Docusign Envelope ID 6FA94771-F6A64A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B
IL.
IYOAM
Trustees. Annual Report
2022-23

DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Table of Contents 

**01 06 Foreword from our Chair Financial Review** 

**02 07 Objectives Accounts 03 08 Activities Reference & Administrative details 04 09 Our Achievements Declarations** 

**05 Structure, Governance & Management** 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

1 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 01 Foreword 

This year, I believe our greatest achievement has been the expansion of the ROAM community and the elevation of ROAM's profile. Community has always been at the heart of what ROAM strives to achieve. As an organisation: we seek to engage with communities; enable children to build independence and confidence to engage with their local community; develop sessions that are inclusive and accessible to all children; and recruit a diverse pool of volunteers, demonstrating our commitment to accessibility for all members of the community. 

The year has brought us numerous success stories that underscore our commitment to the community: 

- Collaborating with a local school to provide tailor-made ROAM in School sessions for children facing specific challenges within the school environment. These sessions have nurtured resilience, improved social skills, and deepened the connection with nature. 

- Winning community support for our ROAM Around The World Commonwealth Challenge, securing funding from Birmingham City Council's Celebrating Communities Fund. This challenge attracted participants spanning generations, from newborns to individuals in their eighties. 

- Sustaining our delivery of a diverse range of sessions, enabling younger children to connect with nature even during the colder months and providing a safe environment for children with additional needs via ROAM-IN to do the same. 

- Recognition from the Birmingham Playcare Network, leading to the commissioning of two ROAM Free sessions as part of their Play in Parks campaign during the summer holidays. This allowed ROAM to introduce its ethos to a new community and access a previously untapped part of Birmingham. 

- The privilege of being invited to speak as experts on Independent Play, represented by talks delivered by our Strategic Lead, Naomi Fisher. City planners have recognised that ROAM has an important voice to consider when designing green spaces in inner city developments 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

2 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

While our geographical reach may not have seen a substantial expansion, we have undoubtedly deepened and broadened our reach within the communities we serve. Another example, would be the families that are typically attracted by ROAM Free are already on board with our children's freedom to play mission. Given the expansion of sessions, the families that access ROAM’s outdoor playgroup or ROAM-IN could be anyone just trying to find something fun to occupy their pre-schoolers. Through these activities for earlier age groups, we have opened gateways for families to hear about our broader philosophy and prepare children for independent outdoor play in the future. 

Through the year we have welcomed two new members to the board: Sana with her legal expertise and Geraldine as our Treasurer, both bring invaluable skills and experience. We are hugely grateful for the years of dedication that Lisa Walke has put into ROAM as co-founder and crucially as Operations Lead. However, we are privileged to report that she will continue to be involved strategically as a Co-opted Board Member. As ROAM grows, we seek to expand our board to ensure it is reflective of all the communities we serve new trustees bring more breadth in skills and experience. . 

Whilst delivering all these exciting activities, we should mention hard at work in our back office, our Project Administrator, Faye Cutler who has worked tirelessly implementing new systems. These systems will provide a solid platform for our ambitious plans for the future. 

Whilst our vision is to “facilitate a culture where it is considered healthy and normal for children to play unsupervised in their natural environment.” success can only be achieved if this is supported and accepted as the norm by the local community and society as a whole. We look forward to continuing with our mission. 

## Laura Smiley, Chair of Trustees 


ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

3 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 02 Objectives 

## Our Objects 

ROAM was set up with the aim of facilitating children’s freedom to explore nature unsupervised; something that was normal for primary school aged children until about 30 years ago yet has since almost disappeared in the UK. 

## Our Objects are: 

To help children and young people especially but not exclusively through leisure time activities, so as to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society. KEY INDICATOR DATA / OUTCOME 

To promote the good health of children and young people by providing facilities and/or organising opportunities for young people to participate in open-air recreational activities. 

in each case for the benefit of the public. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

4 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Our Mission, Vision & Values 

## Our Mission 

Our mission is to facilitate children’s free play in nature with minimal supervision, to support others to do so, and to campaign for every child’s right to independent play. 

