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A haven for play<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


2024-2025 

## **Annual Trustee’s Report and Financial Statements** 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground | Registered Charity Number : 302963 



## **Contents** 

## **Annual Trustee’s Report** 

|Message from our Chair and CEO|1|
|---|---|
|Our Year at a Glance|3|
|Our Highlights|7|
|Our Community Spaces|11|
|Our Community Services|13|
|Stronger Together|21|
|Understanding Our Impact|22|
|Commitment to Safeguarding|22|
|Financial Review|24|
|Structure, Governance & Management|31|
|**Auditor’s Report**|35|
|**Financial Statements**||
|Statement of Financial Activities|38|
|Balance Sheet|39|
|Statement of Cashflows|40|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|41|





## Trustee’s Report 

Registered Charity Number : 302963 | 93 Guildford Street WC1N 1DN  | 020 3384 2203 



## **Message from our Chair and CEO** 

## **Welcome to Coram’s Fields Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year 2024-2025.** 

Coram’s Fields exists to positively transform the lives of children and young people in Central London. Through our unique seven-acre park and community services, we provide a safe sanctuary and deliver needs-led support that empowers young people to thrive. 

2024/25 was a year that saw many of our families grapple with the cost of living crisis. A rise in young people’s mental health struggles also saw increased demand on our services, highlighting the vital role of our Youth and Sports programmes in particular, in addressing the underlying causes of poor mental health and supporting recovery. 

We continued to place our communities at the heart of decision making, providing meaningful support for children and families, when they needed it most. A new community outreach programme launched in May 2024 provided the perfect opportunity to extend our reach, offering more support for lowincome families and strengthening local partnerships. 

In September 2024 we handed the reigns over to young people to deliver our first ever young people led AGM, leading an inspiring celebration of our work and providing the platform for them to showcase their talents. 

Following the installation of a new nature trail in June 2024, the launch of our new Play Tower in October 2024, voted on by over 450 children, delivered one of our most memorable opening ceremonies yet, with children bursting through the ribbon to try out the newest piece of kit. No sooner had we finished work on the Play Tower, we were designing our new Junior Play Zone with our Kids Council and Great Ormond Street Hospital’s (GOSH) Young People’s Forum. With a planned fundraising campaign in summer 2025, we’re looking forward to delivering on our plans in early 2026. 

In June 2024, a fantastic Ofsted result for our Nursery, providing much deserved recognition for the team’s hard work, whilst investment in the space and a rich curriculum offer led to a substantially increased demand for places. 

Looking after our Grade II listed site remained a firm focus. Our new Estates Committee started work developing our future vision for Coram’s Fields, with support from urban design consultancy Publica, and input from parents and young people. 

By the end of the year, we had delivered £198k of capital investment, including upgrades to our community Band Hall and a programme of stonemasonry restoration. In June 2025, we were thrilled to start a £75k project to restore timber doors and windows across the estate, protecting our buildings for the next generation of community use. 

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The arrival of a new Chief Operating Officer in August 2024 strengthened our leadership team and in June 2025, we also extended our fundraising team with the appointment of a new Fundraising and Communications Officer – both roles will play a key role in building the charity’s future resilience. 

In December 2024, we also bid farewell to our 

Chair, Craig McWilliam, after a hugely successful four and a half years at the helm – a huge thank you to Craig for all his contributions during his time with us. 

As we look to the year ahead, we remain deeply committed to building a Coram’s Fields for the future, where every child and young person can play, belong and thrive. 



Charlotte Robinson Stuart Woods Chair of Trustees Chief Executive Officer 


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## Our Year at a Glance 


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394<br>150,000+<br>individuals<br>visitors to our park supported with<br>and  playgrounds  loneliness and<br>isolation<br>54<br>758 588<br>young people with<br>different parents young people additional needs received<br>visited our U5s accessed our Youth<br>targeted intervention<br>drop in Programme from our sports<br>programme<br>46 220<br>children attended hours of free<br>our nursery  sport delivered in<br>local schools<br>45 314 52<br>young people children accessed our community<br>supported into after school and advice events<br>employment holiday clubs and workshops<br>delivered<br>3<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




“The best park for miles! Not only is this park huge, but it has brilliant play equipment and is safe, so only children and adults accompanying children can go to the park. It is manned at all times while open and is very clean. We are so fortunate to live near this park“ 

- Park Visitor 


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“Play day was so amazing. A huge thank you to everyone that made it happen. My kids had an amazing time and we’re looking forward to next year” 


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## Case Study 


## **Inclusive Employment** 

Xavier, 19, is a young autistic man who has been supported by our Youth and Employment Programme for several years. Traditional routes into work had never quite worked out for Xavier with employers struggling to understand and accommodate his individual needs and his own confidence hampering his progress in interviews. Over the last year, our employment team spent time building opportunities for Xavier to get involved in projects with our partner companies, enabling him to showcase his skills and interact with professionals in a low-pressure environment. 

Dershe. Recently, he asked us to help him look for work again, feeling ready to share the skills he had developed. 

We supported Xavier to update his CV, taking the opportunity to highlight his unique experience, and shared it with our programme partners. The response was overwhelmingly positive. As a result of their prior experience working with him, The Wellcome Collection asked Xavier if he’d like to be put forward for an apprenticeship - working with them to tailor the role to his specific learning needs. 

The experiences helped Xavier better understand the support he needed in the workplace and his confidence grew as a result of this, and the 1:1 mentoring he received from our employment lead, 

Xavier will shortly begin his new role and is absolutely over the moon – the team continue to support him through mentoring and will hold regular reviews with Xavier and his employer once he starts work. 

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## **Our Highlights** 

## Energising Communities 

·14,232 people received income maximisation advice 

·394 individuals supported with loneliness and isolation 

·52 community advice events and workshops delivered 

Launched in May 2024, our Community Outreach Programme, funded by Cadent, has positively impacted thousands of local families throughout the year, supporting those on low incomes to access essential support through tailored advice and practical resources. 


A growing network of trusted partnerships was the catalyst for much of the programme’s success, enabling us to reach deep into the communities we serve and ensuring those who need support most, can access it. 

During the year, our partnership with the Pantry, a food bank in Kings Cross, saw the development of a regular programme of workshops and events for families facing food poverty – delivering 1:1 advice in areas such as; benefit and welfare entitlements, housing, energy bills, income maximisation and employment. The partnership was one of the major successes of the year, with over 100 parents/carers accessing regular support and the delivery of some fantastic individual outcomes for residents – see page 10 for Reema’s story. 

Raising awareness of the support on offer was a major focus, and we utilised a wide programme of events to highlight the challenges facing families, building knowledge across the public, voluntary and private sectors and lobbying for change. 

Strategic relationships with Camden’s Energy and Social Value Teams have helped amplify our work. In 2024, we were thrilled to be invited to the Camden Social Value Week Conference, providing a platform to share our 

insights and knowledge with 52 Housing Associations working in the borough. The event sparked invaluable discussion and debate about the challenges facing residents living in the 38,000 social homes across Camden and, we hope, will pave the way for future change. 

## Shining the light on serious youth violence 

During the year, our Youth Outreach team extended its support for young people beyond our Youth Centre - working across estates, schools, community spaces and on the street to provide support for young people where they felt most safe. 

Our work on the local Bourne Estate continued to grow, with the arrival of a new Outreach Worker increasing our presence and strengthening relationships and trust among residents. 

It was though sadly another year in which a worrying rise in Youth Violence, caused increased anxiety among our young people. In October 2024, the fatal stabbing of Abdul Latif Pouget, a 20 year old former user of our Youth and Sports Programme rocked the community, and left family, friends and those that had worked with him, mourning the tragic loss of another young life. 

With the support of new funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), our outreach team doubled down on their efforts to support residents on the estate where Abdul had lived, including his family and close friends. 

A dedicated aftercare programme, launched in January 2025, offered a space to share memories, strengthen friendships, have honest discussions around youth violence and collectively celebrate Abdul’s life. In February 2025, a memorial service arranged by our outreach team at the request of Abdul’s brother, saw 15 of his closest friends and family come together to unveil a memorial bench in our Youth Centre Garden - providing a lasting memory to a young person who spent so much time over many years of his life at Coram’s Fields. 

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## **Celebrating diversity, inclusion, and community cohesion** 

Coram’s Fields has and always will be a place for all, a place that values the rich diversity of our local community and seeks to embed the lived experiences of our users and diverse staff team in our day to day work – ensuring our services reflect the community we serve. 

During the year, our various programmes, partnerships and events continued to support our commitment to being truly inclusive in all we do. 

Major strides forward in our partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) saw us deliver a wide programme of initiatives with clinical professionals, patients and their wider families. In February 2025, consultations with GOSH’s Young People’s Forum (YPF) provided invaluable feedback on our new Play Zone design, to ensure an accessible and inclusive experience for young people with additional needs. We were also delighted to welcome the GOSH team to our Out of School Club in May 2025, giving young people the opportunity to explore how child friendly labelling can support young people’s understanding of the medication they are on. 


Our own extensive free events programme provided the perfect opportunity to bring the whole community together, and we were also delighted to work with partners Spread A Smile, Kings Cross and Brunswick Neighbourhood Association, The Place Dance Studio 


and Kith and Kids Disability group to deliver an extensive programme of community events during the year. In November, our fireworks event saw 7,000 people descend on Coram’s Fields for a bonfire night extravaganza, and the chance for local community groups to showcase their talents, from Camden disability dance group, I can Dance and St Albans Primary School choir, to a talented graduate of our youth music programme. 

