## AMENDED
# Gingerbread Trustees’ Annual Report
# for the year ended 31 March 2025
Gingerbread, the charity for single-parent families Company number 402748 Charity number 230750
## **Contents**
|Reference and administrative information|3|
|---|---|
|Trustees|3|
|Key management personal|4|
|Introduction from our Chair|5|
|Executive summary|6|
|Trustees’ report|7 - 9|
|Introduction||
|Objects||
|Our vision, mission and values||
|Our impact: the numbers||
|Public benefit||
|Structure, governance and management||
|Renumeration||
|Risk management||
|Fundraising activities|10|
|Funders for 2024-25|11|
|Financial review|12|
|Introduction||
|Reserves policy||
|Going concern||
|Investment policy||
|Statement of responsibility for the trustees|13|
|Independent auditor’s report|14 - 17|
|Charity accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025|18 - 34|
|Statement of financial activities||
|Balance sheet||
|Statement of cash flows||
|Notes to the financial statements||
2
## **Reference and administrative information**
Charity name: Gingerbread, the Charity for Single-Parent Families Company number: 402748 Country of incorporation: United Kingdom Charity number: 230750 Country of registration: England and Wales Registered office and operational address: 82 Tanner Street, London SE1 3GN Email: info@gingerbread.org.uk Website: www.gingerbread.org.uk
## **Trustees**
Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
## **As of 17 December 2025**
## **Chair**
Sarah Pinch, appointed 25 November 2024 **Vice-chair** Professor Phil Deans, appointed 30 October 2024 **Treasurer** Daniel Moore, appointed 11 September 2025 **Trustees** Benjamin Auty, appointed 17 April 2025 Harriette Douglas, appointed 6 December 2024 Ed Tait, appointed 6 December 2024
## **For the period of April 2024 to March 2025**
## **Interim Chair from 13 December 2023 to 25 November 2024**
Tom Madders, appointed 21 July 2021 to 4 March 2025 **Interim Vice Chair from 13 December 2023 to 30 October 2024** Dr Jo Caseborne, appointed 21 July 2021 to 20 December 2024
## **Trustees**
Diane Gault, appointed 29 April 2020 to 9 June 2025 Henry Gregg, appointed 21 July 2021 to 4 June 2025 Ema Howling, co-opted 27 October 2021 to 27 October 2024 Mariam Kemple-Hardy, appointed 21 July 2021 to 19 February 2025 Lucy Morgan, appointed 27 October 2021 to 13 June 2024 Sanaz Nowroozi, co-opted 27 October 2021 to 21 July 2025 Tayyaba Siddiqui, co-opted 27 October 2021 to 27 October 2024
3
## **Key management personnel**
## **As of 17 December 2025**
## **CEO**
Abigail Wood, from 4 November 2025
## **Company Secretary**
Ella Whalley, from December 2024 Vaila McClure, from September 2025
## **Head of Communications and External Affairs**
## **For the period of April 2024 to March 2025**
## **CEO and Company Secretary**
Victoria Benson, from February 2019 to December 2024 **CEO (Interim role)**
Lisa Pearce, from February 2025 to September 2025
## **Head of Services (Role no longer exists)**
Jo Hardy, from July 2019 to April 2025
## **Head of Income Generation (Role no longer exists)**
Teresa Forgione, from January 2023 to November 2024 Annabel Arkless, from January 2025 to March 2025 (interim role)
## **Head of Policy and Campaigns (Role no longer exists)**
Sarah Lambert, from October 2023 to September 2025
## **Head of Finance and Resources (Role no longer exists)**
Cheryl Chan, from March 2024 to December 2024 Theresa Dokpesi, from December 2024 to May 2025 (interim role)
## **Head of Marketing and Communications (Role no longer exists)**
Mark Gorman, from May 2022 to May 2024 (sabbatical leave September 2023 to May 2024) Vaila McClure, from September 2023 to May 2024 (acting up role)
## **Head of Communications and Engagement (Role no longer exists)**
Vaila McClure, from June 2024 to September 2025
## **Bankers**
Coutts & Co, St Martin’s Office, 440 Strand, London WC2R 0QS Lloyds Bank Burnley Branch, PO Box 1000, Andover BX1 1LT
## **Auditor**
Albert Goodman, Goodwood House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2PX
4
## **Introduction from our Chair**
In 1974, my divorced mum met a widowed man at a Gingerbread meeting. They married a year later and 50 years on I was honoured and humbled to be appointed Chair of this amazing charity. One that has given me an extraordinary dad, and in the last three years as I navigated my own painful divorce, a lot of amazing support and guidance.
Gingerbread is unique in England and Wales, and together with Phil Deans, our Vice-Chair, and Lisa Pearce, our interim CEO, we were determined to take the organisation through a transformation to ensure its survival, for every single-parent family who needs us now, or may need our help in the future.
It has not been easy, but we have made big and bold decisions, and I am extremely grateful for the support of our amazing staff team and my fellow board members. We now have a board with a diversity of skills and experience, thanks to a governance review supported by the Lloyds Banking Foundation, and we are now strong, agile and fit for the future.
I want to pay tribute to every trustee who has gone before us, thank you for the energy, time and dedication you gave to the organisation.
And finally, a huge thank you to our funders. New ones have come on board and seen the energy and drive of our plans and wanted to be part of it. And existing funders have stood by us and strengthened their commitment to us – and importantly to our single-parent families.
**Sarah Pinch** Gingerbread Chair December 2025
5
## **Executive summary**
2024/25 has been a pivotal year of challenge, transition and purposeful change for Gingerbread. As the national charity for single-parent families, we’ve taken bold steps to reset our foundations, respond to growing need and prepare for a future that empowers single parents at scale.
