ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021
Registered Charity No. 1173795
OCAY was founded in 2001 by a group of older people. They became involved in a pilot run by ‘Better Government for Older People’, intended to orchestrate better services and communities that worked for older people. We emerged to meet these needs, ensure inclusion, and get older people’s voices heard. We have continued to evolve over the years, with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund supported by smaller grants from City of York Council wards and grantmaking organisations alongside our own fundraising.
We have offered an independent, free and confidential advocacy service to those over the age of fifty in the City of York area for 20 years and continue to successfully advocate for those in need.
FEEDBACK FROM OCAY CLIENTS 2020-21
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100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% 100%
95% 95% 95%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Did working with us Did working with us Did working with us Were we easy to
improve your maintain your improve your contact?
wellbeing? independence? confidence?
Yes
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supported 290 older people in York in 2020/21 OCAY
OCAY supports clients with a really diverse range of issues. We’ve helped people with benefits, including information, form-filling and assessments. We’ve also helped with consumer complaints, family, housing and employment issues and we have helped people find out what is going on in their communities. We’ve seen an increase of people looking for support around housing in the past year, from private property and public property issues, to supporting people struggling with neighbour disputes. We’ve spent 998 hours directly advocating for clients this past 12 months. That’s an average of 6 hours of support for each client!
Clients come to OCAY in a variety of ways - some are referred to us by organisations across the city, some contact us directly by phone or by email, some enquire via our website, others have heard about us through a friend or have previous experience working with us. We post leaflets through doors and advertisements in local magazines and papers to ensure that everybody is aware of our service and know they can contact us, whatever the issue.
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OCAY CLIENT ISSUES
Family 3%
Health/Care 17%
Housing 19%
Consumer Issues 20%
Finance 14%
Employment 0%
Benefits 26%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
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WHERE OUR CLIENTS HEARD ABOUT US
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Leaflet through door
Friend/Family
Advertisement
Outreach event
Previously worked with us
Signposted by NHS/Police
Signposted by City of York Council
Signposted by Charity
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
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TYPES OF BENEFITS
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Other 5%
ESA 0%
Benefits Check 22%
DLA 0%
Carers Allowance 0%
Pension Related 2%
Housing Benefits 2%
Council Tax 5%
Attendance Allowance 10%
Universal Credit 17%
Personal Independence Payment
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
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THIS IS WHERE OUR CLIENTS LIVE
| THIS IS WHERE OUR CLIENTS LIVE | THIS IS WHERE OUR CLIENTS LIVE | THIS IS WHERE OUR CLIENTS LIVE |
|---|---|---|
| 20% 0% 6% 1% 0% 5% 2% 2% 16% 5% 0% 5% 0% 1% 1% 7% 5% 1% 4% 6% 2% 3% 0% 5% Acomb Bishopthorpe Clifton Copmanthorpe Derwent Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Fishergate Fulford Guildhall Haxby & Wigginton Heslington Heworth Heworth Without Holgate Hull Road Huntington & New Earswick Micklegate Osbaldwick Rural West York Skelton, Rawcliffe & Clifton Without Strensall Westfield Wheldrake Out of Area |
||
| 29% 31% 16% 17% 4% CLIENT AGE 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-99 |
40% 60% CLIENT GENDER Male Female |
OCAY[ currently has 35 volunteer advocates and 7 Friends of OCAY… ]
Our service could not operate without our volunteers. We are very proud of the work that they do. They help a wide range of older people, supporting them with many different issues such as…
Client approached us for help as he was in rent arrears and threatened with eviction. He was not currently working and was receiving Universal Credit. The client lived in a housing association property. A volunteer advocate took the case and contacted the Welfare Benefits Unit who provided detailed information about the client’s options. The advocate communicated with the client’s daughter who contacted the housing association. There was a delay and difficulty communicating with the housing association. The advocate contacted the housing association directly herself and eventually it was agreed that the client’s rent arrears should be removed, and the client’s rent account was in credit. The advocate was given excellent feedback and told she was ‘amazing’ and that the client’s mental health had really improved.
We were approached by an elderly lady who had been referred to us by a local charity. The Lead Advocate phoned her up for an initial assessment. The lady was distressed as a large branch from a neighbouring building site had fallen on her garden. The lady had mobility problems. A volunteer advocate took the case and did some research about who owned the neighbouring property. Eventually after making several enquiries the advocate discovered the company who owned the property. He contacted the company and they agreed to remove the branch from the lady’s garden at no cost. The lady was delighted with the outcome and phoned the charity manager to express her gratitude.
