WOW! WHAT AN IMPACT WE’VE MADE! A LOOK BACK AT 2017-2018
inside cherrytrees.org.uk Registered charity no. 800222
Highlights of the year Fun-raising ACHIEVEMENTS children’s fun & progress EXCITING PLANS AHEAD 1
HELLO!
Supporting more children & families
We are pleased to report that Cherry Trees had another strong and impactful year.
Our key themes continue to be: Providing High Quality Care (incorporating staff development, improving outcomes for children and their families); Ensuring Sustainability (in both finance and occupancy); and Growth / Continuous Improvement (by listening to families, working with the local authorities to understand their need, and building better facilities).
LOVING LIFE TO THE...
Max
HIGHLIGHTS Highlights of the year included:
• We supported 95 families; and 22 new children started this year
• The Ofsted Inspector highlighted that our support to the whole family was a real strength of Cherry Trees
• We set up new family events to bring families together in a fun atmosphere - Happy Circus, Family Bowling morning and Sibling Day all at no cost to the families
• We reached out to families in neighbouring boroughs including Hampshire, East Sussex, Richmond, Kingston and Wandsworth
• We secured funding for a kitchen refurbishment and new, fully adaptive kitchen for the children to learn how to safely cook, improving their independence and life skills
• We raised awareness of Cherry Trees and disability through an increase in School talks and our new mascot Cherry appearing at local events including the Guildford light switch on and pancake race
• With thanks to our many corporate volunteers, we transformed the upstairs room to a cool “Den” for our teenagers and created a “Calm Night Sky Lounge” for the children to relax in the evenings
• We increased our volunteer support, welcoming 3 new volunteers to the fundraising and marketing team and 2 in the house assisting with administration and cooking
• We achieved ‘Improved in Effectiveness’ in our Interim Ofsted inspection and ‘Good’ in our full inspection
claire MARK 2
Looking forward, it is clear that the demand for our service is increasing and that there is a need for more specialist training due to the increase in complexities of the children being referred to Cherry Trees. We have active training programmes in place for our staff and are well placed to deal with the increased demand and level of complexity. We would like to extend a thank you to all our staff, volunteers, Trustees and sponsors who continue to make Cherry Trees what
• We were awarded a 3.3 year contract with Surrey County Council for the supply of overnight short break services for children with disabilities
it is. We would also like to thank the many families who have commented on the significant part that Cherry Trees has made in ensuring that they can not only continue to function as a family but also see the contribution that a loving care environment can make to their child’s well-being. Mark Clement Chair of Chair of Trustees Claire Bryant CEO
SPIRIT ENERG Y
Max has been visiting Cherry Trees for several years now. Max’s disability is Tuberous Sclerosis which is a rare genetic condition that causes tumours to develop in different parts of the body. The condition has also caused kidney issues, epilepsy, a build-up of fluid on the brain and autism. Max doesn’t let his disability get in the way of enjoying life though, he is truly amazing. His spirit, energy and fun loving character brings warmth and fun to the house. Max loves coming to Cherry Trees for day cares and weekend visits. He get excited about days out, visiting various places, yet he is just as happy being at the house helping all the staff with their daily tasks, playing football in the garden and relaxing in the new Den. Whilst Max is having fun at Cherry Trees it means that that mum and dad can spend some quality time with their daughter Amy, who is six years old doing the things that she wants to do rather than what fits the needs of Max. It also gives mum and dad a chance to get a good night’s sleep (Max’s sleeping pattern is not great at home) and they also get the opportunity for a rare adult night out once a month which is greatly appreciated. Last year Max had to undergo a serious and critical operation on his brain, he showed
such bravery and determination. Max didn’t let this stop him though, within a few days he was showing signs of his great character and fighting back to his usual self. He was even asking to come back to Cherry Trees whilst he recovered! His determination and strength has been amazing. Shortly after Max’s recovery, we arranged for him to come and stay at Cherry Trees and at the same time, arranged for his mum, dad and sister to have a wonderful overnight stay sponsored by the Talbot hotel. They had an amazing time, especially Amy who enjoyed having such a treat and quality time with just her mum and dad.
