THE AWEN PROJECT Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 August 2023
“Awen has changed my son’s life and I am forever grateful”
(Awen parent)
Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Contents
| Welcome | 4 |
|---|---|
| Trustees’ annual report | 5 |
| Objectives | 5 |
| Activities | 5 |
| Achievements and performance | 6 |
| Impact Report 2023 | 8 |
| Goals for 2023/24 | 9 |
| Financial review | 10 |
| Structure, governance and management | 10 |
| Legal and adminitstrative information | 11 |
| Statement of Board of Trustees’ responsibilities | 11 |
| Independent examiner’s report | 14 |
| Statement of f nancial activities | 15 |
| Balance sheet | 16 |
| Notes to the f nancial statements | 17 |
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
Welcome
Welcome to our annual report for 2022/2023 - and what a rollercoaster of a year it has been!
We have had such brilliant highs - with wonderful achievements of our Tribe giving us such energy and vision for the next year. We have also been through some devastating challenges, like losing the land which we have called home for the last few years. More of that later! However, despite these obstacles - we remain resolutely focussed on our mission - which is simply to facilitate deeply meaningful, relevant and creative education to be offered democratically to the children and families who mainstream education does not work for (a lot of people, as it goes!).
When I sit down and write this its easy to think about what is to come, what more do we need to do and how can we get there - but It’s also such an opportunity to look at how far we have come from just an idea and a passion.
This year our Tribe has welcomed new families, we have welcomed new supporters and we have welcomed new ideas - all of which has invaluably contributed to our evolution and our village. I feel very grateful that awareness of this movement, of a gently radical shakeup of the education system, is increasing exponentially and we are all enthused by the continued support of our communities.
I mentioned earlier that our Tribe have had some wonderful achievements this year; They have project led their own huge event, been abroad, produced their own magazine, produced incredible artwork, written poetry and so so much more. I am extremely proud to show you.
But alas - our partnership with The Woodland Trust came to a very sorry end with them reneging on our long standing partnership agreement and unfortunately leaving us homeless - with immeasurable practical and emotional damage. It meant that we could not secure some expected funding and it meant that our already stretched resources have been largely tasked going into our new fi nancial year with fi nding somewhere we can now call home (not achieved at the time of writing!). Way more importantly it has knocked the confi dence our Tribe have in the supposed democratic and collaborative societies that we are so passionately promoting. A David and Goliath story indeed!
We will not be defeated though. What we have felt through this blip is literally overwhelming support and understanding - and have had so many offers from far and wide - from kind, compassionate and like-minded people which i gives us so much hope for the future.
Charlotte Church
FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES
THE AWEN PROJECT
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Trustees’ annual report
The Board of Trustees, submit their annual report and the fi nancial statements of The Awen Project for the year ended 31 August 2023.
The Board of Trustees confi rms that the annual report and fi nancial 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 benefi t 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 benefi t 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 profi t but for the profi t of future generations.
Over the last year major progress was made in the following areas:
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Linked up with a democratic school in Paris on our fi rst
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overseas trip.
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Curated and delivered a large scale fundraising event
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Continued to develop our site
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Started to deliver Wild Journeys - our sustainability plan.
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
Achievements and performance
Some incredible events:
This year we have dialled up our project management experience and developed all of the skills and knowledge that comes with that.
We started with a bang in December where we took over top fi ne dining restaurant ‘Alium’. We ran the event as a Christmas fundraiser and we learned how to set up the event, promote it and run it on the night. The best part is we were able to take over the kitchen and serve fancy dishes to all of our supporters! We fi nished the night off with a performance that we put together
Wild Banquet
By the biggest event we have done is our Wild Banquet event in July. We wanted to bring people onto our land to show them how we run and how we can be in the forest in a really cool way. That has low impact on the woods - but high impact for our community.
The banquet was a huge project - learning so many different skills - planning, logistics, infrastructure, cooking, customer service, hospitality, entertainment, storytelling and themes, setting down and clearing up. We did this over two nights and we were able to raise over £10,000 which felt amazing!
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Our revolution!
This year we have been learning about the French revolutions - we have been read French Literature and learned French Songs and games as well as designing our own Top Trump revolution cards! We’ve also managed to learn loads of French!
