## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2024**
## Charity name: The Stray Cat Club
Charity number: 1207459
## Structure: Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Trustees: Louise Elizabeth Chambers (Chair), Charlotte Francesca Gavlin (Trustee) & Luke Samuel Adekoya (Trustee)
## Objectives:
For the benefit of the public, to relieve the suffering of animals in need of care and attention, and to promote humane behaviour towards animals by providing appropriate care, protection, treatment and security for cats 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 cats.
## Public Benefit:
The trustees confirm they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning and carrying out the charity’s aims. In 2024 this was demonstrated through our rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of cats in need, the funding of veterinary treatment, and our promotion of neutering and responsible ownership through public education and engagement. Our work provides clear public benefit by reducing the number of stray cats, preventing further litters through neutering, and improving animal welfare in communities. We also educate the public about responsible cat care, contributing to both healthier pets and fewer strays.
## Activities and Achievements
2024 was our first year as a registered charity, and much of our focus was on establishing strong foundations, engaging with the community and responding to the immediate demand for help. Although we had already launched as a rescue before achieving charity status, by the
time our registration came through we were already operating at full pace.
During the year we opened a treasurer’s account for the charity, fundraised primarily through online appeals which enabled us to cover rising veterinary costs, and launched a website to provide basic information about our work.
Despite limited resources, we supported 221 cats and kittens in 2024. These came from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, hoarding, street living, colony living, or simply being dumped. This included hand-reared kittens, outdoor-born litters and adult strays. By 31 December 2024, 190 of these cats had been rehomed successfully to responsible homes through our adoption process.
All rescued cats were given supportive care and a veterinary health check. Where required, they received dentals, emergency treatment and other specialist procedures. Every cat was treated for parasites, microchipped and, where old enough, neutered and vaccinated. In cases where kittens were too young at adoption, adopters were followed up to ensure neutering was completed at the appropriate stage. All of this contributed directly to our aim of reducing the stray and abandoned cat population.
We also grew our fostering capacity significantly. At the beginning of the year we had six foster carers, and by the end of 2024 that number had increased to twenty-nine, allowing us to expand our rescue capacity from just eighteen cats in 2023 to 221 in 2024. In September we also welcomed our first fosterer in North London, extending our reach beyond our original base of South East London and enabling us to help more cats in new areas.
Alongside this, we developed stronger relationships with local veterinary practices to secure timely care for our cats, and we grew our online presence, reaching thousands of people with adoption appeals, welfare education and fundraising campaigns.
## Financial Review
For the year ending 31 December 2024:
Total income: £48,233.51
Total expenditure: £28,738.66
Net Surplus: £19,494.85
Closing balance: £20,395.78
The vast majority of expenditure went on veterinary care, reflecting our commitment to prioritising medical needs. Other costs included food, litter and cat care supplies, alongside essential administrative costs such as website hosting. Veterinary costs remain our single largest expense and have continued to rise, reflecting both the number of cats we supported and the increased costs of treatment.
As income exceeded £25,000, the accounts will be subject to an independent examination.
The trustees are satisfied that reserves carried forward will allow the charity to continue operating into 2025, while recognising that continued fundraising is essential to sustain activities. The trustees also recognise the importance of maintaining adequate reserves to ensure continuity of care for cats already in foster should income temporarily fall and will continue to review this as the charity grows.
## Structure, Governance and Management
The Stray Cat Club is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), governed by its constitution. The charity was registered with the Charity Commission in 2024.
The charity is run by its trustees, who are responsible for overall governance, financial management, strategic decision making and compliance with charity law. Trustees are appointed in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.
Day to day operations are carried out by volunteers, with the support of a network of foster carers who provide direct care for the cats. The charity has no paid staff.
The trustees acknowledge the vital contribution of volunteers and fosterers, without whom the charity could not carry out its work.
The trustees keep under review the main risks facing the charity, particularly in relation to financial sustainability, rising veterinary costs, and the charity’s reliance on volunteers. These risks are monitored on an ongoing basis and discussed between trustees as part of day-to-day decision making. As the charity develops, the trustees intend to formalise this process through regular trustee meetings and recorded reviews.
## Challenges and Learning
As with many small charities in their first year, The Stray Cat Club faced challenges in balancing the scale of need with the resources available. The UK is in the midst of a cat crisis: demand for help was consistently high, and veterinary costs rose with every new fosterer able to take on a cat. Careful financial management and consistent fundraising were essential in meeting these pressures.
Much of the day-to-day work was managed directly by the founding trustees, supported by a small team of volunteers and fosterers. While this model enabled us to respond quickly and effectively, the trustees recognise the importance of broadening the trustee base and sharing responsibilities more widely to ensure long-term sustainability.
These experiences reinforced the value of our volunteer network and highlighted the need to continue building resilience, both financially and operationally. The learning gained in 2024 will shape our priorities for 2025, particularly around strengthening governance, developing fundraising, and recruiting more fosterers to meet the continuing demand for rescue spaces.
These experiences have helped shape our priorities for 2025, focusing on sustainability and resilience as we grow.
## Plans for the Future (2025)
Looking ahead, The Stray Cat Club will continue to respond to the high demand for rescue and rehoming, while strengthening the charity’s foundations for the long term.
