Chairperson’s Annual Report June 2020
Report for Year One of Anam Cara Fasgadh
This report covers charity activities from 31 May 2019 to 30 June 2020.
Trustees:
Andrew Simpson: CoFounder & Director Chairperson
Irene Harvey: Director Secretary
Claire Wilson: Director Accounts Manager
Niki Walker: Director Treasurer
Michael McGuire: CoFounder & Director
Jenni Morris: CoFounder & Director
Susan Simpson: CoFounder & Director
The Purpose of the Charity
The Charity’s purpose is the relief of those in need by reason of bereavement through the death of a child by providing respite accommodation and support with the objective of improving the conditions of life for bereaved families.
Anam Cara Fasgadh is managed by the Directors who actively promote, develop and manage the aims and ambitions of the charity. No new Trustees have been recruited to date, but there is an application and interview process in place for recruitment.
Year 1 Activities & Objectives:
Scottish Parliament Event: Sponsored by John Finnie, the charity was delighted to attend the Scottish Parliament in Sept 2019 where the charity shared more about its aims, ambitions and mission to a gathering of MSPs, supporters and representatives from other organisations and charities.
Fundraising / Just Giving: Anam Cara Fasgadh has been faithfully supported by many Fundraisers including Iain Lonnen, Leah McBeath, The Simpson Family, The Harvey Family, Michael McGuire, Amelie McGuire, Chris Watt, David Connacher, Body Beautiful with Tanya, Frankie Campbell Highland Dance, Fiona Donn, Maimie Nicolson, John Finnie, and Stacy ladies night.
Donors: Substantial donations have been made through CAF by supporters who wish to remain anonymous. The Chair extends the sincere appreciation to these donors.
Fort William Running Trail Festival: Anam Cara Fasgadh provided volunteers to help with this event, spoke at the evening events and received a donation.
Big Steps for Small Feet 2020: Founded by Michael McGuire this event brought together a collaboration of 10 charities, with over 150 participants signing up, to climb Ben Nevis at night and welcome in the sunrise. The event has been postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Oban High School: The Senior Pupil Team at Oban High School chose to raise funds and awareness for Anam Cara Fasgadh at their Senior Jingles in December 2019. Youth Champion Charis Simpson recruited the support of her Clan for Anam Cara Fasgadh with a view to raising awareness and funds and producing an Assembly to present to the whole school. This has been postponed until schools return. Director Susan Simpson was intervewed by 2 sets of YPI students who were working on their presentations as COVID-19 hit. Susan was also invited to speak to Miss Seacord’s S1 class about the work of the charity. Chair Andrew met with a YPI group and showed them the holiday park site and woodland.
St Conon’s Christmas Tree Festival Nov 2019: Directors Irene, Susan and Andrew spent a week at this event in Nov 2019 and collected 36 names of babies and children who have died, which were placed on the Tree displayed at the festival which saw 70 Trees erected by local charities, schools and businesses.
Social Media: The Social Media platforms see weekly interaction across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with both supporters and benefactories.
Media: The charity would like to acknowledge the kind support of producer and videographer Dr Mikey McManus in producing a short film for Anam Cara Fasgadh. We also acknowledge the kind support of photographers Nick Edington (who is compiling a catalogue of images of the site and caravan), Aileen Gillies (who is creating a calendar for sale), Stuart and Gary of GHProductionsArgyll (who are producing a video), and Kathy Griffiths who regularly runs articles in The Oban Times about the work of the charity. We would also like to thank Stuart Cockburn for his incredible logo and all the work on the website. We acknowledge thanks for the support of Frankie Campbell Highland Dance school, Cala Ceilidh band and those who chose the charity for Amazon Smile.
Purchase of Caravan: The charity is delighted to report that the purchase process is ongoing and that we will very soon own a caravan at Tralee Bay Holidays
In conclusion, through the incredible support of our amazing fundraisers, supporters and donors we have raised a staggering amount of funds. Beyond this we are already actively engaging with bereaved families, including them on a local level and nationally in our activities, aims and ambitions.
Chairperson’s Annual Report September 2021
This report covers charity activities from 1 July 2020 to 30 August 2021.