## **Navigating a tough environment**
The wider charity sector has experienced immense pressures this year with soaring costs, rising demand and increased competition for funding. Gingerbread felt these challenges directly, facing financial instability, limited capacity in our core services and urgent need for organisational renewal.
## **Leadership and strategic reset**
In November 2024, we welcomed a new Chair and Vice Chair of Trustees, bringing governance experience and renewed energy to the organisation. This was followed by the arrival of a new Interim CEO in February 2025, who led a rapid programme of review, engagement and planning.
Together, they oversaw the development and launch of a refreshed strategy at the end of February 2025, designed to stabilise the organisation and redefine how we support single parents.
Our renewed strategic direction focuses on:
- Empowering single parents through local and digital Gingerbread groups Championing the lived experiences of our single parents campaigners
- Delivering scalable, accessible support through modernised digital services and peer-led activity
- Driving systems change through bold policy and public engagement work Strengthening sustainability via a thorough review of expenditure, diversified income, partnerships and investment in people
## **Helpline closure and service transformation**
As part of this transition, we made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Gingerbread Helpline in March 2025. The service, while impactful historically, was no longer financially sustainable or fit for the scale of need. In its place, we are investing in:
- A self-led digital advice hub, available 24/7
- Peer-led support via our growing Gingerbread House network
- Group workshops and downloadable toolkits, co-created with single parents
## **Our strengthening foundations**
Since February 2025 we have also taken vital steps to future-proof the organisation:
- Stronger governance, with a refreshed Board, with skills the organisation needs, improved oversight and clear accountability
- Systems modernisation, including new digital infrastructure, finance systems and data tools
- Increased digital capacity, enabling us to deliver more effective, user-centred services
## **With gratitude to our funders**
We are profoundly grateful to the funders, partners, and supporters who stood by us during this critical year. Your trust and flexibility enabled us to make bold decisions and invest in a more resilient, future-facing model. You have helped lay the foundations for impact that lasts.
6
## **Trustees’ report**
## **Introduction**
The Trustees present their report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. Reference and administrative information set out on page 2 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association, the requirements of a directors’ report as required under company law, and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
Gingerbread is the national charity working with single-parent families. We provide expert information and advice, facilitate peer-to-peer support and campaign for fair and equal treatment and opportunity for single-parent families.
## Objects
The objects of the charity as stated in the Articles of Association are:
- to prevent or relieve poverty and disadvantage and to promote fair and equal treatment and opportunity among single parents and their children, and to promote and protect their wellbeing through the provision of information, advice, education, training and other services
- the conducting, commissioning and publication of research
- the raising of awareness through publications, use of the media, public advocacy and other means of communication
## Our vision, mission and values
## **Vision**
Our vision is of a world where all single parents and their children can thrive
## **Mission**
We stand with and support single parents to overcome disadvantage, inequality and injustice
## **Values**
We are brave, trustworthy, supportive and ambitious
7
**Our impact: the numbers a) Improving the financial situation of single parents**
## **Advice and information**
- 4,764 calls and webchats were answered by our advice service team.
## **Website**
- 697,000 people visited our website
- 70% of single parents felt better able to make informed decisions after viewing our website information
## **b) Improving the mental health and wellbeing of single parents**
## **Gingerbread community**
- 59 local groups, with membership growing to 2,341 members 90% of members stated they had more opportunities to connect with other single parents and 75% feel part of a supportive single parent community, with 70% feeling less lonely and isolated
## **Wellbeing programme**
- 175 single parents accessed our programme and learnt new tools and strategies to better manage their wellbeing
- 88% of single parents felt more confident in their ability to look after their wellbeing as a result of the programme
## **Policy and campaigning**
- A quarter of MPs know about our ‘Fix the CMS’ campaign and over 70 parliamentary questions were asked about child maintenance between the lead up to the campaign launch and the end of the financial year (triple the amount from same time previous year)
- 4 key policy changes which we helped to secure have been implemented 2 further policy changes agreed
8
## Public benefit
The Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning its activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.
## Structure, governance and management
Gingerbread, The Charity For Single Parent Families is a company limited by guarantee (registered number 00402748) and a registered charity (number 230750).
Gingerbread’s governing document, the Articles of Association, was revised in 2013. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall strategy and direction of the charity.
The Trustees delegate the day-to-day management of the organisation to a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who was Victoria Benson followed by Lisa Pearce for the reporting period.
Board members give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration. There are a maximum of 15 Trustees, including up to three co-opted trustees, recruited through an open process, informed by a skills and diversity audit. Trustees are appointed for a maximum of two threeyear terms. Trustees take part in an induction day to familiarise themselves with the activities and operations of the charity. They are also provided with a role description and guidance on their duties as trustees. The Trustees also appoint a safeguarding lead from among their number. The scheme of delegation details which powers the Board of Trustees retains and which powers are delegated to the CEO.
The charity is grateful for the contribution of the 60 volunteers who coordinated local friendship groups either singly or jointly through the year across England and Wales and support the charity in a number of other ways.
The charity benefits from the support of its President.
## **Renumeration**
Gingerbread is committed to salaries that are fair, transparent, based on market rates within the sector and enable us to recruit and retain expert staff. Gingerbread salaries are benchmarked against charity sector salaries. Gingerbread is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.
## **Risk management**
The trustees have reviewed the principal risks faced by the charity as well as the controls, procedures and actions established to mitigate and manage those risks. Risks are reviewed regularly with input from managers across the organisation and are documented in a risk register which is reviewed by the Board of Trustees quarterly.
9
## **Fundraising activities**
As required by the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, the trustees of Gingerbread provide the following statement regarding fundraising activities carried out during the financial year ending 31 March 2025.
