2021-03-31-accounts - Doorstep

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Doorstep

“Openin� doo�� fo� homeles� familie�“

Annua� Re o�� 2021 an� Account� 2020 - 2021 p

Director’s Report

With the whole country plunged into yet another lockdown at the start of 2021 we continued to provide support services in the ways that we had adapted to at the onset of the pandemic in 2020. In June 2021 we reopened all our onsite services and returned to our pre-covid timetable.

Despite the restrictions and setbacks the pandemic has caused we have been able to make significant progress in our plans for development. Successful fundraising means that we will be able to recruit a new full time member of staff who will be dedicated to supporting parents through these very difficult times. Although we currently only have funding for this post for one year we are focused and optimistic that we will be able to raise further funding for it to continue. We will also be bringing in extra staff to help push forward with our new Youth Project which we planned to launch in 2020 but which had to be put on hold.

For some time Doorstep has been working towards increasing the staff team and to developing services, but until now the additional funding we needed to do so has been elusive. We are very excited to finally be in the position to provide the additional support our families need and strengthen our infrastructure.

We are also committed to increasing the diversity of the staff team and board of trustees to achieve better representation of our service users.

The partnerships and collaborations which we formed at the beginning of the pandemic have grown and many organisations and individuals in the wider community have given generously of their time, money and gifts in kind.

My colleagues on the staff team, Sarah Lough, Khadra Mohamed and Kiki Banjica have shown outstanding dedication. They have worked tirelessly to keep pace with and adapt to ever changing circumstances to keep delivering support to the families that is meaningful and relevant. We have received heart warming feedback from families who have told us how much they appreciate what we do and that they feel we really care about them.

I am also grateful for the hard work of the members of Doorstep’s board of trustees, who have given their time and expertise to ensure Doorstep has been responsive to exceptional circumstances and maintained high standards of governance. Also, for our Patron Victoria Coren Mitchell who continues to support our work.

We are very much looking forward to an exciting year of growth and development ahead.

Vicky Fox

Our on site services in normal circumstances

Our services have been developed over the years in direct response to the needs that families have expressed:

Opportunities for children to play, learn and develop at our after school club, crèches and
drop-ins.
Joint activities with the partner organisations.
Regular creative & educational activities for adults.
A weekly exercise class such as Yoga.
A programme of special activities and outings during the summer and school holidays.
A weekly ‘bazaar’ giving access to free essential goods donated by the wider community.
Free daily access to laundry facilities.
Healthy snacks and meals

What we did in 2021

Through 2021 we supported 53 families 81 adults and 124 children. 89% of our service users were from BAME backgrounds, 75% were women, 50% single parents. There were three children with development delay and another 8 children with a variety of significant health issues.

Faced with another lockdown in January 2021 we continued with the support services we had devised to adapt to the circumstances created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

We continued to provide internet access to those who otherwise could not be online and provided devices for pupils and students who didn't have them.

The laundry was the only facility we could provide onsite with strict measures in place to keep everyone safe. We continued to provide interactive digital activities for children and delivered all the resources they needed to participate.

We continued to deliver care packages to families and to maintain dialogue with them to be aware of their difficulties and needs.

We provided the resources to participate in our digital activities weekly. Packages of household and personal hygiene items were provided for every family in January, February, March, June and December.

In February and March we delivered individually tailored care packages for 92 children and young people containing school stationery, art and craft materials and age appropriate learning tools.

Each week we delivered a package of staples i.e. eggs, bread and milk plus fresh fruit and vegetables, to every family, from January until the end of August. All the care package contents mentioned above were purchased with funds raised by Doorstep.

Additionally, Lighthouse London provided a monthly store cupboard package for every family from January to October and up until August JW3 contributed food items which were donated to them.

We reopened all our services for children onsite in June. Initially using a pre-booking system and welcoming small numbers in bubbles. During the summer we ran a five week programme of special activities onsite and at least one outing per week. We ran day trips to Brighton, Clacton, Southend, Go Ape/Battersea Zoo and Paradise Wildlife Park. The programme was very well attended and feedback was extremely positive. Families were happy to have ‘normal’ Doorstep services again and really enjoyed their days by the sea.

In September we added our weekly ‘bazaars’ back into our timetable of activities meaning that since September we have been running all our onsite activities as we were before the pandemic started.

At Christmas we held three parties for the different age groups including a party for children 4 years and under and parents, with cooked lunch. Thanks to the generosity of a number of organisations and individuals every child and young person received gifts. We also provided every family with a store cupboard package and a supermarket shopping voucher.

We have also provided every child with a gift and a personalised cake on their birthdays thanks to kind donations from volunteer bakers at Free Cakes for Kids Camden.

We are going to be launching a new Youth Project in 2022, which was due to be launched in 2020 but had to be put on hold due to the onset of the pandemic. We are also very excited to have raised sufficient funds to recruit the much needed new full time post of Parent Support/Advocate. This person will work closely with parents to provide information and support.

We have worked with some families for many years. Some we only worked with during lockdown and therefore they couldn’t use onsite services. We have come to know all of them well and provided them all with support. Doorstep is a community to which the families feel they belong. It can be very distressing to be notified you have to move at a week or even a day’s notice. To have absolutely no choice whatsoever about the area or property you will be living is dehumanising. To suddenly be taken away from your support network and placed in a strange place, often multiple times, makes it extremely difficult to feel settled or able to make plans for your life. The lack of a stable home often causes development delay for children.

Case Studies- Names have been changed

Case Study 1

Maria worked in a hotel where accommodation came with the job. When she discovered she was pregnant she had to leave the job which also left her homeless. Originally, she was placed in a hostel where her baby was born, but when that closed down she was placed in a hotel. She was then moved to L & A hostel in May 2021.

In September 2021 she was told that she wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the hostel and that the council was looking for private rented accommodation for her. She argued that Doorstep was her only support network.

On the 29th November at around 4pm her housing support worker called her to say they’d found a private flat for her within her universal credit housing benefit cap in Feltham. She needed to meet the landlord, sign the contract and move in the following day (on 30th November). She had to find her own moving van, furniture (it was only half furnished) and inform Universal Credit about the change of address and where to pay the housing element to.

