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2025-09-01-accounts

Trustee Annual

Report 24/25

Registered Charity 1290030 Financial Year: 1[st] September 2024- 31[st] August 2025 Draft 1/2/2026

Approved 30/3/2026

1

Contents Page

Contents Objectives and Achievements Statement of Financial activities Financial Statement Projected budget Risk Management Plans for the future Statement of Trustees

Trustee Report

Objectives and achievements

Structure: Charitable Incorporated Organisation es: Summary of the main activiti

Mission:

“ Proms should be for all everyone should go to ” the ball

— Madrina UK

To make prom events inclusive of all, that no matter what barrier a student faces in getting a prom outfit.

Charitable purpose:

To relieve the needs of young people who are in financial poverty, suffer with mental health, physically disabilities, are in care or those with refugee status by the provision of items of clothing to wear for a school prom who would otherwise be excluded from attending their prom or end of school celebration.

Need for the service:

Currently many parents in the West Midlands are struggling with the financial pressure of buying a prom outfit for their child, with 46% of children in the West Midlands living in poverty the stress and anxiety to spend hundreds of pounds on an outfit can cause understandable stress and anxiety for many parents and children. Thee Resolution Foundation’s figures state that almost half of children in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Walsall were living in poverty in 2022-2023. Action for children reported 48.3% of children in Birmingham are living in poverty.

Impact Report

Madrina UK has continued to work with schools, other non-profits and charities to identify young people who face barriers to attend their school prom. Using the following eligibility criteria, pupils who are;

Achievements against objectives set

Our objective for this year was to maintain the amount of schools which we supported by as our Chair of Trustees working an extra two days a month, so there would be a reduction on the amount of time available to visit schools. Despite this we succeed by increasing our support by 26% - predominately through our Road shows this years where multiple schools came to visit one location.

This year there has been an increase of how many schools we have worked in. In addition we a have supported pupils across a wider variety of areas

Schools supported

60

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50
40
30
20
10
0
2022 2023 2024 2025
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We had previously supported schools within Birmingham however 2024/25 we have supported schools within Coventry thanks to the Alan Higgs Grant.

Obstacles

We faced a problem in June 2024 with Meta disabling our Facebook and Instagram accounts, this was a big challenge for us at this was the main way of communication and networking. It also provided an archive of all our activities since establishing in 2022. It took three months to resolve and many hours talking with multiple agents. The positives of this frustration led us to working with Charity Up in the creation of our website so that we had another digital presence beyond our social media accounts.

Roadshows - Alan Higgs grant

A variety of pupils from a variety of schools across Nuneaton, Bedworth and Coventry attended our Pop– Up which we hosted on 28/4/25 at Life Church Bedworth.

The aim of the projects was instead of visiting 5 schools in the area to invite more schools in the local area to come at a one off event. This meant that more beneficiaries could be reached. Holding one event had a bigger impact because there was a wider of reach of pupils.

There way a variety of pupils who were supported, most of which were struggling with financial difficulties.

100% were girls we supported 197 pupils.

“ The pop-up prom dress event hosted by Madrina at LifeChurch Bedworth

proved to be an incredibly uplifting and memorable experience for all who attended. Guests were welcomed into a beautifully arranged venue that felt just like a boutique shopping experience, complete with a stunning selection of brand-new dresses in a wide range of colours and styles. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy as the girls browsed through the racks and tried on dresses, many for the first time. It was truly heartwarming to witness their confidence blossom with each outfit they tried on - smiles grew wider, shoulders stood talle, and the room buzzed with a sense of celebration and self-worth. Most impressively, the event had a 100% success rate, with every guest leaving with a complete outfit they loved. The event not only provided dresses, but also a priceless boost in self-esteem and a lasting sense of

” empowerment. - Anna Event Coordinator at Life Church

Overall Impact

Our objective was to increase the amount of pupils we supported by 10%, factoring in the unavailability of the Chair of trustees to run the pop-ups. With this in mind we did see ahn

increase in impact. The increase of our services rose by 90% this is predominately from recommendation and more people hearing about or services.

In addition to this the amount of pupils we have supported significantly increased.

Number or puils supported

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600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2022 2023 2024 2025
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Based on the schools evaluation forms this is the diverse range of pupils who have been supported. The statistics below are based purely on those who who have been supported in Birmingham and do not take into account those supported in Oxfordshire.

