The Starting Blocks for Family Life Begin Well Annual Report 2024-25
CHARITY NUMBER 1190047
Contents
Charity Information page 3 Structure, governance and management page 3 Trustees’ Report page 5 Accounts page 12
Page 2
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
----- Start of picture text -----
Charity Information,
Structure, Governance &
Management
----- End of picture text -----
Registered Office
West Hill House West Hill WRAXALL BS48 1PH
Email info@beginwell.org.uk Website www.beginwell.org.uk
Trustees
Louise Hughes BSc(Hons) MBBS MRCOG Karen Egitto BSc (Hons) SCPHN MSc Elizabeth Thomas BA(Hons) PGCE (until end January 2025) Katie Meredith BSc (Hons) (From 16 April 2024)
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Naomi Shaw (part time)
Charity Administrator
Cheryl Jenkinson (part-time)
Volunteer Lead Facilitators
Erica King - Barnstaple - Facilitator Timi Booy - Bristol (Backwell) - Facilitator Jess Higgins - Bristol (Field) - Facilitator Sophie Milne - Bristol (Field) - Facilitator Rosanna Wills - Exeter (Alphington) - Facilitator Annie Milverton - Exeter (Alphington) - Cover Facillitator Amy Davis - Exeter (Belmont) - Facilitator Viki Fry - Exeter (Pinhoe) - Co-Facilitator Katie Meredith - Exeter (Pinhoe) - Co-Facilitator Emma Mitchell - Exeter (Trinity) - Facilitator Jan Miles - Paignton (Bay) - Co-Facilitator Anna Harris - Paignton (Bay) - Co-Facilitator Trudy Warren - Plymouth (Chaddlewood) - Facilitator Claire Wadsworth - Plymouth (Plymstock) - Facilitator Kirsty Hammond - Sidmouth - Facilitator Debbie Martin - Tiverton - Facilitator
Begin Well Annual Report
Page 3
2024-25
Charity Structure
Begin Well is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registered number 1190047), which was founded in 2018 and registered with the Charity Commission in 2020, in order to provide local antenatal courses based on an NHS model. Begin Well works to help pregnant women and their partners build a happy family life rooted in local communities.
The Objects of the charity are:
-
1.To preserve and protect the mental and physical health of pregnant women in particular, but not exclusively, through the provision of education, information, physical, emotional and spiritual support during pregnancy;
-
2.To preserve and protect the mental and physical health of parents in particular, but not exclusively, through the provision of education, information, physical, emotional and spiritual support during pregnancy.
-
The trustees meet at least four times a year to discuss relevant matters such as current operations, future courses, and funding.
Risk Management
The trustees have reviewed the major risks and have policies and procedures in place to mitigate these risks.
Page 4
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
Trustees’ Report
Statement of Public Benefit
The Trustees have complied with their legal duty under the Charities’ Act to have regard for the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
Fundraising and Communications
This year the charity’s fundraising has included donations from individual donors, income from church partnerships’ training fees, course handbooks and licensing agreements. This year the income raised from this has been £20,434 - an increase of £14,477 on 2023-2024.
This year we have started using a self-employed grant writer to assist us in our applications. This has been successful with 3 substantial grants being donated through their work.
We are fortunate to have a few individuals who continue to generously support the work. All individual donors are thanked personally, when possible, and also sent the regular newsletters and updates.
Further fundraising is done on an ad-hoc basis and by asking for donations from supporters and course attendees through newsletters and social media.
Financial Review (including Reserves Policy)
The total income of £20,434 of unrestricted funds has been received by the charity this year. Begin Well has no debts or other liabilities, and holds no reserves or investment assets. Begin Well aims to build sufficient reserves for between three and six months’ operating costs.
Page 5
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and charity and of application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
-
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
-
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and 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 Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Financial statements are published on the charity’s website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements, which may vary from legislation in other jurisdictions. The maintenance and integrity of the charity’s website is the responsibility of the trustees. The trustees’ responsibility also extends to the ongoing integrity of the financial statements contained therein.
Page 6
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
----- Start of picture text -----
Chair of Trustees’
Report on the Work
----- End of picture text -----
This has been a year of growth for Begin Well. We have run 25 courses and supported over 500 parents to be across the South West.
