2024-01-01-accounts

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01[st] Jan 2023 Period end date 01[st] Jan 2024

Charity name: 21 Plus

Charity registration number:1194335

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17		21 Plus is a registered charity that supports nurtures and empowers children and young people with down syndrome and their families
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		Our core purposes are:  To enable people with Down’s syndrome to reach their full potential and live fulfilled and active lives, through the provision of training, support, education and practical advice.  To promote the education of the public, parents and carers of people with Down’s syndrome, and professionals involved in their care and education, in the specific needs and abilities of people with Down’s syndrome. We do this through offering a number of services to our families (subscribers). Our services are delivered by Symbol trained co-workers who work as sub-contractors to the Charity to deliver these services. They are: “Talk Time” Talk Time is a communication group for children with Down’s syndrome. It is run by our expert “Symbol” trained co-workers, who provide a very specialist speech and language session tailored to the learning profile of a child with Down’s syndrome. Sessions run on a weekly basis throughout

term time for children aged 6 months to 11
years.
Children with Down’s syndrome have a
specific Speech and Language disorder, so
early intervention is crucial. Children initially
attend sessions with their parents. As the
children start nursery/reception Teaching
Assistants from schools also attend and
learn these valuable early years skills, so
that they can replicate the appropriate
support in school. Sessions target a
number of key skills including signing,
sound production, target vocabulary,
reading and sequencing.
“Talk About ”
Talk About is a youth group for young
people with Down’s syndrome aged from
11-19. These sessions currently run
fortnightly. During these sessions there is
an hour of communication-focused
activities, run by our “Symbol” trained co-
workers. This circle group model follows on
from the speech and language groups for
younger children.
These sessions focus on communication,
relationships, community and identity, and
provide opportunities to:
 Meet up with friends and make new
friends
 Socialise and take part in fun
activities with facilitation
 Talk about their lives in a safe
environment
 Get support with speech and
language skills, including speech
production, vocabulary skills, and
social skills
 Practice skills in making and
maintaining relationships, assertion,
and self-expression
Young people with Down’s syndrome are
showing the world how much they can
achieve given the right support. However,
many still struggle with low expectations of
what they can achieve. They commonly find
it difficult to understand social situations
and react appropriately, with the added
pressure of puberty and relationships, they
can really benefit from having a safe space
with professionals who understand them, to
learn these vital skills.

Using a syndrome specific approach our

		skilled staff can help the young people express themselves to the best of their ability, whilst facilitating appropriate social and behavioural responses to new social situations. The young people will explore their own identities and how they interact with the world around them. How young people manage social situations, relationships and challenges is key in enabling them to access their communities and build meaningful relationships with those around them.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	21 Plus Trustees are fully aware and have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Our Trustees strive to succeed in enriching the lives of children with Down syndrome. Giving them the best opportunities and support for them to succeed and to reach their full potential.

Achievements and Performance

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	As stated above 21 Plus participate in several activities to enhance and improve the lives of young people with down syndrome. Talk time, school support, youth group have been a fantastic success this year. Families have found these services invaluable. Our Talk time participants love the weekly meet ups, their children are benefiting greatly from the support and guidance that Victoria and Nicky offer, and the parents find invaluable support amongst each other. Online talk time sessions are run every week with our school aged children. With one face to face meet up a Month with the children and their 1:1. This is a fantastic service for the school and our children. Both the school and teaching assistants gain insight into supporting our children in the best way. School support has in some cases helped children stay in Mainstream school rather than looking at an alternative placement. Schools also find the support and resources provided a huge benefit. Our youth group enjoyed quiz night, games, cooking acting, social scenarios. Our leaders work hard in providing fun and

engaging activities for our young people. They also make strong friendships with each other due to the consistency of seeing each other regularly. This is so important for parents, seeing their children form strong and purposeful relationships and it is also a valuable life lesson. Our Sports camp, workshops, conference, and social events such as Easter egg hunt have all been a huge success. This gave our children an opportunity to try different supporting activities which some have gone on to pursue e.g. disability gymnastic and swimming lessons. Once again, families connected and children’s well -being boosted. We also organised a fantastic Christmas party at a Monmouthshire soft play for the children and families. They all had a great get together, dancing playing games enjoying each other’s company and forming lasting friendships. 21 plus has become an extended family to the majority of our families who feel connected, understood and can support each other. This is so important as some families may otherwise feel very isolated. Giving the best opportunities to our children with down syndrome with high expectations for our children for the future. “School Support Service” Our school support team can support both primary and secondary schools to include pupils with Down’s syndrome effectively in school life and learning; our team have experience of supporting children in a variety of settings and with a variety of challenges. The service can offer observations of pupils and provide recommendations and a report. Whole school ‘twilight’ sessions, teaching assistant sessions, follow-up reviews and remote support are also available. Advice can be given on all aspects of inclusion, speech and language support, understanding behaviour and curriculum access. Following the pandemic, we have seen a surge in need for this service as our children and young people have struggled in their return to school following such a long disruption to learning. We do not charge schools for this service because they simply have no additional funds for this support. Schools are so grateful for the

