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2024-10-31-accounts

Hope For Families

Report and Accounts Year ended 31 October 2024

1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk

HOPE FOR FAMILIES

LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE c/o The Hope Centre 8 Princewood Road Corby NN17 4AP GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO Constitution registered 20 May 2021 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1194541 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Garryl Clive Willis MANAGING THE CHARITY Nathan Adjetey Adjei (appointed February 2024) Janet Elizabeth Brown (resigned April 2024) Thelma Jane Dingwall (appointed 12 June 2023) Sharon Elain Short (appointed 11 September 2023) KEY STAFF Louise Willis (Coordinator) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB

INDEX

Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-9 Trustees' Report Page 10 Independent Examiner's Report Page 11 Receipts and Payments Account Page 12 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 13 Notes to the Accounts

Page 1

Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for the period ended 31st October 2024 for Hope for Families CIO REGISTERED NO: 1194541 hopefor V families Page 2

Hope for Families CIO

Report of the Trustees for the Period Ended 31[st] October 2024

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the Charity for the period ended 31[st] October 2024.

Establishment of Hope for Families CIO

Hope for Families CIO was established and entered on the register of the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 20 May 2021.

Objectives and Activities

Hope for Families’ Objects

The Object of the Charity is, for the public benefit and in pursuance of Christian principles and the doctrines set out in the Statement of Faith, the advancement of education in matters concerning marriage, parenting, family life and relationships with a view to strengthening and enriching family life in such ways as the Charity Trustees may from time to time determine.

Hope for Families’ Vision

Hope for Families wants every family to know there is hope for them. Every family has good times as well as hard times and Hope for Families wants to support them on their journey, whatever they are going through.

Hope for Families’ purpose

Hope for Families exists to help all parents become more confident and to build strong and lasting relationships with their child. It empowers parents and carers to engage with each other at a local level, share their experiences and build a support network of their own. Hope for Families creates change by showing compassion, valuing its relationships and giving its time generously and is passionate about working with others to improve life for the families it serves.

Hope for Families’ values

Born out of a passion for what Hope for Families does, its values help it to focus on how it creates the future it wants for both itself and the families it supports.

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Hope for Families’ faith

Hope for Families is founded on a love of God and its Christian identity underpins everything it does. Working in partnership with others, Hope for Families is passionately committed to supporting every family on their journey, of all faiths and none, as well as empowering local churches to support parents in their role.

Achievement and Performance

Principal Activities – review of the last year

1. Courses & events

Hope for Families’ rolling programme of popular training courses, produced by the national Charity Care for the Family and run in partnerships with the voluntary, health and education sectors, include training themes such as ‘Children with Additional Needs', ‘Time Out for Parents – Dads’ and ‘Handling Anger in the Family'. All of its courses can be delivered online or in-person.

Hope for Families aims to deliver 23 courses each year, which is 162 hours of facilitated sessions. Its courses are a series of two-hour sessions that run between 4-7 weeks and can include up to 12 participants per course (one-off events such as ‘Left to their Own Devices' accommodates 22 participants).

The Charity is pleased to have delivered 13 courses and events, reaching over 130 parents/carers with 100% of parents saying they were satisfied with the course they attended, 83% very satisfied and 100% of attendees saying that they would recommend the course to others. Over the year, the Charity has delivered;

Hope for Families has worked in partnership with 3 primary and secondary schools across Northamptonshire this year, as its licensed facilitators have delivered closed courses and one-off events with the support of school staff members. It has also delivered 1 course in partnership with Mowers Ark CiC and 2 courses in partnership with Home-Start Corby. Over 200 partners working in the fields of education, health and the statutory and voluntary sectors work hard to promote and advertise Hope for Families’ upcoming open courses.

This year, with the support of grant funding, Hope for Families has been able to cover the cost of Care for the Family’s 3-day facilitator training for four more of its volunteers and staff team. It now has a team of 14 licensed facilitators, 11 of whom are active facilitators currently working with the Charity. Four of the current facilitator team previously attended a ‘Time Out for Parents’ course with the Charity. All its facilitators are fully licensed to deliver the core range of ‘Time Out for Parents’ courses and events, developed by Care for the Family. 7 of its facilitators are also licensed to deliver the ‘Time Out for Parents – Children with Additional Needs’ course.

