AMARITANS Whatever you're facing We're here to listen Annual report 2021-22
Contents
Page No Section 1 2 & 3 DIRECTOR’S INTRODUCTION Section 2 4 BRANCH LEADERSHIP Section 3 5 WHAT WE DO Section 4 6 & 7 THE LAST YEAR Section 5 8 GRANTS AND DONATIONS Section 6 9 FINANCIAL REVIEW Section 7 10 - 15 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Director’s Introduction
I have to begin my first report as your new Branch Director by thanking all our amazing volunteers, both listeners and supporters. You have given up your time and skills so freely to support our callers and the branch in general throughout another year.
I would like to also say a special thanks to Liz 901 for all she did during her three-year tenure. She led us through what was an unprecedented time in our world history, and she did it all with safety in mind, as well as enabling the branch to function efficiently and effectively.
I took over the branch in March and while we are getting back to some normality, we are still emerging from a trauma that will have long-lasting effects in addition to an increasingly difficult economic climate. The effects are being felt on the volunteering base within our society. However, I have been hearted by our recruitment and training teams who have worked tirelessly to keep volunteer numbers at an operation level that enables us to maintain our high standards of delivery.
A special mention to our small Mentor Team who guide our new recruits to gain their wings by utilising their empathetic and constructive support. I have to admit that keeping shifts open has been a struggle for the last four months. However, by gradually increasing our numbers we are beginning to improve and significantly fewer shifts are being closed. I hope that by the end of this year we will be back to
our pre-pandemic numbers and shift openings.
In taking over I wanted to try to embrace and acknowledge the fact that in this modern age all charities need to fulfil many more statutory functions than they might have done in the past. To that end, I have established the strapline for my tenure of “ More People Doing Less ”. This began with the appointment of two Vice Directors and a huge thank you to Jo 937 and Mandy 881 for stepping up and I have appreciated their support as I begin to navigate all that is involved in leading our branch. This was followed by a huge team of 11 volunteers who agreed to be Deputies. Each Deputy has been hard at work developing the branch through the establishment of new teams to help share the workload. I would like to thank them and their teams for all they have done.
Our Trustees ensure the branch fulfils all of its legal obligations. This small yet perfectly formed team has worked tirelessly to make sure we are all safe, that our finances are managed effectively and that our building evolves to remain fit for purpose and well maintained. Thanks again to this team.
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Our number one priority is delivering listening on the phone, emails and online chat and we have done really well in delivering a high-quality service. I am always thankful to our dedicated team of leaders who support us after each shift with care and compassion. In addition to this, we train and support our extended team at Wealstun Prison and these guys who deliver the service day in and day out offer invaluable support to prisoners. Our amazing Prison Team have trained a bumper crop of listeners to support throughout the prison. I have had the honour of meeting some of these guys and I know how hard they work and how much they value the skills we have enabled them to develop. Something that will serve them well when they are released.
We are blessed with an amazing Fundraising Team and we have raised, as you will see later in this report, incredible amounts of money through talks, flag days, golf events and the continuous work of Carol 933 and the amazing number of successful bids she has managed to secure for us. All this money is professionally managed by Peter who works quietly behind the scenes.
We have also managed a number of Outreach sessions as we move back to normality. This has included sessions delivered to the North Yorkshire Police, several WI groups, church congregations and more recently the Education Team have started delivering sessions to young people again. Our members of the Rural Outreach Team have also delivered at a large number of events linked to the farming community and this culminated in Princess Anne visiting our stand at the Great Yorkshire Show. This is the icing on top of our Samaritan cake. I am glad that this form of outreach is gradually returning to normality and am truly grateful to all those volunteers involved.
I know there is much more I could celebrate and many more individuals I could thank but that would involve destroying a small rainforest to create the paper to allow me to do so. Suffice to say I appreciate every single hour our volunteers give to enable our branch to be successful. I look forward with confidence that our branch will continue to go from strength to strength as we support our callers who will undoubtedly need our skills to enable them to navigate the tricky issues that they will encounter in the coming year.
Best Wishes
Mark Edwards
Branch Director
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Branch Leadership
Samaritans of Harrogate and District, an affiliated branch of the national Samaritans organisation, is an independent charity (Registration No. 1173716). The branch was established in 1976 and converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 1 October 2017. Its operation and conduct are governed by a Constitution dated 7 July 2017. The principle office is 5 Mount Parade, Harrogate, HG1 1BX.
