Charity Number 1161913 

# **Thomas Theyer Foundation (TTF) Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2024** 

## **Introduction** 

This is the Annual report of the Thomas Theyer Foundation for the year ending 31[st] March 2024. 

## **Trustees** 

Alan David Theyer Aimee Frances Theyer Angela Lucille Crawford Jill Denardo 

## **Registered office** 

1, London Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 9PA. 

## **Accountants** 

Leathley & Co 

1, Market Street, Whaley Bridge, High Peak, Derbyshire, SK23 7AA. 

## **Bankers** 

Santander, Bridle Road, Bootle, L30 4GB 

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## **Introduction** 

The Thomas Theyer Foundation (TTF) was set up following the death of Thomas Samuel Theyer.  Thomas was 18 on June 7[th] , 2013; he died six weeks later Friday July 19[th] , 2013.  At primary school Thomas was diagnosed as having Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).  Dyspraxia affects fine and/or gross motor skills and general coordination additionally people with Dyspraxia may have difficulty with planning and organising, speech, general perception and thought process.  TTF was founded by Thomas’s family following his death with the aim of supporting other children and young people like Thomas and their families. 


The focus of the charity is the **Physical and Mental Health** of its beneficiaries. 

- Children and Young People (CYP) with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and those experiencing Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC), and their families. 

## **Our Vision is** 

- Children and Young People (CYP) with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and and/or Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC) are given the opportunity to access outdoor activities to benefit their physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

- The families, of these CYP, can enjoy and benefit from respite breaks. 

- These families have access to mental health and wellbeing support. 

- These families are provided with, signposting, help and guidance so they can access appropriate support for their children during compulsory education and thereafter in finding appropriate support and/or employment opportunities. 

## **Our mission is:** 

To support children and young people with SEN and/or DLC, their families/carers so that they can develop and maximise their potential, future happiness, and wellbeing. 

## **Public Benefit Statement** 

The trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.  The Thomas Theyer Foundation will provide services to Children and Young People (CYP) with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and/or Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC), their families and/or carers, within the aims and objectives of the charity. 

## **Public Need** 

## **Special Educational Needs (SEN)** 

Over 1.6 million pupils in England have SEN.  An increase of 101,000 from 2023. 

This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support, both of which continue a trend of increases since 2016. 

- The percentage of pupils with an EHC plan has increased to 4.8%, from 4.3% in 2023 and by a total of 24.9% since 2016. 

- Pupils with an EHC plan made up one quarter (26.0%) of all pupils with SEN in January 2024. This is an increase from 19.3% in 2016. 

- The percentage of pupils with SEN (SEN support) but no EHC plan has increased to 13.6%, from 13.0% in 2023. 

The most common type of need among pupils with an EHC plan is autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).  One in three pupils with an EHC plan are identified with a primary need of ASD (33.0%). 

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The most common type of need among pupils with SEN support are speech, language and communication needs (25.6%). This is followed by social, emotional and mental health needs (22.3%) and moderate learning difficulty (15.8%) 

The percentage of pupils who have SEN support increases during primary school age, reaching a peak of 16.3% of pupils at age 9. The percentage of pupils with an EHC plan also increases with age, from 3.9% at age 5, up to a later peak of 5.7% at age 11. 

SEN continues to be more prevalent in boys than girls 

## **Probable Mental Disorder** 

In 2023, 20.3% of children aged 8 to 16 years had a probable mental disorder, 12.0% had a possible mental disorder 

In young people aged 17 to 19 years, 23.3% had a probable mental disorder, 15.3% had a possible mental disorder 

In children aged 8 to 10 years, the prevalence of a probable mental disorder was in boys (17.7%) and girls (13.6%).  In children aged 11 – 16 years, rates of a probable mental disorder were in boys (22.3%) and girls (22.9%). 

In young people aged 17 to 19 years, the prevalence of a probable mental disorder was twice as high in women (31.6%) as in men (15.4%). In those aged 20 to 25 years, rates were more than twice as high in young women (30.4%) than in young men (13.4%). 

