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← Halton Cancer Support Group

2024-03-31-accounts

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Charity number 1145810 A Company limited by guarantee number 7830948

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 March 2024

Web Site: www.haltoncancersupport.org.uk

Registered Charity no.1145810 Company no. 07830948

Sponsored by:

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

Contents Page
Trustees' Annual Report 2 to 15
Independent Examiner's Report 16
Statement of financial activities 17
Balance sheet 18
Statement of Cash flows 19
Notes to the Financial Statements 20 to 25

Prepared by the Greater Merseyside Community Accountancy Service

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Trustees' report

Thanks and acknowledgements

The Board of Trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals, groups and organisations who have supported Halton Cancer Support Group throughout the year.

Thank you once again to Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), whose grant agreement has provided a further year of financial support.

Halton Borough Council (HBC) have again provided the Voluntary Sector Core Grant and a grant from the Public Health Team, for which we are very grateful.

We were delighted to be chosen as one of the charities for the Mayor of Halton 2022-2023 - Councillor Mark Dennett and wife Andrea. We greatly appreciate the work they did to support our charity, raising an amazing £11,624 for our work, received during this financial year.

We later received a donation from Halton Crematorium, for which we were nominated by Councillor Mark Dennett, receiving a further £7,000.

Alongside grants and funds, we were very fortunate to receive financial and other varying types of support from organisations, groups and individuals within our community. We would like to note special thanks to:

Tesco – blue token appeal, Jaguar Landrover, Knights Choir, Widnes Martial Arts, Home Financial, Toby Carvery - Dominoes team, HBC Transport Co-ordination, Asda Foundation, Pewithall School, Widnes Rotary, Cutting Edge Salon (Rachel Lyons), Woolton Carpets, Widnes Football Forum, Halton Credit Union, Comformatic, Widnes Wonders, Highfield Hospital, Bargain Booze, Phoenix Fitness and Grosvenor Ladies.

We would also like to thank many individuals for their very generous donations: S Warr, D Graal, S Connolly, A Lloyd, L Farrow, L Millington, H Nott, M Russell, P Byrne, H Richardson, S Dunwoodie, J Pennington, L Hawkins, M Hardman, A Hughes, J Carter, M Naughton, L Cross, S Barry, S Bailey, E Ettrick, M Carr, K Millington, V Melling, B Wilson, J Morris, B McCarron, H Birch, D Green, D Renshall.

We received regular monthly support via our on-line giving platform. Thank you to Mr & Mrs Carr, Mr & Mrs Wilson and Mr & Mrs Hill for their regular contributions.

Many of our on-line doners are anonymous. Please accept our sincere thanks if you have donated on-line. We will continue to utilise all donations in the best possible way.

L Farrow is a long-term volunteer, supporter and fundraiser who facilitates the inhouse lottery. Lyn has raised over £17,500 since starting this which she takes great care and organisation in running. Thank you, Lyn and husband, Ken, for your support and thanks to all who join in.

We are very thankful for the support from local small business owners, and some large corporate businesses who have promoted our charity and provided help and support in a variety of ways. Much thanks to:

Nando’s who repainted our therapy rooms, installed new lighting and updated one of our toilets.

Jak, from Empire Property Solutions who repaired a leak, updated one of our bathrooms and very kindly provided a full bespoke adapted bathroom for a young family we were supporting – All free of charge.

The Wonky Garden for providing beautiful flowers for our clients and Centre decoration, Riverside College for providing manicure equipment and Widnes Tesco and Asda for providing items for various events. Widnes Martial Arts for their involvement in various ways including their great support with our annual 5K fundraising event, and branding the school clothing with our Centre logo.

We are sometimes in receipt of donations following the passing of someone who has found support in our service. It is difficult to imagine the strength it takes to organise collections and donations in memoriam, and we are very grateful to the family and friends who choose to do this for our charity. Thank you to the family and friends of: F Carter, J Jones, and M Hassey.

Our service is very blessed with the gift of time and skills from many people. We could not offer counselling, therapies and beauty treatments without our wonderful volunteer counsellors, therapists and beauty students from Riverside College. Your work means so much to so many.

To our many volunteers, your efforts, commitment and contributions make a real difference in people’s lives. We applaud you.

A final recognition to the team at Widnes Market who provide space in their wonderful market for us to hold a monthly fundraising stall.

As you can see, it has been a year filled with compassion and kindness. We can never thank you all enough for all you have done and the help and support this has provided for many people in our community.

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Trustees' report continued

Chairman’s report 2023 – 2024

I would like to begin by noting thanks to Halton Borough Council, Public Health, and Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board for their continued support. Their contractual and grant agreements are the foundation on which we plan and operate.

Thank you also to Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community Action (VCA) who continue to connect and support our sector, bringing together the key ingredients required to nurture our borough at the grass roots level.

Thanks and acknowledgements are noted in our Annual Report, yet I would like to personally recognise the continuous fundraising efforts of our team and the kindness and generosity of our supporters and donors.

Each year we reflect on the success and challenges our service has faced in ensuring a high standard of quality and care in the services provided. I am proud and privileged to remain chairman of such a thriving organisation and can hand on heart, credit this to the dedicated people involved. We continue to flourish and develop, responding to our community, and aligning with the requirements of our remit, whilst always remaining true to our purpose, to support local people who are affected by cancer. We may modify our offer, tweak our services, and alter our processes, yet we never deviate from what we are here to do, and this year has been no different.

