Women's Support Project - Charities report

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: SC323918 (Scotland)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: SC021846

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2026

for

Women's Support Project

Page

Report of the Trustees

1

to

5

Independent Examiner's Report

6

Statement of Financial Activities

7

Balance Sheet

8

Notes to the Financial Statements

9

to

13

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 2026. 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).

The Women's Support Project (WSP) works to end violence against women. Based in Glasgow, we work across Scotland to raise awareness of the root causes, extent, and impact of male violence and for improved services for those affected. Key themes are addressing unmet need and emerging issues, making links between different forms of violence and abuse, and supporting multiagency and partnership approaches. Our work is informed by an understanding of links and overlaps between different forms of violence, discrimination, and oppression.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

2025-2026 has been a year of significant change for the Women's Support Project, with the retirement of our longstanding manager Jan McLeod and the closure of our Rights and Choices project.

I would like to put on record our thanks to our staff team and our trustees for their continued commitment to delivering our work while the organisation went through this period of change.

We are incredibly grateful for the continued support we receive from the Scottish Government for our work on CSE and FGM. We were extremely disappointed to have lost our funding from Glasgow City Council as this resulted in the closure of our Rights and Choices service.

During this period, the Board completed its Governance review, agreeing updated articles of association, finalising our single sex service policy and developing our governance handbook.

Additionally, we undertook a strategic review and agreed a new strategic plan. This identified our priority areas of focus as:

- Commercial Sexual Exploitation (including women involved in selling or exchanging sex);

- Racially minoritised women's experiences of VAWG (including FGM and ritual practices);

- Technologically facilitated harm.

Our staff team developed a monitoring and evaluation framework (using contribution analysis). This sets out the difference our work makes, this includes:

- Women involved in CSE/subjected to FGM receive improved responses

- Practitioners are more confident and feel they have a framework of support to allow them to respond to women's needs

- A CSE as a form of VAWG lens is applied across a wide range of policy areas

- There is a more robust policy and legislative framework informed by women's lived experience

- The links between CSE/FGM & other forms of VAWG are built into policy & service responses

Our annual impact report for 25-26 sets out the difference our work makes.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

What we did in numbers:

- 17 CSE Aware training sessions delivered

- 7 CSE webinars held including consent in the sex industry and CSE Easy Read launch.

- 22 CSE inputs at conferences, events etc

- 4 CSE practitioner forums

- 2281 CSE event participants

- Published 3 CSE briefings learning disability, migrant women, and motherhood

- Developed 3 responses to consultations including UN Rapporteur on VAWG on Motherhood and Improvement Service on Substances and VAWG.

- 10 people supported to give evidence to Justice Committee's consultation on the Private members Bill to propose new legislation on prostitution.

- 63 national CSE meetings attended including 8 with the Scottish Government, 3 Joint Strategic Board and 6 with the National Violence against Women Network

- 33 local CSE meetings attended including those with 12 different local violence against women partnerships

- 11 bulletins published with average of 1088 subscribers per issue

- 879 unique users per month to the CSE aware website

- 63 national CSE meetings attended including 8 with the Scottish Government, 3 Joint Strategic Board and 6 with the National Violence against Women Network

- 33 local CSE meetings attended including those with 12 different local violence against women partnerships

- 11 bulletins published with average of 1088 subscribers per issue

- 879 unique users per month to the CSE aware website

- 2 FGM Awareness sessions delivered

- 1 FGM Aware multi-agency event held attended by 43 people

- Accessed £26,064 of grants to directly support women

- 72 women supported through Rights and Choices project

- 31 women supported to improve their digital skills

- Member of 2 national working groups related to FGM

CSE

Our CSE work continued to build the capacity of frontline professionals, to raise awareness of the needs and experiences of women involved in CSE and supported practice development. We provided a programme of online training as well as bespoke sessions for partners.

