## Trustees annual report and financial statements
## APRIL 2025
Registered charity number: 1198592 Harryspals.org
## Table of Contents
|03||Message from Chair|
|---|---|---|
|04||Our Vision & Mission|
|06||Message from our Founder|
|08||Objectives & Activities|
|13||Testimonials|
|16||Achievements & Performance|
|19||Fundraising|
|21||Future plans|
|25||Statement of public benefit|
|26||Financial review & reserves policy|
|27||Structure, governance &|
|||management|
|28||Statement of Trustees’|
|||responsibilities|
|29||Legal & administrative|
|||information|
|30||Meet the Trustees|
|32||Independent Examiner’s Report|
|33||Financial statements|
// HARRY’S PALS **ANNUAL REPORT 2025**
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## Message from Chair
## **Welcome**
We’re delighted to share the Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2025. It continues to be a true honour to serve as a Trustee of Harry’s Pals, a charity that has grown in strength and impact since its founding in 2022. Every day, I’m inspired by our remarkable CEO, Hayley Charlesworth, whose courage and compassion have transformed personal tragedy into a powerful force for good.
## **Life-Changing Support**
Over the past year, we’ve continued to raise awareness of Harry’s Pals and have forged new partnerships to help us reach even more parents of critically ill or disabled children. We remain committed to providing life-changing emotional support — the kind that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere.
When parents are faced with the devastating news of their child’s uncertain future, many feel lost and alone. Harry’s Pals offers a lifeline — a compassionate guide to help them navigate what lies ahead. The powerful testimonials we receive from families we’ve supported, often at their most vulnerable moments, are a testament to the impact of our work and the vital difference it makes.
## **More Families Desperately Need Our Help**
Hayley’s story brings to life the despair, isolation, and fear that so many parents experience after receiving a life-limiting diagnosis for their child. Through Harry’s Pals, parents like Hayley no longer have to face those dark days alone — they know there is understanding, empathy, and emotional support waiting for them.
As we reflect on three successful years of growth and learning, we look ahead with determination to reach and support even more families in the year to come.
## **A Heartfelt Thank You**
I am immensely proud of everything Harry’s Pals has achieved this year. My deepest thanks go to everyone who has supported us — our team, partners, donors, and friends — for helping us continue this life-changing work. Together, we’re making a profound difference.
Lynn
// HARRY’S PALS
Lynn Stubbs, Chair
**ANNUAL REPORT 2025**
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The Harry's Pals mission: to support families of severely ill or disabled children.
It is our mission to provide emotional support to help families across the country to mentally cope when they receive the heart-breaking diagnosis that their child has a life-threatening or life-limiting condition.
Together, we will continue to provide much-needed emotional support, community, and respite to help parents cope in the face of uncertain futures.
“To find out that your child has a severe illness or disability is every parent’s worst nightmare. When Harry was first diagnosed, it was a very lonely, scary and isolating time to say the least.
That's why Harry's Pals is so important. Inspired by my family's experience, we are here to help ensure other parents don't feel alone in navigating what can feel like a minefield you never could have anticipated."
**Hayley, CEO and Founder of Harry's Pals**
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Our vision: that every parent receiving a diagnosis that their child has a life-limiting illness or disability is provided with information about Harry’s Pals at point of diagnosis.
Building on our success over the past three years, we plan to continue to expand our networks and maximise our fundraising efforts so that we have the support and resources available to reach every parent across the country who is facing a harrowing diagnosis about their child.
Through our ongoing community and advocacy, we envisage Harry's Pals becoming a hub of support where mums and dads can feel cared for and understood. We foresee that everyone in the country working within the field of paediatrics will have a good understanding of Harry’s Pals and know when and how to signpost to our support services.
## Join our community
info@harryspals.org Search ‘Harry’s Pals’ on
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## Meet Hayley: Founder of Harry’s Pals
My name is Hayley and I’d like to tell you about my son Harry, or our “Haribo”, the boy who inspired Harry’s Pals.
Harry is now ten years old. Despite all his disabilities and all the surgeries, illnesses, and injustices that he has faced throughout his short life, he continues to be the most smiley and content little boy; filling our hearts with love, admiration, and sadness for all that he endures every single day.
