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2022-03-31-accounts

SAMARITANS North Herts & Stevenage Annual review 2021-22

2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Charity number 1173578

2021 – 2022 Annual review and accounts

2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

CONTENTS

Director’s message ....................................................................................................... 1 About Samaritans ....................................................................................................... 2 Fundraising ................................................................................................................... 3 Caller support ............................................................................................................... 5 External relations ........................................................................................................ 5 IT and comms ............................................................................................................... 6 Leaders .......................................................................................................................... 6 Partnerships .................................................................................................................. 6 Prisons ............................................................................................................................ 7 Publicity ......................................................................................................................... 7 Recruitment .................................................................................................................. 7 Rota ................................................................................................................................ 8 Training .......................................................................................................................... 8 Volunteer support ....................................................................................................... 9 Financial review ......................................................................................................... 10 Recruitment of trustees .............................................................................................. 11 Governance .................................................................................................................. 11 Independent examiner’s report .............................................................................. 14 Financial accounts and notes for the year ended 31 March 2022 ................. 15

2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Director’s message

It is my pleasure to introduce this annual review on North Herts & Stevenage Samaritans for the period of April 2021 to March 2022.

As we have emerged from the restrictions and the most serious concerns of the pandemic, we have relished the return to more normal ways of supporting our callers. One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering at Samaritans is being part of such a wonderful team, so it is great testament to our volunteers’ commitment that they persevered while personal contact was so restricted. During this financial year, Samaritans Central Office (SCO) staff also recognised the need for a large number of improvements to our safeguarding and call-quality monitoring, and our volunteers positively embraced the additional training requirements .

By March 2022, nearly all of those people who had needed to minimise personal contact were able to return to shifts within the branch. We have enjoyed the return to some in-person get-togethers , including for training, meetings and some outreach activities. It has also been great to be able to mix with more people within the branch.

Our training team has welcomed a record number of new candidates, delivering the extensive training and mentoring needed for them to become listening volunteers. Due to our ever-increasing numbers, and with the lack of disability access at our branch, we continue to explore the possibility of acquiring a larger and more fit-for-purpose premises .

One of the highlights of this year has been our 50th Anniversary Party , celebrating half a century since our branch was founded in Hitchin. In November 2021 more than 80 volunteers, partners and friends enjoyed an evening of dinner, speeches and music at Hitchin’s Sun Hotel. As many people’s first social event since before the first lockdown, this was a truly heartwarming and motivational event, helping to bring our volunteers together and recognise their achievements. We were joined by our patron, Caroline Bowes Lyon, who kindly gave a speech and offered us to use her family home, St Paul’s Walden Bury, for future fundraising events.

Fundraising remained a challenging aspect of keeping our branch operational, not least due to Covid restrictions minimising face-to-face activities. Fortunately, Sarah Millican’s performance in Stevenage was permitted in December 2021, with her audience members generously donating £886 to our branch. We remain extremely grateful to all the organisations and individuals who provide financial support, enabling us to continue our work in supporting those experiencing emotional distress.

This has been a successful year of development and expansion for our branch, and I am lucky to have a very supportive team of deputy directors and board of trustees . Together, we will do everything we can to maintain and increase the essential service we provide to our callers. Pivotal to this service is the commitment of our volunteers, so we will continue to focus on enabling them to feel valued and motivated while maintaining our service to our callers.

Ilsa 383, branch director and chair of trustees, North Herts & Stevenage Samaritans

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

About Samaritans

Samaritans provides non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day, for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those that could lead to suicide. We offer our service by telephone, email, letter and face to face, from our branches and at hospitals, schools, prisons, workplaces and festivals, through a network of 201 branches in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

From its base in Hitchin, North Herts & Stevenage Samaritans is a charity operating as a branch of Samaritans. Whilst supporting the residents of the surrounding area, it also supports the residents of the whole of the UK and ROI via the Samaritans central calls system.

Our vision

Our vision is that fewer people die by suicide.

