Voscur Limited Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2013

Company no. 3918210

Charity no. 1148403

Voscur Limited

Report and Financial Statements

31 March 2013

Voscur Limited

Legal and administrative details

For the year ended 31 March 2013

Status

Company number 3918210

Charity number 1148403

Royal Oak House

and operational address Royal Oak Avenue

Bristol

BS1 4GB

Honorary officers Max Beseke Chair

Richard Pendlebury Chair

Steph Mustoe Treasurer

Paul Hazelden Vice-Chair/Interim Treasurer

Anna Smith Vice-Chair

Principal staff Wendy Stephenson Chief Executive/Company Secretary

Rebecca McDougall Resource Manager

Bankers Lloyds TSB Bank plc

282/4 Wells Road

Knowle

Bristol

BS4 2PY

Auditors Sayer Vincent

Chartered accountants and statutory auditors

8 Angel Gate

City Road

London

EC1V 2SJ

The organisation is a mutual company and a company limited by

guarantee, incorporated on 31 January 2000.

Registered office

1

Introduction

Aims and objectives

Voscur's purpose is to:

Voscur's strategic aims are therefore:

Ensuring our work delivers our aims

Voscur's board reviews its aims, objectives and activities on an ongoing basis, and at least

every year. These are set out in our business plan, a live document that guides both strategic

and day-to-day developments. We consider the relative achievements of all our activities, and

how they have had a positive impact on the individuals and groups it is our purpose to help.

This ensures our operational objectives and activities remain focused on our longer-term

strategic goals, and therefore our constituted objects. The board's reviewing of past activities

and planning future aims and strategies is underpinned by reference to the Charity

Commission’s guidance on public benefit. In particular, the trustees consider how planned

activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

Support: Help organisations to function more effectively and improve their services.

Liaison: Help organisations communicate and collaborate effectively together.

Representation: Represent the views of the VCS to public bodies and policymakers to

help improve the environment in which we all work.

Strategic partnerships: Foster effective working between the public and voluntary sector to

inform and influence local planning and policymaking.

Equality: Increase the participation of all equalities groups in civil society.

Sustainability: We will be entrepreneurial and responsive to ensure Voscur’s own

sustainability.

benefit the public by supporting and developing a thriving, effective and influential

voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Bristol - in particular by building the

capacity of voluntary groups to pursue or contribute to any charitable purpose, and

promote, organise and facilitate co-operation and partnership working between third

sector, statutory and other relevant bodies to achieve a thriving voluntary sector.

Development: Find out what local communities need and help organisations to meet

those needs.

Voscur Limited

Report of the board of directors


Voscur Ltd (Voscur) is a Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) in Bristol; a member-led,

generalist infrastructure organisation. Voscur works with voluntary and community sector

(VCS) organisations and the private and statutory sectors to ensure VCS representation at a

range of strategic partnerships and decision-making bodies. Voscur offers a range of services

to its members, associate members and the wider VCS including the provision of information,

advice, training and networking opportunities.

The board of Trustees presents its report and the audited financial statements for the year

ended 31 March 2013.

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Our services are primarily provided to individuals and community groups based or working in

the city of Bristol. A majority are provided free to our members (c. 550 organisations) and client

groups (c. 1,500 - 2,500 organisations) in the city.

Of constant concern to our trustees is that we are providing support where it is needed most.

However, measuring need is subjective to some extent, and certainly complex. Our Support

Hub services are therefore specifically focused on groups that are, amongst other things, new,

small, addressing key needs in disadvantaged areas and are led by or serve Equalities

communities. Any such criteria or framework are inevitably imperfect, and must change over

time, but this is a practical way of ensuring our limited resources create the most possible

impact.

Voscur makes a small charge for a relatively small proportion of its services. These include, for

example, some training courses, specialist development (consultancy) projects and supporting

specific collaboration initiatives. These services are paid for on a case-by-case basis for two

reasons. First, because an increasing proportion of the work we do is not covered or

subsidised by our infrastructure contract with the Bristol City Council. Second, because there is

a free market for such services in which for-profit companies compete, so if Voscur must

compete against them on quality, it is fair that we should be able to also compete with them on

price - especially as any surplus generated is used to further contribute to our charitable aims

and hence create additional public benefit.

Our main activities and the individuals and groups we help are described below. All our

charitable activities focus on increasing the impact of local voluntary and community

organisations in achieving their own charitable purposes more effectively, and we undertake

these activities to further our own charitable objects for the public benefit.

Who uses and benefits from our services?

Promoting and facilitating participation in local democracy and decision-making, especially

among communities and target groups that are typically underrepresented.

Supporting collaboration within the VCS, and between sectors. For example, Voscur

actively identifies opportunities to work with other organisations to increase our collective

impact and make best use of limited resources, and we support collaboration between

local groups to ensure smaller organisations have equal access to development

opportunities.

