The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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)".
The charity's objects are to relieve and prevent the suffering and distress amongst cats in need of care and attention and to promote the welfare of cats.
Our vision of how the world would be if we were no longer needed: ‘A world where all cats are happy, healthy and homed.'
Our mission is defined simply as: 'We aim to relieve and prevent suffering amongst cats.'
In collaboration with staff and volunteers across the charity, we define our values:
Through enthusiasm and collaboration, we demonstrate:
Compassion: We offer kindness and empathy to all cats and humans.
Integrity: We are trustworthy and honest.
Commitment: We are attentive and aim for excellence.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
In response to the massive increase in rehoming applications, waiting list management became a priority this year. Our welfare team received invaluable support from Battersea & iCatCare, and Legacy income enabled us to actively manage the waiting list via pilot schemes specifically looking for opportunities to keep cats in loving homes. The team were able to help 15 cats stay in loving homes, a huge achievement and the basis for more pilot projects exploring community activity supporting families who face losing their loved cats due to a range of challenges, financial and otherwise.
Cats
We are so proud of the Cat Welfare Team who undertook Battersea refresher courses and iCatCare Training so the Shelter was able to become a certified Cat Friendly Homing Centre. This learning resulted in more improvements to our cat and kitten care welfare processes, from intake to adoption and aftercare.
The year tested our team to the limit as the Shelter was plagued by numerous serious health conditions and subject to barrier nursing (and reverse barrier nursing) for much of the year. Ringworm, virus’s, skin complaints and amputations were just a few of the many complex cases and serious health conditions the team nursed, some even new to our vets. Several vaccination shortages and our wonderful vets being inundated after Covid caused adoption delays and additional management strain.
The team excelled with the average days in shelter reducing despite a number of long term residents. A staff shortage brought its own struggles, but everyone pulled together and gave their all for the cats, helping almost 400 cats through a 12 month period by way of rehoming, various projects, pilots and community support.
Russell and Howard, abandoned in a carrier in woods, arrived suffering from almost every gastro-intestinal health condition possible, together with skin and ear conditions. We were able to stabilise the boys who stayed with us for 158 days before going home in June 2024. Cuddly Raf, struggling to recover after a tail amputation which left him with nerve damage, stayed with us for 150 days. Our office princess Angel, obsessed with printing, stayed in the Shelter and on Foster for 103 days while she recovered from severe skin conditions. Vet fees increased again this year due to the sheer numbers of severely ill cats we cared for.
To add to the team's challenges a spate of mums and kittens were brought to the door (15 in a 2 week period) marking the start of an ongoing trend. Many of these kittens required hand rearing as mums were either too young to care for the kittens and didn’t know what to do, or they were too ill.
Abby, our first self-referral cat, walked into our shelter of her own accord, heavily pregnant and quite ill. She managed to birth her kittens with us, but was too poorly to raise them, so for the first few days of their lives, they were hand reared, until we could get Abby well again.
These desperate measures highlighted the plight of families who just couldn’t wait on our Waiting Lists (ours exceeded 100+ cats and other rescues had already closed their lists). Families forced to abandon their cats (with often tiny kittens) on our doorstep or along the road highlighted the very real impact Covid had on Cat ownership across the city and the massive neutering crisis which continues today.
We are determined to help cat owners and their cats through this crisis by working closely with communities and we are enlisting the help of community leaders to help achieve this goal.
Members of our team attending the ADCH conference in Telford were inspired by the focused workshops and meeting colleagues from Rescue organisations across the UK. Microchipping events in partnership with RAIN Rescue and Highfield Vets helped 44 cats, and a significant number went on to receive help with neutering also. Collaboration with other Rescue organisations and vets has enabled us to share knowledge and experience and we seek to expand these opportunities going forward to benefit many more cats and kittens.
Our cat admin team took over 1000 calls from March-December 2024, everything from requests for cat care advice, to rehoming requests, to genuine cat emergencies.
Shops
Shops staff also excelled with both Ecclesall Road and Hillsborough Shops working harder than ever to achieve increased sales again this year. Fabulous vintage donations drove higher than average August sales and December was an unexpectedly strong month.
Our third Shop opened at Broomhill in February 2024 and started trading strongly thanks to the support of an enthusiastic retail staff team and volunteers new and retained. The landlord and previous tenants, Save the Children, were supportive of us reusing shop and back room fittings which reduced waste and cost. More staff received PAT test training.
We gave notice on the Hillsborough shop lease as, despite our best efforts to improve sales over the past 5 years, the position of the shop and lack of footfall in the precinct at Hillsborough Barracks severely limited its ability to support the Charity. Alternative premises were found on Hillsborough High Street, in a great location close to the cluster of big name Charity Shops already set up there.