## **Local picture** 

There is an acute lack of mental health support in our area for CYP.  National and local statistics evidence this. Data for our area says the average waiting time for an appointment with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) is around 5 months.  Parents tell us however that the wait time is much longer up to 2 years. Parents also tell us of the difficulty they face in getting an assessment for SEN for their children, with waits of up to 2 years.  Our charity not only meets the gap in mental health support but also, with earlier intervention, helps to minimise longer term escalation of problems. 

Many children with SEN and those experiencing DLC feel they don’t ‘fit in’, feel isolated, and lonely.  Our mental health support and outdoor activities help the individual, family unit and wider community.  Helping the CYP we support to understand and manage their feelings, emotions, behaviours and develop their confidence and ability to make positive life choices. 

In the reporting period we completed a review of mental health support in our area and our service, key findings included: 

- _73% of respondents had tried to access other services before coming to TTF._ 

- _53% of respondents had been in contact with CAMHS before accessing TTF._ 

- _61% of respondents had been on the CAMHS waiting list._ 

- _62% of respondents had been waiting over 1 year on the CAMHS waiting list._ 

## Comments: 

_‘When I first tried to get help even the GP didn’t know where to send me. They emailed me a list of organisations some of which were no longer running. I was sent from pillar to post.’_ 

_‘The CAMHS waiting list is 2 years.’_ 

_‘The waiting lists are chronic and painfully long. In that time, a young person’s state can deteriorate.’_ 

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_‘Thomas Theyer Foundation has really helped us as a family at a very difficult time when there was no support._ 

_We’ve felt so let down by CAMHS and yet we’ve felt supported by the Thomas Theyer Foundation.’_ 

_‘The service was a lifeline when NHS waiting times were so long.’_ 

_‘The waiting lists for an Autism assessment are painfully long, and people need support in the meantime. This is what your service provides.’_ 

_‘The service has saved our child’s life on two occasions and we as a family will be forever grateful. It’s invaluable and crucial to families like ours.’_ 

The demand for mental health support continues to grow and we aim to seek funding to further develop our mental health support for our beneficiaries and their families. 

## **Constitution and Charity Governing Document** 

The Thomas Theyer Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and was registered on 1[st] June 2015. The Governing Document prepared for registration has been reviewed in 2019.  A copy of the Constitution can be requested from the trustees. 

## **Charitable objects** 

- A) For the public benefit to relieve the needs of and to promote and protect the good health and well-being of: 

   - -Young people with additional needs such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHDH) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ADD) and their families/carers. 

   - -Young people who have difficult life circumstances such as but not limited to ‘young carers.’ 

- B) To relieve the needs of children and young people with additional needs and /or difficult life circumstances, in particular but not exclusively, by developing their self-awareness, confidence and improving their health and well-being through fitness and outdoor activities. 

- C) To relieve those in need of assistance in particular by providing respite opportunity for families with children with additional needs or other family members who require adapted accommodation facilities. 

- D) To promote the social inclusion of children and young people with additional needs and/or difficult life circumstances by such charitable means as the trustees see fit. 

- E) To relieve those in need, in particular but not exclusively, by providing information and support for the families/carers of young people with additional needs. 

- F) To advance the education of the public in relation to the needs of young people with additional needs particularly, but not exclusively, by providing training, practical advice, and information. 

- G) To advance education for the public benefit, in particular but not exclusively, by encouraging and promoting opportunities for young people with additional needs to access employment and training. 

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## **OUR PROJECTS** 


## 1. **The Thomas Theyer Support Centre** 

The charity is looking for premises for a support centre, where families/carers can come for therapeutic support/counselling and signposting.  In the interim counselling is available in Buxton and on-line for children and young people with SEN or DLC and their families. 

Whilst plans for a permanent support centre remain a long-term objective for the charity, in 2020 we secured use of a ground floor premises in Buxton, which has provided office space and a small counselling room.    This base has been key to the development of our counselling service. 

## 2. **The Thomas Theyer Cottage at White Hall Outdoor Education Centre** 

The charity is working with White Hall Outdoor Education Centre, in Buxton in the Peak District of Derbyshire, to renovate and extend an unused cottage at the centre.  This would provide standalone accommodation suitable for CYP with SEN or DLC so they can enjoy and benefit from residential outdoor activity breaks.  The cottage would also be available for respite family breaks. 

As per a Service Level Agreement between TTF and DCC, TTF is supporting the development of the cottage, which will be named the Thomas Theyer Cottage, and has been designed to accommodate the needs of the charity beneficiaries. 


