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Charity
Registration No.
1207105
infocusedu.co.uk
@infocuscio
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**IN FOCUS EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT CIO** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** **20/02/24 - 30/11/24** 1 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Legal and Administrative Information** ## **TRUSTEES** **ROB FRANCIS** Chair of Trustees (appointed February 2024) **JON GARDNER** Finance Lead (appointed February 2024) **LOUISE GOVIER** Fundraising Lead (appointed February 2024) **RONDA GOWLAND-PRYDE** Safeguarding Lead (appointed February 2024) **HARRY HOLDER** Youth Partnership Pathways (appointed February 2024) & Progression Lead **TOM SLEVIN** Fundraising Lead (appointed February 2024) **ROSANNA FOSTER** Data & Evaluation Lead (appointed August 2024) **OLIVIA PRIESTLEY** Trustee (appointed August 2024) **CHIEF EXECUTIVE...................** Kristianne Drake **CHAIR......................................** Rob Francis **CHARITY NUMBER..................** 1207105 **REGISTERED OFFICE..............** Network Eagle Labs. Portland Terrace, Southampton SO14 7SJ **ACCOUNTANTS........................** Thomas Croft, Solent House, 107a Alma Road Southampton, SO14 6UY **BANKERS.................................** The Co-operative Bank, 61 Above Bar Street , Southampton, SO14 7DZ **CONTACT................................** Info@infocusedu.co.uk / www.infocusedu.co.uk 2 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Table of Contents** **04** Chair’s Statement 2024 **05** Trustees 2024 **06** Aims, Objectives and Public Benefit **07** Activities **16** Engagement Figures **18** Chief Executive Officer’s Statement **19** Structure, Governance and Management **21** Accounts & Independent Examiner's Report 3 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Chair’s Statement 2024** On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to present our report and financial statements for the period ended 30 November 2024. This has been a hugely successful and significant year for In Focus Education And Development. Just before Christmas 2023, we applied to convert from a community interest company (CIC) to a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It was felt that the work In Focus was engaged in was much more suited to that of a charity than a CIC, and many funding opportunities which looked appropriate to us were unavailable whilst we were not a registered charity. Early this year, we were informed that our application had been successful, and we duly converted on February 20th 2024. Since then we have made great strides on both the operational and the governance sides of the charity. On the governance side we have a brand new Board of Trustees who have all been very dedicated this year as we find our feet as a new charity. We have met four times this year, and have also arranged sub-committees for financial and fundraising matters. I have every confidence in the Board and I am sure they will keep pushing us forward next year. Operationally, In Focus has achieved some fantastic things this year, helping many young and vulnerable people through its workshops. As part of the Arts Council England funded DSLR (Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect) programme, In Focus has put on two exhibitions in the God’s House Tower museum in Southampton which have gone very well. I was particularly moved to hear such positive testimony from the young people involved in the programme. In Focus has also been involved in events at the Southampton City Art Gallery, the University of Southampton, the Mela Festival, and the Marlands Shopping Centre, as well as working with Unaccompanied Child Asylum Seekers. The operational team have all been extremely busy and I thank them for all their efforts this year, as well as the volunteers who have helped us all so much. As well as continuing our partnership with Arts Council England, In Focus has this year begun working with the Blagrave Trust, who have agreed to provide some core funding for the next three years. The Blagrave Trust feels like an excellent fit for In Focus and I look forward to building upon our relationship with them in the years to come. My gratitude goes out to all organisations who have supported In Focus over the year; as well as Blagrave and Arts Council England, I would like to thank Quilter, Southampton Virtual School, Artswork, Go! Southampton, the Compass School, the University of Southampton, and many others. Your support is hugely appreciated. 4 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **In Focus Education And Development Trustees 2024** **The Trustees Who Served in Period Were:** **In Focus Education & Development Operational Staff 2024:** ## **Rob Francis** ## **Kristianne Drake** (appointed February 2024) Chief Executive Officer **Jon Gardner** ## **Faye Phillips** (appointed February 2024) Operations Manager ## **Louise Govier** ## **Dev Place** (appointed February 2024) Communications and Marketing ## **Ronda Gowland-Pryde** Manager (appointed February 2024) ## **Devin Valentine** ## **Harry Holder** Office Administrator (appointed February 2024) ## **Ben Cowley** ## **Tom Slevin** (appointed February 2024) Community Projects Coordinator (to September 2024) ## **Ali Bell** ## **Holli Kalina** (appointed February 2024) (resigned August 2024) Volunteer and Freelancer ## **Becki Needham** **Rosanna Foster** Volunteer and Freelancer (appointed August 2024) **Gazelle Goode** ## **Olivia Priestley** Volunteer (appointed August 2024) ## **Day Martin** Volunteer 5 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Aims, Objectives and Public Benefit** The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit on deciding what activities the charity should undertake. The objects of the charity are stated in the In Focus Education And Development constitution as “To advance the education of the public by providing workshops and training focused on photography and the visual arts”. Charity beneficiaries are primarily young people and vulnerable