April 2022 - March 2023 Annual Report & Accounts
It is sad to report that there has not been a more challenging year for Evelyn Parents Forum since it was founded in October 2008; because this year our vivacious and dynamic founder and chief, Moira Kerranes, passed away unexpectedly in November 2022. She will always be remembered as the driving energy behind Evelyn Parents Forum, the amazing holiday play schemes and the fabulous Deptford Park Play Club community. Although, as every member of the community knows, she always drew people in, making strangers into friends into volunteers into family! But the loss has led to a shake-up as we reconsider how our services are to continue, and Play Club has subsequently been closed from November 2022 to March 2023.
The objectives of Evelyn Parents Forum as a charity are:
For the public benefit to enhance the development and education of children, particularly but not exclusively, below statutory school age and to advance education, preserve and protect good health and provide leisure time facilities in the interests of social welfare for families in Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark.
We continued to deliver to these goals in the first half of the year, opening our Deptford Park Play Club consistently during term-times and holidays. At the start of the year the team made the strategic decision to reduce the expense of “Holiday Playschemes” with the associated costs of hiring facepainters, crafters, and entertainers, and focus instead on consistent reliable service provision; which we did achieve in the first half of the year. From April to October of 2022 the Play Club opened consistently three days each week, in termtime and during holidays; providing a safe an affordable space to play throughout August (when previously we would have provided our playscheme for just two weeks at higher cost). As a volunteer team we ensured sports and gross motor skill activities; art, craft and fine motor skill activities and sensory activities continued. All our activities provided opportunities for families to meet, develop friendships and build community. We also continued to work in partnership with statutory and community groups so families could access information, advice and additional support.
With Moira’s passing the trustee team have had to step up and get more involved in the day-to-day operations at Play Club, which has been quite a challenge. We owe a debt of thanks to our volunteers, especially those who worked on our successful NCIL funding application (for funds to recruit staff to take on the baton from Moira and the volunteer team). And I would like to thank LBL Lewisham for making the grant, which we are now doing the hard preparation to make use of as employers; a new milestone for Evelyn Parents Forum!
Amanda Hibbs Treasurer
Evelyn Parent Forum 2022-23 Report & Accounts
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Achievements and Performance
Advance education
We provided access to a range of activities such as cooking, painting, weaving, balancing, climbing, and team sports activities that aimed to develop fine and gross motor skills, social skills, arts appreciation and creative expression. Cooking activities additionally enhanced mathematical skills like number recognition while measuring and understanding comparative vocabulary (e.g. full / empty).
We also supported parents to access courses to enhance their parenting, budget better and make healthier choices.
Protect good health
The physical activities at Play Club gave children the opportunity to raise their heart rates, stretch/use their muscles and get some fresh air. Every session includes music & movement or sports and provision of a healthy snack. Cooking activities always involved low-sugar recipes and promotion of balanced wholesome nutrition. We also have posters around the Club explaining the impact of sugar on teeth, the balanced plate / food pyramid principles etc., and our volunteers are always willing to engage in conversations about recipes, reducing animal product consumption, low-cost-high-nutrition ingredients etc.,
Provide leisure
Our sessions provided an opportunity to make new friends and enter new social groups. The peer-to-peer parenting support that is found at Play Club cannot be underestimated.
Parents found rest and recuperation by bringing their children into such a supportive environment, while children had a lot of fun with new toys and new activities they probably couldn’t access at home.
Financial Review
This period’s financial results for Evelyn Parents Forum show a gain of £20,625 in restricted funding from the NCIL grant by LBL Lewisham, and an additional gain of £498 in unrestricted funds.
The Deptford Park Play Club was open consistently until the end of October 2022; thereafter the club was either close (through December and January) or open on an ad-hoc and hire basis. Even with these arrangements the club hire and stay-and-play fees brought in £4,216. Outgoings for the year were only £3,718 in part due to cancelling the MPLC licence (for showing films in public; which we didn’t need as not a venue in the Deptford X Film Festival this year) and also not having any boiler/plumbing or electrical emergencies!
At the close of March 2023 the charity held just over £26K in bank account cash reserves, (plus the restricted NCIL grant which we are preparing to make use of). We hold reserves in order to ensure services will continue in future years, even as grant funding may become more challenging. The Evelyn Parents Forum aspires to take on a permanent employee in the next year who will co-ordinate play services, but also have responsibility for fundraising. Our reserves will help us to afford the transition to this model. We have confidence for the future of Evelyn Parents Forum’s continued contribution to the betterment of children’s outcomes in Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich.
Our treasurer is Mrs Amanda Hibbs, who prepared the accounts.
