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← Cochlear Implanted Children's Support Group (Cic's Group)

2021-12-31-accounts

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Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support Group

Report and Financial Statements for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the period 1* January 2021 to 31° December 2021

Contents

Page No.

THE COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the period 1* January 2021 to 31" December 2021

The Trustees

Mrs. A.P. Kemp (Chairperson) Mr. J.J. Foster Mr. H. Morgan Mrs. A. O'Donovan Ms. M. Ogwo Ms. D. Tuffs

Registered Office

.

P.O. Box 28843 London SW13 OWY

Charity registration number

1097619

Independent Examiner

M. Emanuel Chartered Accountants 5, Lexham Gardens Mews Kensington London W8 5JQ

Bankers

CAF Bank Ltd. 25, Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ

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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Report of the Trustees for the period 1* January 2021 to 31% December 2021

The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31% December 2021.

Results

The statement of financial activities is set out on page 8 and shows the net income for the period.

Constitution

The Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support Group is registered with the Charity Commission, registration number 1097619. Its affairs are governed by Declaration of Trust which restricts the use of the Charity’s income, such that it must be applied solely towards the objects of the Charity.

Tax status

The Charity is exempt from corporation tax and income tax.

Principal objectives

The principal objectives and activities of the Charity are as stated in the Trust Deed:

‘The relief of need of children who are deaf or have hearing impairment, in particular those who have cochlear implants or are considering cochlear implants and their families, in particular but not exclusively by the provision of advice, support and sponsoring research projects which further this object; and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and other leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said persons.'

Review of the Activities of the Charity

.

The pandemic continued to affect the activities of the Charity, but some of the events were able to go ahead, albeit with restrictions in place in order to meet Government guidelines.

The membership continued to grow, and to keep existing and new members informed of developments in the fields of cochlear implantation and deafness in general four editions of the Charity’s newsletter were produced and distributed during the year. It is the only national newsletter dedicated to families whose children either already have cochlear implants or are being assessed for the procedure, and during the year under review each edition contained a mixture of articles by professionals, parents, implant manufacturers and cochlear implant users of all ages.

Feedback indicated that families found personal stories and articles by parents and young implant users to be inspirational, they enjoyed reading the latest news from implant manufacturers, and they valued the tips, advice and research topics covered in articles by professionals. The section celebrating the achievements of all levels of accomplishments by children and young adults who use cochlear implants including those with considerable additional difficulties also continued to be popular. The younger children were sent a specially designed certificate, the older ones a celebratory card, and all received a small gift voucher.

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The Trustees believe that the newsletter is an important part of what the Charity can offer to families and that there is great value in having a paper newsletter as it is left on coffee tables in homes for the whole family to see, on stands at Auditory Implant Centres where it will be seen by families whose children are being assessed for cochlear implantation, and on conference stands where it raises awareness of the Charity's aims and activities amongst professionals. As newsletters have grown to be in excess of fifty pages it is also not practical to distribute them by email and the Trustees therefore intend to continue producing and distributing the newsletter in paper format. Mindful of costs, however, the Group Coordinator liaises with the printers to ensure that any discounts available are utilised.

The vast majority of the Charity's outgoing mail is franked using its franking machine which provides a discount of approximately 25% on standard postage rates. By using return address labels any newsletters that are undelivered are returned to the Charity, the addressee is contacted by email or telephone to obtain updated details but if there is no response the addressee is removed from the mailing list. This system also helps to keep the Charity's address records up to date. Those wishing to opt out of the Charity's postal communications, which is only the newsletter, can do so by email, telephone or writing. However, the newsletter continues to be popular and the Group Coordinator continues to receive requests from non-members to be added to the mailing list, in which case a small fee is requested to cover printing and postage.

To foster contact between CICS Group members the Charity hosts an invitation-only Facebook group which is only available for CICS Group parents whose children have actually received cochlear implants. The number and content of messages posted on it give testament to the value of this forum. Hosted and monitored by one of the Charity's Trustees the forum's membership has increased considerably during the pandemic and is a resource for lively discussion, questions, responses and the sharing of information. A similar group for teenagers who are cochlear implant users and whose families belong to the CICS Group was set up in 2018 and is monitored by a CICS Group parent who is a secondary school teacher. The Trustees, whilst mindful of the dangers that may be associated with social media, are also aware of the great advantages in putting teenagers in touch with one another in a safe forum. To date, however, the forum has not attracted many members, probably because there are so many opportunities available to teenagers on Facebook which are not monitored.