Ecclesall Road resident feline, Boots, started visiting. He was a very wary and hissy stray with cattitude who our shop staff and volunteers befriended, gradually winning his trust with kindness (and food!). Now neutered and chipped, he is content, making himself at home in the shop and customers love to see him napping in the corner while they shop.
Fundraising
Successful events were visited throughout the year at Crosspool, Sheffield Fayre, Wigfield farm and Sharrow Vale Market. The year ended on a high with our stall at Owls in the park breaking our event income record, teddy tombola being a huge hit with families.
Our own 126th Birthday street party was a real hit. Supporters, local Councillors and & our wonderful Patrons Frankie Seaman & Joann Fletcher all enjoyed the lovely warm September day and entertainment helping to raise over £800.
Into the winter and our first fashion show, held at Ponds Forge Skyline Suite, was well supported again raising over £800 in a fun and fashionable afternoon hosted by Frankie.
Staff changes in May prompted the start of our search for a part time Fundraising manager to help improve engagement with our wonderful supporters.
Joining the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce fostered new local connections helping us access free training, support and specialist project skills. Our teams received training funded by Opportunity Sheffield in First Aider, Mental Health First Aider and we now have a team licensed to Microchip.
Volunteers
100 + volunteers use their time to help us each and every month. We wish to provide greater support to this amazing group of supporters without whom the Charity just could not run so effectively. We look forward to moving to new premises so we can offer improved welfare opportunities and greater support.
The Charity was delighted to throw a Thank you event for regular volunteers at which our wonderful longterm Ecclesall Road Shop volunteer, Dorothy Higgott, was presented with a framed letter from the Queen recognizing her long service to our Charity.
The Shelter was helped by corporate volunteer teams from Business Bank and Aviva who pitched in helping to prepare us for the big events.
We offer heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers!
The Income for the year to 30 June 2024 was £514,658 (compared to £513,914 for the year to 30 June 2023). This figure includes legacies of £85,637 (2023 £129,526). Shop sales increased significantly again this year £277,807 (2023 £234,304) thanks to the quality of donations received and the support of our loyal customers. Hillsborough sales improved significantly in 2024 and our shops received another boost in 2024 when our Broomhill shop opened early in the year.
Expenditure continued to increase throughout this period, due to a combination of inflation and the knock on effects of COVID and the cost of living crisis. Costs have increased across all areas of the charity, necessitating extra funding, while our commitment to move our Shelter to more suitable premises requires ever more strenuous fundraising efforts.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month’s expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
Unrestricted funds of £500,000 are earmarked for the purchase of new, more appropriately laid out, Shelter premises. We aim to attract further grant funding to fit out the new facility for which we would deem this match funding.
The trustees has assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
New Shelter
A potential new Shelter site was explored in Walkley but excessive costs and constrained timings prevented our pursuing this opportunity. A new Legacy is in the pipeline which has improved the scope of future shelter options. Travis Place has huge limitations and is increasingly difficult to manage so we desperately need to move to appropriate premises. Improved accessibility and visitor facilities with separate adoptable, isolation and maternity facilities will enable us to help more cats, further increase welfare standards and reduce costs.
In addition, having successfully trialled one-off veterinary treatments, short term care, advice and neutering to help cats stay in loving homes, we need to use our learnings from these projects, our intake request data and other rescue experience to deliver community wide projects aimed specifically at preventing loved cats from having to enter the Rescue process at all.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by its constitution.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Members of the charity appoint a committee of between three and twelve committee members who control the day to day activities of the charity. When considering co-opted Trustees, the committee has regard to the requirement for any specialist skills needed and wider experience of the charity sector.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The charity is governed by a committee of trustees appointed by members at the Annual Trustees' Meeting.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Sheffield Cats Shelter for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees 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; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Sheffield Cats Shelter (the charity) for the year ended 30 June 2024.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, 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 that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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 financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The Sheffield Cats Shelter is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 1 Travis Place, Sheffield, S10 2DB.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act 2006 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)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Resources expended are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis.
Expenditure which is directly attributable to charitable activities has been included in this cost category.
Governance costs are those incurred in the management and operation of the charity, both as a charity and a limited company, such as regulatory compliance costs.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition. Items held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured the lower of replacement cost and cost.
Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Land and buildings with a carrying amount of £15,860 were revalued at 30 June 2020 by the trustees. This was based on a valuation that was carried out by ELR, an independent valuer, on 10 February 2020.
On 30 June 2021 the trustees again revalued the property back to the original valuation of £375,000 based on 2 external valuations carried out by 2 independent valuers MJM Real Estate Limited and Staves Estate Agents Limited on 6 July 2021.
Both valuations for 2020 and 2021 conform to International Valuation Standards and were based on recent market transactions on arm's length terms for similar properties.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Restricted funds consist of the following:
Fundraising for the garden renovation that was collected in the year to 30 June 2018.
National lottery grant received in the year 30 June 2022.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
At the reporting end date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).