## **Fundraising methods used**
Gingerbread does not engage professional fundraisers or commercial participators. All fundraising activities were carried out directly by our staff and volunteers. Fundraising methods during the year ending 31 March 2025 included:
- Online donations via our website and fundraising platforms, including JustGiving Community events such as sponsored walks, runs, a bake off, raffles, quizzes and fundraising at a child’s nursery
- Fundraising appeals via our website, social media channels and supporter emails Gift Aid claims on eligible donations
Our fundraising mix continues to lean heavily towards statutory and charitable trusts and foundations and we are pleased to continue to be supported by a number of significant charitable trusts and foundations (see page 12). We remain very grateful to Foundation CHANEL, The Linbury Trust and the Volant Charitable Trust for their continued funding and City Bridge Foundation, The Dulverton Trust and Garfield Weston Foundation for supporting us in 2024-25. We are also grateful to the people who undertake personal challenges to raise funds to support single-parent families and their children. We deeply appreciate all our individual donors who contributed so generously to the total amount raised.
## **Compliance with fundraising standards**
Gingerbread is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and we continue to follow the Code of Fundraising Practice. All fundraising activities are conducted with integrity and in line with our internal fundraising policies, which reflect best practice guidance.
## **Monitoring of fundraising activities**
As our fundraising activity is carried out directly by our staff, our board of trustees oversee and monitor all fundraising activities, ensuring we comply with relevant rules and regulations. Trustees receive regular reports on fundraising performance, and any concerns are reviewed and acted upon promptly.
## **Complaints about fundraising**
We did not receive any complaints regarding our fundraising activities during the year.
## **Protecting the public from undue pressure**
- We are committed to protecting vulnerable people and other members of the public from: Unreasonable intrusions in their privacy
- Unreasonably persistent approaches for money or other property
- Placing undue pressure on a person to give money or other property
We do this by treating people fairly, respectfully and responsively. We explain our cause in a way that doesn’t mislead people. We make clear in all our communications that donations are voluntary so that donors do not feel pressured to give and always provide the choice to opt out of future fundraising contact.
10
**Our grateful thanks to the following principal funders for 2024-25**
## **Charitable trusts and foundations**
- The 29th May 1961 Charity Ambergate Charitable Trust The Ardwick Trust Apple Tree Charitable Trust Barbour Foundation BNA Charitable Incorporated Organisation Cecil Pilkington Charitable Trust The Chalk Cliff Trust The Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust City Bridge Foundation – London’s biggest independent charity funder David & Ruth Behrend Fund Davis-Rubens Charitable Trust Diana Deyong Charitable Trust Doris Field Charitable Trust The Dulverton Trust Eleanor Rathbone Trust Fondation CHANEL Foundation Derbyshire The G M Morrison Charitable Trust The Gallus Trust Garfield Weston Foundation The Hampstead Wells and Campden Charitable Trust The Hanley Trust (1987) John Armitage Charitable Trust Joseph Rowntree Foundation Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust The Linbury Trust
- Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales
- Louis Nicholas Residuary Charitable Trust
- The Maud Elkington Charitable Trust Medlock Charitable Trust
- The Michael and Anna Wix Charitable Trust
- Michael Cornish Charitable Trust Mr and Mrs Sargeant Charitable Trust Nora Smith Charitable Settlement Norman Family Trust Northampton Town Council The Pat Newman Trust Pears Foundation Pilkington General Charity Fund The Rhododendron Trust Sharegift Simon’s Charity Sir Jame Knott Trust
- Sir James Eastwood Foundation The Souter Charitable Trust Spears-Stutz Charitable Trust Stanton Ballard Charitable Trust Totara Charitable Trust Vandervell Foundation
- The Volant Charitable Trust
- William A Cadbury Trust William Leech Charity The Wyseliot Rose Charitable Trust
## **Statutory, lottery funders and other grants**
- Department for Education Elizabeth Finn Care (Turn2Us)
The National Lottery Community Fund - RC England Wide programme
We are immensely grateful to the many individuals who have supported our work throughout the year with donations of all sizes, fundraising activities and taking part in our challenge events.
11
## Financial review
## Introduction
During 2024/25, work has continued on the reengineering and diversifying of Gingerbread’s funding streams. The financial statements, including the notes to the accounts, have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard 102. As a charity, the accounts are also prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice.
The total income for the charity was £2,117,002 (2024: £2,508,058). The largest components of this came from funding for research and policy activities of £684,643 (2024: £959,098), for information and advice services of £667,677 (2024: £910,847) and donations and legacies of £610,457 (2024: £622,622). Total expenditure was £2,483,625 (2024: £2,165,929) which consisted of £2,109,807 on charitable activities and £373,818 on raising funds (2024: £299,674). Taking into account net gains on investments, this resulted in a total deficit of £345,888 (2024: surplus of £359,917).
## **Reserves policy**
The reserves policy aims to ensure that the charity’s reserves are sufficient to provide continuity of service to our beneficiaries, investment capital and ongoing financial security. The trustees have adopted a policy that aims to have sufficient general funds set aside to cover three months’ close-down operating costs if needed.
At 31 March 2025, three months operating costs, following reductions to our cost base in 2024/25, was £290K. Of the total funds of £696,358 at the year end (2024: £1,042,246), general unrestricted funds amounted to £74,685 (2024: £271,441), leaving them £215,315 short of the requirement. Trustees note this shortfall and have prioritised action in the following financial year to address it through continued cost control and income diversification. Designated funds stood at £33,814 at the end of the year (2024: £39,358) and restricted funds accounted for £587,859 (2024: £731,447) of the balance at year end.
## **Going concern**
The trustees have considered the charity’s financial position, with particular focus on the £197,756 reduction in general funds to £74,685 to 31st March 2025. Despite this decrease, the trustees are confident that Gingerbread remains a going concern as cash at bank of £648,226 means we retain healthy liquidity whilst reserves recover and, following a review of Gingerbread's cost reductions and financial plans, we expect this recovery to occur in the next financial year.