FUNLOVING
Mum wrote to say; “I cannot thank the staff at Cherry Trees enough for all the amazing hard work that you do for Max and also for us as a family. Thank you”
“ I cannot thank the staff at Cherry Trees enough for all the amazing hard work that you do for Max and also for us as a family. Thank you.” 3
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE HOUSE? “The children loved their first circus experience”
We have managed to go out on 221 outings throughout the year. We had over 32 visits from entertainers coming to the house, including circus, singing story times, Bollywood dancers, musicians and carol singers. We can’t thank our wonderful supporters enough; the Enid Linder, Kelsey and Ingram Trust have provided support for us to be able to enjoy all of these activities. Happy Circus was our main event of the year put on solely for our families to attend. Everything was laid on free of charge, again thanks to some very generous donations. Our families could relax in a safe and friendly environment, knowing their children wouldn’t be judged. It was a great day of joy and happiness.
“ It was refreshing to be in an environment where everybody accepted us”
CHILD ACHIEVEMENTS • Luke used to mainly eat his food with his hands, now the majority of the time with a little encouragement he uses his spoon and fork without any problem. • Alex’s target was to dress independently, he can now do this with very little support from staff. • Ishal used to spend the majority of time in his wheelchair, but our fantastic staff have encouraged his mobility which has greatly improved and now he enjoys a lot of time out of his wheelchair. Previously he required two carers to support him due to his complex behaviours, however now he is so much happier and content at Cherry Trees he now only needs one carer to support him.
We love to celebrate differences and throughout the year we enjoyed lots of themed days and dinners such as St Patrick’s Day, Diwali Day, St George’s Day, a community Halloween Party, Greek Cypriot Day, Australia Day and Red Nose Day to name a few.
Diversity days GOT YOU! 4
We also took advantage of the snow this year to have some fun, both children and staff enjoyed the snowball fights and walks in the snow.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Y N TO
• Simon used to wake up several times in the night, needing a lot of support to get back to sleep. Now he only wakes up once and goes back to sleep within minutes. This has had such a great impact on the amount of sleep he gets and also allowing his parents to have a better night’s sleep when he is at home.
THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS
• Oscar really struggled to have dinner in the dining room, getting very upset when he had to wait for his food. Now he enjoys all of his meals with his friends and staff in the dining room without any issue. • George struggled to communicate with us verbally when he first started. He is now expressing his thoughts and makes many independent choices by saying; “yes”, “no”, “bus” and “goodbye!” We took some big steps forward in the house with some wonderful room renovations. We had the support of the amazing Kimberly Clark whose team of 100 volunteers came and transformed our Den into a fantastic cool party and games room, which the children are now always eager to spend lots of time in. They also redesigned our upstairs lounge, the relaxing night-time theme was chosen by the children, as well as working on our dining rooms, garden and staff living quarters. What a transformation in a day!
TRANSFORMED
Tony can remember the exact date that he joined Cherry Trees – 24th May 1993. Having worked with children since 1976, he already had great experience. He was working at a school for children with special needs and disabilities when its closure was announced, moving on to Cherry Trees for his next job turned out to be the perfect step up. Tony describes Cherry Trees as a great place to work. “I like the children and I like the staff!” he replies with a smile when asked what it is that makes him so happy here. He loves the satisfaction of seeing the children grow up, being part of their development and learning before they move on to the wider world. Thinking back to one particular child he recalls with fondness who had such a great sense of humour, even though the young man was non-verbal. He had such fantastic facial expressions and the mere mention of his favourite movie would bring wild gesticulation of his one working arm and an abundance of clear infectious joy. Another example of his job satisfaction is when a child who had been coming to Cherry Trees for many years happily
moved on to supported living. For many of our children any kind of transition can be extremely upsetting, however this young man’s time spent in our care had prepared him well for the move. Being used to staying away from his parents at Cherry Trees, he settled quickly into his new accommodation. No two days are ever the same here but Tony always enjoys getting to know all of the children over time. Of course there can be many challenging moments in his working day but he is always grateful of the way the staff support each other when they need to and he often thinks how much harder it is for the parents who don’t have this luxury when caring for their own children at home. There are many highlights for Tony when he thinks of memorable moments. One particular magical day was taking the children to see the Trooping of the colour in London. Having negotiated special parking arrangements with the Police Chief Superintendent, six children and six staff were treated to an unforgettable day out. For these children with such a range of disabilities this was such a special thing to experience.
