Section B Balance sheet
| Fixed assets Intangible assets (Note 15) Tangible assets (Note 14) Heritage assets (Note 16) Investments (Note 17) Total fixed assets Current assets Stocks (Note 18) Debtors (Note 19) Investments (Note 17.4) Cash at bank and in hand (Note 24) Total current assets Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (Note 20) Net current assets/(liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due after one year (Note 20) Provisions for liabilities Total net assets or liabilities Funds of the Charity Endowment funds (Note 27) Restricted income funds (Note 27) Unrestricted funds Revaluation reserve Total funds Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Guidance Notes B01 B02 B03 B04 B05 B06 B07 B08 B09 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 B16 B17 B18 B19 B20 B21 |
Unrestricted funds £ F01 |
Restricted income funds £ F02 |
Endowment funds Total this year £ £ F03 F04 |
Endowment funds Total this year £ £ F03 F04 |
Total last year £ F05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 100 | - | - | 100 | 1,555 | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 7,128 | - | - | 7,128 | 20,399 | ||
| 7,228 | - | - | 7,228 | 21,954 | ||
| 370 | - | - | 370 | - | ||
| 6,858 | - | - | 6,858 | 21,954 | ||
| 6,858 | - | - | 6,858 | 21,954 | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 6,858 | - | - | 6,858 | 21,954 | ||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | ||||
| - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Signature | Print Name | Date of approval dd/mm/yyyy |
||||
| Katharine Edwards | 14/01/2023 | |||||
CC17a (Excel)
10/01/2024
1
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT for NEW ART STUDIO
Period 1[st] August 2021 to 31[st] July 2022
Charity registration number: 1192463
Objectives and activities
The objectives of the Studio are to relieve distress of refugees and asylum seekers with mental health problems caused by the effects of trauma by the provision of art therapy programmes. New Art Studio offers exhibition opportunities as a way of raising awareness of the lived experiences of refugees and asylum seekers.
New Art Studio provides refugees and asylum seekers a space to overcome trauma and rebuild their lives, led by experienced and qualified art psychotherapists, in a therapeutic art community, one day per week. Attendees are referred to NAS by the local council, related charities such as Freedom from Torture. Our attendees are referred to as Members, to reduce stigma, and come from across London to attend the Studio in Islington. Attendance is optional, travel expenses are re-imbursed and lunch is provided. The studio model is a therapeutic community where members develop a sense of belonging and are encouraged to assist one another. The Studio psychotherapists receive professional clinical supervision.
During this reporting period, Coronavirus restrictions were still in operation for some periods and The Studio operated according to Government guidelines for vulnerable adults in educational settings.
The Trustees have had regard to the guidance of the Charity Commission on the public benefit requirement of the charity and have understood the responsibilities and liabilities of being Trustees.
Achievements and Performance
The Studio continued to stay open all through the period of covid restrictions and our members report anecdotally that our service has been one of the only places that they have had access to throughout the covid lockdowns. A total of 25 refugees can access the studio, with 18 attending on a regular basis. Average attendance increased by over 20% in the Spring Term indicating that members were feeling more confident and being at NAS was beneficial. In total, the Studio delivered 38 sessions during this reporting period, during which 33% of members attended 30 or more sessions, 55% of members attended at least half the sessions and 16% were low attending members (10 or less sessions). Low attending members may be experiencing difficulties, may have had Covid concerns or conversely may be moving on with their life. Two new members joined the Studio in this period.
The WhatsApp groups set up during the first lockdown are continuing and remain important methods of communication. The Trustees accepted an offer from a volunteer to redesign the website and this was completed with the reporting period and went live in July 2022.
Despite ongoing covid restrictions preventing our normal large-scale exhibition, we were able to have a small exhibition in a café, in the Winter of 2021, which gained a lot of interest from the local community and we made new connections with other organisations. Trustees held two private views to connect with new and loyal supporters. Two members subsequently arranged to hold their own shows at the same café, which the directors considered a big leap in confidence for them.
