The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) 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 (FRS102).
The Carrick Centre was founded in 2007 and moved into a purpose-built facility, co-located with the Maybole Parish Church of Scotland, in 2012. The charitable purposes of the company are to advance the citizenship, community development and educational needs of the community of North Carrick and its surrounds through the provision, maintenance and repair of a community building or buildings.
The Carrick Centre is at the heart of making Maybole and North Carrick a better place to live, play, work and raise a family. The charity has a purpose-built Community Centre which opened in 2012 and was recognised as an accredited Green Transport Community Mobility Hub (CoMoUK) in 2024, and a separate fully refurbished building housing the Carrick Centre KA19 Youth Hub.
The charity operates for the benefit all our citizens across the lifespan and its services are rooted in values of inclusiveness, kindness, sustainability, and partnership.
The Carrick Centre was established as a charity and company in 2007 and opened in 2012 to meet local needs, create new community facilities and support community led projects across North Carrick. Funding for the two million pounds community building was generated by the amalgamation of two local Church of Scotland churches, donations and fundraising from the congregations and local community, and over 20 Trusts and Funds.
In 2024, the Carrick Centre was accredited as a Green Transport Community Mobility Hub (CoMoUK) including EV charging points, secure bike storage and hire of electric bikes, and community minibuses.
The Trustees saw the need for a dedicated space for the youth of North Carrick and when the opportunity arose they acquired a second newly refurbished building and formally opened the Carrick Centre KA19 Youth Hub.
The charity works in partnership with key organisations and funders to deliver services for the town of Maybole and the surrounding eight villages of North Carrick.
Trustees, staff and volunteers deliver projects, programmes and services, and support other local organisations to deliver services.
Volunteering opportunities and work placements are on offer and space is rented out to community groups and individuals.
A Community Café, Soft Play, Food Pantry, Food Bank, Church and other community projects, all contribute to improving health and reducing poverty and social isolation and the Carrick Community Food Garden is a key partner.
The KA19 Youth Hub has an elected YOUTH BOARD and provides free space and support for young people to connect with others, have their voices heard, and participate in new experiences to have fun and reach their potential.
The Trustees provide strategic direction for the charity to achieve our Charitable purposes, act with care and diligence, and ensure good governance and financial stability. The Community Café and Room Hire generate unrestricted income to support the charities objectives.
Continuous fundraising is essential for Projects, staff and core costs. However, despite a 12-year track record of achieving outputs and high-level outcomes, full cost recovery is impossible to secure, with fewer opportunities for core costs. To this end, we are making strenuous efforts to establish a ‘Special Partnership Status’ with local funders including windfarm companies and community wealth building opportunities. To reduce core costs, we are seeking funding for solar panels to further our move to being carbon neutral.
The COVID 19 pandemic brought its own challenges but the Carrick Centre continued to serve the community throughout the pandemic.
In 2023 The Trustees commissioned Social Value Lab to undertake a Social Return on Investment Evaluation of its Activities and its Theory of Change to get a better understanding of its wider Social Impact Key findings were
for every pound of investment in the Carrick Centre £3.77 of social value is created
The £1.96 million in Grants raised in past 12 years equates to £7.39 million of social value created
The ratio of return on the Public Purse alone is £2.09 for every £1 invested;
the £1.96 million in Grants are returning £4.09 million equivalent value to the Public Purse
The Carrick Centre has extensive links with other charities and local community networks to improve our understanding of local needs, strategic developments and opportunities. VASA have provided us with essential links into key activities and funding opportunities.
Food Pantry funding from South Ayrshire Council came via VASA and they have been critical in the campaign to retain funding support for Food Pantries. CEIS, Social Value Lab and Thriving Communities (SAC) have all played a significant role in supporting us to build our capacity and enable the charity to grow and thrive. Their professional expertise has been invaluable and the reports they have produced with us are at the core of our strategic planning.
The connection with the Carrick Community Food Garden is another great example of how working with others can help build and achieve our mission. The fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden are donated to the Food Bank and Food Pantry. The training kitchen in the Carrick Centre works with the young people at the youth hub to show them how to cook the fresh produce. The local primary schools work in the garden twice a week with local volunteers. In this way, young people are involved meaningfully across the whole project.
Our key funders engage with us regularly and William Grant Foundation, the Lottery and the Robertson Trust remain significant long term funding partners
Community Café
The Carrick Café has continued to thrive, serving nutritious, affordable meals six days a week. As well as providing a welcoming space for local people to connect, the café offers vital training and employability opportunities. This year we:
Created supported roles for individuals furthest from the job market.
Delivered on-the-job training in food hygiene, customer service, and hospitality skills.
