Pledgeball Trustees Report and Financial Statements 2024-5 For th8 year 1st May 2024 - 31st klay 2025 Legal and adrninistrative infonnation Charlty numb•r: 1194263 Prlnclpal address: T7 Maple Road, Bristol. BS7 8RE Trust8•8: Chris Duncan (Chalr) Mark Powell (Treasurer) Mark Doidge Katrin Schweig8rt
About Pledgeball Overview of our work At Pledgeball we are sports fans driven by a pa55ionate belief thal we must prolect where we play. We are a team of staff and volunteers working to ervJage football and sports fans on dimate action and catalyse wideT Structural change at dubs and within leagues. We want lo bring about a cultural shift where Pfioriti5ing envMental sustainabillty becomes a social nomi. We're doing this by: Sparking dimate conversatlons amtmg fans and at dubs Encouraglng fans to take suslainatAe lrfestyle choices through its edgIng platfom. Accelerating structural change by workin9 With clubs. leagues and the wider industry. Jr core public engagement approach 1$ to encourage fans to commit to low¢art)0n lifestyle pledges through a dlgltal plattorm. AdL)pting the competitive spiril of sport, the cumulattve carbon emis61 reduction of fans. individual pledges ts quantified so that teams ,mPete, on matGh days and on a league table throughout the season. Clubs. on-site and online publicity arfvertises the Pledgeball competition aTrJ thereby mek8S fans, support for dimate action visible to each other. This visible demonstratlon of peer support for climate action addresses a key current public engagement barrier.. the vast m8iority of people support climate action, but they believe that others do not. Pledgeball works in Iwo ways: Football Flxtures: Each match day. Pledgeball encourages fans to Tnake pledges in support of their team. Whilst teams MPete on the pitch. fans compele virtually by choosing frorn a list of pledges. These range from recyded tollet paper to installing solar panels making it poSsie for each indiwdual Inderendent of hislher financial sttuatson lo contribute. During the period of this annual report ihe Centre for Sustainable Energy wa5 commissioned to cr055 check the carbon claims made in the pledges. The team of fans thal pledges to save the most carbon emissions wins Ihat fixture and their posrtion in the Pkedgeball League is detennined by the cumulalive amount they have pledg8d lo save. Whilst any fan (an pledge, Pledgeball is working wth an ever-growing list of partner dubs and Supporters, Associalions.including the likes of Bristol City FC, Bimiingham County FA and the F¢)olball Supporters, Assotiation. plgeball events: Anyone can apply to h05t an event. Events range frrffi one-off dasses to season-long projects. the event partscipants making sustainable lrfestyle pledgels) to enter, with the individual's C02e sawng together with that of Iheir fellow group members automatically calculated. This fa(alÉty is used by a number of professional rugby clubs as well a5 the Lawn Tennis Associatiijn for tsr Grassroots Clubs.
Aims and publlc benefft The object ol PledgebaS1 is to promote the con5wvation. improvem and protection of the Fthysical and natural enVironnt for the public benefit by.. advancing education and increasing awareness amongst th8 community of the benefits of reducing carbon emissions and energy saving and effects've ways to make 6uth reductions and savings promoting amongst the communty the feduction of arbon emissicms and energy savbng. Detailed performance review The organisation Continued to grow its impact, deepening engagement viith sports fans. dubs and administrators M order io drive action on dimate and environmenlal issues. Below we have reviewed our perfomwnc* against the leIveS set Lt in 20234 Trustees Report. 1) Increa Impact We continued wrth the implementation of recommendations from our 2024 impact review, all of which have eilher now been delivered 01 work is undeTh¥ay. One exlensNe area of wor11 was the development and implementation of an email r[rketing strategy lo increase repeat pledges and support Pledgeball users on Iheir sustainability j¢)umey_ Generaling the ¢Xfyntent was incredibly time intensive and the project was rn0 far reaching and of a higher spec than initially anlicipated but we're confident that the rigour will deliver greater imp8Ct for lh8 organisation. Truslee Katrin Schweigert used leaming from ongoing acadèmic research and the approach was ratified by the leadin9 behaviourd psychologist, Lorraine Whilmarsh. 