2023-09-30-accounts

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The Annual Report of GROW MENTORING 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023

Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Background, Objectives and Public Benefit ................................................................................................... 4 Administrative Details............................................................................................................................................. 5 Governance Structure and Management ........................................................................................................ 6 Achievement and Performance .......................................................................................................................... 7 Looking Ahead .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Financial Review ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 11 Independent Examiner’s Report ...................................................................................................................... 12 Balance Sheet as of 30 September 2023 ...................................................................................................... 13 Statement of financial activities ....................................................................................................................... 14 Notes to the financial statements ................................................................................................................... 15

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Reference and Administrative Information

Trustees	Justin Mark Alexander Farrance (Chair)
	Lucy Cole
	Alexander Wallace Denny
Registered address	International House
	12 Constance Street
	London
	E19 2DQ
Bankers	National Westminster Bank
	40 Islington High Street
	Islington
	London
	N1 8XX
Independent Examiner	Matt Austin
Website address	growmentoring.org
Contact information	contact@growmentoring.org
	+44 7999 321 761

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Introduction

The trustees present their report along with the independently examined financial statements of the charity for the period 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023. The financial statements have been prepared per the accounting policies set out on page 15 and comply with the charity’s statement, the Charities Act 2011, and the Statement of Recommended Practice ( SORP ): Accounting and Reporting by Charities 2015.

GROW Mentoring ( GROW ) is a charitable incorporated organisation ( CIO ) that aims to advance social mobility, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The charity is increasing access to law through mentorship and community, supporting students from all background to help reduce barriers to the legal profession.

GROW pairs aspiring lawyers with professionals who have similar backgrounds or interests in the legal industry. This method of pairing allows mentees to feel represented in the industry and have a mentor who can be understanding – on a more personal level – of the challenges the mentee may be facing. Any aspiring lawyer can sign up to GROW by completing a short form on our website. This sets us apart from other organisations as we do not require a long application, an interview or grade/background eligibility to pair applicants.

Mentors are able to offer tailored one-to-one advice through calls (on-line or telephonebased), email contact or in-person meetings. The frequency of contact is set by mentors and mentees, but typically occurs on a monthly basis. When we connect mentees to their mentors we also issue GROW’s Mentoring Guide to kick-start the relationship and ensure they feel empowered to drive their relationship forward and work with their mentor to achieve their goals. Mentees also have access to a mentee-only LinkedIn group so that they can network with their peers in the GROW community.

Background, Objectives and Public Benefit

GROW Mentoring was founded in April 2020 to increase the support available to aspiring lawyers. The aim was to support a handful of students on their law applications and interviews, but after unprecedented demand, GROW was then formalised into a platform to increase diversity, inclusion and accessibility to law.

This is the second year of formal operations for GROW after achieving charity status in April 2021. The objective of the charity is to advance education for the public benefit by providing support and mentoring to students at undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate level aimed at helping develop their skills capacities and capabilities. This is achieved by matching them with a mentor in the legal industry who can offer assistance with career choices, interview preparation and general motivation and guidance.

The charity hosts events which allow mentees to hear from professionals in the legal industry providing general careers advice alongside insights into law and personal experiences.

In considering the operation, review of the first financial period and performance of the charity, the trustees are satisfied that the public benefit has been provided per the Charities Act 2011 and the guidance provided by the Charity Commission.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Administrative Details

Board of Trustees

Justin Farrance Chief Executive Officer and Chair Lucy Cole Chief Operations Officer Alex Denny Finance Director

Patron

Joanna Hughes

GROW Mentoring Team

Jen Shipley Resourcing and Development Director Derya Kilinc Operations Manager Nicole Akinyemi Operations Coordinator Ailsa Inglis Operations Coordinator Noor Farid Operations Coordinator Meg Kelly Operations Coordinator Ryan Naidoo Operations Coordinator Hope O’Dwyer Operations Coordinator

Rida Kassam Partnerships Manager Trina Mitra Partnerships Manager Edwin Gallego Partnerships Coordinator James Harrison Partnerships Coordinator Jessica Dhodakia Partnerships Coordinator Sikemi Okunrinboye Partnerships Coordinator Faeqa Chowdhury Events Manager Arina Stelmokaitė Events Coordinator Maria Rădulescu Social Media Manager Austin Harfield Social Media Assistant Sevara Amanullaeva Video Editor

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Governance Structure and Management

Decision Making

GROW is run by a Board of Trustees that oversees general administration and management of the GROW team, who carry out the day-to-day operations of the charity. Trustees manage the activities and responsibilities that fall within the remit of their role. Some responsibilities are also allocated on an ad hoc basis depending on the expertise of the trustees.

