2024-03-31-accounts

THE ANNUAL TRUSTEES’ REPORT

FOR

PETERBOROUGH & DISTRICT SAMARITANS

PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2024

Registered Charity No 1165414

441 Lincoln Road, Peterborough PE1 2PE

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Annual Trustees’ Report for Peterborough & District Samaritans

Contents

Page

• 3 Name

• 3 Charity Registration Number 3 Address

• 3 Constitution

• 3 Aims

• 3/4 Achieving the aims 4/5 Organisation 5 Public Benefit

• 5 / 6 Trustees

• 6 Investment and Reserves Policy

• 6 Professional Advisers

• 7 Report of Independent Examiners

• 8 Accounts and Balance Sheet: Section A Receipts and Payments

9 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities

Copies of the Trustees’ Annual Report, Accounts 2023-24 and of the Constitution of the Charity are available on request from: The Secretary, Peterborough & District Samaritans, 441 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2PE.

Any enquiries concerning the activities of Peterborough & District Samaritans should be addressed to the Director at the above address.

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Annual Report of the Trustees of Peterborough & District Samaritans

1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024

1. The official name of the charity is Peterborough & District Samaritans also known as the Peterborough Branch of Samaritans.

2. The registration number with the Charity Commission is 1165414.

3. The official address of the charity is 441 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2PE.

4. The charity is recognised as a Branch of Samaritans , a registered Charity and a company limited by guarantee not having share capital, incorporated under the Companies Act 1948 on 11 April 1963, whose Registered Office is The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell, KT17 2AF.

5. The aims of the Charity are:

• To work for the assistance of persons who are suicidal, despairing or in distress by providing a service primarily for the benefit of those in Peterborough and the surrounding area, and also for callers nationally.

• To enable such persons to receive immediate help, compassion and befriending from members of the Charity selected and prepared for the purpose, working under direction.

• Where appropriate, in accordance with Samaritan procedure, to refer to persons having specialist or professional skills.

• To support the Charity and aid in the establishment and support of recognised branches of Samaritans

6. To achieve the aims:

• The Charity maintains a minimum of two volunteers on duty in the Centre supported by a Leader and a Duty Deputy Director on call. At least two telephone lines are open to receive calls. Callers may visit the Centre between 10.00am and 4.00pm every day (this is currently suspended postCovid restrictions pending new safety guidance). The Charity responds to chat messages on two evenings per week as part of the Samaritans’ online service. There are regular visits to support Prisoner Listeners at HMP North Sea Camp and HMP Peterborough, male and female establishments. The Charity is represented on the Safer Custody group at each prison. It also works with other charities and partner organisations to deliver services

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outside the Branch, including as a member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Suicide Prevention Implementation Group.

• All members of the Charity, including the Director and other Office holders, are volunteers and receive no remuneration for the time and commitment they contribute to furthering the Charity’s aims. New volunteers, after a rigorous selection process, receive initial training and serve a probationary period before being accepted as full Members of the Charity. Volunteers attend quarterly meetings and participate in regular online and direct training sessions. Representatives of the Charity attend meetings and training workshops with other branches, regionally and nationally.

• The Charity participates in a Quality Review process undertaken by Quality Mentors appointed by the Council of Samaritans to ensure that standards and practice are consistent throughout the organisation. The latest was conducted remotely in August 2020.

• As well as publicity provided by the national charity, the Branch raises awareness of its services through the local media, social media, attendance at events and activities, and by distributing posters and leaflets. Volunteers also give talks on request to other organisations such as businesses, community groups, colleges and schools to ensure that more people are aware of our services and of how to volunteer with us.

• The Charity is generously supported by a number of local individuals, organisations and donors. Officers also apply for grants and project funds from local and national organisations. Volunteers within the Charity organise fund-raising activities and events. The Charity receives assistance from the Samaritans Central Charity in communications, training and policy support. In turn, the Charity contributes part of its income to recognise this national support.

• The Charity operates from leased property approximately one mile north of the city centre, comprising two Operations Rooms, interview room, and kitchen area.

