Charity Registration No: 1116474 ## **Annual Report 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023** Supporting children, young people and their families living in North Devon and the Torridge area who have experienced the death of someone close to them. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Contents Page
Legal and administrative information 3
Report of the Trustees 4
Family Service Analysis 10
Statement of Public Benefit 20
Note from the Chair 21
Report of the Independent Examiner 23
Statement of Financial Activities and Notes to the Accounts 24
**----- End of picture text -----**
2 ## **Legal and administrative information** Legal and administrative information ## Status Families in Grief was registered with the Charity Commission in 2006 as a Charitable Trust with a Trust Deed as our governing document. It is governed by constitution. ## Charity Number 1116474 Charity objectives - To support children, young people and their families, living in North Devon and the Torridge area who have experienced the death of someone close to them through phone/video calls, home or school visits, digital resources and through support group sessions. - To support and coach professionals who come into contact with bereaved children and young people through phone support, training and resources. - To recruit, train and manage volunteers to support bereaved children, young people and their families. - To regularly raise awareness of our service through various platforms such as social media, website, presentations and community meetings. - To ensure we have the correct governance, resources and funding to fulfil the support we offer to families and professionals. ## Organisational Structure ## Trustees The Trustees serving during the year were as follows: Tracey Elliot (Chair of Trustees) Alison Smith (Vice Chair) Toby Slater (Treasurer) Lesley Rolfe Alison Jackson (Until September 2022) Maureen Elsom (Safeguarding Trustee) Nicky Geddes Karen Hutton ## Employees General Manager, then Director - Emma Marston (Until January 2023) Communication and Administration Officer – Clare Maynard Family Service Coordinator - Abi Mandeville Family Service Coordinator - Bec Symonds 3 _All employees work part-time. Emma works 30 hours per week. Abi and Bec are a job share working in total 40 hours per week, while Clare works 30 hours per week._ ## Address: Families in Grief (FiG), The Old School House, 13 Bridgeland Street, Bideford Devon EX39 2QE Independent Examiner Brian Buteano 5 College Green, Bideford, EX39 3JY ## Bank CAF Bank Ltd, 25 kings Hill Ave, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ ## **Report of the Trustees** Trustees Report The Trustees are pleased to present their report and the financial statements for the year ended April 2023. ## Principal Activity Families in Grief (FiG) provides bereavement support for bereaved children and their families living in Northern Devon (North Devon and Torridge District Council areas). Many areas of North Devon contend with low salaries and high levels of unemployment. According to Devon County Council figures, at least one in five children live in income deprived families in Barnstaple and Ilfracombe. Without additional support from FiG, the problems of deprivation on top of bereavement make these children especially vulnerable to poor outcomes. We offer this crucial bereavement support completely free to ensure that families, regardless of social-economic circumstances, can receive the help they need. We aim to continue to provide a credible and high-quality bereavement support service to all bereaved children, young people and their families in need of our help, and to better educate and support professionals who come into contact with bereaved children, young people and their families. 4 We understand that all families are unique and have different needs when they are bereaved. We meet families wherever they are on their journey through grief by offering different individualised pathways of support to help them. ## Our vision To help all bereaved families living in North Devon and the Torridge area feel better and less alone in their grief. ## Our aims - To provide a credible and high-quality bereavement support service to all grieving families in need of our help. - To better educate and support professionals who come into contact with bereaved children and young people. - To improve family relationships after a member of the family dies, to reduce social isolation and improve a child or young person’s engagement with school. - To ensure all families and professionals working with families in North Devon and the Torridge area are aware of FiG’s services. ## Our objectives - To support children, young people and their families, living in North Devon and Torridge who have experienced the death of someone close to them through phone/video calls, home or school visits, digital resources and through support group sessions - To support and coach professionals who come into contact with bereaved children and young people through phone support, training and resources. - To recruit, train and manage volunteers to support bereaved children, young people and their families. - To regularly raise awareness of our service through various platforms such as social media, website, presentations and community meetings. - To ensure we have the correct governance, resources and funding to fulfil the support we offer families and professionals. We meet families at the point that they need us, individually assessing their needs and together planning the appropriate support. We offer the