THE AWEN PROJECT Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 August 2022
“Awen has changed my son’s life and I am forever grateful”
(Awen parent)
.rfi/ ¢+
Year ended 31 August 2022
The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
Contents
| Contents | |
|---|---|
| Welcome | 4 |
| Trustees’ annual report | 5 |
| Objectives | 5 |
| Activities | 5 |
| Achievements and performance | 5 |
| Impact Report 2022 | 7 |
| Goals for 2022/23 | 8 |
| Financial review | 9 |
| Structure, governance and management | 9 |
| Statement of Board of Trustees’ responsibilities | 11 |
| Independent examiner’s report | 13 |
| Statement of fnancial activities | 14 |
| Balance sheet | 15 |
| Notes to the fnancial statements | 16 |
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Welcome
Like many, our 2021/2022 was a challenging one; still reeling from the impact of the pandemic and facing a looming cost of living crisis, we are more aware than ever of the impact that our communities, and our children will feel.
We know that spaces like the ones we have created at Awen are really important to children and families - and they are more than a place for education, but also a place for community and a place for connection - which is needed for our young people.
When I started this project I had a vision of radical change across the education system - none of us had expected to see such a radical change in the way we interact, the way we socialise and the way we learn brought on by things outside of our control. Of course that has had an impact on us all, but it has also shown many parents and guardians around the UK what is involved in homeschooling your child, or what alternatives we might have instead of mainstream school.
For many the pandemic has shown parents and guardians the value of having more participatory approach in their child’s education and how viable that might be for them.
Despite the after effects of Covid 19, we have had a year full of hope and inspiration and the young people and families at The Awen Project have continued to develop their learning in a safe, supported, democratic and self directed way.
In the last year, our students have set up a band and been busking, been camping out and learning bushcraft and forest skills, immersed themselves in learning languages and philosophy, hosted a public exhibition. They’ve written poetry and studied two different plays; they’ve learned about the Russian Revolution, practised Capoeira and so much more. All while being surrounded by nature and led by a democratic model that hears them loud and clear.
We are however faced with the fallout from the pandemic - a rising cost of living and tightening purse stings - which is a huge challenge for a small charity like ours. Like many other smaller third sector agencies we are dependent on the support of funders who are prepared to think differently, our supporters and donors are crucial if we are to continue to offer an excellent and beneficial provision to many children and families in South Wales. We are looking forward to 2022/2023 with focus, determination and drive but would call on the radicals, the movers, the shakers, and the people that believe in our children to support us on our journey.
Charlotte Church
FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES
THE AWEN PROJECT
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
Trustees’ annual report
The Board of Trustees, submit their annual report and the financial statements of The Awen Project for the period ended 31 August 2022.
The Board of Trustees confirms that the annual report and financial statements of the Charity comply with current statutory requirements, including the Charity Act 2011, as well as the requirements of the Charity’s governing document and the provisions of the ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - 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) second edition (effective 1 January 2019)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
Objectives
The Awen Project is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity number: 1186305).
The objects of The Awen Project are to advance education for the public benefit by the establishment of, or assisting in the establishment of, schools that are governed by participatory democracy.
Our aim is to pioneer a new model for education that is democratic, free-to-attend, and human-centred. We empower young people as participants within a learning community by providing conditions supportive of learning (rather than teaching) and supporting families to facilitate their children’s education.
The Trustees have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s objectives and activities.
Activities
The Awen Project is pioneering a human-centred model for education where children are valued as people in their own right who are allowed to be themselves as active participants in a community. We support them to become healthy, informed, and responsible members of a global society. Today we are running a learning community based in Dinas Powys, South Wales, developing our expertise and approach in partnership with leading experts in education and human development. We plan to extend our impact on the education system through building our home community and welcoming more students and families, piloting our Awen Lite programme that welcomes mainstream educated children and is a potential revenue stream to support the project, and offering training to teachers and education practitioners.
Our vision is to co-create a network of learning communities throughout the world where every human is valued. An Awen education empowers at all levels by training and supporting parents and carers to be present in their children’s education, bringing meaning and purpose to everyone in the community. Our team of creative facilitators are developing a relationship-based pedagogy that will form the basis of a new model for education – to replicate around the world, not for our profit but for the profit of future generations.
