Project MAMA
Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2021
Project MAMA
Annual Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31st March 2021
| CONTENTS | page |
|---|---|
| Directors' and Trustees' Annual Report | 1 - 12 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 13 |
| Statement of Financial Activities and Income and Expenditure Account | 14 |
| Balance Sheet | 15 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 16 - 20 |
Trustees’ Annual Report
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Project MAMA is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) granted charitable status on 19[th] February 2019.
Registered Charity Number: 1182112
Address: Unit 16 Easton Business Centre, Felix Road, Bristol BS5 0HE
Trustees: Trustees who served during the period and up to the date of this report were as follows:
Board of Trustees
Amy Garrett (Resigned April 2020) Jessica Earnshaw (Resigned June 2020) Dr Loubaba Mamluk, Chair (Resigned February 2021) April Humble, Interim Chair (Resigned September 2021) Dr Michal Nahman, Interim Chair (Resigned December 2021) Claire Horrex (September 2020 - April 2021) Laura Bandah (September 2020 - July 2021) Jennifer Gerrard, Treasurer (Appointed September 2020) Catherine Jackson (Appointed September 2020) Karen Blong, Secretary (Appointed September 2020) Angela Conway (Appointed October 2020) Asli Tatliadim, Chair (Appointed July 2021)
Bank:
Barclays Bank PLC,
55 Broadmead, Bristol BS1 3EA
Independent examiner:
A. C. Rodaway, FCA, BFP, DChA HPH, Chartered Accountants 54 Bootham York YO30 7XZ
Year ended 31[st] March 2021
Reference and administrative information forms part of this report. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice.
1
Trustees’ Annual Report
Objectives and Activities
Objectives
To preserve and protect the physical and mental health of vulnerable women in the Bristol postcode area particularly, but not exclusively, migrants, through pregnancy, labour, childbirth, and early parenting by providing one-to-one support, advocacy, specialist information, referrals to partner agencies and peer support groups and other relevant activities as may be determined by the trustees.
For the purposes of this clause, we define ‘vulnerable women’ as those with unstable/insecure immigration status and/or barriers to healthcare, survivors of sexual abuse, gender-based violence, exploitation or with poor mental health.
Activities
Mother Companions project (MC project)
The Mother Companions project provides one-to-one support for mothers-to-be. This support spans any stage in pregnancy, throughout labour and childbirth and for the first 8 weeks of parenthood to help them adapt to their new role.
We offer:
-
Emotional Support : Space to unpack ideas, concerns and wishes; listening, giving encouragement, reassurance and being a consistent physical and nurturing presence.
-
Physical Support : Helping with comfort measures, breath work, massage, relaxation, and guidance with infant feeding and settling.
-
Information Support : Sharing information, explanations and non-medical advice, guidance on NHS care and signposting to partner agencies.
-
Advocacy : Facilitating communication between women and care providers so that they can make informed choices; discussing rights and entitlements in pregnancy; taking part in sector-wide meetings to share learnings and improve service provision.
-
Where relevant, support for a Mother’s Partner : Offering encouragement, reassurance, and guidance on how to support the mothers, their infant and themselves.
Performance & Achievements
Covid-19 had a substantial impact on the organisation as a whole, but also on our Mother Companions project, creating many new challenges. The pandemic had a detrimental impact on the safety and wellbeing of many of the most vulnerable women in Bristol. At Project MAMA, we have seen these effects throughout the year, with the numbers of referrals and safeguarding concerns having increased substantially from the previous year. Increasing complex issues faced by our clients include:
-
Domestic violence
-
Financial difficulties and destitution
-
Social isolation
-
Mental and physical health problems
-
Inadequate accommodation
2
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
Multi-agency work is key to addressing the complexity of needs many of our client’s face. As such, Project MAMA works closely with other local third sector organisations to provide holistic support networks for our mamas and participate in regular sector-wide meetings including BRASP (Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seekers Partnership) and Perinatal Mental Health Partnership.
As a result of the pandemic and increasing number of referrals, we had to adapt our strategy and service provision. This includes:
-
We expanded the Project MAMA team and hired a new Mother Companions Coordinator and an Advocacy & Wellbeing Coordinator.
-
We provide weekly support through Mother Companions from 30 weeks of pregnancy. In the earlier stages of pregnancy, we would normally check in monthly or more often, depending on individual circumstances.
