2021-03-31-accounts - Community Support In The Countryside

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Trustees' Annual Re ort for the eriod p p

	Period start	date			Period end date	Period end date
From	01	April	2020		31	March	2021

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name[Community Support in the Countryside (CSC)]

Other names charity is known by[Brockham Emergency Response Team (BERT) ]

Registered charity number (if any)[1171175 ]

Charity's principal address 15 OAKDENE CLOSE, BROCKHAM, BETCHWORTH, SURREY

Postcode RH3 7JZ

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
Robert James Thomas	Chairperson	Whole year	N/A
Alessandra F N Truran	Secretary	Whole year	N/A
Trevor John Anderson	Treasurer	Whole year	N/A
Craig Scott		Whole year	N/A
Robert Gregory		Whole year	N/A
Isobel Fiona Heppenstall		Whole year	N/A
Zoe Odette Collins		Whole year	N/A
Simon Budd		Whole year	N/A
Daved Robert Shanks		Whole year	N/A
Trevor Hizzard		Whole year	N/A

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

	Name	Dates acted if not for whole year
	N/A	N/A

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address	Type of adviser Name Address	Type of adviser Name Address
N/A

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

N/A

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March 2012

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

CSC is governed by a Constitution document, which was set out when the Type of governing document charity was incorporated on 18 January 2017. (eg. trust deed, constitution)

CSC is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) governed by the How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Foundation Constitution document.

Trustee selection methods

(eg. appointed by, elected by) The original trustees were appointed from the people who had historically helped BERT, were willing and able to act as trustees and to give an appropriate range of knowledge and skills to cover the legal, financial, technical, promotional and other needs of CSC as a charity. New trustees are appointed following agreement of existing trustees and follow the same principle of creating a group with appropriate knowledge and experience to run the charity effectively.

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;

The formal business of CSC is conducted through trustee meetings, which are held at least quarterly. Progress of agreed actions is managed through regular follow up.

In addition to the charity structure, BERT carries out operational tasks with the support of volunteer team leaders. These are typically longstanding BERT volunteers who have been committed to our activities and been willing to undertake the training necessary for the role.

CSC/BERT has adopted a set of policies, which are reviewed annually, to cover the health and safety, safeguarding, and the protection of personal data of trustees and volunteers.

trustees’ consideration of CSC/BERT regularly engages with Brockham Parish Council, Mole Valley
major risks and the system and District Council, Surrey County Council and with relevant government
procedures to manage them. bodies to manage flood risks, to report incidents or concerns, and to support the local community.

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Section C Objectives and activities

The purposes of CSC, as set out in the founding document, are:

To relieve persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress as a result of a natural or other disaster or emergency, to promote public safety and to protect the lives and property of residents of Brockham in particular but not exclusively by:

a. Developing the capacity of residents with the aim to prevent and reduce the likelihood and consequences of local flooding, particularly from drainage ditches and surface water;

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

b. Recruiting and training volunteers to enable Brockham Emergency Response Team (BERT) to provide assistance and undertake preventive activities when the village of Brockham is threatened by severe weather, its consequences or other local emergency or disruption;
c. Assisting the Brockham community in setting up and organising community information and awareness raising events using BERT’s expertise, volunteers and equipment for the benefit of local residents;
d. Developing technology or systems to enhance the capacity of rural communities to monitor and warn local residents of the risk of flooding from rivers, streams or significant drainage ditches; and
e. Developing technology or systems to enhance the capacity of rural communities to prevent and assist in the detection of rural crime that may result from natural or other disasters or emergencies.

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Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

In previous years prevention, training, responding and community support was mainly focused on flooding. However, since the coronavirus pandemic, CSC/BERT has also focused on helping local residents in lockdown/isolation. On 17 March 2020 CSC/BERT launched the ‘Community Immunity’ (CI) project. CI supports the main object of the charity: ‘ To relieve persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress as a result of a natural or other disaster or emergency, to promote public safety and to protect the lives and property of residents of Brockham’.

----- Start of picture text -----
Community Immunity
A BERT initiative – Brockham communities’ response to Coronavirus
Do you have a neighbour who is over 70 or who has health concerns? Do you even know?
Now is your time to find out if the people you live near will struggle if they are quarantined.
How can you help?
 Start talking – find out if the people you live near may be facing exclusion in the
coming weeks and see what their concerns are. Tap on a window – remember
they may not want to answer the door!
 Find out how you can help – Can you pick up a few extra bits when you pop to the
shops?, Can you offer to collect a prescription?, Can you walk their dog with
yours?
 Volunteer to become a BEV – we’ve developed a new “CoronaBEV” category for
those who wish to offer their assistance to help people in their local community.
BERT will coordinate requests for assistance and see who is available to help
With you we can create an Immunity in our Community to the disruption, hardship and
isolation that restriction to movement may cause.
Get in touch!
Want to Volunteer? – email Bert.Brockham@gmail.com
Need help? Call 01302 GOBERT (01302 462378 ) or email above address.
----- End of picture text -----

