2024-12-31-accounts - Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

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Rainbow Parents Carers Forum (Registered charity, number 1155205) Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

Page	Contents
2 - 5	Trustees’ annual report
6	Independent examiner’s report
7	Receipts & payments account
8	Statement of assets & liabilities
9 - 10	Notes to the accounts

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Full name Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation

Registered charity number 1155205

Principal address

2A Cross Street, Nottingham, NG5 7BL

Trustees

Susan Hopkinson, Chair Dave Bingham Sarah Springthorpe

Independent examiner

John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL

Governance and management

The charity is operated under the rules of its CIO foundation constitution adopted on 6[th] Jan 2014.

To appoint new trustees, we usually advertise, nominate, propose and elect.

Objectives and activities

To enhance the development and education of SEN and disabled children by encouraging parents and carers to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups and by:

Offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups, together with the rights of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability;

Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs in the local areas; and

To promote and protect the good health of parents and carers of disabled children and their families by providing a network of parents and carers of disabled children and young people, encouraging and delivering peer support, promoting awareness and helping to implement the improvement of services for them.

Supporting individuals aged 12-25 by offering interactive, educational and recreational inclusive opportunities.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit

We have met our charitable objectives through the following activities:

We have delivered regular Saturday ‘Family inclusive play' sessions for up to 12 year olds, with support workers. Plus, a befriending social group for aged 12 to 25 years.

We have hosted regular parent peer support meetings/workshops giving the opportunity for parents/carers to meet during the school day and in the evening.

We have supported 1to1 meetings for families to receive support with matters relating to education, health and social care.

Communication with our membership via our regular e-bulletin alongside the use of social media.

As members of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums we have worked with the Department for Education and our Local Authority to influence and shape the delivery of services for disabled families. This includes attending work stream meetings and supporting parents and carers to act as representatives at these strategic meetings.

Public benefit statement

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.

By enabling SEND children and their parents and carers to socialise in a safe, supportive setting to reduce social isolation and improve health and wellbeing.

By facilitating a network of peer to peer support to enable sharing of experiences and knowledge exchange that empowers families to have a voice and be heard.

By raising awareness of the challenges that our families may experience and signposting to possible solutions that may improve outcomes and reduce distress and hardship.

By supporting parents to self-advocate, advocate for others and represent their community.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

Summary of the main achievements during the period

Hosted 34 family inclusive play sessions, providing a total of 1057 places for parents/carers and children/young people these included:
12 early years sessions with specialist SEND practitioner support to provide parent carers with early intervention support.
2 Christmas fun session.
5 school holiday swimming sessions.
4 other holiday activities with support to attend a pantomine and creative arts workshops.
Hosted 14 Befriending Social Group activities for 12 to 25 year olds, providing a total of 178 places. These included 5 sport centre activities including fencing, dodgeball, table tennis, and climbing. Outdoor activities including golf, narrowboat and farm activities - a total of 4. Also, 4 indoor games sessions.
Hosted 29 parent to parent peer support face to face meetings either during the school day or evening during term time that 192 parent carers attended. These include autism, fetal alcohol and pan disability specific groups.
Hosted a parent carer conference event for 49 parent carers, 23 professionals and collaborators. There were 4 SEND specific workshops including sensory strategies, sleep, SEND employment and exclusions. We provided a lunch and opportunity for the community to meet and share.
Continued to produce monthly e-bulletins (12) sending to over 850 members with an average open rate of 54%.
Provided 119 hours of volunteering opportunities for 9 befriending play mentors and 3 office-based admin roles. Additionally, 46 volunteering hours for 10 parentcarer steering group members.
We collaborated with 18 other organisations:

i) Nottingham City Council Targeted Support Workers, Family Mentors and service managers in both social care and education

ii) Integrated Care Board

iii) Nottingham CVS & Children & Young People’s Provider Network

iv) University of Nottingham

v) Contact
vi) National Network of Parent Carer Forums

vii) Hummingbirds SEND Services

viii) Space Inclusive

ix) My Journey
x) Pulp Friction
xi) The Nottingham Contemporary

xii) Nottingham Nursery School & Training Centre

xiii) Farm Eco
xiv) The Lenton Centre

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

xv) Tesco Bulwell xvi) Severn Trent Community

xvii) Flegdlings

xviii) Nottingham Trent University volunteers, sports department and student placements

Provided regular updates at 10 steering group meetings on both local and national developments in relation to the SEND service provision and other relevant areas of interest of the community we serve.
Provided over 40 hours of direct individual support to families in need and/or crisis, plus transport to access our sessions for hard to reach/seldom heard families.
Our contribution to ‘shaping and influencing’ was achieved by 16 parental carers/representatives attending work-stream meetings, steering groups or conferences.
Delivered 14 sessions for 110 participants as part of the Autism in Schools initiative working with the local authority and schools to reach parent carers in the community.
Provided 300 loans from our SEND toy library to 73 families.

