2024-04-05-accounts - Choices Pregnancy Centre Exeter

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CHOICES PREGNANCY CENTRE EXETER

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 6 APRIL 2023 to 5 APRIL 2024

Reference and administration details

Charity name: Choices Pregnancy Centre Exeter

Registered Charity Number: 1159847

Registered Address: 5 Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LD

Trustees who managed the charity during the period:

Dr Christopher Scott Hamilton (Chair)

Mrs Victoria Ann Neal

Ms Frances Mary Tilley - Treasurer

Mrs Janice Mechelle Passmore

Mr Andy Humphreys

Structure, Governance and Management

Choices Pregnancy Centre Exeter (CHOICES) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, whose governing document is its constitution dated 1 December 2014. It is managed by its Board of Trustees and, in accordance with the governing document, those Trustees are appointed for a term of 3 years by a resolution passed at a properly convened Trustees meeting.

From 1 April 2019 CHOICES has employed a Centre Manager who reports directly to the Trustees.

This post was held by Sue Sharp who retired in February 2023. The post has been held voluntarily by two practitioners while Choices sought to employ someone suitable for the role. Since the 1[st] April, Caroline White has taken over the role as the Centre Manger as paid employee for 10hrs per week. The Trustees have managed the governance and volunteers the practical support of clients.

The Centre Manager’s duties have included:

Administration: managing the office, ensuring all privacy, data protection etc policies are adhered to and regularly reviewed, collating statistics, chairing management team meetings and providing progress reports to the Trustees.

Counselling: organising initial assessments of potential new clients, allocating clients to volunteer counsellors, co-ordinating and facilitating supervision sessions for those volunteers and carrying out some personal counselling casework.

Fundraising: researching potential sources of grant income and making recommendations to the Trustees based on that research, initiating and co-ordinating general fundraising activities.

Training: co-ordinating the recruitment and training of new volunteer counsellors, organising individual and group programmes of professional development of established volunteers and ensuring that her own professional training is kept up to date.

Liaison: raising awareness of the charity’s activities within local organisations and acting as the first point of contact for the charity except where legislation dictates otherwise.

Objectives and activities

In accordance with its governing document, CHOICES’ objects are:

(a) Relieving persons in need, distress or hardship by the provision of support in the areas of pregnancy choices, issues arising post-abortion or from baby loss and other pregnancy related concerns.

(b) The advancement of education for the public benefit in the subject of sexual health and relationships.

It does the following in pursuit of those objectives:

(1) Pregnancy crisis support – where clients faced with a pregnancy crisis meet with a volunteer to discuss their situation and the choices available to them.

(2) Baby loss support – where, over a period of 4 to 6 months or so, clients who have suffered baby loss are taken through a Baby Loss programme, with a view to helping them to process grief and recover from associated difficulties such as depression and anxiety.

(3) School visits – where the aim is to support local High Schools in the education of students regarding baby development, making informed choices regarding unplanned pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

These services are provided by volunteers, all of whom have either been trained by CHOICES or, in the case of newer recruits, have undertaken accredited training provided by the Pregnancy Centres Network (PCN). All of the support undertaken follows the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice.

CHOICES recognises the national organisation known as PCN as a source of support and information in the areas in which CHOICES is active. CHOICES therefore makes small voluntary donations to them.

Achievements and Performance

During the year ended 5 April 2024 the Choices team consisted of 9 active volunteers, with 4 other team members remaining but not active at present. In the year we saw 23 new clients, 2 crisis pregnancy, 13 miscarriage, 4 still birth, 4 termination of pregnancy and several of these clients for follow on anxiety during pregnancy support. This was the same number as the previous year.

Since the pandemic we have found that many clients prefer to access support remotely. The preferred method at the centre is face to face to offer the best support for the client and both options are offered, along with telephone support.

We are proud to say that three of our practitioners also had roles within the National Training Team, currently run by the Pregnancy Centres Network (PCN). One being the National Training Co-ordinator (standing down in December 23) two others acting as tutors in PCN’s training scheme for Crisis Pregnancy and Post Abortion stress.

Our newest volunteer has successfully undertaken and passed the accredited courses, adding to the skills within the practitioner team.

Financial Review

Our funding comes via a mixture of regular and one-off donations by individuals, our own fundraising events and grants made by various organisations and Trusts.

We were very grateful to receive grants during the year from Andre Christian Trust, The National Lottery, and Teignmouth United Reform Church.

Our two major fundraising events during the year were an evening at the Gurkha Restaurant and a local Quiz night.

For the year ended 5 April 2024 CHOICES had total income of £29286 and expenditure amounted to £12950, resulting in a net profit for the year of £16336. However, £17100 of the income was in the form of ring-fenced grants and £8840 of the expenditure was similarly ring-fenced.

The Charity has a bank balance at 5 April 2024 of £38717, of which £19265 is ring-fenced and £19452 is available for general use.

Going forward, the principle foreseeable expenditure continues to be the Centre Manager’s salary and rent payable for the Teignmouth office. The cash held at the bank means that the short-term future of the Charity is assured. However, with the very generous three-year grant from J Van Mars Foundation having reached its end, we clearly need to explore our options for further funding in order to secure our longer-term future.

