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2024-06-30-accounts

A year of progress: Enhancing quality of life through better homes and neighbourhoods

Quality of Life Foundation Annual report 2023-2024

Registered Company Number: 12062786 (England And Wales) Registered Charity Number: 1198624

Contents

Contents
Foreword 4
Trustees Report 5
Our objects, purpose and principles 6
Activities, achievements and performance 10
Strategy an future plans 18
Financial review 20
Structure, governance and management 24
Independent examiners report 28
Statement of Financial Activities 30
Balance Sheet 31
Cash Flow Statement 33
Notes to the Cash Flow Statement 34
Notes to the Financial Statements 35
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 44

Foreword from the Chair of Trustees

that align with our mission. This means identifying funders who share our vision for long-term, systemic change, adapting our approach to funding to ensure greater resilience, and demonstrating the tangible impact of our work in new and compelling ways.

As Chair of Trustees, it is my pleasure to introduce this report, which captures another year of meaningful progress for the Quality of Life Foundation over the financial year of 2023-2024. At a time when the challenges of health, housing, and community wellbeing continue to intensify, and as we see a renewed focus on house building, the work of our organisation has never been more relevant or more urgent.

The need for a fundamental shift in how we plan and build our communities has never been greater. By forging new collaborations, refining our offer, and diversifying our funding base, we will continue to champion healthier, more connected places that enable everyone to thrive.

Our mission is clear: to place health and wellbeing at the heart of how homes and neighbourhoods are planned, designed, and cared for. Over this past year, we have continued to demonstrate how independent research, best-practice guidance, and collaborative advocacy can drive systemic change across the built environment sector.

Jonny Anstead Chair of Trustees

Highlights of the year include speaking to communities across the UK about priorities for their neighbourhoods, the completion of landmark research projects, the launch of our beta Code of Practice for Effective Community Consultation and Engagement, and the inaugural Quality of Life Symposium. These initiatives, alongside our continued focus on advocacy and consultancy, underscore our commitment to delivering real impact. We are equipping communities, developers, and policymakers with the tools and insights needed to create places that genuinely enhance people’s lives.

As trustees, we are proud to support a dedicated team working with integrity and passion to advance our vision. We are equally grateful to our partners, funders, and collaborators who share our determination to build a future where every home and neighbourhood fosters health, happiness, and resilience.

Looking ahead, the financial landscape for charities is increasingly challenging. Securing ongoing support, and diversifying our funding support - particularly for our core work - will be essential to maintaining and growing our impact. To navigate this, we are committed to thinking differently, being agile, and exploring new partnerships

Trustees’ Report for the Period Ended, 30 June 2024

Introduction

Charity name: Quality of Life Foundation Charity registration number: 1198624 Incorporation: The charitable company was incorporated on 21 June 2019.

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 June 2024. The Annual report serves the purposes of both a Trustees’ report and a directors’ report under company law.

The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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).

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Our objects, purpose and principles

Our vision and mission

The Quality of Life Foundation has a vision for homes and neighbourhoods that improve people’s quality of life over the long term. And our mission is to make health and wellbeing central to the way we create and care for homes and neighbourhoods across the UK.

We do this by helping local communities, professionals and policy makers to plan, design, create and care for homes and neighbourhoods in ways that will benefit people’s health and wellbeing in the long term. We carry out independent research, share evidence and support organisations to implement best practice in their work.

Our purpose

The Quality of Life Foundation exists to ensure that homes and neighbourhoods actively improve people’s health and wellbeing over the long term. Our mission is to put health and wellbeing at the centre of how places are planned, designed, and cared for across the UK.

Right now, too many homes and neighbourhoods fail to provide the foundation people need to live healthy, happy lives. Poorly planned development, built without meaningful local involvement, can disconnect people from essential services, green and blue spaces, and social infrastructure. Meanwhile, improving existing places is costly, complex, and too often fails to deliver lasting social impact.

A decent, affordable home in a well-designed, resilient neighbourhood should support health and wellbeing, not undermine it. But short-term thinking and fragmented decision-making mean that many places instead deepen health inequalities and weaken community resilience. Without change, we risk reinforcing these challenges rather than addressing them.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. By taking a long-term, evidence-based approach, we can create and care for homes and neighbourhoods that genuinely support people’s quality of life.

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The role we play

No one organisation can solve the housing crisis or the health and wellbeing crisis on its own. We are proud to play our part in a wider ecosystem of passionate organisations and individuals striving for positive change.

Our role in that ecosystem is to advocate for and facilitate change based on:

Our approach

We’ve developed a highly effective approach to our work, which allows us to bridge the gaps between academic research, industry practice and policy making. Our research provides evidence to help organisations and decision-makers understand and implement best practice. We support these organisations in applying those practices, and use the insights gained to inform our advocacy, maximising the positive impact of our projects.

