PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
REGISTERED CHARITY 1117115
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT AND STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
JOHNSON, MURKETT AND HURST CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Rawdon House Rawdon Terrace Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire LE65 2GN
and
38 Millstone Lane Leicester LE1 5JN
PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees are pleased to present their report and the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Legal and Administrative
Phoenix Children's Foundation is a registered charity, number 1117115, that was established by Trust Deed dated 26th August 2006.
The objective of the Charity is to provide disabled and severely ill children throughout the UK with vital equipment and/or therapeutic activities. The aim is to help these special needs children with their physical and mental development in order to enhance the quality of their lives.
The trustees review the charity's aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what has been achieved during the year, ensuring that the aims, objectives and activities remain focused on the charity's principal purpose. In carrying out these reviews and in all their duties, the trustees have paid full regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission.
The charity trustees during the year were:
Mr Douglas Wrenn Mr Mark Curry Mr Daniel Smith
Trustees are appointed by members of the charity in executive committee.
Activities and Achievements
We entered April 2022 with the tail end of COVID and were happy to see things starting to return to a bit of normality. We were able to take part in several of our lamb visits which certainly lifted the spirits of our team members and our beneficiaries.
Our Adult Mental Health Group grew with lots of success including one member, who came through COVID. We supported him and over time his confidence built and he has recently succeeded in getting a little part time job for the first time in his adult life. We were all so thrilled that his confidence with people and in general had enabled him to do this and we continue to support him as he moves forward in becoming a contributing member of society. One of our other members continues with his abstinence from drinking and we celebrate daily and count his days without alcohol. This group has turned into a true little family, they support each other, and we support them, celebrating their successes and lifting them up when times are difficult. As a charity we are very proud of this group, we never expected to undertake Adult Mental Health Members at the time but are certainly glad we did, it has kept us and them going over the last two difficult years.
Our success continued with many requests for Duke of Edinburgh, Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and Work Experience placements from various local schools and colleges. One of our young people who has been with us since he was 14, as he was a school refuser, had, in the previous two years, attended college, then came to us two days per week as part of a Preparation to Work Scheme. When this ended, his support worker asked if we could offer him a Supported Internship in conjunction with Staffordshire College. We agreed to him attending three days per week with the other two spent in college retaking Maths and English qualifications.
We hosted many onsite picnic days for SEND families, schools, care homes and rehabilitation centres. As many care homes and secure units were still slightly restricted with their movements and concerned about accessing public venues, we offered our site for exclusive use for their residents to enjoy a day with us meeting the animals and enjoying a picnic. For many of the service users it was a welcome break after being locked in/down for two years. Several of our care homes attended two/three times. The joy of being outside, meeting people and just being able to feel safe was incredible to see and was appreciated by us all.
Our SEND schools restarted their weekly visits to us and loved to use the site to cover their curriculum-based activities and achieve their ASDAN qualifications in Animal Care. We also had lots of requests for one-to-one support for individual SEND young people who were not accessing the classroom, partly due to the effects of COVID and were often left isolated from their classmates, and any social activities. We willingly took on this new role and supported these requests.
PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
continued
Activities and Achievements continued
We then felt we needed more resources, so recruited an additional member of the team. We also undertook many training courses including Team Teach, Safeguarding/Prevent, Data Protection, Working with Adults with Mental Health, SEND, Counselling, Makaton and Food Hygiene.
In June 2022, Anita undertook the first stage of her Forest School Level 3 training, this included a full week’s course, paediatric first aid and outdoor catastrophic first aid training. Nita worked tirelessly hard on this qualification and through regular mentoring, and a huge amount of paperwork she successfully qualified, taking part in a further week’s developmental training in March 2023. In addition to this training, we have enhanced our Forest School area with a secure cabin to store all our forest school equipment and this has been a huge asset to us in enabling successful forest school sessions. We were also fortunate enough to receive a grant to install a waterless toilet. This has been a great addition, as it enables all our service users five to six hours accessing the forest school site without having to leave the area for toilet breaks as we are at least half a mile from our main site. The new toilet has ensured our service users can access the facilities with dignity and confidence.