How our activities deliver public benefit

Our specific operational objectives this year have continued to be the strengthening and

expansion of support and development services. To achieve these objectives, our strategies

have included:

Consolidating our Support Hub service to give customers more coherent and

comprehensive capacity building.

Improving our external communications and information services so the organisations we

support are better informed and more effective in their work.

Maintaining the promotion of equality and diversity through a range of projects to develop

the capacity of specific equalities groups, especially as equality related issues and funding

opportunities appear to have dropped down the public agenda.

Our focus in 2012-13

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1)

2)

3)

4)

5) Bristol VCS groups contribute effectively to meeting the changing needs of the city.

Service delivery

Voscur’s main area of activity since February 2011 has been the delivery of the Infrastructure

Support Services Contract on behalf of Bristol City Council. The contract outcomes are:

The Bristol VCS has increased capacity, sustainability and quality.

The Bristol VCS is well-informed and well-connected.

Bristol VCS groups have a strong and influential voice.

The Bristol VCS has strategic involvement.

Governance

The governance of the organisation is the responsibility of the board of trustees of the charity

who are also the directors of Voscur Ltd. The board comprises at least three and not more than

fifteen individuals. Thirteen trustees must be nominated by and be active in member

organisations. Up to two additional trustees can be co-opted by the board to bring specialist

skills or experience to the organisation's governance. The trustees appoint a chair, two vice

chairs and a treasurer. The board meets every six weeks, and delegates the day-to-day

management of the organisation to the chief executive who is a paid member of staff.

Activities for generating funds

Membership

As at 31 March 2013, Voscur’s membership comprised 561 full members including 98

associate members and 3 honorary members. Membership fees are charged in relation to

member groups’ income and membership status; groups with an income of less than £10,000

per annum are not charged membership fees. Support Hub customers are given an

introductory offer of 1 year’s free membership.

Charitable activities

Whilst most of the direct benefits are clearly gained by specific groups, the impact of our work

extends far beyond such obvious outputs to wider but significant outcomes for voluntary

organisations, public bodies and individual citizens. These wider benefits are harder to quantify.

Voluntary and community groups that we help to collaborate on projects and share

experiences, for example, could simply benefit from helpful advice but sometimes discover

radical new opportunities or ways of working. Public bodies may benefit from new potential

providers being able to bid for contracts but may also gain creative new approaches to long-

standing social problems. One individual might learn how to vote but another will gain the

confidence to lead a whole organisation, or community group.

The precise range of our activities changes each year, but all flow clearly from our aims and

objects, and the achievements of each are outlined below.

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Organisational development support

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

Typical Support Hub customers have an income of less than £50,000 per year, are new and

emerging groups meeting an identified need in the community, providing services in Bristol’s

most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, led by and/or providing services to equalities

communities, interested in bidding for public service contracts or are in crisis.

The Support Hub service is delivered by a team of staff skilled in training, fundraising,

governance, commissioning, equalities, the Compact and organisational development. In

addition, the service is extended by our contracted partner agencies: Social Enterprise Works

(providing business planning and social enterprise advice); Ethical Property Foundation

(providing property advice); Avon and Bristol Law Centre (providing advice on legal structures

and constitutions); and Volunteer Bristol (providing advice on volunteer management and

placement of volunteers).

(1*) Performance Domains as described in the VCS Support Service contract; we use the term ‘area of development’

in our communications with VCS groups.

Service provision

Managing your organisation (strategic planning)

Managing people

Developing skills

Physical resources and environmental impact

Influencing

In order to achieve these outcomes Voscur has established the Support Hub and the Voice and

Influence Service. Both are underpinned by Voscur’s information services and enhanced by our

partnership work with other VCS, public and private sector organisations.

Following the first year of the delivery of the Infrastructure Support Services Contract on behalf

of Bristol City Council, we have analysed groups’ needs, reviewed our service offer and

restructured, in order to better meet the needs of service users and the demands of the

contract. We have employed additional staff within the Support Hub, and allocated more

resources to the management and development of Equalities initiatives.

Support Hub activity

Voscur’s Support Hub service provides organisational development support, information and

training for Bristol’s Voluntary and Community Sector groups and organisations. Support is

provided under the following headings.(1*)

Funding and financial stability

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Open training programme, Kick-start and Locality training

The number of YouTube views of our videos between April 2012 - March 2013 reached 2520.

The top viewed videos were on a CYP Network meeting presentation on Safeguarding, a

presentation on the Bristol e-procurement system, and videos on the PCC and Mayoral

election.

Information services

All of our activities are underpinned by our information services: websites, a quarterly

magazine, weekly e-bulletins, and social media.