Our mission

Our values

We have five core values. They're supported by these behaviours, which we share within the Samaritans organisation: support, trust, aspirational and respect.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Fundraising

Fundraising and donations

For a good part of this year, our ability to fundraise was hampered by intermittent Covid restrictions. Some of these were government-imposed; others as a result of policy decisions based on risk assessments by SCO, local authorities and supermarket companies.

The first event we were able to take part in was the Letchworth Garden City Armed Forces Day in June, when £240 was raised .

In July and then the autumn of 2021, we were able to recommence some outreach activities. Although not fundraising as such, these activities enabled people to kindly donate to the branch.

Towards Christmas the return of Covid restrictions was a concern. Fortunately, it did not prevent the Sarah Millican performance at Gordon Craig concert hall going ahead on 19 December . Sarah is a great champion of Samaritans and, as part of her national tour, she invited local branches to carry out post-performance bucket collections. Her audience donated an amazing £886 to the branch. This was the first opportunity to use our newly acquired card readers to accept cashless payments. Following this success, the card readers were also used in January 2022 at the Brew Monday events at Hitchin and Stevenage stations, when a very good £450 was received.

Although it is usually a lesser element of fundraising and donations, the willingness of individuals and small businesses to have our small collecting cans has been welcome, as have other donations by individuals.

Various charity platforms enabled donations and fundraising sponsorship to generate about £4,000 . Perhaps understandably, this was quite a bit less than in 2020/21, at the height of the pandemic.

Thanks to those who are taking a few extra seconds when ordering shopping on the internet to enable the branch to receive a contribution from many retailers. To do this, you can use:

Amazon Smile https://smile.amazon.co.uk

GivingMachine www.thegivingmachine.co.uk

Web users have also donated via searching online for Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage.

Thanks to everyone for your loyal support, which has enabled our branch to remain fully operational despite the challenges and restrictions of the pandemic.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Supporters (not individuals)

Businesses with collecting cans

Donations

Grants

Providers of ‘in-kind’ or enabling services

We are very grateful to all the organisations that help us to carry out the work we do. This can be by direct donation or by providing ‘in-kind’ services or materials.

Donating

If you would like to help us, you can make a donation:

By bank transfer

Account name: Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage Account number: 63678547 Sort code: 20-05-73

Please quote your name as reference.

By cheque

Please make your cheque payable to ‘Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage’ and send it to our branch address: 5 Nuns Close, Hitchin, SG5 1EP.

By text message

Text SAMSLOCAL 3 to 70460 to donate £3.

Texts cost £3 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £3 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SAMSLOCALNOINFO 3 to 70460.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Caller support

From May 2021 until April 2022, Hitchin volunteers answered 15,850 calls . They also participated in an average of 80 webchats monthly . Unfortunately, owing to continuing Covid restrictions, we were unable to admit face-to-face callers to our branch during the 2021–22 financial year. New safeguarding measures for face-to-face calls have been devised and, at time of writing, are being trialled at three larger Samaritans branches. The special service dedicated to supporting NHS staff has now ended, and the volunteers who offered that service from their homes have returned to the main branch.

SCO have also provided additional support to branches by forming a specialised team who offer 24hour advice on safeguarding . Other teams also specialise in quality control, emails and caller support.

As always, we are infinitely grateful to our listening volunteers, each of whom devotes at least four hours a week listening to our callers, including overnight shifts when the need is particularly acute.

External relations

Outreach and talks

We have enjoyed the gradual return to outreach activities following the easing of Covid restrictions. This has enabled us to participate in the following events, raising awareness and supporting our local community.

In June 2021 we were present at the Letchworth Armed Forces Day , mainly for fundraising purposes. On two dates in July we had stands at Stevenage railway station, as part of the Samaritans ‘Big Listen’ National Railway Partnership Campaign . This resulted in an estimated 220 contacts with members of the public, raising awareness of Samaritans and encouraging people to contact us for emotional support. On the September Hitchin Health and Wellbeing Day , we made contact with approximately 70 people.