Our charitable objects

  1. The advancement of education in particular but not exclusively through conducting research and the publication of the useful results of such research, in relation to without limitation planning, design, construction, environmental sustainability, management and maintenance of new and existing housing development and the impact on human health and wellbeing of the built environment. We summarise this as: Building and sharing the evidence base.

  2. To support high standards and best practice in planning, design, construction, environmental sustainability and management in the built environment. We summarise this as: Supporting best practice across the built environment sector.

Public benefit

The principal activity of the Foundation during the year continued to be that of undertaking research and engagement projects and publishing information for public benefit openly available to organisations to help them implement best practice in their work.

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

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Activities, achievements and performance

An overview

As we reflect on the 2023-2024 financial year, we are proud of the progress the Quality of Life Foundation has made. In this time, we have continued to grow as a purposeful and respected organisation dedicated to improving homes and neighbourhoods to enhance people’s health and wellbeing across the UK.

Throughout the year, we built on our position as a thought leader in the built-environment and healthand-wellbeing sectors. With an ambitious team and engaged board of trustees, we expanded our work to drive meaningful change, deepened our partnerships, and refined our tools and services to deliver measurable impact.

A major focus for the year was on scaling the use of our Quality of Life Framework and the development of our Code of Practice for Effective Community Consultation and Engagement. These resources have become central to our work, helping organisations better engage with communities and prioritise long-term wellbeing outcomes in placemaking and housing development.

Key achievements included growing our body of research and consultancy work, which provided evidence and guidance to influence decision-makers across the sector. Our advocacy efforts, combined with real-world case studies, helped demonstrate the value of integrating quality of life principles into policy and practice. In doing so, we strengthened relationships with housing associations, developers, and local authorities, supporting them to address the challenges of delivering homes and neighbourhoods that people love to live in.

This year also saw a focus on embedding strong governance, policies, and strategies to underpin our growth and ensure we fulfil our charitable aims. As we look to the future, we remain committed to expanding our reach, building partnerships, and driving innovation in how homes and neighbourhoods are planned, designed, and operated.

We carried out our work under our three key workstreams - research, advocacy and consultancy.

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Workstream 1: Research

Our team undertook a range of research projects to strengthen the evidence base around how the built environment impacts people’s health and wellbeing. By collaborating with universities and industry partners, we ensured that our research remained robust, credible, and impactful, bridging the gap between academic insights, practice, and policy.

Key projects this year included:

Project spotlight: Community Consultation for Quality of Life

Community Consultation for Quality of Life (CCQOL) was the largest UK study into consultation and engagement practices to date, undertaken as a collaboration with the universities of Reading, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Ulster and Cambridge, and industry partners, Commonplace, Stantec and Urban Symbiotics. It was funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council and aimed to develop a new, map-based model of community engagement that takes place both online and face-to-face across the UK.

What did we do?

At its heart, we used the Quality of Life Framework to uncover what truly matters to people about their local areas.

The project started with a literature review of the existing evidence base, before hosting four physical ‘urban rooms’ in four UK cities: Reading, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast. These are spaces ‘where people can come together to help create a future for their local area’. Alongside urban rooms, the team used online mapping platforms and surveys to engage with local communities. Each city had its own approach, and this approach was informed by a policy literature review specific to each nation.

National reports from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales provided a unique snapshot of community participation across the UK. These reports explored relevant policies and legislation, shared insights from urban rooms hosted in key locations, and offered practical recommendations to improve engagement across the built environment.

What did we find?

Overall, the research found that, across the UK, community consultation and engagement in the planning process is inconsistent and often inadequate. Every nation in the UK is affected by poor consultation and engagement practices, making the planning process, at times, undemocratic.

69% of people surveyed had never taken part in a planning consultation before. The most common reason? 62% said they were never asked.

This lack of meaningful engagement can undermine the democratic nature of planning and lead to people feeling a lack of influence and control in their lives. However, the findings also sparked optimism. The knowledge and tools to conduct effective consultation already exist, and there is a strong public appetite for change.

What was the impact?

Using these insights, we’ve developed the Code of Practice for Efective Community Consultation and Engagement - a practical guide designed to drive improvements in how communities are involved in shaping the places they live. With this Code, we’re advocating for a future where every voice is heard and every community can meaningfully influence its environment.

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Workstream 2: Advocacy

By engaging with government consultations, hosting collaborative events, and testing practical tools, through the year we worked to amplify the voices of communities and embed quality of life considerations into decision-making processes.

• We launched a beta version of our Code of practice for effective community consultation and engagement. We worked in partnership with engagement practitioners from across the sector to test the Code, providing valuable insights into its application and effectiveness prior to its full launch.