Over the years there have been many improvements to the house and Tony can tell you about many of them. From an increase in the amount of accommodation, new electric beds (when he started there were none) to the building of the fundraising barn. He can even tell you about the history of the house when it was a hospital back in 1902…. though this is not from his own personal memory!! As more improvements are continually needed and planned, Tony certainly plans to continue to enjoy all the benefits.
AN example of tony’s job satisfaction is when a child who had been coming to Cherry Trees for many years happily moved on to supported living.
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS....1993-2018 5
Our daughter is so eager to be at Cherry Trees both for the day and for her sleepovers and appreciate all the efforts taken by the staff to make her feel safe and comfortable. It means a lot to us as a family to be able to rest, spend time with our son and meet with friends, which is only possible because we know she is well taken care of.
We really appreciate all the support you give us and the way you care for our son. Thank you, all of you!
Ryan has come so far on his journey with you guys, it is absolutely incredible! Whoever imagined Ryan would do ‘spontaneous’! Thank you all again for being so brilliant and allowing Ryan to feel ‘spontaneous pure excitement. It was a moment I will cherish.
I wanted to say thank you to you and all your staff who have worked so hard to make our son feel welcomed at Cherry Trees. He seems very happy when he visits Cherry Trees and happily runs in to be greeted by warm, friendly and dedicated staff. Your service is a life line to us and allows us some time to recharge our batteries. I never thought I would be able to trust a respite centre again, but the staff at Cherry Trees have supported us along the way and made our son feel safe, happy and for us to feel reassured. Thank you!
We would like to say an enormous thank you to everybody at Cherry Trees for having provided Dominic with a fun and safe environment to play in, and thereby for allowing Helena and me some muchneeded respite - it has been a lifeline for us through some extremely difficult times.
WHAT OUR FAMILIES SAY We just wanted to say thank you to all the staff for making Luke’s weekend stay such fun for Luke and so restful for us. It was so good to see Luke so happy when we collected him this morning. He was bouncing up and down and smiling! When he saw us it was so lovely that he came over and gave us such a big hug as if he was trying to tell us what a good stay he had. It’s been so hard to leave Luke, but knowing he is safe and so well cared for makes it a little easier. The staff tell me it’s a pleasure to have Luke and as a Mum, this reassures me. This weekend allowed us to rest, catch up on sleep and spend time with our daughter. Thank you Cherry Trees, without you we’d be lost.
Leo has autism amongst other complex disabilities and health needs, yet despite the everyday challenges he faces, we have seen him develop and grow into a very sociable, happy teenager. Over the years the amazing care team have worked with Leo to help him develop his independence, confidence and social skills and he has now developed some wonderful friendships at Cherry Trees.
71
LETTERS OF THANKS! 6
95
families supported
Thank you so much for giving Callum a lovely homefrom-home and for always looking after him with such care! We appreciate the respite!
22
new families welcomed to Cherry Trees
26
families benefitted from bursary stays
44
new referrals this year
3
family feedback forums 7
Music in the Park
MINIBUS
In July the Guildford Lions very generously put on Opera & Picnic in the Park. We were blessed with a glorious evening of sun as music played across the beautiful countryside of Hatchlands Park. Over 300 people enjoyed picnics listening to well-known arias and popular songs from screen and stage. The event raised over £7,000.
