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2022-03-31-accounts

Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22

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Contents

3 Chair’s Introduction

3 Trustee’s Report

5 A Message From Our Chief Operating Officer

7 Strategic Report Our Strategy for 2022/23

8 Achievement and Performance for 2021/2022

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Other Matters of Significance During the Reporting Period

10-11 Our Activities 12-13 Information and Advice 14-15 Transport 16-17 Befriending 16 Grass cutting

18-19 Volunteering 20 Send a Smile 21 Consultation

22-25 Governance Structure and Management 26 Financial Review 27 Independent Examiners Report 28 Statement of Financial Activities

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Chair’s Introduction:

Our role as trustees is to ensure the charity is doing what it says it will, delivering on its promises and meeting its objectives.

This report is the perfect illustration of that endeavour, as we seek to bring together and reflect on the charity’s work over the last 12 months and assess its performance against the targets it sets itself.

As trustees, we are consistently in awe of the contribution staff and volunteers alike make to the lives of older people in Wetherby and its surrounding areas.

For a small charity, we are proud of the impact we are able to make with the relatively small resources available to us, but none of it would be possible without the passion and generosity of the people behind many of the programmes, projects and activities you will read about in this report.

Whilst an annual report is a good opportunity to look back on all that has been achieved, the trustees and I are also excited to learn more about the charity’s plans for the future- with promising plans in place to extend its reach and enhance its offer already well under way.

Mark Storey

Chair of Trustees.

WiSE

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly

Trustee’s Report:

The trustees present their Annual Report together with the Financial Statement of the charity for the year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.

The trustees confirm these documents comply with the current statutory requirements, the statutory requirements of the charity’s governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016.

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Community Care Hul nlsing ¢he tandlng ributlon of co For suppporting their local community during the Covid pandemic as a Community Care Hub

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

A message from our Chief Operating Officer:

Welcome to our Annual Report 2021/22 and how nice it is to be summarising a year in which we were able to restore so many of our core services and at last begin to look towards a post-pandemic future.

Of course, Covid-19 has still been a key consideration for us as a charity- but it has not dominated our work in the same way it did during the previous reporting period.

We know the vital role our work plays in helping isolated, older people in our area to live healthy, fulfilling and independent lives, so it’s been heartening to meet our friends face-to-face again as part of a fully restored events and activities programme.

We’ve not stood still either.

Whether it’s the introduction of our already successful ‘Send A Smile’ postal scheme, or extending the reach of our work into new locations, 2021/22 can also be remembered as a year in which we broadened our horizons.

This brave new outlook also saw us open up a big conversation with our communities about what they want from us in the future- the results of which you’ll find elsewhere in this report.

Of course, none of our work would be possible without the help of our staff, volunteers, fundraisers and partners. At the end of another busy period for the charity- we salute them all.

Mark Dobson

Chief Operating Officer WiSE

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11, Ollie Beake

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Strategic Report Our Strategy for 2022/23

In 2022/23 we will continue to adapt and extend our services to adapt to local requirements.

We will continue to focus on the provision of much needed services for older people who live in Wetherby and its surrounding villages. We aim to do this to ensure older people are supported to retain their independence and continue to live active lives within their community.

Through the implementation of our strategic framework, we are challenging ourselves to improve our services to be first‐class and in high demand, so that the health and wellbeing of those we support is truly enhanced.

Our strategic framework is made up of five core aims:

Continual development of our performance to deliver our operational aims

We are outcome‐focused and constantly keep our services under review to ensure they reflect best practice, changing demand and to ensure our services match the needs of our clients, commissioners and broader health and wellbeing agenda. Our services have clear objectives. We set and measure these using evidence.

Reflective practices and monitoring practices are in place, including performance appraisals and review. Our database is kept under review to ensure data capturing is up‐to‐date, robust and accurate.

Statutory and regulatory requirements are understood, implemented and complied with.

To provide safe and secure services for our client base

Policies and procedures are in place for safeguarding, with a strong focus on adult and child risk, and these are reviewed regularly.

Policies and procedures are in place to ensure we operate within a safe work space and we employ safe working practices and these are reviewed regularly.

Information and data is stored securely in line with regulatory requirements.

An appropriate risk management framework is in place.

To be well led

We are up‐to‐date with our policies and procedures and ensure these are adhered to. We have effective management systems including a robust trustee body and a management structure that feeds in to the trustees.

Managers proactively support a positive culture which is person‐centred for staff, volunteers and the people we support. It is open, inclusive and empowering.

Governance structures are clear and transparent, clearly documented and are regularly implemented and reviewed through meetings.

Current legislation and regulations are complied with.

To be effective in our strategic and operational aims and objectives

We ensure our services are reviewed to reflect our clients’ needs.

