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2022-03-31-accounts

READING SAMARITANS TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 APRIL 2021 TO 31 MARCH 2022

Charity Registration Number: 1170632

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Contents

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................3 SAMARITANS VISION, MISSION AND VALUES .................................................3 CHARITY OBJECTIVES .........................................................................................3 CHARITY ACTIVITIES ..........................................................................................3 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ...........................................4 ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS .....................................................................5 FUTURE PLANS ....................................................................................................6 FINANCIAL REVIEW .............................................................................................6 RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES .....................................................................9 REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS ..................................................9 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT .............................................................10 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS ..........................................................11 NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS ................................12

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INTRODUCTION

Reading Samaritans is a charity based in Reading serving both the local area and wider community. It is a recognised branch of the national Samaritans Charity and, as one of around 200 branches, provides emotional support across the country.

The Reading Samaritans’ trustees present their annual report and financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2022.

SAMARITANS VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

Samaritan’s vision is that fewer people die by suicide. We work to achieve this vision by making it our mission to alleviate emotional distress and reduce the incidence of suicidal feelings and suicidal behaviour.

We are committed to the following values:

CHARITY OBJECTIVES

The objectives of Reading Samaritans are:

CHARITY ACTIVITIES

The charity offers support to those who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those who may be at risk of suicide by being there to listen and encourage the recognition and exploration of their options. By doing so we aim to help people find ways of coping with their current feelings.

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Reading Samaritans Outreach provides services to schools, higher education institutions, companies and at local events. We also work locally providing regular support in Huntercombe Prison and at local railway stations. We aim to increase awareness of our services in all sectors of the community by giving awareness talks, attending local public events and working with other organisations.

These activities are carried out by Reading Samaritans for the benefit of the local and wider community and with due regard of the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

While Reading Samaritans is a longstanding organisation in Reading, it was incorporated as a separate Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 8 December 2016.

Reading Samaritans is a recognised branch of Samaritans, with the national Samaritans Charity providing support services such as training materials and guidance. This relationship is governed by an Operating Agreement which ensures all branches adhere to the same required standards, while recognising that branches have their own leadership team and are responsible for fundraising and overall governance.

Reading Samaritans activities are wholly performed by our committed group of around 120 volunteers and we have no employees. The charity is managed by the leadership team, comprised of trustees and deputy directors. The branch Director, also a trustee, is responsible for the day to day management of the charity’s activities including matters arising relating to callers and volunteers. The Director is supported in their role by a team of deputy directors who have specific roles and responsibilities.

The Trustee Board of trustees oversee the charity and have collective and ultimate responsibility for governing the charity and directing how it is managed and run. Trustees place a high priority on ensuring high standards of governance including management of risk assessment processes. Trustees are recruited from both within the charity and externally to ensure Reading Samaritans has a balanced and appropriately skilled Trustee Board. The trustee hiring process involves interviews and background checks. Following this, the Trustee Board must vote on the admission of new trustees. Members of Reading Samaritans also vote whether to re-elect each trustee at the Annual General Meeting. New trustees are provided with an initial information pack and are required to complete online training designed by the national Samaritans Charity.

Full leadership team meetings are held at least every 3 months, with separate Trustee Board and deputy director meetings held in the intervening months. Decisions are taken at meetings where trustees are present, with a simple majority of trustees required for decisions to be passed. Additional meetings are

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held when required and decisions can be made outside of these meetings if needed.

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ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Support Provided

Reading Samaritans volunteers continue to provide vital support to callers. Numbers are slightly down on the previous year, however the volume of calls we are dealing with is higher than pre-COVID 19 call volumes.

Key Developments

The year was again significantly impacted by COVID 19 and the impact this has had on volunteer availability, number of calls and callers themselves. This made planning, training and Outreach difficult, particularly with changes in COVID 19 restrictions.

Volunteers were able to continue using ‘Key worker’ status to enable travel for listening and support volunteer shifts and were more comfortable coming into the branch overall. During the year, there was a shift back to relative normality which created difficulties in filling listening shifts. This was primarily because more volunteers were busy with events and holidays, which we expect will reduce back to pre- COVID 19 levels. We continue to monitor shift coverage and have taken steps to improve our long-term coverage.

We again had 3 cohorts of volunteers complete the initial training programme to become a Samaritans listening volunteer and volunteer applications continue to be strong. There was renewed focus on Continuous Development this year, with mandatory safeguarding modules for all Samaritans alongside a wide range of training developed by the Reading Samaritans training team.

