12
YOUNG AND FREE REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS Registered Charity Number 1117939 31 MARCH 2020
YOUNG AND FREE
REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS
Registered Charity Number 1117939
31 MARCH 2020
YOUNG AND FREE
REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
CONTENTS Page
Legal & Administrative Information 1
Trustees' annual report 2
Independent examiner's report 7
Receipts and payments account 8
Statement of assets and liabilities 9
Notes to the accounts 10
Page 1
YOUNG AND FREE
LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
CHARITY NAME: Young and Free
REGISTERED NUMBER: 1117939
CHARITY'S PRINCIPAL ADDRESS: Filwood Community Centre
Barnstaple Road
Bristol BS4 LIP
GOVERNING DOCUMENT: Constitution adopted on 13 March 2006, as
amended 27 November 2006.
OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY: For the relief of people with physical and sensory
disabilities to promote opportunities,
independence, education, advancement, inclusion
and integration in the Bristol area.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER: Tyler Redmore Redland House
157 Redland Road Redland Bristol BS6 6YE
BANKERS: National Westminster Bank plc
PO Box 209 72 Gloucester Road Bristol BS99 5AF
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YOUNG AND FREE
TRUSTEES' REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
INTRODUCTION
The Trustees present their report and unaudited accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2020. In
preparing this report the Trustees complied with current statutory requirements and the Charity's Trust Deed
The Trustees who held office during the year were:
Mr A M Khan (Chair) Mr K Lapins Ms S Lapins Mrs M Webb Miss H Webb Ms K Malone (appointed 15 July 2019)
STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The Charity is governed by its Constitution, adopted on 13 March 2006 and amended on 27 November 2006.
Appointment of Trustees All the trustees are volunteers. Two trustees are disabled young people who are also members and, as such,
regularly benefit from the services offered by the charity. The trustees are approved by the members at the
Annual General Meeting.
Risk Management The major risks to which the charity is exposed, as identified by the trustees, have been reviewed and systems
established to mitigate those risks.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Details of the Charities objectives are set out on page 1. The trustees have had due regard to the Charity
Commission guidance on public benefit in deciding what activities we should undertake and confirm that all our
activities are undertaken to further our charitable purpose.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
This year has been another busy and extremely rewarding one for Young and Free, which we have been lucky
enough to enjoy thanks to all our loyal supporters. We had a very successful long weekend break in the summer
- more details later in the report - and explored some exciting new venues for our social events, thanks to the
amazing generosity of our funders.
Young and Free is a registered charity that is run by, and for, young adults with physical and/or sensory disabilities and related learning difficulties, operating in Bristol and the surrounding area. The aim of Young and
Free is to combat the social isolation experienced by so many disabled young people. A social life is important to us all, but vital to young adults, and many of our members struggle to get out and about and integrate with
their peers without support. If support isn't forthcoming, feelings of isolation can cause distress, and in many
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TRUSTEES' REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
cases, mental health issues. Young and Free Charity was founded by the parents of two disabled young people for whom these feelings were only too real and painful.
To date, we have enjoyed fourteen years of Young and Free which is quite remarkable given that the charity receives no statutory funding, whatsoever. We depend entirely upon the generosity of our supporters to ensure our future. Essentially, the charity relies on volunteers and most of our Trustees and Committee members are either carers or disabled young people themselves. However, once again, we are delighted and relieved to have secured sufficient funds to support our work and to pay the salary of our Project Coordinator for at least another year. This is thanks primarily to regular donations from trusts, companies and individuals, many of whom have donated regularly for several years. This year we have been especially fortunate with several Trusts donating very generous amounts, ensuring that all aspects of the befriending service can continue and giving us scope to try new ideas.
Our Project Coordinator, Laura continues in post and without doubt, she is the heart and soul of the Charity. Laura is herself a disabled young person who tries to use her own experiences to help and encourage others. Her enthusiasm and determination to achieve in all aspects of her life inspires us all.
We have continued our tenancy at Filwood Community Centre in Knowle West, where we have been based very successfully since May 2015. This unit is ideally situated for our Project Coordinator to reach on public transport and for many of our service users who live in South Bristol. We occupy an office within a larger unit which is perfectly adequate for our needs and was offered to us at a reduced rent. We also have use of their function rooms for a very reasonable fee, which means we no longer have to hire expensive rooms elsewhere for low key events.