Corporate support
It’s been a great year for corporate involvement, with several local and national companies providing both financial and physical support to Cherry Trees. We have had many teams coming to help with the ongoing maintenance required of such a well-used house. From carpet cleaning to lawn mowing and painting railings every hour given truly makes such a difference to us, we are extremely grateful. Special thanks to Kimberly Clark, Martin Grant Homes, Redevco, Tozer Seeds and Pellings for their involvement this year and to all the other business who have provided raffle prizes and donations. We couldn’t do it without you!
Big
The
85p in every POUND of our income goes to the care of the children and support of the families
FUN-RAISING SHINY NEW
Giv£
Last December we were thrilled to be chosen as one of the participating charities for The Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest online match funding campaign. With an original target of £28,000 to help fund our ‘2,500 hours of fun and care’ project, we finished the week with an unbelievable total of £43,324, allowing us to provide an incredible 3,200 hours of support and care for our children. So far, the children have enjoyed lots of trips, activities, fun, love and laughter thanks to your generous Big Give donations. From baking and cooking, to visits from the circus and arts and crafts, we’ve had no shortage of fun things to do!
We are forever grateful to our wonderful team of over 200 volunteers who support Cherry Trees in all that we do; from events and fundraising to house support and office administration, we simply couldn’t do what we do without them. One of our volunteer roles which has been operating for many years are our minibus drivers. A team of 24 drivers who drive approximately 2-3 times a month, taking the children to and from Cherry Trees and their schools. We currently have 17 lady drivers and 7 men and we have two minibuses. In addition, Surrey Police officers have also been volunteering support in their own time for many years. They undertake initial driving assessments, DVLA checks and three yearly re-assessments for us. This is an essential part of our service and by having volunteers to
help, this saves the charity a huge amount of money. The highlight of this role is meeting the children, and every time seeing first-hand the difference that Cherry Trees is making to the families and our wonderful children. One volunteer said “Driving the Cherry Trees bus has been a practical and enjoyable experience, as I like to meet the carers and some of the children on their way to school.” This year we received our new minibus which was supported by the Lord’s Taverners and the Guildford Lions Club for which we are eternally grateful. It is an essential part of the service we provide ensuring our children access lots of outings, visits to restaurants, and trips to shows and activities in the community.
24 VOLUNTEERS drive 2-3 times a month our new minibus was supported by the Lord’s Taverners and the Guildford Lions Club
HOGWArts?
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in demand With the help of many dedicated supporters and our inspirational staff team we have achieved so much this year. However, with the demand for our service continuing to increase, along with the needs of the children being referred to Cherry Tress becoming even more complex, it is integral for us to continue to develop and improve our service to ensure we are able to meet the needs of the children and their families.
AIMING
TO MAKE CHERRY TREES EVEN BETTER
JUGGLING THE CHERRY PENNIES
For every £1 we raise, 85p goes towards delivering, and improving, the care and support we offer our children and families. The other 15p goes towards securing our future and in building awareness within the communities we serve. We appreciate every single donation we receive and we work hard to ensure that not a penny is wasted.
85p in every POUND of our income goes to the care of the children and support of the families
CARE OF THE CHILDREN These include costs directly linked to the care and support we provide to our children and their families.
(+that is wayyy above average. cherry fact).
FUNDRAISING COSTS
RUNNING COSTS
These include costs such as fundraising salaries, the events we run, website and marketing
These include costs such as accountancy, audit fees, compliance and bank charges.
