2022-12-31-accounts - Bridges

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BRIDGES

(Charity No. 1029169)

Trustees Report & Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022

BRIDGES

(Charity No. 1029169)

Trustees and Officers who served during 2022

TRUSTEES

Richard Dyson - Chairman David CW Stafford Barbara Abel Michael Musgrove - Secretary Susan E Oldfield François Meunier – Treasurer (resigned 30[th] November 2022) Adenike Omoregbee (resigned 13[th] July 2022) Rebecca Jordan (resigned 25[th] May 2022)

TREASURER

John Southworth (from 30[th] November 2022)

CENTRE MANAGER

Mary Perrett

ASSISTANT TO THE CENTRE MANAGER

Elizabeth A Martin-Lawrence (resigned 28[th] February 2022)

CENTRE TREASURER Elizabeth Richmond

CENTRE COMMITTEE

Mary Perrett – Chair Barbara Abel Stella Bundred Dot Francis Janet Lewis Marylynne Lolley Chrissie Stephens Dorothy Sutton Judy Webb

CONSULTANTS

Ronald V Sutton Dorothy Sutton

ADDRESS

Bridges Centre High Street Edenbridge Kent TN8 5AJ

Telephone 01732 868186

BRIDGES

(Charity No. 1029169)

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2022

Objectives

BRIDGES was established as a registered charity in 1993. It purchased and refurbished a former chapel in the centre of the High Street, Edenbridge, Kent in order to fulfil its core purpose of running an ecumenical Centre for the benefit of the whole community.

Staffed by volunteers under the supervision of a paid manager, the BRIDGES Centre offers a familiar and accessible place for people to meet, a listening ear, friendship, rest and refreshment, with particular regard for the needs of parents with young children, the aged, the unemployed and those who are lonely or distressed. Its aim is to bring together all sections of the community to their mutual benefit as visitors or volunteers, without discrimination, and to ‘bridge the gaps’ in local provision that are not being addressed by existing statutory or voluntary agencies. To that end BRIDGES provides specialist advice clinics, which give local people access to information and services without needing to travel to larger towns.

BRIDGES aims to demonstrate Christian faith in action through creating a welcoming community where anyone can find, or be, a ‘good neighbour’. It maintains a Christian ethos of inclusivity and service, and encourages people to develop their creative and practical abilities.

BRIDGES priorities are:

to overcome social isolation and strengthen communities
to co-operate with other local organisations
to build a sense of worth in volunteers and visitors alike
to help find solutions to pressing personal needs
to encourage Christians in the practice of their faith
to create sustainable communities both locally and globally
to encourage understanding and tolerance between people of different faiths and backgrounds

BRIDGES is committed to implementing high standards of care to volunteers and visitors who are children or vulnerable adults and, additionally, to ensuring that its policies and procedures meet current legislative requirements. There have been no breaches of BRIDGES safeguarding standards reported to the trustees in 2022.

Organisational Structure

The Trustees met six times in 2022, to review strategy, policies and finance, and to receive reports from committees and working groups chaired by Trustees.

The BRIDGES Centre Committee (BCC), chaired jointly by the manager and a trustee, oversees the day-to-day running of the Centre on a daily basis. Volunteers become members of BRIDGES after a period of three months’ service, and elect at the Annual Review up to seven of their number to serve on the BCC.

Activities During 2022

2022 has been a year of mixed fortunes. More people have been using the BRIDGES Centre during the week, but there have still been too few volunteers for the Community Café to resume its pre-Covid opening hours.

Volunteer numbers increased from 35 to 40, so the Community Café was open Mon-Thurs 1012.30, and 10-2 on Fridays with the Place of Welcome open from 2-4pm. A survey of visitor numbers in September 2022 showed at least 135 different people visited that week (excluding volunteers). The daily average number of visitors rose from 22 in September to 50 by January 2023. The Minstrel Café closed in January 2023, leaving BRIDGES and Costa the only café

alternatives to the pubs. Quarterly Saturday Markets resumed. One school student came for a week’s work experience in July.

