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2021-03-31-accounts

Company number: 2702133 Charity number: 1076854

Health Equality and Rights Organisation t/a LGBT HERO

Report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2021

Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Contents

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Achievements and performance in 2019-2020 1
Reference and administrative details 10
Report of the Directors 11
Independent examiner’s report 18
Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account) 19
Balance sheet 20
Notes to the financial statements 21

Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

About LGBT HERO

LGBT HERO is the national health and wellbeing supporting over 100,000 LGBTQ+ people a month by providing trusted information, advice and various types of support including one-to-one, group and peer-support.

LGBT HERO aims to improve the health, enhance the wellbeing and champion the rights of LGBTQ+ people. LGBT HERO provides LGBTQ+ people with accurate and credible information so they can build skills that enable them to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. We encourage LGBTQ+ people to create social change in our communities by providing a platform where they are heard and valued.

LGBT HERO wants to see a world where LGBTQ+ people have the same opportunities in life as all other people, and are not disadvantaged by health or social inequalities because of their sexuality or identity.

LGBT HERO is also the organisation behind GMFA - the sexual wellbeing project for gay, bi and trans men who have sex with men providing frank and honest info, advice, support and campaigns about all things sex and sexual health while providing support to men living with HIV.

For a happier, healthier community.

Health inequalities are the unjust and avoidable differences in people’s health across the population and between specific population groups. Health inequalities go against the principles of social justice because they are avoidable. They do not occur randomly or by chance. They are socially determined by circumstances largely beyond an individual’s control. These circumstances disadvantage people and limit their chance to live longer, healthier lives.

The existence of health inequalities in the LGBTQ+ community means that the right of LGBTQ+ people to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is not being enjoyed.

LGBT HERO has identified the following health and social inequalities it wants to address:

Further aims:

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

HOW WE WANT TO TACKLE THEM

Volunteer leadership

LGBT HERO is an organisation informed by the communities it serves. We use volunteers from those communities to guide our work and inform our campaigns. People from LGBTQ+ communities write for us, advise us on the direction of campaigns, and feature in all of our published material.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Message from LGBT HERO’s Chair, Alan Palmer:

Resilience. That is the only word that even vaguely sums up the last year.

A small charity, reliant on community fundraising, focused on supporting people in the places they go, run by a creative team who work by bouncing ideas off each other in the office, accountable to a volunteer Board unable to meet, made it to the other side of something unique and unprecedented. And not just made it through but thrived in extremely challenging circumstances with a renewed clarity about its commitment and purpose.

Is it a cliche if it’s true? Regardless, the reflection forced upon LGBT HERO by the events of 2020, meant that we could properly embrace ideas, decisions, plans that we had not fully grasped before, or more accurately were allowed to happen slower than was wise. Perhaps it seemed too difficult, perhaps we were anxious by the thought of change, perhaps we were worried about unintended consequences. But, when faced with the potential worst-case scenario of an organisation that means so much to so many not being around when the world returned to whatever normal we are now in, minds crystallised. Plans were hastened, conversations were had, change was enacted. I’ll let Ian Howley, our Chief Executive say more below, but frankly speaking, the fear of losing LGBT HERO emboldened us as directors, working with Ian, to think big and advocate for some big changes.

Bringing all our work under one LGBT HERO umbrella and reshaping the vision and goals of the organisation to be more inclusive and holistic would once have felt too ambitious, too challenging, too disrespectful of our own history. But, when faced with the alternative, the clear and obvious option was to change, and change with real purpose and drive. The LGBT HERO that has emerged is one that I am certain will capitalise on the opportunities our new shape will bring.

Actually, there is another word. Pride. A word that is common within our community, but in this instance, I’m going to use it to reflect how I feel about the dedicated, enthusiastic, committed staff at LGBT HERO who made all this happen while, like everyone, dealt with new ways of working and huge personal challenges.

We are small but we are mighty.

Alan Palmer LGBT HERO Chair

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Message from the Chief Executive Officer, Ian Howley:

Hello. We’re still here!

Although that sounds funny to say out loud, I remember 18 months ago when COVID began, and everything shut down that this might be it for us. And I wasn’t the only one. I know a lot of our partners were worried about what was about to happen and how we’d all get through it. I’ll tell you; it’s been tough. Running a national health and wellbeing charity during a pandemic at a time when people need us more than ever, but we must focus on making sure we can survive has been one of the most challenging times as a Chief Executive. Nobody teaches you how to run a charity during a global pandemic. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Due to lockdowns, we’ve not been able to do our regular fundraising such as RVT Sports Day and World AIDS Day. This alone meant we lost about £25,000. On top of that with LGBTQ+ venues closed we had no tin/bucket collections for a long, long time. Overall, we estimate that we lost about £40,000. For a small charity like ours, it’s a difficult position to be in. Luckily, we were able to adapt and cut costs while bringing in new contracts and making use of the government’s furlough system to safeguard jobs. And as I said… we’re still here, supporting over 100,000 LGBTQ+ people a month.

However, one positive thing to come from the last year was the ability as an organisation to take a step back and reevaluate who we want to be as an organisation and what we should be doing to support our community. Before the pandemic, we were mainly set up as a parent organisation with two brands; GMFA which is designed to tackle HIV and HIV stigma and OutLife which is designed to tackle the wider health and social inequalities LGBTQ+ people face. And before the pandemic hit this system worked very well. But when you must furlough staff and do the bare minimum to get by you suddenly realise this system won’t work for us moving forward. We also understood that the pandemic was going to move what our community needs in a different direction with a focus on mental health, isolation and loneliness becoming a big part of our future.

In May of 2020, the board and I had an honest conversation about what we needed to do, and we began consultations on how people would react if we merged all our services under one brand - that being LGBT HERO. Therefore, flipping how we presented ourselves with LGBT HERO becoming the public facing organisation and then using both GMFA and OutLife is a smaller capacity. Thus, allowing us to channel all our work through one major brand. A stronger brand. A brand that would possibly help us open some doors up. In October 2020, after consultations it was deemed this approach would be a benefit to us and our community. The biggest stipulation being we make sure GMFA has a future with LGBT HERO. This was also important to me. GMFA has been around since 1992. There’s no way I want it to suddenly disappear.

In late 2020 we began the process. We developed a new logo for LGBT HERO, one that was more community friendly and less corporate. In early 2021 we began merging our services, with both the LGBT HERO organisational website and OutLife coming together under one site. This meant that LGBT HERO now stands as a health promotion website offering info, advice, and support. It took us a few months to get it right but I’m really happy with how it all looks now. In April of this year we officially launched the new site with the logo and explained to our community about our new approach.

The next big merge was moving the GMFA site to sit as a subsite under the LGBT HERO website. In May of this year, we started moving the information over and have set up a subsite which can be accessed here: www.lgbthero.org.uk/gmfa. As I write this the old GMFA site is still live and will be for a little bit longer as we make sure we are confident the traffic GMFA has gained is not lost.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

So, what does this all mean? Well, with this merger and our new direction as a charity we now present to you LGBT HERO - the national health and wellbeing charity supporting over 100,000 LGBTQ+ people a month. LGBT HERO offers trusted information, advice and various types of support including group, peer and one-to-one. And this is now what we do:

www.lgbthero.org.uk: Our site offers information, advice and support on topics including mental health, sexual health, living with HIV, coming out, sexuality and gender identity, sex and relationships, your rights and much more to over 100,000 people a month.

