The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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 2015). The charity’s name was changed at Companies House and Charity Commission for England and Wales on 19th February 2025 from Dementia Support to Sage House Tangmere. This enables the name Dementia Support to be used for an independent charity focussed on the National Ambitions Plan.
The charity (then named Chichester Dementia Support Group) was started in 2014 by a group of local people who had been personally touched by dementia.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of conditions affecting physical, cognitive, communication and memory abilities. It is a terminal disease developing into the complete inability to lead an independent life and brings substantial worry and responsibilities for loved ones who care for them. Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK and there is no cure. Loved ones close to someone with dementia find themselves recast in the role of carer- trying their best to look after someone dear to them, whilst at the same time witnessing their decline. The impact on carers cannot be understated, and they require significant support themselves.
It is estimated that there are 982,000 people with dementia in the UK and this continues to grow. The total cost of care for people with dementia in the UK is £34.7billion. This is set to grow sharply over the next two decades, to £94.1billion by 2040 as prevalence grows. This is despite the huge efforts of unpaid carers, without whom the system would not be able to cope. It is estimated that 1 in 2 people will be affected by dementia in their lifetime, either by developing the disease or caring for a loved one.
Across West Sussex, we estimate that there is over 18,000 people living with dementia (West Sussex Joint Dementia Strategy, 2020-23) and this is expected to increase by 36% by 2030, as the population ages – age is the greatest risk factor in developing dementia. Chichester District has the 9th highest prevalence of dementia in the UK- 35% higher than the national average (Alzheimer’s Statistics Hub).
The high prevalence of dementia in our County is not surprising given we already have an older age profile than most with 25% of the population currently 65 years old and over. The need for dementia care and support in Chichester is only going to increase.
The last Government announced that a new 10-year plan to tackle dementia which was due to be published late in 2022, yet no specific plan for the condition has been released.
In January 2023, dementia appeared in the publishment of the Major Conditions Strategy, along with a host of other conditions and although the new government made commitments in their manifesto to improve the NHS in England, we are yet to hear what plans will be put in place to ensure people living with dementia have access to consistent, reliable services and support.
The charity’s 2014 feasibility study revealed that navigating the complex journey of dementia care was extremely difficult. Interviews at local support groups highlighted the need for a collaborative service and a clear desire among those affected to keep active and remain at home. This research also revealed that the provision of services locally was fragmented. It was agreed that significant benefits could be derived from offering a dedicated, purpose-built facility that would allow all aspects of care to be provided and coordinated from a central location- which became Sage House. In addition, people expressed the wish for a “buddy” system that could help them navigate the journey. A concept which led to the creation of our Wayfinder service.
From the beginning, Sage House has been built upon and embraces a culture of collaboration. We invite other services to work closely with us to join up provision locally. Our aim to provide excellent dementia support across West Sussex- including Chichester, Bognor Regis, Selsey and the Witterings to the South, Emsworth up to Midhurst in the West, Petworth, Billingshurst, Littlehampton and Rustington, in the east.
Dementia Support entered into a fundraising campaign in early 2016 to renovate an old call centre in Tangmere near Chichester in West Sussex with a target of raising £1.74 million and Sage House, was officially opened by HRH The Countess of Wessex on the 8th of May 2018.
Sage House is a first of its kind dementia hub, helping those with dementia to navigate the services they need, live independently for longer and to make the best of each day through a holistic range of services. We provide personalised, practical, and emotional support at every stage of the dementia journey, from pre-diagnosis to end of life care and support following a loss - support not available anywhere else.
Since 2018 Sage House has offered a full range of dementia-specific services. The building has been specially designed to meet the needs of people with dementia, with colour-coded zones for the different services we offer. Services include our Wayfinding advice service, well-being activities, Day Breaks respite care, well-being course for carers, personal care such as assisted bathing or dementia friendly hairdresser, Smart Zone technology area for independent living and a dementia-friendly community café.
Most customers first interaction is through our Wayfinding service, often soon after receiving a dementia diagnosis when families need both practical advice and emotional support to make sense of the journey ahead. It also acts as a central service that almost all customers use and is one of the key pillars of Sage House and Dementia Support.
Our services wrap around the needs of the person living with dementia and their carers to ensure they are supported in the best way possible. Each person experiences dementia differently, leaving each person needing individualised support. Our seamless, holistic care now ensures over 2,800 people a year, an increase of 70% since 2020, can make the best of each day, connect with the services they need, cope with new challenges, minimise the chance of crises, delay the decline in the person with dementia, reduce social isolation and loneliness. The results from our academic evaluation, carried out by University of Chichester are testament to the work of the charity, demonstrating that our model is more cost effective and provides better outcomes for the people affected than the usual care provided.
