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2023-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period December 2021 to September 2023

The Clare Project

Charity number: 1165746

Objectives and Activities

To preserve and protect the good health of people, particularly those who are or who identify as transgender and those who support them by providing a safe and supportive environment for people to explore issues surrounding their gender identity and to be affirmed in their journey through a weekly drop in; psychotherapeutic support; crisis support and such other services as the trustees shall think fit.

Activities – how the charity spends its money

Peer support and signposting for those questioning their gender identity or struggling with gender norms in society. We provide safe spaces to nurture and inform as well as providing information to individuals seeking to change their assigned gender. Activities include drop-in support groups, psychotherapeutic support, health and social care advice and advocacy services.

What the charity does:

Who the charity helps:

How the charity helps:

Where the charity operates:

Brighton and Hove, East Sussex

Trustees Annual Report 2023, The Clare Project, Charity no. 1165746

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Achievements and Performance

Our third year of National Lottery funding, together with Covid-response funding, enabled us to deliver a high frequency of 1:1 support as groups again became busier and flourished. Our diversifying range of activities expanded into Group Nourish, to provide a cooking-sharing space informed by therapeutic approaches; the continuation and development of Online Socials, as increased in popularity throughout the pandemic; and the introduction of an Over 50s group via our involvement in the Aging Well Partnership. Further to this, LGBT Consortium continued to support our Community Investment Programme and focussed on the upskilling of grassroots groups across Sussex, and the birth of Sussex Transcendence.

NHS Sussex commissioned TCP to develop the Trans Health Improvement Group in support of the Trans Health Improvement Board, to continue on local healthcare provision developments across all areas of healthcare. NHS Sussex also continued to fund TNBI regular community awareness training for all GPs via Trans Locally Commissioned Services. This was successfully rolled out to over 60 GP surgeries across Sussex. In 2022-23 TCP engaged with well over 2,000 TNBI adults across Sussex with respect to their health and well-being, through our drop-in, regular ‘Meet and Eat’, neurodivergent group and online social.

Beyond this, TCP continues to work with Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust towards the development of a local Sussex Gender Service (SGS) Pilot, which thus far has included engaging with over 1,000 TNBI community members from across Sussex through surveys and focus groups. Throughout the mobilisation phase of the service, from April to September 2023, TCP supported approximately 40 community members to participate in over 300 hours of involvement activity, including interview panels for SGS staff, co-creation of communications material, SGS website, FAQ resources, and much more.

We began to see an increase in fundraising activity, including via consultancy/training and through local fundraising such as gig events, business donations and generous donations. There has been a significant uptake in the commissioning of community-engagement activities, including co-production and involvement projects, with the aim of becoming more inclusive of our trans, non-binary and intersex communities.

The year saw increasing challenges among our local population, notably in constant anti-trans signalling in the political arena, mainstream media and social media. Inequity in healthcare continues to be a severe problem, leading to additional stressors and poor mental health, most notably due to severe delays and lack of provision. All of this also leads to increased incidence of suicidality, which places added pressures on our team, whom we take care to support.

Although TCP’s charitable aims are not focussed on campaigns, the current climate has reminded us of the need to advocate on behalf of TNBI people to counter transphobia, and especially scaremongering influence in political circles. To this extent, we have communicated our concerns to both local and county-wide politicians, alongside sharing concerns on a variety of regional and national platforms. We continue to accurately inform, support and influence our allied voluntary and statutory sector partners to stand alongside us against these challenges. Beyond this, we continue to utilise our authenticity and strength as one of the UK’s largest TNBI-led charities to push for community involvement, equity and inclusion.

We continue to build on supporting and advocating for our communities locally, by participating in the Brighton & Hove City Council Trans Sub Equip Group, hosting TNBI

Trustees Annual Report 2023, The Clare Project, Charity no. 1165746

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Community Groups Roundtable with Brighton & Hove Councillors, to review progress with the B&H Trans Needs Assessment, trans awareness training for councillors, and commitment to the city’s Trans Inclusion Toolkit for schools (especially in light of the proposed non-statutory guidance from the Government). We have pressed for inclusivity and authentic representation across city services to combat misinformation and disinformation about TNBI lives.

In 2023, we began to diversify support options for staff and volunteers, via supervision, career mentorship, mapping out priority areas for improving internal infrastructure and governance, including building of our knowledge base and diversifying the Board.

During the period to end 2023, The Clare Project continued to grow, both in income and staff.

We have successfully navigated significant change in anticipated sources on income, restructured employee roles and adjusted to best meet the needs of our service users in a difficult environment. This has included a shift from relying solely on grants to inclusive NHS commissions and contracts, alongside joining new and evolving partnerships such as Aging Well and Third Sector Commission.

Our income streams remain diversified, with a balance of unrestricted and restricted funds, with a commitment to ensuring we look to generate further unrestricted funds through trading our insight and expertise.

The number of employees and regular workers increased to 12 from 7.

We continued to demonstrate credible standing in supporting and defending the rights and well-being of all LGBTQI+ people.

The past year has highlighted the need to be a resilient organisation, collaborating with, but not dependent on, peer LGBTQI+ organisations in the area, whilst also reaching out to trusted allies beyond these usual realms. We will continue to defend and advocate strongly on behalf of our staff, volunteers and beneficiaries.