We are proud that, once again, we have been awarded the Disability Confident Employer badge for our commitment to good practice. The Disability Confident scheme supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace.
During the course of this year, our members have enjoyed an extensive events programme. Typically, two events are held each month. Activities have included:
• Several very popular and well attended ten pin bowling sessions followed by McDonald's.
• A day coach trip to the Hanes Motor Museum in Somerset
• A Halloween disco
• Several large group restaurant meals including Cosmos where they cater for most tastes, Nandos and
Chiquitos
• Our fun annual Christmas dinner held at Stockwood Vale Golf Club where a visit from Father Christmas
treated everyone to a selection box!
• Pottery painting workshops run by an outside company who provided all materials and ideas. These workshops were held just before Christmas, Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day so members and volunteers had the opportunity to create their own unique presents
• A very popular Quiz afternoon with pizza delivery
• An Easter card-making workshop
• Several Cinema trips
• An Indian takeaway afternoon with a Magic show provided by one of our supporters
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YOUNG AND FREE
TRUSTEES' REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
• A trip to Bristol Zoo
• We had tickets for 'We Will Rock You' at the Bristol Hippodrome in March but unfortunately our
booking coincided with the start of lockdown. So although disappointing, we still have that show to
look forward to in 2021.
In November we enjoyed a very exciting coach trip to London to visit The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour.
This trip had been on the wish list of many of our members for quite some time and as the Charity had been
lucky enough to receive sizeable donations during the year, Laura arranged it. As it was close to Christmas
several of the scenes were snow covered and all the more magical. What a wonderful day we had and so many
memories.
In previous summers, our service users have thoroughly enjoyed the long weekends at Calvert Trust but they
wanted to try somewhere different and in a more integrated setting not aimed solely at disabled people. The
consensus was to try a weekend break at Centerparcs in Longleat where they appeared to offer chalets and
other facilities to meet our needs. So with our fundraising on target, we decided to go for it. Although costly,
these mini breaks are the highlight of the year for many of our members who could not afford a holiday
otherwise. Despite a few minor hitches that could easily be adjusted should we go again, the trip was a huge
success made possible by the endless hard work and dedication of our fantastic volunteers and the sense of
family that I think we all experienced. Our happiness at sharing time together must have been evident because
an anonymous donor who was holidaying with their family paid for our Sunday roast dinner 'to give the carers
a treat'. We will never know who that person was but their wonderful gesture was the icing on the cake and
something we will never forget.
Our charitable fundraising events have included:
• Young and Free fundraising tables at the 'Knowle West Fest' and the lovely celebration of International
Womens' Day held at the Community Centre in March 2020. Although we raised limited funds, we
were honoured to be invited to take part in these community events that gave us an opportunity to
support ventures organised by people who have been so welcoming and supportive of us.
At Young and Free, buddying is a significant part of the service we offer and all members are offered the
opportunity of one to one buddying, small group buddying and buddying within our twice monthly 'big' events.
Socialising is not limited to our organised events as we actively encourage individuals to meet outside of the
group and we tend to find that this enables friendships to develop and blossom in a natural and 'organic' way.
Frequent small buddying group activities include bowling, cinema trips, bus rides to the seaside and lunches in
town. Typically these are groups of four or five members supported by two or three volunteers, depending on
needs. They tend to be initiated by members at the larger events.
All of these befriending activities create a strong bond in the charity and firm friendships based on trust, thus
helping our service users to become more confident in social situations. This is vital for improving their self-
esteem which many disabled people struggle with due to negative experiences at their school or college. Indeed,
a couple of members have managed to gain paid employment as a result of confidence gained.
We encourage our members to try out events and activities they would not have done prior to joining the group
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YOUNG AND FREE
TRUSTEES' REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
and we pride ourselves on being able to provide these services to every individual it appeals to regardless of
their disability or background.
When considering a programme of charity events, it is also necessary for us to budget for the cost of taxis and
disabled access coach transport. Both are huge expenses and over the years, the Trustees have toyed with the
idea of asking for member contributions towards the cost of transport. However, not all service users have the
means to do that, which would result in them missing out on some events. As a key Young and Free aim is to
offer every opportunity to every single member, this would not be acceptable. The Trustees also have a duty of
care to ensure that all members arrive home safely from events and consider taxis the easiest way of
guaranteeing that, especially in the winter months.
