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2025-03-31-accounts

Charity Registration No 200463

Contents

Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 Age Concern Luton

Charity information 1
Trustees’ report 2-17
Independent auditor’s report 18-21
Statement of financial activities 22
Balance sheet 23
Statement of cash flows 24
Notes to the financial statements 25-38

Age Concern Luton

Charity information

Charity information
 Charity information
________________
Trustees and members Dr Siva Puthrasingam
of executive committee Mr Aneel Sharma
Ms Maxine Braham
Mrs Lana Haslam (appointed 1 August 2024)
Mr BPK Shah (appointed 1 August 2024)
Professor Soraya Dhillon MBE (appointed 1 August 2024)
Patron Professor Greg Whyte OBE
Chief Executive Officer Mr Tim Lucas
Charity number 200463
Head office Bradbury House
39 King Street
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 2DW
Auditor HW Bedford Limited
Accountants and Statutory Auditor
Woburn Court
2 Railton Court
Kempston
Bedford
MK42 7PN
Bankers Virgin Money
7 Gold Street
Northampton
NN1 1EN
NatWest Bank
31 George Street
Luton
LU1 2YN

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

The members of the executive committee and the Trustees present their Report, Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (second edition) and Financial Reporting Standard FRS 102.

Organisation

The organisation is a registered charity, registered with a standard Age Concern Constitution. The charity is unincorporated, however this and other matters related to the charity structure remain under review. The charity is not affiliated to any other charity, local or national. The Trustees administer the charity and work closely with the management team and volunteers to ensure that the charity meets the needs of the local community.

All Trustees have lived experience either as older people or carers of older people and this enables them to bring empathy and insight to their role. The charity is also fortunate to have a Board which reflects the cultural diversity of the town.

Trustees are eligible to stand for election as older people living in Luton, by virtue of their role as representatives of older persons’ organisations, or because through their work they have a special knowledge or interest in older people’s issues. Current Trustees are drawn from medical, legal, academic, human resources, financial and leadership backgrounds both in industry and the voluntary sector. A third of

trustees may retire by rotation each year and/or they can stand for re-election.

There are no formal sub-committees, however from time-to-time Task and Finish sub-groups may be formed.

All decisions are taken by the main body of Trustees at their meetings, including setting the remuneration of the charity’s key management personnel. A Strategic Plan informs the decision making process.

None of the trustees receive renumeration or other benefit from the charity. There are no contractual or non-pecuniary connections between trustees or senior managers. No related party transactions have taken place during the year apart from donations the Trustees have made to the charity.

The Chief Executive Officer has delegated authority within terms set by the Trustees for operational matters which includes service delivery, employment of staff and finance.

Trustee training

Training needs of the Trustees are assessed periodically and cover training necessary to comply with Charity Commission guidance and the various regulatory frameworks in which the charity operates. When a new Trustee is appointed, a full programme of induction will take place to meet the needs of the new Trustee appropriate to the size of the charity. Periodically the Board has undertaken away days to consider the development of the charity and their personal contribution and the Trustees have committed to arrange further away days in the future.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Objectives and Activities

Charitable objectives and reporting under Public Benefit

Age Concern Luton’s objectives continue in accordance with its Constitution. The charity’s purpose is to provide the most comprehensive help and support possible for all older people in Luton, so that they, and their carers may continue to have as full and independent a lifestyle as possible. Within this year the Charity has returned to its core services that support Luton’s older population and their carers. The Charity again assisted thousands of people through direct regular service, one-off advice sessions, talks and/or crisis interventions. This represents a significant portion of Luton’s residents aged over 65 years of age.

The charity’s stated mission is to make Luton a great place in which to live and grow old.

The charity’s values were revisited over the last year but remain:

In setting the charity’s objectives and planning its aims and objectives and future activities the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. The main aims and objectives of the charity were reviewed in 2024 and are:

Through its charitable activities, Age Concern Luton seeks to enable older people in Luton to:

The Charity delivers various services free at the point of delivery including Advice and Information, Handyman, Hospital Discharge support, Befriending and Wellbeing. In addition, we provide crisis support through food parcels, heater loans and any other practical means to alleviate hardship. We provide advocacy and support for older people, particularly where they do not have any support from family or friends.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters no group of older people is excluded by reasons of economic hardship and our service planning ensures we monitor service uptake and address any underrepresented groups.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Charitable objectives and reporting under Public Benefit (continued)

As we moved away from the effects of COVID our services remained necessary as large inflationary pressures, and a reduction in family support, meant more older people required support.

As such we continued to provide emergency support with food parcels, heater loans, blankets and other creative yet urgent provision of help. This would not be possible without the flexibility of our staff and volunteer team and the agility of the organisation to identify issues, plan interventions and deliver solutions to the town’s older people. As a team, with the support of many volunteers, we have spent countless hours listening to people and providing advice, information, and reassurance in addition to delivering practical help.

We have continued to work with partners in health and social care who often find themselves presented with new and complex issues where statutory interventions do not exist. We have been used as a trusted partner to help deliver innovative plans to distribute remedies designed to help with the cost of living and manage both the logistical process and evaluation of the efficacy of these interventions.

Our core services, honed by years of work with older people and partners, remained popular and effective. We fitted handrails, safety devices and attended to urgent household repairs for many older people without the means to access private sector solutions. We have retained our face-toface

provision to ensure the digitally excluded can continue to access support where statutory and other services have become harder for them to access and use.

We also continue in our role as locally trusted organisation, supporting the people of Farley Hill who were awarded £1 million to improve their local area for the benefit of all residents. To this end with work closely with residents, support them in the administration of their finances and directly employ and manage a worker on their behalf.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Fundraising activities

With stronger fundraising regulation now in place in the UK and EU, the charity has worked to ensure that it maintains high standards in how it works with funders, donors and supporters and that fundraising practices and management meet the requirements of the new regulations.

The organisation has prioritised financial prudence and ensured we met the stated aims of our funders and contractual requirements.

Key features of the charity’s approach to fundraising are:

Activities and achievements

The Statement of Financial Activities for the year is set out on page 22 of the financial statements. A summary of the financial results and the work of the charity is set out below.

