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2024-03-31-accounts

Digitally Signed Document Document ID: 8CDC9843FDCF68

Document Details

Filename: H146-2024 Full charity accounts.pdf
Client of: Johnsons

Signature Details

Name: Robert Philip Stringer
Email: robert@stringermann.com
Date & Time: 31/01/2025 12:06:53 PM (GMT)
IP Address: 81.133.49.161
Signing Statement: Robert Philip Stringer confirms that the
information is correct and complete to the best of
their knowledge and belief.

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REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1165588

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024

for

HECTORS HOUSE

Johnsons, Chartered Accountants 1-2 Craven Road Ealing London W5 2UA

HECTORS HOUSE

Contents of the Financial Statements FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Page
Report of the Trustees 1 to 5
Independent Examiner's Report 6
Statement of Financial Activities 7
Balance Sheet 8
Notes to the Financial Statements 9 to 13
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities 14

HECTORS HOUSE

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The charity's objective is to help prevent suicide, by:

1) Making it easier to recognise the symptoms and to improve acceptance of mental health illness in society and try to improve discussion and communication and promote talking in society, so that the public might help with mental illness

2) Increasing available help and resources

3) Education of the public

Page 1

HECTORS HOUSE

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitable activities

Summary of main activities in relation to these objectives

In planning our activities for the year, the trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. The main activities to further the objects include; delivering suicide alertness training (safeTALK) to improve discussions and communication in our local area around suicide and mental health, raising more awareness with numerous stalls and events attended by the Hector's House team, increasing our listening ear and suicide intervention capacity with the hire of a new member of support staff.

We have attended many seminars and are active members on steering groups such as Support After Suicide Bereavement (SASP), The National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA) as well as local boards as Just Talk Network and other Council-led Suicide Prevention Group in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We have delivered suicide bereavement talks and opened discussion around Youth Suicide to Heath Care UK (HCUK) and are in regular talks with Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust (HPFT) and other local NHS foundations. We have been strengthening our connections with other charities and community groups, and aim to maintain and develop these relationships further next year.

Most significantly, we have greatly improved our relations with Hertfordshire County Council and have been commissioned to deliver a number of projects in Hertfordshire - such as improving support for someone who is caring a person at crisis following a suicide attempt (in partnership with local charity Carers in Hertfordshire), as well as the implementation of a peer support group for anyone who has a history of attempted suicide.

The charity has also been successful in increasing the skills and resources available to our beneficiaries. We continue to improve and adapt our triage of support with a trauma-informed approach, and have expanded our number of trusted therapists to meet the needs of our beneficiaries. Our staff and event volunteers have been trained in safeTALK (Suicide Alertness For Everyone) to ensure anyone connected to the charity is confident in talking openly and directly about suicide. Our signposting and connections to other mental health organisations has also been improved, meaning a more timely and effective service for our beneficiaries. Last year, with the support of Heart of Bucks funding, we launched a new male peer support group, Hector's Gentle-Man's Club, where men get together to do new activities. Feedback from this group led to the development and launch of a 'brother' group HecTalk, which focuses on open discussion rather than activities. Our weekly meditation classes are still continuing, providing much solace for the attendees, and lead to us doing our first wellness retreat for regular attendees.

Our activity online increased; ensuring regular activity on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - which are important for spreading mental health awareness and signposting to existing resources.

Summary of main achievements

Hector's House had another amazing year of growth and development in 2023-24, and the team and board of trustees are incredibly grateful to our community and funders for all of their support. This vital funding has meant we were able to greatly increase our capacity - particularly in the support services we offer. The charity has seen an increase in demand for our services this year, so the funding secured has enabled us to offer more therapy sessions, school talks and listening ear sessions - as well as the implementation of our men's peer support group Hector's Gentle-Man's Club.

We were also delighted to be in a position to increase our staffing - with the hire of a new member of the support team. This has increased our capacity and strengthened the existing services offered.

The team has worked hard to raise awareness about the work we do this year through attending events, running awareness stalls and improving our networking and number of volunteers. This has led to many exciting awareness projects and opportunities, such as being a partner for the hit ITV show The Masked Singer!