Also in September 2021, our volunteers represented Samaritans at three North Herts College Welcome Days , at the Stevenage Campus on Monkswood Way, the Stevenage Engineering & Construction Campus and at Hitchin Campus. We find that most young people have little or no awareness of Samaritans, so it is rewarding to raise awareness of the support we provide. On these three college days we made contact with an estimated 500 staff members and students.

In December we entered the Hitchin Christmas Tree Festival , the decorations on our tree celebrating the 50th anniversary of our branch.

In January 2022 our branch participated in the Samaritans national campaign for Brew Monday , with volunteers manning stalls at Hitchin and Stevenage railway stations. In February we took part in the Network Rail and Safety Partners Action Day at Stevenage station. In March we supported the Bedfordshire Initiative at Luton Airport, the Ukraine Refugees Hub .

Our Talks Team has been delivering an increasing number of presentations, raising awareness at other organisations. From October to December, in conjunction with other local Samaritans branches, the team provided weekly talks to the Police Custody Officer training groups, as part of their annual continuous development. This is to ensure that police officers know of the support Samaritans can provide, especially as there has been an increase in suicide numbers amongst those leaving police custody.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

IT and comms

The IT support team continues to ensure our technology is appropriate, current and functional, primarily to enable communication between callers and volunteers . It also provides safety and security measures, including the CCTV system, which allows immediate remote review of any significant intrusions in the branch, as well as the possibility of on-demand recordings of the front and back of our premises.

Our technology has allowed us to function as a branch in Covid-limiting times, and to continue to teach, learn and recruit in ways not even considered five years ago. It’s the IT support team’s role to ensure, as far as possible, that we find a balance in enjoying the benefits of technology without affecting the confidence of our volunteers (through too-rapid integration), or the technology adversely affecting volunteers’ ability take calls.

This system is now more secure than before , with more options to balance security with accessibility. It has a backup, fail-safe system, in case of a total denial of service or internet outage.

Leaders

Our Leader team have continued to provide vital support to our listening and online chat volunteers. This support includes being available throughout shifts to provide any necessary advice and guidance and to take offloads at the end of each shift from the on-shift volunteers. This Leader support helps ensure that the service provided by the branch is in line with Samaritans key policies and procedures. It also helps volunteers in their response to particularly difficult situations, and in ensuring that their emotional needs are met.

During this period, a few Leaders retired for various reasons but were replaced by new Leader volunteers. This meant that the overall number of Leaders remained at about 18 – approximately the same as in the previous year. Although the addition of the online chat service increased the number of weekly shifts, the dedication and commitment of the team meant that all shifts were covered.

Leaders are represented on the branch leadership team by a deputy director. Along with other deputy directors, this provides support to the branch director and helps to provide consistency in our service to callers.

Partnerships

We continued to liaise with the inspector of the Police Custody Team and our neighbouring Samaritans branches, to review and update our current processes and procedures for the police custody suites. This was to ensure we are meeting the needs of distressed detainees in the best possible way.

Our Talks Team, in conjunction with other local Samaritans branches, provided weekly talks to the Police Custody Officer training groups, as part of their annual continuous development, from October 2021 to December 2021.

Due to the pandemic, we were unable to meet face to face with representatives from POhWER. However, we continued to attend six-weekly sessions with them and other local charitable organisations via Zoom.

In November 21 we signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and an information sharing agreement with the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust . The MOU will enable us to work together in a pilot to provide a complementary referral service to their service users. It will also allow the development of a range of opportunities, for service users and staff to benefit from

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

the knowledge and experiences offered by Samaritans in support of emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention.

Prisons

Prisoners are an extremely vulnerable group , and the incidence of suicide and self-harm in prisons generally is on the increase. Prisons can be lonely, stressful, intimidating and scary places for some inmates, who need emotional support to get through their time in prison. More and more of our prison callers suffer with poor mental health. The Covid pandemic necessitated most prisoners being locked up in their cells for 23 hours a day. Visits from family members and friends, as well as from Samaritans volunteers, were also curtailed, adding to the feelings of isolation within prison and being cut off from the outside world.

