Charitable Funds Committee Assurance Report

Meeting:

 Corporate Trustee

Date:

10.05.2023

Report Title:

 Charitable Funds Committee Assurance Report

Agenda Item:

 CT23/4/02

Committee Date

 19.04.2023

Meeting Chair:

Neville Hounsome, Non-Executive Director 

Meeting quorate

YES

Purpose:

Assurance

Recommendation:

Link to Strategic Objective

Be an exceptional place to work, volunteer and learn

X

Provide outstanding quality of care and performance

X 

Be excellent collaborators and innovators as system partners

X 

Be an environmentally and financially sustainable organisation

X 

Summary of Items Considered at the Meeting

Issue

Consideration

Resolution/Outcome

Assurance

NHS Charities Together Funding

Stage 1 Charities Together (CT) projects have been largely delivered. Stage 2 has well defined project plans which are delivering benefits. 6 roving cars for CFRs have gone live and have contributed to a 50% increase in CFR attendance at falls. Our Unmet Needs pilot has now helped 400 patients in 3 months (see appendix 2).

We have bid for a further £120k of NHS Charities Together funds for Covid recovery projects. These monies will support a revised model of welfare wagons providing more staff support rather than more consumables. The Trust is also funding aspects of this proposal. 

Restricted NHS Charities Together funds have well thought through project plans. So, the receipt of grant this year for spending this and future years was not a concern.

 Substantial

 Grants and Legacies

A grant application for the Charity Development Grant (£30k) was successful.

The Charity received a legacy of £300k late last year. Once the sale of the property which forms part of this legacy is complete, we anticipate further unrestricted funds of £150k - £250k but to realise the full value of the property requires some investment).

This will fund a new charities finance system and part time communications support.

Committee approved the expenditure of c£40k on the legacy property

Substantial

Charity Capacity

The role of Charity Support Officer has been offered and accepted. This part time role will support the Head of Charity as we grow the number of projects (large and small) we support via charitable funds.  

An example of one smaller project recently delivered with our funds is the refurbishment of the Hammond Road quiet room  (image at appendix 1)

Substantial

 Charity Branding

Our new branding has been launched supported by the distribution of packets of seeds to staff. (appendix 1). 

External website will be updated to reflect new charity branding

Substantial

Expenditure

Currently there is a risk that charitable funds held locally in some CFR funds and some station funds are underutilised. The Committee will review these at its’ next meeting or the one after.

The Committee agreed the closure of the Stalham and Smallburgh CFR fund with the remaining c£5k being held in stasis for a period of time.

Funding for the training of 30 cultural ambassadors (£30k) was agreed on the basis that this becomes a BaU matter for the Trust in future years.

Moderate

Matters for escalation or referral

Issue

Reason

 Annual Report and Accounts

The annual report and accounts will be made available to the Board. As will any bid or funding decisions over the Committee’s level of delegated authority.   

Charitable Funds Committee Annual Review and Terms of Reference

Committee members said they agreed or strongly agreed with 35 questions in its’ annual review of effectiveness for 2022 / 23. 1 response upon metrics was adjudged neither agree nor disagree.   

The Committee approved the annual report and Terms of Reference (see 7 above) for referral to Audit and Risk Committee.