**GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Gifted Women** (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation) Charity number 1195795 ## **Report and Financial Statements** **For the Year Ended 30[th] September 2022** 1 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Gifted Women** ## **Report of the Management Committee for the year ended 31 March 2022** The Management Committee presents its Trustees’ report and audited financial statements for the year ended 30[th] September 2022 ## **Reference and Administrative Information** Charity Name: Gifted Women Charity registration number: 1195795 Registered Office: Tavistock Enterprise Hub, Tavistock PL190BN Operational Address: The Plot, Union Street, Plymouth, PL1 3EZ ## **Management Committee** Jenny Adjene – Chair of Trustees Richard Greaves – Treasurer & Trustee Dr. Mary Embleton - Trustee Julie Howes - Trustee Zena Gardener - Trustee Sarah Cox – Trustee 2 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Our Aims and objectives** ## **Purposes and Aims** Our charity’s purposes as set out in the objects contained in the company’s articles of association are to: - The relief of unemployment for the benefit of the public amongst unemployed - women who are in recovery from addiction and/or have criminal convictions and/or are homeless by the provision of opportunities for work experience placements, personal development and improved employability. ## **Ensuring our work delivers our aims** We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous period, since the registration of the charity. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The review also helps us ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. ## **The focus of our work** Our main objectives for the year was to create space to build employability and confidence within our beneficiaries, and establish relationships with local employers who can create opportunities for women to improve their lives. The strategies we used to meet these objectives included: - Running a twelve week group work programme for twelve women who have experienced multiple disadvantage, with a focus on employability, building confidence and combatting loneliness. - Providing one to one support and peer lead mentoring for beneficiaries to help them move closer towards their goals. - Working in partnership with other agencies to secure the widest range of support provision is available that best matches the needs of its client population. ## **Who used and benefited from our services?** ## **Multiple disadvantage** 3 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** Eligibility for our services is termed as women experiencing / who have experienced ‘multiple disadvantage.’ The term multiple disadvantage refers to those people who face multiple and intersecting inequalities including gender based violence and abuse, substance use, mental ill health, homelessness, being involved in the criminal justice system and the removal of children. ## **A gendered approach** 336,000 adults experience multiple disadvantage each year. Of the 17,000 people who experience the most severe forms of disadvantage each year, 70% are women. Women are more likely to have experienced one or more form of primary disadvantage in their adulthood than men. Women are much more likely than men to have faced violence and abuse in their adult lives, and more likely faced violence and abuse in combination with poor mental health and/or homelessness. ## **Geographical location** Our objects and funding limit the services we provide to residents in Devon, with a focus on Plymouth and surrounding areas. Plymouth is in the bottom 30% of the index of multiple deprivation with pockets of very high deprivation with five neighbourhoods falling into the top 4% of the most deprived areas in England (IMD 2019). We have within Plymouth fantastic organisations that are supporting women overcome multiple disadvantage and trauma. They have described Gifted Women as the ‘missing link from the puzzle’ in terms of the continuation of the journey of support for the women that have been in their care. Plymouth employers have also shown us that there is an appetite for recruiting from a more diverse background and they recognise the huge benefit of having a loyal talent pool within their teams, while having the chance to give back to the community. During a recent consultation with 37 women in Plymouth, who experience or have experienced multiple disadvantages, we asked them what barriers they face to finding employment. One woman responded: “I wouldn’t have a clue where to look for help or what I need. I’m clean now but after 16 years on heroin I’d say I’m pretty much unemployable.”. ## **Our activities** Our main activities and who we try to help are described below. All our charitable activities focus on employability and creating pathways for women to access the workplace. 4 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Group work programme** Our group work employability programme provided services for 24 women during this period (13.09.2021 – 30.09.2022) The group work programme was delivered by a highly skilled, engaging and experienced practitioner, who has lived experience of the barriers faced by the women we exist for, and delivers our programme with a trauma informed approach, making it accessible to women for whom other employability initiatives might not be suitable. Each course takes place over 12 weeks and comprises 14 sessions. We co-produced the curriculum with women with lived experience of multiple disadvantage who are now employed. There is flexibility for sessions to be adapted, added etc. and under constant review and improvement based on women's feedback. Bringing women together in these two cohorts enabled women with similar barriers and ambitions to unite and share their lived experience with each other over the course of the programme and during the group work sessions. Each woman’s unique experiences and background is incredibly valuable in supporting other women’s own journey - as a tight knit community working together to build confidence, increase self-esteem, gain life skills and improve wellbeing, with women supporting one another to take their first steps into / back into the workplace after overcoming serious hardship. On completion of the Gifted Women programme, our aim is for women to be engaged in employment, training / work experience placement or further education, and supported with a personalised plan for their next steps. ## **Work experience placements** During this period we also partnered with local employers to offer women with meaningful work experience placements, enabling them to put what they’re learning into practice and gain valuable insight into the world of work. Work placements were in a range of settings and were arranged to align with women's hopes for their future. A number of the women we worked with had never had the opportunity to gain employment before, due to lack of support, lack of education and qualifications, and other challenges as described above that work together to keep women from reaching their potential. The work experience placements started around a month into the group work programme when women had built some confidence. The group then supported each other to overcome any concerns or teething problems in their work placements as the weeks went on, as we regularly discussed as a group how everyone's placements were going. 