_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 


to raise a child…………. 

## Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21 


www.redhenproject.org  Registered Charity No. 1183845 51 Cambridge Road, Milton, Cambridgeshire, CB24 6AW 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **About Red Hen** 

## **Registration** 

Charity Registration Number: 1183845 (previously 1072190, formed 1998) 

Registered Address: 51 Cambridge Road, Milton, Cambridge, CB4 6AW 

## **Trustees** 

Lesley Ford (Chair) Rev Dave Maher (Vice Chair) Paul Connelly (Secretary) Jack Atkins (Treasurer) Bobby Ford Jane Rickell (from September 2020) Kevin Price Kirsty Cooke Miranda Gomperts Sophie Evans 

## **Project Lead** 

## **Contents** 

- Chair’s foreword 


- Achievements and highlights 


- Outcomes and impact 


- Our mission, aims and values 


- Public benefit 


- Our work and approach 


- Governance 


- Our thanks 


- Treasurer’s report 


- Audited accounts 


Sarah Crick 

## **Independent Examiner** 

Lisa King − Burdett King Accountancy Limited 8 The Hamiltons, Newmarket, CB8 0NF 

## **Bankers** 

Lloyds Bank, 125 Chesterton Rd, Cambridge, CB4 3AU 

## **Structure, governance, and management** 

The charity is governed by a constitution adopted on May 2019 

The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), formed on 1[st] April 2020 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Achievements and Highlights** 


- We started the year **rapidly adapting** to the grim reality of the emerging COVID 19 crisis, when on March 17[th] we **switched our service model** to focus on being **as responsive as possible to the needs of children and families** at this difficult time 


- This became the beginning of what was to become a core part of our work during the pandemic – **providing an emotional lifeline along with practical support on the doorstep** when delivering food and emergency family supplies, such as washing powder, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and sanitary items 

During the first lockdown we provided practical help through these deliveries of essentials along with children resources such as chalk, paper, pens, pencils, toys, books and games providing a much-needed distraction to over 400 children in around 150 families – especially those confined to flats with no outdoor space 


- During the first lockdown we provided practical help through these deliveries of essentials along with **children resources** such as chalk, paper, pens, pencils, toys, books and games providing a **much-needed distraction to over 400 children** in around 150 families – especially those confined to flats with no outdoor space 


- Within days of the lockdown being put in place we contacted families outside our 121 casework and started to have **regular online drop-in sessions** where families could connect and share experiences 


- Core 121 family work continued, but the caseload moved to supported **online** and over the phone, which brought with it challenges and opportunities 

During the school closures we worked closely with schools - heads, inclusion and safeguarding staff - to help families isolating at home, and then support families getting those children most in need into school once they were able. 


- COVID-19 has caused increasing levels of poverty, and we forged an incredibly beneficial partnership with local business **Cambridge Fruit Company** who galvanised its customers to donate fruit and vegetable boxes 


- We have become active members of the local **Food Poverty Alliance** and part of the emergency COVID19 response across the city working alongside **community food hubs** , building a relationship with **Cambridge Sustainable Food** 


- We further developed our partnership with **FareShare** and joined new food sharing platform **Neighbourly** , continuing to harness volunteers to help with the collection of surplus food, from M&S and Aldi as well as our longstanding arrangement with Tesco, on a weekly basis, before we re-distribute it to families in need 


- Our established links to **Cambridge City Foodbank** continued and with whom we developed **Club Cook** , our virtual budget cookery groups supported by **Cambridge Community Foundation** and delivered with the help of **Church of the Good Shepherd’s** family chaplain **Anastasia Sanders** 

As soon as guidelines allowed and venues became available, we set up a **new COVID’safe Drop-In** a large space at **Arbury Community Centre** which provided essential contact and support for families as lockdowns eased 


- We tailored and delivered 121 sections of our **Raising Children course** with parents and carers, as we were unable to deliver the course to groups 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 


- Local grant providers **Cambridge Aid** and homelessness charity **Emmaus** became a key partner in our response to **digital exclusion** experienced by some of our families 


- We managed to take 26 families to Shepreth Zoo for a COVID safe **family summer day trip** with the help of **The Ley’s** who provided a shuttle service ferrying individual families from North Cambridge in their minibuses - the school also supported 26 families from 10 families to go bowling later in the year 


Working with our Cambridge City Foodbank volunteer Hilary Duncan, we created a **Lockdown Survival Shopping List and Meal Planner** based on the £15 vouchers given to families to feed children during lockdown 

At her retirement, we were able to announce our senior family worker Chris O’Reilly has been recognised by the Queen for her services to the community and received the British Empire Medal - following 16 years of outstanding service to the charity and our community we sprang a surprise virtual retirement Zoom 


- In partnership with **Kettles Yard’s community arts project** for North Cambridge, we delivered a project for families focused on early years communication and literacy at **Church of the Good Shepherd** , that culminated in the **publication of a children’s book** 


