Rainbow Rehoming Centre Financial Statements For Year Ended 31 August 2022_________
Report of the trustees for the year ended 31 August 2022
The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements and independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31 August 2022.
Reference and administration details
| Name | Rainbow Rehoming Centre |
|---|---|
| Charity Number | NIC 102019 |
| Company Registration Number | NI051496 |
| Principal Address | 4g Ballygudden Road |
| Eglinton | |
| Londonderry | |
| BT47 3AF | |
| Independent Examiner | Laurie Duffy FCA |
| L Duffy & Co | |
| Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors | |
| 12 Queen Street | |
| Derry | |
| BT48 7EG | |
| Bankers | Danske Bank |
| 127 Glenshane Road | |
| Londonderry | |
| BT47 2LN | |
| Trustees | |
| Barbara Lowry | Chair |
| Mary McGrory | Secretary |
| Anna Hyndman | |
| Jacqueline Williamson | |
| Martha McClelland | |
| Christina McClements |
Structure, governance and management
The company is a company limited by guarantee. The company is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association.
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Rainbow Rehoming Centre Financial Statements For Year Ended 31 August 2022_________
Objectives and activities
For over 20 years the main focus of Rainbow Rehoming has been to help stray, abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs, mainly in and around the North West of Ireland.
Rainbow Rehoming Centre believes that all cats and dogs deserve a good life and a safe, loving home.
Rainbow Rehoming Centre exists:
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To care for stray, abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs until their forever homes are found, no matter how long it takes
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To provide the best possible welfare for all the cats and dogs that come into our care
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To educate the public about responsible cat and dog ownership
Rainbow Rehoming Centre aspires to provide a safe place for stray, abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs. We provide the highest standards of welfare for all the animals in our care. We are a big family, made up of our cats and dogs, staff, adopters, volunteers, supporters - all changing lives together. We're proud to say that an RRC cat or dog is always an RRC cat or dog, and we are committed to providing support for them throughout their lives.
Performance and achievements
We found forever homes for 106 dogs and 218 cats, and 11 dogs were transferred to Dogs Trust. They may have left our care, but they leave behind precious memories of the times we spent together. We are overjoyed that 324 RRC pets are now enjoying a new home with their adoptive families. These families are sharing the joys of offering a rescued animal their new beginning, promoting the ethos of 'adopt don't shop' with their families, friends and communities.
This year we have seen an increase in the number of dogs seeking a rescue space. Approximately 90% of the dogs that came into our care were surrendered by their owners. These owners did not research the breed of dog that they took into their home and this has led to the owners being unable to manage the dog. Most of these dogs were also less than two years old and had received no training and/or limited socialising with other dogs and people - due to this, many of the dogs had developed behavioural issues. Most of the dogs had also received no basic veterinary treatment, for instance vaccinations or parasite treatment and there was also an increase in the number of dogs with untreated medical conditions.
We also saw an increase in the number of stray cats seeking a rescue space and coming into our care.
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Rainbow Rehoming Centre Financial Statements For Year Ended 31 August 2022_________
We continue to see an increase in requests from the public seeking help with feral cats. Our volunteer cat trapper has been kept very busy and remains committed to wanting to change lives, by actively working alongside the public to get these cats neutered and the prospect of a better life.
After the easing of the Coronavirus restrictions, we were able to continue with our annual fundraising events. e.g. Pooches in the Park and Spooky Paws Walk the Walls, both of which were very successful in 2022.
The opportunities to fundraise in our local community e.g flag days and bag packs remains very limited, so we continue to rely on online fundraising and public support as our main source of income.
Our supporters and public reach on our social media platforms continue to increase and we have also increased our educational posts as this provides an opportunity to inform the public on animal welfare and help and advice for pets, not only for dogs and cats but other pets and wild animals.
Over the past year we have had a record number of volunteers register with us, including those who are interested in fostering. These volunteers are vital to the running of the Centre and the number of animals we can help. Their contribution cannot be overstated. We would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to all our volunteers for choosing to support us and to changing the lives of those cats and dogs that need us.
This year we offered our staff and volunteers hands on dog behavioural training at our Centre carried out by a local dog behaviourist. We also offered online first aid training.
We also reviewed our current dog and cat application form. This has saved us a lot of time in identifying the right family for the dogs and cats in our care.
We also looked at a few potential sites for a new Rainbow Rehoming Centre, but unfortunately, we were outbid on these.
