Charity registration number: 206629
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 31 December 2019
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RSPCA Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019, Study notes of Veterinary
The annual report and financial statements of the RSPCA Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch for the year ended 31 December 2019. It includes reports from the Chair, Trustees, and Independent Examiner, as well as statements of financial activities, balance sheet, and cash flows.
What you will learn
- What were the major expenses of the Branch in 2019 and 2018?
- What were the major sources of income for the Branch in 2019 and 2018?
- What was the investment strategy of the Branch in 2019 and what changes were planned for 2020?
- What was the total income and expenditure of the Branch in 2019 and 2018?
- What were the achievements of the RSPCA Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch in 2019?
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Charity registration number: 206629
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch
Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2019
Branch
- Reference and Administrative Details 1 - Contents
- Report of the Chair 3 to
- Trustees' Report 5 to
- Independent Examiner's Report
- Statement of Financial Activities 15 to
- Balance Sheet
- Statement of Cash Flows
- Notes to the Financial Statements 19 to
Branch
Reference and Administrative Details
Solicitors Leathes Prior Hansells 74 The Close Cambridge House Norwich 26 Tombland NR1 4DR Norwich NR3 1RE Investments Advisers Rathbone Investment Management Port of Liverpool Building Pier Head Liverpool L3 1NW
Branch
Report of the Chair
I am delighted to present the 2019 Branch annual report which details the outstanding achievements and significant progress that has been achieved by the Branch during the year.
- Governance: I am delighted to have welcomed a number of new Trustees to the Board during the year (Gavin Egmore, Joe Faulkner and Andrea Shepheard) all of whom have added to the existing skill set of the already strong Trustee board. Gavin is a qualified accountant with a wealth of experience in governance and internal controls, Joe has years of experience in business development and helping his clients achieve profitable growth and Andrea brings with her significant experience in governance and organisational skills and as such I have asked her to take over the role as Branch Secretary. I am also delighted that Gemma agreed to take on the role as Vice Chair. We did say goodbye to Sue, Jen and Suzanne as Trustees, who all for personal reasons felt the time was right for them to take a step back and so I did want to acknowledge their significant contribution and support to the Branch over many years with heartfelt thanks. We also took the opportunity to revise and refresh our governing policies and procedures which underpin our ways of working, internal control and risk management framework. At each monthly Trustee Board meeting this framework is robustly reviewed and challenged by the Trustees
- Staffing: Following on from the success of our significant staff transformation programme in 2018, we continued to strengthen our operational team with the following appointments during 2019; Two full time and one part time Animal Welfare Officers, one Receptionist and one Customer & Volunteering Services Officer. For the first time in Branch history we also now have a trained Mental Health First Aider following the successful training undertaken by the Central Services Manager. Under the Chief Executive’s continued supervision and guidance our amazing staff and volunteers have, for the 2019 period, achieved the most successful outcomes since the inception of the Branch, as detailed below.
- Operational Performance : The stats speak for themselves; We achieved the following increased performance compared to 2018: ▪ Adoptions – 99% increase (from 276 to 550) ▪ Animals taken into our care – 105% increase (from 373 to 767) ▪ Increase in neutering vouchers – 196% increase (from 691 to 2,050) ▪ Reduction in overall cost per animal – 24% decrease (from £162.04 to £123.06) ▪ Retail : We successfully opened the new Dereham shop, took on the two shops following the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch merger, and set up the Digital eBay store and maximised our Gift Aid position.
- Merger: On 1st^ September 2019 we successfully completed the merger with the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch. This resulted in our new Branch name going live (RSPCA Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk) and increased our Branch area by 1,500sqm to 4,500sqm. The transition was seamless, again all down to the hard work of the CEO and Senior Management Team.
- Financial: We have continued to maintain a very strong financial position with financial stability assured for the long term. We tendered our banking services towards the later part of 2018 and as a result have changed banking providers for 2019. The process we went through has ensured value for money and an enhanced, more robust streamlined service provision.
