**Registered charity number: 242560**
**Report of the Trustees’ and Annual Report and Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024 for The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
The Rowleys Partnership Limited Statutory Auditors Chartered Accountants Charnwood House Harcourt Way Meridian Business Park Leicester LE19 1WP
**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Contents of the Annual Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees Report|1|
|Report of Independent Auditors|19|
|Consolidated statement of financial activities|23|
|Consolidated balance sheet|24|
|Charity balance sheet|25|
|Consolidated Statement of cash flows|26|
|Notes to the accounts|27|
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Reference and Administrative Information**
_Charity number_ **242560**
_Name by which the charity is also known_ **Leicester Animal Aid**
_Principal Office_ **Elmwood Farm, Forest Road, Huncote, Leicestershire LE9 3LE**
_Trustees_ **Dana Newcombe, Chair Anabel McDougall, Secretary Luke Collett, Treasurer Robin Arnold Jess Bostock Kevan Kirby Phoebe H I Skarlatos (Appointed 25 April 2024)**
_General Manager_ **Keely Furborough**
|_Auditors_|**The Rowleys Partnership Ltd, Chartered Accountants**|
|---|---|
||**Charnwood House, Harcourt Way, Meridian Business Park,**|
||**Leicester, LE19 1WP**|
|_Solicitors_|**Shakespeare Martineau LLP**|
||**One Colton Square, Leicester LE1 1QH**|
|_Financial Advisors_|**Optimum Path Financial Planning Ltd**|
||**4 Brook Park, Gaddesby Lane, Rearsby,**|
||**Leicestershire LE7 4ZB**|
|_Bankers_|**Lloyds Bank plc**|
||**SME Client Services, Orchard House, Orchard Hill, Little B**|
||**Northampton NN3 9AG**|
**An agreement was made to the transfer of assets and activities upon the incorporation of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) with the similar objectives to the Trust registered with Charity Commission with charity number 1208254 whose address is Leicester Animal Aid, Elmwood Farm, Huncote, Leicester, LE9 3LE (the CIO) on 31 March 2025.**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Introduction**
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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) (effective 1 January 2019).
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and 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 published in October 2019 .
## **Our Vision**
The guiding vision of LAA is happy pets in responsible, loving homes and to this end we serve the public by providing a second chance for hundreds of unwanted, abandoned, lost, stray or neglected domestic animals.
## **Objectives**
“The objects of the Association are to collect sums of money for the purpose of acquiring from all sources and protecting and caring for lost, stray and unwanted domestic animals, accommodating, feeding, training, providing veterinary services for and otherwise caring for and promoting the welfare of such animals generally and the placing of such animals in suitable homes.”
Our primary animal welfare objective for 2025 is to continue to develop and improve the quality of the care we provide and to strengthen the service we give to the public.
Our primary financial objective for 2025 is to ensure that the charity operates on a sound commercial basis, therefore securing the future of LAA and the welfare of the cats and dogs in our care.
## **Our Purpose**
- Provide the best possible care and facilities at our Huncote re-homing centre for unwanted or homeless animals and find them suitable new homes as soon as we can.
- the public.
- Provide support to the wider community to help people keep their pets, well looked after, in their own homes.
- Through our Huncote Hound Club educate, inform and entertain young people whilst encouraging principles of responsible pet ownership.
- To reunite stray pets with their owners through our Petfinder service.
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**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **How we achieve our objectives**
- Investing in our people through training and development so that we can provide a caring and efficient service.
- Investing in our buildings and site to ensure the highest standards of welfare for all our animals.
- Investing in our methods of communicating with our supporters and the general public to improve our profile and get our message across.
- Improving on existing relationships and developing new ones with our business partners to help and support us.
- Developing retail sales and new sources of income to support our activities.
- Increasing our fundraising activities to gain both publicity and financial support.
- Controlling our cost whilst maintaining our standards.
## **Public Benefit**
Leicester Animal Aid seeks to deliver public benefit by helping to ensure that local communities do not have to deal with unwanted dogs or cats and promote and support responsible pet ownership. In addition to the public benefit of fewer stray animals on the street we believe that our activities support and educate local people to enjoy the great benefits of happy and safe pet ownership, which in turn promotes proven health benefits.
These benefits are delivered directly to the public through the following activities:
- Stray contracts which are in place with local authorities to take in strays from the streets.
- Our PetFinder service which seeks to reunite lost cats and dogs with their owners.
- Our work in conjunction with animal behaviourists and veterinary staff to rehabilitate animals into responsible, knowledgeable homes.
- Re-homing service which match animals with those willing to offer responsible, caring “forever” homes
- Ongoing support and education for all those re-homing animals from our care, including regular
- workshops on pet first-aid and well-being.
- Helping the elderly and infirm keep their companion pets in their own home through our Community Pet Support Scheme (CPSS).
- Our subsidised neutering scheme, which we believe promotes a cornerstone of responsible ownership
- A micro-chipping service to ensure that animals can quickly be identified and reunited with their owners should they stray in the future.
- A scheme for fostering animals into private homes when they are unable to tolerate life in kennels for reasons of health, temperament or old age.
- A series of structured talks to local community and youth organisations about the responsibilities of pet ownership and the work of the charity.
- Teaching groups of local youngsters more about animals and how to train and care for them, enjoy their company, to stay safe around dogs by understanding their body language for children at LAA and our Huncote Hound Club.
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## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Public Benefit (continue)**
- Helping people look after their pets better by providing Pet First Aid Courses for dogs and cats some of which took place Live Online on Zoom.
## **Activities and Fundraising**
Our Fundraising Team has put in place a comprehensive strategy to better structure our fund-raising and volunteer programme by:-
- Our **Membership Scheme** - We have updated our Membership section on our website to encourage more people to get involved and celebrate their help and commitment to the charity.
- For **Fundraisers** by giving advice on setting up events and supplying advertising materials to increase the number of events carried out for us.
- Increasing our involvement with **Business Networks** and **Awards** to raise the profile of the charity and build the foundations of future giving programmes.
- Our **Huncote Hound Club** helps younger people learn about the importance of animal welfare and the role of animal rescue.
- Improved our website which has now undergone a major upgrade.
- CPSS has had award success as well as a nomination in the BBC Radio animal award.
## **Volunteers**
LAA could not exist without the help and support provided by volunteers too numerous to mention individually. We thank you all for your selfless contribution to the well-being of the charity and for your support in what we are trying to achieve by giving freely of their time. For example, the foster-carers, shop and sale volunteers, donated goods sorters, Kennel and cattery helpers, receptionists, gardeners, site maintainers, supermarket collectors, trustees and many other volunteers.
## **Examples of fundraisers**
- Organisers of fund-raising events, collecting-tin rattlers, cake-bakers.
- Coffee shop, charity shop and mini-market sales volunteers.
- Our Facebook social media friends for their donations and fund-raising events.
- The sponsored walkers, cyclists, sky divers, marathon runners and virtual marathon runners.
- Schools and younger members of our community for their fundraising and donations.
