2023-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/04/2022 Period start date to 31/03/2023 Period end date

Charity name: The Laughter Specialists Charitable Trust Charity registration number: 1132987

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The objectives of the trust are: To relieve sickness, preserve and protect health by providing specially trained entertainers known as Laughter Specialists for sick children in hospitals, and those with special needs in schools, residential homes and similar institutions. Laughter Specialists also visit adults with special needs. To advance the education of the public in the benefits of laughter as an aid to good health. To achieve these objectives the trust provides specialist entertainers/performers to visit sick children and those with special needs bringing interactive play, laughter and fun.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	Activities of Laughter Specialists for the public benefit: The Trust funds professional entertainers/performers to be Laughter Specialists who use their skills to bring fun and laughter to sick children in hospitals, hospices and to children with special needs in schools and other similar institutions. Outreach visits to: - sick home bound children (would have been in hospital or hospice) and those rehabilitating and their families. - vulnerable children not receiving any other support during the pandemic The Laughter Specialists use magic, songs, music, puppets and improvisation bringing therapeutic interactive play, laughter and fun. Their aim is to improve the lives of the children in the hospitals & parents, carers, and siblings. TLS are adapting their skills to connect and reach these families with mental wellness at the forefront of the service,and use their

		therapeutic interactive teaching skills through play, laughter and fun, children with complex needs They visit Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge, Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford, Colchester Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital Harlow – all visits have resumed. Special Schools include Columbus school & college Chelmsford Edith Borthwick School Essex, Marketfields School Colchester, Granta school Linton Cambs, Grove Cottage Nursery Bishops Stortford, Grove House School Brentwood, Harlow Fields school Harlow, Meldreth Manor School Herts Visits are now back to normal. Evidence for their work is needed: To ensure their work is needed and beneficial they seek and receive: 1) Ongoing feedback from relatives, staff and the children, through feedback forms, letters and consultation with Hospital staff. 2) General Research into Humour in hospital and connected topics carried out by journalists and researchers. 3) Gathering more feedback and impact measurement from our visits to Special Schools and listening to what the schools want from us We are widening our network, looking at new & better ways of marketing our services. We are always analysing our revenue streams and looking at developing our funding further for example through broader corporate support. We have developed stronger links with other organisations and value the establishments working with us who recognise the impact we are having.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The Trustees have had regard to the guidance

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

SORP reference Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment Para 1.38 including program related investment

Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	One of the two founders Annie Aris who is Chief Operating Officer effectively administers the day to day running of the charity. The trustees and additional volunteers/supporters of the charity help with setting up, promoting and running events. The trustees are intrinsically involved in the financial aspects of the charity both day to day as well as strategically - through maintaining charityaccounts and scrutiny.
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	Activities and achievements of The Laughter Specialists Charitable Trust for the year April 1st 2022 to March 31st 2023 This year the income from corporate sponsorship, grants and donations has increased as more funding has been available after covid and our opportunity to deliver is back to pre covid Outreach visits to family’s homes which we introduced during Covid times has been a great success and continued, with more and more families benefitting from the service. We visit the following schools: 1) Edith Borthwick School, Bocking, Essex. Once a week a month during term time. 2) Grove Cottage (mencap), Bishops Stortford. 3) We visit Harlow Fields school Harlow every week through various sources of funding – this has been working extremely well, with our work being recognised for its additional educational benefits – this acts as a valuable model that can be rolled out to other Special schools 4) We visit Columbus School & College Chelmsford through general funding. We’ve built up a great rapport and understanding of the children’s needs bringing them fun & laughter, helping them to interact with each other and express themselves. 5) Meldreth School The benefits of these visits have led to a reduction in stress and boredom for the children and their parents at these clinics. 6) Market Fields School Colchester Weekly or fortnightly visits during term time, through specific funding for that area

Training programmes: A new trainee LS began in early 2022, with 2/3 others due to start in Apr 2023, mainly covering the SE of England. A rigorous new theory training programme is being developed which will sit along a thorough practical training programme. Planning has begun and some funds secured to move into other regions namely Manchester/Blackpool, London and Scotland. The process of recruiting new LS trainees in these areas is underway. Development of our service with older people with focus on dementia is also progressing, more funding is required to secure this service. Gathering and analysing the feedback for our visits to enable us to measure the impact more accurately of our work.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against Para 1.41 objectives set Performance of fundraising Para 1.41 activities against objectives set Investment performance Para 1.41 against objectives Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	There is an Unrestricted funds balance of £47,199and a restricted funds balance of £5,986at the end of the financial year. We were fortunate to secure more training funding this financial year which enables us to train up more Laughter Specialists, in the next financial year. Our unrestricted/reserves balance was slightly low at the end of this financial year, but we have fundingsecured to replenish this.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The trustees aim is to have funds in reserve to cover six months indirect fixed costs. These costs include administration fees, fundraising fees, insurance, office supplies, computer costs, accountancy costs etc. Direct funds for our charitable activities (funding Laughter Specialist visits) are mostly restricted funds for projects and received in advance,though now some restricted funds are

		paid partially up front and then the remaining funds paid when the project is complete. At present the trustees don’t consider it necessary to have a reserve fund to cover these costs as the number of visits and timing of the visits is very flexible, though this may be reconsidered if our funding becomes split between beginning and end of project. In terms of a reserve fund, it is more important in the trustees opinion to have a reserve fund to cover the other costs of running the charity without which we cannot support the Laughter Specialist visits.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	The trustees consider that the charity should have sufficient reserves in unrestricted funds to cover fundraising, admin and other fixed support costs of between £10,000 to £15,000 not exceeding£15,000.
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal Para 1.47 sources of funds (including any fundraising) Investment policy and Para 1.46 objectives including any social investment policy adopted A description of the principal Para 1.46 risks facing the charity Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Trust Deed
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Trust

Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Appointed by existing trustees

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures Para 1.51 adopted for the induction and training of trustees The charity’s organisational Para 1.51 structure and any wider network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	The Laughter Specialists Charitable Trust
Other name the charity uses
Registered charitynumber	1132987
Charity’s principal address	Falcons Park Road Little Easton, Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2JH

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for **whole year **	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Edward Rudd	Treasurer
	Clare Thompson
	Karen Sheairs	ActingChair Jun20 -
	Madeleine Gardner	Finance officer

Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Annie Aris (founder and Laughter Specialists acting as Chief Operational Officers),

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

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