hand in hand impact report 2013

Impact 2013

Hand in Hand’sAnnual Report 2013

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Our PurposeIs to provide a range of practical and emotional support services that help to reduce the impact that

a childhood cancer diagnosis has on every affected child and his or her extended family.

Our VisionIs to see every child in the Republic of Ireland who is diagnosed with cancer and their extended

family receiving practical and emotional support throughout their cancer treatment.

Our MissionIs to continue to provide the four core practical support services of childcare, domestic cleaning,

laundry and family meals and further develop our practical and emotional support services for

families as their needs dictate. We will continually assess the impact and value of our services and

adapt them accordingly. Our mission is to extend these services to all affected families in Ireland and

to work in conjunction with all other relevant service providers to optimise the benefits to

children and families.

Our Values- We will treat our service users and their needs with confidentiality and respect.

- We will continually strive to improve and adapt the services provided by the charity to offer

relevant, high quality and cost effective supports.

- We will hold our volunteers and supporters in the highest regard and will strive to make the

experience of involvement with Hand in Hand as rewarding as possible.

- We will operate with honesty and transparency and will adhere to both the Code of Governance

and the Guiding Principles for Fundraising

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Table of Contents

Development Manager’s Message

Case Study 1

Chairman’s Report

Case Study 2

Facts and Stats on Childhood Cancer

Getting Involved

Case Study 3

Looking Ahead

Code of Governance Fundraising Principles Statutory Accounts

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Hand in Hand’s 2013 Impact ReportJennifer Carpenter, Development Manager

About UsThis unique organisation was established in the autumn of 2006 after a young Galway girl was

diagnosed with cancer. Through this family’s experience, our founders soon recognised the extent

of the impact that such a diagnosis has on the entire family. After evaluating the needs of a number

of other affected families, our four core practical support services evolved and, to this day, remain

highly valued by the children, siblings, parents and extended family we serve who, as a result, have a

little less stress and a little more precious time to care.

Our ServicesChildcareThe main treatment for all childhood cancers takes place in Dublin so many families are faced with

extensive travel. There are often other children at home whose lives need to continue; who need to

get to school and back; who need help with homework; who should still be able to go to swimming

lessons; football practice; dance class; all of these things and more. Our childcare service means that

these normal daily activities can continue and some sense of normality remains for the rest of the

family. lt also gives parents the reassurance that their other children are safely looked after while

they travel to and from treatment or spend time away from home during hospital admissions. I have

often found that parents face a huge burden of guilt, on top of the fear and anxiety inherent with the

diagnosis of childhood cancer because they feel that they are not able to give enough time to other

members of the family.

Domestic CleaningFor our families it is all too common to be woken in the night by a child spiking a fever, have to grab

a few essentials (if there’s time) and race to the hospital where they may spend days or even weeks

getting some infection or other under control. What could be worse than eventually returning home

to have to face the dusting, vacuuming, mopping etc that was left behind? Our regular household

cleaning service means parents don’t have to give this a thought and when they do get home they

can eventually relax a while before the next storm hits.



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LaundryThe Irish weather is never too helpful in getting the washing dry! Imagine if you’d been away from

home in hospital for days and the clothes and sheets and towels hadn’t even been washed! Will

there even be enough time to get the essentials done before you’re off again on the next journey to

Crumlin? How will you get the other children’s school uniforms ready for the next day? Worst of all,

how can you leave that sick child’s side to concentrate on the mundane chores that demand your

attention. Hand in Hand will arrange for the local laundrette to take care of it so that all the family has

to do is call in and collect.

Family MealsHeading back from Dublin, no shopping done, maybe a child with a ferocious appetite from being on

steroids. Hand in Hand provide a range of options to keep the family fed including meals in a local

cafe to delivery from a local supermarket. One less thing to worry about, one less demand on your

time, more precious moments with the family when every moment counts.

All of the practical support services provided by Hand in Hand are delivered through our wide range

of professional suppliers. These are local and national companies who deliver high quality services

that have such a positive impact on the families we serve.

The ImpactFamilies who have been supported by these services have this to say....

