# **COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 05438407 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1184112**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **David Allen**
Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor Dalmar House Barras Lane Estate Dalston Carlisle CA5 7NY
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **CONTENTS**
|Reference and administrative details|1|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report incorporating directors' report|2 to 7|
|Statement of trustees' responsibilities|8|
|Independent auditor's report|9 to 13|
|Statement of financial activities|14 to 15|
|Balance sheet|16|
|Statement of cash flows|17|
|Notes to the financial statements|18 to 38|
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
|**Trustees**|Mr S Corlett (resigned 31 May 2024)|
|---|---|
||Mr J M Mills (resigned 9 May 2024)|
||Miss L Townson (resigned 18 March 2025)|
||Ms K Ward|
||Miss I G Weekes|
||Mr M J D Pannone|
||Mrs N Murray (appointed 28 May 2024)|
||Mrs E Chambers (appointed 28 May 2024)|
||Mr M G Deans|
|**Charity Registration Number**|1184112|
|**Company Registration Number**|05438407|
|**Registered Office**|People First Conference Centre|
||Milbourne Street|
||Carlisle|
||CA2 5XB|
|**Principal Office**|People First Conference Centre|
||Milbourne Street|
||Carlisle|
||CA2 5XB|
|**Auditor**|David Allen|
||Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor|
||Dalmar House|
||Barras Lane Estate|
||Dalston|
||Carlisle|
||CA5 7NY|
|**Bankers**|Unity Trust Bank plc|
||Four Brindley Place|
||Birmingham|
||B1 2JB|
**- 1 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT INCORPORATING DIRECTORS' REPORT**
The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report together with the financial statements and auditor's report of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2025. The annual report serves the purposes of a trustees' report and a directors' report under company law.
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
The objectives of the charity are:
- The relief of those in need by reason of ill-health or disability leading to a lack of capacity including (but not limited to) people with learning difficulties or dementia.
- The advancement of health and the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability or financial hardship by:
- (i) providing information and advice to the general public about local health and social care services;
- (ii) making the views and experiences of members of the general public known to health and social care providers;
- (iii) enabling local people to have a voice in the development, delivery and equality of access to local health and care services and facilities;
- (iv) providing training and the development of skills for volunteers and the wider community in understanding, scrutinising, reviewing and monitoring local health and care services and facilities; and
- (v) conducting investigation and research into relevant health and social care issues and making public the useful results of such work.
Our trustees have developed a Business Strategy in consultation with our staff and following engagement with our customers. This strategy is delivered by our Chief Executive and supported by our department Directors. A Business Development plan guides each team’s activities to support the achievement of our goals.
People First has continued to deliver a wide range of support services to those in need, these service are delivered under six main departments:
## **Business and Finance**
This department provides support to all areas of our business, including IT, Human Resources, Legal, Governance, Risk Management, Health and Safety, Policy, Compliance and Finance.
## **Advocacy**
We deliver a range of advocacy services in Cumbria, Lancashire and the North East, including: Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Care Act Advocacy, NHS Complaints Advocacy, Generic Advocacy, and Maternity and Neonatal Advocacy all supported by a central Advocacy Hub managing incoming advocacy referrals.
**- 2 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT INCORPORATING DIRECTORS' REPORT (CONTINUED)**
## **Healthwatch**
We deliver Healthwatch in Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness and Lancashire, ensuring local people can share their experiences of using health and care services and that those experiences are used to help shape and improve services.
## **Inclusion**
Working with people who use health and care services to ensure that they are included, listened to and respected, delivered via a range of inclusive projects such as, Self Advocacy Groups, work with universities, education for people with learning disabilities, youth work, as well as projects aimed at helping people who use services to be involved in decision making and quality assurance.
## **Direct Payments**
Our Direct Payments service provides support to children and adults to employ their own care staff, safely, ensuring that people are in control of their lives, support and homes.
All of the services provided by People First are aimed at helping people to live their best life, we listen to, engage and empower people to be involved, be heard and included in their lives, communities, and the services that they use.
## **The Well Communities C.I.C.**
During this period, we have developed a partnership with The Well Communities C.I.C., a Community Interest Company that supports people to recover from addiction to drugs and / or alcohol. We provide leadership support and share back office functions, such as HR, finance and business services.
From 15 April 2025 People First Independent Advocacy has become the sole corporate member of The Well Communities.
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
We fundamentally believe that volunteers enhance our capacity across communities by bringing additional skills to our teams. Our volunteer coordinators seek to recruit, train and support volunteers across the whole organisation, supported by each department.
All volunteers are recruited through a safer recruitment process and are provided with extensive support from induction and through participation in events which include those also attended by staff.
We aim to maximise the benefits of working with volunteers by matching skills and experience to roles and tasks.
**- 3 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT INCORPORATING DIRECTORS' REPORT (CONTINUED)**
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
People First continues to be a vibrant organisation that’s increasing the number of people that we support year on year. More and more people need our help and we are rising to the challenge.
