**Trustees' Annual Report for the period From** Period start date **To** Period end date 19 12 2022 28 02 2024 ## Reference and administration details **Charity name** MEL Productions (Music Education Language Productions) CIO **Other names charity is known by** MEL Productions CIO **Registered charity number (if any)** 1201393 **Charity's principal address** 116 Avenue Road Acton London **Postcode W3 8QG** ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** **Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled to Trustee name Office (if any) year appoint trustee (if any)** 1 Yusuf Chadun N/A 2023/2024 Michael Francis 2 Jon Staple N/A 2023/2024 3 Ashley Dublin N/A 2023/2024 4 5 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 11 12 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 18 19 20 |**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)**|**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)**|| |---|---|---| |**Name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| ||N/A|| 1 March **2012** **TAR** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |
**N/A**|N/A|N/A| |||| |||| |||| ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Michael Francis (CEO) ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Association How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Appointed Trustee selection methods (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** We have just completed our Quality Marks status, which shows that we You **may choose** to include have all our policies in place and allows us to run our services and additional information, where activities program for those who wish to achieve the NOCN qualification. relevant, about: We continue attending ongoing training and courses to align our skills and ●policies and procedures knowledge with policies and procedures. adopted for the induction and training of trustees; Our trustees also get additional training opportunities to help support the Our trustees also get additional training opportunities to help support the service, help us grow in the right direction, and benefit those in the community. We are members of the Young Ealing Foundation (YEF), which supports young people within the borough of Ealing; they provide training and networking events where other organisations can network, form partnerships and share best practices. - ●the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - ●relationship with any related parties; - Volunteers help us run the service and provide a vital role in supporting - ●trustees’ consideration of those living in the community. For those unable to attend the service, we - major risks and the system provide outreach support for older people, reducing the risk of loneliness and procedures to manage and isolation and reassuring them that someone is always available at any - them. given time. **Section C Objectives and activities** Our mission is to create social and economic change within the community, promoting health and wellbeing, creating opportunities and inspiring hope in the lives of people regardless of adversities and cultural backgrounds. **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing** We aim to nurture and empower people to make life-changing decisions **document** through our delivery services and to help create and to live in a community that fosters harmony and encourages people to make a positive contribution to our local economy. We aim to embed basic functional skills for marginalised people, and to ease vulnerability for those who are at risk. March **2012** **TAR** 2 We endeavor to promote an atmosphere of mutual respect where purposeful learning/activities takes place underpinned by an understanding of social responsibility and commitment, necessary for crime prevention, restorative justice and for increasing employment opportunities. We at MEL Productions (Music, Education, Language Productions) aim to equip and inform our service users and students from the diverse West London community, with up to date, appropriate and relevant knowledge, training and skills. In addressing the wider social economic vision in context with the demands for bringing about improvements at local level. We are alert to the importance of promoting social cohesion and cultural awareness, throughout the diversity of our social fabric. We support our Council’s vision and commitment towards raising education and attainment standards, crucial for improving the quality of people’s lives and in consultation with our partners, provide training opportunities and preparation for apprenticeships relevant to industry demands. Our ethos is to meet the existing challenges and offer high quality, purposeful and innovative services that address the aspirations and differentiated developmental needs throughout our community. We continue to strive towards meeting the criteria necessary for achieving excellence through our service provision as representatives of a global society, in a technologically driven landscape. We at MEL specialise in the delivery of music, multimedia and ICT training through courses embedded with literacy and numeracy skills, which are essential components of our educational programs. We reserve the right to seek and welcome collaborative partnerships with experienced teachers and other skilled industry practitioners, who support our vision and educational ethos and are willing to make a contribution to our efforts in meeting best practice and high standards of delivery. While assessing and nurturing individual ability and developmental needs, we support each learner towards the desirable outcomes needed for achieving their personal best. Through ongoing research, reflective practice and self-evaluation we commit to engaging and working alongside Council departments, communities, jobcentres, private businesses and voluntary sector organisations. We at MEL commit to an ongoing process of continuous assessment and in partnership with the relevant agencies, we seek the ongoing professional development required for the delivery of cost effective well-resourced and purposeful training. We are inclusive in our approach, offering relevant and useful information and guidance, in addition to our training projects/programmes, we cater for adults, children and young people. In providing an open door service for advice and guidance we gain a better understanding of the needs and aspirations of our communities. As our ethos is primarily to help improve the quality of people’s lives, we will strive to achieve this by: - Providing opportunities for service users and leaners to become constructively aware of their potential, acknowledge their abilities, learn new skills and increase their chances for employment or March **2012** **TAR** 3 further education. - Facilitating and encouraging service users and students to become more independent, focused, able to collaborate and contribute in a positive way as active citizens. - Promoting education and lifelong learning skills and encouraging disadvantaged individuals to become proactive in the improvement of their circumstances and development and well being. - Recognising and rewarding achievement, supporting individuals in maximising existing potential and towards working in achieving realistic goals. - Providing a working environment with high quality and accessible resources. - Organising one to one and group sessions. - Training, development, towards improving language, literacy and numeracy. - Supporting people with mental health issues and those who are in isolation and loneliness Promoting self-assessment for the purpose of identifying appropriate skills needed for work placements, further study and apprenticeship provisions - ● NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training) programmes for young people. 