A survey of the studio attendees indicated that 100% confirmed improvements in their wellbeing when able to attend regularly. The quote below, from a male member, exemplifies this finding:
“Coming to the studio and creating art is very important for me once a week. When I am creating art, it is like a treatment for me. This is stress and pain relief. While I draw or paint something, I forget about problems, stress or pain”
Other new connections and relationships include a collaboration with a secondary school to raise awareness about refugee experience for Empathy Week, culminating in a themed exhibition at the school, and an invitation to be the community partner with the Ben Uri Gallery in an upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery.
Financial Review
At 31[st] July 2022 the current assets held in cash and at the bank were £7,228
The income during FY21 - 22 was £14,853 being £13,340 from the Mercers Church and Community Fund, £500 from Carshalton Boys School, £520 from personal donors and £493 for card and art sales at exhibitions. New Art Studio started the FY with reserves of £21,834.
The overall expenditure in this period was £29,559, being £18,050 on salaries of which £3,680 was for raising funds
Accruals of £250 for supervision in summer term and £120 accrual (creditor) for accountancy service are held over.
The reserves, being unrestricted funds, will continue to be spent on the operating costs of the studio; salaries, materials and space hire being the main categories.
Plans for Future Periods
The New Art Studio will continue to operate as long as funds will allow. Grant Applications have been made for covering running costs and for an additional day or half day, to allow a progression for more experienced members, to a total of £54,000. The outcome of 7 pending applications will be known by November 2022 but without these, Trustees are aware that a shortfall may occur in FY 22/23. Trustees were advised in May that the fundraiser intended to leave their role by the end of the summer. In June the Studio advertised a part time fundraising contract on the digital platform Charityjob; after interviewing a shortlist of five, a candidate was selected to start in September 2022.
The Co-Directors have made positive efforts to develop collaborative projects and will begin one with Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in Autumn 22 using their premises at London Zoo. Members have requested to repeat a beneficial collaboration from 2021 with the outdoor education space provided by Forest School Collective, if funds can be found.
Structure, Governance and Management
The New Art Studio is a registered charity (CIO) in England and all operations and contracts are in this name.
Three Trustees, as unpaid volunteers, form the management committee with the Director/ Codirectors which meets twice per term to cover ongoing issues. Standing items are Safeguarding and studio operation. Separate Trustee meetings are held twice per year. It was decided to seek one or two new trustees during this FY and Katharine Bullock, who uses her maiden name Katharine Wynne professionally, was interviewed and her appointment minuted following the Trustee meeting held on 26[th] April 2022.
The Director, Tania Kaczynski, informed Trustees of her wish to take a sabbatical at the start of 2022 and Trustees interviewed Ruanna Brook and Jasmin Topalusic for the positions of Acting Joint Directors, until the return of Ms Kacyznski. Trustees received a resignation letter from Ms Kaczynski in July 2022 and thereon appointed the Acting co directors as Co-Directors, having revised the Job specification and after a performance review for each of them. The Co-directors work with assistance from a fully qualified volunteer.
Trustees are continuing to improve the management systems and added a Privacy policy which includes GDPR requirements. The Safeguarding policy is updated regularly; the next review is due in January 2023 and there is a Safeguarding standing agenda item for each management committee meeting. Trustees review a range of risks at each meeting and have approved an appointment of a new freelance fundraiser to start in September 2022.
Trustees are aware that funding is the main ongoing issue for the Studio and as stated above have budgeted funds for a new fundraiser.
In the meantime, the Trustees have ensured that in its financial management, activities it undertakes and contracts entered into, the Studio is not exposed to liabilities it cannot meet.
Reference and Administrative Details
New Art Studio location and postal address as follows:
Islington Arts Factory 2, Parkhurst Road, London N7 0SF
Management and Trustees
Katharine Edwards (Trustee) Officers: Tania Kaczynski (Director) until 31/12/2021 Siobhan O’Connell (Trustee) Ruanna Brook (Co Director) appointed 01/01/2022 Jo Sovin (Trustee and Chair) Jasmin Topalusic (Co director) appointed 01/01/2022 Katharine Wynne (Trustee, new appointment)
This document is approved by the Trustees of New Art Studio
Signed on behalf of the Trustees by Katharine Edwards on 14[th] January 2023