## **Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Statement From 01 April 2022 to 31 March 2023** 

**Charity name:** Inspire Bucks **Charity registration number:** 1195365 

**Charity address:** 7 Oak Tree Cottages, Main Street, Grendon Underwood, HP18 0SH 

The trustees are pleased to present their report for Inspire Bucks for the financial period 01.04.2022 to 31.3.2023. 

The Financial Statement has been written to comply with the charity’s constitution, the Charities Act and in line with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice. 

## **Introduction to Inspire Bucks** 

Inspire Bucks is a registered CIO charity which was registered on 2[nd ] August 2021. The charity’s main purpose is to help and support vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and their families in Buckinghamshire. 

The founding trustees set up the charity to provide families in financial hardship and those who are otherwise disadvantaged or vulnerable with a special experience via provision of gifts and other support at Christmas and throughout the year. 

We want all children and young people in Buckinghamshire to feel cared about, be happy, safe and healthy, and to grow up with the skills, knowledge and attributes to be confident and independent, ready for adult life. 

The charity was formed after several years of running a successful county-wide Christmas gift campaign for disadvantaged children via the former County Council. 

In 2020 the need was identified within the county to extend support to vulnerable children and families beyond scope of the Christmas campaign which resulted in the formation of Inspire Bucks. 

The charity’s work in 2021 focused on supporting families in Buckinghamshire and we remain a Buckinghamshire charity helping to support Buckinghamshire families. The charity has developed close relationships with local agencies and their social worker and early help teams, which assist and enhance our work to support the local community. 

**Deprivation and child poverty in Buckinghamshire** 



Whilst Buckinghamshire overall has relatively low levels of deprivation compared with the rest of the country (as measured by the English Indices of Deprivation), there are significant inequalities in levels of deprivation within the county, with pockets of deprivation in all parts of Buckinghamshire. 

Higher levels of deprivation are concentrated in Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Burnham, Chesham and Denham. Some more rural areas also have relatively high levels of deprivation which is likely to be influenced by barriers to housing such as affordability and geographical barriers in terms of distance to services such as GPs, supermarkets and schools. 

Government figures show that 9.9% of children aged 0-19 years (around 14,000) are in absolute low-income families in Buckinghamshire (South East 11.2%; England 15.9%). Source: Department of Work and Pensions 2019/2020 data. 

## **Key objectives and activities** 

The objectives of Inspire Bucks, as defined in our Constitution, are for the public benefit and are to be carried out in such parts of the United Kingdom as the Trustees shall determine. 

The key objectives are: 

To advance in life and relieve the needs of children and young people up to the age of 24 who are socially or economically disadvantaged or vulnerable, looked after children, care leavers, young people who have experienced poverty, learning difficulties or mental health through: 

- providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities, and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals; 

- providing essential resources, advice and signposting to those young people who are leaving the care system; 

- working with other organisations and partners to enhance provision for children and young people; 

- providing practical support including gifts and items to such children and young people who would not normally receive them. 

## **Implementation of Inspire Bucks key objectives in 2022** 

Inspire Bucks focused its activities in 2022 on supporting our core charity purpose of providing practical support and gifts to children who would not normally receive them. 

We would like to sincerely thank our small group of volunteers, who are invaluable in helping us to deliver our work. 

## **Christmas children’s gift appeal** 

Inspire Bucks provided 2000 individual children living in Buckinghamshire with Christmas gifts as part of the Christmas 2021 gift appeal. This is an increase of 700 on 



the number of individual children supported at Christmas 2020. During latest campaign during Christmas 2022 Inspire Bucks charity supported over 3,150 vulnerable children. 

We received several hundred donations of gifts from the public, who provided us with wonderful support. We also received several very kind donations of gifts: 

- Stoke Park hotel and their sister company Hamleys donated games and toys. 

- Marlow Masons donated several hundred gifts and toys. 

- We have received kind donations from Salvation army and APPAS Dance School totalling £1000 

In addition, we operated a charity fundraising webpage and we used those donations to purchase additional specialist gifts such as sensory toys for children with special educational needs and disabilities. 

A selection of items for each child or young person was made up and the gifts were distributed via Buckinghamshire Council social workers and family support workers directly to vulnerable and disadvantaged families or those hit by financial hardship in time for Christmas Day. 

## **Other projects** 

- We provided birthday and other gifts and support throughout the year to approximately 300 vulnerable children and families 

- We also sponsored Foster carers party and Kids in care celebration event with £3500 support 

## **Objectives for 2023** 

- Review service delivery during 2022 

- Identify future need in Buckinghamshire 

- Establish additional sources of sustainable donations for the charity to increase funding 

## **Direction for 2023** 

- Deliver projects as identified and agreed by the trustees, all with associated quantitative and qualitative data to evidence project success 

- Planning for long-term sustainability of the charity 

- Improve feedback mechanisms so that we can better understand the difference our work makes 



Inspire Bucks
Profit and Loss
From05Apr2022To 04W2023
Account
Total
Operwtinglncome
29.660.27
Torwl for Operating Incorne
29.66027
Costof Goods Sold
Total for Cost olGoodsSold
Gros5 Profit
29.8fj027
Operatln8Expense
Bank Fee53nd Charge5
3280
Consultant Expense
7.997 48
Grants
51.50
and Internei ExpeDses
226.00
Mea15 and Entertainment
66.05
orrice Supplies
61.92
Other Expenses
330.26
Toy Purchas
15.064.97
Truxee ExpEn5es
Total for Operatln8 Expense
23.876.70
OperatingProfit
5.7B357
Non Operatln8 Income
Total for Non Operating Income
Non Operating Expense
Total for Non OpErating EMpÈns
Met ProfftlLoss
5.783.57
**AmouM is displayed Inyour base currenryGBP
Financial Review
Policy for holding a reserve

£5,783 is held in reserve to cover commitments for a period of six months. 

## **Structure, governance and management** 

## **Governance and trustee appointments** 

The trustees meet regularly and at least once per quarter, with ad-hoc meetings convened as required. During the trustee quarterly meetings, the trustees review the charity’s finances, as well as discussing progress and deliveries against its core charity purpose. All major new actions and future strategic decisions are defined and agreed by the trustees during these meetings. 

All appointed trustees have been (and future appointments will be) given a copy of the charity’s constitution. They are also informed about, and provided with weblinks to, the Charity Commission’s website and guidance outlining the role and responsibilities of a trustee and public benefit. 

## **Trustee re-appointment** 

Any new trustee must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly- convened meeting of the charity trustees. 

## **Operational management and organisation** 

Inspire Bucks has no permanent paid employees. A seasonal temporary coordinator was employed on a consultancy basis to support us to operate the Christmas gift appeal. 

The trustees manage the day to day operational and financial management of the charity as well as managing partnerships and other activities, such as fundraising. All major financial decisions are agreed and reviewed between the trustees before being actioned. 

## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

|**Trustee**<br>**name**|**Office (if**<br>**any)**|**Dates acted if not for**<br>**whole year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled to**<br>**appoint trustee**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Paul Irwin|Chairman|n/a|n/a|
|Helen<br>Fincher|Secretary|n/a|n/a|
|Ashley<br>Waite|Treasurer|n/a|n/a|





|Clive<br>Wayland|Trustee|n/a|n/a|
|---|---|---|---|



## **Declarations** 

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report. Signed on behalf of the Trustees: Paul Irwin Full name/s: Position: Chairman Date: 04/02/24