## **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**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**23,793**| |||||| ||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||| ||**12,703**|**-**|**26,159**|**23,793**| |||||| ||**12,703**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**12,703**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**19,719**
**3,973**
**6,084**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**29,776**|**21,626**| |||||**4,570**| |||||**1,428**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**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**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of
approval| ||||| ||||| ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** ## **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** |**Report to the trustees**
**On accounts for the year**
**ended**
**Set out on pages**|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):** 1 **Oct 2018** **IER** |**Address:**|100 Howard Street| |---|---| ||North Shields| ||NE30 1NA| 2 **Oct 2018** **IER**