## ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS APRIL 2020 – MARCH 2021 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Contents |Welcome ___________________________________________________________________ 1| |---| |Our Mission, Vision and Ethos __________________________________________________ 2| |Mission__________________________________________________________________2| |Constitution and Objectives__________________________________________________ 2| |Ethos____________________________________________________________________2| |Public Benefit _______________________________________________________________ 4| |Provision of Furniture to People in Need________________________________________ 4| |Prayer___________________________________________________________________4| |Voluntary Work____________________________________________________________5| |Environment______________________________________________________________5| |Collaboration_____________________________________________________________5| |Board of Trustees, Staff Members & Volunteers ____________________________________ 6| |Governance_______________________________________________________________6| |Board of Trustees__________________________________________________________6| |Staff Members____________________________________________________________6| |Regular Volunteers_________________________________________________________ 6| |Sale Volunteers____________________________________________________________6| |Chairman’s Report ___________________________________________________________ 7| |General Manager’s Report______________________________________________________ 9| |Key Statistics 2020/21 ________________________________________________________ 11| |Acknowledgements __________________________________________________________ 14| |Fundraising ________________________________________________________________ 15| |Treasurer’s Report for Year Ending 31stMarch 2021 ________________________________ 16| |Accounts 2020/21 ___________________________________________________________ 17| |Spencer Contact,
Tel: 01604 587589| |Gladstone Close,
mail@spencercontact.com| |Northampton, NN5 7AY
Reg. charity no: 1070072| ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Welcome Thank you for taking the time to read Spencer Contact’s Annual Report for 2020/21. Since 1999 Spencer Contact has been providing the residents of Northampton with good quality second hand (sometimes new) furniture and household items in order to show Christian care and concern to people in need living in our community. There is a great need in the town of Northampton and we have grown significantly over the years to continue meeting that need. We occupy a large warehouse on Gladstone Close, have a fully committed team of 7 staff and our objective every day remains the same, to help others, whoever they are, whatever their circumstances, in their time of need. We won’t be alone in saying this, but the global Coronavirus pandemic made this year one of the most challenging we have ever faced. Our work focuses around going into people’s homes to collect and deliver furniture and as a result it had to be curtailed for certain periods throughout the year. We continued to do what we could and were able to help 503 individuals (over 50% of them being under the age of 18) which was significantly less than in previous years but every one of them was an individual that was in need of help and were able to obtain it despite what was happening in the world at the time. The majority in the town would maybe take for granted having a sofa to sit on, a table to eat a meal or a bed to sleep in, but for some, even these basic items are unobtainable or too expensive which is why we do not sell the furniture that we collect but give it out to those who need it. When you see the number 503 on a page it is easy to miss the impact that this year 503 people found themselves in a circumstance where they, or those that care for them, needed to reach out for help, took the decision to contact us and we were able to make an improvement to their life and situation by simply providing those items which actually make such a difference to all of our lives. Why do we do it? To show something of the love of God to individuals in this town. Somebody once said ‘we come representing a giving God and therefore we must come giving’. We trust that by doing what we do there will be those who will appreciate that they are not forgotten but are loved and valued, not only by us but by the God we serve. Please take time to read through this report and we hope that you will gain something of the real desire of the staff, trustees and volunteers that we have to care for the people living in this town. ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Our Mission, Vision and Ethos ## MISSION Our mission is to show Christian love to the community in Northampton by freely providing furniture to any person in need, regardless of the cause of their hardship. This is the core of the charity, upon which all our aims and objectives have been built and it has not changed since its founding. Our vision statement is ‘Christian care and concern for the community’. ## CONSTITUTION AND OBJECTIVES The charity exists under a constitution adopted on 4th March 1998 and amended on 7th November 2001. The stated objectives in the constitution are: - The relief of poverty by the provision of furniture, other household accessories and/or services calculated to reduce need, hardship or distress. - The relief of persons with mental health problems requiring treatment, including persons suffering from emotional distress by the provision of assistance. - The advancement of the Christian religion in England and Wales. ## ETHOS Spencer Contact is characterised by its energetic demonstration of Christian care and concern for those whom we serve outside the organisation in action, word and prayer, and to reflect this Christian care and concern in our relationships with one another. The motivation for our mission comes from Christ’s care, concern and compassion that is evident in the Bible and is therefore rooted in our faith in Christ. This faith produces a distinctive heart attitude of love, as we respond to the love God showed for us, which we seek to express and portray with the following core values: - That people matter; - To demonstrate the love of Christ in a practical manner; - To help bring comfort and relief to the poor; - To love your neighbour as yourself; - To make a difference one person at a time. ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS These values and behaviours are intrinsically linked to our success and fulfilment of our mission. Therefore, the attitude and motivation of our staff and voluntary workers and the way our mission is achieved are as important as the mission itself. _“A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34_ _Jesus replied, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40_ As this attitude and motivation come only from a relationship with Christ, it becomes a genuine occupational requirement that most of the positions within Spencer Contact to be filled by committed Christians. Roles that have significant leadership, or that are central to fulfilling our aims and purposes, or developing and maintaining our Christian ethos, will always be held by committed Christians. It is also essential that these attitudes and behaviours continue, and so we expect our staff to act in good faith and with loyalty to that relational ethos and to evangelical Christian standards of behaviour. Notwithstanding this, the organisation is committed to diversity amongst its staff and volunteers and will not discriminate on any other grounds that are unrelated to our ethos. We believe that defining our occupational requirements does not restrict, but actually enhances, our commitment to diversity. ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Public Benefit Spencer Contact carries out a range of activities in following its charitable aims. The trustees believe that the activities summarised below provide benefit to the people of the town of Northampton and outlying villages. ## PROVISION OF FURNITURE TO PEOPLE IN NEED Spencer Contact provides good quality furniture and household items to those in need in Northampton and the surrounding villages. Those who use our service are often going through periods of crisis and are made aware of our service by housing associations, local homeless charities, women’s refuges and Social Services. We are usually the last link in the chain to those moving into a new property; helping to furnish their new homes. We seek to meet the needs of anyone who requires our service, and this is on a strictly non-prejudicial, first-come, first-served basis. All the furniture we provide is generously donated to us by members of the public and occasionally from local companies. It is then checked, cleaned and restored as necessary so that it is delivered in excellent condition. This is important as we want the items to last. It also shows those we help that they are valued and not just receiving cast offs from other people. It is wonderful to see the difference to our customers a few basic items makes; items which most people take for granted. We do not sell the furniture we provide but do charge a small delivery fee, which covers approximately 10% of our annual running costs. Demand for the items we provide remained high during 2020/21 and we were able to meet 68% of requests for help we received. This figure was down from the previous year which was due to not being able to meet all the demands mainly resulting from working around government imposed national lockdowns. Bedroom furniture is always in most demand and the one item that we struggle to collect enough of is good quality mattresses (as we only collect ones that are not stained) to meet the needs of the people requesting our assistance. However, we often have a surplus of items such as wall units, sideboards, dining tables and large sofas. This is due to these not being priority items for our customers and they are often too big for the smaller flats and homes to which we deliver. When we have too many of these in stock, we have to turn down offers of these items, allowing us time to collect the items in higher demand. ## PRAYER During the course of our work, we receive requests for prayer. These requests are upheld at our morning devotions at the beginning of each day and our weekly prayer meeting, which ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS is open to all members of staff, trustees, voluntary workers and supporters. We use this time to take all our work in prayer to the Almighty God who holds everything in His hands. ## VOLUNTARY WORK The work of the charity creates many opportunities for voluntary work; helping with our delivery and collection team, repairing and restoring furniture, fundraising, cleaning, sorting and administration work. Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds; from those who are seeking work experience, to those who have learning difficulties, to the retired who are seeking to use their free time for good. We also have a team of regular volunteers who help us run the stalls at our sales, which are usually held three times a year, although this year all sales had to be cancelled. Voluntary opportunities are open to everyone and anyone interested is encouraged to apply. ## ENVIRONMENT Our work as a furniture reuse charity has great environmental benefits. Furniture, which often otherwise would be sent to landfill, is donated to us to be reused elsewhere. We usually aim to redistribute approximately 100 tonnes of furniture per year through our main work of helping those in need. Items which we do not supply to people in this way, we sell to raise extra money for our work, which again extends the life of the items. We have a small workshop where we are able to carry out repairs to many of the broken or tired items we collect. We also recycle items and earn extra income by selling scrap metal, textiles and books over the course of this year. All other waste items are sorted before being disposed of, allowing us to send wood, cardboard, glass and waste electrical items for recycling. In our work, we are sometimes offered various white goods. If we are collecting other furniture we pick them up, PAT test them and sell them at price which is affordable to those in need. This again helps the environment by preventing items going to landfill, but it also serves as some extra income to help towards the operational costs of the charity. Thanks must go to Northamptonshire County Council who provide us as a registered charity a permit to use their waste transfer sites free of charge to recycle and dispose of items we cannot reuse. ## COLLABORATION We aim to assist other charitable organisations who work within our local community for our mutual benefit. We have provided storage space within our warehouse for the Northants West Gideons and Northamptonshire Association for the Blind for some years. We have Voluntary Impact Northampton (VIN) storing their buses in our car park, Northampton Community Sheds (“NCS”) and World Mandate Ministries operating from our premises. SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Board of Trustees, Staff Members & Volunteers ## GOVERNANCE The charity is managed on a day-to-day basis by a full-time, paid General Manager and is overseen by an executive committee of trustees. There are currently eight trustees, with three trustees holding the honorary offices of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. None of the trustees receive any pay for the work that they carry out. Members of the committee are elected at the Annual General Meeting, and each member serves a maximum of three years before they need to seek re-election. Trustees are elected from the membership of the charity, which is open to everyone. ## BOARD OF TRUSTEES Honorary Chairman Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Pete Burditt Richard Barrett Phil Stiles Sam Baxter Steve Pollock Eric Lightfoot Sonja Lightfoot John Phillips ## STAFF MEMBERS General Manager Administrator (Part Time) Administrator (Part Time) Administrator Warehouse/Delivery Person Warehouse/Delivery Person Warehouse Steve Scarsbrook Esther Scarsbrook Sharon Smith Ruth Magombo Kim Bon Cheong Martin Nelson Gary McDonnell There are no ‘higher paid’ employees and none of the Trustees claimed any expenses during the year. ## REGULAR VOLUNTEERS Grace Boulter Pete Burditt Liz Jarvis John Green Eric Westwood Eric Lightfoot Sonja Lightfoot Crawford Lindsay Phil Stiles David Kinuthia Stewart Townsend Roy Brown John Phillips ## OTHER VOLUNTEERS Mary Barrett Richard Barrett Sam Baxter Norma Brimm Heather Burditt Jackie Coles Dorothy Daly Ozzy Daly Romilla Engineer Vera Evans Ben Hollands Dawn Holly Richard Jones Tina Keenan Gwen Kinning Sin Wei Lau Alex Lightfoot Pete Lightfoot Jane Lynch Claire Nelson Elaine Pashler Dorothy Philips James Scarsbrook Nathan Scarsbrook Andy White Ruth Burditt Faith Smith Marcus Smith Grace Smith Harry Hearsum Rosie Smith Lydia Hearsum Northampton Deb Hackett Donna Strickland Steve Hackett Community Sheds Richard Magombo Alex Lightfoot ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Chairman’s Report This year was dominated by the Coronavirus Pandemic. As the year started we were one week into the first Lockdown. Looking back it is difficult to describe the extent of our initial concerns. We had to cancel all our bookings for deliveries and collections and our staff were unable to work. Little was known about the risk to the health of the population but it was clear that