The last 12 months has seen us invest in leadership and management development, ensuring our managers have the skills and qualifications they need to support our sustained growth and development.
We continue to strengthen our core business services in a bid to help sustain our vital project and services.
We have further invested in our development team with dedicated staff who support us to tender and bid for new work.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
During the year income amounted to £5,485,286 (2024: £4,807,819) and total expenditure was £4,911,487 (2024: £4,806,092). This resulted in a net surplus of £573,799 (2024: £1,727).
At the year end the total reserves had increased to £2,418,692 (2024: £1,844,893) these being made up of unrestricted reserves of £1,957,347 (2024: £1,641,689) and restricted reserves of £461,345 (£203,204).
Reserves are held to ensure the stability and deliverability of our mission and vision over all our activities and to ensure the employment and retention of our staff resources. This is equivalent to the greater of five months’ budgeted costs or the potential close down costs.
## **PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS**
- Investment in Senior Leadership Team
- Review of Estates
- Strengthening of Human Resources
- Development of new services
**- 4 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT INCORPORATING DIRECTORS' REPORT (CONTINUED)**
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
People First Independent Advocacy was incorporated on 28 April 2005 as a company limited by guarantee with company registration number 05438407, and was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 26 June 2019 under charity registration number 1184112. The charitable company is governed by its memorandum and articles.
The registered company address is People First Conference Centre, Milbourne Street, Carlisle, CA2 5XB.
Trustees have a clear process in place for the recruitment of new trustees and the appointment to key roles such as chair. This year our board has increased in size, adding additional skills and talents to the organisation.
In order to protect the charity, the trustees may implement pre-election procedures for assessing potential candidates for election and ensuring their suitability. Only persons approved by the trustees through such procedures may be candidates in the election.
All trustees attend the same induction training as staff and volunteers. This covers the overall vision and mission of the charity as well as information on the individual departments and services. Trustees also receive safeguarding and data protection training.
The board of trustees set the remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who in turn sets remuneration for all other members of staff in collaboration with the finance committee.
The board of trustees set the overall five year business strategy, which informs the annual business development plan. There is also a series of committees supporting the board, these include: Finance, Quality and Performance, Our People. The CEO reports to the trustees at every board meeting and directors report annually to the board on their area of responsibility. The board of trustees delegate day to day operational management to the CEO supported by directors.
From 1 April 2023, the trustees of the charitable company took the decision to merge with a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), People First Services (charity number 1184467). The CIO ceased on 31 March 2023 and the charities merged from 1 April 2023. This transaction has been accounted for as a charity merger.
**- 5 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT INCORPORATING DIRECTORS' REPORT (CONTINUED)**
People First strongly believes in working in partnership in order to advance our objectives. We have a wide network of relationships and partnerships with other organisations in the public, private and third sectors. These relationships help us to deliver our services by providing information, support, funding, collaboration, ideas and challenges.
We have a Risk Management Policy and Risk Matrix which are kept under regular review. Risks are identified, scored using our agreed tolerance and appetite levels and placed on our Risk Matrix. Management of risk is firmly placed in our governance framework with mitigation being kept under review at the assigned level.
Our current main risks are around failure to resecure current contracts.
The charitable company has purchased indemnity insurance during the year on behalf of the trustees.
## **FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS**
The charity's activities expose it to a number of financial risks including credit risk and cash flow risk. The use of financial derivatives is governed by the charity’s policies approved by the board of trustees, which provide written principles on the use of financial derivatives to manage these risks. The charity does not use derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes.
The charity’s activities expose it primarily to the financial risks of interest rates. Interest bearing assets and liabilities are held at fixed rate to ensure certainty of cash flows.
The charity’s principal financial assets are bank balances and cash, and trade and other receivables.
The charity’s credit risk is primarily attributable to its trade receivables. The amounts presented in the balance sheet are net of allowances for doubtful receivables. An allowance for impairment is made where there is an identified loss event which, based on previous experience, is evidence of a reduction in the recoverability of the cash flows.
**- 6 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **TRUSTEES' REPORT INCORPORATING DIRECTORS' REPORT (CONTINUED)**
## **DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITOR**
Each trustee has taken steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity's auditor is aware of that information. The trustees confirm that there is no relevant information that they know of and of which they know the auditor is unaware.
## **REAPPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR**
In accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution for the re-appointment of David Allen as auditors of the charity is to be proposed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
## **SMALL COMPANIES PROVISION STATEMENT**
This report has been prepared in accordance with the small companies regime under the Companies Act 2006.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 4 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
.........................................
Mr M J D Pannone Trustee
**- 7 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES**
The trustees (who are also the directors of People First Independent Advocacy for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report (incorporating the directors' report) and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland".