And from the professionals working in the care of childhood cancer“Without the kind of support that Hand in Hand provides, our parents would be forced to struggle even more than they already have

to. lt is so important that they not be overwhelmed and engulfed by the enormity of everything that is happening to them, that they

hold on to some sort of quality of life as much as is possible. What Hand in Hand tends to-things like the shopping, the washing, the

child care... The lack of help with those things, believe it or not, can make or break a family”

Look. From a parent’s point-of-view, they’re just recovering from that initial diagnosis. They are shell-shocked, numbed, every word

you can find in the dictionary about feelings. What you are doing is about putting something like normality back into their lives. lt’s

what they need-hands on care” Dympna Cawley - Assistant Director of Nursing at Our Lady’s Hospital Crumlin

“Very little support exists in this area at present and Hand in Hand have identified an area where this support is badly needed. The

provision of practical home support will allow families to travel with greater ease to the hospital & also care for other children in

the family at this most difficult time. This charity certainly makes a big difference to the children & families under my care”

Dr. Aengus O’Marcaigh - Consultant Paediatric haematologist, Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.

“The work of Hand in Hand is so intuitive of what families who have a child with serious illness really needs & the

organization is quite unique & special in that respect” - Grainne Egan, Sligo.

“I have peace of mind knowing that I have help when I most need it; and I get to spend precious time with my

daughter instead of cleaning” - Bernie McNulty Donegal

“lt takes a lot of stress off myself and my husband to know my other two children are happy at home with the

childcare that’s provided” - Rosie Conneely -Galway

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During 2013 we continued to face the obstacle of recession but with careful planning, considered

use of resources and the generosity of our funders and supporters, we managed to support a record

number of families throughout the year.

Number Crunching ImpactDuring 2013 Hand in Hand worked with the families of 40 children with cancer; 6 of these children

had relapsed cancer and 5 of these children passed away. This was a record year in terms of people

supported, an increase of more than 30% on any previous year. The support services of the charity

go far beyond the individual but encompass the entire family. This means that Hand in Hand’s

services assisted 189 people when taking parents and siblings into account, many more when the

extended family are considered.

The four core practical support services provided to these families were used as follows:

The immeasurable ImpactThere is an element to the support provided by Hand in Hand that is much harder to measure. I hope

the following example paints a picture to show the value of the emotional support that a family’s

engagement with Hand in Hand can have.

MEALS

CLEANING

CHILDCARE

LAUNDRY

Families

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40


Case Study- A Day in the life of Hand in Hand

“I was due to go back into the office after a few days away recently when I got a text from Jennifer saying that she wouldn’t be in that day. When I met her on the Wednesday and asked what she had been up to, as /listened to her reply I thought that it was worth recording. Here, without my many annoying interjections, is what she told me” - Charley

My brain must have been doing its job during the night whilst the rest of me was asleep, because early on Tuesday morning I woke up having decided to leave whatever else was on the agenda for that day. So instead of driving into the office I pointed the Hand in Hand mini-bus in the other direction and headed Eastward-ho. Now I think that everyone probably has at least a little OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] in them. With me it shows up in everything having to be done in a tidy, sequential order, which isn’t really a bad thing when it comes to what I do; but there is also the probably pernickety ritual that the breakfast dishes have to be cleared and out of the way before I leave the house. So as I was driving I was feeling irrational annoyance at those dishes lying in the sink, irritating me. That must seem like a ludicrously small thing to worry about, when there are so many bigger ones that should be taking precedence. Still, I suppose that it’s some kind of natural coping mechanism for clearing the head, otherwise you’d be worn out before you had to deal with the rest of the day. I was going to meet two families who receive support from Hand in Hand. One was in Dublin, because for the moment the child is in Crumlin Children’s Hospital, and they are a mother and daughter that I’ve worked with for some years now and with whom I’ve developed a close friendship outside of what the charity tries to do for them. The other was with a family who lived on the way there. Time and circumstance had prevented me from meeting them until that day. The little girl in question had died just two weeks previously and so, despite having phoned ahead, I arrived at the door with a mix of feelings going on.