A continued rise in young people struggling with their mental health saw us intensify pastoral support across our services, and for our staff team. Our work with young people at risk of youth violence through Project 10/10 saw us deliver over 20 hours of weekly clinical psychology support, alongside clinical supervision for our Youth Team. In May 2025, our collaboration with North London NHS Trust also brought together practitioners and leaders from New Horizons Youth Centre and the Vanguard Community Mental Health Team for a day exploring the value of embedded trauma informed practice. 

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“So many play parks in one spot and so much choice for the little one. We love the secret little garden over in the back corner! There’s also plenty of seating and grass area for picnics in the summer months” - Parent 


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## Case Study 

## **Tackling Financial Hardship** Reema’s Story 

Reema, a local resident and pensioner, was facing serious financial hardship and had been attending the Pantry, a local food bank for several months. Relying solely on pension credit, she was struggling to cover basic living costs, with her water bills in particular becoming an increasing source of worry. 

Martha, the Community Manager at the Pantry referred Reema to our Community Outreach Programme, recognising her need for additional support. With English as a second language, Reema relied heavily on her daughter to translate for her, so Katrina, our Community Outreach Coordinator met with them both to understand the financial challenges Reema was facing, and importantly, how she could help her navigate them. 

Katrina worked patiently with Reema and her daughter to gather information about her financial situation before contacting Thames Water on Reema’s behalf. An income and expenditure assessment completed with the team at Thames Water emphasised the significant financial hardship she was experiencing, leading to discussions around what support could be offered. 


Within just one call, Katrina managed to get Reema signed up to the Water Help Scheme, reducing her monthly bill by 50% and setting up a monthly, affordable payment plan. She also managed to convince Thames Water to issue Reema with a payment card, so she could pay her bills through Pay Point, something she was far more comfortable with. 

The outcome was huge for Reema. Having spent several months worrying about how she could pay her bills, she now has the security and peace of mind she needs, relieving her financial pressures and improving her overall wellbeing. 

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## **Our Community Spaces** 

## **A back garden for all** 

Our seven acre green oasis continued to provide a safe sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of its urban surroundings, with over 150,000 children and families visiting throughout the year. 

With so many of our families living in flats, and without access to outdoor space, our park served as a back garden for many, offering a warm, welcoming space for families to relax, build social connections and play. 

Open-ended, outdoor play is a common childhood experience, often revoked from hospitalised children. Coram’s Fields allowed me to facilitate and witness the simple joy of a young, hospitalised child feeling grass for the first time in months as he played in the open spaces 

-Emily Stone, Senior Health Play Specialist, Great Ormond Street Hospital 


The arrival of our new nature play trail in June 2024 extended our play offer and gave children even more opportunities to connect with nature, whilst our wildlife garden and thriving resident bee colony continued to support the biodiversity of our park, further enriching our growing spaces and offering up some of London’s best urban honey! 

Our dedicated community and corporate volunteers continued to play a key role in maintaining our green spaces during the year - producing a bumper crop of harvest and ensuring Coram’s Fields remained a green jewel in the heart of central London, for families to enjoy all year round. 

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## **Our Community Hubs** 

Coram’s Fields plays a vital role in providing affordable space for local families and community organisations, helping to foster activities that bring people together and make our neighbourhood a more vibrant and welcoming place to live. 

This year, we hosted 124 children’s birthday parties—more than two a week—giving local young people the chance to celebrate and have fun with their friends and families in a safe and joyful environment. 

We were proud to support and promote a wide range of local clubs and activities. Alongside our popular Country Dance Day for children and The Place’s annual Family Dance Day event, we were home to a regular Tango group offering both lessons and social dancing, as well as a monthly Salsa class that brought people together through music and movement. 


We love to support and celebrate the diversity of our community. In addition to the annual Mela event celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the area, we were also delighted to host a group offering antenatal classes for the local Japanese community. 

And, this year, we were especially pleased to have expanded our support for local schools beyond outdoor sports facilities, to hosting school discos and a special immersive planetarium experience that brought the wonders of space to life for local pupils. 


We have been proud to serve as the home and headquarters of the 8th Holborn Scouts since 1936. This deep-rooted partnership remained central to our mission of supporting young people in our community. We continued to offer our two halls free of charge, three evenings a week to Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Guides, and Brownies. These groups, open to all, help young people develop essential life skills and build confidence through hands-on learning and new experiences. From their base at Coram’s Fields, the young people regularly venture beyond London on trips to places like the Severn Valley, the New Forest, and Cornwall—taking part in camping, climbing, kayaking, sailing, and cycling. Every adventure is planned and prepared right here, reinforcing our commitment to being a launchpad for local young people. 


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## **Our Community Services** 

## **Active Lives, Stronger Minds** Sports Development Programme 

**567 girls and young women engaged 220 hrs of free sport delivered in local schools 1060 young people attended sporting events 54 young people with additional needs received targeted intervention** 

With child obesity in London continuing to rise (26% of all Yr 6 children) and an increasing prevalence of young people facing mental health struggles (1 in 5 diagnosed), the role of our sports programme in creating and embedding healthy, active lives had never been more important. During the year, the programme significantly expanded its reach and impact, directly benefiting hundreds of young people across Camden and neighbouring boroughs. 

The expansion of our school-based provision enabled us to grow participation levels, working with 50-60 young people weekly and widening our efforts to embed physical activity in children’s lives, and dismantling barriers to participation. 

Our Special Educational Needs (SEND) support at Argyle Primary School supported over 22 young people with a range of additional needs. The programme, in its fifth year, developed alongside the school’s inclusive learning team, provided an alternative learning environment for young people, using sport as a tool for engagement and 


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## **Community Services** 

providing bespoke mentoring to build student’s confidence and mental wellbeing. 

Our commitment to empowering young women through sport continued. Our growing partnership with New Horizons Youth Homeless Charity, saw us team up with local college, Westminster Kingsway, to deliver weekly female only football sessions for 16 - 25 year olds. Creating a safe and inclusive space remained a major focus, and we were delighted to see young people reaping the benefits of the new sessions, and the sense of belonging they created, for a group who often feel disenfranchised from society. 

In May, our girls and young women’s (GAYW) sports days, saw nearly 100 young people descend on Coram’s Fields for a day packed full of free sporting activities. Inspired by the presence of England rugby player Ellie Boatman and Olympic swimmer Alice Dearing, girls from seven local schools mixed up the conventional offerings of football, basketball, and rounders, with Reggae Aerobics and Street Dance. 

Food poverty remained a significant issue for so many of our families, so we were thrilled to continue our partnership with the Felix Project and the Mayors Fund for London during the year. The project delivered 600 free meals across four half terms to families in need, playing a small but important role in alleviating the financial pressures on families grappling with the ongoing cost of living crisis. 

The expansion of our schoolbased provision enabled us to grow participation levels, working with 50-60 young people weekly 


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**Community Services** 

## **Inspiring Young Futures** Youth Programme 

**588 young people accessed our Youth Programme** 

- **45 Young people supported into employment** 

- **31 Young people moved onto further education and training 33 Young people received clinical community mental health support Over 200hrs of dedicated support for girls and young women** 


Demand on our Youth Programme skyrocketed during the year, with 588 young people accessing our growing programme of services. The arrival of our new Girls Group Lead, Moji, in August 2024, strengthened our support for girls and young women (GAYW), as we continued to buck the trends in female participation, with GAYW making up 45% of those attending. With such an active cohort, we were delighted to see our GAYW invited to the Camden Youth Assembly in January 2025 to help shape Camden’s model for a borough of safety. 

The year brought major successes for those seeking employment, with an expanding network of partners including; Google, Sunbelt Rentals and Deckers providing a wealth of opportunities for young people. Our mentoring scheme with Payne Hicks Beach, saw 3 young people take their first step towards a legal career, whilst digital skills clinics, delivered by Alt Han, extended young people’s digital knowledge into the business world. 

demystification, and workshops tackling the growing issue of phone-based gambling. In July 2024, Project Wellbeing’s Founder, Chris Gawar, shared his first-hand experience and journey to recovery and in November 2024, ‘Red Card’ delivered a series of interactive workshops for young people. 

A packed summer holiday programme saw 180 young people take part in a host of activities, culminating in our first residential in over five years, and 20 young people heading to Woodrow House for three days of outdoor activities and team building. 

Tackling gambling harms, including the impact on young people’s mental and physical health, was a growing part of our work. Funding from Gamble Aware enabled us to extend our support through 1:1 mentoring, addiction 

Our mentoring scheme with Payne Hicks Beach, saw 3 young people take their first step towards a legal career. 

Our Black History month celebrations in October saw us work with Deckers Brand, giving young people the opportunity to meet a network of inspiring Black CEOs and executives. In December young people’s achievements were recognised at the Jack Petchey Awards, and we were delighted to see two young people, supported through our music programme, perform live on stage. A visit from DJ AJ in January 2025 topped off a great year, providing a platform for young people to showcase their talents to his 534k social media following. 

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Case Study 

## **Mentee to Mentor** Lara’s Story 

Lara, aged 15, first joined our girls’ football sessions around 2 years ago – her Dad is an avid footballer and had played at Coram’s Fields for years, so when he found out about our girl's programme, he encouraged her to attend. 

From her very first session, it was clear Lara had a huge passion for the game, but her lack of confidence, not helped by her difficulties at school, where friendships were hard to come by, were getting in the way of her achieving her full potential. Lara’s struggles with body confidence and self-esteem had become a daily challenge, and she would regularly doubt herself. 

Over the years, our Sports Team provided dedicated support and mentoring, gradually building Lara’s confidence and encouraging her to try new things, including supporting the team to deliver sessions, which quickly saw her become a role model for younger children. 

