Talk Counselling CIO ( A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
Trustees' Report and Financial Statements for the financial period ended 31st May 2024
Charity Registration Number :1194317
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Talk Counselling CIO ( A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
| CONTENTS | |
|---|---|
| Trustees Report: | |
| Reference and Administrative Details of the | |
| Charity, its Trustees and Advisors | 3 |
| Trustees' Report | 4 -9 |
| Income and Expenditure Report | 10 |
| Balance Sheet | 11-12 |
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Talk Counselling CIO
( A Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES AND ADVISORS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st May 2024
Charity Registration Number: 1194317 Registered Office: Gemma House, 39a Lilestone Street, London NW8 8SS Trustees: Michael Edmund (Chair) Sharon Thomas Tanya Phillips Joyti Bhudia Nadine Leanne Maitland
The trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of Talk Counselling CIO for the financial year ended May 31, 2024.
Trustees’ Responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year and ensure that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
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make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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Talk Counselling CIO
TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31/05/2024
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
a. Constitution
The charity is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) adopting a standard Foundation Model constitution
b. Charity Objectives
The objectives of the charity are to promote the preservation of mental health and assist in relieving and rehabilitating persons suffering from mental health disorders or conditions of mental distress, through the provision of support education, advocacy and practical advice.
c. Method of Appointment of Elected Trustees
The management of the company is the responsibility of the trustees who are elected and coopted under the terms of the Foundation Model constitution.
d. Organisational Structure and Decision Making
The chair of the trustees is responsible for the induction of new trustees which involves awareness of the trustee's responsibilities, the charity's governing document, administrative procedures, together with the history and philosophical approach of the charity. A new trustee receives copies of the previous year's financial statements, annual report and a copy of the Charity Commissions leaflets providing guidance for trustees.
- e. Risk Management
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the company, and are satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to the major risks.
ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS
Our Peer Support Group for adults (over 18) affected by serious mental illness (SMI) has run every fortnight over Zoom, and continues to do so, with the lowest number of attendees being 12 and the most 31. The average has been just over 20 people attending every fortnight. Over 150 different individuals have now come to these sessions.
A small number are regular attenders whilst some we don’t see for a couple of months but then they zoom in. We have continued to use WhatsApp broadcasts, statuses and various groups to share and reach so many people. However word of mouth, especially from our counsellors and mentors recommending people to attend, has been the most effective way people have been recruited.
We had a sports themed Family Fun Day in Regents Park, planned by the group, which brought together over a dozen families. We also held a social event in October.
We employed a new Link Worker from September. We have supported 6 individuals who have been in secure units and a further 11 at risk of being hospitalised as well as, in just over half of these cases, their families. In all but two of the cases for those at risk, the initial referral, despite the individual being an adult, was from a parent or carer. The Link Worker has been able to put in place counselling for most of the 17 individuals plus additional support with the families.
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Our counsellors and peer mentors have been prescribing social opportunities throughout the project, in particular exercise/gym activities; walking and running clubs including the Jason Roberts Foundation; art and drama sessions in Brixton at Mosaic Clubhouse and with Black Arts Production Theatre; to Mind in Haringey, Enfield, Edmonton and elsewhere. We have had several cases of domestic violence where our counsellors have referred to refuges.
We ran four mental health workshops from August but with slightly amended topics. Two were with Dr Sandi Mann on ‘Ten Minutes to Happiness’ and ‘Relaxation’ and the others focused on empowerment & resilience and tools to manage stress, anxiety and depression.
The graph below shows the different services accessed by our users. The four services in most demand are Counselling, Peer Support, CBT and Mentoring. All are one-to-one services, representing where the charity is delivering at present.
The results on overall satisfaction with our support are hugely positive with 91.4% of those responding being in the positive domain (6 or more out of 10) and an average rating of 7.94. Whilst there is clearly room for improvement, this shows the effectiveness of the support given.
The result above is further strengthened when we see that 94.3% of respondents rated the individual supporting them in the positive domain at an average rating of 8.23.
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The result on users feeling able to decide their own future shows 88.6% in the positive domain at an average rating of 7.60. This is a good result, backed up by several comments explaining how this was achieved:
I felt like I didn’t know myself and now I know who and where I want to be in my life.
Yes as less fearful and less indecisive about matters that concern mine and others welfare.
I was on the verge of a mental break down after family breakdown Counselling was a big part of helping me to not lose my mind.
The benefit of sharing with peers encouraged deep personal reflections.
I now have the tools to enable me to support myself
I am in control of my own choices and I'm capable of supporting others to a certain extent.
Facilitator shared their experience and gave encouragement and reassurance. All group members shared which was good.
I feel a little more able to express myself better to others including my loved ones.
It is interesting to note the comments alluding to group work and this is something that can be explored further moving forwards.
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The result for reducing social isolation has 85.7% rating in the positive domain at an average rating of 7.26. This is a key indicator of our impact showing that we are enabling people to make new connections that can help sustain a feeling of societal inclusion.