Day Breaks
This year has seen a rapid expansion of our Day Breaks service in response to the need of our customers. As our waiting list grew, we knew we could not leave people waiting for respite care. Previously we have welcomed 15 people each day but have now grown to have 26 people on three days, and 16 on two days each week in our Day Breaks. This means we offer a total of 110 places each week.
Our Day Breaks is designed to be a sociable and stimulating environment- packed with meaningful activities that engage people and keep them active. We provide excellent care with a 1:3 ratio meaning we can accommodate people’s needs including personal care, medication and supporting those with mobility difficulties.
Day Breaks provides carers with vital respite from the responsibilities of caring for a loved one with dementia. It enables people to take a break and look after themselves or in some instances continue working. This enables families to keep their loved one living at home for as long as possible.
151 people attended Day Break sessions in the past 12 months, meaning over 151 carers benefitted from some respite and we have provided 4,459 days of respite care.
Wellbeing Activities
Our activity program, offered free of charge, aims to engage people living with dementia in meaningful activities designed to promote cognitive stimulation. With an evolving programme, and new activities to keep life connected, purposeful and joyful.
Over the past year we have introduced bowling, gardening, quizzes and games. These are in addition to existing well-loved activities such as Singing for the Soul, Bingo, Painting for Fun and more. The program has been designed to provide a combination of physical activity and cognitive stimulation.
The expansion of Day Breaks into the activity room, has changed the way we deliver our activities utilising the Smart Zone and Café to continue providing a high-quality program.
Since November 2022 we have provided the service free of charge, with an optional voluntary donation from attendees to ensure accessibility to all. This aligns to our community warm space initiative ensuring people have a warm, welcoming and engaging space to use during the day.
Our total attendance increased at our activities in 2024/25, with 6,286 attendances. Including our Chatter Tables we provided 699 sessions.
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is an evidence-based intervention that aims to help people living with dementia to improve their recall and thinking skills. Our CST groups have shown clear improvements in concentration, remembering people, clarity of thoughts, decision making and confidence.
Each group participates in a six-week block of activities, following a set program. Using techniques such as guided reminiscence, facilitated discussions and functional activities we support people to be more independent and increase their confidence in daily tasks.
All participants go through a careful suitability process to ensure it is the right intervention for them and we continuously evaluate participants to measure their progress. Topics covered include sound & vision, early years, digital familiarisation, currency and money, travel and holidays and current affairs. The person living with dementia attends without a carer or loved one to help increase their confidence and independence.
Supporting Carers- Empowering Carers
Empowering Carers is our series of education workshops for carers that aim to provide information on a range of topics that are important for carers to understand when caring for a loved one with dementia.
Led by our Wayfinders, we deliver these concurrently with our Cognitive Stimulation Therapy sessions enabling the carer to take part whilst their loved one is engaged in the beneficial CST sessions. Each course runs over 4 weeks with 4 different 2-hour sessions. Sessions cover the following topics:
Advice and support for carers who are family/friends
A chance to enhance knowledge of dementia
Practical tips and strategies for managing dementia
An insight into what it is like for people living with dementia symptoms
An opportunity for discussion about being a dementia carer
Exploring different ways of getting dementia support and maintaining health and wellbeing
A chance to meet the dementia support professionals and ask questions
Support groups and training
As the need for Wayfinding support has grown, we have needed to find new ways to support everyone who needs our help. Through the group sessions we provide people with an increased understanding of different aspects of dementia- dependent on their needs.
We also aim to unlock the power of peer support by creating new connections and bringing people together through shared experiences and challenges. This has created ongoing friendships and support networks to be formed, which last long beyond our facilitation, meaning people have others to call on when they need it for support. Our first Grief Café group from 2022 continue to meet regularly to support each other.
The total attendance is 340, with people joining groups including:
Carers Support
Empowering people living with dementia
Couples’ conversations – learning and living with dementia
Bereavement support
Wayfinding
At the heart of our approach is our unique Wayfinding service that aims to change the way people with dementia, their families, and carers are supported. Each family has a named Wayfinder providing 1:1 ongoing advice and emotional support. Crucially, the same Wayfinder supports the family through the entire dementia journey, meaning those in need can always speak to someone who understands their story and can help guide them through all the challenges that dementia brings. We support people face to face at Sage House or in the community, on the phone, by email, or as part of our Support Groups. Vitally, the service provides emotional support, alongside practical advice, ensuring people have access to a listening ear who can help them cope with the emotional challenges they face.
