**REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1206014** ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **CONTENTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ||Page| |---|---| |Trustees' report|1-6| |Independent Examiner's Report|7| |Statement of Financial Activities|8| |Balance Sheet|9| |Notes to the Financial Statements|10-14| ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Legal and administrative information** ## **Reference** The Charity is called 'Norwich Unity Hub CIO' and was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 1 December 2023. ## **Registered charity number:** 1206014 ## **Registered office:** Carrow House 301 King Street Norwich Norfolk NR1 2TG ## **Website:** www.norwichunityhub.co.uk ## **Trustees:** Ian Blunnie (Chair) Alicia Howell (Treasurer) Anna Maria Thornberg Stephen Wiseman Resigned 16/5/2025 Lucy Hall Resigned 22/1/2024 Kirstin Leigh Bicker Resigned 13/6/2024 Alina Sandu Jacquie Silvester Jacqui Mackay Jemma Luck Resigned 4/6/2025 June Webb Resigned 27/4/2025 ## **Primary Bankers** The Co-operative Bank 1 Balloon Street Manchester M4 4BE ## **Independent examiner** Mr Adam Piercy Profectus Business Consulting Ltd 27d Turbine Way Swaffham PE37 7XD Page 1 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Objectives and activities** Norwich Unity Hub CIO (the Charity) was founded to address the needs of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Norwich who were struggling to access affordable and suitable premises to operate from. Groups in the VCSE sector often face challenges with premises and this can mean that they cannot operate effectively, grow and offer the range of services that are essential for communities. This was particularly being noticed in Norwich with a number of premises being closed and others standing empty. The Charity is run for the public benefit with the objects of: To further or benefit the residents of Norwich and Norfolk without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation, arts and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents. ## **Public Benefit** The Charity currently operates a community space at Carrow House in Norwich which is leased from Norwich City Council for a period of 3 years from 2 October 2024 on a peppercorn rent and we cover the maintenance and running costs. This space is over 4,000 sqm plus extensive gardens and and since moving in, has enabled over 20 VCSE groups and 28 artists to take up residence and operate out of afforable and often accessible space. They are also benefitting from operating as a community, sharing ideas and resources which is essential in a sector where people can often feel isolated. We also have affordable space to hire and storage for our members as well as offering a registered office service and will soon be offering hot-desking and temporary desk space. The length of the lease gives us security to operate and develop the concept and prove that the sector is stronger operating together bringing numerous benefits to Norwich in terms of service provision, inward investment and employment and volunteering opportunities. The groups at Carrow House operate in numerous sectors incluing creative, well-being, mental health, disability, services for young people and sustainability. ## **Public Benefit Confirmation** The Trustees have complied with the duty in section 17 (5) of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to the guidance published by the Charity Commission. ## **Volunteers and staff** The charity currently has 3 members of paid staff to look after the building and assist with the administration of the Charity. We are also supported by a number of volunteers who help in areas such as gardening and social media and we would like to thank the amazing volunteers who help us to deliver our charitable activities. Page2 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Achievements and performance** ## **Charitable activities** At Norwich Unity hub our mission is to establish a dynamic and inclusive community hub that unites charities and social enterprises under one roof in Norwich. Our mission is driven by a commitment to collaboration, sustainability, and community development. We aspire to create a shared space where diverse organisations with common interests in skill development, making, arts, environmental sustainability, and wellbeing can come together, collaborate, and thrive. ## **VCSE Sector** Since moving into Carrow House we have developed a strong community within the VCSE sector bringing together numerous organisations and helping then to feel supported and valued as well as providing them with practical support in terms of premises and community workshops ad training. We also link up with other support organisations such as Voluntary