Report for Year Two of Anam Cara Fasgadh, SCIO No. SC049149
Trustees:
Andrew Simpson: CoFounder & Director Chairperson
Irene Harvey: Director Secretary
Claire Wilson: Director Accounts Manager
Niki Walker: Director Treasurer
Michael McGuire: CoFounder & Director
Jenni Morris: CoFounder & Director
Susan Simpson: CoFounder & Director
Activities And Achievements:
Anam Cara Fasgadh Caravan, Tralee Bay Holidays: Andrew shared that following a break in progress due to the COVID pandemic, pandemic restrictions, and the lack of fundraising, we are excited to see the refurbishment of the caravan coming together. An amazing amount of work has gone into this, and we have been supported by many companies including TJ Flooring who are gifting the floor coverings, BSW who are donating the decking materials, and Dream Doors who donated beautiful 2 worktops. The refurbishment is on track for completion in November and we look forward to welcoming our first families towards the end of 2021. Thanks is extended to Director Niki Walker for managing the project, and Directors Jenni Morris and Michael McGuire for their input.
Fundraising / Justgiving / CAF: Andrew confirmed that Anam Cara Fasgadh continues to be faithfully supported by families and individuals who have donated through fundraising, Justgiving and CAF donations and we continue to be humbled by their faithful support.
Our bank balance is healthy and on behalf of the charity the Chair extends sincere thanks to each and every one for enabling us to forge ahead with the refurbishment of the caravan.
The CAF Donors continue to wish to remain anonymous and we ask Michael to pass on our sincere gratitude.
Big Steps for Small Feet 2021: Anam Cara Fasgadh was delighted to host this memorable event in June 2021, with Discover Adventure as guides, bringing 10 charities together who all support bereaved families. Over 100 amazing individuals overcame inclement weather to scale Ben Nevis overnight. Andrew and Susan, along with Laura-Ann from Bliss, greeted the first walkers off the Ben around 4.15AM, and Michael accompanied those struggling as they came back down. The event was a huge success. Those climbing for Anam Cara Fasgadh, Michael, Daniel and Roger, raised over £1400.
Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI): An amazing team of Oban High School S3 students, Eva Bonnetti, Molly Dougall, Freya Jardine and Matthew Douglas, produced a moving and informative video about Anam Cara Fasgadh and won £3000 for the charity. This money enable the charity to start refurbishing the caravan.
Scotland’s Virtual Kiltwalk 2021: The Simpson family successfully completed a Kiltwalk in Argyll, raising £1320 for the charity.
Souter Charitable Trust: Irene was successful in her application this year and secured £2000 for the charity.
Argyll Community Lottery: We are on track to raise almost £400 this year from being part of the lottery, and 5 of our supporters have had winnings already.
Social Media: The Social Media Platforms of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook continue to garner interaction.
Media: In Year Two Anam Cara Fasgadh has been featured in Lochaber Life and the Oban Times.
Future Plans for Anam Cara Fasgadh:
Andrew shared that the charity will continue to seek ways to raise funds and awareness which will enable us to achieve our goals and ambitions.
We will also continue to reach out to bereaved families through the use of Social Media, the media, relationships with other organisations and maintaining a newsletter to supporters and families.
Future Plans include:
Baby Loss Awareness Week 2021: Anam Cara Fasgadh is a member of the BLAW Alliance and will take part in the week online and hopefully with a Wave of Light in Argyll.
Big Steps for Small Feet 2022: Due to the outstanding success of Michael’s vision, all charities involved have agreed to come together in 2022 to scale Snowdon. Discussions are ongoing about a suitable date.
Anam Cara Fashadh Great Glen Challenge 2022: Supporter Aileen Thomson and Director Susan have teamed up with In Your Element and look forward to leading challengers along the Great Glen in April 2022.
Kiltwalk 2022: The charity will explore the feasibility of gaining support from individuals who may wish to take on the Kiltwalk for Anam Cara Fasgadh
Oban High School YPI: A senior team of S5 students who are taking part in YPI as part of the Higher RMPS studies have approached Anam Cara Fasgadh with a view to representing the charity.
Hope Kitchen: Hope Kitchen have offered to partner with the charity and will be donating welcome packs of groceries for each family.
Weekly Cleaning of Caravan: We have had an offer of support from SRS Window Cleaning who have offered a discounted fee for each turnover. We are awaiting details on this.
