Registered CIO: 1197431
Annual Report and Accounts January - December 2022
Chair’s Report
I am thrilled to present the first Annual Report for Outside the Box CIO.
We set up this charity to continue and build upon the unique Orange Box Choir, which encourages young people and young adults , particularly those with additional needs, to use their voices. We weathered two major storms in 2020: the Covid-19 pandemic and losing our home, when Square Chapel Arts Centre went into administration before then being taken over by new management.
But we never gave up on Orange Box Choir! Brilliant volunteers boosted morale and kept us all connected for over two-years via regular online sing-a-longs, meetings and quizzes. We knew our community choir was special - a vital and valued resource for our young people.
In 2021 we began exploring options, and in January 2022 we officially registered Outside the Box as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). Inspired by our slogan, „Singing outside the box‟, our charity will create opportunities with, by and for people in Calderdale.
Life gave us lemons, and we turned them Orange!
Maria Spadafora Chair for Outside the Box CIO
Project Manager’s Report
Orange Box Choir has been on quite the journey since its beginnings in 2017. But every cloud has a silver lining, and the trials and tribulations we‟ve experienced lead us on path to becoming fully independent and in control of our own future under the new charity - Outside the Box CIO.
This wouldn‟t have been possible if it wasn‟t for the support, dedication and enthusiasm our amazing participants, volunteers parents and carers keeping us going. Whilst on hiatus throughout the pandemic, and figuring out a solution to losing our home, we engaged virtually in many different ways. Through „pass it on‟ we kept each other‟s spirits high by nominating members of our choir family to post their favourite songs on social media.
We also recorded four virtual music videos which with the help of Ellis and his fantastic editing skills. This included a special rendition of Shakin‟ Stevens „Merry Christmas Everyone‟ to show our appreciation to Calderdale and Kirklees NHS.
Project Manager’s Report
We replaced our in-person rehearsals with virtual sing-a-longs on Facebook, again with the help of fantastic young people and volunteers, this engaged our participants along with our wider social media community, and kept momentum and consistency for those involved with choir throughout a difficult period.
Starting in May 2020 and continuing until September 2022 this amounted to over 100 live, online sessions where we all sported a variety of hairstyles!
A special thanks to Keeley, who showed such dedication by taking part in delivering most of sessions, and was rightly recognised for this with a nomination from the Community Spirit Awards. Here‟s what Keeley had to say about choir and supporting the virtual sessions:
“ I got a lot out of choir. I really enjoyed it. It was very good for my mental health. It was good spending time around like-minded people and I really enjoyed it. During Covid it allowed us to have a routine by me helping with the online shows which we managed to do over a hundred of them and it was just a really, really positive experience for me.”
Project Manager’s Report
We‟re now back on track and have to say a huge thanks to our trustees, especially Maria who spearheaded the formation of Outside The Box. Everything is looking really positive and we‟re really grateful to the support everyone has given us.
As we like to say in Orange Box Choir “the future is bright, the future is Orange!”
Jamie Eagleton Project Manager for Orange Box Choir
Our Purpose and Values
Outside The Box CIO develops participatory and wellbeing activities with, by and for people in Calderdale. We use creativity to enhance wellbeing, particularly for young people with learning differences and/or neurodiversities.
We do this by:
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delivering creative, participatory activities and events with, by and for participants
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enabling and supporting people to take part in opportunities that enhance wellbeing and encourage them to make new friends
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providing or signposting to information, advice and support
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Photo: Ant Robling
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A nnabelle and Caroline lead Orange Box Choir as part of Mind the Gap’s ‘Zara’ in 2019
- creating and promoting volunteering opportunities
Governance and Delivery
OUR TRUSTEES:
Maria Spadafora – Chair Emma Ruhkala - Treasurer Tilz Ray Cathy Ray Jodie Eagleton Tom Kendall – Safeguarding
Trustees oversee the management of the charity and our activities OUR FREELANCE DELIVERY TEAM:
OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
Safeguarding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment of Staff and Volunteers Conflicts of Interest Managing Grievances Managing Finances and Reserves Data Protection (GDPR) Health and Safety Risk Management
Jamie Eagleton – Project Manager & Safeguarding Lead Amy-Rose Atkinson – Choir Facilitator Jonny Keegan – Choir Facilitator
Our Participants
In 2022:
16 young people/young adults took part in 9 sessions 10 of these attended with a parent or carer 6 attended independently 12 parents/carers also attended sessions 7 volunteers supported 300 people attended 1 public performance
“I like Orange Box Choir because it’s fun. It’s good and I like the people. Jamie is funny and AmyRose is funny and Jonny is funny!” - JOSHUA
“I like Choir because I’ve got lovely friends here, and I enjoy my singing, and I like it when we do new songs. I like meeting people and I love it when I come here. When I was at KACCL I enjoyed it, and I loved singing with the group and it made me happy, and it made me giddy as well!” - SAM
“Orange Box Choir has kind of been there since I went into care. It’s helped me with social skills, learning who to be friends with and who not to be, like hanging around with the right type of friend groups. Choir’s really helped me a lot, it’s got me out my shell a bit, like before this I used to hang around with all the wrong people. I put myself at risk quite a lot because I’ve got autism, ADHD and anxiety and all that. Choir makes me happy basically, I love it.” - JO
Our Participants
“Lockdown felt really hard. We had some virtual meetups, which were good, but they weren’t the same as proper choir, which made me sad because I liked coming to choir and hanging out with everybody. I missed that, and now that we get to do it again, it’s good. It was very emotional because not everybody had seen each other for a very long time, so it were a bit emotional, but also exciting.” - TILZ
Achievements
September 2021 Orange Box Choir was nominated for a National Diversity Award in 2020. We attended a magnificent ceremony at Liverpool Cathedral in 2021. November 2021 After more than a year singing her heart out in online choir sessions, Keeley was nominated for a Young Volunteer award at Calderdale Community Spirit Awards. January 2022 Outside the Box CIO was officially registered as a charity.