We have the correct number of staff and amount of staff knowledge to undertake strategic and operational requirements.

Changes in need and local priorities are identified and responded to.

We work effectively with other agencies and our commissioners. We are inclusive and accessible to all within our client base.

To engage with our friends to ensure they are involved with our services to help steer the organisation

We engage with our clients in a variety of ways and ensure they are involved in our work.

Our client base is given opportunities to be involved with the delivery and changing nature of our services. We listen and act upon client feedback.

Through our policies and procedures, our client base and others know how to complain or pass compliments to the service to help steer client involvement and service delivery.

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Achievements and Performance 2021-22

What did we say?

What did we do?

We would continue to monitor and evaluate our services and activities and respond to need.

We have continued to expand our services during the reporting year, including adding many new permanent and one-off fixtures to the WiSE activities calendar. We’ve also spread our geographic footprint much further into villages such as Walton.

In addition, we have undertaken a significant consultation exercise with the public to understand the kind of services they wish to see us progress in the future.

What did we say?

What did we do?

We will continue to increase our fundraising and community activities to secure the future of our provision.

We have raised a significant amount of external funding this year, thanks to our new corporate fundraising role. This will enable us to relaunch one of our most costly activities - the ‘Meet Up Monday’ memory café - in spring 2022.

We have also increased our community fundraising opportunities significantly. For example, we asked the community to make Christmas and Easter products which are sold to generate funds to support the work we do.

What did we say?

What did we do?

We would continue to improve our profile within the community.

We have continued to significantly raise our profile both on broadcast media, printed journalism and our social media footprint, which has increased pointedly within the last 12 months. In this reporting period, 29 news releases were distributed and there were 111 pieces of press coverage in print, online and broadcast media.

What did we say?

What did we do?

We would increase our volunteer base and offer wider opportunities for volunteers.

We have added the new role of a Fundraising and Volunteer Coordinator to draw in new volunteers and ensure they are matched to an appropriate service area/s.

Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Our new Coordinator continues to ensure opportunities are increased through the provision of adequate training packages and an increased emphasis on volunteer communication.

What did we say?

What did we do?

Ensure the charity meet the high standards listed in The Charity Governance Code.

Our trustees meet regularly and make sure the chief operating officer is working within the remit laid down by the organisation, ensuring our ethics and values are achieved and that we are working in line with our strategies.

As an organisation we ensure these essential checks and balances are in place and that all our staff and volunteers are working to the highest possible standards reflecting the code of governance at all times.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Other matters of significance during the reporting period

The year 2021-2 was much more positive than 2020 for everyone - there was light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. For WiSE, 2021 was a year of two halves.

The first half saw us continuing to work as a Covid-19 hub for North East Leeds. We also assisted with the vaccination rollout, made wellbeing calls, and conducted telephone befriending sessions.

The second half of the year saw us restarting our key services in a safe and controlled way, starting with the WiSE Owl Café at Boston Spa Village Hall. Our activities timetable relaunched, along with our Grass Cutting, Transport and Information and Advice schemes.

During the reporting period (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022), we:

Towards the end of the reporting period, we launched a new postal scheme- ‘Send a Smile’- as a way of further extending our work to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst older people. The scheme is only in its infancy, but already hugely successful. WiSE also welcomed a new mascot to the team - Ollie Beak - who makes regular appearances at activities and events.

We were able to fund projects for some of our partners’ community initiatives. The spring course of Wetherby Man With A Pan – which aims to get kitchen shy older men cooking - was hugely successful, featured on BBC Look North and was broadcast on BBC Radio Leeds. We also contributed to Bramham Village Hall’s Christmas Day lunch, which was put on for older people who would otherwise have spent Christmas Day alone.

We are proud to be recognised for our outstanding contribution in supporting our local community during the pandemic as a Community Care Hub by Leeds City Council and Voluntary Action Leeds. We were also nominated for the Community Project of the Year at the Compassionate City Awards, again for our community work during the pandemic.

We have undertaken a significant consultation exercise with the public to establish the kind of services they wish to see us progress, in the wake of services we provided during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The outcomes of this can be found elsewhere in this report.

Finally, in July we were proud to welcome Michelle Atkinson as our fifth trustee.

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Our Activities - An overview

We carry out a wide range of services and activities in line with our charitable objectives. The trustees consider that these services and activities provide benefit to the area’s older people and their carers.

Our activities and services are promoted in a variety of ways. We actively engage with local parish councils and community groups and more than 550 newsletters are sent out each month, via e‐mail, post or hand.

Our in-house communications officer provides publicity material to the media in Wetherby and Leeds and we continue to advertise in parish magazines. We display information on our services at GP surgeries, local churches, Wetherby Town Hall, and the One Stop Centre. We also promote our events and activities on our website and social media platforms.

