Charity Number1188929.
## **THRIVING LOCAL CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE**
# **BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT**
**ANNUAL REPORT 2023/2024**
Page **1** of **19**
## WELCOME
Welcome to our Annual Report and Financial Accounts 2023/2024.
It has been an incredible year in which The Space has developed, grown and continued to build a Community of Support for local children and young people living in the Cheddar Valley.
We embarked on a Transition Plan to make us sustainable, able to meet future demands and a foundation on which to build.
We couldn’t have done any of it without our amazing and talented sta� and volunteers, our coworkers from voluntary and statutory organisations, our steadfast Funders, and of course, the constant support of our local community.
Without you we could not exist. Thank you
## A Word from our Chair
Our local children and young people continue to seek help and support in increasing numbers, and for challenging and sometimes di�icult experiences.
We see the need for support increasing at younger ages, characterised by inappropriate behaviour, worry, low confidence, being withdrawn and inability to form friendships.
Over the seven years since The Space’s inception, the demand for our services has increased year by year and shows no sign of abating.
In 2023/2024 we took the ‘milestone’ step of radically changing our operations structure through a Transition Plan.
wider reach, and a range of services that show measurable benefits to our children and young people’ mental health, their parents and families and the wider community.
Next year will be equally amazing. Come and join us.
John Pimblott Chair of Trustees
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## THE SPACE TEAM
## Our Trustees
## Our Team
John Pimblott - Chair
Operations Manager Katharine Thompson
Amanda Bancroft – Vice Chair
Sandra Legg
Client Services Manager Laura Wilcox
Ian Biggs (appointed 8[th] February 2024)
Stephen Kite (appointed 26[th] September 2023)
Suzanne Smith (appointed 1[st] June 2023)
Performance, Events & Media Manager Ruth Carter
Play Therapists Counsellors
Youth Club Leaders
Connect Somerset Area Champion Doreen Smith
And of course – our splendid Volunteers
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## **IMPACT**
590 children and young people supported through a range of services. 2129 individual therapy sessions held.
their mental health and emotional wellbeing indicators – developing emotional resilience, positive relationships and improved quality of life.
70% of children made an overall improvement with parents and carers reporting improved behavioural changes, decrease in headaches and not so easily scared.
Our Youth Club feedback includes an improved ability to express themselves through Chill and Chat, even boys, meet and make friends and improved selfesteem and reduced isolation.
The Holiday Activities boosted children’s and young people’s emotional resilience and positive relationships, with positive feedback including increased selfconfidence, preventing loneliness, overcoming challenges, and a chance to make new friends.
Our impact on the community was to increase capacity for local community preventive mental health support for young people and their families, and to use green spaces to improve resilience, coping skills and children and young people’s connection to the environment.
Page **4** of **19**
## **Achievements during the year**
- We continued to o�er a range of pro-bono services to children and young people despite increased numbers and complexities.
- We provided
- Initial Assessments for everybody on our waiting list
- Counselling for 9-17 years
- Play Therapy for 8 years and under
- A youth club with 90 members and 30/35 weekly attendance
- Holiday activities using the outdoor environment and indoor craft activities
- A Roots and Shoots allotment using gardening and a green space as a therapeutic tool
- Working with environmental volunteer groups
- We established a physical hub in the centre of Cheddar as a base and providing a therapy room and large space for future development
- We committed to work with a mentor to develop a Transition Plan to translate anticipated requirements and demands into a future organisation and support structure that was sustainable, could meet upcoming challenges and able to work with Partners in upcoming landscape changes to children and young people’s mental health support.
- We implemented our Transition Plan aim of a new organisation and support structure employing 11 sta� resulting in a permanence and team spirit focussed on the future.
- We were recognised with a Cheddar Community Award for our services to local children and young people, for increasing local capacity, and for using green spaces to improve their resilience, coping skills, relationships and their connection to the environment.
Page **5** of **19**
## **What we Learnt over the Year**
- and parents and carers seeking support.
- their parents, and the local community. Our parent and community work will strengthen in the coming year.
- Despite increasing sta� levels to meet demand but our waiting list has grown,
- We need to continue learning and changing accordingly. The Transition Plan implementation and our sta� focus have resulted in a ‘one team’ spirit determined to make a local di�erence. Local intervention can provide the necessary support when statutory services are lacking.
- Collaborative working is key going forward as is our belief that systematic and measurable change in children’s and young people’s mental health is driven ‘bottom up’.
Page **6** of **19**
## **PLANS FOR 2024/2025**
- Focus on therapy services for children 8 years and under as a precursor to the wellbeing of the young people’s 9-17 years age range, i.e. establish improving techniques and systems for younger children they can use in later life.
- Implement a business plan for a local Parent support Hub to facilitate parent and carer support.
- Develop a funding strategy for multi-year grant and philanthropic funding, and increase local business and community funding significantly.
## **Structure, governance and management**
The Space uses a risk management process to assess our exposure to a variety of risks and to implement mitigation. The risks to which the charity is exposed are reviewed regularly by the Board of Trustees.
