I
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From Period start date: 05/04/2024 To Period end date: 04/04/2025
Charity name: SEN Family Saturdays
Charity registration number: 1182095
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | 1- To advance in life and relieve the needs of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) through: (a) The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life; (b) Providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society; (c) The provision of support to parents of children with SEN, by providing information, advice and guidance throughout diagnosis. 2 - To advance the education of the general public in the causes, treatment and care of those with SEN, by providing the provision of educational workshops, events and presentations. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Service we provide: SEN Family Saturdays has run weeklySaturday sessions from 10:15 to 1:30pmat Hornsey Road Children's Centre. The place offers an accessible and inclusive environment. Parents and children enjoy planned programme activities with resources and facilities to aid creativity and sensory needs of autistic children. Attending the group allows children to socialise, explore and learn in a safe and |
understanding environment. The children are engaged in a variety of different activities each week (photos of which can be seen on our social media), followed by soft play and lunch together. Once a month we have a special activity , either an outing, workshop or entertainer such as bubble entertainer, children’s yoga, trip to London Zoo and trips to farms, theatre and museums. We employ trained, experienced staff to meet the children’s needs and manage challenging situations. The workshops we organise are delivered by a specialist Occupational Therapist on topics such as toileting, sleep, communication and behaviour management. As well as a general overview of What is Autism for the public, including extended family and friends. Having a child with a disability can have a huge impact on the stability of family life, as well as the health, well-being and emotional state of all family members. Our work supports families who are facing complex needs and helps them to overcome barriers of social inclusion. We are supporting parents' knowledge and confidence to use strategies, visuals and analysing a child's behaviour, so they feel more able to cope in challenging situations. Our parent led charity has developed a whole family approach inclusive of older and younger siblings. SEN Family Saturdays encourages positive child-parent relationships and ultimately builds resilient families. During this financial period SEN Family Saturdays worked with 95 beneficiaries, who were taking part in the sessions at different rates of attendance and degree of continuity. As well as an additional 25 adults via our group chat.
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Yes - Workshopsthat we organised have been delivered by a specialist occupational therapist on topics such as toileting, sleep, healthy eating, sensory processing, communication, behaviour management, demand avoidance and meltdowns. As well as a general overview of What is Autism for the beneficiaries, extended family, their friends and the wider public. Flyers for the workshops were posted on our social media platforms and given to SENCOs and children's centres in the local area. |
|---|---|---|
Additional information (optional)
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | All fundraising and grant applications undertaken on behalf of SEN Family Saturdays will be done in the name of the organisation and will generally be based on recovery of the full cost of the proposed work. |
|---|---|---|
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | Not applicable |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | The management and admin of the charity is done entirely by the trustees. All trustees dedicate a lot of their time for free to support and manage the group on Saturdays. Trustees also manage an online 24/7 parent support group (in the form of WhatsApp) for families that both currently attend at the centre on Saturdays and parents that no longer attend in person but still require support for strategies and signposting to services in the local area. The trustees are covering the costs of running admin duties from home as well as donating their time to the accountancy and fundraising for the charity. Items on occasion are purchased and donated to the charity by the trustees. On occasion we are lucky enough to have volunteers that are not trustees offering their time and experience to support the charity either during Saturday sessions / through online fundraising / with technical support. |
Achievements and Performance
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Our project brings people together and builds strong relationships in and across the community. We did this through: • Improving relationships thereby supporting parents and children to spend time together, this environment also enables people to make new friends and establish networks between the families; • Improving enjoyment of life for parents and children through the provision of recreational activities they could not normally access; • Making people better connected by supporting parents to feel more confident and better able to take advantage of local services and opportunities by providing information, advice, guidance and support • Helping parents be more resilient and feel better able to cope with the challenges of being a parent in difficult circumstances. • Providing support and activities designed to develop children's skills, enabling them to fully participate in society. These activities include sensory activities which help improve social skills, particularly communication. They also enhance coordination and fine and gross motor skills. The calming effect they provide helps children when they feel agitated (self-regulate). These activities enhance the learning process by engaging multiple senses—touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing, balance (vestibular) and body awareness (proprioception). • Families have been able to keep in contact with other families through the WhatsApp chat / weekly in person Saturday sessions. • They have been provided with home visits from an Occupational Therapist for advice and strategies. • The sensory needs of children are always a struggle to manage which is why we provided families with sensory equipment/fidgets to each family. |
