unexpected income shortfalls or emergency needs.
At 31st March 2025, the charity held bank funds of £74,335 (2024: £73,695), of which £57,289 (2024: £69,111) were restricted and £17,046 (2024: £4,584) unrestricted.
The principal source of funds is from grants to support specific projects. The grants relate to the objectives of the charity. All grants have KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and these in turn are related to the charity’s objectives. The charity reports on the KPIs to the funders.
We aim to further strengthen organisational resilience and are actively working on developing a clear financial strategy that reduces reliance on short-term, reactive grant funding and moves towards a diversified income model that includes multi-year contracts, commissioned services, corporate partnerships and training income.
The expenditure is directly related to the grant KPIs.
The charity has no investments but if it did in the future, it would adopt an ethical investment policy.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is an unincorporated charity governed by its constitution adopted on the 16[th] April 2019.
Organisational Structure
The board consisting of the trustees, members and programme and project managers meets 2 to 3 times a year to review project and funding progress as well as the financial position. Trustees are sought from the local business and community organisations with whom the charity has been involved with.
Members support the trustee by offering the benefit of their experience from their personal and business knowledge and experience.
Trustee Recruitment
The charity continues to operate with a self‑perpetuating Board of Trustees, with new trustees typically drawn from existing board members or recruited through personal recommendations, and all appointments made in accordance with the charity’s governing document. During the reporting period, the Board has focused on strengthening its collective expertise and undertook an external recruitment process for a trustee with Financial Expertise via Cumbria CVS. Although no applications were received the Board remains committed to strengthening its skills and will continue to pursue appropriate recruitment opportunities.
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FURNESS EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Risk management
The key risks encountered by the charity and details of how the charity mitigates their risk are:
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Safeguarding – all board members and contractors are DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked; policies are in place to ensure all students are safe
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Financial risk – our grant income is short term, and the management team are constantly sourcing and applying for new funding to enable projects to proceed
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 20[th] January 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
Jayne Moorby Janet Dixon
Trustee (Chair)
Trustee (Treasurer)
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Registered Charity
1183085
FURNESS EDUCATION AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS | 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||
| Funds | Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| RECEIPTS | ||||
| Donations | - | 21,590 | 21,590 | 57,399 |
| Grant Income | - | 118,395 | 118,395 | 93,557 |
| Total Receipts | - | 139,985 | 139,985 | 150,956 |
| PAYMENTS | ||||
| Project costs | - | 123,585 | 123,585 | 88,106 |
| Donations paid | - | 14,167 | 14,167 | 21,514 |
| Support costs | - | 1,593 | 1,593 | 669 |
| Grant Clawback | - | - | - | - |
| Total Payments | - | 139,345 | 139,345 | 110,289 |
| Net of receipts / (payments) | - | 640 | 640 | 40,667 |
| Transfers between funds | 12,462 | (12,462) | - | - |
| Cash Funds brought forwards | 4,584 | 69,111 | 73,695 | 33,028 |
| Cash Funds carried forwards | 17,046 | 57,289 | 74,335 | 73,695 |
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES | ||||
| AS AT 31 MARCH 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||
| Funds | Funds | Total Funds | Total Funds | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Cash funds held | 17,046 | 57,289 | 74,335 | 73,695 |
The accounts were approved by the board of trustees and signed on its behalf on 20th January 2026
…............................................ Victoria Jayne Moorby Chair
…...............................................
Janet Dixon Treasurer
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Registered Charity
1183085
INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES AND MEMBERS OF FURNESS EDUCATIONS AND SKILLS PARTNERSHIP
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust, 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 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 in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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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.
Paul Hornby FCA
20th January 2026
JF Hornby & Co Chartered Accountants Daltongate Business Centre 7 Daltongate Ulverston LA12 7AJ
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