Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From November 1[st] 2024 To October 31[st] 2025
Charity name: BEXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION
Charity registration number: 1192745
Objectives and Activities
| Objectves and Actvites | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP reference |
||
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The object of the CIO is: To preserve and protect the mental health and wellbeing of and relieve the needs of women and people who identfy as female who have experienced mental health problems due to sexual, emotonal, physical or mental abuse. |
| Summary of the main actvites in relaton to those purposes for the public beneft, in partcular, the actvites, projects or services identfed in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
The main actvites to achieve the above purpose and objectves are the provision of: a) grants of fnancial assistance to access counselling; b) support, actvites and opportunites designed to build confdence and raise self-esteem thereby empowering them to establish healthy relatonships and live safer happier lives; c) a signpostng service to support available from other relevant organisatons. In this reportng period the main actvites of the charity have been:point a (grants of fnancial assistance to access counselling) and point c (a signpostng service to support available from other relevant organisatons.). Actvity B was not delivered during this fnancial period. |
| Statement confrming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public beneft |
Para 1.18 | At the establishment of the charity (December 2020) the trustees all read and confrmed understanding of charity commission guidance on running and managing a charity and being a trustee. The guidance is drawn upon when needed, and was a key resource in designing the actvites, purpose and delivery of the charity goals. This guidance was re-read, discussed and confrmed as understood between the trustees duringthis reportng period. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | The charity has a documented process that is followed for every request for funds for a benefciary – ensuring that funds are properly allocated and managed. This is clearly communicated to our partner counsellors verbally and in writng, with a signature of understanding and agreement to follow the process obtained before any partner counsellor begins working with the charity. The trustees managing the grants and funds allocated are also all trained on the policy and process, and enact this on an ongoing basis. Where there are challenges (e.g. when funds are running low), there are ‘special circumstance’ clauses that come into place when agreed upon by all three trustees, and are again clearly communicated to all partner counsellors. Writen confrmaton of understanding is received. The grant making policy requires partner counsellors to submit a completed benefciary request form, which details: Basic – yet anonymous – informaton about the potental benefciary Their CORE score (a score used to assess the state of an individual’s mental health) The presentng symptoms The understood causes of the symptoms and CORE score and why they meet the criteria to be a benefciary of the charity The funding request and number of mental health counselling sessions being requested Justfcaton for funding request |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | NA |
| Contributon made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | During this reportng period the charity had no volunteers, all voluntary tme was undertaken by trustees. This tme includes: Managing the website and social media channels Responding to requests for help from benefciaries Managing the partner counsellor team Agreeing and allocatng funds to approved benefciaries |
Regular trustee meetings and review of progress, goals and finances Working on the growth plan for the charity going forwards This is around 4 hours per trustee per month for the reporting period. NA Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identfying the diference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its benefciaries and any wider benefts to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | In the reportng period the charity has made progress against its goals, and has identfed areas for improvement and growth for the next reportng period. We are stll a small, trustee run charity and aim to contnue our growth in the coming years in a sustainable, step-by-step fashion. The trustees are proud of the achievements of the charity in this reportng period and thank our contnued and new supporters for their fundraising and support on social media. Under main actvity a) to provide ‘grants of fnancial assistance to access counselling;’ the main achievements of the charity in this reportng period are: Providing quick access to and funding for 10 specialist counselling or assessment sessions to one benefciary. Providing approved benefciaries with approval for partally funded counselling, and access to that counsellor, on average within two weeks. This was while the average waitng tme for NHS counselling reported in our benefciary applicatons was over 6 months. The mental health of the benefciary was documented to have improved following the completon of sessions, with her CORE score reducing (demonstratng improved state of mental health) from 18 to 11. Maintaining a team of 10 partner counsellors throughout England who are able to deliver mental health counselling to benefciaries withpartal fundingfrom the |
charity. Under charity activity c) provide “a signposting service to support available from other relevant organisations”: The charity developed an active social media network, with signposting and sharing of information with other relevant charities in the female mental health space, including Mind, Women’s Aid, Shelter and local women’s aid and refuge charities. The charity also began conversations with other female orientated mental health organisations to establish partnerships and referral mechanisms, including Safe Gigs for Women.