Chair’s Foreword

Throughout 2024, older people in Luton have faced significant challenges, including difficulties accessing statutory and health services, double-digit inflation, and reductions in local provision. In response, our staff and volunteers have once again worked tirelessly to remain agile, responsive, and creative in alleviating the distress and anxiety experienced by many older people in our community.

For much of this financial year, Age Concern Luton was without its Director and founding employee, Colette McKeaveney DL OBE, as she faced serious ill health.

Colette’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in building Age Concern Luton from the ground up. Her legacy is one of compassion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to older people. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I express our deepest gratitude for everything Colette has achieved. She has touched countless lives, and her contribution to this charity and to the community of Luton will never be forgotten.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Chair’s Foreword (continued)

We also offer our sincere thanks to the staff team, who ensured the organisation remained operational, maintained and increased service delivery, and worked within agreed budgets throughout this challenging period.

Despite the challenging operating environment, I am delighted that Age Concern Luton has continued to deliver significant impact for older people across the borough. Delivering charitable services in urban areas—particularly those experiencing high levels of deprivation—has become increasingly difficult, with rising demand and growing competition for volunteers and resources. Against this backdrop, the charity’s performance is testament to the strength, resilience, and commitment of the team. During the year, we achieved the following outcomes:

We are deeply grateful to our partners—particularly colleagues within the NHS and Luton Rising / Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF)—for their collaboration and flexibility, which has enabled us to adapt our delivery to better meet the needs of older people. However, this necessary focus on service continuity has limited our capacity to develop new income streams, which will be a key priority in the coming years.

We are pleased that our Farley Hill charity shop has continued to perform strongly at a time when many charity shops are struggling to remain viable. This unrestricted income is vital in allowing us to support activities that fall outside funder criteria but remain essential to the wellbeing of older people.

In response to the prolonged absence of the Director, the Board appointed a Management Consultant to undertake a review of the charity’s Constitution and Risk Register. This work has strengthened our governance framework and ensured that we remain aligned with Charity Commission requirements and best practice.

We were also pleased to welcome three new trustees in August 2024, all of whom bring substantial leadership experience and have helped strengthen the skills and capacity of the Board, particularly following the retirement of previous trustees.

Following Colette’s resignation, the Board appointed a Temporary Chief Executive Officer after an open recruitment process. Our new CEO commenced in post on 1 January 2025, and the appointment was confirmed as permanent from 1 August 2025. This provides the charity with stability and strong leadership as we move into the next phase of development.

Our core strength remains our exceptional team of staff and volunteers. While we refer to “services,” in reality we operate as one integrated team, with all functions working collaboratively to provide a single, joined-up point of access for older people and professionals supporting their care. This approach ensures that our work remains outcome-focused and centred on the needs of those we serve.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Chair’s Foreword (continued)

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who fund our work, and to every member of staff and volunteer who has contributed to improving the quality of life for older people in Luton. We recognise how difficult it has been for those working on the frontline to continue delivering services with compassion and professionalism throughout 2024 and into 2025.

We also thank our management and support teams who have worked diligently behind the scenes to sustain services while responding to new and emerging challenges. Their commitment, flexibility, and problem-solving have been invaluable.

The Trustees would like to express particular thanks to Richard Robinson, CEO of Hourglass, and Dr Mary Harrington, Trustee of Hourglass, for their invaluable guidance and support during the extended period without a CEO. Their experience and generosity of time played a significant role in helping the organisation navigate this difficult period. We are also sincerely grateful to Mrs Lana Haslam for sharing her expertise in Human Resources and Employment Law, which has been greatly valued by the Board.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to strengthening governance, expanding income generation, and continuing to develop our services so that Age Concern Luton can remain a trusted source of support for older people across the borough.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Services Overview for the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025

1) Hospital Discharge Meet and Greet

This service is free to users and provides practical face-to-face support to older people leaving hospital or care. The provision remains essential in helping people return home safely, avoid delays in discharge (thereby ensuring beds are available for new patients), and supports people to remain at home rather than requiring readmission.

Following the change in monitoring introduced previously, this period represents the second full year using the new monitoring template. While this approach no longer generates projected savings figures, it continues to provide clearer information on the breadth and volume of work delivered through the service.

Within the reporting period, 496 new patients were supported, representing a slight decrease compared with the previous year (511) but consistent with pre-pandemic levels. The service continues to ensure that each visit covers a range of practical interventions relevant to discharge. On average, each patient receives over three interventions — including the provision of key-safes, food parcels (and shopping), furniture rearrangement, and ensuring properties are clean, tidy, and ready for return home. Increasing emphasis is placed on helping patients build confidence and shaping the service around their needs and experiences.

As in previous years, we continue to collect feedback through our updated survey system. Of those who stated a preference, 89% strongly agreed that they would recommend the service to a friend and 8% agreed, with just one respondent expressing dissatisfaction across several areas. All other respondents felt that the Meet & Greet service helped the discharge process run smoothly, that Age Concern Luton staff listened to them, and that they would consider using our services again in future. This consistently positive feedback highlights the ongoing value of the service and the trust placed in our staff by both patients and partners.

The service continues to contribute to efficiency savings within statutory services through safer, speedier discharges and admission avoidance. We maintain excellent relationships with our trusted partners and continue to adapt the service in response to their needs and those of patients. The net outcomes achieved through Meet & Greet include reduced re-admission, admission avoidance, greater patient satisfaction, improved referrer experience, enhanced recovery, safer support at home, and speedier, safer discharges.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Services Overview for the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 (continued)

2) Home Repair

This service provides practical, face-to-face support to older people, helping them to remain safe and independent in their own homes. It continues to be essential in supporting timely hospital discharge, enabling care at home, and reducing the risk of hospital admission.

During the reporting period, 1,095 Luton residents were supported, 88% of beneficiaries were aged over 61, and 12% were aged 91 or over.

The vast majority of service users live alone in Luton’s most deprived wards, underscoring the ongoing importance of this service in supporting older, low-income residents to live safely at home. Without these interventions, carers would face significant risks and delays when delivering care packages.

The most requested handyman interventions remain key safes and other safety-related installations such as grab rails. Most key safes continue to be fitted on the same calendar day following referral from health or social care professionals, enabling safer and timely discharge. These interventions are also critical in allowing terminally ill residents to remain at home where this is their and their family’s preference. The team continues to reorganise living spaces by moving beds and furniture to create micro-living environments for safe care delivery, and installs assistive technologies to promote safety and quality of life.

