Here are some the of the achievements for the calendar year 2010:
46 dogs rescued
38 dogs rehomed
50th dog rehomed during the year since we started in 2009
2nd charity shop opened
£114,067.58 raised from all sources
Friday, 31 December 2010
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Plans for 2011
Our short term plans for 2011 currently include:
- introducing a Dog Sponsorship scheme
- moving towards an e-newsletter
- increasing the availability of kennel space so that we can take in more dogs
- opening a third charity shop
- reorganising our welfare systems and processes
No doubt more will come as time goes by, but I am certainly looking forward to the Christmas break.
2010, a year of learning
This has been an interesting, challenging, exciting, stressful, rewarding and sad year. All rolled into one. The theme for me personally is one of learning. The major event for me was without question the preparation of the day to day accounts and the submission of the accounts to the period ending 31 March 2010 to an accountant. This was an extremely nervous time, not because of the accountant - Tim Pearce was simply wonderful and very reassuring, but I had that sense of the unknown, a dread that I must have made a mistake somewhere. As it happened the only thing I think I missed was a trial balance but Tim told me what was required and I quickly added this and have used it ever since.
As the year draws to an end it is useful to reflect on what has gone well and what has not. You hope the former comfortably outweighs the latter but you have to be honest with yourself if you are ever going to learn, progress and excel.
Our Kidderminster charity shop continued to be a little powerhouse of funding for our charitable activities, and its success led us to Stourbridge. Unfortunately it has not been the success I envisaged, though it remains marginally profitable its income is too low to be able to plan for its income.
Our Neutering scheme in the community was launched in the spring and was quickly successful, and a little too popular. We quickly had to scale it back to the point that at one point it was suspended. It is a useful scheme to remain in place and we appreciate that Charnock Shepherd have helped us administrate this scheme.
There is much more to pour through over the coming days as we make formal plans for 2011.
As the year draws to an end it is useful to reflect on what has gone well and what has not. You hope the former comfortably outweighs the latter but you have to be honest with yourself if you are ever going to learn, progress and excel.
Our Kidderminster charity shop continued to be a little powerhouse of funding for our charitable activities, and its success led us to Stourbridge. Unfortunately it has not been the success I envisaged, though it remains marginally profitable its income is too low to be able to plan for its income.
Our Neutering scheme in the community was launched in the spring and was quickly successful, and a little too popular. We quickly had to scale it back to the point that at one point it was suspended. It is a useful scheme to remain in place and we appreciate that Charnock Shepherd have helped us administrate this scheme.
There is much more to pour through over the coming days as we make formal plans for 2011.
The Calendars have arrived!
Two full weeks after they went into production with the printers the calendars have finally arrived. They look great and now Mark and the volunteers are working as fast as they can to get them all enveloped and posted by the First Class post deadline.
Of course it was not our intention for it be this way. We fully expected to have them by 13 Dec so that we could send them second class. But problems in design delayed this process and then when the final design was signed off on 6 Dec it was only then that we found that we may have to wait until 16 or 17 Dec for delivery. That was still within the deadline of Second Class post but the weather would hamper that.
Then on Friday, when they had not arrived it seemed they were still on their way to us and would be with us by 21 Dec. And they were, in the nick of time. We have discovered a lot from this. Not least that we will produce our calendar much earlier in the year than this - and not rely on a company advertising that they would be with us 5-7 days. We will also not sell any of them on order without stock in hand. This had led many people to rightly question where their calendar is.
Now we hope Royal Mail can do their bit and delivery everything First Class by 24 Dec.
Of course it was not our intention for it be this way. We fully expected to have them by 13 Dec so that we could send them second class. But problems in design delayed this process and then when the final design was signed off on 6 Dec it was only then that we found that we may have to wait until 16 or 17 Dec for delivery. That was still within the deadline of Second Class post but the weather would hamper that.
