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2023-04-30-accounts

HCCN Trustees’ Annual Report For the period May 2022 to April 2023

Aim and Purposes

Hunts Community Cancer Network (HCCN) comprises of the charity working alongside the Community Cancer Nursing team to provide community-based care for people across Huntingdonshire living with or recovering from cancer. Our purpose is to transform the quality of life of those living with a cancer diagnosis, in the Huntingdonshire area, by providing no cost, regular, evidence-based activities that promote healthy eating, physical exercise and mental well-being: a triad of highly recommended self-care strategies.

We do this by:

We also ensure the HCCN nursing service is well equipped to provide the best quality of care to people being supported at home.

Achievements and Performance 2022/2023

The trustees continued to pursue the agreed 5-year strategic direction for the charity, based on our unique proposition, namely:

In 2022/2023 we delivered our first full year of activities and support following the restrictions brought about by the COVID pandemic.

Our new home - Bradbury House, the MS Therapy Centre in Huntingdon – provided a safe hub for our Friday drop-in, with ample space for our holistic self-care activities. We celebrated in August 2022 with a very successful Open Day at Bradbury House, providing an opportunity for members of the community to visit us, to see how we work and encourage as much support as possible. All the usual users of BH attended,

Charity registration number 1163051

along with representatives of some local businesses, other charities concerned with cancer care, the Mayor of Huntingdon, David Landon Cole, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Daryl Brown.

Conferences

Our charitable objectives include advancing the education of the public in healthcare related to cancer by the provision of lectures, which we address through our conferences. Conference management is in the safe hands of Gill Monsell and we held two events during the year.

In November 2022 we ran our first conference at Bradbury House. The theme was nutrition and cancer. Our speakers were:

We also offered three breakout groups, repeated before and after lunch:

In April 2023 we held an open event at Bradbury House for people living with cancer when our contractors and volunteers showcased our range of ‘feel good’ activities.

Programmes and Activities

The charity funds and delivers a wide range of activities that help people as they seek to regain control of their lives and reduce the impact (physical and emotional) of their cancer. Everything we do is underpinned by a proven evidence base and a desire to support people back to independence, whether recovering from or living with cancer.

Throughout the period Sallie Crawley continued in a paid role as HCCN Programme Manager, working up to a maximum of 28 hours per month, providing essential management and development of our programmes and contractors.

Emotional wellbeing

We know that the emotional impact of cancer can be long lasting. Our three drop-in groups provide the opportunity to share a safe place to talk and try new things.

Charity registration number 1163051

Friday drop-in at Bradbury House - a full day of activities with the support of our team of volunteers. Yoga, Tai Chi and Line Dancing all help the body to move, improving both wellbeing and fitness. Reflexology, Reiki, footcare, beauty and massage provide a range of complementary health benefits.

Women’s Cancer Group - incorporating the Hollywood or Bust breast cancer support group, meets at Bradbury House every Wednesday evening.

Men’s Group - Although everything offered by HCCN is available to anyone affected by cancer, most activities attract fewer men than women. The men’s support group was established in 2019 to provide men with a sociable place to connect with other men coping with cancer or supporting someone with cancer or bereaved through cancer. The men attending the Huntingdon Working Men’s Club on Wednesday mornings create an environment welcoming to all men.

For those requiring in-depth Counselling , we continued referrals to a team of qualified counsellors for adults, couples and children.

Prehabilitation / Rehabilitation

The clinical evidence for being active before, during and after treatment is clear, compelling and well accepted, but is not implemented by the NHS as part of the care pathway or mandated by NICE. However, getting a person newly diagnosed with cancer, or who is in treatment and may be physically and emotionally at their lowest ebb, to re-engage in being active is a huge challenge. This is one of the most significant contributions our volunteers make through emotional encouragement, motivation and mentoring.

Working with the team at One Leisure, we offer Circuits three times a week - a gym based 1-hour fun circuit training class delivered online where people of all ages and capabilities spend 1 minute at each ‘station’ to do what they can achieve. It is not competitive - rather it is a very supportive atmosphere.

We offer a range of regular Yoga classes across the region – seated, seated/standing and standing – via Zoom and in person. These classes can be used sequentially to rebuild strength or accessed according to capability.

Nutritional advice

Funding from the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation enabled us to develop our first healthy eating programme, to help the people we support to learn how to achieve a healthier lifestyle while coping with the side-effects of cancer and its treatment. The Living Well With Cancer Drop-In focuses on practical ways to rebalance the body for health. We share tried and tested approaches for a better relationship with food and eating, and how this can be supported by moving more and improving mood. By harmonising the way in which one eats, moves and maintains ones mental health, the intention is that the body can achieve the best possible state for coping with cancer treatment and recovery.

Charity registration number 1163051

Occasional programmes

Patient to Person improves mental health through healthy thinking strategies, aimed at people ready to move on from their cancer treatment but who find themselves emotionally stuck.