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectves set |
Para 1.41 | As above |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising actvites against objectves set |
Para 1.41 | In this reportng period the charity raised £2947.99 in donatons. This was largely thanks to a supporter running the London Marathon in aid of the charity, raising over £2000. The charity’s objectve was to raise £1500 in this period, so the objectve was exceeded. |
| Investment performance against objectves |
Para 1.41 | NA |
| Other | NA |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s fnancial positon at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | During the reportng period, the charity had a total income of £2,947. The outgoings in this fnancial period were a total of £985. This lef the charity at a balance of £3,700. The trustees have analysed this and believe that this shows: The models the charity uses to predict income and outcome are ft for purpose The charity’s method to balance agreed grant values to benefciaries versus actual and predicated income are ft for purpose Our fxed operatonal costs are low for a charity, and have been reduced as much as possible – for instance we have changed mail service and telephone providers to save money. There was more spent on operatonal costs in this period than on grants/benefciaries. However, the spending did meet the demand for the services. Had there been more demand, the charity would have done more fundraising. The goal is for there to be more reserves in our accounts so that we can invest in growing the charity, as well as meetng the service demand. The trustees agree that a passive, regular source of income would be benefcial to the charity to help us to grow. Work is underway to establish this through a variety of fundraising methods foryear 5. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves statngwhytheyare held |
Para 1.22 | NA |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £200 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | During this reportng period there was no formal policy for holding reserves. However, based on the previous year’s report and charity performance, the trustees decided to keep £200 as reserve at any one point in tme. This was to ensure that in the event of a lack of income – the basic operatonal costs required by the charity (website, insurance etc.) would be covered for a 6-month period, enabling the trustees to operate a legally compliant charity whilst raising new/additonal funds. The trustees managed cashfow and decisions over grants to benefciaries as such,to ensure that |
| the charity did not over-commit to benefciary outgoings without confrmaton that income was guaranteed for that period. In practce, the charity did not have to put into acton any ‘special measures’ – such as paused benefciary funding – during this period as there was no tme where cashfow was an issue, or where it appeared the bank balance wouldget close to the reserve amount. |
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|---|---|---|
| Details of fund materially in defcit |
Para 1.24 | NA |
| Explanaton of any uncertaintes about the charity contnuingas agoingconcern |
Para 1.23 | NA |
| Additonal informaton (optonal) You maychoose to include further statements where relevant about: |
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| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | NA |
| Investment policy and objectves including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | NA |
| A descripton of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | NA |
| Other | NA |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Descripton of charity’s trusts: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | The charity has a foundaton model consttuton, approved in December 2020 by the CharityCommission of England and Wales. |
| How is the charity consttuted? (e.g. unincorporated associaton,CIO) |
Para 1.25 | The charity is a CIO. |
| Trustee selecton methods including details of any consttutonal provisions e.g. electon to post or name of any person or body enttled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Trustees are selected by existng trustees. A call for new trustees is made by the existng trustees, and applicatons are received. Following checks to ensure they meet the criteria to be a trustee (secton 9,2 in our consttuton), an interview will take place. If the applicant is determined suitable the existng trustees will vote on their appointment. All founding ‘frst’ trustees have equal vote and right to appoint new trustees. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Will provide in the next annual report Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and Para 1.51 training of trustees Will provide in the next annual report The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Will provide in the next annual report Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties NA Other
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | Bexceptonal Foundaton |
|---|---|
| Other name the charityuses | NA |
| Registered charitynumber | 1192745 |
| Charity’s principal address | Bexceptonal Foundaton, 7, Bell Yard |
The Strand London WC2A 2JR
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 |
Trustee name | Ofce (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year | Name of person (or body) enttled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Hall | Chair of Trustees and Founder - remote |
Whole year – ongoing | Group decision between three trustees – equal vote |
|
| Alice Palmer | Trustee - remote | Whole year – ongoing | Group decision between three trustees – equal vote |
|
| Marina el-Hasni | Trustee remote | Whole year – ongoing | Group decision between three trustees – equal vote |
|
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name None
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for wholeyear | |
|---|---|---|
| None | ||
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held None in this capacity Name and objects of the None charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for None safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser |
Name Address |
Name Address |
|---|---|---|
| None | ||
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
None
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
None
Other optional information
None
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Rebecca Hall
Position (eg Secretary, Chair of Trustees Chair, etc)
Date
21/08/2026