The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 29 February 2024.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
Objectives of the charity
To provide recreational, educational and leisure activities for (but not limited to) individuals of all ages with additional physical, mental and/or needs including (but not limited to) providing a multisensory studio, soft play area, educational classes, respite and social support group afforded by way of fundraising through various methods including (but not limited to) the design, manufacture and sale of products and the operation of a café.The charity operates within and for residents of Cheshire East.
Ruby's Fund began in 2008 when Alison Parr, our Founder, identified a lack of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families when she had her daughter Ruby. Ruby was born with a rare chromosome disorder called IDIC 15. Ruby's Fund was a registered charity in 2009 and became a charitable company in 2013.
The Trustees adhere to guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The objects of the charity are addressed through multiple avenues. Ruby's Fund supports children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families and carers who face challenges and barriers due to disability in Cheshire East.
We run an inclusive sensory centre in Congleton with specialist, accessible facilities, and outreach support services and sessions including an outreach service with an accessible mobile sensory vehicle across Cheshire East. Our aim is to improve the overall physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of our children and their families.
As an organisation we are constantly looking to develop a wide variety of inclusive activities and experiences for families.
Children, young people, parents, and carers do not need a formal diagnosis to access Ruby's Fund and can self-refer. We as an organisation are not just here for the children, we are also here to help and support the family as a whole unit providing information signposting, resources and support opportunities.
We run an inclusive sensory centre in Congleton with specialist, accessible facilities which include a sensory room, softplay zone, community café, sensory garden, games room, therapy room, The Pink Pod (1:2:1 room) and staff offices. We offer outreach support services and session which include an outreach service with an accessible mobile sensory vehicle across Cheshire East working in various settings and family homes.
In March 2023 Ruby's Fund started a phased opening of the community café post pandemic. As we navigated our way through this challenging period, we were able to reopen to 5 days a week timetable by September 2023.
Partnership working is important to us at Ruby’s to give our families the best outcomes possible. Last year we delivered 36 partnership sessions with key organisations such as NHS Specialist SEND Practitioners and Speech and Language services, Space 4 Autism, Ability for All, CEIAS, The Wishing Well Project and Cheshire East Council including the family hubs, short breaks team and young carers team.
• 3 Spotlight sessions online with 37 attendances
• 11 Sensory Detectives Training workshops online with 146 attendances
• 1 Carers week professionals drop-in with 14 attendances
• 2 Citizens Advice Drop ins with 10 attendances
• 9 SEND Health Visitor Drop ins with 30 attendances
• 1 Speech & Language Drop in with 5 attendances
• 8 Sensory Circuits sessions with Student OT had 16 attendances
• 1 Therapy Dog session had 5 attendances
Total: 36 partnership sessions with 263 attendances
• Cheshire & Warrington Carers Trust used our venue to run a monthly coffee morning for parent/carers and holiday sessions
• Smile Group used our venue to run a monthly family session for families living with peri-natal mental health challenges
Like many other organisations, we have continued to be creative and adaptable in our approach to service delivery and income generation. This year, like the previous year presented us with a growing demand for our expertise, services, and facilities. As an organisation we are working at all levels to implement our 5-year strategic plan.
As a team we have spent this year thinking about what our core values are at Ruby’s and how we can live our values as a Ruby’s team member. Our agreed values are:
1. kind
2. accountable
3. inclusive
4. creative
The sensitive support that we provide at Ruby’s requires a caring environment, and to help us uphold this we have created a set of values that underpins everything that we do.
Ruby’s SEND Team Registrations Report (2021-2024) – data since the introduction of our CRM system Charitylog
Total Registrations since 2021:
• 835 SEND Children
• 1178 Parent Carers
• 301 Siblings
Registrations in 2023-24:
• 250 SEND Children
• 225 Parent Carers
• 38 Siblings
Our services:
We ran a varied timetable of sessions, activities, and workshops from March 2023 to February 2024 including:
Short Breaks for children with emerging or diagnosed needs aged 0-8 years old continued to be commissioned by Cheshire East Council to provide termtime after school sessions, weekend short break sessions, and holiday short break sessions
Siblings Wellbeing & Social Club is a monthly group to provide peer support, reduce social isolation and to provide a young carer break for siblings of children with SEND aged 5-15yrs.
