VETERANS Annual Report
Contents
| Trustees’ Report | 3 |
|---|---|
| Financial Charts and Analysis | 6 |
| Independent Examination | 8 |
| Receipt and Payment Account | 9 |
| Balance Sheet | 10 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 11 |
Page 2 | The Veterans Association
Trustee Report
The Trustees of the Veterans Association are pleased to present their annual report for the year ended 31 July 2025. This year represented another significant period of growth, fundraising expansion, and organisational establishment for the charity, with expanded services, increased national outreach, and continued investment into supporting veterans and their families.
Annual Report 2024-25 | Page 3
Achievements and Impact
During the year, the charity continued to build upon the strong foundations established in previous years. One of the most significant achievements was the successful opening of the Veterans Association Sensory Garden, which was officially launched alongside local businesses, councillors, supporters, and community partners. The sensory garden has already become a valuable wellbeing space for veterans and their families.
The charity also successfully launched emergency food and housing grants locally, providing urgent support to veterans and vulnerable individuals facing crisis situations.
Due to the success of these initiatives, plans are now underway to expand these services nationally.
Counselling services continued to grow significantly throughout the year. What began as a local service is now being delivered nationally, supporting veterans outside of Kent and laying the groundwork for the charity’s ambition to continue nationalising its support services towards the end of 2025 moving into 2026.
The charity continued to provide food support, housing advice, benefits guidance, crisis support, employment and CV assistance, mental health referrals, and wellbeing support.
Weekly coffee mornings also continued to grow, with veterans attending the HUB daily. As a result, the coffee shop now plans to expand its food offering throughout the week.
The Veterans Association also strengthened relationships with local charities, doctors surgeries, fire services, police departments, and community organisations. The charity is now actively exploring new projects including hearing aid support for veterans suffering hearing loss, emergency fall buttons for elderly veterans, support for veterans leaving prison, and accessible sports opportunities for disabled veterans.
Hundreds of veterans and family members were supported throughout the year through direct support services, outreach initiatives, and volunteerled community projects.
Staffing, Volunteers and Organisational Growth
The charity experienced substantial organisational growth during the year, increasing from two to five staff members while continuing to benefit from the dedication of over 50 volunteers and contractors. This growth reflects the increasing demand for services and the charity’s transition into a larger and more established organisation, whilst maintaining the strong volunteer-led ethos that remains central to its identity.
Additional staffing has enabled the charity to expand its support services nationally, strengthen operational capacity, and continue delivering meaningful support to veterans and their families.
Fundraising and Financial Growth
Fundraising performance remained exceptionally strong throughout the year, with total income increasing to £986,289 compared to £920,113 in the previous year. Face-to-face fundraising continued to be the charity’s most successful fundraising method, with Transport for London, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose playing a vital role in supporting fundraising campaigns both locally and nationally.
Page 4 | The Veterans Association
The charity also expanded geographically during the year, fundraising and delivering services across numerous counties as preparations continue for continued national expansion towards the end of 2025 moving into 2026. Online fundraising and regular giving initiatives also continued to develop.
Importantly, the Trustees recognise that the charity is currently in a major growth and establishment phase. Significant investment has therefore been made into fundraising, infrastructure, staffing, outreach capability, systems, governance, and operational development to support long-term sustainability and national growth.
The Trustees fully expect the percentage of expenditure allocated directly towards charitable support and frontline service delivery to increase significantly further once the organisation becomes fully established nationally.
Challenges and Risks
As the charity has continued to grow, a number of operational and financial challenges have also emerged. Demand for support services increased significantly during the year, particularly in relation to crisis support, housing support, and mental health services.
The charity also experienced rising operational and infrastructure costs as services expanded nationally and staffing levels increased. The Trustees additionally recognise the risks associated with relying heavily on one-off donations and continue to prioritise long-term sustainability and financial resilience.
Securing grant funding also remains increasingly competitive, reinforcing the importance of continued fundraising growth and diversification of income sources.
Future Plans and Strategic Development
Looking ahead, the Veterans Association plans to continue expanding nationally and aims to continue nationalising its support services towards the end of 2025 moving into 2026. The charity will continue rolling out emergency grants nationally and further develop relationships with HUBs and community organisations in other areas.
Future plans also include expanding veteran outreach teams, growing family support services, developing wellbeing programmes, and introducing community transport support, including plans to provide a minibus to assist less able veterans in attending support groups and activities.
The charity will also continue exploring new initiatives such as hearing aid support, emergency fall alarm services, and support programmes for veterans leaving prison and disabled veterans entering accessible sports.
Public Benefit
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty under Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
The Veterans Association provides free support services to veterans and their families regardless of branch, background, or service history. The charity exists to improve wellbeing, reduce isolation, provide crisis support, and strengthen community connections for those who have served and their families.
