Trustees Annual Report & Statement of Financial Activity for the period 02 July 2025 to 01 July 2026
Completed 12/08/2026 Charity No: 1208831
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
## **Section A: Reference and administration details**
Charity name: Optimise Foundation Other names charity is known by: N/A Registered charity number: 1208831 Charity's principal address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, GU10 3NL
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:
|Trustee name|Office (if any)|Dates acted if not for whole year|
|---|---|---|
|Joanna Chisholm|Chair||
|Daniel Reynolds|Treasurer||
|Samantha Gold|Safeguarding Lead||
|Sarah McCulloch||24/06/2024-17/02/2026|
Names of Advisors and Type of Advisor:
|Dr Rebecca Bell|Medical Doctor (specialising in general practice)|
|---|---|
|Dr Nicky Keay|Medical Doctor (specializing in exercise endocrinology)|
|Rachel Morris|Paralympian–(disability and inclusivity)|
|Lou Granell|Personal Trainer (exercise and female physiology)|
|Shivani Ranjit|Strength and Conditioning Coach (reducing injury, tailored
rehabilitation and return to play)|
|Monique Collman|Natural Body Builder (lived experience – body confidence and
disordered eating)|
|Lucy Harper|Head of PE at Weydon School and former professional
footballer|
|Tammy Gaw|Strategy and resource development|
|Eleen Craig|Branding and Communications|
Name of Chief Executive or names of senior Staff Members
||Leza Milligan|Founder and Chief Executive||
|---|---|---|---|
||Anna Frey|Head of Operations||
||Emma Butcher|Head of Programmes||
||Chloe Duncan|Head of Communications and Engagement||
|||||
||**Section B:**
**Structure, governance and management**|||
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
|||
|---|---|
|**Description of the charity’s trusts**||
|Type of governing
document:|Constitution|
|How the charity is
constituted:|Optimise Foundation is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated
Organisation registered with the Charity Commission on 26th
June 2024 under registration number 1208831.|
|Trustee selection
methods:|Existing trustees are responsible for recruiting new trustees. In
selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the
charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and
experience needed for the effective administration of Optimise
Foundation.
Potential trustees are invited to attend trustees' meetings as
observers and are given more details of the charity's aims and
activities and, if all agree, they are then proposed as new
trustees at the subsequent trustees' meeting. Any appointment
must be made at a meeting held according to the ordinary
practice of the Board of Trustees as outlined in the Constitution.
Each appointment is for a term of threeyears.|
## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)**
The Board of Trustees – which currently has three members – administers Optimise Foundation. The trustees receive no financial remuneration for their involvement. The board meets on a quarterly basis. All trustees are independent of each other. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on age, disability (physical or learning), LGBTQI+ or relationship status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, gender or social class. All trustees attend safeguarding training within 3 months of appointment.
To enable him/her/they/them to hit the ground running, new trustees are provided with
- Optimise Constitution and full set of policies held by the charity
- An up-to-date budget and the most recent management accounts;
- Copies of the last three Board minutes, agenda for the next Board meeting (and calendarized invite to four future meeting dates);
- A Code of Conduct and all relevant Board Policies in existence;
- Details of any Conflicts of Interest requirements.
- The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do (CC3)
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
A Chief Executive Officer is appointed by the trustees in a voluntary capacity to manage the day-to- day operations of the charity. To facilitate effective operations, the Chief Executive Officer has delegated authority, within terms of delegation approved by the trustees, for operational matters including, finance, employment, and all programme activities.
Optimise has both a register to consider major risks and a system and procedures to manage them. We have benefited from pro bono support from Slaughter and May LLP who have advised on legal compliance and helped us to develop all our policies. The following policies and systems are now in place to support the efficient, accountable and professional running of the charity:
- Financial policy
- Risk management policy
- Risk register
- Data protection policy
- Equal opportunities and equality at work policy
- Adult at risk safeguarding policy
- Child safeguarding policy
- Online safety policy
- Social media policy
- Volunteer policy
- Complaints Policy and Procedures
- Privacy policy
- Conflicts of interest register
- Conflicts of Interest Policy
- Trustee code of conduct
- Trustee expenses policy
## **Section C: Objectives and activities**
## **Charitable objectives:**
The objectives of Optimise Foundation for the year ending 1[st] July 2026 were
- the advancement of education for the public benefit in female physiology and its impact in sports training and physical activity for girls and women of all ages and stages of life including by the publication and dissemination of research.
- the promotion and protection of the health of women and girls for the public benefit by providing information and support to empower more women and girls at all stages of life, to engage and participate in amateur sports so that they enjoy better mental and physical health outcomes.
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
## **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects**
All trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities. In particular, the trustees have considered how the planned activities will contribute to the charity’s aims and benefit the public.