Branch Leadership Team
Following consultation with branch members, our Director is appointed for a three-year term by the Trustee Board of the Samaritans Central Charity. The Director heads a Branch Leadership Team which, in addition to being responsible for the provision and quality of support for callers and volunteers, manages the branch and its premises.
This team comprises 2 Vice Directors, 5 Trustees and 11 Deputy Directors. Deputies are selected by the Director and, with effect from our 2018 Annual General Meeting, all Trustees other than the Director are elected annually.
The Trustees have legal responsibility for the operation of the branch and we currently have Deputies with the following operational responsibilities:
Caller Support Education and Outreach Fundraising IT Mentoring Prison Recruitment and Interviewing Rural Initiative Rota Training Volunteer Care
Our Trustees
Mark Edwards has been our Director since 10 March 2022. On the same date Jo Johnson and Mandy Fallon were appointed as Assistant Directors.
At the Annual General Meeting on 20 October 2021 the following Trustees were elected at that meeting:
Peter Wilson Branch Treasurer Carol Chapman Branch Secretary Alison Lumley Branch Minutes Secretary Neil McLaughlin Trustee Without Portfolio Mark Edwards Branch Director Trustee (Co-opted March 2022)
What we do
Our aim is to improve the emotional health of people who contact us and our mission is that fewer people die by suicide. We provide emotional support round the clock to people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those who may be at risk of suicide. In planning all activities of the Branch, the Trustees are conscious of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Our Volunteers
Our listening volunteers support people in distress over the phone, by email, and face to face. On every shift at least four volunteers are required to support callers: two volunteers in the branch providing direct support, another volunteer, known as a Leader, available by phone for unexpected problems and for debriefs at the end of each shift; and one of our Deputy Directors on standby for real emergencies.
Sometimes people are referred to us for support by other organisations, such as mental health services and the police.
We give people ways to cope and the skills to be there for others. We want to celebrate those moments of connection between people that can protect and even save lives.
Harrogate is a very caring Branch. Our volunteers are supported by the Volunteer Care team who look after the wellbeing of all our fellow Samaritans, both Listening and Support volunteers. The team responds to anyone with a concern, whether it’s taking a disturbing call, or going through a difficult patch in their own life.
Outreach
Outreach continue to strengthen our relationship with the local community. They have an invaluable connection with the local railway stations and offer support to railway staff and the general public in the event of incidents on the railway.
They also talk to adult groups about the work we do and attend many local shows and events.
Alongside York Branch we also advised SCO on their latest Real People Real Stories Campaign which targeted rural communities.
Education
The team have been along to Harrogate College for a couple of mornings where they were able to have some really good conversations with young people aged 1618. They shared the space with other Charities and contributed to an environment where young people were able to come and ask questions for an NCS project they were engaging in. This was the second year that the Education team have taken part in this initiative and hope to continue this partnership.
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The Last Year
The year to 31 March 2022 was yet another busy and interesting time for our branch.
Caller contacts
In the year leading up to 31 March 2022 Harrogate Samaritans answered 19,244 calls, sent 961 emails, completed 617 web chats through the pilot, completed 2 face to face support meetings outside the branch and made 118 call backs to callers who needed additional help and support after their initial contact with us. In all the volunteers at Harrogate Samaritans made 20,942 separate contacts with callers who were in distress or despair in order to listen and provide a space to talk in confidence.
Volunteer Care
Mental Health especially in the terms of Suicide and those at risk of suicide has been much more focussed in the news this year especially in the younger population.
Our listening shifts and newer On-line Chat sessions in the branch continue to be busy and sometimes challenging for those listening.
Also, the fallout from COVID which is still a persistent threat in terms of uncertainty of health in both callers and listeners has certainly taken its toll on everyone. Our listeners remain constant, but we are more aware of the emotional pressure of life for all especially in still uncertain times.
We have had a varying number of listeners on Leave of absence, for weeks or months due to a variety of reasons, and we keep those records up to date on file store. The 3 listeners in the Volunteer Care Team continue to monitor our listeners and are forever watching out for those volunteers who need support or time out and hopefully being there for them.