After much discussion, our board made the decision to update our charity and company name to better reflect the area we serve. This seemed befitting with our funding agreements, with our local authority area, and now as part of The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. We also work in connection with our colleagues across the area such as Halton Carers Centre, Halton Citizens Advice Bureau, Halton Healthwatch, and many more. After much paperwork and behind the scenes alterations, our exterior sign, marketing materials, and official name is now recognised as ‘Halton Cancer Support.’ Towards the end of the previous financial year, and from the start of this year, our board had growing concerns for the resource of our service and the wellbeing of our staff. This was due to long-term sickness within the team. Ill-health is of course expected and planned for as part of a human workforce, yet the potential strain on our staff team over time was something our board discussed at length. We cannot emphasize enough just how resourceful, creative, and resilient our staff team has been in maintaining service levels, upholding quality standards, and pulling together to provide continuity and consistency. Despite being understaffed for the majority of the year, our service continued to succeed, and we are proud and thankful for their dedication and commitment, a true testament to their work ethic and care for our service.

The summer saw the success of our annual fundraiser ‘5K Your Way’ in Victoria Park. This has grown year on year and is no mean feat to plan and execute. Thanks to our staff and volunteers who made the event a tremendous success in every way. Special thanks also to Karl, our Patron and owner of Widnes Martial Arts who brought his team in force to support and help at the event, no doubt considerably boosting the funds raised.

As the September rain came, an internal leak and the need for some significant building work came to light. In no time at all, alternative room-hire was arranged to enable counselling sessions to continue. Building work was quickly and meticulously conducted by Empire Property Solutions and we were back to normal at our Centre. October saw the retirement of long-term employee, Corrinne, and a little later in the year Val also left employment with us. Corrinne and Val supported and brought comfort and warmth to many people over their years here, initially as service users, then volunteers, and more recently as members of staff. We wish Corrinne and Val all the best for the future.

The Halton Bereavement Café, a joint venture with our charity, Halton & St Helens VCA, and Halton Libraries, began as a pilot in August. This was in response to an increased need for bereavement support, highlighted by ours and other neighboring groups and organisations. The café model is an informal arrangement where appropriate time, space, and opportunity for people to connect with others is provided, and in this case has been very successful. We hope to see this continue to flourish. Our work with Children & Young People is something our board is very passionate about and extremely proud of. Despite some short bursts of funding, this has not yet had a long-term agreement, which we intend to secure in the future. Professional counselling continues to be the most requested and most utilised of our offers. Despite the usual pattern of reduced attendance in the summer months, it is clear to see the need to grow our capacity in this area, planning for our future and responding to the needs of our clients.

We are delighted to see how well utilised our Respite Caravan in Talacre has been this year. A lot of hard work and dedication goes into maintaining and managing the facility, yet the rewards and benefits for those who can enjoy a break from cancer treatments, or some recouperation by the sea, make it a very worthwhile and cherished sanctum. I look forward to Halton Cancer Support continuing to grow and flourish in the coming years, remaining an important part of our rich community. I would like to end by reiterating heartfelt thanks to my fellow board members and our team who relentlessly strive to deliver the best quality therapeutic support.

Nicola, Karen, Sam, Maureen and Becci, the board and I thank you for all your hard work. We know your roles here are demanding and require a certain kind of person. You are those incredibly special people, and we appreciate all you do to make our Centre the special place it is.

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Treasurers Report

We are indebted once again to Jane Williams for the independent submission of our 2023-24 annual accounts and for the preparation of a balance sheet for submission to Companies House.

This is the twelfth full accounting year since our incorporation as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

We are fortunate and grateful to have been in receipt of another yearly grant from NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board, grant support from Halton Borough Council via the Public Health Department and Voluntary Sector Core Grants. We are also grateful for funds received from the Mayors Fund, Halton Crematorium, NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance, supported by Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community Action, Tesco Groundwork, Digital Arts Box, and small project grants from One Halton.

Forthcoming items of note for the accounts:

Reserves and designated funds policy

Mr Ken Hill Treasurer

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Operations Manager Report

My eighth year as Operations Manager has been an enjoyable and eventful one, teaching me lots of valuable lessons, and testing my ability to adapt and lead our team through some challenging times.

Our service continues to develop in line with local needs. As cancer rates increase, so does the demand for our services and support. The option of being able to offer our services to people for many consecutive years has needed to develop further. Our offer, while being available for as long as people feel they need it, has evolved to a more structured provision. We are now seeing people utilising our support for 12-18 months on average, offering support when they feel they need it most and facilitating empowerment, growth, and the development of coping skills. Progression beyond our service must be a key part of our strategy. We are flexible in our approach and recognise each person as an individual with a unique experience.

This change in culture and design over the past few years has been no easy task. Compassion and empathy have, and always will be at the core of all we do, and we recognise change can be hard, especially for those who have known our charity for many years.

We utilise our finite resources as efficiently and effectively as we possibly can, targeting and providing the most beneficial activities and maximizing our strengths. Our strengths lie in active listening and communication, professional counselling, holistic therapy provision, support group facilitation and our entire ethos is that we care. We care about the people; we care about what they are going through, and we care about providing the best possible service.

In quarter 1, we enjoyed our final few weeks as one of the Mayors chosen charities which saw us at the local stadium for a races day. This was enjoyed by some of our staff team, board members, volunteers, our patron Karl, and many local people. It was very clear that Councillor Mark Dennett and his wife Andrea had a great warmth for our service, and we are truly fortunate to have been in receipt of their keen support.