Norfolk and FUSE Network to provide joined up support as well as advocating for the VCSE sector. We are working with Norwich City Council to evaluate fully the impact that the Charity is having in Norwich and these evaluations will be published in due course and be used in our decision making process about the future of the Charity. One of our resident groups said: so a _Thank you much for making Carrow House happen. We have dreamed of space for years and you have allowed it to happen._ ## **Community** As well as supporting the wider community in Norwich and Norfolk by enabling increased provision in the VCSE sector which benefits everyone we are also keen to become part of the local community in which Carrow House operates which is Lakenham. We attend local neighbourhood meetings to facilitate discussions and we are exploring ways in which we can welcome the local community to Carrow House. Carrow House also has a rich history being the former home of the Colman Family and is a space that resonates with former employees and connected parties. We have opened up Carrow House for tours under the Heritage Open Days scheme which were extremely popular and are looking to move forward with tours working with The Shoebox Enterprises giving more people access to the building and growing our place in the community. We also welcome the Colman Veterans each year. ## **Sustainability** This is an area we are keen to develop and while much of the first year at Carrow House has been taken up with welcoming resident groups, establishing ourselves as a community and ensuring the physical space is safe and compliant, we are looking into ways to make the space as sustainable as possible. We also have resident groups on site who are established in the areas of minimising waste and believe that by working together as a community we are helping to avoid waste by sharing resources across the groups. ## **Norwich** We are very grateful to Norwich City Council for their ongoing support and believe that Norwich Unity Hub demostrates a pioneering model of operation in Norfolk that can be shared as best practice with other communities and developed further in and around Norwich. Page 3 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Financial review** ## **Charity's financial position** The charity's results for the period to 31 March 2025 which is the first period of operation show net income of £49,299 with £9,982 of this being net income from unrestricted funds. As this was this first period these sums are also the fund balances at the year end. ## **Income** The charity's income from charitable activites comprises the recharging of the running costs by way of a service charge and recharging light and heat. In addition this income is subsidised by the hire of the available spaces and event income which was always budgeted to be an essential part of our income to keep the service charge manageble. In the first period the income from the service charge and light and heat was lower than expected due to the time taken for the space to fill up with resident groups leaving us with a deficit in the light and heat costs which was offset with savings in other areas and the postponement of staff recruitment. In addition we received grants from the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy Fund (NCIL fund) administered by Norwich City Council, together with grants from the Love Norwich fund for the garden and the B&Q Foundation for event equipment. The NCIL grant covers the period of the 3 year lease and has provided us with capital equipment some of which has been transferred to general funds and held as assets as these can be used beyond Carrow House. The expenditure of all other grant income is within the discretion of the trustees and therefore treated as unrestricted income with the exception of building insurance and partition walls both of which are specific to Carrow House and cannot be used for any other purpose. ## **Expenditure** Expenditure, most of which relates to the running costs of Carrow House, was broadly in line with our initial projections. In addition we have staffing costs for supporting the running of the charity which started on the 31 March 2025 and are covered by part of the NCIL funding. ## **Reserves policy and going concern** The Trustees note that a key element in the management of financial risk is the setting of a reserves policy which is regularly reviewed by trustees. The Charity needs reserves to enable it to run the properties it controls for a period of 2 months minimum, allow for any unexpected repair costs and start to reserve the funds needed to enable us to plan beyond Carrow House which would give a reserve needed of around £30,000. In the first period we were not able to meet the reserves required with