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2023-03-31-accounts

ASTON-MANSFIELD (A company limited by guarantee) REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Charity Registration Number: 220085 Company Number: 48350

ASTON MANSFIELD

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Contents Page
Reference and administrative information 1
Trustees’ report 2 - 22
Auditors’ report 23 - 25
Statement of financial activities 26
Balance sheet 27
Cashflow statement 28
Notes to the financial statements 29 - 44

ASTON-MANSFIELD

REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Trustees Christopher C Keen (Chairman)
Rev Paul Regan
Noor Choudary
Alex Minford (Deputy Chairman)
Mahendra Savjani
Rehan Akhtar
Rev Jeremy Fraser
Mr Mohammad Khan
Mr Asif Mangera
Emily Miles (Resigned 2 January 2023)
Dr Joanne Beckmann
Tendai Munjayi (Treasurer appointed 24 January 2023)
Chief Executive Officer Claire Helman
Secretary Eileen Da-Silva
Bankers National Westminster Bank Plc Co-operative Bank Plc
Ground Floor, Gredley House 80 Cornhill
1-11 Broadway London
Stratford EC3V 3NJ
London
E15 4WG
Auditors Haysmacintyre LLP
10 Queen Street Place
London
EC4R 1AG
Solicitors Russell-Cooke
2 Putney Hill
Putney
London
SW15 6AB
Registered Office Durning Hall
Earlham Grove
Forest Gate
London
E7 9AB

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ASTON-MANSFIELD TRUSTEES’ REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, present the annual report and the audited financial statements of the organisation for the year ended 31 March 2023 which have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (revised 2019) and the Companies Act 2006.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objects of the charity are to develop the community wealth of East London and promote a diverse and inclusive society in which all are free to participate. These are achieved through several structured programmes and a range of activities supporting people of all ages, creeds, cultures, and abilities, principally within the London Borough of Newham.

The Newham Context

Newham is an economically vulnerable borough with many residents affected by high London costs but low wages. It has a young and ethnically diverse population with many large families who have been affected by the benefits cap. The long term impacts of the Covid pandemic, coupled with the Cost of Living crisis, in a borough already experiencing high rates of poverty, means that life for the people we work with, and for many of our staff and volunteers, is very difficult. Cost of living pressures have tipped people who were just about managing into poverty.

Key statistics for Newham

In response to this, we have increased our emotional and practical support for families, expanded our food distribution service, grown our work with vulnerable children, young people and families, and expanded our work on mental health and well-being.

The year in numbers

During the year we have directly delivered services to around 825 children and young people, 62 families and 200 adults with mental health issues, and 17 community organisations. In addition, an estimated 3,800 people have used our centres for sessional activities, and 19 organisations rented office space.

Some 167 children have developed socially, physically, and creatively through a range of play experiences at our After School Club, Holiday Play schemes, and Breakfast Club, Transitional Youth programme and Cooking Collective. The children and young people benefit from improved lifeskills, confidence, and self-awareness and parents benefit from affordable wrap around childcare allowing them to participate in work, study, or training.

67 families (244 people) used our Little Manor Supermarket, which provides free food and emotional and practical support to families

We have worked with around 658 young people, who developed skills, confidence, self-esteem, social networks, leadership abilities and resilience through participating in our youth leadership, social action, and employability programmes. Others participated in activities/workshops focused on providing a safe space for young people to be creative and innovative in finding solutions to living well with Covid.

Around 71 community groups/organisations and some 3,800 people have learned, connected, and improved their wellbeing through participating in activities at our community centres, the Aston-Mansfield Community Centre and Durning Hall. In addition, 19 organisations rented office space.

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ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

We worked with around 17 community groups/organisations, supporting them with fundraising, key systems and procedures including financial policies, safeguarding, project plans and Monitoring & Evaluation reporting systems.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Strategy

This was the sixth year of implementation of our strategy, Creating the Future, a summary of which is below.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Creating the Future – In summary

VISION

We want to see more children, young people and families in Newham and East London leading happy healthy lives, realising their potential and unlocking their ambition.

MISSION

Using an integrated and community focused approach we will make long lasting change, offering opportunity, community and inspiration to children, families and young people in Newham and East London.

WE WILL

MAJOR CHANGES

WAYS OF WORKING

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

During 2022/2023, our progress in relation to the strategy included:

Children and Family Work

Children’s programme

The Little Manor Play Project provides high quality, affordable wraparound care for children in Newham aged five to 12 and comprises breakfast, after school and holiday provision. It also offers emotional and practical support and free food to families. During the year, some 167 children have developed socially, physically, and creatively through a range of play experiences. The children benefit from improved life-skills, confidence, and self-awareness, and parents benefit from affordable wrap around care allowing them to participate in work, study, or training.

Of the 167 children we supported:

67 families (244 family members) used the Little Manor supermarket

Family Support

“The shop is fantastic. I was shocked at what was available. It was so helpful, and I got advice and serving suggestions.”

“Coming to the Supermarket was very worthwhile and very helpful, especially during these times as prices are skyrocketing, and I have less to spend. It was nice that we got advice about food, but the staff also told us about food banks and warm homes”

“A staff member gave me a swede. I didn’t know what it was or what to do with it. He told me I could mash it with potatoes, put it in soup or make wedges with it. I made wedges with paprika. The kids loved it.”

“Since I’ve been attending the shop because it saves so much money, we have been eating healthier now. There is always lots of fruits and vegetables and I find myself searching for recipes so that I can use all the food up.”

Little Manor Supermarket provides food and nutrition advice to families. Each week, every family is invited to book a slot to come and collect free food. The informal, social atmosphere encourages people to feel free to chat and helps to break down barriers with new parents who may feel apprehensive. Food distribution is a vehicle to facilitate conversation with families. We offer food tastings, cooking suggestions for the ingredients on offer, including healthy options and other useful information. The sessions are informal, so as not to patronise people. Leaflets and information posters are readily available for parents to access.

We help families emotionally and practically, offering support and signposting on issues such as housing, debt, benefit applications, mental health and wellbeing, family conflict, difficult behaviour, domestic violence, bullying, online sexual exploitation etc

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

A family of eight living in a two-bedroom property with concerns about damp and fuel poverty. We arranged to meet with the family to see if there was any immediate response that we could provide. The family collected food and we gave them duvets and sheets. We signposted the family to Our Newham Money, SHINE and Groundworks (Green Doctors) for additional help.

“ We couldn’t believe it when we were given duvets. It was so unexpected. The staff were really helpful and kind. We were not expecting help with this, we thought it would be a holiday club. The staff are really observant. We were really worries about bills, but we have been speaking to SHINE and they have given some good advice. We are grateful for the input from the staff.”

A single mother of three children all under the age of eight had recently moved to the area having fled domestic violence. The family have a social worker and the children are settled in school. Mum was struggling with some challenging behaviour from her 4-year-old. We listened to Mum. She explained what support she already had in place; however, it was evident that she had few family members and friends local to her. We made a referral to Newham’s Parenting Befriending Service.

“My children have loved it. They have done so much. The staff made me feel welcome. One day I came to get the children and my youngest was not listening in the corridor. I was telling him to listen. One of the staff asked me if I was ok. We sat and chatted in the café. She said she could help me with a group that could help me. The group sounds good, and I am looking forward to it.”

A single Mum with three children was worried about rising food costs and believed she was not entitled to any help because she works. Her income is low. We spoke to Mum and explained that she would be able to continue to access the Supermarket for as long as she needed to. We referred Mum to the Trussell Trust Foodbank. We supported Mum with an application to NHS Healthy Start for a Healthy Start card to help with food costs.

“It’s so good that I can continue to collect food after Easter. I work, but food is so expensive now. I’ve noticed the difference at the checkout. The help from Little Manor has been amazing.”

Mum suffers from anxiety and depression. Mum has regular therapy sessions to support with her condition. Dad has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and drugs. Their daughter struggles to maintain friendships with other children as she often doesn’t understand boundaries (both physical and verbal). She craves male attention. There is no immediate danger at present, but this could be an issue in the future as she has little understanding of what healthy relationships look like. She has witnessed domestic violence. We listened to Mum. She explained what support she already had in place, but she was still seeking additional help. We made a referral to Chance UK’s LIFT programme - offering gender responsive support to girls who have experienced some form of trauma and/or girls who may be vulnerable to a range of varying factors.

“After coming out of an abusive relationship with my child's father. I have desperately tried to find my daughter access to mental health services as her declining mental health was becoming an increasing concern for me. At primary school, she had access to psychotherapy, but this ended as she transitioned into secondary school and no further intervention had been offered to me. During the holiday playscheme, I expressed my concerns to staff who referred my daughter to Chance UK to a project called Lift. We have an initial meeting set up and I am so grateful for my daughter to be able to access this service, which I feel is exactly what she currently needs. I would have no idea this service existed had I not been signposted to it by Little Manor.”

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Mum is a single parent who has fled domestic violence. She has 3 children, aged 2 upwards. We listened to Mum. She explained what support she already had in place, but she was still seeking additional help. We assisted Mum to make an application to Healthy Start to get support in obtaining healthy food and milk.

“I go to get food in the week at the centre. I speak with staff, and we talk about my struggle and difficulty to get food for the baby. It is so expensive. They tell me about Healthy Start. I came and used the computer with the staff who helped me to fill the form. This makes me happy. I need the help so much and my son loves it here. He does so much .”

Mum is a single parent, and her child has been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and is awaiting an appointment. The child has suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mum works full time but has a new manager who is being less flexible about her working hours which is complicating her access to childcare. We noticed that Mum was regularly flustered when collecting her child. Mum would sometimes be late, and we could see that she seemed stressed. One evening, a staff member took her to one side and offered her a glass of water. Mum explained that her new Manager was less flexible than her previous Manager. Work was upsetting her, and she was not sleeping well. We gave Mum the contact details for Newham’s Employment Rights Hub.

“I was waiting to be told off for being late, but you saw that something was wrong and that was really nice. I didn’t realise that I could access this sort of service here. I called the number you gave me, and they asked me to gather some evidence which I am doing now before I make an appointment. It sounds like they can help with my problems which is reassuring. I feel blessed.”

Holiday Programmes

“The thing I remember most is how excited they were on the days they were going and how happy they were when I picked them up. They would always talk about the good times they had and the friends they made. I feel that the activities they do improve their life skills and they are more active. If they were at home, they would be stuck there and not have the opportunity to run around and play like they do at the Centre. The trips they went on were amazing. Loyda showed me a photo of my daughter in the sea up to her chest, splashing around with a big smile. I couldn’t believe it; she is not very confident and is normally scared of the water! One more thing, the time they spend at Little Manor is good for me too, as my children’s primary carer I now get to spend some time to myself, it’s a real relief and break for me. ” (Anon, Father of three)

“They had an excellent time. They really enjoyed it and talked about it a lot at home. My children found the snake and reptile experience very exciting. I liked that there were nice things going on at the centre as well as the trips out. I would absolutely send then again because they had a great time.”

“My daughter does not have a lot of friends, but she made friends here and definitely wants to come back.”

“I work full time but cannot afford childcare. I feel guilty that my children must stay at home when I work. My daughter being able to attend gives me peace of mind. I am very grateful that she gets to be active. I have already spoken to the school as I would like them to recommend my her for the summer.”

Our holiday programmes include many vulnerable children and their families, supported by funding from the London Borough of Newham/National Government Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF). Our approach is to ensure that HAF children have the same opportunities and experience as families who pay for the service. This year, 31% of the HAF children were declared as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, including autism, ADHD, speech & language delay, social communication difficulties and sensory processing difficulties. We try our utmost to accept all that apply for our programme, and the children that attend reflect this ethos.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Most of the HAF children are from minoritised communities: 76% are Black/African/Caribbean/Black British, 10% are White, 7% are Asian/Asian British, and 7% are mixed/multiple ethnic groups.

We provide an exceptional variety of physical, healthy diet and lifestyle, and enrichment activities.

“The meals were really nice, one time we had a make a sandwich challenge. We could buy stuff for our sandwich. It had to look nice and be healthy, I won, and my Mum got a voucher. Then we got to eat it for snack, I liked it a lot.”

“One time, I made my own lunch. It was chicken noodle soup and bread we made. It tasted yummy.”

“Not having to worry about making lunch for my child is so helpful and saves me money, it’s great.”

“Summer holidays are usually so expensive for me having to feed 3 children at home. The food they get at Little Manor is, I feel, filling and nutritious.”

Children experience a wide range of food-based activities designed to educate them on the benefits of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. Food preparation, quizzes and tastings give participants the opportunity to try new things. Children making their own hot lunches, snacks and packed lunches is very popular. We avoid making cakes, cookies etc. and focus more on recipes that contribute to a healthy balanced meal or snack, such as jambalaya, tacos, omelettes. We also use a Smoothie bike: the children access a stationary bicycle that harnessed their pedalling energy to power a blender.