following menu of support to bereaved families: 5 This support falls into four areas: The first area is ‘General information and Advice’. This may be advice or information families or professionals obtain by accessing the digital resources on our website or by calling FiG for support or advice over the phone. We listen and offer advice and resources where needed. The second area of our support is for families needing extra help or support. We provide this by visiting family members at home or providing advice or strategies to teaching staff at school. During our home visits we reassure the child, young person and their family that they are safe and have our support to say things out loud that they previously haven’t been brave enough to say. During these conversations children start to open up, unlocking previously unheard feelings in front of their parent or carer. Children and their families talk to us about how their life has been impacted since the death. In response we tailor our support to suit the needs of the family in their home or at school. We work closely with all of our local schools and, should the family need extra support in other areas, we liaise with local services including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), the North Devon Hospice, Pete’s Dragon’s, GPs, and Social Services to put bespoke plans in place. Our third area of support for families is our support groups. We have two group programmes, the 'Children's Group' for primary school aged children lasting six weekly sessions, and 'Teens in Grief' for young people aged 11 - 18 lasting seven weekly sessions. These group sessions are held one evening a week. We encourage the children to explore their feelings about the death of their parent or relative through creative and physical activities. At these sessions the children or teens are together in one room, while their parent or carer is in another nearby. 6 In our group sessions we bring families together to reduce feelings of isolation, to build resilience by teaching them healthy ways to cope with overwhelming feelings and empowering families to come to terms with their changed lives. Fourthly, we offer support for ‘hard to reach’ young people by providing ‘drop-in’ sessions at the local Further Education college, Petroc, located in Barnstaple. We also offer bereavement training to professionals in line with our aim to educate and support professionals in contact with bereaved children and young people about grief, loss and strategies to support children and their families. We offer courses and resource packs to schools and this year launched our ‘School Bereavement Champion’ programme. The aim has been to train and create a network of ‘School Bereavement Champions’ across North Devon and the Torridge area, ensuring there is one ‘bereavement champion’ per learning community or school. We believe everyone has the right to bereavement support which is why we offer our support free of charge to families. Anybody can come to us for help – it doesn’t matter when the bereavement took place or the type of bereavement. If we feel FiG is not the best placed to help, as the family requires more specialist intervention, we will signpost the referrer or family to other organisations so they can receive the help they need. ## The Trustees The Trustees are named on Page 2. The constitution states that the Charity shall have a minimum of three Trustees. Every trustee shall be appointed for a term of two-four years by a resolution of the Trustees passed at a meeting of the Trustees. Trustees may be re-elected at the AGM. We have had no Trustees re-elected in this last year. Our constitution states that in selecting individuals for appointment as Trustees, the Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity. Therefore, when recruiting this very new Board of Trustees this year, a skills audit was undertaken of the current Trustees and particular attention was taken to recruit Trustees who through occupation, employment, experience - or by virtue of his or her personal or professional qualifications or experience - are able to make a contribution in pursuit of the objects of Families in Grief. Every new Trustee receives in-house induction, a trustee pack and training as a new volunteer, including the areas of safeguarding and GDPR. However, we have not needed any new Trustees this year. 7 The Trustees meet six times a year with strategic working groups in-between to focus, for example, on grants and evaluation. A fundraising group is planned for later in 2023. Salaries are reviewed and agreed by the Trustees annually. Changes and proposals recommended by the Director are discussed and agreed at Trustee meetings. ## Financial Statements FiG’s income generation comes from a range of sources, including grants from the Lottery, charitable foundations and donations from both businesses and individuals. Our community has also supported us through fundraising and events. The charity’s financial sustainability relies on all these sources of income, large and small and we are very grateful for their generosity. The majority of the charity’s expenditure is accounted for by the salaries of our small team of staff. Our second largest expenditure is overhead costs – however, these remain relatively low. The Trustees regularly review the finances in the trustee meetings to ensure the charity is operating both efficiently and within an appropriate environment of financial controls. This includes close monitoring of expenditure to ensure best value is achieved. The results for the Year and the financial position of FiG are shown in the Financial StatementTreasurer Year End Report. However, in summary, the charity’s total income for the year was £101,364. Total expenditure for the year was £105,729. The net movement in total funds for the year was a loss of -£4,365. The focus for 2023 will be to: - continue to provide an excellent service to bereaved families in North Devon and Torridge. - continue to ensure the sustainability of the charity. - increase donations, profile and therefore the range of fundraising activities. - look to the next round of grant applications needed to cover staff costs beyond 2024. - review our Family Service offer and staffing to make sure it meets the needs of bereaved families in North Devon and Torridge. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in ‘Notes to the Accounts’ and comply with Families in Grief’s governing document, the Charities Act of 2011 and the relevant version of 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). 8 ## Reserves The Trustees annually review the charity’s need for reserve funds in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission. It is highlighted that the greatest risk to the effectiveness of the charity is loss of grant income. It has been decided that a minimum of 6 months’ running costs should be held in reserves to provide assurances for the continuance of charitable operations in the event of a large reduction in funding, redundancy costs or unexpected legal costs. The current level of reserves matches six months’ operating costs for FY 2023-24 but with the budget for FY 2024-25 currently set at £150,000, this will need to be increased during the next 12 months to £75,000 to ensure we remain compliant with our own Reserve Policy. ## Risk Families in Grief has completed a risk register covering Governance and Financial and Operational matters as part of the overall business plan. We use this as a working document to assess and mitigate risks at every trustee meeting. This is in accordance with guidelines issued by the institute of Risk Management and the Charity Commission and is available upon request. ## Staffing FiG employs four part-time members of staff. - Emma Marston was employed as General Manager and then Director (30 hours per week). She advised the Board on strategy and then operationally implemented the Strategic Plan by overseeing the administration, finance, staff management, referrals and fundraising. She left the charity in January 2023 to pursue a new career in radio presenting at ‘The Voice’. We appointed a new CEO, Naomi Jefferies, in February 2023 who will start in the new financial year (May 2023). - We have two Family Service Coordinators funded by a three-year National Lottery Grant - Abi Mandeville and Bec Symonds (both on 20 hours a week). Together they carry out the main areas of family support and evaluation. - Our Communications and Administration Officer, Clare Maynard, works 30 hours a week. Every member of our staff team has lived experience of the challenges bereavement can bring – as do half of our Board of Trustees. In addition to staff, we have 20 volunteers across three areas: - Group Volunteers: supporting bereaved families within our support group sessions and attending home visits on either side of the group. - Fundraising Volunteers: helping with fundraising ideas and events. - Trustees: providing strategic governance of the charity. 9 They all volunteer their time on a sessional basis. Volunteers and staff all undergo initial and then regular in-house training and Safeguarding Children training. All staff, Trustees and volunteers are in possession of enhanced DBS certificates (Disclosure and Barring service checks). ## **Family Service Analysis** **Family Service Impact in the last Financial Year 2022-2023.** We have seen an increase again in our support of bereaved families. - **Answering enquiries and offering phone support to families and professionals** . Last year, we provided 578 support calls and emails to grieving families – an increase of 54% from the previous year (374 calls). In addition, we provided 117 support calls and emails to professionals seeking guidance from FiG. This is a significant increase on the previous year when we provided 374 support calls to families and 142 support calls and emails to professionals. - Over the last year, we offered support to 123 families across North Devon and the Torridge area , up from 110 the year before. It means that last year we supported 188 bereaved children and young people (up from 162 the previous year). - We received a total of 85 referrals last year from professionals and families. This represents an increase in referrals of c. 35% from pre-pandemic levels. - We continue to see a high number of our referrals with either suspected or diagnosed additional needs . As the referrals become more complex, there is a growing demand for bespoke/tailored support ‘outside’ our FiG group programmes. - Our drop-ins at Petroc College for young people aged 16-17 years old continue to be crucial to ensure older teens also receive the support they need. They enable us to be visible at a grass-roots level to this ’harder to reach’ age group who may otherwise not be in contact. Last year we held 14 drop-in sessions. - Not everyone feels able to pick up the phone to call FiG or ask their parent or teacher for help – which is why we have created our free downloadable resources for parents, teachers and young people to access 24/7 via www.familiesingrief.org. Last year, our digital guides were downloaded over 2,000 times ! We are now looking to expand our online library to include leaflets on bereavement by suicide, neuro-diversity and prebereavement support. 