designabjlity
Designability Charity Limited
AnnuaL Report and FinanciaLStaternents
Year Ended 31 March 2025
Registered Charity Number: 2563359
Company Number: 933932 (England & WaLes)
designabjlity
|**Contents**|Page number|
|---|---|
|Foreword from the Chair, Jerry Marwood|3|
|Foreword from the CEO, Jim Bowes|4|
|Annual Report of Senior Leadership|5|
|Plans for the Future|17|
|People & operations|19|
|Organisational structure / nature of governing / our objects /
subcommittees|21|
|Factors to affect future performance / Safeguarding & risk
management / Principal funding sources|23|
|Pay of key personnel / Reserves policy / Income /
Expenditure / Cost of raising funds / Reserves & financial
summary|25|
|Governance and management|30|
|Independent Report of Auditors|33|
|Statement of Financial Activities|36|
|Statement of Financial Position|37|
|Statement of Cash Flows|38|
|Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows|39|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|40|
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## **Foreword from the Chair, Jerry Marwood**
The year 2024-25 has brought many positive developments and proud achievements for Designability. This success has been driven by a shared commitment to creating lifechanging solutions through inclusive design.
Key achievements of 2024-25 include:
- **Conducting a comprehensive review of income and impact** , resulting in a clear, ambitious roadmap for future focus and effectiveness.
- **Launching the Accessible Pushchair pilot** , with most of the 20 units now in use by families and generating valuable real-world feedback to guide future development.
- **Delivering 239 powered wheelchairs through the Wizzybug Loan Scheme** , supporting disabled children across the UK and enhancing their independence, confidence, and play.
- **Improving delivery processes for the Wizzybug Loan Scheme** , enabling more efficient and supportive service to families.
- **Securing a new long-term workshop location** , with renovations underway, providing essential space and infrastructure for future growth and impact.
Throughout the year, our CEO Jim Bowes has brought fresh energy and clarity to the organisation. Under his leadership, we’ve strengthened senior collaboration, grown our consultancy work, progressed a number of exciting design projects, and begun an inspiring brand refresh. These developments are laying a strong foundation for the next chapter of Designability’s journey.
A particularly heartfelt moment came in December, when we celebrated the retirement of Ruth Hooper, our Trusts and Foundations Fundraiser, after an extraordinary 51 years of service. Since joining in 1973, Ruth has played a pivotal role in sustaining our work through her tireless fundraising efforts. Her commitment and legacy are deeply appreciated, and on behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to extend our sincere thanks and admiration.
Everything we’ve accomplished this year is thanks to the dedication, creativity, and compassion of the Designability team. Their work is at the heart of everything we do. I’m also incredibly grateful to my fellow Trustees, whose support and belief in our mission continue to guide us forward.
Together, we are showing what’s possible when inclusive design is the foundation for innovation that truly changes lives.
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## **Foreword from the CEO, Jim Bowes**
Designability has been creating life-changing products since 1968 — and 18 months into my role as CEO, I’m proud to say that we are entering a new and ambitious chapter.
Putting into practice years of experience in consultancy and moving to a role as a charity leader is a shift; making it real in an organisation is a challenge. I’ve needed to learn and listen to understand what makes us so unique. We’re a small but complex organisation, constantly balancing the skills and experience needed to maximise our impact with the income we’re able to generate.
Over the past year, we’ve made a lot of progress. Together with my colleagues, we’ve defined a clear and confident vision for how Designability creates impact and sustains itself for the long term. We’ve updated our Theory of Change and set priorities to guide the next phase of our journey.
We did this against a backdrop of global shifts in thinking around equity, diversity and inclusion; a surge in demand for charitable services; and one of the toughest fundraising environments in recent memory. And yet, our momentum is building.
Looking back over Designability’s 50+ years of innovation, from early TENS machines to dementia products and our breakthrough in Early Years Powered Mobility with Wizzybug, it’s clear this is an organisation that evolves with the times.
Our award-winning Accessible Pushchair is just one example of how we continue to develop products that meet real needs.
We now have a strong view of how to develop our pipeline of priorities, and we’re in the thick of turning plans into action.
This includes:
- Conducting flagship research into disabled people’s everyday experiences, informing our future innovation pipeline
- Deepening community engagement to ensure Wizzybug reaches as many children and families as possible
- Expanding our inclusive design consultancy to help others design better, more accessible products and services
- Building meaningful partnerships with companies, funders and individuals who believe in the power of inclusive design
At our core, we believe inclusive design should be the default. We’re here to prove that — through the products we create, the services we provide, and the tools we share to inspire better practice across sectors.
57 years into our journey, we’re here, collaborating with disabled people, inventing opportunity to create impact for the next 50 years and beyond.
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## **Annual Report of Senior Leadership: Strategic Framework**
Our current strategy covers the period from 2023-2026. This annual report relates to the middle of that period and as such this has been a critical time for delivering against our ambition.
There are eight specific goals in our strategy, ranging from delivering evidence on how to make transport more accessible (as part of our work in the National Centre for Accessible Transport) through to reviewing the way we fund and deliver Wizzybug.
During the year, we revisited our Theory of Change, which looked at how we create impact both through the direct provision of products (like Wizzybug) and through inspiring others to design inclusively (for example, our work around Accessible Vehicle Design).
Our Theory of Change describes the outcomes we’re striving for:
- More designers, organisations and policy makers to use evidence of the barriers disabled people experience as part of their design process
- A shift in mindset to inclusive design as standard
- Increased demand for products and services that remove barriers disabled people experience
Our strategy, Theory of Change and a rolling 18-month roadmap work together to give us a framework for us to deliver our mission and for Trustees to provide the support and governance needed.
## **Our Purpose**
Designability follows the Social Model of Disability. This says that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or condition. The model helps us recognise the barriers that make life harder for disabled people. Removing these barriers creates equality and offers disabled people more independence, choice and control.
Our purpose is to work with disabled people to remove everyday barriers and ensure everyone has the opportunity to live the life they choose. Together, we design innovative products and services and inspire others to do the same.
## **Our Vision**
A future where disabled people live the life they choose.
## **Our Mission**
To create equity of opportunity for disabled people by removing barriers to independence.
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## Progress Against Our Strategy
We’ve made progress across all areas of our strategy this year. As you’d expect, we’ve adapted our approach to some goals as new insights emerged, and fresh opportunities arose — keeping our focus firmly on impact.
## Wizzybug
Our flagship Wizzybug Loan Scheme had its most successful year to date. Alongside delivering record impact, we began work to shape the future of the service. This included in-depth conversations with families and an exploration of new and improved delivery models that could help us increase the number of disabled people we reach.
Recommendations from this work will be available in Autumn 2025, with implementation planned for the following financial year. Partnerships are central to our vision for the future, and during the year, we began exploratory discussions with several potential collaborators.
## Accessible Pushchair
Our Accessible Pushchair — a breakthrough in inclusive product design — continues to attract national and international attention. The innovative design replaces the traditional rear wheels/footbrake assembly, turning any conventional pushchair into an accessible pushchair. It can be used by a manual wheelchair-using parent or carer and has been designed with mass manufacture in mind. Feedback from potential partners, however, showed a need for more real-world data and use-case evidence before the product can scale.
In response, we launched an extended user pilot with real-world feedback from the families to strengthen the business case for manufacturing and funding. These insights will be critical in shaping the next phase. While we now anticipate that either a direct-to-market route or a specialist partnership is most likely, we remain open to new opportunities revealed through the pilot.
## Research to Drive Innovation
Our updated Theory of Change highlighted a need for fresh research into the most common barriers disabled people face. This will inform our future innovation strategy, ensuring new product development responds to the issues that matter most.
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## Consultancy and Partnerships
We refined our inclusive design consultancy proposition during the year, positioning us to work with more partners on creating products and services for disabled people. Our first new collaboration under this model is with Duchenne UK, the leading UK charity for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive condition diagnosed in childhood that causes all the muscles in the body to gradually weaken.
## National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat)
We have reached an exciting stage in our work with the National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat), a UK consortium funded by the Motability Foundation that works to make transport accessible for all disabled people. Drawing on research and evidence from consortium partners, we have created a series of design briefs with strong potential for translational design work that can bring about tangible change in the transport sector.
## Representation of Disabled People
We remain committed to ensuring disabled people are central to everything we do — as designers, decision-makers, and beneficiaries. This year, we:
- Strengthened user co-creation in product development and refined our processes to support it.
- Reviewed representation across our staff, governance, and content creation, ensuring authentic voices in our design work.
- Continued embedding inclusive recruitment practices, in line with our Disability Confident Level 2 status, and designed a pilot for an accessible internship programme.
- Included experts by experience in our income and impact review.