Client was currently receiving the standard rate of Personal Independence Payment. She received a letter saying that this needed to be reviewed. An advocate filled in the review form under the client’s instruction and also attached additional medical evidence. The client was offered an assessment on the phone but did not feel well enough to participate in this. The advocate asked for a paperbased assessment for the client, and this was accepted. Eventually a decision was made, and the client’s award was increased to the higher level, known as the Enhanced rate. This was an indefinite award and will only be reviewed in 2030. The advocate helped to secure the client an extra £70 per week plus nearly £4000 in back pay. The client was very pleased with the support we had given her. She stated, “I appreciate All your help and the Advocacy without you All l wouldn't be here.”
Client with complex mental health needs
approached us for assistance. He was living in sheltered housing. He currently had no access to the internet. He spoke to a volunteer advocate and asked him to find more information about
available broadband packages that included a sports channel and a landline. The advocate did research on the internet and sent information to the client about three potential options. He then phoned the client to explain in detail about the available options. The client then needed some time to think before he made a final decision about what to do.
Facts…. 80% of our volunteers are women. Our volunteers range between the ages of 20 and 84.
currently has three staff members, and nine trustees OCAY
Ruth Potter , Fundraising Charity Manager: Ruth manages the work of OCAY overall and monitors and develops the effectiveness of the service on an ongoing basis. She is responsible for applying for grants, and leading organisational development.
Dan Brittan, Lead Advocate: Dan manages his own caseload and carries out initial meetings with all clients. He also gives support and supervision to volunteer advocates. He uses his advocacy expertise to support development work.
Kayleigh Fox, Charity Support Assistant: Kayleigh is the first line of contact for clients, volunteers and external organisations. She provides the day to day administrative, financial and business support for OCAY. She also undertakes outreach work in the community.
Trustees, April 2020 – March 2021:
Bankers: HSBC & CAF
Rachel Totton (Vice Chair – Until 11th July 2020, Chair From 11[th] July 2020)
Susan Hannon (Chair – Until 11[th] July 2020)
Examiner of Accounts: Caroline Cook
Patron: Professor Dianne Willcocks Honorary Vice President: Douglas M. Craig, OBE
Sylvia Doughty (Secretary)
James Grainger (Honorary Treasurer - Associate Trustee)
Sharon Beattie Alan Filby Chelsea Martin Louise Reid
Address: The Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory Street, York, YO1 6ET
Telephone: 01904 676200
Email: info@ocay.org.uk
www.oldercitizensadvocacyyork.org.uk
Gillian Caldicott
Jean Reed (Associate Trustee – From 11[th] November 2020)
Chair’s Report : At the end of an extraordinary year for us all, I am incredibly proud of the way that OCAY has responded to the pandemic. Ours is a ‘people’ service – normally involving face to face work with people who are often in a challenging and distressing situation. Despite the fact that we have been unable to meet face to face, OCAY has managed to continue delivering its service without any significant loss of momentum. Client numbers this year are almost as high as in the previous year, with telephone support proving a viable way of delivering advocacy – we would not necessarily have expected this to work so well, but it has been a great relief to be able to continue supporting our clients.
Of course, this is due to the commitment and energy of our extraordinary staff and volunteers. Staff and volunteers have worked from home, over the phone, and over the internet, and like so many other organisations have had to develop new skills to make this work well. They have approached this with incredible positivity and flexibility. Trustees have also adapted brilliantly to Zoom meetings and continued to provide support and challenge and strategic direction as they did before, taking a keen interest in how OCAY coped with the pandemic, but also keeping a sharp focus on strategic direction. We were delighted in 2020 to be recognised as winners in the National Governance Awards for our work on improving impact. We were sorry to say goodbye to Susan Hannon, who had been a committed trustee.
We are so grateful to a wide range of funders for generously supporting our work, and in particular to the Big Lottery for extending deadlines for project completion and reporting and also for providing emergency funding for 6 months. We recognise their ongoing support during this difficult year. We are also deeply grateful to our partner organisations in York who work alongside us to support clients and refer people to our service. We feel strongly connected to a people and community focused network of organisations in York, helping to make this a place where people and organisations can turn to each other for help and support.