Risk Management
There is, of course, a risk of grant funding reductions in future, which we hope to mitigate with a dedicated staff member. The trustees are also aware that safeguarding of young people is a particular concern as the nation adjusts to life post-lockdown. Some children and families experienced trauma and severe hardship during 2020, 2021 and may continue to do so. There will have been a significant mental health impact, which is only going to become clearer with the passage of time. The risk to the ongoing safety of our beneficiaries is
Evelyn Parent Forum 2022-23 Report & Accounts
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still high and volunteers were reminded to stay alert and report concerns to Charlotte Skinner, our temporary safeguarding lead until the appointment of staff members. This year our most frequent volunteers were enhanced DBS checked, which supports the Evelyn Parents Forum dedication to safety, though it is worth noting that our stay-and-play setting is focused on peer-to-peer adult support to improve parenting/carer’s engagement with and support of their child(ren)s healthy development. Our volunteers lead cooking and craft activities that engage parents in working with their children rather than instructing children directly, and certainly not unsupervised.
This year there has been governance risk while the board was below quorate numbers after Moira’s passing, see below.
Structure, Governance and Management
Evelyn Parents Forum is a CIO governed by a foundation model constitution. Trustees need to be nominated by a member of the existing board, and appointed by the board with a quorate vote. The sudden passing of Moira Kerranes, our Chairperson, in addition to the longstanding intention by Amanda Hibbs to stand down as treasurer now that she no longer lives in south-east London, raised the urgency to recruit new trustees, and two appointments were made in March 2023: Claire Russell (to position of Chair) and Laurentina Risch (with the aim to transition into Treasurer role).
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
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Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for
whole year
1 Charlotte Skinner Secretary
2 Amanda Hibbs Treasurer (outgoing)
3 Claire Russell Chair 15 – 31 March 23
4 Laurentina Risch Treasurer (incoming) 5 - 31 March 23
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Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees |
Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees |
Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees |
Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
|||
| Amanda Hibbs Treasurer (outgoing) 25/8/24 |
|||
| Laurentina Risch | Treasurer (incoming) | 29/8/24 | |
Evelyn Parent Forum 2022-23 Report & Accounts
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EVELYN PARENTS FORUM 1192040
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Apr-22 Mar-23
To
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year Additional Information
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Funding Awards
SELCHP Funding Award - - - - 2,600
LB Lewisham Full Grant - 20,625 - 20,625 4,800
- - - - 0
Play Club Management - - - - 0
Apr-22 592 - - 592 107
May-22 821 - - 821 260
Jun-22 639 - - 639 199
Jul-22 391 - 391 123
Aug-22 330 - - 330 370
Sep-22 405 - - 405 229
Oct-22 380 - 380 388
Nov-22 59 - - 59 402 Moira passed away, Play Club closed
Dec-22 - - - 355 Play Club closed
Jan-23 - - - - 140 Play Club closed
Feb-23 221 - - 221 469 Play Club open for hire / few days
Mar-23 378 - - 378 566 Play Club open for hire / few days
- - - - 0
- - - - 0
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 4,216 ] 20,625 - 24,841 11,010
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - 0
Sub total - - - - 0
Total receipts 4,216 20,625 - 24,841 11,010
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
28/08/2024
1
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EVELYN PARENTS FORUM 1192040
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Apr-22 Mar-23
To
from
A3 Payments
Funding Awards - - - - 0
Easter Holiday Playscheme 1,118 1,118 Entertainers / Facepaint etc., April 22
Summer Holiday Playscheme - - - - 3,984 No "Holiday Playscheme", just open twice weekly through August 22
October Half Term Playscheme - - - - 747 No "Holiday Playscheme", just open three days during October half-term 22
Christmas Holiday Playscheme - - - - 934 Play Club closed during December 22
- - - - 0
Play Club Management - - - - 0
Apr-22 503 - - 503 37
May-22 25 - - 25 42
Jun-22 66 - - 66 122
Jul-22 291 - - 291 12
Aug-22 94 - - 94 96
Sep-22 109 - - 109 63
Oct-22 283 - - 283 117
Nov-22 22 - - 22 63 Moira sick then passed away, Play Club partly closed
Dec-22 - - - - 101 Play Club closed
Jan-23 260 - - 260 36 Play Club closed (£100 towards Moira's Wake, late invoice paid)
Feb-23 40 - - 40 57 Play Club open for hire / few days
Mar-23 20 - - 20 45 Play Club open for hire / few days
- - - - 0
Plumbing / Boiler - - - - 620
Electrician - - - - 200
Heat/Power 567 - - 567 962
ADT 320 - - 320 320
MPLC - - - - 80 Licence not required
- - - - -
Sub total [ 3,718 ] - - 3,718 8,638
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 3,718 - - 3,718 8,638
Net of receipts/(payments) 498 20,625 - 21,123 2,371
A5 Transfers between funds - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 25,679 - 25,679 -
Cash funds this year end 26,177 20,625 - 46,802 2,371
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CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
28/08/2024
2
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EVELYN PARENTS FORUM 1192040
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Apr-22 Mar-23
To
from
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds 26,177 20,625 -
- - -
Total cash funds 26,177 20,625 -
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s)) OK OK OK
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets - - -
- - -
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B3 Investment assets - -
- -
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the - -
charity’s own use - -
- -
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities -
-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name approvalDate of
Amanda Hibbs 20/8/24
Laurentina Risch 21/8/24
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CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
28/08/2024
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