Annual Report and Accounts New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) For the year ended 27 March 2023 Prepared by CBA Services Limited
Contents
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3 Reference and Administrative Details
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4 Trustees' Report
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9 Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of
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10 Receipts and Payments
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11 Statement of Assets and Liabilities
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12 Analysis of funds
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Annual Report and Accounts
Reference and Administrative Details New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) For the year ended 27 March 2023
Registered Charity Number
1174878
Company Registration Number
CEO12364
Trustees
Neil Kernon, Chair
Jennie Fellowes, Treasurer
Sharon Cripps
Byron Quayle Angela Potter (appointed 9 November 2022) Rebecca Dawson (resigned 31 March 2022) Dr Neil Scott (resigned 31 March 2022)
Principal Address
27 Salisbury Street, Blandford Forum, Dorset, GBR, DT11 7AU
Bankers
Lloyds Bank Plc
7 Carter Street, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 8HD
Independent Examiners
CBA Services Limited
45 East Street, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7DX
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Annual Report and Accounts
Trustees' Report
New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) For the year ended 27 March 2023
Objectives and Activities
Purpose
The promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit of people in Dorset who are socially and economically excluded on grounds of their autism spectrum condition (ASC), including Asperger syndrome; or mental ill-health, who experience high levels of social anxiety and difficulties with social interaction, by providing the objects. In this context ‘socially excluded’ means being excluded from society, or parts of society, including access to employment, as a result of disability (autism spectrum condition) or mental ill-health.
Activities
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Structured opportunities to develop and gain social and communication skills through the medium of games in a range of weekly clubs open to all. This year this includes online games, support, advice and engagement for those who are still struggling with the impact of CoVid19 lockdowns in addition to their everyday needs. These were run as both one to one as well as group sessions, as needed. An on-demand service was provided for our most vulnerable members.
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A drop-in centre with facilities to socialise and develop friendships, and from which to access information on local services and support with job seeking.
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Volunteering and employment opportunities.
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Outreach work in the community.
Public Benefit
The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Nothing in our constitution shall authorise an application of the property of the CIO for the purposes which are not charitable in accordance with section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and section 2 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
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Annual Report and Accounts
Trustees' Report
Additional Informaton
Volunteers
Volunteers continue to make a significant contribution to the charity’s ability to meet Object 1 as the clubs rely upon the support and contribution of our volunteers. They also all agree and partake in specialised training.
A special mention needs to be given to Joseph Hampson for his absolute dedication and work for the charity. Joe rarely misses a session and is the go-to for many members, volunteers and leaders alike. We are thrilled to announce that Joe has recently started full time employment and wish him all the success he deserves, but we will really miss his tireless dedication and support in the charity. As Joe has been preparing to leave, another member in particular has been stepping up through his work experience into the training and hopefully the role of volunteer.
Most clubs require at least 2 adults who have successfully completed enhanced DBS checks, have been certified in Health and Safety at Work, First Aid and Safeguarding Level 2. All volunteers complete the training ahead of being awarded the volunteering role. Online support continues to be important for the community to maintain itself whilst still recovering from the CoVid19 pandemic.
A huge thank you to Francoise Henon-Lees, Neil Guest and Nocturin Lacey-Clarke for their ongoing time and efforts to support, inspire and facilitate the community.
The clubs continue to be the main setting for development and maintenance of social skills. This is done through the playing of games that require cooperation, competition, paired, small group or role playing rules. The rules ensure that everyone is clear about what is acceptable.
During this financial period the clubs ran 4 times a week, including at the weekends. More one to one work has taken place throughout the remaining opening hours.
Our links with local groups such as Blandford Youth Club ensured we continued to have NEET engagement.
Volunteers also supported the drop in sessions for Object 2. Drop ins took place from Monday to Saturday inclusive throughout the day. Drop ins continue to be an opportunity for new members to find a quiet time to start interacting safely with other people and also for other members to come in, in order to talk, meet new people, develop new friendships etc…. Several members became volunteers through the development programme which continues to lead to employment and developed confidence, helping NEETs and others move into employment, satisfying Object 3.
Outreach in the community continued during this period with Francoise Henon-Lees playing a significant part in her role as coordinator for volunteers.