Flyer/email issued to Brockam residents in March 2020

From March 2020 Community Immunity recruited over 200 volunteers, answered over 1 thousand calls via the Go-BERT line and managed the following key initiatives:

FoodAid: In conjunction with Brockham Christ Church, FoodAid operated in Brockham from April 2020 to February 2021 and offered free deliveries of food packages to individuals and families who were experiencing hardship due to the pandemic. During this period, FoodAid delivered over 2,500 parcels to local families as well as to two women’s refuges and a local programme supplying hot meals for the homeless at Leatherhead Leisure Centre. The number of requests steadily reduced as the year progressed. In March 2021 CI handed the task over to Mid-Surrey Community Fridge who now operates a community fridge in Dorking. CI still delivers food parcels to a residual number of families who are unable to visit the community fridge.

See below FoodAid email from BERT/CI to Brockham residents issued in April 2020:

BERT Food Aid

As the Coronavirus continues to impact our village, we expect some of us may struggle to afford basic food requirements. It is at times like this that we need to come together for the good of us all. With that in mind, BERT has established a regular donated food supply for those facing the greatest hardship.

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BERT Food Aid can make deliveries to people's homes on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, on an ongoing basis. The food and delivery is free of charge to those facing hardship, loss of income or a delay in benefits. Requests for food can be made by emailing foodaid@bertbrockham.org.uk or by calling us directly on 01737 402821.

Please provide us with your name, address and phone number, as well as how many adults and how many children are in the household, along with any allergies in the family. All such information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

The first deliveries will be Wednesday 1st April, so please contact us before 5 pm on Tuesday 31st March.

BERT Food Aid is run by BERT and the volunteers of Brockham Christ Church. A huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered and donated to support this service. Please help us to help each other. And share this message with your family, friends and neighbours, especially those who may not have access to email.

Community Immunity! ~ BERT Trustees

Prescriptions: This initiative started in March 2020 and was still in operation at the end of March 2021. It consisted of providing prescription collection and delivery to self-isolating residents. At its peak in April 2020, CI volunteers delivered 98 prescriptions. All volunteers involved were DBS-checked.

Groceries: This initiative was launched in March 2020 and it was still in operation 12 months later. Volunteers (all DBS-checked) did the grocery shopping for residents who were self-isolating. The number of requests steadily decreased with the easing of the lockdown in the summer. However, at its peak in April 2020, CI handled 25 requests for food shopping.

BERTech: Launched in June 2020, this initiative facilitated the donation of laptops and tablets to families who did not have access to them. This was mainly to help children continue their school activity during periods of self-isolation and school closures. At the end of March 2021 over 55 devices had been distributed to local families and schools.

Fogger: In September 2020 CI purchased two units of ShieldMe, a fogging machine that effectively disinfects surfaces and yet it is harmless to living beings and the environment. Since then, local business, including the chemist and grocery shops, as well as the nursery and community halls, have been using the fogging machines on a self-service rota basis. As a result, CI has helped keep premises safely open and local business/activities running.

Chairman Bob Thomas operating a fogging machine

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March 2012

Community Immunity also supported the following parallel initiatives:

Take-away delivery: during the lockdown a local catering business used the Brockham’s school kitchen to cook ready meals and sell them at a discounted rate to key workers and local families. CI volunteers helped deliver them.

The Shop at Strood Green: this local community shop remained closed for a good part of 2020 and operated on a delivery basis only. CI volunteers helped deliver orders to local residents. CI also helped install a Perspex barrier at the counter to protect staff and residents.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the lockdown local residents got together to produce PPE and CI helped provide the material and equipment needed. This resulted in the distribution of visors and scrubs to local establishments and key workers.

Face masks: a local businesses, with the help of local residents, produced over 4,000 face masks which were distributed to local residents for a donation to CSC. CI helped provide material and equipment for their production.

Shirley Fisher – maker of masks and Simon Clark maker of PPE Visors coverings on 27 May 2020 at a formal visit paid to Food Aid in Brockham by Chairman MVDC Cllr Mary Huggins

Voice conference facility: in conjunction with the Brockham Parish Church, CI set up a telephone conference line to enable families to join church services during the lockdown. This has become a popular service.

Lockdown library and jigsaw exchange: during the lockdown two local families operated a community library and a jigsaw exchange scheme containing circa 400 books and several jigsaw puzzles. CI helped advertise the initiative and set up a book / jigsaw handling quarantine process.

