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← Brighton Pebbles

2024-03-31-accounts

Brighton Pebbles Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024

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 management committee is made up of 6 trustees who are all parent/carers of children and young people with disabilities.

The trustees are:

Nicola Billington, Lisa Hinton, Anastasia Langford, Lorraine Roberts, Rhianydd Summersett and Marian Tipler

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.

Regular Activities

Our regular activities include:

Main achievements for the period

In addition to our regular activities, we also arrange various other events through the year.

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 family day trips have varied in size but attracted an average of 20 people during this period. Our busiest trip this year was a boat trip from Brighton Marina, which was for a total of 77 people!

Within this year we have arranged the following trips:

We have also started some trips specifically for young people aged 18-25 and their parents/carers. These have included a lunch meet up and a train trip to Eastbourne.

For parents, we organised a Christmas lunch meet up. Some of the dads also went on a weekend away in Slovenia.

We hired the Kench Hill Centre in Kent for a week in August and were able to offer a holiday to 13 families (a combination of 3 nights, 4 nights, and whole week) A total of 40 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, as well as spend quality time with siblings. 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, The Rare Breeds Centre, Port Lympne Wildlife Park, Bodiam Castle & Leeds Castle, as well as swimming and trampolining.

During the period covered by this report Brighton Pebbles has provided activities for 78 different families consisting of 126 adults and 139 children.

Financial Review

The charity has a Reserves 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 £2395 which is within the £4157 held as free reserves as of 31[st] March 2024

.

Most of the charity’s funding comes from other grant making charities, together with some fundraising activities through the year.

At the beginning of the period the charity was holding existing grants & donations from the following organisations: -

During the year we were fortunate to be granted funds from the national grant giving charity Localgiving as part of their Magic Little Grants programme as well as from the following local sources:

We also received some transferred funds from the local charity Extratime who sadly ceased to operate this year.

We are extremely grateful for all of 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 throughout the year.

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.

A couple of quotes from families who managed to attend some of our trips during the year:-

“Having a SEN kid puts a lot of pressure on us as a family- mainly while being out and about in public as we find that in certain situations people aren’t understanding or empathetic or kind. Trips that have been organised with Pebbles are different

though. We haven’t taken the kids on a boat before as we weren’t sure how they would react but we went on the boat trip with Pebbles this summer. Not only were we comfortable socially by joining other Pebbles families, but the whole trip was a success! The pressure being off both socially and financially really made a difference and we were all able to relax and enjoy this new experience together as a family. Some fabulous memories made and we are very appreciative of Pebbles for organising this”

"Brighton Pebbles is one of the last safe spaces left for severely disabled children and their families in an increasingly shrinking climate of cuts that has had a disproportionately punitive effect on the most vulnerable and at-risk families. The effort Pebbles go to to organise a wide variety of trips, including residentials, weekly after-school groups and parent lunches throughout the year is a vital ecosystem of support for a large cross section of the disabled community in Brighton. Pebbles affords parents and carers the chance to meet with others in the same situation, really get to know them and their families, for disabled young people to bond and for their siblings to form their own support networks. They are a wealth of wisdom and information whilst not being too rigid about their eligibility criteria and making everything inclusive and connecting families who would never have met otherwise. The positive effect it has had on my son is immeasurable, his Pebbles friends greet him with such joy and it's great for him to feel part of a community too."

Brighton Pebbles CIO Accounts for the period 1$1 April 2023 to 31" March 2024 Registered charity Charily correspondent 1166802 MR5 SALLY HOWELI 37 CqAFiAM AVENUE POflTSLADE BRIGHTON These accuunts have been prep3red on the Recelpts and Payments b3545 trom iErformatbon and exp13natiQn& suppl.ed by the charity. Mirpille 5himoda RegDurco Centre 6 Tllbury Place BrighlDn BN2 OGV Daie. 16 j￿4¥ 2024 These accounts have been approved by the Trusiees of the charity. 5tEned by tme of two TvJst.p.e£ on beh31f Of all the Trustees Date

Brighton Pebbles (CIO No.1166802J ststement of Fltuncial Artivities from 1st April 2023 to 31st Marth 2024 Summary recelpts and paymerts Receipts 2024 2023 Irt#rirttd 4.749 1.496 total 41,310 6,319 Donaiions. graTrts and legacie5 Income from charitable artiwtses Other income 7.947 3.455 13.824 36,5f 4811 Totsl Receipts 11,402 I1￿9 22.941 41.384 6253 47,637 Payments ExpenditUFe on thèritsble actvlknes ExpenditLtre on raising fun￿5 25,279 29,228 4.391 171 33.618 896 246 246 Total Payrnents 25.279 5,935 31.214 29,952 4.562 34.514 Net re¢oipts Ipèymentsl for the peri( Balan￿ of fund5 6t tstApril 20 Adjustrnentto balance 13.8771 21139 18.2731 30,053 11,432 10.9)2 11951 1,691 6.029 195 13,123 30,518 7,915 Balan￿ of funds at 31st March 2023 8,262 I3￿19 21.781 21139 7,915 43.701