Day-to-day Operations and Remuneration

The Board coordinates the day-to-day management of the charity. The Board approves financial payments, delegates tasks to its team, provides guidance on operations and gives binding consent to decisions affecting the charity.

GROW team members are all either current undergraduate or postgraduate students, or junior professionals from the legal industry. They offer their time voluntarily for their services, for which the Board is grateful.

Trustees

The charity is governed by an experienced Board of Trustees composed of Justin Farrance, Lucy Cole, and Alex Denny. Justin is the Ambassador for DE&I at Allen & Overy LLP ( A&O ). Prior to this, he was an Associate in the firm’s Employment Litigation practice. Lucy Cole is a trainee solicitor at Clifford Chance LLP ( CC ). Alex Denny is a trainee solicitor at A&O.

Appointments

All new Trustees are co-opted by the unanimous decision of the Board of Trustees. Between 1 October 2022 and 30 September 2023, Alex Denny was added to the Board.

New Trustees have a background of previously being involved with the charity and are already familiar with its day-to-day operations. Alex joined GROW in March 2022 as Finance Director.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Achievement and Performance

Pairings

Cohort VII

GROW paired 352 mentees.

Cohort VIII

GROW paired 266 mentees.

Cohort IX

GROW paired 456 mentees.

Partnerships

The charity has secured a number of new commercial partnerships. These have included partnerships with both private practice firms such as Bird & Bird LLP, Linklaters LLP, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and partnerships with in-house functions such as the legal teams at Amazon, eBay, and Salesforce.

Events

GROW Awards – September 2022

The charity launched an Awards programme and event in August 2021. This initiative has been sponsored by Travers Smith from its inception. The awards celebrate and highlight the achievements of the mentees within GROW’s community.

Next Gen Summit – October 2022

Prior to incorporation, GROW’s founders hosted a Next Gen Summit in November 2020. The charity hosted its third Next Gen Summit in October 2022.

The Summit is GROW's annual flagship event, giving aspiring commercial lawyers an insight into the legal profession from leaders in the industry. Over 300 attendees joined our 2022 Summit, which was shared over 150 times on LinkedIn and described as the “most accessible legal event” by an industry commentator.

CC was the headline sponsor and host of the 2022 Summit. The event was presented in partnership with A&O, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP ( BCLP ) and Reed Smith LLP. We were delighted to welcome “Bad Education” actor Layton Williams to deliver the keynote speech at the event.

The Summit held four panels and sessions featuring speakers from a variety of global businesses. These included:

Kick-Starting Your Career, an opportunity for attendees to hear from four young professionals about their pathway into the legal industry;
Get Into Law Masterclass, featuring advice from a range of legal and graduate recruitment professionals;

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

A group mentoring session hosted by Justin Farrance and Lucy Cole;
Hot Topics, a session led by leaders in the legal profession exploring what the future of legal careers may include; and
An interactive case study session run by PayPal’s in-house legal team.

A&O x Barclays x GROW – ‘A View from the Inside’ – February 2023

A&O, Barclays and GROW hosted 150 aspiring lawyers at the A&O offices for its first cohosted event with a global law firm and an in-house legal team. The day provided exclusive insights into the legal industry, with panels and sessions including:

A keynote address from Daniel Fletcher, founder of contemporary fashion brand DANIEL w. FLETCHER;
A panel featuring senior professionals at A&O and Barclays describing their journeys within the industry, the challenges of the current business climate and how to ensure an inclusive culture for all;
An interactive session exploring what future law firms will look like and what skills will be required from lawyers to succeed in a rapidly evolving world;
A panel of lawyers discussing their inside perspectives on the industry - their roles, unique journeys into law and their work within social mobility and DE&I; and
A case study session analysing and drafting a Diversity Policy, examining why specific clauses are used and scrutinising language use.

International Women’s Day Empowerment Coffee Morning – March 2023

In celebration of International Women’s Day, GROW hosted 50 diverse aspiring lawyers for a coffee morning focussed on sharing experiences and building connections.

Tea, Pastries & Pride – June 2023

To celebrate Pride month, GROW hosted aspiring lawyers within the LGBTQ+ community for afternoon tea at a local independent venue.