Maria said she was up most of the night packing their belongings into bin bags ready for a friend with a car to move them in the morning.

Tuesday morning she arrived at Doorstep very distressed, unable to access her Universal Credit account online, and worried how she would cope without Doorstep’s support.

We phoned Universal Credit on M’s behalf, who said the account was only accessible on the phone (you only set an account to work online OR on the phone), she would need to go to a job-centre to give proof of her new address after she signed her new tenancy agreement so the housing payments could be sent to her new landlord.

After phoning her housing support worker to tell her what Universal Credit had said M was asked to be in Feltham at 3pm to sign her tenancy agreement, the hostel had told her she needed to return her room keys by 5.30pm before the staff went home. She took the train to Feltham, signed the tenancy agreement, collected the keys, came back to the hostel and loaded up her friend's car with her belongings, returned her room keys, then drove back to Feltham in the evening to unpack her belongings.

Case Study 2

Mina was moved into the hostel in Jan 2021 with her three children aged 6, 8 and 10 years. After being put on furlough her wages had been reduced and she could no longer cover the cost of her private rented flat. She initially moved in with a friend but it became too overcrowded and stressful. During another lockdown she then lost her job so she didn’t have the money to

get a new private rented flat. The council put her in the L & A hostel but all her possessions were still in storage, which she was paying for. Doorstep gave her some bedding and provided food packages each week. With a public corridor running through the middle of their living space there was no privacy and the family found living in the hostel very hard. The council offered her a private rented property and she accepted the first she was offered at a rent she could manage moving out of the hostel in March 2021. She told us that the property is very small and on an estate which is rough but she feels it is better than living in a hostel.

Case Study 3

Rowena had been living in a private rented flat which was extremely damp but despite taking the landlord to court she lost the property and became homeless. She was placed in L & A hostel in June 2017 with her 3 children 6 years, 18 months and 9 months. Her youngest child was later diagnosed with Autism. As her children grew, Rowena informed officials that her 1st floor room next to the lift was unsuitable as the youngest child would walk out of the room into the lift and down to the main door - often into the street. The child had to be kept in the room all the time and watched by an adult to prevent them ‘escaping’. The windows had to be kept closed as there were no safety features, and they couldn't open at the top. In June 2021 the child fell out of the bathroom window landing in the basement level with a broken jaw and bruises. Rowena asked to be moved and was offered an alternative temporary accommodation in a self contained property at the end of July 2021.

Case Study 4

Habiba lived with her husband and three children in a private rented flat but her husband had health issues which caused him to become disabled and wheelchair bound. He was unable to work and the family lost their rented property. Habiba moved into a hostel with her children in 2011 but there was no temporary accommodation for the family that had wheelchair access. As a result of this Habiba’s husband was placed in a care home at that time, where he still remains. Habiba and the children moved to L & A hostel in March 2016. In September 2021 she was offered 3 bed permanent property, but with no option to refuse it if she didn’t find it suitable. She was given one week’s notice to pack up all her belongings and be out of the hostel. She was forced to move without any furniture at all and no savings to buy any. She had to borrow money to buy beds and a cooker. She is struggling to furnish the property and repay the money she borrowed with only her benefits for income.

Case Study 5

Sumaya, her husband and two children aged 9 months and 5 years moved into the hostel in January 2013. They moved into a private rented property in 2014 but returned to the hostel in 2015 after the private rented property contract ended. Her youngest child presented behavioural issues and Doorstep supported Sumaya as she fought for them to be recognised and for the child to be diagnosed, which they eventually did with Autism. She struggled to cope with his condition and complaints from neighbours about him wandering around the hostel, causing arguments with their children, and getting into disagreements and fights in the hostel garden. Her marriage broke down while at the hostel. G moved to another private rented property in August 2021.

Looking at the bigger picture the following is taken from various blogs produced by Shelter, which echo the issues and difficulties we see families experiencing.

Britain’s hidden homeless kids: how children are being failed by our broken

housing system (5 November 2021 by Osama Bhutta-for Shelter)

‘ Temporary accommodation is the worst thing, it’s like a workhouse.’

These are the words of Yaqub, one of three primary school-aged boys who feature in Channel ‘ ’ ’ 4’s recent ‘Dispatches’ show, entitled Growing Up Poor: Britain s Hidden Homeless Kids .

Yaqub shares a bunk bed with his mum and younger sister in a hostel room in Luton. He knows he needs a home if he’s going to realise his dreams. Despite only being in Year Four, Yaqub has ambitions of becoming an engineer one day. But he’s held back by the day-to-day reality of life as one of Britain’s 120,000 homeless children.

Every child has a right to a childhood. Those precious early years of play, learning and imagination are vital to a child’s development and their life chances. It’s appalling that we have children as young as nine spending all day worrying about the cost of rent and their families being thrown out on the streets.

Biggest worry is housing costs

We hear from parents every day who are struggling to keep a roof over their children’s heads. Housing costs are almost every family’s biggest outgoing – and their biggest worry.

Without enough social homes that people on low incomes can afford, hundreds of thousands of families instead live in overcrowded rentals. There’s no space for their children to play or concentrate on their homework. And the constant threat of eviction hangs over their heads.

There are also thousands of families like Yaqub’s, who’ve been tipped into homelessness and are trapped in unsuitable emergency accommodation. Not just for a few weeks, but sometimes years at a time. No child should have to share a bathroom with strangers, eat from foodbank carrier bags on their bedroom floor or share a single bed with their parent or sibling.

Our broken housing system fails children across the country. Teachers tell us how homeless children and those living in bad housing suffer from hunger, tiredness, poor hygiene and absenteeism. There are children like Qasim, who features in the Dispatches show. He lives in overcrowded temporary accommodation, where he cannot get a good night’s sleep and is then late for school. Qasim is only nine but worries that if he’s too tired to learn enough at school, he’ll never get a good job.

Homeless children hit hardest

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hurt children’s education through missed school days. Homeless children were hit hardest. Many don’t have a desk at which they can study. Others don’t have access to the internet in their temporary accommodation to join online classes. This harm may never be undone for the children whose families are still struggling.

