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2023-12-31-accounts

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1189763

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

for

STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

Holy Brook Associates Ltd

STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Contents of the Financial Statements

for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

Page
Report of the Trustees 1 to 6
Independent Examiner's Report 7 to 8
Statement of Financial Actvites 9
Balance Sheet 10
Notes to the Financial Statements 11 to 15

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Report of the Trustees

for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

The Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the period ended 31 December 2023. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Charity number

1189763

Principal address

Involve Community Services

The Court House

Broadway

BRACKNELL

Berkshire

RG12 1AE

Trustees

Dr Bernadette Fisher – Chairperson - Appointed 3[rd] June 2020

George Story – Appointed 8[th] August 2021

Sarah Gore – Appointed 3[rd] June 2020

Christopher Fisher- Retired 31[st] December 2023

Deborah Workman – Appointed 30[th] November 2023

Catherine Wilkins – Appointed 10[th] April 2024

Independent Examiner

Rachel Eden

Holy Brook Associates

Curious Lounge, 1st Floor,

Pinnacle Building,

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Tudor Road, Reading, England,

RG1 1NH

Bankers

THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK PLC CENTRAL CORPORATE BRANCH P O Box 250, WN8 6WT

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Report of the Trustees

for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING, is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), registered as a charity on June 3[rd] , 2021, charity number 1189763. The Charity is controlled by its governing document and the CIO Constitution. The Trustees who served the charity during the period were as follows:

Dr Bernadette Fisher – Chairperson: appointed 13/04/2020. Sarah Gore – Trustee: appointed 15/04/2020 Christopher Fisher: Trustee: appointed 15/04/2020 retired 31[st] December 2023 George Story – Trustee: appointed 23/06/2021. Deborah Workman - Trustee: appointed 30/11/2023.

Recruitment and appointment of new Directors and Trustees

The Constitution provides for a minimum of 3 Trustees with no stated maximum. Where there is a requirement for new Trustees these are identified and appointed by the existing Trustees for a term of 3 years by the passing of a resolution at a properly convened meeting of the Trustees. In selecting the new Trustees, the board must have regard for the skills, knowledge and experience needed from the individual in order to provide effective administration of the charity.

Any new Trustee will be provided, on or before their first appointment, with a copy of the previous period's annual report and accounts and a copy of the Charity Constitution.

Risk management

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The principal objective of the charity is to promote the positive health and wellbeing of all adults who live, work or study in the Bracknell Forest area. We offer free education to anyone aged 18 or more, who works, lives or studies in the Borough of Bracknell Forest and who is experiencing problems with their mental, physical, or emotional health and for those that support them. A co created, compassionate learning environment empowers individuals (students) through education about all aspects of wellbeing, highlighting their personal skills and strengths, building self-confidence, inspiring creativity, and unlocking

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Report of the Trustees

for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

potential. Small group work also nurtures stronger peer support networks, reduced social isolation, and increases community connectivity.

Public benefit statement

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charities Commission Guidance on public benefit.

Stepping Stones Recovery College (SSRC) is dedicated to promoting the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of all adults who live, work or study in the borough of Bracknell Forest. SSRC is unique in the local community in providing a wide selection of free creative and educational courses and workshops in a safe, respectful, and compassionate learning environment. We offer a holistic, recovery-oriented approach that empowers students to rediscover themselves, find renewed meaning and purpose and build self-confidence, following any life challenge. Moving beyond traditional mental health models, we focus on personal growth rather than just symptom management. This broad based, educational approach nurtures greater self-awareness and especially the identification of inherent personal skills and strengths which may have become lost during periods of ill health.

At the heart of our ethos is working together as equals and, in keeping with the recovery college model, our way of working is to use collective problem solving, democratic decisionmaking and to provide free, open access to all our resources. Students, staff, facilitators, and volunteers therefore all work together, and we have learned that these in-person interactions can be highly effective for helping many to overcome social anxieties and for activating and sustaining natural peer support systems. Every term, we provide over 200 free workshop sessions, covering 45 - 50 different subjects and these are encapsulated within pathways for understanding mental health and specific conditions, key elements in the recovery process, practical ways to improve health and wellbeing, developing better life skills and unlocking creative potential. Anonymous student feedback highlights the importance of the college in providing a welcoming, respectful, and safe space for learning and personal growth. As an independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), we also collaborate closely with all local statutory and voluntary services in order to increase our effectiveness and build lasting, collaborative partnerships.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

In our second year of operation (September, 2022 to July, 2023), 353 new students registered with SSRC, representing a 10% increase over the previous year's 320 registrations. By the end of 2023, we had over 750 students registered, and our monthly registration rate more than doubled in the last two months of the year. Given our increasing student population, a priority for 2024 will be to identify find more efficient and cost-

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effective ways to administer and manage course enrolment equitably. During 2023 we also witnessed an increase in male and non-binary students, making our demographic profile more representative of the wider, local population. New students are signposted from a variety of local statutory and voluntary organisations, with almost half being recommended by one of the BFC statutory mental health services. A further third of students heard of SSRC via word of mouth from friends, family, or carers with social prescribers and the Job Centre also featuring as other significant signposting sources. As we continue to remain somewhat Bracknell town centric, in the coming years we will explore different ways to actively engage with local communities and ideally, begin co-create with them some new ideas for what we might offer them in the future.