It’s been a roller coaster of a journey since he was born and since his birth I have often reflected on the lack of care and compassion afforded to us as parents upon receiving his diagnosis back in 2015.
The day we were told that Harry had suffered brain damage caused by strokes, was the day we waved goodbye to our old carefree selves and stepped into a world that we could never have contemplated for ourselves or our child.
Harry was just three days old when we received his diagnosis; we were ushered into a small side room in the neonatal department where a consultant thrust an MRI scan image towards us whilst explaining that Harry’s whole brain had been pretty much taken out by strokes.
_Hayley & family in 2015 shortly after Harry was born, trying to put a brave face when faced with fear and heartbreak._
The image of the MRI Scan will haunt me for the rest of my life. It was a frightening, heart breaking and despairing time, full of so many questions, worries and dread for what the future had in store for us all.
I remember asking the consultant quite soon after whether there would be any support allocated to us as parents: the response was that this wasn’t something the hospital could help with.
The consultant suggested that we look online instead. Sadly, despite many attempts and phone calls, we just couldn’t find any charities offering emotional support and this added to our feelings of isolation and massively hindered our ability to cope.
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We desperately needed to talk to a professional who could help us come to terms and understand the overwhelming emotions we grappled with. We needed advice, some time out and coping mechanisms to help us face the rocky road ahead.
Over recent years I have met and heard from so many parents who have received harrowing news about their child’s condition and have felt abandoned due to the lack of support or charities offering help to support them with their mental wellbeing.
Each parent I speak to provides their own stories of the detrimental impact this had on them and their family. It’s heartbreaking to hear parents talk about the loneliness, fear and despair that they experienced since receiving their childs diagnosis and the reprocussions on their mental, physical and family wellbeing. Each mum or dad, reporting on how things could have been very different if only they could access professional mental health support.
I am also incredibly aware of the horrifying statistics around parent carer mental health and read recent reports showing the shocking suicide rates of parent carers.
**We are passionate and committed about changing the outcome for these families through Harry’s Pals.**
_Harry, now ten years old_
I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve through Harry’s Pals since we set up in 2022.
We have remained on track to reaching our goals, working with hospitals, hospices and other charities across the country to reach more and more parents in desperate need of support.
We know the difference our services make and are determined to get the support out to as many families as possible who otherwise wouldn’t receive any support during such traumatic, life changing and isolating times.
We have high ambitions for the years to come and are looking forward to supporting even more families who sadly find themselves in need of our help.
## Hayley
Founder of Harry’s Pals
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## Objectives & activities
Harry’s Pals is a charity registered in England and Wales. Its objectives as defined by the governing document is to “relieve the charitable needs of people with disabilities and their family and carers.”
To do this Harry’s Pals provides three main services:
## 01. Counselling and therapy
We organise free counselling and therapy to help parents work through the overwhelming thoughts and feelings they are faced with so they can improve their mental health and find coping mechanisms to face the future.
## 02. Short breaks
We offer short respite breaks for parents and families across the UK. Many families use these much-needed breaks to create precious, lasting memories with their loved ones.
## 03. Peer support
The most recent string to out bow, we have begun to organise online support groups where parents can come together to listen to guest speakers on a range of subjects or just have a cuppa and chat with other mums and dads who get it.
As well as these core areas of support, Harry's Pals continues to advocate for disabled people and their carers. Our campaigns for positive change include the successful Harry's Pledge, which is outlined on pages 11 and 12.
// HARRY’S PALS **ANNUAL REPORT 2025**
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## 1. Counselling
We work with a range of counsellors and therapists and are careful to ensure we have an accredited and fully qualified professional available in a range of disciplines who can best suit the needs of each parent coming to us in desperate need of support following their child’s heartbreaking diagnosis.
It is incredibly important to us at Harry’s Pals that the parents can speak to the right practitioner to meet their needs as soon as possible. Once we have established the best route of support, parents are then assigned six to ten sessions which are one-hour long.
Sometimes parents just feel the need to talk to someone detached from the situation, who can help them to make sense of their feelings, and in this case traditional talking counsellors work well.
