Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement From 01.01.2024 to 31.12.2024
Charity name: The Getaway Foundation (TGAF)
Charity registration number: 1187336
The Trustees are pleased to present their report for The Getaway Foundation for the financial period 01.01.2024 to 31.12.2024. The financial statement has been set out to comply with the Charity’s Constitution, the Charities Act of 1993 and as per the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting of Charities published in 2005.
Executive Summary
TGAF supported 77 UK respite breaks / holidays for families impacted by poverty in 2024, up from 72 in 2023. We supported approximately 323+ people in 2024, with approximately 50% being below the age of 12. We have now provided 268+ respite breaks from poverty since 2021, helping over 1200 people. We support families living in poverty from Buckinghamshire, Isle of Wight, Luton and Milton Keynes . All families are assessed as being impacted by poverty and referred to us indirectly by local authorities’ family support workers and / or other family support charities. 70% of the families we supported in 2024 stated that at least one member of their family was impacted by a physical or mental disability.
Example direct feedback from families living in poverty we supported in 2024:
I would never have been able to afford this as a single working parent. We enjoyed time together as a family and it was good to de-stress from normal day to day living. My son really enjoyed the holiday as I have never been able to take him away.
I am amazed of the opportunity you have given me and my family, and I am so thankful we had the best week away as a family and created memories that can’t ever be forgotten. It’s really lovely and heartwarming thing you are providing for families. Thank you again!!*
We just want to thank you extremely for giving us this opportunity it was our first holiday and the first time my daughter walked in the sea you have given us such great memories and we can’t thank you all enough for what you have done for us we are so strong in our bond thank you*
In 2024, 100% of families we supported had not been on holiday in the last 3 years and 53% had never been on holiday before.
TGAF’s goal is to support 76+ families impacted by poverty with respite breaks in 2025 working in the same geographic areas.
Introduction to The Getaway Foundation (TGAF)
TGAF is a registered CIO charity, charity number 1187336. The charity was registered on the 13th of January 2020, its main purpose is to help families in poverty create happy memories through respite breaks / holidays.
The Trustees and founders set up the charity to provide families in poverty with some of the same memories and experiences that they benefitted from with their families as children. Research shows
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 1 of 14
that many families in poverty are unable to afford luxuries such as holidays with an estimated 1 in 4 families struggling to afford a holiday (Barnardo’s research). Action for Children In 2022/23 state the number of children living in poverty increased by 100,000 from 4.2 million in 2021/22 to 4.3 million children.
Mental health and wellbeing are key concerns impacting families today that the Trustees and founders wanted to address. Families’ experiences gained through holidays are proven to help them through times of crisis. It is the goal that the holidays provide short term break / respite / relief from the everyday stresses facing families in poverty but also in the long term provide tools which the families can draw upon to get through challenging times. Many adults today say some of their happiest childhood memories are from family holidays. The Trustees and founders believe that as many families as possible should have this opportunity and that poverty should not be a barrier to creating happy family memories on holiday.
The charity’s work in 2024 focused on supporting families in Buckinghamshire (Bucks), Luton, Milton Keynes (MK) and on the Isle of Wight (IOW). The charity has developed close relationships with local councils’ children’s care services in these areas, working closely with family support workers and teams in each local authority, supporting the local community.
Table 1 below shows the percentage and number of children (aged under 16) living in absolute poverty low-income families, by local authority in the areas we focus on and support. This highlights the need in the areas we work to support families impacted by poverty.
| Table 1 - Number | of children living in families in absolutepoverty 2023 | |
| Local Authority | Number of children 2023 | Percentage of children |
| Luton | 12,375 | 23.4% |
| Buckinghamshire | 10,923 | 9.8% |
| Isle of Wight | 3,456 | 16.6% |
| Milton Keynes | 8,539 | 13.5% |
The latest UK government figures below show that in 2023 there were 35,293 children living in absolute poverty in the geographic areas TGAF supports, increased from 34,675 in 2023 We believe that the cost-of-living crisis will continue to impact families living in poverty at a higher degree than families not impacted by poverty in 2025
Key Objectives and Activities of TGAF
The objectives of TGAF, as defined in our constitution, are for the public benefit and are to be carried out in such parts of the United Kingdom as the Trustees shall determine. The key objectives are:
1) To relieve the needs of economically and socially disadvantaged families by the provision of grants of financial assistance to enable them to experience family holidays and other shared recreational
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 2 of 14
activities that they could not otherwise afford in the interests of social welfare and in order to improve their conditions of life.
