**HACKNEY COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE (a charity limited by guarantee)**
**Company Number: 03365292 Charity Number: 1069736**
## **CONSOLIDATED TRUSTEES' REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED**
**31ST MARCH 2023**
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||**Hackney Council for Voluntary Service**|
|---|---|
||**Legal and Administration**|
|**Board of Trustees:**|Benjamin Mak|
||Charles Middleton (Chair)|
||Daniel Francis – resigned 29 June 2022|
||Jack Griffin|
||Jessica Mullen|
||Jessica Stockford – appointed 29 March 2023|
||Joyclen Brodie-Mends – appointed 29 March 2023|
||Lucia Bird – resigned 28 September 2022|
||Natalie Roast – appointed 29 March 2023|
||Rola Aina|
||Sara Barman|
||Timothy Vaughan (Treasurer)|
|**Executive Director:**|Anthony Wong|
|**Company Secretary:**|Mark Boisson|
|**Registered Office:**|24 – 30 Dalston Lane|
||London|
||E8 3AZ|
|**Auditors:**|Knox Cropper LLP|
||Chartered Accountants|
||65-68 Leadenhall Street|
||London|
||EC3A 2AD|
|**Bankers:**|Unity Trust Bank plc|
||Nine Brindleyplace|
||Birmingham|
||B1 2HB|
|**Solicitors:**|Russell-Cooke LLP|
||2 Putney Hill|
||London|
||SW15 6AB|
||Interface Legal Advisory Service|
||40 Wykeham Road|
||London|
||NW4 2SU|
||Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP|
||2 – 6 Cannon Street|
||London|
||EC4M 6YH|
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## **Hackney CVS Trustees’ Report 2021/22**
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
Hackney Council for Voluntary Service was incorporated on the 6th May 1997 with the company number **3365292** , and registered as a charity on 27th May 1998, with the charity number **1069736** . The company's governing instrument is its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Hackney Council for Voluntary Service is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member is limited to £1 per member.
The Board of Trustees administers the charity. They act as Trustees of the Charity, Directors of the Company and are the company law members. They are elected through ordinary motion or co-opted by the Board.
The Board of Trustees meets at a minimum every quarter. Board of Trustees meetings are closed and attended by the Trustees and the Executive Team (Senior Managers) who report on progress and provide administrative support. Meetings are generally two to three hours in length.
Trustees retire by rotation with a minimum of one third of the Trustees stepping down every year. The decision on which Trustees are to step down is made by length of service. Trustees who are required to stand down may stand for re-election.
In 2022/23 the following people acted as Trustees:
- Benjamin Mak
- Charles Middleton (Chair)
- Daniel Francis – resigned 29 June 2022
- Jack Griffin
- Jessica Mullen
- Jessica Stockford – appointed 29 March 2023
- Joyclen Brodie-Mends – appointed 29 March 2023
- Lucia Bird – resigned 28 September 2022
- Natalie Roast – appointed 29 March 2023
- Rola Aina
- Sara Barman
- Timothy Vaughan (Treasurer)
To find out more about our Trustees please visit here http://hcvs.org.uk/meet-the-trustees/ or to meet the staff team visit here http://hcvs.org.uk/meet-the-team/
In addition to formal company law membership, Hackney CVS operates an associate membership scheme for organisations. Hackney CVS Associate membership is free to all voluntary and community sector organisations operating in Hackney and provides the following membership benefits:
- access to resource area (computers and printing facilities);
- up to 3 hours a week of the small meeting room for free (subject to availability);
- access to free printing facility at our reception;
- discounted rates on our room hire (members rate);
- priority booking to our training sessions and events (some training sessions will be exclusive to associate members); and
- access to a wealth of resources and knowledge base in Health and Social Care sector.
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## **Good Governance**
Hackney CVS adopted the previous version of the Charity Governance Code and undertook a full review against the practice set out in the Code at the beginning of 2018. A further review was undertaken by an independent organisation between April and June 2022 using the Charity Governance Code (2020 revision). The purpose of the review was to appraise the Board’s performance across all aspects of governance that impacted on the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making and taking, and to develop supportive recommendations to enhance the function of the Board’s performance. A working group has been established to ensure that the areas for improvement are addressed in a timely manner.
Strategic objectives and monitoring outcomes and impact:
- In 2019 the Board reviewed and revised its strategic objectives for 2019-2022.
- In 2020, the Trustees along with staff, met to assess performance against these new strategic objectives. The session was facilitated by an external consultant with scene setting by Trustee Lead for each of the four objectives. Ways were considered of achieving these objectives in a muchchanged environment due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
- In 2023, Hackney CVS produced a new strategy, ‘ _A Fairer Society 2023-28’_ to guide its focus for the next five years,
Developing openness and transparency throughout our governance processes:
- Our website shows how the organisation is governed and how the Board can be held to account.
- A recruitment campaign was conducted leading to three new Trustees joining the Board in March 2023, adding a greater level of skills and diversity to the Board.
## **How do people become Trustees of Hackney CVS?**
Hackney CVS Trustees can co-opt, or as members elect by ordinary motion, suitable people on to the Board. The Board prides itself on a rigorous recruitment process which is informed by organisational values, a skills audit and Hackney CVS’ strategic priorities. The process also typically benefits from publicly advertising vacancies and active promotion through associate membership. Candidates are invited to submit CV’s and a supporting letter; this is followed by an interview with the Chair and CEO. Eligible candidates are then invited to meet the existing Board of Trustees prior to being put forward for co-option or election to the role.
All Trustees must have knowledge and experience that will benefit the Board of Trustees and the organisation. Whether that is in delivering small scale grassroots projects or large public/VCS partnership programmes. Importantly, they must be committed to furthering Hackney CVS’s role in supporting the large voluntary and community sector (VCS) in Hackney. On joining the organisation new Trustees are properly inducted, using a standard induction pack containing key policies, role descriptions, etc. They are supported in their role by existing Trustees and senior managers in the organisation. Trustees are offered opportunities for formal training or to top up their existing knowledge. Hackney CVS is committed to ensuring that continuous training and development opportunities are available for its Trustees.
All new Trustees are expected to sign a declaration of their appropriateness to act as charity trustees and company directors. Trustees can currently join the Board for a maximum of 3 terms (each term is 3 years), so the longest someone can serve is 9 years.
To know more about the role of a charity trustee please visit the charity commission website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved )
## **Board composition and diversity**
Hackney CVS is keen to ensure it has a diverse board. The Board conducts an annual skills audit process to determine if any skills are missing from its composition. In future we intend to undertake a diversity audit and to continue to attract new Trustees from local Hackney community and voluntary organisations
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## **How many times does the Board meet?**
Hackney CVS Trustees aims to meet as a Board at least 4 times a year. They also got involved in other activities such as our annual community awards night, meetings with the local stakeholders, ad hoc working groups and also staff activities such as our organisation’s away day.
In addition to Board meetings, a Finance, Audit & Risk Committee was formed following a recommendation from the governance review. This committee held its first meeting in March 2023 and meets quarterly, prior to Board meetings.
## **What is discussed at Board meetings?**
There are usually a range of issues discussed at the Board. The Executive Team provides updates about all our programmes using a traffic light rating system – progress of some of our big programmes are discussed at each meeting as separate items in themselves. The CEO and senior staff also update Trustees about any new or emerging risks which may affect the charity’s work. New policies and procedures are reviewed and adopted by Trustees. Trustees also consider how well the organisation is meeting its aims and objectives and are involved in setting new strategic aims, our vision and values every 3 years. One of the key functions is to monitor overall income and expenditure through quarterly management accounts and annual budgeting processes to ensure where possible that Hackney CVS does not have an operating deficit or spend money unnecessarily. Some of the initial in-depth discussions regarding risks and finance are now undertaken by the newly formed Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. Minutes of this committee are provided for all Board meetings with the Treasurer leading discussions in those areas.
## **What is a conflict of interest and how are these managed?**
Trustees have a legal obligation to act in the best interests of Hackney CVS, and in accordance with its governing document, and to avoid situations where there may be a potential conflict of interest. Staff and volunteers have similar obligations from their duties within their terms of employment and under the seven Nolan Principles of Public Life, which Hackney CVS adheres to and promotes.
Conflicts of interests may arise where an individual’s personal or family interests and/or loyalties conflict with those of the charity. Such conflicts may create problems; they can:
- inhibit free discussion;
- result in decisions or actions that are not in the interests of the charity; and
- risk the impression that the charity has acted improperly.
Hackney CVS Board of Trustees has a conflict of interest policy, the aim of which is to protect both the organisation and the individuals involved from any appearance of impropriety.
Any Trustee conflicts of interest are registered annually and kept on file. At each Board meeting the Chair asks at the start of the meeting if any Trustees has any current conflicts and these are recorded in the meeting minutes. For instance, if a Hackney CVS Trustee was also a Trustee of another organisation that was benefiting from an existing project of Hackney CVS, then this would be recorded. The same situation would apply to staff who may be part of another local charity that benefits from Hackney CVS. Anyone in this situation would not be able to participate in the relevant conversations at the Board or influence any decisions in any way.