|---|---|---|
Additional information (optional)
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Our achievements include: We managed to support a greater number of families that had been on our waiting list for a long time. We split the beneficiaries into two groups: Under 5s and Over 5s. We alternated their attendance to continue to allow a sense of routine, allow flexibility to those that couldn’t commit to attending every single week and provide a safe environment while supporting the additional families. 95 people directly benefited from our organisation’s work - 39 adults, 56 children (of which 50 children have ASC diagnosis, ADHD, Down Syndrome or are on the Social Communication Team waiting list). An additional 25 carers that no longer attend in person and their children were supported on our WhatsApp group chat. We provided weekly support, craft and sensory activities for the children which helped develop their skills We provided weekly group lunch which increased the variety of food in the children’s diet We provided continuous support to parents during sessions and on a daily basis through our group chat managed by the trustees. We were able to offer strategies based on our experience and sign-post to local services for further help. We provided home visits to families in most need from an Occupational Therapist to tackle issues such as sensory needs, self-care needs, behavioural issues etc. We hosted a number of educational workshops for families, staff and volunteers. As well as staff training on Autism, Safeguarding, First Aid and Food Hygiene. |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | We brought forward £7,186.94 from the previous financial year which were unspent. We raised an additional £14,151.62. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | Not applicable |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | We brought forward £7,186.94 from the previous financial year which were unspent. We raised an additional £14,151.62, we spent £15,065.64 and at the end of the financial year we had a surplus of £6,272.92. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | The trustees will consider the level of reserves that is prudent for SEN Family Saturdays to have when agreeing the annual budget. Consideration will be given to future strategy, potential redundancy liabilities, and any other significant factors that should be taken into account. The specific reserves policy including any designation of reserves for specific purposes will be agreed by trustees on an annual basis. |
| Amount of reserves held |
Para 1.22 | None |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | The trustees will endeavour not to set aside funds unnecessarily. When the need arrives the trustees will consider the level of reserves they wish to retain, appropriate to the charity's needs, based on the charity's size and the level of financial commitments held. |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | None |
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | None |
Additional information (optional)
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | The charity’s principal source of funding was provided by Islington Council’s Community Chest (Cripplegate Foundation), Islington Giving (Cripplegate Foundation), The Yapp Charitable Trust, Islington Parent Carer Forum, online fundraising, Bric-a-brac sales throughout the year organised by the trustees, match funding and funding brought forward from the previous financial year. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | Not applicable |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | The needs of the children in the community outweigh the service we are currently able to provide and it is difficult to source suitable venues to accommodate the specific requirements of the children with special needs. Finding volunteers that have the experience and knowledge to help manage the day to day running of the charity and raise sufficient funding. |
|---|---|---|
| Structure, Governance and Management | ||
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
| Type of governing document |
Para 1.25 | The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales. The charity was established by its constitution dated 10th December 2018. |
| How is the charity constituted? |
Para 1.25 | Charitable Incorporated Organisation |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions |
Para 1.25 | The CIO may, if the charity trustees so decide, allow the members to vote by post or electronic mail (“email”) to elect charity trustees or to make a decision on any matter that is being decided at a general meeting of the members. |
Additional information (optional)
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | No new trustees appointed |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | The charity is working with Bright Start who provide free access to their stay & play venue and inform the families of local services. We continued to collaborate with the British Library providing families with free tickets to events. As well as with Orit Roditti from PlayWay who provides the charity with Occupational Therapy services. The charity also collaborated with Montem Primary School who provided access to their vast playground. We teamed up with Parkrun UK to encourage families to be more active. We also collaborated with Islington Parent Carer Forum (IPCF) and organised a lunch to reach families from BAME backgrounds to offer services and support for parent carers and their children. We continued to work with VAI to improve services for children, families andyoungpeople in the borough. |