The service is provided completely free of charge at every stage of the dementia journey. Support is available pre-diagnosis, meaning people are helped earlier and through to end of life, with the family supported through the grieving process. There are no formal referral requirements (other than being affected by memory loss) so people are never left without support – this was particularly important whilst the NHS paused their assessments.
“It is very reassuring to know that I now have a real person out there who knows what’s going on and can give me advice and contact information. I am hugely grateful and relieved. I have felt quite alone with the dementia problem, and I now feel I have support to help me”
Over the past 12 months, the Wayfinding team increased to 8 members and supported 3,198 people affected by dementia. Currently they are supporting over 1,200 families.
Personal Care
Within Sage House we have specially designed therapy, hairdressing and bathing rooms which assist people living with dementia with daily personal care activities that often become a challenge. Supported by volunteers and specialists from local services, we are able to offer chiropody, massage and hairdressing.
Crucially, we also have an adapted bathroom with a hoisted chair for those with limited mobility. Our staff offer assisted baths, helping families to maintain personal hygiene for their loved whilst preserving dignity for all.
In the past year we have provided 855 personal care appointments, an increase on previous years.
Outreach – Sage Communities
Our Community Outreach venues bring our dementia services to local communities across West Sussex. We aim to reach more people and make dementia support more accessible by delivering activities and group support sessions, with Wayfinders on hand to provide advice and emotional support.
Each sessions include beneficial activities and a Wayfinder is on hand to provide free advice, guidance and emotional support. Typically, we will have a facilitated group discussion which could be guided reminiscence, educating attendees about dementia or just discussing current affairs. We are currently exploring opportunities to reach more communities to provide support, bring people together and enable peer support.
Over the course of this year, we have been expanding our community provision.
We run regular sessions in Felpham, Parklands, Southbourne, Yapton, Rustington and Wittering’s.
In the last 12 months, providing 225 sessions with a total attendance of 4,367.
Daisy’s Community Café
Daisy’s café is a integral part of the Sage House approach. It provides a warm welcome to everyone and is a focal point of our hub. Daisy’s Café is open to all and is a community café that aims to break down the barriers and reduce the stigma of dementia. Often, it can be a way for families to bring their loved one to Sage House, for tea and cake, without “labelling” them. It provides a source of income for the Charity but supports our mission of creating a welcoming environment that is fully accessible to people living with dementia.
In 2024/25 we have been able to establish a regular calendar of events and entertainment within the café. Often offered as an afternoon tea, with entertainment kindly funded by Boxgrove Arts Society, we have had singers a Harpist, and impressionist. Every event is fully booked within days of being advertised and helps generate income, whilst providing our customers with a unique and special experience.
Throughout winter 2024/25, Daisy’s Café acted as a warm space for the local community for those in need. We offered soup and a roll for £1, continued to stock “Daisy’s Larder” (our small food bank) and offer a “Pay It Forward” scheme, where people can pay for a meal which can be redeemed by someone else who needs it.
Dementia Supporter Programme
In order to support the growth of our Dementia Supporter program, we employed an Education and Learning Coordinator who took post in May 2023.
We recognise that alongside support received within Sage House and through our Wayfinding and Outreach services, there are still many areas of everyday life where people living with dementia feel uncomfortable, unwelcome or find daily tasks too challenging. This reduces independence, increases isolation and has a negative impact on their quality of life and wellbeing. As part of our vision “a society where dementia is wholly understood and accepted, enabling people living with dementia to be fully supported throughout the whole of their journey”, we wanted to help people in the wider community feel accepted and supported.
We created Dementia Supporter training to address this need. If we want dementia to be wholly understood and accepted in society, it is vital that we educate the local community and the public about dementia. Through this program we aim to increase understanding, reduce stigma, and help people to make changes that will see our community be truly welcoming and accessible for people living with dementia.
Each session lasts for 45 minutes and provides an overview of dementia, as well as practical learnings that will make a meaningful difference to the experience of those affected. We offer the training to local businesses, as well as statutory services. This has led to closer partnerships with Sussex Police, Fire & Rescue and many GP surgeries in our local area.