## **Operational Management of Hackney CVS**
A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is mandated by the Trustees to manage the day-to-day operations of the charity. To facilitate effective operations, the CEO has delegated authority for operational matters. The CEO, together with the Senior Managers, forms the Executive Team which is the operational leadership group in the organisation.
Hackney CVS had 62 staff roles in 2022/23 many of which were part time and/or on a sessional basis (for example on the Young People & Families Programme).
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## **Remuneration of Staff, salary bandings and Chief Executive Officer’s pay**
Each role at Hackney CVS has a job description and person specification, so that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. These helps inform potential candidates what knowledge/skills are required for any particular job, allowing a degree of self-selection and thereby improving the pool of applicants. They provide a relatively objective tool for sizing and ranking jobs, which help with salary setting. It can be also helpful in redundancy situations, facilitating job matching and identifying possible alternative employment. Job roles, and therefore salaries, are assessed against a number of criteria including: Strategic scope (senior roles only); Technical knowledge and skills; Mental skills; Interpersonal and communication skills; Initiative and independence; and Responsibilities for people/financial resources.
It is the role of the Board of Trustees to set the salary level for the Chief Executive Officer which was £68k per annum as at 31 March 2023. The CEO is responsible for managing the Executive Team members and other senior staff in the organisation.
## **Membership of wider networks**
During 2022/23 Hackney CVS was a member of the following associations and networks: NCVO, NAVCA, Charity Finance Group, and CLINKS.
## **Public Benefit Statement**
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit published by the Commission in exercising their powers or duties. They believe that all the charity’s activities provide significant benefits to the public as described in detail below.
## **Objectives, Activities and Achievements of the Charity**
The Charity’s Objects as set out in our governing document are as follows:
_To promote any charitable purpose for the benefit of the residents of the London Borough of Hackney and surrounding areas (hereinafter called the area of benefit) and in particular the advancement of education, the protection of health, the relief of poverty, distress and sickness, and in furtherance of the said purposes but not otherwise, to promote and organize co-operation in the achievement of the same and to that end bring together representatives of voluntary organisations and statutory authorities within the said area of benefit._
## **Our approach to strategy**
Our strategic framework 2019-2022 (a 3-year cycle approach), sets out four strategic objectives that we aim to deliver during that timeframe. These objectives are as follows:
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values
## **How well have we been doing to deliver our 2019-2022 strategy?**
Below is a summary of how we have been meeting our four strategic objectives as shown by the work undertaken by our various projects and programmes.
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## **Connect Hackney**
**Funder** : The National Lottery Community Fund
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
## **Partner organisation** : Ageing Better Camden
Connect Hackney, a £7.2m research program, successfully tackled loneliness and isolation among Hackney residents aged 50 and over. Originally planned to end in 2021, the program was extended by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to its research findings, Connect Hackney aimed to influence local and national policy change, with a focus on activities during 2022/23 that promoted systems change.
The Listen Up group, comprising older Hackney residents, presented 14 evaluation recommendations to the City & Hackney Health and Wellbeing Board. These recommendations were accepted and are now used to assess new services, ensuring they address loneliness and isolation. An infographic titled 'Make Your Projects More Sociable' was developed to support service providers in implementing these recommendations.
Collaborating with Ageing Better Camden, Connect Hackney organised the 'Meeting New People and Doing New Things' event, attended by 30 older people and 15 organisations. This event facilitated the sharing of program learning and promoted local activities for older people to participate in.
The final program evaluation report confirmed that Connect Hackney reached an additional 317 older people in its last phase, bringing the total reach to 3,822 individuals. Despite limitations caused by the pandemic, Connect Hackney successfully collaborated with Hackney Council on its Ageing Well strategy. This strategy aims to ensure inclusivity of older people in council policies related to housing, employment, transport, and public spaces. Connect Hackney played a significant role in involving older people in policy and commissioning decisions.
The programme's influence on policy change, along with its promotion of community engagement and authentic production, has positively impacted the lives of older people in Hackney.
## **Growing Minds**
**Funder** : City & Hackney CCG / NEL ICB
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
**Partner Organisations** : Family Action, African Community School, Father 2 Father and Murray Business Consultancy, Black Parents Community Forum were also involved in the project until summer 2021, CAMHS Alliance, Hackney Schools
_Tree of Life_ is a narrative-based talking therapy approach that aims to respond to groups or communities who have experienced social suffering in contexts where ‘therapy’ may not be culturally resonant. City and Hackney has piloted the use of this intervention in an innovative way, delivered by trained Peer Leaders from African, Caribbean and dual heritage in Secondary schools to groups of young people from the same cultural background. The aim of the programme has been to give space to young people from African, Caribbean and mixed heritage backgrounds to believe in their own abilities, acknowledge their dreams and talk about difficult experiences in a safe environment.
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Due to excellent partnership working with CAMHS Alliance, the Tree of Life Team are now delivering across all Hackney Secondary schools, including a Pupil Referral Unit. This is the first time a programme of this kind has been able to do so. As a result of our effective delivery style, we have been nominated for three awards recognising the innovative work we are delivering, these include: Health Service Journal Award 2023 for 'Innovation and Improvement in Reducing Healthcare Inequalities' 'Provider Collaboration of the Year' as well as Children & Young People Now Awards 2023.
## **Lunch Clubs**
**Funder** : London Borough of Hackney
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
**Partner organisations** : Lunch clubs in our network, An Viet Foundation, Chats Lunch Club, Hackney Caribbean Elderly Organisation, Hackney Chinese Community Services, Hackney, Cypriot Association, Halkevi, Holly Street Lunch Club, Hot Line Meals, Lunch Up (Woodberry Down), Nightingale Luncheon Club, North London Muslim Community Centre, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (VLC) Centre.
The Lunch Club Network made up of 12 lunch clubs serving Hackney residents aged 55 and over, successfully built relationships and partnerships across Hackney with various organisations and services, including Hackney Council, Hackney Circle, Navigation Networks hosted by Shoreditch Trust, Family Action, NHS social prescribers, and more. These partnerships helped increase referral pathways and created further partnership opportunities e.g., a partnership which allowed lunch clubs to offer free yoga classes, and led to successful crowdfunding initiatives, leading to increased awareness and engagement in the community. The Lunch Club Network allowed online information about each lunch club to be updated collectively ensuring consistent access/referral pathways for all eligible Hackney residents, provided a forum for lunch clubs experiencing challenges to seek peer support, and delivered a comprehensive annual report demonstrating the impact of each of the clubs, and the network. We supported the lunch clubs in updating their flyers, managing social media postings, and offering First Aid and food hygiene training. Lunch clubs were also commissioned to cater for community events and were supported in accessing cost-of-living resources. Each of the 12 lunch clubs were supported to review and update their Sustainability Plans.
A lack of capacity at lunch clubs created challenges and highlighted the need for more support with outreach and publicity. Lack of capacity meant the lunch clubs were sometimes limited in being able to offer one-to-one support for clubs and visit regularly. Additionally, some clubs were less proactive in terms of club development and increasing attendance numbers.
## **Supported Employment Network (SEN)**
**Funder** : City & Hackney ICB
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- • Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
**Partner organisations:** Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest, African Community School, Core Clapton, Hackney Council, Change FDN, Carers First, Misgav, Get a Clu, Groundwork, Metropolitan Police, NHS, National Parents Youth Open forum, Reed, Children with Voices, St Mary Magdalene, The Courtyard, SWIM enterprise, Prospects, Refugee Women, Centre for Better Health, Shaw Trust, DWP, Kisharon, Volunteer Centre Hackney and residents.
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The Supported Employment Network (SEN) has achieved significant successes throughout the year. Three network meetings were held, with increasing attendance and engagement as the network became more established. The first meeting resulted in an insight report being produced and presented to healthcare partners, highlighting the challenges and opportunities surrounding the employment of individuals with mental health issues and disabilities. The second meeting addressed points identified in the previous meeting, facilitating partnership working, support for organisations, and addressing barriers for clients with neurodiverse needs in the recruitment process. The third meeting had a presentation from the Metropolitan Police Service about their approach to employing neurodiverse individuals and prioritised information sharing among partners. Engagement was further enhanced through regular email updates, toolkits, and best practice sharing, as well as attending Neighbourhood meetings to raise awareness about SEN.
SEN also successfully collaborated with two local employers. Firstly, they supported Homerton University Hospital in improving its recruitment practices and retention, providing trainings and resources on supporting individuals with disabilities and mental health in the workplace. Secondly, SEN worked with E5 Bakehouse to enhance its inclusivity and skills in employing individuals with disabilities, resulting in two supported placements and the potential for further placements in the future. These successes are being shared with SEN members to inspire further collaboration and learning. However, there were challenges, including the need for ongoing support for line managers and addressing the specific needs of clients with complex needs.
## **Young Londoners Fund Network**
**Funder** : Young Londoners Fund, Greater London Authority
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
**Partner organisations** : Voluntary Action Islington, Hackney Quest, Immediate Theatre, Peabody
The Children and Families Forum had a successful year, transitioning back to in-person meetings after a period of online meetings due to COVID-19. The forum is led by two chairs from VCS organisations, the African Community School and Morningside Community Centre, ensuring its relevance and purpose for grassroots partners.
