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2023-03-31-accounts

Bluetonic

1190871

April 2022 - 2023

Annual Report and Accounts

Contents

Administrative Information

Reference and administrative information:

Charity Name: Bluetonic Charity No. 1190871

Registered address: 6 HALL DRIVE, WOLLATON, NOTTINGHAM, NG8 2PW

Trustees: P Dickens, Chair J North, Secretary C Morley, Treasurer

Aims and Purpose

We are a charity dedicated to creating experiences in, on or around blue spaces. Blue spaces are areas that are close to water either inland or by the sea. Spending time by blue spaces can make us happier and healthier.

Bluetonic offers resources, activity and information that helps anyone become more active in blue spaces.

Objectives

In our third period of reporting our objectives have been:

Activity

Online guest chats

These online sessions are designed for people to hear stories from inspirational people, about the benefits of blue spaces. This year, one session was delivered in each of the winter months (November to March) and has continued to grow Bluetonic’s presence online. They have continued to help create an interest in the charity with more peoples asking to become Bluetonic Ambassadors.

The chats involve storytelling with guests talking about times in their lives they have been active in, on and around water. This includes talking about struggles, highs, lows and how being in, on and around water has helped health and wellbeing. The format allows time for people to network with each other from wherever they are. Most people are from all over the UK, but increasingly our audience is widening. We have had guests from Australia, USA, Canada and Ireland. Networking is completed via breakout rooms as a safe space for people to reflect on the session, then share and listen to other people’s experiences.

Sessions attendance is down on the previous year. It’s felt this is because people do not want to login to online chat as much as they did in lock down. But the people that do come seem more engaged in supporting the charity via promotion or via awaken your blue mind. Here are some of the impacts:

The sessions have involved costs to Scott who has hosted them in terms of planning time and purchasing zoom license. He has been paid a total of £500 to deliver the sessions.

149 people attended our five chats.

Awaken your blue mind

This year the charity was able to develop an online challenge to help raise funds for running costs and charity activity. Awaken your blue mind is a journaling exercise that sees participants provided with a list of 80 challenges that encourage people to get out and about in, on and around the water during the winter months. Participants paid £5 to enter and they receive the challenges, an online journal to record and reflect on their experiences and entry to a Facebook group where people share their experiences.

In total 130 people took part in the sessions.

This was an incredible success for the charity and Jane North along with Rachel Andrews can be credited with the design and drive to create resources. We also had help from Paul Dicken’s daughter Gemma Dickens, who did a brilliant job designing the online resources.

Bluetonic Ambassadors

Our Volunteer Ambassadors continue to support the charity by helping to raise awareness of our work by:

Under the Bridge

Initially National Lottery funding allowed a successful 12-week programme that engaged around 22 men living in the East Midlands. The project involved the men being supported with a range of activities in, on and around water such as:

Participants were coached on the benefits of connecting in local blue spaces via simple mindfulness techniques. They also were made aware of the natural restorative effects of being active in, on and around water and how they can spread their knowledge to others.

The men were coached to sing and practiced in a studio and out in blue spaces with a choir master. The end of the project saw the men deliver a live performance, under a bridge on the river Trent. This was featured on the local BBC and Notts TV and various local radio outlets.

Nottingham University produced a study on the impact to the participants and the wider reach of its delivery. This is available on the Bluetonic website.

Since the initial funding, East Midlands Trains and the South East Derbyshire Provider Collaboration (explained below), provided funding to continue running the choir beyond the 12 weeks. 31 men have engaged to date.

South East Derbyshire Provider Collaboration

As part of networking the choir and widening support available for the men attending, Bluetonic has been part of a new collaboration between local support providers. This is a new way of working involving five providers working together to enable flexible local support.

Three of the providers involved offer counseling / therapy support and have made this available if needed to the “Under the Bridge” participants. This has provided a safety net of support to attendees and has been utilized by at least one group member and helped prevent his issues escalating into crisis.

This has seen £1600 provided to match fund East Midlands trains funding and support delivery of sessions beyond the initial lottery funding.

Swim Safe

Swim safe was successfully delivered in summer of 2022 to 100 young people and their parents/ guardians. Funding was provided via Sport England.

Swim safe gets children and their families actively learning in the environment about water safety to help reduce risk of drowning.

Our delivery is unique as we include supporting education related to the Blue Mind. (The Blue mind is about the positive impact of blue spaces on your mental health and our swimming coaches are trained to:

Volunteers

Since its formation, Bluetonic has had continued support from 5 volunteers. The trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers for their contributions thus far. They have supported in the following ways:

Without our volunteers, we would not have been able to achieve so much this year.

Structure, governance and management

There are currently 3 trustees and 5 volunteers. Trustees are selected based on our constitution terms,

and have responsibility for governing the charity and signing off on proposals. Volunteers are invited to

support the charity with their time and contribute ideas for the charity’s development.

Trustees are responsible for decisions about funding distribution.

Financial review

Unrestrictedfunds RestrictedFunds Total Funds
Income
Donations and
legacies		 526.21 0 526.12
Charitable activity 0 9438 9438
Other income 500 0 500
Total income 1026.21 9438 10464.12
Expenditure
Expenditure on
charitable
activities		 552.68 17,195 17,747.68
Total Expenditure 552.68 17,195 17,747.68
NET Income /
Expenditure		 473.53 -7,757 -7283.56
Totals carried
forward
Carried over
balance
£9327.4		 Bank balance at
close of fnancial
year
31stMarch 2023
£1985.80