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK accounting standards 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 charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the trustees of the charity on 4 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... Mr M J D Pannone Trustee
**- 8 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **OPINION**
We have audited the financial statements of People First Independent Advocacy (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2025, which comprise the Statement of financial activities, Balance sheet, Statement of cash flows, and Notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and applicable law (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **BASIS FOR OPINION**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO GOING CONCERN**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the original financial statements were authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **OTHER INFORMATION**
The trustees are responsible for the other information continued within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, including the trustees' report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
**- 9 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY (CONTINUED)**
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **OPINION ON OTHER MATTER PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPANIES ACT 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees' report, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION**
In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees' report incorporating the Directors' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate and proper accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
## **RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES**
As explained more fully in the Statement of trustees' responsibilities [set out on page 8], the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
**- 10 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY (CONTINUED)**
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **AUDITOR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Our audit procedures were designed to respond to those identified risks, including non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) and fraud that are material to the financial statements. Our audit procedures included but were not limited to:
• Discussing with the Trustees and Management their policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations;
• Communicating identified laws and regulations throughout our engagement team and remaining alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout our audit; and
• Considering the risk of acts by the charity which were contrary to the applicable laws and regulations, including fraud.
Our audit procedures in relation to fraud included but were not limited to:
• Making enquiries of the Trustees and Management on whether they had knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;
- Gaining an understanding of the internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud;
- Discussing amongst the engagement team the risks of fraud; and
• Addressing the risks of fraud through management override of controls by performing journal entry testing.
We are not responsible for detecting fraud and preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect all fraud and non-compliance with all laws and regulations. The primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of irregularities including fraud rests with both the Trustees and Management. As with any audit, there remained a risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the override of internal controls.
**- 11 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY (CONTINUED)**
As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:
- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
- Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the charity’s internal control.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.
- Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the charity to cease to continue as a going concern.
- Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
## **USE OF OUR REPORT**
This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and its members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
**- 12 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY (CONTINUED)**
...................................... ALISON WELTON (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of David Allen Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor
Dalmar House Barras Lane Estate Dalston Carlisle CA5 7NY
Date: 4 November 2025
**- 13 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT AND STATEMENT OF TOTAL RECOGNISED GAINS AND LOSSES)**
|||||||**Total**||**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**||**2025**||**2024**|
||**Note**|**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|**Income from:**|||||||||
|Donations, legacies and|||||||||
|grants receivable|3|13,913||385,375||399,288||427,445|
|Charitable activities|4|4,563,391||421,378||4,984,769||4,341,337|
|Investment income|5|101,229||-||101,229||39,037|
|Total income||4,678,533||806,753||5,485,286||4,807,819|
|**Expenditure on:**|||||||||
|Charitable activities|6|(4,344,317)||(567,170)||(4,911,487)||(4,806,092)|
|Total expenditure||(4,344,317)||(567,170)||(4,911,487)||(4,806,092)|
|Net income||334,216||239,583||573,799||1,727|
|Transfers between funds||(18,558)||18,558||-||-|
|Net movement in funds||315,658||258,141||573,799||1,727|
|**Reconciliation of funds**|||||||||
|Total funds brought forward||1,641,689||203,204||1,844,893||1,843,166|
|Total funds carried forward|17|1,957,347||461,345||2,418,692||1,844,893|
**- 14 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED) (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT AND STATEMENT OF TOTAL RECOGNISED GAINS AND LOSSES)**
|||||||**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**||**2024**|
||**Note**|**£**||**£**||**£**|
|**Income from:**|||||||
|Donations, legacies and grants receivable|3|11,971||415,474||427,445|
|Charitable activities|4|4,279,335||62,002||4,341,337|
|Investment income|5|39,037||-||39,037|
|Total income||4,330,343||477,476||4,807,819|
|**Expenditure on:**|||||||
|Charitable activities|6|(4,378,661)||(427,431)||(4,806,092)|
|Total expenditure||(4,378,661)||(427,431)||(4,806,092)|
|Net (expenditure)/income||(48,318)||50,045||1,727|
|Net movement in funds||(48,318)||50,045||1,727|
|**Reconciliation of funds**|||||||
|Total funds brought forward||1,690,007||153,159||1,843,166|
|Total funds carried forward|17|1,641,689||203,204||1,844,893|
All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The funds breakdown for 2025 and 2024 are shown in note 17.
**- 15 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
Note £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 12 139,110 127,878
Current assets
Debtors 13 817,425 740,364
Cash at bank and in hand 4,929,543 3,801,769
5,746,968 4,542,133
Creditors: Amounts
falling due within one
year 14 (3,467,386) (2,825,118)
Net current assets 2,279,582 1,717,015
Net assets 2,418,692 1,844,893
Funds of the charity:
Restricted income
funds
Restricted funds 461,345 203,204
Unrestricted income
funds
Unrestricted funds 1,957,347 1,641,689
Total funds 17 2,418,692 1,844,893
**----- End of picture text -----**
The financial statements on pages 14 to 38 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on 4 November 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
......................................... Mr M J D Pannone Trustee
Registration number: 05438407
**- 16 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
|||**2025**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Note**|**£**||**£**|
|**Cash flows from operating activities**|||||
|Net cash income||573,799||1,727|
|**Adjustments to cash flows from non-cash items**|||||
|Depreciation||43,425||46,946|
|Investment income|5|(101,229)||(39,037)|
|||515,995||9,636|
|**Working capital adjustments**|||||
|Increase in debtors|13|(77,061)||(160,997)|
|Increase in creditors|14|642,268||2,321,892|
|Net cash flows from operating activities||1,081,202||2,170,531|
|**Cash flows from investing activities**|||||
|Interest receivable and similar income|5|101,229||39,037|
|Purchase of tangible fixed assets|12|(54,657)||(49,364)|
|Net cash flows from investing activities||46,572||(10,327)|
|Net increase in cash and cash equivalents||1,127,774||2,160,204|
|Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April||3,801,769||1,641,565|
|Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March||4,929,543||3,801,769|
All of the cash flows are derived from continuing operations during the above two periods.
