2025-06-30-accounts

Birmingham Christmas Shelter

Trustees’ Annual Report and Receipts and Payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Registered Charity number 1002891

Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Index Trustees’ Annual Report 3 Report of the Independent Examiner 11 Receipts and payments accounts 12 Statement of assets and liabilities 13

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

1. TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT:

The Trustees of Birmingham Christmas Shelter (“the charity”) have pleasure in presenting their annual report and accounts for the year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.

2. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES:

The objects of the charity are to provide relief for the homeless and lonely adults (over 16’s) in the West Midlands, particularly through the provision of food, clothing and shelter over the Christmas period.

The charity achieves its objects by the following activities and in planning such activities, the Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit:

• We provide food, warmth, wellbeing services, shelter, clothing and friendship to homeless and lonely adults of Birmingham and surrounding districts during the Christmas period, regardless of gender, colour, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation. For safeguarding reasons we cannot allow anyone under 16 to come to our Shelter.

• The functioning of the Shelter is wholly dependent on the time freely given by all of our very generous volunteers and service providers.

• The Trustees are supported by a network of senior volunteers, who act as area team supervisors, and over 400 trained volunteers.

• The only people who are paid to work at the Shelter, are a professionally trained mixed gender security team on duty while guests are present. They are there to support the guests, volunteers and Trustees to maintain safety and wellbeing and ensure that weapons and non-prescribed mind-altering substances are not brought into the Shelter. All security staff are first aid trained.

• All Trustees are DBS checked.

A company was previously set up with Companies House, under the name of “Birmingham Homeless Shelter”. This enables a potential retail business to undertake selling of second hand and other donated items to raise funds for the Shelter. No trading has taken place during the financial year.

3. ACHIEVEMENTS, PERFORMANCE AND FUTURE PLANS:

3.1 50th Anniversary:

2024 was a special year for the charity as we celebrated our 50th year of service. We traced back through the archives, and by meeting former Trustees, to put together a time line of the history of the charity. Clearly it has grown in its ability to meet its objectives from humble beginnings as a day centre in one room in a church for a handful of homeless people to a

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

large 24 hour shelter. The Trustees consider they have peaked in what we can achieve and our current strategy is to maintain and refine what we provide to best serve the experience of both guests and volunteers.

Sponsored by local businesses, we held a celebratory evening for current and past volunteers at Norton’s Bar in Digbeth in September that was opened by the Deputy Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Birmingham.

3.2 Significant Local Changes:

By the end of November, two major providers of emergency hostel beds for homeless people had closed with the loss of 200 beds within walking distance of our venue. Most of these individuals were relocated to other parts of the city and we were unsure of the numbers that would come to us. We kept faith with our new found popularity especially as almost all the other services serving our target group closed over Christmas and we were pleasantly surprised.

3.3 Shelter Week:

Setting up Shelter Week 2024 was much easier than the previous year as we had a clear system for noting the layout of each of the classrooms in order to return them exactly as we found them when we left. As before, we ensured, for safeguarding reasons, that any displays that could lead to children at the school being identified, were kept covered up and Christmas wrapping paper proved a colourful and attractive solution to the issue. It was also useful in creating black out blinds at the windows so that guests could sleep.

We opened our doors at 10am on 24[th] December and as in the past, remained open 24 hours a day until 10am on 28[th] December. During the week, we continued to welcome significantly more guests than at our previous venue with a mixture of regular faces and a lot of new ones.

NUMBERS:

371 different people with an average of 203 guests each day

• Many different nationalities & ethnic origins and people with a range of disabilities, mental, physical and substance use health issues.

• 31% were regular attenders of Shelter Week

• 73 (20%) were female and / or transgender

3.4 The Venue:

Shelter Week 2024 was held for the third year running at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School, located on Great Colmore Street, Lee Bank, Birmingham B15 2AY which is sandwiched between the IBIS Budget hotel and the O2 Academy just off the A38 Bristol Street.

The Trustees continue to be delighted with the infant school as our main venue, as it is warm, clean, bright, spacious and welcoming, has most of the facilities we need and is easy for our target group of guests to get to. In line with their Catholic duty, the parent governors

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

of the school offer us the facilities free of charge, except for payment of gas and electricity. We are required to treat the building with respect, repairing any damage done and leaving it as we found it ready for the new school term .

