Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1[st] July 2022 Period start date To 30[th] June 2023 Period end date
Charity name: LifeLines
Charity registration number: 1168273
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | For the public benefit, to promote the relief of suffering and distress to those persons who are awaiting execution in any state of the USA by the promotion of friendship by letter writing to such people |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
1. Advice and information about the issues likely to arise when writing to prisoners; 2. One to one advice and information on making the initial contact with a specific prisoner on US Death Row who has requested friendship, and for the life of the friendship and beyond, in particular when a death sentence is likely to be carried out; 3. A quarterly publication that allows people to hear the voice of those on Death Row and deepens their understanding of the US justice system, and the death penalty in particular; 4. Advice and assistance to make informed choices about giving financial and other types of support to Death Row prisoners; 5. Conferences that include speakers with personal experience of the justice system, death row, and the impact of violent crime on all those who are affected, with an opportunity to exchange experience and knowledge with other writers. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Consideration is given to ‘public benefit’ when making any decision relevant to the activities above with a specific agenda item included in Board meetings for ‘Governance’ to ensure the objectives and activities satisfy the requirements for public benefit in accordance with Charity |
Commission Guidance.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference |
||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | Not applicable. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | Not applicable. |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | The organisation has no employees and relies upon member volunteers who act as: State Coordinators corresponding with writers and prisoners. Regional Coordinators who offer the facility for members to come together on a regional basis to exchange their experience of writing to prisoners. Editor and distributor of the organisation’s newsletter, The Wing of Friendship. Manager and Administrator of the LifeLines website Committee Members/Trustees |
| Other |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | We conducted two successful and well attended virtual Conferences in October 2022 and April 2023 with guest speakers in from the US and UK. The October Conference was also our Annual General Meeting which continued to be conducted in line with Charity Commission guidance on virtual meetings. The Autumn Conference and AGM was due to be hybrid (both live and virtual) but this was not possible due to the rail strikes. Our Conferences have remained virtual but we will be introducing a hybrid format for them with both in person and virtual attendance. Seven Regional Groups around the UK continued to meet both inperson and by |
Zoom regularly. The London Regional Group welcomed several Lifelines members based outside the UK to its virtual meetings. LifeLines membership stood at 1074 as at 30[th] June 2023. New membership applications declined during the year and the LifeLines Committee is actively looking to recruit new members to serve the continuing high level of requests for penfriends from men and women on Death Row in the USA The members-only Lifelines community on Facebook continues to thrive with over 25% of LifeLines members participating. Our income has again exceeded our expenditure through careful attention to costs, and in the last financial year we therefore ran an income surplus. This was partly due to having virtual rather than face to face conferences but this will change with the new hybrid format mentioned above.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
Not applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Not applicable |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | Not applicable |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | In surplus. The breakdown of income and expenditure can be seen in the Annual Accounts of Lifelines. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Lifelines holds an Operational Reserve which is sufficient to provide for a 3 month administrative capability for the winding up of the charity in the event of its closure. The value of the Operational Reserve is reviewed annually. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £6000. |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | Not applicable |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | None |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | Not applicable |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | Membership subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | Not applicable |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | The main risk is the decline in membership which is being addressed by investing in press and publicity. The Trustees maintain and organisational risk register which is reviewed at every meeting. |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Charitable Incorporated Organisation |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Co-opted by Trustees, elected by Members |
Additional information (optional)
| Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) |
|---|---|---|
| You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: | ||