The first forum of the year saw representatives from 52 VCS organisations in attendance. The forum facilitated consultations with its members and Hackney Council on the development of 'Family Hubs'. This collaboration has had a significant impact on the council's ways of working and ensures the representation of VCS organizations in strategic decision-making processes.
Notable guest Jim Gamble, CEO INEQE Safeguarding and author of the Child Q report, attended to discuss his findings with forum members. This engagement has improved the VCS's understanding of contextual safeguarding and provided guidance on implementing best practices.
The 16+ network, as a collective, worked together to bring about positive systems change for the VCS. They presented to Hackney Council, advocating for the use of more inclusive language to describe the VCS offer, and this remains an ongoing priority.
While the Children and Families Forum achieved significant successes, ongoing challenges include adapting to the changing landscape of COVID-19 and ensuring continued collaboration and representation of VCS organisations in decision-making processes.
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## **Female Hackney**
## **Funder** : Safer London
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
**Partner organisations** : Black Women, The Yana Project, Safer London and ELFT BME Access Team
In September 2022, Female Hackney partnered with Safer London to host an event showcasing a youth-led film on domestic abuse. This collaborative effort involved various partner agencies and community members. The event was successful in raising awareness and was further amplified through Hackney Council's Violence Against Women and Girls Team as part of their 'VAWG 16 days' Campaign.
One of our notable achievements is the design and implementation of the 'Big Sister Little Sister' pilot project under the Female Hackney initiative, a new female orientated addition to our Young Black Men’s programme. This eight-week mentoring programme specifically targets young black girls aged 9-10 years old. The project was conducted with 15 children from a local primary school who were identified by the school as being at risk due to experiencing domestic abuse, living in poverty, and having parents who are unemployed.
The project was co-designed by five female youth leaders, supported by the programme manager, who each served as the 'Big Sisters'. The primary goal of the project was to provide therapeutic support to these young girls who were at risk of exclusion when transitioning to secondary school.
To measure the impact of the pilot, evaluations were conducted with each child at the beginning and end of the eight weeks. The results were encouraging, with 85% of the children reporting feeling 'more confident' and 'more able to talk about their feelings' after participating in the program. For many of these children, this was their first experience with a trusted adult in such a capacity. All children expressed their desire for the project to continue and to stay in touch with their mentors. To facilitate healthy endings, we implemented a 'pen pal' element to the programme of activities.
We would like to acknowledge the support we received from East London Foundation Trust (ELFT), who provided digital support to the project. This support fostered synergy between technology and mentoring, for example, by providing 10 of the 'little sisters' with tablets to enhance their learning experience.
## **Hackney Account**
**Funder** : MOPAC
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
Following the Child Q Child Safeguarding Practice Review, Hackney Account took proactive steps to engage with the local community and gather insights. Two community engagement activities were carried out to address the issues highlighted in the review. Hackney Council took the lead in responding to these concerns, with the findings from Hackney Account informing the work conducted as part of the Council-led Community Resilience Partnership (CRP).
The CRP established a Trust and Confidence in the Police working group, which welcomed the participation of Tony Wong, CEO of Hackney CVS. Tony Wong has been collaborating closely with community partners, the Council, and the local Central East Basic Command Unit of the Metropolitan
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Police Service to develop and implement an action plan aimed at enhancing trust and confidence in the police.
Hackney Account has played a significant role in shaping the Child Q review and has been recognised in the review as a driving force in holding the police accountable and challenging their lack of action within the community.
As part of their efforts, Hackney Account collaborated with Liberty, a human rights charity, to deliver training sessions to young people on their rights when stopped and searched by the police. This training, consisting of eight hybrid sessions, reached over 60 young individuals. The initiative was a response to the disproportionate representation of young black men in Hackney's youth justice system.
Following intensive collaboration with the police regarding the Child Q review, Hackney Account made the decision to refocus their work on "community healing". As a recent development, Hackney Account has been supported in transitioning into an independent organisation, as it looks to expand borough the borough of Hackney.
## **My Ends / Rise Up East**
**Funder** : City Hall’s Violence Reduction Unit
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- • Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
**Partner organisations** : The Wickers Charity, Immediate Theatre, The Crib, Hackney Quest
Through the successful co-production efforts of the My Ends programme, the consortium has introduced a 'detached outreach' team to provide community support in specific areas following critical incidents or when tensions are high. This team collaborated closely with the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and local police, responding to intelligence regarding youth violence.
The positive outcomes achieved by our consortium over the past two years have led us to apply for an additional 15 months of funding from the VRU, which has been granted for 2023.
To ensure the continued success of the programme and maintain effective community leadership, we have facilitated the transition of consortium leadership to The Wickers Charity, a small grassroots organisation. This approach guarantees that the programme is co-designed by and for the community it serves. The focus is on empowering the community and involving young people in the co-creation process to deliver a high-quality service that aligns with the objectives of the VRU.
Research indicates that community-led approaches to violence reduction are more effective and sustainable compared to traditional top-down approaches. By focusing our efforts on effective community leadership and co-creation, we aim to achieve lasting impact and promote a safer environment for all.
## **Specialist Infrastructure grant – LBH Fairer Hackney – CBT**
**Funders** : London Borough of Hackney and City Bridge Trust
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- • Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
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**Partner organisations** : ELBA, Volunteer Centre Hackney, Tower Hamlets CVS, Redbridge CVS, Compass Wellbeing, Tower Hamlets council
The Organisational Development Team delivered a total of 37 training sessions from April 2022 to March 2023. The trainings were relevant to the needs of the VCS on topics such as bid writing, theory of change, effective communications, and safeguarding adults. In total, 476 members of staff from City and Hackney’s VCS attended a training workshop. The highest attendance was recorded for statutory free training, and free training in general.
In total 77 small grassroots organisations received 1-1 organisational development support and 12 organisations out of the 77 received up to three 1-1 sessions to support them on their chosen area of development. One grassroots organisation with depleted resources and very limited capacity was supported intensely and at the beginning of this financial year they managed to fundraise £15k to continue to deliver their services. Another community organisation which received tailored Hackney CVS fundraising advice successfully applied for almost £200k from the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund.
We produced a weekly newsletter for the sector as well as standalone newsletters on key items as well as regularly updating our websites and social media channels. Content was diverse and relevant to the needs of the sector – including regular funding and policy updates, information on trainings and events, coverage of sector impact, human interest stories and coverage of key calendar events such as Black History Season and International Women’s Day. Audiences: Our newsletter audience is 1,366. Our twitter following is 3,945.
## **VCS Enabler Programme**
**Funders** : NHS North East London, London Borough of Hackney, East London Foundation Trust
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- • Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships. • Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change. • Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
**Partner organisations** : Mind in City, Hackney, and Waltham Forest, Beersheba Living Well. Hackney Quest, St Mary’s Secret Garden, Age UK, Volunteer Centre Hackney, Healthwatch for both Hackney, and City of London; Hackney Cypriot Association, Kanlungan, SeeAbility, Toynbee Hall, Rainbow Mind, African Community School, Interlink, The Sharp End, The Studio Upstairs and Support When It Matters (SWIM) + 100s that have engaged and coproduced activities.
The VCS Assembly, Hackney Advice Forum, Hackney Refugee and Migrant Forum, and Health and Social Care Forum have held meetings to encourage dialogue and collaboration among VCS organisations. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) focused on mental health, sexual health, LGBTQIA+ issues, and learning disabilities have also convened multiple times.
Networking Coffee Mornings have facilitated information sharing among over 80 health and care partners. We have provided cultural humility training and emotional support to 17 VCS staff members, empowering them to speak out and boosting their confidence.
Our VCS Leadership development initiative has engaged charity leaders and senior managers to enhance their representation in decision-making processes. They advocate for the sector's views using insights from special interest groups, assemblies, and network meetings attended by over 220 organisations.
One impactful VCS Assembly focused on anti-racist commissioning, resulting in the development of four principles recognized in an NHS report on ethnic health inequalities. Another Assembly led to the formation of a consortium addressing school exclusions, securing £20,000 in funding, and advocating for young people. We have also supported three VCS organisations in securing a bid for accessible communication tools.
Additionally, we organised a vigil to honour a transgender teenager, killed in a transphobic attack, attended by over 100 people. The VCS Enabler created safe spaces for VCS organisations and
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advanced public health initiatives targeting priority groups.
However, we face challenges in attributing outcomes to our work and effectively communicating these outcomes to partners. Limited capacity hinders consistent engagement with infrastructure support for health and care partners, including VCS organisations. Addressing these challenges will be a priority for further evolving the model.
## **Neighbourhoods**
**Funder** : NEL ICB
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
**Partner organisations** : Healthwatch, NHS Primary Care, Hackney Council, local businesses, and a wide spectrum of VCS organisations.
Over the year, we conducted 21 neighbourhood conversations across 8 neighbourhoods, with each facilitator covering two neighbourhoods. In Well Street and Hackney Downs, we worked closely with local communities to involve residents in the health and care system at a neighbourhood level. The forums grew and saw increased engagement from VCS organisations and residents, thanks to our new delivery model.
