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2023-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1188736

Executive Summary

Parasol’s 27th year of providing inclusive activities for children & young people from Oxfordshire has been a period of challenge and development.

In the wake of lockdown there was increased pressure both on our existing services and for new adult and community projects. At the same time we faced significant issues around staff recruitment and the impact of price rises coupled with reduced income.

In spite of these challenges we are proud to note that not only were we able to maintain the delivery of high quality Child & Teen services we also managed to develop new services in direct response to demand. These successes can be directly attributed to the hard work and dedication of our staff team and the continued support of the community around us.

Post lockdown projects that were successfully piloted in partnership with local councillors (Stay & Play, Community Newsletter, Community Volunteering and Lunch Club) received development funding through Oxfordshire Community Foundation. OCF also supported our work to establish our Adult day services.

Our teenage Volunteering project continued its success in identifying and supporting young people in making the step up to paid staff. The impact of this ‘grow your own’ approach to staffing cannot be overstated, especially in the current climate.

Output / we facilitated:

The effectiveness of Parasol’s services are regularly monitored and evaluated. Firstly, to ensure that all stakeholders have a say in the development of the charity; secondly, to ensure that Parasol meets their objectives; thirdly, to learn from what is not working well and finally, to celebrate successes. Our evaluation report is available on request.

Total participants Disabled
participants		 Non-disabled
participants		 Total hours
delivered
Child Service 89 47 42 243
Teen Service 82 51 31 638.5
Adult Service 19 19 0

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The Parasol Project CIO

Reference and Administrative Information

Registered Charity Number: 1188736

Principle Address: Tower Playbase, Maltfield Road, Northway, Oxford, OX3 9RG

Trustees: Dan Wadsworth (Chair) Rebecca Denson-Cleaver Anneke Hackmann Anne Schuster Anna Hemphill (Appointed 30 January 2023) Jerry Bloomfield (interim)

Key Management Personnel: Dan Norey - Executive Director

Craft projects at our Teen activities

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Contents of the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................... 2 Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2023................................................................5 Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of The Parasol Project CIO..................................21 Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023.............................................. 22 Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2023................................................................................................ 23

Canoeing with Oxford Canoe and Kayak club

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The Parasol Project CIO

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

By a resolution dated March 31 2021 the Trustees of the Parasol Project CIO (Charity No: 1188736) agreed to take on the assets, liabilities and functions of the unincorporated charity, the Parasol Project (Charity No: 1055914) (“the Transferor”). In so doing the Trustees of the Transferor charity have sought to take advantage of the added level of security available to Charitable Incorporated Organisations (“CIO’s”). The corporate nature of the CIO offers the Trustees Limited Liability and the new Constitution provides the charity with a greater sense of security and freedom to work with a wider range of disabled and non-disabled children, teenagers and young adults in the years ahead. As will be seen from the remainder of this Report, the Parasol Project’s Mission and Objectives are broadly unchanged, and our passion for supporting those who use our services is undiminished.

The Trustees now present their report with the financial statements of the Parasol Project CIO (“the charity”) for the year ended 31 March 2023. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).

Teenage volunteers and staff taking part in face paint training

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1. Our vision

The Parasol Project want to see a world where every disabled child and young person can enjoy the same rights and opportunities as their non-disabled peers including access to out of school play, social and creative activities.

2. Our mission

To support young disabled people to have ‘full and effective participation and inclusion in society’ (UN Convention on the Rights of the Person with Disabilities), to unlock their potential and be more confident, independent and compassionate individuals.

3. Our values

We believe that disabled children and young people should enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other children and young people as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including access to activities that suit their needs, abilities and aspirations. Disabled peoples’ engagement with culture and the arts alongside and on equal terms with their non-disabled peers is an important element of an inclusive society.

4. The importance of inclusivity

In the spirit of inclusion, we also work with a number of other disadvantaged groups including siblings of those with disabilities, children in care, care leavers, young carers, and refugees. Parasol has developed a unique inclusive culture allowing us to proactively encourage these differing groups to share and take ownership of our activities. This has a powerful impact on participants, families, staff and the community around us.

Our new basket swing funded through donations by parents of Magdalen school students

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5. Objectives and activities

As set out in the charity's constitution, the Parasol Project objectives are to provide facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation for children and young people with physical or learning difficulties. Such facilities are to be comparable to those available to the children and young people's non-disabled siblings and contemporaries and are to promote: (1) their educational, physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, and, (2) equal opportunities.

In planning the work of the Charity, the Trustees take due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on Public Benefit, including the guidance "Public benefit: running a charity (PB2)". The Trustees are satisfied that the Charity meets that guidance in that it offers its activities to any child or young person with physical or learning difficulties and indeed makes every effort to reach out to those families who for economic and/or social reasons find it challenging to provide appropriate and inclusive leisure or recreational activities for their children. The Trustees are happy that participants in the charity's activities are from a very wide spectrum of social and economic backgrounds, particularly those at risk of social exclusion, and this is fundamental to improving their wellbeing by making them feel valued and included, and participating in age appropriate activities.

Historically the charity has provided the following services:

Child Service:

  1. Tower Playbase - Holiday Playscheme - Providing a full programme of age-appropriate activities for disabled & non-disabled children (5-12yrs)

Teen Service:

  1. Choice Days - Holiday activities - Providing a full programme of age-appropriate activities for disabled & non-disabled teenagers (13-18yrs) split between IN DAYS and TRIP DAYS.

  2. Kilvrough - Residential holiday - Providing a 5-day Summer residential at Kilvrough in Wales. Activities are split between outward bound and centre based.

  3. Volunteering project - Year round - Providing an extensive youth volunteering programme aimed at developing independence & work skills. We actively recruit paid staff from our team of teenage volunteers.