- The future : This is exciting times for the Branch and we have a number of new initiatives and activities both immediately and on the horizon. The key ones being:
Branch
Trustees' Report
The trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2019. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document The Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk Branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a separately registered Branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the Society) that operates in accordance with the regulations and policies of the National Society, carrying out its direct animal welfare work across the Branch area. The area covered reaches from the north Norfolk coast, to Dereham in the East, across to Lowestoft in the West and as far south as Snape and Thorpeness – a total of over 4, square miles. The charity is controlled by its governing document a deed of trust and is an unincorporated charity. Recruitment and appointment of new Trustees Trustees are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and are drawn from nominated individuals who have been members of the Branch for at least three months prior to the AGM date. Trustees are appointed either from their membership of the RSPCA National Society, or via co-option onto the committee. Potential Trustees are interviewed and have to attend 1-2 committee meetings before being voted onto the committee. External Trustee training is offered to all new Trustees as part of their induction. A representative from the board of Trustees and the Chief Executive Officer attend the RSPCA Eastern Regional Board meetings, meeting fellow Trustees and senior staff from other Branches along with regional National Society staff and members of the RSPCA Inspectorate to share knowledge, best practice, Branch experiences and building a network of colleagues. Staff Development The Trustees are committed to the training of staff to improve the skills and qualifications of employees both for career progression and to ensure that we have a workforce who is highly skilled in their area of expertise, thus enabling the Branch to perform at its peak. In 2019, the Animal Welfare Manager achieved certification in the Management of Initial Training in Animal Centres. The members of the Animal Welfare team also attended training courses on First Aid at Work, Dogs in RSPCA Care and Cats in RSPCA Care, with the newer members of the Animal Welfare team also gaining qualifications in microchip implantation. The Central Services Manager became qualified as a Mental Health First Aider, the Customer & Volunteering Services Officer attended training courses on Safeguarding for Volunteer Managers and Volunteering and the Law, and the Receptionist attended Assertiveness training and gained an HABC Level 2 Award in Customer Service. Along with members of the Central Services team, the Shop Managers and Shop Deputy Managers also attended First Aid at Work, Fire Safety Awareness and Time Management training courses. The Chief Executive Officer, Animal Welfare Manager, Central Services Manager, Retail Development Manager, Deputy Retail Development Manager and Education & Events Officer all attended the annual RSPCA Animal Welfare Conference in April which was a great opportunity for networking, sharing best practice and furthering knowledge of all things animal welfare with their peers.
Branch
Trustees' Report
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The National Society The RSPCA National Society was founded in 1824 and was granted the "Royal" prefix by Queen Victoria in
- The current constitution of the RSPCA was created by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1932; the work of the National Society is governed by the RSPCA Act and by the rules of the National Society. Membership of the National Society is by subscription and may be on a life, annual or junior basis. The National Society is governed by an elected board of (up to 12) Trustees who, subject to the rules, control the affairs, funds, property, and proceedings of the National Society. They are assisted in the administration of the Society by a central organisation, three regional headquarters and 150+ local Branches across England and Wales. The Branch A Committee, elected at the AGM, governs each Branch. Members of the committee are the Trustees of the Branch and they have individual and collective responsibility for the governance of the Branch and its funds. Subject to the overall supervision of the National Society, the committee controls and monitors all the fundraising and animal welfare initiatives and charity shops in Attleborough, Bungay, Cromer, Dereham, Lowestoft, Norwich Magdalen Street, Norwich Queens Road, Sheringham, and Wymondham. The Trustees meet on a monthly basis to discuss the running of the Branch, receiving reports from the Chief Executive Officer and members of the senior management team. Decisions are taken with regards to the governance of the Branch and the overall strategic aims. Branch animals are kept at private boarding establishments with their administration and welfare the responsibility of the Animal Welfare Manager and Animal Welfare Team. Shop management is delegated to the individual shop managers, overseen by the Retail Development Manager and Deputy Retail Development Manager. Branch finances are now outsourced to Farnell Clarke Accountants and overseen by the Central Services Manager. The Animal Welfare Manager, Retail Development Manager and Central Services Manager all report to the Chief Executive Officer, who subsequently is managed by the Chair of Trustees. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governance The Trustees meet regularly, usually once a month, and have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The Trustees confirm major risks have been reviewed and systems/procedures have been established to manage those risks. The Board of Trustees once again reviewed its skill set and as a result appointed new Trustees during the year who bought with them a wealth of experience including: risk management, business development and finance. Each Trustee is required to sign an annual Trustee declaration that confirms their commitment and ability to act in the role as a Trustee of the Branch. All meetings are formally minuted and detail a clear action log to be followed up at future meetings. All Trustee board meetings have been quorate during the year. In additional to the regular monthly Trustee meetings, a separate meeting between the Trustees and senior management team is held in the Autumn to specifically discuss and plan the strategy for the following year.