We also worked with the orthodox Jewish community in Springfield Park and ensured that productive discussions took place by assigning strong chairs for several neighbourhood forums. Feedback from VCS organisations attending the forums has been positive, with attendees appreciating the networking opportunities and gaining knowledge about local service providers. This has led to potential collaborations in the future. We have also facilitated important connections in health and care, such as arranging a meeting between Shoreditch Trust, a social worker, and a dietician.
Regarding organisational development, we assessed 25 organisations and provided support through neighbourhoods OD. This resulted in £50,000 in funding, including £15,000 for a community centre in Well Street and support for a Hackney Turkish Cypriot organisation to establish a culturally appropriate food delivery service. We also strengthened ties with Compass Wellbeing, a funding organisation associated with ELFT, to ensure that neighbourhood organisations could access their funding offers.
Throughout the year, we trained over 55 VCS partners in chairing, presentation, and problem solving. Residents appreciated learning about services in their areas and contributed valuable insights about their experiences with health and care partners. They also benefited from wellbeing activities and valued the opportunity to have their voices heard and connect with others.
Overall, we shared our forum learnings with key statutory partners to improve attendance at meetings and enhance community engagement.
## **Hackney Giving (CBT)**
**Funder** : City Bridge Trust
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- • Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
**Partner organisations** : The Funding Network*, London’s Giving, The East London Business Alliance, Volunteer Centre Hackney, Hackney Council – these organisations are the member
13
organisations of Hackney Giving’s Steering committee (* due to capacity issues, TFN have stepped down from the committee)
Core funding from City Bridge Trust is key to the success of the Hackney Giving programme. During the financial year this ongoing funding allowed us to:
- Work in partnership with the public sector and distribute funds on their behalf to the VCS through a grants process.
- Fundraise from local organisations and residents and distribute these funds to the VCS through a grants process.
- Support VCS groups to apply for funds and support groups who were awarded funds to deliver successfully.
During the financial year Hackney Giving leveraged in £881,137.96 for the sector which was awarded out as grants. Additionally, the programme raised £156,749.00 for Hackney CVS core costs.
## **Hackney Giving (Long Covid)**
**Funders** : NHS Charities Together and Homerton Healthcare NHS Trust
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- • Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change. • Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
## **Partner organisation:** Homerton Healthcare NHS Trust
In March 2023 we allocated grants totalling £69,298.00 to VCS groups in partnership with colleagues from Homerton Healthcare NHS Trust. Funding was awarded to community groups to help people living with Long Covid make a full and lasting recovery.
The funding was designed to support local community organisations to raise public awareness about Long Covid and its symptoms, signpost people to the support available to them and promote self-advocacy among affected communities. One of the key aims was to encourage those who think they have lasting effects from COVID-19 to seek help from their GP and request referral to the specialist NHS post-Covid service. This was to ensure they were fully assessed and received the necessary rehabilitation support.
A spokesperson for Hoxton Health, one of the seven groups to receive grants worth up to £10,000, said:
“We hope to use this funding to help older members of the community we work closely with be more aware of Long Covid as a condition. There are still many residents in City and Hackney who are suffering from the symptoms of Long Covid and are unaware of the support available. We hope to play our part in ensuring residents are better informed about the condition and know where to get the support they need.”
## **More quotes from grant funded groups** :
## _**Hackney Cypriot Association**_ :
“People knew about the Long COVID, but they did not know about the Core Service. B has suffered with Long COVID since 2020. She has lost her sense of smell and is saying she has no memories of some of the days that she lives, and it is particularly emotionally difficult when her husband travels and wants to smell his clothes, but it is like he disappeared. However, after talking to me, she said that she will go to her GP and ask for a referral.”
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## _**Shepherdfold Ministry**_ :
“The ‘essentials’ bags are working very well as it provides a call to action for the people who were just coming for the foodbank, this allows us to foster an open conversation as we create a safe space for people to reflect on the changes that have occurred since they had COVID. This forms the start of Long COVID conversations and allows us to explore new feelings, symptoms and ways forward.”
## **Hackney Giving (Cost of Living)**
**Funder** : London Borough of Hackney
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
**Partner organisation** : London Borough of Hackney
We distributed £240,000.00 in partnership with LBH. In addition, we distributed £19,000.00 from Hackney Giving community fundraising. Total awarded: £259,000.00
Grants of £5k each were awarded to reduce the impact of the rising cost of living on people living in the City and Hackney.
The activities delivered under this strand fitted the following categories:
- Supply of food and other necessities.
- Contributions towards gas and/or electricity bill payments for service users.
- Provision of meals in a community setting.
- Before or after-school club or holiday club, including provision of food for children / young people attending.
Under this strand, more than ever, we received far more applications than we could fund – evidence of the high levels of need in our local communities. The quotes below from residents make clear how much more work we need to do together with key partners to alleviate poverty:
“Thank you! thank you! thank you! I had been walking around sick with worry about how we will manage it all and this just feels like a great big hug!”
“We are so grateful; it has made a huge difference for us.”
“The past few months have been incredibly stressful. Thank you for lightening the load”.
“I appreciated that I did not need to humiliate myself. I produced the voucher and got what I needed without being demoralized. None of the other shoppers were any the wiser”.
## **Hackney Giving (Earthquake Appeal)**
## **Funder** : NAVCA
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- • Strategic Objective 2 - Developing successful delivery partnerships. • Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
- Strategic Objective 4 – Being a sustainable, responsible organisation driven by our values.
15
## **Partner organisation** : NAVCA
“Most members of London’s migrant Turkish and Kurdish communities have direct links with the region where the earthquake took place. There is very little number of people who are not directly impacted.”
Taylan Sahbaz, Day-Mer Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre
Following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria we fundraised to support local communities impacted. In total we raised £5,050.00, the majority through NAVCA, and the balance through donations from residents. We funded three local groups to support residents to come together and receive community and wellbeing support.
One of the groups we funded were Roj women, who provided culturally appropriate wellbeing support. They wrote:
“In the earthquake which devastated South-eastern Turkey and Northern Syria, we lost tens [of] thousands of people and millions have been left homeless, jobless and now trying to survive. We must have a culturally sensitive approach when we advise and talk about mental health in our community. Therefore, your fundraising is important and needed locally and as Roj Women we are ready to help you in any way possible.”
## **Hackney Advice Service**
**Funder** : London Borough of Hackney
- Strategic Objective 1 - Supporting stronger, thriving voluntary and community organisations.
- Strategic Objective 3 - Strengthening the sector’s voice to effect change.
**Partner organisations** : 20 VCS advice organisations
The Hackney Advice Service is a transformational project aiming to support the implementation of a system-thinking approach to designing person-centred services, spanning statutory, and voluntary and community sector services. Our role is to work with advice organisations to develop their knowledge and skills in system thinking to meet the purpose of advice by:
- Working with and supporting grant-funded advice providers
- to `o` Analyse service demand data.
- Prototype a new, collaborative approach to community advice delivery and design. `o`
- Use learning to support system leaders to be better able to support residents in need. `o` Incorporate learning into their business-as-usual operations.
- Identifying key themes and/or trends and sharing these insights with relevant partners to support wider systems change.
- Work effectively with Hackney Council’s strategy and policy team, and the Public Health team.
- Develop partnerships across the network to provide a singular service in a relational way that supports residents to find a wider offer of support.
During 2022/23, we supported advice organisations to improve their understanding of the council’s processes in relation to housing, council tax, and housing benefits. Advice organisations were supported to use the Hackney Council Better Conversations tool, which has supported organisations to engage more effectively with Council departments, and expediate the resolution of issues for residents.
16
Baobab Foundation
**Funders** : The Indigo Trust, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Oak Foundation and East London Business Alliance.
## **Partner organisations** : N/A
Baobab Foundation is a new pro-Black foundation, which resources racial justice through Black and Global Majority communities. It is a unique network of members, radical friends and solidarity partners who connect in words, thought and action with the intention of achieving lasting systems change. As a network, Baobab works to collectively shape its own agenda and set its own priorities.
Baobab has continued to grow, managing to expand its membership to c.400 organisations. It has raised over £5m for the Collective Fund. It is now registered as a Dual Community Benefit Society Structure and has become an independent entity. Pamela Jones has joined Baobab as Operational Lead to oversee the day-to-day running of the foundation.
## **Looking ahead to 2023/24**
2022/23 proved to be another challenging year. It was the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia; we experienced a financial crisis, the likes of which had not been experienced for over four decades; significant changes to health and care legislation, and locally, a high-profile case concerning a 2020 incident involving the strip search of a 15-year-old black girl in a school, by the Metropolitan Police Service, highlighted systemic failures within the police and education services, resulting in local communities calling for radical reforms, to name just a few milestone events. It was also the year we celebrated our 25 th anniversary and provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our history and consider how our history can help shape our future, reflecting on our successes, the challenges we’ve overcome, and the relationships we’ve developed contributing to our journey over the past two and half decades.
As we look forward to 2023/24, we know there is much to do. We will be launching our new strategy, which we have been developing this year with wide involvement of staff, trustees, and our wide range of partners and stakeholders. The last few years have been turbulent and have demonstrated the need for us to build more stability in our organisational structures. Our strategy will span five years, rather than the three-year model we have historically adopted. We will be looking to see how we can build stronger mechanisms which provide deeper foundations to our plans, which means if we need to respond to unforeseen circumstances, liked we’ve needed to such as with COVID-19, global conflicts, or local incidents which require urgent responses, we can do so, with greater assurance and won’t lose focus or traction on our strategic priorities.