The Home Repair team works closely with the Enhancing Lives, and Getting On to provide practical help and advice to those at risk of, or experiencing, fuel poverty. Emergency heater loans are delivered within hours of referral, ensuring no resident waits long in the cold. Alongside this, energy efficiency and insulation support remains a priority. Specialist thermal clothing, pocket and hand warmers, and blankets are distributed to those without central heating, and eligible residents are assisted to access grants for new boilers and insulation.

Gardening provision continued this year following previous successes. Despite staffing challenges and poor weather, income rose to £14,514. compared with £12,419 in 2023/24. Income remains variable due to staff availability and weather, and no registration or holding fees are charged.

Service recipients were overwhelmingly positive about the help they received from the Home Repair scheme, describing it as excellent or good, and all respondents said they would recommend the service to others.

In August, the service purchased a new van, intended to increase visibility of the service and promote additional take-up. Its impact will be monitored over time.

The net outcomes achieved through Home Repair include reduced risk of falls and hospital admission, improved home safety and security, reduced risk of cold-related illness, greater peace of mind, enhanced opportunities to remain living independently, and increased enjoyment and confidence in the home environment.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Services Overview for the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 (continued)

3) Home Support – Domestic cleaning and shopping

This service provides practical domestic support, including cleaning, shopping, laundry, and bill payment, to frail and disabled adults living in their own homes. It remains essential in helping older and disabled residents maintain their independence and quality of life.

During the reporting period, 11,462 hours of support were delivered. This continues a downward trend following respective decreases in the previous years.

The reduction reflects ongoing challenges in finding clients who both wish to receive support in their homes and felt able to meet the associated costs. Advances in online shopping, improvements in digital literacy among older people, and greater family involvement, in part due to more flexible working patterns, have also contributed to lower demand.

The service continues to support disabled older people without additional charges, including registration, assessment, PPE surcharges, and travel contributions. Historically, funding allowed us to provide additional administrative support for clients whose affairs are managed by POA arrangements or via Safe Custody/Direct Payments. Although no longer funded, we have continued to offer this support without levying extra charges on individuals or their supporting organisations.

Demand remains focused on those in greater crisis rather than early-stage support, meaning new referrals often require more intensive discussions with carers and professionals. Ad-hoc support is provided to those unable to afford a regular service or to offer respite to carers.

Staff on the scheme provide more than domestic assistance; they support clients to maintain independence, well-being, and quality of life, cross-referring to other services both within Age Concern Luton and externally.

Typically, over 91% of service users self-report disabilities, and 13% are aged 91 or over. The service operates across Luton and supports all sections of the town’s diverse population.

Home Support remains one of the charity’s longest-running services. As the only year-round chargeable service, it continues to balance affordability for lower-income clients with the costs of delivery. This includes supporting clients who are not served by other providers due to factors such as financial access, poor payment history, safeguarding concerns, or location.

Market research undertaken in early 2024 indicates that the service remains among the most cost effective nationally, with a rate of £18 per hour via Standing Order, while continuing to offer Real Living Wage-level pay for delivery staff.

The Home Support service delivers tangible benefits for older people, including reduced isolation, improved living conditions, lower risk of falls, better nutrition, increased independence and dignity, improved hygiene and overall health, and reduced anxiety and depression. The service also remains a key enabler for care plans and for other agencies supporting older people in the community.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Services Overview for the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 (continued)

4) Enhancing Lives

The service continues to maintain its Advice Quality Standard (AQS) accreditation, reflecting our ongoing commitment to providing a high-quality, independently verified advice service. Our experienced team provides outreach appointments to housebound clients in addition to office based,

online, and telephone advice. This approach allows us to assist a greater number of people and to increase the proportion of completed cases, resulting in better and more sustainable outcomes for older people.

While feedback from our most vulnerable clients confirms that face-to-face appointments remain the most effective way to achieve the best outcomes, we have made further progress in working with family members and undertaking remote assessments where appropriate. Our commitment remains to offer services flexibly, adapting to client needs. The team has also demonstrated creativity in ensuring access for those unable to engage digitally e.g. by sourcing mobile telephones so clients could speak directly with social workers or by taking electronic devices into people’s homes to complete applications.

We have had to work harder with partners to generate referrals due to a 7% reduction in the number of people phoning the organisation (6,579 answered calls in 2024/25 compared with 7,035 in 2023/24) and a continuing trend of reduced footfall within the town centre for drop-in advice.

Despite this, overall service levels have been maintained and outcomes have continued to improve. We continue to support the carers of older people both in accessing entitlements and in navigating the benefits system. Our team provides ‘better off’ calculations to help carers understand their income position and manage the potential financial impact of caring responsibilities.

In 2024/25, the service supported 691 people, with 201 of these receiving more in-depth casework. While the total number of people supported was marginally lower than the previous year (705), a higher proportion required detailed and complex work, reflecting the growing intensity of need. The service secured an annualised total of £1,072,802.10 in new or increased benefits which is a 10.76% increase on the previous year’s £968,572.28. This represents a significant injection of income into Luton’s local economy, enabling older people to live more comfortably and to access the care they need.

More than two-thirds of Service Users are aged over 75, seeking help with benefits, care, and support to live independently. A small proportion (under 7%) are below pensionable age, typically disabled people, carers, or those experiencing housing-related difficulties. Many of these younger clients are supported to attend or are represented at PIP assessments, having faced sanctions or destitution prior to referral. Increasingly, clients are presenting with issues of poor or insecure housing, often living in neglected accommodation.

The service works closely with other Age Concern Luton teams to ensure these clients have food, heating, and temporary stability while negotiations continue with housing and statutory agencies. These complex cases are time-intensive and have inevitably affected the total number of people the team can support each year.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Services Overview for the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 (continued)

4) Enhancing Lives

The net outcomes for clients using the Enhancing Lives service include increased income, improved knowledge and confidence, access to advice and advocacy, and support to make informed choices. The service also assists clients to obtain Blue Badges and other non-monetary entitlements where applicable.

