Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Number: 1193763
Spectrum Gaming CIO
Trustees Report and Financial Statements
Period ended 31 March 2023
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
The trustees present their report and financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2023.
The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities and with the charity’s governing documents.
Spectrum Gaming CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), and was registered with the Charity Commission on 10 March 2021. It was established to take forward the work of the registered charity, Spectrum Gaming CIO (Charity Number 1193763).
The trustees confirm that the CIO has complied with the duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. This report illustrates how the CIO delivers public benefit.
Reference and administrative details
| CIO Name: | Spectrum Gaming CIO | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Number: | 1193763 | ||
| Registered Address: | Spectrum Gaming, Bartle House | ||
| Oxford Court | |||
| Manchester | |||
| M2 3WQ | |||
| Trustees: | Danny van Deurzen-Smith - Chair | (since October 2023) | |
| Alison Egerton - Trustee | (since October 2023) | ||
| Catherine Thomson | (since October 2023) | ||
| Gareth Howe - Trustee | (since October 2023) | ||
| Jo Beaumont - Trustee | (since October 2023) | ||
| Melanie Harrison - Trustee | (since October 2023) | ||
| Dr Pia-Sophie Wool - Trustee | (since October 2023) | ||
| Dr Samantha Friedman - Trustee | (since October 2023) | ||
| Sarah-Jane Snape - Trustee | |||
| Claire Harrison - Chair | (resigned Jan 2023) | ||
| Claire Teague - Chair (Jan 23) | (resigned June 2023) | ||
| Andrew Smith - Trustee | (resigned October 2023) | ||
| Caterina Radu - Trustee | (resigned October 2023) | ||
| Leah Hanlon - Trustee | (resigned June 2023) | ||
| Rebecca Allen - Treasurer | (resigned May 2022) | ||
| Advisors | Bankers | National Westminster Bank Plc | |
| 438 Barlow Moor Road | |||
| Chorlton-Cum-Hardy | |||
| Manchester | |||
| Independent | Ashton Roberts Accountancy Limited | ||
| Examiner | 21 Kingston Avenue | ||
| Blackpool | |||
| Lancashire | |||
| FY4 2QB |
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
Annual Summary
During the financial period 2022/23 Spectrum Gaming (SG) has undergone significant growth and development both internally (and our systems processes and staffing) and more externally (our services, advocacy and reach). Our list of achievements is huge, however the additional impact these changes have had on the organisation and its beneficiaries are hard to measure.
Autism and neurodiversity are ‘hot topics’ at the moment and are seeing a huge upsurge in public awareness. During this period more people have been diagnosed than ever before (a record 1282 diagnosis happened in May 2022, and over 14,000 autism diagnosis referrals in March 2023 - NHS, Autism Statistics ) and therefore the demand for positive spaces for autistic/neurodivergent young people is higher than ever before.
At the beginning of 2023 we saw a near exponential increase in the amount of applications from parents and professionals seeking our services and support. This nearly pushed our organisation to breaking point, however we used it as an opportunity to reflect on our work and purpose at a strategic level, and build the infrastructure for SG to continue to grow with a demand in the future.
2022/23 Key Achievements
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Clearer definition of our goals and values as an organisation
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Development of a 6 unit induction course for all staff and volunteers to complete
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An increase in our staffing team from two members of paid staff to 10 paid roles in 2023.
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Recruited and trained a team of over 40 young members to act as online moderators supporting their peers, and representing the views of the community in server management roles.
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The creation of a well-being program for all our staff and volunteers focused on their personal needs for greatest impact.
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Development and implementation of a high-quality neuro-affirming 6 week training course delivered both internally (to our staff team) and publicly (to parents professionals and others that work with autistic young people)
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Additional recognition for work locally, nationally and in some cases globally, meaning much better reach for all our advocacy projects.
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Significant improvement to our online services, resulting in better support for all young people and increased efficiency, making the organisation more sustainable
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Continuation and growth of our existing services, reaching a greater number of autistic young people across the whole of the UK.
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
The Four Service Areas
Online Services
Our online social community for autistic young people provides a safe and supportive place for members to game together, build friendships, improve self-esteem and wellbeing. It is accessible across the UK and members are supported 7 days a week by autistic youth workers and volunteers who run gaming events, facilitate interaction between like-minded peers, respond to requests for help with wellbeing and chat openly with the young people about autism.