-
We reduced our in-person support as much as possible and would predominantly support clients over the phone, using interpreting services where needed.
-
We continued to support clients during birth in hospital if we were the only birth companion clients had.
-
All volunteers would wear PPE and follow Covid guidelines if in-person support was needed.
-
We created new Covid-specific risk assessments for clients to ensure our support is as safe as possible.
-
We would ensure that all clients are aware of current government guidelines and restrictions.
In total, 44 mothers have been supported prenatally, during labour and birth, and postnatally through our Mother Companions project, giving birth to 27 babies. We have supported mothers from 24 different countries of origin speaking 17 different languages. Referrals have been made by 19 different referral agencies. In addition, 10 women were identified as survivors/potential survivors of trafficking/modern slavery and 8 women had been/were experiencing sexual or gender-based violence.
3
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
In terms of immigration status, our clients comprised the following:
Providing relevant, specialised training for our volunteers is an important part to ensure Project MAMA supports clients in the safest way possible. This training is voluntary and generally provided every 2-3 months by specialised local or national organisations. We have been able to provide a wide variety of different training opportunities throughout the year, including:
-
HIV training
-
Domestic Abuse training
-
FGM training
-
Honor-Based Violence training
-
LGBT+ Competency in Birth & Beyond training
Covid-19 Solidarity Care Packages (March 2020 - January 2021)
As a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Project MAMA decided to start an emergency project with the following aims:
-
Families had access to basic care items for their babies
-
Reduce social isolation
-
Ensure families understand current government guidelines and restrictions regarding Covid19
-
Create strong support networks through signposting to other support organisations
On the 24th of March 2020, as supermarket shelves began to empty, the team at Project MAMA felt we had a duty to support those who have accessed our services. We began by calling 15 of our existing or past clients in order to find out how they were feeling in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. As lockdown started, it was vital that these mothers were able to access essential items for their children and that the information being given by the government was being received and understood.
4
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
Our three major concerns initially were: impact on mental health and isolation, lack of access to basic items for babies and a lack of information.
Initially we were working with a small number of existing and previous Project MAMA clients. At the beginning of April, we created a referral form that was disseminated to all Bristol Refugee agencies, children’s centres, NHS services such as The Haven and Bristol City Council Citizens Advice. This form was used by these agencies and services to refer individuals who needed material support. Once a woman was referred, they were placed on our ‘call list’ for all following weeks.
These women were disproportionately affected in the following ways: not able to get essential items due to empty shelves in supermarkets, no car access, limited funds, or immediate decrease in income due to job loss, unable to access cheaper shops due to no public transport, turned away from supermarkets with children and lack of information regarding restrictions and pandemic in general in order to plan and make informed decisions.
Over the coming weeks, we received over 100 referrals to carry out welfare checks, provide essential items, listen to concerns and enquiries regarding a wide variety of safeguarding concerns and ensure that government information had been received and understood. We used telephone interpreting services to ensure that we could talk to each client in their native language. We also offered a food provision box delivery, which was initially provided by Aid Box Community, but was then passed onto The Bristol Food Union in order to alleviate pressure on another Bristol grass roots refugee charity.
From Mid June we began to see a slight decline in the number of people requiring this support. This was established by asking people each week if they still required the support we were providing and by updating our referring partners as to a slight change in the criteria we required to be met for referrals to be made.
This was:
-
Unable to leave the house due to shielding
-
Not comfortable leaving the house due to the virus
-
Not leaving the house because they are unable to take their children to the shops, we have had a number of women inform us that they have been turned away from the supermarket when arriving with children.
-
Unable to access to these items due to a change in financial situation
Up until this point we had not asked people to fulfil a criterion. We took this step so as to ensure that our support was reaching the most vulnerable women in accordance with our objectives and to ensure that we were not fulfilling the role of a destitution support organisation. We were not extractive or restrictive in our approach in ascertaining whether or not someone required this support, but suggested to them that if they were feeling more able to get to the shops then perhaps they did not require our support. We also did not base our decisions on changes to restrictions as for many of the women we were supporting, these did not affect their ability to access these items. We were also conscious of the impact that the pandemic had on people's mental health in terms of isolation, exacerbation of existing trauma and anxiety around accessing vital items. As a result of this we often discussed how comfortable people were with leaving the house or going to the shops and supported them until they felt comfortable. Finally, it was reported on numerous occasions that supermarkets were turning women away when they arrived with children. For lone or single parents, this meant that they were unable to visit shops even if they were comfortable in doing so.