Overall, the Enhancing Lives service continues to play a vital role in improving the financial stability, housing security, and wellbeing of older and vulnerable people across Luton, ensuring that they can live independently and with dignity for as long as possible.

5) Wellbeing – Getting On, Befriending, Telephone Club, Community Transport and Lunch Clubs

Befriending has continued to focus on one-to-one interventions, delivered either via telephone calls or home visits. While there remains some demand for larger-scale social activities and clubs, older people are generally less inclined to participate in these due to the associated costs and logistical barriers such as transport and membership fees.

This pattern has also been reflected among volunteers, who continue to enjoy the social aspects of working within a team but have been less willing to take on organisational or leadership roles within clubs and group activities.

The changed post–Covid-19 environment continues to impact on community engagement, with substantially fewer town-wide activities available for older people. As a result, services such as Getting On have increasingly focused on in-home interventions. Demand for these remains high, however, the continued shortage of suitable volunteers means referrals must still be prioritised for those who most clearly meet eligibility criteria with specific focus on age and quality/number of networks.

While Telephone Club users saw a slight reduction in 2024/25, this was offset by a significant increase in those supported through the Visiting Scheme. Taken together, the combined number of older people supported across these services increased by 7% compared with the previous year.

We continue to work closely with volunteers to strengthen the matching process and ensure that each pairing or contact arrangement is appropriate, sustainable, and beneficial for both parties. Our Vesper lunch club remains closed, and the team continue to explore external opportunities of suitable group-based activities for older people seeking this type of social intervention.

The outcomes achieved by the wellbeing strand include improved diet and reduced risk of malnutrition; reduced loneliness and depression through increased social contact; earlier identification of deteriorating mental and physical health; and effective signposting and referrals to other services for additional support.

Overall, the Wellbeing services continue to provide essential social, emotional, and practical support for older people in Luton, helping them maintain connection, confidence, and stability in their daily lives despite ongoing pressures on volunteer capacity.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Activities and achievements (continued)

Services Overview for the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 (continued)

6) Farley Big Local

We continued in our role as the accountable body for Farley Big Local (FBL). Now in its penultimate year, the project must commit all remaining funds for expenditure by 2026. These funds are not available for the work of Age Concern Luton; rather, we administer the programme to support the people of Farley Hill in realising their community vision and priorities. The project remains accountable to the Big Local Trust on behalf of the National Lottery Community Fund.

Work began in March on the development of a new community play park located by the football pitches on Stockwood Park. This represents a major achievement for the partnership and a substantial investment of approximately £120k to be paid in the next financial period, delivered in collaboration with Luton Borough Council and KOMPAN. The partnership also continued to support STEM tutoring to enable additional learning and raise aspirations among local children and young people, with a total investment of £140,000 over the course of the agreement.

Alongside these capital and educational projects, FBL continues to support its well-established festivals, Community Chest awards, and local activities, ensuring that residents continue to benefit directly from the initiative.

We are also pleased to report the establishment of a successor organisation – Farley Community Group – which has received support from FBL and intends to continue much of the excellent work already achieved, while introducing new initiatives to meet the evolving needs of Farley residents.

7) Community Development

We continued to offer support to local community organisations and small charities with HR, Governance, and Health and Safety advice free of charge because we see it as a way of improving Luton, which in turn is in the interests of older people. We partake in statutory and voluntary sectors groups & boards in order to both share best practice and also improve our learning of local provision and how we can better support older people in need.

8) Charity Shop

We operate a charity shop to create unrestricted income for the benefit of our beneficiaries. This year improved use of volunteers and more effective planning helped reduce staffing costs. Unfortunately, we have seen a drop in gift aid eligible donations and, whilst inflationary pressures began to ease, these still outstrip any rise in sales. The shop still remains a net contributor to the charity.

We have entered negotiations with Luton Borough Council in order to secure a longer-term tenancy though expect this will increase costs in future years. Similarly continuing inflationary pressures and rises in minimum wage legislation, with Age Concern Luton’s determination to remain a Real Living Wage employer will likely affect profitability in the next accounting period.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

9) Volunteers

Volunteer recruitment still remains a concern for the charity. While our Retail volunteer numbers remain strong, increasing volunteers for our Wellbeing services has been problematic. Work done in order to streamline applications, improve contact during the application process and increase peer volunteer support have not led to any noticeable improvements. The charity will continue to search for new ways of growing volunteer numbers.

Volunteers working for the charity continue to report high personal satisfaction with their role and mention benefits such as feeling connected to others, and the belief that they are spending their time in a way that is satisfying and worthwhile. The ethos of Age Concern Luton continues to be that older people are best able to deliver this kind of service and so many prospective service users instead become service deliverers and this only increases their sense of wellbeing and community.

We believe we are unique within our borough for taking this approach and are very proud of the work of our volunteers and those who provide them with mentoring and support.

Income generation

The overall incoming resources were £739,743 (2024: £1,000,289).

Age Concern Luton is the accountable body for Farley Big Local (FBL), a Big Local Trust project on behalf of the National Lottery Community Fund. All funds received for Farley Big Local are not available for the work of Age Concern Luton. Total income for Age Concern Luton activities in 2024/25 was £606,356 (excluding FBL income) and Age Concern Luton expenditure in 2024/25 was £723,334 (excluding FBL expenditure).

Transfers between funds to meet the unfunded portion of costs were necessary and are detailed in note 8 on page 30. In total this amounted to £10,347 from the General Fund to restricted funds (2024: £138,442) in order to maintain essential activities following some funding losses.

Although reserves look healthy, most of the amounts are held as functional operational property at Vesper House and King Street. Free reserves at 31 March 2025 are £826,185 (2024: £938,643) which represents approximately 12 months running costs.

The charity is constantly reviewing all the current service offers in partnership with the people we serve and the volunteers and staff who deliver the services. This dialogue enables it to develop and adapt to ensure relevance to the needs of older people in Luton and to act in the most cost effective and relevant ways. Developing fundraising, particularly public donations, is essential if the charity is to meet the needs of the poorest in our community.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Future activities

Age Concern Luton is committed to providing high quality, affordable or free and reliable services for all our service users and to expand the work we carry out where possible. The Trustees will focus their attention over the coming year on carefully managing funds to achieve this.