In this review the trustees assessed the reductions in the cost base made throughout and following the year ending 31st March 2025, and the reasonableness therefore of the projected surplus in future financial years. Further, we reviewed the cash flows underpinning this projected surplus to determine the level of risk to Gingerbread if income failed to deliver at projected levels. Our conclusion is that reductions to our workforce and the generous support of our donors have returned us to a position of financial stability and that our financial plans are sufficiently conservative that we will continue as a going concern, even in the eventuality that revenue isn't recognised at the level forecast.
## **Investment policy**
The charity’s policy is to seek to maximise its investment income whilst not incurring a level of risk that is inconsistent with its charitable status. Given the decline in reserves in 24/25 we have divested of all holdings, with a minimal cash balance now deposited with our investment managers.
12
**Statement of responsibilities of the trustees** The trustees (who are also directors of Gingerbread for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
- There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware. The trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.
- The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
- Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2025 was 7 (2023/24:12). The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity. Albert Goodman was appointed as the charitable company's auditor during the year and has expressed its willingness to continue in that capacity.
- The trustees annual report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The trustees annual report has been approved by the trustees on 17 December 2025.
Sarah Pinch Chair
Professor Phil Deans Vice-Chair
13
## **Independent auditor’s report**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2025, which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, and Notes to the Financial Statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, 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:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended; have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
## **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 charitable company 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**
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:
- the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or
- the trustees have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the charitable company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
## **Other information**
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Trustees’ Report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. 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.
14
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees’ Report, which includes the Directors' Report, prepared for the purposes of company law for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and the Directors' Report included within the Trustees’ Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of our 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 Directors' Report included within the Trustees’ Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the Trustees’ Report and from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities set out in the Trustees’ Report, 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 are set out below.
15
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
- In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following: the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
- we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charitable company through discussions with management, and from our commercial knowledge and experience of the charity sector;
- we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the company, including the Companies Act 2006, Charities Act 2011, and employment legislation;
- we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and considering legal correspondence; and identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
- making enquiries of management as to where they consider there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud; and considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.
- To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we: performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships; tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
- assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and
- investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
- agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation; reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
- enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation, claims and breaches of relevant legislation; and
- reviewing correspondence with the Charity Commission and other relevant regulators.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
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.
16
## **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 and trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body and the charitable company’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Michelle Ferris BSc (Hons), FCA, DChA (Senior Statutory Auditor)
For and on behalf of Albert Goodman LLP, Statutory Auditor Goodwood House Blackbrook Park Avenue Taunton Somerset TA1 2PX
Date:
17
**Charity accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
18
## **Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
**Statement of financial activities** (incorporating an income and expenditure account)
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Unrestricted
Note
£
**Income from:**
2
610,457
3
1,066.07
4
7,625.00
5
1,500.00
Core Grant
6
140,000.00
7
6,599.87
-
767,247.76
7a
373,818.00
7a
613,495
-
2,970
-
990,283
20,735
-
(202,300)
**Reconciliation of funds:**
310,799
108,499
**Total funds carried forward**
**Net income / (expenditure) for the year and**
**Net income / (expenditure) before net gains**
**/ (losses) on investments and transfers**
(223,035)
Net gains / (losses) on investments
Transfers between Funds
Total funds brought forward
**Total expenditure**
Charitable activities
Research and policy activities
Information and advice services
Training, consultancy and projects
Research and policy activities
Information and advice services
Training, consultancy and projects
Raising funds
Other
Investments
Other
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities|Unrestricted
Note
£
**Income from:**
2
610,457
3
1,066.07
4
7,625.00
5
1,500.00
Core Grant
6
140,000.00
7
6,599.87
-
767,247.76
7a
373,818.00
7a
613,495
-
2,970
-
990,283
20,735
-
(202,300)
**Reconciliation of funds:**
310,799
108,499
**Total funds carried forward**
**Net income / (expenditure) for the year and**
**Net income / (expenditure) before net gains**
**/ (losses) on investments and transfers**
(223,035)
Net gains / (losses) on investments
Transfers between Funds
Total funds brought forward
**Total expenditure**
Charitable activities
Research and policy activities
Information and advice services
Training, consultancy and projects
Research and policy activities
Information and advice services
Training, consultancy and projects
Raising funds
Other
Investments
Other
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Donations and legacies
Charitable activities|Restricted
£
-
666,611.30
-
683,143.10
-
-
-|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**610,457**
**667,677**
**7,625**
**684,643**
**140,000**
**6,600**
**-**
**2,117,002**
**373,818**
**1,357,565**
**-**
**752,242**
**-**
**2,483,625**
**20,735**
**-**
**(345,888)**
**1,042,246**
**696,358**
**(366,623)**|Unrestricted
£
622,622
40
12,160
750
-
3,331
-|Restricted
£
-
910,806
-
958,348
-
-
-|2024
Total
£
622,622
910,847
12,160
959,098
-
3,331
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||767,247.76|1,349,754.00||638,904|1,869,155|2,508,058|
||373,818.00
613,495
-
2,970
-|-
744,070
-
749,272
-||299,674
489,355
17,027
152,392
-|-
893,916
-
313,565
-|299,674
1,383,271
17,027
465,957
-|
||990,283|1,493,342||958,448|1,207,481|2,165,929|
||20,735
-
(223,035)|-
-
(143,588)||17,789
12,168
(319,545)|-
(12,168)
661,674|17,789
-
342,129|
||(202,300)
310,799|(143,588)
731,447||(289,588)
600,387|649,506
81,942|359,917
682,329|
||108,499|587,859||310,799|731,447|1,042,246|
All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 20a to the financial statements.
