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, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)".
The main objects of the charity, according to its Memorandum & Articles, as amended by special resolution dated 27 April 2015, are the relief of poverty for the benefit of predominantly the inhabitants of Gloucestershire generally and the Borough of Cheltenham in particular ("the Area of Benefit") by the provision of advice and assistance on matters relating to housing, benefits and financial and debt management amongst persons living or working in the Area of Benefit who have need of such assistance because of their homelessness, adverse living conditions, financial circumstance or any other cause.
Significant activities
Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre ("CHAC") has a wide range of policies to enable its service to be provided fairly and professionally, including, in particular, an equal opportunities policy in respect of access for clients and the recruitment of staff and volunteers.
CHAC is party to a wide range of local forums for the improvement of working practice, to promote the Centre's and clients' interests, to improve communications and to assist in the development of initiatives for improving the lives of people in Cheltenham.
Public benefit
In planning the charity's activities for the year the trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. The focus of the charity's activities during the year, which explains the delivery by the charity of public benefit, is set out above under 'Objectives and activities' and below under 'Achievement and performance'.
2025-26 was another busy year for Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre, with the continuing challenges of our operating environment balanced against steady progress and consistency in supporting our clients.
Our progress has been due primarily to the commitment of our staff team, supported by our trustees. I therefore want to begin by recognising the professionalism and commitment shown by our staff team and fellow trustees throughout this period. Their continued focus on our clients and our mission has helped maintain stability throughout.
I also want to thank the wider group of individuals and organisations who have been vital to delivery of our mission. This includes (but is not limited to) Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC), the Barnwood Trust, the Cheltenham Westend Partnership, HR People and Chris Clarke for support in web services.
Alongside maintaining day-to-day delivery, we have advanced several significant pieces of work. We completed a comprehensive update of our HR policies and made good progress on the Next Steps project, including partnership work on the Gloucestershire Nightstop service. These changes strengthen our operating model and position us well for the years ahead.
Our impact remains clear. Over the past year, we supported more than 100 people, with at least twenty experiencing a material improvement in their housing or living conditions. We have also established a new steering group (known as “Positive Links”) to strengthen partnership working and ensure our services remain aligned to local needs.
We continue to face challenges typical of a small but ambitious organisation. Recruitment and retention of staff and trustees, both small teams currently, will be a key way we can support individual welfare and enhance organisational resilience. More broadly, securing suitable accommodation, and strengthening our fundraising capacity all require focused attention.
These issues will be central to our new three-year strategy for April 2026 to March 2029, progressing a previous strategy for 2023-2026 and building on a useful strategy session that staff and trustees joined in October 2025.
A key priority will be capturing and amplifying the experiences of those who use our services, ensuring their insights guide improvement and help us demonstrate the value we deliver. Addressing office accommodation remains a critical task, and we will pursue a sustainable solution in the coming year, in partnership with CBC as they progress sale of the Municipal Offices, where staff are currently based.
Last year was a busy year for Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre.
We sadly had to say goodbye to two trustees - Sara Bennett and Hazel Langford, we would particularly like to thank Hazel who after 36 years of being on our Board of Trustees decided it was time to retire. We thank would like to thank Sara and Hazel for all their hard work over the years. We would like to welcome our new Trustee Harry Booty who works for the Civil Service and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in communications. And a huge thank you to all our Trustees who work tirelessly for CHAC. We would also like thank Chris Clarke who kindly supports us with our website and social media.
We would also like to thank our volunteer Wayne Burgess who is an ex-client of CHAC. Wayne provides us with invaluable insight into homeless and he continues to give up his time to tell his story and support the work of CHAC.
