FURNISHING FUTURES CIO ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2023 (17 Months) CHARITY REGISTRATION No: 1196498 Independent Examiners Ltd Unit 2 The Broadbridge Business Centre Delling Lane Bosham P018 8NF
FURNISHING FUTURES CONTENTS Page54-6 Report of the Trustees Page ? IndependeTht Exominer5 Report to the Trn5tees Page 8 ststement of Financial Activities Pages 9 tsalance Sheet Page ie-13 Notes to the Flnancial Ststements
FURNISHING FUTURES REPORT OF TNE TRUSTEES FOR IHE YEAR E14DED 31 MARCH 2023 LEGAL AND ADPIINISTRATIVE INFORPIATION CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1196498 DATE OF REGISTRATION CIO. FOUNDAT Regtered09 Nov START OF FINANCIAL PERIOD 9 November 2021 END OF FIf4AN¢IAL PEPIOO 31 March 2023 TRUSTEES AT 31 MARCH 3023 Dèvkl Smèii- t[r Sarah Marsh Joanna Bwr on siear1 MBE l Lainon Appointed 13.11.22 AppointeLI 13.11.22 AppointeLI 13.11.22 AppointeLI 3.10.21 Appointed 3.10.21 CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS Lknlt 4.lla fvxgall AvenuE LoDdon.EIO 7QE helloQfum15hlngfirtures.ory www.furnlshingfutures.ory fjOVER14114G DOCUME14T ReglsterEd wlth Commlssbn of England and Wole5 CHARITAOLE OBJECTS TO ReuEve poveRTY OR FINANC]AL HARDSHIP PRIMARILY BUT NOT exousivELY AMONG WOMEN AND CHILOREN RE51DING IN LONOON ANO THE SURROUNDING AREAS, THROUGH THE PROVISION OF FVRNITURE ANO EsseNTIAL ITENS WHICH THEY COULO NOT OTHERwise AFFORD THROUGH L4CK OF MEANS. INDEPE14DENT EXAMINER K Gomes Independeni Exaffllners Ltd Vnlt 2 The Broadfleld BUneSS Centre Oelllng Lane eosham P018 8NF
Furnishing Futures Trustees' Annual Report Year Ended 31 March 2023
The Trustees present their annual report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 2015 "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charity's governing document, 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 published in October 2020.
Trustees of the charity
The directors of the charitable company are its trustees for the purposes of charity law. The trustees who have served during the year and since the year end were as follows:
A Stewart
N Lawmon E Wheeler D Smail J Barr S Marsh
Objectives and activities
Furnishing Futures was started as a small furniture project in 2019 and registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in November 2021. This is the first independent report of accounts.
The Objects for which the Charity is established:
To relieve poverty or financial hardship primarily but not exclusively among women and children residing in London and the surrounding areas, through the provision of furniture and essential items, which they could not otherwise afford through lack of means.
Charity Purpose and strategic objectives
Furnishing Futures takes furniture and homeware donations from brands and the general public and uses them to furnish the homes of families who are living with furniture poverty and furniture destitution.
Furnishing Futures aims to create trauma-informed fully furnished homes for women and children given empty social housing after escaping domestic abuse, or who are living with furniture destitution. Based in Leyton in Waltham Forest, the charity uses good quality donated furnishings that would otherwise have ended up in landfill to create professionally designed, high quality refurbished homes that support women and children on their journey to recovery. Providing fully furnished, high quality, bespoke homes improves families’ physical and mental wellbeing, helps to break the cycle of poverty and increases women and children’s safety after domestic abuse.
Public benefit statement
The trustees understand that public benefit reporting is fundamental to our responsibilities in governance of the charity. For Furnishing Futures CIO, the public benefit focuses on the women, described in our objects, for whom the charity was established and who continue to be central to everything we do.
