IncredibLe Kids 2023-2024 IncredibLe &'Kids Registered charity 1151185 incredibLekids.org.uk cred Inclusive play • Family support • Improving weLLbeing Providing pLay opportunities and a support network to young peopLe with additional needs and their f amiLies A note from our Incredible Trustees Every year at Incredible Kids brings new challenges, new projects and new families and this year was no different. As trustees this was an especially difficult year on a personal level as much loved and long standing trustee Sandie Davis lost her battle with pancreatic cancer and died quicker than any of us expected. This has left a big hole in our team that will impact us as trustees. Sandie fought for the rights of families at Incredible Kids at the highest level, something not always seen by families who visit us but they will have benefi'ted from the work she did. The environment in which we operate continues to be tough. We are a small charity doing big things. A small team, achieving so much. Price rises affect the families we support, and the cost of everything we do. Funding requires more work from our small team of volunteers to secure, to make sure we are able to continue our vital work supporting disabled children. We will never stop fighting for the resources to help people. The projects we highlight in this report show our focus on keeping families well fed, warm, happy and well informed. We began some STEM projects which bought excitement and learning to our sessions. Our focus remains on finding our forever home in line with Sandie's legacy. Incredible Kids provides a lifeline for young people and their famiLies in Bristol. ty) 'IncredibLe kids gives my daughters a space in which they can be themseL ves. They get to experience new activities and meet new peopLe which heLps them with sociaL situations in their everyday Lives. What we do We provide a service where... children and young people with disabilities engage in play with their parents and carers siblings of children with additional needs have a space to play and be valued in their own rig ht children have access to specialist equipment and toys parents and carers access support and signposting parents and children have the opportunity for ownership through volunteering and participation families become part of a mutually supportive community How we work We are a grassroots charity where our families are at our core We respond quickly to change We understand our families. needs Work in highly creative ways to support families We test new projects and ideas our members or staff suggest Work with a multi-agency approach to provide bespoke support to families We make a difference to members, lives by creating a mutually supportive environment We value member voices and provide continual opportunities for feedback IL Qur achievements 2023-2024 What did we offer? Last year, we continued to offer weekly sessions on Fridays and Saturdays with 5 sessions a week held at The Vench in Lockleaze. Each weekend, we welcomed around 110 children and their parent carers for a total of 9.5 hours a week! In response to a survey of our members. in March 2024 we embarked on midweek sessions at Filton Children's Centre for 3 hours a week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. These sessions are designed for children who are not in school either because they are too young to start or because they are home educated or unable to attend school for lack of a suitable place. We reintroduced Incredible Dads play sessions to encourage Dads to connect and build a support network. We also began holding regular Incredible Induction sessions dedicated to welcoming and supporting families who are not familiar with our ser￿ice. IncredibLe &'Kids Incredible members August 2023 September 2024 4,225 3,086 t37% Total IncredibLe Kids members today. Members in August 2023 IncredibLy sociaL Qur Facebook, Instagram, Linkedln and X/Twitter foLLowers New foLLowers since Aug Followers in total across sociaL media +491 7,801 Facebook support group Join our private group: Incredible Kids Bristol New members of the group since Aug 2Q23 Members in our Facebook support group 249 1,574 Qur pLay sessions Our regular play sessions in 2023-2024 have included: Incredible Fridays Towards the end of 2022 we chose to combine our Incredible Teens session and our after-school play session on a Friday into one big session with a hot meal. We rotate our Friday menu between pizza, pasta, hot dogs and toasties - all accompanied by our milkshake bar. IncredibLe Saturdays Every single Saturday we offer 4 play sessions, including Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. We regularly made Saturdays extra special by booking professionals in play such as lego parties, face painters, enigmatic actors and bubbleologists IncredibLe Girls We want to help girls with additional needs forge friendships. On the first Saturday of the month, our play sessions were dedicated to girls with additional needs aged 0-25 and their families. Our passionate playworkers supported girls in whatever they fancied doing crafts, climbing, trampoline, sandpit or simply a natter over tea and biscuits. PDA Support Sessions On the last Saturday of the month, we dedicated a play session to young people with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) symptoms. PDA is a form of anxiety-driven autism. This session offers families a chance to meet families with similar experiences. IncredibLe Dads Every other month (alternating with Incredible Induction sessions), we hold a space designed for Dads and their kids to bond. We want to help Dads who have a child with additional needs connect with other incredible Dads and build their supportive community. ljvhether you'd both enjoy Lego, crafts, a game of footy or simply getting messy with slime or glue - we want Dads and their kids to enjoy being silly together. IncredibLe Induction Every other month (alternating with Incredible Dads sessions), we encourage families who have never been to one of our sessions to come and feel supported. There's no pressure to talk to other families. We give a tour of the space and what we offer and there's plenty of tea and cake! Who we've heLped We now support 1.208 families in the local area or 3,745 individual people. This means we welcomed 857 new members during the last year. Families travel from far and wide to come to Incredible Kids. Most are from the Greater Bristol area but we think this map gives a good idea of how far some people travel to come to our sessions. CHELTENHAM Leckhampton GLO•JCEST.