Branch
Trustees' Report
Overall Branch Performance – Chief Executive Officer 2019 was another good year for the Branch and the people and their animals that required our services. The overall upward performance of the Branch continued in the same manner as it had been from 2018, and we were delighted to be able to expand our operations further throughout the year. With the rapid growth of the Branch throughout 2018, it became clear early in 2019 that the Branch was outgrowing the administration offices in Longwater, Norwich and it was agreed that along with completing the merger with the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch, the other main priority for 2019 was to locate and move into bigger, better and fit for purpose administration offices. Any new premises would need to comfortably accommodate the staff and numerous animals that passed through Branch offices on a daily basis, be central to the (large, post-RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch merger) Branch area, allow for further growth in the future and offer the possibility of alternative veterinary provision and/or revenue streams. The vacant animal welfare suite at Easton & Otley College was identified as fitting all of the criteria, and negotiations with the college were entered into, with a provisional moving date of summer 2019 being agreed. Despite the best efforts of the Branch and some considerable expense, the moving date kept being pushed back later and later in the year, and sadly in December 2019, the new owners of the college informed the Branch that they were no longer prepared to let the animal welfare suite to the Branch. Whilst this was very disappointing to accept, the search now continues for new premises to move to, with the hope that an even better site will be secured in 2020. On a much more positive note, after over a year in the planning, the proposed merger between the RSPCA Norwich & Mid Norfolk Branch and the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch became official on September 1st, 2019, with the new Branch entity being called the RSPCA Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk Branch. This increased the area covered by the Branch from approximately 3,000 square miles to over 4,500 square miles in total and included new towns served by the Branch such as Lowestoft, Beccles, Bungay and Southwold. The merger also increased the Branch retail portfolio by 50%, with the two former RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch shops in Lowestoft and Bungay joining the newly opened shop in Dereham. These, along with the original six other shops in Attleborough, Cromer, Norwich Magdalen Street, Norwich Queens Road, Sheringham, and Wymondham took the number of shops operated by the Branch to nine overall. This was further added to in the spring of 2019 with the opening of the Branch’s first digital eBay store. None of the amazing work that the Branch does could be achieved without the efforts of the team across all ten Branch sites. Their effort, dedication to the cause and commitment to providing the best possible level of service and care to both people and animals is what makes this Branch the wonderful place that it is. Thank you to everyone involved – staff, volunteers, supporters and Trustees – you have influenced the lives of so many animals in a positive manner, and long may it continue! Animal Welfare Performance – Animal Welfare Manager In 2019, the Animal Welfare Team continued 2018’s improvements with another exceptional year of animal welfare performance. A total of 550 animals were adopted during 2019 resulting in an increase of 99% on 2018’s figures. Some notable figures from animal adoptions in 2019 included: 251 cats (up 47%), 71 dogs (up 129%), 99 birds (up 125%) and 7 reptiles (up 250%) all finding loving new homes.
Branch
Trustees' Report
The Branch also saw an increase in animals taken into our care, up from 373 in 2018 to 767 in 2019 (up 105%), with a large increase in almost all species. These animals entered Branch care via the RSPCA Inspectorate, as sick/injured/stray animals via the RSPCA National Call centre, by way of local veterinary practices, or as a stray/unwanted animal from the general public. There was again a variety of animals admitted ranging from cats, dogs and rabbits, to the more unusual animals such gerbils, terrapins, tarantulas, tortoises, budgies and chickens. We also admitted and treated five wildlife cases from concerned members of the public. Of the 767 animals admitted in total, 550 found loving new homes, 11 were reunited with their owners, 26 animals were released through our trap, neuter & release (TNR) programme, 32 animals were transferred to other facilities, with sadly 54 animals requiring euthanasia and 12 succumbing to their illness or injuries. The Animal Welfare Team continued to assist members of the public who were struggling to pay veterinary bills, or to promote responsible pet ownership and help reduce the number of unwanted pets via our neutering scheme. In 2019, 2,050 neutering and microchipping vouchers were issued for dogs, cats and rabbits including during our special free neutering campaigns (where 249 vouchers were issued). This resulted in a 196% increase in vouchers issued and was helped by the Branch working with several additional veterinary practices in the Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk area – allowing greater coverage. The Branch also assisted the public with 545 welfare vouchers to help those who could not afford to pay their full veterinary bills or who would have otherwise been unable to have their animals treated by a vet. The Animal Welfare Team expanded during 2019, with two additional full-time Animal Welfare Officers joining the Branch in April and a part-time Animal Welfare Officer joining the team in September as part of the merger with the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch. The Branch also continued in our commitment to the personal development of the team, with members of the team attending a variety of animal welfare courses to further both their practical and technical animal welfare skills, along with on the job experience. As previously mentioned, our partnerships strengthened further in 2019, with both additional veterinary practices partners and other local animal welfare organisations. Our preferred veterinary partners comprised of the original three Companion Care veterinary practices, along with 13 new CVS veterinary practices. The joint Cat Group meeting also met regularly to share best practice and assist one another other with issues on cat welfare, with many positive outcomes. Support services - Central Services Manager The Central Services team manages the various core functions of the RSPCA Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk Branch, including customer service, volunteering, IT, Human Resources and Health & Safety processes; our communications such as our online presence, newsletters, printed materials and also provides administrative support for the other departments within the Branch. The aim and purpose is to ensure that we are delivering excellent levels of customer care and communications to the general public whilst also providing a safe and supportive environment for our staff and volunteers. In 2019 we achieved this aim in many different ways and the department saw a lot of changes including the addition of two new members of staff, a re-evaluation and re-branding of the various ways in which we engage with our supporters and a new focus on our volunteer recruitment and management processes.
