## **Wren Bakery CIO**
**Charity number 1191722 Company number CE023988**
**Annual Report and Financial Statements For the period ended 31 December 2024**
Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
# **Annual Report and Financial Statements For the period ended 31 December 2024**
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees’ report|2 – 4|
|Examiner’s report|5|
|Statement of financial activities|6|
|Balance sheet|7|
|Notes to the accounts|8 – 9|
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Trustees’ report for the year to 31 December 2024**
## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees, and advisors**
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were
**Name Position** Esther Riches Jonathan Simpson Sue Smith Chair Jacqueline Barber Cassandra White Jane Dixon **Charity number** 1191722
Registered in England and Wales
## **Registered address**
Model Farm Farm Hill South Leeds LS7 2QB
## **Independent examiner**
Russell Smith RS Accountancy 20 Wenlock Road London N1 7GU
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Foundation and was formed on 9 October 2020.
## **Method of Recruitment and appointment of trustees**
Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.
## **Objectives and activities**
The Wren Bakery provides a much needed first step in the journey to employment. We help women shape a better future for themselves by gaining transferable skills in baking and barista. We put employability as our first priority, giving our trainees the opportunity of work experience through our associated CIC. We deliver mentoring and support along the way helping our trainees regain their confidence and self belief, working at their pace and journeying with them every step of the way.
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Trustees’ report (continued) for the year to 31 December 2024**
## **Public benefit statement**
In setting our objectives and planning our activities Wren Bakery’s trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. Our focus in particular is on increasing the employability and wellbeing of vulnerable women. Specifically, the charities objects are for the public benefit:
1. The provision of facilities, equipment or funds connected with training for the relief of poverty amongst women who have or who are at risk of one or more of the following:
- a. domestic or other forms of abuse
- b. suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction other forms of addiction or dependence to substances
- c. or receiving a criminal record (including those who have suffered a legal restriction on their liberty at any penal establishment as a punishment imposed by a court of law, received a non-custodial sentence, fine or any other court or other recorded disposal, such as a police caution)
2. The advancement of education particularly:
- a. amongst such women by the development of individual capabilities, competencies, skills and understanding as such that will fit them for employment; and
- b. the education of the public in the causes of domestic or other forms of violence as such that will enable them to prevent and respond to such poverty.
## **Achievements and performance**
During this period we have delivered two schedules of initial 6 month training and developed the wellbeing aspect of the training programme. The CIO has continues to mentor the woman for 18months following the initial training to help source work opportunities. This two-year period acknowledges the complexity of the lives of the women we support and the increased costs reflect additional resources needed with more women now falling within this two year window.
All of the women we have worked with have been at risk of poverty and one additional risk factor and to date
- 50% of our women trainees experienced domestic violence
- 25% have had a criminal record
- 60% suffered from alcoholism, drug addiction or other forms of addiction
- 100% experienced enduring mental health problems
We have a 75% retention rate for women enrolled on our programme of training to graduation.
- 60% of our women reach employment outcomes within two years of starting their journey at The Wren Bakery.
- 20% of our women are mum’s to school age children. These children are indirect beneficiaries of our work too
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Trustees’ report for the year to 31 December 2024**
## **Financial review**
During 2024 the CIO has been successful in increasing the provision of support for the women providing more of the support in house whilst continuing to rely on external specialists.
We have not identified any material uncertainties that cast doubt on the ability of Wren Bakery to continue as a going concern in the short term.
We continue to take a prudent approach to the cost base, balancing the need to provide certainty of ongoing funding of the programme and keeping one eye on its future growth. The increased staffing reflecting the increasing needs of the programme.
At the end of the period the charity’s reserves were £53,381, including £48,546 of cash at the bank, representing around 12 months of expenditure. The higher level of support given to the women gives the project greater sustainability from a resource perspective, but also increases costs. To date the charity has relied on large donations from a small number of partners, in the coming year it will seek to widen its partner base to become more financially sustainable in the longer term, to that end it has recruited a part time fundraiser from April 2025.