• We submitted a response to a government consultation on ‘street votes’, urging the government to ensure that their mechanisms for democratic local decision making are inclusive and accessible to all.

Key highlights this year included:

• We convened experts at a health-and-wellbeing roundtable for an in-depth discussion on integrating health and wellbeing into the built environment. This brought together organisations who had not worked together before for fruitful conversations about how health can play a bigger role in discussions about the built environment, and how the built environment can feature more heavily in thinking about health. The resulting report summarises the discussions, explains ummarises the discussions, explains what action we will take as a result, and makes broader recommendations for industry and policy.

Project spotlight: The inaugural Quality of Life Symposium

The way we design and build homes and neighbourhoods must undergo a fundamental transformation. Housing can no longer be just about bricks and mortar - it must be about creating places that prioritise health, wellbeing, and a sense of belonging. This vision was at the heart of the inaugural Quality of Life Symposium, an in-person event at Earls Court in London, which brought together thought leaders and experts to explore a critical question: How can we enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities through innovation in housing and development?

The centrepiece of the symposium was a lively and interactive ‘fishbowl discussion,’ chaired by Jonny Anstead, our Chair of Trustees. The format invited six panellists to share their insights on the symposium’s core question, before opening the floor to audience members eager to join the conversation. The result was a vibrant and thought-provoking exchange of perspectives.

Key themes from the discussion included:

The symposium underscored a powerful message: the housing sector has the tools, knowledge, and appetite to make transformational change. Panellists and participants alike stressed the importance of collaboration, inclusivity, and long-term thinking to create places that truly enhance quality of life.

The event also inspired tangible actions. The discussions helped refine ideas around policies and practices that could drive systemic change, such as incentivising community involvement, redefining project briefs, and creating frameworks that measure success in terms of health, wellbeing, and cohesion - not just financial outcomes.

Judging by the enthusiastic reflections shared after the event, the inaugural Quality of Life Symposium was a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and innovation. It left participants inspired by the potential to reshape housing and neighbourhoods to prioritise wellbeing, equity, and inclusion.

Credit: Lizzie Lomax

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Workstream 3: Consultancy

By engaging in consultancy work with organisations with different roles to play in the development of healthy places, we supported the adoption of best practices, helping them to understand and create environments that prioritise health, wellbeing, and long-term community benefits.

This year, our consultancy projects included:

Project spotlight: HGGT Quality Monitoring Strategy

At a time when community wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a crucial aspect of urban development, the Quality of Life Foundation partnered with the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Partnership (HGGT) to create a transformative Quality of Life monitoring strategy. This initiative not only aimed to enhance the quality of life for residents but also serves as a scalable model for future projects across the country.

Building on our quality of life mapping project with Harlow and Gilston Garden Town partnership, we were commissioned to help shape their placemaking strategies. Our goal was to create key tools to measure changes in quality of life over time. This led to the development of a Quality of Life monitoring strategy, Quality of Life Indicators, a digital dashboard and a digital user guide.

The key objectives of the project were to:

What is a quality of life monitoring strategy?

A Quality of Life monitoring strategy is a structured approach to regularly measuring and assessing community wellbeing over time. It uses specific indicators based on the Quality of Life Framework to track changes and identify trends. The strategy helps decision-makers understand how different factors – such as housing, public spaces, and services – impact overall quality of life.

Ultimately, it is designed not just to measure but actively enhance the wellbeing of residents through informed planning and community engagement. By integrating with other key plans, like public health or placemaking strategies, it offers practical tools, such as KPIs and digital dashboards, to simplify ongoing monitoring and reporting.

What did they say?

“The Quality of Life team’s openness to exploring new and creative approaches to problem-solving, and their technical knowledge and skill in this emerging field has elevated both the project itself, and the Garden Town’s own approaches to quality placemaking. “

“An enormous thanks to their talented team who supported us to deliver this innovative and impactful project, that will continue to ripple positive outcomes for years to come.”

– Molly Stroyman, former East Herts District Council Stewardship & Community Development Officer, HGGT Quality of Life Project Lead

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Strategy and future plans

Over the next five years we will deliver against our mission by working towards six key outcomes, under our new fiveyear strategy for 2024-2029. Our strategy sets out what we will do over the next five years to achieve these outcomes and objectives

Together, we believe these outcomes will help drive systemic change towards our vision of homes and neighbourhoods that improve people’s quality of life over the long-term.

Outcome 1: An enabling environment for health and wellbeing

Objective: The built environment industry, local and national government will actively prioritise health and wellbeing outcomes in the way homes and neighbourhoods are planned, designed, developed and operated.

