The Arts of Change Trust Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1177257
Report of the Trustees and Unaudited Financial Statements for the year Ended 31[st] December 2023
For
The Arts of Change Trust
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The Arts of Change Trust Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
Contents
| Reference and administrative details | page 3 |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | page 4-8 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | page 9-11 |
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The Arts of Change Trust Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
TRUSTEES Jennifer Gregory Allyson Vowles Richard Morris
REGISTERED OFFICE 27 Holloway Chambers Priory Street Dudley West Midlands DY1 1HA
REGISTERED CHARITY 1177257 NUMBER
NON-VOTING MEMBERS Christian Dixon
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
The trustees of the charity for the present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st December 2023.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and aims
The principal objective and aim of the Trust as defined in its Constitution is:
“The relief of persons suffering from physical and mental health issues in particular but not exclusively emotional, social, spiritual and psychological difficulties by providing counselling and therapy services.” is to work for the benefit of young people and by such methods, as the Trust shall determine.
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Achievements and performance
The AOC Trusts aim is to support vulnerable & at risk young people & adults who cannot access mainstream counselling services. The AOC Trust helps children, young people, adults & families by providing first rate counselling & creative arts therapies including dramatheraphy, play therapy & art therapy. It also devises & facilitates interactive & evidence based courses ranging from motivation & empowerment to mindfulness & relaxation to anger management. A registered charity the AOC Trust is a community driven organisation whose ethos is about community empowerment, social cohesion & works to improve the lives of disadvantaged people. Through our current work especially in local schools, with families & young children & with our partner organisations we have discussed about their needs & identifying new approaches to help support a wider range of people.
During the year we continued our Better Days Project, providing disadvantaged children and their wider networks with a programme of therapy sessions to help them overcome mental health issues that they face, this includes:
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Schizophrenia
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Bi Polar
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ADD
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ADHD
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Body Dysmorphic Disorder
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Hearing Voices
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
Working with children from 3 to 16 years and either gender: male or female, who may have one or several mental health issues are supported in the project by qualified/therapists. Working with up to 120 children and adults each year the project provides a range of therapy and counselling models to suit the client: including traditional 'talking' models such as integrative counselling or person-centred counselling and a range of creative arts models including art therapy and dramatheraphy. This project has been supported by a National Lottery Grant to run over a 3 year period.
During the year the AOC Trust also continued the ACC Child Contact Centre. ACC provides a contact centre for children to see their non-resident parent(s) or other non-resident family members. It offers a professional, safe, caring and supportive environment for all families who are having trouble seeing their children.
Our contact centre is open daily and also during evenings and weekends and is affiliated and regulated by the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) which ensures all of our team and volunteers are fully trained and will provide the best practice, experience and quality assurance for all children and families that visit out centre. The only such centre within the Dudley Borough.
The Centre provides: Supervised Contact Service Supported Contact Service Indirect Contact Service Supervised Handover Service Escorted Contact Service Preparing Children & Young People via an Introduction to Contact Services Parenting Plan Service Counselling & Therapy Service Life Story Service Mediation Service Miscellaneous Report Writing Service Attachment in Play & Drama Teaching Parenting Skills Service Emotional Management Service
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
FINANCIAL REVIEW Financial position
The financial situation for the Trust remains challenging, in common with many similar smaller third sector organisations. However, recent bequests and the provision of consultancy services continue to ease the situation somewhat in meeting our core costs.
The Trustees will continue to keep a close eye on cash-flow.
FINANCIAL REVIEW Partnerships
The Trust has entered into various partnership arrangements with a number of organisations both as delivery partners and funders. These are itemised below:
Delivery Partners Dudley Council for Voluntary Service National Lottery The Arts of Change Ltd Holloway Chambers Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Royal Shakespeare Company Royal Society of Arts Lutley Primary School Bramford Primary School National Association of Child Contact Centres Beacon Centre for the Blind The What? Centre Phase Trust Black Country Mental Health
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
Reserves policy
As the Trust has no direct employees, there are no liabilities for the costs associated with this aspect and it is considered that the current level of free reserves will be sufficient for the organisation to operate effectively during the current period.
Ongoing costs of rent, telephone, IT and insurance are the only core costs that the organisation needs to cover on an ongoing basis. As such the organisation will aim to increase it current two months of reserves to 4 months by the end of next year and to 6 months the following year
Although the trustees are constantly looking for sources of funding to enable the Trust to continue to deliver its projects.
FUTURE PLANS
The Way Forward
Through consultancy arrangements, the Trust continues to identify future projects and sources of funding.
The Trustees also agreed that the Trust should continue to identify project delivery potential partners as a strategic aim.
A number of bids continue to be submitted to a variety of funders but the environment is continually becoming increasingly difficult as more and more organisations are applying for a diminishing pot and concerns over the current cost of living crisis and ongoing global uncertainty. However, several other projects are being explored involving a wide range of partners. During the year the Trust was supported by kind donations from a variety of sources which were gratefully received.
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The Arts of Change Trust Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The affairs of The Arts of Change Trust ("the Trust"), which is a community organisation with charitable status, are governed by its Constitution and are the responsibility of the Trust's Board of Trustees.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The Board currently comprises three individuals who have an interest or expertise in working through therapy and the arts with at risk people. There are, in addition, two non-voting members, who act as consultants to the board. The Review of the Trust has identified a need for additional expertise and perspectives: accordingly, approaches are currently being made to a number of other field experts to join the Board.
Organisational structure
The Board is responsible for the affairs of the Trust. The Chief Executive and consultant team deal with the day-to-day operation of the organisation.
Induction and training of new trustees
Board members are experienced individuals in the fields of the arts, local government, therapy and vulnerable people and most are also members of boards and management committees of similar organisations. Full induction is offered to all new Board members. Ongoing training is organised and delivered to deal with the strategic development of the organisation and to address any outstanding identified needs.
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
| Unrestricted | Restricted | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Total Funds | |
| Opening Balance | £7,425.65 | £13,960.36 | £21,386.01 |
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS | |||
| Charitable activities | |||
| ACC Contact Centre | £2845.50 | £0 | £2845.50 |
| Better Days | £0 | £92,200.00 | £92,200.00 |
| Other income | £5,100.00 | £0 | £5,100.00 |
| Total Income | £7,945.50 | £92,200.00 | £100,145.50 |
| Total Funds available | £121,531.51 | ||
| EXPENDITURE ON | |||
| Charitable activities | £11,793.73 | £91812.30 | £103,613.23 |
| Total | £11,793.73 | £91812.30 | £103,613.23 |
| NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) | £3,577.42 | £14,340.86 | £17,918.28 |
| Transfers between funds | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS | |||
| Total funds brought forward | £3,577.42 | £14,340.86 | £17,918.28 |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | £3,577.42 | £14,340.86 | £17,918.28 |
| CARRIED FORWARD |
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on a cash basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Governance costs
Governance costs include costs of the preparation and examination of statutory accounts, the costs of trustee meetings and cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor and/or when funds are raised for a particular restricted purpose.
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
Insurance Total Other resources expended £0 £0
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The Arts of Change Trust
Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31st December 2023
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31st December 2023
STAFF COSTS
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
2023 Staff 0
No employee was paid more than £60,000
Signed
Richard Morris Treasurer
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