Over the last year major progress was made in the following areas:
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Moved back into our forest location and helped create a site that
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is fit for purpose
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Worked with parents and guardians to set a framework for engagement;
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Developed our practice as democratic educators through structured training, reflection, and weekly staff
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supervision;
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Continued to refine our model so other communities might join us and help gather evidence to promote change
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within the UK education system.
Achievements and performance
We developed our forest space: After we identified some amazing forest space last year, we re-established our partnership with The Woodland Trust and continues to develop the land to be a space where we can learn alongside nature. For us this meant establishing a wellbeing unit, a dry storage space and establishing pathways that are safe. We
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The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
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also had more exploring and discovering to do in our magical surroundings.
We were able to put up our covering - a task within itself! This helps us to integrate our selves into the forest but in a way that provides shelter and warmth.
Being in the forest also allows us to learn skills that help us focus, connect and learn with nature and create things that are useful. On our site we have been building with natural materials, creating some artistic installations in the woods and drawing art with the land. We have been whittling wands and crafts, as well as learning more practical natural skills - like plant identification and foraging.
Co-creation of ceremony We feel that we learn better when we feel part of something - a community. This is a space where we feel comfortable and engaged - where we all matter. It is an important part of The Awen Project to mark our initiation and end of year with a ceremony that all of us can design and take part in, and marks the beginning and end of our journey each year.
Together we were able to co-create our initiation with poetry, ceremony and unity. We were all able to make a pledge to ourselves and the group to commit to being kind and curious.
We were also able to co-create our closing ceremony; a chance to reflect on all we have learned, all we have done together and how much we have grown as individuals and as a group.
Our activities
This year has had another calendar of events and activities. These are important to learn new skills and take them out into the world - where we can apply real life context and experience to the things we have learned.
We went busking! Music is such a wonderful portal for expression - and our young people learned instruments and songs ready for a fantastic Christmas fundraising event where we took our performance out onto the streets of Cardiff to raise money for our project.
We have been camping! We have learned some practical and life skills by camping out in Mid Wales and in our woodland. This is a chance to make fire together, cook together, tell stories and learn about ourselves and each other. It is also an opportunity for us to experience our surroundings in a different way and in a different light.
We have learned so much! As a group our interest and curiosity has taken us to many places. We have been learning Spanish and French and have had fun playing games, reading and talking to each other in different languages.
We have studied psychology and learned how our brains and minds work.
We have also studied the Russian Revolution, studied two different plays - ‘Caucasian Chalk Circle’ by Brecht and a dramatisation of ‘James and the Giant Peach’ by Roald Dahl, and taken part in peer led biology lessons. To support this work we also had a visit from a professional actor who talked to us about his work, and led a class where we could learn some theatre skills.
We have learned the art of story telling by listening, writing and telling a whole range of incredible stories - nurturing our imaginations and our creativity and we have made films together too.
We have been looking after our physical and mental wellbeing by taking part in Capoeira sessions and by meeting and learning from a physiotherapist who came in talk to us.
Our community work: This year we have started a community day and dedicated one day of our learning week to community activities. These have included things like improving the woodland for everyone, cooking for the community and holding information days.
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So that we could do this effectively, we organised ourselves into committees to allocate different roles to the group - learning how to use our skills and talents for the best as well as learning a load of new skills.
We have also hosted an open day for people to find out what The Awen Project is all about - and a chance for new parents, guardians and children to find out if its something that they would like to become a part of.
And we hosted our COW - or Celebration Of Work - where we can invite people in to see what we have been up to. We are able to publicly showcase our work and promote the benefits of learning this way to our whole community.
These community dates are always a great opportunity for us to grow in confidence as we share our knowledge, skills, talents and ideas - and we love to welcome people from near and far to become involved with us in some way.
Organisational achievements
Educational practices
This year we continued to meet regularly in our democratic meetings - The Gathering although we found that it is more effective to have more regular shorter sessions rather than one big one - this way we can focus our conversations into more defined action points in digestible chunks for our young people.
And as always, we have continued to explore the principles and mechanism of deep democracy to make sure that all voices are heard and remain equal.
