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← Sentinus

2025-03-31-accounts

Company Registration Number: NI020310 HMRC Charity Registration Number: XN86071 The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland Registration Number: NIC102064

SENTINUS

(a company limited by guarantee)

Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2025

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Company Information for 2024/2025

Trustee / Directors

Board members as at 31st March 2025:

David McDonald (CHAIR). . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 14th June 2023 Clare Doran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 14th June 2023 Cherie Gardiner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 11th December 2024 Geoffrey McGimpsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 11th December 2024 Laura McGirr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 14th June 2023 David Phelan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 14th June 2023 Aaron Portis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 9th December 2021 Joanne Sweeney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 1st December 2024 Conor Turley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 11th December 2024

The following also served during the year:

Elizabeth Ackah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 1st September 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 12th June 2024 Mark Baker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 14th June 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 22nd February 2025 Tom Edgar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 4th June 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 12th June 2024 Tanya Hedley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 3rd December 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 22nd February 2025 James Moore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 4th June 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 12th June 2024 Roy McBrine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 14th January 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 7th April 2025 Neil McIlwaine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 8th December 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 31st March 2024 Raymond Pollock OBE. . . . . . . . . . . . . appointed 1st March 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 31st December 2023

Company Number NI020310

Registered Office 19a Ballinderry Road Lisburn Co Antrim BT28 2SA

Independent Examiners Diamond & Skillen Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

Bankers Ulster Bank Ltd 11/16 Donegall Square East Belfast BT1 5UB Chief Executive David Pilkington

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Contents

Page (s)
Report of the Trustee / Directors 1 - 4
Independent Examiner’s Report 5
Statement of Financial Activities 6
Statement of Financial Position 7
Notes to the Financial Statements 8 - 13
The following page does not form part of the statutory financial statements:
Detailed Income and Expenditure Account 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Report of the Trustee / Directors for the year ended 31st March 2025

The Trustees (who are also the Board of Directors of the company) are pleased to submit their annual Directors’ Report together with the audited financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31[st] March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and also to meet the requirements for accounts for the purposes of The Companies Act 2006.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Sentinus is a private company limited by guarantee, registration number NI020310, and is also a registered as a charity with HM Revenue & Customs (number XN86071). Sentinus is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (registration number NIC102064). The present Trustee / Directors, and any past Trustee / Directors who served during the year, are given on page 3, together with the names of the charity’s external advisors.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

General

Sentinus is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association adopted on 23rd March 1987, amended 3rd December 1987 to reflect current governance arrangements and amended 4th May 2001 for change of company name. The company adopted a new Memorandum and Articles of Association on 19th January 2015 in accordance with guidance issued by the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland. In the event of the company being wound up, members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.

Trustee / Directors

Each Trustee of the company sits on the Board of Directors. This Board is responsible for the overall governance of the Company. Trustee / Directors are appointed by the Chairman. The total number of trustee / directors shall not be subject to any maximum but shall not be less then two.

The Board delegates the exercise of certain powers in connection with the management and administration of the Company to the Chief Executive. This is controlled by regular reporting back to the Board, so that all decisions made under delegated powers can be ratified by the full Board in due course.

The Chief Executive is responsible for the day-to-day management of the company’s affairs.

The company adopted a Governance Framework which was implemented in March 2008.

Statement of Trustee / Directors’ Responsibilities and Corporate Governance

The Trustee / Directors are responsible for ensuring that the Company produces proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities and to provide reasonable assurance that:

Internal controls over all forms of commitment and expenditure continue to be reviewed to improve efficiency.

Processes are in place to ensure that performance is monitored and the appropriate management information is prepared and reviewed on an ongoing basis by executive management and quarterly by the Board of Trustee / Directors.

The systems of internal control are designed to provide reasonable but not absolute assurances against material misstatement or loss. They include:

In accordance with company law the Directors certify that:

cont’d.../

Page 1 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Report of the Trustee / Directors for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

Risk Management

During the year the Directors have considered and examined the major risks that face the charity and established strategies that will mitigate the impact they may have on the charity’s future. This process will be continued on an ongoing basis for each financial year.