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
Company no. 00402748
## **Balance sheet**
## **As at 31 March 2025**
|Note
**Fixed assets:**
13
13
14
**Current assets:**
15
**Liabilities:**
16
18
20a
Total unrestricted funds
General funds
**Total charity funds**
Restricted income funds
Unrestricted income funds:
Designated funds
**The funds of the charity:**
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
**Total net assets/ (liabilities)**
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
**Net current assets**
Investments
Cash at bank and in hand
Tangible assets
Debtors
Intangible assets|**£**
**215,315.98**
**648,226.49**|**2025**
**£**
**10,341**
**33,814**
**2,805**|£
89,908
713,039|2024
£
18,026
39,358
321,798|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**46,960**
**649,398**||379,182
663,064|
||**863,542.47**
**(214,144.17)**||802,947
(139,883)||
||**33,814**
**74,685**||39,358
271,441||
|||**-**||-|
|||**696,358**||1,042,246|
|||**587,859**
**108,499**||731,447
310,799|
||||||
|||**696,358**||1,042,246|
Approved by the trustees on 12/12/2025 and signed on their behalf by
**Sarah Pinch Phil Deans Chair Vice-Chair**
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Statement of cash flows**
|**For the year ended 31 March 2025**|**For the year ended 31 March 2025**|**For the year ended 31 March 2025**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Note
**£**
**£**
(345,888)
28,204.88
-
(20,735.97)
(6,599.87)
(125,408.46)
74,261.25
(396,165.94)
6,600
(947)
(14,029)
338,894
835
-
331,353
-
-
-
(64,813)
713,039
648,226
**Cash flows from operating activities**
**Net cash provided by / (used in) investing activities**
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Investment income
Purchase of fixed assets
Proceeds from sale of investments
Purchase of investments
Change in cash held in investment
Purchase of intangible assets
**2025**
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
**Net income / (expenditure)**
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charges
Loss on dispoal of fixed assets
Net losses/ (gains) on investments
Investment income
(Increase) / decrease in debtors
Increase / (decrease) in creditors
**Net cash provided (used in)/provided by operating activities**
**Cash flows from financing activities:**
Cash inflows from new borrowing
**Net cash provided (used in) financing activities**
Repayments of borrowings|||£
£
359,917
21,199
-
(17,789)
(3,331)
21,530
(27,463)
354,064
3,331
(13,274)
(12,168)
-
(1,433)
-
(23,544)
-
(117,763)
(117,763)
212,757
500,282
713,039
2024||
|||(396,165.94)||354,064|
|||331,353||(23,544)
(117,763)|
||-
-||-
(117,763)||
|||-|||
||||||
|||(64,813)
713,039||212,757
500,282|
|||648,226||713,039|
**Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies**
## **a) Statutory information**
Gingerbread is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office address is 82 Tanner Street, London, SE1 3GN
## **b) Basis of preparation**
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) - (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note. These accounts are amended, they replace the original accounts as filed with Companies House, they are the statutory accounts for the charitable company and are prepared as they were at the date of the original accounts.
## **c) Going concern**
The trustees have considered the charity’s financial position, including the reduction in unrestricted reserves to £108,499 as at 31 March 2025. Despite this, the trustees are satisfied that the charity remains a going concern due to strengthened financial controls, secured funding, and positive cash flow forecasts through to December 2026. Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.
## **d) Donations**
Donations are recognised in the accounting period in which they are receivable.
## **e) Legacies**
Entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: Gingerbread is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is a treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.
## **f) Fundraising income**
Fundraising income is shown gross of related expenditure.
## **g) Investment income**
Investment income is included gross or at the amounts receivable plus the attributable tax credit.
## **h) Fees and sales**
Fees for the supply of services and publications are recognised when earned. Income received in advance for services to be delivered in the following year is treated as deferred income and included in creditors. Deferred income in these financial statements is shown in Note 17.
## **i) Donated Services**
On receipt, donated gifts, professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
## **j) Fund accounting**
Restricted funds are subject to restrictions imposed by the donor or by the specific terms of the charity appeal. These are accounted for separately from unrestricted funds. Details of restricted funds are shown at Note 20. 'Unrestricted funds are those which are not subject to restrictions. Any surpluses are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objectives of the charity. Designated funds form part of the unrestricted funds and represent amounts earmarked by the Trustees for particular purposes.
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. Accounting policies (continued)**
## **k) Expenditure**
Costs apportioned to activities include costs of staff time spent on each area of activity, costs directly incurred in order to deliver the activity, and support costs apportioned according to the ratio of staff time on the area of activity to total staff time.
## **l) Pension costs**
The charity operates a group personal pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in independently administered funds. Payments in respect of current service contributions are charged in the accounts as they fall due.
## **m) Operating leases**
Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the income and expenditure account as incurred.
## **n) VAT**
Expenditure is recorded net of VAT and any VAT not recovered from HM Revenue and Customs is recorded as irrecoverable VAT.
## **o) Fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets costing more than £500 are capitalised and depreciated over their useful lives and shown in the balance sheet at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided at the following rate: Computers and other equipment - 25% per annum, Furniture & Fittings - 25% per annum.
Intangible Fixed assets include development costs of the website. Amortisation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The amortisation rates are as follows:
Website - Straight line over 3 years
At the end of each reporting period, the residual values and useful lives of assets are reviewed and adjusted if necessary. In addition, if events or change in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable then the carrying values of tangible fixed assets are reviewed for impairment.
## **p) Liabilities**
The accruals concept is applied. Liabilities are recognised as soon as a legal or constructive obligation arises. 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. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **q) Tax status**
The company is a registered charity and is not liable to Corporation Tax on its current activities.
## **r) Financial instruments**
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments. Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
With the exceptions of prepayments and deferred income all other debtor and creditor balances are considered to be basic financial instruments under FRS 102. See notes 15 and 16 for the debtor and creditor notes.
## **s) Cash and cash equivalents**
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 accounts.
## **t) Employee benefits**
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense.