Rachel Totton
What OCAY did in 2020-21
Why we did it
Covid -19 Impact on OCAY
Moved from a face to face to a telephone delivery model.
- Staff and volunteers worked from home in line with the contingency plan, risk assessments and Government guidance.
To safeguard clients, staff and volunteers; to ensure that we continued to deliver our service to older people in York; to ensure volunteers were happy to use the phone; to update our clients and give reassurance that we were still able to help.
-
Staff were provided with relevant resources and equipment.
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We spoke to all volunteers and current clients.
Volunteer Support, Recruitment and Training
Developed our volunteer support:
-
Following feedback from volunteers, we delivered our regular volunteer peer support meetings using video conferencing.
-
We also held information sessions where speakers from organisations such as Welfare Benefits Unit and IAPT (York and Selby) provide information about their services. These were also delivered using video conferencing.
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Volunteers also requested social sessions to meet with staff and other volunteers during the lockdown .
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Volunteer newsletter produced weekly instead of fortnightly.
Developed our volunteers’ recruitment and training:
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We advertised volunteer vacancies using print and social media.
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We interviewed and recruited volunteers using video conferencing.
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We rewrote out Induction training so that it could be delivered using video conferencing.
Improved our volunteer retention: We have increased the number of volunteers and our volunteers are staying with us.
Volunteers can share their experience of working with different types of cases with each other and have the opportunity for learning and developing their role. The experience and skills of volunteers are valued and continue to develop.
To increase volunteers’ knowledge of services available to clients; to have information about what was happening during lockdown to other organisations.
This helped with volunteer well-being; maintained social interaction between staff and volunteers; ensured that volunteers felt part of OCAY.
This made it easier for potential volunteers to find out about our volunteering roles during the lockdown.
Local people could continue to apply to volunteer and be interviewed without meeting face to face in the lockdown.
All new volunteers gain the skills and understanding that they need in the role. The training could be delivered in a timely and very flexible way to meet the needs of new volunteers.
As a result, we can support more older people. The feedback from our annual volunteer survey shows that volunteers feel well supported and more confident in their role.
Quality Standards, Monitoring and Evaluation
Demonstrating our impact:
- We developed a pilot survey to understand the long-term impact of working with OCAY.
Embedded pre and post case questionnaire:
- The questions cover feelings of control, being taken seriously, having your voice heard and the impact the advocacy issue is/was having on your well-being.
Diversity monitoring:
- Importantly, we embedded our diversity monitoring and now routinely ask clients for diversity information.
The National Charity Governance Awards:
We won the award in the category ‘Improving Impact’.
Preparation for the renewal of Investing in Volunteers started
Outreach
Reviewed our outreach strategy considering lockdown restrictions:
-
We stopped face to face drop ins.
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We increased our use of print and social media.
-
We delivered leaflets during the summer when lockdown was partially lifted.
Developed a partnership newsletter in response to feedback from a consultation with partner organisations.
Modernisation of the website.
We want to increase our knowledge and understanding of the longer-term impact of our work on clients, to help us to improve our service delivery and find out what other factors could be impacting on older people’s feelings of wellbeing.
Undertaking the pre and post case questionnaires, has enabled us to measure the distance travelled by clients working with us and make comparisons year on year. This also means that our improvement is led by feedback from our clients.
We want to understand how accessible our service is to people from different diversity strands. By comparing our data with that of the city, we can understand where we need to target our outreach work to ensure accessibility.
We wanted to demonstrate how we have developed ways of measuring our impact, both so that people using our advocacy service have external reassurance of the quality of the service, and to receive external recognition of the work Trustees have undertaken in this area.
The existing Award ends in 2021. The renewal of the standard will give external accreditation of the quality of our volunteer recruitment, training and support.
To keep clients, staff and volunteers safe. To continue to reach new clients and to let previous clients know that were open; to use limited resources as effectively as possible; to provide clients with information about what we could do to support them during the lockdown and to provide information about where and how other services could be accessed.
To inform partners about our developments; to let partners know about our performance; to give information about our referral process.
We wanted to ensure that our website was up to date and accessible with clear, good quality information so that clients and potential volunteers could access the information they needed.
