2021-03-31-accounts

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The Heatons Animal Rescue Group: Year Ending 31[st] March 2021

Trustees Report

The trustees are pleased to present their report for the financial year ending March 31[st] 2021, including the financial statements on income and expenditure.

We are an independent charity based in Manchester Road in Stockport. Our mission statement is To receive stray, abandoned and unwanted domestic animals, to provide food, shelter and veterinary care for these animals where required, and to rehome where possible to responsible owners. As long as the Quality of Life is acceptable, we will endeavour to look after the animal regardless of age or cost of treatment for the charity.

We have a charity shop, and our income is from the shop, direct donations, fundraising and from rehoming fees from our cats. We are also Charity of the Year in partnership with Pets At Home/Support Adoption for Pets, and receive a percentage of their bi annual fundraisers as well as donations of food from the public left in store and pallets of damaged stock.

Administrative Details

1072091 Charity Number

Registered Address 406A, Manchester Road

Stockport SK4 5BY

Purrs@heatonscats.org.uk

Trustees

Alison Bold

Sharon Blundell

Abigail Churchley Alisha Rumble Yvonne Wilkes Alison Wright

Independent Examiner

Dr Allen King

8, Lambs Fold

Heaton Chapel SK4 2RF

Bank

Royal Bank of Scotland

Drummond House

1, Redheughs Avenue Edinburgh EH12 9JN

Structure

The Heatons Animal Rescue Group was founded in June 1998, and registered with the Charity Commission as an unincorporated charity. There are currently six trustees: our constitution sets out that there are a minimum of five and a maximum of eight.

Governance and Management

All our trustees are fully aware of their duties and obligations in the role of trustee. Upon appointment, they are trustees until they submit an official resignation, and we constantly re evaluate the skill set of existing board members so, if the opportunity arises, we can recruit to fill in any gaps in areas of expertise.

We meet as a board at least once a quarter, and are all updated on financial status and key issues relating to the running of the charity shop

or Sanctuary. All decisions are made jointly following a consultation with all trustees.

Objectives of the charity

As stated in our Constitution, we are committed to rescuing domestic animals (cats), and take in stray or unwanted cats, ensuring they receive the best possible care in terms of food and shelter, and thorough vet checks and treatment. We ensure that each cat is fully vaccinated, has flea and worm treatment and is neutered if old enough. We have a carefully crafted rehoming policy, which involves a face to face interview with the potential adoptee, ID checks and a homecheck. We also undertake post adoption checks by phone to ensure the cat is well settled. We offer a full Rescue back up following adoption, and we are committed to maintaining this high level of care in the future through staff training, and maintenance and repair of our cat rooms and pens.

We would never put a healthy cat to sleep, and euthanasia is a very last resort if the cat has no chance of recovery, and strictly on the advice of our vet.

In order to deliver this, our focus is very much on the financial picture, and how we can close the current gap between income and expenditure.

Policies and Risk Management

We have the following policies, which are updated annually. The Covid policy is updated in line with Government policy changes:

Safeguarding
Health and Safety
Equality and Diversity
Volunteer obligations and conduct
Rehoming and adoption policy

Risk assessments are done regularly where necessary. We organise several fundraising events each year, and a formal risk assessment is carried out at the time of booking each event.

The challenges of 2020/2021

The Covid pandemic affected us badly in that we were unable to open the Charity Shop during lockdown, nor allow people on the premises to view

cats and apply to adopt. We had to close for the last 2 weeks of March 2020, and could not reopen until June 30[th] . We were also closed in November 2020 until Dec 7[th] , and then for the whole of the Jan –Mar period 2021. We were also unable to open for normal hours post lockdown, due to volunteer shortages, with several having to isolate.

The result was a serious loss of income for us, as our shop generates income well in excess of £500 per week on average. It also meant that we had to stop our volunteers from attending, as the cat rooms do not allow for the required levels of social distancing, which put additional pressure on paid staff.

We could not fundraise either; we are Charity of the Year with Pets At Home in Stockport, and part of our arrangement with them is that we can host fundraising activities in store. During this period we were obviously unable to do so. Neither could we attend Car Boot sales during lockdown as they were all cancelled.

We were able to offer online sales with items from our charity shop, with some limited success, and in some weeks, we allowed cat viewing through a window, with virtual homechecks being undertaken. However, the income was still much reduced.

Having cats and kittens with us, meant that we still incurred maintenance costs, staff salaries and vet bills. We used the furlough scheme, and one staff member elected to work unpaid during lockdown.

We were very fortunate to receive many donations of cat food from our very generous supporters. We are so grateful for their help.

