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2022-03-31-accounts

Company registration number: 02844870 Charity registration number: 1026229

Exeter Community Initiatives

(A company limited by guarantee)

Annual Report For the Year Ended 31 March 2022

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Mission and Values ............................................................................................................. 3 Our year in summary .......................................................................................................... 4 Individual work ................................................................................................................ 4 Group work ...................................................................................................................... 4 Volunteers ........................................................................................................................ 5 Positive impact ................................................................................................................ 5 Finance ............................................................................................................................ 8 Chair’s Introduction ............................................................................................................ 9 Objectives and Activities ................................................................................................. 10 Charitable Objects and Strategy ................................................................................ 10 How Our Activities Deliver Public Benefit .................................................................... 10 Achievements and Performance .................................................................................... 11 2021/22 Progress ............................................................................................................... 11 Progress against strategic aims.................................................................................... 11 Progress against project plans ..................................................................................... 12 Bike Bank .................................................................................................................... 12 Community Builders .................................................................................................. 12 Devon Family Resource ............................................................................................ 13 Exeter Connect ......................................................................................................... 13 Jelly ............................................................................................................................ 14 Remade ..................................................................................................................... 15 Ripple Effect .............................................................................................................. 15 Transitions ................................................................................................................... 16 Financial Review and Reserves Policy ............................................................................ 18 Funds position ................................................................................................................ 18 Reserves policy .............................................................................................................. 18 Investment policy .......................................................................................................... 19 Risk Management ......................................................................................................... 19 Investment in the future ................................................................................................ 20 Structure, Governance and Management .................................................................... 21 Senior Management ..................................................................................................... 22 Paid staff ........................................................................................................................ 22

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Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Exeter Community Initiatives

Helping where it matters most

‘ Exeter Community Initiatives is a unique charity, in that we are not focussed on one activity or interest group. We were set up to tackle disadvantage and exclusion. Despite the difficulties for individuals and communities caused by the pandemic, we have continued to help where it matters most and to take on new challenges. We are committed to working alongside people, families and communities to build connections, develop capacity, improve wellbeing and support each other. We have a really strong and committed staff team who believe in the values of authenticity, reliability, innovation and inclusion. This is a sound basis for any relationship and a firm foundation for the future. ’

STEVEN CHOWN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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Exeter Community Initiatives

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Report of the trustees

Mission and Values

Exeter Community Initiatives helps where it matters most.

We want to see our communities become stronger, more resilient and ready for the future.

We help people get back on track by improving their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing; increasing their sense of belonging; learning and developing the skills to succeed in life.

Through our work we seek to challenge inequality, homelessness and poverty and support the campaigns of others.

We value partnership and work with other organisations where this can create greater impact.

For our staff and volunteers, we provide a safe and supportive working environment, and encourage a culture of shared learning.

We work with professionalism to deliver to the highest quality: treating everyone with respect and empowering them to help themselves.

We believe in the power of community, mutual responsibility, support and understanding.

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Exeter Community Initiatives

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Report of the trustees

Our ear in summar y y

Individual work

We supported 125 families with 285 children and 217 adults with 1 to 1 support and practical advice. Through our 1:1 work we have been able to support people with issues such as:

Reducing social isolation Improving confidence, self-esteem and resilience Improving and maintaining positive relationships Feeling supported and connected to others Finding work and training Managing debts and housing issues Managing profound physical health problems Managing children’s behaviour Boundary setting and keeping children safe Keeping a family routine Improving communication between children and parents

Group work

We supported 41 new and emerging groups ; including helping 11 groups develop a new legal structure. We worked with 65 existing groups providing advice on governance, marketing and promotion, fundraising and income generation. We held over £6,081 in funds for 8 groups without a bank account; and helped groups secure £92,660 in funding. We facilitated 6 networks which involved 66 voluntary and community organisations . Group work activity with individuals was limited during the pandemic but we were able to offer online workshops addressing the following issues:

Social groups and identity Self-help strategies for anxiety Exploring structure, routine and change Reflecting on how what we eat affects how we feel Meal planning on a budget Bargain hunting and money saving tips Drawing up a personal budget Managing and accepting change Planning and organising moving home

In addition, our Community Builders supported 579 residents move their ideas into action, supported 127 groups with new initiatives, hosted or were involved in 560 events and activities and carried out 1922 listening’s with local residents across all 13 wards in Exeter.

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Exeter Community Initiatives

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Volunteers

51 volunteers on the Jelly , Transitions and True North projects gave 2,003 hours of their time to working in the charity shop and providing volunteer mentor support to others. This equates to £19,829 notional value on volunteer time (based on the Real Living Wage at £9.90 an hour).

Positive impact

The strength of Exeter Community Initiatives has always been its ability to adapt to change and develop new initiatives that offer practical solutions to unmet need.

Bike Bank

“I was really pleased a bike I had worked on for 3 or 4 weeks has now been sold.” Trainee

“We love working with ECI on the Bike Bank project. Fixing bikes is fantastic for mental health, and helps to build self-confidence and independence. We love meeting all the project participants and sharing a little bit of what we do at Ride On. Our team is looking forward to working with ECI to support more people to experience the satisfaction that fixing bikes can bring." Will Page, Head of Ride-On

Community Builders

“Engaging with the Community Builders and Community Connectors was invaluable in helping us to build up our community knowledge and understanding. They offered vital, ‘on-the-ground’ insights which were specific to local communities. Their knowledge of the needs, challenges, appetites and assets of specific communities of place, of need and of interest is broad and deep, and they are brilliant at identifying the ‘go-to’ people within a community, who will help to spread the word and mobilise engagement with projects. Talking to the Community Builders and the Connectors was an essential element of our scoping processes this year, prior to developing our project proposals. We look forward to talking with them more in the future!!” Nicola Redfern, Northcott Theatre

Devon Family Resource

“You definitely helped to improve on my life and my family – to get me to see things differently.”

“My daughter was able to communicate her concerns in her home environment to someone she trusted. She felt she was being heard/listened to and that her feelings were valid.”

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Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

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“It’s been good to have the security of knowing if things get too much, there is someone there so I don’t have to do things by myself. Good to have someone to look at the whole family.” Parents

Exeter Connect

“It was all very informed. I found the local examples of successful campaigns particularly useful.” Crowdfunding: Making the most of your campaign

“Thank you very much for a most interesting and informative evening, and thank you to all speakers - all different, all fascinating! I now hope to involve my neighbours - some are very 'green' anyway - in making the rather barren patch of land at the bottom of our road into a wildflower meadow; I know the tips I learnt tonight will be invaluable!” Green Ideas for Community Gardens

“It was the first conference that I’ve been to that was both useful and helpful.” VCSE Celebration Event

Jelly

“I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old and they all enjoy coming in to Jelly to find their own toys. The staff are always happy and helpful. They don’t mind my 3 year old picking up items and this makes me feel at ease and relaxed. I appreciate the shop and the value it offers to our Community.” Parent

Remade

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity, it opened a door, which I hope to keep open.”

“Lovely unique wonderful project, I hope it continues to grow and support many, many people. This should be prescribed by GPs and the NHS.”

“Janes support has enabled me to appreciate my past experience and to value my worth, she encouraged me to put my CV together.”