We had two change measures showing ratings before and after support from Talk Counselling. The average ratings show:
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Confidence of making positive choices about your life 5.77 before rising to 7.77 after support
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Mood 4.46 before rising to 7.54 after support. The 3 point increase here is particularly significant and evidences the real impact we are having.
The results on involvement improving mental health and overall well-being are both excellent with 91.4% and 94.3% in the positive domain and 7.37 and 7.83 averages respectively. The comments (below) give a better understanding of how these results came about. There is clear evidence of the significant outcomes that Talk Support creates and the value that service users place on that support. Underlying the results, and indicated by several comments, is the importance of a culturally-appropriate service, which makes the service both more efficient and effective.
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Being able to access on line support on a regular basis and talk with other like-minded people about my and others mental health.
It is nice to join the online zoom as it makes me feel less alone and more confident to talk about tje things that I heal from in private
It was like a life line, I had my hand held during a difficult time xxx
Made me aware that holding on to anger only affects me. I realised that I needed to move past those who have done me wrong.
I feel more confident about how to proceed in the future. Therefore my wellbeing levels are up and mental health wise I don’t feel so worried and anxious about getting more support.
See thing more Clarity, Accept change have a lot patient with self. Have value self.
Not feeling judged, being listened to.
I got a good listener and got solid advice for my situation. Very grateful.
Made me aware of how necessary & important it is for the African community to have their own facilities & for this support to be available on a national level/international levels.
The results on reducing stress and anxiety both show that the support given is extremely effective with 91.4% and 85.7% in the positive domain and 7.31 and 7.20 averages respectively. The comments (below) are clear that it is the tools, strategies, and facilitative listening that produce these significant outcomes.
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I’ve been given strategies to help me cope when I feel like anxiety is coming on
Giving me tools to work on myself looking inside myself
I was given questions and time to reflect. This helped me a lot.
By having regular support where I am advised and listen to. This has been a success when so many services turned their backs on me and I almost fell through the gap.
There was one further comment showing that it is not only by receiving support but also by giving support that our users progress:
I have been able to be of support to many people in different e.g. sharing my life experiences.
Several additional comments reflect the value placed on the support received and the need for more:
My Befriender has added value to my life, when many others were not around or unable to.
Really appreciate this service it did so much for me at a time that I really needed it thank you so much.
The service is a very powerful service and we need more of this type of services around.
I’m very pleased with all the services I really feel like they help me in a big way and I’m very thankful and I would definitely recommend this to friends and family.
It would be wonderful for the African/Caribbean/Black British community to have financial support to be able to address their issues/concerns for themselves. They are the best people to resolve their concerns of navigating wider society.
Signed on behalf of the Trustee Board
Michael Edmund
Chair
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Talk Counselling CIO
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31st May, 2024
| 2023/2024 | 2022/2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £s £s |
£s | £s | ||
| INCOME | ||||
| Grants | 17,000 | 10,000 | ||
| Fundraising & Donations | 3,873 | 1,134 | ||
| 20,873 | 11,134 | |||
| EXPENDITURE | ||||
| Direct Project Costs | 16,872 | 10,053 | ||
| Offce Costs & Administration | 2,265 | 402 | ||
| Telephone & Internet Services | 1,351 | 483 | ||
| Travel & Subsistence | 403 | - | ||
| Provision for Depreciation | 58 | - | ||
| 20,949 | 10,938 | |||
| Net Income/(Defcit) | (76) | 196 |
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Talk Counselling CIO
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31st MAY 2024
| 31/05/2024 £s £s |
31/05/2023 £s £s |
|---|---|
| FIXED ASSETS Equipment b/f 208 - New Equipment - 208 Disposals & Revaluation - - Less_current year depreciation (58)_ - |
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| 150 208 |
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| CURRENT ASSETS Debtors and Prepayments - - Bank Account 2 20 Cash In Hand - - |
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| 2 20 |
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| CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors & Accruals - - |
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| - - ———— ———— 152 228 |
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| FUNDS Restricted Funds - - General & Unrestricted Funds b/f 228 32 Income and Expenditure Account (76) 196 |
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| ———— ———— 152 228 |
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Talk Counselling CIO
BALANCE SHEET continued
Declaration
The trustees confirm that the accounts (financial statements) have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies from 1 January 2019, applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Notes to the Accounts
I.The net deficit (expenditure over income) for the year was £76
II. The main income was from three grants: National Lottery £10,000, London Catalyst £5,000 and The Albert Hunt Trust £2,000.
III.There were no restricted funds declared at the end of the financial year.
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IV. The only current asset of the company at the end of the year was £2.20 in the bank
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V. The only fixed asset was a laptop computer revalued at £150 meaning £58 depreciation.
These financial statements were approved by the members of the committee on 12th March 2025 and signed on their behalf by.
Signature: ___ Signature: ________ Name: Michael Edmund _Name: Joyti Bhudia Position: Trustee (Chair) Position: Trustee Date: 12 th March, 2025 Date: 12 th March, 2025
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