## ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS APRIL 2022 – MARCH 2023 0 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS Contents Welcome ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Our Mission, Vision and Ethos __________________________________________________ 3 Mission __________________________________________________________________ 3 Constitution and Objectives __________________________________________________ 3 Ethos ____________________________________________________________________ 3 Public Benefit _______________________________________________________________ 5 Voluntary Work ____________________________________________________________ 6 Environment ______________________________________________________________ 6 Collaboration _____________________________________________________________ 6 Board of Trustees, Staff Members & Volunteers ____________________________________ 7 Governance _______________________________________________________________ 7 Board of Trustees __________________________________________________________ 7 Staff Members ____________________________________________________________ 7 Regular Volunteers _________________________________________________________ 7 Sale Volunteers ____________________________________________________________ 7 Chairman’s Report ___________________________________________________________ 8 General Manager’s Report _____________________________________________________ 9 Key Statistics 2022/23 ________________________________________________________ 11 Acknowledgements __________________________________________________________ 14 Fundraising ________________________________________________________________ 15 Treasurer’s Report for Year Ending 31[st] March 2023 ________________________________ 17 Accounts 2022/23 ___________________________________________________________ 18 1 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Welcome Welcome to Spencer Contact’s Annual Report for 2022/23. Thank you for taking an interest and the time to read it through. 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 own 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. Imagine waking up early because you have no curtains at the window; you’ve not slept because you don’t have a bed; your body aches from sleeping on the floor; all the clothes you own are kept in a bin bag in the corner of the room; there is no table or chairs to sit at in your house or a sofa to relax into; your children are tired because they’ve spent the night sharing the only bed in the house with their siblings…and so another day begins. Sadly, this is the reality of many people’s lives in Northampton today. They have a roof over their heads but don’t have the means to obtain the items of furniture needed to make that house comfortable, more than that, to make that house a home. Circumstances can change suddenly leaving people, who maybe thought they would never need to use the services of Spencer Contact, reaching out for help. That help is often in the form of items which so many take for granted every day, but to be given them in a time of need makes such a positive difference to the lives of those who receive them. This year we have seen the cost of living continue to rise, making life difficult for many households across the country and in this town. Some have been forced to decide between paying to heat their home or spending the money available to them to feed their family. This increase in financial hardship has impacted on the demand for the service we provide and we have done all that we can to keep up with the need by trying to ensure that deliveries of items are fulfilled as quickly as possible. Over 24 years the one thing that has remained constant is ‘Why we do what we do’ and that is 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. Enjoy reading through the report. If you would like to know more or tour our premises then please do not hesitate to contact the General Manager, Steve, at steve@spencercontact.com. 2 ## 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. 3 ## 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. 4 ## 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 2022/23 and we were able to meet 61% of requests for help we received. This figure was on par with the previous year. 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. 5 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## 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 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 held twice a year. 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, glass, crockery 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 West Northamptonshire 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 Good News for Everyone 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. 