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2025-03-31-accounts

IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME

CHARITY NUMBER 1188755

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

For the Year Ended 31 March 2025

I PSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME (known as IP17GNS)

INDEX

Page
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 2
TRUSTEES’ REPORT 3
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT 10
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 11
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES 12
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 13

1

IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME (known as IP17GNS)

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

CHARITY NUMBER 1188755

THE TRUSTEES

The trustees who served the charity during the year were as follows:

Tim Roberts - Chairperson Peter Ewart Jacqueline Newvell

PRINCIPAL ADDRESS

The Town House Station Approach Saxmundham Suffolk IP17 1BW

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Helen Rumsey Ensors Blyth House Rendham Road Saxmundham Suffolk IP17 1WA

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IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME (known as IP17GNS)

TRUSTEES’ REPORT

For the Year Ended 31 March 2025

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year to 31 March 2025. The details on page one form part of this report.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Charities Act 2011.

The entity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) a body corporate under Part 12 of the Charities Act 2011, registered with the Charities Commission on 25 March 2020 under number 1188755. It is governed by its Constitution dated 24 March 2020, as amended on 25 March 2020.

OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY

To relieve those people in Saxmundham, Kelsale-cum-Carlton and Benhall in East Suffolk who are in need by reason of their age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or social circumstances in such ways as the trustees shall think fit, with particular focus on providing assistance to those affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the immediate future and any following pandemic.

An amended version of the Objects to take account of the change in emphasis from Covid-19 support, to supporting those in crisis within a 2.5 mile radius of Saxmundham, has been submitted to the Charity Commission, but not yet accepted.

PUBLIC BENEFIT

The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission’s guidance in relation to delivering public benefit. The Trustees consider that they are fulfilling the requirements to deliver a public benefit.

A REVIEW OF THE REPORTING YEAR, OUR KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Our key aims – unchanged!

Our aims are to help reduce poverty, loneliness and poor mental health in Saxmundham and its surrounding villages through practical help, inclusive activities and opportunities for social connection.

1. The year at a glance – our key achievements

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Please note that we do not means-test our service users - everyone is welcome to join in or seek support.

For a breakdown on all these activities and their measured impacts, please see below.

2. Further progress on our transition to a community hub

This year has been one of further evolution from a covid response good neighbour scheme to a community hub. We have also benefited from our own building and kitchen although these premises need further work to improve their sustainability and usefulness. However, it has not been without its challenges, but we have experienced more stability of staffing and management by our trustees. We continue to recruit more dedicated and experienced volunteers (mainly retired, professional women) and we continue to deploy them in small teams working on their chosen projects which provides a better experience for our service users and the volunteers themselves, as well as improved continuity and service development.

We continue to focus our resources on our two key themes:

In addition to continuing to evolve our community hub services and developing new projects, we have spent further time reviewing and strengthening our governance while ensuring our policies and procedures are up-to-date and relevant to the organisation. We are hopeful of gaining the financial and management support of the Sizewell C Community Fund, with the help of our colleagues at The Suffolk Community Foundation. This desired funding will enable us to recruit a general manager for at least three days per week, as well as make our accommodation more sustainable and flexible. We also believe such an appointment will enable us to move to the “next level” and become a permanent fixture in the further progression of our health and wellbeing aims generally around Saxmundham, as well as placing us in a better position to acquire future, significant and longer-term funding. Naturally, we continue to actively seek new trustees which, as with many other charities is challenging, but we have made progress with a number of selected individuals who will add to our business and governance strengths.

3. Our continuous activity programme

A. The Social Supermarket & Café

Purpose: provide affordable food and a welcoming social space

Delivery: Weekly sessions (Tuesday mornings) with £4 shops (heavily subsidised by IP17GNS), free café and pastries, run by up to six regular volunteers. Making use of the Fareshare scheme to purchase surplus food from the big supermarket chains

Impact: over 2,000 shops delivered, up to 30 shoppers per week, friendships formed, and wraparound support, signposting and referrals made. The Social Supermarket is a safety net for those facing long-term food poverty, reducing reliance on food banks and offering dignity through choice

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Funding: Mostly unfunded but supported by donations from individuals and local businesses with a £5,000 annual shortfall.

