2024-04-05-accounts

Charity Number - 1179880

The Ellie Thornton Foundation CIO Trustees Report For the period ended 5 April 2024

Contents

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

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Reference and administrative information for the period ended 5 April 2024

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 Anne Colvin Tamsyn Holmes Steven Robinson Denise Thornton

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Report of the Trustees for the period ended 5 April 2024

The Ellie Thornton Foundation (ETF) Trustees present their sixth report and financial statements as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) for the charity’s period ended 5 April 2024. 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 illhealth 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 focussed on increasing capacity and systems to enable the charity to operate more effectively.

Achievements and performance

In 2023-2024 the charity activities were limited but productive for future growth, especially laying the groundwork for future grant making. The brought forward from the previous year, and a total of £799.19 was raised through donations and via Amazon Smile.

The charity paused its grants-making as processes were reviewed and updated, through the appointment of the charity's first freelance administrator (as a 6 month pilot).

Fundraising and material costs were £1067.69 including the cost of freelance administrator..

The highlight of the year was appointing our first administrator to support the charity, providing much needed capacity to interrogate how the programmes are working and to make improvements to forms, agreements and our mailing lists.

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We undertook a comprehensive review of how we appoint trustees and agreed on a formal protocol. We undertook a skills audit to ascertain where our skills gaps are as a group. As a result we appointed two new trustees: Katie Paling and Karen Fishwick at the end of this period. Katie brings extensive marketing expertise, and Karen brings local logistics and hospitality experience.

Planning for the second ELLIEFEST 24 was well underway during this year, due to take place in July 2024 laying the groundwork for our third major fundraising event, after the Star Gala, ELLIEFEST 2022 which are the main income sources for the charity.

We took part in a number of smaller charity fundraising/profile raising events in the locality led by Trustee Denise Thornton and our local volunteers.

The charity ended the year with £15,196 funds in the bank.

Challenges

Ellie Day grants and Road Safety Grants were paused during this period, as we undertook a review of how the schemes were working, how schools were engaging and how we communicated the offer widely. Wew have struggled with profile and traction on Ellie Days and the expected level of partnership with Cherstnut Tree House has not resulted in applications. Decision was taken to prioritise the Road Safety Grant and to review the scheme and marketing as a priority.

Progress toward the delivery of objectives

(1) Road Safety Initiative

In this period the grant making scheme was reviewed. The criteria were updated and published on our website. Schools mailing lists were updated and added to mailchimp and e-marketing was created and distributed. We planned to align profile raising for the scheme alongside the profile we get through the EllieFest event - planned for July 2024.

(2) Ellie Days

A review of Ellie Days led us to decide to focus on getting the Road Safety Initiative operating as a priority.

(3) Bereaved family support

This part of the programme is on hold until the Foundation’s capacity is increased.

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

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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 2023 – 2024.

Plans for the future

ELLIEFEST 2024 was booked for July 2024 with a biennial pattern established, next events planned in 2026, 2028.

Our focus in 2024 will be delivering ELLIEFEST 24 and a major focus on Road Safety grants as a result of this year's marketing focus.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 5/2/25 by email.

and signed by:

B Thornton

Chair of Trustees

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85 Liabilities
Signedbyoneortrrvotrusteeson behafofallthetrustees	Signature		Print Name
			Ben Thornton
			Vicky Thornton