Trustees’ Annual Report
1st April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025
The Metta Centre was founded over ten years ago to make specialist trauma therapy accessible to those who need it most. Our clients are among the most vulnerable people in Oxfordshire – those who do not have the means to pay private fees and cannot access the support they need through the NHS. Today, we provide over 500 hours of low-cost or free therapy for up to 50 clients a year.
Constitution and Trustees
Formerly known as MEET in Oxford, The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy was constituted as a small charity in June 2014 and registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2019, charity number 1182200.
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The charity’s registered address is 43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW.
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The charity’s governing document is the Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered on 25[th] February 2019.
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Significant decisions affecting the charity are made at the quarterly trustee meetings when a quorum is present or in writing agreed by a majority of the trustees.
Trustees of the charity for the year were: Nancy Browner (Chair), Sandra Figgess (to April 2024), Katharine Nicholas (to January 2025), Jo Black, Kate Moberly (to March 2025), Toby Low (Treasurer), Deborah Humphrey (Safeguarding Officer).
The trustees would like to thank Katharine Nicholas and Kate Moberly for everything they have done for the charity in their time as trustees. Our special thanks go to Sandra Figgess, one of our founders, who also made the decision to step down this year. The Metta Centre is indebted to Sandra for her vision, commitment and wisdom in leading the charity from 2014 until the appointment of Karen Stowe as Clinical Lead in 2023.
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Trustees are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a meeting of the trustees.
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The trustees meet quarterly at 43 St Giles, with the facility for attendance online via Zoom.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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Objectives and Activities
The object of the charity under its Constitution is:
To relieve the mental distress of persons resident in Oxfordshire who are suffering from the effects of traumatic experiences by the provision of the trauma focused therapies known as EMDR and the energy psychotherapies with priority given to persons of limited means by way of free or subsidised treatment.
The trustees oversee the governance of meeting this object, having regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit, by:
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providing trauma therapy to people living in Oxfordshire, who are referred or self-refer to the charity because their lives are seriously affected by past experiences and who cannot afford private therapy or access it through the NHS;
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offering and allocating therapy spaces without regard to an individual’s ability to contribute to the cost of their therapy;
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working with practitioners who give their time pro bono.
Our Service
Management team
The Metta Centre is led by a management team of senior therapists, under the direction of the Clinical Lead, Karen Stowe, who has volunteered as a therapist for the charity since it started. Our team this year consisted of Karen Stowe, Marigold Brown, Kate Moberly, Amanda Tilbury, Vanessa Murphy and our Coordinator, Tim May.
The management team:
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discusses newly assessed clients and decides who to accept on to the waiting list;
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considers any challenging issues relating to clients;
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looks at the ongoing development of the service;
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supports the Clinical Lead and Coordinator in their work.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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Therapists
Over the course of the year, the charity increased the number of its volunteer therapists from ten to fourteen, including the Clinical Lead: Marigold Brown, Paola Esperson, Merrill Hicks, Felicity Larson, Katie Long, Suzy Malati, Kate Moberly, Vanessa Murphy, Amal Saddawi, Diane Styne, Amanda Tilbury, Guin Webster and Coral Westaway. Each therapist is able to take one, sometimes two, clients per week and our work would not be possible without their dedication and expertise.
Service offer
Because trauma affects the mind, brain and body, conventional therapeutic approaches, such as talking therapy, are limited in how far they can help. We use two body-based approaches – EMDR and Energy Psychotherapy - designed to re-process traumatic memories and re-regulate the nervous system. When practiced in the context of a supportive, psychotherapeutic relationship, these are highly effective.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) was recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for trauma and PTSD in 2005. It involves alternating left-right stimulation of the brain using eye movements, sounds or taps. This bilateral stimulation enables the traumatic memories to be re-processed.
There are now more than 200 peer reviewed studies published on Energy Psychotherapy methods and 99% were proven to be effective. One example is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which uses tapping on meridian points to stimulate the body’s energy system. EFT is ranked by NICE as among the top four most effective and cost-efficient interventions for PTSD and complex trauma.
