We aim to be transparent to all our stakeholders and are committed to providing clear and timely information on our finances and performance. Our annual report and accounts offer a detailed analysis of our performance, and a summary of our achievements over the year. As well as a review of highlights of the year, we share a look at what we are planning for the future.
Each report includes the Annual Trustees’ Report, Auditors’ Report and Financial Statements for the financial year to 30 April. All our published accounts are available from the Charity Commission.
Information about the Foundation is also available from the Scottish Charity Regulator.
Report highlights 2021-22
2021/22 was a milestone year for the Foundation as we marked our 5th anniversary by sharing a total of £45,000 in unrestricted grants, extended our Bursary fund for young people and increased the number of Bursary partners to 8, welcomed the mental health and wellbeing charity Lifelink to our partner network, and hosted our first AGM.
In addition to ensuring that multiyear funding arrangements were confirmed for the next 3 years, we offered an unrestricted top up to our small and medium sized charity partners to support their ongoing investment in people, reserves and services.
Following the successful rollout of our Bursary for young people in 2020, the trustees committed to increased funding for 2021/22. Bursary grants were distributed via charity partners, to support young people aged 16 to 25 to remain in, or move into, education, training, volunteering or employment. A total of 266 young people across Scotland, North-East England, the Midlands and in London were directly supported through the Bursary scheme.
The Foundation supported its communities and young people priorities through virtual, specialist and physical volunteering across the UK, and although volunteering continued to be constrained by the pandemic, we were delighted to see Hymans Robertson LLP achieve over 1,000 hours of volunteering time with a broad range of charitable organisations.
In 2021/22, the Foundation also made donations of £10,000 to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to support the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, and £5,000 to Oxygen for India Appeal to help relieve a critical shortage in oxygen supplies during a devastating increase in COVID cases.
Looking ahead, it’s time to pause and reflect on the delivery of our 10-year strategy. The Board will prioritise a review of the strategy and produce a new 3-year operational plan which reflects the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the emerging challenges around the cost-of-living crisis.