Chairperson’s Annual Report September 2022
This report covers charity activities from 1 Oct 2021 to 30 Dec 2022.
Report for Year Three of Anam Cara Fasgadh, SCIO No. SC049149
Directors:
Andrew Simpson, CoFounder, Director & Chairperson
Irene Harvey, Director & Secretary
Tracey France, Director & Treasurer ( joined the team as Director on 28/04/22)
Michael McGuire, CoFounder & Director
Susan Simpson, CoFounder & Director
Robert Chapman, Director ( joined the team as Director on 27/07/22)
Margaret Hurst, Director (joined the team as Director on 09/10/22)
Claire Wilson, Accounts Manager
Jenni Morris, CoFounder & Director and Niki Walker, Director & Treasurer resigned on 16/05/22.
Claire Wilson resigned as Director on 21/06/22.
The Purpose of Anam Cara Fasgadh Charity
The charity’s purpose is the relief of those in need by reason of bereavement through the death of a child by providing respite accommodation and support with the objective of improving the conditions of life for bereaved families. The core aim of the charity is the provision of gifted breaks for families bereaved through the death of a baby, child or young person, at our caravan, Poppy’s Place, situated on the site of Tralee Bay Holiday Park in Benderloch, Argyll.
Despite the extremely challenging situation that the world faced with the Covid 19 pandemic and the impact that had on our ability to raise funds, Andrew is delighted to be able to report continued success for the charity in fulfilling its purpose, and in achieving the aims and ambitions of the team.
Following the purchase of our first caravan in 2020 at the site of Tralee Bay Holiday Park in Benderloch by Oban, Scotland, and with the completion of the renovation, we were able to open in May 2022.
The funds we continue to receive are exclusively donations from fundraisers and supporters and the team remains very grateful to our faithful supporters. It is worth noting that the pitch will finish in December 2025, though Tralee Bay Holiday Site have intimated that if the caravan remains to a high standard they may extend that. If no extension is given we will be required to purchase a brand new caravan if we wish to continue on that pitch.
To date we have gifted free breaks to 25 families since opening in May 2022. The bereavements experienced by families include death by suicide, cancer, miscarriage, stillbirth and accidental death.
We were delighted to begin to work with Lisa from ReLisa Scent, and started gifting Wax Burner & Melts to each family who came to stay.
Refurbishment of Caravan:
On behalf of all at Anam Cara Fasgadh, Andrew would like to commend the incredible hard work of the whole team in completing the refurbishment of the caravan, especially Niki Walker and Jenni Morris who donated a lot of their time in leading the refurbishment, bringing in help from Brian and Ethan. He also wants to acknowledge the assistance given by Michael and his family. All concerned spent many hours travelling to work at the caravan, and at the caravan to bring it to the high standard that it is, providing a peaceful, comfortable haven for the families who come to stay here.
The agreed spend at the start of the refurbishment was £5,000. We received a very generous donation of wood for the decking from Michael’s employer BSW, however there were problems with the agreed footprint of the decking and the joiner had to order more wood and spend extra time deconstructing then reconstructing the decking. It’s unfortunate that the decking work alone cost £7,299.60 but lessons have been learned regarding ensuring the communications between our trades people, ourselves and Tralee Bay Holiday Site has been tightened up.
We also had to replace the cooker & hob and the fridge freezer, both of which were sourced for us by Tralee Bay Holiday Park, who we remain indebted to for their continued support. These outgoings were completely unforeseen.
The bedding purchased was not suitable for the turn over that we have at the caravan and was problematic when it came to laundering it - Tralee Bay Holiday Park, who carry out the change overs for us, had asked that their bedding be used for ease of change over but were told we were using Egyptian Cotton. To that end we agreed to change to Tralee Bay bedding and this has considerably eased the stress for our volunteers, our Trustees Irene, Susan and Tracey, and the cleaning staff at Tralee Bay. This has left us with a surplus of quality, used bedding and towels which we will endeavour to resell on behalf of the charity.
As we close the year our bank balance sits at a healthy surplus. The bulk of our income has been received from Michael’s friends who donate through Charities Aid Foundation.
Costs in the year have largely been attributable to the renovation of the caravan (bought in the previous year) together with its running and maintenance costs. Other costs incurred have been mainly related to administrative items such as web services, and fundraising costs which include amounts paid to providers who are hosting a fundraising event for the upcoming year.