6 ## 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 Edwina Cutler Heather Burditt John Green Pete Burditt Eric Lightfoot Sonja Lightfoot Marion Green Phil Stiles David Kinuthia Crawford Lindsay Tiffany Carter John Phillips Stewart Townsend Kathryn Sandall ## OTHER VOLUNTEERS Brenda Barton Richard Barrett Sam Baxter Rosie Smith Sue Burditt Richard Smith Sin Wei Lau Deb Hackett Judith Burditt James Scarsbrook Nathan Scarsbrook Martin Page Lydia Hearsum Ruth Burditt Faith Smith Grace Smith Steve Hackett Northampton Community Sheds 7 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Chairman’s Report Writing this report gives me an opportunity to look back and be reminded of the challenges faced and progress made over this year. We moved from dealing with the aftermath of Covid and its consequences to a position where we were focusing attention on current improvements and future planning. However, as this financial year started the world was adjusting to the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine five weeks earlier. It was becoming apparent that there would be a significant increase in inflation and an impact on the cost of living generally. We saw how this affected users of the service we offer, potential donors who may have held back on planned upgrades to conserve funds as well as our own staff. This meant more challenges to face, though different from those in recent years. I'm appreciative of the cumulative breadth of experience that the trustees bring to their roles. Our treasurer was faced with the decision to move to a different supplier of financial software. The transition was managed, with the help of advisers when required, and the trustees see the new arrangement as an improvement. We were concerned about the need to upgrade our IT systems and good progress was made with the advice from a trustee. Other trustees have been with the Charity for some years and we benefit from that sense of connection. It is helpful to be outward looking and trustees' experience of the Charity sector is also valued. We took the decision to set aside a regular monthly amount as a fund to support things like an IT upgrade and we've also started the ball rolling on a major project to improve storage capacity but this is at an early stage. We have been aware for some time that we are not as well known in the town as we would like and have been trying to raise our profile. This would help in getting more donations of furniture from individuals and businesses in the town. Consequently we were delighted and honoured that the year concluded with the news that the new Mayor of Northampton would be choosing us as his Charity to support in 2023-24, his year of office. This report has focused more on Governance but once again, as in past years, I want to recognise the way that the staff have pulled together, give credit to the Volunteers without whose help we would find our efforts restricted and show appreciation to all who have supported our work financially. We do not take these things for granted. Finally, we trust that our Christian ethos has been to the fore throughout. We seek to be professional in our responsibilities yet are unashamedly reliant on the faithfulness of our unfailing God in every aspect of our work. Pete Burditt (Chair) 8 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## General Manager’s Report The statement “after a storm comes calm” would probably best describe the work of Spencer Contact in 2022/23 following the pandemic and its aftermath. A year of getting back to ‘what we do’ in helping people each day was most welcomed. Although sadly, this statement would not describe the lives of many that we came into contact with this year who were very much in the midst of ‘the storm’, whether fleeing war torn countries to find safety and refuge from violence; battling against addiction; reeling from the hurt of broken relationships; struggling to ‘make ends meet’ and not able to afford the basic necessities of life. Once again we looked to do what we could in giving essential furniture and household items in order to bring some comfort and stability into their lives. My heart and prayers continue to go out to those who we meet that are currently enduring the ‘storms of life’. I’m thankful to God that He has daily provided for the needs of Spencer Contact over this year which has enabled us to reach out and help those who found themselves in need. One of the challenges we have all had to face this year is the rise in the cost of living. This has meant that families with low incomes are struggling to afford the basic essentials, which has in turn increased the demand for the service that we provide. It also has an effect on the financial donations that come in to support the work in that there is not the same amount of money available as previous years and money that is kindly donated doesn’t go as far as previously because the costs of running Spencer Contact have significantly increased. Thank you once again to all the trustees of funds, companies, individuals, churches, associations, government departments, schools and others that have supported us financially this year and to the many who have faithfully done so for years. We own the warehouse, offices and vans which means we are not having to fund rental or mortgage payments each month. I regularly look to God that the money provided to Spencer Contact will be used in a correct and wise manner and will be of maximum benefit to others. The increased need in the town and demand on our service causes me to continually reassess our working practices and make the necessary adjustments to ensure that we can deal with it as well as possible. Northampton, like many other towns in England, has areas of evident wealth and then within just a few miles areas of relative poverty and within the course of a day working on our vans both types of home can be visited. It constantly reconfirms to me the need there is for Spencer Contact to help in redistributing items of necessary furniture that one customer has finished with to the customer who is in desperate need. A further benefit of this is that items which would otherwise have been thrown away, after a clean and maybe minor repair, can be used again for many years therefore keeping them from landfill. 