Then on Friday, when they had not arrived it seemed they were still on their way to us and would be with us by 21 Dec. And they were, in the nick of time. We have discovered a lot from this. Not least that we will produce our calendar much earlier in the year than this - and not rely on a company advertising that they would be with us 5-7 days. We will also not sell any of them on order without stock in hand. This had led many people to rightly question where their calendar is.
Now we hope Royal Mail can do their bit and delivery everything First Class by 24 Dec.
Monday, 20 December 2010
Ever felt a little scammed?
Hmmm. I hope this isn't the case, but I feel we are being taken up the garden path a little with a company from which we have procured some items. I will come back to this in another post, but having parted with several hundreds pounds and been promised several things that keep getting changed I only hope tomorrow proves that they honour their word. If not, I fear they will blame the weather and we will then be left to the uncertainty of when.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Comments activated
I had only just realised that Comments on this blog were disabled. This has now been rectified. All comments are subject to moderation for obvious reasons, and any comment posters will be required to complete the word verification which prevents spam comments. Thanks.
Monday, 13 December 2010
Innuendo and muck spreading is hardly charitable
Innuendo and muck spreading isn't charitable, and yet the insinuation is there, from another local dog rescue charity that people ought to beware of Happy Staffie Rescue.
Their website proudly states:
"As a registered charity we are governed by the Charity Commission, be aware that other rescues may not have charity status or may be registered as a company. You can be sure that 100% of the money you give us goes to helping the dogs."
So why has this got my gander up?
Happy Staffie Rescue after all is a registered charity, gaining charitable status from the Commission in November 2009.
The problem (for them) is our legal framework, the basis around which we legally operate is as a company. However we are not Tesco, BP or Ford. They are companies limited by share capital. We are what is known as a company limited by guarantee (no share capital).
When starting a charity you have to decide what legal framework to use and there are generally three available a) an unincorporated association b) a company limited by guarantee or c) a trust.
A trust is only available to certain organisations. But an unincorporated association or a company limited by guarantee are based on the choices the trustees make and how they see their charity operating.
For example, an unincorporated association generally is useful to smaller charities, particularly those based around a local community issue. Village clubs, affiliates of larger charities and sports clubs are often set up on this basis. There are limitations to what an unincorporated association can undertake, which are not present in a company limited by guarantee. We decided on the latter principally in case we intended to enter into the contracts for services - for example leases on buildings, kennels, insurance, etc. This proved to be the case. This framework also provides a legal identity for the charity, and enables access to more services as time goes by.
So are we alone in this?
Certainly many major charities are registered as a company limited by guarantee. Save the Children Fund is a clear example. And they come in all shapes and sizes - take these three dog-related charities - The Blue Cross, Support Dogs and West Yorkshire Dog Rescue. All three are registered charities, and all three have a legal framework of a company limited by guarantee, just like us.
So let us look at their words again.
"As a registered charity we are governed by the Charity Commission,"
No surprise there. All registered charities in England and Wales are regulated by the Charity Commission regardless of their legal framework. Whether they are an association, a company limited by guarantee or a trust they are all regulated by the Commission.
But, in addition to the Charity Commission we are also regulated by Companies House. This means that not only do we have to comply by the regulations of the Charity Commission we must also comply with the rules and regulations of the Companies Act. This means our accounts are overseen by both government agencies.
And, we have charitable status from HM Revenue & Customs, granted 13 November 2009. This is no mean feat. The application is not straightforward - it isn't simply that you are a charity. You must show them through evidence and accounts that you are charitable. Therefore not only have our accounts been scrutinised by the Charity Commission and Companies House but also HM Revenue & Customs.
Three government agencies watching what you do, ensuring you do the right thing. Our 'friendly' fellow dog rescue is as far as I can see only regulated by the Commission.
Then there is this curious statement:
"... be aware that other rescues may not have charity status or may be registered as a company."
Now there is a real legitimate concern to bogus callers, the sort of people who drop endless clothes bags through your letterbox and in the finest small print you find some charity is getting 5p for every £1 raised. But of course their statement is far too vague to be pinpointed on those charities. It is no coincidence that their statement first appeared as we came together in summer 2009.
