## Serving Our Superheroes (SOS)
A CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION
CHARITY REGISTRATION NO. 1191410
## ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
30 September 2025
Charity report prepared 15th July 2026, covering the accounting period 1st October 2024 to 30th September 2025.
"Supporting Everyone in Need, Because Everyone is a Superhero to Us."
1
## Serving Our Superheroes (SOS)
## (CHARITY NO. 1191410)
## CONTENTS
Trustees' Annual Report .......................................................................... Pages 3 to 8 Statement of Financial Activities ............................................................... Page 9 Balance Sheet ........................................................................................... Page 10 Notes to Accounts ............................................................................. Pages 11 to 13 Detailed Statement of Financial Activities .............................................. Page 14 Appendix: Examples of Donations and Impact ....................................... Page 15
2
## Serving Our Superheroes (SOS)
## TRUSTEES' REPORT
15th July 2026
The Trustees present their report with the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the period ended 30 September 2025.
## REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS
Charity registration number: 1191410
Trustees: The trustees of the charity, who served during the year, were:
- Sarah Gardner BEM (Chair & Treasurer)
- Charlotte Houston (Vice-Chair)
- Stephen Gardner (Secretary)
Accountants: STR Associates Ltd, Chartered Certified Accountants, 239 The Broadway, Southall, UB1 1ND
Website: https://www.servingoursuperheroes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/servingoursuperheroes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serving-our-superheroes/
## OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
To relieve people in London, the surrounding area and internationally, 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.
## INTRODUCTION
Serving Our Superheroes (SOS) is an award-winning Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), founded by Sarah Gardner BEM BCAv on 13th April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officially registered as a charity on 22nd September 2020, and with an international constitution adopted in 2021, SOS has grown into a sustainability-driven humanitarian organisation serving the vulnerable across the UK and globally.
This report covers a landmark year for the charity, in which SOS marked its fifth anniversary in April 2025, five years of continuous, volunteer-led support to people experiencing hardship, illness, homelessness and crisis.
As at 15 July 2026, SOS had donated more than 198,563 items to individuals in need, equating to an estimated retail value in excess of £4.6 million. As many of these donations are family packs, baby bundles and community support packages that help multiple individuals, the Trustees estimate that SOS has supported well in excess of 200,000 people since launch. The work continues to be delivered with minimal cash donations and maximum impact through sustainable sourcing and circular economy practices.
3
## MAIN ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT
During the year, SOS continued to provide:
- Toiletry packs (washbags) and hygiene/care kits
- Sanitary items and period products
- Luxury cosmetic / skincare hampers
- Dementia aids (fiddle/twiddle muffs)
- Newborn bundles, baby hats, cardigans, blankets and baby toiletry packs
- Handmade quilts and large blankets
- Pants for Patients (handmade hospital trousers)
- Books, toys, stationery and ELSA emotional-support aids
- Clothing, including hats, gloves and heated waistcoats
- Items to support the homeless and those in supported living
- Comfort and treat packs for hospices
- Support for the South Tees Hospital / James Cook University Hospital 'Pink Box' campaign
- Specialist care packs for individuals and families in crisis, including newly introduced Autism packs
SOS predominantly supports communities across West London, but its reach is increasingly national: during the year, supplies were delivered as far afield as Salisbury and sent by courier to Teesside, and the charity continues to receive a growing number of requests for support from across the UK.
The charity remains an entirely volunteer-led family effort. Founder Sarah Gardner works full-time in her professional career and runs SOS in her spare time, alongside her husband and sister, who are both trustees, with wider family members, including her children, also helping with packing and distribution. No salary is drawn by any trustee, ensuring donations go directly to the people the charity supports.
The Pants for Patients programme, launched in February 2022, continued to grow strongly during the year, with the number of handmade trousers distributed since launch remaining in excess of 2,300 pairs, helping hospital and hospice patients maintain dignity and comfort.
Pants for Patients trousers have been donated to the following locations to date:
- Hillingdon Hospital
- Michael Sobell Hospice
- Harlington Hospice
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
- Northwick Park Hospital
- West Herts Teaching Hospital
- Fur Clements, for distribution to hospitals in the Wigan area
- Nigeria, via Rotary International
- South Tees Hospital / James Cook University Hospital
4
## FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY, APRIL 2025
April 2025 marked five years since SOS was founded on Easter Bank Holiday, 13th April 2020. To mark the milestone, SOS reflected on its journey from sewing the first laundry bags for NHS staff to becoming an international, award-winning charity, and released its third charity single, "Grace", on iTunes, with proceeds supporting the charity's ongoing work. Spring 2025 activity included the delivery of treat packs, hospital trousers and sanitary towels to James Cook University Hospital, comfort packs to Michael Sobell Hospice, and supplies to local schools supporting vulnerable students and families, alongside the assembly of baby packs for new mothers and homeless support packs.