At Young and Free we use social media and networking opportunities to spread the word and our Project Co-
ordinator is very skilled in this field. Laura also regularly visits local groups and colleges to promote our work
and we have links with the volunteer teams at both the University of Bristol and UWE in the hope of bringing in
new volunteers too.
Many of our new service users hear about Young and Free from the positive experiences of current members.
In addition to the forms that are already completed on a regular basis by all of our members and their families
to record improvements in their social wellbeing, Laura created feedback forms to be used at events. These
forms are filled out several times a year to ensure not only that members are still enjoying the project, but also
to give them an opportunity to contribute new ideas and record their opinions.
Our members and volunteers are always encouraged to participate in the organisational work of Young and Free
on a level at which each individual feels confident. Opportunities include contributing to the website, posting
pictures on our Facebook page, supporting presentations, fundraising and writing articles for the bi-monthly
newsletter.
All service users and volunteers are actively encouraged to join the Executive Committee. The current Executive
Committee is now made up of fourteen people — nine volunteers and five disabled members. Our six Trustees
currently in office were approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. We've had interest from
three more members and one more volunteer who would like to join the Committee and they were voted in at
our AGM in September 2020. We were also delighted that Charmaine Sharpe, a very capable and well respected
volunteer indicated that she would like to take on the role of Trustee. Charmaine has bags of energy and lots
of experience in working with adults with disabilities and she was welcomed formally at the AGM.
We currently have 44 registered members the majority of whom have a combined physical and learning
disability. Thirty of those we see on a regular basis. We have 30 registered volunteers who attend events as
frequently as studies/work permit, but we are blessed with a core group of around fifteen to twenty very
dedicated volunteers upon whom we can always rely. We've recently had a lot of interest from potential new
volunteers, four of whom have already had DBS checks and we look forward to welcoming them in due course.
All of our volunteers have enhanced DBS checks carried out before being authorised to volunteer, all receive
support and friendship so that everyone feels they have someone to turn to. practical training to ensure that
they feel confident in their role and all are expected to sign and comply with our policies.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Young and Free, alongside other charities and groups has had to come to terms with the challenges we are all
facing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and adapt our areas of focus for 2020/2021. As soon as lockdown
was imposed we started to explore ways of supporting each other. All of our members are vulnerable adults;
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YOUNG AND FREE
TRUSTEES' REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
some are shielding and others live alone, so maintaining contact is vital to ensure their safety. The charity is
about combating social isolation and we know that the current situation is causing fear and anxiety and
exacerbating the mental health problems that many of our service users experience. We aim to offer continual
support and friendship so that everyone feels they have someone to turn to.
• The Trustees have set our Project Coordinator up to work from home by providing a lap top, so she can
maintain the service as much as possible
• Weekly Zoom calls. Laura has subscribed to Zoom Pro monthly for unlimited video calls so that we can
not only talk but see each other too. Weekly group calls will take place on a Friday evening and
alternate between chat evenings and quizzes created by volunteers and service users. Already these
have proved to be very popular and are a valuable way of lifting spirits
• Wellbeing calls. A rota ensures that all members will receive a weekly call from different volunteers so
that we know everyone is safe and coping. In addition, one volunteer has agreed to meet in an outside
venue at weekends with two members who are struggling with personal circumstances. He will meet
them individually on alternate weekends. Other volunteers have offered to do the same, if requested.
• WhatsApp group. Every day the group will share news and a daily joke or video clip on YouTube that
they have found amusing. Again, a great way to keep in touch and improve mental wellbeing
• As soon as it is safe to do so we will encourage small group buddying
• Monitor the situation with taxis and the guidelines imposed by Bristol City Council with regards to
picking up from more than one household
• Before lockdown was imposed we booked a second long weekend break in Centerparcs, Longleat for
summer 2020. Although we've had to rearrange this holiday, we will continue our fundraising efforts
to ensure another fantastic experience in 2021.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
At the end of the financial year the charity held £95,994 (2019 - £75,997) in the form of cash in the bank and in
hand, of which £95,994 are unrestricted funds.
