## **HEALING OPPORTUNITIES PROVISION SCHEME (HOPS) TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021. ## **Structure, governance and management** The charity was established under its constitution on 23 July 2008 and registered with the Charity Commission in 2010. The trustees who served during the year were: L Barefoot S Ruffell A Walker M Grainger G Moore The appointment of trustees is set out in the Constitution. The recruitment of new trustees is periodically undertaken by the Board which follows an open and fair recruitment process taking due account of the skills and experience of existing trustees and the needs of the charity and the desire for its membership to reflect the diversity of the local community. The charity is managed and administered by a board of trustees. The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to major risks. Our major financial risk is in the generation of income by way of grants and donations. We monitor our income and expenditure at least each quarter and tailor our activities to the resources available. None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year. During the year, a trustee of the charity donated £5,000 to the charity to support its ongoing work. All trustees are required to read the Charity Commission’s guidance in ‘The Essential Trustee’; and some have had previous experience of being a Trustee for other charities. Relevant training opportunities are provided as required, e.g. safeguarding. Our Board of Trustees meets about ten times a year. The Finance and Staffing Subcommittees, bringing in specialist expertise, meet on an ad hoc basis as required. Policy and publicity are both covered by ad hoc meetings. 1 HOPS liaises closely with a wide range of organisations, both voluntary and statutory. These include the Sunderland North Voluntary and Community Service Network and Area Committee; Sunderland Carers’ Centre; Sunderland Healthnet; Grace House North East; Sunderland MIND, Sunderland Council’s Wellbeing Network; Social Chef; Back on the Map, Hendon; Space to Grow; Sunderland Voluntary And Community Service; CEED, Sunderland North Community Business Centre (SNCBC /Community Opportunities); Training in Care; Southwick Salvation Army; Roker United Reform Church. ## **Objects and Activities** HOPS aims to relieve sickness and preserve and protect good health, principally by the provision of holistic healthcare, self care classes and non-residential respite and support for unpaid carers, older people and those in difficult circumstances, including those who are unemployed and/or socially isolated. ## **Achievements and Performance 2020-21** Pandemic restrictions have meant that we have not been able to provide individual holistic treatments this year. However, a number of our very experienced and highly qualified therapists have continued to provide help and support via online classes for those unpaid Carers who are registered with HOPS. Our private Facebook page has had live classes imparting knowledge on how to help oneself via simple steps in Shiatsu, massage and meditation and videos on these topics have been made available for those who could not attend the sessions. These proved very popular. Individual treatments will resume as soon as possible and we are planning some “bubble events” which may include the possibility of mini-treatments provided in accordance with prevailing restrictions. ## _**Courses:**_ Due to the pandemic, courses were transferred online within weeks of the first Lockdown. They have proved valuable not only in maintaining physical health but in combatting the isolation experienced by many this year. The emotional value of involvement in these courses has been evidenced by the feedback received, particularly in dealing with anxiety and severe depression. “In person” classes will resume when conditions allow; but it is expected that online provision will continue to be needed and appreciated, because it helps those who have difficulty finding anyone else to look after the “cared for” individual whilst they attend HOPS activities. 2 ## **Projects** _**Carers Time Out Project**_ : With the pandemic came the need for urgent transformation of our service. Within weeks of the first Lockdown, we had transferred to online provision, offering initially four classes per week and currently providing up to eleven activities per week. These include both classes (e.g. Coping in Covid, Meditation and Card Making) to social activities such as virtual Coffee Mornings and Quiz Evenings. Some online evenst such as the Crochet Evening provide both a social event and tuition. Feedback from this online provision has been extremely positive, many carers mentioning that they are able to be involved in more activities now that they are provided online, since they can participate from home, obviating the need to engage someone else to look after the “cared for” individual. Communication has been of key concern to us during this difficult year and from the beginning we have made sure that all carers are contacted weekly by text, phonecall or email. In addition, there have been some door step, socially distanced visits. Much intensive and demanding support has been given by our staff and we have received moving letters from some carers who had reached breaking point and felt that without the lifeline provided by HOPS, they simply could not have gone on with their lives. Our private Facebook page for unpaid carers registered with HOPS has been a huge success. It provides a forum for information, support, feedback from clients and a chance for carers to participate by sharing photos of things made at our classes (e.g. bags made at a sewing class, wreaths made with Christmas foliage and greetings cards). It is clear that participation in the online activities and on the Carers Connect private Facebook page have strengthened existing friendships and helped establish new ones. For socially isolated individuals living in extremely challenging situations, this is particularly important. For some activities, it has been necessary to deliver materials to the carers, which allowed a socially distanced conversation too. A particularly successful development on this front was the Recipe in a Bag scheme, run in liaison with the Social Chef project. Carers each had a bag of ingredients provided, with a recipe, enabling them to create a healthy yet low cost meal for themselves and their family. This was welcomed, introducing individuals to new vegetables and other ingredients and providing clear guidelines for their use. Carers said they were now making more meals from fresh ingredients, trying new ways of cooking them and that their families were enjoying the meals too. It is estimated that this project provided at least 700 meals over the six weeks that it ran. We intend to run a further project this summer. 