Long-term aims: to deliver additional sessions at times which allow more working people to attend as well as food education and cooking classes

We also continue to provide emergency food parcels for those most in need through Household Support Funding and donations in cash or kind from generous members of our community

B. Gather & Grow

Purpose: social space for parents/carers with under-fives

Delivery: weekly sessions (during term-time) with toys, activities, and healthy snacks

Impact: supporting the well-being of young families and connection between children and the adults who care for them, inspiring play and promoting development both during group and at home. 400+ volunteer hours and new toys and games purchased Funding: The Alan Boswell Trust (2025–27)

C. Men’s Breakfast

Purpose: supportive all-male environment to encourage conversation and friendships amongst a key demographic

Delivery: first Sunday of the month, supported by six male volunteers

Impact: tackles stigma around men seeking friendships and support for well-being. Isolation is reduced and friendships are formed. Men from a wide range of backgrounds and socio-economic groups attend

Funding: East Suffolk Council

D. School uniform/warm clothing exchange

Purpose: to help families with the cost of school uniforms and warm clothes. To encourage ecofriendly habits and reduce domestic waste

Delivery: acting as a donation point for pre-loved items which are costly and highly sought after by those on low incomes. All- year-round availability of pre-loved school uniform as well as largescale exchange events during the summer holidays. We also gifted a new set of stationery to all children transferring to secondary school. In winter, we offer a rail of pre-loved warm clothes, coats and blankets.

Impact: a circular system of re-using and -homing sought-after and expensive clothing items which reduces waste. Those who cannot afford new clothing, or to heat their homes adequately while experiencing dignity and relief

Funding: currently unfunded as the funding on offer obliged us to means-test. Reliant on donated items and volunteers to co-ordinate.

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E. Warm welcome

Purpose: reduce loneliness and keep minds active through board games and shared experiences and dialogue

Delivery: weekly Sunday sessions over the first 12 weeks in Winter. Provided games, reading materials, soup and other refreshments

Impact: predominantly those who live alone attended in order to enjoy some company, a hot meal and a warm, welcoming space. Feedback suggests the main motivation for attendance was to break up what otherwise would have been a long, lonely day

Funding: East Suffolk Council

F. Seasonal community events

Purpose: provide wider opportunities for other non-regular people to come together, make memories and enhance well-being. Offering much-needed activities and fun for families experiencing financial strain or low-level mental health concerns. Giving young people the chance to experience new things and try new activities

Delivery: a seasonal programme of events and activities, targeting a range of demographics including:

Impact: whole families have regular opportunities for screen-free, low-cost activities which support connection and well-being. Making use of Saxmundham’s historic Market Hall (as requested by our donor), gives opportunities for people from different social backgrounds to mix Funding: funded by a regular donation from an anonymous member of our community

G. Friday Boogie

Purpose: to provide an inclusive opportunity for movement/exercise and socialising, boosting endorphins and well-being

Delivery: led by a volunteer who is a qualified dance instructor featuring a mirror ball, coloured lights and disco classics. Following the delivery of a successful pilot scheme, we hope to offer 6- 10 week blocks of weekly sessions across the year, accommodation sought!

Impact: this activity has proved to be extremely popular, attracting a wide range of ages, abilities and social backgrounds. The light-hearted atmosphere induces laughter, fun and healthy movement. The low-pressure environment means that those might otherwise be excluded from exercise or dance classes, feel welcome in any attire and to participate as much or as little as they can.

Funding: Unfunded currently - we are looking for further opportunities to cover our costs

H. Christmas activities

Christmas can be a season of great joy, but for those facing loneliness and/or financial hardship, it can be a deeply troubling time of year. This is why IP17GNS, and our volunteers pour a vast amount of effort and money into supporting the community during the festive period.

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Delivery: a regular, annual programme of events and activities, targeting a range of demographics and outcomes

Activities include:

Impact: the magic of Christmas is maintained as much as possible for those facing challenges. Everyone in our community has the opportunity to see and speak with another person on Christmas Day. Families who cannot visit their elderly or vulnerable relatives on Christmas Day have peace of mind that they have eaten well and enjoyed face-to-face contact with a member of our team.

Funding: largely unfunded, relying on support from businesses and individuals

4. Grant funding and financial position

We continue to be supported by our town and district councils, local businesses and individual benefactors in Saxmundham and its surrounding villages.

Our overheads have stabilised since moving into our new premises at the Gannon Rooms but there have been further one-off costs for necessary items such computers, phones, fridges and equipping the building with consumables to equip the above activities. Naturally, we will be seeking further grants and funding in the coming year to continue our work and develop new initiatives. We will actively seek funding to support overheads including staff and volunteer and development costs for a period to allow us some financial stability to build on our offer to the community.

We have now implemented our framework for full cost recovery that will assist us in reflecting the true cost of the work we do and ensure that projects are fully funded. In addition, we have now instituted formal monthly management accounts to keep a closer eye on our funding and expenditure.

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5. Thank you, volunteers!

Most of our volunteers live in the community they serve and offer us the benefit of their wideranging backgrounds, skills and experience. Our pool of active volunteers is small but dedicated, often shifting as people’s circumstances change, providing them with more or less time to help others.

Our volunteers are at the heart of what we deliver - activities range from directly working with service users to providing back-room support. Our volunteers contribute for a range of reasons, but they also gain from the experience and in many ways, the work we do with volunteers makes a positive difference to their lives too. There is a fine line between service user and volunteer, and we have several volunteers who are also service users. Often the experience and confidence gained as a volunteer facilitates professional growth which we are determined to promote through further, professional training.