“My conversations with Jane have been a space where I have been able to discover the different paths I now want to explore in the future. I am extremely grateful for this.” Participants

Ripple Effect

I have been retired now for 4 years; I live alone… I can tell you it is very easy for someone in my position to feel isolated and lonely and therefore suffer from depression… Personally, I have found that creative pursuits help alleviate the

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Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

symptoms of depression, and of course when joining a new creative activity, there are new people to meet and interact with, which helps alleviate that feeling of isolation and loneliness. So, for me and anyone else that may find them self in a similar position, [projects like this] are a lifeline to many people and I’m always on the lookout for new activities to get involved with, because it is good for my mental health.....” Living Newspaper participant

Transitions

“[The volunteer mentor] treated me as a person… He went at my pace, but in a constructive way... in the past I've found sometimes with paid people, it's like ‘Oh well, the time's up now, you've gotta go’ or you feel that they're thinking of their next appointment or something. They're not actually fully focused with you as a person, whereas all the time that I was with [the volunteer mentor]… he was fully focused with me.” Client

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Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Finance

In 2021/22 we had a range of income from various sources, totalling £969,154 but recognise we have a significant reliance on statutory funding from local government and through sub-contracts with other organisations. We recognise the need to diversify our income, improve grant income to support new initiatives and increase individual giving and donations.

2022 2021 2020 2019
Statutory 75% 74% 68% 71%
Individual giving and donations 4% 10% 5% 5%
Grant income 12% 10% 13% 9%
Alt income 7% 6% 8% 7%
Trading income 2% 0% 6% 8%

We spent £992,172 on delivering services and achieving outcomes, of which £827,982 was spent directly on service provision and project development with the remainder being core costs of delivery and fundraising activities.

Our reserves decreased from £541,397 to £521,178. We continue to manage the unrestricted and designated funds. The Trustees have freedom to choose how best to use these funds to deliver our mission.

We are really grateful to all our volunteers, staff and funders for their continued support.

Particular thanks to:

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Exeter Community Initiatives

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For the year ended 31 March 2022

Chair’s Introduction

Over its history, ECI has been a trusted charity with a proud reputation for innovating new projects that address unmet needs. This past year proved again that our work fills significant needs across our communities. Despite the turmoil caused by the pandemic over recent years, ECI has remained absolutely focused on helping where it matters most: working with people facing poverty, inequality and homelessness to get their lives back on track.

I am delighted to report that at the end of this past fiscal year, ECI is brimming with talent and financially healthy. This is largely due to the efforts of our incredible staff led by Steven Chown. The team has been amazing. We are grateful as well to the support provided by our funders—not just foundations and commissioners, but also our individual donors and Friends of ECI. Without their funding and assistance, ECI would not be able to deliver our mission. ECI’s capacity is further leveraged by our corps of volunteers—from shop assistants to mentors. Their efforts go a long way towards making a real difference in the lives of many. Our service users also deserve credit and admiration, supporting themselves and others has really lifted our impact. Finally, I want to recognise my colleagues on the ECI Council. Their insights and energy has helped to shape ECI; their stewardship has made it resilient and better off than at any time in recent memory.

On a sad note, this year Richard Clack passed away. Readers of this annual report will know that for 10 years, Richard served ECI as Honorary Treasurer. In that role he provided financial leadership and scenario planning that saw us through tricky times. But he meant more than that. Richard had a way of providing insights and support that touched all us and helped to keep us attuned to why we served. His devotion to the mission was clear. As I joined the Council and subsequently became Chair, I leaned heavily on him for advice. In every interaction with Richard I learned something from him. Richard was a true Friend of ECI and a mentor to many of us. He will be sorely missed.

Looking ahead, ECI continues to strive for vibrant, engaged, inclusive communities in Exeter and beyond, where people can live fulfilling and healthy lives. Many in our area continue to face complex social, economic and environmental challenges. Issues of exclusion and isolation remain prevalent. At any one time, we have seven or eight key projects that work alongside individuals, families and communities to build connections, develop capacity, improve wellbeing and support each other. This work requires ECI to change and adapt to meet the ongoing needs of our community. The past few years have proven our capacity to do so. This annual report is a snapshot of our efforts as we continue the journey to find new ways and new resources to deliver our mission. Please join and help us by giving whatever support you are able whether as a donor or volunteer.

Tim Goodwin – October 2022

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Exeter Community Initiatives

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For the year ended 31 March 2022

Objectives and Activities

Charitable Objects and Strategy

Exeter Community Initiative’s (ECI) charitable objects as defined by the Memorandum and Articles of Association can be found on the Charity Commission website: http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/SearchResult Handler.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1026229&SubsidiaryNumber=0&Ref=CO.

This year we have continued to follow our Mission and Values statement to bring energy and passion to the expression of what we do and how we put these objects into practice.

This year we have continued to deliver against our 4 new Strategic Aims:

1. Innovate and develop new initiatives that offer practical solutions to address unmet need.

2. Maintain high standards on organisational process in our project work and relationship with partners.

3. Enable staff to deliver high quality outcomes for the individuals and communities we support.

4. Build strong relationships with individuals, communities and other stakeholders we work with.

The following report describes how we have made progress against these aims and each individual project and activity.

How Our Activities Deliver Public Benefit

The Board of Trustees have complied with their duty under section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers and duties. The trustees are satisfied that the aims, objectives and activities of the charity meet with the terms of this guidance.

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Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Achievements and Performance 2021/22 Progress

Progress against strategic aims

1. Innovate and develop new initiatives that offer practical solutions to address unmet need

During the year we moved cautiously back to face-to-face working; but retained online activity where this was more practical. Despite the various lockdown restrictions we developed two new projects in the year: Remade, a furniture upcycling project to support people registered unemployed or economically inactive to progress to work and learning; and, True North, a volunteer mentor project to support boys aged 10 – 14 years who have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse in their household. We also developed creative approaches to working with people with lived experience of homelessness, addiction and other disadvantages through the Focus Photography project and Living Newspaper.

2. Maintain high standards on organisational process in our project work and

relationship with partners

We achieved the NCVO Trusted Charity Mark Level 1 award in August 2021. The final report with findings from the external assessment said: “[ECI] has met the criteria in all eleven areas of the quality standard. [ECI] has a committed and experienced Trustee Board, who along with the Senior Management Team, provide strong leadership and focus to the organisation… The organisation engages with users to ensure that, where possible, outcomes and objectives are met, and this is backed up by a robust monitoring and evaluation process. It has also established strong and meaningful partnerships with local agencies.”

3. Enable staff to deliver high quality outcomes for the individuals and communities

we support

Staff have been encouraged to participate in rethinking our strategic plan over the next five years and reflect on how the organisation can respond to hidden inequalities thrown into sharp relief by the pandemic, particularly systemic racism and unconscious bias; violence against women and domestic violence generally. All staff continued to have regular supervisions and appraisals throughout the pandemic, which enabled individuals to identify their own training needs. We have moved to ‘hybrid working’ learning the lessons from the pandemic ensuring staff have greater choice and flexibility about their work location. The NCVO Trusted Charity final report said: “Staff and volunteers interviewed were very enthusiastic about being given more responsibility and the chances to use their initiative, enhanced by opportunities for training to develop within their roles.”

