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2021-03-31-accounts

Annual Report Adorddiad Blynyddol 2020 –2021 Registered Charity number 1160655 Rhif Elusen Cofrestredig 1160655

To support families with a child aged between 0 –14 living within the County Borough of Wrexham.

I gefnogi teuluoedd gyda phlant rhwng 0 a 14 yn byw yn ardal Cyngor Bwrdeistref Wrexham 1

Contents

Item
Chair’s Foreword
3
Manager’s Refection
4
Treasurer’s Report
6
Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Statements
7
Management Committee
12
Who Have We Been Working With?
13
Supported Family Story
20
Volunteer Development Strategy
21
Counselling
23
Thank You
24
Page

2

Chair’s Foreword

A warm welcome to everyone and thank you for joining us for our 2021 AGM.

Once again, we have experienced difficult times this year with all the restrictions we have had to follow. It means that it has not been possible to deliver a complete service to our families. The main casualty of this has been our groups which I know a lot of families depend on. We have lost BBCCIN funding due to the pandemic, which had a huge impact on our families, especially through the summer holidays, but I am glad to say that our play support groups are now recommencing face to face.

I have to say a big thank you to Mary, Jo and our team of dedicated staff and valued volunteers, for the way they have pulled together to improvise and ensure that services have been delivered in a variety of ways. We are now supporting more families than we have ever done.

I also want to thank our Funders who have stood by us and had faith in us to evolve through the difficulties of the pandemic. I am thankful that there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel and normal services should hopefully be resumed in the near future.

I am proud to say that Family Friends is growing and we are an integral part of the 3[rd] sector in Wrexham. We have strong positive relationships with many networking agencies and we are receiving referrals from a wider range of agencies than ever before.

Our staff and volunteers are highly qualified and the organisation recognises the value for continuous staff development to meet the ever changing needs of the community. This ensures that each strand of our service is robust, professional and compliments the service delivery as a whole, so families have access to everything that could help them achieve improved life choices and better outcomes.

One area we have developed in is our ability to offer counselling for children and adults. We have 2 qualified counsellors at present who are providing this valuable service. Some of this work is face to face and some by telephone, as always the uncertainty of future funding throws a shadow over our service but we hope we will be able to continue and sustain current delivery.

As we move forward, I feel very optimistic at what we will achieve in the future. We have a fantastic workforce and dedicated Trustees, plus with the continued support of our funders I am confident that we will be helping to support even more families in the year ahead.

Margaret Peet Chair of Trustees

Manager’s Refection

3

Another year has gone and the pandemic continues to cause disruption and chaos to our families, service delivery and uncertainty for future funding.

As a team, we have managed to work together to continue supporting families who need us. We have evolved and stood up to the threats of Covid and improvised our service by delivering home visiting via the garden, groups on line and spent hours on the phone, Zoom and WhatsApp. Although this has improved all our staff technology skills, we have had to postpone some of our volunteer support due to the risks involved by the pandemic. We have lost and gained some volunteers and some have chosen not to home visit anymore but are happy to provide phone or online support. This has had an impact on our organisation but it has also provided us with opportunities to utilise our volunteers in so many other ways, so they all still remain valued members of our team.

Let’s just think for a moment, how well we have all done. Last year we supported 115 families with every one of them achieving an improvement in at least one of their identified needs. On October 7[th] 2021 -we reached our 1000[th] referral since we recorded referrals via using our database. From 2007-2011 there were only 86 referrals recorded, so for the next 10 years we received 914 referrals. This just shows how we have grown to what we are today, a valued effective service that helps so many families facing difficulties.

I feel, together we are a community of support who collectively strive for best outcomes for families who may not be as lucky as you or I.

Who knows what the future holds for us at Family Friends, we lost BBCCIN funding last year and this had a major impact on not only our delivery but more importantly it had a major impact on the families we support. Without us able to run fun clubs through the summer some children missed out playing with friends and enjoying a break from some of the issues they encounter every day. Due to uncertain funding and tightening of budgets, plus the ongoing pandemic we still have difficult times ahead, but we will carry on until we are ‘the last men standing’! We need to focus on the positives, we strive to develop new skills in our staff and volunteers to meet the ever changing needs of the community as we know this helps make such a positive difference to many lives.