86,318 unique visitors accessed the Voscur website between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013,

which received an impressive 1,522,150 page-views.

Our quarterly magazine, Thrive!, was sent to 560 VCS organisations in 2012/13; of these 204

(36%) were groups with an income of under £10,000, 70 Bristol City Councillors, all public

libraries, a number of public sector partners, regional and national VCS umbrella bodies, and a

number of external stakeholders.

Subscriptions to our weekly VCS e-bulletin in 2012/13 have risen to 2114 (an increase of 22%

from 2011/12). From April 2012 - March 2013 the e-bulletin had 16,100 tracked opens and

55,860 click-throughs.

During 2012/13 the number of Twitter followers has reached 1199 compared with 493 in 2012

(an increase of 143%).

This year the Support Hub provided intensive capacity building to 58 groups; 32 of these were

BME led and 14 provided services to Children and Young People. Additionally, the Support

Hub reported 579 instances of achievement of significant improvement by individual VCS

groups within a single performance domain (listed above).

The Support Hub service is delivered by a team of staff skilled in training, fundraising,

governance, commissioning, equalities, the Compact and organisational development. In

addition, the service is extended by our contracted partner agencies: Social Enterprise Works

(providing business planning and social enterprise advice); Ethical Property Foundation

(providing property advice); Avon and Bristol Law Centre (providing advice on legal structures

and constitutions); and Volunteer Bristol (providing advice on volunteer management and

placement of volunteers).

We offered 1392 learning opportunities at 38 training/learning events; 995 places were taken

up; of the 899 participants who completed evaluation forms 739 reported increased skills or

capacity.

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Disabled people led 45

Deaf Transitional Work

Voscur responded to a request to support Deaf people in Bristol by working with Deaf people to

explore and identify the needs, aspirations and outcomes that need to be addressed in order to

help Bristol City Council work out what it should commission in the future for Deaf people and

those with a significant hearing impairment. The project also provided short-term focused

support to the Deaf Community through a time of change. This was an ambitious and

challenging project that we achieved through linking it to our Voice and Influence team, and

Equalities and Support Hub trainers. As at March 2013, the final report from the project is in

draft; however this work has already led to two expressions of interest for follow up projects.

Voice & Influence activities

The past year has seen significant change in decision-making structures in the city. The

referendum and subsequent election of the city’s first Directly Elected Mayor and Police and

Crime Commissioner, the creation of the new Health and Wellbeing Board and Clinical

Commissioning Group and the ongoing commissioning processes have each led to challenges

for voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations. Throughout these changes the

Voscur’s Voice and Influence Service has supported and facilitated VCS organisations to

ensure that their voices and views are heard and that they have been strategically involved in

influencing the new decision makers and decision making structures.

BME Community Connector

Following the closure of the local B.M.E. led infrastructure organisation in 2011, in partnership

with Bristol City Council and the Legacy Commission Voscur set up a steering group

comprising local BME led VCS organisations, individuals and statutory sector partners. The

group commissioned independent research into the needs of Black and Minority Ethnic

communities in Bristol. Recommendations from the report have been taken forward into an

action plan that will be delivered by a Community Connector employed by Voscur and hosted

by a local BME led organisation. The Community Connector is now in post and will be based at

Ujima Radio.

Additionally, from time to time we undertake targeted work with specific communities.

Equalities activities

A significant number of Equalities-led organisations are Voscur members; these organisations

are prioritised in Support Hub delivery, as are groups working in deprived neighbourhoods.

As at 31 March 2013, Voscur membership groups self-identified as:

BME led 83

Women led 43

LGB led 12 Older people led 28

Faith led 30

Transgender led 2Children and Young People led 45

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The introduction of directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC's) were included as

part of the coalition government’s agreement in 2010. The introduction of these important new

decision making roles provided an opportunity for VCS organisations to engage with

candidates and the PCC election process. Voscur was awarded a small grant from the Home

Office to lead the development of a Safer Future Communities Network for Avon and Somerset

to inform VCS organisations and groups about the introduction of PCC's and help engage them

with the PCC candidates.

Mayoral elections

Voscur worked with partners (including neighbourhood VCS organisations, community radio

stations, and Further and Higher Education institutions) to hold four 'Question Time' events with

the Mayoral candidates. Each event was held in an area of the city where voter turnout in the

mayoral referendum had been low. More than 1,000 people attended the events which were

promoted by working closely with local voluntary and community organisations, through the

distribution of postcards and posters.

(2*) http://www.voscur.org/reports

the VCS has influenced the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and the Health

and Wellbeing Strategy, with particular targeted effort to ensure the views of equalities

groups and those working with CYP groups and in the area of H&SC have been engaged;

the Troubled Families (TF) programme has been informed by VCS involvement through a

VCS stakeholder reference group and VCS representatives on the TF steering group;

the VCS has engaged with and influenced the newly elected Mayor of Bristol and Police

and Crime Commissioner, influencing their priorities and the role they see for the VCS.

