Lowe Syndrome Charity rewarded for online transparency

December 2005 Sponsored by CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Category D – charities with an income below £100,000 - Lowe Syndrome Trust

The lowe Syndrome charity received a cheque for £750 and a seal for the website at the Awards presentation on 2 December 2005 at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, Moorgate Place, London. After the awards’ ceremony the was a seminar at which Shirley Scott, Chief Executive of the Charity Finance Directors’ Group and Judith Miller, Senior Manager at Sayer Vincent discussed trustee reports under SORP 2005.

By recognising best practise in financial reporting, the Awards aim to raise the standard of online reporting and encourage more charities to offer their financial information in this way. Graham Ward, Chair of the Judging Panel said: “This year more than any other, charities of every size and type have demonstrated the highest standard of practice in their financial reporting. We have seen some excellent examples of online reports and accounts.”

The charity would like to congratulate the unpaid volunteers including Andrew Thomas and accountants Groman & Company who achieved this award.

Charity Awards 2004

In 2004 the charity was commended by the charity awards by Charity Finance Magazine 2004 in the medical and healthcare category. The Charity Awards recognise and celebrate excellence in the leadership and management of charities. Highlighting charities’ management achievements helps to spread good practice throughout the sector, and draws attention to the talent and expertise being brought to bear on voluntary activity in the UK

An independent awards panel takes a range of factors into account. Successful nominees demonstrate achievement in one or more of the following areas.

i	Strategic planning: Developing a plan for achieving your charity’s mission.

ii	Effective delivery: Achievement in meeting or exceeding targets for delivery of charitable objectives.

iii	Accountability to stakeholders: Internal and external communication through which trustees, staff, volunteers, funders, beneficiaries and the public are able to understand and (where appropriate) influence the activities of the charity and how it is meeting its objectives.

iv	Innovation: Imaginative and creative use of original or adapted ideas and techniques. This could involve the application to a charity’s work of concepts first applied in other sectors.

v	Sustainability: Elements in the management of a project or charity which will ensure that it takes on a life of its own after the initial input of resources and/or management effort.

vi	Learning culture: Readiness to improve continually by absorbing and responding to changing skills, needs and attitudes.

vii	Measuring achievement: The use of appropriate techniques to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of an activity or organisation. This could involve outcome focused measurement and/or input to output ratios.

viii	Staff and volunteer development: Evidence of a commitment to retaining, developing and motivating staff and volunteers at all levels.

ix	Enterprise: New ways of raising new funds for charitable activity, especially from non-traditional sources. New methods of controlling costs, especially administration costs, through appropriate and self-financing control measures.

x	Leadership: Inspiration in the pursuit of management goals, galvanising action within an organisation, or encouraging other organisations with best practice examples.