Irish Network
Stevenage
2024 Annual General Report
Registered Address; Stevenage, Herts SG1 1PZ Tel: 01438 725400
Sherma Batson Centre, 10 – 12 Exchange Road
Email: info@irishnetworkstevenage.org.uk Website: www.irishnetworkstevenage.org.uk
INTRODUCTION
Irish Network Stevenage (INS) is a Stevenage based registered Charity and was formed in late 2007 in response to the identified need that the level of support required by an ageing Irish population was increasing. It is governed by 9 Trustees, who bring a wealth of experience from both the voluntary and the business sectors. This board is supported by a Project Manager and Social Activities Coordinator.
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TRUSTEES
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TRUSTEES
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Margaret Lyons (Chair)
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Heather Morris (Secretary)
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Marie King (Treasurer)
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Hilda Warwick
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Frances Sandford
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Brendan Clynch
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Louise Donovan
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Peter Morris
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Conor McGrath
REGISTERED OFFICE
Sherma Batson Centre 10-12 Exchange Road Bedwell Stevenage Herts SG1 1PZ
ACCOUNTANT
Susan Murphy
BANKERS
Lloyds TSB Town Square Stevenage Hertfordshire
After its inception INS quickly grew as it became apparent that the needs of many older people across the town were similar to the needs of our Irish Elders, many who were suffering from social isolation and lack of support, so INS evolved to provide support to all older people from all communities in Stevenage and the surrounding areas.
INS is focused on helping older people to combat social isolation and to live independently in their own homes for as long as is practical. This is achieved through a variety of activities, support services and practical interventions. INS is open to all that support our aims and objectives. We are delighted that the services we have been providing has encouraged a vast amount of older people to approach us and ask for our help and support. This last year has seen an increase in members and attendance and the wide range of activities we offer means there is something for everyone. We are so proud of what we have achieved and the support we can offer.
As with all charities we have had our share of challenges, specifically with the reduction in funding available and our members are still facing a cost of living crisis which means many need more support then ever, and the reduction in availability of local support has made this a difficult year for many.
Once again, we would like to thank our 28 amazing volunteers, we would not be able to do what we do without them! They support on all our activities and are instrumental in shaping our services, they are the foundation on which INS stands.
GOVERNANCE
The charities’ overarching theme is to reduce isolation amongst older people and promote social inclusion. Trustee meetings are held once a month with the Project Manager in attendance. Trustees bring forward suggestions from members and volunteers for open discussion and decide on the strategic direction for the Charity. Members suggest what events to run, support we could provide and what trips to have and what support the community needs.
Trustees are nominated a minimum of 14 days prior to the AGM and are elected by members at the AGM, which is held no more than 15 months after the previous meeting. Acting Trustees are elected by the Committee as required through the year and all Trustees stand down at each AGM. As a registered Charity, INS has a Constitution and operates within the recommendations of the Charities Commission and all processes and procedures are designed accordingly. All activities and events are designed to support the aims of reducing social isolation among older people.
WELCOME FROM THE BOARD
In the last 12 months we have seen a huge increase in membership, and this has been fantastic! So, welcome
to all our new members! We are also having higher attendance at our activities and many members are coming to three or four events a week.
Over the last 12 months we have continued to focus our efforts on fitness and social engagement by bringing in more exercise classes and more social activities. We now deliver over 70 activities a month and have a monthly footfall of up to 1,800 members. Under the guidance of our board of Trustees we have ensured that we are a charity that has adapted to the changing needs of our members and responded to local and national challenges. One of those ways is by starting to offer evening social activities. The hope is that this will increase over the coming months. So for those interested in a night of entertainment and music, do keep an eye on our monthly newsletters. As a Board we are constantly looking for new ways to support our members and we monitor local and national challenges and 4 rl G) H ; z i how this could impact :r ; yeya‘ ) SS them. As we have seen Se es Twinn | =) \e over the last few years, the local and national picture changes very rapidly and we need to respond very quickly, putting new provisions in place and establishing fact from fiction. We are able to do this because our volunteers are versatile and are happy to help whenever needed. As a local charity we have very strong partnerships throughout the town. We signpost where appropriate and receive many referrals from statutory and non statutory organisations. We are proud of the reputation we have and continue to build on this.
VOLUNTEER HOURS
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Our volunteers are the reason why we can do so much. The chart below shows the volunteer hours split over the vari-
ous areas we have. We have 28 committed volunteers who last year gave 8415 hours to INS helping with every aspect. This averages over 165 hours per week! This demonstrates how vital they are and how much work it takes to run these events and services. Volunteers are the “eyes and ears” of INS, not only do they run events they also let us know if additional support is needed or if anything needs addressing. We operate an “open door” policy so our volunteers can come and speak to us about anything, at anytime.