Reserves
NOCS Charity currently has no unallocated reserves. We are considering developing reserves in order to cover planned commitments that cannot be met by future income alone, specifically with regard to providing ‘matched funding’. Up to this point in our journey we have budgeted to spend all income received on the charity’s activities. As we develop, and consider our funding diversity, we can see that we ought to instigate our reserves policy in the coming year in order to provide a level of accountability to our funders.
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Annual Report and Accounts
Trustees' Report
Achievements and Performance
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This year we are thrilled to announce that we have again achieved and maintained our Charity Quality Mark, working with the DYA and Charity Excellence. This really helped us to identify our strengths and those areas where we need further development. We were thrilled to have been successful with our application to the Jubilee Fund from the National Lottery which enabled us to fully refurbish our premises to the colours chosen by our members, including those that were new. We had a brand new door fitted (in line with the Georgian conservation area in which we are sited) which was long overdue as the old one had a hole in the bottom and was steadily rotting. This has helped with our electric bills, the sound of the traffic outside and securing the premises. The funding also helped us to update our bathroom to a soft-close toilet and ‘hands-free’ soap and towel dispensers which have lifted issues with those with OCD and helped us to minimise the likelihood of infection. Children in Need provided us with an additional year’s funding to cover the wages of our special needs facilitator, which has been invaluable, particularly for those struggling with social anxiety, deprivation and Asperger’s who still continue to find it difficult to communicate, trust and make good decisions.
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Our volunteers and leaders continue to work extremely hard to revitalise the charity following Covid changes and we are so glad that we are achieving this, not least as members and visitors continue to find us and make good use of the support and community provided.
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NOCS continues to provide new opportunities and the Noc’s Box element continues to be an essential key gateway and route to ensure a good mix of both beneficiaries and the wider community.We have had a very successful run of work experiencers during the year both from the local school and from our NEET community, who are no longer NEET. The skills developed include punctuality, patience, communication and general employment skills.
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Thanks to funding from Tesco Groundworks were were also able to engage some new NEET members by providing some paint starter sets to use on the premises as a means to conversation. They continue to fare well and those that have moved into employment are still securely positioned. Our NEET focus now means that people can come in for help, community and development, as wanted/needed across the week.
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In terms of the clubs we are very pleased to report that all of our clubs continue to thrive with volunteers and leaders actively engaged face to face. We have successfully maintained both Young Gamers’ Role Play Club, Young Gamer’ Skirmish Club and Young Gamers’ Board and Card Game Club along side a family session and over 16s session. In addition, thanks to the Dorset Council Youth Fund we have been running some well attended Saturday workshops with members creating their own scenery whilst developing their social skills. The huge success of the first set of workshops was not just due to the materials we were able to secure with the funding but also thanks to the workshop leader who worked tirelessly to ensure success for all.
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Two years ago we reported that we intended to develop our website and were making bids to set up a broader range of technologies. Sadly, but understandably, funding has not been made for this type of activity. Nonetheless we have continued to make developments and will continue to do so over the next year.
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Throughout, NOCS and Noc’s Box have continued, when possible, to engage with and signpost many other charities and facilities in the local community and they continued to return the favour. This ensures our beneficiaries are able to start developing successful interactions with the broader community, feeling more confident. For some this is the first time that they have experienced positive interaction with e.g. the police and felt safe enough to take part in activities in local pubs/restaurants and to include their family in their friendship group. Our partnerships that developed last year e.g. Pokemon group for our younger members which also encourages physical exercise, have continued to be successful in engaging new members.
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Mid-year we had the very welcome funding help of the Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Charitable Foundation. Their huge generosity has been particularly important in enabling us to rent our premises through the rest of this financial year and into the next. This has been a lifeline, especially considering that funding this year has continued to be very different with a significant drop in income due to the change of funding focus both locally and nationally. Our charitable objectives, linking to emotional wellbeing and positive mental health, have not met the criteria for the majority of funders which has proved to be very difficult, especially considering the increased needs of our membership and other drop-in visitors.
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Annual Report and Accounts
Trustees' Report
Financial Review
Please refer to the End of Year Accounts to see our financial position and list of assets. We are not in deficit and all allocated funds will be/are in the process of being spent on the allocations specified. We do not yet have a reserves policy nor reserves but expect to develop these as part of our current organisational development.