Introduced new environmentally friendly kitchen equipment, reducing energy use and improving efficiency.
KA19 Youth Hub
Our youth services continue to provide a safe, supportive environment for young people to learn, socialise, and develop life skills. Highlights this year include:
Delivery of regular youth work sessions with a strong focus on mental health, resilience, and participation.
Expansion of creative and vocational opportunities in partnership with local schools and organisations.
Strong uptake of holiday programmes, helping to combat social isolation and food insecurity during non-term time.
Community Programmes and Events
We delivered a wide-ranging programme of events and activities, ensuring opportunities for all ages and stages. Key successes include:
Hosting well-attended, free, community events, including seasonal celebrations, workshops, fun days, a panto, and craft fairs.
Facilitating access to support services through signposting, space-sharing with local partners, and outreach work.
Volunteering and Partnerships
Volunteers remain at the heart of The Carrick Centre. Over the past year, we:
Supported a growing team of dedicated volunteers, many of whom have gone on to further education or employment.
Strengthened partnerships with local authorities, schools, health services, and third sector organisations.
Promoted local produce and small businesses through our café and events, supporting the wider South Ayrshire economy.
Facilities and Sustainability
We have invested in our building and infrastructure to ensure we meet the evolving needs of the community:
Replaced ageing, inefficient equipment to improve sustainability and reduce running costs.
Began the transition to a digital communication system, enhancing administration.
Maintained high standards in cleanliness, accessibility, and maintenance across all areas of the Centre
The Carrick Centre is the host for the local food bank and the Centre operates the successful Maybole Food Pantry which achieved significant outcomes that directly benefited our local community. In 2024 a total of 3,899 shops were completed by pantry members, helping to provide an estimated 15,596 meals to individuals and families facing food insecurity. Through access to affordable groceries, members made substantial savings on their weekly food budgets. We estimate a total local food shop saving of £95,500, helping to ease financial pressure and increase household resilience during a time of rising living costs.
In addition to providing a safe and comfortable space for local groups to meet the Centre offers conference space to meet the needs of small groups up to groups of 150/200, with audio visual services. Catering is also available.
The Centre operates a café, serving breakfast and lunch with freshly made food; we continue to keep prices low to ensure that we are affordable to all of our community. The café also serves as a training facility for young adults and those with a disability. In this setting they learn basic food handling, customer service and barista skills.
The Centre hosted several themed events – Charity pop up stores for school uniforms, Halloween costumes and warm coats, 2 Free Family Fun Days, Free Pantomime and Christmas Parties and other community events.
The NHS operated its annual Covid-19 and immunisation clinic from the Centre, ensuring ready access for the North Carrick Community.
The Carrick Centre KA19 Youth Hub continues to build on its strong start and along with the weekly Youth Clubs, drop in sessions and partnership working, provides an affordable space for children’s parties for the community.
Whilst the Centre has a number of high, fixed cost items such as Insurance, Energy and staff costs, while unrestricted income is variable and the Centre relies on Room Lets, Cafe/catering sales, donations and funding to stay solvent.
Actual unrestricted income from donations, operations and fundraising, was £220k with restricted grants and donations £139K.
At the year end, The Carrick Centre had unrestricted net current liabilities of £9,391. The acquisition of the second building by asset transfer for the Carrick Centre KA19 Youth Hub had financial implications of not only the additional running costs but also substantial legal fees and the additional expenditure of a full audit in 2023, this contributed to the deficit incurred in this financial year.
The results from 2023 also elevated our income to over the £500k threshold which excluded us from applying for several grants during this financial year.
This has led to the Trustee’s implementing a number of changes to ensure the sustainability of the charity.
Reserves Policy
Our unrestricted reserves are approximately 9 months of unrestricted operating costs, but after removing fixed assets of £248k this is not the case with unrestricted net current liabilities as noted above. Our target has been to try and retain 3 months of average operating costs which the trustees are hoping to achieve in future.
The trustees have 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.
Secure Core Revenue costs, vital for organisational sustainability and growth.
Ensure the success of the new Carrick Centre KA19 Youth Hub and establish it on a secure footing both financially and with key partners.
Continue to work towards net zero carbon
The charity is a company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 30th November 2007. Planning and fundraising began on that date and the company was granted charitable status with effect from 23rd September 2010.
The Carrick Centre leases its premises from the Trustees of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh for an annual rent of ONE POUND (£1.00) STERLING if asked in advance on the Date of Entry and each subsequent anniversary thereof.
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:
The charity is controlled by the Board of Trustees. Meetings are held regularly and implementation of decisions is done by the Executive Team.