Far too many children are unfairly held back because there aren’t enough social homes. They’re locked out of the affordable, stable homes that would allow them to grow and thrive. Like the third schoolboy who appears in ‘Dispatches’, Kai’s mum has been on the social housing waiting list for eight years. They are one of over a million families stuck on waiting lists, chasing too few social homes.

Councils that are already overwhelmed can barely cope with the number of people coming to them for housing help. Families who were just about surviving before the pandemic are under increasing pressure and may not be able to weather the storm ahead.

With food and energy prices soaring and the cut to the Universal Credit sinking in, we risk failing even more children if we don’t do something drastic about the cost of housing today.

Build social homes

The government’s £65 million rent relief fund for renters facing eviction is a vital lifeline for some. But it won’t protect every family at risk of homelessness this winter. We need more than just a sticking plaster to mend the gaping wound left by the housing emergency.

We owe it to Yaqub, Qasim, Kai and the many homeless children just like them to do everything we can to undo the damage inflicted by bad housing. Now is the time for the government to level up for the next generation and build the decent social homes that families really need today.

Levelling up starts with a home

14 October 2021 by Alastair Harper-for Shelter

Conducted by Frank Luntz for the Centre for Policy Studies, a recent poll found that 42 per cent of voters believe that they are invested in the UK, while only 27 per cent believe the UK is invested in them. This seems a damning statistic. What do you need, as a citizen, in order to feel as though your country is invested in you?

Home isn’t a single building, but a community. The streets you are in, the faces you recognise. Home matters. But fewer people today have that normal sense of it. Parents are sharing single rooms with their kids, or strangers. They’re in rooms with mould or broken windows that can’t be shut in the winter. How are they meant to feel part of our country? How are they meant to feel invested in?

What is the ‘system’ we need to smash?

The private rented sector has more than doubled in size over the last 20 years. There are now 11 million people living in it. Average house prices are now eight times the average salary. We are spending more than ever on housing welfare (at double our total police budget), and it’s covering less of the cost of rent. That’s what a broken market looks like. We will only fix it by rebuilding the only tenure of secure, affordable housing for those who Luntz found feel the country has not invested in them. This means rediscovering the potential of social housing.

Right now, social housing competes directly with costly ownership discounts for those just about managing, through things like Help to Buy in the Affordable Homes Programme. Over half of the money in that programme gets spent on projects that households must earn twice the average income to even be able to access. This should raise an eyebrow from the perspective of economic prudence on government spending, but making it directly compete with the hundreds of thousands of children sat in ghastly temporary accommodation makes it a pretty immoral prioritisation. Each year, we lose four times the number of social homes than we are building.

For the last decade, government policy has focused on the almost-owning and ignoring the barely surviving. There is nothing wrong with the former thriving, but levelling up this country won’t happen if the government ignores the latter. This is damaging our communities and makes it harder for children to get an education – for people to become the person they had the talent but not the opportunity to be.

Families in London are at the epicentre of the housing emergency

12 October 2021 by Steph Kleynhans-for Shelter

The housing emergency in London is overwhelming. While it rages on with magnitude across the country, London is the epicentre of unaffordable and poor-quality housing. Everyday families in the capital are having to choose between paying their rent or putting food on the table.

Why the housing emergency is worse in London

The housing emergency in London has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as families have struggled even more to afford their rent and essential living costs due to reduced hours, furlough and job loss.

The welfare safety net has failed to provide enough support for these households. Although the eviction ban kept many families in their homes for the duration of the pandemic, a difficult economic and jobs recovery ahead of us means people will be facing mounting arrears, evictions and potential homelessness.

At the root of London’s housing emergency is a lack of truly affordable social homes, twinned with an inadequate welfare system. Over the last nine years, delivery of social housing in the capital fell from 11,374 to just 632 between 2011/12 and 2019/20.

Worse still, London has been losing more social rent homes through sales than it has been delivering.

This loss of social homes has meant there are not enough truly affordable homes available for low income households who need them and, as a result, they must turn to the expensive private rented sector. Between 2011 and 2021, private rents in London shot up by a quarter, and before the pandemic private renters in London on low incomes spent an enormous 58% of their income on their rent.

This, combined with a welfare safety net cut to the bone and low paid jobs, means that even with support or work, people are really struggling to keep their head above water.

The welfare safety net is not working, and the pandemic has only made it worse

Many people and families in London have lost work and needed housing benefits to see them through choppy waters.

The number of private renting households in London claiming housing benefit (Local Housing Allowance) to help pay their rent rose by 66% between February 2020 and May 2021. In some boroughs, a majority of private renters now rely on housing benefit, including Enfield where 75% of private renters receive housing support, Barking and Dagenham (62%) and Brent (56%).

We already know that the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, or housing support for private renters, is too low. And they have been frozen so will only get worse as years go on as rents continue to rise.

Already, LHA rates do not cover what they should in 64% of London for a modest three-bedroom home meaning that many families will be facing growing shortfalls between their rent and what they receive in housing support. If they don’t receive enough to cover the rent, they will have to try and make up with other limited income.

The arguably more pressing issue with the welfare safety net in London is the benefit cap. The benefit cap puts a limit on how much in benefits a family or a single person can receive in a year, if earning less than £617 per month. This is the same whether you live in a private rented home or a social home.

Living in London, that limit is £23,000 per year for a family and £15,410 per year for a single person without children. This means a family, regardless of size, will have to cover rent, bills, food, travel and all other essentials with just £1,916.67 per month. Considering the median rent for a privately rented two-bedroom home in London is £1,450 per month, families will struggle to make ends meet without accruing arrears and facing potential eviction and homelessness.

Family size isn’t properly considered. As above, the Department for Work and Pensions do consider whether a single person is with or without children, but other than that they do not consider the number of children. Nor do they consider the cost of renting, which makes the benefit cap incredibly arbitrary and punitive to so many who live in areas with high housing costs such as London.

Seema’s story

Shelter sees many people through our services who are impacted by the benefit cap across London, many of whom are facing homelessness simply because they cannot afford to pay their rent.