work we do with them as the strategies and support we provide can benefit so many of the children in school who also may be struggling with aspects of learning. “Training” 21 Plus provide local, accessible training for parents, carers and professionals. We are currently running online workshops covering a wide range of topics for both parents and carers, and professionals. Workshops include the learning profile of children and young people with Down’s syndrome, behaviour in children and young people with Down’s syndrome, reading in children and young people with Down’s syndrome and developing numeracy skills in children and young people with Down’s syndrome. In the past we have also run sensory processing workshops. This one day training is delivered by The Whole Child Therapy Group based in London and is an introduction to Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) and how they impact on a child with Down’s Syndrome. This is a dynamic workshop that discusses and explores the experiences for a child with sensory processing difficulties. These workshops are aimed at all staff involved in teaching and supporting pupils with Down’s syndrome in both mainstream and special educational settings at primary and secondary stages. They are also relevant to educational psychologists and other professionals involved in planning and managing input to schools, as well as to parents and carers of children with Down’s syndrome. We also held a number of social events throughout the year.

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	21 plus changed charity status from an unincorporated charity to a CIO. We opened the new charity on the 5thMay 2021. All accounts and annual reports are up to date. As you will see from the accounts £18,948.77 has been paid to our sub- contractors to deliver our school support service which is an invaluable service to both families and educational settings. £14,239.15 was paid to our sub-contractors to deliver our Talk Time service and £2,167.87 was paid to our sub-contractors to deliver our Talk About service. This is a significant increase on the previous Financial Year because we have more families than ever needing our support. These services are an incredible support to all members of 21 plus, benefiting toddler age groups to young adults with down syndrome. Please visit our website to see all testimonies from our parents who benefit from these services. We have received a total of £19,176.81 in donations this year, this is from donations from families and donations made through Local Giving. We have also raised £320.00 from events and social occasions. A total of £30,765.75 in additional grants also has been received from benefactors such as Blackwood Engineering, who continue to be a fantastic support to us. These incredible donations have allowed 21 plus to carry on providing outstanding services to all to our members. Summer camp this year cost the charity £9,189.22 and Residential Camp cost £7,817.96. These are big expenses to the charity, however, the outcomes and the benefit that these camps give our children and families are significant. 21 plus hopes to successfully continue to run both camps every year.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	N/A
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	N/A
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	N/A
Details of fund materially in	Para 1.24	N/A

deficit
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	N/A

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
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	All members of 21 Plus are invited to become Trustees if they so wish. Anybody who has an interest in becoming a trustee has to be DBS checked. Trustees are re- appointed and re-elected at our AGM

Additional information (optional)

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	21 Plus
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1194335
Charity’s principal address	11 Pant-Y-Fforest, Ebbw Vale, NP23 5FR

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
Gabrielle Preece	Chair
Nikki Davies	Secretary
Rachel Champken	Treasurer	Joined 01/01/2024
Bridgid Corr
Roberta Nash

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Rachel Champken Full name(s) Rachel Champken

Position (eg Secretary, Treasurer Chair, etc)

Date

25.09.24

----- Start of picture text -----
21 PLUS
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1194335
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS & ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 1st JANUARY 2024
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21 PLUS (REGISTERED CHARITY: 1194335)

The treasurer's report on the unaudited financial statements to the committee of 21 Plus.

The Treasurer's statement for the period ended 1 January 2024 is set out on pages 3 to 5. The charity is exempt from an audit.

In accordance with committee instructions, I have compiled these unaudited financial statements from the accounting records and information supplied to me.