Specifically, the Trustees have agreed plans to work towards the following objectives:

Reserves policy and risk management

The Charities Risk management strategy comprises of:

The various management committees continue to be vigilant in identifying and mitigating risks and a risk register is maintained and reported on to the Trustees at Board meetings. The Trustees have taken steps to identify risks and implemented measures to mitigate these risks. The key risk to the charity is potential cuts in income from public funding and lower income from shops. To mitigate these risks the Trustees have given priority to the development of a structured fundraising plan and the structuring of our reserves to ensure adequate provision for the future of the charity.

The Trustees believe unrestricted financial reserves should be held because of the charity’s dependence on funding from statutory authorities. The continuous risk that all, or some, of our funding may be withdrawn is assessed and mitigated by the holding of adequate reserves. In the event of withdrawal of funding, Age Concern Luton would use reserves to continue services for a period, either bridging the gap if alternative funding could be found or withdrawing slowly from service users for them to be able to seek alternative care arrangements.

Decisions of this nature will not be taken lightly and will be properly considered by the Trustees before implementation. In the opinion of the trustees, the minimum level of unrestricted reserves to be held should be equal to the value of nine months running costs. At the year-end free reserves of the General Fund amounted to £826,185 (2024: £938,643) which is consistent with the reserves policy.

Within unrestricted reserves, but not included in free reserves, is £323,374 (2024: £326,446) held under a designated fixed asset fund and £275,000 (2024: £275,000) held under a designated building fund for future projects.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Investment policy

The Trustees have reviewed the investment policy to ensure that the banks used by Age Concern Luton provide the best return and are appropriate for the charity sector and meet their requirements. The Trustees will continue to ensure the best returns on the funds held by Age Concern Luton in this difficult financial environment.

Acknowledgements

The Trustees extend sincere thanks to:

NHS BLMK ICB and Luton and Dunstable Hospital for their continued collaboration and support of the Hospital Discharge- Meet and Greet project.

Luton Borough Council/London Luton Airport Limited (LLAL) via BLCF for their ongoing financial support of many of our services. It is thanks to this support that we can provide vital services free of charge, or at nominal cost to those who are most in need.

We also remember fondly all those who left legacies or gifts in their Wills. Thank you to the grieving families who so generously donated money instead of funeral flowers.

Our thanks also go to Prof Greg Whyte OBE, our wonderful patron and champion who supports us tirelessly in many ways.

Trustees would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Richard Robinson, CEO Hourglass (Safer Ageing) and Dr Mary Harrington, Trustee, Hourglass, for their invaluable guidance and unwavering support during the challenging year we faced without a CEO. Their dedication and expertise were instrumental in navigating this period, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions.

Finally, the Trustees would also like to acknowledge and thank all those that have generously supported the work of Age Concern Luton during the year whether as individual donors, customers, or volunteers. Your contribution has been truly appreciated, and we hope to have your continued support.

Age Concern Luton

Trustees’ report For the year ended 31 March 2025

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees Report 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 & Wales 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 the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (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.

Approved by the Trustees on 28 January 2026

And signed on their behalf by

Ms Maxine Braham Trustee

Independent auditors’ report to the Trustees of Age Concern Luton

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Age Concern Luton (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the Trustees’ Report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the Trustees’ Report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Independent auditors’ report to the Trustees of Age Concern Luton

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities set out on page 17, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below:

Independent auditors’ report to the Trustees of Age Concern Luton

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements (continued)

In addition to the risk of management override of controls, we have identified revenue recognition as the area where the financial statements are most susceptible to material misstatement due to fraud. Audit procedures performed included a review of income paperwork and sample testing.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit

Independent auditors’ report to the Trustees of Age Concern Luton

Use of report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Alberto Di Lorenzo (Senior Statutory Auditor)

for and on behalf of HW Bedford Limited

Accountants and Statutory Auditor Woburn Court 2 Railton Court Kempston Bedford MK42 7PN

Date: 30 January 2026

HW Bedford Limited is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

Age Concern Luton

Statement of financial activities (including Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 March 2025

As restated As restated
2025 2025 2025
2025		 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total		 Total
Funds Funds Funds
Funds		 Funds
Notes £ £ £
£		 £
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies 6,823 - -
6,823		 32,621
Charitable activities:
LLAL income - 124,345 - 124,345 143,000
Recruitment and Retention - - - - -
Household Support service - - - - -
Befriending, wellbeing and lunch club service - - - - -
Hospital Discharge - 135,275 - 135,275 134,469
Farley Big Local - 113,387 - 113,387 325,979
Income from charitable services 225,056 - -
225,056		 240,850
Other trading activities 3 75,741 - -
75,741		 81,842
Investments:
Bank account interest 41,647 4,028 - 45,675 19,840
Other income 13,441 - -
13,441		 21,688
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Total income 362,708 377,035 - 739,743 1,000,289
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 3 56,205 - -
56,205		 59,211
Charitable activities 4 390,334 398,885 - 789,219 926,533
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Total expenditure 446,539 398,885 - 845,424 985,744
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Net (expenditure)/income (83,831)
(21,850)
-		 (105,681) 14,545
Transfers between funds 8, 14, 15 (10,347)
10,347		 -
-		 -
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Net movement in funds (94,178)
(11,503)
-		 (105,681) 14,545
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds at 1 April 2024 (as restated) 1,677,878 89,401 171,646 1,938,925 1,924,380
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
Total funds at 31 March 2025 14, 15, 16 1,583,700 77,898 171,646 1,833,244 1,938,925
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════

All operations are continuing operations.

The notes on pages 25 to 38 form part of these financial statements.