In our London hub we supported Seema (not her real name) who claims Universal Credit and is a survivor of domestic abuse. Seema is self-employed and she cannot work during school holidays because she has to look after her three children who are all under 10 years old.

She privately rents a family home in Ealing for £1,600 pcm. When she can’t work, she is benefit capped and after the rent is paid, she is left with just £86 to live on for the month. She really struggles to keep up with the high gas and electricity bills, and she is reliant on local food banks to feed her children. This is having a huge impact on her health and wellbeing as she regularly is forced to choose between paying the rent or feeding her children.

Is there anything we can do?

The ultimate answer is for the benefit cap to be scrapped and the LHA rates to be unfrozen so they stay in line with the actual cost of renting.

However, for those struggling right now and at risk of losing their homes, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) may be available to help cover the shortfall between rent and housing benefit. DHPs are administered by the local authority and are time-limited payments awarded to applicants on a discretionary basis to help with rent or other housing costs.

They are an incredibly vital tool in the prevention of homelessness and can be a cost-effective measure to keep people in their settled home. Once households become homeless, local authorities can face much higher costs compared to the average DHP used to keep someone in their home.

The provision of homelessness services by a local authority costs an estimated £15,063 per homeless person per year, but the average DHP award in London in 2020/21 was £1,421.

Timely intervention through a DHP can be relatively low-cost but effective in preventing homelessness and helping people to stay in their settled home.

We know DHPs are a sticking plaster and local authorities do not receive anywhere near enough funding to truly plug the gaping hole in the welfare safety net. However, many people are still not accessing DHPs leaving them at risk of eviction.

We know that throughout London different local authorities are using DHPs in creative and holistic ways to prevent homelessness. In our London Hub we have supported thousands of people affected by these issues since the pandemic began. We have seen how local partnerships can provide the right advice, information and support that can make the difference for people who can receive a DHP to prevent eviction and homelessness. (blog.shelter.org.uk)

Treasurer’s Report

The financial statements for Doorstep (or ‘the charity’) cover the financial year ending 31 March 2021.

The fiscal year 2021 ended in a secure position, with the reserve carried forward being sufficient to support the running of the charity for a minimum of six months. The management committee and director recognise the need for, and remain committed to, pursuing multi-year funding both to minimise the risk of disruption to the charity’s services, for example in the event of a downturn in one or more areas of external funding and to offer new services to the community for whom we cater, such as a new youth project for the teens and an advocate for the parents .

Careful financial and operating records have been kept throughout the financial year ending on 31 March 2021. The accounts for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2021 have been examined by an independent accountancy firm. Detailed records of financial documents are available and may be requested from Doorstep Homeless Families Project, 13A Broadhurst Gardens, London NW6 3QX.

The Management Committee members are satisfied that Doorstep is entitled to exemption from the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act) relating to the audit of the financial statements for the year in accordance with section 477, and that no member or members have requested an audit pursuant to section 476 of the Act.

The Management Committee members acknowledge their responsibilities for:

1- Ensuring that the charity keeps adequate accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act, and

2- Preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of the charity as at the end of the financial year 2021 and of its profit or loss for the aforementioned financial year in accordance with the requirements of section 393, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Act relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charity.

These financial statements were approved by the members of the committee on 12/11/21 and are signed on their behalf by the chair, Alpona Banerji.

Alexa Brummer Treasurer

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE STATEMENT OF RNANCIAL A1vlEs (INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTI FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 Note Unrestrlcted $trIcted Funds Funds Total 2020 121 Don ations and 8rdnts 1342T 74364 212,636 127,476 Total Income 138,2T2 74,364 212,636 127,476 Fundraising 4.752 4,812 Charitable activities 65860 129,724 ICK), %7 Total expendlture 68.616 65,860 134,476 105,379 Net Income /(expendlture) for the year 69,656 4504 78,0 22,c87 Funds brOUtforWard S244 57,]30 35,C83 Total funds carrled forw¥d 16,748 I35,2) 57,130 All of the above results are de rived f rom continuingactivities. The re were no othe r recognised gains or105ses other than those stated above. The attached notes fom) part of these f inancial statements. 15

Chair’s report

I am extremely proud to report that the continuing uncertainty with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic was not a hindrance to Doorstep in providing invaluable support and help to the vulnerable families in the local community, a task that it has been undertaking for more than three decades.

This year Doorstep leveraged the framework of services it had set up during the first wave of the lockdown. Entering the year in a hard lockdown and tight restrictions, Doorstep provided online activities for the children which was possible because of the prior distribution of digital devices and broadband access. Essential food parcels to the families at the hostel continued as income loss from the pandemic intensified. As Covid-19 restrictions eased, Doorstep resumed its face to face weekly childcare services, laundry services and the weekly bazaar, following all social distancing protocols and health and safety procedures. The summer programme was full and comprehensive with multiple trips outside London for children and families, which were enormously appreciated as they allowed the families a respite from their cramped living spaces. The year ended on a high note, with multiple face to face childrens’ holiday parties across all age ranges and even activities such as ice skating for teens. The feedback from the families on the activities held and services provided during another difficult year has been very favourable and Doorstep continues to have a deep meaningful impact on their lives. Additionally, extensive planning and development has taken place to start a service dedicated to the teens at Doorstep, as well as recruitment of a new, much needed full time member of staff who will provide information and support for parents.

Doorstep continues to function at high levels because of the fabulous work by the small and dedicated staff at Doorstep. The Management Committee joins me in thanking and acknowledging the deep commitment and critical involvement of Director Vicky Fox, who is Doorstep’s only full-time staff. Vicky leads a small and efficient team who under her guidance, adapted very quickly to the new realities of families that were particularly vulnerable to the impact of the virus, in terms of health, economic and mental and social impact. In that context, I would like to thank our childcare workers Sarah and Khadra who developed new skills very quickly and online programmes. Kiki provides enormous assistance to Doorstep not least by helping to sort through the generous weekly donations and also running the laundry service which the users find very necessary and useful especially in this environment.

Although Doorstep received adequate funding in the financial year ending December 2021, resource constraints continue especially in the context of increasing demands on Doorstep’s services. Fundraising, especially multi-year funding, continues to be a focus and will remain one especially in the context of “beyond COVID-19” and the support and help that vulnerable families will need to rebuild their lives.