What OCAY did in 2020-21
Why we did it
Leadership and Strategy
Agreed new Strategic Plan 2020 -26:
- The Strategic Plan was reviewed and updated, with supporting action plans to form the basis of reporting to trustees at each board meeting.
Strategic Plan - To ensure that all the work undertaken by OCAY sits within our core mission. Action Plans - so Trustees can be assured that the Charity Manager and the staff team are delivering against the plan. The Plan is also available to funders to give assurance of our organisational focus.
Reviewed Trustee Roles
-
Trustees took on special responsibility for areas of business.
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Role descriptions were reviewed.
-
Recruitment and induction for new chair planned.
Maintained calendar of meeting using video conferencing.
To ensure that role descriptions were fit for purpose; to enable the recruitment of a new chair; to sustain good governance of the organisation; to utilise the skills and experience of all trustees.
To ensure appropriate oversight and good governance of the charity.
Partnerships and Networking
Maintained our work in partnerships and networks:
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Advice York Partnership.
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CVS Volunteer Forums.
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Ageing Well Partnership Board.
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York Older Peoples Assembly.
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Armed Forces Covenant Steering Group.
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Human Rights Steering Group.
Fund Raising Strategy
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The Fund-Raising Strategy reviewed by Trustees to try to diversify funding streams.
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Our community fund raising was cancelled.
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Corporate Fund-Raising Plan was agreed and Corporate Fund-raising packages launched.
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Emergency Funding was granted by the National Lottery Community Fund, Independent Age and Two Ridings Foundation.
Sharing our thinking and development with partner organisations helps the voluntary sector to be sustainable and gives access to continuing new ideas and learning. The range of information gained from working in partnerships and networks also helps us to support our clients effectively and respond to the issues they have asked for help with.
Fundraising remains a constant and increasingly challenging focus for sustainability, with a need for new and imaginative ideas and to seek to diversify funding streams. Applications were made on a weekly basis to sustain the charity in an everchanging funding environment with 16 application being successful.
Community fund raising was stopped by the lockdown as potential venues/events were cancelled.
Trustees agreed sponsorship packages to diversify our funding streams. The strategy is to enable potential sponsors to easily commit something
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Applications made to 44 Trusts and Foundations for funding for 2020/21 and 2021/22
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Stage 1 Application to National Lottery Community Fund accepted
tangible and specific. Promote the sponsorship packages to the local business community and grow a corporate database to increase the direct audience we must communicate with. We have created a tier of packages (silver, gold & platinum) that clearly details what an organisation would get for a specific amount donated. The idea is that businesses who might be interested could simply choose the package that best suits their budget and own goals.
Our National Lottery funding was due to end on 31.3.21 and a bid was under preparation for continuing funding. However, the National Lottery suspended this process due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The National Lottery agreed to extend our project by 6 months and provide emergency funding to support this. Applications to bridge the gap in funding to Two Ridings York Small Charities Fund and Independent Age were successful. We are grateful to them and the national Lottery for their support.
A Stage 1 Bid to the National Lottery Community Fund for 5-year continued funding was made in January and accepted in March.
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021
Registered Charity No. 1173795
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Older Citizens Advocacy York (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the 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.
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 Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. 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.