First VisitTo my surprise I was greeted with the most amazing smile, which was accompanied by a big hug from this woman. I have to say that I have rarely felt so immediately at ease with someone. She was kind enough to speak to me candidly and I was fascinated by the interaction she had with her youngest, who was at home. Immediately it became so obvious that they were comforting each other. As she held her, the child would stroke her mother’s cheek. It all just seemed so natural. Nor was she distressed when the mother became a little tearful; she would just touch her, almost as if to assure her that everything was all right. She told me about the illness from start to finish. The little girl had come home from the hospital for palliative care and the family made the decision that they would take a local holiday. lt was exhausting for the parents but they had made up their minds that every possible moment would be made to count. I imagine that they wanted to give the rest of their family happy memories of their beautiful sister.The medical team had told them that their daughter had possibly several weeks left to live, but in fact she died after just two.This woman is so gentle and loving, but underneath there is the sheer, raw pain of loss.When the diagnosis was made her youngest had just been born and she was breastfeeding her. The parents were now run ragged and it was suggested that she give it up, that it might be better for her. Yet she persisted and that closeness, that unique closeness that comes with breast feeding was such a comfort to her.

She remains astonishingly positive, calm and maternal: even after losing her gorgeous daughter, that little one on her knee makes every day worth starting.We spent a good long time talking about the family and the funeral, looking through those irreplaceable photographs that have attained such a special place in all their hearts.When I left I felt in no way drained or sad as you might imagine. I was just in awe of this woman.


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Second VisitTo visit the second mother, I arrived in Crumlin feeling a bit anxious, even though when I had spoken with her on the phone I felt that she was just exhausted. The situation for herself and her daughter, however, has been ongoing in one shape or form for a long time and that is of course designed to wear down even the most resilient of people.I was running late by now and didn’t get there until around three o’clock. I knew that she was inRonald McDonald House and so I got the lady in charge to bang on the door. At first the mother wasn’t for opening it because she had reached that worrying stage of just shutting down, with everything getting on top of her. So I was happier than ever that I’d driven up.

Her little girl is very unwell at the moment, but she had been in the ward since the first day of April and so we decided to take her out in the mini-bus for a picnic. The bus was donated to us by that great bunch of people who participated in the Annual Across Ireland Motorcycle Run last year and, even after only having it for a few weeks, it has proved a Godsend.And so the three of us sat there in the back of the bus and we were laughing, catching up and yes - of course - sharing a few tears together. Above all of that we got to watch a happy little girl, having escaped for one valuable afternoon, proceeding to scoff down a 3/4 Pound Cheeseburger. And that was the most that she had eaten in weeks!

If you haven’t been through it yourself, it’s hard to explain just how much a trip like this means. it’s not just getting out for a picnic and some laughs after the limitation of only seeing four walls for weeks or even months on end. lt is the fact that after that enforced confinement the child is able to enjoy new smells, savour a few different views or just stretch the legs in some place that isn’t a hospital corridor. lt is all the things that we who are healthy just take for granted.

We hugged, said our farewells for now and I began the drive home, tired but strangely uplifted. I thought again of how Hand in Hand has managed, for years and against the odds, to continue in providing such practical support to those who need it.

ConclusionIn the case of that first lady I had arrived a little down, feeling that we had been as a charity just too late to be of much use to her family. Instead, she had ensured me that with such things as the cleaning and laundry service they were able to maximize the time that they spent in normalizing as much as possible the lives of their children; that they were able to let their kids outside to get on with the business of being kids and yet know that they were coming into something as simple and as necessary as a nice clean kitchen.

As the years have passed I find that it always comes back to that with Hand in Hand: that, through our volunteers and fundraisers, we are able to provide what in these cases is one of the rarest of commodities: precious time. I can’t emphasise it enough: precious, precious time. And again, no one who has not gone through this can know just how deeply important that is.So the way is always practical -- that, first and foremost--for us; but of course there will always need to be that little bit extra if we can give it at all. Or,as volunteer Dee Whyte puts it: “Emotional support doesn’t have a value that can be placed on it.”

So at the end of a long day I felt that I had spent it with two women who are inspirational to an extraordinary degree. And what is even more extraordinary is that if I were to point that out to them, those same women would wonder what I was talking about.