- Despite the Cambridge Biker’s Santa Toy Run being cancelled due to COVID, we still received huge support from friends, family and the wider public for our **Christmas gifts appeal** with **presents** delivered to over 150 children and Christmas hampers from the **Cambridge City Foodbank** and the **Besom Project** were distributed to our most-in-need families 


- Continued to **strengthen of our trustee board** , with the addition of Jane Rickell who was one of the three head teachers that originally played a role in creating the charity 


- Local business **Elica** gave us a free office in their converted house in Milton 


- After being offered temporary storage space during the lockdown, we moved into a dedicated space on the ground floor of the **Allia Future Business Centre** 


- Successfully onboarded an outstanding **new senior family worker** Rachel Bennet in April and **additional family worker** Theresa Quarmby in November amid lockdowns and school closures 

Towards the end of the year, we secured Innovate funding from Cambridgeshire County Council, for a pilot project extending the capacity of the locality Early Help team, and recruited two additional family workers to deliver this work which starts in April 2021 


- Staff complete **Youth Mental Health First Aid** training and accreditation, and started to implement the **Family Outcomes Star** , a nationally recognised tool and method of structuring work with families which measures distance travelled 


- Joined two additional and highly beneficial networks coordinated by **Cambridge Housing Society (CHS)** – **the Financial Capabilities Group** and the **Cambridge and South Cambs Charity Network** – accessing knowledge, sharing challenges, creating solutions, and forging partnerships 


- We ran our first successful fundraising project, our **Spring Challenge raised over £13,000** 


- **Huge thanks** to John Stead, Miranda Gomperts, Dani Guy, Sheila Ceccarelli, Andy Clements, Barry Shapiro, Fabian and Tilly Gomperts Willis, Sarah Bolt, Annemarie and Fionnua Donovan and Mary-Clare Smiley, Bobby Ford, Kate, Hugh and Lizzie Molloy, Helen Mulligan, Andre Kramer, Natalie Bicheno, Kate Swindlehurst, Sam Skeaping, Antony Quinn, Jane Dominey, Nadine Grauer, Jane Dominey, Annabelle Deakin, Catherine Morris, Lisa Armitage, Christine O’Reilly, Diane Rawlins, Dora Parreira, Flora Sheldon, Helen Arnold, Helen Forbes, Geraldine Ellis, Gill Haughan, Jane Carmichael, Jess Pearson, Jesse Evans, Lily Morris, Mary Hall, Rachel Telfer, Rebecca Merriman, Sarah Upjohn, Tim Evans, Kathy Whiting, Zoe Oram, Pippa and Sophie Evans. 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Outcomes & impact** 

## **Our COVID Response** 


- _‘Thank you so much for all your help and support during this hard time we were and still not allowed to leave our house and getting deliveries from shops was hard also due to hubby being the only one to earn we’ve had no money so this service was critical to us and we can’t thank you enough’_ 


- _‘Me and my family were struggling, to see a friendly face and have the help was appreciated so much’_ 

**28%** 

said the _a further_ reported our deliveries were deliveries were _**‘Really Useful – as it was difficult ‘Crucial’**_ **68%** _**to get to the shops/buy items’**_ 


- _‘The arts and crafts and packs were great as it gave my kids different things to do and extra ideas. Kept them entertained which was crucial during lockdown. The food was a massive help financially as my son is celiac and its expensive.’_ 


- _‘I have 5 children and trying to go shopping was very hard and I would always get looks and abuse from people in the line outside. When we had to line up to come in. So I am very grateful for the Red Hen deliveries. Having no family to help me -so Red Hen was my only help.’_ 

## **54%** 

said seeing Red Hen for a quick hello and chat on the doorstep was _**‘Crucial – I was stressed/worried/anxious, it was a real highlight’**_ 

_a further_ 

## **35%** 

said it was 

_**‘Really helpful - Just to see another adult and have someone ask how I was, and how we were doing, was lovely’**_ 


- _‘I can't express how helpful they were. Seeing another adult for a quick chat was also a huge help. The fruit and veg boxes encouraged me and my children to try new things and it helped me cook new healthy meals for us. I now continue to cook healthy homemade dinners more than I did before lockdown. Thank you.’_ 


- _‘The help I got was immeasurable. My children and I were always so grateful and happy to see Maria and if we were in crisis or desperation they were there.’_ 


- _‘Was really nice to have a friendly face at the door in such a stressful time. Just like to say a massive Thank you for everything you all did for me and my family!’_ 


- _‘The deliveries were an absolute life saver for me and my 2 children it wasn’t just the food that helped us out, it was being to see someone and it was the same person so you got to know them. Sometimes it came with extra treats like books or craft packs and my kids went crazy, the look on their faces, it was like Christmas they were very excited. I don’t know how the wound have coped without the Red Hen and there support week after week.’_ 


- _‘Red Hen have helped me and my family for years they are absolutely amazing I couldn’t imagine being without them’_ 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Our Intensive Casework** 