We have now expanded our offer to include our Dementia Distinction programme, which aims to support professional carers working in the social care sector to have a better understanding of how to support customers living with dementia.
Centre of Excellence
Sage House prides itself on the range and quality of services provided within the local community.
Dementia is at the forefront of what we do, providing a person-centred approach which includes both the person living with dementia, their carers, and families.
Sage House is unique in its approach, people tell their story once and know that there is someone there to support them through their journey for as long as they need it. We work closely in partnership with other charities and organisations to ensure a warm handover smooths the way for those accessing support outside of Sage House.
Our role is to fill gaps locally and not duplicate where others have the expertise and for this reason many charities are co-located within Sage House.
We have a high staff retention rate as we operate a Values Based Recruitment philosophy – the vast majority of our team have lived experience and share our passion to provide excellent services for those effected by dementia.
You do not need to have a diagnosis to access any of the services provided by Sage House, there is no eligibility criteria.
National Ambitions Programme – Dementia Support
Given the impact of Sage House on the local service provision for people living dementia, October 2021, saw the initiation of the National Ambitions Programme with the vision to identify a way in which the Sage House Model of integrated Dementia Support could be replicated elsewhere. The charity recruited programme support to aid the CEO with this undertaking.
The interim results of the academic evaluation being undertaken by the University of Chichester delivered its interim findings in January 2024. The full evaluation results, including the much-awaited comparative study, were released in May 2024.
The evaluation comprised an 18-month study of the services delivered by Sage House to identify the efficacy of the service, the benefit to customers in terms of mental health, quality of life and also identify the tangible savings to the health and social care economy, local economy and community impact in terms of reducing stigma and increasing knowledge of dementia.
The final results of the academic evaluation were launched in the Houses of Parliament at an event in May 2024 and they identified.
The Sage House Model is more cost effective than the “usual” care comparator. Across the 3-month comparative study, people with dementia who used Sage House saved the local NHS and social care an average of £430.50 - a saving of £1,722 per person per year.
In addition:
People living with dementia who have access to Sage House experience 20% greater life satisfaction – their quality of life and wellbeing is also statistically significantly higher that the comparator group
Care partners with access to Sage House demonstrate better access to information and support which leads to significantly greater quality of life.
74% agreed that this also has positively impacted their mental health
Replicators
Work continued with supporting the West Berkshire replication model throughout the year alongside onboarding two new geographical areas – Guildford and West Midlands.
Following advice an application was made to the Charity Commission to set up a new charity, with an independent Governance and Reporting Structure. Charity number 1211304 was formed in December 2024 with a view to separating the work of Sage House and Dementia Support as independent from one another. The separation of the charities was completed on 1st April 2025.
Fundraising Activities
In March 2023 the Board of Trustees approved a refreshed three-year fundraising strategy with a focus on generating sustainable income sources for the Charity. Fundraising makes up 80% of our annual income and we receive less than 2% of our funds from statutory sources to run Sage House. As a young charity, we cannot rely on historical legacies or large investments.
We continue to grow our fundraising across all streams including grants from charitable trusts, individual donations and regular giving, local businesses, and community fundraising initiatives. Highlights in the past financial year have included our Charity Partnership with Goodwood Estate, in-aid of events including a Clay Shoot and Winter Ball, and the launch of our first Sportive cycling event.
Grants and donations from charitable trusts continue to be an important source of funding for the charity. Whilst the external environment has become increasingly challenging, we remain incredibly grateful for the partnerships we have developed with our charitable trust funders, many of whom are named below – thank you. We also wish to thank our supporters who wish to remain anonymous.
Age Sentinel Trust Arnold Clark Community Fund Arthur Williams Charitiable Trust B & Q Foundation Bassil Shippam and Alsford Trust Bernadette Charitable Trust Boltini Trust Bothwell Charitable Trust Chapman Charitable Trust CMS Foundation Co-op Local Community Fund Dyers Company Edgar E Lawley Foundation EF and MG Hall Charitable Trust Eleanor Grace Foundation Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust F Glenister Woodger Trust February Foundation Francis Winham Foundation Friarsgate Trust Friends of Midhurst Community Hospital and Riverbank Medical Centre Gallus Trust Garfield Weston Foundation Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust Homity Trust Ian Askew Charitable Trust Jectus Charitable Foundation Kathleen And Sidney Linkins Memorial Trust | Lord Barnby's Foundation Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust Marsh Charitable Trust Masonic Charitable Foundation McLay Dementia Trust Michael & Anna Wix Charitable Trust North Mundham Parish Council OptiGene Foundation Pagham Pram Race Patricia Routledge Foundation Peacock Charitable Trust Rest-Harrow Trust Rustington Parish Council Selsey Town Council Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation Souter Charitable Trust Southbourne Parish Council St James's Place Charitable Foundation Stagecoach Giving for Good Community Fund Stella Symons Charitable Trust Sussex Community Foundation Sussex Masonic Charities Three Oaks Trust VLM Foundation Vulcan Settlement Warburtons Community Fund West Sussex Travel Society William Allen Young Charitable Trust |
Trustees, Staffing & Volunteers
Sage House Tangmere started the year with a staff team of 46 (28 Part time, 18 fulltime) as of 31st March 2025 this has remained the same with the addition of 3 bank members of staff.
