Southport & Area Schools Worker Trust A Local Mission Partner of Scripture Union
TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CHARITY COMMISSION 31/12/2020 Report for financial year beginning 01/01/20 and ending 31/12/20
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| Legal and Administrative information:
| Name and Southport and Area Schools Worker Trust
Address SASW Trust Office
1 Scarisbrick New Road
Southport
PR8 6PU
Registered charity number: 1075068
Name of Charity Trustees: Stewart Reid (Chair), John Allen, John Cooper, Dan Parkes
John Forshaw, Elizabeth Lacey, Sonya Marshail, Anne Pickup,
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Professional Advisers: Rankers HSRC. Lord Street, Southport
Structure, Management and Governance:
Governing document: DECLARATION OF TRUST [Trust Deed 18/01/99]
The work of the Trust is managed by Trustees in accordance with the Trust Deed. The Trustees met five times during 2019.
Name of person or body entitled to appoint a trustee:
THE TRUSTEES and by a resolution of the trustees taken at a meeting where a majority of trustees are present and the resolution recorded in the minutes and signed by the new Trustee and Chairman. New Trustee/s to agree to the Trust Statement of Faith, Declaration of Trustworthiness and policy and procedures reflacting the ethos of the Trust
Firrancial review:
The Treasurer monitors the Trust finances throughout the year and provides the Trustees with up to date information at each Trustees meeting. Annual income in 2020 was £64,529 and expenditure was £72,147 which included restricted incame of £15,395 and restricted expenditure of £15,390 which was for the Higher Tour event. This resulted in an overail deficit of £7,618, Cash reserves as at 31* December 2020 amounted to £52,631 after having funded the 2020 deficit. However in 2020 the Trust received £11,667 by way of grants. Without this, the unrestricted income would have been £37 467 and unresiricted expenditure £56,757 which would have resulted in a deficit of £19,290. The last instalment of Mr Willatts grant is due in 2021/22. The Trustees are of the opinion that in order to be able to offer a commitment of continuity of employment to our employees, and because a large proportion of our future income is uncertain, we should aim to have as a reserve ai the yearend an amount equal to the following year’s estimated expenditure. If we take out the ‘one-off unrestricted expenditure
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of £5,000 on events then at the end of 2020 we just about met our reserves policy. However as we move forward, and with the unceriainty of how the current Covid 19 pandemic will impact Trust finances, it is clear that we have major financial challenges ahead. The Trustees are aware of the situation and will be taking action to address it.
Safeguarding
The Trustees take Safeguarding very seriously. During the year the Trustees reviewed their safeguarding policy and have updated it to take into account all the appropriate protocols relating to working online. There was one safeguarding concern in 2020 which was dealt with appropriately.
Objectives and Activities
Objects of the charity To advance the Christian faith amongst young people in educational establishments and to advance education in accordance with Christian Principles.
Charity's activities during the year in relation to its objects
e Supporting a full time coordinator/schools worker and a full time sports ministry worker through prayer, pastoral and professional support and guidance. e Supporting Christian Unions in schools and colleges of the locality and providing assistance in curricular areas jassemblies, religious education, citizenship, PSHE]. Providing training and encouragement to them. ¢ Yorking in partnership with other schaols/youth workers, schools and churches; joint presentations at Easter, end of school year 6 and Christmas: training and organising volunteers to assist in schools work, supporting noliday events in the year » Encouraging prayer by keeping churches informed of the work and by holding regular prayer times. » Continuing to promote the financial and prayer support of the work amangst churches and individuals.
Achievements and Performance
There was an encouraging start to 2020. Preparations continued for our largest mission to secondary schools yet, parinering with The Message Trust and local churches, connecting with secondary schools in Southport and beyond, during the first week of March.
Alongside that our usual weekly ministry continued with lunchtime clubs in secondary and primary schools, Safe Space sessions in high schools, Sweaty Church, RE lessons in primary schools, using the ‘ Walk through the Bible’ series, primary schoal assemblies and we started to trial a gospel choir project in one of the local primary schools.
ii was also encouraging to have so many youth workers from around the town working together in schools. This gave the young peopie extra support and helped to build relationships and connect with the local church.