adults. Beneficiaries are often referred to In Focus Education And Development by local services and community partners, though they are also able to self-refer. Open events are also promoted via social media and printed material. In Focus Education And Development aims to deliver public benefit from its activities in the following ways: - Development of pro-social identities - Increased mental wellbeing - Development of transferable workplace skills through creative activity - Training in use of professional equipment which may otherwise be inaccessible to beneficiaries - Work experience/placement opportunities - Opportunity to earn digital accreditations - Exhibitions of the work produced in local galleries and museums Studies have shown that investment in youth work such as that provided by In Focus Education And Development delivers significant benefits to participants (improved mental health and employment prospects) as well as to wider society (decrease in crime, improved public health, greater participation in education and employment). We know from experience that our workshop and creative empowerment can really help young people and vulnerable adults with confidence, skill-building and the development of pro-social behaviours, and can help them to live happier, healthier and more socially connected lives. We deliver our public benefit aims through a range of activities, covered in the next section. 6 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Activities** ## **Develop Skills, Learn and Reflect (DSLR) Groups** Weekly sessions (4 per week) funded by Arts Council England for young people aged 16-25 to learn how to use Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras in full manual mode and related creative activities. This programme has allowed us to engage with a range of young people from across Hampshire including those who are LGBTQIA+ through our collaboration with Breakout Youth. Young participants on this programme achieved a range of digital badges from our collection as well as Bronze Arts Awards (issued by Trinity College London, qualifications on the regulated framework). 7 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Exhibitions at God’s House Tower** Exhibitions “Seeing Things Differently” and “They Will Not Take You Seriously” were held as part of Arts Council England programming. We supported our young participants to hold these two exhibitions of the work they had produced that were open to the public at God’s House Tower. The public response to both exhibitions was incredible with members of the public citing how evocative the work was and the obvious positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing it had for the young people involved. Following this we were asked to facilitate a repeat performance from one exhibition for the launch of the University of Southampton’s Disability month. 8 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Youth Leadership Participation and Pathways Group** This group was formally convened for the first time in October 2024. It consists of all of our youth trustees and a group of young people from across our programmes supported by our Chief Executive and Operations Manager. Through it we have begun to formally consult with our participants about what we deliver, how we deliver it, what we can change and what they want more or less of. We have also started a professional development part of this programme to support all the young people to engage with professional opportunities especially those around leadership. Some of this cohort are also doing Gold Arts Awards (issued by Trinity College London qualifications on the regulated framework). 9 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Skills To Achieve** We delivered 2 creative sessions a week to young people on the Enham Trust’s Skills to Achieve programme. This resulted in one of the young people coming and doing a shortpaid internship with us before they went on to become a trustee for us in August 2024. Work made by these young people formed part of an exhibition at God’s House Tower called “Seeing Things Differently”. For these young people it was the first time they had visited this heritage building and the first time they had ever had work shown in public. 10 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Southampton Virtual School – Compass School** Autumn, Spring and Summer Term weekly session for young people not engaging in education through formal means. This work was primarily done with students from the Compass School and concluded with a public exhibition of their work in Southampton City Art Gallery from June - October 2024. Feedback highlights included one parent saying that working with us had changed the life of his son for the better. We also received an exceptional observation report from the Compass School Head who came and observed a session. This was key in highlighting to the wider community as well as parents and teachers the work that In Focus does with young people who are not engaging with formal education. **Southampton Virtual School – Unaccompanied Asylum- Seeking Children** Summer term weekly activities for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. This sixweek funded programme allowed young people who are unaccompanied asylum seekers to participate in creative activities over the summer whilst they waited to see if they had been given college places in the autumn term. They learnt photography skills and other creative activities. One young participant decided that photography was a real career choice for them and used our support to determine what equipment he would need and next steps. 