COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 05468592 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1110632
Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd. Company Limited by Guarantee Financial Statements 31 March 2024
McGILLS
Chartered Accountants Oakley House Tetbury Road Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 1US
Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial Statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustees' annual report (incorporating the director's report) | 1 |
| Independent examiner's report to the trustees | 3 |
| Statement of financial activities (including income and | |
| expenditure account) | 4 |
| Statement of financial position | 5 |
| Notes to the financial statements | 6 |
Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)
Year ended 31 March 2024
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Reference and administrative details
Registered charity name Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd. Charity registration number 1110632 Company registration number 05468592 Principal office and registered Cirencester Baptist Church office Chesterton Lane Cirencester GL7 1YE
The trustees
Mr A R Jones Ms E C Baker (Resigned 9 October 2023) Ms C N Ford Mr S D Kaufmann Mrs C M Partridge Mr D A J Pointet Mr R G L Waller Mrs C Hall (Resigned 15 June 2023) Mr M F Hellens (Resigned 1 April 2023) Independent examiner Helen Jones Oakley House Tetbury Road Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 1US
Structure, governance and management
The details of the structure and organisation are included in the accompanying Annual Report.
Objectives and activities
Please see the Annual Report for the full objectives and activities of the charity.
Achievements and performance
Please see the Annual Report for the achievements and performance for the year ended 31st March 2024.
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Home-start Cotswolds Ltd. Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorfs Report) (¢onlln¢MdJ Year ended 31 March 2024 Financial review The accounts show a deficit of £19,311 compared to a deficrt of £4,694 in 2023. More detsils of the financial posib'on ofthe Charity 18 given in the Annua Rep)rt. Small cornpany provisions This Teport has been prepared in accordance with thè provi&ons apICate to companies ents'tl8d to thè small companies exempts'on. Thé trustee8' annual report was approved on trustees by.. and signed on behalf of the 08rd of £LI- Jon Mr S D Kaufmann Trusteè Trust
Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Year ended 31 March 2024
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd. ('the charity') for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements 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 charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
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the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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.
Helen Jones Independent Examiner
Oakley House Tetbury Road Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 1US
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account)
Year ended 31 March 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | ||||
| funds | funds | Total funds | Total funds | ||
| Note | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income and endowments | |||||
| Donations and legacies | 5 | 120,860 | 2,500 | 123,360 | 121,142 |
| Investment income | 6 | 1,802 | – | 1,802 | 375 |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ||
| Total income | 122,662 | 2,500 | 125,162 | 121,517 | |
| ================================ | ======================= | ================================ | ================================ | ||
| Expenditure | |||||
| Expenditure on charitable activities | 7,8 | 135,533 | – | 135,533 | 116,415 |
| Other expenditure | 9 | 8,941 | – | 8,941 | 9,796 |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ||
| Total expenditure | 144,474 | – | 144,474 | 126,211 | |
| ================================ | ======================= | ================================ | ================================ | ||
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ||
| Net expenditure and net movement | in | ||||
| funds | (21,812) | 2,500 | (19,312) | (4,694) | |
| ================================ | ======================= | ================================ | ================================ | ||
| Reconciliation of funds | |||||
| Total funds brought forward | 96,916 | – | 96,916 | 101,610 | |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ||
| Total funds carried forward | 75,104 | 2,500 | 77,604 | 96,916 | |
| ================================ | ======================= | ================================ | ================================ |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 6 to 13 form part of these financial statements.
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Home-start Cotswolds Ltd. Company Limited by Guarantee Statèment of Financial Position 31 March 2024 2024 2023 Note Flxed assets Tangible fi'xed asset8 14 1,425 703 Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand 15 1,827 97,681 78,603 78,825 99,508 Credltors: amounts falllng due wlthln one yeaf Net current assets 16 2,646 3,295 96.213 96,916 76,179 Total assets less cuffent Ilabllltie5 77,604 77,604 Net assets 96,916 Funds of thecharlty Restricted fund5 Unrestricted funds 2,500 75,104 TI,604 96,916 96,916 Total charlty funds 18 For the year ending 31 March 2024 the charity was enkn'ded to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies A¢t 2006 relating to small companies. Directors, reswn8ih'lities'. The mernrs have not required the company lo obtain an aud't of its financial statements for thè year In question in accordance wlh sedion 476., The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for comFAying wth the requirements of the Act wth respect to accounts'ng record5 and the prepaiatson of financial stalements. These financial statemènts have been prepared in accordance wth the provtsions apklicat4e to companies subject to the small companies, r&gim&. These financial statements were approved ty the b)ard of trustses and authori8ed for issue on and are gned on behalf of the board by. MrA Trustee Mr S D Kaufmann Trustee The notes on pages 6 to 13 foryn part of those financial statements.
Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements
Year ended 31 March 2024
1. General information
The charity is a public benefit entity and a private company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales and a registered charity in England and Wales. The address of the registered office is Cirencester Baptist Church, Chesterton Lane, Cirencester, GL7 1YE.
2. Statement of compliance
These financial statements have been prepared in compliance with FRS 102, 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland', the 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)) and the Companies Act 2006.
3. Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair value through income or expenditure.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.
Going concern
There are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue.
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees to further any of the
charity's purposes.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular future project or commitment.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through the terms of an appeal, and fall into one of two sub-classes: restricted income funds or endowment funds.
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
3. Accounting policies (continued)
Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity; it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
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income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
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legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.
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income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers.
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income from contracts for the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it to be spent on a particular purpose and returned if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricted.
Resources expended
Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates:
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expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, non-charitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
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expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
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other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.
All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.
Tangible assets
Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. Any tangible assets carried at revalued amounts are recorded at the fair value at the date of revaluation less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
3. Accounting policies (continued)
Tangible assets (continued)
An increase in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of a revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses, unless it reverses a charge for impairment that has previously been recognised as expenditure within the statement of financial activities. A decrease in the carrying amount of an asset as a result of revaluation, is recognised in other recognised gains and losses, except to which it offsets any previous revaluation gain, in which case the loss is shown within other recognised gains and losses on the statement of financial activities.
Depreciation
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows:
Plant and machinery - 33% reducing balance Equipment - 25% straight line
Impairment of fixed assets
A review for indicators of impairment is carried out at each reporting date, with the recoverable amount being estimated where such indicators exist. Where the carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount, the asset is impaired accordingly. Prior impairments are also reviewed for possible reversal at each reporting date.
For the purposes of impairment testing, when it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, an estimate is made of the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs. The cash-generating unit is the smallest identifiable group of assets that includes the asset and generates cash inflows that largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets.
For impairment testing of goodwill, the goodwill acquired in a business combination is, from the acquisition date, allocated to each of the cash-generating units that are expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination, irrespective of whether other assets or liabilities of the charity are assigned to those units.
Financial instruments
Financial instruments are classified and accounted for, according to the substance of the contractual arrangement, as either financial assets, financial liabilities or equity instruments. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.
Defined contribution plans
Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that the prepayment will lead to a reduction in future payments or a cash refund.
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
3. Accounting policies (continued)
Defined contribution plans (continued)
When contributions are not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months of the end of the reporting date in which the employees render the related service, the liability is measured on a discounted present value basis. The unwinding of the discount is recognised as an expense in the period in which it arises.
4. Limited by guarantee
The liability of the members is limited by guarantee.
5. Donations and legacies
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total Funds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2024 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Donations | |||||
| Trusts and funders | 93,784 | – | 93,784 | ||
| Donations | 19,834 | – | 19,834 | ||
| Fundraising events | 3,718 | – | 3,718 | ||
| Gift aid | 524 | – | 524 | ||
| Grants | |||||
| Other revenue | 3,000 | 2,500 | 5,500 | ||
| -------------------------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | |||
| 120,860 | 2,500 | 123,360 | |||
| ================================ | ======================= | ================================ | |||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total Funds | |||
| Funds | Funds | 2023 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Donations | |||||
| Trusts and funders | 102,801 | – | 102,801 | ||
| Donations | 15,223 | – | 15,223 | ||
| Fundraising events | – | – | – | ||
| Gift aid | 118 | – | 118 | ||
| Grants | |||||
| Other revenue | 3,000 | – | 3,000 | ||
| -------------------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------- | |||