One of the main aims of the Charity is to facilitate opportunities for families to meet others in similar circumstances. Nowadays many deaf children attend mainstream schools and do not know any other deaf children in their area. This can lead to a feeling of isolation for the children and, indeed their whole family. CICS events give them the opportunity to meet others who face the same daily challenges and to make friends with others who benefit from the same technology. Parents also make friends at these events and enjoy exchanging experiences and learning from one another. As the membership is widely spread across the country, the Charity organises a programme of weekend trips at various locations so as to be accessible to as many families as possible. These trips are all subsidised to some extent by the Charity and, in addition, the Family Sponsorship Scheme set up in 2015 provides funding to enable families on a low income or with exceptional circumstances to attend. During 2021 the Trustees were able to approve funding for all the families who applied for help and met the criteria of the scheme.

The Charity was able to offer one of the usual two annual weekends providing exclusive use of an outdoor activity centre in the Peak District. The centre employs qualified instructors and provides specialist equipment necessary to enable children and parents alike to try a range of activities such as abseiling, canoeing and rock climbing. There was also plenty of spare time to enable children to play together on the basketball court and in the field as well as in the indoor games room. Parents enjoyed getting to know others, and many exchanged contact details. Due to funding received to

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subsidise activity weekends the cost for families was considerably reduced and the weekend was fully booked with a waiting list, partly due to the Centre having to reduce the number of places that could be offered due to restrictions in place as a result of the pandemic.

A weekend at Alton Towers proved more popular than ever with record numbers attending and a few families on a waiting list. Families travelled from all over the country to attend. The format of the event was an informal reception on the Friday evening with various games available for children as well as a volunteer face painter, Saturday in the theme park, followed by a sit-down buffet and entertainment in the evening and a session of exclusive use of the water park on the Sunday. About half of the families had attended a previous CICS Group weekend at Alton Towers, a quarter had been to another previous CICS event and the remainder were attending their first CICS event. Many parents commented on the value of their Cl children being able to meet and spend time with other implant users. A sign language interpreter was provided for the deaf parents and for those Cl users who prefer to sign so that Saturday evening's event would be fully accessible for them. Stuart Wright, who provides the disco and photo booths enlisted the help of two young adult Cl users whose families have been members of CICS for many years to lead the dancing showing the younger children how to do the set dance routines. Feedback on the evaluation sheets for the event was excellent with several families offering deposits for the following year before this had even been booked.

There was also a weekend at Chessington World of Adventures but unlike in previous years the Charity was not able to offer a day option only as the hotel insisted the Charity book twenty rooms meaning that capacity was reached for the Saturday evening venue. Families arrived on the Friday evening and met for a brief reception, and enjoyed Saturday in the theme park followed bya sitdown buffet and family disco in the evening. Parents chatted whilst the younger children enjoyed the musical games before dinner, and later in the evening the older ones enjoyed the disco and trying out all the different props in the photobooth. On the Sunday some families used the hotel's leisure centre whilst others visited the onsite wildlife centre or made a second visit to the theme park. Feedback was excellent, but the possibility of future events at this venue will be kept under review in view of the hotel's requirement for the Charity to book twenty rooms which proved to be a challenge in 2021.

The Charity's afternoon-only events were limited due to Government restrictions in place for part of the year but the Midlands Coordinator was able to organise an afternoon at Blackwell Adventure Centre at Bromsgrove, offering crate-stacking with opportunities to try the indoor climbing wall and a self-led obstacle course as well as a great deal of outdoor space for children to run around. There was also a bouncy castle for the younger children and a buffet style tea laid on for everyone. Families were extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend an event after the lockdown period and the feedback was excellent.

Two of the usual three family days took place at the Thames Valley Adventure Playground, a specialist outdoor and indoor activity centre for children with disabilities including wheelchair users. Indoor activities were not available to the Charity, but fortunately the weather was good on both occasions so there was plenty to occupy the children. This is always a popular event as it is a relaxed venue with plenty to do. Parents are able to chat in the knowledge that their children are in completely safe surroundings, and the event is particularly valuable for those who are considering an implant for their baby or child and want to meet others with first-hand experience. As at all the Charity's events, not only could parents and extended family who also attend ask questions about everyday life with children with cochlear implants, but they could also see first-hand how the children with cochlear implants were communicating and getting on with their lives. Teenagers with cochlear implants also attend these events as helpers and role models and parents regularly report the great value of spending some time with them.

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Trustees and Coordinators

The six Trustees continued in their roles during the year under review. In addition to their role as Trustees, Tricia Kemp and Angela O'Donovan were the Southern and Midlands Regions Coordinators respectively. Vicky Gilbertson continued as the Northern Region Coordinator and Nicky Broekhuizen as the Scottish Region Coordinator.