Samaritans work in conjunction with the safer custody teams in most prisons in the UK. Inmates can seek support from Samaritans using the free-to-use Samaritans phones as well as via a free, confidential correspondence service.

Understandably, some prisoners prefer to speak to others who are in the same situation as themselves, which is why we train and carefully select prisoners to be Listeners , who can offer listening support to fellow inmates in person at the very time they are in need. Listeners are unpaid, available 24/7, and give up their time freely, to help those less able to cope with life inside. Together with colleagues from Samaritans Cambridge branch, some of our volunteers visit Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire . We support the Listener team, helping them do fulfil their roles, as well as promoting the work we do jointly with them.

During this year we have been able to get back to our regular weekly visits and train a new group of Listeners. We are therefore on our way to resuming our usual level of activity.

Publicity

We have had some good press coverage of events and activities over the year thanks to local media outlets, including a feature in our local newspaper, the Comet , with coverage of the visit from David Matthews to Hitchin as part of 'The Listening Walk' – a 6,000 mile walk on which he visited every Samaritans branch in the UK and Ireland, raising awareness and donations for the charity.

Our website is regularly updated and is worth perusing: www.samaritans.org/branches/hitchin

We also have a social media presence on Twitter. Follow us at twitter.com/NorthHertsSams

Recruitment

Changes made during the pandemic to enable us to still be able to recruit new volunteers are at present still in place. The online information evenings and selection interviews work well, and we have managed to recruit 40 new volunteers during this year. Although the online system works, we are considering starting up face-to-face selections and interviews again, hopefully in the near future, as we feel they are a vital part of recruitment.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Rota

Samaritans are privileged to have been able to continue our 24/7 listening service in the UK and ROI throughout the pandemic. While not all of our 201 branches are open all the time, we have a national call distribution system, which means all calls should receive a response.

In Hitchin branch we have around 90 listening volunteers and are striving to recruit and train more so we can open for more hours. Our shifts are either three or four hours long, with seven shifts each 24 hours, so our volunteer numbers generally result in 30 to 40 shifts running in an average week . We operate an online self-rota system for a four-week period, which is issued about three weeks ahead. Volunteers are expected to cover one part-overnight shift and three daytime shifts during each rota. An effective and efficient online arrangement exists for swapping when a volunteer becomes unable to fulfil a chosen shift, enabling us to close as few shifts as possible.

In the height of the pandemic and lockdowns, a number of volunteers were isolating or shielding, and our number of shifts necessarily reduced. However, this year we are seeing a return to good numbers and hope this will continue.

In April 2021 we started opening three weekday 7.30 pm shifts of three hours each for online chat callers, in addition to telephone shifts. Listening volunteers are comprehensively trained and have a further session of training for online chat. This service is proving successful and gives an alternative means of communication for callers uncomfortable with or unable to speak to us by phone.

Our volunteers come from different age groups and walks of life but form a very supportive team working together towards the same goal – supporting those in distress or despair in the hopes that our service will be of some help.

Training

In the 2021–2022 financial year, a record number of new volunteers successfully applied to become active listening volunteers at our branch. All of those 40 volunteers underwent our extensive initial (Core) training, with sessions delivered via Zoom, and gave very positive feedback on the training they received.

Our training team ran four Continuous Development sessions , using a combination of face-to-face and Zoom sessions. With outreach activities resuming as Covid restrictions eased, we needed to find ways to deliver the additional training required by all volunteers delivering emotional support outside of the branch, before which our trainers needed to receive the relevant training. The team overcame these challenges, and by the end of this financial year, 15 of our volunteers were ready to undertake outreach activities.

Another challenge, faced by most Samaritans branches nationwide, is the recruitment and training of Leaders , who support listening volunteers during and after each shift. In 2021–2022 the training team prepared five new leaders for this vital role.