**- 17 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
## **1 CHARITY STATUS**
The charity is limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales, and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the trustees is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the charity in the event of liquidation.
The address of its registered office is: People First Conference Centre Milbourne Street Carlisle CA2 5XB
These financial statements were authorised for issue by the trustees on 4 November 2025.
## **2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Summary of significant accounting policies and key accounting estimates**
The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.
## **Statement of compliance**
The 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 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). They also comply with the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act 2011.
## **Basis of preparation**
People First Independent Advocacy 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 notes.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
## **Going concern**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern nor any significant areas of uncertainty that affect the carrying value of assets held by the charity.
**- 18 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)**
## **Departures from the SORP**
As noted in the trustees' report, organisational structure section, the charitable company merged with a CIO, People First Services with effect from 1 April 2023. This transaction has been accounted for as a charity merger, which accurately reflects the substance of the transactions. This is a departure from SORP FRS 102 paragraph 27.4A which specifies that a charitable company cannot apply merger accounting to such combinations. The departure from the provisions of the SORP is required in order to give a true and fair view.
## **Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
## **Income**
All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of the income receivable can be measured reliably.
Donations are recognised when the charity has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance by the charity before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that these conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.
Grants are recognised when the charity has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grants have been met. Where performance conditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be met, the income is recognised as a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferred income to be released.
Interest on funds held on deposit are included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charitable company, this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
**- 19 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)**
Income from charitable activities is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of the income receivable can be measured reliably.
## **Expenditure**
All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
## **Support costs**
Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
## **Governance costs**
Governance costs are costs incurred on the charity's operations, including suport costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
## **Taxation**
The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
**- 20 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)**
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Individual fixed assets costing £1,000 or more are initially recorded at cost, less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
The cost of tangible assets includes directly attributable incremental costs incurred in their acquisition and installation.
## **Depreciation and amortisation**
Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:
## **Asset class**
|**Asset class**|**Depreciation method and rate**|
|---|---|
|Fixtures, fittings and equipment|25% straight line, 20% straight line
and 15% reducing balance|
|Plant and machinery|20% reducing balance|
|Property improvements - Bistro|straight line over remaining life of
leasehold lease|
|Equipment|20% straight line|
|Motor vehicles|20% reducing balance|
## **Debtors**
Trade debtors and other debtors are measured at their recoverable amounts. Prepayments are calculated as amounts paid during the financial year, but which relate to a future financial period. Accrued income is recognised where the entity is entitled to the income in the financial year, but the receipt does not occur until a future financial year.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Includes all cash held and in bank current and deposit accounts.
## **Creditors**
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if the charity does not have an unconditional right, at the end of the reporting period, to defer settlement of the creditor for at least twelve months after the reporting date. If there is an unconditional right to defer settlement for at least twelve months after the reporting date, they are presented as non-current liabilities.
Trade creditors are recognised initially at the transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Accruals are calculated as amounts relating to the financial year, but which are paid for after the year end. Deferred income includes amounts received in the financial year for income relating to future financial periods.
**- 21 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)**
## **Fund structure**
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted income funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.
## **Operating leases**
Leases in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are retained by the lessor are classified as operating leases. Rentals payable under operating leases are charged in the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the lease term.
## **Pensions and other post retirement obligations**
Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided. Outstanding pension contributions at the balance sheet date are included within other creditors.
## **Employee benefits**
Termination benefits are recognised as an expense in the Statement of Financial Activities immediately. Termination benefits are recognised as a liability and expense only when the charitable company is demonstrably committed either to terminate the employment of an employee or group of employees before the normal retirement date or to provide termination benefits as a result of an offer made in order to encourage voluntary redundancy.
Termination benefits are measured at the best estimate of the expenditure that would be required to settle the obligation at the reporting date. In the case of an offer made to encourage voluntary redundancy, measurement is based on the number of employees expected to accept the offer. When termination benefits are due more than 12 months after the end of the reporting period, they shall be measure at their discounted present value.
## **Financial instruments**
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the charity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
**- 22 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)**
All financial assets and liabilities are initially measured at transaction price (including transaction costs), except for those financial assets classified as at fair value through profit or loss, which are initially measured at fair value (which is normally the transaction price excluding transaction costs), unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction.
