## **Trustees’ Annual Report** 

2023-24 

Registered charity number 1178499 

1 



## **Section A:** 

## **Administration Details** 

This report covers the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. 

Friends For Families (Sevenoaks) was established in January 2018 and became a registered charity on 23 May 2018. The registered charity number is 1178499 and the address the charity is registered to is currently subject to change. 

The charity’s name is Friends For Families (Sevenoaks) and it is not known by any other name, though it is often abbreviated to Friends For Families or F4F. 

## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

Shona Campbell (Chair), first charity trustee. 

Claire Davison (Treasurer):  Claire was appointed as a trustee and as Treasurer in January 2021 and reappointed in January 2024. 

Hannah Gwyther: Hannah was appointed as a trustee in February 2019 and reappointed in February 2022, and stepped down in January 2024 

Hayley Hansford: Hayley was appointed as a trustee in February 2020 and reappointed in February 2023, and stepped down in September 2023 

Kelly Barlow: Kelly was appointed as a trustee in February 2020 and reappointed in February 2023 

Heather Brightwell: Heather was appointed as a trustee in January 2024 

Helen Buttivant: Helen was appointed as a trustee in January 2024 

Katya Wickham: Katya was appointed as a trustee in January 2024 

There are at present no other trustees, and there are no staff members. 

## **Section B: Structure, Governance and Management** 

The charity is governed by its constitution and is a Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Apart from the first charity trustees, all trustees are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. 

The charity is managed and run by the trustees, and there are no paid staff members. There are several volunteers who work with the trustees on an ad hoc basis. 

2 



## **Section C:** 

## **Objectives and activities** 

The objects of the charity are 

To relieve the poverty of families with children who are living within the Sevenoaks district and Dartford or are otherwise clients of West Kent Children’s Services at Kent County Council, specifically families who do not have the resources to provide themselves with the normal things of life which most people take for granted, by 

- providing items including but not limited to furniture, bedding, clothing, food, fuel, heating appliances, washing machines and fridges or by providing grants to purchase these items. 

- payment for services including but not limited to essential repairs, hairdressing or outings and entertainment for children. 

- providing facilities including but not limited to the supply of equipment, books, and travelling expenses to attend school, and equipment and funds for recreational pursuits intended to bring the quality of life of the beneficiaries to a reasonable standard 

- financing any other items, services or facilities that the trustees agree should be provided to bring the quality of life of the beneficiaries to a reasonable standard. 

The main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects are 

- The purchase of beds and bedding, basic furniture and white goods, whether new or second hand. Where appropriate donated second hand items are also provided. 

- The purchase of clothing, nappies, basic baby equipment, cleaning equipment and products. Where appropriate donated second hand items are also provided. 

- The purchase of food. Much of the non-perishable food we supply is donated, and we fund the rest and specifically perishable foods. 

- Payment for children’s groups and classes, particularly where these are therapeutic and/or prevent a child being isolated on grounds of poverty. 

- Payment for school uniform, shoes, bags and equipment and travelling costs to school where no alternative is available that can be funded by the family or statutory services. 

In all cases the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. 

The charity does not give cash grants to families, and all activities are undertaken in conjunction with and through the intermediary of West Kent Children’s Services. 

The charity benefits greatly from the support of the local community, both in volunteering their time and making financial donations, but also in supplying the charity with second hand items and ensuring they are in a good condition to be donated, purchasing food supplies, and providing the charity with advice and support on a range of issues. 

3 



## **Section D Achievements and performance** 

The trustees raise the funding for the work to be undertaken from two sources: individual and corporate donations, and grants. In 2023-2024 the trustees successfully applied for and received several grants, raising £38,945 in grant income. The trustees also worked to raise awareness within the local community, resulting in many individual donations to the charity. Further financial details may be found in the annual accounts. 

All trustees worked to develop the pool of volunteers willing to assist with the workload (particularly important as the charity has no paid staff). This included building relations with local businesses and community groups. 

The charity met 262 referrals in 2023-24 and spent £92,077 helping families in need. In addition to this, the charity also provided 461 Christmas gifts for children identified by the social work teams, and 196 Christmas food parcels for their families.  Whilst most of these were donated, the charity spent £2,853 of its funds on the Christmas Appeal 

## **Section E: Financial review** 

## **Reserves** 

Trustees have agreed that reserves of 4-6 months of expenditure should be maintained either in the current account or an instant access savings account split as follows: £30,000 in the current account and the remainder in an instant access savings account. 

Any other funds in excess of this can be transferred to a savings account with a maximum of 1 month’s notice.  A maximum of £85,000 can be held in any individual account.  Account balances should be regularly reviewed and transfers between accounts made as needed on a timely basis. 

Cash reserves should be monitored at least monthly to ensure their adequacy and actions taken (eg increased grant applications) to address any potential shortfall. 

The charity has no funds in deficit. 

The charity’s principal sources of funds are grants from grant-making bodies and businesses and individual donations. The charity also organises fundraising events and raffles. 

The charity has been fortunate enough to raise enough funds from these sources to enable it to meet all the referrals made to it that were found to be consistent with its objects. 