4. Build strong relationships with individuals, communities and other stakeholders we

work with

We have been active in a number of partnerships, including Wellbeing Exeter, the Devon Together Alliance and the Exeter Homeless Partnership. We were involved in Colab community mental health and wellbeing project, including supporting the development of a ‘guided conversation’ toolkit with Exeter University for people with complex needs. The collaboration between the Exeter Homeless Partnership, ECI and

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Positive Lights on the Focus Photography project culminated in an Exhibition held on Friday 3rd September at Positive Lights. The activity involved giving a positive and meaningful activity opportunity for those who are or have experienced homelessness to develop their photography skills and show their work in a public exhibition. We chair and convene meetings of the Groundswell creative solutions group around homelessness and the Exeter Community Food Network addressing food poverty.

Progress against project plans

Bike Bank

Bike Bank is a project that offers the opportunity for learners to spend 6 x 3 hour sessions in a workshop environment learning practical skills around bike maintenance, rebuilding and repair, with the additional aims of improving wellbeing, reducing isolation, building confidence and to support their recovery. The trainees are supported by the Ride On mechanic team at their premises on Exeter Quay. Ride On also have their own volunteer programme in the workshop. They direct some volunteer enquiries through to the Bike Bank project who they feel would benefit from some initial time and training before starting as a regular volunteer. We have found this works well and is also good for our trainees to look at volunteering as a natural progression in an environment they are already familiar with. The lockdown restrictions meant a reduced number of trainees allowed in the space at one time. The project had 36 referrals, with nearly 50% from housing support organisations. Of the 17 starters, 14 completed the 6 weeks training.

The priorities for 2022/23 are:

  1. Continue to develop the partnership with Ride On.

  2. Increase the number of trainees that can be supported at each session.

  3. Connect Bike Bank with other skills-based activities as part of developing our offer around meaningful opportunities.

Community Builders

The Community Builders are part of the Wellbeing Exeter programme. This is a combination of social prescribing and Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) to enable individuals and communities to improve and promote their own wellbeing. We have a Community Builder in each of the13 wards in Exeter and in Cranbrook.

Through listening to residents and neighbourhood mapping, the Community Builders are able to create a picture and build local knowledge about what it is like to live in that neighbourhood, what activity already exists, what and where the key assets are to form an understanding of what might be missing, or what might be of concern to local residents. It is here the Community Builders are able to support people to recognise their strengths and act together for the good of the community.

The Community Builders have continued to play a key part in supporting the community response to Covid-19 over the last 2 years. The Community Builders have helped build the firm foundations of more connected communities. There has been an increase in new groups that have formed and one-off actions such as wellbeing cafés and drop-ins, art sessions, resident street groups and other initiatives. The

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Community Builders have worked closely with the Exeter Connect support service, so some of these groups have become formally constituted or developed into Community Interest Companies.

The priorities for 2022/23 are:

  1. Continue to support local residents develop their own initiatives to improve their community and become better connected.

  2. Support resident-led initiatives that address the cost of living crisis.

  3. Support local communities to address sustainable living and make links with city-wide net-zero strategies.

Devon Family Resource

Devon Family Resource provides family and parenting support for families with emotional and practical issues. The project offers bespoke trauma-informed support through a team of family support workers, play and trauma therapists to support families dealing with the challenges of social isolation, breakdown in family relationships, parenting issues, housing problems, debt and the behavioural and emotional needs of children.

Devon Family Resource works closely with the Early Help and the Family Intervention Teams and we are part of the Victim Care Network. The service continues to grow. We have expanded the team with 3 additional family support workers to cope with the increasing number of referrals. During the year we were successful in securing £10,000 funding from the Hardship Support Grant managed by Devon Community Foundation. This enabled us to support 168 families, allowing us to offer supermarket vouchers, subsidise bills and offer items such as furniture and whitegoods to families in hardship.

We continued to deliver the DWP Happy Families, Happy Futures on-line programme offering parents and carers courses to help them improve communication with their co-parents and help reduce parental conflict which has an adverse effect on the children in the family. Devon Family Resource was successful in a bid to the Masonic Charitable Foundation to start the True North project with a team of volunteer mentors supporting boys aged 10-14 who have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse. The project has two family connectors, part of the Wellbeing Exeter programme, supporting families referred by the local FIT team and GPs.

The priorities for 2022/23 are:

  1. Create clear specialist support pathways for families to be shared with partners and referring agencies.

  2. Develop the relationship with Victim Care/ Victim Support to become a commissioned service.

  3. Explore opportunities to offer larger packages of support using a holistic approach and combining therapists, support workers and mentors.

Exeter Connect

The Exeter Connect service, commissioned by Exeter City Council, provides free, independent, professional and practical support to existing and new community organisations in the city to help them develop and become self-sustaining.

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During the year Exeter Connect provided advice to voluntary organisations and community groups about starting up, funding, governance, financial management, risk management, working with volunteers, development and training, and marketing and promotion. We also offered a programme of regular events and activities including legal structures, writing winning grant applications, crowdfunding, diversifying your board and meeting the funders. We held £6,081 for community groups without a bank account to help local people deliver arts and physical activities, community picnics and improve their environment. We also supported voluntary and community organisations to secure £92,660 in funding. Exeter Connect managed the Covid Outbreak Management Fund locally to provide funding for groups adversely affected by Covid, and to promote volunteering.

We held a successful celebration event in March to celebrate the achievements of the voluntary and community sector at St James Park attended by over 100 people: the film shown at the event showed how Exeter Connect had supported the creation of the Sylvania Community Store, Exeter Scrapstore, St. Thomas Gardening Group and the Co-create furniture upcycling project - a few of the 106 groups we provided direct advice and support to over the year. Exeter Connect facilitated 6 network groups with over 66 voluntary and community organisations involved: the Digital Inclusion Network, Exeter Community Food Network, Exeter Community Growers Network, Community Centres Network, Beacon Heath Working Together and St Thomas Stakeholders Group.

The priorities for 2022/23 are:

  1. To understand and respond to the needs of the voluntary and community sector.

  2. To continue to support the development of voluntary and community networks.

  3. To provide capacity building support to key organisations in the voluntary and charitable sector including 1-to-1 support and training.

Jelly

Jelly is ECI’s Children’s Charity Shop that sells preloved clothing, toys, books and baby accessories at a low cost. The shop has a social space with a baby changing room, a sofa area for parents/carers to feed their babies and for parents to relax while their children play at a table stocked with toys and colouring books.

Volunteers are able to access online training courses such as data protection and manual handling and improve employability skills through working within the shop and learning skills in customer service and other areas, such as stock control and visual merchandising.

Like the retail sector in general, Jelly has been affected by the pandemic and the restrictions on opening. After the third national lockdown we were able to open the shop for 3 days per week from April 2021. We had to limit donations to one morning per week as everything had to be quarantined before it could go out on the shop floor. From November we were able to extend opening to 5 days per week including Saturdays.

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Jelly continues to offer a valuable service for people on low income and experiencing increasing hardship due to the escalating cost-of-living crisis, Customers have given strong feedback about how valued our service is to them.

