## **Army Widows Association**
## **Registered Charity Number 1127921**
## **Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Keith May Accounting Services Ltd**
Aura Business Centre, Heath Road, Skegness, Lincs, PE25 3SJ Telephone: 01754 896998 Mobile: 07934 373790
Email: enquiries@kmaservices.co.uk
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Index**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|**Report of the Trustees**|2 to 5|
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|6|
|**Receipts and Payments**|7 to 8|
|**Statement of Assets and Liabilities**|9|
|**Analysis of Restricted Funds**|10|
Page 1
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Report of the Trustees For The Year Ended 31 March 2023**
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS102 (effective 1 January 2015).
## **Reference and Administration Details**
## **Charity Name**
Army Widows Association
## **Registered Charity Number**
1127921
## **Principal Address**
C/O Bereavement and Aftercare Support Personal Services Branch HQ Home Command IDL 428, Ramillies Building Marlborough Lines Andover, Hants SP11 8HJ
## **Trustees**
Mrs Raqual Harper-Titchener Miss Rachel Prosser Mrs Patricia Wall (Tenure ceased October 2022) Mrs Linda Wilson (Tenure commenced October 2022) Mrs Rebecca Balmer (Tenure commenced October 2022) Col (Retd) K T Haugh Revd Nicola Frail Mrs Margaret Pedder Mr David Roberts Lt Col Joseph Petty
## **Chairwoman of Board of Trustees**
Mrs Raqual Harper-Titchener
## **General Secretary to Board of Trustees**
Mrs Rebecca Balmer
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Governing Document and Constitution**
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes an unincorporated charity.
## **Trustee Selection Methods**
New Trustees are approached and interviewed, with references and CV obtained.
Page 2
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Risk Management**
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
## **Objectives and Activities**
## **Objectives of the Charity**
The Charity’s objectives are to provide widows, widowers and their dependent children with relief from the effects of bereavement and loss and the impact on their personal circumstances and wellbeing by providing:
- Comfort support hope and a special understanding;
- Information, guidance and assistance on financial matters and other benefits;
- Professional counselling.
## **Summary of main activities undertaken for the public benefit**
The Army Widows‘ Association offers comfort, support, friendship and a special understanding to widows and widowers of service men and women. We help them resolve some of the difficulties they may face after the death of their spouses by:
- providing information and practical help with financial matters and other benefits;
- assisting in the provision of professional counselling and life skills;
- addressing issues relating to widows/widowers and their children with Army authorities;
- offering advice and experience to improve the Army’s approach to widows/widowers in the future;
- regional and national support groups and social events;
- working closely with other ex-service specialist organisations in support of widows/widowers and their children.
We confirm the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
## **Achievements and Performance**
Summary of main achievements during the year.
The Trustees and Management Committee have remained fully committed to providing continued and effective support to members. There has been the usual, regular contact via mail shots, AWA social media platforms and emails, to engage members and encourage peer support. The Christmas Card and Anniversary card (sent to each member, on the anniversary of the death) both continue to be well received.
This year we have also focused on embedding the changes in our Trustee and Management Committee Structure, including filling vacancies and re-establishing our in-person events programme in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Raqual Harper-Titchener, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Rachel Prosser, Chair of the Management Committee have been fully immersed in their new roles and have begun to fill vacancies and plan future activities for the Association.
The Association was successful in filling the Events Officer role on the Management Committee, which will be shared between three members of the association, and the Board successfully appointed a new Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
The recruitment for our Treasurer role was difficult, but a member of the Association came forward and was successfully appointed by the Board, enabling a handover period to our new Treasurer Linda Wilson.
Page 3
## **Army Widows Association**
This year, we were grateful to be able to hold our three main annual events as well as some extras.
Our AGM for 2022 was held on 13-15 May in Crewe. This was a successful event where we engaged our members in delivery of the Association objectives for the year ahead and received useful feedback on the support and respite activities that members wanted to see delivered. We also ran a session during the AGM meeting signposting other available support and charities. This was not only a time to provide an opportunity for quiet reflection and continued practical support, such as finance guidance and life skills, but it was a celebration of friendships made and provided the opportunity for members to forge new ones, whilst supporting those attending for the first time. These relationships are proving to be a great comfort and aid members in gaining confidence in rebuilding their lives. In many cases, the soft counselling, gained through the regular chats/gatherings, meets required needs, just as well as professional counselling does.
Some of our members and their families attended the Time to Reflect event at the National Memorial Arboretum, where the main purpose of the event was to introduce members of the Defence Bereaved Families Group charities to the NMA and its purpose in providing different spaces for everyone and to give them a time to reflect together.
Through our continued links and collegiate working with other relevant bodies some of our members were delighted to attend activities associated with the Falklands 40th Anniversary and the Queen’s Jubilee.
Online gatherings are still held, especially when we feel our members might need a boost. They have been timed to coincide with the Falklands 40th Anniversary and we held a gathering to mark the incredibly sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen, which affected many of our members, due to her dedicated support for the bereaved military community.
Our Association Act of Remembrance Service at the National Memorial Arboretum on 24-25 September and the National Service of Remembrance in London in November were both well attended by our members, who were pleased to be able to come together for what is an important time of the year for us all.