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | All new trustees are fully inducted and assessed for training needs which are then met. |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | LifeLines |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | none |
| Registered charity number | 1168273 |
| Charity’s principal address | 10 Springfield Terrace, Guiseley, Leeds LS20 9AW |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carole Butcher | Coordinators Representative |
|||
| Jan Hall | Vice Chair | |||
| Nichola Glasse | Membership Secretary |
July 2022-October 2022. Stood down as Trustee in October 2022. |
||
| Beryl Kingsbury | ||||
| James Mason Treasurer |
||||
| Patrick Ballin | ||||
| Susan Drysdale | Membership Secretary |
|||
| Nikita Mistry | ||||
| Davina Chima | ||||
| Melanie Mitchell | Coordinator Care | |||
| LindesayMace | Media | |||
| Deborah Murphy | Wing Editor | Co-opted as Trustee in June 2023. To be appointed at 2023 AGM |
||
| Edmund Conybeare |
Governance | |||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets Not applicable held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Edmund Faraday Conybeare Full name(s) Jan Hall Position (eg Secretary, Vice-Chair Governance Secretary Chair, etc)
Date
1168273
LifeLines Receipts and payments accounts
For the period Period start date from 1-Jul-22 To
Period end date 30-Jun-23 CC16a
| Section A Receipts and payments | Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | Total funds | Last year | |||||
| funds | funds | funds | |||||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||
| Subscriptions | 23,195 | 23,195 | 25,191 | ||||||
| Conferences | 984 | 984 | 454 | ||||||
| Interest | 479 | 479 | 1 | ||||||
| Gift Aid | - | - | 2,698 | ||||||
| Miscellaneous | 793 | 793 | 216 | ||||||
| Merchandise | 156 | 156 | 141 | ||||||
| Sub total | 25,607 | 25,607 | 28,700 | ||||||
| Total receipts | 25,607 | 25,607 | 28,700 | ||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
| Newsletter Costs | 13,735 | 13,735 | 13,052 | ||||||
| Conferences | 1,452 | 1,452 | 503 | ||||||
| Coordinator & Committee Expenses | 8,041 | 8,041 | 7,981 | ||||||
| Advertising | 47 | 47 | - | ||||||
| Website | 191 | 191 | 116 | ||||||
| Governance | 510 | 510 | 472 | ||||||
| Other Postage and Stationery | 251 | 251 | 1,330 | ||||||
| Sub total | 24,227 | 24,227 | 23,453 | ||||||
| Total payments | 24,227 | 24,227 | 23,453 | ||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 1,380 | 1,380 | 5,247 | ||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | |||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | 55,987 | 55,987 | 50,740 | ||||||
| Cash funds this year end | 57,367 | 57,367 | 55,987 | ||||||
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the pe | rio | d |
| Unrestricted Restricted Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details |
Unrestricted Restricted Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details |
Unrestricted Restricted Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details |
Unrestricted Restricted Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details |
Unrestricted Restricted Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details |
Unrestricted Restricted Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Details |
Endowment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||
| B1 Cash funds | Current Account and Electronic Funds | 12,074 | |||||
| Savings Account | 6,026 | ||||||
| Long Term Savings Account | 38,776 | ||||||
| Conference and Stamp Float | 491 | ||||||
| 57,367 | |||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | |||||
| Details | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | ||||
| B2 Other monetary assets | |||||||
| B3 Investment assets | Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
|||
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s | Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
|||
| Details | Fund to which | Amount due | When due | ||||
| B5 Liabilities | liability relates | (optional) | (optional) | ||||
| Signed by two trustees on behalf of all | Signature | Print Name | Date of | ||||
| Edmund Conybeare | |||||||
| James Mason |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Indopendent Examin•rf8 Rep¢t Report to the trustees LIFELILJÉS On accounts for the year ended 30 Jukje 15 Charity no (if any) 1168LI3 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity { the Trust ) for the year ended30 06 1013 As the charity's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts In accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (-the Act. ) Responsibilities and basis of report 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 rrhe charity's gross Incorne exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [Insert name of applicable listed body]] Delete [ ] If not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention In connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below ') which gives me cause lo believe that In. any material respect. the accounling records were not kept In accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records, or the accounts did not comply Ivith 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 concems 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. Please delete the words In the brackets If they do not apply. Date: 11 llioi Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body IKJ3T ITUTE Ofr CIIAITEP£O KCCOU k5fflUtS .coLAKJ IER Oct 2018
(rf any)= Address: fHe 3Tr6LES QIN EQS_LLEEt see CQ.2 tr.t eXaMtE o., charfy acUnts direthons ana Grve here Iwief details of any Items that the IER Oct 2018