The transformation in her confidence over the last year, both on and off the pitch, has been nothing short of sensational. Now 15, Lara is one of the most consistent and dedicated players in the team, 


always arriving early and never missing a session, rain, or shine. In June 2024, we were delighted when the fruits of her labour saw her appointed as Captain of her school football team - a responsibility she grabbed with both hands. 

In July 2025, Lara will start a two-week work experience placement with our sports team, where she’ll have the opportunity to further craft her coaching skills and support other young people as they embark on journey’s similar to hers. Needless to say, we can’t wait to have her join the team! 

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**Community Services** 

## **Making Every Day an Adventure** Out of School Club 

**20 free places for children on Child Protection/Children in Need plans 314 children accessed our after school and holiday clubs** 

**33 children received free holiday scheme places** 

**7 children received 1:1 mentoring** 


The impact of our Out of School Club has always extended far beyond providing high quality, affordable childcare, and 2024/25 was another year in which our families reaped the benefits of our family centred, child first approach. In August 2024, we completed the move to make the OSC independent of our Nursery with Ofsted, as part of our commitment to quality assurance and continual reflective practice. 

During the year, our work with families in need provided essential respite for parents, whilst giving young people a structured and supportive environment in which they could thrive, outside of school. We were delighted to provide dedicated 1:1 support for seven children, all of whom had high functioning autism and it was a joy to see them all grow and develop during the year with the support of the team. 

Our collaboration with local Play Providers, tackled some of the growing recruitment challenges in the sector and the loss of funded play worker training. The development of a new pre- apprenticeship scheme gave young people the chance to dip their toes into the world of play work, delivering a five-month training programme for six young people, one of whom graduated to join the team as a sessional Play Worker. 

Our partnerships continued to grow, each bringing their own unique benefits. We teamed up with St Joseph’s school to extend the reach of our after school scheme; our work with City Junior School led to a new gardening project in April 2024 and an interactive planetarium 

experience for children; and a new collaboration with the Garden Cinema, gave 70 of our children the ultimate cinema experience! 

In September 2024, new wraparound funding from Camden provided some much-needed financial support, enabling us to extend the role of our Senior Play Worker, and creating more time for planning and the marketing of our after school service. 

Our jam packed summer holiday scheme, saw an average of 65 children a day take advantage of a fantastic programme of activities, with trips to Stepney City Farm, bowling, ice skating and kayaking among the highlights! 

On 7th August, our Play Day event once again highlighted the crucial role of play in creating healthy, happy childhoods, with the theme ‘making every day an adventure’ providing the inspiration for another hugely successful play fest! 


**Our jam packed summer holiday scheme saw an average of 65 children a day take advantage of a fantastic programme of activities.** 

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**Community Services** 

## **Play, Support, Belong** Under 5s Drop-In 

## **758 different parents visited during the year 700+ hours of free support for families** 

Our Under 5s Drop-in continued to provide free and essential support for families in our community throughout the year. Beyond the many benefits of play, the service offered crucial respite for parents and carers of under 5s, including a growing number of dads - fostering a support network that extended far beyond the walls of Coram’s Fields. 

Stronger strategic ties and a growing awareness of the service within Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) led to an increase in families from GOSH benefitting from support, and the offer of a much needed sanctuary, for patients and siblings, away from the clinical hospital setting. 


The year has seen a growing number of regular users access the service, strengthening relationships between parents and carers and creating a vibrant micro community. It was particularly exciting to see families sharing knowledge and insights; from information on free local services, such as Camden’s short break programme, to peer parenting tips and advice. 


Our weekly programme of activities remained a cornerstone of the Drop In's success. Our painting and messy play sessions gave little ones the opportunity to get creative and express themselves, whilst our ‘Book Worm’ sessions, saw children, parents and carers immerse themselves into magical worlds of mystery and adventure. 


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## **Community Services** 

## **Giving Children the Best Start in Life** Community Nursery 

**46 children attended during the year** 

- **9 different nationalities represented** 

- **4 SEND children received specialist intervention** 

- **7 families received the Early Years Pupil Premium** 

A fantastic Ofsted inspection in June 2024 served up the best start to the year for our Nursery, and provided much deserved recognition for the team, who had worked tirelessly to re-establish the service as one of the best in Camden. Our focus on delivering the very best outcomes for children continued, supported by an increasingly engaged parent/carer base, high quality curriculum planning and the strength of our partnership work. 


Our Nursery has a proud history of supporting families from a wide range of backgrounds, and we were delighted to bring the benefits of this to our children during the year. Termly coffee mornings and parent led workshops, gave parents and carers the chance to spend quality time with their children and share their experiences and skills; from planting and vegetable growing to origami making and international story telling. 

Our support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) was also a focus during the year. Close working with Camden’s Inclusive Intervention Team (IIT) and the NHS Mosaic team supported the delivery of individualised education plans and enabled the team to implement targeted strategies for children. Play, continued to support children’s social and language skills and it was wonderful to see the progress of so 

many, and in particular, the impact on children’s confidence in forming friendships with others. 

A packed events and activity programme provided the opportunity for children to develop their understanding of the world around them. The arrival of two new pet fish offered much excitement and the chance to learn more about marine life. Our Chinese New Year celebrations saw children make lanterns and explore the signs of the zodiac, whilst our butterfly project saw children learn about the four stages of the life cycle, before setting the butterflies off on their newest adventure. 

Our partnership with our community sports team kept children active throughout the year through fun, weekly games sessions, and we were delighted to see our growing spaces bloom under the expert eye of the children and our green fingered team and parents! 

In July 2024, 32 parents joined us for our biggest trip of the year to London Zoo, offering up the perfect end to the academic year and our final get together before saying farewell to our latest school bound crop! 


A fantastic Ofsted inspection provided much deserved recognition for the team. 

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## **Community Services** 

## **Food for Life** Our Café 

Our Café is managed entirely in-house by our dedicated Café Manager, Kelly. It operates as a social enterprise, with any profit reinvested directly into our park, programmes, and services. 

The Café plays a central role in making the park a welcoming, family-friendly destination. It offers parents and carers a comfortable, social space to relax while their children enjoy the park, helping foster a sense of community and encouraging children to spend more time playing outdoors. 

This year, we focused on making the Café a more vibrant and welcoming space. We added new brightly coloured benches and fresh planting to create a fun, relaxed atmosphere, and encourage more visitors to stop by and stay a little longer. 


Over the year, we continued to develop a range of events and seasonal activities to draw local families into the park and Café, particularly outside of the busy summer months. In January, our Kick Start Your New Year campaign challenged local families to work off their Christmas treats, with light-walk laps of the park - rewarding their efforts with healthy snacks from the Café. Our Easter Egg Hunt in April was another major highlight, drawing over 100 local children to the park to search for eggs to receive a free prize. 

We also continued to support the Mayor of London’s Future Ready initiative - providing free healthy snacks each week to 20 young people taking part in a bespoke Coram’s Fields Sports Programme. The initiative supported children identified as being at risk of school exclusion, offering mentoring, structured activity, and positive engagement, while also reinforcing the value of a healthy lifestyle. 

Beyond its daily role, the Café supports affordable community events and celebrations, providing catering for children's parties held in our halls and under the colonnades during the summer months. It also played a key role in supporting our corporate engagement efforts, catering for over 120 volunteers who joined us throughout the year. 

We continued to support the Mayor of London’s Future Ready initiative, providing free healthy snacks each week to 20 young people. 

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## Stronger Together 

Strong partnerships across the voluntary, public, and private sectors enabled us to broaden our reach and deepen our impact, delivering some fantastic outcomes for young people during the year. 

The strengthening of collaborations with local businesses saw several young people from our Youth Employment programme gain invaluable voluntary and paid work experience. We were also delighted to host a range of corporate volunteering opportunities, offering employees the chance to give back and see first-hand the impact of our work; from volunteering at Play Day and Fireworks, to helping maintain our seven-acre park. Our collaboration with Ciao Bella and the Lambs Conduit Street Traders also continued to thrive, with Patrizia and her wonderful team helping raise just under £11,000 through our now famous Christmas raffle. 

Relationships with local schools remained at the forefront of our work. We were once again thrilled to work closely with tens of primary and secondary schools, ensuring our programmes and services reached those most in need. Our Young Women’s Sports Days in June 2024 attracted over 85 girls and young women from 3 local schools; our Country Dance Day in July 2024 saw 280 primary school children show off their best dance moves, whilst our Out of School Club provided affordable childcare to families from 5 local schools, through our dedicated after school pick up service. 

Our role in the Play Providers Network also ensured we remained at the heart of the play sector in Camden, providing a regular forum for sharing best 

practice and promoting collaboration. This included the development of a new pre-apprentice training programme for young leaders and a successful bid to the Holiday Activity Fund, extending our offer of free childcare for families on low incomes. 

Our new Community Outreach Programme, funded by Cadent, was also a major highlight. The development of multiple new partner relationships brought some exceptional outcomes for families, through the provision of a wide range of support from debt management and income maximisation to carbon monoxide awareness. 

Our commitment to addressing serious youth violence also continued, as did our role in the Youth Safety Task Force – working with partners including the police, NHS, Camden’s Gang’s and Serious Youth Violence team, and a host of voluntary sector partners, to coordinate work to address violent crime across the borough. 

We were also thrilled to continue our strong working relationships with local councillors and were delighted to receive support from both the Holborn and Covent Garden (HCG) and Kings Cross wards towards our new play tower, unveiled in October 2024. The HCG team also stepped in to support a campaign to install a new air conditioning unit in our music studio to address a growing heat issue - ensuring young people could get back into the studio after a period of unavoidable closure. Looking forward, both wards commitment to our next play transformation project will ensure we continue to lead the way in children’s play in London and beyond. 