This work is ongoing, and we are committed to continuously improving how we represent and involve the communities we serve.
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## Organisational Improvement
To deliver on our strategy, we have strengthened our organisational foundations. Key achievements this year include:
- Upgrading IT infrastructure to support hybrid working, data security, and collaboration.
- Achieving Disability Confident Level 2, reflecting our inclusive employment practices.
- Improving internal systems to reduce duplication, enhance reporting, and empower teams.
These investments are making us more efficient, inclusive, and ready for scale.
## Impact
Revisiting our Theory of Change has sharpened our impact model, enabling us to capture both:
1. Direct impact — products and services like Wizzybug that deliver independence, mobility, and choice.
2. Systemic influence — shaping inclusive design standards across sectors through research, campaigns, consultancy, and partnerships.
We are strengthening our evaluation frameworks to measure both types meaningfully. Our goal is to compare systemic and direct impact on a like-for-like basis, and we are actively exploring Social Return on Investment models to achieve this.
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## Wizzybugs
**239 new children** joined the loan scheme this year, so **currently 386 children in the UK have a Wizzybug** .
**71% of parents** said Wizzybug has **enabled their disabled child to participate in activities they weren’t able to before** , and an average of **73%** told us that Wizzybug has enabled them to feel and be **more socially**
**connected to others as a parent/carer and/or wider family.**
Wizzybug is our innovative powered wheelchair for very young disabled children. We aim to ensure children have access to the right wheelchair at the right time by providing Wizzybug free of charge via a loan scheme. Wizzybug was designed by the charity, and every Wizzybug is still manufactured and refurbished by us, by hand, at our workshop in Bath. Wizzybug represents fun, freedom, independence and play for young children at a critical point of development.
The theme through much of our work this year, both with Wizzybug itself and the loan scheme, has focused on how we can make Wizzybug and our service even better for families, and more efficient for us as a charity. We have also improved digital systems in the workshop to streamline stock management, ensuring an accurate number of available Wizzybugs at any given time.
We were delighted to reopen applications and handover appointments in Northern Ireland this year, providing families with the same access to early years powered mobility as those in mainland UK. National Lottery Awards have kindly funded the additional costs of providing Wizzybug in NI. A previous Wizzybug user from NI, Bobby, and his family featured in a short film explaining how important Wizzybug was for Bobby during his early years and how it helped him in more ways than just mobility. This film won a silver award in the People’s Choice category of The Smiley Charity Film Awards 2024.
Sharing the impact Wizzybug has beyond just driving skills is a key part of our approach to change the narrative on the developmental benefits of early years powered mobility away from the expectation of all children becoming expert drivers. In Autumn last year, our Clinical Lead, Liesl Funnell, was invited to present to the Children, Young People and Families Conference held by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. We were able to demonstrate to clinical professionals the range of positive improvements in developmental goals for children who would probably only ever use Wizzybug by accidental or unintentional movement and would not have traditionally been considered for powered mobility.
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This year, we made Wizzybug handover appointments more flexible for our families. We now have an online booking system so families can compare appointments and book at a time that works best for them; we will be extending this to include technical support appointments later this year. We have also introduced video assessments, which help our clinicians conduct their assessment by being able to see the child and reduce concerns from families about making sure they get the correct information needed. We have continued to review the online application form, and a simplified version will be launched this year. This will make applications quicker and easier for families at the assessment stage.
We have also revised and updated the Wizzybug welcome pack to make it more child-friendly, including a Wizzybug bingo game to support and encourage play.
We are continuing to work closely with our families to understand how we can best support them during their time with Wizzybug and the powered mobility options they move on to. This includes providing a selection of helpful videos about using and adjusting Wizzybug in a special Family Zone on our website.
As the designers and manufacturers of Wizzybug, we are always thinking about how we can improve it to
make it even better for families and suitable for more children. We have known for some time that often children can experience a gap in provision between outgrowing Wizzybug and before they are able to access their next mobility aid. That’s not fair.
We therefore embarked on a project to design Wizzybug 2, a new and more powerful model that will last longer. We have made tremendous progress this year. Following extensive research and user requirement gathering last year, this year we have been able to focus on building our first prototype. Incorporating the latest lithium-ion battery technology and new motors, we have been able to improve range, speed and torque of Wizzybug without increasing the weight, all common areas of feedback from families. The innovative seating system we’ve developed can grow with a child from 18 months up to 8 years whilst maintaining a low product weight. We’re now looking at the form and features of Wizzybug 2, so that it looks great and stays exciting and engaging for children as they grow and their tastes change.
As part of our commitment to ensuring all children who could benefit from Wizzybug can access one, we have conducted a gap analysis of our current loan scheme to understand who we are currently reaching and those we may not be. Supported by the National Lottery Reaching Communities, a new Community Engagement Lead will join our team. They will create a programme of outreach work designed to work with underrepresented communities and encourage more applications from multiple marginalised groups that we don’t currently reach.
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## Accessible Pushchair
An outstanding achievement of the year was to see our multi-award-winning accessible pushchair going out to the very first family to keep. Ali is now able to take her young family out wherever she wants, when she wants, because she has the right equipment.
(Pictured: Ali Nye, mum of three and the first accessible pushchair extended user trial participant.)
After several years of extensive research, development, safety and user testing, we launched the accessible pushchair, which can be fitted to most manual wheelchairs. Using a standard pushchair, kindly provided by Mamas and Papas, the accessible pushchair can be used by disabled and non-disabled users, meaning just one product for everyone. Our world-first design replaces the traditional rear wheels/footbrake assembly, turning any conventional pushchair into an accessible pushchair.
Whilst we seek a longer-term solution for providing the accessible pushchair at scale, we knew there were families out there who needed this product now. In September 2024, Ali became the first parent to receive a pushchair to keep and provided us with feedback about the impact it had on her and her family and how the product worked day to day.
Before she received the pushchair, Ali explained, “It is very frustrating that the world is so inaccessible, especially for disabled parents. Pushchairs are so difficult to manoeuvre with wheelchairs that it can be a nightmare. I’ve stopped doing the school run on my own as it’s such a hassle.”
After a few months with the accessible pushchair, Ali reported that she has been able to do the school run independently again, as well as other trips such as going to the supermarket and the park. All of which are far easier - and safer – than having her child on her lap.
Thanks to the generous donation of pushchairs from Mamas and Papas, we have been able to make a further 20 available to conduct a 6-month product trial. Working together, our Design and Innovation team and our workshop technicians adapted the pushchairs and tailored them to each recipient, including changing the side on which
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the handbrake was located and making sure they had the right seat for the age of the child they would be using it with.
We launched an open application process and received 55 applications. This is a significant number for this type of trial and indicates just how much this product is needed by disabled parents. We then filtered applicants based on a number of criteria, selecting relationship to the child that would be using it, age of the child, location and expected usage before randomly selecting a number from each group. The high level of applicants shows just how much this product is needed. We’ll be sharing the days out, trips to the shops and day-to-day experiences of the families weekly on social media and will be recording both how the product performs and the impact the accessible pushchair has made after 3 and 6 months of use.
The trial participants consist of: 12 mums, 4 dads, 2 aunties, 1 sibling and 1 friend.
(Pictured above left, an accessible pushchair handover with the first of the 20 trial participants with a Designability engineer)
Paul Sloan, one of the trial participants (pictured above, right), commented: _“It’s more than just a pushchair. Having a piece of hardware that takes away one worry means that so many other things will become easier because I can just get up and go.”_
The design also won three awards this year: the prestigious 2024 GOOD DESIGN Award for transportation, Best Design for Humanity and the Top Design Winner in Families & Kids / Gear and Strollers in the European Product Design Awards 2024 categories.
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## Accessible Vehicle Design (AVD)
A recent report showed that disabled people take 38% fewer journeys than nondisabled people. It’s not just about a journey, it’s what that journey represents, access to work or education, being able to attend an essential appointment, get shopping when you need it, or visiting friends and family and maintaining important social connections for mental wellbeing.
_“If you have a disability, getting out and about is a real effort, but if you can make a car more accessible, it makes it easier for people to get out, as they don’t have those barriers; they have a better quality of life.”_ User engagement participant, Melissa.
Kindly funded by Motability Foundation, we have been working on how to make cars more accessible as standard. By thinking differently, we can show that it is possible to make regular passenger cars more accessible for drivers with a wide range of needs. Last year, we worked with over a thousand disabled drivers and passengers to understand the barriers they faced when travelling. The most common challenges were getting in and out of the vehicle, the driving environment whilst getting ready to go and during travel, and pain and discomfort when travelling. We used this invaluable insight to focus the next phase of the project on three key areas: seating, access and HMI (human machine interface).
We launched the insights from this first phase of work in autumn last year at MOVE 2024, a mobility event focused on technology and sustainability.