Parents attending the sessions complete questionnaires at the beginning and end, to help the Charity measure impact and build a solid evidence base for its work. The results of these evaluations so far have shown that parents can see that the knowledge, encouragement and practical techniques shared on the course are having a positive impact on their family life.

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Across all of the courses over the last year, participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with the course. The courses have led to notable improvements in family dynamics, communication, and parental confidence. Many parents experienced a quieter and more harmonious atmosphere at home with parents experiencing better listening skills and calmer interactions with their children resulting in parents feeling more capable of handling family challenges.

‘Handling Anger in the Family’ continues to be the most popular course, with places quickly filling up once registration opens. There is frequently a waiting list for sold-out courses.

Since its launch in November 2023, the ‘Time Out for Parents - Dads’ online course has also proven to be extremely popular. Delivered by two male volunteer facilitators, this course has seen committed engagement from dads against a trend of decreasing participation rates and anecdotal evidence within the county that other services seeking to engage fathers are experiencing low-engagement rates.

Many fathers noted improvements in their ability to handle conflict, set boundaries, and meet their children's emotional needs. We found that fathers reported that they felt that they became more attentive listeners, improving their communication skills with their children.

A group of parents recently commented:

“Ihave learntto spendmorequality time rather thanquantity, enabling me to listen to my child's needs better andhave more time to focus.”

“ Very insightfulcourse. Iwouldrecommendthatthis shouldbe the topgift for alldads on Father’s Day to enrolon.”

Hope for Families runs a quarterly parent forum where parents have a highly-valued voice in the future of the Charity and input into the courses and events it runs.

Hope for Families’ Coordinator, Louise Willis, is employed part-time (30 hours per week) by the Charity. Louise has operational oversight for the Charity’s work and leads its team of 9 volunteers. Hope for Families’ Partnership Worker, Nicola Mizon, is also employed part-time (24 hours per week) by the Charity. Nicola oversees course administration and facilitation and is currently employed on a 14-month fixed-term contract until July 2025.

2. First Aid for Mental Health training

In August 2023, Hope For Families’ Coordinator trained with NUCO Training to become an FAA First Aid for Mental Health Instructor. The Charity’s Partnership Worker also successfully completed this training in August 2024. Since the Charity first started offering this training in March 2024, it has proven to be very popular with both individuals and organisations. Many of the Charity’s trustees and volunteers have since trained in FAA Level 1 (Awareness) and FAA Level 2 Awards.

The Charity has delivered the FAA Level 2 Youth Award to 24 staff and volunteers at Kettering Community Unit (KCU) Ltd with future training booked for 36 volunteers in Level 1 (Awareness).

The Charity has delivered the FAA Level 1 (Awareness) Award to all the staff at Home-Start Corby, as well as Level 1 (Awareness) to the volunteer team of 12. The Charity will also deliver the FAA Level 2 Award to 1 member of staff, 1 volunteer and 1 Trustee from Home-Start Corby so they can become Mental Health First Aiders for the organisation.

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Recent online FAA Level 1 (Awareness) and FAA Level 2 Awards open training sessions attracted 12 participants including teachers, Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinators, Family Support Workers, Social Workers, and church staff team members. More open sessions are planned for future months. This course had a waiting list so the Charity is planning to deliver a further Level 1 (Awareness) and Level 2 Award online in early spring.

"We were very fortunate to receive FAMHLevel1(Awareness)training, facilitatedby Louise from Hope for Families. Understanding MentalHealth FirstAidis importantfor our team andour organisation. This course was informative, easy to understandandagreatway ofkeeping up to date with currentthinking andsupportservices available." Maggie Mackay, Home-Start Corby

3. Supported places

Hope for Families aims to keep its course costs low and its support accessible. The maximum any parent or carer would pay to attend an open course or one-off event is £20.00. Hope for Families’ supported places scheme provides further support, offering all participants a 50% discount on course registration fees. There are no eligibility criteria for this as the Trustees recognise that financial pressures can be faced by any family. The Trustees occasionally award free discretionary places. During 2023-2024, 30 parents accessed a supported course place and received a 50% discount.