LGBT HERO provides an online peer-support forum where LGBTQ+ people can talk, listen, and support one another in a non-judgemental way moderated by trained staff and volunteers. Our peer-support forums are visited by over 10,000 people a month

FindOut: is an online service finder where you can find over 500 sports clubs, social clubs and support services in London.

LGBT HERO is still the home of GMFA - the gay men's health project. GMFA provides gay, bisexual and trans men who have sex with men with info, advice and support a special hub on www.lgbthero.org.uk and develops social media focused campaigns in a tone that men have come to know GMFA for. GMFA also supports men living with HIV through support groups and creating work that helps tackle HIV stigma such as 'The Undetectables'. GMFA reaches and supports over 125,000 GBT+ men every month.

FS magazine: FS is published six times a year and offers a platform for gay, bi and trans men as part of a service we deliver through GMFA. FS tackles the harder issues such as alcohol, drugs, chemsex, racism within the GBT+ community, mental health and suicide and general sex and relationship advice. FS is currently read by over 800k people a year and you can download it via the FS app on iOS.

HangOuts: In 2020, as a response to the COVID pandemic, LGBT HERO set up online peer-support groups for LGBTQ+ people. These support groups work to bring people, who may be feeling isolated, lonely or not connected with the community, to come together and talk about all thing’s health and life. Our HangOuts programme has several different groups including support for LGBTQ+ people from minority backgrounds. The HangOuts programmes has supported over 1000 people so far.

Campaigns: Developing campaigns and materials is a big part of what we do at LGBT HERO. Over the years we have developed 100s of campaigns and 1000s of supportive materials. And this will continue.

And that’s us in a nutshell. I’m sure there’ll be more developments as we move forward, build our brand, and interact with new service users. But, although the pandemic brought lots of doom and gloom, I think if we work hard on making LGBT HERO a success the future is very bright for us and our community. I firmly believe LGBT HERO can be as big as it wants to be and as long as I’m Chief Executive I’ll continue to make sure we head in the right direction. I’m excited for the journey ahead. Let’s build a happier, healthier community together.

Ian Howley

Chief Executive Officer

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

Despite what COVID and lockdown brought, 2020-21 has been a highly successful year for LGBT HERO. We continue to build ourselves as an LGBTQ+ organisation, which has opened a lot of doors regarding new funding opportunities. We continue to build stronger partnerships with other LGBTQ+ organisations such as London Friend and ELOP. However, our sexual health work continues to lead the way, especially Me. Him. Us. Over the course of the year, LGBT HERO continued to harness the creativity and enthusiasm of its volunteers and staff, the power of social media, and other platforms to deliver effective, ground-breaking HIV prevention, sexual health interventions, mental health, and suicide prevention resources, while also addressing health inequality issues such as mental health.

Here are some of the key successes. In 2020-21 LGBT HERO:

Here are just some of our achievements in greater detail over the course of the year:

COVID related projects

A big part of our work in 2020/21 was our response to COVID. This included running social groups, gaining vital research, and delivering support.

As the pandemic hit, LGBT HERO reached out to prominent people within the community who could help the charity to support those who felt isolated at the beginning of the pandemic. LGBT HERO ran several online group activities including fitness classes, yoga classes and movie nights. In total over 5000 people participated from April - May of 2020. All the activities were delivered through Facebook Live. Eventually as restrictions were lifted there was less of a need for them.

In May 2020, LGBT HERO ran an online survey to ask LGBTQ+ people if the pandemic had affected them personally. The survey was taken by 2333 people and offered a range of information from how people were feeling mentally, physically, and what support they needed. The survey found four-in-five LGBTQ+ people were negatively affected by the first lockdown.

A year later in March 2021, LGBT HERO conducted a follow up survey to see how the last year had affected our community. It was completed by 2723 LGBTQ+ people and found that although people were less depressed, isolated, and anxious there was a big uptick in LGBTQ+ people feeling suicidal or having attempted to take their own lives.

Both pieces of research were sent to PHE and partners who used the information to better understand the needs of LGBTQ+ people and help improve services.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

In September 2020 as part of the London Community response forum, LGBT HERO was awarded a grant to run online peer-support for gay, bi and trans men from South Asian backgrounds. The work was commissioned after the findings of our lockdown survey showed those from minority backgrounds were the most affected by the pandemic. In November 2020 we recruited a freelance support worker who set up and ran the group sessions. Since December 2020 LGBT HERO has supported over 1000 men through this platform. Although the original funding has stopped for this, the group is continuing through the Hatta Hodson Estate fund.

As part of the Hangout programme, LGBT HERO received additional funding from Abbvie, ViiV and MSD to fund HIV support groups for MSM from minority backgrounds. The groups ran from January 2021 and have supported over 200 MSM living with HIV.

In July 2020, as part of a joint bid with London Friend and Elop, LGBT HERO was granted funding to help support its online peer-support forums. As part of the fund, LGBT HERO developed 12 videos where we interviewed service providers throughout England to increase awareness of what they could offer LGBTQ+ people. Some of the organisations we interviewed included Switchboard, Birmingham LGBT+, Mesmac, London Friend, and Elop. The videos were viewed collectively by 70,000 people. The forums during the duration of the grant supported 32,000 people.

In December 2020, LGBT HERO was awarded another grant through the London Community response forum. This time we were funded to develop a brand-new hub for LBT+ women and non-binary people to help develop focused content to support LBT+ women who were negatively affected by the pandemic. The hub went live in February 2021 and has been visited by over 15,000 people.

In December 2020, LGBT HERO was awarded a grant through MAC AIDS to develop support pages for MSM who, due to the pandemic, were engaging in sex outdoors more thus increasing safety issues surrounding sex outdoors. In February 2021, we launched a new ‘Safer Cruising’ hub and since its launch it’s been visited by over 11,000 people. The hub can be found here: www.lgbthero.org.uk/pages/category/cruising

Campaigns

In a normal year we’d have several campaigns but due to COVID and restrictions we were limited in what we could do. In 2020-21, LGBT HERO launched two major campaigns. The first was the PHE HIV and Sexual health Innovation Funded, Me. Him. Us. - more to safer sex. The project, which was launched in September 2020, involved exploring the link between mental and sexual health while providing basic information on how to prevent HIV and STIs. The project was designed by and for Black MSM and the video series reached over three million people.