We estimate that in the last year alone, we benefited from 1,800 volunteer hours, which is an amazing act of generosity. IP17GNS could not function without the dedication of our volunteers; the generosity of our donors; and the goodwill of our wider community. We are built on shared effort and mutual support. I thank all involved for their continued support on behalf of my trustee colleagues and all those who have benefited from our services over the last twelve months.

Finally, please note that what we offer is not a hand-out, but a hand-up - we offer practical help that empowers people. Our long-term goal is to build a stronger, more resilient community, not simply to respond to short-term crises, and this is not diminished after four years of hard work and commitment from everyone involved in IP17GNS. Thank you all!

TRUSTEES

The Trustees of the charity are detailed on page 1 of these accounts.

APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES

The charity must have at least three trustees, and no more than 12. If the number falls below this minimum, the remaining trustee or trustees may act only to call a meeting of the charity trustees to appoint a new charity trustee.

Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

Nominated Trustees

Saxmundham Town and Kelsale-cum-Carlton Parish Council (“the appointing bodies”) may from to time nominate one trustee each, provided that such appointment does not cause the number of trustees who may be connected to either appointing body to exceed a majority of trustees. These will be points of coordination only and these councils shall have no power over the overall control of the CIO due to their limited voting rights.

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Information for new charity trustees

The charity trustees will make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment a copy of the current version of this constitution and a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.

RESERVES

The Trustees continue building towards the aimed reserve level of £60k, which will be reviewed annually and dependent on the level of fixed costs.

Signed by order of the trustees

T. E. Roberts

T. E. Roberts (Jan 26, 2026 12:35:53 GMT)

………………………………………………… Tim Roberts Chairperson 26/01/2026 ……………………… Date

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IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME (known as IP17GNS)

CHARITY NUMBER 1163775

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME (‘THE CIO’)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Ipswich17 Good Neighbour Scheme (the CIO) for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

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:

  1. accounting records were not kept as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

I confirm that there are no matters to which your attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed

Helen Rumsey

Helen Rumsey (Jan 26, 2026 12:52:30 GMT)

Helen Rumsey

Ensors

Blyth House Rendham Road Saxmundham Suffolk IP17 1WA

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IPSWICH 17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Receipts
Grants received
Donations
Client contributions - Social supermarket
Client contributions - Activities
Miscellaneous income
Bank interest
Payments
Staff Costs
Staff & Volunteer Expenses
Professional Fees
IT & Communications
Insurance
Premises Costs
Fixtures & Fittings
Grant Expenditure
Fundraising Costs
Social Supermarket & Food Parcels
Activities
Sundry expenses
Excess of receipts over payments
Cash funds at 1 April 2024
Cash funds at 31 March 2025		 Note Year
ended
Unrestricted
Restricted
2025
£
£
£
18,000
13,330
31,330
12,592
-
12,592
5,554
-
5,554
1,430
-
1,430
-
-
-
1,505
-
1,505
39,082
13,330
52,412
16,208
-
16,208
989
-
989
2,073
-
2,073
5,447
-
5,447
595
-
595
5,426
-
5,426
948
-
948
-
-
-
324
-
324
5,699
-
5,699
3,229
2,080
5,309
-
-
-
40,939
2,080
43,019
(1,858)
11,250
9,392
40,814
82,057
122,871
38,956
93,307
132,263		 Year
ended
2024
£
10,000
6,277
2,604
2,517
438
1,184
23,019
37,874
1,624
4,834
8,251
-
1,035
3,412
1,000
303
2,506
3,763
664
65,265
(42,246)
165,117
122,871

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IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

As at 31 March 2025

Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank
Cash in hand
Funds at 31 March 2025
Investment Assets
Investments at Cost
Value of Investments at 31 March 2025
Assets Retained for Charity's own use
Land & building
Equipment
Shelving, table & chairs
Liabilities
Independent Examination Fees
Payroll Fees
PAYE/NIC		 Year
ended
Unrestricted
Restricted
2025
£
£
£
38,956
43,307
82,263
-
-
-
38,956
43,307
82,263
-
50,000
50,000
-
57,961
57,961
-
-
-
1,037
-
1,037
3,323
-
3,323
4,360
-
4,360
1,200
-
1,200
247
247
202
202
1,649
-
1,649		 Year
ended
2024
£
72,817
54
72,871
50,000
56,648
-
89
3,323
3,412
1,074
122
1,196

As at the year end the charity had a liability under a premises license agreement, amounting to £27,000 over the next 5 years.

26/01/2026

Approved by the Board of Trustees on …...…………………………..and signed on its behalf by: T. E. Roberts

T. E. Roberts (Jan 26, 2026 12:35:53 GMT)

Tim Roberts Chairperson

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IPSWICH17 GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

For the year ended 31 March 2025

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and using the receipts and payments basis.

Restricted Funds

The restricted fund comprises donations and grants which are given for a specific purpose and are only expended for that purpose.

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