Our work this year focussed on the intersections between CSE and learning disability, CSE and motherhood and CSE and migration. We published bulletins on consent and premature deaths. A new easy read resource for women with learning disabilities and published research on the experiences of women with learning disabilities.

We developed a new peer support practitioner forum and continued to support local violence against women partnerships to develop their approaches to supporting women in CSE.

Our work to support the Encompass network and amplify the work they do continued with the publication of the 4th Encompass snapshot which explores the demographics, needs and experiences of women supported by this specialist network. We held a development session for Encompass network staff focussing on consent.

We provided opportunities to women involved in CSE to inform policy/ service development, this included

- Consulting women to develop WSP Manifesto

- Supporting women to respond to consultations and attend key meetings including engaging with the Justice Committee investigating proposed legislation on prostitution.

FGM

With the retirement of our manager our FGM work this year focussed on supporting the FGM Aware network and attending Scottish Government strategic groups.

The FGM Aware Network which meets quarterly and provides information for networking, sharing information and promoting good practice.

The Network hosts occasional national workshops and events, this year we held an event to mark the international day of zero tolerance for FGM in February. In this year we discussed good practice in community engagement and considered what is needed to support community engagement going forward. Thanks to Community InfoSource and the Glasgow VAW Partnership for contributing to costs. Recommendations from the event was shared at local and national working groups.

In conjunction with the FGM Aware network we drafted case studies and updated our FGM training guidance ready for circulation with the updated training presentation once the FGM Protection & Guidance Act is implemented. We also developed an information leaflet with Elizabeth Inyang based on her research on FGM/C in Scotland, to promote the need for community engagement and including examples of good practice.

In December 2025 we produced and circulated a statement in response to media coverage of FGM which had led people to mistakenly believe that there is evidence of FGM taking place in Scotland (The Herald, 1 December 2025)

Although we do not offer an FGM support service we do receive occasional emails and calls from, or on behalf of, women affected by FGM. We respond to requests for information and/or support, directing women to local services or specialist support when required. We liaise with Police and Child Protection, as necessary.

The closure of services such as Saheliya (Glasgow and Edinburgh) and Rights & Choices (Glasgow) has reduced support available for BME women who have experienced violence or abuse, resulting in increased demand for remaining services. There are no specialist community-based organisations funded to support FGM survivors. Activity around the launch of FGM statutory guidance and implementation of the FGM Guidance and Protection Act will arguably lead to an increase in referrals and requests for support at a times where services are reducing and waiting lists extending.

Technologically facilitated abuse

In this period, we became a learning partner on a European project looking at technologically facilitated abuse.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

The charity reports a deficit of £18,364 for year, representing mainly the expenditure of brought forward restricted funds. The deficit on unrestricted funds is £1,164.

Reserves policy

The Board of Directors has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds held by the charity should be a minimum of three months of the resources expended, and this has been achieved.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

We have begun the process of recruiting for a new Strategic Manager, this role will provide strategic leadership across the organisation, ensuring strong governance, financial stewardship and continue our impactful delivery at an operational level and we look forward to working with her to deliver on our strategic plan.

We have received additional funding to expand our work on FGM and will now have a full-time FGM Development and Engagement Worker, this will allow us to publish regular bulletins to raise awareness about FGM, deliver awareness raising sessions for professionals and engage with communities affected by FGM. We are looking forward to further developing this area of our work.

We will continue our CSE Aware work increasing awareness, knowledge, and confidence. Work planned for this year includes:

- Continue to deliver our core training sessions on disclosures and safety to a wide range of professionals

- Work with Police Scotland to develop and deliver training

- Explore and raise awareness of older women's experiences of CSE

- Develop CSE Spider in the Glass session and co-host national event

- Hold an online event to showcase our work and resources

- Develop case studies in conjunction with women involved in CSE

- Develop a new safety toolkit

- Continue to support the Encompass network

- Provide opportunities for women's voices to be included in policy/service development.

