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ANNUAL
REPORT
2024-2025
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Helping older people in
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West Norfolk feel valued
with regular, quality social
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West Norfolk Befriending works with socially isolated older people living in West Norfolk and aims to reduce isolation and improve overall health.
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Charity number 1111735
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CONTACT US
Office address:
West Norfolk Befriending, 12 Thoresby College, Queen Street, King’s Lynn Norfolk. PE30 1HX
Telephone: 01553 763500
E-mail info@wnbefriending.org.uk Website www.wnbefriending.org.uk
You can also follow us on twitter @WNBefriending Or Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/westnorfolkbefriending
NB: We welcome personal callers to the office, but given that the majority of our work takes place out in the community, please phone first to make an appointment to ensure that someone is in the office when you arrive.
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
01
West Norfolk Befriending’s Aims and Objectives
West Norfolk Befriending aims to reduce social isolation and improve quality of life by matching isolated older people with trained and security checked volunteer befrienders, who will visit them on a regular basis.
The objectives of the organisation are:
To reduce social isolation and loneliness
To improve quality of life
To assist clients in maintaining their independence
To improve the physical and mental well-being of clients, thus reducing demands on statutory services, including Adult Social Services and the NHS
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
02
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
It gives me great pleasure to present this annual report for 2024/25.
Once again, this was a successful year for WNB in terms of its service delivery and to a significant extent the acquisition of significant funding.
That said, there were some significant staffing and structural changes as a result of Pippa May leaving WNB in early summer 2024. Before I go on to explain those changes I feel it is important to comment on Pippa’s excellent service to the charity for approximately 14 years through some very challenging times (including effective leadership of the charity and the development of telephone befriending during the worst of the Covid-pandemic) and her continued efforts to secure funding, culminating in major funding being received (as mentioned below) from The Mercers Charitable Foundation and McCarthy & Stone.
As a result of Pippa’s departure, the Board acted swiftly to recruit a new Chief Executive and in August 2024, Colin Perriss joined WNB. Colin came with previous experience as a Charity Trustee and a significant background in Business Development. Linked to his approach to the development of WNB, the Board accepted a proposal to refine the role of the Chief Executive to allow the postholder to focus on: the identification of funding opportunities and applications for funding; quality standards and the oversight of staff. This new structure brought with it a need to establish an Operational Manager role to oversee the delivery of our befriending service and manage our band of volunteers. I am pleased to report that Anna Sylvester was later appointed to the Ops Manager post and subsequently the Board approved an increase in Amanda Tickner’s working hours to deal with the assessment and matching of clients and otherwise provide support to the team.
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
03
The Mercer’s Charitable Foundation became our largest single source of funding over the period 2023/24 – funding that was to be directed towards client assessments and matching in the first instance. As I write, I am pleased to report that Mercer’s will continue to provide highly significant funding, to cover our core befriending operations, for the next three years.
At the end of the financial year Sue Gardner, our Finance Officer, retired having provided a superb service to the Board and Chief Executive for many years and we were saddened by her departure. We were fortunate, however, to enlist the services of a new Finance Officer (Kerenza Evans) to work with the Treasurer and ensure our finances are properly monitored and recorded.
Staying on the subject of funding, as mentioned above the identification and acquisition of funding was a priority during 2024/25. As in previous years the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk was our only source of funding from a statutory body - that funding is and has been appreciated for many years. The very significant unrestricted funds from The Mercer’s Charitable Foundation and McCarty & Stone were used to cover the core costs needed to deliver the service, cover volunteer expenses and staff costs. In addition, I wish to mention the support, financial and otherwise provided by: King’s Lynn & District Sugarcraft Club; the LILY Project; Norfolk Community Foundation; and many others – with the full list being available elsewhere in the report. With their help and support, coupled with a financially prudent approach to budgeting and expenditure, we were able to minimise the need to draw-down funds, from reserves, to a minimum.
Membership of the Board remained relatively constant during the reporting yearalthough, our colleague, Kevin Clarke, did step down as a Trustee in late 2024. As always, we are actively seeking new members. As in previous years, Board Members brought a range of professional expertise and relevant personal experience to their oversight of the charity and in providing practical assistance to staff.
