Docusign Envelope ID." DBF34840-651848E>942F-8B3CC02AA45E
DoMESlIG
Annual
Review
2024/2025
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2 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Contents**
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|Report of the Trustees|5 – 20|
|Report of the Independent Auditors|21 – 22|
|Statement of Financial Activities|23|
|Balance Sheet|24|
|Cash Flow Statement|25|
|Notes to the Cash Flow Statement|26|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|27 – 45|
|Detailed Statement of Financial Activities|46|
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3 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
**Our Vision** A world where domestic abuse no longer exists
**Our Mission** For all victims and survivors of domestic abuse to receive the support they need, when they need it
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**Our Values** Respect Inclusion Trust
Empowerment
## **Our Aim For Survivors To**
Have control over their own lives and the opportunity to make informed choices ~
Be involved in decisions about every aspect of the service they receive
~ Be treated with respect, compassion and dignity ~
Have their diversity respected and have equal rights and opportunities
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5 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Chair of Trustees Report**
**Supporting survivors of domestic abuse is difficult and traumatic work, made more challenging as commissioners are trying to meet local needs and having to make decisions as to where their funding is directed. With Emma, our new CEO completing her first full year in post we are immensely proud to be in a relatively stable position as we complete this financial year.**
The recruitment of our full-time fundraiser, Louise, has also proved to have been an invaluable asset to the organisation this year. The cost of living increase and the current housing crisis has impacted our survivors, sector and services. Greater economic challenges make it even harder to leave an abuser. Survivors are not only facing domestic abuse but also housing, mental health and immigration disadvantages.
Our staff work incredibly hard to offer support at a time other services are being cut back or withdrawn. In the face of our cost challenges and funding pressures for those who commission our service, our staff and volunteers continue to work tirelessly with passion and determination to be there for survivors who need help. I am proud that the work being done stands out because of the deeply ingrained desire to empower survivors to rebuild their lives.
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Sally Stimpson
Chair of Trustees
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The Board have recruited a further three new trustees with specific skills that we were missing. This now means that we have a team who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our diverse and growing organisation. We continue to ensure we always have a Board Member who has lived experience to enable us to understand the journey of a survivor through refuge. As chair, I am grateful for the support and enthusiasm that the Board brings, not only to myself but to I Choose Freedom. Once again, I would like to celebrate the incredible progress that I Choose Freedom has made this year and thank our CEO, staff, volunteers, trustees, fundraisers and donors, who have helped to make it happen.
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6 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **CEO Report**
**My first year as CEO has been focused on stabilising the charity and looking at our longer-term plans including developing our strategy for 2025 – 2028 which will be shared in Winter 2025.**
This year saw the implementation of our innovative project Opening Doors, which is a scheme we have created to help survivors get back into employment. The project involves us working in collaboration with a professional CV writer who provides guidance and support to survivors living in refuge around CV writing, coaching sessions for interview preparation and a voucher to purchase appropriate clothing for interview. The first year of the pilot has been a huge success seeing survivors who were struggling to even get shortlisted for interview back into secure employment. This project was shaped by survivors whose voices told us that this was a barrier in coming to refuge and a difficulty they faced after leaving refuge.
For many years we have been aware of the issues that survivors encounter at Family Court. We have continued to advocate for survivor’s voices to be heard and listened to, as they have shared that they have not been believed, their children’s voices have not been heard, and perpetrators have successfully used ‘Parental Alienation’ as a way of manipulating the courts into granting contact. Along with the distress that this causes both the survivor and their children, some decisions made by the Family Courts have increased the risk of harm to the children themselves. We have worked closely over the last year with the charity ‘Rights of Women’ to improve outcomes for survivors of domestic abuse within the family courts. This has involved training court staff and exploring the physical considerations within the court setting.
At I Choose Freedom, we campaign around football to raise awareness with football audiences as there is a link between reports of domestic abuse and big football games. The studies that exist mainly compare prevalence of domestic abuse (as recorded by police or other emergency services) on the days that football games take place against prevalence on non-match days. Significant data from World
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Emma Bray
CEO
I Choose Freedom
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Cups and from local matches has been analysed with all of these studies, however limited in number, showing what appears to be a link between domestic abuse and football. The evidence consistently shows a correlation between the occurrence of certain football matches and increased reports of domestic abuse on match days. Percentage increases vary depending on the study, with increases ranging from 28% to a shocking 139%.
At I Choose Freedom we saw referrals almost double in the first two weeks of the Euros in 2024. This year we have collaborated with premier league club Fulham FC to tackle domestic abuse on a wider scale.
Over the next year our commitment remains to strengthening and diversifying our services to ensure that we are targeting and meeting any unmet needs of survivors and reducing barriers that we know adult and child survivors face when coming into and leaving refuge.
I am incredibly grateful to the Board, the staff team, our volunteers and donors for the ongoing support that enables our doors to remain open so that we can continue our life saving services.
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7 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Head of Services Report**
## **I’m Zoe Snelgrove, Head of Services at I Choose Freedom.**
**At the start of the year, my focus was on strengthening and improving our service for all survivors who make the courageous decision to come to refuge. This journey is never an easy one and it is our responsibility to ensure that every individual who arrives at I Choose Freedom is met with compassion, safety and respect from the very first moment.**
A key area of development this year has been embedding empowerment across all our provisions. In practice, this has meant building a team of skilled, reflective practitioners who are trained to the highest standards to deliver trauma-informed and person-centred support. Our approach places survivors at the heart of every decision, ensuring that each person’s voice is heard and their choices are honoured.
Our goal has been to create a stable, calm and nurturing environment — one that provides the safety and space survivors need to begin their healing journey. Within this environment, we want survivors to rediscover hope, identify new goals and rebuild confidence in their future.
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Zoe Snelgrove
Head of Services,
I Choose Freedom
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We are also committed to strengthening our partnerships and amplifying the voices of survivors — ensuring their experiences continue to shape and guide our services. Looking forward, I Choose Freedom will keep striving to create environments where every survivor, adult and child alike, can rebuild their lives, regain their confidence and move towards a future defined not by trauma, but by hope, safety, and empowerment.
We have worked tirelessly to tailor our support to the needs of every adult and child who comes into refuge. By focusing on inclusivity, empowerment and individual growth, we continue to strengthen our culture of care — one that recognises the unique experiences of each survivor and provides the foundations for lasting change.
As we look ahead to the coming year, our focus remains on growth, sustainability and deepening the quality of the support we provide. We will continue to invest in our staff team, ensuring they have the skills, resilience and resources needed to deliver exceptional, trauma-informed care.
**We want survivors to rediscover hope, identify new goals and rebuild confidence in their future.**
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8 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
**I’ve seen first-hand the incredible impact I Choose Freedom has on adults and children escaping domestic abuse. Their compassion, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to safety and empowerment make them an essential part of our work to build safer communities across Surrey.**
What really stands out to me is their forwardthinking approach. They don’t just respond to the needs of survivors—they anticipate them. Their Refuge for All service is a brilliant example of this, offering inclusive, tailored support that breaks down barriers and creates safe, welcoming spaces for anyone needing help.
**Jo Millward MSc**
**Head of Safer Communities Community Protection**
**& Emergencies Directorate** _Surrey County Council_
**I Choose Freedom offer compassion and hope to each survivor and family reaching them from unimaginable circumstances.**
I also deeply value the way they support survivors to rebuild their independence, especially through employment. Helping survivors regain confidence, develop skills, and find pathways back into work is lifechanging—and I Choose Freedom does this with care, expertise, and a genuine belief in every woman’s potential.
**Cllr Ruth Ritter**
**Ward Cllr for Earlswood and Whitebushes** _Reigate and Banstead Borough Council_
Keeping the voice of the survivor central, they are also powerful advocates in the campaign to end violence against women and girls. I am honoured and humbled to have played a small part in supporting Emma and the team in their vital work.
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9 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Women in refuge**
**We received 1056 referrals in total for our services between the 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025. On average we had to turn away eight survivors and their families for each room space that became available. We helped 138 adults and 141 children this year. We were unable to help 918 survivors in need.**
## **Maxgate**
## **Another great year advocating for families fleeing their homes due to domestic abuse.**
At I Choose Freedom our advocacy begins from the moment the survivor picks up the phone to ask for support. The families receive emotional and practical support from the time they make their decision to come to the refuge all the way until they are ready to live independently and start their new life free from abuse and fear.
The survivor’s safety is at the heart of every conversation and interaction their Domestic Abuse Refuge Advocate (DARA) has with them. Our aim is to end domestic abuse for women and children and to ensure safeguarding is put in place while with us in refuge.
The DARA has many conversations with the survivor to assess their needs and priorities to tailor their support and achieve the best possible outcome from their journey in the refuge. DARAs walk alongside the survivors to empower them and help them gain confidence to make decisions about their future.
Some women arrived with uncertain immigration status and no recourse to public funds due to the abuse and control to which they were subjected. Their DARA supports them through referral to immigration solicitors to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and gain access to public funds. We have celebrated some survivors gaining Indefinite Leave to Remain whilst still in the refuge. This has enabled security, stability and reassurance that they will be able to take care of themselves and their children in the UK where they can live safely and independently.