10 - Currently around 64% of enquiries are generated by professionals – including schools, GPs and other support services – with the remaining enquiries made directly by families. - We often say that death is something that happens to all of us, but understanding grief isn’t taught in schools - in fact teachers often tell us it’s hard to know what to do or say. Our new Bereavement Champions programme becomes a bridge to this understanding. In Autumn 2022 we launched an exciting initiative to improve the quality of support provided by school staff when dealing with a bereaved child/YP in their setting. Last year 78 school staff from 73 primary, secondary and non-mainstream schools across North Devon and the Torridge area attended the training. - Teachers and families tell us they are learning more about grief and its impact through our support: they now feel more confident to spot behaviours in bereaved children that previously they wouldn’t have acknowledged as grief. - When asked about their confidence levels supporting bereaved children/young people before and then after the session, only 30% of participants were fairly or very confident to begin with but this rose to 98% after the training! With all of them saying they will mostly/definitely be able to use what they have learnt to support bereaved children in their school. _Some of the School Bereavement Champions trained by FiG last year._ - We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers. In the last year they have given their time and commitment to help our staff run 27 support group sessions for children/young people. 11 ## **Overview of referrals** |**Overview of referrals**||| |---|---|---| ||**2022-2023**|**2021-2022**| |Number of enquiries received from families.|40|35| |Number of enquiries received from professionals|64|71| |Number of referrals received|85|83| |Number of support calls/emails offered to families.|578|374| |Number of support calls/emails offered to
professionals|117|142| |Number of home/video and school visits offering
support|60|82| |Number of times families/professionals downloaded
resources from FiG website, including booklets to
help bereaved teens, bereaved parents and teaching
staff|2,104|151| |Number of support group sessions for
children/young people|27|22| |Number of drop-in sessions for young people aged
16-17 years old|14|6| |Number of support group sessions for
parents/carers|23|22| |Total number of families we have supported|123|110| |Total number of parents we have supported|132|125| |Number of professionals we have supported
Number of school staff we have trained to become
Bereavement Champions|79
78|76| |Total number of children and young people we have
directly supported.|188|162| 12 **The following are examples of the impact FiG is making to children, families and also the benefit FiG is bringing to schools and to our volunteer community.** ## **The difference we make to children** **Curtis* (aged 8) attended a children’s group after his grandmother died.** At first he was reluctant to talk about her and when he did it was overwhelming, and he would get very upset. Since the group sessions have ended Mum says “Curtis is much happier now, and will talk to me about his grandmother, ask questions and share stories – thank you FiG”. **Henry* was finding school really challenging after the death of his grandfather, he was having anxiety attacks and did not want to go to primary school** . H attended our children’s group (six sessions) At one session staff and volunteers help the children to understand that feeling anxious when they are away from their parent or carer is normal, and they discuss these feelings by reading a book called ‘The Invisible String’. The picture book is about a child who worries when they’re not with their parent, the parent reassures the child saying that there is an invisible string between them always, and the child is reassured by this. We base one of our activities on this book and during the group session the children create two identical paper hearts, one to put in their pocket and the other to put in their parent/carer’s pocket. H really enjoyed the activity and since the group has made hearts for all his family members and has found comfort from this. It has reduced his separation fears and he has found it easier to leave the home and go to school. His mum says “since last week H has made an invisible string heart for me, his nan, and his sister and one for himself. He takes the heart to school and when he misses us or feels anxious, he touches the heart in his pocket. This week he has gone up in Maths and English and is much happier at school. _*Names changed to protect confidentiality_ 13 ## **The difference we make to Teens** **Aaron* aged 15 and his sister Louise* aged 13** attended six sessions of Teens in Grief with their Grandmother Cathy. The teens Mum and Grandad died within a few months of each other, and they live with their Grandmother now. The Grandmother told the other parents in the parents support group that she was finding it difficult to transition from “Fun Nanny” to the role of a parent, and Aaron and Louise were missing the fun they all used to have together. Cathy sent the FSC a text after the first group session saying, “this is the first time I have seen them both laughing and really enjoying themselves since their Mum died”. At the group evaluation Aaron said, “Abi (FSC) has really helped me with my anger, and I found her talking to me the most helpful bit of the group”. ## **Aaron attended the Teens in Grief group** **sessions.