# **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
**Consolidated Report and Accounts For the Charitable Incorporated Organisation no. 1174063 and the unincorporated charity no. 1174063-1**
|**12 months ending 31 March**|**2024**|
|---|---|
|**Index**||
|**Annual Report**|**1 – 4**|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|**5**|
|**Balance Sheet**|**6**|
|**Notes to the Accounts**|**7 – 12**|
|**Independent Examiner’s Report**|**13**|
**Samaritans of Hillingdon Report of the Management Committee For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
_____________________________________________________________________
The Management Committee presents its report and audited financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2024.
## **Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisors**
Samaritans of Hillingdon is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and is registered charity no. 1174063
It also is the sole trustee of the unincorporated registered charity no. 1174063-1 (previously no. 267858), a dormant and inactive body retained for reasons of transition and continuity. The two charities have been linked by the Charity Commission and may therefore publish a single report and accounts covering both.
The registered office and operating address is:-
2 Press Road, Uxbridge UB8 1AT
The trustees of who served during the year were: -
||**Appointed**|**Resigned**|
|---|---|---|
|V Meggs (Director)|1stJuly 2023||
|S Morgan (Vice-Director)|1stJuly 2023||
|C O’Kelly|1stJuly 2023||
|S Edwards (Secretary)|1stAugust 2017||
|P Bola (Treasurer)|14thMay 2018||
|K Carr|1stAugust 2017||
|C Forrest|5thJune 2018||
|S James|9thJuly 2022||
|W Davies|9thJuly 2022||
## **Bankers: -**
Lloyds TSB 21 High Street Uxbridge UB8 1JD
## **Operating Names:-**
Samaritans of Hillingdon, Hillingdon Samaritans
1
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon Report of the Management Committee Continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
___________________________________________________________________
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The Charity is governed by the regulations set out in the constitution and is run by a voluntary Management Committee.
New committee members are elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for a period of one year (but may be re-elected). Existing committee members may co-opt up to two new members between AGMs, but co-opted members must stand for reappointment at the next AGM.
New committee members are briefed by the Director (who also chairs the committee) to familiarise them with the Samaritans of Hillingdon as well as their wider responsibilities as charity trustees.
The Management Committee met 5 times during the year to review the activities, consider the financial position and to decide policy and procedure.
The day-to-day work of the charity is overseen by the Director who reports to the Management Committee. This position is unpaid.
The Management Committee are aware of the potential risks to the charity, both financial and otherwise, and implements strategies to control or minimise these risks. Assessments have been undertaken of the major risks which face the charity, including funding and health and safety. The Charity has data protection and privacy policies that are compliant with GDPR and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under reference ZA290039.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The charity was originally established in 1973 to provide completely confidential emotional support 24 hours a day by telephone, face to face, electronic communication and letter. Its main objectives are: -
- To provide assistance to individuals who are suicidal, despairing or in distress in order to reduce the incidence of suicide; and
- To advance education by providing society with a better understanding of suicide, suicidal behaviour and the value of expressing feelings that may lead to suicide.
This is reflected in the Samaritans mission, vision and values statement:
The charity works predominately in the London Borough of Hillingdon and surrounding area. In conjunction with other branches of Samaritans, it provides confidential emotional support that is available 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of emotional distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide.
Samaritans vision is for a society in which:
- Fewer people die by suicide;
- People are able to explore their feelings; and
- People are able to acknowledge and respect the feelings of others.
2
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon Report of the Management Committee Continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
___________________________________________________________________
Our values are based on these beliefs:
- The importance of having the opportunity to explore difficult feelings;
- That being listened to, in confidence, and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings; and
- That everyone has the right to make fundamental decisions about their own life, including the right to die by suicide.
## **Achievements and Performance**
During the past 12 months Samaritans of Hillingdon answered approximately 15,024 calls and other contacts, for which the split was:
|Telephone
Email and Web
Chat|**01.04.2023– 31.03.2024**
90%
10%|**01.04.2022-31.03.2023**|
|---|---|---|
|||90%
10%|
During the past 12 months we have continued with our Outreach activities including multiple visits to Hayes and Harlington railways station, Brunel University, Stockley Park, St Edmunds Food Bank, Secondary schools and Hillingdon events such as the Carers Fair and Coffee mornings at Christ Church. Through these events we have reached hundreds, if not thousands, of local people are raised awareness of our services.
3
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon Report of the Management Committee Continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
___________________________________________________________________
## **Financial Review**
During the 12 months the charity received £62,904 by way of grants, donations and fund-raising events.