Assembly

Our annual survey shows that there is high awareness of respondents about the work of the

Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Assembly, with high awareness of Assembly and

Network meeting (averaging 80%), Special information and consultation meetings/events

(85%), Website and e-information (92%), with slightly lower awareness of the work of VCS

Advocates (63%), V&I reports and publications (60%), and the work of the Bristol Compact

officer (52%).

Police Crime Commissioner

Our Voice and influence work is reported on comprehensively in our Influence Achieved (2*)

report - this demonstrates how the Voice and Influence team has supported the VCS to have

strategic influence during 2012/13. Examples in the report include how:

the VCS has influenced the roll-out of self directed care (personalised budgets) through a

VCS working group;

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(3*) http://www.voiceandinfluence.org.uk/restorativebristolconference

Neighbourhoods and Communities Network

This network brings together groups working at a local community level in Bristol and

particularly engages groups who are active in their local neighbourhood partnership. During this

year, network members raised a number of issues and concerns about the role and function of

Neighbourhood Partnerships. The Voice and Influence service convened a working group of

groups and residents involved with Neighbourhood Partnerships to look at how they could be

improved. The working group produced a report with 29 recommendations that was presented

to Bristol Councillors, and to candidates for the Mayor and PCC election. In response to the

working group’s report, Bristol City Council officers agreed to action many of the report’s

recommendations. Following the election the new Mayor initiated a wide review of

Neighbourhood Partnerships.

Health & Social Care Network

Building on the work of our recently established health and social care network, Voscur led the

successful Bristol bid to be one of 12 'Building Health Partnership' (BHP) pilot areas. Building

Health Partnerships is a learning programme designed to improve collaboration between

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) and local voluntary and community organisations and

social enterprise sector. This network has supported the VCS in influencing the roll-out of self

directed care (personalised budgets) through a VCS working group; and the Joint Strategic

Needs Assessment (JSNA) and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with particular targeted

effort to ensure the views of Equalities groups have been heard.

Children & Young People’s Organisations Network

The introduction of the government’s payment by results (PbR) Troubled Families Programme,

raised many questions from VCS organisations working with families being targeted by the

programme. The network has helped to clarify and allay many of the VCS concerns. The

network has also supported groups in responding to the Bristol Youth Links Commissioning

process. This process highlighted the fact that many groups needed support with safeguarding

issues. The CYP Network co-ordinator compiled a checklist/safeguarding tool for VCS groups

to use, which was cross-checked with Bristol City Council Safeguarding Policy and Projects

Officer, BAND and PEYTU. In addition to developing the safeguarding tool, a training course

has been organised for VCS groups on writing a safeguarding policy. Working with the

Avonsafe partnership which focuses on child safety, particularly accident prevention, a training

session on preventing child injury was organised.

Restorative Justice

The Voice and Influence service worked with Avon and Somerset Probation Trust and Safer

Bristol to secure additional funding (from the Home Office ‘Innovative Partnerships Fund’) to

deliver the Restorative Bristol Conference in December 2012 (3*). The conference involved

100 delegates from VCS, public and private sector organisations. The event was attended by

the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Mayor of Bristol, both of whom gave their support

to making Bristol a ‘Restorative City’.

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*partnership development, financial risk, T.U.P.E., communication about commissioning intentions and

commissioning cycles, unrealistic timescales, breaking down contracts into smaller lots, allowing room for innovation,

and lack of awareness by commissioners of the challenges faced by smaller organisations.

Volunteer Bristol

Following the joint work on our BASIS 2 project that came to an end in March 2012, Volunteer

Bristol commissioned Voscur to develop a plan that would ensure the sustainability of the

training programme that had been developed as part of the BASIS 2 project.

University of Bristol

Proving Our Value, Voscur's three-year knowledge partnership with the University of Bristol and

South West Forum, has continued to develop towards the production of an impact

measurement tool this year. Throughout 2012 a total of 54 members participated in the

research phase of the work. This has gathered data about the extent to which groups improved

(or reduced) their organisational performance and impact for beneficiaries. Once this phase is

complete, the changes in performance and impact will be correlated with the level of support

organisations received from Voscur. This will indicate how far Voscur's input contributed

towards increasing members' impact, and put an economic value on this contribution. The final

phase of the project, in 2013, will focus on turning the research methodology into a practical

tool that can be used by other infrastructure organisations.

Community Learning Network

Voscur supported VCS organisations to engage with the West of England bid to become a

Community Learning Trust and partnered with Bristol City Council’s Community Learning Team

to develop a project to support VCS involvement in the new Community Learning Trust.