| 121,142 | – | 121,142 | |||
| ================================ | ============== | ================================ | |||
| 6. | Investment income | ||||
| Unrestricted | Total Funds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | ||
| Funds | 2024 | Funds | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Interest income | 1,802 | 1,802 | 375 | 375 | |
| ======================= | ======================= | ============== | ============== |
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
7. Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type
| Unrestricted | Total Funds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | 2024 | Funds | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Support costs | 135,533 | 135,533 | 116,415 | 116,415 | |
| ================================ | ================================ | ================================ | ================================ | ||
| 8. | Expenditure on charitable activities by activity type | ||||
| Support | Total funds | Total fund | |||
| costs | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Governance costs | 135,533 | 135,533 | 116,415 | ||
| ================================ | ================================ | ================================ | |||
| 9. | Other expenditure | ||||
| Unrestricted | Total Funds | Unrestricted | Total Funds | ||
| Funds | 2024 | Funds | 2023 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Staff expenses | 2,889 | 2,889 | 3,886 | 3,886 | |
| Volunteer expenses | 1,586 | 1,586 | 3,050 | 3,050 | |
| Home start and other fees | 2,222 | 2,222 | 12 | 12 | |
| Fundraising | 75 | 75 | 48 | 48 | |
| Bank Fees | 1 | 1 | 35 | 35 | |
| Family support | 552 | 552 | 391 | 391 | |
| General expenses | 1,616 | 1,616 | 2,374 | 2,374 | |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------- | ||
| 8,941 | 8,941 | 9,796 | 9,796 | ||
| ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ======================= | ||
| 10. | Net expenditure | ||||
| Net expenditure is stated after charging/(crediting): | |||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Depreciation of tangible fixed assets | 662 | 589 | |||
| ============== | ============== | ||||
| 11. | Independent examination fees | ||||
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Fees payable to the independent examiner for: | |||||
| Independent examination of the financial statements | 612 | 585 | |||
| ============== | ============== |
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
12. Staff costs
The total staff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows:
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Wages and salaries | 113,435 | 93,961 |
| Social security costs | 941 | – |
| Employer contributions to pension plans | 3,896 | 3,095 |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | |
| 118,272 ================================ |
97,056 ============================ |
The average head count of employees during the year was 8 (2023: 8). The average number of full-time equivalent employees during the year is analysed as follows:
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| No. | No. | |
| Number of staff | 4 | 4 |
| ============== | ============== |
No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2023: Nil).
13. Trustee remuneration and expenses
No remuneration was received in the year by the trustees.
14. Tangible fixed assets
| Plant and | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| machinery | Equipment | Total | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Cost | ||||
| At 1 April 2023 | 891 | 2,013 | 2,904 | |
| Additions | – | 1,384 | 1,384 | |
| -------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------- | ||
| At 31 March 2024 | 891 | 3,397 | 4,288 | |
| ============== | ======================= | ======================= | ||
| Depreciation | ||||
| At 1 April 2023 | 717 | 1,484 | 2,201 | |
| Charge for the year | 57 | 605 | 662 | |
| -------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------- | ||
| At 31 March 2024 | 774 | 2,089 | 2,863 | |
| ============== | ======================= | ======================= | ||
| Carrying amount | ||||
| At 31 March 2024 | 117 | 1,308 | 1,425 | |
| ============== | ======================= | ======================= | ||
| At 31 March 2023 | 174 | 529 | 703 | |
| ============== | ======================= | ======================= | ||
| 15. | Debtors | |||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| £ | £ | |||
| Prepayments and accrued income | 222 | – | ||
| Other debtors | – | 1,827 | ||
| -------------- | ----------------------- | |||
| 222 | 1,827 | |||
| ============== | ======================= |
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
16. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Trade creditors | 354 | – |
| Accruals and deferred income | 1,126 | 2,667 |
| Social security and other taxes | 606 | – |
| Other creditors | 560 | 628 |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------- | |
| 2,646 | 3,295 | |
| ======================= | ======================= |
17. Pensions and other post retirement benefits
Defined contribution plans
The amount recognised in income or expenditure as an expense in relation to defined contribution plans was £3,896 (2023: £3,095).
18. Analysis of charitable funds
Unrestricted funds
| Unrestricted funds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At | |||||
| At | 31 March | 20 | |||
| 1 April 2023 | Income | Expenditure | 24 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| General funds | 96,916 | 122,662 | (144,474) | 75,104 |
|
| ============================ | ================================ | ================================ | ============================ | ||
| At | |||||
| At | 31 March | 20 | |||
| 1 April 2022 | Income | Expenditure | 23 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| General funds | 101,610 | 121,517 | (126,211) | 96,916 |
|
| ================================ | ================================ | ================================ | ============================ | ||
| Restricted funds | |||||
| At | |||||
| At | 31 March | 20 | |||
| 1 April 2023 | Income | Expenditure | 24 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Restricted Funds | – | 2,500 | – | 2,500 | |
| ============== | ======================= | ============== | ======================= | ||
| At | |||||
| At | 31 March | 20 | |||
| 1 April 2022 | Income | Expenditure | 23 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Restricted Funds | – | – | – | – | |
| ============== | ============== | ============== | ============== |
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Home-Start Cotswolds Ltd.
Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes to the Financial Statements (continued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
19. Analysis of net assets between funds
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Tangible fixed assets | 1,425 | – | 1,425 |
| Current assets | 76,325 | 2,500 | 78,825 |
| Creditors less than 1 year | (2,646) | – | (2,646) |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------- | |
| Net assets | 75,104 | 2,500 | 77,604 |
| ============================ | ======================= | ============================ | |
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total Funds | |
| Funds | Funds | 2023 | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Tangible fixed assets | 704 | – | 704 |
| Current assets | 99,507 | – | 99,507 |
| Creditors less than 1 year | (3,295) | – | (3,295) |
| ---------------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------- | |
| Net assets | 96,916 | – | 96,916 |
| ============================ | ============== | ============================ |
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Annual Report April 2023-March 2024
HOME-START COTSWOLDS c/o Cirencester Baptist Church Chesterton Lane Cirencester Gloucestershire GL7 1YE
01285 885391 office@home-start-cotswolds.org.uk www.home-start-cotswolds.org.uk
Company Number: 5468592 Charity Number: 1110632
MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR
This year marked a significant personal milestone for me as it was my first time serving as chair of any charity. As a qualified accountant, my prior volunteer work had always been as a treasurer. I must confess, stepping into the role of chair initially filled me with trepidation, but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching experience.
It has been a very interesting year for Home-Start Cotswolds. We experienced staff changes, including departures, new arrivals, promotions and re-shuffles. Yet, through these changes, we managed to make it another successful year. A highlight was welcoming Katie Wilson to our board of trustees. Her experience in HR has been invaluable, especially during our period of staff transitions.
We also had a busy year filled with significant events. Our charity's profile was notably raised by a well-attended event featuring honourable guests including the Mayor of Cirencester, the High Sheriff and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant to name a few. Debbie Holland, one of our volunteers, gave aT wonderful talk at this event, providing great insight into the life of a volunteer and the families we assist. I also had the opportunity to share some impactful numbers: in 2023, we supported 145 families and raised the required £140k, thanks to the support of our funders. We are incredibly grateful for every donation, big or small.
Carla Partridge at the AGM 2023
Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunities that lie before us and we are confident that with your ongoing support, we will achieve amazing results. We also recognise that the success of our charity is not just measured in the milestones we reach but also in the lives we touch.
We invite you to stay engaged with our cause. Whether it is through volunteering, advocating, or continuing your financial support, your involvement is crucial to our success.
Thank you once again for your unwavering commitment to Home-Start Cotswolds. Together, we are making a difference.
I feel confident when referring to Home-Start that families are going to get the support they need. HomeStart keeps us well informed and we have good connections with the team which reassures us that families will benefit from their support. I feel privileged to be able to refer as a professional, as I, myself, benefited so much from Home-Start support during my postnatal period.”
Nat Flight, Community Support Worker, Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Community Team (April 2024)
Carla Partridge Chair of Trustees
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THE HEART OF HOME-START
Home-Start Cotswolds is a family support charity, helping families with young children through their toughest times. As we work on fundraising, compliance, partnership building and report writing we are continually reminding ourselves that our families and volunteers come first and are at the heart of Home-Start.
Every week of the year you will find our trained volunteers giving up three to four hours of their time to drive across the countryside and work alongside their allocated family, sharing the stresses and strains of family life. As we seek to help a parent who is isolated, struggling with child behaviour or suffering from acute anxiety, our caring, non judgemental relationship is paramount to ensure this support works. Engaging with a family for an average of nine months, we help them to rebuild their confidence so they feel able to face the challenges of everyday life.
Our Group work complements the home visiting service, providing postnatal groups across rural towns in the area. Despite the excitement of being a new parent it can come with challenges and our postnatal groups provide a safe space for parents to meet and share their anxieties and learn about the development of their new baby. We also run a maternal mental health group in the North Cotswolds.