We have launched 8 new regular activities this year- some in areas outside of Wetherby, including Boston Spa, Bramham, Thorner and Walton.

WiSE Owl Café

The café is based in Boston Spa Village Hall and is now in its ninth year. It is still a popular event, acting as a regular meet up for many of our customers. The café has two part‐time staff members supported by a dedicated band of volunteer servers and bakers. It sources its food from local suppliers and volunteer bakers make the delicious cakes and scones.

Line Dancing

Line dancing promotes balance, coordination and is an excellent cognitive exercise which is relevant for our target age. The session leader is very popular with our clients, and provides weekly dances to keep our regulars in practise.

WiSErcise (new)

Chairobics and Aerobics

Chairobics and Aerobics are offered weekly. It is a popular activity with between 30 and 40 people attending regularly - enabling people to interact in the community and thereby reducing social isolation.

WiSErcise was launched in October 2021 and takes place every Tuesday at Boston Spa Village Hall. It takes the form of gentle chair based exercise and has become extremely popular. We’re particularly grateful for the support of class instructors from Funky Jives and Home Instead.

Move & Groove (new)

Move & Groove launched in March at Walton Village Hall. It is a fun, informal dance class with an instructor from Funky Jives, who teaches everything from Salsa to Bollywood, Disco to Freestyle and anything in-between.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Elderberries

Elderberries is a monthly social gathering which takes place at St Joseph’s Village Hall. All friends and carers are welcome to attend Elderberries, where they are entertained by professional musicians or local entertainers.

Ad hoc events and celebrations

From time-to-time we host events to acknowledge national celebrations. In October we hosted a Mad Hatters Tea Party to celebrate Mad Hatter Day. This involved fancy dress, afternoon tea, cakes, plus a live magician. In December, we hosted three Christmas Parties in Wetherby, Boston Spa and Bramham, with entertainment, festive refreshments and prizes.

Boston Spa Social / Bramham Social / Thornberries (new)

Boston Spa Social, Bramham Social and Thornberries have been launched to bring a social gathering like Elderberries to Wetherby’s surrounding villages – extending our geographical reach. They are on an ad-hoc basis.

Knit, Natter, Craft & Chatter (formerly Knit One Purl Wise)

Knit, Natter, Craft & Chatter is held every Thursday at Boston Spa Village Hall. Every week there is a new craft theme and people are also invited to bring their own project. The event is increasing in popularity.

Partnerships

The trustees are particularly grateful to our community partners for all their support. All have helped us to meet our objectives and benefit older people and their carers in our area. We are especially grateful for the support of Boston Spa Village Hall. The venue is home to our much-loved Wise Owl Café. The hall actively supports WiSE and provides a venue for many of our activities.

Other local partnerships include:

Bingo & Fun (new)

Bingo & Fun launched in November and involves bingo, games and quizzes along with prizes for the winners. It runs from November to April.

WiSE Warblers (new)

WiSE Warblers is a new monthly event which launched in March, and sees singers from Singtasia host an informal singalong and chat.

Walton Coffee Morning (new)

This event is held on the first Monday of every month, at Walton Village Hall. Everyone of all ages are welcome.

We welcome local groups, whether small and informal or larger in size, contact us on activities@w-ise.org.uk.

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Information and Advice

This service provides information and advice to over 60s on a range of issues, including how to apply for allowances and benefits, support for people with form filling, guidance on finding trusted tradespeople or carers and directing clients to appropriate support services and organisations.

We have an experienced and knowledgeable Information and Advice Coordinator based at our Wetherby offices, but who also provides a roaming service at local venues.

From April 2021 to March 2022 there were 687 Information and Advice telephone contacts with friends, family/carers and organisations such as Linking Leeds.

Almost 50 clients received intensive one-to-one support, which included completion of 45 forms, from bus passes to care ring pendant alarm applications.

The Information & Advice service also completed 20 blue parking badge applications and filled in 17 attendance allowance forms using a telephone appointment service.

During the reporting period, there were 135 new referrals to WiSE, which came from NHS health practitioners, friends, family and carers and Linking Leeds amongst others.

More than half of these contacts resulted in signposting / referral to appropriate organisations and sources of support, including Department for Work & Pensions, Leeds City Council and Leeds Directory.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Information & Advice – a case study - Mrs. A

Mrs A is an 88-year-old lady who lives independently and alone. We received a request from a Leeds City Council retirement life warden to help with her blue badge application and to assist with her higher rate Attendance Allowance application.

What we found:

What we did:

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Transport

The Transport Scheme provides a low cost door-to-door pick up and drop off service for people over 60 who are less mobile, don’t drive, or struggle with public transport. The scheme has been running for seven and a half years and is greatly valued by our friends.