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **u) Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement**
In preparing financial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the financial statements.
In the view of the Trustees in applying the accounting policies adopted, no judgements were required that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements nor do any estimates made.
## **2 Income from donations and legacies**
|**Income from donations and legacies**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Communications
Donations
**Information and advice services**
Single parent helpline and advice line
The Volant Charitable Trust|Unrestricted
£
400,000
210,457|£
-
-
Restricted|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**400,000**
**210,457**|2024
Total
£
300,000
322,622|
||610,457|-|**610,457**|622,622|
||Fees
£
1,066
-|£
666,611
-
Grants|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**667,677**
**-**|2024
Total
£
910,847
-|
||1,066|666,611|**667,677**|910,847|
## **3 Information and advice services**
Information and advice services income includes restricted grants of £666,611 (2024: £910,806)
## **4 Training, consultancy and projects**
|Single parent Employability Training
Single parent Community Learning|Fees
£
7,625
-|£
-
-
Grants|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**7,625**
**-**|2024
Total
£
12,160
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||7,625|-|**7,625**|12,160|
Training consultancy and projects income includes restricted grants of £Nil (2024: £Nil)
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **5 Research and policy activities**
|**the year ended 31 March 2025**
**Research and policy activities**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Research and policy|Fees
£
1,500|£
683,143
Grants|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**684,643**|2024
Total
£
959,098|
||1,500|683,143|**684,643**|959,098|
Research and policy income includes restricted grants of £683,143 (2024: £958,348)
## **6 Core Grant**
|**Core Grant**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Core Grant - The Linbury Trust|Unrestricted
£
140,000|£
-
Restricted|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**140,000**|2024
Total
£
-|
||140,000|-|**140,000**|-|
Core Grant includes restricted grants of £Nil (2024: £Nil)
## **7 Income from investments**
|**Income from investments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Bank deposit and other interest
Dividend income|Unrestricted
£
1,759
4,841|£
-
-
Restricted|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
**1,759**
**4,841**|2024
Total
£
-
3,331|
||6,600|**-**|**6,600**|3,331|
Total income from Government in the year was £228,012 (2024: £400,012)
## **Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **7a Analysis of expenditure (Current year)**
|Staff costs (Note 9)
Direct costs
Management
Finance
Premises
IT
Trustee meetings
Legal Expeneses
Accountancy
Audit
Office administration costs
Depreciation
Irrecoverable VAT
Support costs
Governance costs
**Total expenditure 2025**
Total expenditure 2024|Raising funds
£
241,785
37,500
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Charitable activities|Charitable activities|Charitable activities|Governance
costs
£
90,519
-
32,227
-
-
-
-
11,312
3,000
17,228
-
-
-|Support costs
£
190,241
-
2,822
2,869
94,981
86,176
-
-
-
-
60,612
28,205
-|**2025 Total**
**£**
**1,877,306**
**266,887**
**35,048**
**2,869**
**94,981**
**86,176**
**-**
**11,312**
**3,000**
**17,228**
**60,612**
**28,205**
**-**|2024 Total
£
1,609,522
221,200
24,060
6,305
86,090
105,892
92
-
-
17,315
74,254
21,199
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Information
and advice
services
£
887,276
68,178
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Training
Consultancy
& Projects
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Research and
policy
£
467,485.42
161,209.64
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|||||
||279,285
74,484
20,049|955,454
294,076
108,035|-
-
-|628,695
97,345
26,202|154,286
-
(154,286)|465,905
(465,905)
-|2,483,625
**-**
-|2,165,929
-
-|
||**373,818**|**1,357,565**|**-**|**752,242**|**-**|**-**|**2,483,625**|**2,165,929**|
||**299,674**|**1,383,272**|**17,027**|**465,957**|**-**|**-**|||
## **Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **7b Analysis of expenditure (Prior year)**
|Staff costs (Note 9)
Direct costs
Management
Finance
Premises
IT
Trustee meetings
Audit
Office administration costs
Depreciation
Irrecoverable VAT
Support costs
Governance costs
**Total expenditure 2024**|Raising funds
£
188,082
19,548
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Charitable activities|Charitable activities|Charitable activities|Governance
costs
£
126,051
-
21,233
-
-
-
92
17,315
-
-
-|Support costs
£
173,503
-
2,827
6,305
86,090
105,892
-
-
74,254
21,199
-|**2024 Total**
**£**
**1,609,522**
**221,200**
**24,060**
**6,305**
**86,090**
**105,892**
**92**
**17,315**
**74,254**
**21,199**
**-**
2,165,929
**-**
-
**-**
-
**2,165,929**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Information
and advice
services
£
853,771
89,855
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Training
Consultancy
& Projects
£
9,489
2,638
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Research and
policy
£
258,627
109,160
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-||||
||207,630
68,163
23,881|943,626
325,578
114,068|12,126
3,629
1,272|367,787
72,699
25,471|164,691
-
(164,691)|470,069
(470,069)
-||
||**299,674**|**1,383,272**|**17,027**|**465,957**|**-**|**-**||
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **8 Net income / (expenditure) for the year**
This is stated after charging / (crediting):
|Audit
Loss or profit on disposal of fixed assets
Interest payable
Operating lease rentals:
Property
Other
Auditor's remuneration (excluding VAT):
Under accrual from previous year
Other services
Salaries and wages
**Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel**
Staff costs were as follows:
Pension costs
Temporary staff
Staff recruitment
Redundancy and termination costs
National insurance contributions
Depreciation|**2025**
**£**
**28,205**
**-**
**-**
**67,458**
**-**
**14,840**
**-**
**-**|2024
£
21,199
-
-
58,281
-
14,700
-
-|
|---|---|---|
||**110,503**|**94,180**|
||**2025**
**£**
**1,508,136**
**113,983**
**162,369**
**81,008**
**-**
**29,097**|2024
£
1,369,733
-
144,846
72,258
-
22,686|
||**1,894,593**|1,609,522|
## **9 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel** Staff costs were as follows:
The following number of employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs and employer's national insurance) during the year between:
|during the year between:|||
|---|---|---|
||**2025**|2024|
||**No.**|No.|
|£60,000 - £69,999|**3**|5|
|£70,000 - £79,999|**-**|-|
|£80,000 - £89,999|**-**|-|
|£90,000 - £99,999|**-**|-|
|£100,000 - £109,999|**-**|-|
|£110,000 - £119,999|**1**|1|
The total employee benefits (including pension contributions and employer's national insurance) of the key management personnel were £523,687 (2024: £431,834)
The charity trustees were neither paid nor received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2024: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2024: £nil).