We are very grateful for the continued generosity of our donors, for the hard work and commitment of our small staff team, and for the time and expertise of all our volunteers in our church partnerships.
Page 7
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
Reflection on the last 12 months activity
In the last report plans were made for the next 12 months 2024-2025
Update of Training Materials
In 2024-2025, all Begin Well course materials were re-written, there was further filming of course videos and the handbooks for both parents and volunteers were updated. The new curriculum was launched in Autumn 2024.
Training of existing teams on new materials
All existing teams were trained to use the new materials, with over 70 volunteers attending our Training Update days in both Devon and Bristol.
Onboarding and training of new teams
We aimed to start courses in 5 new churches. In the end we managed to do this with 2 new churches in Bristol and 3 in Devon. This involved Safer Recruitment of all volunteers from those churches, and training of every team member.
Volunteer Conference
In January 20525 we held a day conference for all new and existing church volunteers. We invited Restore Charity (who work with domestic violence survivors) to speak. It is known that women in pregnancy and post-partum are at higher risk of domestic violence. This session equipped our volunteers with knowledge and skills on supporting pregnant women in this situation. We are grateful to Exeter Diocese for their support in hosting the conference day.
Begin Well Annual Report
Page 8
2024-25
Reflection on the last 12 months activity continued...
Diversify and secure further funding streams
-
This year we have started to diversify our income and funding streams, and make plans to apply for larger grants.
-
Trustees have reviewed the licence fee and made plans for 2025-2026 to ensure that it is financially in line with similar charities.
-
Increased Administration support enabled Begin Well to chase all outstanding invoices and ensure all churches were up to date on payments. Individual donations continued to be part of our income stream, and we thank individuals for their generous support.
-
Our income from grant making organisations and individuals increased this year due to the hard work and expertise of our fundraiser. Although this raised the staff costs, the investment resulted in a significant increase in our income from grants.
-
Begin Well has started to use a QR code slide at the end of each course to make it easy for those who want to donate. We seek to provide each course for free to the prospective parents and to limit cash handling by individual course facilitators. The QR code has started to increase donations from participants who wish to express their thanks financially.
Build financial reserves
Begin Well has increased its income this year and has started to build limited financial reserves. The aim is to build reserves for 3-6 months of operating costs over the coming year.
Development of the Administrator role
- The administrator role has expanded to include book-keeping to help with the smooth running of the charity finances.
Training and development of the Trustee board
Begin Well was a finalist in the 2024 Cinnamon Incubator programme (November 2024). This has been hugely beneficial to the Trustee board and the charity. As part of the Cinnamon Incubator programme we have received regular coaching sessions, a residential training programme (February 2025) and support from mentors.
-
Active recruitment of new Trustees has taken place and we welcomed Katie Meredith to the board in April 2024.
-
The Trustees would like to extend our thanks to Liz Thomas who has been a Trustee and supporter since the conception of Begin Well. She is stepping down to further support her family commitments and we are grateful to all that she has given to the charity over the years.
Begin Well Annual Report
Page 9
2024-25
Other Activities
-
In March 2025 we ran a Begin Well Midwife and Healthcare Professionals Retreat. This was hosted by Reverend Claire Curtis in Tiverton, Devon. The NHS is a challenging place to work and this retreat gave time for the health care professionals who volunteer for Begin Well to recharge physically, spiritually and mentally.
-
Begin Well was shortlisted and invited to be part of the Cinnamon Incubator Programme. This started in October 2024 and included a training residential covering topics such as replication, safeguarding, marketing, fundraising, using data and governance. We will have regular coaching sessions and hope that this external input will continue to strengthen the trustee and operational team.
-
Begin Well was invited to take part in an interview with UCB radio to share the work which we are doing. We ran a midwife training event to train our volunteer midwives on the new material and to support them in its delivery. Begin Well was invited to the Bishops’ Study Day in Exeter (November 2024) to share the work which it is doing and to inspire other churches to be involved. Begin Well took part in the Tree Fest at St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. This was to raise awareness of Begin Well as we start to run courses in Bristol.
Highlights
“Just all of it really was brilliant!!! Has really taken away anxiety, made me feel more prepared and less scared, helped me realise how trustworthy midwives and medical teams are and made me feel in safe hands. Feel really excited now!”