Whereas sometimes parents are dealing with panic attacks caused by PTSD and in this instance, we would likely arrange for a therapist to help them to find coping mechanisms and tools to use to help them overcome any trauma.
After these sessions we then review whether any more are needed. We keep strong communication with parents throughout the process so that they have opportunities to provide feedback and to let us know if there are any issues or anything that needs to change so we can best support them and their needs moving forward.
## **Why it matters:**
We feel really passionately that having the opportunity to talk to someone is so important not just for the parent-carers but also for the wellbeing of their family. Our fully trained and qualified counsellors and therapists are on hand to give Harry’s Pals parents the support they deserve.
**“You have provided us with strength and resilience for the future.” - Harry’s Pals parent.**
100% of families said that the counselling they received through Harry’s Pals has made a ‘dramatic difference’ to their mental health.
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## 2. Short breaks
At Harry’s Pals we provide short breaks for parents or the whole family to take some much-needed time out from the stresses, strains and routines that become day-to-day life when you are looking after a family member with significant needs.
We work with the family to determine what type of break would be best for them - from spa breaks, adventure weekends to accessible holiday lets. We have built relationships with holiday providers to provide truly accessible holidays and accommodation where every eventuality is planned for and every disability is considered, to help every member of the family have the best holiday together.
**Financial pressures Finding accessible Respite offers and loss of salary accommodation families the mean many families can be difficult, not opportunity to can struggle to get to mention create precious, away. expensive for lasting memories. parents.**
We also work with hospices so that parents can use their respite days, allowing them to either get away as a couple so they can get some time away to recharge, recoup and in many cases reconnect, or to take a break with their other children while their loved one is being cared for.
However, it has been more common than not that parents will use their break away to take time together as a whole family, making precious memories whilst they can.
“Life is so stressful, and very overwhelming as we overcome challenges in our daughter’s life. This break gave us a chance to escape and made us stop and unwind. If Harry’s Pals hadn’t offered us this we wouldnt have gone away”
Stephanie, Harry's Pals parent
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## 3. Peer support
This year we have begun to offer peer-to-peer support groups, online and offline.
These sessions provide parents with the opportunity to listen to guest speakers on a range of useful subjects and also allow for mums and dads to speak to other individuals in a similar position.
As a parent of a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition it makes all the difference to find an understanding ear and a community of guidance and advice in a world where parent carers can often feel very isolated.
We are currently building and developing this group with regular sessions to be held in 25/26.
## Campaigns & awareness
Harry’s Pals is ultimately set up to support parents of children who are severely ill or disabled.
However, as a charity we are also passionate about doing what we can to support carers and disabled people throughout society as a whole.
We support a range of existing campaigns, such as Changing Places, and have founded a specific campaign called Harry’s Pledge which has been a catalyst for positive change in the social housing sector and beyond.
**Harry’s Pledge is a commitment to do more to support carers and disabled people living and working in social housing.**
By creating Harry’s Pledge, we are ensuring that those in the housing industry honour and support those who need care and the people who provide it.
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Learn more at **Harrys-pledge.org.uk**
## 100+ organisations have signed up to
Our pledge focuses on 4 key commitments: 1) To become carer-friendly employers.
- 2) To build accessible homes.
- 3) To make work and community spaces more accessible.
- 4) To support paid carers in their careers. and improve pay and rewards.
## Carer friendly training
**Hayley Charlesworth with MP Tom Pursglove**
Harry’s Pals is passionate about supporting carers and disabled by using our lived experiences to inspire change.
We regularly attend training events hosted by the NHS to talk about the small things that clinicians can do to make a huge difference to a family facing a recent diagnosis about their child.
By spending a short amount of time speaking to physiotherapists, OT’s and Nursing teams over the past year has allowed for us to reach more families through referrals and provided meaningful insight to frontline staff from a parents perspective.
This year we have also been talking to organisations about what they can do to be more carer friendly. In a world where more and more of us our becoming carers, due to aging demographics and advancements in medical treatment it’s shortsighted to not support employees who are juggling work with care.