** He had been doing really well at school, but after the bereavements he was finding the small rules at school harder to care about as “they just don’t matter”. He was frustrated that at school they talked about various issues such as LGBTQ+ and the importance of being inclusive, but no one talked about what he saw as the big things like illness and bereavement. He had a good chat with the Family service coordinator during one of the group sessions and explained this to her. She offered to contact the school and see if they could do something in an assembly together so that other students were more aware of the impact of illness and bereavement within a household. Aaron was really keen to do this, so the FSC helped him to plan an assembly. During the final session Aaron said that he had had a better week at school. During the next term Aaron met the FSC ahead of his school assembly. Together they put together what he was going to say. The assembly went well. Aaron gained in confidence and was able to talk openly about his bereavements to his school friends in school assembly. He said following FiG’s support “I behave better now and I feel more positive about the future, I’m looking forward to a school trip”. 14 ## **Young person Drop-In** **Molly* 17 was referred to FiG after her older sister killed herself the previous year** . Molly’s attendance had dropped at college, and she often had a low mood that she couldn’t shake. The family service coordinator (FSC) spoke to Molly’s mum who was really worried about her. She said “Molly has two jobs on top of her college work and is busy all the time so that she doesn’t have to think about what has happened”. The FSC arranged a home visit to meet Molly. During the visit Molly talked openly about her bereavement and said it was the first time she had talked about the night her sister had died. She agreed with mum that working was a way of keeping her thoughts at bay, but that she was feeling too tired to go to college. Since the home visit Molly is back on track with attendance and her studies, she gave up one job to give herself more time, and she is feeling happier. She sometimes goes to the ‘FiG drop- in’ at Petroc 6[th] form college to see the FSC and have a chat and they have also subsequently had a couple of support phone calls. _Our support of bereaved teenagers often includes an outside activity, such as surfing._ 15 ## **The difference we make to Children and Young People with additional needs** One of our Family Service Coordinators (FSC) went into a school which works with children with complex needs. Meg* aged 16 had been very close to her grandmother who died, and her social worker felt like she could do with some extra support to help her understand bereavement and grief. Meg* was estranged from her mother, but the social worker had contact so the FSC asked if she could get some copies of photographs that they could use. The FSC initially went for a visit and took lots of craft equipment and the few photos provided. She and M talked, and M decided that she would like to make something that helped her remember her grandmother. The FSC suggested a memory book. M’s writing was well below age related expectations, so the FSC was able to help with spelling so that Meg was really pleased with her creation. On every other page they wrote a heading about Grandmother for example Her favourite food was… which meant they could talk about Megs memories of things, like having fish and chips together. They used lots of colours, stickers and the photographs to start the book, then Meg took it with her to continue. She said that she would write in it when she felt like she was really missing her grandmother. The FSC did another visit the following month and Meg brought the book. She said that she hadn’t needed to use it much, but that she kept it with her most of the time. They worked on the book for another hour. M's Pastoral support spoke to M a couple of weeks later and sent the following feedback “Meg* said she liked the sessions, and they were cool, she learnt about grief and has taken away that it’s ok to grieve and that its normal to have ups and downs. Meg feels two sessions were enough for her and doesn’t need anymore, she also liked you (FSC) and said that you were nice and friendly which helped.” ## **The difference we make to Parents and Carers** Mum (Karen)* attended a group with her children after her mother and mother-in-law both died in quick succession . The whole family attended the children’s group and found that during the car ride home after each session they were all able to share stories and talk about the activities they had done during the FiG sessions as well as how they felt. “We feel closer now, and we are going to prioritise family time together more” 16 Dad (John*) attended the Teens in Grief group with his daughter. He had been really struggling since the death of his wife. The FSC did a home visit with Dad and his daughter before the group. At the end of the first group session Dad said, “since I met Abi (FSC) I feel like I have taken a massive step forward” Dad had not felt able to go upstairs after his wife died and had moved his bedroom downstairs, but by the end of FiG’s support and attending all six sessions Dad had started to sort through his wife’s belongings and had restarted work on the house to make a nice home for himself and his daughter. Mum (Annie)* attended the parent’s group with her son after death of her husband, and she told the group that she felt very alone . Mum felt that coming to the group and being able to have a safe space to share and listen to others was really positive. Mum said “there’s something quite powerful about being in a room of people who have similar experiences. It made me feel less isolated.” Mum (Maggie*) took part in the parents’ group, whilst her granddaughter attended the children’s group **.