Parent Carer Lunch Club Congleton & Crewe are in person peer support sessions facilitated by Ruby’s SEND workers
Saturday SEND Family Social Congleton, a monthly peer support session, facilitated by Ruby’s SEND workers for families with children with SEND
SEND Sunday Crewe, peer support session, facilitated by Ruby’s SEND workers for families with children with SEND
Teatime Club is an afterschool term time sessions for families
Coffee mornings & cuppa in the café sessions facilitated by Ruby’s SEND workers for families with children with SEND
Counselling - we have been able to support parent carers and couples with counselling to help them with the challenges they face as parent carers.
Spotlight sessions are online monthly sessions on topics such as short breaks to provide information to parent carers with an opportunity for questions and answers
The sensory resource library was developed alongside the Sensory detective programme but as a stand-alone offer to families as funding has ended for Sensory Detectives. Families can borrow a sensory item before committing to buy an item without knowing if it is suitable for their child's need.
Outreach sessions facilitated by Ruby’s SEND workers including the sensory bus
SEND holiday sessions including cost of living support
16-25 SEND Volunteer project offering volunteering opportunities for young people with SEND
Our impact:
SEND sessions at the Centre
We delivered 271 SEND events with 1844 attendances
Ruby’s has delivered the following SEND sessions at Ruby’s Sensory Centre:
• Teatime club has 162 members and had 383 attendances at 20 sessions
• SEND Cuppa in the café has 75 members and had 117 attendances at 11 sessions
• Saturday SEND Family Social has 339 members and had 243 attendances at 8 sessions
• SEND Parent Carer Lunch Club has 46 members and had 259 attendances at 14 sessions
• School Holiday Lunch Club has 25 members and had 25 attendances at 1 session
• School Holiday Disco had 15 attendees at 1 session
• Relax Kids Holiday Sessions has 23 attendances at 2 sessions
• Siblings Group has 144 members and has had 210 attendances at 11 sessions
• Cheshire East Council commissioned Short Breaks has 152 members and has had 350 attendances at 107 sessions
• Cost of Living Holiday Support has 63 members and had 63 attendances over 5 days during the school holidays for a hot meal and a warm place to be.
• Halloween party had 18 attendees at 1 session
• SEND Christmas Party had 49 attendees plus Father Christmas!
• Drop in Family support sessions provides 356 hrs of family support over 89 sessions
SEND Outreach data including taking our mobile sensory bus
Ruby’s SEND team has hosted the 40 outreach sessions across Cheshire East (290 hours):
• 3 outreach sessions in Macclesfield with 71 attendances
• 3 outreach lunch sessions in Crewe with 28 attendances
• 3 outreach Sunday sessions in Crewe with 23 attendances
• 6 outreach sessions in Alsager with 10 attendances
• 25 outreach sessions at schools and other settings with 350 attendances
• 30 individuals went to Chester Zoo
• Out of hours telephone support provided 20 appointments over 35 available sessions
Centre data
In 2023-24 the team at Ruby’s Sensory Centre has welcomed:
• 8613 visits to its community café sessions over 156 sessions
• 346 sensory room visits (outside of SEND sessions)
• 11,700 visits to sessions held in our Siblings room over 117 sessions
Total Visits to the centre: 20,659
16-25 SEND Volunteering Project
• 12 SEND volunteers
• Average of 42 hours volunteering time per person
Financial position
The financial impact of the pandemic has continued to impact our organisation as funding streams have been reduced with local authority decommissioning or reducing contracts which in turn affects the families we support. Ruby's Fund continues to work tirelessly to adapt our charity services and offer ensuring we are firstly able to support our families but, secondly that we are able to continue to generate income through grant funding and contracts.
