OFFICIAL
Cosy Coats
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025.
Charity’s name – Cosy Coats
Registered Charity Number – 1202178
Charity’s principal address - 31 Sampson Avenue, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. ST14 5FG
Structure, governance and management
The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a Constitution which was adopted on 28[th] February 2023. The Charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 3[rd] March 2023.
The following trustees manage the Charity and were appointed on 28[th] February 2023.
Mark Goodall – Chairman - appointed for four years.
Josephine Goodall – appointed for three years.
Graham Goodall – Treasurer – appointed for four years.
The Charity does not have any paid employees or own or lease any land or property. Its only assets are a card machine for taking donations by Debit Card and two publicity banners used for the Pop Up shop.
Summary of the objectives of the charity set out in its governing document
The object of Cosy Coats is the prevention and relief of poverty in England and Wales by providing free new warm and fashionable coats to impoverished children or to other organisations who are also working to relieve poverty.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these
objectives
In planning our activities for the year, we kept in mind the charity commission’s guidance on public benefit at our trustee meetings.
The main activities were as follows:
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Setting up a ‘pop up shop’ at Birmingham New Street train station to promote the activities of the charity and to fund raise from generous train passengers who buy a coat for a child from a ‘wish-list’ catalogue.
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Marketing and communicating on social media to raise the profile of the charity to gain donations.
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Partnering with two organisations who have sponsored the charity which covers the majority of our administration fees.
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Purchasing 8 charity runners places at the London Landmarks Half Marathon and asking each runner to raise sponsorship for the charity.
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Encouraging other fund raising events such as cake sales (CrossCountry Trains) and challenges (Metis Blu Scotland Hike).
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Engaging with schools to identify children who need support and making donations accordingly so that children are bought a new, warm and fashionable coat.
OFFICIAL
Additional details of objectives and activities
We are grateful to Network Rail for the space they provide us at Train Stations free of charge. We are grateful for our volunteers Tara Walsh and Debs Hubner and also to our sponsors Intuitive Talent Solutions Limited and Metis Blue Limited.
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year.
This year we have achieved the following:
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Purchased 8 places at the London Landmarks half marathon 2024 which has already led to donations of over £8,000.
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On-boarded a new sponsor Metis Blue Limited and retained our 2022 sponsor Intuitive Recruitment Solutions Limited.
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Partnered with ‘Our Place’ in Sutton Coldfield who support vulnerable charities.
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Forged new relationships with various community groups who have given us access to provide children in their outreach with coats and shoes - these have included Barnados, Our Place Support, Family Gateway, Birmingham Children’s Trust and Home Start.
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Organised and ran a ‘pop up shop’ at Birmingham New Street train station that promoted the charity and through the charitable donations of kind rail passengers helped us raise £1,200 for coats.
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Partnered with Oasis Academies to provide coats and shoes for children in the various academies around the country.
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In total, this year, we purchased 385 brand new warm and fashionable coats for children and 113 pairs of shoes. We also purchased 498 scarves and gloves.
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We would like to thank St James Lodge Freemasons, CrossCountry Trains and the Rosemary Trust for their generous donations in 2024. We would also like to thank those organisations who have organised fund raising activities for Cosy Coats. This includes CrossCountry trains again, Network Rail and Hays Travel in Kidderminster.
Financial Review
Cash at Bank at 31[st] March 2025 was £10,372.36 in unrestricted funds. The main financial risk to the Charity is a loss of funding from donations and sponsorship. However this risk is minimal because the Charity would not commit to any expenditure or grant unless there were adequate unrestricted funds available to cover the costs.
There are no funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees - G. Goodall
Full name Graham Goodall Position – Trustee and Treasurer.
Date – 12[th] April 2025
Cosy Coats
Registered Charity Number 1202178
Receipts and payments account from 1/4/2024 to 31/3/2025
| Receipts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donations | £18,840.44 | |
| Sponsorship | £ 750.00 | |
| Total | £19,590.44 | |
| Payments | ||
| Grants | £13,331.98 | |
| Fees | £1,180.00 | |
| Marketing | £ 150.00 | |
| Administration | £ 0.00 | |
| Total | £14,661.98 | |
| Income over Expenditure- £4,928.46 | ||
| Cash at Bank | ||
| 1/4/2024 - Opening Balance | £5,443.90 |
|
| 31/3/2025 - Closing Balance | £10,372.36 |
|
| Income over Expenditure- £4,928.46 |
Signed on behalf of the Trustees - G. Goodall (Graham Goodall) Date – 12[th] April 2025