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2024-04-30-accounts

. 4E*J• j7UKAT AnnuaL Report 2023 - 2024

Students at the Heart

UKAT is a member-led organisation supporting personal tutoring and advising in the UK, with 45 institutional members from all mission groups and a growing community of colleagues supporting each other in their roles as personal tutors or academic advisors.

Contact us

UK Advising and Tutoring 🌐: ukat.ac.uk ✉: hello@ukat.ac.uk

Registered address: York St John University, Lord Mayors Walk, YORK YO31 7EX

UKAT is a charity registered in England and Wales. Charity Registration Number: 1185020

Message from the Chair

Empowering Educational Excellence: A Year of Remarkable Achievements

It has been a year of remarkable achievements and significant growth for UKAT, thanks to the collective efforts and dedication of our team, volunteers, and member institutions. Together, we have made significant strides in advancing our higher education mission and fostering collaborative initiatives. This report highlights our key achievements during the year, showcasing the positive impact we have made in the sector.

In the whirlwind of change and challenges faced by the higher education sector over the past year, our organisation has not only adapted but thrived, marking a year of remarkable achievements

and profound impact on student support and academic advising across the UK and beyond. With a steadfast commitment to enhancing the quality of personal tutoring and broadening the horizons of professional development, we have meticulously crafted and launched pioneering schemes that stand as a testament to our dedication to educational advancement.

The Board of Trustees expresses heartfelt gratitude to our team, member institutions, dedicated volunteers, partners, and supporters who have contributed to the remarkable achievements of UKAT over the past year. We have made significant strides in advancing higher education, fostering collaboration, and driving positive change. Our focus has been on authentic collaboration, rigorous standards, and a steadfast commitment to excellence in every endeavour. As we reflect on the year’s achievements, we are inspired by the progress made and excited for the opportunities that lie ahead, furthering our mission to enhance the higher education landscape. This year’s achievements are more than just

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milestones; they represent our unwavering commitment to enhancing the landscape of higher education through policy engagement, thought leadership, innovative resources, and community building. Together, we’re not just facing the future; we’re shaping it and look forward to creating a lasting impact in the years to come.

Neil Bangs, UKAT Chair

Structure, Governance and Management

UKAT is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, governed by a constitution, with a Board of Trustees elected by members of the charity.

Board of Trustees

Neil Bangs Chair

Susan Smith Finance Committee Chair

Dionne Barton

Ann Bingham Vice-Chair (Community Engagement)

Abigail Moriarty

Oscar van den Wijngaard Scholarship

Sarah Bosch Vice-Chair (Professional Development) Michael Talbot Publicity and Advocacy

Josephine Gabi Equity and Inclusion

Chief Executive Officer

David Grey

UKAT is a registered member of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). Trustees are provided with access to, and asked to engage with, NCVO’s Trustee training and charity governance guidance and resources.

UKAT has followed NCVO guidance, and adopted and adopted NCVO sample policies and procedures in defining its organisational structure and procedures.

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Vision, Mission and Values

The UK Advising and Tutoring association (UKAT) is a charitable trust and learned society representing scholars and practitioners of personal tutoring and academic advising in the UK higher education sector.

Our vision

UKAT’s vision is for every higher education student to experience effective personal tutoring and academic advising which personalises their learning and enables them to flourish.

Our mission

UKAT mission is to advance effective personal tutoring and academic advising, transforming advising practice so that every higher education student can experience inclusiveness, wellbeing and personal growth, leading them to flourish and succeed. We support the development of staff and students throughout the learning journey by sharing resources, practicing scholarly inquiry, promoting partnership, fostering community, and espousing excellence in personal tutoring and academic advising practice.

Objectives

The objects of the charity are to advance the education and success of Higher Education students through the provision of effective personal tutoring and academic advising.

Our values

Inclusive: UKAT is open, welcoming and accessible to all involved in supporting student success, including students themselves.

Collaborative: UKAT promotes partnerships across the higher sector, within institutions and with students, for the benefit of students, and for the benefit of the personal and professional development of advisors/tutors.

Listening: UKAT actively seeks the voice of students, advisors/ tutors and institutions to inform thinking on current issues and to help our members in supporting their students and institutional missions.

Enabling: the UKAT community encourages and motivates advisors to improve their practice and work effectively with the diverse range of students they support.