A proactive approach to creating health and wellbeing through the built environment acknowledges its profound impact on people’s lives. However, health considerations are often absent from national policies, leaving local delivery mechanisms lacking. We aim to change this by advocating for the UK government to make reducing health inequalities a core purpose of the planning system, reestablishing the link between health and planning. We will build an evidence base to demonstrate what works, foster collaboration across the housing, health, and wellbeing sectors, and lead discussions that advance best practices in creating healthy places.

Outcome 2: Engaged and equitable communities

Objective: Communities will have more opportunities to inform decision-making about the places where they live at both a neighbourhood and regional level.

Influence over local decision-making enhances wellbeing and promotes equitable outcomes. Yet, many people feel excluded from these processes. Over the next five years, we will research ways to mobilise local communities, provide standards for effective community engagement, and help local authorities use community-led spatial evidence to guide decisions. Through QOLF Consulting, we will raise engagement standards by offering quality assurance, training, and resources.

Outcome 3: An evidence-based planning system

Objective: The built environment industry and government will use more health and wellbeing evidence in the planning and design of homes and places.

Currently, planning decisions often fail to address local health and wellbeing needs, with mechanisms like local needs assessments underutilised in shaping Local Plans. We will address this by conducting research into planning and design practices to identify opportunities for better health outcomes. We will support stakeholders in navigating existing frameworks and provide evidence to inform local and national policy. Through QOLF Consulting, we will empower communities to shape decisions through neighbourhood plans and local plan processes.

Outcome 4: A stewardship plan for long term social impact in every place

Objective: More local authorities, developers and housing associations will establish stewardship plans to ensure a lasting positive impact for homes and neighbourhoods.

The quality of homes and neighbourhoods has a direct impact on health and wellbeing, yet the UK lacks a consistent approach to long-term stewardship. Too often, developments are built without adequate plans for maintaining their spaces and infrastructure. We will identify and share what good stewardship looks like, advocate for stewardship plans that prioritise shared responsibility and community engagement, and work with stakeholders to implement these plans. Through QOLF Consulting, we will collaborate with local authorities, housing associations, and developers to create stewardship plans for both new and existing places.

Outcome 6: The Quality of Life Foundation is a resilient and impactful organisation that people want to work with and for.

Outcome 5: Consistent evaluation of health and wellbeing outcomes

Objective: The built environment industry will move towards consistent evaluation of health and wellbeing outcomes, with evaluation of outcomes considered the norm.

Objective: We will grow as a resilient and impactful organisation that people want to work with and for.

Evaluating the health and wellbeing impacts of homes and neighbourhoods is crucial but rarely happens consistently. Current evaluations often lack a focus on lived experiences or neighbourhood-level impacts, and measures of success remain short-term and transactional. To address this, we will develop shared metrics for evaluating health and wellbeing outcomes and provide standards for robust, long-term assessments. We will advocate for and facilitate consistent evaluation practices and, through QOLF Consulting, support developers and operators in creating impact strategies and conducting post-occupancy evaluations.

To deliver this ambitious strategy, we will foster a financially resilient organisation capable of adapting to changing circumstances. We will prioritise employee wellbeing, inclusivity, and innovation. By building strong partnerships with like-minded organisations, we will scale our impact and drive system-level change. Through QOLF Consulting, we will expand our services to deliver social impact while sustaining the organisation’s growth.

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Financial review

Review of financial position

During the year the organisation received income of £457,027 (2023: £564,061). In the same period the Expenditure totalled £450,615 (2023: £527,857) giving a net surplus of £6,412 (£36,204).

Principal funding sources

Grant funders

We’re generously supported by the National Lottery Community Fund under the Growing Great Ideas Programme, focused on supporting transformational and long-term change. During the financial year we received £194,370 from the National Lottery.

Core partners and supporters

Our core partners and supporters are a fantastic group of organisations working in the built environment. They provide funding or pro bono support to help us carry out our core activities. They also fulfil the role of industry leaders, demonstrating their commitment to improving quality of life across the country. Their funding and support comes with no strings attached, which means we can use it as we see fit to help fulfil our charitable objectives. Separately, we seek to work with them on projects to implement best practice across the industry and government.

During the financial year, we were grateful to receive £60,000 in core partner support from Earls Court Development Company and The Crown Estate.

Consulting and research and evaluation income

We’ve been working with a range of stakeholders across the built environment sector, offering services including our Resident Review post-occupancy evaluations, our Mapping service for local authorities and research and evaluation. These services allow us to work with industry stakeholders to implement best practice, gather community-generated data and insights to inform decision-making and enhance community engagement practices across the sector.

