2024-03-31-accounts - Walking With Giants Foundation

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Charity Number: 1123246

THE WALKING WITH GIANTS FOUNDATION

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

‘Today they are acorns – Tomorrow they will be oaks’ ‘Support us and help them reach their full potential’

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Charity Information Trustees: Chairperson Kieron Dubber Secretary John Connerty Treasurer David Cranny Mark O’Brien Volunteers: Lynsey Cheeseman Rebecca O’Brien Lynn Gallagher Stephanie Jackson Pat Cheeseman Clare Inskip Jessica Fairhurst Charity Number: 1123246 Charity Address: PO Box 85 Maghull Liverpool Merseyside L31 6WW Bankers: Lloyds TSB Bank Plc Liverpool Law Courts Merchants Court 2-12 Lord Street Liverpool Merseyside L2 1TS

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Independent	Ian Wright
Examiner:	Greater Merseyside Community Accountancy Service
	Sefton Council for Voluntary Services
	Suite 3B
	Burlington House
	Crosby Rd North
	Waterloo
	Liverpool
	L22 0LG

Introduction

The Walking With Giants Foundation Board of Trustees are pleased to report that during this financial period the WWGF majority of our services have remained open to support families through the difficulties they face here in the UK and around the world.

Once again, we have been able to achieve this through the dedication, commitment and innovation of our staff and volunteers.

Our small team have worked tirelessly to continue to put families first, ensuring there is always someone to talk to during this challenging time, initially during the lock-down at the start of the year.

We have also ensured that any family needing any financial support have been able to access our grants program.

All of the above is testament to our amazing staff and volunteers who have found ways to deliver services, whilst juggling many of the same issues as those they are supporting.

We will continue to consult our service users to optimise how we work with them to provide the best resources and support we can develop. We look forward to working with you to make this a success.

Kieron Dubber (Chair) Suzanne Connerty (Charity Manager)

Annual Report

The trustees present and confirm their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023, which have been prepared with charity’s governing document, comply with the current statutory requirements and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2015).

Our Aims and Objectives

The Walking With Giants Foundation charitable trust is governed by trust deed.

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

The Foundations’ objectives are:

The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
The advancement of health.
The advancement of education.

The above objectives will be achieved by facilitating:

a) The relief of poverty, distress and sickness of individuals identified with a form of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and associated syndromes of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and along with their families and carers.
b) To encourage and support persons affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and associated syndromes of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and to come together on equal terms with persons not affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and associated syndromes of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism to achieve complete integration within the wider community.
c) To provide, in the interests of social welfare, facilities for recreation or other such leisure time occupation for the benefit of persons and their families who have need of such facilities by reason of their condition, youth, age, sickness or infirmity, poverty or social and economic circumstances.
d) To promote, encourage or undertake organised research into causes and matters related to Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and associated syndromes of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and to disseminate such research anywhere in the world.
e) To advance public education and understanding of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and associated syndromes of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
f) To advance education in individuals affected by Majewski Osteodysplastic Primordial Dwarfism Type II and associated syndromes of Primordial Dwarfism.

The Walking With Giants Foundation strives to achieve the following aims for individuals affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and any other they feel that falls within their objectives:

a) Facilitate Opportunities to Meet

Including but not limited to the following:

Assisting individuals and their families affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism with annual membership costs for joining the numerous associations associated with Dwarfism (i.e. Restricted Growth Association, Child Growth Foundation and Little People of America).

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Assisting individuals and their families affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism with travel and accommodation expenses to the numerous annual conventions (i.e. Restricted Growth Association, Child Growth Foundation Little People of America and Walking With Giants Foundation).
Assisting individuals and their families affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism with travel and accommodation expenses to a quarterly Walking With Giants Family Support Weekend.
Provide family retreats exclusive to individuals and their families affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
b) Provide for Adaptive and Medical needs

Including but not limited to the following:

Assistance for family medical and dental expense outside of the coverage of NHS provisions and services.
Assistance with expenses for adaptive equipment needed for the home, vehicle, or school outside of NHS provisions, statutory services and State Benefits.
Assistance with travel, accommodation and medical expenses for medical care outside of the UK (if necessary).
c) Facilitate Education and Awareness

Including but not limited to the following:

Provide support and education to families of individuals with Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
Provide education programs and relevant literature to schools, the general public and mankind.
Provide education to Hospitals and Medical Institutes.
d) Research and Physician Support

Research

The Foundation will strive to facilitate research to:

Promote, encourage or undertake organised research into matters related to Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and associated syndromes of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism and to disseminate such research anywhere in the world.

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Physician Support

The Foundation will strive to facilitate a Medical Advisory Board to:

Review any individual deemed to be affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
Liaise with the Local National Health Trusts so that an individual diagnosed with Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism obtains the right support and treatment.

