The funding market has gotten a lot harder as more demands are made on it and at a time when the need for our services has increased. This has given us some tough challenges to overcome. Our charity was formed over 30 years ago to prevent homelessness in our community and the fact that today more people are in need of our services shows how vital our work is.
We are indebted to several organisations who have supported us working in partnership including Charnwood Borough Council, John Storer House, North-West Leicestershire District Council, and GTS Security Services.
The services we provide have never been more vital as families struggle to manage day to day living, debt, homelessness, and food poverty.
Applying for funding, raising funds and winning grant funding for our work is vital. Several individuals have made significant contributions to support the work that we do in the community. We have been fortunate to have been awarded funding by a number of funders including The National Lottery, Charnwood Borough Council, North West Leicestershire and Leicestershire County Councils, Masonic Charitable Foundation, Children in Need, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government through NWLDC, the Ministry of Justice (NACRO Contract supporting prison and ex-offenders), Henry Smith Foundation, Dukes Foundation, Swire Charitable Trust, St James Place and Garfield Weston.
Our Management Team and staff continue to work hard with the increased workload to deliver current services. Whilst at the same time looking for new funding opportunities so that we can continue to help people in need in our community. Myself and The Board of Trustees appreciate the dedication and hard work of our staff and we thank them for all the hard work they do.
My thanks also go to our dedicated and hard-working Trustees who do so much more than just turning up at a quarterly meeting, they get involved and help to support the organisation in so many ways. Particular thanks go to our Vice Chair Halinka Hepworth.
Organisation like ours, cannot achieve what we do without the help and support of our volunteers and the partner organisations, BNI Tigers, members of the business community, schools, Loughborough University including the Students Union and the public for their generous donations so lastly, I would like to thank them all for their help and continued support.
We have welcomed new trustees Alison Barlow, Veena D’Soni, Zina Alhilali, Vina Parekh, Sajith Nair and Ragesh Sejpal over the year.
Unfortunately, we have lost some of our very dedicated and hard-working Trustees! My thanks go to Joseph Warwick, Zina, Alhilali and Vina Parekh. Special thanks are due to Jay Webb who retired as Chair and from The Board of Trustees after 13 years of hard work and devotion to the charity. We will not lose her expertise and knowledge entirely as she has agreed to be a Patron.
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
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 charity'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 objectives, for which the charity was established, as defined by the Memorandum of Association on 29th February 2012 and amended on 23rd May 2018 are to promote charitable purposes only; more specifically for the relief and rehabilitation of homeless persons in need in the East Midlands and in particular by the provision of accommodation and associated facilities calculated to alleviate their need, to promote any other charitable purpose for the benefit of homeless persons and those at risk of homelessness in the East Midlands.
The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Trust’s aims and objectives and in planning future activities. Public Benefit is demonstrated more specifically in the following Performance and Achievements sections which highlight specific client work from each of the services within the organisation.
Service Aims and Outcomes
Young People’s Services (Single Access Point (SAP), and talk²sort)
Aims (SAP):
To prevent homelessness and reduce the use of B&B accommodation for 16/17-year-olds.
To improve young people’s life chances.
To enable family members to plan future accommodation options and avert crises which often result in youth homelessness.
To increase the young person and family members understanding of the reality of their personal and housing situation(s).
Aims (talk²sort):
To prevent homelessness.
To undertake one to one mediation sessions and facilitate meetings between young people and families where appropriate.
To provide an opportunity for families to improve relationships, to build agreements and plan for the future.
To raise awareness of mediation services, other local support services and homelessness issues in general.
Performance:
50 clients supported in this period.
100% reported their emotional/ mental health had improved.
100% reported their communication skills have improved
Housing Support Services (Getting Help In Neighbourhoods & North West Leicestershire)
Aims (GHIN):
Intended to improve mental health and wellbeing to people aged 19+ experiencing homelessness and/or living in poverty with a disadvantage.
Delivered through 1:1 support and drop-in services.