Public Benefit Report

OBJECTS, OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CHARITY

In accordance with the Memorandum of Association the objects for which the Company is established are: Promotion and participation in liaison activities between industry and education. The strategies employed to achieve the company’s objectives included:

PUBLIC BENEFIT REPORT

PUBLIC BENEFIT REPORT
Purposes of the Charity The purpose of the Company is to advance the theoretical and practical education of young people in Northern
Ireland in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and promote greater understanding of industry, its
essential role and service to the community and economy and encourage the establishment and development of
partnerships between industry and education.
What the Charity has
done during the year
to carry out its
purposes?		 Sentinus have continued to engage schools in relevant Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths programmes
linked to the NI curriculum to help provide a real-world context and reinforce the importance of skills development in
these areas.
Programmes delivered included:

R&D projects

Celebration Events for STEM project work

STEM workshops and challenges

Digital Skills workshops

Employability Skills

Provision of STEM resources and materials to support learning

STEM outreach for industry
In 2024-25 Sentinus worked with a total of 279 schools, 137 primary, 136 post primary and 6 special schools,
engaging 32,025 people. A total of 36 different STEM related programmes rolled out with further development
achieved in the areas of Digital Skills, Numeracy and Engineering to address current industry skills shortages.
How have the activities
provided benefit to its
beneficiaries and how
can this be
demonstrated - the
achievements of the
Charity?		 The direct benefits to beneficiaries from the activities of the charity include:

improved scientific and technological skills and knowledge, allowing them to maximise learning in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths and understand the relevance of these subjects in the world of work;

contextualisation of learning in STEM subjects

increased awareness and understanding of the importance of the STEM subjects and their value to potential
employers

increased awareness of careers opportunities within the STEM sector in Northern Ireland

support from industry representatives to help informed career decisions to be made

enhanced interpersonal and employability skills
These benefits can be demonstrated through direct feedback from teachers and young people directly involved in
the programmes.
How has the Charity
mitigated any harm
flowing from its
purposes?		 No harm flowed from the purposes of the Charity.
How has the Charity
ensured that any
private benefit has
been incidental to the
public benefit?		 No private benefit flowed from the Charity’s activities.
Statement of
compliance with the
duty to have regard to
the Commission’s
guidance		 In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees have given careful consideration to the
Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to
achieve the Charity’s purpose and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.

cont’d.../

Page 2 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

Report of the Trustee / Directors for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

SENTINUS

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

SENTINUS STATISTICS 2023/2024

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
SENTINUS STATISTICS 2023/2024
2025 2024
Number of Pupils involved 32,025 35,071
Number of Schools involved 279 388
Number of PrimarySchools engaged 137 n/a
Number of Special Schools involved 6 n/a
Number of Teachers Engagements 524 881
Number of Pupils Participatingin Digital Skills workshops 16,079 12,047
Number of STEMprogrammes rolled out 36 n/a
Number of Pupils Participatingin STEM workshops 15,946 11,790

FINANCIAL REVIEW AND RESULTS FOR THE YEAR

The Statement of Financial Activities on page 7 is designed to reflect all incoming resources receivable in the year irrespective of when income is actually received. Total incoming resources for the year amounted to £364,326 (2024: £237,052). Total resources expended (including depreciation of fixed assets) of £358,911 (2024: £402,167) resulted in net incoming (2024: outgoing) resources for the year of £5,415 (2024: net outgoing resources of £165,115). There is no balance on restricted funds at the end of the year. The total balance on unrestricted funds at the year end was £800,220 (2024: £794,805) which is free and represents the reserves available to the Directors to help fulfill current and future plans.

RESERVES POLICY

Introduction

Financial reserves offer a mechanism to retain surpluses which are not distributed or spent shortly after an accounting year end, but rather retained to allow for any future reductions in income or unanticipated expenditure not provided for in annual budgets. The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland requires that trustees recognise the reserves issue, assess the needs of the entity, seek to reach an appropriate level within a reasonable time scale and report their reserves policy in the annual report accompanying the financial statements. Reserves do not include capital assets or funds which are restricted in use by conditions imposed by the donor.