“I made the tacos. I took some home and everybody tried it. They liked it.”

“The smoothie bike! Getting the fruits and putting them on the bike. I was the first and then I helped the other children.”

“I liked the food quiz as I got to try different foods, I liked the apricots best. I hadn’t had them before. Raw mushrooms are nasty, they are hard on the outside and mushy in the middle and the jackfruit tasted like raw chicken.”

“We made our own lunch it was chicken noodle soup and we made bread to go with it. It was goooood!”

“I liked the cooking activities. I liked making trifle. I put yoghurt and oats in mine. It tasted delicious.

“When I picked up my son, he had a tray of cake, it was called bread pudding. We took it home and it was really nice and then he told me he had the recipe in his bag. So, the next week we tried it, but we spiced it up and it was amazing. Secret recipe now.”

“The kids had fun and really enjoyed it. It’s a different sort of fun. They were really engaged with the cooking activities and could not stop talking about it when they got home because the fun doesn’t stop at the centre. My daughter now wants to help out all the time when we cook at home.”

Our holiday programme activities often involve travelling by bus, train or the underground, an enriching experience for many children who do not move far beyond their local area. Our trips enabled the children to see and experience new places and activities their parents/carers may not have the resources to provide. Enriching off-site activities included trips to Adventure Island, Barking playground and splash park, Botany Bay Beach, Boulder Park Climbing, Broadway Theatre, the cinema, Central Park, Creekside Centre, Draper’s Fields, Electric Gamebox, Fairplay House, Ferranti Park, Greenwich Park, Jubilee Park, Kew Gardens, Kids World Funfair, Knockhatch Adventure Park, Little Ilford Park, London Wetland Centre, Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, the Science Museum, Skyrun High Ropes, South Park, Stronghold Climbing Centre, Tumbling Bay Playground, Valentine’s Park, Victoria Park, Waterworks Fountains, West Ham Park, Zap Space.

We have a wide range of in-house resources available that enable us to ensure that each day spent in our Centre is unique. This year on-site activities included making beadie babies, egg hunt, eggs can fly, making rabbit feet, retro street games, Snakey Sue, painting plant pots, planting beans, making marble mazes, leading and glass painting mirrors, creating hot rocks, Fairground Day activities, watching a mega movie, food bingo, designing tie-dye gift bags, solving a giant playground maze, an animal catwalk, making bespoke tote bags, constructing a cardboard city, roller skating, bubble play with art, a street dance workshop, bug hunting and identification and a science showcase with several stations including experiments demonstrating surface tension, centrifugal force and chemical reactions.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

“My favourite trip was the funfair. I went on all the rides lots of times.”

“I liked the cinema. It was about Mr Fox, Mr Wolf, and Mr Tarantula. It was funny and I had popcorn.”

“I liked the snakes. My Nan has two pythons, so I am used to them.”

“The caving at Fairplay House was fun. I was a bit scared, but not the most scared. We went through a dark hole with spiders.”

“We did football training. We were shown that you need to move into a space when we wanted to get the pass and not to be selfish with the ball.”

“I fell off the climbing wall, but I wasn’t hurt. I got really high up. I tried all the high bits.”

“I liked the climbing, I got to climb up the wall and I’ve never climbed up a wall before. I got to the top.”

“I liked roller skating, but I fell on my butt because it was my first time. I had quads first, but they were hard then I had in-line and they were easier.”

“We went to this place on a coach, and I got to jump on the pillows. It was like flying. Then we played in the giant fort playground and the indoor playground. The drop slide was cool because it was dark, and I was ooooh! like that and I got scared but it was good.”

“They had an excellent time. They really enjoyed it and talked about it a lot at home. My children found the snake and reptile experience very exciting. I liked that there were nice things going on at the centre as well as the trips out. I would absolutely send then again because they had a great time.”

Children participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity during every session. On-site activities include traditional sports such as badminton, football, cricket, scoop ball, handball, frisbee, basketball, hockey, and rounders, as well as group games specifically aimed at developing teamwork. Many of our off-site trips include physical activity through interactive play, adventure play, games, and outdoor pursuits. We provide a wide variety of physical activities that offer children opportunities to undertake new challenges, many of which improve self-esteem and build confidence.

“I really like playing handball, we used to play it at school, but year ones knocked our class ball over the fence.”

“I think dodgeball is the best. You get to throw balls at each other, it’s fun and I’m good at catching. I like fire, water, plane. I can get some exercise and run around.”

“I like crash mat rounders, quick cricket, petrol stations. Fire, water, plane is my best. I can’t play it at home as I live in a small flat.”

The Manor (Transitional Youth Project)

The Manor is a project for young people in the early years of secondary education aged 12-14, aimed at building confidence, resilience, citizenship, independence, and diverse young leaders. Young people have a direct input in creating the rules and parameters required to ensure the smooth running of the programme; they are creators, not just consumers, which helps them to build ownership of the programme. Activities include developmental workshops, volunteer tasks, self-led activities, and off-site trips. Participants also volunteer at Little Manor Supermarket.

During the summer holidays, 25 young people participated in The Manor, all of whom were from minoritized communities. The programme included a 3 day residential and 78 activities. The group had diverse needs and included young people with glaucoma and uveitis, living in a household with historic domestic violence, living with their family of 2 parents and 4 siblings in a two-bedroom flat with no garden, concerns about their body image, autism who had recently run away from home, parents had recently separated and was suffering with anxiety, being bullied online, suspected ADHD, social engagement outside of school solely through social media, dyspraxia, recently moved in with her Dad after her Mum had hit her and thrown her out, newly arrived in the country from Romania, aunt had recently committed suicide, speech & language delay, sensory processing difficulties and social communication difficulties.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

From evidence provided by 21 young people, we know that:

90% of young people felt that their physical health or wellbeing had improved, and that they were more physically active

All participants said that they had enjoyed most of the physical elements of the programme and that they would participate again. 19 participants said that if it wasn't for The Manor they would have had much less exercise during the Sumner and therefore believed that the programme had contributed to improved physical Wellbeing. One young person felt that their health had not improved but had been maintained because he usually cycles to school and doesn’t get to do this in the holidays.

“I think my health has improved because we did so much. I don’t go out a lot. I think I would have been at home on TikTok if I wasn’t here.” •

“For some reason I have more energy in the morning. When I get up to come here it is easy. When I get up for school, it isn’t.”

“I think I have bigger muscles since lifting the boxes for the supermarket – see!”

19 participants believed that they would have spent a lot more time indoors if they were not attending the project. They felt that going out was “healthier”.

12 participants said that, except for P.E. in school, they engaged in very little physical activity.

“I slept the whole day after the weekend away. I’ve never done so much moving.” •

“Sometimes we were being physical, and I didn’t even realise. Like the beach trip. I didn’t think it counted as physical activity until the debrief time. It was just fun.”

“I loved the Toca Social. The caving was one of the funniest parts and was also very cool because it was my first time in a cave.”

“I’m a sporty boy so doing sporty things was extremely fun. From caving to the beach where I swam in the sea. Everything was really fun, so this gets 10/10.”

86% of young people reported an increased awareness and understanding of other cultures

11 young people attended Catholic schools which they claimed were a little diverse in terms of race but obviously not very diverse in terms of religion. These young people felt that the programme provided a more culturally diverse environment. Young people told us that discussions during The Privilege Walk and Heard, Seen, Respected had highlighted differences in culture that they were unaware of, and that they had an increased understanding of cultural diets because of working in the supermarket.

“I worked with * in the supermarket. He is Muslim. I knew they didn’t eat pork, but I didn’t know why until he told me. We were separating out the meat delivery for the freezer.”

" The privilege task made it interesting to see how such everyday things that you think are minor can change people."

"My graffiti tag was my name with a headscarf to represent Yoruba, which I had to explain to the person sat next to me.”

86% of young people reported improved mental health or wellbeing

All young people felt that being at the programme was less stressful than being at school. One young person with autism commented that this was a place where he felt safe and accepted. Young people felt that the programme took the stress out of planning fun time with friends.

“Like, sometimes you wanna go out, but then you just end up at Westfield and my Mum doesn’t like me going there a lot or you just end up gaming at home.”

“I’m going to the same school as * in September. He’s told me loads about the school that I didn’t know. I know who to avoid and the annoying teachers and it’s good to know and be more ready.”

“I have a lot of hospital appointments. I don’t really think about them when I am here.”

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Young people felt happy and excited about future sessions. They spoke of recognising the benefits of having some quiet time and felt that they got these opportunities during the art sessions.

One young person had attempted to run away from home in the week before the programme started. His Mum had told us that this was because he was worried that she couldn't afford to look after both him and his sister. He wrote “I did not think that she had enough money. I got to speak to the money management man. I then spoke to my Mum and realised that she is doing the right things with money and that she can look after us both."

“I think that knowing more things helps my mental health. Knowing what to do in a situation. So with the first aid, if someone got stabbed I think I would know what to do now and because of this I would worry about it less.”

100% of young people felt that their social networks had improved

Young people felt that attending the residential helped to build friendships. They noted that many of the outdoor pursuit activities, such as the giant swing and pioneering, required teamwork. These activities helped to develop friendships as often the staff put the young people into teams that encouraged them to mix. Between them, the young people came from 15 different secondary schools. Every young person reported making at least one new friend from a different school.

“* is in my school the year above me. I’ve never spoken to her before. We did the children’s challenge together. The children were hard work, but it was funny.”

“Me and * and *** walked to the bus stop together after sessions. I don’t even get the bus. We just chat.”

Aged six, Sandor suffered a head injury. In the years to follow, this injury has led to him developing uveitis, glaucoma, and unexplained inflammation in his body. Currently, Sandor attends Great Ormond Street Hospital and Moorfield’s Eye Hospital twice a week. Consultants are trying to manage the inflammation and save Sandor’s sight. Part of the treatment for the inflammation includes Sandor taking steroids which affect his mood and have led to weight gain. Sandor was apprehensive about joining the programme. His Mum had informed us that lately Sandor was becoming angrier and more frustrated with his condition, regularly requesting an operation to rectify the situation. He had become annoyed at school where he had been made to sit at the front of the class with the poorly behaved students to enable him to see the board. Mum also told us that because of his weight gain, Sandor no longer enjoyed sport. We observed Sandor throughout the summer. Staff encouraged him to attempt all activities at the residential as they offered great opportunities to explore new sports. While Sandor struggled with some of the aerial activities, he tried them all. As the summer progressed, Sandor happily engaged in all activities. Mum informed us that Sandor’s mood at home also improved throughout the summer “He talks more about the activities than the appointments. And he says he doesn’t feel inhibited in any way. This really reassuring for me.” We continue to support the family who regularly visit the supermarket.

“I really like going to the Manor it’s much fun but I sometimes I get very anxious, especially when it’s loud and I feel that I must get away. I know that I shouldn’t do that, but I can’t help it. They don’t tell me off when it happens, they sort of follow me and calm me down. Now we’ve got a plan and I can say when I’m getting anxious, and we can talk about it and if I want, I can go somewhere quiet. I like having a plan for anxiousness. Also, I always think the others are going to be angry with me, but the staff show me that they’re not. Toca Social was new to me since I don’t play football and going to the Amusement Park I hardly ever get to do. Working with the little kids was nice, the giant big swing was very fun and scary, and I’ve never done that before. I really liked the money management workshop and the first aid workshop as I’m into those things. I liked the first aid practical stuff. The caving was good, I didn’t want to go in. I was defending myself because caves put you down. * helped me and I followed him in, and I managed to get down and I was fine. I did all the cave trails. I was quite proud of myself for facing my fear. I look at people now and wonder if they know what makes them privileged.”

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Youth Work

658 young people participated in our youth programmes during the year, across 4 programmes and our Young Facilitators model.

We received 42 responses from our annual young people survey:

93% feel more connected to their community and expanded their social and professional networks 91% significantly developed their leadership skills 94% indicated that being involved in A-M activities significantly reduced loneliness and isolation 100% of respondents would recommend A-M activities to others

Their top 5 concerns were Mental health 77% Money 60% Employment opportunities 57% Education 55% Family issues 48% 98% felt that we are inclusive as an organisation 93% felt their opinions mattered in shaping activities/services 96% are extremely satisfied with our services

Young Facilitators (YFs)

Our youth work model includes employing young people (aged 18 to 25) to work as paid young facilitators, in developmental roles, usually lasting around 12 to 18 months. With support and training from more experienced youth workers, the young facilitators play a key role in engaging and supporting young people across all our youth programmes whilst co-producing and delivering activities, workshops, and learning days.

“During my son’s time as a YF, I have noticed that he has increased in confidence and is able to take more responsibility, especially with managing his time and lots of workload. This has transferred to his full-time job as he is now able to keep on top of his work and is less stressed. The confidence gained has also allowed him to be less awkward in social situations. I have noticed that he seems happier now and is more willing to share his time with his family and talks to us more about what is happening with his life, and he always talks about you guys! It’s so nice and I think he really loves being with you all.”