In addition to our Discord social server, where members can connect and chat, we also have a private Minecraft server where our members can work together to build and run their own virtual society. This provides further opportunities to play and interact with peers, but also develop and practise life skills in a safe environment.
Discord Server
We have two active servers, one for U13s with parent controlled accounts, and one for teenagers aged 13 and over.
Our under 13 community has increased by 166 new members this year, bringing the total up to 660 in March 2023. In that time there were 350,000 messages exchanged making connections, and over 8,500 hours spent in voice calls developing friendships with others with similar life experiences.
Our teenage community increased by 200 to 444 members by March 2023. These older members navigate their social server independently from their parents, but with youth workers to support and facilitate connections and engagement between peers. Over the last year they have exchanged 400,000 messages and spent 17,000 hours socialising in voice calls.
Organised adult-led events continue to prove popular and provide additional opportunities for newer members to integrate into the community. Fortnightly Minecraft events attract up to 40 players at a time, hosting games of Among Us has become a weekly whole community event and timetabled Roblox events are the most popular with the under 13s.
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
Minecraft Server
This year, we have implemented systems to record the amount of engagement and trends on our server, to help us reflect and make changes when needed.
Since using this system we have recorded almost 25,000 hours of play from June 2022 to March 2023 accumulated by 500 unique young people. We’ve had an average of 2400 logins a week and a total of 800,000 messages sent by the young people as they played and cooperated with one another in their virtual society.
Face-to-face services
This year we have started to use booking software which allows us to collect necessary information about attendees, and also record attendance data.
During the 12 month period, Spectrum Gaming hosted 27 face-to-face events with a total of 293 attendees.
Throughout the year we have been able to offer monthly forest school sessions, split into Under13s and Teens, with a capacity for 15 in each group. These are usually fully booked, but are well staffed with qualified leaders and a team of volunteers. At present we are searching for a new quieter site to host our forest school, as currently the noise from nearby motorway traffic is overwhelming for some members. Monthly relaxed football sessions are enjoyed by 8 - 10 young people, who appreciate the chance to play without the pressure from coaches or noise usually associated with football training.
In addition to the regular meetups, there were additional events in school holiday periods, including hiking and a Winter Wonderland experience. We continue to search for a suitable building to lease in the Bury area to create a Spectrum Gaming community centre to host a youth club and other more frequent events.
In February, two further team members completed an outdoor first aid course, which means we can now have more flexibility with staffing events.
Advocacy
Encouraging self-acceptance is a large focus for all services we provide for autistic young people. Some are newly diagnosed and just discovering what that means for them, whilst others are further in their journey of embracing being autistic and able to not only support their peers, but contribute to our advocacy projects as we strive to make changes to benefit all autistic children in the UK.
We have been able to recruit staff to focus primarily on this area of the charity’s work, and so projects have advanced quite rapidly.
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
We have worked with our members to create guidance for parents of children being assessed for autism, which has then been reviewed by the Autism Parents UK group.
In the later half of 2022, efforts were directed towards the writing of material about Barriers to School Attendance. Our young members, of whom the majority struggle to attend school, contributed to this. Over 350 autistic young people, 150 autistic adults, 700 parents and 80 professionals joined focus groups, attended live writing sessions, had 1:1 interviews or completed surveys to share their views, and the result of this work was the launch of guides to autism and trauma, and autism and anxiety published on the website www.barrierstoeducation.co.uk
Since the start of 2023 the focus has turned to a project on behalf of Manchester NHS Foundation Trust and the Greater Manchester Autism Hub, which is the creation of a website about autism specifically aimed at newly diagnosed young autistic people. This has also been a huge collaboration between professionals and young people and we are aiming to launch https://autismunderstood.co.uk in the summer of 2023.
Training
Our inhouse staff training programme has been developed over the last 12 months, with the introduction of a compulsory induction course for all staff and volunteers, covering autism-specific information, our organisation’s values and ways of working, as well as safeguarding training. In addition to this, staff have received training on topics relevant to our members including LGBTQ+, ADHD and OCD.