The charity does not have sufficient funds to make investments and does not anticipate this situation changing in the foreseeable future, and therefore has no investment policy. 

## **Section F:** 

None. 

**Other optional information** 

4 



## **Section G: Declaration** 

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.  The Trustees are of the view that there are no uncertainties at present as to the charity’s status as a going concern. 

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees: 

Signature Full Name Shona Agnes Brown Campbell Position Chair of Trustees 

Date 16/10/24 


5 



CHARITY COIAMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Friend5 for Far*¥ Isevenoaksl
1178499
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For Ihe perknd
To
1st W 2￿23
31st March 2(ll4
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestrtcted
fvnds
Restricted
E￿dowmQnt
fttnd$
Totsl lund$
Last ye•r
Ivlb•nMr•#t ￿+th•￿•S12 m•thr•stt
A1 R•cel
tbrOtion$
Gfft Aid
70.181
lo.￿1
170
2.316
71497
73,176
11,694
301
79.1
6.803
170
Grarrts
FurwJTa*&J IIKori*
rk4iad Ilerns iee•w¢
BanK Intere
1,433
16.610
147
647
Sub 1gtal(
ross in¢ome lor
ARJ
A2 A•••t and Inv￿lm•￿t skn.
ls•#t8tAel.
22*11
ta•.70J
198,921
Sub rotsl
Tot•lrK8lpts
116.892
22.811
1J•,703
193,929
A3Pa
drill*
2.113
078
4.J•l
Énd
6.412
liimi*nin
112
¢r•ftB
rts XlMt*s
Weith
Tochmi
7.813
160
304
116
3.474
494
1.561
101
r4urd
Tra
Iliu
vtyJ¢her6
•12
4X
$41
4Q3
2,8
3,706
43$
1.367
261
607
FuMrai¥i
Cl￿r
¢iWB
$12
Item9
***d
16.610
22.3
Sub folal
25.911
111.004
124.778
A4 A¥¥•t and Inv•slm•nt
rchases. Ise• table
Sub total
85.088
25.916
111.OD4
124,778
Nel of rOc￿pt￿l(paYrn*ts)
AS fran$fvrs betwe￿ funds
A6 Cash fund5 last yeai er
Cash fvnds thi$
31.8
3.105
28.699
69.151
127.470
3.311
130,781
155,480
169.274
69,151
CCM R1 *(Kunls ISSI
Xe S>loql

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unfestrtet•d
Resid¢tea
funds
nd$
to A•ttY*StÈ
Endowment
nd$
tv nearest£
CategoF￿5
81 Cash lunds
90217
40,171
rot¥l cash funds
1fj9.274
Unrestrlcted
nds
R•strfcted
fund$
bj Thw•%t£
Endowrnent
nds
DBtalls
Pur￿
Detall$
Ca%t{Won•l)
¢tsrw•ntv•lu•
B3 Inv•$tment ass•ts
Fund lo whlch
Delalls
¢￿rI•m valu•
onal
84 Assots r•tslned for th•
harity's own u5
Dthalls
int du•
Wh•fi du•
¢Mal
BS Llabilitie
SvJntyJ by ¢rt•or ￿￿1￿#•11 on
behoK¢lall htru*ges
S*Jnalure
Pr#)t Name
rovel
CLA ieÉ Dktr'i SDfvl
161￿12
CCXX R2 8¢ww)ts ISSI
CQ12024

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examtner's Report
Report to the tfusteesl
members of
Friends lor Families
On a¢counts forthe year
ended
2023124
Charlty no 1178499
lif any)
Set out on pages
I report lo the trusiees on my exafflinalion of Ihe accounls of thé above
charty (Yhe Tnjstl for the year ended 31103124
Responslbilitles and As the chanty trustees of thè Trust. you are responsible for Ihe pRparation
bas18 of report ofthe accnunts in accordance wrth Ihe requirements of the Charit￿5 Act
2011 {Ihe Act.).
I rèport In respect of my examinatlTh) of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Ad and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commlsslon
under section 145{5)Ib) of the Ad.
I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have
ome lo my attention (other than that disclosed below ") in ronne¢lion with
the examination whbth gives Me cause to believe that in, any material
speci.
accounling records were not kept in accordan￿ with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not accoftj with the accounting ￿COrdS
Independont
examIne￿8 ststement
I hav• no concems gnd hav• come across no othcr matter¥ in connection
with the examinal•)n lo which att&ntion should ba drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
' Please delete the words in th8 bRc4(ets ilthey do not awy.
Slgned:
Date: 3010912024
Name:
Emily Chandler
Relevant professlonal
qualificatlon{sl or body
(if any):
MICB - Institule ot Certified Bookkeepers
Address:
16 Vthite Friars
Sevenoaks
KentTN13 IQG
IER
October 2018

Section B
Disclosure
Onty complete if tne examinei needs to highlight matters of Goncefn (see CC32,
Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for
examiners).
Glve here brief details of
any items that the
examlner wishes to
dlsclose.
IER
October 2018