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 2019).

Mission Statement

“The advancement of individuals who have undergone drug and/or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation, enabling them to confidently and fully participate in society”.

Vision

“Every individual is given the chance to recover from addiction and live a fulfilling, independent life.”

The Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 5 May 2005. It is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 5 May 2005 and its objects are to facilitate individuals, who have undergone drug and alcohol rehabilitation, to integrate back into their local community equipped with living skills and a vocation and to help individuals to become productive and positive members of their community.

The Trust aims to achieve these objectives by providing training in basic skills in order that beneficiaries may live an independent life. Providing a safe, respectful environment where individuals can undergo a series of workshops, training, education and group/individual work in order to:

a) Endeavour to reduce unemployment and State dependence among drug and alcohol misusers by exploring future career prospects and the necessary skills required to attain this goal.

b) Reduce debts incurred and to promote the importance of money management by developing individual management and budgeting plans to attain financial security and independence.

c) Reduce homelessness among drug and alcohol misusers and enable individuals to find a home and develop the skills to maintain future security through tenancy or a mortgage.

d) Reduce accidents within the home, by developing and promoting understanding of basic DIY, health and safety.

e) Improve unhealthy lifestyles by promoting an understanding of nutrition, a healthy diet and food hygiene.

f) Reduce drug and alcohol related crime in the community by enabling individuals to understand the consequences of crime related activities and behaviour through therapeutic interventions.

g) Create healthy relationships within the family unit through therapeutic interventions.

h) Reduce the incidence of relapse and the return to substance misuse by providing a relapse intervention.

Community Recovery Academy, Burton-on-Trent - The National Lottery Community Fund

The Trust received financial support from The National Lottery Community Fund to establish and embolden the work of its Community Recovery Academy. It proudly achieved the following project outcomes over the course of the two-year grant funding agreement:

Several local outreach projects have been successfully delivered and delivered – summarised below:

Securing Employment

The Trust’s Recovery Academy – via its Job Club (facilitated by an Academy Coach) – provided service users with the knowledge and understanding necessary to gain confidence, access training, secure job interviews and enter employment, working closely with:

• DWP to ensure that service users received the right benefits

• Acorn Training – who offered Apprenticeships, Training, Employability Support, and Youth/Justice Services

• Burton Rotary Club – who supported service users every month with the provision of mock job interviews/feedback

Our Recovery Academy Coach has supported people into further education, secure volunteer roles and paid work as follows:

Breakdown:

36 – Enrolled onto further education courses

44 – Secured volunteer roles

30 – Paid employment

Roles include employment with BAC O’Connor, Langan’s Tea Rooms, Betterway Recovery, the Home Office, Police officer, construction companies, NHS and a gym instructor.

Social Enterprise – Langan’s Tea Rooms, Burton-on-Trent

Many members of the Recovery Academy donated their time as volunteers at Langan’s Tea Rooms. The Tea Rooms trade as a Social Enterprise where volunteers gain valuable skills and ‘give back’ in providing service(s) to our community in person. Their day-to-day contribution there is considerable and undoubtedly helped it to achieve its’ Good Food Award (Gold Seal) status again (for the Fourth consecutive year).

Locality Deal Fund (Cannock Chase District Council)

The Council received Locality Fund Deal monies from the Staffordshire Commissioner and allocated proportions of this money to chosen service providers who help to support local Community Safety priorities. The Trust received £6,000 (12 months) funding to part fund the provision of a senior floating support worker. This worker provides support to the Trust’s graduates living in three Recovery Houses (at Cannock, Stoke and Burton). This enables them to develop and enhance independent living skills and reintegrate back into the community, following an abstinence-based rehabilitation programme from alcohol and substance misuse.

Stoke Recovery Service

The Trust formed a partnership with We Are With You (formerly Addaction) and originally won the tender to deliver a recovery service within Stoke-on-Trent (SRS). The project started in November 2015. When the contract for this service was re-commissioned, the Trust was successful, alongside its partners BAC, We Are With You and the North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust, in being awarded the contract for five years from January 2019 with an option to extend for a further two years.

We employ a Recovery Co-ordinator and two qualified psychotherapists. The service supports people who are in abstinent recovery after engagement with the Stoke on Trent Community Drug and Alcohol Service. The service has continued to grow and provides a range of activities to those who are abstinent in the Community to help and support them in engaging with the wider community and in developing their recovery capital, these include:

Relapse awareness, Gender specific groups, Exercise and health groups, Volunteering opportunities
Farm projects, Fun in Recovery Groups, Mutual Aid Support Groups

The SRS project also supports individuals to secure employment opportunities and supports individuals to access secure and stable accommodation which is vital for sustained recovery.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council opened a new tender process in 2023 for a new CDAS (Community Drug and Alcohol Service) contract to start from 1 April 2024, running until 31 March 2029, which incorporated the Stoke Recovery Service (managed by the Trust).

The Contract was won by BAC O’Connor in partnership with WithYou and has been successfully mobilised and continues to provide support to many adults and young people living across Stoke-on-Trent. Since 1 April 2024, BAC O’Connor operates the whole service in partnership with WithYou, which includes a sub-contracted Stoke Recovery Service relationship with the O’Connor Trust building on the foundation we created together for local communities. The total contract includes access and engagement, criminal justice, recovery, young people and families, IPS, rough sleepers’ services, detox, rehab and clinical services.