## PARTNERSHIPS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability continued to be embedded within SOS's operating model rather than treated as a separate project. The charity operates using circular economy principles, ensuring that surplus products, donated goods and materials remain in use for as long as possible rather than becoming waste.
- Clean Conscience and In Kind Direct continued to help SOS reduce its carbon footprint by providing surplus hygiene goods.
- Offcut materials from trousers and washbags continued to be used to make children's dresses for baby banks and hospitals, promoting a zero-waste model.
- All trousers and washbags are made from upcycled fabrics.
- SOS continued to reduce landfill by redistributing corporate surplus.
- SOS continued to work toward hygiene dignity for the homeless, helping to reduce hospital admissions linked to hygiene-related conditions.
This circular economy approach, rescuing surplus products, using donated and upcycled materials, and partnering with businesses committed to reducing waste, was independently recognised during the year with the Green Apple Environment Award 2025.
## FUNDRAISING
As well as receiving items that are redistributed to or made for the charity, SOS also fundraises to purchase additional items, for example, baby toiletry packs and nappies to accompany donated knitted baby clothes and blankets, and deodorants and sanitary towels for ShowerBox, homeless shelters and hospices. As little as £3 can provide a washbag of basic essential toiletries, a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and shampoo, for someone arriving at hospital with nothing. The charity's charitable status allows it to purchase items at a discounted rate, maximising the impact of every pound received. Since June 2024, SOS has continued to operate a charity lottery via One Lottery to help sustain core operations. Most donations continue to come in the form of goods or services, supplemented by community fundraisers, donations from partners and the public, and occasional small grants and relief fund contributions.
## CRISIS AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
SOS remained agile and responsive to humanitarian and community need during the year:
- Continued aid to Afghan and Ukrainian refugees (clothing, toiletries, toys)
- Toiletry kits and food support during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis
- Aid to homeless shelters, including ShowerBox (towels, boots, tents)
- Bereavement and miscarriage care packs to Hillingdon Hospital
5
- Emotional support tools (puppets, dolls) for children via school ELSAs
## INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
While the majority of SOS's work supports communities across West London and the wider UK, the charity became an international operation early in its history, expanding globally by 26th September 2021. Working through Rotary International, partner charities and a wide network of community contacts, SOS has sent clothing, dresses, hospital trousers and essential items to support people affected by crisis, poverty and displacement in numerous countries, including:
- Nigeria: Pants for Patients hospital trousers collected and distributed via Rotary International to hospitals in the Akure area
- Uganda: support for the Click Rukiga Youth in Development project, in partnership with the Dress a Girl initiative, providing handmade dresses and clothing to students
- Syria: 400 handmade dresses and 60 pairs of shoes, in sizes ranging from 18 months to 6 years, sent to young girls living in refugee camps, in partnership with One Nation UK and Dress a Girl Around the World, and coordinated with the Helping West London network
- Wider Africa: clothing and essential items sent to communities in need, coordinated through the charity's contact Princess Peace
- The Caribbean: emergency items sent in response to hurricane relief efforts
- Ukraine: clothing, toiletries and toys sent to support refugees and those affected by the ongoing crisis
- Afghanistan: clothing, toiletries and toys sent to support Afghan refugees, including donations to families in isolation hotels near Heathrow
This international dimension reflects SOS's founding belief that everyone is a superhero to someone, wherever they are in the world, and the Trustees are proud of how far the charity's reach now extends from its roots in Hillingdon, achieved almost entirely through volunteer networks, partner charities and community goodwill rather than significant cash expenditure.