Age Concern Luton

Balance sheet As at 31 March 2025

Balance sheet
As at 31 March 2025		 Balance sheet
As at 31 March 2025		 Balance sheet
As at 31 March 2025		 Balance sheet
As at 31 March 2025
_____________
As restated
Notes 2025 2024
£ £
Fixed assets:
Tangible fixed assets 9 482,515 464,235
Fixed asset investments 10 325,035 321,861
───── ─────
Total fixed assets 807,550 786,096
───── ─────
Current assets:
Debtors 11 30,712 59,470
Cash at bank and in hand 12 1,107,478 1,215,666
───── ─────
Total current assets 1,138,190 1,275,136
───── ─────
Liabilities:
Creditors: amounts falling due 13 (112,496) (122,307)
within one year ───── ─────
Net current assets 1,025,694 1,152,829
───── ─────
Total assets less current liabilities 1,833,244 1,938,925
───── ─────
Total net assets 1,833,244 1,938,925
═════ ═════
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted funds 14 1,583,700 1,677,878
Restricted funds 15 77,898 89,401
Endowment funds 16 171,646 171,646
───── ─────
Total charity funds 17 1,833,244 1,938,925
═════ ═════

The notes on pages 25 to 38 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements were approved by the trustees on 28 January 2026

And signed on their behalf by

Ms Maxine Braham Trustee

Age Concern Luton

Statement of cash flows For the year ended 31 March 2025

Statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 March 2025		 Statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 March 2025		 Statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 March 2025		 Statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 March 2025
_____________
Notes 2025 2024
£ £
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used in operating activities 22 (122,254) (40,992)
───── ─────
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest and dividend income 45,675 19,840
Interest income allocated to fixed asset investments (3,174) (1,722)
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (28,435) -
───── ─────
Net cash used in investing activities 14,066 18,118
───── ─────
Change in cash and cash equivalents in (108,188) (22,874)
the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginning of the year 1,215,666 1,238,540
───── ─────
Cash and cash equivalents at the
end of the year 1,107,478 1,215,666
═════ ═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting policies

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note to these accounts.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

The financial statements have been prepared to give a true and fair view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern due to the current level of reserves and the fact that the charity actively tries to raise additional funds each year to cover any excess of expenditure over income.

1.2 Grants and contracts

These comprise amounts receivable during the year. Where income is received in advance of entitlement of receipt, its recognition is deferred and included in creditors as deferred income. Where entitlement occurs before income is received, the income is accrued.

1.3 Donations

Donations are accounted for when the criteria of entitlement, measurement and probability of receipt are met. Donations from goods donated for resale in the charity shops are recognised when the goods are sold.

1.4 Commissions

Commissions are accounted for when receivable.

1.5 Operating leases

Where there is a rent-free period, the cost of the lease is spread over the term of the lease to the next rent review date.

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

Accounting policies (continued)

1.6 Allocation of costs

Staff costs are allocated over direct charitable expenditure and management and administration on the basis of time spent. Premises costs are allocated by usage. Other direct costs are allocated by the purpose of the expenditure. Liabilities are recognised on an accruals basis in the period to which they relate.

1.7 Governance costs

Governance costs are those costs associated with maintaining the governance of the charity as opposed to the management of the charity’s activities.

1.8 Fixed assets and depreciation

Fixed assets are recorded at cost.

Assets are depreciated at rates which the Trustees consider will write down the assets over the period of their useful economic lives. The rates used are as follows:

Freehold property (40% of cost) 50 years, straight line method
Freehold property improvements 50 years, straight line method
Leasehold property improvements Straight line method over the lease term
Office equipment 20%, reducing balance method
Computer equipment 33%, reducing balance method
Motor vehicles 25%, reducing balance method

1.9 Investments

Investments are held in the form of charity accounts with a bank or building society and are recognised at the amount held in the account at the balance sheet date. Any interest received from the account is included in investment income on a receivable basis.

1.10 Charity shop income and expenditure

Charity shop costs are those costs which are directly attributable to the charity shops. These costs are included in the Statement of Financial Activities under incoming resources as Costs of Generating Funds to give a total of net incoming resources available for charitable application.

1.11 Stock

Stocks are recognised at the lower of cost or estimated selling price less costs to sell, less any provision for slow-moving or obsolete stock.

1.12 Pension costs

The charity operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. Contributions payable are charged as an expense in the year they are payable and are allocated between funds in line with the allocation of the related gross pay.

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

Accounting policies (continued)

1.13 Fund accounting

General funds reflect the accumulated unrestricted reserves of the charity. They are available for use at the Trustees’ discretion, in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds are also unrestricted funds, but represent funds set aside for a specific purpose by the Trustees. Endowment funds are funds where there is no power to convert the capital into income, and must generally be held indefinitely. Restricted funds are those funds where a restriction on their use has been imposed by the donors.

2 Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision only affects that period, or in the period of revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

In the opinion of the trustees there are no critical accounting judgements or estimation uncertainties within the charity.

3 Charity shop income and expenditure

2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Income 75,741 81,842
Expenditure
Salary and other staff costs 35,720 33,719
Rent and rates 8,838 13,322
Other shop costs 11,647 12,170
───── ─────
(56,205) (59,211)
───── ─────
Net (expenditure)/income 19,536 22,631
═════ ═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

4 Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities

2025 Other
Salary staff Premises Other 2025
costs costs
costs		 costs Total
£ £
£		 £ £
Care for the elderly 463,801 23,588
7,875		 132,845 628,109
Support and governance 86,639 1,633
29,075		 43,763 161,110
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
550,440 25,221
36,950		 176,608 789,219
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════
2024 Other As restated
Salary staff Premises Other 2024
costs costs
costs		 costs Total
£ £
£		 £ £
Care for the elderly 438,346 19,937
4,365		 306,420 769,068
Support and governance 85,645 - 23,853 47,967 157,465
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
523,991 19,937
28,218		 354,387 926,533
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════
Included in premises costs is depreciation of £10,156 (2024: £6,760).

5 Allocation of governance and support costs

The breakdown of support costs and how these were allocated between governance and other support costs is shown below.

