Charity Registration No. SCO42167

Company Registration No. SC394788 (Scotland)

(A company limited by guarantee)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The Trustees present their report for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity's memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act 2006 and Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities”, Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) as amended on 5 October 2018 (effective 1 January 2019).

Structure, governance and management

The company was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee on 4 March 2011 and registered as a charity on 14 March 2011.

The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and served during the year, were:

Alison Kerr

Helen Davis

Lynne Wishart (Resigned 17/10/24)

Penny Vidler

Linsey Bridges

Charles Bryceland

The rules governing the election of Trustees/Directors are covered by Articles 53 -77 of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Trustees are recruited from the community and the partner agencies who are involved within the steering group of the project.

At the first annual general meeting, one third (to the nearest round number) of the Member Directors shall retire from office but may also stand for re-election. New Trustees may be appointed at any time throughout the year, if appointment is approved by a majority of the other Trustees. The charity can appoint a maximum of 10 Trustees and must have a minimum of 3.

At each annual general meeting (other than the first)

(a)     Any Member Director or Co-opted Director appointed by Trustees (article 59) during the period since the annual general meeting shall retire from office.

(b)     Out of the remaining Member Directors, one third (to the nearest round number) shall retire from office.

The directors to retire under paragraph (b) shall be those who have been longest in office since they were last elected or re-elected; as between persons who were last elected/re-elected on the same date, the question of which of them is to retire shall be determined by some random method.

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

A member director who retires from office shall be eligible for re-election at the AGM and co-opted directors shall be eligible for re-election by the trustees.

The charity also has representatives from a number of partner agencies who, along with the directors, form a steering group who have been delegated powers under Article 88 to make decisions with regard to the activities and forward planning of the work to be progressed.

The steering group consists of representatives from Blackburn Community, West Lothian Youth Action Project, West Lothian Drug and Alcohol Service, West Lothian Council (Community Regeneration, Community Learning and Development, Housing, Child & Adolescents Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP)), Police Scotland, Ashgrove Medical Centre, Blackburn Partnership Centre, Blackburn Primary, Murrayfield Primary, Our Lady of Lourdes Primary, Pinewood School and the 4 elected councillors.

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 hold regular meetings during the year and generally control and supervise the activities of the charity. In particular, the trustees are responsible for monitoring the financial position of the company.

All Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events where these will facilitate the undertaking of their role. Decisions require a quorum of three Trustees in attendance at meetings.

The project co-ordinator is responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity, staff, volunteers and services provided.

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.

Aims, Objectives & Outcomes

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Achievements and Performance

The consequences of the pandemic and recovery process has made it necessary to refocus our work to address the new priority issues that centre around the cost-of-living crisis and MHW issues whilst balancing that with long standing service deliveries which still have an important part to play in day-to-day life of the community.

Continued quality group work, reaching out to those suffering the most, supporting local initiatives and recognising what the community's new priorities and needs are, CAB, working alone and in partnership allowed many of the community to benefit from the work delivered to bring about the following positive outcomes:

The outcomes listed above give a flavour of the wide ranging often complex range of benefits associated with being involved with CAB. Participation with CAB, who work closely with our Community Regeneration officer and partnership organisations, allow the outcomes experienced above to build individual and collective confidence and resilience. It empowers many to look at self-management and enables others to seek appropriate support. It is this joined up approach, which CAB assists in facilitating, that has allowed many of the Blackburn community of all ages to move forward with their lives and show respect and dignity to others.

Blackburn was selected as one of the nine small towns in Scotland to support place-based climate action, working collaboratively with local stakeholders and the community. Climate Action Towns (CAT) supports the Scottish Government's ‘Programme for Government 2020-21: Protecting Scotland, Renewing Scotland'.

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Although the programme, which was delivered by Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS), ended on 31^st March 2024, the Climate Action work is being continued within the community and forms part of the Blackburn Futures Plan.

Climate Action Towns were instrumental in working alongside the community to develop Blackburn's Local Place Plan and was delivered to West Lothian Council in May 2024 for the purpose of being registered with the council for consideration in any future planning or developments to be undertaken within the village. Blackburn Local Place Plan 2024 - 2034 was formally registered on 19^th November 2024. The West Lothian Council register can be viewed online at https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/78847/Local-Place-Plans-LPPs- Register

The work has developed an understanding of the aspirations of the people of Blackburn mainly around getting around easily, promoting active travel, improved public transport and strengthening the availability of shops and services that support fresh food, re-using existing assets and recycling materials and improving existing greenspace and access to it.

The Community Support funding received from West Lothian Council provides the basis for CAB to operate on a daily basis and to address the issues that are identified by the community. The work done in Blackburn could not be fully done without the financial and resource support from the Council and in return CAB seeks additional funding.