## **100% of families** 

• _**would seek support from Red Hen in future if needed**_ • _**would recommend others getting support from Red Hen**_ 


- _[Red Hen] helped me through my separation by listening to me and helping me to get things sorted by putting me in the right direction. I was struggling to think about how I have to be organised. They talked through all the struggles and helped me to make decisions._ 


- _Really good advice and always being there to talk to_ 


- _Helped me get a referral for my daughter with suspected ADHD helped me with tips and advice to help my daughters behaviour at home_ 


- _By listening and not judging_ 


- _[My family worker] has been very pleasant to work with. With her advice and guidance, she has helped my family overcome several issues that we had before. She is very passionate about her work, kind, and caring. I am very satisfied with her in all possible aspects._ 


- _Support weekly to the all family, especially over lockdown when my son was struggling and having meltdowns_ 


- _[My family worker] has been a steadying influence_ 




_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Our, mission, aims and values** 

**‘It takes a village to raise a child’** – our vision is to create that village 

Our **mission** is to create a supportive and self-reliant community where children can take advantage of every opportunity to contribute fully to society and fulfil their lives. 

Children experiencing trauma, crisis or challenging behaviour will have **improved emotional and physical wellbeing, and improved engagement with education** Schools, support agencies and statutory bodies will be **better co-ordinated** to meet local needs, and **reduce isolation** for families 

Parents facing family crisis will have **increased their parenting skills** , **confidence, and emotional wellbeing** 

Families will have **improved links** with others in their communities and to be **better able to support others** with similar problems 

## **Our aims are to** 










- **support** vulnerable families and children and **improve** life chances 

- **advance** the education of children by helping to remove barriers to learning 

- **nurture** positive parenting skills in our families and the wider community 

- **prevent** truancy and exclusions, and **encourage** parental involvement in their children’s learning 

- **build** more positive relationships between families, their schools, and communities 

- **help** families move from dependence to independence 

- **foster** social integration, access, and participation, thus reducing social isolation 

- **co-ordinate** support in a focused way, **promoting** inter-agency liaison and co-operation 

- **enable** vulnerable families to seek appropriate support from other agencies 

## **Our values mean we** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
are  caring,<br>strive to be  non- respect  the  seek to  empower  our families,<br>supportive ,<br>judgemental ,  families &  enabling  them to resolve the<br>encouraging ,<br>approachable  &  children with  difficulties they may be<br>independent  &<br>friendly whom we work  experiencing<br>trustworthy<br>believe in using  early<br>believe in  are committed to<br>intervention  to address initial<br>are committed  benefits of  continuous<br>difficulties a family may<br>to our  local  proactively development<br>encounter to  prevent  them<br>community working with  and the value of<br>developing into significant<br>other agencies  lived experience<br>problems<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Public benefit** 

This progress against our outcomes leads to an overall impact of **families in the community being happy and fulfilled** , and able to make **positive contributions to society** , leading to **self-efficacy** in our communities. 


Children have **improved their life chances** , through **developing confidence and emotional resilience** 


Families have **improved family relationships** , through **developing effective** , **responsible parenting skills** 


Families have **improved engagement with the community** , and **reduced isolation** 


Families have **improved their life chances** , and are **less reliant on outside intervention** 


## **Our work and approach** 

## **Why we exist** 

The Red Hen Project operates in the socially and economically disadvantaged areas of North Cambridge − an area where there is often a reliance on welfare and social care. This reliance can perpetuate the cycle for many families in our community, creating a ‘poverty trap’ for future generations. We aim to break this cycle, by encouraging and supporting families from dependence to independence, through a range of strategies and activities. 

## **Who we help** 

The Red Hen provides family support through a home and school liaison programme. We support primary school children and their families, with a particular focus on children who are displaying emotional and behavioural difficulties. The nature of our organisation and the approach we take means that we not only help the child’s parents and other carers but usually work with the siblings of these children, who do not necessarily attend one of our partner schools. 

## **What we do** 

Through the work of family workers, the Red Hen Project supports families to enable them to 

|**Create independent**|**Improve parenting**|**Develop positive**|**Increase**|**Reduce**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**support strategies**|**& life skills**|**engagement with education**|**confidence**|**isolation**||



This work supporting families, in turn, gives the community the capacity and resilience to tackle the roots of social problems at the earliest opportunity. 

## **How we do it** 

The Red Hen Project focuses on the **individual needs of each child** and their families; there is **no one-size-fits-all** approach. Almost anything that is making life difficult for children and parents can be tackled. We prioritise one-toone support, complemented by peer support, and help families to become independent. This may include, but is not limited to; reluctance to attend school, addressing behaviour difficulties both at home and school, routines, accessing out of school activities; helping families with housing, benefits, or debts issues; supporting families and children through the challenges of relationship breakdown, domestic violence, mental or physical health 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Our approach, our philosophy** 

Our approach is a **family-centred** model, which is tried and tested by both Social Care and Health − informed by current and ongoing research. We aim to deliver frontline services that can help families, children, and young people by focusing on their needs. This approach, and the use of the Early Help Assessment (formerly the Common Assessment Framework), is used to give effective early intervention. 