At the end of the year the charity had £99,451 in unrestricted funds (including a nominal value for its freehold property). Designated funds totalled £38,798 (To 31.03.2023: £38,798) and Restricted funds totalled £11,000 (To 31.03.2023: £8,000). The movement on the funds is shown as a transfer in note 9.
## **Reserves Policy**
The charity will aim to retain the following reserves:
18 months’ average expenditure, to smooth out irregularities in income and fundraising without risking any interruption to the service provided, plus up to £30,000 as a property maintenance designated fund to provide for routine maintenance of the charity’s freehold premises and as a contingency against unexpected measures being urgently needed to safeguard that property.
The above reserves will be in addition to any restricted funds, specified by donors to be used for a particular purpose.
## **Plans for future periods**
The charity will continue with its current activities and attempt to promote its services to the local community.
Approved by the Management Committee on 15[th] June 2024 and signed on their behalf by: -
___________________
**V Meggs - Director Samaritans of Hillingdon**
4
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon Report of the Management Committee Continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
___________________________________________________________________
## **Statement of Financial Activities For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
All Funds All Funds
Note General Funds £ Designated Restricted 12 Months to 12 Months to
Funds £ Funds £
31.03.2024 £ 31.03.2023 £
Incoming Resources
Donations & Gifts 11 49,406 49,406 7,306
Grants Received - - 6,000
Fund Raising 13,498 13,498 6,093
Refunds - - -
Total Incoming Resources 62,904 - - 62,904 19,399
Resources Expended
Direct Charitable Expenditure 3 12,864 12,864 9,036
Fundraising 4 544 544 489
Governance Costs 5 21,118 21,118 12,701
Total Resources Expended 34,526 - - 34,526 22,227
Fund Balances brought forward at
74,073 38,798 8,000 120,871 123,699
31.03.2023
Net Movement in Funds 28,378 - - 28,378 -2,828
Transfers (3,000) 3,000 - -
Fund Balances carried forward at
£99,450 £38,798 £11,000 £149,248 £120,871
31.03.24
**----- End of picture text -----**
## _**The notes on pages 7 – 12 form part of these accounts**_
5
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon Report of the Management Committee Continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
___________________________________________________________________
## **Balance Sheet As at 31 March 2024**
_____________________________________________________________________
||**Note**||**31.03.2024**|||**31.03.2023**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**£**|**£**||**£**|**£**|
|**Tangible Fixed Assets**|6|||**43,120**|||**44,720**|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|**Current Assets**||||||||
|Prepayments|||1,963|||2,167||
|Debtors|8||673|||673||
|Cash at Bank and in Hand|||114,892|||78,841||
|||||||||
||||**117,527**|||**81,681 **||
|**Current Liabilities**||||||||
|(amounts falling due within one
year)||||||||
|Creditors|7||11,000|||5,500||
|Accruals|||398|||29||
||||**11,398 **|||**5,529**||
|**Net Current Assets**||||**106,129**|||**76,151**|
|||||||||
|**Total Assets**||||**£149,249**|||**£120,871**|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|**Represented by:-**||||||||
|General Funds|9||£99,450|||74,073||
|Designated Funds|9||38,798|||38,798||
|Restricted Funds|9||11,000|||8,000||
||||**£149,248**|||**£120,871**||
|||||||||
**Approved by the Board of Trustees on 15[th] Jun 2024 and signed on its behalf by:**
_____________________ **V Meggs - Director**
**_____________________ P Bola (Treasurer)**
_**The notes on pages 7 – 12 form part of these accounts**_
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
6
## **Notes to the accounts For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
____________________________________________________________________
## **1) Accounting Policies**
## a) **Basis of Preparation**
The accounts have been prepared under the historic cost convention. The financial Statements follow the guideline of the revised Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting by Charities, issued in January 2015 (“The Charities SORP FRS102”) and use applicable Accounting Standards.
## b) **Fund Accounting**
**General funds** are unrestricted funds that are available for use, at the discretion of the trustees, in furtherance of the objectives of the charity and have not been designated for other purposes.
**Designated funds** comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes.
**Restricted funds** are funds that are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or that have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. Costs relating to such funds are charged against specific funds.
## c) **Incoming Resources**
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when the charity is legally entitled to the Income, there is reasonable certainty of receipt and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies apply to categories of income:
- **Donations/Collections** – These are accounted for when received.
- **Legacies** – Entitlement is the earlier of the charity receiving the final estate accounts or the legacy being received. No value is included where the legacy is subject to a life interest held by another party.