The health and care system anchors much of where we are required to focus our resources to respond to local health inequalities. Recent changes have added additional layers to how the system works, with increased emphasis on hyper-local neighbourhood-level service delivery, whilst at the same time a wider strategic lens with the introduction of regional Integrated Care Systems. Whilst these offer great opportunities to collaborate, share resources, and ultimately provide residents with a better level of service, it will require us to work in new and innovative ways and reconfigure our relationships with partners.
Our Health Transformation work will naturally need to evolve in line with these changes as we head into next year. We will need to re-imagine how we deploy our resources, which may require adjustments to internal structures and roles. It’s timely therefore that the development of our new strategy, which will be underpinned by a comprehensive business plan, allows us to re-imagine who we want to work with to ensure we adapt in line with local changes to system structures and processes.
Our Young People and Families work has needed to undergo a period of transformation. Operational issues highlighted several areas which needed further development to ensure our processes and procedures were allowing us to be efficient with our resources and work well with partners. Considerable learning has been gleaned throughout this process and has helped shape the development of our new strategy. As we move forward, we will be working in close partnership with the Youth-VCS sector to develop our work in this space, ensuring our work complements work led by the sector.
Organisational Development remains at the heart of what we do, providing valuable capacity-building support. The economic crisis has had a detrimental impact on charity demand levels, so we will need to look at how we can bolster our offer to increase our level of support to the sector. Similarly, funding remains the number one challenge for the sector, so leveraging funds and administering grants through Hackney Giving will also be a
17
priority, as we look to diversify how the programme is funded so that we can better respond to community demands.
2022/23 was a challenging year but was the year that demonstrated our resilience. It was a year of adjustment following significant changes, both in the external and internal environment, as some programmes transitioned to community ownership. We remain indebted to our funders, partners, and allies who continue to support our work; as well as our dedicated staff, volunteers, and trustees who continue to go above and beyond so we can give the best possible service to the richly diverse voluntary and community sector.
## **Risk Management**
Hackney CVS’s Trustees have assessed the risks the organisation faces and have drawn up an organisation-wide risk register which identifies the major risks. These risks have been categorised as governance, operational, financial, environmental and compliance. The likelihood and the impact of these risks have been assessed both by the Board of Trustees and Senior Managers, with measures put in place to mitigate these risks, where appropriate. The Trustees review the risk register annually and are satisfied that systems are in place, or arrangements are in hand, to manage the risks that have been identified. In particular, insurance cover is in place and the finances of the organisation are regularly reviewed.
Organisation-wide risks have been monitored more closely by the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. Risks are also monitored by project leads along with their line managers and separate Project Board where applicable. The focus tends to be in terms of project delivery, finance and other relevant aspects. Mitigation actions are then agreed and taken to minimise those risks as far as practicable, taking cognisance of value for money.
In common with similar charities, one of Hackney CVS key risk relates to a decrease in funding. In order to mitigate that risk, plans are continuously developed and implemented to broaden its funding base, which includes tapping into the corporate sector and more actively approaching funders, instead of mainly waiting on funders to offer opportunities. The production of evidence-based business cases is part of our response strategy. Furthermore, more investment has been made in fundraising in the last 12 months with other options currently under consideration.
## **Financial Review**
In terms of the financial performance of unrestricted general funds, we generated net income of £17k in the year, whilst unrestricted designated funds generated a net expenditure of £55k including a fall in the value of investment of £6k. Therefore, unrestricted funds had an overall net expenditure of £38k in 2022/23, which was better than our planned financial performance in the year under review.
Our fully owned, trading subsidiary, City and Hackney Together, broke even in 2022/23 and therefore generated neither a profit nor a loss. It also broke even in the previous year.
Restricted funds had an in-year net expenditure of £65k, thereby utilising some of its brought forward balance of £494k.
Total income decreased by 25%, from £3,899k in 2021/22 to £2,943k in 2022/23, whilst total expenditure decreased by 27%, from £4,169k to £3,039k.
The consolidated balance sheet at year-end shows a reasonably strong financial position. The reserves, which total £1,397k, were made up of restricted funds (£429k) for ongoing projects; designated funds (£580k) mainly for premises costs; and general funds (£388k).
## **Reserves Policy**
The Trustees have established guidelines and principles for maintaining an appropriate level of reserves to ensure the financial stability and sustainability of Hackney CVS. The Trustees have reviewed the general reserves that Hackney CVS requires after assessing the risks faced by the organisation and after considering guidance issued by the Charities Commission. The Trustees have concluded that a target general reserve equivalent to approximately three months’ unrestricted expenditure plus closure costs, should be set. This currently equates to £220k, which would provide sufficient funds to underpin the organisation’s work for three months in case of a lack of funding and to fund closure costs, should such a scenario materialise. At the end of the financial year 2022/23, unrestricted general reserves were £387k. Of that amount, £42k are committed to finance the remaining amortisation costs of the major improvement made to our leased offices and £109k
18
to finance a budgeted deficit in 2023/24. These leave £236k of ‘free reserves’ at the year-end, which is sufficient at this point in time.
## **Investment Policy**
Hackney CVS policy on investment has an overall objective to produce the best financial return within an acceptable level of risk. The objective ‐ for long term investments is to generate a return in excess of inflation whilst generating income to support the on going activities. On the other hand, for short-term investments the objective is to preserve the capital value with a minimum level of risk and the investment to be readily available to meet unanticipated cash flow requirements.
The Board of Trustees has given delegated authority to its Chair, Treasurer, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Finance and Resources, so that they can make swift reinvestment decisions.
19
## **Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities**
The trustees (who are also directors of Hackney Council for Voluntary Service 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 (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
-
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
- there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and
- the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.
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 the financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
The Trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
This report was approved by the Board on 13 December 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
Timothy Vaughan
## **Trustee**
20
## **REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS TO THE TRUSTEES OF HACKNEY COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**
## **Opinion**
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Hackney Council for Voluntary Service (the ’ Parent charitable company’) and its subsidiary (“the Group”) for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Consolidated Statements of Financial Activities, the Consolidated and Parent Charity Balance Sheet, the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and 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:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and of the parent charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011.
## **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 group 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 group’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.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
21
## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
- In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the Trustees’ Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the charitable company 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:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept by the charitable company; or
- the charitable company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
-
-
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
- the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies’ regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees' Responsibilities Statement, 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 the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group’s and the charitable company’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 company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## **Auditor’s 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 extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
- We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the group and determined that the most significant are the Statement of Recommended Practise ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ (SORP 2019), in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS 102) applicable to smaller entities and the Companies Act2006.
- We understood how the group and the charitable company are complying with those frameworks via communication with those charged with governance, together with the review of the charitable company’s documented policies and procedures. The charitable company is required to comply with both company law and charity law and, based on our knowledge of its activities, we identified that the legal requirement to accurately account for restricted funds was a key significance.
- The audit team, which is experienced in the audit of charities, considered the group’s susceptibility to
22
material misstatement and how fraud may occur. Our consideration included the risk of management override and allocation of costs to charitable activities and restricted funds.
- Our approach was to check that the income from grants, contracts and investments were properly identified and accurately disclosed, the expenditure complied with the control procedures and was appropriately charged. We also reviewed the closing balances for debtors and creditors and the transactions of the subsidiary company, major journal adjustments along unusual transactions and considered the identification of related party transactions.
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 charity’s trustees, 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 charity’s trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report or for the opinions we have formed.
Shoaib Arshad (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Knox Cropper LLP, Statutory Auditors 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD
Date ………………………..
23
**Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities (Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31st March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
Other trading activities
Investment income
Charitable activities
Income from Subsidiary
Other Income
**Total operating income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
Charitable activities
6
**Total operating expenditure**
Net Gain/(Loss) on investments
9
Net Income/ (Expenditure)
before transfers
Transfers between funds
13
**Net Movement in Funds**
**Reconciliation of Funds**
Fund balances brought forward at
1st April
Fund balances carried forward at
31st March
12, 13|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**£**
1,310
93,421
16,595
-
289,766
11,330
412,422
148,231
246,737
394,968
-
17,454
-
17,454
370,304
387,758|**Designated**
**Funds**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**£**
29,930
-
-
2,500,559
-
-
2,530,489
-
2,595,303
2,595,303
-
(64,814)
-
(64,814)
494,218
429,405|**Total**
**2023**
**£**
**31,240**
**93,421**
**16,595**
**2,500,559**
**289,766**
**11,330**|**Total**
**2022**
**£**
19,562
78,929
3,422
3,304,971
487,846
4,066|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||-||**2,942,911**|3,898,795|
|||-
49,546||**148,231**
**2,891,585**|181,931
3,986,836|
|||49,546||**3,039,816**|4,168,767|
|||(5,830)||(5,830)|9,132|
|||(55,376)
-||**(102,735)**
-|(260,840)
-|
|||(55,376)
635,528||**(102,735)**
**1,500,050**|(260,840)
1,760,890|
|||580,152||**1,397,315**|1,500,050|
All transactions are derived from continuing activities.