Contributing to the Community
We offer help, support and advice to members of the public who have encountered an injured, sick or straying cat or dog or to owners who have made the decision to rehome their pet. We also deal with concerns of missing pets, animal cruelty and feral cats living in our catchment area.
We promote positive relationships between our local communities, other animal rescue communities and our RRC family by interacting with one another at our events or on our social media platforms.
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Rainbow Rehoming Centre Financial Statements For Year Ended 31 August 2022_________
We offer a variety of volunteer experiences at our rehoming Centre and off-site. Our network of over forty volunteers work together with the aim of making life better for animals and the people who love them.
We also work in partnership with other animal organisations and many of our volunteers carry out home checks on behalf of these organisations.
For many years RRC volunteers have worked extremely hard alongside the public to reduce the high numbers of feral cats and they are dedicated, not only to feral cat welfare, but also to helping the communities they visit.
In addition to these public benefits there are a number of private benefits as a result of the services that we provide. Local businesses benefit from the activities generated by the Centre as we use local suppliers of animal related goods and we utilise local veterinary practices.
As a local employer the RRC is helping to provide employment in an area that has one of the highest levels of unemployment in the North of Ireland.
Educating the Community
We are passionate about educating the public about responsible cat and dog ownership and other animal welfare issues. We continue to do this through our social media platforms and via articles in the local press. We welcome every opportunity to engage with visitors to our Centre and at our events.
We offer information to the public on the five freedoms of animal welfare and highlight the importance of using these freedoms to identify and report any animal they believe is being subjected to cruelty. We also educate the public about the agencies to whom they should report animal cruelty.
We continue to educate the public on the importance of neutering feral/wild cats and how this will help to reduce their numbers.
Future Plans
We will continue to search for a site for a new Rainbow Rehoming Centre.
We plan to update our logo.
We are in the process of setting up a new website which will make the process easier of adopting an animal in our care; easier for volunteers to register with us and easy access to information on ways to support us.
We plan to review and update our current paperwork for the animals that come through our Centre.
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Rainbow Rehoming Centre Financial Statements For Year Ended 31 August 2022_________
We have hands on dog first aid training planned and we continue to engage with staff to determine what training would be required to enhance their existing skills and knowledge.
To help reduce the number of domestic and feral cats in the North West, our volunteers plan to do door to door leaflet drops .
Financial review
The charity has had another successful year. In this difficult economic climate, the charity’s income was £145,606 (2021 - £187,692) and there was a deficit of income against expenditure of £19,182 (2021 – surplus of £39,620).
Reserves policy
The trustees have established the level of reserves (that is those funds that are freely available) that the charity ought to have. Reserves are needed to bridge any funding gaps that may occur and should be maintained at the equivalent of 3 months expenditure in order for the charity to continue its activities. Unrestricted reserves at the 31 August 2022 were £47,410 (2021 - £66,542).
Statement of Compliance
The Directors of the RRC, in the setting of our objectives and in the planning of our activities for this year, have given due care and attention to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's guidance on public benefit and thus ensuring that the activities have helped to achieve the charity's purposes.
Legal Status
The Rainbow Rehoming Centre is a Company Limited by Guarantee and not having a share capital.
Governing Document
The charity is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 18 August 2004 and each member agrees to contribute £1 in the event of the charity winding up.
Risk Management
The Directors actively review the risks and uncertainties that the charity faces and establishes policies and procedures to mitigate these risks.
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Rainbow Rehoming Centre Flnancial Statements For Year Ended 31 Au ust 2022 Statement of trustees, responsibilities The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting PracticL. The law applicable to charitics in Northern Ireland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for the year. In preparing these fjnancial statements, the trustees arc requircd to. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015 (FRS 102)" make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent. stste whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followel subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statemenis" prcpare the financial statcments on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable ihem lo ensure that the financial stalements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the chatitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularilies. In so far as the trustecs arc aware: there is no relevant audit inforniation of which the charity's auditor is unaware; and the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves awarc of any rclevant audit inforniation and to establish that the auditor is aware of that infomiation. Independent Examiners A resolution will be proposed at the AGM that L Duffy & Co be re-appointed &8 independent examiners to the charity for the ensuing year. The trustees declare that they have approved the trustee's report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees on 7 March 2023 by Anna Hyndman Barbara Loivry 7 March 2023 (Chairperson)