I arrived home hoping that Hand in Hand had mattered even just a little bit. Then I looked at those dishes in the sink and I thought how valuable our services really are, how nice it would be to come in and find that the pixies and elves had cleaned up whilst I was out. But because of these two women, I was still smiling.

Case Study

The Hand In Hand “Fun Bus”


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Chairman’sReportTom Jinks, Hand In Hand Chairman

Buoyed up by a productive and positive year in 2012, for 2013 we

set out to do more than ever; to provide the charity’s support

services to more families than before and so make a positive impact

in the lives of those affected by childhood cancer. To ensure this,

we knew it would be necessary to raise the profile of Hand in Hand and our strategy has created

a consistent increase in many areas. Traffic to our website increased by 34% from the previous

year whilst friends and followers on Facebook increased by over 1,000 in 2013. Articles and stories

appeared in the national and local press, in magazines and on radio.

The very nature of our practical services is what makes them so essential to the families we serve

but, unfortunately, not very ‘frilly’. Late in 2012 we had launched our room make-over project with

the aim of increasing awareness of the charity whilst adding a little colour to the lives of some of

the children we work with. This project was funded entirely through a grant from SAP for 2013 and

will continue in the coming months. The project generated interest from Youtube, our website and

Facebook as well as featuring in an interior design magazine, which in turn all help to generate the

funds required to deliver our core services.

We also set out to increase collaboration and partnerships with other organisations. This is

necessary to build strength and longevity into organisations such as ours. We were delighted to

work with the Ulsterbank YOLLO cycle team, Connacht Rugby, Avaya Galway and many more. All of

these have not only helped to raise crucial funds but also to heighten the profile of Hand in Hand and

work with us in range of practical ways.

Another highlight in 2013 was the Annual Across Ireland Motorcycle Run which took place in the

summer and culminated in the donation of our fabulous ‘Fun Bus’ which you will see at many future

events and on the road to Dublin when helping families to and from their treatment. Major gifts and

donations don’t come along often and we rely on the hard work and creativity of our supporters

and fundraisers who organise events in support of Hand in Hand. 2013 saw close to 80 individual

events take place, most of these organised by individuals or groups who recognise the value of the

services this charity provides. Many were inspired by a family they know who have been affected

by childhood cancer, many more by groups and individuals who could identify with the real common

sense of the services we provide. We are grateful for the support of the Irish Cancer Society, The

JP McManus Foundation, The McSharry Pharmacy Group, and all of the businesses, groups and

individuals who fundraised or donated. They are too numerous to mention individually but every

one of you is of vital importance to Hand in Hand.

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2014 and beyondWe now believe that we have developed a model

of service at Hand in Hand that is the best fit for

the families we serve. lt is now time to deliver that

service further afield. Our plan for 2014 is the gradual

extension of our services to other counties in Ireland

until all families affected by childhood cancer have

this support available to them. Demand is growing

from outside of our original West of Ireland region

and, sadly, the incidence of childhood cancer

continues to increase each year. The following story

was written by Charley Brady who works with us at

Hand in hand. This is the story of the Conneely family

and we believe this highlights the impact and value of

this charity’s services to a family.

The SilentTestimony of Walls:Aideen’s StoryI think that you can tell a lot from a person’s kitchen. In fact, if I feel comfortable in the kitchen then

I’m reasonably assured of being comfortable with the person who uses it. The room in question

here is in a lovely home just outside Headford, north of Galway.

lt’s spacious and airy, looking out over open fields, which gives a pleasant feeling of lightness to

the room. In the centre there’s a large, high table; and considering that on the day I visit there are

children doing their homework on it, I guess that it probably serves for more than just dining at.

On the walls there are the signs of a happy home: drawings that the kids have done at school and

which have been put up on spare surfaces, along with photographs of various family members.

Comfortable, contented clutter comes to my mind. And yes, I think that it’s safe to say that I liked this

room straight away-- as I did the owner Rosie Conneely, who has invited Jennifer and myself into

her home. In my case it’s for a chat; for Jennifer it is to do a bit of catching up, because in the past

the Conneely’s have been a family that Hand in Hand has assisted through bad times.

