2021-04-01-accounts

Charity Trustees’ Annual Report: 21 November 2019 to 1 April 2021

www.unrealuk.org

1. Introduction

The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report and financial statements for the period 21 November 2019 to 1st April 2021. Unreal is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) adopting its constitution under the CIO (General) Regulations 2012 and registering with the Charity Commission ( No. 1186498 ) on 13 November 2019. Such constitution provides the trustees with limited legal liability and responsibility for the management of Unreal's affairs and the exercise of all of its powers. Unreal commenced operations on 21 November 2019.

2. Objectives and Activities

Unreal’s mission is to raise awareness of Depersonalisation and Derealisation Disorder (DPRD). Our approach is to enable the wellbeing of people with lived experience of DPRD through support, resources and education. We aim to help people restore their lives and empower them to share their experiences to help others in building a strong and resilient community.

We specialise in signposting people to relevant resources, pushing for policy change, running peer support groups and providing general medical information that has been validated by leading clinicians in the field.

3. Achievements and Performance

This reporting period for us was naturally dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic and was a time where we had to adjust to operating almost entirely online. Aware that mental health support cannot stop (especially during a global emergency), when our London in-person peer support sessions were shelved during the first national lockdown we tried to stay connected with everybody by hosting YouTube livestream events. But we were also discussing internally whether it was realistic to reintroduce the peer support programme online, and in December began offering monthly virtual sessions – all of which have since quickly reached capacity, with substantial waiting lists forming for places. We will monitor these lists in the coming months and, if necessary, look to offer additional sessions to meet the demand. We also implemented internal peer support groups using this same format reserved for members of Unreal, to better look after the wellbeing of our trustees, board members and volunteers.

The charity performed similarly healthily in terms of our online presence. Comparing the financial year 2019-20 to 2020-21, the number of visits to our website rose by approximately 235% , with overall page views up a similar 193% . The feedback to our virtual peer support sessions has been overwhelmingly

Postal Address: PO Box 75853, London, SE1P 6GT UK Charity Number: 1186498

positive – one early attendee emailing us afterwards to say, “ I cannot stress enough how positive and important an experience this was for me. Finally, I had the chance to speak and listen in a forum of people who understand this condition. ”

Recently, Unreal has been a co-applicant for a NIHR-funded study into specialised CBT for DPRD, which we are currently awaiting the outcome of. Should this be approved and funded, the charity would be directly involved in a first-of-its-kind randomised control trial, involving the training of NHS clinicians to treat the condition. The results of this study would hopefully pave the way for larger studies of this nature in the future.

4. Financial Review

During this reporting period, our only outgoings were purely operational and administrative – including costs of moving operations online during Covid-19, such as purchasing a monthly Zoom plan. Still being in the early days of establishing our network and building up a reputation to attract the interest of donors – as well as not having a bank account set up until December 2020 – all of these costs have so far been covered by Unreal trustees from their own pocket.

But in the latter parts of the period, we were greatly helped by some kind donations from our supporters – two of which were substantial. Combined with us having no debts, this healthy financial position is now allowing the board to consider how we can use these funds to push the objectives of the charity forwards and support more people living with DPRD, as well as moving to cover the existing administrative costs ‘in-house’ from now on. We are also now able to start considering drawing up a Reserves Policy – which hasn’t been applicable for us until now in our financial history.

Our outgoings for the period totalled only £845 , which were all covered personally by trustees. Our total income from donors by the end of the period was £66,456 which – given zero outgoings on Unreal’s balance sheet – is both the exact total surplus and reserves we now carry forward into the next accounting period. Given our current level of expenditure compared to the final bank balance, and the fact that we’ve both existed and grown throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity has not felt there to be any substantial financial operating risks posed to us during this period.

5. Plans For The Future

We are now in the final stages of preparing to formally launch as a charity in May, when we will be hosting a live ‘webinar’ with our charity ambassadors for invited members of the press. We hope that this will result in more media coverage for both the charity and the condition, as well as making Unreal ‘official’ in the eyes of the public.

One of our trustees has also completed writing a self-help book for those living with DPRD this past year, which will be published globally by Jessica Kingsley Publishers – in conjunction with Unreal – later in 2021. We hope this will be a much-needed new resource for those living with the condition.

Postal Address: PO Box 75853, London, SE1P 6GT UK Charity Number: 1186498

However, we anticipate the biggest changes coming for us being because of the generous donations that have come in during the current reporting period – as having healthy funds available will allow us to plan new ways to push the aims and objectives of the charity forwards. We have already had internal discussions in board meetings about potentially purchasing a CRM system to help keep all of our contacts within one GDPR-compliant cloud-based system, and expanding our peer support programme if that is deemed necessary towards the end of 2021 – as we now have funds to cover the associated training costs of hiring new volunteers in this capacity.

We also await the outcome of the NIHR study funding bid with great anticipation as, should this be granted, it would be a huge stepping stone of progress in raising awareness for DPRD and learning more about how to treat it.

