## **Strength & Stem Ltd**
**Charity No. 1192080**
**Company No. 12165279**
**Trustees' Report and Unaudited Accounts**
**31 March 2024**
**Strength & Stem Ltd Contents**
||Pages|
|---|---|
|Trustees' Annual Report|2 to 5|
|Independent Examiner's Report|6|
|Statement of Financial Activities|7|
|Balance Sheet|8|
|Notes to the Accounts|9 to 13|
|Detailed Statement of Financial Activities|14 to 15|
Page 1
**Strength & Stem Ltd Trustees Annual Report**
The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **Company No. 12165279**
## **Charity No. 1192080**
## **Registered Office**
155 Taybridge Road London SW11 5PY
## **Directors and Trustees**
The Directors of the charitable company are its Trustees for the purposes of charity law. The following Directors and Trustees served during the year:
E. Channon (Resigned 1 May 2024) C. MacIver - Treasurer (Resigned 9 May 2024) J. Moberly - Company Secretary E. Read (Resigned 2 August 2023)
- J. Visser – Chair
The following Directors and Trustees were appointed after the year end but prior to the date of this report:
J. Mills - Chair (Appointed 1 May 2024) K. Collis - Treasurer (Appointed 1 May 2024)
## **Company Secretary**
J. Moberly
## **Accountants**
Daniel Sam Limited 61 Plodder Lane Farnworth Bolton BL4 0BX
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Charity objects**
The objects of the charity are for the public benefit. The charity's purposes as set out in the objects contained in the company's articles of association are:
- for the relief of poverty and unemployment of women affected by human trafficking by the provision of floristry training and workshops and other education, training and support, carried out in accordance with Christian values and principles.
Page 2
**Strength & Stem Ltd Trustees Annual Report**
The charity equips human trafficking and modern slavery survivors with life skills, vocational skills, prevocational skills, one-to-one support, and community as part of its holistic and trauma-informed training programmes. Our approach employs floristry as a creative, therapeutic and social tool and vocational pathway into an industry in which many survivors wish to work.
## **Charity purpose and strategic objectives**
Strength & Stem’s vision is to see female survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery become restored from their trauma, empowered for the future and able to sustain a good quality of life.
## **Public benefit**
The charity's main activities are described in the sections below. The board of trustees is satisfied with the performance of the charity during the year and in planning the activities the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
## **Charitable activities**
Strength & Stem takes women through a holistic skills training programme consisting of four stages. The first stage begins with floristry (vocational) training over six weeks. The second stage focuses on skills (prevocational) development sessions over an additional six-week period. Following this, women are given the opportunity to work one-to-one with a mentor over six months whilst concurrently undertaking a work practice placement over six weeks.
Following a graduation ceremony, programme participants become part of Strength & Stem's alumni community and can access regular alumni events. Women are referred to our programme by partner charities and organisations.
In addition to our core programme, we aim to amplify survivor voices through networking, marketing and publication of guides and reports. To enable more survivors to secure and maintain safe and meaningful employment, we are currently developing a toolkit for UK florists that will support them with employing survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery.
## Outputs in 2023-2024
- 32 women supported
- 3 alumni events hosted
- 4 peer support and social cafes delivered
- 204 hours of mentoring completed
- 300 hours of work experience completed by participants
- 36 hours of floristry training delivered
- 33 hours of wellbeing and life skills training sessions delivered
100% of the women we supported in 2023 were survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery.
## Outcomes in 2023-2024
We aim to see survivors restored from their trauma, empowered for the future and able to sustain a good quality of life. We measure progress through certain metrics which include improved self-esteem, confidence, self-efficacy, sense of being valued by others, and ability to maintain personal wellbeing. We also aim for survivors to gain a variety of practical (vocational and prevocational) and social skills necessary for employment.