Prison Support
The past year has, again, presented many challenges in the work that we do – supporting the Listener scheme at HM Wealstun Prison. The Prison Governor and her senior management team described our work and the efforts of the Listeners to be “business critical” i.e. essential to the effective operation of the prison.
The easing of Covid restrictions have meant more demand for Listener support and, at the same time, an acceleration in transfers of men from Wealstun to Open Prisons, and for release from prison; including those we’ve trained as Listeners.
For the first time that any of us can remember, it was necessary to run a third Summer course to train new Listeners to replace those moving on. Our work in the prison is only possible through the passion & dedication of our Prison Team, the
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quality & commitment of the prisoners who volunteer, and the ongoing support of the existing Listeners – who play such a vital part in our training programmes.
The year ahead is still unknown, but we do know that we will be working closely with the prison to ensure that our Listeners can continue to provide essential emotional support to men in custody, and we (Samaritans) will continue to recruit, train and support Listeners to do this exceptional work and to save lives.
attend Mark’s new style Summer training on Saturdays in June and July. This has been a great success. Soon they will have finished their initial training and will be working with their mentors.
From this recruitment round the team were also able to fill a number of places on the Autumn Training Course.
Further Interviews will be taking place on the evening of Wednesday 13[th] July in order to fill the remaining places for the Autumn course
Recruitment
Recruitment has been up and running again to a consistent level after recovering from the pandemic fall out. The recruitment team have gained a clearer picture of the number of applications pending from possible volunteers who would like to become a Samaritan at The Harrogate Branch.
There was inevitably some fallout from the 70 or so applications that had been stored in The Branch Management Tool, but this left a healthy list of applicants. In May the team held three very successful interview evenings and were ably supported by a great team of experienced interviewers.
Rural Initiative
Harrogate Branch volunteers play a key role in the region’s Rural Initiative, which was established 3 years ago, with the objective of helping to reduce the suicide rate amongst those living in rural communities and working in farming in particular.
It has taken some time for activities to resume post-Covid however events in the past year have included our attendance at the Yorkshire Young Farmers Rally and Yorkshire Agricultural Machinery Show, and being the lead branch for the Great Yorkshire Show and Ripon Farm Services Machinery Sale.
From these sessions they were able to recruit 10 volunteers who were available to
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Grants and donations
Fundraising is essential for the viability of our Branch and every donation, large or small, helps us to maintain our service and support people in emotional distress.
Donations
Golf Day
We would like to thank the following:
Volunteers, their families and former volunteers
Boroughbridge Ladies Luncheon Club Charles & Elsie Sykes Trust Co-op Local Community Fund Follifoot WI Harrogate Golf Club Harrogate Round Table Inner Wheel Club of Ripon Liz & Terry Bramall Foundation LNER Rocoil Limited Rotary Club of Harrogate Suicide Prevention Fund The Local Lotto Two Ridings Community Foundation Vocalis Waitrose Watsons of Harrogate
We are also most grateful to HSBC Bank for various fundraising activities in their branch.
We were fortunate to benefit from another Golf Day during the year despite the COVID-19 situation. We received over £2000 in donations and sponsorship for which we are most grateful and would wish to thank all those involved in this event.
Collections
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation we were limited on the extent of our traditional fundraising activities this year. We did, however, raise essential funds at Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate Christmas Market and through the sale of Christmas Cards and various Raffles.
How to donate
Online donations can be made via samaritans.org/Harrogate or justgiving.com/Harrogate
Donations can be made via online shopping at easyfundraising.org.uk and smile.amazon.co.uk
Cheques can be sent to us at 5 Mount Parade, Harrogate HG1 1BX
Standing Order forms are also available for regular donations.
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Financial Review
Investment Policy
Various investments were acquired several years ago following the receipt of legacies to help cover future potential operating shortfalls and also to provide a reliable source of income. This investment income is included in the Statement of Receipts and Payments.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees consider that, in the light of past history, up to 30 months running costs is an appropriate level of reserves, and the Trustees review our reserves policy annually.
As at 31 March 2022 our unrestricted reserves excluding fixed assets were £101,111 and this represents 24 months of operating costs, based on average expenditure over the last 3 accounting periods. Expenditure in 2021/22 was higher than normal due mainly to the branch refurbishment and the Trustees have taken this into account when considering the level of reserves cover.