Furnishing Futures fully furnishes and decorates the homes of women and children who have been given empty social housing after escaping domestic abuse or who can't afford basic items of furniture, by partnering with the interiors industry to repurpose high quality products that might otherwise be sent to landfill. We combine social work values with interior design skills to create fully furnished and decorated healing homes for families who have experienced multiple disadvantages and trauma. Established at the end of 2019 and registered as a charity in November 2021, Furnishing Futures is partnered with local women’s refuges, baby banks and food banks as well as furniture brands, retailers and design studios who donate furnishings.
Following referral from one of our partner organisations, Furnishing Futures creates fully furnished, professionally designed, trauma-informed homes for women and children who have been given empty social housing after escaping domestic abuse. We do this by taking good quality donated furnishings from the interiors industry and general public that are in new condition but would otherwise have been disposed of, saving many tons of good quality furniture from landfill and reducing CO2 emissions.
Furnishing Futures offers tiers of support, depending on the type of accommodation a woman has been given. For women in emergency and temporary accommodation we provide furniture only, making the home comfortable with essential items as this type of accommodation tends to be provided with flooring and white goods in situ and too much furniture can be a burden when families must move with short notice. For women who are given permanent social housing tenancies that are completely empty without flooring, white goods or furnishings, we provide a full interior design and refurbishment service. This includes painting and decorating; installing new flooring, white goods and furniture; and we provide everything our
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beneficiaries need from sofas to saucepans, cushions, bed linen and artwork, to support their recovery, raise their selfesteem, reduce poverty and increase their safety after domestic abuse. We do all this at no cost to our beneficiaries.
Our aim is to create a bespoke trauma-informed, fully-furnished healing home for each family we support, giving them choices about their furnishings and increasing their safety by making it less likely they will feel they have no choice but to return to the perpetrator in order to meet their and their children’s basic needs in empty accommodation. We are driven by our social work values and safeguarding experience to respect, empower and support families through the power of good design and partnership working.
We have also started working with women’s refuges to create trauma-informed interiors for the women and children who reside in them.
Performance
We are immensely proud of the impact we have been able to create in our first year as a registered charity and our growth as a new charity. We secured our first premises in December 2022, a warehouse in Leyton in East London, and this has enabled us to grow from supporting one family a month on average to supporting 1-2 families each week.
Our impact
Providing high quality, well-designed fully furnished homes improves mental and physical health and increases selfesteem, confidence and wellbeing. It reduces social isolation, poverty and financial strain and supports engagement with universal services such as midwifery, social care and education, as families are no longer ashamed of their homes and are more likely to allow professionals into their lives. It supports child development by providing a safe and stimulating child-friendly home environment and it increases the safety of women and children after domestic abuse. It also sustains tenancies, supporting stability for families.
Outputs
62,000kg of furniture saved from landfill 43,000 kg of CO2 saved from the atmosphere
32 women supported of whom 28 were mothers, meaning we also supported 39 children and babies. One Asian women’s refuge redesigned in phase one, supporting a further 14 marginalised women and 22 children and babies with a new communal living space.
Of the women we supported:
100% had experienced gender-based violence and domestic abuse.
100% had experienced homelessness as part of their journey to being rehoused.
100% reported experiencing mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression, and PTSD as a result of their experiences.
62% were from Black or ethnic minority backgrounds.
25% had no recourse to public funds.
Furnishing Futures describes this as 'multiple disadvantages' and these intersect to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
Outcomes:
All the women supported by Furnishing Futures reported improved mental health and reduced stress and financial worry; they also reported raised self-esteem and increased feelings of happiness and pride with reduced social isolation; some reported improvements in their children and babies’ development; and all reported feeling safer in their new accommodation.
Main achievements in period to 31st March 2023
Despite the challenges in the year, there were many notable achievements:
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We secured our first ever premises, a 3,500 square foot warehouse with offices in Leyton, East London.
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We expanded our capacity from supporting one woman a month with her home to one to two each week.
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We grew our team of volunteers to include interior designers, carpenters, painter decorators, legal advisors and warehouse operatives.
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We increased the volume of furniture we saved from landfill and improved the quality of homes we were able to refurbish.
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We held our first fund raising warehouse sale.