To ensure it continues to deliver, increase and provide added value to the services already being delivered for the community. CAB have and continue to deliver many projects and activities for the benefit of the community whether this be on their own or through the strong partnership working that exists in Blackburn.

These include:

1.     Blackburn's Future Plan (BFP):

CAB are the anchor organisation for Blackburn and as such

2.     Friday Club:

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

3.     Summer of Play:

CAB secured funding to deliver a 3-day, 4-week summer programme during July and August. The programme ran on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of each week from 1100hrs to 1400hrs. It consisted of activities and events based on opportunities to connect with friends, the environment, opportunities to play and be active, encouraging equality and engagement. The programme involved several activities linked to themes of the week as well as providing a hot lunch and fruit snacks throughout the session. We also included additional activities such as visiting local parks to enable the children to get out and about in their community.

There were 49 children registered for the programme with an overall attendance of 276. Of the 49 registered 28 (57%) of them fell within West Lothian's category of vulnerable children and young people who may be referred by West Lothian Council professionals.

To assist in the delivery of the programme there were 4 adult volunteers and 10 young volunteers who had an overall total of 94 attendances. The young people gained a total of 376 saltire hours for their hard work over the 4-week programme.

We also delivered a Community Trip which allows families to visit places which would otherwise be too costly or impractical to get to on public transport. This year we visited Clyde Valley Family Park on 8^th August with an overall attendance of 71 (5 senior citizens, 24 Adults, 35 children over 5's and 7 under 5's).

Being a Scottish Climate Control Town, all children were provided with a thermos reusable drinking flask and all outsourced catering and entertainment services were provided by local companies (Community Wealth Building).

4.     Consultation & Family Day

Linked to the Summer of Play Programme, Community Action Blackburn's Family Consultation and Fun Day returned this year on Sunday 11^th August 2024. Throughout the day we welcomed approx. 1,000 people with the children being able to participate in a range of activities provided: Inflatables in the form of bouncy castles / games / assault courses, crazy golf, large scale games, Under 5's play area, face painting and festival faces.

The adults and children were consulted on a range of issues which provided good information for the future development of CAB's delivery plan. In addition, those attending had the opportunity to engage with services delivering in Blackburn: West Lothian Drug & Alcohol Service / Climate Action Towns / NHS Smoking Cessation / WLC Community Regeneration / The Larder / Home Start / Cyrenians (OPAL), Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Carers West Lothian.

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

5.     Climate Action

We are progressing with the actions noted in the BFP and are actively looking at identifying other actions that can be delivered within the community.

6.     ‘Waste Not Want Not' Community Larder

The Community Pantry, which is aimed at addressing the cost of living and food insecurity issues, was originally started on 10 November 2022 and is available to the community every Thursday evening within the Partnership Centre. CAB is a member of the West Lothian Food Network (WLFN) which has recently been granted SCIO status. Funding for the provision of food has become more difficult to source and as such members are having to try and deliver the same quality of service as before on a smaller budget. Having secured funding of £6,700 for the year the pantry was open on 51 occasions providing 969 meals. The last funding received was for the period up to 31^st March, with no funding being received since. WLFN are actively seeking sources of funding.

The pantry is managed by 1 adult and 3 young volunteers, who gained 356 saltire hours during the year.

7.     Women's Social Service Club (WSSC):

Women's Social Service Club (WSSC) - For women aged 65+. The CDO continues to provide support for the group to arrange the programme, outings, events and links with primary schools for a range of intergenerational activities. The WSSC runs from September to the end of March. Over that period, they have had 28 sessions with an average of 29 members per session. The programme is developed in advance with the group and over the period they have been actively involved in the completion of questionnaires relating to the development of a Blackburn History Museum; inputs from the Cyrennians; information on Borrow Box (the app that allows you to borrow eBooks and eAudibooks online from your local library www.borrowbox.com); a visit from the Fire Service who provided practical advice about being safe in their homes; Kathryn Welch delivered a very interesting and informative session about Linlithgow munitionettes during WW1 and WW2; and Helen Davis who started a discussion with the women regarding their awareness of addiction services and if they had enough information and felt confident enough to signpost a friend or family member; a few ad hoc sessions such as the A-Z of Blackburn which produced the most talking, laughing, reminiscing and feel-good factor; a trip to McKinnon Mills in North Lanarkshire, several sessions discussing Blackburn of the past and some quiz and bingo sessions.