Partnerships

Compact Liaison

Voscur continues to host the Compact Liaison Officer. This work is overseen by the Compact

Partners Group, (a cross-sector board comprising statutory and VCS representatives).

Commissioning and contracting* remains a concern for Bristol VCS organisations and much of

the Compact Liaison Officer’s work has been advocating for and supporting VCS groups within

generic commissioning activity and specific commissioning processes. This has included

meeting with Councillors and officers, planning, organising and participating in joint events for

VCS organisations and commissioners, providing one-to-one support for organisations and

maintaining an up-to-date, informative website.

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It is important that we recognise the pro bono support that has been offered during the past

year. Voscur has established excellent relationships across all sectors and greatly values the

partnership working that enhances and adds considerable value to our work with VCS

organisations in Bristol.

Our Focus in 2013-14

Future funding strategy

Voscur has retained the post of Business Development Officer who has continued to work with

the Chief Executive to develop income generation activities, and respond to funding and

investment opportunities. In February 2013 Bristol City Council commissioners committed to a

2 year extension of the Infrastructure Support Services Contract (to March 2016) subject to

successful renegotiation of Key Performance Indicators. Voscur has developed relationships

with key new structures and is conscious of the importance of developing and fostering

relationships with potential partners from all sectors. The Local Enterprise Partnership and the

potential for working in partnership with organisations across the West of England provide new

opportunities for Voscur and its members.

Governance and management

We have strengthened and improved Voscur’s governance, offered Media and Equality and

Diversity training to board and staff members, held a joint board and staff development day,

and established a sustainability sub-group comprising board and staff members. We have

submitted a file of evidence to NAVCA (our umbrella and accrediting body) who have audited

our work before renewing our NAVCA Quality Mark, which we first achieved in 2008.

Charity registration

Following a period of consultation, legal advice and an extraordinary general meeting, Voscur

registered as a charity in August 2012. Voscur has operated for some time as if it were a

charity, so registration will not make a significant difference to its operations. However, funders

will be reassured in that there is an additional level of reporting and higher standard of

governance required for registered charities. Charitable status offers Voscur additional

fundraising opportunities.

Voscur and Volunteer Bristol

Almost two years after discussions first began about the possibility of joining forces to form a

stronger and more responsive support organisation, (and having followed a number of due

diligence processes), Volunteer Bristol and Voscur held Extraordinary General Meetings in July

2013 and sought the support of their members to merge into one organisation. This work has

been facilitated by a grant from the Esmee Fairburn Trust’s merger fund. With the approval of

their respective memberships, the organisations aim to merge in October 2013.

Activities and review of the year

Pro bono supporters

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Reserves policy

Max Beseke Chair until 26 September 2012

Richard Pendlebury Chair from 26 September 2012

Steph Mustoe Treasurer from 05 September 2012

Paul Hazelden ) interim Treasurer until 05 September 2012

Paul Hazelden ) Vice-Chair

Anna Smith Vice-Chair

Joanna Holmes

Frances Fox

Abdullahi Farah

Poku Osei from 26 September 2012

Philip Parry

Hen Wilkinson until 27 February 2013

Mike Zeidler from 26 September 2012

Statement of the board of Trustees’ responsibilities

Voscur has a reserves policy of £115,000 based on core operating costs. The resources sub-

committee, in accordance with guidance from Voscur’s auditors, reviews the level of reserves

annually. This was reviewed by the resources committee in May 2013. Voscur has transferred

£5,000 to its contingency reserve to increase its reserve figure to £96,000 and will continue to

build its reserves to reflect its reserves policy figure. Voscur also seeks to maintain sufficient

unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets to cover funding shortfalls

or interruption to normal operating activities.

Members of the company guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the assets of

the company in the event of a winding up. The total number of members with such guarantees

at 31 March 2013 were 495 (2012 - 485) with 78 new joiners, 179 free members and 68

leavers (including non-paid) during the year. Members of the board of Trustees and staff

have signed declarations of interest in the organisation and a register of any interests is kept.

Members of the board of Trustees, who are Directors for the purpose of company law, who

served during the year and since the year-end were as follows:

Members of the board of Trustees and their interests

The board of Trustees who are also directors for the purpose of company law, are responsible

for preparing the Trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable

Company law requires the board of Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial

year. Under that law the board of Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in

accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom

Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the board of Trustees must not

approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of

the state of affairs of the company and the profit or loss of the company for that period.

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In preparing these financial statements, the board of Trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

Auditors

Approved by the board of Trustees on 4 September 2013 and signed on its behalf by

Richard Pendlebury - Chair

prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to

presume that the company will continue in operation.

