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2022-12-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 1 1 2022 To 31 12 2022

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name

Merseyside County RAYNET

Other names charity is known by

Merseyside RAYNET

Registered charity number (if any) 1192411

Charity's principal address 90 Plymyard Ave

Bromborough Wirral Postcode CH62 6BR

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee(if any)
Mr S A Wood Chair / Secretary
Mr L J T Boylan Treasurer
Mr A Ward 10/10/2022 - 31/12/2022

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Constitution 19 November 2020.

Charitable Incorporated Organisation - Association How the charity is constituted

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Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting held in April.

Trustee selection methods (eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

Merseyside County RAYNET is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with voting members other than its charity trustees and was first Registered on 19 November 2020.

The day to day running of Merseyside RAYNET is overseen by the Merseyside County RAYNET Committee and the Committee seeks the views of all RAYNET members on Merseyside. Full Membership of the Committee is at the discretion of the Committee and is open to persons aged 18 or over, having demonstrable interest in furtherance of the Committee’s objects.

Merseyside RAYNET is a member of the Merseyside Local Authorities’ Local Resilience Forum (LRF) Telecoms Working Party, and the LRF Community Resilience Working Group, through which we plan and coordinate our services . RAYNET can also be called upon at any time by any of the emergency services and is an integral part of the Merseyside Resilience Forum UNITY Plan and the Merseyside Emergency Response Plan.

RAYNET members are registered members of RAYNET-UK and are subject to RAYNET-UK codes of conduct. RAYNET-UK also provides members insurance cover for Public Liability and Personal Accident.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

The objects of the Group are the protection of human life and property for the public benefit, by providing an additional source of communications for emergencies or disasters or the prevention thereof.

We provide a freely accessible Merseyside wide communication system for civil emergencies, search and rescue, and community events.

In planning our activities for the year we kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Our main purposes and activities are as follows:

(i) To assist the Local Authorities’ Resilience Forum, the emergency services, and other organisations involved in rescue services and in Summary of the main protecting human life and property in the event of a local or national activities undertaken for the emergency, or public event, by supplementing existing communications public benefit in relation to or providing alternative forms of communications. these objects (include within (ii) To provide: (a) a team of trained and equipped volunteers/radio this section the statutory operators to undertake the purposes of Merseyside RAYNET; (b) a declaration that trustees have Merseyside wide PBR Repeater system, and flexible communication had regard to the guidance facilities, to undertake the purposes of Merseyside RAYNET. issued by the Charity (iii) To assist organisations that provide activities in the interests of social Commission on public welfare for recreation and other leisure time occupations with the object benefit) of improving conditions of life, health and wellbeing, and public safety; by supplementing existing communications or providing alternative forms of communications. (iv) To promote such other charitable purposes as may from time to time be determined by the Merseyside County RAYNET Committee.

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The direct benefits flowing from our organisation’s purposes are:

The particular relevance of our role where the communications of the frontline emergency services, and the public, have become compromised such as for instance at major events or emergencies when the mobile phone network fails and/or becomes overloaded.

An improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of charities, and organisations whose purposes are charitable, in direct pursuit of their objects by the provision of resilient communications and ancillary services.

Event organisers that do not have their own communications expertise or equipment are able to ensure public safety and security at their activities in a flexible, cost effective, and sympathetic way.

A direct public benefit from purpose (i), our involvement in supporting the Local Authorities’ Resilience Forum, the emergency services, and other organisations involved in rescue services and protecting human life and property, is that the additional capacity, the interoperability our systems offer, and the resilience of our systems enhance the effectiveness of the emergency response and can help provide a more beneficial outcome for members of the community affected. Some of the voluntary emergency responders benefit from relying on our communication systems, either entirely, or as a supplementary resource.

The direct public benefit that flows from our purpose (iii) is the increased efficiency and effectiveness of the community and voluntary groups and organisations that use the facilities, resulting in enhanced outcomes and service delivery, and consequently, improved quality of life for those who benefit from the work of these groups and organisations.

Some of the organisations would be unable to operate their activities, or activities on such a scale, without our support. Therefore an indirect public benefit is increased opportunities to engage in new activities that bring people together, leading to greater social cohesion and fulfilment, enhanced active citizenship, and involvement in community life.

Specifically:

Purpose (ii): A direct benefit is that the lead organisation for a community event, and the emergency services in the event of a local emergency, can delegate less urgent/routine activities allowing more of their resources to be deployed to front line more urgent tasks.

Purpose (iv): Many of the events we support raise money for specific charities and over the years we have helped to raise millions of pounds for good causes.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

All trustees, other members of the Committee, and RAYNET members, give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits.

