**CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1208493** # **Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Coventry & District Branch CIO** # **Unaudited Financial Statements** ## **31 December 2024** The trustees present their report, but please note that even those this Charitable Incorporated Organisation was set up 3[rd] June 2024, the branch did not transfer it assets over to the new charity until the 1[st] January 2025, so our financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024, will show as a nil return. ## **Reference and administrative details** **Registered charity name** Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Coventry & District Branch CIO ## **Charity registration number** 1208493 **Principal office** Brownshill Green Farm Coundon Wedge Drive Allesley Coventry CV5 9DQ **The trustees** Mr G Fleet (Chairperson) Mrs M Canciani (Secretary) Mrs H Farndon (Treasurer) Mrs S Hucks Ms K Measures Mrs C Kavanagh Mr Alex Tarr (co-opted June 2024) Mr S Carolan (co-oped September 2024) Mrs C Finn **Senior Staff** Mrs A Sexton (Area Shop Manager) resigned August 2024 Mrs L Bryan-Arnold (Animal Centre Manager) ## **Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Coventry & District Branch CIO** ## **Trustees' Annual Report** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 December 2024** ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity is constituted as an Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The charity operates as an autonomous branch of the national RSPCA subject to its rules for branches. A committee who form the trustees, are elected at the AGM and govern the branch. All trustees are briefed on their responsibilities as trustees prior to their acceptance of the role. The trustees hold monthly meetings at which decisions are made. Day to day running of the animal centre is delegated to the animal centre manager, and the day to day running of the shops is delegated to the area shop manager. The trustees actively review the risks which the charity faces on a regular basis through regular meetings of the trustees that cover operational and financial reviews. The trustees also examine other operational and business risks which the branch face and confirm that they have established systems to mitigate the significant risks, which have been identified as; -Inability to operate the animal centre because of fire or destruction; -Loss of reputation through error of fraud; -Loss of income through error of fraud; - -Insufficient funds to cover the costs of animal welfare activities. ## **The objectives of the branch** The objectives of the branch are to promote the work and the objectives of the National Society of the RSPCA, with reference to the area of the branch. The key aim is to find suitable new homes for as many animals as possible, and to provide proper care for those who have been mistreated or abandoned. The main activity to achieve this is the operation of an animal rehoming programme. Our force of volunteers provides invaluable support. ## Public Benefits The RSPCA Coventry & District Branch CIO is an Charitable Incorporated Organisation and a separately registered branch of the National RSPCA, carrying out its direct animal welfare work in the Coventry & District area. The aims of the branch are to promote kindness and to prevent or suppress cruelty ## **Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Coventry & District Branch CIO** ## **Trustees' Annual Report** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 December 2024** to animals by all lawful means, with reference to the area, in accordance with the policies of the National RSPCA. The trustees have reviewed the achievements of our objectives and activities for the year, to ensure they remain focused on our charitable aims and continue to deliver benefits to the public. We have complied with the duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance by the Commission. Under the Charities Act 2011, the advancement of animal welfare is recognised as a distinct statutory charitable purpose. This legislation and The Animal Welfare Act 2006 indicate the acceptance by society that treating animals with compassion has a moral benefit for the public as a whole. Whilst this public benefit is clear, it is sometimes difficult to quantify and must be balanced against any detriment. The branch's local animal welfare work benefits society at large by taking in unwanted animals and finding loving new homes for as many as possible. When the need arises we can also provide subsidised neutering and microchipping, this helps to control animal populations, therefore promoting responsible pet ownership. We support our local inspectors by taking in mistreated or abandoned animals, including pets whose owners suffer ill health or financial difficulties or pass away. The inspectors rescue animals in distress and enforce laws against the mistreatment of animals by bringing prosecutions. Animals in our care receive veterinary treatment where needed, vaccination, neutering, microchipping and are assessed for rehoming. This work helps to control the spread of disease and suffering. We rehome animals in need at low cost to people willing and able to have a pet. Whilst we recognise that pets provide benefits to people's physical and mental health, we considering the owning of pets as secondary to the main charitable aim of this service, which is to reduce animal suffering. Our policy is to charge a reasonable adoption fee for animals and also aims to highlight the ongoing personal and financial commitment of pet ownership. It would not be in the best interest of the animals to rehome to those who could not afford them. We check the microchip details of lost animals and try to reunite them with their owners. This work benefits our local community by preventing animals from straying and posing a risk to themselves and the public through road traffic accidents. ## **Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Coventry & District Branch** ## **Trustees' Annual Report** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 December 2024** We answer enquiries from the public about animals locally and the public know that we assist animals in need. We offer free animal care advice and this helps to promote responsible pet ownership. We provide volunteering opportunities for those who wish to support our work including fostering and fundraising. This benefits local people by providing the possibility of doing work which is compassionate and rewarding. The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed 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, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. 