Trustees’ Reporting Responsibilities
The Trustees are required by the Branch Constitution and charity law to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the Charity. In preparing those accounts, the Trustees are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011. 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.
HPH Chartered Accountants were re-appointed as the Charity’s independent examiners during the year and have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.
Approved by the Trustees on 10 September 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
Mark Edwards Branch Director
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Financial Statements
Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees of Samaritans of Harrogate and District
I report on the accounts of the Charity for the period ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on the following pages.
This report is made solely to the Charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 154 of the Charities Act 2011. My Independent Examiner’s work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity’s Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner’s report and no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity, the Charity’s Members as a body, and the Charity’s Trustees as a body for my Independent Examiner’s work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Responsibilities and Basis of Report
As the Charity Trustees of the Trust 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 all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent Examiners Statement
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 believe that in any material respect:
● accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
- the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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Samaritans of Harrogate and District
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS
FOR THE 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2022
| Notes Receipts Donations 2 Legacies Fundraising events Grants 2 Covenants & Gift Aid Tax refunds Investment income Interest received Payments Direct charitable expenses 3 Fundraising expenses 4 Management & admin costs 5 Governance costs 6 Net receipts / (payments) Investment sales Investment purchases Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end Cash funds HSBC Current bank account Virgin Money savings account CAF Current bank account CAF Savings account Provisions float |
This year 2021/22 | This year 2021/22 | Previous year 2020/21 Total 12 months £ 15,518 - 4,216 29,204 3,021 1,902 1,987 - |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ £ 23,868 - 1,000 - 1,437 - 17,422 6,091 3,072 - 989 - 1,762 - 44 - Unrestricted funds Restricted funds |
Total 12 months £ 23,868 1,000 1,437 23,513 3,072 989 1,762 44 |
||
| 49,594 6,091 |
55,685 | 55,848 | |
| 52,719 732 1,356 - 11,262 169 1,740 - |
53,451 1,356 11,431 1,740 |
29,468 662 6,575 924 |
|
| 67,077 901 |
67,978 | 37,629 | |
| (17,483) 5,190 - - |
(12,293) - - 81,434 |
18,219 18,986 - |
|
| 80,013 1,421 |
44,229 | ||
| 62,530 6,611 |
69,141 | 81,434 | |
| 34,463 32,000 2,568 10 100 |
49,334 32,000 - - 100 |
||
| 69,141 | 81,434 |
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Samaritans of Harrogate and District
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 MARCH 2022
| Cash funds Notes HSBC Current bank account CAF Current bank account Short term bank deposits Provisions float Investment assets 8 Blackrock Charities UK Bond Fund M & G Equities Investment Fund for charities (Charifund) Assets retained for the Charity's own use 9 Premises at 5 Mount Parade, Harrogate 10 Liabilities Independent Examiner's fee 2022 – estimated Contribution to Samaritans Central Charity – subject to agreement 11 |
Unrestricted funds £ 27,852 2,568 32,010 100 |
Restricted funds £ 6,611 - - - |
|---|---|---|
| 62,530 | 6,611 | |
| Cost £ 17,423 11,850 29,273 Unrestricted funds £ 990 2,210 3,200 |
Current value £ 17,300 24,481 |
|
| 41,781 | ||
| Current value £ 175,000 |
||
| 175,000 | ||
| Restricted funds £ - - |
||
| - |
Approved by the Trustees on 10 September 2002 and signed on their behalf by:
Peter Wilson, Branch Treasurer
The notes on the following pages form part of these financial statements
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Samaritans of Harrogate and District
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2022
1 General Information and Accounting Policies
The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charities Commission for England and Wales and is governed by the Charities Act 2011.
Basis of preparation
The statement of accounts has been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and in accordance with the provisions of the Charities Act 2011, the Statement of Recommended Practice and Accounting by Charities (SORP 2005) and the Charity’s governing document.
Going concern
The Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. They continue to believe that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate in preparing the annual financial statements.
Fund accounting policy
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the Trustees' discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the Charity. Restricted funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.
Receipts
Voluntary income, including donations, legacies and grants, that provide core funding or are of a general nature are recognised on receipt. Investment income is recognised on receipt.
