ANNUAL TRUSTEE REPORT
– 14TH DECEMBER 2020 13[TH] DECEMBER 2021
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Amanda Farley (Chair)
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Margaret Emery (Treasurer)
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Deborah Claire Rostami (Trustee – 24[th] February 2021)
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Margaret Dennis (Trustee – 24 February 2021)
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Samantha Benfell (Trustee – 4[th] October 2021)
As we adhere to government guidelines regarding community spaces, our usual Projects are on hold and our focus has been in supporting mental health and basic need support in our local community. We collaborated with More in Common Basildon, Tesco Mayflower and West and Coe; distributing Gift bags, toys, and Xmas food supplies to local homeless groups, a Refuge, parents who attended previous projects and in partnership with local schools and social media groups.
We also completed our DEFRA Funding reporting for the Cupboard Love Project where we finalised our supply of 100 hampers to local families in need. In addition, we received top up funding from EALC which enables us to work with local schools and supply £15 Vouchers to help families who were really struggling at this time.
Throughout January and February 2021, we offered a weekly phone line support service where a trained volunteer was on hand to support parents who need a listening ear or signposting to local services. This included foodbank referrals in partnership with our local council contact.
With support from ECVYS and Basildon Council Mental Health Funding we were able to remobilise out Connx Project in May 2021 We are very aware that this project has evolved from an afterschool Club for Neurodiverse children into a whole family support as parents are on site receiving valued information and guidance from our team. This has led us to consider an additional project with the same model supporting families with Neurodiverse Teens in 2022.
In June/July 2021, we offered an online Youth Mental Health First Aid course in partnership with Interact. This course was well received with parents feedback: that it enabled them to recognise mental health concerns in themselves and others, provide initial mental health support, signpost themselves and others to professional support, feel more aware of their own emotional wellbeing. During this time, we also offered a live Understanding Anxiety Course at the Listening Post (local counselling service). The focus was on providing a Covid safe environment where social distancing could be applied. This helped the participants overcome some of their anxieties about being back in the community. All the attendees suffered from anxiety themselves and reported that their children also had either a diagnosis of ADHD or ASD. The tutor reported that all participants had shared their concerns over the impact Covid was having on themselves and their families and all felt anxious about what the future held. After the course finished, the tutor and participants set up a WhatsApp group and continue to offer each other support.
Throughout the summer holidays, we offered an online gaming workshop to support those children who attended the Conn-x Youth Club to keep connected. This also supported the young host through his Duke of Edinburgh Award (Charity Contribution). We also stayed connected with parents through our social media outlets, signposting them to local services that could support them.
In September 2021, we opened our new Creative Café project in line with our Basildon Council Mental Health Funding. This was to provide a therapeutic space to parents who are struggling with their own and their children’s mental health. This is in partnership with Peabody and with the space provided, in the future we will be able to work with other charities and specialist support services.
In October 2021, we remobilised our Women only ESOL Café. We sourced an alternative venue with SWAN Housing at the Beech Community Hub. This not only helps support their social communication but impacts their mental health in a positive way. The team set up informal language scenarios for real life settings and we also provide craft materials. We plan to offer further services such as Resilience Training, Meditation etc in the future.
The feedback has been that the parents really enjoy the social aspect of having a place to come and their share experiences of integrating into the UK. They have established trust with our team which allows them to be open to the discussing the obstacles they face when English is their Second Language and also the normal everyday challenges of being a parent. These women are often socially isolated, and the group gives them a safe space to be themselves without any judgement. We have seen their confidence grow, some have obtained jobs, and some have gone into further education. They make connections in the ESOL group that turns into personal friendships and support each other outside. We have also further supported a refugee family with an additional financial voucher to enable them to purchase household items. Currently the range of different ethnicities supported are Turkish, Egyptian, Algerian, Russian, Pakistani, Cypriot, Ethiopian, Bulgarian and Polish. Iraqi, Moroccan, Russian, Indian.
In December 2021, with much needed support from Simon Johnston, BBWCVS, we were able to supply up to 100 £50 vouchers to parents from several local schools who had been signposted to us that they were in financial distress. The schools reported that this has been a well-received gesture at this particular time and for some parents it enabled them to provide ‘Christmas’ for their children. We also hosted a Community Quiz Night, a Xmas Craft session, and our Community Cuppa Drop, where we in collaboration with More in Common Basildon we supplied Christmas Cheer Bags to the attendees. We also directed their Winter Warmer bags to a local homeless group.
This has been a busy year for Basildon Parents 4 Parents, we feel the team have worked extremely hard to support local families within our projects and beyond. We also have trained and developed some of our previous attending parents into project volunteer roles.
Our aim for the future is to continue to develop our existing health and wellbeing projects, connect and collaborate with other local support services and expand our volunteer teams, so we can continue to sustain our charity services and activities within the local community.
Signed: Amanda Farley – Chair Dated: 23 February 2021
On behalf of the Trustee Board
ANNUAL RETURN 14 December 2020 - 13 December 2021 ACCOUNTS SUMMARY
| OPENING BANK BALANCE(14 DECEMBER 2020) | 7528.90 | 62.40 OPENING PETTY CASH BALANCE | 62.40 OPENING PETTY CASH BALANCE |
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| INCOME | AMOUNT | ||
| BASILDON COUNCIL MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING EALC FUNDING - FOOD HAMPERS EALC FUNDING - FOOD VOUCHERS ECVYS YOUTH REMOBILISATION FUNDING PEABODY GROUNDWORKS - YOUTH ESSEX COMMUNITY FUND ARNOLD CLARK ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL EVERYONE ACTIVE LOCAL FUNDRAISING |
4620.00 1300.00 800.00 500.00 500.00 957.00 9000.00 1000.00 1435.00 322.32 |
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| TOTAL INCOME | 20434.32 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL INCLUDING BANK B/F | 27963.22 | 20.00 | |
| EXPENSES | AMOUNT | ||
| GENERAL OPERATIONS/ADMINISTRATION/CO-ORDINATION TARGETTED PROJECT RESOURCES/REMOBILISATION COVID 19 TARGETTED FAMILY SUPPORT |
8014.57 2301.92 2098.80 |
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| TOTAL EXPENSES | 12415.29 | ||
| CLOSING BANK BALANCE(13 DECEMBER 2021) | 15547.93 | **42.40 ** | CLOSING PETTY CASH BALANCE |