She introduces me to two of her three children: Darragh (12), a remarkably polite lad; and his little

sister Rachel (11}. Later I’ll be meeting the small lady who is the reason for the visit, seven-year-old

Aideen.

Chairman’s Report

Michael Swift of Connacht Rugby with Grace Kenneally


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Mum Rosie is a petite young woman, open and easy to listen to. There are times, though, that her

soft Fermanagh accent hints at steel and stubbornness in her makeup. And as she relives her pain

of years previous, I can see that these are qualities that have stood to her and that she

damned well had to be in possession of; for in September of 2010 Aideen was diagnosed with

Myelodysplastic Syndrome, which can be a precursor to leukaemia.

“She just always seemed to be tired”, says Rosie. “lt wasn’t right in a child that age. She had no energy, no life.”

Rosie lived through a frustrating-as well as what must have seemed like a never-ending- period

of many months, when she seemed to be unable to get it across to those in charge that there was

something seriously wrong with her little girl. Let me put it bluntly and then leave it at this: some

people who should have known better didn’t seem to be responding to the concerns of a very

frightened mother. As Rosie says: “Even the neighbours were coming up to me and asking how she

was; even the neighbours were noticing. And yet I just wasn’t being listened to.’’

And you would think, wouldn’t you...you would think that maybe a grey complexion and bluish lips

would set off at least a few alarms. However, if some people didn’t exactly emerge from this covered

in glory, there were others who did and one of those was the junior doctor who enquired as to

what treatment Aideen was receiving. At this point it seems to have been mainly blood tests in May,

followed by more of the same just before the schools closed in June; and then Aideen just got worse

and worse over the summer.

“After I answered her questions, that junior doctor wanted to

do further tests; and the result was that Aideen was brought

straight to Galway Hospital and they kept her in. Then on the

Friday she was transferred to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. ‘You

were right to be worried’, I was told. ‘There’s something wrong

with her blood.’ Her haemoglobin was at 5.8 when it should

have been above 12 and then dropped even further to 4.9. That

was when Aideen got the first blood transfusion. I was running

around like a mad thing,trying to organise the other children

and call my husband Gerry, who was working in England.”

There’s always a fine line, isn’t there? I’m worrying at this point that I am opening up old wounds, but

Rosie assures me that even now she has a need to talk about that terrible period. Still, I’m just a bit

relieved when she tells me that she has to take a break for five minutes in order to collect Aideen.

I sit there with Jennifer,thinking,not talking. Instead,I’m looking around that lovely kitchen again.

Yes,it may have all the hallmarks and atmosphere of now being the happy centre of the Conneely

household;but it has suddenly hit me that it has also been silent witness to an awful lot of agonising

worry. Suddenly what Rosie and her husband Gerry had gone through was coming into sharper

focus. Rosie is back by now and her anguish at the unexpected development-just when things

seemed to be improving-- of the Graft v Host disease is still raw and above the surface. “lt shouldn’t

have gotten to that, I told them.”

The Conneely Family

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lt’s odd watching the mix of emotions running through Rosie. Her face is a bit too expressive for her

to even try to hide anger, but relief is there as well in odd flashes of memory or trying to recall

what doesn’t seem important: “Was it St. Brigid’s Ward they put her in at first? I know that they

had no beds in John’s Ward” or “I remember that Trapattoni was visiting the kids...’’ The minutiae

of the agony that this woman and her husband went through are too much to include in a short

article like this; and that’s probably as it should be.

What seems clear is that she finally had someone to listen to her: “We met with Professor Owen

Smith and only for him Aideen wouldn’t be here. The nurses would tell me that he would even call

at night to see how she was doing.”

Meanwhile, she had relented on her initial decision not to contact Hand in Hand, which is quite a

common first reaction. “I had been told about Hand in Hand in the hospital; but out of pride or

whatever we thought that we could do everything ourselves. Then there was a small thing, a

mix-up with pickups for the kids and that was it.” In the end, she was put in touch with Josie, a

professional carer, and a lady that Rosie still raves about. “She really became a part of the kids’ lives.