5 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** Employers understood Gifted Women's ethos and so knew that women have experienced barriers and that this was a big step for women. Placements strive to be trauma informed and the Gifted Women staff team were there to support with any matters that arose. Women were accompanied to meet their employer and visit the site by staff or a peer mentor. They had a tour and could ask any questions, find out what they would be doing and get a feel for the working environment. Then they attended on their own one day a week for 8 weeks. The workplace supervisor had a journal to complete with the woman to document the tasks and skills they'd done / learned as well as any reflections week to week. The purpose of the placements was to build routine, sense of purpose, grow in confidence and build relationships with employers. It also gave something positive for women’s CVs and a reference could be obtained. On some occasions work placements lead to offers of paid work. Placements did not have any bearings on any benefits women were receiving (e.g. Universal Credit). This encouraged women to feel confident to give them a try and removed a significant barrier, which is the fear of being worse off financially, and disrupting benefits. Women were supported throughout their work placements by Gifted Women staff, peer mentors and the rest of their group, who were invited to help each other problem solve and support and encourage one another generally week to week. ## **Benefits to the individual** Outcomes to during this period (13.09.2021 – 30.09.2022) Through questionnaires completed at the beginning and end of the programme, we found that on average participates felt their self-esteem had improved by more than double, their confidence in accessing employment was eight times greater and their confidence in achieving their life goals was three times greater at the culmination of the programme. 66% of the women who participated on the programme were in employment, or work placements as of 30.09.2022. One gifted woman said: _“Just over a year ago I was scared to go back to work not knowing if it was something I was able to do again and do well. Since going into a psychiatric unit and rehab a little over five years ago it has taken me a long time to rebuild my mind and my life for many years I didn’t want to be here. The recurrence of mental ill health or relapses fed my negative thought, of I am not good enough or strong enough to get my life on track. The program has changed all this for me and it’s given me belief in myself again. With the right support along the way I have been able to achieve beautiful things and every day just growing that bit stronger in myself and I am more committed, self-assured, stable and I am confident that I can work long term again”._ 6 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Benefits to the employer community** A more diverse workforce - When talent and potential go unfulfilled, nobody benefits. Organisations miss out on having as wide as possible a pool of candidates to choose from, so when the labour market is limited for choice, it’s harder for everyone to get the things they need and for businesses and individuals to thrive. Plymouth employers have also shown us that there is an appetite for recruiting from a more diverse background and they recognise the huge benefit of having a more diverse talent pool within their teams. A recent employer messaged Gifted Women recently after one of our women’s first day work experience with them to say, “my team love her, she made us laugh and smile all morning”. ## **Financial Review** Against the backdrop of limited resources, owing to being a brand-new charity and insecurities over funding, it was difficult to plan or develop services. Nevertheless, the charity, with the aid of sound financial management and the support of its trustees, staff and volunteers generated a very positive financial outcome for the period with a net income of funds over £65,000. In particular, its success in obtaining new funding for 2022/2023 from the Trevi Spark Project to reflect the referrals from this service, will provide much needed additional resources. ## **Principal Funding Sources** The principal funding sources for the charity during this period were from the Trevi Spark Project, Covid-19 Small Grants Fund 2021/22, Plymouth Public Dispensary, Petroc College, the Claire Milne Foundation, National Lottery ‘Awards For All’, The Allen Lane Foundation, People's Postcode lottery and The Wakeham Trust. ## **Reserves Policy** The Management Committee has examined the charity’s requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. It is developing a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity should be between 3 and 6 months of the expenditure. At this early stage in our growth, we have not yet been able to meet our aspirations. This is a key target for the coming year. ## **Plans for Future Periods** The charity plans continuing the activities outlined above in the forthcoming years subject to satisfactory funding arrangements 7 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** The charity plans to build more relationships with partner organisations operating in this space, as well as more local employers – to create more opportunities for women on our programmes The charity plans to establish a formal peer mentoring scheme, training and empowering women who have been through our programme to use their lived experience to mentor other women coming through. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** ## **Governing Document** The organisation is a CIO, registered as a charity on 13 September 2021. The governing document, our constitution, was reviewed and updated in September 2021 before publication, with planned annual review. ## **Recruitment and Appointment of Management Committee** The charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the constitution are known as members of the Management Committee. The Management Committee are elected to serve for a period of three years after which they must be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting. All members of the Management Committee give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are detailed within the accounts. Due to the nature of multiple disadvantage, much of the charity’s work inevitably focuses upon women with complex needs. The Management Committee seeks to ensure that the needs of this group are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the trustee body. The charity has trustees with lived experience of multiple disadvantage and recovery. The trustee board is made up of 83% women. There are trustees with protected characteristics and diversity and inclusion training has been undertaken by relevant members of the trustee board. Business, commercial and strategic skills are well represented on the Management Committee. ## **Trustee Induction and Training** Trustees are already familiar with the practical work of the charity having been encouraged to attend a session and speak with staff and beneficiaries prior to election. Additionally, new trustees are invited and encouraged to attend a series of short training sessions (of no more than an hour) to familiarise themselves with the charity and the context within which it operates. These are led by the Chair of the Management Committee. 8 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **The obligations of Management Committee members.