## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 06-10-2022 Period start date To 31-03-2024 Period end date**
## **Charity name: Sign Along With Us Foundation**
## **Charity registration number: 1200591**
## **Objectives and Activities**
_For the public benefit, the relief and assistance of people with complex medical needs who are registered disabled throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by providing them with respite accommodation which is inclusive and accessible._
There are **250,000+** people in the UK with complex medical needs who require specialist equipment such as hoists and profiling beds. Along with 1.9% of the UK population who will use a wheelchair at some point in their lives, there are at least **1.5 million** people in the UK who would benefit from our charity.
At the Sign Along With Us Foundation we provide free holidays for children and families with complex medical needs in our fully adapted accessible caravan complete with Wet room, Profiling Bed, Mobile hoist and lowered kitchen, which is situated on the Haven Cala Gran Holiday Park in Fleetwood, United Kingdom.
We are able to grant up to two stays a week Monday to Friday and Friday to Monday between the months of March and October each year.
We the trustees have regard for the Charity Commissions guidance on public benefit
## **Achievements and Performance**
Within this reporting period we managed to offer places to 62 families and were able to successful place 34 families with the dates we had available throughout the year and owing to their circumstances, some families had to cancel at short notice given medical reasons.
We noted there was significant demand for term time holidays of which we are very limited to the weeks those are available, and the trustees have started to look at how we can begin fundraising for a second adapted caravan to support the high demand we have for those periods.
Given this is our first full year, we expanded the team of volunteers who help run the charity from 3 trustees to a small team of 7 individuals. Each of us responsible for our own areas and we have seen a significant increase in the level of service we can provide to the families who use our service.
We have received some amazing feedback from our guests but Megs Story was such a beautiful one to read and we would love to share that here,
_To everyone at SAWU_
_Thank you so much for an absolutely brilliant holiday. I’ve seen charities that help with holidays before, and always thought it was for ‘poorly’ kids, we don’t see Meg like that, she’s a little person who happens to have a disability. But I’m so glad we went for it, it’s definitely just right for families like ours too._
_There was literally everything we needed to have a comfy, safe and stress free holiday. No faffing about asking friends to drive up with our hoist cause it won’t fit in the van at the same time as us! Everything has been thought of, even tiny things like a blender and a measuring jug._
_The caravan was beautiful, spotlessly clean and in a gorgeous quiet location. We enjoyed spending time chilling on site, and Meg loved the kids disco. We left her van where it was and explored the area walking and using the trams, so didn’t have to think about finding our way round and find places to park._
_People in the area are friendly and we found loads of accessible places and activities to do (the beach wheelchairs are fabulous) and Meg adored the Peter Rabbit experience, which even has a hoist._
_Loads of long walks by the sea, in the wind, with Meg roaring with laughter, sticking her tongue out and flapping her hands with joy. We can’t say the word ‘Cleveleys’, we have to spell it, cause she grins every time she hears it and thinks we are going back now!_
_Meg is fabulous, she’s no trouble at all, but with a disability things take longer, need more planning and often cost a lot more. But, the support from SAWU takes away so much of the extra stress, so we could just be a family, having a lovely break together and recharging our batteries. Which is exactly what we needed. Thank you so much._
## **Financial Review**
Our financial position is very healthy which has given us confidence to begin fundraising for a new adapted caravan so we can handle the demand we have been receiving.
We have reduced our costs moving into the next financial year by not automatically giving out play passes to guests which is 50% of our running costs. We have tried to work with Haven to see if we are able to source these for free with a typical families stay costing us between £180 and £270 per stay.
We have worked hard to travel the local area and create a page on our website and on all communications to the guests on the accessible activities that are available around our caravan. We have partnered with Fleetwood Beach Wheelchairs to offer each others services on both of our websites as an example.
The charity closed the financial period with a cash balance of £33,538.
