2025-03-31-accounts

fyZ|£9, CHARITYFOR ENGLAND COMMISSION AND WALES

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/04/2024 Period start date to 31/03/2025 Period end date

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

Objectives and Activities

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Summary of the purposes of | Para 1.17 The objectives of the trust are:
the charity as set out in its To relieve sickness, preserve and protect health
governing document 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 ey 1.17 and Activities of Laughter Specialists for the public
activities in relation to those | ° benefit:
purposes for the public The Trust funds professional
benefit, in particular, the entertainers/performers to be Laughter
activities, projects or Specialists who use their skills to bring fun and
services identified in the laughter to sick children in hospitals, hospices
accounts. and to children with special needs in schools
and other similar institutions.
Additionally The Laughter Specialists have
moved into the area of visiting older people
and in particular older people with dementia.
Outreach visits to:
- sick home bound children (would have been
in hospital or hospice) and those rehabilitating
and their families.
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
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the forefront of the service, and use their
therapeutic interactive teaching skills through
play, laughter and fun, children with complex
needs.
They are also adapting their service for the
benefit of people with dementia.
They visit Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge,
Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford, Colchester
Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital Harlow
Barnet Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital
Hampsted both in London and the Royal
Manchester Children’s Hospital.
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
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 Para 1.18 The Trustees have had regard to the guidance
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
pL
SORP reference PO
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Policy on social investment
Seinvestment
Contribution made by One of the two founders Annie Aris who is
volunteers. Para 1.38 theChiefday Operating to day running Officer of effectively the charity. administers
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 month to
month as well as strategically - through
monitoring charity accounts and scrutiny.
[Other sd
Achievements and Performance
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6
Summary of the main Activities and achievements of The Laughter
achievements of the charity, Para 1.20 Specialists Charitable Trust
identifying the difference the for the year April 1st 2024 to March 31st 2025
charity’s work has made to This year the income from corporate
the circumstances of its sponsorship, grants and donations has
beneficiaries and any wider increased as the charity has been more
benefits to society as a successful in securing funding.
whole.
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.
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
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Training programmes: Arigorous new theory training programme has been developed which will sit alongside a thorough practical training programme. The charities has secured less funding for the Manchester/Blackpool area and the North London region. 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.

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Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against
objectives set rue
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives | P&2'4"
set
Investment performance :
against objectives aint
pOther
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Financial Review

Review of the charity’s Para 1.21 There is an restricted funds balance of £19,838 financial position at the end and an unrestricted funds balance of £5,905 at of the period the end of the financial year. We were successful with the following grants and funding: The Foyle Foundation ACT FSJ Trust St James Place Foundation Colchester Catalyst Essex Community Fund Containerlift (sponsorship) Statement explaining the Para 1.22 The trustees aim is to have funds in reserve to policy for holding reserves cover six months indirect fixed costs. These stating why they are held 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 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. Unrestricted funds dipped below the ideal figure, the charity/trustees are very mindful of this and are working hard to increase the amount of Unrestricted funding by looking at more fundraising events and ways to increase it etc =reserves Fldeficit Explanation of any Para 1.23 uncertainties about the concern ES

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Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including | °" "4"
any fundraising)
Investment policy and
objectives including any Para 1.46
social investment policy
adopted
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity Pare TAG
[Other
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Structure, Governance and Management

trusts:
How is the charity		Trust
constituted?
Trustee selection methods	Para 1.25	Appointed by existingtrustees
including details ofany
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post orname of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one ormore
trustees
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements		where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted forthe induction	— ae"
and training oftrustees
The charity’s organisational structureand anywider	Para 1.51
network with which the
charity works
parties [other	ila

Reference and Administrative details

		The Laughter Specialists Charitable Trust
Othernamethecharityuses[
Registered charity	number	1132987
Charity’s principal	address	Falcons
		Park Road
		Little Easton, Great Dunmow
		Essex
		CM62JH

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

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a Dates acted if not for | Name of person (or body) entitled
1|EqwardRudd | Treasurer | |
2|ClareThompson {| | |
Aating Ghar wnd0-[
4|Madeleine Gardner | Finance officer | |
Da CG
Corporate trustees — names of the directors at the date the report was approved
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Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

[Trusteename Cd «Dates acted ifnotforwholeyear{ a a a(

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/7 details

Other- information

LLLLL LLL

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

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Full name(s)|Ed Rudd Madeleine Gardner
Position (eg Secretary, |Treasurer Trustee
Chair, etc)
Date \a \ lag
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|

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