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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 01.09.2022 Period start date Period end 31.08.2023 date
Charity name: Friends Of Serenity
Charity registration number: 1157866
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To support and assist the provision of facilities at East Lancs Women and Newborn Centre not normally provided by the trust/nhs, providing support for bereaved families and those in subsequent pregnancies. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
This financial year as seen us continue to provide our memory box and keepsake service. These are consistently on offer to all our babyloss families within East Lancashire. Our primary focus this year has been planning a fundraising project to create a 4metre high tree sculpture. This project look 6 months to plan, seeing the fundraising officially launch in July 2022. With our charity hitting 10 years since we were first established, we applied for more places than usual within running events which saw a greater income for the charity. We also had a huge donation from a local truck run who supported us celebrate our 10th year. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Whilst setting the activities undertaken and planned these have been in line with our objectives. We have given consideration to the guidance form charity commission and consulted with professionals for public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference N/A Para 1.38 Policy on grant making
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | N/A |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | Our volunteers have continued to support us within memory box and keepsake making events. We also had a cheer station as part of the LLHM where volunteers helped cheer on participants. We had a number of volunteers support with bucket collections as part of the Ribble Valley truck run. We also had a local PR company choose us as their charity of the year, donating their time to publicise our tree project and gather the local press and radio stations to raise the profile of the project. |
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | We made it to ten years this year and celebrated by successfully participating in high profile races such as the Manchester 10k and LLHM. These saw up to 30 Participants raising money for us which has seen a large increase in our income. We haven’t had a huge spending year due to planning and launching out tree project. This meant we had to local an artist and the right trades to support the project and also mean following policy and procedures in like with the East Lancs hospitals trust. The tree project has been planned and we work hard to raise the funds. We also had a few families donate larger quantities to support the project in memory of their baby. The truck run was run by volunteers and was a hige success seeing over 100 trucks participate and donate We continue our work with our memory boxes which is our most valued work. This means we can support our families |
remember their babies at the most heart breaking time. All our fundraising efforts will maintain our day today expenditure of memory boxes, still birth certificates, literature for our families but the most part will be saved to help us reach the total for the tree.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Donations from the public have helped us support and hit targets to ensure we have been able to support the hospital improve their services and maintain our offer of memory boxes, rainbow boxes and keepsakes. |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | We had 10 participants within the London Landmark half marathon which provided over 6000pounds in donations The Ribble Valley Truck run saw in acces of 9000pounds We have 15 runners within the Manchester 10k and all participants reaches and exceeded fundraising targets of 250. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Due to working hard at our fundraising with support from the local PR company we have been able to raise our charity profile to help increase fundraising. This sees the charity is a secure Finacial position. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Reserves are help in place so that we can ensure we continue to create our keepsakes and memory boxes and help build the total for out tree project which will lcome to fruition in 2024. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £20,000 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | Our principal sources of fundraising have come from fundraising platform Just Giving. We did also receive some large donations from families wanting to donate towards the tree and the Ribble Valley truck run was also a huge financial boost this year. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | N/A |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | Time can be difficult for the trustees to complete any work such as memory boxes, paper work for participants in races etc as all trustees work full time elsewhere and off their time for free in their spare time. |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Trust Deed |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Trustees /Trust |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Appointed by Joanne Edwards Founder and consultation of trustees. |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | Trustee’s participate in Teams meetings, group meetings and webinars from charity’s and fundraising platforms. |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | The charity is a board of trustees. The trusts bereavement midwife supports charity decisions as well as the local hospital charity ELHT and Me in accordance with the hospitals quality and infection control and hospital policies. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | We have an MOU with the hospital charity to support with hospital projects and meet with them when necessary. |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Friends Of Serenity |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | FOS |
| Registered charity number | 1157866 |
| Charity’s principal address | Friends of Serenity PO BOX 194 Darwen |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joanne Edwards | CEO | |||
| Mark Edwards | ||||
| Elizabeth Norbury | ||||
| Rosanna Strachan | ||||
| Lisa Brown | 15thApril 2023 | |||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name Joanne Edwards
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for wholeyear | |
|---|---|---|
| Joanne Edwards | ||
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser Name Address |
Type of adviser Name Address |
Type of adviser Name Address |
|---|---|---|
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | ||
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
Joanne Edwards | |
|---|---|---|
| Joanne Marie Edwards | ||
CEO |
||
| 23/06/2023 | ||
| 23/06/2023 |
YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
| DONATIONS EXPENSES PURCHASES JUST GIVING FEES CHARITY ENTRY FEES PAYPAL FEES PO BOX FEE WEBSITE FEES BANK FEES RENT INTEREST SURPLUS |
£ 11,809.49 244.80 2,997.00 21.89 219.00 266.06 94.40 1,518.40 |
£ 53,590.03 17,171.04 - 33.60 |
|---|---|---|
| 36,452.59 |
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report Report to the trustees/ members Charity Name of Friends of Serenity
Charity no 1157866 (if any)
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 August 2023 .
Responsibilities and basis of As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
-
• the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: L. Burns Date: 24.06.2024
Name: Laura Burns
Relevant professional ACCA
Address: Flat 4, 171b Gipsy Road, London, SE27 9QT
[Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent ] examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
1
October 2018
IER
2
October 2018
IER