North East Child Poverty Trust
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020
Charity registration number 1161174
Registered Address
c/o Northern Housing Consortium, Loftus House, Sunderland Enterprise Park, Sunderland SR5 3XB
Objectives and activities
The purposes of the Trust are as set out in the governing document to mitigate and relieve child poverty in the North East of England by
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Raising awareness of the issue of child poverty
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Improving knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of, and solutions to, child poverty
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Working collaboratively with public services, voluntary bodies, employers and young people to address child poverty.
Our main area of activity has been to progress further work to support holiday club activity following the success of grant aided programmes carried out in 2017-18. Trustees have given due consideration to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit under the requirements of the Charity Act 2011. In the financial year the North East Child Poverty Trust has not made any grants to third parties.
Our main activities during the year, our fifth of operation, continued to focus on promoting activities and healthy eating for disadvantaged children. Activity in the year was adversely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic but in September, working in partnership with Northumberland County Council (NCC) we received grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) to support a ‘popup’ programme across areas of Northumberland in support of our aims.
At the close of the financial year reporting period North East Child Poverty Trust (NECPT) had not made any grants to third parties but this was under negotiation to be allocated in the 2020-21 financial year. In carrying out these activities, Trustees have given due consideration to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit as required under the Charities Act 2011.
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Achievements and performance
As note above, NECPT has pursued grant aid to support work to enable children to engage in activities and to promote healthy eating. In September 2020 NLCF awarded NECPT grant funding of £95,870 for the period to the end of March 2021 to support a pop-up activities programme across five areas of urban and rural Northumberland. The aims of the programme are to:
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Secure joint development of local programmes to facilitate provision of food and healthy eating activities;
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Physical activities to promote exercise and personal wellbeing;
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Cultural and educational activities to support and supplement the return to school education.
Following discussions with NCC agreement was reached with a local charity, Leading Link, to act as project co-ordinator and facilitator for the programme. Leading Link had already worked with NCC on a similar programme in the Summer 2020. At the close of the reporting year discussions were under way to agree a joint Memorandum of Understanding to govern the partnership and oversee the popup programme.
Financial Review
At the end of October 2020, the trust had a bank balance of £98,402 split between unrestricted reserves of £2,532 and restricted reserves of £95,870 which was income granted by National Lottery Community Fund for activities as described above. The trust had a committed ongoing expenses and liability of £10,435 to be paid to Leading Link soon after the year end which has not been booked in the accounts.
Our reserves at year end stood at £98,402, and there are no uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern. The Trust intends to remain small and with minimal overhead costs for the next financial year. Therefore, extensive reserves are not required, and most income received will be spent on alleviating child poverty.
Structure, governance and management
As reported last year a number of founder Trustees retired from the Board and new trustees were appointed. The Trustees agreed a range of changes to governance arrangements as follows:
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A statement of NECPT’s Governance Principles based on the Charity Governance Code endorsed by the Charity Commission;
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A Complaints Policy and Procedure;
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A Protocol on the relationship between NECPT and the North East Child Poverty Commission reinforcing the former’s independence as well as the agreed working relationship and information exchange between the two parties.
Trustee recruitment is based on the skills required by the charity and individuals serve for a three year renewable term.
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The Trustees during the 2019-20 year were:
Trustee name Office Jim Coulter Chair Satty Rai Secretary Jane Streather Philippa Gardiner Treasurer Malcolm Brain Katalin Bartos Geri Brown Amy Richardson Siobhan O’Neill Lewis Roberts
Funds held as custodian
No funds are held as custodian trustees on behalf of others.
Plans for future periods
Trustees are keen to use the current pop-ups programme in Northumberland to launch a bid with NLCF for a broader geographical coverage of this programme and discussions are being held with NLCF about the process for agreeing a review of the impact of the current programme with a view to making a new multi area and multi- year bid in 2021.
Approved by the board on 26 February 2021 and signed on their behalf of the charity’s Trustees;
Jim Coulter (Chair) Philippa Gardiner (Treasurer)
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| North East Child Povery Trust | North East Child Povery Trust | North East Child Povery Trust | North East Child Povery Trust | North East Child Povery Trust | 1161174 | 1161174 | CC16a | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts andpayments accounts | |||||||||
| For the period from |
01/11/2019 | To | 31/10/2020 | ||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | |||||
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Lottery Grant | - | 95,870 | - | 95,870 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
- | 95,870 | - | 95,870 | - | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts | - | 95,870 | - | 95,870 | - | ||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
| Consultancy/Research | 4,050 | - | - | 4,050 | - | ||||
| Donations Five Lamps | 810 | - | - | 810 | - | ||||
| Insurance | 179 | - | - | 179 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 5,039 | - | - | 5,039 | - | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| **Total payments ** | 5,039 | - | - | 5,039 | - | ||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | - 5,039 | 95,870 | - | 90,831 | - | ||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| A6 Cash funds lastyear end | 7,571 | - | - | 7,571 | - | ||||
| Cash funds thisyear end | 2,532 | 95,870 | - | 98,402 | - |
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Sectlon B Statement of assets and Ilabllltles at the end of the perlod Lknr8strlct•J R8th£8d fvnds ndg Endownent funds Categories Detsils t¥ neuE51 £ ID neuest£ Twe¥t£ B1 Cash fuThJs Cuirènt bank account 2,532 95mO Total cash functs 2,032 OK Lknr88trfctJ Jnds to nt£ OK Endownent funds Jnds Details to to neat8st B2 Othw mondary assets Dotails 4s¥et Costloptional Currwi vJue B3 Intrn?t assets Fund to %Trthich bdo C<>stloptlonal Cutrenl vdup iond D8tall8 84 Assets retaingj fLY the chwitys ovm use Fund to thich Arnount du8 •n duo ion7J Details B5 Llab116ti Sned by one Ortwotsts on haw ol all the trustees Si9)are Flint Name Date of approval 2610212021 Philppa Gardiner Jim Coulter 2610212021
Notes To The Accounts
Basis of Preparation of Accounts
The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis of accounting due to the size of the charity.
Income Recognition
All income received during the year was through grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.
The grant receipt of £95,870 has been recognised in full at point of receipt into the bank. This income is restricted due to the activities to be provided being of a specific nature and in accordance with the terms of NLCF.
Donated Goods, Facilities and Services
The charity received free office space during the year to hold trustee meetings.
Activity Related Expenditure
The above SOFA splits out the expenditure in the year.
Apportionment of Costs
There has been no apportionment of costs between funds in the accounts. All expenditure was directly attributable to unrestricted expenditure.
Trustee Remuneration and Benefits
The trust made a donation in the year of £810 as thanks for work undertaken in kind by trustee Amy Richardson. The beneficiary was Five Lamps (Amy’s employer) to be utilised for charitable purposes. This was agreed by the Board of Trustees.
Trustees Expenses
A total of £179 has been paid for an insurance policy with Zurich Insurance plc – part of this amount is to cover Trustees’ Liability Insurance.
Auditor’s Remuneration
The cost of the fee for Independent Examination has not been booked in the accounts as the accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of North East Child Poverty
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 October 2020 which are set out on pages 1 to 6.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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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.
15 March 2020
Gillian Benjamin ACA For and on behalf of Haines Watts
17 Queens Lane Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1RN
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