matters were very serious and people were fearful. On top of that it was clear that there would be a financial impact on our organisation. We cannot speak highly enough of the support we received through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The Trustees take their responsibilities seriously. We appreciate our staff and their commitment to our work and are always mindful that they have families to care for and monthly outgoings to meet. Whilst the money received from Government made up 80% of their wages we supported them through the periods of uncertainty by paying their wages in full. This year was intended to mark 21 years in operation but those plans were put aside and planned sales were also shelved. Far more important matters required our attention. At the start of Lockdown 1 our manager was not furloughed as he was able to work on some admin tasks but this could not continue and for the latter part of Lockdown 1 he was furloughed and the Trustees shared some admin duties in order to keep things ticking over. On 10 May 2020 the Prime Minister announced that there was a plan for emerging from lockdown and that set in motion a series of meetings. Our board of Trustees reflects the variety of views and preferred approaches seen nationally but we were able to draw up a Risk Assessment, hold meetings with the staff and reach agreement on a return to our core activities of serving the people of our town. We reopened on 15 June 2020. The situation nationally then worsened through September and October leading to the second lockdown announced on 31 October. The restrictions were different and not so clear cut and this posed problems for the Trustees. It was a balancing act to do justice to the needs of our clients, ensure our staff were protected, take account of the PM's announcements and of the Government advice. A letter was sent to Michael Ellis our local MP seeking clarification and owing to the volume of Ministerial correspondence a reply was not received before we decided to reopen on 23 November, firming up our approach to the risks we had identified. Afterwards we did get a reply from Penny Mordaunt, Paymaster General at the time, and it was heartening to see her hand written note at the end of her letter commenting on 'the amazing work the organisation is doing'. Sometimes it is something as simple as that which lifts the spirits in a time of testing. The Second lockdown ended nationally on 2 December 2020. ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS One of the measures I undertook as Chair was to keep up to date with the Government's Coronavirus Daily Summary which provided data right down to specific areas of the town. We were always mindful that two of our staff were in and out of client's homes on a daily basis. Around Christmas it was noted that the rate of infection was climbing steeply and vaccinations for those most at risk had only just begun to kick in. We took the decision that it was wise to close on 7 January 2021 and for the third time furlough our staff. We agreed and set a benchmark at which we would look to recommence activities and were able to do so on 22 February. One constant theme throughout the year was the steady support of Trusts and donors. It became a feature that when we were perplexed by all the uncertainties that we faced we would receive a letter and news of funds that we found so encouraging. We never take these things for granted and we are very thankful to those who, whilst facing uncertainties themselves, found opportunity to help us to continue serving the needs of our fellow citizens. Through the year we, as an organisation, were tested on several fronts and as often happens the difficulties came together rather than one at a time. I should say that it is to the credit of my fellow Trustees, our Manager, staff and volunteers that we were able to come through such an unprecedented time together with a growing recognition of what each contributes to our work. In closing, the Gospel record tells of a woman who showed her appreciation and devotion to Jesus by pouring over him very expensive ointment and in doing so was misunderstood and criticised by those who watched. Jesus said she should not be troubled, she had done a beautiful thing and in his words “she has done what she could”. Praise indeed and, after the most difficult of years, no doubt something we would want to hear him say to us, that in the circumstances we did as much as we could. Pete Burditt (Chair) ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## General Manager’s Report For years to come people will speak of 2020 as ‘the year of Coronavirus’. For most of us it meant a major change to plans and rules brought in by the Government, the like of which, we have never known, isolation from family and friends, social distancing, staying at home etc. Sadly though, for many thousands of individuals and families the effect of Coronavirus has been devastating and the pain of loss will remain for a lifetime. My heart and prayers go out to them. For Spencer Contact, along with probably every other charity and business in the country, it meant a major change of plans. It was our 21[st] birthday year, since operations commenced in 1999, and events had