Easy read annual report and financial summary 31 March 2021
Company registration number: 00539694 Registered charity number: 232402
Vision, mission and values Our vision To see more people with learning and other disabilities lead a life of opportunity
Our mission To empower the people we support to lead more connected and fulfilled lives and make informed life choices Our values
1
Building connections
Enabling potential
Promoting purpose
Environmental respect
We want people to feel like they belong to a community, not just the Camphill Village Trust community they live in but the area that surrounds it. We do this by creating opportunities for people to make friends, and make a positive contribution in their area, this helps people to feel valued rather than isolated or lonely.
We help people to develop, grow and be heard. We help people to feel confident and we listen to what the people we support say and use this to make decisions at the Trust.
We help people to live healthy and happy lives. People supported at the Trust are active and make a difference in their communities and the areas around their communities.
We value and care for the environment. We understand that the environment we live in makes a difference to our wellbeing.
Social impact We believe that people at the Trust and the things we have should make a positive contribution to society. We make this happen by supporting people to come up with ideas to help people in our communities and the wider community around us.
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
A message from our Chair of Trustees and Chief Executive
Chair’s report
Chief Executive’s update
•
• We are so grateful to our supporters who have donated money to help us stay connected throughout the pandemic.
The last year has been memorable. Staying safe through a pandemic and our Chief Executive, Huw John, leaving the Trust after 10 years.
• I would like to thank Huw for his hard work and commitment to the Trust and I know that our new Chief Executive, Sara Thakkar, will rise to the challenge. • I also want to recognise the great way we managed to keep everyone connected through the pandemic with Opportunity TV. • Now we need to help each other to get back to ‘normal’ and build confidence after a very difficult year.
• I would like to thank our staff on the front line for working tirelessly to provide care and support in difficult circumstances. • • •
As we came through the pandemic we launched our Life of Opportunity campaign. Community members have come together to tell us what they want to achieve and developed ‘I Statements’. These statements have helped us to produce a guide on how to best support people. Despite Covid, we have still managed to continue making improvements to our homes and communities, meaning people can live the way they want. Our 65th Anniversary virtual event was a fantastic success. We got the chance to recognise the great work of our community members and colleagues, and share our successes with friends and family.
• We are working hard on our new plans for the future and will launch these plans in March 2022.
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
2
Our year • We launched Opportunity TV, helping people stay connected, learn new skills and have fun during Covid.
• We marked Mental Health Awareness Week as the start of a year long campaign focusing on mental well-being.
• In the fight for equal opportunities for adults with learning disabilities we co-signed a letter to Government demanding equal health care.
• VE Day may not have been the big event we would have liked due to Covid, but community members celebrated in their own way!
April • Catherine trains for the Virtual Great North Run to raise funds for the Trust, at a time when fundraising is needed more than ever. • Support staff at Botton Village help community members enjoy the best staycation ever!
August
• Lee completes a four week course with Mind, helping his mental health through lockdown. • We started work on Little Delrow, an old house which will be converted into five self-contained flats, enabling people to gain more independence.
September
• We celebrated our 65th Anniversary with a glittering online event for colleagues, community members and family & friends.
• Alex, with help from Debbie, presented our Mental Health Workshop live at the national Learning Disability England conference.
• Our Shared Lives team were awarded ‘Most Innovative SL Scheme’ by Shared Lives Plus
• The first cohort of staff and community members receive their first Covid vaccine.
December 3
May
January 2021 The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
Our year (continued) • Covid has prevented Debbie volunteering at the riding centre, determined to stay positive she pens a beautiful poem about her experiences at the centre. • Our Shared Lives Carers meet Liz Kendall, Shadow Health & Social Care Minister, to discuss how they make a difference.
• Mark shares what he is most looking forward to after the pandemic. Julie writes to the PM with her views. • We joined forces with four other providers to produce an online platform where people with a learning disability, their families and support staff could share their experiences of the pandemic.
June • New Mindfulness Hut developed at Delrow Community by residents, creating a space they want and need. • Animal assisted therapy session takes place at Croft Community where they welcomed alpacas for the day to help with Covid anxiety.