In the year ending 31st December 2022, an additional Trustee will be appointed who will also act as the charity's Treasurer.

Activities of the Trustees and Coordinators

The regional Coordinators continued to pay a great deal of attention to keeping the Charity’s database of members up to date. Following a request for membership of the group, usually via the Charity's website, initial direct contact is made by telephone and prospective members have to respond to a standard GDPR compliance email before their membership is confirmed. If no response is received after three email reminders and a telephone call their details are removed from the Charity's system. The result is that a few families who apply to join do not actually become members, and although Coordinators’ time has been wasted on the process it is hoped that the caller benefited from the initial conversation. In order for the Charity to maintain its personal contact approach and keep full details of families and their children's cochlear implants the Trustees believe the membership process is robust, although it is regrettable that some families cannot join as they do not complete the GDPR compliance requirement.

Day-to-day activities of the Trustees and Coordinators continued to include providing welcome packs to new members, dealing with telephone, written and e-mailed enquiries from members, non-members and professionals, preparing and distributing the Charity’s newsletter, monitoring the Charity’s email and Facebook page, liaising with cochlear implant manufacturers and with other groups involved with all aspects of deafness or hearing loss, providing articles for various publications, and helping with relevant research projects.

Working with other Groups

In spite of difficult conditions, the Charity maintained its relationships with other organisations sharing an interest in cochlear implantation, kept abreast of their activities and, where appropriate, promoted these to the CICS Group members. In particular there are strong links with The Elizabeth Foundation, Auditory Verbal UK and the National Cochlear Implant Users’ Association (NCIUA). Whenever possible, one of the Trustees or Coordinators helped with any projects undertaken by these organisations during the year.

The Charity is an associate member of the BCIG, and a member of UK Council on Deafness and of The Alliance which is campaigning to raise awareness of deafness generally. In addition, the Charity is a member of the EURO-CIU which campaigns for improved quality of life for cochlear implant users of all ages across Europe. The CICS Group Coordinator also represents the Charity on the Adult Cochlear Implant Action Group ('ACIAG') which is campaigning to raise awareness of the benefits of cochlear implants and of the large number of adults who are suitable for, but not receiving cochlear implants. ACIAG is also lobbying for adult hearing screening, and for more research into bilateral implantation for adults. Having been heavily involved in the process of achieving the NICE guidance that recommended bilateral cochlear implantation for children, the CICS Group is keen to help bring about the availability of this procedure for adults and to relax the audiological threshold criteria for cochlear implantation to be in line with other European countries. During the year the CICS Group became a founding member of the Cochlear Implant International Community of Action which was launched by Sue Archbold and Brian Lamb, both leading figures in the world of cochlear implants.

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The aim of the organisation is to close the gap in cochlear implant provision and ensure lifelong support for all who could benefit, and they have organised several international webinars.

During 2021 the Group Coordinator was able to attend the British Cochlear Implant Group's (BCIG) annual conference which took place online as well as the European Association of Cochlear Implant Users (EURO-CIU) Annual General Meeting which was held virtually. When held in person both these events are excellent sources of interesting and up-to-date articles for the Charity's newsletters but these opportunities were severely reduced by the events being online only.

The Trustees believe it is important for the Charity to support initiatives intended to widen the availability of cochlear implantation, secure funding for the continuation of the service and to maintain a high quality provision for cochlear implant users of all ages. The Trustees will continue to work with and support other charities, support groups and professionals who share these beliefs.

The regional Coordinators have also undertaken literature reviews and helped in a number of research projects organising contact with members whose children met certain criteria sought by researchers. The CICS Group Coordinator continued as Vice Chair of the NCIUA, as a member of a Specialist Sensory Academy, and an associate member of the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD). She also served as the patient representative on a steering group considering the implementation of a National Registry of cochlear implants. Several virtual meetings of the latter took place during the year and it is hoped that the Registry will be launched within the next eighteen months. Furthermore she was a patient representative on a working party reviewing the Quality Standards for Auditory Implant services in Wales.

Other CICS Group Trustees and Coordinators take opportunities to keep up to date with developments in the wider field of cochlear implantation and to secure articles for the Charity’s newsletters.

Finance and Fundraising

Due to the continuing pandemic giving rise to an increasing number of high profile worthy appeals and to people having less disposable income, 2021 was a challenging time for small charities dealing with low incidence disabilities to attract donations. It remains apparent that the most likely source of financial support for the Charity is from the members and their contacts.