the unrestricted funds due to the delays in on boarding the resident groups however by Summer 2025 the property was nearly full and covering the costs and we are making good progress towards our fund raising targets. The trustees are therefore of the opinion that the reserve policy is achievable and that there are no material uncertainties about the Charities ability to continue as a going concern. The trustees continue to operate careful controls over the Charity's cashflow and expenditure. Page 4 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Risk management** The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the Charity is exposed and to ensure that appropriate controls are in place to provide mitigation. The Trustees have identified the key risks as financial failure, key person risk and premises management. The Trustees maintain a risk register which is updated regularly and includes mitigation actions. The Trustees are also required to ensure that appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The Trustees consider that adequate arrangements have been made to safeguard the Charity's assets. ## **Future plans** The Charity's planned initiatives for the current and subsequent financial years include: 1) The continuation of the development of Carrow House as a diverse and vibrant community hub. 2) To continue to develop our fundraising strategy including income from hire, events and sponsorship to support the work done at Carrow House and increase our capacity. 3) To develop our volunteer support ensuring the well-being of all volunteers and staff. 4) To ensure we have strong evidence of the social impact of the charity including the impact on the community, Norwich and the VCSE groups involved. 5) To continue to improve the sustainability and accessibility of Carrow House and any other properties we take on balancing these requirements with the financial sustainability of the Charity. 6) To consider how we move forward beyond Carrow House and start to implement those plans including looking at other available properties and negotiating with stakeholders. 7) To support other groups looking to develop similar projects. Page 5 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity is run by a board of trustees who meet at least once a month and are responsible for overseeing and governing the charity. The trustees are now supported by a Business Development Manager whose role is funded by the NCIL grant and supports us in the day to day running and development of the charity. This role started on 31 March 2025. Each trustee has a specific area of responsibility and reports to the board at each meeting in respect of their area and we seek professional advice if required to support the board. ## **Trustee selection** All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Trustees were initially recruited due to their involvement with the charity as it was set up and we are now looking to move the trustee board forward with a more formal recruitment process and ensuring that we have all the necessary skills in place appropriate to the size and nature of the charity. New trustees will be given an induction by the Chair and Treasurer and be provided with the constitution, business plan, relevant policies and the latest available accounts together with signposting to the relevant Charity Conmmission trustee guidance. ## **Statement of trustees responsibilities** Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements the trustees are required to: a) Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; b) Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; c) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; d) State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; e) Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. This report was approved by the trustees on 5 November 2025 and signed on it's behalf by _ie la11. ttUJ_ Ian Blunnie Alicia Howell Page6 NORWCH UNITY HUB CIO INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE peRIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Ind•D•nd•nt Exominevs Roport I report to the tru8tee$ on my exanknauon olthe accounts of NoTh￿h Unty Hub CIO forthe pe￿￿ ended 31 Mat¢h 2025. Re3ponJlbllltles ond Bajls of Report A¥ the trustees of the ch8rfty you are responsib￿ forthe prep8rnts)n of the fin&nci81 statements in acLX)rdance with the roqulrnmsnts of th6 Cholitbs Act 2011 nhe Act'i I report In Tespect of my examinat￿+n of the chantys linBn(i91 stgteffBnts carT?Bd out under 8ect*)n 145 of the 2011 Acl 8nd In caffying out my examlnellon I have followed al the appllcable (Irectbns glven by the Charity CommL8sKin LÈnder sectknn 1451SXb)ofthe Act, Ind•p•nd•nt Examln•fs Slatsment l Gonfirm that l am quaI￿led lo und#rtake Iho eKaminalion becau30 l Jrn o merthr of the Instilule of Charternd Accountants h EngLgnd and Wa￿8 IICAEW). Is one of the listed bodies. I have coryleted my examination. I confirm that no rn8teii81 matters have to my attèntijn in connedon wlth the 8xaminallon glvlng me Cause lo beli8ve that In 8ny material r8speet'. 