Page 3
**Strength & Stem Ltd Trustees Annual Report**
Our impact measures show that our programmes result in survivors experiencing improved wellbeing, and a strong sense of community belonging. Survivors tell us that they feel happier, more confident, and better prepared to work in the UK.
- 91% of participants reported that they felt better prepared for employment
- 100% of participants reported that the programme both improved and helped them to maintain their wellbeing
- 82% of participants reported that the programme helped them to build their social community
- 100% of participants would recommend our programme to others
## Additional achievements
We delivered our third complete skills training programme (the programme was newly developed in early 2022). Based on feedback from participants, we made our programme longer, increasing the duration from six to eight months. This allowed us to offer more skills training workshops, work experience days and mentoring sessions.
We introduced our peer support alumni programme. This is delivered in the format of “coffee & chats”, hosted by our alumni and attended by the current cohort. This allowed participants and alumni to build and maintain social connections.
We continued to employ survivors from our network to lead the floristry training programme.
We evaluated and updated our theory of change and our monitoring and evaluation frameworks so that we can more accurately measure and communicate our impact.
We recruited and established the Survivor Advisory Board which consists of five alumni and is facilitated by three external volunteers. The purpose is to ensure that the development and delivery of our work remain survivor-centred and to provide a pathway for trustee training and development.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Financial position**
The charity's activities during the year were funded primarily through Trust and Foundation grant funding. The charity has secured grant funding for its activities for the upcoming financial year, and otherwise has minimal fixed costs to fund in between programmes. It is therefore in a good position as it plans for future programmes and the expansion of its work. In the coming financial year, the charity aims to diversify its income sources.
## **Reserves policy**
The Charity Commission sets out the responsibilities of the Trustees of a charity to determine the level of reserves it needs to hold to manage the risks inherent to each individual charity.
Charitable funds generally break down into three types:
1. restricted funds - to be spent on specific activities, as agreed with the donor;
2. designated funds - specific obligations or commitments trustees have chosen to make on future activities; and
3. general funds / 'free' reserves - no restrictions as to their use, within the organisation's charitable objectives.
Both designated and general funds are unrestricted. Trustees have full discretion on how these are spent, within the charitable objectives.
Page 4
## **Strength & Stem Ltd Trustees Annual Report**
The trustees of Strength & Stem have determined that the charity is required to hold unrestricted reserves in a designated reserve named the Operating Reserve to ensure the stability of its mission, programmes, employment, and ongoing operations. The main aim of the Operating Reserve is to provide an internal source of funds to allow the charity to continue to meet its charitable objectives during situations of financial uncertainty including unanticipated loss in funding. The Operating Reserve may be used for nonrecurring expenses that will build long-term capacity, such as staff development. Operating Reserves are not intended to replace a permanent loss of funds or eliminate an ongoing budget gap.
To manage the above, the trustees have agreed that the target minimum Operating Reserve Fund should be equal to three months of average future operating costs. As at 31 March 2024, this is valued at £35,780 which is equivalent to 3.2 months of average future operating expenditure.
As at 31 March 2024 funds designated for future programme development and project work are £16,500. These funds have been designated specifically for planned spend during the 2024-2025 financial year.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
## **FUTURE PLANS**
In the coming year, the charity plans to build on the success of its core programme, welcoming another 15 modern slavery survivors onto its 2024-2025 cohort. The charity will continue to deliver and develop its peer support project and alumni network.
In addition, the charity will implement its new monitoring, evaluation and learning framework which links every aspect of its activities with the overall vision to see modern slavery survivors restored from their trauma, empowered for the future and able to maintain a good quality of life.
