Registered Charity Number: 1197465
ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Legal and Administrative Information | 3 |
| Trustees’ Report | 4-6 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 7 |
| Receipts & Payments Account | 8 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 9 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 10-12 |
Page 2
ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
| Full Name: | ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY |
|---|---|
| Registered Charity No: | 1197465 |
| Contact Address: | Cooper Gallery |
| Church Street | |
| Barnsley | |
| S70 2AH | |
| Trustees: | Rhona Bywater (Chair) |
| Ben Harvey-Wade (Treasurer) | |
| Simon Tewson (Secretary) | |
| Bank: | Virgin Money |
| 1A Peel Square | |
| Barnsley | |
| S70 2PL | |
| Independent Examiner: | Angela Hayes |
| Community Accountant | |
| 22 Brocklehurst Avenue | |
| Barnsley | |
| S70 3EE |
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The Trustees present their report and accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2024.
Structure, governance and management
Action for Autism Barnsley is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission and governed by its Constitution.
The CIO was registered on 12 January 2022 and commenced its activities on 01 April 2022. Prior to the incorporation of the CIO, Action for Autism Barnsley was an unincorporated association operating under the name of Action for Autism and Aspergers Barnsley. The CIO acquired the charitable funds and activities of the unincorporated charity on 01 April 2022. The charity changed its name to Action for Autism Barnsley on 09 January 2023.
The members of the CIO are the charity trustees. Membership of the CIO cannot be transferred to anyone else. If the CIO is wound up, the liability of each member to contribute to the assets of the charity is limited to a sum not exceeding £1.
The affairs of the charity are managed by the trustees who may exercise all the powers of the CIO.
Appointment of Trustees
Trustees are appointed for a term of three years, by resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment, the trustees have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
Each trustee is given a copy of the Constitution of the charity and a copy of the latest Trustee Annual Report and accounts before appointment.
The trustees who served during the year, to the date of signing these accounts, are listed on page 3 of this report.
Related Parties
There are no related parties to the organisation.
Risk Management
The trustees examine the major risks that the charity faces and to put into operation systems so that necessary steps can be taken to lessen these risks. Risk assessments are carried out for all activities. Financial risk is managed through a process of financial controls, careful budget monitoring and regular review of the level of reserves held.
Charitable Objects
The objects of the charity are:
The promotion of social inclusion among adults who are socially excluded from society or parts of society as a result of their Autistic Spectrum Disorder by the provision of support, drop-in sessions for art-based therapies, advice and social and educational activities to prevent isolation and encourage social interaction.
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
TRUSTEES’ REPORT continued
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Public Benefit
In shaping the objectives for the year, the trustees have paid due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
Activities and Achievements during the reporting period
Another successful year for Action for Autism Barnsley has passed and our regular weekly and bi-weekly group have continued to be popular with our members.
Monday Meet-Up has been delivered by Louise Edwards and Katrina Whale, and a range of creative activities taken place that have encouraged group members to develop their creative skills whilst discussing and sharing thoughts and ideas. These sessions are a great way for members to build their social connections with one another whilst exploring their imaginations. During the winter we hosted a handful of sessions for Barnsley Youth Theatre and members contributed some quite magical ideas for their show, Spooky Campfire Tales, that they were working on. During the summer we had our usual break from weekly sessions and enjoyed trips out and about to Sheffield, Locke Park, Bowling and Old Moor. We continue to be grateful to Barnsley Museums for providing in-kind use of the Sadler Room at the wonderful Cooper Gallery.
Being Social which takes place at the YMCA is fast becoming our best attended weekly session, and we are delighted that we to have had new members join this group during the year. These social sessions have an emphasis on members choosing their own activities, the scrabble table has become a firm favourite with a handful of members and setting and leading the end of session quiz has also become very popular. It is great to see members taking the lead and stepping up to the challenge of leading activity. These sessions have been run by Francesca Cutts and Rob Whale. We have also been blessed by the regular volunteer support from Jo McAustland, who has made herself well and truly part of the group and is a fantastic and valuable addition to the team.
The smaller Hobby and Game session continues to be a favourite for members that enjoy a quieter session, and the bi-weekly walk group seems to suit those who like some morning activity, which is not everyone! These sessions have also been led by Francesca and Rob.
We welcomed the opportunity for members and families to get involved in Barnsley Council’s ‘Your Voice’ research and share views and knowledge about Adult Social Care. Being involved in the research highlighted some of the challenges ahead for our members and was serious food for thought.
