Silth’s Sanctuary
Trustees’ Annual Report - FY 21/22
21 July 2021 - 1 March 2022
Registered charity number 1195252
Silth’s Sanctuary - 1195252
The trustees present their financial statement of the charity (21 July 2021 - 1 March 2022)
This report was approved by the Trustees on 11 Nov 2022 and signed on their behalf by:
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Signature:___________
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Sam Walton 11 Nov 2022 Name:________ Date:_______
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Contents
1. Reference and administrative details 4
2. Structure, governance and management 4
3. Objectives and activities 5 - 6
3.1 Public benefit
3.2 Aims
3.3 Ethos
4. Achievements and performance 7 - 11
4.1 Animal rescue
4.2 Community assistance
4.3 Volunteers
4.4 Fundraising
4.5 Partnerships
4.6 New charity set up
4.7 Stories
5. Financial review 12 - 17
5.1 Total Finances
- 5.2 Balance Sheet
5.3 Notes to the financial statement
5.4 Basis of preparation
5.5 Accounting Policies
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5.6 Income
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5.7 Expenditure
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5.8 Cash at bank and in hand
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1. Reference and administrative details
Charity name Silth’s Sanctuary Charity number 1195252 Company registration number CE026299 Registered address 7 Kew Road Formby Merseyside L37 2HB Trustees Arwen Nicholson Elara Nicholson Rhana Nicholson Rudy Arthur Sam Walton
2. Structure, governance and management
Silth’s Sanctuary is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered 21 July 2021, with a Constitution governing document.
As of March 2022, Silth’s Sanctuary consists of 5 trustees and 10 volunteers.
Trustees are selected by members, and voted in by a majority trustee approval. A majority vote from members can bring forward a motion to remove a trustee. A majority vote from trustees will remove a trustee. Volunteers are admitted when they express interest.
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3. Objectives and activities
For the public benefit, the relief of animal suffering by providing food, shelter, and medical care with a focus on abandoned, feral, and sick animals and an aim to rehome wherever possible.
3.1 Public benefit
The Trustees of Silth’s Sanctuary confirm that they have complied with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 with regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission, and have taken into account in the course of the charity’s work that our activities are undertaken for the purpose of public benefit.
3.2 Aims
Silth’s Sanctuary aims to approach the issues of pet abandonment with a holistic view.
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Rescue: To assist animals, predominantly cats, that are in need. We aim to; assist the public by reuniting lost pets, rescue abandoned and stray animals that are at risk, and provide medical care to unowned animals.
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Rehome : To rehome (where appropriate) stray, abandoned, and previously feral animals.
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Outreach: To create a community response to stray cat colonies. A community-led response helps protect animals at risk and provides opportunities to educate local people and pet owners. We aim to link communities with local resources and rescues, and create an ongoing partnership with these communities so that we can effectively implement our other aims.
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TNR: To run a Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) scheme. TNR is needed to prevent increases in stray cat numbers, reduce the spread of diseases, and reduce the risk of injuries through fighting. We particularly aim to create a Liverpool TNR scheme to help stabilise, and eventually reduce, the stray cat population in the region.
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Collaborate: To network with our local rescue community and create positive working relationships. The scale of the abandoned and stray animal situation in Merseyside means it is near impossible to tackle for any individual charity. Therefore we aim to collaborate with local rescues and community groups to create a strong network where we can assist and support one another.
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3.3 Ethos
Silth’s Sanctuary is built on a set of values that form the foundation for our charity. At Silth’s Sanctuary we believe that all animals have a right to humane care, medical assistance, and are not here to be used, abused, or consumed by people.
What this means for animals within our care:
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Every animal deserves humane care.
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Quality of life is at the forefront of our care.
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We will never put to sleep a healthy or treatable animal.
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We follow professional medical advice for each individual.
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The animal’s comfort and safety always comes first when rehoming.
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We ensure wild animals and ferals are returned to safe environments.
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Feral animals released from our care will have on site feeding and monitoring.
We also believe that all animals, including humans, are worthy of respect and kindness. At Silth’s Sanctuary we proudly support human rights and stand with marginalised communities. We recognise and understand ongoing systemic struggles that communities face, support our volunteers, and stand in solidarity with communities fighting against these societal prejudices.
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4. Achievements and performance
During the course of our first financial year, Silth’s Sanctuary has grown in volunteer numbers, foster homes, and funds. We have rescued and assisted stray, feral, and abandoned animals from the Merseyside and Devon regions, and established core processes for the future.