Structure, Governance and Management
NOCS Charity is a CIO and is governed by its constitution which is available to read on the Charity Commission website. Trustees are selected by matching potential new trustees to the needs of the Charity. No one person is entitled to appoint one or more trustees. All undergo interview by a designated selection of current trustees, undergo a DBS check and are then formally invited to the role if successful by resolution. This process is legal and outlined in our constitution.
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and accounts in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition the trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and to disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. The are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Reference and Administrative Details
The Charity name is New Opportunities in Community and Support (NOCS) and is registered with the Charity Commission as such with the number 1174878. We also go by the name NOCS Charity. Our principal address is 27 Salisbury Street, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 7AU
Names of the Charity Trustees Who Manage the Charity
| Trustee name | Office | Dates acted if not for whole year | Name of person entitled to appoint trustee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Kernon | Chairman | Jennie Fellowes Neil Scott Lesley Cleverton |
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| Sharon Cripps | Bid Writer Lead | Jennie Fellowes Neil Scott Lesley Cleverton |
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| Bryon Quayle | Social Media Profile Lead | Jennie Fellowes Neil Scott Lesley Cleverton |
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| Jennie Fellowes | Treasurer | N/A | |
| Angie Potter | Secretary | 09/11/2022 | Neil Kernon Jennie Fellowes |
Corporate Trustees
None.
Name of Trustees Holding Title to Property Belonging to the Charity
None.
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Annual Report and Accounts
Trustees' Report
Funds Held as Custodian Trustees on Behalf of Others
None.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees
.......................................................................
Neil Kernon
Chair
Date..............................................................
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Annual Report and Accounts
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) For the year ended 27 March 2023
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Charity") for the year ended 27 March 2023 which are set out on pages 8 to 9.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Charity's trustees, 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 Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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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.
Signature.........................................
Catherine Chapman, ATT, MIAB
CBA Services Limited
45 East Street, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7DX
Date.................................................
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Annual Report and Accounts
Receipts and Payments
New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) For the year ended 27 March 2023
| For the year ended 27 March | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOTES | 2023 UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
2023 RESTRICTED FUNDS |
2023 TOTAL FUNDS |
2022 TOTAL FUNDS |
|
| Receipts | |||||
| Fundraising Activities | 571 | - | 571 | - | |
| Grant Income | - | - | - | 11,436 | |
| Local Project Bids | 500 | 32,113 | 32,613 | 13,824 | |
| Other Donations | 1,028 | - | 1,028 | 1,044 | |
| Sub Total | 2,099 | 32,113 | 34,212 | 26,304 | |
| Total Receipts | 2,099 | 32,113 | 34,212 | 26,304 | |
| Payments | |||||
| Cost of Fundraising | 216 | - | 216 | 241 | |
| Audit & Accountancy fees | 906 | - | 906 | 1,200 | |
| Bookkeeping | 780 | - | 780 | 819 | |
| Cleaning | 444 | - | 444 | 268 | |
| Employers National Insurance | 790 | - | 790 | - | |
| General Expenses | - | - | - | 24 | |
| Insurance | 505 | - | 505 | 1,055 | |
| IT Software and Consumables | 504 | - | 504 | 438 | |
| Light, Power, Heating | 1,322 | - | 1,322 | 402 | |
| Pensions Costs | 263 | - | 263 | 263 | |
| Printing & Stationery | - | 178 | 178 | 67 | |
| Rates | 890 | - | 890 | 492 | |
| Rent | 5,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | |
| Repairs & Maintenance | 39 | 1,281 | 1,320 | 1,539 | |
| Resources | - | 863 | 863 | - | |
| Salaries | 8,893 | 13,474 | 22,367 | 21,471 | |
| Staff Training | 210 | - | 210 | 132 | |
| Telephone & Internet | 762 | - | 762 | 369 | |
| Sub Total | 21,523 | 20,797 | 42,320 | 38,779 | |
| Total Payments | 21,523 | 20,797 | 42,320 | 38,779 | |
| Net of Receipts/(Payments) | (19,424) | 11,316 | (8,108) | (12,475) | |
| NOTES | 2023 UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
2023 RESTRICTED FUNDS |
2023 TOTAL FUNDS |
2022 TOTAL FUNDS |
|
| Funds of The Charity | |||||
| Cash Funds Last Period End | 19,596 | 4,597 | 24,192 | 36,668 | |
| Cash Funds This Period End | 171 | 15,913 | 16,084 | 24,192 |
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Annual Report and Accounts
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) As at 27 March 2023
| As at 27 March 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| NOTES | 27 MAR 2023 | 27 MAR 2022 | |
| Cash Funds | |||
| Bank Account | 16,008 | 24,117 | |
| Petty Cash | 76 | 76 | |
| Total Cash Funds | 16,084 | 24,192 | |
| Total Net Assets/(Liabilities) | 16,084 | 24,192 | |
| Funds of the Charity | |||
| Funds Last Period End | 24,192 | 36,668 | |
| Net of Receipts/(Payments) | (8,108) | (12,475) | |
| Total Funds of the Charity | 16,084 | 24,192 |
These accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. The Receipts and Payments account recognises only money received and paid in the period and excludes the value of all other assets received in kind unless, and until, converted into money.