** - The main documents which set out the operational framework for the charity including the Constitution - Resourcing and the current financial position as set out by the Treasurer. - Future plans and objectives. ## **Risk Management** The Management Committee has conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan which will allow for the diversification of funding and activities. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers, beneficiaries and visitors. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity. ## **Organisational Structure** Gifted Women has a Management Committee of 5 trustees who meet monthly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the Committee has five members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. ## **Responsibilities of the Management Committee** Charity law requires the Management Committee to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the management committee should follow best practice and: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. - make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is not appropriate to assume that the charity will continue on that basis. The Management Committee is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. The Management Committee is also responsible for safeguarding the 9 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. ## **Members of the Management Committee** In accordance with charity law, as the charity’s trustees, we certify that: - so far as we are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditors are unaware; and - as the Trustees of the charity, we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditors are aware of that information. ## **Preparation of Accounts** ## **Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of the charity on the accounts for the year ended 30 September 2022** I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2022 which have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and with the Financial Reporting Standard 102, (effective 1st January 2016) adapted to meet the needs of unincorporated organisations, as modified by FRS 102 SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice for Accounting and Reporting by Charities) 2015 (as amended by the Bulletin issued in February 2016) published by the Charity Commission in England & Wales (CCEW) , effective January 2015 (The SORP), under the historical cost convention and the accounting policies. ## **Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and the Independent Examiner** The charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Trustees consider that the audit requirement of Section 144(1) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) does not apply, and that there is no requirement in the Governing Document for the conducting of an audit. As a consequence, the Trustees have elected that the financial statements be subject to independent examination. Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under any legal provision, or otherwise, and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:- - a) examine the accounts under Section 145 of the Act; - b) follow the procedures in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act and; - c) state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## **Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement and scope of work undertaken** I conducted my examination in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act, setting out the duties of an Independent Examiner in relation to the conducting of an Independent Examination. An Independent Examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and of the accounting systems employed by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and seeking explanations from you, as Trustees, concerning such matters. The purpose of the examination is to establish as far as possible that there have been no breaches of charity legislation and that the financial statements comply with the SORP, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and 10 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and information supplied by the Trustees in the course of the examination is not subjected to audit tests or enquiries, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the financial statements, and in particular, I express no opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair view of the affairs of the charity, and my report is limited to the matters set out in the statement below. I planned and performed my examination so as to satisfy myself that the objectives of the Independent Examination are achieved and before finalising the report I obtained written assurances from the Trustees of all material matters. ## **Independent Examiner's Statement, Report and Opinion** Subject to the limitations upon the scope of my work as detailed above , in connection with my examination, I can confirm that :- This is a report in respect of an examination carried out under 145 of the Act and in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act which may be applicable; and that no matter has come to my attention in connection with my examination which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements :- - to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of The Charities Act 2011; - when preparing accounts on an accruals basis, to prepare financial statements which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act and the Regulations setting out the form and content of charity accounts; - have been prepared in accordance with The Charities Act 2011. and with the methods and - principles set out in the FRS102 Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (effective January 2016) have not been met or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in my report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached; G Higgins – Independent Examiner Harold Duckworth & Co Ltd Chartered Accountants 41 Houndiscombe Road Mutley Plymouth PL4 6EX 11 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **CERTIFICATE TO BE ATTACHED TO THE ACCOUNTS OF** ## **GIFTED WOMEN** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022** You have approved the accounts for the year ended 30 September 2022 and have acknowledged your responsibility for the appropriateness of the accounting basis and for providing all information and explanations necessary for its compilation. We have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the financial information. Harold Duckworth & Co Ltd Chartered Accountants 41 Houndiscombe Road Mutley PLYMOUTH PL4 6EX 12 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 **GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** ## **GIFTED WOMEN** ## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022** |INCOME:
Donations
OTHER OPERATING INCOME:
Employers Allowance
DIRECT EXPENSES
GROSS SURPLUS
LESS: EXPENSES
Wages & Salaries
Employers National Insurance
DBS Checks
Accountancy
Insurance
Travel & Subsistence
Staff Training
Telephone & Internet
NET SURPLUS|
5,339
195
302
409
250
41
3,364
119
£|65,875
195
66,070
13,978
52,092
10,019
42,073| |---|---|---| Signed I approve these Accounts and confirm that I have made available all relevant records and information for their preparation. 13 13[th] September 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 GIFTED WOMEN TRUSTEES. ANNUAL REPORT 13 September 2021- 31" March 2022 14