LIFESTART FOUNDATION LIMITED
TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in acccrdance with the accounting p)licies set out in note 1 to the
financial statements and compty wth the charitys governing documen( the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 'The
Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Charities SORP "AccountirKJ
and Reporting by Charites: Statement of Recommended Practs.￿ applicable to charities preparing their acwunts in
accordance wth the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland {FRS 102)"
Objectives and activities
The purpose of the company is to produce tetter child development outcomes by making available to parents
eViden￿-baSed knowfedge and infomiation on how young children develop and leam and by SUPFX)rting parents in
the use of this information in their parentirKJ practice. The purpose is implemented through the delwery of the
Growing Child, an eVIden￿baSe Child development programme specifically designed for parents delNered through
a home visiting service and other groupbased parenting programmes derived from the Growng Child.
The Board of the Lifestart Foundation in collaboration with Foundation staff rewew the organisation's aims,
objectives and actNities each year to ensure that they remain focused on our stated purposes.
Our main objectives over the year have been to:
continue to implement our mission to improve Child oUt￿meS by educating and supporting parents in their
parenting role
continue to deliver local parenting support services aimed at improving child development outcomes
deliver on seNice and tender contracts we hold with Northern Ireland Heatth and So¢tal Care Trusts
continue to train and qualÉty assure ￿festart delivery staff ￿ereVer they are working to ensure that parents
a￿ayS receive a top qualty Lrfestart servi
Deliver the pilot groupbased parenting programme Bump Baby and Beyond designed to meet the needs of
parents and Children affected by traumatic birth experiences
ensure the sustainabilty and resilience of the Lrfestart Foundation by complettng the implementation of the
organisation's Succession Plan
acquire the resources needed to wntinue the Foundation's core work
complete the review and upjate of the Growirg Child Prcgramme
support other organisations throughout the islarKI of IreIarKI arKI elsvAthere to deliver the Lrfestart Growing
Chihl Programme and Home VisÈtÈng Selvice
work wth other organi8ations to promote the imp)rtant role of home visiknng and home-base parenting
support to improve out¢omes for children
Continue to strive to positively influence public policy in the interests of children and their frdmilies
Who uses and beneffts from the Se￿1￿ of the Cha
Intemational researth cleady demonstrates that goctya at-home parenting arKI a go￿1 home leaming environment
are central to ensuring good outcomes for children and that compromised parenting, whatever its cause. is a very
serious child development risk factor. We in the Lifestart Foundation aim to provide parerts of young children with
high qualty well-researched and upto4ate support relevant and appropriate to their needs as their children grow
and develop. The beneficiaries of our Work are parents and chilaren. particularty the more vulnerable and. through
them, the wider communty and society. In this respec( the purpose of the Lrfestart charity fulfiL8 the requirements
of the Charities COMMI￿On.
Public benefit
The Trustees have paid due reganl to guKlance issued by the Charity Commission for Northem Ireland in deciding
at acttvrties the charity shoukj undertake.

LIFESTART FOUNDATION LIMITED
TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Achievements and performance
Significant activities and a¢*)ievements against obiectsves
Over the last 12 months the Foundation has met its Contractual obligations to the Westem Health and Social Care
Tnjst by delivering the home visiting service to families in Counties DerrylLondondery, Femianagh and Tyrone and
its contractual obligations to the South*astem Hearth and Social Care Trust delivering the service to families on
the Ards peninsula and in NeW(ownards. County Down. In total Foundation staff have delivered in excess of 1,130
home visits. as well as delivering knfestart grouptésed programmes. The Foundation has atso supported the work
of other organisations in Northem Ireland and Ireland delivering Lifestart servI￿s to more than 3.000 parents and
children.
In the WHSCT area vulnerable families. those on the Chi]d Protection Register, on the edge of chikj protection or
ere children are deemed at risk are referred to the home visthng seNice by social ￿rk teams and by health
visitors. The nature of the referrals and the issues faced by parents and children, we have found, are changing,
becoming in many instances more acute and txrtb'ng more children at risk The wDrk has. therefore, become more
demanding and the pressure on our staff is inueasing. Staff reFX)rt back to Trust professionals, attend family case
conferences and review meetings. make regular presentations to professional staff teams on our work and host site
visits by social work and heatth visiting studerts which helF6 to increase awareness of the service, the issues
families and therefore our staff are facing as well as the seNice's beneficial impact on parents and children.