Trustees

For the purposes of these accounts, the Board of Trustee under the Trust Deed are deemed to be trustees. The trustees named on page 1 served throughout the year.

Appointment of trustees is governed by the trust deed. The trustees are authorised to appoint new trustees to fill casual vacancies or further enhance the charities aims and objectives.

Investment Powers

The trust deed authorises the trustees to make and hold investments using the general funds of the charity, but no such investments are presently held.

Development, activities and achievements

The WWGF founded in January 2008 is a national charity that’s supports individuals and their families affected by sub types of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism (rare forms of restricted growth) and we try hard to develop a wider public awareness of the foundation within the general population of the UK, Europe and other parts of the world.

In this reporting year we have:

Celebrated 16 years of supporting individuals and families affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism here in the UK and around the world
Provide a network of family support and friendship to 134 families within the UK and around the world via our FB private Group page.
Registered 5 new families onto the WWGF family register and connected them to doctors and specialists on our Medical Advisory Board.
Provided 7586 hours of direct family support via our Charity Manager and Family Support Program.

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Helped 13 families with direct advice and support on submitting Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment claims, Appeals and other areas of support for their children.
Via our Medical Review Board, UK Research teams and doctors and experts around the world, extended research and understanding of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
Continuously encourage and empowered more parents from the UK and around the world to participate in UK and American medical research programs to identify the causes and new types of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
Helped UK and American research experts on our medical review team via family participation identify more genes that cause some of the types of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism. This has resulted in more research papers being released.
Continuously provided support and liaise with parents of a child affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism who set up a similar charitable organisation in Germany to support German families affected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.
Supported 4 families in crisis and hardship through our General Grants Program to the sum of £1,635.00.
Held our Annual WWGF Convention allowing families from around the UK and afar to come together to celebrate life and support.

Financial Review

We are pleased to report successful year after the previous couple of years. Once again this is due to the amazing fundraising efforts of the Charity Manager (Suzanne Connerty) and the prudence and due diligence of the Walking With Giants Board of Trustees.

Most monies received were received through our own fund-raising events, local support from members of the public in Merseyside and several WWGF family members and their friends. Furthermore, we have received donations from other parts of the country and around the world via donations from members of the public and a sister organisation in Germany that helps promote and supports individuals and families effected by Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism.

In addition to the above we have raised/received funds via Facebook and Just Giving via public donations.

We also received an external grant during the reporting year from the ‘Community Foundation’ totalling £880.00 for our annual convention .

During the accounting period no trustee drew any monies for their services apart from travel and subsistence expenses on official business.

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

The Walking With Giants principal funding source is the receipt of unrestricted donations.

Future Developments

We are proud to state that the Walking With Giants Foundation goes from strength to strength and we hope to continue this success in the next 12 months.

The next 12 months will be concentrated on:

Reaching out to more international families and financially assist them to attend our next convention.
Enhancing our Annual Convention to allow us to provide support socially and medically to individuals and families affected Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism,
Further promote our grant making programme the individuals and families we support.
Re-develop and enhance our existing website to promote the work we do, the services we provide and understanding and education of Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism; along with improving online donations.
Build further relations with the Potential Foundation (America), Walking With Giants (Germany) and Walking With Giants (Netherlands).

Reserve Policies

As the charity has exceeded its level of anticipated income, the trustees consider that the charity has enough reserves to see the Foundation through to the next 6 months. This will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Risk Management

The trustees have conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed to and consider that systems are in place to migrate those risks.

All relevant systems are up to date, reviewed annually and sufficient for the governance of the Foundation. However, as we expand, we will review the existing systems and amend them if needed or create additional systems to eliminate any risks.

Trustees' Responsibilities Statement

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England &Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming

Walking With Giants Foundation – Charity Registration 1123246

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015(FRS102);
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approval

This report was approved by the trustees on the 6[th] January 2025 and signed by:

----- Start of picture text -----
___ ___
Za Rh C_&
Kieron Dubber – Chairperson John Connerty - Secretary
___ ___
ACS ug
David Cranny – Treasurer Mark O’Brien
----- End of picture text -----

Walklng With Glants Foundatlon Charlty No. 1123246 Trustee5' Report and Unaudited Accounts 31 March 2024

Walking With Giants Foundation Contents Pages Ito2 Trustees, Annual Report Independent Examiner's Report Receipts and Payments Accounts Statement of Assets and Liabilities 3to3 4t04 5t05 Notes to the Accounts 6t06 Detailed Receipts and Payments Accounts 7t08 Page I

