It has been another great year for Chapter with progress made on all fronts. We have continued to maintain a solid financial foundation from where we can operate with confidence and security. Our core team has remained stable, and we have enjoyed the same fantastic commitment and dedication from everyone delivering Chapter services and from those who provide the critical support that allows Chapter to operate so effectively.
We have a hugely capable Chapter team delivering our services and I could not thank them enough for the way they represent the quality and values that are at the core of what Chapter is about. We have also had a record number of volunteers over the last year who have signed up to work with us. Our volunteers gain work experience and benefit from the training and guidance we provide to them whilst allowing us to further extend our reach and to meet greater need with high quality support. They add an extra dimension to the work we do, and I want to recognise their importance and our gratitude for their support.
From a financial perspective Chapter produced a small surplus over the financial year to the end of March 2025. This is in keeping with our desire to utilise our funds to deliver as much impact as possible whilst maintaining a level of financial reserves that protect us from any unexpected financial events or temporary loss of financial support. Our finances have continued to be studiously well managed and risk controlled.
In September 2024 we were absolutely delighted to win a major council mental health support contract across Cheshire West. This was after a challenging process bidding against some major regional and national charities. The relevance of our core service proposal, depth of local community experience and the quality of our service delivery helped us achieve a great outcome. We took action to mobilise in support of the contract with immediate effect and have been able to achieve some strong early success in meeting the needs of the contract and going beyond this where we can. Along the way we have built an even stronger relationship with the council working in partnership to ensure needs are met.
At our next AGM in October 2025 we will be sad to see our trustee Joanne Hadley retire from her role to undertake a new challenge which means she can no longer act as a trustee. Joanne has played an important role as deputy chair and has made a great contribution to Chapter and I want to thank her for her work with us and wish her well in her new position. We have a superb group of trustees involved with Chapter and I am very grateful for all their support and the time they give to their roles. I do feel especially thankful to Gabor Balint who is a trustee but also our Treasurer for his role in overseeing our finances. His skills and fantastic commitment to Chapter remain very important to our success.
There have been some positive signs of improvement in mental health support across Cheshire West and Chester. However, there is clearly still significant unmet needs and the services provided by Chapter remain absolutely critical to the communities in which we operate. I remain very confident in Chapter’s ability to continue to play a major role in meeting key elements of those needs and to build on our recent successes.
Finally, I want to thank all those who have supported Chapter over the last year in providing funds, sharing in the activities we run, and in helping us to get our message out there about what we do and the opportunities we provide to help people with mental health needs. It’s been a great year and since our last financial year-end we are well on the way to building another very successful year.
The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
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 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).
All of Chapter’s activities are developed to ensure it can achieve the following aims:
helping people to promote positive mental health
supporting people to better manage their mental health
build confidence, life skills and greater self-esteem
supporting people to work and be able to live an independent life
enabling people to overcome isolation and be part of a community.
Public Benefit
All charities are legally required to have aims that provide public benefit. The Charity Commission in its ‘Charities and Public Benefit’ guidance states that an organisation’s aims are for the public benefit. Firstly, there must be an identifiable benefit, and secondly, that the benefit must be to the public or a section of the public.
The trustees confirm their regard for the guidance and are confident that Chapter meets the criteria. For example:
the objects of the Charity in our Memorandum and Articles of Association are defined as Public Benefit
our progress, including the number of beneficiaries, is reported publicly in the Trustees' Annual Report
Chapter accepts referrals from statutory agencies, such as local authorities and NHS trusts, as well as local third sector organisations, who support people affected by mental ill-health but do not provide the same services as Chapter
The core of Chapter's services are free at the point of delivery to its service users, except in certain instances such as the provision of training courses to corporate/private clients.
Activities
Chapter continues to provide a variety of services and activities to promote mental health recovery, these include:
ASPIRE – focused one-to-one mental health coaching to enable people living with mental ill-health to set meaningful goals to support their recovery. Motivational, emotional, and positive encouragement remain an integral part of this work
BELONG – group activities that bring people living with mental ill-health together around a shared interest to build confidence, meet new people, and try new things. We have developed a wider offer for this service in 2024/25 thanks to our National Lottery funding
CONNECT – our one-to-one listening service providing a non-judgemental listening ear. This is delivered by an amazing team of trained volunteers
RE:SET - a series of mental health and wellbeing workshops promoting positive mental health. RE:SET supports people to develop life skills to aid their mental health recovery. Peer support is a particularly successful aspect of this work.