This last year we have been successful in securing a few grants to help us with the day to day costs, events, to develop our capability to support members mental health and well-being and to support activities which will help to reconnect our members with lost military communities, provide greater opportunities for local and regional connections amongst members.
The Association continue to write to newly bereaved widows/ers and are still involved in the crucial training of the VOs.
Although we are not a campaigning group, we do support other groups with any issues concerning our members and have been involved with the review of the children’s pension system and the ongoing campaign for the reinstatement of the War Widows’ Pension.
This year we have seen Members seek financial assistance, to enable access to counselling support, for themselves and their dependents.
We continue to maintain a close link with the military and other relevant support agencies/charities/groups, to keep abreast of developments and how best to support our members.
Page 4
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Financial Review**
## **Statement of the charity's policy on reserves**
Our policy is to have sufficient unrestricted reserves to cover 12 months activities and administration costs. Total expenditure in the year amounted to £28,250 and we have cash funds of £144,737, the trustees consider the level of cash funds appropriate.
## **Declaration**
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees
Mrs Rebecca Balmer
General Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Page 5
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Army Widows Association**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Army Widows Association for the year ended 31 March 2023.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Trust’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 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:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. 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.
Keith May ACMA CGMA Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Aura Business Centre
Heath Road Skegness Lincolnshire PE25 3SJ
Date: 15/01/2024
Page 6
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Receipts and Payments**
|**RECEIPTS**
**Total Receipts**
Contribution to trips from members
Donations
Grants
Membership
**Voluntary Income**
Fundraising events
**Activities for generating funds**
Investment Income|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
£
U
1,248
6,366
26,800
120
34,534
250
-
250
**34,784**|**Restricted**
**funds**
£
R
-
-
26,167
-
26,167
-
-
-
**26,167**|**Total Funds**
**2023**
**_2022_**
£
_£_
1,248
_3,907_
6,366
_8,800_
52,967
_30,250_
120
_150_
60,701
_43,107_
250
_1,779_
-
_-_
250
_1,779_
**60,951**
**_44,886_**|
|---|---|---|---|
Page 7
## **Army Widows Association**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
£
**PAYMENTS**
U
1,306
220
-
-
216
1,742
15,015
Less
Refund
-
2,925
-
-
228
-
-
589
132
408
-
19,297
-
577
-
97
-
103
-
166
943
**Total Payments**
**21,982**
**12,802**
-
**12,802**
99,576
**112,378**
Management Committee Meeting
Committee Expenses
Gifts
Memberships
**Costs of generating voluntary income**
Newsletters
VO Training
AWA Helpline
Website costs
Members event calendars
Advertising
Fundraising
**Charitable activities**
Events
Counselling
**Net receipts/(payments)**
Board of Trustees Meeting
Anniversary cards for members
Party at the palace allowance
**Support costs**
Accountancy
Insurance
Telephone
Postage and Stationery
Computer cost
Sundries
IT Equipment
Printing
Transfers between funds
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Cash funds last year end
**Cash funds this year end**|**Restricted**
**funds**
£
R
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,368
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,368
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
**6,368**
**19,799**
-
**19,799**
12,560
**32,359**|**Total Funds**
**2023**
**_2022_**
£
_£_
1,306
_2,154_
220
_204_
-
_415_
-
_-_
216
_216_
1,742
_2,989_
21,383
_26,483_
-
_-_
2,925
_1,025_
-
_-_
-
_-_
228
_110_
-
_312_
-
_1,508_
589
_1,103_
132
_181_
408
_607_
-
_-_
25,665
_31,329_
-
_500_
577
_567_
-
_85_
97
_1,721_
-
_1,126_
103
_207_
-
_45_
166
_398_
943
_4,649_
**28,350**
**_38,966_**
**32,601**
**_5,920_**
**-**
-
**32,601**
**5,920**
112,136
**144,737**|
|---|---|---|
Page 8
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31 March 2023**
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total Funds**||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**funds**|**funds**|**2023**|**_2022_**|
||£|£|£|_£_|
|**Cash Funds**|||||
|Cash at bank and in hand|112,378|32,359|144,737|_106,216_|
|**Total Cash Funds**|**112,378**|**32,359**|**144,737**|**_106,216_**|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 9 January 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:
Mrs Rebecca Balmer
General Secretary to the Board of Trustees
Page 9
## **Army Widows Association**
## **Analysis of Restricted Funds as at 31 March 2023**
The Veterans Foundation Army Central Fund Armed Forces Covenant
|Balance B/F
£
12,560
-
-
**12,560**|Income
£
-
15,000
11,167
**26,167**|Expenditure
Transfers
Balance C/F
£
£
£
(4,376)
-
8,184
(681)
-
14,319
(1,311)
-
9,856
**(6,368)**
**-**
**32,359**|
|---|---|---|
Purpose of Restricted Funds: The Veterans Foundation
Army Central Fund
Funds received to cover the costs of the NMA and Edinburgh Tattoo events.
Funds received to cover the costs of mental health training.
Armed Forces Covenant
Funds received to cover the costs of the Regional Resilience Activities.
Page 10