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Testimonials: Harry's Pals families
## **Ellie’s story**
“For nearly five years, I was told I had exhausted every avenue of support within the NHS perinatal mental health system. During that time, I struggled with suicidal thoughts.
My community nurse inisisted that I reach out to Harry’s Pals for counselling. At first I hesitated, but with a gentle push from my husband, I finally contacted Hayley.
From our very first conversation, she reassured me that the process wouldn’t be complicated, and for the first time in years, I felt a glimmer of hope—there was help out there for me and my Husband.
The sessions with Janine my therapist have made a life-changing difference and I dread to think where i would have been without this support.”
## **melanie’s story**
“The communication from Hayley at Harry’s Pals was outstanding and comforting.
This break we received enabled both my son and I to make new memories and get away from the stress of daily life to clear our minds and focus on happier times.
From the moment we arrived we both felt relaxed and at ease. Together we started to rebuild our hearts, after such a difficult time.”
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## The Charity is truly amazing.
## **our story**
"This charity is truly amazing. Offering families who work 24-7 for children who are often poorly, to get much needed time away as a family. Many of us don’t get to work and earn money because we’re full time carers and can’t afford breaks.
The respite was invaluable and we’re so grateful. Time together is often taken up with hospital trips, appointments and filling in medical forms. We got to enjoy four quality days together enjoying the seaside, swimming pools and local attractions without thinking about medical things.
The children especially enjoyed being by the sea, it was fabulous and offered a chance to bond as a family and get a break away.”
**KELLY’S story** “Our eldest daughter has a lot of medical needs **“I found that I kept too much bottled in,** due to her physical and mental disabilities and **and the counsellor Harry’s Pals supported** it made such a difference to have this break **me with helped me to open up and speak** away to look forward to. Harry’s Pals is doing **about every day life. Letting it all out definitely allowed for me to feel less** great work for families like mine. We had a **stressed which means that I can enjoy** lovely break away from the day to day routine. **time with the children. The support made** It provided us with a great opportunity to have **such a difference.** some quality time together as a family.” **We really appreciate all the help Harry’s Charlotte, Harry’s Pals parent Pals have given us, me as a parent and my children.”**
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## Shane & Millie’s story
“This short break was the first time our whole family got to go somewhere all together. Because of Millie’s health conditions we are so restricted as to what we can do and where we can go. Especially when it comes to financially covering a break like this.
It would never have happened without all the help and support given to us.
And the short break didn’t disappoint. It all went really well from start to finish. It was just perfect. It might be all over but we still sit here scrolling through the photos and smiling at all the amazing memories and we will do for a very long time.”
Shane Joslin, Harry’s Pals parent
The memories that we created will last a lifetime, so it was absolutely life changing.
From the moment we found out it had been booked we had a wave of happiness and excitement at the thought of actually getting a short trip away.
“H **arry’s Pals has been amazing “I needed to talk to someone outside of and has given our family much my family and friends, everything was hope. getting too much for me to cope with on my own. I don’t know where I would be without the support of Harry’s Pals and the therapy I had following my son’s diagnosis.” - Harry’s Pals Parent**
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## Achievements & Performance
## **This year we set ourselves some very clear objectives:**
**Provide 100 Days of respite** - We provided 99 days away
**Provide 250 hours of counselling** - we exceeded this and paid for 252 counselling sessions
**- Expand our team to focus on fundraising** In June 2024 we employed a parttime charity Support Officer to allow the CEO more time to focus on fundraising and growing our network of support so that we can reach more families.