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We recruited a part-time freelance Partnerships Lead and Homes Designer and started the recruitment process for a permanent Operations Manager.
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We completed the first phase of the redesign of a women’s refuge.
Financial review (including reserves policy)
It has been a positive first financial year for Furnishing Futures, with total funds raised being strong despite an increase in expenditure.
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Flnanelal ¢)v•NIw
Funding wm8s from a vanety ofsources. indJg grdnt-giwThJ frJnd8, on&off donations and sales. The m08t significant
single 80urce of fuThJing was from the Lethn Trust. who gave gr8nts totsling £85.¢YX> in the year
R•aopMI pollcy:
Fumishing Futu9 defines reseNes as 'an oNotment of unrestn'dd fiJnd5 G8n be 8pent any purtx)se8 01 the
charity.. The Board considers that the k8y issues that free r6seN•s néed to COV8r 8r9 to pay our op8ratrg costs for
numÈw ol monlhs. ensure wo h3ve the frjnds to COV8r Stsffing w8ts and that have a prcportion8te amount set asl¢Je t¢
pay for a Sonable $etUement of 0th8r financial oNig8tions. As a result. the target r88 policy set as th8 sum of
bètween 34 month8 of the ngxt total cash exprtUre and 12 months of laa88 r•ntsl c¢sts f¢ftho warehow.
Any annual op8rating surplus 111 bè u58d to..
11 Bulld and grow our $8rwi¢98
21 Invest In d&veloping tho eApabilrty and cap8aty of our frJndrBi8ing Strategy
31 Inv•st In dèveloping our IT 8nd Stsffing infr88tructure to en8ure Ihe delivery of our la ddlvered at P8¢• ané
provides a greatsr plattorm for luture gr
FURNISHING FUTURES FOR IHE YEAR E14DED 31 MARCH 2023 INDEPEf4DENT EXAMINER'S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS I repDrt tD the Trustee5 on my examination the aiitsurlts of the abtsvÈ ¢Ywntrble Intorportted tr9anisatitsn l the UO'I for the year Ended 31 Narch 2023. A5 thE CIO'5 tru5teES, you are SpOnS for the prtwabon of the accwnts in a¢¢ordan¢e the wuirefflents of the Charities Art 2011 1.the Act'l. R•$ponslbllltlfj •n4 b¥l of r•wrt I rtPDrt In rPECt ol my examlnèbm the CIUS acctyJnts carried ¢xt urwkr 5ertK)n 145 of the 2011 Art and In c3rryin4 out my examination. I have followed all the applicai4e Directsts 9i¥en by the Charty CvmrnLssn under sertiDn 14515llbl of thE Act, Slnce FurnishlDg Fuiures gry55 IncDme eXeded I2,(x)D your examlner must be a member of a booy listed In 5ectbn J45 Df the 2011 Act, I confirm that l affl qualified to undertake the examiThJtlon tcaLe l am a fellow rnernber of the AssocIaOn of Cfvartty Independent Exaffllner5, whlch 15 one ol thE 114ted bods. Indqp•nd•nt •x•mln•r'• •t•t•m•nt I have completed rny examination. I cwnrm that nD rnatertJl motter5 have come to rny aitentlon In connection wlth the examination which glves rne cause to belleve that ID. any fflJterfal respect.. the accountlng (OrS were nDt kept In 3ccothrKe wlth 5e£tbn 130 cl the Charftte5 Act,. or the accouDt5 dld Dot accud wlth the accountlrrfj records.. or the accounts did Dot COmY with the appllcaye requlrements concernlng the form an4 content of accounts set out Sn the Chanties (Accounts aThY RepNtsI Regulations Z008 other than any requirement tttat the account5 glve a'true ond fairf vie¥y which 15 not a matter cOndered as part ol an InthyThJeni examlnatlon. I have no concerns ond have come across no other matt5 In connecthin wlth the examinauon to whlch attentlon should be drawn In th15 report In order to enzble o proper undethndkng of the accouThts to be reached. Slgned.. Name.. K Gomes Oate.. 01.09.23 K Gomes NAAT,FcIe Independent examlner5 Ltd The Bmadbrldge 8uslness Centre Oelling Lane 6osham P018 8NF
FURNISHING FUTURES STATEMENT OF FINA14tIAL ACTIVITIÈS FOR IHE YEAR E14DED 31 MARCH 2023 17 Manths TOTAL 2023 Fund5 Funds Irh¢•rn• Endvwm*nts fr•m'. Donotlons ènd Leg4¢ies 20 248.863 49.433 298,296 Choritable Aibvitie5 2b J7.752 l?,752 Other Income TOTAL 2fjfj 613 316 056 Expendlturq on: Chantable Actlvltie5 IL.047 49.433 60,480 Other Jb 99.828 99,828 TOTAL 110 875 NET 114COMEIIEXPENDITUREI BEFORE INVESTMENT GAtNS/ILOSSES1 155 746 NET 114COMEIIEXPENDITUREI NET MOVEMENT IN FV14DS RECONCILIAT1014 OF FU14DS: Total Funds Brought Forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARO All of the organlsalloTh'5 operatlons are classed x (tUln9. The notes on pages 10 to 14 form part of these flnanclal ststements.