In Ards the home visiting Servi￿ ￿ offered in rArtrJership with Surestart. Surestart staff make referrals to
Lifestart but the seNice is aEso open to all families wtth children under 4 INing in this highly rural area and it is often
the only support Servi￿ accessible to local parents.
As well as individual support provided through the home vBiting semce. the Foundation completed a pilot project
involvirwJ the delivery of the groupbased Bump, Baby and BeyoTrJ (BB8) programme in the Westem area. The pilot
ds funded by the Big Lottery Avrdrds for A]1 and the Foundation successfully applied to the Big Lottery People and
Communities Grant programme to roll out the Bump, Baby and Beyond throughout Northem Ireland. In the course
of the year we have begun delrvering the new BBB programme aTrJ through this activty we have not only making
the programme available to more parerts but cemented good working relationships wth the many organisations
hosting the prograrnme. including, for example, Eglinton Communty Hall. Homestart Ards, Oak Healthy Lrving,
Surestart Cookstown, Curryneiran Communty Centre, Oasi8 Antrim Communty Hub, Strabane Surestart.
Surestart magherae￿ Omagh County Primary School, Shepherd's Wiew. SupFQrt 2gether. Omagh Communty
House. Dry Arch Surestart, Neknards Surestart, East Belfast Surestart, Colin Glen Library, Ballybeen
Women's Centre, Rainbow Early Years Centre, LAST Sure StaT( NCB. the Rural Communty Ne*mrk and the
Rural Women's Communty Ne￿r￿
This year we ￿MPleted the implementation of the Foundation's Succession Plan funded by Dormant Accounts Nl.
The plan was aimed at ensuring that the ￿festart Foundation has the leadership and govemance structure and core
prc#Juct that wll sustain and develop the organisation irrto the future. The Manager. ￿C￿e post was funded under
the plan, was tssked, among other things, wth overseeing the expert review and updating of the Foundation's core
programme, the Growng Child. The review has now been completed and the first three years of the Growing Child
programme has been updated and pyinted and the last two years of the fve-year programme will be going to print
shortly. This has been a major achievement that wll ensure that Ltfestsrt parents are receiving the most Upt￿date
parenting information. based on the most recent research evidence available.
We are also currently planning to follow-up on the expert review of the Growing Child by seeking resources to
undertake the fijll digrf(Eation of the programme, to make it amendable to dtfferent fonns of delivery. This wll be a
major project that will invO￿e the design of an entirely new range of Lifestart products.
The Succession Plan also invo]ved the review of the Foundation's organizational stwcture thich coin¢hJed with
important developments in Ireland, where as a resutt of the activities of the Home Visff(ing Aliance. of which the
Foundation is a founder member, the IrEh govemment has begun a funding initi.ative which wll supwrt the
expansion of home visibng services in Ireland. In the IbJht of this the Board of Directors of the Foundation is looking
at developing an organrzational structure best suited to this charffJing environment and this wll be a key focus of the
Board actiV￿.eS in the coming year.

LIFESTART FOUNDATION LIMITED
TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Lifestart staff members continue to be athely involved in strategic ne￿rkS and systems at Local, Regional,
National. European and intemational levels, 2nd continue to parhcipate in and present at national and international
conferences on the role of Lifestart in supp)iting parents improvirvJ child outcomes. This year we were
represented at a number of relevant orFline events.
The Lifestart Foundation and its partners Continue to act to Influen￿ policy on children and families in Ireland. the
UK and Europe. We remain an actlve mern￿r of Home Visthng AEliance, Euro¢hild, The CRNINI (Children's
Research Nthork Ireland and Nl), the Prevention and Earfy InteNention NeMork (PEIN}, the Earfy Intervention
Foundation, The Earty Years Advisory Group. the Parenting NetriorK Children's Rights Alliance, Earty Childhood
Ireland and the Trauma Informed Cross Border Ne￿rk
Financial Teview
Total income for the year was £180.517. of which £157.760 generated from charitable adNities, £8,926 from
donations and legacies and £11.250 from other trading activities. The ¢hartty also re￿Ned £2,578 in respect of gfft
aid payments from Lifestart Resources, a trading sut6idiary of the charty.
Total expenditure by the chanty was £178,738. £172.954 of thE vtss incurred undertalang activitses that fvrther our
charitable aims for the benefft of our benefjciaries. Other costs inujrred amounted to £5.784. Other losses in the
amount of £14 represent fO￿Ign exchange losses on translation of Euro bank balances to the presentational
currency Pounds Steriing.