Relationship with any Para 1.51 Not applicable related parties
Fence and Administrative details
| Charity name | SEN Family Saturdays |
|---|---|
Other name the charity uses |
- |
Registered charity number |
1182095 |
| Charity’s principal address | 36 Berkeley Walk Andover Estate London N7 7RS |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laetitia Khenchelaoui | Chair | |||
| Maria Paladini | Treasurer | |||
| Helena Begum Majid | Secretary | |||
| Maria Carolina Oliva-Tristan Rodriguez |
Trustee | |||
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets | No assets held on behalf of others |
|---|---|
| held in this capacity | |
| Name and objects of the | Not applicable |
| charity on whose behalf the | |
| assets are held and how this | |
| falls within the custodian | |
| charity’s objects | |
| Details of arrangements for | Not applicable |
| safe custody and | |
| segregation of such assets | |
| from the charity’s own assets |
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Not Applicable
| CC16a | Charity Name SEN Family Saturdays |
Charity Name SEN Family Saturdays |
Charity Name SEN Family Saturdays |
No (if any) 1182095 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts and payments accounts | ||||
| For the period from |
Period start date 5/4/2024 |
To | Period end date 4/4/2025 |
|
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
| Islington Giving | 5,000 5,000 - - 3,000 500 209 420 23 |
- - - - - - - - - |
5,000 | 5,000 |
| ICCC | 5,000 | - | ||
| BBC Children in need | - | 10,000 | ||
| The True Colours Trust | - | 2,500 | ||
| The Yapp Charitable Trust | 3,000 | - | ||
| Islington Parent Carer Forum | 500 | - | ||
| Online fundraising (Amazon, Giveasyoulive & Paypal) |
209 | 18 | ||
| Donations from Bric-a-brac sales | 420 | - | ||
| Other - refunds | 23 | 23 | ||
| A3 Payments Sub total Total receipts (Gross income for AR) |
14,152 | - | 14,152 | 17,541 |
| 14,152 | - | 14,152 | 17,541 | |
| Staff | 11,300 - 1,401 79 76 227 2 94 288 - 900 - 223 - 56 421 |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
11,300 | 13,677 |
| Premises Hire | - | 350 | ||
| Lunch | 1,401 | 2,532 | ||
| Other Lunch time supplies | 79 | 93 | ||
| Craft activity supplies | 76 | 180 | ||
| Sensory Equipment | 227 | 184 | ||
| Cleaning supplies | 2 | - | ||
| Management / Admin Supplies | 94 | 160 | ||
| Training costs for volunteers & staff | 288 | 18 | ||
| Audit | - | - | ||
| Activity / workshop in the setting | 900 | 875 | ||
| Workshop snacks | - | 10 | ||
| Outings - entry | 223 | 401 | ||
| Outings - travel | - | - | ||
| Insurance | 56 | 96 | ||
| Software lices and subscriptios | 421 | 420 | ||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) Sub total |
15,066 | - | 15,066 | 18,996 |
| - - |
- - |
- | - | |
| - | - | |||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - |
| A6 Cash funds last year end A5 Transfers between funds Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) Cash funds this year end |
||||
| 15,066 | - | 15,066 | 18,996 | |
| - 914 |
- | - 914 |
- 1,456 |
|
| - 7,187 6,273 |
- - - |
- | - | |
| 7,187 | 6,775 | |||
| 6,273 | 5,319 | |||
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | ||||
| Categories B1 Cash funds |
Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
|
| 6,273 | - | |||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities |
Outings - travel (invoice not received yet) Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Signature |
6,273 | - | |
| OK | OK | |||
| Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
|||
| 450 | - | |||
| Print Name | Date of approval | |||
| Mrs Maria Paladini | 24/01/2025 |
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Total payments | 15,066 | - | 15,066 | 18,996 | ||||||||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | - | 914 | - | - | 914 | - | 1,456 | |||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | 7,187 | - | 7,187 | 6,775 | ||||||||||||
| Cash funds this year end | 6,273 | - | 6,273 | 5,319 | ||||||||||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds | ||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||||
| B1 Cash funds | 6,273 | - | ||||||
| Total cash funds | 6,273 | - | ||||||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments | ||||||||
| account(s)) | OK | OK | ||||||
| Fund to which liability | Amount due | |||||||
| Details | relates | (optional) | ||||||
| B5 Liabilities | Outings - travel (invoice not received yet) | 450 | - | |||||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature | Print Name | Date of approval | |||||
| Mrs Maria Paladini | 24/01/2025 |
A brief origin story
Family Action (FA) used to provide Saturday sessions for families on low income. This was then aimed at families with children with Special Educational Needs ( SEN ). After five years management costs were too high and FA were unable to secure funding so the services stopped.
keeping the service active and were motivated by Family Action to form their own charity. In September 2018 three parents set about establishing a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) called SEN Family Saturdays.
Voluntary Action Islington (VAI) helped the trustees form a business plan, informed them of possible funders, supplied policy templates and helped us register with the Charity commission. Cripplegate Foundation were able to help us secure the initial seed funding from Islington Giving which allowed us to start supporting families.
Our Progress
Idea for the charity was born in September 2018 and by February 2019 we were a registered CIO with the Charity 01. Commission with all of our policies set up thanks to the support we received from VAI
-
families which we achieved. We raised sufficient funding and established ourselves across several social media platforms within a few months
-
Thanks to Manor Gardens and Bright Start we had access to more space at our venue which meant we could support more families.