The priorities for 2022/2023 are :

  1. Increase footfall and sales to increase annual income to pre-pandemic levels.

  2. Refurbish the shop to give it a refresh and become a welcoming space for customers and volunteers.

  3. Develop volunteering opportunities and support for volunteers, including online learning options and opportunities for personal and professional development.

Remade

Remade – ‘Making Visible the Invisible’ – started as a pilot in the summer of 2021 with the aim of improving wellbeing while learning upcycling skills in collaboration with Cocreate, Wood for Good and Flipped and Vintage social enterprises. Participants attended weekly workshop sessions to learn about furniture upcycling, from repair to prepping and painting techniques. The course offered both group and individual projects and some of the completed pieces were later sold.

The pilot was followed up with a funded model (through Petroc College and the European Social Fund) with more of a focus around progression towards work and learning. Participants who attended the regular weekly workshop sessions got involved with a range of woodworking activities and projects from designing individual furniture pieces, making shelf units, spoon carving, learning to use both machinery and hand tools, as well as gaining confidence and demonstrating general work readiness skills. They were all offered access to a free workshop safety course as an addition to their CV and formalised learning. Alongside this there were individual conversations around learning and work opportunities for those who were ready, as well as information and signposting to other community activities and support. The group sessions were informal but instructive and although at different skills levels, participants encouraged and helped each other out. The social aspect was hugely important, a big step for some coming out of the lockdown, with a conversation around the growing, cooking and eating of various types of chillies going on for several weeks.

The project received positive feedback and huge congratulations to the four who moved into work, three who entered learning, others who are now volunteering and actively engaged with other projects in the community.

The priorities for 2022/2023 are :

  1. To develop a sustainable business model for the project.

  2. To collaborate with partners to deliver further upcycling activities.

  3. To promote the project through website and social media activity.

Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect is a creative arts and wellbeing project. During the year we had funding to deliver one creative project and this is what happened.

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With the support of the Northcott Theatre we commissioned a creative consultant to deliver a project about people’s experiences of lockdown. The idea was to create a Living Newspaper that would aim to draw on the lives of participants in early 2020 (pre-Covid), the present and looking forward to 2023.

This involved creating a short live performance using the narrative device of a newspaper on looking at issues through the lens of personal experience as well as producing a printed newspaper.

From September 2021 to January 2022 a group of local people with lived experience of being marginalised due to mental health problems, homelessness, addiction or other disadvantages came together for the first time after lockdown to discuss current affairs, share their stories and make a performance together. To help with the project the consultant brought in another facilitator who had a particular interest in writing. This gave the opportunity for members of the group with a keen interest in writing to focus on that and also gave a way for people to be included who wanted to be part of the project but did not want to perform.

The project involved a core group of 6 people, who worked tirelessly to share their thoughts and get their voices heard on local, national and global issues that affect us all. This resulted in a performance piece ‘We are the Story’ at the Barnfield Theatre in January 2022 and a newspaper containing articles and opinion pieces created by the group.

The priorities for 2022/23 are:

  1. To explore other creative opportunities that give people a voice to share their lived experience through drama, film making and storytelling.

  2. To work with partners in developing new opportunities for creative activity.

  3. To develop a sustainable business model for these initiatives.

Transitions

Transitions works with adults who are experiencing isolation, vulnerability and/or other disadvantage, and who have limited support networks, helping them to make positive changes. We provide 1-to-1 coaching/mentoring support and guided self-help via trained volunteers, for up to six months, along with small group workshops and meetups. We aim to help people improve their life skills to better manage their own health and wellbeing, to be more socially connected and be more resilient in the face of life’s ups and downs.

Transitions provided 1-to-1 coaching support to 48 individuals and 35 individuals attended our workshops with the total number of 75 beneficiaries. This year saw an increase in referrals from people who are neuro-diverse (autism spectrum and ADHD) who are often facing a long wait for diagnosis.

This year marked Transitions’ 10[th] birthday and we duly celebrated with an event in September at Exeter Central Library. It was well attended by current and former clients, volunteers and partner agencies. In addition to the birthday event we started holding workshops in person this year. Although at first people were nervous about

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getting together, our overall impression is that people are relieved to be getting back to ‘real’ social contact. The first ‘in person’ course we have run for 2 years was Connection Reflection which explores group membership, social connection and identity. In person ‘meet-ups’ have also restarted. We have a monthly general meetup at the Phoenix café and having encouraged two women to ‘buddy up’ at Dart’s Farm, this has evolved into a women’s meet-up facilitated by a volunteer. Transitions has been working with Dr Stephen Minton and Sarah Maloney from the University of Plymouth on an evaluation of the service.

The priorities for 2022/2023 are :

  1. Use the evaluation to inform the future strategic direction and delivery of the service.

  2. Establish and consolidate links with mental health services and Primary Care Networks.

  3. Increase our understanding and support for people who are neuro-diverse.

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Financial Review and Reserves Polic y

Funds position

Income and expenditure on charitable activities decreased significantly in 2021/22 compared with 2020/21 due to the transfer of the Parent Progression project to Action for Children and the reduction of Covid-19 statutory funding that we received in the previous year. We received additional funding from existing funders such as Devon Community Foundation (DCF – Wellbeing Exeter programme) and TWIN (Department of Work and Pensions for the Happy Families, Happy Futures programme) provided additional support when compared to 2020-21. We were also able to secure new funding from Petroc College for the Remade project and The Masonic Charitable Foundation for the new True North project, with some smaller match funding for this project from Devon Community Foundation (DCF). During the year we had to close the Jelly shop due to the Covid-19 restrictions. We were able to take advantage of the Government’s SBRR grant and secured funding of £4,900 (2021 £39,143).

We are relatively secure over the next 12 - 24 months due to a mix of contracts and grants, including from Wellbeing Exeter for the Community Builders/Family Connectors (until March 2024), The National Lottery (until March 2024)/Lloyds Bank Foundation (until August 2023) for the Transitions project, Exeter City Council to deliver the Voluntary Sector Support Service (Exeter Connect until March 2023), Masonic Charitable Foundation/Northbrook Community Trust for the True North Project (until August 2023) and Victim Support/Henry Smith Charity for Devon Family Resource (until March 2023). We recognise we have more work to do in terms of increasing unrestricted income to cover core costs and support the development of new projects.

At the start of the year an overall reduction in reserves of £60,461 was predicted, however, as a result of strict cost controls and grant income received in advance, there was only a decrease of £40,242 to £20,219. Restricted reserves increased by £36,295 from £154,897 to £191,192 and unrestricted reserves decreased by £59,313 from £353,411 to £294,098 (of this sum, £7,954 is represented by fixed assets). Permanent endowment funds increased by £2,799 from £33,089 to £35,888.

Reserves policy

The reserves policy specifies that in the event of ECI having to cease its activities, sufficient funds should be available to pay for the cost of six months of charitable operation to cover the wind-down period and the redundancy costs of any remaining staff. The financial position against the policy is reviewed every quarter.

The charity’s free reserves, excluding fixed assets, permanent endowment fund and designated funds, were £256,144 at 31[st] March 2022. The trustees’ free reserves target is £140,013, representing approximately six months’ core costs, and we are taking

18

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

steps to ensure that a healthy balance is maintained in excess of this target to ensure we can continue to underpin ECI’s charitable activities.

