Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1 July 2024 To 30 June 2025
Charity name: Spencer Lynx
Charity registration number: 1188217
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To promote participation in healthy recreation, primarily in the London boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth, for the benefit of children who attend state schools, by providing facilities and coaching to participate in hockey |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
September 2024-March 2025 – Delivered weekly Sunday hockey sessions delivered to approximately 130 state school children from at least 14 primary schools (Lynx cohort 5 starting their second season & Lynx 6 starting their first season). March 2025 - Sponsored local state school hockey tournament in partnership with council’s school games organiser, involving our partner schools and additional schools. April 2024-July 2025 - Provided subsidised/free after-school hockey training during the school summer term Summer tournament held on 15 June 2025 involving over 100 local children, from our Wandsworth and Roehampton hubs. May-July 2025- Hockey taster sessions delivered to over 600 children in 16 schools across Wandsworth and Lambeth, including new schools, to recruit a new cohort of children (Lynx 7), to start the programme in September 2025. September 2024 – Supported 20 members of Lynx 4 to join a mainstream hockey club after 2 years with Spencer |
| Lynx, with 5 children on full, means tested, bursaries. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The Trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when carrying out activities this year. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Spencer Lynx members are drawn together from at least 14 state primary schools across Wandsworth and Lambeth, from different socio- economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The ratio of girls:boys is 50:50. Children from low socio- economic and/or minority ethnic backgrounds are prioritised. In September 2024, 37 of our fifth cohort of children (Lynx 5) started their second year of weekly hockey training on Sundays, running until end March 2025. In addition, a new sixth cohort (Lynx 6) of 74 children (recruited in the summer term of 2024) started their 2-year programme at Spencer Lynx. The total number of children benefiting from weekly training was therefore 111. |
All sessions were run by professional qualified hockey coaches, supported by assistant coaches with hockey experience, and Young Leaders taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme. Some sessions were additionally run by Spencer Lynx Ambassadors who are also England and/or GB international hockey players, including Darcy Bourne and James Mazarelo – they are inspirational role models for the children. Funding from the Go! London fund allowed us to continue our impact testing, to show the benefits to the children of our activities over the entire 2-year programme. The data showed improved physical and mental wellbeing across a number of indices, and particularly marked improvements in agility. To keep members engaged during the off-season, Spencer Lynx provided after-school hockey training during the summer term of 2025. Approximately 30 members took part. From May 2025-July 2025, Spencer Lynx delivered hockey taster sessions in 16 schools across Wandsworth and Lambeth, recruiting 90 children to our seventh cohort of children (Lynx 7), to start in September 2025. On 15 June 2025, Spencer Lynx hosted a summer tournament for its members and for its Roehampton-based programme, with over 100 local children taking part. This enabled children and their families to stay engaged with their new sport and their new friends and connections made through involvement in Spencer Lynx. We provided food and refreshments after the tournament for children and families, who enjoyed relaxing and mixing in a club environment. This forms part of Introduction to Clubs initiative, to help families feel comfortable in a club environment, increasing the possibility that they will support their children to continue to join grassroots clubs after our programme, and continue their sporting journeys. Funding from the Wandsworth Beneficiary Trust allowed us to appoint our first Director of Hockey, and she
started with us in September 2024, and has continued with us this year. She has brought consistency and increased the quality of our provision. Funding received from The Funding Network has allowed us to continue with our Director of Hockey for the next 2 years.