Youth for Youth

“Joining the Aston-Mansfield youth action this year was the best decision I ever made. I first joined in March 2022 after seeing an Instagram post advertising it. I have learned to do many opportunities such as teamwork, money management, networking, organisation and how to deliver a good social action project. Throughout my time in the Aston-Mansfield youth group I have achieved and gained full confidence, made new friends by interaction with them. This made me feel more new and extroverted because in the past I was very shy and needed friends and my old youth groups got cancelled or didn’t resume any more. Aside that I gained a skill being adventurous and trying different things during the residential in July and doing new activities such as going snowboarding, riding an electric boat in Paddington etc. Overall I positively enjoyed the AstonMansfield Youth 4 Youth project and I encourage anyone to join!! Because I met some nice and wonderful people, gained new skills, and did new experiences.”

Youth4Youth (Y4Y) is a leadership development scheme for young people from around Newham. A diverse group of young people from across Newham who may not ordinarily meet or befriend one another come together for a series of team building and skills development sessions. As part of their journey toward becoming a change agent in their community, young people plan and deliver events and campaigns at different scales growing their confidence, experience, and networks.

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Y4Y is co-produced with young people, and we continuously work alongside young people through focus groups and consultations to determine what our Learning Days should look like and what skills/additional training the young participants require. The Young Facilitators play a key role in engaging and supporting each cohort of young people whilst also designing and implementing the best way to co-produce with the young participants on the project.

We received 48 applications for Y4Y of which 36 were recruited onto the programme with 31 as regular participants and the main Changemakers. The young participants signed up through open recruitment and marketing as well as through referrals from youth organisations, individuals and recommendations made by Changemakers from the previous cohort of the programme.

We had a diverse and motivated core group of Changemakers from across Newham. With representation from young males and females from Asian backgrounds (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka) as well as representation from Black, White and Mixed Heritage (Kenya, Jamaica, Somalian, Nigeria, England, Wales) We also had 1 Egyptian female and one male from Turkey.

With a diverse group, we found an incredible range of aspiration and personal experiences amongst the young people, however this has also meant that the skill level and confidence across the group was at different levels. To ensure we delivered learning days that are accommodating to both the delivery of the social action projects and the development of the young people we used decision making mechanisms to establish the content of all our learning days which were co-produced and delivered with the Young Facilitators. We started off with an induction to the Programme where the young people were introduced to Social Action and encouraged to complete a skills audit. The learning days explored communication skills, team building and leadership skills, understanding social change, identifying key themes young people are passionate about, looking at different types of social action and the platforms used to execute them both virtually and face to face, project management, events management, budgeting as well as marketing and promotion. We ensured the learning days were fun and interactive, which encouraged the young people to practice their team working skills through group activities and challenges. To prepare the Young Facilitators to conduct their roles effectively and establish a good working relationship with each other, they went on an overnight training residential where they received training in teamwork, communications, facilitation skills, conflict management and project planning to equip them with the skills to deliver interactive, informative, and engaging learning days. The Changemakers also participated in a training residential, bonding as a team and creating a sense of unity and shared purpose and planning for their social action projects.

This year, we introduced mini social action projects. The young participants were given 4 weeks and a budget of £100 to plan and deliver a social action project of their choice on a much smaller scale compared to the budget and delivery of their main social action projects. At this point the project management, budgeting, marketing, and promotion learning days had not been delivered as we believed the young people would benefit from the opportunity to use their initiative and implement their understanding of social action, team building and communication skills they have acquired from the learning days delivered thus far. We anticipated that the process of planning and delivering mini social action projects would expose the Changemakers to challenges and hurdles they may have overlooked, anticipating issues, and preparing contingency plans for the delivery of their main social action project and essentially helping them grasp a better practical understanding of project management, budgeting, and marketing.

The Changemakers were split into three groups. One group organised a self-care event for young girls, to provide girls with practical tools and strategies to recognise the importance of taking care of their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. 12 girls aged 14 -18 participated in a selfcare event including skin care, face masks, hair oils, nail therapy, meditation, music, movie, food, and discussions led by the changemakers on mental health and well-being. The participants were encouraged to speak about some of their struggles and current coping mechanisms, whilst giving them tips on what they could do to make positive changes in their lives and become advocates for their own well-being. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the event and learned a lot about the importance of self-care. 3 of the girls who attended were Muslim and appreciated the girls only environment as they were able to take off their head scarves and feel comfortable whilst taking part in the activities.

A second group fundraised for Ukraine to help provide much needed humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict. The Changemakers wanted to respond and raise awareness about the impact of the conflict and encourage the local community to help the thousands of people who have been displaced from their homes and are in dire need of basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medical care. The Changemakers took a stall at the Forest Gate Community Festival and raised £262 pounds and were congratulated by members of the community for raising awareness of the conflict in Ukraine. There were a couple of instances where members of the public were hostile to the group, from those interactions, we developed the skills of conflict management and having difficult conversations.

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The third group addressed the potential risks of holding onto negative thoughts and how it could have a profound impact on mental health including increased stress and anxiety, depression as well as decreased self-esteem. They delivered a campaign to encourage people to let go of some of the negative thoughts or feelings they were holding onto. People had the opportunity to either write down these thoughts on dissolvable paper, which they then watched dissolve in a bowl of water, or to write on ordinary paper and give to the Changemakers to share on social media, encouraging others to express their negative thoughts to help them release tension and process any associated emotions. The Changemakers also gave out handouts highlighting the benefits of journaling to help overcome feeling lost and trapped within negative thoughts. The Changemakers offered flowers and chocolates as an incentive and thank you to participants who engaged with their social action project. They received lots of positive feedback and encouragement from members of the public, were told their campaign was helpful and many of the participants who were new to journaling acknowledged how it could be a powerful tool for self – reflection, stress reduction and personal growth. Over 60 people engaged with the campaign.

For their main social action project, the Changemakers brainstormed what social action causes they were keen to work towards. Through the process of presenting, voting and process of elimination the young people decided they wanted to work towards a fun, engaging and informative Culture Fest event to celebrate the diversity of different cultures and promote cultural understanding and appreciation among people from different backgrounds. They brought people of all ages together and provided a platform for cultural expression

through food, art, music, and other forms of cultural expression. Activities included: Food and drinks from different cultures to encourage people to explore and try new foods and showcase the diverse culinary traditions of different countries and cultures; Live cooking stations to educate participants about traditional dishes and ingredient combinations; Cultural games e.g. Carrom Board (India), Mancala (Ethiopia), Turkish Checkers, Go (Japan/China) Monopoly (English) Connect 4 (American); Music from different cultures; Cultural Quiz with prizes and info sheets with interesting facts across the word; Arts and Crafts with a cultural emphasis e.g. colouring books with monumental buildings from different cultures, tote bag designing with African tribal pattern stencils, lantern building with Indian mandala designs; Henna Tattooing; Arabic Calligraphy workshop; Cake Decorating with flag templates and coloured icing. It was important to the Changemakers that this event was intergenerational, and they encouraged people to come with their families and friends.

They Changemakers decided that to stand out on the day and add more ambiance to the event they would all dress up in traditional clothing from their own cultural backgrounds. They then added an interactive and educational element to this by creating a human bingo sheet which encouraged participants to go around and speak to the Changemakers to identify the name of their attire, find out what country it represented, and some interesting information associated with it as well as the name of the Changemaker wearing it. This was a fun way of getting the participants to interact with the Changemakers and find out more about their social action cause whilst learning about cultural attire.

The culture fest was very successful with a total of 224 members of the community attending of which 84 were adults, 61 were young people and 79 were children. 100% of the participants stated they enjoyed the event and felt it was a great opportunity for people to connect, share stories and experiences whilst celebrating cultural diversity and that they would attend more events celebrating culture and diversity. 86% stated they felt there was a need for events like this to celebrate differences, promote inclusion and encourage unity.

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“The culture fest event was such a fun way to spend the day. I loved trying new foods and drinks and meeting people from different backgrounds, it was the first time I had henna done and I am so excited to go and show my friends how pretty it looks”.

“I loved how inclusive the culture fest event was. I even found snacks from Lithuania which is where I am from. It felt like a celebration of all cultures, and I appreciated the effort the young people made to showcase customs especially with their outfits, it was interesting finding out where they were from and the names of their clothing”.

“I really enjoyed designing my own tote bag- I will be using it as my shopping bag as of today I used beautiful tribal stencils and I feel this bag represents me and my identity as a British-Nigerian girl, I also loved the live cooking station, we made Indonesian Satay chicken and it was delicious, the flavours were new to me, I think I need to go and explore an Indonesian restaurant now”

“My children and I had a great time at the culture fest, we tried lots of different food and snacks and we met lots of lovely families through the cultural games activity. It was a great way to broaden our perspective and gain a better understanding of different cultures and traditions. Please let us know if you hold anymore events like this”.

The Changemakers also decided to put on a Life After Covid Exhibition to showcase a range of images depicting the ways in which society has changed and adapted in response to the pandemic. They wanted to include images that capture the resilience, hope, and creativity of people during this time, including photographs of empty streets and public spaces during lockdown, people wearing masks and social distancing, virtual gatherings and innovative ways people have found to connect with one another. The Changemakers captured these images themselves and they also opened it out on social media and targeted nearby schools to encourage younger aged young people (14+) to join and send in photos. The photo exhibition was received well with 43 people attending, and lots of positive feedback.

“The images had me reflecting on just how much progress we have made in response to the pandemic, I feel a sense of closure and hope for the future”.

After the Changemakers delivered their girl only self-care event as part of their mini social action projects, they realised there was a demand for girls’ projects. An all-female team of Changemakers wanted to create a safe and supportive environment where young women aged 16 -21 could develop confidence and self-esteem, build resilience and aspirations whilst feeling comfortable expressing themselves and their opinions. The Changemakers planned and delivered a series of weekly workshops and sessions over a period of 10 weeks where they empowered and supported young women to fulfil their potential and encourage ‘boss behaviour’ through the following activities: Love letter to me; Journaling; Female empowerment guest speaker; Vision Boarding; Positive self-image; Self-care; Female education; Nutrition and well-being; Self-defence class; Language of emotion and finding your voice; Talent Show and socials. The project was designed to work with a closed group of participants and had a total of 21 young women who attended at least one session. The participants thoroughly enjoyed the project and are keen to come back if the project continues.

The Changemakers were passionate about breaking down barriers and intergenerational activities and planned a community Iftar with the purpose of promoting interfaith harmony, sharing food, and celebrating the spirit of Ramadan and sharing the importance and reasons behind fasting during Ramadan. 76 people participated, and people who were fasting commented that it was wonderful to break fast with the larger community; members of the community who did not know much about Ramadan thought that it was a valuable experience.

“I know so many people who fast every year in Forest Gate and you sort of know why but not really. This has been a lovely night, and everyone has been so generous, I’m so full but now know what a beautiful thing it is to fast and why Muslims do it”

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Impact

96% of the Changemakers reported improved confidence with 4% remaining neutral. When probed further the 4% who remained neutral in the evaluation form stated that they had previously taken part in leadership and social action projects thus already had high confidence when joining Youth4Youth. Every participant reported an increased sense of leadership, and increased understanding of how they can make change in their own lives and those of others.

98% of the participants reported an increased ability to better cope with adversity. The 2% who did not report this increase were attendees and beneficiaries of the Self Care, Let It Go and Boss Behaviour social action projects they fed back that they felt better equipped with dealing with their mental health adversities after learning about the importance of self-care and journaling.

77% of the young people who completed the end of project evaluation reported improved self-esteem, when it came to believing in their own abilities and unlocking their potential. The 13% who did not experience this improvement were participants in the Culture Fest event and fed back that by celebrating cultural diversity and connecting with people that had shared experiences and identity provided them with a sense of belonging and connection to their community.

100% of young people felt their social networks had improved. Additionally, by seeking out community partners for projects, attending socials, engaging with participants attending their social action projects and working with different staff members from Aston Mansfield (Comms Team and Youth Team) their networks expanded significantly. 21 Young people who attended the social action event/projects also fed back improved social networks having engaged with new people and forming new connections which has led to them signing up to new opportunities.

Elevate – Employability Programme

“Since joining Aston Mansfield, I have developed my confidence greatly and feel more comfortable in interacting with a new crowd. I used to go along to things but not really participate actively but would still enjoy it. It’s hard to hide during sessions at Aston Mansfield and even though at first I would be so shy to say something I feel a lot more comfortable in voicing my opinion. We did Action Learning Set and for the first time I spoke about something really personal to me and I am still surprised that I did it, but it was really helpful, and I have been able to ask for help since then. I’ve also learnt to take on more responsibilities and managing time and workload. The experience has developed my soft skills and I’ve also vastly improved my network. I’ve also gained financial literacy skills and have been able to apply this to my life”.

