The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.

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 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)

St Mary's Care Centre is guided by both local and national policy. At a national level care for older people is steered by "Putting People First" and "Living Well with Dementia". St Mary's is committed to providing quality day care to older people in the community with an emphasis on health and wellbeing.

In planning the Centre's activities for the year the trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit at trustees meetings.

The Centre works in co-operation with commissioners and social services to ensure that people who need the service the most have priority. Funding limits those the Centre can help, but those given assistance have access to armchair exercise classes, complementary therapies,reminiscence projects, sign-a-longs, gardening, games, baking, interactive quizzes, crafts, days out and healthy two course lunches.

The Centre acknowledges the difficulties that older people have in accessing health care and other necessary services and aims to alleviate these inequalities, including providing access to district nurses.

Other aims of the Centre are:

-To provide opportunities for rehabilitation and associated therapies to the elderly and enable individuals to access health services dependant on their needs.

-To support the development and implementation of a health and well being strategy

-To provide training to staff and volunteers.

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

The Centre has a new mini-bus which has been adapted to enable easy access for service users of all physical abilities, it was purchased in August 2025.

The Centre has a dedicated staff team and volunteers and the trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the team as without them the Centre could not provide the quality care and respite they currently do.

The organisation plans to continue to provide day care in the future. In a report one of the strengths of the centre was "strong effective management which has resulted in a good atmosphere, happy staff and customers". As well as developing a general business continuity plan, and as a consequence of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, St Mary's have also developed both a Covid continuity plan and a Covid risk assessment policy.

The Centre plans on continuing to provide an array of activities for clients throughout the year. We work to advertise the Centre in the wider community with a view to increasing client numbers and we look forward to welcoming new clients.

The Centre is recognised for it's diverse and creative approach to care provision within a homely and welcoming setting and is a much valued resource within the community.

We pride ourselves on the quality of service which maintains and enriches the clients quality of life.

All staff are DBS checked and are regularly trained in mandatory standards. We are signed up the social care commitment with skills for care.

This is a promise made by staff who work at St Mary's to give the best support and care they can to all clients at the centre.

Clients are able to access a variety of different activities Monday to Friday.

The Centre had an overall deficit for the year of £26,360. The principal source of funding in the year is £157,970 from Knowsley Borough Council

All of the funds at 31 March 2025 were unrestricted.

The trustees aim to have sufficient unrestricted reserves to cover six months of ordinary expenditure which is approximately £90,000 (based on a normal year's expenditure). At 31 March 2025 there was sufficient unrestricted reserves to cover this amount of normal expenditure including £111,421 of designated reserves, the details of which are in note 15 in the notes to the accounts.

The local authority has agreed to provide grant funding to cover running expenses on an annual basis but this is only sufficient to cover the Centre's core salaries and expenses and will not contribute to reserves. The Centre, therefore, is continually exploring other avenues of obtaining funding.

It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month’s expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.

The trustees has assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

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.

As set out in the Articles of Association there must be between four and twenty directors, at least four of whom, classified as "A" directors, are nominated and removed by the Parochial Church Council of Halewood (HCC) (after consultation with Halewood St Mary's Church Council). The directors can also appoint a maximum of three co-opted members for a period to be specified by the Board and also any person who may be nominated as director by such other body or bodies as the Centre, in general meeting, may from time to time select.

The Trustees have assessed the operational and business risks to which the Centre is exposed, the major financial risk being the withdrawal of the grant funding from KMBC, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the those risks. Risk assessments are carried out in the centre daily by all trained members of staff. A training plan is produced every year to ensure all staff have the necessary mandatory training that is required by Knowsley Council. There are two registered managers on site.

The Centre has an active management board comprising of volunteers from local business, statutory bodies, charities, church representatives, voluntary sector and the community. Trustees are appointed through HCC.

The Centre is currently in the process of reviewing the constitution to include policies and procedures for induction and training of new trustees.

The directors of the company are also charity trustees' for the purposes of charity law and under the company's articles are also known as members of the Management Committee. Under the requirements of the memorandum and articles of association the members of the Management Committee are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected. All members of the Management Committee give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the charity.

The committee members meet quarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and the policy of the Centre. A scheme of delegation is in place and day to day responsibility for the provision of the services rest with the chairperson, manager and deputy manager. The chairperson is responsible for ensuring that the Centre delivers the services specified and that key performance indicators are met. The manager has responsibility for the day to day operational management of the Centre, individual's supervision of the staff team and also ensuring that the team continues to develop their skills and working practices in line with good practice

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 5 to 14.

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the financial statements present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.

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 company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

St Mary's Care Centre is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Hillingden Avenue, Halewood, Liverpool.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

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.

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.

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

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.

Knowsley Borough Council grant

Lunches and sundry income

Rent and services

Insurance

Repairs and maintenance

Cleaning and premises maintenance

Printing, postage stationery and advertising

Telephone

Motor and travelling expenses

Bank charges

Sundries

Client services

The average monthly number employees during the year was:

The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.

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 designated funds represents the following:

The fixed assets fund holds the value of those assets which are deemed to be unrestricted

The staff reserve represents a redundancy reserve.

The property maintenance reserve represents the approximate cost of renewing flooring etc which need replacing.

The client services reserve the cost of activities for clients.

The major minibus repairs fund is the approximate cost of ongoing repairs to the minibus.

Of the unrestricted funds £1,759 has been designated to a fixed asset fund and represents the value of the unrestricted fixed assets held by the Centre.

There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).