Each term we introduce new courses and workshops and routinely ask for qualitative and quantitative feedback from all students and over 80% have continued consistently to rate our courses and workshops as ‘very useful’ to their recovery. Verbatim comments also describe their experiences as ‘inspiring’ ‘educational,’ ‘useful’ and ‘informative.' Experienced facilitators lead most of our courses and student ratings for their work indicates exceptionally high levels of satisfaction with both content and delivery and over 98% of students say they would recommend our workshops and courses to others.

In the Borough of Bracknell Forest, we have continued proactively to build productive relationships with local companies and other organisations and now have over 150 local business contacts. In early 2023, we also participated in a BFC Public Health initiative to offer warm places for anyone worried about heating their homes and/or wishing to engage with their local community and we presented information about SSRC at six different local locations. In 2023, we delivered a 3-part course on Stress Management for the CIOB and we are also participating in a new Healthy Workplace Alliance, led by Bracknell Public Health which allows us to build further partnerships within the local business community. We have and will continue to actively participate in other voluntary and statutory community groups, such as the Happiness Hub, The Homeless and Hardship Forums, the Community Mental Health Practice Group, and the Young Adults Collaboration.

During early 2023, we secured an additional £17,000 in funding, included in which was a £10,000 National Lottery award for our Young Adults Programme and several smaller grants from local Parish Councils, the Pride of Bracknell Charity of the Year Gold Award, and the Bracknell Mayor's Award. We have recently launched Easy Fundraising to our students, and SSRC receives donations based on their online spending but we are careful to emphasise to students that while we appreciate any donations, we do not want them to spend any more than they would do normally. We have also built strong relationships with several local retailers and a number of local parish councils have continued to support our Young Adults programme. SSRC is often invited to local parish council meetings to accept a grant and this is a great opportunity to publicise the college and build additional local partnerships.

During 2023, we continued to use co-creation processes to create a new programme of courses and an information hub to support young adults’ unique needs ready to launch in 2024. These will be available via two new websites that will be specifically designed to support young adults in key areas they identified in earlier in-depth research. The first

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website, called ichooseME, will be an interactive website created by one of our young adult student supporters and designed to optimise and speed up the search for the kind of support that best matches each person’s needs. It should enable young adults in particular to just see support options that are tailored to meet the criteria they input on the site. The second Young Adults’ website will provide details of a wide programme of workshops designed especially for them and initially, we will request feedback on its general layout and their course preferences. In 2024, we hope that the Young Adults’ programme will also receive additional, more dedicated human resourcing to enable us to begin offering workshops in early 2025.

Other SSRC priorities for the coming year include continuing to manage our increasing student numbers and to ensure that our limited, free workshop places are offered fairly to both new and existing students. We will also continue to focus on reducing student attrition and address absenteeism by building student loyalty as soon as they register and discouraging over commitment to courses. To help with this we will have more one- to-one conversations with students and encourage them to complete a Personal Learning Plan (PLP). We will also continue to explore the long-term impact of SSRC on all our all aspects of wellbeing and recovery and develop measures to identify SSRC's specific, unique contribution to this.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial Review

The charity held reserves of £86,700 at year end (2021 - £80,326). This was equivalent to around 5 months’ worth of operating costs. The Trustees have determined that the Charity must hold a minimum level of liquid reserves equivalent to 5-6 months’ worth of operating costs, as set out in our Financial Policy.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

Bernadette Fisher

25[th] October 2024

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Independent Examiners Report

for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

I report on the accounts of the charity for the period ended 31 December 2023 which are set out on pages 11 to 17.

Respective responsibilities of directors and examiner

The charity’s directors are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s directors consider that an audit is not required for this Period under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity 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 you as 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.

Other matters

Your attention is drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared the accounts (financial statements) 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 (FRS102) issued on 16 July 2014 in preference to the Accounting and Reporting Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has since been withdrawn.

