2022-04-05-accounts

Company Registration Number: 08790053 Charity Registration Number: 1161139

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AND A REGISTERED CHILDREN’S CHARITY)

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

5[TH] APRIL 2022

Blessing in Disguise

CONTENTS

Reference and Administrative Information	1
Structure Governance and Management	2
Objectives and Activities	2
Achievements and Performance	3+4
Financial Review	5
Balance Sheet	5
Profit and Loss Account	6
Independent Examiner’s Report	7
Independent Examiner’s Statement	8

Blessing in Disguise

Reference and Administrative Information

The organisation is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, incorporated on the 26[th] November 2013. The company was also registered as a charity on 31[st] March 2015.

The company is established under a Memorandum of Association which set out the objects and powers of the company and is governed under its Articles of Association.

Registered Name Blessing in Disguise

Charity Registration Number 1161139 Company Registration Number 8790053 (England & Wales) Registered Office Lilford House St Helens Road Leigh WN7 4HG

Trustees / Directors

Catherine Holt Sharon Sargent Colette Scofield James Ellis Christopher Taylor

Bankers

Barclays Bank 1 Market Street Bolton BL1 1XA

Accountant Christopher Myers BA (Hons), CPFA

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Blessing in Disguise

Structure Governance and Management

Blessing in Disguise’s Trustees are also directors for the purposes of company law. Blessing in Disguise is a registered charitable company limited by guarantee, registered as a charity on 31[st] March 2015. Blessing in Disguise’s governing document is in the form of Memorandum and Articles of Association, as amended by special resolution and registered at Companies House on 10[th] February 2015.

Objectives and Activities

Blessing in Disguise’s Objectives are:

To relieve children and young people living in the UK who are disabled, have special needs or are terminally ill, and their parents and carers, by the provision of respite, recreational and leisure time activities and other services or support to address their need.

Blessing in Disguise aimed to:

• Raise enough funding through donations from businesses, to provide, free of charge, a range of life enhancing equipment and activities for children and young people with disabilities or life limiting illnesses.

• Provide much needed support for children and young people, their families/carers.

• Increase the number of children and families that we support each year.

• Provide exclusive and inclusive organised events and activities for children and young people to create treasured memories.

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Blessing in Disguise

Achievements and Performance

Blessing in Disguise has seen a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries that it has helped since the Covid-19 pandemic started. We have seen a huge trend in donators unable to make monetary donations but more than willing to donate goods or equipment. We have had to re-prioritise and diversify more into virtual events and activities due to families having to self-isolate. We have helped our families by providing care and hygiene and lock down activity support packages and buddy and support groups online.

We have had many successful breakthrough experiences with some of the children and young people that have only been achieved with our support.

We have provided the following activities free of charge to families with children and young people with disabilities or life limiting conditions that have needed our support and that meet our criteria:

• All staff completed a Foundation Course in ‘Signalong Phase 1’ (accredited and certified sign language training course)

• Swim-Ability - provided exclusive pool access to learn to swim and have therapy sessions without any pressure from the general public (blocks of 10 swimming lessons) with a qualified special needs swim instructor for children and young people with varying degrees of disabilities

• Easter Egg and Toy Appeal - Deliver Easter Eggs, toys and equipment to Hospices, Local Hospital Children’s wards and Special Educational Needs Schools, Children’s Homes and Women’s Refuge.

• Virtual Easter egg hunt for those self-isolating

• Exclusive VIP Fun Fair Events - over 1500 children and young people with disabilities and their families now attend our bi-annual specially adapted fun fair

• ‘Santa in July’ – Christmas Party and gifts for up to 40 children who may have been ill, battling life threatening conditions over the last festive period or for whom enjoying Christmas in December is just not an option.

• Annual Halloween Party for 40 disabled children and their families

• Annual Christmas Party and gifts for 80 disabled children and their families

• Lockdown Activity Packs for 450 children and their families

• Virtual Santa’s Grotto and gifts for 70 children and their families

• Hosted a fundraiser Santa’s Grotto weekend at a museum in Merseyside

• Sensory Grotto for over 24 families

• Circus day out event for over 180 children

• Winter Wonderland event in Manchester at Event City for over 140 children

• Educational Support for Parents/Carers of Children and Young People with Disabilities – provided communication aids and the tools to help parents/carers develop communication with children and young people.

