## **The Homeless Period – Wolverhampton**
**Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 26[th] July 2020**
**Charity number 1183408**
## **The Homeless Period – Wolverhampton Report from the Board of Trustees**
## **Contents Page**
- Legal and Administrative Information
- Report from the Chair
- Report of the Board of Trustees
- Statement of Financial Activities
- Balance Sheet (Attached Separately)
**The Homeless Period – Wolverhampton**
## **Report and Financial Statements from the Board of Trustees for year ending 26[th] July 2019**
The Board of Trustees are pleased to present their annual report along with the consolidated financial statements for the charity for the year ending 26[th] July 2020. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Constitution and Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2005).
## **Reference and Administrative Information**
Charity Name: The Homeless Period - Wolverhampton
Charity registration number: 1183408
## **Registered Office and operational address** :
Suite 202-204 Sunbeam Studios
Sunbeam Street,
Wolverhampton WV2 4PF
## **Board of Trustees:**
Mrs C Roberts-Molloy Chair Mrs Helen Kenny Treasurer Miss Jessica Labhart Secretary Mrs Khadijah Roberts-Molloy
## **The Chair’s Report**
Since becoming a Registered Charity on 14[th] May 2019 we have been able to expand and gain further support for our work, ensuring the ongoing sustainability of the organisation.
The majority of the activities undertaken over the past financial year have been as a result of the National Lottery funding received prior to registration for the delivery of our EPPIC Project. The project aims to End Period Poverty in Communities and the funding has supported the delivery of several community period packing sessions, the development of our Youth Steering Group and the formation and delivery of our Menstrual Education Workshops, included a whole week of workshops delivered to Year 8 pupils from St Matthias School.
In addition to the organisations we regularly support across the city, we have also provided support to the local authorities food distribution hub as we realised that families financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and those self-isolating were missing out on essential period items as they weren’t being included in the packs distributed. We therefore reached out to the hub and provide pads for those families in desperate need. We were also in a position to support our nurses and NHS staff at New Cross Hospital by providing hand cream to alleviate the skin dryness they were experiencing from wearing the increased PPE.
As Chair, I have represented the organisation in a number of media interviews and events including the One World Period event, celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day in May 2020 and the Periods and Beyond Conference, held at Brunel University in January 2020. We have also been honoured to continue supporting Birmingham City University with their period poverty research and also developing key links with Wolverhampton University and supporting their Student Union to introduce free period products in the toilets across campus.
In June 2020, we celebrated Volunteers Week and recognised Stuart Kenny as our first Volunteer of the Year. Stuart and his van have supported us tirelessly by helping to collect and distribute donations around the city, and Stuart is an invaluable asset to the team.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has not only resulted in a additional demand for our services but has also impacted the way in which the community supports us. With our collection points closed across the city, we have experienced a shift in increased financial donations rather than the physical donation of pads and associated items. These financial donations have enabled us to purchase items directly before disseminating to those in need.
We are no looking toward the future and looking at strategies and campaigns to maximise our income so we can support even more individuals, while reducing our overheads. We’re therefore currently looking at options for alternative office space as our current landlord has not been able to support us during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have completed or are in the process of completing a number of funding applications to support our financial resilience and enable us to continue our activities as well as introduce new and exciting projects.
We have continued to be overwhelmed by the generosity and support we receive from across the city and look forward to supporting more individuals and families and continuing our fight against period poverty in the year ahead.
Clare Roberts-Molloy - Chair
## **Our Aims and objectives**
## **Purposes and Aims**
Our charity’s purposes as set out in the objects contained in the organisation’s constitution. The aims of our charity are to reduce the levels of period poverty within Wolverhampton and to educate young people and the wider public around period poverty and menstruation.
Our aims fully reflect the purposes that the charity was set up to further.
## **Ensuring our work delivers our aims:**
We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help.
The review also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
## **The focus of our work**
Our main objectives for the year continued to be the reduction of period poverty in Wolverhampton, and menstrual education and awareness to young people and the wider public. The strategies we used to meet these objectives included:
- Raising funds and receiving donations of menstrual products from the public and supporters
- Delivery and provision of menstrual products, toiletries and underwear to individuals and charitable organisations for dissemination to their beneficiaries
- Delivery of educational workshops to schools and groups of young people
- Convening period packing sessions for the community
- Raise awareness around menstrual activity in partnership with period poverty organisations and charities regionally and nationally to combat ongoing menstrual stigma and inequality.
## **How our activities deliver public benefit**
Our main activities and who we try to help are described below. All our charitable activities focus on the relief of period poverty and delivery of menstrual education workshops and are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.
## **Who used and benefited from our services?**
Our objects and funding limit the services we provide to residents in Wolverhampton. While specific data relating to the extent of period poverty across the city is lacking, the demand for our services and provision of products has continued to increase.