Higher Tour
The Higher Tour went ahead in the first week of March and wasa highlight of the year. Although we were nol able to connect with as many classes as originally planned, due to circumstances outside our control, it was a great success. The bands were very popular with the young people as they used music, faith stories and games to bring a message of hope, resilience and identity to the young people. The young people really engaged with the bands with energy and enthusiasm. There was a real sense of excitement as the young people looked forward to the concert at the Southport Floral Hall Complex on the Friday evening. Over 300 young people attended the concert and heard the bands bring a message of hope through wards and music. The young peaple had an opportunity to discuss issues of faith and the Christian message, and 183 young people responded in some way. wanting to explore this message further. Follow up groups were started in the high schools and were well attended. However shortly after this, the country began to feel the effect of Covid 19 and by the end of March schools were closed to most students, and remained closed until towards the end of the summer term. Even then, not all children returned to school until the start of the autumn term in September. Children and young people found this time particularly difficult, not being able to go to scheol, having to leam from name and not being able to meet up with friends.
And so the work of the Trust was needed more than ever to help children and young people cope with the struggles they faced, whilst our workers couldn't have face to face contact with the children and young people. Our workers, David and Heitie had fo think imaginatively and creatively how they could still connect with the children and young people.
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Research shows that watching YouTube is the top activity that 81% of young people enjoy doing. So they acquired the equipment, software and training in order to produce video content of a professional standard to publish resources online. This included video versions of assemblies, a YouTube channel, live streams and much more, all of which was circulated via schools remote links to home and via social media. The younger generation relates so well to these methods of communication and during the year the work went from strength to strength and this provides us with an incredible opportunity to share faith issues through digital media. Much of the work that would have been delivered in a classroom setting is now being done online yia the following projects.
4. Safe Space Lockdown
(for youth)
This is done through YouTube videos for youth and is aimed at young people whe we connect with in schools (and beyond). The videos contain fun, games, questions, thoughts and challenges. Ve tried to share this further with local High Schools, especially after the success of the Higher Tour.
in the summer term, the focus changed to looking at big issues mainly around mental health, using personal stories to share faith and hope and give young people ways to help themselves and signposted them where to go for further support. Treats were taken into year6 classes who were back in school at the end of term with information about Safe Space online sessions so that they could stay in touch over the summer holidays and during their transition from year 6 into year 7 at secondary school. We alsa provided videos for secondary schools to support in the Y6 to Y7 transition. There has beena lot of stress, uncertainty and anxiety over the months and so we created an extra Safe Space where young people can relax, unwind and find peace listening to music. This was done through the Safe Space Southport YouTube channel on a Sunday evening. Our supporters were encouraged to pray for this at that time, that the young people would experience something of the peace that God can give during the storms of life and that the school staff would experience some rest In September the schools settled into the new and different academic year, and we had to agree risk assessments with the staff which would allow us to go back into one of our local Secondary Schools safely. We had plans to see one year group per Safe Space lunchtime drop-in and were originally given the opportunity to run multiple lunchtime drop-ins in that schoo) and hoped, if deemed safe, that we could continue in other schools too! However another lockdown occurred and this wasn't possible. David and Hettie are very much looking forward to getting back to being face to face with the young people. They have been running Safe Spaces online since the start of the academic year, via YouTube and Instagram Live, where young oeaple can watch and comment in real time so there can be live interaction. It has been a lot of fun and great for creating community. VVe saw an increase in our numbers over the autumn term, with some schools having put posters up in classrooms. We were live at 4pm on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays doing different things each time including involving toca youth workers as guests. Our YouTube uploads have discussed many of the big issues facing young people at the moment and are appropriate content for use in school lessons as part of the personal, social, health and citizen education curriculum. 2. Primary School Video Collective Worship Assemblies: for use in school or at home
These videos are for usé in Primary Schools and for families to use at home at this time. They can expect fun, games, and a story fram the Bible. a thought and a challenge or some sort of response. Each video has a theme that schools often ask for. and learning objectives, so the staff can see what they can expect the children to gain from the assembly. These are accessible on YouTube and have been sent to schools with outlines, aims and objectives to show how they fit with the spiritual, maral, social and cultural development curriculum. VWe have received positive feedback fram the schools indicating that they have used the videos at a time where collective worship is done in class bubbles rather than in the whole school. The children have shared how much they have been enjoying them when they have been in school.
In particular we were able to produce a 25 minutes video workshop for classroom/online use during anti-bullying week which was well used. \WWe were abi to go back into schools from September and had the opportunity to teach some lessons across three primary schools and also to take some live zoom assemblies. We were of course very careful to adhere to all the social distancing rules so it was safe to be there and we absolutely loved being face to face with them. These videos have been used by national organisations to share how to create quality assemblies via videos. More recently, they were used by Scripture Union as part of their training of youth workers across the country. We are grateful to David who nas the skills and equipment to produce such outsianding resources.
