Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From December 10[th] 2020 To October 31[st] 2021
Charity name: BEXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION
Charity registration number: 1192745
Objectives and Activities
| Objectives and Activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP reference |
||
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The object of the CIO is: To preserve and protect the mental health and wellbeing of and relieve the needs of women and people who identify as female who have experienced mental health problems due to sexual, emotional, physical or mental abuse. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
The main activities to achieve the above purpose and objectives are the provision of: a) grants of financial assistance to access counselling; b) support, activities and opportunities designed to build confidence and raise self-esteem thereby empowering them to establish healthy relationships and live safer happier lives; c) a signposting service to support available from other relevant organisations. In this reporting period the main activities of the charity have been:point a (grants of financial assistance to access counselling) and point c (a signposting service to support available from other relevant organisations.). Point B is an activity that is scheduled for the next reporting period and was unfortunately not safe to undertake during this reporting period due to the ongoing pandemic and changing UK government guidance on covid-19. The trustees acted in accordance with UK government guidance at all times and believed that to keep the beneficiaries and all others involved as safe as possible, it was best to postpone such activities till restrictions were lifted and guidance encouraged such activities again. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard |
Para 1.18 | At the establishment of the charity (December 2020)the trustees all read and confirmed |
| to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
understanding of charity commission guidance on running and managing a charity and being a trustee. The guidance is drawn upon when needed, and was a key resource in designing the activities, purpose and deliveryof the charity goals. |
|
|---|---|---|
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | The charity has a documented process that is followed for every request for funds for a beneficiary – ensuring that funds are properly allocated and managed. This is clearly communicated to our partner counsellors verbally and in writing, with a signature of understanding and agreement to follow the process obtained before any partner counsellor begins working with the charity. The trustees managing the grants and funds allocated are also all trained on the policy and process, and enact this on an ongoing basis. Where there are challenges (e.g. when funds are running low), there are ‘special circumstance’ clauses that come into place when agreed upon by all three trustees, and are again clearly communicated to all partner counsellors. Written confirmation of understanding is received. The grant making policy requires partner counsellors to submit a completed beneficiary request form, which details: • Basic – yet anonymous – information about the potential beneficiary • Their CORE score (a score used to assess the state of an individual’s mental health) • The presenting symptoms • The understood causes of the symptoms and CORE score and why they meet the criteria to be a beneficiary of the charity • The funding request and number of mental health counselling sessions being requested • Justification for funding request |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | NA |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | During this reporting period the charity had no volunteers, all voluntary time was undertaken by trustees. This time includes: |
| • Managing the website and social media channels • Responding to requests for help from beneficiaries • Managing the partner counsellor team • Agreeing and allocating funds to approved beneficiaries • Regular trustee meetings and review of progress, goals and finances • Working on the growth plan for the charity going forwards This is around 3 hours per trustee per month for the reporting period. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Other | NA |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | In the reporting period the charity had significant achievements against its goals. It is important to note that the charity was incorporated and added to the charity commission in England and Wales on December 10th2020, the beginning of this reporting period. The first few weeks of the charity’s formal existence were spent preparing the charity to be ‘launched’ publicly. This entailed ensuring the charity had a team of approved and vetted partner counsellors ready to deliver counselling services to beneficiaries, beginning fundraising, creating a functional and attractive website and creating social media and marketing accounts. The charity was publicly ‘launched’ on January 18th2021. The reporting period was also during the global pandemic, with two periods of ‘lock down’, mass public sickness and ever-changing restrictions and government guidance on public behaviour. This had economic and operational impacts on almost all charities in England and Wales. The Bexceptional Foundation was fortunate that our goals could be mostly achieved via remote working, but obvious challenges such as reduced fundraising activities (e.g. no public sporting events for sponsorship) were barriers to achieving as much growth as forecasted. The charity acted in accordance withgovernmentguidelines and |
| pivoted the approach to ensure the safety of all |
|---|
| involved. Despite this, the charity did see many |
| achievements and growth during this reporting |
| period, which the trustees are very proud of. |
| Under main activity a) to provide ‘grants of |
| financial assistance to access counselling;’ the |
| main achievements of the charity in this |
| reporting period are: |
| • Providing quick access to and funding for |
| specialist counselling sessions to 8 |
| beneficiaries. This totalled over 80 |
| counselling sessions. |
| • Providing approved beneficiaries with |
| approval for partially funded counselling, |
| and access to that counsellor, on average |
| within one week. This was while the |
| average waiting time for NHS counselling |
| reported in our beneficiary applications |
| was over 6 months, and in some place over |
| 12 months. |
| • The mental health of these beneficiaries |
| was documented to have improved |
| following the completion of sessions, with |
| their CORE scores reducing (demonstrating |
| improved state of mental health) |
| • Building a team of 11 partner counsellors |
| throughout England who were fully vetted |
| and able to deliver mental health |
| counselling to beneficiaries with partial |
| funding from the charity. |
| Under charity activity c) provide “a signposting |
| service to support available from other |
| relevant organisations”: |
| The charity developed an active social media |
| network, with signposting and sharing of |
| information with other relevant charities in the |
| female mental health space, including Mind, |
| Women’s Aid, Shelter and local women’s aid |
| and refuge charities. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | As above |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | The charity aimed to raise £4,000 during this reporting period (£5,000 in 2021 calendar year). We were able to raise £3,443. This was – as mentioned above – achieved in a time where fundraising activities were very limited due to national legal restrictions on activities due to the covid-19 pandemic. With this context in mind, the figure raised is strong performance against the overallgoal. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | NA |