----- Start of picture text -----
Home-Start Cotswolds covers the
geograpahical area of the Cotswold District
Council, as represented above
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Each year we aim to help around 140 families, aligning our support to suit the specific needs of each family. We belong to a Home-Start network of charities who all share the same objectives to safeguard, protect and preserve the good health – both mental and physical – of children and their parents. We are part of the Home-Start Gloucestershire Consortium, meeting quarterly with the other Home-Start charities in our county to make sure we offer a streamlined service.
A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark” Chinese Proverb
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STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Carla Partridge (Chair), Tony Jones (Company Secretary), Steve Kaufmann (Treasurer), Carolyn Ford, Richard Waller, David Pointet, Katie Wilson (joined Oct 23) and Chris Hall (left June 2023), Clare Baker who stood down as a Trustee to become a temporary member of staff in September 2023.
Trustees are unpaid volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, responsible for governance, financial and strategic planning. The staff are responsible for the dayto-day operation of the scheme and report to the trustees on a regular basis.
The trustees meet bi-monthly with advisors and they form the Management Committee. There are three SubCommittees (Personnel; Finance; Profile and Fundraising) that meet regularly and report back to the full committee. It is Home-Start policy that a trustee only serves for a maximum of three years before being subject to an election.
L-R: Steve Kaufmann, Tony Jones, David Pointet, Richard Waller, Clare Baker, Carla Partridge and Carolyn Ford
In June, we were sad to say goodbye to Chris Hall, an active and dedicated Trustee for many years, having joined us in 2006. Chris was a very valued member of the Management Committee and we are all so thankful for her years of dedicated service to Home-Start Cotswolds.
In October, Katie Wilson joined as a new Trustee, bringing HR expertise to the Management Committee. We were delighted to welcome Katie and have already benefited from her extensive HR experience.
For a long time, I have wanted to do something for a charity that I felt passionately about. Home-Start was the obvious choice. I was on my own with my daughter for eight years of her life, from the age of two until ten. It was tough on my own and I wish I had known about Home-Start then. The thought of someone helping would have been amazing - parenting can be a real challenge. After working in HR for over 15 years I also felt my skills and experience could be put to great use within the role of Trustee. I am so happy to have joined the team at Home-Start, such amazing, inspirational people. I can't wait to help be a part of making a difference to so many peoples lives.” Katie Wilson, New Trustee
4
STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION
STAFF
Katharine Campbell, Senior Coordinator Liz Wilkinson, Family Coordinator, North Cotswolds Sophie Holland, Group Coordinator Emily Boston, Group Coordinator Karen Roberts, Office Coordinator (since Jan 2024) Sally Mason, Administrator
Ivan Lambert, Administrator (joined Jan 2024) Danella (Dee) Weir, Office Coordinator (left Dec 2023) Janice Gibson , Senior Coordinator (left Feb 2024)
L-R: Karen Roberts, Ivan Lambert, Liz Wilkinson, Clare Baker, Sally Mason, Katharine Campbell, Emily Boston and Sophie Holland
All our staff work part-time and their combined hours amount to 3.7 FTE
In February 2024 we said goodbye to Janice Gibson, Senior Coordinator and former volunteer. Over the fourteen years she worked with us she brought so much energy to this role, managing staff, visiting families, training volunteers, and developing our group work. We would like to thank Janice for her commitment and dedication to expanding the work of Home-Start across the Cotswolds.
Janice Gibson, front right at her leaving get together, joined by current and past staff and volunteers
We also said goodbye to Dee Weir, who worked as our Office Coordinator for six years. During her time at HomeStart, Dee worked tirelessly to transform our marketing efforts, particularly on social media and we are so thankful to her for raising our profile across the Cotswolds. Dee’s passion for environmental issues helped us all to examine the impact of our charity on the world and to adopt better procedures and practices.
Dee Weir, pictured right, with Katharine Campbell at our Fundraising Hike, May 2023
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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
FAMILIES
This year Home-Start Cotswolds has supported a total of 138 families. We offer a range of support, which includes:
Home Visiting: Weekly volunteer visits to families in the homes
Baby & Me Postnatal Groups: Eight-week support groups for new Mums and Dads
Reconnect Perinatal Mental Health Groups: Ten-week mental health support group for Mums Dad Matters: Support for new Dads in Gloucestershire
HOME VISITING
62 families ( 102 children) received support from a home visiting volunteer during the year. As many of us know, being a parent has never been easy; it can be lonely, frustrating and overwhelming. Often, our supported families have suffered from life changing events, such as illness, anxiety, relationship breakdown, financial worries or domestic abuse.