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## Understanding Our Impact 

During the year, our commitment to understanding the difference our work made to the lives of young people continued. A strong culture of reflective practice and learning was supported by the use of a range of quality assurance tools and processes, that helped shape and understand our work, from user data insights to focus groups, consultations and learning through co-production. 

Plinth, our Community Impact platform, enabled us to deepen our understanding of our impact through the tracking of key outputs and outcomes, and by collating data across our services. This included the impact of our new community outreach programme which worked with a host of children, young people, parents and carers from all our services. We were also able to benefit significantly from the use of Cadent’s own Energy Network Association Calculator, which enabled us to demonstrate the collective value of our work by drawing on insights across multiple interventions. 

A focus on maintaining and building trusting relationships with young people ensured we were able to remain young people led in all our work, whilst supporting our partners to do the same. We were delighted to see several young people represent Coram’s Fields on funding 

panels for local funder, Camden Giving – placing them at the heart of funding decisions affecting their own community and as an integral part of the evaluation process. 

The strengthening of relationships with GOSH was invaluable in shaping our understanding of the benefits that Coram’s Fields brings to inpatients and their families, through our strategic planning work, conversations with clinical professionals, families themselves, and various consultations. 

Digital and social media also began to play a bigger part in understanding our impact, with the growth of our digital profile enabling us to capture more stories and every day experiences of those we supported. 

Beat all my expectations. Can't believe such facilities and sports facilities were free for all the kids to use. So, impressed. My two boys 4 and 10 loved it. We spent at least 2-3 hours here & I had to bribe them with pizza to leave it was that good -parent 

## Our Commitment to Safeguarding 

Safeguarding is woven into every aspect of our work, ensuring that our seven-acre park remains a safe and welcoming space for children, and that our services offer a secure, supportive environment for local young people. We continued to uphold our core safeguarding principle: adults may only enter the park when accompanied by a child. The park is always staffed, reinforcing our commitment to providing a protected and nurturing space for all children and families. 

This year, we further strengthened our safeguarding systems by introducing a fully digital DBS application process. The transition made it significantly faster and more efficient for new staff to complete enhanced DBS checks before starting work. We continue to require all new employees to complete online safeguarding training as part of their induction, followed by in-person training within their first six months in post. All managers involved in recruitment are safer recruitment trained, ensuring safeguarding is prioritised from the earliest stages of employment. 

As part of our ongoing review of policies and practices, we expanded our safeguarding framework to include adult safeguarding. This important development reflects both the increasingly complex needs of families we support and the growth of our community outreach, advice, and support services. 

We maintained strong partnerships with local services including Early Years Intervention, Early Help, and Camden Mosaic to support families. Our involvement in Camden’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) enabled us to contribute directly to decisions in Child Protection and Child In Need cases, ensuring we play an active, accountable role in safeguarding at every level. Our safeguarding approach is underpinned by a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice. Our internal safeguarding leads meet every six weeks to share feedback, review cases, and discuss emerging concerns. These forums are a critical support network, helping staff navigate complex safeguarding challenges with confidence and consistency. 

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## Basis for Preparation 

Coram’s Fields is an unincorporated charitable trust with a Corporate Trustee, Coram's Fields Company Trustee Limited (a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 09001024). The Directors of the Corporate Trustee are responsible for the Charity’s governance. 

The Corporate Trustee presents its Annual Trustee's Report and the Financial Statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Charity's Trust Deed, the Charities Act 2016 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). 

## History 

The Charity occupies the site of the former Foundling Hospital which Captain Thomas Coram established in 1739 to provide a home for destitute and abandoned children. The main hospital building was demolished in 1926 leaving only the Georgian colonnaded buildings and lodges which had enclosed the hospital forecourt and lawns. A public campaign was launched by local people and well-wishers to save the Foundling site from proposed commercial development and turn it into a children’s playground. When sufficient funds were raised and the land finally acquired, the Foundling site was renamed Coram’s Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground and was officially opened in July 1936. Coram’s Fields has remained a centre for children and young people’s activities of all kinds ever since. The playground is located in the King’s Cross ward of the London Borough of Camden. 

## Objects of the Charity 

The Trust Deed stipulates that the land shall be preserved, developed and maintained in perpetuity as an open space for the welfare of children and young people. 

## Purpose 

To have a positive impact on the lives of children and young people in Holborn, King’s Cross, Bloomsbury and neighbouring areas. We do this by providing a safe haven for play and a stimulating range of programmes that support the cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of children of all ages. 

## Vision 

We will be the go-to place for local families, children and young people, widely known for the outstanding quality of our facilities and services, the diversity of our programmes and our responsiveness to the needs of our community. 

## Our Values 

The Charity’s work is underpinned by a set of core values that ensure its integrity in pursuit of its core mission, whilst also providing a clear framework for the development of the organisations’ work in the short, medium and long term. 

Safety: Our paramount concern is for the safety of children and young people and of our users. 

- Inclusion: We strive to ensure that Coram’s Fields, and the services that it offers, are equally accessible to all the children and young people of our community. 

- Partnership: We constantly seek to gain greater understanding of the strengths and the potential of individual users and their communities, and to work with them in continually improving the services that we offer. 

- Sustainability: We aim to deliver consistently good value for money and to use our resources in ways that benefit existing users without compromising the well-being of future generations. 

- Accountability: We are committed to measuring the impact of our work and actively encourage users and the local community to hold us to account for our stewardship of Coram’s Fields 

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## Public Benefit 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee confirm that they have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Trust’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities. 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee ensure that the charitable purpose and aims of the Charity are carried out for the public benefit by delivering services to any and all children and young people who visit Coram’s Fields. The structure of the Charity’s Annual Trustee's Report allows the Charity to report each year on the core services that the Charity delivers. 

## Achievements and Performance 

2024/25 was another successful year for the charity. 

Our seven-acre park continued to provide free access to some of the best and safest play, sport and recreational facilities in London, enjoyed by over 150,000 families throughout the year. Our sports, youth and children’s programmes and services welcomed, supported and impacted the lives of 3,921 individual local young people and children. Our park was host to a range of major community events, from the ever-popular free fireworks display and Playday celebration to cultural highlights like the Camden Mela and Family Dance Day. Together, these gatherings brought over 16,000 visitors to the park, creating shared experiences and helping to make the area a more vibrant, diverse and engaging place to live. 

A key highlight of the year was the work we were able to do with the support of Cadent, providing income advice to over 14,000 local individuals and families, and supporting almost 400 local people with loneliness and isolation support. 

Our services continued to adapt and evolve in response to the needs of the young people and families we support, with significant improvements to our nursery facilities, new outreach support programmes in response to community needs, and new park equipment. 

We also continued to invest in our park and facilities, including over £198,000 of capital improvements to buildings, health and safety improvements, park and play equipment. 

## Financial Review 

The majority of the charity’s income is generated through secured grants, trading activities, and fees from service delivery. Our approach to budgeting is highly cautious, and each year we carefully manage our exposure to less certain in-year grants and revenue in our initial budget, only recognising opportunities with a high degree of certainty. In March 2024, the Board approved the 2024/25 internal budget with a planned deficit of £13,715, anticipating this to be closed through in-year opportunities, but at the same time approving the exposure to less certain financial levers. This shortfall comprised a deficit of £19,937 in unrestricted activities and unspent funding of £6,223 for restricted activities to be carried forward to 2025/26. 

Our Nursery started the year with a forecast £17,091 deficit reflecting the uncertainty of the new intake to replace children leaving to go to primary school. The team worked tirelessly over the year to improve both the facilities of the nursery as well as building on the diverse and exciting range of on and off-site activities. As a result, the intake of new children was much higher than anticipated, moving the nursery back towards capacity, and exiting the year with a £62,608 surplus. Positive numbers in the holiday scheme, alongside much-needed extra funding from Camden and income from the Holiday Activity Fund saw the OSC deliver a £15.4k surplus against a forecast £10.6k deficit at the start of the year. The positive outturn did however mask a decline in after school numbers and income, largely because of changing work habits and several families moving out of Central London. 

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With guaranteed rental income of £86.2k for the Wolfson Centre and £360k from Coram’s Fields Sport and Recreation for the sports pitches, overall income from trading activities finished £13.9k above the budget forecast. Café revenue was significantly lower than expected due to staffing challenges that affected opening hours during the busy summer period. However, we were once again grateful for £115k of income generated by Awesome Events’ Christmas marquee, along with revenue from other regular and ad-hoc park events, which more than offset this shortfall. Hall hire income finished slightly above budget, which was a positive outcome. 

Core grants from the Oak Foundation, Cadent, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Garfield Weston continued to provide a solid financial foundation for our programmes, services, and site. In addition, we received a significant and increased grant from Coram’s Fields Sports and Recreation. 

While our amazing outdoor space continues to bring joy and adventure to local children, it’s important to recognise the significant costs involved in maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming environment. Essential upkeep of the lawns, trees, and play equipment amounted to over £50k, with a similar amount spent on cleaning the buildings and toilets, recycling, sanitary services, and refuse collection. Utilities to run the site, services, and programmes cost over £80k, and general building maintenance, site materials and surveys and inspections required a comparable investment. Insurance and business rates added another £44,405. And all of this comes before the staff costs for the dedicated team who make it all happen. We continue to rely on the generosity of those who value our park and are in a position to contribute, so we can keep providing this wonderful space for everyone to enjoy. 

