Annual Report 2013

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Samaritans of Walsall & DistrictBot Lane, Walsall, WS1 2JQ Registered charity number : 500059www.walsallsamaritans.org.ukwww.facebook.com/walsallsamaritanswww.facebook.com/walsallanddistrictsamaritansfundraisingFor emoional support:Phone: 01922 624000* or 08457 90 90 90*E-mail: jo@samaritans.orgVolunteeringPhone: 07852 770202E-mail: volunteering@walsallsamaritans.org.uk

Donaions:Cheques made payable to “Samaritans of Walsall & District” can be sent to our branch address.Donate online via our website (credit or debit cards).Donaions by Text:Text SAMW12 £5 to 70070 to donate £5 to Samaritans of Walsall & District and make a difference today.Shop or search online:Visit our webshop: www.spendandraise.com/walsallsamaritans or search for bargains at www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/samaritanswalsall Discover “Give as you live” and raise money for us with every purchase - at no extra cost to you.www.walsallsamaritans.org.uk/giveasyoulive.html Raise 0.5p for Samaritans of Walsall & District with every web search.www.samaritanswalsall.easysearch.org.uk or www.everyclick.com/samaritansofwalsallanddistrict

Trustees for year ending December 2013

Susan Fryer Faith Boothroyd Ingrid Lindon Miles Maile Alan Cooke Linda DinesSusan Cashmore unil 2 May 2013Steve Lockley from 2 May 2013June Crocker from 2 May 2013Lyn Bunt from 2 May 2013Linda Whitehouse from 2 May 2013Janet Westley Susan Ward

* please see our website for latest call charges

Annual Report 2013

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Annual Report 2013

Directors Report As Director, I feel the past year has been a fantasic one for our Branch. It has been a year ofchange. Our Branch refurbishment has given us all a boost, our building feels safe and it is brightand airy. We have new windows with lovely, long awaited for, verical blinds. It is now warm inthe winter and will soon be cool during the long hot summer!! It feels like we have been blessed with a totally new building. So much so, we had a Grand Reopening Celebraion in July with the Mayor of Walsall coming along to cut our ribbon!

We have also made significant changes to our shit paterns and introduced new technology.Both of which were embraced by our very commited and hard working volunteers. The Branchis moving forward and coninues to do what we do best by answering calls, replying to emailsand talking to callers at the Branch. During this past year, despite being closed for almost amonth (for the refurbishment) we have had over 20, 000 contacts seeking emoional support.

We have also had 167 enquires about becoming a Volunteer, 30 applicaions resuling in 15 NewVolunteers.

It coninues to be our aim to do all we can to increase public awareness about what we do andwho we are. It is our vision that fewer people die by suicide and although over the past decadesuicide rates have declined, they are sadly beginning to rise again during these difficult imes offinancial hardship. Men are three imes more likely to die by suicide than women. There is also a significant increase in the incidents of self harm. Walsall Samaritans would like the general public to havemore informaion on how to contact us, where they can find us and to know that we are thereto support them in imes of emoional distress. It would be good to dispel the myth that you have to be suicidal to talk to us. Talking to someonewho is not emoionally involved can someimes lead to finding other ways to deal with a problem and can offer the opportunity to just to be yourself and to say what you really thinkingand feeling instead of what everyone wants to hear. Mental health problems are amongst the most common health condiions, directly affecing aquarter of the populaion every year.

Our plan for next year is to try and become more visible locally, to encourage people to talk to usand to each other. We also hope to atract more volunteers, volunteers who will be trained to listen to callers and volunteers who could support us in other ways such as Fund raising, Admin-istraion tasks, general maintenance of the building, the list is endless! Volunteers are usually ordinary people who just want to give something back.Finally I would like to thank each and every Volunteer for being there, giving up their very valuable ime, for raising much needed funds and for making our Branch a moivaionalplace to be!Susan Fryer , May 1st 2014

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Annual Report 2013

Chairman’s reportIt is a real pleasure to report that during the last 12 months our premises in Bot Lane have undergone a transformaion! The exterior of the building has been renovated and new windowsfited. Internally we now have central heaing instead of costly individual heaters, in addiion thewindow blinds have been replaced.

An electrical survey has been carried out and work will begin shortly on the acions required toensure we are conforming to the approved electrical standards and codes of pracice.The air condiioning units will also be replaced.

None of this could have happened without the generous financial support we have receivedfrom so many individuals and groups within the Walsall area – and we are most grateful tothem all. Special thanks must go to Walsall Patchwork and Quilters Group who adopted us astheir charity to support during the last two years; and also Aldridge Methodists who gave us theproceeds from their “Methodists got Talent” show.

We are very grateful to the members of our Fundraising team whose aciviies are menionedelsewhere in this report – they coninue to find innovaive ways to raise funds!The events they put on have the added advantage of publicising Samaritans and the service it offers to the wider public.

Our Financial Summary shows that there was an increase in our income for 2013, consequentlywe have sufficient monies in hand to cover our day to day running cost for the next 12 months.However we do have a programme of work planned to be carried out within the next two yearsfor which funds will be required and so we shall be reliant on the coninuing generosity of oursupporters in the future.

