2021-12-31-accounts - Highreach Holidays CIO

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 21[st] August 2020 – to 31[st] December 2021

The Trustees’ of Highreach Holidays CIO present their annual report for the period 21st August 2020 to 31st December 2021.

Highreach Holidays CIO is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales with Charity Number 1190971.

The charity’s principal address is Highfield School, Highfield Lane, Liphook, GU30 7LQ.

Trustees:

VIVIENNE JANE LIDDELL

ALEX RINGER

HARRY McCOLL

RICHARD CAREY DUNN

Structure, Governance and Management

Highreach Holidays is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The governing document is a Constitution for a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO): foundation model.

Trustees are appointed for a fixed term of 3 years, apart from the first trustees as stated above who are on a staggered term from between 2 and 4 years, to allow for continuity as when these Trustees finish their role. The current trustees are the first charity trustees and were formed of members of the Senior Leadership team of the holiday.

The charity is organised with a Senior Leadership team which meet up throughout the year to review the holiday and plan for the next one. This team is made up from experienced volunteers Highreach Holidays and from Greenfrog Holidays who have a wealth of experience in running this type of residential holiday. There are Group Leaders (GL) who are, following several year’s experience as a 1:1 volunteer, promoted to GL to oversee a team of volunteers, numbering 4 to 5 in a team, who have the children (Holiday Makers) as their 1:1. Volunteers, these work 1:1 with the Holiday Makers on the holiday, caring for them during the week.

The holiday week benefits from Highfield schools support in the provision of accommodation and facilities for the week. Furthermore, the majority of first-time volunteers for the holiday are recruited from among school alumni.

Objectives and Activities

The relief of children and young people who are in need by reason of a learning disability and/or physical disability by, but not limited to:

the arrangement and provision of residential holidays and other recreational and leisure activities; and
the provision of financial and other support to other organisations providing residential holiday facilities and other recreational and leisure activities for the public benefit.

A one week residential respite summer holiday camp was provided for 20 holiday makers in the first week of August 2021. The holiday took place at Highfield School in Liphook (Hampshire)

We plan our activities with careful consideration of the Charities Commission guidance on public benefit (Charities Act 2011, section 17).

The activities carried out in pursuit of these objectives are

recruitment of young people to take part in week-long residential holiday for children and young people with learning disabilities
the organisation and running of the holiday for children and young people with learning disabilities
provision of new experiences to children and young people with learning disabilities a period of respite for parents, caregivers and siblings of these children and young people a new and beneficial experience, learning about disability and charity, for young volunteers

The contribution by the volunteers is paramount to the holiday, it simply cannot work without the engagement of the volunteers that work 1:1 with the children on the holiday. We are indebted to these young volunteers, and as mentioned above, hope that this experience is of benefit as they go forward in their lives. Throughout the year fundraising activities take place within the school, but also in the wider school community, involving current and past parents and pupils. Pupils at the school are involved in an outreach program during an activity spot during the week and this, along with the knowledge of the Holiday has inspired many to initiate a number of fundraising activities in order to raise funds to support the holiday. Children within the school also enter a competition to design the logo to go with the theme for the Holiday and this will go on the T shirts for the week. We have also had donations from connected with the volunteers.

Achievements and Performance

The charity ran the annual residential respite summer camp Highfield Highreach Holiday for 20 children with special needs. This provided much needed respite for their families and a very rewarding and fun holiday for the holiday makers themselves.

The team of 52 volunteers also gained valuable life experience and challenged many preconceptions of disability.

The holiday positively influenced all directly involved and many external stakeholders as well.

The week was a huge success, Space themed, we gave 20 children, known as ‘Holiday Makers’ an intergalactic week.

Activities included a visit to Winchester Science Museum with a planetarium experience flying through space visiting the different planets in our solar system as well as spending a good deal of time in the hands-on science zone. We also had a visit from Sublime Science whose afternoons activities involved allowing the children to launch rockets into the air as well as looking at some of the more visually appealing aspects of science. There were also visits to Butser Ancient Farm, a hand on experience of life during the dark ages and feeding the animals was enjoyed by all. A day trip to Littlehampton Seaside was enjoyed seeing many of the children having a dip in the sea as well as enjoyed the seaside activities. The week ended with trip to Chessington World of Adventures. Through the week the in-house activities were all spaced themed with fashion shows, sensory play, extreme art and an alien adventure hunt.

The feedback from Parents on the week was humbling and heart warming. For two of our Holiday Makers this, due to their age, was their last holiday, their parents were at pains to say how much they will miss it and how grateful they were for the holiday. Another parent noted their daughter starts counting down the days until the next holiday and that it is her favourite week of the year. Our Volunteers also feel drawn to come back and volunteer again. That a number of the Group Leaders are now ‘home grown’ is testament to the ripple effect and power that the holiday can have on those that volunteer their time.

We have been delighted and overwhelmed by the success of our fundraising this year and have outperformed our target set of raising £20,000. Some of this surplus we will invest in a more advanced and comprehensive Sensory Room for the benefit of our Holiday Makers for years to come. The broad range of fundraising activities through the year have provided everyone in the Highfield Community and beyond the opportunity to contribute toward the success of the holiday, for which the Trustees are most grateful.

Financial Review

Gross income for the period was £30,096, comprising £15,678 in donations, £10,213 from events and fundraising, £3,800 in family holiday payments and £405 in other sales. Expenses were £15,253.

At 31st December 2021, reserves were £18,927 compared to £4,084 brought forward from the prior period. Reserves are held with the intention of funding the delivery of the next set of seasonal activities and the trustees are satisfied that this excess of reserves over prior period expenses demonstrates that the charity remains a going concern. Indeed, summer 2022 saw another successful instalment of the Highfield Highreach Holiday.

No funds were held as custodian trustee on behalf of others.

The myriad of fundraising income streams include but is not exclusively from: sales of brownies and Christmas Cards to the principal sources of funding which included Action Charity Walks, selling off of our new sports pavilion tiles, bonfire night, individual pupil sponsored walk, events run by Highfield Schools Pre-Prep, Brookham, donations by alumni families and other donors. The trustees would like to thank all those that have contributed so generously toward the running of the holiday. The healthy reserves held by the charity put us in a good position going forward, but the trustees are mindful of the principal risks facing the charity. The inflation of expenses impacting on delivery of external activities, the entrance costs and hire costs of coaches have all seen a significant rise this year. Catering costs are also likely to be substantially higher and the cost of living may well mean less in donations or funds available. We must be aware that the charity’s income from fundraising invariably comes from the same ‘pool’ of donors and that we should be seeking to rotate/broaden our fundraising incomes streams where possible. The trustees are also mindful that the cost of living could me less payments from families.

Declaration: The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the trustees

Full name: Richard Dunn Position: Chair of Trustees Date: 29[th] October 2022

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Highreach Holidays CIO

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Highreach Holidays CIO (the CIO) for the period ended 31 December 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO 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 CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 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:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act;

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.

Signed :

Name: Oliver Hough

Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any) : Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Membership ID : 1-77YFA5

Address : 31 New Road, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1AR

Date : 29th October 2022