2023-03-31-accounts - Sparcs

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1 April 2022 To

31 March 2023

Charity name: SPARCS

Charity registration number: 1193049

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	Provide a wide range of accessible and affordable activities for autistic people and those with related conditions and their families within the local community.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	SPARCS has had an exciting 12month period . At start of 2023 we moved into our own dedicated space within a local community hub. The room and activities are based on the ideas and ideals of our members. Together we have created a bespoke safe meaningful, interesting and fun environment that is age appropriate and authentic to our community. We expanded on our existing youth club sessions creating a young adult’s group to complement the existing sessions. We have re-introduced our home educated sessions and have also begun to run a club for those interested in Dungeons and Dragons. These sessions are well attended. Over the summer we expanded our regular annual offer and this year we secured funding in order to run 1 weekly session for each of our 3 youth clubs plus a family session during the week. As well as remaining consistent in continuing to run our weekend sessions throughout the school holidays. Over the summer we provided activities for around 200 young neurodivergent people.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	We have had regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference

Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	We have provided a wide range of accessible and affordable activities for autistic people and those with related conditions and their families within the local community. We have the following testimonials from parents: “I have two children with nuerodiversities who both have very different types of needs. SPARCS offers support for both of them, working extremely hard to manage their very different needs. “One child has complex disabilities and learning disabilities, including autism: he needs a very high level of care to enable him to access activities in the community. He can exhibit unexpected and challenging behaviour and SPARCS is one of the very few places that genuinely understand his needs. He loves attending the activities and open days that SPARCS offer. My other son has a diagnosis of autism and situational mutism. He struggles to access activities in the community for different reasons: his social anxieties mean he can be uncomfortable joining in the activities of a typical 12 year old. SPARCS volunteers and members show unswerving patience in supporting him to join in when he can, celebrating the very small steps of success that we see. Again they genuinely understand the challenges he faces. “We particularly enjoyed the healthy eating project that SPARCS supported. SPARCS provided ingredients and cookinginstructions

for various healthy family meals which we cooked together at home. As is common with ASD, my son can exhibit very restricted eating and this project was hugely helpful in helping him expand his diet and to try new food in a fun and relaxed way.” “The peer support from parents and carers in priceless. The lived experience of the volunteers far surpasses that of many of the professionals, and the support they provide is incalculable. I am aware the trustees and volunteers put huge amounts into SPARCS and they really do deserve far more recognition that they get. I wish the grassroots support they give could be replicated across the country - every community deserves a SPARCS.” “We discovered Sparcs at a low point in our lives, when my son was overwhelmed and not coping well. We didn't know anything about autism or how to support him. Sparcs has been a lifeline, helping us as parents to learn about autism and how to make adjustments and advocate for him in the education and health care systems. Sparcs has created an environment where we've met other families with autistic kids, creating a sense of community and helped us feel less alone.” “For my son, since he found the Sparcs youth club he is like a different child. He has discovered a place where he can be himself without being judged. Where there are other kids with geeky interests like him, and where he loves to go every week. He is more confident, more resilient, and less likely to get into trouble at school. He is more settled, happier, and more positive about the future. He knows more about autism and feels a sense of belonging to a community. I can't imagine where we would be without Sparcs. “

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The charity has a balance of £910 in the bank.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The charity does not have a reserves policy.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£910

Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	N/A
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	N/A
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	N/A

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Unincorporated association
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Trustees are all volunteers.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	SPARCS
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1193049
Charity’s principal address	Whitley Bay Big Local 158 Whitley Road WHITLEY BAY Tyne and Wear NE26 2LY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Louise Holohan
	Patricia McGuinness
	Michael Caul

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 Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date	) )Patricia McGuinness Trustee 15 January 2024

SPARCS No (if any) 1193049 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1-Apr-22 31-Mar-23

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Grants 2,000 Donations 11,456 - - - - 13,456 - - Sub total - Total receipts 13,456 A3 Payments Activites withyoung people 7,016 Administrative Expenses 3,973 storage and room hire 6,084 - - - - - - Sub total 17,073 - - Sub total - Total payments 17,073 Net of receipts/(payments) - 3,617 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 7,369 Cash funds this year end 3,752 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ *Sub total*(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)	to the nearest £ Restricted funds	to the nearest £ Endowment funds	Total funds to the nearest £	Last year to the nearest £
	12,703 - - - - 12,703	- - - - - - - - -	14,703 11,456 - - - - - - 26,159	19,051
				4,742
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				-
				-
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				23,793

	- - -	- - -	- - -
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	12,703	-	26,159	23,793

	12,703 - - - - - - - 12,703	- - - - - - - - - -	19,719 3,973 6,084 - - - - - - 29,776	21,626
				4,570
				1,428
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				-
				-
				-
				-
				-
				27,624

	- - -	- - -	- - -

				-

	12,703	-	29,776	27,624

	- - - -	- - - -	- 3,617 - 7,369 3,752	- 3,831
				-
				7,369
				3,538

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Details Bank Balance Details Details Details Details Signature *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	to nearest £ to nearest £ 3,752 - - - - - 3,752 - OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional)	to nearest £ Endowment funds
			-
			-
			-
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			OK
			to nearest £ Endowment funds
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			-
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			Current value (optional)
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			Current value (optional)
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			When due (optional)






			Date of approval

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Charity Name SPARCS	Charity Name SPARCS	Charity Name SPARCS

31 March 2023	Charity no (if any)	1193049

(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report 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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent [The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]]. Delete [ ] if not applicable.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did 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: Nick Brereton Date: 15 January 2024 Name: Nick Brereton Relevant professional MAAT qualification(s) or body (if any):

Oct 2018

IER

Address:	100 Howard Street
	North Shields
	NE30 1NA

Oct 2018

IER