The Charity’s policy of not having a membership fee enables all who would benefit from membership to do so, prevents families from being excluded from the group due to financial hardship, and ensures a diverse membership. In addition, the Trustees consider that the administrative burden of introducing an annual membership fee would be too great, and prefer instead to encourage members to make a donation no matter how small, and whenever possible to organise events such as coffee mornings or to ask their local schools, clubs or businesses to adopt the CICS Group as their Charity. However, the Charity continued its annual ‘Voluntary Donations Month' scheme in April with an appeal to members to donate whatever they could afford and to seek out ways of raising money for the Charity. It is difficult to give an exact figure of the amount that this appeal attracts as families send amounts throughout the year, sometimes through online platforms, and some provide support by sponsoring runners who take part in the British 10k Run, but amounts definitely attributable to this appeal were £2,830.

The Trustees were delighted that the British 10k London event was able to take place. The Charity had a debenture block of thirty places of which 26 were filled. The Charity hosted a post-run event for runners and immediate family at Browns Restaurant in Covent Garden and qualified volunteer sports massage therapists were available to help runners recover. So far the event raised £17,101 but some matched sponsorship is still outstanding which is anticipated to increase this amount by approximately £5,500, to be accounted for in next year's Accounts.

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Colin and Jean Sutherland, grandparents of a young adult cochlear implant user, and loyal supporters of the Charity for over twenty years were not able to hold their annual garden party due to the pandemic but kindly organised an online 'no garden party’ event which raised £1,000 for the Charity. Excluding other personal donations, notable amounts received during the year were £5,000 from Kintbury Capital, £6,750 from the Dorothy Hay Bolton Charitable Trust, £1,893.37 from Bloomberg LP, £1,400 from Benevity Charitable Giving, £1,000 from Matthews Wrightson Charity Trust, £1,000 from Movement for Good and £500 from the KW Charitable Trust.

Furthermore, the Trustees were delighted that the organisers of the Heart of England Country Music Festival having been unable to hold their annual event in 2020, chose to continue their pre-pandemic support of the Charity, and the Jepson family who have a young daughter with cochlear implants attended an evening of country music and dancing to receive a cheque for £2,000.

Small amounts were received from Waitrose Community Matters, a scheme that recycles ink cartridges, and from the Amazon Smile initiative.

All donations, no matter how small were greatly appreciated and, in keeping with the general approach of the Charity, all were personally acknowledged. Wherever possible donors were encouraged to use the Gift Aid Scheme so that the tax on personal donations could be reclaimed thus increasing the value of those donations.

As ever, the Trustees remain acutely aware of the vulnerability of the small Charity dealing with a low incidence disability operating in difficult times and competing with larger high-profile charities for funds.

The Charity has no office premises or employees, but in order to maintain and improve the Group’s network and profile and indeed, as an integral part of the Charity's work, the Trustees deemed it necessary in this unusual and challenging year to use available funds to continue to provide a good quality newsletter with a greater amount of content than usual. Looking to the future, they will continue to be mindful of the expense involved in doing so and, as well as seeking new methods of fundraising, will continue to review ways of reducing costs.

Accounts Preparation

The Trustees confirm that the accounts comply with current statutory requirements and with those of the governing instrument.

Approved and signed on behalf of the Trustees on 19th October, 2022.

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Chairperson
Mrs A. P. Kemp
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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Statement of Financial Activities

for the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021

Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total - 2021
Receipts and Payments £ £ £
Receipts
Donations and bequests 36,349 36,349
Fundraising activities 17,434 17,434
Events and activities 410 410
Family activityweekends 615 615
Alton Towers weekend 23,424 23,424
Chessington 7,697 7,697
Other income 2,674 2,674
Investment income 1,064 1,064
Income Tax recoverable 1,128 1,128
Christmas cards 65 65
Total Receipts 56,040 34,819 90,859
Payments
Postage 11,767 11,767
Printingand photocopying 16,001 16,001
Stationery 2,101 2,101
Telephone 529 529
Subscriptions 222 222
Events and activities 530 530
Family activity weekends 3,568
Alton Towers weekend 26,615 26,615
Chessington 18,394 18,394
Promotional items 1,022 1,022
Fundraising activities 1,670 1,670
Purchase of office equipment 699 699
Insurance 514 514
Children's Achievement Awards 922 922
Travel and conference attendance 500 500
Bank charges 99 99
Website and database management 232 232
Other expenses 160 160
Total Payments 35,416 50,128 85,545
Surplus/(Deficit) £20,623 £(15,309) £5,314

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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31° December 2021

At 31.12.21 At 31.12.20
£ £
Assets
Debtors: Income Tax Recoverable 1,128 1,111
Deposits paid forthe following year's events - 2,300
Cash at Bank and on Deposit 145,334 143,611
146,462 147,022
Liabilities - (5,874)
Net Assets £146,462 £141,148
Funds
Balance brought forward 141,148 145,907
Surplus/(Deficit) forthe year 5,314 (4,759)
Balancecarriedforward £146,462 £141,148

Approved and signed on behalf of the Trustees on 19th October, 2022.

