2023-04-05-accounts

Charity Number - 1179880

The Ellie Thornton Foundation CIO Trustees Report For the period ended 5 April 2023

Contents

Reference and administrative information........................................................1 Trustees’ Annual Report....................................................................................2

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Reference and administrative information for the period ended 5 April ~~2021~~

Charity number 1179880 Operational address 127 Greenways Crescent, Shoreham by Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6HP

Trustees

Trustees who served during the period from formation and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Ben Thornton (Chair) Victoria Thornton Denise Thornton Anne Colvin Tamsyn Holmes Steven Robinson

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Report of the Trustees for the period ended 5 April 2020

The Ellie Thornton Foundation (ETF) Trustees present their fifth report and financial statements as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) for the charity’s period ended 5 April 2023. Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the charity's trust deed and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Objectives and activities

The objects of the CIO are:

(1) For the advancement of health and the saving of lives of children in England and Wales for the public benefit by raising awareness of road safety issues and making strategic interventions to improve road safety in particular, but not limited to, affecting road use in the vicinity of schools, bus stops, pedestrian crossings, and to contribute to safer routes to schools.

(2) For the relief of those in need, by reason of ill-health and disability, including where such ill-health and disability cause financial hardship or other disadvantage to the families affected, in England and Wales for the public benefit, by providing resources such as financial and logistical support to such families to facilitate outings and activities for the siblings of children with additional needs;

(3) For the relief of those in need by reason of bereavement through the loss of a child, by providing support and activities to promote wellbeing for families in England and Wales.

The activities of the Foundation in this reporting period were impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, limiting its fundraising and delivery activities and the capacity of the Trustees to deliver the objectives. Planning work was the focus of the Trustees activities.

Achievements and performance

In 2022-2023 the charity activities were beginning to recover from incapacity due to the to the impact of Covid-19. £13,777 was brought forward from the previous year, and a total of £6,924 was raised through donations and the major fundraising event ELLIEFEST in its inaugural year.

The charity increased its activities giving grants for road safety initiatives to schools distributing: £1,086.

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Fundraising costs were just £14 and the company invested £3,592 in charity materials to support profile raising and marketing over a number of years eg. A branded gazebo for events, volunteer T-shirts and print materials to advertise our programmes.

The highlight of the year was the inaugural major fundraiser ELLIEFEST which took place on 9 July 2022 at Clapham and Patching Village Hall site - which has a 3 acre showground attached. This event featured live music, arts and crafts, stalls and arena activities raising over £6000 on the day. 60 volunteers supported the event, and it was a huge success for profile raising and raising funds. The Trustees propose that ELLIEFEST becomes a biennial event in the ETF calendar.

The charity ended the year with £15,473 funds in the bank.

Challenges

Ellie Day grants were not issued in this period, and a review of that programme is under way. The Trustees have discussed internal capacity to deliver and are still in need of an administrator who can push the charities ambitions and deliver the impact the Foundation was set up to deliver. The success of ELLIEFEST 2022 as an event, demonstrated a large amount of support for the charities activities but also in turn takes a lot of the charity’s human resources (Trustee time) to deliver. A biennial approach will be adopted to ensure focus on grant giving can be prioritised in the between years.

Progress toward the delivery of objectives

(1) Road Safety Initiative

The refreshed programme now allows schools to apply to ETF for funds to support any one-off road safely initiative eg. Signage, that the school requests up to a value of £1000 of which the charity will contribute 50% - maximum awards are £500.

(2) Ellie Days

Ellie Days marketing materials were produced and promoted at ELLIEFEST 2022, but we are not reaching our target market. More internal capacity is needed to build our marketing lists to ensure we are reaching eligible candidates. Ongoing conversation with Chestnut Tree House for referrals is in place.

(3) Bereaved family support This part of the programme is on hold until the Foundation’s capacity is increased.

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Public benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising their powers and duties. The public benefit of the Charity’s activities has been focussed on the raising of funds to support the programme moving forwards.

Policy on Grant Making

The ETF grant making policy and criteria around the Ellie days initiative and Schools Road Safety Programme are available on the website here: https://elliethorntonfoundation.org.uk/what-we-do/ellie-days/ https://elliethorntonfoundation.org.uk/what-we-do/road-safety-initiatives/

Contribution of Volunteers

The Trustees have worked in a voluntary capacity for the charity in the year 2022 – 2023.

Plans for the future

The Trustees have approached a freelancer to support the charity’s administration in 2023 bringing much needed additional capacity into the team.

The Trustees also will seek to broaden the expertise on the Board, specifically in Communications and Marketing to support ETF to reach the identified beneficiaries.

ELLIEFEST 2024 is scheduled for July 2024.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 2/2/24 by email.

and signed by:

B Thornton

Chair of Trustees

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Signedbyone ortwotrusteeson behalfof allthe trustees	Signature		Print Name
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			Vicky Thornton