The board of Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are

sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable

accuracy at any time the financial position of the company 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 company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the

prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Each of the board of Trustees confirms that to the best of his/her knowledge there is no

information relevant to the audit of which the auditors are unaware. Each of the board of

Trustees also confirms that he/she has taken all necessary steps to ensure that he/she is

aware of all relevant audit information and that this information has been communicated to the

The board of Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and

financial information included on the company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom

governing the preparation and dissemination of the financial statements may differ from

legislation in other jurisdictions.

Sayer Vincent were re-appointed as the company's auditors during the year and have

expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any

material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

The board of Trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable

to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

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Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Voscur Limited

•

•

•

As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities set out in the trustees’ report,

the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law)

are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a

true and fair view.

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2013 and

of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for

the year then ended;

Opinion on financial statements

In our opinion the financial statements:

have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted

have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

We have audited the financial statements of Voscur Limited for the year ended 31 March 2013 which

comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, balance sheet and the related notes. The financial

reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom

Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

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

auditors' 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.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and auditors

Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with

applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us

to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statements

An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements

sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material

misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the

accounting policies are appropriate to the charitable company’s circumstances and have been

consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates

made by the trustees; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all

the financial and non-financial information in the trustees’ report to identify material inconsistencies

with the audited financial statements. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or

inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

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Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Voscur Limited

•

•

•

•

•

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small

companies regime and take advantage of the small companies exemption in preparing the

trustees’ report

we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

Sayer Vincent, 8 Angel Gate, City Road, LONDON EC1V 2SJ

In our opinion the information given in the report of the board of directors for the financial year for

which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where 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

Catherine L Sayer (Senior statutory auditor)

1 October 2013

for and on behalf of Sayer Vincent, Statutory Auditors

15

Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

2013 2012

Restricted Unrestricted Total Total

Note £ £ £ £

Incoming resources

Voluntary income - 200 200 494

Activities for generating funds 2 729 35,885 36,614 34,102

Investment income - 75 75 78

3 - 247,382 247,382 244,236

4 - 81,088 81,088 87,088

5 36,427 16,124 52,551 19,657

6 7,990 142,818 150,808 142,839

7 41,333 - 41,333 40,494

Total incoming resources 86,479 523,572 610,051 568,988

Resources expended 8

Costs of generating funds:

Costs of generating voluntary income - 27,207 27,207 16,257

Charitable activities

- 252,174 252,174 231,590

- 86,458 86,458 85,032

30,090 13,932 44,022 21,403

10,573 147,600 158,173 138,978

44,175 - 44,175 41,695

Governance costs 299 5,737 6,036 6,070

Total resources expended 85,137 533,108 618,245 541,026

9 1,342 (9,536) (8,194) 27,962

8,937 (8,937) - -

10,279 (18,473) (8,194) 27,962

Funds at the start of the year 1,025 141,489 142,514 114,552

Funds at the end of the year 14 11,304 123,016 134,320 142,514


Incoming resources from charitable

activities




All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or

losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in note 15 to the financial

statements.

Transfers

Net movement in funds


Partnerships


(Deficit)/Surplus for the year before tax

and transfers

Partnerships


Voscur Limited


Incoming resources from generated funds


16

2013 2012

Note £ £ £

Current assets

Debtors 11 57,014 49,695

Cash at bank and in hand 135,259 131,071

192,273 180,766

Creditors: amounts due within 1 year 12 57,953 38,252

Net current assets 134,320 142,514

Net assets 134,320 142,514

Funds 14

Restricted funds 11,304 1,025

Unrestricted funds

Designated funds 99,878 102,987

General funds 23,138 38,502

134,320 142,514

Approved by the board of directors on 4 September 2013 and signed on its behalf by

Richard Pendlebury - Chair

Voscur Limited

Balance sheet

31 March 2013

Total funds

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies

subject to the small companies' regime.

Company No. 3918210

17

Notes to the financial statements

1. Accounting policies

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

i)

j)

k)

l)

Voscur Limited


The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in

accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Companies Act 2006. They follow the

recommendations in the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by

Charities (SORP 2005).

The charitable company is dependent on receiving future funding from key providers. At the

current time, the management team and the directors are in negotiations with key funders. The

directors are confident these negotiations will be successful and accordingly have prepared the

financial statements on the going concern basis.

The accounting policies have been applied consistently.

All income is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable and

measurable with accuracy. Income is deferred if it has been received but relates to a specific

future period or is dependent upon conditions to be fulfilled by the organisation.

Income from other activities such as membership or training are included in the Statement of

Financial Activities once the related goods or services have been delivered.

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the company's objects at the discretion of the

board of management.

Contractual income and performance related grant income are included in the Statement of

Financial Activities when the related goods or services have been delivered.

Resources expended are recognised in the year in which they are incurred. Resources

expended include attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.

The organisation from time to time may need to transfer funds between funders. These

transfers are usually made between funds that finance the project or where restricted funds are

in a deficit and funds are transferred from unrestricted funds.