February 2022 We made our first successful funding application, and received a grant of £2,500 from Calderdale Community Foundation. Coupled with generous donations from SUMA, this helped us kickstart our independence.
Achievements
September 2022 After several months of changeable Covid-19 restrictions, we finally delivered our first inperson choir session, with kind support from Orange Box and Calderdale Young People‟s Services. November 2022 Tilz was awarded Young Volunteer of the Year at Calderdale Community Spirit Awards! She was recognised for her brilliant contribution as a young trustee with autism, but also for her incredible fundraising efforts in support of The Epilepsy Society. December 2022 We ended our first year as a new charity having delivered eight in-person Orange Box Choir sessions. A huge achievement after Covid-19 and not singing together for two and a half years. And to top it off…
Achievements
We performed at Kirklees and Calderdale Charitable Lunch (KACCL)
This was our first live performance in three years, and after just eight meetings. A massive WELL DONE to our Choir Leaders, Volunteers, and all the parents and carers, but - most of all – our incredible Young People!
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Photo: John Steel
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Finances and Reserves
Finances for 2022 are presented on a cash accounting basis, and reflect income and expenditure as it‟s received and paid.
RESERVES POLICY
Trustees agreed to a target level of Reserves of between 3 and 6 months‟ running costs, outlining a minimum of £2,000.
The purpose of reserves is:
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1) Continuity – bridging gaps, such as delays or shortfalls in income 2) Cyclical maintenance – such as repairing needed equipment
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3) Dissolution – costs that need to be covered should we dissolve
At the end of 2022 we were fortunate enough to have secured £2,752 in unrestricted income, which was allocated to reserves.
Finances - January to December 2022
Section A Receipts and payments
| Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 700 - 2,000 52 )2,752 |
Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 700 - 2,000 52 )2,752 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ 2,500 - 4,470 - - 6,970 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 2,500 700 4,470 2,000 52 9,722 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Receipts | ||||||
CFFC General |
2,500 | - | 2,500 | - | ||
| Suma | 700 | - | - | 700 | - | |
| CFFC Emotional Health & Wellbeing | - | 4,470 | - | 4,470 | - | |
KACCL |
2,000 | - | - | 2,000 | - | |
| Donations | 52 | - | - | 52 | - | |
| Sub total_(Gross income for AR _ | ) | 2,752 | 6,970 | - | 9,722 | - |
| A2 Asset and investment sales | A2 Asset and investment sales | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - |
- |
- | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - |
- | - | - | - | |||||
| Total receipts | ||||||||||
| 2,752 | - |
Finances - January to December 2022
| A3 Payments | 1,821 178 341 2 28 2,370 |
- - - - - - |
1,821 178 341 2 28 2,370 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choir Tutors | - | 1,821 | - | 1,821 | - | |
| Choir Expenses | - | 178 | - | 178 | - | |
| Insurance | - | 341 | - | 341 | - | |
| IT/Internet | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | |
| Health & Safety | - | 28 | - | 28 | - | |
| Sub total | - |
2,370 | - | 2,370 | - |
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - |
- | - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - |
- | - | - | - | ||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
2,752 |
- | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
2,752 |
- |
Finances - January to December 2022
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricte d funds to nearest £ - 700 52 2,000 2,752 OK |
Restricted funds to nearest £ 4,600 - - 4,600 OK |
Endowme nt funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| OK |
Categories
Details
CFFC Suma Donations KACCL
B1 Cash funds
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Date of Signature Print Name approval Maria Spadafora 31/03/2023 Emma Ruhkala 31/03/2023
Looking Ahead
At the time of writing this report, we have secured further grant funding from Creative Minds a charity hosted by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and a generous donation from Mr Krishnan Dev Sharma. This means Orange Box Choir is fully funded until the end of 2023, with healthy reserves to see us through any shortfalls in funding.
We are also excited to have been invited to perform at Calderdale Pride at the Piece Hall in August, alongside other opportunities to perform to live audiences. A huge thank you to all our donors, and everyone who has supported us this first year! Trustees for Outside the Box CIO March 2023
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Photo: John Steel
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