Charitable Funds Committee Assurance Report

Meeting: Corporate Trustee

Date: 08.11.23

Report Title: Charitable Funds Committee Assurance Report

Agenda Item: 7.1

Committee Date 18.10.23

Meeting Chair: Alison Wigg, Non-Executive Director

Meeting quorate: YES

Purpose: Assurance

Recommendation: The Board is asked to receive assurance from the business discussed at the meeting and to review the matters for escalation and referral.

Link to strategic objective(s):

• Be an exceptional place to work, volunteer and learn
• Provide outstanding quality of care and performance
• Be excellent collaborators and innovators as system partners
• Be an environmentally and financially sustainable organisation

Summary of Items Considered at the Meeting

Charity Activity Update

• Consideration: Lots of activity for the charity has happened in the last 2 months and much more is planned. Resourcing is an issue and a finance resource is being recruited to help manage the workload.
• Resolution/Outcome: Committee recognised the quantity and quality of work being done by the Charity. Information about the role of trustees in the charity will be highlighted during ‘Trustees week’.
• Assurance: High

NHSCT Grant Application – Progress update

• Consideration: The progress made against the awarded NHS Charities Together( NHS CT) grants. NHS CT and Ambulance Charities Community Resilience Programme. Support for the NHSCT/ Omaze fundraising campaign. CFR Highlight report. Unmet need highlight report. Wellbeing Garden feedback report
• Resolution/Outcome: ACTION: The HoC to update the committee on other ambulance charities feedback on the Omaze opportunity. ACTION: The HoC to link with the DDoF and HoFGC for discussion around red lines/Trustee policies etc. ACTION: The HoC to link with Anna Price to ensure the KPIs data are included in future reports for Unmet Needs. ACTION: The HoCR to provide Falls equipment data from a needs analysis point of view for the next committee meeting. The committee commented on how moving the feedback was on the wellbeing gardens and the impact they are making.
• Assurance: High for NHS CT Grants. Moderate for other areas.

Next Phase of Welfare Wagons

• Consideration: Next phase of the welfare wagons have started with more emphasis on wellbeing. Six wagons have been mobilised to date and have been very well received by staff.
• Resolution/Outcome: ACTION: HWM/DoPS to provide measurable stats to identify the success/ impact of the work and also to questions raised by the committee re: Implementation of the next phase of welfare wagons. Supported the continuation of snacks/ drinks.
• Assurance: Moderate

Communications and Engagement

• Consideration: The communications and engagement progress being made by the team and future plans.
• Resolution/Outcome: Discussed the increase in visibility of the charity since the rebrand and appointment of new charity communications officer. Agreed that a story about CFR work on falls patients would be good to highlight our work in that area.
• Assurance: High

Charity Finance Update

• Consideration: The finances are looking healthy, with significant income and cash reserves. There are also lots of projects underway to use the NHS CT grants. Annual Report and Accounts.
• Resolution/Outcome: Looking to change some of the unrestricted funds which are not being used, so they can be used for other projects. ACTION: SC to liaise with Governance to reschedule the Charitable Funds Committee to an earlier date in January.
• Assurance: High

BB Legacy

• Consideration: Work has started on the house that was left to significantly improve it’s value ( by around £100K). The overall value of the legacy is likely to be over £550k. Need to identify suitable local projects to make the most patient/ staff/ community impact for the legacy.
• Resolution/Outcome: ACTION: The HoC to link up with the Kate Vaughton, Dawn Whelan and Kate Williams to discuss generating ideas on utilising the legacy.
• Assurance: High

Matters for escalation or referral

End of reports.