2023-08-31-accounts - Transforming Futures - Suffolk

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ANNUAL REVIEW SEPT 2022- AUG 2023

Objectives

We provide a Christian response to the social need for more foster families, adoptive homes and supported lodgings, by raising awareness of the local need through connecting and partnering with Suffolk Churches. We do not assess or place children but signpost enquiries and work closely with our local authority, Suffolk County Council, and their Fostering and Adoption teams.

Governance, staffing and volunteer development

Trustees – Jane Jennison (Chair), Rachel Renfrew (Treasurer), Julie Daniels and Melissa Naish Our trustees met 6 times during the year to ensure our charity objectives were being met, policies updated, ideas shared and finances tracked. They receive regular reports from our employed coordinators and treasurer so they know exactly what is happening, updated on future plans and our financial situation. These meetings are now conducted on Zoom as this works best - avoiding traveling time and childcare difficulties.

We journey alongside ALL local families who foster, adopt or have special guardianship. Everyone is welcome to join in our activities and events throughout the year - regardless of faith or background. We want to ensure all families feel supported and connected. Looking after children and young people who are in care or have experience of the care system is a demanding and challenging job. These children have often experienced early trauma, abuse and neglect, which can have a life-long impact. We feel that helping connect and support families with these shared experiences builds strong resilient homes and promotes the best outcomes for these young lives.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN SUFFOLK

We recruit trustees through Facebook posts, articles on Network Suffolk, and our mailouts to families and supporters.

We are currently looking for one/two more trustees.

Staffing Melissa Naish (left) Louise Bunton (right)

are our part time employees, who coordinate Home for Good: Suffolk together. We are please to announce that Elaine Ingram will be joining the team in October 2023 as we strive to grow and connect more churches and families living in Suffolk.

Home for Good: Suffolk is a Suffolk wide small organisation, founded in 2014. We are connected to the national charity Home for Good www.homeforgood.org.uk but operate separately since Sept 2016 under the local charity Transforming Futures – Suffolk (Charity No. 1169250).

CO St Augustine’s Church Hall, Bucklesham Road, Ipswich IP3 8TH

Volunteers

We couldn’t achieve all we do without the dedication of our volunteers. Our volunteers help by either hosting one-off events, more regular meetups or by helping us share/promote our work within Suffolk churches. With Suffolk being such a large county to reach, we depend on our volunteers in locations across the country to help develop our provision.

This year we have had 20 active volunteers, including the 10 new ones, to help host our groups and activities and a further 14 active volunteers (known as Champions), who we connect with through our termly online Champion updates/what’s app group so they can share our work with their churches.

common people needs by the services We are always keen to recruit new volunteers, so contact us if you would like to know more about how you/your church could get involved. www.reallygreatsite.com

WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED THIS YEAR?

This year through our 1:1 support, welcome bags, regular groups and one-off holiday activities/events we have had contact with 221 families/308 children aged 0-18 years either in foster care, adopted or have special guardianship arrangements. This is an 30% increase in families connecting since last year.

We have started gathering information about which districts are families come from too – We currently know this data for almost half of our families reached (105)

OUR PROVISION OF ACTIVITIES AND GROUPS HAS CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AND EXPAND THIS YEAR, RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES.

We currently have 413 families represented on our mailing list 130 foster families 224 adopters 59 special guardians

THIS YEAR WE HAVE RUN 20 MONTHLY GROUPS, 30 ONE OFF HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES/ADULTS MEALS AND SEVERAL ONLINE INFORMATION SESSIONS

Some of our support has remained online allowing all areas of Suffolk to access

This has included a monthly SEND Zoom group and information sessions to learn about Supported Lodgings, choosing a primary school, Working with schools, Support Our company is driving you to a regular and families caring for children who are neurodiverse and common people needs by the services communicating with schools

www.reallygreatsite.com ‘ T H E H O M E F O R G O O D A C T I V I T Y D A Y S R E A L L Y H E L P T H E C H I L D I C A R E F O R . I T H E L P S T H E M B Y T H E M P L A Y I N G A N D C O M M U N I C A T I N G W I T H O T H E R C H I L D R E N I N S I M I L A R S I T U A T I O N S T O T H E M , F O R T H E M T O F E E L P A R T O F R E G U L A R M E E T U P S W I T H F R I E N D S T H E Y H A V E N O W M A D E . I T H E L P S C A R E R S B E A B L E T O G I V E T H E C H I L D T H E E X P E R I E N C E S T H E Y D E S E R V E A N D O P P O R T U N I T I E S . ’

P R O M O T I N G , C O N N E C T I N G A N D S U P P O R T I N G F A M I L I E S

Our closed Facebook group continues to be a safe space where families can share ideas and ask questions. We have continued to see growth in this group 241 members (31st August 2023)

As well as mailing out to families on our mailing list we also mail through Suffolk Fostering and Adoption. We also attended 3 Suffolk County Council events for fostering/adoptive families.

67 welcome bags given out to newly approved households this year each containing useful information about what we do, as well as chocolates and useful books to support them too.

E N Q U I R I E S A N D A P P R O V A L S

This year we have had contact with 4 new household who have considered fostering or adoption or supported lodgings. We know that 1 has been approved to foster.

Further support opportunities we have provided through 1:1 advice, support and a listening ear through our telephone support. We also provide prayer support too.

Lending library We hold over 100 titles of books and resources which we can post out to families to borrow

P R O M O T I N G A N D C O N N E C T I N G W I T H S C H O O L S

This year we have being particularly focused at reaching schools to help them learn about us and know how to sign post families. We have connected with 78 different schools, all of which have received a new information pack for their designated teacher for looked after and previously looked after children. We have encouraged them to join our professionals mailing list to help keep them up to date with our provision for families.