7. The Organisation of the Charity

• All aspects of the work of the Charity, including the recruitment, training and welfare of volunteers, are the responsibility of the Director who is appointed, on members’ nomination, by the Council of Samaritans for a period of three years. The Director has absolute authority over the day-to-day conduct and management of the work of the Charity in pursuance of its objectives. The Director may appoint one or more Deputy Directors and Leaders, is in charge of all members of the Charity, and allocates duties or arranges for them to be allocated. The Director represents the Charity on the Council of Samaritans.

• The current Director was confirmed by the Regional Director of Samaritans and took up post in May 2023.

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• The Trustees are responsible for all aspects of the administration of the Charity, its property, finances, fundraising and general affairs as part of the Branch Leadership Team.

• The Trustees of the Charity are the Director and not more than ten members (including a Secretary and a Treasurer) elected by the membership at a General Meeting. The Trustees can co-opt up to two further Trustees who will serve until the following AGM.

8. Public Benefit

• In planning our activities for the year, the Trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.

• By offering support as set out above in our Aims, we seek to help people find ways of coping with their distress without choosing to die by suicide. We also seek to support those whose distress is less acute, in the hope that they will not reach the point of feeling that they wish to end their lives. As stated earlier, we make our support available in many ways, including by telephone, online chat, face to face, in prisons, and at other locations or events.

• The Director’s Report (published separately) sets out the main achievements of the Branch in furthering the aims outlined in Section 5, including the number and type of contacts made during the year.

• The Branch provides a service primarily intended for the benefit of persons in Peterborough and the surrounding district. However, it also works in cooperation with all Samaritans Branches to ensure 24 hour availability of the service across the UK, free of charge.

9. Trustees of the Charity during the period were:

Name Position Held Term of Appointment Phil Green Director / Trustee Ex officio from May 2023 Martin Cragg Trustee / ex-Director Re-elected at AGM 13 September 2023 Gill Graper Trustee / Secretary Re-elected at AGM 13 September 2023 Keith Turnbull Trustee / Treasurer Re-elected at AGM 13 September 2023 Susan Scammell Trustee / Mentor Elected at AGM 13 September 2023 Ivan Walker Trustee / BPSO Elected at AGM 13 September 2023

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Trustees (other than the Director) are elected by volunteers at a General Meeting or are coopted by the Trustees. All Trustees complete the Samaritans Trustee induction online training and are expected to participate in other relevant training as appropriate. Co-opted Trustees who are not listening volunteers are asked to attend the first session of initial training for volunteers in order to understand more fully the ethos of the organisation.

The Trustees regularly consider the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, notably potential financial or operating risks, and consider the various safeguards to mitigate these risks including internal controls and systems. The Branch sets an annual budget. Management accounts and financial statements are presented regularly at the Branch Leadership Team meetings.

10. Investment and Reserves Policy

Reserves in excess of day-to-day needs are invested in funds managed by CCLA Investment Management who offer a range of investments designed for charities. These are reviewed by the Trustees to ensure that they continue to perform adequately and offer a responsible and ethical investment medium.

The Charity’s accounts are published alongside this report and on the Charity Commission website. The Treasurer’s report is published separately and presented at the AGM.

The Trustees consider that, as a charity dependent almost wholly on voluntary giving, specific or general grants and one-off donations, it is appropriate to maintain commensurate reserves which would enable the charity to continue to fund its activities for between 1.5 and 2.5 years.

11. Professional Advisers

Banks HSBC, Cathedral Square, Peterborough, PE1 1XL Co-Operative Bank, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4EP Insurers Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, GL1 1JZ AXA Insurance UK PLC (Commercial) Independent Bulley Davey Chartered Accountants, 6 North Street, Oundle, PE8 4AL Examiners

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Rocel ts and a ments accounts CC16a pction A Receii)tS 311d payinents UnreStrld47d ndo nd• 7111 XJ4F ARJ 5.376 1.0 43.3 3.1 42.114 43,J60 &101 41.174 14 141,* 121,

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