As COVID ended, our requests for Music Therapy increased and we decided to repurpose one of our existing sheds, that we received when another charity folded during the pandemic, as our Music Therapy room. We had already purchased music therapy equipment and with the support of our music therapist’s own equipment now have a fully functional, usable space, which is set up continuously to support this offering.
We were blessed by many local companies who volunteered their hours to us and took part in our Days to Make a Difference Scheme. They undertook many varied tasks including the development of forest school, general maintenance, planting hedgerows/trees and continued bulb programme.
We have received financial support from North West Leicestershire District Council, Persimmon, Asda Foundation, Trunet, Screwfix, Amati GL, Ashby Friends, True Colours, Stagecoach; without this support we would have found it very difficult to continue.
The charity has repurposed itself during these extremely difficult times, we still have very limited staff and volunteer levels continue to be very low as we were previously supported by local, older people who still have concerns about COVID safety and a re-occurrence of the pandemic. We hope as confidence builds our volunteer numbers will, in turn, increase.
We are again still here with a successful offer to our service users and continue in the spirit of survival.
Grant Making Policy
The Charity makes grants to individuals and organisations that promote healthy recreation to special needs and terminally ill children. Donations will also be made to purchase essential equipment and therapy-based activities required by children up to the age of eighteen years.
We also continue to support visits to The Stables to make best use of the facilities.
PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
continued
Reserves Policy
We have increased our reserve and are proud that it is once again at the recommended amount following it being exhausted following COVID. This has always been a vital part of ensuring the charity's ability to recover from crisis situations.
It remains an objective to accumulate reserves to provide a minimum of 12 months running costs.
Risks Policy
The trustees have assessed the major risks that could affect the Charity and are satisfied that procedures are in place to identify such risks at the earliest opportunity and to address them.
Trustees
As ever, our search for trustees continues and we are looking to appoint another two trustees.
Approved by the Trustees
Mr D Wrenn
Mr M Curry
Mr D Smith
Date
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Phoenix Children's Foundation
I report to the Charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Charity's Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Mr P J Nash FCA Independent Examiner Johnson, Murkett & Hurst Chartered Accountants Rawdon House Rawdon Terrace Ashby de la Zouch Leicestershire LE65 2GN
Date:
PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
Receipts and Payments Account: Year to 31 March 2023
| INCOME GENERAL FUND Income receipts: Income, donations and collections etc. Charities Aid and sundry donations Bank Interest Received HMRC JRS Grant RESTRICTED FUNDS Toilet Replacement Grants/Donations Forest Enrichment Area Grants/Donations Disabled and Special Needs Holiday Scheme Grants/Donations Alternative Education Program Grants/Donations Yurt Roof Replacement Grants/Donations Sensory Room Grants/Donations Flourish Project Grant from the National Lottery Donation to Flourish with Phoenix CIC Total Incoming Resources |
112,355 209 - |
2023 £ 112,564 9,890 9,799 - 1,400 2,400 500 - 136,553 |
2022 £ 92,401 3 10,200 102,604 - 9,393 1,125 - 50,000 (50,000) - 113,122 |
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PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION
Receipts and Payments Account: Year to 31 March 2023
continued
EXPENDITURE
| RESTRICTED FUNDS Forest School Expenditure Toilet Replacement (Miscellaneous costs) Alternative Education Program GENERAL FUND Payments Charitable activity direct expenditure: Donations to Flourish With Phoenix CIC Donations Provision of Therapeutic Activities Fund Raising costs Pony Expenses Enrichment Expenses Governance and administration costs: Wages Light & Heat Repairs & Renewals Insurance Subscriptions Postage, printing & stationery Telephone/Fax Accountancy Bookkeeping Costs Sundry Total payments Net Receipts/(Payments) for the year GENERAL FUND RESTRICTED FUNDS |