“This is such a valuable thing to find freely offered within our community, it feels rare to have such an opportunity and I'm sure so many people benefit from it. I know friends in other areas of the country where there is no such provision so we feel really lucky. It was such an added bonus having kind and approachable people leading it.”
“Left the course feeling a lot more confident about becoming a parent and how to handle a newborn! So grateful for the help and support”
Page 10
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
SESSION I IMG F•1 Y•Uft AA8Y )eoin Page 11 Begim Well Report 02+-2f
Plans for the next 12 months 2025-2026
Onboarding and training of new teams
As Begin Well grows we aim to start courses in 5 new churches over the next year. This will involve Safer Recruitment of all volunteers from those churches and training of every team.
Governance
Begin Well will review its policies and guidelines and seek to sharpen its onboarding training, handbook and processes.
Update Day and Volunteers Conference
In January 2026 there will be an Update day and conference for all new and existing churches.
Cinnamon Incubator Programme
The Begin Well Trustee team will continue to be part of the incubator programme. This will involve regular coaching sessions and a training residential in February 2026.
Safeguarding
As part of our participation in Cinnamon Incubator Programme we will have external safeguarding training, a safeguarding review and a report by the safeguarding organisation 31:8.
We will review our DBS provider and our safeguarding training to our teams.
Website Review and Refresh
Our website has not been changed since the start of Begin Well. As part of our marketing we will update the website to make it more accessible and user friendly.
Diversify and secure further funding streams
Begin Well will continue to diversify its income streams.
- The two-year licence fee for churches who run Begin Well will be reviewed. Begin Well provides all courses for no cost to the individual. However some attendees wish to donate money in appreciation. Begin Well will continue to provide QR codes and other methods of receiving donations from course attendees. We seek to be financially robust and to limit cash handling by individual course facilitators.
Strengthening Connections
Over the next year Begin Well will continue to strengthen existing relationships and make new connections with other organisations working within the same field.
Page 12
Begin Well Annual Report
2024-25
Aee•t Statement of Activity 3 A ril. 2024-2 A ril, 2U25 DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT TOTAL Income Accountts Packag8 erpyment Refund Donations Received Through SlewardsNp Gran18 from Tru8t& 123.00 S.994.54 8.300.00 In181 Trainlng Llc•n¢• F $40.00 3.000.00 Monthty Glvlry Income Onelloff Gfft8 2.797.00 2.535.00 Salos ol Curitulum R•8oure•8 1.576.00 Totsl for InLxJme £24,885.S4 Gr0¥8 Profft £24.865.54 Expen18S Ac¢tsunts Paek89• cInnarrTr Nthxjrk M•ntt>rlnq Progr¥mm• Course Books Delry Costs DBS Ch8¢k8 246.00 880.00 48.02 399.84 Filn4ng ol C15• Vld•o$ Iniw8nc8• 4.058.75 242.32 Prtnn9 of Course 8ook8 Ralwn9 fund8 Slowafd8hlp Wage Payrdl SeNKe8 Sub8L¥iPtion8 3,036.20 1,020,00 10.403.64 Volunteèr Tralnlng And Retreat Daya 317.00 £20.434.TT Nel OpernUng Ino)rne £4,430.77 Net othw Inccffj• Nel Ir¥8 £4,430.77 Page 13 Begim Well 4HHudl Report 02+-2f