Branch
Trustees' Report
We had a very successful year with Gift Aid participation, with the Branch receiving nearly £41,000 via Gift Aid by having 31.5% of all Branch donations eligible for claiming Gift Aid. We still have work to do on some of our retail sites to improve their figures and this remains a key focus for us moving forward. Our recycling schemes were hit extremely hard in 2019 as the UK suffered from long periods of items such as bric-a-brac and electricals not being accepted by the recycling businesses as the entire industry had suffered from reduced rates at source. Despite these challenges the Retail team worked creatively to find a solution, making over £18,000 in recycling for the Branch. Increasing and improving relationships with the local and wider communities has always been a goal of the Branch and its shops. We have continued to be involved in local events such as dog shows, 1940’s day, vintage days, fashion shows, quiz nights, children’s drawing competitions and much more. All of these local events are run by our amazing Shop Managers and our wonderful volunteers who devote their own time and dedication to the charity so willingly. We also continued to make our shops fully GDPR compliant, by moving across to a more secure digital platform. The Retail team is always very proactive on this, ensuring that all Branch shops handle data securely. Finally, I want to highlight the amazing team of volunteers and staff members we have, who always go the extra mile for the charity. No matter what, they are there to give their time, energy, specialist skills and dedication in order to raise vital funds for the animals that we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome. Having all this support in the Branch meant we made nearly £167,000 profit in 2019, enabling us to continue to support and carry out our vital animal welfare work in and around our community. FINANCE Financial Overview The activities of the Charity have resulted in a net expense of £462,300 (2018: net income - £10 9 , 438 ), primarily a result of increased expenditure on delivering our charitable objectives. During the year we completed a merger on September 1st, 2019 incorporating the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch (Charity No. 206576 ). All assets were transferred to the RSPCA Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch. The total income for the Branch was £774,423 (2018: £1,025,050) with the main sources of income being retail and legacies. Income from donations and legacies was £168,497 (2018: £3 54 , 526 ), a reduction of £ 1 86,029, fundamentally due to the decreasing number of higher value legacies being left to the Branch. Income from trading activities was £ 46 , 411 lower at £554,068 (2018: £ 600 , 479 ) as a result of the decision to close the shops inherited from the merger with RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Brant. This difficult decision was made by the trustees after turnaround plans didn’t lead to sufficient improvements to financial performance to justify keeping them open. The Trustees work hard to keep governance and support costs in line with the scale of the charity. These costs have increased to £203,094 (2018: £1 41 , 125 ) reflecting the larger area of operation and the Trustees decision to invest more resources in enhancing overall management to provide a firmer foundation for future growth. We are proud to have increased expenditure on animal welfare activities by £ 125 , 576 over the year from £241,1927 to £367,503, meeting the Trustees aspiration to apply more resources to our core activities of animal welfare, education and advice. We are aiming to increase that further in the coming year. The 2018 comparative figures shown above have been adjusted so that they reflect the combined figures for both the Norwich and Mid-Norfolk and Suffolk East Coast branches.