[Ue Kerf A. P. Kemp Chairperson

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H. Morgan reer
Trustee
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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Notes to the Financial Statements for the period 1* January 2021 to 31° December 2021

Accounting Policies

The Accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice ‘Accounting by Charities’.

Restricted and unrestricted funds

Funds received by the charity that are earmarked either by donation or by the terms of the grant for particular projects are accounted for as restricted funds. All other funds are unrestricted.

Reserves Policy

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The Trustees deem it prudent to have sufficient reserves to enable the charity to carry out its objectives for the foreseeable future, and have deemed this to be approximately three years' annual expenditure. The reserves are held in a general fund to enable the charity to meet all needs as defined by its Constitution.

Income

Donations and income from fundraising activities are accounted for on a receipts basis.

Voluntary help and gifts in kind

The charity benefits from many voluntary hours contributed by Trustees and supporters. From time to time the charity also benefits from the support of the implant manufacturers, professionals and other organisations. It would be impossible to place a value on all these gifts in kind for which the charity is extremely grateful and without which much of its work could not be undertaken.

Expenditure

All expenditure is included in the statement of financial activities on a payments basis and has been classified under categories which most appropriately reflect the use of the resources.

Value Added Tax

As the charity is unable to reclaim value added tax, all expenditure in these financial statements is shown inclusive of value added tax where appropriate.

Depreciation and Stock

No depreciation is provided on office equipment, which is charged to the income and expenditure account in the period when purchased. The charity holds no stock.

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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Notes to the Financial Statements for the period 1* January 2021 to 31" December 2021

1) Income and Expenditure

a) Donations and bequests Unrestricted Funds
£
Dorothy Hay Bolton 6,750
Kintbury Capital 5,000
Bloomberg 1,893
K.W. Charitable Trust 500
Matthews Wrightson Ch. Trust 1,000
Movement forGood 1,000
Benevity Charitable Giving 1,400
Heart of England Country Music Festival 2,000
The Sutherland familygarden party 1,000
Individual donations and bequests of less than £500 15,806
£36,349
b) Fundraising Events
Sizeable fundraising events organised by and forthe charity during 2021
included: £
British London 10k (net ofexpenses of£1,120) 15,981
Other amounts of£500 or less 333
£16,314
c) Investment Income
Bank Interest £1,064
d) Direct Charitable Expenditure
Family activity weekends (£3,568 - £615) 2,953
Events and activities(£530 -£410 ) 120
AltonTowers (£26,615 - £23,424) 3,191
Chessington (£18,394 - £7,697) 10,697
Children’s Achievement Awards 922
Telephone
- family contact		 529
Printing, stationery and postage 29,869
£48,281

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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Notes to the Financial Statements for the period 1* January 2021 to 31° December 2021 (cont.)

1) Income and Expenditure (cont.)

e) Management and Administration of Charity £
Travel & Conference attendance 500
Subscriptions 222
Insurance 514
Bank charges 99
Website and Database Administration 232
Purchase of office equipment 699
Other expenses 160
£ 2,426

f) Trustees’ remuneration

No trustees received any remuneration during the period but three Trustees were reimbursed expenses totalling £6,999in respect of the administration costs of coordinating the four regions, attending and participating in specific physical and online conferences and making various purchases on behalf of the charity. This expenditure is allocated over various headings in the Statement of Financial Activities.

2) Assets

Cash at bank: CAF Current Account 26,186
CAF Deposit Account 11,160
Virgin Charity Deposit Account 20,834
Cambridge and Counties Bank 87,154
£145,334

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COCHLEAR IMPLANTED CHILDREN'S SUPPORT GROUP

Independent Examiner’s Report on the Income and Expenditure Accounts for the period 1* January 2021 to 31" December 2021

Registered charity number: 1097619

Responsibilities | report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the and basis of Report above charity (‘the Trust') for the year ended 31st December, 2021, as set out on pages 8 to 12.

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

| report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

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

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Date: 19th October, 2022

M. Emanuel, Chartered Accountants, 5, Lexham Gardens Mews, Kensington, London, ws 5JQ.

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