The defined risks include health and safety, personal safety, reputation, financial, service delivery and governance. The impact of each risk is assessed together with the likelihood of its occurrence.
The product of these two factors is used to identify significant risks, to prioritise and assess adequacy of mitigation actions.
We are constantly working to safeguard all of the children and young people who we support. Given the nature of the services we provide and the vulnerability of the children and young people who need support, we ensure that all our staff and volunteers are trained and supported to ensure safety and to raise concerns appropriately and confidently. In practice we have robust safeguarding processes which are regularly reviewed.
These include:
- coordinating the needs of the child or young person with the capability of our staff and decision-making process the decision-making process
- systematic, thorough recruitment and screening procedures
- training programme for staff and volunteers
- extensive recruitment and vetting process
- continued, regular supervision of staff and volunteers supervised by an experienced Operations Director
- professional development of all members of the team
- internal audits conducted by the Designated Safeguarding Lead These requirements are implemented as part of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which is reviewed on an annual basis. As part of the risk management process is a review of our insurance policy to ensure risks are adequately covered.
Page **7** of **19**
## **Public benefit**
The Trustees have referred to The Space Constitution and the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit at Trustee meetings, when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning current and future activities.
We fund services which complement services already provided by statutory bodies, including Somerset Unitary Authority and Somerset NHS and do not fund services and support which are within their statutory duty.
The Trustees are satisfied that our activities to preserve and protect the mental health of children and young people living in the Cheddar Valley Area meet our charitable purposes for the public benefit.
Our activities include pro-bono therapy services for ages 4-17 years, a youth club, holiday activities, a community wellbeing allotment, peer to peer collaboration, and social media awareness for our beneficiaries and general public.
Direct beneficiaries are children and young people while indirect beneficiaries are their direct and indirect family members and the community.
Page **8** of **19**
## **Annual report of the trustees**
## **Administrative details**
The Space is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) number 1188929.
The administrative office and operational address:
10 Hopwoods Corner replaced in 2024 The Estate Office Cheddar Lower North Street Somerset Cheddar BS27 3EU BS27 3HA
## **Reporting accountants**
Brooking Ruse Chartered Accountants 2 Stafford Place Weston-super-Mare Somerset BS23 2QZ.
## **Bankers**
National Westminster Bank Plc
## **Purposes and aims**
Our charity’s purposes are set out in the charity’s constitution dated 6[th] April 2020.
We aim to:
- preserve and protect the mental health of children and young people, in particular, but not exclusively aged between 4-18 living in the Cheddar Valley, Somerset through: a) The provision of one-to-one counselling, support, advice and information; b) Recreational and leisure time activities
## **Reserves**
The Trustees of The Space CIO confirm that they adopt a Reserves Policy to provide reserves provision to cover three months unexpected operating costs at the 2024 forecast level of expenditure. Most operating costs are the cost of staff contracts with the reserve provision providing cover for potential contract termination costs.
## **Statement of trustees’ responsibilities**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Financial Reporting Standard 102 _The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland_ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the
Page **9** of **19**
charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice SORP;
- make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements, and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that 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, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report was approved by the Board on the 6[th] November 2024 and signed on its behalf by John Pimblott, Chair of Trustees.
**………………………………..**
## **Chair of Trustees**
Page **10** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Space (CIO)**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Space (CIO) for the year ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 5 to 8.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees 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 Trustee’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Under common practice, the accounting period headings used in the Statement of Financial Activities uses the current year and comparative figures headed by the year only, i.e. 2024 refers to the year ending 31[st] March 2024, and 2023 refers to the year ending 31[st] March 2023.
## **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 in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
- (2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- (3) 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.
Robert Orr, Brooking Ruse, Chartered Accountants, 2 Stafford Place, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 2QZ.
…………………………….
SM.CB.11055
Page **11** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Statement of financial activities for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Notes**
**Incoming resources**
Grant Funding
Community Fundraising
Charitable Activities
Bank Interest
**Resources expended**
Charitable Activities and Projects
4
Governance Costs
5
**Net incoming/(outgoing)** **resources**
6|**Restricted**
**Funds**
135,500
-
-
-
**____________**
135,500
**____________**
99,664
-
**____________**
99,664
**____________**
35,836
**____________**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
30,004
19,504
1,322
4,037
**____________**
54,867
**____________**
46,203
6,314
**____________**
52,517
**____________**
2,350
**____________**|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
165,504
19,504
1,322
4,037
**____________**
190,367
**____________**
145,867
6,314
**____________**
152,181
**____________**
38,186
____________|**2023**
**£**
133,340
32,466
-
1,685
**____________**
167,491
**____________**
102,943
13,316
**____________**
116,259
**____________**
51,232
**____________**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
**The notes on pages 14 to 16 form an integral part of these financial statements.**
Page **12** of **19**
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Z024
202J
C4sh at baftk •nO kn haf#l
169.969
554
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170.521
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Page13of19
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Notes to the unaudited financial statements**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
## **1. Accounting Policies**
## (a) **Basis of preparation of financial statements**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
## (b) **Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**
The charity reported a surplus for the year of £38,186 which resulted in a valuation of funds held within the charity of £135,243 at 31 March 2024. The Trustees are confident of receiving the continued support from its members and on this basis, the Trustees have prepared the accounts on a going concern basis.