  4. Youth group - Term time, weekly - Providing an inclusive, evening youth club based around art, board games, cooking and eating dinner together.

Since the end of lockdown we have piloted and developed the following services in response to demand:

Adult service:

  1. Parasol Enterprise - Term time weekly - supporting disabled adults in undertaking community facing activities.

  2. Parasol Lunch Club - Term time weekly - supporting disabled adults in providing free baguettes and salad bowls to vulnerable local residents, NHS staff and food bank volunteers.

Community Service:

  1. Stay & Play - Term time, weekly - Providing parents/carers with a warm, friendly space to interact with their babies and toddlers (0-4yrs) including a children’s clothes swap shop and singing.

  2. Northway Newsletter - Bi-monthly - working with local councillors to promote community cohesion.

  3. Northway Playday - Annually - working in partnership with OPA to provide a community Playday.

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2. Beneficiaries of the work

Our beneficiaries are primarily aged from 5-18 years old and our volunteers range in age up to 31. Many live in a variety of challenging circumstances, and may have significant communication challenges, physical disabilities, autism, learning difficulties and some also have challenging behaviour. These children, young people and young adults can face a series of barriers, both practical and complex, and this often results in exclusion from active participation in society. This can have a profound impact on their lives.

In the spirit of inclusion, the Charity also works with other disadvantaged children. For example, siblings of disabled children and young people are often disadvantaged as they have fewer opportunities for social or holiday activities than their peers. They often have caring responsibilities and they may feel neglected within the family because of high support needs of their disabled sibling. The Charity also supports children in care. Research shows that children in the care system experience significantly worse mental health concerns than their peers, and a high proportion experience poor health, and poor educational and social outcomes after leaving care. We also worked alongside young carers. Research highlights that these young carers are more likely to have mental health problems, poorer school attendance than average, and are more likely to be identified as having SEN. Finally, we also support young refugees. These children also experience significant issues due to their circumstances and benefit greatly from being involved in the activities offered by the Parasol Project.

This year Parasol supported 190 beneficiaries: 89 children aged 5-12, and 101 young people aged 13-31. Of the 190, 67% have significant and complex physical disabilities, learning difficulties and/or Autism, and 25% were from other disadvantaged groups including: siblings of disabled children, children in care, young carers and young refugees. Additionally, a significant number of these children and young people are eligible for free school meals.

Healthy lunches cooked by young people are served at our teenage activity days.

3. Equal opportunities statement

The Parasol Project is committed to providing equality of opportunity for the children, young people, adults, volunteers, professional practitioners, families and carers with whom it works. It values and respects their diversity. Parasol welcomes difference in its staff and volunteers. It is also working to create equal access to opportunities for paid employment and voluntary involvement while continuing to base selection and promotion solely on the ability to meet the requirements of the post. This is irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, religion, disability, gender, sexuality, age, marital status, responsibility for dependants, economic status or political views. The Parasol Project is committed to taking active steps to address and eliminate unfair or unlawful discrimination or prejudice where these are identified in the organisation’s procedures or practices.

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4. Quality assurance

All policies are reviewed annually to ensure they remain relevant and up to date. We have a quality assurance system and policies for health and safety, children and vulnerable adults’ protection, safeguarding, equal opportunities, whistleblowing, recruitment of ex-offenders and storage and handling of disclosure information. We are committed to improving quality and minimising risk and to deliver excellent value for money in all aspects of our work. We are conscious of the need to strike a realistic balance between administration and service delivery, and to ensure that whilst having a good protective framework of systems and procedures, we nevertheless devote most of our energies and resources to deliver an effective range of services. The effectiveness of our services are regularly monitored and evaluated (consultation with stakeholders), firstly to acknowledge what we do well and secondly, to review and learn from what is not working so well. This ensures we use our resources effectively and provide the best service to our beneficiaries.

5. Background of the charity

The Parasol Project was launched as an independent unincorporated charity in 1996 and was set up by parents of disabled children in order to fill a gap in provision. On March 24 2020 a new charity, the Parasol Project CIO, was registered at the Charity Commission. This charity has a constitution based on that recommended by the Charity Commission and objectives that allow Parasol to work with young adults. On April 1, 2022 the assets & liabilities and activities of the original charity were transferred to the Parasol Project CIO and the Charity’s activities have continued as before. Parasol remains an Oxfordshire charity embedded at the base of a large tower block in Oxford and now has 25 years’ experience successfully delivering services to children/young people with disabilities. Our profile and reputation has continued to grow during this time in the field of youth volunteering and inclusive practice.

6. Parasol Project Staff

The Parasol Project has capacity to deliver its activity programme with the support from highly skilled and experienced staff. Our team of Enablers (support staff) are recruited through our volunteer programme, links with local schools and recruitment sites. Our Enablers ensure activities are safe and supportive by handling personal care needs, supporting young people in managing challenging behaviour and modelling positive communication. In an average year Parasol would maintain a team of around 40 Enablers to support our holiday & term time activities. Most staff tend to stay with the charity for between 2 and 5 years. We would normally recruit around 5 to 15 new staff each year as experienced staff move on to full time employment. Due to the pandemic our reduced provision meant that we did not recruit new staff for 2 years, so this year we recruited 21 new Enablers, as well as a new Volunteer Coordinator (Phil Oakley, who had previously worked as an Enabler) and a new Office Manager (Katy Underhill) to make up a full staff team.

Young people and staff gather before a canoeing trip

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7. Achievements and performance (2022-2023)

This year, our team of enthusiastic and energetic Enablers and Volunteers have delivered an exciting range of inclusive, age-appropriate activities for children, young people and young adult users.