Doorstep’s Patron, Victoria Coren Mitchell continues to be an unstinting advocate of the organisation and the Management Committee thanks Victoria for all her support and generosity. I would like to thank the small group of highly skilled volunteers who make up the Management Committee. The management committee continued to meet on Zoom every 6 to 8 weeks, with several ad hoc meetings over the year to further the work of sub-committees. I would like to thank you for all your counsel and support.

Finally, thank you to all our supporters: individuals, trusts, charities, companies and schools that help us in a plethora of ways, and that allows us to continue to positively impact our community year after year.

I would like to wish all friends of Doorstep Homeless Families Project all the best for a healthy and safe year.

Alpona Banerji

We give our most sincere and grateful thanks to the following organisations for their support of Doorstep and our families:

4bysix Local Giving Ahmadiya Ladies Muslim Community Group London Community Foundation AKO Foundation London Funders Emergency Response Barnett & Sylvia Shine Charitable London Lighthouse Foundation Penny Appeal BBC Children in Need Properly Properties Bloom Foundation Reel Fund Bottle Savills Bridgepoint South Hampstead Junior School Camden Council St Christina’s School Camden Giving St John’s women’s Club Camden Open Air Gallery St Mary’s Church Conor does Food StreetSmart Edward Harvist Fund Texel Foundation Elliott Simmons Charitable Trust The American School in London Fitzdale Trust The Charles Lewis Foundation Free Cakes for Kids Camden The Childhood Trust Hampstead Wells & Campden Trust The Kajatawa Foundation Ickenham Masonic Lodge Voluntary Action Camden JW3 Waitrose & Partners John Chilton School Xander Lily Fund Limi London Young & Mighty

Also, to the very many kind and generous individuals who donated money, food, toys, clothes, books, and their time.

The Management Committee

Alpona Banerji - Chair Phoebe Stamford-Moroz - Vice Chair Jo Cunningham - Secretary Ellen Murphy -Treasurer until 12/02/21 Alexa Brummer- Treasurer from 12/02/21 Sara Katchi Kate Gaertner- Resigned 25/10/21 Lesley Adams Layle Asmat- Joined 10/05/21 Celia Carr -Joined 25/10/21

The Staff Team

Vicky Fox - Director

Sarah Lough & Khadra Mohamed - Children’s Workers (part time)

Belkize Banjica - Housekeeping & sessional play support (part time)

Dilufer Azam - Sessional Play Support (part time)

Volunteers

ASL teachers & Students

JW3

London Lighthouse

Marieke Van der Meij

Gail Sinitsky

Patron

Victoria Coren-Mitchell

Not forgetting the hundreds of other individuals who took part in occasional projects- we give our sincere thanks to each and every one!

Doorstep Homeless Families Project 13A Broadhurst Gardens London NW6 3QX

Tel: 0207 372 0413

Email:hello@doorsteplondon.com Website: www.doorsteplondon.com www.facebook.com/DoorstepLondon https://twitter.com/doorstep_london www.instagram.com/doorstep_london

Doorstep is a Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales, No 2476922. Registered Charity No 1007692. Doorstep is funded by London Borough of Camden, Charitable Grants and private donations .

DOORSTEP

A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

COMPANY REGISTRATION NO: 02476922 (ENGLAND AND WALES)

CHARITY REGISTRATION NO: 1007692

Accountability Europe Limited Omnibus Workspace 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

DOORSTEP

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered charity name Doorstep Charity registration number 1007692 Company registration number 02476922 Registered office 13a Broadhurst Gardens London NW6 3QX Directors / Trustees Alpona Banerji - Chair Phoebe Stamford-Moroz – Vice Chair Sara Katchi Joanne Cunningham Ellen Murphy - Treasurer (resigned on 12/02/2021) Alexa Brummer - Treasurer from 12/02/2021 Kate Gaertner Lesley Adams Layle Asmat (appointed on 10/05/2021) Bankers Unity Trust Bank 9 Brindley Place Birmingham B1 2HB Independent examiner Aamer Shehzad FCCA FCA Accountability Europe Limited Omnibus Workspace 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee and is therefore governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association, dated 16 February 1990, and also registered with the Charity Commissioners.

Appointment, induction & training of Trustees

All members are circulated with invitations to nominate trustees prior to the AGM advising them of the retiring trustees and requesting nominations for the AGM. When considering co-opting trustees, the Board has regard to the requirement for any specialist skills needed.

New trustees undergo an orientation session to brief them on their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the committee and decision making processes, the business plan and recent financial performance of the charity. During the induction session they meet key employees and other trustees. Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events where these will facilitate the undertaking of their role.

Organization

The charity is organized so that the trustees meet regularly to manage its affairs. There is one full time executive Vicky Fox, who both manages the day to day administration of the charity and organizes fundraising initiatives. The sessional staff are employed to run particular service sections or with specific administration or building responsibilities.

Risk management

The trustees have a risk management strategy which comprises:-

an annual review of the risks the charity may face;
The establishment of systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified in the plan; and the implementation of procedures designed to minimize any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialize.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objectives are "the relief of poverty and distress and the advancement of education of persons resident in Camden and the surrounding area, in particular those who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation”. The charity provides a range of support services with the overall aim to improve the quality of life of service users. These include laundry facilities, play opportunities for children and taught courses in areas such as IT and ESOL.

PUBLIC BENEFIT

We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commissions general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future services. In particular the board of trustees consider how our planned services will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

We continued to provide support throughout the pandemic by maintaining contact and dialogue with families, assessing their needs and adjusting our service delivery to meet them.
● We raised funds to provide every family with a weekly fresh fruit and vegetable delivery.
We formed partnerships and collaborated with other local organisations to provide families with non-perishable food and household items.
We raised funds to provide internet connection and devices for everyone who was without, as well as regular parcels of family hygiene items and creative/learning materials for children of all ages.
We provided interactive digital activities for children and provided the necessary materials to participate in these.
We hired sufficient coaches to ensure social distancing to take the families for a day by the sea.
We hosted digital Christmas parties with every child receiving gifts and treats and every family receiving a supermarket voucher.
We succeeded in raising sufficient funds to employ a new full time staff member, for one year, to specifically support parents

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Statement of Financial Activities shows total income for the year of £212,636 (2020: £127,476) and total expenditure of £134,476 (2020: £105,379) resulting in surplus of £78,160 (2020: £22,097). Total reserves of £135,290 (2020: £57,130) are carried forward of which £118,542 (2020: £48,886) unrestricted and £16,748 (2020: £8,244) restricted.

