(514lled) Imr pagel Lothiansound Trustees, Report and Accounts Year ended 31 December 2025 Scottish Charity Number SC002810
Lothiansaund Annual R•port and Accounts 2025 Page 1 Contents (page 1) Legal and Administrative Infomiation............................................................... Trustees, Annual Report..................................................................................... Report of the Independent Examiner to the Lothiansound Trustees .... ......... Independent Examinerfs Statsment... Receipts and Payments Account....................................................................... Statement of Balances at 31 December 2025.................................................... Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025..
Lothiansound Annual Report and Accounts 2025 Page 2 Legal and Administrative Infomiation Constitution Lothiansound was inaugurated under a Constttution dated and approved on 18 February 1988. Since then there have been several amendments and the present Constitutton was adopted on 23 April 2022. Lothiansound is registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The Scottish Charity Number is SC002810. Trustees The members of the Executive Committee during the year were". Peter Bell Chair Reelected April 2024 Re£lected April 2025 Relected April 2025 Reelected April 2024 i Reelected April 2025 | Elected April 2024 Elspeth Brown Prue McLaughlin Andrew Melville Listener Member VI-Chair {actiry SeGTryl Treasurer James Power Member Jim Sheach Member (w8v201&2019) Under paragraph 6 of the Constitution, Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting. One half of the Trustees retire at the Annual General Meeting. Each retiring Trustee is eligible for re- election. The Trustees have power to Co-opt additional Trustees. Trustees are recommended on the basis of their desire to assist visually impaired people, or their willingness to deploy their relevant expertise and abIl-e$ in support of Lothiansound activities. Principal Address Gillis Centre, 100 Stratheam Road, Edinburgh EH9 1BB (P. O.Box 28340 Edinburgh EH9 8B W) Independent Examiner Duncan Craig, FMAAT CA, 121 Balgreen Road. Edinburgh EH12 5XE Bankers Royal Bank of Scotland, 36 St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD
Lothian¥ound Annual Report and Accourts 2025 Page 3 Trustees. Annual Report The Executive Committee present their Report together wtih the financial ststements of the charity for the year ended 31 st December 2025. The legal and administratpie information, as set out on page 2, fomis part of this report. Charity's Objects Lothiansound is established for charrtable purposes only and specifically to relieve the blind or partially sighled and those labouring under temporary or permanent incapacty or disability which makes reading a strain, through the provision of news and infomiation. At the present time. the entirely free service is made available primarily on Retumable Memory Stick (whilst, to a very limited extent, on non-returnabl&CD) within a Retumable Wallet. The great majority of Listener5 are resident in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Most new Listeners are referred via the Patient Support Service, now provided by Visibility S¢otland andlor Sight Scotland (previously via ECLO services by RNIB). or by existing Listeners and Volunteers. Others respond to posters and leaflets ¢irculaled to libraries and eye hospFtals. Some family members find Lothiansound on the internet or Facebook. There are occasional requests from social organisations for infomial presentations on our work, giving an opportunity to spread leaflets and receive one-off donations. The weekly edition is also uploaded for internet access. enabled by Talking News Federation, offering listening by TNF Webplayer (within our own website) or via Amazon Alexa (whether by Alexa home smartspeaker, or Alexa app on smartphone). In the Summer of 2025, British Wireless for the Blind, who had developed the internet access routes to talking newspapers in the UK, withdrew their own dedicated phone app. but successfully handed the support and management of their Alexa skills to TNF., all achieved efficiently in a short timeframe. Organisation The charity is administered by an Executive Committee of Trustees. Elections for places on the Committee and the offices of Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary and Treasurer are held at the AGM. The Executive Committee currently meets six times a year. Review of Activities January 2025 brought us to the second anniversary of using the recording studios at Red Dot Radio (hospital radio at Western General Hospital) on Mondays. This has continued, with reasonable harmony, and at no cost to Lothiansound, due to the smooth liaison and constant monitoring by our Sound EngineerrU$tee Jim Sheach, due to his own skills and invOeMent with Red Dot, which in itself keeps us up to date with the Studio's own activities and plans. Administration, Copying and general weekly thyihms at the Gillis Centre in Stratheam Road continue in a smooth way, and in good relationship with landlords. Instead of the traditional once-a-year review of unexplained inactivty among some Listeners. the Admins have looked at spreadsheets more frequently during the year, enabling discreet enquiries about long gaps, where explanations have enabled action in some cases. but a theoretical .90 Active Listeners. can tum out to be onty 704 per week on a regular basis. Aulumn 2025 brought a major problem with Royal Mail's exceedingly short- notice closure of our very handy nearby Delivery Offi. causing considerable consternation with its implications. Resolved after some eleventh-hour stress (more ofthis in Chairfs Report). As the year drew to a close. the Wednesday teams looked forward to the oft-discussed and long-anticipated arrival and installation of a completely new Listener Database (effected over the festive break 2025- 26)