The overall responsibility for the fundraising for the work rests with White Hall and its charity ‘The Friends of White Hall’. 

Claire Wilde of Slater Wilde Architects, volunteering for the Thomas Theyer Foundation, has drawn plans for alterations and extension of the cottage. 


5 




## **REVIEW OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES.** 

In the reporting period our focus was on mental health support for our beneficiaries.  We recruited a parttime Counselling Services Lead whose role included the development of student counsellors. 

Three student counsellors were recruited, and alongside our sessional counsellors, this enabled the provision of **631 counselling sessions supporting 54 beneficiaries** . 

Taking into account school holidays, we provided on average 15 counselling sessions per week (over 42 weeks). 

48% of our counselling clients were aged 5-11, 33% aged 11-18 and 19% adult clients (over 18). 

55% of these clients had Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC) and 45% had Special Educational Needs (SEN). 

Presenting issues include anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, domestic abuse and trauma, anger and aggression, bereavement, bullying, relationship/communications, isolation, coping with social situations. 

Proportion of Clients in Each Age Group April 2023 - March 2024 


**Proportion of SEN and DLC Clients April 2023 - March 2024** 


**Aged 5-11 Aged 11-18 Aged 18+ SEN DLC** 

## **Our future** 

- We will continue to seek funding for mental health support, and outdoor activities, with the overall aim of improved wellbeing of our beneficiaries. 

- We aim to develop our therapeutic support and provide creative therapies and activities. 

- With such long waits for diagnosis, we aim to undertake a review of private assessment and consideration to support available. 

- To generate income for our charity, to contribute to the cost of our services, and sustain the support we provide our beneficiaries, we will promote donation based and private counselling for non-beneficiaries. 

- Finding suitable space for our on-going work is a priority over the next two years.  We currently operate rent a small office with one counselling room only large enough for one to one counselling and no waiting area. 



6 




## **Events and Fundraising** 


The majority of this year’s events have been organised by thirdparty groups/organisations.  These have included Kettleshulme WI, the Goyt Valley Striders (GVS) running club and Brick Café, Buxton. 

GVS again donated funds raised from their annual Whaley Waltz fell race and long-term member Brian Holland, organised a separate race ‘The Chinley 3 Peaks’. 

Both races were well attended and raised over £3,000. 






7 




The Buxton Carnival 4 road race, organised by Buxton Athletics Club, also took place in Thomas’s memory.  This annual race has been run in Thomas’s memory since 2014 and was the last race Thomas ran 6 days before his death in 2013. 



The trustees would like to thank both the Goyt Valley Striders and Buxton Athletics Club for their on-going support. 

Also, a big shout out to all the runners who take part in both races each year and the marshals and volunteers who make these races possible. 

## **Lake of Lights** 

Our annual Lake of Lights remembrance event on December 3[rd] had to be cancelled due to snow. 

A film, in dedication to loved ones lost and remembered, can be viewed: **https://fb.watch/xfqSIDIY6R/** 



8 




**The trustees would like to thank all its supporters, local businesses, individuals and grant making organisations for their help in 2023-24 including** 

- Mark Ruston, Brian Holland and members of the Goyt Valley Striders (GVS) 

- Jenny Light, Pete Bailey, Sheila Bradley and members of Buxton Athletics Club 

- Swizzels Matlow 

- Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support 

- Derbyshire ABS 

- 29[th] May 1961 Charitable Trust 

- The William Dean Trust 

- The David Brooke Charity 

- The Casey Trust 

- Leek Building Society 

- Barrett Homes Foundation 

- Red Socks Charitable Trust 

- The Sterry Family Foundation 

- Buxton Hockey Club 

- Chapel-en-le-Frith Primary School 


- Harpur Hill Primary School 

- Brick Corner Café 

- The Alpkit Foundation 

- Buxton Rotary 

- Kettleshulme WI 

- Buxton Inner Wheel 

- Tarmac 

- Coop Giving 

- The Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation 

- The Olde House – Chesterfield 

- Outdoors for All 

- Ferodo, Chapel-en-le-Frith 

- Derbyshire Masonic Charitable Foundation 

- The John Eastwood Foundation 


## **The trustees wish also to thank the small team who run the charity, the team at the charity’s Sports and Outdoor shop at 1, London Road, Buxton, and all the volunteers who help at events and in our shop.** 

Our Sports and Outdoor Charity Shop, continues to help promote our work whilst providing affordable clothing and equipment for sports and outdoor activities. 