- The family in Bute Close, Hinckley for continuing their support with an amazing Christmas light display on their house to raise donations for us.
- Local firms raising monies on our behalf.
## **By donating**
- Money regularly by direct debit and standing order from over 400 supporters to help look after our animals.
- New and pre-loved items for resale though our charity shop and mini-markets.
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**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
- To our Christmas Campaign and our Amazon Wishlist so all our cats and dogs got a special gift.
- Cat and dog food and pet items in collection bins on our site and at ASDA, Attfield’s Farm Shop.
- The Co-op, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Pets at Home and Tesco stores.
## **Ambassador Barrie Steven**
Local entrepreneur Barrie Stephen became an ambassador for LAA in 2019. A dedicated fundraiser, big animal lover and a well-respected member of the local business community, Barrie with PA Chelsea Read, family, friends and colleagues in Barrie’s Salons have raised £3,000.00 in 2024 by organising a sponsored dog walk and held a supper club at the Tithe Barn, hosted a CPSS party where he spent time talking to the clients before calling the bingo, supplied tombola prizes and encouraged other corporate and private donations and in the last 5 years has raised over £23,000.
## **Corporate Supporters – it’s not all about direct donations. Giving the gift of time and skills sharing has been incredibly useful to us too**
- Mars Petcare donated £18K (includes VAT) split between the site renovations (screens on kennels) and CPSS.
- Next donated prizes for events and raised £793.81 from a sale at their HQ.
- Jennifer Amy Photographer www.jenniferamy.co.uk for giving her time for free to take professional photos of our animals – we’ve used these images in cards, the LAA calendar, numerous social media and certificates and her pic’s are one of the reasons the website looks so good.
- Pet Foundation (Pets at Home, with whom we have a partnership) helped us raise money at Easter and Christmas by having us in store.
- Pets at Home customers who have donated through their VIP Lifelines cards.
- ADCH (association of Dogs and Cat Homes) for £6K towards vet costs.
- Poundstretcher for donating a large number of pet items.
- Kirit Thakore did a sky dive for us.
- All Pet Solutions donated a large number of pet items.
- Cosby Tithe Barn, hosted a Dine for LAA event for us which raised £551.94.
- Petplan Charitable Trust donated £5K for kennel panelling.
- Shakespeare Martineau for making us their charity of the year and raising £300.00.
- Animal Rescue Foundation donated £3K to the Veterinary Support Scheme.
- Shane Hartshorn of K9 Dog Training gave his time freely to deliver K9 Kids sessions for children to increase their confidence around dogs.
- Enderby Co-op donated prizes for events.
- L.A.A. staff member Laura Oxbrough shaved her head raising £1,200.00.
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**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
- Barratt Foundation donated £1,500.00.
- Sharegift donated £5K.
DK Guitars (a local guitar maker) raised £400.00 from the sale of a custom-made guitar on Facebook.
Our own Family Fun Day raised just short of £2K.
Park Vet Group Glenfield staff member Danny Frost raised £370.00 through a wolf run.
Loughborough Kia sponsored our Family Fun Day and our Spring Dog Show.
Blaby District Council voted us as their charity of the year and raised £2,900.00.
- Graphic designer from On Poynt Creative in Leicester volunteered ad redesigned a community organisation ‘Thank You’ certificate.
## **Investing in communications**
We are spreading our News and photographs through our twice-yearly printed newsletter, Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and our website www.leicesteranimalaid.org.uk.
## **Staff Development**
We are very proud of our staff’s continued dedication and commitment to their individual roles and the Charity as a whole and the team has excelled during 2024 with real dedication, in difficult times during the pandemic, to ensure the well-being of the animals in our care.
## **Achievements and Performance Animal numbers**
## **Dogs**
Number into re-home **102** (2023 100) Rehomed **97** (2023 81) Strays reunited with owners **0** (2023 1) Returned to LAA **5** (2023 13) (1 owner illness, 1 owner financial situation and 3 behavioural) Deceased **13** (2023 8) ( **5** ill health 3 of which were ex LAA residents on the medical foster scheme, 2 banned breed and **6** for behavioural reasons).
## **Cats**
Number into re-home **177** (2023 199) (Including **29** born on site) Re-homed **167** (2023 174) Returned to LAA **6** (2023 10) Deceased 2 (2023 6) (ill health)
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**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
Our intake of dogs increased by 2% from 2023 however, the numbers are still high, as more people continue to find it difficult to look after their pets. We have only seen a decrease of 11% in unwanted female cats and kittens including many born on site.
We take this opportunity to thank all our kennel and cattery staff and volunteers for their dedication, hard work in all weathers and the love they give to our residents.
## **Animal Welfare**
Leicester Animal Aid’s non-euthanasia policy ensures that regardless of breed, age and length of stay, all dogs and cats will be cared for until a new, loving home can be found. Whilst in the care of LAA all efforts will be made to ensure their stay is safe, secure and happy. Their psychological and physical welfare is our primary concern. However, sadly there are occasions when it becomes apparent that an animal may be deemed too ill or aggressive to enjoy a quality of life and as a responsible and caring organisation, we cannot re-home. Any decision to put an animal to sleep is taken only when all other avenues have been exhausted and must be authorised in writing by the General Manager, in consultation with our nominated veterinary practice, and where appropriate, a qualified behaviourist.
Any such sad decisions are reported to the Management Committee with full details by the General Manager as part of her Operational Report.
It may be necessary to put an animal to sleep for the following reason(s):
To relieve suffering from physical or psychological illness that is not considered viable to be treated and will result in a poor quality of life for the animal.
Aggression that deems the animal unsuitable for re-homing due to the likelihood of bites and subsequent injury to other person and/or in some situation’s other animals.
Aggression that deems the animal unsuitable to be accommodated at the Centre due to the likelihood of bites and subsequent injury to other person and/or in some situations other animals. FIV and/or FeLV positive cats.
## What is FIV?
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) stops a cat’s body from producing a normal immune response. Infected cats are highly susceptible to secondary infections and illnesses.
The FIV virus is usually passed through biting in fights. It can be spread through one bite, either from or inflicted upon, an FIV infected cat. Infected cats are a risk to healthy cats.
## What is FeLV?
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an incurable viral infection that eventually produces fatal illness in infected cats.
The virus is spread by infected cats through licking, biting, sharing food bowls and litter trays. Close contact is required, and the virus is found in saliva, urine and other secretions of infected cats.
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**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
We are proud that our enrichment activities have been recognised on a national and international stage. We have hosted representatives from many other animal welfare organisations who have visited our site and who have been very impressed with the enrichment facilities provided by the staff and site and also by its cleanliness and technical aspects.
## **Pet support**
A kennel environment is by its very nature a stressful experience for domestic pets and we are planning to provide even more facilities during 2024 to help alleviate the animals’ stress and boredom. We continue to look for further improvements to our site.
