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2025-03-31-accounts

Veterans Community Network Annual Report 2024- 2025

With Grateful Thanks to our Funders and Donors

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Our Standards
and
Memberships
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Contents

Trustee Foreword.................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 About Us................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Structure, Governance and Management........................................................................................................................................... 5 Our Activities......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Achievements and Performance.......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Financial Review, Accounts, and Independent Examiner’s Report at 31 March 2023 .................................................................14 Reference and Administration Details Charity Name Veterans Community Network Registered Charity Number 1191970 Charity’s Principal Address Union House 111, New Union Street Coventry CV1 2NT Accountant and Independent Examiner Streets Chartered Accountants

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Chair of Trustees Foreword

This year has been one of both challenge and renewal for the Veterans Community Network. We faced significant financial

pressures, including gaps in funding that affected our ability to maintain services at previous levels. The Board took difficult but necessary decisions to protect continuity of support for our beneficiaries, and we are focused on rebuilding our reserves and strengthening our financial position in the year ahead.

Amid these challenges, there has also been real progress. We were pleased to welcome several new trustees to the Board, bringing fresh expertise and renewed energy to our governance. Their contribution is already helping to strengthen the charity as we move into a new phase of development.

Despite operating with a small team and navigating funding uncertainty, VCN continued to deliver meaningful impact across all our regions. Our staff, volunteers, and partners have shown exceptional commitment, ensuring that veterans and their families continued to receive vital support, connection, and community.

On behalf of the Board, I extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has supported VCN this year. Your dedication enables us to remain a trusted source of help for those who have served.

Tom Crossman-Kellie

Chair of Trustees

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About Us
Veterans Community Network was constituted on 10 June 2020 and
commenced its charitable activities on 23 October 2020. The trustees present
their fourth Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March
2025.
The aim of VCN is to support Veterans, Reservists, and their families in
accessing the treatment and support services to help cope, adjust and
manage situations such as mental health, housing, benefits, and social
isolation. We do this through our network of trained Veteran Peer Mentors
combined with 1-1 intensive support and a wide range of social prescribing
activities. Our goal is to improve mental health and wellbeing to help
veterans, and their families live fulfilling lives after their service. The trustees
that have managed the Charity during the period are as follows:
Trustee name
Position
Date of
Date of
Appointment
Resignation
Patricia Haslam
Chair of Trustees
7 July 2022
Keith Le Page
General Trustee
5 May2022
November 2024
Hannah
General Trustee
3 May 2023
Cruickshank
GaryMiddleton
General Trustee
June 2024
January2026
Paul Dunkley
General Trustee
June 2024
Aaron Clark
General Trustee
June 2024
Richard Browne
General Trustee
October 2024
Chris Hern
General Trustee
January2025

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Structure, Governance and Management

The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under the Charity Commission ‘Foundation’ model. The Charity is managed by its trustees, which currently number four. The Service Director, Dr Gillian Le Page, deals with all operational matters relating to the delivery of peer mentoring services. The other trustees deal with administrative and financial matters according to their particular area of experience.

The other trustees have been recruited in order to provide the Charity with a broad mix of such experience.

Related parties

Our objective: To relieve the needs of and to promote the good health and wellbeing of ex-service personnel (HM Armed Forces) and reservists and their families living in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Luton. In particular but not exclusively by providing them with help and assistance and by offering them a professionally supervised social prescribing and peer mentor led care co-ordination service to expert support providers for their benefit and in such other ways as the trustees consider fit.

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Our Activities

During this reporting period, VCN has continued to provide a wide range of social activities to help reduce social isolation and enable veterans to re-connect with their military communities. These events also create an opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice made by our veterans and their families. We had to say goodbye to the RVP at Sharnbrook in June 2024 and move on to pastures new. Our grateful thanks to the Paston family for letting us set up the RVP at their farm. Our pastures new was a beautiful location at Croughton in Northamptonshire. Once again we have been very lucky to have such a fantastic bit of land to grow vegetables and ‘chew the fat’ over coffee and cake. RVP CROUGHTON

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Monthly Activities

Tea and Banter

Every Tuesday with the exception of the third Tuesday

Online via Zoom

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Bedford Veterans Brunch Club First Saturdayof the month North End Social Club,Bedford
Bedford Drop-in Third Tuesdayof the month North End Social Club,Bedford
Veterans Get Together Second Mondayof the month Rivets Sports and Social Club,Aylesbury
Wellingborough Hub Everyfourth Wednesday The Masonic Hall,Wellingborough
Wellingborough Breakfast Club Third Saturdayof the month Ock n’ Dough,Wellingborough
RVP CROUGHTON EveryThursday Croughton
Weedon Bec Coffee Morning Last Fridayof the Month Industry& Supply,Weedon Bec
Weedon Bec Coffee
Morning		 Veterans Get Together Bedford Christmas Drop-In Banter on Parade

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Additional Events

Other social events held this year include:

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Naseby Battlefield Talk Down to Earth Launch of the VCN Tapestry VCN Craft Stall
The tapestry was launched to
“I didn’t realise there was such “This has been a good start to the “It’s great to be able to buy
celebrate 80 years since VE / VJ
planning of vegetables for the some things for Christmas that
a rich history on our door step”.
year ahead”. day. The plan is to take it to all of are homemade and a little bit
VCN’s events and activities and
different.”
“As a veteran, the history of the
engage the local community in
Battle of Naseby fascinates
the project by getting them to
me. Military planning is just as add some stitches to the
important then!”
tapestry and learn more about
the end of WWII.
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Achievements and Performance – Dr Gill Le Page, Service Director During this reporting period, VCN has faced some difficult challenges in relation to the continuation of funding with there being some gaps which left a financial shortfall and reduction in the level of funding in the Eastern Region between April and December 2024. As a consequence, we very sadly had to say goodbye to Tina Griffiths who was the social activities co-ordinator for Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes in November 2024. We also said goodbye to Paul Dunkley earlier in the year in March 2024. He was the Peer Mentor Support Worker in Buckinghamshire. He decided to leave at the end of the V PPP and take a well-earned rest and then On a more positive note, VCN was delighted coming back as a Trustee. to have been successful in our application to once again partner with Veterans Outreach Support in the South East Region and Bridge for Heroes in the Eastern Region as part of the Armed Forces Covenant Trust Fund National Thrive Together Programme. This new programme came about as a result of the research that had taken place over the summer of 2024. The main findings included a lack of awareness of services, barriers to help-seeking and a complex service provision with no clear entry point.

Thank ou for our service and bein art of the y y g p

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South East Region. Portfolio Lead: Veterans Outreach Support – Partnership in Mind

From the 1 April 2024 to the 30 September, VCN was awarded 6 months interim funding to continue to work with Veterans Outreach Support in the South East area to support some regionally commissioned research. Named the Partnership in Mind Programme and funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, VCN was tasked to gain an understanding of our partners and the support available to veterans in Buckinghamshire. This is particularly relevant as 43% of veterans who completed the questionnaire stated that the main barrier is not knowing what’s out there. The local research found that if GPs, and mental health services are the first point of contact, little or no information is available to the wider offer of support, particularly local and national charities. This excludes the possibility of accessing a more holistic approach to recovery including access to housing, benefits and debt advice, employment, reducing social isolation, or addressing substance misuse problems. There was another gap in funding until January 2025 when VCN was successful in getting further funding to be part of the South East Partnership in Mind 18 month programme taking on the role of NETWORK AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT to work with the Thrive Together Network and the Partnership Development Manager is to identify ‘cluster’ Partners across the Counties of Buckinghamshire (excluding Milton Keynes), Berkshire, and Oxfordshire and build a meaningful network of organisations delivering support to veterans. In January 2025, Wilf Bamford was appointed into this new role for 3 days a week. 32 Beneficiaries accessed social support through the VCN drop-in at the Rivets social club in Aylesbury, GP services were mapped across the region and contact was made with 34 professionals making them aware of the support available for veterans and their families.

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Eastern Region Portfolio Lead: Bridge for Heroes - Veterans Voice

From May 2024 to October 2024, VCN was awarded some interim funding via Bridge for Heroes as part of the Interim programme funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. This was to continue to provide peer mentor support in Bedfordshire and undertake some beneficiary consultation around knowledge and awareness of veterans services and barriers to engagement. During this period, 80 beneficiaries accessed support through either social engagement activities, gardening, or 1-1 support. In January 2025, VCN learned we had been successful in our grant application to be part of the Eastern Region Thrive Together Programme as a delivery partner. Once again, Bridge for Heroes were the programme lead known as Veterans Voice. VCN geographical area of responsibility was Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK). We have been commissioned to deliver four work streams: 1. Hubs and drop-ins: going live of the 1 April 2025 2. Mobile Awareness and Pop-ups: going live on 1 January 2025 3. Tackling Mental Health Stigma: going live on the 1 January 2025 4. Finding Veterans in Care Homes: going live on the 1 May 2025 During Q1 of 25/26, for the active projects, 42 beneficiaries were supported through our activities. Contact was made with 153 professionals to raise awareness of veterans services.

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Northamptonshire Peer Support Services

Sher George continued as our main peer support worker in Northamptonshire with a total of 112 beneficiaries accessing social activities and / or 1-1 support. She was supported by Dr Le Page with some of the 1-1 support cases.

A new coffee morning was started at Weedon Bec Industry and Supply and this was very well attended. We were very well looked after by Neil Bannister and his team.

In March we were joined by our partners from Naseby headed by Mark Linell. We had 62 people turn up for that event and it was almost standing room only. Once again we were treated to a talk about the Battle of Naseby and there were opportunities to try on some of the uniforms and get a chance to handle some of their weaponry from the time. We were also approached by a veteran who was keen to try and set up a comedy group called Banter on Parade. Some veterans have found this a good way of getting to grips with their mental health with the idea that laughter is the best medicine. We did manage to get one session going with plans to put on a comedy show after the course. Unfortunately, the idea didn’t get taken forward by the veteran but we were pleased to have been able to provide the platform for him to try and get things off the ground. We are especially grateful to all our funders in Northamptonshire who have helped us to keep our work going. Like a lot of small local ‘boots on the ground’ charities, we often lose out in funding applications to the larger charities. We would also like to give our sincere thanks to everyone who made donations to VCN. Even the smallest amount really helps and everything we raise or are donated goes straight to support the front line services we deliver.