All recognised gains and losses are included in the Statement of Financial Activities.
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**Hackney Council for Voluntary Service Consolidated Balance Sheet at 31st March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible assets
8
Investments
9
**Current Assets**
Debtors and prepayments
10
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors: Amounts falling due**
**within one year**
11
**Net Current Assets**
**Net Assets**
**Funds**
Restricted funds
12
General funds
13
Designated funds
13|**2023**
**£**
281,220
1,321,523
1,602,743
(405,835)|**2023**
**£**
41,288
159,119
200,407
1,196,908
1,397,315
429,405
387,758
580,152
1,397,315|**2022**
**£**
1,035,914
1,037,890
2,073,804
(779,537)|**2022**
**£**
90,834
114,949|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||205,783
1,294,267|
|||||1,500,050|
|||||494,218
370,304
635,528|
|||||1,500,050|
Approved by the board and authorised for issue on 13 December 2023
Timothy Vaughan Trustee
Company Registration Number: 03365292
25
**Hackney Council for Voluntary Service Balance Sheet at 31st March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible assets
8
Investments
9
**Current Assets**
Debtors and prepayments
10
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors: Amounts falling due**
**within one year**
11
**Net Current Assets**
**Net Assets**
**Funds**
Restricted funds
12
General funds
13
Designated funds
13|**2023**
**£**
427,721
1,127,030|**2023**
**£**
41,288
159,119
200,407
1,196,908
1,397,315
429,405
387,758
580,152
1,397,315|**2022**
**£**
1,016,966
901,404|**2022**
**£**
90,834
114,949|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||205,783
1,294,267|
||1,554,751
(357,843)||1,918,370
(624,103)||
||||||
|||||1,500,050|
|||||494,218
370,304
635,528|
|||||1,500,050|
Approved by the board and authorised for issue on 13 December 2023
Timothy Vaughan Trustee
Company Registration Number: 03365292
26
**Hackney Council for Voluntary Service Consolidated Cash Flow Statement For the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Cashflow/(outflow) from operating activities**
Net cash (used in)/ provided by operating activities
**Cashflows from investing activities**
Investment income and interest received
Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets
Proceeds from disposal of investment
Additions of investments
**Net increase in cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
**Cash and cash equivalents at end of year**|**2023**
**£**
317,038|**2022**
**£**
(668,188)|
|---|---|---|
||16,595
0
0
(50,000)|3,422
0
0
0|
||(33,405)|3,422|
||283,633
1,037,890|(664,766)
1,702,656|
||1,321,523|1,037,890|
||||
|**Reconciliation of net income/(expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities**
**2023**
**£**
**Net income**
(102,735)
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charges
49,546
(Gains)/ losses on investments
5,830
Investment income
(16,595)
Decrease/ (increase) in debtors
754,694
Increase /(decrease) in creditors
(373,702)
**Net cash (used in)/ provided by operating activities**
317,038||
**2022**
**£**
(260,840)
49,546
(9,132)
(3,422)
(431,662)
(12,678)|
||317,038|(668,188)|
27
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **1 Accounting Policies**
## **Company status**
Hackney Council for Voluntary Service is a private company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member is limited to £1 per member. It is registered in England and Wales and its registered office is 24-30 Dalston Lane, London, E8 3AZ.
## **Basis of preparation of financial statements**
These notes have been prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention subject to valuation of investments at fair value.
The financial statements of the charity and its subsidiary have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Companies Act 2006. The charitable company and its subsidiary meets the definition of a public benefit group for the purposes of FRS102.
The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern basis is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charitable group to continue as a going concern. The trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements. In particular the trustees have considered the charitable group’s forecasts and projections and have taken account of pressures on income. After making enquiries the trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charitable group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for at least the foreseeable future, defined in FRS 102 as twelve months from the date of approval of these accounts. The charitable group therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound.
The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below:
## **Consolidation**
The Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet consolidate the financial statements of the charitable company and its subsidiary undertaking. The results of the subsidiary are consolidated on a line by line basis. The charitable company has taken advantage of the exemption from preparing its unconsolidated income and expenditure account available under Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds comprise accumulated surpluses and deficits on general funds. They are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity.
Designated funds are amounts which the Executive Committee have decided at their discretion to set aside for use for a specific purpose.
Restricted funds are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donors or which have been raised by the charity for specific purpose. The cost of raising and administering such funds is charged against the specific fund.
Further explanation of the aim and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
28
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **1 Accounting Policies (continued)**
## **Income**
Income represents the total income receivable during the year comprising grants, donations and gifts, merchandise and publications, and investment income. All income is recognised when there is entitlement to the funds, the receipt is probable and the amount can be reliably measured.
Donations, grants and gifts are recognised when receivable. In the event that a donation is subject to fulfilling performance conditions before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until it is probably that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.
## **Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probably that a settlement is required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Expenditure includes VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates.
Costs of raising funds comprise the fundraising costs and publicity activities incurred in seeking donations and grants for the charity and their associated support costs.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activity. It includes grants made to organisations and costs incurred in the operation of projects and programmes together with their associated support costs.
Grants payable are payments made to third parties that further the charitable objectives of the charity. The grants are accounted for where the charity has agreed to pay the grant without condition and the recipient has a reasonable expectation of its receipt.
Support costs comprise those costs which are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity and include governance, premises, marketing and general office costs. Governance costs, which are included within support costs, are those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.
Support costs are allocated to each of the activities on one of the following basis: either floor area, staff time or usage depending on the nature of the support costs, to best allocate the costs to each attributable heading. More detail on the analysis and basis of allocated costs is given in note 5 to the financial statements.
## **Pension Costs**
The charity makes payments to personal pension plans of certain employees. The costs are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities for the period to which they relate.
## **Employee Benefits**
The cost of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense. The cost of any material unused holiday entitlementis recognised in the period in which the employee's services are received.
## **Tangible fixed assets and depreciation**
All assets costing more than £5,000 are capitalised.
Depreciation is calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets over their estimated useful lives using the following rates:
Office equipment and fittings 25% per annum straight line Leashold improvements 20% per annum straight line Residual lives and impairment losses are assessed annually.
## **Leases**
Rentals under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they fall due.
29
# **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **1 Accounting Policies (continued)**
## **Financial Instruments**
## **Investments**
Investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price. The Statement of Financial Activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluation and disposals throughout the year.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents include cash at bank and in hand and short term deposits with a maturity date of three months or less.
## **Debtors and creditors**
Debtors and creditors receivable or payable within one year of the reporting date are carried at their transaction price. Debtors and creditors that are receivable or payable in more than one year and not subject to a market rate of interest are measured at the represent value of the expected future receipts or payment discounted as a market rate of interest.
## **Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement**
In preparing financial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the financial statements.
In the view of the trustees in applying the accounting policies adopted, no judgements were required that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements nor do any estimates or assumptions made carry a significant risk of material adjustment in the next financial year.
## **2 Net Movement in Funds**
|**2 Net Movement in Funds**
The net movement in funds is stated after charging:
Depreciation
Auditors' remuneration - statutory audit
- prior year underprovision
**3 Employees and Staff Costs**
In aggregate the number of full and part time persons
employed during the year was:
Staff members
Staff costs were as follows:
Salaries and wages
National insurance
Pension scheme|**2023**
**£**
49,546
11,400
19,544
**2023**
**Number**
62
**£**
970,243
94,822
47,147
1,112,212|**2022**
**£**
49,546
17,343
-
**2022**
**Number**
77|
|---|---|---|
|||**£**
1,100,400
98,960
53,793|
|||1,253,153|
No employee received between £60,000 - £70,000 (including benefits in kind) during the year (2022One). The pension contributions relating to the higher paid employee amounted to £4,131 (2022£5,150).
The number of staff whose salaries exceeded £60,000, excluding employer pension contributions, and fell within the following bands were:
## £60,000 - £69,999
|2023|2022|
|---|---|
|1|0|
The charity considers that the key management personnel comprise of the trustees, who are not remunerated, and the chief executive. The total employee benefits including pension costs of the key management personnel of the charity and group were £81,665 (2022: £77,787).
The charity had an average of 3 volunteers during the year (2022:14), making a favourable impact across many of our projects.
One employee received total redundancy payments of £6,240 (2022: Two for £3,433) during the year.
30
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **4 Executive Committee Remuneration and Reimbursed Expenses**
No members of the Executive Committee received remuneration for their services during the year (2022 - £Nil).
No member of the Executive Committee received expenses reimbursements during the year (2022 - £175 for meeting costs).
