BEGINNING AGAIN Accounts and Annual Report For the period ended 31A March 2025 Registered charity Number: 1185334 CONTENTS Trustees Annual Report Independent Examiners Report ReIpts and Payments Accounts Statement of Assets and Liabiltties
ANNUAL REPORT OF BEGINNING AGAIN For the period 1st April 2024 to 315t March 2025 THE CHARITY Beginning A8ain IBA) was registered on 16 September 2019 by the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), re8lStered number 1185334. Administration has been carried out by one of the Trustees (Sharon Woollard from her home address. which has been registered with the Charity Commission as the Charity's base. THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY The charitable objectives of Beginning Again are: To promote the resettlement and rehabilitation of offenders, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending in order to reduce rates of re-offending and to contribute to the creation of safer communities through. but not exclusively, the provision of mentorin& advice and opportunities for work experien. The Trustees belleve that the actfvltles of the Charfty durln8 the report peri¢xl have supported these obJectl¥es. THE TRUSTEES Durlng the report perlod, the Trustees of Beginnlng Agaln were: lan Willlam Lewis Parker Hilary James Clarke (Reappointed from April 20241 Patricia Anne Rogers Sharon Elizabeth Woollard IAppointed February 20231 The Charity's governing d(Kument provides that new Trustees are appointed by the existing Trustees. To promote continuity, it has been agreed that each Trustee would serve for a limited period of time prior to seeking re-appointment. No Trustee may seNe for a period exceeding 3 years without re-appointment. A Trustee who has seNed for three consecutive temis may not be re-appointed for fourth consecutive term but may be re-appointed after an Interval of at least one year. Efforts to increase the number of trustees, and in particular to recruit new trustees wlth finance, human resources and business skills. are ongoing. The Trustees have met. mainly via wdeo conferencing. on 9 occasions during the reporting year to discuss progress and make decisions.
ThE CHARITY'S AcnvmES AND ACHIEVEMENTS The Background On 25 March 2019. a group of people met to consider the setting up of a new charity aimed at providing support for offenders and ex-offenders in Cumbria. From knowledge of the County, it had been identified that there was a gap in the provision of community help towards rehabilitation for those within the tsrget 8roup. It was decided to form a new charity and Beglnnlng Again was subsequently registered with the Charlty Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Those present at that first meeting agreed to be the first Trustees. Underplnnln8 Bellets It was agreed that the charity would be underpinned by the following statement of Beliefs: Inspired by the Christian Values of soclal concern, our bellets are: Every Indlvldual Is of value, Change in attitudes and values can be brought al)out, Local community involvement has the potential to make a positive contribution to resettlement and habilltIVe proosses, Soclal dlversity Is a POSFtrrfe." 5ervlce F¢x The focus for the Charlty Is to glve servlce users the opportunty to prepare for work and for reintegratlon Into their community. with support provided by mentoring and certificated work experience. A project maintaining a local churchyard remained as a legacy of a defunct charity and it was agreed that taking over this projert, with the agreement and enthusiastic support of the Church authorities, would be a good Startin8 point for the new charitvs operations. That project remains the comerstone of the Charitys actlvities. This year the charity has negotiated more pald groundwork In local church yards and vicarage gardens. 4.4 Activities The year under review. 2024-2025. has been the fifth full year of planned operation. Recognising the fragiltty of existence in the Third Sector. wlth the need to develop contacts, establish a firm base and the inevttable relian on the generosity of donors and other voluntary funders, the Trustees continue to 3dopt a "softly 50ftI approach. Thanks to both financial and moral support from Torpenhow District Church Council and the Team Rector. we We able to continue to employ a part-time Operations Managerto oversee the regular Maintenan ofa large d)urchyard. By common consent. the service users- ex-offenders-who have carried out the work have done $0 enthuslastically and to a high standard. Paid groundwork has also been negotiated
and completed in vicarages which have become unoccupied. Following a campaign of Direct mail as a strategy for fundraising and gaining work-placements paid work was secured in West Cumbria in the Seaton arKI Camerton areas. The contracted work was satisfactorily completed but we decided not to bid for the work in 25126 as this activity provided little therapeLrtic benefit to our service users Besides the re8ular work at Torpenhow, the project has carried out work at other sites and talks are in progress to secure regular contracts at other locations, Naturally, this will require addressing issues of transport. supeNision and manpower. More equipment has been purchased to meet the increase in varlety of groundwork. The underlying purpose of the project included the provision of appropriate training for service users, with the aim of improving their employment prospects. Under 8uidance of the Operations Manager serrfice users who demonstrate capability in the use of and maintenance of horticultural equipment, health and safety at work, will have their achievements recorded in certificates which can support their search for employment. Service users, motivation, reliabilty and commitment to the project are also key factor5 for accreditation. Their individual success was celebrated in gatherlng of parents. relatives and trustees In November when certlflcates of achievements were awarded. The social event was well received and successful. However. helping attendees reach competence in the use of machinery is only part of the role of the Operations Manager who, wlth active support from Trustees, takes a personal Interest in each participant, offerin8 advice and support for them as they deal with the everyday issues that can arise in life. He is al responsible for liaison with the Probation Serniice to recruit appropriate Servi users. In the last year, the project has benefitted 5 Servi users, of whom one has received an offer of employment. Another service user has been able to secure interviews for employment. The progress of each individual's behaviour is monitored. They have ongoing trainin8 in the safe use of horticultural equipment wlth an understanding of the potential hazards. e.g. Ride on mower, pedestrian mowers and strimmer5. The Serv1 users also complete maintenance and the servicin8 of equipment. Close liaison with the Probation Service continues to be crucial to Beglnning Again and those referred to the projett. That liaison had been carried out at management level by two trustees, the operations manager. and in March a meeting was held at Workin8ton Probation office to try and stren8then those links with the continuing trustees. The Probation Service was initially interested in referring offenders sentenced to unpaid work in the community to Beginning Again, but unfortunatelv on follow up it was discovered that the churchyard where the main work takes place was unsuitable on the sole grounds of there being no toilet facilities. It was also agreed at that meeting that the memorandum of agreement needed to be revised in the light of Probation Service reorganisation, but as yet that ha5 not happened, no doubt because of the pressures of reorganisation on senior management. Good links were however maintained between Beginning Again's Operations Manager and local supervisors at Achieve Northwest or its successor.
