ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 1/1/2023 TO 31/12/2023
Having been formed in 1983, in our 2023 season, The Baldwin Trust celebrated its 40th year of service to the community. This was marked by a number of special events and led to an enhanced amount of publicity and social media exposure.
Administration details of the Trust
Charity name: The Baldwin Trust
Other names: Baldwin Boat Trust, Baldwin Charitable Trust Registered number: 515488
Principal address for communication C /O -28 Holbourne Close, Barrow upon Soar, Loughborough LE12 8NE.
Management Committee Officers
Acting Chair: Mr Richard Jayes. Barrow upon Soar, Leics. Appointed by principal Trustees.
Secretary: Mrs Hannah Coombe. Syston Leics. Appointed by principal Trustees.
Treasurer: Mr Martin Charles. South Croxton, Leics. Appointed by principal Trustees.
Principal Trustees
Mr Jeremy Skipper, Burley, Rutland. Appointed by existing Trustees. (Retired during 2023).
Mr Dave Kemble, Leics. Appointed by existing Trustees.
Mr Martin Charles. South Croxton. Leics. Appointed by existing Trustees.
Mr Richard Jayes, Barrow Upon Soar, Leics. Appointed by existing Trustees.
The Baldwin Trust Registered Charity No. 515488 Trustees: Richard Jayes, Martin Charles, Dave Kemble, Ellen Reeve, Simon Blackburn
Mrs Ellen Reeve. Loughborough, Leics. Appointed by existing Trustees. Mr Simon Blackburn, Birstall, Leics. Appointed by existing Trustees (during 2023)
Organisational detail.
Governing document: Deed of Settlement dated 31/1/1983 amended 8/1/1984.
Constituted as: A Charitable Trust.
Trustee selection: Appointment by existing Trustees, nomination by management officers.
Other matters.
The Trust is required to maintain a minimum of three Trustees, and a management team with specific responsibilities and skills including training, crew allocations, boat maintenance, booking and scheduling, IT, and web site upkeep.
The Trust is a member of the NCBA (National Community Boat Association) and the NCVO. All volunteers, as applicable, undergo induction and crew training.
All skippers are required to hold a current certificate in Community boat management which must be renewed every 5 years. They must also hold current Emergency First Aid certificates.
The crews (including the skippers) operating the boats are all unpaid volunteers.
Objectives and activities
The Trust deed asks for the provision of facilities for the recreation of those dealing with physical, mental and economic disabilities to improve the conditions of their life and social circumstances and to ensure that they will benefit personally or reduce their isolation or exclusion. The deed also allows for the Trustees to extend the use of such facilities to organisations and/or
families who would similarly benefit from the therapeutic effects of a day trip on the water.
The Trust operates two narrow boats (Dandelion and Halseyon Days) on the rivers and canal systems of Leicestershire. Both boats are specifically designed to accommodate up to 12 passengers and cater for those using a wheelchair and having other mobility challenges.
Both boats also have features to assist those with other challenges. One boat operates from Leicester Marina in Thurmaston, the other from Barrow Boating, Barrow upon Soar.
During 2023 the Trust achieved a total of 169 trips on the boats. This is an uplift of over 20% more trips than the previous year.
The utilisation of each boat differs, with the boat based nearer to the City of Leicester fulfilling 105 trips, whereas the boat based nearer to Loughborough fulfilling 64 trips.
There have been a variety of beneficiaries who have been on our trips. Good planned maintenance has ensured that minimal breakdowns and mechanical failures occurred.
We carried approximately 2000 clients on our boats during the 2023 season and testimonials and user comments show the benefit we provide to the local communities.
Achievements and performance.
Certain users of our service (especially care and residential homes) have been somewhat slower in arranging trips with the Trust, but other organisations have shown a greater increase in interest and have made bookings with us.
The Trust have been very successful in maintaining volunteer numbers at circa 80 and their continued loyalty has been maintained by use of constant contact. We envisage a need for the number of volunteer crew members to increase in 2024 to meet the growing demand for our service.
Qualified skippers are essential for the smooth running of our organisation. It is envisaged and desired that during the 2024 season this number increases to circa 25.
The Trust has further strengthened its working relationships with Voluntary Community Services, Charnwood Borough Council and Voluntary Action Leicester in a bid to improve the professionalism of Trustee performance, source new members and train Funding group members in writing bid applications for funds. A major partnership with the Canal and River Trust has been developed whereby the Baldwin Trust boats have been used by the Canal and River Trust to market the wellbeing benefits of increased use of the waterways system by local and city populations. This will hopefully continue throughout 2024 and beyond.
The Trust is now represented on the Leicester Waterways Partnership (Engagement & Wellbeing subgroup) and also on the C&RT Disability Boaters Forum.
Working with Charnwood Borough Council and Voluntary Action Leicester and Charnwood Neighbourhood Associations, our "Project Waterside" initiative has been successful (this has been rebranded as “Supported Trips”). This scheme offers those less fortunate members of our communities free trips on our boats with the provision of community transport to and from the boat if required. This has proved to be very important, as not only has society had to combat "post covid pandemic" experiences, but also the economic and mental anguish of conflict and turbulent political and economic challenges.
This has been further overshadowed by problems in the NHS and general industrial unrest and conflicts around the world. This has caused a greater number in society to suffer mental health issues, increased poverty and feelings of isolation and loneliness. These are some of the people that our Trust reaches out to. Our volunteers have worked hard to provide trips and the environment to assist in benefiting these challenges.