The Trust is grateful for the unstinting efforts of its volunteers who are involved in service provisions and fund raising. It is estimated that over 26,416 (2024: 17,056) volunteer hours were provided during the year. If this is conservatively valued at £12.60 an hour, then the volunteer efforts amount to over £ 332,842 (2024 £204,672). The Trust has volunteer co-ordinators to ensure that the best value is derived from the sterling efforts of its volunteers.

There were several contracts, service agreements and donations either received, renewed or agreed during the year.

The Trust continued to develop its work across each of the following areas:

a) Advising on gaps between rehabilitative care and community integration

b) Running social enterprises for the service to operate from

c) Developing a strategic overview and future plan for the next five years

d) Focusing on sourcing funding steams

e) Promoting its charitable aims

The Trust has also promoted the benefits of rehabilitating drug and alcohol users by providing a number of activities:

a) Service Users providing voluntary work with local organisations and charities

b) The Service User forum has representation at management boards and at National Forums

c) Service User representation at National Treatment Agency Forums

The Statement of Financial Activities for the year is set out on page 11 of the financial statements. A summary of the financial results and the work at the charity is set out below.

The Charity has reported a (deficit)/surplus of £(12,739) (2024: 12,847), this surplus/(deficit) relates to the restricted fund £(1,103) (2024:£194), unrestricted fund £(11,636) (2024: £12,654).

There were several contracts, service agreements and donations either received, renewed or agreed during the year.

It is the policy of the trust 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 trust’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, 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 Trustees’ (who are also the Directors of the O’Connor Gateway Trust (Limited by Guarantee) for the purposes of the company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees Annual 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 directors to prepare financial statements for each financial Period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charitable Company and of the incoming resources and application of resource, including the income and expenditure, of the Charitable Company for that period.

In preparing the 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;

- prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charitable Company 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 auditor is 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 auditor is aware of that information.

• To continue to embolden the Recovery Academy’s work and capacity with a full programme of structured workshops, social opportunities and training for our service users

• To continue to build repeat custom and reputation for service quality at Langan’s Tea Rooms (Burton), promoting menus and services on our social media channels

• To continue to promote the objectives of the charity and educate the community at large around addiction

• To reduce re-offending within the group of individuals accessing the programme

• To continue to promote the work of the Trust within the Criminal Justice System and drug services promoting referrals of service users. A bid has been submitted for people with lived experience to deliver talks in local prisons.

• To continue to strengthen local networks – particularly with the VSCE Sector - and regional relationships with commissioners

The O’Connor Gateway Trust has continued to assist those who desire to, to receive work experience, training and life skills through employment and voluntary work placements at the Tea Rooms. Langan’s Tea Rooms provide further public benefit in that they create an extra step of the rehabilitating back into society process. This creates a public benefit to not only those clients being rehabilitated, but to their future employers and members of the public visiting the tea rooms.

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

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The O'Connor Gateway Trust (the trust) for the year ended 31 March 2025.

As the trustees of the trust (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the trust 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 trust’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 trust’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 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 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 trust 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.

The charitable 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 trustees 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 charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The O'Connor Gateway Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 126 Station Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1BX.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the trust'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 trust is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the trust. 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 trust 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 trust 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.

Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.

A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the trust. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

At each reporting end date, the trust 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 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 trust 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.

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 trust operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the trust 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.

The trustees neither received nor waived any emoluments during the year (2024: £Nil) through the Charity.

There were no expenses reimbursed to trustees during the year (2024: £Nil) through the Charity.

No trustee or other person related to the Charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the Charity during the year (2024: none).

During the year the Charity purchased and sold goods and services to The Burton Addiction Centre Limited, a company in which Mr A D Oliver was a director and shareholder. The purchases in the year were £227,782 (2024: £94,336) and the sales were £Nil (2024: £Nil). The purchases relate to costs invoiced to The Burton Addiction Centre Limited, which are shared services between the two companies, and these are recharged at cost. The Charity received donations from the company of £250,378 (2024: £38,410). At the balance sheet date £Nil (2024: £90,124) was owed to The Burton

Addiction Centre Limited.

During the year the Charity purchased goods and services from O'Connor Gateway Trading Limited, a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of the Trust. The Charity provided financial assistance of £52,500 (2024: £90,000) and received financial assistance of £Nil (2024: £Nil) to contribute to running costs. The Trust also received £34,200 (2024: £45,600) in other grants. Purchases of £20,924 (2024: £31,597) are costs which are invoiced to O'Connor Gateway Trading Limited but are shared between the two companies. At the balance sheet date £91,429 (2024: £182,030) was owed to the Charity.

During the year the Charity had the following transactions with Langan's Tea Rooms (Cannock) Limited a 100% wholly owned subsidiary. The Charity provided financial assistance of £656 (2024: £Nil). At the balance sheet date £Nil (2024: £5,000) was owed to the Charity.

There were 5 key management personnel in the year who were all paid through a related party in kind cost £50,000.