In October 2020, LGBT HERO launched a new anti-hate crime support hub - which was funded by the National Lottery Community fund. The hub worked to 1) support those who have been affected by a hate crime and 2) offer advice to allies who want to support LGBTQ+ people who have been affected. The hub has a collection of information, advice, and support pages and in 2020/21 has over 80,000 visits. The hub can be found here: www.lgbthero.org.uk/Pages/Category/hatecrime

Although it was a quieter year for campaigns, LGBT HERO reached over 3 million people with important sexual health, mental health, and personal safety advice.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Websites and socials:

GMFA

www.gmfa.org.uk

In 2020/21 the GMFA site was still active. Over the course of the year our website, excluding FS online, received over 900,000 visits. This was slightly down from the previous year of 1.3m as people were in lockdown and there was less demand for sexual health information. However, GMFA still has a good year on social media as we continue to bring information straight to people’s timelines. Including social reach, GMFA reached over 4.2 million people in 2020-21.

Much of the reach remained UK based (76%), although we also received considerable numbers of visitors from the USA, Australia, and Ireland. We also continue to receive traffic from countries where homosexuality is illegal and HIV information is non-existent for gay and bi men, including, Pakistan, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia.

– FS magazine brought to you by GMFA

FS is our bi-monthly health and life magazine for gay and bisexual men, published on the GMFA website. FS provides health and HIV information, advice, support, and research in a clear and understandable format, similar to that used by the commercial gay press, promoting information on gay men’s health and HIV issues. In this way the HIV prevention and sexual health promotion information is embedded within features that align with gay men’s interests and experiences.

In 2020-21, FS was available in online and app editions. All content was also available free via www.fsmag.org.uk.

Over the course of the year, we recorded over 852,876 views of FS content through web, social and digital reach, averaging 142,146 per issue. 71% of FS readers come from the UK.

The magazine deals with gay men’s health holistically, recognising that good sexual health is inextricably linked with emotional health and the ability to hold control over sexual choices. Featured topics included consent, racism, mental health, HIV stigma and relationships. Some of the most popular articles included ‘Infidelity and the gay community’, ‘The modern guide to cruising’, ‘fetish and the gay scene’, ‘Dear White gay men’, ‘Real sex lives of gay men’ ‘ 8 ways to have a happier sex life’ and ‘How to survive a darkroom’.

FS is funded from LGBT HERO reserves, advertising, donations, and sales of the FS app.

OutLife

www.outlife.org.uk

Before the merger of LGBT HERO and OutLife, the site continued to grow from strength to strength since its formation. OutLife offered information, advice, online peer-support, and a London wide support finder service. In 2020-21, OutLife had already received over 680,000 visits, an increase of 41,000, with 81% coming from the UK. OutLife is also receiving large hits from countries where being LGBTQ+ is illegal, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. OutLife’s most read included ‘being non-binary’, ‘ 5 ways to improve your mental health’, ‘ HIV advice for gay men’, ‘What are the signs of depression’ followed by ‘What is sexuality’ and ‘Being transgender’.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Achievements and performance in 2020-2021

For the year ended 31 March 2021

OutLife continued to build its social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and in 2020-21 had a social reach of 666,265 and increase of 211,231 - meaning that in 2020-21 OutLife had a web and social reach of 1.2m. This is an increase of almost 200,000.

For 2021/22 OutLife will be merged with www.lgbthero.org.uk and all stats will be presented as a collective.

- Online peer support

Since January 2019, OutLife has run an online peer support service aimed at providing LGBTQ+ people a platform to talk, share and support one another on a non-judgemental forum, operated by trained staff and volunteers. In 202021, we saw nearly 80,000 people use this service through views and sign ups.

FindOut

In 2019 OutLife launched its online mapping tool, FindOut - funded by City Bridge Trust. The service highlights LGBTQ+ groups, clubs and support options in London. For 2020/21 over 7000 people accessed this service. In December 2020, LGBT HERO was successful in a joint bid with Consortium to extend the funding for this project for the next three years.

Fundraising and community events

Unfortunately, due to COVID, we were heavily restricted in the ability to fundraise in the community. This meant for 2020/21 we were not able to run RVT Sports Day or fundraise for World AIDS Day. Our two biggest events for raising funds. However, RVT Sports Day returned in August 2021, and we managed to raise nearly £11,000.

The loss of fundraising impacted the charity heavily however we are hopefully the worse is over and we won’t see any long-term damage.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Reference and administrative details

For the year ended 31 March 2020

Company number 2702133 Country of incorporation United Kingdom Charity number 1076854 Country of registration England & Wales Registered office and Unit 74 The Link, 49 Effra Road operational address London, SW2 1BZ Directors Directors, who are also trustees under charity law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Alan Palmer Chair Timothy James O'Rahilly Vice Chair (Appointed 2019) Roland Thomas Brunner Treasurer (Appointed 13 November 2018) Seán Cassidy Company Secretary (resigned 10 March 2021) Paul John Raybould (resigned 10 November 2021) John Stone Company Secretary (Appointed 2021) Ian Richard Watters (appointed 14 January 2020) Andrew Frank Goodhead (appointed 10 March 2021) Nicolas Andres Ventosa (appointed 10 March 2021) Peter Bampton (appointed 10 March 2021) Ameet Shah (appointed 14 January 2020; resigned 2 July 2020)

Chief Executive Officer Ian Howley Bankers National Westminster Bank plc 332 High Holborn London, WC1V 7PS

Independent examiner Fleur Holden FCA

Sayer Vincent LLP Chartered Accountants Invicta House 108-114 Golden Lane LONDON EC1Y 0TL

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Directors present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 14 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association, the requirements of a directors’ report as required under company law, and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

LGBT HERO mission:

The mission of LGBT HERO is to improve the health, enhance the well-being, and champion the rights of LGBTQ+ people. HERO recognises LGBTQ+ people as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and any other person who self-identifies within the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

LGBT HERO provides LGBTQ+ people with accurate and credible information so they can build skills that enable them to make informed choices about their health and well-being. LGBT HERO encourages LGBTQ+ people to create social change in our communities by providing a platform where LGBTQ+ people are heard and valued. LGBT HERO’s mission is a guiding principle governing all of our work.

LGBT HERO vision:

LGBT HERO wants to see a world where LGBTQ+ people have the same opportunities in life as all other people and are not disadvantaged by health or social inequalities because of their sexuality or identity.

LGBT HERO values:

HERO’s goals:

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Volunteer leadership

LGBT HERO is a volunteer-led organisation. We use ‘volunteer leadership’ to describe the method by which our volunteers contribute to LGBT HERO and participate in developing its interventions.

Members of the Board of Directors are volunteers elected by the volunteers. Volunteers also steer the organisation as members of the groups who develop projects. All LGBT HERO volunteers have the right to join any group within LGBT HERO.

Volunteers

LGBT HERO believes that health promotion for LGBTQ+ people is fundamentally enhanced when community members take a central role in the development and delivery of projects.

LGBT HERO currently has around 120 volunteers. We welcome volunteers from all sections of the community, although many of our volunteers are gay men. These talented volunteers bring with them a broad range of life experience and professional skills to HERO. Our gay men’s sexual health work delivered under the GMFA brand benefits from the volunteers’ inherent understanding of gay men’s health and the participation of men who are representative of the target audience for our work. Furthermore, our volunteer base is made up of HIV-negative and HIV-positive people, long-standing volunteers with experience of sexual health project development and new volunteers with fresh ideas and ways of working. This range of volunteers brings different perspectives to the development of our HIV prevention campaigns and our resources for gay men living with HIV. Their talent, creativity and life experience are evident in the quality of our work and its success in engaging gay men.