•R Monmouth FOREST OF ￿EAN MONMOUTHSHIRE COTSWOLD SIR FYNWY Stroud STROUD EN cheps.ow Caldicot NEWPORT Malmesbury •WINDON. C'ASNEWYDD Colerne MarlborougF Bradford- on-Avon •• WILTSHIRE Qur impact We suNeyed our members to find out the ways in which we had made an impact on them. IOOOh of families told us they would recommend us 100% of families told us their children had fun at Incredible Kids 87% told us Incredible Kids has increased their child's confidence 97% of families felt their children enjoyed the activities 740kn of families felt their child was happier because of Incredible Kids 79% of families told us Incredible Kids has increased their child's wellbeing New SEND FamiLy Advocate One score which we want to improve upon is the number of people who felt we had helped them access other seNices. 35 % of families felt we had but we want to do much more than this. As a result, we have fundraised for a SEND advocate to support families to access more support. We look forward to building on that score significantly over the next year. Our new SEND Family Advocate Cathy was hired in September 2024 and attends our play sessions every Saturday between 10am and 3pm at The Vench in Lockleaze to help families to navigate the special education needs and disabilities (SEND) landscape. She also runs workshops so sign up to our newsletter to hear about our latest events and opportunities. Meet our SEND Family Advocate, Cathy: Supporting with the cost of Living As one of the large supermarkets used to say, every little helps. We can't fix the cost of food in the shops, but we did all we could to go the extra mile for our members. Over the last year, we created wellbeing packs containing little treats that showed our members that we care and aimed to make a little difference in their lives. We produced multiple packs during the year which included hot water bottles, soft blankets, energy saving I money saving tools. vouchers for food at the supermarket, little notes of encouragement, a welcome chocolate bar, nightlights to help encourage sleep, radiator keys emblazoned with a smile to cheer the soul whilst undertaking a tedious task. In total we gave out 70 Incredible Care Kits, 90 Incredible Warm Packs and 70 Incredible Energy Saving Packs. We also provided 110 meals each week since November including hot soup, an Indian meal, burger night and hundreds of packed lunches. It won't change everything but the time they spend with us we hope made a difference. G(¢dible r "Qup&itkiJS. uedibi.- ote-aLLy IncredibLe Inclusive play k iniTedibLekids.org.uk 5 IncredibLe Christmas parties! Christmas is an important time of year to all of us at Incredible Kids. We want everyone to be included in the festivities. This year, we held 5 Christmas parties to provide a custom experience for different groups with different needs. Some children needed a quieter space than others so we held a quiet party as well as a smaller paty for children with PDA and one just for girls. Volunteers baked cakes, collected and wrapped gifts, decorated The Vench and planned every tiny detail to try to ensure everyone had fun. rii ]Iri,, Qur Incredible team Incredible Kids has a dedicated team of speciaLLy trained pLayworkers, a service manager and over 40 parent- voLunteers. Each session is designed by our Service Manager and Senior Playworkers. Each session aims to meet the needs of our families, based on their feedback. We have a minimum of 4 playworkers on site for 30 children, supported by the Service Manager. Our Service Manager has built trust and rapport with families, offering a unique and heart- felt approach to engagement and inclusion, ensuring that no child or family is excluded. The role provides hands-on leadership and has enabled us to improve our service. Our team of playworkers were chosen for their experience, sensitivity, kindness and generosity of spirit. They are all DBS checked and are offered regular training to ensure their knowledge and practice provides the best quality service to children and families. We have a network of dedicated and supportive parent-volunteers who feel invested in the service and are a valued part of its running and peer mentoring. They are supportive and welcoming and make the setting a warm and supportive place to be. These networks of valued volunteers with real lived experience and highly trained and experienced staff ensure that sessions are successful and achieve what they set out to do. We are the only organisation in Bristol to of f er in-person parent support and play sessions specif icaLly for disabled children and young people, every week, alL year round. Incredible Partnerships Incredible Kids is proud to actively collaborate with other SEND support organisations and compatible services in the region to create a stronger network of support for disabled children, young people, and their families. We believe that working strategically and