Our beautiful respite caravan in North Wales is an absolute jewel in the crown of our Centre. We treasure it and protect it. We ensure it is taken good care of so that when our guests arrive, they are met with well-maintained, beautiful surroundings in which to relax and recuperate. You can imagine our horror when we arrived to prepare it for the year ahead, to find it had not been drawn down properly by the site maintenance team on-site at the end of the season. The pipes had burst over the winter months, leaving various damage and problems. I have no hesitation in sharing the tears I shed on discovering this, quickly followed by the plan of action to rectify the situation. I am pleased to say after some lengthy conversations and repairs, order was restored, and our wonderful facility was back in operation. You can learn more about our caravan later in the report.

In April, our team began working on a project with Digital Arts Box, supported by Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance, with an ambitious plan to create animations and podcasts, and to work with our service users to help them to learn digital skills while sharing their experiences of cancer. Please search for our podcasts to see some of the fabulous results from this joint work.

In May we had the pleasure of witnessing two ladies, Sarah, and Amy (from the Kuk Sool Won community – linked to Widnes Martial Arts) complete a skydive to raise awareness and funds for our work. It was good to see them safely back on land! It is fantastic to see people choosing to try something new to highlight the support we offer and to reach a different audience.

In June, we were very saddened by the passing of one of our long-standing volunteers, Janice, who had been a part of the Centre for many years, supporting various activities, events, and groups, always willing to support anything and everything to help the Centre. Janice is certainly missed.

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Quarter 2, saw the run up to our ‘5K Your Way’ annual fundraiser. We were delighted to have 180 people gather for the event, which was a huge success. Our staff and volunteers did an excellent job of organizing and raised over £11,000, as well as lots of local people hearing about and seeing our work.

We began Therapeutic Art sessions in August, supported by Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance and Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community Action. These were facilitated by a professional counsellor in small groups. The sessions received wonderful feedback, nurturing growth, and emotional development for our clients.

In September we were undeterred by the need for building work, finding suitable alternatives and working through the disruption. This helped us to see that counselling off-site is possible for the future, with the appropriate planning, environment and governance in place.

In Quarter 3, from October to February, I attended college on Thursday evenings to complete a counselling skills refresher course. This has helped to improve and enhance my existing knowledge of counselling practices to better support our counselling provision and student placement offer. We were awarded a ‘One Halton’ grant to carry out workshops to improve sleep. Sean Bailey of Sean Bailey Wellness had provided many free of charge sessions, sharing his expertise, and supporting our service users to understand the importance of sleep and how this can greatly impact health. Once we had seen the effect this was having, we joined forces with Sean to jointly apply for a grant to deliver a more in-depth programme. The feedback and results were fantastic, and we hope to work more with Sean in the future.

From October, we were delighted to begin the Bereavement Café pilot at St Marie’s, alongside Halton Libraries and Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community Action. This was the start of a more specific provision to support those who have been bereaved, while our support groups based at the Centre could focus on patient and carer needs. This was a necessary development in response to the change we were seeing in new client referrals. This has developed and continues to grow and adapt as we welcome more people.

The lead up to the festive season was a busy one as although our services traditionally go a little quieter for appointments, we began the process of recruiting 1, possibly 2 new team members. We had great interest in the roles with trustee board member, Ken, assisting me with selection and interviews in late November and early December.

In quarter 4, mid-January, we welcomed new Centre Coordinator, Becci. Becci began to settle in, and it became apparent in no time at all, that she would fit right in!

March was a month of new things. We joined with many fellow organizations to form the ‘Compassionate Communities Network.’ This network, in collaboration with NHS Cheshire & Merseyside brings the voluntary, community, and faith sector together to provide, coordinate, and promote meaningful conversations, activities, and services around dying, death, and bereavement. Please see the information created as part of this network.

We had a staff workshop day, welcoming Becci and sharing experiences and knowledge of working at the Centre. I led exercises on understanding personality types, how they can be key to working well together and on the difference between sympathy and empathy. We also did some active listening exercises. A great benefit to this session was the team spending time together, reflecting on their roles and understanding the positive impact they have on so many people.

The next new thing was the especially important wedding day for Sam, our Counselling & CYP Project Coordinator. It is not very often a wedding happens in such a small team, so it was very much a landmark and celebration in our Centre!

Last year I stated: “ The demand for our services, ask from our funders and responsibility for alignment with fellow health-related services, means we must continue to strive for meaningful, effective methods of therapeutic support, directing the need for social contact beyond this, to those best placed in the community to provide It”.

“Our specialism is and must continue more than ever, to be focused, tailored offers which promote acceptance, growth, progression, and empowerment to cope with all that a cancer diagnosis can bring.”

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

I believe that despite how difficult it has been to keep those boundaries in place, we are achieving this and providing the best, most effective methods of support, which is reflected in the feedback and comments from those accessing our services.

The level of care and compassion in our 1-2-1 listening and support sessions, professionalism in our counselling provision, empathy and understanding in our peer support groups, heart and soul in our respite caravan, and skill and attentiveness within our staff, holistic therapists, and volunteer team, make our Centre what it is. These ingredients make up who and what we are, and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. All of this, of course has been governed by our fantastic chairman and board, who provide strategic direction with a level of input which is supportive and directive, whilst trusting in the competence and abilities of our team. I greatly appreciate them and their approach to their roles.

I am keen to develop the way in which we support and safeguard the wellbeing of our staff and volunteer team. You will often read and hear me speak about the truly giving, diligent, compassionate people who carry out our mission and purpose. They do this in such a selfless, altruistic manner, yet their roles are emotionally demanding, and we must continue and evolve the way in which we protect their best interests in a holistic, effective way, caring for our people as they do for our clients.