We have continued to deliver our activities, supporting increasing numbers of vulnerable families.

We are extremely grateful to our funders - the National Lottery Community Fund, the Department for Education and the Integrated Care Board. Additionally, to all our collaborators who support us to deliver our whole service.

Financial Review

Our financial status is well monitored, the budget and expenses are all on track.

The charity’s policy on reserves

We aim to have a reserves policy and to build up a reserve from any commissioned work or donations, so that we can meet our statutory liabilities to employees in the event the CIO has to be wound up. Also, to create a small fund for unforeseen contingencies.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signed ______ Date _ (0. Wipckrn 20(e25, Susan Hopkinson, Chair

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Rainbow Parents Carers Forum for the year ended 31 December 2024

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Rainbow Parents Carers Forum (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

20/08/2025 Signed ____ Date _______ ce John O’Brien MSc, FAIA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2024

2023 Total Funds £ Note Receipts 874 Bank interest 5423 Commisioned work 990 Direct Payments 117040 Grants & donations 2 5 Sundry income 124332 Total receipts Payments 7724 Activities & events 16498 Equipment 500 Gifts and Vouchers 1513 Hospitality & Refreshments 925 Insurance 3044 IT Support 573 Marketing & developments 4050 Office rental 4 Paypal fees 1476 Payroll 518 Phones 374 Premises Repairs and Maintenance 489 Printing postage & stationery 6893 Professional fees 360 Publications & subscriptions 109 Recruitment 11523 Sessional workers, HMRC, pension - Sundry expenditure 456 Training & Capability 1246 Travel expenses 77 Volunteer expenses 74160 Wages, HMRC & pension 46 Website 132558 Total payments (8226) Net receipts/(payments) 184544 Cash funds at start of this period 176318 Cash funds at end of this period	Unrestricted Funds £ 1244 12000 1215 8747 - 23206 1203 1323 198 232 - 950 - - 13 - - - 1116 2805 1160 - - 189 123 243 - 8158 40 17753 5453 96261 101714	*2024* Restricted Total Funds Funds £ £ - 1244 - 12000 - 1215 130864 139611 - - 130864 154070 8848 10051 952 2275 445 643 817 1049 1097 1097 650 1600 603 603 5400 5400 - 13 1292 1292 550 550 28 28 407 1523 3755 6560 444 1604 - - 8488 8488 40 229 105 228 1160 1403 79 79 94202 102360 103 143 129465 147218 1399 6852 80057 176318 81456 183170

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
2023 2024
£ Cash assets Note £
176318 Bank accounts 183170
176318 183170
Other monetary assets
1516 Prepayments 4 4372
1516 4372
Assets retained for the charity’s own use
Laptop, purchased 2020, cost £575
Microsoft Surface Pro, purchased February 2023, cost £608
Sensory Room, purchased 2023, cost £14,995
Liabilities
(2833) Creditors 5 (1458)
(2833) (1458)
----- End of picture text -----

These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:

Signed 3 > SS spl David Bingham, Trustee

Date Go:-2 49425

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024

1. Receipts & payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.

2. Grants & donations

Pears Foundation Tuvida NHS Nottingham & Nottinghamshire ICB Department of Education Big Lottery Fund General donations	Unrestricted £ 5000 1200 1380 - 1167 8747	Restricted Total £ £ - 5000 - 1200 1380 24815 24815 106049 106049 - 1167 130864 139611

3. Funds analysis

Restricted funds Big lottery fund grant Department of Education Health & wellbeing activities Mencap Rushcliffe Autism Unrestricted funds General Fund	Opening balance £ 64702 9548 900 2876 2031 80057 96261 96261	Receipts £ 106049 24815 - - - 130864 23206 23206	(Payments) £ (102399) (25670) - (1396) - (129465) (17753) (17753)	Transfers £ - - - - (2031) (2031) 2031 2031	Closing balance £ 68352 8693 900 1480 -
					79425
					103745
					103745

The Core Funding (The National Lottery) fund ensures we can provide the best staffing available to support our beneficiaries and maintain a service to meet the needs of our community.

The Participation & engagement (DfE) provides the resource to amplify the voice of those seldom heard and the wider community.

Health and wellbeing activities - delivering BSG activities to the community. Mencap funds ensures additional support to our uses.

The Trent Autism Parent Support – TAPS fund provides additional support in the Rushcliffe area.

Rainbow Parents Carers Forum

4. Prepayments

£ Ladbrook Insurance 703 IT support 415 HMRC 3254 4372

5. Creditors

£ Pensions 480 Independent examination fee 978 1458

6. Trustees’ remuneration

Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.

7. Related party transactions

There were no related party transactions in this period.

8. Glossary of terms

Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.

Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.

Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity, subject to specific restrictions set by the donor, but still within the general objects of the charity.