Trustees' expenses represents the payment or reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs totalling £nil (2024: £92.00) incurred by members relating to attendance at meetings of the trustees).
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
**Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **10 Staff numbers**
The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was 41.7 FTE (2024: 36.1 FTE).
|Staff are split across the activities of the charitable company as follows (full time equivalent basis):
Raising funds
Information and advice services
Training, consultancy and projects
Support
Research and policy activities|**2025**
**No.**
**7.0**
**16.1**
**5.0**
**6.8**
**6.8**|2024
No.
5.1
21.5
2.0
2.7
4.8|
|---|---|---|
||**41.7**|36.1|
## **11 Related party transactions**
As at 31 March 2025, the charity was the sole Trustee of the John Bruce's Will Trust, a charity registered in the UK whose sole purpose is to hold and distribute monies to Gingerbread in 2014. All funds were transferred to Gingerbread from the Trust. Therefore it is now dormant. There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.
## **12 Taxation**
The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.
## **13 Tangible and intangible fixed assets**
|**Tangible and intangible fixed assets**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**At the end of the year**
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
At the start of the year
Charge for the year
At the end of the year
**Net book value**
**Depreciation**
**Cost**
At the start of the year
Additions in year|Fixtures and
fittings
£
44,896
-|Computer
equipment
£
145,661
947|**Total Fixed assets**
**£**
**190,557**
**947**|Website
development
£
51,126
14,029|**Total**
**intangible**
**£**
**51,126**
**14,029**|
||44,896|146,609|**191,504**|65,155|**65,155**|
||44,896
-|127,635
8,632|**172,531**
**8,632**|11,768
19,573|**11,768**
**19,573**|
||44,896|136,267|**181,163**|31,340|**31,340**|
||**-**|**10,341**|**10,341**|**33,814**|**33,814**|
||-|18,026|18,026|39,358|39,358|
All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **14 Listed investments**
|**Listed investments**|||
|---|---|---|
|The listed investments were last valued on 31 March 2025 by Seven Investment Management (7IM).
**Debtors**
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Cash
Investments comprise:
UK Common investment funds
Shares listed on the London Stock Exchange
Net gain / (loss) on change in fair value
Cash held by investment broker pending reinvestment
Fair value at the end of the year
Fair value at the start of the year
Additions at cost
Disposal proceeds
Dividends and fees|**2025**
**£**
**318,158**
**-**
**(338,893)**
**-**
**20,735**|2024
£
300,369
-
-
-
17,789|
||**-**
**2,805**|318,158
3,640|
||**2,805**|321,798|
||**2025**
**£**
**-**
**-**
**2,805**|2024
£
261,928
56,230
3,640|
||**2,805**|321,798|
||**2025**
**£**
**-**
**6,120**
**209,196**|2024
£
19,001
274
70,633|
||**215,316**|89,908|
## **15 Debtors**
With the exception of listed investments, all of the charity’s financial instruments, both assets and liabilities, are measured at amortised cost.
## **16 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
|**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|||
|---|---|---|
|Trade creditors
Taxation and social security
Accruals
Other creditors|**2025**
**£**
**37,666**
**42,433**
**124,399**
**9,646**|2024
£
52,539
44,417
32,554
10,374|
||**214,144**|139,883|
Included within other creditors is £9,646 in respect of pension contributions outstanding at 31 March 2025 (2024: £10,327).
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **17 Deferred income**
Deferred income comprises income received in the year ending 31st March 2025 that relates to the next financial year. There was no deferred income as at 31st March 2025.
## **18 Pension scheme**
The charity operates a group personal pension scheme (Aegon). The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in independently administered funds. Payments in respect of current service contributions are charged in the accounts as they fall due. The amount owed to the pension scheme at 31 March 2025 was £9,646 and 32 employees were in the scheme.
