Chair’s of FoSYCP Report AGM 2021.
At our AGM last year we had no idea what was going to be happening for the coming year due to the rapidly changing situation with the first Lockdown being implemented a month previously and Young Carers Group meetings were all suspended until more was known about restrictions, the virus etc. So my update is much shorter this year but the support for Young Carers in Somerset is continuing with the support being divided into areas as follows;-
Mendip YMCA running Junior & senior Groups in Mendip area and S Som
Taunton YMCA running junior & senior groups in Taunton
Dulverton YMCA running Junior & Senior groups in Bridgwater
Minehead Eye – started a new young carers group in Minehead where there was no provision previously.
Balsom Centre, Wincanton- Group and individual support, funded for 3 years via the Somerset Community Foundation/ SCC Grant.
YMCA had to quickly put in place support via phone calls or by Facetime, Zoom etc and although the concerns were that children would really miss the Group meetings and support this had an unexpected benefit. Due to video calling the YMCA support staff were able to get a view of the reality for some children who had been attending Groups but little else was known about the reality of their lives- the video calls gave a window into what was really happening and there were referrals to SCC for more family support and speedy interventions were made on a few occasions, including Safeguarding.
Young Carers were able to attend Group meetings during the summersocially distanced and often in the open air but as lockdowns were imposed again so the support returned to video / phone support.
The current YMCA Tender was due to end 31[st] December but has been extended by SCC due to the pandemic and will run for all of this year to Dec 2021.
Nigel Gregory (Treasurer) and I have regular quarterly meetings with the commissioner for Young Carers and she tells me that the next Tender for Group provision will be for 3 years- I sincerely hope so as the children need some consistency- all of these changes have affected many of them deeply- the uncertainty has taken its toll, causing uneccessary anxiety and worry for both children and their families.
When SCC did consult with the children and some families- the children were very strong in their wish to continue to have groups- so at least this is provided.
SCC currently have allocated funds for some more specific work with young cares via the Somerset Community Foundation- The Balsom Centre in Wincanton and Magdalene Farm, near Chard were successful. Magdalene Farm have been unable to provide any residential breaks due to the pandemic but he Balsom Centre have been able to provide support for Young Carers in and around Wincanton via individual support and Group meetings but only when restrictions have allowed.
We have benefited from two donations this past year- a considerable sum of £30,000 from a Will- a friend of Marie’s and a donation recently of £600.
The Trustees have had many conversations about what our role may be going forwards – we continue to advocate for young carers in Somerset, including attending SCC meetings when YCs are on the Agenda; advocating for Young Carers wherever possible; raising public awareness to name but a few. We continue to fund individual and group applications for support / activities.
We have had some success with supporting Young Carers in the senior School in Burnham-on -Sea. I gave details in my report last year about supporting the Staff there to provide a cookery club for Young Carers and to provide more support for Young Carers in that area. Due to the pandemic all after school clubs have been suspended- we will continue to liaise with the school when education returns t a more normal format.
The Friends charity continue to receive Grant applications for individual activities or support although these have been far fewer than in previous years, this is probably due to the pandemic but this is something that needs to be monitored.
Support for Somerset’s Young Carers has become much more fragmented than when there was a SCC Team but we have to work with what we have got- in some ways the changes of the past year have had an unexpected bonus in letting support staff see into homes and the true situation was discovered; new provision has been made to cover new activities and extend help over a wider area- as there are always going to be many challenges in reaching all the young carers in a rural county.
I have concerns for the young carers in Somerset and for their support as many of them will have carried a much greater burden this year than in previous years-not being able to attend school during lockdowns, the time and space to study when there are caring duties to be done, provision of suitable IT equipment as many Young carers live in homes reliant on Benefits and so on.. however, I can assure you that the FoSYCP Charity will continue to monitor and advocate for Young Carers and if any of you would like to join the Trustees of the Charity please contact me.
Many thanks for all your support.
Alison Adlam
Chair- FOSYCP.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALE5 Friends Somerset Young Car5 Project 1117350 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the pèriod from 1st January 2020 31st Dember 2020 To Section A Receipts and ments Unrestrictsd funds tothe nearest ', Restricted funds Endowment funds tothtr neare5t£ Total fi&nds Lastyear i tr&the rTest£ tOthenearoSt£ to the nearest£ A1 Receipts Owabona 30.000 30.ODD Sub total(Gross income forARJ A2 Assèt and investment sale¥. see table . 30.489 Sub total Totalreceipts 30A89 A3 Payments Gra rn8de Hall hire 833 833 79 21 Sub total 833 833 ISOD A4 Asset and investment pur¢hases, (see tsbl81 Sub total Net of receipts/(paymentsJ AS Tran$fers betweèn funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 29,656 29,656 24,435 24,43S 54,091 21,887 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to neaTest£ Restricted funds Endowment fuftds Late&ones tts ng¥9st£ to nearÈst e .B1 Cash funds Bank acUt CCXX R1 accounts {SS) 1210812021
Total cash fun(ts 54,091 {aweetsaknsi F2Pt8d ptyments aCWunqs21 Unr88trithd funds to neare8t£ Restricted funds En(lowment funds ' Detsils lo nearest£ to £ 82 Other monetary assets Fund towthh a55et Cost lotrtlonall Current value loptlw811 ' Details B3 Investment assets l Deta Ils Furwj towhlch a$8et k¢lon CUenty41 ioptionaii Cost (oponlI B4 Assets retained for the chaiity's ovm use Fund towhleh liability relats¥ Amount due loptlonall due loptiall DetaÉls B6 Llablllttes SvJn8d ty one or two trustees on beha ..of all the trustees Signatu Print Name Date of apwoval CCXX R2 accounts ISS} 1210812021
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Friends of Somerset Young Carers Project On accounts for the year ended 31st December 2020 Charity no (if any) 1117350 Set out on pages {' <oA(IJEt':onal %11.: &". I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trust") for the year ended 3111212020. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: oslzoll Name: Jonathan Anderson Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Address: 31 Manor Road Dorchester Dorset DT12AX October 2018 AI
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. None oèer sl ISOS IER October 20181