Areas of focus for improvement.

Inclusivity and intersectionality remain a priority for representation across the organisation, in order to demonstrate true equality and equity in our services. We acknowledge the need for focus and persistence in achieving this. We are conscious of specifically needing to act to ensure that we take an equitable and anti-oppressive approach to being representative of our diverse communities.

TCP looks to build upon our team’s development and learning, through high quality and community-led training/resources, improving our recruitment and retention processes, and developing support options/tools for all internal stakeholders.

As advocates, we have a valid voice in representing the authenticity of TNBI lives and their lived experience, including the impact of anti-trans or anti-gender proponents limiting their valid diversity, equality and inclusion. 2024 will bring a number of changes and potential risks, promising manufactured ‘culture wars’, not least around transgender people, but also many other oppressed and intersecting groups. We will continue to take a measured and equitable approach to combat the effects of this, ensuring we do everything we can to uplift the voices of those we serve.

Trustees Annual Report 2023, The Clare Project, Charity no. 1165746

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Financial Review – Accounts April 2022-March 2023

Throughout this period, The Clare Project has made a sizeable shift from being solely dependent on charity grant funding to receiving both NHS and statutory commissions, training income, and unrestricted donations. The third and final year of the National Lottery Funding was an accumulation of growing engagement throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in peak activities, particularly throughout Autumn 2022-early 2023 regularly seeing over 300 beneficiaries per month.

This three-year period was paramount in springboarding TCP into becoming a flagship charity for TNBI people in Sussex, and set us in a strong position for diversifying financial income with this great experience on our side. Although this funding was not renewed, looking to 2023-2024 we utilised this change to explore alternative opportunities for funding, including grant partnerships, consortium bids and the commissioning of our involvement activities.

This period was considered healthy in its balance of restricted funds, some of which carried forward as a result of underspends in the earlier years of the pandemic. The re-allocation of some funds were at times requiring prompt negotiation, however, gratefully funders were often flexible in finding the most appropriate and applicable solution in the interest of supporting our communities. There were no significant underspends for this period, however it is notable that towards the end of the financial year there were some anticipated overspends for early 23/24 due to challenges closing services which had unforeseen cuts to funding.

During the year we have also achieved the following:

Treasurer comment: Income from grants & donations was at its highest level ever - £193,310 (£132,539 – 2022) and much of this allowed us to increase expenditure on employees to service the Charities aims and front-line services – total wages (including psychotherapists and freelancers) were £139,860 (£90,764- 2022).

The balance sheet remains healthy with £23,225 of restricted funds to be carried forward into the new financial year and the surplus of un-restricted funds, generated in the year, of £19,908 can be added to the brought forward surplus of £26,474 – a total of £46,382.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governance developments have included safeguarding practices and staff development.

In the current period, Emma Eley and Fiona Allen were appointed as new trustees. Kamilla Kamaruddin resigned as trustee in the year. We hope to appoint several new trustees in the coming months to bring new expertise and diversity.

Trustees Annual Report 2023, The Clare Project, Charity no. 1165746

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Reference and Administrative details

The Clare Project Dorset Gardens Methodist Church Dorset Gardens Brighton BN2 1RL

Charity number: 1165746

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Andie Davidson Chair 01 August 2019 Charlotte Fonfara Trustee 06 December 2021 Emma Eley Trustee 05 December 2022 Fiona Allen Trustee 05 December 2022 Maria Young Trustee 25 May 2021

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

The Charity holds no funds on behalf of others.

Declarations

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

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Andie Davidson Position Chair of Trustees Date 08 January 2023

Trustees Annual Report 2023, The Clare Project, Charity no. 1165746

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The Clare Project Financial Activities by Restricted & Unrestricted Funds April 2022 - March 2023

Income
Expenses
Net Operating Income
Total Restricted brought forward
Other Expenses
Depreciation
Restricted Funds Carried Forward
Total Other Expenditures
Net
Net Income/(Expenditure)		 Total Restricted Total Un-
Restricted		 TOTAL
139,999
150,060		 53,310
32,077		 193,310
182,136
-10,060 21,233 11,173
33,285
23,225		 61
1,387
0		 33,346
1,387
23,225
23,225 1,387 24,612
0 -1,326 -1,326
0 19,908 19,908

The Clare Project Balance Sheet

As of March 31, 2023

Tangible assets
Fixed Asset
Cash at bank and in hand
Debtors
Total Assets
Current Liabilities
Creditors
Current Liabilities
Total Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net current assets (liabilities)
Total assets less current liabilities
Provision for liabilities and charges
Total net assets (liabilities)
Charity funds
Retained Earnings
Surplus/(Deficit)
Total Charity funds		 Total
2,767
39,717
52,195
91,911
6,453
37,350
43,803
48,108
50,875
4,493
46,382
26,474
19,908
46,382

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name THE CLARE PROJECT members of On accounts for the year 31 MARCH 2023 Charity no 1165746 ended (if any) Set out on pages (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/ 03 /2023.

Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report 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 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

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.

Signed: Date: 24/01/2024 Name: MRS SUSHMA CLARK Relevant professional CIMA qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 10 SUDELEY PLACE BRIGHTON BN2 1HF

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Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

N/A

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