been planned for the year in celebration. All of these had to be cancelled and my attention was turned rather to ‘getting through the year’. It has been a difficult year in which decisions had to be made where there was no precedent for guidance. I am extremely thankful to God as well as the trust funds that continued to support Spencer Contact throughout despite the uncertainty in their own situations. I am also very thankful for the trustees and the time they put in to help guide us through, and for the staff and their flexibility from day to day as well as their continued dedication and hard work. All of this brought Spencer Contact through the year and allowed us to continue to meet the needs of the residents of Northampton. The sudden change of plans for Spencer Contact reminded me of the fact that people’s lives and circumstances can also change completely from one day to the next. A loss of stable employment, which sadly has been the outcome for many this year, ill health (physical or mental), the breakdown of relationships or the loss of a loved one are just a few of the reasons that leave people unable to cope and in need of some help and assistance from others. Spencer Contact has remained fully committed to our core values throughout another year and looks to provide help and assistance in whatever way we can. The safety of my staff and customers was of paramount importance and therefore for some periods our operations of going into people’s homes to collect and deliver furniture had to cease. I remained working alone during part of the first lockdown and took out boxes of ancillary items (pots, pans, plates, bedding, towels etc.) to those who were most in need and left them outside their doors to be collected on a contact-less basis. Despite the various lockdowns the staff were always ready to come back and work on each occasion and adapted well to temporary changes that had to be made to their roles to allow us to operate as effectively and safely as possible. The number of individuals we were able to help during this year was massively reduced from a ‘normal’ year of operating but I don’t want to look at that as a negative. 503 individuals who found themselves in need, enough to make a phone call to Spencer Contact and request ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS help, were helped with the provision of furniture and household items which would have improved their situation in a positive way. Rather than focus on the number of customers we couldn’t help this year, I’m thankful to God for every single one that we could. As a Christian my faith is in the God of Heaven and whilst I may not understand or be able to explain the reason behind the events of this year I rest firm in what the Bible says to those who love Him ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper’. Once again, as with other General Managers of Spencer Contact over the past 21 years, I would join them to testify, God has been faithful to His promises. Steve Scarsbrook (General Manager) ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Key Statistics 2020/21 Figures in brackets show the total since we began operations in January 1999. ## **Collections** ## **Deliveries** 478 164 (25,802) (10,302) ## **Items Collected** ## **Items Redistributed** 1,944 1019 (92,865) (81,425) - On average, it took three collections to bring in enough furniture for one delivery. - We could only meet 68% of the requests we received for help this year. - On average, the time it took to respond to requests for collections was 22 days and the time to respond to requests for furniture deliveries was 55 days. - An average of 6 items were supplied for each delivery. ## WHO WE HELPED ## **Individuals Helped** **----- Start of picture text -----**
2020-2021 Since Founding
PENSIONERS (AGES 65 & 7
OVER) 558
192
ADULTS
7,478
33
YOUNG ADULTS (18-25)
2,319
271
CHILDREN
7,826
503 18,181
Total for financial year 2020-2021: Total since founding:
**----- End of picture text -----**
## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## **Family Groups Helped*** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Multi-
Shared Occupancy
Multi-Generational Shared Occupancy Generational 54, 1% Other
Family 1, 1% Family 328, 4%
6, 4% Other 186, 2%
0, 0%
Two Parent
Two Parent
Family Single Adults
27, 18% 40, 26% Family Single Adults
Total: 1219, 17% Total: 2,599, 36%
151 7,292
Single Parent
Single Parent Family Family
65, 43% 2,281, 31%
Two Adults
12, 8% Two Adults
625, 9%
2020-2021 Since Founding
previously; ‘Multi-Generational Family’ and ‘Shared Occupancy’. *Two categories have been added in 2015/2016 that we did not record
