Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering
Also known as Home for Good Worcestershire
Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1177902
Trustees Annual Report 2021 - 2022
Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering, which operates as Home for Good Worcestershire (abbreviated in this report to HfGW) was established on 11[th] April 2018 and is registered at Lindisfarne House, 4 Barbourne Terrace, Worcester, WR1 3JS.
HfGW is a small Worcestershire based charity. It is affiliated to the national Home for Good Charity. All the trustees are local people, having a broad range of relevant professional knowledge and expertise. Care is taken to ensure that the board of trustees has a breadth of skills to meet HfGW’s responsibilities as a charity and to provide guidance, advice and support to volunteers and those who are supported by HfGW.
Trustees during the year were:
Stuart Watkins (chair of trustees) Richard Procter Fiona Taylor (stood down in July 2021) Rose Parker Joy Pollock Sharon Price (joined October 2021) Lee Curtis (Joined July 2021)
Objectives
HfGW is a charity that seeks to ensure that every child in care can thrive in a safe and loving foster or adoptive family that is right for them. HfGW’s vision and belief is that the Church in Worcestershire can, and should, be part of the solution. HfGW works to put vulnerable children on the Church’s agenda, inspire Christians to step up to foster or adopt, and equip churches and local groups to offer much-needed support to families who are fostering or have adopted.
HfGW seeks to do this by coordinating and resourcing a network of people, churches and local champions across Worcestershire to raise awareness of the needs of vulnerable children and young people, inspiring individuals to explore fostering and adoption and equipping churches to understand and support them.
During the year 2 new trustees joined the board and one trustee stood down due to a new work commitment.
The Board’s own objectives for the year 2021 - 2022 were to ensure continuation and growth of the activities already undertaken by volunteers and to establish the necessary governance requirements as a charity.
HfGW’s operational priorities are:
-
Extending the number of churches and individuals reached to encourage them to engage with fostering and adoption across the whole of Worcestershire
-
Strengthening the existing family support group and exploring the possibilities of starting new groups outside Worcester city.
Home for Good: Worcestershire is the operating name of Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering Charity number: 1177902
-
Maintaining the availability of practical support for carer and adoptive families
-
Maintaining strong relationships with the local children’s services and voluntary organisations.
-
Governance priorities were to create and implement key policies regarding safeguarding, volunteer management, information management and financial processing
Activities
Following the end of the UK Government’s Coronavirus Pandemic national lockdowns in June 2021 HfGW resumed face-to-face activities. However it became apparent during the year that the series of lockdowns had more of an impact that could have been foreseen; some of our volunteers were no longer able to continue and there was a noticeable drop in attendees at some of our early support groups. The trustees therefore recognised that work was needed to re-establish our core activities prior to developing our more ambitious plans to grow our activities.
The focus for much of the year was therefore to re-energise our core activities and to restart the development planning. During the year HfGW undertook the following activities:
-
Focused on re-establishing links with volunteers, local churches, and carers. This included sending out regular newsletters, ‘drop in’ mornings, sending small ‘thank you’ gifts to carers, and ensuring that requests for help were met quickly. In addition, we were able to support a family in need with support towards the cost of respite childcare and with a food gift.
-
Held 2 Support Groups on 6/11/2021 and 15/1/2022
-
Prepared and circulated a Father’s Day Video which was shown in local churches
-
Prepared and circulated 318 Christmas Stockings to Care Leavers in Worcestershire. This was enabled through Church giving and other local support. In addition it was financed through £1131.37 of financial gifts given towards the project.
-
Continued to extend links with local churches and champions. We have good links with the Baptist Union, the Diocese of Worcester, the Methodist Church and a number of Free Churches. We have established links with champions in Malvern, Upton, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, and Redditch
-
Continued to work towards appointing a Development Worker. A number of grant applications were made to local charities, some of which have been successful, and it is anticipated that over the next year the trustees will be actively recruiting a part-time worker
-
The trustees approved a comprehensive suite of updated policies and procedures to ensure that the trust is compliant with all of its legal and ethical obligations
Planning Ahead
The trustees priorities for 2022-2023 are to:
-
Appoint a part-time Development Worker
-
Grow the number of Support Groups and Summer Activities
-
Develop stronger links with churches across the county
-
Continue to fund raise for our core activities and development work
Financial
The trustees started the year recognising that there needed to be a drive to improve our financial position. This has been very successful, and through a range of grants and donations, HfGW’s income for the year 2021-2022 was £10,526.55. Expenses were £3,797.06, leaving a surplus of £6,729.49.
Home for Good: Worcestershire is the operating name of Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering Charity number: 1177902
After all expenses this left HfGW with Current Assets of £8,785.66 (a net increase from the previous year of £6,729.49). A significant part of the surplus is made up of Restricted Funds of £6009.90 (which includes a specific grant of £5,000 to fund the Development Worker post and monies set aside for our Christmas Stockings for Care Leavers).
Conversations with the Worcestershire’s fostering service has resulted in an agreement for them to part-fund a Development Worker post. This agreement will be for £5,000 per annum for 3 years.
Thanks
HfGW could not operate without the immense personal commitment of trustees and volunteers who willingly give of their time and great skills. The trustees wish to place on record their recognition and thanks to all those who work with HfGW for the benefit of carers and their children in Worcestershire.
