2023-03-31-accounts - Esp Foundation

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ESP FOUNDATION EDUCATION | SPORT | POLICY

ANNUAL REPORT PERIOD ENDING 31ST MARCH 2023

E S P F O U N D A T I O N

W W W . E S P F O U N D A T I O N . C O . U K C h a r i t y N u m b e r 1 1 8 7 5 6 1 R e g i s t e r e d i n E n g l a n d & W a l e s

MEMBERS

The CEO & Trustees present their report with the financial statements for the period from incorporation on the 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023.

The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the provision of section 1A ‘Small Entities’ of Financial Reporting Standard 102.

EARTHA POND CEO

DAWN OSBOURNE Chairperson

TIAITU MCKENZIE Community Expert Trustee

CRISTALINA FERNANDEZ BATES Educational Expert Trustee

GARETH PARKER Sports Expert Trustee

MARIUM UDDIN Policy Expert Trustee

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INTRODUCTION

In 2022 and 2023, we dedicated our efforts to laying the groundwork for our organisation's growth. Our core

mission revolves around forging pathways and initiatives that enhance life prospects for young

individuals by

broadening their access to civil engagement, education, and sports. To facilitate this mission, we meticulously crafted

a comprehensive business plan that

established a well-

defined strategy.

Our key priorities included bolstering our board of trustees by increasing both its membership and expertise. We sought out highly experienced trustees and diligently addressed any skill gaps that were identified. Simultaneously, we embarked on the development of a Theory of Change, which proved instrumental in articulating our mission, refining our strategic approach, and enhancing our ability to measure our impact.

Our board of trustees convened to refocus our organisational priorities and initiate the process of impact assessment. This endeavor was aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of our resources to extend our assistance to a greater number of individuals. Our ultimate aim was to establish a transparent and coherent path that connects the identification of needs to the execution of activities, the achievement of outcomes, and the realization of meaningful impact.

Our strategic planning and execution efforts culminated in the creation of a comprehensive highlevel business plan. This plan intricately details our governance structure, outlines our key initiatives, and delineates the actions required to advance each of our strategic pillars; Education, Sport, and Policy.

GOVERNANCE UPDATE

As ESP Foundation continues its journey of expansion and growth in the year 2022/2023, we recognized the need to enhance the skills and expertise within our board. Our deliberate efforts led us to recruit trustees who align with our mission of forging pathways and initiatives that enhance life prospects for young people by broadening access to civil engagement, education, and sports. Here are the outstanding individuals who have joined our board:

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EARTHA POND

Eartha Pond serves as the CEO of ESP Foundation, where she brings her strategic acumen to promote the organisation's mission. Her expertise extends to establishing partnerships and driving fundraising efforts for the charity.

DAWN OSBOURNE

Dawn Osbourne assumes the role of Chair, spearheading our strategic initiatives and providing invaluable support in administration and overall governance. Her leadership is instrumental in shaping the direction of our organisation

TIAITU MCKENZIE

Tiaitu McKenzie contributes her extensive educational expertise and community engagement experience to ESP Foundation. Her work with "community champions" adds a valuable dimension to our initiatives, especially in the realm of education.

CRISTALINA FERNANDEZ BATES

With nearly three decades of experience in educational leadership, Cristalina Fernandes-Bates is a highly accomplished expert in the field. She takes on the pivotal role of strategic lead for our Education Pillar, driving positive change for young people.

GARETH PARKER

Gareth Parker, an experienced trustee and board member with a track record of leading national organisations across the UK, is entrusted with the role of strategic lead for our Sport Pillar. His contributions include fostering partnerships and overseeing monitoring and evaluation efforts.

MARIUM UDDIN

Marium Uddin, an experienced youth worker and community expert with a strong presence in London, serves as the strategic lead for our Policy Pillar. Her work in elevating youth voices through the creation of a young advisory board has been instrumental in our policy initiatives.

These additions to our board bring a wealth of expertise and commitment to ESP Foundation, strengthening our capacity to achieve our mission and make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people. This year the ESP Board undertook Governance training as part of our continued professional development.

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Here are some of the activities undertaken by the ESP Foundation in line with our strategic pillars: Education, Sport, Policy

EDUCATION

ESP Foundation believes education happens in all settings and surroundings we engage in on a daily basis. This is not exclusive to a school environment, but places such as the home, the community and through personal/religious beliefs. ESP Foundation delivers bespoke initiatives and signposting working towards every child accessing a quality education.

We believe that education has the power to transform the lives of young people and the wider community. Prom 8 is our flagship education programme that supports the young people in our communities.