Employees

On 31 March 2021, LGBT HERO had four full time members of staff. The staff team consisted of the Chief Executive Officer, two Project Managers and the Finance/Office Manager. Employees are responsible for the day-to-day management of LGBT HERO and its projects.

Directors

Directors, who are also trustees under charity law, are generally LGBT HERO volunteers and are elected to the Board by members of HERO. Our constitution states that there are normally nine places on the Board.

The term of office for an elected Director is set at four years maximum, and each year at least two members of the Board must stand down. Board members may choose to stand for re-election. New Directors are provided with an induction process led by the Chair, and all Directors may access training based on the skills needed to fulfil their role as a Director as set out in their role description. We have a policy on training, induction, and support of Board members.

The Directors who served during the year and up to the date of this report are as disclosed in the reference and administrative details on page 13.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Partnerships

LGBT HERO’s work is developed in partnership with other voluntary, statutory and research organisations.

LGBT HERO is a partner within the National LGB&T Partnership, a strategic partner for the Department of Health. HERO is also a member of the LGBT Consortium, a national body bringing together LGBTQ+ organisations. Currently LGBT HERO is in a partnership with the LGBT Consortium for the Always Out There project funded by the City Bridge Trust, which will run until December 2023.

In 2020-21 LGBT HERO continued its partnership with the London Friend and ELOP for the LGBT mental health covid response funded by the Big Lottery.

LGBT HERO has strong links with GUM clinics throughout London. This enables us to distribute resources, receive expert advice on sexual health issues and to ensure that the information we disseminate is accurate.

A very valuable partnership is with the gay commercial scene. LGBT HERO would not be as successful as it is without the support and collaboration of pubs, clubs and social groups who raise funds and provide distribution points for our activities, as well as the gay magazines and internet sites that carry our adverts. However due to Covid -19 in 2020 LGBT HERO was unable to run SportsDay in collaboration with the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

About Health Equality and Rights Organisation

History

GMFA (originally Gay Men Fighting AIDS) was founded in 1992, by a group of gay men who felt that there was not enough HIV prevention work being specifically targeted at gay men. GMFA quickly earned a reputation for delivering frank, honest and often sexy campaigns for gay men. The organisation is now known as LGBT HERO (or HERO), and delivers work to address health inequalities that affect the broader LGBTQ+ communities. Our sexual health and HIV prevention work, which remains our core work, is still branded as GMFA.

From the beginning, we used a model of community mobilisation and peer education. Rather than just producing health promotion aimed at gay men, we wanted gay men to play a central role in the development, design and delivery of interventions. This resulted in interventions that spoke to gay men from the perspective of gay men, avoiding the paternalistic approach of some other public health interventions.

In 2001 GMFA merged with the Black gay men’s group Big Up and in 2002, broadened its remit to include all health issues which disproportionately affect gay men over other populations. We changed our mission statement and ‘Gay Men Fighting AIDS’ became ‘GMFA – the gay men’s health charity’.

In 2011 our members voted to expand the remit of the charity to cover health issues for lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. GMFA changed its name to the Health Equality and Rights Organisation (HERO) and we amended our objectives to cover health issues for lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.

Many things about LGBT HERO have changed but recruiting and retaining members of our target groups and keeping them at the heart of our organisation and our work has not. Each year up to 100 people actively volunteer for us, and our methods of developing projects and our policies are built around being a truly volunteer-led organisation.

Structure, governance and management

LGBT HERO is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 31 March 1992 and registered as a charity on 2 August 1999.

Governing document

The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. The Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association were updated in December 2002 to reflect a change in the objects of the charity, a new name and to allow members of the Board to be co-opted.

A further change was made in June 2011 when members voted to adopt a new name, the Health Equality and Rights Organisation (HERO), and to expand our remit to allow us to address the health needs of a wider population, specifically LGBTQ+ people.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

In July 2016, the Articles of Association were amended to:

Objectives and activities

The objectives of the charity as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association are:

a) To protect and preserve public health in particular amongst the gay male, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population of the United Kingdom.

b) To advance public education in the subjects affecting the health of the gay male, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population including the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of illness, in particular through the promotion of research and the dissemination of the useful results of research.

Public benefit

We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the Directors consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

LGBT HERO is achieving public benefit through our work providing health information to members of the LGBTQ+ communities and promoting the health choices that are available to them. This year we have achieved this by improving the effectiveness of our interventions, which include a website, press and online campaigning work and peer support. Whilst these services are mainly aimed at LGBTQ+ people they can also be accessed by any member of the public.

Risk statement

Our major risks have been reviewed by LGBT HERO’s Board and its subgroup, the Risk Subcommittee. The Risk Subcommittee maintains and monitors risks and reports to the Board. A risk register is used with a defined risk scoring approach. The risks are regularly revised to ensure they accurately reflect the current situation.

Our main risk is that we will not find sufficient new sources of funding to allow us to continue operating, although our confirmed income and current reserves are now at a level to allow us to deliver our planned work beyond 2021-2022. We are engaged in a strategy of seeking new funding and a diversity of funding by increasing our support from trusts and foundations, building on our community fundraising and our ability to generate revenue from our activities.

LGBT HERO’s Board of Directors also receives an annual health and safety risk assessment. The planning document for all new interventions now includes a risk assessment.

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Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Remuneration policy for key management personnel

HERO has a staff pay policy, which is reviewed regularly by the Board. It includes pay scales with incremental points for each post within the organisation and specifies how inflationary increases are determined.

Financial review

In 2020-21 HERO has been awarded grants with a total value of £129,301 (from City Bridge Trust, Ester lauder (MAC Cosmetics), Gilead Sciences Ltd, Big Lottery, The National Lottery, The London Community Response Fund, PHE Innvovation Fund, Abbvie, ViiV Healthcare (UK) Ltd., Merck Sharp & Dohme and £33,952 of support grants from the Job Retention Scheme .

The deficit for 2020-21 was £31,374. With the present funding in place, the forecast deficit for 2021-22 is in the region of £74,293. Currently, LGBT HERO is awaiting decisions on additional funding requests that have been submitted. If some of these new sources of income are realised, despite a reduced community fundraising for 2021-22 due to Convid-19 measures in place during the first quarter, the forecast deficit will reduce further on the region of £31,937.

The Directors do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

Reserves policy

At 31 March 2021, LGBT HERO had unrestricted reserves of £113,844. £110,000 of this has been designated to a Capacity Building fund to enable LGBT HERO to hold sufficient cashflow for approximately six months of operating costs while still delivering our core services. This level of designated funds is therefore held to cover the cost of our work until adequate ongoing funding is realised.

LGBT HERO requires reserves primarily for the following reasons:

LGBT HERO’s Board of Directors receives a cashflow forecast on a quarterly basis, in order to monitor the predicted level of reserves over the next 12 months and ensure that the organisation remains sustainable.