3 Our successful Carers Project, which began in 2017 with funding from the People’s Health Trust, was initially focused on monthly Carers Time Out days, providing temporary respite from the 24/7 duties of unpaid carers. These provided each carer with a treatment and two activities and a healthy lunch, with plenty of time for social interaction. Whilst this has not been possible over the last year, plans are being made to introduce “bubble” gatherings in several parts of the city and the Carers Days will return when circumstances allow. _**NHS Focus Groups**_ : As a registered NHS provider, HOPS regularly hosts focus groups which encourage participation and sharing of ideas. This year we liaised with the NHS in the provision of a Path to Excellence Focus Group on improving mental health provision locally. Our clients’ comments are based on lived experience and much valued by the NHS, particularly because we are reaching people who would normally not have the chance, nor the confidence, to express their views. ## **Plans for the Future** Our online and virtual activities for carers continue to be well attended. We hope to be able to provide some events where carers can physically meet in the coming months as Covid-19 restrictions allow. We may also provide wellbeing sessions online for other organisations. ## **Financial review** The receipts and payments account for the period shows a surplus of receipts to payments on unrestricted funds of £25,300 before transfers between funds for the year ended 31 March 2021. On behalf of the Board of Trustees Ms L Barefoot Trustee Dated: July 2021 4 ## **HOPS** ## **(Healing Opportunities Provision Scheme)** ## **Receipts an** Period start date Apr 1, 20 **For the period from** ## **Section A Receipts and payments** **Unrestricted funds** **Restricted Restricted funds funds (PHT/Carers (PHT/Carers Project No 1) Project #2)** **----- Start of picture text -----**
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
Receipts
Courses and Classes 7,165 - -
Treatments 1,000 - -
Grants 2,000 - 12,464
Donations 18,527 - -
Gift Aid 5,413 - -
Total [ 34,105 ] - 12,464
Payments
Office Suppot - - -
Carers Project Staf 224 - 8,048
Development Manager 1,391 - -
Therapist Fees 215 - 250
Tutor Fees 5,203 572 1,060
Room Hire 530 - 1,800
Materials for Activities - - -
Office Consumables/Equipment - - 688
Marketing and Publicity 501 - -
Insurance 681 - -
Staf Expenses - - -
Services (Telephone) 20 - - ##
Training - - -
Professional fees 40 -
Total 8,805 572 11,846
Net of receipts/(payments) 25,300 - 572 618
Transfers between funds - 5,408 5,408
Cash funds last year end - 4,596 572 2,385
Cash funds this year end 15,296 - 8,411 [##]
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## **Categories** ## **Cash funds** ## **Details** Cash at bank _**Total cash funds**_ ## **Details** **Other monetary assets** ## **Details** ## **Investment assets** ## **Details** **Assets retained for the charity’s own use** ## **Details** ## **Liabilities** Signature G Moore Trustee ## **1137794** ## **nd payments accounts** **To** Period end date Mar 31, 21 **Restricted Restricted funds Restricted funds funds (Dev (Wellbeing (Covid 19 Online Total funds Manager) Works) Provision)** **----- Start of picture text -----**
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
- - - 7,165
- - - 1,000
- - 30,400 44,864
- - - 18,527
- - - 5,413
- - 30,400 76,969
- - - -
- - 10,685 18,957
12,749 - - 14,140
- - 465
- - 8,574 15,409
- - 2,040 4,370
- - 60 60
- - - 688
- - - 501
- - - 681
- 426 1,417 1,843
- - - 20
- - - -
- 40
12,749 426 22,776 57,174
- 12,749 - 426 7,624 19,795
- - - -
12,749 426 11,536
- [#] - 7,624 31,331
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Unrestricted Restricted funds
funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
15,296 16,035
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- -
15,296 16,035
Unrestricted Endowment
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Print Name Date of approval Gillian Moore Jul 2, 21 **----- Start of picture text -----**
CC16a
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## **Last year** ## **to the nearest £** **16,808 6,056 37,205 10,341 - 70,410** **7,326 5,419 5,682 15,112 17,280 14,478 650 452 350 681 - 304 10 826 68,570 1,840 - 9,696 11,536** Inde endent Examiner's Re Chari No 1137794 ort to the Trustees of Healin ortunities Provision Scheme HOPS I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Healing Opportunities Provision Scheme IHOPSI- (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021. Responsibilities and basis of report As the trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). The charity's Iruslees consider that an audit is not required under section 144121 of the Act and that an independent examination is required It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act., to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charty Commission under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Act.. and liiil to stsle whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide a11 the ev1dence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present 'true and fair view. and the report is limited to those matters sel out in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come lo my attention.. lal which gives me reasonable cause lo believe that in any material respect the requirements.. lil to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act,. and lill to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met., or {bl to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Name." Colin J Scudder MAAT 90 Fennel Grove South Shields Tyne & Wear Date. 2 July 2021