## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 5/4/2020 Period start date To 4/4/2021 Period end date**
## **Charity name: Autism Bucks**
## **Charity registration number: 1182603**
## **Objectives and Activities**
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SORP reference
Summary of the purposes Para 1.17 To relieve the needs of people who are
of the charity as set out on the autistic spectrum, their parents,
in its governing families and carers in
document Buckinghamshire:
Summary of the main Para 1.17 and 1. The provision and management of a
1.19
activities in relation to website to provide advice, guidance,
those purposes for the support and information to those
public benefit, in affected by autism
particular, the activities, 2. Providing support, education and
projects or services practical advice and recreational and
identified in the leisure time activities provided in the
accounts. interest of social welfare, designed to
improve their conditions of life and
which develop their skills, capacities
and capabilities
3. Advancing the education of the
public in autistic spectrum conditions,
in particular among those who work
with people who have autistic
spectrum conditions.
Statement confirming Para 1.18 Through its activity the charity aims to
whether the trustees make a positive difference for its
have had regard to the members and to increase awareness of
guidance issued by the autism within the community of
Charity Commission on Buckinghamshire.
public benefit
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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SORP reference
N/a
Policy on grant making Para 1.38
N/a
Policy on social Para 1.38
investment including
program related
investment
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Autism Bucks benefits greatly from its
Para 1.38 committed volunteers who are
Contribution made by essential in supporting the trustees in
volunteers the delivery of our main objectives.
Our volunteers provide support for the
delivery of the member social groups,
in fundraising and in managing some
of our social media platforms.
N/a
Other
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## **Achievements and Performance**
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SORP reference
Provision of hosted member social
groups
Summary of the main Meetings generally twice per month.
Para 1.20
achievements of the
charity, identifying the Under Covid lockdown the ability for
difference the charity’s social connection has been invaluable
work has made to the to many of the members but has also
circumstances of its made it difficult to continue
beneficiaries and any engagement with other partner
wider benefits to society organisations for themed visits etc.,
as a whole. Despite this our relationships with local
facilities (for example the Discovery
Museum,) have continued to thrive
Members have reported that
opportunities to meet virtually and to
stay in touch with others have helped
to maintain emotional wellbeing, by
supporting one another when feeling
anxious, worried and lonely at this
time.
Some have found accessing the online
group meetings easier to navigate and
participate in. Interactions with others
have been managed at an individual’s
own pace and people have felt able to
connect with other group members
more readily.
Furthermore, members have been able
to better maintain and control the
environment they are in
Provision of Autism Bucks website
and social media accounts
The website provides a valuable hub of
links to autism related material for the
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members and the wider community. Our Facebook channel provides a means for communicating with members and followers with current topics for discussion, news and details of upcoming events. Following grown from 715 to 915. Our YouTube channel provides the means for us to share our awareness sessions on a variety of autism related topics which collectively have had over 800 views this period. Our Twitter channel, operated by one of our members on our behalf has grown from 300 to over 1,300 followers this period. **Autism Awareness Programme** Development and delivery of an educational programme with several noted Autism Earned Experience Speakers giving talks on a variety of autism related topics. Part-way through, the programme has delivered six sessions so far, with a further six planned. These have been attended by a mix of care professionals and autistic people, and most are also available to view after the event via our YouTube channel. It is estimated that collectively these initial sessions have been very well received and have been viewed over 1,000 times between initial delivery and YouTube views. **Support of Autism Awareness Week** with a poster campaign using content created by our members that was sent to over 80 supermarkets in Buckinghamshire to help them provide a better environment for autistic shoppers
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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N/a
Achievements against Para 1.41
objectives set
N/a
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Performance of Para 1.41
fundraising activities
against objectives set
N/a
Investment performance
against objectives Para 1.41
N/a
Other
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## **Financial Review**
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Review of the charity’s Para 1.21 Our financial position at the end of the
financial position at the period demonstrates that we have
end of the period been able to understand the
operational challenges experienced as
a result of Covid and are able to adapt
our operations in challenging
circumstances.
We have reduced our operating
overheads with both one-off and
ongoing savings that will help to
ensure our operations in future years.
Our financial procedures have been
improved with the use of restricted
funds to separate grant funded
projects from our general operations,
and the use of accruals and
prepayments to give a better
understanding of our current financial
standing.
The impact of Covid has impacted our
own operations as well as those of
some of our regular sponsors and this
in turn has had a consequential effect
on both our income and expenditure.
We have seen a reduction in income
from our sponsors because their own
fundraising activities, from which we
have in the past been a beneficiary,
have been hampered as much as our
own fundraising efforts.
Unforeseen cost savings have arisen
from having to suspend our face to
face member meetings and the
investment in Zoom has meant these
activities have been able to continue to
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bring some benefit to our members.
This shift has led to overall savings in
the hiring of venues.
We have also achieved significant
savings on the previous year as a
result of changes in our website
operation.
