ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGH THE ARTS AND TALKING (ETAT) Registered charity number 1159712
Annual Report of the Trustees
6 April 2021 to 5 April 2022
Encouragement Through the Arts and Talking (ETAT) was registered as a Charity (CIO) on 22 December 2014. Our aim is to encourage the wellbeing of lonely and isolated people of a wide variety of age groups, backgrounds and abilities through artistic and social activities. Our first ETAT group meets in Pimlico, London. It is run by “Encouragers”, most of whom are volunteers, and the beneficiaries are known as “Friends”.
Following government guidance, the doors to the Thamesbank Centre where we deliver ETAT remained closed until May 2021 when we began meeting in person once again and because the weather was good we had the luxury of running sessions from the Thamesbank Centre garden. This had the added benefit of encouraging our Friends, some of whom were anxious about returning to an indoor setting, to try ETAT again. These sessions were mostly social, interspersed with arts activities, but by August we were welcoming a growing number of people each week. During this time one of the projects that Friends took part in, and of which they were particularly proud, was the decoration of ‘Foundation Stones’ for inclusion in the foundations of the UK Holocaust Memorial.
Sadly, a number of Friends passed away during Covid-19. One of the most poignant losses was that of Ruby, 97, who was one of the very first people ever to attend ETAT. Other regulars’ lives have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Some moved into full-time care or lost all confidence and no longer wanted to leave their homes. These losses and changes mean that there have been fewer Friends attending ETAT sessions.
However, more positively, the loss of Ruby also inspired a new project that focused on collecting life stories, to ensure that all our Friends record something of their own histories. During these rather dark times we wanted to shine a spotlight on how everyone’s story is unique, special and of value to others. These sessions saw our Friends engage in a range of activities using the spoken word, creative writing, painting and drawing to share their life stories.
We are now fully operational and back to offering two ETAT sessions a week at the Thamesbank Centre, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whilst the number of Friends attending ETAT has reduced since pre-pandemic days, it is abundantly clear that our services are needed now more than ever. So many of those in our community who were already isolated and lacking in confidence before the pandemic have had their confidence further eroded as they stopped going out and interacting with others. We also see heightened levels of anxiety in many Friends. We are therefore mindful that we need to provide an environment in which they feel comfortable and safe and to offer activities that support them to come out of this very dark period and move forward.
Due to the setbacks that the pandemic has caused for us at ETAT, we are not planning to establish any further ETAT groups in other locations this year. Fortunately, our principal funders understand this and are willing to support us into the future. For the present we are focusing on increasing the number of people who attend our current sessions and actively reaching out into the community to engage individuals who may not have heard of us but who could benefit from ETAT’s activities.
With that in mind we have held some open days and are talking to a range of partner organisations, including the local social prescribing team, OpenAge, Westminster Almshouses and The Single Homeless Project, about referring individuals who they think might benefit from ETAT’s work.
Grateful thanks are due once again to Peabody, who generously allow us to operate from the Thamesbank Centre free of charge. Enormous thanks also go to the trustees of the late Dr Mary Catterall, who have given us significant funding once again, and to those trusts, companies and individuals who have provided financial and in-kind support to enable us to continue our work over the last very testing year.
As a consequence of the generosity of our supporters, the financial position of ETAT is very stable. Reserves as the year end 5 April 2022 stood at £40,642, which reflects c70% of annual running costs.
An increase in the funding from Dr Catterall’s Trust by £10,000 to £30,000pa was received and reserves now currently stand at £68,000 as at 31 December 2022. This position allows us to look forward to 2023 as a year of consolidation and, hopefully, an expansion of the ETAT offering to an increasing number of Friends.
Diane Yeo Trustee
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Encouragements Through the Arts and Talking 1159712
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 06-Apr-21 05-Apr-22
To
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Grants 6,400 9,884 - 16,284 34,023
Legacy (including tax rebate) 25,519 25,519 20,000
Donations 1,768 - - 1,768 1,633
Gift Aid - - 256
Interest 12 - - 12 5
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 33,699 9,884 - 43,583 55,917
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see
table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 33,699 9,884 - 43,583 55,917
A3 Payments
Contractors 25,377 9,534 - 34,911 28,614
Fund raiser fees 3,706 - 3,706 1,606
Gift cards 238 - 238 -
Refreshments 802 - 802 686
Materials 595 350 - 945 822
Insurance 360 - 360 345
Bank charges and similar 96 - 96 69
Rent 600 - 600 -
Travel costs 115 - 115 53
Printing and stationery - - - 51
Domain and internet charges 57 - 57 57
Property hire 1,103 - 1,103 -
Sub total [ 33,049 ] 9,884 - 42,933 32,303
A4 Asset and investment purchases,
(see table)
- - - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 33,049 9,884 - 42,933 32,303
Net of receipts/(payments) 650 - - 650 23,614
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 40,116 - 40,116 16,502
Cash funds this year end 40,766 - - 40,766 40,116
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
30/12/2022
1
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Bank funds Cash funds Details Details Computer Details Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 40,753 - 13 - - - 40,766 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) 454 - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - |
|---|---|---|---|
| - OK |
|||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - When due (optional) Date of approval |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
30/12/2022
2