## AWARDS
SOS is a multi-award-winning charity. Awards received during the year covered by this report, and in the period since, include:
- Best Business Woman Awards 2025, Charity Champion (Silver)
- Green Apple Environment Award 2025
- SOS's full award history to date is as follows:
- Hounslow Chamber of Commerce Best Charity (SOS), 2020
- Gold International Stevie Awards / Women in Business Award, Most Valuable Nonprofit Response, 2020
- Silver Stevie Awards 2021: Startup of the Year, Consumer Products Industries; Backline Medical Hero of the Year; Delivery Hero of the Year; Woman of the Year, Government or Non-Profit
- Various International GLOBEE Awards (2021): Gold, Essential Worker Hero of the Year; Gold, Health Care and Medical Hero of the Year; Gold, Best Use of Social Media (COVID-19-related Information); Silver, Startup of the Year; Silver, Best Non-Profit Response; Bronze, Organisation of the Year (Government or Non-Profit, 10 or Fewer Employees); Bronze, Women in Business and the Professions World Awards, Executive Hero of the Year; Bronze, Company Innovation of the Year
- Orbit, Thriving Communities / Better Days Award (2021)
6
- Great British Care Awards 2021, Regional Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Care (London)
- Hounslow Chamber of Commerce Best Entrepreneur Award (2021/2022)
- Thames Valley Business & Community Awards 2022, Winner, Outstanding Contribution to the Community
- Best Business Woman Awards (Silver), 2021, 2022 and 2023
- West London Chamber of Commerce, Highly Commended (2022 and 2023); Finalist (2024)
- Toiletries Amnesty Community Award 2023
- Women's Community Impact Awards 2024, Lifetime Achievement Award (Community Impact Award category), 25 May 2024
- Best Business Woman Awards 2024, Charity Champion (Silver), Most Inspiring Businesswoman (Silver) and Special Recognition Award
- Panache Global Entertainment Awards UK 2024, Outstanding Achievement in Community Service
- Best Business Woman Awards 2025, Charity Champion (Silver)
- Green Apple Environment Award 2025
## SUBSEQUENT EVENT, COMMONWEALTH ENVIRONMENT & CSR AWARDS 2026
Since the year end, SOS has been notified that its Pants for Patients project has been successful in The Commonwealth Environment & CSR Awards 2026, run by The Green Organisation. The organisers have confirmed the charity is among the winners; in line with the competition's format, the specific medal tier (Gold, Silver or Bronze) is not revealed until the awards ceremony itself, which is being staged alongside the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Friday 31 July 2026, where winners will receive engraved medals. The Trustees consider this an important independent validation of the charity's environmental and social impact work and intend to reflect the confirmed medal outcome in next year's report.
## FUN FACT
If you look closely at the SOS logo, you will notice a sewing needle. It symbolises the volunteers who founded Serving Our Superheroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, sewing laundry bags from donated fabric at kitchen tables, spare rooms and garden sheds. That spirit of community still drives everything the charity does today.
## WITH THANKS TO
Our wonderful ladies who sew and knit for us:
- Pearl Parma
- Lorraine Reed-Wenman and the Women's Institute
- Krystyna Hewitt
A special thank you to Mrs Bhanumati Ratilal Shah, and her friends Prahbaben Kishore, Sushilaben Kantilal and Jayben Ashwin, who have made thousands of trousers for hospital patients through Pants for Patients.
Thank you to the companies and individuals supporting us, including Clean Conscience, In Kind Direct, Toiletries Amnesty, Inspire Hounslow, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (Middlesex Provincial Relief Fund) and Masonic Ickenham St Giles Lodge, and the Women's Institute.
Thank you to everyone who has donated. To support SOS, please visit: https://gofund.me/a2a77c45
7
## CONCLUSION
From a crisis response in 2020 to a multi-award-winning, sustainable humanitarian organisation marking its fifth anniversary in 2025, Serving Our Superheroes continues to serve with compassion, innovation and integrity. This past year has strengthened its legacy of giving "a hug in a bag", dignifying lives with essentials, care and love.
Prepared by: Sarah Gardner BEM, Founder and Chair
15th July 2026
Serving Our Superheroes
www.servingoursuperheroes.com
8
## **Serving Our Superheroes (SOS) Statement of Financial Activites for the period ended 30 September 2025**
|**Notes**
**Income and endowments**
**from:**
Donations and legacies
2
**Total**
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
4
Other
5
**Total**
Net gains on investments
**Net Income**
Transfer between funds
**Net Income before other gains/(losses)**
**Other gains and losses**
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Total Funds**
**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
872
9,299|
|---|---|
||872
9,299
2,258
2,395
3,283
3,509|
||5,541
5,903
-
-|
||-4,669
3,396
-
-|
||-4,669
3,396
0
0|
||-4,669
3,396|
||-4,669
3,396|
9
Serving Our Superheroes (SOS)
Balance sheet
at 30 Septernber 2025
Notes
2024
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at bank arn1 in haTh
223
Z23
3.669
3,669
Credrt¢Js'. AYjnt falling vAthin year
Net current a55ets
Total asts less current liabilities
Net ats exduding pension asset or liability
Total net awts
1.541
1.541
1,541
1,541
3,129
3.129
3. 129
3,12g
The funds of the charity
Unre#ri¢ted funds
Unrestricted incc*Th fijn
1.541
1.541
3,129
3.129
Unrestricted funds
Reser8
Total funds
1.541
3,129
These accounts prepareij In ¥Cordare wth t stwial proMsior6 of part 15 of Ihe
ComleS Act 2C(E relaling lo small comwes.
For the period erKJed 30 SepterTiEr 2025 the company wa5 entitled to exewion under section 477 of
the Companies Act 2C#J6 rekting lo srrBII corrpanies.
The members have not required the co¥npany to d)tain an wjit in accordance wth sErtion 476 of the
ComleS Act 2C(b.
The directors ackrKwledp thr respJnsitxlilies kn complyirYJ with the r&]LirEments of the Companies
Act 2¢X6 wth Spect lo accowstirvJ rec(Kts a1 the weparation of accwnts.