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

The members were part of the 58 pensioners who enjoyed a Christmas meal in the Partnership Centre on 11^th December. This was arranged by CAB with funding received from the Partnership Centre Management Committee. In addition, 24 members attended Sky's offices in Livingston to join in their ‘Time to Care Christmas' event. A VE Day 80 celebration was had in April with 45 pensioners attending and the annual bus trip took place in May with 47 in attendance.

Three intergenerational sessions were delivered including one delivered in partnership with the library. This involved an author coming along to the group and delivering intergenerational activities and finishing with a story. This was well received by young and old alike. In addition to the in-house intergenerational sessions in the centre, The CDO attended the International Women's Day event with an older person from WSSC as well as a youth from CIB and it was a great experience for all.

The club is invaluable to all the members as it provides them with company, friendship, feelings of belonging & improved MH&W.

8.     Change in Blackburn Youth Forum (CIB)

CIB are an extremely hard-working bunch of young people who are keen to get involved and are very enthusiastic about the work they deliver. The group meet one night a week, outwith the school holidays, however over the summer holidays many of them were involved in volunteering their services to assist in the running of the Summer of Play programme and the Consultation and Family Fun Day within the village.

There are 11 members in the group assisted by a young volunteer, who was a previous member and is now at university. 38 sessions have been held over the year with a total attendance of 386. Attendance does drop off in the later quarter of the year due to exam studying time. The group have been involved in several pieces of work and discussion sessions. They have covered issues around Mental Health, Personal Safety, Recruitment Planning, Climate Action, development of work for delivery to the primary schools, attending events within the West Lothian area and having some fun sessions which usually is around Cooking. The following gives a flavour for the varied work the group undertake.

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

9.     Drop-In Sessions:

The continuation of these sessions is linked to the increase in drug and alcohol use which also culminated in an increase in anti-social behaviour. An alcohol and drug action group were set up involving a range of partner agencies of which Community Action Blackburn is one. The drop-in service is provided by CAB and delivered by West Lothian Youth Action Project. This is CAB's input to help address the issues highlighted above. The Drop-In is targeted towards the youth of the community but is open to all ages of the community who are seeking information and signposting about a variety of issues and concerns.

The sessions which are delivered every Wednesday evening provide support, guidance and signposting on a variety of issues and concerns. There were 47 sessions delivered during the year and a summer activity was also delivered with 20 young people attending on that day. 89 individuals (64 male, 25 female) accessed this service over the year with an overall attendance of 847 (600 male, 247 female).

In addition to these numbers, we continue to get previous users of the drop-in attending to catch up with staff or ask for some advice. Several of these young people are now well in their 20's but this is evidence of the positive relationships that staff built up with them when they were teenagers.

Issues addressed were:

CAB have provided the funding for the Youth Drop-In since 2011 and the benefits this has produced over the years shows this is an input that is required and beneficial to the community and the hard-to-reach young people, demonstrating challenging and risky behaviours, that attend. The above highlights the many positive outcomes that flow from this work, the main ones being signposting to other services & counselling, gaining employment, access to work placements and college education. This is work that cannot be achieved through the provision of Street Work alone. Previous service users are now in full time occupation and have families of their own. Some of them even have their own business. They link attending the drop in and receiving the support and time of the youth workers as being one of the main reasons for them being where they are today. The above is borne out by a recent comment from one 23-year-old male:

“YAP and the drop-in were the only stable things in my life when I was about 15 to 17. You helped me get work, stuck with me when I got myself in a bit of trouble, gave me advice on alcohol and drug use - not that I always listened but it stuck with me. I don't use any drugs now and only drink alcohol one or two weekends per month. It's good to know the place is still helping the young uns.'

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

CAB are presently struggling to source further funding for this work and an extremely difficult decision has been taken to stop funding the service from July 2025.

10.     Wellbeing Events:

A number of wellbeing events, sponsored by the Blackburn Partnership Management Committee, were delivered for the elderly members of the community during the year.

11.     Blackburn Education & Skills Training (BEST) Hub:

CAB worked alongside the Youth Action Project to explore the possibilities of the development and delivery of an education and skills hub for the community of Blackburn. We were also assisted by Community Enterprise. As the lead agency we received funding from the Scottish Land Fund to engage consultants and architects to carry out a feasibility study with regard to the possible purchase of the old Hopefield Nursery premises through an asset transfer from West Lothian Council. The consultation work was completed in December 2024. Having carried out some further exploration work we regret to say that we now find ourselves in the position of being unable to continue with this venture. The consultation process report will be of great value to us in identifying where our priorities lie for the continued support of the community.

The range of work being progressed by Community Action Blackburn is community led and owned ensuring that it is a whole community approach addressing the needs and concerns identified within Blackburn. The continued involvement by community members and partner agencies identifies the need for CAB and will ensure the sustainability of the project and, most importantly, the work delivered that is greatly beneficial to the community as a whole.