Since then, we have worked with the automotive industry to understand the technical challenges of solutions we have explored, and how new and emerging technology and policy change can provide prime opportunities to improve accessibility.
Following our research, we designed and built a prototype car interior that allows us to create greater flexibility and adjustments. We can change the size and shape of the seat for different body shapes, move the seatbelt position to test how different people can reach and attach it themselves, and a new human-machine interface enabling people to place buttons where they can more easily and safely reach them and replace some digital controls with physical versions.
This year, we will be working with disabled people to test solutions using the prototype interior before creating design guidance aimed at the automotive industry to encourage them to consider practical accessible design options in new vehicles
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## National Centre for Accessible Transport, ncat
Designability has been a consortium member of the National Centre for Accessible Transport, ncat, since its launch in 2023. ncat's mission is to create a barrier-free transport system, through commissioning robust evidence and actively listening to the voices and expertise of disabled people.
The consortium has created a number of research papers and reports aimed at increasing understanding of the barriers to transport for disabled people. Designability has taken this portfolio of work and reviewed it to start to identify emerging themes, such as bus interiors, which we believe could be improved through person-centred design.
This year, we have focused on how much we know about each theme and its barriers through both ncat’s work and other external sources of research and insight. Where there hasn’t been enough information, we have gathered more evidence from disabled people themselves, ncat partners and from transport industry sources.
The next phase of this work will include more direct work with disabled people, such as group discussions, interviews and in-person sessions. We will then produce a set of design challenges, framing the problem, the evidence, the impact and how we believe these could be improved through better design.
Feedback from Daniel, a user engagement participant and wheelchair user, on the importance of exploring the transport barriers for disabled people and his hopes for public transport for disabled people said: _“[Disabled people] are sort of considered as second-class citizens, even like on buses, there's just an extra space put in for wheelchairs after. They don't design the whole carriage for easy access, and it's not just better for people in wheelchairs, it's better for everyone, I think. Even prams and anyone, really. ......the awareness needs to be raised that these barriers are there and need to be stopped someday, if they can be._
_“I hope we learn lessons from other countries. I think a lot of Europe has got better access. And, yeah, so more sort of maybe technological advances. Like ramps that are automatic, so you don't have to wait for somebody to put a ramp down. Which would save money as well.”_
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## Product sales/other/education
Over our long history, Designability has created many different products to help make everyday activities and tasks easier and more accessible for disabled people. Whilst our focus has changed over the years, there are still a number of products we have designed that are sold in large numbers by other manufacturers and distributors. Designability earns royalties from these sales, and this income helps us fund our current projects and create new products.
Our highest-selling product remains the Bottom Wiper, providing dignity and independence and proving that successful inclusive design does not always have to be complex, but should always be rooted in understanding the needs of those we are designing for.
Easy-to-use designs like the Simple Music Player and Bud cushion continue to sell, providing stimulation and helping people live well with dementia.
Reviews of the Simple Music Player:
_“Absolutely amazing player. It is so simple to use that my mum can now have music in her life again. I am just so thankful that someone spent the time developing such an easy-to-use system.”_
_“A Christmas gift for my Mum, I haven’t seen her so happy in a long, long time… it has given her a new lease of life. She is much happier the majority of time and we think It has helped with her speech too as she is singing more, so therefore using her voice! I would highly recommend it, thank you!”_
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## Education
We believe inclusive design should be the default for all design processes. One of the ways we can help achieve this is through education and inspiring younger generations to consider the requirements of everyone by understanding the impact of creating an inclusive world.
## Three Ways School partnership
We have continued our partnership with Three Ways School, our local school for children with special educational needs up to the age of 19, providing a work experience opportunity to students. We welcomed a student for a placement in our workshop, learning how we make and refurbish Wizzybugs.
## Brilliantly Engineered Bath
Designability took part in the Brilliantly Engineered Event in Bath for the second year. Organised by the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, the four-day event celebrates engineering and design, encouraging children to understand how STEM learning can be applied to a variety of different career opportunities, and most importantly, lots of fun. The event features organisations from across Bath who showcase the amazing things engineered and made in Bath. We took along our iconic Wizzybug and a prototype from our accessible EV charging project. Demonstrating how the same skills can be applied to two very different products, both creating everyday impact for disabled people.
## Paragon School Queen Elizabeth II Day
We welcomed two groups of students from Paragon School, local to us in Bath, to spend a day at our workshop and our offices within the Royal United Hospital. ( _Pictured: children from Paragon school who raised funds for Designability in 2024 with CEO Jim Bowes_ )
The students got to see how Wizzybug
is made and how we follow a person-centred design process before taking part in a fun design challenge in small groups. Then we explained how we provide Wizzybug to any child who could benefit from one free of charge, and the impact this has on families. The children really enjoyed having a go at driving Wizzybug and understanding how many different teams need to work together to create our Wizzybug Loan Scheme.
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## **Plans for the Future**
We were founded to design and engineer products that remove barriers from disabled people’s lives. Our future plans lean into that heritage — expanding our design activity, investing in new innovation, and continuing to evolve our flagship programme, Wizzybug.
## **Rolling 18-Month Roadmap**
To balance long-term ambition with short-term delivery, we’ve introduced a rolling 18-month roadmap that links our strategy to clear operational priorities. This approach enables us to respond to new insights, manage resources effectively, and ensure our team and board are aligned on near-term goals.
Key features include:
- Defining the focus for the next three quarters of the year in detail, while setting a broader direction for the following three.
- Linking activity directly to our strategic goals.
- Regularly reviewing and refining the roadmap based on learning from delivery.
- This planning discipline is helping us move with purpose, while retaining the flexibility to adapt.
## **Wizzybug**
We will enter the final year of our largest-ever grant for the Wizzybug Loan Scheme. Our focus will be on evolving our service delivery model for the future, while securing new funding to maintain and grow the scheme.
Wizzybug 2 is currently in early-stage product development. Over the coming year, we will work with a wide range of partners to progress two iterations of the prototype, ensuring each stage is shaped by user feedback and technical insight.
## Accessible Pushchair
Following the feedback from our extended user pilot, we will review all potential routes to market for the Accessible Pushchair, aiming to make a recommendation to our board by the end of 2025. Implementation of the chosen approach will begin in the following financial year.
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## Innovation Pipeline and New Research
Our innovation pipeline is driven by the belief that design should address the most unfair and unnecessary barriers disabled people face. This year we began developing a new research capability — a structured evidence base that will identify and rank the barriers causing the greatest loss of choice, independence, or dignity.
This research will:
- Inform our own product and service innovation, ensuring we prioritise areas of greatest impact.
- Inspire and support others — from funders to designers and policymakers — to target their work more effectively.
- Provide a platform for collaboration with partners across the charity, commercial, and public sectors.
Our ambition is for this work to become a cornerstone of inclusive design in the UK.
## Revenue Streams
As we diversify from traditional grant funding, we are building sustainable income streams that align with our mission. Key areas of focus include:
- Philanthropy and major giving — building stronger relationships with individual donors and funders.
- Consultancy services — leveraging our expertise in inclusive design and lived experience insight.
- Commercial product routes — bringing innovations such as the Accessible Pushchair to market.
- Corporate partnerships — working with forward-thinking businesses that value inclusion.
This blended approach is designed to give us greater resilience, stability, and reach.
## Looking Ahead
The next phase of our journey will be about scale, influence, and deeper impact. We will combine our engineering heritage with new research, bold design thinking, and strong partnerships to tackle the barriers that limit choice, independence, and dignity for disabled people. With a clear roadmap, a growing network of collaborators, and a commitment to inclusive innovation, we are ready to create change that lasts — not just for individuals, but across systems and society.
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## People & operations
## Our People
Our continued success is thanks to our team of dedicated and talented staff. We currently have 38 team members, with a huge variety of skills and wealth of experience across different professions and industries.
We want to achieve an outstanding culture, to ensure we create the right environment for our team to provide the greatest impact to our beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to high standards and have embarked on a project to capture what this means to us, and how that feeds the values and behaviours we expect from all our staff.
We operate a hybrid working model, where staff work both in our premises and remotely, where their role allows. We continue to ensure close and collaborative working practices through regular team days in our offices and by dedicating time for all staff events.
During the year, we achieved Level 2 Disability Confident employer status. Whilst we have always been an inclusive employer, achieving this indicates our ongoing dedication to this standard.
## IT, systems and website
We continue to regularly review our IT infrastructure and systems to identify where improvements can be made, focusing on cybersecurity and productivity. In the year we engaged an external contractor to provide a full suite of recommendations. We are also exploring the use of AI and how this can help us to streamline processes and add value to our work.