Finally, Strength & Stem will publish its first piece of work entitled “Fighting Slavery with Floristry: A Toolkit for Florists”. The toolkit is designed to influence the UK floristry sector to help support modern slavery and human trafficking survivors into safe and sustainable employment.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a memorandum and amended articles of association dated 19 October 2020, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The above report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime as set out in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
Signed on behalf of the board by:
## Kate Collis
Kate Collis (Jul 16, 2024 23:19 GMT+1) K. Collis Trustee/Treasurer Date: Jul 16, 2024
Page 5
**Strength & Stem Ltd Independent Examiners Report**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Strength & Stem Ltd**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Strength & Stem Ltd for the year ended 31 March 2024.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's financial statements as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
I have completed my examination. I can confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the 2006 Act ; or
- the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
- the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements under section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the financial statements give a 'true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
- the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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 financial statements to be reached.
G Daniel-Sam G Daniel-Sam (Jul 17, 2024 09:27 GMT+1)
Gracian Daniel-Sam ACA (ICAEW) Daniel Sam Limited 61 Plodder Lane Farnworth Bolton
BL4 0BX
Date: Jul 17, 2024
Page 6
**Strength & Stem Ltd Statement of Financial Activities**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Notes**
**Income and endowments**
**from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Interest receivable
4
Other
5
**Total**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
6
Charitable activities
7
Other
8
**Total**
Net gains on investments
**Net income**
9
Transfers between funds
**Net income before other**
**gains/(losses)**
**Other gains and losses**
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**31.3.24**
**£**
32,782
528
4,703|**Restricted**
**funds**
**31.3.24**
**£**
73,258
-
47|**Total funds**
**31.3.24**
**£**
106,040
528
4,750|**Total funds**
**1.5.22 to**
**31.3.23**
**£**
67,708
-
-
67,708
1,040
43,970
2,011
47,021
-
20,687
-
20,687
20,687
12,529
33,216|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||38,013
8,199
6,507
4,243|73,305
-
55,050
2,504|111,318
8,199
61,557
6,747||
||18,949
-|57,554
-|76,503
-||
||19,064
3,722|15,751
(3,722)|34,815
-||
||22,786|12,029|34,815||
||22,786
29,494
52,280|12,029
3,722
15,751|34,815
33,216
68,031||
Page 7
**Strength & Stem Ltd Balance Sheet**
## **at 31 March 2024**
|**Company No.**
**Fixed assets**
**12165279**
**Notes**
Tangible assets
11
**Current assets**
Debtors
12
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors:**Amount falling due within one year
13
**Net current assets**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**Net assets excluding pension asset or liability**
**Total net assets**
**The funds of the charity**
**Restricted funds**
Restricted income funds
14
**Unrestricted funds**
14
General funds
**Total funds**|**2024**
**£**
335
335
4,705
79,884
84,589
(16,893)
67,696
68,031
68,031
68,031
15,751
15,751
52,280
52,280
68,031|**2023**
**£**
426|
|---|---|---|
|||426
-
60,197|
|||60,197
(27,407)|
|||32,790
33,216|
|||33,216|
|||33,216|
|||3,722|
|||3,722
29,494|
|||29,494
33,216|
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
For the year ended 31 March 2024 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
Approved by the board on 10 July 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
## Kate Collis
Kate Collis (Jul 16, 2024 23:19 GMT+1) K. Collis Trustee/Treasurer
Date: Jul 16, 2024
Page 8
**Strength & Stem Ltd Notes to the Accounts**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
- 1 **Accounting policies**
## **Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to 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.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds These are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the charity. Designated funds These are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes. Revaluation funds These are unrestricted funds which include a revaluation reserve representing the restatement of investment assets at their market values. Restricted funds These are available for use subject to restrictions imposed by the donor or through terms of an appeal.
## **Income**
Recognition of Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity income 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 received by way of grants, donations and gifts is included in the legacies the SoFA when receivable and only when the Charity has unconditional entitlement to the income. **Expenditure** Recognition of Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis. Expenditure includes any VAT which expenditure cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates. Expenditure on These comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income, fundraising raising funds trading costs and investment management costs. Expenditure on These comprise the costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and charitable activities services in the furtherance of its objects. Other expenditure These are support costs not allocated to a particular activity.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
## **Tangible fixed assets and depreciation**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life:
Computer equipment
20%% Straight line
## **Pension costs**
The charity operates a defined contribution plan for its employees. The contributions are recognised as expenses when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals in the balance sheet. The assets of the plan are held separately from the company in independently administered funds.
