2021-03-31-accounts - Time Bank Plus Ltd

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TIME BANK PLUS ANNUAL REPORT 2020/21

This report covers the strange period from 1[st] April 2020 to 31[st] March 2021, which was the period of maximum Covid Lockdown impact. Whilst some of our ‘usual’ projects were able to keep going in some form during part of that time, the bulk of our work programme was transformed to adapt to the strange and changing circumstances in which we found ourselves and the needs of our members and the local community at that time. As these reports are generally written a few months after the end of the reporting period, it is heartening to note that since then, we have been able to ‘open up’ to a considerable extent and resume a good proportion of our more ‘normal’ projects and activities whilst still keeping within Covid-safe guidelines.

The start of Lockdown was a highly anxious and stressful time for all of us. With many of our members and participants affected by ongoing mental or physical health issues and a proportion being advised to shield, the situation was particularly challenging. In addition, many of the people we work with, particularly the more elderly, did not have access to the internet or a smartphone and were reliant on their landlines to stay in contact with the outside world.

The small size and flexibility of our little charity were real assets in enabling us to adapt rapidly to the changing circumstances and needs of the local community. Our priority was to keep in regular and supportive contact with our more vulnerable participants, in particular members of the Lunch Club and others who lacked access to the internet. The Lunch Club Co-ordinator often spoke three or more times per week by telephone to some of those who were most isolated and also arranged services as and where needed, such as delivery of hot meals and activity packs to some members. She also compiled a small newsletter to help keep members of the Lunch Club in touch with each other.

For those people able to access the internet, Zoom proved to be something of a life saver. By the end of the first month, we had established a programme of online groups and activities which could be accessed via Zoom. Our programme of Zoom groups spanned every weekday and included: a Social ‘Café’; Creative Writing; Online Gardening & Food Growing; Knit & Natter; Online Cookery Workshops; Guitar Group; Games & Quizzes. During the year, we also hosted a number of Zoom workshops and short courses including Greek Cookery, Sewing Workshops and ‘Art for Everyone’. We were able to call on the expertise of volunteers where needed to assist people with IT issues such as going online or using Zoom and other software.

In addition to the above, we set up a couple of WhatsApp Groups to facilitate contact between our members and also instigated a monthly Photography Challenge to encourage people to spend time outside and connect with nature.

As the year progressed and Covid restrictions, at times, were partially eased we were able to re-start modified versions of some of our previous projects and activities. By early summer, a staff member was able to be at the office for two days each week and arrange loans from the Borrow It Library of Things. We were also able to re-start the Southside Food Co-op and resume delivery of weekly or fortnightly veggie boxes to people’s homes. Where space allowed, the Gardening Team were able to help local people in need of gardening assistance and a small number of volunteers practised their food growing skills on our allotment at Bath City Farm.

Shortly after this, we were able to resume the ‘FeelGood Walks’ programme, with a maximum of six people per walk. We also offered 1:1 walks for those people who were particularly vulnerable or who felt safer with a smaller number of people. For some individuals this was the first time in many months that they had come out of isolation and made a huge difference to their wellbeing.

During periods of the year when Covid restrictions were eased, the Guitar Group were able to meet up outside and, thanks to support from the local church, small groups from the Lunch Club were occasionally able to meet up in groups of six at Rose Cottage community hub.

Collaborative working with other local community-based agencies was especially valuable during this period; in particular regular meetings with Twerton & Whiteway Community Network were hugely important in enabling communication and joint-up working to take place in the local area. It’s also impossible to overstate the immense support which the Community Wellbeing Hub set up by 3SG provided to the local community during these times.

Despite health issues and other practical difficulties, the Time Bank staff team worked tirelessly to adapt our programme of work to the changing circumstances in which we found ourselves. We would also like to extend a huge vote of thanks to the Management Committee and Trustees for their support at this time.

Although volunteering opportunities were more limited than usual, we are immensely grateful for the support of some of our amazing members during this period. In particular, a couple of the Lunch Club volunteers maintained very regular phone contact with isolated elderly members of the Club, which was hugely appreciated by them. Also, the IT support offered to those people in need of assistance was of immense value in enabling them to stay in touch and access online groups.