Our Youth Centre benefited from valuable targeted funding, including support from the Henry Smith Charity, GambleAware, Camden Giving and LBCamden. Additionally, we received a £19.7k grant from the Violence Reduction Unit Critical Incident Fund to support focused outreach work, bringing the total Youth Centre funding available for the year to over £400k. However, it is worth noting that nearly half of the 2024-25 funding for the Youth Centre has not been automatically renewed in 2025-26, which underlines the importance of developing more sustainable, long-term funding streams. 

Coram’s Fields is a site with a long and important heritage. As part of our ongoing commitment to capital improvements, the Board approved the transfer of £157,000 from the 2023/24 surplus and a further transfer of £173,000 from the anticipated 2024-25 surplus to a Designated Capital Fund (DCF).  We continued to invest across our community spaces throughout the year, spending £91.1k from the DCF, supplemented by other grants and project-specific funding. 

Key capital works included the new play tower in the adventure playground, the first phase of stonemasonry works on the front facade, the installation of a new fire detection and alarm system, essential and urgent drainage improvements that were raised as part of our site survey, as well as some recommended maintenance of the paddling pool. 

Overall, we ended the year in a considerably stronger financial position than forecast, reporting a surplus on unrestricted activities of £307.0k , before year-end accounting adjustments required for the statutory accounts. With core and restricted funding expected to decline in 2026/27, this surplus is, at least, some protection against future funding challenges, most notably a more challenging trusts and foundations landscape for the Youth Programme. It also allows us to put money into the Designated Capital Fund for essential repairs and site development. With a balance in the Designated Capital Fund at the year-end of £296.3k, the Board has ensured resources are available to support future capital works, including essential repairs to roofs and buildings, as well as the inevitable replacement of the 3G pitch in the coming years, for which £100k has been specifically ringfenced. 

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## Total Funds and Free Reserves Position 

The Charity holds total funds of £3,288,194 at 31st March 2025 (2024: £3,083,686). Of these funds, £1,443,307 (2024: £1,493,986) is held as permanent endowment, representing the original cost of the land and buildings, held in trust, plus additions and improvements, less accumulated depreciation. 

Restricted funds, not available for the general purposes of the Charity, are: 

- Capital funds of £40,220 (2024: £21,368) restricted to expenditure on planned future capital works; and Revenue funds of £197,656 (2024: £239,097) covering programmes where income has been received in advance of expenditure in the next financial year, or where unspent funding has been carried over, because activities were not fully delivered. 

The Charity’s unrestricted funds (free reserves) carried forward at the end of the year comprise: 

- General funds of £1,112,737 (2024: £1,151,943). 

- The designated fixed asset fund of £190,740 (2024: £89,654) representing the net book value of the Charity’s tangible fixed assets which could only be realised by disposing of those assets. 

- A designated capital fund of £296,313 (2023: £57,395) maintained by the Directors to deliver improvements to the Charity’s historic grounds and Grade II listed community buildings. 

- The amount of £7,221 unspent (2024: £30,243 unspent) from a legacy of £39,080, received in 2020/21. This will be spent in due course. 

## Reserves Policy 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee review their reserves policy annually. Given the inherently uncertain nature of the charity’s future funding, the Directors consider that the appropriate level of unrestricted general funds to hold is equivalent to six month's planned operating expenditure from such funds for the following year. The reserves policy is reviewed with consideration of the principal risks facing the Charity, the likelihood of these risks materialising and the financial impact that this would have on the Charity. 

At 31 March 2025, the general fund position of £1,112,737 represents almost exactly 6 months of current forecast operating expenditure from unrestricted general funds for 2025/26. Budgeted funding is considered broadly secure for 2025/26 and a planned increase in capital spending will be funded from the DCF. Accordingly, the Directors believe that the current level of general reserves is appropriate within the context of the reserves policy. 

## Investments Policy 

Surplus cash which is not required in the short to medium term is deposited in fixed term savings accounts with maturity of between 3 and 12 months. Upon maturity, future cash requirements are assessed to inform reinvestment decisions. Directors do not anticipate investing in anything other than fixed term savings accounts. 

## Pension Liability 

The Charity operates a defined benefit pension scheme, eligible to staff employed before May 2013, as a member of the London Pensions Fund Authority’s multi-employer scheme. An alternative defined contribution pension scheme with Aviva is open to all staff and used for auto-enrolment. 

The actuarial valuation of the LPFA pension fund in accordance with FRS102 at 31 March 2025 was completed in May. It showed the Charity’s share of the scheme’s assets and liabilities to have increased significantly from a net asset of £425,000 a year ago to £633,000. Rather than showing a pension fund asset, the trustees have, in common with many other organisations, valued the charity's share at 31st March 2025 at nil. In April 2023, the 

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percentage contribution required from the charity was reduced from 25.3% to 14.9%, which will remain the rate until March 2026. 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee are aware that, in common with final salary pension funds across the public and voluntary sector, the liability changes significantly from year to year. The Directors and their professional advisers will continue to monitor the situation and consider the provision which needs to be made. 

## Going Concern 

In order to assess whether the Charity is a going concern, the Directors have considered the current level of reserves, the most recent forecast for 2025/26, an indicative deficit budget for 2026/27 and the resulting anticipated reserves position at the end of March 2027. 

In reviewing these forecasts, the Directors have examined the underlying assumptions, particularly in relation to the performance of our income generating activities and consider that there are no other reasonable material uncertainties. 

The Charity has sufficient unrestricted general reserves to cover projected deficits to March 2027 and sufficient funds to be able to settle financial obligations as they fall due during this period. The Directors believe that the immediate future of the Charity is secure for at least the next 18 months and that on this basis the Charity is a going concern. 

## Fundraising 

During the financial year, Coram’s Fields employed two full time fundraisers, a Head of Fundraising and Communications and a Fundraising Officer. In May 2025, we appointed to a new role of Fundraising and Communications Assistant. These three roles constituted the principal fundraising resource for the Charity and along with the CEO, were responsible for overseeing all fundraising activity in the year. 

No professional fundraisers were appointed to carry out any fundraising activity on behalf of the Charity. Coram’s Fields used online platforms during the year to support its fundraising, these included: JustGiving and Committed Giving. The Charity did not raise any funds through a commercial participator. 

Coram’s Fields remained a member of the Fundraising Regulator and our fundraising practices throughout the year were compliant with the Code of Fundraising Practice. Direct fundraising requests to individuals in the year were largely limited to online campaigns and through events and the Charity did not carry out any street/door to door/telephone fundraising. To ensure that the Charity protects vulnerable people and other members of the public in the course of our fundraising, we regularly review our fundraising practices. The Charity received no complaints during the year in relation to any aspect of its fundraising. 

## Principal Risks and Uncertainties 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee confirm that the major risks to which the Charity is exposed have been identified and reviewed and systems established to mitigate those risks. The risk management review considered risks under the headings of governance, operational, financial, external and compliance risks to the organisation, and the control procedures in place, which include internal procedures and inspections by external agencies such as OFSTED. 

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- Safeguarding – The risk and implications of any safeguarding incident occurring. Mitigated by clear and robust safeguarding policies, effective dissemination, regular training for all staff and the embedding of a strong culture of safeguarding across the charity. 

- Health and safety – Risk and implication of any physical injury to staff and users. Mitigated by registration with regulatory bodies, regular health, safety and compliance checks, regular policy and risk reviews, robust staff training programme and appropriate insurance cover. 

- Fundraising – Unsatisfactory returns from fundraising activity to support capital development plans and build a more sustainable funding base. Mitigated by regular review of financial performance and investment of any year-end surplus into the Designated Capital Development Fund. Plans in place to cover maternity leave in the fundraising team in 25/6. Uncertainty around future service funding leads to reductions in staffing resource and the need to rationalise the team (links to HR risks) - specific risk to Youth Programme in 26/27. Contingency plans agreed for scenario-based reductions in service delivery costs including staffing levels within Youth Programme. 

- Buildings and Facilities – Further deterioration to the fabric of our buildings, facilities and estate - Mitigated by delivering planned capital improvements, the development of a long-term preventative maintenance plan, and securing investment from funding bodies, pro bono support and the diversification of unrestricted income. 

- Nursery and Out of School Club - The ongoing risk for both services of low attendance and the potential draw on our reserves to subsidise the services. Mitigated by the continuous improvement of facilities, strong marketing and communication plans and the strengthening of partnerships with local schools and community groups. 

- Cost of living – The fallout of the cost of living crisis on people’s disposable income and subsequent impact on income generated through our fee paying/commercial services, as well as increased demand on our free services. Mitigated by regular review of fee based services, effective marketing, and promotion of services to maximise income and the development of new funding opportunities and resource to meet increased service demand. 

- Inflation - The ongoing challenge of high product and service costs as a result of previous high rates of inflation, and its impact on our general fund expenditure. Mitigated by carrying out cost comparisons, competitive tender processes (where appropriate) and rate negotiations. 

- Recruitment - The challenging recruitment market (being an employee favoured market) and the Charity’s ability to retain existing staff and recruit new staff into key positions, within the charity’s financial constraints. Mitigated by regular review of employee benefits, career development opportunities and effective and targeted recruitment, including the use of recruitment agencies where appropriate. 

- Pension - The implications for Coram’s Fields of fluctuating pension surpluses and deficits. Mitigated by alternative pension provision, appropriate reserves policy and treatment of valuation, and regular communication with LPFA and auditors. 

## Factors Affecting Future Financial Performance 

Future financial performance depends heavily on our ability to renew and replace core grant funding, while continuing to invest in and grow our commercial assets and income. Competition for grants continues to intensify, and, as we work hard to diversify and grow income from alternative sources, we are finding our income levels are too high for certain grant streams, limiting opportunities. Rising staff costs, alongside increasing prices for utilities and essential services, create a perennial challenge—requiring us to raise more funding each year just to stand still. The heritage status of our site adds further complexity, with listed buildings making maintenance and repairs particularly costly. Securing meaningful support to preserve and protect this history is therefore crucial. At the same time, local demographic shifts may influence demand for our services, and our ability to adapt quickly and effectively will be key. Sustained backing from members of the community who are able to contribute financially remains vital. 

