## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
Charity number 1201197
## Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 30 November 2023
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 November 2023
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|2 to 3|
|Examiner's report|4|
|Receipts and payments account|5|
|Statement of assets and liabilities|6|
|Notes to the accounts|7 to 9|
**Prepared by West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
1
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Trustees' report for the year ended 30 November 2023
## **Reference and administrative details of the charity, its trustees and advisors**
The trustees during the financial year and up to and including the date the report was approved were: **Name Position Dates**
Kathy Trout Amanda Rhodes Martin Hemingway Mira Fadel Pauline Schmidt
Chair Appointed January 2023 Secretary Appointed December 2022 Treasurer Appointed December 2022 Appointed December 2022 Former Chair Appointed December 2022 Resigned February 2023
## **Charity number**
1201197
Registered in England and Wales
## **Registered and principal address**
## **Bankers**
4 Fenay Lane Barclays Bank Almondbury York 2 Huddersfield Leicestershire HD5 8UL LE87 2BB
## **Independent examiner**
Alan Dodd FCCA
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
## **Structure, governance and management**
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) foundation formed on 2 December 2022 and is governed by a constitution. Prior to becoming a CIO, the organisation operated as an unincorporated association.
## **Method of recruitment and appointment of trustees**
The trustees of the charity are appointed by the trustees at a duly convened meeting.
2
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Trustees' report (continued) for the year ended 30 November 2023
## **Objectives and activities**
## **The charity's objects**
The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, poor mental or physical health, disability, financial hardship or other social or economic disadvantage in Yorkshire for the public benefit by providing supported opportunities to explore and practise creative writing.
For the purpose of this clause ‘those in need’’ means being excluded from society, or parts of society, as a result of one of more of the following factors: unemployment; financial hardship; old age; ill health (physical or mental); substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs; discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, ethnic origin, religion, belief, creed, sexual orientation or gender re assignment; poor educational or skills attainment; relationship and family breakdown; poor housing (that is housing that does not meet basic habitable standards; crime (either as a victim of crime or as an offender rehabilitating into society)
## **The charity's main activities**
We run Serendipity Creative Writing and Mindful Workshops across Kirklees and the broader West Yorkshire area, as cathartic and therapeutic outcomes of working through various mediums of the Arts, in particular, Creative Writing and Mindfulness. These are leader & service user led, are free and include free refreshments. We operate an open-door policy and also receive referrals from the NHS and other Organisations.
## **Public benefit statement**
In setting our objectives and planning our activities our Trustees have given serious consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular the advancement of health.
## **Achievements and performance**
Serendipity has delivered 3 weekly and one monthly evening free community mindful and creative writing workshops. In addition we have had several related events throughout the year including mini workshops/lending library/information hub VAN, which we took out on the road to several festivals throughout Kirklees, to promote Serendipity and the work we do.
We have recently published an anthology of work collected from our service users, the official launch is Sunday 21[st] April 2024, as part of the Huddersfield Literature Festival at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.
Serendipity have been involved in Welfare Funding from some Organisations where we were able to help people struggling through the winter with Electricity/Gas Bills etc. and Food. We also ran a series of Warming Words events throughout Kirklees (providing a free warm safe space/2 course warm meal and drink, and indulged ourselves in spoken word).
## **Financial review**
The net receipts for the year were £5,842, including net receipts of £4,092 on unrestricted funds and net receipts of £1,750 on restricted funds.
## **Reserves policy**
The charity's free reserves, at the year end were £4,092.
The trustees have not currently adopted a formal reserves policy, but intend to discuss this shortly.