To prevent homelessness and promote independent living.
Performance:
84 clients supported in this period.
91% reported their emotional/ mental health had improved.
100% reported feeling less isolated or lonely.
Street Homelessness and Offenders Services (Dynamic Framework and Rough Sleeper Initiative)
Aims (Dynamic Framework):
To provide specialist housing advice to those who are homeless and have an offending history.
To provide intensive support to those who are homeless to help them access accommodation.
To support those who are homeless to address any barriers to accessing accommodation.
Performance:
1285 referrals to the service.
1039 (85%) clients received assessment and advice within 10 days of receipt of referral
1158 total clients provided with assessments and guidance over the year.
Aims (Rough Sleeper Initiative):
To support those who are homeless with no accommodation options available to them outside of the pathway, into suitable accommodation.
To provide outreach support to those who are rough sleeping.
To support those who are homeless to address any barriers to accessing accommodation.
To provide support to those who access accommodation to promote positive tenancy management.
Performance:
471 referrals received in the period.
335 separate individuals verified as rough sleeping
85 successfully assisted into accommodation
26% homelessness relieved.
Housing Advice, Tenancy Relations Services
Aims:
To provide a free, independent and holistic Housing Advice service to all residents in the Borough of Charnwood and across the county
To provide an emergency advice and assistance service to those in housing crisis.
To prevent homelessness through partnership working and tenancy relations work with both private and social landlord.
To provide a free, independent telephone advice service.
Performance:
875 referrals during the period.
66% improved housing conditions.
100% increased knowledge of their housing options.
100% emotional/mental health improved.
Triage
Aims:
To provide a drop-in/telephone service to those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
To provide an effective and efficient housing triage service to ensure people have access to the right service for their needs.
To deliver a welfare service, providing food parcels, fuel vouchers, starter packs and access to the telephone and/or computer.
To support the organisation’s services in an administrative capacity.
Performance:
3510 referrals received within the period.
711 applications made to the household Support Fund.
100% stated their financial circumstances had improved.
437 households supported with food parcels and fuel vouchers worth £20,820.41.
Our Vision is... "Resilient, compassionate communities where individuals thrive in safe and secure homes".
The Bridge (East Midlands) has a 4-year organisational strategy (2024-2028). This strategy serves as the framework for all that we achieve. During the 2025 - 2026 financial year, the Senior Management Team at the Bridge has reviewed our strategy to ensure that as an organisation we remain relevant, agile and responsive to current issues, such as the impact of the pandemic and the rising cost of living.
The strategy aligns with The Bridge (East Midlands) vision, mission and core values and is focused upon the future sustainability of services that provide advice and support for preventing and overcoming homelessness, as well as securing and maintaining tenancies, promoting personal wellbeing and providing a number of projects specifically for young people.
At The Bridge (East Midlands), we are proud of the difference we make, with 98% of respondents who have accessed support from The Bridge stating that their emotional and mental health has improved. 96% of people also stated that they felt more independent after the support they received and 98% said that they are more able to make their own choices and to solve their own problems. Overall, 100% of people who responded to the exit survey fed back that they were happy with the service they had received.
We have a skilled and committed team who are dedicated to shaping and providing a number of vital services that are responsive to the needs of the local community. The local community have supported service provision by fundraising and campaigning throughout the year. During challenging times, we have also looked towards innovative income generation solutions and long-term business/corporate partnerships for the benefit of the community. Working in partnership with key agencies within our locality is another key component to providing the best services that we can, and we have continued to develop existing partnerships and to initiate new ones. We adopt a strengths-based approach and have continued to develop targeted solutions for continual improvement.
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The Statement of Financial Activities for the year shows a surplus on unrestricted funds of £165 (2025 restated: £6,906). Total income was £1,186,581 (2025: £1,106,977) comprising grants, donations, fundraising activities, trading income and other charitable revenues. The charity continues to benefit from a diversified income base, reducing reliance on any single funding source and supporting long-term sustainability. Although income was under budget for the year, we benefited from new funding streams that had not been budgeted for and started 2 new service areas.