The impact of extreme loneliness is regularly highlighted in the media and of late there has been a report that such loneliness, in terms of overall health is worse than smoking fifteen cigarettes per day. Therefore the entire team – volunteers, staff and Trustees, with support from our funders and donors, should take credit for the fact that collectively we have continued to play an important local role in preventing unnecessary worsening health among older folk in West Norfolk.
On behalf of fellow Trustees, I wish to record my sincere thanks to each and every Volunteer and member of Staff for all your hard work and support during 2024/25 and look forward to your continued involvement and commitment, to WNB, during 2025/26.
Alan Hayes
CHAIR OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING
ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
04
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT
I was appointed as CEO of West Norfolk Befriending in August 2024, so almost five months into the 23-24 financial year and with the charity in a good position, thanks to the work of my predecessor Pippa May, Anna, Amanda and the team of volunteers. Not forgetting the contribution of the long standing board of trustees who have guided the charity throughout the 20 plus years of its existence.
Much of the first few months of my tenure was taken up with learning about the concept of what the charity does, getting to know how the organisation functions and starting to formulate strategies to fulfil the boards remit of taking the charity forward in the coming years , focussing on future longer term strategies.
As a result of my initial review of operations, I felt that maximising the use of existing talent and experience within the team was particularly important and a subtle restructure was suggested to and accepted by the board of trustees. Anna was subsequently appointed to the new role of operations manager, where her years of knowledge and experience can be used to full effect, very well supported by Amanda.
The work of Pippa created a strong financial foundation to move forwards, but additional funding will be required to continue to deliver the much needed befriending services and we will need to ensure that there are appropriate strategies in place to ensure the continued availability of funds.
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
05
Applications are being prepared for additional grants to cover the costs for 25 -26 and options are being considered as to how it may be possible to secure finance to cover expenditure for multiple years and to invest in the existing structure and expand the number of clients that WNB is able to work with as we move forward.
The Quality in Befriending award falls due in June 2025 so the time invested by me (and the team) in achieving reaccreditation of this this important quality mark will provide me with an ‘in depth’ study of the policies and methods that form the basis of how the organisation operates and the quality of service for which WNB is renowned.
I would like to thank everyone that has helped and supported me in my first few months at West Norfolk Befriending, I consider it a privilege to have been appointed CEO of such a well established and respected organisation that makes such an important contribution to those who find themselves lonely and isolated in West Norfolk.
I am very much look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the coming year.
Colin Perriss
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
06
OUR CLIENTS
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
17
OUR VOLUNTEERS
At the very core of West Norfolk Befriending you will find a dedicated and committed team of volunteers who spend their time making a real difference to the lives of a significant number of isolated and lonely elderly people living in West Norfolk.
As well as providing befriending, our volunteers help the staff team with administration, events, recruitment of additional volunteers as well as many other tasks that contribute to the operations of the charity.
The charity supports the volunteer team by providing support, training and help with any concerns or challenges that may arise during the course of their befriending activities.
It can be a challenge to ensure that there are enough volunteers available to meet the ambitions of the charity, volunteers move away, their circumstances can change and for completely understandable and valid reasons, they are not always able to continue to volunteer. Combine this with the competition from other charities for volunteers and it can be an ongoing challenge to ensure that sufficient resources will be available to supply the ever increasing demand for befrienders.
With this in mind we as an organisation will be putting increased attention on our strategies in an attempt to ensure that we provide the best possible operating environment for our existing volunteer team and look at how we can attract and retain more volunteers during the coming year. This is a clear priority if we are to ensure that WNB continues to do what it has been doing for decades and into the future.
If you can help, or know someone that may be interested in talking to us about volunteering, our contact details can be found on Page 3 of this report.
A huge THANK YOU to our volunteers for all that they do for West Norfolk Befriending!
