Brighton Pebbles Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022
Brighton Pebbles is registered charity number 1166802.
It is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered on 28[th] April 2016, having been operating as an unincorporated organisation since January 2008.
- The main contact address for the charity is: 37 Graham Avenue, Portslade, Brighton, BN41 2WN
The management committee is made up of 5 trustees who are all parent carers of children and young people with disabilities.
The trustees are: Lisa Hinton (Friday Co-ordinator) Anna Hobbs (Secretary) Lorraine Roberts (Events Organiser) Rhianydd Summersett (Chair) Marian Tipler (Hon Treasurer)
In the event of a trustee leaving post, a new trustee would be sought from the bank of parent carers who are involved in the charity, drawing on relevant expertise to meet the requirements necessary at the time.
The charity also employs a Finance Officer / Fundraiser to carry out all of the administrative and organisational duties needed to keep the charity running.
As the charity is involved in dealing with families, we have a safeguarding policy in place to ensure we follow appropriate guidelines and procedures. Staff and Trustees have had safeguarding training and also have DBS checks carried out prior to taking their positions with the charity.
Charitable Objects
The object of the CIO is the promotion of social inclusion among families with disabled children and young people, who are socially excluded from society as a
result of their disability or challenging behaviour, by providing recreational facilities and opportunities for disabled children, their parents and carers and their siblings.
Activities
In planning activities for the year, the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit was taken into consideration at trustee meetings. Activities are open to any family known to the charity who have a child or young person with disabilities.
Activities are arranged to support families with disabled children and young people living in the Brighton & Hove area.
The main activity normally is the provision of a weekly afterschool drop in session for families, providing a safe, non-judgemental space with various activities for families to meet up and have fun together. Unfortunately, due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic these sessions were on hold from the previous year and started up again at the end of July 2021.
When lockdown restrictions eased, there have been regular days out organised throughout the year, mainly during school holidays as this is when families report the greatest isolation.
Again, due to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions we were able organise two breaks for families during the summer holidays – a camping trip and a group holiday in Kent.
Main achievements for the period
This year has seen an increase in activity as Covid-19 restrictions have eased.
The exercise class for parents and carers stayed online at the beginning of the year but returned to in person at the end of July and has continued each week throughout the year. It is attended by a small group of parent carers who benefit from doing exercise whilst meeting others.
The charity leases a beach hut from Adur District Council and this is used as a meeting point for families during the summer months, with parties, barbecues and picnics arranged evenings, weekends and school holidays. We were also able to offer the beach hut to individual families to hire, giving them a place to go to enjoy the seaside.
Days Out are a big part of what we offer at weekends and during school holidays as these times are when families report the most isolation.
The day trips have varied in size but attracted an average of 36 people. Our busiest trip this year was a Drusilla Zoo Park, which was for a total of 87 people!
Within this year we have arranged the following trips;
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2 visits to Groombridge Place
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Fishers Farm Park
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Knockhatch Adventure Park
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2 visits to Drusillas Zoo Park
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Footgolf
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2 visits to Sky High Trampoline Park
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2 visits to Pizza Hut followed by Bowling
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A Boat Trip from Brighton Marina
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A flight on the i360
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Amberley Working Museum
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2 visits to Paradise Park in Newhaven
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2 Discos at Portslade Sports Centre
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Pantomime
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Thames Valley Adventure Playground
We hired the Kench Hill Centre in Kent for a week in August and were able to offer a holiday to 15 families (a combination of 3 nights, 4 nights and whole week) A total of 58 people managed to get a break at this lovely place. We were able to fund carers to come along and help families, enabling them to actually have time to relax as a family. We also brought a cook to cater for such a large group. During the stay we arranged trips to the Kent & East Sussex Railway, the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway and Howlett’s Zoo as well as some onsite activities including a very wet Stream Walk and Archery.
We also arranged a camping trip to a local scout camp, enabling 11 families to share some time together – a total of 32 people.
During the period covered by this report Brighton Pebbles has provided activities for 64 different families consisting of 114 adults and 118 children.
Financial Review
The charity has a Reserve’s Policy, recognising it is good practice to hold 3 months’ worth of operational costs in the event of the charity needing to wind down. Currently this is estimated at £2657 which is within the £5740 held as free reserves as at 31[st] March 2022
.
Most of the charity’s funding comes from other grant making charities and organisations which are secured during the year.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we had not been able to do many of our regular activities last year so had carried over more funds than normal into the new financial
year. At the beginning of the period the charity was holding existing grants from the following organisations:-
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Capital grant from Brighton & Hove Council
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Co-op Community Grant
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Brighton District Nurses Association
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Henry Smith Grant
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Noel Bennett Fund (2 grants)
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Chalk Cliff Trust
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True Colours Trust Grant
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Brighton & Hove Council Summer Activities Grant
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Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation Grant
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Sussex Community Foundation Grant
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Tesco Groundworks Grant
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Brighton & Hove Mencap Grant
During the year we were fortunate to be granted funds from national grant giving charities:
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Localgiving Magic Little Grant
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Barbara Ward Children’s Foundation
And from Local Sources:
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Wellesley Charitable Foundation
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Amaze PaCC Partner Fund
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Brighton & Hove Mencap
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Noel Bennet Fund
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Chalk Cliff Trust
In addition, we were nominated as one of the chosen charities by Skerrits Independent Financial Advisers and Wealth Managers and have been receiving funds that their staff have raised through fundraising activities over the year.