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Section D Achievements and performance

Throughout 2022 our MEARL Community Repeater system continued to Summary of the main provide 24/7/365 operation communications facilities for Merseyside achievements of the charity Search and Rescue as well as standby communications for: St John during the year Ambulance Merseyside; the local authorities; and the voluntary organisations involved in the Merseyside Resilience Forum UNITY Plan. The MEARL System was remotely monitored and operationally tested several times a week throughout 2022 to ensure 24/7/365 readiness, and members own equipment was maintained at Standby Status Green - ready to go, charged and readily accessible. Several of the events we support each year restarted again in 2022 following a relaxing of some of the COVID restrictions: • May: Annual provision of comms for the Wirral Coastal Walk. Supporting the Wirral Branch of Rotary International - one of the MRF Voluntary Sector Partners. Ensuring our provision remains appropriate to the needs of other MRF voluntary partners’ abilities and requirements. • June: Annual MOD Exercise Blue Ham. Practical exercise communicating with Air Cadets and their supervising Officers. Maintaining awareness of MOD’s protocols and procedures. • June: Wirral Endurance Horse Ride – as well as supporting a local community charity this allowed us to practice collating and passing event situation reports and management information. Support involved setting up specialist Amateur Radio equipment, and using our MEARL PBR handhelds operated by the organisers. • June: Provided management and safety coms support along the route for the Rainford Walking Day Parade. • June: Provided back-up communications in support of St John Ambulance at the Southport Armed Forces Day Parade. In the light of a National government Exercise we carried out an extensive review and update with the Local Authorities of our capabilities listed in the Merseyside Emergency Response Manual (Interagency Communications Capabilities & Guidance). RAYNET services are available through all levels including loss of all other communications. As a result of this review a start has been made on upgrading our base/mobile kit in local authority key premises and augmenting it with a handheld for each local authority resilience team. We completed an improved Welcome Pack for new members and started to develop stronger links with two local Amateur Radio Clubs in an effort to attract further new members. The provision of loan handsets, and a supervised mobile event repeater system, has been developed further this year to meet our clients’ changing expectations and requirements. At the same time we have reviewed our own communication channels used to provide the organisers with situation awareness, safety reports, and a back-up system during events. Throughout 2022 RAYNET has continued to attend the Merseyside Resilience Forum Telecoms Working Group alongside the blue light and other Category 1 and 2 Responders. The Voluntary and Faith Sector Forum has now been replaced by the Local Authorities with a Merseyside Community Resilience Working Group and we have a key place on this group providing expertise regarding communications.

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

Cash at the bank at 31/12/2022 was £4753.91 in unrestricted funds. The main financial risk to the charity is loss of funding from the Local Authorities and reduced donations.

Sufficient funds are held to cover each 12 month operational programme costs in the event of a loss of income and to meet any unforeseen expenditure that may occur.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Not applicable

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

Our principal source of funds this year has again been the regular annual grant of £1575 from the Merseyside Local Authorities. Income from the usual community and charitable events that we provide services for remained reduced due to some ongoing COVID restrictions. However we received approximately £1000 in donations from a Silent Key Sale and some income owed from previous years was received, resulting in the cash reserves being up at the financial year end compared with the previous year end.

Section F Other optional information

Future Plans

Exercise Mighty Oak, a major National Exercise, is taking place in 2023 and we are preparing to focus development of our role in co-ordinating the support of other Radio Amateurs expected to come forward spontaneously in the event of an extended National Power Outage. In collaboration with the Merseyside Resilience Forum Community Resilience Working Group we will support other voluntary agencies regarding alternative call-out procedures in the event of a sudden immediate power outage – particularly in respect of the effect of the rolling out of the replacement of the PSTN phone network with digital optical fibre.

Section G Declaration

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
Stanley Alexander Wood Lee James Thomas Boylan


Secretary		 Treasurer
13/04/2023
13/04/2023

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Charity Name No (if any) Merseyside County RAYNET 1192411 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/01/2022 31/12/2022

Section A Receipts and payments Section A Receipts and payments Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Unrestricted
funds
to the nearest £
571
1,575
150
1,598
-
-
-
-
3,894
-
-
-
3,894
756
-
250
-
225
17
683
-
-
-		 Restricted
funds
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Total funds
to the nearest £
571
1,575
150
1,598
-
-
-
-
3,894
-
-
-		 Last year
to the nearest £
Events 571 200
Grants 1,575 1,575
From Groups to County 150 420
Misc Income 1,598 8
- -
- -
- -
- -
Sub total(Gross income for
AR)		 3,894 2,203
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- -
- -
Sub total - -
Total receipts
A3 Payments
3,894 2,203
756
-
250
-
225
17
683
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,931
-
-
-
1,931
1,963
2020 Vehicle Insurance,Tax,MOT 756 - - 756 966
MCV RunningCosts - - - - 415
OFCOM Licence 250 - - 250 250
Fittingout of LA EVX5300 Kit Part 1 - - - - 195
Insurance 225 - - 225 633
2021 Bank Charges - Total for 2021 17 - - 17 6
Misc Expenditure 683 - - 683 13
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
**Sub total ** 1,931 - - 1,931 2,478
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- -
- -
**Sub total ** - -
Total payments
Net of receipts/(payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end
2,478
1,963 1,963 - 276
- - -
2,791 2,791 3,066
4,754 4,754 2,791

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

16/04/2023

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories
B5 Liabilities
B3 Investment assets
B2 Other monetary assets
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
B1 Cash funds		 Details
n/a
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
n/a
Available Cash in Bank
Details
Details
Mobile Control Vehicle and its equipment
Two MEARL Systems
Five EVX5300 Transceivers
23 x Vertex EVX531
Details
n/a		 Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
4,754
-
-
4,754
OK
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
asset belongs
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Fund to which
liability relates		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
1,410
590
700
2,461
-
-
-
When due
(optional)
n/a -
-
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees		 Signature Print Name
Lee James Thomas Boylan		 Date of
approval
Lee James Thomas Boylan 13/04/2023

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

16/04/2023

2