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
20
23
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
| Alan Hayes | Trustee (Chair & Secretary) |
|---|---|
| Richard Curtis, MVO | Trustee (Vice - Chair) |
| Linda Woodley | Trustee (Vice - Chair) |
| Karl Jermyn | Trustee (Treasurer) |
| David Annable | Trustee |
| Mike Lee-Evans | Trustee |
| Valerie Woods | Trustee |
| Lisa Cook | Trustee |
OUR STAFF
| Colin Perriss | Chief Executive |
|---|---|
| Anna Sylvester | Operations Manager |
| Amanda Tickner | Client Assessor/Volunteers |
| Chris White | Database Developer |
| Mike Lee-Evans | Client Assessor Volunteer & |
| Trustee | |
| Jean Ellis | Data Input Volunteer |
| Jean Cook | Data Input/Admin Volunteer |
| Janet Atkins | Office Admin Volunteer |
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
West Norfolk Befriending are proud to be holders of the Quality in Befriending award.
This award is a UK-specific accreditation for befriending services, aimed
at enhancing service quality and ensuring best practices in supporting individuals facing social isolation.
Overview of the Award
The Quality in Befriending Award is the only award in the UK specifically designed for befriending services. Launched in 2010 and revised in 2021, it is developed by Befriending Networks in consultation with member organizations and experts in the field. The award is recognized by referrers, befrienders, commissioners, and f funders, making it a valuable asset for organizations involved in befriending.
Benefits of the Award
Organizations that achieve the Quality in Befriending Award enjoy several benefits, including:
Increased Confidence :
The award enhances the confidence of potential
referrers, befrienders, and funders in the organization’s capabilities and quality of service.
Quality Improvement: It provides an opportunity for organizations to review and reflect on their befriending services, leading to improvements in practices and policies
.
Recognition: Award holders receive a certificate, the right to use the Quality Award logo, and inclusion in the public directory of Quality Award holders, which can aid in marketing and funding opportunities.
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
OUR FUNDERS
A big thank you to all of those organisations that have helped to fund us throughout the past year, including,
King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council LILY
Mercers - Earl of Northampton’s charity McCarthy Stone Garfield Weston Norfolk Community Foundation Red Socks Charitable Trust Charles Littlewood Hill Foundation Geoffrey Watling Simon Gibson Charitable Trust
Our Supporters
Our grateful thanks to all of the individuals and organisations that have supported us this year, including,
Chris White, Downham Aid In Sickness, The Live & Let Live Public House King’s Lynn & District Sugar Craft Club, West Norfolk Wins(Community Lottery) Tesco Extra Hardwick’ The Parish Council Rooms South Wootton, The Filling Station, Your Local Paper, The Lynn News, Radio West Norfolk, King’s Lynn Samaritans, Elements at the Manor, West Norfolk Carers, Derek Friend Electrical.
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
25
TRESURERS
REPORT
During the course of the financial year our previous Chief Exec, Pippa May, was successful in securing significant funding from the Mercer's Charitable Foundation and McCarthy & Stone - as a result yearly income increased from £58k in 23/24 to £75k in 24/25. The majority of this income is used to cover salaries for staff – which increased from £46k in 23/24 to £50k in 24/25.
Total expenditure for the financial year was £65k with salaries being the single greatest expense. At year end there was a surplus of £10k compared to a slight deficit of £2k for 2023/24. £54k, in the bank account, was carried forward to 2025/26 compared to £43k carried forward from 2023/24.
WNB continues to operate on a narrow range of funding sources - and, in effect, at any one time has either sufficient funds or very limited funds. Future success depends on continued efforts to secure funding from this limited number of sources - this builds upon recent successes, in year, in terms of some very significant funding.
In terms of Reserves, the relevant policy has been amended to increase the level of reserves to cover four-months operating costs. At present, with cash held in accounts there is sufficient funding to continue operating for nine months - however, in the context of charities, this is not a significant amount.
Finally, I wish to record thanks to the charity's previous Finance Officer (Sue Gardner) who retired from the role at the end of March and to note the subsequent appointment of Kerenza Evans who has taken on the role
Karl Jermyn
Treasurer
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING, CHARITY NUMBER 1111735
I report of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2024
Respective responsibilities of the trustees and examiner
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirements of section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of the procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charities Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of the independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Direction given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts prepared with those records, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
WEST NORFOLK BEFRIENDING ANNUAL REPORT 2024-2025
29
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‘Sometimes the only thing that's written on a clients calendar is a West Norfolk Befriending volunteers name’ Anna - Operations Manager ‘You feel like you're not entirely alone and forgotten’ A Client
‘I Like helping people and giving back to the community’ A Volunteer