Sleep Easy Workshop changes and improves sleep patterns. Aimed at developing realistic sleep goals to reduce anxiety and have more energy.

Financial Review

During the year May 2022 to April 2023, HCCN activities have increased at Bradbury House. This, inevitably, has increased the costs to the charity. Strict financial controls continue with reporting by Trudi Pearce on a monthly basis at trustee meetings to ensure continuity of service provision.

Fund raising continued apace, albeit at a slightly lower rate than last financial year (£97k, vs £111k in 21/22) a 12.6% reduction for the year. A lottery grant of £10k was secured to fund staff costs – this is excluded from the fundraising total. Total income for the year was £111k.

A hugely successful fundraising contribution was made by the organisers of the HCCN Charity Ball, raising a net surplus of £9.7k. This is coupled with the ongoing fundraising efforts of volunteers and HCCN ‘friends’, together with funeral and other donations and the 100 Club.

With the steady rise of bank base rates, the charity has benefitted with interest earned on reserve funds held on deposit.

A claim for reimbursement was made to North West Anglia Foundation Trust (NWAFT) for funds held on behalf of the ladies group, Hollywood or Bust. A successful claim of £4.4k was made in March 2023 to recover costs incurred for the financial year. Claims will continue on a quarterly basis to cover the ladies group costs until the balance held by NWAFT is exhausted.

Costs (excluding staff) as mentioned above, increased from £80k (21/22) to £114k (22/23) an increase of 36%. Exercise and wellbeing services, largely delivered at Bradbury House, increased from £25k to £41k.

At year end, the charity posted a small loss of £3.4k. Reserve funds were maintained in line with the charity’s policy.

Fundraising

An important part of running the charity is going out into the community to talk about HCCN, focusing on raising our profile in the Hunts area, to make sure that everyone who could benefit from the charity and nursing team know we exist, and that we can encourage more people to support us financially.

Our primary fundraising event of the year is the HCCN Charity Ball , held once more in May 2023. The evening is the result of everyone at HCCN who works so hard on

Charity registration number 1163051

organising the evening over many few months and the people joining in for the evening. Nurse Mel Scholes leads this effort, securing amazing support from the whole community, through of table, casino and individual sponsors; auction and raffle prize donators; and all the people buying tickets to attend.

Buckfest – a live music festival held every July in Huntingdon – continues to support HCCN as one of their permanent charity partners.

The Malcolm Whales Foundation - a Peterborough based fundraising cancer charity – also supports us financially on a regular basis.

Recognising one of the keys to the growth of HCCN will be fund raising for increased programme activity, the trustees started in March 2023 a search for a paid professional to lead the Fund Raising group. Candidates are being evaluated.

Individual giving and sponsored activities ‘in aid of’ HCCN continued to be a very generous source of much needed funds. Sadly, funeral donations also make up a large percentage of our income.

Grants

We received a grant of £10,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund in February 2023, to enable the charity to fund the Fundraising Manager post.

HCCN Small Grants

HCCN the charity makes one-off grants up to a maximum of £250 funding per quarter to individuals who can show that such a grant will make a significant difference to their lives. The purpose of the grant is to address a personal need that is generated by, or is as a direct consequence of, a cancer diagnosis. In this financial year we granted 4 small grants totalling £1,000.

Reserves Policy

The trustees have set a reserves policy which requires that reserves are maintained at a level which ensures that a minimum of one calendar year of the charity’s core activities could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty. Consequently, the charity has reserves (unrestricted funds) of £85k, ie the maximum covered by the FSCS.

Reserves are held in interest bearing accounts. The charity holds no designated reserves.

A proportion of reserves is maintained in a readily realisable form. The calculation of the required level of reserves is an integral part of the organisation's planning, budget and forecast cycle.

Volunteers

HCCN is run entirely by volunteers. Their ‘gift of time’ makes a significant contribution to the impact that the charity achieves. We are gradually growing our team of regular volunteers and received support from new volunteers both to help us fundraise and to

Charity registration number 1163051

become part of the charity management team. We said goodbye to some volunteers as their own plans changed, though we remain very grateful for their support. We ended the year with 30 active volunteers, excluding the trustees and nurses.

All trustees give their time freely: no remuneration or expenses were paid in the year in relation to their work as trustees. We have a good mix of skills. We take seriously our commitments to our people and their care, and reserve to the trustees responsibility for establishing and implementing procedures in this area.

Structure, Governance and Management

HCCN the charity operates as a fully constituted membership charity, registered with the Charities Commission, number 1163051.

HCCN’s trustees are responsible for setting the strategy for achieving the objectives they have agreed. At the monthly trustees’ meetings we agree the broad strategy and areas of activity for the charity, including consideration of risk; policies, procedures and performance; safeguarding; training; diversity; financial decisions and reserves management.

The charity focuses effort on:

Our goal is to encourage a more objective view of cancer and to help people understand the trajectory of cancer is ever changing. Increasingly cancer can be lived with in the same way as other long-term health conditions, particularly when individuals are actively involved in managing their health.