• Sign-Posting and Referral - to assist in meeting client needs if we are unable to.

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• Provision of Special Needs and Disability Equipment – we have purchased various safety equipment; car seats, special needs buggies, wheelchairs, accessories and high chairs; positioning pillows and therapy wedges; hospital profile beds, various equipment for the home; children’s clothing; various bedroom furniture; beds and bedding; family respite breaks for terminally ill children; disabled transport for families; dark dens and sensory equipment; communication aids; ICE badges, lanyard and wristbands; monitoring equipment for autistic children with epilepsy, family days out, circus, cinema, fun fairs and various tourist attractions, Easter eggs and toys

• Provisions of Networking Coffee mornings – enabling community involvement and partnership working with other charities and local businesses, parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities.

• Nominated charity to receive support from a national supermarket, a leading global engineering and construction company, a local radio station, a high profile finance company and a local rotary club.

• Created a contingency plan to enable us to fund activities and essential equipment without there being a time delay in awaiting income from pledged donations.

In January 2022, we received notification from our landlords that they had sold the building that we had called our home for over 7 years. We were given 5 weeks notice to carry on working, find new premises, pack up and move and still carry on running the charity. We managed to negotiate new premises with a local business owner and officially opened at our new office on 1[st] March 2022. Our old premises have since been demolished to make way for more new houses.

Financial Review

The results for the year and the Charity's financial position at the end of the year are shown in the attached financial statements.

Further to explain the spend on equipment, we have received donated equipment into the charity that we have donated to families that have requested equipment and therefore the only costs and expenditure on those items is for collection and delivery and/or refurbishment of those items. We received a piece of special needs equipment back that has gone on to help 2 more families making it a total of 3 families that it has benefited without having to purchase the equipment 3 times.

Our plans for the future are to continue to strive to enhance all of our achievements and involve and help many more children and young people and their families/carers, providing the much needed specialist equipment and support that they deserve and without our support would miss out on.

We realise the potential to further increase the number of beneficiaries that we support each year and increase the amount of accesible opportunuties that enable them to attend more social recreational activities.

We will sustain our contingency plan (policy on reserves) to ensure future viability.

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Blessing in Disguise

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

Blessing in Disguise recognise the need to develop its’ reserves for continual growth and development and to secure the future viability of the company and to efficiently continue to provide specialist equipment and support during periods of delay between a pledge of donation and receipt of the actual donation.

Balance Sheet

Balance Sheet
Abbreviated Balance Sheet as at 5th April 2022	2020/2021 £	2021/2022 £
Fixed Assets	0	0
Current Assets
Cash at Bank and in Hand	186,288	153,938
Creditors:amount falling due within one year	0	0
Net Current Assets	186,288	153,938
Net Assets	186,288	153,938
Capital and Reserves
Profit and Loss Account	186,288	153,938
Shareholders’ Funds	186,288	153,938

The Directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with Section 476 of the Act.

The Directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of Accounts.

The Accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies subject to the Small Companies Regime.

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Blessing in Disguise

Financial Review

Profit and Loss Account

£ Incoming Resources from Donors 61,475 Charitable Activities 28,345 Gross Profit 33,131 Cost of generating funds and administrative expenses 65,481 Net incoming (outgoing) resources - 32,450 Blessing in Disguise Ltd Abbreviated Profit and Loss Account for the period ended 5th April 2022 4[th] January 2023 4[th] January 2023

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Blessing in Disguise

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Blessing in Disguise

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 05 April 2022, which are set out on pages 4 to 5.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act

• follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act

• state whether particular matters have come to my attention

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission.

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement.

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Blessing in Disguise

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

• to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 and

• to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Date: 4[th] January 2023

20 Coralin Way Bryn, Wigan. WN4 0ET.

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