The Hector's House team are thrilled we have increased our peer support groups with the launch of both the men's group HecTalk and a group for carer's of people attempting suicide. We are very proud of the work we are doing with local government bodies, particularly in Hertfordshire where we are increasing support and awareness of services for both carers and people at crisis.

Page 2

HECTORS HOUSE

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Awareness

The awareness for mental health services has been greatly improved for the charity thanks to the hard work of our team, particularly our Fundraising Officer who has ran a number of awareness events. They have also focused on increasing the number of volunteers connected to the charity to ensure we can be more visible to the public, thus improving our community's awareness of our services and where to turn to for mental health support. These events have proven successful, as we have had more and more interest in the work we do across the board - from school talks to support calls.

Our networking has resulted in a number of exciting partnerships - namely with the primetime ITV show The Masked Singer, where we were delighted to be their Charity of the Year. This was a huge opportunity for Hector's House to raise awareness about open discussions about mental health, and to destigmatise suicide in our community. We ensured the maintenance of our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to reach as many people in our local area as possible. Our digital activity has resulted in a growth of our number of followers and website users.

Education

Our popular mental health wellbeing workshop Eat Move Love was well received by 25 local schools and organisations this year - including 19 local secondary schools across Bucks and Herts.

This year, a team member trained to deliver the CPD-accredited course called safeTALK - which is an internationally recognised suicide alertness training by LivingWorks Education. This course is a fantastic tool in making our community safer to suicide, as it gives attendees the skills and knowledge on how to spot the signs of suicide and how to get the person to safety in easy-to-follow steps. We have now trained 46 suicide alert helpers in the area, which has already proven to be life-saving. Thanks to this training, attendees spotted the signs of suicide in others and contacted Hector's House. As a result we've directly supported 9 individuals with a suicide intervention and safety plan thanks to this course.

Alongside this we've done workshops on transitioning from school to university, staying safe over summer breaks, understanding youth suicide, healing from suicide bereavement and have successfully developed a new wellbeing workshop that incorporates the 5 Ways to Wellbeing in practical steps, which has proven very successful with many booked for 2024.

Working in Partnership

This year we partnered with a local charity Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Service South Buckinghamshire (RSASS) to trial student counsellor placements for 4 trainee counsellors. We have also worked closely with RSASS to ensure all their staff and volunteers are trained in safeTALK, making them a charity that is safer to suicide when working with their service users.

We have also partnered with the charity Carers in Hertfordshire, thanks to our work with Hertfordshire County Council, to co-deliver a peer support group for carers who are looking after someone attempting suicide or at crisis point. This has worked very well, and the feedback from the groups has been hugely positive so far. We will continue these groups into 2024 and hopefully 2025 if funding is secured.

Hertfordshire County Council and Hector's House have begun work on joint projects, such as improving support for carers as above. We are also working on developing a peer support group for people with a history of attempting suicide called Compassionate Herts - including the development of online and physical resources for both projects. We are also providing wellbeing support for the Public Health team, particularly during challenging conversations and activities they have to undertake. This has been something the Hector's House team are immensely proud of, and we look forward to continuing this work into 2024.

Hector's House are a voluntary sector representative for the suicide prevention board in Buckinghamshire, supporting the creation and implementation of their new 5-year suicide prevention strategy.

We sit on the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA), Support After Suicide Partnership (SASP), and a number of Suicide Prevention steering, task and finish groups in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. We have attended digital conferences and work closely with any organisation who may need our insights or lived experiences to benefit their own work in the community.

Page 3

HECTORS HOUSE

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Support

The amount of support offered this year has been greatly increased thanks to the success in fundraising and in the awareness raised of our services. We funded 82 therapy and counselling sessions in 23/24 and were able to deliver 98 hours of tailored signposting and listening ear support to individuals in need of mental health care/crisis interventions.