## Our Vision 

Our vision is to facilitate a culture where it is considered healthy and normal for children to play unsupervised in their natural environment. 

## Our Values 

- We are proactively inclusive; seeking ways to meet children’s rights to independently play outside irrespective of their physical ability or any disability, social or economic barriers, gender, ethnicity, access to appropriate clothing, and any other barriers that we identify through the course of our work. We strive to make our sessions accessible, embracing neurodiversity, and to embed a culture of inclusion in all of our work that is reflected in the actions of everyone involved. 

- We foster a culture where imperfection is embraced; we learn through our mistakes more than our successes. We encourage the bravery in trying, and promote a non judgemental culture of supportiveness. We embrace a culture of learning and sharing the grey areas in order to make the experience more valuable for everyone and for no one to fear a consequence of a perceived ‘failure’. 

- We are responsible and rigorous; acknowledging that whilst the participating children’s experience is rooted in freedom, the activities we run are underpinned by procedures that reflect the high level of responsibility in which we are placed. We are rigorous in the application of the procedures that we have carefully developed to facilitate this. 

- We are action-orientated, and research backed. We embrace innovation through trial and refinement, but place this continually within the wider academic and research context; learning through the complementary work of other organisations too, and aiming to embed best practice of children’s play and freedom. 

These values are embedded in our organisation and we are committed to promoting these values to all stakeholders; be they participants, parents/ carers, Board members, session leaders and volunteers. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

5 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## **Theory of Change** 

In January 2020, ROAM developed a Theory of Change to outline how we will deliver and measure the success of our intended social outcomes/ impact. 


ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

6 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 03 Activities 

## ROAM Sessions 

Over the past year, we have continued to deliver a range of valuable sessions for our community. Our ROAM-IN and Playgroup Sessions ran throughout the year, and in November 2022 we were able to restart regular ROAM Free and Rocking ROAM sessions. 

In total, we welcomed 310 children and their families to our sessions - most of them many times. 

## ROAM Free 

ROAM Free - Our first model that enables children under 11 to play entirely selfdirected with minimal supervision in a public park. We delivered 10 funded sessions between November 2022 and March 2023 reaching 32 children. 

## Rocking ROAM 

Supervised session with (mostly younger) children not yet ready to access ROAM Free. It includes self-directed play in nature, assessing own capabilities to run, jump, climb in the natural environment. We delivered 11 funded sessions between November 2022 and March 2023, reaching 56 children. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
6<br>Session Types<br>67<br>Sessions<br>310<br>Children &<br>their families<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

7 




**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


## ROAM-IN 

Provides access to self-directed free play in nature for children with additional needs and their siblings, for whom ROAM Free may be considered too risky or inaccessible due to their play preferences, for example. Sessions take place in secure, private grounds. We delivered 11 sessions over the year, reaching 69 children and their families. 

## ROAM Outdoor Playgroup 

Initially started during the pandemic to address both preschooler and parent isolation, these sessions remained very popular and have continued regularly since 2021. Running weekly in Cotteridge Park, we delivered 22 sessions over the period with over 100 families attending. 

## ROAM in Schools 

Seven sessions were delivered with a local school. This was the second time we had worked with the school, delivering free play sessions for a cohort of nine children, who needed help in developing resilience, social skills, and a stronger connection with nature. 

## ROAM Adventurers 

## A second set of our ROAM 

Adventurers sessions was run JanMarch 2023. Aimed at pre-schoolers and their families/carers. 44 children and their families attended over the block of six sessions. Each session used a storybook as the inspiration to introduce activities that are encouraged in our ROAM Free sessions, incorporating more physical movement around the park to keep participants warm while spending time in nature. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

8 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Contribution from Volunteers 

Throughout the period, we were fortunate to receive vital support from dedicated volunteers who contributed to a wide range of aspects of ROAM; including sessions, events, and governance. 

Our core cohort of ROAM-IN volunteers played an important role in creating a welcoming atmosphere for families, fostering a sense of ease during our sessions. In ROAM Free, a blend of both existing and new volunteers worked with our leaders, ensuring the successful execution of these sessions. The continuous operation of our Playgroup was sustained by the ongoing commitment of regular volunteers from the local community. 