Parasol Children’s Service (5-12 year olds) :

Easter 2022 - Theme: Springtime/Easter (2 week/8 day holiday)

The number of children who attended over the Easter holiday was nearing pre-pandemic numbers, at an average of 34 children per day. The theme was springtime so activities included spring clay modelling, blow paint flowers, wildflower, fruit and vegetable planting, making butterfly suncatchers and caring for caterpillars whilst they transform into butterflies. We also enjoyed bushcraft sessions with Mark, the bouncy castle, park trips, an Easter Egg hunt and a day trip to Thomley Hall.

May 2022 Half Term - Theme: Festival week (3 day holiday)

We ran 3 days instead of 4 for this holiday because of the double bank holiday, but managed to pack lots of fun activities in, including tie dye and festival decoration, in preparation for our own mini festival on the last day. The weather was warm so we also got the bouncy castle out and did some water play. Finally, a visit from Circus All Stars had the children practising their circus skills! Average number of children this holiday was 31 a day.

Summer 2022 - Theme: Fantastic Beasts (5 week/20 day holiday)

We were able to run for the whole of summer this year, and packed the weeks with arts and crafts, water play, bushcraft with Mark and sensory sessions. We also did some day trips to Farmer Gows and Snakes & Ladders, and were visited by Garg’s Animal Encounters and a storyteller from the Story Museum. 31 service users a day - we found that quite a few of our families enjoyed last minute holidays.

October 2022 Half Term - Theme: Autumn & Halloween (4 day holiday)

Average of 32 children attended per day. The children worked on constructing, covering and decorating lanterns throughout the week, culminating in a beautifully decorated Halloween party where we played party games and danced around. We also had Just Dance sessions, sensory sessions, cooking sessions, a trip to the park and bushcraft with Mark.

Children’s playscheme activities

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Christmas 2022 - Theme: Winter & Christmas (3 day holiday)

We did lots of wintery activities such as a two-day craft fair, making and baking festive treats and even had a visit from Santa and his elves in his grotto. We also had a visit from Mr Muddle’s Magical Mayhem and the children had the option to join in with some magical fun. 30 children per day.

February 2023 Half Term - Theme: Everything in Space! (4 day holiday)

Each day this week the children had a chance to build their own universe by creating their solar system, space transport, space animals and space pirates, bringing it all together with a space disco at the end of the holiday. We also had our usual sensory, picture palace and bushcraft with Mark sessions, as well as a storytelling session and a fitness boot camp. 33 children a day

TERM TIME

Child Dance – Thursday evenings, 1.5 hrs

We were fortunate to receive funding from Sport England/National Lottery through Active Oxfordshire in order to run a free weekly dance class for children, which piloted in October 2022. We knew there was a strong demand already as many of our existing service users and their families/carers had asked about this kind of term-time service.

The dance session is aimed at children aged 5-12 and is an opportunity to exercise playfully, learn basic choreography and show off their new moves at the end-of-session disco. Tutorial videos are sent to parents/carers so they can practise at home if they wish.

This session built up a steady number of loyal attendees since its pilot and we expect that will grow as more people find out about it. It’s also a great way to induct some new children into our services when a full day during a school holiday might be too intense initially.

This was a brand new project for our Child service and was a trial to see how an after school session would work. We found many successes in running this project - among them that we had lots of children engage from our local community and set up a ‘stay and play’ session alongside the dance group which was positive for siblings. Some challenges we faced were that we had an average of 7 attendees per session.

Parasol Teens Services (13 to 18 year olds) :

Easter 2022 - (8 day holiday)

The young people spent three days at Wolvercote Young People’s Centre, doing cooking, art, fitness and bushcraft with Mark. We were also able to get out and about, with one day spent at the cinema and bowling alley, three days spent in the city centre playing board games, eating out and taking part in a scavenger hunt. We also spent a day at Gravity trampoline park, where the young people enjoyed bouncing around on their extensive selection of trampolines.

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Summer 2022 - (20 day holiday)

We were able to run a full schedule of activities this summer. For our ‘in days’, we were located at Wolvercote as usual and the young people participated in cooking, art, bushcraft, sports/fitness and filmmaking. Each week the young people also had the option of choosing between canoeing/kayaking or taking a variety of ‘mystery tours’ led by Phil, which involved visiting Science Oxford, making a music video at Nuneham House, an open-air bus tour, a formal food-tasting afternoon at a Chinese restaurant and a boat trip along the Thames. The idea behind these tours was to surprise and challenge the young people, strengthening soft skills and building resilience. These were treated as pilots and the young people gave their feedback, determining which activities to repeat in future holidays.

We were also able to run trips this year, which included RUSH trampoline park, a bowling then cinema trip, a trip to the city centre, outdoor laser tag, and a trip to Thorpe Park, giving the young people a chance to experience lots of activities that they wouldn’t have been able to do over lockdown, and for some, hadn’t had the opportunity to take part in before at all.

We topped the summer off with a celebration event, where family, friends and carers were invited along to celebrate the end of the summer and look back on the art and films the young people produced and to involve families in the kinds of activities we run at Parasol. We filled the garden with decorations and stalls selling arts and crafts, fired the pizza oven up, had a silent disco and showed a screening of the Parasol TV film.

October 2022 - (3 day holiday & Halloween party)

We ran three days of activities in October, including cinema & bowling, RUSH trampoline park and an in-day where the young people made Halloween-themed decorations ahead of the party, cooked food, played board games and participated in bushcraft with Mark. We then had a Halloween party on Saturday evening with a spooky dress code, food, drink, party games and a disco.