4 March **2012** **TAR** ## **LIST OF ACTIVITIES** ## **ICT Training:** This project provides basic training on Microsoft Word, Excel, and Gmail to beneficiaries wishing to develop their skills. We help them gain experience in computer skills, browsing their way around the net, filling in Online forms, opening email accounts and sending emails. In addition, this training will provide knowledge and understanding of the everyday usage of digital technology. ## **Literacy** : We also provide ongoing one-to-one and group activity support for those with learning difficulties. This workshop offers literacy training skills that include listening, speaking, reading and writing. They will learn the sounds of language, print, and the relationship between letters. Other literacy skills include vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension. This workshop allows them to build on their confidence. It empowers them to make life-changing decisions - especially those beneficiaries facing deprivation due to the pandemic and feelings of isolation. **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)** ## **Numeracy** : This training workshop provides beneficiaries with the ability to use, interpret and communicate mathematical information to solve real-world problems. These include a basic understanding of math like addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. ## **Work Club:** We support long-term unemployed beneficiaries and people with mental health and anxiety issues to find relevant jobs through our career advisor. We also help them develop skills and encourage them to create an online CV profile. The job-searching activities include learning how to contact potential employers by telephone, in person, or through the Internet. They will also learn to submit CVs or email applications with advice and guidance support to apply for jobs. ## **Music Activities:** This activity is to promote integration for people from diverse communities. Therefore, our emphasis on these activities is to support groups and put the fun into learning to develop new and innovative ideas. Music activities involve Music Technology, singing, songwriting and performance. ## **Advice and Guidance:** We provide advice and guidance to beneficiaries regarding new opportunities, information, and training to improve their skills and March **2012** **TAR** 5 experiences. In addition, beneficiaries receive help finding voluntary work and apprenticeship provisions, including advice on educational opportunities. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** |You**may choose**to include| |---| |further statements, where| |relevant, about:| |●
policy on grantmaking;| |●
policy programme related| |investment;| |●
contribution made by| |volunteers.| ## Section D ## Achievements and performance 6 March **2012** **TAR** Section D Achievements and performance Since we have been in the new MEL Productions environment at 116 **Summary of the main** Avenue Road, London, we carefully considered its history because this **achievements of the charity** building had been neglected for some years. The building was in poor **during the year** condition, and we decided to give it some careful consideration and careful planning during our Annual General Minutes Meeting. We also had the opportunity to invite some important people and volunteers with experience who donated some time to help, advise, and explain the best way to deal with some of the refurbishment work and bring it up to a workable level. It was essential to demonstrate how far we could develop some of the sections in the building. We evaluated the time and cost needed to meet the requirements while applying for funding. It was vital that we carefully thought about how we would run some of the activities while refurbishing, and we carefully selected spaces that we could use to continue running ongoing activities so that the young people would not lose out and ensure that we met the health and safety of all beneficiaries. Firstly, we considered implementing some Health and Safety signs and guidelines and ensuring that Fire procedures and First Aid were in place. We could then safely deliver some activities at particular times of the day where some young people could still benefit. This plan would allow us to continue refurbishment without affecting the activities. As a backup, we arranged to run some activities in other centres. We have had some minor work done by ourselves with two of our volunteers with building experience who gave their time to help us out and donated building materials, office furniture and sports equipment. The building material helped us repair certain parts of the roof ceiling areas that were damaged where rain was leaking through, but now this has all been sealed off. We are delighted to have achieved our aims in a short space of time. The people from the community have made positive comments, are pleased with the change, and have offered to help if we need any additional support. Once all refurbishment is complete, we plan an open day for the community to let them see what we are offering and how they can get involved. March **2012** **TAR** 7 **Section E** |**Section E**
|**Financial review**| |---|---| |**Brief statement of the**
**charity’s policy on reserves**|| ||**Reserves policy**
1.**Minimum Reserves:**
A minimum of nine months’ operating and governance costs should be
retained in bank balances.
When calculating this, any designated funds
should be taken into account.
**2. Maximum reserves**:
A maximum of eighteen months’ operating and governance costs should be
retained as reserves.
**3. Designated Funds**:
Where in the opinion of Trustees, a potential project (which is not yet at the
stage of readiness for external funding) should be funded out of unrestricted
funds, a designated fund will be created.
The Trustees will only be
requested to make such designations following a recommendation from the
Project
Review
Committee.
The
Trustees
retain
absolute
discretion,
however, to spend any funds so designated as they deem appropriate or
cancel the designation at a later point.
**4. Contributions to restricted funds:**
These funds should be held as bank deposits and current accounts
throughout the period of each respective project that the funds relate to.
Such funds are excluded from the calculation of reserves in sections 1 and 2
above.
**5. Efficient use of bank balances retained:**
The charity will retain sufficient balances within instant access deposit
accounts and current accounts at Coutts to meet (i) the Minimum Reserves
requirement, (ii) and any unspent earmarked Designated Funds.
If any
amounts in excess of this total are greater than 9 months’ core expenditure,
the Trustees will consider whether greater returns could be obtained from the
placement of such funds with investment managers.
If this is considered
appropriate, the Trustees will then formalise their investments policy. A list of
income and expenditure codes will be maintained in order to track all income
and expenditure.
**Indirect cost recovery allocation**| 8 March **2012** **TAR** |**Details of any funds materially**
**in deficit**|Different donors have different approaches to funding indirect costs relating
to projects they fund. At some point in the future MEL Productions may need
to enter into a negotiated indirect cost recovery agreement (NICRA).
The
following general principles are adopted
In the case of restricted income
fund projects, donors will be requested to agree to: a.
A certain percentage of the total donation is to be allocated to unrestricted
funds to assist with meeting MEL Productions operational and governance
costs. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
b. Any unrestricted
fund expenditure which is directly attributable to a specific project will be
allocated to that project and in effect funded therefrom. Typical examples of
this will include staff or consultants time.
Any such recharge of central resources will be performed on a just and
reasonable basis.| |---|---| ||N/A| ## **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. ## **Section F** ## **Other optional information** ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** 9 March **2012** **TAR** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** ## **Signature(s)** **Full name(s)** ## **Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)** **Date** 10 March **2012** **TAR**