FURNISHING FLITURES BALANCE 51tEET AS AT 31 11a 2Q22 17 Month unrestritted Rertrtted 31.NaTr23 Funds Funds Totsl Tlltbllib isyets 6,970 6,97Q Tot41 Fliqd tkbto Cash at bnk and In band 212,4LI 212.411 21 21 Cr•Jltors: arnounts fvlllna *lthln year LO 63.633 63,633 IIEf CURRENT ASSEIS 777 rf•ofYwC Gener81 Fvn¢s 5b Sb 63,226 92,522 .226 92.522 Rerted Funds TOt•l FUB The finan11 Stèt¢ttnts wete approved, authjrfsed and &gned on ihelr behJlf by.. Approved on the......... .. . . Slqned on their b8halfby rttIr................................................................................................
FURNISHING FUTURES NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL sfATEMENTS FOR ThE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Bas1 of pr4Partl4)n= ThEse accounts have been preparÈd under the histo[ tost tOnVenti( Ibith Items retognised at tost Or transattitsn value unlèss otherwise stated in thE relevant notels) to these accounts. ThE accounts have been ptepated in ècctsrdance with.. the StatEmEnt of RecomtnendEd PtsctiEE'. AEEDunting and Reporbng by Charitie5 PtEPariNJ their aEcount5 In èccordancE Wlth the Financial Reporbny Stèndard Èpplitable in thÈ UK and RpU1t Ireland (FRS 102) 2nd addibtin ÈffÈttive i January 2019 and with the Chadties Art 2011. ThÈ CIO ¢¢nstitutÈ5 a wblt benefit tnbty as defined by FRS 102 No change5 tD accounting e5bm6te5 have otiurrtd in the t0d Matsrlolprlvrpgrlojd No matenal pnor ¥e8r error hove been identified in the reportity pErKyJ I. A¢¢OUNT114G POLICIES The partlcular accounting adDPted are set out be. R•cognltlon ollnmm• These are Included In the Statement cl Flnanrkil Acbvitle5 ISOFAI when.. the CIO become5 enlltled to the Income. It Is more likely than Dot that the trustees wlll recelve the re50urce5.' ènd the monetary value can bE measured wlth 5ufflclent rellabllttv. Grants Dnd Grants and donations are only Included In the SOFA ¥¥hen the general Income recognltyon crtterfa are Met 15.10 to 5,12 FRS 102 SORPI. Tax RedJlm5 on DOtIOnS Glfts Gift Ald receivable 15 Included In income when there 15 a valld declaratlon from the donor. Any Glft amount recovered on donation Is considered to be part ol thac gift and Is treated a5 an addltlon to the same fund as the Inla1 donatlon unless the donor or the term5 01 the appeal hove speclfied otheThAse. Contrartuollncom• and P•rfornianc• Ated Grw•ts Th1515 only Included In the SOFA once the CIO hJ5 provlthed the related goods or 5ethce5 or Met the performance related condltloThs. Governm•nt Grnnts The CIO has recelved government gRnts In the reportlng pthad Volunt•erHelp The value of any voluntary help recel¥ed not kncluded In the accounts Is desthbed In the Trustee5' annual repDrt. Income from Interes¢ rowaltles and dlvléends Thls Is Included In ihe accounis when receipt IS probable and the ranount reca¥ae can be rneasured rellav. Investment Galns and