The Charity Commission requires that trustees recognise the reserves issue, assess the needs of the entity, seek to reach an appropriate level within a reasonable timescale and report their reserves policy in the annual report accompanying the accounts.

Income

The Department of Education withdrew funding for Sentinus at the end of May 2023. Since that point, Sentinus’ income has been generated from a range of sources. Without the core grant, income has reduced significantly and outgoings have exceed income in the last two years. Until Sentinus can replace the income lost as a result of the withdrawal of funding, reserves will be needed to cover the shortfall of income versus outgoings.

Expenditure

Trustees should consider the pattern of Sentinus’ expenditure and the need for reserves to cover that expenditure in the event of a serious shortfall in income.

An immediate reduction in programme delivery may be possible for some projects. Other contracts, however, represent longer term commitments and would, therefore, be more difficult to terminate.

Certain costs are of a fixed nature in the short to medium term and will continue to be incurred regardless of the level of activity. The largest element of ‘fixed’ expenditure will be employee costs, followed normally by accommodation costs.

Assessment of Reserves Level

In determining the level of reserves required, it is necessary to assess how long it would take to wind up Sentinus and the cost to run it during this period, assuming a sustained fall in its level of income such that it no longer remained viable to continue to operate.

Allowance would also need to be made for termination costs such as redundancy and early settlement of leases and any legal and other professional fees arising during this process.

The trustees deem it prudent to set aside reserves representing approximately twelve months full costs and a provision for winding up the company to account for costs such as redundancy, leases outstanding on premises and any other contractual financial commitment. Reserves should be at least this level to ensure the charity can run efficiently and meet its legal requirements. Factors taken into account would include the need to cover fluctuations in income, current liabilities and unplanned expenditure.

The trustees calculate that the overall reserve provision as at 31st March 2025 should be no less than £725,714 (2022: £750,671). The actual reserves at 31st March 2025 were £800,220 (2024: £794,805) which is £74,506 (2024: £44,134) above the company’s target minimum and c.110.4% (2024: 105.9%) of that minimum figure. Trustees will closely monitor the actual reserves each year to ensure they are maintained at an appropriate level.

cont’d.../

Page 3 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Report of the Trustee / Directors for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS

The company plans continuing the activities outlined above in the forthcoming years subject to satisfactory funding arrangements.

DIRECTORS

The directors who served during the year were: The directors who served during the year were: The directors who served during the year were:
Elizabeth Ackah appointed 1st September 2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 12th June 2024
Mark Baker appointed 14th June 2023. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 22nd February 2025
Clare Doran appointed 14th June 2023
Tom Edgar appointed 4th June 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 12th June 2024
Cherie Gardiner appointed 11th December 2024
Tanya Hedley appointed 3rd December 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 22nd February 2025
James Moore appointed 4th June 2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 12th June 2024
Roy McBrine appointed 14th January 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . resigned 7th April 2025
David McDonald appointed 14th June 2023
Neil McIlwaine appointed 8th December 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .resigned 31st March 2024
Geoffrey McGimpsey appointed 11th December 2024
Laura McGirr appointed 14th June 2023
David Phelan appointed 14th June 2023
Raymond Pollock OBE appointed 1st March 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .resigned 31st December 2023
Aaron Portis appointed 9th December 2021
Joanne Sweeney appointed 1st December 2024
Conor Turley appointed 11th December 2024
The following were in attendance at Board Meetings during the year The following were in attendance at Board Meetings during the year
David Pilkington Chief Executive

AUDITORS

Diamond & Skillen were appointed independent examiners to the company and are deemed to be re-appointed in accordance with Section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

By order of the Board

_______ David McDonald - Chair of Directors 23rd June 2025

Page 4 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS Independent Examiner’s Report to the members of SENTINUS

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Sentinus for the year ended 31st March 2025, which are set out on pages 3 to 14.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 65 Of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (the ‘2008 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under the 2008 Act.

