## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From March 2024 Period start date To April 2025 Period end date** ## **Charity name: Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service** ## **Charity registration number: 20260213** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**CSASS ceased operating January 31st**
**2025 and formally closed March 31st 2025.**
**Prior to closures its objectives were:**
**_“To preserve and protect the health and_**
**_well-being, and relieve the distress and_**
**_trauma, of anyone aged 18 years or over;_**
**_who has experienced, or who is_**
**_experiencing, any form of sexual abuse_**
**_or sexual violence, through the provision_**
**_of support, information and counselling,_**
**_maintaining women-only services and_**
**_space as a core offer.”_**
**• To raise money, employ staff, manage**
**volunteers and assets in order to fulfil**
**our objective**
**• To produce materials, conductor**
**research and arrange events in order to**
**fulfil our objectives.**
**• To work in partnership with statutory**
**and Voluntary Sector Organisations.**
**• To support and facilitate the**
**development of the rape crisis**
**movement.**
**• We will promote equal opportunities,**
**and not be party political or sectarian.**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**Prior to its closure, CSASS’ stated**
**activities were as follows:**
**CSASS transforms the lives of adult**
**survivors of sexual violence and abuse**
**who have been assaulted at any time in**
**their lives, through free specialist**
**counselling, telephone supportline, and**
**groupwork. In partnership with others,**
**we reach survivors within under-**
**represented communities, developing**| **new ways of working. Our campaigns raise awareness and challenge the attitudes and behaviour that lead to sexual violence. Free unlimited confidential counselling is our core offer, and it is available for survivors and those affected by the impacts of rape and sexual abuse. Counsellors receive regular specialist training and clinical supervision, and are all BACP registered. The 121 Support Service and Emotional Support Calls offer a confidential listening service, with emotional support, information and signposting as needed, either to further support, or other specialist organisations. The CSASS team receive regular training, support and development opportunities. CSASS staff and volunteers also run groupwork, campaigns and outreach activities to empower and support survivors, raise awareness and challenge the behaviours and attitudes that lead to sexual violence. Outreach work includes training, work in partnership, development of new ways of working and promoting services. Our awareness raising and prevention work encompasses public stalls and distribution of posters, cards and stickers, use of online networks and social media, and targeted campaigns, aiming to reach survivors across all sections of our local community. As well as our membership of RCEW and BACP, CSASS is part of the third sector community in Cheshire, attends local business club events and participates in multi-agency work.** Statement confirming Para 1.18 **The trustees give due regard to the** whether the trustees have **guidance issued by the charity** had regard to the guidance **commission on public benefit.** issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|On 24th September 2024, the Board of Trustees
support a proposal to undertake the closure of
CSASS. In keeping with the 7 decision-making
principles,the rationale for closure was as
follows:
In April, following the resignation of the long-
standing Centre Manager and the appointment
of a new Centre Manager, the Charity assessed
its mission, remit, and practice, and the
question of merger or closure was raised.
The Board concluded that there were
substantial duplications of CSASS’ aims,
objectives, and mission in Chester with two
larger organisations (Tomorrow’s Women, and
Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RSASC)
working with survivors and providing similar
care, support, and services: counselling, support
groups, ISVAs, drop-ins, with a physical presence
in the city. In addition, given the uncertain
financial landscape, this overlap potentially
limited the capacity for these local organisations
to secure the necessary funds to continue,
operationally, and could put their service at risk.
While the possibility of a merger was informally
discussed with RSASC, they declined because of
CSASS’ premises and because they were not able
or willing to absorb CSASS staff. They were
willing to work with CSASS to support any
clients, should CSASS close.
