SHERIFFS’ & RECORDER’S FUND Annual Report 2018-2019 The Fund was established by the Sheriffs of the City of London in 1808 The Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund In 1808 the two Sheriffs of the City of London set up a fund to help prisoners living in appalling conditions in Newgate, and their families. In 1931 the Fund merged with the fund set up by the Recorder to assist offenders released on probation. The Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund still plays a vital part in preventing re-offending. In prison today: • The prison population has risen by 77% in the last 30 years. England & Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe. • Assault rates among children in custody average 228 assaults a month. • 43% of prisons received a negative rating from inspectors in 2017-18 for purposeful activity work. In many prisons work remains mundane, repetitive and rarely linked to resettlement objectives. • 54% of those entering prison were assessed as having literacy skills expected of an 11-year-old (general population: 15%). • The number of women in prison has doubled since 1993. On release: • On release prisoners receive £46 – a sum unchanged since 1997 (with inflation, the equivalent today is £82.34). • 50% of respondents to a 2016 YouGov survey said they would not consider employing an offender or ex-offender • 48% of adults are reconvicted within one year of release (64% of those serving sentences of less than 12 months). Working in an office in the Old Bailey provided by the Corporation of London, the Fund gives small grants to ex-prisoners and their families in Greater London to buy essentials: clothes for a job interview, a training course, tools of trade, household equipment. The Fund also gives large grants to prison-based charitable schemes which help to rehabilitate ex-prisoners through training and mentoring. In 2018-19 the Fund made: • 1,320 grants compared to 1,575 in 2017-18; • grants amounting to £317,275 compared to £391,229 in the previous year. The decrease in the number of individual grants is due to the closure of one of our principal sources of applications. In addition, all legacy money has now been spent. 1 EXTRACT FROM THE WILL MRS HELEN CHARLOTTE NORRIS Helen Charlotte Norris, wife of John Nelly Norris, died on January 10th 1950. In her will she made a bequest of the residue of her estate to create a fund in memory of her husband. Mrs. Norris had heard of the Recorder’s Fund (amalgamated with the Sheriffs’ Fund) through a letter written to a London newspaper by an ex- convict, to whom the Fund had given assistance, with good results. The residue of her estate was approximately £12,000. The income was given in perpetuity to the Recorder’s Fund, together with a request by Mrs. Norris that the following paragraph from her will be always read out at the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund’s Annual General Meeting: 5. I give all the rest of my property of every kind to the Public Trustee upon trust for sale to perpetuate the memory of my husband John Edward Norris who did so much for others. I wish to create a trust fund to be called The John Nelly Norris Fund to help rehabilitate and to restore the self respect of those coming under the notice of the probation offices at the Central Criminal Court, London EC, to help them to such an honest and better life, to restore their self respect, to help them place their trust in God and to follow the teachings of Christ, for no good can come otherwise. I would like those handling these my wishes to give a chance to those who have strayed to think on these things. I wish therefore everything to which I am possessed at my death to be sold by public auction to the highest bidder to create this Trust and the net proceeds of such sale to be invested to constitute a fund to be called The John Nelly Norris Fund and to pay the resulting income therefrom in perpetuity to The Recorder’s Fund at the Central Criminal Court London for the furtherance of the object of that Fund. It is my wish that paragraph 5 be read at each annual meeting of The Recorder’s Fund, a prayer for my husband and self, I beseech you. 2 The Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 Contents Page No. Information about the Fund 1 Extract from Will 2 Trustees, Honorary Officers, Patrons, Advisory Committee, etc 4 Grants 5 Casework Grants 6 Courses for which grants were given 6 Livery Companies 7 Sponsors 8 200 Club Members 9 An Individual Grant and A Special Grant 10 Donations from Charitable Trusts, Individuals and Organisations 11 Life Governors 12 Presidents’ Report 13 Report of the Trustees 14 Report of the Honorary Treasurer 15 Independent Examiner’s Statement 16 Summarised Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019 16 Photographs from fundraising events 17-20 Summarised Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2019 21-24 Rules of the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund 25-29 The Founders of the Fund 30 Donors to the Fund 31 Ways to Help 32-36 3 The Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund Chairman and Trustee: Lady Brewer, OBE Deputy Chairmen and Trustees: Mr. David Biddle Mr. James Harman Honorary Treasurer and