RESERVES

The present level of reserves is sufficient to support the running of the charity for a minimum of six months. The reserves are needed to allow time for re-organisation in the event of a downturn of income in one or more areas of funding, and to provide for unforeseen, and hence unbudgeted, expenditure where this enables the Charity to continue to meet its objectives.

FUTURE PLANS

We will be working to achieve the following:

We will seek further multi year funding to continue the new parental support post beyond one year.
We will continue to seek funding for existing staff and services, as well as to develop new services to meet growing demand and needs.
We will continue to develop both our existing and new collaborations and partnerships with corporations and other community organisations.
We will continue to raise awareness of the issues faced by homeless families and the organisation’s profile.
We will develop and launch the new service for teenagers which was put on hold due to the pandemic.

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

DOORSTEP

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the reparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Approved by the board on …………………………….. 12/11/2021 and signed on its behalf by:

…………………………….. Alpona Banerji (Chair)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF

DOORSTEP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2021.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT

As the charity’s trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

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.

…………………………… Aamer Shehzad FCCA FCA

Accountability Europe Ltd Omnibus Workspace 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP

Date: 17/11/2021

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

(INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Note
Funds Funds 2021 2020
£ £ £ £
Income From
Donations and grants 3 138,272 74,364 212,636 127,476
Total Income 138,272 74,364 212,636 127,476
Expenditure on:
Fundraising 4 4,752 - 4,752 4,812
Charitable activities 4 63,864 65,860 129,724 100,567
Total expenditure 68,616 65,860 134,476 105,379
Net income / (expenditure)
5 69,656 8,504 78,160 22,097
for the year
Funds brought forward 48,886 8,244 57,130 35,033
Total funds carried forward
118,542 16,748 135,290 57,130
----- End of picture text -----

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. The attached notes form part of these financial statements.

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2021

Note Fixed assets Tangible Assets 7 Current assets Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 8 Net current assets Net assets Funds Restricted Funds 9 General funds 9 Total charity funds	2021 £ - 177,232 177,232 (41,942) 135,290 135,290 16,748 118,542 135,290	2020 £ 285 63,022 63,022 (6,177) 56,845 57,130 8,244 48,886 57,130

For the year ended 31 March 2021 the charitable company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirments of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and preparation of accounts.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Approved by the trustees on 12/11/2021

and signed on its behalf by:

Alpona Banerji (Chair)

Company Registration No. 02476922

The attached notes form part of the financial statements.

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

DOORSTEP

1 Accounting policies

Basis of Accounting

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) - (Charities SORP FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

The charitable company is exempted from preparing a cash flow statement due to exemption available to charities with income of less than £500,000.

Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern. The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

Fixed Assets

All fixed assets are initially recorded at cost. Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows: Equipment: 33% Straight line basis

Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:

a) Costs of raising funds:

It includes the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose.

b) Expenditure on charitable activities

It includes the costs of delivering services, exhibitions and other educational activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.

Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel and governance costs which support the charity's artistic programmes and activities. These costs have been allocated to expenditure on charitable activities.

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

2 Detailed comparatives for the statement of financial activities

Income from: Donations and grants Total Income Expenditure on: Fundraising Charitable activities Total expenditure Net income / (expenditure) for the year Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted £ 106,032 106,032 4,812 87,367 92,179 13,853 35,033 48,886	Restricted £ 21,444 21,444 - 13,200 13,200 8,244 - 8,244	Total 2020 £ 127,476 127,476 4,812 100,567 105,379 22,097 35,033 57,130

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

3 Donations and grants

Donations: Donations Donations - Gift Aid Grants: AKO Foundation Fitzdale Trust Street Smart Camden Giving Charles Lewis Foundation Edward Harvist Trust Limi Foundation BBC Children in Need London Funders Wave 2 and Wave 4 London Community Foundation Reel Fund JRS grant Localgiving	Unrestricted £ 81,420 - 25,000 3,000 - - - - 15,000 - - 5,000 8,352 500 138,272	Restricted £ - - - - - 5,000 4,000 5,000 - 40,364 20,000 - - - - 74,364	Total 2021 £ 81,420 - 25,000 3,000 - 5,000 4,000 5,000 15,000 40,364 20,000 - 5,000 8,352 500 212,636	Total 2020 £ 52,285 1,000 25,000 3,000 10,000 - - - - 21,444 - 14,747 - - - 127,476

4 Analysis of expenditure Current year Staff costs Direct costs Premises costs Other office costs Accountancy fees Independent examiner's fee Depreciaition Support costs allocated Total expenditure 2021	Cost of Fundraising £ 4,752 - - - - - - 4,752 - 4,752	Charitable activities £ 86,100 35,802 - - - - - 121,902 7,822 129,724	Support costs £ - - 930 2,899 3,108 600 285 7,822 (7,822) -	2021 Total £ 90,852 35,802 930 2,899 3,108 600 285 134,476 - 134,476	2020 Total £ 90,213 2,299 2,150 2,624 2,520 600 4,973 105,379 - 105,379

Of the total expenditure, £65,551 was unrestricted (2020: £92,179) and £67,995 was restricted (2020: £13,200).