The service – which operates in Wetherby and surrounding areas – has a number of trusted volunteer drivers who will collect a service user and drive them to GP and local healthcare appointments, WiSE activities, or to meet up with friends.

Journeys are offered Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and all bookings are made through our transport booking line. The service is more cost effective than taxis. It costs £2 per journey, plus 45 pence for every mile travelled, which is paid for at the destination. Drivers are able to accommodate fold-up rollators or walking sticks, but unfortunately can’t take wheelchairs.

During the reporting period, 312 transport journeys have been completed, whereby the charity’s volunteers drive older people to activities or social engagements they would otherwise not have been able to attend.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Transport – a case study - Josie

Josie, aged 86, is driven by volunteers to friendly meet ups, social events and charity activities thanks to the Transport Service.

What we found:

What we did:

Josie said:

This service means I can get out and see people and I can also attend the regular activities WiSE put on. The volunteers are so reliable, caring and helpful.

“I wouldn’t be able to cope if I couldn’t get out of the house. This service means I can see friends and spend time being social – and enjoying life. It would cost a lot more to have to get taxis. I’m very grateful for the service and don’t know what I’d do without it.

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Befriending

Our befriending service matches an isolated older or vulnerable person living alone with a volunteer who gives up their time to regularly provide friendly conversation and companionship.

Where possible, matches are made based on shared interests and both parties living in the same area. Once a befriending match has been made, each person is introduced in the company of one of our Coordinators.

In the last year, our volunteers made, on average, more than 850 befriending visits and calls to our older friends.

For an older person, regular social interaction helps to break their feeling of isolation and helps to make them feel a part of the community.

For the volunteer, the visits are often satisfying, enjoyable and an opportunity to meet someone new to hear about their stories and experiences.

We have a team of 30 befriending volunteers who come from all walks of life and are asked to commit to a minimum of one hour a week, which involves dropping in for a cup of tea and a chat.

Grass Cutting

WiSE has a long standing partnership with Children In Need (CIN) and Wetherby Young Offenders Institute (WYOI) to provide a grass cutting service for older people who find it difficult to maintain their lawns.

Once we identify older people in need of help, WYOI provide a trained horticulturist to supervise young offenders who have expressed an interest in developing horticultural skills.

The gardeners have all been risk assessed for suitability to earn Release or Temporary Licence before they take part in the project. The aim is for them to use this work experience to go towards a relevant qualification, giving

them a greater chance of future employment.

The scheme helps to improve relationships between young and older people and is greatly valued by those who use it.

The scheme is only one of its kind in the country. It was granted a ‘Connecting Communities Award’ for the impact it has made so far.

The grass cutting scheme resumed in June 2021 following the third Covid-19 lockdown. Since then, 60 people have had their grass cut each month.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Befriending- a case study - ‘Winn and Hazel’

Hazel rang Winnifred once a week during the dark days of lockdown, as part of our Befriending Scheme.

What we found:

What we did:

Winn said:

The winter lockdowns were difficult because of the weather, and WiSE had to suspend its usual activities. I found it very boring, but tried to keep busy reading, watching TV and sorting out cupboards. It was nice to hear Hazel’s friendly voice and give me a break from watching the TV. It was great that we were able to form a friendship without even meeting.

When restrictions were lifted, Hazel and Winn were able to meet in person, and are now firm friends.

Hazel said: “Winn is interesting, resilient, positive and always looks on the bright side of life. When I met her, she was exactly as I had imagined. We gave each other a big hug and it was a real treat to sit down with her and have a coffee and have our first face-to-face chat.

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Volunteering

We actively recruit volunteers over the age of 16 to assist in the delivery of our services. Volunteering is a worthwhile and enjoyable activity and there are a wide range of opportunities with us. Our Volunteer Co‐ordinator is based at our Wetherby offices and welcomes enquiries from people who want to support those in the local community. All volunteers undertake an induction and receive training appropriate to their role.

Volunteers are vital to our success. Without them we could not continue to develop our services and programme of events. Their help in delivering our services, through roles such as activity helpers, befrienders, drivers, fundraising, and trusteeship means we can continue our much needed work.

At the end of the reporting period, we had 130 volunteers across our programmes. The volunteers range from younger people to very senior adults. Our Volunteer Coordinator is working hard to improve our support through training, recognition and communication. We are also continuing to develop additional volunteering opportunities.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Volunteering - a case study - Jackie

Jackie is about to celebrate her seventh anniversary as a WiSE volunteer and says the best bit about her role is knowing the difference she makes to an older person’s life.

Jackie said:

I started to volunteer for WiSE in April 2015 at one of the regular memory café meets. I was very nervous, but the other volunteers and the Events Coordinator made me feel very welcome.