We work within a **multi-disciplinary** framework and adopt a wide range of approaches as necessary. We also adopt the principles of the Children and Families Act 2014 (formerly Every Child Matters), as we feel that these principles focus on positive outcomes and the themes are more relevant than ever. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Achieve<br>economic<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Enjoy and achieve<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Be safe<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


## **Intensive support** 

We work with families on a one-to-one basis for seven months on average, but we have the flexibility for this intensive support to be in place for over a year, if needed. We work together at home and in the community to improve family life and relationships. Food poverty is a recurring issue. We are authorised to refer our families to the local Foodbank, have a partnership with FareShare to redistribute surplus food, and hold our own emergency fund to support families in crisis. 

## **Support in the community** 

Community-based support is crucial in developing relationships and reducing isolation. We provide a comfortable, supportive and non-threatening environment for isolated families, where they can recieve advice, guidance, and signposting. The weekly groups are a powerful tool for engaging hard-to-reach families, enabling them to gradually build relationships on their own time frame. We organise day trips to enable families to spend time together and build friendships leading to peer support, removing barriers such as lack of finance or transport, lack of confidence, language, or disability. Both the groups and trips are instrumental in fostering peer-to-peer support. 

## **Building skills through workshops and courses** 

Through our referrals we have identified a need for effective parenting strategies. We run a mixture of one-off workshops and eight-week accredited courses, allowing inclusive participation. The proven impact of these strategies is a calmer home life, better family communication, and greater attainment and attendance at school. In addition we run cookery courses, giving around six to eight families at a time the skills and confidence to cook healthy family meals on a tight budget. 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Governance** 

## **Charitable Objects** 

The **charitable objects** of the charity as set out in our new Constitution are 

To advance the education and development of children and their parents/carers in North Cambridge by providing support, activities and services designed to 


- develop the capabilities, competencies, skills and understanding of parents/carers 


- support children and families facing emotional and behavioural challenges 


- reduce the number of children and families with emotional and behavioural challenges 


- improve school attendance and educational performance 


- increase empowerment and participation of hard-to-reach families 


- improve social integration, access, and participation in the community 

## **Powers and delegations** 

The Board of Trustees hold all the charity’s powers and authorities. The Board is ultimately responsible for the overall control and strategic direction of the charity and the protection of its assets. Day-to-day running of the charity is the responsibility of the Project Lead, Sarah Crick. 

The Trustees of the charity are appointed by the Board and are representative of our community, our families, and our schools, and met six times during 2020-21. Trustees are re-elected annually at the AGM, unless they choose not to stand for re-election. Our quorum is two, or the number nearest to a third of the total number of trustees, whichever is greatest. The names of Trustees who served during the year are set out on page 2. 

New Trustees attend an initial meeting where they are provided with a full report on the charity’s activities and what their roles and responsibilities are as Trustees. Trustees are encouraged to call meetings of Trustees whenever they feel it is necessary to discuss any issues that arise. Ongoing training is available as needed. 

## **Statement of responsibilities of the Trustees** 

Red Hen’s Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. 

The Trustees review and agree financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity. 

The Trustees are responsible for ensuring the employees of the charity maintain proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charity Commission’s requirements. 

The Trustees 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. 

## **Statement of Public Benefit** 

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, ‘Charities and Public Benefit’. 

That guidance addresses the need for all charities’ aims to be, demonstrably, for the public benefit. 

The Red Hen Project addresses its objectives through the provision of early intervention in the form of intensive family work. This is complimented by a range of outreach support designed to support children and families on their journey to independence. Achievements over the year are highlighted in this report. 

We aim to help children and families experiencing challenges and disadvantage in our community, and no person is excluded on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or social position. 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Our thanks** 

## **Our staff and volunteers** 

Our greatest thanks go to our small team of amazing family workers - **Rachel Bennett** , **Maria David** and **Theresa Quarmby** - who have gone above and beyond to support children and their families through a year of unimaginable difficulties with kindness and passion. They have ensured families are treated with dignity and compassion whilst building their confidence and supporting them to independence. 

Alongside the core team, **Will Males** was crucial to our COVID response in the Spring, and **Kathy Skill** and **Rhianna Milton** have been integral to that continued support and to delivering new projects responding to the pandemic. 

The role of **volunteers** has grown in importance during this first pandemic year. We thank all those individuals who volunteered in any capacity, and are grateful for all their hard work and commitment. We particularly thank 


- our ‘Nigella’, **Hilary Duncan,** for all her dedication to the development and delivery of Club Cook professional writer **Rachel Extance** for giving her time and expertise 



- **Dan Woodford** for his help collecting food donations, **Andrea Clamp** for helping him, and joining forces with **Jacquie Davidson** to support our Spring Challenge fundraising efforts 

## **Our partnerships** 

As always, we thank the heads, teachers and wider staff of our partner schools, especially in this challenging year. 