We are extremely grateful for all these funders who have supported us and enabled us to continue to support our families.
We have also received donations from private individuals and from fundraising activities.
Brighton Pebbles aims to reduce social isolation for its families by offering activities for families to take part in within a safe and supportive environment. We feel that we
have achieved this during the period detailed in this report despite the difficult circumstances faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the first part of the year.
A couple of quotes from families who managed to attend some of our trips during the year:-
“We would really like to thank Pebbles so much for the opportunity to access these activities.
We have 11yr old twins, our son has been diagnosed with ASC for 2years and his sister is currently being assessed for ASC and dealing with extreme anxiety. To be able to have quality family time together with no expectations is just so valuable to us. It's a complete lifeline right now. The days themselves were absolutely lovely and thoroughly enjoyed.”
“We travelled on the Bluebell Railway and it was so good to hang out with other Pebbles people in the large carriage. My 4 year old grandson thought the steam train was amazing and even got to watch the coal being put in to the engine with an older friend he knew from the Pebbles play group on Fridays
We went to Groombridge Place and my 4 year old grandson was amazed when he saw the peacock with his feathers up.
We went to Knockhatch and my 4 year old grandson absolutely loved it! The sand and water play in the inclusive playground, the paddling pool with slide, the boating lake, the indoor soft play, the castle with the animated dragon...the list goes on! The funding from Pebbles meant that we could really enjoy the Easter holidays as a family this year.”
Independent Examiner’s report on the accounts
Report to the trustees of Brighton Pebbles CIO Registered Charity number 1166802
1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022
The accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and independent examiner
As the charity’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. You consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures specified in the General Directions of the Charity Commissioners (under section 145 (5)(b) of the Act) and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is give as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters laid out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner’s Report
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
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(a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act: and
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(b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or
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(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Kate Chapman Resource Centre 6 Tilbury Place Brighton BN2 0GY Date: 21[st] July 2022
Brighton Pebbles CIO Accounts for the period I" April 2021 to 31" March 2022 Registered charity Charity correspondent 1166802 MRS SALLY HOWELL 37 GRAHAM AVENUE PORTSLADE BRIGHTON These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and PaymeThts ba515from information and explanations supplied by the charitv. Kate Chapman Resource Centre 6 Tilbury Place Brighton BN2 CGY Date.. 22ndJune 2022 These accounts have been approved bythe Trustees of the charity. Signed by one or twoTrustees on behalf of all the Trustees Date t)Zl Page l of4
Brighton Pebbles {cp1166802j Rettlpts ar Paymefttsfmm lstAprl 2021 to315t Mar¢h 2022 2022 2021 MMRC..J(RVtftth$dW L054 3.262 èJkOiff fiust MwcLitHpGtants MW¢a#Brl&htonandWwe2DZQ 121Y) men(ap14htOffljnd Wtht2022 I9eEn Fund $se%coMmunItyFwvJb TE5[uGrfftdWor 875 875 L5 L5 DoThatl¢nsandglftd $3S 535 651 651 be, rorttrHxrtitsnfoiKerth Hi111022 mbers, ContrknAlDnka¢tltandrt4VSG 1216 3.216 5Z6 315 4Ember>'r¢nlilWons'. FrldrythoTr Fundr518¥il5 336 677 194 Bankifiterest Totsl Re£elpts 14399 1.87J 17.272 20J74 24142 Payments 2022 2021 Fihti¥Drop.In'.salarie5 FridiyDItsp4n.-Ot*erc05ts 3Jr2 778 4750 1615 3526 141 4.311 2.D38 4,331 4513 Its5 Parents'andtrIn&s'aCiI BE ht KenthHj112022 Staand¥ulttrep¥ AdmIThS35s 1.935 L9 475 4313 11748 170 170 635 474 635 637 147 563 insèiatie5 FUndFElnUeNPenses 317 317 96 Totsl Payments 28,879 I39 30.918 12A96 4394 16,889 Nel¥e451PBvrti fOrtj 20 114A 25.sn (J3.647) 30.578 7.679 17.992 S74 &253 22.325 4.3 Balance olfvndsot31stMarth2022 11.191 5,74) 16.931 25.671 4907 30.578 P¥E3of4
Brighton Pebbles (CIO No.1166802) Assets and Llabllltles at 31st March 2022 Community account Deposit Isavinesl account CotEè8e Indre5 account sh in har¥1 15,204 672 980 75 Total amets 16,931 Non-monetaryAssets none krfftn Uablllttes none kllown Re5trkted fund5 held at 31st Marth 2012 Balance Datefun05 remalnlng at recel¥ed 31st Marth 2022 2910712021 2410912014 2810212020 18103n022 Funder Borbara WaTd Children's Foundatioth-year2 Bri8hton and Hove Clty Council, Manor Gym Capitsl Grant Chalk Cliff Trust 2020 1.801 921 Chalk Cliff Trv512022 Ftinton Activity Fd KenEh Hill 2.2 2,237 757 Local GNing Iskeryits fvndr3i5in81 Mencap Brighton and Htr•e Noel BeTrnel Fund Sussexcommunfty FOuM1atn 2020 121OID022 1811212021 2711112020 575 Reslrirttd funds held at 31st March 2022 11.191 5.740 NB Some additILy myvary by+l-£l Ouetorottndln8 PaEc4 of 4