Overview from the Outgoing Chair
We continue to see a growing demand for our services, arising largely from personal recommendations. Feedback from clients remains overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on the warmth of welcome and the quality of the counselling provided. Demand has at times exceeded our capacity, with the need to introduce a small waiting list for the first time this year. We continue to see an increasing number of clients presenting with complex issues, requiring longer-term work but with limited funding; finding sufficient funding for these clients remains challenging.
We are grateful for the pro-bono consultancy support of Professor Stephanie Morgan via the Cranfield Trust who has been advising with governance and trustee and management structure this year. As you will see, Stephanie was so impressed with the value of our work she applied to become a Trustee and indeed take over as chair.
Team Overview
This year has seen a rise in our counselling team to just over 80 counsellors. This together with the number of clients steadily on the rise has meant that we have had a busy year. The management team remains consistent which includes Emily (Counselling Manager), Christina (Counselling Manager), Jacqui (Office Manager) and Alan (Development Manager), and four members of the team providing administrative support.
Financial Sustainability
We remain committed to achieving financial sustainability within the next few years. This year we have seen donations rise from the Eastbourne Lottery, shopping donations from EasyFundraising and others choosing to donate to us each month through setting up direct debits. Our aim is still to reduce our reliance on grant funding for core costs, with a view to increasing the amount of grant funding available to provide affordable counselling to those in need.
Thank you
We wish to express our thanks to the following organisations for their kind and generous donations:
Clarke Roofing Southern Ltd
Cornerstone Chiropractic Ltd
Eastbourne Lottery
P J Skips
ShanFitness
Thanks also go to the following organisations for providing us with grants:
The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust
The 7 Stars Foundation
The Homity Trust
Screwfix
Veterans Foundation
We are also grateful for the support and collaboration of the following organisations:
A Band of Brothers
Bramber Bakehouse
Cranfield Trust
EasyFundraising
Enthum Foundation
Kingdom Way Trust
Mankind
Morrisons (Community Champion)
New Maudsley Carers
Pivotal Recovery
Ratton School Academy Trust
Sanctuary
Southern Wellness Action Group
The Hampden Park Shed Project
The Women’s Institute (Willingdon)
Wave Leisure
We look forward to partnering with these organisations and others in the future.
Thanks also go to our various private donors who have chosen to give each month by direct debit or a one-off donation. We are very grateful for your generosity.
The trustees of The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the 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 vision of TOB is that it becomes a significant source of affordable counselling to the Public using bursary funding to help cover some of the cost of receiving timely treatment. TOB is here to assist clients, who are in need, in order to help those beneficiaries experience a better quality of life.
Its objects are as follows:
The relief of sickness and promotion of good mental health for the public benefit by: - The provision of accessible, evidence based psychotherapeutic services.
Support for training and development in counselling and related skills.
Values
Compassion & Accessibility: This dual value speaks to the heart of the charity's mission. Compassion is the driving force behind providing TOB’s mental health services to those who need them the most. Coupled with accessibility, it ensures that the services are not only available to all but also provided in a manner that is empathetic and understanding of individual circumstances.
Financial Sustainability & Support: Financial sustainability is crucial for the charity to continue its mission over the long term. It includes being wise with funds, fundraising effectively, and ensuring that services can be offered at low or no cost through a bursary or sliding scale system. This value also communicates to donors and clients that their investment or use of services contributes to a stable, ongoing resource in the community.
Professionalism & Trustworthiness: A charity that offers specialist mental health therapy must be seen as professional and trustworthy. This means employing qualified therapists, maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring a safe and supportive environment for clients. Professionalism in this context does not only mean having the right qualifications but also refers to the manner in which services are delivered—consistently, competently, and with care.
Tailored Care & Individual Focus: Recognising that each client is unique and not just another client in the system reflects a commitment to individualised care and something TOB do well. This value encompasses the tailored matching of therapists to clients, the thoughtful consideration of each person's needs, and the flexible approach to therapy. It ensures that clients feel seen, heard, and cared for on a personal level.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the Trust should undertake.
Public benefit & impact
(1) Counselling Appointments
580 active counselling clients (seen by 68 counsellors)
Total Individual Appointments 6724 97%
Total Couples Appointments 179 03%
Total Counselling Appointments 6903
Total Student Counsellor Appointments 2551 35%
Total Qualified Counsellor Appointments 3933 55%
Total Assessment Appointments 309 04%
Total Specialist Counsellor Appointments 419 06%
7212
Total Bursary Appointments 1895 45%
Total Student/No Bursary 1985 47%
Free Assessments 309 07%
Total Subsidised Appointments 4189
Full price Appointments 3023 42%
Subsidised Appointments 4189 58%
7212
(2) Assessments
Assessment Adult 226 73%
Assessment CYP 77 25%
Assessments YP (16-25) 6 02%
Total Assessments 309
(3) Supervision (TOB)
QC (Qualified Counsellor; SC Student Counsellor)
113 TOB QC £2,825
4 TOB (newly QC) £60
18 TOB (volunteer QC) £0
231 TOB SC (free) £0
(4) Reflective Practice Supervision & Counselling Supervision (1-1)
External including TOB counsellors in private practice
19 counselling supervision sessions
90 reflective practice supervision individual sessions
11 reflective practice supervision group sessions
Income during the year ended 30th June 2025 was £320,096 (2024: £351,468). Net movement in funds for the year was a surplus of £5,380 (2024: £55,084).