In 2024, we received funds from the West of England Made Smarter programme, which we invested in a new stock management system and our CRM to increase the flexibility with which families can book appointments and receive notifications.
We also launched the Wizzybug families zone on our website, for families to access once they have a Wizzybug, providing them with more resources, signposting to other services and support that may be beneficial. They can also provide feedback and update key information.
## Premises
We operate across two sites in central Bath. At our site at the Royal United Hospital (RUH), we have dedicated clinical assessment rooms for families attending
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Wizzybug handover appointments. We also use this space to hold user engagement and testing sessions which are critical for our project work.
Our workshop site continues to be a key hub for Designability’s activities. We use the space to build and refurbish Wizzybugs, to provide a collaborative and creative workspace for our research projects and to design and develop innovation projects and prototypes for new products.
In 2024, a planning application for our current workshop site was approved, meaning that we needed to find new premises. We signed a lease for a new building to relocate the workshop, design and office spaces, providing new premises allowing teams to work more closely and collaboratively. Due to funding restrictions, we have had to complete the work in two phases, the first phase being the move of our workshop and design space in summer 2025.
## Regulatory compliance
Quality management is embedded into our organisation through the extensive use of our Quality Management System. We continue to be audited by our chosen certification body, BSI and our ISO 9001:2015 Certification has been maintained.
Wizzybug is a medical device and we continue to meet all medical device regulatory requirements.
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## Organisation structure and how decisions are made
Designability is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee, whose work is overseen by a Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees meets quarterly as a minimum. It is responsible for ensuring that the Charity meets its charitable objectives and is run according to the Articles of Association and Memorandum of Association.
The Trustees do not receive any remuneration for their duties.
In January 2022, we registered Designability Limited as a separate entity. The company is dormant and share capital is owned by Designability Charity Limited only.
## Nature of governing document and how the charity is constituted
Designability is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 18 June 1968 and registered as a charity on 11 July 1968. The Charity was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
## Our Objects
The objects of the Charity are:
‘The advancement of medical education and of engineering research for medical purposes, the dissemination of the knowledge thereby acquired and the relief of those in need (by reason of their disability, age or infirmity) by the provision of devices and equipment to assist in their medical treatment or improve their quality of life.’
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## Governance – Subcommittees
## Governing document
The Charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
The Board operates two sub-committees, each with a clear purpose and remit. The sub-committees are:
## Products and Impact Committee
This committee of Trustees, with Senior Leadership Team members in attendance, meets quarterly prior to Board meetings to provide advice and assurance on the activity of the Charity that creates impact for disabled people, through its provision of innovative projects, products and services.
## Finance and Governance Committee
This committee of Trustees, with Senior Leadership Team members in attendance, meets quarterly prior to Board meetings to provide assurance to the Board on the management and utilisation of resources (finances, people, systems and premises) as well as regularly scrutinising specific aspects of the governance processes.
Responsibility for the day-to-day running of the organisation and delivery of activities is delegated to the Chief Executive. A detailed Delegated Authority Matrix is in operation, which is reviewed annually at a minimum.
22
## Any factors likely to afect future fnancial performance and going concern
The Trustees are confident that any factors which might affect our future financial performance have been captured in our risk register, along with mitigating actions. Key risks impacting the charity relate to our financial sustainability around cash and unrestricted funding, as we face ongoing cost pressures and a competitive fundraising environment. We have taken active steps to diversify our sources of income, investing now but remaining mindful that this takes time before generating a significant return. Measures have been taken to mitigate risks in line with our strategic objectives and risk appetite to ensure Designability can continue to operate effectively and achieve our charitable aims. As such, the Trustees are confident that Designability retains sufficient resources to continue for the minimum 12-month period to be considered as a going concern.
Internally, our key risks relate to business continuity around our IT systems and production processes, and we work to continually improve our mitigations in these areas.
## Principal funding sources and how they support key objectives
Principal funding sources were grants and donations from trusts and foundations, along with other forms of voluntary income from a range of partners and supporters. These sources were a mix of restricted and unrestricted donations.
Historically, our largest restricted fund is for the Wizzybug Loan Scheme, kindly funded by the Motability Foundation, which directly delivers against our objective of facilitating free access to Early Years Powered Mobility for disabled children younger than five years old. Due to rising costs and increased competition for funding, this fund was low at the end of the financial year, and an emergency appeal has been launched. Further restricted funds have been received for other specific projects around Wizzybug and other projects which support our key objectives, including our work on accessible vehicle design and improving access to transport for disabled people.
## Risk management
As an ISO 9001:2015 certified organisation, risk-based thinking is a key part of our management approach. Major risks are identified and ranked in terms of their potential impact, likelihood and the strength of mitigation activity. We regularly review our organisational risk register and respond to the changing internal and external factors.
Major risks, for this purpose, are those that may have a significant effect on:
23
- Achievement of our aims and objectives.
- Meeting the expectations of our beneficiaries or supporters;
- Financial stability, including stability, security and sustainability of income; or
- Operational performance, including risks to our staff or volunteers.
The Trustees review these risks on an ongoing basis and satisfy themselves that adequate systems and procedures are in place to manage and mitigate the risks identified. Where appropriate, risks are covered by insurance. The following framework is central to ensuring adequate risk assurance:
- Regular review of risk at an operational level and within governance committees. Key risk areas are reviewed by the Finance and Governance Committee half yearly and with an annual review by the Board of Trustees.
- Development of action plans to control risks identified;
- Risk identification and assessment is embedded into Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the Quality Management framework. All significant activities undertaken are subject to a risk assessment;
- A clear structure of delegated authority and control;
- Regular audit to ensure compliance with agreed risk management processes;
- Maintaining reserves in line with set policies.
During 2024-25, our risk management work focused on responding to risks around income and financial sustainability in the current fundraising environment, as well as managing risks around our organisational transformation. Mitigating action plans, financial controls, and policies and procedures are in place where required to manage these risks.
As a medical device manufacturer, we have continued to invest resources to ensure we are compliant with medical device regulations.
## Safeguarding
All trustees are responsible for ensuring that safeguarding practices and risks are appropriately managed. A designated member of the Board of Trustees has a specific responsibility to oversee safeguarding within the Charity and is responsible for ensuring our Children’s and Adults’ Safeguarding policies are appropriate and updated as required. Established processes are in place for reporting safeguarding concerns or issues. During the year, there was one disclosure of a potential safeguarding concern (not involving Designability), but on reporting this to the appropriate authorities, no further action was required.
24
## Arrangements for setting the pay of key management personnel
The Trustees consider that the key management personnel are the Chief Executive, the Director of Design and Innovation, the Director of Programmes, the Director of Income and Engagement and the Director of Finance and Operations. The pay of senior staff is reviewed annually by the Remuneration Committee. Any increase in pay is considered in accordance with average earnings within comparable organisations, cost of living increases, the financial position of the charity and individual performance.
When recruiting, pay is set by benchmarking salaries against a comparable role.
For the year ended 31 March 2025, the total employment benefits of key management personnel (including NI and pension contributions) are detailed in note 11 to the financial statements.
## Reserves policy
A comprehensive reserves policy is in place and reviewed annually to ensure this remains appropriate for the charity. The Operating Reserve is intended to provide an internal source of funds for situations such as a sudden increase in expenses, onetime unbudgeted expenses, unanticipated loss in funding, or uninsured losses. During the year, the trustees decided to amend the policy, decreasing the level of average budgeted operating costs from 6 months to 3 months, to reflect our ability to respond more quickly to unexpected changes.
An Innovation and Development Reserve is held to provide funding for worthwhile and impactful projects which may not be funded from other sources or in the initial stages of project scoping, as well as for other development work. During the year, we used the reserve to fund a new project looking at our strategic approach to income and impact, as well as our ongoing work on the accessible pushchair to advance this to the extended user trial stage. At year end, we have updated this reserve to include an amount for the fit out of our new HQ building.
The Trustees have decided to increase the Systems and IT Development Fund in order to reflect our ongoing investment in IT, including investigating how to increase the use of AI to help improve our efficiencies. During the year, we used the fund for further improvements to our CRM system.
The General Reserve consists of the balance of any unrestricted funds that are not designated in the Operating Reserve, the Innovation and Development Reserve or the Systems and IT Development Reserve.
