2024-08-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01.09.2023 Period start date Period end 31.08.2024 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 our ‘Tree of Life’ sculpture continued to be worked on. The foundations were implemented in the ground sof ‘The women and newborn centre’ and the tree and blossomes were made, fabricated and treated. Our service continued to provide our memory box and keepsakes. These are consistently and continuously on offer to all our babyloss families within East Lancashire. We also provided reinbow boxed to families on subsequent pregnancies.
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 from charity commissions 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, which take place at our storate unit. Volunteers have created their own fundraisers and participates in races and events which we access via‘Run4charity’
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 had manage to raise fund over the previous and this financial year to secure funds. We started the work, preparing the foundations, making the parts of the tree sculpture. We started to collate names form our families for the babies that would go onto the tree. With our service of memory making we have seen an increase in losses in East Lancashire. This has meant we have provided even more keepsakes thank in previous years. This are greatly received by our beneficiaries as they allow our families to create cherished memories. We have collaborated with Lancashire County council to directly fund birth and stillbirth certificates, to take the burden away from parents at the most difficult **time. **

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. This has also meant we

			have reached our target to get the Tree
			scuture in place.
			This year as we have been part of
			‘Run4charity’ we have seen an increase
	Performance of fundraising		in families participating in events for us.
	activities against objectives	Para 1.41	The have all set fundraising targets and
	set		reached their goals. The partcipants set
			these targets to contribute to our
			projects. Those that raised over £1000
			were able to put forward a dedication for
			large blsomms and all other fundraisers
			were given the option of a blossom for
			the tree when it would be installed.
	Investment performance	Para 1.41
	against objectives
	Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	There has been a huge focus on the tree and that has been our aim this year. This has meant we have secured funds for this but means we still need to work hard to replenish funds. We aim to always keep reserves for security of the charity.
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, provision of books and stillbirth certificates.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£10,000
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 and Enthuse. We frequently receive donations form families following a funeral for their baby or if they have created an event.
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	All the trustees support the charity in a voluntary capacity, working ful time elsewhere, therefore, completing paperwork, driving the charity socials and profile forward as well as maintaining our continuous supply of keepsakes can be challenging at times.
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 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 head of midwifery and health at East Lancashire hospital trust, inline 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. Meet with Lancashire county council registrars about funding fir certificates. Regular meetings and check ins with Run for charity.
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Friends Of Serenity
Other name the charity uses	FOS
Registered charitynumber	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 Nam e of pers on (or bod y) entit led to app oint trust ee (if any)
	Joanne Edwards	CEO
	Mark Edwards
	Elizabeth Norbury
	Rosanna Strachan
	Lisa Brown

– 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 whole year **
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 Name Address adviser 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) Joanne Edwards Full name(s) Joanne Marie Edwards Position (eg Secretary, CEO Chair, etc) Date 27/06/2025

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Independent examiner's FOR ENGLAND AND WALES report on the accounts CHARITYn ~~nn~~

Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITYnn~~nn~~ FOR ENGLAND AND WALES	Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITYnn~~nn~~ FOR ENGLAND AND WALES	Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITYnn~~nn~~ FOR ENGLAND AND WALES	Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITYnn~~nn~~ FOR ENGLAND AND WALES	Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITYnn~~nn~~ FOR ENGLAND AND WALES	Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITYnn~~nn~~ FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report ~~ee~~
	Report to the trustees/ members of		Charity Name Friends of Serenity
	On accounts for the year ended	On accounts for the year ended	31 August 2024	Charity no (if any)	1157866
	Set out on pages	Set out on pages
			(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
			I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
			charity (“the
			Trust”) for the year ended31 August 2024.
	Responsibilities and basis of
		report	As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of
			the
			accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the	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.
	Independent examiner's	Independent examiner's	I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
	statement		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. Buckingham	Date:	29.06.2025

Name: Laura Buckingham ~~Pt~~

1

October 2018

IER

Section B Disclosure

Relevant professional ACCA qualification(s) or body (if any): 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).

2

October 2018

IER

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

3

October 2018

IER