DARAs have supported survivors with dealing with the effects of economic abuse by referring them to relevant organisations who have helped them establish the extent of their situation and find solutions to minimise the impact on their lives.
Our survivors have faced many challenging situations whilst in the refuge from attending courts to struggling to find secure, safe and suitable accommodation when they are ready to move on. Their DARA ensures that they feel supported and strong enough to deal with these situations by guiding and encouraging them through the process.
DARAs have advocated heavily for survivors to make sure that their voice is heard and listened to.
Some survivors signed up and completed courses in preparation for their jobs in the future. They also worked with CV writers to prepare for job interviews.
For many of our survivors, English is not their first language which can be a big disadvantage in day-to-day life, but they are keen to improve their
language skills by attending classes. Thanks to our volunteers, we have been able to facilitate English lessons on site.
We have been able to provide arts and crafts sessions which have been very popular with our women. Some of them said that they had never been able to do anything just for themselves and enjoyed the creativity and focus being on them.
The women and staff celebrated various events and religious holidays and had fun sharing each other’s culture and traditions.
Staff and the survivors organised an International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day party in celebration of all the women in our lives.
As a charity, I Choose Freedom embraces diversity and ensures that every survivor feels appreciated and valued.
**Sam, Service Manager at Maxgate**
**“I want to thank all of you for your help with me and my children and helping us get out of the situation we was in and keeping us safe. You saved us. Thankyou.** _(Survivor)_
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10 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Women in refuge**
## **Hill House**
**Advocacy remains at the core of what we do. Each survivor arriving at I Choose Freedom is supported by a dedicated Domestic Abuse Refuge Advocate (DARA). These advocates work tirelessly to ensure that survivor’s voices are heard, whether that involves navigating welfare systems, securing future housing or accessing essential health and social care services.**
In addition to this individual advocacy, we have continued to develop a broader range of therapeutic pathways. While counselling remains available, creative approaches such as art therapy have given survivors more options for emotional support that can be tailored to their individual needs. The clothing room has also played a role in advocacy by empowering women and children to make their own choices, a small but powerful step towards restoring independence.
Our engagement in regional networks and DARAs attendance at local meetings, ensures that I Choose Freedom is not only informed by wider developments but is also contributing to them. This active involvement strengthens our ability to advocate for survivors at a systemic level, ensuring their experiences and needs are represented in conversations around policy and practice.
Building partnerships, creating opportunities, and widening access to community resources has been a key focus this year. A local church has generously provided free singing lessons and English classes, which have been a real confidence boost for our survivors who have attended. These opportunities have offered far more than skill-building: they have created social connections, reduced isolation and supported language development. A local arts and cultural organisation has offered creative workshops and we are continuing discussions with them about securing additional free or subsidised sessions. Practical support has also come from businesses, who have donated food and childcare items, helping to ease financial pressures on families during difficult times.
In addition, the Opening Doors project has provided a structured pathway for survivors seeking to return to work or gain new employment skills. These sessions are available to survivors currently in refuge or those who have recently left, and there is flexibility for group or one-toone support, delivered remotely where necessary. This initiative not only equips survivors with practical skills to pursue employment but also improves their confidence. By engaging in this way, survivors can feel empowered, supported and better prepared to take their next steps after refuge.
**Joanna, Service Manager at Hill House**
**By engaging in this way, survivors can feel empowered, supported and better prepared to take their next steps after refuge.**
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## **Children in refuge**
## **Another incredible year in refuge has come round again.**
At I Choose Freedom we carry out a holistic approach in supporting the children in our care. We are there to play alongside them as they journey through refuge and start a new life.
We have been working closely with many children who have fled their unsafe homes to a place of safety. The children are greeted at the door or sometimes picked up at the local train station, with big smiles and a warm and friendly welcome. They come with very little, sometimes still in their school uniform, as their mum has grabbed the opportunity to flee straight from school pick up or under the pretence of the school run.
We try to make the house as welcoming as possible, with welcome packs in their rooms containing toys, cuddly teddy bears and books and colouring. This is to show they are cared for and thought about and to provide a welcome distraction while mum unpacks and settles into the room.
We endeavour to create routine, structure, warmth and safety as soon as possible. We spend time with the children building trusting relationships. Showing them what that looks like by modelling positive behaviours with safe adults.
Working with mum we support with school and/ or nursery applications. Reaching out to charities for school uniform and new shoes to make sure the children do not stand out on their first day. Working closely with the designated safeguarding leads at the school so they have an
understanding around domestic abuse and how to fully support the children.
We celebrate birthdays and religious celebrations. Occasional trips out and seasonal parties are always great fun bringing children and women together for craft and food. We have had many of these throughout the year.
As well as education, Children Advocates help with dental, GP and optician appointments. This might be something a mum has never done before, and we advocate for the children’s health while they are with us.
**“From the beginning, everyone was helpful, kind and caring, and I’m very thankful for their support that they gave me in time of need. Their support give me comfort and hope in the time of great difficulty.”**
_Picture (left) was created by a 4-year-old boy showing him with his family at the Sea Life centre at Chessington._
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## **Children in refuge** (cont.)
## **Spring Party**
We celebrated the Spring half term with activities and lots of sticking and chocolate! We are always so well thought of around this time and, thanks to our amazing network of supporters, the children and women receive plenty of eggs to enjoy.
The Rotary Club were very kind to support us with a trip out to Chessington World of Adventures. Fun was had on the coach with singing and laughter on the way there. Followed by lots of happy sleeping children on the way back.
## **Summer activites**
The 6 weeks holidays are filled with lots of activities and fun. We try to arrange as many different pastimes as we can. From outdoor pursuits, cooking, gardening, craft and picnics.
These activities are not only for the children but the mums and women too. Supporting bonding and attachment and creating happy spaces they can enjoy together. The women enjoy painting and craft as much as the children. It is a wonderful sight to see them relaxing and laughing.
## **Autumnal Party**
Autumnal Party was great fun with staff dressing up and eating pizza.
## **Winter Party**
brought Father Christmas and a wonderful grotto. The nearer it gets to Christmas the more talk of presents and Father Christmas is heard.
“Father Christmas never comes, Daddy says it’s because I’m naughty”.
Spread Some Sunshine provided us with a Priory Farm trip. The families got to experience meeting Father Christmas and toasting marshmallows, while drinking hot chocolate.
“How will he know where to find us?” “Does Father Christmas come to refuge?” “Will Father Christmas know we’ve moved?”
With the help and support from extremely kind members of the public, companies and charities we can deliver the mothers with presents they can put under the Christmas tree this year. We are so thankful for the amazing support provided and we go all out to provide a safe and happy Christmas for the families.
The great news is that we can tell the children, “Yes, Father Christmas does come to refuge and knows exactly where you are!”.
Our children help us to create Christmas cards to thank our wonderful supporters over the year.
As we get closer to Christmas, Mums will come to us with concerns and worries over being able to provide their children with presents. Many women in refuge aren’t financially able to provide Christmas presents. For some children, they’ve never had a visit from Father Christmas,
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Message was from
an 8-year-old girl
thanking us for her
presents this year.
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## **Children in refuge** (cont.)
## **Mothers day**
Mothers day is celebrated with a bag of goodies for all the women and a handmade card. We make sure all the women feel special at this time, whether they are a mum or not, whether they have their children with them or at this time they are elsewhere.
## A mums parenting
support group is regularly run to support the mum. Sharing their stories with no judgement helps them feel less alone. Introducing parenting skills and ideas together can help them support each other and overcome difficulties together. They do this over a cuppa and a plate of biscuits.
Work around safe relationships and BIG emotions is carried out supporting children’s selfesteem and awareness of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. Assisting the children to work together while living together and to embrace differences.
Play therapy and creative arts counselling is offered to the children from 4 to 18 years old. Those that may struggle to find their words can use play and creativity to work through muddled thoughts and feelings. They may play out an argument in the doll house or a teenager may recreate their feelings out of clay. Both processing consciously and unconsciously what they have been through and what has brought them
to refuge. Working with a therapeutic objective every week with a safe trusted adult supports the children and young people to work through their confusion, explore and understand the world around them
When a 14-year-old girl was invited to think about how she had felt about coming to counselling vs now, she wrote nervous and then exciting.
She was happy for this to be shared with other children and teenagers who might be feeling
in the future and understand that domestic abuse is not their fault. Much of their future is still unknown but we hope that together their family unit is stronger, and they are ready to go forward and transition into their new life.
worried or apprehensive about starting therapy. (She provided permission for her work to be shared)
Goodbyes come after 6 months. In the time they have been with us we hope to have supported a greater attachment and empowered families ready to take on the next step. These children are extremely vulnerable and have a greater risk of struggles in the future. We hope through their journey in refuge they have learnt who they can turn to if they need help
**“I would be chained if I did not come here. I would be sacrificing my life, feel depressed, I would not do anything for myself. I lived in past but after coming here, I learnt to enjoy life. It helped me build my confidence and strength. Now I look forward to bright future. I want to do something for myself now. I know I can fight any difficulty… If I compare my past with my present, like the life I was living with the life after I came here, it changed a lot.”**
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## **Refuge Accommodation for All (RAFA) Report**
**The Refuge for All service (RAFA) offers safe accommodation and specialist support to survivors of domestic abuse who may experience barriers in accessing communal refuges. This includes, but is not limited to, men, LGBTQ+ survivors, Gypsy Roma Traveller survivors, older women, and women whose health needs make shared accommodation unsuitable.**
When I Choose Freedom first launched RAFA, it was in response to a clear gap in provision across the country. Many survivors told us they had nowhere safe to turn because existing options did not meet their needs. Working with Surrey County Council, we created selfcontained spaces designed to remove those barriers.