Our future aims include setting up a further 04. group to cater for older children with ASC aged 7 – 14, organize more workshops, increase the number of trustees and staff
Our Team
SEN Family Saturdays is run voluntarily by four trustees. We are a parent led charity all with Autistic children of our own. It is this personal connection that allows us to commit so strongly to the cause of improving the lives of other families in difficult circumstances. We collectively have a vast amount of personal experience on the subject and have all attended several workshops relating to Autism (What is Autism?, behaviour management, toileting, communication, Sensory Processing, Eating etc) and a 14 week Early Birds program organised by the NHS Social Communication Team (SCT) as well as attending Speech & Language therapy and Play and Learn program.
Laetitia Chair Bright Futures Parent Champion Designated Safeguarding Lead Food Hygiene Level 2 Paediatric First Aid Understanding Autism Level 2 PGCE in Languages Qualified Teacher Status BA in Applied Languages Working with Children in Early Years Level 2
Helena
Secretary
Bright Start Parent Champion Designated Safeguarding Lead Food Hygiene & Safety for catering Level 2 SEND Awareness Training Supporting children in Foundation Stage
Maria
Treasurer
Emergency First Aid at Work Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead Food Hygiene & Safety for catering Level 2 Understanding Play course Supporting children in Foundation Stage EYP Diploma Level 2 Making sense of autism Training
Carolina
Trustee
Bright Start Parent Champion (under 5 yrs old) Bright Futures Parent Champion (5 - 19 yrs and up to 25 yrs with SEN) Safeguarding Group 1 Food Hygiene Level 2 Paediatric First Aid Understanding Autism Level 2
Our Staff
----- Start of picture text -----
Karthika
Meheret
Fatima I Fatima B
Revathi Asmahan
Laila
Sabrie
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We employ trained, experienced staff to meet the children’s needs and manage daily challenging situations.
What we provide
We run sessions on Saturday mornings at Hornsey Road Children's Centre from 10:15 to 1:30pm, with resources and facilities to aid creativity and meet the sensory needs of autistic children allowing them the opportunity to socialise, explore and learn in a safe and understanding environment.
children aged 0-11 with complex special needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorder/Condition ( ASD/C ) living in Islington .
We aim to reduce isolation and increase the levels of support for them by signposting parents/carers to the relevant Islington services
Our weekly services
Children with SEN often miss out on social activities, events and play groups because of several difficulties including speech delay, behaviour challenges, reduced danger awareness, anxiety and lack of social skills.
We provide them with assistance to access community activities as well as provide activities of our own to improve their social skills.
Craft & The children are engaged in a variety of Free Play different activities each week which help with several key skills: fine & gross motor, social, language, behaviour ect This is followed by soft play supervised by Soft play staff to aid gross motor development, hypermobility and manage proprioception needs Parent While Children are in soft play parents are Support given the opportunity to share strategies, Group information, advice and guidance for practical and emotional support. Then the children wash their hands and have Lunch lunch together with parents, siblings and staff. Eating a variety of healthy food tends to be challenging due to sensory processing disorders
Other Services we provide: Events
Once a month we organise a special activity, either an outing, workshop or event. Events in the setting vary for example tippy toe dancing, bubble show, story massage, cupcake decorating, children’s yoga, capoeira music etc.
Other Services we provide: OT Workshops & home visits
We try to have Workshops every other month, They are delivered by a specialist Occupational Therapist on topics such as toileting, sleep, communication, behaviour management ect.
As well as a general overview of What is Autism? Which is open to the public, extended family and friends to increase understanding and better support ASD children in the area.
Other Services we provide: Outings
Taking ASD children on outing can be quite daunting for a parent as it is in an uncontrolled environment with too many unfamiliar faces and unexpected occurrences that is often too overwhelming for the ASD child and family.
a month with extra staff to support families (1:1 ratio) to places like the London Zoo (on SEND days), London Aquarium, small theatres, Interactive museums, parks, farms ect
Testimonials
Rabia
“My daughter likes to play in soft play and I can talk to other parents and get ideas”
Shah
Adelina
“I learnt many things and the parents are very kind. I enjoy the workshops. It’s my son’s Saturday routine. He sits so well at lunchtime that I am amazed!”
“This is so helpful for me and my son, staff are so helpful and nice”
Esperance
“They help me with more information about how to deal with Autism crisis. We share experiences about our kids and how to manage with everything” Shkendije
“Since we started coming my son has tried so many new food! He even makes sandwiches for himself”
Website
We upload photos each week to our website showing the different craft activity the children have been engaged in. We also have link to different resources available to families in the borough.
We upload photos to our facebook and use the social platform to announce workshops and for fundraising.
Instagram & Twitter
Again we upload photos and announce workshops on Instagram. We also upload short videos from outings. We use twitter for mayor announcements.
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Maria Dolores Paladini Position (eg Treasurer Secretary, Chair, etc) Date 24/01/2025