5
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
We paused the project during September 2020 to re-evaluate our approach. As most of the women we had been supporting were able to leave the house again to go shopping, we were looking at what our clients needed the most at that point. The key themes we identified were social isolation and financial difficulties, lack of information regarding Covid guidelines and lack of knowledge around other Bristol-based support organisations. As a result, we focused on having longer checkin phone calls to see what general support clients needed but also having a friendly chat in general.
We would make referrals or signpost clients to other support organisations for housing issues, material support, befriending services and financial support amongst others. Additionally, we gave clients the option to choose between having a delivery of items to their home or providing them with vouchers for their supermarket of choice, depending on what suited them best. We felt it was essential for families to have more autonomy in what they wanted to buy for their babies rather than us providing them with the items unless that is what they preferred.
Throughout the project, the safeguarding issues reported included:
-
Loneliness and isolation and a deterioration of mental health was seen.
-
Access to medical care, e.g. termination of pregnancies and doctors appointments, no language support provided when calling doctor, and recorded message has created some confusion for people trying to make doctors appointments
-
Access to prescriptions had been an issue due to women being unable to visit pharmacies with their children.
-
We received a large number of requests for food, often being told that without the delivery of a food box, families would have no food for the coming days. We were able to make emergency referrals for these boxes to The Plough when the regular weekly food box provision that we requested from The Bristol Food Union would not come in time.
-
We received a number of safeguarding concerns regarding precarious housing, evictions or some reported that due to job losses as a result of covid, financial issues were a real concern. We became very aware of filling a gap that is created by a real and urgent risk of destitution or of ongoing destitution as a result of NRPF or loss of income.
-
Women reported that due to there either being no public transport or them not feeling comfortable in using it, they were now having to use local shops where items are far more expensive. Or, that due to being a lone parent, and that children are not allowed in supermarkets, they were unable to get what they needed from the shops.
-
Other issues relating to accommodation such as overcrowding and conflict within shared housing.
The project finished in January 2021 due to capacity and funding reasons as well as wanting to focus more on our core project Mother Companions and work on our organisational strategy for the future. We ensured that all clients we were supporting at that point knew how to get in contact with their health visitors if they needed support for their babies and were aware of other local support organisations.
Covid-19 Solidarity Care Packages in Numbers
| Families supported | 177 | Additional Families signposted | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calls made | 2,141 | Nappies (packs) delivered | 949 |
| Formula delivered | 377 | Wipes (packs) delivered | 1,294 |
| Vouchers delivered | 707 | Food Box referrals | 1,027 |
6
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
MAMAhub
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Project MAMA had to pause its weekly peer support drop-in MAMAhub throughout the year. It was decided to keep the service closed for the foreseeable future and only reopen once it is safe to do so.
QUOTES AND TESTIMONIES
Clients (Mother Companions):
"Yeah birth support is the most important because I go alone to give birth. It’s my third baby but I'm still scared during the pandemic. But the Mother Companion come there, my water broken 3 in the morning, and still they come. I meet someone and I feel like really helpful for me. I never forget these things in my life. They do everything"
"It's hard to explain, but they tell me details, but they tell me the options I can have, such as water delivery or natural delivery and explain very well the pain relief. [...] They tell me everything about positions to help me, like yoga ball, they tell me everything"
"I don't have anyone how to speak my opinion wasn't confident to talk to people. Project MAMA like my mother and my sister, I feel like I speak to them freely. I talk to them like my family. They really support me. At the time I was alone and really appreciate Project MAMA. Many people don't have this support. Really appreciate. If you concerned about baby or pregnancy they go with you help you and go to appointment"
“Before I just came to Bristol and I didn't know how to book any appointments, now that they have supported me and explained I am more used to it and understand the processes”
- Clients (Covid 19 Solidarity Care Packages):
"Project MAMA help a lot of things in my family. I was so happy. I know even if I don't have it they will help me. Should have them across the country. [...] We love you all for your good work, because that time everyone very worried, and you help."
