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).
Trustees Achievements and Performance
In achieving its objectives during the year under review, QED Foundation delivered a range of education, integration, employability and digital inclusion programmes targeted at disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities across Bradford District and West Yorkshire. Key projects and highlights are listed below.
GCHQ — Understanding British Ethnic Minority Online Workshops
Delivered 10 online workshops attended by approximately 80 managers from across the country.
Workshops continued QED’s long-term partnership with GCHQ (which began in 2019) supporting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practice, with a practical focus on attracting, retaining and developing a workforce that better reflects British society.
The sessions combined insight, lived-experience input and practical actions for organisational change; early participant feedback indicates improved understanding of barriers faced by ethnic minority staff and a commitment to follow-up activity within participating organisations.
IT Essentials (Santander Foundation)
Ongoing three-year programme to deliver 15 x 10-week IT, digital and financial inclusion courses for up to 180 disadvantaged ethnic minority adults in the Bradford District.
Courses lead to an externally accredited Gateway qualification in Essential Digital Skills (Entry Level 3 or Level 1).
Funding supported the purchase and installation of a new computer suite at QED, improving access to devices and enabling blended delivery.
Beneficiaries gained practical digital skills, increased online confidence, and signposting to further training and employment opportunities.
Bridging the Gap (ESOL partnership)
Delivered pre-entry and Entry Level 1 ESOL provision through trained volunteers, as part of a consortium (QED, Meridian, Safety First, WomenZone) led by Shipley College.
Annual delivery targeted 150 beneficiaries across 10 classes, combining language learning with integration activities, information/advice/guidance (IAG) and digital skills.
The programme supported learners to access other services, volunteering and progression routes.
Pathways to Integration & Health (PTIH) — Bradford Council funded
Delivered tailored integration, health, wellbeing and ESOL training and IAG to economically inactive people currently claiming asylum in the Bradford area.
Beneficiaries received bespoke orientation, vocational training support and culturally relevant activities (including visits to local heritage sites) to promote community knowledge, wellbeing and signposting to onward services.
Breaking Barriers (National Lottery Community Fund)
Three-year programme supporting recovery from COVID-19 with ESOL, digital capability development and building financial resilience in disadvantaged ethnic minority communities.
Activities were designed to reduce isolation, address the cost-of-living pressures, and increase access to employment and essential services
Multiply for Business (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Partnership with Realise Training delivering the government’s Multiply numeracy campaign to people working with small employers, charities and community organisations across West Yorkshire.
The project ran from October 2023 to March 2025, delivering practical numeracy support designed for workplace contexts to boost confidence and competence in everyday business numeracy.
Opportunity Knocks for Graduates (Morrisons Foundation)
Pilot employability programme to support 60 ethnic minority graduates in West Yorkshire.
Delivered four-week cohort training (12 participants per cohort) focused on employability skills, networking and confidence-building to address documented employment disparities for ethnic minority graduates.
High Sheriff of West Yorkshire
QED supported Adeeba Malik, Deputy CEO of QED Foundation, in her year as High Sheriff of West Yorkshire.
The unpaid, prestigious role provided an opportunity to raise QED’s profile and extend our networks across statutory, commercial and community sectors.
Quest House room hire and commercial income generation
Began promoting office and training room hire at Quest House with the aim of generating modest commercial income to support charitable activities and improve long-term financial sustainability.
PeopleCert / Home Office Test Centre
PeopleCert had been hiring premises at QED to run Home Office English language tests; this arrangement concluded during the year.
QED expanded fee-charging preparation courses for Home Office English tests (A2, B1) and the Life in the UK test, providing pathway support for those applying for visa extensions, indefinite leave to remain and citizenship.
Job Steps (Groundwork) — ESF-funded
Delivered an ESF-funded project in partnership with Groundwork to support women preparing to enter employment, offering employability training, mentoring and progression support.
Impact and beneficiaries
Across the portfolio of activities, QED directly supported several hundred beneficiaries during the year through accredited training, ESOL, IAG, digital inclusion and employability programmes.
Projects prioritized the most disadvantaged and socially excluded groups, including refugees and asylum seekers, women facing barriers to work, low-income families and ethnic minority graduates.
Early monitoring data and participant feedback indicate gains in language ability, digital confidence, employability skills and wellbeing; many participants progressed to further training, volunteering or employment.
Governance and management
Trustees continued to oversee strategic direction, risk management and financial stewardship in line with the charity’s governing document and statutory obligations.
We maintained and developed partnerships with local authorities, funders and delivery partners to increase reach and impact while diversifying funding streams (grants, room hire and course fees).
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 charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, 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:
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of QED Foundation Ltd (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 ICAEW, 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.
QED Foundation Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Quest House, 38 Vicar Lane, Bradford, BD1 5LD.
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 charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a statement of cash flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The 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.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
Raising funds
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.
The long-term loans are secured by fixed charges over 5 years.
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.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).