25
The Trustees reviewed the level of designated funds on 31 March 2025 and confirmed that the Reserves Policy has been met.
||**Value as of**|**Purpose**|
|---|---|---|
||**31 March 2025**||
|Restricted funds|£359,123|Funds for restricted and other allocated projects,
such as:
•
Wizzybug Loan Scheme and Access
Fund
•
Accessible Vehicle Design
•
Wizzybug improvements including
redesign and new motors
•
IT Improvements including a stock
management system and improved
services for our Wizzybug families|
|General Reserve -
Unrestricted|
£69,852|Unrestricted reserves|
|Operating
Reserve -
Designated|£544,849|Funds set aside adequate to cover three months’
running costs, less amounts covered by
restricted funds|
|Innovation and
Development
Reserve -
Designated|£502,455|To support innovation and new product
development projects as well as internal
development programmes of work not covered
by other funding, including this year the fit out of
our new HQ building where sufficient funding has
not yet been received|
|Systems and IT
Development
Reserve -
Designated|£125,000|To fund investment in IT infrastructure,
databases and systems|
As of 31 March 2025, the Charity had free reserves (unrestricted reserves that are not functional fixed assets) of £233,321, which form part of the General Reserve and the designated Operating Reserve above (2024: £632,773).
26
## Investment policy
The Trustees manage the investment portfolio in accordance with the Charity’s governing document.
Monies not immediately required for the objects of the Charity may be invested in line with our Investment Policy. During the year, the Board included Trustees with appropriate knowledge and experience of investments suitable to the present needs of the Charity.
The Charity holds the majority of invested funds in managed funds, the most significant of which is with a large, well-established and charity-specific fund. The fund offers a mix of diversified and low-risk investment assets and aims to provide long-term growth and distributions to protect against inflation. The fund has an ethical investment policy. This is in line with the Investment Policy of the Charity in that no undue risk is taken in seeking a higher investment return.
The Charity does not invest in individual companies and does not hold any ‘social investments’, and the purpose in making any investments is wholly to further the Charity’s aims.
## Summary of our fnancial performance
2024-25 finished in line with our budget and organisational strategy, and reflects our investment in our team, our Wizzybug fleet, strategic projects and securing our new HQ building, but also the changing and challenging fundraising environment across all areas of our voluntary income. We continue to monitor our cash and reserves positions closely.
In 2025-26, we hope to see the start of development of new income streams and further efficiencies to ensure we can maintain the financial sustainability of the charity and continue to strive to bring about increased positive impact for disabled people.
## INCOME
## Donations
Voluntary income from donations increased this financial year to £1,712,122 (202324: £1,664,564). As in previous years, the majority of donations received were from Charitable Trusts and Foundations. This included some large donations to fund the next stage of our Accessible Vehicle Design project and the design review of and improvements to the Wizzybug. Donations to fund the operation of the loan scheme were, however, lower than in previous years, and some of our key projects, such as
27
the accessible pushchair project, have not been fully funded. Costs against some of this income will be incurred in the next financial year and are held in the relevant restricted funds.
Designability is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, committed to the Fundraising Promise, and all fundraisers acting on behalf of Designability adhere to the Code of Fundraising Practice. We are also organisational members of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, giving all members of staff further access to best practice advice, support and training.
Our customer feedback process forms part of our Quality Management System and information on how to make a complaint is available to the public on our website. We have not received any complaints in relation to fundraising activity this year.
## Sales and royalties
Product sales and royalties decreased to £20,926 (2023-24: £121,821) due to our strategic decision to suspend international sales of Wizzybugs in the year.
## EXPENDITURE
Total expenditure this year was £2,414,916 (2023-24: £2,238,053). This small increase has been driven by increased costs around our Wizzybug fleet, dual operating costs of our new HQ site and our current workshop, in order to secure the site and complete the fit-out works required before our move date, as well as further investment in our IT infrastructure, particularly around stock management and our website. Our expenditure on staff costs increased, reflecting the lower vacancy rate in 2024-25 and some updated roles in the Programmes team. Some of the costs which will be funded by income received this year will be recognised in the next financial year. This has been offset by savings across our cost base.
## Cost of raising funds
The cost of raising funds decreased slightly to £148,180 (2023-24: £152,401) for the reporting period, reflecting the in-year departure of our longest-standing member of staff from the fundraising team.
28
## RESERVES
Ending the year with a deficit has decreased our reserves and we finished the year at £1,601,279. Our restricted funds account for c.20% of this balance (£359,123) and are to be spent on specific projects or activities. See note 21 for further details. The remaining amount is split between our Operating Reserve, Systems and IT Reserve, Innovation and Development Reserve and our General Reserve. Whilst our reserves remain strong, the significant majority of these funds have been restricted or designated to future projects and costs we know we will incur in the next financial year. Our General Reserve makes up only 4% of our total reserves.
29
## Governance and management
## Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities
The Trustees (who are also the directors of Designability Charity Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 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).
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 those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to 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 and 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 auditors are unaware; and
- 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 auditors are aware of that information.
30
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.
## Methods, policies and procedures for recruitment, appointment, induction and training of Trustees
The Board has appropriate procedures for the recruitment, appointment, induction and training of its Trustees.
Trustees have been recruited through an open and transparent process involving the placing of advertisements in appropriate media, or via appointment as outlined in the Articles of Association.
The Chair of the Board along with a panel of trustees consider the skills, diversity, gender balance and lived experience of disability of the Board prior to appointments being made.
A comprehensive induction programme is undertaken by all new Trustees and training needs are identified through regular Board reviews.
## AUDITORS
The auditors, Sumer AuditCo Limited, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
## Reference and Administration Details
Charity Name: Designability Charity Limited Charity Registration Number: 256335 Company Registration Number: 933932 Registered Office: Department D1, Wolfson Centre
Royal United Hospital NHS Trust
Bath, BA1 3NG
Tel: 01225 824103
Email: info@designability.org.uk
Website: www.designability.org.uk
31
## Designability Trustees
Jerry Marwood Appointed 2021 (Chair)
Paul Fairhurst Appointed 2020 Martin Hunt Appointed 2020 (Resigned 2024) Emma Legg Appointed 2020 Ben Metcalfe Appointed 2020 (Products & Impact Committee Chair) Sam Whatley Appointed 2020 (Interim Finance & Governance Committee Chair) Catherine Bailey Appointed 2022 Anna Chatzimichali Appointed 2023 Andrew Monk Appointed 2022 Elisabeth Skeet Appointed 2022 Julian Massie Appointed 2023 Michael Ward Appointed 2023 Kathryn McKee Appointed 2024 Nicola Wilson Appointed 2024
**Company Secretary** Company Secretary: Paul Fairhurst Assistant Secretary: Kathleen Mackey
**President:** Vacant **Chief Executive:** Jim Bowes
**Auditors:** Sumer AuditCo Limited, Lennox House, 3 Pierrepont Street, Bath, BA1 1LB **Bankers:** Barclays Bank UK PLC, 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP
32
**Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Designability Charity Limited**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Designability Charity Limited (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Statement of Financial Position, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (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, including its income and expenditure, 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 Auditors' 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**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors 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 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.
## **Opinions on other matters 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 Strategic Report and the Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the Strategic Report and the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Strategic Report and the Report of the Trustees.
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 take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Trustees.
33
## **Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Designability Charity Limited**
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, 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.
## **Our 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 a Report of the Independent Auditors 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.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
## **Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud**
The objectives of our audit in respect of fraud, are; to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses to those assessed risks; and to respond appropriately to instances of fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both management and those charged with governance of the company.
Our approach was as follows:
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the company and considered that the most significant are the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities SORP (FRS102).
In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charity company's ability to operate or avoid a material penalty.
We obtained an understanding of how the company complies with these requirements by discussions with management and those charged with governance.
We assessed the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements, including the risk of material misstatement due to fraud and how it might occur, by holding discussions with management and those charged with governance.
We inquired of management and those charged with governance as to any known instances of non-compliance or suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations.
Based on this understanding, we designed specific appropriate audit procedures to identify instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. This included making enquiries of management and those charged with governance and obtaining additional corroborative evidence as required.
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.
34
## **Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Designability Charity Limited**
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Simon Cunningham (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Sumer Auditco Limited Statutory Auditor Chartered Accountants Lennox House 3 Pierrepont Street Bath Somerset BA1 1LB
Date: .............................................
35
**Designability Charity Limited**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|Notes
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
2
**Charitable activities**
5
Charitable Activities
Other trading activities
3
Investment income
4
**Total**
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Raising funds**
Raising donations and legacies
6
**Charitable activities**
7
Charitable Activities
Other
**Total**
Net gains/(losses) on investments
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
**Transfers between funds**
22
**Net movement in funds**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|Unrestricted
funds
£
428,871
20,926
1,066
29,651
480,514
138,376
138,376
236,799
225,324
600,499
(8,866)
(128,851)
(152,283)
(281,134)
1,523,291
1,242,157|Restricted
funds
£
1,283,251
137,371
4,800
-
1,425,422
9,804
9,804
1,613,094
191,519
1,814,417
-
(388,995)
152,283
(236,712)
595,834
359,122|2025
Total
funds
£
1,712,122
158,297
5,866
29,651
1,905,936
148,180
148,180
1,849,893
416,843
2,414,916
(8,866)
(517,846)
-
(517,846)
2,119,125
1,601,279|2024
Total
funds
£
1,664,564
225,652
6,716
33,868
1,930,800
152,401
152,401
1,736,342
349,311
2,238,054
44,041
(263,213)
-
(263,213)
2,382,338
2,119,125|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **CONTINUING OPERATIONS**
All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.