For our Commonwealth Challenge event (run in July), we were able to engage 16 volunteers, not only from our existing group of volunteers but also from the wider community. This included a graphic designer volunteer, two volunteers who contributed creative ideas for the challenges in a planning workshop, as well as volunteers ranging in age from 14 to 79 assisting on the day. 

Finally, our Board of Trustees generously contributed their expertise, dedication and commitment throughout this busy year. 

Overall, the contribution of our volunteers has been invaluable to the organisation; we are incredibly grateful for their support. 


ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

9 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 04 Our Achievements 

The year 2022 was a big one for Birmingham; hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time brought a huge sense of energy to the city, and also opened up opportunities for local community groups to be a part of this. In a competitive selection process, we had to submit and then pitch our idea at a local Ward meeting to secure funding. We were delighted to receive the most number of votes for our proposed ROAM Commonwealth Challenge: around the world in one park. 


Whilst this was just a one off event, its success epitomises the journey we have taken this year in both connecting with and embedding ourselves in the community we serve. We intentionally designed an event where team challenges were suitable for a wide age range; and teams with a diverse age and skill range had an advantage. Many of the participants encountered ROAM for the first time at this event which included establishing connections with our local business community too; we approached local shops and eateries for donations of prizes, in person. We advertised our event through local schools and other facilities in the area, again raising our profile locally. 


Of high significance too, our playgroup continued to grow from strength to strength and by September 2022, the playgroup had been running almost continuously for two years, meaning children who had started attending the playgroup were now starting to engage in other sessions such as Rocking Roam and ROAM-IN, ‘weaving ROAM into the fabric of our family life’ as one parent put it. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

10 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

Our biggest achievement this year has been to really embed the culture of community in our sessions, and for a wide range of people to experience the connections and benefits to well being that feeling part of a community can bring. Our range of activities this year have intentionally and successfully addressed social isolation amongst families and individuals. 

This is primarily focussed on geographical community, but also includes communities of carers of children with special needs and carers of very young children. By partnering with local agencies we specifically reached out to families who are new to the area or didn’t know anyone, and without being explicit in our marketing, we were targeting parents and carers who were feeling isolated. We advertised our sessions through channels that may most effectively do so. Recruiting volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds has provided benefits to individuals and to ROAM. We have had many more volunteers this year who were not from our core beneficiaries’ demographic of families with children under 12. 

Some further details of our achievements are detailed below, picking out some particular highlights of the year in more detail. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
11<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>




DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## ROAM in Schools 

During the summer term of 2022 we ran a series of seven weekly ROAM sessions with a local school. Working in partnership with the school’s learning mentors, a cohort of nine children aged 6 to 11 were identified, all of whom required assistance in developing resilience, social skills, and a stronger connection with nature. Our sessions aimed to facilitate free play, exploration, and adventure in Cotteridge Park for this specific group. We emphasised a culture of care within the group, reinforcing the three golden rules: 

- Stay in groups of 3 or more. 

- Stay within the boundaries of the park. 

- Look after yourselves, each other, and nature. 

These children, often facing challenges within the school environment such as friendship dynamics, anxiety, and focus in a bustling classroom, thrived in the natural setting. Immersed in nature, they invented games, collaborated, took calculated risks, and assumed leadership roles. 

The learning mentor who closely supports these children on a weekly, and in some cases daily, basis within the school setting, expressed her awe at witnessing how they flourished. Notably, she mentioned Child A, who initially struggled to engage with others. Through our sessions, this child formed a close bond with Child B, an older child grappling with anxiety. In nature, they discovered common ground, through activities such as climbing trees, building dens, and engaging in creative play. The learning mentor noted a remarkable improvement in their confidence and relaxation levels during these sessions. 

Our objective was to measure the following aspects related to building resilience: 

- Connection to nature. 

- Increase in social interactions. Custodianship of the local community park. 