Use of this report
This report is made solely to the Charity's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My independent examination 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 for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity's Trustees as a body, for my independent examination work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Caroline Cook Independent Examiner
1
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
Summary of Receipts and Payments for the year ended 31 March 2021
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | funds | Total | Total | ||
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Receipts | ||||||
| Grant funding | 2 | 13,924 | - | 97,208 | 111,132 | 70,123 |
| Fundraising | 3 | 123 | - | - | 123 | 2,905 |
| Donations (inc Gift Aid) | 4 | 8,673 | - | 3,551 | 12,224 | 4,730 |
| Other income | 149 | - | - | 149 | - | |
| Bank interest | 13 | - | - | 13 | 64 | |
| Total receipts | 22,882 | - | 100,759 | 123,641 | 77,822 | |
| Payments | ||||||
| Staff costs | 6,925 | - | 56,657 | 63,582 | 64,288 | |
| Staff training | - | - | - | - | 199 | |
| Staff recruitment and expenses | - | - | - | - | 784 | |
| Volunteer training | 270 | - | - | 270 | 41 | |
| Volunteer expenses | 345 | - | 44 | 389 | 547 | |
| Fundraising expenses | (154) | - | - | (154) | 487 | |
| Property costs | - | - | 8,791 | 8,791 | 9,344 | |
| Insurance | - | - | 920 | 920 | 899 | |
| Telecommunications and IT | - | - | 7,074 | 7,074 | 6,429 | |
| Asset purchases | - | - | 1,224 | 1,224 | 1,577 | |
| Office supplies | - | - | 850 | 850 | 713 | |
| General publicity and advertising | 1,093 | - | 395 | 1,488 | 476 | |
| Outreach publicity and events | - | - | 75 | 75 | 2,466 | |
| AGM expenses | - | - | - | - | 346 | |
| Subscriptions | - | - | 164 | 164 | 206 | |
| Bank charges | - | - | 69 | 69 | 60 | |
| Total payments | 8,479 | - | 76,263 | 84,742 | 88,862 | |
| Cash funds b/fwd at 1 April 2020 | 28,423 | 24,120 | 13,695 | 66,238 | 77,278 | |
| Net receipts/(payments) in the year | 14,403 | - | 24,496 | 38,899 | (11,040) | |
| Cash funds c/fwd at 31 March 2021 | 42,826 | 24,120 | 38,191 | 105,137 | 66,238 |
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Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2021
| Total 2021 Total 2020 Notes £ £ |
|
|---|---|
| Cash funds Deposit accounts 27,900 27,887 Current account 77,161 38,164 Petty cash 76 187 |
|
| Total cash funds at 31 March 2021 105,137 66,238 |
|
| Represented by funds carried forward Unrestricted funds: General funds 42,829 28,423 Designated funds 6 24,120 24,120 Restricted funds: Big Lottery Reaching Communities 14,750 - Financial Inclusion Benefits programme (1,750) - Asset purchase funds - 170 Vital York programme - 1,131 Outreach projects - 7,324 Charles Hayward Foundation Benefits programme 2,089 - Aviva Dementia and Benefits 1,986 5,070 Two Ridings Community Foundation Benefits programme 3,780 - The Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust Core funding 5,000 - Independent Age Core funding 7,583 - Schroder Charity Trust Core funding 4,000 - Common Good Trust 750 - |
|
| Total funds at 31 March 2021 105,137 66,238 |
Other Monetary Assets
The Charity does not have any other Monetary Assets.
Investment Assets
The Charity does not have any Investment Assets other than highly liquid cash balances held in deposit accounts.
Assets
Insured Assets based on the valuation exercise carried out in December 2020 was £17,516 including computer equipment, publicity related assets, office furniture and equipment.
The accounts were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees on 15 July 2021 and signed on their behalf by:
Rachel Totton Sylvia Doughty Chair of Trustees Trustee & Secretary
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Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021
1. These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention, on a receipts and payments basis, in accordance with Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and following the guidance for accounting for smaller charities issued by the Charity Commission.
2. Grant funding
| Grant funding | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Unrestricted funds | |||||
| Donald Forrester Trust | 5,000 | - | |||
| Training course bursary | 3,200 | - | |||
| Grants less than £3,000 | 5,724 | - | |||
| Restricted funds | |||||
| Big Lottery Reaching Communities |
40,483 | 40,500 | |||
| Big Lottery Reaching Communities (for 2021/22) |
14,750 | - | |||
| Charles Hayward Foundation Benefits programme |
5,500 | - | |||
| The Charles & Elsie Sykes Trust | Core funding | 5,000 | - | ||
| Independent Age Core |
funding | 13,405 | - | ||
| Schroder Charity Trust | Core funding | 4,000 | - | ||
| Two Ridings Community | Foundation | Benefits programme | 4,500 | - | |
| Two Ridings Community | Foundation |
Vital York programme | - | 9,975 | |
| Outreach projects | - | 18,807 | |||
| Aviva - Dementia | - | 5,070 | |||
| Financial Inclusion Benefits programme |
3,750 | 4,046 | |||
| Grants less than £3,000 | 5,820 | 1,700 | |||
| 111,132 | 70,123 |
Big Lottery Reaching Communities
Reaching Communities have provided grant funding to contribute to the delivery of the advocacy services delivered by OCAY along with the general management and running of the charity.
Outreach projects
A number of small grants, including Ward Committee funding, have been received to fund Outreach projects in local communities.
