## **Hope Opportunity Trust Annual Report and Financial Statement Charity Number: 1164043 01 05 19 to 30 04 20** ## **Contents** 1. Overview 2. Our values and how we work 3. Impact 4. Charity structure, status & governance 5. Some highlights from 2020 21 6. Audit Certificate ## **1. Overview** HOT is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose mission is to change lives and transform the opportunities available for young people that have extraordinary talent and potential. Our students are young people who have been denied advantage and opportunity but have risen to life’s challenges in a unique and inspiring way. We are offering students fully funded bursary places at some of the finest schools in the UK. These bursaries are funded by the Royal National Springboard Children’s Foundation and some direct funding from the receiving/host schools. Since 2013 we have realised over £10M of bursary place investment for over one hundred students with minimal operating costs. Too many lives are blighted by disadvantage and too much potential squandered through restricted access to opportunity and education. Every thwarted ambition and every unfulfilled talent diminish and impoverish our communities Our aims are clear and practicable, but their impacts can be incalculable. Our outputs are transformed lives: nurturing young citizens who will not only reach their individual potential, but who are passionate about giving back to their own communities and wider society _‘The most significant impact of the bursary is that it has broadened my viewpoint of my future and of the world. I was able to challenge myself amongst some of the brightest students in the country- something that the competitive part of me loved and continues to build on. My world has extended, and I have built a network of people I would never have met without the bursary. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity and what it has enabled me to do for my community.’ -_ _**A HOT student**_ ## **2. Our values and how we work** ## **Collaboration** In meeting our formal objectives, we balance our responsibilities to our students, our school partners, and our communities, by working with state schools in a clearly focused and supportive partnership, helping the whole school and its local community to raise aspirations and achievement. ## **Creating Opportunity** The student, their family and community are our most important considerations, and we do whatever is in their best interests to nurture talent that might otherwise be lost to society. We are not motivated by politics or ideology, but we were mindful of the history associated with boarding school education and the perceived culture of privilege. The chance to challenge and change that culture has been fully vindicated by the experiences and achievements of all HOT students. It is the case that both the sending and receiving communities really do benefit from this initiative. ## **Making a Difference** It is the positive impacts we have witnessed and the personal stories of our students that drive us forward and inspire HOT to continue its mission. _'We, as a family, are extremely happy that Roya has been given such an amazing opportunity. This bursary has shown both Roya and her siblings that hard work does not go to waste, and it is rewarded. Roya’s siblings are inspired and they themselves are hoping that in the future they may be able to get similar opportunities. This scheme has also helped Roya to keep up her hard work and her good grades as she sees that it is paying off and that she is getting a rewarding feeling from it.' –_ _**A Parent**_ ## **How we work** HOT works in through close collaborative partnerships with Royal National Springboard Foundation, state schools, boarding schools, students, and their families. The bursary students are identified in the five HOT Member schools by their teachers and Heads according to strict and consistent criteria of income, challenging family circumstances and the potential benefit to that student of a fully funded boarding experience. More than one hundred students have seized these opportunities. We were the first charity in the country to work with state schools in this way, and all our partner schools provide testimony to the positive impact of their collaboration with HOT. Due to the impressive resilience of the students and consistent, personalised support from the HOT team only two have withdrawn from a place since 2013. The profile of our students clearly demonstrates our commitment to equality, equity, and access to the bursary programme irrespective of gender and race. _"Holly Lodge have worked with the Hope Opportunity Trust since 2018 and in 2021 we are now putting students 19 to 22 through the process. This is one of a raft of opportunities we use to capture the natural enthusiasm of our students and turn it into aspiration so that our students can reach their potential. As well as the life-changing benefits for the students involved, we have seen the success we have had with the bursary programme galvanise other students in school, and increasingly, students in our feeder primary schools when they meet our_ _bursary students and hear what they have achieved." -_ _**Holly Lodge Head Teacher**_ ## **3. Impact** The most powerful testimony on behalf of our work are the stories of our individual students. Their words and achievements, their lived experience can be more eloquent than mission statements or measurable outputs. They validate our fundamental conviction, that by radically changing prospects and opportunities for individuals, we can begin to deliver positive social change in ways we could never have predicted or imagined. We have many stories to give but here are just two comments taken from much more detailed assessments by the students of their experience to give an indication of the impact. ## **From Timi's story** _"My confidence has increased immeasurably and has taught me that no aspiration is too high, as long as I work hard enough for it”_ ## **From Curtis' story** _"The most significant lesson that I took from the experience was that there are no aspirations too high for anyone."