Statement of Financial Position rii, 2UI4-2 A rii, iuiJ DISTRIBUTION ACCOUNT TOTAL Fixed Asset Total for Flxed As881 Cash at bank and in hand Begln Well Current Total for Ca8h 01 bonk and In hand 7.621.96 £7.821.96 Deblorn Current Assets NET CURRENT ASSETS £7.621.98 NET CURRENT ASSETS (LIABILITIES) £7.621.96 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES £7.821.98 TOTAL NET ASSETS ILLABILITIESI £7.821.98 Capltg18nd R&sgrv&$ Opening BalarKe Equity Ratained E8rnlng$ Net Incorne 3.191.19 4.395.77 35.00 Total tr Capmal and Re80r4e8 £7.821.98 Page 14 Begim Well 4HHudl Report 02+-2f
Notes to the Accounts B•okn W81 IGIOI- Fl•gw•d Charfty 11&¥X)47 Th8$8 a0UnIS hav8 b88n prepared on the r8¢dpls ond paym8nts Iwhl bosls, whk rdS Inco whon rec8iv8d and oxp8nditure when pahj. Th• aceèunts cov•rth• pwh)d 3 A12024 10 2 WI 2tr25. 3. Fur I rWlS ant1 payments In Iho r¢l•t• to lh• eharfty'i unlbclod furth. r•8lrfct•d lur$ w•r• hdd or Operat dudng th8 year. TO1 receipts for th8 year were £24.865.54, analy8od 88101kn¥6: . Bam8iaF40 LIcotK• Regular Gknno.. £420.00 gpln Wdl Li¢on¢8 F8818nd Trnlningl.. t1,665.ty) . Glft Ihrou9h siéward8hp.' £5.994.$4 . Gmnt FundinWChath8W• Tru818'. £8,300.00 .Ono off Glfts.. £870. . R•hJnd lor ov•rpMym•nt.' £123.00 . Regular Glvlng t)onatlM'. £2a77.Crf) Salos.. £5.116.OC TO1 p•ymoMs lor Iho y•or w•ro £20,434.77, 4natywJ ai IdlwA'. . SIow8rdshlp Wago Paymern Sorvlc88'. tI0,403.64 .Clnngrnon Neork Montor Progr8mm8.' £e60.00 . D8S'. £399.84 . Fllrnlng ol co8 Contenl: £4,058.75 . knsur8ne•s.' £242.32 . PrtnllThJ and Posiing ol Cwrso Aar*lboth8.' £2,792.80 . Prlnllr¥J. Pc6t8go and Stationery.. £11S.62 . P111£ty." £174.00 .QuKk8ooks Ants Pad(090.' £246.QO . Rai51ng lund8'. £1.020.00 . Sle¢P0Th.' £5.IKI +V(Aunteer Tr8lnlng Day Cost•.' £317. N•1 roe•lFlS lor lh• yèar vMr8 £4.430.77 (11# £24.865.5410s8 p8yrMnis £20.434.77). Al Ih• yoar onth. Iho charity hokj $h 81 bank of £7,621.96 IBogin Woll Curr•nii. Page 15 Begim Well 4HHudl Report 02+-2f
Opènlng lunds broughl 10rn¥8rd.. £3.158.19 Not rg¢•ipts Ihe ygav= £4,430.77 AddrtI0n Iorne r8¢•V8d IBam81aF4a Church donallonl.. £3S. Qknng fund¥ carried loard(qu to cash at bank): £7,621.96 Trusl80$ during th8 year wer8.. LO88 Huth88, Kargn E9t9, Elza)e¢h Thoma3 lunol •rKI Janu 20251, Katio M6rodfth Ifrom 16 Awl 20241. Th8 ¢ru$i8 mei ai1oa81 f¢)ur Imo$ a yoar. No tru$l80 ro¢elved r8munarallon for 68rYi¢88 U • tru8100 dudng tho y•¥. Tru# •xpots•s r•lmbura•d durfng th• y•ar.' £0 Aelaled p8rti08 IndLkde Iru$lo0$. famlly members. and any orglIOn they control. Tha ch4Tty had no iolaild paty ii•n8ae14on8 dudNJ lh• y•ar. The chanty had th8 IdlowlThJ pÉrt.lim• pald ro1•5 during th• y•ar.' . Vdunt••t CtrerfSnator: Naami Shaw Ipart tim•) .Charty Admln181r)tor.' Ch•ryl Jorln8ors Ip8rf-Ilm•l ErnOYm•rt costs •r• IrKlutsJ lthln Stowwl8hlp Wago Paymgnt Swvko$10g• 119 Sl. Al Iho roporfjng dato th? charty hod no matortal Mmrnthont6 or conllng•nclg8. and Acawnts Pryed Choryl J¥nklnson, Charfty Admlnirator owd• &ir•J ar SrJ trr. Loulse Hughos, TIu8100 28th January 2028 Page 16 Begim Well 4HHudl Report 02+-2f