Our financial objectives for the future (but not limited to) are:
• Develop new innovative income streams
• Continue to work closely with partners to identify and develop family centred support
• Launch fundraising initiatives to support us to pay off our mortgage on the building
• Continue to address the usual core funding deficit by exploring diverse sources
• Look to develop partnership working with other organisations and professionals
• Secure multiyear funding for staff to ensure stability and longevity of the service
The income for the year ended 29th February 2024 was £326,100 (2023 £487,123) with expenses totalling £396,001 (£402,193 2023). The total funds as at 29th February 2024 were £152,200 unrestricted (£84,948 2023) and £277,814 (£414,967 2023).
During the last year the Directors reviewed the average costs in detail. The monthly expenditure has been monitored at £19,133 to cover core costs of core staff wages, mortgage interest, subscriptions, utility bills, accountancy fees and insurance. The reserves are currently set at £50,000 and are reviewing the reserve level.
FUTURE PLANS
• Continued implementation of our strategic business plan 2023-2028.
• Implementation of our marketing and communications strategy.
• Secure funding for lift to make the whole centre accessible.
• Look for longer term ambitions for the organisation.
• Implement our fund-raising strategy.
• Review the risk register annually or as required
• Provide volunteering opportunities for young people with disabilities within the charity.
• Grow the reach and reputation of Ruby's Fund as a trusted provider of support services for families accords Cheshire East.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governance of the charity
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. It is governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association dated March 2013. Ruby's Fund is registered with the Charity Commission and Companies House. Anybody over the age of 18 years old can be a member and at 28th February 2024, there were 3 members.
The trustees who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
The structure of the board of trustees
The Directors (Trustees) for the charity and their responsibilities are:
• Andrew Pear Chairperson
• John Stewart Treasurer
• Matthew Lewis
• Emma Farr
• Adrian Swindells
• Carol Braniff
• Alison Parr Company Secretary (non-voting)
The governance of Ruby's Fund is through a bi-monthly management meeting and sub-committee meetings, where key decisions on the future of the charity are taken by Trustees. As well as the trustees, these meetings are attended by a parent carer representative. The Board of Trustees has delegated the day-to-day management of the organisation to Alison Parr, Charity Leader and company secretary. Alison is responsible for the line management of the other permanent staff employed and also the health and safety, and other statutory responsibilities of centre users. Trustees are also in contact with Ruby's Fund staff on a regular basis between the management meetings.
The Charity Leader and Finance Officer are authorised to approve expenditure up to limits set by the trustees. Outside the meetings, authority for expenditure over those limits is required via email from two or all trustees, depending on the value.
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
Trustee selection
The Trustees are elected by other board members, the number being decided at the Annual General Meeting. The Trustees have the power to co-opt up to 10 Trustees. When co-opting Trustees, the Board has regard to the requirement for any specialist skills.
During the year the trustees proposed to elect five new members to increase the range of skills and experience amongst the Board. These trustees have experience that covers leadership and management, financial management, procurement, health and communities, and fundraising. Once invested, new trustees were provided with an introductory pack, including relevant guidance from the Charity Commission.