Scholarly: UKAT seeks to advance advisor/tutor skills and practices through engagement with evidence-informed approaches.

Professional: UKAT seeks to recognise the importance of the advising/tutoring role, and to define the standards and values which underpin it, for the greater good of students, colleagues, institutions and higher education in general.

Student-Centred: Students are the reason why UKAT exists and are at the heart of everything that UKAT does.

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UKAT seeks to achieve its objectives by advancing the field of academic advising and personal tutoring and working with key stakeholders, including members, higher education institutions, their staff, and students, to enhance academic advising and personal tutoring practice. UKAT supports the sharing and dissemination of good practices through conferences, webinars, professional development activities, professional recognition, research, resources, articles, and networking.

UKAT views itself as a learning association and promotes a scholarly-informed approach to personal tutoring/academic advising to its members, as well as the adoption of highimpact, evidence-informed practices by individual educators and their institutions to enhance student outcomes. UKAT encourages all personal tutors/academic advisors to engage with and contribute to the scholarship of the field to enhance their own practice and develop more effective practice across the whole higher education community. UKAT also supports, promotes, and facilitates the dissemination of research into personal tutoring and academic advising to enhance the publicly available evidence base of effective practices and encourage all practitioners to adopt a scholarly-informed approach.

UKAT provides a range of consultancy, professional development and training for personal tutors and academic advisors through webinars, online courses, networking opportunities and practice-sharing events.

The two primary professional development activities offered by UKAT are a freely available monthly webinar series open to anyone and the UKAT Annual conference. UKAT partners with LVSA, the Dutch study advising association, to provide two events each year that are freely available to members of the UK and European higher education communities.

UKAT offers advice and guidance to higher education institutions seeking to improve the provision of personal tutoring and academic advising processes for their students.

It does this through:

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Main Achievements

Institutional Excellence: The Launch of Our Accreditation Scheme

In a groundbreaking initiative, we successfully initiated our Institutional Accreditation Scheme, setting a new standard for excellence in the higher education (HE) sector. Following thorough consultations with six universities, we embarked on a pilot scheme with three pioneering institutions: the University of East London, the University of Greenwich, and the University of Sunderland. This pilot is the first step in creating a comprehensive accreditation program designed to foster an evidence-informed, continual enhancement of personal tutoring practices. Our goal is to empower institutions to invest in their staff, delivering quality, effective personal tutoring that significantly uplifts student outcomes. This scheme signifies a developmental collaboration in which we leverage our extensive resources and expertise to assist institutions in refining their personal tutoring processes to align with our accreditation principles and the forthcoming UKAT Personal Tutoring Charter. Anticipating the first accreditation submission in early autumn 2024, we are gearing up to welcome more institutions starting September 2024. A dedicated working group—comprising members from the pilot institutions and a diverse range of HE institutions—has meticulously outlined the accreditation criteria, application, and assessment processes. Accredited institutions will proudly bear a charter mark, symbolising their commitment to excellence in personal tutoring and student support for a period of five years.

Celebrating Professional Excellence: The Professional Recognition Scheme

Our Professional Recognition Scheme has witnessed unprecedented growth, with over 540 individuals from 45 universities drawn to its promise of nurturing and acknowledging educational excellence at an individual level. This year alone, we have celebrated the achievement of 150 distinguished awards across varying levels of recognition. The scheme’s structured framework cultivates a reflective and developmental ethos among practitioners, fostering pedagogical innovation for the benefit of our wider student community. The surge in interest from both UKAT’s existing and potential institutional members underscores the scheme’s pivotal role in enhancing educational quality. Enhanced support mechanisms, including revamped applicant handbooks, innovative self-assessment tools, and immersive Recognition Retreats offering dedicated support and mentorship, have significantly bolstered the applicant journey. Notably, our optimised assessment process now boasts a remarkable reduction in decision wait times, alongside a compassionate extension policy and rigorous assessor management strategies, ensuring fairness and consistency in every assessment. Through our monthly assessment panels and regular assessor training, we continue to ensure the highest standards of fairness and consistency in our evaluations.