July • We hosted our first virtual AGM with record attendance, ensuring the governance of the Trust. And work starts in Stourbridge on six new fully accessible flats. • Matt releases music he has written, produced and edited himself: bit.ly/38ppwcG
October • Celebrating Candlemas virtually - joining through Zoom we sang and learnt how to make our own Candlemas Luminaries. • We joined the #nevermoreneeded campaign - charities have been severely impacted by the pandemic but our services are needed more than ever.
November • Planning permission granted to turn the old unused medical centre at Grange Village into new flats, helping people gain support while enjoying independence. • Emily shared her powerful rap about mental health and freedoms affected by Covid.
February The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
March 4
Driven by passion, supported as an individual - that’s music to our ears! ‘I’ve performed at events at Delrow Community a few times now - at the Regional Forum, and the Delrow Festival in 2019,’ says Greg. ‘I do the vocals, with mine and Temi’s music in the background. Temi’s one of the Support Workers and helps me a lot. He’s a musician himself so we’ve got a lot in common.’ Greg has his own YouTube channel, search Greg Ladd to watch his music videos!
5
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
Active lives; healthy minds Being in lockdown because of the Covid pandemic has been really difficult. It has made us realise how important it is to exercise and stay fit. Across our communities, we’ve been working hard to find ways to keep fit and healthy. On your bike! Tadgh from Croft Community hasn’t ridden his bike for years. But in lockdown he started riding again with the help of his Support Worker, Sam. Tadgh and Sam explored the quiet Yorkshire lanes in the summer sunshine. One ride took them on a 12-mile trip to Castle Howard. ‘It was a real challenge, cycling so far on a hot day,’ said Tadgh. ‘But I’m glad I did it. Exercising makes me feel so much better - and I’m losing weight too!’
Tadgh and his friends also kept fit without leaving the house. They did circuits around the garden, played on the Wii and used a weighted rope and medicine ball to improve their strength.
Oaklands Park is ideal for walking too. Another community member, Jonathon, enjoyed regular fivemile rambles during lockdown, spotting wild boar and deer along the way.
Mobility limitations don’t hold Matthew back!
Digital fitness
Matthew has limited mobility but he loves being active. With the help of Workshop Leader, Chris, he explored the 140 acres of stunning landscapes around Oaklands Park while regular workshops were paused during lockdown. ‘Matthew owns a tandem bicycle,’ said Chris. ‘Over summer, we cycled on the estate roads and bridleways most afternoons, often stopping to pick plums and apples along the way.’
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
Across the Trust, our Opportunity TV sessions on Zoom have helped to keep people connected and healthy. Yoga, Tai Chi and seated exercise sessions mean that there was something for everyone, throughout lockdown. And we’ve shared ideas for healthy meals, snacks and smoothies in our Food of the World online sessions.
6
Alex is opening up conversations Alex, who lives at Larchfield Community, wanted to do something positive for her friends during lockdown. With the help of support worker, Debbie, she researched, planned and delivered a four-week online course on mental health and wellbeing. People from across the charity took part in the sessions, using the mental health toolkit Alex and Debbie had prepared. One popular activity was capturing feelings in ‘worry jars’ and ‘hope and wish’ jars. ‘I put a day out at Whitby with fish and chips in my wish jar!’ says Alex.
Asking the right questions - and responding to feedback People really wanted to carry on with the mental health Zoom sessions. We set up a regular weekly drop-in session, so people can chat about their feelings and support each other. The group also made a survey asking questions about mental health. It was completed by 182 community members at the Trust. The group is using the answers to help people in new ways. Sharing ideas and resources Alex and Debbie were also asked to speak at the Learning Disability England Forum, on the theme ‘Covid - what we have learned so far’. People from across the country joined the online event. Alex was able to share her work and help others.