We are satisfied that the surplus held by the charity is at a sufficient level to maintain the ongoing costs and needs for the forthcoming year.
Big Steps for Small Feet 2022: Hosted by Director Michael in July of this year, Big Steps for Small Feet saw 8 other charities join us in climbing Snowden in Wales. Michael, Marc & Sam Alexander raised a fantastic £1,085 for Anam Cara Fasgadh. Off the back of Big Steps for Small Feet Anam Cara Fasgadh was invited to join Benevity Causes by Marc.
Great Glen Canoe Challenge: The first on water challenge for Anam Cara Fasgadh was hosted by Director Susan and supporter Aileen Thomson, and the team of Susan & Charis Simpson, Tania Robertson & Sue Gillivray and Susan Andrew and Rachael Aitken raised £4,102. Our outgoings to In Your Element were £1,865 so the charity gained £2,237. Through Tania Robertson, Susan was invited to talk to Oban Rotary Club who kindly gifted the charity £500 which has been ring fenced for the new project of Well-being Kits.
In November 2022 a lovey couple celebrating their 20th Wedding Anniversary raised over £1,000 for Anam Cara Fasgadh in memory of their grandson Fynn.
In December 2022 we hosted a fundraising event at Inveraray Jail, with the support of Highland Paranormal, raising £450 for the charity.
Also in December 2022, on what would have been their daughter’s 15th birthday, Kayla’s family, who had previously stayed at Poppy’s Place, walked in memory of her and raised £825 which was gifted by the family towards the Welcome Packs.
In October 2022 we were delighted to see our first challenger take on the Great Scottish Run for Anam Cara Fasgadh, successfully completing her very first half marathon and raising over £500.
We had no participants representing the charity at The Kiltwalk this year and were unable to host a Wave of Light in Argyll this year.
As the charity looks towards it’s 2nd year of gifting breaks to bereaved families, the plans for 2023 are to continue championing the work of the charity in the hopes of gaining support and donations, and to continue to seek ways to raise funds and awareness as well as reaching out to bereaved families.
Planned activities for the next year include:
Big Steps for Small Feet 2023: Anam Cara Fasgadh is delighted to host this for a 3rd year - this collaborative event, bringing 8 charities supporting bereaved families together to complete a climb of Scafell Pike.
Kiltwalk 2023: This well-known event is taking place across the country and we will actively seek participants to raise funds for Anam Cara Fasgadh.
Baby Loss Awareness Week (“BLAW”) 2023: Anam Cara Fasgadh is a member of the BLAW Alliance and will take part in the week online in addition to hopefully hosting a Wave of Light event in Argyll in October.
Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (“YPI”): Oban High School have approached Anam Cara Fasgadh again to ask that we present the charity to students in 2023. YPI is an opportunity for school pupils to research and represent a charity by delivering a presentation to a panel who then decide which charity should receive the prize of £3,000.
Anam Cara Fasgadh Canoe Challenge 2023: The charity has been asked by participants to host another challenge.
Wellbeing Kit: The charity will be working with potential funders and experts to enhance the gifts already left for each family, with particular focus on the effect of grief on mental health.
In conclusion we remain grateful to our donors and supporters who enable the charity to provide a haven of peace and tranquillity for families who have experienced the most difficult bereavement to live with. The final word goes to a couple who stayed with us in Oct 2022:
“Thank you Poppy’s Place for the most wonderful relaxing and reflective break. We feel truly blessed for Anam Cara Fasgadh creating this safe haven. The decor is beautiful and the caravan is so relaxing. We have chilled and slowed down more than we have in months. When our son died we made a promise to keep adventuring for him - this chance to get away has been a blessing. We have written our son’s name in the sand everywhere we have been this week and each evening cosied up and talked and relaxed. It’s been very therapeutic and much needed. Thank you.”
Chairperson’s Annual Report September 2023
This report covers charity activities from 1 Jan 2023 to 30 Dec 2023
Report for Year Four of Anam Cara Fasgadh, SCIO No. SC049149
Directors:
Andrew Simpson, CoFounder, Director & Chairperson
Irene Harvey, Director & Secretary
Tracey France, Director & Treasurer
Michael McGuire, CoFounder & Director
Susan Simpson, CoFounder & Director
Robert Chapman, Director
Margaret Hurst, Director
Claire Wilson, Accounts Manager
The Purpose of the Charity
The Charity’s purpose is the relief of those in need by reason of bereavement through the death of a child by providing respite accommodation and support with the objective of improving the conditions of life for bereaved families.