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Fostering Professional Growth: The Professional Development Curriculum

Our Professional Development Curriculum has reached new heights of engagement, offering 12 enriching online modules to staff at member institutions. With 523 module registrations emanating from 48 institutions, there is a clear demand for professional upskilling. Designed to support continuous learning and development, these modules cater to diverse needs and interests within the HE community, underlining our commitment to advancing educational practices. Additional modules are currently under development, with plans to expand this offering, reflecting our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of educational professionals.

Elevating Our Influence in Higher Education Policy

Our commitment to shaping policies that influence student support has never been stronger. This year, we’ve deepened our involvement in pivotal networks and task forces, most notably with the Office for Students’/Student Champion’s HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. Our collaborative efforts have led to the development of a comprehensive framework outlining essential skills and competencies all student-facing staff should possess. This initiative aims to foster mentally healthy university environments and empower staff to effectively support students with diverse mental health needs. Additionally, our advocacy for the Disabled Students Commitment is championing unprecedented inclusivity across UK higher education institutions, ensuring that no student’s potential is hindered by disability.

Launching WayPoint: A Landmark in Academic Publishing

In an exciting leap forward, we announced the birth of WayPoint, a European Journal of Personal Tutoring and Academic Advising Practice. Born out of a vision first conceived in 2017, WayPoint has finally taken flight, thanks to the maturation of our organization and the collaborative spirit of our colleagues across Europe, including our partners at LVSA in the Netherlands and the University of Turku in Finland. WayPoint stands as an inspiration for professionals eager to bridge scholarship with practical application in personal tutoring and academic advising. Launched at our 2024 Annual Conference and looking forward to its

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Main Achievements

inaugural edition before our 10th-anniversary conference in 2025, WayPoint is set to revolutionize how knowledge and practices are shared in our field across Europe.

Hosting an Unprecedented Annual Conference

Our most recent Annual Conference marked a significant milestone, becoming the largest gathering in our history with 246 delegates from across the globe. Hosted at the University of Greenwich, the conference became a melting pot of ideas, innovations, and inspirations from the UK, Europe, and as far afield as Australia, Canada, the UAE, and the US. As we set our sights on the 2025 Annual Conference in partnership with University College London, we’re fuelled by the anticipation of celebrating a decade of driving change and excellence in higher education.

Developing Resources to Revolutionize Personal Tutoring

We’ve broadened our suite of resources, offering impactful tools like the Advising the Student Journey game and the Because of My Tutor poster campaign.

The Advising the Student Journey game is a dynamic and engaging card-based activity that fosters collaboration among all educational stakeholders. This unique tool encourages a deep dive into the student experience, allowing participants to view the educational journey through the students’ eyes. Its thoughtful design prompts discussions on student needs, paving the way for the development of structured personal tutoring programs which ensure meaningful interactions, guiding students effectively at crucial points on their academic journey.

Our Because of My Tutor poster campaign highlights the pivotal role of personal tutoring. By offering a collection of 36 customisable A3 posters, institutions now have a powerful tool to showcase real-life testimonials of students whose academic and personal outcomes

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Main Achievements

have significantly benefited from their interactions with personal tutors. Each poster serves as a vivid testament to the transformative impact of personal tutoring, featuring genuine student stories that not only celebrate their achievements but also highlight the indispensable value personal tutors add to the educational journey. The posters can be customised to use an institution’s brand and include additional stories and photographs of their own students

Expanding Our Webinar Series

Our Tutoring Matters webinar series has continued to capture the interest of educators worldwide, with topics this year drawing audiences of up to 300 participants. Moving onto the Microsoft Teams platform has furthered our reach, enabling us to connect, educate, and inspire a broader community of academic professionals. UKAT now has an archive of over 100 hours of webinar recordings which is available to UKAT members.

Special Interest Groups

In a remarkable display of innovation and collaboration, our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have, over the past year, not only expanded in number but also in influence, marking a significant stride in the realm of personal tutoring. With the welcome addition of the Evaluation of Personal Tutoring SIG, and the consideration of new groups targeted at senior leaders and peer support, our network of SIGs has blossomed into vibrant micro-communities. Each group, deeply rooted in specific elements of personal tutoring, has become a cornerstone for fostering collaboration and igniting knowledge exchange within the UKAT membership ecosystem.