Awen Families
The parents and guardians at The Awen Project have continued to hold their Guardian Gathering each week and this year we have been able to define the roles of that group further so that we can all support the people and the functions of that group really well. We have focused on building structure around how the parents and guardians can immerse themselves in the Awen experience fully - and through those conversations we were able to setup a group of parents who have been undertaking community activities We started this with a community litter pick, allowing us to take care of our local area whilst promoting the work that we do.
Strategic
We have refined our recruitment process for young people and families coming into Awen and have streamlined the process for people who express an interest in joining.
We are aware that we are now coming to the end of our pilot phase (August 2022) and we will be taking some time within the coming months to consolidate our impact data and learnings from the pilot evaluation in order to take us to the next stage in the Awen journey. Because of that we will not be taking on a new cohort of young people in September 2022, but will look to do that later in 2023.
On the last day of August our trustee, Hannah Fitt, became operational in the role of Director for two days a week, replacing John Carden as our operational lead. Due to the restricted capacity of operational staff, Hannah will be focussing on recruitment, impact data from our evaluation and fundraising.
Impact Report 2022
Students
Since joining Awen we have seen some amazing improvements in learning and wellbeing:
72% reported improved general wellbing
82% reported having made friends they can rely on
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We also saw a significant improvement in engagement in learning
87% reported that they had been able to finish their work
64% reported feeling more confident with what they were doing
And we are happy to see excellent results in the way our young people think about others around them.
69% reported that they would help others around them
Goals for 2022/23
The overarching aim for next year is to look to consolidate our pilot data and refine our vision and mission to be able to scale and grow.
We aim to take between 3 and 6 months to collect and interpret data from the last three years and look at the overall impact it has had on our children, families and community.
We will also look at the funding model and sustainability strategy to make sure we are robust enough to grow as we want.
We aim to make strong relationships with grand funders, individual supporters and other organisations and stakeholders to cultivate long lasting connections.
We will look to bring in more people to Awen (Children and families) in the spring term 2023.
Fundraising
• Our target is to raise £120k – £150k to cover core operating costs for the next two years. In this time, we will establish a set of income streams and develop a regular-giving base. We believe that philanthropic / major donors will offer the best chances of success and enable us to develop a network of partners who support our vision of a new, more human form of education.
• We will pilot ideas for Wild Journeys - focusing our partnerships on referral agencies like Youth Service and other learning clubs where there may be budgets to support the young people.
• Improve fundraising infrastructure, in particular the Awen Project’s website, mailing list, and social media. Using these tools effectively will enable us to make the most of engagement with like-minded families and supporters to grow our community and raise funds.
Educational practices
• Maintain developmental approaches for staff (such as weekly supervision) that are working well to improve awareness and practice.
• Continue to formalise and document our educational model as we recognise the habits and structures that best support our students to flourish, recognising that the process of reflection and discovery is more important than the outcome and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
• Clarify areas of responsibility within the Learning Community (staff / students / families) and, wherever possible, the community should seek self-sufficiency.
Looking outwards
• Bring together like-minded parents and educators and support them to establish an Awen (or Awen-inspired) setting in their local community. Through collaborating with others, we will necessarily take a critical look at our own ways of being and doing at the same time as nurturing a new educational setting.
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• Talk about our work, our approach, and why this is an important (and under-valued) educational discussion. Collaborate with other Learning Communities to critique and support each other and develop practice across our wider community.
Financial review
During the current financial period, which is also the first financial period of the Awen Project, the charity achieved a deficit of £38,383 (2021: surplus of £32,878), decreasing total reserves at year end to £19,270 (2021: £57,653). Income for the period was £9,400 (2021: £80,000) and expenditure was £47,783 (2021: £47,122).
Of the reserves held at year end £19,270 (2021: £57,653) were unrestricted in nature.
Reserves policy
The trustees are currently in the process of putting together a formal reserves policy, however the current reserves of £19,270 (2021: £57,653) are deemed sufficient for the stage at which the Charity currently is and the current financial obligations of the organisation.
Structure, governance and management
Governing document
The Charity was registered on 12 November 2019 as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) governed by its constitution and whose only voting members are the Trustees.
Recruitment and appointment of Trustees
Trustees are elected onto the Board through nomination by the current Trustee Board. New Trustees are provided with an induction by the current members.