I’d come in exhausted and the dinner would be ready, the homework done, the kids happy. I can’t

tell you how good she was. Josie just went beyond what she could have done. And the cleaning

company came in regularly and cleaned the house throughout, it was just a joy to come home to.

Week after week and month after month the support was there for us”.

And Then...I’m left with two haunting memories of my brief chat with Rosie. One is when she explained that

there came a time when she had to tell Darragh and Rachel that yes-there was a chance that

their little sister would die. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.

The other is a happier one. She tells me that Aideen doesn’t really think about that time. “No, it’s

not that she doesn’t remember it at all; it’s more that she was just...sick.”

Facts and Stats on Childhood CancerChildhood Cancer is on the rise in Ireland, and around the world. According to figures from the

National Cancer Registry Ireland there has been an increase of around 5% of new childhood cancer

diagnoses per year in the last 10 years. In 2010 alone there were 223 new childhood cancer diagnoses

in Ireland.

The overall survival rate for childhood cancer is 79%. This is a great improvement from the early

60’s when overall survival was less than 30% (rates vary between different types of childhood

cancer). This is due to improvements in research, treatment and care. There is still more work to be

done to improve survival rates and understand why childhood cancer is increasing.

At the heart of Hand in Hand...At Hand in Hand we are totally reliant on the good will and hard work of so many people: our Board of

Directors who lead us strategically (all volunteers); our fundraising team who invent, create, run and

support events (all volunteers); and our supporters, fundraisers and friends who work tirelessly to keep

the funding coming in. The next story is that of Dee Whyte, who joined the team as a volunteer.

Aideen’s Story


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Case Study- Volunteering at Hand in Hand

“My name is Deirdre Whyte and for the last eight months I’ve had the privilege of helping out with Hand in Hand, the Children’s Cancer Charity. I am only one of many who are presently volunteering to assist in this enormously important work.

Time and again you will hear someone say that they felt compelled to offer their services and help in some way after hearing what the charity is about. Perhaps this is in large part because, whether it comes from a Board member, an existing volunteer or the Development Manager herself, the case for the charity is always made with such passion and conviction.I had moved back to Galway from Limerick following redundancy and I came across Hand in Hand through their website. I was amazed that Ihadn’t heard of them before and wondered if they would have any jobs as I thought that this was an area I would really like to work in. However, the DM Jennifer Carpenter explained that she is the only full-time employee alongside a part-time TUS worker and a voluntary Board of Directors. I remember thinking: My God, how does she do it all?

As there isn’t a family in Ireland that has remained untouched by the spectre of cancer, I found that I couldn’t walk away and volunteered there and then as I had some experience with grant applications and fundraising. Then I attended my first fundraising meeting-being welcomed by a group of enthusiastic people who were open to new ideas---and my adventures with Hand in Hand began. Since then time has flown past and I have learned so much along the way.The aim of the organization is to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety and to assist with the practical difficulties faced by the families.

Think of what a sterile, clean home means when your child’s immunity is low following chemotherapy; or the bliss of a cooked meal when you come home from the Dublin treatment centres. You know that your children are safe in the care of a childcare worker and that your laundry is being attended to, because when a child is receiving chemo you’ll find yourself going though an awful lot of duvet covers! For most children with cancer, their treatment can extend into years, making it hard on both family and friends. I often think on Jennifer’s recurrent

dictum that ‘giving families precious time to care and be together can be all that matters.’Anybody who volunteers will tell you that for the little you put in you get so much out of it. As Sherry Anderson has said: “Volunteers

don’t get paid; not because they’re worthless but because they’re priceless.” And volunteering with Hand in Hand has let me hear about as well as meet some of the most astonishingly inspiring people. There are just too many to mention. And the families themselves who have been affected by childhood cancer? The bravery that they show just can’t be described in words.

I see Hand in Hand as very much a lifeline for many families as well as often being the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. lt will only take a few phone calls to sort out laundry, childcare, meals and a cleaning service. What a support and comfort to families this must be, and with almost six years as Development Manager with the

volunteers are not paid - not because they are worthless, but because

they are priceless

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Volunteering at Hand In Hand

charity, those families know that in Jennifer there is someone here who has at least an idea of what they are going through.