By March 2025, RAFA continued to provide eight dedicated units. Six of these are for single people, alongside one property for a parent with one child, and a larger home that can accommodate a parent with up to five children. These properties remain in high demand, reflecting the urgent need for flexible, inclusive refuge.
Over the past year, our focus has been on embedding the service and extending our network of specialist partners.
We now have stronger links with agencies such as Galop, Mankind, local community wellbeing organisations, faith groups, debt advice charities, and health professionals. This joined-up approach means survivors can access the right help at the right time, without
having to repeat their story. We have also placed more emphasis on raising awareness. Members of the team have delivered presentations at Job Centres and council services and have taken part in a range of voluntary sector networking events. The RAFA LGBTQ+ Professionals Forum, which meets quarterly, has continued to grow and now draws in a wider pool of practitioners across Surrey. It has become a valuable platform for sharing ideas and shaping more inclusive services.
Representation within our team is an ongoing strength. Having staff who identify as LGBTQ+ has enabled us to offer a genuine “by and for” approach that builds trust and understanding. Survivors have told us that this makes a meaningful difference to their experience of refuge.
Beyond providing
accommodation, RAFA aims to support people to rebuild their lives. Over the past year, clients have been helped to access gyms, education and training, apprenticeships, and employment. Families have been supported to settle
Looking forward, RAFA will continue to strengthen its partnerships, broaden awareness of the barriers survivors face, and champion the message that safe accommodation should be accessible to all, regardless of gender, sexuality, or background.
into schools and nurseries in new areas, creating stability and a sense of belonging.
During this period, the service received 218 referrals and accepted 17 clients. This included 5 men underlining the importance of having a dedicated pathway for those who are too often left out of refuge provision.
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## **Resettlement Report**
The Resettlement service is a core part of our support package at I Choose Freedom and this past year. It has played an integral part in supporting survivors who resettled in Surrey after leaving refuge. Even with the support of our service while at refuge, many of our clients face struggles, barriers and complications once they leave refuge. With increasing cuts to funding and support across services, the resettlement service has provided invaluable support for many of our clients. The service has responded
to the relevant and current needs of our clients facing serious issues. The challenges faced by our clients include but are not limited to housing insecurity, financial instability and an overwhelming feeling of social isolation. Unresolved immigration, ongoing court cases with the family courts and difficulties with managing bills or paying debts. In the face of all these issues often the difference between having access to resettlement support or not, could mean that a family does
or does not return to their danger areas or alleged perpetrator(s).
Our resettlement service is ever changing, innovative and creative in its attempts to combat the needs of our clients and the barriers they face when navigating life after refuge. It offers practical support, such as, supporting with getting clients and their children into employment or education, referrals into specialist debt services, support with school applications, support with attaining legal aid solicitors
to support with ongoing court cases, co-creating budget plans and ensuring that our clients’ voices are being heard in relation to permanent housing. Resettlement service also offers emotional support in various forms – this includes face to face checkin, regular phone check ins and attending local social clubs with clients to help build community ties. This has been especially important in light of ongoing current issues like the housing crisis and the political climate regarding immigration.
## **Case study**
P left refuge with her son last year and was supported through the resettlement service. P was a carer in the nursing home in her local community before fleeing to refuge. P was keen to return to work and expand her education and skill set. With our encouragement and support P applied for an access to nursing course once she has resettled into her new home, we were able to support her to swiftly get her son back into full time education in her new area which allowed her time to complete coursework and study full time. Our service offered practical solutions by applying for funding for a laptop for P and offered emotional support, checking in and providing motivation when P was feeling discouraged. P has now been given two conditional offers at two separate Universities to attend and begin her chosen degree in September 2025.
This is a testament to how integral the resettlement service can be to the journey of a client. Supporting a client to realise and achieve goals they hadn’t thought possible before fleeing to refuge. The aim of this service is to walk alongside clients in their journey to freedom and independence, provide fresh perspectives and offer new options that they may have thought unthinkable in the past. This can range from simply finding new safe social connections to returning to education or employment. Whatever their goals and visions are for their future, we are there to support and empower every step of the way.
**On leaving the resettlement service 87% of adults reported an increase in feeling confident enough to advocate for themselves.**
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## **Donations, Grants and Fundraising**
**To enable I Choose Freedom to continue supporting as many survivors of domestic abuse as possible, as a charity we are dependent on the organisations and individuals who support us.**
**Our main funders are Surrey County Council. Without their support we would not be able to deliver our current services and the continued growth of the organisation. We are enormously grateful to them.**
**Breakdown of income** in the financial year 2024 – 2025:
**Breakdown of costs associated** in the financial year 2024 – 2025:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
PROVISION INCOME FROM REFUGE ADMIN
OF HOUSING FUNDRAISING STAFF STAFF
£616K £77K £659K £198K
INCOME
FROM
DONATIONS
£3K CHARITABLE
ACTIVITIES
£252K
GOVERNANCE
& FINANCE
£48K
LOCAL
AUTHORITY
GRANTS
£674K
INVESTMENT
INCOME OTHER GRANTS PREMISES
£55K £124K £307K
**----- End of picture text -----**
**We would also like to thank everyone who has raised funds or donated, no matter how large or small. Every penny we receive helps to further our efforts to support survivors of domestic abuse and provide opportunities for them to have greater control over their lives. Our supporters and donors from the past year include those shown below and many more.**
Berkshire Asset Redgate Specialist Management Finance Ltd Jenny Wren Reigate WI CWU South East Ruth Barker Regional Committee Savills (UK) Ltd The Alchemy Foundation Surbiton High School Howden Joinery Ltd Reigate and Banstead Joseph Limited Borough Council Masonic Charitable Farnham Town Foundation Council Michael Hill Skipton Building Society Miss K.M Harbinson Gatwick Airport Charitable Trust Community Trust
B&Q Foundation
Schroder Charity Trust Tesco Stronger Starts Community Foundation for Surrey The Wisley Foundation The Hobson Charity Horley Lions Club Hurst Lea Foundation The Haley Charitable Trust Farnham Lions Pattenmakers
**Scan to donate or use the donate button on our website: www.ichoosefreedom.co.uk For larger donations, please contact us at info@ichoosefreedom.co.uk**
Surrey Freemasonry Bryden Johnson St Faiths Trust Bunzl Family Charitable Fund
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## **Future Plans**
**Our intention is to continue to enable any adult and child to begin the recovery process from their experience of domestic abuse, by offering a high standard of refuge accommodation which provides:**
A safe and welcoming place for all survivors of domestic abuse
Good standards of accommodation and on-site facilities for families, and especially children Individual support plans Emotional support Resettlement support Therapeutic intervention Assistance in applying for re-housing Practical help for survivors Assistance in claiming benefits Support to get into employment/education Liaison with health services
Advice regarding activities within the area, including faith organisations, clubs, groups, paid or voluntary work, etc.
Structured group work to allow service users to understand domestic abuse, regain their self-esteem and avoid a similar situation in the future.
To ensure our service is inclusive and diverse and supports every survivor regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race, disability or religion
**Increase public awareness of domestic abuse**
**Identify Secure and target sustainable unmet needs funding**
**Reduce existing barriers for survivors**
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## **Financial Review**
**During the year total income was £1,549,256 (2024: £1,322,624); the final result of the year was a surplus of £85,354 (2024: £75,433 deficit).**
## **Reserves policy**
The Board of Trustees has examined the Charity’s requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. It has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the Charity should be equal to six months operating costs.
**Unrestricted reserves are held for the following purposes:**
1. To maintain services through periods of reduced funding and cash flow;
2. To develop new projects;
3. To pay redundancy and recruitment costs; and
4. To respond to adverse incidents.
At the year end the charity held total reserves of £1,069,517 (2024: £984,163) of which £327,586 (2024: £340,262) were unrestricted general funds; £400,000 (2024: £400,000) were designated general funds and £341,931 (2024: £243,901) were restricted funds.
ICF holds reserves to protect against drops in income and to allow ICF to take advantage of new opportunities.
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
19 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Structure & Governance**
## **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.
I Choose Freedom (ICF) is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is governed according to the Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association.
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
Directors are recruited from those who have supported the organisation or through recognised channels such as the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and Reach which undertakes national recruitment for voluntary organisations. Personal contacts and local organisations are also sources of directors.
The induction programme for directors (trustees) includes information from directors and staff, trustee training courses, as well as Surrey DA awareness and safeguarding training. Relevant printed material is also given including ICF documentation and national publications.
All members of the
committee give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses claimed from the charity are set out in note 9 to these financial statements. ICF recognises that a diverse, skilled and committed group of directors is essential for the effective governance and management of the charity. Recruitment of new directors is the responsibility of existing directors.
