# **ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGH THE ARTS AND TALKING (ETAT) Registered charity number 1159712** 

## **Annual Report of the Trustees** 

## **5 April 2022 to 4 April 2023** 

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”. 

ETAT took a while to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic. Most of our Friends were forced to remain at home over the period, throwing them back into the loneliness and isolation that they had been experiencing before they joined the charity and adding fear to the mix. 

Once the doors to the Thamesbank Centre where we deliver ETAT reopened, people started to venture out once again, but it has taken a while to build up our numbers once again. Some clients had sadly passed, some had moved away and many were still fearful of coming out and meeting with others. 

However, our numbers are steadily growing once more and although they have not yet reached pre-Covid levels the atmosphere is lively, creative and supportive. We are now seeing 35 Friends attend regularly and many more from time to time. 

ETAT is now fully operational once again, offering two sessions a week at the Thamesbank Centre, on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 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. 

Heightened levels of anxiety are still seen in many Friends and we are 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. 



Our activities were extended this year to include Pottery, which was a great success. It also brought in new members, mostly from sheltered housing, and the end products were exhibited in our Annual Exhibition which we were able to hold for the first time since the pandemic. We have also brought in some very gifted new artists with specific skills to encourage such activities as screen printing, knitting, card making and woodwork in addition to our core activities. 

We are now planning to open a further ETAT group in another part of Pimlico where there are high rise estates and a great deal of loneliness and isolation. We are talking to a range of partner organisations, including the local Social Prescribing team, OpenAge, Westminster Almshouses and The Single Homeless Project, about where this second ETAT project should be based and asking them to refer to us individuals who they think might benefit from ETAT’s work. 

Tragically Su Rawlins, who had been our deputy manager since ETAT’s inception, died suddenly just before Christmas 2023 and our hearts go out to her family. We shall all miss Su enormously for her professionalism, her warmth and her friendship. 

The financial position of ETAT remains robust, with funding support (particularly from Dr Mary Catterall’s Trust and the Peabody Community Fund) being maintained at pre-pandemic levels thereby giving us a significant reserve. This allows us to consider the expansion of service provision mentioned above. 

Current reserve levels are at a similar position to the year end position of c£72,000, with funding of £48,000 having been received in the period since March 2023. We will look at the budget requirements for 2024/25 when considering the proposed expansion but the reserve gives us confidence in the proposed strategy. 

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. 

Diane Yeo 

Trustee 



CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the period
To
Section A Receipts and payments
Unr8strict8d
funds
tr*thè ftgArgst
R8strhcted
funds
Endowm*nt
funds
Total fuftdg
Last year
to th• wreste
to tho no8r96t£
tothg npar•stÉ
to tho noawt£
A1 Receipts
Grani8
legacy lim1￿1￿ tax rebatsi
Donation$
16,000
33,217
2.207
$16
21.79D
37,7
33.217
16,284
25,519
1,768
12
516
Sub total (Gross income forARJ
A2 Asset and investment sales, Isee
table).
51,940
21,rn)
73.7
43.583
Sub total
51,940
21.T9D
73,730
A3Pa
ents
conti￿t0[5
Fund raiser fees
Accountancy fees
Gift cards
Refreshments
Materi￿5
InsU￿n
8ank charges and similar
Rent
Travel CA>SES
Theatre Inp
Domain and Iirtemet ¢h8roes
PfoEErty hire
15,545
2,475
225
190
1,4J5
1,533
360
72
21,790
37,335
2N75
225
790
1A35
34.911
3.da1
225
238
802
945
360
72
600
115
56
20
67
67
57
1.103
42,933
Sub total
21,978
21.790
43,768
A4 Asset and ImigStm•nt purehasos,
Isee tsblel
Sub total
21.978
21.790
43,768
42.933
Net of r•¢thpts/(payments)
AS Transfers between fund
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds thls year end
29,962
29.962
650
40.766
70.728
40.766
70,728
40,116
40,766

Unre5tr1cted
fund$
Restricled
lunds
n•arortE
Endowment
funds
to nearost E
81 Cash fund5
Bank fU￿S
70,S78
Cash l￿d5
150
Total cash funds
70,728
Unrestrtcted
fullds
to DearestÉ
Restrl¢tsd
funds
to nearest£
Endowment
funds
toneaie5t£
B2 Other Tnonetsry assets
Futnlto whlch
Ctt61{typb0r￿l
Current Ythe
B3 Investment assets
whi¢h
Cosllopuonall
B4 Assets retained for the charity$
own usè
Comput6r
454
Fund towhlch
relates
Arnoullt due
VtheTh*Jue
B5 Llabllltles
Igned ty one or h¥0 Irvstee5 on tehalf ol all
the trustees
Date ol
io¥al
SNJnabJre
Print
J4rv 6LfPUZ
CCXX R2 Bccounts (SSI
041L1112024

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