Since becoming INS Secretary in 2010, I "oils fw wo have seen the charity grow from strength to strength and it hiane ” makes me proud to be part of this. As the leading older persons charity in Stevenage, we are at the forefront of making positive improvements to the lives of older people.
Working closely with our partners and signposting whenever this is appropriate, we have built a large network of partners that can support our members in many different ways. With the current challenges our members face, such as the continuing cost of living crisis and the strain on statutory and non-statutory services, we know partnership working is vital. Our continuing relationship with partners such as Hertfordshire Community Foundation, Stevenage Borough Council, The Red Shed, Stepping Out, Chauncy Charity, and Stevenage World Forum for Ethnic Communities, has enabled us to provide our members with the resources and services needed to support our members and we in turn support those organisations to help them achieve their aims. Our partnership with Herts Sports Partnership has been fantastic, and they have provided financial and practical support to our Health and Wellbeing project.
A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure we have good governance and policies. We continually review our processes and procedures to ensure we are up to date with the ever-changing recommendations and legislation. As a charity delivering frontline services, we pride ourselves on our ability to quickly respond to our members’ requirements and this is evident in the growth of the charity in the last financial year.
TREASURERS REPORT
The 2023 – 2024 financial year has mirrored our previous years where we have continued to be in a healthy financial position, despite many challenges. Costs have continued to increase over the last 12 months and we have worked very hard to keep our expenditure down. This has been very challenging and our volunteers have been fantastic at trying to source cheaper supplies whilst maintaining quality.
In December 2023 we reached the end of our Big Lottery funding which helped subsidise many different events and activities we ran throughout the year. Receiving funding like this not only helped us provide support, it was also a huge endorsement of the work that we do. At the end of the funding we had to complete an extensive report which included details of our expenditure and this was very well received by the Lottery. This report confirmed that we had exceeded all aspects of the project objectives and deliverables, thereby enabling us to apply for additional funding from them, which was successful and came into effect in March 2024. This has given us some much needed financial security.
In addition to the Lottery we have also worked with seven different funders to support our activities and this means we operate a specific financial monitoring systems for each funder. At the end of each fund we produce a progress report detailing what we have accomplished with the funding and a financial report showing what the fund was spent on. Every funder has approved our reports and they are happy that we are meeting the requirements of each fund, which is a
testament to how the project was run and how we have identified and matched a need within our community. On the following pages we have the Financial Statement of Accounts for the financial year ending 31 May 2024. The income for the year was £155,553 and the expenditure was £149,530. Our funds being brought forward are £156,177. Of this £119,732 is designated funds that have been restricted for specific projects, £36,153 is restricted funds provided by external funders and £292.00 is an unrestricted amount.
As you will see from the graph presented, we continue to operate at a financial secure level, with our income and expenditure being very similar. As a charity we continue to grow the amount of activities we deliver and the amount members we have, the increase in income and expenditure reflects this. This is a very healthy position and means we can continue to provide the currently level of support moving into the new financial year.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS CARE IN THE COMMUNITY
FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS SOCIAL COMMITTEE
MEMBER SUPPORT
Since our inception back in 2007, we have remained committed to supporting our most vulnerable members, ensuring we help them enjoy their lives to the fullest. As a charity our focus is on helping those most in need, and we have never waivered from that. The level of support needed by our members continues to rise and we have seen an increase in the issues caused by social isolation and the cost of living crisis. | Due to the pandemic we had to stop our visits to
hospitals, care homes and residential homes, but we have now restarted visits to the housebound, but on a very small scale. We continue with our welfare calls and our volunteers signpost whenever needed. Some members just want to hear a friendly voice, but some need more practical support. We have arranged external support in the form of carelines, advocacy and even supported moves to assisted living homes. We know statutory services are under a huge amount of pressure, and we help
wherever we can.
One of the groups we are most proud of is our Friendship Group, it’s a small group of our more vulnerable members who meet each month, in a small friendly environment. This group offers so much peer support and being with people who have the same struggles has enabled members to feel less isolated.
The group is so popular it always has a waiting list, and that is a testament to the fantastic volunteers that run this group.
The group regularly visit The Red Shed, which is a local charity that support people living with dementia and their carers, they often make floral displays and garden ornaments and just generally enjoy a beautiful outdoor space. are me fd ,
Stepping Out is a fantastic organisation that is funded through Social Prescribing and they have taken a number of our members on some lovely trips to places like Hatfield House and Forte Hall, which they thoroughly enjoyed. We are so grateful for such a fantastic partner. We know the Member Support we provide is so valuable and it is all about supporting each other especially when circumstances change.