## **19a Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)**
|Long term liabilities
Defined benefit pension asset / (liability)
**Net assets at 31 March 2024**
Tangible fixed assets
**Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)**
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Net assets
Long term liabilities
Defined benefit pension asset / (liability)
**Net assets at 31 March 2025**
Investments
Current Assets
Intangible fixed assets
Current liabilities
Intangible fixed assets|General unrestricted
£
10,341
-
2,805
275,683
(214,144)
-
-|Designated
£
-
33,814
-
-
-
-
-|Restricted
£
-
-
-
587,859
-
-|**Total funds**
**£**
**10,341**
**33,814**
**2,805**
**863,542**
**(214,144)**
**-**
**-**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**74,685**|**33,814**|**587,859**|**696,358**|
||General unrestricted
£
18,026
-
321,798
71,499
(139,883)
-|Designated
£
-
39,358
-
-
-
-|Restricted
£
-
-
-
731,447
-
-|**Total funds**
**£**
**18,026**
**39,358**
**321,798**
**802,947**
**(139,883)**
**-**|
||**271,441**|**39,358**|**731,447**|**1,042,246**|
## **19b Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)**
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **20a Movements in funds (current year)**
|**Information and advice services**
Big Lottery & Trusts Advice and Support
National Lottery Community Fund
City Bridge Trust
DfE Family Support Services
Dulverton Trust
Garfield Weston
Linbury
**Research and policy activities**
Fondation Chanel
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Joseph Rowntree Foundation Reform Trust
Lloyds Bank Foundation
**Total restricted funds**
**Designated Funds**
Website Development
**General funds**
**Restricted funds:**
**Unrestricted funds:**
**Total funds**
**Total unrestricted funds**|At 1 April
2024
£
22,500
-
15,164
-
-
49,000
-
589,555
4,028
-
51,200|Income & gains
£
241,099.00
-
77,500.00
228,012.00
50,000.00
-
70,000.00
600,000.00
49,676.10
5,080.00
28,387.00|Expenditure &
losses
£
(254,394.55)
-
(92,663.51)
(228,012.00)
(50,000.00)
(49,000.00)
(70,000.00)
(651,818.38)
(47,164.66)
(5,080.00)
(45,209.30)|Gains/losses
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Transfers
between
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**At 31 March 2025**
**£**
9,204
-
-
-
-
-
537,737
6,540
-
34,378|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||731,447|1,349,754|(1,493,342)|-|-|587,859|
||39,358|-|(19,573)|-|14,029|33,814|
||271,441|767,248|(970,710)|20,735|(14,029)|74,685|
||310,799|767,248|(990,283)|20,735|-|108,499|
||||||||
||1,042,246|2,117,002|(2,483,625)|20,735|-|**696,358**|
The narrative to explain the purpose of each fund is given at the foot of the note below.
## **20b Movements in funds (prior year)**
|**Movements in funds (prior year)**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||At 1 April||Expenditure &||||
||2023|Income & gains|losses|Gains/losses|Transfers|**At 31 March 2024**|
||£|£|£|£|£|**£**|
|**Restricted funds:**|||||||
|**Information and advice services**|||||||
|Big Lottery & Trusts Advice and Support|2,420|221,627|(201,547)|-|-|22,500|
|National Lottery Community Fund|-|75,000|(75,000)|-|-|-|
|City Bridge Trust|11,152|75,500|(71,489)|-|-|15,164|
|DfE Family Support Services|-|228,012|(223,332)|-|(4,680)|-|
|Garfield Weston|50,029|75,000|(76,029)|-|-|49,000|
|HMRC Advice and support|-|172,000|(164,512)|-|(7,488)|-|
|Linbury|-|50,000|(50,000)|-|-|-|
|Turn2Us|18,340|13,668|(32,008)|-|-|-|
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**Research and policy activities**
Fondation Chanel
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Lloyds Bank Foundation
Pears Foundation
**Total restricted funds**
**Designated Funds**
Website Development
**General funds**
**Total funds**
**Total unrestricted funds**
**Unrestricted funds:**|-
-
-
-|860,000
8,279
72,244
17,825|(270,445)
(4,251)
(21,044)
(17,825)|-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|589,555
4,028
51,200
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||81,942|1,869,155|(1,207,481)|-
(12,168)|731,447|
||38,958|-|(11,768)|-
12,168|**39,358**|
||561,429|638,904|(946,681)|17,789
-|**271,441**|
||600,387|638,904|(958,448)|17,789
12,168|**310,799**|
||682,329|2,508,058|(2,165,929)|17,789
-|**1,042,246**|
## **20c. Purposes of restricted funds**
Restricted funds are funds that have restrictions imposed by donors and can only be used for the particular purposes specified by the donors.
## **1) Information and Advice services**
- [A] HMRC: Providing tailored support to hard-to-reach single parents facing significant life events that require engagement with HMRC
[B] DfE: Providing information and advice to single parents as part of the DfE's Family Support Services
- [C] The National Lottery Community Fund - Coronavirus Community Support Fund: Providing advice, information and support to single parent families
- [D] The National Lottery Community Fund: Strategic development of a single parent peer support service
- [E] Smallwood Trust: Providing advice and information to single parents
- [F] Dulverton Trust: Providing advice, information and support to single parent families outside Greater London during the Covid-19 crisis
- [G] Trust for London - London Community Response Fund: Providing advice, information and support to single parent families in London during the Covid-19 crisis
- [H] City Bridge Trust: Supporting our work in London during the Covid-19 crisis
- [I] Garfield Weston: To support our newly accredited advice and information service
- [J] Linbury: To support our free, expert advice and information services to single parents
- [K] Turn2Us: Submit referrals for grant support to on behalf of single parents contacting Gingerbread for support through our telephone helpline
## **2) Research and Policy activities**
[M] Trust for London: Research into increased work conditionality for single parents with pre-school aged children in London
- [N] Standard Life Foundation: Research into experiences and outcomes for single parents who were in work at the onset of the Covid-19 crisis
**Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families**
## **Notes to the financial statements**
## **For the year ended 31 March 2025**
[P] Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Research into tackling single parent poverty after the Covid-19 crisis
- [Q] Fondation Chanel: System change for single parents
[R] Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Policy transformation for child maintenance support system
- [S] Lloyds Bank Foundation: Political Influencing
- [T] Pears Foundation: Advice services
## **3) Core Grant**
[U] The Linbury Trust: To support ongoing work.
## **21 Operating lease commitments**
The charity's total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is as follows for each of the following periods.
|Less than one year
One to five years|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**-**
63,753
**-**
127,506
**-**
191,259
**Property**|**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**-**
63,753
**-**
127,506
**-**
191,259
**Property**|**Equipment**
**2025**
2024
**£**
£
**-**
2,578
**-**
5,800|
|---|---|---|---|
||**-**|191,259|**-**
8,377|
## **22 Capital commitments**
There were no capital commitments at 31 March 2025.
## **23 Contingent assets or liabilities**
There were no contingent assets or liabilities at 31 March 2025.
## **24 Legal status of the charity**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.