Financial assets and liabilities are only offset in the statement of financial position when, and only when there exists a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and the charity intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Financial assets are derecognised when and only when a) the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire or are settled, b) the charity transfers to another party substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset, or c) the charity, despite having retained some, but not all, significant risks and rewards of ownership, has transferred control of the asset to another party.
Financial liabilities are derecognised only when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or expires.
**- 23 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **3 INCOME FROM DONATIONS, LEGACIES AND GRANTS RECEIVABLE**
||**Unrestricted**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Restricted**||**Total**||**Total**|
||**General**||**funds**||**2025**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Donations and legacies;||||||||
|Donations from companies,||||||||
|trusts and similar proceeds|13,913||-||13,913||11,971|
|Grants, including capital grants;||||||||
|NHS North East & North||||||||
|Cumbria ICB - LeDeR project|-||43,750||43,750||-|
|Newcastle Upon Tyne||||||||
|Hospitals NHS Foundation|-||18,176||18,176||24,236|
|VONNE - Research||||||||
|Engagement Network||||||||
|Development|-||708||708||15,500|
|Cumbria Youth Alliance|-||17,108||17,108||11,406|
|Cumbria Community||||||||
|Foundation|-||9,852||9,852||24,649|
|National Lottery Community||||||||
|Fund|-||148,333||148,333||148,333|
|National Lottery - Awards for||||||||
|All|-||20,000||20,000||-|
|Manchester Metropolitan||||||||
|University|-||2,000||2,000||-|
|Cumbria Education Trust|-||1,400||1,400||-|
|Children in Need - Journies|-||-||-||20,000|
|Centre for learning|-||20,000||20,000||-|
|Maternity Voices Partnership|-||-||-||143,160|
|Skills For People|-||4,800||4,800||-|
|Safeguarding Voices|-||-||-||24,690|
|Cumbria Tourism|-||16,812||16,812||-|
|Francis Scott Charitable Trust|-||10,000||10,000||-|
|Poverty Reduction Action|-||-||-||3,500|
|Motability Foundation - Your||||||||
|Voice Counts|-||72,436||72,436||-|
||13,913||385,375||399,288||427,445|
**- 24 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **4 INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
|||**Unrestricted**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**funds**|||||||
|||||||**Total**||**Total**|
|||**General**||**Restricted**||**2025**||**2024**|
|||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Income|receivable|4,563,391||421,378||4,984,769||4,341,337|
## **5 INVESTMENT INCOME**
|||||**Unrestricted**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**funds**|||||
|||||||**Total**||**Total**|
|||||**General**||**2025**||**2024**|
|||||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Interest|on|cash|deposits|101,229||101,229||39,037|
## **6 EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
|||**Activity**||**Activity**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**undertaken**||**support**||**Total**||**Total**|
|||**directly**||**costs**||**2025**||**2024**|
|||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Charitable|activities|4,633,699||277,788||4,911,487||4,806,092|
## **7 ANALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT COSTS**
## **SUPPORT COSTS ALLOCATED TO CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
|||||||||||||**Other**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Governance**
**Finance**||||**Information**
**Staff**||||||**support**||**Total**||**Total**|
||||**costs**||**costs**||**technology**|||**costs**||**costs**||**2025**||**2024**|
||||**£**||**£**|||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Support|costs||14,640||6,278|||121,933||34,350||100,587||277,788||304,260|
**- 25 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **7 ANALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT COSTS (CONTINUED)**
## **SUPPORT COSTS ALLOCATED TO CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
|||||||||||||**Other**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Governance**|||**Finance**|**Information**|||**Staff**||**support**||**Total**|
|||||**costs**||**costs**||**technology**||**costs**||**costs**||**funds**|
|||||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|**Total **|**for**|**2024**||23,812||4,165||127,371||19,564||129,348||304,260|
## **GOVERNANCE COSTS**
||**Unrestricted**|||
|---|---|---|---|
||**funds**||**Total**|
||**General**||**2025**|
||**£**||**£**|
|Auditor's fees|14,640||14,640|
||14,640||14,640|
||**Unrestricted**|||
||**funds**||**Total**|
||**General**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**|
|Accountancy fees|8,812||8,812|
|Auditor's fees|15,000||15,000|
||23,812||23,812|
|**8 NET INCOMING/OUTGOING RESOURCES**||||
|Net incoming resources for the year include:||||
||**2025**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**|
|Operating leases - other assets|78,427||84,594|
|Audit fees|14,640||15,000|
|Other non-audit services|-||8,812|
|Depreciation of fixed assets|43,425||46,946|
**- 26 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **9 TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES**
During the year the charity made the following transactions with trustees:
## **Miss L Townson**
Miss L Townson received remuneration of £780 (2024: £866) during the year.
Miss L Townson completes work as an independent expert by experience to help in delivering independent reviews externally.
Total expenses of £692 were reimbursed to four trustees in respect of travel and subsistence (2024: £514 reimbursed to two trustees).
No trustees have received any other benefits from the charity during the year.