CONNECTING WITH SUFFOLK CHURCHES

Through our Champions and social media platforms we have encouraged Suffolk Churches to take up national campaigns to raise the profile of the number of vulnerable children who come into the UK care system every year - highlighting the constant need for more foster carers and adopters. Home for Good creates resources for Mothering Sunday and Father’s Day which areOur company is driving you to a regular and available from their website during the rightcommon people needs by the services season -www.homeforgood.org.uk

H O M E F O R G O O D S U N D A Y

In November 2022 we provided a video and encouraged Suffolk churches to show during a Sunday service. Our aims were 1.To help raise awareness of the constant need for more foster carers and adopters 2.To share how we support enquires and families once approved

3.Encourage individuals and churches to respond – challenging them how they can play their part in supporting us!

P R A Y E R C A R D S

We believe in the power of prayer and wanted to make it easy for people to support us by praying with us for specific needs and giving thanks for our developments/resources.These are shared on our Socials, with our champions, supporters and local churches.

We believe our video was shown in 8 different churches – the majority of which were new to sharing about the work of Home for Good: Suffolk in their Church.

We have also shared a similar message during Sunday services at 5 additional churches and Ipswich's annual prayer event Crown Him 2023

FINANCIAL REVIEW

1 SEPTEMBER 2022-31 AUGUST 2023

Annual Income: £28,676.15

Mainly achieved through…

Church donations £4,365,

Individual donations £3,279
Contributions to activities £1,433
Grants – £19,543

Annual Expenditure: £25,102.86

Our main expenditure are

Salaries £10,885 Activity costs £11,230

Other costs include insurance, publicity materials, bank charges, telephone, postage, travel, volunteers, DBS’s and training

Reserves The trustees keep the reserves of the charity under review, considering the nature of the income and expenditure streams, the need to match variable income with fixed commitments and the nature of the reserves. The trustees consider that to provide a buffer for uninterrupted services and/or event of winding up, a designated reserve of £6000 equating to 6 months operational costs is appropriate. The current level of free reserves is £6290, £4000 of which is set aside in a deposit account.

Monthly Giving

We encourages families and supporters to make a monthly donation. We are now up to 27 regular givers – an increase of 7 this year. You can sign up to give monthly with Stewardship.

Scan or visit https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20258808

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustsosl members of TransfomiiThJ Fuiures Suffolk On accounts for the year onded 31108r2023 Charfty no Irf any) 1169250 Sot out on pages I report to ts tnBtees on my examination of the accounts of ts above chafity (Ihe Tn*f) for the year erKled 31108r2023. RespOlbIlItIeS and As the charity truth88 of the Tnmt. you are resFK)nsible for th8 preDarau(Y, basls of report of the accounts in accordance Imth the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe ACY). I r•port in respect of my examination of the TnJ8t'8 accounts carried out under section 145 of th& 2011 Act and in carying out my 01M1nat1On, I have follo1 the applicable Directions given by the Charrty Commission under section 145{5)(b> of the Ad. I have c¢)mp my examination. I confi1 that material matters have come to my attention in conn8dion with the examination which give8 me cause lo believe that in. any material respecL accourfiirvJ rncord8 Iiwe rK)t kept in Indopendent examlnotrs statement I have rK) con<xrns arKI have come a¢xoss no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enab prop8r understarKtir¥J of the accounts to be reathed. Slgned: 16104r24 Nam•: Brian N Freed Relevant professional qualifKatlon(s) or body (rf any): Associate of the Institu of Bankws (AIB) 1971- Address: 3 Cranbome Chase IpswFch Suffolk IP4 3EQ IER Othber 2018

Transforming Suffolk (Home for Good)

Income & Expenditure to 31 August 2023

Income Church donations Individual donations Contributions to activites Grant income Bank Interest Fundraising Total Receipts Expenditure Bank charges Salary costs Office equipment Governance Activity costs Postage, telephone etc Insurance Volunteer costs Travel Training Marketing & publicity Welcome bags Other costs Movement for year	2023 2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total Previous year 4365 4365 3686 3279 3279 2588 1433 1433 779 7600 11943 19543 8100 35 35 3 20 20 32
	16733 11943 28676 15188 45 0 45 93 5488 5397 10885 9111 16 0 16 0 6 6 0 1813 9417 11230 4080 151 10 161 242 0 154 154 154 48 284 332 90 447 518 966 1083 7 90 97 0 469 558 1027 537 139 139 1362 44 44 83
	8535 16568 25103 16835
	8198 ‐4625 3573 ‐1647

Transforming Suffolk (Home for Good)

Balance Sheet at 31st August 2023

ASSETS Current Assets Other Current Assets Grants due not received Other debtors Total Other Current Assets Cash at bank and in hand CAF current account CAF Deposit account Charity Bank Co Op Current Total Cash at bank and in hand Total Current Assets Current Liabilities Accounts Payable Other Current Liabilities Grants c/f Payroll Liabilities Total Other Current Liabilities Total Current Liabilities Net Current Assets Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Suffolk Community Foundation Total funds held	31 Aug 23 1987 16 2003 0 0 4000 11237 15237 17240 1832 1333 ‐335 998 2830 14411 13078 1333	31 Aug 22
		0 0
		0 44 4003 0 6869
		10916
		10916 0 0 0
		0
		0
		10916
		6291 4625
	14411	10916