We understand that this has been done in order for the accounts to provide a true and fair view in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Practice effective for reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2015.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

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1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

have not been met; or

Rachel Eden, FCMA

Holy Brook Associates

Curious Lounge, 1st Floor,

Pinnacle Building,

Tudor Road, Reading,

England,

RG1 1NH

25[th] October 2024

STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Page 10

Statement of Financial Activities

for the Period Ended 31 December 2023

Note
INCOMING
RESOURCES
Incoming resources
from generated
funds
Grants and
Donatons
2
Total incoming
resources
RESOURCES
EXPENDED
Costs of raising funds
3
Charitable actvites
4
Legal and
administratve costs
5
Total resources
expended
NET INCOME
RECONCILIATION OF
FUNDS
Total funds brought
forward
TOTAL FUNDS
CARRIED FORWARD		 Unrestricte
d funds
Restricted
funds
2023 Total
funds
£
£
£
208,356
-
208,356
208,356
-
208,356
6,843
-
6,843
191,755
-
191,755
3,380
-
3,380
201,978
-
201,978
6,378
-
6,378
80,326
-
80,326
86,700
-
86,700		 2022
Total
funds
£
237,900
237,900
5,948
160,720
3,348
170,016
67,883
12,443
80,326

STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Page 11

Balance Sheet

At 31 December 2023

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
6
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash in bank and in
hand
Prepayments
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due
within one year
7
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS
CURRENT LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
8
FUNDS
9
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS		 Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
funds
£
£
920
-		 2023 Total
funds
£
920
90,549
-
79,859
4,768
85,780
86,799
86,700
-
86,700
86,700		 2022
Total
funds
£
2,409
90,549
-
-		 78,859
-
79,859
4,768
-		 78,859
1,942
85,780
86,799
-		 77,917
80,326
86,700
-		 80,326
-
-
86,700
-
86,700
-		 -
80,326
80,326

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 25[th] October 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

Bernadette Fisher -Trustee 25[th] October 2024

STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Page 12

Notes to the Accounts

At 31 December 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES continued

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2. DONATION AND LEGACIES

Donatons
Grant
3.
COST OF RAISING FUNDS
Promoton and public relatons costs		 2023
£
2,856
205,500
208,356
2023
£
6,843
6,843		 2022
£
17,900
220,000
237,900
2022
£
5,948
5,948

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Notes to the Accounts (continued)

At 31 December 2022

4. CHARITABLE ACTIVITES

Cost of services
Cleaning
Consultng
Depreciaton Expense
Entertainment
Equipment less than £100
General Expenses
Interest paid
Insurance
IT Sofware and Consumables
Ofce costs
Pensions Costs
Printng & Statonery
Repairs & Maintenance
Salaries
Staf Training
Subscriptons
Telephone & Internet
Travel - Natonal
5.
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
Accountancy and payroll
Independent examiner’s fee		 2023
£
89,426
2,923
3,546
1,489
-
80
-
102
1,806
346
9,150
1,009
636
1,101
76,975
1,487
-
1,531
3,147
191,755
2023
£
3,020
360
3,380		 2022
£
86,690
1,194
9,579
1,356
754
28
97
-
1,511
1,037
1,613
767
851
414
49,160
1,218
1,250
1,414
1,790
160,720
2022
£
2,988
360
3,348

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Notes to the Accounts (continued)

At 31 December 2023

6. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

COST
At 31 December 2022
Additons
At 31 December 2023
DEPRECIATION
At 31 December 2022
Charge for the Period
At 31 December 2023
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 December 2022
AT 31 December 2023		 Computer
Equipment
£
Total 2023
£
Total 2022
£
4,468
-
4,468
-
3,869
599
4,468
4,468
4,468
(2,509)
(1,489)
(2,509)
(1,489)
(703)
(1,356)
(3,548)
(3,548)
(2,059)
2,409
920
2,409
920
3,166
2,409

7. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE PERIOD

Accruals
Payroll related creditors
Accounts payable		 2023
£
936
2,161
1,671
4,768		 2022
£
936
1,006
-
1,942

8. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

Fixed Assets
Current Assets
Current liabilites		 Unrestricte
d
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
2023
Total
Funds
£
920
-
920
90,548
-
90,548
(4,768)
-
(4,768)
86,700
-
86,700		 2022
Total
Funds
£
2,409
79,858
(1,942)
80,326

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STEPPING STONES COLLABORATION FOR RECOVERY AND WELLBEING

Notes to the Accounts (continued)

At 31 December 2023

9. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Unrestricted
funds
General fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 Net
Movements
in funds
£
Transfers
between
funds
£
At
31.12.2023
£
6,378
-
86,700
6,378
-
86,700		 At
31.12.2022
£
80,326
80,326

10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The charity received grants and donations totalling £150,000 from related parties (trustees and close relatives) for the period ended 31 December 2023 (2022 – £190,000). None of these transactions had conditions attached.

11. ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY

The Board of Trustees are considered to be the ultimate controlling party.

12. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the period ended 31 December 2023 (2022 – none).

13. EMPLOYEE REMUNERATION

2023 2022
£ £
Salaries 77,776 49,126
Natonal Insurance - 30
Employers Pension 1,009 767
Total 78,785 49,923

The average number of employees in 2023 was 10 (2022 – 5). No employee was paid total remuneration in excess of £60,000 (2022 – none)

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