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

4 Analysis of expenditure Prior year Staff costs Direct costs Premises costs Other office costs Accountancy fees Independent examiner's fee Depreciaition Support costs allocated Total expenditure 2020	Cost of Fundraising £ 4,752 60 - - - - - 4,812 - 4,812	Charitable activities £ 85,461 2,239 - - - - - 87,700 12,867 100,567	Support costs £ - - 2,150 2,624 2,520 600 4,973 12,867 (12,867) -	2020 Total £ 90,213 2,299 2,150 2,624 2,520 600 4,973 105,379 - 105,379

5 Net income / (expenditure) for the year This is stated after charging: Depreciation	2021 £ 285	2020 £ 4,973
Independent examiner's fee (incl VAT)	600	600

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

DOORSTEP

6 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses and cost of key management personnel

Total staff costs were as follows: Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2021 £ 72,272 1,544 17,036 90,852	2020 £ 70,256 1,959 17,998 90,213

No member of staff received emoluments of more than £60,000 in this year (2020: £nil)

The total employee benefits including employer NIC and pension of the key management personnel were £47,517 (2020: £47,517). During the year there were no redundancy payments.

The trustees of the charitable company were not paid or received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2020: £nil) neither were they reimbursed expenses during the year (2020: £nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2020: £nil).

The average number of employees during the year, was as follows:

The average number of employees during the year, was as follows:
Number of project staff 7 Tangible fixed assets COST At start of the year At end of the year DEPRECIATION At start of the year	2021 No. 4.0 4.0	2020 No. 4.0 4.0 Equipment £ 25,215 25,215 24,930
Charge for the year		285
At end of the year NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2021 At 31 March 2020		25,215 - 285

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

8 Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year

Deferred Income Taxation and social security Accruals Deferred Income: Amount deferred in the year Balance at the End of the Year	2021 £ 35,000 4,122 2,820 41,942 2021 £ 35,000 35,000	2020 £ - 4,287 1,890 6,177 2020 £ - -

Deferred income comprises of grants received in current year but relating to future periods.

9 Movement in funds Current year Restricted: BBC Children in Need Camden Giving Charles Lewis Foundation Edward Harvist Trust London Funders Wave 2 and Wave 4 Total Restricted Fund Unrestricted Funds: General Funds Total Unrestricted Fund Total funds Movement in funds Prior year Restricted: BBC Children in Need Total Restricted Fund Unrestricted Funds: General Funds Total Unrestricted Fund Total funds	At 1 April 2020 £ 8,244 - - - - 8,244 48,886 48,886 57,130 At 1 April 2019 £ - - 35,033 35,033 35,033	Income £ 40,364 5,000 4,000 5,000 20,000 74,364 138,272 138,272 212,636 Income £ 21,444 21,444 106,032 106,032 127,476	Expenditure £ 38,163 5,000 1,380 5,000 16,317 65,860 68,616 68,616 134,476 Expenditure £ 13,200 13,200 92,179 92,179 105,379	At 31 March 2021 £ 10,445 - 2,620 - 3,683 16,748 118,542 118,542 135,290 At 31 March 2020 £ 8,244 8,244 48,886 48,886 57,130

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

10 Analysis of net assets between funds

Current year Net current assets Total Funds Analysis of net assets between funds Prior year Tangible fixed assets Net current assets Total Funds	£ 118,542 118,542 £ 285 40,357 40,642 Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds £ 16,748 16,748 Restricted funds £ - 16,488 16,488	Total 2021 £ 135,290 135,290 Total 2020 £ 285 56,845 57,130

11 Company limited by guarantee

The company is limited by guarantee of £1 per member without share capital.

12 Taxation

The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

13 Related party transactions

There are no related party transactions to disclose for 2021 (2020: none). There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties. There is no balance due to/from related parties at the end of the year.

DOORSTEP

A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

COMPANY REGISTRATION NO: 02476922 (ENGLAND AND WALES)

CHARITY REGISTRATION NO: 1007692

Accountability Europe Limited Omnibus Workspace 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

DOORSTEP

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

Appointment, induction & training of Trustees

Organization

Risk management

The trustees have a risk management strategy which comprises:-

an annual review of the risks the charity may face;
The establishment of systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified in the plan; and the implementation of procedures designed to minimize any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialize.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

PUBLIC BENEFIT

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

We continued to provide support throughout the pandemic by maintaining contact and dialogue with families, assessing their needs and adjusting our service delivery to meet them.
● We raised funds to provide every family with a weekly fresh fruit and vegetable delivery.
We formed partnerships and collaborated with other local organisations to provide families with non-perishable food and household items.
We raised funds to provide internet connection and devices for everyone who was without, as well as regular parcels of family hygiene items and creative/learning materials for children of all ages.
We provided interactive digital activities for children and provided the necessary materials to participate in these.
We hired sufficient coaches to ensure social distancing to take the families for a day by the sea.
We hosted digital Christmas parties with every child receiving gifts and treats and every family receiving a supermarket voucher.
We succeeded in raising sufficient funds to employ a new full time staff member, for one year, to specifically support parents

FINANCIAL REVIEW

RESERVES

FUTURE PLANS

We will be working to achieve the following:

We will seek further multi year funding to continue the new parental support post beyond one year.
We will continue to seek funding for existing staff and services, as well as to develop new services to meet growing demand and needs.
We will continue to develop both our existing and new collaborations and partnerships with corporations and other community organisations.
We will continue to raise awareness of the issues faced by homeless families and the organisation’s profile.
We will develop and launch the new service for teenagers which was put on hold due to the pandemic.

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE

DOORSTEP

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Approved by the board on …………………………….. 12/11/2021 and signed on its behalf by:

…………………………….. Alpona Banerji (Chair)

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF

DOORSTEP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 March 2021.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND BASIS OF REPORT

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT

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

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

…………………………… Aamer Shehzad FCCA FCA

Accountability Europe Ltd Omnibus Workspace 39-41 North Road London N7 9DP

Date: 17/11/2021

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

(INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2021

Note Fixed assets Tangible Assets 7 Current assets Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 8 Net current assets Net assets Funds Restricted Funds 9 General funds 9 Total charity funds	2021 £ - 177,232 177,232 (41,942) 135,290 135,290 16,748 118,542 135,290	2020 £ 285 63,022 63,022 (6,177) 56,845 57,130 8,244 48,886 57,130

For the year ended 31 March 2021 the charitable company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirments of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and preparation of accounts.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Approved by the trustees on 12/11/2021

and signed on its behalf by:

Alpona Banerji (Chair)

Company Registration No. 02476922

The attached notes form part of the financial statements.