“I really enjoyed coaching and found it beneficial for my personal development. Due to understanding myself more, my particular strengths and being able to visualise these using the VIA character strength method that my coach used, I feel motivated to nurture the other strengths and virtues that I sometimes lack in. My coach really listened to me, and I felt like I built a genuine rapport with her that allowed me to be vulnerable and evaluate where I am in my life right now. Because I was given this opportunity, I feel like my capacity to think about myself and my position in the lives of others has increased. Coaching has helped me reflect on my time at Aston Mansfield and how I will use the experiences and skills I have learnt during my time here in all my future endeavours”.

Elevate helps young people (aged 16 to 24) with limited or no work experience to build their employability skills, confidence, resilience, wellbeing, and networks through an interactive and fun journey, making them more attractive to employers.

Elements include: Development Days: ‘Experiencing Assessment Centres’, ‘Interview Skills and Techniques’ ‘Confidence at work’ 'Exploring Sectors' ; Positive psychology coaching sessions on how to build confidence and increase resilience; Work Experience; Internships; Networking Events with peers and professionals; Employment opportunities

190 young people directly benefited from participating in Elevate, and 80 young people benefited indirectly.

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Young people improved their skills and knowledge for employment. Networking days and Development Days really helped young people to improve their understanding of what skills employers look for. They were able to develop skills that would help them stand out in interviews/assessment centres, feel confident at work when it comes to telephone/email and general office etiquette, professionally brand themselves on social platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter and develop their CV’s by exploring their own key skills and showcasing them through their everyday life/work experiences and hobbies in a concise and professional manner. The paid internships, work experience and coaching improved their motivation, attitude, and behaviours. Many young people lacked confidence and felt demotivated as they faced rejection and struggled to find employment. Through Elevate, they received bespoke advice, made an income, and gained lots of skills and experience boosting their employability potential.

Through Elevate we made a positive impact on the wider community by supporting the development of young people and local community organisations. We worked with community organisations within our networks who agreed to host 3 month internship placements. It was a valuable experience for both the organisations, young people, and members of the local community. The organisations increased their capacity and collaborated and co-created with young people. Organisations were encouraged to attend our networking events which led to the formation of new partnerships and new opportunities to collaborate and share resources. They increased their visibility and brand awareness with potential partners, funders, service users and volunteers, helping them amplify their message and reach new audiences.

Elevate helped us to build and strengthen our relationship with stakeholders and partners. We were able to offer 2 additional paid internship placements funded by an investment banking organisation who really valued the work we were doing and wanted to support the development of young people. We increased our visibility and gained the trust of new young people we have not worked with before who were also keen to join some of the other programmes we have on offer. By offering work experience and hosting a few internship placements ourselves we supported young people to develop a range of valuable skills, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. These skills contributed to increased productivity and efficiency within Aston-Mansfield.

Just Connect

Through Just Connect we continued the impactful work of the Wireless Programme which was piloted during the Covid 19 lockdowns and restrictions. With the effects of the Pandemic still lingering, young people in London were continuing to live complex and uncertain lives. Implementing Just Connect which encompassed everything from learning and training to group coaching/action learning sets and one to one support, as well as social activities had a really positive impact on both the young people and the staff team delivering the project. The project was successful in bringing together a range of young people from different parts of London who may not have otherwise met and connected.

Through Just Connect we re-engaged with Wireless participants, and also engaged over 60 new young people. By taking a youth led approach through the recruitment of young facilitators and utilising the recommendations from the young participants at the end of every month, we were able to co-produce and iterate monthly programmes of activities that were youth led and relevant to the needs of young people. 137 young people participated in Just Connect.

Our Young Facilitators played a vital role not only in engaging participants online and in person but also in providing regular check-ins with the participants. They supported the programme through co-design, recruitment, engagement, check ins and facilitating learning sessions, socials, and Action Learning Sets. Many of the participants of the programme were inspired by them and would ask us if they could apply for a Young Facilitator role to work across some of our other programmes. The Young Facilitator model played a significant role in the retention of the participants.

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We used a hybrid approach (virtual and face to face) to offer an array of accessible activities including

25 Learning and Training sessions:

-How to deal with stress and anxiety

-How to prepare for College/University -Introduction to Coding -Resilience Building -Healthy Eating and Cooking classes -Money Management -Networking Skills -Communication Skills -Teamwork Skills -CV Writing -Driving Theory and Highway Code -Conflict Resolution

45 Social Activities:

-Networking events -Virtual quiz challenges -Virtual gaming sessions -Virtual movie nights -Escape Rooms -Ice Skating -Karaoke -Sports games -Fitness Classes -Dance Classes -Virtual Arts and Crafts -Virtual dinner party -Self-care party -Virtual Self care -Cultural food tours - Museum exhibitions

Young person support (1-2 -1 and group):

-Regular WhatsApp 1-2-1 sessions with a youth worker -Dedicated sessions to check in with a youth worker (open forum) -Signposting support services -Action Learning Sets

We exceeded our target number of participants by ensuring all our sessions had an element of fun and creativity, this helped us retain the young people and encouraged them to attend multiple sessions and bring their friends. We learned that socials and competitive challenges are key for young people to remain engaged with the project and offer a means of forging more meaningful relationships with each other and staff. Although lockdowns were a thing of the past, there were still young people that were not as mobile and preferred to access activities/socials online. We had to come up with ice breakers/games/challenges we could do online and in person at the same time, and to utilise additional digital platforms to make brainstorming and discussions fun during learning and training sessions. We turned activities which young people would normally do to socialise with each other into a virtual hangout to ensure accessibility.

The Action Learning Sets were a great opportunity for young people to grow their self-belief and confidence and identify and overcome barriers in their life through thought provoking open questions in a safe and closed ‘set’. There were a total of 2 cohorts of 5 -6 young people meeting regularly over an eight week period.

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Our three pronged approach of learning and training, emotional support (1-2-1 and group) and social activities offered young participants:

-Individual and group opportunities to receive advice and guidance on any issues or concerns they had such as mental health, social isolation, educational concerns, family and life at home issues, financial difficulties, or employment concerns.

-Intentional, productive, and constructive engagement which helped young people build on their interpersonal, employability and life skills.

-Opportunities to build positive relationships with their peers and community to overcome isolation and loneliness which ultimately helped prevent risky behaviours such as estate based gangs and antisocial behaviour.

-Access to social activities that many young people considered as “unaffordable” and “out of their budget” giving young people an opportunity to try new experiences and discover new interests with their peers. We offered fun and joy at a time where many of them had eliminated social activities from their agenda to focus on employment opportunities.

-Participation in the design, delivery, and evaluation of the programme.

-Safe and supported space to develop confidence, resilience, and mental wellbeing through self-care, stress relief and coping mechanism activities.

Reduced isolation and loneliness

During some of the 1-2-1 support sessions many young people told us that they were lonely. Some mentioned that their friendship dynamics had changed after lockdown restrictions had been lifted, other young people said they were struggling to make new friends having left university and moved back to London. This left them feeling isolated as they tried to navigate their way through employment in a predominantly older environment.

46% of young people said their isolation and loneliness had reduced at the end of Just Connect. Having regular activities over a 6 month period enabled them to build organic relationships with their peers, young facilitators, and other members of staff. Although the social activities played a huge part in this young people fed back in their surveys and 1-2-1 follow ups that the group coaching also helped them build stronger relationships as they were able to experience the vulnerability of other young people who were also experiencing some of the same issues. Young people also fed back that they have organised social activities outside of the programme with some of their new friends.

Broader perspectives through new experiences and thinking

As we continued to co-produce our monthly timetable of activities with the young facilitators and service users it became apparent that most of the young people were keen to experience new things that they otherwise may not experience due to lack of awareness, lack of finances or lack of confidence. We introduced them to concepts such as unconscious bias and explained how the way a person thinks can depend on their life experiences and sometimes, they have beliefs and views about other people that might not be right or reasonable. We invited the young people to international food tours to encourage them to try food from different cultures and learn about the history of different traditional dishes, and we encouraged international movie nights. Led by young people's voices, we offered opportunities for young people to debate inequalities, create solutions and innovative ideas to cross barriers. We also took some young people to the theatre – as some had mentioned they had never been due to how expensive it is, and they were worried not many people from minoritised communities attended.

69% of young people felt they had broadened their perspectives through new experiences and thinking.

Increased skills and knowledge

96% of the participants that attended the programme stated they had gained increased skills or knowledge through all three elements of the programme – learning and training, social activities, and action learning sets. Young people improved their life skills and employability prospects and strengthened their CVs through a variety of activities. We worked with them to identify the skills and knowledge they need to flourish at work, home, socially or in education settings. We signposted young people to other organisations and opportunities to expand their networks and learning.

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Being valued and recognised

87% of the participants left feeling heard, valued, and recognised. We ensured the programme was youth led to help us focus and identify the direct needs of young people, we obtained feedback through surveys and focus groups to ask the participants what activities should go on the programme every month, how we could improve our services and whether there was anything they wanted to support us with – they felt valued and included in the process.

Resilience and mental wellbeing

Along with self-care sessions and encouraging young people to take an active role in our programme we will also helped increase resilience by connecting young people to vital services particularly around managing bereavement and trauma due to the impact of the pandemic. The programme helped reduce anxiety in young people and supported them to self-manage providing a much-needed space for young people to come together to discuss ‘hot topics, issues and concerns’.

72% of participants felt they had increased their resilience and mental wellbeing. Through one to one support and peer on peer support from the young facilitators combined with lots of wellbeing activities such as self-care, yoga, fitness, arts and crafts, and stress management sessions we saw shifts in the confidence of participants when it comes to dealing with adversity. The programme encouraged young people to become more resilient through the problems and hurdles they encounter and by preparing for setbacks.

Growth in self-belief / confidence

Young people told us that they lack direction, with the most vulnerable lacking a significant adult in their lives to guide and support them. The programme helped increase the personal development and aspirations of young people by offering career advice and guidance, and support to overcome their next challenges particularly through Action Learning Sets. Young people were introduced to positive role models and coaching to support them to reach their potential.

89% of participants reported an increase in confidence and self-belief. The feedback from the Action Learning Sets evaluation highlighted that they played a significant role in giving some of the young people a real voice to share some of their most vulnerable thoughts and feelings. They were encouraged to navigate their thoughts and issues and come up with their own solutions with the support of prompting open questions from their peers. They realised they were not alone with some of the issues and concerns they were facing, and they now had more faith and confidence in their own abilities to make positive changes in their own lives and those of others due to this new support group they could now access.

Other young people fed back they were more willing to try new things and adapt to change, they had a positive image of themselves and felt more confident in making friends as the programme helped them feel less anxious with new people.

Yasmeen first engaged with us via the 1-2-1 WhatsApp support offered on the programme. She mentioned that she was struggling with her mental health and felt really low due to difficulties finding work and trying to decipher what career path to choose. Her mental health had also started to affect her social life as she would avoid her friends who were “doing really well and progressing” while she felt stuck and depressed. We encouraged her to participate in the learning and training sessions, in particular the interview skills and assessments centres sessions, as well as the CV clinic; these sessions helped her to develop her employability skills and increase her chances of securing a job. She was also referred to one of our employability skills programmes which helped her think about what strengths she has and what kind of work she may find fulfilling or interesting. She successfully applied for a paid part time internship with us.

She also signed up to the stress management sessions, self-care activities, lots of social activities as well as the Action Learning Sets. Throughout the course of the programme we were able to see her build her confidence and resilience, she became really motivated and is continuing her internship with us with the potential of becoming a young facilitator soon as she is really enjoying working with young people.

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Elevate Wellness Programme

The focus of the Elevate Wellness programme was to create a safe space for young people to discuss barriers to keeping safe and having vaccinations, and how to overcome difficult conversations regarding vaccines and covid related issues with peers and family. The programme was fun and engaging whilst embedding informal learning in each session. We helped young people to develop holistically and tackle issues they faced due to the impact of covid 19 on their mental health. We helped develop the emotional well-being of young people and promoted greater resilience and mental toughness.

109 young people participated in the programme; 45% were female and 55% male. 49% of the young people identified as Asian, 36% Black and 15% White.

We worked with them to facilitate and improve their personal, social, and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence, and place in society and to reach their full potential. We encouraged young people to work with their peers in most of the sessions, learning, and reflecting as a group through art, debate, media, team-building exercises, and group discussions. This teamwork and collective activity enabled young people to develop social skills and competencies facilitating progression to independent adulthood.

The programme created a safe space for young people to discuss life after the pandemic and how being vaccinated is the best way forward to keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe. The sessions focused on wellness activities & how to nourish the body through eating clean, physical activity, and wearing a mask. We also provided Q&A sessions and group sessions where young people could share their experiences due to covid, understand their needs, and have honest conversations about the stigma of vaccinations.

The sessions included movement workshops, clay modelling, gardening, yoga, food tours, cinema trips Q&A and group discussions, and healthy eating on a budget.