Total expenditure was £1,183,884 (2025 restated: £1,087,928). Expenditure was carefully monitored throughout the year to ensure resources were directed efficiently towards achieving the charity's aims and objectives. The majority of expenditure was incurred in support of charitable activities, demonstrating the Trustees' commitment to maximising the impact of funds received while maintaining appropriate governance, support and administrative functions.
This resulted in an overall surplus for the year of £2,697 (2025 restated: £19,049). Overall, the charity ended the financial year in a stronger position than originally anticipated. Cash balances reduced during the year as income was recognised in line with updated accounting requirements and best practice guidance, but the Trustees remain satisfied with the charity's financial position and liquidity.
The audited accounts show balances carried forward on restricted funds of £15,620. These restricted funds relate to grant-funded projects and award schemes extending beyond March 2026 and will be spent during the current financial year in accordance with funder requirements
The charity has set itself a policy of maintaining unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the charity, at a level which equates to approximately six months expenditure. This policy is designed to provide the charity with sufficient funds to sustain its operations in the event of any changes to its funding streams and is aligned to Charity Commission recommended good practice. The target level of free reserves based on current activities is approximately £591,943. At 31 March 2026 the actual level of free reserves, excluding restricted funds, was £223,824. The charity continues to work on adding to these reserves and continues to keep the policy under review.
Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the charity has the power to make any investment which the Trustees see fit.
The Trustees conduct their own review of the risks to which the charity is exposed and establish systems to mitigate those risks. These systems are periodically reviewed to ensure they still meet the needs of the charity both now and for the future. The organisation has developed a robust Risk Register which is reviewed by the Board of Trustees annually.
The Bridge’s vision of “resilient, compassionate communities, where individuals thrive in safe and secure homes” has provided the foundations for the development of the charity’s Four-Year Strategy for the period 2024-2025. The strategic objectives outlined within the strategy support and guide the organisation with its direction. In January 2024, the Strategic Management Team reviewed the Strategic Objectives, and they are now as follows:
1. Prevent homelessness where possible.
Provide advice, support, mediation and signposting to those at risk throughout Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.
Work with the justice system to support those leaving prison.
Provide continued long-term support to prevent future homelessness.
Work with local authorities and partner agencies for the benefit of reducing homelessness.
Increase awareness throughout the county of the current homelessness situation showcasing awareness and causes of homelessness.
Create and promote public awareness of the support available.
Campaign and advocate for homelessness throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
2. Provide support to those who have become homeless.
Provide a welcoming, kind, and supportive approach.
Listen to those who have become homeless, support them by signposting to relevant health and mental health care offers, support them to get into temporary accommodation.
Work with partner agencies to provide emergency accommodation.
Care for and invest in staff to provide a high-quality supportive service.
3. Ensure the future stability and sustainability of the charity.
Build a robust business plan focused around the strategy.
Work with and build good relationships with local authorities, trusts and funding agencies for grants, contracts and improved communications.
Increase awareness and engagement within the local community of the work we do.
Build relationships with corporate organisations local businesses and Professional individuals to increase resources.
Strengthen our recruitment, development and retention program.
Develop a volunteers recruitment strategy to build a volunteer team.
Reviewing our technology to make best use of new developments.
Develop plans to purchase/lease premises and offer our own accommodation solution.
Create a strategy to look at new avenues of income generation.
4. Develop, support, and invest in our staff and volunteers.
Value and recognise the dedication of our staff and volunteers.
Provide good communication and engagement with the team.
Provide a comprehensive training program to ensure the skills set within the organisation are enhanced.
Invest in care and protection for those who work with us.
Aspire to attain relevant agreed quality standards.
Have a flexible, well-trained and compassionate workforce.