2) To advance in life, relieve the needs of and help children and young people by providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.
3) To relieve the needs of families who are economically and socially disadvantaged in periods of extreme national crisis and associated economic and social uncertainty, by the provision of grants.
Implementation of TGAF Key Objectives in 2024
Summary of main activities / achievements supporting the charity’s public benefit & core purpose
Table 2 below shows the number of families we have supported by local authority in 2024 v 2023. TGAF provided 77 family respite breaks from poverty in 2024. The highest need for transport support came from Luton in line with their position as having the highest level of family poverty out of the local authorities that we work with.
Table 2 – Total TGAF Holidays provided 2023-2024 for families impacted by poverty
| Table 2 – Total TGAF Holidays provided 2023-2024 for families impacted by poverty | Table 2 – Total TGAF Holidays provided 2023-2024 for families impacted by poverty | Table 2 – Total TGAF Holidays provided 2023-2024 for families impacted by poverty | Table 2 – Total TGAF Holidays provided 2023-2024 for families impacted by poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Local Authority | 2023 | 2024 | % 2024 needing transport support |
| Buckinghamshire | 21 | 19 | 50 |
| IOW | 20 | 25 | 52 |
| Luton | 17 | 17 | 65 |
| Milton Keynes | 14 | 16 | 44 |
| Total | 72 | 77 | 54 |
2024 Impact and Outcomes
TGAF directly surveys families immediately after their respite break / holiday and again 12 months afterwards to assess the direct benefits of the holidays and look at longer term impact on family wellbeing. TGAF has now provided over 268 family holidays since 2021.
The Info-gram below shows the direct survey feedback and benefits reported from families who went on a respite break / holiday in 2021-2024. Long-term feedback shows that we support and benefit families in three keyways: pre break, during the break and long-term post-holiday.
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 3 of 14
- The Family Holiday JourneyPre / During / Post*
TGAF- Key Benefts for Families Impacted by Poverty
Pre-Holiday Excitement and Family Support Engagement
-
50% of families said the holiday really helped by providing something to look forward to & the children got excited
-
75% of Family Support Workers said it helped them engage and support the families they were working with.
During - On Holiday - Memory Crea2ons
-
87% of families said they most enjoyed the quality family 3me together
-
65% of families said the long-term memories created and shared experiences were their main benefits
-
The holidays provide families with a break from the day-to-day poverty norm as well as mental wellbeing benefits
Post - Long-term Memories – Last a Life-2me
-
Support for Food Poverty on holiday and ac3vi3es
-
95% of families
-
87% said it provided posi3ve memories that the family can use in the future to support them
-
83% said it provided the family with something to talk about long-term
-
Families draw upon these memories in crisis to support them
*All informa,on from TGAF (The Getaway Founda,on) Pre / Post Holiday Survey - 2021-2024- Direct Family Feedback – All Families
Direct Family Feedback*
-
In 2024 87% of families who responded to our survey (immediate post-holiday survey – feedback rate 61%*) stated the key benefit for them was quality family time that built stronger family relationships.
-
100% of families we supported in 2024 had not been on holiday in the last 3 years and 53% had never been on holiday.
-
70%* of the families we supported in 2024 stated that at least one member of their family was impacted by a physical or mental disability and the holiday supported them.
Based upon 12-month post-holiday surveys (2021-2024)**
-
95% of families feel long-term positive impact and benefit from the respite break, helping the families manage the challenges of poverty on their day to day lives**
-
87% **said the holidays provided long-term memories that supported the family unity.
-
Support Partner Feedback (TGAF survey 2021-2024)***
-
We survey the family support workers we work with; their feedback shows we provided significant benefit for family engagement. 75% of family support workers said the TGAF support helps them engage positively with the families.*
-
Many of the families impacted by poverty we support have children with Child Protection Plans in place. The break forms part of the engagement plan providing a direct positive impact for children and helping support positive outcomes; reducing the chance of family break down and need for further intervention from the courts.
Working with the Local Community and Community Partners
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 4 of 14
2024 was our fourth full year as a charity providing respite breaks / holidays for families impacted by poverty. As part of our charity’s work, we have been able to build good local relationships with the community and a number of key partners to support our work. Examples include:
-
a. WightFerries have been inspirational in providing free ferry transport for families living on the IOW. They have committed to continue to support this for 2024.