For the coming year, we anticipate greater financial pressures as grants and funds are unlikely to increase proportionately with demand and costs, and could well be reduced or at risk. Our reputation and history as a key provider within the borough of Halton will serve us well, yet we know the times ahead will be challenging.

My intention and the strategy of our board is to resolutely maintain and nurture our standards of high quality, professional, progressive and compassionate support, while keeping well-informed and connected to Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community Action, who influence, inform and champion change in the wider system, to recognise, include and value the importance of our sector, and the role we play in the health and wellbeing of our community.

The longer-term intention is to stabilise finances for 2024/25 and beyond, incorporate any changes or recommendations following the restructure of Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board, and to grow and increase capacity to ensure we meet the needs of local people affected by cancer.

Our Services

Core Support

Listening support and information services are a very important and well utilised part of what we offer. Listening support, either face to face or via telephone has been accessed 847 times this year, while information requests were accessed 1107 times. We pride ourselves on responding efficiently and compassionately.

Psychological Support

Professional counselling sessions have continued to be a high priority and have become even more of a focus due to high demand. 657 counselling related calls and assessments took place, which led to 337 hours of scheduled counselling. Over 500 sessions were scheduled, yet on average 25% of sessions were cancelled due to holidays, medical appointments and general illness.

We pride ourselves on our very professional student placement offer and many fully qualified counsellors stay on with us well beyond their qualifying hours, enhancing the skills and abilities within our counselling team.

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Children and Young People’s Support

Over the year we have received 33 referrals for children and young people aged between 5 to16 years. These referrals have been made directly to us from parents or have come through schools that we have worked in previously. We have provided 101 hours of therapy across 12 different schools and colleges in Halton including: Pewithall, St Basils, Lunts Heath, St Bedes, Gorsewood, Our Ladys, Castleview, Wade Deacon, The Heath, OBA, The Grange, and Riverside College.

The reasons for referral have been either that the young person has someone in their life who is a cancer patient either going through treatment or post treatment, or the young person has experienced a bereavement. This year most of our young people have had a cancer patient in their immediate family (mum, dad, sibling, grandparent) and the majority of these patients have been mum. Depending on the demand for our service, the needs of the young person and our involvement with the school, some of these referrals are then shared with Child Bereavement UK.

Along with providing 121 sessions we were also approached by Pewithall Primary School and Wade Deacon to provide support for the wider school following the deaths of a parent and a student. These very sad losses affected whole year groups including teaching staff and other parents. We had meetings with staff to see how we could help and set up some drop-in sessions at each school for parents and teachers to attend. We wanted to provide a safe space for parents and teachers to share how they felt, ask questions and learn about how to talk to young people about cancer, death and dying. We prepared some information for parents and staff to take away which included some helpful tips about the language to use and how to support children during uncertain times. The sessions were well attended and gave the opportunity for some great discussions.

With help from Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance we were able to offer some workshops in January and February highlighting the signs and symptoms of cancer and the importance of screening. We were excited to be able to offer this and to work with a brilliant group of students at OCA. The workshops were fun and engaging and sparked some meaningful discussions. We discussed the signs and symptoms of lung, breast and bowel cancer, risk factors, screening programmes and the importance of attending screening. The aim of the workshop was to produce some artwork to display in their school that would highlight the signs and symptoms of lung, breast and bowel cancer. The group was split into 3 pairs and each pair had a different cancer to look at. By the end of the workshops the group had more knowledge, felt more confident talking about cancer and had created some amazing artwork packed with information to display in their school.

Gentlemen Only Group

Our Gentlemen Only Group has grown this year and attracts around 10 participants each week. Many of the gents continue to support each other inside and outside our Centre and have great respect and kindness for one another. We have welcomed new gentlemen who have settled in well and are very open in asking each other for advice while going through tough times.

We have experienced some sadness this year, losing who the group saw as their leader in March. This was sudden and very upsetting for the gents, who have spent lots of time sharing experiences and support together. The gents continued and supported one another, and there remains a strong core of attendees, along with a warm welcome for new group members.

Mixed Peer Support

This group has been steady in numbers and, although not always full it has worked and progressed well. We have noticed that with smaller numbers, people are able to sit and share their thoughts in more detail, explaining and sharing the good and bad days. Some weeks the conversations can be very deep, showing the clients feel that they are in a safe place to be able to share. They open up and can explain they are feeling down or feeling unwell, and also share their news and positive thoughts, such as something they have managed to do differently, their test results, and that they are still able to live life, albeit differently following their diagnoses.

Simple chats can be shared such as meal recipes, healthy food ideas, handy tips if feeling sickly. Many of them struggle with low energy and need to rest and sleep more. Relating to each other is very powerful to witness and facilitate.

We have welcomed some couples this year which has meant friendships have formed, creating connections beyond our services. These groups are offered in 12-week blocks yet can be repeated if requested. It has been common for those receiving palliative care to want to attend more than one 12-week block which we are happy to accommodate. The progression from the mixed group is the monthly ‘Next Steps’ group. We decided part way through the year to make this twice monthly, following feedback from our clients. The size and demand for this group has flowed naturally from the weekly groups as we had hoped, and is utilised a little further down the line from diagnosis than the weekly groups. Again, this leads to bonds and friendships created which progress outside of our services.