As a part of this project, we held self-care sessions for boys and girls separately.

Young girls wore face masks and got their nails done and young boys wore eye masks and got their nails filed whilst having conversations about nutrition and healthy foods and infusing group discussions on how they felt during the covid lockdowns and how they feel now, especially with their mental health. This gave the staff an insight into how they felt as a group. We also discussed mental health issues, anxiety, and loneliness that young people experienced as they felt they missed out on key social opportunities due to Covid 19 and lockdowns.

We had 121 informal conversations with the young people before or after every session. This enabled us to reach young people personally and to influence their knowledge and awareness around covid vaccines.

We held weekly ‘Listening Sessions’ - a group session to encourage young people to talk in a safe space about the challenges they face. We alternated the sessions between online and face-to-face. During these sessions, we discussed whether they had family members who are vulnerable and elderly for whom they were worried about getting Covid and found that many young people had family members falling sick or catching the flu during the cold weather.

The programme helped young people to open up about the issues they faced during the pandemic and the recovery phases. Mental health issues, anxiety and loneliness were some of the issues they faced. They felt the pressure of staying on top of Covid guidelines and challenging myths/fake information to keep themselves and those around them safe. Poor lifestyle and diet were other issues we tackled during this project.

This project was planned and delivered by 6 young facilitators and was solely led by young people's voices, where we offered opportunities for young people to debate inequalities and create solutions and innovative ideas to cross barriers faced. We upskilled our young facilitators and trained them to be Covid Champions for Newham.

Young people told us that they absolutely loved the programme of activities on offer and the space to have intimate conversations.

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Mental Health and Wellbeing

Community Connectors

Community Connectors support people who are experiencing mental health difficulties. Some are already using mental health services, and others refer themselves through open access provision. Our holistic interventions focus on supporting people to address their social needs and increase their independence, resilience, confidence, and self-esteem, which has a positive impact on their overall wellbeing.. This includes advice and support around housing, immigration, welfare benefits, financial advice, food banks as well as help to overcome loneliness, or learn new skills, and attend support groups and social activities.

This year, we assisted 202 people. The predominant issues were loneliness, isolation, bereavement, depression, and clients wanting to integrate back into community life and alleviate their social anxieties. People had difficulties relating to immigration, welfare and benefits, housing, social inclusion, and homelessness. With the Cost of Living crisis unravelling, financial hardship became an increasingly dominant concern.

The Community Connectors diversified their offer by learning how to support individuals with welfare advice, housing and immigration support and setting up triage clinics at foodbanks to provide a more open access support for mental wellbeing. This approach has worked well in reinforcing resilience and allowing clients to access existing support.

Johnstone is a 54-year-old man of West Indian descent. He was referred to us for bereavement support. He explained how he sadly lost his partner and two older children to Covid. Johnstone told us how he found it difficult to move on and to find any hope in life. The peer-to-peer non-invasive support he was provided with allowed Johnstone to openly express his frustration, deep depression, and lack of enthusiasm for what he used to do. Johnstone used to be very active in the community, loved his security work and evenings watching football with his peers.

By allowing Johnstone to have autonomy over his care plan, he was able to map out the care he needed. Johnstone accessed bereavement support and realised quickly how helpful and supportive he was to others. By focusing on others, Johnstone is now a trained bereavement volunteer and uses his experience to impart hope and strength in others on a similar journey. Johnstone has now taken up his love for sports and through the support of a personal health budget, he was able to access a local gym and actively involve himself with others.

Johnstone was also able to access localised affordable counselling and through sessions, allow himself to grieve in safe spaces. It was a loving gesture when he invited me to join him in a memorial mass at church to remember his family whom he believes are now angels smiling down on him. Johnstone has rekindled his love for music, loves going out and dancing to the songs he used to when his partner was around.

His home is now a hub of activities, and he wishes to access employment support. Through patience, resilience building and focusing on solutions his mental wellbeing has really improved.

Positive Psychology Journalling and Coaching

During the year we piloted some preventative and early intervention services that focused on emotional and mental health and wellbeing. The pilots used evidence-based Therapeutic Writing, Expressive Writing, Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology interventions to support those experiencing mental health issues and those who wanted to improve their mental well-being. Two evidence-based and culturally tailored programmes were delivered, the Women’s Journaling Programme in Black History Month 2022 and the Men’s Journaling Programme in March 2023.

The impact of our pilot programmes showed:

75% of women and 80% of men experienced lowered anxiety. 58% of women and 65% of men reported reduced depression. 92% of women and 95% of men experienced feeling less overwhelmed. 100% experienced reduced rumination and improved thoughts and emotions. 100% learn about cost-effective tools to help their mental health and well-being.

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ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The programmes equipped participants with inexpensive therapeutic tools that they incorporated into their daily lives, used when required and taught and shared within their network, in addition to de-stigmatizing mental illness and signposting participants to other services. We now have a waiting list for future well-being programmes.

Voluntary Sector Capacity Building - Fitter Finance

The Fitter Finance programme aims to improve the financial management of micro and small community and voluntary sector organisations in Newham. The programme expanded during the pandemic, as it became clear that organisations needed practical help to apply for funding, particularly from Trusts and Foundations.

We continued to deliver our full programme of activities to community groups, CICs and charities within the borough and neighbouring boroughs. This included one-to-one sessions, workshops, fundraising support, and organisational training sessions. Many of these sessions were delivered virtually in the early part of the year, with more sessions being delivered in person, apart from the workshops, as the year progressed.

We delivered 42 sessions to 17 groups, with 6 being new organisations. The focus of these sessions was organisational development, fundraising, financial management and financial systems/ reporting. Most of the groups supported this year were registered charities, although we are seeing more CICs forming in the borough. We have also seen a significant shift towards health and wellbeing focused organisations, following the pandemic.

Seven training/workshop events were developed and delivered. These included Gift Aid, Fundraising, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), Getting Started, Marketing and Communications, Treasurer Training, and Financial Systems. Two of these training/workshops were developed in response to previous feedback from groups regarding the additional support they would need. M&E was developed to help some of the groups to better understand the monitoring and evaluation requirements of funders with a focus on financial reporting to funders. Marketing and Communications training was created to help groups better utilise their marketing and communications to increase engagement and attract more funding. The total attendance for these workshops were 50 and this represented 46 groups from across Newham.

We also delivered an additional workshop designed to support several Community Garden groups in the borough with basic financial systems, organised in partnership with Forest Gate Community Garden because of our close working relationship and support previously provided. The session was attended by 10 individuals representing eight grassroots organisations.

We revamped our online offer, including information and bite sized training videos and showcasing case studies of groups that we have supported during the programme. We had 179 page views for the Fitter Finance page on the Aston-Mansfield site and 150 views on our YouTube site for the training videos.

The feedback we have received clearly demonstrates that we have improved the knowledge and expertise in financial management, digital operation, and fundraising awareness of many organisations in the borough and surrounding areas. Both on an individual and organisational basis, trustees and CEOs have increased their awareness of good practice and legal requirements related to financial management, digital operation, and fundraising. Through the introduction of the digital bit sized training videos, toolkit, and resource sheets, organisational leaders have had access to a wide range of resources that can be used to establish sound financial and operational systems from the beginning of their development journey.

We have also continued to provide the toolkit to other organisations such as Money4You as part of the BAMER Hub and Avocado project.

The groups that we support continue to have the desire to transform their services but do not have the finances or knowledge in house to meet the demand. Consequently, much of the advice and support focused on how to change services to new digital formats and how to showcase impact. Some organisations have been slow to make the move from face-to-face meetings to digital meetings because of cultural norms or not knowing how to facilitate the move. This was something that we recognised last year and why we hosted several more digitally focused networking sessions and workshops that were well attended. We facilitated connections between similarly focused groups that have the skills or experience to help each other.

Although digital is the new normal for most groups there continue to be groups that prefer the face-to-face approach and there is a significant need to build trust in more diverse communities. Many groups still need translation to easily access the information available and be able to utilise the best practice being delivered. To ensure we reach the widest possible audience, we have increasingly on the help of partner organisations in the borough to share training and workshop support available, as communication

23

ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

continues to be splintered across several organisation locally. The younger generation prefer the use of technology, such WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok and the more established but still small organisations prefer existing approaches to inform and connect them.

Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust (AMCT) Seed Grants Scheme

We administered the AMCT Seed Grants Scheme, awarding £4K to 4 organisations. The seed grants are for small ethnic minority community groups and charities that have an annual income of £10,000 or less. Groups must be based in Newham, with a focus on supporting and promoting health and wellbeing for Newham residents. Organisations receiving a Seed Grant also make use of the support available from the Aston-Mansfield Fitter Finance team to help their organisation to grow and become more sustainable.

Volunteering

“I started volunteering because I struggle with verbal communication, working in a team helps me communicate in different ways. This helps to increase my confidence in my day-to-day life to make new friends”

“I completed the Let’s Talk About Race training. There was quite a lot of information for me, but I was able to understand it. Thank you for this training”

“I struggle with my mental health. I started volunteering when I was well, but I needed to take a break. I felt bad thinking I was letting everyone down and had messed up. I was told to take as much time as I needed and when I was ready, I could come back. It’s nice to know that I am not judged for my illness and there’s a place for me here.”

“One of my biggest strengths and achievements this year is the huge increase in confidence and feeling able to carry out my work independently and with minimal supervision and also being able to guide and support new volunteers through their volunteering journey.”

Aston-Mansfield continues to provide a safe, non-judgmental environment for those with little to no work experience, and little social interaction, to those volunteering as part of their professional development. Volunteers can learn at their individual pace which has a significant impact on their confidence. Acquiring new skills, experience and increased self-esteem have allowed many volunteers to move onto paid positions.

60 people volunteered with us during the year.

Recruiting volunteers has proved challenging, due primarily to the Cost of Living Crisis and labour shortages which means people need to take on more paid work and are finding it easier to get work. In addition, vulnerable people continue to have pandemic related concerns about working with the public.

We developed our volunteering programme in several ways, including

24

ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The statement of financial activities shows a net deficit for the year of £131,385 (2021: Net income of £5,918). Income decreased by 0.39% in the year to £1,619,019. Total expenditure increased by 8.12% compared with prior year as to £1,744,108.

Other than bank deposits the charity does not hold investments.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees review on a quarterly basis the charity’s development and operational plans, future funding needs and its overall resilience and financial stability in light of its ability to meet its charitable objectives for the foreseeable future (usually a period up to 3 years).

The Trustees’ consideration takes into account the major risks to the organisation – see Risk Management below. Additionally, the Trustees consider the need to ensure viability of the charity beyond the immediate future, absorb setbacks and be able to take advantage of opportunities and new initiatives.

As discussed in the Trustees’ Report, Aston Mansfield Charitable Trust (“AMCT”)’ a connected charity (see Note 19 to the Accounts) has been granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the Durning Hall site.

It is anticipated the capital and development works may have some short to medium term operational impact reducing revenues from existing property assets and requiring incremental staff and other costs to continue service provision without use of Durning Hall.

As this is likely to absorb brought forward reserves the Trustees have determined to adopt, during this transitional phase of investment in the future, a “zero level” reserves policy.

AMCT has historically provided the charity with an annual grant with a non-binding preference from the donor for this to be spent on special projects, capacity building or future projects as determined by the trustees. In view of operational impact of AMCT’s capital and development works AMCT has indicated that it will additionally support the charity in meeting its charitable objectives to the extent revenues are reduced or costs increased consequent to the re-development of the Forest Gate site.

The charity’s reserve position as at 31 March 2023 is disclosed in Note 18 to the Accounts. At 31 March 2023 the charity held total funds of £1,667,362 (2022 - £1,798,747) of which £1,420,407 (2022 - £1,447,416) represents the Endowment Fund, Restricted Fund £69,936 (2022£210,314) and Unrestricted Fund £177,019 (2022 - £141,017).

25

ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

For the reasons explained above, and having considered the charity’s income, expenditure and risks, the trustees are satisfied that the charity would remain viable for the foreseeable future even if no free reserves are held.

PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS

Our plans for implementing ‘Creating the Future’, our strategy which is outlined earlier in this report, include

STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Aston-Mansfield is a registered charity (number 220085) and a company limited by guarantee (number 48350). The charity is governed by its Articles of Association. These were revised in the light of current legislation and adopted by the members on 14 April 2010.

We have between 7 and 15 trustees at any one time, two of whom are appointed by Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust. We aim to have a Board whose skills and diversity mix fit with Aston-Mansfield’s strategic direction, core activities and regulatory requirements. Trustees are appointed through an open recruitment process, which includes an interview with the Chair, and at least one other Trustee, followed by confirmation by the Board.

There is an induction process for new trustees which includes an induction pack, introductory sessions with the Chief Executive and management team, and project visits. New trustees are supported by more experienced trustees through a ‘buddying’ system.