At the start of 2023 we ran our first external Autism Acceptance 6 week course. The series of webinars aimed at parents and professionals were designed and written with Spectrum Gaming’s young members, and week 2’s live public session was fully delivered by a team of 5 autistic young people themselves. The feedback from attendees was exceptional, with professionals especially appreciative of being able to hear directly from young people and gain their perspectives on matters which impact them in education and wider society.
References
NHS, Autism Statistics - (https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statistics/july-2022-to-june2023)
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
Financial Review
The CIO’s results for the period show an overall deficit of income over expenditure of £13,862. The majority of the income received (£93,785) was restricted to fund specific activities of the charity, or to either recruit or continue the employment of staff during 2023/24
These results reflect the hard work and strong financial controls put in place by the trustees and management of the CIO.
Policies
Spectrum Gaming CIO has a full range of policies covering our services. Our policies are continually kept under review including the assessment of the major risks.
The trustees aim to maintain the general level of reserves (unrestricted funds) to around three months of general expenditure. The trustees consider this to be an appropriate level.
Structure, governance and management
| Governing document: | Spectrum Gaming CIO is governed by its constitution dated 10th March |
|---|---|
| 2021. | |
| Trustees selection: | Trustees are nominated and seconded by parent members of Spectrum |
| Gaming CIO | |
| Organisation: | The board of trustees administers the CIO. The board normally meets |
| quarterly. A Chief Officer is appointed by the trustees to manage the |
|
| day-today operations of the CIO. To facilitate effective operations the |
|
| Chief Officer has delegated authority, within terms of delegation approved | |
| by the trustees, for operational matters. | |
| Related parties: | None of the trustees receive remuneration or other benefit from their |
| work with the CIO. Any connection between a trustee or senior manager |
|
| of the charity with any contractual relationship with a related party must | |
| be disclosed to the full board of trustees. In the current period no such | |
| related party transactions were reported. | |
| Pay policy for senior: | The trustees and the Chief Officer comprise the key management |
| personnel of the CIO in charge of directing and controlling, running and | |
| operating the CIO on a daily basis. All trustees give their time freely and | |
| no trustee received remuneration in the period. Details of trustees’ | |
| expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 2 to the | |
| accounts. The pay of the Chief Officer is reviewed annually. | |
| The board of trustees have identified the major risks to which the charity | |
| Risk management: | is exposed. These are reviewed continually, as are the systems |
| established to mitigate those risks. |
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
Responsibilities of the trustees
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the CIO and of the incoming resources and application of resources for that period.
In preparing those accounts the trustees are required to:-
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the CIO will continue its activities.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the CIO and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Declaration:
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies tion.
Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:
1 7th May 2024
…………………………………………….. …………………………………… Danny van Deurzen-Smith Date:
Danny van Deurzen-Smith Chair of Trustees
…………………………………………….
Samantha Friedman Trustee
17th May 2024
……………………………………… Date: 17 May 2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
I report on the accounts of Spectrum Gaming CIO for the period ended 31 March 2022 which are set out on pages seven to thirteen.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charitable incorporated organisation’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charitable incorporated organisation’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. The charitable incorporated organisation’s gross income exceeded £150,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charitable incorporated organisation and comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Ashton Roberts Accountancy Limited
21 Kingston Avenue Blackpool Lancashire FY4 2QB
07 May 2024
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (including Income and Expenditure Account) Spectrum Gaming CIO
Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM: Notes Donations and legacies Grants & Trusts TOTAL INCOME 2 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable Activities TOTAL EXPENDITURE 3 Net movement in funds Total funds at 31st March 2022 Total funds at 31st March 2023 |
Unrestricted Funds £ 39,718 - 39,718 22,784 22,784 16,934 4,454 21,388 |
Restricted Funds £ 5,785 88,000 93,785 124,581 124,581 (30,796) 118,926 88,130 |
2023 Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funds £ 45,503 88,000 133,503 147,366 147,366 (13,863) 123,380 109,518 |
BALANCE SHEET
Spectrum Gaming CIO
Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2022
| CURRENT ASSETS Notes £ Cash at bank and in hand 109,518 Net Current Assets Total Assets less current liabilities REPRESENTED BY Restricted Unrestricted TOTAL FUNDS 4 109,518 |
2023 Total |
|---|---|
| £ 109,518 109,518 88,130 21,388 |
Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:
| 1_7th May 2024_ | ||
|---|---|---|
| …………………………………………….. | …………………………………… | |
| Danny van Deurzen-Smith | Date: | |
| Chair of Trustees | ||
| 17th May 2024 | ||
| ……………………………………………. | ……………………………………… | |
| Samantha Friedman | Date: | 17 May 2024 |
| Trustee |
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Charity information
Spectrum Gaming CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in England and Wales. The principal address is 9 Olsberg Close, Radcliffe, Manchester, M26 2UZ.
