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2020-12-31-accounts

Cambridge Aid

formerly Cambridge Central Aid Society

Financial Statements

for the year ended 31 December 2020

141st Annual Report

Cambridge Aid Reference and Administrative Information

Trustees

The Mayor (President ex officio) Mr J Limmer (Chairman) Ms Nicola Longdon (Vice Chairman) Ms C Bearryman (Hon Secretary) Mr P Ray (Honorary Treasurer) Mrs R Talbot (representing Cambridge & District Citizens Advice) Ms S Gilbey Ms S Gregory-Jones Dr G Kenney Mr J Landy Mr N Knights Mrs R Winter

Registered Office 66 Devonshire Road Cambridge CB1 2BL

Registered Charity Number 204327

Independent Examiner

P Donert Mandeville House Burton End West Wickham Cambridgeshire CB21 4SD

Bankers CAF Bank Ltd Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4TA

Website

www.cambridgeaid.org

Page: 1

Cambridge Aid

Trustees’ Report

The Trustees are pleased to present their annual report on the affairs of the Society, including the Receipts and Payments Accounts and the Independent Examiner’s report for the year ended 31 December 2020.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Society dates to 1880, when its forerunner the Cambridge Charity Organisation Society was established. The Society is governed by resolution. The governance and management of the Society are as set out in its rules below.

The Trustees endeavour to appoint new Trustees who will provide valuable and practical skills for the Society. The following have been Trustees during the financial year:

The Mayor (President ex officio) Ms S Gilbey (from 12 November 2020) Ms S Chapman (Vice President to 9 May 2020) Ms S Gregory-Jones Mr J Limmer (Chairman from 30 November 2020: previously Dr G Kenney Vice-Chairman) Mr N Knights Ms N Longdon (Vice-Chairman from 30 November 2020; Mr J Landy (from 24 July 2020) previously Chairman) Mrs P Lynch (to 9 November 2020 Ms C Bearryman (Hon Secretary) Mrs P Milsom (to 9 May 2020) Mr P Ray (Hon Treasurer) Mrs C Morgan (to 11 May 2020) Mrs R Talbot (representing Cambridge & District Citizens Mr T Wheatley (to 6 March 2020) Advice Mrs R Winter Ms J Ball (from 3 June to 3 September 2020)

Objective and activities

Objects

Rules

Page: 2

Cambridge Aid Trustees’ Report (continued)

The Public Benefit

The Society’s Objectives fall within the classification of “The Prevention and Relief of Poverty”. The Trustees confirm that their activities are fully consistent with the Objectives and the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit has been borne in mind throughout the year.

Most benefits are provided to people who lack necessities (including furniture, beds, carpets, curtains, white goods (including cookers and washing machines)) and are given the resources to obtain them. The Society also helps fund holidays for families and children in need and helps pay utility bills or the cost of debt relief orders for those burdened with debt.

The benefits are provided to people referred to the Society by organisations (including the Citizens Advice, Social Services and charities helping the homeless and those with mental health difficulties) that are helping resolve or alleviate the underlying causes of their social or financial distress.

Beneficiaries of the charity are restricted to residents of Cambridge and its environs. The Trustees consider this a reasonable restriction given the Society’s history, size, the location of its donors, and the need to build and sustain close relationships with referring organisations.

Page: 3

Cambridge Aid Trustees’ Report (continued)

Achievements and performance

Honorary Secretary’s Report

The year 2020, 140 years since the charity was set up, has been an exceptional year for all, including Cambridge Aid, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Trustees have risen to the challenge and continued giving grants because most Trustees and Volunteers could work remotely. This was possible because the process for applying for grants was already online and all tasks from checking the initial applications to giving the grants adapted to the changing circumstances. A special thank you to out Hon. Treasurer Paul Ray for all the hard work he continued to do, often delivering the grants himself to ensure those in need received the grants quickly. Trustees continued to meet quarterly on Zoom for evening meetings, but it was not possible to continue our fortnightly Friday meetings at the Cambridge Citizens Advice offices. On-line checking of applications resulted in grants being with the sponsoring organisations within 3-5 days rather than our historic 3-17 days- this was hugely appreciated.

Several Trustees resigned during 2020 - Tim Wheatley, Clare Morgan, Penny Milsom, Sue Chapman and Penny Lynch. Each gave their time and helped Cambridge Aid so much during their years as Trustees. Also, a volunteer, Carol Hunt, decided to move to a more local charity to where she lives. We thank them all for the time and dedication that they gave to the charity and we so appreciate that they continue to support the charity in fundraising etc.