## **Community Pet Support Scheme (CPSS).**
This was launched in 2016 to support vulnerable pet owners with free practical pet care support such as dog walking, grooming and veterinary transportation. Pet companionship can help to alleviate social isolation and prevent feelings of loneliness. Our dedicated outreach team of 6 Animal Care Assistants, managed by our Scheme Co-ordinator, provide a regular, reliable and trusted service which also serves to provide a befriending service and emotional support for our clients. The scheme also hosts twice yearly fun social events which has helped many of our clients meet (and form new friendships) with other clients who have a shared love of pets.
The scheme has supported over 100clients since 2016 and continues to support 34 clients in 2024 (3 of which have rehomed dogs from L.A.A.).
We are enormously grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund, Mars Petcare and others for helping fund our Community Pet Support Scheme.
In particular we are grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund who are granting £90,000 over a three-year period from April 2022 to help with staff costs.
## **Facts You didn’t Know**
We currently have 19 full-time and 13 part-time staff (including the Community Pet Support Scheme team) supported by a regular, dedicated volunteer team consisting of dog walkers, pet sitters (cats and dogs), cattery cleaners, socialisers and groomers, charity shop assistants and donated goods sorters coffee shop volunteers, DIY maintenance, on and offsite event volunteers, supermarket food collectors, money collection tins.
Roger Symcox (former tenant of Farndon House and volunteer) joined in December 2024 as a parttime Groundsman to help maintain the 4.5-acre site.
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## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
The staff at LAA have spent many years working for the organisation:
Accounts and administration (including reception) combined 66 years’ experience at LAA
In addition to the relevant animal care qualifications, 3 members of our 9 strong direct animal care team for dogs have 38 years combined experience at LAA
Direct animal care for cats – 6 years combined experience at LAA
Our Kennel and Cattery manager and Kennel Co-ordinator (and dog trainer and behaviourist) have 22 years combined experience at LAA
The Fund-raising Team have a combined 20 years’ experience at LAA.
We are very fortunate to also have long-tern, loyal and dedicated dog walking, cattery and pet sitting volunteers who have over 150 years combined experience at LAA between them, which helps to keep our cats and dogs happy and healthy
## **Wellbeing at LAA**
Is being championed by former Kennel Assistant Laura Oxbrough who had worked in direct animal care at LAA since 2012 and took up a new role in January 2024 as our Animal and Team Welfare Coordinator. This newly created post focuses on the overall health of the workplace with a priority on mental wellbeing. In addition, Laura works closely with our kennel Co-ordinator and Canine Behaviourist, alongside our kennel team in helping to improve the lives of the cats and dogs that haven’t had the best start in life. They sometimes require additional rehabilitation to help them build confidence with new people and new environments in preparation for a new, permanent loving home.
We have monthly Welfare Meetings for the benefit of the dogs, cats and staff.
We care passionately about the animals in our care and supporting our team is imperative as their unfaltering dedication is both physically demanding but can also be emotionally challenging. Many of the cats and dogs that need our help have experienced instability in their short lives and some have been the victims of unkind treatment and subsequent trauma. It is upsetting for our team to witness the effects that this has had on the cats and dogs they care deeply for.
The majority of cats needing rescue space have not been vaccinated, neutered or spayed and, sadly, many female cats have had multiple litters of kittens before arriving at our Centre. We have also seen more cats that have needed veterinary attention, including untreated flea allergies which has caused skin irritation and distress and essential dental work, even for younger cats.
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**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
Vets 4 Pets at Fosse Park have partnered us to offer heavily subsidised neutering costs for dog and cat owners.
## **Volunteers**
Thank you to our wonderful team of volunteers who support our work in the following areas: on site charity shop; serving customers and also sorting donated goods, monthly coffee shop and regular onsite and off-site sales. Dog walkers and dog sitters, cattery volunteers - cleaners, groomers, kitten and cat pet sitters, supermarket food collectors, business collection tin collectors, fundraising events, gardeners, maintenance and DIY.
## **Projects**
Important improvements to the site for the benefit of the dogs, staff and dog walkers.
Portacabin for volunteers to sort donated goods cost - £7,700.
Bottom large free run field – concreted area alongside new fencing and cladding to maintain the durability of the new fencing and ability to mow effectively. In addition, a soak way was added to prevent the field becoming unusable during winter months when experiencing heavy rainfall as too boggy at the entrance for both humans and dogs and enabling us to have a new storage shed for mowing equipment erected on the concrete base rather than the grass to ensure longevity cost - £14,283.
Animal care block Murphy - 2 play area roofs, replaced to prevent leaks in the rain and installation of transparent panels to allow more natural light cost - £4,300.
Animal care block Sparky - Fixed, rigid all-weather canopy at the back of Sparky (over the play area) to prevent excessive heat in the summer and create a dry area for dogs to play and toilet when it’s raining cost - £7,565.00.
Durable UPVC cladding around play areas and some of the kennels and bottom field to shield dogs from the view of other dogs that can cause frustration and anxiety cost - £5,000 - £120,000 (part funded by Mars Petcare).
New website designed and launched cost - £20,00.
Solar panel project commenced in 2023 and completed in 2024 to reduce our electricity costs - £57,172.
Replaced the sluice tank cost - £5,114.
New incinerator cost - £1,175
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**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Projects (continue)**
Fencing upgrade to reduce the stress when moving nervous dogs safely to access play areas cost - £17,000.
## **Financial Review**
The charity receives no government support and is totally reliant for its income on legacies, donations, fundraising, grants, donations from our trading subsidiary and investment income.
The vast majority of our expenditure goes towards our charitable objectives of finding loving forever homes for our re-homed animals and to provide support and guidance for pet owners.
|**Income**
Legacies
Donations and fundraising
Other trading activities
Grants & Other Income
Sub Total
Investment Income
**Total income**
|2024
2023
£
%
£
%
£778,992
65%
£220,260 32.7%
£315,863
26%
£377,646
56%
£93,827
8%
£74,889
11%
£10,115
1%
£2,221 0.3%
£1,198,797 100%
£675,016 100%
£151,524
£42,898
**£1,350,321**
**£717,914**|
|---|---|
2024 has been a good year financially for the charity, our total income was £1,350,321 (2023 £717,914) and our costs were £1,078,062 (2023 £929,953). As a consequence, the charity finishes the year with a surplus of £256,734 (including unrealised losses on investments of £15,525). In 2023 the deficit was £114,513 (including unrealised gains on investments of £97,526).
Our financial viability is highly dependent on legacy income which by its nature is very volatile. In 2024 we received income from legacies of £778,992 (2023 £220,260). The proportion of our income from legacies rose to 65% from 33% in 2023. This cannot be relied on or expected in future years.
The Trustees are aware that future income from legacies cannot be guaranteed and therefore it is prudent to identify ways in which income from other sources can be generated to cover any potential shortfall in the future. The Trustees and fundraising team are working on different income-generating projects to provide regular income through membership, monthly donations and trading income.