WHAT IS PROM 8?

A high-quality educational intervention that inspires pupils beyond their everyday experiences. Prom 8 considers the society in which it operates and seeks to benefit the wider community.

Mission: To support underachieving pupils make progress and remain in school.

Method: Inspiring pupils through hero recognition.

2022 Update: This year our education leads have been reviewing and developing an updated strategic plan in preparation for September 2023 execution. We are excited to see this impactful program come to life again after being on pause since the pandemic limited face-to-face delivery.

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GIRLS ALLOWED SUMMER PROGRAMME:

Mission: Girls Allowed is a safe space for girls to be active through a range of multi-sports, that engage the disengaged alongside help build physical literacy & life skills such as teamwork, resilience & communication. Method: Programmes and summer camps that enable young girls to engage in a carousel including a mixture of traditional and non-traditional sports.

Our Girls Allowed Programme was the highest attended activity across the targeted tri-boroughs of both City of Westminster and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. With attendances hitting over 200 and participant engagement from a range of additional boroughs such as Southwark, Lambeth and Brent (to name a few).

2022 Update: We are pleased to share that this year ESP Foundation secured funding through the local Queens Park Community Council and Young Westminster Foundation HAF funding to deliver the Girls Allowed programme.

Case Study 1:

13-year-old Stacey is inactive and has special educational needs attending a SEND school full time. Cognitive and processing issues usually limit her ability to proactively try new things and socialise with peers her age.

During the Girls Allowed delivery, she described the sessions as “my new passion” and “something she felt proud to be part of”. Girls Allowed gave her a sense of identity and often she is seen sporting the personalised apparel outside of the sessions like a badge of honour.

The breast and bra education delivery were very useful for her, as she lives with her father and it was a conversation she “always wanted to speak to someone about but felt embarrassed talking to her dad”.

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She had never been bra fitted, so the provision of Nike Experts and Girls Allowed staff supporting this process as well as equipping her with the self-check process. She was keen to not only onboard the information, but to share this knowledge with her female sibling.

She attended every session throughout the summer and has already enquired when the next delivery will take place.

Case Study 2:

This young girl had just turned 8 and was one of the youngest in the group whilst attending with her older sibling who is 14. Reluctant to receive the sports bra in advance of the educational delivery she said “I don’t need this, I’m too young”.

Having participated in the bra workshops, she then understood the importance of support in regards to size and the various ways this could be achieved.

As well as trying x3 new sports and enjoying them all. She also found a new group of friends from another youth group and looked forward to meeting up each week at the sessions.

They became the food reviewers, often giving feedback on the refreshments provided and suggested menu items for the following week. On week two she asked if she could take extra x2 wraps, so that she and her sister could have something “warm and tasty” to eat the next day.

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Feedback:

“This session is amazing, my daughter loves it here. She talks about coming back throughout the week and meeting her new friends and wearing her bra”

Serena Ramasor (Parent)

“This is the best session I have ever seen across the borough. I have not seen a session engage so many young people from across the borough and beyond. We definitely need more of this.”

PC David Sebastian (2642AW) (Youth Engagement & Diversion Team - Outreach | Westminster

“Thank you for my bra, it’s something I didn’t know I needed. This is now my new best friend”

Aisha (16 yr old participant)

“How can I volunteer and be part of this? I don’t just want to be actively involved once a year, I want to see girls enjoy moving more often”.

Youth Work Level 1 Trainee

“This is my favourite thing I’ve done all year. This session is lit that’s why I told my cousins to come too” Brooke (14 yr old participant)

“When are the sessions back on and why can’t you do this all year round? My daughters love the sessions and they don’t usually like sports. I saw it advertised on the Westminster website and thought I’d sign them up for 1 week to do something different, but they love it. I love the bra information. Imagine they came home and gave me a fitting and said my bra is incorrect and I need a new one that fits”.

Ms Douglas-Lodge (Parent)

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POLICY

Mission: Raising awareness and importance of policy to amplify youth voices

Method: Signposting policy engagement and social activism by setting up a Youth advisory board .

2022 Update: As part of our strategy to increase board expertise we have a new trustee leading the launch of our Youth advisory board this year.

Policy has always lacked engagement and been a very controversial topic amongst young people, we are excited to see the planning and execution of this pillar take shape. We are constantly trying to find new ways for young people to express themselves through communicating, but it is also essential that they themselves help shape future initiatives.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

23rd December 2022

Turkey Drive – Harrow Soup Kitchen

ESP Foundation support other community drives and activities. This year the Harrow Soup Kitchen we volunteered to give out turkey’s just in time for Christmas for those in need in partnership with the CC Foundation.