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which sets out the objects and powers of the company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up, members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The Directors of the company are also charity Trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company’s Articles are known as members of the Board of Trustees. The charity may, by ordinary resolution, appoint a person who is willing to act to be a Trustee. No person other than a Trustee retiring may be appointed a Trustee at any general meeting unless:
he or she is recommended for re-election by the Trustees; or
not less than fourteen nor more than thirty-five clear days before the date of the meeting, the charity is given a notice that:
is signed by a member entitled to vote at the meeting.
states the member’s intention to propose the appointment of a person as a Trustee.
Contains the details that, if the person were to be appointed, the charity would have to file at Companies House; and
is signed by the person who is to be proposed to show his or her willingness to be appointed.
All members who are entitled to receive notice of a general meeting must be given not less than seven nor more than twenty-eight clear days’ notice of any resolution to be put to the meeting to appoint a Trustee other than a Trustee who is to retire by rotation.
the Trustees may appoint a person who is willing to act to be a Trustee.
a Trustee appointed by a resolution of the other Trustees must retire at the next annual general meeting and must not be taken into account in determining the Trustees who are to retire by rotation.
the Trustees may co-opt any individual who has appropriate specialist skills to support them in fulfilling the objectives of the charity.
The appointment of a Trustee, whether by the charity in general meeting or by the other Trustees, must not cause the number of Trustees to exceed any number fixed as the maximum number of Trustees.
The organisation recognises that recruitment of new Trustees by way of personal recommendation is flawed. When looking to recruit new Trustees, the organisation advertises externally and invites expressions of interest from individuals. Information packs are then dispatched to individuals along with an application form. Individuals who return a completed application are invited to an interview with the Chief Officer and an existing Trustee (usually the Chair). The organisation is keen to recruit individuals with specific areas of interest or expertise
Trustee Induction and Training
The organisation provides all new Trustees with an information pack containing details of the rights and responsibilities of Charity Trustees – this includes information published by the Charity Commission. All new Trustees are invited to attend an induction evening facilitated by an experienced Trustee. Training is ongoing and based around Trustee Meetings with an emphasis on using the individual expertise of Trustees in specific areas of work.
The charity provides a number of services, early intervention and homelessness prevention services, including a Triage Service, Specialist Housing Advice and Tenancy Relations Service, Housing Related Support Services, the talk²sort Mediation Service, a Single Access Point for 16- & 17-year-olds, a Rough Sleeper Outreach and Supported Lettings Programme and Homeless Offenders accommodation advice service.
The charity has a central office providing Customer Services including Welfare Provision (Food and Fuel assistance) and financial and administrative support for the overall operation of the charity. The Trustees are responsible for developing overall policy, aided by the Chief Officer.
Volunteers are welcomed in all our work and are given training and support to enable them to work alongside our paid staff.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance and strategic oversight of The Bridge (East Midlands). Responsibility for the day-to-day management and operation of the charity is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, supported by the Senior Management Team.
Trustees give their time voluntarily and do not receive any remuneration for carrying out their trustee duties. Details of trustees’ expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in the relevant notes to the accounts.
The charity operates a pay structure which is reviewed annually. The Board of Trustees approves the charity’s pay scales and any general annual pay award, taking into account affordability, the charity’s financial position, relevant market conditions and appropriate benchmarking information. Salaries are set to reflect the responsibilities, skills and experience required for each role and the need to recruit and retain suitably skilled staff.
The Chief Executive Officer’s salary is set and approved by the Board of Trustees. The CEO’s remuneration is reviewed annually, with the Board taking into account the size, scope and complexity of the role, performance, the charity’s financial position, market conditions and benchmarking information for comparable roles and organisations.
The charity seeks to ensure that its approach to remuneration is fair, reasonable and proportionate, balancing the need to attract and retain appropriately skilled and experienced staff with the responsible stewardship of charitable funds.