In the beginning we had to registered first as a company, then raise £5,000 then apply to the Charity Commission. So their little jibe fitted nicely against us as at one time we were not a registered charity but were a registered company (23 June 2009 to 12 November 2009). This is followed by the final statement:
"You can be sure that 100% of the money you give us goes to helping the dogs."
Following on from the first lines the suggestion is that even as a charity, if your legal framework is a company there may be a doubt as to whether 100% of the money goes to helping the dogs.
It could be that they are trying to suggest that as a company money must be going to shareholdings - but as our legal framework states we are not a company limited by share capital but a company limited guarantee (no share capital). There can be no dividend issued. There are no owners. The directors are the trustees and cannot be paid in any form other than their reasonably incurred expenses - for which no director/trustee has received a single penny from the charity. This is not our choice - it is law. Period.
And finally, as a company limited by guarantee we have to provide complex accounts with a profit and loss statement and balance sheet. We are subject to what is called an Independent Examination, and next year expect it that we shall be subject to an Audit if our income and expenditure reach the required levels.
Therefore in summary, contrary to what is muttered:
We are a Registered Charity
We have gained Charitable Status from HM Revenue & Customs
We have been granted 100% charitable relief against Business Rates
Our accounts and annual report have been submitted to the Charity Commission.
Our accounts and annual return have been submitted to Companies House
Our accounts and annual report have been submitted to HM Revenue & Customs
Our accounts have been scrutinised and given the all clear by an Independant Examination by an accountant.
There can be no doubt about the validity of our charitable status, the aims and purposes of our organisation or the appropriation of funds.
At a time when we have themed our latest newsletter around Transparency and Openness it is a shame others can not be the same.
Their website proudly states:
"As a registered charity we are governed by the Charity Commission, be aware that other rescues may not have charity status or may be registered as a company. You can be sure that 100% of the money you give us goes to helping the dogs."
So why has this got my gander up?
Happy Staffie Rescue after all is a registered charity, gaining charitable status from the Commission in November 2009.
The problem (for them) is our legal framework, the basis around which we legally operate is as a company. However we are not Tesco, BP or Ford. They are companies limited by share capital. We are what is known as a company limited by guarantee (no share capital).
When starting a charity you have to decide what legal framework to use and there are generally three available a) an unincorporated association b) a company limited by guarantee or c) a trust.
A trust is only available to certain organisations. But an unincorporated association or a company limited by guarantee are based on the choices the trustees make and how they see their charity operating.
For example, an unincorporated association generally is useful to smaller charities, particularly those based around a local community issue. Village clubs, affiliates of larger charities and sports clubs are often set up on this basis. There are limitations to what an unincorporated association can undertake, which are not present in a company limited by guarantee. We decided on the latter principally in case we intended to enter into the contracts for services - for example leases on buildings, kennels, insurance, etc. This proved to be the case. This framework also provides a legal identity for the charity, and enables access to more services as time goes by.
So are we alone in this?
Certainly many major charities are registered as a company limited by guarantee. Save the Children Fund is a clear example. And they come in all shapes and sizes - take these three dog-related charities - The Blue Cross, Support Dogs and West Yorkshire Dog Rescue. All three are registered charities, and all three have a legal framework of a company limited by guarantee, just like us.
So let us look at their words again.
"As a registered charity we are governed by the Charity Commission,"
No surprise there. All registered charities in England and Wales are regulated by the Charity Commission regardless of their legal framework. Whether they are an association, a company limited by guarantee or a trust they are all regulated by the Commission.
But, in addition to the Charity Commission we are also regulated by Companies House. This means that not only do we have to comply by the regulations of the Charity Commission we must also comply with the rules and regulations of the Companies Act. This means our accounts are overseen by both government agencies.