Branch
Trustees' Report
Investment policy We confirm that all investments both present and future have been or will be acquired in accordance with the powers available to the Trustees and all investments are assessed at least annually. Reserves policy At the end of the year the reserves of the Charity had decreased to £1.9m (2018: £2.1m). Within this figure is £93,696 relating to restricted funds (2018: £Nil). The Trustees recognise that this is a substantial balance for a charity of our size and we have set about increasing expenditure on animal welfare services as a result. The Branch currently has sufficient obtainable assets to support the immediate day-to-day financial needs of the Branch for approximately 2 years. The Trustees 2019 Strategy identified an objective to accelerate the expenditure of our excess reserves to deliver our charitable objectives and our medium-term plans are to operate a financial deficit for a number of years from 2020 before reverting back to a break-even position. We hold no designated reserves. GOING CONCERN The Branch has sufficient financial and cash reserves to meet its day to day funding requirements. In assessing the appropriateness of the going concern assumption, the Trustees have prepared forecasts covering the period to 31 December 2020 and have updated these as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and other uncertainties in relation to income and expenditure. Having regard to this the Trustees conclude it is appropriate for the financial statements to be prepared on a going concern basis.
Branch
Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals Mid Norfolk and North Suffolk Branch
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 20 19 which are set out on pages 15 to 33. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity’s trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies. 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:
- accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
- 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 a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. I A Barlow FCCA Sexty & Co Chartered Certified Accountants and Registered Auditors 124 Thorpe Road Norwich NR1 1RS Date: 16 November 2020
Branch
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2019
Note Unrestricted funds £ Restricted funds £ Total 2019 £ Income and Endowments from: Donations and legacies (^2) 168,497 - 168, Charitable activities (^3) 38,255 - 38, Other trading activities (^4) 553,845 223 554, Investment income (^5) 11,948 - 11, Other income (^) 1, 655 - 1, 655 Total Income (^774) , 200 223 77 4, Expenditure on: Raising funds (^6) (5 32 , 82 6) (2 6 , 96 0) (559,786) Charitable activities (^7) ( 586 , 474 ) (25,463) (611,937) Donations to other branches (^) (65,000) - (65,000) Total Expenditure (^) (1, 184 , 300 ) (5 2 , 42 3) (1,236,723) Net income (^) (4 10 , 100 ) (5 2 , 20 0) (462, 300 ) Other recognised gains and losses Other recognised gains and losses (^104) , 108 (10,572) 93, Net movement in funds (^) (3 05 , 992 ) (6 2 , 77 2) (36 8 , 764 ) Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward (^) 2,088,726 - 2,088, Funds from Suffolk East Coast Branch Merger (^) - 156,468 156 , 468 Total funds carried forward (^20 1) ,782, 734 93,696 1,87 6 , 430 On 1st^ September 2019 The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Norwich and Mid-Norfolk Branch successfully completed the merger with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Suffolk East Coast Branch. Amounts relating to the RSPCA Suffolk East Coast Branch after the merger are shown within the restricted fund column above.
Branch
(Registration number: 206629)
Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2019
Note Unrestricted £ Restricted £
Fixed assets Tangible assets (^13) 97,134 14,518 111,652 57, Investments (^14) 483,234 - 483,234 380, 580,368 14,518 594,886 438, Current assets Stocks (^15) 7,412 527 7,939 5, Debtors (^16) 98,661 7,180 105,841 329, Cash at bank and in hand (^) 1,150,716 98,434 1,249,150 1,358, 1,256,789 106,141 1,362,930 1,692, Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year (^17) (54,42 3 ) (26,963) (81,386) (41,755) Net current assets (^) 1,202,36 6 79,178 1,281,544 1,650, Net assets (^) 1,782,73 4 93,696 1,876,430 2,088, Restricted funds (^) - 93,696 93,696 - Unrestricted funds (^) 1,782,734 - 1,782,734 2,088, Total funds (^20) 1,7 82 , 734 93 , 696 1,876,430 2,088, The financial statements on pages 15 to 33 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on 16 November 2020 and signed on their behalf by: Lynn Yallop Stephen Read Trustee Hon. Branch Treasurer
Branch
Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended 31 December 2019
Cash flow from operating activities Net income / (expenditure) for the year (368,764) 89, Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 22,275 14, (Increase) / decrease in investments (102,701) 16, (Increase) / decrease in stock (2,562) 1, (Increase) / decrease in debtors 223,161 155, Increase / (decrease) in creditors 39,631 18, Net cash flow from operating activities (188,960) 296, Cash flow from investing activities Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets (78,812) (54,584) Receipts from sales of tangible fixed assets 1,583 - Cash received from Suffolk East Coast branch merger 1 57,280 - Net cash flow from investing activities 80,051 (54,584) Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (108,909) 242, Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 1,358,059 1,115, Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December 1,249,150 1,358,