In the same period, three core members of staff
resigned, which posed a substantial risk to the
organisation in the short to medium term.| The Board also noted that CSASS had not been reaching new services uses in some aspects of its work. This is likely to be because potential clients were being referred to other organisations, rather than CSASS. In short, the Board suggested that more could be achieved in addressing the causes and effects of sexual violence, and in supporting the needs of survivors by closing and transferring assets to another organisation. Between this announcement suggesting the closure in September 2024 until January 2025 the CSASS board undertook the following steps to close the charity responsibly and to follow due process in line with their duties as charity trustees of an incorporated charity: - formal consultation and subsequent redundancy process; - reconciled awards with funders; - secured additional funding to cover the shortfall anticipated by closure costs (redundancy, data retention costs, ongoing staff costs required to oversee the closure, reconciliation of remaining debts and accounts); - liaised with two local organisations to arrange the transfer of clients to protect the charity’s beneficiaries, thereby advancing the charity’s objectives right to the end i.e.“to preserve and protect the health and well-being and relieve the distress and trauma of anyone who has experienced or who is experiencing any form of sexual abuse or sexual violence.” In addition, counsellors and volunteers worked with clients to support them and prepare and deliver transition plans for individual clients and outreach groups. This was a key part of the planning and work undertaken to ensure the minimum distress and disruption to our service users and staff. On 15 October 2024, the Board of Trustees appointed Dr Nicky Shaw of Birchtree Associates, a consultant and specialist in the closure of charities and third sector organisations, to oversee the consultation process and the closure. An insolvency practitioner was not appointed because the decision to close was made at a juncture when there was not enough funds to sustain and secure the charity beyond February 2025, but sufficient funds to ensure |staff would receive severance pay, to cover the| |---| |closures
costs,
to
meet
the
costs
for| |client transfer and data retention, and to fulfil| |obligations to funders.| |The charity officially ceased providing services on| |31 January 2025. On 31stMarch 2025, in line with| |Charity Commission guidance (How to close a| |charity
-
GOV.UK),
CSASS
applied
to
the| |Commission to remove CSASS from the register| |of charities. The Commission confirmed receipt| |of required documents to initiate the dissolution| |of the CIO and gave the provisional date of| |removal as 30th June 2025.| |On 23rd April 2025, CSASS’ Bank accounts were| |closed.| |The CIO received notification of a Employment| |Tribunal
(6012492/2025) claim on Friday 6th| |June 2025 via email to the Chair’s personal| |address from Thompsons LLP Solicitors with the| |Notice and Hearing Bundle.| |Following a request from Thompsons Solicitors,| |the Charity Commission informed CSASS on 9th| |July 2025 that the application to dissolve the CIO| |had been suspended.| |On the 25th November 2025, CSASS was| |notified that the Employment Tribunal found| |in favour of the claimant.| |At the time of writing (22nd February 2026)| |the claimant’s solicitors (Bruce Henry,| |Thompsons Solicitors ) are seeking financial| |reimbursement from the Redundancy| |Payment Services. CSASS have continued| |to cooperate in all aspects of this process.| |The delay to submitting the Annual Return is| |because on 18th February 2025, in a| |telephone call between Molly from the| |Charity Commission and Nicky Shaw| |(Birchtree Associates, the consultant the| |charity hired to oversee the| |charity's closure) CSASS was given the| |following advice: To close, we have to| |update| |returns information. Given that we submitted| |the latest set of returns| |in January 2025, that the next submission is| |not due until January| |2026, and that we have closed prior to| |January, 2026, we do not have| |to submit any further annual accounting or| |returns data for the FY| 2024/25 in January, 2026. Due to the unexpected delays to the removal of the CIO from the Register and after correspondence with Irma Narváez, a Charity Commission’s Case Officer, we were informed on February 13[th] 2026 that the TARA was required. We have endeavoured to complete this in good faith and as promptly as possible, given that there are no longer any employed staff nor resources to undertake this work. ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Achievements against Para 1.41 objectives set Performance of fundraising activities against objectives Para 1.41 set Investment performance Para 1.41 against objectives Other ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**See above.**