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OUR PURPOSE

Our charity’s purposes, as set out in the objects contained in the company’s memorandum of association, are to advance in life, relieve the needs of and help young people by providing advice and assistance and organising programmes of physical, educational and other activities as a means of advancing them in life and developing their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals.

ENSURING WE MEET OUR PURPOSE

We review our aims, objectives and activities annually. The review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. It looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people ESP Foundation is set up to help.

The review also helps us ensure our aims, objectives and activities remain 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 aims 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.

SAFEGUARDING

The charity puts children and young people at the heart of all that we do, so our commitment to keeping our service users safe is paramount.

ESP Foundation acknowledges its duty to act appropriately to any allegations, reports, or suspicions of abuse in a professional and speedy manner.

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection policy was reviewed in 2020 to make sure ESP Foundation promotes best practice and works in a way that prevents harm of any sort, including bullying, abuse, and coercion, and that staff, volunteers and partners recognize when this may be happening and what to do about it.

Staff, unsupervised volunteers, and youth work contractors are required to obtain an enhanced DBS certificate, with a repeat DBS check obtained for all staff, qualifying volunteers and Trustees every three years.

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ACHIEVEMENTS IN DELIVERING BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC

ESP Foundation was registered on the 24th January 2020 – coinciding with the global emergence of COVID-19. COVID-19 went on to significantly restrict ESP Foundation’s plans for fundraising and growth in its first two years in existence with existing longstanding organisations with track records priorities to deliver identified interventions.

The global spread of Coronavirus had become increasingly alarming, which limited our ability to deliver face-to-face activities and community engagement ahead of the government-imposed nationwide lockdown. The health, safety and wellbeing of young people, volunteers, and those in the wider community, will always be our top priority.

As news of the pandemic developed, it became clear that our imminent community located in the North of Westminster would be amongst the hardest hit during the months to follow.

Most young people that we engage with live in and around some of the most deprived wards in the country. From their experiences of poverty, unemployment and crime, many young people we work with have low ambition for life, low self-esteem and anxiety.

We aim to support improve these aspects of their lives. In a neighbourhood of not just economic and social deprivation but a lack of public open space (4% vs a borough average of 29%), there is a need for all young people in our community to have a freeto-access space in order to play and socialise without fear, develop friendships, acquire and develop skills, and receive advice and support.

Given the history of local postcode wars we believe there is real benefit in young people mixing with those from other wards to break down barriers and help form lasting friendships, so we welcome community engagement/events from the wider area.

Our activities encompass sport, dance, skills development, education and access to aspirational career pathways. ESP Foundation’s work is child-centred and promotes enjoyment, collaboration and individually tailored support towards personal development.

Consultation and youth engagement started long before we were officially constituted, to establish just how much of a need there really was. This included engagement with schools, community hubs and other key stakeholders.

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Some of the opportunities we have led and collaborated on during the reporting period include:

Street League ‘GOAL’ Graduation Programme in partnership with Standard Charter
ESP Foundation featured in ‘Women of the Match’ exhibition in Brent
International Women’s Day Event with Manchester City FC Community Programme
International Youth Kit donations in partnership with Manchester United Foundation
Sports Wear Youth Club giveaway in partnership with IDA Sports

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS 2022/23

IDA SPORTS

MANCHESTER UNITED MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB FOOTBALL CLUB

GUNG HO

STANDARD NIKE CHARTERED

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FINANCIAL REVIEW

ESP Foundation’s fundraising was constrained by COVID-19 in its first year of existence and this is reflected in reported financial performance.

The financial activity for the year consisted of £20610.40 of aggregated unrestricted donations with outgoings aggregating to £14410.02 and a closing balance of £19079.74, all of which remains held as cash at year-end.

As ESP Foundation has no committed future expenditure, the Trustees identify no concerns and consider the charity a going concern.

PRINCIPAL FUNDING SOURCES

The charity’s principal sources of funds is donations. Donations arise from individual citizens as well as corporations, and from passive approaches as well as pro-active fundraising initiatives. All fundraising to-date has occurred in the name of ESP Foundation and has not been restricted or pledged to any specific use.

PRO BONO SUPPORT

ESP Foundation has established great relationships with corporate organisations who have pledged to offer pro bono support. This ranges from expertise to support the organisation’s structural growth, to resources for programme delivery. Details will be provided in the next annual report, following individual programme delivery.