36
## **Designability Charity Limited (Registered number: 00933932)**
|**Statement of Financial Position**
**31 March 2025**
Notes
**FIXED ASSETS**
Intangible assets
13
Tangible assets
14
Investments
15
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Stocks
16
Debtors: amounts falling due within one year
17
Debtors: amounts falling due after more than one
year
17
Cash at bank
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
18
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**
**PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES**
20
**NET ASSETS**
**FUNDS**
22
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|2025
£
39,624
195,718
773,493
1,008,835
194,749
191,454
-
687,158
1,073,361
(440,917)
632,444
1,641,279
(40,000)
1,601,279
1,242,156
359,123
1,601,279|2024
£
-
116,376
782,359
898,735
259,756
122,614
33,000
1,039,669
1,455,039
(234,649)
1,220,390
2,119,125
-
2,119,125
1,523,291
595,834
2,119,125|
|---|---|---|
37
|**Designability Charity Limited**
**Statement of Cash Flows**
**for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
2025
Notes
£
**Cash flows from operating activities**
Cash generated from operations
1
(214,662)
Net cash used in operating activities
(214,662)
**Cash flows from investing activities**
Purchase of intangible fixed assets
(39,624)
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
(127,876)
Purchase of fixed asset investments
-
Sale of fixed asset investments
-
Dividends received
29,651
Net cash used in investing activities
(137,849)
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in**
**the reporting period**
(352,511)
**Cash and cash equivalents at the**
**beginning of the reporting period**
1,039,669
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of**
**the reporting period**
687,158|2024
£
(269,019)
(269,019)
-
(18,000)
(280,410)
130,411
33,868
(134,131)
(403,150)
1,442,819
1,039,669|
|---|---|
38
**Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. RECONCILIATION OF NET EXPENDITURE TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES**
## **2.**
|**Net expenditure for the reporting period (as per the Statement of**
**Financial Activities)**
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charges
Losses/(gain) on investments
Dividends received
Decrease/(increase) in stocks
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase in creditors
**Net cash used in operations**
**ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS**
At 1.4.24
£
**Net cash**
Cash at bank
1,039,669
1,039,669
**Total**
1,039,669|2025
£
(517,846)
48,534
8,866
(29,651)
65,007
(35,840)
246,268
(214,662)
Cash flow
£
(352,511)
(352,511)
(352,511)|2024
£
(263,213)
58,025
(44,041)
(33,868)
(83,640)
92,397
5,321
(269,019)
At 31.3.25
£
687,158
687,158
687,158|
|---|---|---|
39
**Designability Charity Limited**
**Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of preparing the financial statements**
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.
## **Going Concern**
The trustees are confident the charity has sufficient resources to meet its obligations as they fall due for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements. The financial statements are therefore prepared on a going concern basis.
## **Preparation of consolidated financial statements**
During the year the Charity incorporated a subsidiary company. The Charity has taken advantage of the exemption not to produce consolidated financial statements on the ground that its subsidiary, Designability Limited, is dormant.
## **Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
In preparing these financial statements, the directors have had to make the following judgements:
## **Income**
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the Charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
- Income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
- Legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.
- Consultancy, sales and royalties are accounted for in the period in which the relevant goods or services have been provided.
- Income from donated goods is measured at fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers.
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates:
- Expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events and non-charitable trading activities.
- Expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by the charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
- Other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
## **Allocation and apportionment of costs**
Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. For restricted projects, expenditure is the total of all invoiced costs plus all recorded staff hours spent on the project or activity. A charge to cover support costs and overheads is included in project costs based a percentage uplift which is appropriate to the type of project undertaken, in line with the terms of the grant agreements. With regards to the charge to cover support costs and overheads this is set as 82% for the EV project and 62% for all other restricted funds. Income is the donated income specified for each project, received in the year.
40
**Designability Charity Limited**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued**
## **Allocation and apportionment of costs**
The Motability Foundation grant, for the provision of the Wizzybug Loan Scheme, allows for an allocation of these funds to 'an appropriate proportion of organisational overheads and support costs, in line with Wizzybug Loan Scheme activity as a proportion of overall Designability activity.' The percentage split has been reviewed and is now set at 62% - 38% split between Wizzybug Loan Scheme restricted and core costs funding respectively.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Long leasehold - in accordance with the property Plant and machinery - Straight line over 3 years Fixtures and fittings - Straight line over 10 years Computer equipment - Straight line over 3 years
Wizzybug refers to our fleet of Wizzybugs in use or available for the loan scheme. Wizzybugs are capitalised at cost of parts and direct labour. Each unit is depreciated over a three year period. Parts not yet used and Wizzybug built for sale but not yet despatched are included in Stocks.
## **Intangible fixed assets**
Intangible assets will be capitalised at cost if it is probable they will generate expected future economic benefits and the cost can be reliably measured. Where assets are capitalised, they will be depreciated on the basis of the remaining useful economic life. Where these criteria are not met, we will expense costs in the year incurred.
## **Stocks**
Stock is measured at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell, after making allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the Charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Trustees to further any of the Charity's purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements, note 21.
## **Transfers**
Transfers between unrestricted funds and restricted funds are made where the income for the project is exceeded by the costs incurred on the project, where a match funding requirement might need to be met from another reserve or where it has been agreed with the funder to use unspent balances at the end of a project on activities with a similar objective.
## **Hire purchase and leasing commitments**
Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
## **Pension costs**
Designability participates in two defined benefit pension schemes and one defined contribution scheme. The costs of contributions are recognised in the year they are paid. See note 11 for further detail on these schemes.
## **Debtors and prepayments**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discounts. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any discounts.
## **Creditors and provisions**
41
**Designability Charity Limited**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued**
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 to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably.
## **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 account.
## **Limitation by guarantee**
The Company is limited by Guarantee and as such has no share capital. Under the Constitution, each Trustee of Designability is liable to contribute £10 in the event of winding up.
## **Charitable Status**
The Company is a registered charity (no 256335)
## **General Information**
The charity is a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales and a registered charity in England and Wales. The address of the registered office is the Wolfson Centre, Royal United Hospital, Bath, BA1 3NG. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity.
## **Reserves Policy**
The purpose of Designability's Reserves Policy is to ensure the stability of the charity, programmes and ongoing operations of the organisation and to provide a source of internal funds for organisational priorities. The Reserves Policy will be implemented in concert with Designability's other governance and financial policies and is intended to support the goals and strategies contained in these related policies and in strategic and operational plans. This policy includes details of all Funds in order to provide a complete picture of Designability's balance sheet.
The total net assets of Designability are represented by Funds, including Restricted funds and Unrestricted funds.
## **Restricted Funds**
Restricted Funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
## **Unrestricted Funds**
The Board of Trustees has designated certain Unrestricted Funds into Board-Designated Reserves.
## **Designated Operating Reserve**
The Operating Reserve is intended to provide an internal source of funds for situations such as a sudden increase in expenses, one-time unbudgeted expenses, unanticipated loss in funding, or uninsured losses.
Operating Reserves are not intended to replace a permanent loss of funds or eliminate an ongoing budget gap. It is the intention of Designability that Operating Reserves are to be used and replenished within a reasonably short period of time. The Operating Reserve Fund is defined as a designated fund set aside by action of the Board of Trustees.
The minimum amount to be designated as Operating Reserve will be established as an amount sufficient to maintain ongoing operations and programmes measured for a set period of time, measured in months. The Operating Reserve serves a dynamic role and will be reviewed and adjusted in response to both internal and external changes. The target minimum Operating Reserve Fund is equal to three months of average operating costs.
The calculation of average monthly operating costs includes all recurring, predictable expenses such as salaries, benefits, office costs, travel and ongoing professional services. The calculation excludes one-off or unusual, capital purposes.
The amount of the Operating Reserve Fund target minimum will be calculated each year after approval of the annual budget, reported to the Finance Committee/Board of Trustees, and included in the regular financial reports.
## **Designated Innovation and Development Reserve**
42
**Designability Charity Limited Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued**
An Innovation and Development Reserve is held to provide funding for worthwhile and impactful projects which may not be funded from other sources or in the initial stages of project scoping. In addition, the fund may be used for key internal strategic development projects, which look to support and ensure long term sustainability of the charity.
## **Systems and IT Reserve**
The Systems and IT Development Reserve is in place to allow for review of our systems and investment in our IT infrastructure, databases and software to enhance our processes and build a solid internal platform for growth.