We even managed to visit France where visited historical sites of the French Revolution as well as more well known places like The Eiffel Tower.
While we were there we linked up with a Democratic Learning Community in France and we were able to share and learn from each other. Ooh La La!
Being in nature
As usual we have spent almost all of our tie outdoors. 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. We have continued to make our site INCREDIBLE and we were very sad to lose our home but we learned so much about how to work with nature and be part of the forest.
We also have spent time orienteering and hiking, identifying plants, foraging, building camps, making pathways, creating an allotment, cooking in the forest and learning campfi re songs.
This not only helped up learn amazing skills - but also builds our community.
And we learned how to make natural dyes and materials from the forest itself - and we were able to make our own sustainable bags which we later used for our Wild Banquet event.
All things the arts!
We learn through being really creative - and as well as the performances we have done at out events, we have also immersed ourselves in lots of other artistic endeavours!
We have performed with our Awen band in several places and we are all becoming more confi dent with our instruments and singing.
We have written poetry, studied lots of incredible literature, like Romeo and Juliet, Medieval romances, we have also studied mythical stories and legends .
We have story boarded our own fi lms and written scripts whilst learning about toxic elements of the media and how to be smart when using media as well as learned how to do Stop Frame animation. We have made candles and wood carvings and we designed, wrote and made our very own lifestyle magazine Bandersnatch!
And so much more!
We have really done so much this year in what we have learned but we have also tended to our community. We have co-created ceremonies to strengthen our Tribe. We have said goodbye to people who have moved and we have said Hello to new members who are now part of our village.
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
Our community work
We continue to be as involved in our community as we can and have welcomed new parents and guardians to our woodland home to fi nd out more about Awen. This gives us a chance to meet new people and make new connections. We also visit the local community clubs and the local library to develop those relationships.
We were asked to do a Tedex talk too - but unfortunately it was rescheduled - but watch this space!
Organisational achievements
Awen Families
Our families have also been moving and shaking and this year we divided ourselves up into different groups. We have an events and fundraising team, a social media team, a grants team, and a site team - all who feedback to the regular guardian gathering to help us grow. As ever they are supporting and engaged and a huge part of the village.
The sustainability Model
The plans for this year were to develop our sustainability model and we have been piloting our programme Wild Journeys.
We have partners with ITEC training solutions who work with young people aged 16+ and are not in college or work. They come down to our land and we run creative democratic sessions to help them learn new skills, learn about democracy and learn about themselves in nature.
We are delighted to have been awarded Big Lottery Funding to support this part of our programme.
Strategic
We are moving forward with plans to recruit some more team members - namely a volunteer coordinator and a new educator. We have made an application to the Volunteering Wales fund and will hear early next year if we have been successful.
We have also reached out to socially responsible corporate organisations to see if we might be able to deliver workshops on democracy in action.
We would also like to say goodbye to our amazing educator and Tribe Member, Phoebe Patience - who has been an amazing addition to the Awen team. We are sad to see her go but happy that she is moving onwards and upwards to pastures new. We will be looking for a new educator going into 2023/2024
Impact Report 2023
Students
Since joining Awen we have seen some amazing improvements in learning and wellbeing:
31% increase in ability to fi nish work
35% increase in concentration and a� ention
We also saw a signifi cant improvement in engagement in learning
84% reported feeling confi dent co-creating projects
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
82% reported feeling like they’ve learned new skiils that they will use in future
And we are happy to see excellent results in the way our young people think about others around them.
72% reported that they are kind to younger children
The Awen Project has made immeasurable positive changes to my son. He’s gone from being bored and losing his confi dence to inspired, independent and happy. Navigating his teen years and his future is now a positive pathway full of enthusiasm.
Goals for 2023/24
Having lost our home, sadly the unexpected focus for us going into our new year is to fi nd somewhere new to base ourselves.
We have already been inundated with lots of offers of land and help, so the fi rst part of the year will be reevaluating what we need in a home, and look for potential partnerships that will be mutually benefi cial
We will also be looking to continue to build on Wild Journeys and how we can maximise our income generating while furthering our learning.
