2024-04-05-accounts - Norwich And Norfolk OCD Voluntary Support Group

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Trustees' Annual Report					for theperiod
From	Period start date			To	Period end date
	Day 06	Month 04	Year 2023		Day 05	Month 04	Year 2024

Section A Reference and Administration Details

Charity name Norwich and Norfolk OCD Voluntary Support Group

Other names charity is known by

Registered charity number (if any) 1176907

Charity's principal address 2 St Peter’s Drive

Easton

Norwich

Postcode NR9 5HF

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Susanne Lee	Chair
	Linda Brown	Treasurer
	Geraldine Scott	Trustee
	Maureen Stone	Trustee

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Executive Advisor	Nesta Reeve
BABCP Supervisor	Russell Wharton

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

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Section B Structure, Governance and Management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document Constitution (eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted

(eg. trust, association, company)

CIO

Trustee selection methods Election (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

The Charity Trustees will make available to each new Charity Trustee, on or before his or her first appointment:

a) a copy of the current version of our Constitution

b) a copy of the latest Trustees’ Annual Report and Statement of Accounts

The induction and training of the Trustees is carried out by regular psychoeducation relating to OCD, anxiety and depression at our weekly afternoon online OCD Therapy and Training Groups.

Training is provided by a UK Registered, fully qualified Senior Psychotherapist and Counsellor specialising in OCD, anxiety and depression. Independent professional advice and support is available to our Trustees, volunteers and beneficiaries, if and when required.

Trustees’ Duties

Our Trustees carry out their legal duties by ensuring that everything our charity does helps to achieve the purposes for which it is set up and no other purpose, as set out in our governing document. They plan what our charity does, what they want it to achieve and are able to explain and understand how the charity benefits the public by carrying out its purpose. They act in our charity’s best interests, deal with conflicts of interest, manage our charity’s resources responsibly, implement appropriate financial controls, manage risks, act with reasonable care and skill and take appropriate advice when needed. They also ensure the spending of charity funds is solely for the benefit of the charity and the charity’s beneficiaries.

As well as the above, two of our Trustees are active in the running of the charity’s training services. Our main activities are psychoeducation, therapy, training and support of our beneficiaries. Two of our Trustees are fully able to step into the role of group facilitator at any of our meetings. Our Trustees understand the complexities of OCD and we all work as an enthusiastic and completely focused team providing a solution to aiding mental health and wellbeing for our community.

Existing Relationships

This year we were very grateful to receive a grant from the Community Lottery and a donation from the Paul Bassham Charitable Trust. These grants were used to provide weekly online OCD Therapy and Training Groups along with running costs for the charity.

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NHS

We receive numerous referrals from the NHS Wellbeing Services and GP Surgeries to access our two weekly charitable therapy and training support groups for their patients.

Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council

We have assisted the Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council by replying to enquiries from their Housing Officers and Managers regarding their tenants that have severe issues with OCD Hoarding in our community, as well as those working in Social Services needing to refer clients to us with mental health issues. We are able to provide our voluntary therapy and training to their tenants and clients whenever they are willing to attend our weekly afternoon online groups.

We adhere to the following policies that can be found on our website www.norwichandnorfolkocdsupport.org.uk :

1) Safeguarding and Vulnerable Persons Policy 2) Equal Opportunities Policy 3) Group Rules for Confidentiality

Section C Objectives and Activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

THE RELIEF OF SICKNESS AND PRESERVATION OF GOOD HEALTH BY THE PROVISION OF ONE-TO-ONE AND/OR GROUP COUNSELLING OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT), MINDFULNESS, TRAINING AND CONSTRUCTIVE SUPPORT TO THOSE WITH OBSESSIONAL COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD), THEIR CARERS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO WANT TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ANXIETY DISORDER

We declare that our Charity Trustees ‘have regard’ to the Charity Commission’s Public Benefit Guidance ‘when exercising any powers or duties to which the Guidance is relevant’. Our Charity Trustees have complied with this duty and are aware of the Guidance.

Weekly Online Therapy and Training Groups

Since 2020, we have continued to run our weekly classroom groups online for OCD therapy, training, psychoeducation and support. The online groups are very successful and it has also meant that our beneficiaries have been able to attend our therapy and training sessions from their homes. Most importantly, they include those beneficiaries that are especially vulnerable to illness and those that are housebound.