Christmas 2022 - (3 day holiday)

This winter, we took the young people bowling, followed by the cinema on the first day, had a Wolvercote ‘in day’ (cooking, Christmas crafts, sport, board games, arts & crafts and the option of playing dodgeball), and finished the holiday off with secret santa and a meal. For the secret santa, we met in the city centre and split into groups, allocated budgets for each young person and went shopping for their secret santa gifts. In the afternoon we met for lunch and exchanged gifts.

February 2023 - (2 day holiday)

Unfortunately we were only able to run for 2 days and with limited numbers in February because of staffing issues (COVID-related). We did enjoy spending time at the boardgame café in the city centre and visited Science Oxford, who hosted us for a blindfolded nature trail and an introduction to coding with Raspberry Pis.

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Summer residential - (5 day residential holiday)

We were very pleased to have got the funding to be able to run the annual residential again this year in Kilvrough, Wales. The young people stayed for 4 nights and 5 days at Kilvrough Manor and spent lots of time out and about in the beautiful Welsh countryside and by the sea. The group was split into three teams, with each team being tasked to plan and host a themed dinner party on one night, while the other two teams went out for the day to the beach and a local town. The themes the teams chose this year were Tropical, Mexican and American, and picking a winner was extremely difficult!

Photo portraits on the Kilvrough coach

Youth Group – Wednesday evenings, 1.5 hrs

Youth Group ran as usual this year, with the young people coming to Tower Playbase after school to play board games, do arts and crafts, work on projects and cook and eat a meal.

Parasol Adult Services (18+) :

Parasol Enterprise - Wednesday afternoons

Parasol Enterprise began as a pilot programme where our adult service users cooked a meal together, ate lunch together and discussed the planning of upcoming Parasol activities (originally called ‘Wednesday Planning Group’). This went really well and is highly valued by the adults who attend. It has evolved over the months to include community volunteering (such as delivering newsletters and picking up litter around the neighbourhood), making Parasol branded gifts and

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items to sell at our trading booth (such as hand-packed hot chocolate gift sets and a Parasol calendar), and planning ways to expand our user-made merchandise selection.

Lunch club - Thursday daytime

Beginning life as ‘Thursday Lunch Club’, the Parasol Lunch Club has developed over the last year and provides our young people with cooking and catering experience and local members of our community and NHS staff free baguettes or salads. Orders are made using an order form developed by the young people who attend, and local people can pick from a wide variety of ingredient options. We have received really good feedback from the community and order numbers are steadily on the rise.

Parasol Community Services:

Community Service:

Stay & Play – Friday mornings

We piloted our first Stay & Play session for babies and toddlers aged 0-4 years with their caregivers in November 2022 and it has been a huge success. Parents and carers have the opportunity to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and get to know other local families, while their babies and toddlers explore our sensory room, messy activities and age-appropriate toys and games. We ask for a suggested donation of £1 from anyone who is able to contribute.

We started off with small numbers but word spread quickly around our community and more families have been joining us every week.

Stay & play and swap shop

Northway Newsletter - Bi-monthly

Our Community newsletter was developed through our work with the Northway partnership. Funding through OCF enabled us to hire a member of our staff team to collect and collate stories and information from local organisations and residents and to print paper copies.

The newsletter is delivered by our Enterprise group and by local community volunteers arranged in liaison with our local councillor. It is also posted in local notice boards and shop windows, and a digital copy uploaded to the Northway website. This year we went from delivering around 200 physical copies to over 1,000.

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Northway Newsletter has resulted in increased engagement with community resources and activities, an improved relationship with residents of Northway and its councillors, and increased knowledge of Parasol and what we offer.

Northway Playday - Annually

We worked in partnership with OPA to pilot the first Northway Playday in many years. The road outside our Playbase venue was closed and various street sports and creative projects were provided. Plans are in place for the Playday to take place annually on a larger scale.

Community projects have been piloted throughout the year

Parasol Youth Volunteering Programme (10-31 year-olds)

Our Youth Volunteering Programme has evolved over the last 20+ years in response to the needs and abilities of the young people we work with and our capacity to support their involvement.

In its earliest iterations the project was focused on recruiting non-disabled teenagers to help run projects and make it easier to recruit other young people. Gradually the project was enlarged to include disabled teenagers, refugees, young carers and disadvantaged young people identified through partnerships with local schools. The majority of volunteering took place in the Summer holidays and each year a member of our support staff team would step into the role.

With regular funding support from Oxford City Council we were able to develop the project to a point that long term funding could be secured from the Henry Smith Charity. This funding has allowed us to hire a full time project coordinator and provide year-round opportunities and more focused support.

Our dedication to inclusive practice means that we use consultation and feedback (both formal and informal) constantly to ensure CYP are being properly supported, feel heard and are given the best possible opportunity to participate positively. This regular consultation, consistently resulting in tangible adaptions to activities and procedures in response to feedback over a prolonged period have created a culture of positive participation. Parasol youth volunteers play a vital role in promulgating this culture. Our volunteers help collect feedback from other young people, act as models of positive participation, help conduct informal feedback and form our youth panel, which helps select & plan our activities, fundraise for trips and take part in formal consultation.

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We are particularly proud of our track record of hiring paid staff from our volunteer team. Currently 9 of our 35 strong team (25%) have been promoted through our volunteer project.