In line with our charitable objectives and in consideration of the public benefit, our mission is to improve conditions and understanding for female athletes in grassroots sports through:
**Consultation:** We ask female athletes, coaches, parents, teachers and local sports clubs representatives what would help them increase awareness and normalise conversations around female physiology in sport.
**Education:** We produce what they need – evidenced-based educational workshops, infographics, downloadable resources, ‘how to’ guides and ‘conversation plans’ to increase understanding and trigger conversations around female health and performance in grassroots sport.
**Dissemination:** We deliver in person workshops, expert presentations and support to athletes, grassroots coaches, teachers and parents on all aspects of female physiology in sport from menstrual cycle tracking to injury prevention. We use online means to provide local clubs, schools and academies throughout the UK with the educational materials and resources to improve conditions, enhance understanding and normalise conversations around female health and performance in their own communities.
We work across all sports and offer this education to promote female health and performance outcomes, reduce the gender gap and empower female athletes to thrive.
## **Section D: Achievements and performance**
## **Summary of the main achievements: July 2025 - June 2026**
This year, Optimise developed from a fledgling, volunteer-led initiative into a robust organisation with the systems, evidence base and capacity to scale our education UK wide. Together, we built the foundations, the resources and the relationships to keep more girls and women active, healthy and enjoying sport.
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
**175+ 8 3 3** grls, women and the men new pro bono specialists new partnerships with educational toolkits now who support them recruited grassroots clubs and available to clubs and reached schools schools
## **1. Building a Functioning Organisation**
We put in place the essential building blocks that let Optimise run as an efficient, effective organisation, freeing up volunteer time for research, delivery and impact.
- Core organisational systems for financial reporting, grant management and communications are now established and integrated (MailerLite, Zapier and Monday CRM), enabling systematic tracking of all communications and donations with comprehensive insurance in place for education delivery, staff and volunteers
- Thanks to pro bono support from Slaughter and May Law Firm, we now have a full suite of legally required policies in compliance with both the Charity Commission and fundraising standards. In line with legislation, these policies undergo a rolling annual review and Trustees receive regular updates.
- Strong governance and risk management registers in place, with quarterly trustee meetings, clearly defined roles and regular communication between the Board of Trustees and Senior Management.
## **2. Building Our Community: Website, Members Area & Social Media**
Funding support from the Community Foundation for Surrey has helped us develop, test and finalise a consistent, professional brand, and build the digital home to share our education UK wide.
- “Be part of this. With us. For our girls.” — campaign imagery for Our campaign imagery reflects girls across all sports, not just the our communications and social channels. traditional ones.
- Our brand visuals, logo, tagline and tone of voice are now in place, giving us a consistent and professional presence with funders, partners, and the girls and women we support.
- A comprehensive sports club and schools offer Z-fold leaflets and introductory materials have been produced for trustees and ambassadors to represent Optimise, share our mission and inspire future partnerships.
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
- Our poster campaign (image on right) acknowledging how periods are a barrier to activity for 7 in 10 girls has been hugely successful in raising awareness and normalising conversations about female physiology in sport and movement
- Our online member’s area is now live, with three toolkits on menstrual cycle in sport and accompanying resources uploaded and ready to share. This is the bedrock of our sustainability and reach:
- clubs and schools throughout the UK and overseas can log on and independently access and deliver our education in their own communities.
Our mobile-friendly members area, giving clubs and schools across the UK access to our toolkits wherever they are.
## **3. Creating Evidence-Based Curricula, Tools & Resources**
Curriculum work has been the engine room of the year, turning research and lived experience into resources that volunteers, clubs, schools and partner organisations can deliver consistently and safely.
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
- Three co-designed, age-appropriate menstrual cycle in sport toolkits are now available, along with trackers, infographics and participant feedback forms, standardised so that any trained volunteer can deliver a vetted, health-professional-approved session anywhere in the UK or overseas.
- A new puberty in sport toolkit is in development, tailored separately for coaches and PE teachers (physiology, training adaptations, conversation starters) and for parents and carers (participation barriers, fuelling and energy availability), due in our members area in autumn 2026.
- Every toolkit draws on the latest sports performance research and pairs evidence-based guidance with ready-to-use resources, slides, presenter notes and handouts, so delivery quality stays consistent wherever it's used.
This is just one of the evidence-based leaflets we have produced over the past year. This leaflet provides tips and guidance alongside practical stretching and strengthening exercises for young athletes to help them understand their bodies and how to reduce their risk of injury.
One of our new nutrition infographics, part of the puberty in sport toolkit.
## **4. Delivering Education & Physical Activity**
We took our toolkits off the page and into clubs, schools and community centres, reaching more than 175 girls and women and the men who support them.