7,736 2,544 530 6,700 1,000 28,526 4,626 10,728 1,481 11,021 873 2,226 1,227 133 610 673 1,800 1,549 1,844 85,827 50,726 37,547 13,179 50,726 |
5,706 2,000 35,418 8,749 10,149 688 12,379 1,282 8,380 1,227 130 329 1,174 3,810 - 2,390 93,811 19,311 14,499 4,812 19,311 |
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PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2023
| Note Fixed Assets 3 Monetary Assets Bank Current Account - HSBC Bank Reserve Account - HSBC - HSBC Phoenix Sponsor A Pony - HSBC Solar Panels - HSBC Savings Loan - Flourish With Phoenix CIC General Fund Balance at 1 April 2022 Fund transfer Net Receipts/(Payments) for the year Restricted Fund 4 Balance at 1 April 2022 Fund Transfer Net Receipts for the year Balance at 31 March 2023 |
2023 2022 £ £ 165,400 141,736 9,995 10,428 9,325 1,623 4,080 5,181 15,015 2,580 45,160 35,001 83,575 54,813 (1,730) (30) 247,245 196,519 162,144 147,645 1,125 - 37,547 14,499 200,816 162,144 34,375 29,563 1,125 ) ( - 13,179 4,812 46,429 34,375 247,245 196,519 |
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PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
1. Accounting Policies
The following accounting policies have been used consistently in the preparation of these accounts.
a) Basis of Accounting
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
2. Taxation
Phoenix Children's Foundation has charitable status and is not liable to taxation.
3. Fixed Assets
Governance and Administration
| Brought forward 01 Apr 22 £ Computer Equipment 8,363 Office Furniture and Equipment 7,137 Stable (50%) 1,225 Office Building 8,227 Log Store 318 25,270 Charitable Activities Brought forward 01 Apr 22 £ Stable (50%) 1,224 Classroom 28,642 Toilet Block 30,027 Sensory Garden 13,022 Solar Panels 31,730 Sheds & Cabin 5,620 Biological Assets: Reindeer 6,200 Donkey - Polaris Ranger - 116,465 Total 141,736 4. Restricted Fund Balances Facilities at Stable Yard Forest Enrichment Area Disabled and Special Needs Holiday Scheme Toilet Replacement Advanced Education Program Yurt Roof Replacement Sensory Room Flourish Project |
Additions £ - - - - - - Additions £ - - 4,451 1,091 - 7,272 - 4,000 6,850 23,664 23,664 |
Disposals £ - - - - - - Disposals £ - - - - - - - - - - - 2023 £ 29,563 5,750 - 7,346 870 2,400 500 - 46,429 |
Carried forward 31 Mar 23 £ 8,363 7,137 1,225 8,227 318 25,270 Carried forward 31 Mar 23 £ 1,224 28,642 34,478 14,113 31,730 12,892 6,200 4,000 6,850 140,129 165,400 2022 £ 29,563 3,687 1,125 - 34,375 |
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PHOENIX CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION Notes to the Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
(continued)
5. Sponsor A Pony
A small group of miniature ponies, donkeys, alpacas and reindeer is kept by the Charity. These are occasionally taken to venues, as they are part of the fundraising operation in that they generate support from the public. They are also used at the Charity premises in provision of therapeutic activities, thus fulfilling the charitable objective.
The Trustees are aware of the importance of these animals in both roles, but are also conscious of the costs involved. Consequently, a Sponsor a Pony Scheme was started with the ultimate intention of this scheme fully funding their upkeep, as it continues to achieve.
Other income includes donations to the above scheme, these funds being utilised for the upkeep and welfare of the animals. Costs are allocated between Fund Raising Costs and Provision of Therapeutic Activities.
6. Flourish with Phoenix Community Interest Company
On 18 February 2019, Flourish with Phoenix Community Interest Company was incorporated with the intention of addressing the issues that young people have in improving their life chances and quality of life. It enables services to be provided on a fee basis with any excess income being paid to Phoenix Children's Foundation. During the year under review, grants have been received by the charity and they have been donated to the company.