News Update, Spring 2023
When good people come together, good things happen
When we started out, 25 years ago this spring, we simply wanted to prevent the sale of Holcot and save it from the developers. Once that had been achieved, the Friends of Holcot became a registered charity with the simple aim of refurbishing and modernising to ensure it remained relevant to future generations.
Our community outreach project was something we ‘added on’ but, as with many other charities, the pandemic years changed everything forever. We saw a dramatic increase in demand for our services from local families, resulting in the implementation of emergency projects, bringing with it considerable growth. Fortunately, we had plenty of offers of help and the rest is history.
However, with growth often comes change and we recognise that our community projects now take prominence over everything else. Going forward, therefore, we feel the time is right that our ‘identity’ better reflects who we are and what we do, so have formally changed our name from The Friends of Holcot Charitable Trust simply to Holcot Charitable Trust. Our facebook page will remain in the name of the Friends of Holcot but will now encompass the 80+ families registered with our community projects, the many isolated adults that have been drawn to us over the last 3 years, groups that use our centre and those individuals for whom Holcot continues to be special.
To add to our workload, following our recent cyber security health check, we found concerns regarding the security of our email provider so decided to make all our changes at once and get them over and done with so-to-speak. We will continue to monitor the old email accounts but ask that you please take note of our updated contact information as follows:
HCT email admin@holcotcharitabletrust.co.uk Holcot Email lesley@holcotgroupholidaycentre.co.uk
Premises
Following completion of our c22 year-long period of refurbishment and modernisation, we finished with some improvements in the garden and have planted a beautiful cherry blossom tree in memory of those friends no-longer with us. We were also asked by several groups to upgrade the fence along our border and that was completed during the winter shut-down.
Awards
Whilst we do not seek public recognition for our work, we are thrilled to report that this year, both Audrey and Lesley have been recognised for their efforts. In September Lesley received the BBC Radio Fundraiser of the Year Award for Kent and, in March of this year, Audrey received the Sevenoaks District Council Lifetime Achievement Award.
Community Projects Update
Coach Day’s Out … Day trips to historic Greenwich Park with its free museums, and the seaside were
laid on during the spring and summer. Littlehampton is always a favourite and two coaches plus c12 cars, headed to the beach to make the most of the sunny weather. It cost a small fortune but we managed to give every child a free ride armband for Harbour Park amusements and set them the challenge of getting our money’s worth. As always, however, the highlight of the
year was the annual Christmas panto and, thanks to one of our regular funders, we have already purchased the tickets for this year, even managing to increase to a staggering 147!
Food Poverty/Healthy Eatng … Funding for this came to an end at ~~——— SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsss~~ Christmas but we ‘went out with a bang’, providing an impressive 71 substantial hampers plus a further 16 goody bags for additional isolated adults, bringing a very jolly Christmas to c300 people! The final spend on this project was c£34k but, as the hampers have been so appreciated over the last three years, we will attempt to continue raising the £3.5k a year needed.
Hardship Grants … We continue to help youngsters access funding a8 Nome . ‘S , ba through a referral agency scheme including for specialist educational assessments, equipment, transport, and clothing to enable them to continue in education. In addition to which, our own hardship fund has now provided in excess of 100 grants since its inception, paying for items such as bedding, coats, clothing, trainers, shoes, school uniforms, baby milk, nappies, and baby ‘essentials’ etc. We were then invited to partner with the Household Support Fund and managed to help households access just over £8k worth of fuel vouchers.
Laptops … This largely came to an end during the year. The final number of new Chromebooks and storage bags gifted to local disadvantaged youngsters was 110.
Mentoring … We have never forgotten the help we received from Kent Community Foundation in the early days and now offer the same support to struggling smaller groups in the area. We are currently working with 2, helping them to become established with formal Constitutions, policies, accounts and to access vital funding.
Social Support Lunch Club … Launched in the autumn, this initiative enables isolated adults to come together for lunch and some fun activities such as bingo, quizzes, games, and competitions.
Supported Group Holiday … In August 2022 the second supported group holiday took place and 34 very happy campers headed to Butlins in Bognor.
Wellness … Free swimming pool parties continued fortnightly throughout the year enabling families to have fun whilst exercising with others in similar circumstances. The Halloween and Christmas parties were especially popular, but plans to resume at Easter had to be put on hold when the local leisure centre closed temporarily. Luckily, for us the Royal British Legion stepped in and provided a meeting place in town for the Easter Bunny to give out the Easter eggs.
Holcot Charitable Trust – Report & Accounts 2022-23
Legal and Administrative
Holcot Charitable Trust (as was The Friends of Holcot Charitable Trust) is governed by a Declaration of Trust, executed on the 24[th] day of April 2002, registered by the Charity Commission on the 5[th] day of June 2002. Financial records are kept using the simple ‘receipts & payments’ method, and this year were independently examined by Mrs A Boylan, 36 Wellingtonia Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 5RA. A bank account is maintained with Lloyds Bank and payroll services are provided by Cadence Accounting, Station Road East, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0QE.
