# **f rien::lship**
**Report and Accounts Year ended 31 March 2026**
## **FRIENDSHIP LAB**
## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2026**
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 9 EARL STREET OXFORD OX2 0JA GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO Constitution (6 February 2024)
CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1206905 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR LOIS FULTON MANAGING THE CHARITY CATHERINE HEALEY SIMON JACKMAN (appointed 22 July 2025) MIKE POULTON (resigned 14 August 2025) HANNAH LATHAM (vacated 31 October 2025)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Nicola Harrison CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
## **INDEX**
Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-3 Trustees' Report Page 4 Independent Examiner's Report Page 5 Receipts and Payments Account Page 6 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 7 Notes to the Accounts
Page 1
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2026**
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026.
## **Objects of the charity**
The charity is governed by a constitution and is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
The charity’s principal objects, as set out in its governing document, and undertaken within a Christian ethos, are, for the public benefit, the advancement of health, in particular, but not exclusively, by providing scientific-based educational courses, classes, workshops, and information on the formation and maintenance of social friendships, and the importance of social friendships to a healthy life, and by carrying out research in the same and disseminating the useful results of such research.
## **Summary of the charity’s main activities and achievements**
To further the above objects and vision, the second year of the charity has been spent building on the momentum of our launch, promoting our proven Friendship Lab on-demand course, and exploring opportunities to extend our reach and impact. Just a year after our public launch, and with little marketing, we’ve seen thousands reached, over 180 course participants impacted, and relationships built with churches, mission agencies, councils, and businesses ready to help us reach thousands more. We are currently in the piloting phase of Friendship Lab for Churches and Community Groups, a version of our course which empowers other organisations to run the course themselves in their local communities. This project is strategically significant for the charity because it represents a sustainable model for growing our impact exponentially. Early feedback from pilot groups has been overwhelmingly positive and we are on track to launch in September 2026.
Alongside our course progress, our efforts to contribute our expertise on adult friendship to the national conversations about loneliness have been hugely successful. Friendship Lab founder Sheridan Voysey was featured on BBC’s Songs of Praise, reaching over 1 million viewers. Interviews on BBC Radio 2 and 30 other stations have reached another 1 million listeners with our message. Our TEDx talk at St Albans was chosen as an editor’s pick by the organisation, meaning it was featured on their global TEDx channel and so far has over 41,000 views. Over 3,000 have been reached through conferences and events, and Sheridan is a featured expert in a forthcoming documentary on the friendship of CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. These are significant achievements in just one year of operation.
In planning the activities, the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
## **Financial Review**
The second year of operations has seen us make efficient use of our start-up funds to lay foundations for future growth. Our accounts this year reflect a well-documented trend in start-ups known as the ‘hockey stick’ (where initial investment is followed by a dip in income, prior to what we anticipate will be a significant up-tick this coming year).
In this phase of growth, and as a result of the small start-up team and marketing budget, income has been low at £14,757. This includes grants of £6,300, public donations of £2,480 and course fees of £5,828. Early indications suggest that we are on track to exceed this in the coming financial year. Expenditure came to £14,644, and included £4,600 of non-recurring costs incurred in the start-up phase. The net receipts for the year were £112.
Cash held by the charity at year end amounted to £17,930, of which £988 is restricted for use in developing the 'Friendship Lab for Churches' course and the remaining £16,942 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
Page 2
## **Reserves Policy**
The trustees have determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £5,000, which equates currently to around two months of unrestricted expenditure, so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely. At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £16,942. The charity is complying with its reserves policy and holding additional funds in preparation for further work on courses.
## **Governance**
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly with the CEO and founder to monitor the activities of the charity. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees, by a majority vote.
## **Risk statement**
The charity is exposed to various risks – be they operational, financial or reputational. The trustees review the charity’s activities regularly to identify significant risks and, where possible, they take appropriate measures to mitigate those risks.
## **Responsibility of Trustees**
Charity law requires us as trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
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 that 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 prevent fraud or any other regularities.
## **Approval**
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
## Lois Fulton
___________________________Lois Fulton (Jun 15, 2026 12:45:59 GMT+1)
LOIS FULTON
## Jun 15, 2026
___________________________
DATE
Page 3
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT**
## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **FRIENDSHIP LAB**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Friendship Lab ('the charity') for the year ended 31 March 2026 on pages 5 to 7 following.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
2. 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.
