2023-12-31-accounts - Casualties Union

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date

Day Month Year From 18 August 2022 To

Day Month Year 31 December 2023

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1200120

Casualties Union

Charity's principal address 77 Forest Road London Postcode E17 6HF

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
	Alan Prior	Chair
	Caroline Thomas	Hon. Gen. Secretary
	Steven Cochrane	Hon. Treasurer
	Denise Green
	Sarah Martin

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

TAR

March 2012

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

Constitution

How the charity is constituted Charitable Incorporated Organisation

(eg. trust, association, company)

Nominated by any member and elected by the members present at AGM. Trustee selection methods If vacancies occur mid-term, the Trustees may appoint new Trustees (eg. appointed by, elected by) subject to election at the next AGM.

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;

Trustees are expected to familiarise themselves with the charity’s Constitution, Regulations, minutes of previous Trustees’ and Advisory Committee meetings and the Charity Commission’s guidance so that they are up-to date with current issues. Prospective Trustees may be invited by the Chair to attend meetings prior to election. Most of the Charity’s volunteers are organised into 21 branches grouped into 10 regions in England and Wales, managed by Regional Directors. We have 7 Associate Members in UK, France, Iraq and The Netherlands. The Regional Directors, Trustees and holders of specialist roles (such as Publicity) form the Advisory Committee, which helps the Trustees make decisions and acts as a communication link with the membership. The Charity maintains policies on Environment, Expenses, GDPR, Grievance, Equity-Diversity-Inclusivity, Health & Safety, Safeguarding and Social & Digital Media.

trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

To enhance for the public benefit education and training in rescue, first aid, medical and allied disciplines by the provision of realistic, simulated patients or casualties.

TAR

March 2012

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

The Trustees are aware of the Commission's public benefit guidance and take it into account when directing the Charity's activities. We are convinced that expert rescue and medical care needs realism in the training and practice of protocols and techniques. We are proud to work with many sectors of emergency agencies by providing their personnel with volunteers trained in acting and makeup to simulate injury and illness. Our clients include first aid training organisations, the emergency services, rescue workers and hospitals. Feedback from our clients makes it clear that our volunteers’ efforts are appreciated by them and the personnel who train with us. The practical, realistic, hands-on experience we provide increases their confidence and skills for handling real-life emergencies. The benefit this brings to members of the public in need of help in an emergency is what motivates our volunteers to study and practise the art of casualty simulation, both in their local branches and at our annual residential Training Weekend which incorporates the Annual General Meeting. About a third of our members attend this important event. The Trustees give every encouragement to our volunteers to remain focussed on this objective. An important forum for reporting on our activities and exchanging ideas is our quarterly magazine ‘Casualty Simulation’ and our social media sites. We encourage our branches to provide their services free of charge to charities and many public organisations on low budgets; this is in line with our charitable objects.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

All members of Casualties Union, including the Trustees, are unpaid volunteers. In 2023 they gave 8146 hours to operational duties for our clients. The time spent on study, training, administration, publicity and governance is not recorded for statistics, but is just as willingly given. 48 new members were recruited in 2023.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

TAR

March 2012

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

We applied for closure of unincorporated Casualties Union 234672 (confirmed 9 Oct 2023) and prepared for the creation of CIO Casualties Union 1200120. The new Constitution having been already approved, we published the new Regulations. A new bank account for the CIO was set up with CAF Bank and the old closed.

We reviewed and began implementing document control to our forms and documents and created many new Policy Documents.

We decided to produce a two-year Strategy Plan.

Our Treasurer made plans for a tighter grip on branch accounting,

We encouraged our branches to provide a more charitable service by waiving charges for defined organisations. Branches’ operational and administrative costs would then be supported by Headquarters’ funds in line with our new policy for maintaining reserves.

TAR

March 2012

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the

charity’s policy on reserves

Our reserves are dropping – having been kept at a high level in anticipation of a High Court settlement in 2022 while our organisation was an unincorporated charity – in order to fund the provision of casualty simulation to more organisations free of charge.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None.

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

The principal sources of funds are:

Fees from commercial clients needing casualty simulation
Members’ subscriptions
Grants from the Joan Brackin Trust
Other charitable donations
Expenditure by the charity allows members to travel to events in order to provide casualty simulation as required by clients without costing them.