“I decided to volunteer as I was a senior care assistant looking after older people in a care home. I loved the job and when the home closed, I missed working with the residents. So when I retired and had more time, I saw an advert for volunteers within WiSE and here I am years later.

“The thing I like most about volunteering is helping people who are sometimes forgotten about, and to make them feel that somebody does care - and to stop them being alone. I enjoy volunteering for all the service areas of WiSE, but particularly the events, which are all so different.

“WiSE is a great charity which supports the older community. You only have to listen to the people around Wetherby to know that it is doing a good job

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‘Send a Smile’ Scheme

The ‘Send a Smile’ scheme launched in February and is still in its infancy, but has already gained huge popularity with the community and benefits for older recipients.

The scheme was launched as a way of further extending the charity’s work to reduce isolation and loneliness in older people.

It is also designed to build new and lasting two-way community relationships, including between organisations like care homes, craft groups and schools. It complements the existing Befriending Scheme for people who live alone and promotes positive intergenerational interactions by establishing partnerships with schools and colleges.

‘Send a Smile’ encourages people of all ages, across the region and afar, to submit postcards, pictures or hand drawn cards to make an isolated, older person smile. Cards are sent to the WiSE offices where they are then distributed to our friends.

So far, we have received 121 cards, letters and postcards which have made 121 older people’s day. We will be developing this service further in the next reporting period.

Last Saturday was my birthday and a very elaborate card which must’ve taken ages to have been made with an accompanying message was delivered to me. As someone who is old and sometimes lonely this card was appreciated.

Send a Smile recipient.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Consultation

When the pandemic first took hold, Community Care Hub arrangements were put together very quickly and WiSE became the ‘hub’ for Outer North East Leeds.

Since then, the arrangements in each ward have become appropriately customised to local need and the centralised role has become focused on providing advice, resources and referrals.

The tangible success of this model and the longer term benefits of these localised arrangements are clear and there is growing interest and commitment to maintaining this approach post-pandemic. There has been national recognition of the work undertaken in Leeds and discussions about how it can be adopted in other areas.

To determine our community’s thoughts on this, we were given funding to determine the needs of our community, with a view to potentially delivering against these needs in the future.

What we did

We developed a short survey for people of all ages to ‘have their say’ on services in the local area. The questionnaire also asked for demographic information such as sex, age, and location, but no personal details. It was available to fill in in-person, or online through the website.

WiSE also gave the community the opportunity to fill these in at three family fun consultation events in December and January, in Wetherby, Boston Spa and Walton. WiSE’s activities are predominantly for the over 60s and their carers, so family focussed events meant we would get a wider range of people responding.

We also produced other marketing material to promote the consultation, including posters, pull-up banners and a social media advertising campaign.

Findings

More than 100 people filled in the survey. It found:

Three quarters (75%) of our consultation respondents had accessed the services of a charity or community organisation. A third (33%) said they accessed these services some of the time, with just over one in ten respondents (14%) always accessing them. A quarter of respondents (25%) had never used the services of a charity.

Most respondents (37%) told us that the council and other publicly funded organisations should provide services for people in our area, closely followed by community groups (30%). One in four respondents (27%) said charities should provide services. Other responses ranged from neighbours, family members

and local volunteers, to religious institutions like churches. Some commented to say that proper integration between local authorities, charities and voluntary groups would achieve the best results for local people.

Nearly a third of respondents (29%) told us that they or someone they knew would benefit most from additional social events and activities in their area. One in five people (20%) said they would welcome more information and advice, with slightly fewer (17%) suggesting improved transport services. Befriending (16%) and shopping or prescription deliveries (12%) were the other service areas listed in the survey.

Dementia support, walking groups, hobby register, a support group for young parents and mental health support for people of all ages were amongst the other services put forward by respondents.

Several people used the comments box to raise concerns about public transport options in the area, whilst one respondent requested help for older people to access cash.

A large proportion of respondents put forward further views about the support available to people of all ages in their area. Several people said access to healthcare was a problem where they lived, with access to GP appointments amongst their main concerns.

Various people put forward suggestions around additional hobbies, activities or events- with music events amongst the most popular suggestions. Some suggested coordination between different agencies could be improved. Several respondents commented on their satisfaction with the services which WiSE provides, with some saying they needed communicating more widely to ensure as many people as possible knew how to access them.

A very large number of respondents told us they had accessed services provided by WiSE- whether it was attending the café in Boston Spa or dates on the charity’s activities and events programme. Of these respondents, all reported a positive experience with several commenting positively on the social interaction and the opportunity to meet friends.

Some people said they used services provided by other charities or community groups, including the Women’s Institute, church and local exercise groups. All of these services received positive feedback.

How we will implement our findings

In the new financial year, we will present these findings to the local authority for their feedback and implementation.