As always, we remain very grateful to the following organisations who have provided valued financial support to enable us to run CHOICES:

The Andre Christian Trust

National Lottery

Teignmouth United Reform Church

Bovey Tracey Parish Church

Together Church, Torquay

Kondanini UK

At the conclusion of our baby-loss counselling programme we ask our clients for feedback, with the aim of seeking to continuously improve the service which we provide. It is heartening to have received the following feedback from one such client:

“There are not enough words to express my gratitude for helping me navigate the loss of my baby. Your care and kindness surrounded me during a time of darkness, which slowly helped reveal the light and warmth once again. I will be forever grateful. If Choices hadn’t been there for me, I would no longer be here” Baby Loss Client

CHOICES PREGNAINCY CENTRE EXETER Chari Number: 1159847 ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED Tll 5 APRIL 2024 Beard & Co Accountants Primrose House 6 Blackboi" RoAd E.¥eter Devon EX4 6SG

CHOICES PREGIYAIYCY CE[RE EXETER Chari Number: 1159847 TRUSTEES THE FIIYANCIAL YEAR Dr Christopher Scott Hamilton (Chair) Mrs Vi¢toria Ann Neal Ms Frances Mary Tilley- Treasurer Mrs Janice Meehelle Passmore Mr Andy Humpbreys

INDEPENDENf F.XLMIliER'S REPORT CHOICES PREG11NCY CENTRE EXF.TF.R Charity Number: 1159847 ON AccouNfs FOR THE YTr.AR ENDED TH 5 APRIL 2024 SET oirr ON PAGES l ttlld2 I report to the tnjstees on my entnination of th¢ acUnts of the aknve charity ("th¢ Trt,) for the year e]ed 5 April 2024 Responsibilities basis of Teport As the Charity trnstces of the Tn. you are r5]ble for the preparation of the accounts in accordanc¢ with th¢ requiremenis of the Cljariiies Act 21M)l ('Xhe Act") I report in res of my exatnination of the Trust's accoullts earried out under se¢tion 145 of the 2011 Act and in cwin. out ]py I have follow ibe applicable Dirttto given by the Charity conliSsI0 under se¢lioD 145(5)(b) of the A Independent examiner's ststemettt I have completed my examinatioTr I confjrm that llHterial mattcrs have come to my atteniion in conneetion with the cxamitTrtion which gives me caus¢ to bcli¢v¢ that in. any uwterial r¢spe¢t Accounting records u'ere noi kepi in acc4)rdance with section 130 of the Act or The accounts do not accord with ttrLe accounting rttords I have no ¢onc¢rns and have cotne across no other matters in COnnlI0n wi¢h the examination to which allention should be drawn in order to enablc a proper understsnding ofthe accounts to be reached. EG EARD FFAIFIPA Date: l. i o. ?oZ¥ Beard & Co Accountan Prirnrose House, 6 Blackboy Roa( Exeter, EX4 &SG

CHOICES PREGNANCY CENTRE EXETER CHARrfY N . 11 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE ED 5TH APRIL 2024 Restrtcted Last Year FurKI Funds RECEIPTS Donations Fundraising Stewardship Grants Bank Interest HMRC Gift Aid 5.355 1.465 2,420 2.450 105 391 5.355 1.465 2.420 19.550 105 391 9.492 3.513 3.934 8.090 17,100 391 TOTAL RECEIPTS 12,186 17.100 29.286 25,431 PAYMENTS Sundry Costs Rent Meeting Costs Phone and Broadband Office Costs Printing. Stabonw and Postage Leafleis Trainillg and SupeNsion Costs Travel Cost5 Insuran DBS Checks IT Costs cOnferenS Funding Bids Wages Professional Fees Recruitment Fees Equiprnenl Fundraising Costs 5.070 5,070 25 662 105 289 626 626 120 120 175 454 492 157 75 250 454 492 157 780 396 469 195 442 1,255 1.240 1.697 1.240 1,142 19.856 259 299 314 1,215 180 611 1.200 1,811 600 TOTAL PAYMENTS 4.110 12.950 31.338 NET OF RECEIPTSIPAYMENTS 8.076 8.260 16.336 (5,9071 CASH FUND LAST YEAR END 11.377 11.rKM 22.383 28.290 CASH FUNDS THIS YEAR END 19.453 19.266 38.719 22.383

CHOICES PREGNANCY CENTRE EXETER Chari Numb•r. 11W7 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT STH APRIL 2024 CASH FUNDS nrestricted Rèstri ed Funds Funds Cash al Bank 13.601 5,851 19,452 19.265 19,265 TOTAL CASH FUNDS FIXED AssErs Asset Fund Office Equipment including computers Office Furniture aThJ Fittings 1007 860 604. Restricted Fund un$tActed Fund Restricted Fund Unrestricted Fund 904 3.375 oj ,11. DRCS LTON MS F M TILLEY

CHOICES PREGNAINCY CENTRE EXETER Chari Number: 1159847 ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED Tll 5 APRIL 2024 Beard & Co Accountants Primrose House 6 Blackboi" RoAd E.¥eter Devon EX4 6SG