6. Structure, Governance and Management

Unreal is governed by its constitution dated 13 November 2019. Our governing team are very committed, and so far in our history as a registered charity it hasn’t been necessary for us to recruit any new trustees. But we have expanded our charity board using the same process that we would use for trustees: advertising the position through both the Charity Jobs website and our social media channels; a shortlist of candidates being invited for interview; and then a final decision being taken by the board. We recently recruited new board members to run our virtual peer support programme and help with our accountancy and compliance using this method.

Our trustees and board members meet monthly to discuss Unreal’s operation and make decisions on actions needed – being responsible for all areas of the charity’s operations. Whilst all trustees are ultimately involved in all major decisions, some do have more specific remits – for example, one trustee was brought on board to specifically to run the virtual peer support programme. We also operate a subcommittee system where smaller groups meet to discuss and action certain tasks (for example, planning the launch event, creating new content for the website, etc).

We also have a group of dedicated volunteers who support us in the daily running of the charity – from facilitating peer support sessions, to advising us on marketing strategy and creating engaging illustrations to bolster our online presence.

Postal Address: PO Box 75853, London, SE1P 6GT UK Charity Number: 1186498

7. Reference and Administration

Charity Name: Unreal

Charity Number: 1186498

Registered Address: PO Box 75853, London, SE1P 6GT

Trustees: Jane Charlton (appointed 21/11/2019), Liam Macpherson (appointed 01/03/2020), Heather Perkins (appointed 21/11/2019), Elaine Hunter (appointed 21/11/2019), Joe Perkins (appointed 21/11/2019), Mary Charlton (appointed 21/11/2019), Jen Astley (appointed 01/07/2019), Michael Down appointed 01/07/2019, Lindsay Dunsmore (appointed 21/11/2019).

Chair: Jane Charlton. Secretary: Mary Charlton. Treasurer: Joe Perkins.

Bank: The Co-Operative Bank, Business Directplus (Online Services)

Independent Examiner: John R Eke FCIE, Charity Independent Examiner, Soarview, 4 Stable Court, Malborough, Devon, TQ7 3FB

The trustees of Unreal approved this report on 7 February 2022.

(On behalf of Unreal’s Trustees):

Joe Perkins – Trustee & Treasurer

Jane Charlton - Chair

Postal Address: PO Box 75853, London, SE1P 6GT UK Charity Number: 1186498

Unreal 1186498

Receipts and payments accounts

21-Nov-19 1-Apr-21 To

For the period from

Section A Receipts and payments

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Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Donations from Supporters 66,371 - - 66,371
Donations from Trustees (personal payment
of charity payments in A3) 845 - - 845
Paypal Giving Fund (not transferred to bank
account) 85 - - 85
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 67,301 - - 67,301
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - -
Total receipts 67,301 - - 67,301
A3 Payments
Squarespace (Web Hosting) 428 - - 428
Zoom Account 187 - - 187
Simply Business Public Liability Insurance 230 - - 230
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total 845 - - 845
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - -
Total payments 845 - - 845
Net of receipts/(payments) 66,456 - - 66,456
A5 Transfers between funds - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - -
Cash funds this year end 66,456 - - 66,456
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

			Unrestricted		Restricted
Categories	Details		funds		funds
B1 Cash funds	Bank Balance PayPal Giving	Fund Total cash funds	to nearest £ 66,371 85 - 66,456		to nearest £ - - - -
	(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))		OK	OK
			Unrestricted		Restricted
			funds		funds
B2 Other monetary assets	Details		to nearest £ - - - - - -		to nearest £ - - - - - -
B3 Investment assets	Details		Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional) - - - - -
B4 Assets retained for the	Details		Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional) -
charity’s own use					- - - - - - - -
			Fund to which		Amount due
B5 Liabilities	Details		liability relates		- - - - - (optional)
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees		Signature	Print	Name
			JOE A PERKINS

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CC16a
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Last year

to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - -

-

-

-

Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - -

OK

Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - -

Current value (optional)

-

Current value (optional)

When due (optional)

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Date of
approval
7-Feb-22
----- End of picture text -----

Independent Examinerfs Report I rep¥Jt to the lJts of UNREAL on rny examinatic￿ rf the acmunts of the charfty for the WiCKI 21. Novemw, 2019 to I" Wil, 2021 COrdan￿ ￿ the Charitres Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). I reF(rt in resFect of my examination (rf the Charitys aCc￿nts canied out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act. and in carrying out my examinati￿ I have followed the awlicable Direcbons given by the Charity Ccrnmis5ioneT5 ufKler Secticm 145 (5) (b) ￿the Act. I have completed my examination. I c￿fiM7 that rm) material matter5 have ccffle to my attention in connection with the examinatim whith gNes me CaLtse to tAieve that in any material rEsFect: acC￿￿ting records were nrt kett in ￿an￿ with 130 cf the Act; or I have no concems and have come acw no othw matters In uMr*rtlon v41th trE examinati¢)n to which attenticn thould be drawn in trder to enatle a woper undtr5tsThJing of the accounts to be reached. gned: John Rotert Eke Fellow of the Asscrfiation of Charrty Inde￿￿knt Examiner5 So3rwew, 4 Stsile CwrL ma￿Ax￿Jh, Dev￿ TQ7 3FB