Annual Report 2021 SAMARITANS -4r -VT 1:11 4A
Director’s report 2020-21
It’s been a very unusual year since the last AGM, with lockdown and restrictions easing before they were fully applied at the end of 2020. Now we’re still waiting for the remaining lockdown measures to be eased and hence this is another AGM on Zoom. After such a long pandemic, and so many different categories of lockdown and uncertainty it has been a hard time to plan things and launch new initiatives.
I must pay tribute to the dedication and flexibility that has been shown by so many volunteers during the pandemic to keep the vast majority of shifts open. Volunteers have adapted to a new cleaning regime for keyboards and phones, additional ventilation leading to some chilly shifts in winter months, and stepping in at short notice to cover shifts for self-isolating volunteers.
The strategy for the branch during the pandemic and in the period shortly afterwards is one of consolidation. To return the number of volunteers at the branch to pre-pandemic levels. A number of longer serving volunteers stepped down during the pandemic after long periods of self-isolation and the Recruitment and Training Teams were unable to recruit and train as many new volunteers as usual due to the lockdown restrictions. This has resulted in volunteer numbers falling from 158 on 1 June 2020 down to 145 on 1 June 2021.
To keep in touch with the volunteers who stepped down and with other former volunteers, Friends of Chiltern Samaritans has been launched and when lockdown eases will allow events to take place with former volunteers and to keep them abreast of things happening in the branch.
In 2020 the Training Team were only able to get 12 volunteers completing Core Training, with 8 of those completing their Core Training immediately prior to the start of the pandemic. Contrast that to 2021 where 5 volunteers have already completed Core Training and 16 volunteers are booked on 2 Core Training courses that are scheduled this year, one in June and one in the Autumn. This means 9 more volunteers will complete Core Training in 2021 than could in 2020. This is due to the tremendous efforts of the Training Team in re-structuring the on-line training course to allow more volunteers to be trained on each course without compromising on the quality of training provided.
After a pause in Recruitment due to the pandemic and a change in the Recruitment & Selection Process directed by Central Office, Recruitment & Selection has now restarted. There is a new process in place with volunteer selection taking place as part of a more involved interview with there being no separate selection events. The Recruitment Team have done a fabulous job to move to on-line recruitment during the pandemic whilst also implementing a whole new recruitment process. The next stage of this is to get more of the Recruitment Team trained in the new interview process and comfortable at being judgmental when conducting interviews of potential volunteers.
The branch finances remain strong. Despite our very successful the annual cycling event not being able to be held in 2021, there have been some very creative alternatives, the highlight being a Silent Auction which raised over £10,000 for the branch in the spring.
The fabric of the building has required some attention, and all of the upstairs windows in the branch were replaced, which has allowed much better ventilation of the Operations Room which is an important factor in the pandemic which I hope gives reassurance to volunteers that their safety comes first. The chairs in the Operations room have also been replaced to ensure that volunteers are comfortable on their shifts.
There has been much less activity in the way of Outreach due to the pandemic, but some activity has continued. The branch received a grant from the High Wycombe Community Board during 2020 to help reduce the incidence of suicides in the town and raise awareness of mental health support. We were also involved in the 1st Bucks Free Press Health & Social Care Awards where at a virtual awards ceremony the branch presented the Care Home Worker Award.
I’d like to thank everyone who has supported the branch during the last 12 months. We are all volunteers and without the huge support we receive we wouldn’t be able to carry on being there for our callers.
Best wishes, Stephen Director
| Chiltern Samaritans | Trustees from April 2020 | Trustees from April 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Weir | Director | Ex-Officio from Jan 2021 |
| Peter Cooper | Treasurer | Ex-Officio from June 2018 |
| Simon Rubin | Elected from July 2018 | |
| Linda Rawlinson | Elected from July 2019 | |
| Buff Davis | Elected from June 2020 | |
| Keith Bradford | Elected from June 2020 |
We’d like to express our thanks to all those who have contributed to Chiltern Samaritans during the past 12 months.
Businesses/Organisations: Malt the Brewery, The Entertainer, Rowan Garden Centre, Orvis – Amersham, Mountain Warehouse – Amersham, The Nags Head, Pepper’s Ghost, The Shanly Foundation.
In addition we give our special thanks to the numerous individual donors, and those who have given a donation.
BALANCE SHEET 31[st] MARCH 2021
Investments 63,500
| Y/E 31 March | 2021 | Prior Year to date | |
| Sales Gift Aid & Personal Donations |
3,400 | 2,732 | |
| In Memoriam/Legacies | 25,750 | 750 | |
| Local Organisations & Business | 9,210 | 4,417 | |
| Grants & Prisons | 1,445 | 410 | |
| Local Councils & Churches | 35 | 3,287 | |
| Fund Raising - Branch & Local Activity | 27,128 | 43,833 | |
| Volunteer Retention Project Interest from Assets |
5,000 2,202 |
74,170 | 0 2,581 58,009 |
| Direct Expenses | |||
| Marketing | 802 | 302 | |
| Telephones | 1,604 | 1959 | |
| Outreach Caller Support Prisons |
102 32 137 |
266 613 128 |
|
| Volunteer Recruitment & Training | 1,372 | 2289 | |
| Fundraising - Branch and Local Activities | 3,549 | 10,590 | |
| Volunteer Duties Expenses | 2,170 | 4,153 | |
| 9,767 | 20,299 | ||
| Overheads | |||
| Administration Expenses | 224 | 1,713 | |
| Housekeeping | 3,827 | 2,884 | |
| Property Maintenance | 7,348 | 13,832 | |
| Branch Furniture & Equipment Fuel And Power Property & Water Rates |
981 4,843 1,358 |
1,313 2,208 1295 |
|
| Property & Public Liability Insurance | 958 | 947 | |
| Professional Fees | 35 | 572 | |
| Annual Contribution to Samaritans | 15,329 | 2061 | |
| 34,903 | 26,825 | ||
| Excess of Income over Expenditure | 29,500 | 10,885 |
To the Trustees of Chiltern Samaritans on accounts for the period ending 31[st] March 2021 set out above.
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that any material respect the requirement:
-
a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act, and
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b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met.
Vince Parry, Independent Examiner Amersham
Fixed Assets
Current Assets
| Current Assets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sundry Debtors/Prepayments | 420 | |
| Reserve Account | 30,002 | |
| Bank Account - No 1 | 47,505 | |
| Bank Account - No 3 | 3,600 | |
| 81,527 | ||
| Current Liabilities | ||
| Sundry Creditors | 4,724 | |
| Samaritans' Contribution | 15,329 | |
| Bucks Crisis Fund | 4,699 | |
| 24,752 |
| Total Current Assets less | ||
|---|---|---|
| Current Liabilities | 56,774 | |
| Total Assets less Liabilities | 120,274 | |
| Capital & Reserves | ||
| Funds brought Forward | 90,775 | |
| Excess of Income over | ||
| Expenditure | 29,500 | |
| 120,274 |
Note to Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2021
Income and Expenditure are accounted for in full, in one unrestricted fund. The value of investments at the 31st March 2021 was £64,457.
Reserve Policy
We have no guaranteed source of income. Our reserves policy states that unrestricted reserves will be kept in the region of 125-150% of the average annual running costs of the previous three years. This policy is reviewed annually in the first quarter of the new financial year. On behalf of the Trustees:
Stephen Weir Peter Cooper Branch Director Treasurer