Sadly, we lost one of our valued volunteers and Trustees earlier this year-her name was Margaret Roberts and over the 20 years volunteering with us she supported over 50 families, she made such a difference to so many and imagine, if they had all attended her funeral-there would not have been enough seating room! At the funeral, it was a proud moment for me when her son made a speech saying how much Family Friends meant to her, he explained that anything her own family needed had to work around her visits of her supported family or the organisation! She will be sorely missed by all of us at Family Friends and I am sure she is still looking over us all with affection but a stern look on her face if she doesn’t agree with something we are doing �

4

Finally, I would like to thank everyone from the funders who continue to have faith in us, the Trustees and advisories for the support they have given me and the organisation over the last year, the volunteers who all bring skills and experience to the organisation and lastly the staff team without whom I could not do my job, they are the cogs that make the organisation so successful in its delivery.

Thank-you

Mary Roblin, Manager

5

’ - Treasurer s Report 2020 2021

I present to you the accounts for the financial year ending 31[st] March 2021, which have been audited and found to be in order by an independent accountant.

The Receipts and Payments Account shows how Family Friends money has been spent. The Statement of Assets & Liabilities shows where our funds are deposited and summarises designated monies for which we are liable. We operate two bank accounts, a current account and a charities investment account for which we receive interest.

The pandemic has seriously affected our ability to hold fundraising events, but it gave us the opportunity to apply for special COVID 19 funding from various sources. This funding enabled us to supply activity packs, increase support, continue and increase our counselling service, with the receipt of further one year grants we are able to continue with these into the 2021/2022 financial year.

We operate an ongoing staggered funding plan and have been awarded a three year grant of £166,000 from The Henry Smith Charity starting 1[st] June 2021. Many thanks must go to the Chair and our dedicated staff team, who along with myself, took part in the appraisal process resulting in this tremendous recognition of Family Friends’ work in our community.

On behalf of the Trustees, I thank all our funders and donors for their support, without which we would be unable to provide our much valued service.

Wendy E Williams

Treasurer

6

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1160655

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2021

FOR

FAMILY FRIENDS (WREXHAM)

Guy Walmsley Limited Chartered Accountants 3 Grove Road Wrexham LL11 1DY

7

FAMILY FRIENDS (WREXHAM)

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2021

TRUSTEES

M Roberts W Williams R Woodcock B Griffiths M Peet M Williams Andrea Watson – appointed 10/12/2020

PRINCIPAL ADDRESS

The Salvation Army Premises Garden Road Wrexham LL11 2NU

REGISTERED CHARITY 1160655 NUMBER

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Guy Walmsley Limited Chartered Accountants 3 Grove Road Wrexham LL11 1DY

8

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FAMILY FRIENDS (WREXHAM)

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Family Friends (Wrexham)

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Family Friends (Wrexham) (the Trust) for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

9

FAMILY FRIENDS(WREXHAM) CHARITY NUMBER: 1160655 FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2021 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS

NOTES

Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared on I receipts and payments basis

Basis of preparation
TheseaccountshavebeenpreparedonI receipts
andpaymentsbasis
2021 2020
£ £ £ £
RECEIPTS
Statutory Funding and Slippage
WCBC Families First 53,119.4 58,850.15
8
ESOL 19,863.7 19,081.24
Grants and Funding 6
BBC ChildreninNeed 13,003.0 25,506.50
0
Community County councilsupport 4,975 200.00
00
Community Foundation Wales 12,907.0 10,000.00
0
Lloyds BankFoundation 12,846.00
Methodistinsurance 64.35
Moondance 20,000.0
0
Nationallottery communityfund 10,000.
00
StepsTraining& Monthly Groups 8,778. 6 673.64
00
Steve Morgan Foundation 27,833.3 2,206.67
7
VSEFsmall grants 13,293.
00
WCBC-rise andshineprovision 77.0
0
Youth lead grant 1,000.0
GeneratedIncome 0
Bank& COIF Charity FundInterest 420.16
69.98
Other income 3.37
Fundraising/Donations 623.30 6.680.22
TOTAL RECEIPTS 185,607.24 142,467.9
5
PAYMENTS
Costs - 1,329.5 1,088.92
Befriending 9 318.1t
Costs - Play
Support
Costs - Family Fun Club
2,7366
2
2,203.01
Costs - Care and Share 12451
Costs - Events/Trips 400.6 3,335 22
0
Costs – ESOL 1,932.93
Costs - Family Education 40.04
Costs –Steps 212.3 712.07
5
Costs - FreedomProgramme/domesticabuse
803.55
Costs - RespiteSupport Group 739.9
6 451.88
Rent 4,895.2 4,87100
5
Travelling 2774
0
Volunteer Travel 136,5 1,636.83
4
Volunteer/Family Training 384.4 999.71
6
StafTravel 1,852.8 2,803.37
5
Postageand Carriage 108.4 547.15
6
Ofice Stationery, photocopier andtelephone 3,320.6 4,763 46