Our research services allow us to carry out specific research projects in partnership with others to build the evidence base on why and how we can improve the way homes and neighbourhoods are created and cared for in the UK. This year, we’ve received income from:

The charity has established a wholly owned trading subsidiary, QOLF Trading Limited. This became operational in December 2023. During the first half of the financial year, consultancy work was delivered via the Quality of Life Foundation. Consulting income received by the charity during the year was £73,458. From December 2023 onwards consultancy work was transitioned to QOLF Trading Limited. QOLF Trading Limited pays the charity a shared services fee for the use of its resources and gift aids all remaining profits to the charity at the financial yearend.

QOLF Trading Limited (Trading Subsidiary)

During the financial year the charity received £129,071 from its trading subsidiary, QOLF Trading Limited. This included £106,380 paid in shared service fees for the use of the charity’s resources, and £22,691 in corporate gift aid donations, representing a distribution of the subsidiary’s profits. The shared service fees relate to the provision of financial, IT and office space, and payment for the use of staff time on QOLF Trading projects provided by the charity to the subsidiary, ensuring efficient use of resources and expertise. These funds are used entirely to support the charity’s charitable activities.

Reserves policy

The Quality of Life Foundation operates a Reserves Policy which aims to retain unrestricted reserves equivalent to three months’ worth of ordinary running costs. The reserves policy is reviewed annually by the trustees to ensure it meets the demands and requirements of current charity performance. At the end of the period the amount of reserves held was £54,286 (2023:47,874), representing approximately one and a half months of ordinary running costs.

Going concern

The trustees are required to assess the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern as at the date of this report, with the period of assessment being the foreseeable future.

This assessment has taken into account the charity’s current financial position, forecasted income and expenditure, cash flow projections from March 2025 until April 2026, and the potential impact of external factors, including economic conditions and funding uncertainties.

Subsequent to the year end, the charity has faced a number of financial uncertainties due to challenging trading and economic conditions, and principally the

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forthcoming cessation of a National Lottery grant that historically provided a major source of funding for the charity.

The results of this have been:

The trustees have however identified mitigating actions to ensure financial stability. These include applying for additional grant funding and diversifying our source of funders, implementing cost-saving measures to reduce our levels of expenditure, and implementing a period of strategic planning to evaluate the best operating and funding model for the foundation going forward.

Limited. A key grant funding stream will conclude in September 2025, creating a need to secure additional funding to sustain core activities. While the charity has actively pursued new funding opportunities, the outcomes of these applications remain uncertain.

The wider economic climate also presents challenges, particularly for income generated through research and consultancy services. With uncertainty around both grant funding and due to our reliance on these revenue streams, there is an inherent risk to financial stability and future growth.

To mitigate these risks, the charity is continuously refining its operating model, balancing grant funding with other income-generating activities. Strategic efforts are focused on ensuring financial resilience while maintaining our ability to deliver impact. Our five-year strategy provides a clear framework for this work, guiding decision-making to maximise our effectiveness in creating healthier, more sustainable homes and neighbourhoods across the UK.

The charity has secured funding and contracted income until September 2025, with a significant number of applications, commercial bids and other activities ongoing which are forecast to replace the grants that will cease.

However, the trustees acknowledge that there remain material uncertainties, particularly in relation to the timing and outcome of key funding applications and ongoing economic pressures, which could impact the charity’s financial position during the period of assessment. Given the planned mitigating actions, there is reasonable assurance that the charity can continue its activities for the foreseeable future and therefore the going concern basis has been adopted.

Principal risks and uncertainties

The charity relies on a diversified income model, including grant funding, research services, and consultancy delivered through its trading subsidiary, QOLF Trading

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Structure, governance and management

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, the articles of association, and is constituted as a private limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Organisational structure

The Quality of Life Foundation is a charitable company registered as a charity with the Charity Commission (England and Wales), charity number 1198624.

The charity is constituted as a charitable company and governed by its articles of association. It has a trading subsidiary, QOLF Trading Limited, which is wholly owned by the charity.

The charity is governed by a board of trustees. The board of trustees meet every two months (normally six times per year, a minimum of four times per year). There are two sub-committees whose members are the trustees that report to the board of trustees. These consist of a Finance, Governance and Risk sub-committee and an Human Resources sub-committee. The sub-committees are governed by Terms of Reference. In addition, working groups met regularly to focus on strategy development, composed of trustees and senior staff, of which membership is voluntary and open to all trustees.

The Finance, Governance and Risk sub-committee meets monthly to review cashflow, liquidity and financial matters. During the year the sub-committee implemented regular financial reporting processes, as well as conducting discussions with the independent reviewer prior to and post their work to review the scope and results of their review.

The charity employed eight full time members of staff and a number of consultants to provide expert support on an ad hoc basis.