Brockham befriending scheme: in conjunction with the Brockham Parish Church, the aim of this scheme was to provide local families with a friendly voice when needed. CI helped provide telephones and guidelines. However, despite extensive campaigning, there were next to no calls and the scheme no longer operates.

Ad-hoc jobs: during the lockdown CI received a number ad-hoc requests from local residents including assistance with faulty appliances and dog walking. They provided assurance to residents who were selfisolating that they could count on local support.

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March 2012

Covid Vaccination Clinics

Since January 2021 CI has been recruiting volunteers and coordinators to help run weekdays and weekend vaccination clinics in both Medwyn (Dorking) and Brockwood (Brockham) practices. From 8 January to 31 March 2021 over 90 CI volunteers helped these local practices staff run their car parks, receptions, waiting rooms and recovery rooms. In addition, CI purchased a storage fridge for the Brockwood practice which enabled staff to increase their capacity of storage and administration of the Pfizer vaccine.

Volunteers at the Brockwood practice

Governance

CI online meetings

As well as the quarterly trustees’ meetings focusing on BERT activity, another 11 meetings took place during the hight of the pandemic to agree, coordinate, launch and monitor various CI initiatives. Apart from the first CI meeting on 15 March 20, all other CI meetings were conducted on-line to guarantee the safety of those involved and comply with lockdown guidelines. A Gold/Silver/Bronze structure was set up to communicate with trustees and key volunteers and facilitate the decision making.

Health & Safety

The safety of volunteers and residents was CI’s top priority. The BERT trustees promptly devised and launched a set of policies and guidance which enabled all CI activities to be carried out in a coordinated and safe manner. Every CI volunteer allocated to a task received a briefing first and then received a volunteer kit, including an ID badge and appropriate PPE. The two documents attached, ‘FoodAid Policy’ and ‘Grocery Guide’ are examples of the CI set of policies.

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Risk Management

During CI meeting trustees and key volunteers implemented and monitored mitigation plans for each of the key risks listed below:

key risks	How we are mitigating them
Contagion / safeguarding	Safety equipment and guide handed to volunteers / Volume of gloves and PPE in stock being monitored /H&S + Safeguarding policies in place
Data protection	Privacy policy in place /Controls put in place to restrict volume of personal data in the Google Sheets log.
Lack of governance	Gold Silver Bronze 'structure in place / overarching Covid-19 policy in place / key initiatives have their own separate policies and guidance implemented / decision making through meetings / meetings minutes documented and agreed actions followed up /key documents stored in central location.
Lack of funds available	Requests for funds and government grant as required / All comms to the community contain info on how to make a donation via Virgin Money / funds availability being monitored and reported to key members on a regular basis.
Loss of reputation	Various policies and procedures in place / Regular comms with the Parish Council, local organisations and local government authorities on initiatives / Ready to demonstrate governance on request.
Misappropriation / misuse of funds	Expenditure process in place/ Access to bank account and donations system restricted to the treasurer and chairman / fidelity insurance in place (loss of funds through computer fraud or fraudulent transfer instructions by third parties).
Lack of volunteers	The availability of volunteers is being monitored by the leaders of each initiative / A volunteer coordinator updates the volunteer log in accordance with availability and skills offered.
Lack of comms with the community	Regular comms via the community email and social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) / Community Immunity website regularly updated / Radio interviews given to local radio stations
Litigation	Governance implemented / H&S + Safeguarding policy in place / liability insurance in place
Monitoring of CI initiatives During the hight of the pandemic the trustees monitored the progress of each initiative set up or supported by CI via a Roadmap document (attached) which also included the monitoring of calls via the Go-BERT telephone line.

BERT

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March 2012

Flood Prevention

Despite the unprecedented activity that the pandemic created, CSC / BERT still ran a series of working parties in Quarter 4 2020, in accordance with lockdown restrictions. The aim of these working parties was to clear the ditch network to prevent flooding. Working groups were organised in bubbles, which were mostly formed by members of the same family. Social distancing guidelines were observed and all equipment was sanitised before and after use.

BERT working party on 18 October 20 – family bubble

BERT working party on 18 October 20 – three generations of the same family in one bubble

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March 2012

BERT working party on 25 October 20 – ditch clearance in Strood Green

Response

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BERT volunteers and coordinators continued to respond to emergency calls, which BERT started receiving at the beginning of the winter. This activity followed the same format of the preventative working parties: social distancing guidelines were observed and all equipment was sanitised before and after use. Below are some examples of BERT response:

15 November 2020 : following a night of heavy rain, several potential flood hazards developed to which members responded and resolved. The use of phone apps to communicate ensured that response was promptly organised and deployed after notification.