Page 9
**Strength & Stem Ltd Notes to the Accounts**
## 2 **Company status**
The company is a private company limited by guarantee and consequently does not have share capital.
## 3 **Income from donations and legacies**
|Donations
Gift aid
Grants
4
**Interest receivable**
Bank interest
5
**Other income**
Discounts received
Student placement income
6
**Expenditure on raising funds**
_Fundraising costs_
Fundraising platform
Wages
Fundraising events|**Unrestricted**
**£**
1,152
130
31,500
32,782
**Unrestricted**
**£**
15
4,688
4,703
|**Restricted**
**£**
-
-
73,258
73,258
**Unrestricted**
**£**
528
528
**Restricted**
**£**
47
-
47
**Unrestricted**
**£**
216
7,700
283
8,199|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
1,152
130
104,758
106,040
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
528
528
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
62
4,688
4,750
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
216
7,700
283
8,199|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
2,842
406
64,460|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||67,708|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
-|
|||||-|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
-
-|
|||||-|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
162
-
878
1,040|
Page 10
**Strength & Stem Ltd Notes to the Accounts**
## 7 **Expenditure on charitable activities**
|_Expenditure on charitable_
_activities_
Programme employment costs
Programme delivery
8
**Other expenditure**
Depreciation
General administrative costs
Legal and professional costs
9
**Net income before transfers**
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
Independent Examiner's fee
Other fees paid to the independent
examiner|**Unrestricted**
**£**
6,507
-
6,507
**Unrestricted**
**£**
91
1,836
2,316
4,243|**Restricted**
**£**
32,626
22,424
55,050
**Restricted**
**£**
-
-
2,504
2,504
**2024**
**£**
91
735
858|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
39,133
22,424
61,557
**Total**
**2024**
**£**
91
1,836
4,820
6,747|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
26,980
16,990|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||43,970|
|||||**Total**
**2023**
**£**
30
476
1,505|
|||||2,011|
|||||**2023**
**£**
30
700
570|
## 10 **Staff costs**
No employee received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
The average monthly number of full time equivalent employees during the year was as follows:
|Programme delivery
Fundraising|**2024**
**Number**
2
1
3|**2023**
**Number**
1
-|
|---|---|---|
|||1|
Page 11
**Strength & Stem Ltd Notes to the Accounts**
## 11 **Tangible fixed assets**
|**Cost or revaluation**
At 1 April 2023
At 31 March 2024
**Depreciation and impairment**
At 1 April 2023
Depreciation charge for the year
At 31 March 2024
**Net book values**
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023
12**Debtors**
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
13 **Creditors:**
amounts falling due within one year
Credit cards
Trade creditors
Other taxes and social security
Accruals
Deferred grants|**2024**
**£**
17
4,688
4,705|**Computer**
**equipment**
**£**
456
456
30
91
121
335
426|**Total**
**£**
456|
|---|---|---|---|
||||456|
||||30
91|
||||121|
||||335|
||||426|
||||**2023**
**£**
-
-|
||||-|
||**2024**
**£**
300
-
-
779
15,814
16,893||**2023**
**£**
-
122
1,585
700
25,000
27,407|
Page 12
**Strength & Stem Ltd Notes to the Accounts**
14 **Movement in funds**
|**Restricted funds:**
**Restricted income funds:**
Salaries and running cost fund
Project based fund
_Total_
**Unrestricted funds:**
General funds
Designated programme fund
_Total_
**Total funds**|**At 1 April**
**2023**
**£**
3,722
-
3,722
29,494
-
29,494
33,216|**Incoming**
**resources**
**(including**
**other**
**gains/losses)**
**£**
26,788
46,517
73,305
21,513
16,500
38,013
111,318|**Resources**
**expended**
**£**
(26,788)
(30,766)
(57,554)
(18,949)
-
(18,949)
(76,503)|**Gross**
**transfers**
**£**
(3,722)
-
(3,722)
3,722
-
3,722
-|**At 31**
**March**
**2024**
**£**
-
15,751|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||15,751|
||||||35,780
16,500|
||||||52,280|
||||||68,031|
Purposes and restrictions in relation to the funds: Restricted funds:
Salaries and running cost fund Grant funding for employment of staff to further charity's objects. Project based fund Grant funding for project costs.