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Wellbeing

Our Holistic Therapies are much loved and appreciated. Reiki and Reflexology provide wonderful relaxation and wellbeing, receiving very positive feedback. Our therapists have such kindness and compassion for our clients. Sadly, this year we had to cease offering ‘Touch Therapy’ as our therapist was in very high demand in various settings.

Beauty students from Riverside College continue to provide manicures and pedicures during term time which is a very pleasant and mutually beneficial arrangement we have had for many years, providing a little pamper and relaxation.

Therapeutic Art

Therapeutic Art is a form of therapy that uses art media as its main mode of expression and communication. The classes are about expression and exploration through media such as colour, shapes and use of words or images. This can help with relaxation, stress, self-worth, and anxiety to name a few and is facilitated by an experienced professional counsellor.

The activity is supported by Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance and Halton & St Helens Voluntary Community action. The focus is to share experiences and encourage uptake of screening opportunities and to increase early detection. We have been delighted to share this experience this year, again receiving wonderful feedback and comments.

Outreach & Engagement

Outreach work helps to keep us known to our community and builds connections, with the intention of increasing referrals into our service. This year, Outreach has been impacted by the need for staff cover at our Centre, yet connections have been maintained and continued to grow again in quarter 4. Presentations, talks and information stands have been provided at:

We are also part of regular network meetings:

Leadership Networks we are part of:

Market Stall

Widnes Market very kindly provide space for us to provide a monthly stall on the first Monday of each month. This helps with our fundraising and also raises awareness of who we are and what we offer. We take along our Centre sign and leaflets and spread the word. Many people have stopped us and asked for more information about our services and have gone on to register with us. The stall is overseen by our fundraising volunteers who pride themselves on service with a smile!

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Trustees' report continued

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Social Media and Connectivity

We continue to utilise social media to share messages and promote our services.

Our website contains key messages and is a way for new people to find us and to register online. We follow up those registrations with a call, inviting each person for a welcome appointment with one of our team.

Email Correspondence

We continue to use MailChimp which is an email system that allows us to create branded and personalised emails, meeting our data protection requirements. Anyone can sign up for email newsletters by completing the form on our website or Facebook page and people who are new to our service are automatically added if they have provided an email address and consent. We currently have 558 people subscribed to our newsletters.

Facebook

The Centre's Facebook page is a great tool for sharing information and has increased its ‘likers’ by 17.4% from 1,363 to 1,600.

Private Facebook Group

The group, which began during lockdown has continued and has over 130 members. Each day there is a good-morning post, a puzzle/interactive post and an uplifting image or phrase. These are interacted with every day and often include messages of support between the members.

What our clients say…

“I am so grateful for everyone there who has helped me through this very difficult time and it's so nice to know I can always pick up the phone and arrange to pop into the Centre if I feel I need to”

“Very helpful, friendly, welcoming staff and volunteers who are happy to chat things through. The advice and support they offer is fantastic with both practical and emotional issues”.

“Excellent service really helpful and helped my husband meeting different men going through different cancer and how they manage their treatment”

“Centre is a bit of a safety blanket when you feel you have been abandoned at the end of treatment”

“The support I received has helped me come to terms with my cancer. The holistic therapies helped me with side effects of my treatment”

“I’ve had support after support from the Centre, nothing is too much trouble, and I’m always made to feel so welcome”

“I have found I can be myself, cry, talk about nothing and just sit and not be judged”

“The staff at the Centre have pointed us in the direction of all sorts of information, support and advice making life easier for us at this hard time”

Case Studies

“I have been diagnosed with cancer. I come to the Centre for Counselling, the gents group, and 1-2-1 support.

The counselling has helped me talk about things that I can’t I talk to my family about as I would get upset. I feel very relaxed after talking.

I have also been going to the gents support group. This has really benefited me as I can speak and interact with others who can understand and have a good laugh with them. It helps me leave my problems at the door and stops me thinking about troubling things.

I would highly recommend this service as it has helped me to focus on something other than my cancer and I have met great people who are supporting me and my family. I look forward to every week knowing I’ll be going to meet other people who make you laugh the minute you walk through the door. I don’t think anything should change, everything is prefect, and I really look forward to going.

I think you are all amazing and supportive and are always there if I need to talk. I really hope you continue the work that you are going”. (Mr M. Patient)

“My husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and we saw the Centre advertised at the Lilac Centre. We came down to see what was on offer so that he could get out of the house and feel more 'normal'.

We have got what we came for and more!! There’s so much on offer, not just for my husband but also for me. It did get him out of the house, and he enjoyed the variety of sessions on offer. So much support and friendship has been offered since my husband died too.

Groups are a great space to chat about anything - Cancer related or just putting the world to rights! It may be good to have more groups on offer on different days of the week but there is nothing missing from the service. Everything offered and everyone involved are amazing”.

(Mrs. D, Carer)

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Respite breaks

Our beautiful caravan brings so much peace and joy. We have been able to offer respite breaks for clients during their cancer treatments. Others prefer to visit during a treatment break, after treatment has ended, and for some it can be their last break away as they are approaching end of life.