Another highly experienced volunteer took over as deputy director for training in February 2022. Peter has ambitious plans for 2022–2023, including resuming face-to-face delivery of some Core training sessions; and improving the processes between recruitment/selection and training, while also remaining an active member of the east region’s Regional Training Team.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Volunteer support

As the pandemic restrictions began to lift, many of the volunteers on Covid leave felt able to return to the branch to resume listening shifts. We felt it was very important to make sure all returning volunteers felt safe and well supported on their return. We spoke to all returning volunteers to see what we could put in place to help ease them back into the branch. For some this was additional training, while many were allocated an experienced buddy volunteer for their first few shifts back. Some, who were still nervous about returning, opted to do shifts with a chosen volunteer until they felt safe to mix with additional people.

Following guidelines from SCO, in July 2021 we were eventually able to remove the half-hour gap between shifts , which had been in place to reduce contact between volunteers. This return to increased interaction significantly lifted morale amongst our volunteers, in addition to increasing our hours of support .

Supporting all our volunteers, whether they are actively taking shifts or on leave of absence, is vitally important in making them feel valued and appreciated. This helps maintain our high retention level, allowing us to continue delivering the optimum level of support for our callers.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Financial review

The financial statements cover the 12 months to 31 March 2022. Total income amounted to £13,236, compared with £60,908 in the previous year, when we had extraordinary support from grants.

Once again, self-generated income was much reduced due to the restrictions imposed by Covid; we managed to utilise the reserves and grants from previous years to keep the branch going without having to touch our long-term reserves.

Total expenditure of £33,649 has decreased against the previous year of £41,532. Costs were incurred in completing the branch fire safety commitments for volunteers, which is always an imperative. Governance costs of £11,221 include the accrued figure of £3,513 of contribution to SCO, due under our operating agreement with them. The operating deficit for the year, including gains/losses on investment, amounted to a shortfall of £26,131, compared with a surplus of £20,578 in 2020/21. The financial market has been very unstable this year, which has led to a fall in the value on the investments, but the trustees have discussed and decided to keep invested for the long term.

The accumulated general reserves, which exclude fixed assets (see page 15), amounted to £85,608 (2020/21: £111,738),which, in representing more than one year's normal expenditure, is considered by the trustees to adequately meet the needs of the branch for the foreseeable future.

The total net assets of £103,209 is held in both bank deposits and investments (the latter valued at £76,357 as at 31 March 2022).

The trustees are mindful of a need to move to premises when a suitable property becomes available and are maintaining reserves for this purpose (see ‘Future plans’ below). The title to the freehold premises is held by Samaritans as custodian trustee and the charity, subject to a trust deed in respect of its premises.

Reserves

The trustees reviewed and updated the Financial Reserves Policy in the year since the last review and agreed a minimum level of six months and a maximum of 18 months of free reserves, to allow the branch to continue operating without financial income for that period without releasing long-term reserves or requiring assistance from SCO. This has been monitored on a regular basis. The trustees will continue to review the reserves policy on an annual basis.

In the period from March 2021, the trustees have taken full account of the Charity Commission advice on the use of reserves. Cash flow projections indicate that Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage will end the financial year (2022/23) with unrestricted funds above the minimum reserves level.

Risk management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed. At their meetings, they carry out this duty and ensure appropriate controls are in place and any necessary action is taken to mitigate such risks.

Many of the protocols put in place in March 2020 at the start of the Covid outbreak remained in force during the 2021–22 year to keep volunteers safe. These measures are regularly reviewed as guidance is provided by SCO.

In addition, a risk register has been developed during this financial year, and it is reviewed regularly by trustees at their meetings.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Future plans

Cash flow estimates indicate Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage will maintain the minimum reserves level throughout 2022/23 whilst meeting all financial commitments.

At the time of writing, although all restrictions have been lifted in England since 19 July 2021, Covid outbreaks remain a concern. Under guidance from SCO, face-to-face support for our callers has not resumed. Similarly, for both safety and practical reasons, trustees continue to conduct meetings online.