This year we hope to:
• Install hoists in our conservatory and play room, allowing our children in wheelchairs to play with games and toys with their friends
£37,663
• Fit a new kitchen, fully adapted for the children to safely use to help them learn important life skills
Bursaries granted
• Extend the bathroom, to include 2 new wheelchair accessible toilets, and a walk-in shower to cater for the increase number of children staying at Cherry Trees
• Build a covered walk-way to ensure the children can use the much loved Sensory and Art room all year round • Source a new booking database, enabling parents to book stays more easily • Explore options to improve the garden to make it more accessible in hot conditions with a covered area, in addition to having a safe area for children to ride their bikes/trikes These improvements will not only increase the enjoyment of the children’s stays which we’re sure will be evident on their smiling faces, but will also significantly help them improve their independence and life skills.
10
1,176
26
854
Number of families who benefit from bursaries
CAN
DO
Number of overnight visits
2,701
Hours of bursary care
WE
661
306
Number of 24 hour visits
Number of Day visits
433
EVEN MORE AMAZING FACTS Over 7800 meals are served annually
120 cakes have been baked by our volunteers
We cater for over 42 forms of disabilities
1030 cups and saucers have been washed up by our volunteers
44 referrals
2102 miles have been run or cycled to raise funds for Cherry Trees….. not including the training!
2401 people have attended our events
Number of Tea visits
Number of 2:1 hours
8,406
Number of 1:1 hours
IT : ) 11
MAKE AN IMPACT! There are many ways to support
We could not provide all these services without such great staff, supporters, volunteers and funders. We have many challenges ahead and we want to make the commitment to keep Cherry Trees at the forefront of child and families services in Surrey and surrounding counties for a long time to come.
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Our grateful thanks to everyone, no matter how big or small a part you play – it is very important to us.
Volunteering Regular giving Make a donation Support an event Remember us in your Will A gift in memory Sponsor a child Give as you earn Take on a challenge!
DONATING SMILES Please complete our standing order form below if you would like to donate.
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If you are a UK tax payer, please tick to confirm you’d like all donations in the past 4 years and all future donations to be eligible for Gift Aid. This allows us to reclaim £2.50 for every £10 you donate.
ift Aid Declaration I want all donations I’ve made in the last 4 years and all donations in the future G to be eligible for Gift Aid until I notify you otherwise (please tick)
Instruction to your Bank Please credit Cherry Trees, at Natwest Plc, Sort Code 60-09-21, Account Number 03419207 with the amount shown on the date specified above and on the same date thereafter until I give you notice in writing. Please quote reference Signature
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Please notify Cherry Trees of any changes to the details above or if you wish to cancel. We would love to keep in touch with you about the vital work of Cherry Trees with updates and information about the difference your support is making to our children and families. As a charity that uses voluntary contributions for every child’s stay, we would also like to contact you from time to time with details of fun events and fundraising activities. If you consent to us contacting you for this purpose then please tick the appropriate box(es) below to tell us how you would like us to contact you. You can change your preferences at any time. Please confirm how you would like to receive your updates. email
(Please note as a Cherry Champion you will be sent by post a Cherry Champion sticker) care@cherrytrees.org.uk I 01483 222506 fundraising@cherrytrees.org.uk I 01483 222507
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£50
helps us provide activities for our children
Branch Address Account Name
Every pound contributes to a smile
helps towards specialist equipment for the children
I would like to make a donation by cheque (made payable to Cherry Trees) for £
I would like to pay Cherry Trees the sum of £
You can sponsor a child’s short break for just £2 a week (£104) a year. This money will help us to give the families and children with disabilities a lifeline, knowing that their child is in safe hands, having fun and receiving great care and attention.
£15
Your Details Name
Cherry Trees supports every stay from a two-hour tea visit to the longer 2-week stay. 10 –100% of each visit is supported through voluntary income and this page shows some ways your money can make a real difference
facebook.com/cherrytreesuk @cherrytreesuk Cherry Trees, School Lane, East Clandon, Surrey GU4 7RS
£100
helps towards parents having a night of respite care for their child
you ! k n a h t am A hugethe Care Te from Registered Charity no 800222 Registered Company No 02241223