**The CSASS closed its financial accounts**
**on March 31st 2025 with no assets.**| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**See above regarding pending**
**confirmation of removal from the registry.**| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |||| |---|---|---| |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Constitution**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO (Since September 2023)**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**By Application and Appointment.**
**_…(1)Apart from the first charity trustees,_**
**_every trustee must be appointed for a_**
**_term of three years by a resolution_**
**_passed at a properly convened meeting_**
**_of the charity trustees._**
**_(2) In selecting individuals for_**
**_appointment as charity trustees, the_**
**_charity trustees must have regard to the_**
**_skills, knowledge and experience needed_**
**_for the effective administration of the_**
**_CIO…_**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |||| |---|---|---| |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees|Para 1.51|| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** **Charity name Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service CIO Other name the Previously Chester Sexual Abuse Support charity uses Service (CSASS) Old Charity Number 1133564 Registered charity 1201913** |**number**|| |---|---| |**Charity’s principal**
**address**|**The Bluecoat Building**
**Upper Northgate Street**
**Chester**
**CH1 4EE**| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Nam**
**e of**
**pers**
**on**
**(or**
**body**
**)**
**entitl**
**ed to**
**appo**
**int**
**trust**
**ee (if**
**any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Dawn Llewellyn|Chair||| ||Lorraine Pate|||| ||Hannah Georgious|Finance Committee||| ||David Clough|Finance Committee||| ||Joe Gavin|SafeguardingLead||| ||Jess Keady||March 24 – May24|| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved ## **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **Signature(s)** Hannah Georgious **Full name(s)** Dawn LLewellyn **Position (eg** Chair of Trustees Finance Committee Trustee **Secretary, Chair, etc) Date** 22/03/26 **No (if any) Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 4/1/2024 3/31/2025 |**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**No (if any)**
**CC16a**
**Chester Sexual Abuise Support Service CIO**
**Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period**
**from**
Period start date
**To**
Period end date
4/1/2024
3/31/2025|**CC16a**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Section A Receipts and payments**||||||||| |**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest**
**£**
**A1 Receipts**|||**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**65,000**
**40,807**
**7,499**
**20,000**
**10,000**
**6,825**
**-**
**-**||**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |Rape Support Fund Ministry of Justrice|**-**||**65,000**||**-**|**65,000**||**69,181**| |The National Lottery Community Fund|**-**||**40,807**||**-**|**40,807**||**35,000**| |The National Lottery Awards for All|**-**||**7,499**||**-**|**7,499**||**-**| |Police and Crime Commissioner
Cheshire|**-**||**20,000**||**-**|**20,000**||**20,000**| |Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (NHS)|**-**||**10,000**||**-**|**10,000**||**10,000**| |Marjorie Boddy Trust|**-**||**6,825**||**-**|**6,825**||**-**| |Co-Op Community Fund|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**3,362**| |Comic Relief|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**9,500**| |||||||||| |Earned Income|**-**|||||||**4,230**| |Donations, sponsorship and events|**10,306**|||||**10,306**||**10931.23**| |Bank Interest|**808**|||||**808**||**422.35**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**11,114**||**150,131**||**-**|**161,245**||**162,627**| |||||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**161,245**||| ||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||| ||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**-**| |**_Sub total_**
**_Total receipts_**|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**-**| |||||||||| ||**11,114**||**150,131**||**-**|||**162,627**| |**A3 Payments**||||||||| |Rent
Insurance
Marketing
Staffing costs
Freelance Manager, Supervision and
Training
Staff & Volunteer Expenses
Office expenses and misc
IT/phone and communications
Governance
Outreach Projects|**2,360**||**3,225**||**-**|**5,585**||**5,578**| ||||**1,075**|||**1,075**||**1,000**| ||**2,094**||**322**||**-**|**2,416**||**195**| ||**20,163**||**97,801**|||**117,964**||**142,994**| ||C
