2024-03-31-accounts - The Raft

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/04/23 To 31/03/24

Charity name: The Raft Charity registration number: 1194852

Objectives and Activities

The Charity’s Objects are, for the public benefit, specifically the relief and assistance of children and their families in Leicester and Leicestershire who are in need because of adverse childhood experiences, through targeted and preventative support that includes, but is not limited to:

Facilitating collective action between churches and partners Networking and signposting
Training and events which promote therapeutic parenting, positive social, emotional and mental health and trauma informed practices Campaigning and advocacy for care-experienced and looked after children Delivery of projects and services that build resilience and aid recovery.

During the year 01/04/23 to 31/03/24, The Raft delivered the following activities in relation to the above charitable purposes:

Pilot session at a local trampoline park (Boost Leicester) to provide an after-school club for care experienced children. Following the successful pilot (in November 2023) we have now delivered a further two sessions at Boost, and hope to continue these into the new financial year.
A Christmas party for Leicestershire adoptive and foster families
We were successful at obtaining a small grant from Oadby and Wigston Borough Council (£767.40) to start delivering a monthly Lego club. The first session was held on March 2nd 2024.

The following trustees ended their initial one-year tenure as founding trustees: Sharon Leeson, Ruth Crook and Julia Hamer. Two new trustees were appointed, Chris Plummer and Paul Cromwell. All trustees have full regard

to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

The Raft has the following policies in place:

Conflicts of Interest Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Health and Safety Risk assessment Safeguarding Financial controls (draft) Register of interest Privacy notice Data protection

Achievements and Performance

The Raft has achieved the following during the reporting period:

We appointed two new trustees and one more volunteer joined our team
We created our new brand identity and logo, and have rolled this out across our documents and materials.
We ran after school sessions at Boost Leicester, attended by approx. 40 people each time. These enabled children to work off stress and develop friendships.
We developed more partnerships, in particular with a practitioner in Lego Serious Play (LSP), enabling us to design a unique project helping care experienced children in their recovery from trauma. This led to the delivery of a pilot LSP project at Hope Community Church in Wigston, Leicester.
We attracted more followers on our social media accounts, and extended our prayer network Our Christmas party was attended by over 130 adults and children from foster and adoptive families, and we had lovely feedback from those who joined us.
We presented at Hope Community Church in March 2024, helping to raise awareness of our work amongst the Christian community and attract supporters.

Financial Review

The Raft holds a charitable bank account with Lloyds Bank.

Income during the reporting period: £8,977.78

Expenditure during the reporting period: £3,887.29

Structure, Governance and Management

The governing document of The Raft is a “foundation model constitution”. Its only voting members are its charity trustees. The Raft is a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation).

The constitution sets out the method of trustee selection: every charity trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. All charity trustees must subscribe and adhere to, in belief and lifestyle, the Statement of Beliefs.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	The Raft
Other name the charity uses	n/a
Registered charity number	1194852
Charity’s principal address	The Raft c/o Hope Community Church 56 Bull Head Street Wigston Leicester LE18 1PA

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Debbie Hill, Chair of Trustees
Chris Plummer, Treasurer and Secretary
Paul Cromwell, Safeguarding Lead

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

This section is not applicable.

Exemptions from disclosure

This section is not applicable

Declarations

Declarations	Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity trustees.
Signature
Full name:	Deborah Anne Hill
Position:	Chair
Date:	16/01/25

Charity Name No (if any) The Raft 1194852 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a

For the period Period start date Period end date To from 4/1/2023 3/31/2024

Section A Receipts and payments

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Grant from Oadbyand Wigston BC - Receipts: Lego Serious Playsessions 195 Donations 8,015 - - - - - 8,210 - - Sub total - Total receipts 8,210 A3 Payments Website development 220 Lego Serious Playfacilitator 300 Lego and materials for sessions 457 Magician for Christmasparty 200 Brandingand logo 1,170 Equipment 196 Insurance 96 Safeguarding 248 Transfer to savings account 1,000 Sub total 3,887 - - Sub total - Total payments 3,887 Net of receipts/(payments) 4,323 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end - Cash funds this year end 4,323 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ *Sub total*(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)	to the nearest £ 768 - - - - - - - 768 - - - 768 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 768 - - 768 Restricted funds	to the nearest £ Endowment funds	Total funds to the nearest £ 768 195 8,015 - - - - - 8,978 - - - 8,978 220 300 457 200 1,170 196 96 248 1,000 3,887 - - - 3,887 5,091 - - 5,091	Last year to the nearest £
		- - - - - - - - -	768	-
			195	-
			8,015	-
			-	-
			-	-
			-	-
			-	-
			-	-
			8,978	-

		- - -	-
			-	-
			-	-

		-	8,978	-

		- - - - - - - - - -	220	-
			300	-
			457	-
			200	-
			1,170	-
			196	-
			96	-
			248	-
			1,000	-
			3,887	-

		- - -	-
			-
			-	-

		-	3,887	-

	768	- - - -	5,091	-
	-		-	-
	-		-	-
	768		5,091	-

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Details Closing balance at 31/3/24 Details Details Details Details Signature *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	to nearest £ 4,323 - - 4,323 OK to nearest £ - - - - - - Print Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates
		Deborah Hill