The trustees of Notts County FC Community Programme present their annual report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The report and financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011, and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. In preparing this report, the trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) – Accounting and Reporting by Charities – applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), as issued in October 2019.
The financial statements comply with the accounting policies set out in the accompanying notes and present a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities and position.
Total income for the year was £1,500,095, with expenditure of £1,362,576. The charity ended the year with net assets of £632,937.
The financial performance remained resilient, with diverse income streams including grants, commissioned services, sponsorship, and fundraising. The trustees are satisfied that sufficient reserves are held to meet current obligations and future strategic priorities.
The charity holds reserves to manage financial risks and to invest in long-term objectives. At year end, unrestricted reserves stood at £290,966, just short of our reserves policy, which aims to hold 3 months of core operating costs. Intensive efforts are underway to continue to bolster the charity’s reserves further by growing our unrestricted income in the short, medium and long term.
The charity’s reserves policy is reviewed annually. It aims to ensure financial stability and the ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances. The current target is to maintain free reserves of £360,000 to cover ongoing operational costs for a minimum of 3 months. At 31 December 2024, the charity held £290,966 in free reserves.
Risk Management
The trustees maintain a risk register and actively manage the principal risks facing the charity. Key risks identified include:
Funding volatility – mitigated by diversifying income sources and securing multi-year grants.
Safeguarding and reputational risk – mitigated by robust policies, regular staff training, and governance oversight.
Operational delivery capacity – managed through workforce development, strong partnerships, and continuous improvement systems.
The Board reviews the risk register quarterly and adjusts risk management plans as required.
Notts County FC Community Programme is a registered charity governed by its Articles of Association. It is a charitable company limited by guarantee (04320737) and a registered charity (charity number: 1091927).
The Board of Trustees meets regularly and delegates day-to-day operations to the Joint leaders (CFO & COO), under the oversight of the Chair. A governance review was conducted in November 2024, and trustees undertake regular training and development.
The charity operates through four key delivery areas: Sport & Inclusion, Education, Health and our Portland Centre which is our community hub. Strategic leadership is provided by the Senior Leadership Team, supported by department managers, specialist delivery and support staff.
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:
As set out in the Articles of Association, new trustees are appointed by the existing trustees and serve for three years after which they may put themselves forward for re-appointment. The Articles provides for a minimum of three trustees but shall not be subject to any maximum, with one third of the trustees due to retire in any one year.
No person other than a trustee retiring by rotation shall be appointed or reappointed as a trustee at any general meeting unless they are recommended by the trustees or proposed by a member qualified to vote at the meeting.
As part of our renewed Trustees Induction process the following stages were agreed and rolled out for any new starters:
1. Send out JD and application form to potential trustee - ask to complete
2. Attend an 'interview' or informal chat with SLT and Chair (or deputy) - if possible at least 2 people
3. Obtain 2 references; Complete a self declaration form; Fit and Proper persons test
4. Induction to the Foundation
A) receive and read the updated trustees handbook
B) Understand the history of NCF
C) Run through the organisational structure, understand where they fit in
D) Understand their commitment to the charity
E) Complete their details on BreatheHR
F) Understand which sub committee they are supporting
G) Arrange a project visit
5. Attend board meetings, sub group activity and buddy with staff
6. Probation / review meeting
The directors consider the board of directors, who are the Trust's trustees, and the senior management team comprise the key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the Trust on a day to day basis. All directors give of their time freely and no director received remuneration in the year. Details of directors' expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in the accounts.
The pay of the senior staff is reviewed annually and normally increases in accordance with average earnings. In view of the nature of the charity, the directors benchmark against pay levels in other community schemes of a similar size. If recruitment has proven difficult in the recent past a market addition is also paid with the pay maximum no greater than the highest benchmarked salary for a comparable role.
None of our trustees receive remuneration or other benefit from their work with the charity. Any connection between a trustee or senior manager of the charity with related parties must be disclosed to the full board of trustees in the same way as any other contractual relationship with a related party.