3. Fundraising
During the year, unfortunately due to Covid-19, the charity was not able to partake in the fundraising events that it would usually hold. It is hope that in the coming year and beyond, these fundraising activities can recommence.
4. Donations
Donations (including Gift Aid) totalling £12,224 (2020 - £4,730) were received during the year. The Trustees, Staff and Volunteer Advocates would like to express their thanks to everyone who donated to the charity.
4
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 (continued)
5. Designated funds
At the year end, the following two designated funds were held by the charity:
| 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Contingency fund | 15,000 | 15,000 | |
| Lord Mayor of York | funding for 2021/22 | 9,120 | 9,120 |
| Outreach projects | 24,120 | 24,120 |
Contingency fund
The Trustees have agreed to hold £15,000 in designated funds against contingencies such as staff redundancies, early office lease termination or any other unforeseen emergencies.
Lord Mayor of York funding for 2019-2021
In 2016/17, OCAY was one of the nominated charities of the year for the Lord Mayor of York; with £15,988 being raised. The Trustees opted to designate these funds to be spent on the general running costs of the charity during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years, when the grant funding received from the Reaching Communities project decreases. It was strongly expected that all of these funds would be spent by March 2021, however due to OCAY being in the fortunate position whereby it was able to receive additional funding to help it through the Covid-19 impacted year, these funds have not yet been spent. These funds are now very much expected to be spent in the 6 months to 30 September 2021 to cover the forecasted funding shortfall in this period.
5
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021
Registered Charity No. 1173795
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Older Citizens Advocacy York (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the 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.
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 Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. 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.
Use of this report
This report is made solely to the Charity's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. My independent examination 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 for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity's Trustees as a body, for my independent examination work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Caroline Cook Independent Examiner
1
Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
Summary of Receipts and Payments for the year ended 31 March 2021
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| funds | funds | funds | Total | Total | ||
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Receipts | ||||||
| Grant funding | 2 | 13,924 | - | 97,208 | 111,132 | 70,123 |
| Fundraising | 3 | 123 | - | - | 123 | 2,905 |
| Donations (inc Gift Aid) | 4 | 8,673 | - | 3,551 | 12,224 | 4,730 |
| Other income | 149 | - | - | 149 | - | |
| Bank interest | 13 | - | - | 13 | 64 | |
| Total receipts | 22,882 | - | 100,759 | 123,641 | 77,822 | |
| Payments | ||||||
| Staff costs | 6,925 | - | 56,657 | 63,582 | 64,288 | |
| Staff training | - | - | - | - | 199 | |
| Staff recruitment and expenses | - | - | - | - | 784 | |
| Volunteer training | 270 | - | - | 270 | 41 | |
| Volunteer expenses | 345 | - | 44 | 389 | 547 | |
| Fundraising expenses | (154) | - | - | (154) | 487 | |
| Property costs | - | - | 8,791 | 8,791 | 9,344 | |
| Insurance | - | - | 920 | 920 | 899 | |
| Telecommunications and IT | - | - | 7,074 | 7,074 | 6,429 | |
| Asset purchases | - | - | 1,224 | 1,224 | 1,577 | |
| Office supplies | - | - | 850 | 850 | 713 | |
| General publicity and advertising | 1,093 | - | 395 | 1,488 | 476 | |
| Outreach publicity and events | - | - | 75 | 75 | 2,466 | |
| AGM expenses | - | - | - | - | 346 | |
| Subscriptions | - | - | 164 | 164 | 206 | |
| Bank charges | - | - | 69 | 69 | 60 | |
| Total payments | 8,479 | - | 76,263 | 84,742 | 88,862 | |
| Cash funds b/fwd at 1 April 2020 | 28,423 | 24,120 | 13,695 | 66,238 | 77,278 | |
| Net receipts/(payments) in the year | 14,403 | - | 24,496 | 38,899 | (11,040) | |
| Cash funds c/fwd at 31 March 2021 | 42,826 | 24,120 | 38,191 | 105,137 | 66,238 |
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Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2021
| Total 2021 Total 2020 Notes £ £ |
|
|---|---|
| Cash funds Deposit accounts 27,900 27,887 Current account 77,161 38,164 Petty cash 76 187 |
|
| Total cash funds at 31 March 2021 105,137 66,238 |
|
| Represented by funds carried forward Unrestricted funds: General funds 42,829 28,423 Designated funds 6 24,120 24,120 Restricted funds: Big Lottery Reaching Communities 14,750 - Financial Inclusion Benefits programme (1,750) - Asset purchase funds - 170 Vital York programme - 1,131 Outreach projects - 7,324 Charles Hayward Foundation Benefits programme 2,089 - Aviva Dementia and Benefits 1,986 5,070 Two Ridings Community Foundation Benefits programme 3,780 - The Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust Core funding 5,000 - Independent Age Core funding 7,583 - Schroder Charity Trust Core funding 4,000 - Common Good Trust 750 - |
|
| Total funds at 31 March 2021 105,137 66,238 |
Other Monetary Assets
The Charity does not have any other Monetary Assets.