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## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Trustees’ Report**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**Expenditure**
Fundraising costs
Charitable expenditure
Governance costs
**Total costs**
|2024
£
%
£52,343
5%
£996,033
92%
£29,686
3%
**£1,078,062**100%|2023
£
%
£42,982
5%
£868,023
93%
£18,948
2%
**£929,953**
100%|
|---|---|---|
## **92p in the £1 (93p in 2023) of our costs are spent on our charitable aims.**
In 2024 our payroll costs increased by £76,810 from £519,252 to £596,062 with average number of staff increasing from 29 to 32.
Veterinary fees increased by £13,411 from £94,051 to £107,462 for two reasons. More animals that come into our care require more care and veterinary fees and medicine costs have increased.
In November 2016 the charity put in a place an employees’ pension scheme with People’s Pension and are pleased to report a 100% take up by eligible staff. In 2024 this cost the charity £16,785.
The General Manager and her staff are to be commended for maintaining tight budgetary control over expenditure throughout the year. Control of costs against the budget is particularly important when we have such volatility of income.
Leicester Animal Aid Limited (LAA Ltd) is the wholly-owned trading subsidiary of the charity. 2024 was a better year for LAA Ltd with the shops reopening for long periods and a number of smaller sales events taking place later in the year. Income rose from £93,827 in 2023 to £74,889 in 2024 and we were able to donate £40,409 profit from LAA Ltd to the Charity in 2024.
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**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
## **Investment Policy and Performance**
## _Aims_
The overall investment aim is to maximise income in the form of interest and dividends, whilst maintaining the value of the capital sums invested. During 2024 the Trustees followed independent financial investment advice
## _Preferences/Constraints_
Wherever possible investments exclude organisations which are involved in animal testing for cosmetic or pharmaceutical purposes, intensive farming or fur trading. This does very much restrict the range of funds we can invest in.
Short-term financing needs will be achieved by the use of Fixed Term Deposits. The term of each deposit should not exceed 2 years.
## _Risk Profile_
A risk-averse investment policy was pursued in order to protect the underlying value of the funds donated by our supporters.
## _Monitoring_
Returns on investment are monitored by the Treasurer to ensure that an adequate income stream is being maintained. Investment performance is reviewed periodically by the Trustees in conjunction with the financial advisors and reported to the Committee four times a year.
A spread of ethical investments is actively managed by Aviva. This year there has been a rise in dividends and interest to £134,942 (2023 £28,968).
2024 was an exceptionally poor was year for investors. Every region has its troubles with the war in Ukraine, soaring energy bills and inflation. Our portfolio is a mixture of equities 59%, fixed interest securities 36% and money market 5%. The value of our investments fell by £15,525 (19%) (2023 gain £97,526).
Our original investment in the fund between 2013 and 2015 totalled £940,000 so we are still showing a substantial gain of £329,930 on that and each year we withdraw income to help pay running costs of the kennels and cattery. In the last five years we have used income totalling £152,630 for this.
35% of our portfolios is in fixed interest securities (including government gilts) fell by about 20% in 2023. These have always been seen as a low risk investment. The UK gilt index was down 28% at one point in the year and this has been described as a 1 in 50 year event. There has been some recovery in these in 2024.
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**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Investment Policy and Performance - continued**
The advice at the moment is to hold the investments in the expectation of a longer term recovery with a minor adjustment to move some of the investment in UK company shares to overseas companies where there are better prospects.
Investment income is received net of investment management costs, which are deducted at source. Investment management costs are made up of the following elements:
Aviva transactional and ongoing fees 0.76 % Investment Advice Fees (after charity discount) 0.48% Total costs of investment are 1.3% (2019 1.3%) per annum.
## **Reserves Policy**
Reserves are held to protect the charity against fluctuations in income and to ensure that sufficient funds are held to enable us to fulfil our plans and objectives. The Trustees have reviewed the Reserves Policy in the light of the Strategic Review and have decided it would be prudent to hold allocated reserves to cover specific planned activities.
The reserves policy is undergoing a major review but at present funds are allocated as follows:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Reserve Name Objective Amount
Operating Cost Reserve To ensure and protect continuing £700,000
operation of the re-homing centre
Maintenance Reserve To ensure the re-homing centre £60,000
continues to be fit for purpose
Business Development Reserve To ensure that funds are available to £150,000
support activities designed to raise
revenue
Outreach Support Reserve To provide funds to support dogs and £45,000
cats in the local community
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Designated Funds**
Designated funds have been allocation to the projects previously listed and completed in 2024.
The trustees and senior management are constantly reviewing and planning for improvements to our site using grants, donations and the funds of the charity.
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**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Designated Funds – continued**
Future plans to include:-
- Installation of dual heating & air conditioning units in the animal care buildings to help with increased summer heat.
- Improvements to the training barn floor.
- Work to improve the area around the training barn with permeable tarmac finish.
- Up-grade to electrical fuse boards in animal care buildings
- Repair & maintenance to the farmhouse.
## **Restricted Funds**
Funds given through donations or other sources for specific projects will be separately identified and treated as restricted reserves. Restricted reserves will only be spent for their intended use as specified by the donor.
Movements on reserves are regularly monitored by the Treasurer and reported to the Trustees on at least a quarterly basis.
Reserves are invested in accordance with the charity’s Investment Policy and the Reserves Policy is reviewed annually.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
LAA is an unincorporated charity and the charity’s objects are set out in its Rules and Constitution (2023).
The charity was formally founded in 1956 by Dorothea Farndon who used to buy all the stray dogs from the police each week that were due to be shot, having not been claimed. In 1960 Mrs. Farndon acquired land at Thurmaston Lane, Leicester, where she was able to put up kennels and establish her own rescue centre. In 1971 she oversaw the move to the current premises in Huncote, Leicestershire.
The trustees are appointed by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting and under current Rules general trustees may serve for an unlimited period of time. The Revised Rules and Constitution (2012) require the election of the officers of the charity (a chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer) from amongst the members at the Annual General Meeting, who shall hold office from the conclusion of that meeting for a period of two years.
LAA is overseen by a Management Committee, which consists of up to 7 trustees who undertake their duties without payment.
15
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
## **Structure, Governance and Management – continued**
- The Committee meets every six weeks to discuss and agree the broad strategy and areas of activity for the charity, including consideration of investment, reserves and risk management policies and performance. In 2024 The Trustees took the decision to change the status of the Unincorporated Charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and the process to do this is underway.
The Committee receives an operational report from the General Manager covering the welfare of animals, personnel issues, operational statistics and other matters and an update report of activities from the Fundraising Manager. The committee receives monthly reports from the Treasurer of the financial position of the charity and trading company.
The Trustees are actively seeking further appropriately qualified and/or experienced potential Trustees. As LAA continues its work within an increasingly complex legal, social and environmental framework the trustees have recognised the need to focus on specific issues and to draw on specialist skills, whether they exist within the trustee body, or elsewhere.
The charity is a member of the Association of British Dogs and Cats Homes and is affiliated to the charity Wood Green Animal Shelters.
## **Risk Management**
The Trustees have reviewed the major risks and are satisfied that systems and procedures have been established to manage those risks.