The balance on total funds at the year*nd was £208.C65, of vknith £102,488 were unrestrict￿. £53.233 were
designated and £52,344 were restricted.
Reserves policy
The Trustees consider r( prudent to hotd monies in reserve in the event that unforeseen circumstances should lead
to financial difficutties which might PLrt the fLrture of its employment capacty. general charitable work and property in
jeopardy.
The Trustees have examined the chartvs requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation
and established a fomal policy ￿1¢h stipulates that free reserves be maintained at a level vthi¢h ensures that the
charity's core activty could continue during a period of unforeseen difficuty. Free reserves are defined by the
Trustees as unrestricted income fvnds freety available for use as the chanty so dete￿nineS and thereby excludes
any fvnds commrtted, invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charty and restrȢted or designated funds.
The Trustees. policy i8 that unrestricted funds vthith have not been designated for a specific use should be
maintained at a level equNalent to be￿een three arKI six month's exFenditure. The Trustees constsjers that
reserves at this level will ensure tha( in the event of a signfficant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the
charty's current activtties while consideration is given to ways in vhjich add￿onal fijnds may be raksed. Based on
2024125 expendff(ure {excluding depreciation) of £176,240 the target level of resetves is £44,000 to £88,000. Free
reseNes as at 31st March 2025 are £100.478. The Trustees continue to strive to build and maintain a general level
of reserves in accordan* with the upper level of the target so that they will be able to continue the Current aCt￿rtIeS
of the charty.
Plans for future periods
Our key priorities in the coming year are to:
Review the Foundation. organksational stru¢ture and UFrfJate our Strategic Plan
Continue to delrver on our existing contrads and identtfy new potential contracts
Delwerthe Bump, Baby and Beyond Programme throughout Northem Ireland
Ao]uire the resources to develop and design digital versions of Lifestart products
Awuire the resources to ensure the continuance and sustainabilty of our work to support parents and
Children.

LIFESTART FOUNDATION LIMITED
TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
structure. governan￿ and management
Governlng document
Lifestart Foundation ￿MIted is a company limrted by guarantee and accepted as tharitable by HMRC under
reference XR 47557. The company was incorporated on 8th October 2001. The company ￿as established under a
Memorandum of Association which estsblIsh￿ the objects and wwers of the o)mpany, and is governed by ts
Articles of Association. The liabilty of members is limrted in that every member of the company undertakes to
contribute an amount not exceeding £1 in the event of the crtmpany being wound up.
The Trustees, who are also the directors for the pUrp￿e of company law, and served during the year and up to
the date of signature of the financial statements were".
Patrick Durkan {Chairperson)
Ursula Birthistle
Maire McReynolds
Mairead Wrynn
Dr Eileen Doherty
Maureen Hetherington
(Resigned 28 June 2024}
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
Under the requirements of the Memorandum a￿1 Artides of Association unless otherwise deterMIn￿J by the
company in General Meeting the number of Trustees shall not be less than four. Trustees are eleded to serve only
until the next Annual General Meeting at which they shall then be eligible for re-election.
In the financial year there were no changes to the Board of Tntstees. The Board as a whole ￿ds approved by the
AGM and Continues to monttor its membership.
Risk Management
The Trustees are avrdre of the major risks to vthich the charity is exposed. Where appropriate. systems or
procedures have been establEhed to mthgate the risks the charity faces. Intemal control risks are minimised
through the procedures for authorisation of all transadions and projecls. Procedures are in place to ensure
Complian￿ wth applicable laws and regulations. These procedures are reviewed periodicalty to ensure that they
continue to meet the needs of the charity.
Organisational structure
The Board of Trustees cortsists of six members vtho administer the charity. The Trustees are responsible for the
strategic direction and policy of the organisation. The Trustees are from a variety of professional backgrounds
relevant to the work of the chartty.
All members of the Board of Trustees give their time voluntsrily arKJ receive no beneffts from the charity. Any
expenses redaimed from the charity are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
A scheme of delegation is in place and responsibilty for the provision of Servi￿ rests wth the Foundation's
Executive Director, who is responsible for the day to day operational management of the chartty.
The Trustees, report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Patrick Durkan (Chairperson)
Trustee
31 Marth 2026