We currently regularly support more than 10 organisations across the city, who support homeless individuals and those experiencing varying levels of poverty. We estimate that via these organisations we support in excess of 2000 individuals and families per year. We also provide support and products to individuals and families who contact us directly. On average, we provide 200 packs of menstrual products per month.
We raise awareness of menstrual issues via online campaigns, the delivery of menstrual workshops, community packing sessions and by participating in regional research projects and supporting national and regional campaigns alongside other period poverty charities and organisations.
## **Receipt of Donations**
Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic we had a number of active donation points across the city, predominantly located in public spaces and small businesses. We also regularly received donations of products directly to our offices or our volunteers would collect directly from organisations that had fundraised on our behalf.
However, as a result of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, our donation points were no longer active as local businesses closed due to restrictions.
To ensure we continued to support individuals and families as demand grew, we switched our activities so we could receive financial donations online and requested donors supported us this way. This then enabled us to order products directly to our offices.
## **Provision of Period Products**
Over the past 12 months we have provided period products on a regular basis to:
- The Well Food Bank
- P3 – Homeless Accommodation and Support
- Solace Community – Homeless Accommodation and Support
- The Haven Wolverhampton – Domestic Abuse Services
- King’s School
- Wolverhampton College
- Wolverhampton Student Union
- The Good Shepherd Centre – Homeless Provision
- Colton Hills School
- Refugee and Migrant Centre
- Elias Mattu Foundation – Food Bank
- Excel Church Food Bank
- Peer Support Services – Young Mothers
In addition, we supported the Local Authorities Food Distribution Hub which provided food parcels and essential items to families in need during the COVID-19 Pandemic
## **Awareness Raising and Menstrual Equity**
To raise further awareness around the issue of period poverty, which has gained increasing media coverage and several high profile petitions and campaigns to introduce free period products in schools, we have participated in a number of regional and national research projects and events
We have supported Birmingham City University with their period poverty research and supported Wolverhampton University’s Student Union with the introduction of free period products in toilets across the campus.
We have been active in raising the issues of period poverty and period inequity across social media and have participated in a number of media interviews. We have supported key events including The One World Period event celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day and the Periods &
Beyond Conference held at Brunel University and hosted by key organisations in the period poverty activist community including Plan International UK.
## **Menstrual Education**
We have developed a range of Menstrual Education Workshops and delivered these to a number of schools across the city. The content of the workshops was designed followed consultation and co-production events with pupils from the Kings School, Wolverhampton. Our highlight of the year was delivering a whole week of workshops to Year 8 students from St Matthias School.
Menstrual Education is an area we are looking to develop further, however, we have experienced challenges in gaining access to schools or discovering that other organisations are already providing support to them. However, we believe our menstrual workshops, provided free to the schools are highly effective and we’re looking at ways in which they may be delivered virtually to provide more flexibility and options for the schools we support.
## **Financial Review**
Total income for the year to 30th June 2020 was £1,670. These were wholly unrestricted funds made up of donations totalling £1,256 which included a £500 donation from the Asda Green Token scheme, a £400 consultation fee from Birmingham City University in connection with their ‘Period Dramas’ research and sundry income of £14. No restricted donations were received during the year.
Total expenditure for the year was £10,366. £2,461 of this was unrestricted spend and £7,905 was restricted spend. The bulk of expenditure was rent and service charge £8,162, telecoms and website £701, insurance £460 and stock £415.
Total expenditure for the year exceeded income to leave a deficit of £8,696 but this was financed by restricted funds remaining from the Big Lottery Fund brought forward from the previous year. This grant of £10,000 was received in January 2019 prior to The Homeless Period-Wolverhampton becoming a CIO in May 2019.
Looking forward and as the charity has no regular source of income, the focus will be on fundraising and applying for various grants that are available.
## **Investment Policy**
Aside from retaining a prudent amount in reserves each year the charity’s funds are spent in the short term so there are no funds for long term investment. If the financial situation of the charity changes, the Board will reconsider investments in the future.
## **Reserves Policy**
In the first full year of operation there is no reserves policy in place for the following reasons.
- The main activity of the charity is to collect physical rather than monetary donations from members of the public and pass them on to other charities, organisations or individuals. This means the only binding financial commitment is the office lease agreement that requires three months’ notice to terminate.
- All volunteers work for free meaning there are no binding people costs associated with the charity.
As the charity moves forward and grows it is expected that a reserves policy will be required and is expected to be in place for the next financial year.
## **Plans for Future Periods**
The charity plans continuing the activities outlined above in the forthcoming years subject to satisfactory funding arrangements.
To reduce overheads and ensure the organisation continues to be sustainable despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will seek new, more cost effective office space. We will continue to apply for grant funding to support our activities and enable us to expand those we support ads well as delivering further projects for the benefits of the individuals and communities we serve.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Governing Document**
The organisation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered as a charity on 14[th] May 2019. The organisation was established under a Constitution which established the aims and objects of the CIO.
## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees**
Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. 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.
While the Board currently consists of the first charity trustees, recruitment of additional trustees may take place in the coming years to further support the work of the organisation.
## **Trustee Induction and Training**
Upon appointment, new trustees will be invited and encouraged to attend a series of short training sessions covering:
- The obligations of Board Trustees
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children
- The main documents which set out the operational framework for the charity including the Constitution.
- Resourcing, fundraising and the current financial position as set out in the latest published accounts.
- Future plans and objectives.
A Question & Answer pack is being prepared drawing information from the various Charity Commission publications signposted through the Commission’s guide “the Essential Trustee” as a follow up to these sessions. This is distributed to all new trustees along with the Constitution and the latest financial statements. We are also members of NCVO and make their various training and publications available to trustees as appropriate.
Feedback from new trustees will be collected to ensure we continuously improve our processes.
## **Risk Management**
The Management Committee has conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces.
Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan which will allow for the diversification of funding and activities. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects.
Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to the centre. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity.
## **Organisational Structure**
The Homeless Period – Wolverhampton has four Trustees, whom all have voting rights and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the Board has four members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity.
The members of the CIO are the charity trustees for the time being. The only persons eligible to be members of the CIO are its charity trustees. Membership of the CIO cannot be transferred to anyone else. Any member and charity trustee who ceases to be a charity trustee automatically ceases to be a member of the CIO.
The organisation does not currently employ any staff and therefore all decisions are undertaken by the Board of Trustees along with all operational and activities. However, funding allowing, it is the future aim of the organisation to employ a CEO, at least on a art-time basis to purposefully drive the organisation forward, beyond the resources of the current Board.
## **Responsibilities of the Board**
The Charity Commission requires the Board of Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the CIO as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Board should follow best practice and:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
- Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is not appropriate to assume that the organisation will continue on that basis.
The Board is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985.
The Board is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities (issued in March 2005) and in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small entities.
Approved by the Board on 17[th] February 2021 and signed on its behalf by:
Mrs C Roberts-Molloy (Chair)
**Income and Expenditure for The Homeless Period-Wolverhampton charity for the year ended 26/07/2020**
||**£**
**£**
**Unrestricted Income and**
**Expenditure**|**£**
**£**
**Unrestricted Income and**
**Expenditure**|**£**
**£**
**Restricted Income and**
**Expenditure**|**£**
**£**
**Restricted Income and**
**Expenditure**|**£**
**£**
**Total Income and**
**Expenditure**|**£**
**£**
**Total Income and**
**Expenditure**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**_Income_**|||||||
|BigLotteryFund||||0.00||0.00|
|Donations||1,256.48||||1,256.48|
|ConsutantFee||400.00||||400.00|
|SundryIncome||13.81||||13.81|
|**Total Income**||**1,670.29**||**0.00**||**1,670.29**|
||||||||
|**_Expenditure_**|||||||
|Publicity|45.60||||45.60||
|Telecoms|545.87||||545.87||
|Stock|414.84||||414.84||
|Travel Expenses|92.45||||92.45||
|Sundry Costs|7.30||||7.30||
|Fees|88.00||||88.00||
|Website|11.95||143.45||155.40||
|Insurance|227.27||232.39||459.66||
|Rent and Service Charge|1,027.91||7,134.12||8,162.03||
|Electricity|||99.67||99.67||
|Office Sundries|||41.24||41.24||
|Stationery|||3.50||3.50||
|Computer Equipment|||14.99||14.99||
|Refreshments|||85.03||85.03||
|Depreciation foryear|||150.66||150.66||
|**Total Expenditure**||**2,461.19**||**7,905.05**||**10,366.24**|
||||||||
|**Surplus/(Deficit)**||**-790.90**||**-7,905.05**||**-8,695.95**|
||||||||
|_Funds brought forward_||3,031.97||8,350.05|||
||||||||
|**_Funds carried forward_**||**2,241.07**||**445.00**||**2,686.07**|
## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities for The Homeless Period-Wolverhampton as at 26/07/2020**
||**£**|**£**|
|---|---|---|
|**_Assets_**|||
|Computers|177.65||
|_Less_Depreciationto date|51.82||
|Net value||125.83|
|OfficeEquipment|148.01||
|_Less_Depreciationto date|122.51||
|Netvalue||25.50|
|OfficeFurniture|270.00||
|_Less_Depreciationto date|33.75||
|Net value||236.25|
|Cash in Bank||2,298.49|
|**Total Assets**||**2,686.07**|
||||
|**_Liabilities_**||0.00|
|**Total Net Assets**||**2,686.07**|
||||
|**_Funded by_**|||
|UnestrictedFunds||2,241.07|
|RestrictedFunds||445.00|
|**Total Funds**||**2,686.07**|
C:\Users\clare.roberts-molloy\Downloads\Accounts July 2019 to June 2020 (1)