The school has an accessible entrance, a large professional kitchen, a formal meals and drinks serving area, several dining tables, excellent playground space for parking, an enclosed astro turf football pitch and several ground floor accessible classrooms. We also have use of classrooms in another part of the school for the storage of the school’s materials and equipment. Our upgrade of the electrics, the year before, proved very successful with no power outages this year.

Working with the caretaker, we continued to keep our gas and electricity consumption at an affordable level. Our guests reported feeling very comfortable in the cooler room temperatures.

3.5 Catering:

We were better prepared than last year for the numbers we now attract and our Catering Team was better able to obtain sufficient supplies. There were generous donations of food and loans of catering equipment from commercial catering companies and donations of time from hard working professional chefs who took charge of a dedicated kitchen team.

An Advent harvest festival style appeal to local primary schools was especially successful in obtaining large donations of snacks and treats for our tea hatch and was rewarded with positive TV teatime news coverage.

3.6 Equipment:

As the school furniture proved too low for our adult guests in our first year, we now annually hire several adult sized tables and chairs to make our guests more comfortable.

3.7 Drug and Alcohol Use:

In 2023, the increase in numbers of guests presented us with challenges arising from the chaotic substance misuse of several individuals. In consultation with the school and the local police, the Trustees took several measures to reduce this and make the situation more manageable.

• Very visible signage was put up inside and outside the venue and on promotional flyers making it clear that bringing alcohol and non-prescribed drugs onto the school site would not be tolerated.

• CCTV masts were hired and positioned around the school site and adjoining roads with footage monitored 24 hours a day by an external company

• The guest entrance was changed to the main school entrance as it could be better overseen by our security team

• The security team were more vigilant with their searches and confiscations

• Trustees and the security team were given body cameras to wear as the police advised this positively reduces criminal and other inappropriate behaviour

• It was agreed with the local police team that our CCTV footage would be passed to the police where there was evidence of criminal behaviours.

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

• The Exclusions Policy was revised to be clearer and Trustees were more effectively trained in making exclusions

• Notices were posted on the school gates when we closed to make it clear to drug dealers that our guests had left

As a result, we were successful in achieving a radical drop in the previous challenges with good control of what was brought into the building, fewer conflicts between the guests, reduced incidents and fewer medical emergencies. The emergency services were prompt in coming to our aid and our ease of access to defibrillators and other equipment proved invaluable.

We confiscated a number of sharp objects that were later disposed of in the weapons bins placed by the police around the area. Guests reported it made them feel safer to know that weapons had been confiscated.

Importantly, the school reported a cessation of the drug dealing close to the school when they re-opened in the New Year and this made them feel more confident about us continuing to work with them.

3.8 Toilets:

During Shelter Week 2023, it became apparent that the infant toilets did not have the capacity for the number of adult guests that we now see, causing several blockages. As a result, for Shelter Week 2024, the school toilets were taken out of use and we replaced them with the hire of a high quality mobile flushable toilet block that was stationed in the staff car park. This toilet block was overseen by the security team to ensure there was no inappropriate behaviour inside, especially damage and drug taking.

It was also necessary to hire both a wheelchair accessible portable toilet for guests with mobility issues and to negotiate with the hotel next door for these guests to use their ground floor facilities. Two school staff toilets were made available to volunteers.

Unfortunately, there were continuing problems with the capacity of the toilet arrangements for both guests and volunteers, and further changes will be made for next year.

3.9 Overnight:

Due to a hotel refurbishment, notified to us late in the year, we were unable to rent a floor of basic ensuite double bedrooms in the IBIS hotel next door on the days we were open. This meant we had to return to communal sleeping arrangements with mattresses and duvets placed on the floor.

In line with the lessons learned during the Covid pandemic, we spaced the beds a good distance apart in line with good practice in infection control and to achieve this we opened up the other two of our activity rooms for sleeping. Guests were informed of the change well in advance of opening and we found it made no difference to the numbers wanting to stay at the venue overnight.

In the event, we struggled to provide sufficient bedding and had to use the sleeping bags collected to give to rough sleepers on leaving. They told us they were just grateful to have somewhere warm and safe to sleep.