-
b. The WightAid Foundation support families on the IOW enabling us to maintain and expand our holiday provision. We are also supported by MK Community Foundation and Hearts of Bucks Community Foundation
-
c. Our partnerships with local council family support workers are vital. Many of the families we support have complex family challenges, suffer from anxiety and many will be going on holiday for the first time. Working with local council childcare and family support services is a key factor in our ability to be able to provide holidays and remove some of the poverty barriers faced.
-
d. Taxi partnerships with Aqua Cars and Skyline Taxis were instrumental in our ability to provide transport with 100% success rate. Making sure contact numbers and pickup addresses were correct was a key challenge. This needs to be considered as a key dependency as we look to expand to an additional support partner.
Diversity and Support for Families with Disabilities
Our stated aim is to be able to support all types of families and remove barriers for disadvantaged families living in poverty to be able to create happy family memories on holiday. A large percentage of the families we supported had children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Autism, and other forms of learning and behavioral difficulties. This was reflected in our post-holiday survey with 70% of families that responded saying at least one member of the family suffered from at least one form of physical / learning disability or had a family member with mental health challenges. Mental health issues are a big factor impacting the families we support. 14% of the families we supported in 2024 have at least one child diagnosed with SEND needs / ASD.
As a charity we want to make sure we support families impacted by poverty from all ethnic backgrounds. According to Wikipedia 91.7%, 78.9%, 97.3% and 45.2 of the population in Bucks Council, MK, IOW and Luton respectively define themselves as white, with the Asian / Asian British communities being the 2nd biggest demographic with 4.3%, 9.7%, 1.1% and 37.1% of the populations defining themselves as Asian respectively. In 2024 TGAF supported families with diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Table 3 – Total Families Who Went on Holiday by Ethnicity 2024
| Table 3 – Total Families Who Went on Holiday by Ethnicity 2024 | Table 3 – Total Families Who Went on Holiday by Ethnicity 2024 | Table 3 – Total Families Who Went on Holiday by Ethnicity 2024 | Table 3 – Total Families Who Went on Holiday by Ethnicity 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Total | % | |
| Asian | 1 | 1 | |
| Black / African / Caribbean | /Black Brits | 8 | 10 |
| Mixed Ethnicity | 10 | 13 | |
| White | 58 | 75 | |
| Grand Total | 77 | 100% |
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024
Page 5 of 14
Improvements Made in 2024 from 2023 Feedback.
-
In 2024 we added Westbay resort at Bridport in Dorset which proved a popular resort and reduced the overall number of locations we offered to provide a better understanding at the resorts of TGAF families
-
We focused on reducing travel distances and travel costs for families
-
The average family size reduced from 4.5 to 4.2 as the caravans provided are optimal for 2-7 people and we felt that families of 8 struggled to fit in. We had less XL size families YoY
-
The post-holiday feedback 2024 was the most positive we have had since 2021, with a 61% feedback rate; demonstrating we are engaging well with the families we support.
Key Learnings and Improvement Goals for 2024 – Based Upon Recommendations and Feedback
-
We are increasing the amount we provide for food and activities per person by £10 to £160 and per adult and £10 for children 12 and under to £130. Feedback from families that although we provide some funding for food and activities, the costs are still real for families impacted by poverty when going on a respite holiday. Our goal is to remove the financial pressure of the holidays
-
We have recognized that there is a high dependency of families with support with SEND needs. Our goal is to make sure we have funding to make sure we are addressing these needs e.g. larger caravans / larger taxis / flexibility for families if needed to accommodate needs
What We Provided to Support Family Respite Breaks in 2024.
TGAF looks to provides a break that supports the real cost of the holiday for a family impacted by poverty. The holidays were provided by Parkdean Resorts and as part of the holiday TGAF included the following:
-
UK-based, caravan holiday with entertainment, dining facilities and swimming/beach access.
-
QR Code Voucher, value depending on the age and size of the family (QR Code was new for 2022) to support eating at the resorts’ restaurants and mobile food stations as well as activities such as high ropes and trampolining. This helped address issues such as food poverty and made sure the families’ personal costs for the holidays were reduced. It also meant the families could have the benefits of new experiences and activities to help create happy family memories.
-
Support for transportation. This may have included fuel costs or if the family did not have access to a car we provided taxi transport, including provision of child car seats if needed. This was critical in our experience to support all disadvantaged families and remove hidden poverty barriers associated with going on holiday.
-
Provision of wheelchair-access caravans if required for the family. Also, additional rooms in specific situation for families with children with Autism, when possible.