16

Health Equality and Rights Organisation

Report of the Directors

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Statement of responsibilities of the Directors

The Directors are responsible for preparing the report of the Directors and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of 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 Directors are required to:

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate 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.

The Directors 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.

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

Approved by the Directors on 10 November 2021 and signed on their behalf by

Alan Palmer - Chair

17

Independent examiner’s report

to the trustees of Health Equality and Rights Organisation

For the year ended 31 March 2021

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Health Equality and Rights Organisation (HERO) for the year ended 31 March 2021.

This report is made solely to the trustees as a body, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. My examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the trustees as a body, for my examination, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Company, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’) .

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Company’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed:

Name: Fleur Holden FCA

Address: Sayer Vincent LLP, Invicta House, 108-114 Golden Lane, London, EC1Y 0TL Date: 6 December 2021

18

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

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

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Unrestricted
Note
£
Income from:
2
46,454
3
-
2
2,306
3
-
3
-
4
65
5
33,952
82,777
6a
43,076
6a
-
6a
4,809
6a
16,348
6a
12,696
6a
-
6a
-
76,929
7
5,848
(21,230)
(15,382)
Reconciliation of funds:
129,226
113,844
Donations
Charitable activities
Net income/(expenditure) for the year
Total expenditure
Charitable activities
Group work
FS magazine
Community development outreach
Group work
Policy
Website
Raising funds
Expenditure on:
Policy
FS magazine
Community development outreach
Investments
Other
Total income
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Consultancy		 Unrestricted
Note
£
Income from:
2
46,454
3
-
2
2,306
3
-
3
-
4
65
5
33,952
82,777
6a
43,076
6a
-
6a
4,809
6a
16,348
6a
12,696
6a
-
6a
-
76,929
7
5,848
(21,230)
(15,382)
Reconciliation of funds:
129,226
113,844
Donations
Charitable activities
Net income/(expenditure) for the year
Total expenditure
Charitable activities
Group work
FS magazine
Community development outreach
Group work
Policy
Website
Raising funds
Expenditure on:
Policy
FS magazine
Community development outreach
Investments
Other
Total income
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Consultancy		 Restricted
£
-
-
-
129,301
267
-
-		 2021
Total
£
46,454
-
2,306
129,301
267
65
33,952		 Unrestricted
£
38,960
-
3,040
28,398
-
219
-		 Restricted
£
-
55,478
-
133,253
3,517
-
-		 2020
Total
£
38,960
55,478
3,040
161,651
3,517
219
-
82,777 129,567 212,344 70,617 192,248 262,865
43,076
-
4,809
16,348
12,696
-
-		 22,577
-
-
142,861
-
-
1,351		 65,653
-
4,809
159,209
12,696
-
1,351		 19,452
-
4,864
16,149
12,569
-
-		 11,471
55,720
-
106,663
-
13,922
3,206		 30,923
55,720
4,864
122,812
12,569
13,922
3,206
76,929 166,789 243,718 53,034 190,982 244,016
5,848
(21,230)		 (37,222)
21,230		 (31,374)
-		 17,583
(7,963)		 1,266
7,963		 18,849
-
(15,382)
129,226		 (15,992)
28,899		 (31,374)
158,125		 9,620
119,606		 9,229
19,670		 18,849
139,276
113,844 12,907 126,750 129,226 28,899 158,125

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disclosed in Note 13 to the financial statements.

19

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Balance sheet

Balance sheet
As at 31 March 2021 Company no. 02702133
Note
12
Current assets:
13
Liabilities:
14
15a
16a
Total unrestricted funds
Unrestricted income funds:
Designated funds
General funds
Total charity funds
Restricted income funds
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets
Total net assets
The funds of the charity:
Debtors
Tangible assets		 £
25,239
115,030		 2021
£
7,140		 £
28,810
146,663		 2020
£
2,656
7,140
119,611		 2,656
155,469
140,270
(20,659)		 175,472
(20,004)
110,000
3,844		 110,000
19,226
126,751 158,125
12,907
113,844		 28,899
129,226
126,751 158,125

The opinion of the directors is that the company is entitled to the exemptions conferred by Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies

The directors acknowledge the following responsibilities:

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

Approved by the Directors on 10 November 2021 and signed on their behalf by

Alan Palmer Chair

20

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

1 Accounting policies

a) Statutory information

Health Equality and Rights Organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office address is Unit 74 The Link, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ.

b) Basis of preparation

The financial statements 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) (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

c) Public benefit entity

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

d) Going concern

The Directors consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The Board has received and noted cashflow forecasts which indicate that HERO is financially sustainable until the end of November 2022. This represents a period of 12 months from the date of this report.

During 2020-21, LGBT HERO successfully obtained grants with a total value of £129,301 from the Big Lottery, London Community Response Fund, City Bridge Trust, The National Lottery Covid-19 response, Ester Lauder (MAC Cosmetis), Gilead Sciences Ltd, PHE Innovation Fund, Abbvie, ViiV Healthcare (UK) Ltd, Merck Sharp & Dohme and £33,952 support grants from the Job Retention Scheme. LGBT HERO also raised income of £46,454 through community fundraising, donations and a generous estate legacy from 'Hatta Hodson' during 2020-21. Over the next year, HERO intends to submit and extend similar series of funding applications and continue its programme of LGBTQ+ community fundraising. Since April 2021 HERO has successfully secured grants income from Gilead, Big Lottery, L.B. of Lambeth and Merck Sharp & Dohme. The Board is currently in the process to implement a restructuring of the organisation. These measures, on a long term basis, will enable HERO to reduce even further its running costs and making its financial sustainabilty more robust and future proof in the coming years. The Board therefore believes that there is a reasonable likelihood of enough income being secured for the organisation to remain a going concern.

The Directors do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

Impact of Covid. Since the onset of Covid outbreak, LGBT HERO had to put swiftly in place control measures needed by these unprecedent situation to keep its staff, its volunteers and its beneficiaries safe while carrying out its activities. LGBT HERO managed to provide it services to its beneficiaries through a series of Covid-19 emergency grants obtained from the Big Lottery, the London Community Response Fund, The National Lottery Covid-19, Gilead Scence (UK) and from the Job Retention Scheme. In October 2020 LGBT HERO moved its premises on to a smaller office space. This measure helped HERO to reduce its running costs while keeping safe its staff and volunteers following the extensive lockdowns implemented by the governament throughout 2020 and 2021.

e) Income

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

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

Income received in advance of the provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

21

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

g) Interest receivable

h) Fund accounting

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.

Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources received or generated for the charitable purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Directors for particular purposes.

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

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

j) Allocation of support costs

Resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. However, the cost of overall direction and administration of each activity, comprising the salary and overhead costs of the central function, is apportioned on the following basis which are an estimate, based on staff time, of the amount attributable to each activity.

Where information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is provided to potential beneficiaries, the costs associated with this publicity are allocated to charitable expenditure.

Where such information about the aims, objectives and projects of the charity is also provided to potential donors, activity costs are apportioned between fundraising and charitable activities on the basis of area of literature occupied by each activity.