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. ## **Achievements and performances** Over the past couple of years, trustees have been working to move our branch over from being a Charity Unincorporated Association, to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). In December 2024, Trustees approved the transfer of our assets to this new charity, enabling our branch to move forward. As of the 1[st] January 2025, with the approval of the Charity Commission, we moved over to a CIO (Charity no 1208493). Trustees have agreed to carry on holding a single monthly meeting online and four face to face meetings for a further year. They have continue to look at alternative ways of reducing costs and increasing efficiency of the Animal Centre and generating extra income. Over this last year, our Marketing and Fundraising Manager has been successful in seeking grants to install solar panels at our Animal Centre, this will help reduce energy costs and they have also obtained funding to enhance our pond area, improving our conservation and increasing the potential to open it up for education purposes in the coming year. During November, we held our second joint gala dinner with our partner Cats Protection. The gala was very successful and it was great to be able to work with other charities for the good of enhancing animal welfare. Whilst on the subject of cats, our cattery that was built some 15 years ago is needing to be completely refurbished. The cattery does not currently meet minimum RSPCA cattery standards and in light of this, our trustees have approved the appointment of architects to start progressing the refurbishment project. Funding applications were opened by National RSPCA during the year, to support capital infrastructure projects for branch animal centres and the branch has been successful in receiving two thirds of the project funding. The remaining amount will come for legacies. Once we complete our cattery refurbishment, trustees have agreed to look at rebuilding our reception block, so to start the ground work, we have employed architects to carry out some basic design work to establish costings of the project. One of our long term objectives was to set up our own veterinary practice to support our own animals. This year, we have expanded our service to help the Cats Protection, by carrying out some of their neutering. Our next objective is to open up the service to the public and provide a vaccination clinic. During the latter part of the year, we have developed a draft business plan to move this objective forward. Over the past year, 482 cats and 98 dogs were rehomed (594), compared to 2023 of which 411 cats and 89 dogs were rehomed (500). This year, we have received a number of legacies and we are so grateful for the generosity of those individuals. Our online auction site continues to generate income, with the support of returned items from a couple of national online companies. We would like to say a really big thank you once again to those companies, who have supported us and also Amanda Hardy for driving sales on the Animal Centre eBay account. We have however started to see a decrease in income from our shops, but we believe this has been due to a shortage of staff, including our Area Manager resigning and being unable to fill the post until the beginning of 2025. The income generated by the shops greatly helps to keep the centre running and this year, like last, in spite of the retail economy still seeing a downturn. The trustees want to thank all our shop staff for their dedication and our volunteers for all their hard work over another very trying year for all retail organisations and wish them every success in the future. During this year, we have opened a market stall for a few days per week and we are looking to establish if it is financially viable to make it a more permanent fixture. As with any forward-thinking organisation, we have continued to review our branch's organisational structure to meet the needs of the branch and its policies. A small number of changes took place at the centre and within our shops staffing structure. Being a public funded organisation, we continue to make sure that all our funding is managed properly and where possible, maximise the potential of those funds. Once again, we have seen a lot of support from companies through the Corporate Volunteering Scheme, helping out at our Animal Centre. The companies include; Murphy’s, Cadent Gas, University of Warwick, Mix Hockey Club and AMS. Many thanks to all the companies that have supported us over the past year. On top of all this, we also had so many volunteers helping raise funds through special events such as the biker fund raising days and Santa Paws. Special thanks also goes out to our volunteer professional photographer. To conclude, we would like to thank Lorraine Bryan-Arnold our Animal Centre Manager and welcome our new Deputy Manager, Caroline Hailstone. Further thanks goes out to all of her dedicated team, fosterers and volunteers for their hard work and we would also like to congratulate them on their achievements, we saw an increase in the number of fosterers for the third year running. We would also like to say a really big thank you to our accountant John Chapman, for all the extra work he has performed, enabling us to move the branch over to the new CIO. Without volunteers this branch could not function, whether at the Animal Centre, shops, fostering or fundraising, they are all vital in the present and in the future. The trustees would like to give a big heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers for their work and support of the branch, it could not be done without you. CHARITY COMMISSION FOR FNfJlAND ANn WAI FS RSPCA coventry and Dlstrfct Branch CIO Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For thv perlod from To 031tW2024 31nw2024 Section A Receipts and payments Unrg8trlcted fund¥ tothv no•r•it R￿trIcts￿ funds Endowment lunds T¢rtal lund• Last year tothè n•af•At£ tothè n•4rest£ toth•nw•rt£ toth•n••rMt£ A1 RoGtlpts Sub total{Cro8s income for AK? A2 A￿*t and Inv08trnont $ale8. l••e tabl•l. 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