The charity's operational affairs continue to be managed by Chief Executive, Sally Tabbner and Chief Operating Officer Emma Radley.
Our volunteers are very important to the work that we do, and our volunteer base has grown in the last financial year and we now have 118 volunteers providing support to the Charity.
Volunteers carry out a wide variety of roles within the charity including administration, leading or supporting activities, serving in Daisy’s Café and fundraising. During 2024 our volunteers supported our afternoon events in Daisy’s café, Outreach sessions and fundraising events such as the Arundel festival and at village fairs.
Volunteers are essential to the operation of Sage House, and we could not provide the services we do, nor fundraise what we need to continue, without them. The Trustees would like to formally record their sincere thanks and appreciation for the vast contribution that our volunteers make.
Principal funding sources
The charity relies heavily on donations for it’s income, of which in the year 85% were unrestricted voluntary donations and 15% were restricted grants from trusts and foundations.
In 2024/25 donations from Corporate and Community activities was above budget, reflecting the strong business and community ties in our area of operation.
The balance of the income is raised from our charitable activities and trading. Maintaining our affordability and open access to our services is critical to our mission. Our café supports our ethos by providing hearty meals to our daybreaks customers as well as a warm and vibrant environment for the wider community of volunteers, neighbours and carers.
All areas of income showed an improvement over the prior year, reflecting the target expenditure we knew we needed to support demand for our services and effective delivery of those services.
Expenditure
Expenditure was largely within budget constraints, although our direct costs suffered from inflationary impacts around food costs and event costs. Our administration cost base is mostly fixed and 83% of our cost base relates to staff costs; critical to maintaining the level of service and our 3:1 customer to staff ratio.
Investment policy and objectives
The trustees have considered the most appropriate policy for investing surplus funds, is by depositing some of its reserves into two investment accounts.
The trustees have considered the future funding needs and commitments of the charity and deem it prudent to aim to hold general unrestricted reserves equivalent to 6 months overheads at any time.
Fund activity
At the end of the year the charity had closing funds of £940,071 (2024:£1,082,684) of which £884,504 (2024: £1,050,048) were unrestricted general funds and £55,567 (2024: £32,636) were restricted towards the staffing of the Dementia Hub.
Reserves policy
The trustees have considered the future funding needs and commitments of the charity and deem it prudent to hold general unrestricted reserves equivalent to 6 months overheads at any time.
The trustees have 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.
Sage House
The charity continues to be focused on the development of Sage House as a centre of excellent, providing exceptional services both within the main hub and the local community. Future plans for 2025/26 include:
Further growth of our Day Breaks service, to include a shorter breaks service to run alongside Day Breaks offering 2 hour flexible bookable sessions for respite support.
Continue to innovate in our activity programme – providing both regular and one-off activities that engage and stimulate our customers.
Develop our ‘Talk to a Wayfinder’ signposting and information platform enabling greater access to trusted dementia advise.
Expand the number of people reached with energy advice through our partnership with SGN.
Launch our Wayfinding Bus to support those living in hard-to-reach rural communities and to support our Outreach services with Wayfinding and energy advice.
Increase the number of Outreach venues by two, launching a new weekly session in the Aldwick and fortnightly session in Emsworth.
Future Plans – National Ambitions & Dementia Support
The replication of the Sage House Model now sits with Charity number 1211304 and separate filing arrangements and reporting are in place.
The charity is a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. It is controlled and governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The charity was incorporated on 16 May 2014 and registered as a charity on 23 September 2014. In the event of the company being wound up, members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.
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 directors of the charity are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, a third of all directors must retire from office each year. They may be re-elected, and the directors may also appoint new directors pursuant to the provisions of the Articles of Association.