## **5 Allocation of Support costs**
Support costs are allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
|**For year ended 31 March 2023**
**Basis of allocation**
Consortia work
Communications
Organisation and Workforce Development
Community Empowerment & Engagement
Grants, Fundraising and philanthropy
Assets for the sector
Compact
Policy and leadership
Youth Programme
Refugee Programmes
**TOTALS**|**Marketing &**
**General**
**Governance**
**Premises**
**publication**
**Depreciation**
**office costs**
**Costs**
**Totals**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**Floor Area**
**Usage**
**Usage**
**Staff time**
**Staff time**
13,411
2,710
8,720
334,320
31,387
**390,549**
2,775
452
3,964
49,165
1,544
**57,899**
4,162
791
3,964
68,831
2,058
**79,805**
7,400
3,388
3,964
226,158
6,689
**247,598**
2,775
565
2,775
39,332
1,029
**46,475**
1,850
226
3,964
39,332
1,029
**46,400**
2,775
226
2,775
39,332
1,029
**46,136**
3,700
565
2,775
49,165
1,544
**57,748**
5,550
2,259
3,964
117,995
4,631
**134,398**
1,850
113
2,775
19,666
514
**24,918**|
|---|---|
||**46,249**
**11,294 **
**39,637 **
**983,294 **
**51,455**
**1,131,926**|
31
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **5 Allocation of Support costs (continued)**
Support costs are allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
|**For year ended 31 March 2022**
**Basis of allocation**
Consortia work
Communications
Organisation and Workforce Development
Community Empowerment &
Grants, Fundraising and philanthropy
Assets for the sector
Compact
Policy and leadership
Youth Programme
Refugee Programmes
**TOTALS**|**Premises**
**£**
**Floor Area**
15,788
3,267
4,900
8,711
3,267
2,178
3,267
4,356
6,534
2,178
**54,446**|**Marketing &**
**publication**
**£**
**Usage**
6,814
1,136
1,988
8,518
1,420
568
568
1,420
5,679
284
**28,395**|**Depreciation**
**£**
**Usage**
8,720
3,964
3,964
3,964
2,775
3,964
2,775
2,775
3,964
2,775
**39,640**|**General office**
**costs**
**£**
**Staff time**
410,263
60,333
84,466
277,531
48,266
48,266
48,266
60,333
144,799
24,133
**1,206,656**|**Governance**
**Costs**
**Totals**
**£**
**£**
**Staff time**
17,860
**459,445**
878
**69,578**
1,171
**96,489**
3,806
**302,530**
586
**56,314**
586
**55,562**
586
**55,462**
878
**69,762**
2,635
**163,611**
292
**29,662 **|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**29,278**
**1,358,415**|
## **5b)** Governance costs comprise of the following:
|Insurance
Audit and accountancy
Professional fees
Legal fees
Other|**2023**
**£**
8,134
30,944
6,198
4,224
1,954
51,454|**2022**
**£**
6,978
20,698
1,428
174|
|---|---|---|
|||29,278|
32
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **6 Analysis of charitable expenditure**
**For year ended 31 March 2023**
|Consortia work
Communications
Organisation and Workforce Development
Community Empowerment & Engagement
Grants, Fundraising and philanthropy
Assets for the sector
Compact
Policy and leadership
Youth Programme
Refugee Programmes
**TOTALS**|**Grants**
**awarded**
**£**
-
-
-
-
469,641
-
-
-
-
-
**469,641**|**Direct**
**costs**
**£**
706,629
9,952
29,857
69,667
7,962
3,981
3,981
2,986
159,240
995
**995,252 **|**Subsidiary**
**costs**
**£**
289,766
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**289,766**|**Support**
**costs**
**£**
390,549
57,899
79,805
247,598
46,475
46,400
46,136
57,748
134,398
24,918
**1,131,926**|**2023**
**Total**
**£**
1,386,944
67,851
109,662
317,265
524,078
50,381
50,117
60,734
293,638
25,913
**2,886,585**|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
2,233,557
87,694
150,838
429,345
360,782
62,809
62,709
75,197
453,474
31,474|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**3,947,879**|
**(note 7)**
**(note 5)**
33
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **6 Analysis of charitable expenditure (continued)**
## **For year ended 31 March 2022**
|Consortia work
Communications
Organisation and Workforce Development
Community Empowerment & Engagement
Grants, Fundraising and philanthropy
Assets for the sector
Compact
Policy and leadership
Youth Programme
Refugee Programmes
**TOTALS**|**Grants**
**awarded**
**£**
-
-
-
-
289,975
-
-
-
-
-
**289,975**|**Direct**
**costs**
**£**
1,286,266
18,116
54,349
126,815
14,493
7,247
7,247
5,435
289,863
1,812
**1,811,643**|**Subsidiary**
**costs**
**£**
487,846
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**487,846**|**Support**
**costs**
**£**
459,445
69,578
96,489
302,530
56,314
55,562
55,462
69,762
163,611
29,662
**1,358,415**|**2022**
**Total**
**£**
2,233,557
87,694
150,838
429,345
360,782
62,809
62,709
75,197
453,474
31,474
**3,947,879**|**2021**
**Total**
**£**
1,588,176
74,918
125,313
366,334
278,573
53,895
55,738
68,504
346,832
27,569|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||**2,985,852**|
**(note 7)**
**(note 5)**
34
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **7 Analysis of grants made to institutions**
|Hackney Giving
Community Fundraising
Hackney Refugee and Migrant Forum
Homerton NHS Trust
Cost Of Living Crisis
Lunch clubs
NAVCA
Neighbourhoods Pilot|**2023**
**£**
18,518
19,150
1,000
32,865
240,000
153,208
4,900
-|**2022**
**£**
286,075
-
-
-
-
-
-
3,900|
|---|---|---|
||469,641|
289,975|
Number of grants awarded 67 (2022 - 45).
## **8 Tangible Assets Group and Company**
|**Cost**
At 1st April 2022
Additions
Disposals
At 31st March 2023
**Depreciation**
At 1st April 2022
Disposals
Charge for the year
At 31st March 2023
**Net Book Value**
At 31st March 2023
At 31st March 2022|**Leasehold**
**Improvements**
**£**
247,729
-
-|
**Totals**
**£**
247,729
-
-|
|---|---|---|
||247,729|247,729|
||156,895
49,546|
156,895
-
49,546|
||206,441|
206,441|
||41,288|41,288|
||90,834|
90,834|
35
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
|**9 Investments Group and Company**
CCLA COIF Charities Investment Units
Market value at 1 April 2022
Additions
Disposals
Unrealised gain/(loss) on investments
At 31 March 2023|**2023**
**£**
114,949
50,000
(5,830)
**159,119**|**2022**
**£**
105,817
9,132|
|---|---|---|
|||**114,949**|
The historical cost of the investments is £151,087 (2022: £101,087). All investments are held in the UK.
Hackney Council for Voluntary Services is the sole member of City and Hackney Together, a company limited by guarantee. Therefore this entity is treated as a 100% subsidiary. The results of City and Hackney Together are shown in note 18.
|**10 Debtors**
Grant debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other debtors
Amounts due from group company|**Group**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
234,893
486,030
7,497
346,705
38,830
203,179
-
-
281,220
1,035,914|**Company**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
234,893
486,030
7,497
346,705
38,830
30,100
146,501
154,131
427,721
1,016,966|**Company**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
234,893
486,030
7,497
346,705
38,830
30,100
146,501
154,131
427,721
1,016,966|
|---|---|---|---|
||||1,016,966|
|**11 Creditors: Amounts falling due**
**within one year**
Trade creditors
Taxation and social security
Accruals and deferred income|**Group**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
270,403
412,748
32,210
58,504
103,222
308,285
405,835
779,537|**Company**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
269,436
410,748
19,923
29,296
68,484
184,059
357,843
624,104|**Company**
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
269,436
410,748
19,923
29,296
68,484
184,059
357,843
624,104|
|---|---|---|---|
||||624,104|
36
**Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **12 Analysis of Restricted Funds**
|**Group and Company**
**Year ended 31 March 2023**
Baobab Foundation Initiative
Baring Foundation
The National Lottery Community Fund
Good Practice Mentor
YBM RC
Clinical Commissioning Group
Neighbourhoods Pilot
Migrant Support Network
Digital Inclusion
Hackney Giving
VCSE Enabler
Team Hackney / LBH
Team Hackney Infrastructure Support
Flexible Support Fund
LD Pre-employment
Lunch Clubs
MOPAC
Windhrush
Advice Sector Support
Groundwork
CVS Campaign
Community Chest
Community Fundraising
Community Fundraising - Lunch Clubs
Female Hackney
Hackney Refugee and Migrant Forum
Cost Of Living Crisis
City Bridge Trust
Fairer Hackney
Hackney Giving
Cornerston Fund
Greater London Authority
Young Londoners Fund
Post Code Community Trust
Mind Over Matter Project
Supported Employment Network
Lankelly Chase
IVAR Anti-racist commisioning
User-Led Programme
Mind the Gap/Growing Minds
My Ends
Homerton NHS Trust
Long Covid
BM4C
VRU
NAVCA|**Balance at**
**1st April**
**2022**
**£**
274,724
-
-
-
7,944
-
-
1,000
-
3,494
19,394
41,195
-
1,980
-
2,040
3,504
242
0
12,052
-
12,299
2,166
-
-
101,230
7,954
-
3,000|**Income**
**£**
421,014
52,000
46,104
164,382
190,914
-
50
300,000
150,000
184,804
18,000
35,000
3,750
15,045
1,230
3,450
4,700
265,000
40,000
53,497
8,406
23,930
26,797
500
89,592
351,162
71,164
10,000|**Expenditure Transfers**