Accounting convention
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with governing document of the CIO, the Charities Act 2011 and 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) (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016).
The CIO has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The accounts are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the CIO. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.
Incoming Resources
All income is recognised once the CIO has entitlement to the income, there is sufficient certainty or receipt and so it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.
Resources expended
Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred and are allocated to the particular activity to which the cost relates. Governance costs include costs of the preparation and examination of the statutory accounts, the costs of trustee meetings and cost of any legal advice trustees on governance or constitutional matters.
Unrestricted funds
Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the CIO without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
Designated funds
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the CIO for particular purposes.
Restricted funds
Restricted funds are to be used for a specific purpose as laid down by the donor.
Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
1. TRUSTEES
No trustees received remuneration for services rendered or were reimbursed travel expenses.
No trustee, or anyone connected with a trustee, has a material interest in any of the CIO’s transactions.
All the trustees are parents of children and young people who have used the CIO’s services and participated in events held by the CIO. All services and events were provided on the same terms and with no priority over other member’s children.
One trustee’s child was employed by the CIO as a support worker in this financial period. The recruitment process was the same as for all other support staff.
2. ANALYSIS OF INCOME
| Donations and legacies General Donations Mentoring Professional Services Grant Income |
Donations and legacies General Donations Mentoring Professional Services Grant Income |
Unrestricted 27,823 2,810 9,085 |
2023 2022 Restricted Total Total 5,785 33,608 74,124 2,810 9,085 725 88,000 88,000 91,824 |
2023 2022 Restricted Total Total 5,785 33,608 74,124 2,810 9,085 725 88,000 88,000 91,824 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 39,718 | 93,785 133,503 |
166,673 |
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
3. TOTAL EXPENDITURE
| Audit & Accountancy fees Bank Fees Computer Equipment Charitable Donations Direct Expenses General Expenses IT Software & Consumables Operating Lease PAYE Pensions Printing & Stationery Repairs & Maintenance Staff Training Subscriptions Telephone & Internet Travel Wages TOTAL EXPENDITURE |
Unrestricted 2,650 96 1,626 5,495 410 2,829 1,575 - - 688 - 571 67 1,759 276 1,649 3,093 22,784 |
Restricted Total - 2,650 - 96 - 1,626 - 5,495 - 410 2,335 5,164 1,982 3,557 1125 1,125 11,753 11,753 2,814 3,502 1,560 1,560 - 571 3500 3,567 1800 3,559 - 276 - 1,649 97,712 100,806 124,581 147,366 |
|---|---|---|
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Spectrum Gaming CIO Report of the Trustees for the period ended 31 March 2023
4. MOVEMENT OF FUNDS
| Unrestricted funds Restricted funds TOTAL FUNDS |
Balance at 1st April 2022 4,454 118,926 123,380 |
Incoming Resources 39,718 93,785 133,503 |
Resources Expended 22,784 124,581 147,336 |
Transfers - - - |
Balance at 31st | Balance at 31st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 21,388 88,130 109,518 |
5. STAFF COSTS AND NUMBERS
Staff costs were as follows:
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries and wages | 21,590 | 100,806 |
| Employers Pension | 327 | 3,502 |
| TOTAL COSTS | 21,917 | 104,308 |
No employees received emoluments of more than £60,000. The average number of employees during the period was 7.
6. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
The charity had no contingent liabilities as at 31 March 2023.
7. RESTRICTED INCOME FUNDS
Funds Held & Name
Purpose & Restriction(s)
Bury Council Advocacy Projects Tudor Trust Staff Salaries National Lottery Community Fund Staff Salaries