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Given the need to use an additional room for sleeping, we did not provide an overnight cafe room this year. Instead, sandwiches and cold snacks with hot and cold drinks were served through the night in the reception area. It proved very popular and was easier to staff with the number of volunteers we had. Although a significant number of guests remained awake throughout the night on chairs in the reception area or walking outside, it was less noisy and disruptive to those sleeping at the school.

3.10 Showers:

The loss of the IBIS hotel rooms also removed our access to their good quality warm shower facilities and we had to negotiate use of a floor of bedrooms across the dual carriageway at the Duke of Wellington Hotel and Pub. It is a much smaller hotel and could only make 6 showers available. As they had to employ staff on Christmas Day, when they are normally closed, the costs proved much more expensive than the equivalent facilities at the IBIS hotel. Showers were only available during daylight hours and guests were escorted from our venue to the hotel, through the subway under the dual carriageway, to ensure they did not pick up any drugs or alcohol. This was very resource intensive of volunteer time but meant guests did not need searching by security staff on entering the hotel. The capacity for daily showers was therefore much less than our guests would have liked.

SERVICES:

We served over 2,100 hot meals & 1,780 assorted sandwiches plus other snacks & treats. 150 showers were taken, with new toothbrushes, underwear & socks given out each time. 125 opted to stay overnight, all of whom slept at the school.

In addition, we were able to provide: - 25 people with massages - 48 with hairdressing - 10 with Covid vaccinations / boosters - 14 with counselling - Of 14 people assessed for housing, 12 were offered a new place to live and given a bag of groceries - 59 people received professional podiatry / footcare - 9 people had manicures - 24 people received a total of 97 dental treatments ranging from scale and polish to extractions - Over 100 people took away a bag of toiletries and clothing / footwear of their choice from our donated supplies.

All leftover goods were given to local charities serving the same client group.

3.11 Entertainment and Services:

Our Shelter was again supported by a team of service providers who gave their time and skills for free enabling us to have hairdressers, daily podiatry, chefs, NHS Covid vaccinations, a range of counsellors, housing agencies, masseuses, and entertainers.

A major new offering was the hire of a fully equipped mobile dental ward on the final full day staffed by qualified dentists. Appointments were reserved for guests who had attended

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

earlier in the week apart from any on the day emergencies. It was very well used by our guests and the dental staff provided a full range of dental care from scale and polish to extractions and even exceeded their planned number of treatments .

We gave our guests a full programme of entertainment including bingo, karaoke, arts and crafts, sports, table top activities, singers, discos, TV and films and all our guests received a simple Christmas present. The week culminated with the highly successful ‘Shelter’s Got Talent’, with guests displaying their performance skills, and this has become an annual event..

We were able to offer emergency clothing during the week and bags of groceries to those offered somewhere new to live. On the penultimate day, guests were able to select a number of clothing and footwear items for themselves that were bagged up to be taken away when they left. No donations were wasted and leftover items were either passed on to other local charities or kept for fundraising activities and the next Shelter Week.

Some minor damage was done to the school from putting up our displays and we have agreed to work with the school to prevent a recurrence. However, the parent governors were delighted with the increased security measures and on a positive note, we have been welcomed back.

The Shelter was well received by all those who attended, guests, providers and volunteers.

4. FINANCIAL REVIEW:

Birmingham Christmas Shelter is entirely dependent on donations from local companies, individuals, local churches and other supporting organisations and receives no central government or local authority funding.

All expenditure relates to the primary purpose of providing the Shelter and associated activities at Christmas.

Our new budget arrangements enabled us to better manage our costs and we were able to stay within budget.

4.1 Donations and Fundraising:

In our 50th anniversary year, we attracted a much higher level of donations and funds than ever before and much greater than our normal annual expenditure. The Trustees know we cannot assume this will be repeated and agreed to remain very careful with making expenditure decisions. Our surplus was used to purchase a number of capital items with the balance put into our reserves in case we have to move venue again, potentially incurring significant rental charges.

4.2. Reserves Policy:

The Charity’s policy on reserves is to hold at least two year’s revenue funding in the bank. Each year’s Shelter Week is funded from the money raised in the previous financial year, to mitigate against any catastrophic loss of donations. Any surplus is then retained for capital expenditure including replacement of key items.

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

5. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT:

Birmingham Christmas Shelter is a registered charity governed by a Declaration of Trust dated 31.3.1990 and updated 31.3.2009, 11.11.2014 and 10.3.2025.

