## Annual Report 2024 ## **Summary of the Year’s Achievements** - Free holidays were provided in 2024 for 51 disadvantaged local children - Match funding was successfully used for the first time - Increase in donation receipts helps offset cost of living increase - Induction completed for more new staff ## **Administration of the Charity** CHAOS was started in 1976 by 3 school friends after graduating from high school in East London. The fate of children from poverty-stricken backgrounds jarred sharply with their own good fortune in having responsible, working-class parents, and 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 an enhanced DBS check with the Welfare Officer and to attend safeguarding training 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 still 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 fund external storage as the garage we use has substantial leaks and therefore unsuitable. CHAOS REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 281609 1 ## **Child Referrals** The number of camping places on offer was oversubscribed once more this year but a substantial 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 51 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, dodgeball 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! UK weather can sometimes throw unseasonal challenges and in preparation for the camps, spare clothes, towels and sleeping bags had been washed, and gaz, batteries, and replacement torches purchased. We do our best to improve our environmental credentials by reducing our reliance on gaz by making use of solar lighting. ## **Week 1** On this week, we took 28 children, aged 10 to 11. The atmosphere on the camp was fun, supportive and nurturing, and children quickly settled in and looked after each other, sleeping outside in tents, many for the first time. The staff were thrilled to see them all learning to work together, whilst making the most of the many new activities, from going out on a boat to see seals in the wild, to spending a day at a theme park, where all of them made the most of the rare opportunity and pushed themselves to go on rides they found challenging – whether that was a huge rollercoaster or simply riding the horses on the carousel! They had a busy week, and successful fundraising meant we were able to give them a varied holiday, including swimming, time at the beach and paddling in the sea, as well as a trip to the circus. Of course, it would not be a CHAOS camp without campfires, hot chocolate and camp songs. Listening to kids and staff share their ‘best bits of the day’ before bedtime quickly became a highlight. Topics mentioned were the opportunity to make new friends, the activities, the food and the chance to be away from the city. We also heard a lot from them about how they were learning to face their fears and be more confident in social groups, and how much they enjoyed the safe environment with a focus on having fun and supporting each other. Combining all that with a lot of jokes and smiles made it a fantastic holiday for all the kids, and the staff too! CHAOS REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 281609 2 ## **Week 2** Arriving at a sun-soaked farmer’s field, children were introduced to their new home for the week, setting up their sleeping bags, luggage, roll mats and exploring our surroundings. We hoped to have 26 children camping, and it was disappointing that 3 dropped out on the day of departure, denying other deserving children the opportunity to take part. Whilst we try to have some ‘reserve’ children lined up in case of absentees, they had already been called in due to sickness of another earlier dropout. An action packed week followed for all - multiple beach trips where epic sand-cities were built, nature walks through our local forest and fields where sweet berries were picked and campfires beneath the stars where songs were sung. Activities were enjoyed on site every morning: rounders, dodgeball, card games, football, badminton, arts & crafts. Afternoons were spent exploring Norfolk: Circus trip, wildlife park, bowling, and trampoline park. We even enjoyed keeping our tents tidy, learning about how they work and some good old washing up en masse after a nice home cooked dinner! Our staff team benefitted from 4 new volunteers who enjoyed their first camp. The camping experience was also enriched by having the first hand knowledge and understanding of 4 staff, who had camped with CHAOS as children when they were younger. CHAOS REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 281609 3 IrKom• and Expondltur• A¢couni For th• y￿r •ndlng 30th S•pl•mb•r 2024 2024 15000 2023 51WJO Grani* Crov•dlundlng 9176 11793 Fundralslng rnc•lpts Donatlons r•c•lv•d 5161 Glft Ald 1382 3052 Insuranc• Clalm 35106 25,IM6 Lam Exp•rtdltur•: Hollday exp•ns•8 22,591 Fundral$lng knsurane• Sioray of •quSpm•rrt 2.762 Sundry w•nw6 Accountaney Postsg• & Packaglng Tents & c￿pIng Equlsmnenl 2.312 27,612 26,499 7.494 1,453 anc4 sh••t as at 30th S•pt•mb•r 2024 2024 2023 Curr•nt A8••t8 Pr•paym•nl• Cash at Bank Cash In Hand 7,69T 243 82 Crnditorn falllng du• withln on• y•ar IntW•8t fr•• loan Sundry Cf•dliors A¢crual• R•pr•wn¢•d by: G•n•ral Fund 2024 2023 BalanrA I {D•ficlt) brought fofwv 1.899 Burw￿ J {D•fi¢tt) for tl* y•¥ 7.494 (1,453) 7.940 Nol•8 to tho Dtsnatlom and surpiums Includo £3150 rn¢dv•d aft4r th• camps bui b•ft>r• th• •nd of th• flnaTrclal yoar. ## Audit of CHAOS Accounts for Year Ending 30[th] Sept 2024 Registered Charity No 281609 This is to certify that an independent scrutiny of the charity’s accounts has been 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 19[th] December 2024