Our outreach activities and fundraising have started to increase, with additional precautions advised to ensure the safety of both service users and volunteers.

The trustees continue to look for a property more suited to the long-term growth of the branch and with full disability access.

Structure, governance and management

Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage became a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), governed by constitution, on 22 June 2017. Trustees have a limit of six-year terms; except the director, who serves a three-year term, which can be extended by up to 12 months by the approval of SCO’s board of trustees.

The day-to-day operation of the activities of the branch are controlled by the director, with the support of deputy directors. The director is appointed by the branch committee, under the recommendation of a consensus of the members of the branch and with approval from SCO.

The trustee committee is responsible for fundraising, the approval of expenditure, and the maintenance of the branch premises and equipment. Committee members/trustees are either elected or ex officio and serve as trustees for a period of no more than six years. Ex-officio committee members are appointed or stand down at the annual general meeting each year.

The trustees meet at least six times a year. All trustee meetings in the year have used Zoom, in accordance with constitutional and legal requirements.

Recruitment of trustees

Ilsa Hawtin was branch director and chair of trustees throughout the 2021–22 financial year.

New trustees are identified either through an open recruitment from the membership base, or by recommendation or selection for their skill and abilities. Appointments are subject to the approval of a quorum of members. On appointment, new trustees are provided with the information recommended by the Charity Commission. They receive Samaritans-specific training, as well as access to general trustee training, as part of their induction.

Additional trustees, including a branch secretary, were appointed at an EGM in April 2021. After this, the new trustee board conducted a skills review during the 2021–22 financial year, confirming they had the necessary representation to operate effectively.

Governance

Over the 12 months of this review, the trustees carried out regular reviews of Samaritans standard policies, as required by SCO, and were able to advise to SCO that we are adhering to central guidance regarding governance, finance, data protection, and health and safety. We introduced policies to cover conflicts of interest, financial controls and data protection; and we continue to focus on governance. At the time of writing, new policies on fire safety and fundraising have been drafted for approval.

Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage does not employ professional fundraisers in any capacity, and no complaints regarding fundraising were received for the period of this review.

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ review and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom accounting standards. The Charity Commission requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity to enable them, as a matter of good practice, to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2019) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Statement FRS 102. 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.

Reference and administration – 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022

Samaritans of North Herts & Stevenage – registered charity number 1173578

The committee members who served as trustees in the period were as follows:

Ilsa Hawtin Director Appointed 1 January 2021
Graham Sutton Treasurer Appointed 31 January 2020, re-appointed 22 November 2021
Barbara Haines Resigned 14 April 2021
Steven Harrison Resigned 14 April 2021
Valerie Docking Resigned 14 April 2021
Jan Gosling Resigned 14 April 2021
Jude Brooks Appointed 1 November 2020, re-appointed 22 November 2021,
resigned April 24 2022
Alan Chaney Appointed 3 Sept 2019, re-appointed 22 November 2021
Sandra Oakes Appointed 1 November 2020, re-appointed 22 November 2021,
resigned 14 September 2022
Kate Adams Appointed 14 April 2021, re-appointed 22 November 2021
Tim Coulson Appointed 14 April 2021, re-appointed 22 November 2021
Fiona Pearce Secretary Appointed 14 April 2021, re-appointed 22 November 2021

12

SAMARITANS 2021-2022 Annuol review arKI accovnts North Herts & Charity bank occount Barcbjys Bunk Leicester. LE87 2BB Independent examiner Tara Aklwin AC& FKCA knmited. 260-270 Butterfiek4. Great Madiry& utterfdd Bugness Part LvtorL LU2 80L (Appointed 27 luty 20221 Chority registered oddres5 5 Nun5 Cbse. Hitchin, Hert& SGS IEP Contoct te￿P1￿)ne number 01462 453100 Website VrnW.9Jrnriton&ofg/bronche51hii¢hin The trust￿ decljre that they have opproved the tnIste￿ fevi•w up to and In¢￿dIN4 po9e 1Z Signed on behalf of th• charivs tru5t¢¢* Signed.. (Signature of avthorised Pe￿On) Dote. Ilsa Hawtln, ¢halr of tr￿te• board IN0￿ and posttion of autknrised person) Signed: Isignotuo of authorised person) Dottr. Graham Svtton, treosw (Nam and FM)sitiM ol ovthorised person) 13