Our focus here will be on building social enterprise within our village and we will be planning to look at creative and interesting revenue.
We are looking to replace our parent trustee role who can represent our young people at board level.
Fundraising
We saw a large increase in our fundraising this year which is great.
This was largely down to a couple of major donors, our incredible fundraising events and the grant funding from the Awards for All programme. Unfortunately we were unable to secure a further £20k from two other funders when we lost our land. Although its disappointing, it also means that we have something to build on for next year.
Our target is still 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 continue with ideas for Wild Journeys - still focusing our partnerships on referral agencies like Youth Service and other learning clubs where there may be budgets to support the young people but also increasing our scope to a social enterprise and other community activities.
We will continue to 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
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We will continue to evolve in our refl ective practices and working to establish best practice
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We will make partnerships and allies in the progressive education network following from a positive conference
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visit this year - and continue to integrate ourselves in the growing sector.
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Continue to fi nd ways to monitor and evaluate the learning journey
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Continue to fi nd ways to integrate progressive learning outcomes in mainstream society post Awen.
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
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.
• 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 fi nancial year, the charity achieved a defi cit of £38,383 (2022: defi cit of £38,383), decreasing total reserves at year end to £8,270 (2022: £19,720). Income for the year was £62,615 (2022: £9,400) and expenditure was £73,615 (2022: £47,783).
Of the reserves held at year end £8,270 (2022: £19,720) 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 £8,270 (2022: £19,720) are deemed suffi cient for the stage at which the Charity currently is and the current fi nancial 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 suffi cient resources in the event of adverse conditions. The trustees have examined the operational and business risks which the charity faces and confi rm that they are satisfi ed that systems and controls are established over key fi nancial systems to mitigate any signifi cant 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 signifi cant 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);
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
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We engage our parents / carers as partners in their children’s education, which necessitates far better, deeper,
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and more frequent dialogue than would be normal for a mainstream setting;
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Most importantly, we listen to our young people: they are in charge of their own learning, with choice and real
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power over what they do and how their community is run.
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 offi ce
The Spinney Twyncyn Dinas Powys CF64 4AS
Trustees
Charlotte Church Chair 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
Statement of Board of Trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the fi nancial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare fi nancial statements for each fi nancial year. Under that law they are required to prepare the fi nancial 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 fi nancial statements unless they are satisfi ed 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 fi nancial 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 fi nancial statements; and,
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prepare the fi nancial 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 suffi cient to show and explain the Charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the fi nancial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the fi nancial 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 fi nancial information included on the Charity’s website.
Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of fi nancial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. In addition, the Trustees confi rm 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 confi rm that the fi nancial 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 xxxxxxxx 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
CHARLOTTE CHURCH
FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Tribe member spotlight: Jonny Powell
Jonny is a composer, instrumentalist, performer, writer, storyteller and educator, working professionally in these fi elds for the last 20 years.
At the core of his practice as an artist and learning facilitator is bringing together meaningful and imaginative community, co-creation in all things, following consent-based democracy, and advocating for a group expectation of high achievements
In Jonny’s words:
I hold space for young people to learn and grow. In 2019 I helped to set up the Awen Project, a charity that supports families to establish free-to-attend, nature-based learning communities along democratic principles, with the aim of offering a genuine alternative to mainstream education. Since then I have been working with groups
of 8-16 year olds to co-create the fi rst of our learning communities, the Awen Tribe, in the forests of Dinas Powys.
As Head of Learning / Tribal Elder I have been a rudder and ropes through doldrums and hurricanes, a trusty carthorse for the physical and the philosophical, the fi rst line of defence in hostile territory, a witch and a priest and a nurse to the young and their families. Online, offl ine, between pines, beneath bombardment and through winter’s frozen fathoms I have carried the fl ame and kept it kindled.
My work is incredibly varied, from developing and facilitating co-created projects as curricula (my superpower!), to 1-to-1 coaching and counselling, as well as supporting the tribe towards self-directed individual and community action. I foster loving and well-boundaried relationships with my students by being emotionally available and consistent, whilst working hard to understand who each one of them is.