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## **Financial Review** 


Total income during the reporting period was £100,870 

£44,221 from General Donations, Grants and Fundraising Events and Campaigns - £17,042 of this was restricted income. 

£17,822 from counselling service income. 

£38,079 from shop trading income. 

Bank interest reported £748 

Total expenditure during the year was £115,603, including restricted expenditure of £24,015 

Resulting in a deficit of £14,733 (excluding restricted income from 2022/23). 

£24,018 of unused restricted income at the end of 2021/22 was brought forward leaving a balance of restricted income at the end of 2023/24 of £17,045 

## **Charitable Activities** 

Income (less shop trading) £55,785 Cost of charitable activities £49,118 

Charitable Activities – 88% of income. 

## **Balance Sheet** 

The Balance Sheet showed total funds of £116,432 of which £17,045 are restricted funds. 

## **Designated Funds** 

The following projects/designated funds remain subject to financial resources being available: 

- £50,000 for The Thomas Theyer Foundation Support Centre. 

- £5,000 for Planning Permissions for the Thomas Theyer Foundation Cottage at White Hall. 

## **Reserves Policy** 

The trustees take a cautious view to ensure sufficient operational reserves to meet the resilience and ability to meet current service provision and manage any unforeseen financial or other difficulties, which could impact beneficiaries, funders and continued operation of the charity. 

The charities reserves policy is equivalent to six months operating costs - calculated at £57,500 

## **Overview** 

The financial year ending 31st March 2024 was a difficult year in terms of fundraising and income generation with gross income down by 17% on the previous year.  The main reasons being that more charities were chasing lower resources and funders introducing stricter eligibility criteria for applicants.  Additionally, the cost of living has risen leaving reduced disposable income for individuals to make charitable donations.  We have also had to hold back on certain applications (due to funders requirements to wait 12 or 18 months before re applying). Some of which are identified for re application in the next financial year. 

The Charity's expenditure for the year to maintain a high level of services and to meet fixed costs led to a deficit of £14,733 at the year end. This amount was met from reserves. 

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## 

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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Charity|Information||||||||||||1|
|Independent||Examiner's||Report|||||||||2|
|Statement<br>of||Financial||Activities||including||Income||and|Expenditure|Account|3|
|Balance|Sheet||||||||||||4|
|Notes<br>to|the|Financial||Statements|||||||||5|
|The<br>following||pages|do|not<br>form||part|of|the|statutory||accounts:|||
|Detailed|Income<br>and||Expenditure|||Account|||||||6—7|
|Charity|and<br>Shop<br>Income<br>and||||Expenditure||||Account||||8|





|Charity|Number|Number|1161913|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Registered||Office|11 Concert|Place||
||||Buxton|||
||||Derbyshire|||
||||SK17<br>6EE|||
|Accountants|||Leathley<br>&|Co||
||||1 Market<br>Street|||
||||Whaley<br>Bridge|||
||||High<br>Peak|||
||||Derbyshire|||
||||SK23<br>7AA|||
|Independent||Examiners|Leathley<br>&|Co||
||||I Market<br>Street|||
||||Whaley<br>Bridge|||
||||High<br>Peak|||
||||Derbyshire|||
||||SK23<br>7AA|||
|Trustees|||Alan<br>David|Theyer||
||||Aimee<br>Frances||Theyer|
||||Angela<br>Lucille||Crawford|
||||Jill<br>Denardo|||