We offer up to 16 sessions of trauma therapy, either online or in-person, with reviews at four and ten weeks. Clients with challenging presentations or extenuating circumstances may be offered up to a maximum of 8 additional sessions, subject to approval from the management team. Before starting their one-to-one therapy, clients attend a Self-Care group where they receive some psycho-education about trauma and are introduced to some simple well-being techniques to relieve stress and anxiety.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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People we help
The legacy of trauma can have a devastating impact. Long after the trauma has been experienced, people suffer a range of debilitating symptoms from flashbacks and nightmares, anxiety and panic attacks, to feeling numb and depressed.
We believe that anyone with trauma should be treated with kindness, compassion and respect and we welcome a diverse mix of adults of all ages. People either self-refer or are referred/signposted by organisations and agencies across Oxfordshire who work with adults with complex needs. These include Adult Mental Health Services, Asylum Welcome, Crisis, Elmore Community Services, GP practices, MIND, Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Service, Refugee Resource and Turning Point.
97% of our clients this year presented with a history of repeated or enduring trauma rooted in childhood (up from 80% in previous years). These adverse childhood experiences, or ACE’s, include neglect and/or emotional, physical and sexual abuse. We also work with victims of domestic abuse, refugees and survivors of war violence, as well as with those who have suffered a single incident trauma like an assault or accident.
Fees
Our therapists offer their time and expertise pro bono but we ask clients to pay what they can afford so that we can continue to provide our vital service.
Fees are based on ability to pay and we agree a figure and payment schedule with clients before they start therapy. As a guide, someone who is receiving benefits or on minimum wage will pay £10 - £15 per session; those on a higher income £20 - £40. There is also a fee of £10 unwaged/£20 waged to cover the cost of the initial assessment. In cases of extreme financial hardship fees may be waived.
Achievements and Performance
Self-Care groups
Thanks to a grant made the previous year from Oxfordshire Community Foundation, we were able to provide Self-Care Groups for clients on the waiting list. The groups are run online or in-person by two therapists and consist of three or four 1.5 hour weekly sessions.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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As previously mentioned, clients receive some psycho-education about trauma and how it impacts the nervous system, brain and body, and are introduced to some simple well-being techniques to relieve stress and anxiety.
The feedback from these groups has been very encouraging and we have now agreed that they should be integrated into the service offer for all clients before they start their one-to-one therapy.
These are a few anonymised pieces of feedback about the groups.
“ I have been using all the techniques taught, in particular tapping, and during the day, I have felt a sense of calmness throughout my whole body, which I am extremely thankful for.”
“I particularly appreciated the notion that the brain being overwhelmed is a physical process or response and not the result of a conscious decision I made.”
“The course leaders worked really well together, and both shared their expert knowledge and experiences which was beneficial to the whole group.”
Infra-Low Neurofeedback
ILF Neurofeedback is a safe, non-invasive therapeutic tool that trains the brain to function more effectively, improving its stability, flexibility and self-regulation. This ‘brain training’ has been shown to have a positive impact on both psychological and physical health and is already being used to treat a wide range of behavioural, emotional and physical symptoms, including trauma symptoms.
We were keen to explore whether neurofeedback could help stabilise our most traumatised clients, with the possibility of integrating it more widely into our service provision.
With the approval of the trustees, the Clinical Lead and one of our senior therapists attended a Neurofeedback training with BeeMedic (a leading developer and provider of this technology). In May 2024, we were able to purchase one set of Neurofeedback equipment with a grant we received from the Jo Li Charitable Trust.
After spending several months practicing with the equipment and receiving supervision from an expert in the field, we have begun a small pilot project with a carefully selected group of clients, which is still ongoing.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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10[th] anniversary and change of name
In July, the charity celebrated its 10[th] anniversary with a summer party at The Friends Meeting House in Oxford. We welcomed some 70 guests, including the leader of the county council, a sheriff of the county, an OCVA trustee, representatives from Oxford’s Adult Mental Health teams and our referring agency partners, and members of the Oxford Meeting.
Sandra Figgess spoke about the charity’s early years and our Clinical Lead paid tribute to her and the other two founders before giving an overview of the service and its impact. They were followed by guest speaker, BBC special correspondent, Fergal Keane, who appeared on a live link from Jerusalem. Fergal gave a compelling account of his own experiences of trauma as a child growing up in Ireland and as an adult reporting from war zones around the world. He closed by acknowledging the vital work of the charity and emphasised the importance of receiving expert, specialist therapeutic help.
We also announced the charity’s change of name to The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy and revealed our new logo.
