Trustees' Annual Report for the period
From 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025
The trustees present their annual report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025. These have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities published in 2005 using the pro forma provided by the Charity Commission, and comply with our charity's constitution and the Charities Act 2011.
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name: Pause
Other names charity is known by: Pause Charity Registered charity number: 1207018
Charity's principal address:
Pause Charity 119 Old Christchurch Road
Bournemouth Postcode: BH1 1EP
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:
Ben Woodhouse (Chair), Karen Watts, Robin Stubbs, Martin Simpson, Judith James, Susan Gandaa, Matthew Fenn, Jaya Da Costa.
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) N/A
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees) N/A
Names and addresses of advisers N/A
N/A Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document:
‘Foundation’ model constitution
How the charity is constituted:
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustee selection methods
Appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees having regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
Pause Support, a Company Limited by Guarantee with no shareholders and no individuals receiving profit from it, is a trading subsidiary of Pause Charity. Pause Support operates a cafe premises offering training placements for people with support needs.
Risk management
The trustees have identified principal risks: operational (staff, volunteer, beneficiary and animal safety), safeguarding, financial (income volatility), reputational and information/data risks, and mitigate these through a written risk register and procedures, regular risk assessments, trained staff with DBS checks, appropriate insurance, financial controls and reserves, formal partner agreements, and ongoing development of an ‑ information risk policy. The trustees review the risk register at least annually (and more frequently when required).
Conflicts of interest and policies
All trustees must declare any interests annually and at meetings; any trustee with a real or perceived conflict withdraws from related decisions. Key governance policies (including safeguarding, health & safety, data protection, whistleblowing and the conflicts-of-interest policy) are in place and can be provided on request from the charity secretary.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
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To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment;
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To promote humane behaviour towards animals by providing appropriate care, protection, treatment and security for animals which are in need of care and attention by reason of sickness, maltreatment, poor circumstances or ill usage, and to educate the public in matters pertaining to animal welfare in general and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among animals; and
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To preserve and protect physical and mental health by assisting in the treatment and care of persons suffering from mental or physical illness of any description or in need of rehabilitation as a result of such illness, through animal-assisted therapy.
The charity carries out these Objects by:
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Making grants to registered charities (according to the law of England and Wales) as the trustees in their absolute discretion see fit.
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Sharing and promotion of the work of, volunteering for and promotion of volunteering for, other registered charities whose work or specific projects further our charity’s Objects.
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Provision of supported training placements for people with additional needs (including sensory limitations, learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, depression and anxiety) to learn skills in hospitality and animal care, with guidance from trained support workers.
Public benefit
The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities and setting the grant making policy for the year.
In 2025 Pause Charity delivered 10 supported training placements (5 paid; 5 subsidised by donations or grants). ‑ These placements, together with animal assisted therapy, support people with additional needs; including those with sensory impairments, learning difficulties, autism spectrum conditions, depression and anxiety, to develop ‑ practical hospitality and animal care skills, increase confidence and enhance employability, and to improve mental and physical wellbeing. By combining direct beneficiary support with education, volunteering and humane animal care, the charity advances animal welfare, promotes environmental stewardship and reduces social isolation, delivering measurable benefits to individuals and to the wider community.
Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year 2025:
This was our first full year of operation and the trustees have already begun to make significant progress towards our objective of strengthening bonds between humans, animals and the environment. The main way the trustees have been able to do this was through supported training placements for people with additional needs, to work with and around animals with a goal to develop their skillsets.
Animal-Assisted Therapy is particularly relevant to our charity’s objects and enables our charity to make a difference to the circumstances of our beneficiaries and wider benefits to society as a whole. The charity has been achieving its goal to work collaboratively with other registered charities in delivery of animal therapy for individual beneficiaries.