## 

## 



|||2024|2024|2024|2023|2023|2023|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|INCOME||Un restricted|Restricted|Total|Un restricted|Restricted|Total|
|General<br>donations||20,569||20,569|14,739||14,739|
|Events<br>and<br>campaigns||6,610||6,610|5,476||5,476|
|Shop<br>income||38,079||38,079|35,928||35,928|
|Counselling<br>income||17,822||17,822|8,940||8,940|
|Grants<br>received|||17,042|17,042||55,744|55,744|
|Bank<br>interest||748|||254||254|
|||83,828|17,042|100,870|65,337|55,744|121,081|
|EXPENDITURE||||||||
|General<br>expenses||32,107||32,107|31,725||31,725|
|Charitable<br>activities||25,103|24,015|49,118|12,648|36,888|49,536|
|Shop<br>trading<br>costs||34,378||34,378|39,006||39,006|
|TOTAL<br>EXPENDITURE||91,588|24,015|115,603|83,379|36,888|120,267|
|OPERATING<br>DEFICIT<br>[SURPLUS||-7,760|-6,973|-14,733|-18,042|18,856|814|
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Un restricted|Restricted|Total|
|Net<br>movement<br>in funds||-7,760|—6/973|-14,733|-18,042|18,856|814|
|Balances<br>B/f<br>ISt<br>April|23|107,147|24,018|131,165|125,189|5,162|130,351|
|TOTAL<br>FUNDS<br>C/F<br>2024||99,387|17,045|116,432|107,147|24,018|131,165|





||||||||2024||2023|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||Notes|||||
|CURRENT|ASSETS|||||||||
|Cash<br>at bank||and|in|hand||116,432||131,165||
|||||||116,432||131,165||
|INCOME|FUNDS|||||||||
|Restricted|funds|||||17 ,045||||
|Unrestricted||funds||||99,387||||
|||||||116,432||131,165||





## 

## 

## 

## 







## 

|||2024|2024|2024|2023|2023|2023|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|INCOME||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|General<br>donations||20,569||20,569|14,739||14,739|
|Events<br>and<br>campaigns||6,610||6,610|5,476||5,476|
|Shop<br>income||38,079||38,079|35,928||35,928|
|Counselling<br>income||17,822||17,822|8,940||8,940|
|Grants<br>received|||17,042|17,042||55,744|55,<br>744|
|Bank<br>interest||748||748|254||254|
|||83,828|17,042|100,870|65,337|55,744|121,081|
|EXPENDITURE||||||||
|Charitable<br>activities||25,103|24,015|49,118|12,648|36,888|49,536|
|Wages<br>and<br>salaries||61,722||61,722|56,384||56,384|
|Rent,<br>Utilities<br>&|Insurance|2,307||2,307|5,956||5,956|
|Advertising<br>and<br>costs|marketing|744||744|1,581||1,581|
|Professional<br>fees||526||526|1,935||1,935|
|Fundraising<br>& events||425||425|2,642||2,642|
|Admin<br>expenses|& stationery|457||457|389||389|
|Other<br>expenses||304||304|1,844||1<br>, 844|
|||91,588|24,015|115,603|83,379|36,888|120,267|
|OPERATING||||||||
|(DEFICIT)/SURPLUS||-7,760|-6,973|-14,733|-18,042|18,856|814|





|||||Thomas|Thomas|Theyer|Theyer|Foundation|Foundation|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||Charity|and|Shop||Income||and<br>Expenditure|||||
||||For|The|Year||Ended|31|March|2024||||
||||||||Charity||2024|||Shop|2024|
|INCOME||||||||||||||
|General<br>donations|||||||||19,944||||625|
|Events<br>and<br>campaigns|||||||||6,574||||36|
|Shop<br>income|||||||||||||38,079|
|Counselling<br>income|||||||||17,822|||||
|Grants<br>received|||||||||10,762||||6,280|
|Bank<br>interest|||||||||683||||65|
|TOTAL<br>INCOME||||||||55,785|||||45,085|
|EXPENDITURE||||||||||||||
|Charitable<br>activities|||||49,118|||||||||
|Wages<br>and<br>salaries|||||30,866||||||30,856|||
|Rent,<br>Utilities<br>&|Insurance||||||||||2,307|||
|Advertising<br>and|marketing|costs||||352|||||392|||
|Professional<br>fees||||||198|||||328|||
|Fundraising<br>& events||||||394|||||31|||
|Admin<br>expenses|& stationery|||||59|||||255|||
|Other<br>expenses||||||240|||||65|||
|TOTAL<br>EXPENDITURE||||81,226|||||||34,378|||
||||||||||81,226||||34,378|
|OPERATING<br>(DEFICIT)/SURPLUS||||||||(25,441)|||||10,707|