The help and support of all volunteers is particularly appreciated.
During 2023 the Trust the Trust has participated in VCSE Alliance (Voluntary, Charity, Social Enterprise Alliance) events.
Structure, governance and management.
During this period, volunteer members are being encouraged and recruited to functional sections for training, boat maintenance, new boat development and funding.
We have also formed new teams for dealing with boat festivals and Community events, media/press and PR to promote the work of the Trust. This has all been done utilising the talents of the wonderful group of volunteers supporting our Trust with some external help also. Without the commitment of the volunteers, none of this would have been possible.
The Trust has continued to recruit and train new volunteers to maintain our core of fit and capable crew and skippers.
It was seen in 2022 that it was essential to control, enthuse and co-ordinate our volunteers in a professional and concise way, and this has been achieved by and controlled by a self-employed Volunteer coordinator who has refined and devised a more efficient system.
In December 2022 the person providing self-employed secretarial service to the Trust resigned and work started to find a suitable person to fulfil this service at the very end of 2022, and a new secretary was appointed in January 2023
Grants and Fundraising
The Trust continued to approach funders, organisations, and the general public for donations. Our fundraising in 2023 has helped us to maintain and improve our boats and our service for the benefit of both our users and our volunteers.
Financial Review.
There was a surplus income of £9, 215 against expenditure during 2023. Expenditure was £45,117 and income was £54,332.
The above figures are taken from the 2023 accounts approved by our independent financial examiner/accountant.
Our Reserves policy was confirmed to remain at £40,000.
R.G Jayes Acting Chair of Trustees. Feb 2024
THE BALDWIN TRUST- chorlty no. 515488 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS - FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31sl DECEMBER 2023 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total 2023 Total 2022 RECEIPTS Grants and donations Fundraising - bears ond co1Ction boxe5 Interest on deposlts Income from cruises Dandelion Halseyon Days Project Waterside trips Balances of restricted funds not spent ond released to unrestricted funds after agreement with donor 21.795 753 1.415 8.490 30,285 753 1,415 24.507 744 225 7.219 14.660 2.21J) 7.219 14.660 4,582 9,458 12.2001 2.823 12,8231 Total recelpls 50.865 3,467 54,332 39.516 PAYMENTS Costs associated with fundraising advertising, morketing consultancy and sociol media Governonce (independent examination) Meetings and venue hire Insuronce (employers liobilityl Insurance (trustees liability) Insurance (public liability) Training courses and certificates Administration. postage. 5totionery Office equipment Volunteer co-ordinator Software Telephones Unifoms Social evenls Travel allowances Crew allowances Presentation and donations Boat maintenance & refurbishment Dandelion Halseyon Days Boat mooring. wateways licence5 and insurance Dandelion Halseyon Doys storage shed rental Transport costs (Project Wotersidel 11.442 856 12,298 600 205 616 433 153 440 790 8,109 600 472 560 380 125 533 865 611 9,407 1,091 354 1,102 205 616 433 440 790 1.439 997 350 7.431 8,870 997 350 354 2,129 2,122 348 354 2,129 2.122 1,401 92 195 2,795 1,799 167 1 .036 2,962 2,835 3.210 1.265 4.910 3,040 4.910 3.040 4,170 4.022 135 186 665 665 Total payments 35.273 9,844 45.117 38.885 Net recelpts/(payments) for the year Reconclllatlon Cash funds last year end 15.592 16.3771 9.215 111.897 17,203 129,100 128,469 Cash fund5 thls year end 127.489 10.826 138,315 129,100 The assets and liabilities statement on page 2 forms part of the reporting package.
THE BALDWIN TRUST- chorlty no. 515488 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 sl DECEMBER 2023 2023 2022 CASH FUNDS Lloyds Nationwide - busine55 instant sover 50.907 87.408 43,107 85,993 Combined unrestricted and restricted funds 138,315 129,100 ASSETS RETAINED FOR THE CHARITY'S OWN USE Dandelion at trustees valuation Halseyon Days - at trustees valuation 56.500 135.000 56,500 135,000 191,500 191,500 Signed on behalf of the trustees Richard Jayes 281h February 2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BALDWIN TRUST I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Boldwin Trust (the Trust) for the ended 31 st December 2023 set out on pages l and 2. Responslbllllles and basls of report As the charify trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the account5 in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). I report in respect of my exomination of the Trust's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) Ibl of the Act. Independent examlner's statement 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: l . accounting records were not kept in respect of the Twst 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 in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Meirion Thomas. FCA ICAEW 19 & 20 Baxter Gate Loughborough Leics LEI I ITG 281h FebnJary 2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BALDWIN TRUST I report to the Irustees on my examination of the accounts of the Baldwn Trust (the Trust) for the ended 31st December 2023 set out on pages l and 2. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). I report in respect of my examination of the TnJst'5 accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carry7ng out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charify Commission under Section 145151 Ibl of the Acf. Independent examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm Ihat no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: l. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust 05 required by Section 130 of the Act., or 2. the accounts do not accord wtth those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matteT5 in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable proper understanding of fhe accounts to be reached. Signed: Meirion Thom05. FCA ICAEW 19 & 20 Baxter Gate Loughborough Leics LEI I ITG 28th February 2024