SOCIAL REPORT
Our Social Afternoons and Tea Dances are very well attended and it is great to see so many people on the dance floor! These events give our members an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. It is so important to maintain those social connections, but this can be difficult to do without somewhere to go. So we ensure that we provide activities that are accessible
by all and supported by welcoming volunteers. Social inclusion is the cornerstone of everything we do, and we believe these activities make a positive impact on our members lives. In additional to our regular groups such as line dancing, breakfast and lunch clubs, bingo and social afternoons, we have a focus on health and wellbeing. This is targeted approach in direct response to the issues we identified after the pandemic. We saw a decline in members physical abilities and a reduction in the availability of accessible and reasonably priced physical activity classes, so we offered a suite of health initiatives that have been hugely successful. With over 70 activities being offered each month, we know we have something for everyone.
Our line dancing classes continue to be very popular, and we think this is because we don’t take it too seriously! The benefits of dancing are well documented, we know that it helps with strength and balance, co-ordination and increases endorphins (which are known as the “happy hormones”) so we know line dancing helps both physically and mentally!
Over the last year we have had lots of special events, including a St Patrick’s night dance and lunch, day trips away, our traditional Christmas lunch, and much more. This enables our members to join different types of events and activities, which they thoroughly enjoy.
All our events are run by our volunteers, many of whom have been with us since our inception. They organise everything including setting up the hall, running the kitchen, — ie? ae “ ; making and serving refreshments, booking ise a 2 A hi members into activities, leading classes and N : _ 64. generally helping our members have a good ‘ —66— EP & pe; a 7, be = time. Without our volunteers the events would not happen, we have a fantastic team that we can count on and know that they are committed to making sure our most vulnerable members are supported.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
As with previous year we have seen an increase in the CARE IN THE COMMUNITY financial pressure that older people are facing. AGE UK report that “more than 1 in 5 older people are already reducing or stopping spending on medications or specialist foods or expect to do so in the coming months, and 1 in 7 are skipping meals or expect to do so. The cost of living crisis has made everyday purchases much more expen-
sive and many older people living on low and modest incomes are finding it impossible PARTNERS to cope.” Here at the INS, we see how this impacts people’s mental health as well as their physical health and we try and help in any way we can.
One of the issues members have is that they do not know what they are entitled to, or are worried about completing the forms and dealing with agencies. But we are fortunate to have a fantastic volunteer that is very knowledgeable and understands how daunting these forms can be. She can help our members through this process and advocates on their behalf. She also keeps up to date with any new support that is available, signposts to other organisations where this is appropriate. Our volunteer has said that the main thing that concerns our members is the increase in food costs. This has led to members cancelling their TV packages and reducing their shopping to keep their bills as low as possible, which can have a negative impact on their quality of life and health.
Our volunteer has been helping our members claim many different types of entitlements including: Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, Blue Badge, Passport, Bus Pass and Carers Allowance. In addition to this she has helped people obtain aids and adaptions to their home to make them safer and their lives easier. She has also provided support with the difficult process of transitioning to alternative living accommodation. Over the last year our volunteer has helped 157 people claim their entitlements, which is a 290% increase from last year. Those members received £427,751 in annual benefits this year, which is a 309% increase from last year. In addition to this she has also helped people reduce their insurance costs, challenge benefit decisions and arrange health assessment. We also run a Christmas Saving Club to help people save for Christmas all year, it reduces the stress and worry about the most
expensive time of the year and helps people stay debt free. We had 196 savers save over £100,000 which was a great help at Christmas. Helping promote a healthy savings habit helps take some of the stress from people .
HEALTH AND WELLBEING SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Last year we increased our focus more on the health and wellbeing of our members and this has been a huge success. Some of our members go to three classes a week and comment on how their wellbeing has improved. With a footfall of around 7000 over the year, we can see how popular these classes are. The NHS state “Mental and emotional health, physical health and a healthy lifestyle all contribute to an individual’s health and wellbeing” and we have adopted this as our approach to our Health and Wellbeing project. When looking at a new activity we ask
“does it improve our members health and/or wellbeing?” and then we progress from there. Our Tai Chi class is a great way to start the week. Tai Chi is known to help prevent falls, relieves pain and can improve mood and mental health and even improve sleep patterns, it is also great for helping with a positive mindset.