1. accoun￿9 recL)rd8 not kopt In respect of the charfty as roqulred by secibn 130 of Ihe Act," or 2. the financial statemenls do not accord thlth th08e accounting re￿rdS., or 3. the fin8n¢i815talenEnls do not compty wth the apptvble requirenEnls ￿nGernIng the form and Gontent of a￿unts set out in the Charilbs IA¢counls an¢J Reports) RegulatKins 2008 other than any r8oulrem8nt that thè a¢xounts a e and fairf viBw vknich is not a fnaller considered as part of an ￿dePendent exBmination. I hava no ¢onrhms and have f£•m8 a¢mss no other Matt8￿ in Tr)nnect￿n the g¥affdnation to *hthith attentK>n should be drawn v) Ihk8 ￿port in order to en8bk a proper under¥lan¢Jlng ol the a(wunts to be reached. MrAdam Piercy Profecius Bustness Consulllng Ltd 27d Turbine W8y Swaflham PE37 7XD D8to: 2nd Noverrt>er 2025 Page 7 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2025** |||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**| |---|---|---|---|---| |||**funds**|**funds**|**funds**| |||**2025**|**2025**|**2025**| ||**Notes**|£|£|£| |**Income**||||| |Grants and donations|2|50,903|53,876|104,779| |Income from charitable activities|3|69,955||69,955| |**Total**||120,858|53,876|174,734| |**Expenditure**||||| |Expenditure on raising funds|4|598||598| |Expenditure on charitable activities|4|110,278|14,559|124,837| |**Total**||110,876|14,559|125,435| |**Net income**||9,982|39,317|49,299| |**_Reconciaton of fnds:_**||||| |Total funds brought forard||||| |Total funds carried forard||9,982|39,317|49,299| Page 8 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **BALANCE SHEET** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2025** |||**2025**| |---|---|---| ||**Notes**|| |**Fixed assets**||| |Tangible assets|**9**|49,768| |**Current assets**||| |Debtors|**10**|43,149| |Cash at bank and in hand||47,660| |||90,809| |Creditors: amounts falling due within one||| |year|**11**|(81,108)| |Net current assets/(liabilities)||9,701| |**Total assets less current liabilities**||59,469| |Creditors: amounts falling due afer one||| |year|**12**|(10,170)| |**Total net assets**||49,299| |**Funds of the Charity**||| |Unrestricted funds:|**13**|| |General funds||9,982| |Designated funds||| |||9,982| |Restricted funds|**_13_**|39,317| |Total funds||**49,299**| |The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 5 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:||| |_l1 otU 1e_||| |Ian Blunnie||Alicia Howell| Page 9 **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2025** ## **1 Accounting policies** ## **1.1 Basis of preparing the financial statements** The accounts cover the period from the charity's formation on 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2025 a 16 month period. The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention and follow the recommendations in the Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS102 Charities SORP effective January 2019), the Charities Act 2011 and applicable accounting standards. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The accounts are prepared on the accruals basis. ## **1.2 Preparation of the accounts of a going concern basis** Preparation of the accounts is on a going concern basis. The trustees consider that there are no materials uncertanties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern. ## **1.3 Incoming resources** All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when: - the charity is legally entitled to the funds - any performance conditions attached to the income have been met or are fully within the control of the charity - there is sufficient certainty that receipt of the income is considered probable and the amount can be reliably measured Donated services and assets are included at the value to the charity where this can be quantified. ## **1.4 Expenditure** All expenditure is included on an accruals basis inclusive of any VAT which cannot be recovered and is recognised when: - there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment - it is probable that settlement will be required - the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably ## **1.5 Pensions** The charity operates a definied contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged to the income and expenditure account as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme. ## **1.6 Fund accounting** Funds held by the charity are either: - Unrestricted general funds - these are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees - Designated funds - these