Support provided throughout the year included counselling, emergency grants, food support, housing and benefits advice, mental health referrals, wellbeing activities, outreach services, and social support initiatives.
Annual Report 2024-25 | Page 5
Financial Charts and Analysis
INCOME GROWTH COMPARISON (2023-2025)
2025 INCOME BREAKDOWN
2025 EXPENDITURE BREAKDOWN
RESERVE GROWTH
Page 6 | The Veterans Association
Financial Review
The financial results for the year ended 31 July 2025 reflect the continued growth and strategic scaling of the charity as it expands from a regional organisation into a nationally operating veterans support charity. Total income increased to £986,289 compared to £920,113 in 2024, demonstrating continued public support and successful fundraising expansion.
During the year, the charity continued investing heavily into frontline services, national outreach capability, staffing, operational infrastructure, advertising, IT systems, partnership development, safeguarding, governance, and fundraising expansion. This investment has enabled the Veterans Association to significantly increase support delivery while preparing the organisation for wider national expansion towards the end of 2025 moving into 2026.
Operational expenditure increased during the year as the charity strengthened internal systems, increased staffing levels, expanded outreach, and improved service delivery capacity. Many of these costs directly support frontline charitable activities and form part of the charity’s long-term sustainability and growth strategy.
The charity ended the year with a surplus of £26,520 and total reserves of £90,359, strengthening financial resilience and placing the organisation in a stronger position to continue expanding support services nationally.
Trustees Report 2024-25 | Page 7
Independent Examiner’s Report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 July 2025.
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act, or
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
WCK Accountancy
17 Edison Road
Eastbourne BN23 6PT
8th May 2026
Page 8 | The Veterans Association
VETERANS ASSOCIATION
Receipt & Payment Account
for the year from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025
| Receipts Direct costs Gross excess of receipts over payments Administrative expenses Excess of payments over receipts |
2025 £ 2024 £ 986,289 920,113 (697,023) (740,376) |
|---|---|
| 289,266 174,598 (262,746) (133,224) |
|
| 26,520 46,513 |
Annual Report 2024-25 | Page 9
VETERANS ASSOCIATION
Balance Sheet as at
31 July 2025
| Assets Fixed Assets Current Assets Capital, Reserves and Liabilities Excess of receipts over payments Creditors amounts falling due within one year Creditors amounts falling due after one year |
2025 £ 2024 £ - - 90,359 63,839 |
|---|---|
| 90,359 63,839 |
|
| 90,359 63,839 - - - - |
|
| 90,359 63,839 |
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees’ on 3rd September 2025 , and are signed on its behalf by:
Jonathan Miles Trustee
Page 10 | The Veterans Association
VETERANS ASSOCIATION
Notes to the Accounts
Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008).
Turnover
Turnover represents the value, net of value added tax and discounts, of goods provided to customers and work carried out in respect of services provided to customers.
Foreign currencies
Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. All differences are taken to the profit and loss account.
Leasing and hire purchase commitments
Assets held under finance leases and hire purchase contracts, which are those where substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset have passed to the company, are capitalised in the balance sheet and depreciated over their useful lives. The corresponding lease or hire purchase obligation is treated in the balance sheet as a liability.
The interest element of the rental obligations is charged to the profit and loss account over the period of the lease and represents a constant proportion of the balance of capital repayments outstanding.
Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to income on a straight line basis over the lease term.
Pensions
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged to the profit and loss account as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.
Annual Report 2024-25 | Page 11
VETERANS ASSOCIATION
Detailed Receipts and Payments Account for the year from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025
| Turnover Café and Shop Cash Donations Face to Face Donations Legacies and Donations Online Donations Grant Income Direct Costs Fundraising and Marketing Charitable and Support Services Administrative expenses Office Salaries Rent and Rates Printing and Stationery Travel and Subsistence Repairs and Maintenance IT Software and Consumables Accountancy and Professional Advertising and Marketing Bank Charges Running Costs Legal Fees Excess of receipts over payments Excess / (Deficit) |
2025 2024 £ £ 1,836 6,134 167,809 196,902 761,121 677,226 41,458 18,590 9,529 11,261 4,536 10,000 |
|---|---|
| 986,289 920,113 340,966 345,176 356,057 395,200 |
|
| 697,023 740,376 100,830 29,498 30,340 26,856 10,093 8,939 21,174 20,531 7,028 5,479 10,650 2,063 11,270 2,460 32,842 2,989 2,118 1,102 35,507 29,031 894 4,276 |
|
| 262,746 133,224 |
|
| 26,520 46,513 |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
Page 12 | The Veterans Association
The charity’s ambition is to continue
nationalising its support services
Annual Report 2024-25 | Page 13
www.theveteransassociation.org
Veterans Association: 0800 3 101044
Registered Charity No. 1199584