There are so many things that Awen does: consent-based democracy, social entrepreneurial projects, human-scale education, learning outdoors (exclusively and all year round), socially engaged art projects, peer-assessment, public exhibitions, even normal lessons on occasion...
... but the stuff we do that is most vital, is the stuff we are most missing in broader society: building and sustaining meaningful community, engaging with nature, and exploring the soul and stoking its fi res. I create for young people wild journeys that connect them to the miracle of their existence, as individuals and as constituent parts of a conscious universe.
My students vary hugely (as do their families) - socio-economically, ethnically, culturally. We draw no distinction between those with “special” needs and those with “typical” needs - a community built on healthy relationships understands that everyone has differing needs, that have to be respected and supported for an individual to function well. I work with all hues of neurodiversity, those with exceptional talents and those whose special skills have yet to emerge. More and more I am receiving children with debilitating anxiety but with no other neurological condition, who are effectively being excluded from schools (ironically the trauma-factories that gave them anxiety in the fi rst place). It does not take them long at Awen before they feel enabled to be happy, healthy learners with emotionally supportive friendships, and on course for a bright future.
By the time they leave Awen, young people have developed extraordinary communication skills, cultivated a wild (not feral) imagination, developed a work ethic sharpened by necessity, and learned how to learn. They have faith in themselves, and resilience, so they can go on to navigate spaces that are less respectful, without compromising who they are. We are raising changemakers. We show them how they belong in the world.
Jonny Powell
JONNY POWELL
Co-Founder, Lead Educator and Tribe Elder
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
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 2023 set out on pages 15 to 24.
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 confi rm 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 FCA
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES � 2461833
DATED: XXXXXXXX 2024
Andy Nash Accounting & Consultancy Ltd Units 24 & 25 Goodsheds Container Village Hood Road Barry CF62 5QU
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
For the year ended 31 August 2023
| Notes Income from: Donations and legacies 3 Other trading 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 |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ £ 52,004 - 52,004 9,400 11,846 - 11,846 - 63,850 - 63,850 9,400 3,270 - 3,270 453 70,453 - 70,453 47,330 73,723 - 73,723 47,783 (9,873) - (9,873) (38,383) 19,270 - 19,270 57,653 9,397 - 9,397 19,270 |
|---|---|
The notes on pages 17 to 24 form part of the fi nancial statements.
All the above results arise from continuing activities.
There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
Balance sheet
As at 31 August 2023
| Notes Fixed assets Tangible f xed assets 6 Current assets Debtors 7 Cash at bank and in hand Total current assets Creditors - amounts falling due within one year 8 Net current assets Net assets Funds of the charity: Unrestricted funds General funds 9 & 10 Total funds |
1,460 10,469 11,929 (6,188) 9,397 |
Total Funds 31 Aug 2023 £ 3,656 5,741 9,397 9,397 9,397 |
194 12,999 13,193 (1,080) 19,270 |
Total Funds 31 Aug 2022 £ 7,157 12,113 19,270 19,270 19,270 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The notes on pages 17 to 24 form part of the fi nancial statements.
All the above results arise from continuing activities.
There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.
These fi nancial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on xxxxxx 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
CHARLOTTE CHURCH
FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
1. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation of the fi nancial statements
The fi nancial 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 year ended 31 August 2023, which occurred before the date of approval of the fi nancial statements by the Board of Trustees has been included in the fi nancial statements to the extent required to show a true and fair view of the state of affairs at 31 August 2023 and the results for the year ended on that date.
The functional currency of the Charity is sterling and amounts in the fi nancial 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 fi nancial statements.
Legal status
The Awen Project is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England & Wales, and meets the defi nition of a public benefi t entity. The registered offi ce 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 signifi cant 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 fi nancial statements.
The Trustees have considered the Charity’s forecasts and projections and have taken account of pressures on income. After making enquiries, the Trustees confi rm 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 fi nancial 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 specifi c 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 specifi c 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 specifi c 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
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The Awen Project
Year ended 31 August 2023
Annual report and fi nancial 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 fi xed assets and depreciation
Tangible fi xed 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:
-
Container - 3 years
-
Computer equipment - 3 years
-
Equipment - 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
Critical estimates and judgements
In preparing fi nancial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the fi nancial statements. The treatment of tangible fi xed 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 signifi cant effect on the amounts recognised in the fi nancial statements nor do any estimates or assumptions made carry a signifi cant risk of material adjustment in the next fi nancial year.