A further £36k is held as investments for an endowment fund. The capital of this fund can only be used in an unexpected emergency. The charity’s Memorandum and Articles of Association authorises the holding of such investments as may be thought fit. The actual investments held are 1,845.83 income shares in the COIF Charities Investment Fund.

Investment policy

Surplus funds are held in a Nationwide Building Society higher-interest charity account specifically designed to maximise returns.

Risk Management

The trustee board and management team have continued to monitor the risks arising from the pandemic and differing lockdown restrictions. We have maintained business continuity throughout the pandemic with only limited restrictions in services and continued to develop new projects. We have adapted to hybrid working with faceto-face and online meetings to ensure robust and timely decision making.

Throughout 2021/22 and continuing into the new financial year the trustees required all projects to regularly monitor their actual financial position against budgets and forecasts and to report the results to project committees, the Business and Resources Committee and Council meetings. Through the on-going work of the Chief Executive and Finance Manager, the trustees have continued to monitor the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and we have reviewed internal systems to minimise these risks. The financial procedures were reviewed in June 2022.

Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for the authorisation of all new projects and significant transactions, and to ensure consistency across the organisation in all aspects of our work. Risks are managed and reported on a monthly basis at Management Team meetings, and also, quarterly, to trustees. At the early stages of the pandemic these were held weekly. The risk report sits alongside clear financial management reports and KPI reports to give trustees as complete a picture as possible. The risk management policy will be reviewed and updated where necessary on an annual basis, to ensure that it still meets the current requirements of the charity.

In addition to the regular budget monitoring and financial risk report to the trustees, we have embarked on detailed scenario planning to predict movements in reserves and cash flow to sustain projects against our charitable objectives. This is reported on quarterly to trustees and summarises key drivers of the underlying deficit and various measures to achieve a financial turnaround to bring the charity back into surplus. These measures focus on developing a pipeline of grant applications and actions to increase unrestricted income from supporters and donations.

19

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Investment in the future

In 2023 we will celebrate 30 years since the incorporation of the Palace Gate Project as Exeter Community Umbrella (we became Exeter Community Initiatives in 2002). In that time we have launched a number of well-known charities: St Petrocks Homeless Shelter, Turntable Furniture project and St Sidwell’s Community Centre. We are planning a marketing campaign to celebrate reaching this milestone with all those associated with the charity over the past 30 years.

We are currently working on a revised Strategic Plan until 2026 to continue to help where it matters most; working with others to fulfil their potential and maintain wellbeing; to develop confident, more connected communities; and help build strong and resilient families. We will continue to innovate and develop new projects. We will look to strengthen our relationships with existing and new partners and explore opportunities for collaboration.

We will look to develop revised business plans for key areas of our work including Bike Bank, Remade, Ripple and Devon Family Resource. We plan to appoint a Business Development Manager to lead on a business planning framework to support managers to develop new and existing projects and develop a fundraising strategy with charitable trusts, and grant making bodies to secure funding for these projects.

We also plan to recruit a new Community Fundraising Co-ordinator to coordinate volunteer fundraisers, and develop relationships with local donors. This will build on the success of the previous Community Fundraising Coordinator in securing financial and in-kind donations to the charity. This year we are one of the charity partners of the Exeter Chiefs Foundation.

We will continue to work with the Exeter City Supporters Trust. This has helped raise the profile of ECI. The Supporters Trust has supported by providing cash donations and other in-kind support including match day tickets which have benefited staff, volunteers and people who use our services.

We will strengthen our organisational resilience by implementing a new intranet system for staff and trustees, replacing SharePoint with MyECI, and introducing Lamplight - a new CRM system which will improve administrative efficiency, GDPR practices and provide robust, reliable reporting for funders and partners. We will continue to work with existing commissioners and funders and identify opportunities for income to support new projects.

20

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Structure, Governance and Mana ement g

The charity is a company limited by guarantee (number 02844870) and was incorporated on 16[th] August 1993. It was registered with the Charity Commission (registration number 1026229) on 30[th] September 1993. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which describes the objects and powers of the charitable company, and it is governed under its Articles of Association amended in 2012.

Individuals, who must be members of the company, are usually elected to the Board of Trustees (the Council) by the company sitting in general meeting. Alternatively, they may be appointed by members of the Council provided two thirds of the members of the Council support their appointment. One third of their number retires by rotation each year and are eligible for re-election.

We have a clear view on the skills we need for the ECI Council identified through a regular skills audit carried out by trustees and senior staff at our away-days and trustees’ meetings. Vacancies are advertised through the website and where specific skills are required through wider advert. Once identified, prospective trustees meet with the Chief Executive, then are interviewed by 2 or 3 members of the Board of Trustees, one of which must be the Chair. This meeting is the point at which a decision is made to invite the individual to become a trustee. Once appointed, the trustee then goes through a planned induction which introduces them fully to ECI. They are linked with a project and take a role in one of the sub-committees.

In furtherance of our charitable objects, it is the company’s policy that the Council is responsible for setting the overall strategy and policies of the organisation, and all matters pertaining to general administration. The Council has delegated certain powers and decision-making capabilities to 2 sub-committees: the Business and Resources Committee (BRC) which provides oversight of the physical resources, financial management, personnel and policy issues, and the operational management of the organisation and provides support and advice to the Chief Executive in the management of these functions; and the Strategy, Projects and Relationships Committee (SPRC) which provides oversight of the strategic direction and development of the organisation including the planning, coordination, and review of all fundraising and communication and public relations activities. The terms of reference for the two committees were reviewed in January 2019.

In addition to the two sub-groups, the Income Diversification Working Group was established as a task and finish group of trustees and members of the management team to look at income generation. There are also project review groups of trustees and managers covering the three main areas of our work:

21

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

These groups report directly to the main Council. Finally, the Chairs Group has delegated powers of decision making when circumstances require quicker decision making than the meeting schedules allow.

Operational management and administration is delegated to the Management Team. ECI’s salary scales follow the National Joint Council (NJC) scheme used by local authorities, with annual increment progression through the relevant scale. Salaries for key staff are set at recruitment by the Board, based on the NJC model. Annual inflationary salary increases are based on the NJC annual pay settlement and approved by the Board.

Senior Management

Steven Chown Chief Executive Carole Pilley Development Manager Lee Bingham Finance Manager Ellie Taylor Operations Manager Daisy Binnie Devon Family Resource Manager Laura Robinson Community Builders Project Manager

Paid staff

In 2021/22 we employed 48 full and part-time staff across the charity at the year end, equivalent to 26 FTE. We had 14 new starters and 13 leavers during the year.

Ellie Taylor joined as Operations Manager in November 2021. Adam Atkins (Marketing and Engagement Manager) and Sanchia Hylton-Smith (Devon Family Resource) have left the organisation to become Chief Executives of Magic Carpet and the Juno Project respectively. Daisy Binnie was appointed as the new Devon Family Resource Manager in June 2022.

The energy, commitment and kindness of our staff team has helped support individuals and communities through an incredibly trying time. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

22

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Trustees’ res onsibilities statement p

The trustees (who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with 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).