As at 30th June 2025 unrestricted funds including amounts designated were £85,259 and restricted funds stood at £14,194
The Old Bank currently maintains a reserves aim of three months’ worth of expenditure, (approximately £80,000). This amount has been determined as a suitable level to provide a buffer against uncertainties.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Trust is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust (TOB) is a charitable company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital, with registration number 12082101. It is recognised as a charity for tax purposes by HMRC and is registered with the Charity Commission under charity number 1201806.
Key points relating to governance are as follows:
TOB has a Memorandum and Articles of Association which establish the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association of February 2023.
TOB is governed by its Board of Trustees.
The Trustees meet on a periodic basis to consider items such as achievements, partnerships, risk management, regulations and finances.
All Trustees’ meetings can now be held in person at a dedicated site or by recorded online meetings. Minutes are taken at all meetings and are available to the Charity Commission as is set out in governance.
Given that TOB is responsible for allocating funds donated by the public, the Trustees place the utmost importance on good governance. We continue to monitor best practice in charity governance and adapt as necessary.
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:
A new senior leadership team was formed in July 2024 consisting of Alan Smithson (Development Manager), Emily Heseltine (Counselling Manager) and Jacqui Thornett (Office Manager). The senior leadership team work with the trustees and report directly to them on all activities and issues. There are a further 5 members staff working within the administration team.
The trustee's report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustee's 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 Trust 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 Trust 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 Trust 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 Trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 30 June 2025.
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 ACCA, 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 notes on pages 11 to 21 form part of these financial statements.
The Old Bank Wellbeing Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is The Old Bank, 23-25 Brassey Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9NH.
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” (“FRS 102”) 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)" (effective 1 January 2019). The Trust is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The Trust has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the 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.
Designated funds comprise funds which have been set aside at the discretion of the trustees for specific purposes. The purposes and uses of the designated funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
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.
Donated goods and services given for use by the Trust are recognised when receivable, and are valued at a best estimate of market value. Stocks of undistributed donated goods are not valued for balance sheet purposes.
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 basis:
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.
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 Trust has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the Trust's balance sheet when the Trust 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 Trust’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
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.
Deferred income
Where income is received for a specific project, the income is deferred until that project commences, in order for the income to be matched with the corresponding expenditure.
In the application of the Trust’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.
Donated goods and services above includes various items that have been gifted to the Trust, including office equipment and training services.
The above figure does not include the estimate of time donated by volunteers. Three of the trustees offer clinical services free of charge, and it is estimated that this equated to around 595 hours of combined time, with an estimated value of £34,515 for the year and fifteen other qualified counsellors offered their time for free for 884 hours totaling £23,165.
No provision has been made for the premises provided rent free by The Guy & Co Charitable Trust, as referenced in note 17.
Two trustees received reimbursement of expenses in the year totalling £5,702 (2024: £7,160), relating to charity running costs.
Total donations from trustees and their related parties amounted to £Nil (2024: £52,025).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
Key management personnel comprises the senior leadership team of Alan Smithson (Development Manager), Emily Heseltine (Counselling Manager) and Jacqui Thornett (Office Manager).
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
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.
Mankind Fund - this fund contains receipts to provide additional support to clients referred from the local Mankind support group.
Bursary Fund - In earlier years funds were received specifically to assist clients who were unable to fund the cost of sessions in full. The cost of subsidised sessions was met from these monies. During the year all restricted funds were expended and the fund closed. The charity continues to offer subsidised appointments for those in need and allocates funds from unrestricted reserves to meet the cost of these sessions. As the nature of this arrangement is no longer restricted, these transactions are shown as a designated bursary fund and details can be found at note 16.
Chalk Cliff Trust - this is an additional fund towards bursaries.
SWAG fund - contains funds for referrals from the Southern Wellness Action Group.
Homity fund - this contains monies to enable us to provide bursaries.
Adfam fund - this relates to monies for the provision of addiction support referrals.
National Lottery fund - this relates to monies for the provision of support for emotional support for families in financial hardship.
Albert Hunt fund - this relates to monies for the provision of support to children and young people under 16.
John Jackson Trust fund - this relates to monies for the overhead costs.
Magdalen Trust fund - this relates to monies for the provision of support to children and young people under 25.
Veterans Foundation fund - this relates to monies for the provision of support to clients referred from specific Armed Forces Organisations.
7 Stars Foundation - this relates to monies for the provision of support specifically 8-16-year-olds with experience of trauma/ abuse in the home.
Ernest Kleinwort - this relates to monies for the provision of long term therapeutic support for children and young people.
Ratton School - this relates to monies for the provision of reflective practice supervision for Ratton School employees.
Screwfix - this relates to monies for painting and decorating of the building, lighting, sensory and flooring for the vault.
Guy Charitable Trust fund - during 2024 it was decided this fund was not actually a restricted fund and the balance was transferred to the unrestricted fund.
Due to the way that costs have been allocated against the relevant restricted fund, some funds had a negative balance in 2025. Transfers have therefore been included to reimburse these negative funds from unrestricted reserves.
These are unrestricted funds which are material to the Trust's activities.
Bursary Fund - The charity offers subsidised appointments for those in need and allocates funds from unrestricted reserves to meet the cost of these sessions. Transfers into the fund and associated costs are shown above. The Trustees decide the level of funding available for these sessions each year.
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 Trust was founded by The Guy & Co Charitable Trust with two common directors/trustees. The Trust use premises provided by The Guy & Co Charitable Trust under a 25 year lease dated 1st July 2024 with an annual rent of £1. The Trust received no donations from The Guy & Co Charitable Trust during the year (2024: £50,000 was received).