**- Increase our profile and partnerships** We have developed our profile and partnerships with organisations allowing us to support more families but at a rate in which resources allow
**- Research and Develop our peer mentoring community service** We piloted an online and offline peer support group towards the end of the year - which proved successful
## **Our third year at a glance**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
99 days of
The National 252 hours of
respite We lauched
Lottery 64 families counselling/
breaks
our peer
award therapy
supported across the support
Harry’s Pals provided
UK
£18,000 (Target 250) group
(Target 100)
Established key Parmjit Dhanda, former
We appointed a
partnerships with hospices MP And Minister for
Charity Support Officer
hospitals and other children becomes our
chatities Patron
**----- End of picture text -----**
// HARRY’S PALS
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## Our scale and scope
As a small charity, we have been cautious to not expand our service offering too quickly for fear of not being able to meet demand due to limited resources. Having said that we have made great progress in raising awareness of Harry’s Pals in areas surrounding our referral hospices and hospitals. A huge development was to partner with Birmingham Children’s Hospital
**By March 2025, we have supported 41 families with 252 hours of counselling sessions and sent 23 families on short breaks of 4 to 5 days.**
The impact of this support cannot be underestimated, and we are heartened to hear just how positive and, in some cases, life-changing, this support has proven to families who are struggling.
This year has been incredibly encouraging, we really are making waves as we build our profile and infrastructure and we have established some great networks across the charity and healthcare sectors. We now have a network of hospices, hospitals, councils and national charities who signpost to our services. We have also reached thousands through our social media platforms, communications, campaigning and through our patrons; Dan Renton Skinner and Parmjit Dhanda.
As our profile continues to grow, the demand for our services continues to increase and we are careful to monitor this so we can balance the demand with our ability to provide the very best support and services to parents.
## Our key alliances
## **Hospitals**
Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire have joined our growing network of hospitals sharing information about Harry’s Pals with parents who meet our criteria for support through their nursing, physio and chapliancy teams. Each of the nine hospital we work with signpost families who meet our criteria for support to our services.
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## **Baby and Children’s Hospices**
As Harry’s Pals supports parents of severely ill or disabled children, we reach out to local hospices and are proud to work with Acorns Hospice, Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, Keech Hospice and Forever Colours Hospice and we have many more planned to support in the new year. These hospices continue to signpost parents to our services across various communications. This has resulted in a steady stream of parents getting in touch, all grateful to find an organisation who can provide emotional support.
Some of the organisations we work with:
A key benefit of working with hospices is that parents can choose to use their respite nights, where their child is cared for by the the hospice, to have a childfree break through Harry’s Pals.
## **Charities**
By joining forces with charities supporting disabled children and their families, Harry’s Pals can offer additional services that are currently not being offered. We know the importance of emotional support for parent-carers and have joined forces with national charities such as Disabled Living, Together for Short Lives and Sense to bridge this gap and offer much-needed additional support to the families they work with.
Working with established charities is already proving successful in signposting more parents to our services and increasing our visibility in SEND communities.
## **Governmental**
Working with councils to be added to their online SEND support directory has been really beneficial. So far councils including Cheshire West, Leicester, Northampton and Warwickshire have included Harry’s Pals information on their websites.
Want to join forces? Get in touch today: **Harryspals.co.uk**
// HARRY’S PALS **ANNUAL REPORT 2025**
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## Fundraising Harry’s Pals receives no statutory or governmental funding.
To pay for our services such as family breaks away and counselling and therapy sessions (as well as our operational costs) we have had to fundraise throughout the year.
At Harry’s Pals we look to fundraise through as many different ways as possible. Through grants, public donations, events and corporate support we are able to build a steady stream of funding that allows us to provide our support services. These fundraising streams are outlined below:
## Grants
This year we have been able to access £22,000 in funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, The Shanly Foundation and The Douglas Compton James Charitable Trust.
## Public donations
By building the profile of Harry’s Pals we continue to attractPublic donations su ~~pport from businesses and individuals keen to make a~~ difference. This ranges from small businesses, such as nurseries who have organised fundraising activities on our behalf, through to large organisations such as GXO and Amazon who have supported us as part of their CSR objectives. We are also grateful for the continued support of individuals who organise sponsored events, or make one-off or regular donations to allow us to continue supporting families in need.
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## Events
## ~~Events~~
ThiPublic donationss year we have run many successful events including a charity b ~~all and auction, two comedy nights, an Edale skyline trek,~~ Marathon’s, Wolf Runs and some sponsored walks. We have also attended some great events too, such as Kidz to Adultz disability exhibitions.