Appro¥Ed by the toard on 15 July 2026
And signed C ils behalf by:
Sarah Gardner
Trustee
15 Jjly 2026
io
**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 30 September 2025**
## **1 Accounting Policies**
## **Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practise applicable to the 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) and the Companies Act 2006.
Change in basis of accounting or to previous accounts There have been no changes to the accounting policies (valuation rules and method of accounting) since last year and no changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
|Fund Accounting||
|---|---|
|Unrestricted Funds|These are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in|
||furtherance of the general objects of the charity.|
|Income||
|Recognition of|Income is included in the statement in the Statement of Financial|
|Income|Activities (SoFA) when the charity becomes entitled to, and virtually|
||certain to receive, the income and the amount of the income can be|
||measured with sufficient reliability.|
|Donations and|Voluntary income has received by way of donations and gifts is|
|legacies|included in the SoFA when receivable and only when the charity has|
||unconditional entitlement to the income.|
|Tax reclaims on|Income from tax reclaims in income in the SoFA at the same time as|
|donations and gifts|the gift/donation to which it relates.|
|Donated services|These are only included in income (with an equivalent amount in|
|and facilities|expenditure) where the benefits to the Charity is reasonably|
||quantifiable, measurable and material.|
|Volunteer help|The value of any volunteer help received is not included in the|
||accounts.|
|Expenditure||
|Recognition of|Expenditure is recognised on an accrual’s basis. Expenditure includes|
|expenditure|any VAT which cannot be fully recovered and is reported as part of the|
||expenditure to which it relates.|
11
Expenditure on These comprise the costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its charitable activities activities and services in the furtherance of its objects, including the making of grants and governance costs.
Governance costs These include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the Charity, including any audit/independent examination fees, costs linked to the strategic management of the Charity, together with a share of other administration costs.
Other expenditure These are support costs not allocated to a particular activity.
## Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
## Trade and other debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayment are valued at the amount prepaid net any trade discounts due.
## Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank and on hand, demand deposits with banks and other short-term highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less and bank overdrafts. In the statements of financial position, bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings or current liabilities. In the Statement of Cash Flows, cash and cash equivalents are shown net of bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and form and integral part of the company’s cash management.
## Trade and other creditors
Short term creditors are measured at the transaction price. Other creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing any trade discounts due.
12
## **2 Income from donations and legacies**
|**3 Expenditure on charitable activities**
Expenditure on charitable
activities
Charity goods
**4 Other expenditure**
General administrative costs
Legal and professional costs
**5 Creditors:**
amount falling due within one year
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income
**6 Movement in funds**
Unrestricted funds:
Unrestricted income funds:|2025
£
1,224
540
1,764
Incoming
resources
(including
other
gains/losses
)
£
872|Unrestricted
2025
£
871
Total
2024
£
9,299|
|---|---|---|
|||871
9,299|
|||Unrestricted
£
2,258
Total
2025
£
2,258|
|||2,258
2,258|
|||Unrestricted
£
2,742
540
Total
2025
£
2,742
540|
|||3,282
3,282|
|||
Resources
expended
£
At 30
September
2025
£
(5,541)
(4,469)|
||872|(5,541)
(4,469)|
13
## **Serving Our Superheroes (SOS) Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the period ended 30 September 2025**
|**Income and endowment from:**
Dotnations and legacies
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
Charity goods
**Total of expenditure on**
**charitable activities**
**General administrative costs**
Marketing and Fund Raising
Insurance
Postage and stationery
Telephone
Website
Travel
**Legal and professsional costs**
Accountancy fees
**Total of expenditure of other costs**
**Total expenditure**
**Net income**
Net income
Other Gains
**Net movement in funds**|**Unrestricted**
**funds Total funds**
**2025**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
871
9,299|
|---|---|
||871
9,299
2,258
2,395|
||2,258
2,395|
||2,258
2,395
1,738
1,924
171
162
156
117
132
242
512
149
34
374|
||2,742
2,969|
||540
540|
||540
540|
||3,282
3,509|
||5,541
5,903|
||-4,669
3,396
-
-|
||4,669
-
3,396|
14
## Appendix: Examples of Donations and Impact 2024 to 2025
A selection of photographs from SOS's activities during the year, showing donations, packing sessions and deliveries to hospitals, hospices and community partners.
Donations being prepared for distribution
Volunteers packing donation bundles
Items ready for delivery to partner organisations
Comfort and care packs prepared for hospices
Toiletry and hygiene packs ready for hospitals
SOS donations delivered to a partner site
Pants for Patients trousers and hospital deliveries
Handmade items and donated goods
With thanks to everyone who follows and shares our work: https://www.facebook.com/servingoursuperheroes
15