New website
In September, we launched our new website which we were then able to augment with a short video introducing the charity, its work and impact.
Our Impact 2024-25
During the year, we had 67 enquiries, up from 53 last year. 54 were from people enquiring about therapy for themselves, 13 were from agencies and other organisations.
We opened our waiting list on 7[th] May 2024 and after discussion with the management team decided to close it on 22[nd] May having had 43 self-
referrals/referrals in line with our capacity (we are able to see up to 50 clients per year). We opened the list again on March 14[th] 2025, just before the financial year end, and closed it on 11[th] April after 40 people applied to be assessed for the service.
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We provided 518 hours of low-cost or free trauma therapy;
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We helped 42 individuals;
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25 clients completed their one-to-one therapy within the year;
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A further 13 clients were still receiving therapy at 01/04/2025;
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4 clients started their therapy but were paused for health and other reasons.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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To measure the impact of our work, we use the PCL-5 questionnaire - a series of 20 questions designed to score the severity of trauma and PTSD symptoms developed by the US-based National Center for PTSD.
We ask clients to complete a PCL-5 before and after therapy, and a drop in score of 10 points is considered clinically significant.
If there is an increased score, no change, or a clinically less significant improvement (less than minus 10), we are careful to review the reasons for this through ongoing monitoring of the therapy in supervision and in consultation with the client in their reviews at four and ten weeks. It is usually the case that these clients are experiencing other adverse life experiences during the course of therapy.
PCL-5 data collected for 23 clients
| 2024-25 PCL-5 |
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| EMDR 10 clients |
EP 13 clients |
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| Downward change less than 10 points, increased or unchanged |
Downward change of 10-19 points |
Downward change of 20-29 points |
Downward change of 30 or more points |
Downward change less than 10 points, increased or unchanged |
Downward change of 10-19 points |
Downward change of 20-29 points |
Downward change of 30 or more points |
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| 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | |
| 20% | 20% | 10% | 50% | 8% | 15% | 46% | 31% |
PLC-5 data 2017-25
At the close of therapy with The Metta Centre, 87% of clients showed a drop of 10 points or more, with 22% having a 10-19 point drop, 24% showing a 20-29 point drop, and 41% showing a drop of 30 points or more.
Other data
The data below is based on the 29 clients who completed therapy or were paused in the course of the year.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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Age
| 18-20 | 20s | 30s | 40s | 50s | 60s or above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
Gender
26 described themselves as female, 2 as male and 1 preferred not to say.
Ethnicity
Clients are given the option of describing their ethnicity in their own words.
| Bangladeshi | 1 |
| Black British Afro-Caribbean | 1 |
| British Pakistani | 1 |
| Chinese | 1 |
| French | 1 |
| Kashmiri Indian | 1 |
| Polish | 1 |
| Turkish | 1 |
| Turkish/Bengali/British | 1 |
| White British | 20 |
Types of trauma/issues identified
At the start of (or during) therapy, the following trauma/issues were identified. Each client could identify more than one trauma. Data collected for 29 clients.
| Childhood trauma |
Childhood sexual abuse |
Childhood Neglect or physical, psychological or emotional abuse |
Childhood Neglect or physical, psychological or emotional abuse |
PTSD symptoms |
PTSD symptoms |
Adult trauma |
Adult trauma |
Anxiety/depression | Anxiety/depression | Other Psychiatric diagnoses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 16 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 14 | ||||
| 97% | 55% | 93% | 90% | 93% | 90% | 48% | ||||
| ASD and/or ADHD diagnosis |
Chronic health condition |
Relationship issues |
Domestic abuse |
Rape | Addiction issues |
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| 7 | 9 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 5 | |||||
| 24% | 31% | 72% | 52% | 14% | 17% |
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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Client feedback
When they have completed their therapy, clients are asked to provide written feedback by answering a series of questions, including ‘What did you learn about yourself from the therapy?’ What has changed for you as a result?’ and ‘What do you take away for the future’.
These are anonymised responses.
“I’m less irritable, more relaxed and calmer. I have a better understanding of complex trauma – reasons and behaviours. I have coping exercises to reduce anxiety and make difficult situations less stressful.”
“[I take away] a healthy and realistic outlook on life; a-toolbox of coping mechanisms and healthier thought processes surrounding negative events; more empathy and compassion for myself and others.”