are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted funds for specific future purposes or projects. - Restricted funds - these are funds that can only be used for particular purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Page 10 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2025** ## **1.7 Tangible fixed assets** Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost of each asset over it's expected useful life, as follows: Property improvements 3 year straight line Plant and machinery 25% reducing balance Office equipment 3 year straight line |||**Unrestricted**||| |---|---|---|---|---| |**2**|**Grants and donations**|**funds**|**Restricted**|**Total funds**| |||**2025**|**funds 2025**|**2025**| ||||£|£| ||Donations and sponsorship|5,229||5,229| ||Grant income|45,674|53,876|99,550| |||50,903|53,876|104,779| |||**Unrestricted**||| |**3**|**Income from Charitable activities**|**funds**|**Restricted**|**Total funds**| |||**2025**|**funds 2025**|**2025**| |||£|£|£| ||Membership fees|1,300||1,300| ||Service charge|22,098||22,098| ||Recharge of utilities|28,412||28,412| ||Room hire|3,714||3,714| ||Billed expenses|14,431||14,431| |||69,955||69,955| |||**Unrestricted**||| |||**funds**|**Restricted**|**Total funds**| |**4**|**Expenditure**|**2025**|**funds 2025**|**2025**| |||£|£|£| ||Stafing costs|13,850||13,850| ||Rates|9,637||9,637| ||Light and heat|41,523||41,523| ||Insurance|919|6,276|7,195| ||Repairs and renewals|30,695||30,695| ||Health and safety
Ofice & IT costs|5,499
2,297||5,499
2,297| ||Fundraising costs|598||598| ||Communications and marketing|347||347| ||Legal and professional|1,318|450|1,768| ||Other costs|372||372| ||Depreciation|3,821|7,833|11,654| |||110,876|14,559|125,435| Page 11 NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT¢ FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2025 5 Net Income I lexpendlturo) for the y¥ar This is stated after charging.. Depre¢i81ion of fixed assets 11,654 Fees paid to independent examiner 480 6 Analysis of staff ¢ost$ Salaries and wages Pension costs 13,695 155 13.850 The average number of staff in the year was 1 During the year no Iruslees were reimbursed for any out of pocket expenses. 7 Pension costs The charity operates an auto enrolment pension scheme and uses NEST pensions to administer this. The pension charge represents contribLJtions due from the charity and amounted to £155. 8 Taxation The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes a¢t 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable gains act 1992 to the extel that these are applied to ils charrtable objects. Page 12 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2025** |**9**|**Tangible fixed assets**|**Propery**
**improvement**|**Plant and**|**Ofice**|**Total**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||**s**|**machinery**|**equipment**|| |||£|£|£|£| ||**Cost**||||| ||Additions|46,996|11,854|2,572|61,422| ||Disposals||||| ||At 31 March 2025|46,996|11,854|2,572|61,422| ||**Depreciation**||||| ||Charge fr the year|7,833|2,964|857|11,654| ||Eliminated on disposals||||| ||At 31 March 2025|7,833|2,964|857.44|11,654| ||**Net book value**||||| ||At 31 March 2025|39 163|8 890|1 715|49 768| |**10**|**Debtors**||||**2025**| ||||||£| ||Trade debtors||||1,275| ||Prepayments||||28,684| ||Accrued income||||13,190| ||||||43 149| |**11**|**Creditors: amounts flling due within one year**||||**2025**| ||||||£| ||Trade creditors||||55,268| ||Accruals||||13,818| ||Deferred income||||11,406| ||Other creditors||||616| ||||||81 108| |**12**|**Creditors: amounts flling due outside one year**||||**2025**| ||||||£| ||Deferred income||||10 170| Page 13 ## **NORWICH UNITY HUB CIO** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2025** ## **13 Analysis of charitable funds** |||||**Funds 31 March**| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Analysis of movements in unrestricted funds**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Transfr**|
**2025**| ||£|£|£|£| |General funds|75,184|(94,731)|29,529|9,982| The general fund represents the unrestrictied reserves available after allowing for all designated funds |||||**Funds 31 March**| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Analysis of movements in restricted funds**|**Income**|**Expenditure**|**Transfr**|
**2025**| ||£|£|£|£| |NCIL funding|96,550|(30,704)|(26,529)|39,317| |B&Q Grant|1,000||(1,000)|| |Love Norwich grant|2,000||(2,000)|| ||99,550|{30,704}|{29,529}|39,317| |||**General**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |**14**|**Analysis of net assets between funds**|**fund**|**funds**|**funds**|**Total**| |||£|£|£|£| ||Tangible fixed assets|10,605||39,163|49,768| ||Cash at bank and in hand|47,506||154|47,660| ||Other net current assets/liabilities|(48,129)|||(48,129)| |||9,982||39,317|49,299| Page 14