-
Choice of date - families were offered a choice of date for holidays, based upon availability with Parkdean Resorts. Funding provided covered peak period summer holidays as the
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 6 of 14
Trustees felt it important that families with school-aged children could go on holiday without impacting education. We visit all the locations that we send families to, to check suitability.
Statement on Fundraising and Charity Objectives 2024
Sources of Income 2024. Our fund-raising activities in 2024 focused on raising funds to mainly support holidays for 2025 as the holiday booking cycle / budget commitment need is 9 -12 months before the holiday. We only commit to family places we have budget for.
| Unrestricted Income 2024 | Amount | Funding or grants to support the charity without a specific defined purpose |
| Primary Benefactor | £120,000 | Support Holiday and Operational Costs in 2024 |
| HMRC Gift Aid | £30,000 | Gift aid claimed on private donations |
| Online or Private one-off Donations |
£4,943.23 | Online charity donations via Just Giving. |
| Total | £154,943 | Unrestricted |
| Restricted Grants / income 2024 | Amount | Funding or grants with a defined purpose or objective |
| MK Community Foundation - Grant |
£5,660 | Supporting MK Families 2024 |
| Hearts of Bucks Community Grant |
£7,679 | Supporting Bucks Families 2025 |
| HEDLEY Foundation - | £1,000 | Funding towards Car Seats 2025 |
| Project Spark | £3,900 | Support Activities and Food 2025 |
| Redkite Housing | £7,679 | Support Funding for Redkite Tenants 2025 |
| Shanly Foundation | £2,000 | Supporting Young Carers and STEP families 2025 |
| Tesco Ground Works - Tesco Community Grants |
£3,020 | Supporting families in Bucks, IOW and Luton |
| Wight Aid Foundation - 2025 support |
£5,760 | Supporting IOW families -2025 |
| Total Restricted Grants | £36,698 | £29,098.50 of restricted funding will go towards 2025 holidays |
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 7 of 14
Restricted funding balances in our 2024 accounts will be spent on 2025 holidays as defined purposes above and application / restricted grant conditions.
In addition to the above we are extremely grateful to WightLink Ferries who provided family ferry crossings in support of the charity for families living on the IOW.
Cost and Inflationary Impact 2024 and 2025
The cost increase in 2024 versus 2023 was lower than expected. Overall our Caravan holiday cost spend per family is flat YoY (mainly due to having smaller families and reducing the distances families had to travel). We did see an increase in the cost of food and activities that we are looking to address with increased QR code funding in 2025. Additionally, the number of families needing car support reduced from 60% in 2023 to 55% in 2024. Our outlook from a budgetary point of view is to take a 3% cost inflation figure for 2025 v 2024 actual costs. The average family size we supported in 2024 was 4.2 people per family versus 4.5 in 2023, this was due to a reduction in XL families of 7+ referred to us in 2024 versus previous years
TGAF Financial Position
High Level Plan 2025 and Funding Strategy
The charity has funds in place to support an estimated 76+ summer holidays in 2025 in line with 2024 levels subject to referrals and inflationary cost impact. We plan to support families impacted by poverty living in Beds (Luton), Bucks, MK and on the IOW in 2024 working with our existing local support partners. Our core benefactor has committed to donate the same level of funding for 2025 as per 2024.
The budget for 2025 was initially reviewed in December 2024 and has been confirmed at the start of January 2025 with the Trustees.
Policy for Holding Reserves.
We plan to hold reserves in line with 2024 in 2025. The decision to spend the contingency is agreed and managed between the CEO and Joanne Smith (Trustee) as part of the charity’s financial planning. Agreement to use the reserves must be agreed by the Trustees.
-
£17,500 will be held in reserve in FY2025 in line with our funding plan and commitments. Our Plan is to hold this flat as a reserve level going forward in our accounts. We will review this if we see changes in our provision needs and risks outlook
-
Additionally, we hold a contingency for holiday cost inflation of £5,000 and cash flow contingency of £5,000.
-
Total Reserves and Contingencies for 2025 will be £27,500. This is included within our Cash Assets on the balance sheet.
Financial Review.
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 8 of 14
Our accounts have been signed off by our independent examiners – Ad Valorem Accountancy Services, in line with our statutory requirements as detailed below.