| Other | NA |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | During the reporting period, the charity had a total income of £4,272. The outgoings in this financial period were a total of £4,027 This left the charity at a balance of £245 at the end of the reporting period, with one outstanding liability of £236 to the chair for final repayment of reasonable expenses (operational costs such as telephone contract fee). This was repaid later in the next reporting period (in 2022). The available funds at the end of this reporting period were therefore £245. This was expected as it is normal that in the first year of establishment, especially where there is no public funding nor major endowment or donation to start the charity, there will be ‘start-up’ costs that are a one off, and will reduce or not be incurred in the future. At the end of the reporting period (September and October 2021) there were multiple ongoing fundraising events and campaigns. As such, there was not a concern for cashflow as the budgeting models that the trustees use each month showed that the incoming fundraising would be greater than the outgoing funds and operational costs. The trustees did, however, review how to reduce operational costs (e.g. website domain, phone contract fee) and look at fundraising strategies for greater income and growth in the next reporting period. The trustees were confident that under their management and with an agile approach the management, the charity would have the ability to grow in income going forward (something that has been achieved throughout 2022). |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves statingwhytheyare held |
Para 1.22 | NA |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | None |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | During this reporting period, as explained above, the charity was in its first months of operation and the trustees took an agile |
| approach to managing incoming funds and outgoing expenses. During this reporting period there was no formal policy for holding reserves. However, the trustees managed and reviewed cashflow and the financial performance every month, and made decisions when needed to invoke a ‘special circumstances’ clause in the charities policies and processes. This clause prioritises funding and grants to the most high-risk beneficiaries, to reduce outgoings until income is higher. The approach to reserves was reviewed and has been amended for 2022 (the next reporting period). |
||
|---|---|---|
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | NA |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuingas agoingconcern |
Para 1.23 | NA |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | NA |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | NA |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | NA |
| Other | NA |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | The charity has a foundation model constitution, approved in December 2020 by the CharityCommission of England and Wales. |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g. unincorporated association,CIO) |
Para 1.25 | The charity is a CIO. |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Trustees are selected by existing trustees. A call for new trustees is made by the existing trustees, and applications are received. Following checks to ensure they meet the criteria to be a trustee (section 9,2 in our constitution), an interview will take place. If the applicant is determined suitable the existing trustees will vote on their appointment. All founding ‘first’ trustees have equal vote and right to appoint new trustees. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | Will provide in the next annual report |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | Will provide in the next annual report |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | Will provide in the next annual report |
| Other | NA |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | Bexceptional Foundation |
|---|---|
| Other name the charityuses | NA |
| Registered charitynumber | 1192745 |
| Charity’s principal address | Bexceptional Foundation, Box 180 151 Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9TX |
|---|---|
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year | Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Hall | Chair of Trustees and Founder - remote |
Whole year – ongoing | Group decision between three trustees – equal vote |
|
| Alice Palmer | Trustee - remote | Whole year – ongoing | Group decision between three trustees – equal vote |
|
| Marina el-Hasni | Trustee remote | Whole year – ongoing | Group decision between three trustees – equal vote |
|
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name None
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for wholeyear | |
|---|---|---|
| None | ||
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held None in this capacity Name and objects of the None charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for None safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| ames and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | ames and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | ames and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of adviser Name Address |
||
| None | ||
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) None
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
None
Other optional information
None
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 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Hall | ||
Chair of Trustees |
||
27th August 2022 |
||
27th August 2022 |
Bexceptional Foundation
1192745
Receipts and payments accounts
12/10/2020 10/31/2021
For the period from
To
Section A Receipts and payments
----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Donations and funds raised 3,443 - - 3,443
Start up costs loaned 202 - - 202
Operational costs loaned 627 - - 627
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 4,272 - - 4,272
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
None - - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - -
Total receipts 4,272 - - 4,272
A3 Payments
Grants to beneficiaries 1,975 - - 1,975
Operational costs 716 - - 716
Reimbursed operational costs 613 - - 613
Reimbursed start up costs 722 - - 722
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total 4,027 - - 4,027
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - -
Total payments 4,027 - - 4,027
Net of receipts/(payments) 245 - - 245
A5 Transfers between funds - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - -
Cash funds this year end 245 - - 245
----- End of picture text -----
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds | funds | |
| B1 Cash funds | Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ - - - - Agreement Error |
OK |
to nearest £ - - - - |
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||
| funds | funds | |||
| B2 Other monetary assets | Details | to nearest £ - - - - - - |
to nearest £ - - - - - - |
|
| B3 Investment assets | Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) - - - - - |
|
| B4 Assets retained for the | Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) - |
|
| charity’s own use | - - - - - - - - |
|||
| Fund to which | Amount due | |||
| B5 Liabilities | Details Outstanding expenses to be returned to chair |
Unrestricted funds liability relates |
236 - - - - (optional) |
|
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature | Name |
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
CC16a
Last year
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
Endowment funds
to nearest £ - - - - OK
Endowment funds
to nearest £ - - - - - -
Current value (optional)
-
Current value (optional)
-
When due (optional)
Was paid in reportng period 21-22
Date of approval