We will continue to be a learning partner for the European project on technologically facilitated abuse and are excited to understand how this can help shape work in this area in Scotland.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Governance

The Board of Directors meets regularly, usually every 8 weeks. We had 5 members in this year. Directors have a range of skills, experience and interests, including strategic working and policy development in relation to male violence against women; research; women's health; media coverage of violence against women and equalities issues; campaigning; anti-discriminatory work; fundraising.

Prospective Directors are invited to a preliminary meeting with staff members and existing Directors, to discuss remit and commitment required, and are provided with appropriate information to help familiarise them with our work. Directors can also access training opportunities such as offered by GCVS, SCVO or Impact funding.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

SC323918 (Scotland)

Registered Charity number

SC021846

Registered office

Room 427

Baltic Chambers

50 Wellington Street

Glasgow

Lanarkshire

G2 6HJ

Trustees

M J Burman

S Laughlin

A Scott

E Uwandu (resigned 19.5.2026)

I Kerr (appointed 5.5.2025)

K M Caskie (appointed 4.8.2026)

Company Secretary

H Provan

Independent Examiner

Bell Barr & Company

Chartered Accountants

2 Stewart Street

Milngavie

Glasgow

G62 6BW

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 21 September 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

M J Burman - Trustee

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026 set out on pages seven to thirteen.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees 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 (c) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under Section 44(1)(c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of the independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. 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 seeking explanations from you as 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 connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention :

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

-	to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations; and

-	to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with Regulation 8 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations

have not been met; or

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

Jennifer Irvine

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

Bell Barr & Company

Chartered Accountants

2 Stewart Street

Milngavie

Glasgow

G62 6BW

Date: .............................................

31.3.26

31.3.25

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

funds

Notes

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

2

7,222

-

7,222

24,154

Charitable activities

Women's Support Activities

2,891

250,059

252,950

296,561

Other trading activities

3

1,511

-

1,511

2,734

Total

11,624

250,059

261,683

323,449

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

Women's Support Activities

54,001

226,046

280,047

321,673

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(42,377

)

24,013

(18,364

)

1,776

Transfers between funds

8

41,213

(41,213

)

-

Net movement in funds

(1,164

)

(17,200

)

(18,364

)

1,776

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

108,722

18,019

126,741

124,965

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

107,558

819

108,377

126,741

31.3.26

31.3.25

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

funds

Notes

£

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

6

10,352

-

10,352

6,191

Cash at bank and in hand

117,624

819

118,443

145,141

127,976

819

128,795

151,332

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

7

(20,418

)

-

(20,418

)

(24,591

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

107,558

819

108,377

126,741

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES

107,558

819

108,377

126,741

NET ASSETS

107,558

819

108,377

126,741

FUNDS

8

Unrestricted funds

107,558

108,722

Restricted funds

819

18,019

TOTAL FUNDS

108,377

126,741

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2026.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities 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 state of affairs 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 Sections 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.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 21 September 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

M J Burman - Trustee

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The trustees have reviewed the sources of funding available to the charity over the next year and beyond, together with the charity's running costs and financial commitments, and are satisfied that the charity is a going concern.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

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.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the account.

Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

2.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

Donations

7,222

24,154

3.	OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

Fundraising

1,511

2,734

4.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

5.	STAFF COSTS

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

31.3.26

31.3.25

Full time employees

4

Part time employees

2

6

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

6.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

Accrued income

5,000

1,406

Prepayments

5,352

4,785

10,352

6,191

7.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

31.3.26

31.3.25

£

Trade creditors

10,045

14,619

Social security and other taxes

3,431

6,750

Pension creditor

383

918

Deferred Income

5,000

-

Accrued expenses

1,559

2,304

20,418

24,591

8.	MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Net

Transfers

movement

between

At

At 1.4.25

in funds

funds

31.3.26

£

Unrestricted funds

General Fund

102,112

(42,377

)

41,213

100,948

CSE Funds

6,610

-

6,610

108,722

(42,377

)