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Governance Structure and Management

Our constitution

WiSE is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It is governed according to a Charity Commission Foundation Model Constitution dated 22 September 2015 and is therefore detailed and fit for purpose and protects the continuation of the charity.

Our objective

The objectives of the CIO are all for the public benefit.

Chiefly, our aim is to support older people, and those who care for them, who live in the Wetherby area (Wetherby, Linton, Boston Spa, Thorp Arch, Walton, Clifford, Bramham, East Keswick, Harewood, Collingham, Bardsey, Scarcroft and Thorner) and who are socially isolated, or living with chronic or degenerative conditions, so that they can retain their independence and continue to live active lives within their community.

Public benefit

In planning our activities, the trustees consider the specific objectives of the charity, along with our vision, mission and values. We review our aims, objectives and activities annually. As part of that process, we consider the outputs of our activities, assess the benefit of those outputs on the lives of older people and develop future activities to make sure our work continues to deliver the most benefit against our charitable objects.

This report contains more information on the way our work has benefited older people over the last 12 months, measured against objectives set at the beginning of the year.

The trustees confirm they have complied with the duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.

Activities

This is our 19th year supporting Wetherby’s older people. During that time, we have seen our organisation grow, both in terms of services we provide and the requests for help we receive. It is a well-known fact that older people are living longer and need more support to enable them to live a comfortable and independent lifestyle and through our range of activities and services we aim to make this happen.

We want to place WiSE at the heart of its community. To do this effectively we continually monitor and evaluate the services and activities we provide to ensure they meet the needs of our friends and their carers. Our current provision includes:

The schemes are co‐ordinated by a team of staff, with a large amount of work is carried out by volunteers - currently numbering around 130. These volunteers work in many different roles in the community, support roles or directly with friends- not only making many of our schemes possible by giving their time freely, but also bringing a true community perspective.

All our work is based on supporting the wellbeing of older people in Wetherby and surrounding area. This means we help people to stay safe, well and live independently in their community for as long as possible.

We had more than 11,500 contacts with friends and their families during the reporting period. We also received at least 135 new formal referrals- with the number of informal referrals likely to be higher.

Whilst these numbers illustrate our activity levels, they do not reflect the significant positive ripple that comes from many actions, bringing additional benefits to our friends, their family, wider networks and community and this is something we are looking to measure in the future. The social benefit that WiSE brings is without question, but as yet we cannot attribute a value to that benefit and this is something we wish to be able to do.

We are committed to collaborative working and this continued in 2021/22 with renewed partnerships with voluntary, statutory and private sector organisations, all of which were focused on promoting and supporting the welfare of older people living locally. Adopting a joint approach means we can keep our friends and their families as the focus of our attention when designing and delivering new services.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Governance and management

The overall management and control of the charity rests with the individual members of the board of trustees who give their time freely and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits. The charity’s trustees meet in accordance with the constitution which requires the presence of at least two or, if greater, a third of its members to be quorate. The Board may appoint a chairperson and revoke such appointment at any time. All business is decided by a simple majority, each trustee having one vote. In the event of an equality of votes, the chairperson of the meeting has a second or casting vote. The trustees are responsible for decisions taken in relation to the strategic running of the charity, but the day to day running of the charity is delegated to staff.

Trustee committees

The trustees delegate responsibility for more detailed consideration of the charity’s affairs to four sub groups, each including at least two places for trustee members, chaired by a trustee and reporting to the board of trustees. These subgroups are:

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The existing trustees are responsible for the recruitment of new trustees. The trustees undertake a skills audit which identifies specific skills needed to enhance the existing board. In selecting individuals for appointment as appointed charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. In addition, individuals who apply to become trustees must demonstrate a personal or professional interest in the care and well‐being of older people.

Every appointed trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of trustees. Trustees retiring at the end of their term are eligible for reappointment. A trustee who was served for three consecutive terms of three years may not be reappointed for a fourth consecutive term, but may be reappointed after an interval of at least one year.

There shall be a minimum of four trustees and a maximum of 10. At the end of the reporting period there were five trustees.

Following appointment, new trustees are introduced to their new roles and given a Trustee’s Handbook which covers all aspects of the role. This includes a copy of the

Charity Commission’s guide ‘The Essential Trustee’ and copies of the Charity’s Governing Document, financial statements and a guide to the policies and procedures adopted by the charity. An induction checklist is included to ensure everything is covered and signed off. All Trustees are Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checked and references obtained.

Voluntary support

Whilst voluntary help is not valued for the purposes of the financial statements, we benefit immensely from the services provided by volunteers.

During the reporting period, we had 130 volunteers completing several thousand volunteer hours between them. This volunteer contribution supports all of our schemes as well as support functions and fundraising.