Lothlansound Annual Report and Accounts 2025 Page 4 Donations and Fundraising Donations showed a fall over last year, despite some generous dOnatn$. However, a very generous donation of £1.000 was received from the Order of St. Lazaws, as a Corporate Donation. Transcription work continued in the now-small way. with one client's modest commissions. Financial Results The deficit decreased from £1,995 to £1,497 The Statement of Balances shows that Lothian50und has unre5triGted reserves of£22,288 and remains in a sound financial posrtion wilh its assets held on deposit with banks. Investment Policy The Trustees, policy is to invest surplus liquid funds in short-temi deposits which can be accessed quickly. Rlsk Management The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those relating to the assets and finances of the charity, and are satisfEd that internal controls are in place to mitigate our exposure to major risks. Reserves Policy The Trustees annualty monitor the level of reserves and consider the current level of reserves is not excessive. The unrestricted reserves at the year*nd were £22,288 A relatively high level of reserves is required. As can be seen from the results of the last few years none of the charty's income is guaranteed and can fluctuate from year to year. We use equipment any of which may require to be replaced at short notice. Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities The members of the Executive Committee must prepare financial statements which give sufficient detail to enable an appreciation of the transactions of Lothiansound during the financial year. They are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which rellect the financial FK)Sition of Lothiansound. This must be done to ensure that the financial statements comply WFlh the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2CKI5 and the ChariiEs Accounts (ScotLqnd) Regulations 201M. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of Lothiansound and must take reasonable steps to prevent andlor detect fra or other irregularibes. Peter Bell, Chair Date:
Lothlansound Annual Report and Accounts 2025 Page 5 Report of the Independent Examiner to the Lothiansound Trustees I report on the accounls of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025 which are set out on pages 6 to 9. Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner The charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan wrth the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The charrty's Trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) {d} of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to rny attention. Basis of Independent Examinerfs Ststement My examination is carried out in accordance wtth Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required for an audrt. and consequentty I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. Independent Examinerfs Ststement In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention". 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met. or 2. to which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Independent Examiner Duncan Craig FMAAT CA 121 Balgreen Road, Edinburgh EH12 5XE
Lothlansound Annual R¢port and A¢¢ounts 2025 Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Year ended 310ecember 2025 2025 2024 Notes Receipts Donations Word Done for other bodies Bank Interest Other Income Total Receipts 2,354 153 428 1,955 303 373 22 2,653 2.935 Payments Accommodation costs utilities - Telephone, Intemet Insuran Stationery. postage and Offi expenses Repairs to equipment Subscriptions PAT testing Other expenditure 3,324 154 402 354 47 42 81 28 3,324 129 334 330 37 42 Leaflets 149 Total cost of charitable activities 4,432 4,399 Purchase of equipment 249 Purchase of Memory Sb'ck Players 11 Total Payments 4,432 4.648 (Deficit) for the year Cash funds at start of the year Cash funds at end of the year (1.497) 23,785 22.288 (1,995) 25,780 23.785 12 The Notes to the Accounts on pages 8 and g fomi an integral part of these accounts. All funds are unrestricted.
Lothlansound Annual Report and Accounts 2025 Page 7 Statement of Balances at 31 December 2025 2025 2024 Bank Balances 22,288 23,785 The Notes to the Accounts on pages 8 and 9 form an integral part of these accounts. All funds are unrestricted. Approved by the Trustees on . . 2026 and signed on their behalf by Peter Bell, Chalr
Lothlansound Annual Report and Accounts 2025 Page 8 Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 BASIS OF ACCOUNTING These accounts have been prepared on the ReIpts & Payments basis in line with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 20C6 (as amended). NATURE AND PURPOSE OF FUNDS Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the trustees in the furtheran of the objects of the charity. The Trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for the day-to-day running of the charity. DONATIONS These were reiVed from private individuals and from other bodies. The breakdown by source is.. 2025 2024 Individual (including tax recovered) Corporate 1,213 1.141 2,354 1,914 41 1,955 WORK DONE FOR OTHER BODIES 2025 2024 Capital Theatres Trusl 153 153 303 303 BANK INTEREST 2025 2024 Royal Bank of Scouand Skipton Building Society Shawbrook Bank (CAF 60 day account) Virgin Money( account closed) 22 206 200 251 49 39 373 428 OTHER INCOME 2025 2024 Sale of equipment 22
Lothl•n8¢und Annual Report and Accounts 2025 Page 9 ACCOMMODATION COSTS 2025 2024 Rent 3,324 i 3,324 INTERNET, TELEPHONE COSTS 2025 2024 Telephone & Internet 154 129 TRUSTEES, REMUNERATION Neither the Trustees nor any persons connected with them have received any remuneration during the year (2024-£nil) 10 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS The net estimated realisable value of tangible fixed assets at 31 Dember 2025, in the opinion of the Executive Committee, is minimal so no value has been attributed to tangible fixed assets in the Statement of balanS on page seven. 11 PURCHASE OF MEMORY STICK PLAYERS Memory Stick Players are donated to Lolhiansound Listeners, so are not capitalised. There was no need to purchase memory stick players during 2019-2025. 12 UNRESTRICTED FUNDS: MOVEMENT IN CASH FUNDS 2025 2024 At 151 January ReiptS for the year Payments for the year At 315t Dember 23.785 2.935 4,432 22.288 25,780 2,653 4,648 23,785