## 15 **Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Fixed assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors falling due within one year|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
335
4,705
64,777
(17,537)
52,280|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
-
40,077
(24,326)
15,751|**Total**
**£**
335
4,705
104,854
(41,863)|
|---|---|---|---|
||||68,031|
## 16 **Related party disclosures**
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Page 13
**Strength & Stem Ltd Detailed Statement of Financial Activities**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2024**
|**Income and endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
Donations
Gift aid
Grants
Interest receivable
Bank interest
Other
Discounts received
Student placement income
**Total income and endowments**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Fundraising platform
Wages
Fundraising events
**Total of expenditure on raising funds**
Charitable activities
Wages
Pensions
Sundries
Materials
Gifts
Tuition
Catering
Venue hire
Travel
Consultancy
**Total of expenditure on charitable activities**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**£**
1,152
130
31,500
32,782
528
528
15
4,688
4,703
38,013
216
7,700
283
8,199
8,199
6,366
141
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,507
6,507|**Restricted**
**funds**
**2024**
**£**
-
-
73,258
73,258
-
-
47
-
47
73,305
-
-
-
-
-
30,475
602
397
9,435
91
2,162
3,498
2,598
5,254
538
55,050
55,050|**Total funds**
**2024**
**£**
1,152
130
104,758
106,040
528
528
62
4,688
4,750
111,318
216
7,700
283
8,199
8,199
36,841
743
397
9,435
91
2,162
3,498
2,598
5,254
538
61,557
61,557|**Total funds**
**2023**
**£**
2,842
406
64,460|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||67,708|
|||||-|
|||||-|
|||||-
-|
|||||-|
|||||67,708
162
-
878|
|||||1,040|
|||||1,040
25,286
563
623
5,586
297
1,295
3,103
2,292
3,667
551|
|||||43,970|
|||||43,970|
Page 14
|**Strength & Stem Ltd**
**Detailed Statement of Financial Activities**
General administrative costs
Depreciation of Computer equipment
Bank charges
General insurances
Travel
Staff welfare
Software, IT support and related costs
Stationery and printing
Subscriptions
Sundry expenses
Legal and professional costs
Audit/Independent examination fees
Accountancy and bookkeeping
Consultancy fees
Trustee travel reimbursement
**Total of expenditure of other costs**
**Total expenditure**
Net gains on investments
**Net income**
Transfers between funds
**Net income before other gains/(losses)**
Other Gains
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
**Total funds carried forward**|91
42
457
-
401
370
60
124
382
1,927
735
354
844
383
2,316
4,243
18,949
-
19,064
3,722
22,786
-
22,786|-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
504
2,000
-
2,504
2,504
57,554
-
15,751
(3,722)
12,029
-
12,029|91
42
457
-
401
370
60
124
382
1,927
735
858
2,844
383
4,820
6,747
76,503
-
34,815
-
34,815
-
34,815|30
-
-
57
-
288
22
109
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||506|
|||||700
475
330
-|
|||||1,505|
||||||
|||||2,011|
|||||47,021
-|
|||||20,687
-|
|||||20,687
-|
|||||20,687|
||29,494
52,280|3,722
15,751|33,216
68,031|12,529
33,216|
Page 15