- Workshops on menstrual cycle and puberty in sport delivered to U14 and U16 players, parents and coaches at Farnham Rugby Club, covering topics including puberty, increased concussion vulnerability and training adaptations.
- Expanded into Oxfordshire with workshops for coaches and athletes at Abingdon Running Club, our first step towards UK-wide delivery.
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
- Continued our partnership with Weydon Secondary school, delivering puberty workshops to Year 9 and Year 10 students at Weydon and expanded our educational partnerships to also deliver education at Charterhouse School and Farnham Heath End School.
Presenting Puberty in Sport to coaches, parents and players at Farnham Rugby Club (photo courtesy of FRUFC).
Year 10 puberty and menstrual cycle workshop at Heath End School.
- Our Friday Fun Run Club (She Runs), funded by Sport England, which began in February 2026 originally started as a small initiative to support seven inactive mothers with young children to start moving again. The project was oversubscribed, weekly attendance averaged at 90% and this initiative is now in its second iteration as more and more mums continue to join, to push themselves to be active and to be part of our community that values movement, activity, health and wellbeing
- This year, with the generous support of the National Lottery and the Bagheera Trust, we established an impactful partnership with youth workers and disadvantaged girls at Hale Community Centre in Heath End, Farnham. Every Monday afternoon, we participated in ‘Girlzclub’ a two hour informal session and female only space for teenage girls in years 7-11 after school. Together, we discussed and explored key topics around healthy lifestyles, nutrition, menstrual cycles, and the vital role physical activity plays in long-term physical and mental health. The girls highlighted the temptation and ‘ease’ of ultra-processed foods and despite an appreciation for movement, common barriers to exercise discussed, ranged from fear of judgement/looking silly/poor coordination to leaking, cramping, migraines, bloating and physical discomfort. This enabled us to offer practical, actionable guidance— simple dietary tweaks and recipes, healthy lifestyle hacks, and tips around menstrual cycle tracking to empower participants to become more informed, energetic, active, and confident as weeks went by. The girls enthusiastically engaged in the co-design of our poster campaign (above) giving their views on everything from colour combinations, imagery, tone and core messaging. Co-designing these posters and social media posts in at this weekly ‘Girlzclub’ sessions increased female health literacy across all participants, debunked myths, challenged taboo, shared information about common menstrual symptoms and conditions. Most of all, these sessions provided a safe space for girls to speak openly about
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
their experience, share what they did (and in many cases didn’t) know about female menstrual health), ask questions and realise that they are not alone. That 90% of girls and women throughout the UK experience premenstrual symptoms which can impact motivation, activity levels, mental health and wellbeing. By knowing this, and tracking their menstrual cycle and symptoms, we empowered them to improve and advocate for their own long-term health and wellbeing.
## **5. Expanding Our Reach & Profile: Building Partnerships for Autumn ‘26**
A growing network of academic, statutory and club partners is opening doors that a small volunteer charity could not open alone, setting up a strong pipeline for the year ahead.
- In June 2026, Active Surrey invited us to present to clubs from across Surrey as part of their monthly Welfare Forum, and generously offered to support our educational workshops for grassroots clubs as part of their objective to improve safeguarding and player welfare across Surrey. Working closely with Active Surrey is hugely beneficial to Optimise as it enables us to benefit from their expertise, expand our reach and increase our educational delivery to keep so many more girls and women active in the coming year.
- We continue to strengthen our academic ties with universities leading in the areas of female health and sport science with collaborations under discussion with Manchester Metropolitan University (a possible joint research collaboration on menstruation and everyday life, funding-dependent) and the University of Chichester (developing modules on puberty and physiology for trainee PE teachers). In July, we will also meet with SheResearch, who are pioneering research in the field of female health in sport in Ireland and we have been fortunate to have established relationships with HerSport who have generously offered to support us with resources and educational tools.
- Our national profile is growing: we have secured an exhibitor stand at the Women In Sport
- and Exercise Academic Network annual conference at Loughborough University in July 2026 and confirmed attendance at the IWG (International Working Group on Women and Sport) Global Summit in Birmingham both really exciting opportunities to meet with leaders, practitioners, researchers and changemakers from the UK and overseas to explore and discuss latest insights into women and girls in sport and physical activity.
## **Section E: Financial review**
## **Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves**
Our aim is to hold at least three months of unrestricted funds in reserve to support operations of the organisation. We have a fundraising plan in place to guide us in our efforts to raise the funds needed.
## **Details of any funds materially in deficit** N/A
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
## **Further financial review details (Optional information)**
Our second financial period lasted 12 months from 2[nd] July 2025 until 1[st] July 2026. Our accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
Our gross income for the year was £15,147 up on £11,597 raised in our first financial year. Our spending was £14,532. Our cash funds at the end of the year (01/07/2026) was £9,041 of which £7827 is unrestricted. Full details of receipts and payments can be found in the accounts for the year on the final two pages of this document.