**5,423**||**31,477**||**-**|**36,899**||**9,247**| ||**1,020**||**480**||**-**|**1,500**||**2,238**| ||**583**||**1,802**||**-**|**2,385**||**2,250**| ||**4,652**||**668**||**-**|**5,320**||**3,956**| ||**989**||**13,171**||**-**|**14,160**||**16,860**| ||**1,011**||**125**||**-**|**1,136**||**50**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**2,772**| |Final Donations (TW and RASASC)|**10,589**|||||**10,589**||| |**_Sub total_**|**48,886**||**150,146**||**-**|**199,032**||**187,139**| |||||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**199,032**
**-**
**37,787**
**-**
**37,787**
**-**
**0**||| ||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||| ||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||| |**_Sub total_**
**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ **
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**-**| |||||||||| ||||||**-**|||**187,139**| |||||||||| ||**-**
**37,772**||**-**
**15**||**-**|**-**
**37,787**||**-**
**24,513**| ||**-**||**-**||**-**|**-**||**-**| ||**37,772**||**15**||**-**|**37,787**
**-**
**0**||**62,300**| ||**-**||**-**
**0**||**-**|||**37,787**| |**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Categories**|**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**||**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |**B1 Cash funds**|Bank Current Account|**-**||**-**||**-**| |||**-**||**-**||**-**| |||**-**||**-**||**-**| |||**-**||**-**||**-**| ||(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**||OK
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**||OK| |||||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |**B2 Other monetary assets**||**-**||**-**||**-**| |||**-**||**-**||**-**| |||**-**||**-**||**-**| |||||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| |**B3 Investment assets**||||||**-**| |||||||**-**| |||||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| |**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**||||||**-**| |||||||**-**| |||||||**-**| |||||||**-**| |||||||**-**| |||||||**When due**
**(optional)**| |**B5 Liabilities**||||||| |||||||| |||||||| |Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees||||||Date of
approval| |||||||3/22/2026| |||||||3/22/2026| CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Indepondent Examiner s Report Report to the trusleesl mèmbers of Chester Sexual Abuse Support SW¥1￿ CIO On accounts for the year ended Charity no {if any) 12D1913 31* March 2025 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examinats'on of the accounts of the above charty ('the Trust.) for the year 8nded 3110312025. RMponsib115tles and As the chanty trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for Ihe preparation l)as1$ of roport of the acGounts in a¢¢ordance with the requirements of the Charrties A 2011 (Ihe Acr>. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under se¢Xion 145 of the 2011 Acl and in Garrying ￿t my examination, I have follow￿ the appqicatde Clirecticffls given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have compleled my eXaminat￿n. Wth the exception of the matters referred to in section B. I confirni that no Material matters have to my attention in connection th the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not in accfydance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accountiThJ records Independent examlnofs 8tstsment I have no other Goncem$ and have come aGross no other matters in Connection wtih the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a Fyoper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Dat•: 22nO March 2028 Namo: Shirley Stscey Relevant professlonal qualifi&*ionl¥> or body {If any)- FCCA Addr•**: 35 Vincent Drive Chester CH4 7RQ IER Octob8r 2018 Section B Disclosure Onty complete rf th8 examiner needs to highlighl matter5 of GOn￿M (see CC32. IrKleFendent examination of Gharity accounts: dire&ions and guidance for examiners). Glve her• brifrf d•tail& of any items that the The charty fonnally dosed on 31° March 2025. Prior to dosure accourting examiner wlshes io disclose. records {in¢luding cowe5 of invol￿$ and other documents) were kept el¢Gtroni¢ally using Xero online acoxmting soth¥are. Evidence of this was seen during the 202￿24 examination. Follulving dosure there V￿re no funds to maintain the online subscription and attess was with¢rawn. The charfty attempted to obtain downloads of all the infomation held on Xero but were infomied that this was not possible. The receipts and payments account hag been rfrcre*ed usirvj bank statements and other available documents such a8 payroll records, but it hats not been pwble to verify payments to bac￿n9 invoices etc. Tr trustees are happy that restricted funds are corredly accounted for as grant fvnding was reeonci18d, and whère necessary aptKoved by awarding bodies, prior to dosure. IER O¢tober 2018