HARMAN HOUSE COUNSELLING CENTRE REGISTERED CHARITY NO 1060220
ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021
Harman House Counselling Centre
3 Harman House, 341 Valence Avenue DAGENHAM, RM8 3RA
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year 2020-2021
Structure, Governance, Management
Members of the Management Committee:
Mr Frank Wiseman (Chair) Mrs Enid Gear (Vice-Chair) Mr Brian Charles Mrs Audrey Charles Mrs Gillian Feinson Mrs Lisa Joseph Mrs Jacqueline Smith Ms Angela Dulwich
Manager of Harman House Counselling Centre: Mr Alan Ayris
The governing document of Harman House Counselling Centre is its Constitution, adopted on 15 May 1996, and amended on 27 November 1996,
6 September 1998 , 10 June 2001 and 1 July 2003. Harman House Counselling Centre is part of the Family Care Association of Counselling Services and a member of the BACP.
Objectives and Activities
The charity’s objects are to advance the Christian religion by the extension of the Church’s healing ministry to provide a counselling service based at Harman House, Valence Avenue, Dagenham, and serving primarily the populations of the Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge.
The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Harman House Counselling Centre provides low cost counselling sessions for individuals from all sections of the community.
Achievements and Performance
During the year, Harman House Counselling Centre had 98 (264) referrals and provided 944 (1655) counselling sessions which were either attended by clients or provided by telephone. The figures in brackets relate to the prevous financial year.
Most of our clients paid £10 per session. Our activities were somewhat curtailed by lockdown, but we were able to continue to provide counselling in a local school when this was open.
For the first half of the year some of our counsellors were able to provide telephone counselling, and in the second half of the year we were able to offer face to face counselling again, with reduced capacity due to social distancing measures and staggering of counselling session start times.
Financial Review
Funding Sources
During the year we received the quarterly allocation of interest from Family Care, and this totalled £5026 for the financial year. This grant is being used to provide subsidised sessions to unemployed and low-paid clients at £5 or £10 per session.
We were able to access the Government’s JRS Grant from the autumn of 2020, to enable us to offer our staff flexible furlough. This amounted to £4585 over this period.
A number of gifts were also received from various sources. We are very grateful for this as it has been a difficult time for every organisation.
Reserves/Reserves Policy
Our reserves fund stood at £11568 at the end of the financial year. These funds were to cover any unforeseen costs which may arise, and during the year we found ourselves in the situation where our incomings had decreased but not our outgoings, particularly during the first half of the year when we were not able to apply for assistance under the original Government Furlough Scheme.
This has placed us in a difficult financial situation, and during the following financial year we have had to apply for further assistance from Family Care.
Manager’s Report
During the past few months, a phrase has appeared in our everyday language. It is “The New Normal”. I have been reflecting on this phrase as to what it means for Harman House.
Part of our philosophy is to help our clients breathe out fear and anxiety and breathe in courage and hope. All of us that work at Harman House now face the challenge of reducing our levels of fear and anxiety so that the old normal can return.
For 26 years, we have provided a safe and sacred space for all those who want to find this courage and hope to meet the challenges that being human brings to all of us. Facing these challenges is not new and as we begin to see more and more counsellors and clients return to the old normal back in the sanctuary of Harman House, the hope in me believes that we will soon continue our old normal way of being for all those that need our support.
Alan Ayris Manager
Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts Receipts and Payments Account
Report to the Management Committee of Harman House Counselling Centre on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 set out on pages 7-10
Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The charity’s trustees (the Management Committee) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 43 (2) of the Charities Act 1993 [‘The Act’]) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
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Examine the accounts (under section 43 (3)(a) of the Act);
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Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by
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the Charity Commissioner (under section 43 (7)(b) of the Act); and State whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention (other than that disclosed overleaf) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act, and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the
accounting requirements of the Act
have not been met, or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed
Date
HARMAN HOUSE COUNSELLING CENTRE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT For the year ended 31 March 2021
| RECEIPTS | £ | 2019-2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations: | |||||
| Clients | 10592 | 26942 | |||
| Churches | 100 | 450 | |||
| Other | 1261 | 11953 | 432 | 27824 | |
| Grants | 5026 | 8647 | |||
| Contracts | 6096 | 3875 | |||
| Supervision Contribs | 3975 | 3725 | |||
| Retreat | - | 2627 | |||
| Sundries | 88 | 415 | |||
| Fees | 75 | 165 | |||
| Grant re stair lift | - | 6890 | |||
| JRS Furlough Grant | 4585 | ||||
| int | 8 | 40 | |||
| Total Receipts | 31806 | 54208 | |||
| PAYMENTS | £ | £ | |||
| Counselling: | |||||
| Supervision | 3930 | 4025 | |||
| Assessments | 135 | 465 | |||
| Counsellors' Travel | 219 | 4284 | 2599 | 7089 | |
| Other: | |||||
| Salaries | 27367 | 23297 | |||
| Stationery | 627 | 793 | |||
| Electricity | 862 | 3276 | |||
| Telephone/internet | 1141 | 1146 | |||
| Cleaning | 192 | 120 | |||
| Postage | 149 | 294 | |||
| Insurance | 1517 | 1436 | |||
| Premises | 790 | 826 | |||
| Premises Development | |||||
| (stairlift) | 95 | 9876 | |||
| dbs | 50 | 174 | |||
| Subs | 680 | 783 | |||
| Equipment | 25 | 44 | |||
| Misc | 14 | 205 | |||
| counsellor welfare | - | 528 | |||
| Retreat | - | 3404 | |||
| Rates | 1415 | 1066 | |||
| Rent | 3900 | 3900 | |||
| Total Payments | 43108 | 58257 | |||
| Net Receipts/(Payments) | -11302 | -4049 | |||
| Cash Funds last year end | 22870 | 26919 | |||
| Cash Funds this year end | 11568 | 22870 |
Harman House Counselling Centre Statement of Assets and Liabilities at Year End For the Year Ended 31 March 2021
| Assets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Funds: | 11568 | |||
| Savings Account | (Reserves) | 9620 | ||
| Current Account | 1819 | |||
| Cash In Hand | 129 | |||
| Total | 11568 | |||
| Representing | the balances on | the following accounts: | ||
| Unrestricted Funds | 11568 | |||
| Total | 11568 | |||
| Signed: | Deryk Bull | Date: 30.01.2022 |
Harman House Counselling Centre Notes to the Accounts For the Financial Year 2020-21
TRUSTEE REMUNERATION
Supervision and assessment fees were paid to the following members of the Management Committee:
| Jacqueline Smith | £ 525.00 |
|---|---|
| Lisa Joseph | £ 375.00 |
| Frank Wiseman | £ 600.00 |
| Angela Dulwich | £ 1,115.00 |
Travel expenses were paid to the following:
Angela Dulwich £98.20
Donations from Churches 2020-21
St Paul's Woodford Bridge
£100