## Nicola Harrison
Nicola Harrison (Jun 17, 2026 09:54:02 GMT+1)
Nicola Harrison CA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date: Jun 17, 2026
Page 4
## **FRIENDSHIP LAB**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2026**
|Notes
**_Income receipts_**
Donations
Gift aid receipts
Income from courses and events
Grants
Other income
**_Total receipts_**
**_Payments_**
2
**_Total payments_**
Transfers between funds
3
**Net movement in funds**
Cash funds as at last year end
**Cash funds at this year end**
**A**
Payments in relation to charitable
activities undertaken directly
Net of receipts / (payments) before||General
Designated
Funds
Funds
£
£
2,480
-
119
-
5,828
-
300
-
29
-
**8,757**
**-**
10,512
-
**10,512**
**-**
(1,755)
-
880
-
**(875)**
**-**
17,817
-
**16,942**
**-**
Unrestricted Funds|Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
6,000
-
**6,000**
4,132
**4,132**
1,868
(880)
**988**
-
**988**|2026
£
2,480
119
5,828
6,300
29
**14,757**
14,644
**14,644**
112
-
**112**
17,817
**17,930**|2025
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||General
Funds
£
2,480
119
5,828
300
29
**8,757**
10,512
**10,512**
(1,755)
880
**(875)**
17,817
**16,942**||||
||||||26,184
1,933
692
13,500
19|
||||||**42,328**|
||||||24,511|
||||||**24,511**|
||||||17,817
-|
||||||**17,817**
-|
||||||**17,817**|
The notes on pages 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 5
## **FRIENDSHIP LAB**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2026**
|Notes
**A Cash funds**
Cash at bank with immediate access
Cash held in CAF account
Cash held in WISE account
Cash held in STRIPE account
**B**
**Debtors**
Payroll Giving
Gift Aid
Grant from Tisbury Trust
EasyFundraising
Civil Service College Singapore fees
**C**
**Liabilities**
**Falling due within one year**
Fee for Independent Examination
Accrued expenses|General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
16,742
-
25
-
175
-
**16,942**
**-**
20
-
10
-
-
-
37
-
4,235
-
**4,302**
**-**
510
-
13
-
**523**
**-**
Unrestricted Funds|Restricted
funds
£
988
-
-
**988**
-
-
300
-
-
**300**
-
-
**-**|2026
£
17,730
25
175
**17,930**
20
10
300
37
4,235
**4,602**
510
13
**523**|2025
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||17,801
16
-|
|||||**17,817**|
|||||-
4
-
-
-|
|||||**4**|
|||||810
-|
|||||**810**|
## **D Guarantees and secured debts**
The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
## Lois Fulton
___________________________________LOIS FULTONLois Fulton (Jun 15, 2026 12:45:59 GMT+1)
## Jun 15, 2026
___________________________________
DATE
The notes on pages 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 6
## **FRIENDSHIP LAB**
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2026**
## **1 Accounting policies**
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
|**2**
**Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly**
Course costs
General running costs and IT
Bank Fees
Fundraising costs
Office and administration
Insurance
Subscriptions
Conferences and meetings
Professional fees
**3**
**Movement of funds**
General Funds
Restricted Funds
The Anchor Foundation
SMB Charitable Trust
Total Funds||Unrestrict|Designated
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Receipts
£
8,757
4,000
2,000
6,000
14,757
ed Funds|Restricted
Funds
£
4,132
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,132
Payments
£
(10,512)
(3,120)
(1,012)
(4,132)
(14,644)|Total
2026
£
6,168
3,009
2,852
40
901
-
182
438
1,055
14,644
Transfers
£
880
(880)
-
(880)
-|Total
2025
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||12,633
1,699
2,051
1,618
1,775
136
365
4,235
-|
|||||||24,511|
|||||||Closing
balance
£|
|||||||16,942
-
988|
|||||||988|
|||||||17,930|
## _The Anchor Foundation_
The Anchor Foundation granted £17,000 in three tranches over 2025 (£10,000), 2026 (£4,000) and 2027 (£3,000), restricted for use in the launch of Friendship Lab, filming and editing of the courses. Related costs in 2025 and 2026 utilised all of the grant received. £880 remaining from the current year's tranche was transferred back into General Funds to cover the excess from the prior year.
## _SMB Charitable Trust_
SMB Charitable Trust granted £2,000 for use in the preparation of the "Friendship Lab for Churches" Course. Payments of £1,012 have been made for this purpose, leaving £988 for use in coming year.
Page 7