All the volunteers give their time, energy and skills freely and that includes the friends and families of those affected by childhood cancer and who fundraise to help others to get through an ordeal that they have endured themselves. Then there is the general public, not to mention the local shop owners and even the multinational companies who just want - for whatever their own personal reasons - to help.

lt is a very special place to volunteer and it is one where you quickly learn to appreciate your life and family that much more. lt also teaches you to be thankful for what you have and to live more; smile more; and to worry less. I’ve found that since volunteering with Hand in Hand my confidence, which had been badly damaged by redundancy, has built up again; and helping here gives you such a sense of freedom. You can be as creative as you want and there is nothing to hold you back with whatever notions you come up with.

Take Taryn Schuller’s idea of running a Bubble Football Inter-Company Challenge and Family Fun Day. Or working for the charity can help you to discover something that you are good at, whether it is driving a bus; being a good listener; performing; selling tickets or a dozen other things.

I have come to realize that large donations only come around once in a while. lt is the fundraising events such as the scouts in Craughwell organizing a bake sale/ family fun day that are the bread and butter day in and day out which pays for the services which Hand in Hand provides; as well of course as keeping us afloat! And whilst we are constantly told that we can’t change the world, I rather like the old story of the boy and the starfish:

A man was walking along a deserted beach at sunset. In the distance he could see a young boy and as he drew nearer noticed that the boy kept bending downpicking something up and thenthrowing it into the water. Moving closer he saw that the boy was retrieving starfish that had been

washed up on the beach and one at a time was throwing them back into the saltwater that they needed to keep them alive.

“You know/’ said the man, ‘’you really can’t save them all; there must be thousands on this beach alone and this must be happening on scores of beaches throughout the country. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The boy smiled, bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the sea. “I made a difference to that one”, he said.

Going forward

Towards the end of 2013, the world of charity

was beginning to become a very shadowy one

but Hand in Hand will continue to shine a light

in every corner of our work to show our honesty

and value by....

HonouringThe Codeof Governance

We will achieve full compliance with the

Governance Code for Community, voluntary and

charitable organisations in Ireland during 2014.

The Code of Governance is to prove that we can

stand behind what we do, that we’re effective and

that there is no waste of time and money.


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Statement OfGuiding Principles ForFundraisingHand in Hand is fully committed to achieving the standards contained within the Statement of

Guiding Principles for Fundraising.

The Statement exists to:• Improve fundraising practice

• Promote high levels of accountability and transparency by organisations fundraising

from the public

• Provide clarity and assurances to donors and prospective donors about the

organisations they support

• We, Hand in Hand, have considered the Statement and believe we meet the standards it sets out.

• Hand in Hand’s report on our fundraising activities is available in our most recent Annual Report.

We welcome your feedback on our performancevia any of the contact points provided below.

Jennifer Carpenter - Development Manager

Hand in Hand Ltd Oranmore Business Park Oranmore,Co. Galway

email: [email protected]

tel: 091 799 759

mob: 087 660 0103

Donor CharterAt Hand in Hand we are committed to our donors and potential donors and we aim to treat all of our

friends and supporters with the utmost respect. We therefore aim to comply with

the Statement of Gu1ding Principles of Fundraising.

Our Donors have the right to:• Be assured that their gift will be used for the purpose for which it was given and be informed of

the mission of the organisation

• Request access to the charity’s most recent financial statement

• Know the identity of the governing board of Hand in Hand and to know that they will exercise

prudent judgment in their responsibilities

Impact report2013 /

16

• Receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition for their gift and to know that their

donation is treated with respect and confidentiality

• To know whether those seeking donations are volunteers or employees of Hand in Hand or are

third party agents.

• Have their personal details removed from mailing and contact lists and know that Hand in

• Hand will comply with the Data Protection Act 1988 & 2003.

• Hand in Hand continually strives to maintain the highest possible standards in fundraising

through adhering to our strict policies and procedures and by providing high levels of

accountability and transparency.

