Charity Number: 1196460
– Oxfordshire Discovery College Annual Report 24/25
Address:
Oxfordshire Discovery College Makespace Royal Scot House 99 Station Road Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 7NN
Name of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| Trustee Name | Ofce (if any) |
|---|---|
| Liam Joseph Corbally (appointed 2021) | Deputy Co-Chair |
| Matthew Alan Slade (appointed 2021) | Deputy Co-Chair |
| Pauline Boerma-Collier (appointed 2021) | |
| Aarti Chapman (appointed 2022) | Chair 2022-present |
| Ian Tingley (appointed 2022) | Treasurer 2022-present |
| David Huxford (appointed 2022) | |
| Maria Bourbon (appointed 2022) | |
| Ella Buckingham (appointed 2023) | |
| Philip Purnell (appointed 2023) | |
| Frances Wheare (appointed 2024) |
Corporate trustees - names of the directors at the date the report was approved
| approved | |
|---|---|
| Trustee Name | Ofce (if any) |
| Laura Harte | Founder |
Charity Number: 1196460
Objects and activities
The objects of the Charity are set out in its Constitution as being:
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The relief of children, young people and families in Oxfordshire and its surrounding areas who are experiencing or are affected by, or who are at risk of experiencing or being affected by, mental distress and disorder in particular but not exclusively by providing lived-experience-led opportunities to learn, connect and gain skills
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The promotion of the preservation of good mental health to the public by promoting understanding, disseminating information, raising awareness and challenging stigma
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The advancement of co-production of services to the public, in particular to bodies and agencies by, in particular but not exclusively, raising awareness and sharing good practice
For the purpose of this clause, ‘co-production’ means the design, development, delivery and evaluation of services by the stakeholders who might ultimately use and benefit from them.
Our vision and mission is:
We’d love to see a world where children and young people have the skills, support and control to create their own mental wellness, and to navigate times of mental ill health. This drives us to make sure that every child has what they need to transform their mental health.
The Charity’s strategic priorities for 2024 are:
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To increase participant engagement through both participation in high quality programmes, and enrolment
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To continue to build our evidence base, demonstrating efficacy and return on investment, and articulate it clearly
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To boost our fundraising capacity, working towards securing multi-year funding
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To develop our infrastructure to ensure robust and sustainable organisational growth
Charity Number: 1196460
Public benefit
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Advancement of health or the saving of lives: working with our target audience of children and young people experiencing a mental health problem or poor wellbeing, and their supporters
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Health education or sickness prevention: using an educational model to improve knowledge, understanding and coping strategies for recovery and wellbeing maintenance
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Early intervention: through our programmes, improving young people’s resilience, empathy and sense of connection, enabling them to fully engage in education and day-to-day life. This helps prevent longer-term difficulties and improves future wellbeing.
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Relief of those in need (age, disability, ill-health, financial or other disadvantage)
For these reasons the trustees consider that the Charity meets the public benefit requirement.
In setting the Charity’s goals and in planning its activities, the trustees have given due consideration to the published Charity Commission guidance on the operation of the public benefit requirement of the Charities Act 2011.
Progress and Plans
2024–25 was a year of both rapid growth in delivery and significant organisational challenge. Having built strong foundations in 2023–24, this year we reached more young people and families than ever before and further developed our evidence base. Alongside this expansion, we also faced a reduction in voluntary leadership and fundraising capacity, and the reality of an increasingly difficult external fundraising climate. These challenges required us to take pragmatic steps to secure stability and to plan carefully for the future.
Charity Number: 1196460
Activities
In 2024–25 we delivered a wide range of programmes across Oxfordshire, directly supporting 155 participants to develop the skills to manage emotions, build resilience, and improve wellbeing. In addition, we reached a further 500+ children and young people through our school assemblies in the Didcot area, extending our impact even more widely across the community.
The Big Feelings programme (ages 7–10) was delivered 18 times and became our primary area of growth, reflecting the high demand for early intervention at this age. Alongside this, we ran the Dealing with Feelings programme for young people aged 12–14, the Discover You! programme for young adults, and a dedicated course for parents, carers, and professionals supporting children and young people who self-harm .
Across all programmes, we combined the strengths of Experts-by-Experience and Experts-by-Training, ensuring delivery was both evidence-based and rooted in lived experience, while also working to challenge stigma around mental health.
Feedback from participants and parents was consistently positive, with schools and families emphasising the practical value of the strategies taught and the supportive environment created by our facilitators.
As one Deputy Head commented: “The Big Feelings programme has enabled us to target a wide range of children who, without this, may not have received support this year… As a whole school community, we are very grateful for the support and would certainly be willing to continue to work with Oxfordshire Discovery College next year.”
Challenges and Achievements
A key feature of 2024–25 was the scale of programme delivery, reaching more children and families than ever before. Despite several unexpected staff absences, every programme was delivered as planned, thanks to the dedication and resilience of our team.