Our Chair Based Exercise classes address overall fitness level and our instructor focuses on areas of weakness such as balance and standing up from a seated position. In our Yogalates we focus on flexibility, posture and breathing. These classes improve our members
physical and mental health, and the Instructor deliberately keeps the class small so she can give individual attention when needed. Our Salsacize class is our most energetic class and is one that we try and encourage members to move to when they have attended our Chair Based classes for a while and increased their physical activity. This is based on the individuals abilities and own personal aims.
In addition to these physical activities we also run groups specifically encouraging social engagment in a relaxed and friendly environment. Our Thursday Tea and Chat is a
friendly supportive group where people can take time out and chat with other members and volunteers, and this can help people feel less isolated and more included in their local community. We recently added a Breakfast Club which does the same but also provides members with a free nourishing breakfast, which has been supported by Stevenage Borough Council, and we are very grateful for this.
OUR THANKS
INS would like to thank the following organisations for all their support
CHAUNCY CHARITY
W.J. ROWE LTD
QUALITY FISH & CHIPS
IRISH NETWORK STEVENAGE
Sherma Batson Centre 10 - 12 Exchange Road Stevenage Herts SG1 1PZ
Tel: 01438 725400 Email: info@irishnetworkstevenage.org.uk Website: www: irishnetworkstevenage.org.uk Facebook: Ins.stevenage Twitter: @IrishNetworkStv
Charity Number 1149576
Charity No. 1149576 Irish Network Stevenage Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
Irish Network Stevenage Statement Of Financial Activities For The Year 202312024 Unrestricted Restricted Total 202312024 Incomo Grants TNLCF Funding Herts Sports Partnership Bedwell Community HSF Stevenage Borough Council Hertfordshire Community Foundation HCF Members Bonus Chauncy Charity 65,319 £ 3,250 £ 1,087 £ 5,500 £ 4,525 £ 8,975 £ 2,500 £ 91,156 £ 65,319 3,250 1,087 5,500 4,525 8,975 2,500 91,156 Other Income Income From Events and Activities Membership & Donations 54,858 £ 2,865 £ 57,724 £ 54,858 9,539 64,397 6,674 £ 6,674 £ Total Income 6,674 £ 148,880 £ 155,553 Expenditure Grants Given Cost of Events Salary & Pension Costs Professional Fees Office Costs Marketing Room Hire Volunteer Expenses Total Expenditure 7,024 £ 75,317 £ 39,736 £ 2,523 £ 2,153 £ 1,562 £ 1,476 £ 2,616 £ 726 £ 1,984 £ 16,613 £ 132,916 £ 7,024 83,980 40,199 7,253 2,710 1,562 4,092 2,710 149,530 8,663 £ 462 £ 4,730 £ 557 £ Net Income Resources Before Transfers 9,940 £ 15,963 £ 6,023 Movement of Funds 39,000 £ 39,000 £ Total Fund Brought Forward £ 131,835 £ 18,319 £ 150,154 Total Funds Carrled Forward 82,895 £ 73,282 £ 156,177
Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Sectlon A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Irish Network Stevenage On accounts for the year ended 31st May 2024 Charity no (if any) 1149576 Set out on pages Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Charities Acr) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basls of independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given examiner's statement 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 the 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 In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention examiner's statement 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act 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. Slgned: Date: IS724 Name: Susan Hudson Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): AAT Address: 2b Victoria Road, Shefford, Beds SG17 SAL IER
Irisli Network Stevenage Balance Sheet as at 31 st May 2024 Current Assets Dank Current Llabilities HCF-WCC Members Bonus payments due 160,552 4,375 Total As8etg 156,177 Represented By Unrestricted Funds Sustalnability Reserves Office Reserves 292 43,732 76,000 120,024 Restricted Funds Social Fund HCF Chnstmas Club TNLCF Funding Tea and Chat Bakfast Club 13,321 2,741 15,375 103 4,613 36,153 Totsl Funds 156,177 Approved by the trustees on and signed on its behalf by Signature Name Signature Name ,,25 2£ Signature Name Mrs S J Hudson
Independent examinerfs report on the accounts CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
il Sectlon A
Report to the trusteesl members of Independent Examiner's Report Irish Network Stevenage On accounts for the year ended 31st May 2024 Charity no (If any) 1149576 Set out on pages The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Charities Act") and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examlner Basis of independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given examinerfs statement 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 the 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 Irue and fairf view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention examiner's statement 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act. and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act 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. Signed: Date: IS7 24 Name: Susan Hudson Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): AAT Address: 2b Victoria Road, Shefford, Beds SG17 SAL IER