2021
Cost of generating funds 23.3%
Community development outreach 46.2%
Group work 0.0%
FS magazine 1.7%
Website 4.1%
Policy 0.6%
Consultancy 0.0%
Support costs 22.7%
Governance costs 1.4%

22

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Support and governance costs are re-allocated to each of the activities on the following basis which is an estimate, based on staff time, of the amount attributable to each activity

Cost of generating funds 25.0%
Community development outreach 70.3%
Group work 0.0%
FS magazine 2.0%
Website 2.5%
Policy 0.2%
Consultancy 0.0%

Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity. These costs are associated with constitutional and statutory requirements and include any costs associated with the strategic management of the charity’s activities.

k) Operating leases

Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

l) Tangible fixed assets

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £500. Depreciation costs are allocated to activities on the basis of the use of the related assets in those activities. Assets are reviewed for impairment if circumstances indicate their carrying value may exceed their net realisable value and value in use.

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

m) Debtors

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

n) Cash at bank and in hand

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

o) Creditors and provisions

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

p) Pensions

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in an independently administered fund. The pension cost charge represents contributions payable under the scheme by the charitable company to the fund. The charitable company has no liability under the scheme other than for the payment of those contributions. As of 1 August 2016 all employees have opted in to the HERO Work Pension scheme provided by AEGON. This was the staging date when the Health Equality and Rights Organisation had to auto enrol to a Work Pension plan. This plan is the same plan that AEGON provided prior the staging date.

23

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

2 Donations

2
Donations
3
Note
(a)
National LGB&T Partnership
LGBT Smoking SMI
Sub-total forFS magazine
Sub-total forPolicy
PHE - Innovation Fund Me Him Us
Gilead Sciences Ltd -Covid-19 Support Grant
MSD - Peer support
London Community Response Fund LBT Support
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Me Him Us
MAC AIDS Fund (MAC Cosmetic) - Me Him Us
Sub-total forCommunity development outreach
TNLRF Covid-19 BAME support
London Community Response Fund Covid-19
Income from charitable activities
NAZ - LSL
ViiV Healthcare UK Ltd - Peer support
GEO - LGBT Health & Social Care
Sub-total forGroup work
King's College London - Marie Curie
City Bridge Trust - LGBTQ+ London engagement
Abbvie HIV Peer Support
Gilead Sciences Ltd - ChemSex Support
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Peer Support MSM
Big Lottery - LGBTQ+ Hate Crime
JellyFish CoNNect Ltd - FS downloads
Total income from charitable activities
Big Lottery - Covid-19 LGBT Mental Health		 Unrestricted
£
46,454		 Restricted
£
-		 2021
Total
£
46,454		 Unrestricted
£
41,950		 Restricted
£
-		 2020
Total
£
41,950
46,454 - 46,454 41,950 - 41,950
Unrestricted
£
-		 Restricted
£
-		 2021
Total
£
-		 Unrestricted
£
-		 Restricted
£
55,478		 2020
Total
£
55,478
-
2,306		 -
-		 -
2,306		 -
3,040		 55,478
-		 55,478
3,040
2,306
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 -
-
14,413
6,883
8,275
18,566
16,835
14,026
8,133
-
-
-
12,718
10,000
4,867
8,935
5,650
-		 2,306
-
14,413
6,883
8,275
18,566
16,835
14,026
8,133
-
-
-
12,718
10,000
4,867
8,935
5,650
-		 3,040
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
28,398		 -
2,500
25,962
4,554
-
-
-
-
-
16,748
24,250
18,600
-
20,000
20,639
-
-
-		 3,040
2,500
25,962
4,554
-
-
-
-
-
16,748
24,250
18,600
-
20,000
20,639
-
-
28,398
-
-
-		 129,301
267
-		 129,301
267
-		 28,398
-
-		 133,253
367
3,150		 161,651
367
3,150
- 267 267 - 3,517 3,517
2,306 129,568 131,875 31,438 192,248 223,685

Note:

4
Income from investments
5
Other income
HMRC Job Retention Scheme
Bank interest		 Unrestricted
£
65		 Restricted
£		 2021
Total
£
65		 Unrestricted
£
219		 Restricted
£		 2020
Total
£
219
65 - 65 219 - 219
Unrestricted
£
33,952		 Restricted
£
-		 2021
Total
£
33,952		 Unrestricted
£
-		 Restricted
£
-		 2020
Total
£
-
33,952 - 33,952 - - -

24

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

6a Analysis of expenditure (current year)

Staff costs (Note 8)
Projects costs
Premises costs
Office costs
Depreciation
Other
Support costs
Governance costs
Total expenditure 2021
Total expenditure 2020		 Cost of
raising
funds
£
43,419
820
4,059
1,096
155
-		 Group work
£
-
-
-
-
-
-		 FS magazine
£
3,069
50
287
77
11
-		 Community
development
outreach
Website
Consultancy
£
£
£
86,200
7,672
-
15,401
2,509
-
8,059
717
-
2,176
194
-
2,022
27
-
-
-
-
113,858
11,119
-
40,710
1,416
-
4,641
161
-
159,209
12,696
-
122,812
12,569
13,922
Charitable activities		 Community
development
outreach
Website
Consultancy
£
£
£
86,200
7,672
-
15,401
2,509
-
8,059
717
-
2,176
194
-
2,022
27
-
-
-
-
113,858
11,119
-
40,710
1,416
-
4,641
161
-
159,209
12,696
-
122,812
12,569
13,922
Charitable activities		 Community
development
outreach
Website
Consultancy
£
£
£
86,200
7,672
-
15,401
2,509
-
8,059
717
-
2,176
194
-
2,022
27
-
-
-
-
113,858
11,119
-
40,710
1,416
-
4,641
161
-
159,209
12,696
-
122,812
12,569
13,922
Charitable activities		 Policy
£
1,086
-
102
27
4
-		 Governance
costs
£
2,694
-
252
68
10
3,575		 Support
costs
£
42,366
-
3,961
1,069
151
10,333		 2021 Total
£
186,506
18,780
17,437
4,707
2,380
13,908		 2020
Total
£
187,107
18,040
20,988
4,886
1,062
11,933
49,549
14,456
1,648		 -
-
-		 3,494
1,180
135		 113,858
40,710
4,641		 11,119
1,416
161		 -
-
-		 1,219
118
14		 6,599
-
(6,599)		 57,880
(57,880)
-		 243,718
-
-		 244,016
-
-
65,653 - 4,809 159,209 12,696 - 1,351 - - 243,718 244,016
244,016
30,923 55,720 4,864 122,812 12,569 13,922 3,206 - - -

'Community development outreach' has been added as a new heading to replace 'Media', due to the nature of the grants received and in light of HERO's strategy for the

25

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

6b Analysis of expenditure (prior year)