## **Organisational Structure**
The management committee meets on ten occasions during the year and is responsible for the strategic direction and policies of the organisation. They also monitor performance and compliance with requirements of stakeholders. The CEO attends each meeting on a non-voting basis, with input from other staff members as requested.
The CEO assumes responsibility for the provision of service, and for meeting the monitoring and evaluation requirements of stakeholders. The Head of Services assumes responsibility for the day to day operations and reports to the CEO. The lines of accountability, support and supervision are well established within the organisation ensuring good practice in delivering a high-quality service.
ICF is a member of the Women’s Aid Federation of England and is part of the Surrey Domestic Abuse Management Board which links with the Surrey Domestic Abuse Commissioning Group.
## **Key management personnel**
The directors comprise the Board of Directors, who are the charity’s Trustees, and the senior management team comprise the key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis. All directors give of their time freely and no director received remuneration in the year. Details of the remuneration of key management personnel and trustees’ expenses are disclosed in note 9 to the accounts.
Remuneration for CEO is set by the trustees using a benchmarking process and is reviewed annually.
The NCVO’s Code of Governance and Charity Commission’s Essential Duties of a Trustee were discussed in detail.
## **Induction and training of new trustees**
The Committee comprises directors of the company, who are also trustees under charity law. Committee members are elected at a Board meeting and normally serve for three years.
A committee member may serve for three years, and then be available for re-election for a further three years. They would not normally be eligible for re-election after two full terms until one year has elapsed, but this may be waived if it would not be in the interests of the Company for the services of the member to be lost by requiring the member to stand down.
Committee members are required to disclose all relevant interests and register them with the secretary and in accordance with the charity’s policy withdraw from decisions where a conflict of interest arises. Neither the charity nor any of the directors presently have such interests but any such interests would be disclosed should they arise.
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20 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Structure & Governance** (cont.)
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
to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity.
## **Risk management**
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The Committee has considered the risks to which the charity is exposed. Systems and procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. We recognise the importance of effective risk management and have developed a risk management plan to identify, assess and manage risks to ensure the charity’s resilience and continued success. This will be reviewed quarterly at the Trustee Meetings.
The Committee has assessed the relevant safeguarding risks and have decided that all Directors undergo a DBS check every three years.
## **Statement of trustees’ responsibilities**
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
The trustees (who are also the directors of I Choose Freedom Charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
- 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.
Procedures are in place to protect staff, volunteers and service users. These procedures are regularly reviewed
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which
## **Auditors**
## **Ms C Booth**
## **Trustees**
The auditors, Williams & Co Epsom LLP, will be proposed for re-appointment at the January 2025 Trustee Meeting
Legacy Marketing Manager (appointed 10.12.22)
**Ms S Gregory** Consultant (appointed 10.12.22)
**Ms J Healey** Retired HR Manager (appointed 18.2.24)
**Ms M King** Head Of Risk (appointed 10.12.22)
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
**Ms P Greenway** Director of People & Improvement (appointed 6.9.24)
**Ms K Curtis** Finance Director (appointed 6.9.24)
Approved by order of the Board of Trustees on
**Mrs S J Stimpson** Maternity Safeguarding Specialist **Mrs H A Edwards** Project Director Corporate Events
**Mr D Hallam** Retired CEO/ Business Owner (appointed 6.9.24)
## 17 December 2025
and signed on its behalf by:
## **Company secretary**
**Ms C N Kinyanjui** Person With Lived Experience
**Ms C.N. Kinyanjui** (appointed 01/03/24)
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.
## **Registered office**
Po Box 54, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0AZ
## **Registered**
**company number** 01806055 (England & Wales)
**Registered charity number** 289508
## **Auditors**
Williams & Co, Epsom LLP 8-10 South Street, Epsom, Surrey KT18 7PF
**Bankers**
Lloyds Bank Plc 11 High Street, Horley, Surrey RH6 7BJ
**Mrs S J Stimpson** Trustee
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21 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Independent Auditors Report**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of I Choose Freedom charity (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (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 ongoing 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 Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; 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 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.
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22 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Independent Auditors Report** (cont)
## **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.
included but were not limited to testing manual journal entries and other adjustments and evaluating the rationale in relation to any significant, unusual transactions and transactions entered into outside of the normal course of business.
## **Use of our report**
**Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
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.
Our objectives are evaluating the rationale in to obtain reasonable relation to any significant, assurance about whether unusual transactions and transactions entered into the financial statements as a whole are free from outside of the normal material misstatement, course of business. whether due to fraud • Our tests were designed or error, and to issue a to ensure income was Report of the Independent correctly reported in Auditors that includes the correct accounting our opinion. Reasonable period and at the right assurance is a high level level with significant of assurance, but is not a testing of deferred guarantee that an audit income. In addition, conducted in accordance given the significant with ISAs (UK) will balances held at bank, always detect a material we sought third party misstatement when it exists. verification of bank Misstatements can arise balances and carried out from fraud or error and testing of these balances are considered material against pre and post if, individually or in the balance sheet entries. aggregate, they could • We have tested reasonably be expected to influence the economic controls over payment authorisations and authorisations and decisions of users taken sample payments from on the basis of these financial statements. the bank to ensure all
- We have tested controls over payment authorisations and authorisations and sample payments from the bank to ensure all major items are properly accounted for.
## **Henry Williams**
(Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Williams & Co Epsom LLP 8-10 South Street Epsom Surrey KT18 7PF 17 December 2025 Date:
**The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:**
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.
- Our assessment of the financial statements susceptibility to material misstatement, including how fraud may occur, included a review of the sales process and ensuring timing of income was in accordance with accounting standards. The audit engagement team identified the risk of management override of controls as the area where the financial statements were most susceptible to material misstatement due to fraud. Audit procedures performed
to be signed by auditors
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23 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
for the year ended 31 March 2025
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**funds**|**funds**|**Total**|**Total**|
|||||**funds**|**funds**|
||**Notes**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Income and endowments from**||||||
|Donations and legacies|2|
2,936|213|3,149|21,104|
|**Charitable activities**|4|||||
|Supporting & accommodating victims||||||
|of domestic abuse||15,001|782,990|797,991|681,470|
|Investment income|3|55,281|-|55,281|6,128|
|Other income||692,835|-|692,835|613,922|
|**Total**||**766,053**|**783,203**|**1,549,256**|**1,322,624**|
|**Expenditure on**||||||
|**Charitable activities**|5|||||
|Supporting & accommodating victims||||||
|of domestic abuse||768,415|695,487|1,463,902|1,398,057|
|**Net income /(expenditure)**||(2,362)|87,716|85,354|(75,433)|
|**Transfers between funds**|15|(10,315)|10,315|-|-|
|**Net movement in funds**||**(12,677)**|**98,031**|**85,354**|**(75,433)**|
|**Reconciliation of funds**||||||
|Total funds brought forward||740,263|243,900|984,163|1,059,596|
|**Total funds carried forward**||**727,586**|**341,931**|**1,069,517**|**984,163**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
24 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Balance Sheet**
31 March 2025
|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**31.3.25**
**31.3.24**
**funds**
**funds**
**Total**
**Total**
**funds**
**funds**
**Notes**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**31.3.25**
**31.3.24**
**funds**
**funds**
**Total**
**Total**
**funds**
**funds**
**Notes**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**|
|---|---|
|**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
12|10,835
44,573
55,408
65,792|
|**Current assets**
Debtors
13
Cash at bank and in hand|37,044
-
37,044
36,150
764,768
297,358
1,062,126
976,326|
||801,812
297,358
1,099,170
1,012,476|
|**Creditors**
Amounts falling due within one year
14|(85,061)
-
(85,061)
(94,105)|
|**Net current assets**|716,751
297,358
1,014,109
918,371|
|**Total assets less current liabilities**|727,586
341,931
1,069,517
984,163|
|**Net assets**|727,586
341,931
1,069,517
984,163|
|**Funds**
15
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds|727,586
740,263
341,931
243,900|
|**Total funds**|1,069,517
984,163|
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
## 17 December 2025
and were signed on its behalf by:
Mrs S J Stimpson - Trustee
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25 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Cash Flow Statement**
for the year ended 31 March 2025
|**Notes**|**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Cash fows from operating activities**
Cash generated from operations
1|32,726|(17,602)|
|Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities|32,726|(17,602)|
|**Cash fows from investing activities**
Purchase of tangible fxed assets|(2,207)|(2,034)|
|Interest received|55,281|6,128|
|Net cash provided investing activities|53,074|4,094|
|**Change in cash and cash equivalents**|||
|**in the reporting period**|**85,800**|**(13,508)**|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning**|||
|**of the reporting period**|**976,326**|**989,834**|
|**Cash and cash equivalents at the end**|||
|**of the reporting period**|**1,062,126**|**976,326**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
26 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Cash Flow Statement**
for the year ended 31 March 2025
## **1. Reconciliation of net income /(expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities**
||**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period**|||
|**(asper the Statement of Financial Activities)**|**85,354**|**(75,433)**|
|**Adjustments for:**|||
|Depreciation charges|12,590|13,722|
|Interest received|(55,281)|(6,128)|
|Increase in debtors|(893)|(16,053)|
|(Decrease)/increase in creditors|(9,044)|66,290|
|**Net cash (used in)/provided by operations**|32,726|(17,602)|
## **2. Analysis of changes in net funds**
|**2. Analysis of changes in net funds**||
|---|---|
||At 1.4.24
Cash fow
At 31.3.24
£
£
£|
|**Net cash**
Cash at bank and in hand|976,326
85,800
1,062,126|
|Total||
||976,326
85,800
1,062,126|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
27 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **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.