**----- End of picture text -----**
- 22 (15%) of our deliveries were moving into a new home. - 98% of households helped were tenants in social housing. ## CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS From our 2020/21 customer satisfaction survey, we found that: - 100% of those helped were satisfied, happy or very happy with the furniture they received. - 58% of those helped would have had some sort of difficulty in moving in to their property without the furniture we provided. - 98% rated the speed of our delivery service as excellent or good. - 71% of clients thought our delivery charges to be cheap or very cheap, with less than 2% considering the charges to be expensive. - 81% of clients indicated that they would not have been able to get the furniture delivered without Spencer Contact. - SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS - ~~eee~~ ## COMMENTS The following comments come from customers writing on the survey about the difference our service had made to their lives: _“The service you give is top mark's more so if you are low on income I think you do a very good service, keep it up”_ _“The family thank you so much and are absolutely delighted with the quality of the furniture. Thank you”_ _“Yes, I will like to say that I am very happy and pleased to have got this great help and assistance from Spencer Contact and pray that God continue to strengthen your organisation so that people struggling will continue to benefit from your services._ _“Rapid service and Exceptional on how they have helped me at such short notice. Thanks.”_ _“Very very happy for your help! You really make life better for peoples who need your help. Thank you very much” “Amazing service. Having had surgery, I was very desperate as unable to work. Very grateful. Many thanks.”_ ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Acknowledgements We express our grateful thanks to those charitable trusts and organisations that have made a financial or material contribution to the work of Spencer Contact, including the following: - The Grace Charitable Trust - The Phillips Charitable Trust - The Farthing Trust - Matthews Wrightson Charity - Scott Bader - Souter Charitable Trust - Gideons International - The Persula Foundation - The Eric Stanton (Northampton) Charitable Trust - The Woodroffe Benton Foundation - The James Wise Charitable Trust - The Davidge Usher Trust - Davidson Homes Hanslope - Althorp Charitable Trust - The Constance Travis Endowment Fund - Kingsthorpe Manor and Town Charity - The N Smith Charitable Trust - The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust - Northampton Borough Council - The Red Arrows Trust - The Beatrice Laing Trust - Viscountess Blakenham’s Charitable Trust - The Hearth Foundation - The Page Fund - Steyn Charitable Trust - The Elaine Barratt Charitable Trust - Maud Elkington Charitable Trust - Lords Work Trust (Pete and Heather) - Charity Link - Reynard Way Church - Marsh Christian Trust - Sabina Sutherland Charitable Trust - The Lowther Charitable Settlement - Garfield Weston Foundation - The Pettit Charity - The Thomas and Rosemary Greenhalgh Trust - • Stella Symons Charitable Trust - The SMB Charitable Trust - • The Dorcas Trust • The David Laing Foundation • Benham Charitable Settlement - Steyn Charitable Trust - The Douglas Compton James Charitable Trust - • Kingsthorpe Baptist Church - Northampton Municipal Church Charity - Lowther Charitable Trust - Sir Derek Greenaway Foundation - Osborne Road Gospel Hall We also give our heartfelt thanks to those supporters, both organisations and individuals, that are not listed here. ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Fundraising It is evident from being involved with the work of Spencer Contact that ‘poverty’ isn’t just a word that applies to third world countries, it is much closer to home than we think. We are regularly contacted by people living in the town of Northampton who inform us that they, and often the children living in their home, do not have beds to sleep on or are having to share beds due to the lack of funding being available to purchase them. Collecting, restoring, cleaning and re-distributing beds and bedroom furniture is a major part of our work. There is always a demand for bedroom furniture and mattresses in particular. There have been occasions where we have purchased new single mattresses to ensure that children in Northampton would have something comfortable to sleep on over Christmas. In October 2019 we launched our new fundraising initiative where we invited every primary school child in the area where Spencer Contact operates to give up their bed for one night and to sleep on the floor and to ask friends and relatives to sponsor them for doing so in order to raise money to help fund the work of Spencer Contact which would enable us to continue providing beds and household furniture to those in the town who do not have these items. We also asked the Secondary Schools to participate in a non-uniform day on the same day that the ‘Sleep on the Floor’ event was taking place. The event was a success, although it was not taken up by many schools. The plan was to make this an annual event and publicise it more. The event was not able to take place in 2020 or 2021 due to many of the schools being shut as a result of the pandemic which meant we couldn’t go into schools to educate them about the work that we do. ## SALES We usually hold three main sales throughout the year where we clear the front part of our warehouse and set out items which are not necessarily essential household items but items that help to transform a house to a home. Together with smaller specific sales (children and baby item sale, bike sale, bric-a-brac sale). Prices are low to ensure that people in the town do not feel excluded from being able to purchase items. We had to cancel all sales during 2020/21 as it would not have been sensible to have a large crowd of people together in the warehouse. These cancellations had significant financial implications as the funds raised from these events go directly towards supporting the work of Spencer Contact and makes it possible for the work in this town to continue. ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Treasurer’s Report for Year Ending 31[st] March 2021 During the 1st lockdown, the UK GDP was 25% lower in April 2020 than it was only 2 months earlier in February. Economic activity picked up over the spring and summer of 2020 reflecting the opening of the economy. This was followed by a rise in Covid - 19 cases and further lockdowns during the autumn and winter, leading to economic activity falling again. The decline was however much less severe than during the 1st lockdown, as consumers and businesses adapted over the previous year. The pandemic has affected different sectors of the economy to different degrees. The UK’s public finances have been hugely affected by the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic. Interest rates were at the lowest they have ever been. ## INCOME RESOURCES Looking at the details on page 2 of the accounts under ‘Income Resources’, you will see that some of our income streams have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic compared to the previous financial year e.g., sale of goods, delivery charges, and rental and storage income. The figures shown under ‘Income Resources’ reflect the income received from our own fund-raising activities. On page 3 of the accounts, you will see that we have benefitted from the Governments Coronavirus job retention scheme to the value of £37,354.00. ## RESOURCES EXPENDED Our overall expenditure compared to the previous financial year has reduced due to the effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on our operational requirements. On page 4 under ‘Current Assets’ you will see our financial position at the end of this financial year. ## SUMMARY These accounts show that despite the effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on our activities, we have still been able on a reduced basis to maintain our day-to-day operations. We praise and thank our Lord for his continued provision. We will continue to make every effort to budget prudently in order to maintain a viable trading position for the future. Phil Stiles (Treasurer) SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS h rl No: 107007 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS DEPE NT EXAMINER'S REPO EN We report on the accounts of the Charity for the perlod ended 31 March 2021 which are set out on pages 2 to 7. Respectlve responslbllltles of trustees and exarnlner As the Charitrfs trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts: you consider that the audit requirement of section 144{2) of the Charities Act 201 I Ithe Act) does not apply and that an independent examination is needed. It is our responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Dirertions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)Ibl of the Act, whether particular matters have come to our attention and to examine the accounts under Sectlon 145 of the 2011 Act. Basls of Independent examinerfs report Our examlnation was carried out in accordance wlth the general Directions given by the Charities 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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Our report Is limited to Ih05e matters set out in the statemeni below. Independent examlner's statement In connectlon with our examination. no matter has come to our attention.. which give5 Us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respea the following requirements have not been met to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act.. and b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act- or (2) to which. in our opinion. attention Should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. The 01115 Panneishlp limlted Nt ion I',nust ? Hdmilron ferTace, Leaminq:on Spa. ￿an¥1(￿ShIYe. C kn 32 .1 Y SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS IA CTivrri Unre5trttted Restrlcted funds funds Total Total 2021 2020 Unrestrlcted donatlons Restricied donations Local government grants Inland Revenue refunds Interest recelved Sale of goods Dellvery charges Rental and storage Income Comfnission 94,886 94.886 64.132 5.150 200 6.000 6.500 767 829 5.150 6.000 767 11,280 5,S49 25,760 218 11.280 28.563 5.549 14,571 25,760 33.419 218 81 144.460 5.150 149,610 148.298 Wages and national insuranc Staff penslon Tralning Recrultment Protectlve clothlng Insurance Water, ga5 and electrlcity charges Telephone Prlntlng, postage and stationery Repairs and small tools Motor and iravel expenses FundraisSng expense5 Professlonal fees Depreciation IProfitllloss on dlsposal of assets Sundry expenses Donations Matress fund purchases Database development Volunteer expen5e5 126.844 2.357 126.844 118.948 2.357 2,135 356 129 4.074 S.420 1.351 713 3.932 1.560 620 129 4,074 5.420 1.351 713 3.932 5.105 620 549 3,974 6.963 1,530 2.020 4.235 7,393 2,526 3.545 32.702 209 592 3.300 32.702 35.370 209 -2067 592 1,579 