The Reading Samaritans Branch Director, Alison Chapman, completed their 3 year position in September 2021. The new Branch Director, Ester May, received onboarding training from Alison and chaired the Annual General Meeting in November 2021. Given the change in Director, the Samaritans central office conducted their standard branch review which Reading Samaritans embraced and received a great outcome.

Community Outreach Programme

Reading Samaritans worked with a hybrid Outreach approach for much of the year, dealing with both face-to-face events and video conferencing to support vulnerable groups in the local community. We made use of existing partnerships with Royal Berkshire Hospital, a charity supporting veterans, local schools and Reading University. We also delivered listening skills workshops to local companies looking to support their employees, using connections built up from previous years.

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One area of focus this year was partnerships with two local Rugby clubs to raise awareness of the work of Samaritans, particularly when supporting men. We will look to develop these relationships into future years so that Reading Samaritans can continue to support this group.

Two large face-to-face events this year were Reading Pride and a community event at Reading Town Hall. Reading Pride is one of our regular Outreach events to support the LGBTQ+ community and the stand was very well attended. We also held a community event in Reading for anyone to come along and learn about the work of Samaritans.

Branch Improvements

The continued success of grant applications during the year allowed us to complete more renovation work than we had originally budgeted for. Many areas have not been decorated in over 25 years, so we focused our efforts to redecorate, recarpet, improve lighting and replace worn furniture.

The redecoration of the operations room, debrief room and kitchen within the main building has greatly improved the experience for volunteers. There were also upgrades to IT including a new office desktop, training laptop and projector.

We also undertook an exercise to declutter the branch, to organise cupboard contents, better utilise noticeboards and dispose of old furniture. Much of the furniture was donated to individuals, which meant that minimal waste entered landfill sites.

FUTURE PLANS

The priority of Reading Samaritans is to move forward in a safe way that ensures all volunteers are comfortable. We are now conducting face-to-face training, attending Outreach events and organising social activities to engage both volunteers and the local community.

We will continue to operate a hybrid model to deliver Outreach activities, as this has proved effective in reaching a wider audience. The focus will be a visible face-to-face presence wherever possible, with video conferences to ensure that we deliver services to more vulnerable groups.

Upcoming plans for the branch are focused on making improvements to the training centre, called Friends House. We have budgeted for renovation of the toilet facilities, entrance area and the replacement of windows.

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

Results for the period

Income from all sources amounted to £46,916 while total expenditure was £44,180, which resulted in a surplus for the year of £2,736.

Financial Highlights

Reading Samaritans received generous support from local businesses, groups and individuals in the period, particularly given the ongoing impact from COVID 19. These include R Bion Ltd, Hayes Clifford, Crowe LLP, Arnold Clark , the Gilbert and Eileen Edgar Foundation, Savilles, Grundon ASDA and Waitrose as well as generation donation from Churches – St Marys, St Laurence, St James and St Williams and Stoke Row Chapel.

We also wish to extend our gratitude to all other local businesses and groups who continue to support us. These funds are crucial in enabling us to continue with running of the charity.

Reading Samaritans received financial support by Reading Borough Council in the period who provided support to assist us with recruitment and training. We were fortunate in securing grants from Berkshire Community Foundation, Pears Foundation, GWR and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Our volunteers support us not just with their time but by their amazing fundraising efforts. These include sponsored sporting events and cake sales amongst others. Many volunteers donated back monies due to them by way of travel expenses which allowed Reading Samaritans to claim Gift Aid. Our current volunteers, previous volunteers and other members of the community also participate in our monthly lottery called the 100 Club, which raised significant funds for the charity.

Most of the expenditure in the period was incurred on centre running costs, IT facilities and ensuring we are properly insured for our activities. The additional grants received also enabled us to continue the centre refurbishment, to create a nice environment for the charity’s volunteers.

Reserves Policy

Reading Samaritans maintains unrestricted reserves:

Reading Samaritans’ Trustees are responsible for determining the appropriate level of reserves for the branch to hold. Our policy is to hold reserves equivalent to 18 months expenditure which is both the reserves level the Trustee Board determine appropriate plus the expectation of the national Samaritans Charity.

Unrestricted reserves held at 31 March 2022 were 17.9 months (£67,442) and in line with the Reading Samaritans policy. The additional grants which were not in

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the Annual Budget allowed the charity to carry out the refurbishments without eroding the unrestricted reserves.

Restricted Funds are designated separately and are used in accordance with agreements between Reading Samaritans and the relevant fund providers such as the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and GWR. At 31 March 2022, there were £1,645 of restricted funds.

Reserves are held in current or accessible savings accounts to ensure the branch activities can operate smoothly.

Financial Policies and Control

Reading Samaritans has a detailed financial policy framework, reviewed and approved by the external charity oversight organisation Reading Voluntary Action.