Creative Café drew a wider clientele for art therapy, and Dandelion Café continued to provide elderly isolated people and those in residential care with a monthly outing for lunch and entertainment. The Place of Welcome offered a cool space during the heatwave and a Warm Space once the rise in energy prices caused people to seek warmth and food in public places to reduce their own heating costs. The monthly Folk Music sessions quickly regained their popularity, filling BRIDGES to capacity from July onwards! Knit & Natter resumed, making a magnificent knitted mannequin which was raffled. Art Displays by local artists continued to attract people to the Centre. The withdrawal of the circular bus route round the town’s outskirts severely affected residents who relied on free public transport to get to the town. BRIDGES noticed that people from one estate had reduced their visits from daily to weekly, as a return taxi ride cost £10.

Hi-Kent’s monthly hearing aid repair clinic at BRIDGES became oversubscribed as Hi-Kent stopped its clinic at the Eden Centre due to a lack of volunteers. Alcoholics Anonymous weekly sessions continued on Thursday evenings. In June 2022, Narcotics Anonymous started a weekly face-to-face support meeting at BRIDGES on Mondays, which has attracted over 30 regular attendees. Grace Community Church continued to run its popular Laser Light Club for primary-aged children, while older teenagers enjoyed 8 weeks of activities at BRIDGES’ New Youth Club sponsored by Sevenoaks District Council . Aimed at mentoring teenagers who had been particularly affected by isolation during the pandemic, this club offered social activities and advice to help build skills, e.g. writing CVs and practice interviews. One teenager has subsequently been appointed as BRIDGES’ Marketing Assistant, producing posters and managing BRIDGES social media publicity.

BRIDGES’ Manager’s Assistant left in February 2021, to take on a Managerial role elsewhere, leaving the Manager and volunteers to cover her 12 hours pw. An Administrative Assistant was appointed in April but left unexpectedly in August, leaving BRIDGES’ Manager and volunteers to cover the work.

It is pleasing that in 2022 the projects identified in BRIDGES’ 2020 Hope for our Community Appeal to help Edenbridge recover from the Covid Lockdowns have come to fruition. Crosslight’s monthly debt advice sessions are available, the Place of Welcome is open on Fridays, and vouchers can be issued for Edenbridge Food Bank. Though West Kent MIND was unable to staff a support group at BRIDGES, a survey of visitors to the Community Café in Sept 2022, identified overwhelmingly (92% of 135 respondents) that BRIDGES helped visitors to maintain their mental, physical and social wellbeing. BRIDGES retained its 5* certificate for Food Hygiene , and in was awarded 2[nd] place Highly Commended in the Older Person’s Group of the Year category of SDC’s Voluntary and Community Awards , an accolade which was richly deserved by staff and volunteers alike.

Financial Results

2022 saw the finances of the charity remaining stable. The café had a full years activity with visitors and volunteers returning. The Covid 19 support package of £13,500 financed the centre which enabled the trust to make a surplus of £18,000.

Overall the trust’s activities resulted in a surplus of £18,348 (2021: Deficit of £4,989), with total funds standing at £293,773 (2021: £276,241) at the year-end. Of this total £224,133 (2021: £221,082) related to fixed assets and £63,516 (2021 restated: £42,973) to unrestricted reserves, available for use by the trustees as the need arises. Restricted funds represent the balances remaining unspent against 6 conditional grants, totalling £9,839 (2021 : £11,228).

The detailed 2022 financial statements are set out on pages 6 to 11 that follow.

Reserves Policy

It is an objective of the Trustees to set a financial plan each year and to ensure that operating costs are covered annually by the receipt of income from the Centre, together with donations, grants and fundraising activities.

The Trustees believe that the charity should hold in unrestricted reserves a sufficient cushion of funds to enable it to:

a) meet the cost of exceptional expenditure that may be incurred from time to time on major maintenance or improvements to the BRIDGES Centre and/or
b) continue to exist in a period of reduced income and, should it be necessary, to cease to operate and wind up in an orderly fashion.

The Trustees consider that the desirable level of reserves for this purpose to be one year’s operating costs and £30,000 for the building repairs and plan to generate annual operating surpluses in order to build reserves to this level, without impairing the quality of services provided. At 31 December 2022, the Trustees’ unrestricted reserves of £61,851 less £30,000 net £31,851 represented 97% of the operating costs.