We continue to support vulnerable people with complex needs who are homeless or in housing need from Cheltenham. Last year we worked with 140 people. 51% were male and 49% female. We saw a slight decrease in the number of older people approaching us for assistance, 23% were aged 60+. The number of people in receipt of an additional disability benefit, such as PIP, DLA and AA, remains pretty much the same with 39% of people being in receipt of these benefits. Of the people who sought our assistance 64% reported a mental health issue (this was the same as last year), 32% reported a disability (this has increased from last year which was 18%), 48% had a long-term health issue (again this is a significant increase from last year which was 29%), 10% had a substance misuse issue (which is less than the previously) and 6% were at risk of violence. (People reported more than one vulnerability). This shows us that we are seeing an increasing number of people with long term health conditions who often present with complex needs which requires more intensive work. 58% of our referrals are self-referrals with the remaining 42% coming from external agencies.
We remain busy and the demand for affordable, good quality accommodation is unprecedented both in the social housing sector and the private rented sector. We have noticed that there is more demand for social housing and that people are waiting even longer to be housed through the council waiting list. We have seen an increase with no fault evictions due to landlords selling due to change in their personal circumstances but also due to the private rented sector bill that is due to be implemented. We work with people for an average of 7 weeks, but this increases to 20 weeks if we are supporting people through the homeless process.
We were fortunate enough to receive funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Barnwood Trust funding which has allowed us to continue to deliver our housing advice service to people with complex needs. It will also help CHAC to develop and increase its user involvement and ensure that our clients experiences and needs are at the centre of how we grow as an organisation. We have started to meet with ex-clients and gain their feedback which has been very useful, and we have written a report on this feedback.
Following a significant donation this year, the charity is able to report a surplus for the year. In addition, the Trustees have designated a portion of this funding to be applied against relocation costs that are anticipated once the offices of Cheltenham Borough Council are sold. This designated fund is intended to cover five years of premises costs.
The trustees acknowledge and thank all donors and funders during the year, the majority of whom are listed later in the attached financial statements. Again, as we have reported in earlier years, work continues on obtaining a broader funding base to enable continued operations.
Where appropriate, CHAC continues to engage external service providers to assist with strategic decision making.
The policy of the charity is to aim to maintain a general reserve covering twelve months running costs.
The trustees continue to consider it appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis. The income of the charity arises from grants from a number of donors, and regular funding applications are made by the charity. At the time of signing this report, the reserves, together with expected donations, are sufficient to cover the running costs for at least a further twelve months.
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
The Board remains committed to ensuring current projects continue and continues to work to identify additional areas of unmet need where CHAC has the professional skills to help and to seek appropriate funding to address those needs.
The Charity looked at its Risk Management, Fundraising and Corporate Strategies in the year. This is to ensure that we stay abreast of legislation and good practice, and continue to keep our clients at the heart of what we do.
The charity is controlled by its governing document, its revised Memorandum and Articles adopted by Special Resolution on 27 April 2015, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The power to appoint new trustees is vested in the current board of trustees.
The charity is managed by a board of trustees, who are no less than four and no more than thirteen in number.
The charity has key working relationships with Cheltenham Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Homes, resident social landlords, social services and the probation service, Citizen's Advice Bureau, Caring for Communities and People, Change Grow Live, Home Group and P3.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre 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.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by:
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre (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).
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Room B25, Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 9SA, England.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" 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)". 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 trustees continue to consider it appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis. The income of the charity arises from grants from a number of donors, and regular funding applications are made by the charity. At the time of signing this report, the reserves together with expected donations, are sufficient to cover the running costs for at least a further twelve months.
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Donations, trading and investment income are recognised on receipt.
Grant income is recognised on receipt unless there is a future obligation to deliver services against that income, in which case it is recognised when those services are delivered.
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, 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 accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
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.
The charitable company makes contributions into personal pension schemes of employees, all of which are defined contribution schemes. Contributions payable are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Other creditors includes a reserve for potential redundancies in the event of cessation of core services.
Income in advance represents grant income received during an earlier year, which relates specifically to periods after the year-end date.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The 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.
Various funders retain the right to claw back grants should the use of the funds not be in accordance with the terms of the grant. In the opinion of the trustees no such liability exists at the year end.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).