In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.

Financial Review and Reserves Policy

During the period, the Charity received income of £71,832 of which £52,162 was restricted. Total charitable expenditure for the period was £55,452 of which £39,769 was restricted. Cash funds at the end of the year were £8,132 unrestricted and £17,482 restricted.

The Board of Trustees has agreed to the Charity’s reserves policy and this policy is reviewed annually. Hope for Families reserves policy is to retain sufficient reserves to ensure the Charity can meet its financial commitments, to demonstrate that the Charity is sustainable into the future, to ensure that the Charity is able to manage future unforeseen financial difficulties and to ensure that excessive funds are not held without any identifiable reason or for any identifiable purpose.

The Charity’s main commitments at present are the employment cost of its Coordinator who is employed on a permanent contract, and its Partnership Worker who is currently employed on a 14-month fixed-term contract until July 2025. The Trustees do not consider it necessary to hold reserves at present of more than £5,000 and this has been maintained.

Plans for 2024/2025

As Hope for Families looks to the year ahead, it is hopeful that its partnerships will continue to flourish and that opportunities will arise for it to continue building upon pre-existing partnerships with schools, Home-Start Corby and Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, as well as establishing new partnerships with other schools and services across the county. Hope for Families has provisional courses booked in partnership with Finedon Infant and Junior Schools, Elizabeth Woodville Schools, as well as further First Aid for Mental Health training for the volunteer teams at KCU Ltd.

Hope for Families is working, increasingly, in partnership with local schools and their Student Engagement Officers and Inclusion Managers to support schools and their families help children manage their emotions, support those on a diagnostic pathway for diagnosis of conditions such as ADHD and ASD (for which there is a growing demand for support) and to

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connect with hard-to-reach parents. Issues include;

Hope for Families’ volunteer team continues to grow and the hope is that more parents and carers will choose to join the team and/or the parent forum over the coming months as the Charity recognises the unique perspective past course participants bring to course facilitation. Hope for Families is passionate about parents and carers attending its courses and then gaining the skills and experience needed to go on and support others in a similar situation and it would be great to see more parents/carers completing their facilitator training during the next year. 50% of the current volunteer team first attended a Hope for Families course as a parent.

Hope for Families’ Partnership Worker is employed on a 14-month fixed-term contract until July 2025 and the Charity is currently fundraising to secure the position beyond the current end date. With the Partnership Worker in place, the Charity can offer more closed courses across the county, potentially reaching an additional 144 parents and 288 children. Securing this role beyond July 2025 is a key strategic priority for the next financial year.

The Charity will continue to develop its First Aid for Mental Health training offer, recognising its value and contribution to unrestricted income. The Charity will also continue to respond to the increasing need, acknowledging the popularity of its most popular courses, ‘Time Out for Parents – Children with Additional Needs’, ‘Handling Anger in the Family’ and ‘Time Out for Parents – Dads’.

Hope for Families’ Coordinator has recently joined the Cinnamon Network Leadership Community and will benefit from leadership training and various networking opportunities over the coming year. It is hoped that this will greatly benefit the Charity during its next phase of growth and development.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document, Trustees, Staff and Volunteers

The Charity is a charitable incorporated organisation and is governed by its constitution. The Trustees of Hope for Families have the power to appoint additional Trustees. The constitution requires the Charity to have a minimum of three trustees. There is no formal recruitment practice, but the Trustees and the Coordinator continue to look for new Trustees who will be able to add value to the existing team of Trustees and whose skills and experience would contribute to the development of the organisation.

The Charity wishes to thank outgoing trustee Janet Brown for her commitment to the role of trustee and support of the Charity’s work. Janet was an integral part of the core team during the first three years of operation, helping to establish and form the Charity, until her term came to an end on 20[th] May 2024. This year, the Charity has welcomed Nathan Adjetey Adjei to the board of Trustees. He joins Sharon Short, Jane Dingwall and Garryl Willis.