Under the governing document, the number of Trustees shall not be less than three with no maximum number. A quorum is formed when one half of the Trustees are present or three, whichever is the greater number. All decisions are made by the Trustees.
Risk management
The trustees review, on an annual basis, the major risks which the charity faces to ensure that it has sufficient resources in the event of adverse conditions. The trustees have examined the operational and business risks which the charity faces and confirm that they are satisfied that systems and controls are established over key financial systems to mitigate any significant risks.
The main risks facing the Charity are as follows:
Education Outcomes, Legislation, and Compliance
Working with young people is a privilege that comes with significant responsibility. In promoting an alternative approach to mainstream education, we must not assume that because we have positive intent that this will automatically yield positive results for the young people in our care.
To ensure the well-being and development of our young people:
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We work with experts to inform our approach and ensure we are guided by research and the experience of
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more established democratic schools;
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Students participate in weekly coaching sessions to discuss their aims, progress, and any challenges they may
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currently be facing;
• Students complete regular self-assessments to understand how they are developing across a range of holistic measures (a broader set of measures than mainstream schools, that includes academic outcomes);
• We engage our parents / carers as partners in their children’s education, which necessitates far better, deeper, and more frequent dialogue than would be normal for a mainstream setting;
• Most importantly, we listen to our young people: they are in charge of their own learning, with choice and real power over what they do and how their community is run.
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Annual report and financial statements
There are many laws and regulations that govern the education and care of young people. We currently operate as a learning community of Elective Home Educated children and our provision is for fewer than 17 hours per week / 50% of a standard school week.
Financial sustainability
We are a young organisation and have not yet established reliable income sources with which to sustain ourselves over the longer term. To address this we are engaging with potential donors to provide further funding, with support from experienced fundraisers. Covid-19 has materially affected trusts and foundations resulting in a more challenging funding environment, especially for less well established charities like us.
There are opportunities for us to create reliable income streams by expanding our offering to include mainstream educated children and teachers, and we plan to launch pilot programmes over the next 12 months to test the market.
Health and safety
As our community is based primarily in the forest, there are many risks we need to be aware of and these change over time, for example trees may fall down after a storm and high winds make the site unsafe. In addition to basic safety checks and policies, our students perform regular site audits. We have appropriate insurance in place for an education setting, including public liability insurance.
Legal and administrative information
Charity name
The Awen Project
Charity registration no. Company registration no. 1186305 CE019562 Registered office
The Spinney Twyncyn Dinas Powys CF64 4AS
Trustees
Charlotte Church Chair Hannah Fitt Vice-Chair resigned 15 August 2022 Sean Bellamy Nicola Blenman John Farrell Stella Smith
Independent examiner
Andy Nash Accounting & Consultancy Ltd Units 24 & 25 Goodsheds Container Village Hood Road Barry CF62 5QU
Charity number 1186305
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Statement of Board of Trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law they are required to prepare the financial statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards and applicable law (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Under charity 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 Charity and of the excess of income over expenditure for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures
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disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and,
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the
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Charity will continue its activities.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the Charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Charity’s website.
Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. In addition, the Trustees confirm that they are happy that the content of the Annual Review in pages 5-12 meet the requirements of the Trustees’ Annual Report under charity law.
They also confirm that the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the accounts and comply with the Charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 16 July 2014.
This report was approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 25 May 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
Charlotte Church (May 26, 2023 13:25 GMT+1)
CHARLOTTE CHURCH
FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES
Charity number 1186305
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Trustee spotlight: John Farrell
John Farrell is an Engineer by background with specialisms in Low Carbon Buildings and Sustainable development. In 2008, John and and his partners set up XCO2, a low carbon consultancy focused on reducing CO2 emissions in the built environment. They work on both on the design of new buildings whilst also advising building owners and users on how to decarbonise existing buildings. John’s work at XCO2 has lead him to work in more than 40 countries around the world enriching his knowledge and understanding of different cultures, climates and environmental and social challenges. John applies this knowledge in the way that he works and enjoys passing it on to his peers, colleagues and students. John has been a teacher at third level education, a tutor and guest lecturer at several notable universities in the UK.