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

DOORSTEP

1 Accounting policies

Basis of Accounting

The charitable company is exempted from preparing a cash flow statement due to exemption available to charities with income of less than £500,000.

Going concern

Fixed Assets

Income

Expenditure

a) Costs of raising funds:

It includes the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose.

b) Expenditure on charitable activities

It includes the costs of delivering services, exhibitions and other educational activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.

Allocation of support costs

DOORSTEP COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Fund accounting

Cash at bank and in hand

Creditors and provisions

2 Detailed comparatives for the statement of financial activities

Income from: Donations and grants Total Income Expenditure on: Fundraising Charitable activities Total expenditure Net income / (expenditure) for the year Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted £ 106,032 106,032 4,812 87,367 92,179 13,853 35,033 48,886	Restricted £ 21,444 21,444 - 13,200 13,200 8,244 - 8,244	Total 2020 £ 127,476 127,476 4,812 100,567 105,379 22,097 35,033 57,130

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

3 Donations and grants

Donations: Donations Donations - Gift Aid Grants: AKO Foundation Fitzdale Trust Street Smart Camden Giving Charles Lewis Foundation Edward Harvist Trust Limi Foundation BBC Children in Need London Funders Wave 2 and Wave 4 London Community Foundation Reel Fund JRS grant Localgiving	Unrestricted £ 81,420 - 25,000 3,000 - - - - 15,000 - - 5,000 8,352 500 138,272	Restricted £ - - - - - 5,000 4,000 5,000 - 40,364 20,000 - - - - 74,364	Total 2021 £ 81,420 - 25,000 3,000 - 5,000 4,000 5,000 15,000 40,364 20,000 - 5,000 8,352 500 212,636	Total 2020 £ 52,285 1,000 25,000 3,000 10,000 - - - - 21,444 - 14,747 - - - 127,476

4 Analysis of expenditure Current year Staff costs Direct costs Premises costs Other office costs Accountancy fees Independent examiner's fee Depreciaition Support costs allocated Total expenditure 2021	Cost of Fundraising £ 4,752 - - - - - - 4,752 - 4,752	Charitable activities £ 86,100 35,802 - - - - - 121,902 7,822 129,724	Support costs £ - - 930 2,899 3,108 600 285 7,822 (7,822) -	2021 Total £ 90,852 35,802 930 2,899 3,108 600 285 134,476 - 134,476	2020 Total £ 90,213 2,299 2,150 2,624 2,520 600 4,973 105,379 - 105,379

Of the total expenditure, £65,551 was unrestricted (2020: £92,179) and £67,995 was restricted (2020: £13,200).

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

4 Analysis of expenditure Prior year Staff costs Direct costs Premises costs Other office costs Accountancy fees Independent examiner's fee Depreciaition Support costs allocated Total expenditure 2020	Cost of Fundraising £ 4,752 60 - - - - - 4,812 - 4,812	Charitable activities £ 85,461 2,239 - - - - - 87,700 12,867 100,567	Support costs £ - - 2,150 2,624 2,520 600 4,973 12,867 (12,867) -	2020 Total £ 90,213 2,299 2,150 2,624 2,520 600 4,973 105,379 - 105,379

5 Net income / (expenditure) for the year This is stated after charging: Depreciation	2021 £ 285	2020 £ 4,973
Independent examiner's fee (incl VAT)	600	600

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

DOORSTEP

6 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses and cost of key management personnel

Total staff costs were as follows: Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2021 £ 72,272 1,544 17,036 90,852	2020 £ 70,256 1,959 17,998 90,213

No member of staff received emoluments of more than £60,000 in this year (2020: £nil)

The total employee benefits including employer NIC and pension of the key management personnel were £47,517 (2020: £47,517). During the year there were no redundancy payments.

The average number of employees during the year, was as follows:

The average number of employees during the year, was as follows:
Number of project staff 7 Tangible fixed assets COST At start of the year At end of the year DEPRECIATION At start of the year	2021 No. 4.0 4.0	2020 No. 4.0 4.0 Equipment £ 25,215 25,215 24,930
Charge for the year		285
At end of the year NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2021 At 31 March 2020		25,215 - 285

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

8 Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year

Deferred Income Taxation and social security Accruals Deferred Income: Amount deferred in the year Balance at the End of the Year	2021 £ 35,000 4,122 2,820 41,942 2021 £ 35,000 35,000	2020 £ - 4,287 1,890 6,177 2020 £ - -

Deferred income comprises of grants received in current year but relating to future periods.

9 Movement in funds Current year Restricted: BBC Children in Need Camden Giving Charles Lewis Foundation Edward Harvist Trust London Funders Wave 2 and Wave 4 Total Restricted Fund Unrestricted Funds: General Funds Total Unrestricted Fund Total funds Movement in funds Prior year Restricted: BBC Children in Need Total Restricted Fund Unrestricted Funds: General Funds Total Unrestricted Fund Total funds	At 1 April 2020 £ 8,244 - - - - 8,244 48,886 48,886 57,130 At 1 April 2019 £ - - 35,033 35,033 35,033	Income £ 40,364 5,000 4,000 5,000 20,000 74,364 138,272 138,272 212,636 Income £ 21,444 21,444 106,032 106,032 127,476	Expenditure £ 38,163 5,000 1,380 5,000 16,317 65,860 68,616 68,616 134,476 Expenditure £ 13,200 13,200 92,179 92,179 105,379	At 31 March 2021 £ 10,445 - 2,620 - 3,683 16,748 118,542 118,542 135,290 At 31 March 2020 £ 8,244 8,244 48,886 48,886 57,130

DOORSTEP

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

10 Analysis of net assets between funds

Current year Net current assets Total Funds Analysis of net assets between funds Prior year Tangible fixed assets Net current assets Total Funds	£ 118,542 118,542 £ 285 40,357 40,642 Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds £ 16,748 16,748 Restricted funds £ - 16,488 16,488	Total 2021 £ 135,290 135,290 Total 2020 £ 285 56,845 57,130

11 Company limited by guarantee

The company is limited by guarantee of £1 per member without share capital.

12 Taxation

The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.