2) Grow our fan audlonce We had a huge spike in the numb6r ol fans engaged through the Pledgeball Se8gue and media exposure as a result of our partnership around the UEFA Champions League 2024, We estimate that we reached 6.2m fans with messaging about climate change and the campaign messaging appeared in a range of large media ouuets, including the BBC, Sky News, Thg Sun. Metro and The Ifmjependenl. We also gained media cov8rage Ihrough focused outreach around the Sustsinable Travel Charier. The number of dubs thal have signed up to the charter has now increased to 14 and VR were at4e to tell this story through a number of major oudets including Sky Sports. This kind of coverage is vital In nomiallslng lirnate conversations within sport. 3) Grow our nelwork We conbnued to build a strong neork WTthin the 5POrts world, across fans. players, clubs and adrninislralors. We're focused on devek)ping long-term relationships that allow us to deepen engagement and help others to drive dwnge within their wmmunilie5. We know that our influence and network has been growing but resource constraints meant that we didn't rigorously track the full extent of all our relallonships. We're aiming io address thig in future periods. 41 Ensurè flnan¢lal sustainability We planned lo develop a fundrdising strategy in the period but postponed this to pivot to dealing with the realitses of capacity restraints and 5hort-temi pnoritios, induding responding to commercial partnership needs and the changing lunding landscape. We were able to
strengthen dedicaled resource and improve management and operational pr(eSses. whith should allow us to focus on fundraising strategy. as outlined in Future Plans. 5) Grow our brand We were delighted to be awarded BBC Green Swrts Grassrcots Organisation of the Year.11 was a strong end(ysement of ¢Jur work and offered a great bwst to our reputation and standing. Our CEO, Katie, continues to be a strong media perfOer, taking the message of our work and awareness of what we do to new audiences. This will continue to be a major area of focus for us in the year ahead. 6) Digltal Iransformatlon Work slarted on signific3nl projects: the complete redevelopment of our websile . ) and the development of a completely new online community for Pl6dgeballers. Athough we'd hoped to complete both projects in 2024-5, It became clear that these gamtrchanging projects would require additional time to deliver their full benefits. Huge progress was made to 811ow for laundi in the following reporbng perlod. Challenges In 2024-5 Fundlng: While we were able to grow in(x)me. the funding landsca presented a number of challenges. Our main lundef dosed their grant-making in the area relevant to U5 and Ihe political landscape contsnues to have an Impact on grant funding. R•sourc?: the team cnntinued to be incredibly busy for extensive periods. leaving staff stretched, particularly in communicalions. Suslalnablllty backlash: there was a global downward trend in corporate appetite for addressing environmwrtal sustainability. which has creatsd difficulty in Some of our engagement. Future plans We conduded a research-led review of our impact in mid-2024 and this has helped us to identify where we can further increase the impact of our work. The staff and Trustees came together in earty 2025 to wcwk on a long-temi vision for our work and agreed the following three overarching objectives for the next five years.. Engage 1.2 millicK)s sports fans Environmental sustainability is an inherent part of sports organisations The charity is sustainable and resilient The Truslees agreed the following priorities and objecbves for 2025-6, lch Y11 help us deliver on that ambition for the future:
Objectives for 2025126 Intensify work with exisb.ng changernakers in gr&w(x)ts communities. giving them more support to drive attttudinal and behavioural shifts and start nVersations. • Build our onlin8 community. to reduce reltance on third parties and deepen rel81ionships with fans online. Work with ambassadors to support cornm development. audience-building and resonance of messaging. Ddiver schedule of in-person events to Supp in bufiding t)oth online and grassroots community engagement. Ensure effective use of CRM system to turt)0drge users. sustsinabilily joumeys and numbers of pl&Jgers. Continue to directly suppxjrt and, where appropriate, apply pressure on EFL dub5 10 up thelr gaFre on environmental sustainability and climate action. Produce Ihovght-leadership research repcrt and1 solution thal will help to fvrth8r accelerale systemlc change in swt. Develop and deliver a diversird fijnding strategy