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 income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. The trustees 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.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

23

Exeter Community Initiatives

Report of the trustees

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Auditors

Godfrey Wilson Limited were appointed as auditors to the charitable company during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

Approved by the trustees on 6 October 2022 and signed on their behalf by

Tim Goodwin

Tim Goodwin - Chair

24

Exeter Community Initiatives

Reference and administrative details

For theyear ended 31 March 2022
Company number 02844870
Charity number 1026229
Registered office and 148-149 Fore Street
operational address Exeter
Devon
EX4 3AN
Trustees Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during
the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:
John Barrett
Alan Broughton
Tim Goodwin (Chair)
Charlotte Hanson
Diane Hayman
Caroline Lake
Christopher Neale
Robert Pepper (Honorary Treasurer)
Bethany Reynolds
Sheila Swarbrick (Vice Chair)
Bankers Royal Bank of Scotland Nationwide Building Society
Broadwalk House 2 Bedford Street
Southernhay West Exeter
Exeter EX1 1LT
EX1 1TZ
CAF Bank COIF Charity Funds
25 Kings Hill Avenue Senator House
Kings Hill 85 Queen Victoria Street
Kent London
ME19 4JQ EC4V 4ET
Auditors Godfrey Wilson Limited
Chartered accountants and statutory auditors
5th Floor Mariner House
62 Prince Street
Bristol
BS1 4QD

25

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Exeter Community Initiatives

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Exeter Community Initiatives (the 'charity') for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and the related notes to the financial statements, including a summary of 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, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

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 opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

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 trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. 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.

26

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Exeter Community Initiatives

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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.

Opinion on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report. 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:

Responsibilities of the trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out in the trustees’ report, the trustees 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 they 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 charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

27

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Exeter Community Initiatives

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

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.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The procedures we carried out and the extent to which they are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, are detailed below:

(1) We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, and assessed the risk of non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Throughout the audit, we remained alert to possible indications of non-compliance.

(2) We reviewed the charity’s policies and procedures in relation to:

(3) We inspected the minutes of trustee meetings.

(4) We enquired about any non-routine communication with regulators and reviewed any reports made to them.

(5) We reviewed the financial statement disclosures and assessed their compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

(6) We performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected transactions or balances that may indicate a risk of material fraud or error.

(7) We assessed the risk of fraud through management override of controls and carried out procedures to address this risk. Our procedures included:

▪testing the appropriateness of journal entries;

▪assessing judgements and accounting estimates for potential bias;

▪reviewing related party transactions; and

▪testing transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. Irregularities that arise due to fraud can be even harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

28

Independent auditors' report

To the members of

Exeter Community Initiatives

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: 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 charityʼs 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 charityʼs members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorʼs 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 charityʼs members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Alison Godfrey

Date: 10 October 2022

Alison Godfrey FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of:

GODFREY WILSON LIMITED

Chartered accountants and statutory auditors 5th Floor Mariner House 62 Prince Street Bristol BS1 4QD

29

Exeter Community Initiatives

Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Note
£
Income from:
Donations
3
-
Charitable activities
4
-
Other trading activities
5
-
Investments
-
Total income
-
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
-
Charitable activities
-
Total expenditure
7
-
Net gains on investments
2,799
Net income / (expenditure)
2,799
Transfers between funds
-
Net movement in funds
8
2,799
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
33,089
Total funds carried forward
35,888
Endowment		 Unrestricted
£
£
6,898
28,619
864,318
67,381
-
800
-
1,138
871,216
97,938
-
26,211
834,921
131,040
834,921
157,251
-
-
36,295
(59,313)
-
-
36,295
(59,313)
154,897
353,411
191,192
294,098
Restricted		 2022
Total
£
35,517
931,699
800
1,138
969,154
26,211
965,961
992,172
2,799
(20,219)
-
(20,219)
541,397
521,178		 2021
Total
£
106,028
1,019,266
(500)
1,158
1,125,952
-
1,016,757
1,016,757
5,741
114,936
-
114,936
426,461
541,397

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 16 to the accounts.

30

Exeter Community Initiatives

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2022

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
11
Investments
12
Current assets
Debtors
13
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year
14
Net current assets
Net assets
15
Funds
16
Endowment funds
Restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
General funds
Total charity funds		 £
33,368
492,368
525,736
(48,400)		 2022
£
7,954
35,888
43,842
477,336
521,178
35,888
191,192
30,000
264,098
521,178		 2021
£
8,764
33,089
41,853
37,489
503,017
540,507
(40,963)
499,544
541,397
33,089
154,897
30,000
323,411
541,397

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

Approved by the trustees on 6 October 2022 and signed on their behalf by

Tim Goodwin

Tim Goodwin - Chair

31

Exeter Community Initiatives

Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2022

Cash used in operating activities:
Net movement in funds
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Gains on investments
Decrease in debtors
Increase in creditors
Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Net cash provided used in investing activities
Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year		 2022
£
(20,219)
6,533
(1,138)
(2,799)
4,122
7,437
(6,064)
1,138
(5,723)
(4,585)
(10,649)
503,017
492,368		 2021
£
114,936
8,661
(1,158)
(5,741)
57,869
12,555
187,122
1,158
(4,638)
(3,480)
183,642
319,375
503,017

The charity has not provided an analysis of changes in net debt as it does not have any long term financing arrangements.

32

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

1. Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

Exeter Community Initiatives meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

b) Going concern basis of accounting

With free reserves, defined as total general funds excluding fixed assets, of £256,144, compared to our target level of £140,000 and significant grant and contract income agreed for the next 12 months and beyond, the trustees consider that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. As such the accounts have been prepared on the assumption that the charity is able to continue as a going concern.

c) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from the government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Income received in advance of provision of services is deferred until criteria for income recognition are met.

d) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity: this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

33

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

1. Accounting policies (continued)

e) Donated goods and services

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item, is probable and the economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

Goods donated for sale by the charity, including clothing items donated to the Jelly shop, are recognised as incoming resources when stock is sold. The trustees consider it impractical to be able to assess the value of donated stock as there are no systems in place which record these items until they are sold and undertaking a stock take would incur undue cost for the charity which far outweighs the benefits.

f) Funds accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

h) Allocation of support and governance costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, including the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements and any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities based on the proportion of staff time as follows:

2022 2021
Raising funds 3.1% 0.0%
Charitable activities 96.9% 100.0%

34

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

1. Accounting policies (continued)

i) Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Leasehold improvements 4 years Fixtures, fittings and equipment 4 years

Items of expenditure are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £250.

j) Investments

Listed investments held at the year end are valued at the current market value at that date. Investment income from dividends is included in incoming resources while realised and unrealised losses and gains on investments are shown separately on the statement of financial activities (SOFA). Realised gains and losses are calculated on investment disposals during the year as the difference between the opening market value and the proceeds received on sale. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated on investment holdings at the period end as the difference between the closing market value and the opening market value or purchase value during the period.

k) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

l) Cash at bank and in hand

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

m) Creditors

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

n) Financial instruments

The charitable company only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

o) Pension costs

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. There are no further liabilities other than that already recognised in the SOFA.

35

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

1. Accounting policies (continued)

p) Accounting estimates and key judgements

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 if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements are depreciation, accrued expenses and valuation of investments.

q) Operating leases

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the statement of financial activities as they fall due.