Prospective Trustees are given the opportunity to examine the organisation extensively and to attend two trustee meetings before they, and other Trustees, reach a conclusion as to the appropriateness of the appointment. New Trustees are provided with the opportunity to meet other Trustees and the Coordinator.

The Trustees have met most months during the financial year to discuss and make decisions concerning the Charity’s affairs. Their contribution is appreciated.

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The management of the Charity is delegated to the Coordinator. She is employed on a part-time basis (30 hours per week). The Coordinator is a qualified primary school teacher, with extensive experience in the area of education and the church and charity sectors. She has a Master’s degree in Theology, Ministry and Mission (specialising in Children, Young People and Families). The Coordinator is the Safeguarding Lead for the Charity and is a qualified First Aid for Mental Health instructor.

The Charity was thrilled to appoint Nicola Mizon as its Partnership Worker on 1[st] June 2024 on a fixed-term contract for 24 hours p/week. She brings a wealth of experience having taught in local primary schools for 20 years. The Partnership Worker is fully licensed to deliver the ‘Time Out for Parents’ core and additional needs courses and is a qualified First Aid for Mental Health instructor.

Hope for Families’ team of volunteer facilitators have vast experiences in the area of family life, both personally and professionally, working in the fields of education, health, church, HR, self-employment and youth work. All facilitators are parents themselves and some are also grandparents. They represent blended families, adoptive families, families with additional needs and single-parent families.

Re-election of Board of Trustees

Under the Charity’s constitution each Trustee is normally appointed for three years, but the first three Trustees were appointed for two years, three years and four years respectively. On retirement Trustees, being eligible, may offer themselves for re-election at a general meeting. The Trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment.

The Charity may by ordinary resolution appoint a person who is willing to act to be a Trustee and determine the rotation in which any additional Trustees are to retire. No person other than a Trustee retiring by rotation may be appointed a Trustee at any general meeting unless he or she is recommended for election by the Trustees with the appropriate notice given. The Trustee must show his or her willingness to be appointed and he or she subscribes to the Statement of Faith.

Trustee Training

Trustees are encouraged to read the Charity Commission guidance on responsibilities of a trustee and specific training for Trustees has been given by Trustees attending trustee training seminars/conferences and reading specific trustee-related guidance.

Jane Dingwall (Safeguarding Trustee and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead) has extensive experience in safeguarding having worked in early years education for many years. She recently attended ‘Safeguarding for Trustees’ training, delivered by thirtyone:eight.

Risk Review

A formal and systematic approach to the identification and management of risks has been introduced and will continue to be fully reviewed and updated annually. A review of the Charity’s operations was carried out to ensure that these are provided as efficiently as possible and to ensure that staff and volunteers are not overburdened.

In line with the Charity Commission's guidance on reporting serious incidents, the Trustees declare that during the reporting period there were no serious incidents that they have failed to bring to the Commission's attention.

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Remuneration Policy

The salaries for both the Hope for Families Coordinator and Partnership Worker are set with reference to the technical skills and experience required to fulfil the job duties, the comparative pay in the Christian charitable sector, as well as the funds available to the Charity.

Fundraising

Over the coming year, Hope for Families plans to increase its fundraising efforts by mobilising local supporters, increasing its monthly giving income from individuals and local churches, as well as inspiring one-off fundraising efforts. Establishing new partnerships with churches located across Northamptonshire is a key strategic priority for the Charity in the coming year. It is currently seeking grant funding to extend the Partnership Worker’s contract beyond July 2025.

The Charity is grateful to the individual supporters, church partners, trusts and foundations who have supported the Charity’s work in the past year and have enabled its work to grow. One-off and multi-year grants have been received this year from The Woodward Charitable Trust, Benefact Trust, Albert Hunt Trust, Margaret Giffen Community Fund, Shoe Zone Trust, Awards for All and The Archer Trust. A multi-year grant has also been received from a trust that wishes to stay anonymous. The Charity wishes to thank the trusts and foundations for their support over the past year.

The Charity continues to employ the services of Jo Jeffery (Full Circle Consultancy) to assist with its trust and foundation fundraising efforts. The Charity wishes to thank Jo Jeffery for her support in securing multi-year and one-off grants over the last financial year.

