Charitsble Registration Number 1209373 Cars Area Together Charilable Incorporaled Organisation ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the period 1st August 2024 until 3111 October 2025 Cars Area Together CIO Contents Reference and Administrative Details Trustees Report Slatemenl of Trustees, responsibilities Independent Examiners Report Balarn￿ sheet Reference and Administrative Details Chair Conrad Parke Other Trustees Jean Hamilton Jill Dunlevy Chelan Parmar Mark Caddick (Parish Councillor), (Safeguarding Lead) Susan Baxter Judy Tullett Registered Office Auckland Hall. 25, Sunbeam Close, Smith's Wood. B36 9JR Charitable Registralion Number 1209373 Bankers Lloyds Bank Independent Examiner Hannah Dunlevy Cars Area Together CIO Trustees Annual Report for the period from xxxx to xxx Cars Area Together CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation eslablished on 1 Sl August 2024. The trustees adopted a constitution on the 151 April 2024 in accordance with the foundation model published by the Charities Commission. Cars Area Together CIO was established for charitable purposes for public benefit and registered with the charitable number of 1209373 It is the legacy organisalion emergin9 from the former Cars Area Together Bi9 Local programme which had operated in the north of Solihull from 2012 The Big Local programme was a resident led Initiative which has resulted in a community cenlred CIO being established. During the lifetime of the Big Local programme. Cars Area Together spent almost £1 2 million of National Lottery funding which enabled residents to lead activities, projects and programmes delivered across the Smilh's Wood area, North Solihull. Trustee8 and Managemenl Cars Area Together is managed by a Board of Trustees, whose duties and responsib￿lItieS are as follows.. 1. To exercise his or her powers and lo perform his or her functions as a trustee of the charity In a way he or she decides would most likely further the purposes of the charity and 2. To exercise in the performance of those functions with such care and skill as is reasonable in the circumstances having regard in particular to, Any special knowledge and experience that he or she has or holds himself or herself as having and b. If he or she. as a Trustee of the Charity. in the course of a business or profession, to any special knowledge or experience that is reasonable to expect of a person acling In the course of that kind of business or profession. 3. To keep proper accounting records to give a true and fair representation of the charity's activities. to ensure they can achieve their aims and objectives. 4. To comply with the requirements of the Charilies Act120111 and the appropriate Charities Accounts and Reports regulations. The trustees were appointed for a period of 3 years. Some trustees were associated with the former Big Local project while others were selected based on their local knowledge, the skills and experien￿ they bring wilh them and their support for the local community The trustees mel on 6 occasions between August 2024 and October 2025 to establish and review performance against the agreed Business Plan and monitor the organisation's progress against the approved purposes and targets The trustees also agreed to essential policies and procedures as required by a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and also set a review timetsble to ensure that they remain up to date, compliant and relevant Policies agreed by trustees include. Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults (including the nomination of a trustee to be the responsible officer for Safeguarding, given his appropriate knowledge and experience) Health and Safely. Risk assessments Complaints Financial controls. policies and procedures Risk Management , conflicts of Interest. incident policy and procedures, expenses policy and procedures. The trustees also agreed of the appropriate Insuran￿ policies and procedures to ensure compliance with contractors and funders. Related Organisations Cars Area Together is partnered with The Colebridge Trust. a local charity based in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull. They host the staff who work for Cars Area Together and provide baCk-Offi￿ services including IT and communications support. Cars and The Colebridge Trust also partner to deliver a range of placè-based activities for local residents across North Solihull Day lo day operations are managed by the Cars Area Together's Operations Manager with a team of staff and volunteers and they are directed by the Trustees who meet every 2 months or more often if there are essential matters to discuss. Other partner organisations provide serVI￿S and activities for local people, including support with training and employmenl. healthy lifestyles support for older people and skills and activities targeting local young people Management of Risk A5 a former Big Local project. Cars Area Togelher already had a range of policies and procedures which helped to understand and mitigate risk. These were often shared by our locally trusted organisation, The Colebridge Trust. who have been generous wilh their time In sharing best practice. up to date policies and procedures and advice. Policies approved Sin￿ the CIO was set up include Data Protection, Safeguarding Adults and Childre, Equality and Diversity. Heallh and Safety. Complaints and Whistleblowing. These can be accessed via our dedicaled websile, www.carsareato ether.co.uk. Other Risk Management strategies are embedded into our plans :. Finan¢lal risk: diversified income reduces reliance on single sources. we can scale non-core ath'vities if required. Cost pressures: energy efficiency measures and flexible staffing will mitigate rising costs. A88el risk: a sinking fijnd within reserves will support major ￿pairs. Operatlonal contlnuity: strong patherships help maintain delivery despite 5taffirrfJ changes. Governance risk: ongoing trustee recruitrnent and training ensures conbnuity of skills and leadership. Objectives and Activilles Our charitable objects are.. The promotion for the benefit of Ihe public of urban regeneralion in areas of social and economic deprivation in North Solihull by all or any of the following means'.