_ ## **4. Charity structure, status & governance** HOT is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This legal entity is specific to the charity sector and ensures that HOT follows all charity rules and regulations and is ‘safe’ to invest in. Our objective is “the advancement of education for students from existing and emerging socially and economically deprived communities by providing ongoing support and bursaries to enable access to further education.” ## **History** The founding idea came from the CEO of a Cheshire based housing association who saw no reason talented students from estates labelled as “disadvantaged” would not flourish if given access to schools such as Rugby, Cheltenham Ladies College and Eton. Working with the CEO of Urban Hope and the then Head of Blacon High School Chester, the Hope Opportunity Trust Charitable Incorporated Organisation (HOT) was launched at a partnership event held at Windsor Castle on 31st October 2012 with an aspiration to send at least one student to Eton College. In 2013 two students from Liverpool attended Eton 6th form and since that time over one hundred students from five HOT Member schools in Merseyside have benefited from a boarding education in one of twenty-two schools throughout the UK. ## **Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation** In addition to established working relationships with the current five member schools and the increasing numbers of boarding schools, HOT is proud to be a longstanding member of Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation (RNCSF) www. royalspringboard.org.uk. Both organisations were founded around the same time and have enjoyed a fruitful and close relationship, enabling over one hundred young people so far to benefit from a two-year sixth form boarding experience. ## **The HOT Team** HOT is a small team that has a unique range of skills and experiences, providing the knowledge, expertise, and networks to reach deep into northern communities and build relationships to ensure that the bursary programme delivers a positive ‘ripple’ effect into the wider community, can be evidenced through the outcome our joint working in Blacon, Cheshire and across Merseyside. ## **Trustees - Volunteers** Dr Martin Carey - Chair of Trustees: The current lead on the regeneration of Everton on behalf of Everton FC. John Denny – CEO and Trustee: Consultant & CEO of the Anthony Walker Foundation. City of Liverpool College Board member and Chair of Audit. Sue Yates - Company Secretary: Former head of Blacon High School, the founding school for the HOT initiative in the North West. David Owen- Trustee: Barrister 1984-2013. Consultant, Trainer, and Independent Investigator since 2011. Colette Wilkinson- trustee: The first project manager for HOT. ## **Colleagues** Deborah Pearson: Project Manager - Full Time Sue Tedford: Project Manager – Part Time Clare Hamm: Finance Manager - Part time Courtney Doyle: Intern and HOT alumni - Part time ## **5. Some highlights from 2020 21** In so many ways it could not have been a more challenging time as Covid started and impacted so negatively upon on all schools and the opportunities for a number of students. Both our member schools and the receiving schools had to deal with their own far-reaching issues. Existing students returned home and had to work as best they could in difficult circumstances whilst a small number of students had their places withdrawn. A terribly challenging time for all involved, students, parents and guardians, all schools, and the communities they are part of. We at Hot are profoundly grateful to RNCSF for releasing funds to directly help those students who had to work at home and their families in ways that exceeded our expectation. The work of all at HOT was critical at this time, but in particular we acknowledge the support that our Programme Manager Debbie Pearson gave to our students. As time progressed there were breaks in the pandemic and we took full advantage of that to ensure that the upcoming cohort of students were given the opportunity they all deserved, and with hard work and dedication from all involved that happened as another seventeen students accepted their places. This is never easy, and students differ in how they manage an incredible journey: I will always remain amazed at their resilience; yes, they need support but goodness me do they flourish and enrich the communities from where they came and without doubt the communities they join. A big part of this ongoing process has been the development and formalisation of a student mentoring programme, developed by Sue Yates, the former Head of Blacon High and supported financially and in many other ways by RNCSF. This initiative has become a positive and supportive element of our offer as existing and former students take part in the initiative. There were many other highlights in the period, to be taken forward in several key opportunities we are working on to, grow, learn, and enhance our work, not just with bursary students but with all students in our member schools. At the time of drafting this report we are making progress on the following: - Exploring new routes to create opportunity for our member school students that includes employment and apprenticeships with local, regional and nation organisations - Developing a ‘aspire and engage programme’ for our members - Developing a student and wellbeing coaching and support programme; whole person approach - Working with and creating a mutual support network for parents and guardians - Collaborating with new partners and sharing our knowledge - Developing an impact assessment And finally, we welcomed three new colleagues, David Owen as a Trustee who immediately volunteered to conduct a review of HOT; and Sue Tedford who is working alongside Debbie whilst developing the Aspire and Engage initiative. Thirdly Clare Hamm who manages our finances just perfectly. I apologise for the parts I have missed out, but it is a snapshot and that is my excuse. _John_ _CEO and Trustee_ ## **6. Audit Certificate** As a CIO HOT has a gross income above £25K but below £500K therefore requiring an independent examination, the certificate for which is given below. Further financial details are available upon request. Contact: John Denny CEO at, john.denny2013@gmail.com PRO FORMA AUDIT CERTIFICATE Soction 1.. TO BE COMPLETEO 8Y THE PERSON AUDITING THE UNOFFICIAL FUNDS I have examined Ihe record5 and $LWKJrting Ik*umentS felating to the folkm.ng Lanofftual fiJnd$ lE￿nging to HOPE OPPOR TUMTY TRUST Fund Name P•rlod Audtt•d To HOPE OPPORTUNITY TRUST 01 04 2Q20 31 032L121 verrfy that they form an accurate record of the tranW1￿S have ￿cUffed and the balan Date 27.01.2022 Please pnnt E5aw* in fuu Ja￿￿Pa￿er Bookkeeping Ser¥*ces Ltd S Newry Court. Chester Cheshire. CH22AZ Telephone Number 07957 858742 QualrfratJonlExFerience lo * as Audrt Over 30 ye8r5 + experien￿ in all aspects ofAccounis and Audit pre￿at￿)n Fund Audrt￿$ Cc￿MentS