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that Rogers Spencer be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Bridge (East Midlands) for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Qualified opinion
We have audited the financial statements of The Bridge (East Midlands) (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2026 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, except for the possible effects of the matter described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion section of our report, the financial statements:
Basis for qualified opinion
We did not carry out the audit of the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. We were unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the opening balances and the comparative figures within these financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our qualified opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, is consistent with the financial statements; and
the directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In respect solely of the limitation on our work relating to the basis for qualified opinion described above:
we have not obtained all the information and explanations that we considered necessary for the purpose of our audit.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the trustees' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
The engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
We identified the laws and regulations applicable to the company through discussions with trustees and other management, and from our knowledge and experience of the charity sector;
We focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charity, including legislation and data protection, anti-bribery, employment, environmental and health and safety legislation;
We assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting relevant correspondence; and
Identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charity's financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
Making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
Considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations; and
Understanding the design of the charity's remuneration policies.
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
Performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
Tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
Assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and
Investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions,
In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed
procedures which included, but were not limited to:
Agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
Reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
Enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims; and
Reviewing correspondence with relevant regulators.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The Bridge (East Midlands) is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is John Storer House, Ward's End, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3HA.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity'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 charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the board of trustees for particular purposes.
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.
The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
Voluntary income is received by way of donations and grants and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Grants where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant. Legacies are recognised where there is an entitlement, certainty of receipt and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Incoming resources from grants, where related to performance and specific deliverables, are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance.
The value of services provided by volunteers has not been included in these accounts.
Investment income is included when receivable.
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes VAT, which cannot be recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates:
Cost of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of fundraising purposes.
Charitable activities expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries.
Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.
All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories in the Statement of Financial Activities on a basis to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly. The resources expended in the operation of the Charity's central services system and central office which cannot be directly allocated are apportioned between the expenditure categories on the basis of the estimated amount of staff time involved in each activity.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
All items of equipment that are not consumable in nature are capitalised.
Donated assets are brought in at their second hand value at the date of receipt.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.
Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to net income/(expenditure) for the year so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The remuneration of key management personnel was as follows:
The Chief Officer was considered to be a key employee along with the Head of Programmes & Services and the Finance Manager.
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
Finance lease obligations represent amounts payable by the charity for computer equipment.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
Deferred income comprises grants subject to terms or performance related conditions which must be met before there is unconditional entitlement to recognise the income. The balances carried forward at 31 March 2026 total £53,126 (2025: £138,341).
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.
Food & Fuel Poverty - LCC
Leicestershire County Council – funding for the provision of food and parcels and fuel payments to eligible claimants.
Head of Programmes & Services
Henry Smith Charity – funding specifically to cover the salary costs of the head of programmes and services.
Housing Support
Getting Help in Neighbourhoods grant – funding to boost help in local communities - promoting resilience, prevention and self help.
NWL Housing support fund - funding for outreach workers to assist rough sleepers.
Mediation
Children in Need - funding for 1x PT mediation worker
Dukes Foundation - funding for 1x mediation worker.
Masonic Charitable Foundation – funding towards 1 x mediator posts and a contribution towards non-staffing costs.
Outreach & Supported Lettings
NWL RSI – funding for 5 outreach and 3 supported lettings workers.
Starter Packs
Pukka Pies & Hobsons - funding for the provision of starter packs.
T2S Counselling
St James Place - funding for 1x youth counseller
Triage Hubs
TNL grant – funding from the National Lottery to fund our triage team and in particular the set up of triage hubs around the county so that our provision of help is more countywide.
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.
Prior to the financial year end 31 March 2026, the Board of Trustees agreed to proceed with the merger with Services for Empowerment and Advocacy (SEA). The merger has not yet officially taken place, however The Bridge (East Midlands) is now running SEA and assets totalling £23,222 was transferred in July 2026.
Trustee Jeanette Webb is also managing director of Jay Webb Consultancy Services Limited. During the year, Jay Webb Consultancy Limited supplied the BreatheHR software to the charity at cost price. Jeanette Webb resigned as a trustee on 10 September 2025.
Raising funds