SAMARITA.NS 2021-2022 Annual review and accounts North Herts& Stevenage Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Samaritans of North Hert5 & Stevenage I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Samaritans of North Herts and Stevenage (the tharityl for the year ended 31 March 2022. 4 Cf-: o*rlbjllt", As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparatson of the financial statements in ccordance with the requirements of the Charities Art 20111'the Act'l. -. pno I report in respect of my examination of the charf(rfs accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Art and In carrying out my examination I have followed the applicable D1￿CtionS given by the Charity Commission under Section 14515llbl of the Act. Independpryt eyxmiD•r's <tatem•r•t I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention In connection with the examination giving me cause to belSeve that.. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity ès required by section 130 of the Art- or the accounts do not accord with those records: or the accounts do not comply wr¢h the applicable requirements concernin8 the form and content of the accounls set out in the Charities (Actounts and Reports) Regulations 2c￿8 other than any requiren)ent that the ateount5 give a 'tTue and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection wilh the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Tara Ajdwin ACA FKCA UMITED Chartered Attountsnts 26￿270 Butterfield Great Marlin8S Luton Beds LU2 8DL 14

2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Financial accounts and notes for the year ended 31 March 2022

Fixed asset
cover fund
Designated
general fund
Unrestricted
general fund
2021/22
Total funds
2020/21
Total funds
£
£
£
£
£		 Fixed asset
cover fund
Designated
general fund
Unrestricted
general fund
2021/22
Total funds
2020/21
Total funds
£
£
£
£
£
Incoming resources
from generated funds
Christmas card sale
-
-
98
98
-
Interest income
-
-
2,516
2,516
-
Prison income
-
-
(438)
(438)
(1,040)
Donations
-
-
851
851
22,928
Generated income, including
from Friends of Samaritans
-
-
1,755
1,755
9,580
Grants income
-
-
8,000
8,000
29,440
Gift Aid
-
-
454
454
-
Total incoming resources
from charitable activities
-
-
13,236
13,236
60,908
Costs of generating funds
2
-
645
1,415
2,060
2,440
Charitable activities
3
-
5,156
15,212
20,368
21,102
Governance costs
 4
-
645
10,576
11,221
17,990
Total resources expended
-
6,446
27,203
33,649
41,532
Net surplus/(deficit)
-
(6,446)
(13,967)
(20,413)
19,376
(Loss)/Gain on investment
-
-
(5,718)
(5,718)
1,202
Net movement in funds
-
(6,446)
(19,685)
(26,131)
20,578
Funds brought forward
17,601
11,466
100,273
129,340
108,762
Funds carried forward
17,601
5,020
80,588
103,209
129,340

Balance sheet at 31 MARCH 2022

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SAMARITANS Wrt4 & FIXED ASSETS (H.8081 04.8081 16,647 (D.1731 763S7 96,T37 97,rn cur¢REKf ASSErs 8,418 8.418 1056 11.474 44.366 6,867 4.713 19,612 Tot•1 cr•dltry* am￿ du• wlthln on•y• s,￿2 19.612 0,4r2 31,621 209 Q9.340 103,209 5.020 17.601 )02TJ 129340 209 behaff by. IILvi H￿￿n, tru5te•s)

2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 Accounting policies

(j) Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets of material value held by the charity for its own use on a
straight line basis so as to write off their cost over their estimated useful lives as follows:
Freehold property
Nil
Building renovation costs
20% p.a.
Office equipment and furniture
20% p.a.

Unrestricted general funds – these are funds that can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.

Designated funds – these are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted general funds for specific future purposes or projects.

