2025-02-24-accounts

Charity No: 1190383

Extraordinary Links CIO Report and Accounts (February 2025)

Extraordinary Links CIO

Reference and Administration Details

For the year ending 24 Feb 2025

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 2025. 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

2024/25 was a year of growth for our charity and collaboration with other organisations; however, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on donations received by the charity and the rising costs of essential items, such as premises costs and business insurance did affect our funding levels.

Thanks to a generous donation from Bristol Zoo during the summer holidays, we were able to offer low-cost visits for families. This was very well received, and we thank Bristol Zoo for providing tickets for these visits.

Extraordinary Links was also nominated for other awards, including the National Diversity Awards and the Movement For Good by the Benefact Group, demonstrating that our work is making a positive impact on the families we serve. We also attended the first Together for SEND, organised by Bristol Parents Carers, where we delivered a workshop on Disabled Children’s Allowance for parents and carers, and hosted a stall to promote Extraordinary Links and our activities.

Our activity group has been growing steadily, with an average of 15 children attending each week. This offers children the chance to make friends and develop social and life skills, while parents, carers, and siblings can relax in a safe environment, learn new skills, and engage in creative activities. Our Minecraft Social Group has also expanded thanks to a generous grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, which allowed us to purchase tablets for group use. Additionally, we extended our Minecraft Social Group to include a virtual session, which has been very well received. The virtual session enables SEND children who cannot attend in person to enjoy social contact, make friends, and interact with their peers.

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 -Wood Butchers

-PJ’s Hairdressers -Asda -Morrisons

Our Christmas party was a huge success, partly funded through ticket sales to the party.

Pay and Remuneration

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 National Lottery Community Fund, a grant from Burges Salmon Charitable Trust, and a grant from the John James Foundation. Nisbets also kindly raised funds through the Bristol Marathon. Our Christmas prize draw, 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 £ 14164.26 for the period ending 24 February 2025, 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, hall rental, and miscellaneous expenses. The funding from the John James Foundation was restricted to paying for the Rent of Shirehampton Public Hall for this year.

Future Financial Position

As many charities are currently finding, iust is difficult to predict the financial position of Extraordinary Links CIO. However, the current forecast is good, with financial viability expected for the next 3 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 £3795.19 24/02/23

Income 15,874.69 John James Foundation 768 Restricted) Burges Salmon Charitable 350 Trust National Lottery 13,111.60 Nisbets 1,044.77 Bristol Parents Carers 50 Crowdfunder 165.39 PayPal – Donations 158.06 Donations 142.33 Refunds of goods 84.54 Total Funds 19,669.88 Expenditure Rent of Hall 706.77 Zoom Yearly Cost 155.88 Tablets for Minecraft Group 935.64 Supplies for Activity Group 2,601.87 Insurance 180.58 Printing Costs 337.37 Bank Service Charge 5.00 Website upkeep and Domain 551.53 Staff Training Costs 120 Total Expenditure 5,594.64 Closing Bank Balance 14,075.24

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 26.10.2025 and sign on their behalf by

Gillian Crea (Chair)