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
- Comparative statement of f nancial 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 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ 9,400 - 9,400 - - - |
|---|---|
| 9,400 - 9,400 |
|
| 453 - 453 47,330 - 47,330 |
|
| 47,783 - 47,783 |
|
| (38,383) - (38,383) 57,653 - 57,653 |
|
| 19,270 - 19,270 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 £ £ £ 52,004 - 52,004 |
|
| 52,004 - 52,004 |
|
| 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 |
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
4. Income from other trading activities
| Ticket sales for fundraising events Total income from other trading activities Ticket sales for fundraising events Total income from other trading activities |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 £ £ £ 11,846 - 11,846 |
|---|---|
| 11,846 - 11,846 |
|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Funds Funds Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ - - - |
|
| - - - |
5. 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 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 £ £ £ 2,997 273 3,270 64,575 5,878 70,453 |
|---|---|
| 67,572 6,151 73,723 |
|
| 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 |
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
5. Total expenditure (continued)
Direct expenditure on raising funds includes the following items:
| Fundraising consultancy support Total direct expenditure on raising funds |
Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 2,997 400 2,997 400 |
|---|---|
Direct expenditure on charitable activities includes the following items:
| Educationalists and other consultants Staff Training Other direct expenditure Total direct expenditure on charitable activities |
Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 55,117 37,983 361 - 9,097 3,812 64,575 41,795 |
|---|---|
Indirect costs includes the following items:
| Governance costs includes the following items: Administration and other costs Governance Total indirect expenditure Insurance expense Independent examination Total expenditure on governance |
Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 2,775 2,628 3,376 2,960 6,151 5,588 Total Total Funds Funds Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 2,188 1,880 1,188 1,080 3,376 2,960 |
|---|---|
Governance costs includes the following items:
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
6. Tangible f xed assets
| 7. Debtors 8. Creditors-amounts falling due within one year Cost As at 1 September 2022 Additions in year As at 31 August 2023 Accumulated depreciation As at 1 September 2022 Charge in year As at 31 August 2023 Net book value As at 1 September 2022 As at 31 August 2023 Prepayments Total debtors Accruals Total creditors - amounts due within one year |
Computer Container equipment £ £ 8,380 1,499 - - 8,380 1,499 5,051 727 2,793 500 7,844 1,227 3,329 772 536 272 |
Equipment Total £ £ 4,075 13,954 1,380 1,380 5,455 15,334 1,019 6,797 1,588 4,881 2,607 11,678 3,056 7,157 2,848 3,656 Total Total 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 225 194 225 194 Total Total 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2022 £ £ 6,188 1,080 6,188 1,080 |
|---|---|---|
Charity number 1186305
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Year ended 31 August 2023
The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
9. Analysis of charity funds
| Unrestricted funds Total charity funds Unrestricted funds Total charity funds |
Balance Income Expenditure Balance brought in in carried forward period period forward Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 £ £ £ £ 19,270 63,850 (73,723) 9,397 19,270 63,850 (73,723) 9,397 Balance Income Expenditure Balance brought in in carried forward period period forward Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 31 Aug 2022 £ £ £ £ 57,653 9,400 (47,783) 19,270 57,653 9,400 (47,783) 19,270 |
|---|---|
10. 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 2023 31 Aug 2023 31 Aug 2023 £ £ £ 3,656 - 3,656 11,929 - 11,929 (6,188) - (6,188) 9,397 - 9,397 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 |
Charity number 1186305
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The Awen Project Annual report and fi nancial statements
Year ended 31 August 2023
- Trustee remuneration
During the year, no Trustee received any remuneration (2022: £Nil). No members of the Board of Trustees received reimbursement of expenses related to attendance at Trustee meetings (20212 £Nil).
12. 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 £17,500 (2022: £12,150) 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 (2022: £Nil) in the period.
13. Guarantees and secured charges
As at 31 August 2023 the Charity did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured against assets of the Charity (2022: £Nil).
Charity number 1186305
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