Eligibility Criteria

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Neurodivergent
14.6%
Pupil premium
27.8%
SEMH
5.8%
Refugee
2.9%
Looked after Child
21.1%
Financially Vulnerable
27.8%
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Madrina Oxfordshire

From September 2024 - September 25 Madrina Oxfordshire has supported 141 students from 20 different schools and colleges.

Individuals have also been able to self-refer and make appointments at our ‘shop’ in central Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

We have continued to occupy a storage space which is a large empty shop in the precinct. We have had the place inspected to comply with Health and Safety rules which we now implement in order for students to come to us. The obvious advantage of doing this is that it isn’t such hard work loading and unloading very heavy dresses and suits for a pop up event but also students have a larger range of choice. We are using this space free of charge with just occasional costs eg fire extinguishers, cleaning products. We are fully insured and DBS checked. We have been supported this year by Infinium UK, BH&O LLP family lawyers Abingdon and WebExpenses Witney. They have provided volunteers, financial donations, social media advice and also been drop off locations for the clothes.

Madrina Abington had 750 dresses donated from Portia and Scarlett.

They have also collaberated with young peoples mental health workshops who create the window displays at the Abington shop.

There ahs also been support from two Duke of Edinburgh students fom local schools.

We have worked closely with links with Solihull Children’s services who promote our service with some of their families. We have also had referrals from social workers and have supported pupils who live in emergency accommodation.

“ The opportunity to get a dress for the prom from my daughter was a relieved my stress massively, proms are so expensive and I was worried that my daughter would feel inadequate compared to the other girls in her class, but I just do not have the £100s to spend. Having the chance to browse and choose such great quality outfits means that my daughter can stride into the prom feeling confident”. Parent at the pop-

up

'E%wone should gotothe baLi'. tharlty's mlssbonto helpCthYitry, Nuneaton and Bedworth teens .'4 i /h"_

Retail Donations & Sustainability

We have continued to receive donations from a range of retail suppliers and manufacturers who send us their surplus and sample stock. We have received donations from:

This has massively helped beneficiaries have a huge range to select from in terms of colours, styles and sizes.

It also contributes to stopping outfits going to landfill, it encourages sustainability by reusing and re-wearing clothes.

Financial Summary

This financial year our income came from GoFundme, PayPal Giving, Easyfundraising alongside Madrina Oxfordshire also sold spare stock on vinted. We also had a variety of grants.

This year our operational costs were low the main spending was on objects like clothes rails and pop up changing tents, however as the charity now has a physical base, and the demand of our service is growing we will need more funds to fulfil the needs of the young people, and so we will be applying for grants to help with the operational costs and project grants to be able to go further. We also purchased a Van this year to support with our projects in Birmingham.

INCOME and EXPENDITURE

Below is the balance sheet, we received £2,358 in grant donations from:

Grants- £2,358

Dress sales: £95.00

Fundraising: £739.20

Donations: £1000

INCOME: £4192.20

EXPENDITURE: £3258

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Donations
23.9%
Grants
56.2%
Fundraising
17.6%
Dress Sales
2.3%
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We are still overly reliant on grants, and are planning to utilise the sell of excess stock so that we can create more self-suffient income.

We also used SOLDO to help with spending and keeping a record of expenses, this provided use with PRE-PAID business cards, however after evaluation it was too costly for us to use. We are now exploring an other alternative as our UNITY Trust bank does not provide us with a bank card. We have subscribed to Expenses plus as a way of keeping on-track of income and expenses.

We also operate with 100% volunteers which means that our core costs are also low, without a full-time member of staff this does provide its challenges when it comes to service, and to increase the impact, in the future this may change.

Financial Statement

We spend more that we had projected on the travel costs, mainly because we we had not factored in the costs occurred from the MOT, However we did slightly more in terms of income.

Madrina 24-2025 artirgbolarKL £L887 11 £232 START BALANCE END BALANCE £1,887 £2.120 Expenses Incorne p￿u81 Q960 tual £3,192

Projected Budget

Our projected budget has taken into account the growth in the demand for our services. In the admin section that includes subscriptions and insurances such as Public Liability, Goods and services and fire and theft, along with the Thirtyone:eight subscription. We have the additional cost of our van this year, and the possibility of moving premises. Our aim this year is to increase the amount of money we genereate through fundraising, especially since we may need to move venues.