9 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS Sadly, I still occasionally come across those who hold the view that people who find themselves in need and who we look to help have got themselves into that situation by their own fault. Spencer Contact has taught me to have more compassion toward others, to show more love and not to judge. People’s circumstances can change very suddenly and unexpectedly; a loss of stable employment, ill health (physical or mental), the breakdown of a relationship, or the loss of a loved one that others were dependent upon, are just some of the circumstances which leave people unable to cope and in need of some help. Once again it has been a privilege to be involved in this work for another year. To be able to reach out to people in this community, not to judge them, but just to do what we can to help them with the provision of furniture and necessary household items and in doing so to show something of the love of God to them in a practical and meaningful way. It is important that I take time to show recognition to those that make this work possible and tirelessly support it. For those that give of their finances to fund the work; those that donate furniture and household items that might then be used to help others; those that give of their time to assist with the work, on a weekly basis, cleaning furniture and household items that have been donated, testing the safety of electrical items, sorting through items that have been collected or dropped in at our warehouse, collating ancillary packs to go out to customers, or assisting with the running of our sale events; those that oversee the running of the charity and give their wisdom and guidance in important decisions that need to be made. Thank you to every single one of you. Thank you in particular to the team that work at Spencer Contact who daily go above and beyond in helping others. I can’t fault them for their effort and commitment. Each of us understands the importance of the fact that the furniture and items being given away to people in the town should be of a high standard. Whilst the furniture is second hand, the staff all try and ensure that they have done all that can be done to repair and clean items before they are ready to be reused or sold in our sales. Please continue to pray for the seven staff, for harmony between each other, for health, strength and that their skills and abilities will be used for the positive good of others. On the wall in the dining room at home the words are written ‘ **even the winds and the sea obey him!** ’ The disciples and the Lord Jesus were on a boat and a storm arose. The disciples feared for their lives but Jesus was asleep. They woke him and questioned whether he cared that they were going to perish. He stood up, rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. Those on the boat were amazed that the winds and sea obeyed his voice. I began by mentioning the storms in life that many are passing through. It is an honour to serve, represent and tell others of the only one that has the power to calm any storm. Steve Scarsbrook (General Manager) 10 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Key Statistics 2022/23 Figures in brackets show the total since we began operations in January 1999. 11 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## WHO WE HELPED ## **Individuals Helped** **----- Start of picture text -----**
2022-2023 Since Founding
PENSIONERS (AGES 65 & 38
OVER) 616
457
ADULTS
8,394
86
YOUNG ADULTS (18-25)
2,470
466
CHILDREN
8,760
Total for financial year 2022-2023: 1,047 Total since founding: 20,240
Family Groups Helped*
Multi-
Shared Occupancy
Generational
Multi-Generational Shared Occupancy 65, 1% Other
Family 11, 3% Family 328, 4%
Other 202, 3%
16, 5%
0, 0%
Single Adults Two Parent
Two Parent
97, 30% Family Single Adults
Family
1280, 17% 2,697, 35%
61, 19% Total: Total:
325 8,110
Single Parent
Single Parent Family Family
112, 35% 2,389, 31%
Two Adults
Two Adults 655, 9%
27, 8%
2022-2023 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 -----**
12 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS From our 2022/23 customer satisfaction survey, we found that: - 100% of those helped were satisfied, happy or very happy with the furniture they received. - 40% of those helped would have had some sort of difficulty in moving in to their property without the furniture we provided. - 95% rated the speed of our delivery service as excellent or good. - 70% of clients thought our delivery charges to be cheap or very cheap, with nobody receiving a delivery considering the charges to be expensive. - 78% of clients indicated that they would not have been able to get the furniture delivered without Spencer Contact. ## COMMENTS The following comments come from customers writing on the survey about the difference our service had made to their lives: **----- Start of picture text -----**
“This service is invaluable to people like me and
I appreciate this very much.”
“Good personnel, your delivery team is
excellent. They brought a smile to the house.”
“Brilliant – made my flat into a home!”
“Thank you, wouldn’t know where to turn.”