The trustees thank all our volunteers for their continued support. Without their time and skills, our impact would not be as significant as it is.

Risk management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. Strategic risk management is regularly overseen by the board of trustees. There is an overarching risk management policy which involves a regular review of key risks faced by the charity, and setting up systems and procedures to address those potential risks and to minimise any impact the charity if the risks materialise. An annual review of the risk register also takes place.

The trustees also have in place policies addressing the main operational risk areas. The trustees consider the following to be the key risks facing the organisation-:

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Fundraising

The majority of our voluntary income last year was raised through charitable trusts and foundations which supported our projects and services. A small amount of income came from service users and individuals supporting our work. All our activities deliver on our fundraising promise.

We proactively comply with all fundraising related legislation and marketing regulation. All of our fundraising activity has been led by staff and volunteers.

As part of our approach, policies and standards, we make sure we protect vulnerable people and other members of the public from inappropriate behaviour ‐ we proactively train everyone involved in fundraising, with clear processes in place to monitor and manage every interaction. In the past year, we have not uncovered any failure by staff or volunteers to comply with these schemes and standards and we received no fundraising complaints in 2021/22.

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WiSE Wetherby in Support of the Elderly

Financial Review

FINANCIAL REVEW – 1 MARCH 2021 TO 30 APRIL 2022

Similarly to the 2020/2021 Financial Year, COVID restrictions and isolation continued into the 2021/2022 Financial year. Despite these challenges, Wise continues to operate strongly which is reflected in the 2021/2022 Financial Statements.

BANK ACCOUNTS:

The Charity operates three bank accounts being:

CURRENT ACCOUNT:

This account is used to fund the day to day operations of the charity.

ALLOCATED FUNDS ACCOUNT:

Money which is received for specific projects or areas of service are kept in this account. This ensures that the Trustees are able to maintain a clear audit trail of how funds in this account are spent. Records of funds in this account are maintained on a monthly basis.

RESERVE ACCOUNT:

Funds in the Reserve account are maintained in a savings account held with the Yorkshire Building Society.

These reserves fulfil the Trustees responsibilities in ensuring that:

The Trustees review the reserve account on an annual basis to ensure that sufficient reserves are held in this account.

FUNDING RECEIVED:

The Charity’s principal source of funding is from Leeds City Council Adult Social Care. During 2021-22 Leeds City Council have continued to assist the charity with maintaining assistance and care to our community during the COVID pandemic. The funds were allocated to COVID related activities in our surrounding areas. Monthly records are maintained and are presented to the Accountant for verification purposes.

FUNDRAISING:

Fundraising resumed during 2021-2022, and we thank our benefactors. Without their generosity we would not be able to successfully run our activities and offer support to the elderly in our community.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Independent Examiners Report

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Statement of Financial Activities

WiSE – WETHERBY IN SUPPORT OF THE ELDERLY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Note
 Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds		 Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds		 Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds		 Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds		 Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds		 Total
2022		 Total
2022		 Total
2021		 Total
2021
£ £ £ £
Turnover
Core funding 139,356 - 139,356 147,716
WISE Café 23,953 - 23,953 5
Hubs activities 3,609 - 3,609 111
CIN Gardening scheme grants - 40,560 40,560 10,074
Meet up Monday - 24,108 24,108 50
Donations and grants 15,980 - 15,980 5,059
Covid grants 6,500 62,500 69,000 24,863
189,398 127,168 316,566 187,878
Other income
Employment allowance 4,000 - 4,000 -
Interest income 233 - 233 192
4,233 - 4,233 192
Total Income 193,631 127,168 320,799 188,070
Expenditure
Rent 5,817 - 5,817 5,600
Insurance 1,105 - 1,105 1,105
Café expenditure 10,649 - 10,649 3,691
Salaries 116,962 10,134 127,096 117,010
Social security 8,216 - 8,216 -
Pensions 2,288 - 2,288 2,037
Telephone and internet 226 1,416 1,642 2,101
Post printing and stationery 1,190 2,995 4,185 6,150
Advertising and marketing 2,927 1,834 4,761 1,345
Travelling - 1,173 1,173 243
Hub activities expenditure 9,935 3,689 13,624 184
Wetherbyhub expenditure - - - 111
CIN gardening expenditure - 33,422 33,422 6,256
Computer equipment and consumables 7,146 5,658 12,804 6,744
Cleaning - - - 4
Covid expenditure - 12,346 12,346 5,007
Subscriptions 188 - 188 213
Sundry expenses 554 37 591 669
Training 1,149 - 1,149 95
Accountancy fees 2,400 - 2,400 1,356
Bookkeeping 2,153 - 2,153 1,350
Legal & professional fees 2,811 10 2,821 665
Donations - - - 518
175,716 72,714 248,430 162,454
17,915 54,454 72,369 25,616
Finance costs
Bank charges 410 - 410 187
Interest on taxation 25 - 25 -
435 - 435 187
Net Profit 17,480 54,454 71,934 25,429