"I don't think I have ever been supported in the way Project MAMA has supported me and open the doors to other services in this way."
"Project MAMA helped me dealing with the lockdown, offer me many things I need for me and my baby. [...] When I ask the woman who calling me on Monday, if I ask her for anything I find the supplies from her."
Mother Companion Volunteers:
“It was such a privilege to be a part of this Mama's labour and postnatally. I was blown away by how vital this support is when I walked into the delivery suite to see her all alone and yet a smile filled her face when she saw me whom she’d only met once before!!!”
“As a Project Mama mother companion I've been privileged to meet and support women through pregnancy, birth and for the early weeks after birth. It's been lovely to witness courageous women growing in confidence and independence through their journey to motherhood. Some women have needed much support from many agencies and some not so much. I've seen how Project Mama has increasingly made positive links and complementary interactions with healthcare services, community service agencies and other support services.”
7
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
CASE STUDIES
Mother Companions
Aabida* was referred to Project MAMA in July 2020 when she was 10 weeks pregnant with her 5th pregnancy. Aabida was referred by her Modern Slavery support worker and at the point of referral, she resided in a Safe House and having her Trafficking case assessed as she has been entered into the National Referral Mechanism. During this process, Aabida has been granted safety in the UK by the Home Office, who will decide if her case warrants Leave to Remain in order to prevent further exploitation.
Aabida was forced to leave her 3 children in her native Pakistan when she escaped her abusive exhusband. She also suffered a stillbirth previously and was highly anxious about this happening again. She suffers poor mental health and possible PTSD as a result of the abuse she suffered during the period of her exploitation. Owing to the Safe House not being suitable for children, when Aabida went to hospital to have her baby she would be made homeless. Her support worker sorted out the practicalities of having Aabida housed in local emergency council accommodation and we supported Aabida to help with this transition, so she knows she has consistent emotional support throughout.
Aabida was assigned 3 specialist Mother Companions to offer emotional and practical support so she was able to prepare for her baby, make informed birth choices and fully understand the maternity system in the UK. These volunteers met with Aabida (who was referred to us during the Pandemic and first lock-down). We offered distanced and in-person support every two weeks, or as required, from August 2020 until April 2021, meeting with Aabida where appropriate to discuss how she was feeling, any worries or concerns which arose or helping understand physiological and medical practices in the UK. Throughout these meetings, we ensured that we used our telephone interpreting service so she was able to understand in her spoken dialect.
After several midwife appointments, it was raised that Aabida could give birth prematurely as the baby was showing signs of early arrival. The team of 3 volunteer MCs went on-call for Aabida from week 32 of pregnancy. Contrary to what the medical team thought, Aabida continued in her pregnancy until week 39 of her pregnancy. Labour started overnight and Aabida called the on-call MC, who had arranged to meet her at the Hospital. The MC met Aabida at delivery and supported her throughout her labour and birth. MCs stayed with Aabida for an additional 12 hours after her baby was born, to ensure Aabida had support with her during this crucial period. MCs visited daily when Aabida was on the delivery suite and supported her to leave the hospital and settle into her new accommodation when she was discharged. MCs subsequently supported Aabida to raise issues with the housing provider as the housing was not suitable for her and her newborn. Aabida once again moved house only 5 days after giving birth.
After beginning to settle in to her new housing, Aabida disclosed low mood, disclosing suicide ideation to one of her MCs. This MC supported Aabida to access emergency mental health support. Our MC support continued, for the first 3 weeks, A had 3 weekly visits from MCs, bringing her a hot meal, supporting with infant feeding and talking through emotional issues which arose on her postnatal journey. Our support then dropped down to twice weekly visits when Aabida was in a more positive headspace before our support finally ended when her baby was 8 weeks old. Aabida was incredibly positive about the support she’d received from her ‘sisters’ at Project MAMA! She is very keen to attend our drop-in hub when it resumes and is keen to keep in touch.
*identifying details have been changed
8
Trustees’ Annual Report
Performance & Achievements continued
Covid-19 Solidarity Care Packages
Sara* is a woman seeking asylum in the UK after being displaced from her country of origin owing to war and conflict. She lives in a bedsit in a shared house with her two children, 9 month old Aled and 14 month old Amir. Amir has a heart condition which requires frequent outpatient appointments at Bristol Children’s Hospital.