Independent examiner’s report

The charity’s gross income in the year was £364,326 (2024: £237,052).

Since the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 65 of the 2008 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of Chartered Accountant Ireland, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

————————————

Nigel V. Skillen

Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland

Diamond & Skillen Sinclair House 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

23rd June 2025

Page 5 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Statement of Financial Activities

(incorporating Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31st March 2025

Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
Notes Funds funds 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
REVENUE:
from donations and legacies

Government Grants		 4.1 - - 0 74,000
from charitable activities:

Contract income		 4.2 344,606 - 344,606 145,274
from other activities:

Other income		 - - 0 -
from investments:

Bank interest received		 4.3 19,720 - 19,720 17,778
TOTAL REVENUE 364,326 0 364,326 237,052
EXPENDITURE:
on raising funds

Promotion and marketing		 5.1 - - 0 1,129
on charitable activities

Charitable expenditure		 5.2 300,788 - 300,788 332,837
on other items

Allocated support costs		 5.3 58,123 - 58,123 68,201
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 358,911 0 358,911 402,167
Net incoming / (outgoing) resources 5,415 0 5,415 (165,115)

Transfers between funds		 17 - - 0 -
Net movement in funds 5,415 0 5,415 (165,115)
Fund balances brought fwd at 1st April 794,805 - 794,805 959,920
Fund balances carried fwd at 31st March 800,220 0 800,220 794,805

The income and expenditure summary as required to be disclosed by the Companies Act 2006 is included at note 16. All of the above results are derived from continuing activities.

The company has no recognised gains or losses other than the surplus or deficit for the above two financial years. The notes on pages 9 to 14 form part of these financial statements.

Page 6 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Statement of Financial Position

as at 31st March 2025

2025 2025 2025 20252024
Notes £ £ £
Non-Current Assets

Tangible assets		 9 306 408
Current Assets

Receivables		 10 154,910 49,672

Cash at bank and in hand		 11 697,259 814,194
852,169 863,866
Payables:amounts falling due within one year 12 (52,255) (69,469)
Net current assets 799,914 794,397
Payables:amounts falling due after more than one year - -
Total assets less current liabilities 800,220 794,805
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted income funds:

General fund		 15 800,220 794,805
800,220 794,805
Restricted income funds:

n/a		 15 - -
Total funds 800,220 794,805

The notes on pages 9 to 14 form part of these financial statements.

For the year in question, the charitable company was entitled to exemption from an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.

The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Act.

The trustee/directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

The financial statements on pages 7 to 14 were approved by the Board of Trustee / Directors on 23rd June 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

David McDonald Director, Chair of Directors

Page 7 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

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 the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective from 1st January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS102)) and the Companies Act 2006. Exemption has been taken from the requirement under FRS1 to prepare a cash flow statement on the grounds that the company qualifies as a small company.

Sentinus meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102 and the Charities SORP. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

1.2 Reconciliation with previously Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP)

In preparing the accounts the trustees have considered whether in applying the accounting policies required by FRS 102 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102) the restatement of comparative items was required - No restatements were required.

1.3 Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

The trustees are of the view that as the reserves of the charity are within the requirement of the charity’s reserves policy, the immediate future of the charity for the next 12 to 18 months is secure and on that basis the charity is a going concern.

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustee / directors in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. The fund comprises the accumulated surpluses and deficits of unrestricted income and expenditure.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The costs of administering such funds are charges against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Investment income and gains are allocated to the appropriate fund.

1.5 Non Current Assets

Amounts greater than £10,000 spent on equipment and similar are recognised as fixed assets in the accounts. Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.

Depreciation is provided to write off the cost of fixed assets over their anticipated useful lives.

Depreciation is provided at the following rates:

1.6 Income recognition policies

Items of income are recognised and included in the accounts when all of the following criteria are met:

Income received in advance of the provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

Grants receivable

Grants receivable which relate to the year are credited to income within the Statement of Financial Activities, with unspent balances being carried forward to subsequent years within the relevant fund.