Jackie Ball joined as a Trustee for a few months, but she decided that the charity was not for her. We welcomed Julian Landy, a previous volunteer with invaluable legal experience, as a Trustee. Also, Suzi Gilbey with her useful knowledge from 18 years working with vulnerable individuals and from her current work as a Financial Inclusion Officer for Cambridge City Council.

Nicola Longdon and Joel Limmer swapped roles – Joel is now Chair and Nicola is Vice-Chair. Thank you to both Nicola for all the work she has done as Chair in recent years and to Joel as Vice-Chair.

An Investment Committee of Trustees - Joel Limmer, Julian Landy, Rachel Winter and Nicola Longdon - was established to advise on the best way to manage the generous endowment for ethical investment income received during 2020.

Trustee Shelley Gregory-Jones deserves a special mention as she submitted several applications for funding for Cambridge Aid, a time- consuming task. Shelley was successful with both The Evelyn Trust (for 2021) and Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for those affected by COVID-19.

Neil Whiteside, as a volunteer, has helped with publicity generally and on Cambridge 105.

Cambridge United Charities (CUC): Penny Lynch resigned at the end of her four-year term as one of the two trustees linking CUC and Cambridge Aid – many thanks to Penny for the time she has given to this over the last 4 years. I will be replacing Penny on the CUC Board as a nominated Trustee from Cambridge Aid; Joel Limmer continues as the other nominated Trustee on the CUC Board.

One of our Trustees, Nick Knights, has developed a new website, which has been up and running since December 2020. This new site is being updated continually and many thanks to Nick for the time and effort he has given to this. The Jotform application system has transferred to the new website and thank you to one of our volunteers, Geoff Jones, for the help he gives for this and other technical issues.

Cambridge Aid has been governed by resolution - its rules are listed on page 2. Many thanks to our Trustee Rachel Winter, who has prepared a new Governing Document, which was emailed in December 2020 to the Charity Commission for their approval, prior to adoption at a future General Meeting.

Trustees continue to make progress on two other main aims from the Strategic Plan 2019-2022(developing a branding strategy and streamlining data handling).

During 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions allow, Trustees will need to focus more on:

  1. Finding three replacement Trustees who can develop to cover the key roles of Chair, Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary,

  2. Developing a fundraising strategy which delivers consistent funds from regular donors.

Cambridge Aid is a great charity and it continued to help those in need during 2020, working alongside other charities in Cambridge. Long may this continue in the future.

We always remain indebted to the Cambridge & District Citizens Advice for their support and facilities. We do hope to arrange regular meetings in their offices again when restrictions are lifted.

Page: 4

Cambridge Aid Trustees’ Report (continued)

Honorary Treasurer’s Report

In 2020, total grants made were £91,936 - a 13% reduction compared to 2019. During the first and November lockdowns applications fell sharply because sponsoring organisations were unable to have the necessary close contact with the people they help, and people were not moving home.

The Society made 741 grants (2019: 849). 71% were to people living in Cambridge City, the balance mainly to South Cambridgeshire. Some 50% of recipient families suffered from mental health issues and 20% have suffered from domestic violence.

The average grant was £124 (2019: £125). What the grants were for is set out on page 6. There was a marked drop in grants for Debt Relief Orders, reflecting the difficulties of giving socially distanced financial advice involving a lot of paperwork. There was lively demand for Cambridge Emmaus’ Solidarity packs (£400 of second-hand furniture value for £60) and their £125 “Computer bundles” to facilitate homework. Grants for food and essentials increased as out of work self-employed people struggled whilst awaiting state benefits.

Income was £346,011 (2019: £133,588). This included a £200,000 endowment from a former trustee to provide income from ethical investments – for which a portfolio has been set up with Rathbones Investment Management. Nicola Longdon had set the target of raising £140,000 in our 140[th] year and this was exceeded in addition to the endowment. For this we must give thanks to The Cambridge Rotary Club and individual Rotarians who donated £27,285 including a £10,000 bequest from Francis Hookham’s estate. Cambridge United Charities granted £23,200, Cambridgeshire Community Foundation £14,500 and our wonderfully steadfast anonymous donor £12,000. Overall, we were extremely fortunate to receive the marvellous support detailed on pages 7 and 8. Trustees and their families contributed £16,644 (2019: £16,877). In addition, Rachel Winter ran a half marathon and Caitriona Bearryman, Joel Limmer and Penny Milsom took part in the Sawston Fun Run/Walk; several thousand pounds was raised from these events.

Our total costs at £129 (2019: £562) were negligible. We are very grateful to Paul Donert our Independent Examiner and Geoff Jones our webmaster for not charging any fees.