Staff costs (Note 8)
Projects costs
Premises costs
Office costs
Depreciation
Other
Support costs
Governance costs
Total expenditure 2020		 Cost of
raising
funds
£
18,983
2,077
2,129
496
108
-		 Group work
£
35,393
433
3,970
924
201
-		 FS magazine
£
3,051
49
342
80
17
-		 Community
development
outreach
Website
Consultancy
£
£
£
67,402
8,334
7,786
11,028
1,268
3,027
7,561
935
874
1,760
218
203
383
47
44
-
-
-
88,134
10,802
11,934
31,132
1,586
1,785
3,546
181
203
122,812
12,569
13,922
Charitable activities		 Community
development
outreach
Website
Consultancy
£
£
£
67,402
8,334
7,786
11,028
1,268
3,027
7,561
935
874
1,760
218
203
383
47
44
-
-
-
88,134
10,802
11,934
31,132
1,586
1,785
3,546
181
203
122,812
12,569
13,922
Charitable activities		 Community
development
outreach
Website
Consultancy
£
£
£
67,402
8,334
7,786
11,028
1,268
3,027
7,561
935
874
1,760
218
203
383
47
44
-
-
-
88,134
10,802
11,934
31,132
1,586
1,785
3,546
181
203
122,812
12,569
13,922
Charitable activities		 Policy
£
2,085
158
234
54
12
-		 Governance
costs
£
2,448
-
274
64
14
3,575		 Support
costs
£
41,625
-
4,669
1,087
236
8,358		 2020
Total
£
187,107
18,040
20,988
4,886
1,062
11,933
23,793
6,401
729		 40,921
13,286
1,513		 3,539
1,190
135		 88,134
31,132
3,546		 10,802
1,586
181		 11,934
1,785
203		 2,543
595
68		 6,375
-
(6,375)		 55,975
(55,975)
-		 244,016
-
-
30,923 55,720 4,864 122,812 12,569 13,922 3,206 - - 244,016

26

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

This is stated after charging:

This is stated after charging:
2021 2020
£ £
Depreciation 2,380 1,063
Operating lease rentals:
Property 15,069 16,861
Accountants' remuneration (excluding VAT):
Independent examination 3,650 3,575

8 Analysis of staff costs, Directors' remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

Staff costs were as follows:

Staff costs were as follows:
Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension schemes
Salaries and wages
Social security costs		 2021
£
164,441
13,844
8,222		 2020
£
164,258
14,630
8,219
186,507 187,107

No employee's earned more than £60,000 during the year (2019-20: nil).

The total employee benefits including pension contributions and national insurance of the key management personnel were £67,345 (2019-20: £61,195).

The charity Directors were not paid for carrying out their duties as trustees and did not receive any other benefits from employment with the charity during the year (2019-20: nil). No amount was paid to Directors for other services provided during 2020-21 (2019-20: nil).

No Directors' expenses have been paid out for reimbursement of travel and subsistence during the financial year (2019-20: nil).

9 Staff numbers

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was as follows:

Group work
FS magazine
Community development outreach
Raising funds
Support
Governance
Website
Policy
Consultancy		 2021
No.
0.76
-
0.06
2.14
0.07
-
0.01
0.92
0.04		 2020
No.
0.38
0.79
0.07
1.85
0.09
0.11
0.04
0.92
0.04
4.00 4.29

10 Related party transactions

There are no related party transactions to disclose for 2020-21 (2019-20: none).

11 Taxation

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

27

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

12 Tangible fixed assets

12
Tangible fixed assets
13
14
15a
15b
Net assets at 31 March 2020
Net current assets
Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year)
Tangible fixed assets
Addition in the year
Accrual income
Analysis of net assets between funds (current year)
At the end of the year
Net current assets
Tangible fixed assets
Net assets at 31 March 2021
Cost
Prepayments
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Disposal in the year
Eliminated on disposal
All of the above assets are used for charitable purposes.
Depreciation
Net book value
At the start of the year
Trade debtors
At the end of the year
Trade creditors
Taxation and social security
At the end of the year
At the start of the year
Charge for the year
At the start of the year
Debtors
Accruals		 General
unrestricted
£
7,140
(3,296)		 Fixtures and
fittings
£
12,060
-
(7,241)
Computer
equipment
£
17,427
6,863
(6,814)
Total
£
29,487
6,863
(14,055)
4,818 17,476 22,294
9,404
664
(7,241)		 17,427
1,715
(6,814)		 26,830
2,379
(14,055)
2,827 12,327 15,154
1,992 5,149 7,140
2,656 - 2,657

£
-
110,000
Designated		 2021
£
15,233
7,759
2,247		 2020
£
20,883
7,927
-
25,239 28,810
2021
£
1,184
12,737
6,738		 2020
£
703
12,710
6,591
20,659 20,004
Restricted
£
-
12,907		 Total funds
£
7,140
119,611
3,844 110,000 12,907 126,751
General
unrestricted
£
2,656
16,570
£
-
110,000
Designated		 Restricted
£
-
28,899		 Total funds
£
2,656
155,469
19,226 110,000 28,899 158,125

28

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

16a Movements in funds (current year)

Movements in funds (current year)
Total restricted funds
Total designated funds
General funds
Designated funds:
Total funds
Total unrestricted funds
TNLRF Covid-19 BAME support
London Community Response Fund Covid-19
Big Lottery - LGBTQ+ Hate Crime
Big Lottery Covid-19 LGBT Mental Health
ViiV Healthcare UK Ltd - Peer support
Merck Sharp & Dohme (UK) Ltd - Peer Support
City Bridge Trust - LGBTQ+ London engagement project
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Me. Him. Us.
Unrestricted funds:
Capacity building
Restricted funds:
MAC Cosmetics -Ester Lauder
National LGB&T Partnership
Gilead Science Ltd - Covid-19 Support Grant
Gilead Science Ltd - Peer Support MSM
PHE Innovation Fund - Me Him Us
Abbvie - HIV Peer Support		 At 1 April
2020
£
-
1,000
-
16,385
11,406
107
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Income &
gains
£
267
-
12,718
-
4,867
14,413
8,275
18,566
10,000
16,835
22,159
8,935
5,650
6,882
Expenditure
& losses
£
(1,351)
(1,353)
(14,275)
(18,197)
(18,069)
(24,017)
(9,418)
(20,678)
(3,548)
(18,711)
(17,012)
(8,127)
(5,350)
(6,683)
Transfers
£
1,084
353
1,557
1,812
1,796
9,497
1,143
2,112
-
1,876
-
-		 At 31 March
2021
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,452
-
5,147
808
300
199
28,898 129,567 (166,789) 21,230 12,907
110,000 - - - 110,000
110,000 - - - 110,000
19,226 82,777 (76,929) (21,230) 3,844
129,226 82,777 (76,929) (21,230) 113,844
158,124 212,344 (243,718) - 126,751

16b Movements in funds (prior year)