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The charity generated a positive financial outcome for the period with a net increase in funds of £15117 and closing with a bank balance of £86175. We were successful in achieving a grant from Go!London in September 2023 of £22,273.00, to cover 2 years of activities with Lynx 5, therefore covering their second year with us (September 2024- June 2025). The monies are released in 6-monthly instalments, following the completion of progress reports, and we have received £7590 in this financial year. We received funding from the Wimbledon Foundation and HMCK Charity (the latter via Ibstock School, our partners on the project), to cover the second year (September 2024 – March 2025) of our project in Roehampton. We additionally received grants from Active Wandsworth (£1500), Thomas’s Foundation (£3000), London Hockey (£1,500), Lennox Hannay Trust (£1,500), The Alchemy Foundation (£1,000), and 1809 Charitable Trust (£5,000) In May 2025, we raised £10,378 through an event hosted by The Funding Network, allowing us to fund our Director of Hockey, for an additional. 2 years. £7335 of funds were received in the current financial year, and the remaining £3043 after 30 June 2025. Additional income was generated by donations, with a major donation from Spencer Junior Hockey Club (£5000), and donations from members of Spencer Hockey Club; and sponsored running events. £2,000 was also raised through the first Spencer Lynx Quiz. However, limitations on the availability of some grant funding to new projects rather than continuation of existing and successful projects continues to prove challenging. The charity has also sought funding from national organisations and funds, but has to date had little success. |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | The charity holds reserves for its day to day operations, and excludes from its reserves any donation or grant made for a specific purpose, including its bursary fund. The reserves represent the working capital of Spencer Lynx and are available to support short- and medium- term objectives and to safeguard against unexpected decreases in income. The Charity Commission defines free reserves as ‘income which becomes available to the charity and is to be expended at the executive committee’s discretion in furtherance of any of the charity’s objectives, but is not yet spent, committed or designated’. The Board of Trustees adopts a risk- based approach to the reserves policy: 1. Identify specific risk and create a designated fund for such risks. 2. Protect against an unforeseen reduction in income by retaining 6 months’ worth of running costs. |
|---|---|---|
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £16334 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | The Trustees remain the same as when originally incorporated in 2020. |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Spencer Lynx |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |
| Registered charity number | 1188217 |
| Charity’s principal address | The Spencer Club, Fieldview, London SW18 3HF |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amrita Sheldon | Treasurer | |||
| Charlotte Hucker | ||||
| Donna Kirby | ||||
| Karen Price | ||||
| Marcia Gurney- Champion |
||||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
None |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
|
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of adviser Name Address |
||
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | ||
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date
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CHARITY COMMISSIO FOR ENGLAND AND WALE Independent examinorfs report on the accounts Sectlon A Indop•ndent Examiner's R•port Rèport to t Usteesl bors of SPENCER LYNX On a¢counts for the yèar •nded 30 JUNE2025 Charity no Ill anyl 1188217 Set out on pag•5 Iremether 10 the paye nunthrsofaddii1oI Sheets) I report lo the trustees on my examination of the a¢(x)unls of the above charity I'the Trusy) for th& yèar ended gp I A8 the thaity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the Preparation of the ac¢wnls in accordan with the requirements of the CharFts¢$ Act 20111.thè ACYI. R•sponsibilltios and ba$ls of r•port I report in resp8¢1 of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seth'on 145 of the 2011 A¢t and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applieable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl ol th6 Act I have completed my examinthon. l o)nfimi that no Material matters have comè to my attention (other than that di8closed below") in connection with tho aMinatIon which gives mè (8USè to bdieve that in. 8ny rnaterial iespect. ' accounts'ng rec(xds were not kept in accordance wth sacbon 130 of th6 Act or * the accounts dc not alxord wth the accounting records Ind•p•nd•nt •xamin•r's stat•ment I havo no concems and have com& a¢ro&8 no other matters in connection with the examination to whid) attèntion should be dravm in order to 8nable a proper Ljnderstanding of the accounts o be reathed. Pls8se d&l&to t1 rdS in th8 br8okats rfthey do not apply. Date.. dl_ftV21)U Sign*d.' Namg: Re5evant profvssional qualifi¢atlonlsl or body Ilf any).. Addr$. Sg¢tlon B Dis¢losur• Only complete if the exarniner needs to hiuhlight matte18 of con¢¢rn18ee CC32, Independent èxarrination ol Charity accounts.. irectiolls and guidance for examiners). Glvt h•re brief details of ny Itorns that th• xamifier wish•s to disclos•.
IER Octob•r 2018