HCCN Nursing Team

There were some changes within the nursing team. While Karen Moseley had been on a sabbatical, the team has been led by Andrea Cliff. They have recruited a new admin liaison, Sally Smart, and 2 new nurses, Amanda McLaughlin and Silvia Caires.

Many of the additional clinical roles undertaken for COVID have been made permanent, and further clinical skills in the community are planned to be added to the nursing team in the coming year. This saves additional visits to the hospital and is a more comfortable experience for patients. Five of the nurses are also now trained as acupuncturists, providing cancer related symptom control.

Charity registration number 1163051

NWAngliaFT has a new lead cancer nurse, Zara Ball, who is a keen to increase collaboration between the Woodlands chemotherapy unit and HCCN, to benefit all cancer patients at Hinchingbrooke.

Administrative information

HCCN’s trustees are:

Jan Davis , Chair - appointed 1 January 2016 Sallie Crawley - appointed 31 October 2019 Gill Monsell - appointed 17 May 2021 Angela Howells - appointed 13 May 2022

Neil Silby - co-opted 14 October 2022: seeking formal appointment at the 2023 AGM

Graham Heywood - co-opted 14 April 2023: seeking formal appointment at the 2023 AGM

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Jan Davis

Janet Audrey Davis Chair of Trustees September 2023

Charity registration number 1163051

I CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENfjIAND AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted fund5 the nèarest Restricted funds Eiidowmoni funds Total lunds Last year to the nearest £ to thg r*ar•st£ to thB nearost £ A1 Receipts Eal Wpll Gift ￿J￿ Donèiions Ebay snop 5.000 1,467 94.104 6,350 1,501 2,802 10.391 3.254 3.718 70,391 3,254 3,718 3,066 10,000 4.420 15,850 100 Club Lollery Funding fOrsa￿ry NWAFT ReimbuT5emeni Fvndr2iSing Even 10,OTrJ 4.420 15.150 Sub total{Gross income for AR) 11Y).719 10.Of#) 110,719 111,224 A2 Asset and investment sales. Isee tablel. Sub total 100,719 10.000 110,719 111.224 A3Pa ments Conlererre Half Marathon. 8311 Exercise & Wellbein Nurse equpment-lraining Running Cosis Fundraising Costs Gran 100 Club Pn￿5 Roorn BGokingslPfynise$ Websile Rebrar¥J Staff Cost 9.102 44.148 2.769 12.737 10.542 9.802 44,?48 2.769 12,737 10.542 1.000 1.413 27.SSY 13.225 25.228 868 10,415 11.359 250 1,335 15.016 2,298 1,413 27.SS9 4213 4.213 Sub total 109.97 4.213 114.183 79.994 A4 A55et and investment urthases, Isee tsblel Sub total Total payments 109.970 4.213 114.183 79,994 Net of reCeIpt￿(paYMents) A5 Transfer5 between fun(Is A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds thi5 year end 9,251 5.787 31,230 9,251 5.787 3,464 31,230 CCXX R1 accounts ISSI 1010712023

ection B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds tts n￿rest £ Restricted fund5 to neares1 E Endowment fund5 to I￿¥r￿st £ B1 Cash funds Cuwent Ctroperats 44.863 5,7B7 Cambndge & Ctymies 89.023 onrnwth5hire 8uil¢ing S(xJety 87.060 B5.602 100 Chjb 4,602 PayP 140 180 Total cash funds 311,641 5.787 IWeOA8s¥fflb rfeipts Paym￿1$ Unrestrlcted funds to rwargst £ Restricted funds to rt•ar•st£ Endowment funds to nearpst £ B2 Other mongtary a¥s¢ts to which •SW belon Details Cost loptionall Current vglyo B3 Investment assets Fund to which asspl bolon Curr•ni value C05t lopbonall B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use Fund to which Amount duè lional When du• BS Liabilities HK4RC PAYEINIC Restr¢i& FUFKI 819 01 May 2023 Signed by one or N¥0 Iru51eÈs on the trust accoun Date of Signature Print Name f.°Issi

I h S JhZL4z ¥ *- 3?1+123 CCXX R3 axgunts ISSI 1010712023

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND.WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Sectlon A Independent Examln*s Rewt Report to the trustag$1 members of On accounts for the year ended &>1+125 Charity no i 1163oSI {if any) Set out on page5 I report to Ihe truslee5 on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I'lhe Trust") for the year ended 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 1.the Act-). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5llbl of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examinatson. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination lolher than that disclosed below "I which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respecl.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with seclion 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply wlh the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts sel out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'lrue and fair, view which is not a maller nsidered as part of an independent exarnination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: Name: Rolevant professional qualification{sl or body IER Oct 2018

lif any)- Section B Disclosure Only completp Il'.hp exam-e" pcccs Ic ￿tc￿l Ya".e"ial rYatt?r£ nl concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018