Of that cash balance we hold £22,000 in reserve which is to ensure we always have two years’ worth of running costs based within our accounts. The surplus funds are being put towards our target fundraising of £70,000 to purchase and let out a second adapted caravan in another part of the UK.
We currently have no going concern that we are materially worried about.
We entered have also entered into a Charity Partnership with the JD Foundation which will see ourselves the beneficiary of an annual grant of £20,000 for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The Sign Along With Us Foundation is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) using the foundation model with 3 Trustees.
We have 4 Founding Coordinators who volunteer in all aspects of the Charity and we also have two Founding Ambassadors with specialisations in Health and Accessibility.
We believe that the skills and experience we have within the Charity enables us to serve our community and drive further value out of what we can offer.
## **Reference and Administrative details**
Charity Name: Sign Along With Us Foundation Alternative Charity Name: SAWU Foundation Registered Charity Number: 1200591 Charity’s Principal Address: 11 Pinfold Avenue, Blackley, Manchester, M9 7DW
**Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
Daniel McGrath
Diana Kilduff
Jade Kilduff
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
We do not hold any funds as custodian trustees on behalf of others.
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)** Daniel McGrath
**Full name(s)** Daniel McGrath **Position (eg Secretary,** Trustee **Chair, etc) Date** 24/1/2025
||**Sign Along With Us Foundation**
|**Sign Along With Us Foundation**
|**Sign Along With Us Foundation**
|**1200591**|**CC16a**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**For the period**
**from**|10/6/2022|**To**|3/31/2024||
|||||||
|**Section A Receipts and payments**||||||
|**A1 Receipts**
Grants
**30,803**
Donations
**2,983**
FundraisingEvents
**2,698**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**36,484**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ 36,484**
**A3 Payments**
Cost of FundraisingEvents
**617**
Room Hire
**75**
Repairs and Maintenance
**15,460**
Light and Heating
**544**
Water and Sewage
**873**
Insurance
**305**
Telephone,Internet and Postage
**1,544**
**-**
Costs of Charitable Activities
**3,619**
Bank Internet and Charges
**60**
**_Sub total_ 23,097**
**Accessible Caravan**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ 23,097**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ 13,387**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**20,151**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 33,538**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
Printing Postage, Stationery and Computer
Supplies
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**30,803**
**2,983**
**2,698**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**36,484**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**36,484**
**617**
**75**
**15,460**
**544**
**873**
**305**
**1,544**
**-**
**3,619**
**60**
**23,097**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,097**
**13,387**
**-**
**20,151**
**33,538**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**30,803**|**20,151**|
|||||**2,983**|**-**|
|||||**2,698**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**36,484**|**20,151**|
|||||||
||||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||||
||||**-**|**36,484**|**20,151**|
|||||||
||||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**617**|**-**|
|||||**75**|**-**|
|||||**15,460**|**-**|
|||||**544**|**-**|
|||||**873**|**-**|
|||||**305**|**-**|
|||||**1,544**|**-**|
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||**3,619**||
|||||**60**|**-**|
|||||**23,097**|**-**|
|||||||
||||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||
|||||**-**||
|||||**-**|**-**|
|||||||
||||**-**|**23,097**|**-**|
|||||||
|||**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**13,387**|**20,151**|
|||**-**||**-**|**-**|
|||**-**||**20,151**|**-**|
|||**-**||**33,538**|**20,151**|
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
Bank Account
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Accessible Caravan
**Details**
Signature
Daniel McGrath
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**33,538**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**33,538**
**-**
OK
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
Other Assets
**34,000**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Daniel McGrath
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**22,000**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
||Daniel McGrath|Daniel McGrath|1/25/2025|
|||||
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examinerfs
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Rèport to the trusteesl
SI ALOKIG 1TH US FOUNIDATIDAJ
On accounts for the year
ended
31- 03 - ZOILk
Charity no
(rf any)
1200591
Set out on pages
rcu
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended 31 03 tol14
Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation
basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 Dhe Acr).