11 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Holiday Activities** We trialled running school holiday activities. These ran twice a week across the school holidays and were paid-for activities. We learnt a lot from running these including lead-in time, activities, booking and payment systems. This will all be taken on board for future delivery. The young people who attend all gave very positive feedback as did their parents. ## **UKSPF Funded Work** This activity involved working alongside Southampton-based organisations SoCo and Zoielogic. In partnership with them we delivered creative two-day mixed activities in Marlands Shopping Centre. This allowed us to survey participants whilst they engaged with us to find out more about how much they knew was already available and how and where young people want to participate in creative activities as well as what they wanted to do. 12 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Smartphone Course** Pilot work for a Smartphone photography course. This was funded by Go! Southampton. We ran the course twice. All attendees fed back on the value of the course and how it would improve their workplace photography. However, this was led by Ben who left us in August and we are now re-writing the course. ## **University of Southampton Science and Engineering Day** Macro Photography activities for families. We joined the University of Southampton staff and other organisations in a day of activities for the public. We ran 8 sessions across the day that allowed people to come and use DSLR cameras with macro lens to explore close up photography of food and plants. 13 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Breakout Youth Pride Prom** Creative activities support for young LGBTQIA+ people from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Every year we support Breakout Youth (a regional LGBTQIA+ charity) at their annual Pride Prom. This is an evening where all the Breakout Groups from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight come together and take part in creative activities, games, music (silent disco) and food in a safe space for these young people. ## **Choices Training For Artswork** We delivered bespoke training to teachers across Hampshire to support them to work with their students on how to make informed choices before acting. As part of a wider Violence Reduction Unit commission to Artswork we have delivered training sessions to teachers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on supporting their pupils to make better life choices and decisions. We have consistently had high feedback scores from the teachers after the training who comment on the high quality of our delivery and knowledge about supporting young people. 14 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **And There It Was..For The Curious** This is a regular monthly open workshop in creative writing for anyone over the age of 16. Once a month we open our space up free of charge to this monthly creative writing group. Whilst we facilitate and lead on the promotion of this group the activities are run by its members. We are not funded to do this work and receive no financial remuneration for it. ## **Mela Festival** We took our gazebo to Southampton’s annual Mela Festival run by Art Asia and set up our ‘photobooth’ where people could come and dress up (if they wanted to) and have their photo taken. We then gave people a 6x4 copy of their photo free of charge. We engaged with over 200 people in the community at this event which we were not funded for and received no financial remuneration for. ## **Southampton Cultural Education Partnership** We are on the board of the Southampton Cultural Education Partnership. Part of this work has included supporting the development of the role of the partnership with its wider members as well as a strategic role in the development of a work experience offer from the arts and cultural sector in Southampton to schools in the city. 15 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 16 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 17 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Chief Executive Officer’s Statement 2024** This has been a challenging period, but ultimately one that has demonstrated In Focus can grow and develop sustainably. We successfully secured some core funding for the next 3 years, which enabled us to reshape our team to include a Communications and Marketing Manager and Office Administrator. Huge thanks to The Blagrave Trust and Quilter Foundation for your support. Additionally, I would like to thank everyone at Arts Council England for their time and support of In Focus and our work. I would personally like to thank all the staff (permanent, freelance and volunteers) for their hard work delivering the programmes and supporting the development of In Focus – you always go above and beyond. The Board of Trustees (both past and present) have been phenomenal in their support and encouragement and without whom I do not doubt we would not be where we are today. I would like to extend particular thanks to my chair who has both been incredible in all the additional work they have done for In Focus, but also their solid nurturing of me in in this new role as Chief Executive. This was a period when I was nominated for two awards, we became a charity, and we successfully became a Real Living Wage Employer – all of which makes me incredibly proud to be part of this team. Knowing I am still in an organisation that continues to shine a light on both the staff and our programmes participants makes me feel both honoured and privileged. In the words of our young people: Shakespeare was right when he said all that glitters is not gold, because right here at In Focus is a shining jewel going from strength to strength and this bodes well for our future. 18 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Structure, Governance and Management** In Focus Education And Development (CIO) is a charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales under charity number 1207105. It was set up to take forward the activities of In Focus Education And Development CIC, a community interest company incorporated in 2020. The assets and activities of In Focus Education And Development CIC (company number 13044034) were transferred to In Focus Education And Development (CIO) upon its conversion to a CIO on 20 February 2024. Its governing document from then on was the constitution adopted upon conversion. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees, currently numbering eight, who delegate the daily running of the charity to a small staff team. A small team of volunteers are also vital to the delivery of all the charity’s services. During this period, the trustees met four times as a full board and held additional sub-group meetings to discharge their duties. In Focus Education And Development has an active and committed Board of Trustees with the necessary skills and experience to guide and govern the charity. New trustees are recruited using a variety of methods: personal recommendations by Chair, trustees, senior management team and other staff; from our pool of volunteers; through recruitment adverts. Prospective new trustees meet with the Chair and Chief Executive prior to appointment and/or may be invited to a more formal interview process. Following appointment, they are supplied with a 'Governance/Induction Pack', containing: In Focus Education and Development’s constitution; minutes from the two most recent Board meetings; the most recent annual report; Charity Commission “The Essential Trustee” guidance booklet; access to all policy documents. New trustees attend a quarterly Board meeting and are elected by existing trustees. This is minuted. Annually, In Focus Education And Development organises a Board and Staff Away Day, and all trustees are encouraged to attend projects, programmes and events. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the day-to-day management of In Focus Education And Development. Trustees set the salary of the Chief Executive. They also review pay and remuneration on an annual basis agreeing appropriate increases in line with sector benchmarking, also with due regard to meeting In Focus Education And Development’s obligations as a Real Living Wage employer. 19 In Focus Education & Development (1207105) Trustees Report 2024 ## **Funds Held as Custodian Trustee on Behalf of Others** None. ## **Principal Funding Sources and Activities 2024** In Focus Education And Development achieved income from a range of sources during 20/02/24 - 30/11/24. Funds raised included: Arts Council England – £39,400 as part of a two-year program - Blagrave Trust – £20,000 core funding - Virtual School – £10,425 including funding to work with unaccompanied child asylum seekers Choices – £4,370 - UKSPF – £3,500 - Donations – £2,700 ## **Reserving Policy** Like many small charities, In Focus Education And Development has limited opportunity to generate unrestricted income. As part of the risk assessment process, inability to secure sufficient funding has been recognised as one of the key risks facing the charity. To mitigate this, In Focus Education And Development aims to hold six months’ worth of funding to act as a contingency, which was the case at 30 November 2024 but due to the seasonality of funding grants has not been possible through the whole period. Securing unrestricted income has been a challenge for In Focus Education And Development, however work is currently underway to set up a ring-fenced reserving account, which we aim to build up over time to provide some security against difficulty obtaining funding. 20 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl membern of On accounts for the year ended Charity no lif any) t s /Z Set out on pages I rèport to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (kne Trust") for the ye8r ended g0/ // / q ¢ t9 Re8pon8lbllltS08 and As Ihe charily trLtstees of the Trust, you are responsib￿ for the preparation basls of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities A 2011 ('Ihe Act"). I report in réspect of my examination of the Trust's acLounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of th8 Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm thal no material matters have come lo my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection wrth the examination which gives me cause to believe th8t in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with sectlon 130 of the Act or th8 accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent 8xamln8rfs statement I have no concerns and have come across no olh6r matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Please delete the wonls in the brackets if Ihey do not apply. Slgned: Date: Name: Relevant professional qualificationls) or body (if any}: Address: / ?c > IER October 2018 21 Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts". directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detslls of any items that the examlner wishos to disclose. IER October 2018 22 CHARITY COMMlSStON fOR14rIw￿AHo WAL15 In Focus EduCa￿ort Deveknpfflent 1207105 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a 20102nQ24 ?oiiino For th• ￿rtod frorn Section A Receipts and payment5 Un¥&striGted lunds R•strl¢ted lund¥ Efidowtll8nt fund6 toth• r￿T￿lE Tolal funth L*$t year to ¢h• nMmlÉ to th•n••r••t£ th•n•wo•lt 29.0¢0 In¢Om• 16,5 1&50Q Sub tot•1{Gr￿S inGom& for ARI A2 AD••t and Inve•lmpnt Sub tol•l 45.580 39.4 A3 Paymen Nl 1S 43,405 912 9,120 224 224 rintlng, WAt￿e, 1,019 2.250 eeo suts¢Dntr¥GI￿1 450 1,6J9 1,833 1,197 Otherco¥ti Sub tglal 4S,O 2•,524 74.516 A4 A6••t and Inv•slrn4nt purchases. (see tabl?) Sub tot•1 Totalpayments 45,QS8 29.528 7451 23 (HK4IJY COMM15510N FOREP￿lAPiI1j￿o WILES Focvi Educalfjon And D*¥•1tspn￿¢ 12Q7105 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a FDr thtr perfod Irorn 2010212024 30M112024 N•1 ofrecelpts/(p•ymonts) ASTran#l•M be￿¥0*n lund¥ A6 Catsh fvnd¥ la¥t •nd ¢￿h fund¥ thls ye•r•nd 522 9,072 10,394 37.064 37,586 J7,064 47,458 9,872 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted fund• Re5tri¢ted lunds Endowm8nt fund• 81 Cash 37,500 Totsl o•sh fvftds ¥511 37.586 9.872 UnrnBlrlct•d nds Rmtrfthd fund• End¢NIMrnt 82 Olh•r mon•t•ry a•￿ts Fundto*4rfoh e••tlDpUty￿l1 83 Inv••tm•nt •M•l• ¢o4t loptloDiII B4 A•B•ts r•tsln•d forih• charltys own u$• Computh •qUip￿￿t Furnitsw•. hxriJWOrtJ oth•r aK•tBUs•dbyth• L*antyindth*ry Ws 24 (HARIII CO￿1155￿￿4 Fo¢v• Edtutl•n And O￿alDprn•n1 1207109 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a IW1112014 Forthe wlod frcffl Fundta •tath biiityr•l#•b r4¢Éth• tAttththJ•loptl0Tr￿) op￿D￿lI) 85 Llabllltlos Ptht Name D4t• ofapy•wl 25