ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGH THE ARTS AND TALKING (ETAT) Registered charity number 1159712
Annual Report of the Trustees
5 April 2023 to 4 April 2024
Encouragement Through the Arts and Talking (ETAT) was registered as a Charity (CIO) on 22 December 2014 and has now been operating for ten years. Our aim is to encourage the wellbeing of lonely and isolated people from 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 is still recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic. Most of our Friends were shielding and therefore 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.
However, a growing number of people are starting to venture forth to the Thamesbank Centre where ETAT’s sessions take place. Some of our older clients had sadly passed away during the pandemic, some had moved into residential care and many were still fearful of coming out and meeting with others. On a more positive note, we lost some younger Friends to study or work opportunties.
When people visit ETAT they are struck by the lively atmosphere, the creativity and the laughter. Our beneficiaries themselves frequently say that the opportunity to see the friends they have made at ETAT and to share experiences has been particularly helpful after the forced isolation of the pandemic.
ETAT is now fully operational once again, offering two sessions a week at the Thamesbank Centre, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Around 40 Friends now attend regularly, with many more dropping in from time to time, and it is abundantly clear that our services are needed 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.
Heightened levels of anxiety are still seen in many Friends and we are mindful of the importance of providing 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.
The “encouragement” model invented by Dr Mary Catterall, which ETAT uses, is particularly helpful in this phase of recovery from the pandemic. We do not teach people in a formal sense but encourage and support them to be creative and to explore new artistic means of expression. Some Friends want to immerse themselves in art and learn new skills while others are happy in the first instance to just have a chat over a cup of coffee.
When one potential Friend came to visit, he said “I don’t do art”. Now he is a regular participant and creates wonderful woodwork, some of which will be on show at our Annual Exhibition.
ETAT’s activities were expanded last 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 at our Annual Exhibition which we were able to hold for the first time since the pandemic. We are indebted to Karen Turner for coming down from her new home in Cumbria to curate the exhibition.
This year we have brought in some new gifted artists with specific skills and have added activities such as textiles and sculpture to our sessions. We shall also be learning about film making through making a community film about loneliness and isolation under the auspices of Peabody and Make a Film in a Weekend. This film will be premiered at our Annual Exhibition. Karen is again very kindly coming to London to curate the Exhibition showcasing our work and this year it will be named “Make Do and Make Art” to reflect the current financial and emotional climate.
We shall also be taking a group of Friends to the Paddington Farm once again. This community farm in Glastonbury is a firm favourite with our Friends who have the opportunity to take a break in beautiful countryside and take part in rural activities including helping to look after the animals.
We have been under pressure to expand because of the amount of loneliness and isolation there is, especially on the high-rise estates of Central London. Now that our numbers are increasing and our financial position is robust, we are able at last to plan to open a further ETAT group on another site. To this end we are talking to a range of partner organisations, including the local
Social Prescribing teams, 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.
Current reserve levels are at a similar position to the year-end position of £68,000, with funding of £32,600 (primarily from the Trustees of Dr Mary Catterall Will Trust) having been received in the period since March 2024. Now that operations have returned to normal levels, we have budgeted for a reduction in reserves of c£30,000 for 2024/25, which reflects the increase in funding reserves that arose during the Covid shutdown. We will look at the budget requirements for 2025/26 when considering the planned expansion but the reserve position gives us confidence to plan for growth.
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 Dr Mary Catterall Will Trust, who have given us significant funding once again, and to all those trusts, companies and individuals who have provided financial and in-kind support to ETAT.
Diane Yeo
Trustee
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds to the nearest Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the nearnst £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to tha n8arast £ A1 Receipts Grants Legacy (including lax rebate) Donations Interest 12,( 33,256 2.677 18,000 33.256 2,677 1.363 37,790 33.217 2.207 516 Sub total (Gross inGome for AR) A2 Asset and investment salès, (see lable). 49.296 6,000 55.296 73.730 Sub total 55.296 73.730 A3 Payments Contractors Fund raisef feès Accounlancy fees Gift cafds Refreshments MatearS Repairs Insurance Bank charges and $4milar Travel costs Theatre trip Oomain and intemet clwges Sundries 46,347 1.805 225 6.000 52,347 1,805 225 37,335 2.475 225 190 1.435 1,533 1,618 1,618 1,034 104 370 60 25 104 370 60 25 72 20 67 235 83 23$ Sub total 51,906 000 57,906 43.768 A4 Asset and inv8stment purchases, table) Sub total 51,906 6,000 57.906 43,768 Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 2,610 2.610 29,962 7Q.728 70,728 68,118 40.766 70.728 6B,118 CCXX Rl accounts (SS) 0710112025
Unrestricted funds to nèarèst £ Restricted funds to noarost £ Endowment funds to nearest £ Cateaories Details B1 Cash funds 8ank funds 67.968 frJrKt5 Iso Total cash funds 68,118 .2gree Datan Trmth receipts and pa81 ac¢Axmiisll Unrestridod funds lo rearest £ Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ B2 Other monetary assets Fund to Tmhieh asset be cyent value tion81 Cost loptionall B3 Investment assets Fund to which asset belon Cost loptionall urrent value tlonal B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use CompKiler 454 Fund to which relates Amount duè tional Wh•n dug tional B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of roval Llco
CHARITY COMMISSION , FOR EfiGLANO WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees 'T14É tJL1> f)&JD If4L1 On accounts for the year 8ndèd 20Lw Charity no {if any) 115971 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accoLJnts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended Responsibllities and basis of report As the CharItS trustees, 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 Trust'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 he charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]l- Delete [ ] rfnot applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below ') which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the aocounts did not accord with the accounting records", or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 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. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: -ILI Name: M( Relevant professlonal qualification(s) or body F.Cc? IER Oct 2018
(if any): Address: KOL Cbo& 8A_£ Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018