2024-12-31-accounts

2024

Annual TRUSTEES REPORT

& Financial Statements

[e-mail] www.soundwavesfoundation.org

Contents Page	Contents Page
1. Reference and Administrative Details............	1
2. Structure, Governance and Management......	2
3. Objectives and Activities................................	2
4. Core Objectives.............................................	2
5. Achievements and Performance....................	3
6. Finance..........................................................	4
7. Reserves Policy and Going Concern.............	4
8. Risks and Uncertainties.................................	4
9. Plans for the Future.......................................	5
10.Statement of Responsibilities for Trustees...	5
11.Accounts.......................................................	6

1. Reference and Administrative Details

The Sound Waves Foundation

Trustees’ annual report and financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2024

Type of constitution: 'Foundation' model constitution, Charitable Incorporated Organisation ("CIO")

Charity No.: 1197686

Registered Office:

125 Casino Avenue, London SE24 9PP Country of Registration: England & Wales

Bank: Cooperative Bank

Insurance: Zurich Insurance UK

Trustees: Daniel Bowen, Matt Dykes, Chair: Martijn Kuhlemeier, Treasurer: Miguel Fernandez.

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2. Structure, Governance and Management

Sound Waves Foundation (“SWF”) was registered in January 2022 and this report constitutes the third Trustees’ Annual Report.

All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. There has been a new trustee appointed in the reporting period for the year ending 31 December 2024.

The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work for the reported year.

The trustees detail the success of each key activity and the benefits it has brought to those groups it is set up to help. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity’s aims, objectives and activities remain focused on its stated purposes.

Trustees will usually serve for a term of one to three years and can be re-appointed. Review of the external expertise needed to support the charity with its objectives is undertaken annually and new trustees and skills identified as the workload changes for a small team.

For the reported year to 31 December 2024, the trustees are satisfied that SWF continues to meet its charitable work for public benefit.

3. Objectives and Activities

Sound Waves Foundation is a small registered charity, set up with a broad remit to improve accessibility, inclusivity and outcomes for deaf children and young adults in the UK.

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.

The trustees are satisfied that the projects and work undertaken during the year is in the public benefit.

4. Core Objectives

SWF has four specific objectives in its constitution to meet its charitable purpose:

1) Raising public understanding of deafness;

(2) Promoting, facilitating and disseminating research that adds to collective knowledge and understanding of deafness in order to improve equality and inclusion;

(3) Providing opportunities to deaf children and young people that promote access to employment; and

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(4) Providing or assisting in the provision of opportunities and activities in the interest of social welfare for recreation for deaf children and young people with the object of improving their conditions of life.

5. Achievements and Performance

The following has been achieved in the reporting year:

• Appointed Matt Dykes as a trustee who brings professional knowledge and understanding of policy and government, along with strategic direction for SWF. Nicola Wyatt and Silvie Koanda stepped down as trustees.

• Received funding from The Fore for a 3 year period 2024 - 2026.

• Continued to be a supported charity of Team Lewis for a second year. Continued to be a supported charity of the Social Society.

• Launched our Live Captioning online forum.

• Presented at: BATOD North Study Day, National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) SEND committee, Ewing SEND Training Day, the Social Society and the Brighton Summit.

• Delivered live captioning at the Ewing Foundation event in London.

• Became a member of the Brighton Chambers.

• Published a follow up article in BATOD magazine about Action for Captions.

• Celebrated volunteers and contributors at the summer Team Lewis charity event. Released 4 more Deaf Kids Tip Kits - ‘School Trip’, ‘Play Date’. ‘Sleep Over’ and ‘Parties’.

• Secured illustrators for 3 additional Deaf Kids Tip Kits.

• Implemented live captioning in 3 additional secondary schools taking the total number of schools to 20.

• In talks to align live captioning research with University of Edinburgh and Northern Ireland Local Authority.

• Secured support from Phonak to facilitate our secondary school live captioning research.

• Finalised our quality BSL course resources.

• Delivered our BSL course to 23 more primary school aged children.

• Secured 4 more schools in East Sussex for our BSL after school club.

• In talks with 6 more schools nationally to deliver our BSL after school club.

• Secured volunteer help for our website, PR, marketing and communications. Built website capability to deliver BSL courses online.

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Resources

Various strategies were put in place to staff ongoing projects. The approach taken:

Use the available time of the trustees.

• Appoint directors to run day-to-day operations and strategic delivery.

• Skills match with volunteers through the partnership with The Social Society.

• Where project funding has been secured or allocated, hire suitably skilled staff for the required period of the project.

6. Finance

The Receipts and Payments Accounts and Statement of Assets and Liabilities are on page 6. During the reporting period to 31 December 2024 income for SWF has been received from the following sources:

The Fore - grant £10,000.

7. Reserves Policy and Going Concern

The reserves policy for SWF stipulates the following:

• £500 is held in reserve to protect the charity against drops in income to allow it to continue as a going concern.

• The amount held is to enable the charity to continue into a successive year should new funding fall short.

• The reserves can be spent on digital assets and activities to meet its compliance duties.

• The Reserves Policy will be reviewed annually or if cash at bank falls below £1000, whichever is sooner.

8. Risks and Uncertainties

There is an ongoing need to fund the core activities and projects of SWF and this is in the climate of extreme competition for funds. A careful watch will be taken of cash flow, budgets and forecasts to ensure the charity can meet its commitments and can suitably finance its projects.

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9. Plans for the Future

The trustees undertook a review of SWF’s five-year strategy, activities and project listing. Adjustments were made to dependencies, priorities and resources to ensure the charity can meet its objectives throughout the coming year 2025.

10. Statement of Responsibilities for Trustees

The trustees are responsible for the following:

• Keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of any financial information included on the charity’s website.

• Preparing annual financial statements on a going concern basis that observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP. The total income of SWF was less than £25k in the reporting year and therefore does not require an independent audit. The financial statements are made available at public request.

• Preparing a Trustees Annual Report and making it available at public request. Completing an Annual Return as the total income of SWF was over £10k in the reporting year.

The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

Declaration

The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the board of trustees on 23 April 2025 and signed on its behalf by Martijn Kuhlemeier, Trustee.

25 / 04 / 2025 Signed........................................................... Date......................................

11. Accounts

The following financial statements comply with current statutory requirements and were approved by the board of trustees on 23 April 2025.

Accounting is on a cash basis. The reporting of the accounts complies with Charities SORP and in accordance with FRS 102.

The accounts have been prepared by Miguel Fernandez, FCCA (1295848).

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Doc ID: 31eb5c74bbc75f503704382c513381b308a09f9a

2024 Accounts as at 31 December 2024 (Cash Basis)

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

Receipts and Payments

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Doc ID: 31eb5c74bbc75f503704382c513381b308a09f9a