2021-03-31-accounts - Heart Wood

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Heart Wood CIO

Trustees Report

for the Year Ended 31 March 2021

Charity number 1182889

Heart Wood Trustee’s Report

Produced 10 March 2022

Charity Objectives

Heart Wood is a mental health charity based and operating in Northumberland, specifically SouthEast Northumberland and Tynedale.

We provide group counselling in a nature setting for people suffering with enduring and complex poor mental health.

We primarily work with vulnerable men who are unable to engage with existing services. They may be experiencing depression, suicidal feelings, loneliness, isolation, lacking in confidence or suffering with trauma from past life experiences. They are likely to be losing contact with themselves, friends and family and the communities around them.

We offer a safe space facilitated by two client-centred counsellors experienced in working therapeutically in a nature setting. We work with a small group size that is manageable to the participants. At the sessions, the men will check-in, prepare and light the fire, set up the parachute, clear woodland from rhododendron and other bushcraft activities, be part of group time and make group soup.

There is a regular structure to the sessions. However, how much and what the men engage with is dependent on how they are feeling on the day. Throughout the project we are asking the men how it is for them. We are in a constant process of evaluation and adaptation in order to meet their needs. The men that participate feel valued, heard and respected.

Our recent evaluation showed that participants have:

increased in confidence
had a reduction in loneliness
felt ‘valid and worth-while’
continued connecting with each other beyond the project
got back into employment
resolved financial problems
have engaged again within their local community
improved relationships with families and friends
learnt cooking skills resulting in an improved diet
had an improvement in physical health
learnt about nature and ecology
and have continued to engage with the outdoors beyond the project in the knowledge that this helps with their wellbeing

Charity Structure in the period of this report

Heart Wood is a CIO with four Trustees. There is one part-time freelance Project Manager and two freelance Lead Facilitators.

Heart Wood Trustee’s Report

Produced 10 March 2022

Report from the Trustees

For the purposes of this inaugural report from the Heart Wood Trustees, the initial period of the foundation of Heart Wood from April 2019 until March 2020 is also included.

April 2019 – March 2020

Objectives in this period from 3-year plan 2019 - 2022

Charity Development
Design Heart Wood logo & identity
Create website
Set up charity bank account
Set three-year budget and plan
Fundraising campaign for Men’s Group 2020
Increase stakeholder engagement and influence, to create champions of the projects and referral routes, by speaking to GP's and local mental health organisations (e.g. Cynus, NDAS, The Bridge Project, Men's Sheds)
Create and distribute fliers for group projects
Devise and implement marketing and social media campaign
Generate local and regional press coverage
Development time for new group working with adolescents (Active Survival)
Site development at Thorneyford and Minsteracres

Key Achievements

Heart Wood was constituted in April 2019. Four trustees were engaged, and the following months saw a period of charity development, with networking from the charity founder, Chip Ponsford, attending local networking events such as VCS; a funding strategy formed, options, establishing the charity name, logo and brand, setting up the website, setting up the bank account, and drafting charity policies.

In this period, we secured funding as follows:

£2,000 Barbour Foundation £1,250 Rothley Trust:

£1,000 The William Leech Foundation

£2,483 via JustGiving with our fundraising bike ride (now an annual event).

£2,960 via private donations

Heart Wood Trustee’s Report

Produced 10 March 2022

In December 2019, Heart Wood was awarded a considerable grant of £87,712 over 3 years (April 2020 – March 2023) from National Lottery Reaching Communities fund.

This enabled us to start planning to deliver the activity outlined in the three-year plan of:

two ‘Men In Woods’ projects in Spring / Summer 2020
a CPD weekend in June 2020
a ‘Lads and Dads’ weekend in Autumn 2020

Fliers were created and distributed around local towns and villages, in GP surgeries, on community notice boards, libraries, shops, cafes etc. Referral partners were contacted again and recruitment began.