2. Prior period comparatives: statement of financial activities

£
Income from:
Donations and legacies
-
Charitable activities
-
Other trading activities
-
Investments
-
Total income
-
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
-
Total expenditure
-
Net gains on investments
5,741
Net income
5,741
Transfers between funds
-
Net movement in funds
5,741
Endowment		 Restricted
£
£
-
106,028
964,732
54,534
-
(500)
-
1,158
964,732
161,220
933,016
83,741
933,016
83,741
-
-
31,716
77,479
(57,419)
57,419
(25,703)
134,898
Unrestricted		 2021
Total
£
106,028
1,019,266
(500)
1,158
1,125,952
1,016,757
1,016,757
5,741
114,936
-
114,936

Prior period restricted expenditure has been increased by £52,297. This was previously recognised as a transfer out of restricted funds.

36

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

3. Income from donations

Income from donations
Donations
Share scheme
Gift aid
Total income from donations		 Restricted
£
£
6,898
11,724
-
13,997
-
2,898
6,898
28,619
Unrestricted		 2022
Total
£
18,622
13,997
2,898
35,517		 2021
Total
£
88,895
14,108
3,025
106,028

In the prior year, all income from donations was unrestricted.

4. Income from charitable activities

Income from charitable activities
Community, projects and social enterprise
Vulnerable adults
Children and families
Total income from charitable activities
Prior period comparative:
Community, projects and social enterprise
Vulnerable adults
Children and families
Total income from charitable activities		 Restricted
£
£
479,869
33,563
87,166
-
297,283
33,818
864,318
67,381
Restricted
£
£
523,704
4,834
67,500
-
373,528
49,700
964,732
54,534
Unrestricted
Unrestricted		 2022
Total
£
513,432
87,166
331,101
931,699
2021
Total
£
528,538
67,500
423,228
1,019,266

37

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

5. Income from other trading activities

Income from other trading activities
Service provisions and other sales
Other income
Total income from other trading activities		 2022
Total
£
800
-
800		 2021
Total
£
(700)
200
(500)

In the current year and prior year, all income from other trading activities was unrestricted.

6. Government grants

38

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

7. Total expenditure

Total expenditure
Staff costs (note 9)
Recruitment costs
Travelling and other costs
Staff training and conferences
User activities and training courses
Telephone and internet
Computer software and
maintenance costs
Printing postage and stationery
Rent, rates and room hire
Light, heat and power
Insurance
Subscriptions
Publicity and marketing
Repairs and maintenance
Depreciation
Equipment
Freelance therapists
Professional fees
Sundries and consumables
Bank charges
Client support fund
Cost of trustee meetings
Audit and accountancy fees
Sub-total
Total expenditure
Allocation of support and
governance costs		 Raising
funds
£
21,801
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
21,801
4,410
26,211		 Charitable
activities
£
682,075
3,905
10,374
-
23,282
5,047
12,527
2,365
27,482
8,596
537
979
462
1,707
-
4,614
39,021
3,406
1,533
-
70
-
-
827,982
137,979
965,961		 Support and
governance
costs
£
101,590
2,539
460
(1,731)
-
5,755
2,742
2,251
216
-
3,055
982
2,155
505
6,533
120
-
7,248
524
935
-
10
6,500
142,389
(142,389)
-		 2022 Total
£
805,466
6,444
10,834
(1,731)
23,282
10,802
15,269
4,616
27,698
8,596
3,592
1,961
2,617
2,212
6,533
4,734
39,021
10,654
2,057
935
70
10
6,500
992,172
-
992,172

Total governance costs were £5,830 (2021: £5,445).

39

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

7.
Total expenditure
Prior period comparative
Staff costs (note 9)
Recruitment costs
Travelling and other costs
User activities and training courses
Telephone and internet
Computer software and maintenance costs
Printing postage and stationery
Rent, rates and room hire
Light, heat and power
Insurance
Subscriptions
Publicity and marketing
Repairs and maintenance
Depreciation
Equipment
Professional fees
Sundries and consumables
Client support fund
Cost of trustee meetings
Audit and accountancy fees
Sub-total
Allocation of support and governance costs
Total expenditure		 Charitable
activities
£
827,994
1,863
5,478
8,733
6,715
18,379
2,072
23,923
1,214
518
1,160
2,612
1,186
-
2,886
-
332
50
-
-
905,115
111,642
1,016,757		 Support and
governance
costs
£
73,747
150
328
-
6,234
-
1,673
1,501
-
2,812
885
65
-
8,661
74
8,414
1,653
-
165
5,280
111,642
(111,642)
-		 2021 Total
£
901,741
2,013
5,806
8,733
12,949
18,379
3,745
25,424
1,214
3,330
2,045
2,677
1,186
8,661
2,960
8,414
1,985
50
165
5,280
1,016,757
-
1,016,757

40

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

8. Net movement in funds

This is stated after charging:

Depreciation
Operating lease payments
Trustees' remuneration
Trustees' reimbursed expenses
Auditors' remuneration:
Statutory audit (including VAT)		 2022
£
6,533
1,243
Nil
Nil
5,820		 2021
£
8,661
8,485
Nil
Nil
5,280

9. Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs were as follows:

Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Pension costs		 2022
£
733,249
39,095
33,122
805,466		 Restated
2021
£
816,669
49,569
35,503
901,741

The 2021 comparative staff costs have been restated to correct a prior period disclosure error.

No employee earned more than £60,000 during the year.

The key management personnel of the charitable company comprise the Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, and Senior Leadership Team. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel were £238,072 (2021: £295,912).

Average headcount analysed by category was as follows:

Core, governance and generating voluntary income
Vulnerable adults
Project development
Children and families
Community and projects
Social enterprise
Average head count		 2022
No.
12
2
1
8
22
2
47		 2021
No.
12
2
1
11
22
2
50

41

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

10. Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all of its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

11. Tangible fixed assets

£
Cost
At 1 April 2021
32,089
Additions in year
-
Disposals
-
At 31 March 2022
32,089
Depreciation
At 1 April 2021
31,221
Charge for the year
868
On disposals
-
At 31 March 2022
32,089
Net book value
At 31 March 2022
-
At 31 March 2021
868
12. Investments
Market value at 1 April 2021
Unrealised gain
Market value at 31 March 2022
Investments held are COIF Charities Funds managed by CCLA.
13. Debtors
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Other debtors
Leasehold
improvements		 Fixtures,
fittings and
equipment
£
98,398
5,723
(65,034)
39,087
90,502
5,665
(65,034)
31,133
7,954
7,896
2022
£
33,089
2,799
35,888
2022
£
4,400
9,314
19,654
33,368		 Total
£
130,487
5,723
(65,034)
71,176
121,723
6,533
(65,034)
63,222
7,954
8,764
2021
£
27,348
5,741
33,089
2021
£
15,259
5,773
16,457
37,489

42

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

14. Creditors : amounts due within 1 year

Trade creditors
Accruals
Other taxation and social security
Other creditors		 2022
£
8,594
7,263
14,629
17,914
48,400		 2021
£
9,944
5,718
12,949
12,352
40,963