Hosting the three and a half week placements for Sheffield University medical students was a welcome experience, again this year. It is always refreshing to have some younger people with us for a while. Our group members were ever generous in sharing their experiences of being neuro-diverse with them, reflecting on home life, school experiences and interactions with the medical services. As ever the students leave with a greater understanding and insight, which hopefully they take forward into their future careers.
We have continued to benefit throughout the year from the support of Barnsley Museums and were sad to see the departure of Lynn Dunning, Head of Service and Gaby Lees, Community Art Officer, who have been ever supportive of the group and brought wonderful experiences our way. We look forward to working with new members of the museum team over the coming year.
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
TRUSTEES’ REPORT continued
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Financial Review
The Charity’s policy on reserves
The trustees have set a level equivalent to three months operating costs as a desired level of reserve. This fund (the General Reserve) is a contingency in the event of a sudden reduction in income, in order to protect the future operation of the organisation from the effects of any unforeseen variations in its income and expenditure. It also provides cash flow for grants and contracts that are paid in arrears.
In addition to the General Reserve, the trustees may designate funds where there are planned commitments that cannot be met by anticipated future income alone. These designated reserves are broken down into a number of funds that relate to the charity’s responsibilities to:
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i. its beneficiaries, to ensure the continuation of essential services
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ii. the charity's responsibilities as an employer, to hold sufficient funds to meet obligations to staff and to provide proper notice and redundancy payments in the event of closure. (NB. The charity does not employ staff at the present time, therefore currently there is no liability for redundancy).
At the current level of activity, the trustees calculate the desired level of reserves to be £5,700. At the year-end, the balance of the General Reserve was £19,549 (2023:£17,086). The trustees will use any excess reserves to further the charitable activities.
Financial Review of the Year
The financial statements are set out in pages 8 to 12. The charity received total income of £29,772 in this financial year. Grants make up 80% of total income, full details of grants received during the year are provided on page 11 of this report. Total expenditure for the year was £29,423, giving a surplus for the year of £349. The total funds of the charity at year-end stand at £27,537. This consists of balances on restricted grants of £7,988 and the unrestricted reserve of £19,549.
Statement of Trustee responsibility
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees declare that they have approved the report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed:
Date: 03 June 2024
Ben Harvey-Wade, Treasurer
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
I report on the accounts of the charity, which are set out on pages 8 to 12.
Respective responsibilities of trustees 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 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities 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 Charities Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
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 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 the 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 material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act,
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or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Date: 03 June 2024
Angela Hayes, FMAAT Community Accountant
22 Brocklehurst Avenue, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 3EE
Angela Hayes is licensed and regulated by AAT under licence number 1006755
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
__
| Funds Note £ Receipts Donations & Fundraising 700 Grants Received 4 3,480 Student Placement 5,096 Total receipts 9,276 Payments Staff Costs 5,165 Room Rent 180 Insurance 251 Activities & Events 333 Materials & Equipment 58 Marketing, Publicity & Website - Accountancy Fee 450 Other Expenditure 71 Total payments 6,508 2,768 17,086 2 - (305) 19,549 Unrestricted Surplus/(Deficit) Total funds Transfers-in 01.04.2022 Transfer between funds Balance brought forward |
Funds £ - 20,496 - 20,496 19,180 1,540 - 990 808 245 - 152 22,915 (2,419) 10,102 - 305 7,988 Restricted |
Total Total 2024 2023 £ £ 700 14,217 23,976 15,450 5,096 5,096 29,772 34,763 24,345 27,925 1,720 1,805 251 240 1,323 2,558 866 641 245 263 450 400 223 386 29,423 34,218 349 545 27,188 - - 26,643 - - 27,537 27,188 |
|---|---|---|
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
__
| Monetary Assets: Virgin Money Current Account Cash in hand Total Monetary Assets Represented by funds: Unrestricted Reserve Restricted Funds Total Monetary Assets Other Assets: |
Total Total 2024 2023 £27,537 £27,188 - - £27,537 £27,188 £19,549 £17,086 £7,988 £10,102 £27,537 £27,188 |
|---|---|
iPad x 4
Liabilities:
Accountancy fee (£450)
The trustees declare that they have approved the accounts above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Date: 03 June 2024
Ben Harvey-Wade, Treasurer
Page 9
ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Accounting policies
Basis of the preparation of the accounts
The financial statements have been prepared on a Receipts & Payments basis which summarises the movement of cash in and out of the organisation. In this context ‘cash’ includes cash equivalents, such as bank accounts where cash can be readily available to pay debts as they fall due. This format of accounts is available to noncompany charities with gross annual income of £250,000 or less.