Trustees and Governance
Trustees that served during the accounting period were Miss Christina Andrews MA, Miss Lesley Andrews, Mrs Audrey Batchelor, Miss Lauren Martin BA, and Mr Kieran Reed. All serve a four-year term and have the power to appoint new Trustees by majority decision. Miss Martin is also employed 10 hours a week by the charity to assist with confidential matters relating to our community projects. She is remunerated in line with our commitment to the Living Wage Foundation.
Objects and Operations
The Charity has two aims. The first is to support the use of Holcot as a charitably run self-catering group holiday centre, primarily for the benefit of organised children’s groups, including those considered to be disabled and/or having extra or complex needs. The second is to improve the lives of local (Edenbridge and surrounding Parishes) disabled and/or otherwise disadvantaged children and their families and is achieved through the provision of a series of community projects.
Volunteers
There are c25 volunteers who help to keep all costs to an absolute minimum. They are subject to DBS checks and receive training in first aid and safeguarding. Further CPD certified training is available in an extensive range of subjects through Kent Safeguarding Children Board’s e-learning programme.
Policies
Policies are reviewed annually – the following are available on request: Code of Conduct for Trustees, Community Projects, Complaints, Conflict of Interest, Cyber Security, Data Protection, Day’s Out/Coach Travel, Emergency Hardship Fund, Ethical Fundraising, Equality & Diversity, Financial Control, Harassment (includes Bullying & Abuse), Risk Management, Safeguarding, Social Media and Volunteer.
Accreditations
The charity continues to fulfil the requirements for the Charity Excellence quality mark and for accreditation as a Living Wage Employer.
Achievements and Performance
Holcot … The Centre continues to welcome a variety of groups (including from overseas) and has bookings for more than a year ahead. Having completed our 22-year programme of refurbishment and modernisation we surveyed our regular visitors who asked for one last project and that was the upgraded fencing along our border. This was completed during our winter shut-down so, in theory, everything really is now finally done!
Community Projects … Our main community projects continued to be the free coach days out, educational laptops, food poverty, access to hardship grants & fuel vouchers, free family-based pool parties, Christmas hampers, as well as a variety of celebratory events. Games, competitions, wellness and ‘keeping connected’ initiatives continue to run through our facebook page and we were also able to launch our social support lunch club plus new mentorship programme to help smaller groups become established and raise vital funds.
Awards … In March 2022 we were honoured with the Sevenoaks District Charity Project of the Year Award. Whilst we do not actively seek this type of recognition, we are thrilled that one of our Trustees was also honoured in September by BBC Radio Kent with their Fundraiser of the Year Award and, in March 2023, another was presented with the Sevenoaks District Lifetime Achievement Award.
Financial
The charity seeks grants and donations on a project-by-project basis but does not raise funds from the general public. Nor does it crowdfund or employ the services of consultants/third-party fundraisers. All funds are considered restricted and the policy is to not hold funds in reserve unless committed to a specific purpose. During the accounting year donations were received from individuals and c30 Charitable Trusts, Foundations, and other grant-making organisations. The following accounts have been independently examined and approved by the Trustees:
B/F from previous year INCOME Donations Grants Grants (Hardship/Referral Partners) Grants (Rcvd on Behalf of Others) HMRC Gift Aid Interest (Lloyds Bank) Total Income EXPENDITURE Community Projects Core Costs Equipment Fencing Project Grants Rcvd/Repaid to others Total Expenditure |
£ £ 18,016.23 12,919.19 56,671.00 4,850.00 275.00 1,181.25 48.55 75,944.99 75,944.99 93,961.22 33,336.01 16,341.42 2,971.74 5,794.98 2,275.00 60,719.15 60,719.15 £33,242.07 |
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NB all monies carried forward are restricted/committed funds
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusleesl members of The Friends of Holcot On accounts for the year ended Charity no gh April 2023 1092332 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the al)ove charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended 0510412021. R08pon•lbllltl¢• •nd A8 the charty trustees of the Tntst, you are responsible for the preparation bas1• of report of the accounts in accordance wrth the requirements of the Charitses Act 2011 {'the Acf) I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under secb'on 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examinalion, I have folky•1 the applicable Directions given by the Charrty Commission under section 1495)(b) of the A I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention in connedion with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kepl in aordance with seGtion 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord vath the a(*ounllng records Independent examlnerfs statement I have no concems and have come across no matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the account8 to be reactrEd. Signod: Date: 1310412023 Alison Boylan Address.. 36 Wellirwonia Way Edenbridge KETrtr TN8 5RE Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to hhlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of thanty accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). IER October 2018