The trustees meet at least six times a year. Trustees are updated on significant regulatory and sector developments, and participate in training on core issues, for example safeguarding.

The day to day management of the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer who consults regularly with the Chairman and reports to the trustees at each of their meetings.

RISK MANAGEMENT

The trustees have a risk management strategy which comprises:

26

ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The trustees have identified that the major risks are related principally to delays/blockages to redevelopment of the Durning Hall site, and reputation risk due to redevelopment of Durning Hall site. Medium level risks are failure to get sufficient returns on the development of the GP/Primary Care Centre at the Aston-Mansfield Community Centre in Manor Park , the risk of a major fire/flood/building related incident, long term financial sustainability, Trustees and/or management team not having sufficient knowledge/skills, capacity, or diversity and pressures on management on staff. The Trustees have sought to mitigate risk where possible, particularly relating to ensuring that the organisation has access to appropriate governance, professional expertise, and management capability, and that there are plans for and investment in achieving financial sustainability.

On this basis the Trustees are satisfied that all material risks are managed effectively, and that the charity will be funded adequately for the foreseeable future.

PAY POLICY FOR SENIOR STAFF

The directors consider that the Board of Directors, who are the charity’s trustees, and the Chief Executive Officer comprise the key management personnel of the charity, in charge of directing and controlling, running, and operating the charity on a day to day basis. All trustees give of their time freely, and no trustee received remuneration in the year. Details of trustees’ expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 13 and note 19 of the accounts.

The pay of the Chief Executive is reviewed by the trustees annually, and a Remuneration Committee, whose role includes setting the remuneration of the Chief Executive, was established in July 2018. Any increase is based on benchmarking against pay levels in other comparator charities, and performance against agreed objectives.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 17 of The Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in determining the activities undertaken by the charity.

The charity’s charitable purpose is detailed in its objects, which are to develop, for the public benefit, the community wealth of East London and promote a diverse and inclusive society in which all are free to participate.

Delivery of public benefit is achieved through direct provision of services through the charity’s work with children, young people, and families and through the use of its community buildings. The charity is actively engaged in working in partnership with other voluntary sector organisations, and the local authority to ensure an enhanced quality of life to members of the community.

FUNDRAISING PRACTICE AND PERFORMANCE

Aston-Mansfield's fundraising is largely focused on raising funds from Trusts and Foundations and earning income from the public through charity shop sales. The main source of income raised from the public is trading activity through the charity shop. Hence the charity is not signed up to any voluntary fundraising regulation. Aston-Mansfield staff and volunteers undertake all fundraising activity, and there have been no complaints received by Aston-Mansfield about its fundraising activities.

27

ASTON-MANSFIELD

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

SISTER CHARITY

Aston-Mansfield has a sister charity, Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust (AMCT) to which Aston-Mansfield is connected. The two charities have similar objects, which encompass supporting and developing disadvantaged communities in East London.

Aston-Mansfield achieves its impact through the direct provision of services to children and young people and families, and through renting space in the community buildings to other groups and organisations in the not for profit sector. Additionally, it provides resources, expertise and training to other groups and organisations in the not for profit sector, thus enabling those organisations to deliver their services to their clients and communities. The Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust is also a Registered Social Landlord, with Aston-Mansfield acting as the managing agent for its social housing

The two charities are separate organisations, each with their own Charity Commission registration numbers, governance arrangements and financial management processes and procedures. The Aston-Mansfield Board currently has 11 Trustees, 5 of whom are Trustees of AMCT. The AMCT Board currently has 9 Trustees, 4 of whom are not a Trustee of Aston-Mansfield. We believe this balance of shared knowledge and independence is beneficial for both organisations. Board meetings are held and minuted separately. It should be noted that Aston-Mansfield prepares and reports on completely separate Accounts with its own reserves and a clear Reserves Policy.

As Aston-Mansfield’s work meets AMCT’s funding criteria, the charity applies to AMCT for a grant on an annual basis. The size of the grant awarded depends on several factors including the level of disposable income available to AMCT, the performance of Aston-Mansfield in the previous year, and the areas of work for which the grant is sought. Aston-Mansfield reports regularly on its performance to AMCT. AMCT also awards grants to other charities, through an open application process, based on defined priorities and funding criteria.

The charity remains grateful to AMCT for its generosity in this matter, but recognises this arrangement is dependent on several factors, not least the current economic climate and property markets, and current support is no guarantee of future support. Aston-Mansfield acts as the managing agent for several AMCT’s properties, and this enables Aston-Mansfield to spend more of its voluntary income on direct work with its beneficiary groups.

Whilst Aston-Mansfield is extremely grateful to AMCT for the continued support of its work, the Trustees recognise this support is agreed on an annual basis and can never be guaranteed. Aston-Mansfield is therefore continually seeking new sources of voluntary income to guarantee the future of its services.

28

ASTON.MANSFIELD TRUSTEES, REPORT Icontinuèdl YEAR ENDED 31 hlARCH 2023 STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILITIES The trustees (WI￿> we also Ihe directors of the Aston Mansfiekl ts the purFoses of comwy lawl are Tesponsible preparing the Tnjstees, Report and the finanLiat statements in acc4Jrdarte applicable law and United Kingdom Ac(x)unting Standards (United Kingdom Geneidly pted Accounb'ng Practice). Company law rg]uires the trustees lo preparg finanud statements for e¥h financial year %hith give a tnje and fai view of the state of affairs ol the charits￿e company and ol the incoming reSoUr￿S and apFAication of resour￿, induding the income and eypenditure. ol the charitsble company for that period. In prepating Ihese finanria statements the tru51ee5 are required lo.. Select suitsble s￿Ounting polDes and then apply them cOnS￿tentIy,. Observe the rnethod5 and principles in Ihe charib.es SORP., Make judgements and estimates that are reas(￿able and prudent,. State whether awlKable UK Accounbng sta)dards have been fc4k)vJ, subject to afiy materia depathre5 disdThl and ewained in the financia statements.. Prepare the financial Statements the g￿ng concern ba￿S unless il is inapprowate lo presume that the tharitsble company wll cvnt'nue in business The trustees ale [espons1￿e keeping proper ￿￿)Unting re￿rdS that disdose wth reasonable ac¥)Jracy al any b"rrE of the financial p0511ion ol the charital￿e ￿fflpanY and enle Ihem io ensure that the finanual statements comply with the Cofflpanies Act 2006. They are a150 responsible for safeguarding the 255ets ol Ihe charitsble ￿npanY and hence for tsking rea50nate sleps for the prevenb'on and detection OF fraud and other irregulaib'es. In so far as we ale aware.. There no rdevanl audit information of which the charilatAe 03rnpany's auditor is unaware,. and Th8 Iruslees have taken pjl steps thalthey ought lo have tsken to tnake Ihemselves aware ol any relevant audit informalKJn and lo estatlksh that the auditor is aware ol Ihal informabon. In preparing the Trustees Report, the Trustees have taken advantage of the exempt'on aval*le to small o)mpanw a)d have not prepared a strategic report. Approved by the Board on 26 September 2023 and swned on their behajf by.. CCKeen Chair

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ASTON-MANSFIELD

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Aston-Mansfield for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheets, the Cash Flow Statement 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).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

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 charitable company’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 trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in 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.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

30

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ASTON-MANSFIELD

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Report (which incorporates the directors’ report).

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees for the financial statements

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 22, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) 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 charitable company’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 charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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 extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Based on our understanding of the charitable company and the environment in which it operates, we identified that the principal risks of noncompliance with laws and regulations related to regulatory requirements charities and companies in England and Wales, and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, income tax and payroll tax.

We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls), and determined that the principal risks were related to posting inappropriate journal entries to revenue and management bias in accounting estimate and application of controls around authorisation of expenditure and payments. Audit procedures performed by the engagement team included:

31

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF ASTON-MANSFIELD

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 noncompliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members 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 charitable company and the charitable company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Vikram Sandhu Senior Statutory Auditor for and on behalf of Haysmacintyre LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors

10 Queen Street Place London EC4R 1AG

2023 4 October

32

ASTON-MANSFIELD

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Endowment Restricted Unrestricted
2023		 2022
Funds Funds Funds Total Total
£ £ £ £ £
Income Notes
Income from donations and legacies
Donations - - 1,617 1,617 20,128
Income from charitable activities
Grants 3 - 227,139 831,154 1,058,293 1,055,590
Project income - - 1,024 1,024 5,368
Rents and facility hire 4 - - 485,507 485,507 374,692
Income from other trading activities
Shop sales - - 47,131 47,131 39,070
Other income 5 - - 19,151 19,151 124,171
Total income - 227,139 1,385,584 1,612,723 1,619,019
Expenditure
Expenditure on raising funds
Fundraising - - (81,116) (81,116) (79,511)
Shop operating costs - - (45,524) (45,524) (39,046)
Expenditure on charitable activities
Lifelong learning - (229,319) (229,355) (458,674) (484,344)
Healthy living - (79,058) (32,545) (111,603) (101,268)
Community development - (59,140) (18,171) (77,311) (111,883)
Community buildings (27,009) - (942,871) (969,880) (797,049)
Total expenditure 6 (27,009) (367,517) (1,349,582) (1,744,108) (1,613,101)
Net income/(expenditure) (27,009) (140,378) 36,002 (131,385) 5,918
Transfers between funds - - - - -
Net movement in funds (27,009) (140,378) 36,002 (131,385) 5,918
Fund balances as at 1 April 2022 1,447,416 210,314 141,017 1,798,747 1,792,829
------------------------- --------------------- --------------------- ------------------------- -------------------------
FUND BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2023 £1,420,407 £69,936 £177,019 £1,667,362 £1,798,747
=========== ========= ========= =========== ============

There were no recognised gains and losses other than those stated above.

No separate Summary Income and Expenditure Account has been produced as this statement incorporates all Income and Expenditure. Net income for the purposes of Companies Act 2006 excludes income and expenditure in respect of endowment funds.

Excluding movements on endowment funds, net deficit for the year was £104,372 (2022: net surplus £32,927).

A full comparative Statement of Financial Activities is included at note 22.

The notes on pages 29 to 44 form part of these financial statements.

33

ASTON.MANSFIELD Company Numbor. 48350 8AL4NCE SHEET AT 31 MARCH 2023 2023 2022 Notes FIXED ASSEts Tan￿b￿ assets 1,616,889 1.843,372 CURRENT ASSETS Slwks and work in progr8SS Dèbtors Cash al bank and in hand 407 125,958 204,348 10 104.121 135.619 239 740 0.713 CREgtroRS'. amounts tallin9 due wrthln one y￿[ 1189.3671 1175.3381 NEf CURRENT ASSETS 50.373 155.375 NE[ AsS￿s £1,667,362 £1,798,747 Funds. Endowment Fund Reslrrled Fund Unrestrict& Fund 15 16.20 17 1.420.407 69.936 177,019 1447416 210,314 141.017 TOTAL NET ASSETS AT 31 MARCH 2023 18 £1,667,362 £1,798,747 The finanaal stat￿ents were approve¢ and wthons&Y for 15we by Board ol the Tru51ees on 26 Septomber 2023 and were Sign￿ bdow on its tehal by Chnslwmer GKeen ex Mintura Dtputy Ch•lrman Chalrman The noles on pages 29 to 44 form part of these finan¢ia ststemenls.

ASTON-MANSFIELD

CASHFLOW STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

2023 2022
Notes £ £
CASH USED/GENERATED IN OPERATING ACTIVITIES 12 (67,882) (61,384)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchase of tangible fixed assets 9 (847) -
-------------------- --------------------
(DECREASE)/INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS IN THE (68,729) (61,384)
YEAR
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period
Cash balances at 1 April 2022 204,348 265,732
--------------------- ---------------------
CASH BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2023 £135,619 £204,348
========= =========

The notes on pages 29 to 44 form part of these financial statements.

35

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

Accounting Basis

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (second edition, effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Aston-Mansfield meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s). These financial statements have been drawn up in the historical accounting basis, except that certain freehold properties are carried at valuation.

The financial statements incorporate the assets and liabilities of The Lady Trower Trust (Registered Charity number 303172) under a charity commission scheme dated 1994.

The accounts are prepared in pounds sterling, rounded to the nearest pound.

Preparation of accounts on a going concern basis

The trustees consider there are no material uncertainties about the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The review of our financial position, reserves levels and future plans gives Trustees confidence the charity remains a going concern for the foreseeable future.

In reaching this conclusion, the trustees have considered the impact of Covid-19 on the Charity and have reviewed cash flow forecasts covering a period of more than one year from the date of approval of these accounts

Critical accounting judgements and estimates

In preparing these financial statements, management has made judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of the charities accounting policies and the reported assets, liabilities, income and expenditure and the disclosures made in the financial statements. Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. No significant estimates, judgements or assumptions have been applied in the preparation of these financial statements.