Our volunteering project allows young people to choose their level of involvement by offering different levels of responsibility. As young people progress they fill out application forms, attend interviews and take part in appraisals.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Junior Role
Model
(10-12 yrs)		 Based at our
Children’s
playscheme		 Help serve drink & biscuits
at morning break and
participate positively		 Receive 2 Junior Role
model T-shirts.
Role Mode
(13+ yrs)		 Based at
Choice days &
Youth group		 Participate positively Receive 2 Role model
T-shirts.
Volunteer
(13+ yrs)		 Based at
Choice days &
Youth group		 Help run activities &
participate positively		 Fill out application form.
Take part in appraisals.
Receive 2 Volunteer
T-shirts.
Senior
Volunteer
(15+ yrs)		 Based at
Choice days &
Youth group		 Help run activities,
participate positively,
shadow support staff &
handle petty cash		 Fill out application forms.
Attend interview.
Take part in appraisals.
Undertake placements at
our Children’s playscheme.
Receive 2 Senior Volunteer
T-shirts.
Workforce
Volunteer
(18+ yrs)		 Based at our
Teen service		 Work alongside support staff
to deliver activities.		 Fill out application form.
Receive 2 Work Force
T-shirts.

It has been a really successful year for the Volunteer Programme and numbers and enthusiasm for the project have more than bounced back post-pandemic.

Parasol supported 58 young people in completing 5,574 hrs of volunteering.

Plans for the Volunteering project include:

Please request a copy of our Volunteer report (or see below) for a more in depth analysis of this project Parasol Youth Volunteering Evaluation Report 2023FF.pdf

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8. Financial Review

The Trustees report an excess of expenditure over income in the year ended March 31 2023 of £41,350 (2022 - excess of expenditure over income of £30,404). A look at the underlying figures as shown in the Statement of Financial Activities for the two years shows that despite receiving more income than last year (an extra £65,438), expenses have risen considerably and we spent £76,384 more on raising funds and charitable activities than in the year ending 31 March 2022. This is due to a combination of factors. The cost of activities, groceries for cooking projects, overheads and staffing has increased significantly in-line with inflation and the cost of living crisis. Secondly, our activities in the year ending 31 March 2023 were all in-person compared to last year which was still impacted by pandemic restrictions, contributing to extra expenses.

Reserves at the end of the year to March 31 2023 stood at £54,844 (2022 - £96,194), a significant drop compared to the previous year. Section 10 on Reserves expands on our concerns and plans for next year.

On the face of it, the change in financial fortunes this year is worrying. On the other hand this is not unusual for Parasol. As a small charity, Parasol depends on raising funds on a year by year basis to provide the vital funding that tops up the regular grant funding received from Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and the Henry Smith Charity. During the year ended March 31 2023, the Charity was able to access funding for a new wheelchair path in our garden.

It is not easy for the Trustees to cut costs which relate mostly to the provision of our programmes during school holidays. These programmes require high levels of seasonal staff in order to make the activities safe and enjoyable for the disabled and non-disabled children and teenagers the Charity works with. As the analysis in note 9 to the accounts shows, staff costs increased due to (a) an increase in staff recruitment to support post-pandemic levels of activity, (b) it was necessary to employ a full time Office Manager (and Volunteer Coordinator but this wage is covered by Henry Smith) to ensure sustainability of the charity, and (c) an increase in minimum wage from £9.50 to £10.42 for 23+yrs, £9.18 to £10.18 for 21-22yrs and £6.83 to £7.49 for 18-20yrs (non-applicable because we were paying £9.50 across the board before the pay increase so have maintained a lowest threshold of £9.50ph for staff under 20yrs). This resulted in an increase of expenditure of £35,897 in year ending March 31 2023. The full time staff have managed to maintain and even reduce expenditure in other areas – direct activity costs, and administrative and office costs.

9. Future Plans

Lottery funding - The success of our Community and Adult projects makes it possible to apply for 3 year Lottery funding to ensure the project can continue to develop and work towards future sustainability. (update - £215,739 over 3 years was successfully secured in Sept 23)

OCC commissioning - Our Short Breaks funding (£90,000 per year for 7 years for our Child & Teen holiday provision) comes to an end on 31st March 2024. These services will be recommissioned in Sept 2023. (update - £101,000 for 3 + 2 + 2 years was secured in January 2024)

HAF funding - We will be applying for Healthy Activity and Food funding to help fund places on our Child and Teen services for those in receipt of free school meals. Historically places for disadvantaged children & young people were funded through donations and grants but the cost of living crisis had significantly reduced this income. Initial application is to join the framework and then applications are made for each Easter, Summer & Christmas holidays. (update - we were successfully accepted on the HAF framework and secured funding for Summer 23 (£17,806) and places for Xmas 23)

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Kitchen refurb - As we continue to develop our Adult and Community work it has become apparent that our existing kitchen is not fit for purpose. We plan to pursue funding to upgrade to a commercial kitchen. (update - £30,000 funding was secured through Tambor and OCF and work started in Jan 23)

DofE - In order to extend opportunities for our young people we are in discussions re becoming registered as a Duke of Edinburgh provider. (update - we became a provider in July 2023)

Sailing trip - Working with the Cirdan sailing trust we are planning a 5 day sailing trip in 2023. (update - with funding from Cirdan, Gosling foundation and numerous small donations we raised £15000 and the trip took place in early September 2023)

Adult & Community projects - We have plans to pilot a Tuesday Knit, Sew and Natter group and Adult Soup kitchen project in 2023. (update - Knit Sew and Natter pilot started in Sept 2023)

10. Reserves

The Charity’s total reserves at March 31 2023 were £54,844 (2022 - £96,194). Of these reserves, £48,190 (2022 - £16,560) are restricted. These funds as set out in Note 13 are only available for specific purposes. £6,654 (2022 - £79,634) are unrestricted funds and are available to be used to support any aspect of the Charity’s total expenditure. This is a considerable drop in reserves from last year which is concerning. However, the Charity has secured additional funding from The National Lottery of £215,739 over three years (£68,821 per year), with the first instalment due Autumn 2023. It will be vital to continue to identify further funding for the ongoing financial health of the Charity next year from other sources also.