And, we have charitable status from HM Revenue & Customs, granted 13 November 2009. This is no mean feat. The application is not straightforward - it isn't simply that you are a charity. You must show them through evidence and accounts that you are charitable. Therefore not only have our accounts been scrutinised by the Charity Commission and Companies House but also HM Revenue & Customs.
Three government agencies watching what you do, ensuring you do the right thing. Our 'friendly' fellow dog rescue is as far as I can see only regulated by the Commission.
Then there is this curious statement:
"... be aware that other rescues may not have charity status or may be registered as a company."
Now there is a real legitimate concern to bogus callers, the sort of people who drop endless clothes bags through your letterbox and in the finest small print you find some charity is getting 5p for every £1 raised. But of course their statement is far too vague to be pinpointed on those charities. It is no coincidence that their statement first appeared as we came together in summer 2009.
In the beginning we had to registered first as a company, then raise £5,000 then apply to the Charity Commission. So their little jibe fitted nicely against us as at one time we were not a registered charity but were a registered company (23 June 2009 to 12 November 2009). This is followed by the final statement:
"You can be sure that 100% of the money you give us goes to helping the dogs."
Following on from the first lines the suggestion is that even as a charity, if your legal framework is a company there may be a doubt as to whether 100% of the money goes to helping the dogs.
It could be that they are trying to suggest that as a company money must be going to shareholdings - but as our legal framework states we are not a company limited by share capital but a company limited guarantee (no share capital). There can be no dividend issued. There are no owners. The directors are the trustees and cannot be paid in any form other than their reasonably incurred expenses - for which no director/trustee has received a single penny from the charity. This is not our choice - it is law. Period.
And finally, as a company limited by guarantee we have to provide complex accounts with a profit and loss statement and balance sheet. We are subject to what is called an Independent Examination, and next year expect it that we shall be subject to an Audit if our income and expenditure reach the required levels.
Therefore in summary, contrary to what is muttered:
We are a Registered Charity
We have gained Charitable Status from HM Revenue & Customs
We have been granted 100% charitable relief against Business Rates
Our accounts and annual report have been submitted to the Charity Commission.
Our accounts and annual return have been submitted to Companies House
Our accounts and annual report have been submitted to HM Revenue & Customs
Our accounts have been scrutinised and given the all clear by an Independant Examination by an accountant.
There can be no doubt about the validity of our charitable status, the aims and purposes of our organisation or the appropriation of funds.
At a time when we have themed our latest newsletter around Transparency and Openness it is a shame others can not be the same.
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Red on his way to a new life
Red, who only came into kennels last week has already secured his loving new home.
Red 2 years of age, was the 58th dog to come into the care of Happy Staffie Rescue and has now become the 52nd rehomed. He needs to be neutered first, but hopefully in just a few days he will begin his new life.
Red 2 years of age, was the 58th dog to come into the care of Happy Staffie Rescue and has now become the 52nd rehomed. He needs to be neutered first, but hopefully in just a few days he will begin his new life.
Friday, 10 December 2010
Supporters Club goes electronic (well shortly)
The current Supporters Club has two drawbacks. First of all it is very labour intensive and believe it or not can be quite stressful to put together is as short a space as time as possible. Secondly it is relatively expensive because of the printing costs associated with low volume printing. For example the latest edition of the newsletter is expected to cost around £1.40 to produce.
An electronic alternative was expected to be trialled with this third edition of the newsletter, but as the third edition took shape it became a 28-page marathon. When compressed in a PDF file it had a 33MB size. Far too great to be sent by e-mail.
Therefore, without the software, expertise or perhaps the time to find a way of condensing the size to a more manageable 2MB file we may give supporters the option of a smaller monthly newsletter as an alternative to the bi-annual printed version.
The one advantage of the monthly e-mail edition is that it will be up to date with that months news and articles. Another is that it will a smaller, easier to read snapshot rather than one long read. Finally for the charity it will cost zero to produce and distribute as it is written by volunteers.