We would also like to extend our thanks to our staff and volunteers, who worked under very difficult circumstances and recognised the need for additional hygiene and controls. Our vets at Vets4Pets Stockport helped us enormously while ensuring that all government guidelines were strictly adhered to, and the team at Pets At Home in Stockport continued to make sure that our donations of cat food reached us post lockdown.

Finance

Overall Summary: Income and Expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
20 21
Prev Assets £68,662
Income £78,186
Expenditur
e £100,714
NewAssets £46,134
Current £2,041
Deposit £44,093
£46,134
----- End of picture text -----

There was a shortfall in income versus expenditure of £22,528 for the period, which depleted our cash reserves. This was despite being given a £10,000 from Stockport Council, and a £5000 award from Support Adoption for Pets. As we have a constant shortfall, it has been our strategy to keep a level of cash on reserve with the hope that the charity can remain open in the short to medium term.

20/21 Versus 19/20 Income and Expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
19 20 20 21
Prev
----- End of picture text -----

Prev	19 20	20 21
Assets	£59,265	£68,662
	£128,98
Income	0	£78,186
Expenditu	£119,58	£100,71
re	3	4
NewAsset	£68,662	£46,134

s

Current	£4,097 £2,041
Deposit	£64,565 £44,093
	£68,662 £46,134

Year on Year income: The 19/20 income figure of £128,980 included a legacy of £53,000.

And 20/21 includes the Stockport Council Grant of £10,000, and a £5000 grant from Support Adoption 4 Pets

Year on Year Expenditure: The 19/20 figure includes a refurbish project of c £24,000.

Income 20/21

----- Start of picture text -----
INCOME 20/21
£59,7
Banked 18
£2,00
Legacies 0
£10,0
Council Grant 00
Support AD £5,00
Grant 0
HMRC £1,44
Furlough 0
Deposit
Interest £28
£78,1
86
----- End of picture text -----

Income 19/20

----- Start of picture text -----
Income
19/20 £
----- End of picture text -----

Banked	£72,272
Legacy	£53,000
Petplan
Grant	£3,600
Deposit Interest	£108
TOTAL	£128,98 0

Net of the building refurbishment in 19/20, the expenditure figure is £95,431, so our expenses in 20/21 were around £5000 higher. This was mostly down to an increase in vet bills. Many of the cats and kittens we rescued had complex health issues, and it became more common for us to

take in sick animals whose owners could no longer afford / keep/care for them as Covid threatened their income.

Our salaries were slightly lower due to furlough and one member of staff working unpaid, but we paid more for specialist cat food and for gloves and cleaning products which were needed during the pandemic.

We were in the very fortunate position of having received a legacy the previous year, otherwise we would have had to close because of insufficient funds.

Future Financial Plans and Strategy

We are conscious that with a constant shortfall in income versus expenditure, without a buffer of saved funds, we are in a very vulnerable position.

We are heavily reliant on being able to keep the shop open for at least five days a week, and to maintain our rehoming programme, and active fundraising. We will continue to be proactive in looking at new revenue streams; we already use Ebay, have a Facebook based charity shop site, and run regular online raffles and quizzes. We benefit from cashback with Amazon and Just Giving, but the size of the shortfall means that we remain dependent on legacies or other sources of financial help to secure our future.

This is a key focus for our board meeting discussions.

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Repjrt Report lo the trustee members of i trIÉ 4&As hhJ'bMflL RESLUE Crfouf On accounts for the year eThJed Charity no lrfanyl IrRcb 2021 107209 1 Sel OLrt on pages l lo the l.-Jslees on my exarYip.at'on of accounts of the above (8rity Ill Trusfi fortr year ended ResW)nsibiles arwj A% the chanty trusts of the Trust. you are responsible l(Ythe preparatn basis of report o, the accantS in accordan bmth the rwuiremenis ol (he Charrties Aci 2011 (e Acri I report in resFed of my examination of the Trusts a¢Unts carried out under section 145 01 Ikie 2C- Ad and In ca"rying out my examinalioil,1 have follow applicable DirectnS given by the Charity Commission ur(ler sectjon 1451511bl of the A£L I have compleied my examinatn. I (firM thal no malwial matteys have come lo my attentio) I ') in connection with the exafflinab.on lch gives me cause lo L*lieve that in. any material resm.. accounbng reayds %e tK)t kept in acCdanCe with section 130 of the Ad or the accounts do not acrx)td bwlh the ac(x)unling records Independent examiner's siatement I have tK) concEYns and have cotne across tK) Other fflatters In connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order lo enable a proper un t5tsnding o,. the accobnts lo bo reached. Please le., he i<els trflheydo nolopply Signed.. Date: 21 1 22 Name.. Relevant professional qualificationlsl or body Irf any).. Address.. IER October 2018