Funds structure
The charity maintains an unrestricted fund that represents funds that are expendable at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. Unrestricted funds may arise from general donations, grants of a general nature, fees for service provision and payment for service delivery contracts.
Restricted funds may be provided to the charity for particular purposes and may only be spent for the purposes for which they were given. Any balance remaining outstanding on a restricted fund at the end of the year is carried forward as a balance on the fund, unless permission has been given by the funder to remove the restriction on the balance outstanding. Restricted funds will arise from grants and donations given to the charity for specific purposes and fundraising for specific projects.
2. Transfers-in
The following funds were transferred to the CIO from Action for Autism and Aspergers Barnsley (Unincorporated Association) on 1[st] April 2022:
General unrestricted funds - £7,699
Restricted grants - £18,944
3. Gifts in Kind
Use of the Sadler Room at the Cooper Gallery, was provided for our weekly sessions and meeting rooms at the Town Hall for quarterly trustee meetings were provided free of charge.
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
4. Grants Received
| National Lottery Community Fund SWYPT/BCVS SWYPT: Creative Minds Cloverleaf Advocacy Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation Barnsley MBC The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Barnsley CVS - 'Your Voice, Your Views' SYCF Jubilee fund The Freshgate Foundation Trust BMBC Better Barnsley Bond Total |
Funds £ - - - - - - 3,000 480 - - - 3,480 Unrestricted |
Funds £ 10,000 2,500 3,000 3,000 1,000 996 - - - - - 20,496 Restricted |
Total 2024 2023 £ £ 10,000 - 2,500 - 3,000 6,000 3,000 - 1,000 - 996 - 3,000 - 480 - - 2,450 - 2,000 - 5,000 23,976 15,450 |
|---|---|---|---|
All prior year grants (2023) were restricted funds.
5. Independent Examination and Accountancy Services
Fees of £450 were paid to BCVS Services Limited for the Independent Examination of accounts. (2023: £400).
6. Trustee Remuneration
There were no payments, remuneration or expenses made to trustees during this, or the previous, accounting period.
7. Related Party Transactions
There were no related party transactions in this, or the previous, accounting period.
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ACTION FOR AUTISM BARNSLEY
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
8. Restricted Funds
| Restricted Funds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMBC Moving Mental Health Forward BMBC Better Barnsley Bond Cloverleaf Advocacy The National Lottery : Social Connections The National Lottery : Getting Social SYPFT Creative Minds SYPFT/BCVS Yorkshire Building Society The Freshgate Foundation Trust Total |
Opening Balance £ - 5,000 - 942 - 2,160 - - 2,000 10,102 |
Receipts £ 996 - 3,000 - 10,000 3,000 2,500 1,000 - 20,496 |
£ (996) (3,481) (3,004) (942) (3,840) (5,160) (2,230) (961) (2,301) (22,915) Payments |
£ - - 4 - - - - - 301 305 Fund Transfers |
Closing Balance £ - 1,519 - - 6,160 - 270 39 - |
| 7,988 |
BMBC Moving Mental Health Forward– a grant to fund one-to-one and small group social walks for members.
BMBC Better Barnsley Bond – funding to support the delivery of the Monday Meet-Up, the focus during this project was health and learning.
Cloverleaf Advocacy – funding for the Social Central weekly session at the YMCA and biweekly Mind Miles walks.
The National Lottery: Awards for All (Building Social Connections) - this was a multilayered project to enable the weekly Active session to continue and to support introduction meet-ups and one-to-one sessions.
The National Lottery: Awards for All (Getting Social) – a grant to support a range of activities including the Social Central weekly group, the weekly Games and Hobby Group and the weekly ukulele session.
SYPFT Creative Minds – a grant to support the ‘Out and About’ project which involved several outings and linked creative activities that took place as part of the Monday Meet-up sessions.
SYPFT/BCVS: Your Voice - participation in research with group members that explored issues around Adult Social Care.
The Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation – grant funding for materials and equipment that have been used across all project activity.
The Freshgate Foundation Trust – A grant to fund the Meet Up Next Step project.
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