The Branch Accounts comply with statutory requirements and with the branch constitution.

The Trustees believe the existing controls are adequate to safeguard the assets of the charity.

Payments to Trustees

No remuneration was paid to any of the Trustees. Where appropriate, Trustees have been reimbursed for expenses incurred in performing their duties as a Listener, in their Management/Support Volunteer roles or as a Trustee. As with all expenses, these are reviewed and approved by at least 2 signatories. Under no circumstances does the Trustee claiming expenses approve their own expenses.

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RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES

The trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and financial statements in accordance with Charity Commission guidelines. The annual report and financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Charity Commission guidelines. These financial statements have been reviewed and approved by an independent examiner.

The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

By order of the Trustees


Ester May Director and Chair of the Trustee Board

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Name

Reading Samaritans is a registered charity, with charity registration number 1170632.

Registered and Operational Address

59a Cholmeley Road Reading, Berkshire RG1 3NB

The Trustees

Current Trustees

Ester May Director and Chair appointed September 2021 Helen Blanchard Deputy Director appointed September 2021 Hetal Patel Secretary appointed November 2021 Elizabeth Hayes appointed January 2022 Justin Bedingfeld Treasurer Stephen Sheath Dave Calver Darren Jones Joanna Hayes Angelina Lewis

Previous Trustees

Kathryn Wilkinson Treasurer resigned April 2021 Lisa Davies Secretary resigned August 2021

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Alison Chapman Director and Chair resigned September 2021 Ben Ralston resigned November 2021

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the Reading Samaritans on the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2022

Responsibilities and basis of report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity (“the Trust”) on pages 11 to 17 for the year ended 31 March 2022.

As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date

Christine Holland CPFA 9 Ellerton Close Theale

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RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS

Receipts and payments

Not Unrestric Restricte Total Last Year
e ted d Funds Funds
Funds Year
Ended 31
£ March £
£ 2022
£
Receipts
Donations 2 7,145 - 7,145 9,375
Revenue Grants 3 2,426 14,333 16,759 26,517
Fundraising 4 22,973 - 22,973 23,294
Bank and Building Society 5 39 - 39 231
Interest
Total receipts 32,583 14,333 46,916 59,417
Payments
Direct and Charitable 6 25,761 16,177 41,938 43,324
Expenditure
Fundraising Costs 7 1,957 - 1,957 2,426
Management and 8 285 - 285 152
Administration
Contribution to Central 9 - - - -
Charity
Total payments 28,003 16,177 44,180 45,902
Net of receipts /
(payments)
4,580 (1,844) 2,736 13,515
Cash funds last year 62,862 3,489 66,351 52,836
Cash funds this year 67,442 1,645 69,087 66,351

Statement of assets and liabilities as at 31 March 2022

Not Unrestric Restricte Total Last Year
e ted d Funds Funds
Funds Year
Ended 31
£ March £
£ 2022
£

Cash funds

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P age
Total cash funds
67,442
1,645
69,087
66,351

NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS

(1) Accounting Policies

Basis for accounts preparation

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with Charity Commission guidance.

Income

All income is accounted for when received. Income is allocated by category to enable analysis of income sources at any time.

Expenditure

Expenditure is accounted for when it is paid and is classified under headings that aggregate costs to a category. Expenditure includes VAT which cannot be recovered.

Expenditure is broken down into four categories:

There are notes to the accounts showing what is included in each of these categories.

Tangible Fixed Assets

All tangible fixed assets have been expensed. However, all items that cost more than £1,000 are listed on an asset register.

Funds

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the Trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for certain activities as specified by the donor or the fundraising process. Relevant expenditure is categorised against each fund.

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Details of Receipts

(2)Donations

----- Start of picture text -----
Donations Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
Funds Funds Year Ended
31 March
£ 2022 £
£ £
Individuals 1,020 - 1,020 2,399
Churches 3,161 - 3,161 100
-
Groups in the 1,500 1,500 3,552
Community
Gift Aid 1,408 - 1,408 1,219
Bequests 55 - 55 2,105
Street - - - -
Collections
Total 7,145 - 7,145 9,748
(3)Revenue Grants
Revenue Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
Grants Funds Funds Year Ended
31 March
£ 2022 £
£ £
National 2,426 1,086 3,512 2,102
Offender
Management
Service
- - -
Reading 4,050
Borough
Council
Berkshire - - - 1,
HealthCare 530
NHS
Foundation
Trust
Postcode - - - 3,
Lottery 000
Berkshire - 3,000 3,000 3,
Community 000
Foundation
Pears Grant - 3,097 3,097 12,835
GWR SCC - 2,150 2,150 -
Grant
DHSC Grant - 5,000 5,000 -
----- End of picture text -----