At the end of each session, we held a reflection period where we asked open and closed questions to assess their experiences, exploring various aspects of the session and their interactions. During these discussions the children expressed their love for attending the sessions - they enthusiastically showcased the new areas they had explored, from climbing steep slopes to sliding down muddy banks, identifying trees, creating nature art, and exploring the stream bank. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

12 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

The sessions fostered a harmonious mix of children across age groups. The older children looked out for the younger ones, assisting them in climbing and waiting for them. In return, the younger children gained confidence and formed new friendships beyond their usual year groups. The older children relished their roles as leaders, a position they might not have assumed within their immediate peer groups. This intergenerational interaction led to the transfer of physical, emotional, and creative skills from the older to the younger children. 

Nature provided an ideal backdrop for these relationships to flourish - they engaged in activities such as hide and seek, races, role-playing, and creating art with natural materials, capitalising on the possibilities presented by the natural environment. 

The children demonstrated a strong sense of ownership over their local park and cherished the autonomy to choose their activities. Self-direction and real-life problem-solving, foundational for lifelong learning, were encouraged and developed throughout the sessions. The children conveyed their excitement, joy, and moments of fear (such as when climbing a bank) during the activities, which we perceived as positive signs of building resilience, overcoming challenges, and taking healthy, appropriate risks. 


ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

13 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Commonwealth Challenge - July 2022 

On Saturday 16th July 2022, we held our ROAM Commonwealth Challenge in Cotteridge Park which was funded as part of Birmingham City Council’s Celebrating Communities Fund. 

The intention was that this would be an inclusive event for the whole community and that challenges would involve adults as well as children in playful, nature-based fun. We also wanted to raise our profile in the community and in connection with the BeBold campaign. 

Participants took part in 11 events, including the Bangladeshi Bop, the Tonga Conga, the Great British Mud Challenge and Singapore Sling, and we were able to secure prizes from a range of local businesses to offer the winning teams. A total of 16 volunteers were recruited in the planning of the event as well as on the day. 

The event was free of charge to enter and prizes were used as an incentive to encourage participation. Seven businesses and one individual donated prizes and we also received a donation of £200 towards prizes as well as a donation to the charity of £500. We recognised these donations in the passports and on the back of the maps. 




ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

14 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

A total of 29 teams took part, with over 120 people participating, ranging in age from newborns to 80+. Sign ups were encouraged beforehand, however, we also had nine teams sign-up on the day and were delighted to have been able to engage not only with existing ROAMers and their families, but also with the wider community. 





ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

15 




**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


## Commissioned Work 

ROAM was commissioned by Birmingham Playcare Network to run two ROAM Free sessions in Hollymoor Park on 17th and 18th August 2022. These were part of Birmingham Playcare Network’s Play in Parks project that runs over the summer holidays. 

This was the first time our ROAM Free Sessions have been commissioned and it was a valuable opportunity to try out a new park and reach a new area of the city. The site falls within the Frankley Great Park ward of Birmingham and in an LSOA neighbourhood within the bottom 10% of neighbourhoods nationally, with regards to Indices of Multiple Deprivation (by comparison, the LSOA that Cotteridge Park is in the bottom 40%). 

Each session was led by one experienced leader plus two additional team members. There were around six to nine participants on each day from four or five families (some children stayed for the whole session). We found that initially, the children needed a little more structure than we would have normally planned in our ROAM Free sessions, so we introduced some activities that would encourage them to explore the park independently - including a game of hide and seek and working together as a team to complete a ‘scavenger hunt’ for letters to form a word. 

The feedback on the sessions was very positive, the children were immediately asking us when we were back and were disappointed on the second day that no more sessions were planned. The parents too really appreciated the opportunity to relax whilst their children were having fun. They were really pleased to see their children enjoying the outdoors and nature, and noted their daily struggle to get their children to come to or stay for very long in the park; preferring to stay at home doing sedentary activities indoors. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

16 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Campaigning & Events 


ROAM was invited to have a stand at Cocomad on 2nd July 2022. The team ran activities in Millennium Wood, including a mud kitchen, clay modelling, foraging challenges and slack lines. Pledges were collected from parents/carers on how they can give their children more freedom and adventure. There was a high level of engagement on the day and it was an opportunity to connect with our existing ROAM families, and also the wider community who may not have heard of ROAM and our mission. 