The value of our investments in our historic endowment fund fell from £65,324 to £63,800. However, our new endowment fund invested for us by Rathbones in ethical investments rose from £200,000 to £203,656 in its initial 11 weeks.

With £154,032 cash reserves, we are in a strong position to meet the challenges of 2021, as furloughing unwinds and the true levels of unemployment and financial stress emerge, with all the attendant social and family impacts.

Financial Review

The Society’s receipts and payments for the year ended 31 December 2020 are as shown on page 9.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees consider that, except for the Endowment Funds, all cash and other investments constitute reserves. Taking account of the monthly fluctuations in receipts and donations, and the desire to maintain consistent grant giving even when there are several consecutive months of cash outflow, the Trustees consider that 6 months reserves against annualised expenditure to be prudent and appropriate. At 31 December 2020 reserves were £154,032 (2019: £100,086). This represents 20 months expenditure cover (2019: 11.3). This will allow the Society to give significantly more than it receives during 2021, which is highly likely as the pandemic unfolds.

Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud or other irregularities.

Page: 5

Cambridge Aid Trustees’ Report (continued)

Statistics for 2020

Clients were referred by the following organisations:
Cambridge & District Citizens Advice 129
Cambridge and Cambridgeshire Social Services including:
Cambridge City Council Financial Inclusion 67
Cambridge & Peterborough Mental Health Foundation Trust 23
Change Grow Live 7
Cambridge City Housing, Homeless & Tenancy Sustainment Teams 46
Kings Hedges Family Support Project 39
Locality and Early Help teams 17
Meadows Children & Family Wing 43
Noble House Ely teams 17
North Cambridge Children’s Centre 8
Other Children’s Centres 11
Other social and family work 6
Sackville House Cambourne Teams 11
South Cambridgeshire District Council 8
Cambridge Cyrenians 21
Cambridge Women’s Resources Centre 23
Home-Start Cambridgeshire 10
Jimmy’s Cambridge 18
P3 Charity 46
Red Hen Project 29
Richmond Fellowship 5
Riverside Care & Support 20
St Giles Trust 16
The Cambridge Housing Society including Corona House 91
Wintercomfort for the Homeless 7
Others (16) 23
Total 741
Help was given for:
Electrical goods and gas cookers 129
Food/household provisions 98
Empty flat/house starter packs including 74 Emmaus “Solidarity Packs” 94
Clothes and shoes (About 50:50 adult: children) 74
Utility costs 40
Carpets and flooring 34
Computers and internet connections mainly for homework 33
TV Licences 28
Furniture and furnishings 22
Debt Relief Orders 17
Beds/mattresses/bedding 17
Bicycles 12
Children’s furniture and beds 10
Replacing lost documents 8
Mobile phones 8
Medical costs and counselling 7
DIY materials 7
Skips for rubbish 6
Children’s Xmas fund 70
Others (14) 27
Total 741

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Cambridge Aid Trustees’ Report (continued)

Individuals’ donations received in 2020

*wholly or partly gift aided

aided
£
Endowment to provide income from ethical 200,000
investments
Anonymous* 34,351
Mr & Mrs J Barker* 1,000
Mary Beveridge* 500
Mr J Cooper* 50
Mr P Cowley 500
DonR texts 155
Dr J Draper* 100
HJ & PE Easterling* 50
Easyfundraising.org 373
Mrs M Gray* 300
Mr S Gurney* 20
Mr & Mrs J Harvey* 50
Mrs K Haslam* 400
Dr R Hay* 200
Mr F Hookham* 11,000
Ms C Houghton* 30
Mr S Humphreys 300
Mr & Mrs J Hunt* 200
Mr & Dr J Landy* 1,100
Mr M Ledzon* 100
Mr J Limmer* 500
Mr T Limmer* 50
Mr D Livesey 200
Mrs P Milsom* 470
Dr C W Moseley* 200
Mrs C Myer* 1,250
Mrs E Penfold* 50
Mr & Mrs P Ray* 4,799
Mr N W Robbins* 1,350
Ms C Rogers 50
Lord & Lady Sainsbury* 200
Mr P S Saunders* 200
Mr P Schofield* 150
Dr Paul Scott* 200
Dr Rosemary Scott* 200
Mrs F J Stewart* 250
Mr & Mrs J H Stewart* 480
Michael Talbot* 500
Mrs C Venn 50
Mr T Wheatley* 360
Mrs M Williamson 100
Total 262,388

Cambridge Aid

Page: 7

Trustees’ Report (continued)

Organisations supporting Cambridge Aid in 2020:

£ Barton PCC 183 Birketts LLP Caldecote WI Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for Children 1,500 Cambridgeshire Community Foundation Coronavirus Fund 10,000 Cambridgeshire Community Foundation for Winter payments 3,000 Cambridge Rotary Club 14,555 Cambridge United Charities 23,200 DG Marshall of Cambridge Trust 4,000 Downing Place United Reform Church 927 Emmanuel College 200 Ensors Chartered Accountants 360 Fitzwilliam College 100 Girton Town Charity 255 Jesus College 500 Kingsgate Community Church 1,000 Masonic Province of Cambridgeshire Charity for Care and Relief 900 N W Brown & Co Ltd 100 Queens’ College 250 Religious Society of Friends at Hartington Grove 762 St John’s Lunch Club St Mary’s the Less PCC 1,800 Selwyn College 100 Trinity College 945 Trinity Hall 2,500 Waitrose 665 Waterbeach WI Whitworth Trust 3,500 Tota l 71,560

Signed on behalf of the Trustees by Mr J Limmer – the Chair of Trustees on 1 March 2021

Independent Examiner’s Report

I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020 that are set out on pages 9 and 10.

Responsibilities and basis of this report

The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s Financial Statements 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 the Act.

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

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 Act; or

  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 to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

P Donert Date:

Page: 8

Cambridge Aid

Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020

General
Purpose
Fund
Cambridge
United
Charities
Fund
Children’s
Fund
£
£
£
Income Receipts
Grants
34,015
23,200
14,345
Donations
259,588
-
2,800
Income from Investments
1,495
-
-
Refunds of old cheques not cashed
0
-
-
Tax Recovered on Gift Aid
10,567
-
-
Total Receipts
305,666
23,200
17,145
Expenditure
Charitable Activities:
Grants to Individuals
57,897
18,580
15,459
Other Expenditure
Investment in Rathbone fund
200,000
-
-
Bank charges
60
-
-
Fund raising costs
69
-
-
Administrative costs
0
-
-
Total Expenditure
258,026
18,580
15,459
Net Receipts/(Expenditure) for the year
47,640
4,620
1,686
Cash and bank balances brought forward
77.759
5,752
6,575
Cash and bank balances carried forward
125,399
10,372
8,261
Statement of Assets and Liabilities: Monetary Assets
General
Purpose
Fund
Cambridge
United
Charities
Fund
Children’s
Fund
£
£
£
CAF Bank Account
69,140
10,372
8,261
Scottish Widows 90-day notice account
56,259
-
-
Cash in hand
-
-
-
125,399
10,372
8,261		 Total
2020
£
71,560
262,388
1,495
0
10,567
346,011
91,936
200,000
60
69
0
292,065
53,946
90,086
144,032
Total
2020
£
87,773
56,259
-
144,032		 Total
2019
£
88,951
34,490
1,889
278
7,980
133,588		 Total
2019
£
88,951
34,490
1,889
278
7,980
133,588

105,923
0
60
183
319
106,485

27,103
62,983

90,086

Total
2019
£
58,908
31,178
-
90,086

Investments with a market value of £10,000 (2018: £10,000) are held by the charity and are available for redemption by the charity if required. In addition, investments are held within an historic permanent endowment fund with a market value of £63,800 (2019: £65,324) and in a new fund of ethical investments managed by Rathbones with a market value of £203,656.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

Mr P Ray Honorary Treasurer Date: 1 March 2021

Page: 9

Cambridge Aid Notes to the Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020

1 Endowment Funds to provide investment income

22,637 Units IFSL CAF UK Equity B INC – (cost £25,379 with a market value of £33,747; 2019: £36,001)

28,690 Units IFSL CAF Fixed Interest B INC – (cost £28,690 with a market value of £30,053; 2019: £29,323)

Portfolio of ethical investments managed by Rathbones £200,000 invested 7 October 2020 – value £203,656 on 31 December 2020

2 Other Assets

£10,000 Scottish Widows Maturity Base Rate Tracker, currently 0.1% Gross/AER.

The charity has no functional assets of material value.

3 Trustees’ Remuneration

Nil (2019: Nil)

4 Related Party Transactions

Two Trustees are Trustees of Cambridge United Charities. £23,200 (2019: £17,600) was received from Cambridge United Charities during the year as detailed in the Trustees’ Report. At any one time Cambridge Aid may have two nominees on the Cambridge United Charities Board of Trustees.

One Trustee was a Generalist Adviser at the Cambridge and District Citizens Advice Bureau who referred 17 % (2019:17%) of our clients. This Trustee does not have a vote on client applications that she has personally written.

One Trustee is an employee of Rathbones Investment Management in Cambridge who manage our new ethical investment fund.

Page: 10