# **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
Mate￿arS
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 pa￿81
ac¢Axmiisll
Unrestridod
funds
lo rearest £
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets
Fund to Tmhieh
asset be
cy￿ent 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
If4L￿1
On accounts for the year
8ndèd
20￿Lw
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 CharIt￿S 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