To account for our increase in size, we have refined our rehoming process (to great success), created new training opportunities for volunteers, increased our social media activity, and started several working partnerships.
4.1 Animal rescue
Silth’s Sanctuary fostered and provided medical care for a total of 27 animals during this year. This brings the total number of animals directly assisted by Silth’s Sanctuary to 35.
| Animals | Admitted | Rehomed | Released | Transferred | PTS | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cats | 15 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Small Animals |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A record of the animals under Silth’s Sanctuary’s care during the financial period of 21st July 2021 - 1st March 2022. PTS stands for Put To Sleep (euthanised).
Released: During this period one feral cat was neutered and released by Silth’s Sanctuary to her original location which was deemed safe following our re-release guidelines. We confirmed that she had shelter and sources of food and water.
Transferred: Silth’s Sanctuary collaborated with other local animal rescues to transfer animals that could not be fostered by us for a long period due to a shortage of space in foster homes. We would like to thank Rescue Me Animal Sanctuary in particular for admitting a pair of kittens which we did not have the capacity to support long-term.
PTS: Two cats were euthanised during this period due to severe health conditions. In both cases, veterinary experts recommended euthanisation and we confirmed that there were no viable alternative options which could have led to a good quality of life.
4.2 Community assistance
Silth’s Sanctuary provided a number of in-person responses to community calls for help. A substantial number of animals and owners were assisted by Silth’s Sanctuary during this period.
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Requests for help come from community Facebook groups (including Moggies & Doggies Merseyside and Scouse Pets 2), emails, phone calls, and private messages on Silth’s Sanctuary social media pages.
These missions have included scanning, paper collaring, assessing stray animals, trapping animals, reuniting lost pets with owners, and transporting animals for emergency medical treatment.
4.3 Volunteers
The number of people actively participating in Silth’s Sanctuary activities during this period grew from 11 to 15.
To ensure the safety of volunteers as Silth’s Sanctuary grows, new rules have been implemented. In-person responses are carried out by a minimum of two volunteers. Medical kits and safety equipment are provided by Silth’s Sanctuary.
This year Silth’s Sanctuary has focused on providing volunteers with a range of training opportunities such as scanning, trapping, and assessing animals on the street using a range of equipment.
The number of foster homes grew from 2 to 6. A foster agreement was created to ensure the charity maintains an excellent standard for foster homes. All new fosterers must sign and adhere to this agreement before taking on animals on behalf of the charity.
Additional training has been provided for certain foster homes depending on the needs of their foster animal(s). Neonatal care training was undertaken by 2 foster homes, and the use of specialist equipment, such as nebulisers and incubators, has been provided for 3 foster homes.
5.7 Expenses
During this financial period, £9,481 was spent running Silth’s Sanctuary; £9,111 was spent directly on charitable activities that directly impact animals (96%), and £370 was spent on raising funds (4%).
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Veterinary expenses accounted for 70% of our annual spending (£6,671.32). This includes any medication, such as flea treatment or supplements.
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Equipment to care for animals accounted for 13% of our annual spending (£1,255.30). This includes a new incubator and new equipment for 5 foster homes (litter trays, cat carriers, pens, weighing scales etc.).
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General costs, such as food and litter, accounted for 9% of our annual spending (£882.52).
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- Fundraising and advertising accounted for 4% of our annual spending (£370). This includes website hosting fees (Squarespace), domain names (GoDaddy), a large reusable banner, business cards, and the purchase of SumUp card machines.
Many of our expenses for equipment and advertising were one time purchases, which were expected during our start as a new charity. We expect to decrease the amount we spend on fundraising and advertising costs in the next year, although annual fees, such as website hosting, will continue.
4.4 Fundraising and income
During this financial period, Silth’s Sanctuary raised £10,165. This was raised via one-off donations (£2,675.93), grants (£2500), adoption fees (£2,230), GoFundMe special appeals (£2,128.33), monthly direct debits (£500), and in person events (£130.74).
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One-off donations accounted for 26% of funds raised. These donations were often given in response to social media posts on various platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).
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Grants accounted for 25% of total funds raised. Animal Friends awarded Silth’s Sanctuary a grant of £2500 in September 2021.
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Adoption fees accounted for 22% of funds raised. Adoption donations are currently set at £150 for a kitten, £100 for a cat, and £10 for a gerbil. Adoption donations do not cover the full cost of medical bills for the adopted animals.