Recruitment, appointment and induction of new trustees

Trustees are appointed by the decision of the members at the annual general meeting and rotate by resignation of one third of their number on an annual basis, unless re-appointed. The trustees are appointed under the terms outlined in its articles of association. There is a minimum requirement of three trustees and no maximum number. If the number of trustees falls below three, the remaining trustees may only act to appoint further trustees.

All trustees are provided with:

All trustees are told of their obligation to ensure they possess adequate knowledge and skills to fulfil their duty as trustees. To support this, trustees are provided with opportunities to attend both free and paid for training, in particular relating to governance and financial responsibilities. Trustees are also required to complete, and regularly update, a Register of Interests to ensure the charity is aware of, and able to manage, any potential conflicts of interest.

Decision making

Decision making lies with the board of trustees. The trustees may delegate decision-making to subcommittees and senior staff where this is voted on and minuted at board meetings. The day-to-day delivery of the charity’s work is delegated to the Director and supported by key management. During the year, the management team included the following personnel:

Matthew Morgan , Director Anna Purdie , Head of Operations

Engagement with employees

The Foundation works closely with its employees in the design of its strategic objectives and its subsequent strategic plan to deliver these objectives.

Engagement with suppliers,

customers and others

The Foundation works with a broad array of stakeholders, from our associates network to core partners, funders, clients and research collaborators. We receive and request regular feedback, input and guidance from a range of stakeholders to strengthen our work, our strategic planning and the future direction of the Foundation. We do so to ensure that our activities and future plans are aligned with our charitable objects and that they can be refined and strengthened to ensure we continue to see impact as we deliver these.

Trustees have been recruited from a competitive, open call for trustees to achieve a wide variety of expertise and experience across the board of trustees.

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Related parties

The charity has a subsidiary company, QOLF Trading Limited (Company registration number: 13723472), which is fully owned by the charity and acts as its trading arm.

Key management remuneration

The Foundation has undertaken research and benchmarking to assess appropriate salary levels for staff. Staff are categorised into staff levels, broken down into increments, based on experience, seniority and responsibilities, for which salary bands have been identified and approved by the board of trustees. These ensure transparency and fairness in pay, and offer staff the ability to understand their opportunities for progression within the organisation.

Staff pay is reviewed annually in June, with consideration of pay increases due to performance, rises in inflation and or cost of living, and affordability to the organisation.

Risk management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.

The trustees have given consideration to the major risks to which the Foundation is exposed and satisfied themselves that systems or procedures are established in order to manage those risks.

The trustees regularly review the risks faced by the charity at trustees’ meetings and have developed an organisational risk register to formalise the procedures. This is reviewed in depth each quarter by trustees and senior staff. All risk items have an associated risk owner and for all risk items listed, mitigation strategies are identified and regularly reviewed. Risk items are ranked based on likelihood and impact, and a total risk score is calculated to identify low, medium and high risk items. High risk items are reviewed regularly to ensure that risks are mitigated or, where unavoidable, managed. The Finance, Governance and Risk sub-committee is responsible for maintaining and overseeing the risk register and reporting to the board.

Reference and Administrative Details

Registered Company number 12062786 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number 1198624

Registered office C/O Better Space 127 Farringdon Road London England EC1R 3DA

Trustees

Mr J Anstead - Chair Ms Y Aladerun - Trustee Mr J Alker - Trustee Mr M Chang - Trustee Ms C A de Ferrars Green - Trustee Ms R Fisher - Trustee Mr R Ford- Trustee Ms C Langdon-Platt - Trustee Ms J Lancaster - Trustee Mr D Roberts - Trustee Ms F Samuel - Trustee Dr K Watson - Trustee Ms D Whitfield - Trustee

*two trustees resigned during this period - Flora Samuel and Michael Chang.

Streamlined Energy and Carbon

Reporting

The charity consumed less than 40,000kWh of energy during the period and hence it is claiming exemption from reporting on this.

Report of the trustees, incorporating a strategic report, approved by order of the board of trustees, as the company directors, on 13/03/2025 and signed on the board’s behalf by:

Jonny Anstead Chair of the Board of Trustees

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Quality of Life Foundation

Independent Examiner’s Report

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Quality of Life Foundation ('the Company') I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 30 June 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a registered member of ACCA which is one of the listed bodies.

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:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or

  4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

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 accounts to be reached.

Sajjad Jaffer FCCA Harris Accountancy Services Ltd Cobalt Square, 83 Hagley Road Birmingham B16 8QG

21/03/2025 Date: .............................................