Walking With Giants Foundation Trustees Annual Report The trustees present their report with the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Charity No. 1123246 Names of the charlty trustees who manage the Charity: Name of person (or body) entltled to appoint trustee Ilf any) Dates acted if not for whole year Trustee name Office (rf any) Secretary Treasurer Chair of Trustees J. Connerty D. Cranny A. Marsh Accountants Sefton Council for Voluntary Service Burlington House Crosby Road North Waterloo Liverpool L22 OLG DECLARATION The tru5tee5 declare that they have approved the trustees, report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees. D. Cranny Trustee 02 December 2024 Page 2

Walking With Giants Foundation Independent Examiners Report Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Walklng Wlth Giants Foundation I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Walking With Giants Foundation for the year ended 31 March 2024. 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'l. I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145151(bl of the Act. Independent examlner'5 Statement 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- the accounting records were not kept In accordance with section 130 of the Act; or the accounts do not accord with the accounting 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. lan Wright FCA Sefton Council for Voluntary Service Burlington House Cr05by Road North Waterloo Liverpool L22 OLG 02 December 2024 Page 3

Walking With Giants Foundation Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 March 2024 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds Total funds 2024 2024 2023 2024 Receipts from: Donations, legacie5 and Similar income Grants 21,803 21,803 880 9,001 880 Fundraising 38,446 38,446 40.290 Totsl gr05s income 60,249 880 61.129 49,291 Total receipts 60,249 880 61,129 49,291 Payments on: Charitable payments Fundraising costs Charlty costs Total gross expenditure Total payments 24,602 16,202 27,317 880 25,482 16,202 27,317 16,239 16,710 27,677 68,121 880 69,001 60.626 68,121 880 69,001 60,626 Net of receiptsl{payments) 17,872) 17,872) (11,335) Transfers between funds Cash funds last year 40,998 40,998 52,333 Cash funds thls year end 33,126 33,126 40,998 Page 4

Walking With Giants Foundation Statement of Assets and Liabilitie5 at 31 March 2024 Charity No. 1123246 Unrestrlcted funds Total funds Total funds 2024 2023 20Z4 Cash funds Current accounts 33,126 33,126 40,998 Total cash funds 33,126 33,126 40,998 Signed by the trustees on 02 December 2024 And signed on their behalf by: D. Cranny Trustee 02 December 2024 Page 5

Walking With Giants Foundation Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 l Accounting policies Basls of preparatlon The financial statements have been prepared on the 'Receipt5 and Payments, basis. Fund accounting Unrestricted funds These a re available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the charity. These are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes. These are unrestricted funds which include a revaluation reserve representing the restatement of investment assets at their market values. These are available for use subject to restrictions imposed by the donor orthrough term5 of an appeal. Designated fund5 Revaluation funds Restricted funds 2 Income from grants Restrlcted funds Total Total 2024 2023 Community Foundation 880 880 880 880 3 Restrlcted and Endowment Funds Restricted funds.. Community Foundation Convention Page 6

Walking With Giants Foundation Detailed Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 Marth 2024 Unrestricted funds 2024 Restricted funds 2024 Total funds Total funds 2024 2023 Receipts from: Donations, legacies and similar Income Just G iving Individual Donations 14,749 6,338 280 36 14,749 6,338 280 36 400 3,987 4,808 138 One Stop Stores Collection Tubs Van Hire Refund 400 21.803 21,803 9,001 Grants Community Foundation 880 880 880 880 Fundraising General Events 38,446 38,446 38,446 38,446 40,290 40.290 Total gross income 60,249 880 61.129 49,291 Total receipt5 60,249 880 61,129 49,291 Payments on: Charitable payments 22,967 1,635 24,602 880 23,847 1,635 25,482 11,550 4,689 16,239 Grants made 880 Fundralslng costs Fundraising I 16,202 16.202 16,202 16,202 16,710 16,710 Employee costs Sal3ries/wages 21,383 21,383 21,383 21,383 23,195 23,195 Motor and travel costs Travel and subsistence 189 189 54 189 189 54 Premises costs Rent 2,357 2,357 2,357 2,357 1,970 1,970 General administrative c05t5 Bank charges Equipment expensed General insurances 222 222 34 470 470 465 Page 7

Walklng Wlth Giants Foundation Detailed Receipts and Payments Account Information and publications Postage and couriers Software, IT support and related c05t5 Stationery and printing Sundry expenses 641 641 1,251 300 330 330 1,415 1.415 130 148 148 106 1250} 2,042 3,228 3,228 Legal and professional costs Accountancy and bookkeeping Other legal and professional costs 125 125 200 35 35 216 160 160 416 Total gross expenditure 68,121 880 69.001 60,626 Total payments 68,121 880 69,001 60,626 Net recelpts (payments) {7,8721 {7,872) {11,3351 Transfers between funds Cash fund last year end 40,998 40,998 52,333 Cash fund thls year end 33,126 33,126 40,998 Pa8e 8

Walklng With Glants Foundatlon Charlty No. 1123246 Trustee5' Report and Unaudited Accounts 31 March 2024