Sociability Annual Report 2020/21 ## **Contents:** Chairs Summary...……………………………………….… Page 2 Reference and Administrative …………...……………. ….. Page 3 Structure, Governance and Management/Objectives…....... Pages 4-6 Activities/Outcomes.………………………………………….………. Page 7 Funding & Grants………………………………………………………. Page 8 Finance Report………………………………………………………………Page 9 1 ## **Summary** The effects of the pandemic extensively spreading throughout the world made our perturbing start to the year a little insignificant. The main focus of the charity in this year was to be the renovation of our new but derelict venue. However, the impressive list of support we had gathered prior to starting work, quickly began to diminish once the pandemic escalated. Each well-meaning pledge of support for funding and volunteers alike, understandably now needed to focus on their own increasing problems. Consequently, this year soon became a time for a small group of 4 to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in, with limited funds, an extremely frugal approach was required by our treasurer and materials planner. It has been an exhausting effort by the small team, but as we enter into the new year, we are nearing completion, on budget. Throughout this time, volunteers at the charity also provided phone and online support to the amount of 5-6hrs a day. 2 ## **Reference and Administrative Information** Name of charity: Sociability Registration number: 1166862 Principle address: The Guard House Wat Tyler Country Park Pitsea Hall Lane SS16 4UH Management Board: Chairman: Jonathan Barrow Secretary: Charlotte Neale Treasurer: Deborah Barrow Trustees: Kelly-Ann Pacey Alan Bent Janine Fairbrother 3 ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## Policies & Procedures - Sociability holds a full set of policies and procedures for all the services provided and for the facilitation of the organisation. A copy is held at our venue for anyone to read - Policies and procedures are agreed by the board and are kept up to date by the chairman at 6-month intervals or as and when required - Policies and procedures are decided upon by the Management board and the Service Manager - Once implemented the Service Manager sees that all policies and procedures are upheld and adhered to - It is the duty of each volunteer to make themselves familiar with our policies and procedures as part of their voluntary duty description ## Management - Sociability is fully constituted and registered with the charities commission - Sociability has a small but well experienced governing board - Our staff members include, a former senior manager from a national mental health service provider with years of experience, a business administrator accredited with a master’s degree, a psychotherapist accredited with a hon’s degree and a former senior manager accredited with a degree - Volunteers are provided by way of first being service users, when a person feels ready, they can progress to areas of responsibility within the charity - Volunteers report to the Service Manager - Service Manager reports to the Governing Board - Each new service user completes a membership form and signs up to a code of conduct ## Measuring outcomes - Sociability use the Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Health and Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), which provides us with quantitative data on the progress of service users, as well as the standard of quality of our services 4 - An evaluation is completed every 6 months by our business administrator and discussed with the board members ## Training - Each volunteer has compulsory training composing of ‘Personal Boundaries’ and ‘Safe-guarding vulnerable adults’ - Additional training is provided for volunteers with specific duties including… - ⎯ Fire Warden - ⎯ First Aider - ⎯ Health and Safety - ⎯ Food Hygiene level 2 and 3 - ⎯ Suicide Prevention - ⎯ Self-harm Prevention - ⎯ Data Protection - ⎯ GDPR - Further staff training is encouraged and always available, Sociability are ## supporters of Continuing Professional Development ## Objectives ## Priority 1 To promote social inclusion for the public benefit of those who are or feel excluded from society or part of society and who are, have been or could be affected by mental health distress, or physical ill health, who reside within the borough. ## Priority 2 To relieve those in need for the public benefit by… - Providing support to individuals affected by chronic and or mental health condition - Providing support to family, friends or carers of a person that has or is suffering from mental or physical ill health - Providing support through companionship, peer support, possible coping strategies and models of self-help with the aim of giving members a greater independence, increased wellbeing and preventing the further onset of mental health difficulties - Providing opportunities with an aim of developing skills and knowledge 5 - Providing information, advice, guidance and signposting to work, leisure, health and social opportunities for an improvement to health and wellbeing - Acting as a catalyst for member involvement and participation with the aim of encouraging people to develop their own solutions to challenging problems they may face for their good health and wellbeing ## AND BY - Working collaboratively and/or in partnership with external partners and other voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations, as necessary, all to promote the charity’s objects With a particular focus this year on… - Maintaining contact with service users isolated by the effects of the pandemic - Renovate our new venue to meet the needs of returning and new service users coming out of the pandemic - Provide online and phone support to people who need support 6 ## Activities Not Applicable for this year ## Outcomes - The potential for an increase in membership numbers due to befriending services - The number of professional service providers requesting our date of opening would suggest an influx of people - All support for this year has been via phone and online, reaching 5-6hrs a day - Our new venue is approximately 4 weeks from opening 7 ## Funding and Grants - A special thank you to the grant providers and suppers who helped make our - new venue happen… - ⎯ The Clothes Workers Federation - ⎯ The Screwfix foundation - ⎯ Basildon & Brentwood CCG - ⎯ 3 D Flooring - ⎯ Howdens Kitchens - ⎯ Fords ‘Dagenham Branch’ trade union members - ⎯ Basildon Borough Council - ⎯ The National Lottery Community Fund 8 **Accounts 2020-2021** ## **Opening Balance: 12,099.41** Grants Unrestricted: £44,708.14 Grants Restricted: £68,930.00 Total Income: £113,638.14 ## **Expenditure** Project Guard House: £22,624.01 Volunteer Expenses: £3,000 Events/Other: £1,302.01 British Telecom: £299.51 Payroll: £21,490.00 Consumables: £2,382.80 Data Plan: £480.00 Utilities: £224.00 Pension: £348.39 HMRC: £915.73 **Total: £53,067.45** ## **Balance: £60,570.69** ## **05/04/21** 9