Staff and volunteers
Ruby's Fund has the following members of staff:
- Charity Leader (PT)
- Finance Officer (PT)
- Income Generation & Communication Manager (PT)
- Lead SEND Worker (PT)
- SEND Workers x 3 (PT)
- Short Breaks Co-ordinator (PT)
- Short Breaks session workers x 5 (PT)
- Centre Manager (FT)
- Café Supervisor (FT)
- Café assistants x 2 (PT)
Volunteer data
One volunteer recruitment day with 21 attendances
• 173 hours café and reception volunteers
• 504 hours 16-25 SEND volunteers
• 144 hours Trustee hours
We are members of or affiliated with:
• CVSCE - Community & Voluntary Services Cheshire East
• East Cheshire Chamber of Commerce
• NVCO
• Information Commissioners Office
• Fundraising Regulator
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered Company name & number - Ruby's Fund 08456065 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity name & number - Ruby's Fund 1152148
Registered office
Meridian House
Roe Street
Congleton
Cheshire
CW12 1PG
Bank - The Co-operative Bank
Reflections on the year from Alison Parr
This year has continued to present new challenges which Ruby’s team has approached with professionalism and a strong team spirit. Like many other third sector organisations, Ruby’s has seen a reduction in income which meant a review of our services. The team responded to this challenge with a positive and creative attitude to ensure our families continue to receive the high-quality support they expect from Ruby’s.
This year we enjoyed a much-needed return to event and community fundraising after a break during the pandemic. We hosted Ruby’s Star Ball at Congleton Town Hall, enjoyed our second Summer Lunch at The Lion & Swan and re-launched ‘Wear Red for Ruby’s’ with support from nurseries, schools and businesses.
I have pondered upon my favourite moments of the year and there are too many to mention here. If you have a few minutes to spare scroll through our social media pages, as they are an excellent diary of all that we do at Ruby’s.
On a personal note, I am proud of our team for supporting my daughter Ruby into her volunteering role at Ruby’s. As a young person with significant complex needs herself, opportunities are scarce. The 16–25-year-old SEND volunteering project has proved to be a great success providing much needed opportunities for young people.
I cannot write my reflections without saying thank you to the children, young people, and families that we support at Ruby’s. The SEND journey isn’t always easy, but we are always there for our families through the highs and lows. We are immensely proud and privileged to be part of their journey.
Chair of Trustees – Andrew Pear
The Ruby’s team has been supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families across Cheshire East since 2013, an achievement to be greatly celebrated and reflected upon. Not only has Ruby’s positively impacted many young lives during this time, giving many children the opportunity to access social, recreational and respite opportunities, but Ruby’s has also provided a lifeline to many families struggling to navigate the world of SEND. The experience gained in this decade of operation has equipped the team of staff and volunteers at Ruby’s to effectively support children and their families and for this I personally express my thanks to the dedication of our team.
In 2023-2024 we reviewed the mission and objectives of Ruby’s and listened to what our children and families told us they needed to thrive. This review formed the basis of the Board of Trustees agreeing Ruby’s 5-year strategic plan. We are a year into the plan and have made progress in all areas.
Ruby’s like the families we support have felt the impact of the cost-of-living crisis with loss of local authority funding and increased overheads. Despite these challenges the resilient Ruby’s team have successfully managed to re-open our community café which was closed during the pandemic. This has brought our centre back to life and we have seen an average footfall of 1000 visits per month.
Thanks must be given to the local community, organisations, funders, and businesses for their continued support: their volunteer hours, donations and words of support are appreciated beyond measure. Without such support we would not be able to support the children and families in the way that we do.
The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Ruby's Fund (the charity) for the year ended 29 February 2024.
As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ACCA, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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 a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Ruby's Fund is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Meridian House, Roe Street, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 1PG, England.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Income from government and other grants, whether 'capital' grants or 'revenue' grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition. Items held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured the lower of replacement cost and cost.
Net realisable value is the estimated selling price less all estimated costs of completion and costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
Grants receivable
Income
Income
Income
Income
Income
Income
Light and heat
Telephone
Rent, rates and water
Insurance
Postage and stationery
Travel and motor
Craft and play equipment
Advertising and promotion
Repairs and cleaning
Training
IT software, consumables and website
Room and equipment hire
Purchases
Subscriptions
Sundries
None of the trustees trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The long-term loans are secured by fixed charges over the property of Meridian house, Roe Street, Congleton, CW12 1PG dated 1 July 2021.
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).