Operating as voluntary online therapy and training, we have found that we can offer our services to a much wider audience. Our beneficiaries join us from East Anglia but also now from London, Europe and Japan.

AIDING MENTAL HEALTH

We were able to continue with our twice weekly afternoon online therapy and training groups for the first half of this accounting term. When one of

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the grants was spent and after a discussions with our Trustees, we decided to continue with our online therapy and training once a week. We all agreed that this would be an adequate amount of group therapy, training and psychoeducation each week for the remainder of this accounting term. Our groups are always open-ended, rather than restricting beneficiaries to the usual allotted six or ten sessions, if and whenever they are available.

We understand the complexities and multi-facets of OCD. Our online OCD Therapy and Training Groups are professionally run by a UK Registered, fully qualified Senior Psychotherapist and Counsellor specialising in OCD, anxiety and depression.

Below are the main activities undertaken by our charity to carry out its charitable purpose for the public benefit:

We provide therapy, training, psychoeducation and support with these services being open-ended which we believe is vital for mental health issues, rather than these sessions being time limited. We provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT), Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and we also incorporate the following related subjects:

All Categories of OCD inc. mental, physical and avoidance behaviours - Unwanted, Intrusive Thoughts (sometimes referred to as Pure O) - The Conscious versus the Sub-conscious Mind
Advanced Mindfulness including the study of nonjudgment - Examining Automatic Negative Thoughts and Cognitive Distortions - Coping with Anxiety and Depression
Examining Resources and Skill Sets

These training sessions include open debate followed by questions and answers with professional advice and if necessary, sign-posting beneficiaries to other relevant areas and forms of help.

In addition to the above psychoeducational modules, we are willing to cover anything relevant that the beneficiaries bring to the training groups. The aim of these meetings is to encourage people with supported steps to move forward with their lives. These weekly sessions have a two hour duration and accommodate up to 22 people. We also include mental health trainees and carers and family members to sit in on any of our groups. These training courses have also been successful by:

supporting people with mental health problems remain in work. - giving course attendees the confidence to begin looking for work and successfully commence employment.
helping those that want to look for volunteering opportunities in our community.

Our charity provides the relief of mental illness and the preservation of good mental health by the above wide-ranging and comprehensive services.

24 hour Enquiries and Helpline

We also run a 24 hour, daily enquiries and helpline. All calls are promptly responded to by either telephone or email. In some cases, if our services are not suitable or appropriate, we are also able to sign-post people to other areas of help and support.

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Keeping Connected

We hold adhoc meetings for our Trustees and volunteers to discuss activities and, any issues they may have in a confidential setting also giving our volunteers the opportunity to meet other volunteers.

	Keeping Connected We hold adhoc meetings for our Trustees and volunteers to discuss activities and, any issues they may have in a confidential setting also giving our volunteers the opportunity to meet other volunteers.
Section D	Achievements and Performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year	We are the most well established and longest existing OCD Voluntary Support Group in the UK. The key to our success is by offering psychoeducation, therapy, training, empathy and support and we have had no break in our services for the last 20 years. We are giving our beneficiaries the tools and support to help themselves with OCD, anxiety and depression and we welcome carers, family members and mental health trainees, to learn more about this complex, debilitating and often very misunderstood mental health disorder. We have witnessed many beneficiaries returning to work after long-term sickness due to the therapy, training and support we have been able to provide them. Our groups also help reduce loneliness and isolation that our beneficiaries may be experiencing. Our volunteers and Trustees are always investing time in learning more about OCD, anxiety and depression which is passed on, under supervision, during our weekly online OCD Therapy and Training Support Groups. Volunteers’ Roles We have four volunteers and two of these volunteers are able to co- facilitate and run our groups. Two Trustees run our ‘Invitation Only’ (for confidentiality) private Facebook page.

Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves Details of any funds materially in deficit
	We operate on a small budget which is nearly always allocated to specific running costs, therapy and training. If we have funds remaining then we discuss and decide what to do with this at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in December each year.
	N/A

Further financial review details (Optional information)

the charity’s principal Our principal source of funds is by grant applications and donations from
sources of funds (including companies. These funds are used for essential running costs such as the
any fundraising); professional psychoeducation and training to aid recovery, which does
how expenditure has make us unique for a Charity supporting those with OCD, anxiety and supported the key objectives depression. Our beneficiaries always include carers, family members and of the charity; is also a training ground for mental health trainees to learn how to combat this complex and debilitating anxiety disorder.

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Section F Other optional information

The year of 2023 to 2024 was another successful year and we are delighted to report on our charity’s pioneering work and achievements. We have aided the recovery of a vast number of beneficiaries and have also provided continual therapy, training, psychoeducation and open-ended support. We have entered our 20th year for providing our charitable services, we are well established, popular, experience regular high volumes of attendance and our beneficiaries are able to attend from all areas of East Anglia, surrounding counties, London and overseas. We have never asked our beneficiaries for payment or contributions, our services have always been free of charge to our beneficiaries.

Our charity understands the complexities of OCD and we are able to arm our beneficiaries with the tools to manage and fight OCD, anxiety and depression. We are constantly being told that our training and support groups have made a huge difference to peoples’ lives, some say ‘life changing’ and we have helped many gain the confidence to link back into the workplace. We teach our beneficiaries about worry addiction, rumination and catastrophising, enabling them to live a more harmonious life. It has been our focus since 2004 to offer a solution to mental health problems and as a charity our objective is to provide the aid and relief of mental health illness which we have evidence of doing successfully.

We currently have a turnover of approximately 430 beneficiaries per year. This is a turnover figure, as it is very difficult to provide exact numbers as some of our beneficiaries attend regularly and others may weave in and out of our groups attending when they need to.

We are a small charity with a huge heart and our therapy and training groups have proved to have a very positive and inspirational impact on our beneficiaries in East Anglia, London and overseas.

Our Vision :

“Recovery from OCD is possible”!

“We provide therapy, training, psychoeducation and constructive support to those with OCD to aid their recovery, also welcoming their carers and family members”.

“Our pioneering approach means we are able to offer the relief of mental illness and the preservation of good mental health by the wide-ranging and comprehensive services we deliver”.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Geraldine Scott

Full name(s) Geraldine Scott

Position (eg Secretary, Chair)

Trustee

Date[04 February 2025 ]

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	Charity Name Norwich and Norfolk OCD Voluntary Support Group	Charity Name Norwich and Norfolk OCD Voluntary Support Group	Charity Name Norwich and Norfolk OCD Voluntary Support Group	No (if any) 1176907	CC16a
	For the period from	Period start date 4/6/2023	To	Period end date 4/5/2024

Section A Receipts and Payments
A1 Receipts CommunityLottery Paul Bassham Charitable Trust 2,000 - - - 2,000 - - Sub total - Total receipts 2,000 A3 Payments RunningCosts 1,811 Specialist Services 19,280 Sundries 70 - - - - - - Sub total 21,161 - - Sub total - Total payments 21,161 Net of receipts/(payments) - 19,161 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end - Cash funds this year end - 19,161 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ *Sub total*(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)		to the nearest £ 9,990 - - - - - 9,990 - - - 9,990 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9,990 - - 9,990 Restricted funds	to the nearest £ Endowment funds	Total funds to the nearest £ 9,990 2,000 - - - - - - 11,990 - - - 11,990 1,811 19,280 70 - - - - - - 21,161 - - - 21,161 - 9,171 - 13,307 4,136	Last year to the nearest £
			-	9,990	9,950
			-	2,000	11,030
			-	-	1,000
			-	-	2,000
			-	-	4,940
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			-	11,990	28,920

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			-	11,990	28,920

			-	1,811	1,332
			-	19,280	24,870
			-	70	80
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			-	21,161	26,282

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			-	21,161	26,282

		9,990	-	- 9,171	2,638
		-	-	-	-
		-	-	13,307	-
		9,990	-	4,136	2,638

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period	Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Details Details Details Details Details Signature Geraldine Scott *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	to nearest £ to nearest £ - 4,136 - - - - - 4,136 to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Geraldine Scott Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional)	to nearest £ Endowment funds
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			to nearest £ Endowment funds
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			Date of approval
	Geraldine Scott	Geraldine Scott	2/1/2025