Charity No: 1190383 Extraordinary Links CIO Report and Accounts (February 2024) ## **Extraordinary Links CIO** ## **Reference and Administration Details** ## **For the year ending 24 Feb 2024** **Charity Number** 1190383 **Registered Office** 13 Fairford Road Bristol BS11 9QZ **Status** Extraordinary Links CIO is known locally as Extraordinary Links **Trustees** Trustees who served during this year and up to the date of the Report. Gillian Crea Chair (appointed 13 July 2020) Sandra Thomas (appointed 13 July 2020) Emma Wallington (appointed 13 July 2020) **Chief Executive Officer** The trustees delegate the day-to-day running of Extraordinary Links CIO to Gillian Crea (Chair of Trustees) **Bankers** Lloyds Bank plc 25 Gresham Street London EC2V 7HN ## **Report of the Trustees** The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ending 24 February 2024. References and administrative statements are set out on page 1, and form part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## **Governing Documents** Extraordinary Links CIO is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation, and is governed by the Charity Act 2011. We are known locally as Extraordinary Links and have full autonomy over our policies, governances and procedures. ## **Risk Review** Our board of trustees meets regularly to discuss and evaluate the major risks to our organisation. As we are as a small charity we have implemented internal control procedures to ensure risks are minimised effectively. ## **Organisational Structure** The CEO is responsible for the day to day management of Extraordinary Links CIO, and reports directly to the board of trustees to ensure there are no conflicts of interest present. The board of trustees consists of three trustees who are legally responsible for the organisation and governance of Extraordinary Links CIO. ## **Appointments of Trustees** New trustees can be appointed by the current board of trustees at a properly convened meeting, ensuring the trustee has the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. No further trustees have been appointed in the last year. ## **Trustees Report** 2022/23 was a year of consolidation for our charity and working with other organisations, however the impact of the cost of living crisis to donations received by the Charity and the rising costs of essential items such as rising premises costs, business insurance and retaining volunteers to run our outreach programmes for disabled children and their families. We all partnered with Bristol Parent Carers during the summer holidays to provide a low-cost visit for the families we help to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, this was very well received, and we thank Bristol Parent Carers for agreeing to cover the cost of this visit. Our chairperson, Gillian Crea, was also nominated for the BBC’s Make a Difference award for her volunteer work with Extraordinary Links, which further raised the profile of Extraordinary Links. Extraordinary Links was also nominated for other awards, The National Diversity Awards and the Movement For Good by the Benefact Group, demonstrating the work we are doing is making an impact for the families we work with. Our activity group has been growing from strength to strength, with 15 children on average attending our sessions each week. This is an opportunity for these children to find friends and develop social skills and life skills, whilst allowing the parents, carers and siblings to relax in a safe environment whilst learning new skills and creative ventures. Our carers group has also been helping families find the correct support for their children, in a safe non-judgemental environment. We have also offered advocacy to other families and assisted them in meetings with educational providers to secure the best outcomes for these children. We also raised funding through a Prize Draw this year, with items donated by local businesses and other supporters in the area, who included -Mendip Activity Club -Bristol Bears -Avon Valley Farm -Super Savers Store -Wood Butchers - Emma’s Hair and Beauty - Avon Valley Railway -PJ’s Hairdressers -Asda Our Christmas party was a huge success, partly funded through ticket sales to the party. ## **Pay and Renumeration** Extraordinary Links CIO is run completely by volunteers, receiving no pay or remuneration for any services. ## **Vision, Mission and Objectives** The long term aim of the organisation is to ensure that disabled children, and children with SEN and their families receive the support they need to thrive in society. We currently provide our services to 25 families in the Shirehampton area of Bristol. We want to reach out to more families who are not currently receiving our services, so ensuring our growth and sustainability as a CIO is of paramount importance to us, so we are constantly seeking funding opportunities and different avenues to advertise our free services. ## **Charitable Objectives** Extraordinary Links objects are set our in our constitution, _‘To relieve the needs of disabled children and children with special educational needs (SEN) and their parents, carers and siblings (the ‘beneficiaries’) in the Bristol area by the provision of, in particular, but not exclusively: (a) free activity sessions for the beneficiaries in the community. (b) signposting the parents, carers and siblings to organisations that can give support and information_ ## **Principle Funding Sources** The funding of Extraordinary Links CIO during this year was met by reserves, a grant from the Co-operative Members Fund, and St. Bernard’s Primary School PTA, funding was also received from received from our Christmas prize draw and through tickets to our Christmas Party, and other donations from members of the Public. ## **Restricted and unrestricted and designated funds** We are reporting a surplus of £3,470.47 for the period ending 24[th] February 2024 due to this funding being available for next year’s rolling fund for our charity, these funds have been earmarked for future costs such as activity group supplies, rent of the hall and miscellaneous expenses. ## **Future Financial Position** As many charities are currently finding, it is difficult to predict the financial position of Extraordinary Links CIO. However, the current forecast is good, with financial viability expected for the next 2 years. Our trustees regularly review at the impact of our finances and how we can look towards the future, regularly looking for further funding opportunities to ensure we can still provide the services we offer to the community. ## **Statement of Responsibilities of the trustees** The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and the United Kingdom accounting Standards. Company law 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 charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements trustees are required to - Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently - Observe the principles and methods in SORP - Make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent. - State whether applicable UK accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements - Prepare the financial statements on the on going concern basis unless it is inappropriate that a charity will continue in its operation. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the charity. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the provision of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website. Members of the charity guarantee to contribute and amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interests in the charity. ## **Statement of Financial Activities (Income and Expenditure)** _Opening Bank Balance_ **£4025.11** _24/02/23_ ||| |---|---| |**_Income_**|3,891.6| |St Bernard PTA
Amazon Smile
Co-Op membership Fund
Crowdfunder|415.75
23.96
2756.03
173.72| |Eventbrite
Bristol Parent Carers
Donations|32.01
375
115.13| |---|---| |**_Total Income_**|3,891.6| ||| |**_Expenditure_**|| |_Rent of Hall_|683.52| |_Zoom Yearly Cost_|155.88| |_Supplies for Activity Group_|2,509.02| |_Insurance_|177.99| |_Printing_
_Costs_|208.85| |Accounting Software
Costs|55.00| |_Website upkeep and Domain_|118.79| |Staf Training Costs|162.19| |_Paid Activity Trips for families_|375| |**_Total Expenditure_**|4,446.24| |**_Closing Bank Balance_**|3,470.47| These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies and to the small companies regime. Approved by the trustees on 2.10.2024 and sign on their behalf by ## **Gillian Crea** (Chair)