Thanks to funding from several Coronavirus Support Funds, our finances were able to withstand the change of circumstances in which we found ourselves. We are sincerely grateful to Quartet Community Foundation and to B&NES Council for supporting us over this time. We would also like to say a very special thank you to Mark Roper from Roper Rhodes Bathrooms for his family’s most generous support for our work once again this year.

We sincerely hope that we have now reached the end of restricted times such as this and that our next Annual Report will include news of exciting new face-to-face projects in the year ahead.

Additional Information

Contact details

Time Bank Plus Ltd www.timebankplus.co.uk 86 High Street, timebankplus@googlemail.co.uk Twerton, Bath, BA2 1DE. 01225 442813

Charity no. 1147665 Company no. 6716502

Trustees

Steve Woodcock Simon Horsman Duncan McGibbon Nathan Gale

Company Secretary Treasurer

Other Management Committee members

June Wentland (Chair) Jo Salisbury Krystal Osmond Rachel Garven Wendy Elliott Lynda Brown Susan Johnson

Structure & Management

The management committee, consisting of the trustees and several other elected or co-opted members, meets approx 6 times per year (and no less than 4 times) to receive operational and financial reports, review progress and do future planning. The management committee are elected each year at the AGM, which is open to all Time Bank members. Up to three other people with relevant skills and experience may be co-opted onto the committee.

Aims & objectives

The overall aim of Time Bank Plus is:

To enhance community involvement and improve health and wellbeing in Bath & NE Somerset

Working particularly with more disadvantaged groups and communities, our specific aims are:

to stimulate volunteering within the local community
to enable local people to gain and develop skills and confidence
to enable local people to make healthy & sustainable lifestyle choices
to enhance social involvement and promote understanding between different groups within the local community
to stimulate the provision of volunteer services which help promote independence and improve quality of life
to increase the capacity of people in B&NES to engage in their local community

We do this by:

providing a brokered timebanking service, which enables local people to exchange services and skills on the basis of time
co-ordinating groups and activities which help build community involvement
providing learning opportunities which enable local people to develop existing skills or gain new ones
co-ordinating projects which help support healthy lifestyle choices and environmental sustainability
supporting activities which help to foster understanding between different groups in the local community
working in creative partnership with other agencies to develop and support community initiatives

Reserves Policy

We aim to keep reserves totalling at least 3 months’ total expenditure plus 9 months’ rental cost

TIME BANK PLUS Income & Ex nditure Account for Year ended 31 March 2021 2019120 202oni Income Roper Rthodes Quartet Community Foundation Peoples Health Trust Wellbeing College B&NES (Covid Recovery) Other project fimding Food Cothop & Lunch Club (net thkings) Donations Other income Total income 12000.00 7348.00 2132.00 2580.00 120(K).00 14635.00 1066.00 1160.00 ioooo.00 2850.08 571.58 25.(K) 8.45 42316.11 2675.00 1684.06 959.00 12.46 9390.52 enditu StatTing costs VOlunr expenses Rent & services Insurance Postage. IT & phone Non-stsff projeci Costs Wellbeing College course expenditure oirice supplies & equipment Payroll costs Other expenditure Totsl expenditure 33559.55 743.46 1012.50 716.09 815.45 1859.42 29466.68 4093.82 461.06 813.15 556.45 1431.99 37.65 187.08 386.43 228.58 668.25 39999.73 37242.02 09.2 Surplusl(Deficit) for the year 5074.09 B*lance Sheet at 3111 Mar¢h 2021 2019no 2020121 58224.37 10609.21 47615.16 Totsl funds at Etginning of year surplU[Der1cll) for year Totsl funds at end of year Represented by: 47615.16 5074.09 52689.25 47874.62 4.21 47870.41 (267.70) 12.45 4761 Ch at Bank Cash in Hand 55729.60 40.35 Lesg: Sundry credilor5 Plus: Sundry debtors (30(K).(K)) 2689.2 14400.16 9900.00 23315.00 Restricted funds Designated Funds Unrestricted funds 17546.00 69(K).00 28243.25 . Board of Management 21..... I have examined th¢ ave account% which are in &CrdanCe with the books and records submitted to me, and in my opinion they are correcL Independent Examiner