Statement of Trustees Responsibilities

Under the trust deed of the charity and charity law, the Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the excess of income over expenditure for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, generally accepted accounting practice entails that the Trustees:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
state whether the financial statements comply with the trust deed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements and
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 required by law to act in accordance with the trust deed of the charity, within the framework of trust law. They are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, sufficient to disclose at any time with reasonable accuracy, the financial position of the charity at that time, and to enable the Trustees to ensure that, where any statements of account are prepared by them under section 132(1) of the Charities Act 2011, those statements of accounts comply with the requirements of regulations under that provision. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

BRIDGES

(Charity No. 1029169)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (Including Income and Expenditure Account) Year ended 31 December 2022

Note	CENTRE TRUST Fixed Assets Fund	Sub Total - Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds TOTAL 2022	*2021*
INCOME Donations Grants Bridges Centre sales Centre hiring charges Miscellaneous activities Fundraising and events Bank interest income Investment income Tax recovery Revaluation of Investments TOTAL INCOME EXPENDITURE Purchases Staff costs 2 Utilities Cleaning supplies Telephone Stationery Marketing Improvements to Centre Repairs and Maint. Small equipment Large equipment Training Creative Art Workshops Creative Kids Dandelion Sundries Insurance 3 Depreciation TOTAL EXPENDITURE SURPLUS /(DEFICIT)	£ £ £ - 8,183 - 13,500 - 22,627 - - 1,365 - - 52 - - - 5,441 - - 174 - - 166 - - 495 - - (971) -	8,183 13,500 22,627 1,365 52 5,441 174 166 495 (971)	£ £ - 8,183 16,003 29,503 - 22,627 - 1,365 - 52 - 5,441 - 174 - 166 - 495 - (971) 16,003 67,037 147 3,638 7,213 24,338 - 3,800 - 355 - 440 - 564 - - - - - 948 - 52 - - - 203 1,594 1,594 248 248 8,009 8,009 180 664 - 2,172 - 3,050 17,392 50,077 (1,389) 16,522	£ *5,728* *23,608* *8,386* *1,104* *390* *205* 61 *189* *903* (325) *40,249* *1,625* *25,719* *2,023* *220* *420* *199* - *416* *142* - *337* 1,174 1,670 4,393 *631* *2,158* *4,111* *45,238* *(4,989)*
	37,545 13,488 -	51,034
	3,490 - - 17,125 - - 3,800 - - 355 - - 440 - - 564 - - - - - - - - 948 - - 52 - - - - - 203 - - - - - - - - - - - 484 - - - 2,172 - - - 3,050	3,490 17,125 3,800 355 440 564 - - 948 52 - 203 - - - 484 2,172 3,050
	27,900 2,172 3,050	32,686
	9,645 11,316 (3,050)	17,911
Transfer Centre result to Trust Purchase of fixed assets Funds Balance - beginning of year	(9,645) 9,645 - - - -	- -	- - -	- -
	- 20,960 (3,050) - 40,889 224,133	17,911 265,022	(1,389) 16,522 11,229 276,251	*(4,989)* *281,240*
FUNDS BALANCE - END OF YEAR	- *61,849* *221,083* *282,933* *9,840* *292,773 #*			*276,251*
	-

BRIDGES

(Charity No. 1029169)

BALANCE SHEET as at 31 DECEMBER 2022

Note Tangible Fixed Assets 4 Freehold Property Furniture, Fixtures and Fittings Current Assets Debtors and Prepayments 5 Bank Balances and Cash in Hand 6 Current Liabilities Creditors 7 Net Current Assets Longer Term Assets over one year Investments 8 Total Net Assets Funds held for charitable purposes 9 Fixed Asset Fund Opening balance Current year increase / (decrease) Unrestricted funds Opening balance Current year increase / (decrease) Restricted Funds Opening balance Current year increase / (decrease)	2022 £ £ 215,000 6,082 221,082 3,019 61,996 65,016 (1,499) 63,517 8,174 292,774 224,133 *228,243* *(3,050)* *(4,110)* 221,083 40,889 *41,276* 20,962 *(387)* 61,851 11,229 *11,720* 1,389 - *(491)* 9,839 292,774	*2021* £ *215,000* *9,133*
		*224,133* *2,471* *42,169*
		*44,640* *(1,667)*
	224,133 *(3,050)*	*42,973* *9,145*
		*276,251*
		*224,133* *40,889* *11,229*
	40,889 20,962
	11,229 1,389 -

		*276,251*

Approved by the Trustees on 27 October 2023 and signed on their behalf

Richard Dyson Chairman of Trustees

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the BRIDGES Trust (Charity No. 1029169)

I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2022, which are set out on pages 1 to 6

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility:

to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act) and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:

to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act;
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met; or

(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

D Bellwood

27 October 2023