Reserves Policy
The charity's current cash reserves are adequate to cover one year of expenditure. The trustees are reserving
sufficient funds to engage the services of a Project Co-ordinator to help to continue to develop the charity. The
trustees consider that £15,000 of the cash reserves are adequate to maintain the Project Co-ordinator role and
the remaining cash reserves will support a continuation of current activities in the event of a significant drop in
donations.
SIGNATURE AND DECLARATION
This Report was approved by the Trustees on S. 1. 202I
Mr A Khan (Chairman)
and signed on their behalf by:
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YOUNG AND FREE
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF YOUNG & FREE
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
I report on the accounts of Young and Free Trust for the year ended 31 March 2020, which are set out on pages
8 to 10.
Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Independent Examiner
The Charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity's Trustees consider that
an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and that an
independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
• to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under
section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner's Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission.
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 seeking explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures
undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion
is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters
set out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner's Statement
In connection with 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 130 of the 2011 Act; and
• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting
requirements of the 2011 Act
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.
P.G. Tyler F.C.A. Independent Examiner Tyler Redmore 157 Redland Road Redland Bristol BS6 6YE
Pi ____ Date i avi 1.44.44) 2. a z 1
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YOUNG AND FREE
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
Notes
RECEIPTS
Unrestricted
Funds
2020
£
Restricted
Fund
2020
£
Total
Funds
2020
£
Total
Funds
2019
£
Donations 61,203 3,390 64,593 55,482
TOTAL RECEIPTS 61,203 3,390 64,593 55,482
PAYMENTS
Direct Charitable Expenditure 3 22,794 7,473 30,267 23,186
Support Costs
Cost of generating funds (awareness,
marketing, fundraising, etc)
13,694 13,694 12,848
Governance Costs
Accountancy fee 600 600 600
Data protection fee 35 35 35
TOTAL PAYMENTS 37,123 7,473 44,596 36,669
Net receipts/(payments) 24,080 (4,083) 19,997 18,813
Cash Funds as at 31 March 2019 75,997 - 75,997 57,184
Cash Funds as at 31 March 2020 100,077 (4,083) 95,994 75,997
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YOUNG AND FREE
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
CASH FUNDS
Unrestricted
Funds
2020
£
Unrestricted
Funds
2019
£
Bank current account 95,697 75,975
Cash in hand 297 22
95,994 75,997
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Co-ordination services 693 781
Professional fees 600 600
600 600
In accordance with the engagement letter dated 10 September 2018, the trustees approve the accounts, which
comprise the Receipts and Payments Account, the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and the notes. We
acknowledge our responsibility for the accounts, including the appropriateness of the accounting basis as set
out in note 1, and for providing Tyler Redmore with all the information and explanations necessary for its
compliation.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
A Khan (Chairman)
Date S. 1. 202(
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YOUNG AND FREE
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
1. ACCOUNTING BASIS
The accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis for the purposes of submitting information to
the Charity Commission.
2.TRUSTEES/EMPLOYEES
No Trustee, or anyone connected with them, received or waived any remuneration during this year or previous year.
Expenses of £53 (2019 - £602) paid by trustees were reimbursed during the year.
Fees of £1,420 (2019 - £570) were paid to Mr A Khan (Trustee) for transport services provided through his business.
The trustees consider this to be an invaluable service to the charity as charges are kept to a minimum and frequently
waived.
3. DIRECT CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE
Unrestricted
Funds
2020
£
Restricted
Fund
2020
£
Total
Funds
2020
£
Total
Funds
2019
£
Beneficiary trips, befriending, group events, activities 11,298 7,473 18,771 13,312
Rents and rates 325 - 325 -
Equipment 334 - 334 12
Insurance 713 - 713 764
Printing, stationery, postage and telephone 1,577 - 1,577 1,111
Co-ordination services 8,316 8,316 7,811
Compliance costs 231 - 231 176
22,794 7,473 30,267 23,186
4. Restricted Funds
Restricted funds relate to donations and members' contributions towards the cost of the residential trip in June 2019
and a return trip booked for summer 2020, but now postponed until 2021. The shortfall in funds at 31 March 2020
is expected to be covered by further donations and contributions before the next trip.