READING SAMARITANS TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT I APRIL 2021 ro 31 MARCH 2022 Page 116 Total 2.426 14.333 16.759 26.517

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(4)Fundraising

----- Start of picture text -----
Fundraising Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
Funds Funds Year Ended
31 March
£ 2022 £
£ £
Business and 15,654 - 15,654 6,983
Corporate
Fundraising
100 Club 3,146 - 3,146 3,562
Volunteer 759 - 759 2,482
Initiated
Fundraising
Witt Morgan 53 - 53 5,288
Concerts
Sam Jam 128 - 128 1,131
Sales
FIT Payments 595 - 595 621
Festival 500 - 500 500
Branch Store
Rental
National raffle - - - 190
-
Easy 1,972 1,972 2,276
Fundraising,
Amazon Smile
etc
Other 166 - 166 261
Total 22,973 - 22,973 23,294
----- End of picture text -----

(5)Bank and Building Society Interest

----- Start of picture text -----
Bank and Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
Building Funds Funds Year Ended
Society 31 March
Interest £ 2022 £
£ £
HSBC 0 - 0 1
Virgin 38 - 38 230
Total 39 - 39 231
----- End of picture text -----

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Details of Expenditure

(6)Direct and Charitable Expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
Direct and Unrestricte Restricted Total Funds Last Year
Charitable d Funds Funds Year Ended
Expenditure 31 March
£ 2022 £
£ £
Fabric of the 5,898 - 5,898 5,686
Centre
Maintenance 3,055 - 3,055 2,455
Utilities 5,479 - 5,479 3,728
-
Housekeeping 2,165 2,165 2,429
-
Equipping 5,159 5,159 2,045
Centre
Volunteer 382 - 382 442
Expenses
- - - -
Conference/Mee
ting
Outreach 1,368 - 1,368 3,244
Committee and 71 - 71 20
Other Costs
Volunteer 2,184 - 2,184 -
Recognition
- - -
Gift aiding of
expenses
-
RBC (see 2,154 2,154 1,895
Restricted
Expenditure
Note)
NOMS (see - 951 951 517
Restricted
Expenditure
Note
The Field - - - 1,000
Seymour Parkes
Foundation
COOP Donation - 429 429
Berkshire - -16 -16 1,291
Healthcare NHS
Foundation Trust
Postcode Lottery - 252 252 2,738
Berkshire - 3,000 3,000 3,000
Community
Foundation
Pears Grant - 3,097 3,097 12,835
GWR SCC Grant 1,310 1,310
DHSC Grant 5,000 5,000
Total 20,048 23,276 41,938 43,324
----- End of picture text -----

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Fundraising Costs

----- Start of picture text -----
Fundraising Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
Costs Funds Funds Year Ended
31 March
£ 2022 £
£ £
Raising 187 - 187 306
Branch
Income
100 Club 1,770 - 1,770 2,120
- - - -
Gift Aiding of
Expenses
(Timing
Difference)
Total 1,957 - 1,957 2,426
(7)Management and Administration
Managemen Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
t and Funds Funds Year Ended
Administrati 31 March
on £ 2022 £
£ £
Phone Calls 30 - 30 120
Travel Claims - - - -
Stationery 8 - 8 8
and Postage
- - - -
Hospitality
Committee 48 - 48 -
Member
Expenses
Professional 24 - 24 24
Fees
AGM and 176 - 176 -
Annual
Review
Total 285 - 285 152
(8)Contribution to Central Charity
Contribution Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Last Year
to Central Funds Funds Year Ended
Charity 31 March
£ 2022 £
£ £
Branch - - - -
Contribution
Total - - - -
----- End of picture text -----

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Changes to the calculation of the required contribution to the Central Charity as a result of COVID 19 have resulted in no payment being due for the current year.

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(9)Restricted Funds

----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted 1 April 2021 Income Expenditure 31 March
Funds 2022
Reading 2,155 - 2,155 0
Borough
Council
National 407 1,086 951 542
Offender
Management
Scheme
(NOMS)
Coop 429 - 429 0
Donation
Reading CIC 262 - - 262
Grant
Berkshire -16 - -16 0
Healthcare
NHS
Foundation
Trust
Postcode 252 - 252 0
Lottery
Berkshire - 3,000 3,000 -
Community
Foundation
Pears Grant - 3,097 3,097 -
GWR SCC - 2,150 1,310 840
Grant
DHSC Grant - 5,000 5,000 -
Total 3,489 14,333 16,177 1,645
----- End of picture text -----

Restricted funds include the following:

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