## **10STAFF COSTS**
The aggregate payroll costs were as follows:
|The aggregate payroll costs were as follows:||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**|
|**Staff costs during the year were:**||||
|Wages and salaries|2,767,052||2,783,089|
|Social security costs|229,272||220,739|
|Pension costs|134,222||129,146|
||3,130,546||3,132,974|
The monthly average number of persons (including senior management team) employed by the charity during the year was as follows:
Average number of staff
||**2025**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**No**||**No**|
||129||104|
|||||
99 (2024 - 92) of the above employees participated in the Defined Contribution Pension Schemes. Contributions to the employee pension schemes for the year totalled £134,222 (2024 - £129,146).
During the year, the charity committed to redundancy and/or termination payments which totalled £Nil (2024 - £7,814).
**- 27 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **10STAFF COSTS (CONTINUED)**
The number of employees whose emoluments fell within the following bands was:
||**2025**|||**2024**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**No**|||**No**||
|£90,001 - £100,000||1|||-|
|£110,001 - £120,000||-|||1|
In the previous year the actual salary of the individual concerned in this band was considerably lower. The total included special reimbursements related to additional cover provided in the absence of a Finance Director.
The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £408,828 (2024 - £523,668).
## **11TAXATION**
The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxation.
**- 28 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **12TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
||||||**Fixtures,**|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Property**||**Plant**|**fittings**|||||||||||
||**improvements**|||**and**|**and**|||||**Motor**||||||
|||**- Bistro**|**machinery**||**equipment**||**Equipment**|||**vehicles**||||**Total**||
|||**£**||**£**|**£**||**£**|||**£**||||**£**||
|**Cost**||||||||||||||||
|At 1 April 2024||38,225||15,990|450,114||109,945||||-|||614,274||
|Additions||-||-|6,006||42,291|||6,360||||54,657||
|At 31 March 2025||38,225||15,990|456,120||152,236|||6,360||||668,931||
|**Depreciation**||||||||||||||||
|At 1 April 2024||22,485||5,812|403,887||54,212||||-|||486,396||
|Charge for the||||||||||||||||
|year||4,498||2,035|21,114||14,824||||954|||43,425||
|At 31 March 2025||26,983||7,847|425,001||69,036||||954|||529,821||
|**Net book value**||||||||||||||||
|At 31 March 2025||11,242||8,143|31,119||83,200|||5,406||||139,110||
|At 31 March 2024||15,740||10,178|46,227||55,733||||-|||127,878||
|**13DEBTORS**||||||||||||||||
||||||||||**2025**|||||**2024**||
|||||||||||**£**||||**£**||
|Trade debtors||||||||||411,110||||455,494||
|Prepayments and|accrued income|||||||||406,315||||284,870||
|||||||||||817,425||||740,364||
**- 29 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **14CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
|**14CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**|
|Trade creditors|81,028||167,635|
|Other taxation and social security|79,793||48,624|
|Other creditors|2,917,894||2,416,712|
|Accruals and deferred income|388,671||192,147|
||3,467,386||2,825,118|
Included in other creditors is £2,900,000 (£2,400,000) of funds held not belonging to the charity.
## **Deferred income**
|**Deferred income**||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**|
|Deferred income at 1 April 2024|150,097||95,135|
|Resources deferred in the period|212,534||150,097|
|Amounts released from previous periods|(150,097)||(95,135)|
|Deferred income at year end|212,534||150,097|
At the balance sheet date, the charity held grants and funds received in advance relating to the next financial year which amounted to £212,534 (£150,097).
**- 30 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **15OBLIGATIONS UNDER LEASES AND HIRE PURCHASE CONTRACTS**
## **OPERATING LEASE COMMITMENTS**
Total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:
||**2025**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**£**||**£**|
|**Land and buildings**||||
|Within one year|67,413||60,072|
|Between one and five years|108,350||151,250|
||175,763||211,322|
|**Other**||||
|Within one year|5,224||8,155|
|Between one and five years|6,342||11,566|
||11,566||19,721|
The amount paid in respect of operating lease payments during the year was £78,427 (2024: £84,594).
## **16PENSION**
## **Defined contribution pension scheme**
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The pension cost charge for the year represents contributions payable by the charity to the scheme and amounted to £134,222 (2024 - £129,146).
Contributions totalling £17,893 (2024: £15,340) were payable to the scheme at the end of the year and are included in creditors.