The Trustees continue to be concerned about reducing reserves and are well aware that the charity remains vulnerable to any changes in the availability of funding to small entities such as the Parasol Project. With the 3 year grant made available in 2022/23 by the Henry Smith Charity, the ongoing funding from Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council and the National Lottery Grant, there are revenue streams that provide a foundation on which the Charity can build its reserves once again. As stated in this Report in previous years, the Trustees feel, because the uncertain nature of other individual and grant revenues, that a target of £100,000 of unrestricted reserves is very reasonable. As can be seen from the financial outcomes for this year, to March 31 2023, an increase in expenses can have a significant impact on reserves. This is challenging for Parasol as a large proportion of its expenditure relates to staffing which is vital for projects to run.

The Trustees will continue to monitor the financial reports produced by the Office Manager during the year ahead. We are hopeful that the securing of the National Lottery funding will have a positive impact on the year ending March 31 2024, but will continue to look for more sources of longer term funding to ensure that the Charity can boost its core funding and that the level of the reserves can be rebuilt to one that provides the Executive Director and his staff team with security in making day to day financial decisions. On the other hand, the Trustees are well aware of the difficult economic conditions in which Parasol is currently operating and locating sources of funding will be challenging. The Trustees continue to be aware of the Charity Commissioners’ guidance in “Charity Reserves: Building Resilience” and indeed this guidance is what underlies their goal of establishing unrestricted reserves of £100,000.

11. Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The Parasol Project CIO is a charitable incorporated organisation registered by the Charity Commission and governed by a constitution dated March 24 2020. Anyone over the age of 18 years old and corporate bodies may become members of the charity.

18

Appointment of New Trustees

The Board seeks to widen its membership and at the same time broaden the skills set that the Board has to draw upon. Among others, new Trustees with skills in fundraising, charity law and human resources would be particularly welcome. If such skills can be found from amongst the parents of users of the charity's services, it would be particularly helpful. Potential Trustees will meet with existing Board Members and will attend at least 2 Trustee Meetings before being considered for appointment as Trustees.

Organisation

The Trustees of the charity are responsible for the managing the affairs of the charity. The Trustees are elected from amongst the members of the charity at the Annual General Meeting. One third of Trustees retire at each Annual General Meeting and may stand for re-election. There need to be at least 3 Trustees with no upper limit to the number of Trustees. The members or the Trustees can appoint a new Trustees from among the membership at any time during the year.

Trustee Induction and Training

The Trustees will continue in the coming year seek to develop an induction process for new members of the Board. This process would include the provision of Charity Commission documents about the responsibilities of Trustees, copies of the charity's governing document, the latest Report and Accounts and induction into the work of the charity, its aims and objectives and the roles and responsibilities of members of the Board and key staff.

Risk Management

The trustees are fully aware of their duty to identify and review risks to which the charity is exposed. Reviewing the charity's principal risks and uncertainties is done informally at its regular monthly/six weekly meetings. In the last two years, the Trustees have become aware of the financial risks that the Charity might face. With the significant financial contribution received from Oxfordshire County Council, the Trustees are aware that there is a financial risk if for any reason this funding ceased to be available.

12. Trustees’ Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements

The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and

19

Reports) Regulations, and the provisions of the Trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements.

Approved by order of the Board of Trustees on: December 6 2023 and signed on behalf by:

D M Wadsworth – Trustee (Chair)

20

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Parasol Project cio I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the account5 of the charity for thè year ended March 312Q23 which are set out on pages 22 to 31. Responslbllilies and ba$is of report As the charily's trustees you are responslble for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charilies Act 2011 (Xhe Act'}. I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accourrts carried oul under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ib) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have com ￿eted my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any rnaterial ￿Spect.. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the ACL or 2. the accounts do nol accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with lh8 applicabl8 requirements cOn￿rning the form and corstent of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulaknons 2008 other Ihan any requirement thal the acoxjnls give 8 'true and f8ir view. which is not a matler considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come attoss no other mallers in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understandirvJ of Ihe accounts lo be reached. D Pluck FCA Wenn Townsend Chartered Accountant 30 Sl Giles De￿rnber 202L Oxford OX13LE 21

The Parasol Project CIO

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2023

Note Unrestricted
Funds
2023
£		 Restricted
2023
£		 Total Funds
2023
£		 Unrestricted
Funds
2022
£		 Restricted
2022
£		 Total Funds
2022
£
Income
Donations and Legacies 2 20,941
199,962
220,903
54,734
133,174
187,908
Charitable Activities 69,881
-		 69,881
319
33,420
33,739
Investments 3 913
-		 913
1,025
-
1,025
Other 413
-		 413
4,000
-
4,000
Total 92,148
199,962
292,110
60,078
166,594
226,672
Expenditure
Cost of Raising Funds 5 14,862
-		 14,862
11,653
1,880
13,533
Expenditure on Charitable
Activities 6 & 7 150,266
168,332
318,598
47,931
195,612
243,543
Total 165,128
168,332
333,460
59,584
197,492
257,076
Net Income/(Expenditure) (72,980)
31,630
(41,350)
494
-30,898
-30,404
Transfer Between Funds - - - -
-
-
Net Movement in Funds (72,980)
31,630
(41,350)
494
-30,898
-30,404
Reconciliation of Funds:
Total Funds Transferred In 15 79,634
16,560
96,194
79,140
47,458
126,598
Total Funds Carried
Forward		 14 & 15 £6,654
£48,190
£54,844
£79,634
£16,560
£96,194

22

The Parasol Project CIO

Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2023

Note 2023
£		 2022
£
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets 10 8,914
14,563
Current Assets
Debtors and Prepayments 11 5,897
8,934
Funds on Deposit 11,299
51,299
Cash at Bank and in Hand 41,755
29,190
58,950
89,423
Less: Current Liabilities
Amounts falling due within a year 12 (13,020)
(7,792)
Net Current Assets 45,930
81,631
Total Assets less Current Liabilities 54,844
96,194
Accruals and Deferred Income -
-
Net Assets £54,844
£96,194
The Funds of the Charity:
Restricted Income Funds 13 48,190
54,257
Unrestricted Income Funds 14 6,654
41,937
£54,844
£96,194

The financial statements on pages 22 to 31 were approved by the Trustees on December 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

23

The Parasol Project CIO

Notes forming part of the financial statements for the Year ended March 31 2023

1. Accounting Policies

a. Accounting Basis

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on October 2019 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102 and the Charities Act 2011.