The trustees and staff assess and review through the year the risks associated with running the charity and have established systems and procedures to mitigate against material risks. The General Manager reports to the Trustees at each Management Committee Meeting on all aspects of Risk Management. All insurable risks are covered by insurance, including public liability, buildings and premises, trustee indemnity insurance.
A principal risk is the safety of our staff and dog walking volunteers when they are with the animals in our care. All animals coming into our care are carefully assessed to identify any problems or issues they might have – whether physical, behavioural or emotional. We then put into place a programme of management, which may involve our qualified behaviourists. To protect our staff we have procedures regarding the care of animals with known health and/or behavioural issues and ensure that levels of skill, experience and training are carefully matched to the needs of each and every animal in our care. All members of staff receive training in animal care and handling and some have specialist qualifications in animal welfare and behaviour. Each dog-walking volunteer is inducted into the organisation and fully trained and informed of the policies and procedures that we have set up for their protection and wellbeing. Any incidents involving significant injury to members of staff and volunteers are formally reported to the Management Committee by the General Manager.
16
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Risk Management - continued**
A principal risk when rehoming animals is the risk of a rehomed animal biting a member of the public. We seek to minimise risk by investing in training for our staff in animal welfare and behaviour. To minimise risks our members of staff are honest and open about any animal ready for re-homing that has suffered from any physical, emotional or behavioural issues and great care is taken to ensure that potential rehomers have the requisite level of skill and experience to take on any of the more “difficult” cases. We offer continuing support to all our re-homers once the animal has gone to its forever home. A serious incident would place the charity at risk of significant reputational damage and potentially catastrophic financial loss.
The trustees once again consider the variability of income, in particular legacy income, to constitute a major risk and have carried out a strategy review to look at ways of increasing regular income to cover all annual costs.
Trustees have reviewed the Reserves Policy to ensure that we have sufficient funds held in reserve to continue our operations in the event of a significant downturn in income and also the Investment Policy to ensure our excess funds are prudently invested.
17
**Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
## **Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements**
The trustees 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).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity 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 2019 (FRS102);
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards 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 proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Signed on behalf of the trustees
## _Anabel McDou all g_
## _Luke Collett_
signed on 10/06/2025, 11:37:19 BST signed on 09/06/2025, 20:58:03 BST Anable McDougall Luke Collett
Date: 09/06/2025
18
## **Report of the Independent Auditors to the Trustees of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association For the year ended 31 December 2024**
We have audited the financial statements of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association (the ‘parent charity’) and its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 December 2024 on pages 23 to 36, which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Statement of Cash Flows, the Consolidated and Charity Balance Sheet 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 and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including FRS 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 group’s and parent charity’s affairs as at 31 December 2024, and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice applicable to smaller entities; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
## **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. The comparative information has not been audited.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
19
**Report of the Independent Auditors to the Trustees of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Other information**
The other information comprises the information included in the trustee’s annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements, or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees’ report; or
- sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
- the parent charity’s financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 18, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of financial statements which give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
20
**Report of the Independent Auditors to the Trustees of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
We have been appointed as auditor under section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of that Act.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
- We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the charity and determined that the most significant which are directly relevant to specific assertions in the financial statements are those related to the financial reporting frameworks (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. We enquired of management, whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations or whether they had any knowledge of actual, suspected or alleged fraud;
- We assessed the susceptibility of the entity’s financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur;
- Our testing considered unusual or unexpected journal entries on a sample basis;
- We evaluated the assumptions and judgements used by management within significant accounting estimates and assessing if these indicate evidence of management bias;
- We tested significant transactions, in particular the evaluation of the charities rationale for any which appear unusual or outside the charity's normal course of business;
- We assessed the appropriateness of the collective competence and capabilities of the engagement team by understanding the practical experience with audit engagements of a similar nature and complexity, plus ensuring the team had appropriate and relevant training of the financial reporting framework and the relevant tax compliance regulations specific to the entity;
- We reviewed the financial statements and tested the disclosures against supporting documentation;
- We have assessed these areas at group level and at component level where appropriate, we performed the component audit work ourselves as part of our audit of those entities.
- We communicated relevant matters to all audit team to ensure they understood the risks specific to the entity and audit procedures planned to mitigate these
21
## **Report of the Independent Auditors to the Trustees of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association For the year ended 31 December 2024**
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
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 Report of the Independent Auditors.
## **Other matters which are required to address**
The comparative consolidated figures in these financial statements were unaudited. We have obtained sufficient and appropriate audit evidence that the opening balances do not contain material misstatements.
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
signed on 10/06/2025, 15:54:43 BST The Rowleys Partnership Ltd Statutory Auditors Chartered Accountants Eligible to act as an auditor in terms of Section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006 Charnwood House Harcourt Way Meridian Business Park Leicester Leicestershire LE19 1WP
Date: 10/06/2025
22
## **The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Income and endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
2
Other trading activities
2a
Investments
3
Other income
3a
Total income
**Expenditure on:**
**Cost of generating funds**
Fundraising costs
4
**Charitable expenditure**
Costs of activities in furtherance
of the Charity's objectives
5
**Other**
Support costs
6
Corporation tax
7a
**Total expenditure**
**Net gains/(losses) on investments:**
8
**Net income**
**Funds Transferred**
13
**Net movement in funds**
13
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
13
**Total funds carried forward**
13|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
1,065,055
93,827
151,524
5,115
1,315,521
52,343
932,009
28,848
-
1,013,200
(15,525)
286,796
(52,751)
234,045
3,258,970
3,493,015|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
29,800
-
-
5,000
34,800
-
64,024
838
-
64,862
-
(30,062)
52,751
22,689
24,948
47,637|**Total**
**Total**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
1,094,855
597,906
93,827
74,889
151,524
42,898
10,115
2,221
1,350,321
717,914
52,343
42,982
996,033
868,023
29,686
18,948
-
-
1,078,062
929,953
(15,525)
97,526
256,734
(114,513)
-
-
256,734
(114,513)
3,283,918
3,398,431
3,540,652
3,283,918|
|---|---|---|---|
All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities.
23
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Consolidated Balance Sheet**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Fixed Assets**
Investments
8
Tangible assets
9
**Current Assets**
Debtors
10
Stock
Cash at bank and in hand
12
**Current Liabilities**
**Creditors**
Amounts falling due within one year
11
**Net Current Assets**
**Unrestricted Funds**
13
**Designated Funds**
**Restricted Funds**|**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
1,269,930
1,285,454
1,183,867
1,152,305
2,453,797
2,437,759
37,499
77,039
3,343
3,553
1,098,330
809,902
1,139,172
890,494
(52,317)
(44,335)
1,086,855
846,159
3,540,652
3,283,918
2,538,015
1,983,970
955,000
1,275,000
47,637
24,948
3,540,652
3,283,918
**2024**
**2023**|
|---|---|
Approved on behalf of the trustees:
> Anabel McDougall Luke Collett _Anabel McDougall_ signed on 10/06/2025, 11:37:19 BST 09/06/2025 Date:
## _Luke Collett_
signed on 09/06/2025, 20:58:03 BST
The notes on pages 27 to 36 form part of these financial statements.