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 9 of 14
The Getaway Foundation tLpiw SedSon B Ststement of assets and Ilabllitles at the end of the erlod RMtria•d ErAltym•rt fiinrt DI nw•iic 01 C••h Totsl cash fvnds oyrtji nth lundl funth 82 Oih•r mun•l•ryu••ts lh D•tsh 83 In¥•*D•nt M••l• b4 r•Wn•d hrth• ¢lwW• own w• 85 U•bllld•• D•t•rf C¢XXRtKthrtlSSI The Getaway Foundaliun- Charrcy NumbÈr 1187336-215t February- 2024 PJ¥e Iouf 14
The Getaway Foundation tLpiw * I CHARIIY COMMISSION Independent examiner's report on the accounts S•ction A Ind•pond•nt Examln•r'6 R•port R•wt to th• trust••sl On •¢¢ounts lo¢ tm y••r 31 D•¢•mb8r 2024 1187336 1 & 2 rncipts ar paJThents ftym IYed. I rewt lo tnotfj05 on my •xwiwnatK cl Il x£ounts crf dwty{Ih• TnAfi fty lh& yogr gTh1&131112r2024. As truslees, r•SPXffjlO lty th• W•para)n ol th• R••pon•lbllltl•• •nd b••l• ol r•wt I i•r¢At kn iespoct ol my •xAmkn8th)n cl Trust's KL¥LWlts cana o Lw¥J8r seaK)n 145 01 ts 2011 Act 8Tr3 In c•wrylng tMJt my examw)atth, I folkxed all th8 athicable DirethY)s given ty lh• C"ty C4ynmtssb)n ¥J•r 14¥5Xbl Lrf th• A Indèp•nd•nt l compWJ my examinat, I cJ)nfimi thal no mabrol matters have •x•mln•rfs $tat•m•nt o)me to my att8ntK¥) in caGIn vAth the examknobon {othow than thol dc1)Se 0W') whth me lo that in. any matwial examrAtKJn lo aN•ntti) StJ1d b? this repryt in lo a wopor urwJwstaTrJry of aeccAmls lo rwh•d. . Pleo80 d8kn0 lh• thyds in ihe lthoydo ncrf ap&ty. Zotr N•m•: Tlwa¥ FO lon behow Ad Vak)rthn S•ryicw) R•l•vant wd•s•loMI ¢yJ•iinc&tlorrf•} or body Ilf rtyl- FCA. ICAEW I Vaiorgm Accounw S•Nces L1th0 2 Manof Fam CKwrt. Okl Wolverton Rowj d W¢Jverton. Mille4) Kws. MK12 SNN IER Oct 2018 The Getaway Foundaliun- Charrcy NumbÈr 1187336-215t February- 2024 PJ¥e Iluf14
Please note the restricted funds spent in 2024 were aligned to specific donation and projects defined by the grant purpose made i.e. Wight Aid foundation support for families from the Isle of Wight as per the restrictions and conditions of the grant.
Structure, Governance and Management
Type of Governing Document and Constitution
The charity’s constitution was registered on the 13th of January 2020 and amended on the 26th March 2020. The charity is registered as a CIO.
Governance and Trustee Appointments
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 12 of 14
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity.
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Comment / Relationships |
| Joanne Smith | Trustee | N/A | Married to Barry Smith |
| Barry Smith | Trustee | N/A | Married to Joanne Smith |
| Philip Smith | Trustee | N/A | Unrelated with other Trustees |
| Toby Quartley | Trustee | N/A | Unrelated with other Trustees |
No changes to the trustees made in 2024. 50% of our governing trustees are unrelated.
Operational Management and Organization of the Charity
Peter Tebbutt is the CEO of TGAF and manages the day to day operational and financial management requirements of the charity as well as acting as the key interface for partnerships and other activities, such as fund raising for the charity. The CEO provides a monthly update on finances and key activities and actions achieved during the month. The CEO works to deliver on the key strategies agreed by the Trustees. All major financial decisions are agreed and reviewed with the Trustees before the CEO actions them. The charity bank account has two factor approval for bank transactions.
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name: | The Getaway Foundation |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses: | TGAF- Abbreviation used within our communications |
| Registered charity number: | 1187336 |
| Charity’s principal address: | 2Manor Farm Court, Old Wolverton Road, Old Wolverton, |
| Milton Keynes, MK12 5NN |
Names and addresses of advisers.
| Type of adviser | Name | Address | |
| Accountants | Ad Valorem Accountancy Services |
2 Manor Farm Ct, Old Wolverton Rd Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5NN |
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024
Page 13 of 14
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members.
Peter Tebbutt – CEO. Email - Peter@thegetawayfoundation.com
Declarations.
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees
Joanne Smith Full name(s) Date 13.02.2025
The Getaway Foundation - Charity Number 1187336 -21[st] February - 2024 Page 14 of 14