Branch accounting is being improved by greater central oversight.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Caroline Jane Thomas

Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Honorary General Secretary etc)

Date 11 October 2024

TAR

March 2012

TAR Mar¢h 2012

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Sectlon Independent Examineknr s Report Report to the trusteesl members ol CASUIILTIES UNION On accounts for the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2023 Charlty no {If any) 1200120 Set out on page8 Iren*tnoef Ilw Pd9¥ ryumbws ofa(Idilioni+l xliv&141 I report to the trustees on my examlnatton of the accounts of the abov8 charlty Dhe Trusf) for the y8ar ended 31 DECEMBER 2023 Responslbllltles and As the charlty trust8es of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparatlon basls of rèport of Ihe accounts in accordance wilh the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act"). I report In respect of my examlnatlon of the Trust's alUnts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and In carrylng out my examlnatlon, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commlssion under section 145(5)(b} of the Act. I have completed my examinatton. I confirm that no materlal matters have come to my attentlon {oth8r Ihan that dlsclosed below ') In connectlon wlth the examination whlch glves me cause to believe that In, any material respect: 8ccounling records were not kept In accordance wlth sectlon 130 of the Act or the accounts do not aord wlth the accounting records I hav8 no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please del8t8 the words in the brackels rflhey do rn)t apply. Independent examiner's Statement Slgned.. Date: Name: Relevant professlonal quallfleatJon(s) or body (If any): rtci Address: IER October 2018

Section.B Disclosur Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts- directions and guidance for examiners). Glve here brlef details of any Items Ihat the examlner wlshes to dlsclose. IER October 2018

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES ASIIALTies UNION 1200120 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the perlod from 31112123 18108122 Sect,ionVAIRec"eiptsTandipayments Unrestricted funds Rèstricted funds Endowment funds Total fund¥ Last year t•th• A1 Rtrelpts to th• n•oM•t£ DDn&JrrtY6 Intqr&4t SubsthpUon¥ F••5 forfharftabkn SeTh 10.144 1,847 1,967 10.644 1,•47 1,987 3N,889 2,232 8,76D 37 2,242 21.587 1,fj64 2332 Sub total(Gros$ Inwne lorAR) A2 As50t and Invgslm•nt ul•s. l$?e table). Brackln Invo$tment Bond• SS.599 )l.Q73 IZ.723 Sub total 02,723 62.723 Tgtal r•celpts 118.322 f1J,322 32,073 m•nt• Ch•dl•bl• EAPW Q¢¢dJ Purchased In8urane• G¢w•manc• Maa8tln• Pmductkn PL1 IT 3•,e12 ¢357 O.Q52 1.122 2J18 2,061 162 18,436 1.257 6,OS2 9.294 1,099 736 1,601 3U7 2,91¥ 2.161 162 Bu11Th9 & Exp•n¥o> Tialnl 4,711 29.397 29.397 Sub tot•1 24.853 91.382 91,362 A4 Ags•t ¥nd Inveslm•nt urrhases see table Sub tofal Totalpayments 91,362 91.362 65,771 Net of recglpts/(payments) AS Transfers b•tween funds A6 Cash lunds last year end Cash fiinds thls year en 26,960 26,960 33,698 259,583 286.543 259,583 286,543 33,698

statemenfOaSsetS and.liabilities.at..theTend of the period•llllll Cate9ories Details Unrestrlcted fvnds Restricted funds to near¢¥t£ Endowm¢nt funds ¢0 nwar•$t£ B1 Cash fund5 56m 151.05Z 7T.019 Total cash funds 286,543 OK Unrestrleted fund5 OK Endowment fund$ IQ &T•S1¢ Rtstrfthd funds to ne4r•st£ Detaifs 82 otr mongtsry assets Oelails P70 to whkh l55rtbe1g currntlu• lopl10nl 83 Investment assots Details Fund 5setllonsp Cost10n11I Cwrentv•lu• loptlonall B4 Assets retalned for the harlty's own us Details Fd to t*h Amount thjo I•piionall When lopdoTr•l1 B5 Llabllltl8s Slyned by onv or bvo Iru$te•5 behalf of a111he tru51ees lure Prfnt Name Date rA roval STEVEN M P COCHWE 08107124