What was it that attracted you to the Awen Project?
Having been brought up through a very regimented education system in primary and secondary school I was put on a path to study engineering and although I
am grateful for the opportunities that it brought me, I learned later that there was a lack of free thinking in such a rigid system. Later I would learn that most of my knowledge came from travelling the world and working in different climates with people from very different backgrounds to my own. I often found that in some countries, some tribes were using methods of construction that suited their specific climate but without having to figure out those design techniques from any first principles. I also learned that the value they put on formal education based learning over survival skills such as hunting or craft, was limited only to where it was necessary. Traditional education values those that score high on a fixed curriculum but what I have learned travelling and working around the world is that some of the most intelligent people I have met, have had no formal education system at all, many of them have learned skills and others have had a natural interest in very specific subjects becoming experts in their community.
I remember one afternoon whilst teaching architectural students in a London University and one of the students was presenting her project work to me. She had brought in reams and reams of wallpaper samples and then began to layer on hand sketches to it. She had imagined that within the wallpaper lived civilisations and she had decided for her project that she would design a city within the wallpaper for one of these civilisations. I was so impressed by her free thinking and how she didn’t constrain herself in her work like so many of the other students did. It made me think how much more interesting primary and secondary school would be if we gave children the same level of freedom to explore and develop their own ideas, no matter how bizarre or unusual they might seem.
I first found out about The Awen Project through social media when they made a call out for people with experience in sustainable design and buildings. I reached out initially offering a hand to help with what I thought would be the design of a physical building and from there learned much more of what Awen was all about. I have been blown away by the interest the children have taken in environmental design and having given some tutorials on the subject, the children have returned with some amazing designs of their own and ideas about how they see Awen developing in the future.
I am proud to be a Trustee at Awen and look forward to seeing more generations of students passing through over the coming years.
John Farrell
JOHN FARRELL
TRUSTEE
Charity number 1186305
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Independent examiner’s report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Awen Project (charity number 1186305) for the year ended 31 August 2022 set out on pages 14 to 22.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The CIO’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act). The CIO’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section
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145(5)(b) of the Charities Act; and,
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
This report, including my statement, has been prepared for and only for the CIO’s trustees as a body. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the CIO’s trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the CIO and the CIO’s trustees as a body for my examination work, for this report, or for the statements I have made.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the CIO and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.
The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
• the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
ANDREW PHILIP NASH ACA
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES – 2461833
DATED: 25 MAY 2023
Andy Nash Accounting & Consultancy Ltd Units 24 & 25 Goodsheds Container Village Hood Road Barry CF62 5QU
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Statement of financial activities
For the year ended 31 August 2022
| Notes Income from: Donations and legacies 3 Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 4 Charitable activities 4 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Reconciliation of funds: Balance brought forward 8 & 9 Balance carried forward 8 & 9 |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ £ £ 9,400 - 9,400 80,000 |
|---|---|
| 9,400 - 9,400 80,000 |
|
| 453 - 453 2,297 47,330 - 47,330 44,825 |
|
| 47,783 - 47,783 47,122 |
|
| (38,383) - (38,383) 32,878 57,653 - 57,653 24,775 |
|
| 19,270 - 19,270 57,653 |
The notes on pages 16 to 22 form part of the financial statements.
All the above results arise from continuing activities.
There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.
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Balance sheet
As at 31 August 2022
| Notes Fixed assets Tangible fxed assets 5 Current assets Debtors 6 Cash at bank and in hand Total current assets Creditors - amounts falling due within one year 7 Net current assets Net assets Funds of the charity: Unrestricted funds General funds 8 & 9 Total funds |
194 12,999 |
Total Funds 31 Aug 2022 £ 7,157 12,113 |
163 53,986 |
Total Funds 31 Aug 2021 £ 7,394 50,259 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,193 (1,080) |
54,149 (3,890) |
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| 19,270 | 57,653 |
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| 19,270 | 57,653 | |||
19,270 |
57,653 |
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| 19,270 | 57,653 |
The notes on pages 16 to 22 form part of the financial statements.
All the above results arise from continuing activities.
There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.
These financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on 25 May 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Charlotte Church (May 26, 2023 13:25 GMT+1)
CHARLOTTE CHURCH
FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES
Charity number 1186305
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Notes to the financial statements
1. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation of the financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with ‘Charities SORP (FRS 102) - 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) second edition (effective 1 January 2019)’, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), including Update Bulletin 1, and relevant charities law.
The effect of any event relating to the period ended 31 August 2022, which occurred before the date of approval of the financial statements by the Board of Trustees has been included in the financial statements to the extent required to show a true and fair view of the state of affairs at 31 August 2022 and the results for the year ended on that date.
The functional currency of the Charity is sterling and amounts in the financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound.
Using the exemption available to smaller charities the Board of Trustees has chosen not to include a Statement of Cash Flows within the financial statements.
Legal status
The Awen Project is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England & Wales, and meets the definition of a public benefit entity. The registered office is The Spinney, Twyncyn, Dinas Powys, CF64 4AS.
Going concern
The Trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern basis is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the Charity to continue as a going concern. The Trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements.
The Trustees have considered the Charity’s forecasts and projections and have taken account of pressures on income. After making enquiries, the Trustees confirm that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and that there are no material uncertainties that would impact this assessment. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had no material impact on this assessment. The Charity therefore has adopted the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.
Fund Accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or that have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. There are currently no restricted funds within the Charity.
Income
All income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the Charity has entitlement, there is probability of receipt and the amount is measurable.
For donations and gifts this is when they are received. Gift Aid is recognised on a receivable basis as part of the income to which it relates.
Income from charitable activities and grants is credited to the Statement of Financial Activities when received or receivable whichever is earlier, unless it relates to a specific future period or event, in which case it is deferred.
Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT
Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and liabilities are recognised as expenditure when there is a legal obligation committing the Charity to the expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be made, and the obligation can be measured.
Charity number 1186305
16
Year ended 31 August 2022
The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
Non-recoverable VAT is included against the expenditure heading to which it relates.
Indirect costs, including governance costs, which cannot be directly attributed to activities, are allocated between activities proportionate to the direct costs incurred in those activities.
Taxation
As a registered charity income and gains are exempt from Corporation Tax to the extent that they are applied to the charitable objectives.
Tangible fixed assets and depreciation
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses, with individual assets over £500 being capitalised. Depreciation is provided for at a rate to ensure the items are written down over their useful economic life as follows:
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Container - 3 years
-
Computer equipment - 3 years
-
Jurte tent - 3 years
Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and in hand includes cash in hand, deposits with banks and funds that are readily convertible into cash at, or close to, their carrying values, but are not held for investment purposes.
Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount is applied.
Creditors
Creditors are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party, and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.
Financial instruments
Basic financial instruments are measured at amortised cost other than investments which are measured at fair value.
Critical estimates and judgements
In preparing financial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the financial statements. The treatment of tangible fixed assets is sensitive to changes in useful economic lives and residual values of assets. These are reassessed annually.
In the view of the Trustees in applying the accounting policies adopted, no judgements were required that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements nor do any estimates or assumptions made carry a significant risk of material adjustment in the next financial year.