**The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice:** Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2015 and with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
The accounts have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’. This departure has involved following Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) effective 1 January 2015 rather than the Accounting and Reporting Charites: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.
The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
## **Incoming resources**
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.
Income (including rents and contributions) is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions
attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Bank and Building Society interest are accounted for on the basis of monies receivable in the year.
## **Resources expended**
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.
Resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity.
## **Governance costs**
Governance costs comprise the costs of running the charity including amounts paid to the independent examiner.
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28 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **1. Accounting policies** (cont)
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Improvements to property 10% on cost 25% on cost Fixtures and fittings
## **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.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
## **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 and other postretirement benefits**
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company’s pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
29 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**
**for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**(cont)|||
|---|---|---|
||**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
||**£**|**£**|
|**2. Donations and legacies**|||
|**Donations**|3,149|21,104|
|**3. Investment income**|||
|**Deposit account interest**|55,281|6,128|
|**4. Income from charitable activities**|||
|Activity|||
|**Grants**
Supporting & accommodating victims of domestic abuse|797,991|681,470|
|**Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:**|||
|Local Authority Grants|26,550|30,240|
|Housing Related Support Grant|644,562|526,445|
|Optivo Grant|15,000|15,000|
|St Faiths Trust|1,500|1,500|
|Wisley|20,000|11,200|
|Community Foundation for Surrey|7,000|5,000|
|PCC Grants|-|14,546|
|Farnham Round Table|-|400|
|C Elliss|3,750|21,250|
|Rotary Club|-|300|
|Charles Safapour|-|625|
|Kids Out|160|465|
|Lifetime Chances|4,210|3,199|
|Raven Housing|-|1,000|
|**Carried forward**|**722,732**|**631,170**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
30 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **4. Income from charitable activities (cont)**
|**4. Income from charitable activities (cont)**
**Notes to the Financial Statements**
**for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**(co|nt)||
|---|---|---|
||**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Brought forward**|**715,732**|**631,170**|
|Next Step Nursing|-|1,500|
|Pauline Bourne|6,450|25,200|
|Meryl Gray|-|2,600|
|Pattenmakers|12,000|2,000|
|Epsom College|-|5,000|
|Shanly Foundation|-|2,000|
|The Bob Trust|-|10,000|
|The Charles Lewis Foundation|-|2,000|
|52 Lives|600|-|
|Allison Raeside|313|-|
|B&Q Foundation|7,500|-|
|Beck Fitzgerald|500|-|
|Bryden Johnson|2,000|-|
|Bunzl Family Charitable Fund|500|-|
|Cosoraf|210|-|
|David Michael Watson Smith|500|-|
|Farnham Lions|1,500|-|
|Farnham Town Council|2,000|-|
|Gatwick Airport Community Trust|2,500|-|
|Horley Lions Club|6,120|-|
|Mothers Union at Church of the Good Shepherd|132|-|
|O3E|250|-|
|Schroder Charity Trust|5,000|-|
|Skipton Building Society|3,000|-|
|Spread Some Sunshine|250|-|
|St Nicholas Shopping Centre|934|-|
|Surrey Freemasonry|1,000|-|
|Surrey Hills Morris Minor Club|150|-|
|Tesco Stronger Starts|3,000|-|
|The Alchemy Foundation|1,000|-|
|The Hobson Charity|5,600|-|
|The Haley Charitable Trust|2,000|-|
|Hurst Lea Foundation|9,750|-|
|Redhill Redstone Rotary Club|500|-|
||**797,991**|**681,470**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
31 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
**----- Start of picture text -----**
5. Charitable activities costs
Direct Support cost Totals
Cost (See note 6)
£ £ £
Supporting & accommodating victims of domestic abuse 1,412,306 51,596 1,463,902
6. Support costs
Finance Governance Totals
costs
£ £ £
Supporting & accommodating victims of domestic abuse 726 50,870 51,596
31.3.25 31.3.24
Supporting &
accommodating victims Total
Support costs, included in the above, are as follows: of domestic abuse activities
£ £
Bank charges 726 741
Auditors’ remuneration 4,740 4,620
Accountancy and legal fees 42,719 33,108
Subscriptions 3,411 2,434
51,596 40,903
7. Net income/(expenditure)
31.3.25 31.3.24
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting): £ £
Depreciation - owned assets 12,591 13,722
Other operating leases 136,351 71,382
8. Auditors’ remuneration
Fees payable to the charity’s auditors for the audit of the charity’s financial statements 4,740 4,620
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **9. 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.
## **Trustees’ expenses**
There were no trustees’ expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
32 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **10. Staff costs**
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
**The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:**
Administration
Refuge Workers
**The number of employees whose employee benefts**
**(excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:**
£60,001 - £70,000
£70,001 - £80,000
|**31.3.25**
**31.3.24**
**£**
**£**
772,513
781,338
68,360
64,075
15,874
16,986|**31.3.25**
**31.3.24**
**£**
**£**
772,513
781,338
68,360
64,075
15,874
16,986|
|---|---|---|
||856,747
862,399||
|||7
5
19
22|
|||**26**
**27**|
|||1
1
1
-|
|||**2**
**1**|
||||
|**11. Comparatives for the statement of fnancial activities**
**Unrestricted funds**
**Restricted funds**
**Total funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**Income and endowments from**
Donations and legacies
21,104
-
21,104
**Charitable activities**
Supporting & accommodating victims of domestic abuse
15,000
666,470
681,470
Investment income
6,128
-
6,128
Other income
613,922
-
613,922|||
|**Total**
**656,154**
**666,470**
**1,322,624**|||
|**Expenditure on charitable activities**
Supporting & accommodating victims of domestic abuse
539,880
858,177
1,398,057
**Net income/(expenditure)**
116,274
(191,707)
(75,433)
Transfers between funds
(2,828)
2,828
-
**Net movement in funds**
113,446
(188,879)
(75,433)
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
626,816
432,780
1,059,596|||
|**Total funds carried forward**
**740,262**
**243,901**
**984,163**|||
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
33 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **12. Tan g ible fixed assets**
||**Improvements to property**
**£**|**Fixtures & fttings**
**£**|**Totals**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Cost**||||
|At 1 April 2024|101,138|59,166|160,304|
|Additions|-|2,207|2,207|
|Disposals|-|(11,601)|(11,601)|
|At 31 March 2025|101,138|49,772|150,910|
|**Depreciation**||||
|At 1 April 2024|55,538|38,974|94,512|
|Charge for year|6,990|5,601|12,591|
|Eliminated on disposal|-|(11,601)|(11,601)|
|At 31 March 2025|62,528|32,974|95,502|
|**Net book value**||||
|At 31 March 2025|38,610|16,798|55,408|
|At 31 March 2024|45,600|20,192|65,792|
## **13. Debtors: amounts fallin due within one ear g y**
||**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Trade debtors|7,547|9,474|
|Accruals|11,824|11,222|
|Prepayments|17,673|15,454|
||**37,044**|**36,150**|
## **14. Creditors: amounts fallin due within one ear g y**
||**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Trade creditors|40,271|30,735|
|Social security and other taxes|19,992|25,172|
|Other creditors|15,851|13,607|
|Accrued expenses|7,229|8,249|
|Deferred government grants|1,718|16,342|
||**85,061**|**94,105**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