10

costs
9
Booketc
20.49
93.87
Computer and Software
2,880.
10
1,651.70
Equipment
291.3
0
3,139.69
Resources
1,482.8
9
76.46
PremisesExpenses
91.80
Insurance
840.77
833.04
Refreshments
18.50
451.04
Sundry Expenses
16549
168.40
PPEand cleaning
372.8
5
AGM costs
228.13
Staf Salaries
110,397.5
5
90,737.52
Sessional/Playworker
1,560.8
6
11,061.02
Pension Costs
14,843.2
2
9,654.63
Audit Fees
360.0
0
596.30
Consultancy Fees
1,272.8
0
39.70
Payroll Charges
679.0
0
554.50
Staf Training Costs
3,155.2
7
943.00
Room Hire
552.61
970.75
Fundraising
expenses WCBC
claw back
3
070.20
30.00
costs
9
Booketc
20.49
93.87
Computer and Software
2,880.
10
1,651.70
Equipment
291.3
0
3,139.69
Resources
1,482.8
9
76.46
PremisesExpenses
91.80
Insurance
840.77
833.04
Refreshments
18.50
451.04
Sundry Expenses
16549
168.40
PPEand cleaning
372.8
5
AGM costs
228.13
Staf Salaries
110,397.5
5
90,737.52
Sessional/Playworker
1,560.8
6
11,061.02
Pension Costs
14,843.2
2
9,654.63
Audit Fees
360.0
0
596.30
Consultancy Fees
1,272.8
0
39.70
Payroll Charges
679.0
0
554.50
Staf Training Costs
3,155.2
7
943.00
Room Hire
552.61
970.75
Fundraising
expenses WCBC
claw back
3
070.20
30.00
TOTAL PAYMENTS
NET OF RECEIPTS/(PAYMENTS)
Cash fundslast yearend
Cash & Bankfunds at 31st March 2021 : 2020
158,357.77
27
,
249
101,100.79
128,3
5
0
.2
6
147,953.3
1
(5,485.36
)
106,58615
101
,
100
.79

FAMILY FRIENDS(WREXHAM)

CHARITY NUMBER: 1160655 FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2021 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31[ST] MARCH 2021

CASH FUNDS
Petty cash
Bank Deposits
COIF Charity Fund Account
Total cash
Funds
OTHER MONETARY ASSETS
Insuranceprepayment
LIABILITIES
Independent ExaminersFee
OwingforPhotocopier
Owingfor RoomHire
OwingMarch2021PAYE
Owing for stafexpenses
OwingforInsurance
Owing for telephonecharges
MONETARY ASSETS REPRESENTED BY:
Designated Funds
Staf Redundancy
Photocopier lease o/s
202
1
£
130.75
49,627.51
78,592.00
128,350.26
406.12
350.00
37.69
0.00
2,562.46
196.96
433.43
10.03
3,590.57
18,437.00
700.00
202
0
£
322.75
42,778.
04
58,000.0
0
101,100.
79
0.00
350.00
48.16
539.25
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
937.41
13,641.00
1,000.00

11

MinimumClosedownCost(5 months)[2020 4 59,542.36 48,606.05
months]
Peninsular 1,521.36 0.00
Independent ExaminersFee 350.00 350.00
RestrictedMonies
ESOL 0. 00 1,975.7
2
BBC Children In Need 0.00 2,167.17
E.S. Pay 1, 365.18 816.00
FSWPost 2,234.70 2,234.70
SteveMorgan Foundation 2,326.68 612.23
Tampon Tax 1,027.93 9,665.27
Family First Slippage Monies 0.00 61.47
COIFTransfer 0.00 5,247.05
MoondanceFoundation 20,000.00 0.00
CFW 8,730.89 0.00
YLG 650.02 0.00
student Re-imbursement 79.99 0.00
Un Restricted Funds
FundralslngandBank Interest 10,210.38 14,578.02
127,176.49 100,954.68
FreeMonies 1,173.77 146.11

FAMILY FRIENDS

Management Committee 2020/2021

Trustees (voting members)

Chairperson Margaret Peet Vice Chair Mel Williams Treasurer Wendy Williams Secretary Beulah Griffiths

Individual Volunteer members Ruth Woodock Andrea Stevenson

12

Representation on the Management Committee in an advisory capacity

Prevention & Inclusion Service Julie Williams – Ty Ni Family Centre

Retiring Trustees 2019-20 Margaret Roberts - deceased-3[rd] June 2021

Who have we been working with? (health and social Stresses breakdown)