It always gives opportunities for people receiving mailings to unsubscribe. Hope for Families has a privacy policy which includes how it aims to be GDPR compliant. This is available on its website.

Responsibilities of trustees

Charity law requires us the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting period which record the receipts and payments of the Charity for the period.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.

The Trustees also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the Charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.

Approval

This report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Sharon Short

Sharon Short (Jan 20, 2025 14:28 GMT)

NAME: Sharon Short (Trustee)

DATE: Jan 20, 2025

Page 9

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF

HOPE FOR FAMILIES

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Hope For Families ('the charity') for the year ended 31 October 2024 on pages 11 to 13 following.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or

  1. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Sarah Crispin

Sarah Crispin (Jan 27, 2025 10:02 GMT)

Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB

Date: Jan 27, 2025

Page 10

HOPE FOR FAMILIES

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

Notes
Income receipts
Donations
Grants
Course income
Other
Total receipts
Payments
2
Total payments
Transfers between funds
4
Net movement in funds
Cash funds as at last year end
Cash funds at this year end
A
Net of receipts / (payments) before
Payments
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken directly		 General
Designated
Funds
Funds
£
£
5,728
-
7,600
-
6,280
-
62
-
19,670
-
19,670
-
15,683
-
15,683
-
3,987
-
-
-
3,987
-
4,145
-
8,132
-
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
Funds
£
2,875
49,287
-
-
52,162
52,162
39,769
39,769
12,393
-
12,393
5,089
17,482		 2024
£
8,603
56,887
6,280
62
71,832
71,832
55,452
55,452
16,380
-
16,380
9,234
25,614		 2023
£
General
Funds
£
5,728
7,600
6,280
62
19,670
19,670
15,683
15,683
3,987
-
3,987
4,145
8,132
10,183
26,614
1,481
75
38,353
38,353
33,330
33,330
5,023
-
5,023
4,211
9,234

The notes on page 13 form part of these accounts.

Page 11

HOPE FOR FAMILIES

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

Notes
A Cash funds
Cash at bank with immediate access
C Liabilities
Falling due within one year
Fee for Independent Examination
Total
D Assets retained for charity's own use
Computers, IT, office furniture		 General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
8,132
-
8,132
-
840
-
840
-
840
-
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
funds
£
17,482
17,482
-
-
-		 2024
£
25,614
25,614
840
840
840
Cost
£
3,162
3,612		 2023
£
9,234
9,234
660
660
660

The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Sharon Short

Sharon Short (Jan 20, 2025 14:28 GMT) _____Sharon Short Date:_____ Jan 20, 2025

The notes on page 13 form part of these accounts.

Page 12

HOPE FOR FAMILIES

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

1 Accounting policies

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.

2
Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly
Employment costs including staff training
Office Costs
Insurance
Market & Website
Fundraising Costs
Legal & Prof Fees
Cost of running courses
Bank Charges		 Unrestricted Fun
General
funds
£
4,937
2,619
525
298
5,904
335
1,006
60
15,683		 ds
Designated
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Restricted
Funds
£
37,061
1,294
-
182
-
325
908
-
39,769		 Total
2024
£
41,997
3,913
525
479
5,904
660
1,913
60
55,452		 Total
2023
£
23,087
2,883
414
191
4,590
847
1,258
60
33,330

3 Transactions with related parties

Louise Willis,one of two employees, is married to a trustee and received employment benefits totalling £31,941 (2023: £20,655).

4 Movement of funds

General funds
Restricted funds
Employment fund
Training fund
Lottery funding
Total funds		 Opening
balance
£
4,145
4,990
-
99
5,089
9,234		 Receipts
£
19,670
31,475
882
19,805
52,162
71,832		 Payments
£
(15,683)
(30,765)
(882)
(8,123)
(39,769)
(55,452)		 Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-		 Closing
balance
£
8,132
5,701
-
11,782
17,482
25,614

Restricted funds:

The Employment fund is to help fund the coordinator salary. The Training fund is to fund staff and volunteer training. The Lottery Funding covers salaries, course resources and support costs.

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