The work of the charity is almost entirely devoted to those effected by dementia. As a result, the board of trustees seek to ensure that representatives from this group and from those who assist them, are members of the board. In addition, every effort is made to include a wide skill set including those with business and general medical and social care skills on the board.
The charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association stipulate that there should be no less than three trustee directors but does not restrict to a maximum.
The day to day running of the charitable company is overseen by the Chief Executive Officer who reports to the board of trustees.
Any individual wishing to be a trustee director must complete and sign a declaration of their willingness to be appointed, must be over the age of 18 years, and not be disqualified from being a director or trustee.
Potential trustee directors are invited to attend a regular board meeting and are welcome to ask questions about any aspect of the charity's work. They are invited to make a short presentation on the skills they would bring to the Board and how they would contribute to its deliberations and decision making. They are also provided with copies of the Charity's published literature and a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Risk management
The Board of Trustees are responsible for overseeing the charity's risk management activities, but these are identified, reviewed and monitored by our committees. The Board manages the process through a Strategic Risk Register which is updated on an ongoing basis by the CEO and COO and reviewed at each Committee and Board of Trustee meeting.
Strategic Risks are identified by committees to review mitigations and consider new risks which include those of external influence. These are the high-level risks that could prevent Dementia Support from meeting its overall objectives. Each risk is described, giving the scenario under which, it may occur and assessed in terms of the impact it would have on the organisation and the likelihood of it occurring, given the current controls and mitigation plans in place. Actions required to further mitigate the risk are identified.
All risks and actions are assigned to a committee. The 'risk appetite' of the charity is described by the rating attributed - risks with an Impact-Likelihood score above the threshold are priority risks and require immediate action and close monitoring at both committee and Board of Trustee level. Risks sitting below the threshold are of lower priority but continue to be monitored and assessed throughout the year by the committee.
Review of public benefit
In setting out our objectives and planning our activities, the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and in particular to its supplementary public benefit guidance on fee charging.
The auditors, Robert Sadler and Company Ltd, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of Sage House Tangmere 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.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Sage House Tangmere for the year ended 31 March 2025 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 requires 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.
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.
Robert Sadler & Company Limited is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Sage House Tangmere is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Sage House, City Fields Way, Tangmere, West Sussex, PO20 2FP, England.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's 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) (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.
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.
Designated funds are unrestricted, but deemed to have a specific purpose by the trustees and therefore kept seperate from the general unrestricted funds. The charity identifies it's capital reserve as being as being funds held by the charity which were acquired from unrestricted donations and that are invested in fixed assets (that is improvements to property, fixtures and fittings and computer equipment) and are thus not funds that are available to meet the general running costs of the charity.
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.
Donations in kind are accounted for at a reasonable estimate of their value to the charity or the actual amount actually realised. Donations in kind for sale or distribution are included in the accounts as gifts only when sold or distributed by the charity. Donations in kind for use by the charity are included in the Statement of Financial Activities as incoming resources when receivable.
Investment income is recognised when receivable.
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.
Expenditure on charitable activities includes all expenditure directly relating to the objects of the charity. Expenditure on the raising of funds represents expenditure incurred in generating income to finance the charity's activities and governance.
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.
All computer software purchased by the charitable company is treated as revenue expenditure in the period in which it is incurred given that it is deemed to have no redeemable future value.
The improvements to the property leased by the charitable company are depreciated in line with the remaining lease term. The lease for Sage House started in June 2016 and has a term of 25 years. The lease for the additional parking at Sage House commenced from 8th December 2022 and has a term that runs concurrently with that of Sage House.
It is the charitable company's policy to capitalise assets with initial costs in excess of £250 only.
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 charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
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.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
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 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:
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.
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.
Capital reserve
These are funds held by the charity which were acquired from unrestricted donations and that are invested in fixed assets (that is improvements to property, fixtures and fittings and computer equipment) and are thus not funds that are available to meet the general running costs of the charity.
The charity leases its premises and the associated parking under separate leases that both end on 31st May 2041, the leases have break clauses that may be exercised (subject to conditions and appropriate notice being given) on 31st May 2026 and 31st May 2031. The remaining lease term as at 31st March 2025 is 16 years and two months. 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:
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).
The charitable company is under the control of its members. No one member has sufficient voting rights to control the charitable company.
The charity is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee having no share capital and, in accordance with the Memorandum of Association every member is liable to contribute £1 in the event of the company being wound up.
The charity had no debt during the year.