2025 Support Governance 2025 Basis of
costs costs Total apportionment
£ £ £
Staff costs 85,139 1,500 86,639 Staff time
Depreciation 9,760 - 9,760 Staff time
Premises costs 19,315 - 19,315 Invoiced cost
Office costs 12,600 - 12,600 Invoiced cost
Advertising costs - - - Invoiced cost
Travel costs 1,633 - 1,633 Invoiced cost
Subscriptions 893 - 893 Invoiced cost
Professional fees 21,706 - 21,706 Invoiced cost
Auditor’s remuneration - 6,600 6,600 Governance
Bank charges 1,894 - 1,894 Invoiced cost
Sundry expenses 70 - 70 Invoiced cost
───── ───── ─────
153,010 8,100 161,110
═════ ═════ ═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

5 Allocation of governance and support costs

2024 Support Governance 2024 Basis of
costs costs Total apportionment
£ £ £
Staff costs 84,145 1,500 85,645 Staff time
Depreciation 6,760 - 6,760 Staff time
Premises costs 17,093 - 17,093 Invoiced cost
Office costs 17,963 - 17,963 Invoiced cost
Advertising costs 76 - 76 Invoiced cost
Travel costs - - - Invoiced cost
Subscriptions 857 - 857 Invoiced cost
Professional fees 20,449 - 20,449 Invoiced cost
Auditor’s remuneration - 6,600 6,600 Governance
Bank charges 1,833 - 1,833 Invoiced cost
Sundry expenses 189 - 189 Invoiced cost
───── ───── ─────
149,365 8,100 157,465
═════ ═════ ═════

6 Net (expenditure)/income for the year

This is stated after charging:

This is stated after charging:
2025 2024
£ £
Auditors remuneration for audit services 6,600 6,600
Depreciation 10,155 7,336
Rent – land and buildings 8,539 13,244
═════ ═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

7 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

management personnel
2025 2024
£ £
Salaries 585,045 550,106
Social Security costs 36,929 30,128
Pension Costs 11,776 11,669
───── ─────
633,750 591,903
═════ ═════

Of the above payroll costs, £35,720 (2024: £33,719) is allocated against the charity shop income.

The Trustees are not remunerated for their work as Trustees. During the year one Trustee (2024: none) was reimbursed for travelling expenses aggregating to £480 (2024: £nil).

During the year there were 7 full time and 11 part time employees (2024: 7 full time and 13 part time), as well as approximately 24 part-time home support workers (2024: 28).

The charity considers its key management personnel to comprise the trustees and Director. The total employment benefits including employer pension contributions of the key management personnel were £45,632 (2024: £61,387). No employees earned more than £60,000 (2024: one employee earned in the band £60,000 to £70,000).

8 Transfers

The analysis of the net transfer of £10,347 from the general fund to restricted funds is shown below.

below.
£
Transfers from the general fund:
For the unfunded element of the HIA and Handyman fund 32,178
For the unfunded element of the Befriending and Wellbeing fund 38,292
For the unfunded element of the Enhancing Lives fund 60,708
For the unfunded element of the lunch club costs 3,514
Transfers from the restricted fund:
For the core costs funded by LLAL (124,345)
─────
Net transfer amount 10,347
═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

9 Fixed assets

Freehold Property Office Computer Motor
Property Improvements Equipment Equipment Vehicles
Total
£ £ £ £ £
Cost
At 1 April 2024 504,023 40,349 85,797 27,256
-		 657,425
Additions - - - 11,440
16,995
28,435
────── ────── ────── ────── ────── ──────
At 31 March 2025 504,023 40,349 85,797 38,696
16,995
685,860
────── ────── ────── ────── ────── ──────
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024 73,808 17,886 76,391 25,105
-		 193,190
Charge for the year 4,032 596 1,886 1,386
2,255
10,155
────── ────── ────── ────── ────── ──────
At 31 March 2025 77,840 18,482 78,277 26,491
2,255
203,345
────── ────── ────── ────── ────── ──────
Net book values
31 March 2025 426,183 21,867 7,520 12,205
14,740
482,515
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════
═════
31 March 2024 430,215 22,463 9,406 2,151
-		 464,235
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════
═════
10 Fixed asset investments
2025 2024
£ £
Endowment fund 305,035 301,861
National savings bond 20,000 20,000
───── ─────
325,035 321,861
═════ ═════

The balance at the year end includes interest of £3,174 (2024: £1,722) being received. The endowment fund is held in a Charity Investment Account with Santander.

11 Debtors

Debtors
As restated
2025 2024
£ £
Other debtors 4,591 29,564
Prepayments and accrued income 24,017 28,169
Customer balances 2,104 1,737
───── ─────
30,712 59,470
═════ ═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

12 Bank balances

Bank balances
2025 2024
£ £
Current account 1,106,870 1,214,351
Petty cash 608 1,315
───── ─────
1,107,478 1,215,666
═════ ═════

Included within the above totals is a net amount of £11,485 due to customers (2024: net amount of £15,213 due to customers).

13 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

2025 2024
£ £
Taxation and social security - -
Other creditors 74,740 66,288
Accruals and deferred income 24,167 39,069
Client accounts 13,589 16,950
───── ─────
112,496 122,307
═════ ═════

Included in accruals is an amount in respect of pension contributions of £2,211 (2024: £1,479) outstanding at the year end.

Deferred income

Deferred income
2025 2024
£ £
At 1 April 2024 - -
Received during the year - -
Released to incoming resources - -
───── ─────
At 31 March 2025 - -
═════ ═════

Income is deferred when it relates to a future accounting period. There was no deferred income at 31 March 2025.

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

14 Unrestricted funds

As restated Movement in year Movement in year
Balance at Incoming Resources Balance at
1 April 2024 resources expended Transfers 31 March 2025
£ £ £ £ £
General fund 1,076,432 362,708 (443,467) (10,347) 985,326
Designated fixed
asset fund 326,446 - (3,072) - 323,374
Designated building
fund 275,000 - - - 275,000
_ _ _ _ _
1,677,878 362,708 (446,539) (10,347) 1,583,700
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════

During the year ended 31 March 2006 a large grant was received towards the purchase of the building at 39 King Street. During that year the Trustees took the decision to designate part of the general fund to represent the net book value of the assets held as at 31 March 2006. The fund is reduced each year by the depreciation charged in respect of those assets.

During the year ended 31 March 2011 the Trustees created a new designated fund for reserves to be held for a Building Fund for a future project to build sheltered accommodation for older people. The Trustees are aiming for the Building Project to be completed within the next five years and consequently will be seeking additional funding.