We have to make the decision in early 2011 on how to move this forward but we have a couple of members of the Supporters Club who have expressed an interest in taking part in a trial. Their views will enable us to determine how useful and interesting the smaller newsletter is.
If anyone has any views regarding this, or want to take part in the trial (you must be a member of the Supporters Club) please feel free to contact me at
jonathan@happystaffierescue.org.uk
An electronic alternative was expected to be trialled with this third edition of the newsletter, but as the third edition took shape it became a 28-page marathon. When compressed in a PDF file it had a 33MB size. Far too great to be sent by e-mail.
Therefore, without the software, expertise or perhaps the time to find a way of condensing the size to a more manageable 2MB file we may give supporters the option of a smaller monthly newsletter as an alternative to the bi-annual printed version.
The one advantage of the monthly e-mail edition is that it will be up to date with that months news and articles. Another is that it will a smaller, easier to read snapshot rather than one long read. Finally for the charity it will cost zero to produce and distribute as it is written by volunteers.
We have to make the decision in early 2011 on how to move this forward but we have a couple of members of the Supporters Club who have expressed an interest in taking part in a trial. Their views will enable us to determine how useful and interesting the smaller newsletter is.
If anyone has any views regarding this, or want to take part in the trial (you must be a member of the Supporters Club) please feel free to contact me at
jonathan@happystaffierescue.org.uk
Sponsor a Dog coming
We will hopefully be launching our Sponsor a Dog scheme in early 2011.
The scheme will sit alongside the existing Supporters Club. The existing Supporters Club starts at £14 per annum. It is a good fundraising area, but is quite labour intensive at the times when the bi-annual newsletters are written, printed and posted. It is our intention to move towards an electronic version of the newsletter, possibly distributed monthly (in a smaller format) with the option of a hardcopy as an alternative.
The Sponsor a Dog Scheme will allow people to donate to the charity with the focus on a particular dog(s). Further details will follow here as they are put together but we expect to start the Scheme at around £1 a week, or £4-5 a month paid by direct debit.
The scheme will sit alongside the existing Supporters Club. The existing Supporters Club starts at £14 per annum. It is a good fundraising area, but is quite labour intensive at the times when the bi-annual newsletters are written, printed and posted. It is our intention to move towards an electronic version of the newsletter, possibly distributed monthly (in a smaller format) with the option of a hardcopy as an alternative.
The Sponsor a Dog Scheme will allow people to donate to the charity with the focus on a particular dog(s). Further details will follow here as they are put together but we expect to start the Scheme at around £1 a week, or £4-5 a month paid by direct debit.
Third charity shop
Our plans for a third charity shop will move forward in January.
It is our intention to a find suitable location in Worcestershire or the West Midlands for opening by the beginning of April. We have to ensure it ticks all the right boxes and can be a fundraising success like Kidderminster.
It is our aim to open two successful shops during 2011 to further support the expanding charitable activities of Happy Staffie Rescue.
It is our intention to a find suitable location in Worcestershire or the West Midlands for opening by the beginning of April. We have to ensure it ticks all the right boxes and can be a fundraising success like Kidderminster.
It is our aim to open two successful shops during 2011 to further support the expanding charitable activities of Happy Staffie Rescue.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Newsletter 3 shipped
The third edition of Happy Staffie Times has been posted today and hopefully will be with members of our Supporters Club early next week.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Financial security
The financial security of the charity has been secured in the medium term by a generous donation. The funds came from the estate of a lady who helped Happy Staffie Rescue in our earliest days with a cash donation in 2009. The sum enabled us to buy the basic tools we needed to begin fundraising - a gazebo, tables, collection boxes and buckets, etc. Now, a year after her sad passing her memory will continue to live on with us and in the work we do.
1,000 Christmas cards sold
Our first attempt at Christmas cards have sold over 1,000 copies, and that is just from our Facebook fans and internet followers. We have sold good numbers in both of our charity shops which has confirmed for us that the cards will return in 2011 (with a new design or two).