By the beginning of March 2020, eight men had signed up for the first Men’s Group, due to run on Fridays from 17 April – 19 September 2021. The recruitment for the younger men’s group had been less successful and the project was put on hold to allow time to think of other ways of engaging with younger men.

By the end of March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. An extraordinary meeting was called by the Trustees on 6 April and all activity was paused.

Heart Wood Trustee’s Report

Produced 10 March 2022

April 2020 – March 2021

Objectives in this period from 3-year plan 2019 - 2022

Deliver Men’s Group 1 18-25 year olds)
Deliver Men’s Group 2 (over 25 year olds)
Planning and marketing CPD therapist course
Planning and marketing Lads and Dads
CPD therapist training weekend # 1
Lads and Dads pilot programme

Summary of Key Activity: April 2020 – March 2021

In April 2020, Heart Wood went through a process of responding and adapting in the face of the COVID pandemic. It was no longer possible to meet in the woods, but there was a duty of care needed towards the men who had signed up for the Men’s Group project.

Reflections in Nature

The lead facilitators, Chip Ponsford and Rab Erskine, adapted the model that would enable Heart Wood to continue to engage with the men remotely. Additional funding was sought and secured from the National Lottery Covid fund.

The programme, Reflections in Nature , was a series of 12 weekly tasks set by the facilitators, which encouraged the men to engage with nature and respond. Their responses were shared anonymously with the other group members.

Men’s Group Sessions

When the lockdown restrictions were lifted we were able to hold four in-person sessions in the woods between October and March, adhering to Covid guidelines.

Lad’s and Dad’s Pilot

Heart Wood received funding to pilot a programme working with fathers and sons. This was piloted with a father and son who had contacted Heart Wood expressing a desire to work together. Two sessions took place and whilst the feedback was positive from the participants, it was felt that the model couldn’t be expanded to work with several groups of father and sons and therefore this project model would need rethinking.

Heart Wood Trustee’s Report

Produced 10 March 2022

Governance

In this period three Trustees retired, and three new Trustees were appointed. Funding (April 2020 – March 2021)

£32,392 National Lottery Reaching Communities Grant

£250 Charity of the Month donation from Armstrong Watson £50 Private donation

Heart Wood Trustee’s Report

Produced 10 March 2022

(HAMIY COMMISSION riii iNr)LAWANDWfiiE5 1182889 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Fwthe poriod 01104r2020 3110312tr21 Section A Receipts and payments Unre8trlctèd fund8 R88trlctod fund$ Endowm#nt funds Total fvnds Last yoar Al Recelpts OnI Flin( prtVBta Donodcrf Just Gwln 300 4,250 2.660 3QQ ub totsl ross Incomè for ARJ A2 A8S•t •nd lntM•nt 8alo•. 18ee tsbl. Sub totsl Tot4lr•eelpts A3Pa CoTe CO 4611 {611 2An Older mèns 1gits& dad8 3,158 3.150 1.161 355 6.338 Sub tot•1 15,479 4.T48 A4 Aet and In¥8stm¢nt purchas. Is table Sub total 1S,879 15.879 4.745 Net of recwrJts/fpayments) AS Transfers betwÈen funds A6 C35h frJnds lasty9ar Ond Cash fvrtds thlsyearend 1fj813 16,81 21.508 CCXX R1 ac)1&$}

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HEART WOOD

INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees of Heart Wood (the 'charity')

I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I can confirm that no 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 charity as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
the accounts do not accord with such 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 drawing in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

This report is made solely to the charity's Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. My 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 and the charity's Trustees as a body, for my own work or for this report.

Karen Rae FCCA

Dated:

22 January 2022

Armstrong Watson Audit Limited Chartered Accountants Carlisle

HEART WOOD

INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees of Heart Wood (the 'charity')

I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act').

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I can confirm that no 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 charity as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
the accounts do not accord with such 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.

Karen Rae FCCA

Dated:

22 January 2022

Armstrong Watson Audit Limited Chartered Accountants Carlisle