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GoFundMe appeals accounted for 21% of funds raised. Three appeals were run via GoFundMe; “Silth's Sanctuary: Daenerys's Emergency Vet Bills”, “Urgent Funds To Save Barrel”, and “All we wants for Christmas is... an incubator!”.
| GoFundMe appeal | Date started | Goal | Raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daenerys’s Bills | July 2021 | £2,000 | £1,045 |
| Save Barrel | October 2021 | £4,000 | £1,255 |
| Incubator Fund | December 2021 | £700 | £760 |
Daenerys’ GoFundMe appeal began before this financial period, however it continued to receive funds during this period. Barrel’s GoFundMe raised over £1000 within 12 hours. Unfortunately Barrel could not be helped, and so the appeal was changed to a memorial fund. The incubator fund reached its target and fully covered the purchase of a Curadle Pet Brooder ICU Max (Small) (costing £696.63).
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Monthly direct debits accounted for 5% of funds raised. Silth’s Sanctuary opened a business bank account with NatWest in September 2021. To avoid confusion with transferring monthly direct debits, we did not accept monthly donations until the opening of our business bank account.
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In person events accounted for 1% of funds raised. Volunteers ran our first Silth’s Sanctuary stall at the Live A Better Life (LABL) Christmas fair in December 2021. The cost to attend the fair as a charity was £75 (a reduced charity rate). The stall raised £130.74, directly resulted in one adoption, and raised awareness within the local community.
Internal and external factors have had widespread impacts on fundraising during this period. Silth’s Sanctuary is a new and relatively small rescue with a small social media following. One-off donations, our largest source of funding, are dependent on reach. As our social media following and community awareness grows over time, we expect to see funding increase.
COVID and lockdown measures implemented by the UK Government have reduced in-person fundraising. Due to an ongoing cost of living crisis, combined with furlough and job losses during the lockdown measures, donations have reduced nationwide. We expect in-person events to be more heavily attended in future, which will increase fundraising.
4.5 Partnerships
We have established veterinary partnerships with Vets4Pets Penny Lane in Liverpool and St Davids Veterinary Group in Exeter, where we receive discounts on medical treatments for animals in our care. We are thankful to staff at both organisations for their ongoing collaboration and support.
Additionally, we have joined Agria Insurance as a Rehoming Organisation, enabling us to provide 5 weeks free insurance to all adopters, and are registered as a charity with Zooplus, providing us with discounts on online orders.
4.6 New charity setup
As a new charity, we have also spent significant effort during the course of this year establishing core accounts, registrations, and branding. This includes:
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Registering a business bank account
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Creating branding, logos, and a website
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Gaining recognition with HMRC to claim Gift Aid
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Verifying our charity with the major UK microchip databases to enable searches
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Setting up charity accounts on websites including Cat Chat, Pets4Homes, Adoptable, and JustGiving.
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Purchasing equipment, including microchip scanners, and an incubator for neonatal kittens
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Creating and cultivating an online presence on social media.
All of this, and more, has put us in a good position to continue our work long term.
4.7 Stories
Every one of the 27 animals rehomed by Silth’s Sanctuary during this period has a unique story. Unfortunately, no animal that is admitted to a rescue has a completely happy backstory. However, at Silth’s Sanctuary we endeavour to make all their future stories happy. We have selected two stories that highlight the dedicated work of our volunteers, vets, and supporters.
Daenerys
In March 2021 we trapped a pregnant stray in Toxteth, Liverpool. Despite her initial fear at being in one of our foster homes, she gave birth to five healthy kittens in our care, and relaxed dramatically. When we noticed that she was thin and her stomach was still distended weeks later, veterinary tests determined that she had serious medical issues with her liver.
We began a long series of medical tests to uncover the specific issues, which cost more than £2000 in total, prompting us to run a successful one-off fundraiser. We were eventually able to determine that Daenerys had a significant infection in her intestines, which we treated with targeted antibiotics. Daenerys made a full recovery and, in addition to her kittens, was happily adopted.
Mithra & Jerry
On Christmas Eve, 2021, we received a call about stray kittens who were being fed in an industrial park in Liverpool. They had scratches and cuts on their body, and were too shy to be picked up by concerned locals. We attempted to trap them on Christmas Eve, and returned on the 26th after being unsuccessful. On Boxing Day we were able to catch one of the kittens, and the following day trapped the second.