The Trustees, who are also the directors of Notts County F.C. Community Programme 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.
UHY Hacker Young were appointed as auditor to the company and a resolution proposing that they be re-appointed will be put at a General Meeting.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Notts County F.C. Community Programme (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the Trustees' report; or
sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees' responsibilities, the Trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Based on our understanding of the charitable company and the industry in which it operates, we identified that the principal risks of non-compliance with laws and regulations related to the acts by the charitable company, which were contrary to applicable laws and regulations including fraud, and we considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct impact on the preparation of the financial statements such as the Companies Act 2006. We evaluated management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements (including the risk of override of controls), and determined that the principal risks were related to completeness of revenue and the charitable company’s net income for the year.
Audit procedures performed included: review of the financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation, review of correspondence with and reports to the regulators, including correspondence with the Charity Commission, review of trustee meeting minutes, enquiries of management, tracing income and expenditure to supporting documentation, and testing of journals and evaluating whether there was evidence of bias by the trustees that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 17 to 33 form part of these financial statements.
Notts County F.C. Community Programme is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Meadow Lane Stadium, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 3HJ.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) 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)" (effective 1 January 2019). 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 financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as the trustees believe that no material uncertainties exist. The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. The budgeted income and expenditure is sufficient with the level of reserves for the charity to be able to continue as a going concern.
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.
All income resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.
Income from trading activities includes income earned from fundraising events and trading activities to raise funds for the charity. Income is received in exchange for supplying goods and services in order to raise funds and is recognised when entitlement has occurred.
Income from government and other grants are recognised at fair value when the charity has entitlement after the performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity, normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
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.
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.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price.
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.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The charity operates a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its employees. Contributions are expensed as they become payable.
Assets acquired under finance leases are capitalised and depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and the expected useful life of the asset. Minimum lease payments are apportioned between the finance charge and the reduction of the outstanding lease liability using the effective interest method. The related obligations, net of future finance charges, are included in creditors.
Rentals payable under operating leases are charged as an expense on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.
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.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
Deferred income comprises advanced invoicing of hall hire at Portland Leisure Centre, and primary project delivery. Deferred income is included within "Accruals and deferred income" in note 14.
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.
Goals for Life is a football based, mental health project aimed at 10 to 14 year old boys.
Heading for Goal is an alternative education programme that works with students aged 11 to 16 years old who have been excluded or are facing exclusion from mainstream education.
Premier League Kicks is a project delivered by us at 5 different local areas across Nottingham. It provides free football sessions for 8 to 18 year olds on a weekly basis during term-time.
Premier League Primary Stars is a programme designed to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. The programme helps to enhance the provision of PE and support pupils' educational attainment in other curriculum areas.
Twinning Project is HMPS funded prison work for current and ex-offenders in Nottinghamshire.
Reaching Communities is lottery Big Lottery funded Right Mind and On The Ball mental health projects for residents in Nottinghamshire.
Healthy Hearts programme is to deliver physical exercise sessions to participants who may be affected by the low-risk heart disease diagnosis. This could range from anyone who has had a long family history of heart disease to an early diagnosis of a condition which could lead to a heart condition.
Kick the Habit programme offers patients with serious mental health illnesses the opportunity to play sport whilst being offered advice and support to stop smoking.
Asylum Seeker and Refugees programme offers free multisport sessions for asylum seekers and refugees, giving the opportunity to play sport and become physically active, aimed at children and adults.
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:
The charitable company is limited by guarantee and has no capital. Every member of the charity undertakes to contribute such amount as may be required (not exceeding £10) to the charity's assets if it should be wound up whilst he or she is a member or within one year after he or she ceases to be a member, as stated in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The trustees consider that Notts County Football Club ("the football club") is a related party of the charity by virtue of its significant influence. The charity receives financial support from the football club to the extent that premises are provided free of any charges. During the year transactions amounting to £866 (2023 - £6,759) were incurred which relate to room hire at the football club, shop purchases and match tickets. All transactions were carried out at arms length.