5.1 Charity number: 1002891

5.2 Trustees:

David Jack Hanson Kevin Jarvis – Treasurer Tej Jhite - left 25.1.2025 Kerrie Lo Shirley Mallon - Secretary Simon Rixon - appointed 10.3.2025 Zak Ullah

The Board of Trustees meets at least monthly throughout the year to review and plan the operations for the following Shelter Week

It is the policy of the Charity to rotate the chair on a monthly basis between the Executive (voting) Trustees to promote the development of Board member skills.

5.3 Registered office:

Birmingham Christmas Shelter PO Box 17677 Moseley Birmingham B13 3PS

5.4 Independent Examiner:

Karen Hanlan ACA Karen Hanlan Independent Examiner Ltd Registered Company in the UK: 07778482 1 Saracen Close Ettington Warwickshire, CV37 7SZ

7.5 Bankers:

HSBC CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JU

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Report approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by Kevin Jarvis

Kevin Jarvis (Treasurer and Executive Trustee) Date: 13/10/2025

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Birmingham Christmas Shelter on the receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025.

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Birmingham Christmas Shelter (‘the charity’) for the year ended 30 June 2025 which are set out on pages 12 and 13.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act; or

2) the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: Date: 13/10/2025

Karen Hanlan, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales Karen Hanlan Independent Examiner Limited 1 Saracen Close Ettington CV37 7SZ

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Receipts and Payments RECEIPTS Donations Fundraising Income Grants Gift Aid Other Income: Bank Interest Total Receipts PAYMENTS Storage Security Accommodation and Premises Other Materials and Equipment Hire Insurance Telephone/postage/printing Website Costs Fundraising Costs Food and Catering Training Guest Services Independent Examiners Fee Bank Charges and Interest Equipment and Capital Costs Sundry Total Payments NET RECEIPTS OF PAYMENTS Cash Funds Last Year End Cash Funds This Year	Un- restricted Funds 2025 Restricted Funds 2025 Total Funds 2025 Total Funds 2024 £26,126 £1,500 £27,626 £23,984 £32,659 - £32,659 £24,646 £2,000 - £2,000 £3,000 £2,690 - £2,690 £3,002 £793 - £793 £0 £2,657 - £2,657 £2,459
	£66,925 £1,500 £68,425 £57,091
	£3,786 - £3,786 £3,568 £11,561 - £11,561 £9,456 £3,764 - £3,764 £10,033 £2,140 £500 £2,640 £2,453 £1,093 - £1,093 £812 £678 - £678 £500 £600 - £600 £600 £1,905 - £1,905 £887 £2,865 - £2,865 £4,477 £459 - £459 £354 £4,464 £322 £4,786 £1,215 £500 - £500 £490 £60 - £60 £62 £5,211 - £5,211 £11,732 £2,940 - £2,940 £2,251
	£42,026 £822 £42,848 £48,890
	£24,899 £678 £25,577 £8,201 £122,802 - £122,802 £114,601
	£147,701 £678 £148,379 £122,802

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Birmingham Christmas Shelter Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

1) Cash Funds CAF Current Account CAF Gold Deposit Account PayPal Account Petty Cash Vouchers Donations and Cash Not Banked Outstanding Creditors Outstanding Business Card Receipts Cash at Bank and in Hand 2) Assets retained by the Charity's own use Mattresses (purchased 2016) HP 250 Notebook (Purchased 2021) Cannon MG5750 printer (Purchased 2021) Tables (Purchased 2023) Room Divider (Purchased 2023) Walkie Talkies (Purchased 2023) PA System (Purchased 2023) Storage Cages (Purchased 2023) Wi-Fi Devices (Purchased 2023) Tea Urns and Soup Tureens (Purchased 2023) Laptop (Purchased 2024) Body Cameras and Harnesses (Purchased 2024) Clothing Rails (Purchased 2024) Racking for Storage Purchased 2024	2025 2024 £10,437 £13,826 £136,731 £108,378 £43 £598 £50 £50 £1,128 - - - (£10) (£50) - -
	£148,379 £122,802
	£5,070 £685 £99 £367 £72 £282 £160 £100 £179 £346 £500 £1,007 £915 £348

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