The feedback has been fantastic, clearly showing how beneficial the breaks are and how much they mean

“Beautiful caravan. Had a lovely weekend with family. Enjoyed by all. Thank you”

“Thanks to you for letting us use the beautiful caravan. We had a lovely break and rest away from appointments. We had a nice relaxing time and we both chilled out over the few days. Thank you”

“What a beautiful caravan. We’ve had a great break- very relaxing! Fantastic weather for the first half of the week meant that we could explore the path from the site to Talacre, Prestatyn, Rhyll and Llandudno. The weather at the end of the week forced us to stay in the cosy van, relax and do nothing- just what we needed! Thank you so much to everyone at the Halton Cancer Support Centre”

“Thanks to the Centre for allowing us to use their caravan. We had a lovely weekend. Weather not good but the fire kept us cosy in the evenings. Went to the pub and swimming baths on the site. Overall the relaxing break which we needed”

“This is the most lovely gesture from Halton Cancer Support Group. We have had a lovely few days, just what we needed. Thanks again”

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Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Trustees' report continued

Service Utilisation

Psychological support 2022-23 2023-24
Listening/support, 1-2-1 sessions 256 366
Listening support via telephone 564 481
Professional counselling sessions 279 337
Counselling related assessments and calls 525 657
Professional counselling sessions, via telephone 26 34
Support sessions for Children & Young People, telephone enquiries/planning 208 143
Support sessions for Children & Young People, within schools 104 101
Therapeutic sessions
Holistic therapies 135 196
Beauty therapies 54 79
Therapeutic Art sessions 18 54
Self-Help / Peer Support Groups attendances
Gentlemen’s Peer Support group 394 440
Mixed Peer Support group 489 458
Online Peer Support group members 101 136
Online Peer Support group engagements 20766 10454
Contact
Information provided via telephone 1012 1026
Online contact/information via email and messages 135 243
Ad hoc activities/one off events 31 75
Ad hoc information at Centre 45 81
Respite breaks
Number of nights 126 149
New people registered
Newly Registered people (additional to existing current service users) 185 180
Patients 71 67
Carers 50 38
Bereaved 34 42
Children & Young People 30 33

12

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Trustees' report continued

Public Benefit:

In identifying and reviewing these priorities, aims and objectives, plus the supporting actions and activities for the year, we have been fully mindful of the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. We have aimed to ensure that all these planned actions and activities, agreed or noted by the Trustees/Directors at our regular Committee Meetings, are for public benefit and in-line with the charities purpose.

Financial Review

The surplus of the charity for the year amounted to £3,832 (£34,732 ~ 2023)

Reserves Policy

Details of the charity's reserves are shown in note 7a and show a figure of £66,361. This level of reserves is equivalent to 4 months of the centre's running costs. This is above the centre's aim of holding £64,000 the equivalent of 6 months running costs and this figure includes the costs of closure. However, the charity also have a designated funds policy which separates funds for the purpose of working with children and young people and also a fund for respite purposes. This amounts to £75,000. These funds are not part of the charities reserve funds.

Risk Management

The trustees actively review the major strategic, business and operational risks that the charity faces on a regular basis and acknowledge that the key risks relate to reduction in core funding and utilitisation of the service.

Statement of Directors' responsibilities

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial accounts for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP

make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.

prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business;

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Approved by the Board on 2nd September 2024 and signed on behalf of the directors by:

Gordon Ellis Chairperson

13

Reference and Administrative Details Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Charity number 1145810

A Company limited by guarantee number 7830948

PATRONS OF HALTON CANCER SUPPORT GROUP LIMITED

Jackie Ashley

Jim Mills

Derek Twigg MP

Dee Graal

Karl Martindale

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023 - 2024

Honourable President Dr Mary Gibbons, Retired G.P.

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Chairperson Gordon Ellis Vice Chairperson Clair Picton Treasurer Ken Hill TRUSTEES/DIRECTORS Mr Gordon Ellis Retired local Business Director Mrs Clair Picton Halton Resident (Voluntary Sector representative) Dr Mary Gibbons Retired G.P. Sheila Warr Retired Nurse Resigned 31st August 2023 Mr Kenneth Hill Retired local authority worker Mrs Susan Pybus Ex-bank worker (of the Widnes Cancer Support Fund Association) Allison Roberts Reflexology Therapist Mr Ian Connolly Retired Salesman

TRUSTEES/DIRECTORS

Company Secretary

Nicola Donoghue

Principal Staff

Nicola Donoghue Operations Manager Karen Millington Centre Co-Ordinator P/T Becci Keller Centre Co-Ordinator P/T (from 14th January 2024) Sam Bourque Children & Young People's Co-ordinator Maureen Isherwood Outreach & Engagement Worker Val Melling Bookkeeper/Administrator (untill November 2023)

Method of appointment

The Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Members of the Board are the Directors for the purposes of company law and the Trustees for the purposes of charity law.

Registered address

21-23 Alforde Street Widnes Cheshire WA8 7TR

Previous Company Names

Widnes and Runcorn Cancer Support Group 01 Nov 2011 - 17 July 2023

Bankers

Lloyds Bank plc Albert Square 23-24 Albert Road Widnes, WA8 6JW

14

Independent Examiner's report to the trustees of Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024 set out on pages 16 to 25.

Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

q examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;

q to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and

q state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent examiner's statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. 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 all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

q to keep accounting records in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; and

q to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities

have not been met; or

2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Jane Williams MAAT Greater Merseyside Community Accountancy Service

St Maries Lugsdale Road Widnes WA8 6DB

2nd September 2024

15

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Statement of Financial Activities (Including Income & Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2024

Notes
2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
Income from:
Income from donations
(4)
38,061
Income from charitable activities
(5)
21,187
Other incoming resources
(6)
6,879
Bank interest
469
Total incoming resources
66,596
Resources expended
Charitable activities
(7)
59,164
Net incoming / (outgoing) resources
7,432
Transfers between funds
-
Net movement in funds
7,432
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds as at 01 April 2023
68,034
Total funds as at 31 March 2024
(9)
75,466		 2024
Restricted
funds
£
70,260
-
-
-
70,260
73,860
(3,600)
-
(3,600)
40,700
37,100		 2024
Total
funds
£
108,321
21,187
6,879
469
136,856
133,024
3,832
-
3,832
108,734
112,566		 2023
Total
funds
£
160,910
15,606
5,244
130
181,890
147,158
34,732
-
34,732
74,002
108,734

The above statement includes all gains and loses recognised during the year. All activities are regarded as continuing.