- IA) The prevention or relief of poverty in such ways as the Iruslees may from time to time determine.. {Bl The provision or assistance in the provision of recreational facilities for the public al large andlor those who. by reasons of their youth, age. infirmity or disablement, poverty or social and economic circumstances, have need of such facilities., IC) The advancement of education, training or retraining, particularly among unemployed people., ID) The maintenance, Improvement or provision of public amenities., IE) The promotion of public safety and prevention of crime. What we do. Cars Area Together CIO aims to provide aclivities. events and ServI￿S for all community members in and around Smith s Wood in North Solihull. The menu of regular activities has been developed over a period of at least 12 years following extensive and on-going consultation with our community Regular community events attract lots of local people and our team of volunleers help us to arrange these locally - often as fundraisers for local charities. We have a weekly timetable of activities for residents of all ages and with a variety of interests as well as offer services provided by partners The Colebridge Trust provides health support. a Job Club and support for young people going into further education and training Solihull College offer lols of place-based learning opportunities for local people. Over 300 people visit our Community hub at Auckland Hall every week and Summer and Chrislmas events can attract over 500 people Regular social events enable the community to get togelher and share fun activities. explore opportunities to do gardening. go walking together. play games and sports and learn new crafting skills All community members are welcome to take part in whatever is provided lexcepl where they are age or gender specific). the programme having been developed over many years and taking into account interests expressed by our followers. Each holiday period the staff and volunteer team offer Play activities for local young people through a Solihull MBC Holiday Activity Fund IHAFI contract. Up lo 30 young people Imosl of whom have free school meals), are offered activities for up 10 3 days each week when the schools are on holiday A team of volunteers support the staff to deliver aclivilies both on sile and at local venues so that there is a variety of opportunities for our local children. Several of the older children now also volunteer on this programme as role models and champions for our local young people. We do not make grants to other organisations to provide activities in our community but we will welcome various partners if our residents are keen to pursue other activities or interests. We cannot underestimate the conlribution made by our volunleers who help us lo deliver a full programme of activities across the year. Financial Performance This year was the first year operaling as a CIO and the final year as a Big Local Lots of the activity costs were covered either by grant funding eg from SMBC'S programme of grants including Household Support Fund activities as well as other National Lottery funded activities. The end of the Big Local funding also contributed to activity and staff costs during this period. The Big Local funding was finalised and completed at the end of September 2025. The aim of the coming year will be to achieve a mixed income stream which will ensure the ongoing future of the charity. Goals and Objective8 for 2025-2026 The main objective for Cars Area Together for the coming year is to achieve a comrnunity asset transfer of Ihe community hub at Auckland Hall which is currently leased from Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. This will be a first of this kind of initiative for the Council and we aim to achieve this during the next year of operations in order to secure the future of the CIO. Declaration Signed on behalf of the charity s trustees Signature Full Name Position Dale ,/f12L To attach accounts CC16a pro forma as a separate excel document. CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Recei ts and ments accounts CC16a For the penod from To Section A Receipts and payments Urirèsiricle RcstriLtc lund$ loih• n•4M*£ fvnds funds Total lund5 Lmt y••r toth• nurn•t£ A1 Ro¢ei Chamab* prAM$ ifund DoD&bons Other 2426• 130 13,112 14• to ross Incom& ARI or 14112 $Set an 8#e tablé . nv•s men Tot41 re¢•ipts 3Pa men ch8r9es Sub tot•1 A4 Asset and investment Sub toial Totalpaym•nts 7? N•t ofreceipts/fpayments) A5 Transfers be￿￿trn funds A6 Cash lunds last year end Cash funds this y￿r end XJ 14112 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI 20m8r2026 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to M•r*stE Reslricied lunds to rI￿r￿* c EnclowTnenl funds to n••rn•t£ 81 Cagh funds Totsl cash funds Unre5tri¢t•d lund5 to ￿*￿•41£ Restricted funds Endowment fund$ ¢0 n•4rnst£ Dolails Details F￿fid towhkh ¢uTh•nt y•lw• *1 P3 Inv••tmgnt a••et• Detalls Fund lo wh*h Currynl¥•lu• 84 A$sets r•taln•d for lh• ¢h•rlty'• own u•e Details Fund io ¥thkh Amtyunl d￿• Wh•n du• BS Liablllile• Sioned by0￿ trustè25 tyl ehalf of all Lne tru51¢es SHJnafvre Print Name Dat$ of CCXX R2 8CCLwnts ISSI 2010812026