The Parasol Project meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy notes.

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Trust’s ability to continue as a going concern.

b. Depreciation

All assets costing more than £1,000 are capitalised and valued at historical cost. From April 1 2019 the cost of fixed assets are being written off using the straight line method of depreciation, a change from the previously utilised reducing balance method. The rates of depreciation are:

Office equipment and fittings 25% per annum
Plant and Machinery 25% per annum

Sensory Room Equipment		 25% per annum
Leasehold Improvements 10% per annum

c. Income Recognition

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

Donations and grants are recognised when the charity has been notified of both the amount and settlement date.

Legacies are recognised on a case by case basis following the grant of probate and when the administrator/executor for the estate has communicated in writing both the amount and settlement date.

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be reliably measured by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank or deposit taking institution.

d. Expenditure Recognition

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. All expenses including support costs and governance costs are allocated or apportioned to the applicable expenditure headings. The allocation of support and governance costs is analysed in note 6.

24

e. Irrecoverable VAT

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the expenditure heading for which it was incurred.

The cost of generating funds consists of staff costs, subscriptions to on-line fundraising sites, fundraising advertising and associated costs.

g. Charitable Activities

The cost of charitable activities includes governance costs and an apportionment of support costs as shown in note 7.

h. Volunteer Time

The value of services donated by volunteers is not reflected in the accounts.

i. Taxation

The Trust is a registered charity. It is not, therefore, liable for tax on income derived from its charitable activities.

j. Fund Accounting

Unrestricted Income Funds

Unrestricted Funds are funds which the trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objects. These comprise a general fund plus designated funds set aside out of

unrestricted funds by the Trustees to provide for planned projects and other known contingencies.

Restricted Income Funds

These are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor. Further details of each fund are disclosed in notes 14 and 15.

k. Pensions

The Charity operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. The costs of contributions are written off against income in the year they are payable.

2. Donations and Legacies

2023
£		 2022
£
Local Authority Grants 95,600
126,285
Other Grants (£1,000 and over) 117,225
46,765
Small Grants and Donations (Including Gift Aid) 8,079
14,858
Total 220,903
187,908

3. Investment Income

The Charity's investment income of £913.08 (2022 - £1,025) arises from renting out space at Tower Playbase (£882.50) and bank interest received (£30.58).

25

4. Net Outgoing Resources

This is stated after charging:

2023
£		 2022
£
Depreciation 5,650
5,650
Independent Examiner’s Fees 2,500
2,134

5. Cost of Raising Funds

Unrestricted
Funds
£		 Restricted
Funds
£		 Total
2023
£		 2022
£
Staff 5,201 2,201
6,129
Fundraising Admin Fees 289 289
216
Fundraising Consultant 9,372 9,372
7,188
14,862 14,862
13,533

6. Analysis of Governance and Support Costs

General Governanc Basis of
Support e Total
Apportionment
£ £ £
Equipment and Other Asset Costs 6,046 - 6,046 )
Building and Accommodation Costs 10,353 - 10,353 ) Allocated as a %
Office Costs 10,872 - 10,872 ) Based on Project
Salaries, Teacher Fees & Consultants 41,814 3,468 45,282 ) Salary Costs
Other Staff Costs 3,473 - 3,473 )
Independent Examination - 2,842 2,842 Governance
Bad debts 3,303 - 3,303
75,861 6,310 82,171

26

7. Charitable Expenditure Analysis

Total
£		 Choice
Days
£		 Playbase
£		 Volunteer
Project
£		 Dance
£		 Youth
Group
£		 Parasol
Plus
£		 Child
Term
£		 Adult
Parasol
£		 Governa
nce
£		 Training
£
Salary Costs 156,259
48,135
55,983
20,385
1,951
6,501
196
5,667
11,050
3,467
2,923
Choice Day Expenses 52,275
52,275
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Child Term Time
Expenses		 525
-
-
-
-
-
-
525
-
-
Adult Parasol Expenses 6,397
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6,397
-
Parasol Plus Expenses 48
-
-
-
-
-
48
-
-
-
Playbase Expenses 6,894
-
6,894
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Teen Dance Expenses 11,176
-
-
-
11,176
-
-
-
-
-
Teen Youth Group
Expenses		 4,094
-
-
-
-
4,094
-
-
-
-
Volunteer Project 2,228
-
-
2,228
-
-
-
-
-
-
Independent Examination 2,842
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,842
Support Costs 75,861
24,365
28,338
10,319
988
3,291
99
2,868
5,593
-
318,598
124,775
91,214
32,933
14,114
13,886
343
9,061
23,040
6,309
2,923

Expenditure on charitable activities was £318,598 (2022 - £243,543) of which £150,266 (2022 - £47,931) was unrestricted and £168,332 (2022 - £195,612) was restricted.