Income recognition

Income from shop sales, rents and facility hire and management consultancy fees are accounted for when receivable. Grants are accounted for when the charity becomes entitled to the funding and donations are accounted for when received.

Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Direct costs, including directly attributable salaries, are allocated on an actual basis to the relevant areas of programme activity. Overheads and other salaries are allocated between expense headings on the basis of time spent.

Support costs which include central office administration are allocated across the categories of cost of raising funds’, charitable activities and governance costs. The basis of allocation is set out in note 7 c). Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements relating to the general running of the charity, including costs of strategic planning for the longer term development of the charity.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost in the statement of financial activity.

36

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Fixed Assets

Buildings are depreciated at a rate of 2% per annum.

Other assets are depreciated, in equal annual instalments, over their economic lives at the following rates:

Electronic equipment 25% Furniture and other equipment 15% Motor vehicles 25% Froud Centre Adventure Playground 10%

Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments, including trade and other debtors and creditors are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

Stocks

Stocks are valued at the lower of cost, on a first-in-first-out basis, and net realisable value.

Operating leases

Rentals payable are charged on a time basis over the term of the lease.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.

Foreign currency translation

The charities functional and presentation currency is pound sterling. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate ruling at the date of the transaction. All differences are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities.

Employee benefits

Short term benefits including holiday pay are recognised as an expense in the period in which the service is received.

Termination benefits are accounted for on an accrual basis and in line with FRS 102.

Aston-Mansfield operates a defined contribution pension scheme for the benefit of its employees. The assets of the scheme are held independently from those of Aston-Mansfield in an independently administered fund. The pensions costs charged in the financial statements represent the contributions payable during the year.

Fund accounting

Funds held by the charity are:

• Unrestricted funds

These are general funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.

37

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

• ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

• Endowment funds

These are permanent funds and must be held indefinitely consisting of two sites of land and property. They are not expendable. However, one of the endowed assets may be changed, for instance the proceeds arising from the sale of the property might be invested in other suitable forms of endowed investment or in the other endowed property. These funds arise from the amalgamation of The Lady Trower Trust with those of the charity in 1994.

Taxation

The charity’s activities are exempt from income tax and corporation tax. The charity is registered for Value Added Tax. Certain of the charity’s activities are exempt or non-business activities for Value Added Tax purposes and consequently the charity is unable to reclaim all the Value Added Tax it incurs on its purchases. Expenditure in these financial statements is therefore shown inclusive of Value Added Tax suffered.

LEGAL STATUS

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of a winding up is limited to £0.50.

3.

4.

INCOME FROM GRANTS 2023 2022
£ £
Grant income classified within income from charitable activities
Aston Mansfield Charitable Trust 789,385 586,927
Local government 10,000 46,455
Other statutory bodies 30,069 156,572
Corporate bodies 174,868 127,223
Trusts and Livery companies 53,971 138,413
----------------------- -----------------------
£1,058,293 £1,055,590
========= =========
Income attributable to fundraising efforts is £257,612 (2022: £444,721).
RENTS AND SIMILAR INCOME 2023 2022
£ £
Property rental income 447,507 336,694
Wayleave income 37,982 37,982
Facility hire 18 16
------------------------- -------------------------
£485,507 £374,692
========== ==========

38

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

5. OTHER INCOME 2023 2022
£ £
Cost recoveries 16,606 15,568
HMRC Coronavirus JRS - 28,895
Insurance claim - 77,663
Historical credit write back - 31
Sundries 2,545 2,014
- --------------------- - ---------------------
£19,151 £124,171
========== ==========
6. EXPENDITURE Staff Support Other direct Total
Costs Costs Costs 2023
£ £ £ £
a) Analysis of total expenditure
Cost of raising funds
Fundraising 70,731 10,385 - 81,116
Shop operating costs 37,033 8,491 - 45,524
------------------ ------------------ ----------------- ------------------
107,764 18,876 - 126,640
------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------
Charitable activities
Unrestricted funds
Lifelong learning 160,592 57,112 11,651 229,355
Healthy Living 25,595 6,950 - 32,545
Community development 14,056 4,115 - 18,171
Community buildings 527,883 414,757 231 942,871
--------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------------
728,126 482,934 11,882 1,222,942
---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- --------------------------
Restricted funds
Lifelong learning 85,905 28,492 114,922 229,319
Healthy Living 76,506 1,901 651 79,058
Community development 51,733 5,254 2,153 59,140
Community buildings - - - -
---------------------- ---------------------- ----------------- ----------------------
214,144 35,647 117,726 367,517
---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------ ----------------------
Endowment Funds
Community buildings - 27,009 - 27,009
------------------ ------------------ ------------------- ------------------
Total expenditure 2023 £1,050,034 £564,466 £129,608 £1,744,108
========= ========= ========= ===========

39

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

6. EXPENDITURE (continued) Direct Head Total
Costs Office 2023
b) Analysis of staff costs £ £ £
Cost of raising funds
Fundraising 70,731 - 70,731
Shop operating costs 37,033 - 37,033
Charitable activities
Unrestricted funds
Lifelong learning 123,014 37,578 160,592
Healthy living 265 25,330 25,595
Community development 3,594 10,462 14,056
Community buildings 348,090 179,793 527,883
Central services 253,163 (253,163) -
Restricted funds
Lifelong learning 85,905 - 85,905
Healthy living 76,506 - 76,506
Community development 51,733 - 51,733
Endowment fund
Community buildings - - -
------------------- ---------------- -------------------
Total staff costs 2023 £1,050,034 £- £1,050,034
======== ======= =========
Total staff costs 2022 £985,921 £- 985,921
========= ====== =========
c) Analysis of support costs Admin Property Travel Finance Depreciation Governance Head Total
Costs Costs Costs Costs Office 2023
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Cost of raising funds
Fundraising 8,769 - - 1,610 - 6 - 10,385
Shop operating costs 1,021 7,470 - - - - - 8,491
Charitable activities
Unrestricted funds
Lifelong learning 19,037 - - 8,183 - 19,795 10,097 57,112
Healthy living - - - 145 - - 6,805 6,950
Community development 163 - - 1,142 - - 2,810 4,115
Community buildings 28,470 271,479 4,957 40,008 183 21,352 48,308 414,757
Central services 13,198 - - 13,163 38 41,621 (68,020) -
Restricted funds
Lifelong learning - 1,423 - - - 27,069 28,492
Healthy living 244 1,416 - 156 - 85 1,901
Community development 3,858 1,396 - - - - - 5,254
Community buildings - - - - - - - -
Endowment fund
Community buildings 27,009 27,009
------------------ -------------------- ----------------- ------------------- ---------------------- -------------------- ---------------- ---------------------
Total support costs 2023 £74,760 £283,184 £4,957 £64,407 £27,230 £109,928 £- £564,466
======== ========= ======== ======== ======== ======= ======= =========

Central services staff costs and support costs are allocated to each of the programmes dependent on the volume of activity.

40

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

6. EXPENDITURE (continued) 2023 2022
£ £
d) Analysis of governance costs
Legal, consultancy and professional fees 83,388 54,999
Audit fees 20,750 17,874
Health and safety 5,777 4,716
Companies House 13 13
-------------------- --------------------
£109,928 £77,602
======== ========
Staff Support Other direct Total
Costs Costs Costs 2022
£ £ £ £
e) Analysis of total expenditure – prior year
Cost of raising funds
Fundraising 69,542 9,969 - 79,511
Shop operating costs 33,500 5,546 - 39,046
------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------
103,042 15,515 - 118,557
------------------ ------------------ ------------------ ------------------
Charitable activities
Unrestricted funds
Lifelong learning 266,806 68,014 18,765 353,585
Healthy living 18,066 6,944 - 25,010
Community development 12,154 5,615 5,930 23,699
Community buildings 428,543 341,497 - 770,040
---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------------
725,569 422,070 24,695 1,172,334
---------------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- --------------------------
Restricted funds
Lifelong learning 65,926 27,885 36,948 130,759
Healthy living 59,331 16,927 - 76,258
Community development 32,053 36,833 19,298 88,184
Community buildings - - - -
---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------ ----------------------
157,310 81,645 56,246 295,201
---------------------- ---------------------- ------------------ ----------------------
Endowment Funds
Community buildings - 27,009 - 27,009
------------------ ------------------ ------------------- ------------------
Total expenditure 2022 985,921 546,239 80,941 1,613,101
========= ========= ========= ===========

41

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

6. EXPENDITURE (continued) Direct Head Total
Costs Office 2022
f) Analysis of staff costs – prior year £ £ £
Cost of raising funds
Fundraising 69,542 - 69,542
Shop operating costs 33,500 - 33,500
Charitable activities
Unrestricted funds
Lifelong learning 160,561 106,245 266,806
Healthy living - 18,066 18,066
Community development - 12,154 12,154
Community buildings 322,130 106,413 428,543
Central services 242,878 (242,878) -
Restricted funds
Lifelong learning 65,926 - 65,926
Healthy living 59,331 - 59,331
Community development 32,053 - 32,053
Endowment fund
Community buildings - - -
------------------- ---------------- -------------------
Total staff costs 2022 £985,921 £- 985,921
========= ======= =========
Total staff costs 2021 £872,234 £- £872,234
========= ====== =========
g) Analysis of support costs Admin Property Travel Finance Depreciation Governance Head Total
- prior year Costs Costs Costs Costs Office 2022
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Cost of raising funds
Fundraising 8,606 - - 1,363 - - - 9,969
Shop operating costs 1,029 4,230 - - - 287 - 5,546
Charitable activities
Unrestricted funds
Lifelong learning 10,216 3,080 - 14,540 - 2,682 37,496 68,014
Healthy living - - - 566 - - 6,378 6,944
Community development - - - 1,326 - - 4,289 5,615
Community buildings 19,613 227,357 3,909 45,517 457 7,089 37,555 341,497
Central services 13,720 - - 12,328 2,932 56,738 (85,718) -
Restricted funds
Lifelong learning 17,162 83 - - - 10,640 27,885
Healthy living 16,761 - - - - 166 - 16,927
Community development 11,635 25,198 - - - - - 36,833
Community buildings
Endowment fund
Community buildings - - - - 27,009 - - 27,009
------------------ -------------------- ----------------- -------------------- ---------------------- -------------------- ---------------- ---------------------
Total support costs 2022 £98,742 £259,948 £3,909 £75,640 £30,398 £77,602 £- £546,239
======== ========= ======== ======== ======== ======= ======= =========

42

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

7. NET INCOME 2023 2022
£ £
Net income is stated after charging:
Professional advice insurance including trustee indemnity cover 1,064 605
Depreciation 27,230 30,398
Audit fees 20,750 17,874
=======
 =========
8. STAFF EMPLOYMENT 2023 2022
£ £
Salaries and wages 880,465 832,529
Social security costs 74,389 67,797
Pension costs 55,526 54,618
Other staff costs 36,150 30,621
Redundancy payments 3,504 356
---------------------- ----------------------
Total Staff Costs £1,050,034 £985,921
========= ===========

One employee received remuneration for the year in the band £60,000 to £70,000 (2022– 2) and pension cost of £27,838 (2022 – £26,846), were paid in relation to these employees.

The average monthly number of employees during the year was made up as follows:

2023 2022
Part Time Full Time Part Time Full Time
Community work 39 8 29 8
Central Administration - 5 - 5
Fundraising - 2 - 2
------- ------- ------- -------
39 15 29 15
=== === === ===
Full time equivalents 2023 2022
The number of full time equivalent posts is 39.71 31.50
========= =======

The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £91,479 (2022: £88,777).

43

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

9. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Land and Furniture and Motor
Buildings Equipment Vehicles Total
£ £ £ £
Cost or valuation
At 1 April 2022 2,155,448 999,344 51,453 3,206,245
Additions - 847 - 847
Disposals - - - -
------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- -------------------------
At 31 March 2023 2,155,448 1,000,191 51,453 3,207,092
------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- -------------------------
Depreciation
At 1 April 2022 512,459 998,963 51,451 1,562,873
Charge for year 27,009 221 - 27,230
Disposals - - - -
------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- -------------------------
At 31 March 2023 539,468 999,184 51,451 1,590,103
------------------------- --------------------- --------------------- -------------------------
Net Book Value
At 31 March 2023 £1,615,980 £1,007 £2 £1,616,989
========== ========= ========== =============
At 31 March 2022 £1,642,989 £381 £2 £1,643,372
=========== ========= ========== =============
All assets are used for charitable purposes.
10. DEBTORS 2023 2022
£ £
Aston Mansfield Charitable Trust 11,239 11,919
Rent Receivable 78,263 79,133
Other debtors and prepayments 14,619 34,906
----------------------- -----------------------
£104,121 £125,958
========= ==========
11. CREDITORS: due within one year 2023 2022
£ £
Deferred income 66,121 47,332
Taxation and social security 24,985 21,948
VAT payable 447 670
Other creditors and accruals 97,814 105,388
-------------------------- --------------------------
£189,367 £175,338
========== ==========

44

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

12. RECONCILIATION OF NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS TO NET 2023 2022
CASH (OUTFLOW)/INFLOW FROM OPERATING £ £
ACTIVITIES
Net movement in funds (131,385) 5,918
Depreciation and amortisation 27,230 30,398
(Increase)/decrease in stocks 407 (60)
(Decrease)/increase in creditors 14,029 (38,098)
(Increase)/decrease in debtors 21,837 (59,542)
------------------------- ------------------------------
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operations (£67,882) (£61,384)
=========== ============

13. DIRECTORS/TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION

No director has received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses (2022: Nil).