Risk Management

Madrina UK recognises that in relation to ‘Risk Assessment’, risk is defined as ‘the threat of any action or event which will adversely affect an organisation’s ability to achieve its objectives and execute its strategies’. It also accepts that the term ‘risk’ can include any circumstances that may, or do, have an adverse effect, and is wider than financial matters. ‘Risks’ relate not only to the negative consequences of a threat, but also to the impact of not taking advantage of opportunities.

There is a Safeguarding Policy in place in respect of children. Checks have been and are made with the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly the CRB) in respect of persons dealing regularly with young people. Madrina has membership with Thirtyone:eight and all volunteers who have direct contact with children have received safeguarding training. However due to the safeguarding policies within schools, volunteers are not left unsupervised with children. The Chair of Trustees Stefanie Lakin is the appointed safeguarding officer and has completed Safer recruitment training in addition to Safe Guarding training. We also have volunteer packs which have expectations and codes of conduct within them, application forms and the request of two referees. Whilst it is impossible to eliminate all risks and their consequences, efforts are constantly made to minimize such occurrences. The safeguarding policy is reviewed and revised annually and was approved in April 2024 by the Trustees.

Trustees have also received training and read the publications from Charity Commission on the ‘Essential Trustee’.

Reserves Policy

Why We Hold Money in Reserve

As a small charity, we maintain financial reserves to ensure the stability and sustainability of our organisation. These reserves act as a safeguard against unexpected expenses, fluctuations in income, or unforeseen emergencies. Holding funds in reserve allows us to continue delivering vital services without interruption, even during times of financial uncertainty. It also supports long-term planning, responsible stewardship of donor

contributions, and our ability to respond quickly to opportunities or challenges aligned with our mission. Our reserves are 10% of our annual unrestricted income.

Future Plans

Volunteers

At the moment we currently have 6 regular volunteers who support our events

We would like to expand the amount of volunteers to run Pop-up Events at different schools. The vision is that multiple pop-ups could happen rather than currently being restricted to one a week. Again that would require further funding so that we have more equipment such as more portable changing tents and clothing rails.

We would also continue to offer volunteer opportunities for young people, to help with all aspects of the charity, particularly selling some of our surplus stock and to lead on our social media and marketing.

Digital Presence

Thanks to funding we now have a website so that there is a more professional shop front, www.madrinauk.org

We are looking for volunteers who can regularly create content for our social media platforms. This has been an ongoing plan for us as we would like to create an online catalogue so that schools and pupils could pre-select dresses/suits which they would like to try on.

Expansion to another area

This year Madrina operated in Birmingham and Oxfordshire, it is clear that there is a national problem that some students are facing barriers in getting an outfit for their prom/end of year celebration. We would like to extend Madrina to another region in the UK next year, which the Heart of England fund will help to support as it is a restricted fund with the objective of reaching pupils in the Coventry area.

Boutique style location

Whilst the Irish Centre is a great temporary solution to our storage and ability to make appointments with beneficiaries it is not perfect. The space does provide free parking, however it is the top of a set of stairs with no lift, it is in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone which

can be an added expense for some families. It also has shared facilities with other members of the centre so it is not exclusively ours. It also doesn’t provide the ‘boutique’ experience which we want our beneficiaries to experience. We also would like to raise funds to support ent. We the operational costs so that we are less grant reliable and more financially self suff would like to see and hire our spare stock so that we can provide a sustainable solution to occassion wear.

Our plan would be to move into our own space where we can replicate a boutique experience for our benefirciaries. Along with the opportunity to recruit more volunteers and sell stock.

Funding and Uncertainties

We have secured grants and funding to make our projects happen this year, we are aware that with the change in government, the cut of services within Birmingham and the many charities applying for grants. If there is a lack of funding this will impact the delivery of our services.

Statement of Trustee Responsibilities

Madrina UK Board of Trustees is responsible for preparing the Annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom generally accepted accounting practice. Charity law requires the trustees to prepare a statement of financial activities and statement of assets and liabilities for each financial year, which gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of its financial activities for that year and adequately distinguishes any material special trust.

In preparing those financial statements the Madrina UK Board of Trustees is required to:

• state whether the policies adopted are in accordance with the appropriate SORP on Accounting by Charities and the Accounting Regulations and with applicable accounting standards, subject to the material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to detect fraud or other irregularities and to provide reasonable assurances that:

• its assets are safeguarded against unauthorized use or disposition;

Trustees

Stefanie Lakin Chair of Trustees, Head of operations, Safeguarding Lead

Donna Hopley, Treasurer

Philippa John, Volunteer and Marketing