- **Donated Goods/services** – This is included at the value to the charity where this can be quantified.
- **Grants** – Where these are related to the performance and specific deliveries, they are accounted for as the charity earns the right to consideration by its performance. Where income is received in advance, its recognition is deferred and included in creditors. Where entitlement occurs before income is received, the income is accrued. Capital grants are accounted for as income in the SOFA as soon as they are received.
- **Fundraising** – Fundraising income is recognized in the SOFA when there is reasonable certainty of receipt and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy, and any associated fundraising costs are shown within “Resources Expended”.
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## **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
## **Notes to the accounts continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
____________________________________________________________________
## d) **Resources Expended**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of the resource. Support costs have been allocated on the basis time spent on the activity by volunteers. The following specific policies apply to categories of expenditure:
- **Fundraising Costs** – Fundraising costs are those costs incurred in seeking voluntary contributions.
- **Governance Costs** – Governance costs are the costs associated with the governance arrangements of the charity, which relate to the general running of the charity as opposed to those costs associated with fundraising or charitable activities. Included within this category are costs associated with the strategic as opposed to the day to day management of the charity’s activities.
- **Support Costs** – Support costs comprise the costs of activities such as the management, financial, administrative and IT, together with common services, office accommodation and communication costs. These are allocated across the categories of charitable expenditure, governance costs and the costs of generating funds. The basis of the cost allocation has been explained in the notes to the accounts.
- **Depreciation** - 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 50 years Office Equipment and Furniture 4 years
## e) **Taxation**
Samaritans of Hillingdon is a registered charity and is therefore potentially exempt from taxation of its income and gains to the extent that they fall within section 505 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1998 and section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992. No tax charge has arisen in the year.
8
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
## **Notes to the accounts continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
____________________________________________________________________
|**2. Premises Overheads**|**2. Premises Overheads**||**31.03.2024**||**31.03.2023**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**£**||**£**||
||Water,Light and Heat||2,431||1,976||
||Repairs and Renewals||1,588||769||
||Cleaning& Housekeeping||2,735||2,289||
||Office Telephone||497||741||
||Insurance||2,029||1,974||
||Depreciation||1,600||2,038||
||**Total for Year**||**10,880**||**9,786**||
||||||||
||**Allocated to**|||||**%**|
||Direct Charitable Expenditure||9,792||8,807|90|
||Fundraisingand Publicity||544||489|5|
||Governance||544||489|5|
||||**10,880**||**9,786**|**100**|
||||||||
||**3. Direct Charitable Expenditure**||||||
||EmergencyTelephone||631||605||
||Internet / Emails||549||658||
||Answer Phone||118|-|63||
||Volunteer Trainingand Support||1,354|-|971||
||Volunteer Travel Expenses||185||-||
||Advertisingand Publicity||234||||
||Directors’ Expenses||-||-||
||Share of Premises Overheads||9,792||8,807||
||**Total for Year**||**12,864**||**9,036**||
||||||||
||**4. Fundraising**||||||
||Fund RaisingExpense||-||-||
||Share of Premises Overheads||544||489||
||**Total for Year**||**544**||**489**||
||||||||
||**5. Governance Costs**||||||
||Postage,Printing& Stationery||119||1,164||
||AGM/Branch Meetings||625||412||
||Branch Contribution||18,400||10,371||
||Sundry/Miscellaneous Expenses||1,431||265||
||Share of Premises Overheads||544||489||
||**Total for Year**||**21,118**||**12,701**||
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## **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
## **Notes to the accounts continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
____________________________________________________________________
|**6. Tangible Fixed Assets**|**6. Tangible Fixed Assets**|**6. Tangible Fixed Assets**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||
||||**Freehold Property**||**Office Equipment**
**Furniture & Computers**||**Total**|
||||**£**||**£**||**£**|
|||||||||
||As at 31.03.2023||80,000||3,721||83,721|
||Additions||0||0||0|
||**As at 31.03.2024**||**£80,000**||**£3,721**||**£83,721**|
|||||||||
||**Depreciation**|||||||
||At 31.03.2023||35,280||3,721||39,001|
||Charge for Year||1,600||0||1,600|
||**At 31.03.2024**||**£36,880**||**£3,721**||**£40,601**|
|||||||||
||**Net Book Value**|||||||
||**At 31.03.24**||**£43,120**||**£0**||**£43,120**|
|||||||||
||At 31.03.23||£44,720||£0||£44,720|
|||||||||
The title to the freehold premises is held by Samaritans of Hillingdon.
Although it has not been valued recently the trustees believe that the current market value of the Freehold Property is considerably in excess of the book value.