14. CHARITY COMMISSION SCHEME

Under a scheme approved by the Charity Commissioners in 1994, the Golden Jubilee Trust merged with Aston-Mansfield and AstonMansfield also became the corporate trustee of the Lady Trower Trust, which is the proprietor of the land at Lambourne End and Burges Road, East Ham. Their accounts are merged with those of this charity with effect from 1 October 1993.

15. ENDOWMENT FUNDS

ENDOWMENT FUNDS Movement in funds
Balance at Balance at
1 April 2022 Income Expenditure Transfers 31 March 2023
£ £ £ £ £
Land
Burges Road East Ham E6 180,000 - - - 180,000
Lambourne End 1,267,416 - (27,009) - 1,240,407
------------------------ ------------ ------------------ ---------------- ------------------------
£1,447,416 (£27,009) £1,420,407
=========== ===== ======== ======= ===========
Balance at Balance at
1 April 2021 Income Expenditure Transfers 31 March 2022
£ £ £ £ £
Land 180,000 - - - 180,000
Burges Road East Ham E6 1,294,425 - (27,009) - 1,267,416
Lambourne End ------------------------ ------------ ------------------ ---------------- ------------------------
£1,474,425 £ (£27,009) £ £1,447,416
=========== ===== ======== ======= ===========

Expenditure reflects depreciation of the Lambourne End Property.

45

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

16. RESTRICTED FUNDS Movement in funds
Balance at Balance at
1 April Income Expenditure Transfers 31 March 2023
2022
£ £ £ £ £
Lambourne End – Lake 2,979 - - - 2,979
East End Community 1,022 9,000 (6,522) - 3,500
Foundation
Big Lottery Fund Grant 27,890 - (27,890) - -
City Bridge Trust 6,954 47,985 (54,939) - -
Legacy Income 14,365 - - - 14,365
London Cycling Grant 3,055 - (3,055) - -
Community Connectors - 116,183 (79,058) - 37,125
LB Newham 16,880 - (11,880) - 5,000
CAF-ELEVATE 132,169 45,971 (178,140) - -
Jack Petchey 5,000 8,000 (6,033) - 6,967
--------------------- -------------------- ---------------------- --------------- ---------------------
£210,314 £227,139 (£367,517) £- £69,936
========= ========= ========= ======== =========
Balance at Balance at
April 2021 Income Expenditure Transfers 31 March 2022
£ £ £ £ £
Lambourne End – Lake 2,979 - - - 2,979
East End Community 9,941 8,000 (16,919) - 1,022
Foundation
London City Airport 3,000 - (3,000) - -
Community Connectors 17,467 71,423 (88,890) - -
Big Lottery Fund Grant 47,722 68,496 (88,328) - 27,890
City Bridge Trust 7,693 47,800 (48,539) - 6,954
Legacy Income 14,365 - - - 14,365
London Cycling Grant 3,055 - - - 3,055
London Community
-Response Fund		 28,195 (28,195) -
-		 -
-
LB Newham 18,686 18,780 (20,586) - 16,880
CAF-ELEVATE - 132,913 (744) - 132,169
Jack Petchey - 5,000 - - 5,000
--------------------- -------------------- ---------------------- ---------------- ---------------------
£153,103 £352,412 (£295,201) £- £210,314
=========== =========== =========== =========== ===========

A full description of each fund is shown at note 20.

17. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS Movement in funds
Balance at Balance at
1 April Income Expenditure Transfers 31 March 2023
2022
£ £ £ £ £
------------------------ ----------------------- ---------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------
General Fund £141,017 £1,385,584 (£1,349,582) - £177,019
=========== =========== ============= ============= ===========

46

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

17. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS (continued)

Balance at Balance at
1 April Income Expenditure Transfers 31 March
2021 2022
£ £ £ £ £
General Fund £165,301 £1,266,607 (£1,290,891) £- £141,017
------------------------ ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------------- ------------------------
£165,301 £1,266,607 (£1,290,891) £- £141,017
=========== =========== =========== =========== ===========
18. NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
Current year
Endowment Restricted Unrestricted Total
Fund Fund Fund 2023
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets 1,615,981 - 1,008 £1,616,989
Current Assets - 69,936 169,804 239,740
Current Liabilities (144,672) - (44,695) (189,367)
Inter-fund Loan (50,902) - 50,902 -
------------------------ -------------------- ------------------- ------------------------
Net Funds £1,420,407 £69,936 £177,019 £1,667,362
=========== ========= ========= ==========
Previous year Endowment Restricted Unrestricted Total
Fund Fund Fund 2022
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets 1,642,990 - 382 1,643,372
Current Assets - 210,314 120,399 330,713
Current Liabilities (144,672) - (30,666) (175,338)
Inter-fund Loan (50,902) - 50,902 -
------------------------ -------------------- ------------------- ------------------------
Net Funds £1,447,416 £210,314 £141,017 £1,798,747
=========== ========= ========= ==========

19. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

There were no related party transactions with individuals or trustees during the year (2022- nil).

Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust, a charitable company limited by guarantee, although under the control of a different trustee board, is a connected charity with identical objects and having a common administration.

47

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

19. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (continued)

During the year the company received a grant of £789,385 (2022- £586,927) from Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust and provided services costing £13,029 (2022 £15,254) to that charity. At the year-end Aston-Mansfield Charitable Trust owed Aston Mansfield £11,239 (2022 - £11,919) as disclosed in note 10.

The company is a member of Lambourne End Limited, a charitable company limited by guarantee. During the year the company did not provide any services to the charity (2022 - £ Nil) and no amount was owed to or due from Aston-Mansfield (2022 - £Nil).

20. RESTRICTED FUNDS

Lambourne End Lake

In 2007 the Environment Agency provided a grant towards the capital cost of providing a lake at Lambourne End. These funds would be utilised once the planning permission is granted and construction work commences on the lake.

East End Community Foundation

A six-week programme of positive activities for young people during the summer holidays including targeted sessions for transitional youth and youth at risk of anti-social behaviour. The funding was provided by East End Community Foundation.

The winter crisis response fund administered by East End Community Foundation was a grant for the emotional and practical support for the specific issue's families were facing during the pandemic. This includes managing children’s development and presenting behaviours which indicate mental health issues.

Movement in funds Movement in funds
Balance at Balance at
1 April 2022 Income Expenditure 31 March 2023
£ £ £ £
Positive activities for youth -
Crisis response 1,022 9,000 (6,522) 3,500
--------------------- -------------------- ------------------- ---------------------
Total £1,022 £9,000 (£6,522) £3,500
=========== ============ =========== ============

Big Lottery Fund Grant

The Youth4Youth project is funded by the Big Lottery for the development of young leaders and supporting them to campaign/engage in social action relating to local issues which concern them. The project is based on a model of co-production and co-design, which enables young people to develop their leadership skills.

City Bridge Trust

The grant is to support voluntary and community groups to understand and implement sound finance procedures and practices. By helping groups establish good systems that will grow with their group, trustees, donors and funders can have confidence that money is being used and recorded correctly. Annually the programme involves 6 training or workshop sessions, mentoring by staff and experienced volunteers, the development of factsheets and a toolkit to guide groups through the finances. The extension funding is for 2 years, and funds 2-part time staff posts previously funded for three years so this has been a five-year programme.

Legacy

An amount of £19k was received with a request for it to be contributed towards a farm project. This income has been restricted to AstonMansfield’s activities and expenditures at Lambourne End and other Healthy eating/living initiatives.

48

ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

20. RESTRICTED FUNDS (continued)

London Cycling Grant

This is a grant funded by Transport for London and managed by the environmental regeneration charity, Groundwork. It promotes cycling as not only a means of transport, but also a route to greater personal freedom, better health and well-being and stronger, more social communities. Through this grant, children and parents at Little Manor receive cycling tuition for two hours on a weekly basis for four weeks and then go on a cycle adventure.

Community Connectors

Aston-Mansfield Community Connectors are funded through a partnership bid with East London Foundation Trust and Community links. This fund three community connectors roles based in the North of the borough covering Forest Gate and Manor Park neighbourhoods.

Working directly within the NHS, Clinical Commissioning Group and with GP practices, the community connectors work with registered patients with Mental Health Diagnosis. Their role is to engage with the patients and connect them to local activities, initiatives and VCS, Self-help groups and volunteers and support them with addressing issues such as debt management, family disputes and legal matters around housing and access.

London Borough of Newham (LBN)

The Fitter Finance team worked closely with the London Borough of Newham as part of the COVID RESPONSE Strategy.

LBN Community Neighbourhood team worked with Aston-Mansfield Fitter finance to develop a capacity building service for the Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) to help them increase and respond to their immediate communities. The first part of the fund provided bespoke packages of support to groups referred in by the Neighbourhood teams.

In the prior year, LBN provided £10K towards weight management. Every 6-8 weeks young people referrals receive fresh food boxes and recipe cards for cooking with families at home playworkers will also give fun active support to introduce Healthy eating and cooking habits that influence families’ behaviours. Young people are then asked to give feedback and send in videos photos of achievements examples of where they have shopped and cooked a healthy meal on a budget.

LBN funded the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) for children who are eligible for benefits related Free School Meals, vulnerable children and children with SEND. Giving them access to heathy food and activities during the long school holiday periods. This fund enabled us to deliver 4 days (2 remote and 2 face-to-face) of activity and food during the Christmas period, purchase kitchen equipment to enable us to deliver better quality meals onsite and to enhance cooking activities and to purchase sports equipment to enable us to enhance our physical activity offer.

49

ASTON-MANSFIELD NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

20. RESTRICTED FUNDS (continued)

We are Food Secure is a program designed to research the reason behind the food choices of young people in Newham, it was funded specifically to conduct interviews with young people aged 11 – 14.

Movement in funds
Balance at Balance at
1 April 2022 Income Expenditure 31 March 2023
£ £ £ £
Weight Management 9,530 - (4,530) 5,000
HAF Primary 580 - (580) -
HAF Secondary 2,370 - (2,370) -
We are Food Secure 200 - (200) -
----------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------------- ------------------------
Total £16,880 £- (£11,880) £5,000
============= ============ ================ ============

CAF-ELEVATE

This was funded by Charities Aid Foundation

Elevate is an employability programme taking young people aged 17 - 25 on a journey of skills development, 1:1 coaching, work experience and paid internships.

The 15-month programme runs until end of March 2023 and funds a full time coordinator, 2 Young Facilitators and contributes to the youth manager role.

Jack Petchey

We have been awarded £10k from Jack Petchey Foundation to deliver workshops, activities and events for young people aged 14+ to support their learning, increase their networks, help build resilience and reduce isolation post pandemic. The one year programme runs until December 2023.

21. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

Lambourne End Limited

Aston-Mansfield is a member of Lambourne End Limited and in the event of winding-up it has undertaken to contribute an amount not exceeding £25,000.

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ASTON-MANSFIELD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

22. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022)

Endowment Restricted Unrestricted
2022
Funds Funds Funds Total
£ £ £ £
Income Notes
Income from donations and legacies
Donations - - 20,128 20,128
Income from charitable activities
Grants 3 - 352,412 703,178 1,055,590
Project income - - 5,368 5,368
Rents and facility hire 4 - - 374,692 374,692
Income from other trading activities
Shop sales - - 39,070 39,070
Other income 5 - - 124,171 124,171
Total income - 352,412 1,266,607 1,619,019
Expenditure
Expenditure on raising funds
Fundraising - - (79,511) (79,511)
Shop operating costs - - (39,046) (39,046)
Expenditure on charitable activities
Lifelong learning - (130,759) (353,585) (484,344)
Healthy living - (76,258) (25,010) (101,268)
Community development - (88,184) (23,699) (111,883)
Community buildings (27,009) - (770,040) (797,049)
Total expenditure 6 (27,009) (295,201) (1,290,891) (1,613,101)
Net income/(expenditure) (27,009) 57,211 (24,284) 5,918
Transfers between funds - - - -
Net movement in funds (27,009) 57,211 (24,284) 5,918
Fund balances as at 1 April 2021 1,474,425 153,103 165,301 1,792,829
------------------------- --------------------- --------------------- -------------------------
FUND BALANCES AT 31 MARCH 2022 £1,447,416 £210,314 £141,017 £1,798,747
=========== ========= ========= ===========

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