## Annual Report 2023 

## **Summary of the Year’s Achievements** 

- Free holidays provided in 2023 for 48 disadvantaged local children 

- Disaster averted after storm ravages our campsite 

- Increase in donation receipts helps offset cost of living increase 

- Induction completed for new staff 

## **Administration of the Charity** 

CHAOS was started in 1976 by 3 school friends after graduating from high school in East London. The inequity between the fate of children from poverty-stricken backgrounds and their own good fortune in having responsible, working-class parents struck them as unjust.  So they decided to do something to help bring about change and started arranging their first summer camp. 

CHAOS is managed by a committee of trustees, and holds general meetings, presided over by a Chairperson. Finances are managed by the Treasurer in accordance with best practice, and an external auditor audits its accounts.  Specialist teams managed by elected trustees co-ordinate liaison with agencies such as schools and family welfare units. It is mandatory for all CHAOS staff working directly with children on summer camps to lodge a current DBS check with the Welfare Officer and to attend a training course prior to engaging in each year’s camp. 

## **Staffing and Recruitment** 

Involvement in CHAOS is considered a great way for young adults to understand the needs of those less fortunate and a great first step to careers involving children.  The charity is especially keen to welcome back past beneficiaries of camping holidays to volunteer as staff members and encourages their participation in all its activities. CHAOS membership is open to all who share in its ideals and want to play an active part in achieving them.  Members volunteer time and energy on a purely voluntary basis, often on top of work, family and study commitments.  We are grateful for the many hours volunteers spend in fundraising or organising and running the summer camps. 

## **Finances** 

CHAOS is run with limited financial resources, yet has ambitious aims to support the needs of the local community. We remain cautiously optimistic about our own fundraising events in today’s climate, and are pleased to be favoured with donations from private individuals, and income from crowd funding and trust funds. This helped us achieve our goal of running 2 well-structured, action-packed camps.  Our fundraising is also important to inform the public of the charity’s aims within the community.  In addition to holiday expenses, there was a requirement to replace the tents damaged by a storm within our campsite. 

CHAOS REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 281609 

1 



## **Child Referrals** 

The number of camping places on offer was oversubscribed once more this year but an increase was not possible with the funding available, partly due to huge cost of living increases.  Our Referrals Team received applications from the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.  All referring agencies completed a written application for every child.  This allowed our camp coordinators to ensure each child’s suitability and conduct a risk assessment prior to each camp.  Sadly, there were a small number of no-shows on the day. 

## **Summer Camps** 

Two camps were run at our usual site in East Runton, near Cromer, providing holidays for a total of 48 children.  We arranged a wide range of activities for the children in our care, both on and off site.   Some activities were designed to develop their interaction with their peers (e.g. team games).  We also incorporated a range of sporting activities including football, basketball and cricket, making good use of the great sandy beaches of the North Norfolk coast. 

Craft activities, such as beads, drawing and painting, were arranged to satisfy and encourage the children’s creative aspirations. No camp is complete without a campfire, complete with songs, jokes, and hot chocolate and biscuits. In addition to the cultural values it explores, it’s a great way for kids to let off steam by making lots of noise, sometimes to the regret of the local farmer! 

The weather took an unexpected turn on the first week’s camp, and what is believed to be a freak tornado caused havoc for the staff of Week 1 (see below).  In preparation for the camps, spare clothes, towels and sleeping bags had been washed, and gaz, batteries, and replacement torches purchased. We also maintained our environmental credentials by reducing our reliance on gaz by making use of solar lighting. 

## **Week 1** 

This was for the oldest children, aged 10 to 11, with activities geared to suit, including various sports and a trip to the circus, which the kids loved.  Very soon after setting up camp, the campsite was ransacked by a storm, which uplifted our marquee and dragged it across several other tents, causing widespread damage.  Fortunately, nobody was hurt but a major salvage exercise stretched our team, who were obliged to spend their time rearranging our remaining tents for temporary use as a shelter and dining space.  Our London-based support staff managed to purchase a new marquee, borrow tents for staff to sleep in, and attend the campsite to install these.  Despite this challenging start, children behaved impeccably, and it turned out to be a tremendously enjoyable camp.  It was fortunate this week had an incredibly experienced co-ordinator and staff team. 

## **Week 2** 

This week focused on the youngest children aged 8 to 9, and activities included a visit to the circus, and numerous trips to the beach.  On camp, we organised nature trails, a sports day, and a party on our last day.  The weather was more favourable and this helped make it an enjoyable week for both staff and children.  The final task for staff was to help dismantle the campsite, together with our break down team from London, and to return it in good condition for use by the farmer. 

CHAOS REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 281609 

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## 

||lncome|and ExpenditureAccount||
|---|---|---|---|
||Fortheyear|ending30thSeptember2023||
|||2022|2023|
||E€€||€|
|Fundraising receipts||20|40|
|Donations received||12,141|21,954|
|GiftAid||0|3,052|
|||12,171|25,046|
|Less Expenditure:||||
|Holiday expenses|{6,531|22,886||
|Fundraisingcosts|0|0||
|lnsurance|66,1|736||
|$tor,ageof equipment|280|367||
|Sundary expenses|162|198||
|Accountancy|0|0||
|Postage& Packaging|0|0||
|Tents& Camping Equipment|2188|2,312||
|||19,805|25,499|
|||{;?,634i|(1,453)|





## 

|Balance sheet|asat30thSeptember2023||
|---|---|---|
||2422|2A23|
||€|e|
|Current Assets|||
|Prepayments|0|0|
|CashatBank|24|82|
|CashinHand|1$78|364|
||1,899|446|
|Creditorsfallingduewithinoneyear|||
|lnterest free loan|0|0|
|Sundry Creditors|0|0|
|Accruals|0|0|
||0|0|
|Representedby:|||
|GeneralFund|2022|2423|
||€|g|
|Balance/(Deficit) broughtfonrard|9,533|1,899|
|Surplus I {Deficit} for the year|7,634|(1,453)|
||1,899|446|





## Audit of CHAOS Accounts for Year Ending 30[th] Sept 2023 

Registered Charity No 281609 

This is to certify that an independent scrutiny of the charity’s accounts was carried out at the end of its financial period.  This covered all receipts and expenditure made by the charity, including its major expense, the running of its annual summer camps. 

No irregularities were found.  I have no active role within the charity at the present time, although I was involved in its early camps during the 1970s. 

The Accounts were prepared solely by me, as in previous years, and presented to the charity’s Treasurer, Mr Stuart Ludlow. 


Chris Inch 27[th] October 2023