Rachel Champken

Page 2

21 PLUS (REGISTERED CHARITY: 1194335) INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

for the year ended 1st January 2024


Income	2023	2022

Donations (including Local Giving)	19,176.81	7,319.00
Local giving	0	5,085.00
Associate Members	210.00
Full Members	620.00	630.00
Transfer from previous registered charity	0	0
Events/ Socials	320.00	1,495.00
Amazon	0	82.00
Blackwood Engineering donation		8,500.00
Fundraising	10,942.01	51.00
Grants received	30,765.75	1,000.0
Day Summer camp	11,770.00	5,025.00
Residential Summer camp	4,431.00	1,000.00
School Support Service	2.965.70
Xmas cards	0	718.00
Total income	81,201.27	30,905.00

Expenditure	2023	2022

Administration	710.29
Safeguarding	216.84
Day Summer camp	9,189.22	15,754.00
Events	1,749.24	1,921.00
Banking Fees	27.00
Membership management (MMC)	274.48	202.00
Residential Summer camp	7,817.96	4,534.00
Services	724.00
School support	18,948.77	15,443.00
Talk time	14,239.15	10,004.00
Youth group	2,167.87	1,647.00
Local giving fee	0	96.00
Xmas expenses	0	0
Hall fees	0	1526.00
Xmas cards	0	240.00
Total expenditure	56,064.82	51,722.00
Profit/(Loss)	25,136.45	(20,817)

Page 3

21 PLUS (REGISTERED CHARITY: 1194335) BALANCE SHEET

as at 1 January 2024

Current assets Cash at bank Current Liabilities Committed Monies Net assets Representing reserves Surplus b/f Profit/(loss) for the year Reserves Total	2023 2022 £ £ 40,235.45 15,099.00 40,235.45 15,099 15,099.00 35,916.00 25,136.45 (20,817) 0 0 40,235.45 15,099

Page 4

21 PLUS (REGISTERED CHARITY: 1194335)

Treasurer's statement

In approving these financial statements as treasurer, I hereby confirm:

(a) that for the period stated above the charity was entitled to the exemption;
(b) that I acknowledge my responsibilities for:
(1) ensuring that the Charity keeps the accounting records required by the HM Customs and Revenue.

(2) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of

the state of affairs of the Charity as at the end of the financial year and of its surplus/(deficit) for the year.

These financial statements are prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable under the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008).

The financial statements on pages 3 to 5 were approved by the charity on -------------- 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Rachel Champken

TREASURER

Page 5

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGIAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts SeGtioii A Independent Examiner'5 Report Report to the trusteesl mombors of 21 Plus On accounts for the year ended 1st January 2024 Charity no (If any) 1194335 Set out on pag•s I report to the trustéè8 on my examinatim of thè accounts of abov8 charity Trusf) lor the year ended 1° January 2024. As drI$ trustees. you afe responsibte for the preparation of tho a¢counts in •GcordarKe bmth the requirements of the Charities AGt 2011 ('the Acr). Rvjponslbllltlèg and basis of report I report in resFect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seth'on 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicgbie Diroctions gnien by Ihg Charity Commlgslon under 881aion 145(S)(b> of the Independent I have completed my examination. l Gonfirn) that no material matter8 have •xamlnorf• •tatgment lo my attenllon In nnecOn vllh the examln8tlon (Olher than Ihai disclosed below "} whth gives me cause lo believe thal in, any materb r•sp•cL' the accounting COrdS were not ke in acc4Ndanc8 wth 6eclion 130 of the Charities Ad", or the accounts did rK)l accord th the accounting records: or lh8 accounts dKI not compty wth the applicable requirements concerning Ihe fomi arKI content of a¢intS set out in the Charitles (Accounts and Rewlsl RogulBtionJ 2008 other Ihan any requirement that the accounts gwe a Irue arKI fairf VEW which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no coneems and have come across no other matters in connecti with the examination to which ttention should be drawn in this report in order to enatk a proper u starvjing tJf the acUnts 10 be roachad. e brackets ifiiitty do not apply. Slgn•d: Date: 1111012024 obert Jones Relevant professlonal qualifiGatlonl3) or body (If any): FCCA Addres$: 220 Stow Hill. New[, NP20 4HA IER Oct 2018

Section B l1lllll Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material matters ol concem (see CC32, IndeF*ndent examination of charily aOunt5.. directions and guidance for exammers). Give here brief detalls ol •ny items that th• exaffliner wlsh8s to dlsclose. Not applicabl8 IER Oct 2018