34 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds**
|**15. Movement in funds**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**At**|**Net**|**Transfer**|**At**|
||**1.4.24**|**movement**|**between**|**31.3.25**|
||**in funds**|**in funds**|**funds**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||
|General fund|337,411|(2,362)|(10,315)|324,734|
|Contingency Reserve|400,000|-|-|400,000|
|Renewals Fund|2,852|-|-|2,852|
||**740,263**|**(2,362)**|**(10,315)**|**727,586**|
|**Restricted funds**|||||
|Surrey County Council|49,099|118,891|(1)|167,989|
|PCC Victim Transition Fund|3,340|(3,340)|-|-|
|Psychotherapy Fund|-|61|-|61|
|Children’s Fund|-|1,500|-|1,500|
|Masons Shed|2,196|(366)|-|1,830|
|Therapy Cabin|28,767|(4,795)|-|23,972|
|SCC HH Support Grant|861|(216)|-|645|
|PCC IT Grant|977|(244)|-|733|
|Caterham School Transition|61|(61)|-|-|
|Vinci CCT fund|3,200|(800)|-|2,400|
|Wisley Foundation|2,158|(539)|-|1,619|
|C Elliss Equipment|12,665|(2,098)|-|10,567|
|Gift fund|70|3,546|-|3,616|
|NRPF|36,949|5,710|-|42,659|
|SCC Inclusion Refuge restricted|157|(9,531)|9,797|423|
|HH Masons Play Area|2,560|(320)|-|2,240|
|Diversity and Inclusion Fund|3,018|(822)|-|2,196|
|RBBC Household Support Fund|2,288|(2,544)|256|-|
|Lifetime Chances|-|10|-|10|
|Wisley Welcome Pack Fund|10,948|(9,649)|(12)|1,287|
|Caroline Ellis Court Fund|26,371|(26,371)|-|-|
|Mildred Jackson Fund|22,758|4,154|(2)|26,910|
|Kerslake PT Fund|2,175|(1,680)|-|495|
|Pattenmakers Shoe Fund|1,282|-|(1,282)|-|
|Caroline Ellis 2024|25,000|(21,250)|-|3,750|
|Children’s Advocate Salary|5,000|(5,262)|262|-|
|Charles Lewis Foundation TV fund|2,000|(1,248)|-|752|
|Skipton Building Society|-|258|-|258|
|Horley Lions Club|-|481|-|481|
|Pattenmakers Adults Fund|-|592|641|1,233|
|Pattenmakers Childrens Fund|-|690|641|1,331|
|Gatwick Airport Community Trust|-|(16)|16|-|
|O3E|-|(1)|1|-|
|MXG/MAR Restricted|-|331|-|331|
|HH Restricted|-|1,999|-|1,999|
|B&Q Foundation|-|5,051|-|5,051|
|SCC Opening Doors|-|10,088|-|10,088|
|Tesco - Arts & Crafts|-|500|-|500|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
35 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
|**15. Movement in funds**(cont)|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**At**|**Net**|**Transfer**|**At**|
||**1.4.24**|**movement**|**between**|**31.3.25**|
|||**in funds**|**funds**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Tesco Welcome Pack|-|2|(2)|-|
|The Hobson Charity Limited|-|5|-|5|
|The Wisley Foundation - Opening Door Project|-|20,000|-|20,000|
|SCC - Welcome Pack|-|5,000|-|5,000|
||**243,900**|**87,716**|**10,315**|**341,931**|
|**Total funds**|**984,163**|**85,354**|**-**|**1,069,517**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
36 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
**Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:**
||**Incoming**|**Resources**|**Movement**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**resources**|**expended**|**in funds**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|General fund|766,052|(768,414)|(2,362)|
|**Restricted funds**||||
|Surrey County Council|336,081|(217,190)|118,891|
|RBBC|21,600|(21,600)|-|
|PCC Victim Transition Fund|-|(3,340)|(3,340)|
|Psychotherapy Fund|33,520|(33,459)|61|
|Children’s Fund|2,310|(810)|1,500|
|Masons Shed|-|(366)|(366)|
|Therapy Cabin|(1)|(4,794)|(4,795)|
|SCC HH Support Grant|(1)|(215)|(216)|
|PCC IT Grant|-|(244)|(244)|
|Caterham School Transition|-|(61)|(61)|
|Vinci CCT fund|-|(800)|(800)|
|Wisley Foundation|1|(540)|(539)|
|C Elliss Equipment|1|(2,099)|(2,098)|
|Gift fund|4,962|(1,416)|3,546|
|NRPF|29,120|(23,410)|5,710|
|SCC Inclusion Refuge restricted|185,000|(194,531)|(9,531)|
|HH Masons Play Area|-|(320)|(320)|
|Diversity and Inclusion Fund|(1)|(821)|(822)|
|RBBC Household Support Fund|2,200|(4,744)|(2,544)|
|Lifetime Chances|4,210|(4,200)|10|
|Wisley Welcome Pack Fund|-|(9,649)|(9,649)|
|Caroline Ellis Court Fund|-|(26,371)|(26,371)|
|Mildred Jackson Fund|6,300|(2,146)|4,154|
|Kerslake PT Fund|-|(1,680)|(1,680)|
|Caroline Ellis 2024|3,750|(25,000)|(21,250)|
|Children’s Advocate Salary|26,251|(31,513)|(5,262)|
|Charles Lewis Foundation TV fund|-|(1,248)|(1,248)|
|RBBC DA Funding Grant|13,750|(13,750)|-|
|The Alchemy Foundation|1,000|(1,000)|-|
|Skipton Building Society|3,000|(2,742)|258|
|SCC HSF|26,900|(26,900)|-|
|Horley Lions Club|1,120|(639)|481|
|Pattenmakers Adults Fund|1,000|(408)|592|
|Pattenmakers Childrens Fund|1,000|(310)|690|
|Farnham Lions|1,500|(1,500)|-|
|Gatwick Airport Community Trust|2,500|(2,516)|(16)|
|O3E|250|(251)|(1)|
|MXG/MAR Restricted|882|(551)|331|
|HH Restricted|13,899|(11,900)|1,999|
|B&Q Foundation|7,500|(2,449)|5,051|
|SCC Opening Doors|20,000|(9,912)|10,088|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
37 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
|**15. Movement in funds**(cont)||||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:**||||
||**Incoming**|
**Resources**|**Movement**|
||**resources**|
**expended**|**in funds**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Tesco - Arts & Crafts|500|-|500|
|Tesco Welcome Pack|2,500|(2,498)|2|
|The Hobson Charity Limited|5,600|(5,595)|5|
|The Wisley Foundation - Opening Door Project|20,000|-|20,000|
|SCC - Welcome Pack|5,000|-|5,000|
||**783,204**|**(695,488)**|**87,716**|
|**Total funds**|**1,549,256**|**(1,463,902)**|**85,354**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
38 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
**----- Start of picture text -----**
15. Movement in funds (cont)
**----- End of picture text -----**
|**15. Movement in funds**(cont)|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Comparatives for movement in funds**|||||
||**At**|**Net**|**Transfer**|**At**|
||**1.4.23**|**movement**|**between**|**31.3.24**|
|||**in funds**|**funds**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||
|General fund|199,618|116,815|20,978|337,411|
|Contingency Reserve|300,000|-|100,000|400,000|
|New House Fund|123,806|-|(123,806)|-|
|Renewals Fund|3,392|(540)|-|2,852|
||**626,816**|**116,275**|**(2,828)**|**740,263**|
|**Restricted funds**|||||
|Surrey County Council|258|48,840|1|49,099|
|PCC Victim Transition Fund|5,704|(2,364)|-|3,340|
|Psychotherapy Fund|2,240|(2,240)|-|-|
|Children’s Fund|1,419|(1,782)|363|-|
|Masons Shed|2,562|(366)|-|2,196|
|Therapy Cabin|33,561|(4,794)|-|28,767|
|SCC HH Support Grant|1,147|(286)|-|861|
|PCC IT Grant|1,303|(326)|-|977|
|Douglas Bradley Residents Tech|1,580|(1,580)|-|-|
|Caterham School Transition|1,500|(1,439)|-|61|
|Optivo internal decorating|-|(1,296)|1,296|-|
|Vinci CCT fund|4,267|(1,067)|-|3,200|
|Wisley Foundation|2,877|(719)|-|2,158|
|C Elliss Equipment|15,897|(3,232)|-|12,665|
|Gift fund|285|(215)|-|70|
|NRPF|17,729|19,220|-|36,949|
|SCC Inclusion Refuge restricted|282,807|(282,650)|-|157|
|Leathersellers IT Security|48|-|(48)|-|
|HH Masons Play Area|3,058|(517)|19|2,560|
|Georgia Treweek transition fund|6,944|(6,941)|(3)|-|
|Diversity and Inclusion Fund|4,813|(1,795)|-|3,018|
|Creating Healthy Communities Community|||||
|support programme|6,393|(7,562)|1,169|-|
|RBBC Household Support Fund|1,388|900|-|2,288|
|Wisley Welcome Pack Fund|10,000|917|31|10,948|
|Caroline Ellis Court Fund|25,000|1,371|-|26,371|
|Mildred Jackson Fund|-|22,758|-|22,758|
|Kerslake PT Fund|-|2,175|-|2,175|
|Pattenmakers Shoe Fund|-|1,282|-|1,282|
|Caroline Ellis 2024|-|25,000|-|25,000|
|Children’s Advocate Salary|-|5,000|-|5,000|
|Charles Lewis Foundation TV fund|-|2,000|-|2,000|
||**432,780**|**(191,708)**|**2,828**|**243,900**|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|**1,059,596**|**(75,433)**|**-**|**984,163**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
39 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds**
**Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:**
||**Incoming**|
**Resources**|**Movement**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**resources**|
**expended**|**in funds**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|General fund|656,154|(539,339)|116,815|
|Renewals Fund|-|(540)|(540)|
||**656,154**|**(539,879)**|**116,275**|
|**Restricted funds**||||
|Surrey County Council|457,323|(408,483)|48,840|
|RBBC|21,000|(21,000)|-|
|PCC Victim Transition Fund|-|(2,364)|(2,364)|
|Psychotherapy Fund|-|(2,240)|(2,240)|