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Quality of Life Foundation

Quality of Life Foundation

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Notes
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
2
Other trading activities
3
Other income
Total
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
4
Project Expenses
Other
Total
NET INCOME
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD		 Unrestricted
funds
£
83,019
179,639
-
262,658
211,209
45,037
256,246
6,412
47,874
54,286		 Restricted
fund
£
194,369
-
-
194,369
162,914
31,455
194,369
-
-
-		 30.6.24
Total
funds
£
277,388
179,639
-
457,027
374,123
76,492
450,615
6,412
47,874
54,286		 30.6.23
Total
funds
£
269,571
293,590
900
564,061
318,233
209,624
527,857
36,204
11,670
47,874

Balance Sheet

30 June 2024

Unrestricted Restricted
funds
fund
Notes
£
£
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
10
2,488
-
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
11
67,403
-
Cash at bank
10,444
-
77,847
-
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year
12
(26,049)
-
NET CURRENT ASSETS
51,798
-
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
54,286
-
NET ASSETS
54,286
-
FUNDS
13
Unrestricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS		 30.6.24
Total
funds
£
2,488
67,403
10,444
77,847
(26,049)
51,798
54,286
54,286
54,286
54,286		 30.6.23
Total
funds
£
1,828
7,500
68,313
75,813
(29,767)
46,046
47,874
47,874
47,874
47,874

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 30 June 2024.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

Page 19

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The notes form part of these financial statements

The notes form part of these financial statements

continued...

30

31

Quality of Life Foundation

Balance Sheet - continued 30 June 2024

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on

............................................. and were signed on its behalf by:

............................................. J Anstead - Trustee

Quality of Life Foundation

Cash Flow Statement for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Notes
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations
1
Interest paid
Tax paid
Net cash (used in)/provided by operating
activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Net cash used in investing activities
Change in cash and cash
equivalents in the reporting
period
Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginning of the reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at the
end of the reporting period		 30.6.24
£
(56,079)
-
-
(56,079)
(1,790)
(1,790)
(57,869)
68,313
10,444		 30.6.23
£
28,259
(5)
(945)
27,309
(1,853)
(1,853)
25,456
42,857
68,313

Page 21

The notes form part of these financial statements

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 22

32

33

Quality of Life Foundation

Quality of Life Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Notes to the Cash Flow Statement for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

1. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Net income for the reporting period (as per the Statement
of Financial Activities)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Interest paid
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Decrease in creditors
Net cash (used in)/provided by operations		 30.6.24
£
6,412
1,130
-
(59,903)
(3,718)
(56,079)		 30.6.23
£
36,204
683
5
21,146
(29,779)
28,259

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

2. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

Donations

At 1.7.23 Cash flow At 30.6.24
£ £ £
Net cash
Cash at bank 68,313 (57,869) 10,444
68,313 (57,869) 10,444
Total 68,313 (57,869) 10,444

Donations are recognised when the charity has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance by the charity before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity, and it is probable that these conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

Grants receivable

Grants are recognised when the charity has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grants have been met. Where performance conditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be met, the income is recognised as a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferred income to be released.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, 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 accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Computer equipment - 25% on cost

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Page 23

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The notes form part of these financial statements

continued... 35

34

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Quality of Life Foundation

Quality of Life Foundation

for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

Donations
Gift aid
Core Partners
National Lottery Grant		 30.6.24
£
327
22,691
60,000
194,370
277,388		 30.6.23
£
2,000
-
60,000
207,571
269,571

3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

Consulting Services
Shared Services Fees		 30.6.24
£
73,459
106,180
179,639		 30.6.23
£
293,590
-
293,590

4. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Project Expenses
SUPPORT COSTS
Other resources expended
Other resources expended
Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:
Bank charges
Interest payable and similar charges
Website
IT Support and Consumables
Software Subscriptions
HR Fees & Software
Recruitment
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
Accountancy fees
Legal fees		 Information
Finance
technology
£
£
191
8,686
Governance
Other
costs
£
£
1,130
8,378
30.6.24
Other
resources
expended
£
191
-
2,007
-
6,679
350
575
1,130
7,097
1,281
19,310		 Direct
Costs
£
374,123
Human
resources
£
925
Totals
£
19,310
30.6.23
Total
activities
£
2
5
10,992
1,782
3,930
1,746
1,465
683
7,226
8,722
36,553

5. SUPPORT COSTS

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36

Quality of Life Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Quality of Life Foundation

6. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

30.6.24
30.6.23
£ £
Depreciation - owned assets 1,130 683

7. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 30 June 2024 nor for the year ended 30 June 2023.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 30 June 2024 nor for the year ended 30 June 2023.

8. STAFF COSTS

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs		 30.6.24
£
328,875
30,694
11,120
370,689		 30.6.23
£
233,107
17,904
7,229
258,240

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

9. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted
funds
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
62,000
Other trading activities
293,590
Other income
900
Total
356,490
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
Project Expenses
170,662
Other
149,624
Total
320,286
NET INCOME
36,204
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
11,670
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED
FORWARD
47,874		 Restricted
fund
£
207,571
-
-
207,571
147,571
60,000
207,571
-
-
-		 Total
funds
£
269,571
293,590
900
564,061
318,233
209,624
527,857
36,204
11,670
47,874

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:

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continued...