Thank you to everyone who has helped support a Staffordshire bull terrier in need of a home by buying these cards, all of which were made by our volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who has helped support a Staffordshire bull terrier in need of a home by buying these cards, all of which were made by our volunteers.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Happy Staffie Times Newsletter features
The main theme of the third edition of our newsletter which is now winging its way to members of our Supporters Club is Transparency and Openness.
We strongly believe in the guiding principles of the Charity Commission and strictly adhere (as should all charities) to the guidance they provide and the laws on which charities are allowed to operate.
Therefore, in this edition for the first time we have decided to provide some details about the people behind the charity. You will not find enormous biographies, just their names and the functions they undertake and a small description of their function within the charity.
For example we will list the trustees of the charity (also called directors) by their names. And we will let you know who is managing the day to day functions of the charity.
All the legal information is also contained included our registered charity number, registered company number, registered office and contact information.
Many charities would not believe this is necessary but in the spirit or transparency we think it is important you can see who is behind the charity. We may, in the future provide further information in the form of an informal interview with key people so that you can get to know who they are in more detail.
A further feature is a review of our 2009/10 accounts. Again many smaller charities will consider their accounts sacred and not for the eyes of anyone outside of statutory bodies and their individual boards or committees. Not us. I have provided a short breakdown of how much has been raised, and in what areas and the costs associated with these endeavours.
We will not hide faults, and as we completed the newsletter we were made aware of a mistake in our microchipping system (which has now been rectified). This problem came about because of a change in personnel as the welfare and rehoming role went from volunteer to another volunteer. I was only able to squeeze the information in, but under November on page 3 you see a mention of it. Rest assured we have identified all dogs affected and will be ensuring that all details are in the correct names.
And we will be honest about disappointment - which is why we highlight the disappointing returns from our second shop in Stourbridge. While it remains profitable, the levels are too low for us to effectively plan for the income it raises.
We strongly believe in the guiding principles of the Charity Commission and strictly adhere (as should all charities) to the guidance they provide and the laws on which charities are allowed to operate.
Therefore, in this edition for the first time we have decided to provide some details about the people behind the charity. You will not find enormous biographies, just their names and the functions they undertake and a small description of their function within the charity.
For example we will list the trustees of the charity (also called directors) by their names. And we will let you know who is managing the day to day functions of the charity.
All the legal information is also contained included our registered charity number, registered company number, registered office and contact information.
Many charities would not believe this is necessary but in the spirit or transparency we think it is important you can see who is behind the charity. We may, in the future provide further information in the form of an informal interview with key people so that you can get to know who they are in more detail.
A further feature is a review of our 2009/10 accounts. Again many smaller charities will consider their accounts sacred and not for the eyes of anyone outside of statutory bodies and their individual boards or committees. Not us. I have provided a short breakdown of how much has been raised, and in what areas and the costs associated with these endeavours.
We will not hide faults, and as we completed the newsletter we were made aware of a mistake in our microchipping system (which has now been rectified). This problem came about because of a change in personnel as the welfare and rehoming role went from volunteer to another volunteer. I was only able to squeeze the information in, but under November on page 3 you see a mention of it. Rest assured we have identified all dogs affected and will be ensuring that all details are in the correct names.
And we will be honest about disappointment - which is why we highlight the disappointing returns from our second shop in Stourbridge. While it remains profitable, the levels are too low for us to effectively plan for the income it raises.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Calendar in print
Our 2011 Calendar has gone into print today.
The final design was signed off and given the okay by the printers and we have received word that they went into print today.
We have to allow until 17 December 2010 for receipt, but will send them out so that buyers received them before Christmas.
The final design was signed off and given the okay by the printers and we have received word that they went into print today.
We have to allow until 17 December 2010 for receipt, but will send them out so that buyers received them before Christmas.
58th, 59th dogs in,
We have now taken in our 59th dog in since we began taking in dogs in August 2009.
Red and Buster can both be seen at our web site.
Red and Buster can both be seen at our web site.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)