When a family is referred to Home-Start, a volunteer is matched with them and will visit for up to three hours each week, building a trusting, supportive relationship. Our volunteers work alongside the families, helping them to overcome the challenges they are facing by offering a listening ear, friendship, encouragement to go out, ideas for play and signposting to other organisations.
Referral circumstances for families supported by home visiting:
23 Lone parents 9 Families with safeguarding issues 47 Families with support for their mental health 21 Families with physical health difficulties or disabilities 10 Families who had experienced domestic abuse 21 Families with significant financial issues 11 Young parents aged under 25 yrs 3 Parent care leavers
Throughout the year we are continually referring or signposting families to other support services, such as: Food Bank, P3 (support with budgeting & debts), Household Support Fund (financial help), GDASS (domestic abuse service), Perinatal Mental Health teams and local playgroups. Our volunteers also help families to access these services and to attend medical appointments.
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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
MEASURING FAMILY OUTCOMES
It is vital that we record and measure the effectiveness of the support we are providing for families. We use CharityLog, a cloud based CRM, to record data from assessments carried out with parents on how they and their family are coping with different areas of family life. For home visiting, this assessment is completed at the beginning of support and then at each review visit.
Here is a sample of the type of feedback we collect in order to explore the impact of our work. This is taken from a family supported by home visits during 2023-24.
Home-Start has changed my life. My volunteer has helped me get my life back together. She helped me with the children, encouraged me to declutter the house, gave me the confidence to go out on my own and took me out to The Cotswold Farm Park. She became a friend to me and I loved her visits. I feel I can do anything now.”
Mum who received home visiting support
In a comparison of scores given at initial review versus end review (12 months later), Mum reported a significant positive increase in her:
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Confidence
as a parent
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Confidence
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In addition, Mum noted that she felt less isolated , had increased parenting knowledge , enjoyed better quality time with her children and was better at the day-to-day running of the home .
When we first met, Mum reported that she felt anxious about parenting her young children and was suffering from low self-esteem. Following twelve months support from a volunteer, she now feels she has a close bond with them all and manages to have 1:1 time with each of them. Mum has made fantastic progress since being supported by Home-Start and now feels contented, more confident, independent and is happy. She has started to attend new groups and is now volunteering within her local community, in fact, she is hoping to become a HomeStart volunteer when all of her children are at school. She feels she is finally in ‘parenting mode’ rather than ‘just surviving’.” Family Coordinator at End of Support Review
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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
GROUP WORK
Our Group work is expanding and after research and planning we will extend it to two new towns, Lechlade and Moreton-inMarsh, in the summer of 2024. This year the team have focussed on improving both our Baby & Me and Reconnect programmes to reflect the views of parents and the Group Coordinators. The new programmes have received excellent feedback from parents and we continue to record very positive outcomes. 76 families have attended a group in the Cotswolds this year.
B aby & Me Postnatal Groups
9 Baby & Me groups (8 weeks each) were held in 2023-4 with 69 families attending over the year. These were held in Bourtonin-the-Water, Tetbury and Fairford.
Reconnect Maternal Mental Health Group
Our Reconnect group (10 weeks) was held in Bourton-in-the-Water with 7 families attending.
Our Reconnect Group is for Mum’s facing challenges with their mental health. We provide a creche facility so there is some undisturbed time for Mums to talk and get the most out of their time together. During the course of the year we have updated our Reconnect programme to include discussions around identity, sense of self as a parent, nutrition and mindfulness/relaxation.
It was really useful to just be able to talk openly and honestly about the harder parts of being a new mum, and the Group Coordinator is so fantastically supportive. I felt understood.”
Our Baby & Me Groups are for new parents and their babies aged 0-6 months. During the 8 weeks we cover lots of different topics such as Child Development, Play, Weaning, First Aid, Baby Massage, Home Safety, Sleep and Pelvic Health.
It was great to meet other parents. Every class was relevant, informative and enjoyable. It felt like an incredibly safe space to be honest, to share and ask questions. A brilliant resource for parents and babies - I have really enjoyed every session and can’t express how valuable it has been.”