Specific debts are recognised where approved grant expenditure exceeds grant income received to date. Grant income relating to future periods is carried forward under creditors.

1.7 Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings: - Expenditure on raising funds comprises the costs of marketing and promoting the charity;

Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity's programmes and activities. These costs have been allocated between and “expenditure on charitable activities” and “expenditure on other items”. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 6.

The company operates a defined contribution scheme. The amount charged to the Statement of Financial Activities represents the contributions payable by the charity during the year. Contributions are invested separately from the company’s assets.

1.9 Taxation

There is no liability to taxation due to the company’s charitable status.

1.10 Receivables

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid after taking account of any trade discounts due.

Page 8 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

1.11 Payables and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in a transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

1.12 Transition to FRS 102

The transition date was 1st April 2016.

There was no requirement to restate any comparative balances in making the transition to FRS 102.

2 LEGAL STATUS OF THE CHARITY

Sentinus is a private company limited by guarantee, registration number NI020310, and is also a registered as a charity with HM Revenue & Customs (number XN86071). Sentinus is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (registration number NIC102064). In the event of the company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity.

3

EMPLOYEE COSTS

Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
Funds funds 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Wages and salaries 128,753 - 128,753 162,992
SMP recovery & NIC compensation payments - - 0 -
Social security costs 9,835 - 9,835 16,808
Employer Allowance (5,000) - (5,000) (5,000)
Other pension costs 7,904 - 7,904 14,798
141,492 0 141,492 189,598

The average number of persons, including part-time staff, employed on UK contracts was 4 (2024: 4)

No trustee or director received any remuneration from the charity in the year (2024: £nil)

No employee was paid more than £60,000 in the year (2024: 1)

The amount of employer pension cost included in respect of employees paid more than £60,000 was £nil (2024: £10,420)

4 INCOME

4.1 from donations and legacies

Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
Funds funds 2025 2024
GOVERNMENT GRANTS £ £ £ £
Department of Education, NI - - 0 54,000
Department of Education, NI - IT’s your choice - - 0 -
Department for the Economy - Sentinus Digital Skills - - 0 20,000
0 0 0 74,000

4.2 from charitable activities

Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
Funds funds 2025 2024
CONTRACTS £ £ £ £
Belfast Metropolitan College 34,230 - 34,230 27,783
Belfast Harbour 4,000 - 4,000 -
Eastside Partnership 4,480 - 4,480 -
Engineering UK 6,750 - 6,750 21,000
Hewlett Packard 6,000 - 6,000 -
Institution of Engineering & Technology 9,000 - 9,000 5,700
Libraries NI 4,200 - 4,200 -
Spirit Aerosystems 1,740 - 1,740 3,520
Queen’s University, Belfast - - 0 8,538
The Princes Trust / The Kings Trust 1,750 - 1,750 -
Ulster Wool Group 8,355 - 8,355 2,075
Income from Events, Schemes, Roadshows and Workshops 76,905 - 76,905 75,658
Income from Local Authorities 182,836 - 182,836 -
Other 4,360 - 4,360 1,000
344,606 0 344,606 145,274