Family Friends works with a wide variety of issues and is always growing in skills and expertise to meet families were they are in a way that helps to alleviate those needs. Below is a breakdown of the kinds of health related issues we have worked with this year:

----- Start of picture text -----
AGM Health Related Issues
AGM Health
Health Related Issue
Related Issues
Number of Families
Adult depression 31
Adult mental illness 28
Adult physical illness 6
Adult with physical disability 12
Anxiety/panic attacks 35
Child depression 6
Child development delay 12
Child physical illness 4
Child undergoing assessment-behaviour/health 30
concern
Child with physical disability over 5 7
----- End of picture text -----

13

----- Start of picture text -----
AGM Health Related Issues
AGM Health
Health Related Issue
Related Issues
Child with physical disability under 5 2
Diagnosed ADHD 6
Diagnosed Autism 8
Family Suffering stress 41
Hearing Impairment 9
Learning difficulties children 12
Learning difficulties parents 4
Pregnant Mum 1
Self harming behaviour 15
Isolation & anxiety due to pandemic 54
Sight Impairment 5
----- End of picture text -----

14

Protecting children and supporting families most at risk is something we care passionately about here at family friends. Below is a table that breaks down the types of social stresses families we work with have been facing over the last year. As you can see the list is very varied and presents some real challenges to the skills of our committed staff team. We have been able to do some key work with families most at risk to stop things escalating.

----- Start of picture text -----
AGM Social Stresses
AGM Social
Social Stresses
Stresses
Number of
Families
Care & support 10
Child subject to TAC 16
Child taken off Child In Need 3
Children on Child protection register 7
Children taken off child protection register this 11
year
Education issues 15
Ethnic issues 14
Family in debt 28
Family on benefits-excl Child benefit 31
Family Supported in the past 11
History of offending 11
Parent In prison 20
Physically isolated
20
Socially isolated 16
Victim of crime 10
Young Carer in family residence 6
----- End of picture text -----

15

Facts & Figures 2020-2021-What a busy Year!!

Referrals Received = 86 ~~>~~ Referrals Returned due to full capacity or 22 reduced needs > 3K Number of families supported including 115 some carrying over from last year > 3K Who have we been supporting? Children adults

Our reputation is growing

16

As we have grown over the years we have established ourselves as a reliable service to refer to from other agencies. As testimony to our reputation and successful partnership working in the community as a useful organisation in families’ lives, this year we received referrals from 21 different referring agencies with the top three being:

WFIS- Wrexham family Information service-Most referrals Self referrals & TAC- Together Achieve Change-equal second SS- Social Services/Children’s Services-third highest

Finding a place in the heart of the community

This year again we have a high record of self referrals with feedback of reasoning for this is families felt the pandemic left them isolated with many agencies unavailable to contact or drop in. This demonstrates that the community know who we are, what we do and that we have been approachable and easy to access. The referrals are for a wide range of help:

----- Start of picture text -----
Self referrals
Domestic abuse programmes Steps programmes
Home visiting support
----- End of picture text -----

Throughout the year we have delivered a wide variety of sessions that cover many issues and offer bespoke support and care to families who need it most. Here is the breakdown of everything we have achieved this year:

17

----- Start of picture text -----
32 Play support sessions (incl delivered
activity packs due to Covid)
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
32 ESOL sessions
----- End of picture text -----

14 Care and share/Walk and Talk sessions

1 Family Trip to park Hall farm

Family Fun Club Sessions

18

----- Start of picture text -----
4 Freedom and Freedom plus groups 3 Steps Programmes
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
41 Respite sessions either face to face
or Zoom
----- End of picture text -----

Below are some of the things our families have said about us over the year. Take a look:

 Listened

19

 Was a safety valve

 Gave me encouragement

 Didn’t judge me

 Asked the right questions

 Was on my side

 Gave me hope

In our recent audit we have heard from many of our families about how the support they are receiving right now today is making a difference in their lives. Family interviews reveal that:

“Going really well. Jane is helping me a lot with issues with child’s school”

“Helped me with neighbours next door. Without Jane I wouldn’t be where I am now”

“Fantastic I love her, she’s great. She has helped me out a lot financially and emotionally. She has supported me with kids with funding to get kids to do things. I couldn’t praise her enough.”