When lockdown began in March, Sara was initially unable to access information on Covid restrictions in her native Arabic and was left feeling stressed as to the current circumstances. She did, however, understand a limited amount from other residents in the shared house that she was not to leave the home because of the virus. The housing manager referred her to Project MAMA, where we were able to communicate with Sara about Government restrictions utilising telephone interpreters, posting out a Doctors of the World resource in her native language so she could fully comprehend the extent of the restrictions and any potential implications on her and her children’s health.
Living in a built-up area of Bristol, Sara was unable to source nappies and formula milk for her children, along with essential food items, as the supermarket shelves were emptied through panicbuying. Sara explained she was exceptionally stressed, especially due to cramped living conditions and no outdoor space.
Project MAMA began our work in sourcing essential items for the care of her and her children, and arranged for a food box of vegetables, fruit and store cupboard food on a weekly basis. Just as crucially, we called Sara every Monday to check her well-being and have a chat about how she is feeling. When we delivered her Solidarity Care package, we’d have conversations with Sara from 2m away on her doorstep. Sara explained that this was the only interaction she was having with other adults and reported that these conversations significantly improved her mental health - she explained how she looked forward to Mondays now for this reason.
As the supermarket shelves slowly began to replenish, Sara continued to self-isolate with her family in her bedsit due to Amir’s health vulnerabilities. Although Sara’s mental health can oscillate owing to pre-existing stress that’s exacerbated significantly by covid, she knew that Project MAMA would continue to provide our bespoke service which not only provided material assistance, but also important welfare checks, conversations, a time for her to off-load and for us to listen. This acted as a real lifeline. The different stories we heard weekly differ in need, but the similarities remain the same.
*identifying details have been changed
9
Trustees’ Annual Report
PUBLIC BENEFIT
The Trustees have complied with their duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The total income for the year was £194,058. This shows an increase of income of £128,880 (198%) compared to the previous year. Most of the funding (£158,429) came from grant funding, with the rest coming from individual donations and Gift Aid refunds. All funding received has enabled service delivery and organisational running to provide vital support for our service users. It allowed Project MAMA to respond quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic by setting up its Solidarity Care Packages project and support a larger number of clients with often increasingly complex needs.
The expenditure over this period was £141,572 with an increase of expenditure of £113,430 (403%) compared to the previous year. This substantial increase in expenditure is due to setting up our emergency Covid-19 project and hiring new staff to accommodate the increasing number of referrals and organisational capacity.
The net income for 2020/21 is £52,486 and total funds carried forward 31st March 2021 were £89,522.
The financial support we have received throughout the year shows that funders and individual donors recognise the importance of Project MAMA’s work, especially during the pandemic. We were fortunate to be able to continue and expand the essential work we do to support vulnerable women in the Bristol area in these challenging times. We are incredibly grateful to all donors who have supported us.
While emergency grant funding has come to an end, we are shifting our focus to diversifying income. This includes securing long-term funding and increasing unrestricted income. This will help the organisation to remain sustainable over the years to come as well as allow the flexibility to react quickly to the changing needs of our clients. As the pandemic and other recent international humanitarian crises have shown, this flexibility is essential to ensure that the organisation can respond in the necessary ways to support new and existing clients in the best way possible.
Reserves Policy
Total funds held at 31 March 2021 were £89,522 (2020: £37,036) including restricted funds of £13,849 (2020: £1,211), designated funds of £35,000 (2020: £26,050) and unrestricted general funds of £40,673 (2020: £9,775).
Designated funds at 31 March 2021 comprise a single new Resilience Fund. This fund represents the level of free reserves deemed necessary for the charity to maintain, under its reserves policy. This designation was made by the trustees in recognition of a challenging fundraising climate and uncertainty surrounding certain income projections in the budget for the forthcoming financial year.
The charity’s free reserves policy aims to cover operating and essential costs of the charity for a set number of four months, in an attempt to safeguard services and staff against financial difficulties arising at short notice. The reserves policy is reviewed annually, with the relevant free reserves target being calculated based upon the approved budgeted expenditure for the following year.
10
Trustees’ Annual Report
Reserves Policy continued
During the year, the trustees deemed it prudent to increase the charity’s free reserves target from their initial target of three months (as reported in 2020) to four, in light of the impact of the COVID19 pandemic and the increasingly uncertain funding climate.