• The organisation welcomes feedback on any aspect of its performance and you can get in touch

by using the ‘Contact Us’ section of this site. You can see our Complaints Procedure on line at

www.handinhand.ie or by contacting our office

Please contact us nowto find out how you can help

Hand In Hand Bank Details Account: Hand in Hand

Bank: Ulster Bank

Branch: Tuam Road, Galway

BIC: ULSB IE 2D

IBAN: IE36 ULSB 9857 5500 7777 13

Hand in Hand Registered Charity Number CHY17268

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter:

twitter @HandinHandWestwww.facebook.com/HandInHandWest

Hand In Hand Contact Details Telephone: 091 799 759

Mobile: 087 660 0103(out of hours)

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.handinhand.ie

Postal Address: Hand in Hand, Oranmore Business Park, Oranmore, Co. Galway


17

2013€

2012€

Fundraising 5,754 4,652

Third Party Fundraising 74,526 48,795

Hand in Hand Limited(A company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital)

Directors’ Report and Financial Statements for the year ended31 December 2013

Income and expenditure accountfor the year ended 31 December 2013

The company has no recognised gains or losses other than the results for the year. The results for

the year have been calculated on the historical cost basis. The company’s income and expenses all

relate to continuing operations.

Going concernThe company has a deficit for the year of €8,322 and its ability to continue operations is dependent

upon continued fundraising, donations and grant authorities.

IncomeThe income for the year has been derived from:

2013€

2012€

Income 116,396 149,128

Expenditure (124,718) (134,021)

(Deficit)/surplus for the year (8,322) 15,107

Retained surplus brought forward 75,351 60,244

Retained surplus carried forward 67,029 75,351

Impact report2013 /

18

091 76 33 98Unit 9a, Liosban Retail Centre, Tuam Road, Galway

Proud supporters of:

insta-print.ie

VEHICLE

GRAPHICS

DESIGNgraphic

LEAFLETSBUSINESS

CARDS

PRINTEDGARMENTS

LARGE OUTDOORBANNERS

SIGNS

The whole of the company’s income is attributable to its market in the Republic of Ireland and is

derived from the principal activity of fundraising to support and assist families whose children are

undergoing treatment for cancer.

Employees and remunerationNumber of employees

The average number of persons employed (including executive directors) during the year was as

follows:

Service Costs

2013€

2012€

Corporate Donations 8,714 42,919

Private Donations 15,961 36,789

Grant Income 11,441 15,973

116,396 149,128

2013number

2012number

Operations 1 1

The staff costs comprise: 2013€

2012€

Wages and salaries 28,011 27,747

Social welfare costs 2,983 2,983

30,994 30,730

2013€

2012€

Fundraising Costs 735 1,939

Cleaning Costs 35,519 30,656

Childcare Costs 24,741 32,073

Laundry Costs 5,014 5,174

Meal Costs 6,549 11,190

Travel Costs 493 670

73,051 81,702


19

091 76 33 98Unit 9a, Liosban Retail Centre, Tuam Road, Galway

Proud supporters of:

insta-print.ie

VEHICLE

GRAPHICS

DESIGNgraphic

LEAFLETSBUSINESS

CARDS

PRINTEDGARMENTS

LARGE OUTDOORBANNERS

SIGNS

Help support families affected by childhood cancer

Text IGIVE to50300

TO DONATE

€2Texts cost €2 with 100% of donations going to

HAND IN HANDService provided by LIKECHARITY - 01 443 3890 / Hand in Hand Registered Charity Number CHY17268

Supporting families through childhood cancer

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09

1 76

3398

Hand In Hand Bank Details Account: Hand in Hand

Bank: Ulster Bank

Branch: Tuam Road, Galway

BIC: ULSB IE 2D

IBAN: IE36 ULSB 9857 5500 7777 13

Hand in Hand Registered Charity Number CHY17268

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter:

twitter @HandinHandWestwww.facebook.com/HandInHandWest

Hand In Hand Contact Details Telephone: 091 799 759

Mobile: 087 660 0103(out of hours)

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.handinhand.ie

Postal Address: Hand in Hand, Oranmore Business Park, Oranmore, Co. Galway