15 Restricted funds

Movement in year Movement in year
Balance at Incoming Resources Balance at
1 April 2024 resources expended Transfers 31 March 2025
£ £ £ £ £
Core funding - 124,345 - (124,345) -
Befriending and Wellbeing - - (38,292) 38,292 -
Home Repair and Handyman 30,000 - (34,433) 32,178 27,745
Enhancing Lives - - (60,708) 60,708 -
Lunch clubs - 4,028 (7,542) 3,514 -
Hospital Discharge (1,244) 135,275 (135,191) - (1,160)
Farley Big Local 43,356 113,387 (122,090) - 34,653
Long Term Conditions 5,289 - - - 5,289
IT Project 12,000 - (629) - 11,371
Spread the Warmth - - - - -
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
89,401 377,035 (398,885) 10,347 77,898
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════

The befriending and wellbeing fund includes the grants and donations income and related expenditure for the charity’s Digital Mondays project.

The deficit balance on the Hospital Discharge fund will be cleared with funding in the following year.

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

15 Restricted funds (continued)

The charity acts as the locally trusted organisation for the Farley Big Local partnership. The unspent funds included in the above balance were returned to the funder after the year end due to an overall project underspend.

Details of the transfers are in note 8 on page 30.

Name of fund Nature, purpose and description of fund
Core funding Funding received from LLAL
Recruitment and Retention Funding received to support staff in their training and
ongoing development
Covid-19 For supporting older people through the pandemic
Household Support For supporting older people in their households
Befriending and Wellbeing For services to promote social support and companionship.
Home Support For supporting older people to remain living in their own
homes.
Home Repair and Handyman For providing repairs to homes of older people and to ensure
the homes are safe and secure for the resident.
Enhancing Lives For services to provide support to older people, including
with applications for financial and other support.
Lunch clubs For the lunch clubs held at Vesper House.
Hospital Discharge For the support of patients who have recently been
discharged from hospital.
Farley Big Local For the improvement of the Farley Hill local area.
Long Term Conditions For the support of people with a long term condition.
IT Project Grants received for the upgrade of the charity’s IT
equipment.
Spread the Warmth Donations received to help people keep warm in winter.

Further details about the activities carried in relation to the above funds are contained in the Trustees Report.

Age Concern Luton is the accountable body for Farley Big Local (FBL), a Big Local Trust project on behalf of the National Lottery Community Fund. All funds received for Farley Big Local are not available for the work of Age Concern Luton.

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

16 Endowment funds

The endowment fund of £171,646 was transferred from Vesper House in 2006 and the income is used to support the Vesper House lunch clubs.

17 Net assets held by funds

Cash
Fixed at bank & Other
Assets Investments Assets Creditors Total
£ £ £ £ £
General fund 482,515 1,182,969 30,712 (112,496) 1,583,700
Restricted fund - 77,898 - - 77,898
Endowment fund - 171,646 - - 171,646
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
482,515 1,432,513 30,712 (112,496) 1,833,244
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════

18 Financial commitments

At 31 March 2025 the charity had total outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows:

2025 2024
£ £
Land and buildings/other leases:
Within one year 4,531 4,756
Between 2 and 5 years 7,902 12,433
In over 5 years - -
───── ─────
Total future minimum lease payments 12,433 17,189
═════ ═════

There are no capital commitments (2024: £nil).

19 Contingent liabilities

There are no contingent liabilities at the year end (2024: £nil).

20 Related party transactions

The charity received donations from trustees of £nil in the year (2024: £220). There are no other related party transactions during the year that require disclosure.

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

21 Prior year adjustment

During the year an adjustment was made to the comparative figures for the year ended 31 March 2022 in relation to a balance that was included in debtors that was found to be irrecoverable. A prepayment for some IT services was included in debtors in the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022. However, the company to which the money had been paid went into liquidation during the year ended 31 March 2022 and therefore the services will now not be received from the company. The comparative figure for debtors has now been adjusted and the cost has been included in unrestricted expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2022. The effect of this adjustment is:

£
Opening reserves at 1 April 2022 (as previously stated) 1,845,216
Prior year adjustment (13,824)
─────
Opening reserves at 1 April 2022 (as restated) 1,831,392
─────

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

22 Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows

Reconciliation of net (expenditure)/income to net cash flow from operating activities

2025 2024
£ £
Net income for the year (105,681) 14,545
Less investment income shown in investing activities (45,675) (19,840)
Add back depreciation 10,155 7,336
(Increase)/decrease in debtors 28,758 (33,108)
(Decrease) in creditors (9,811) (9,925)
───── ─────
Net cash flow from operating activities (122,254) (40,992)
═════ ═════
Cash and cash equivalents
Year ended 31 March 2025 2025 2024
£ £
Cash and cash equivalents 1,107,478 1,215,666
═════ ═════
Year ended 31 March 2024 2024 2023
£ £
Cash and cash equivalents 1,215,666 1,238,540
═════ ═════
Analysis of changes in net funds
2024 Cash flow 2025
£ £ £
Net cash
Cash at bank and in hand 1,215,666 (108,188) 1,107,478
───── ───── ─────
1,215,666 (108,188) 1,107,478
───── ───── ─────
1,215,666 (108,188) 1,107,478
═════ ═════ ═════

Age Concern Luton

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

23 Comparative Statement of Financial Activities

The Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2024 is presented for illustrative purposes.

As restated As restated As restated
2024 2024 2024 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies 32,621 - - 32,621
Charitable activities:
LLAL income - 143,000 - 143,000
Recruitment and Retention - - - -
Household Support service - - - -
Befriending and lunch club service - - - -
Hospital Discharge - 134,469 - 134,469
Farley Big Local - 325,979 - 325,979
Income from charitable services 240,850 - - 240,850
Other trading activities 81,842 - - 81,842
Investments:
Bank account interest 18,840 1,000 - 19,840
Other income 21,688 - - 21,688
───── ───── ───── ─────
Total income 395,841 604,448 - 1,000,289
───── ───── ───── ─────
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 59,211 - - 59,211
Charitable activities 225,614 700,919 - 926,533
───── ───── ───── ─────
Total expenditure 284,825 700,919 - 985,744
───── ───── ───── ─────
Net (expenditure)/income 111,016 (96,471)
-		 14,545
Transfers between funds (138,442)
138,442		 - -
───── ───── ───── ─────
Net movement in funds (27,426)
41,971		 - 14,545
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds at 1 April 2023 1,705,304 47,430 171,646 1,924,380
───── ───── ───── ─────
Total funds at 31 March 2024 1,677,878 89,401 171,646 1,938,925
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════