Comparative figures for the previous year by fund type are shown in Note 13. The Notes on pages 20 to 25 form an integral part of these accounts.

16

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Charity number 1145810

A Company limited by guarantee number 7830948 Balance sheet

as at 31 March 2024

2024
Unrestricted
Fixed Assets
£
Tangible Assets
(8)
-
Total current assets
-
Current Assets
Debtors and prepayments
(11)
11,440
Cash at bank and in hand
(12)
64,457
Total current assets
75,897
Current liabilities:
amounts falling due within one year
Creditors (due within one year)
(13)
431
Total current liabilities
431
Net Assets
75,466
Funds of the charity
Restricted Funds
-
Unrestricted funds
75,466
Total Funds
75,466		 2024
Restricted
£
14,395
14,395
-
22,705
22,705
-
-
37,100
37,100
-
37,100		 2024
Total
£
14,395
14,395
11,440
87,162
98,602
431
431
112,566
37,100
75,466
112,566		 2023
Total
£
17,995
17,995
-
92,320
92,320
1,581
1,581
108,734
40,700
68,034
108,734

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) confirm that for the year ended 31 March 2024

the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, and

the members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in . accordance with section 476 of the Act

the trustees acknowledge their responsiblities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts

The notes on pages 20 to 25 form an integral part of these accounts.

These accounts, which have been prepared in accordance with the provisions in the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies, were approved by the trustees on 2nd September 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Ken Hill Director / Trustee

17

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2024

Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income/(expenditure) per SOFA
Capital purchase
Depreciation
Investment income
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
(5)
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
Cash flows from investing activities
Investment income
(6)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash:
Total cash as at 01 April 2023
Total cash as at 31 March 2024		 2024
Total
£
3,832
-
3,600
469
(11,440)
(1,150)
(4,689)
(469)
(5,158)
92,320
87,162		 2023
Total
£
34,732
-
3,600
130
11,050
(1,767)
47,745
130
-
47,615
44,705
92,320

The notes on pages 20 to 25 form an integral part of these accounts.

18

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Basis of preparation

These accounts (financial statements) have been prepared under the historical cost convention,

2 Accounting Policies

2.1 Fund accounting

(a) Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity.

2.2 Income

(e) Income, which is subject to conditions that the charity has yet to fulfil, or which is specifically for use in a future accounting period, is treated as deferred income.

2.3 Expenditure and liabilities

(d) Governance costs include the costs of preparation and examination of the statutory accounts, the cost of trustee meetings and the cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.

19

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

2.4 Tangible Fixed Assets

(a) Tangible fixed assets are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year and cost at least £1,000. They are valued at cost or, if gifted, at their value on receipt. Rates of depreciation

Caravan: 20% straight line basis to nil Fixtures and fittings: 15% straight line basis to nil Equipment: 20% straight line basis to nil

2.5 Debtors

(b) Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.

2.6 Cash

(a) Cash comprises bank deposits repayable on demand and any short-term highly liquid investments with a maturity date of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

2.7 Creditors

(a) Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are normally recognised at their settlement amount, usually the invoice amount.

2.8 Taxation

The charity is not liable to income tax or capital gains tax on its charitable activities.

3 Transactions with trustees and related parties

No trustees received any expenses or remuneration during the period.

Owing to the nature of the charity's activities and the composition of the board of trustees (being drawn from local statutory and voluntary organisation), it is inevitable that transactions will take place with organisations in which a trustee may have an interest. All transactions in which a trustee may have an interest are conducted at arm's length and in accordance with the charity's financial regulations and expenditure procedures. No transactions were indentified which should be disclosed under FRS 102.

20

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

4
Income from donations
Halton Borough Council: Vol Sec Funding
Halton Borough Council: Public Health
NHS Halton CCG
Halton Borough Council: One Halton
Halton Borough Council:
Groundwork
Mayors Fund
Digital Arts Box
Halton Crematorium
Halton & St Helens VCA
HMRC: Gift Aid
Abbeyfield Widnes Society Ltd
Donations
5
Income from charitable activities
Fundraising
6
Other Incoming resources from
charitable activities
Contributions
Other Incoming Resources		 2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
-
-
-
3,000
750
750
11,624
650
7,000
-
2,656
-
11,631
38,061
2024
Unrestricted
funds
£
21,187
21,187
Unrestricted
funds
£
6,879
-
6,879		 2024
Restricted
funds
£
11,500
13,000
45,760
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
70,260
2024
Restricted
funds
£
-
-
Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-		 2024
Total
funds
£
11,500
13,000
45,760
3,000
750
750
11,624
650
7,000
-
2,656
-
11,631
108,321
2024
Total
funds
£
21,187
21,187
Total
funds
£
6,879
-
6,879		 2023
Total
funds
£
11,500
6,500
49,952
-
-
-
-
-
-
5,175
2,703
75,000
10,080
160,910
2023
Total
funds
£
15,606
15,606
Total
funds
£
5,244
-
5,244