Free reserves at the balance sheet date were £40,673 (2020: £9,775), which equates to just over four and a half (2020: three) months of operating and essential core costs – as set out in the budget adopted for the next financial year. The trustees are satisfied that the charity is holding reserves in line with the charity’s policy.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
The rapid expansion of the organisation as a result of Covid-19 has created new challenges for Project MAMA. As we are moving forward, we have realised that our previous strategies and processes need to be updated and adapted to be fit for purpose in this new world. While the pandemic continues, we are aiming to focus on solidifying Project MAMA’s organisational strategies and develop our existing projects. We hope to create a more proactive strategy around aspects such as project development, equality and inclusion, fundraising, communications and partnership working.
Key priorities include:
-
Bringing clients, staff and the Board of Trustees together to create a shared vision across the whole organisation that will underpin Project MAMA’s work for the next 3 - 5 years with the support of a strategic consultant. A coherent strategy for Project MAMA’s future will have a positive impact on using our available resources more effectively, identifying threats and possible pathways of overcoming these, improving adaptability to changing circumstances, facilitating a more streamlined workflow, and creating stronger links between stakeholders and the organisation.
-
Strengthening our monitoring & evaluation system by implementing a new CRM system for case management.
-
Investing in diversifying income streams through an in-house Grants & Trusts Fundraising Coordinator to ensure we can continue to build a sustainable and resilient financial model.
-
Continuing to respond to the heightened needs resulting from international conflicts, humanitarian crises and the continued impact of Covid-19
-
Reopening our weekly peer support drop-in MAMAhub
-
Making the staff team more diverse and providing more opportunities for people with lived experience of migration and/or displacement to be involved in running projects
-
Investing in communications to increase awareness of the organisation and its work as well as improve financial stability
11
Trustees’ Annual Report
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Project MAMA is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It is governed by a Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
The board has final legal authority and is responsible for overseeing the operation of the entire charity and its activities. Trustees are recruited through publicly advertising and through existing networks of the board and CEO. Trustees, including Chair and Treasurer, are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened Trustee meeting. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. The board meets every 6 - 8 weeks to discuss key matters such as finances, policy, staff and key operational matters and development.
TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
-
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
-
Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 (FRS 102).
-
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
-
State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
-
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Independent examiner
Mr Adrian Rodaway FCA, BFP, DChA of HPH, Chartered Accountants was appointed Independent Examiner to the charity during the year.
Approved by the board of Trustees on 18 January 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
Asli Tatliadim (Chair)
12
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Project MAMA
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Project MAMA for the year ended 31 March 2021.
This report is made solely to the Charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with section 154 of the Charities Act 2011. My independent examiner’s work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Charity’s Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity, the Charity’s members as a body and the Charity’s Trustees as a body for my independent examiner’s work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Charity Trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
HPH Chartered Accountants 54 Bootham York YO30 7XZ
Adrian Rodaway, FCA, BFP, DChA 18 January 2022
13
Project MAMA
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st March 2021
| Income from: Note Donations 2a Other income 2b Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 3 Charitable activities 3 Total expenditure Net income for the period Funds brought forward 1st April 2020 Funds carried forward 31st March 2021 |
Unrestricted £ 75,860 16 75,876 13,652 22,376 36,028 39,848 35,825 75,673 |
Restricted £ 118,182 - 118,182 955 104,589 105,544 12,638 1,211 13,849 |
2021 £ 194,042 16 194,058 14,607 126,965 141,572 52,486 37,036 89,522 |
2020 £ 65,169 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65,178 | ||||
| 525 27,617 |
||||
| 28,142 | ||||
| 37,036 - |
||||
| 37,036 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the period. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes on pages 16 to 20 form part of these accounts.