Movements in funds (prior year)
Total restricted funds
Total designated funds
General funds
NAZ - LSL
MAC AIDS Fund - Me Him Us
L B Lambeth - Whole Systems Approach - Trans awareness
Big Lottery Fund - Outlife Contents
Abbvie - HIV Peer Support
National LGB&T Partnership
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Me. Him. Us.
King's College London - Marie Curie
Total unrestricted funds
Total funds
Capacity building
Restricted funds:
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds:
Gilead Science Ltd - ChemSex Support
Gilead Science Ltd - Peer Support MSM
PHE Innovation Fund - Me Him Us
City Bridge Trust - LGBTQ+ London engagement project		 At 1 April
2019
£
-
2,525
-
-
-
1,239
-
-
-
15,456
450
Income and
gains
£
3,517
18,600
16,747
24,250
20,639
25,962
2,500
55,478
20,000
-
-
4,554
Expenditure
and losses
£
(3,919)
(20,125)
(17,348)
(7,865)
(9,233)
(27,094)
(2,709)
(57,826)
(22,059)
(17,321)
(564)
(4,919)
Transfers
£
402
-
601
-
-
-
209
2,348
2,059
1,865
114
365		 At 31 March
2020
£
-
1,000
-
16,385
11,406
107
-
-
-
-
-
-
19,670 192,247 (190,982) 7,963 28,898
110,000 - - - 110,000
110,000 - - - 110,000
9,606 70,617 (53,034) (7,963) 19,226
119,606 70,617 (53,034) (7,963) 129,226
139,276 262,864 (244,016) - 158,124

29

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

16 Movements in funds (continued)

Purposes of restricted funds

National LGB&T Partnership This fund was used towards National LGB&T Partnership. There was an overspend of £1,084,
which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves (2019-20: £402).
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Me. Him. This fund was used to develop a unique public facing HIV prevention campaign that promoted HIV
Us. testing, the benefits of TAsP/being undetectable, and provide HIV/STI information aimed at BAME
gay men with imagery and language that speaks to them. There was an overspend of £353 which
had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
Gilead Sciences Ltd - This fund was used to develop support for potential chemsex users and increase awareness of the
ChemSex Support risks involved regarding risky sex practise and drug misuse and increase awareness of hep-C
coinfections of MSM chemsex users living with HIV. There was an overspend of £601 in 20219-20,
which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Peer This fund was used to support an Online Peer Support service for MSM with regards to sex, sexual
Support MSM health, living with HIV and life issues while providing a safe space for MSM living with HIV. There
was an overspend of £1,812, which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
Gilead Sciences Ltd - Gilead This fund was used to support LGBT HERO services during Covid-19 break. There was an oversped
CARE Covid-19 support of £1,557, which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
PHE Innovation Fund - Me Him
This fund was used to develop an online intervention to tackle high rates of HIV and STI
Us transmissions in BAME through 7 multimedia interventions that covered condoms, PrEP, PEP, HIV
testing, STI testing, U=U and mental health. There was an overspend of £1,796 which had to be
covered by unrestricted reserves.
City Bridge Trust - LGBTQ+ This fund was used to develop a mapping tool for LGBTQ+ support organisations in London. The
London engagement project project, in partnership with the LGBT Consortium, aimed to find gaps in the system on a local level
and highlight areas where services are oversubscribed. HERO developed the mapping tool and
promoted its services to LGBTQ+ people, commissioners and potential funders. The three-year
project run up to August 2020. The funding for this service was extended for futher three years.
However due to admin timing, the extention did only start in January 2121, it meant that LGBT
HERO had to incured in an overspent of £9,497 which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
King's College London - Marie This fund was used for HERO's role in the AccessCare project, looking to ensure appropriate end of
Curie life care for LGBTQ+ people through research and the development of training resources for
healthcare professionals. The funding was for HERO's participation in the project’s Advisory Board,
assistance in developing media tools and strategy for recruiting research participants, and for the
development of media resources to support LGBTQ+ people accessing end of life care. There was
an overspend of £209, which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves (2018-19: £752).
NAZ - LSL This fund was used to produce workshops, develop online media strategy via social media, and
web hosting for a survey tool for the RISE Partnership contract commissioned and funded by the
London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham. For 2019-20 there was an overspend of
£2,348 (2018-19: £3,070), which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
MAC AIDS Fund - Me Him Us This fund was used to support Me. Him. Us. - more to safer sex. Gilead Sciences Ltd co-funded the
project. There was an overspend of £2,059 in 2019-20, which had to be covered by unrestricted
reserves.
Big Lottery Fund - Outlife This fund was used to develop within Outlife mapping portal, content in the form of text, video
contents and audio which aims to meet the needs of LGBT people and tackles health inequalities such as
mental health, suicide prevention, isolation and loneliness along with tackling other issues such as;
BME health, trans health, lesbian health, hate crime and LGBT rights in the form of fact sheets, true
life stories, real life advice and support pages which aims to empower their peers to create
personal and social change. There was an overspend of £114 in 2019-20 which had to be covered
by unrestricted reserves.
LB Lambeth - Whole Systems This fund was used towards the 'Whole Systems Approach' method for trans awareness, through
Approach - LGBT inequalities training, advisory and a one day event in the borough of Lambeth. There was an overspend of
trans awareness. £1,865, which had to be covered by unrestricted reserves.
Big Lottery Fund - LGBTQ+ This fund was used towards tackling hate crime in the LGBTQ+communty. There was an
Hate Crime overspend of £1,143, which had to covered by unrestricetd reserves.
Big Lottery - Covid-19 LGBT This fund was used for providing support for LGBT mental health in response to Covid-19 in
mental Health partenship with London Friend and Elop. There was an overspend of £2,112, which had to be
covered by unrestricted reserves.

30

Health Equality and Rights Organisation T/A LGBT HERO

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

16 Movements in funds (continued)

Purposes of restricted funds

Ester Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. This fund was used to support GMFA sex health and wellbeing. The remaining £6,452 will be
(t/a MAC Cosmetics) spent in 2021-22.
TNLRF Covid 19 BAME Support This fund was used towards tackling isolation, lonliness and mental wellbeing support to BAME
living in London. There was an overspend of £1876, which had to be covered by unrestricted
reserves.
London Community Response This fund was used to strengthening LGBT HERO delivering its services online upgrading its
Fund - Covid 19 systems, hardware and software and therefore enabling LGBTQ+ peer support through online
community forums, groupwork. It also enabled to develop online digital media interventions
aimed at Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans women focused on improving mental wellbeing such as
anxiety/depression, tackling isolation/loneliness and increasing knowledge of services who can
support LBT women in London right now. The remaining £5,147 represent the net carrying value
of the IT system purchased.
Merck Sharp & Dohme (UK) Ltd
This find was used to support online peer-support for BAME MSM. The remaining £300 will be
- Peer Support spent in 2021-22.
Abbvie - Peer Support This fund was used to support online peer-support for Black and Asian MSM living with HIV. The
remaining £199 will be spent in 2021-22.
ViiV Healthcare UK Ltd. - Peer This fund was used to support GMFA’s ‘Online peer-support for Black and South Asian MSM Living
Support with HIV. The remaining £808 will be spent in 2021-22.
Purposes of designated funds
Capacity building This fund will be used for our core work until adequate additional funding is realised, and
represents six months' operating costs while continuing to deliver services for the LGBT
Community.

17 Operating lease commitments

The charity's total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is as follows for each of the following periods.


periods.
Less than one year 2021
2020
£
£
1,784
2,426
Property
1,784 2,426

18 Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1.

31