INVESTMENT POLICY

At the current level of assets, ESP Foundation’s investment policy is to hold all funds in immediately accessible demand deposit accounts. ESP Foundation acknowledges their obligation to ensure that donated resources are allocated to ensure maximum riskappropriate return and will continue to evaluate all available options as ESP Foundation scales.

RESERVES POLICY

Currently ESP Foundation does not have future contractual expense obligations. As these arise, ESP Foundation will maintain a policy of ensuring there is coverage of all future expenses by cash on account. As greater predictability of future donations and expenses occur, ESP Foundation will regularly re-evaluate Reserves Policy.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

GOVERNING DOCUMENT

ESP Foundation is a Charitable Incorporation Organisation and was registered on the 24th January 2020. ESP Foundation is governed by its Constitutional document dated 23rd January 2020.

RECRUITMENT, APPOINTMENT, INDUCTION AND TRAINING OF TRUSTEES

The process outlined for the recruitment, appointment, induction, and training of trustees at ESP Foundation demonstrates a commitment to transparency, accountability, and best practices in governance. Here is a breakdown of each step:

Recruitment: Trustees are recruited based on a skills matrix and identified strategic needs. This means that candidates are chosen to fill specific skill gaps or meet the organisation's strategic goals. Candidates are sought both within internal and external networks to ensure a diverse pool of candidates and to find the best-fit individuals. Interested candidates submit a cover letter and CV.
Interview: An informal interview process takes place, involving a minimum of two current trustees. This process allows for current trustees to assess the suitability of candidates and ensure alignment with the organisation's mission and values.
Appointment: After the interview process, the identified candidate is put to a vote for appointment during the next trustee meeting. This ensures a collective decision-making process and accountability in trustee selection.
Declaration of Interests: ESP Foundation maintains a Register of Interests. Trustees are required to declare any conflicts of interest, and this information is updated at least annually. This helps to prevent conflicts of interest and ensures transparency in decisionmaking.
Induction Pack: All trustees receive an Induction Pack that includes essential information. This pack typically covers Trustee Duties, the Good Trustee Guide, the Code Of Conduct, Conflict of Interest policies, Indemnity information, and details about meetings. Providing this information ensures that trustees understand their roles, responsibilities, and ethical obligations.

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Safeguarding Policy: ESP Foundation maintains a Safeguarding Policy and shares it with each trustee. This policy demonstrates the organisation's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for all stakeholders, especially vulnerable individuals. The policy outlines how the organisation will respond to allegations, reports, or suspicions of abuse and highlights the importance of prompt and professional action. The policy also emphasizes the prevention of harm, including bullying, abuse, and coercion.

Background Checks: ESP Foundation mandates that staff, unsupervised volunteers, and youth work contractors obtain enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificates. Additionally, there is a requirement for repeat DBS checks every three years for staff, qualifying volunteers, and trustees. This measure helps ensure the ongoing safety and suitability of individuals involved with the organisation. Overall, this process ensures that trustees are well-prepared, committed, and aligned with the organisation's values and policies, promoting effective governance and safeguarding practices within ESP Foundation.
Risk Management The barriers introduced by COV19 meant that the normal path of fundraising could not be followed, therefore we needed to engage with donors through different channels. ESP Foundation maintains a dual-signatory requirement on all bank payments. Paired with continuous monitoring of bank accounts and transactions, ESP Foundation is confident its financial assets are appropriately secure. ESP Foundation continuously monitors its liquidity position and is mindful to consider future financial obligations balanced against available sources. ESP Foundation acknowledges that as it scales, banking security, accurate cash flow projections and prudent management of liquidity will be of paramount importance.

Organisational Structure: At the end of the reporting period, consistent with ESP Foundation’s constitution, the members of the Board were the 6 appointed Trustees from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. The Trustees manage the affairs of the CIO and for that purpose exercise all the powers of the CIO. The Trustees delegate additional operational responsibilities to the Honorary Chairperson and Honorary Treasurer (Currently recruiting for this position). The Trustees meet formally at least quarterly and further as needed.

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

(AGGREGATED) FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31ST MARCH 2023

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BALANCE SHEET

(AGGREGATED) AS OF 31ST MARCH 2023

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CASH FLOW STATEMENT

(AGGREGATED) FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31ST MARCH 2023

Notes forming part of the Financial Statements for the period ending 31 March 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified by the inclusion of fixed asset investments at market value, and in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued in March 2005.

(b) Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.

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EDUCATION | SPORT | POLICY