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Main Achievements

These powerhouse collectives have been pivotal in propelling the advancement of cutting-edge ideas and nurturing the development of evidence-based practices in higher education. Through their dedication, we’ve seen the creation of influential UKAT Curriculum modules—ranging from Decoding Cross-Cultural Communication to Supporting Postgraduate Students —and the delivery of engaging webinars that prompt much-needed discussion, such as the thought-provoking and highly popular Why Don’t They Attend? webinar delivered by the Student Engagement SIG.

But it doesn’t stop there. Our SIGs have leapt beyond dialogue, initiating cross-institution research projects, contributing to esteemed peer-reviewed journal articles, and taking centre stage with their findings at conferences. This vibrant activity has been recognised and supported by the decision of the Board of Trustees to begin awarding small-scale grant funding to fuel these important endeavours further. Such backing ensures our community continues to lead the way in developing and sharing personal tutoring practices that are theoretical and proven in action.

Consultancy Services: Working Together to Enhance Practice

UKAT’s consultancy services continue to provide tailored support and robust partnerships with higher education providers. By engaging closely with six higher education institutions, our efforts have propelled these institutions forward, enhancing their personal tutoring frameworks and enriching the skills of their staff. Through bespoke training workshops, provision of sectoral insights, design guidance on personal tutoring systems, and the critical review of policies, we’ve laid the groundwork for transformative approaches to personal tutoring across the sector.

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Financial Review

The UK Advising and Tutoring association (UKAT) is a charitable trust and learned society representing scholars and practitioners of personal tutoring and academic advising in the UK higher education sector.

Financial Review

At the heart of our financial health are the membership fees, which are predominantly sourced from our partnerships with higher education institutions. This pivotal revenue stream is bolstered by the income generated through our comprehensive training programs and the accreditation of individual practitioners. Moreover, the annual conference emerges not just as a beacon of shared knowledge and innovation but also as a significant contributor to our financial surplus.

As a digitally-forward organization, UKAT prides itself on its strategic focus in developing cuttingedge digital infrastructure and automation. This commitment ensures that we provide an array of indispensable services with efficiency, powered by a lean yet highly specialized team. Our investment in people is profound, with a significant portion of our expenses dedicated to staff salaries. We’ve built our team with a deliberate emphasis on diversity in expertise, paying competitive salaries commensurate with the high standards of the UK higher education sector to attract and retain top talent.

In a strategic move this year, UKAT has ventured into the realm of financial investment by opening an interest-paying deposit account. This marks a significant step in our endeavour to enhance the management of our financial resources, aiming to secure and grow our funds wisely. Upholding our values, our financial assets, including our current and deposit accounts, are held by the Cooperative Bank. This choice reflects our commitment to supporting organisations that share our ethical views and offer exceptional services to small charities like ours.

This financial synopsis highlights UKAT’s sound financial management and initiatives and underscores our continual growth and dedication to supporting the higher education sector. Our strategic financial decisions are integral to fostering a sustainable future for UKAT, enabling us to soar to new heights in training, accreditation, and beyond.

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Financial Review

Receipts

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2023-24 2022-23
Membership 31,960 49,645
Conference 45,983 29,434
Consultancy 4,092 8,519
Sponsorship 3,700 3,000
Education and Training 43,080 16,490
Merchandise and Sales 320 640
Interest Earned 35 -
Overpayments Received 67 315
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 129,237 108,043
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Payments

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2024 2023
Salaries 64,765 47,035
Pensions 12,791 10,734
Conference 18,951 11,052
Consulting 300 -
Travel 4,220 2,013
Insurance 208 208
Cost of Merchandise - -
IT & Software 4,631 3,599
Subscriptions 188 124
General Expenses 2,579 936
Bank Fees 22 8
Payment Processing Fees 824 691
Refunds Made 315 -
Total Payments 109,794 76,400
Net of receipts/(payments) 19,443 31,643
Transfer between funds - -
Cash funds last year end 105,128 73,485
Cash funds this year end 124,571 105,129
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Financial Review

Assets and liabilities at the end of the period

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2023-24 2022-23
Current Account 84,067 104,463
-
Deposit Account (Reserves) 40,035
PayPal Account 411 232
Stripe Account 59 434
Total cash funds 124,572 105,129
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Reserves Policy

The Charity Commission recognises that it is important for a charity to keep funds in reserve to strengthen the charity’s resilience against drops in income or the demands of new initiatives.