Payments
Liabilities are stated as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to the expenditure. All expenditure is accounted for on a payment basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the Charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
Governance costs
Governance costs include costs of the preparation and examination of the statutory accounts, the costs of Trustee meetings and the cost of any legal advice to Trustees on governance or constitutional matters.
Support costs
Support costs are those costs incurred in connection with the central and administration function of the Charity and are allocated to charitable functions on a proportionate basis to the direct costs.
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Samaritans of Harrogate and District
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2022
| NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR | THE 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2022 |
|---|---|
| Notes 2 Donations Organisation donations Individual donations Trust donations Grants Trust Grants National Offender Management Service 3 Direct charitable expenses Emergency telephone Volunteer training and support costs Volunteer travel expenses Advertising and publicity Directors' expenses Share of premises overheads 7 4 Fundraising expenses Fundraising expenses Share of premises overheads 7 5 Management and admin costs Postage, printing and stationery Contribution to Samaritans Central Char 11 Sundry expenses - Share of premises overheads 7 6 Governance costs Independent examiner's fee AGM/Branch meeting costs Legal fees |
Previous year 2020/21 Unrestricted Restricted Total Total funds funds £ £ £ £ 15,408 - 15,408 9,239 4,460 - 4,460 3,279 4,000 - 4,000 3,000 This year 2021/22 |
| 23,868 - 23,868 15,518 |
|
| 15,000 5,000 20,000 27,500 2,422 1,091 3,513 1,704 |
|
| 17,422 6,091 23,513 29,204 |
|
| 1,035 34 1,069 981 517 - 517 127 2,351 698 3,049 3,540 6,638 - 6,638 1,362 325 - 325 401 41,853 - 41,853 23,057 |
|
| 52,719 732 53,451 29,468 |
|
| 484 - 484 400 872 - 872 262 |
|
| 1,356 - 1,356 662 |
|
| 1,026 85 1,111 903 7,727 - 7,727 4,342 1,637 84 1,721 1,068 872 - 872 262 |
|
| 11,262 169 11,431 6,575 |
|
| 900 - 900 864 840 - 840 60 - - - - |
|
| 1,740 - 1,740 924 |
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Samaritans of Harrogate and District
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12 MONTHS TO 31 MARCH 2022
| 7 Premises overheads Water, light and heat Repairs and renewals Cleaning and housekeeping Equipment purchases Office telephone Insurance Business rates Allocated to: % Direct charitable expenditure 96 Fundraising & Publicity 2 Management & administration 2 |
Previous year 2020/21 Unrestricted Restricted Total Total funds funds £ £ £ £ 2,181 - 2,181 2,039 27,999 - 27,999 8,510 2,179 - 2,179 2,239 7,288 - 7,288 6,151 835 - 835 592 1,343 - 1,343 2,294 1,772 - 1,772 1,756 This year 2021/22 |
|---|---|
| 43,597 - 43,597 23,581 |
|
| 41,853 - 41,853 23,057 872 - 872 262 872 - 872 262 |
|
| 43,597 - 43,597 23,581 |
8 Investments
Williams Investment Management informally valued the Charity's Investments on 31 March 2022 showing an overall gain of £12,508. The historic cost of these investments was £29,273.
9 Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment
The Charity has use of various sundry items of furniture and office equipment purchased over the years. The cost and market value of these sundry assets are negligible to the Charity.
10 Premises
The Charity's freehold premises at 5 Mount Parade, Harrogate were last valued informally on an open market basis by Mr S. G. Archer, BSc, FRICS, of Verity Frearson Ltd on 12 October 2017.
11 Contribution to Samaritans Central Charity
The branch is required to make a contribution toward the cost of administrative expenses to Samaritans Central Charity. This contribution is based on 4% of income plus a percentage of reserves on a sliding scale. The contribution for the year to 31 March 2022 is £2,210, subject to agreement, and will be paid during the year to 31 March 2023.
12 Trustees' Remuneration and Expenses
None of the Trustees were directly or indirectly remunerated during the year.
13 Staff Costs
The Charity does not have any paid staff.
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Samaritans of Harrogate and District We're here to listen Call free day or nl9ht on 116 123 Emall jo@%miarltan&(Yg Web samaritan&org/harrogate V14t 5 Mount Parade Harrogate HG11BX SAMARITANS