Investment Assets
The Charity does not have any Investment Assets other than highly liquid cash balances held in deposit accounts.
Assets
Insured Assets based on the valuation exercise carried out in December 2020 was £17,516 including computer equipment, publicity related assets, office furniture and equipment.
The accounts were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees on 15 July 2021 and signed on their behalf by:
Rachel Totton Sylvia Doughty Chair of Trustees Trustee & Secretary
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Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021
1. These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention, on a receipts and payments basis, in accordance with Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and following the guidance for accounting for smaller charities issued by the Charity Commission.
2. Grant funding
| Grant funding | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Unrestricted funds | |||||
| Donald Forrester Trust | 5,000 | - | |||
| Training course bursary | 3,200 | - | |||
| Grants less than £3,000 | 5,724 | - | |||
| Restricted funds | |||||
| Big Lottery Reaching Communities |
40,483 | 40,500 | |||
| Big Lottery Reaching Communities (for 2021/22) |
14,750 | - | |||
| Charles Hayward Foundation Benefits programme |
5,500 | - | |||
| The Charles & Elsie Sykes Trust | Core funding | 5,000 | - | ||
| Independent Age Core |
funding | 13,405 | - | ||
| Schroder Charity Trust | Core funding | 4,000 | - | ||
| Two Ridings Community | Foundation | Benefits programme | 4,500 | - | |
| Two Ridings Community | Foundation |
Vital York programme | - | 9,975 | |
| Outreach projects | - | 18,807 | |||
| Aviva - Dementia | - | 5,070 | |||
| Financial Inclusion Benefits programme |
3,750 | 4,046 | |||
| Grants less than £3,000 | 5,820 | 1,700 | |||
| 111,132 | 70,123 |
Big Lottery Reaching Communities
Reaching Communities have provided grant funding to contribute to the delivery of the advocacy services delivered by OCAY along with the general management and running of the charity.
Outreach projects
A number of small grants, including Ward Committee funding, have been received to fund Outreach projects in local communities.
3. Fundraising
During the year, unfortunately due to Covid-19, the charity was not able to partake in the fundraising events that it would usually hold. It is hope that in the coming year and beyond, these fundraising activities can recommence.
4. Donations
Donations (including Gift Aid) totalling £12,224 (2020 - £4,730) were received during the year. The Trustees, Staff and Volunteer Advocates would like to express their thanks to everyone who donated to the charity.
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Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY)
NOTES TO THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 (continued)
5. Designated funds
At the year end, the following two designated funds were held by the charity:
| 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Contingency fund | 15,000 | 15,000 | |
| Lord Mayor of York | funding for 2021/22 | 9,120 | 9,120 |
| Outreach projects | 24,120 | 24,120 |
Contingency fund
The Trustees have agreed to hold £15,000 in designated funds against contingencies such as staff redundancies, early office lease termination or any other unforeseen emergencies.
Lord Mayor of York funding for 2019-2021
In 2016/17, OCAY was one of the nominated charities of the year for the Lord Mayor of York; with £15,988 being raised. The Trustees opted to designate these funds to be spent on the general running costs of the charity during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years, when the grant funding received from the Reaching Communities project decreases. It was strongly expected that all of these funds would be spent by March 2021, however due to OCAY being in the fortunate position whereby it was able to receive additional funding to help it through the Covid-19 impacted year, these funds have not yet been spent. These funds are now very much expected to be spent in the 6 months to 30 September 2021 to cover the forecasted funding shortfall in this period.
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