|Children’s Fund|1,045|(2,827)|(1,782)|
|Masons Shed|-|(366)|(366)|
|Therapy Cabin|-|(4,794)|(4,794)|
|PCC Childrens Grant|14,546|(14,546)|-|
|SCC HH Support Grant|1|(287)|(286)|
|PCC IT Grant|-|(326)|(326)|
|Douglas Bradley Residents Tech|-|(1,580)|(1,580)|
|Caterham School Transition|-|(1,439)|(1,439)|
|Optivo internal decorating|-|(1,296)|(1,296)|
|Vinci CCT fund|-|(1,067)|(1,067)|
|Wisley Foundation|-|(719)|(719)|
|C Elliss Equipment|-|(3,232)|(3,232)|
|Gift fund|3,625|(3,840)|(215)|
|NRPF|29,120|(9,900)|19,220|
|SCC Inclusion Refuge restricted|-|(282,650)|(282,650)|
|HH Masons Play Area|-|(517)|(517)|
|Georgia Treweek transition fund|-|(6,941)|(6,941)|
|Diversity and Inclusion Fund|120|(1,915)|(1,795)|
|Creating Healthy Communities Community||||
|support programme|-|(7,562)|(7,562)|
|SCC Fuel costs|30,000|(30,000)|-|
|RBBC Household Support Fund|20,241|(19,341)|900|
|Lifetime Chances|3,199|(3,199)|-|
|Wisley Welcome Pack Fund|11,200|(10,283)|917|
|Caroline Ellis Court Fund|6,250|(4,879)|1,371|
|Mildred Jackson Fund|25,200|(2,442)|22,758|
|Kerslake PT Fund|2,600|(425)|2,175|
|Pattenmakers Shoe Fund|2,000|(718)|1,282|
|Epsom College Advocate salaries|5,001|(5,001)|-|
|Shanly Children’s Advocate Salary|1,999|(1,999)|-|
|Caroline Ellis 2024|25,000|-|25,000|
|Children’s Advocate Salary|5,000|-|5,000|
|Charles Lewis Foundation TV fund|2,000|-|2,000|
||666,470|(858,178)|(191,708)|
|**Total funds**|**1,322,624**|**(1,398,057)**|**(75,433)**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
40 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
|**15. Movement in funds**(cont)|**15. Movement in funds**(cont)||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position**
**At**||**is as follows:**
**Net**|**Transfer**|**At**|
||**1.4.23**|**movement**|**between**|**31.3.25**|
|||**in funds**|**funds**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Unrestricted funds**|||||
|General fund|199,618|114,453|10,663|324,734|
|Contingency Reserve|300,000|-|100,000|400,000|
|New House Fund|123,806|-|(123,806)|-|
|Renewals Fund|3,392|(540)|-|2,852|
||**626,816**|**113,913**|**(13,143)**|**727,586**|
|**Restricted funds**|||||
|Surrey County Council|258|167,731|-|167,989|
|PCC Victim Transition Fund|5,704|(5,704)|-|-|
|Psychotherapy Fund|2,240|(2,179)|-|61|
|Children’s Fund|1,419|(282)|363|1,500|
|Masons Shed|2,562|(732)|-|1,830|
|Therapy Cabin|33,561|(9,589)|-|23,972|
|SCC HH Support Grant|1,147|(502)|-|645|
|PCC IT Grant|1,303|(570)|-|733|
|Douglas Bradley Residents Tech|1,580|(1,580)|-|-|
|Caterham School Transition|1,500|(1,500)|-|-|
|Optivo internal decorating|-|(1,296)|1,296|-|
|Vinci CCT fund|4,267|(1,867)|-|2,400|
|Wisley Foundation|2,877|(1,258)|-|1,619|
|C Elliss Equipment|15,897|(5,330)|-|10,567|
|Gift fund|285|3,331|-|3,616|
|NRPF|17,729|24,930|-|42,659|
|SCC Inclusion Refuge restricted|282,807|(292,181)|9,797|423|
|Leathersellers IT Security|48|-|(48)|-|
|HH Masons Play Area|3,058|(837)|19|2,240|
|Georgia Treweek transition fund|6,944|(6,941)|(3)|-|
|Diversity and Inclusion Fund|4,813|(2,617)|-|2,196|
|Creating Healthy Communities Community|||||
|support programme|6,393|(7,562)|1,169|-|
|RBBC Household Support Fund|1,388|(1,644)|256|-|
|Lifetime Chances|-|10|-|10|
|Wisley Welcome Pack Fund|10,000|(8,732)|19|1,287|
|Caroline Ellis Court Fund|25,000|(25,000)|-|-|
|Mildred Jackson Fund|-|26,912|(2)|26,910|
|Kerslake PT Fund|-|495|-|495|
|Pattenmakers Shoe Fund|-|1,282|(1,282)|-|
|Caroline Ellis 2024|-|3,750|-|3,750|
|Children’s Advocate Salary|-|(262)|262|-|
|Charles Lewis Foundation TV fund|-|752|-|752|
|Skipton Building Society|-|258|-|258|
|Horley Lions Club|-|481|-|481|
|Pattenmakers Adults Fund|-|592|641|1,233|
|Pattenmakers Childrens Fund|-|690|641|1,331|
|Gatwick Airport Community Trust|-|(16)|16|-|
|O3E|-|(1)|1|-|
|MXG/MAR Restricted|-|331|-|331|
|HH Restricted|-|1,999|-|1,999|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
41 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
|**15. Movement in funds**(cont)|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months**|**combined position**
**At**|**is as follows:**
**Net**|**Transfer**|**At**|
||**1.4.23**|**movement**|**between**|**31.3.25**|
|||**in funds**|**funds**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|B&Q Foundation|-|5,051|-|5,051|
|SCC Opening Doors|-|10,088|-|10,088|
|Tesco - Arts & Crafts|-|500|-|500|
|Tesco Welcome Pack|-|2|(2)|-|
|The Hobson Charity Limited|-|5|-|5|
|The Wisley Foundation - Opening Door Project|-|20,000|-|20,000|
|SCC - Welcome Pack|-|5,000|-|5,000|
||**432,780**|**(103,992)**|**13,143**|**341,931**|
|**Total funds**|**1,059,596**|**9,921**|**-**|**1,069,517**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
42 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
**A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:**
|**y p y**
**included in the above are as follows:**||**,**||
|---|---|---|---|
||**Incoming**
**resources**|
**Resources**
**expended**|**Movement**
**in funds**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||
|General fund|1,422,206|(1,307,753)|114,453|
|Renewals Fund|-|(540)|(540)|
||**1,422,206**|**(1,308,293)**|**113,913**|
|**Restricted funds**||||
|Surrey County Council|793,404|(625,673)|167,731|
|RBBC|42,600|(42,600)|-|
|PCC Victim Transition Fund|-|(5,704)|(5,704)|
|Psychotherapy Fund|33,520|(35,699)|(2,179)|
|Children’s Fund|3,355|(3,637)|(282)|
|Masons Shed|-|(732)|(732)|
|Therapy Cabin|(1)|(9,588)|(9,589)|
|PCC Childrens Grant|14,546|(14,546)|-|
|SCC HH Support Grant|-|(502)|(502)|
|PCC IT Grant|-|(570)|(570)|
|Douglas Bradley Residents Tech|-|(1,580)|(1,580)|
|Caterham School Transition|-|(1,500)|(1,500)|
|Optivo internal decorating|-|(1,296)|(1,296)|
|Vinci CCT fund|-|(1,867)|(1,867)|
|Wisley Foundation|1|(1,259)|(1,258)|
|C Elliss Equipment|1|(5,331)|(5,330)|
|Gift fund|8,587|(5,256)|3,331|
|NRPF|58,240|(33,310)|24,930|
|SCC Inclusion Refuge restricted|185,000|(477,181)|(292,181)|
|HH Masons Play Area|-|(837)|(837)|
|Georgia Treweek transition fund|-|(6,941)|(6,941)|
|Diversity and Inclusion Fund|119|(2,736)|(2,617)|
|Creating Healthy Communities Community||||
|support programme|-|(7,562)|(7,562)|
|SCC Fuel costs|30,000|(30,000)|-|
|RBBC Household Support Fund|22,441|(24,085)|(1,644)|
|Lifetime Chances|7,409|(7,399)|10|
|Wisley Welcome Pack Fund|11,200|(19,932)|(8,732)|
|Caroline Ellis Court Fund|6,250|(31,250)|(25,000)|
|Mildred Jackson Fund|31,500|(4,588)|26,912|
|Kerslake PT Fund|2,600|(2,105)|495|
|Pattenmakers Shoe Fund|2,000|(718)|1,282|
|Epsom College Advocate salaries|5,001|(5,001)|-|
|Shanly Children’s Advocate Salary|1,999|(1,999)|-|
|Caroline Ellis 2024|28,750|(25,000)|3,750|
|Children’s Advocate Salary|31,251|(31,513)|(262)|
|Charles Lewis Foundation TV fund|2,000|(1,248)|752|
|RBBC DA Funding Grant|13,750|(13,750)|-|
|The Alchemy Foundation|1,000|(1,000)|-|
|Skipton Building Society|3,000|(2,742)|258|
|SCC HSF|26,900|(26,900)|-|
|Horley Lions Club|1,120|(639)|481|
|Pattenmakers Adults Fund|1,000|(408)|592|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
43 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
**A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:**
|**y p y**
**included in the above are as follows:**||**,**||
|---|---|---|---|
||**Incoming**
**resources**|
**Resources**
**expended**|**Movement**
**in funds**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Pattenmakers Childrens Fund|1,000|(310)|690|
|Farnham Lions|1,500|(1,500)|-|
|Gatwick Airport Community Trust|2,500|(2,516)|(16)|
|O3E|250|(251)|(1)|
|MXG/MAR Restricted|882|(551)|331|
|HH Restricted|13,899|(11,900)|1,999|
|B&Q Foundation|7,500|(2,449)|5,051|
|SCC Opening Doors|20,000|(9,912)|10,088|
|Tesco - Arts & Crafts|500|-|500|
|Tesco Welcome Pack|2,500|(2,498)|2|
|The Hobson Charity Limited|5,600|(5,595)|5|
|The Wisley Foundation - Opening Door Project|20,000|-|20,000|
|SCC - Welcome Pack|5,000|-|5,000|
||**1,449,674**|**(1,553,666)**|**(103,992)**|
|**Total funds**|**2,871,880**|**(2,861,959)**|**9,921**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
44 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
## **Transfers between funds**
Transfers represent amounts transferred to the individual restricted funds from general funds to provide additional funding for the particular project(s) in the year.