The charity is entering 2025/26 with a larger budget deficit than previous years, with a total shortfall of £123,476. 

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This includes an unrestricted funds deficit of £67,196, reflecting several key factors. The cost of utilities and necessary services have increased significantly over the last year. While the Nursery performed exceptionally well this year, we are expecting the departure of 15 children over the summer. Eight new children are already enrolled, and our budget is based only on confirmed places and those highly likely to join. Anticipated grant income from CFSR has been forecast slightly lower than last year which saw both revenue for in-year hires and significant collected debt from the previous year. And the Out-of-School Club is also facing additional staffing costs due to maternity leave cover. 

The overall budget deficit for next year also includes a shortfall of £56,280 in restricted funds, all relating to the youth programme. Last year, the youth centre was supported by several one-off, short-term grants and donations. Renewing or replacing these with successful grant applications, along with securing larger core funding, are essential priorities in the months ahead to help reduce the overall deficit, and be able to maintain and grow the Youth Programme’s invaluable work. 

The Board and the senior team will need to closely monitor the performance of the Charity’s fundraising and commercial performance, and will need use this period of relative stability to grow further our unrestricted income streams. 

Specific factors affecting future financial performance over the next year are: 

- The development of new funder relationships and the renewal of existing core grants, most notably Cadent, that support core costs and important community outreach work. 

- Maintain high-quality Out-of-School and Holiday Programmes that continue to engage and attract children. 

- Our ability to hire out our halls and facilities when not used for service delivery, supporting the community with affordable space for children’s parties, clubs and events. 

- The continued development of our corporate partnerships, to grow financial support provided by current partners and the creation of new partnerships. 

- Continued development of the Nursery’s facilities and programme to ensure it remains market-leading and attractive to new families. 

- The successful development of new funding relationships and stewardship of existing funders to support the delivery of our Sports and Under 5s programme, to enable further contributions to our core costs. 

- Successful fundraising towards our planned capital programme to offset the use of our reserves to deliver essential improvements across the site. 

- Opportunities to increase income earned through park hires and collaboration on events that align to our mission. 

- The successful delivery of a financially sustainable café service, linked in part to growth in event hire catering, catering for volunteer days and children’s parties. 

- The impact of further changes to inflationary costs on the supply of goods and services and organisational salaries. 

- Further potential reductions in interest rates and the impact of this on our fixed rate investments returns. Maintaining income raised through our major donor programme, the Patrons Circle. 

- The regular review of the Charity’s cost base and the successful implementation of efficiency savings across the organisation. 

## Plans for the Future 

As we look to the year ahead, high demand on our services is expected to continue, particularly through our work with older young people, whilst the development of plans to set out the future vision of Coram’s Fields will build a blueprint for how our spaces can best support the next generation of children and families. 

Financial sustainability remains a priority, with rising costs placing greater strain on our finances and the prospect of a challenging period ahead, as we look to navigate the cumulative effect of these and an increasingly difficult Trust and Foundation landscape. Further investments in our central team and our fundraising team are expected 

29 



to help close some of the £123k gap faced at the start of 25/26 but with income growth expected to be incremental, keeping pace with rising costs will remain a challenge. Specifically we will: 

## **Community Services and Impact:** 

Continue to work in partnership with children, young people and their families to develop our understanding of the challenges they face and the support we need to offer to help them navigate these. Specifically, we will develop new strategies for our free Youth and Sports programmes and build on the success of the first year of our Community Outreach Programme. We will further embed ourselves within the communities we serve, strengthening our most successful partnerships, whilst creating new opportunities for future collaboration to enhance support for local families. 

## **Finance and Fundraising:** 

We will seek to build the sustainability of our financial operating model through effective donor stewardship, development of new donor relationships, maximising existing commercial revenue and identifying new opportunities for commercial revenue growth. 

## **Buildings and Estates:** 

Complete a programme of capital developments, delivering significant improvements across our park, playgrounds and community facilities to improve our user experience. Specifically, we will; Install a new Junior Play Area, install a new purpose built kitchen in our community Band Hall, complete a large programme of timber restoration works and begin work to address the investment priorities identified in our recent building conditions survey. We will continue to develop our future vision for Coram’s Fields, working with staff and key stakeholders to understand the current and future needs of our users, and developing a principal led masterplan that supports the execution of these in future years. 

## **People and Culture:** 

We will harness the passion, talent and commitment of all our staff to ensure we are an organisation that people want to be a part of, whilst delivering even greater outcomes for our users. Specifically, we will seek regular feedback from staff through our annual survey, improve internal communications and utilise the wealth of knowledge and experience of the team to develop our new EDI framework. 

## **Digital:** 

Further raise the quality of our marketing and communications to drive growth and engagement across all our digital platforms, widening audience reach and raising our profile among key stakeholders. 

## **Infrastructure and Efficiencies:** 

Continue to review and update our policies, systems and processes to improve efficiency and effective working practices. 

## **Sustainability:** 

Continue to embrace our role and responsibility as a green space for children and young people in central London; driving environmental education and developing our sustainable practices across all our work areas. 

## Coram's Fields Sports and Recreation 

In May 2021 a new independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO - registered charity number 1194312) Coram’s Fields Sport and Recreation (CFSR) was set up to lease sports pitches from the charity. Two of the three Trustees of the CIO are existing Directors of Coram’s Fields Corporate Trustee, alongside a third independent Trustee. The first lease for the sports pitches between Coram’s Fields and CFSR ran between 1st June 2021 and 31st March 2024. This lease was renewed on 1st April 2024 and runs to March 2027. 

Full details of the transactions with CFSR, including grants to Coram’s Fields of £200,000 and £75,000 in December 2024 and March 2025 respectively, are set out within the financial statements. 

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## Structure, Governance and Management 

Coram’s Fields is an unincorporated charitable trust with a Corporate Trustee, Coram's Fields Company Trustee Limited. The Directors of the Corporate Trustee are responsible for the governance of the Charity. The Trust Deed dated 12 December 1935 and subsequently updated by Deed of Variation 7 September 2016, is the Charity’s constitution; it stipulates that the site should be held in trust in perpetuity to provide an open space, primarily in connection with the education and recreational needs of children and young people. The premises of Coram’s Fields are treated as a permanent endowment. 

## Organisational Structure 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee meet bi-monthly. A Finance sub-committee ensures that the Board has sufficient oversight of the Charity’s financial activities. It is a requirement of the Articles that a minimum of two Directors are parents or carers of children or young people who currently use our services. Presently, the Charity has three Directors that meet these criteria. 

The Chief Executive, who is also Secretary to the Trust, has responsibility for implementing the policies of the Corporate Trustee, dealing with the day-to-day running of the Charity and ensuring that agreed performance targets are met. 

## Recruitment and Appointment 

The Board establishes an appointments sub-committee to oversee the recruitment of new Directors. Coram’s Fields is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and new appointments are made through open recruitment. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, from a diverse range of backgrounds. We strive for our workforce including our Directors to be representative of the communities that we serve and we know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the families and children we work with. 

## Induction and Training 

New Directors are invited to visit Coram’s Fields to meet the Chief Executive for an introduction to Coram’s Fields which includes a tour of all our services, an introduction to staff, an outline of the organisational structure of the Charity and a briefing on the current aims and objectives of the Trust and the history of the playground. All Directors are provided with a copy of both the NCVO ‘Good Trustee’ Guide and the Charity Commission’s ‘Essential Trustee’ Guide. Frequent opportunities are provided for the Board to visit Coram’s Fields and to gain a more in-depth experience of what is provided. 

## Remuneration of Key Personnel 

The Directors consider the Board of Directors and the Senior Management Team as comprising the key management personnel of the Charity in charge of directing and controlling the Charity and running and operating the Charity on a day to day basis. All Directors give their time freely and no Director remuneration was paid in the year. Details of key management personnel expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in notes 9, 11 and 12 of the accounts. 

The pay of the Charity's Chief Executive and other members of the key management team is reviewed annually in relation to average earnings across the voluntary sector. In view of the nature of the Charity and its economy of operations, the Board of the Corporate Trustee considers that a multiple of up to three times the median average salary for UK employees is appropriate for the role of Chief Executive. The remuneration is also bench-marked with charities of a similar size and activity to ensure that the remuneration set is fair and not out of line with that generally paid for similar roles. 

Directors are required to disclose all relevant interests and register them with the Chief Executive and in accordance with the Trust's policy withdraw from decisions where a conflict of interest arises. 

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## Reference and Administrative Details 

**Registered office and place of business** 

93 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1DN 

**Registered Charity number** 

## **Governing document** 

Trust Deed dated 12 December 1935 and Deed of Variation dated 07 September 2016. 

## **President** 

Tamara Gray 

**Corporate Trustee** 

Coram’s Fields Company Trustee Limited (Company Registration number 09001024) 

## **Directors of the Corporate Trustee** 

Charlotte Robinson (Chair) Toni McDermott (Treasurer and Finance Committee) Michael Horowitz (Finance Committee) Gudrun Wolff (Finance Committee) Charlotte Lamont Azmina Siddique Alain Benoit Flatman Grace Maa 

Craig McWilliam (resigned 26th November 2024) Shaheen Mamun (resigned 25th March 2025) 

## Stuart Woods 

**Chief Executive** 

**Bankers** Lloyds Bank 88 Tottenham Court Road London W1T 4TH 

**Auditors** MHA Building 4, Foundation Park, Roxborough Way, Maidenhead, SL6 3UD **Solicitors** Edwin Coe Lincoln's Inn 2 Stone Buildings London WC2A 3TH 

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## Statement of Trustee's Responsibilities 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee are responsible for preparing the Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the Directors of the Corporate Trustee to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period. 