Our priorities for 2025 are centred on expansion and fundraising. We plan to grow our fostering network further, reaching into areas of London where the cat crisis is most severe and rescue support is limited, such as West and East London.
We will also begin developing a small fundraising team. This will include attending local fetes and community events, exploring the use of local donation points in shops and veterinary practices, and continuing to build our regular giving through online platforms. Alongside this, we will build on our strong online presence and explore the possibility of a dedicated social media team to keep up with demand for engagement.
Strengthening governance remains an important focus, with opportunities for committed volunteers to move into officer or trustee roles, helping to share responsibilities more widely and ensure sustainability.
We will also continue to prioritise vulnerable cases requiring additional veterinary treatment, hand-rearing or specialist support, while expanding the number of veterinary practices we work with and negotiating further discounts to manage rising costs. Alongside this, we will expand our education work, using our social media reach and community engagement to promote neutering and responsible ownership, helping to reduce future suffering.
Through these plans we aim to ensure the charity remains sustainable, resilient and able to keep saying yes to cats in need, while promoting responsible ownership and neutering to help tackle the wider cat crisis. We are committed to continuing to build on the foundations laid in 2024, and to ensuring the charity remains effective, transparent and true to its purpose.
## Acknowledgements
The trustees would like to express their sincere thanks to all volunteers, foster carers, donors and partner veterinary practices. Their generosity, compassion and dedication made it possible to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome hundreds of cats during our first year as a registered charity. The trustees also thank the wider community for their ongoing
encouragement and support, which enable the charity to continue helping cats in need.
## Reference and Administrative details
|Charity name|The Stray Cat Club|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity
uses||
|Registered charity number|1207459|
|Charity’s principal address|100 Old Farleigh Road,
South Croydon,
CR2 8QE|
|Governing document|The charity is governed by a constitution adopted on
01/11/2023|
|Trustees|Louise Elizabeth Chambers – Chair
Charlotte Francesca Gavlin – Trustee
Luke Samuel Adekoya–Trustee|
|Independent examiner|Della Naylor
404 Coulsdon Road,
Coulsdon,
CR5 1EF|
## Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
|Signature(s)
Full name(s)
Position (eg Secretary,
Chair, etc)
Date||
|---|---|
||Louise Elizabeth Chambers|
||
Chair|
||20/10/2025|
||20/10/2025|
## **Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024**
Charity name: The Stray Cat Club
Charity number: 1207459
Structure: Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Trustees: Louise Elizabeth Chambers (Chair), Charlotte Francesca Gavlin (Trustee) & Luke Samuel Adekoya (Trustee)
|**Income**|Total|
|---|---|
|Donation|£48,233.51|
|Grants|£0.00|
|Interest|£0.00|
|Total:|£48,233.51|
|**Outgoings**|Total|
|---|---|
|Vet Bills & other charity expenses|£27,730.77|
|Cat Care|£121.85|
|Food, litter & Supplies|£316.42|
|Transportation|£104.97|
|Merchandise, Printing & Stationery|£57.60|
|Communication-Website/Ads/Mobiles|£270.00|
|Postage & Printing|£37.52|
|Fees, Charges & Other|£99.53|
|Total:|£28,738.66|
|Opening balance|£900.93|
|---|---|
|Total income|£48,233.51|
|Total outgoings|£28,738.66|
|Closing balance|£20,395.78|
## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of 2024**
## Assets:
Lloyds bank accounts: £20,464.16
PayPal account: £90.00
Other Assets: None.
Total: £20,554.16
Liabilities:
Unpaid veterinary or other bills: None
Other liabilities: None
Net Assets: £20,554.16
## Liabilities:
The difference between the recorded closing balance (£20,395.78) and the total assets (£20,554.16) reflects PayPal transfers and transactions clearing in early January 2025
## Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s)[Louise Elizabeth Chambers ] Position (eg Secretary, Chair Chair, etc) Date 20/10/2025
## **Accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024**
Charity name: The Stray Cat Club
Charity number: 1207459
Structure: Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Trustees: Louise Elizabeth Chambers (Chair), Charlotte Francesca Gavlin (Trustee) & Luke Samuel Adekoya (Trustee)
## **Notes to the accounts**
## 1. Basis of accounts
These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
## 2. Cash handling
During 2024 the charity did not accept or handle cash donations.
All income was received via PayPal or bank transfer.
## 3. Expenditure
All expenditure was made by card or bank transfer.
## 4. Receipts
A small number of receipts and invoices could not be retrieved from suppliers.
All such transactions are supported by PayPal and/or bank statements.
## 5. Reserves
At 31 December 2024 the charity held £20,395.78 in reserves.
This provides a modest financial buffer to support operations into 2025.
## **Independent examiners report to the Trustees of The Stray Cat Club**
I report on the accounts of The Stray Cat Club for the year ended 31 December 2024, which comprise the Receipts and Payments Accounts, the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and the related notes.
## Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.
I have carried out an independent examination of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the general directions given by the Charity Commission.
## Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the Charity Commission’s Directions.
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.
It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.
## Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records and to prepare accounts have not been met; or
- to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn to enable a proper understanding of the accounts.
I have no concerns and have not come across any matters that require further disclosure to the trustees or in this report in order to ensure a proper understanding of the accounts.
Signature(s)
Examiner Full Della Jane Naylor name(s) Address 404 Coulsdon Road, Coulsdon, CR5 1EF Date 25/10/2025