** She attended the group sessions because her Granddaughters dad, had died. She told FiG staff that she felt completely alone. After the group she said that the group sessions had made a positive difference: “Just being able to talk to people who truly understand loss and grief and knowing they are just a phone call away has helped me to feel less alone. Also, meeting others who have experienced the loss of a loved one and realising I am not alone has been helpful. I have made new friends too!” ## **The difference we make with the Bereavement Champions project in Schools** Feedback quotes from those who attended our training: - “Excellent session - I wish I had done it a few years ago! Lots of amazing facts and ideas”. - “I am feeling confident to talk to the child using resources and knowledge shared”. - “I am confident action can be taken at school to support a grieving child”. - “Brilliant ideas to use, greater understanding of ways to support. Great to have contacts we can use”. 17 Then putting the training into action: - “Since I completed the Bereavement Champion training with you in November, we (the combined Safeguarding and Support service) have engaged with 71 different learners around the topic of bereavement. This has ranged from sending an email to offer support following an informed absence to tell us that they are attending a funeral, to being called out to a classroom to attend a student who is in distress as a result of a sudden bereavement”. ## **The difference we make to Volunteers** “ As a new Volunteer for FiG I have found it immensely rewarding. It is a privilege to hold a space for children and their families to talk, connect, be creative and ‘be seen’ in Loss. The warm and welcoming team at FiG give you all the tools you need to volunteer for this invaluable service!” Naomi Moore, Children’s Group Volunteer “ I find my role very rewarding as I can see a big development from the children during the 6 week course. I choose to volunteer for FIG because my daughter and grandchildren suffered a tragic family death and were helped by FIG. The support they received was vital in their bereavement journey and this made me decide to help other families in their bereavement. From volunteering I have achieved a greater insight into a person's feelings and I would encourage anyone to volunteer for FIG to help one another in what can be a lonely world. Being a FIG volunteer makes me feel like I am contributing to a family's understanding of their feelings after a bereavement, and I am further developing my own personal and social skills." Lesley Rolfe, Trustee and Children’s Group Volunteer 18 ## **Looking ahead** In 2023-2024 we are excited about the appointment of our new CEO Naomi Jefferies. Once Naomi is settled into her role we intend to review our family service offer as in the light of the trends we have seen in 2022-2023, particularly post-pandemic, we need to make sure our service is meeting the needs of our bereaved community in North Devon and Torridge. ## **Fundraising** We set a target of 20% of our funding via non grant sources such as donations and fundraising and are delighted to report that we achieved this target. Fundraising highlights included: - a fundraising football match organised by Bideford Rotary in August 2022. - a radiothon auction run by local radio station The Voice, which raised £1,000 for FiG in November 2022. - an incredible year-long walking challenge of 2,022 miles completed in December by John Evans which raised £2,885. Thank you to all our many supporters and donors who take part in community events in support of FiG and who help us so brilliantly! We are so grateful for all the amazing fundraising in 2022/2023 from our wonderful staff, volunteers and community. You are amazing! _John Evans completes his challenge Emma Marston receives a donation from Pete Wilcox, ASDA_ 19 ## **Trustees Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements** Charity law requires that the Trustees prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the Charity and of the profit or loss of the charity for that year. In preparing these the Trustees are required to: - Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently. - Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. - Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. ## **Risk Assessment** The Trustees have identified the major risks to which FiG is exposed and have established systems to mitigate these risks. The Trustees consider the financial position at the end of the year to be satisfactory. They also do not consider there to be any material uncertainties regarding FiG’s ability to continue as a going concern. ## **Voluntary Help and Gifts in Kind.** The Trustees are very grateful to the volunteers who support FiG to support bereaved families, volunteering at groups, raising funds and marketing, without them we could not provide the service we do to bereaved Families in North Devon. ## **Statement of Public Benefit** The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s General Guidance on public benefit. ## **GDPR** In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, which came into effect on 25[th] May 2018, FiG has set out its approach to handling and protecting personal data in the ‘Data Protection’ policy available on request. 