Charity number 1186305
17
Year ended 31 August 2022
Annual report and financial statements
The Awen Project
2. Comparative statement of fnancial activities
| 3. Income from donations and legacies Notes Income from: Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activites 4 Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 5 Charitable activities 5 Total expenditure Net income/(expenditure) Reconciliation of funds: Balance brought forward 9 & 10 Balance carried forward 9 & 10 Donations Total income from donations and legacies Donations Total income from donations and legacies |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 £ £ £ 80,000 - 80,000 - - - |
|---|---|
| 80,000 - 80,000 |
|
| 2,297 - 2,297 44,825 - 44,825 |
|
| 47,122 - 47,122 |
|
| 32,878 - 32,878 24,775 - 24,775 |
|
| 57,653 - 57,653 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ 9,400 - 9,400 |
|
| 9,400 - 9,400 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 £ £ £ 80,000 - 80,000 |
|
| 80,000 - 80,000 |
- Income from donations and legacies
Charity number 1186305
18
Year ended 31 August 2022
The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
4. Total expenditure
| Raising funds Charitable activity Total expenditure Raising funds Charitable activity Total expenditure |
Direct Indirect Total costs costs Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ 400 53 453 41,795 5,535 47,330 |
|---|---|
| 42,195 5,588 47,783 |
|
| Direct Indirect Total costs costs Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 £ £ £ 2,000 297 2,297 39,034 5,791 44,825 |
|
| 41,034 6,088 47,122 |
Direct expenditure on raising funds includes the following items:
| Direct expenditure on charitable activities includes the following items: Fundraising consultancy support Total direct expenditure on raising funds Educationalists and other consultants Other direct expenditure Total direct expenditure on charitable activities |
Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 400 2,000 400 2,000 Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 37,983 33,787 3,812 5,247 41,795 39,034 |
|---|---|
Charity number 1186305
19
The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
Year ended 31 August 2022
Indirect costs includes the following items:
| Governance costs includes the following items: 5. Tangible fxed assets Administration and other costs Governance Total indirect expenditure Insurance expense Independent examination Total expenditure on governance Cost As at 1 September 2021 Additions in year As at 31 August 2022 Accumulated depreciation As at 1 September 2021 Charge in year As at 31 August 2022 Net book value As at 1 September 2021 As at 31 August 2022 |
Computer Container equipment £ £ 8,380 1,499 - - |
Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 2,628 3,408 2,960 2,680 |
|---|---|---|
| 5,588 6,088 |
||
| Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 1,880 1,600 1,080 1,080 |
||
| 2,960 2,680 |
||
| Jurte tent Total £ £ - 9,879 4,075 4,075 4,075 13,954 - 2,485 1,019 4,312 1,019 6,797 - 7,394 3,056 7,157 |
||
| 8,380 1,499 |
||
| 2,258 227 2,793 500 |
||
| 5,051 727 |
||
| 6,122 1,272 |
||
| 3,329 772 |
Charity number 1186305
20
Year ended 31 August 2022
The Awen Project Annual report and financial statements
- Debtors
| 7. Creditors-amounts falling due within one year Prepayments Total debtors |
Balance Income brought in forward period Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 57,653 9,400 |
Total Total 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 194 163 |
|---|---|---|
| 194 163 |
||
| Total Total 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 1,080 3,890 |
||
8. Analysis of charity funds Accruals Total creditors - amounts due within one year Unrestricted funds Total charity funds Unrestricted funds Total charity funds |
||
| 1,080 3,890 |
||
Expenditure Balance in carried period forward Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ (47,783) 19,270 |
||
| 57,653 9,400 |
(47,783) 19,270 |
|
| Balance Income brought in forward period Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 £ £ 24,775 80,000 |
Expenditure Balance in carried period forward Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 £ £ (47,122) 57,653 |
|
| 24,775 80,000 |
(47,122) 57,653 |
Charity number 1186305
21
The Awen Project
Year ended 31 August 2022
Annual report and financial statements
9. Analysis of net assets
| Fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Total charity funds Fixed assets Current assets Current liabilities Total charity funds |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ 7,157 - 7,157 13,193 - 13,193 (1,080) - (1,080) 19,270 - 19,270 Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 31 Aug 2021 £ £ £ 7,394 - 7,394 54,149 - 54,149 (3,890) - (3,890) 57,653 - 57,653 |
|---|---|
10. Trustee remuneration
During the year, no Trustee received any remuneration (2021: £Nil). No members of the Board of Trustees received reimbursement of expenses related to attendance at Trustee meetings (2021: £Nil).
On 15 August 2022 Hannah Fitt resigned as a trustee. After this date she was paid £1,100 for services provided after this date for her role as director.
11. Related party transactions
During the current year, Jonathan Powell, who was formerly a trustee and is spouse of Charlotte Church, Chair of the Board of Trustees was remunerated a total of £12,150 (2021: £2,810) for his role as a educational consultant after resigning as a trustee in May 2021. This is permitted under the consitution and Charlotte was not involved in the decision making process nor the discussions around remuneration. His remuneration was at the same rate as other consultants, all of whom are paid below market rates.
Total unrestricted donations from trustees amounted to £Nil (2021: £Nil) in the period.
12. Guarantees and secured charges
As at 31 August 2022 the Charity did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured against assets of the Charity (2021: £Nil).
Charity number 1186305
22