2024-03-31-accounts - Hope Animal Shelter

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2024

Summary

Hope Animal Shelter registered as a charity on 17th September 2018, operating in the North East. The purpose of the charity is to provide care, protection, medical treatment and security for animals in need. In addition to this, both temporary and permanent shelter is offered to animals until new homes have been found.

Public Benefit

Hope Animal Shelter seeks to educate the public to promote responsible attitudes towards animals and prevent cruelty and suffering towards them. These objectives will help educate the public in the North East, to reduce the numbers of abandoned animals. Hope Animal Shelter also aims to rehome as many animals as possible. All prospective owners are thoroughly checked with home visits and a donation fee. On-going support is also available where required.

The Trustees of Hope Animal Shelter are satisfied that they have fully complied with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Volunteers

During 2023/24 Hope Animal Shelter continued to respond to requests for the handover of animals to us, but Hope seen an 86% increase in the number of people able to take on pet ownership commitments. The Trustees would like to praise the efforts of Cliff and the volunteers who keep the shelter running, particularly as Cliff was hospitalised during the Autumn. Our grateful thanks go to Yvonne, who organised additional volunteer support during this difficult time and to all those volunteers who rallied round to ensure that the shelter was able to carry on.

Hope Animal Shelter depends on the financial and material support provided by our many supporters, both individuals and businesses, which allowed the volunteers to support the many and diverse groups of animals in our care. The Trustees acknowledge the significant contribution made by them.

There had been concern that the bank’s insistence that the shelter change accounts due to a banking error when the account was opened 30+ years ago could have impacted on regular monthly donations, luckily this did not materialise. Thank you to all those who took the time to ensure we did not lose this valued support.

In addition to the monthly contributions our supporters have continued to fundraise throughout the year. Our thanks go to the Saltburn Mermaids who raised £526.40 with sponsored wild swims, Carol raised £371.50 through car boot sales and tombola’s raised £506.50. Other activities included Christmas wreaths sale, plant sales, and Joy’s birthday donation. We would also like to thank The White Horse Inn (£302), Hadrian House Sports Club (£250), Wilton Engineering (£275) and Beyond Housing (£600) for their generous donations. We also received bequests on behalf of A Hinds, D Parrish and N Hinds.

The cost of animal food, hay, corn and cat litter has increased, and we have been delighted when the public have responded to our appeals when stock and funds were running low.

Reserves

Hope Animal Shelter is a not-for-profit organisation, but the Charity intends to retain reserves to ensure financial security. Reserves will be used to improve facilities where necessary.

Main Achievements

Site development during 2023/2024:

A large metal fence and roof was installed between sheds 2 and 3, making the areas secure and escape proof.
The boundary bordering the river has been affected by the heavy rain and flooding. The shelter has purchased metal gabions to reinforce a stretch of the bank, and this will be ongoing during 2024/2025.
A wildlife pond was started in the donkey paddock as part of flooding control, with temporary fencing to keep the animals safe. It is hoped to be completed in 2024/2025.
A shed was added near the chickens and has been used as emergency housing for a variety of animals, both wild and domestic.
An indoor aviary was completed for the finches, lovebirds and budgies.

Hope Animal Shelter rehomed 192 animals over the year, which is an 86% increase on the previous year. On top of this, 9 strays were also reunited with their owners. We are hoping we can sustain this level of rehoming success in 2024/2025.

The table below highlights the explosion in the number of kittens rehomed (55) through the shelter, compared to last year (10). 20 cats were returned to the Spennymore Cat Rescue for rehoming after being fostered by the shelter for a year.

The trustees would like to thank Yvonne for her Stirling work in home checking and rehoming dogs and cats and Sarah, who has recently taken on the role of cat rehoming. Hope Animal Shelter now has a policy of rehoming two kittens together where possible.

A record of rehoming statistics can be seen below for the year ended 31[st] March 2024:

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Dogs Cats & Rabbit Guinea Pig Others Total
Kittens
April 23 4 8 3 2 17
May 23 2 3 1 6
June 23 7 7 5 19
July 23 5 8 1 14
August 23 2 7 9
September 23 4 6 3 2 Ferrets 15
October 22 1 5 1 7
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
November 23 9 6 1 16
December 23 2 10 12
January 24 4 28 32
February 24 3 24 1 Ferret 28
March 24 9 8 17
Total 192
----- End of picture text -----

Financial Review

Hope Animal Shelter has prepared the accounts using the receipts and payments method. Income continues to exceed expenses, therefore has no uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern.

The shelter does not employ any staff, so all money raised goes towards the upkeep of the site and the welfare of the animals.

Structure, Governance and Management

Hope Animal Shelter is run by charity trustees and is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

There have been no changes to the charity trustees, but policies would be provided to any new trustees on election in future periods.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity Name: Hope Animal Shelter Charity Number: 1179956 Principal Address: 1 White Cliffe Cottage, Skinningrove, TS13 4AN The current trustees are set out below:

Clifford John Spedding, Sheila Robinson, Freda Lilian Thompson

Declaration

The trustees’ declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Clifford Spedding 11[th] December 2024

Profit and Loss Account for the year ended 31[st] March 2024

	*2024*	*2023*
Total Income	39,929.31	37,176.10
Expenditure:
Consumables	(17,183.26)	(14,729.20)
Farm Feed	(2,890.00)	(3,134.56)
Motor Expenses	(3,203.48)	(3,435.00)
Projects	(11,754.85)	(3,337.75)
Repairs	(7,875.57)	(4,409.31)

Vet Fees	(2,807.80)	(3,185.30)
Light, Heat & Phone	(1,584.00)	(1,584.00)
Insurance	(1,888.89)	(1,801.61)
Total Expenses	(49,187.85)	(35,616.73)
Net Profit/(Loss)	(9,258.54)	1,559.37
Statement of Financial Position	for the year ended 31st March 2024
	*2024*	*2023*
Current Assets:
Cash in hand and at bank	21,336.71	30,595.25
Net Assets	21,336.71	30,595.25