## **General Reserve**
The General Reserve consists of the balance of any unrestricted funds that are not designated in the Operating Reserve or the Innovation and Development Reserve.
## **Refurbishment Reserve**
The Refurbishment Reserve consists of funds donated specifically for Designability to spend on buildings, in particular the refurbishment of its offices with the premises at the Royal United Hospital Bath.
## **Funding of Reserves**
The Operating Reserve will be funded with surplus unrestricted operating funds. The Board of Trustees may from time to time direct that a specific source of revenue be set aside for Operating Reserves. Examples could include one-off gifts or bequests, special grants or special appeals.
The Innovation and Development Reserve and Systems and IT Reserve will be funded with occasional special designations made by the Board of Trustees.
The General Reserve comprises any remaining balance of reserves.
## **2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**
|**DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**|||
|---|---|---|
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Donations|1,712,122|1,664,564|
During the year, gifts in kind were received relating to consultancy and pushchairs.
## **3. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES**
|Consultancy and Other Income
**4.**
**INVESTMENT INCOME**
Investment Income|2025
£
5,866
2025
£
29,651|2024
£
6,716
2024
£
33,868|
|---|---|---|
43
**Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **5. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES**
|Activity
Product Sales
Charitable Activities
Royalties
Charitable Activities
Grants
Charitable Activities|2025
£
16,291
4,635
137,371
158,297|2024
£
113,661
8,160
103,831
225,652|
|---|---|---|
Included in grants are amounts totalling £11,765 (2024: £nil) from UK Government 'Smart' funding. The remaining grant income was received for our participation in the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) for this year and last year.
## **6. RAISING DONATIONS AND LEGACIES**
|Staff costs
Sundries|2025
£
90,588
57,592
148,180|2024
£
120,972
31,429
152,401|
|---|---|---|
## **7. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS**
|Charitable Activities
**8.**
**SUPPORT COSTS**
Other resources expended
Charitable Activities|Finance
£
384
-
384|Direct
Costs
£
1,817,893
Other
£
349,228
32,000
381,228|Support
costs (see
note 8)
£
32,000
Governance
costs
£
67,231
-
67,231|Totals
£
1,849,893
Totals
£
416,843
32,000
448,843|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
## **9. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
|Auditors' remuneration
Depreciation - owned assets
Other operating leases|2025
£
7,300
48,534
38,010|2024
£
6,800
58,025
7,370|
|---|---|---|
## **10. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.
44
**Designability Charity Limited**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **10. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS - continued**
## **Trustees' expenses**
During the year, no trustees received reimbursement for travel expenses (2024: one trustee received £397).
## **11. STAFF COSTS**
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs|2025
£
1,264,659
125,568
213,892
1,604,119|2024
£
1,193,889
117,465
208,945
1,520,299|
|---|---|---|
## **Key Management Personnel**
Key management personnel include all persons that have authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Charity. The total compensation paid to key management personnel for 5 members of staff (2024: 5 members of staff) for services provided to the Charity was £346,462 (2024: £344,059).
Designability participates in three contributory pension plans two of which provide defined benefits based on final pensionable pay and one of which is defined contribution based. The schemes are as follows:
**Local Government Pension Scheme** . The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Charity. The Charity does not have separate employee registration and is registered as part of the University of Bath for the purpose of the scheme. Accordingly, it is not possible to separately identify the assets and liabilities relating to the Charity for the purpose of Financial Accounting Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102) disclosure and accordingly any FRS 102 surplus or deficit attributable to the Charity is not shown on the Balance Sheet.
This scheme is now closed to new members. Staff already in this pension scheme continue to be members for contributions and benefits purposes.
**Universities Superannuation Scheme** . This is a mutual scheme and again, the assets and liabilities cannot be attributable to an employer and any surplus or deficit attributable to the Charity is not recognised on the Balance Sheet.
## **University of Bath Group Pension Plan**
Any new staff members who joined on or after 1st June 2021 are eligible to join the University of Bath Group Pension Plan. This is a defined contribution scheme and is administered by Aviva. As with the other universities scheme, this is a mutual scheme and any surplus or deficit attributable to the Charity is not recognised on the balance sheet.
The schemes are therefore treated as defined contribution schemes in these financial statements are permitted by FRS 102.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
|The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
|Management
Fundraising and Comms
Design and Innovation
Finance and Operations
Programmes|2025
5
4
4
5
11
29|2024
5
5
4
7
12|
|||33|
The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:
|£60,001 - £70,000
£90,001 - £100,000|2025
3
1
4|2024
2
-|
|---|---|---|
|||2|
45
## **Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**12.**
**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
Unrestricted
funds
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
599,154
**Charitable activities**
Charitable Activities
122,070
Other trading activities
6,716
Investment income
33,868
**Total**
761,808
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Raising funds**
Raising donations and legacies
126,773
126,773
**Charitable activities**
Charitable Activities
421,391
Other
177,724
**Total**
725,888
Net gains on investments
44,041
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
79,961
**Transfers between funds**
(263,179)
**Net movement in funds**
(183,218)
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
1,706,508
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
1,523,290
**13.**
**INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
**COST**
Additions
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024|Restricted
funds
£
1,065,410
103,582
-
-
1,168,992
25,628
25,628
1,314,951
171,587
1,512,166
-
(343,174)
263,179
(79,995)
675,830
595,835|Total
funds
£
1,664,564
225,652
6,716
33,868
1,930,800
152,401
152,401
1,736,342
349,311
2,238,054
44,041
(263,213)
-
(263,213)
2,382,338
2,119,125
Computer
software
£
39,624
39,624
-|
|---|---|---|
46
## **Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued**
## **for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **14. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
|**COST**
At 1 April 2024
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2025
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 April 2024
Charge for year
Eliminated on disposal
At 31 March 2025
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
**FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS**
**MARKET VALUE**
At 1 April 2024
Revaluations
At 31 March 2025
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024|Long
leasehold
£
194,041
-
-
194,041
109,285
28,252
-
137,537
56,504
84,756|Plant and
machinery
£
834,000
126,676
(42,000)
918,676
811,777
15,534
(42,000)
785,311
133,365
22,223|Fixtures
and
fittings
£
22,103
-
-
22,103
19,049
694
-
19,743
2,360
3,054|Computer
equipment
Totals
£
£
22,098
1,072,242
1,200
127,876
-
(42,000)
23,298
1,158,118
15,755
955,866
4,054
48,534
-
(42,000)
19,809
962,400
3,489
195,718
6,343
116,376
Listed
investments
£
782,359
(8,866)
773,493
773,493
782,359|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **15. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS**
There were no investment assets outside the UK.
The material holdings in each investment at year end are as follows:
||**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|
|**Fund**|**% of investment**|**% of investment**|
|COIF Charities Investment fund|100%|100%|
|Cost or valuation at 31 March 2025 is represented by:|||
|||Listed|
|||investments|
|||£|
|Valuation in 2025||773,493|
47
**Designability Charity Limited**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**16.**
**STOCKS**
Wizzybug parts
**17.**
**DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE OVER ONE YEAR
Accrued Income
**18.**
**CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Trade creditors
VAT
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income||2025
£
194,749
2025
£
19,071
640
171,743
191,454
31.3.25
£
-
2025
£
324,609
34,310
4,857
77,141
440,917||2024
£
259,756
2024
£
582
1,316
120,716
122,614
31.3.24
£
33,000
2024
£
155,299
10,291
3,077
65,982
234,649|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
## **19. LEASING AGREEMENTS**
Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases fall due as follows:
|Within one year
Between one and five years
In more than five years|2025
£
121,689
389,511
681,221
1,192,421|2024
£
55,863
107,585
274,850
438,298|
|---|---|---|
A lease of the property at the Wolfson Centre was entered into on 26 May 1995 and renegotiated on 23 April 2013. By the terms of the lease, the annual rent was reviewed and agreed at £5,330 (excluding VAT) to 31st March 2016 with increases of < 5% every 5 years to the lease expiry date of 28 September 2067. There were no capital costs to the charity.
Two leases were entered into on 2 December 2019 for 2 units (Units 1&2, Wells Road, Bath, BA2 3AP), which operate as the workshop, design and innovation space and additional offices. The lease expiry on these agreements was due to be February 2026 however following an approval of a planning application on the premises the lease will now end in August 2025.