Financial Review

Results for the year ended 31 March 2025 are given in the statement of financial activities. The net book value of the company's fixed tangible assets as at 31 March 2025 was £nil. No tangible fixed assets were acquired during the last financial year.

Tangible assets costing under £500 have not been capitalised.

The charity reviews its financial position on an ongoing basis, with budget issues discussed at directors meetings. The principal sources of funding for the core work are provided by sources within West Lothian Council such as Community Regeneration. They continually seek additional funding for specific projects from sources outwith West Lothian Council.

The board of Trustees are mindful of the need for a reserve policy and as such have agreed to hold reserves of £10,000 to deal with any short-term funding deficiencies. Current free reserves equate to approximately 6 months' worth of expenditure, which is in line with the Board of Trustees ideal level of reserves.

Plans for the future

Like many organisations in this financial climate, the future of the organisation cannot be certain, however, we have had core funding from West Lothian Council confirmed to continue in 2023-2025. The board of Trustees, being fully aware of the present financial climate, have put in place processes and procedures to ensure that the charity has sufficient funds held in reserve and future funding in place to continue for the foreseeable future and also looking to find new avenues for funding the organisation which will be a key priority going forward.

COMMUNITY ACTION BLACKBURN

TRUSTEES' REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Following on from the Board's participation in a development programme, which was provided and facilitated by the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC), to assist in the development of the strategic delivery plan, CAB have finalised and published their new 5-year plan ‘Building a Stronger Blackburn'.

Responsibilities of the Board of Management

The Board of Trustees (who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including the net income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). 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.

Members of the Board of Trustees (who are Directors for the purpose of company law and Trustees for the purpose of charity law) who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 1 of this report.

Independent Examiner

A resolution proposing that Brian Maloney be reappointed as Independent Examiner of the company will be put to the members at the AGM.

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 19/11/25 and signed on its behalf by:

Trustee:

Date:19/11/25

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Community Action Blackburn

I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 13 to 20.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The charity's trustees (who are also directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity's trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(a) to 10(1)(c) of the 2006 Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1)(c) of the 2005 Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement

My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

1.     which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

2.     to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Brian Maloney FCCA

15a West End

West Calder

West Lothian

Date: 19/11/2025

Community Action Blackburn

Statement of Financial Activities

(including income and expenditure account)

for the year ended 31st March 2025

Movements in funds are shown in note 7.

Community Action Blackburn

Balance Sheet

at 31st March 2025

The trustees have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibility for;

(a)     ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)     preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Section 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

Community Action Blackburn

Balance Sheet

at 31st March 2025

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 19/11/25 and signed on its behalf by

(Trustee)

19/11/25 (Date)

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

1     Accounting Policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

Basis of Accounting

Community Action Blackburn meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s).

Cashflow Exemption

Income Recognition Policies

Interest Receivable

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT (continued)

Tangible Fixed Assets

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Assets with a cost of more than £500 are capitalised. Depreciation is calculated to write off their cost or valuation less any residual value over their estimated useful lives on a straight line basis as follows:

Debtors

Creditors and Provisions

Going Concern

2     Net Incoming Resources

This is stated after charging:

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

3     Taxation

4     Donations and Legacies

5     Income from Charitable Activities

6     Creditors; Amounts falling due within one year

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

7     Analysis of Charitable Funds

Analysis of Movement in Funds for the Comparative Period the Year Ended 31 March 2024 is as follows:

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

7     Analysis of Charitable Funds (continued)

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

7     Analysis of Charitable Funds - Purpose of Funds (continued)

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

7     Analysis of Charitable Funds - Purpose of Funds (continued)

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

8     Trustee Remuneration and Related Party Transactions

9     Staff Costs and Numbers

Staff Costs were as follows:

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

10     Analysis of Charitable Expenditure

The charity undertakes its charitable activities through engaging with local authorities and grant providers to co-ordinate projects and programmes which benefit the local community and further the aims of the charity. In addition, the charity undertakes activities which provide education and support to the local community with regard to alcohol, drugs and smoking, which includes the provision of promotional events and material.

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

11     Analysis of Support and Governance Costs

The charity initially identifies the costs of the support function. It then identifies which costs relate to the governance function.

It having identified its governance costs, the remaining support costs together with the governance costs are apportioned between the key charitable functions undertaken in the year.Refer to the table below for the basis of apportionment and the analysis of support and governance costs.

12     Analysis of Net Assets between Funds

Analysis of Net Assets between Funds for the Comparative Period the Year Ended 31 March 2024

Community Action Blackburn

Notes to the Accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2025

13     Share Capital