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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
MEASURING GROUP OUTCOMES
Just as we do for our home visiting, it’s essential that we record and measure the effectiveness of the support we are providing for families through our Groups. The parents who attend our Groups are all asked to complete a feedback form, to enable us to monitor the effectiveness of the sessions and learn what is working well and what needs to be adapted. I find it difficult to come to groups 100% and make friends but coming here of parents attending has helped my confidence and helped our groups felt less isolated me to make friends.” 100% Mum who attended Baby & Me of parents attending our groups felt their mental 100% health improved of parents attending our groups left with more confidence as a parent ie eCeeee@ As someone with social anxiety, leaving the house with baby is such a huge task, it was great to start doing this more regularly and to know that I’d be arriving at an understanding group. Through the group I’ve made some connections and have already had coffee mornings that I’d never have had without going to your group, it’s been a brilliant way to grow a social and support network. Without a doubt the group supports mental health and emotional well-being for new parents and thus ultimately supports our children’s outcomes. The first aid course was also really helpful. Thanks so much and please keep running these courses for parents.”
Mum who attended Baby & Me
In September, we were delighted to be presented with the BBC Radio Gloucestershire ‘Make A Difference Award’, winning in the Community Group category. Our Group Coordinators, Sophie and Emily were at the award ceremony to collect the award. It felt particularly meaningful as we we were nominated by parents who had attended our Baby & Me Groups.
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VOLUNTEER UPDATE
TRAINING & SUPPORT
Our amazing volunteers, who are all parents themselves, go the extra mile to support families. A volunteer visits their matched family for 2-3 hours per week and visits normally continue for between 3 months to a year. Our volunteers provide non judgmental, confidential, practical and emotional support and will often help with things such as attending appointments, accompanying a family to a group or activity, cooking, play or simply providing a listening ear for emotional support.
I signed up to volunteer for Home-Start after hearing such positive things about this wonderful charity. Having completed the training, I can honestly say that the whole process from the initial call to getting my course certificate has been fantastic. The training was great, engaging and interesting with a variety of people coming in to provide great insight to what we can do to help as volunteers. A real highlight for me was hearing from a mother who came in to talk about her experience of having a Home-Start Volunteer and the difference it made to her life. I now look forward to moving on following my training and being able to make a positive difference to peoples lives, however small. Thank you Home-Start for making this possible.” Gemma, New volunteer, March 2024
Our volunteers undertake an 8 week preparation course which covers areas such as safeguarding, listening skills, family scenarios and child development. Once graduated, we match volunteers with a family, taking into account their their own experiences to provide the best support for families.
We currently have 40 active volunteers; 14 of whom have recently completed our volunteer preparation course that ran Jan - March 2024. Volunteers are supported through regular 1-1 supervision with a Coordinator, as well as receiving peer support at volunteer coffee mornings and ongoing training throughout the year. This year our volunteers have received Baby First Aid Training, Loan Shark Awareness, Safeguarding training and a GCC interactive workshop on the subject of ‘Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships as Parents’.
Without the commitment and dedication of our volunteers, we simply wouldn’t have a service to offer and we are extremely grateful for all that they do at Home-Start Cotswolds.
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VOLUNTEER UPDATE
VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteers support us in many ways. As well as weekly visits to families, they also offer their time to support our Group work. By offering a cup of tea, a friendly face and support for the Mums attending, they really make a difference to our Groups. Volunteers also help us to spread the word about the amazing work they do. Recently one of volunteers, Debbie, shared her experience of supporting a local family at our Business Networking event at Roots & Seeds, attended by local funders and businesses.
We are fortunate to have access to some local outings that our volunteers can accompany their families to, such as Cotswolds Farm Park, Mini Mudders at Kiftsgate Court Gardens and Westonbirt Arboreutum - these make wonderful trips out for families who may not usually get the chance to visit.
In December, Home-Start Gloucestershire was awarded 5 places at a Westminster Abbey Carol Concert, hosted by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The invitation was extended by Edward Gillespie OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Two very long standing volunteers were selected to attend from Home-Start Cotswolds, as thanks for their dedicated service.