A 10 year lease was entered into on 10 December 2024 for 1 unit (Bakers House, Jews Lane, Twerton, Bath, BA2 3DG) which will operate as workshop, design and innovation, and office space
48
**Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued**
## **for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **20. PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES**
|Provisions
**21.**
**ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS**
Unrestricted
funds
£
Fixed assets
235,342
Investments
773,493
Current assets
714,238
Current liabilities
(440,917)
Provision for liabilities
(40,000)
1,242,156
**22.**
**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
At 1.4.24
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General Reserve
91,991
Operating Reserve
915,881
Innovation and Development Reserve
397,419
Systems and IT Reserve
118,000
1,523,291
**Restricted funds**
Wizzybug Loan Scheme
197,022
Wizzybug Loan Scheme Access Fund
14,284
Wizzybug 2.0
96,433
Refurbishment Reserve
90,719
Accessible EV Charging
13,320
Accessible Pushchair
-
New Motors for Wizzybug
54,887
ncat
-
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 1
99,169
Workshop Running Costs
30,000
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 2
-
Toys and equipment
-
Smarter England
-
NI Awards for All
-
595,834
**TOTAL FUNDS**
2,119,125|Restricted
funds
£
-
-
359,123
-
-
359,123
Net
movement
in funds
£
(99,018)
-
(29,834)
-
(128,852)
(201,230)
(6,581)
(122,901)
(28,252)
(12,403)
(81,681)
(51,025)
(385)
(98,903)
-
184,692
(74)
11,564
18,185
(388,994)
(517,846)|2025
£
40,000
2025
Total
funds
£
235,342
773,493
1,073,361
(440,917)
(40,000)
1,601,279
Transfers
between
funds
£
76,879
(371,032)
134,870
7,000
(152,283)
13,505
-
26,468
-
6,113
91,681
(1,200)
385
(266)
-
-
74
15,523
-
152,283
-|2024
£
-
2024
Total
funds
£
116,376
782,359
1,455,039
(234,649)
-
2,119,125
At
31.3.25
£
69,852
544,849
502,455
125,000
1,242,156
9,297
7,703
-
62,467
7,030
10,000
2,662
-
-
30,000
184,692
-
27,087
18,185
359,123
1,601,279|
|---|---|---|---|
49
## **Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **22. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
|**Unrestricted funds**
General Reserve
Innovation and Development Reserve
**Restricted funds**
Wizzybug Loan Scheme
Wizzybug Loan Scheme Access Fund
Wizzybug 2.0
Refurbishment Reserve
Accessible EV Charging
Accessible Pushchair
New Motors for Wizzybug
ncat
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 1
Workshop Running Costs
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 2
Toys and equipment
Smarter England
NI Awards for All
**TOTAL FUNDS**
**Comparatives for movement in funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
General Reserve
Operating Reserve
Innovation and Development Reserve
Systems and IT Reserve
**Restricted funds**
Wizzybug Loan Scheme
Wizzybug Loan Scheme Access Fund
Wizzybug 2.0
Refurbishment Reserve
Accessible EV Charging
Accessible Pushchair
New Motors for Wizzybug
Website redesign
ncat
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 1
Workshop Running Costs
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Incoming
resources
£
480,514
-
480,514
837,041
10,000
-
-
50
23,475
-
125,606
-
42,812
355,988
500
11,765
18,185
1,425,422
1,905,936
At 1.4.23
£
248,961
1,107,547
300,000
50,000
1,706,508
414,617
10,769
-
119,403
44,277
47,195
39,569
-
-
-
-
675,830
2,382,338|Resources
expended
£
(570,666)
(29,834)
(600,500)
(1,038,271)
(16,581)
(122,901)
(28,252)
(12,453)
(105,156)
(51,025)
(125,991)
(98,903)
(42,812)
(171,296)
(574)
(201)
-
(1,814,416)
(2,414,916)
Net
movement
in funds
£
79,962
-
-
-
79,962
(258,674)
3,515
96,433
(28,684)
(69,566)
(179,776)
(29,682)
(6,041)
131
99,169
30,000
(343,175)
(263,213)|Gains and
losses
£
(8,866)
-
(8,866)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(8,866)
Transfers
between
funds
£
(236,932)
(191,666)
97,419
68,000
(263,179)
41,079
-
-
-
38,609
132,581
45,000
6,041
(131)
-
-
263,179
-|Movement
in funds
£
(99,018)
(29,834)
(128,852)
(201,230)
(6,581)
(122,901)
(28,252)
(12,403)
(81,681)
(51,025)
(385)
(98,903)
-
184,692
(74)
11,564
18,185
(388,994)
(517,846)
At
31.3.24
£
91,991
915,881
397,419
118,000
1,523,291
197,022
14,284
96,433
90,719
13,320
-
54,887
-
-
99,169
30,000
595,834
2,119,125|
|---|---|---|---|---|
50
**Designability Charity Limited**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **22. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
|**Unrestricted funds**
General Reserve
**Restricted funds**
Wizzybug Loan Scheme
Wizzybug Loan Scheme Access Fund
Wizzybug 2.0
Refurbishment Reserve
Accessible EV Charging
Accessible Pushchair
New Motors for Wizzybug
Website redesign
ncat
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 1
Workshop Running Costs
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Incoming
resources
£
761,808
654,202
15,584
140,000
-
-
6,175
1,200
-
103,831
203,000
45,000
1,168,992
1,930,800|Resources
expended
£
(725,887)
(912,876)
(12,069)
(43,567)
(28,684)
(69,566)
(185,951)
(30,882)
(6,041)
(103,700)
(103,831)
(15,000)
(1,512,167)
(2,238,054)|Gains and
losses
£
44,041
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
44,041|Movement
in funds
£
79,962
(258,674)
3,515
96,433
(28,684)
(69,566)
(179,776)
(29,682)
(6,041)
131
99,169
30,000
(343,175)
(263,213)|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **A brief description of each of the restricted funds is set out below:**
Wizzybug Loan Scheme - to provide powered wheelchairs, Wizzybugs, to young disabled children throughout the UK, at no cost. The fund covers the cost of production of Wizzybug units as well as all clinical activities and work to raise awareness of and administer the loan scheme.
Wizzybug Access Fund - to provide financial support where needed with travel and accommodation costs incurred by families in order to attend their Wizzybug handover appointments.
Wizzybug 2.0 - this is a project to redesign and improve WB in order to benefit more children and for longer.
Refurbishment Reserve - the reserve was established to fund the refurbishment of part of our RUH property. The project is completed and all costs have been incurred but were capitalised over a 5 year period. The remaining amount in the fund is to cover depreciation costs for the remainder of the 5 year period.
Accessible EV Charging - the remainder of this fund is dedicated to dissemination of our work on this project and outreach to increase uptake of the design guidance and some residual costs around the dedicated design guidance website.
Accessible Pushchair - to support our ongoing work to create a wheelchair-attachable pushchair to allow parents who are manual wheelchair users the opportunity to take their babies and young children out independently.
New Motors for Wizzybug - funding received to support the replacement of motors in Wizzybug to increase speed and usability.
Website redesign - funding received to support the redesign of the Designability website, including a dedicated area for families on the Wizzybug Loan Scheme.
ncat - relates to the funding received for Designability's role as a consortium member of National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat), established in 2023.
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 1 - funding received from Motability Foundation to support the first phase of a study into the accessibility of vehicle design for disabled people.
Accessible Vehicle Design Phase 2 - funding received from Motability Foundation to continue our work on reviewing and making recommendations on accessible vehicles.
Workshop running costs - this relates to a multi-year grant received to fund a proportion of the operating costs for our workshop space.
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**Designability Charity Limited**
**Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **22. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
Toys and Equipment - funding provided to purchase sensory toys for Wizzybug families.
Smarter England - funding received to put in a place a digital stock management system as well as other systems improvements such as on-line appointment booking functionality.
NI Awards for All - funding to support Wizzybug handovers in Northern Ireland
Details on each of the unrestricted funds can be found in Note 1 - accounting policies and the Trustees Report.
The Operating Reserve has decreased from prior year following a review of our Reserves Policy.
The Innovation and Development Reserve has increased to reflect the additional funds budgeted for the following financial year as we move into the next stage of our Accessible Pushchair project and we plan investment in internal projects around income generation and impact.
The Systems and IT Development Reserve has increased to reflect our ongoing investment in such projects, including a stock management system and ongoing improvements to our IT infrastructure.
## **23. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
For administrative purposes Designability's staff payroll is processed through the University of Bath. Salary costs are invoiced by the University to Designability. There are 3 trustees (2024: 3) who work for the University but have no control or influence over the areas relating to these administrative functions. There is 1 (2024: 1) trustee who is a non-executive director of the Royal United Hospital (RUH). Designability has a long term lease with the RUH with terms set until 2067. This agreement was made prior to appointment in the role.
## **Trustees and Officers' liability insurance**
The Charity has effected Trustees' and Officers' Liability Insurance cover.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable
companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on
............................................. and were signed on its behalf by:
.............................................
P Fairhurst - Trustee
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