14
Project MAMA Balance Sheet at 31st March 2021
| Note Fixed assets 6 Current assets Debtors 7 Cash at bank and in hand 9 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Creditors and accruals 8 Funds of the charity Restricted 10 Unrestricted - designated 10 Unrestricted - undesignated 10 Total net assets Net current assets |
Unrestricted £ 805 4,598 71,227 75,825 957 74,868 75,673 - 35,000 40,673 75,673 75,673 |
Restricted £ - - 14,437 14,437 588 13,849 13,849 13,849 - - - 13,849 |
2021 £ 805 4,598 85,664 90,262 1,545 88,717 89,522 13,849 35,000 40,673 75,673 89,522 |
2020 £ - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,160 30,059 |
||||
| 38,219 | ||||
| 1,183 | ||||
| 37,036 | ||||
| 37,036 | ||||
| 1,211 | ||||
| 26,050 9,775 |
||||
| 35,825 | ||||
| 37,036 |
Approved by the Board of Trustees on 18 January 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
Asli Tatliadim (Chair)
Jen Gerrard (Treasurer)
The notes on pages 16 to 20 form part of these accounts.
15
Project MAMA Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2021
1. Accounting policies
a) Basis of accounting
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in th UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16th July 2014 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies on 1 October 2019.
Project MAMA constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).
The financial statements have been prepared to give a "true and fair view" and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a "true and fair view". This departure has involved following Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005, which has since been withdrawn.
The Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has sufficient resources to be able to continue in existence for the forseeable future and that they therefore believe that the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate in the preparation of the accounting statements.
b) Depreciation policy
Depreciation is calculated to write off the cost of fixed assets over their expected useful lives. The rates used are as follows:
Computer equipment 33% per annum straight line
c) Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.
d) Cash at bank
Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and any short-term deposit accounts with a maturity of three months or less from the opening date.
e) Creditors
Creditors are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discount due.
f) Income
Gift Aid is included based on amounts recoverable at the accounting date.
No value has been included in the financial statements for donated services.
Grant income is recognised when the Charity is entitled to receipt.
Other income is accounted for in the year in which it was received.
16
Project MAMA Notes to the Accounts - continued for the year ended 31st March 2021
g) Funds
Unrestricted funds are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the directors/trustees. Designations of unrestricted funds are made at the directors’/trustees’ discretion in order to make allocations for anticipated future expenditure.
Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for a particular purpose.
Restricted funds are funds which are subject to specific trusts, either declared by the donor when making the donation or grant conditions, or accepted by the donor in responding to a specific appeal.
h) Expenditure
All expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis and includes the irrecoverable element of Value Added Tax.
Costs of raising funds are those costs incurred in attracting voluntary income. See note 3
Charitable activities are those activities which are undertaken to meet our charitable objectives. See note 3
i) Taxation
Project MAMA is a registered charity and is generally exempt from tax on income and gains. The Charity is not registered for Value Added Tax.
2. Income from:
| a) Donations Total income Miscellaneous donations Grants from Trusts Gift Aid refunds Total income from donations b) Other income Interest received on interest-bearing accounts |
Unrestricted £ 24,883 48,464 2,513 75,860 16 75,876 |
Restricted £ 8,217 109,965 - 118,182 - 118,182 |
2021 £ 33,100 158,429 2,513 194,042 16 194,058 |
2020 £ 22,467 42,290 412 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65,169 | ||||
| 9 | ||||
| 65,178 |
The Charity also benefits greatly from the involvement and dedicated support of a team of volunteers. In accordance with Charities SORP, the value of their contributions is not recognised in the accounts but is described in the Trustees' Annual Report
17
Project MAMA
Notes to the Accounts - continued for the year ended 31st March 2021
3. Expenditure on:
| Raising funds Fundraising platform fees Expenditure incurred seeking donations Website development costs Charitable activities Client and volunteer expenditure Client one-off support payments Translation and interpretation Wellbeing and Advocacy Bumps and Babes without Borders Solidarity Care Packages/vouchers Covid 19 support packages Volunteers' expenses supporting clients Training for volunteers Salaries: Mother Companion Covid coordination DBS checks Miscellaneous direct Covid costs Governance costs Independent examiner's fees Support costs Salaries Rent Office equipment and sundries Insurance Electricity and broadband Printing, postage and stationery Payroll agency fees Depreciation of office equipment Total expenditure on charitable activities Total expenditure |
Unrestricted funds £ 154 12,978 520 13,652 - - - - - - 322 52 2,663 755 199 23 4,014 760 760 13,957 861 1,479 478 166 63 404 194 17,602 22,376 36,028 |
Restricted funds £ 237 718 - 955 16,645 7,034 9,846 - 22,642 - 982 1,596 7,418 5,288 342 219 72,012 - - 29,789 2,505 - - 283 - - - 32,577 104,589 105,544 |
2021 £ 391 13,696 520 14,607 16,645 7,034 9,846 - 22,642 - 1,304 1,648 10,081 6,043 541 242 76,026 760 760 43,746 3,366 1,479 478 449 63 404 194 50,179 126,965 141,572 |
2020 £ - 9 516 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 525 | ||||
| - 1,191 - 1,706 - 658 1,750 843 - - - - |
||||
| 6,148 | ||||
| 695 | ||||
| 695 | ||||
| 16,240 2,425 1,132 450 309 - 218 - |
||||
| 20,774 | ||||
| 27,617 | ||||
| 28,142 |
18
Project MAMA Notes to the Accounts - continued for the year ended 31st March 2021
4. Paid employees
4.1 Staff costs
| Wages and salaries CEO pension contribution Total amount paid to CEO |
2021 £ 56,315 3,555 59,870 |
2020 £ 16,000 240 |
|---|---|---|
| 16,240 |
No employees received employee benefits of more than £60,000 for the reporting period.