**----- End of picture text -----**
13 ## 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: |Alfred Haines Charitable Trust|West Northamptonshire Council| |---|---| |Matthews Wrightson Charity Trust|The P & F W Family Charitable Trust| |Hunsbury Park School|Davidge Usher Trust CIO| |The Bishop Radford Trust|Eric Stanton Northampton Trust| |The Maud Elkington Charitable Trust|The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust| |The Hearth Foundation|The Pettit Charity| |The Eric Stanton (Northampton) Trust|The Wyvill Charitable Trust| |The Northampton Municipal Church Charity|Lowther Charitable Settlement| |The Souter Charitable Trust|Persula Foundation| |The Fulmer Charitable Trust|Viscountess Blakenham's Charitable Trust| |The Thomas and Rosemary Greenhalgh
Charitable Trust|Gay and Peter Hartley’s Hillards Charitable
Trust| |Steyn Charitable Trust|The Archer Trust| |David Laing Foundation|May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust| |Garfield Weston Foundation|The Beatrice Laing Trust| |The Dorcas Trust|Kingsthorpe Manor And Town Charity| |The Benham Charitable Settlement|The Constance Travis Charitable Trust| |Sir Derek Greenaway Foundation|Reynard Way Church| |Good News For Everyone|East Hunsbury Townswomen’s Guild| We also give our heartfelt thanks to those supporters, both organisations and individuals, that are not listed here. 14 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Fundraising Spencer Contact, as with every other charity in the UK, faces the continuous challenge of raising money in order to fund the work that we look to do. For many years, because of the kindness of those that give financially towards this work, we have been able to keep our delivery charges at a relatively low level. The customer pays between £35 and £65 for their delivery of furniture and this is calculated on the number of items that are being delivered. If we are furnishing an entire home then the most a customer would be expected to pay is £65. We found that where a financial sacrifice is made by the customer (even if relatively small) they tend to value more the items that they receive. The delivery charges taken each year cover less than 10% of our overall operational costs. The warehouse, offices and vans are all owned outright by Spencer Contact which means that we do not have to make mortgage or rental payments each month. We had 6 purpose built offices, together with a staff room and toilets built upstairs to allow us to make good use of what was before ‘wasted space’ and these are rented out primarily to another charity and an office furniture business. We have a boardroom which comfortably seats 12 and is available by buisnesses to hire (please see the photo). We also rent parts of our car park for another charity to store their community busses. All the monies raised from this goes towards funding the work of Spencer Contact. We are thankful to God for those that give of their finances to help fund this work; trustees of funds, churches, individuals and parents of school children. Without all of their support we would not be able to continue helping the residents of Northampton who find themselves in times of need. Our fundraising initiative ‘Sleep on the Floor so others don’t have to’ where we invite primary school age children to raise sponsorship from family and friends by giving up their own bed for one night and sleeping on their floor has a growing interest amongst primary schools in Northampton. The money raised through this event enables us to continue providing beds and household furniture to those in the town who do not have these basic items. We are also approaching secondary schools asking them to participate in ‘non-uniform days’ or ‘wearing blue for Spencer Contact’ events in order to raise awareness and funds. We have a number of events planned to celebrate our 25[th] year of operating in 2024. 15 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## SALES We held two main sales during 2022/23 in May and November. We cleared a large section of our warehouse, erected two tents outside in the car park and sold ‘non-essential household items’. Prices are kept low to ensure that nobody in the town feels excluded from being able to purchase items. We ensure that any items we sell are of good quality, complete and clean (the same standard is expected for sale items as the items we give away to those in need). We also sell items throughout the year on Facebook Marketplace in order to bring in additional funds to fund the work of Spencer Contact and to manage the available space in the warehouse. After having to cancel all sales through the pandemic we were pleased to see many people coming back to purchase items. We plan to hold futher sales in May and November 2023. Your support at these events would be greatly appreciated. We do what we can to raise our own funds to support the work that we do and are developing our fundraising strategies to try and become more self-sufficient and less reliant on income from external sources like Trust Funds. We are pleased to see that currently there is almost a 50:50 split between income generated by our own fundraising and income kindly donated from external funders. Thank you once again to all those who have and continue to financially support this work and in doing so make a positive difference to the lives of those in need in Northampton. 