After getting the pair inside, a vet checkup revealed that they had puncture wounds, and were both around 4 months old. Though we hadn’t seen them directly interacting outside, we tentatively put them together and discovered that they immediately comforted each other. Between their similar ages, face shapes, and behaviour, we are confident they were dumped siblings. Despite being very scared at first, Mithra & Jerry (the latter named for the security guard who helped us on-site!) settled into their foster homes as their wounds healed. They have since been happily adopted together.
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5. Financial review
Statement of financial activities, including summary income and expenditure account
5.1 Total Finances
| INCOME (Note 3) Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies Other trading activities Total EXPENDITURE (Note 6) Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Total NET INCOME Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total funds Prior year funds £ £ £ £ £ |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total funds Prior year funds £ £ £ £ £ |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total funds Prior year funds £ £ £ £ £ |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total funds Prior year funds £ £ £ £ £ |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total funds Prior year funds £ £ £ £ £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,767 | - | - | 9,767 | - | |
| 398 | - | - | 398 | - | |
| 10,165 | - | - | 10,165 | - | |
| 370 | - | - | 370 | - | |
| 9,111 | - | - | 9,111 | - | |
| 9,481 | - | - | 9,481 | - | |
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - | |
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - |
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5.2 Balance sheet
| Fixed assets Total fixed assets Current assets Cash at bank and in hand (Note 24) Total current assets |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total this year Total last year £ £ £ £ £ F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total this year Total last year £ £ £ £ £ F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total this year Total last year £ £ £ £ £ F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total this year Total last year £ £ £ £ £ F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Endowment funds Total this year Total last year £ £ £ £ £ F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - | |
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - |
Net current assets/(liabilities)
Total assets less current liabilities
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - |
| Total net assets or liabilities Funds of the Charity Restricted income funds Unrestricted funds Total funds |
684 | - | - | 684 | - | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | |||||
| 684 | - | 684 | - | ||||
| 684 | - | - | 684 | - |
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5.3 Notes to the financial statements
The company was entitled to exemption from audit under s477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
5.4 Basis of preparation
These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.
The accounts 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 on 16 July 2014 and with the Charities Act 2011. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
5.5 Accounting policies
Income
Income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity becomes entitled to the resource, it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources, and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.
There has been no offsetting of assets and liabilities, or income and expenses.
Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the general income recognition criteria are met.
Gift Aid receivable is included in income when there is a valid declaration from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount recovered on a donation is considered to be part of that gift and is treated as an addition to the same fund as the initial donation unless the donor or the terms of the appeal have specified otherwise.
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Expenditure and liabilities
Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.
5.6 Income
| Analysis of income Donations and legacies: Donations and gifts Gift Aid General grants provided by government/other charities Total Charitable activities: Total Other trading activities: Other Total TOTAL INCOME |
Analysis of income |
Unrestrict ed funds Restricte d income funds Endowme nt funds Total funds Prior year £ £ |
Unrestrict ed funds Restricte d income funds Endowme nt funds Total funds Prior year £ £ |
Unrestrict ed funds Restricte d income funds Endowme nt funds Total funds Prior year £ £ |
Unrestrict ed funds Restricte d income funds Endowme nt funds Total funds Prior year £ £ |
Unrestrict ed funds Restricte d income funds Endowme nt funds Total funds Prior year £ £ |
Unrestrict ed funds Restricte d income funds Endowme nt funds Total funds Prior year £ £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations and gifts |
7,128 | - | - | 7,128 | - | ||
| Gift Aid | 139 | - | - | 139 | - | ||
| General grants provided by government/other charities |
2,500 | - | - | 2,500 | - | ||
| Total | 9,767 | - | - | 9,767 | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Other | 398 | - | - | 398 | - | ||
| Total | 398 | - | - | 398 | - | ||
| 10,165 | - | - | 10,165 | - |
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5.7 Expenditure
This year Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Analysis funds income funds funds Total funds Expenditure on raising funds: £ Advertising, marketing, direct mail and publicity 370 - - 370 Total expenditure on raising funds 370 - - 370
Expenditure on charitable activities:
| activities: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expenses Incurred |
9,111 | - | - | 9,111 |
| Total expenditure on charitable activities |
9,111 | - | - | 9,111 |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE |
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| 9,481 | - | - | 9,481 |
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5.8 Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and on hand Total
| This year £ |
Last year £ |
|---|---|
| 684 | - |
| 684 | - |
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