Charity Number: 1196460
A major achievement was the strengthening of our monitoring and evaluation framework. Leila Barton, Operations Manager, worked with an external specialist early in the year to refine our evaluation approach and apply it to the Big Feelings programme . This gave new weight and credibility to our data, enabling us to analyse outcomes in greater depth and report them more convincingly to partners and funders. The results were clear: 58% of participants in Big Feelings showed improved wellbeing scores, and 68% of parents reported noticeable improvements in their child’s ability to manage emotions. Gains not only persisted but often increased at follow-up, providing strong evidence of sustained impact. Parents told us the programme was “worth its weight in gold,” and children shared that the tools helped them cope with their “BIG feelings.” Following this successful trial, we are now rolling out the enhanced monitoring and evaluation framework principles across all our programmes, further strengthening the evidence base for our work.
We also expanded our delivery area, taking programmes into more rural communities such as Chipping Norton , ensuring that children and families in less well-served parts of the county could access support. Operationally, the organisation continued to mature. Leila played a central role in managing staff transitions and strengthening internal systems, helping to ensure continuity through a demanding year. Governance was also strengthened with the appointment of Frances Wheare , who brings significant expertise in fundraising and major donor development.
Alongside these achievements, we also faced challenges around leadership and fundraising. Although funding had been secured to cover operations during Laura Harte’s maternity leave, fundraising activity did not resume at the anticipated level on her return in April 2024, due to reduced voluntary capacity and a difficult external climate. In February 2025, Laura made the decision to step down as CEO. Together with the Board of Trustees and Leila, she worked out a carefully planned three-month handover to ensure stability during the transition. To address the identified fundraising gap, the Board appointed a trustee with specialist fundraising expertise, agreed to allocate funds to bring in freelance fundraisers, and benefited from Laura’s work with an external consultant in late 2024 to strengthen our case for support.
Charity Number: 1196460
This combination of record programme delivery, stronger evaluation, expanded reach, and decisive steps to stabilise leadership and fundraising underlines the resilience and dedication of the organisation. Despite pressures, Oxfordshire Discovery College not only delivered more programmes than ever before but also demonstrated greater clarity of impact, laying firm foundations for future stability and growth. As one parent reflected: “Before [my daughter] used to cry if she had big feelings and wouldn’t be able to explain it. Now she talks about what is upsetting her, even through tears – that’s a huge positive change.”
Summary
2024–25 was a year that demonstrated both the scale of what Oxfordshire Discovery College can achieve and the strain of growth within limited resources. We reached more young people and families than ever before and strengthened the evidence behind our impact, showing lasting improvements in wellbeing. At the same time, challenges highlighted the need to build and reinforce our core structure. These experiences leave us clearer, stronger, and more determined to create a stable platform for growth, so that even more children and families can benefit in the years ahead.
Plans
2025–26 will be a crucial year for consolidating growth and securing stability. Having relied heavily on voluntary leadership and fundraising to date, we will now move toward embedding more sustainable paid functions within our infrastructure. This will strengthen resilience, enable clearer long-term planning, and ensure that programme delivery continues to grow in both quality and reach, supported by the leadership and fundraising capacity needed for the future.
Our Strategic Priorities for 2025–26 are to:
- Embed effective, healthy working habits to maximise performance and model excellent staff support.
Charity Number: 1196460
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Deliver 15 high-quality programmes with wrap-around support and impact measurement.
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Articulate our impact and growth potential clearly and compellingly.
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Grow our fundraising capacity, maintaining a consistent flow of activity and generating target income.
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Develop a three-year Growth Plan to set a clear direction of travel and support long-term planning.
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) | Aarti Chapman | Matthew Alan Slade |
| Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) |
Chair | Deputy Co-Chair |
| Date | 23.10.2025 | 23.10.2025 |
Charity Number: 1196460
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Oxfordshire Discovery College members of On accounts for the year The 31st of March, 2025 Charity no 1196460 ended (if any) Set out on pages 10 and 11
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31 / 03 / 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the 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.
Charity Number: 1196460
Independent examiner's statement
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:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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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: Name: |
17/10/2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Russell |
Relevant professional Chartered Institute of Management Accountants qualification(s) or body (if any):
| Address: | 40 Levery Close |
|---|---|
| Abingdon, OX14 3XX | |
Charity Number: 1196460
Income and Expenditure
| Balance Brought Forward Income Grants Other Income Total Income Expenditure Salaries Training Overheads Materials Expenses Marketng Recruitment Equipment Partner Costs Venue Hire Total Expenditure Surplus/Defcit Balance Carried Forward |
Total 71,134 42,399 9,596 51,995 67,451 60 8,662 1,418 1,600 221 0 64 2,850 501 82,827 -30,832 40,302 |
Unrestricted Funds 22,332 0 7,581 7,581 0 0 6,876 450 28 221 0 0 0 501 8,076 -495 21,837 |
Restricted Funds 48,802 42,399 2,015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44,414 | |||
| 67,451 60 1,786 968 1,572 0 0 64 2,850 0 |
|||
| 74,751 | |||
| -30,337 | |||
| 18,465 |
Charity Number: 1196460
Balance Sheet
Current Assets
| Cash and Bank Bank Account 40,283 Pety Cash 19 Total Current Assets Net Assets Funds Positon Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Total Funds |
40,302 |
|---|---|
| 40,302 | |
| 18,465 21,837 |
|
| 40,302 |
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
||
|---|---|---|
| Aarti Chapman | Matthew Alan Slade | |
| Chair | Deputy Co-Chair | |
| 23.10.2025 | 23.10.2025 |