Fixed assets are expensed if they can be used for more than one year, are valued at cost and cost at least £500.
The CIO is registered for Gift Aid and is not registered for VAT.
| NOTES | 27 MAR 2023 | 27 MAR 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Assets retained for ownuse | |||
| Tables | 504 | 504 | |
| Chairs | 413 | 413 | |
| Fire Alarm System | 845 | 845 | |
| Total Assets retained for own use | 1,762 | 1,762 | |
| NOTES | 27 MAR 2023 | 27 MAR 2022 | |
| 2. Funds of the Charity | |||
| Unrestricted funds | 171 | 19,595 | |
| Restricted funds | 15,913 | 4,597 | |
| Total Funds of the Charity | 16,084 | 24,192 |
Approval
The trustees confirm, in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012, that at the period end the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on assets of the CIO.
Signed on behalf of all the trustees
....................................................... {{sig2_es_:signer1:signature:dimension(width=80mm, height=15mm)}} Neil Kernon, Chair
Date...............................................
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Annual Report and Accounts
Analysis of funds
New Opportunities for Community and Support (NOCS) For the year ended 27 March 2023
Charity funds
| Balance at 28 March 2021 £ |
Receipts £ |
Payments £ |
Transfers £ |
Balance at 27 March 2022 £ |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds | |||||||
| General | 19,595 | 2,099 | (21,523) | - | 171 | ||
| Restricted funds | |||||||
| Children in Need | 2,672 | 8,824 | (8,824) | - | 2,672 | ||
| Groundwork UK | - | 500 | - | - | 500 | ||
| National Lottery Fund | 1,925 | 9,789 | (6,110) | - | 5,604 | ||
| Dorset Youth Fund | - | 3,000 | (863) | 2,137 | |||
| Alice Ellen Cooper-Dean |
- | 10,000 | (5,000) | 5,000 | |||
| Total | 4,597 | 32,113 | (20,797) | - | 15,913 | ||
| Total funds | 24,192 | 34,212 | (42,320) | - | 16,084 | ||
| Balance at 28 March 2021 £ |
Receipts £ |
Payments £ |
Transfers £ |
Balance at 27 March 2022 £ |
|||
| Unrestricted funds | |||||||
| General | 17,646 | 9,044 | (9,776) | 2,681 | 19,595 | ||
| Restricted funds | |||||||
| Children in Need | 4,542 | 8,824 | (10,694) | - | 2,672 | ||
| Groundwork UK | 1,166 | - | (1,166) | - | - | ||
| Job Retention Scheme | 103 | 3,436 | (3,539) | - | - | ||
| National Lottery Fund | 10,529 | 5,000 | (13,604) | - | 1,925 | ||
| Other | 2,681 | - | - | (2,681) | - | ||
| Total | 19,022 | 17,260 | (29,003) | - | 4,597 | ||
| Total funds | 36,668 | 26,304 | (38,779) | - | 24,192 |
This page does not form part of the financial statements.
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Annual Report and Accounts