Our team continues to learn and grow their own skills and knowledge - including counselling skills, awareness of suicide and neurodiversity, domestic and sexual abuse and how suicide impacts the LGBTQ+ and racialised communities. We are continually learning and ensuring we maintain a trauma-informed approach that is accessible to all residents of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

We have delivered over 107 hours of support groups this year, with many attendees needing further support outside of the group setting. Our peer support group Hector's Gentle-Man's Club is now well established and its 'brother' group HecTalk was successfully instated, with a number of male attendees feeding back to us to say how useful they found the opportunity to openly discuss their feelings. The weekly meditation sessions have also had positive feedback, and continues to flourish since its development during lockdown in 2020. This year, we ran a free wellbeing day retreat for regular attendees which was very popular. We've also held our first carers groups in January and February, and can already see the benefit to these sessions.

Our future support goals are to continue the growth and quality of our services, which will be helped with the hire of a new member of the support team this year as demand for our services grows. This work has been invaluable to our beneficiaries, so we are so grateful to our community for their unwavering support.

FINANCIAL REVIEW Reserves policy

Restricted Reserves

We were fortunate to secure a number of grants to fund our support services. Our restricted reserves are £284.

Statement of the charity's policy on reserves

In setting the reserves policy, the Board of Trustees considers the need to provide against any future income shortfall, fulfil working capital requirements and allow funds to be available to support service developments. This is balanced against the need to spend reserves now to deliver services to meet beneficiary needs.

The target range for free reserves has been set at between six and twelve months of general expenditure, which as of 31 March 2024 equates to £ 41,830 and £ 83,660 respectively. We are fortunate to have free reserves of £207,037.

Our administration costs have increased this year due to the hire of a new member of staff and to meet demands of our services. This has been incredibly beneficial to the charity as we have seen an increase in demand - ensuring every person (beneficiary or fundraiser) receives the best care and attention possible.

With the increasing demands for support, we always need to keep funds in hand to offer an immediate response, and to ensure 12 months of continued beneficiary care . Our ultimate goal remains to have a physical Hector's Ho use building - with counselling rooms, offices for staff and volunteers, training rooms, wellbeing rooms with necessary equipment. The reserves need to continue to build for the trustees to consider designating funds for this facility, whether rented or bought. It is believed the current level of reserves are not excessive given the increasing costs in the year ahead, the funds raised are all ad hoc.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document,a deed of trust dated 24 November 2014 and constitutes an unincorporated charity.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number

1165588

Page 4

HECTORS HOUSE

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Principal address

c/o Stringer Mann 236A High Street Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1AG

Trustees

R P Stringer Mrs B Stringer Ms J Cornell A Cornell Ms C Rowland Ms D Millar

Independent Examiner

E Cartwright FCCA FMAAT Johnsons, Chartered Accountants 1-2 Craven Road Ealing London W5 2UA

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 31 January 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

R P Stringer - Trustee

Page 5

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Hectors House

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Hectors House

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Hectors House (the Trust) for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

E Cartwright FCCA FMAAT The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Johnsons, Chartered Accountants 1-2 Craven Road Ealing London W5 2UA

31 January 2025

Page 6

HECTORS HOUSE

Statement of Financial Activities FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
152,585
Investment income
2
1,759
Total
154,344
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
15,725
Charitable activities
Charitable Activities
38,993
Other
598
Total
55,316
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
99,028
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
108,009
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
207,037
Restricted
fund
£
45,663
-
45,663
-
47,374
-
47,374
(1,711)
1,995
284
2024
Total
funds
£
198,248
1,759
200,007
15,725
86,367
598
102,690
97,317
110,004
207,321
2023
Total
funds
£
87,603
63
87,666
272
83,385
797
84,454
3,212
106,792
110,004

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 7

HECTORS HOUSE

Balance Sheet 31 MARCH 2024

Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
5
1,793
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
6
2,593
Cash at bank and in hand
205,035
207,628
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year
7
(2,384)
NET CURRENT ASSETS
205,244
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT
LIABILITIES
207,037
NET ASSETS
207,037
FUNDS
8
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS
Restricted
fund
£
-
-
4,451
4,451
(4,167)
284
284
284
2024
Total
funds
£
1,793
2,593
209,486
212,079
(6,551)
205,528
207,321
207,321
207,037
284
207,321
2023
Total
funds
£
2,391
2,593
105,638
108,231
(618)
107,613
110,004
110,004
108,009
1,995
110,004

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 31 January 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

R P Stringer - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 8

HECTORS HOUSE

Notes to the Financial Statements FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

BASIS OF PREPARING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The trustees have opted to prepare the accounts under the receipts and payments basis.