Page 9 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

4.3 from investments
Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
Funds funds 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Bank interest 19,720 - 19,720 17,778
19,720 0 19,720 17,778
5 EXPENDITURE
5.1 on raising funds
Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
COSTS DIRECTLY ALLOCATED TO EXPENDITURE Funds funds 2025 2024
ON RAISING FUNDS £ £ £ £
Promotion and marketing expenses - - 0 1,129
Business development - - 0 -
0 0 0 1,129
5.2 on charitable activities
Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
COSTS DIRECTLY ALLOCATED TO EXPENDITURE Funds funds 2025 2024
ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES £ £ £ £
Associates 101,405 - 101,405 95,405
Travel & subsistence 22,988 - 22,988 22,849
Materials & expenses 32,842 - 32,842 29,040
Project subsistence 744 - 744 1,014
Prizes & Bursaries 399 - 399 997
Project hospitality 1,215 - 1,215 826
Project support 208 - 208 -
Registration / subscription fees 35 - 35 35
159,836 0 159,836 150,166
Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
SUPPORT COSTS ALLOCATED TO EXPENDITURE Funds funds 2025 2024
ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES(see note 6) £ £ £ £
Premises 22,299 - 22,299 23,248
General office 3,147 - 3,147 3,509
Information technology 8,909 - 8,909 8,976
Legal and professional - - 0 -
Salaries, wages and related costs 106,119 - 106,119 146,938
Bank charges - - 0 -
General expenses 478 - 478 -
Depreciation - - 0 -
140,952 0 140,952 182,671
TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 300,788 0 300,788 332,837
5.3 on other items
Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
SUPPORT COSTS ALLOCATED TO EXPENDITURE Funds funds 2025 2024
ON OTHER ITEMS(see note 6) £ £ £ £
Premises 7,433 - 7,433 7,749
General office 1,049 - 1,049 1,170
Information technology 2,970 - 2,970 2,992
Legal and professional 10,700 - 10,700 13,151
Salaries, wages and related costs 35,373 - 35,373 42,660
Bank charges 337 - 337 343
General expenses 159 - 159 -
Depreciation 102 - 102 136
58,123 0 58,123 68,201

Page 10 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

6

SENTINUS

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2024 (cont’d)

ANALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT COSTS

Charitable Other Totals Totals
GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT activities items 2025 2024 Basis of apportionment
COSTS £ £ £ £
Premises costs 22,299 7,433 29,732 30,997 Pro rata to staff full time equivalents
General office 3,147 1,049 4,196 4,679 Pro rata to staff full time equivalents
Information technology 8,909 2,970 11,879 11,968 Pro rata to staff full time equivalents
Legal and professional - 10,700 10,700 13,151 Governance - allocated to other costs
Salaries, wages and related costs 106,119 35,373 141,492 189,598 Based on staff activity
Bank charges - 337 337 343 Governance - allocated to other costs
General expenses 478 159 637 - Pro rata to staff full time equivalents
Depreciation - 102 102 136 Allocated to other costs
140,952 58,123 199,075 250,872

7

Net incoming resources

Unrestricted Restricted Totals Totals
Funds funds 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Net incoming resources are stated after charging:
Depreciation of fixed assets 102 - 102 136

8 Pension costs

The company operated defined contribution schemes in respect of its staff. The schemes and their assets are held by independent managers. The pension charge represents agreed employer contributions due from Sentinus and amounted to £7,904 (2024: £14,798)

9

Non Current assets

Fixtures
& fittings Totals
£ £
Cost:
At 1 April 2024 165,598 165,598
Additions - 0
———— ————
At 31 March 2025 165,598 165,598
———— ————
Accumulated depreciation:
At 1 April 2024 165,190 165,190
Charge for year 102 102
———— ————
At 31 March 2025 165,292 165,292
———— ————
Net book value:
At 31st March 2025 306 306
At 31st March 2024 408 408

10

Receivables

Totals Totals
2025 2024
£ £
Trade debtors 152,286 46,311
Other debtors 2,624 3,361
154,910 49,672

Page 11 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

11

SENTINUS

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

Cash at bank and in hand

Totals Totals
2025 2024
£ £
Petty Cash - 114
Ulster Bank Ltd - Current Account (12,548) (13,783)
Ulster Bank Ltd - Liquidity Manager Account 209,807 327,847
Ulster Bank Ltd - TRO placement 500,000 500,000
Ulster Bank Ltd - 30-day Business Reserve - 16
697,259 814,194

An arrangement is in place for the Ulster Bank to automatically transfer surplus current account funds to the Liquidity Manager Account and also to transfer funds to the current account from the Liquidity Manager Account to meet all cheques when presented for payment. In this way, the running balance on the Current Account is kept to a minimum. For this reason, the directors deem it inappropriate to include a negative current account balance under creditors, since the actual balance on call is the sum of the Current Account and Liquidity Manager accounts.