The trustees hope to expand our work with other animals, and will focus on project-building for future work while continuing our current successes with supported placements. The trustees are yet to focus attention on marketing, so that is one aim for 2026. In light of the changes in the digital information landscape, our trustees are committed to sharing only evidence-based information and are developing a policy incorporating information risks, avoidance and mitigation.
Section E Financial review
Income from charitable activities, namely supported placements, made up around 50%, while the remainder was achieved through our first grant and some voluntary donations, with a small amount from active fundraising. Our first grant was for our supported placements and the trustees enjoyed reporting on the outcomes at the end of the grant period. We were also able to complete more such placements thanks to donations from supporters of our work. Donations increased from £1,265 in the first 10 months to £1,496 this year, which is roughly consistent considering the length of the reporting periods. Income from fundraising activities other than grant income slightly increased due to BH Coastal Lottery and Easy Fundraising sales. We are yet to apply for Gift Aid earned to date, which is an administrative aim for this coming year. The only costs to the charity were staff costs incurred during supported placements, all other costs were covered as a donation in kind from our trading subsidiary, Pause Support.
Statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
Trustees aim to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds at a level which equates to approximately six months of unrestricted charitable expenditure. The Trustees consider that this level will provide sufficient funds to respond to any applications for grants and ensure that there are sufficient funds available to cover support and governance costs.
The Trustees were successful in accruing the target reserve (sufficient to cover projected 6-months of operational costs), thus ensuring ongoing stability for the running of the charity. The balance held as unrestricted funds at 31 December 2025 was £8,118, all of which are regarded as free reserves, against a projected six-month spend of £7,000.
Financial risks are monitored as part of the trustees’ risk review and are managed through financial controls and the reserves policy described above. The current level of reserves is sufficient. No funds are materially in deficit. The charity’s principal sources of funds to date have been charitable activities, grant income and voluntary donations. There has been no administrative expenditure during this financial period.
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature: Full name: Jaya Da Costa Position: Trustee Date: 30/8/25
| Charity Name Pause Charity |
Charity Name Pause Charity |
Charity Name Pause Charity |
Charity Name Pause Charity |
Charity Name Pause Charity |
No (if any) 1207018 |
No (if any) 1207018 |
No (if any) 1207018 |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from | Period start date 01/01/2025 |
To | Period end date 31/12/2025 |
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| 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 £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
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| Donations | - 1,496- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 1,496- |
- 1,265- |
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| Charitable activities | - 6,364- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 6,364- |
- 450- |
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| Other trading activities | - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| Investments | - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| Other (fundraising) | - 33- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 33- |
- 3- |
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| Grant (fundraising) | - -- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| Sub total(Gross income for AR) - 7,893- A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
- 7,893- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
- 12,573- |
- 1,718- |
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| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| Sub total- -- Total receipts - 7,893- A3 Payments |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - 7,893- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
- 12,573- |
- 1,718- |
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| Charitable activities | - 1,457- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
- 6,137- |
- -- |
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| Grants to other charities | - 36- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 36- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| Sub total - 1,493- A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
- 1,493- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
- 6,173- |
- -- |
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| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| Sub total - -- Total payments - 1,493- Net of receipts/(payments) - 6,400- A5 Transfers between funds - -- A6 Cash funds last year end - 1,718- Cash funds this year end - 8,118- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - 1,493- |
- 4,680- |
- -- |
- 6,173- |
- -- |
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| - 6,400- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 6,400- |
- 1,718- |
|||||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - 1,718- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 1,718- |
- -- |
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| - 8,118- |
- -- |
- -- |
- 8,118- |
- 1,718- |
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
8/28/2026
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds |
Details | Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash in bank | - 8,118- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account (s)) Details Details Details Details Signature |
- 8,118- |
- -- |
- -- |
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| OK | |||||||
| Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - -- - -- - -- - -- - -- Print Name Jaya Da Costa |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| - -- |
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| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval | |||||||
| Jaya Da Costa | 20 Aug 2026 | ||||||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
8/28/2026
2