- Over the course of the year, ROAM actively participated in broader discussions on various topics, including children's freedom and the deficiency of green spaces. This involvement extended to attending an event hosted by the University of Birmingham,, 'Who is Public Space for?' and the Birmingham Architectural Association, exploring the theme of 'Greening the City.' 

## Organisational Development 

- To enable more effective monitoring and reporting of our grant expenditure a new financial recording system was put in place. 

- In September 2022 Lisa Walke stepped down as Operations Lead, however, we were fortunate to recruit Sarah Marlow to take on our operations roles in the new position of Operations Coordinator. 

- During the period the ROAM Team grew with the addition of six regular Session Leaders: Naomi Baylis and Juliet Fry leading Rocking ROAM, Sarah Marlow and Sarah Green leading ROAM-IN and Jasmine (previously co-lead of Playgroup and ROAM in Schools) leading ROAM Free. Emma Watson, who had been an integral part of our Playgroup as the Music Leader, took over as Leader in September 2022. 

- This recruitment of new leaders and development of existing session workers into leaders was an important part of ROAM’s succession strategy as it had previously been recognised that much of the delivery of sessions had relied on Lisa Walke and Naomi Fisher. Lisa’s departure was a catalyst for addressing this, and we are now in a position where we have an agile pool of leaders who can run sessions. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

17 




**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>



## Marketing & Communications 

- Our social media engagement continued to grow through the period, with over 1400 followers on Facebook and Twitter. 

- Six editions of our ROAM newsletter were produced promoting our mission and activities, each to an audience of 340 recipients. 

## Grants 

During this period we were fortunate to have submitted and won several grant applications, primarily for project funding: 

- The National Lottery Awards for All - Community Fund - this grant contributed towards the majority of our sessions, including ROAM Free, Rocking ROAM and our Community Playgroup. 

- Heart of England Community Foundation - Graham Griffiths - this grant contributed towards ROAM Free, Rocking ROAM and running a pilot of our ROAM Free Sessions in a new park (to take place in 2023). 

- The Eveson Charitable Trust - funding to deliver a set of 20 ROAM-IN Sessions. 

- Birmingham City Council - Celebrating Communities Fund - Funding to run a special event to mark the Commonwealth Games 2022. 

- Birmingham City Council’s Be Bold Pilot - Funding to run a programme of ROAM Adventurers sessions. 

- Cotteridge Quaker Community Fund - Funding to deliver another set of ROAM in Schools sessions with a local school. 

- We also received grants to support our core funding and general project development from The Grimmitt Trust and Baron Davenport’s Charity. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

18 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 05 Structure, Governance & Mana ement g 

ROAM is a registered charity (CIO), charity number 1190230 (July 2020). 

## The Board of Trustees 

The Board comprises the Leadership Team, five Non-Executive Directors and two Co-opted Board Members. The five Non-Executive Directors are all registered with the Charity Commission as trustees. All other Board members are nonvoting. Four Board Meetings are held per year. 

## NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS 

|Laura Smiley|Chair|Appointed as Non-Executive<br>Director July 2020, Chair from|
|---|---|---|
|||September 2020|
|Jo Burrill|Trustee|Appointed July 2020|
|Geraldine Cole|Treasurer|Appointed September 2022|
|Sana Duncan|Trustee|Appointed June 2022|
|Gaynor Zargar|Safeguarding Lead|Appointed July 2020|
|Sumeer Aggarwal|Co-opted Board Member|Co-opted April 2022|
|Lisa Walke|Co-opted Board Member|Co-opted December 2022|



At any time there must be at least three charity trustees, If the number falls below this minimum, the remaining charity trustee or trustees may act only to call a meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint a new charity trustee. Every charity trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. 

In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

19 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Public Benefit 

The Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance, taking this into account when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. 

## Officers 

ROAM's officers during this period were Naomi Fisher, Strategic Lead and Lisa Walke, Operations Lead (until September 2022). 