Trustee: Mr. Christopher Thomas Honorary Solicitor and Trustee: Mr. Alastair Collett Trustee: Mrs. Penrose Halson Auditors: JCA Chartered Accountants Honorary Life President: Mrs. Richard Saunders Presidents: Alderman & Sheriff Vincent Keaveny & Sheriff The Hon Elizabeth Green Vice President: The Recorder of London HHJ Nicholas Hilliard QC Patrons: Rev Jonathan Aitken The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Richard Chartres, KCVO Lady Davies Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, KG Baroness Helena Kennedy of The Shaws QC Sir John Parker Mr. Jon Snow Advisory Council: Mr. Eric Beckford, Probation Department, Central Criminal Ct. Mr. Daniel Bell The Lady Clarke Mr. Glenn Hurstfield Mrs. Nikki Meinertzhagen His Hon. Judge Peter Rook QC Mrs. Hilary Russell together with the Presidents and Vice President SUBSCRIPTIONS & DONATIONS will be gratefully received and acknowledged by: The Chairman, Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund Website: www.srfund.org.uk Central Criminal Court Tel: 020 7192 2734 / 2739 Old Bailey Email: [email protected] London EC4M 7EH Kindly note that cheques should be made payable to The Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund. Please refer to pages 32-36 at the end of this Report for ways of giving. Registered Charity Number 221927 4 History of grants made: 2015 – 2019 (Number of grants) Grants and donations: 2015 – 2019 (£000) The Fund’s aim is to apply all donations received directly to beneficiaries and this has been achieved consistently over the last 5 years. Grants made in 2018 – 2019 (£000) 5 Casework Grants April 2018 - March 2019 April 2017 - March 2018 April 2018 - March 2019 £21 ,99 8 £20 ,08 4 £16 ,20 0 £29 ,60 9 Clothing Clothing White Go ods £100 ,20 5 White Go ods £88 ,79 5 Furnishings Furnishings Training Training Tools of trade Tools of trade £60 ,45 9 £59 ,84 1 £12 ,37 6 £9 ,23 7 COURSES FOR WHICH GRANTS WERE GIVEN DURING 2018/2019 Access Towers 1 Martial Arts 1 ADR Training 1 Mobile Boom Operative 1 Barbery 1 Moped Driver 1 Bricklaying 1 Motor Cycle Training 1 Carpentry 1 Nail Technician 1 Constructions 1 Opec 1 Cosmetics 1 Plumbing 1 Counselling 1 Property Sales 1 Creative Writing 1 PTS Medical 1 Door Supervisor 1 Scaffold 1 Driving Lessons 2 Site Management 3 Electrical 3 Site Safety 1 Forklift Driving 2 Slinger 2 Gym 1 Streetworks 2 HGV Driving 1 Track Induction 4 Highway Safety 1 Traffic Management 2 IPAF Course 2 Train Operative 1 LGV Training 1 Weight Management 1 Life Guard 1 Work Platform 1 6 On behalf of its beneficiaries, The Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund wishes to thank the following donors in the year to 2018/2019. LIVERY COMPANIES Actuaries Hackney Carriage Drivers Air Pilots Insurers Apothecaries International Bankers Armourers and Brasiers Ironmongers Barbers Launderers Basketmakers Leathersellers Bowyers Lightmongers Broderers Loriners Builders’ Merchants Makers of Playing Cards Carmen Marketors Carpenters Masons Chartered Accountants Mercers Chartered Architects Merchant Taylors Chartered Secretaries and Administrators Needlemakers Chartered Surveyors Parish Clerks City of London Solicitors Pattenmakers Clockmakers Paviors Clothworkers Pewterers Constructors Plaisterers Cooks Poulters Coopers Plumbers Cordwainers Salters Curriers Scientific Instrument Makers Cutlers Scriveners Distillers Security Professionals Drapers Shipwrights Dyers Spectacle Makers Educators Stationers Fan Makers Tallow Chandlers Feltmakers Tax Advisers Fletchers Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers Firefighters Tobacco Pipe Makers and Blenders Fishmongers Turners Framework Knitters Tylers & Bricklayers Fruiterers Upholders Gardeners Vintners Glass Sellers Watermen & Lightermen Glovers Weavers Goldsmiths Wheelwrights Guildable Manor 7 STRICTLY TRIAL AND ERROR PROGRAMME SPONSOR: Cartamundi UK STRICTLY TRIAL AND ERROR SPONSORS: 25 Bedford Row Chambers Doughty Street Chambers 6 King’s Bench Walk Chambers 18 Red Lion Square Chambers Ald. Sir Andrew Parmley Ald. Tim Hailes Ald. & Sheriff Vincent Keaveny & Mrs. Keaveny Sheriff The Hon. Elizabeth Green & Mr. Peter Green CH&Co. Caterers Chris Hipkins Prime Warden Blacksmith Vivienne McNaughton David Morris The Bernays Trust The Criminal Bar Association The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars The Worshipful Company of Cutlers of London The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers The Worshipful Company of Fletchers The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers The Worshipful Company of Glovers The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists The Worshipful Company of Joiners & Ceilers The Worshipful Company of Musicians The Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks The Worshipful Company of Scriveners The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators The Worshipful Company of Weavers The Worshipful Company of Woolmen The Worshipful Company of World Traders SPONSOR OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2019: The Worshipful Company of Cooks OUR THANKS The Fund expresses its thanks to the many who have helped promote and support the Fund’s work during this year, including the Fund’s volunteers led by Mrs.