The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 September 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 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)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The Big Trust engages businesses both large and small to transform Corporate Social Responsibility from the passive to the active by engaging individuals (business leaders and employee volunteers), to provide training, guidance and advice that is targeted towards positive change. The charity aims to open the door to the world of work to individuals facing barriers and disadvantage.
Vision
Our vision is that by working together to enable each of us to achieve what we are capable of we will support thriving communities, successful businesses and empowered individuals. We believe that together we will enhance the life chances of people by challenging, inspiring and changing: the way businesses think, the way businesses behave and the way businesses act. The key issue that we continuously focus on, is our programme to improve the life chances of young people and adults in Liverpool city region’s most deprived communities.
We work with young people from the most deprived communities to enable them to enhance their own life chances, by driving their aspirations and by creating relevant learning platforms, so as adults they will not fall into a poverty and adversity cycle of life. We support adults whose lives are socially disadvantaged by providing opportunities to obtain sustainable employment and by doing so enable individuals to lead successful lives and actively contribute to a prosperous society. We drive collaboration and leadership in the region on the key social issues with colleagues of partner businesses and other partners by creating issues-led and/or sector-led knowledge forums.
By utilising skills and expertise to build consensus and deliver programmes we have wider and stronger impact in the most deprived communities." The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Achievements and performance
During the year, The Big Trust continued with a third phase of its contract with Liverpool City Council undertaking careers work with a selection of Liverpool schools in a programme known as “Pathways to Employment”. A key focus of the Council is to help to prevent students from becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training). Person centred assessments were completed 3 times for all students, once to gain a baseline reading, at the midpoint and at the end of the programme. The assessment tool used was “Youth Star” with the aim of reviewing the following outcome areas – making a difference, hopes & dreams, wellbeing, education & work, communication, and choices & behaviour. Results highlighted 100% of the programme participants demonstrated progress in at least one outcome area. Additionally, 91% made advancements in at least two outcome areas, while 73% experience positive developments in a minimum of three outcome areas. The average number of outcome areas in which progress was observed stands at 3.7, compared to an average of 3.1 during the first phase and 3.5 during the second phase of the programme. Delivery of the programme in this phase completed in December 2024 and was extremely well received with complimentary feedback from all schools and businesses involved.
During the programme a number of additional opportunities were created, all students on the programme plus a few sixth form students who wanted to work in the construction sector from St Francis Xavier were offered work experience placement with DT Hughes Building Contractors. Also offering apprenticeship opportunities directly to the programme cohort post 16. Two students joined the Steven Gerrard Academy.
Tribal Society offered the students of St Francis Xavier and St John Bosco work experience placements in retail or social media and encouraged the students of St John Bosco to apply for paid weekend work with them.
Three volunteer placements have been arranged at Inside Connections, along with work experience opportunities in youth clubs for students at St Julie’s. Sharna from Surge Liverpool supported a student at St Julie’s in completing an application form for a football scholarship in America. Drawing on her own experience of securing a football scholarship there a few years ago, Sharna’s guidance was invaluable in navigating the process.
Kath Jones, owner of Think Wine and We Are Social Network, generously offered to support the students from St Julie’s School to create and improve their LinkedIn profiles. Her guidance focused on enhancing their professional presence online, equipping them with the skills to create impactful profiles that boost their employability and help them stand out to potential employers. Helping to provide students with a strong foundation as they begin their career journeys.
The programme approach remained a Work Based Learning (WBL) model within its curriculum, that not only showcases innovative, exciting career choices. The Big Trust method is to showcase as many different careers as possible to the students, giving them a real taste of what a particular job looks like and what skills and qualifications are required. By doing this, The Big Trust can create bespoke flight paths for students that are in line with their skill set and aspirations. As developed in the pilot phase of the programme, The Big Trust used numerous different strands to give real insight into the world of work to participating students: · Meet the professionals · Career carousels · Networking events · World of work days · Employer led workshops · Entrepreneur workshops · Entrepreneur initiatives · Motivational speakers
Additional work with young people –
The Big Trust was commissioned to deliver employer engagement sessions to over 500 young people as part of the Aspirations Programme, a joint initiative between Liverpool City Council and the LFC Foundation, funded by the Department for Education. The programme aimed to support Year 10 students from ten high schools who face barriers to success in education and are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). Additionally, the programme sought to engage NEET young people working with Liverpool City Council's Targeted Services team to improve attendance and future career prospects.
A key component of the programme was the need for each young person to experience an employer engagement, ensuring that every participating young person had at least one interaction with a professional. In 2024, The Big Trust worked to facilitate these engagements within schools and in 2025 conducted an offsite careers event, welcoming all the students who did not experience a session in school.
Vulnerable adults:
The Big Trust works with people across the Liverpool Region who face major barriers in gaining employment such as; experienced homelessness, are ex-offenders, long term unemployed, care leavers or experienced substance misuse. People are mainly referred to the charity by social landlords, community partners and local authorities. The cessation of European Social Fund grants to social landlords has stalled the Ready for Work programme but discussions are held being held with a local college and an ex-offender resettlement programme to co-fund a programme to start in late 2025.
Collaboration and Leadership:
The Liverpool City Region Community Impact Board This is a team of supporters drawn from The Big Trust’s partner organisations as well as the wider business community, who are committed to working together, sharing knowledge and expertise to deliver lasting positive impact in the Liverpool City Region’s community and in the workplace - for the employees of their organisation. The Operations Team within The Big Trust has continued to engage with the Board regularly throughout this financial year to discuss its involvement in The Big Trust’s activities and keep them up to date via blogs and newsletters.
Incoming resources for the year were £108,078 (2023: £109,009). Resources expended were £124,761 (2023: £80,339) resulting in a net deficit of funds of £16,683 (2023: net surplus of £28,670).
Reserves policy
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. Although this level has not yet been achieved, it is working to build this up over future periods. 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.
The charity is a company limited by guarantee incorporated on 22 April 2016 and registered with the Charity Commission on 30 August 2016. Its governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
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:
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 board met 4 times during the year. Control of the charity resides in the Board of Trustees. Day to day management is delegated to the Executive Director. A group of three trustees meets regularly as a Standing Committee to enable more dynamic action to be undertaken when appropriate and following which the Board of Trustees is updated.
Control of the charity resides in the Board of Trustees. Day to day management is delegated to the Executive Director. A group of three trustees meets regularly as a Standing Committee to enable more dynamic action to be undertaken when appropriate and following which the Board of Trustees is updated.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Big Trust Limited 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;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; 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 Big Trust Limited (the charity) for the year ended 30 September 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.
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 notes on pages 8 to 13 form part of these financial statements.
The Big Trust Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 43 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 0BW.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, 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 accounts 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.
Assets given for use by the charity are recognised when receivable.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
Sundry
DSG Chartered Accountants provided financial services in kind equivalent to a value of £5,000 in the year. DSG is considered to be a related party as Mrs J M Ellis, a trustee of the charity, is a partner in the firm.
AMION Consulting Limited provided office space. AMION Consulting Limited is considered to be a related party as Mr TK Johnston, a trustee of the charity, is a Director of the firm.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
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.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year other than as disclosed in note 8.