16 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Treasurer’s Report for Year Ending 31[st] March 2023 The increase in the cost of consumer goods, underpinned by a strong demand from consumers and supply chain bottlenecks, were the main reasons why inflation remained high. The price of energy also had an effect on inflation. Growth in the British economy was also slow. ## INCOME RESOURCES Looking at the details on page 2 of the accounts under “Income Resources”, you will see that the income generated in all of the income streams has increased compared to the previous finanical year. These figuers reflect the income received from the majority of our own fundraising activities. ## RESOURCES EXPENDED Our overall expenditure has decreased compared to the previous financial year, although in some expenditure categories our costs have risen due to the increase in costs. On page 4 under “Current Assets” you will see our financial position at the end of this financial year. ## SUMMARY These accounts show that we have been able to maintain our day-to-day operations. We continue to praise and thank our Lord for His continued provision and guidance in all that we seek to do for Him through Spencer Contact We will continue to make every effort to budget prudently in order to maintain a viable trading position for the future. Phil Stiles (Treasurer) 17 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS Is ered harl No: 107 18 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS EP DENf EXAMI STE OFS We report on the accounts of the Charity for the period ended 31 March 2023 which are Set out on pages 2 to 7. Respecuve responsibllltles of trustses and examlner As rhe Charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparaiion of the accounts. you consider that the audii requiremeni of secrion 14412) of Ihe Charitie5 Act 2011 {the ACO does not apply and that an independent examination Is needed. It15 our responsibÉlity to state. on the basis of procedures specifled in the General Directions given by the Charity Commlssioners under section 14515)(bl of The Act, whether particular matters have come to our allentlon and to examine the accounts under Settion 145 of the 2011 Act. Basls of Independent examlnefs report Our examlnarion wa5 carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charltie5 Commi55ion. An examination includes a review ol the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideratlon of any unusual items or di5tlosures in ihe accounts, and seeklng explanatlons from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all ihe evidence that would be required in an audlt. and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the view given by ihe accounts. Our report 15 Ilmited to those matters sei out in the statement below. Independent examinerfs statement In connection wlth our examination. no matter has come to our attention= which gives us reasonable cause to believe that In any material respect the follo￿n9 requirements have not been met to keep accounting records in accordance with secti¢Jn 130 of rhe Act.. and bl ro p￿pare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting reouiremenis of the Act. Of 121 to which. in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounis to be reached. The 01115 Partnershlp Limfted Nelson House, 2 Hamilton Terrace. Leamington Spa. Wa￿iCksh1Te. CV32 4LY 19 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ER ONTA TATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITI Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Total 2023 Total 2022 MIN RES UR Unrestricted donations Restricted donations Local gtsvernment grants Inland Revenue refunds Fundraising events Sale of goods Delivery charges Renial and storage Income Commission Interest 87,527 87,527 79,068 6.000 15,000 1,051 6,000 15.000 1.051 2,730 642 197 41.967 33.403 12.959 12,742 33,788 27.655 97 29 147 41.967 12.959 33,788 97 147 192.536 6.000 198,536 156,466 RES EXPEN Dir leEx Wages and natlonal insurance Staff pension Training Protective clothing Insurance Water, gas and electricity char9e5 Telephone Printing, postage and stationery Premises costs. repairs and small tools Motor and travel expenses Fun(Jralslng experhses Professional fees Depreciation IProfltl}loss on disposal of assets Sundry expense5 Donations Matress and other stock purchases Volunteer expense5 142,161 2.689 142,161 128.649 2.689 2,403 390 558 364 4.240 4.321 7.803 7,870 1.799 2,032 658 836 5,141 5.099 7.273 8,347 898 2,065 1.645 192 5,821 30.391 128 833 1.750 487 791 558 4.240 7,803 1.799 658 5,141 7,273 898 1.645 5,821 1,521 4,480 1.521 4.480 772 772 187.459 187.459 196,948 20 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS PEN TEMENT F FINANCIAL ACT RCH 2023 Unrestrlcted Restricted fund5 funds Total 2023 Total 2022 minl ration Accountancy.. Independent Exarnlnation Subscrlptlons Software and computer cost5 1,302 893 1,302 893 944 1.585 486 3,015 3.227 3.227 89,698 89.698 TOTAL RES EXPENDE 280.384 280.384 199963 NET INCOMINC RES UR EYEA -87.848 6,000 -81,848 -43.497 1,390,139 1,390.139 1,433,636 ES ORW 1,302.291 6,000 1.308,291 1,390.139 21 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 31.3.2023 Unrestrlcted Restdcted funds funds 31.3.2022 Tottl 1.269.027 1.269.027 .362,679 Prepayments and oiher debtors Deposit account Santander Current account Co-op Cash in hand 4,744 15,527 17.209 411 4.744 21.527 17.209 411 3.831 8,260 19.576 23 6.000 PAYE & NI Other credltors and accruals 2,260 2,260 2.112 RRE 33.264 6.000 39.264 27.460 1.302.291 6.000 1.308,291 1.390.139 Represented by. qi 1.302.291 1.390.139 6.000 1.308,291 1.390,139 l approve the above accounts on behalf of the trustees. . P Burdirt. Hon. Chalrnian Date of meeting: ............ I confirm that I have made available all the relevant records and inf0m￿tion for rhe preparation of these accounts. P Stiles, Hon. Treasurer 22 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 1070 TESTO THE co 2023 UMMAR Nl co neral Info The natyre of the charity's operatlons and principal activities are shown on pages 2 to The charity constitutes a public benefit entity a5 defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared In accordance wlth Accounting and Reporting by Charltles: Statement of Recommended Prnctice applicable to charities preparing their accounts In accordance wlih the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019. the Financlal Reporting Standard appIl￿ble in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and UK Generally Accepted Practice. The flnancial statements have been prepared to give a *rue and fairf view and have depaned from rhe Charlties (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the exlent required to provide a 'true and fair view,. Thls departure has involved following the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recornmended Practice applicable to charltles preparlng their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019. The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the hlstorlcal cost convention. modified to include certain items at fair %olue. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the funttionaj currency of the charity. The significant accounting policies applied in the preparntion of these financial Statements are set out below. These policie5 haNt been conslstendy applled to all years presented unless othen¥ise Stated. 23 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS NT NOTES T EYEARE THE ACCOU General These accounts have been prepared under the historic cost convention and in accordance with appllcable accountlng standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting by Charities. The term "iesources" includes funds received and paid durlng the perlod adjusted for items which are accrued and prepaid at the perlod end. Depreclation Depreciation is provided at the following rates based on the estimated useful life of these fixed assets and their anticipated residual value.. Property Motor vehicle Equipment 2% p.a. lstraight line basis) 25% p.a. (reducing balance basis) 20% p.a. (reducing balance basis) Included within freehold properry 15 freehold land at a historlcal cost value of £285,000. No depreciation was provided on the value of the land. Incoming Resources.. Recognltion of Incomlng Resources These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities ISOFAI when.. the charity becomes entitled to The resources the trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources.. and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability Grants and Donations Grants and donatior15 are only included In the SOFA when the Charity has unconditional entitlement to the resoLErces. Investment Income This is included in the accounts when receivable Expendlture and Llabllltles: Uablllty Recognltlon Llabilitie5 are recognised as soon as there Is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out re50urce5 Revaluatlon of prope The property was revalued on 5 April 2023 and found to be worth less than the original cost. As a result the value has been written down to reflect this. It will be depreciated from the revised value from next year. Further revaluations will be carried out on a regular basis. 24 SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS NOTES TO ThE A TH Y£AR ENDE NTS Land and buildin Motor vehicles ui ment Total Cost at 1.4.2022 Revaluation Additions 1.431.361 -181.361 75.423 5,114 1,511.898 181,361 1,867 1.867 Cost at 31.3.2023 1 250 000 6 981 1 332.404 Depreclation at 1.4.2022 Revaluation Charge for the year 91,663 -91.663 54.804 2,752 149,219 -91,663 5.821 5.155 666 Depreciatlon at 31.3.2023 Net book value at 31.3.2023 1.250,000 15.464 3,563 1 .269,027 Net book value at 31.3.2022 1,339,698 20.619 2,362 1.362,679 TRI Balance at -4.2022 Durln Income the Ex ear.. Balance at 31.3.2023 enditure Mezzanine floor fund 6.000 6,000 6.000 6.000 S RE NERATIO TrUSTEES None of the trustees or management committee members received any payment for the services they provided durlng the period. NS Dyring the year the charity received donations from trustees wlth a toral value of £7,280. 25 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## END OF REPORT 26 ## SPENCER CONTACT ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS ## Supported By: 27