We thank both the many organisations and individuals* who have donated their resources, expertise, time and energy, and in many cases funds too. Your belief in what we do and the help you give, is crucial to our success. 

**The Ley’s, GrowKids, Beesom, Cambridge Aid, Corkscrew, The Haymakers Pub Quiz, Cambridge Sustainable Food, Matt Innes and Beam Group, Cambridge Bikers Christmas Toy Run, Cambridge Community Nursing Trust, Cambridge City Foodbank, The Football Fun Factory, Church of the Good Shepherd, Arbury Community Centre** Particular thanks to go to 


- local software company **Elica** for both their kind donations, and giving us our own our office space landlady **Liz Jeffries** and Benson for turning the The Haymakers pub in Chesterton into a donation hub Neil Bharadwa and the incredible customers of **Cambridge Fruit Company** 



## **Our funders** 

**The National Lottery Community Fund, John Lewis, Barnabas Oley Trust (Clare College), ARM, Displaylink, Trinity College Chapel, Go Glass, Dassault Systemes, Cambridge United Charities, Reach Community Solar Farm, Cambridge City Council, Costello Medical, Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, Great St Mary’s Church, Cambs Cuisine, St John’s College, Rosmarinus Charitable Trust, St John’s Church, Masonic Charitable Trust, FareShare, Cambridgeshire County Council, St Andrew’s Church - Stapleford, St John’s College School Parent’s Association, Richmond Road Residents’ Association, KISS Communications** 

and other fundraisers, individuals and groups*, including 

Julia Sang, Herbert Kenward, Mr & Mrs Barrett, J Dominey, A & L Harris, E Klaar, Andrea Senf, Amy Cooper, Schaf & Lau, Colin Bell, Dr David Parry, Rev Charles Fraser, Miss Brenda Disbrey, Family & Friends of Jo Robbins, Unite, Chamifealion Trust, James & Susannah Lewis, Castle Townswomen’s Guild, Cambridge Soroptimists, Holly Rowland, Dr Helen Cook, Philippe Cotrel, Elain Fulton, Lucy Howson, Dr Sarah Howlett, Heidi Mulvey, Jeremy Davies and Bridget Bradshaw 

plus our Spring Challengers, (listed earlier in the report), and all our anonymous donors 

Your donations and grants have enabled us to deliver a professional and effective service helping those children and families most in need. Our lottery funding does not cover all our costs and we therefore count on your generosity to transform children and families’ lives. 

_* There are too many of you to mention individually, and many of you have requested anonymity. If we have missed you, please forgive us – this year has stretched our capacity to the limits, and we have prioritised supporting families during this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding._ 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Treasurer's report 2020-21** 

## **Income** 

## **Expenditure** 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
£223,590<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
£124,970<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

We ended the year 2019-20 with a credit balance of £39,439 and ended 2020-21 with a carry forward of £138,059. 

## **Budget 2020-22** 

|Income|£118,608.|
|---|---|
|Expenditure|(£92,135)|
|We set an in-year surplus budget of|£26,473|
|<br>With the carry forward from 2019-20, we set an overall credit budget to be||
|carried forward as of 31 March 2021 of|**£65,912**|



## **Year-end position** 

|Income|£223,590|
|---|---|
|Expenditure|(£124,970)|
|<br>The in-year surplus was|£98,620|
|<br>With the 2019-20 carry forward, we ended the year with an overall credit||
|budget to be carried forward as of 31 March 2021 of|**£138,059**|



The difference between the original budget and the year-end position is due to a substantial increase in donations and fundraising income during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2021 are available for inspection. 

## **Performance** 

During 2020-21 we received £223,590 income, £104,982 more than budgeted. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Income: plan and actual 2020-21<br>120,000.00<br>107,054.09<br>100,000.00<br>85,990.00<br>80,000.00<br>68,564.21<br>60,000.00<br>32,899.83<br>40,000.00<br>22,618.00<br>15,072.44<br>20,000.00<br>10,000.00<br>0.00<br>0.00<br>Donations Fundraising Grants restricted Other income<br>Actual £ Budget £<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


The majority of the additional income was generated through increased donations and fundraising. This was primarily due to the Project raising its profile during the COVID-19 pandemic. 



_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 





Many thanks to those who granted and donated funds so generously; please see the end of the report for more details. The additional income meant we were able to provide more support to families during the pandemic. 

As the Charity has evolved, so has the complexity of the finances; this continues to be reflected in the financial statements within this report and in future annual accounts. 

As part of the new detail provided within the financial statements, we have shown the brought forward balances as unrestricted, restricted and designated. The movement between unrestricted and designated funds is in line with the updated designated funds policy (see further details below). 