**- 31 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **17FUNDS**
|**17FUNDS**|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Balance at**||||||||||**Balance at**||
||**1 April**||||||||||**31 March**||
||**2024**|||**Income**|||**Expenditure**||**Transfers**||**2025**||
||**£**|||**£**|||**£**||**£**||**£**||
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||||||||||
|General Funds|1,341,689|||4,678,533|||(4,344,317)||(18,558)||1,657,347||
|Property costs|300,000||||-||-||-||300,000||
|**Total unrestricted funds**|1,641,689|||4,678,533|||(4,344,317)||(18,558)||1,957,347||
|**Restricted funds**|||||||||||||
|Savoy Educational Trust||83|||-||(83)||-|||-|
|National Lottery|||||||||||||
|Community Fund|148,333|||148,333|||(137,604)||-||159,062||
|Funding for Bistro|2,322||||-||(663)||-||1,659||
|Cumbria Police and Crime|||||||||||||
|Commissioner||988|||-||(851)||-|||137|
|Sanitisation Station||689|||-||(275)||-|||414|
|Defibrilator funding||150|||-||-||-|||150|
|VONNE - Research|||||||||||||
|Engagement Network|||||||||||||
|Development||-|||708||(567)||-|||141|
|Newcastle Upon Tyne|||||||||||||
|Hospitals NHS Foundation||-||18,176|||(23,692)||5,516|||-|
|Cumbria Youth Alliance||-||17,108|||(23,726)||6,618|||-|
|Safeguarding Voices|24,690||||-||(24,690)||-|||-|
|Cumbria Community|||||||||||||
|Foundation|24,649|||9,852|||(28,659)||-||5,842||
|Inclusion North - Oliver|||||||||||||
|McGowan funding||-||145,314|||(82,119)||-||63,195||
|Healthwatch Cumbria|||||||||||||
|dentistry funding|1,040||||-||(1,040)||-|||-|
|Healthwatch W&F|||||||||||||
|dentistry funding||260|||-||(260)||-|||-|
|Manchester Metropolitan|||||||||||||
|University||-||2,000|||(516)||-||1,484||
|Cumbria Education Trust||-||1,400|||(3,927)||2,527|||-|
|Francis Scott Charitable|||||||||||||
|Trust||-||10,000|||(11,116)||1,116|||-|
**- 32 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
|**17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Balance at**|||||||**Balance at**|
||**1 April**|||||||**31 March**|
||**2024**||**Income**|**Expenditure**||**Transfers**||**2025**|
||**£**||**£**|**£**||**£**||**£**|
|NHS North East and North|||||||||
|Cumbria ICB - LMNS|||||||||
|project|-||108,033|(67,492)||-||40,541|
|NHS North East and North|||||||||
|Cumbria ICB - MNVP|||||||||
|project|-||188,030|(127,015)||-||61,015|
|NHS North East and North|||||||||
|Cumbria ICB - LeDeR|||||||||
|project|-||43,750|(20,221)||-||23,529|
|Skills for People|-||4,800|(7,581)||2,781||-|
|Your Voice Counts|-||72,436|(3,108)||-||69,328|
|Cumbria Tourism|-||16,813|(1,951)||-||14,862|
|National Lottery - Awards|||||||||
|for All|-||20,000|(14)||-||19,986|
|**Total restricted funds**|203,204||806,753|(567,170)||18,558||461,345|
|**Total funds**|1,844,893||5,485,286|(4,911,487)||-||2,418,692|
**- 33 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
|**17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||**Balance **|**at**|
||**Balance at 1**||||||**31 March**||
||**April 2023**||**Income**||**Expenditure**||**2024**||
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**||
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||||||
|General Funds|1,390,007||4,330,343||(4,378,661)||1,341,689||
|Property costs|300,000||-||-||300,000||
|**Total unrestricted funds**|1,690,007||4,330,343||(4,378,661)||1,641,689||
|**Restricted**|||||||||
|Children in Need - Journies|(11,763)||20,000||(8,237)|||-|
|Cumbria Community|||||||||
|Foundation - Brian and Ann|||||||||
|Clark Fund|668||-||(668)|||-|
|Savoy Educational Trust|967||-||(884)|||83|
|National Lottery Community|||||||||
|Fund|2,432||148,333||(2,432)||148,333||
|Hedley Foundation|3,000||-||(3,000)|||-|
|Funding for Bistro|8,308||-||(5,986)||2,322||
|Cumbria Community|||||||||
|Foundation - Virtual groups|4,433||-||(4,433)|||-|
|Social Enterprise Support Fund|201||-||(201)|||-|
|Cumbria Police and Crime|||||||||
|Commissioner|1,839||-||(851)||988||
|Sanitisation Station|964||-||(275)||689||
|Persimmon Community|||||||||
|Champions|1,000||-||(1,000)|||-|
|Defibrilator funding|150||-||-||150||
|Disability Voices Project|67,960||-||(67,960)|||-|
|Lancashire - Safeguarding|||||||||
|Voices Project|33,000||-||(33,000)|||-|
|Poverty Reduction Action|40,000||3,500||(43,500)|||-|
|VONNE - Research|||||||||
|Engagement Network|||||||||
|Development|-||15,500||(15,500)|||-|
|Newcastle Upon Tyne|||||||||
|Hospitals NHS Foundation|-||24,236||(24,236)|||-|
|Cumbria Youth Alliance|-||11,406||(11,406)|||-|
|Safeguarding Voices|-||24,690||-||24,690||
|Cumbria Community|||||||||
|Foundation|-||24,649||-||24,649||
**- 34 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
|**17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**Balance at**||
||**Balance at 1**|||||**31 March**||
||**April 2023**||**Income**||**Expenditure**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Inclusion North - Oliver||||||||
|McGowan funding|-||60,702||(60,702)||-|
|Healthwatch Cumbria dentistry||||||||
|funding|-||1,040||-||1,040|
|Healthwatch W&F dentistry||||||||
|funding|-||260||-||260|
|Maternity Voices Partnership|-||143,160||(143,160)||-|
|**Total restricted funds**|153,159||477,476||(427,431)||203,204|
|**Total funds**|1,843,166||4,807,819||(4,806,092)||1,844,893|
Transfers were made from the unrestricted fund and allocated to the restricted funds of projects that had expenditure exceeding the restricted income and the project was complete.