The notes on pages 4 to 6 form part of these accounts.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Balance Sheet

WiSE – WETHERBY IN SUPPORT OF THE ELDERLY

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2022

Notes 2022 2021
£ £ £ £
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible fixed assets - -
Current Assets
Debtors and prepayments 5 1,436 -
Cash at bank and in hand 358,783 278,374
360,219 278,374
Current Liabilities
Creditors 6 12,282 69,771
NET CURRENT ASSETS 347,937 208,603
NET ASSETS 347,937 208,603
FUNDS
Restricted funds 159,969 105,515
Unrestricted funds 187,968 103,088
347,937 208,603

Approved by the trustees on

and signed on their behalf by:

Mark Storey Chair of the Trustees 29[th] September 2022

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Notes to the Accounts

WiSE – WETHERBY IN SUPPORT OF THE ELDERLY

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Resources expended

e. Restricted funds

Restricted funds are those funds which are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

WiSE Wetherby in Support of the Elderly

Notes to the Accounts

WiSE – WETHERBY IN SUPPORT OF THE ELDERLY

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

2. NET OUTGOING RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR

The net outgoing resources for the year are stated after charging:

3.

2022 2021
£ £
Accountancy 1,800 1,356
Independent Examiner’s fee 600 -
STAFF COSTS AND NUMBERS
Staff costs were as follows:- 2022 2021
£ £
Wages and salaries 127,096 117,010
Social security costs 8,216 -
Pension contributions 2,288 2,037
137,600 119,047

The average weekly number of employees during the year, was as follows:-

2022 2021
Charitable work–activities for the elderly 9 7
Administration - -
9
7

All staff members do their own administration.

4. TRUSTEES

No remuneration or expenses were paid to trustees in the year.

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Notes to the Accounts

WiSE – WETHERBY IN SUPPORT OF THE ELDERLY

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

5. DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS

2022 2021
£ £
Prepayments 1,425 -
Other Debtors 11 -
1,436 -

6. CREDITORS

CREDITORS
2022 2021
£ £
Trade Creditors 9,808 -
Accruals 2,474 -
Deferred Income - 69,771
12,282 69,771

7. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND

ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND

Unrestricted
Funds
 Restricted Total
Funds
£ £ £
Current assets 200,250 159,969 360,219
Current liabilities (12,282) - (12,282)

187,968
159,969
347,937

8 . MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS


 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance Movement in Resources
1 April 2021 Incoming Outgoing		 Balance
31 March 2022		 Balance
31 March 2022
£ £ £ £
Children in Need Gardening
Scheme		 15,484 40,560 33,422 22,622
Meet up Monday 20,260 24,108 - 44,368
Covid 69,771 62,500 39,292 92,979
Restricted Funds 105,515 127,168 72,714 159,969
Unrestricted Funds 103,088 193,631 17,615 187,968
208,603 320,799 248,865 347,937

9. INDEMNITY INSURANCE

Indemnity insurance has been purchased to protect the charity, trustees and officers from loss arising from the neglect or default of the trustees or officers.

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

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Corporate information

Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) (A charitable incorporated organisation).

Principal address:

The One Stop Centre Westgate Wetherby LS22 6NL

Telephone 01937 588994

Website www.w‐ise.org.uk

Registered charity number- 1163698

Trustees

The charity trustees are appointed as and when appropriate by the body of trustees in office. The trustees who served during the period and those currently in office are:

Mark Storey (Chair) Caren Rowe (Treasurer) John Wardley Norma Harrington Michelle Atkinson

Chief Operating Officer

Mark Dobson

Independent Examiner

GL Barker & Associates, 47-49 Austhorpe Road, Leeds, LS15 8BA

Bankers

Yorkshire Building Society 12/14 High Street Wetherby LS22 6LT

Barclays Bank 24/26 Market Place Wetherby LS22 6NF

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Wetherby in Support of the Elderly Annual Report 2021/22

Thank You

The trustees would like to offer their thanks, again, to everybody who has supported the organisation either through volunteering, offering their valuable time and skills or through invaluable financial support.

We remain as committed as ever to supporting older people in Wetherby and our surrounding communities and facing the challenges of a still uncertain future.

Due to your support we can, and will, rise to these challenges. So again, thank you!

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© Wetherby in Support of the Elderly 2022.

WiSE Wetherby in Support of the Elderly

The copyright of all material appearing in this publication belongs to Wetherby in Support of the Elderly, it may not be reproduced, duplicated or copied by any means without our prior written consent.

CIO Registration No. 1163698

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