Signed on behalf of the board of trustees on 24 October 2025
Jonathan Simpson (Trustee)
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Wren Bakery**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 6 to 9.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **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 Charities Act;
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.
Signed:
Russell Smith
Date: 24/10/2025
RS Accountancy 20 Wenlock Road London N1 7GU
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Statement of Financial Activities (including summary income and expenditure account) for the year to 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Income from:**
Donations – corporate
_2_
Donations – individual donations
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Equipment and small furniture
Bank charges
Course Management
Delegates subsistence and travel
External training and advice
Grant to CIC
Rent
Website
Work experience supervision
Depreciation
**Total expenditure**
**Net income**|**Year to 2024**
**Year to 2023**
**Total funds**
**(all**
**unrestricted)**
**Total funds**
**£**
**£**
24,945
36,000
11,083
3,976|
|---|---|
||**36,028**
**39,976**|
||-
200
70
65
37,495
19,949
2,021
1,296
1,148
7,102
-
4,500
4,620
3,445
115
108
-
56
1,902
2,051|
||**47,371**
**38,774**|
|||
||**(11,344)**
**1,202**|
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Balance sheet as at 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible assets
_3_
**Total fixed assets**
**Current assets**
Debtors
Cash at bank
**Total current assets**
**Net assets**
**Funds**
Unrestricted funds
**Total Funds**|**2024**
**2023**
**Total (all**
**unrestricted)**
**Total (all**
**unrestricted)**
**£**
**£**
822
2,124|
|---|---|
||**822**
**2,124**|
||4,013
10,289
48,546
52,311|
||**52,559**
**59,348**|
||**53,381**
**64,725**
53,381
64,725|
||**53,381**
**64,725**|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 24 October 2025
Signed
Jonathan Simpson (trustee)
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **Notes to the accounts**
## **For the period ended 31 December 2024**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) and with the Charities Act 2011.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year. No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
## **Going concern**
The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the chanty's ability to continue.
## **Incoming resources**
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## **Grants and donations**
Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.
Where grants are related to performance and specific deliverables, they are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance. All income to date has been unrestricted.
## **Expenditure and liabilities**
Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out the resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
## **Taxation**
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT, Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets costing more than £500 are capitalised and included at cost including any incidental expenses of acquisition. Gifted assets are shown at the value to the charity on receipt. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the cost on a straight line basis over their expected useful economic lives as follows: Furniture and equipment: over 4 years
## **Fund accounting**
Currently all funds are unrestricted and therefore there is no separation of funds within the accounts. One restricted was grant received and utilised in the year.
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Wren Bakery CIO - Charity number 1191722
## **2. Corporate grants**
|Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust
The Brelms Trust
Chapel Allerton Baptist Church
The Big Give
Humankind Charity
The Lancaster Foundation
Hey Neighbour grant
Ison Harrison|10,000
6,000
2645
2,500
2000
1,000
500
300
24,945|
|---|---|
## **3. Tangible fixed assets**
|**Cost**
At 31 December 2022
Additions
At 31 December 2024
**Depreciation**
At 31 December 2022
Charge in the period
At 31 December 2024
**Net book value**
**At 31 December 2024**
_At 31 December 2022_|**Equipment**
**Furniture**
**Total**
5,483
2,722
8,205
600
-
-|
|---|---|
||6,083
2,722
8,805|
||4,341
1,740
6,081
1,142
760
1,902|
||5,483
2,500
7,983|
||**600**
**222**
**822**
1,142
982
2,124|
## **4. Related Party Transactions**
In 2024 the CIO paid rent to the CIC £4,620, this was an increase on the prior year figure of £3,830 as this did not represent a full year
The CIO paid £37,495 of payroll costs to CIC/CIO joint employees (£19,949 prior year).
The CIO paid the CIC £1,249 for food served to delegates at training courses (£775 prior year), all other food used in the training courses was provided by the CIC.
The CIO lent the CIC money the for the rental deposit and initial rent of the cafe. At the 31[st] December the CIO was owed £4,013 ( _2023 - £10,289)_ from the CIC. The CIC made a small profit before depreciation and tax after having contributed £1,700 to the CIO’s staff costs.
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