**- 35 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
The Savoy Educational Trust provided funding for the purchase of a coffee machine for the bistro.
The charity received a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund for the Work in Progress project which aims to support people with learning disabilities and autistic people into paid permanent work.
A grant from The National Lottery Community Fund was received in earlier years for capital items in the refurbishment of the kitchen for learners. The balance remaining is the net book value of these items.
Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner provided funding to help deliver the HERE - All Age Counselling Service to respond to the mental health crisis caused by Covid-19 in previous years. The project also supported the purchase of capital items and the balance remaining is the net book value of these items.
Funding was received for a defibrilator.
Other funding was received for the purchase of a sanitisation station.
The VONNE funding received during the year was to support the Research Engagement Network Development project carried out last year to provide additional funding for vouchers.
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation - A 3 year grant was provided to fund the People First Cafe at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Cumberland Infirmary.
The Cumbria Youth Alliance towards the costs of the Youth Partnership project.
Lancashire County Council provided funding for a Safeguarding Voices Project which will will review the involvement of people within the safeguarding process who fall under Blackpool, Blackburn (with Darwen Borough) and Lancashire County Councils. The project's aim is to involve people as fully as possible so that the quality of life, wellbeing and safety of the individual can be improved.
Francis Scott foundation, Awards for All and the Cumberland Building Society all provided capital funding for the bistro and equipment for the bistro.
The Cumbria Community Foundation provided funding through their shared prosperity fund for help towards the Work in Progress project (primarily funded by the National Lottery Community Fund grant).
Inclusion North provided funding for the Oliver McGowan training fund which delivers training on recommended practices for health and social care staff.
Healthwatch Cumbria provided funding for engagement with the public on dentist services in the area.
**- 36 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **17FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
Healthwatch W&F provided funding for engagement with the public on dentist services in the area. Manchester Metropolitan University provided a grant to fund the Research for WT Project 507935: Mental Health Medications In The Lives Of People With Learning Disabilities.
Cumbria Education Trust provided funding for the workshops as part of the Family Connector project.
A two year grant was provided by The Francis Scott Charitable Trust towards the costs of the Inclusion Insights project.
NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB provided funding for the Local Maternity and Neonatal System partnership.
NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB provided funding for the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership.
Cumbria ICB - LeDeR - provided a grant to support the project Learning from lives and deaths - people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Skills for People provided a grant to fund the hospital prevention work.
The Motability Foundation provided a 2 year partnership grant to fund the Your Voice Counts project to provide accredited training for adults with learning disabilities in the North of England and to support people with learning disabilities to form a regional Travel Champions Network to tackle travel barriers at a strategic level.
Cumbria Tourism provided a grant towards the Helping Hands Training program.
The National Lottery provided an Awards for All grant towards the Youth group.
## **18ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS**
||||||||**Total funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||**at 31 March**|
||**General**||**Designated**||**Restricted**||**2025**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Tangible fixed assets|137,397||-||1,713||139,110|
|Current assets|4,987,336||300,000||459,632||5,746,968|
|Current liabilities|(3,467,386)||-||-||(3,467,386)|
|Total net assets|1,657,347||300,000||461,345||2,418,692|
**- 37 -**
## **PEOPLE FIRST INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY**
## **COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 (CONTINUED)**
## **18ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS (CONTINUED)**
||||||||**Total funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||**at 31 March**|
||**General**||**Designated**||**Restricted**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Tangible fixed assets|126,698||-||1,180||127,878|
|Current assets|4,040,109||300,000||202,024||4,542,133|
|Current liabilities|(2,825,118)||-||-||(2,825,118)|
|Total net assets|1,341,689||300,000||203,204||1,844,893|
## **19ANALYSIS OF NET FUNDS**
|**19ANALYSIS OF NET FUNDS**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**At 1 April**||**Financing**||**At 31 March**|
||**2024**||**cash flows**||**2025**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Cash at bank and in hand|3,801,769||1,127,774||4,929,543|
|Net debt|3,801,769||1,127,774||4,929,543|
||**At 1 April**||**Financing**||**At 31 March**|
||**2023**||**cash flows**||**2024**|
||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|Cash at bank and in hand|1,641,565||2,160,204||3,801,769|
|Net debt|1,641,565||2,160,204||3,801,769|
## **20RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS**
There were no related party transactions in the year.
**- 38 -**