Charity Case Study: Supporting WADARS Through Financial Transformation

“TC Group provides much more than audit support. From trusted advice and governance guidance to payroll and helping us migrate to Xero, they’ve become an extension of our team. It’s reassuring to know that whenever we need expertise, there’s somebody there who can help.”

Steve Lane, Interim Chief Executive, Wadars Animal Rescue

Wadars (Worthing & District Animal Rescue Service) is a long-established animal welfare charity dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing animals across Sussex.

Interim Chief Executive Steve Lane joined the organisation in December, to provide stability while the charity prepared to recruit a permanent successor. However, after reviewing the charity’s operations, a much larger opportunity emerged.

“I came in to guide the charity through a difficult period, but very quickly my brief changed. We began looking seriously at how Wadars could become more sustainable for the future.”

 

STRENGTHENING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE CHARITY

Like many charities in the sector, Wadars had become heavily reliant on unpredictable legacy income. Guided by Steve, the Board made the decision to relocate to a more suitable location. The move would create opportunities for growth while helping secure the charity’s long-term future. Far from just being a relocation, the new site would enable Wadars to modernise operational systems, build fundraising capability, and develop plans for future growth. As Steve explains:

“My goal is to see the charity into the new site, secure planning permission, rebuild, get the operation fully functioning again and put Wadars back onto a sustainable financial footing.”

 

TRUSTED ADVICE FOR CHARITY TRUSTEES AND GOVERNANCE

TC Group’s relationship with Wadars spans almost two decades, providing the charity with specialist support and advice through periods of growth and change.

Having worked with TC Group across several charities during his career, Steve already knew the value of having trusted advisors who understood the unique challenges facing not-for-profit organisations. Steve regularly relies on TC Group as a trusted sounding board, around governance, structure, financial planning and the future direction of the charity.

As the Charity and Education Partner at TC Group in Sussex, Mark Cummins added:  “Whilst our core service to Wadars has always been audit or independent examination, this provides the backbone for providing so much more. Once we delve beyond the compliance it provides a foundation for so many other areas where we have helped Wadars. We are very much a sounding board to them, which suits the way we work and the types of relationships we have with clients.”

 

DIGITISING FINANCE WITH LIVE ACCOUNTING

One of the first operational improvements identified was the charity’s finance system. Working with TC Group’s digital accounting specialists, the charity migrated to Xero significantly earlier than originally planned.
TC Group Sussex managed the implementation, migrated the data and provided training to staff to ensure a smooth transition. The result is a more efficient finance function that gave staff quicker access to information and improved financial visibility across the organisation.

Having the visibility of the financials was a key part of the exercise, giving Wadars the clarity to support confident decisions to strengthen the financial sustainability of the charity.

 

END-TO-END SUPPORT FOR THE THIRD SECTOR

Beyond audit and accounting support, TC Group continues to provide:
• Payroll services
• Xero expertise and ongoing guidance for Live Accounting
• Governance advice
• Access to specialist charity-sector knowledge

For Steve, this wider support network has been particularly valuable given the lean internal finance structure within the charity. He said: “It’s just wonderful knowing that if I’ve got an issue, I can just ring TC Group and somebody will be able to deal with it very swiftly.”

 

LOOKING AHEAD

With continued support from TC Group, Wadars is laying the foundations for its next chapter. As Steve explains:

“We’ll be on the right trajectory. We’ll be moving in the right direction. The challenge isn’t the animals, the challenge is the funding. That’s why getting the right support around the charity is so important.”

 

For more information, contact us today.

CHARITY AUDIT SERVICES

 

FAQS

How can charities become more financially sustainable?
Many charities rely heavily on unpredictable legacy income. Building financial sustainability often means diversifying income streams, modernising operational systems, and planning for growth, as Wadars did with support from TC Group.

What support do charity trustees need for financial governance?
Trustees benefit from a trusted advisor who understands governance, financial planning and the wider regulatory environment charities operate in. TC Group works as a sounding board for trustees and senior charity leaders on exactly these areas.

Why do charities migrate to Xero?
Moving to cloud accounting software like Xero gives charity finance teams quicker access to information and better financial visibility across the organisation, which is especially valuable where internal finance teams are lean.

What services does TC Group offer to charities?
TC Group supports charities with statutory audit, payroll, Xero and cloud accounting, governance advice, and access to specialist charity-sector knowledge, offering end-to-end support beyond compliance.