41,213

107,558

Restricted funds

Inspiring Scotland

-

37,770

(37,770

)

-

GCC - Making a House a Home

3,042

(3,042

)

-

Public Health Scotland - Warm Spaces

2,348

(1,554

)

(794

)

-

Eaton Fund

6,915

(6,915

)

-

Endrick Fund

3,000

(741

)

(1,440

)

819

Zakat Donations

1,505

(1,505

)

-

Animation Resources

1,209

-

(1,209

)

-

18,019

24,013

(41,213

)

819

TOTAL FUNDS

126,741

(18,364

)

-

108,377

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

Unrestricted funds

General Fund

11,624

(54,001

)

(42,377

)

Restricted funds

Wellbeing for Longer Glasgow Fund

9,993

(9,993

)

-

Inspiring Scotland

237,366

(199,596

)

37,770

GCC - Making a House a Home

-

(3,042

)

(3,042

)

Public Health Scotland - Warm Spaces

-

(1,554

)

(1,554

)

Eaton Fund

-

(6,915

)

(6,915

)

Endrick Fund

-

(741

)

(741

)

Zakat Donations

2,700

(4,205

)

(1,505

)

250,059

(226,046

)

24,013

TOTAL FUNDS

261,683

(280,047

)

(18,364

)

Comparatives for movement in funds

Net

movement

At

At 1.4.24

in funds

31.3.25

£

Unrestricted funds

General Fund

91,670

10,442

102,112

CSE Funds

8,696

(2,086

)

6,610

100,366

8,356

108,722

Restricted funds

Inspiring Scotland

4,843

(4,843

)

-

GCC - Making a House a Home

8,338

(5,296

)

3,042

Public Health Scotland - Warm Spaces

2,686

(338

)

2,348

Eaton Fund

4,231

2,684

6,915

Endrick Fund

-

3,000

Creative Scotland

4,218

(4,218

)

-

Zakat Donations

283

1,222

1,505

Animation Resources

-

1,209

24,599

(6,580

)

18,019

TOTAL FUNDS

124,965

1,776

126,741

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

Unrestricted funds

General Fund

27,695

(17,253

)

10,442

CSE Funds

-

(2,086

)

(2,086

)

27,695

(19,339

)

8,356

Restricted funds

Wellbeing for Longer Glasgow Fund

40,274

(40,274

)

-

Cash for Kids

5,000

(5,000

)

-

Inspiring Scotland

210,624

(215,467

)

(4,843

)

Women's Grants

2,450

(2,450

)

-

GCC - Making a House a Home

-

(5,296

)

(5,296

)

Public Health Scotland - Warm Spaces

4,000

(4,338

)

(338

)

Eaton Fund

11,000

(8,316

)

2,684

Endrick Fund

3,000

-

3,000

Creative Scotland

1,406

(5,624

)

(4,218

)

Zakat Donations

11,000

(9,778

)

1,222

Animation Resources

6,000

(4,791

)

1,209

Good Things Foundation

1,000

(1,000

)

-

295,754

(302,334

)

(6,580

)

TOTAL FUNDS

323,449

(321,673

)

1,776

The Wellbeing for Longer Glasgow Fund is funding to provide befriending, information and group work opportunities for migrant, refugee and asylum seeking women in Glasgow who are socially isolated and/or have experienced gender based violence.

The Inspiring Scotland fund represents funding from the Scottish Government for the Delivering Equally Safe project.

Cash for Kids funding allowed us to supply supermarket vouchers to families in need.

The Eaton fund provides a grant to support women in hardship to buy essential items.

The Endrick grant was awarded to support childcare and travel costs for women attending the courses we offer.

Creative Scotland funding was provided to run a programme of arts based groupwork sessions for women and children.

The designated CSE Fund represents amounts allocated to work on commercial sexual exploitation outwith the programme of work funded by the Delivering Equally Safe budget.

Transfers between funds

Fund transfers represent contributions to core costs included within grant awards.

9.	RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2026.