Chapter has been established in our local community for over 30 years; we are proud of our commitment to working closely with our community to develop services which meet its needs. This year we have supported almost 400 unique individuals to set mental health and wellbeing goals and supported them to develop the tools to achieve them.
We have enhanced our offer of Mental Health and Wellbeing training, increasing both our capacity to deliver Mental Health First Aid but also by introducing new courses to our offer. We have worked with partners in the private, voluntary and statutory sector to enhance the skills within their teams around mental health and wellbeing support.
Our greenspaces at The Haven in Ellesmere Port and allotment in Chester continue to thrive, with partnerships strengthening across the year. At both sites we are working with other voluntary sector groups to maximise our growing space and have a wider impact on the community.
Partnerships
In 2024/2025 Chapter developed a key partnership with Mind as it developed its work in Cheshire. This collaboration was key to us securing the local authority contract to deliver coaching services. We continue to be a key member of the local Mental Health Alliance and have been working with other voluntary and community sector organisations to develop a quality framework to ensure best practice across local mental health services.
2024/25 was another successful year for the Chapter team. We again surpassed the previous year’s achievements by working with 389 unique individuals with a total of 3,832 attendances. Demand for services continues to be high and we receive referrals from a wide range of referral sources. We developed a clear pathway between services offered by ourselves and Mind to ensure that people who need a service can access it seamlessly, no matter where they live. People who access our services continue to reflect the community we serve with a diverse range of needs. We continue to provide our support based on the presenting needs of the individual, adapting our delivery to ensure the best outcomes for everyone who accesses Chapter.
We have a strong team at Chapter, and we value everyone’s contribution both our paid staff team and those who volunteer their time to support us. We had a record number of volunteers in the year, offering weekly support at our Belong groups or one-to-one Connect listening sessions, or as one-off sessions, helping clear the allotment or fundraising for us.
We monitor our policy frameworks to ensure we are meeting all statutory requirements, managing risk to the organisation, and supporting our team to deliver a range of high-quality services meeting the needs of people living with mental ill-health in the local area.
Chapter continues to maintain adequate controls over the assets of the charity which are regularly reviewed by the CEO, Treasurer and board of trustees. The financial performance and position of the organisation is captured in monthly management accounts that are annotated by the CEO and shared with the trustees. The charity has restricted and unrestricted accounts as described in the accounts.
Continuing on the trajectory we started in 2022/23, we have consolidated the complete turnaround in our financial performance. Operating in an inflationary economic environment and continuing to reward our staff in a responsible way, we have seen our costs rise by c16% from £241k to £279k. At the same time, Chapter has been able to increase its income by just over 25%, to £370k from the previous year’s £295k. As a result of the closing surplus, we have restored our reserves to healthier levels of covering operating cost of approximately three quarters of a year, which is welcome, but highlights the need for ongoing vigilance on costs and active fundraising. We have been successful in applying for grants for specific work and our success in obtaining funding from the National Lottery has made a material difference – although we are now entering its final year in 2025/26.
Over the year we worked to diversify our income streams. This included securing funding from contracts with statutory agencies such as the local authority and health partners, securing donations from the wider community, delivering training to private businesses, and receiving grants from charitable trusts.
Financial reserve strategy
The company's reserve strategy has been formulated under the guidance of the Charity Commission (Charity reserves: building resilience (CC19)) that sets out that there is no single level or even a range of reserves that is right for all charities. Any target set by trustees for the level of reserves to be held, or decision that there is no need for reserves, should reflect the particular circumstances of the individual charity. For Chapter, its Reserves Policy is reviewed annually, and its reserves position is calculated monthly in the management accounts. The purpose of reserves is to support the ongoing objectives of the charity so that negative fluctuations in funding would not have an immediate adverse impact on clients or staff. In addition, reserves are provided to make good any deficits from authorised projects.
Our objective is to maintain protected reserves representing at least two months’ running costs plus closure costs. As a secondary indicator, we are also tracking and monitoring six months’ running costs as a lead-indicator and review this quarterly. The Treasurer and CEO, supported by the finance officer work closely and meet regularly to review the financial performance and position of the organisation.
Financial risk
As a small charity Chapter still relies heavily on short term grant funding, however securing a three-year grant from the National Lottery (2023-2026) and the contract from the local authority has increased our stability and ability to plan. We also continue to work to develop our corporate services offer to increase earned income and we are working to build relationships in the community to maximise donations from members of the public who have an interest in our work.