21

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

7 Expenditure of charitable activities

**7a ** 2024
Unrestricted
funds
Direct Costs
£
Salaries and NICs
7a
38,205
Payroll costs
-
Printing & Stationery
146
Telephone, IT & Postage
1,807
Equipment
595
Other Expenses
-
Fees & licenses
34
Premises
Rent
4,239
Utilities
1,117
Insurance
551
Cleaning
761
Repairs & Maintenance
269
Other
Bank Charges
139
Training
-
Travel
230
Event
-
Group Activities
2,352
Caravan Expenses
7,126
Counselling & Supervision
570
Marketing & Fundraising
480
Depreciation
-
Governance costs
(10)
544
Total resources expended
59,164
Staff costs and numbers
Gross salaries
Employer's NI
Employer's Pension		 2024
Unrestricted
funds
Direct Costs
£
Salaries and NICs
7a
38,205
Payroll costs
-
Printing & Stationery
146
Telephone, IT & Postage
1,807
Equipment
595
Other Expenses
-
Fees & licenses
34
Premises
Rent
4,239
Utilities
1,117
Insurance
551
Cleaning
761
Repairs & Maintenance
269
Other
Bank Charges
139
Training
-
Travel
230
Event
-
Group Activities
2,352
Caravan Expenses
7,126
Counselling & Supervision
570
Marketing & Fundraising
480
Depreciation
-
Governance costs
(10)
544
Total resources expended
59,164
Staff costs and numbers
Gross salaries
Employer's NI
Employer's Pension		 2024
Restricted
funds		 2024
Total
funds		 2023
Total
funds
£
38,205
-
146
1,807
595
-
34
4,239
1,117
551
761
269
139
-
230
-
2,352
7,126
570
480
-
544
59,164		 £
52,758
879
253
2,122
698
-
41
4,976
1,311
647
893
316
164
300
270
-
2,761
-
669
564
3,600
638
73,860		 £
90,963
879
399
3,929
1,293
-
75
-
9,215
2,428
1,198
1,654
585
303
300
500
-
5,113
7,126
1,239
1,044
3,600
1,182
133,024
£
88,471
839
1,653
90,963		 £
108,258
1,141
879
3,568
327
39
235
8,934
2,541
1,104
1,125
742
263
-
652
430
2,045
6,134
1,773
1,452
3,600
1,916
147,158
£
105,211
1,249
1,798
108,258

No employee earned £60,000 per annum or more in the current accounting period The average number of employees during the year was 3.4 (2023:3.4)

22

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited
Notes to the financial statements
for the year ended 31 March 2024
8 Tangible assets
Cost
At 1 April 2023
Additions
At 31 March 2024
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023
Charge for year
At 31 March 2024
Net book value
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023		 Caravan
£
35,995
-
35,995
18,000
3,600
21,600
14,395
17,995		 Total
£
35,995
-
35,995
18,000
3,600
21,600
14,395
17,995

23

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

9 Movements in funds
Unrestricted funds
General funds
Restricted funds
Caravan
HBC: Vol Sec Funding
HBC: Public Health
NHS Halton CCG
Total funds		 As at
01/04/2023		 Incoming
Resources		 Outgoing
Resources		 Transfers As at
31/03/2024
£
68,034		 £
66,596		 £
59,164		 £
-		 £
75,466
40,700
-
-
-
40,700
108,734		 -
11,500
13,000
45,760
70,260
136,856		 3,600
11,500
13,000
45,760
73,860
133,024		 -
-
-
-
-
-		 37,100
-
-
-
37,100
112,566

Purpose of restricted funds

We are grateful to all our funders who provided support to our centre running costs and salaries.

10 Governance Costs
Independent Examiners' fee
Accountancy
Professional fees
DBS Checks
Administration
11 Debtors and prepayments
Debtors
Prepayments
12 Cash at bank and in hand
Current Accounts
Deposit Accounts
Fundraising Account
Cash in hand
13 Creditors and accruals
Creditors
Deferred Income		 2024
£
300
310
414
134
23
1,182
£
11,440
-
11,440
£
40,478
46,487
-
197
87,162
£
431
-
431		 2023
£
300
95
1,350
158
13
1,916
£
-
-
-
£
41,495
50,182
-
644
92,320
£
1,581
-
1,581

24

Halton Cancer Support Group Limited Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024

13 Comparative income and expenditure by fund type

Income from:
Income from donations
Income from charitable activities
Other incoming resources
Bank interest
Total incoming resources
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
Net incoming / (outgoing) resources
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds as at 01 April 2023
Total funds as at 31 March 2024
(9)		 2024
£
38,061
21,187
6,879
469
66,596
59,164
7,432
-
7,432
106,239
113,671
Unrestricted		 2023
£
92,958
15,606
5,244
130
113,938
75,605
38,333
-
38,333
67,906
106,239
Funds		 2024
2023
£
£
70,260
67,952
-
-
-
-
-
-
70,260
67,952
73,860
71,552
(3,600)
(3,600)
-
-
(3,600)
(3,600)
37,100
40,700
33,500
37,100
Restricted Funds		 2024
2023
£
£
70,260
67,952
-
-
-
-
-
-
70,260
67,952
73,860
71,552
(3,600)
(3,600)
-
-
(3,600)
(3,600)
37,100
40,700
33,500
37,100
Restricted Funds
67,952
71,552
(3,600)
-
(3,600)
40,700
37,100

25