Restricted funds – these are funds than can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes

£

£

£

£

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

2021/22 2021/22 2021/22 2020/21
designated unrestricted total total
1. PREMISES OVERHEADS
Rates and water rates - 206 206 325
Power and heat - 3,194 3,194 2,761
Repairs and renewals 5,654 5,433 11,087 7,266
Cleaning and housekeeping 26 288 314 3,794
Equipment repairs and 766 108 874 3,903
replacements
IT Support - 1,998 1,998 5,315
Office telephone and postage - 697 697 222
Insurance and legal costs - 799 799 814
Independent examiner’s fees - 1,325 1,325 -
Operating lease fees - 100 100 -
Total for the year 6,446 14,148 20,594 24,400
Allocated to:
Costs of generating funds 645 1,415 2,060 2,440
Charitable activities 5,156 11,318 16,474 19,520
Governance costs 645 1,415 2,060 2,440
Total allocations for the year 6,446 14,148 20,594 24,400
2. COSTS OF GENERATING FUNDS
Share of premises overheads (see detail 1) 645 1,415 2,060 2,440
Total for the year 645 1,415 2,060 2,440
3. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Emergency telephone - 849 849 534
Volunteer travel expenses - 242 242 686
Volunteer training - 211 211 326
Advertising - - - 36
Outreach - 102 102 -
Conference fees - 2,490 2,490 -
Total activities - 3,894 3,894 1,582
Share of premises overheads (see detail 1) 5,156 11,318 16,474 19,520
Total for the year 5,156 15,212 20,368 21,102

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

£ £ £ £
2021/22 2021/22 2021/22
2020/21
designated unrestricted total total
4. GOVERNANCE COSTS
Printing, stationery and photocopying - 974 974 -
Bank fees - 20 20 -
Depreciation expense - 695 695 -
Gifts and sundry expenses - 5,023 5,023 662
Total activities - 6,712 6,712 662
Contribution to SCO support - 2,449 2,449 14,888
costs
Share of premises overheads (see 645 1,415 2,060 2,440
detail 1 )
Total for the year 645 10,576 11,221 17,990
Freehold Building
Office		 equipment Total
property
renovation		 & furniture
5. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS £ £ £ £
Cost
At 1 April 2021 17,601 14,808 13,173 45,582
Additions - - 3,474 3,474
Disposals - - - -
At 31 March 2022 17,601 14,808 16,647 49,056
Depreciation
At 1 April 2021 - 14,808 13,173 27,981
Charge for the period - - 695 695
Disposals - - - -
At 31 March 2022 - 14,808 13,868 28,676
Net book value31 March 2022 17,601 - 2,779 20,380
31 March 2021 17,601 - - 17,601
6. LISTED INVESTMENT FUNDS Cost Market value
£ £
At 1 April 2021 48,148 80,118
Investment income - 1,957
Change in market value - (5,718)
At 31 March 2022 48,148 76,357
7. SUNDRY DEBTORS 2021/22 2020/21
£ £
Sundry debtors 3,056 6,867
Total sundry debtors 3,056 6,867

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2021–2022 Annual review and accounts

8. CREDITORS 2021/22 2020/21
£ £
Trade creditors 289 -
Accruals 4,713 19,612
Total sundry debtors 5,002 19,612

9. TRUSTEES’ REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES

None of the charity’s trustees were directly or indirectly remunerated in any way. It is the policy of the charity to reimburse in full all expenses properly incurred by its volunteers in connection with its charitable activities. During the year, the total amount reimbursed to the trustees and members of the charity’s management committee in respect of travel costs for attending meetings, telephone, postage and similar expenses is included in note 4.

10. INDEMNITY INSURANCE

Samaritans has centrally effected professional indemnity insurance to protect employees, trustees, members of the charity's management committee and other volunteer members of all Samaritans branches.

11. DESIGNATED FUNDS

Fixed asset cover fund – represents funds designated to cover the cost of the charity’s freehold property. Designated general funds – represents funds designated for projects and improvements beyond normal annual expenditure.

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