## **In preparing those financial statements, the Directors of the Corporate Trustee are required to:** 

- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; 

- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- State whether applicable United Kingdom accounting standards and Statements of Recommended Practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and 

- Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation. 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable it to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of its Scheme. It is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the detection and prevention of fraud and other irregularities. 

## Auditors 

The Charity’s auditors MHA have indicated their willingness to continue in office and offer themselves for reappointment. 

This report was approved on 9th September 2025 and signed by: 



Stuart Woods Toni McDermott Chief Executive Director (On behalf of Corporate Trustee) 

33 



Auditor's
Report

Auditor's Report 

## **Independent Auditor’s Report to the Trustee of Coram’s Fields & The Harmsworth Memorial Playground** 

## Opinion 

We have audited the financial statements of Coram’s Fields & The Harmsworth Memorial Playground (the 'Charity') for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

## In our opinion the financial statements: 

- give a true and fair view of the state of the Charity's affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended; 

have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. 

## Basis for opinion 

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the United Kingdom, including the Financial Reporting Council'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 Trustee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. 

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustee with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. 

## Other information 

The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report other than the  financial statements and our Auditor’s Report thereon. The Trustee is responsible for the other information contained within the Annual Report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other  information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. 

We have nothing to report in this regard. 

## Matters on which we are required to report by exception 

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: 

the information given in the Trustee’s Report is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or 

35 



Auditor's Report 

the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or 

we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. 

## Responsibilities of trustees 

As explained more fully in the Trustee’s Responsibilities Statement, the Trustee is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements which give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustee determines 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 Trustee is responsible for assessing the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustee either intends to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

## Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements 

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder. 

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an Auditor’s Report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. 

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: 

Enquiry of management around actual and potential litigation and claims; 

- Performing audit work over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for bias; 

Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance; 

Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations. 

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be  less likely to become aware of instances of noncompliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. 

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

## Use of our report 

This report is made solely to the Charity's trustee, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charity's trustee those matters we are required to state to them in an Auditor’s Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and its trustee, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 

## MHA 


Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors Maidenhead, United Kingdom 

## Date: 10 September 2025 

MHA is the trading name of MHA Audit Services LLP, a limited liability partnership in England and Wales (registered number OC455542) 

MHA are eligible to act as auditors in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006. 

36 



Financial
Statements
57

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## Statement of Financial Activities 

## For the year ended 31st March 2025 


All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities The annexed notes form part of these financial statements 

38 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## Balance Sheet 

## As as 31st March 2025 


The annexed notes form part of these financial statements 

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustee on 9th September 2025 and signed on its behalf by: .........................................................................................................TONI MCDERMOTT, Director (on behalf of the Corporate Trustee) .........................................................................................................STUART WOODS, Chief Executive 

39 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

For the year ended 31st March 2025 

## Statement of Cashflows 


The annexed notes form part of these financial statements 

40 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Notes to the Financial Statements 

For the year ended 31st March 2025 

## **1. Accounting Policies** 

## General information and basis of preparation 

The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. It is an unincorporated Trust registered with the Charity Commission in England & Wales. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) published in October 2019, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice. The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the Charity. 

The financial statements 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 the FRS 102 Charities SORP 2015 rather than the Charities SORP 2005 which has since been withdrawn. 

The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below.  These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated. 

## Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis 

In order to assess whether the Charity is a going concern, the Directors have considered the latest financial forecasts for the remainder of 2025-26 as well as projections made on a cautious basis for the year to March 2027.   In reviewing these forecasts, the Directors have examined the underlying assumptions and consider that there are no other reasonable material uncertainties. 

The Charity has sufficient unrestricted general reserves to more than cover projected losses to March 2027 and sufficient funds to be able to settle financial obligations as they fall due during this period. The Directors believe that the immediate future of the Charity is secure for at least the next 18 months and that on this basis the Charity is a going concern.  Accordingly, these financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. 

## Fund Accounting 

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Directors in furtherance of the general objects of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. 

Designated funds are unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Directors for particular purposes.  The aim and use of the designated fund is set out in note 18. 

Restricted funds are funds subject to specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. Where allowed by the donor, the cost of raising and administering such funds is charged against the specific fund.  The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Statutory grants which are given as contributions towards the Charity's core services are treated as unrestricted income. 

Endowment funds represents those assets that must be held permanently by the Charity. 

## Income 

All income is recognised once the Charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably. 

Income from government and other grants is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. 

Income which is subject to conditions before the Charity is entitled to the funds, is deferred and not recognised until those conditions are met. 

Donated goods and services are included at the fair value to the Charity where this can be quantified and a third party is bearing the cost.  In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102), no amounts are included in the financial statements for services donated by volunteers. 

## Expenditure 

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred. 

Shared direct costs are allocated between charitable activities according to the staff time spent on each activity. Support costs are the cost of functions that assist the work of the Charity but do not directly undertake charitable activity. They include finance, HR, IT and governance costs. Support costs are allocated between the cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities in proportion to the staff costs attributable to those activities. 

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## Termination Payments 

Termination benefits, including redundancy payments are recognised when the charity has the obligation to pay the benefits and they can be reliably measured. 

## Operating Leases 

Rental income receivable under operating leases is recognised on a straight line basis over the lease term. 

Rentals payable under operating leases, where substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership remain with the lessor, are charged to the statement of financial activities in the year in which they fall due. 

## Tangible fixed assets and depreciation 

Tangible fixed assets costing £1,500 or more are capitalised at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on the following straight line bases: 

Asset Category                                                                                                                     Annual Rate Premises, including additions and improvements (excluding land)                                             2% of cost Sports and play equipment                                                                                                12.5% of cost Other equipment                                                                                                                  20% of cost 

## Stock 

Stock is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value after making due allowance for obsolete and slow-moving stocks. 

## Debtors and creditors receivable / payable within one year 

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure. 

## Cash at bank and in hand 

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

## Investments 

Investments represent cash deposited on fixed terms with a maturity of between three and twelve months from the date of opening the account. 

## Financial instruments 

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

## Taxation 

The Charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010.  It therefore meets the definition of a charity for UK corporation tax purposes. 

## Pension arrangements 

The Charity operates a defined benefit plan (Local Government Pension Scheme – LGPS) for the benefit of its employees who joined before May 2013.  This is a defined benefit scheme operated by the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA).  A liability for the Charity’s obligations under the plan is recognised net of plan assets.  The net change in the net defined benefit liability is recognised as an actuarial gain or loss in the Statement of Financial Activities during the period.  Pension plan assets are measured at fair value and the defined benefit obligation is measured on an actuarial basis using the projected unit method.  Actuarial valuations are obtained triennially and are updated at each balance sheet date for the purposes of the preparation of the annual financial statements. 

At the year end, the fair value of the pension scheme assets is £2,158,000 which is £633,000 in excess of the present value of the defined benefit obligation of £1,525,000. When the scheme gives rise to a potential asset, the Charity is required to assess the basis for recognising an asset on the balance sheet against the FRS 102 criteria, this being ‘An entity shall recognise the plan surplus as a defined benefit asset only to the extent that it is able to recover the surplus either through reduced contributions in the future or refunds from the plan.’ In using the word ‘shall’, the emphasis is placed upon the Charity to consider the value of such an asset, rather than whether an asset should be recognised in the first instance. Accordingly, the Charity has considered the value at which they can benefit from either (1) refunds from the plan or (2) reduced contributions. As the Charity intends to continue to participate in the LGPS scheme, the likelihood of a refund being due has been deemed as remote and not practically achievable. Secondly, although the employer contributions have been reduced from 25.3% to 14.9% from 1 April 2023 until March 2026, the asset is not realisable due to there being only 2 active employees in the scheme. Accordingly, the Charity has not recognised the pension asset of £633,000 as at 31 March 2025. 

The Charity operates a defined contribution plan through Friends Life which all employees are entitled to join. It is the default scheme for autoenrolment.  Contributions are expensed as they become payable. 

Staff costs, including the cost of pension contributions, are allocated to activities according to an estimate of the time spent on each activity. Where staff posts are funded by restricted grants and donations, the cost, including the cost of pension contributions, will be allocated against these restricted funds. Otherwise, the cost of pension contributions is funded from unrestricted general funds. 

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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty 

The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have been made in the process of applying the above accounting policies that have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements: 

- Allocation of support costs 

- Depreciation rates for tangible fixed assets 

- Useful economic lives of assets 

- Pension scheme assumptions resulting in the valuation of the Scheme's assets 

## **2. Donations and grants** 


Donated goods and services comprised plant equipment in relation to the playtower from SCS, barriers for our annual fireworks display from Sunbelt Rentals, laptops for young people from Alt HAN Co and a meeting room tv from LexisNexus. 

The full comparable information for the prior year is set out in Note 26. 

## **3. Charitable activities** 


## **4. Other Trading Activities** 


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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

**5. Analysis of grants, contracts and donations by donor** 

At 31 March 2025, no unfulfilled conditions existed on funding from government and similar bodies (2024: None). 

44 

The full comparable information for the prior year is set out in Note 27. 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **6. Analysis of expenditure by activity** 


The full comparable information for the prior year is set out in Note 28. 

## **7. Analysis of support and governance costs** 


Support costs are apportioned to different activities in proportion to the staff costs attributable to those activities. 