8. Governance Costs

Unrestricted
Funds
£		 Restricted
Funds
£		 Total
2023
£		 2022
£
Staff 3,468 3,468
3,287
Independent Examiner's Fees 2,842 2,842
2,134
6,310
0
6,310
5,421

9. Total Resources Expended

Staff Costs
£		 Other Costs
£		 Total
2023
£		 2022
£
Charitable Activities 196,983
121,616
318,598
243,543
Cost of Generating Funds 5,201
9,661
14,862
13,533
202,184
131,277
333,460
257,076

27

Staff Costs Comprise:

Staff Costs Comprise:
2023
£		 2022
£
Salaries Staff 192,423
156,526
Social Security Costs 6,422
8,232
Pension Costs 3,340
2,573
202,184
167,331

The average number of staff during the period was 4 (2022 - 3) full time. 40 (2022 - 50) part time and sessional workers have supported the charity's holiday activities and weekly youth and dance groups.

No employees received emoluments of more than £60,000 per annum (2022 - no more than £60,000).

The total remuneration of the key management personnel - the Executive Director - including employer's National Insurance and Pension contributions was £36,906.72 (2022 - £34,691).

10. Tangible Fixed Assets

Leasehold
Improvements		 Sensory Rm
Equipment		 Plant and
Machinery		 Fixtures and
Fittings		 Total
£ £ £ £ £
Cost
As at April 1 2022 8,592
16,609
15,134
2,060
42,395
Additions in the Year -
-
-
-
-
As at March 31 2023 8,592
16,609
15,134
2,060
42,395
Depreciation
As at April 1 2022 1,933
9,343
14,590
1,967
27,832
Provision in the Year 859
4,152
544
94
5,650
As at March 31 2023 2,792
13,495
15,134
2,060
33,482
Net Book Value at 31
March 2023		 5,800
3,114		 8,914
Net Book Value at 31
March 2022		 6,659
7,266
544
94
14,563

28

11. Debtors and Prepayments

Ac�vity Fees Receivable
Northway Project
Other Debtors		 2023
£
2022
£
5,897
7,876
-
870
-
188
5,897
8,934

12. Creditors: Amounts Falling due Within One Year

Tax, Na�onal Ins & Pensions
Independent Examiner's Fees
Consultancy
Accruals and Accounts Payable
Fees Paid in Advance		 2023
2022
£
£
3,403
1,877
2,500
2,200
4,872
3,000
1,515
714
730
-
13,020
7,791
Volunteer Project
Building and Sensory Room
Holiday Ac vi es
Teenage Services
Northway Community Fund
Parasol Plus
OCF
Wheelchair Path		 Balance at 1
April 2022
Income in the
Year
Expenditure
in the Year
Balance
March 31
2023
£
£
£
£
50,900
-34,425
16,475
6,508
-5,011
1,497
102,800
-102,800
-
6,052
3,091
-9,143
-
4,000
9,940
-13,940
-
-
18,085
-3,013
15,072
15,146
15,146
16,560
199,962
-168,332
48,190

29

Compara�ves for Previous Year

Volunteer Project
Building and Sensory Room
Holiday Ac�vi�es
Teenage Services
Evalua�on
Parasol United
Non-Contact Pandemic Programme
Northway Community Fund
Parasol Plus
Represented by:
Balance at March 31 2023
Balance at March 31 2022
14. Unrestricted Income Funds
Balance at April 1 2022
Incoming Resources
Expenditure
Balances at March 31 2023
Represented by:
Current Assets
Creditors and Deferred Income		 Balance at 1
April 2021
Income in the
Year
Expenditure
in the Year
Balance
March 31
2022
£
£
£
£
15,282
-15,282
11,519
-5,011
6,508
476
147,351
-147,827
11,050
14,234
19,232
6,052
1,880
-1,880
4,000
-4,000
3,251
625
-3,876
4,000
4,000
384
-384
47,458
166,594
-159,028
16,560
Fixed Assets
Cash at Bank
Total
£
£
£
8,914
39,276
48,190
14,563
1,997
16,560
2023
2022
£
£
79,634
79,140
92,148
60,078
-165,128
-59,584
6,654
79,634
19,674
87,426
-13,020
-7,792
6,654
79,634

30

1 5 . Financial Commitments

As at 31 March 2023 (2022 - Nil) there are no annual commitments under non-cancellable leases.

1 6 . Trustee’s Remuneration

31

INCLUDE INVOLVE INSPIRE CHILD SERVICE Tower Playbase - Holiday Playscheme Providing a full programme of age-appropriate actwrties for disabled & non-disabled children (5-12yrs) TEEN SERVICE Choice Days - Holiday activities Providing a full programme of age-appropriate activities for disabled & non41isabled teenagers (13-18yrs) split between IN DAYS and TRIP DAYS. Kilvrough - Residential holiday Providing a 5-day Summer residential at KI￿roUgh in ltyales. Activities are spltt between outward bound and centre based. Volunteering project - Year round Providing an extensrve youth volunteering programme aimed at developing independence & work skills. We actively recruit paid staff from our team of teenage volunteers. Youth group- Term time. weekly Providing an inclusrve, evening youth club based around art, board games. cooking and eating dinner together. ADULT SERVICE Parasol Enterprise - Term time weekly Supporting disabled adults in undertaking communty facing activities. Parasol Lunch Club - Term time weekly Supporting disabled adults in providing free baguettes and salad bowls to vulnerable local residents, NHS staff and food bank volunteers. COMMUNITY SERVICE stay & Play - Term time. weekly Providing parentslcarers with a warm, friendly space to interact with their babies and toddlers (04yrs) including a children's clothes swap shop and singing. Northway Newsletter - Bi-monthly Working with local councillors to promote community cohesion. Northway Playday -Annually 1Olorking in partnership with OPA to provide a communrty Playday. 32