It was wonderful to represent Home-Start Cotswolds at the Royal Carol Service hosted by The Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey in December. There was a lovely programme of carols and readings along with a number of short films to illustrate the importance and different issues relating to Early Years. The Princess, who founded the charity Early Childhood, cares deeply about these issues, and was joined at the Service by Prince William and their young family as well as other members of the Royal Family. Many thanks to the LordLieutenant of Gloucestershire, Edward Gillespie, who nominated Home-Start to attend the event.” Carolyn Ford, Trustee
Debbie, who gave a talk about being a volunteer at Home-Start Cotswolds
Volunteers attending the Royal Carol Service at Westminster Abbey, December 2023
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EVENTS AND ACTIVITES
EVENTS
FUNDRAISING HIKE
In May 2023 we organised a ‘Hike’ around the Coln Valley. We secured special access to footpaths not usually open to the public and were hosted most generously at Cripps Barn. Our hosts kindly provided much needed refreshments and lunch for those who wanted to stay after their walk. We were blessed with glorious sunshine and over 100 walkers (and their four legged friends!).
ROOTS & SEEDS
In February 2024 we ran a Business Networking event, very kindly hosted by Roots & Seeds Kitchen Garden in Cirencester Park. Around 80 local supporters, funders, volunteers and staff were treated to drinks and canapes provided by the venue, along with the chance to network and hear more about our work at Home-Start Cotswolds.
ANNUAL FAMILY PARTY
In August 2023, during the summer holidays, we held our annual family party. Families receiving home visits, as well as those attending our groups were all invited to share a morning together - enjoying some soft play, outdoor games and home-made refreshments. It’s always a wonderful way to get our families, volunteers, trustees and staff all together for a celebration.
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HOW IS HOME-START COTSWOLDS FUNDED? GRANTS John Armitage Charitable Trust INCOME: Peter Lang Children's Trust £125,000 The National Lottery NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board Gloucestershire County Council Summerfield Trust EXPENDITURE: White Stuff (Empowering Women) £144,000 Hedley Trust subject to audit CHK Foundation North Cotswolds Rotary (Helping Hands) DONATIONS Susanna Peake Charitable Trust Rotary in the Rissingtons Thank You! Inner Wheel Cirencester Sir Edward Horsfall To everyone who Bibury PCC has supported us Blockley PCC St Margaret’s Church, Bagendon during the year Compton Abdale & Haselton WI The Bear Inn, Cirencester The Thursday Group Dearly Pre-loved Coln St Aldwyns Children’s Group Lechlade and District Lions Club Once again we would like to extend our thanks to Cirencester Baptist Church, who provide us with an amazing office space and use of professional meeting room facilities. We have reviewed on an annual basis the major risks to which Home-Start Cotswolds is, or may be, exposed and have established systems to identify, manage and mitigate those risks. This is an ongoing process and included within our management and operational procedures. ~~[%]~~ We retain reserves at 60% of annual expenditure, in line with our policy. A copy of the audited Annual Accounts for 2023-2024 is available on our website.
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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024-2025
After 18 years of supporting families in the local area, we know that Home-Start Cotswolds is a well recognised local charity in the district, impacting the lives of over 130 families a year. To ensure our relevance, we continue to review our projects, taking into account the specific needs of families and we endeavour to work seamlessly with other VCSE and partner agencies with our provision of support.
We look forward to the following changes for 2024-25:
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We have reviewed our senior staff roles and the responsibilities of our previous Senior Coordinator post will now be held by two p/t posts; Service Manager (Katharine Campbell) and Operations Manager. At the time of writing, recruitment for the Operations Manager is underway and we hope to have someone in post by July 2024.
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In May 2024 we are extending our Baby & Me postnatal groups into the new areas of Moreton-in-Marsh and Lechlade. We also plan to include a new Reconnect maternal mental health Group in Tetbury during 2024-25.
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In September 2024 we plan to run a recruitment drive to grow our number of Trustees. We currently have a wonderful, cohesive, hardworking team of Trustees who volunteer to keep the governance, planning and financial aspects of our charity in order. We would like to increase the Management Committee by another 2 members and would specifically like individuals with experience of fundraising, IT and family work.
Most of all in 2024-25, we aim to make a positive and lasting impact on the families we support in the Cotswolds.
Carla Partridge
Chair of Trustees
For and on behalf of the Trustees, June 2024
Office address : Home-Start Cotswolds, c/o Cirencester Baptist Church, Chesterton Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1YE Registered Office : As above
Bank : Lloyds, PO Box 1000, Andover, BX1 1LT
Accounts : Independently examined by McGills, Oakley House, Tetbury Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1US
Home-Start Cotswolds is a Registered Charity (since July 2005) and a Company limited by guarantee. Company Registration number: 5468592 Charity Registration number: 1110632
As an independent charity we work under the umbrella of Home-Start UK.
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