## **Funding** 

## **Lottery and other funders** 

The Big Lottery fund our work through a Reaching Communities grant, committing over £300,000 to support the Project's work from May 2018-April 2022. This grant part-funds salaries, training, parenting groups and workshops, resources, and general running of the project. 

We were happy to have received support from a large number of other funders, including Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council, Cambridge United Charities, Reach Community Solar Farm, The Masonic Charitable Trust, Ley's Community Grant, and FareShare. 

## 

## 

This financial year has seen our income diversify to include fundraising and individual giving, and we have also increased donations from groups and organisations. We received nearly £5,000 from new supporters giving regularly. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
9%<br>Fundraising and giving<br>2020-21 28%<br>£<br>Fundraising<br>Individual donations<br>Regular donors 63%<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Business Engagement** 

Our work to engage the local business community, especially with the assistance of Cambridge Fruit Company, led to new support from many businesses, including ARM, Dassault, Displaylink and Elica, to name only a few. 

These funds have allowed the Red Hen Project to embark on numerous initiatives that have aided those in the community through a particularly challenging time. 

## **Reserves and designated funds** 

## **Purpose** 

The Red Hen Project holds reserves to ensure the continuation of its services to meet its charitable aims and objectives as well as have the ability to meet financial commitments of unforeseen events. These funds are split between reserves and designated funds. 

## **Reserves** 

The Charity aims to hold a sufficient level of reserves to cover the operating costs of a 5-month period in the event of a significant reduction in income. This would allow for family case work to be completed or pass on to appropriate support. These reserves can also be used for unexpected emergencies or unforeseen significant increases in operational expenditure. 

The reserves provide the project with adequate financial stability and the means for it to meet its charitable objectives for the foreseeable future. 

## **Designated funds** 

Designated funds are unrestricted funds that have been earmarked for a specific purpose. The Board of Trustees has approved a designated funds policy. The policy has a number of areas identified by the Trustees as exciting opportunities for future growth of the Charity's work as well as prudent funds for when the Lottery funding ends in April 2022. These can be found in note 7 in the annual accounts. 

The Red Hen Project’s reserves and designated funds and its policy are set out as follows: 

|**As at 31st March 2021**|**As at 31st March 2021**|
|---|---|
|**Restricted funds:**<br>**Designated funds:**<br>-<br>Reserves<br>-<br>Transformational and transitional risks<br>-<br>Poverty relief project (2022-23)<br>-<br>Core family work (lottery gap (2022-23)<br>-<br>Future office/storage costs<br>-<br>Translation services<br>**General funds:**<br>**Total funds**|£9,784<br>£39,000<br>£15,000<br>£13,500<br>£12,500<br>£5,000<br>£5,000<br>£38,275|
||**£138,059**|



## **Governance** 

As the charity has evolved, increased levels of governance have been implemented. A Finance and Risk subcommittee is in place to review the charity's financial performance, strategy, and risk profile. 