operationally with agencies across the public, private, and voluntary sectors allows us to achieve a broader and more meaningful impact. These partnerships enable us to address the varied and complex needs of the families we serve, ensuring they can access holistic support that extends beyond our organisation. As an independent charity, our primary mission is to provide public benefit by supporting young people with additional needs and their families. Central to this mission is our commitment to increasing partnerships with organisations that share our values or complement our objectives, or share local knowledge. Over the past twelve years, we have collaborated with a diverse range of local SEND organisations. forming connections that have enriched the services we offer and strengthened the wider community of support. Some of the organisations we've worked with include Bristol Autism Support, Mud Pie Explorers, SOS SEN, SEND Advocacy, NEON Daisy. Bristol Parent Carers, South Glos Parent Carers, The Vench, Special Friends Club, Inclusive Change, and Mamas Bristol, among many others. These partnerships have taken various forms, from co-delivering events and activities to sharing expertise and resources that enhance the services available to families. In addition to our collaborative projects, we've created a comprehensive welcome pack for the families who join our community. This pack not only introduces them to Incredible Kids but also signposts them to a wide range of local organisations and seniices. By doing so, we ensure that families can benefit from a wider network of support, accessing resources and opportunities tailored to their specific needs. Through these partnerships, we continue to strengthen our mission of reducing social isolation. improving mental wellbeing, and supporting the development of disabled children and young people. Public benef it In setting our objectives and planning our activities, our Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. This report outlines how our performance during the year has benefitted the public. Contribution made by volunteers Established in 2012 by parents and dedicated volunteers, Incredible Kids places a strong emphasis on the pivotal role played by our volunteers. Many of these volunteers are also beneficiaries of our charity, underscoring our commitment to actively involve parents and carers in our volunteering efforts. Nothing demonstrates the incredible impact of our volunteers more than the receipt of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. Throughout the past year, our volunteers remained instrumental in providing essential support. allowing us to operate amidst ever-changing restrictions. With regulations on numbers fluctuating frequently, our volunteers adapted and revamped our booking system. The introduction of our online management system, facilitated by volunteers, not only streamlined our operations but also enhanced the coordination of novel working approaches. The contribution of our Incredible Bakers brought moments of joy as they delivered delectable treats for the children. In parallel, new volunteer playworkers, including those on placements from local universities, joined our ranks. Our management team provided support to these individuals, aiding them in constructing portfolios that documented their experiences with us. Several of these volunteers have transitioned into long-term roles within our playworker team, experiencing personal development in their career paths for the future. Risk The Trustees maintain and regularly review an organisational risk assessment, which is a standing agenda item at Trustee meetings. This process identifies key risks to the charity, assesses their likelihood and potential impact, and assigns an overall risk score. It ensures Trustees can prioritise critical risks and implement effective mitigation strategies. The primary risk currently facing Incredible Kids is securing sufficient funds to sustain our services. The 2023124 financial year was challenging, and our volunteer fundraisers worked tirelessly to secure the resources needed to continue operating. Recognising the difficult environment charities face, the Trustees have increased the focus on volunteer- led fundraising efforts to strengthen our financial position. Staff and volunteer retention remains high, reflecting the supportive and engaging environment Incredible Kids offers. We provide free mental health and wellbeing support, and many staff members bring valuable lived experience to their roles, fostering a strong and compassionate workplace culture. We also have robust contingency plans to adapt sessions at short notice during adverse weather. minimising disruptions to our service. A significant ongoing risk is securing a permanent venue to deliver our services. Currently, we rent space from Groundwork UK, which has provided a vital base. However, establishing a dedicated, permanent space remains a key priority. Funding received in 2023124 represents important progress towards achieving our goal of an Incredible Home, enabling us to operate full-time and provide expanded support to the families who depend on our services. These proactive measures and long-term strategies demonstrate our commitment to addressing challenges and ensuring the sustainability of our services for the families we sepde. Qur finances Financial Sustainability and Progress In our commitment to maintaining financial sustainability, we have continued to explore innovative solutions to secure and diversify our income. One of our key initiatives has been a collaboration with other organisations to identify alternative income streams. This has highlighted corporate donations as a promising area for