Events are not only a great way for us to raise money to be able to finance our support for families, but they have also allowed us to raise awareness of Harry’s Pals and our work. By organising and attending events we have been able to create our own community and support network which has inspired people to support the charity further by organising their own fundraising activity – such as running a marathon, through to talking with their workplace about ways they can help by volunteering some of their time.
## Corporate Support
We are always looking for organisations to choose us as their chosen charity. At Harry’s Pals we have lots of ways in which businesses can show their support from organising fundraising events to donating a service, product or volunteering their time. During this year we received an increasing amount of support from organisations across the country, big and small.
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## Future plans
After another successful year, the Trustees are keen to grow further so that Harry’s Pals can support more families on a national scale.
During 2024/25 we have successfully increased our profile and are supporting more and more families, however we have been mindful to ensure that we have enough resources available to us to meet demand.
During the year we have focused on improving our networks of counsellors and have made sure that we have ring-fenced enough funding before setting up a new referral partner. This year we have begun working with 9 more charities and 3 more hospices including, Acorns Hospice and Child Brain Injury Trust.
Our longer-term ambition (over the next 10 years) is to connect with the 200 hospitals across the country who have a neonatal unit, so that we can be signposted at point of diagnosis. We aim to achieve our referrals mainly through hospices and hospitals as this means that we know the child is in a life-threatening situation and it helps us manage the number of families coming to us. However, this wouldn’t preclude us from helping other children and families that are not connected to hospices or hospitals.
## In 2025/26 our aim is to:
- Provide 100 Provide 300 days of respite hours of breaks bespoke counselling and therapy
- Deliver more peer sessions and build the Harry’s Pals community
- Expand our Increase our Continue to team to focus profile and campaign and on fundraising partnerships advocate for change
// HARRY’S PALS **ANNUAL REPORT 2025**
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## Our 6 key priorities for 2025/26
## 1. Provide 100 days of respite breaks
Like last year we aim to provide at least 100 days of respite breaks, which equates to 25 four-day short breaks for families in need of rest and support. To achieve this, we’ll continue working with our trusted partner, Holistic Thinking Holidays, while also building new partnerships to offer a wider range of short break options tailored to each family’s unique needs.
We’ll ensure that all our accommodation options are accessible, comfortable, and thoroughly tested, so families can relax and enjoy their time away with confidence. With our growing network of referral partners, we’re confident we’ll meet our target of 100 respite days during 25/26.
## 2. Provide 300 hours of counselling
Since we established, we have focused on building a network of counsellors and therapists across the country that can work with families who need support with a range of issues. It is important to us that a range of counsellors and therapists are available to meet the needs of the parents who come to Harry’s Pals. These practitioners all have an understanding of the issues and challenges facing these individuals and are fully qualified to support parents either remotely during video calls or face to face, dependent on the individual’s preference.
In 25/26 our goal is to deliver 250 hours of sessions. Each person is allocated on average six sessions each so around 41 parents over the next year (at least) will get help to cope with their mental health.
## 3. Develop our peer mentoring service
A key focus of the next year will be to further develop our parent-carer network that will become an invaluable community of support. We are already speaking with parents who are keen to be a part of this network, which we envisage becoming an informal hub where parents can share their experiences and speak to those who are in similar situations. By the end of the year we would like to be offering regular support groups online which are well attended.
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## 4. Expand our team to focus on fundraising
Currently, the CEO is responsible for the majority of the charity’s day-today operations—from supporting families and allocating services to securing corporate funding. Some of these tasks could be outsourced, allowing more time and energy to be focused on growing the charity and securing additional income.
In 2025, we aim to recruit a Communications and Fundraising Officer to help deliver, enhance and expand the services offered by Harry’s Pals, whilst also supporting the charities fundraising efforts. By bringing this officer on board, the CEO will be able to concentrate on strategic growth, building networks, and increasing funding opportunities whilst feeling confident that the support that the charity is offering is as effective as possible.
## 5. Increase our partnerships and profile
During this year we have made great progress in developing some fantastic partnerships. This year, we plan on expanding our remit for support as finances allow and will look to partner with more hospices and more hospitals to allow for more parents to be referred to us for support.