24
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Charity Balance Sheet**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Fixed Assets**
Investments
8
Tangible assets
9
**Current Assets**
Debtors
10
Cash at bank and in hand
12
**Current Liabilities**
**Creditors**
Amounts falling due within one year
11
**Net Current Assets**
**Unrestricted Funds**
13
**Designated Funds**
**Restricted Funds**
Approved on behalf of the trustees:
Anabel McDougall
_Anabel McDougall_
signed on 10/06/2025, 11:37:19 BST|**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
1,269,931
1,285,455
1,171,989
1,147,741
2,441,920
2,433,196
49,834
81,983
1,028,620
761,865
1,078,454
843,848
(45,973)
(39,709)
1,032,481
804,139
3,474,401
3,237,335
2,471,764
1,937,387
955,000
1,275,000
47,637
24,948
3,474,401
3,237,335
Luke Collett
**2024**
**2023**
_Luke Collett_
signed on 09/06/2025, 20:58:03 BST|
|---|---|
09/06/2025 Date:
The notes on pages 27 to 36 form part of these financial statements.
25
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|||**2024**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Note**|**£**|**£**|
|**Cash flow from operations**|**1**|232,365|23,562|
|Tax paid||-|-|
|**Cash flow from operating activities**||232,365|23,562|
|**Cash flow from investing activities**||||
|Interest received||35,792|4,968|
|Dividends received||99,150|24,000|
|**Capital expenditure**||||
|Fixed asset additions||(78,878)|(57,172)|
|Investment additions||(373,476)|(155,042)|
|Investment disposal proceeds||373,475|153,752|
|**Net cash flow from investing activities**||56,063|(29,494)|
|**Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents**||288,428|(5,932)|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period**||809,902|815,834|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period**||1,098,330|809,902|
|**Cash and cash equivalents consists of:**||||
|Cash at bank and in hand||950,745|662,762|
|Short term deposits||147,585|147,140|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December 2024**||1,098,330|809,902|
|**Note 1 Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating**||**activities**||
|||**2024**|**2023**|
|||**£**|**£**|
|Net income for year (as per the statement of financial activities)||256,734|(114,513)|
|Adjusted for:||||
|Gain/(loss)on investment||15,525|(97,526)|
|Dividends and interest from investments||(134,942)|(28,968)|
|Depreciation charges||47,316|42,696|
|Decrease/(increase) in stocks||210|336|
|Decrease/(increase) in debtors||39,540|195,588|
|(Decrease)/increase in creditors||7,982|25,949|
|Net cash flow from operating activities||232,365|23,562|
26
**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
**For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **1 Accounting policies**
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. 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 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies from 1 January 2019.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation on investment assets where appropriate, which are shown at market value.
## **Group financial statements**
The financial statements consolidate the results of the charity and its wholly owned subsidiary Leicester Animal Aid Ltd on a line-by-line basis.
## **Going concern**
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.
## **Restricted Funds**
These relate to monies received for specific projects, notably the sponsor fund whereby individuals sponsor the care of certain animals. Certain monies received in the past relating to building projects are transferred to unrestricted funds once the building works have been achieved.
## **Unrestricted Funds**
Unrestricted Funds comprise those funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objectives.
## **Designated Funds**
Designated Funds comprise of those funds which the trustees have seperated from general funds for specific operational projects as detailed in Note 13 of these financial statements.
**Income & Expenditure**
All incoming resources are recognised once the charity has entitlement to the resources, it is certain that the resources will be received and the monetary value of incoming resources can be measured with sufficient reliability. This also applies to any legacies.
Gifts in kind are estimates based on market price the charity would otherwise have paid.
Expenditure is recognised as resources expended as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to the expenditure.
All income and expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Costs include those directly attributable to making the asset capable of operating as intended.
## **Depreciation**
Depreciation of fixed assets is calculated to write off their cost or valuation less any residual value over their estimated useful lives as follows:
Freehold Land and Buildings 2% Per annum on cost of buildings Plant and Machinery 10% Per annum on net book value Motor Vehicles 25% Per annum on net book value
27
**The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **1 Accounting policies continued**
## **Stocks**
Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.
## **Investments**
Investments are recognised initially at fair value which is normally the transaction price excluding transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at fair value with changes recognised in ‘net gains / (losses) on investments’ in the SOFA if the shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be reliably measured.
Investments in subsidiaries are measured at cost less impairment.
## **Allocation of overheads and support costs**
Overhead and support costs have been allocated between costs of activities in furtherance of the charities objectives and governance costs.
## **Costs of activities in furtherance of the Charity's objectives**
Costs of activities in furtherance of the Charity's objectives are those costs incurred in the day to day running of the charity in order to meet its objectives, as described in the report of the trustees.
## **Governance costs**
Governance costs comprise all costs involving public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice.
|**2**
**Donations and legacies**
**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
Legacies
778,992
Membership fees
26,136
Collection Boxes
4,460
Give as you earn donations
2,167
Fundraising
25,308
Subscriptions, donations & prize draws
142,768
Homed
36,456
Gifts in kind
48,018
Sponsors
750
1,065,055|**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
-
-
-
-
29,800
-
-
-
29,800|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
778,992
26,136
4,460
2,167
25,308
172,568
36,456
48,018
750
1,094,855|**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
220,260
23,381
2,275
2,034
35,022
171,520
32,542
50,998
250
538,282|**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
-
220,260
-
23,381
-
2,275
-
2,034
35,022
59,624
231,144
-
32,542
-
50,998
-
250
59,624
597,906|
|---|---|---|---|---|
The charity is continually grateful to the donations of the general public and various institutions for donations of food and consumables utilised by the charity in the caring for the animals. An amount totalling £48,018 in respect of the fair value of these goods is recognised in donations above with the equivalent charge included within 'Food and consumables' in note 5 of these financial statements.