15. Analysis of net assets between funds

Analysis of net assets between funds
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Investments
35,888
Current assets
-
Current liabilities
-
Net assets at 31 March 2022
35,888
Prior period comparative
£
Tangible fixed assets
-
Investments
33,089
Current assets
-
Current liabilities
-
Net assets at 31 March 2021
33,089
Endowment
funds
Endowment
funds		 £
-
-
191,192
-
191,192
£
-
-
154,897
-
154,897
Restricted
funds
Restricted
funds		 £
-
-
30,000
-
30,000
£
-
-
30,000
-
30,000
Designated
funds
Designated
funds		 £
7,954
-
304,544
(48,400)
264,098
£
8,764
-
355,610
(40,963)
323,411
General
funds
General
funds		 Total
funds
£
7,954
35,888
525,736
(48,400)
521,178
Total
funds
£
8,764
33,089
540,507
(40,963)
541,397

43

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

16. Movements in funds

Movements in funds
Expendable endowments
Endowment fund
Total expendable endowments
Restricted funds
TWIN
Transitions
Food Fund
Bike Bank
Ripple Effect
Small Grants
Homeless Collaboration
Wellbeing Exeter
Exeter Connect
Colab
Devon Family Resource
Remade
Total restricted funds		 At 1 April
2021
£
33,089
33,089
3,278
21,883
3,536
8,998
15,678
2,019
1,735
1,621
82,675
6,500
-
6,974
154,897		 Income
£
-
-
144,986
69,066
-
6,796
1,000
-
292,069
187,800
-
152,333
17,166
871,216		 £
-
-
(146,726)
(70,734)
-
(9,335)
(13,047)
-
-
(288,490)
(143,301)
(4,000)
(134,160)
(25,128)
(834,921)
Expenditure		 £
-
-
-
-
-
-
(3,631)
-
-
-
-
-
3,631
-
Transfers
between
funds		 £
2,799
2,799
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Gains /
losses		 At 31
March 2022
£
35,888
35,888
1,538
20,215
3,536
6,459
-
2,019
1,735
5,200
127,174
2,500
18,173
2,643
191,192

44

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

16. Movements in funds (continued)

Movements in funds (continued)
Designated funds:
New development fund
Total designated funds
General funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
Unrestricted funds		 At 1 April
2021
£
30,000
30,000
323,411
353,411
541,397		 Income
£
-
-
97,938
97,938
969,154		 £
-
-
(157,251)
(157,251)
(992,172)
Expenditure		 £
-
-
-
-
-
Transfers
between
funds		 £
-
-
-
-
2,799
Gains /
losses		 At 31
March 2022
£
30,000
30,000
264,098
294,098
521,178

Purposes of expendable endowments

Endowment fund

The endowment fund was donated to be retained and only expended in an unexpected emergency or upon dissolution of the company. Income arising from the fund is available for any purpose deemed appropriate by the council of management. Gains or losses on the investments in which the fund is held are added to or deducted from the fund each year.

45

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

16. Movements in funds (continued)

Purposes of restricted funds

TWIN

Sub-contract with TWIN to deliver a range of interventions to support parents to improve communication to create a positive environment for children as part of the DWP Reducing Parental Conflict programme called ‘Happy Families, Happy Futures’.

Transitions

Project working with people making the transition to independent living to increase their resilience through developing their skills and building networks in their communities.

Food Fund

Funding to increase skills and confidence through providing food growing activities.

Bike Bank

A sheltered bike maintenance workshop to increase the skills of those most excluded from society and give meaningful occupation to their time.

Ripple Effect

Project working with people with lived experience of drug and alcohol dependency to engage them in creative and meaningful activity.

Small Grants

A restricted fund for any miscellaneous small grants received for specific purposes during the year.

Homeless Collaboration

Funds to be used to support soup kitchens in Exeter.

Wellbeing Exeter

Funds to be used to employ Community Builders on the Wellbeing Exeter project.

Exeter Connect

Funds to be used to deliver the voluntary and community sector support service for Exeter City Council.

46

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

16. Movements in funds (continued)

Purposes of restricted funds (continued)

Colab

Funds to be used to support community response to mental health projects in Colab.

Devon Family Resource

Project supporting children and families to thrive and have a positive start to their life through enabling the provision of support services.

Remade

Funds used to support an upcycling project for people who struggle with social interaction to become involved in a creative activity.

Purposes of designated funds

New development fund

This fund contains income from Garfield Weston and The Community Fund which were given towards core costs and have been designated as funds to be utilised for particular development projects as they arise.

Transfers between funds

The Ripple Effect project came to an end in the year with some of the funding not yet utilised. It was agreed with the funder that this remaining balance could be transferred to Remade and utilised within that project work.

47

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

16. Movements in funds (continued) Prior period comparative - restated

Prior period comparative - restated
Expendable endowments
Endowment fund
Total expendable endowments
Restricted funds
TWIN
Parent Progression
Transitions
Food Fund
Bike Bank
Ripple Effect
Small Grants
Homeless Collaboration
Wellbeing Exeter
Exeter Connect
Colab
Devon Family Resource
Remade
OPCC - VCU
Total restricted funds		 At 1 April
2020
£
27,348
27,348
3,769
60,144
24,898
3,536
14,800
-
2,019
1,735
18,638
44,561
6,500
-
-
-
180,600		 Income
£
-
-
125,047
208,491
67,500
-
-
16,752
-
-
263,281
180,000
-
52,297
6,974
44,390
964,732		 Expenditure
£
-
-
(130,714)
(206,040)
(70,515)
-
(5,802)
(1,074)
-
-
(280,298)
(141,886)
-
(52,297)
-
(44,390)
(933,016)		 Transfers
between
funds
£
-
-
5,176
(62,595)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(57,419)		 Gains /
losses
£
5,741
5,741
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 At 31 March
2021
£
33,089
33,089
3,278
-
21,883
3,536
8,998
15,678
2,019
1,735
1,621
82,675
6,500
-
6,974
-
154,897

48

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

16. Movements in funds (continued)

Prior period comparative - restated (continued)
Designated funds:
New development fund
Total designated funds
General funds
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
Unrestricted funds		 At 1 April
2020
£
15,000
15,000
203,513
218,513
426,461		 Income
£
-
-
161,220
161,220
1,125,952		 Expenditure
£
-
-
(83,741)
(83,741)
(1,016,757)		 Transfers
between
funds
£
15,000
15,000
42,419
57,419
-		 Gains /
losses
£
-
-
-
-
5,741		 At 31 March
2021
£
30,000
30,000
323,411
353,411
541,397

Prior period restricted expenditure has been increased by £52,297. This was previously recognised as a transfer out of restricted funds.

49

Exeter Community Initiatives

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2022

17. Financial instruments at fair value

Financial instruments at fair value
2022 2021
£ £
Financial assets measured at fair value 35,888 33,089

Financial assets measured at fair value comprise listed investments.

18. Operating lease commitments

The charity had operating leases at the year end with total future minimum lease payments as follows:

Amount falling due:
Within 1 year
Within 1 - 5 years		 2022
£
15,250
38,125
53,375
Land and		 Restated
2021
£
15,250
53,375
68,625
buildings		 2022
2021
£
£
717
860
1,015
2,150
1,732
3,010
Other		 2022
2021
£
£
717
860
1,015
2,150
1,732
3,010
Other
3,010

19. Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions in the current or prior period.

50