Our main funding sources come from grants and individual donations. In 2026/7, we plan to grow our unrestricted income from as diverse income sources as possible, and to build longterm funding partnerships with our supporters.
The law applicable to the charities in England and Wales requires Optimise Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Charity's financial activities during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year.
In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, Optimise Trustees should follow best practice and:
- ~ Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- ~ Make judgments that are reasonable and prudent
~ State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any departure disclosed and explained in the financial statements
- ~ Prepare ongoing financial statements
The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the Charity and which enable them to ascertain the financial position of the Charity and to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Report) Regulations and the Provisions of the Trust Deed. The Trustees are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention of fraud and other irregularities.
**Section F: Other optional information**
N/A
**Section G: Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
|**Signature (s)**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Full name(s)**|Joanna Chisholm|Daniel Reynolds|
|**Position**|Chair of Board of Trustees|Treasurer|
|**Date**|12/08/2026|12/08/2026|
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
||**Optimise Foundation**|**Optimise Foundation**|**Optimise Foundation**|**Optimise Foundation**|**Optimise Foundation**|**1208831**|**1208831**||**CC16a**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||||||||
||**Receipts andpayments accounts**||||||||||
||**For the period**
**from**||02/07/2025||**To**||01/07/2026||||
||||||||||||
||||||||||||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||||||||
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||**Restricted**
**funds**||**Endowment**
**funds**||**Total funds**||**Last year**||
||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||**to the nearest £**||
|**A1 Receipts**|||||||||||
|Individual Donations(INU|**109**||**113**||**-**||**222**||**1,753**||
|Grants|**7,250**||**7,075**||**-**||**14,325**||**7,795**||
|TradingIncome|**600**||**-**||**-**||**600**||**-**||
|Unrestricted Grant Income|||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
|Corporate Donations|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**1,700**||
|Other income|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**349**||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
|**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**7,959**||**7,188**||**-**||**15,147**||**11,597**||
||||||||||||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||||||||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
|**_Sub total_**|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
||||||||||||
|**_Total receipts_ **|**7,959**||**7,188**||**-**||**15,147**||**11,597**||
||||||||||||
|**A3 Payments**|||||||||||
|Consumables|**-**||**1,417**||**-**||**1,417**||**348**||
|Service Delivery|**1,884**||**10,436**||||**12,320**||**2,307**||
|Operations|**344**||**123**||||**467**||**516**||
|Communications|**328**||**-**||||**328**||**-**||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
|**_Sub total_ **|**2,556**||**11,976**||**-**||**14,532**||**3,171**||
||||||||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||||||||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||||
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||||
|**_Sub total_ **|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
||||||||||||
|**_Totalpayments_ **|**2,556**||**11,976**||**-**||**14,532**||**3,171**||
||||||||||||
|**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**|**5,403**||**- 4,788**||**-**||**615**||**8,426**||
|**A5 Transfers between funds**|**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||
|**A6 Cash funds lastyear end**|**2,424**||**6,002**||**-**||**8,426**||**-**||
|**_Cash funds thisyear end_**|**7,827**||**1,214**||**-**||**9,041**||**8,426**||
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|**Categories**|**Details**|**Details**|**Details**||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||**Restricted**
**funds**||**Endowment**
**funds**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**to nearest £**||**to nearest £**||**to nearest £**|
|**B1 Cash funds**|Cash||||**7,827**||**1,214**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**_Total cash funds_**||||**7,827**||**1,214**||**-**|
||(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))||||OK||OK||OK|
||||||**Unrestricted**
**funds**||**Restricted**
**funds**||**Endowment**
**funds**|
||**Details**||||**to nearest £**||**to nearest £**||**to nearest £**|
|**B2 Other monetary assets**|None||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||||||**-**||**-**||**-**|
|||||||||||
||**Details**||||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**||**Cost (optional)**||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
|**B3 Investment assets**|None||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
|||||||||||
||**Details**||||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**||**Cost (optional)**||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
|**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**|None||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
||||||||**-**||**-**|
|||||||||||
||**Details**||||**Fund to which**
**liability relates**||**Amount due**
**(optional)**||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|**B5 Liabilities**|None||||||**-**|||
||||||||**-**|||
||||||||**-**|||
||||||||**-**|||
||||||||**-**|||
|||||||||||
|Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|Signature||||Print Name||||Date of
approval|
||||||Joanna Chisholm (Chair)||||**12/08/2026**|
||||||Daniel Reynolds (Treasurer)||||**12/08/2026**|
|||||||||||
Optimise Foundation is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England & Wales (1208831) Registered address: 4 Ernest Close, Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey GU10 3NL