20 ## **Note from the Chair** I am endlessly proud of being part of this small but wonderful charity that really makes a difference to local families in their time of need. Our staff and volunteers are so central to us being able to provide the services we do and I am so grateful that we have such a wonderful, dedicated, compassionate, skilled and hard working team at FiG. It was with sadness that we said goodbye this year to Emma Marston, FiG’s Director, who started as our first member of staff ten years ago and has been instrumental in nurturing and growing FiG into what it is today. We are so grateful for all that she has done for FiG and for all of the amazing support she has given families, directly and indirectly, through running FiG over the years. She has gone to follow her passion for radio presenting, and we wish her the very best in her next adventure. We are delighted to announce that we have a new CEO, Naomi Jefferies starting in May 2023. Naomi has many years’ experience of working with children, young people and their families in schools across North Devon. Her last post was as part of the Senior Leadership Team at Southmead School in Braunton, responsible for leading all aspects of whole school SEND and mental health provision. She is also a trained organisational and occupational psychologist, with a background of working with teams within the NHS. We hope that with her wealth of experience, Naomi will take the charity forward, really making sure that we provide what bereaved families need in these changing times and that FiG itself grows from strength to strength. We have every faith in her abilities and look forward to what 2023/2024 brings. We have noticed this year some changes and trends emerging that we are keen to explore in 2023/2024 to make sure we are meeting the needs of our bereaved families. It feels that the pandemic has affected all of us in our community and we are only now starting to see what impacts this has had and changes it has made to how we interact. We are also seeing that statutory service provision is under pressure and there is a lack of broader charity support provision for professionals to refer families to for support. These are some of the trends we have noticed: - **A high percentage of our referrals with either suspected or diagnosed additional needs.** This year our FSC team have had additional training but we are always looking at how we can make our support inclusive, helpful and accessible to all of our community. - **Some families are unable to commit to the six support group sessions or drop out at the last minute. Other families do accept a place for the group programme but don’t attend every session.** We meet with other children’s bereavement charities across the Southwest who are all noticing the same trend. We feel that groups in their current form are not meeting the needs of all our families. So, we have been talking to families, finding out what people want and need and will be trialing some new alternative ways of support this year and into 2024. 21 - **We are seeing an increase in older teens being referred to Families in Grief for support.** Following drop-in sessions which are being held at Petroc college and by ‘reaching out’ to older teens, we are seeing an increase in referrals. We know there is more work to be done in this area and are looking at where we can expand this work into ‘hard to reach’ groups. - **Our digital booklets are really popular with bereaved families and professionals needing advice.** We have seen that thousands of our booklets have been downloaded by families and professionals in the past year. We would like to expand the breadth of this resource. So, as you can see, we have lots of work to do and a wonderful team to do it. It just leaves me to say that without the support of our community, individual givers, the Lottery, councils and all of our amazing benefactors, we would not be able to do what we do. Thank you so much everyone and I look forward to reporting back next year. **Tracey Elliott Chair of Trustees** 22 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on tho accounts ser.tion A lndépeflrtp.nl Exdn7iiier's Report R•w* to th* trustee mpmbgts ol On a¢¢(￿ fgrthe Y￿¥r ended Char*y t Ilf *nyl I rawjrtto tru8to85 on ry ex8mnatkin dtte acLY)uyts of the atA)ve chBnty TrLL%fi *)r ts yth*r ￿#￿90,..1-1 11111 I1••p￿¥1bIIII1fra ond A$ the tharfty Irustees Tru¥t, YC￿ ¥8 r98P(X5s1tle fcr ts prgpaF&b b8*1• of report ol the a(ztyJnts in &COrdan￿ wilh the 18qu¥Èsrwls dth8 ¢￿￿ties￿ 2011 rth¥ Adl. I rawt in fyskecl of mytsxaminabm of th* TrU￿S B¢covrrts tsffied Ln und¥ sorti(￿ 145 01 Ihe Z111 Acl 8nd in corr￿9 oul my e￿an￿nati￿. I 8V8 folbwèd Ih8 appUc8bl8 ThreLtkTh by lh8 Charkty Comi&891r undw 145151(bl ALI. I ccfflthÈted my eyArrun8tity). l (Y￿15m1 thst no m*eiial matter¥ have coff* t¢¥ my attetrtion {othw than that d4Fdosod bekJw'l in 1xm￿Ct￿7n bylth th• oxarll¥wtbn gN8& rn• raus81o bdlev8 that ￿¢. matsr rg8PaCt ¥ccounllng rgc£rd$ w8r8 Th)t kept in ort0￿¢8 130 of the Aa or tho acc¢yJftt$ do nd the acwuntwu rwJFds I h8wJ no ￿eemS and b8V8 Ctthe am ￿ othw m8liws ￿ ¥ym•dlon th Ihe 8¥anwnat¥Jv to which alkenticfi shouks b8 dravm Inryd8rto enab proieT U ernlar&lwyJ of t￿ *(x*unt$ l(> be r8alkn￿. tho words in btsckets rfllwyth not wly. •xamlnerf8 8t*m•nt *gned: P 1Lwf40 Rolov•ht prohs*nal quaWlrntlDnl¥) or bothy Adtho9•: Octab•r 2018 Section 8 Oi$closure Only (omploto ft irt6 Iitrtrdb 10 hwiiliWlI maiio15 01 ccrc.erii Isee CC32, Indep￿1(1￿•t exan¥nab"on of chjrity •¢cournts'. dTrL#len5 aftd