**£**
**£**
(594,900)
(52,000)
(45,125)
(123,996)
(190,154)
-
(50)
(291,874)
(139,776)
(176,182)
(18,000)
(35,000)
(15,045)
(3,450)
(3,298)
(240,150)
(40,000)
(53,497)
(8,406)
(23,930)
(28,963)
-
(122,579)
(351,162)
(32,865)
-
(4,900)
(2,595,303)
-|**Expenditure Transfers**
**£**
**£**
(594,900)
(52,000)
(45,125)
(123,996)
(190,154)
-
(50)
(291,874)
(139,776)
(176,182)
(18,000)
(35,000)
(15,045)
(3,450)
(3,298)
(240,150)
(40,000)
(53,497)
(8,406)
(23,930)
(28,963)
-
(122,579)
(351,162)
(32,865)
-
(4,900)
(2,595,303)
-|**Balance at**
**31st March**
**2023**
**£**
100,838
0
979
40,386
760
7,944
-
-
9,125
10,224
3,494
19,394
49,817
-
1,980
-
2,040
3,750
3,504
1,230
-
1,402
24,850
242
0
12,052
-
12,299
-
-
500
68,243
7,954
38,299
-
8,100|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||494,218|
2,530,490|
(2,595,303)|-|
429,405|
37
**Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **12 Analysis of Restricted Funds**
|**Group and Company**
**Year ended 31 March 2022**
Baobab Foundation Initiative
The National Lottery Community Fund
Connect Hackney
Clinical Commissioning Group
CCG Health & Social Care Forum
Neighbourhoods
Neighbourhoods Pilot
Migrant Support Network
Devolution Project
Digital Inclusion
Information & Signposting
Peer Support long term conditions
Hackney Giving
Open Minds
VCSE Enabler
Reach & Resilience
Team Hackney / LBH
Team Hackney Infrastructure Support
Flexible Support Fund
LD Pre-employment
Lunch Clubs
Health & Social Care Forum
MOPAC
Windhrush
Advice Sector Support
Getting Hackney Healthy
Groundwork
CVS Campaign
Community Fundraising
City Bridge Trust
Fairer Hackney
Hackney Giving
Cornerston Fund
Greater London Authority
Young Londoners Fund
Post Code Community Trust
Mind Over Matter Project
Supported Employment Network
Lankelly Chase
User-Led Programme
Hencel & CEPN
The Hospital Saturday Fund
Mind the Gap/Growing Minds
My Ends
BM4C
VRU
Youth Futures
NAVCA Emergency Response Network
London Youth
Olympic Torch Fund|**Balance at**
**1st April**
**2021**
**£**
183,320
(7,371)
-
6,277
-
7,944
4,024
12,896
11,788
11,752
-
-
269,154
6,959
-
-
19,394
20,604
-
-
1,980
-
100
2,040
55,830
483
18,615
11,752
104
12,299
10,249
-
400
2,000
96,230
63,134
29,040
3,000
32|
**Income**
**£**
617,586
618,446
20,000
207,608
235,859
6,305
1,000
150,000
17,996
200,741
25,000
25,000
35,000
1,614
40,000
31,500
8,422
29,400
-
12,500
124,041
397,961
368,197
144,106
3,600
|**Expenditure**
**£**
(526,182)
(611,075)
(20,000)
(6,277)
(207,608)
(4,024)
(12,896)
(11,788)
(11,752)
(235,859)
(6,305)
(269,154)
(6,959)
(150,000)
(14,502)
(180,150)
(25,000)
(25,000)
(35,000)
(100)
(53,941)
(40,241)
(50,115)
(8,122)
(29,504)
(8,083)
(12,500)
(400)
(2,000)
(119,041)
(390,007)
(431,331)
(173,146)
(3,600)
(32)|**Transfers**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Balance at**
**31st March**
**2022**
**£**
274,724
-
-
-
-
7,944
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,000
-
-
3,494
19,394
41,195
-
0
1,980
-
-
2,040
3,504
242
0
12,052
-
12,299
2,166
-
-
-
101,230
7,954
-
-
3,000
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||854,029|3,321,882|
(3,681,693)|-|
494,218|
38
**Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **13 General Funds Charity Only**
|**General Funds Charity Only**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Year ended 31 March 2023**
**General funds**
**Staff fund**
**Premises Fund**
**Fixed assets**
**Designated funds**
**Unrestricted funds**|**Balance at**
**1st April**
**2022**
**£**
370,304
29,942
514,752
90,834
635,528
1,005,832|**Surplus /**
**(Deficit)**
**for the year**
**£**
17,454
-
-
-
17,454|**Transfers**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Utilised/**
**Unrealised**
**£**
-
-
(5,830)
(49,546)
(55,376)
(55,376)|**Balance at**
**31st March**
**2023**
**£**
387,758|
||||||29,942
508,922
41,288|
||||||580,152|
||||||967,910|
Of the total funds of £963,310 £NIL relate to the subsidiary, City & Hackney Together.
|**Year ended 31 March 2022**
**General funds**
**Staff fund**
**Premises Fund**
**Fixed assets**
**Designated funds**
**Unrestricted funds**|**Balance at**
**1st April**
**2021**
**£**
230,919
29,942
505,620
140,380
675,942
906,861|**Surplus /**
**(Deficit)**
**for the year**
**£**
139,385
-
-
-
139,385|**Transfers**
**£**
-
-
-
-
-
-|**Utilised/**
**Unrealised**
**£**
-
-
9,132
(49,546)
(40,414)
(40,414)|**Balance at**
**31st March**
**2022**
**£**
370,304|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||29,942
514,752
90,834|
||||||635,528|
||||||1,005,832|
The staff fund recognises the company's responsibilities to make reasonable provision to meet legal and moral obligations especially in the light of continuing uncertainty among funders and is estimated based on the forecasted budget for next financial year. The Staff Fund will be utilised when staff are to receive sick pay in line with their contract of employment and where funds are not available from restricted funds.
The premises fund represents funds to be used in the move to new premises, a contigency fund, unforeseen cost of the new premises, new furniture and equipment, dilapidation and related increased outgoings; e.g. rates, extra heating and lighting. The premises fund is being held to finance new premises for the charity.
The fixed asset fund represents the net book value of the fixed assets - excluding those reflected in the Restricted Funds. The movement in the year reflects the depreciation on the fixed assets held under unrestricted funds.
39
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **14 Analysis of group Net Assets between Funds**
||**Designated**|**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Funds**||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
|**Year ended 31 March 2023**|**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Tangible assets|41,288||-|-|41,288|
|Investments|159,119||-|-|159,119|
|Net Current assets|379,745||387,758|429,405|1,196,908|
|Total net assets|580,152||387,758|429,405|1,397,315|
||**Designated**|**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**|**Total**|
||**Funds**||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
|**Year ended 31 March 2022**|**£**||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Tangible assets|90,834||-|-|90,834|
|Investments|114,949||-|-|114,949|
|Net Current assets|429,745||370,304|494,218|1,294,267|
|Total net assets|635,528||370,304|494,218|1,500,050|
|**Future Financial Commitments**||||||
|At 31 March 2023, the group had the following|future minimum|lease payments||under non-cancellable||
|operating leases, which fall due as follows:||||||
||**#**|**#**||||
|||||**2023**|**2022**|
|a) Land and building||||**£**|**£**|
|within one year||||23,198|16,375|
|in 2 to 5 years||||6,823|-|
|Over 5 years||||-|-|
|||||30,021|16,375|
## **15 Future Financial Commitments**
## **16 Related Party Transactions**
During the year 2022/23, Hackney CVS bought Services to the value of £315 (2022- £578) from Rise 365 CIC where one of its Trustees is involved. Additionally, Grants of £12,930 (2022 - £0) were paid out during the year to organisations where trustees and one senior employee are involved: Hackney Foodbank £6,000; Rise 365 CIC £1,930; and Skyway Charity £5,000.
None of the Trustees and senior employee sat on any meetings where decisions were made.
## **17 Financial Activities of the Charity**
The charitable company has taken advantage of the exemption from preparing its unconsolidated income and expenditure account available under Section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.
40
## **Hackney Council For Voluntary Service Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31st March 2023**
## **18 Investment in the Subsidiary Undertaking City and Hackney Together**
|**nvestment in the Subsidiary Undertaking City and Hackney Together**|||
|---|---|---|
|Turnover
Cost of sales and administrative expenses
Operating Profit
Net (loss)/profit retained in the subsidiary
The assets and liabilities of the subsidiary were:
Net Current Liabilities
Aggregate reserves in deficit|**2023**
**£**
289,766
(289,766)
-
-
0
**£**
-
-|**2022**
**£**
487,846|
|||(487,846)|
|||-|
|||-
0
**£**
-|
|||-|
The wholly owned subsidiary which is incorporated in England and Wales, pays profits to the charitable company by way of gift aid. The company is limited by guarantee, without share capital. Hackney Council for Voluntary Service is the sole member of City and Hackney Together (company number: 8141065), which is registered at 24-30 Dalston Lane, London, E8 3AZ, and by virtue of this City and Hackney Together is treated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hackney Council for Voluntary Service.
## **19 Limited Liability**
Hackney Council for Voluntary Service is a company limited by guarantee and as such does not have a share capital. In the event a winding up the liability of each member is limited to £1.
41