Achievements and Performance
Our Chairperson, Andrew, is delighted to be able to report that following the extensive refurbishment of the caravan, named Poppy’s Place, and with the continued support of fundraisers, supporters, and donors, we were able to welcome bereaved families to the tranquil setting. To the end of Dec 2023, we have welcomed 56 bereaved families, from across the UK, who were able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the area in comfort.
Families were welcomed to Poppy’s Place with basic groceries and bespoke welcome packs with gifts for each member of the family, thus creating an atmosphere of love and care, and had our cofounder Susan available at the end of the phone for any queries or enquiries.
Guests who stayed at Poppy’s Place during this period were bereaved through:
Death by suicide
Death by accident
Death by stillbirth
Death by brain malformation
Death by heart attack
Death by miscarraige
Death by cancer
In March 2023 a Body Shop hostess raised £250 for us.
Funds received during the year have been mostly donations with a small amount of grant and fundraising activity income. We would like to acknowledge thanks to our CAF donors who raised £26,200 for us this year and who continue to faithfully support the work. It is hoped that further fundraising and events can be completed in the coming year.
Income for the year of April 2022 to March 2023 was in excess of £34,000 and has come largely from donations.
Costs in the year have largely been attributable to charitable activities, which is the provision of breaks to bereaved families and includes running and maintenance costs of the caravan. Other costs incurred have been mainly related to administrative items such as web services, and fundraising costs which include amounts paid to providers who are hosting a fundraising event for the upcoming year.
Everest Base Camp in Memory of Kyle: In May 2023, our cofounder Michael took on the incredible challenge to climb to Everest Base Camp, over 17,598 ft high in the Himalayas to raise funds for Anam Cara Fasgadh and raise awareness of the charity in memory of his son who would be 14 years old.
Big Steps for Small Feet 2023: Following the success of Big Steps for Small Feet in 2021 and 2022, Anam Cara Fasgadh was delighted to again host this collaborative event which will bring nine charities supporting bereaved families together to complete a climb of Scafell Pike in July 2023.
Remembrance Butterfly Release 2023: In the summer of 2023 Trustees hosted a poignant remembrance service with a butterfly release, bringing bereaved families together in a beautiful act of remembrance.
Baby Loss Awareness Week (“BLAW”) 2023: Anam Cara Fasgadh is a member of the BLAW Alliance and took part in the week online in addition to hosting a Wave of Light event on 15th Oct at McCaig’s Tower in Oban.
The SCVO Gathering 2023: We sent representatives to this annual conference in an effort to gain experience from the workshops and seminars and to make full use of networking opportunities.
We are satisfied that the surplus held by the charity is at a sufficient level to maintain the ongoing costs and needs for the forthcoming year.
The plans for the upcoming year are to continue gifting tranquil breaks at Poppy’s Place to bereaved families. We will also continue to seek ways to raise funds and awareness as we continue to support and reach out to bereaved families. We are actively exploring the feasibility of a second site for a caravan with a view to opening a second caravan in Summer 2024.
Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (“YPI”): Trustees will continue to work with Oban High School to deliver Anam Cara Fasgadh to the students and will aim to raise awareness of the charity in schools throughout the UK.
Andrew closes his annual report with some quotes from the families who have been gifted a break at Poppy’s Place.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to use Poppy’s Place. The environment you have created has allowed us time as a family to rest, recuperate and reflect. The most special trips were the countless windy walks to the beach, writing our girl’s name in the sand with the sun shining – it’s a moment I will never forget.” Oct 2022
“We cannot thank you enough for the most fantastic stay here at Poppy’s Place. We are so grateful to have some time out of our busy lives to spend quality time with our precious ‘rainbow’ boy and our girl who we call ‘our pot of gold’.” Oct 2023
“We LOVE it here! The van is so beautifully presented and everything has been thought of. The park and beach are so amazing the kids would have happily spent every day there. Thank you for giving us such precious memories.” Oct 2023