NOTTINGHAM FOCUS ON WELLBEING C.I.O. REG. CHARITY 1150949
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023
The Trustees present their report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023.
LEGAL STATUS AND GOVERNING DOCUMENT
Nottingham Focus On Wellbeing is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation and is governed by its constitution.
Trustees are appointed and subject to an induction process in accordance with the constitution.
OBJECTIVES AND STATEMENTS OF PUBLIC BENEFIT
In shaping the objectives for the year and planning activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Our charity’s purposes as set out in the Objects contained in our constitution are to:
-
To promote and preserve good health and relieve mental or physical illness in such ways as the trustees may from time to time decide.
-
Such other purposes as are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time decide.
The aims of our charity are to improve and recover the wellbeing and emotional, mental, physical good health and spiritual health of people throughout our communities. We aim to achieve this through education, training and the provision of wellbeing services; peer support and activities which promote happiness, integration, volunteering opportunities, employment and the full involvement of recipient communities.
Our aims at all times reflect the purposes for which the charity was established.
EXECUTING OUR OBJECTIVES
We review our main objectives and activities regularly through our open scrutiny committee meetings, and annually through our Members and Trustees Annual General Meeting.
Our scrutiny committee is composed of members, trustees and volunteers who oversee every existing activity and proposed activity to ensure that it complies with our aims and objectives. Existing activities and services are reviewed and assessed to ensure that their objectives are obtained and that they are sustainable. We operate an “open door” policy where members are positively encouraged to come forward with their comments (good or bad), suggestions and ideas at any time, not just at formal meetings.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE PERIOD
Nottingham Focus on Wellbeing (NFOW) faced one of the biggest changes in its history this year, when Mervin Goring, founder, project manager and trustee retired from our
organisation at our 2023 Annual General Meeting on 29[th] November. His fellow trustees, Brenda Goring and Lynn Bottomley also stepped down at the same time.
Thankfully we had several volunteers to take on the role of trustee and five new trustees were appointed. Details are given in the Trustees section of this report. We are very pleased that we now have a diverse board which we feel represents the members that the project serves.
Nottingham Focus on Wellbeing celebrated its tenth birthday in February, its constitution being registered on 13 February 2013. Naturally this was an excuse for a party! It was a pleasure to welcome back old members and contacts, as well as see the good turn out from current members.
Funding continues to be a constant worry and we are again indebted to the National Lottery who supported us this year with a grant of £9492. We also received £500 from Local Giving. Some of our members regularly donate to NFOW by paying more than the basic charge for their group/activity and on a much smaller scale we still receive donations through easyfundraising and PayPal Giving.
Our website, www.nfow.org, and social media accounts continue to publicise the work of NFOW and generate enquiries about our work.
We continue to facilitate a session with a member of Nottingham City Council’s Welfare Right’s team, enabling them to bring their service into the community. We also work with Groundwork Five Counties who deliver energy efficiency sessions and local social prescribers who are attached to local GP surgeries.
Our links with local foodbanks have become increasingly important with more members being impacted by the cost of living crisis.
Looking through the registers to complete this annual return, it again showed that NFOW had offered at least one activity or group every week of the year in 2023, including over the Christmas period. Along with the daily telephone support we offer, we are proud of this record.
THE FUTURE
Fundraising for rent continues to be our priority for 2024. Utility bills are included in our rent at present, and we have been told by our landlord (Nottingham City Council) that our rent will increase to account for the increases in energy prices. However, finding funding specifically for general running costs, as opposed to funding a particular project, is getting more and more difficult.
While funding is so tight we have temporarily put aside our plans for a paid member of staff. One area we have been able to access funding for is volunteer travelling expenses which has been very welcome, in fact necessary, for some of our volunteers in the current cost of living situation. It is hoped this funding may also help us recruit some volunteers.
We have recruited new members, our IT Group proving particularly popular, but overall we still need to boost our numbers. We are to looking at the ways we publicise our groups to see if we can do it more effectively and attract more members.
Sadly, our promised use of a minibus fell through due to the bureaucracy involved. However we shall continue to look out for opportunities for NFOW to access such a vehicle as it would have multiple uses for us.
No guarantee was given by the CIO, as there was no potential liability was outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.
There was no debt outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.
There were no donated goods or services.
No remuneration or expenses were paid to any trustee or related party.
During the year Mr M Goring repaid a loan of £500.
At the year end, £901 was owed from Wrap-Around-Wellness UK CIC, for whom Nottingham Focus on Wellbeing had paid expenses on behalf of, and whom Mervin Goring is a director.
THE TRUSTEES
The trustees who served the charity during the year up to the AGM on 29 November 2023, were as follows:
B Goring M Goring L Bottomley
From 29 November 2023 the following people were elected as trustees:
Steve Boseley elected for 4 years Ian Dawson elected for 4 years Jackie Morley elected for 3 years Alieu Njai elected for 3 years Nicola Twamley elected for 2 years
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Recei ts and payments accounts CC16a from Section A Receipts and payments T¢tsi fund$ La•t A1 Recelpts 1347 iot81{Gross income lor AR) 2 Asset and InNwtmort sale (see tablgl. Sub total Totsl rets 13A04 A3 Pot8 1175 1Q175 171 141 riAMl Grfd 13$1 144 Ca A4 Awt ond In7•P8tThnt purchases I1#blO) Sub total 1418 Net olrernlpwpymwtsj Tron8fer8 b8lwe8n luTrJs A6 Cash fund8 last year er Cash funds Ihlsy•ar end 11231 11553 11 16.127 CCYX Rl attoun* ISS) 21110ra124
Section B Statement of assels and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrf¢iod R8rtC18d nds Endowment lunds Categorfes Details B1 C•8h tund• Totalcwsh fvnds lunts Details Details B3 Inv95tThnt awts Detwls B4 Ass•tg r•talned for Il ¢h•rW8 own u9e 1,1C ails BS Llablllll•s &gn8d by Or trts$$ r beha ol dl Ihg Iru&teéÈ Date of CCXX P2 3xounls ISS) 2111W24