Brignron PeD£>les (CIO No.1166802J Re￿ipts and Payrnents from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 Receipts 2024 2023 Donatlons.Brarfs legade5 E65f Brighton Trust Arn82e Awards forAII Barbara W6rd Chtldrets's Foundation Chalkaiff Trust Magic Llttle Granis Mencap 8righton and Hove Noel BEnnettFuftd Wellesley Charitatjle Foun(Sation Sussex Community Foundation Co-operative Enjoolat3 FcunEfation Grant Donation frotn ￿l[￿lme (transfer of fund5 * closure) Donatlonsand 8ift aid Inrornefrorn tharitable actiwtie5 Members, contribution for Kench Hlll 2024 Member5. iontributions.. attNities and dBys out Member5, contributions= parent and siblings attivibes Wsembèrs, contributions= Friday drowin FundraSslNg attlvitles totul 7Y) 750 250 250 9.960 9.960 2.5(XJ 5tX> 1,500 1,038 1.800 9,292 3.472 ,998 038 1,800 9,292 3.472 4.998 627 627 4.499 4.499 3.455 3.455 235 I,Q50 618 3.730 3.483 3.483 1558 582 235 228 618 3.7 241 141 other in¢ome Bank interest 30 30 Total Receipts 11.402 11.539 22.941 41.384 6.253 47,637 Payments Expendituie on char4table •<bYitles Friday Drop-in-. salaries Friday Oiowin.. vthef COSiS Gcnoral actlvltie5 and day5 Qut Parents, and 5ibling5 aciivitie5 OvÈr 18s activities 82a£h hut Kench Hill 2024 Staff ond volunteerexpen5es Admin salaries Adtnin and organi5ational costs Ilnctraining) 8aRkchar8es Empenditure on ralsingfunds Admin salaries Fundr3islnEexpenses 2024 2023 4.539 2.210 4.029 1516 71 5.402 2.407 5.671 3.158 251 5.946 2,OS7 5.925 3.259 197 J.963 4.562 225Q 104 1,363 1.642 179 1,030 80 1030 12,785 io, 10.281 283 2.519 933 11705 53 2519 61 1,441 361 144J 914 61 872 553 61 7JO 15 710 246 246 171 Total Payments 25,279 5.935 31.214 29,952 4.562 34.514 N&t receipt5 Ipaymentsl forthe period B31ance of funds at 1st April 2023 Adj￿stMe.nI ro balance 113.8771 22,139 18,2T31 30.053 21432 10.9)2 11951 1,691 13,123 16,931 7.915 6.029 195 alance of fund5 at 31st March 2024 8,262 13.519 21,781 22,139 7,915 30.053

44££ Briyii&Oii Peubi¥S (CIO Nu.AAuuo02) Assets and Liabilities at 31st March 2024 Assets Community account Deposit Isavingsl account Cottage Industries account Cash in hand 20,026 687 1.002 66 Totsl assets 21.781 Non-monetary Assets none known Liabb!itlP5 none known Funds held at 71st March 2024 Balance remaining at 31st March 2024 Date funds received Rostricted funds Kench Hill Hinl'on Activity Fund Fitzsimons Activity Fund Brighton and Hove City Council. Manor Gym Capital Grant Chalk Clill Trust 2023 East Brighton Trust Mencap BriBhton and Hove 2023 Mencap Brighton and Hoye 2024 Noel Bennett Fund 375 1.914 867 Sep-14 Jun-23 382 951 Nov-23 76 Feb-22 1,299 1.500 897 Jan-24 Dec-23 8.262 Unrestricted funds Designotedfunds Thomas Hunt dorlatio Local Giving ISkp.rrits fundraising) Extratime 696 1,343 4,118 128 Diana Billington MeTnOry Marian Open House & Auctton Spanish l.ady Pub Fundraiser Neil'5 birthday fundraiser Nicky's fundraiser Free reserves Unrestricted funds held at 31st March 2024 350 215 1,602 910 4.157 13.518

In(iependent Examiner's réport Ofl Llle dLLuilIli> Report to the trustees of Brighton Pebbles Lio Xegistered Charity number lit>6ou2 I" April 2u23 to si ' March i024 The accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis. Respertive responsibilrties ot trustees and independent examiner As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. You consider that an audit 15 not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2uII and that an independent examination is needed. It is my re5ponsibiltty to: examine the accounts under Section 145 of the Charities Att, to follow the procedures specified in the General Direction5 of the Lnarity Commissioners (under section 145 (5){b) of the Act) and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent Examinerfs Report My examination was carried out in accordance wtth 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 accourTts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide ali the evidence that woula be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is give as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fairf view and the report 15 limited to those matters laÉd out in the statement below. Independent Examinerfs Report In connertion with my examination. no matter has come to my attention (l) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements (a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 150 of the Act: and (b} to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply wtth the accouniing requirements of the Act have not been met: or {2) to which, in my opinion, attention shoulo be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the account5 to be reached. Mireille Shimoda Resource Centre 6Tilbury Place Brighton BN2 OGY th Date.. 4 October 2024