As well as setting up more referral partners to allow more families to access our support, a key focus will be to develop corporate partnerships so that we can have the opportunity to reach more potential donors, volunteers and parents who need our help.
Harry’s Pals will also be attending more networking and SEND-focused events to reach our target markets. Other activities will be to ensure we are signposted on relevant council websites such as county-wide hubs for parent carers and we are in as many SEND directories as possible including Disabled Living, Affinity and Contact a Family.
Alongside these activities we will be using every opportunity to increase our earned media on a local and national level. We will utilise our charity patrons to help us to raise awareness amongst their vast networks and we have already started to build good relationships with influential journalists, editors, presenters, etc and will continue to focus on our marketing and media efforts to increase our scope.
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## 6. Continue to campaign and advocate for change
At the heart of Harry’s Pals is the passion to use Harry’s family’s lived experiences to inspire change. Since Harry’s birth in 2015, Hayley, founder of Harry’s Pals, has witnessed and experienced the shortfalls in support, understanding, accessibility and inequality that disabled people and carers face. As a nation we do not do enough to support such a large proportion of our population and Harry’s Pals is determined where possible to advocate and be a voice for carers and disabled people. Parent carers are largely unrecognised and valued for their caring role by professionals or even themselves – missing out on desperately needed support. Harry’s Pals will be doing all it can over the next year to shine a light on this underrepresented section of our population.
Can you help us support even more families?
We need to secure a balance of at least £149,000 to allow us to achieve these goals of supporting more families in need. If you can support our mission please get in touch at hayley@harryspals.org
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## Statement of public benefit
The public benefit of the Charity’s activities is the support and wellbeing of parents of critically ill or disabled children and these are achieved principally through providing a range of emotional support services that provide a lifeline at a time of need. We provide counselling services, short breaks and mentoring services for parents as well as critical training for health professionals. We also campaign on disability and carer issues.
In delivering our services we further benefit the public by supporting parents to be able to become more resilient and cope better with the challenges that lie ahead, thus protecting the family unit and their ability to cope without lots of intervention. We also benefit the families’ wider networks making it more possible for parents to stay in employment as they spend less time off with mental health related illness such as stress and depression.
In carrying out our services, we have due regard for the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.
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## Financial review and reserves policy
## **During Harry’s Pals third year in operation we have:**
- Generated income of **£132,376**
- Expenditure was **£96,381**
- Leaving **£50,053** in monetary funds carried forward
- **£18,750** of this is restricted funding, as set out below.
The results for the year and the charity’s financial position at the end of the year are shown in the attached financial statements.
The Board of Trustees have no concerns about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to six months’ expenditure. This equates to reserves of approximately £36,000.
The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
The Trustees agree to continuously monitor this as the charity grows and develops to ensure the amount held in reserves mirrors the level of activity.
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## Structure, governance and management
Harry’s Pals is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (‘CIO’), registration number 1198592, and is governed by its constitution. Its only voting members are the Trustees who set the strategy of the organisation, while the Chief Executive Officer manages the day to day.
As a fledgling charity, Harry’s Pals Board of Trustees consists of the first charity Trustees appointed at incorporation, who were appointed for a three-year term. The Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signing the financial statements were:
Mrs NE Masters (Appointed 12 April 2022) Mrs JC Doyle (Appointed 12 April 2022) Mrs C Sumner Sinfield (Appointed 12 April 2022) Mrs LM Stubbs (Appointed 12 April 2022) Mr C Roper (Appointed 28 May 2024) MR G Jones (Appointed 14 October 2024)
An annual skills analysis will ensure the Trustees offer a suitable range of knowledge, skills and experience to support the charity. Where a skills gap is identified we will aim to recruit Trustees to bridge this gap. All new Trustees will receive a full induction to the charity and a set of key documents to enable them to gain the required information to effectively fulfil their role.
The Board will aim to adhere to the principles of the Charity Governance Code for Small Charities. This is an ongoing process, and we are working towards fulfilling all aspects of the Code.
Remuneration for employees is benchmarked against similar positions within the charity sector in the UK. The Trustees make a final decision on remuneration based on the year’s budget and the role of the employee.
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## Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year.
Under charity law, the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the excess of expenditure over income for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue its activities.