Insight Day with Kennedys – September 2023

GROW collaborated with Kennedys Law LLP to deliver an insight day at the firm’s London office. The experience introduced the attendees to the firm and its core practice areas, developed their commercial awareness and promoted alternative careers in law. Sessions included a firm tour, group task sessions and evening networking at the Sky Garden.

Marketing and Business Development

Social Media

GROW has expanded its social media strategy to provide deeper insights into the charity’s operations and missions.

The charity has begun publishing a “Meet the Team” series where members of the GROW team talk about themselves, their day-to-day responsibilities, the support they receive from the wider GROW team and the benefits of working with the charity.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Looking Ahead

Planning

The charity’s activities are to continue in line with its growth to-date, and GROW’s overall visions and objectives. Specific aims that the Board of Trustees and the wider GROW team plan to be incorporated into charity operations include the following:

Next Gen Summit 2023

Our flagship summit will return in October 2023. This will be run in a ‘hybrid’ format – with attendees joining both in person and online.

Partnerships

The charity aims to keep up momentum by establishing corporate partnerships and to develop its relationships beyond mentoring to include hosting events at the offices of our partners.

Risk Management

The Trustees have established direct reporting lines with the wider GROW team to monitor the charity’s activities and funds. Contact is maintained on a frequent basis with team members, ranging between daily to weekly consultation and delegation.

Recruitment

The Events, Finance, Operations and Partnerships teams are to be expanded to: (i) decrease workload on key individuals; (ii) replace team members that have stepped down from their roles in the team; and (iii) build in capacity in light of increasing partnership activity. The charity will also create a “Mentee Engagement” team tasked with supporting mentee onboarding, responding to inquiries and reviewing mentoring participant feedback.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Financial Review

Charitable Expenditure

Expenditure on charitable activities totalled £26,112 across the reporting period. As this is the first financial period for the charity, it is not possible to reflect forecasting or recommendations from previous performance.

Unrestricted funds of the charity stand at £53,895 on 30 September 2023. We are pleased that our finances are increasing in line with the momentum of the charity’s activities. The Board of Trustees intends to continue to work closely managing the finances of the charity to ensure the growth of its impact and activities are matched accordingly by its funding.

Investments

GROW has made no investments in the year under review.

Reserves

Following the charity’s first year of operations, income is now regular and financial activity is stable. GROW therefore currently maintains a reserve fund of £5,000. All charity funds are unrestricted, and details are quoted in note 4 of the financial statements.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements per applicable law and the United Kingdom ( UK ) Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’. In addition, the law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give an accurate and fair view of the state of affairs of the Trust and the incoming resources and application of resources of the Trust for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
Observe the methods and principles in the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (2015);
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
State whether applicable accounting standards, comprising FRS 102, have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the charity’s financial position and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. They are also responsible for safeguarding the charity’s assets and hence for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf:

Name: Justin Farrance (Chair) Date: 30 July 2024

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Independent Examiner’s Report

I report on the accounts of GROW Mentoring for the year ended 30 September 2023, which are set out on pages 13 to 14.

Respective responsibilities of trustee and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a 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 required in an audit. 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:

which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Name: Matt Austin Date: 30 July 2024

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Balance Sheet as of 30 September 2023

Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Total current assets Liabilities Creditors falling due within one year Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities The funds of the charity Unrestricted Income Funds Total charity funds	Notes 2 3 4	30 September 2023 £ 0 53,895 (0)	£ 53,895 (0) _ 53,895 53,895 _ 53,895	30 September 2022 £ 0 7,734 0	£ 7,734
					0 ____ 7,734
					7,734 ____ 7,734

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf:

Name: Justin Farrance (Chair) Date: 30 July 2024

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Statement of financial activities for the period 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023

Income from: Donations Partnerships Sponsorships Total Expenditure on: Charitable activities Total Net income/ (expenditure) and net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	Notes 5 6 7 8	1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 Unrestricted funds £ Total Funds £ 9,173 0 35,950 45,123 27,150 72,273 72,273 (26,112) (26,112) 46,161 7,734 53,895	1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022 Unrestricted funds £ Total Funds £ 5,922 0 2,000 7,922 7,500 15,422 15,422 (12,471) (12,471) 2,950 4,784 7,734

The Statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the stated period. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Notes to the financial statements

1. Principal Accounting Policies

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts per 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).

GROW Mentoring is a CIO registered with the Charity Commission in England on 16 April 2021 and meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Accordingly, assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

Going concern

Regarding expected activities, the trustees believe that the charity will continue to operate for at least 12 months from the date of signing these accounts based on the level of funds held by the charity at the year-end and those required for our ongoing operation.