Risk management
The Board of Trustees regularly reviews the major risk to which Chapter is exposed through regular reports from the CEO. Whenever possible, processes and procedures are in place to mitigate these risks and a clear policy framework helps to ensure risks are monitored, managed, and mitigated as far as reasonably practicable. The risks to external funding are kept under frequent examination so that, when required, new and diversified funding sources can be explored and if necessary, the activities of the charity can be modified. Internal financial risks are minimised by the adoption of a suite of clear policies and procedures.
Projects are monitored and assessed regularly to ensure consistent quality across all operational aspects of the charity. Training is provided to staff and volunteers to ensure that safeguarding and safe working practices are central to all our activities.
Chapter (West Cheshire) Limited is a registered charity (No. 1072395) and as a company limited by guarantee (No. 3294547). It is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 19th December 1996.
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:
Appointment of trustees
Trustees are expected to:
support the organisation and its aims
act as ambassadors for the organisation
demonstrate sound common sense and a breadth of experience
declare any potential conflicts of interest
attend board of trustee meetings
help with specific projects as required
be legally able to carry out their duties as trustees
Trustees are appointed by the board of trustees. New trustees are recruited as required to complement the skills of existing trustees. New trustees undergo an induction into the organisation which includes, as a minimum, training around safeguarding and confidentiality. All board members sign the Trustee Handbook on induction.
Management
Chapter’s activities are overseen by a board of trustees; at the start of the financial year 2024/25 the board consisted of six trustees. The board of trustees meets, on average, every eight weeks to receive reports from the Chief Executive Officer and to effect strategic and administrative decisions. Chapter does not operate a sub-committee structure. To ensure that the board is informed about Chapter’s performance between board meetings, the Treasurer approves monthly management accounts. The CEO also prepares regular briefings which provide updates about the team, finance and fundraising, service provision, and marketing and engagement. The board also regularly reviews the Risk Register.
At each board meeting the CEO provides a more detailed report including information about new opportunities, any risks, any serious incidents and any safeguarding or health and safety issues. The CEO also presents performance against key performance indicators which the board agrees at the beginning of each financial year – these may be adjusted if new projects are secured. Presentations by members of staff on different aspects of the work with Chapter may also be periodically brought to the board of trustees meeting.
Structure
Trustees are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of the Companies Act. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, 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 the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
CEO comments
I am honoured to lead the Chapter team; it is always a pleasure to take the time to reflect on our achievements. Our performance this year has been exceptional with us developing new services and working with more people than ever in 2024/25. Whilst people living with mental ill health still face a range of challenges, the Chapter team continue to work hard and draw upon their experiences to support people effectively.
We will continue to support as many people as we can in 2025, developing services that meet emerging needs, enabling people to develop the tools they need to achieve positive mental health.
Mitchell Charlesworth was appointed as Independent Examiner for 2024/25 and a resolution will be put before the Annual General Meeting regarding future Independent Examiner.
The Trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Chapter (West Cheshire) Limited (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
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 the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 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.
Chapter (West Cheshire) Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Stanlaw Abbey Business Centre, Dover Drive, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 9BF.
The financial statements 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) (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, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. 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.
Expenditure is recognised when it is incurred and is recorded gross of related income on the following bases:
Charitable expenditure comprises direct expenditure including direct staff costs attributable to its activities.
Governance costs comprise those incurred as a result of constitutional and statutory requirements.
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).
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.
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, who is the Chief Executive Officer, is as follows.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
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.
Albert Gubay - Aspire wellbeing coach salaries
Cheshire Community Foundation (Green Shoots programme) - Belong green spaces
Cheshire Community Foundation (Cheshire & Warrington small grants) - Belong arts sessions
Cheshire West & Chester Council - Aspire programme
Cheshire West Voluntary Action- Aspire programme
CWP NHSFT - Aspire programme
The Culra CT - Aspire programme
Decibellas - support for parents of children with mental ill-health
Dept of Health & Social Care (suicide prevention) - Belong sessions
Dept of Work & Pensions - Access to work contribution
Entep Ellesmere Port Community Fund - Belong sessions
Evelyn May CT - RESET sessions
Insurance Claim - Belong polytunnel
Morrison's Foundation - Belong arts and crafts sessions
Nancy Bateman CT - Aspire programme
The National Lottery - Supporting all core services
NHS Cheshire CCG - Wellbeing coach peer support training
People's Postcode Trust - Belong activity sessions
Sanctuary Group - Belong activity sessions
Sylken Trust - RESET sessions
TCE Community Fund - Belong sessions
Westminster Foundation - Aspire wellbeing coach salaries
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 Charity had no material debt during the year.