## **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
**£47,199**and a restricted funds balance of
**£5,986**at 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** Daclarations The tru8ts08 docl•To thal thoy havg opprov•d th• tntheos, roport abov•. Slgned on ￿hlIf of th• ¢harfty'* trusts 81gnatur•(g) Full name(8) Posltlon <09 Secrotaryi Chalr, at¢1 Ed Rudd Treasur6r Madelelne Gardner T￿￿ge 01 Recelpts and paJments accounts CC161 l•r th• 9•rt￿l To Section A Receipts ind paymcnts fund• AO• Al ,1•• io ••l••. l••• tstsl•i. •?.) A)P Si•b IDial ys Tp¢ A4 lun0• l••1 yur •nO C*•h fw*l• th1• y••rwd fJ.47J 44.1)1 Sèetltsn B St3tomÈnt ol assols and liabilrtie8 41 tho end ol tho porlod lufiO• Independont oxamlnoe8 report on th• accounts JI 4•tsh IQIJ AKounts lorlh y•v t• j_ 8•t I>￿1)￿ r- ¢lwlry M 1132117 lo rnc•dw•$ ty)*il g•rw•l DxKl4)n• B•bl• •1lnd•p•nd•fii My ki •ttor¢SW*t• yn•r¥ D*•etywTh •r4 tyr to ffi*W• wopw ol lh• lo S*Md.. Il•rn•'. FCI, CTA £rO. Mil LW•. Ct•thvq Wwi Wod￿. CBI 1 411P