|**2a Other trading activities**
**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
Shop income
93,827
93,827|**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
-
-|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
93,827
93,827|**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
74,889
74,889|**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
-
74,889
-
74,889|
|---|---|---|---|---|
28
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**3**
**Schedule of Investment income**
Bank deposit interest
Dividend income
Tax rebate on covenants and gift aid
**3a** Other Income
Grant income
Rental income
**4**
**Fundraising costs**
Fund raising staff costs
Fundraising
Advertising|**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
35,792
99,150
16,582
151,524
**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
-
5,115
5,115
**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
45,850
4,653
1,840
52,343|**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
-
-
-
-
**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
5,000
-
5,000
**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
-
-
-
-|**Total**
**Unrestricted **
**2024**
**fund**
**£**
**£**
35,792
4,968
99,150
24,000
16,582
13,930
151,524
42,898
**Total**
**Unrestricted **
**2024**
**fund**
**£**
**£**
5,000
-
5,115
2,221
10,115
2,221
**Total**
**Unrestricted **
**2024**
**fund**
**£**
**£**
45,850
33,692
4,653
6,423
1,840
2,867
52,343
42,982|**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
-
4,968
-
24,000
-
13,930
-
42,898
**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
-
-
-
2,221
-
2,221
**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
33,692
-
6,423
-
2,867
-
42,982|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **5 Costs of activities in furtherance of the Charity's objectives**
|Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Veterinary and medical fees
Rates and water charges
Food and consumables
Cleaning and waste disposal charges
Training
Heating and lighting
Repairs and renewals
Insurances
Sundry expenses
Depreciation of buildings
Depreciation motor vehicles
Depreciation plant and machinery
Motor expenses
Printing postage and stationery
Telephone charges
Computer and internet
Bank charges
Subscriptions|**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
472,648
23,166
106,148
2,318
68,932
13,169
1,817
51,878
85,260
14,753
4,954
34,272
203
12,841
5,316
21,552
4,663
3,871
2,956
1,292
932,009|**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
49,540
-
1,314
-
10,827
-
96
-
-
-
2,071
-
-
-
-
26
150
-
-
-
64,024|**Total**
**Unrestricted **
**2024**
**fund**
**£**
**£**
522,188
411,255
23,166
25,383
107,462
69,002
2,318
2,889
79,759
67,847
13,169
12,553
1,913
1,709
51,878
29,628
85,260
46,033
14,753
12,981
7,025
3,693
34,272
33,821
203
271
12,841
8,604
5,316
4,136
21,578
21,949
4,813
3,724
3,871
19,426
2,956
2,337
1,292
1,410
996,033
778,651|**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
44,346
455,601
-
25,383
25,049
94,051
-
2,889
16,405
84,252
-
12,553
-
1,709
-
29,628
44
46,077
-
12,981
3,153
6,846
-
33,821
-
271
-
8,604
41
4,177
-
21,949
334
4,058
19,426
-
2,337
-
1,410
89,372
868,023|
|---|---|---|---|---|
29
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **6 Support costs**
|**Governance costs**
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Legal and professional fees
Auditors' remuneration - Audit
Auditors' remuneration - Non Audit|**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
4,317
541
716
20,000
3,274
28,848|**Restricted**
**fund**
**£**
-
-
838
-
-
838|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
4,317
541
1,554
20,000
3,274
29,686|**Unrestricted**
**fund**
**£**
4,131
445
1,454
7,675
5,243
18,948|**Restricted**
**Total**
**fund**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
-
4,131
-
445
-
1,454
-
7,675
-
5,243
-
18,948|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## **7 Staff costs**
|Wages and Salaries
Employers National Insurance
Employers Pension Contributions
The average number of employees was:|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
555,570
479,049
23,707
25,828
16,785
14,375
596,062
519,252
**2024**
**2023**
32
29|
|---|---|
Personnel, deemed as key to the purposes of the charity by the trustees received remuneration in the year totalling £48,582 (2023 - £45,770).
Key personnel are occasionally reimbursed for travel costs, these however are not material to the financial statements. No employee has received remuneration in excess of £60,000 in the current or prior financial period.
The trustees are all volunteers and received no remuneration or reimbursement of expenses in this year or in the previous year.
## **7a Taxation**
No taxation is payable by the charity for the year as it is able to make use of the tax exemption on income and capital gains available to charities.
|**8**
**Group Investments**
Cost or Valuation brought forward
Addition
Disposals
Change in market value
Cost or Valuation carried forward|**Listed**
**£**
1,285,454
373,476
(450,192)
61,192
1,269,930|**Total**
**Total**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
1,285,454
1,186,638
373,476
155,042
(450,192)
(153,752)
61,192
97,526
1,269,930
1,285,454|
|---|---|---|
30
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**8**
**Charity Investments**
Cost or Valuation brought forward
Addition
Disposals
Change in market value
Cost or Valuation carried forward|**Listed**
**£**
1,285,454
373,476
(373,475)
(15,525)
1,269,930|**Unlisted**
**£**
1
-
-
-
1|**Total**
**Total**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
1,285,455
1,186,639
373,476
155,042
(373,475)
(153,752)
(15,525)
97,526
1,269,931
1,285,455|
|---|---|---|---|
The charity owns the whole of the issued ordinary share capital of Leicester Animal Aid Ltd, a company registered in England, no.07064232. The subsidiary is used for non-primary purpose trading activities. Available profits are gifted to the charity and subsequently treated as donations. A summary of the results of the subsidiary is shown below:
|**Profit and loss account**
Turnover
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Donation from LAA
Administrative expenses
Corporation tax
Profit after taxation
**Balance Sheet**
Assets
Liabilities
Share capital
Profit and loss
Shareholders' funds|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
96,225
78,324
(14,469)
(11,413)
81,756
66,911
(40,409)
(48,788)
(21,679)
(12,009)
-
-
19,668
6,114
88,295
60,098
(22,043)
(13,514)
66,252
46,584
1
1
66,251
46,583
66,252
46,584|
|---|---|
|Listed investments relate to a portfolio, managed on behalf of the charity by a professional|Listed investments relate to a portfolio, managed on behalf of the charity by a professional||
|---|---|---|
|independent third party.|||
|Investments consist of the following;|**2024**|**2023**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Listed holdings - UK equities|1,234,552|1,254,077|
|Cash on deposit|35,378|31,377|
||1,269,930|1,285,454|
31
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
9 Group Tangible assets Freehold
Land and Plant and Motor
Buildings Machinery Vehicles Total
Cost £ £ £ £
At 1 January 2024 1,792,619 133,911 10,970 1,937,500
Additions 22,536 56,342 - 78,878
At 31 December 2024 1,815,155 190,253 10,970 2,016,378
Depreciation
At 1 January 2024 718,560 56,478 10,157 785,195
Charge for the year 34,272 12,841 203 47,316
At 31 December 2024 752,832 69,319 10,360 832,511
Net book value
At 31 December 2024 1,062,323 120,934 610 1,183,867
At 31 December 2023 1,074,059 77,433 813 1,152,305
Charity Tangible assets Freehold
Land and Plant and Motor
Buildings Machinery Vehicles Total
Cost £ £ £ £
At 1 January 2024 1,792,619 120,357 10,970 1,923,946
Additions 22,536 48,304 - 70,840
At 31 December 2024 1,815,155 168,661 10,970 1,994,786
Depreciation
At 1 January 2024 718,560 47,488 10,157 776,205
Charge for the year 34,272 12,117 203 46,592
At 31 December 2024 752,832 59,605 10,360 822,797
Net book value
At 31 December 2024 1,062,323 109,056 610 1,171,989
At 31 December 2023 1,074,059 72,869 813 1,147,741
**----- End of picture text -----**
32
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**10 Debtors**
Trade debtors
Amounts owed from subsidiary company
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
VAT receivable
**11 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade creditors
Accruals and deferred income
Taxation
Other creditors|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
2,144
3,944
-
-
18,997
65,171
1,413
-
14,945
7,924
37,499
77,039
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
20,544
21,834
20,851
17,637
-
208
10,922
4,656
52,317
44,335
Group
Group|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
2,144
3,944
-
-
18,997
65,171
1,413
-
14,945
7,924
37,499
77,039
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
20,544
21,834
20,851
17,637
-
208
10,922
4,656
52,317
44,335
Group
Group|**2024**
**£**
193
15,699
18,997
-
14,945
49,834
**2024**
**£**
19,750
20,851
-
5,372
45,973
Cha
Cha|**2023**
**£**
-
8,888
65,171
-
7,924
rity|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||81,983|
|||||**2023**
**£**
21,834
16,604
-
1,271
rity|
|||||39,709|
||||||
|**12 Cash at Bank and in Hand**
Cash at bank
Fixed term deposits
Fixed term deposits amountingto £845,768 are due to|**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
252,562
210,887
845,768
599,015
1,098,330
809,902
mature within 1year.