Grants, including grants for the purchase of fixed assets, are recognised in full in the Statement

of Financial Activities in the year in which they are receivable. Grants receivable are only

recognised when any conditions for receipt have been complied with.

Designated funds are funds set aside by the board of management out of unrestricted general

funds for specific future purposes or projects.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the

company. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular

restricted purposes. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.

Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred and are allocated to

the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. However, the cost of overall

direction and administration of each activity, comprising the salary and overhead costs of the

central function, is apportioned on the basis of staff time spent on each activity. Resources

expended include attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.

18


Voscur Limited


1. Accounting policies (continued)

m)

n)

2. Activities for generating funds 2013 2012

Restricted Total Total

£ £ £ £

729 - 729 5,224

- 7,150 7,150 5,604

- 13,453 13,453 12,201

- 14,638 14,638 11,073

- 644 644 -

729 35,885 36,614 34,102

3. Support Hub activity 2013 2012


£ £ £ £

- 220,462 220,462 220,462

- 20,400 20,400 16,054

- 6,520 6,520 -

Facilitation & Support - - - 7,720

- 247,382 247,382 244,236

4. Information services 2013 2012


£ £ £ £

- 81,088 81,088 81,088

- - - 1,000

- - - 5,000

- 81,088 81,088 87,088

Unrestricted

Bristol City Council - ISSP

Training income

ChYP Business Support

Newsletter/website income

Voluntary Value - SWF

Connecting Bristol

Reimbursement of costs

Unrestricted

Membership income

The organisation offers a defined contribution scheme offering 7% of gross pay towards either

Voscur's group personal pension plan or employees' personal pension plans. The cost of

providing pension and related benefits is charged to the income and expenditure account within

staff costs.

Under FRS 1, the company is exempt from the requirement to prepare a cash flow statement on

the grounds of its size.

Unrestricted


Facilitation/training income

BNHC consortium

19


Voscur Limited


5. Equalities activities 2013 2012


£ £ £ £

- 13,657 13,657 13,657

12,292 - 12,292 -

24,135 - 24,135 -

- 2,467 2,467 -

- - - 6,000

36,427 16,124 52,551 19,657

6. Voice & Influence activities 2013 2012


£ £ £ £

- 138,589 138,589 138,589

4,910 - 4,910 -

3,080 - 3,080 3,000

- 1,000 1,000 -

Quartet - 1,729 1,729 -

- 1,500 1,500 1,250

7,990 142,818 150,808 142,839

7. Partnerships 2013 2012


£ £ £ £

5,312 - 5,312 17,367

10,221 - 10,221 -

7,800 - 7,800 4,547

18,000 - 18,000 18,000

Facilitation - - - 580

41,333 - 41,333 40,494

Avon & Somerset Police -

Restorative Justice

University of Bristol - Proving our

Value

Unrestricted

BCC/Neighbourhoods - BME

BCC/H&SC - Centre for Deaf

Facilitation/Training income

Unrestricted


BCC/Neighbourhoods - BME

Community Learning Service

navca - Police Crime

Bristol Compact

CLinks


Unrestricted

Lottery - BASIS II - Volunteer

Esmee Fairbairn

20


8. Total resources expended

Cost of

generating

funds

Support

Hub

activities

Information

services

Equalities

activities

Voice &

Influence

activites Partnerships

Governance

Costs 2013 Total

2012

Total

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Staff costs (Note 10) 13,084 168,996 65,651 33,753 126,876 33,084 - 441,444 397,007

Research & developments 430 688 299 221 426 358 - 2,422 19,578

Training programme 2,604 18,111 119 180 141 64 - 21,219 12,402

Recruitment fees - - - 568 - - - 568 1,133

Travel 1,309 950 265 728 985 331 164 4,732 3,216

Training & Conference 1,079 649 494 34 251 283 340 3,130 -

Attendance fee - - - - - - - - (6,000)

Meeting costs 2,890 2,874 601 502 10,718 276 - 17,861 7,326

Bursaries - 2,300 - - - - - 2,300 2,160

Library resources 16 494 - - - - - 510 488

Subscriptions/memberships 277 326 182 23 254 243 - 1,305 2,021

Advisors support - 4,910 592 107 1,038 - - 6,647 1,750

Rent 1,669 10,525 3,768 4,895 6,673 1,414 - 28,944 27,079

Telephones 255 1,761 617 197 1,091 221 - 4,142 2,906

Office stationery 287 1,581 583 337 1,035 214 - 4,037 2,548

Photocopying 130 791 294 252 521 215 - 2,203 1,043

Postage/carriage 195 1,158 434 444 750 162 - 3,143 2,399

IT costs 706 4,435 1,684 468 2,752 986 - 11,031 9,180

Grants payable - 28,046 - - - - - 28,046 28,339

Professional fees 303 216 89 23 160 4,798 - 5,589 6,329

Newsletter and directory 636 502 9,750 310 2,669 244 - 14,111 6,221

Office equipment, hire & maintenance 540 1,231 439 848 778 553 - 4,389 2,669

Insurance & legal fees 693 1,367 508 116 897 697 - 4,278 3,881

Audit & accountancy - - - - - - 5,532 5,532 6,314

Bank charges 104 263 89 16 158 32 - 662 598

Miscellaneous - - - - - - - - 439

Total resources expended 27,207 252,174 86,458 44,022 158,173 44,175 6,036 618,245 541,026