INCOME

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

EXPENDITURE

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Motor vehicles - 25% on reducing balance

TAXATION

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

FUND ACCOUNTING

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

PENSION COSTS AND OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFITS

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charity's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

2. INVESTMENT INCOME

INVESTMENT INCOME
2024 2023
£ £
Deposit account interest 1,759 63

3. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

In accordance with the terms of the charity's trust deed, C Stringer was paid £25,750 in 2023 for administration services and for preparing and delivering awareness and education presentation but has not been paid in the year.

TRUSTEES' EXPENSES

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2024 nor for the year ended 31 March 2023.

continued...

Page 9

HECTORS HOUSE

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

4.
COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
Unrestricted
fund
£
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies
87,603
Investment income
63
Total
87,666
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
272
Charitable activities
Charitable Activities
83,385
Other
797
Total
84,454
NET INCOME
3,212
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward
104,797
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
108,009
5.
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
COST
At 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024
DEPRECIATION
At 1 April 2023
Charge for year
At 31 March 2024
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2023
Restricted
Total
fund
funds
£
£
-
87,603
-
63
-
87,666
-
272
-
83,385
-
797
-
84,454
-
3,212
1,995
106,792
1,995
110,004
Motor
vehicles
£
4,250
1,859
598
2,457
1,793
2,391

continued...

Page 10

HECTORS HOUSE

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

6.
DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Other debtors
7.
CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Taxation and social security
Other creditors
8.
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
At 1.4.23
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
108,009
Restricted funds
Restricted funds
1,995
TOTAL FUNDS
110,004
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
154,344
Restricted funds
Restricted funds
45,663
TOTAL FUNDS
200,007
2024
2023
£
£
2,593
2,593
2024
2023
£
£
1,193
618
5,358
-
6,551
618
Net
movement
At
in funds
31.3.24
£
£
99,028
207,037
(1,711)
284
97,317
207,321
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(55,316)
99,028
(47,374)
(1,711)
(102,690)
97,317

continued...

Page 11

HECTORS HOUSE

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

At 1.4.22
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
104,797
Restricted funds
Restricted funds
1,995
TOTAL FUNDS
106,792
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
87,666
TOTAL FUNDS
87,666
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:
At 1.4.22
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
104,797
Restricted funds
Restricted funds
1,995
TOTAL FUNDS
106,792
Net
movement
At
in funds
31.3.23
£
£
3,212
108,009
-
1,995
3,212
110,004
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(84,454)
3,212
(84,454)
3,212

Net
movement
At
in funds
31.3.24
£
£
102,240
207,037
(1,711)
284
100,529
207,321

continued...

Page 12

HECTORS HOUSE

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted funds
General fund
Restricted funds
Restricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS
Incoming
resources
£
242,010
45,663
287,673
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(139,770)
102,240
(47,374)
(1,711)
(187,144)
100,529

9. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Page 13

HECTORS HOUSE

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Donations and legacies
Donations
Gift aid
Grants
Investment income
Deposit account interest
Total incoming resources
EXPENDITURE
Raising donations and legacies
Fundraising
Charitable activities
Wages
Pensions
Insurance
Raising awareness & education
Counselling fees
Admin expenses
Accountancy
Training & conferences
Other
Motor vehicles
Total resources expended
Net income
2024
£
111,584
-
86,664
198,248
1,759
200,007
15,725
49,946
1,190
2,596
-
15,771
12,728
3,903
233
86,367
598
102,690
97,317
2023
£
66,510
2,593
18,500
87,603
63
87,666
272
56,926
1,024
476
228
10,220
11,444
1,455
1,612
83,385
797
84,454
3,212

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

Page 14