to suppc*t our work. Risk management The trustees are responsible for oversight ol the rlsks fac£d by the organisation. Trustees discuss risks as part of their regular meetings and have started implementation of a risk register for the Organisation. Risks are rKlW captured, scored for likelihood and impact. wlth mitigating actions agreed. Structure, Governance and Management Governing document PSedgeb811 is conslituted as a ChariiatAe Incorrle Organwts'on {CIO) registered with the Charity Commission in Apnl 2021 under charity number 1194263 11 is govemed by its consutullon which was last updated in April 2021. Organisational structure Trustees are responsible for the general wntrol and management of the charity. Trustees give their tlme freely and receive no rernuner3tiL or other finan(ial benefits. Trustees meet formally every three months and are reswnsible for decisions taken in relation lo how it is run and its strategic dTrrecn. The CEO is restK)nsible for the day-ttrilay manernent of Pledgeball. Recrultment and appointment of trustees The existing trustees a Sponsible for the recruilrnent of new trustees but in so doing the trustees seek the views and recommerKlalions of those involved in the day to day running of
Pledgeball. The tnjstees believe this approad) ensures that new trustees are respected rnernbers of their particular field of experli5e and have an intimate knowledge of the sector. This ensures Increas impact when meeting the aims of Pledgeball. The Truslees began the process of recruiting new trustees to broaLlen the experience of thè Board. Emphasis has been plawl on finding people with knowle6Je and experience of: cotnrnercial sports operations: and charity operations. These were the two areas identified as most in need of strengthening. Inductlon and tralnlng of trustees Following appointment. new trustees are introduced k) Iheir new role by the Chair and given copies of the goveming constitution and publications from the Charity Commission such as The Essential Trustee,. This ensures that new trustees are aware of the scope of their reSpOnbIlitIeS und8r th8 Charities Act and Ihat they have the information about Pledgeball that they need to be effective. Use of volunteers Volunteers are an integral part of Pledgeball, helyng us to d81iver our objecllves and so, ultimately, our charitable aims. Akgside our staff of four people, volunteers are involved In supporting funding and partnership developmenl, social media, research and impact assessment. We are incredibly lucky lo have some very qualified volunteers on our team. All our Iruslees also give their ts'me freely. To all of these volunte8rs we would like to extend our eartfelt thanks. Financial Review Prlnclpal fundlng sources The Pledgeball model means there are three streams of funding: commeroal partnerships, services provided and grants. The charity has been Susful in growing its sources of funding across all streams over the accounting year. This additional funding has enabled us to build both the scope and penetralion of OUT adrvityes across our slated objectives. Al the end of the pertod Pledgeball held a cash balance of £94,048. These ndS are earmarked to further advance our scope and penetratton acmss our stated objectives. Reserves policy The Charity aims to hold a minimum reserve equal to appr0matelY three month5. Worth of projected expendilure. The reserve at the pericxl end, being the 30, April 2024, was £g4,048. Three months of expenditure amcrtmts io carca £50.OCIO. However we have additional plans to expand and h)Iding a surplus reserve is resSary to 5UPPOrt this expansion.
Investment policy and objectives The charity has no long-terrn inve5trnents. Our cash reseeS are held in a charily bank account. Plans for the future Whilst much of our work is supported and undertaken ty volunteers, we now have four members of paid staff who lead the numerous projects we're involved in. There are clear. cnmprehensive develcgment plans in place to re funding for the long-temi viability and survival of Pledgeball. Notes The accounts have been prepared an actual receipts and payments basis. As a Charrtable Inc¢xporated Organlsation (CIO) we confinn Ihat: There are no guarantees given by the CIO, where any wlenlial lia'l1ty under the guarantee is outstanding al th8 date of the slatement of assets and liabilities., There are no debts outstanding at the date of the statoment of assets and liabilities vthlch Is owed by the CIO and which Is secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the CIO.