## (c) **Funds structure**
Unrestricted income funds comprise those funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objects. Unrestricted funds include designated funds where the trustees, at their discretion, have set aside resources for a specific purpose.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor.
## (d) **Incoming resources**
All incoming resources are recognised once the charity has entitlement to the resources, it is certain that the resources will be received and the monetary value of incoming resources can be measured with sufficient reliability. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.
Incoming resources from grants, where there are performance or service deliverables required by the terms of the grant, are accounted for as the charity earns the right to payment through its performance.
Donated services and facilities are included at the value to the charity where this can be quantified.
Investment income is included when receivable.
## (e) **Resources expended**
Liabilities are recognised as resources expended as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category.
## (f) **Irrecoverable VAT**
Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.
Page **14** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Notes to the unaudited financial statements**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024** …continued
## 2 **. Trustees remuneration**
No members of the management committee received any remuneration during the year, nor were any expenses reimbursed to trustees.
## 3 **. Taxation**
As a charity, The Space is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within sections 466 to 493 Corporation Tax Act 2010 (CTA 2010) or section 256 Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (TCGA 1992) to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.
|4.
**Restricted Unrestricted**
**Charitable activities and projects**
**Funds**
**Funds**
Staffing costs – including social security and training
99,664
21,476
Project costs
-
5,435
Community Hub
-
10,400
Communications, computer and software
-
4,360
General expenses - including travel and DBS
-
4,532
________
________
99,664
46,203
________
________
5.
**Restricted Unrestricted**
**Governance Costs**
**Funds**
**Funds**
Payroll and Human Resources
-
4,592
Independent examination
-
960
Insurance
-
601
Bank charges
-
161
________
________
-
6,314
________
________
6.
**£**
**2024**
**Current liabilities**
Accruals
960
Deferred grant income
34,320
________
35,280
________|**Total**
121,140
5,435
10,400
4,360
4,532
________
145,867
________
**Total**
4,592
960
601
161
________
6,314
________
**£**
**2023**
-
-
________
-
________|
|---|---|
Page **15** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Notes to the unaudited financial statements**
**for the year ended 31 March 2024** …continued
|7.
**Restricted Unrestricted**
**Funds of the Charity**
**Funds**
**Funds**
At 1stApril 2023
55,889
41,168
Surplus/(deficit) for the year
35,836
2,350
________
________
**As at 31 March 2024**
91,725
43,518
________
________|**Total**
97,057
38,186
________
135,243
________|
|---|---|
Page **16** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
**The following pages do not form part of the statutory financial statements of the charity**
Page **17** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Statement of financial activities by project for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Notes**
**Incoming resources**
Grant Funding
Community Fundraising
Charitable Activities
Bank Interest
**Resources expended**
Charitable Activities and Projects
Governance Costs
Contribution towards The Hub
**Net incoming/(outgoing)** **resources**|**The**
**Connect**
**Total**
**Space**
**Somerset**
**2024**
**£**
135,500
30,004
165,504
19,504
-
19,504
1,322
-
1,322
4,037
-
4,037
**____________**
**____________**
**____________**
160,363
30,004
190,367
**____________**
**____________**
**____________**
( 124,999 )
( 20,868 )
( 145,867 )
( 6,314 )
-
( 6,314 )
**____________**
**____________**
**____________**
( 131,313 )
( 20,868 )
( 152,181 )
9,136
( 9,136 )
-
**____________**
**____________**
**____________**
38,186
-
38,186
**____________**
**____________**
____________|**2023**
**£**
**____________**
**____________**
**____________**
-
**____________**
-
**____________**|
|---|---|---|
Page **18** of **19**
## **The Space (CIO)**
## **Detailed expenditure accounts by project**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Charitable activities and projects**
Staffing costs – including social security and training
Project costs
Community Hub
Communications, computer and software
General expenses – including travel and DBS
**Governance Costs**
Payroll and Human Resources
Independent examination
Insurance
Bank charges
**Funds of the Charity**
At 1stApril 2023
Surplus/(deficit) for the year
**As at 31 March 2024**|**The**
**Space**
100,272
5,435
10,400
4,360
4,532
________
124,999
________
**The**
**Space**
4,592
960
601
161
________
6,314
________
**The**
**Space**
97,057
38,186
________
135,243
________|**Connect**
**Somerset**
20,868
-
-
-
-
________
20,868
________
**Connect**
**Somerset**
-
-
-
-
________
-
________
**Connect**
**Somerset**
-
-
________
-
________|**Total**
121,140
5,435
10,400
4,360
4,532
________
145,867
________
**Total**
4,592
960
601
161
________
6,314
________
**Total**
97,057
38,186
________
135,243
________|
|---|---|---|---|
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