_The purpose of the individual restricted funds is set out below:_
## **Unrestricted Funds**
## **General Purpose Fund**
This represents the working capital of the Refuge.
## **Contingency Reserve**
Although some insurance is in place, the Directors regard it as essential to hold a contingency reserve should the above revenue be curtailed.
## **Renewals Fund**
There is a continuing need for replacement furnishings and garden equipment which will be financed by this reserve.
## **Restricted Funds**
## **Children’s fund**
This fund has been set up to provide activities and facilities for the children during their stay in the Refuge. It is funded from donations and fundraising.
## **New Shed**
This restricted fund was given to enable us to set up a garden project. This has been completed in 2020/21.
## **Therapy Cabin**
This grant was received to provide a new Therapy cabin. This has been completed in 2020/21.
## **Psychotherapy Fund**
This fund has been set up to provide Adolescent Therapy sessions.
## **Vinci CCTV Fund**
This grant was given to set up a CCTV system for security reasons.
## **C Elliss Equipment**
This grant was given to provide new play equipment at the refuge.
## **Gift fund**
This fund was set up to provide Christmas gifts and support items to the women and children at the refuge.
## **Diversity and Inclusion Fund**
This grant was given to help make the refuge and its activities more inclusive for its residents.
## **Wisley Welcome Pack Fund**
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
## **SCC Fuel costs**
This grant was provided to support residents with housing costs during the cost of living crisis.
## **RBBC Household Support Fund**
This grant was provided to support residents with housing costs during the cost of living crisis.
## **Caroline Ellis Court Fund**
This grant was given to support residents in court proceedings.
## **Lifetime Chances**
This grant is provided to meet one-off expenses for residents’ personal development and life achievement.
## **Mildred Jackson Fund**
This grant is provided to support residents travel costs.
## **Kerslake PT Fund**
This grant was given to provide physical therapy and wellness services for residents.
## **Pattenmakers Fund**
This grant is given to purchase shoes for residents and children.
## **Caroline Ellis 2024**
This grant is provided to support the cost of the DA advocate roles within the refuge.
## **Children’s Advocate Salaries**
This grant is provided to support the cost of the DA advocate roles within the refuge.
## **MM TV Fund**
This grant is provided to purchase new TVs for the refuge.
## **RBBC DA Funding**
This grant is provided to support residents of Reigate and Banstead who are experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse, to include those in refuge support.
## **The Alchemy Foundation**
This grant is provided to support the cost of the DA advocate roles within the refuge.
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
45 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025** (cont)
## **15. Movement in funds** (cont)
## **Skipton Building Society**
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
## **SCC Household support fund**
This grant was provided to support residents with housing costs during the cost of living crisis.
## **Horley Lions Club**
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
## **Farnham Lions**
This grant was provided to purchase sports and play equipment for children at the refuge.
## **Gatwick Airport Community Trust**
## **O3E**
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
## **B&Q Foundation**
This grant was provided to purchase household items for residents to use at the refuge.
## **SCC Opening Doors Project**
This grant was given to provide funding to help residents with career and personal development beyond the refuge.
## **Tesco - Arts & Crafts**
This grant was provided to purchase arts and crafts items for children at the refuge.
## **Tesco Welcome Pack**
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
## **The Hobson Charity Limited**
This grant was provided to purchase household items for residents to use at the refuge.
## **The Wisley Foundation - Opening Door Project**
This grant was given to provide funding to help residents with career and personal development beyond the refuge.
## **SCC Welcome Pack**
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
This grant was given to help purchase items when residents arrive at the refuge.
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
46 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **16. Related art disclosures p y**
**There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2025.**
## **Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025**
||**31.3.25**|**31.3.24**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|**Income and endowments**|||
|**Donations and legacies**|||
|Donations|3,149|21,104|
|**Investment income**|||
|Deposit account interest|55,281|6,128|
|**Charitable activities**|||
|Grants|797,991|681,470|
|**Other income**|||
|Resident’s Contributions
Housing Beneft & Rent Income|59,896
555,854|52,897
503,891|
|Fundraising Income|77,085|57,134|
||**692,835**|**613,922**|
|**Total incoming resources**|**1,549,256**|**1,322,624**|
|**Expenditure**|||
|**Charitable activities**|||
|Wages|772,513|781,338|
|Social security|68,360|64,075|
|Pensions|15,874|16,986|
|Other operating leases|136,351|71,382|
|Rates and water|13,317|7,779|
|Insurance|5,215|5,051|
|Light and heat|37,606|13,182|
|Telephone|15,634|14,176|
|Postage and stationery|3,100|3,971|
|Sundries|10,976|11,257|
|Travel|4,869|4,978|
|Computer & IT|21,357|22,974|
|Repairs & Renewals|35,674|16,540|
|Cleaning & Waste|7,127|5,696|
|Bad debts|25|210|
|Training|5,694|9,886|
|Vouchers & Fundraising|7,869|709|
|Charitable Activities|238,155|293,243|
|Improvements to property
Fixtures and fttings|6,990
5,600|6,990
6,731|
||**1,412,306**|**1,357,154**|
|**Support costs**|||
|**Finance**|||
|Bank charges|726|741|
|**Governance costs**|||
|Auditors’ remuneration|4,740|4,620|
|Accountancy and legal fees|42,719|33,108|
|Subscriptions|3,411|2,434|
||**50,870**|**40,162**|
|**Total resources expended**|**1,463,902**|**1,398,057**|
|**Net (expenditure)/income**|**85,354**|**(75,433)**|
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
47 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
## **Case study**
“When I arrived at the refuge I was frightened and uncertain about my future. I had no idea where I was going or what to expect.
However, meeting [my Advocate] changed everything. Her warmth and kindness put me at ease. She took me to a place I never imagined. A beautiful welcoming environment, complete with a welcome pack and all the necessities I needed. In that moment I was overwhelmed with emotion, unable to believe.
Beyond providing shelter, she reassured me about my immigration status, guided me through all the necessary paperwork, and ensured I had all the crucial information to move forward. She didn’t just do her job she truly cared. That kind of compassion is something which I will never forget.
Every member of the I Choose Freedom team was incredibly supportive. The refuge became my home when I had nowhere else to go. And now after overcoming those difficult times, I have regained my independence, secured my job again, and feel free once more.
I will forever be grateful for the care, kindness, and hope you all gave me. With heartfelt thanks for unwavering support from I Choose Freedom.
I often find my self thinking about how different my life would have been if I hadn’t come to the refuge when I was at my lowest, I felt lost, frightened and unsure of what the future held. I had no where to turn, and the uncertainty was overwhelming.
If I hadn’t found refuge at I Choose Freedom, I can’t imagine where I would be today. I was given a safe place to heal, rebuild, and find my strength again. The support I received from the entire team changed my life in ways I never thought possible.
The guidance, reassurance, and genuine care I experienced helped me regain control over my life. I was not just given shelter, I was given hope, dignity, and a chance to get back on my feet again.
My message to all survivors is to never lose hope, fight for your right.”
**“If I hadn’t found refuge at I Choose Freedom, I can’t imagine where I would be today.”**
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
48 I Choose Freedom | Annual Review 2024/2025
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Set up a regular donation!
£10 £15 £20
For just £10 a month you can For £15 a month you can For £20 a month you can
help ensure we have enough help us give each survivor help us treat our survivors
toiletries to put in our welcome a voucher for the local to exciting days out!
packs for when survivors arrive supermarket so that every new Trips to the cinema, to
with very little or often nothing resident can have a hot meal the leisure centre, maybe
but the clothes they are wearing. on their first night in refuge even a theme park!
**----- End of picture text -----**
**You can set up a monthly gift via our JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/ichoosefreedom**
## **Ichoosefreedomcharity**
## **I Choose Freedom**
“You can do anything here, we are like your family including all the staff. The staff take care of you, you just forget about things you faced in past. You don’t think it’s just a refuge, it’s like your home.”
Charity number – 289508 | Companies house number - 01806055
Docusign Envelope ID: DBF34840-6518-4BE5-942F-BB3CC02AAA5E
**How to get in touch?** For any queries email us on: info@ichoosefreedom.co.uk 0303 330 0033 **How do I get help?** For general help and advice call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on: 0808 2000 247
**www.ichoosefreedom.co.uk**