Loss•s Thls Included any gèin or loss on the sale ol Investments and arly 1n or Ic6s resulUng trom revalulty Investments to mart¢et value at the end of the year. cfvaNtaDie Artivives Chantable expendiiure comprbses those costs Incuffed by the thariiy in the dellvery d rts atttiles and servltts for its beneficlède5. Llabllltw Recognltlo*J Llabilities a rectynised where rft MO likely than not that there is a Wl or tonsttuCtTve obllgation commltting the CIO to pay Out restsurces and the amnt d the obli9ation tan be measuted wrth teasonable Certainty. Govemance Svpport Costs Supptsrt tosts pre$ernt the tost of central furthons, for example vernance costs. ptytdl administration, infonnation tethnology. Governance costs are thtsse Support Costs which tdate to wblit attountabilrty of the tharity and its tompliance with gUlatiOn and
FURNISHING FUTURES NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL sfATEMENTS FOR ThE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 6rènts paykblé wItItPtrfOrnce tonditS WhEre there arE no conditions attaching io the grant that Ènables the donor Cto to tÈaliSbtalty avts thÈ tommthent, a liability for the full fundin9 OblitioN must bÈ retognistd. Short term benefit5 Including hdklay pay arÈ rttdgnisÈJ as * ÈxpEnSÈ In thÈ pÈtxxl in the strvlte is reteived. R•dvnd¥nty ost No redundancy payments weo made during the ¢. DO1orrod Inwrno Deferred InrDme has bEert Induded Ih the accounts. ¢r•ditvnY ThE CIO creditvrs whith are measured at 5etUefflEnt any trade di$c(wnt5. Provl¥lon¥ IyrllJ&llltle$ A liability 15 measured on rEcoynltlDn at Its h6torical c05t arKI then $ubseqvEntty measurEd at the best eSrnate of the amDunt required tD settle the obligation at the reporbrKJ date Flx•dAss•t These are caprtalised If they be used fry rnorE than ¢nE Veèr. and cost at least ÉLOOO. They arE valued èt C05t or, if gifted, at the value to the CIO vn recpt. Dvprerlatlon Expenx Oepreclalion Is calculated at a rote to wrtte off the cost ol tsnglb fixed a55ets on a stralght Ilne bJs15 over 3 year5 from the mDnth they are purchased. stocks worl¢ In progress stocks held lor sale as part of fjon-charft0b trade are measured at thE lower or c05t or net reall51b value. D•btorn Oebtors Ilncludlng trade debtors and loans recelvable) are measwed on Inytlal rKtyDltkiD Ot settlement amount ofter ODY trode dlscounts or afflounl idvonced by thE CIO. Subsewenily, they are meagJrEd at the cash or other con51deratlon expected to be recelved. 17 Months TOTAL 31.3.13 Unre5tfkted Resthcted Funds Funds 2. ANALYS15 OF INC014E Note a) DonatSon• and L•gacl•s Oonatlons Grznt5 61,547 187,317 61,547 236,749 49.433 248,863 49,433 298,296 b) Chatable ActlvSti Sale of Donated Good5 17.752 17,7S2 17,752 17,752 C) Other Incom Investment Income