“Jane’s awesome she is in touch every week via phone or text she is always on hand to call. She brings things for the kids to do and is always thinking about the boys. She doesn’t do things for me but encourages me to do things for myself. She is so proud of what I have achieved”

“Young carers have been put in place by Laura which has been a great help. She is really lovely and is always there for me if anything is worrying me. She helps me deal with my social worker a lot if I am having any trouble”.

Mary is Brilliant. Massively helpful. I don’t think she realises what a massive help she is being to me. She has made me believe in myself and believe that I can be a lone parent”

“Going brilliantly with Vicky. She’s brilliant. She gets me out the house and she is just talking to me and gives me space to talk.”

“Donna is helping me a lot. She is on call to take my child to school and helps me do my shopping. She is also helpful to talk to.”

“My daughter is enjoying counselling with Lisa and says it the best day of week.”

“Lisa is Helping me with general house things and taking me out. Just support really. It’s going brilliant, it’s like I have made a good friend.”

Supported Family Story

I was in a very dark place before Family Friends became a part of my life. I suffer from complex PTSD which effects my emotional stability and self-esteem immensely.

20

I was very lost and very much estranged from children. Due to my many traumas I learned to shut down and block out emotions etc suffering many panic attacks and flashbacks which were terrifying.

The support I have received from Family Friends has been invaluable to say the least. The straight talking, motivation and reassurance from Jo has lifted my barriers enormously.

The communication with my kids has radically changed for the better and they can see a huge difference in me.

I still suffer panic attacks and flashbacks but I have been given methods on how to manage them which has increased by emotional stability and self-esteem radically.

It’s very difficult to put down in words what effects Family Friends has made to my life and how valuable Jo is in my life. I am extremely grateful for all they do and continue to do. I see Family Friends as a massive asset to the community and I cannot thank them enough.

This Family would like to remain anonymous

21

Volunteer Development Strategy

This year our recruitment drive was again for training online as we know how essential they are to the impact Family Friends can have in our community. We revamped the volunteer Preparation course and despite lockdown we managed to run a course virtually recruiting 9 new volunteers!! We are currently delivering our first face to face preparation training course for 5 volunteers and we have 5 waiting who cannot do in the day but will start soon. This is great news for the charity and shows how much a part of the community Family Friends is becoming as some of the volunteers are families who have been helped in the past and want to get involved and give something back.

Hazel’s Volunteer Story

I was so pleased in October 2017 to receive my certificate from Family Friends showing that I had completed the Preparation Course for Volunteers. However, when I made the decision to apply to join the course, I had no idea and could not have envisaged all the fun, laughter, learning, knowledge, sharing, empathy, self-worth, respect and friendships that would grow both during and after the course.

I had a friend who I knew was a volunteer for FF; she often mentioned how much she enjoyed this work and suggested I might enjoy it and why didn’t I give the Course for Volunteers a try. I can never thank this friend enough for introducing me to Family Friends.

I remember feeling “nervous anticipation” the first time I drove to the family I was going to support. However, from the training I had done and the support and encouragement I was receiving from FF, there was also a sense of excitement and assurance that FF believed in me. Whilst helping and supporting my family I found that I personally grew in my own understanding and experience of what makes family life for others and how, in listening and talking together, as well as being of practical help, a very special relationship develops.

22

I have also enjoyed helping with homework club at FF offices and fun club and holiday club, the list of how this organisation supports families seems endless. I find the staff of FF amazing in their ability to provide all this support in such a loving, caring, professional network of staff, volunteers and supported families. It is a testimony to their success that members of families who have been supported go on to become volunteers themselves.

I am a retired primary school teacher, married just over three years ago and enjoy a busy, active lifestyle. FF is very much part of this, where staff and volunteers often get together to share new learning or social events. Staff, volunteers and families are always ready to share a fun day out together. Even in these present times of lockdown volunteers feel valued as we are encouraged and laugh together, sharing things such as zooming and quizzing with other FF “friends”.

23

Qualifed Counselling ofered for free to those in desperate need

Our Counselling project has gone from strength to strength and clearly compliments our current service delivery. Hopefully funding will allow for us to continue and grow to meet the need in the community. Services like this have high waiting lists county wide and our waiting list is growing, but we are proud to have been able to alleviate stress for 14 women, children and men throughout the very challenging times 2020 has brought our way. Counselling has been done over the phone, virtually and face to face to ensure those who need it can access it no matter what social restrictions we may be facing.

24

It just leaves us to say a huge THANK-YOU to everyone who has been a part of Family Friends and made it what it is today, you/we have all made a difference to so many lives and will continue to thrive, regardless of what may come our way!

THANK-YOU

25