## **7. Creditors**
|**7. Creditors**|||
|---|---|---|
||**31.03.2024**|**31.03.2023**|
||||
|Branch Contribution(NBC)|11,000|5,500|
||||
||**11,000**|**5,500**|
||||
## **8. Debtors**
Monies owed are due within one year and relate to fundraising income not yet received.
10
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
## **Notes to the accounts continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
__________________________________________________________________
## **9. Reconciliation of Reserves**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Balance As At Balance As At
31.03.2023 Income Expenditure 31.03.2024
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted General Fund 94,073 62,904 34,526 122,451
Transfer (20,000) (23,000)
Total General Fund 74,073 62,904 34,526 99,451
- -
Designated Fund 18,798 18,798
Transfer 20,000 20,000
- -
Total Designated Funds 38,798 38,798
Restricted Fund 8,000 - - 8,000
Transfer 3,000
Total Restricted Funds 8,000 - - 11,000
All Funds 120,871 62,904 34,526 149,249
Represented By: General Fund Designated Fund Restricted Fund All Funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets 43,120 - - 43,120
Current Assets 67,729 38,798 11,000 117,527
Current Liabilities (11,398) - - (11,398)
99,451 38,798 11,000 149,249
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **10. Description of Reserves**
**General Funds** - Funds held available for the ordinary purposes of the charity.
**Restricted Funds –** In February 2015 we were extremely fortunate to receive a £5,000 donation from an individual who specified the money should be restricted to future property improvements. In 2016 the same individual donated a further £2,000 restricted to our on-line support services.
In 2014 donations were received amounting to £1,000 in memory of Pam Morgan and in 2024 £3,000 in memory of Jill 744, with the understanding from their family and other donors that it would fund a day of our work in perpetuity each year.
In 2021 the Management Committee agreed to set aside £20,000 as designated funds to be used in the planned new extension to the premises.
To date none of the above-mentioned restricted funds have been expended.
11
## **Samaritans of Hillingdon**
## **Notes to the accounts continued For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024**
## __________________________________________________________________
**Designated Funds** – The designated fund comprises resources received to be invested in the charity’s fixed assets. It is therefore not readily available for other purposes. During this financial year none of the Designated fund was utilised.
**Reserves Level** – The balance of net current assets on the General Fund at the end of the year represents the equivalent of approximately 7 months’ forecast expenditure and excludes the property maintenance fund held in the designated fund. The current balance should provide a reasonably secure financial base on which to plan future operations.
## **11. Donations and Gifts**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
31.03.2024 31.03.2023
£ £
Church Groups / Schools 5,083 4,502
Companies 41,799 557
Individuals 2,524 2,247
49,406 7,306
**----- End of picture text -----**
Accruals and prepayments excluded from figures quoted above, cash position only.
Income from collections is included under Fundraising.
## **12. Staff costs and numbers**
No paid staff were employed by the charity.
## **13. Trustees Remuneration and Expenses**
It is the policy of the charity to reimburse all expenses properly incurred and claimed by its volunteers in connection with charitable activities. The charity’s trustees, those who serve on the Management Committee, are reimbursed expenses in accordance with that policy in common with all other volunteers; the total amount is not considered material.
## **14. Indemnity Insurance**
Samaritans has centrally effected professional indemnity insurance to protect employees, Trustees, Directors and other volunteer members of all Samaritan branches.
12
Independent Examiner's Reportto the Members of
Samarilans of Hillingdon
For the 12 months ending 31 March 2024
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees ofthe Samaritans of Hillingdon
I report on the account5 of the Samaritan5 of Hillingdon for the 12 months ending
31.03.24.
Respective Responsibilities of the Trustees and Examiner
As the charity's Trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts, you
consider that the audit requirement of Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Acti
does not apply. It is my responsibility to slate. on the basis of procedures specified In
the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 14515llb)
of the Act, whether particular matters have come lo my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner's Report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by
the Charrty Commissioners. An examination Includes a review of the accounting
records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those
records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items of disclosure in the
accounts and seeking explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such
matters. The prOdureS undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be
required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view
given by the accounts
Independent Examiner's Statement
In connection with my examination, no maller has come to my attenlion'_
11 which give5 me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the
requirements
lo keep accounting records In accordance with Section 130 of the Act and
lo prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and lo comply
with the accounting requirements of the Act.
have not been met or
2110 which, in my opinion attention should be drawn to enable a proper
understanding lo the accounts lo be reached.
S Munn IMAATI
Independent Examiner
13