FURNISHING FUTURES NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL sfATEPIEMTS Ictsntlnudl FOR ThE YEAR ENDEO 31 MARCH 2023 17 Months TOTAL 31.3.23 unre5tnEted ke5tncted Fund5 Funds & Do1105 LÈwin Twst Atngzan UK Nichael & Betty Lhttle Trust CruiciblE Foundatyon Toebeard Tru51 Prism Chgntable Trust The BIUE ThrEad Work for Goo 56.667 45.0ty) 35.0 56,66? 45,000 35,000 25,005 18,750 Jo,000 Jo,oos 9,400 7,500 5,005 2,505 11.938 230.755 61.547 25.LX)O 18.750 10.0 Jo.Lx)o 9.4LX) 7.5LX) Nillenlum Award Nagdalen Trust other Grants Total Grant other Donations 5.000 2.500 6.9J3 49.4J3 187.317 61.547 148.8fj3 49.433 298.301 17 Months TOTAL 31.3.23 3. ANALY915 OF EXPENDITURE Unre5trhrted Restrfcted Funds Funds I Chirltsble VItIe• Dlrect Co•t• Contractors & Prolesslorbol Fees Volunteer C051s Advertlslng Olrect Project Costs Nots 8.899 1.704 34.9B3 43,882 1,704 444 14,450 14.450 11,047 49,433 60,480 b) Support CoAts Note Rent and Rèies Wates Dlsposal General Admln 84.958 302 2.731 84,958 302 2,731 Warehouse Expenses Legal & Olher Professlonal Fee5 Insurance Bank & Platform Charges Accountancy Independent ExamlnètloTr Oepreclatson 2.886 3.318 53 350 1.200 3.18S 2,886 3,318 S3 3SO 1,200 3,185
FURNISHING FUTURES NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL sfATEPIENTS Ittsntlnu*dl FOR ThE YEAR ENDEO 31 M&RtH 2023 5. FUNDS ANALYSIS 8aLrynce 09-Nov-21 Ckjsing 31.3.23 Intorne Expenditure Transfers a) RESTRIcfED FUNDS Grants & Donatlons CruiciblE Foundabo ThE BIUE ThrEad Nillenium Award Nagdalen Trust Other ¢rant5 25,0fy) io,o(x) 5,OLX) 2,5LX) 6,933 25,0 10,000 5.000 2.500 6,933 bl UNRESTRICTED FUNOS General Funds Deslgnated 174,101 92,522 110,875 63,226 92,522 266,623 110 875 155,748 Total Vundi 316 056 160.308 6. STAFF COSTS ANO NUMBERS 2023 st•ff -No stoff we employed durfryJ thb year Dlrertots Ind Rel•ted P•rtyTr•thM¢tloM 1023 One Trustee wa5 pold for thelr servlce5 durfng the year. No other rdated pJty transactlons took plxe rtng the year.
FURNISHING FLITURES NOTES TO IHE FINANCIAL sfATEPIENTS (¢tsrbtlfftu*dl FOR ThE YEAR ENDEO 31 MARCH 2023 Pixtures Fitbnys 7. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Vehicles Ttstsi EQUIPMEMr C05t O>NOv-21 6,786 3,370 10,156 Cost ot 31-Mar-23 DeprEcloti¢n Chgrye 09-Nov-21 3?7 2,808 3,185 31-Mar-23 377 Net Book Value Net 6ook Value 31-Mar-23 09-Nov-21 6.409 562 $.970 The annual commltment5 under nDn-cancdllng opertting Se5 arwj tsp1 comrnitrnEnts- see nots 11. 8. DEOTOR5 ANO PREPAYMENTS UThre5tricted Re5tdcts Fund Fund Totsl Oebtor5 9. CASH AT OANK ANO IN HA14D 31-14•r-13 Naln Account Current Account Total 211,Z34 10. CREDrroRS AND ACCRUALS.. AMOV14TS FALUNG out virrHIN 014E YEAR Unrestrfcted Re5trtcted Fund Fund Total 31-M•r-23 Oelerred Income Accruals 62,083 1,550 62,083 1,550 11. CREDITORS AND ACCRUALS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE IN MORE Unrestrfcted Restrtrted THAN 014E YEAR Fund Fund Total 31-Mar-23 92.522 262.147 92,522 262,147 Later than l Year but wlthln 5 Years Nore than 5 years