2023-12-31-accounts - Highreach Holidays CIO

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] January 2023 – to 31[st] December 2023

The Trustees’ of Highreach Holidays CIO present their annual report for the period 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023.

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

OLIVIA JOWETT

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 (in bold) 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 (in bold) are the first charity trustees and were formed of members of the Senior Leadership team of the holiday. Olivia Jowett agreed to join as a 5[th] trustee.

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.

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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 21 holiday makers in the first week of August 2023. 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 given from connections with the volunteers.

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Achievements and Performance

The charity ran the annual residential respite summer camp Highfield Highreach Holiday for 21 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 54 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. A previous holiday was inspected by OFSTED in 2022 under the social care common inspection framework. The holiday achieved ratings of:

Overall experience and progress of outstanding children and young people,

taking into account

How well children and young people outstanding are helped and protected
The effectiveness of leaders and
The effectiveness of leaders and outstanding managers

The week was a huge success, ‘The Greatest Show’ themed, we gave 21 children, known as ‘Holiday Makers’ a ‘The Greatest’ week to remember, baked in glorious, unbroken sunshine.

Activities included a visit to the local steam fair collection, which houses some of the oldest steam powered fairground rides in the world as well as hands on activities. 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 for a much needed cool down as well as enjoying the seaside activities. After many years of visiting Chessington we changed to Paultons Park in Romsey, Hampshire. The change was an instant hit, and the ride access system was considerably easier to process. Throughout the week the in-house activities were all Greatest Show Themed themed with fashion shows, sensory play, extreme art, a disco, a film (The Greatest Showman) and a performance in the ‘Big Top’.

The feedback from Parents on the week was humbling and heart warming. For 3 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. Feedback from one parent said, ‘Each time he goes, he comes back a bit more independent.’ 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.

Whilst fundraising was good for the events held, there was a drop in the number of events, and this saw a fall in income raised from fundraising. £16,976 was below our target of £20,000 and was a £11,213 drop on 2022. Though the reserves are healthy, income trends are something the

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Trustees will need to keep an eye on. The new sensory Room bought last year was used for the first time and it was a brilliant addition. In addition, we brought a harness that we used to raise and lower one of our holiday makers in and out of the pool, this made it more comfortable and safer for the holiday maker and volunteers. 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 £20,281, comprising £11,422 in donations, £5,184 from events and fundraising and £3,305 in family holiday payments. Expenses were £25,380.

At 31st December 2023, reserves were £26,232 compared to £31,332 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 2024 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 Bonfire Night, Uniform donation sales, 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. Income was down £10,558 from 2022, whilst Expenditure was up £6,946. The inflation of expenses impacting on delivery of external activities, the entrance costs and hire costs of coaches, as we predicted, have contributed to the rise in expenditure this year. Catering costs were higher and the cost of living may well mean fewer donations or funds available. There was a slight drop in events fundraising and donations, for example; no Polo Day or Action Walk, No transfer of Historic tour funds surplus. 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 income streams where possible. The trustees are also mindful that the cost of living could mean less payments from families.

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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: 24[th] October 2024

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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 2023.

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 (lapsed)

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

Date : 25[th] October

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