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Veterans Supporting Veterans
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Aspirational Inspirational Motivational
187 professionals
have been given
advice on military
support
services.
266
beneficiaries
supported
Staffing
352 FB
members Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025
VCN staffing level was as follows:
1 x FTE Peer Support Worker
(12 months) Northamptonshire & Eastern
Region.
1 x PTE Social Activities co-ordinator (15
hours pw) for 7 months
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Despite the financial challenges that came towards the end of Q3 of this reporting period, VCN is proud of what we have achieved with such a small team

“VCN has helped me get back on my feet and they stay with you for as long as you need.”

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Financial review, Accounts and Independent Examiner’s Report at 31 March 2025

I joined the Board in July 2025 and became Chair shortly thereafter, so my comments are based on a full review of the financial records, minutes, and the Independent Examiner’s report rather than direct involvement in the period covered.

The reduction in unrestricted reserves reflects a documented Board decision to honour a staff contract following the early termination of a commissioned service. This use of reserves aligns with the charity’s Reserves Policy and ensured continuity of support to beneficiaries. Restricted funds at year end relate to a contract nearing completion and remain committed to their designated purposes. Income comprised grant funding, donations, fundraising activity, and staff salary-sacrifice arrangements. The Independent Examiner confirmed the accounts are consistent with the records. A historical £8k timing difference was identified, relating to delayed income recognition, but retrospective adjustment was deemed disproportionate. The key recommendation was to strengthen grant-level tracking, which the Board has already begun to implement. Since taking on the Chair role, I have reviewed and strengthened financial controls, including removing a payment-authorisation risk, recruiting three trustees with strong financial backgrounds (including a qualified insolvency practitioner now acting as Treasurer), and moving to cash-based accounting to reduce timing discrepancies. Based on the information available and the examiner’s assurance, I am satisfied the accounts present a fair reflection of the charity’s financial position.

Signature E - Signed
Trustee Name Tom Crossman-Kellie
Position Chair of Trustees
Date 28 Jan 26

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Veterans Community Network 1191970
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 01/04/2024 31/03/2025
To
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£ £
A1 Receipts
Grant Income - 40,045 - 40,045 88,944
Donations 6,625 - - 6,625 16,267
Other Revenue 300 - - 300 -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) 6,925 40,045 - 46,970 105,211
A2 Asset and investment
sales, (see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
40,04 105,21
Total receipts 6,925 5 - 46,970 1
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A3 Payments -
-
-
546
6,473
4,563
126
24
201
-
11,933
-
-
-
11,93
3		 -
-
-
546
6,473
4,563
126
24
201
-
11,933
-
-
-
11,93
3		 13,527
1,517
-
-
-
656
900
33,726
-
-
2,406
52,732
-
-
-
52,73
2		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 13,527
1,517
-
546
6,473
656
4,563
126
900
33,726
24
201
2,406
64,665
-
-
-
64,66
5		 11,373
86
20,184
110
825
2,296
2,259
54
660
64,310
75
753
8,982
111,967
-
111,96
7
Sub-contractors -
Garden Expenses -
Direct Wages -
Advertising and Marketing 546
Audit and Accountancy Fees 6,473
General Expenses
Telephone, IT Software &
Consumables		 4,563
Postage, Freight & Courier 126
Rent
Salaries, NI & Pension
Staff Training 24
Subscriprions 201
Motor and Travel -
Sub total 11,933
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
-
-
Sub total -
Total payments

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Net of receipts/(payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end		 -5,008 -5,008 -5,008 -
6,756
- 8,431 -
14,16
5		 25,44
0
726 18,68
4
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets		 Details
Cash at Bank
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Details		 Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
726
-
-
726
OK
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
263
-
-
263
OK
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -

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Fund to which Current value
Cost (optional)
Details asset belongs (optional)
B3 Investment assets
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which Current value
Cost (optional)
Details asset belongs (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
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Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities
-
-
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on Date of
behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name
approval
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Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ members of Charity Name
Veterans Community Network
31 March 2025 Charity no 1191970
On accounts for the year ended
(if any)
Set out on pages 1 to
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year
ended 31/03/2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees, 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 Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of
the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions
given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
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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 (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

 accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or  the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

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Date: 26/01/2026 26/01/2026
Signed:
Name: Alan Endersby
Relevant professional qualification(s) or ACA
body (if any):
Address: Streets S J Males Limited, Basepoint Business & Innovation Centre,
110 Butterfield, Luton LU2 8DL
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see
CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance
for examiners).
Give here brief details None.
of any items that the
examiner wishes to
disclose.

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