We coninually review Health and Safety within the branch to ensure we are compliant with cur-rent regulaions.

In conclusion may I thank the members of our management commitee for their enthusiasmand commitment during the past 12 months.

Sue WardChair of Management Commitee.

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Annual Report 2013

Fundraising Since the last AGM was held, we have had the joys of watching the branch being renovatedthanks to the generosity of ASDA Supermarkets and hard the work of Marin Bateman fromASDA, Linda Dines, and ex-volunteer Josephine in securing the funds , I’m sure we have all en-joyed the benefits of the new branch windows and exterior, especially over the winter.

It has been another successful year for the fundraising team, for which we have a number of people and organisaions to thank for helping us , paricularly our volunteers and their friendsand families supporing our events and donaing ime, goods or money to our various events. Our Christmas crat fair, held at St Marin’s Church, raised over £350 from a mixture of cratgoods, cakes, bric-a-brac and a successful raffle and tombola.In the autumn four volunteers took part in a successful abseil, gracefully descending from theroof of Walsall Art Gallery (We know how scary it was) .We really appreciate the effort they wentto, and the super £200 they raised.. In September Simon Kingscot took part in a world record tandem skydive event across thecountry and raised well over £500. Well done Simon, as an honorary fundraising team memberwe would like to thank you for all your support in this fantasic achievement.

Special menion should go to local groups and organisaions such as the Walsall Quiling Societywho donated over £1000, St Marin’s Church also donaing £1000, Asda and the wonderful Marin and South East Staffs Morris Minor Club who held a raffle and donated £100. We havealso had generous support from local shops and traders in Walsall who provided us with manyraffle prizes. In the Community our annual market stall was fun for all taking part raising around £300, bene-fiing from nice weather and volunteers generous donaions of items to sell We were also involved with other local community events such as the Walsall night market and Walsall Pride.

Whilst not fundraising events , they were invaluable in promoing the branch to the public, atracing new volunteers and talking to people about what we do.

Our team has also grown, to include many new volunteers ,welcome to all of you. We mustn’tforget our honorary member Lou, who did so well with geing comfortable new chairs in the opsroom.

Finally, whilst strictly in 2014 some more good news, our recent Easter crat fair raised a mas-sive £620 for our branch. 16 stalls took part with 200 people coming in to look around. The cakestall sold out within hours, and a hotly contested raffle took place, with the amazing picnic hamper being highly sought ater as first prize. Plans for a repeat at Christmas and again nextEaster at the same venue are being organised. We are looking forward to all the exciing events planned for the next year, including a fabulousteam who have registered to run the Midlands fun run, another abseil and possibly sky dive, andour now hotly anicipated Christmas crat fair. The Fundraising Team.

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Annual Report 2013

PublicityIn July 2013 we were delighted & very proud to publicise Walsall Samaritans branch long overdue external makeover. To mark the occasion the Mayor of Walsall came along and cutthe ribbonto officially reopen the branch.A buffet & drinks were enjoyed outside on a sunny aternoon with branch members , friends andfamilies atending.

On the 11th November 2013 we celebrated Samaritans 60th birthday by having our own partyParty Poppers, balloons & a birthday cake contributed to a fun aternoon at the branch. Theicing on the cake, the event made front page news! Complete with photo in the WalsallAdveriser!Local radio staion Ambur Radio offered us a slot which Andrew Lockley kindly filled towardsthe end of last year. Andrew talked about our service with the possibility of more slots to follow. Samaritansnet were happy to include photos of our abseil event and crat fayre in their October/November ediion, puing Walsall branch firmly on the map.

More recently we have started a recruitment campaign adverising in different areas, this willenable us toidenify the most successful form or area of adverising for the recruitmentof new volunteers,Once again an interesing & busy year for publicity.

Ingrid LindonPublicity Officer

AccountsI am pleased to report that there was a substanial increase in our income for the year under re-view. Income from donaions and gits rose to almost £16,000 boosted by a donaion fromHawkesyard Golf Club of more than £4000, which has enabled us to make much needed im-provements to Bot Lane by replacing the central heaing system and electricsFurthermore,we have been able to increase our recruitment and training budget to enable us to further enhance the skills of our dedicated team of volunteers.

With the contribuions from our excellent fund raising team,we have been able to post a smallsurplus of income over expenditure for the year. Funds currently stand at £16000,which provides a solid financial base for 2014.

The Commitee coninues to strive to support through training and technology the incrediblework done by our volunteers.Alan CookTreasurer

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Annual Report 2013

Walsall & District SamaritansRegistered Charity No 500059Statement of Financial AciviiesFor the year ended 31st December,2013

2013 2012

Incoming Resources

Donaions & Gits 15886.83 8530Interest Received 76.72 73Fundraising 2213.52 3599

18177.07 12202

Resources Expended

Direct Charitable Expenditure 7756.20 6149Fundraising & Publicity 968.50 644Management & Administraion 8760.73 3938

17485.43 10731

Net Incoming Resources 691.64 1471

Fund Balance as at 31st December,2012 15491.53 14020

Fund Balance as at 31st December,2013 16183.17 15491