I report in resped of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
come to my attention (other than that disclosed below") in connection with
the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respect..
accounting records were not kept in ac¢ordan¢e with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not aord with the accounting records
Independent
examinerfs statement
I have no COnM$ and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of the accounts to be reathed.
' Please delete the w0S in the brnckets rfthey do not appty.
Signed:
81-01-25
Name:
MLS JLILIEf CA TFPE£ihEE wccDS
Relevant professional
qualification(sl or body
(if any):
Fo£MERLy
tUALIFIE) MAfvJAGEMENIT ACcoLLNr
( c IMA) & ACLOLINITIN6 7 E(.$ C l CArtT)
Address:
1% RoP CLO&E
6£ sr EfJMUtJE>S
fUFFOLK . IP31 IL
IER
October 2018
Section B
Disclosure
Only Complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem (see CC32,
Independent 8xamination of charity accounts: direciions and guidance for
examiners).
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
dis¢10s0.
O THÈ &cLoTiJf3 PEQiob 13 trLOM 06-10-Z2 qs
THIS 15 IAJtIEKJ THE fouNbATUV RECEWED ,5
C Ily fi ATLJS. TrIS IS THE ri61ST SET ofr
ACLOUNTS
THE B1KLAfyJ £20 151
IHE EALAfvJCE OKI THE ACCOLIOJT AS
06-10-ii. fHE BALAhJC£ IS FIOM
Afvjf) A GRANT FROM
TME fouNDhTLTrM OF LtO,000
AT
THE ASSET
ACCF SS IBLE CA£AVAN
WAS
60U&Hf TrlE LHALITY T£usrEES PEPSONKL
COST aF
314, 000
EEN GIFTE7) TO TBE CittAe ITY AND
CLAL£EN TLV
A r EOOL OF
22,(KJo
THEIE AeE NJO DfHEe MAITERS TO MOTE
THEfE
blts MA1fEeg DF C0CER1
IER
October 2018
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
Forthe pwlod
To
Section A Receipts and payments
UnTrstrict•d
R¢stricted
Endowment
funds
Totsl funds
Laslyear
NOTE
A1 Re¢el
Grants
Donations
Fundraising Ev
20.151
1983
2.698
169B
Sub total(GffDSS income for
AR)
20.151
A2 Assèt and Investsn sales.
tablè).
Sub total
20.151
A3Pa
Cost of FuThJrai*ng E¥ts
Rwm Hire
Repaits Mathrtsr
Light and Heabry
Waierand Sewage
Insurarfe
Telephone, Intsmet8nd Posi
Printiw Postag2. statiy arxl
Compuw Suppl
Co$tsofCharitabknbvth$
Bank Intempt Chatges
617
75
15.460
617
75
1$
B73
87J
3,619
4619
Sub total
23.097
A4 A$8et and Investment
urchases,18eg tsble
¥¥iblg Caravan
Sub totsl
23,097
23,097
Net of rncelpW{payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 C4sh fund¥ last year gnd
Cash funds this year ond
13.387
13.387
20.151
20.151
20,151
33,538
20,1S1
CCXX R1 accounts ISS}
30K1112025
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted
funds
rest£
Restricted
funds
to nèarèst£
Endowment
funds
t(* neare¥t£
Categories
Details
Bl Cash fvnds
TO ush funds
*)
funds
fund¥
to nthrptst£
funds
to Ir$st£
Dètails
Fund towhl¢h
ost lopth)naD
CuNontvaluo
Detsils
Fund towl*h
WOFE
Cotstlwionall
Current lué
01
Details
84 Assgts rgtalnod for tho
charlty'8 own use
FEVKI IDwhi¢h
ount dK
wnd
Details
BS LiabllltlvJ
Slgned by on8 Orts Inthes i)n
behaW of all the trustees
SvJnatuw
Name
Date of
roval
Dan¢1 M(Grnth
Dartd McGrath
2510112025
CCXX R2 aoxunts ISSI
3W112025