16 November 2020: BERT has deployed cameras at strategic locations which enables trustees and coordinators to monitor water levels remotely. The photo below is a view from the Bowls Club at 08:26am showing the fast-flowing River Mole.

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7 December 2020: Storm Bella brought high winds and heavy rain. It caused a small amount of damage including the parish Christmas tree which was blown over. BERT response team also cleared a busy footpath blocked by a fallen tree and cleared the ditch grills in Wheelers Lane and on the Green.

1 January 2021: After significant rain a large pond soon formed at the corner of the Big Field closing the path and threatening to flood local residences. The BERT camera was used which detected a large amount of debris that was blocking the drainage system.

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March 2012

3 January 2021: BERT attended a blocked drain in Warenne Road, Brockham using the camera to understand why. Results passed to SCC Highways.

Safety

During April 20 to March 21 BERT trustees continued to carry out maintenance of BERT equipment. This included the upgrading of the flood alert systems and annual maintenance of pumps and brush-cutters. In addition, BERT invested in additional safety clothing for volunteers.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

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March 2012

As listed in Section C – Objectives and activities of this report .

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main As listed in Section C – Objectives and activities of this report . achievements of the charity during the year

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

CSC aims to keep circa £2,000 in the bank account at all times as a float for emergencies. During April 20 to March 21 grants received and donations made to CSC exceeded expectations. However, CSC trustees anticipate that the aftermath of the pandemic will affect local families in the years to come and are considering the optimal ‘save/spend’ approach in these unprecedented times which will still be aligned with the objectives of CSC as detailed in its constitution.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None to report

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

The principal sources of funds are donations made by local residents and supporters as well as proceedings from the sale of items sold via the BERT community email. During April 20 to March 21 CSC also received 3 specific grants to support the ‘Community Immunity’ initiative, Covid Sponsorship, one of which was directly government funded, being from Mole Valley District Council. The 3 grants totalled £12,000 and were spent in full.

CSC funds were mainly used to support ‘Community Immunity’ activity. This included the purchase a vaccine storage fridge for the Brockwood practice, two foggers, PPE and a fridge, shelves and food for FoodAid. CSC also spent funds on the upgrade and maintenance of BERT equipment and the purchase of additional safety gear.

Detailed information on receipts and payments is available in the Annual Accounts (CC16a).

Section F Other optional information

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Further to your requirement, we declare that there were no serious incidents to report.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Robert James THOMAS Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc)

Date 13th October 2021

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March 2012

		Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds		Endowment funds	Endowment funds	Totalfunds	Totalfunds		Last	year
		tothenearest €	to the nearestf		to the nearest	f	tothenearestf			to the nearest€
A1Recei
District CouncilCovidGrant		5,(x)0						5,000
Covid Soonsorship		7,000						7,000
Donations		3{t,179					30,179				7,009
Gift aid reclaimed		3,U2						3,v2			735
Otherfundraising											498
Sub tofal (Gross incamefor AR)		45,521					{5,521				8,242
A2Asset andinvestmentsales,
(seetable).
Sale sumlus eouioment Sub tofa,l		200 zxlrrrr
rotatr*",p"lT,;lf-]				l-l					*,"'Il
A3
Insurance		747						747			574
General maintenance, fuel etc		1.515						1,515			'143
Credit/Debit cardfees		65						65			35
Coronavirus support -foodaid		12,105					't2.105
Coronavirus support -others		6,611						6,611			50
Subta,al		21,{r43					21,043				802
A4Asset andinvestment
ourchases.(seetable)
Pumps &other equiprnent											630
FloodAlert System upgrade		48						48			545
SafetyClothing		1,638						1.638			57
Covid sanitisation equipment		1-O14						1,44
Fridges forfood aidproied											1,350
Subtotal		3,130						3,130			2,592
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				Unrestricted		Restricted	Endowment
				funds		funds	funds
81Cashfunds	Bank Petty Cash			to n€arsatf	tonearcstf l-------ll II		tonearest € r---------t t-----= F----:-l
		Total cashfunds
	(agree balances	with receipts	and payrnents accor,lt(s))	Unrestricted	Restricted -J		Endowment
				funds		funds	funds -
				tonearestf	-	tonearcstf	tonearest e
82Other monetary assets
					Cost (optional)
83lnvestmentasseb
				Fund towhich	Cost (optional)		Current value
84Assetsretainedforthe	Storage equipment
charity's ownuse	Drainscanning equipment
	Pumps and generators
	Tools
	Safety equipment
	Other equipment
				Fundtowhich		Amount due	When due
85 Liabilities
Signedbyoneor twotrusteeson behalf ofallthe trustees				Print Name
				k6€8,7Vc>ffflJ
				.LA'vD		t=fr-s