Naomi’s key responsibilities include: 

- Strategic oversight of the charity's activities 

- Business Planning 

- Financial oversight and management 

- Income and Fundraising 

- Systems and data oversight 

- Marketing and External Communications 

- Campaigning and Events 

- Partnerships: Corporate and emerging partnerships 

- Designated Safeguarding Lead (from September 2022 onwards) 

Lisa’s key responsibilities include: 

- Organisation and Planning of Sessions 

- Management and Coordination of Session Leaders and Volunteers Customer Relations 

- Safeguarding 

- Training 

- Policies and Procedures; Implementation and Review 

- Impact Measurement 

From September 2022 onwards, Sarah Marlow took up the role of Operations Coordinator, this role’s key responsibilities include: 

- Session Oversight including planning, communications with families, bookings Volunteer Management 

- Site Specific Tasks including risk assessments, updates to methodologies Equipment & Input on Budgets 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

20 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Organisational Structure 


When I’m older I want to work here so that everyone can 

find their bit of happiness 

Quote from ROAM-IN Attendee 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

21 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 06 Financial Review 

## Review Statement 

ROAM started the period with funding carried over from four grants received the previous year - including restricted funding from The Eveson Charitable Trust (for 2021-2022 sessions), TNL/Ikea Places Called Home Fund, the Cotteridge Quaker Community Fund and Birmingham City Council’s Neighbourhood Development Support Unit (NDSU). 

Income for the period covered by this report totalled £27,415 of which £25,097 was restricted coming from six grants. Two of these grants have been completed, and session delivery relating to the remaining four will be completed in 2023/24. 

Expenditure in the period totalled £25,325. 

## Income 

ROAM's income has largely been in the form of grants from trusts other funding bodies - during the period the majority of this funding was for specific project delivery. 

Moving forwards, a more sustainable mixed model of income is to be developed, recognising that some activities the charity delivers could be charged to some consumers without detriment to the mission, vision or values. This includes schools or other organisations as well as individual families. 

ROAM recognises that some of its pioneering work or projects with children who may stand to benefit most, may still be largely dependent upon external grant funders. That said, opportunity for subsidising this through other work will be promoted in the form of voluntary donations for sessions (with tangible examples of what donations can help pay for), and profit on merchandising. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

22 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## Grants 

TNL Community Fund - Awards for All 

- Heart of England Community Foundation - Graham Griffiths Fund Birmingham City Council’s Be Bold Pilot 

- Birmingham City Councils - Celebrating Communities Fund Eveson Charitable Trust 

- Cotteridge Quakers Community Fund Baron Davenport’s Charity 

- The Grimmitt Trust 

## Donations 

- During the period we received two private donations in relation to our Commonwealth Challenge Project. 

- £241 of donations via our PayPal Donate Now button/QR Codes. 

## Commissions and Consultancy 

Commissioned work - Birmingham Playcare Network - Delivery of two ROAM Free Sessions at The Hollymoor Centre. 

## Other Income: payments, merchandise 

We received £177 in merchandise payments from a merchandise drive in December 2021. 

## Reserves Policy 

Once a year the Board will consider the level of reserves that it is prudent for the organisation to hold. Consideration will be given to redundancy liabilities, lease agreements and any other significant factors that should be taken into account if the organisation were to close. 

We will aim to build up reserves that represent a minimum of 3 months of typical turnover, by the end of Year 5 (April 2025). 

Until we have built up adequate reserves, we have taken a low risk approach to taking on any liabilities including employment, leases, subscriptions or other regular commitments. 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