The Trustees have maintained the websrte. containing contact details, and have produced higher quality printed fliers to Introdu the Charity to funders and to the wider public and to record its progress. Havln8 considered the tharlty Commlsslon euldance, the Trustees belleve that thelr artlvities are contributing to the public benefft and that they have complSed wlth that guldano. THE CHARITVS FINANCES AND RESERVES The agreement with Torpenhow Church Council for the upkeep of the churchyard has secured a regular donation. enablin8 the employment of a member of staff to supervise service users. The Trustees are grateful to all of our funders for their generous support and continue to seek other fundin8 Streams to further strengthen the Charitv. In vlew ol the fart that the Charfty is stlll very small, the Trnstees have deckled that It currently has sufflclent funds to cover unawldable costs If necessary but that tt Is too earty to have a more fornwl Reserves Policy. However thls matter wlll be kept under regular revlew. Sl8ned on behalf of Be8lnnln8 Agaln Trustee Date:
BEGINNINGAGAIN RECEIPTSAND PAYMENTSACCOUNT Perfod 1 Aprfl 2024to 31 March 2025 Unrestrlcted Funds£ Restrlcted Fund9£ Totsl£ Grants Re-charged 8¥penses Glft Ald Bank Interest Contracted work Donations 750.1)0 92.83 300.00 20.69 10.475.00 750.00 92.83 300.00 20.69 10.475.00 1.00 Account8n¢y Bank Charge8 Equipment Hire Staff expense8 Stoff expenses- twstees MISC overheadB SeNice user expense8 74.75 74.75 0.00 1654.85 615.95 600.59 570.15 1654.85 615.95 600.59 570.15 E- l..1 Insurance Puicha8e of gqulpment Statt 8alaries Tralning Website 1162.93 288.00 1163.93 288.00 65Crf).04 0.00 99.00 . 11627. 1162626 NET REGEIPI&(PAYMENIS) Cash Funds brought forward Cash Fundsat31 March 2026 zOor08 3QQO,OQ 100n6,08 Approved by th8 Tru8teg8 on and signed on their behalf by S E Woollard. Trustee
Independent Examlner's Report to The Tntstees of Be8lnnlng Again I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 Marth 2025. which are set out below. Respective resp$1b11[tleS of the Trustees and the Indewdent Examlner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts and conslder that an audit Is not required for thi5 year under section 144121 of the tharities Art 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It Is my respon51blllty to: examlne the accounts under sertion 145 of the 2011 Act follow the procedures laid down In the general Dlrections given by the comm1551on under sertion 14515llbl of the 2011 Act state whether particular matters have come to my attention Basls of Independent examlner'$ report My examination was tarried out irn accordance with the general Directi¢)ns given by the Charfty Commission. An examinatlon iftcludes a revlew of the accounting records kèpt by the charlty and a comparist)n of the accounts presented with those records. It also Includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanation5 from you a5 trustees concernin8 any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidentt that would be requlred In an audlt and consequently I do not express an audlt oplnlon on the accounts. Independent examlner's ststement In connection with my examlnation, no matter has come to my attention: 111 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements,. to keep accounting records in accordanee wlth sertlon 130 of the 2011 Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accountln8 records and compty wlth the accountlng requlrements of the 2011 Act have not been met or 121 to which, in my opinion, attention Should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Name In Full: Mrs Joyce Keetley Address: Stonehaven. Tower CourL Warcop. Appleby CA16 6NL Date:16" July 2025