The main related party at present is The Maybole Parish Church. This is related by virtue of the partnership created due to common objectives and control through a number of common trustees. The related party transactions note details the transactions occurring.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
On behalf of the board of trustees
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 7 to 22.
It is my responsibility to examine the financial statements as required under section 44(1)(c) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
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 Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and Regulation 4 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006, and
to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 8 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006
have not been met, or
2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn 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 Carrick Centre is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in Scotland. The registered office is Culzean Road, Maybole, Ayrshire, KA19 7DE.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) 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)The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102
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.
The charity currently meets its day to day working capital requirements through income from its charitable activities and grant awards.
On this basis, the trustees consider it appropriate to prepare the accounts on the going concern basis. The accounts do not include any adjustments that would result from a failure to achieve the additional external funding; in such an event, the trustees would initially revise their planned level of activity.
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.
Grants receivable are credited to the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) in the year in which they are awarded, providing entitlement, certainty and measurement can be confirmed.
Expenditure other than that which has been capitalised is included on an accruals basis, net of recoverable VAT and is recognised when there is a legal or constructive obligation to pay the expenditure.
Expenditure on raising funds are deemed expenditure of the development office and fundraising events.
Expenditure on charitable activities are deemed expenditure of the centre itself and support costs for the charity generally.
Governance costs are deemed expenditure for statutory responsibilities and other consultancy fees.
All costs have been directly attributed to one of the functional categories of resources expended in the SOFA.
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.
No depreciation has been charged on the land and buildings due to the building not being brought into use until February 2024.
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.
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.
Sales within charitable activities comprises of Café, catering, food pantry and soft play income.
Charitable rental income comprises hall lets, nursery rent and church rent.
The heat, light and power cost is net of Ofgen renewable heat incentives totalling £8,742 (2023 - £8,559).
£1,500 of audit fees represent an under accrual in 2023.
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year. No trustees received any expenses (2023 - No trustees received any expenses).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Land and buildings represents the property at 8-10 Whitehall, The Big Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland all hold security over the property.
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.
The Fixed Asset Fund represents several previous restricted funds where all cash has been spent and the balance represents the net books value of assets purchased.
Better Breaks - Provided funding for the Carrick Sensory to participate in day trips The transfer of £68 represented an overspend which was covered from the Carrick Centres unrestricted funds
Christmas Grants & Funds - This was LPP funding for Christmas activities for the Youth of the community. The transfer of £484 represented an overspend which was covered from the Carrick Centres unrestricted funds.
Drum4URLife - This was a Destination Scotland grant for a wellbeing drumming session. The transfer of £6 represented an overspend which was covered from the Carrick Centres unrestricted funds.
ARIA Lighting Upgrade - This was funding from South Ayrshire Council to upgrade to energy efficient lighting in the Centre. This work was completed post year end in 2025.
Food Pantry - This was funding received from South Ayrshire Council through Voluntary Action South Ayrshire to setup a Food Pantry, a membership scheme aimed at helping people make their money go further by reducing their food shopping bills and providing advice and support.
SCP 2022 - This was funding from the Scottish Government to cover core salary costs and the recruitments of a new General Manager.
Assel Valley ICF- This was funding received for the Food Pantry project and Youth Hub.
Church Youth Fund - This was funding received from Maybole Parish Church to fund sessional staff for Youth Work.
National Lottery Community Led - This was funding from the National Lottery for a period of three years for the Community Development Manager's post
Cycling Scotland - This was funding from Cycling Scotland for the secure bike shelters and signage for the Community Green Transport Hub. The transfer represented an overspend of £1,009 and the transfer of £18,440 worth of assets to the Fixed Assets Fund.
National Lottery Young Start - This was 2 year funding for a Lead Youth Worker, sessional staff and capital expenditure.
Sensory Fundraising - This was funds raised for the Carrick Sensory's weekly and 1 Sunday a month sessions
SAC Segar SDO - This was funding received for the Strategic Development Officer post.
Panto Projects - This was funding received to run a Christmas pantomime.
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.
The Carrick Centre occupies premises built and owned by The Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN and has use of the premises at a peppercorn rent of £1 per annum.
During the year the charity entered into the following transactions with related parties:
The Carrick Centre receive rent from North Carrick Church of £6,000 (2023 - £6,000). This is in respect of use of the Carrick Centre for Church activities. The North Carrick Church is a registered charity and is related by virtue of the partnership created due to common objectives and control through a number of common trustees.
Electro Installations (Scotland) Ltd, a company controlled by Mr James Cooper, trustee/director, provided electrical services to the charity during the year amounting to £3,689 (incl of VAT) (2023 - £2,090), at an arms length price. At the end of the year £nil was still outstanding (2023 - £nil).