Voscur Limited


21


9. (Deficit)/Surplus for the year

This is stated after charging / crediting:

2013 2012

£ £

Board of directors' remuneration - -

Board of directors' reimbursed expenses * 504 459

Operating lease rentals:

Property 28,944 27,079

Auditors' remuneration:

Audit 5,532 5,400

Taxation services 660 850

10.

2013 2012

Staff costs were as follows: £ £

Salaries and wages 376,110 315,617

Social security costs 27,883 28,825

Pension contributions 24,608 21,575

Non-salary staff costs 12,843 30,990

441,444 397,007

Total emoluments paid to staff were: 400,718 337,192

No member of staff earned remuneration over £60,000.

2013 2012

No. No.

Management 2.40 3.50

Projects 7.34 4.40

Administration 3.48 2.96

13.22 10.86

* 7 trustees received reimbursements for expenses

Voscur Limited


Staff costs and numbers

The average weekly number of employees (full-time equivalent) during the

year was as follows:

22


Voscur Limited


11. Debtors 2013 2012

£ £

Trade debtors 46,270 33,434

Prepayments and accrued income 10,744 16,261

57,014 49,695

12. Creditors: amounts due within one year 2013 2012

£ £

Trade creditors 13,197 2,939

Accruals 7,050 5,400

Advance income 11,875 -

Other taxation & social security 6,040 4,712

VAT 19,791 25,201

57,953 38,252

13. Operating lease commitments Property Property

2013 2012

£ £

Expiring within one year 19,101 -

1 - 2 Years - 21,376

19,101 21,376

14. Movements in funds

1 April

2012

Incoming

resources

Outgoing

resources Transfers

31 March

2013

£ £ £ £ £

Restricted funds:

- 24,135 (21,784) - 2,351

- 18,000 (26,109) 8,109 -

- 12,292 (8,308) - 3,984

- 10,221 (5,252) - 4,969

- 7,800 (7,800) - -

Volunteering Bristol BASIS II - 5,312 (5,312) - -

- 4,910 (4,910) - -

Infrastructure Support Service Project

2,100 3,080 (5,662) 482 -

Green Volunteering - BHNC (1,075) 729 - 346

Total restricted funds 1,025 86,479 (85,137) 8,937 11,304

Purposes of restricted funds

The transfer included in restricted funds has arisen due to more being spent than was received.

The company has annual commitments under operating leases as follows:

Funds are restricted by each project's funder, and the funds are used for the purposes described in the

directors' report.

Comminity Learning Service

Esmee Fairbairn

Compact Liaison:

Police Crime Commissioning - SCF/Navca

Community Learning Network

Proving Our Value - University of Bristol

Bristol City Council

BME Community Connector

Centre for Deaf Transitional Work



23


Voscur Limited


14. Movements in funds (continued)

1 April

2012

Incoming

resources

Outgoing

resources Transfers

31 March

2013

£ £ £ £ £

Unrestricted funds:

- Bristol City Council - 453,796 (482,894) 29,098 -

- Support Hub Plus

- 6,520 (6,520) - -

- Quartet Community Foundation - 1,729 (1,729) - -

- Clinks - Innovation Partnerships - 1,500 (1,500) - -

- 1,000 (1,000) - -

Bristol PCT 11,987 - - (8,109) 3,878

Contingency reserve 91,000 - - 5,000 96,000

Total designated funds 102,987 464,545 (493,643) 25,989 99,878

General funds 38,502 59,027 (39,465) (34,926) 23,138

Total unrestricted funds 141,489 523,572 (533,108) (8,937) 123,016

Total funds 142,514 610,051 (618,245) - 134,320

Voscur has transferred £5,000 to its contingency reserve to increase that reserve to £96k.

Voscur has transferred (£8,109) to support its work under Partnerships for Compact Liaison

Voscur has transferred £29,098 from its general funds to support the work of the Bristol City Council's

Infrastructure Support Service Project (ISSP)

Compact Liaison:

Designated funds:

- Avon & Somerset Police Restorative

- ChYP Business Support



24

Documents

Voscur Limited Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2013