The Trustees are also responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and 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 relevant legislation. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.
The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the financial information included on the charity’s website.
In addition, the Trustees confirm that they are happy that the content of the annual review in pages 1 to 30 of this document meet the requirements of the Trustees’ Annual Report under charity law. They also confirm that the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102).
## LM Stubbs
Chair, Signed on behalf of the Trustees
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## Legal and administrative information
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Charity name Harry's Pals
Registered Charity
1198592
Number
Badby Lodge Farm, Badby Lane,
Registered Office Badby, Daventry, Northamptonshire,
NN11 3DD
Jervis & Partners,
30 Harborough Road,
Independent Examiner Kingsthorpe,
Northampton,
NN2 7AZ
**----- End of picture text -----**
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## Meet the Trustees
## **Lynn Stubbs**
Lynn sits on the Executive team of a large charitable housing provider, with responsibility for a range of central services. During her 28 years in housing, Lynn remains passionate about empowering colleagues to deliver fantastic levels of customer service. She brings a wealth of experience in business transformation and cultural change, governance and compliance, communications as well as delivery of front-line services.
## Julie Doyle
Julie is Chief Executive of a large Registered Provider and registered charity with over 1,300 employees. With over 30 years’ experience in the housing sector, Julie remains committed to ensuring the Group continues to realise its ambition of being a leading developer that improves people’s lives by providing high quality housing and care and support services.
## Carly Sumner Sinfield
Carly is an experienced copywriter and communications professional, currently working as Senior Copywriter at The Open University. A passionate storyteller, Carly has worked with major brands to deliver impactful multi-channel communications and believes in using the power of words to inspire positive action that transforms lives.
## Norma Masters
Norma is Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive of a large Housing Association and registered charity. Norma is also a Company Director with extensive administration experience particularly within governance and compliance work.
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## Meet the Trustees
## **Chris Roper**
Chris is Director of Coaching at The Centre of Financial Education (CFED). He became interested in Financial Services after a successful career in management and training outside of that industry with companies like Wickes and Acorn before qualifying as an IFA.
He developed a passion for coaching and mentoring both individuals and teams within those organisations and externally as a vocational coach with world leading Dale Carnegie organisation. The skills acquired now serve well to keep CFED delegates challenged and engaged.
## **Gareth Jones**
Gareth is an experienced fenestration industry professional with over 26 years’ experience, having held senior management positions in REHAU and profine UK and is the currently Managing Director of Solar Fabrications. Gareth is also Chair of FENSA and the Association of Composite Door Manufacturers. Gareth has joined the Board of Trustees of Harry’s Pals to share experience at Board level and help support the charity’s objectives.
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## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HARRY’S PALS
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Harry's Pals (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
Your attention is drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared financial statements in accordance with the relevant version of the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) in preference to the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has now been withdrawn.
I understand that this has been done in order for financial statements to provide a true and fair view in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Practice effective for reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2015.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
- 2 the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
- 3 the financial statements 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 in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
## **Jervis & Partners**
30 Harborough Road Kingsthorpe Northampton NN2 7AZ
Dated: 10th December 2025
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## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT** _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
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## STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONS
## _AS AT 31 MARCH 2025_
## LM Stubbs
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## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Charity information**
Harry's Pals is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered in England.
## **1.1 Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's [governing document], the Charities Act 2011, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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 (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations but which has since been withdrawn.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
## **1.2**
## **Going concern**
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **1.3**
## **Charitable funds**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Endowment funds are subject to specific conditions by donors that the capital must be maintained by the charity.
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**ANNUAL REPORT 2025**
## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
## **1 Accounting policies (Continued)**
## **1.4 Income**
Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.
## **1.5**
## **Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
## **1.6 Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
## _**Basic financial assets**_
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
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## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
- **1**
## **Accounting policies (Continued)**
## _**Basic financial liabilities**_
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
**T** rade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## _**Derecognition of financial liabilities**_
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
## **Employee benefits**
- **1.7** The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
## **Retirement benefits**
- **1.8** Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due
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## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
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## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
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## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
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## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
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## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) _FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025_
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