Signed:
STUART WATKINS
Stuart Watkins Chair of Trustees RCHARD PROCTER
Richard Procter:
Trustee
Date: 27[th ] January 2023
Home for Good: Worcestershire is the operating name of Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering Charity number: 1177902
Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering
Charity Number 1177902
Operating as Home for Good: Worcestershire
Income Statement
For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2022
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2021/22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | P | £ | P | |
| Income* | 1754. | 98 | 10526. | 55 |
| Expenditure* | 2713. | 91 | 3797. | 06 |
| Surplus for the Year | (958. | 93) | 6729. | 49 |
- See Notes 1 and 2
Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering
Charity Number 1177902
Operating as Home for Good: Worcestershire
Statement of Financial Affairs as at 31[st] March 2022
| 31-03-2021 | 31-03-2021 | 31-03-2021 | 31-03-2021 | 31-03-2022 | 31-03-2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | p | £ | P | |||
| Current Assets | ||||||
| Balance as per Bank Statement | 2056. | 17 | 8785 | 66 | ||
| Represented by | ||||||
| Accumulated General Fund | 2869. | 93 | 1732. | 24 | ||
| Accumulated Restricted Funds | 145. | 17 | 323. | 93 | ||
| Surplus for the Year (General Funds) | (1137. | 69) | 719. | 59 | ||
| Surplus for the Year (Restricted Funds) | 178. | 76 | 6009. | 90 | ||
| Audited by: PHILIP MOORE acma | Signed: Philip Moore | Date: |
3rd | January 2023 |
Chairman: STUART WATKINS Signed: Stuart Watkins Date: 27[th] January 2023
Trustee: RICHARD PROCTER Signed: Richard Procter Date: 27[th] January 2023
Home for Good: Worcestershire is the operating name of Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering Charity number: 1177902
Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering
Operating as Home for Good: Worcestershire
Note 1
These accounts have been drawn up on a receipts and payments basis. They are based on the bank statements and information supplied by the treasurer.
Note 2
1.0 Income
| Note 2 1.0 Income |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Gifts Personal Donations Church & Organisation Donations Other Donations (b) Gift Aid Reclaim (c) Glimmer Candle Donation (d) Restricted Donations (Christmas Stockings Project) (e) Restricted Donations (Development Worker) TOTAL INCOME 2.0 Expenditure ‘Home for Good’ Book Purchases Donations to Home for Good (UK) Travel Expenses Administrative Services bought in Bank Charges Insurance Support Group (Worcester) Craft Food Gift re Premises Other support group expenses 19.79 Individual Support to Beneficiaries Gifts to Carers & Social Workers Publicity Information & Carer Recruitment Evenings Governance (Policy templates) Safeguarding Thirtyone:Eight Membership Fee 129.00 DBS Processing Stockings Project (from restricted donations) Other Expenses TOTAL EXPENDITURE |
2020/21 £ p 422. 00 422. 00 20. 00 1312. 98 1754. 98 2020/21 £ p 885. 00 69. 00 260. 90 76.79 113.89 19. 79 153.93 498. 00 119. 60 80. 40 129.00 129. 00 24.50 652. 22 2713. 91 |
2021/22 £ P 835. 00 2401. 53 |
||
| 3236. 53 148. 75 2141. 27 5000. 00 |
||||
| 10526. 55 2021/22 £ P 857. 35 780. 00 96. 00 232. 95 344. 61 |
||||
| 129.00 24.50 |
201. 28 153. 50 |
|||
| 1131. 37 |
||||
| 3797. 06 |
Home for Good: Worcestershire is the operating name of Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering Charity number: 1177902
Note 3
There are no unreconciled items in the bank account that are yet to clear.
Note 4
Payments were made during the year totalling £857.00 from General Funds to the national charity, Home for Good. The trustees have designated a sum of £14.38 as a further donation to Home for Good national charity. These payments are in recognition of administrative, communications and branding support. They represent 25% of unrestricted gifts received during the year.
Note 5
For the third consecutive year, a special project to donate Christmas stockings to care leavers was carried out during this year. A restricted fund for this purpose was carried forward from the previous financial year, of £323.93. Further restricted gifts were received, and corresponding expenditure incurred, resulting in a surplus of £1009.90.
Therefore, this restricted fund carried forward a balance of £1333.83. This value is carried forward as restricted funds to use for the same project in the following year. As our supporters continue to give generously for this project, the trustees are considering options to extend the scope of the project with permission from donors, in order to use these funds effectively for our beneficiaries.
The trustees carried forward designated a sum of £459 from general funds from the previous year for this project. Trustees are also considering taking this back into undesignated funds.
Note 6
The trustees are seeking to appoint a Development Worker to extend the work of the charity more widely across Worcestershire. A donation of £5,000 was received towards this during the year and is retained in a restricted fund as further fundraising takes place.
Note 7
Payments totalling £163.79 were made to a Trustee for reimbursement of expenses incurred:
£ P Richard Procter 163. 79 TOTAL REIMBURSEMENTS TO TRUSTEES 163. 79 Audited by: PHILIP MOORE acma Signed: Philip Moore Date: 3[rd] January 2023 Chairman: STUART WATKINS Signed: Stuart Watkins Date: 27[th] January 2023 Trustee: RICHARD PROCTER Signed: Richard Procter Date: 27[th] January 2023
Home for Good: Worcestershire is the operating name of Worcestershire Churches Supporting Adoption and Fostering Charity number: 1177902