No remuneration, benefits or expenses were received by any of the Trustees who held posts during the year in respect of their services to the charity. The key management personnel of the charity, comprise of the CEO. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £33,160 (2020 - £16,240)
| 4.2 Average head count in the year: 5. Defined pension contribution 6. Fixed assets Cost: At 1 April 2020 Additions Depreciation: At 1 April 2020 Charge Net book values: March At 1 April 2020 7. Debtors and prepayments Analysis of debtors Debtors Other debtors Prepayments All debtors relate to unrestricted funds. At 31 March 2021 Amount of contributions recognised in the SOFA as an expense The CEO worked in all areas of the organisation (fundraising, charitable activities and At 31 March 2021 |
2021 4 2021 £ 3,555 Office equipment - 999 999 - 194 194 805 - 2021 £ 349 2,925 1,324 4,598 governance) |
2020 1 2020 £ 240 2020 £ 7,000 442 718 |
|---|---|---|
| 8,160 | ||
19
Project MAMA
Notes to the Accounts - continued for the yar ended 31st March 2021
8. Creditors and accruals
| Analysis of creditors Trade creditors Other creditors |
Unrestricted £ 957 - 957 |
Restricted £ 583 5 588 |
2021 £ 1,540 5 1,545 |
2020 £ 911 272 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,183 |
9. Cash at bank and in hand
| Cash at bank Cash in hand |
2021 £ 85,564 100 85,664 |
2020 £ 29,959 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 30,059 |
10. Charity funds
| Source of funds Restricted The Allen Lane Foundation Translation and interpretation costs Crowdfunding - Covid 19 Covid-19 related costs Choose Love (2) (Prism 2) Covid 19 costs The National Lottery Covid 19 costs Quartet Covid - items and mileage White Ribbon Alliance Covid 19 costs Wesleyan Advocacy Mgr./Ops Coordinator John James MC costs (excl. salary) Quartet CEO salary Choose Love 3 CEO/MC salary Choose Love 3.2 Covid 19 costs Hillfields Family Covid - client payments/admin Co-op Community funding MC costs (excl. salary) Designated Thresholds Donation Unrestricted, Designated: CEO salary Resilience Fund Reserve for contingencies Unrestricted Income Unrestricted, undesignated Donations Unrestricted, undesignated Bank interest Interest received Total funds Purpose and restrictions |
Funds balances 31/3/2020 £ 542 669 - - - - - - - - - - - 1,211 26,050 - 26,050 7,489 2,277 9 9,775 37,036 |
Income £ - 8,217 2,500 41,389 4,600 2,037 10,000 5,000 10,000 15,000 2,000 17,320 119 118,182 - - - ‐ 75,860 16 75,876 194,058 |
Expenditure £ 542 8,886 2,500 41,389 4,600 2,037 1,247 1,049 10,000 13,974 2,000 17,320 - 105,544 - - - ‐ 36,028 - 36,028 141,572 |
Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (26,050) 35,000 8,950 (8,950) - (8,950) - |
Funds balances 31/3/2021 £ - - - - - - 8,753 3,951 - 1,026 - - 119 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,849 | |||||
| - 35,000 |
|||||
| 35,000 | |||||
| 7,489 33,159 25 |
|||||
| 40,673 | |||||
| 89,522 |
20