38

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Quality of Life Foundation

10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

COST
At 1 July 2023
Additions
At 30 June 2024
DEPRECIATION
At 1 July 2023
Charge for year
At 30 June 2024
NET BOOK VALUE
At 30 June 2024
At 30 June 2023
DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Trade debtors
Amounts owed by group undertakings
Prepayments		 Computer
equipment
£
2,730
1,790
4,520
902
1,130
2,032
2,488
1,828
30.6.24
30.6.23
£
£
43,933
7,500
22,326
-
1,144
-
67,403
7,500

11. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Trade creditors
VAT
Other creditors
Accrued expenses		 30.6.24
£
10,950
6,733
7,036
1,330
26,049		 30.6.23
£
11,640
16,405
1,722
-
29,767

Quality of Life Foundation

13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

At 1.7.23
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
47,874
TOTAL FUNDS
47,874
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
262,658
Restricted funds
National Lottery
194,369
TOTAL FUNDS
457,027
Comparatives for movement in funds
At 1.7.22
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
11,670
TOTAL FUNDS
11,670		 Net
movement
in funds
£
6,412
6,412
Resources
expended
£
(256,246)
(194,369)
(450,615)
Net
movement
in funds
£
36,204
36,204		 At
30.6.24
£
54,286
54,286
Movement
in funds
£
6,412
-
6,412
At
30.6.23
£
47,874
47,874

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40

Quality of Life Foundation

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Quality of Life Foundation

13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted funds
General fund
Restricted funds
National Lottery
TOTAL FUNDS		 Incoming
resources
£
356,490
207,571
564,061		 Resources
expended
£
(320,286)
(207,571)
(527,857)		 Movement
in funds
£
36,204
-
36,204

14. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

During the year, the charity received £106,180 in Shared services fees and £22,691 as gift aid donation from its trading subsidiary QOLF Trading Ltd (Co No: 13723472).

Shared services fees relate to the reimbursement of costs of the shared services such as staff costs and other overheads.

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:

Unrestricted funds
General fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 Net
movement
At 1.7.22
in funds
£
£
11,670
42,616
11,670
42,616		 At
30.6.24
£
54,286
54,286

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming
resources
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
619,148
Restricted funds
National Lottery
401,940
TOTAL FUNDS
1,021,088		 Resources
expended
£
(576,532)
(401,940)
(978,472)		 Movement
in funds
£
42,616
-
42,616

Page 31 continued...

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42

43

Quality of Life Foundation

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
Donations
Gift aid
Core Partners
National Lottery Grant
Other trading activities
Consulting Services
Shared Services Fees
Other income
Other Income
Total incoming resources
EXPENDITURE
Charitable activities
Wages
Social security
Pensions
Advertising & Marketing
Direct Consulting fees
Direct Expenses
Printing, Design & Translation
Travel & Subsistence
Fundraising
Other
Rent
Research & Framework
Insurance
Telephone
Postage & Stationery
Subscriptions
Carried forward		 30.6.24
£
327
22,691
60,000
194,370
277,388
73,459
106,180
179,639
-
457,027
328,875
30,694
11,120
103
200
454
1,144
1,533
-
374,123
8,101
1,600
603
212
400
388
11,304		 30.6.23
£
2,000
-
60,000
207,571
269,571
293,590
-
293,590
900
564,061
233,107
17,904
7,229
2,193
40,183
959
13,090
3,318
250
318,233
27,964
8,031
1,298
188
132
652
38,265

Quality of Life Foundation

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 30 June 2024

Other
Brought forward
Travel - National
Staff Training
Travel - International
Subsistence
Consultancy fees
Business Development
Board Expenses
Sundries
Support costs
Finance
Bank charges
Bank interest
Information technology
Website
IT Support and Consumables
Software Subscriptions
Human resources
HR Fees & Software
Recruitment
Other
Computer equipment
Governance costs
Accountancy fees
Legal fees
Total resources expended
Net income		 30.6.24
£
11,304
886
2,206
-
373
40,067
-
260
2,086
57,182
191
-
191
2,007
-
6,679
8,686
350
575
925
1,130
7,097
1,281
8,378
450,615
6,412		 30.6.23
£
38,265
557
2,775
115
378
118,524
10,254
816
1,387
173,071
2
5
7
10,992
1,782
3,930
16,704
1,746
1,465
3,211
683
7,226
8,722
15,948
527,857
36,204

Page 34

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

Page 33

44

45