The full comparable information for the prior year is set out in Note 29. 

## **8. Net income / (expenditure) for the year** 


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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial PlaygroundCoram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **9. Analysis of staffing costs and the cost of key management personnel** 

There were no redundancy payments in the year. (2024: NIL) 

One employee received employee benefits between £70,000 and £80,000 (2024 benefits between £60,000 and £70,000 : One). 

The key management personnel of the Charity comprise the Directors of the Corporate Trustee, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, the Fundraising Manager, the Buildings and Facilities Manager, the Head of Early Years, the Out of School Club Manager and the Head of Youth and Sports. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the Charity were £391,296 (2024: £322,106), including employer's national insurance of £36,271 (2024: £29,105). 

## **10. Staff Numbers** 

The average head count during the year was 44 (2024: 43) and the average number of full-time equivalent employees was: 


## **11. Directors of the Corporate Trustee** 

The Directors of the Corporate Trustee did not receive any remuneration or other benefits from the Charity during the year (2024: £Nil). One trustee was reimbursed travel expenses of £94 (2024: £Nil). No Director received payment for professional or other services supplied to the Charity (2024: £Nil). 

## **12. Related party transactions** 

Two Directors of the Corporate Trustee, Michael Horowitz and Toni McDermott, are also trustees of Coram's Fields Sports and Recreation (CFS&R) a Charitable Incorporated Organisation which commenced trading on 1st June 2021, with an operating lease from the charity for the use of the sports pitches on Coram's Fields.   Details of the operating lease are set out in note 20.  In addition, the charity recharged CFS&R £5,595 for related utility costs during the year  (2024: £37,163 for utility costs and for office and administration support). 

CFS&R awarded grants of £200,000 and £75,000 to the charity in December 2024 and March 2025 respectively (2024: grants of £70,000 and £130,000 in November 2023 and March 2024 respectively), included in note 5. 

There were no other related party transactions during the year (2024: none). 

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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **13. Tangible fixed assets** 


The endowment fund reflects the original cost of the land & buildings, plus additions and improvements, less accumulated depreciation. A legal charge was granted to Sport England in July 2015 in relation to a grant of £200,000 for the refurbishment of the sports pitches. 

## **14. Debtors** 

## **15. Investments** 

## **16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year** 

## **Deferred income** 

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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial PlaygroundCoram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **17. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year** 


## **18. Analysis of charitable funds** 


## **Endowment Fund - land and buildings** 

The land and buildings of Coram's Fields were acquired in 1935 at a cost of £425,000 as a result of public subscription.  They are held as a permanent endowment and can be used only for the education and recreation of young people.  Part of the funding was received from the then London County Council (LCC).  Should the site ever be sold a sum, to be agreed with the Department for Education and not exceeding the original grant of £52,000 from the LCC, must be refunded to the responsible successor to the LCC, which is the London Borough of Camden. 

The endowment fund reflects the original cost of the land & buildings, plus additions and improvements, less accumulated depreciation. 

With the consent of the Charity Commission, a legal charge was granted to Sport England in July 2013 in relation to a grant of £200,000 for the refurbishment of the sports pitches. A legal charge granted to The Big Lottery Fund in May 2007, in relation to a grant of £250,000 for the refurbishment of the youth centre building, expired in 2020/21. 

## **Restricted capital funds** 

The Charity has a long-term programme of major refurbishment and improvement works. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding from London Borough of Camden of £64,410 and fundraising of £16,325 contributed to the cost of a new playtower, £80,613 of which has been capitalised as a fixed asset and £122 spent on sundry related costs.  Additional CIL funding of £18,852 related to spending in 2023-24 on emergency lighting. Capital funds at the end of the year represent the unspent amount of CIL funding still to be used on capital works in due course. 

48 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **18. Analysis of charitable funds (continued)** 

## **Restricted revenue funds** 

These represent grants and donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the Charity's work, either funding wholly, or in part, specific posts, sometimes with an element for non-staff costs and otherwise providing general funding for the specific service. Grants are received from a variety of trusts, foundations and funding organisations, which are included in Note 5. Balances to be carried forward into 2025-26 have arisen either where the funding covers a specific period which straddles our financial years and/or where funds received have not yet been spent as intended. 

## **Designated fund for premises refurbishment** 

The Directors maintain a premises refurbishment fund, set aside from unrestricted revenue, with the objective of investing to improve the Charity’s historic grounds and buildings. The Directors approved a transfer of £157,000 from the 2023-24 unrestricted surplus, which took place in April 2024, and in March 2025, the Directors approved a further transfer of £173,000 from the anticipated 2024-25 unrestricted surplus.  During 2024-25 a total of £91,082 was spent on fire prevention and detections works (£56,208), on stonemasonry repairs (£23,387) and on roofing and drainage repairs (£11,487) -  (2024: no spending). 

## **Pension reserve** 

The Charity operates a defined benefit pension scheme, as a member of a multi-employer scheme operated by the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA).  The pension scheme's actuary provided an assessment of the Charity’s share of the scheme’s net assets at 31 March 2025 of £633,000 (2024: asset of £425,000).  The trustees do not consider the asset to be a realisable one, so the asset has been written down to nil. 

## **Sheila Hamburger legacy** 

During the year, the legacy received in 2020 was continued to be used to deliver a programme of green space and playground development. 

The full comparable information for the analysis of charitable funds for the prior year is set out in Note 30. 

## **19. Analysis of net assets between funds** 


The full comparable information for the prior year is set out in Note 32. 

## **20. Income from operating leases** 

In 1967, the Charity entered into a deed with University College London (Institute of Child Health) to lease a piece of land at the north east corner of the site. The deed included permission to erect a building, known as the Wolfson Centre. The current lease, entered into on 4 October 1985 and amended by Deed of Variation on 29 January 2009, runs until 2033. Rental income is reviewed every five years and is based on the movement in the Retail Price Index over the previous five year period. The most recent review took place in March 2023. 

From April 2024 the charity renewed a rental agreement with Coram's Fields Sports & Recreation to lease the sports pitches.  The current lease runs from April 2024 to March 2027, with monthly rent of £30,000. 

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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial PlaygroundCoram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **20. Income from operating leases (continued)** 

At 31 March 2025 the total of the future minimum lease receipts under non-cancellable operating leases was: 

Income for the year from the operating leases for the Wolfson Centre and sports pitches is disclosed in note 4. 

## **21. Capital commitments** 


## **22. Commitments under operating leases** 

At 31 March 2025 the total of the Charity's future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases was: 


## **23. Pension and similar obligations** 

The Charity operates two pension schemes: a defined benefit scheme which is part of the multi-employer Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) operated by the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) and a defined contribution scheme with Aviva. The Aviva defined contribution scheme is the pension scheme for auto-enrolment. 

## Defined contribution scheme obligations 

The pension cost for the year of the defined contribution scheme, excluding salary sacrifice amounts, was £38,500 (2024: £34,103). Contributions of £6,304 were outstanding at the end of the year (2024: £5,499 ). 

## Defined benefit scheme obligations 

The pension cost for the year of the defined benefit scheme was £13,143 (2024: £23,188 included a strain payment of £8,388).  There were no additional contributions to the pension scheme (2024: £Nil).  No contributions were outstanding at the end of the year (2024: £Nil). 

## Valuation of the defined benefit pension scheme 

An actuarial valuation of the fund as at 31 March 2025 was completed in May 2025. The valuation was carried out in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS102) rolling forward financial assumptions from the previous valuation data, adjusting for market conditions at 31 March 2025 and income, expenditure and retirement data for the Charity for the period to 31 March 2025. 

The valuation as at 31 March 2025 showed the net value of the Charity's share of the scheme's assets (fair value of the assets less present value of scheme liabilities) to be an asset of £633,000 (2024: asset of £425,000).   This surplus of £633,000 is recognised in the financial statements only to the extent that the Charity can recover that surplus, either through a reduction in future contributions or through a refund to the Charity. It is not possible for the Charity to receive a refund as the conditions for this have not been met, and although the percentage contribution has been reduced to 14.9% until March 2026, the asset is not realisable due to there being only 2 active employees in the scheme. Rather than showing an asset of £633,000 the trustees have for the third year valued the charity's share at as 31 March 2025 at nil, resulting in no actuarial gain for the year (2024: nil gain) shown in the Statement of Financial Activities. 

50 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **23. Pension and similar obligations (continued)** 


51 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial PlaygroundCoram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **24. Pension and similar obligations (continued)** 


## **24. Ultimate controlling party** 

The Charity's Trustee is Coram's Fields Company Trustee Limited a company limited by guarantee (registration number: 09001024) which controls the Charity. The Company is dormant and has never had any assets or liabilities. The members and directors of the Company are shown in the Trustee's Report. 

## **25. Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities** 


## **Analysis of net debt** 

The Charity has no borrowings, no overdraft nor any other forms of debt (2024: nil). 

**In accordance with the requirement of the Charities SORP (FRS 102) to disclose comparative information for amounts included in the notes to the accounts, the following notes 27 to 32 set out information for the prior year, as previously disclosed in the financial statements for the year ending 31st March 2024.** 

## **26. Donations, grants and legacy - prior year** 


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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **27. Analysis of grants, contracts and donations by donor - prior year** 


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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial PlaygroundCoram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **28. Analysis of expenditure by activity - prior year** 


## **29. Analysis of support and governance costs - prior year** 


## **30. Analysis of charitable funds - prior year** 


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Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground 

## **31. Analysis of net assets between funds - prior year** 


## **32. Prior year results by fund** 

These are analysed in the Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet. 

55 



Coram's Fields and the Harmsworth Memorial Playground | Registered Charity Number : 302963