ntsf nod from 5124 110512025 Statomont of Flnancial Activitios for the pgrlod from 1105r24 to 31105J2025 (13 Months) Income Totsl Rostricted Unrestrl¢tod Total Funds £ Funts £ 2025£ 2024 £ Income from generaled funds Income from charitsble activities 155.255 213,255 121,940 Total Income and End0ents 155255 213,255 121,940 Expenses Cost of generatsng funds 14,900 14,900 7,319 Expendtture on chantsble activiti8S 157.673 157,673 69,537 Total exp•ns•s 172,573 172.573 76,856 Net Galn8 on Investm•nl• Net Income 40,682 40,682 45,084 Galnsl(lo$sosl on r•valuatlon of fixed asset Net movemont In funds Net Incom• for the perlod 40,682 40.682 45,084 Not funds carrled forward 94.048 53,366 This statement of finan¢ial aclivities includes all gainsilosses and incomelèxpenditure recognised in the period. sfort Expfrns•s 2025 £ 2024 £ Costs of gonerating funds 14,900 7.319 Charltable Actlvltlgs 157,673 69.537 Resources Expended Charrtable Adlvities 108, 51,798 Computer costs 23,569 3,665 Consultancy fees 4Tr) Sundry expenses 25,400 14,074
etsan Assets Restricted Unrestricted Endoyfflnt Funds £ Funds £ Funds £ Cash Funds other monetary assets Investrnent assets Assets retained for charities own use Total Llabllitl•8
Independent Evaluation of Annual Accounts for the Charity Pledgeball for the period 11512024 to 311512025. 1 Check whether the charlty Is ellglblo to have an Independent examlnatlon The Charity is a CIO and has in(x)me of circa £213k. so therefore in asS of minimum amount of £25k that requires an Independent evaluation. The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. There is no requirement within the charity's goveming document that states a formal audit must be conducted 2 Check for any confllct of intsrest that prevents the ¢xamin•r from carrylng out Iheir Independent examination OV LIK fw l am able to undertake this independent evaluation as I do not have any of the following: l am not a Trustee, employee or donor of the charity. I do not serve on any sub committees of the charity. I do nol have a 'dose' relationship with any Trustees or other related parties. I do not have a slgnificant financial or commercial relationship wlh the charlty 3 Record your Indopendont examlnatlon See 61 below 4 Plan the Independent examlnatlon See 6) below S Check that accountlng record• are knpt to th• r•qulr•d standard See 61 below 6 Check Ihat the accounts ar• conslstent wlth the accountlng records I met with the Treasurer for Pledgeball on Tues 6° Jan 2026 and undertook the following.. Reviewed the Charitys goveming document to cfim7 a formal 8udlt wasn't qUid. Reviewed Ihe accounting records held by the charity. The records show a gOj level of detail for the number of transactions processed during 2024125. I reconThled the net positi.( froffl the accounting records wlth the bank t)alances for thè start and end of the accounting perioj. The records reconcile. I reviewed how the expenses have been categorised wilhin the accounts, noting the assumption that 10°A of the CEO'S time (and therefore expenses) is spent on 'Fund raising activilies and Ihe remainder relates to 'Charitabie activities,. The c3teg0ri5ation within the accounts is appropriale. I reconciled both the 'Brought forward, balance and the'carried forward. balance with the bank balances. This also then reconales with the cash assets shown within the balance sheet. 10
7 If tho accounts are prepared on an accruals basis and one or more related party transactions took place Ihe examiner must cck rf these were property dlsclosed in the notes to the accounts. The acwunts are not wepared on an acc¥uats basis 8 Check the reasonableness of the slgniflcant estlmates and judgmonts and accounting policies used In accountlng for the tyPO8 of fund held and in the preparatlon of the accounts See 613bovè relates to estimates over the split of the CEO'S time (and therefore expenses) beeen al Charitable actiwtses and b) Funding rais1r activilies 9 The examlner must check whether the truslees have consldered the financial ¢ircumstanc05 01 the ¢harSty at the end of the roporting period and. if the aGcounts are prepared on an accruals basis, Check whether the trustees hava made an assessment of the charity's Positlon as a going concern when approving the accounts Part. I have reviewed a draft of the Annual rewt and note the stalements coverlng the ongoing vla.1rtY of the charity and the appropn'ateness of Ihe reserves held at th8 year end. 10 Check lh8 lomi ond conlanl of the accounts See 6 above. In addition I have ffjviewed the fom)at of the accounts is broadly in line with the recommend template issued by the Charity Crmnmission. 11 Idontty Itoms from the anatyllcal revlew of the aeeounts that need to bo followed up for further explanatlon or evldenc• This year no speclfic rtems required further anatysls. 12 Comparo the truste•s' annual report wlth th? accounts S80 9) above. The commentary within the Annual rert reflects the content of the Accounts 13 Wrlto and slgn the Ind•p•nd•nt examlnatlon repoiL I can confirm that theTr are no mattefs of matla1 significance Of any other relevant matters to report to the Commission. Si9ned by Richard Beale on 0810312026 72 Sl Albans Road 11