23 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 07a Accounts: Receipts & Pa ments Year End 31 March 2023 y 

||Un-restricted|Restricted|Endowment|Total this|Last year|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||funds (£)|Funds (£)|Funds (£)|year||
|A1 Receipts||||||
|Booking receipts|-|-|<br>-|-|1,913|
|Donations|241|700|-|941|2,300|
|Grant funding|1,500|24,397|-|25,897|7,403|
|Merchandise sales|177|-|-|177|-|
|Consultancy Fees|-|-|-|-|50|
|Commissioned Work|400|-||400|740|
|Subtotal (Gross income for<br>AR)|2,318|25,097|-|27,415|12,406|
|A2 Asset and investment||||||
|sales (see table)|-|-|-|-|-|
|Total Receipts|2,318|25,097|-|27,415|12,406|
|A3 Total Payments||||||
|Session personnel|6,384|15,226|-|21,610|24,039|
|Session equipment|(7)|1,683|-|1,676|1,358|
|Session consumables||483|-|483|513|
|Computer costs|78|127|-|205|3,299|
|Professional services|236|338|-|573|1,108|
|Merchandise costs|-|-|-|-|389|
|Training|77|-|-|77|25|
|Insurance|24|300|-|324|300|
|Travel|-|33|-|33|-|
|Subsistence|14|8|-|22|-|
|DBS checks|77|145|-|222|249|
|Printing, postage and stationery|-|-|-|-|78|
|Donations|100|-|-|100|111|
|Subtotal|6,982|18,342|-|25,325|31,469|
|A4 Asset and investment||||||
|purchases (see table)||||||
|Total Payments|6,982|18,342|-|25,325|31,469|
|Net of receipts/(payments)|(4,664)|6,755|-|2,090|(19,063)|
|A5 Transfers between funds|(97)|97|-|-|-|
|A6 Cash funds last year end|5,065|5,833|-|10,898|29,961|
|||||||
|Cash Funds this year end|304|12,685|-|12,988|10,898|



ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

24 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 07b Accounts: Statement of Assets & Liabilities for the eriod p 

||Details|Un-restricted|Restricted|Endowment|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||funds (£)|Funds (£)|Funds (£)|
|B1 Cash Funds|Bank Current Account|304|12,685|-|
|Total Cash Funds||304|12,685|-|
|B2 Other Monetary|Stock of Merchandise|149|-|-|
|Assets|||||
||Details|Fund to which|Cost|Current value|
|||asset belongs|(optional)|(optional)|
|B3 Investment Assets|-|-|-|-|
|B4 Assets Retained for|Equipment|Unrestricted|3,163|1,985|
|the Charity's own use||Restricted|140|120|
||Details|Fund to which|Amount due|When due|
|||liability relates||(optional)|
|B5 Liabilities|Accrued Expenses|Unrestricted|990|-|
|||Restricted|1,891||



Signed by two trustees on behalf of all the trustees: 

|Signature|||
|---|---|---|
|Full Name|||
||Laura Smiley|Geraldine Cole|
|Date|||
||18/12/2023|01/01/2024|



ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

25 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 07c Report of the Independent Examiner 

## Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of ROAM 

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2023 which are set out on pages 24 to 25. 

## Responsibilities and basis of report 

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). 

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out 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)(b) of the Act. 

Independent examiner's statement 

I have completed 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 material respect: 

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 

2. the accounts do not accord with those records. 

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

___________________________ 

Mark McLean FCA 

On behalf of Thomas & Young Limited, Chartered Accountants 

Carleton House 266-268 Stratford Rd Shirley B90 3AD 

1/8/2024 Date:______________________ 

ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

26 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 08 Reference & Administrative details 

## Charity Details 

Charity name: ROAM 

Registered charity number: 1190230 

Charity’s principal address: 10 Ashmore Road BIRMINGHAM B30 2HA 

## Trustees 

|NAME|OFFICE|DATES ACTED IF NOT FULL YEAR|
|---|---|---|
|Laura Smiley|Chair||
|Geraldine Cole|Treasurer|Appointed September 2022|
|Gaynor Zargar|Trustee||
|Jo Burrill|Trustee||
|Sana Duncan|Trustee|Appointed June 2022|



ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

27 



DocuSign Envelope ID: 6FA94771-F6A6-4A5E-86F9-C2A848AA805B 

## 09 Declarations 

This Annual Report, covering the period 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 was approved by trustees of ROAM on 5th December 2023. 

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees: 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Signature<br>Full Name<br>Laura Smiley Geraldine Cole<br>Position<br>Trustee Trustee<br>Date<br>18/12/2023 01/01/2024<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


ROAM - Trustees' Annual Report 2022-2023 

28 