The Red Hen Project-Annuul Report & Account5 2020-21
Audited accounts
RED HEN
PROJECT
The Red Hen Prolect
51 cambrldge Road
MIItDn
CAMBRIDGE
CB24 6AW
Lisa fi
8urdott KlngAcc￿ntanry ￿ffl1t￿d
8 The HamiltOn5
Newrndrkei
CB8 DNF
20 November 2021
Dezr Lisa
L*ttirof r*pr•sirttstiOn
Thelollowin8 repre5eniatlDn5 are Lhe ba515 of enquiriE501 mana6ernent 3nd 5tsff with relevant knDwled6e and e%perience5uch a5 we con5idEr nere55ary i
connection with your repDrt on the charitrf5 financial 5l3tements for the year endpd 31 March 2021. These ewuirie5 have includa inspection of 5UPPOrtin8
documèntstion wh&rÈappropriats All reore5entstions ar&mado to tho bost of knowledgÈand belief.
GEMERAL
We acknowledgethatthe work perforrned byyou issub&tznti3ltry less In scopethan 3n audit performed in accordance With International Stand3rd& on Auditing
IUK al￿ Ireland) and that you notexprÈss an 3uditopinion
We confirm thatthe ch3rity wasentitled to exemption under section 144 of the Ch3ritie5 Actthe requirernentto have its financial 5tstementsfor thefinanciil
year ended 31 Mzrch 2021 audited
We ￿ve fuwilled Dur re5PDn5ibilitie5a5tru5tee5 a5 5etout in theterm5 ofyour letter dai& Charitie5 Act2011. for ￿eparInE financial Statements in
accordan￿ With apolicable law and United Kingtk>m Accouniin8stsn¢tsrdslUKGenerally A￿9te￿AccOynIln8 Placil￿1. for beingsatisfiedlhatthey give a true
fair view.
All thetr3nsactions undertsken tythe charity hwe been properly refflected and recorded intheaccountir¥ record&.
All the aCcOu￿1ng records and rela￿0 financial Information. Including minutes of all managewent and trusthe ￿etingS and corresponderKe With The Charity
Comm15sion have been fflade availabletoyou forthe purposeof your work
LOANSAND ARRANGEMENTS
The Iharity h35 nOt8￿rnted anyadvance50rcredit5to, or rnade guarantee5 on behaWof.tru5teeotherthan those dsc105ed In the financial 5tsternents.
LEGALCLAIMS
We have di5c105ed to you all rlaim5 in Conn￿tIOn with litiEation that have been. orare expected to be, re￿ived 5LKh [￿atte￿. a5 appropriaie. have been
propprly ￿(0￿￿ted for and di5c105ed a5applic3ble inthefinanci315tatement5.
LAWSAMD REGULAMOMS
We have di5c105ed to you all knDWn in5tan(e5 01 non-complianre or 5U5perta non-complianrewith law5 and re8ulation5 W￿K￿e elfe(t5 should becon5idered
when prg)aringthe financial ststernents.
RELATED PARTrES
RÈl2tcd party relationships andtr3n&actions ha￿e been approDriatÈlyacco￿nt￿d for and disclosod as applicable in rinancial ststsmonts. Wo h3vedi￿l0S@d
to YOU all relovant Information Concorning such rolatiDn&hips and transactions and ar& not awaro Df an¥ Dther m3ttÈrs which r4uire discI￿￿re In order to
cornplywith t* requirements of charity lawor accountlnE 5tsndard5
SU8SEQUEMf EVENT5
10 All events 5ub5equent to the thte of the financial 5taiements which require aju5tment or dixlD5ure have pro￿rI¥ acrDUrted for and di5c105ed a5
GOIMG CONCERN
11 We believe that charity'sfinarKial ststements should be prepared on 4 going concern ba95 on the grounds Lhat currwi and future sour￿5 offunding or
suoporiwill be moiethanadequateforihe charity'Sn*ds. We havewnsidereda 9eri(Mloftwelvemonihsfrorn Ihed*e ofappiotralofihefinancial ststements.
We believethzt rK>furtherd15c105ure5 relatingtothe charity5 abilrtytocontinue a5 1 golngc0r￿erTr needto me rnade In t￿fInancial 5t3tsment
GHAMTSAMD Dof14TIOM5
12 All grart5. dDnations3nd otherincome. the receiptof which 155ubFct to 5pecificterm5 ar condition5. have been nOtif￿d toyou.There been no breache5
of terms orconditiOn5 In theappliG3tion of5uch incorne
A5 minuta bythe tru5tee5attheir meetinE Df 11 NDvember 2021.
Re8lAered Charlty No- 1183845
LOTTEKIFUNDED

_The Red Hen Project – Annual Report & Accounts 2020-21_ 

## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Red Hen Project** 

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. 

## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** 

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. 

It is my responsibility to: 

- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act; 

- follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and 

- state whether particular matters have come to my attention. 

## **Basis of independent examiner's report** 

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters.  The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 

## **Independent examiner's statement** 

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 

- 1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements: 

   - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and 

   - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act 

have not been met; or 

- 2 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

Lisa King Burdett King Accountancy Limited 8 The Hamiltons Newmarket CB8 0NF 




The Red Hen Project-Annuul Report & Account5 2020-21
Audited accounts
THE RED PROJECT
CHARITY No.. 1183845
Yearended.- gj March2021
RECEIPTS APIQ PAYMEIITSACCOUNT
Oesi8nated
Total
Fun
Total
tes
Fur￿5
REf&ipTS
DDnati0Th5
54.354
J5.072
61.564
15.on
2.357
. Lottery
|ThAOvate
- (Xher
77.￿5
12,446
16,643
77.5fj5
11446
LY.143
76.070
2.￿0
4.0
2Z.394
Zi394
13.565
69.431
24.894
129.264
223.s￿l
PAYMENT5
525
1.977
L971
2.365
342
9(
432
8.646
451
4.475
4.924
Market n8 costs
1.198
55
5.610
1.474
19B52
74.183
372
427
5.610
1,474
L9.852
741.184
227
Profess oThal &con5ultsncyfe
.347
.959
93.038
5tatlDneryaThd
Telephone5
558
1.995
TTrve18 5ubSiStence
1.673
L673
972
3.250
LZ4.970
112.0
Biiildirto iopobiIJYies-surpIus/ldefrcrtl- EQEQ
19.396
66,182
24.894
7544
98.620
2.236
Accumulat￿ re5erve5 broughlforward
37.057
1g0.rthi
142
2J40
39,439
37.20g
90.0
Accunulated reSe￿5￿rned fopwbr
13.239
IL5.D36
LS1.059
39.439
BALANCE5HEEW
2021
57.Z71
B2.281
18.774
20.714
Pemcash
outstandi￿ iryvoice5
11.2291
151.059
39.439
The ￿Count5 were approved bythetrustee50Th 11 NOVem￿r?021 and 518fjed orntheirbehalf by..
(￿ltperson...-......................................................