“I just wanted to drop you a line of gratitude for having made these sessions possible. I have had a transformational time over this last period and have really got to know myself like never before and at a greater depth…I feel alive and excited about the future.”
Financial Review
Our gross income this year totalled £68,127. Total payments were £55,499. Transfers between funds were £500 and cash funds at last year end totalled £38,506. Cash funds at this year end were £51,134. Related Party Transactions: Kate Moberly, a trustee, was paid £1,680 for her work as a supervisor and for facilitating group work during the year. This is in line with the charity’s governing document.
Principal sources of funds were grants from The Oxford Community Foundation (£20,000), The National Lottery Community Fund (£19,439), The Jo Li Charitable Trust (£9,766), The Dalgleish Trust and the Doris Field Charitable Trust. The
monies we received enabled us to expand our group work provision, increase the number of therapists, launch our new website, bring in a freelance book keeper and continue to cover our core costs, including salaries.
Our reserves policy is to hold the equivalent of four months expenditure. At the end of the financial year 31[st] March 2025, the reserve was £51,134 which equates to approximately 12 months of operating costs. Our principal financial responsibility is the salary of one part-time staff member. The cost of this is covered until 1[st] April 2026. Since salary payments are secure up to this date, the trustees have taken the decision that the charity will operate with minimal reserves until 1st November 2025. During this period and beyond, the reserves policy will be kept under periodic review and the reserves level adjusted as required.
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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Acknowledgements
We would like to offer our sincere thanks to our therapists, donors, referrers, clients and the Oxford Quaker Meeting.
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The charity benefits enormously from the generosity of its therapists. They offer one or more sessions each week, run groups, or contribute to the management of the charity. Without them, The Metta Centre would not exist, and we are immensely grateful.
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We are indebted to the Oxford Quaker Meeting for continuing to provide therapy rooms free of charge.
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We are grateful to all the individuals and others who made a donation to the charity this year, including the clients who made contributions towards the cost of their therapy.
Approved by:
Nancy Browner Toby Low
Chair Treasurer
Date: 7[th] May 2025
The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy, 43 St Giles, Oxford O1 3LW www.themettacentrefortraumatherapy.org
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To 0110412024 3110312025 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest£ to the nearest £ to the nearest£ A1 Receipts Client contribub'ons Donations Gfft aid Grants OCF Grant PYE Chartsble Trust Outreath work for Pause Oxfordshire Other income 4,145 4,165 260 39,066 20,000 4,145 4,165 260 39,066 20,000 1,710 1,285 146 450 9,680 2,000 500 491 491 ub total ( ross income for AR) 68,127 68,127 16,771 A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). Total receipts A3Pa ments Therapists Supervision Neurofeedback supervision Salaries Pension HMRC Payroll services Freelance workirg Insurance Websitelpublicty Phone CAF Fees Self Care group work Subslmembership Equipment Expenses Safeguarding Room Hire Therapy Work for Pause (OCIF grant) Training/CPD Other expenditure 2,150 1,500 720 8,792 2,150 1,500 720 9,392 2,050 1,275 600 17,307 68 3,945 402 370 303 653 72 35 449 457 14,110 532 811 12 449 457 14,110 532 811 12 64 8,400 356 11,036 5,111 36 168 200 356 11,036 4,231 36 168 8,200 279 283 1,792 100 72 499 773 880 175 20 175 20 Sub total 45,819 9,680 55,499 30,278 CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 0610512025
A4 Asset and investment urchases, see table Sub total 45,819 9,680 55,499 30,278 Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 22,30 500 9,680 500 12,628 14,507 51,13 51,134 38,506 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to nearest £ Restricted funds to nearest £ End0ent funds to nearest £ Categories Details B1 Cash funds cOp Bank account 51,134 Total cash funds 51,134 (agree balances with receiFts and payments account(s)) Unrestricted funds to nearest £ Restricted funds to nearest £ EndOTrent funds to nearest £ Details Fund to whlch asset belon Current value tlonal Details Cost (optlonal) Fund to whlch asset belon Unrestricted Current value tional 9,776 Details Neurofeedback equipment Cost (optlonal) B4 Assets retalned for the charlty's own use 9,776 CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 0610512025
Fund to whlch Ilabili relates Amount due tional When due tional Details B5 Liabillties Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of roval CCXX R3 accounts (SS) CE10512025