development, complementing our existing focus on community fundraising and events. Additionally, the introduction of a micro-volunteering scheme has encouraged small-scale fundraising contributions, offering a flexible and accessible way for supporters to contribute. These efforts, alongside our established fundraising strategies. are laying the foundation for greater financial resilience in the face of ongoing challenges in the fundraising landscape for small charities. Income and Expenditure In 2023124, Incredible Kids, total income was £118,560, an increase from the previous year. Our income from donations, grants, and community support remained strong and consistent. Expenditure for the year totalled £118,908, reflecting the investment of a grant received shortly before the end of the prior financial year. Key areas of expenditure included: Projects providing cost of living support to families making a real difference on the ground. Strong playworker presence at our sessions to enable families to feel supported to attend our sessions. Key Financial Initiatives This year, we made strides in diversifying our income and strengthening our operations: Beginning new weekday sessions for Out of school children. Planning increased community fundraising events such as our Christmas Disco. Micro-volunteering: This new scheme encouraged supporters to engage in small- scale fundraising, building a community-wide sense of involvement. Our successful Amazon Wishlist continues to be a supporter led success. Reserves Policy and Future Plans We continue to hold three months. worth of unrestricted reserves to protect against financial uncertainty and safeguard service delivery. Additionally, £55,768 remains earmarked for our goal of securing a permanent venue, an ambition that will enable us to expand and enhance our services. A Year of Generosity The financial support from our community and funders has been pivotal in navigating this challenging year. A special thank you goes to all our supporters-big and small-who have shown incredible generosity in responding to the challenges and opportunities faced by Incredible Kids. As we look ahead, we remain committed to strengthening our financial position, exploring new opportunities, and ensuring that every pound is invested in delivering vital support to disabled children, young people, and their families. Tr Trustee Sandie Davis Left an incredibLe Legacy From the very beginning, Sandie Davis offered wisdom, encouragement, and support in abundance. Whilst visiting with many of her children, grandchildren and foster children Sandie believed that what we did made a difference. After another local charity stopped providing support to families, Sandie cared about the injustice suffered by local families with disabled children and fought to try to change that. Sandie joined Incredible Kids as a trustee in 2017, a pivotal year that marked our journey towards securing a permanent dedicated home-a goal we've pursued since we first served a cup of tea and a warm welcome to families in need. Sandie was diagnosised with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and her passing on 10th June 2024 deeply affected us all. In celebration of her 70th birthday in May, she initiated an Incredible Kids fundraiser through JustGiving. Her legacy continues to positively inmpact our community. Sandie raised £1,247 for IncredibLe Kids IncredibLe donors Thank you to aLL of our funders, donors, supporters and every single member of Incredible Kids who donates to us! Thank you! You're IncredibLe Qur charity's purposes and aims Incredible Kids provides play and support services to families with a child or young person with a disability or additional need to strengthen and support family life, reduce inequality and social isolation. Activities include daytime family play sessions for young people with additional needs and their siblings in a safe, supported environment alongside advice and support for parent-carers. Our charity's purposes are set out in the objects contained in the Charity's Constitution: I. THE RELIEF OF CHILDREN WTH ADDITIONAL NEEDS. AND 2. PROVIDING RELIEF AND RESPITE TO THE FAMILY AND CARERS OF THE CHILDREN; THESE OBJECTS SHALL BE FURTHERED IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY: A) PROVIDING CARE FOR THE CHILDREN AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO SOCIALISE AND PLAY TOGETHER; AND B) ALLOWING PARENTS AND CARERS TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK FROM THE PRESSURES OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND ENCOURAGING A MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR PARENTS AND CARERS. WE DEFINE THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS AS CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE A PHYSICAL, SENSORY. COMMUNICATION, BEHAVIOURAL OR LEARNING DIFFICULTY, OR HAVE A LONG TERMILIFE LIMITING CONDITION Our organisation provides an inclusive and welcoming space with specialist toys and equipment that meet the children's needs. It enables them to play, have fun, and make new friends, and is a place where children, their siblings, and parentslcarers alike can come together for acceptance, mutual support, and a sense of belonging. We provide a range of support for the whole family, including: Family play sessions for children and young people with additional needs, delivered by specially trained playworkers who engage the children in fun and meaningful play. Family play sessions for siblings of children and young people with additional needs, which helps improve understanding and the wellbeing of the whole family. Provision of training and support to parentslcarers to help increase their knowledge and resilience in their ability to parent and access