Our grant funded Awareness project
has been able to make good progress
through adopting Zoom and YouTube
as delivery vehicles, and savings on
venues here were redirected to
engaging additional speakers that we
wouldn’t otherwise have been able to
afford.
Our grant funded project to open
further member groups in new
locations or as special interest groups
has been delayed by Covid.
Financial reporting continues with
monthly reporting to all trustees in a
monthly basis and to all members via
the quarterly bulletin.
Statement explaining the Para 1.22 It is the practice of the charity to hold
policy for holding sufficient reserves to cover operational
reserves stating why they costs for a minimum of 6 months.
are held This is to provide a level of resilience
against the possibility of unforeseen
expense, to protect against loss of
external sponsorship, and to provide
funds to enable us to take advantage
of opportunities that might arise.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 £2,000
Reasons for holding zero Para 1.22 N/a
reserves
Details of fund materially Para 1.24 N/a
in deficit
Explanation of any Para 1.23 N/a
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a
going concern
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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Bucks County Council
Community Prevention Grant
The charity’s principal 37%
sources of funds Para 1.47 Waitrose green tokens scheme
(including any 31%
fundraising) Donations
18%
Other fundraising
14%
N/a
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Investment policy and
objectives including any Para 1.46
social investment policy
adopted
1. Loss of the key trustees that are
important to our ability to deliver
A description of the Para 1.46 the core charity operation (Chair,
principal risks facing the Treasurer) and its key operational
charity activities (Member social groups).
2. Loss of main sponsorship funding
sources.
3. Loss of support from volunteers.
4. Loss or corruption of IT such as our
website.
5. Major hit on reputation for whatever
reason.
6. Competition from other autism
charities in Buckinghamshire, who
might compete for funding,
members etc.
7. Competition from larger autism
charities in neighbouring counties
that are well established and might
chose to expand their territory.
Other N/a
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## **Structure, Governance and Management**
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Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing Para 1.25 CIO Association model, and currently in
document the process of adopting the Charity
(trust deed, royal Governance Code for smaller charities.
charter)
How is the charity Para 1.25 Autism Bucks is a Charitable
constituted? Incorporated Organisation (CIO) under
(e.g unincorporated the association model and registered
association, CIO) on 22 March 2019. It is governed by a
constitution that establishes its objects
and powers and member voting rights.
In the event of the CIO being wound up
members have no liability.
Trustee selection Para 1.25 Candidate Trustees are subject to
methods including details interview by one, preferably two
of any constitutional existing trustees in the first instance
provisions e.g. election to and appointment on their
post or name of any recommendation subsequently ratified
person or body entitled by vote by all trustees at a board
to appoint one or more meeting.
trustees Applicants are also required to provide
two character references.
Confirmation of appointment made
when the candidate attends their first
board meeting.
All trustees subject to a current DBS
check being established.
Appointment to key role such as
treasurer or secretary by similar voting
process.
Board meetings are held at least once
a month throughout the year.
All trustees invited to stand for a
further year at the AGM and these
appointments confirmed by vote that
includes voting by the members.
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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Recruitment policy and procedure
established.
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction Para 1.51 Trustee on-boarding pack and
and training of trustees supporting induction procedure
established
N/a
The charity’s
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organisational structure Para 1.51N/a
and any wider network
with which the charity
works
Partnership with the following bodies
Bucks MIND,
Relationship with any Para 1.51 Bucks Museum and Discovery
related parties Centre
Community Impact Bucks,
Heart of Bucks,
National Autism Society
(Aylesbury)
National Paralympic Heritage
Trust
NDSA (Neural Diverse Self
Advocacy).
Sponsorship from
Bucks County Council,
Heart of Bucks,
Waitrose,
Bucks Freemasons,
Amersham Round Table
Other N/a
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## **Reference and Administrative details**
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Charity name Autism Bucks
Other name the charity
uses
Registered charity 1182603
number
Charity’s principal 50 Somerset Way
address Richings Park
Iver, Bucks
SLO 9AF
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## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
Martin Hillier Chair & Trustee 5/4/2020 to
1
27/7/2020
2 Zita Calkin Chair & Trustee 27/7/2020 on
Zita Calkin Secretary 5/4/2020 to 7/9/2020
3
&Trustee
Sue Keating Secretary & 7/9/2020 on
4
Trustee
Martin Hollett Treasurer &
5
Trustee
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6 Paulette Hunn Trustee Paula Trustee 7 Strawbridge 8 Pippa Richardson Trustee 7/9/2020 to 8/2/2021 9
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** N/a
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** N/a
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets N/a held in this capacity
Name and objects of the N/a charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements N/a for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of Name Address adviser**
N/a
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
N/a
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
**N/a**
## **Other optional information**
**N/a**
## **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)** Zita Calkin Martin Hollett **Position (eg** Chair (during reporting **Secretary, Chair, etc)** period) **Date** 4/2/2020