Group||**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
182,852
162,850
845,768
599,015
1,028,620
761,865
Charity||
33
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **13 Group funds and funds transfers**
|**13 Group funds and funds transfers**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Unrestricted|Balance
at 01.01.24
£|Incoming
£|Outgoing
£|Transfers
£|Balance
at 31.12.24
£|
|General|1,983,970|1,315,521|(1,028,725)|267,249|2,538,015|
|||||||
|Designated:
Rehoming Centre Operations
Rehoming Centre Maintenance
Business Development
Outreach Support
Restricted
Special purpose donations
- Kennels Enrichment
- Cattery Enrichment
P Dakin Legacy
Jean Chuter Memorial Fund
Community Pet Support Scheme
- General Fund
- The National Lottery Community
Fund RC Midlands Region
- Mars CPSS Grant|1,000,000
100,000
150,000
25,000
1,275,000
3,736
14,114
1,671
1,334
153
-
-|-
-
-
-
-
3,793
2,813
-
-
3,194
20,000
5,000|-
-
-
-
-
(9,856)
(1,235)
-
-
(53,771)
-
-|(300,000)
(40,000)
-
20,000
(320,000)
2,327
-
-
-
50,424
-
-|700,000
60,000
150,000
45,000|
||||||955,000|
||||||-
15,692
1,671
1,334
-
20,000
5,000|
|John Townsend donation|2,794|-|-|-|2,794|
|Petplan (Site signs Profect)
Dog Adventure Playground Project|304
842|-
-|-
-|-
-|304
842|
||24,948|34,800|(64,862)|52,751|47,637|
|||||||
|**Total funds**|3,283,918|1,350,321|(1,093,587)|-|3,540,652|
|||||||
|||||||
34
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **13 Charity funds and funds transfers**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Balance Balance
at 01.01.24 Incoming Outgoing Transfers at 31.12.24
Unrestricted £ £ £ £ £
General 1,937,387 1,259,698 (992,570) 267,249 2,471,764
Designated:
Rehoming Centre Operations 1,000,000 - - (300,000) 700,000
Rehoming Centre Maintenance 100,000 - - (40,000) 60,000
Business Development 150,000 - - - 150,000
Outreach Support 25,000 - - 20,000 45,000
1,275,000 - - (320,000) 955,000
Restricted
Special purpose donations
- Kennels Enrichment 3,736 3,793 (9,856) 2,327 -
-
- Cattery Enrichment 14,114 2,813 (1,235) 15,692
- - -
P Dakin Legacy 1,671 1,671
Jean Chuter Memorial Fund 1,334 - - - 1,334
Community Pet Support Scheme
- General Fund 153 3,194 (53,771) 50,424 -
- The National Lottery Community Fund
- - -
RC Midlands Region 20,000 20,000
- Mars CPSS Grant - 5,000 - - 5,000
John Townsend donation 2,794 - - - 2,794
Petplan (Site signs Profect) 304 - - - 304
Dog Adventure Playground Project 842 - - - 842
24,948 34,800 (64,862) 52,751 47,637
Total funds 3,237,335 1,294,498 (1,057,432) - 3,474,401
**----- End of picture text -----**
Transfers can occur when project spending has been charged through general reserves but related to restricted funds. Furthermore, where funds relate to capital projects, the policy is to make a transfer to unrestricted funds once the capital spend has taken place. In the year the analysis of the transfers were as follows:
||£|
|---|---|
|Costs charged through general reserves|52,751|
|Capital spend|-
52,751|
|**Community Pet Support Scheme**
**Cattery Enrichment**
**John Townsend Donation**
A scheme set up to help the elderly, disabled, isolated and vulnerable people to help them keep their cherished pets in
their homes.
This funds our Purrfect Palace external accommodation and our secure cat activity/play areas which are purpose built.
These areas encourage physical activity, play time, mental stimulation and opportunity to build bonds with the team and
make new friends with other cats (where appropriate).
These funds were donated to specifically put towards our vet bills for both cats and dogs. We Thank John for this very
kind donation and will ensure it is used for the purpose intended.|vulnerable people to help them keep their cherished pets in|
|||
|||
35
## **The Leicester & Leicestershire Animal Aid Association Notes to the Accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **14 Group analysis of net assets by fund**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
Fixed Assets
2,047,066
Current Assets
543,266
Current Liabilities
(52,317)
2,538,015
**Charity analysis of net assets by fund**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
Fixed Assets
2,035,189
Current Assets
482,548
Current Liabilities
(45,973)
2,471,764|**Designated**
**Funds**
**£**
406,731
548,269
-
955,000
**Designated**
**Funds**
**£**
406,731
548,269
-
955,000|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
47,637
-
47,637
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
-
47,637
-
47,637|**Total**
**Total**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
2,453,797
2,437,759
1,139,172
890,494
(52,317)
(44,335)
3,540,652
3,283,918
**Total**
**Total**
**2024**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
2,441,920
2,433,196
1,078,454
843,848
(45,973)
(39,709)
3,474,401
3,237,335|
|---|---|---|---|
## **15 Capital Commitments**
The charity had capital commitments at the balance sheet date of £Nil (2023 - £48,304).
## **16 Operating Lease Commitments**
The following are the total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2024 2023
£ £
Due within one year 6,620 6,537
Due between one and five years 3,139 8,400
9,759 14,937
17 Related party transactions
As explained in note 8 under investments, donations received in the year from the subsidiary was £40,409
(2023 - £48,788). Donations received from the trustees was £3,500 (2023 - £4,289).
**----- End of picture text -----**
Total sales with the subsidiary during the year were £2,398 (2023 - £10,407) and total purchases were £Nil (2023 - £Nil). A debtor from the subsidiary of £15,699 (2023 - £8,888) was outstanding at the year end.
## **18 Post Balance Sheet Event**
An agreement was made to the transfer of assets and activities upon the incorporation of The Leicester and Leicestershire Animal Aid Association a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) with the similar objectives to the Trust registered with Charity Commission with charity number 1208254 whose address is Leicester Animal Aid, Elmwood Farm, Huncote, Leicester, LE9 3LE (the CIO) on 31 March 2025.
36