specialist services. A series of special events each year for families to attend. We refer to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity's aims and objectives and in planning its activities for the following year. Our governing document is our Incredible Kids 'Foundation' model Constitution. Trustee skiLLs and selection method Our Board of Trustees keep the skills required of the Board under review throughout the year. In the event that a trustee retires or additional trustees are required. the Board considers the recruitment of new trustees. When recruiting new trustees, the Board looks for individuals with skills and experience which are likely to be of value to the charity. If there is likely to be support for an applicant, initial contact will be made with the individual to ascertain both their suitability and their interest in a vacancy. Any new trustee is formally appointed by the Trustees. During 2023124 Incredible Kids did not recruit any new trustees. Three trustees resigned from Incredible Kids due to increased work commitments. Our Trustee Sandie sadly died shortly after the year end this report relates to. Trustees have a background in marketing, financial investments, finance and accounting and public sector leadership. Three of the 2023124 trustees are service users with direct experience of the issues faced by families at Incredible Kids. Incredible Kids undertook a period of trustee recruitment to identify kno new trustees and the process was ongoing as at the year end. Ijvhen selecting trustees, the charity has due regard for the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. New trustees are appointed by existing trustees. Apart from the first trustees, all trustees are appointed for a term of three years. Trustees may be appointed for a maximum of three, three years terms after which they must take a break for at least one year. All Trustees are required to share the Christian faith. All other roles within the charity are open to those of any faith or no faith and volunteers agree to our Incredible Values of selflessness, honesty and accountability. The Board of Trustees is responsible. from time to time, to appoint new trustees. As far as possible the charity aims to promote available roles as widely as possibly, seeking out a range of sources to ensure we find the best people for the role. Three of our trustees are service users and two of our senior leadership team have a disability so we have strong beneficiary representation on the Board. Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees The charity reviews recruitment, policies and procedures for training and appointing new trustees during each year. All trustees complete an application form, undertake an Enhanced Adult and Child DBS check, provide two references and are interviewed by a panel from the charity. All trustees receive a copy of the trustee handbook and undertake a thorough trustee induction. Statement of trustees, responsibilities The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). The law applicable to charities in England & WaleslScotlandlNorthern Ireland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; make judgments and accounting 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" and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deedlconstitution.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. rj Incredible &'Kids IncredibLe Trustees Jennie Prewett (Chair) Dominic Fletcher ai Breitnauer Nigel Willoughby (Resigned 311712023) Brendan Clover (Resigned 91412023) Laura Butler (Resigned 311812023) Sandie Davis Incredible Kids registered as a charity on Ilth March 2013 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Our governing document is our Incredible Kids 'Foundation' model Constitution. Charity Registration Number 1151185. Declarations The Incredible Kids trustees declare that they have approved the trustees report above on the 1st January 2025. Jennie Prewett, Dominic Fletcher and Jai Breitnaur. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees. Email.. contact@incrediblekids.org.uk Address: Incredible Kids CIO The Vench Romney Avenue Lockleaze Bristol, BS7 9TD Website: incrediblekids.org.uk The Queen'sAward for Voluntary Service Annual report 2023-2024 11504 410? 512 m7 149 b4? 55 SYI YII J&50 4379AI 79A49.75 X7X 44 COSTS 7PIII JIX65L7J 354.iC2 7$ 342.1&?.47 49m21 155,?68 %44J.ts 27 IL9421 ||||**Wessex**|**Water**
**TOTAL**||||750.00
53,530.00||**750.00**
**£**
**53,530.00**
**£**|**750.00**
**£**
**59,171.85**
**£**|**0.00**
**£**
**(£5,641.85)**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Incredible Kids**|**Restricted Funding Statement @ 31st March 2024**|**Filton**|**Town**
**Garfield**
**National**|**Council**
**Weston**
**John James**
**Grid**
**Nespresso**
**Resilience**
**SGC**
**SGC**
**Groundwork**||||5,000.00
10,000.00
1,700.00
7,730.00
3,000.00
10,000.00
5,500.00
1,100.00
3,750.00||**5,000.00**
**£**
**10,000.00**
**£**
**1,700.00**
**£**
**7,730.00**
**£**
**3,000.00**
**£**
**10,000.00**
**£**
**5,500.00**
**£**
**1,100.00**
**£**
**3,750.00**
**£**|**5,000.00**
**£**
**10,000.00**
**£**
**6,216.85**
**£**
**7,730.00**
**£**
**3,000.00**
**£**
**10,000.00**
**£**
**5,500.00**
**£**
**1,100.00**
**£**
**4,875.00**
**£**|**0.00**
**£**
**0.00**
**£**
**(£4,516.85)**
**0.00**
**£**
**0.00**
**£**
**0.00**
**£**
**0.00**
**£**
**0.00**
**£**
**(£1,125.00)**| ||||**Feeding**|**Bristol**||||5,000.00||**5,000.00**
**£**|**5,000.00**
**£**|**0.00**
**£**| ||||||**Income**|**Donations and legacies**|**General Donations**|**Grants - Restricted**|**Grants - Unrestricted**|**Total**|**Total Expenditures**|**Net Operating Income**| Jennie Prewett Incredible Kids Founder / Trustee 29th January 2025