Approved by the board of trustees on 13/6/2024
Kathy Trout (Trustee)
3
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 30 November 2023, which are set out on pages 5 to 9.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the CIO's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Charities Act; 2 the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Alan Dodd FCCA
13/6/2024
## **West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service CIO**
Stringer House 34 Lupton Street Leeds LS10 2QW
4
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Receipts and payments account
## for the year ended 30 November 2023
|Notes
2023
Unrestricted
funds
£
**Receipts**
Grants and donations
(2)
8,791
Transfer on incorporation
457
**Total receipts**
9,248
**Payments**
Welfare
1,125
Peer Support
37
Artist fees
-
Administration
669
Room hire
-
Workshops
1,015
Refreshments
215
Volunteer expenses
284
Insurance
-
Telephone
45
Van expenses
829
Travel
937
Sundry expenses
-
Publications
-
Office equipment
-
**Total payments**
5,156
**Net receipts / (payments)**
4,092
**Fund balances brought forward**
-
**Fund balances carried forward**
(3)
4,092|2023
Restricted
funds
£
24,137
1,426
25,563
8,351
470
1,185
1,493
2,192
1,245
2,021
689
96
472
413
2,639
89
1,640
818
23,813
1,750
-
1,750|2023
Total
funds
£
32,928
1,883
34,811
9,476
507
1,185
2,162
2,192
2,260
2,236
973
96
517
1,242
3,576
89
1,640
818
28,969
5,842
-
5,842|
|---|---|---|
5
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Statement of assets and liabilities
|as at 30 November 2023
2023
Unrestricted
£
**Cash funds**
Cash at bank
4,092
**Total cash funds**
4,092
**Debtors and prepayments**
Prepayments
**Assets retained for the charity's own use**
Mercedes-Benz 207D camper van
HP A10 computer
**Liabilities**
Accruals|2023
Restricted
£
1,750
1,750|2023
Total
£
5,842
5,842
2023
£
402
402
2023
£
792
792|
|---|---|---|
The financial statements were approved by the board of trustees on 13/6/2024
Kathy Trout (Trustee)
6
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 30 November 2023
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Basis of accounting**
The trustees have taken advantage of section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.
There has been no change to the accounting policies since last year.
No changes have been made to the accounts for previous years.
## **Taxation**
As a charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of an appeal.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
7
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 30 November 2023
|**2 Grants and donations**
2023
Unrestricted
funds
£
Assura Community Fund
-
Kirklees Council Community Plus Fund
-
One Community Crisis Fund
-
One Community Household Support Grant
-
One Community Jimmy Dickinson Fund
-
Sir George Martin Trust
-
Sovereign Healthcare
-
SW Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust
-
Third Sector Leaders
-
West Yorkshire CA
8,000
Other donations
791
8,791
**3 Restricted funds**
Transfer on
incorporation
Incoming
£
£
Kirklees Ward grant
267
-
National Lottery
1,159
-
Assura Community Fund
-
2,000
Community Plus Fund
-
5,000
Jimmy Dickinson Fund
-
627
Third Sector Leader (1)
-
1,600
One Community - Crisis Fund
-
3,360
Third Sector Leader (2)
-
2,000
Sir George Martin Trust
-
2,000
Third Sector Leader (3)
-
200
Sovereign Healthcare
-
1,000
Third Sector Leader (4)
-
1,000
Household Support Grant
-
4,000
SW Yorkshire Partnership
-
1,000
NHS Trust
Third Sector Leader (5)
-
350
1,426
24,137|2023
Restricted
funds
£
2,000
5,000
3,360
4,000
627
2,000
1,000
1,000
5,150
-
-
24,137
Outgoing
£
267
1,159
2,000
5,000
627
1,600
3,360
2,000
2,000
200
1,000
1,000
3,131
247
222
23,813|2023
Total
funds
£
2,000
5,000
3,360
4,000
627
2,000
1,000
1,000
5,150
8,000
791
32,928
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Balance c/f
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
869
753
128
1,750|
|---|---|---|---|
8
## Serendipity Creative Writers' Group
## Notes to the accounts continued
## for the year ended 30 November 2023
## **3 Restricted funds (continued) Fund name**
## **Purpose of restriction**
Kirklees Ward grant To run Batley workshops National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund Assura Community Fund To run Batley workshops for six months Community Plus Fund Kirklees Council to run workshops for six months, together with publication of an anthology Jimmy Dickinson Fund One Community - to run Huddersfield workshops for four months Third Sector Leader (1) Events including free supper and room hire One Community - Crisis Fund Goods, amenities and food for service users and their families Third Sector Leader (2) Events including free supper and room hire Sir George Martin Trust To run Huddersfield workshops for five months Third Sector Leader (3) To run Batley workshops for six months Sovereign Healthcare To run workshops Third Sector Leader (4) Van launch event at Greenhead Park Household Support Grant One Community - for goods, amenities, food and supermarket vouchers for service users and their families SW Yorkshire Partnership Health promotion workshops in Batley for six months
SW Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust Third Sector Leader (5)
Initial book launch event, Dewsbury
## **4 Related party transactions**
## **Trustee expenses**
No trustee received any expenses during this year or the previous year.
## **Trustee remuneration and benefits**
No trustee received any remuneration or benefit during this or the previous year.
9