gvldanr* fL¥ exdrnln0￿1. here brl*l detaits 01 S - Any it*Jn$ tbat Ihg •x•mln•rwtshe• to dl•¢l(•8• Iw Octob•r 2018 IER Families in Grief: Year End Accounts 2022-2023 Receipts Grants Donaiions Fundraising Other Total Receipts: Unrestricted Restricted Totsi 2021-2022 £77,933 £77,933 £84,287 E17,766 £25,275 £5,037 £11.155 £629 £1,155 £77,933 UOI,365 £124872 £17.766 .037 £629 £23,432 Payments: Salarie5 Venue Hire, Resources, Activities IT and Support Training Travel FundraF5ing Costs Advertising and Marketing Office Costs Rent Insurance Ev￿Ua￿.0ns Bid Writing Memberships and Subscriptions DBS Bank Charges Sundries Unrestricted Restricted Total 2021.202Z £7.149 £75,601 £82,750 £73,868 £3,229 £3.229 £2,086 £3,942 £4,092 ,642 £1,071 .096 £2.304 ,484 £1,484 £647 £321 £707 £5 £670 £670 £1.478 £4,124 £4,336 ,611 £2.7CO £2,700 £2,700 £805 £1,532 El,249 £150 £25 £386 £213 £727 £302 £302 £153 £72 £165 £180 £108 £153 £72 £8,952 £94,172 £103.124 £97.043 Asset Pur¢ha5es= Eouipmenl Flxtures and Fittings £2,605 £2.605 £2,912 Total Payments: £96,777 £105,729 £99,955 Unrestrict8d Restricted Total 2021-2022 £14,480 -£18.844 £64,288 £110,393 £41,782 £152.175 £65,970 £124,873 £22,938 É147,811 a30R58 Net receipts I Payments Cash funds brought forward Cash funds ¢arried fo￿ard. Cash at bank and In h￿￿. Cash AccoL)nt Gold Account {Reservesl Petty Cash Total Cash Funds at Year End.. £52,864 £72,004 £5 £124873 £22.938 £75,802 £102,167 £0 £72,004 £28,089 £5 £22.938 £147,811 £130,258 Fafflflies in Grlef 2022-2023 Accounts Pape.. I Notes to the Accounts for the year ending 31st March 2023 l. Preparation of the accounts- These accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance wth section 133 01 the Chanties A¢t 20111.the Charities Act'l. 2. Reserves Policy: The Trustees annu￿lY review the charity's need for reserve funds in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission. It is highlighted Ihat the greatest risk tu the effectiveness of the charity is loss of Grant Income and as such a minimum of 6 months operating costs is hèld in reserve. Amount currendy held in reserves.. £68,0fy) 3. Risk Policy: Families in Grief has completed a risk register covering Governance. Financial and Operational atteTS as part ot the overall business plan. This is in accordance with guidelinès issued by the insriiute ol Risk Management and the Charity Commission and is available to view in the Fatnilies in Grief office. 4. Depreciation PoSicy'. Tangible fixed Assets costsng more than £100 are capitalised with dèpieciation commencing in the first lull year of ()wTrership using the straight-line Fnethod over a 5 year peTlOd. Fixed Asset opening B￿ance.. Venue Hire. Resources. Activitles Total: Less Depreci&iion charge for the year.. Closing NBV ol Fixed Assets: £3,301 £2,605 £5,906 £1.334 £4,572 Flxed ASSets￿b _ Catsgory: Equipment Fixture5 and Fthngs Total: Amount £4,506 £66 £4.572 Farnilies in Grief 2022-2023 Accounts PagÈ'. 2 5. Restricted Funds.. Restricted Funds are received for a specific purpose within the objecis of Ihe charty & have been accounted lor separatety. All incotne has therefore been shown a5 restricted wheTe Ehe donor has stated it can onty be used for a specific purpose.. Opening Balance £9,867 £0 £0 £0 £0 Funding Body.. Rece1vedExpendi￿re Closing Balance £7,404 £9,021 £1.453 £0 £750 £0 oo £0 £0 £2,000 EO £0 £0 Lottery Awards lor All Normab Family Trust Viscount Amory Charirable Trust Norlham Town Council Bideford Town Couneil Barnstaple Town Council The Asda Foundatson Great Torrington Commons AC Albert Hunt Trust N Devon Community Councillor A Donor Bidelord Bridge Trust Bamstaple Town CoLJncil Torrington Cavaliers Morrison5 Devon Community Foundation Leathersellers The PostCDde Loiiery Total: £58,032 £10,000 £3,000 £1,000 £1,400 £500 £5CK) £496 £325 £2,000 £fj80 £0 £0 £60.495 £979 El,547 £i,O(YJ £650 £500 £0 £496 £325 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 E17.751 £116 £620 £204 £1,810 £1,429 E3,OOD £6,986 £41.782 £680 £17,751 £116 £620 £204 £0 £1,429 E3,000 £6,986 £96,777 £0 £0 £1.810 £0 £22,938 £77,933 Grants are restricted to help with the followlng projects.. Funding Body: Restrictions Lottery Director l Admin & Comms Salary costs Awards foT AII Group Costs Norrnal Family Trust Farnily Journeys Viscount Amory Charitable Trust Family Journeys Northam Town Council Family Journeys Bideford Town Council Family Support Sèssions 8amstaple Toydn Council Group c￿tS The Asda Foundation Group Costs Great Torrington Commons AC Family Journeys Albert Hunt Trust Operating Costs N Devon Community Councillor CRM Upfront costs A Donor FSC Salary cosls Bideford Bridge Trust Group Costs Barnstsple Town Councll Family JouTney5 Torringion Cavaliers Family Joumeys Morrlsons Traning ICo-OTdinator or SiTnilarl Devon Communty Foundation Rental Leathersellers FSC s￿ary costs The Postcode Lottery offi￿ ￿l￿rbiShMent and upgrade Governrllent grants received In this financi￿ year: Farnilies in Grfel 2022-2023 Accounts Page.. 3 6. Other Income: Other Income lor the year is as follows.. Other Income Training Gift Aid Bank Interest Total.. UnTestricted Restricted £0 Toial £0 £0 £629 £629 £629 £629 7. Salaries and associated costs: Sdaries and a&sociated costs for the year is as follows: Salaries Salaries Employei's Nl Coniribut50ns FixployTrientAllovi&ii¢e Employer's Pension Contn'butions Payroll Charges Total: Unrestricted Restrlcted Total £6,947 £72,434 £79,381 £1.134 £5,352 £6,486 -£992 -£4.006 -£4.998 £60 £1,605 £1.665 £216 £216 £75,601 £82.750 £7,149 Signed on beh￿f of the Trustees by.. aLi¢ffjr Dated.. Familiès in Grief 2022-2023 Accounts Page: 4