‘I feel happy at the end of every Zoom class. The best part is that we can chat about different things, and it makes you feel better afterwards,’ says Alex
7
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
In control In some places like Botton Village it can be difficult to get to a cash machine. Community members and colleagues worked with a group called Community Access to Cash to help people in Botton Village understand money and be able to easily get their money out when they need to. The village now has user friendly cash machine and a learning hub. The hub is a place where community members can learn about looking after their money safely, saving and different ways they can manage their finances. The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
8
a life of opportunity I want you to look at me as a person not someone to care for. I want to be in control of creating my ‘life of opportunity’. I want to be more confident in my life. I want to grow and develop. I want to be an active part of my community. I want to be involved and connected with others. I have skills and abilities, I may need support to get training, voluntary or paid work. It’s all about the time you give to me. I can develop and maintain positive relationships in my own home and beyond. I am thriving not just surviving. All the people that are important to me work together to help me achieve my goals and live the life I choose. For more information and how you can get involved please visit: www.camphillvillagetrust.org.uk
www.camphillvillagetrust.org.uk Registered charity no. 232402
A Life of Opportunity We launched Opportunity TV when the pandemic started so people could learn new skills, stay connected with old friends and make new ones. In 2021, we launched our Life of Opportunity campaign. People supported across the Trust told us what they want and how the Trust can help them achieve this. This important information has helped us develop training for colleagues and everyone has made a commitment to helping people achieving their goals set out in the I Statements. 9
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
A green heart in the city
Benefiting the wider community The new garden and workshops will offer supported daytime activities for people with learning and other disabilities from Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas.
We are using our experience in farming and gardening to make a plan for an exciting new project. Middlesbrough Council asked us to help them with their vision to have an urban garden and community hub in the Middlehaven area just outside the town centre. We made a plan which included polytunnels, raised beds so people of all abilities can take part, a café, shop and workshop spaces. We want the urban garden and community hub to breathe new life into this area which has been neglected. We are in the early planning stages right now but Middlesbrough Council would like this to be the ‘green heart’ of the city.
The new project will include: Polytunnels - for raising tender seedlings and vegetables that like a warmer climate. A good wet weather option too! Raised beds - so people with mobility difficulties can get involved in gardening.
The plan is to have community allotments. These allotments would be there for local schools and community groups too. The café, shop and workshops would offer therapeutic support for groups and individuals in and around Middlesbrough. We are really proud to have been asked by the council to help with this project.
Craft workshops - a place to explore creative interests like art and textiles.
Community Allotments welcoming local gardeners and community groups to share our facilities.
Tool sheds, boot store and drying room.
Café - where people can learn catering and hospitality skills, using ingredients grown on site.
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
10
The right tools for the job! Over the last few years the Trust has spent money on making sure we have the right technology, such as laptops and video calling software. Because we had the right equipment, when office staff were asked to work from home due to the pandemic, they were able to straight away. The new technology has also meant we can all stay in touch even when we cannot be together in the same room. 11
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
Reacting swiftly to an unprecendented year! The Fundraising Team began the year excited to get new supporters and more donations. However, Covid-19 changed our plans. We asked supporters to help us during this difficult time. The response was amazing, and we saw fantastic generosity from our Camphill Village Trust family. Doing it together Because of lockdown, instead of having big events across the charity for our 65th anniversary we had to arrange homebased challenges instead.
In April, colleagues, community members and their families ran, cycled and trampolined to raise funds for the charity as part of the 2.6 challenge. The 2.6 challenge was made by the organisers of the London Marathon because people could not take part due to Covid.
Our supporters were really generous and donated money and bought more items from our online shop.
We used our regular fundraising newsletters to keep our supporters informed about the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on our communities.
Thank you to all our supporters.
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
Thank you! Our generous supporters have helped us keep going throughout the year - we feel very grateful.
12
The year in numbers
House renovations
£219,000
497
People supported across the Trust
156
Connections made with local community organisations, groups and services, enabling people to be active citizens in the place they live
288 virtual sessions
delivered on Opportunity TV, with over 5,000 attendances
182
People we support completed the Mental Wellbeing Survey
204 Staff recruited in the year
£1,048,000
Spent developing redundant properties into new 11 one-bedroom apartments
13
85
Tablets sourced to help people we support keep in touch with friends and families The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
The year in numbers
4.5% Increase in
the number of individuals and organisations who made a donation
8
Wellbeing Advocates appointed to help people we support and staff maintain their wellbeing
21,258
152,580 Unique visitors to
Visitors to our online store with sales of £37,449.10
our website
22,456
Unique views of Camphill Village Trust videos on YouTube
300
£100,000
Over people joined us online to help celebrate our 65th anniversary
Largest single gift received (excluding legacies). Thank you to the Wolfson Foundation for their generosity
23
Highly commended awards made at our 65th anniversary celebrations
3,250 New hedging plants planted
All eligible
Staff received a £300 bonus each for their hard work throughout the pandemic
The Camphill Village Trust Easy Read Annual Report 2020/21
14
www.camphillvillagetrust.org.uk