3.300 3.200 494 235 63 63 184,007 3.545 187.552 190.044 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS EN ERC TEME ORTHEY F FINANCI NDED vim H20 Unrestrlcted Re5trlrted funds funds Total 2021 Total 2020 tr Accountancy.. Independenr Examination Subscriptions Software and computer costs 830 616 405 1,851 830 616 405 851 890 474 357 L RE50UR NDED 185858 189403 191 765 OTHER IN Coronavlrus job retention scheme 37.354 37.354 IN ES HE -4,044 1.605 -2,439 -43.467 NCE APR 1.435.948 127 1.436.075 1.479.542 ARRIED F 021 I MAR 1,431.904 1.732 1,433,636 1,436,075 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS TATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIO 31.3.2021 Unrestrlrted Kestrlcred funds funds 31.3.2020 2 Total 1.392,807 .392.807 1,424.135 Prepayments and other debtors Deposit account Santander Current account Co-op Paypal account Cash In hand 3.582 2,486 35,636 1.732 5,314 2,486 35,636 1,816 5,794 10,290 30 NT PAYE & NI Other creditors and accruals AB 1,271 1.271 2,028 3,967 5.995 2,612 2.612 NEr ASS 39,097 1,732 40.829 11.940 1.431.904 .732 1.433.636 1,436.075 Represented by: TR ED FUNDS ,431,904 1,435,948 Rl 1,732 127 1.433.636 1,436,075 l approve the above accounts on behalf of the trustees. . P Burdltt, Hon. Chairman Date of rneetlng.. 2L?J I confirm that I have made available all the relevant records and informaiion for the preparation of these accounts. P Stiles. Hon. Treasurer SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS Ch 1070 72 NOT THEA EN ED31 20 SIG NTING Ll lon The nature of the charity's operations and principal activities are shown on pages 2 to The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accountlng and Reportlng by Charitie5- Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their account5 in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable In ihe UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and UK Generally Accepted Prattice. The financial statements have been prepared to give a 'true and fair, view and have departed from the Charitie5 (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a'true and fair vlew,. This departure ha5 involved following the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Praaice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Siandard appllcable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019 rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recornmended Practice effective from l April 2005 which has since been withdrawn The flnancial statemen15 are prepared on a going concern basis under the hlstorlcal C05t convention. modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity. The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unle55 Otherwise stated. SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS NOTES THEA DED NTS I MARCH 2 NTIN General These accounts have been prepared under the historic cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting by Charities. The term "resources" Include5 funds received and paid during the period adjusted for items which are accrued and prepaid at the period end. Depreciatlon Depreciation is provided at the following rates based on the estimated useful life of these fixed assets and their anticipated residual value.. Properry Motor vehicle Equipment 2% p.a. Istraight line basis) 25% p.a. (reducing balance basis) 21ty6 p.a. (reducing balance baslsl Included within freehold property Is freehold land at a historlcal cost value of £285,000. No depreciation was provided on the value of the land. Incomlng Resour￿5. Recognltlon of Incornlng Kesource5 These are included in the Statement of Flnancial Activities (SOFA) when= the charity becomes entitled to The resource5 the trustee5 are virtually certain th@y will receive the resources., and the monètary value can be measured with sufficient reliability Grants and Donatlons Grarbt5 and donations are only included in the SOFA when the Charity has unconditlonal entitlement to the resources. lThvestment Income This is included in the accounts when recelvable Expendlture and Uabllltle5- Uabllity Recognition Llabiliiies are recogni5ed as soon a5 there is a legal or cortstructive obligatlon committing the charity to pay out resources SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS EN TO THE ACCOUNT ED IMA XE Land and bulldln Motor vehicles ui ment Total Cost at 1 .4.2020 Additions Disposals Cost at 31.3.2021 1,431,361 74,583 840 5.303 1,511.247 743 1.583 1 431 361 5 035 1 511 819 Depreciation at 1.4.2020 Charge for the year Eliminated on disposal Depreciation at 31 .3.2021 45,809 22,927 38,769 9.163 2.534 87,112 612 32.702 -802 -802 2344 119012 Net book value at 31.3.202T 1.362.625 27,491 2.691 1,392,807 Net book value at 31.3.2020 1.385,552 35,814 2,769 1.424,135 D FUND Balance at 1.4.2020 Durin the ear: Balance at 31.3.2021 Income enditure Van fund 127 5,150 -3,545 1,732 127 5.150 1,732 MUNE None of the tru51ees or management committee members received any payment for the services they provided during the period. EDP Durlng the year the charity received no donations from trustees. SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS END OF REPORT SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS Supported By.. NORTHAMPTON ORO U COU N IIL