Funds

All funds are unrestricted and available for use at the Trustees’ discretion to meet the charity’s objectives.

Donations

Donations represent direct donations received by the charity in support of our mission.

Partnerships

Payments made by companies in consideration for the development of a mentoring partnership with the charity.

Sponsorships

Amounts receivable for companies participating in, or sponsoring, events hosted by GROW. This income is recognised at the time of delivery of each event.

Charitable activities – expenditure

The costs associated with charitable activities required to deliver GROW’s mentoring programmes and events each year.

Gifts in Kind

Where GROW receives goods or services at a reduced rate due to its charitable status and the benefit achieved can be reliably measured, these are recognised as income from donations with a corresponding expense for the same amount. This ensures the actual costs involved in running our activities are captured.

Debtors

Debtors represents amounts due from late or bad payments. The Trustees assess debtors at year-end for the likelihood of receipt and appropriate write-offs or provisions are raised where doubts exist. No amounts were due as of 30 September 2023.

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

Creditors

There were no such balances as of 30 September 2023.

Cash Flow Statement

GROW Mentoring is not large enough to require a cash flow statement.

2. Debtors

1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 £ Debtors 0 Total 0 3. Creditors 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 £ Creditors 0 Total 0 4. Unrestricted income funds £ Balance on 1 October 2022 7,734 Incoming resources 72,273 Outgoing resources (26,112) Balance on 30 September 2023 53,895	1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022
	£ 0 0 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022
	£ 0 0

5. Donations 1 October 2022 to 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2023 30 September 2022 £ £ Donations 9,173 5,922 Total 9,173 5,922

6. Partnerships

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 £ Partnerships 35,950 Total 35,950 7. Sponsorships 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 £ Sponsorships 27,150 Total 27,150 8. Charitable activities – expenditure 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 £ Business development 0 Contractor costs 4,231 Event costs GROW Awards 187 A&O x Barclays x GROW 1,008 Next Gen Summit 2021 0 International Women’s Day 969 Tea, Pastries and Pride 842 Next Gen Summit 2022 1,728 Next Gen Summit 2023 691 Marketing 0 Meetings 2,059 Miscellaneous 168 Online costs 861 Staff costs 3,378 Staff entertaining 1,681 Staff travel 879 Subsistence 49 Travel fund 7,381 Total 26,112	1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022
	£ 2,000 2,000 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022
	£ 7,500 7,500 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022
	£ 1,320 0 184 0 1,377 866 0 538 0 2,400 800 100 593 565 0 290 153 3,285 12,471

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Registered Charity No. 1194109

GROW Mentoring

9. Trustee and employee information

The trustees do not receive any remuneration from GROW Mentoring for their role. In addition, the charity employs no remunerated staff members.

10. Related Party Transactions

There were no transactions with related parties requiring disclosure between 1 October 2022 and 30 September 2023. However, due to the nature of some expenses incurred by the organisation, Trustees and team members are at times required to incur expenses personally and receive reimbursement for these costs only.

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Table of Contents

Reference and Administrative Information

Introduction

Background, Objectives and Public Benefit

Administrative Details

Board of Trustees

Patron

GROW Mentoring Team

Governance Structure and Management

Decision Making

Day-to-day Operations and Remuneration

Trustees

Appointments

Achievement and Performance

Pairings

Cohort VII

Cohort VIII

Cohort IX

Partnerships

Events

GROW Awards – September 2022

Next Gen Summit – October 2022

A&O x Barclays x GROW – ‘A View from the Inside’ – February 2023

International Women’s Day Empowerment Coffee Morning – March 2023

Tea, Pastries & Pride – June 2023

Insight Day with Kennedys – September 2023

Marketing and Business Development

Social Media

Looking Ahead

Planning

Next Gen Summit 2023

Partnerships

Risk Management

Recruitment

Financial Review

Charitable Expenditure

Investments

Reserves

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

Independent Examiner’s Report

Respective responsibilities of trustee and examiner

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

Independent Examiner’s Statement

Balance Sheet as of 30 September 2023

Statement of financial activities for the period 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023

Notes to the financial statements

1. Principal Accounting Policies

Going concern

Funds

Donations

Partnerships

Sponsorships

Charitable activities – expenditure

Gifts in Kind

Debtors

Creditors

Cash Flow Statement

2. Debtors

6. Partnerships

9. Trustee and employee information

10. Related Party Transactions