The Red Hen Project-Annuul Report & Account5 2020-21
IHEREDHEN PROJECT
CHARITY No.. 1183845
Yearended 31 March 2021
Notes
Unie5thtted
Restr￿ed
Tot41
ARM-ICovld Fundl
BndBet Rraddww
CaTrknld8eUnited(hanfje&
ca￿ Culslno
500
828
Co4tdlo
854
2,000
2.016
2.B
DlsplaOk
2,016
Great 5t Marf&(hur(h
LO
1.0
Jts Rtsbblnl Memr*lal
540
LUCYHO￿O
Masonic thantableTru
3.0
1.0
R￿ch lommuhty5olar Fam)
R05mannu5ChanfatleTru5t
StJohn'5(hurch
LO
i.lf
60
617
TrntyColleg?th3pd
AnnosTTrOU5and les5than E5
528
3L972
Z IT￿￿￿te FuDdin
Th15 one¥ear8tantfrom CarnbijdBe5hireCoUntvCounciltoprvvxlpowfarni￿wDrk 5etbice5a5 IDertPD51on oftFElrCa￿bndgecrty
Eart¥ Hdpteam. Theprolert ￿5frOm￿￿rll 2021andthereftYethemalortrofth15flr&t quarterty paVmeTrt￿ deferiedto thene￿financITlVe￿r.
Other6rants
Alongsideoui Lotterv ReachinBCotntnunme5GTrntèndCaTrtsidge5hireCoLYryCouncil InnovateGrant
wealso w8fvedfundln8 fromth&follow organisatlon&.
C4rthlgeCiryCouncll CDMrnurltyGiant
Cantrldgeshlre le4AmuntyFoundaUonCoYoTra EmergoncyGrant
Catrtsid8e CINCouncil CDvld RertGrant
Ley'5CommuniN6rant
Fareshare(hrlstrMs Grwbt
2.5
2.0
2,OLK)
￿1￿ldgèLbDiLOunCl1A1Èa6raTht
923
Grant5fDrvdviduals
WEappled. recdvEdandd5thbutedfundsfoi IndI￿dU4 Famili?5trDm grnllt-gNIng￿S3￿lSatIOnSdunnS th?Y￿￿'.
Carrtsld8e￿d
CCNT
c4rthldgèC￿c0￿nCl1. wInt￿GrantFUnd
6.1
1.250
4LK)
250
8.000
O￿lc￿equtyTh@nt
ThIS￿lud￿thepUrchlsèOfCDMpllEers. Ipad and mobllÈphone&

The Red Hen Project-Annuul Report & Account5 2020-21
6.pr￿e1tS￿ndS
The5eare costs5￿cifict0thbtprtyect.t￿t rtYest3ffin83nd a55tKibted twerhebd5 arent* Included Inth151ine rte
Tvtil lThwm•
Totsl EwnOStur• IOv•rllUnd•tB•l•n¢•
tknb tDDk- Eudgef CDDkEry *￿i￿¢. la>
Coron4 EM￿genCy6[anI
3.2
4.010
Irtslc'eate ?ro,.vt
,9
iso
7E,7&2
8.05
2,291
12
Talk￿£ i Dythei Early Ye3r5 Prcje=tldl
-ey'E Comnionin'Gr&ntll-, D￿4--5}
16601
75
5JD
Winiw &Fuel Oouth
50D
150)>
Fu￿￿ed byCarnbFid6eComDwTrity 1lundsFeGe￿.ed in FfeYiou5yEèrl ènotdonatign (Fr￿ Go G1è55
Ibl. byC8Mb(idgeCit¥ CouThcil CgnunuThityGr6nr, & R-&cb CcmMunirySDlèi Far(
ICIF￿nded bycambridse Ciryccunril kne3 Gi3ntaTrd d￿￿all0￿5 Èllia, John Lew5* tr.lasonir ChaIitab￿ ITU5t,tamLfid8E JnitFdt￿IIt￿S
141.K-t+1¥5Vyi4 èr-th-8r?nt holders,￿'E ¥fe5VPPQrtinEPrtTrer5,-￿5t3v4erE i￿￿TrEa in the preLryQY5ye?r. ie4rnbvr5edrn thi5 Fif￿￿￿1￿1 v-èr
7.M(wErrEnt￿ funds
TraTh5fers
etyleenfufxls
at I￿20
In1￿(%
a1313.21
iAirÈslrittÈdFunds
GenÈralfunds
DÈ518nated Fund5
Resetve5
37.199
91.076
34275
39,000
15,000
13.500
12,500
5.000
5.000
39,000
15,0
13,5Lh)
12,500
Poverty relief pr¢iett12022-231
-C(KefaMily workllottery8apl12022-231
Future office15t(KaEe C￿t5
-TranslatiW *fw¢es
Res￿¢￿0
2.240
7.544
9,784
Tatal Fund5
39,439
98.620