UKAT is primarily funded by higher education institutions and receives most of its annual income in July – August and January – March. To ensure the sustainability of its operations and activities in a market sector facing significant financial challenges, UKAT’s policy is to hold the equivalent of nine month’s operating costs (75% of annual operating costs) in reserve. Operating costs include staff salaries, IT infrastructure costs, and general running costs. Reserves are held in a 35-day notice, interest-paying deposit account.

UKAT undertakes to fully comply with this reserve target over any three-year period. The financial reserves held by UKAT will be used to:

The Board of Trustees will review this policy at least annually to ensure its effectiveness in light of the changing financial climate and other risks. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee will review the required reserves quarterly to ensure that they are adequate to fulfil our continuing obligations and advise the Board of Trustees of any changes required to the Reserves Policy.

At the end of the 2023-24 financial year, UKAT holds £40k in reserve, which represents 37% of the annual operating costs. It is the Board's intention to increase the reserves held over the next two years to enable UKAT to meet its reserve target of 75% of annual operating costs.

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Declarations

The Trustees have considered the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit to satisfy themselves that UKAT’s activities meet the public benefit requirements. The Board of Trustees takes account of the public benefit guidance in considering proposals for the introduction of new activities, and changes to existing ones..

The Trustees declare that they have approved this Annual Report

Signed on behalf of the UKAT Trustees

Neil Bangs Chair

Ann Bingham Vice-Chair (Community Engagement)

Date 10 October 2024

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UK Advising and Tutoring 🌐: ukat.ac.uk ✉: hello@ukat.ac.uk

UKAT is a charity registered in England and Wales. Charity Registration Number: 1185020

UK Advising and Tutoring 1185020 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a

For the period
from
5/1/2023 To 4/30/2024

Section A Receipts and payments

Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds

Total funds Last year

Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Total funds Last year
A1 Receipts
Membership
31,960
Conference
45,983
Consultancy
4,092
Sponsorship
3,700
Education and Training
43,080
Merchandise and Sales
320
Interest Earned
35
Overpayments Received
67
129,237
to the nearest £
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
31,960
45,983
4,092
3,700
43,080
320
35
67
129,237
to the nearest £
Membership 31,960 - -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
49,645
29,434
8,519
3,000
16,490
640
-
315
108,043
Conference 45,983 -
Consultancy 4,092 -
Sponsorship 3,700 -
Education and Training 43,080 -
Merchandise and Sales 320 -
Interest Earned 35
Overpayments Received 67 -
Sub total(Gross income for AR) 129,237 -
-
-
Sub total -
Total receipts 129,237
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
129,237
-
-
-
-
-
- - 108,043
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 129,237 - - 129,237 108,043

A3 Payments

Salaries 64,765 - -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
64,765
12,791
18,951
300
4,220
208
-
4,631
188
2,579
22
824
315
109,794
47,035
10,734
11,052
-
2,013
208
-
3,599
124
936
8
691
-
76,400
Pensions 12,791 -
Conference 18,951 -
Consulting 300
Travel 4,220
Insurance 208
Cost of Merchandise -
IT & Software 4,631 -
Subscriptions 188 -
General Expenses 2,579 -
Bank Fees 22 -
Payment ProcessingFees 824
Refunds Made 315 -
Sub total 109,794 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
**Sub total ** - - - - -
Total payments 109,794 - - 109,794 76,400
Net of receipts/(payments) 19,443 - - 19,443 31,643
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 105,128 - - 105,128 73,485
Cash funds this year end 124,571 - - 124,571 105,128

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
Details
Current Account
Deposit Account
PayPal Account
Stripe Account
Details
Details
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
to nearest £
84,067
40,035
411
59
124,572
Agreement Error
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Unrestricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
liability relates
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Amount due
(optional)
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
-
-
-
-
OK
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-

Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees

Date of approval

Signature

Print Name

#VALUE! Neil Bangs 10/10/2024
#VALUE! Ann Bingham 10/10/2024

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ UK Advising and Tutoring (UKAT) members of On accounts for the year 30[th] April 2024 Charity no 1185020 ended (if any) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30 / 04 / 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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

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.

Date: 8[th] October 2024

Signed: Name: Sarah McConnell Relevant professional Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales qualification(s) or body (ICAEW) (if any): Address: 56, Lewes Road Haywards Heath RH17 7SN

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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