## **2025** Annual **TRUSTEES REPORT** & Financial Statements
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|**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.Independant Examiners Report.....................|6|
|12.Accounts........................................................|7|
## **1. Reference and Administrative Details**
## **The Sound Waves Foundation**
Trustees’ annual report and financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2025
Type of constitution: 'Foundation' model constitution, Charitable Incorporated Organisation ("CIO")
Charity No.: 1197686
Registered Office:
Suite RA01, 195-197 Wood Street, London E17 3NU
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 fourthTrustees’ Annual Report.
All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity.
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 2025, the trustees are satisfied that SWF continues to meet its charitable purpose 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 undertaken during the year are 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:
- Released 3 more Deaf Kids Tip Kits to help deliver the messages from deaf children to more people, each beautifully illustrated by talented artists.
- Implemented live captioning in 15 additional primary and secondary schools taking the total number of schools to 35 with approximately 1000 students benefiting. Expanded our reach to 56 Local Authorities who receive our support and advice to ensure inclusive and accessible environments and activities for deaf children. Became members of the UK Live Captioning steering group.
- Completed our high quality introductory BSL course 1 and 2 content and resources.
- Delivered our BSL course to more than 60 primary school aged children.
- Secured 5 more schools in East Sussex and London to run our BSL after school club.
- Presented at Pan Sussex Teacher of the Deaf Study Day, Team Lewis Purple Tuesday and FCA Inclusion Forum.
- Secured 3 new grants for both national and Sussex based projects.
- Continued to be a supported charity by Team Lewis, for a third year.
- Engaged with Phonak to facilitate our secondary school live captioning research which is being undertaken in a secondary school in Sussex.
- Secured volunteer help for our website, App development PR, fundraising, marketing, social media and communications.
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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.
- Where project funding has been secured or allocated, hire suitably skilled staff for the required period of the project.
- Skills match with volunteers through different pathways including a partnership with The Fore’s professional network.
- Draw on the time offered by SWF’s band of incredibly skilled and generous volunteers.
## **6. Finance**
The Receipts and Payments Accounts and Statement of Assets and Liabilities are on page 6. During the reporting period to 31 December 2025 grants for SWF has been received from the following sources:
- The Fore
- The Chalk Cliff Trust
- The Sussex Community Foundation
## **7. Reserves Policy and Going Concern**
The reserves policy for SWF has been reviewed and stipulates the following:
- £6000 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 for a minimum of 3 months should new funding fall short.
- The reserves can be spent on digital assets and operational activities to meet its compliance duties.
- The Reserves Policy will be reviewed annually or if cash at bank falls below £10,000, 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 adequately finance its projects.
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## **9. Plans for the Future**
The trustees undertook a review of SWF’s three-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 2026 and beyond.
## **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 more than £25k in the reporting year and therefore requires an independent examination. 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 17 March 2026 and signed on its behalf by Martijn Kuhlemeier, Trustee.
- SIGN[17 - 03 - 2026]
- Signed........................................................... Date......................................
The following financial statements comply with current statutory requirements and were approved by the board of trustees on 17 March 2026.
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, FACCA (1295848) and independently examined.
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## **11. Independent Examiners Report**
## **Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Sound Waves Foundation**
I report on the accounts of Sound Waves Foundation (Charity number 1197686) for the year ended 31 December 2025, which are set out on page 7.
## **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.
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and in carrying out my examination I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **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 give me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- the accounts do not accord with those records; or
- the accounts do 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.
## **Independent examiner**
Name: Najam Us Saqeb, Chartered MCSI, AAIA, MIPA, AFA Date: 6th February 2026
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## **12. 2025 Accounts as at 31 December 2025 (Cash Basis)**
## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities**
## **Receipts and Payments**
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