As at 31st March 2025, there are £13,272-88 of cheques written which have not been presented to the bank for payment. All of these were more than 12 months old.

12

Payables: amounts falling due within one year

Totals Totals
2025 2024
£ £
Trade creditors 14,054 13,396
Accrued expenses 38,201 54,573
Income in advance - 1,500
52,255 69,469

13 Financial Commitments

At 31st March 2025 the company has no annual commitments under non-cancellable leases nor any other financial commitments that are not recognised in the accounts (2024: £nil). Sentinus has entered into a number of long term contracts for the supply of services all of which are cancellable. In 2019 the company signed a new 5-year lease to rent the premises at 19a Ballinderry Road, Lisburn at an annual rent of £21,000 pa. The potential liability on cancellation of this lease has been reflected in the company's capital requirement under its reserves policy disclosed in the Directors' Report on page 3 of these financial statements.

14

Analysis of charity net assets between funds

Unrestricted Restricted funds Totals
funds £ 2025
£ £
Fixed Assets 306 - 306
Current Assets 852,169 - 852,169
Current liabilities (52,255) - (52,255)
800,220 0 800,220

15

Statement of Funds

At 1 Apr Investmnt At 31 Mar
2024 Income Exp. Gains Transfers 2025
£ £ £ £ £ £
General fund 794,805 344,606 (358,911) 19,720 - 800,220
Total unrestricted 794,805 344,606 (358,911) 19,720 0 800,220
n/a - - - - - 0
Total restricted 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total funds 794,805 344,606 (358,911) 19,720 0 800,220

The general fund represents the free funds of the charity which are not designated for particular purposes.

Page 12 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

16

SENTINUS

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2025 (cont’d)

Income and expenditure summary

2025 2024
£ £
Gross income 364,326 237,052
Resources expended
Direct charitable expenditure 159,836 150,166
Administration costs 199,075 252,001
Net (outgoing) / incoming resources 5,415 (165,115)
(Deficit) for the year 5,415 (165,115)

The above reflects the Income and Expenditure accounts as required by the Companies Act 2006 as opposed to that required under the SORP as detailed on page 5. Detailed analyses of the expenditure are provided in the Statement of Financial Activities and note 5.

17 Transfer between funds

There were no transfers between the funds this accounting year.

18 Related Party Transactions

There were no transactions with related parties in the year.

19 Disclosure of relevant circumstances

In common with many other charities of our size and nature we use our independent examiners to:

i. prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities;

ii. assist with the preparation of the financial statements; and

iii. prepare and submit payroll calculations to HM Revenue & Customs.

During the year our independent examiners also assisted with the preparation of quarterly management accounts for perusal of the Board.

Page 13 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE

SENTINUS

Detailed income and expenditure account for the year ended 31st March 2025

2025 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
TURNOVER
Income 344,606 219,274
COST OF SALES
Project costs (159,836) (150,166)
GROSS SURPLUS 184,770 69,108
OTHER INCOME
Deposit account interest 19,720 17,778
Sundry income - -
204,490 86,886
EXPENDITURE
Employee costs 141,492 189,598
Rent 21,000 21,000
Rates, water rates and sewerage costs - -
Insurance 3,862 5,260
Light & Heat 2,876 2,256
Repairs and maintenance 1,994 2,490
Printing, postage and stationery 792 998
Advertising / PR - 1,129
Business Development - -
Telephone 3,404 3,672
Computer and IT costs 11,879 11,967
Accountancy and audit 10,700 13,100
Sundry expenses 637 52
Legal and professional fees - 198,636 - 251,522
Total resources expended 5,854 (164,636)
Finance costs
Bank charges 337 343
5,517 (164,979)
Depreciation
Fixtures and fittings 102 136
NET (DEFICIT) / SURPLUS 5,415 (165,115)

THIS PAGE DOES NOT FORM PART OF THE STATUTORY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page 14 of 14

Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditor Sinclair House, 89/101 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FE