- Connect Kids: Children’s ministry videos for local churches These videos take our assembly themes deeper for children who are already involved in a local church's children’s work or kids clubs. Ve appreciate that not all churches have workers that are able to produce these kind of videos so we thougnt that i
we would help support the discipleship of children at this time. David and Hettie were living with the Kids and Youth Pastor at Christ Church during lockdown and so were able to work together and share ideas and expertise to develop this project. Connect Kids videos involve fun, games, a Bible stary, a thought on the Bible story and a response. Churches are welcome to use these themselves, send them out to families or upload them to their own YouTube etc. to make it easier for their families to access it
4. Instagram: a social media platform to connect with young people.
ve have been using Instagram to connect with young people. We share images to bring positivity and in particular support positive mental health at this time. There is a feature called ‘story’ where we can get interaction from young people using questions and polls etc. This is also where we can link young people to our YouTube videos. We have used ‘Instagram Live’ 28 @ way of connecting in real time with young people. We go live on video, chatting and having fun. Young people can ask questions that you can share with the other viewers: they can share comments in real time that we can respond to verbally and more. it has been a lot of fun to explore this and we have found that interaction has been brilliant! A regular group of young people join us each week as they would do if we were in school. This has been very popular with young people and they have been encouraging their friends to join in.
Our Instagram has been shared nationally to all the PAIS teams to show them how to do youth work and schools ministry using this platform. It is really encouraging that others want to look at what we are doing.
5. Impact Live Virtual Higher Tour follow up
Many of the young people who were part of the Higher Tour follow up in schools have been accessing our social media and YouTube videas to continue the conversation. Ve have been able to keep in closer contact with some young people who were part of follow up outside of school. After continuing the connection through emails to parents, our videos, Instagram comments and our Instagram Live, we started to go deeper using a group video call (which was requested by multiple young people!). \We have 2 great opportunity to see them face to face on a screen (as a group) and have fun, play games and have quizzes (sometimes led by the young people themselves), chat about faith and be involved in discussions. We also have some amazing journals for them to reflect daily on ineir thoughts, feelings and beliefs.
At first it was a challenge to get the young people to take part in discussion via video call. We have learnt from this and use the chat function to share their thoughts with the whole group and online tools that allow them to take part in polls and answer and ask questions anonymously. Very often, they are more willing to share their thoughts this way. Again, David and Hettie are looking forward to when they are allowed to meet up with the young people face to face.
Before the summer, we completed all of the Higher Tour follow up sessions with a group of young people and had some good discussions and conversations. In the autumn term we used the SU Rooted maierials/journals so that the young people could refleci personally and explore their own faith in a way that can continue throughout the week. We saw the levels of discussion, thought and engagement increase because of this way of running the sessions and the opportunities this has created for the jeaders io share their faith journey and testimonies has been brilliant. It is clear that the young people are really exploring faiih for themselves. We are really excited to see these young peopie grow and develop further.
Christmas Production
For many years, the Trust has written and performed Christmas productions across many Primary Schools, sharing the true story of Christmas, with lots of fun! This year, due to school year groups staying separate, it was not possible to do our Christmas Productions as we have done previously, and so David and Hettie put together a 45 minute video production full of fun, laughs, songs, thoughts and animation calied ‘A very merry, laughs ~ a —plenty 2020 Christmas’. This was a light hearted, engaging way of exploring the original meaning of Christmas with a message for today which could be watched in class bubbles ¥Ve believed this was watched by around 3.500 primary school pupils this year. The production was also premiered online and we had over 2,500 views.
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So although we have been unable to ga into schools and meet staff and pupils face to face during the past year, the Trustees are sO grateful to David and Hettie who have worked so hard using their gifts to create and develop online material and use social media to keep connecting with children and young people and serving the schools, In fact we believe that we are connecting with many more children and young people than we did previously
All our oniine resources can be accessed through our website www.saswtrust.com or our YouTube channel.
Other organisations
During with the year Scripture Union launched a new framework aimed at reaching the 95% of children and young people with no church connections. This new ‘Revealing Jesus’ framework is based on connect, explore, respond and grow and aims to alin
connect young people with ‘faith guides’ and worshipping communities. The Trust was asked if they would pilot this with SU and David and Hettie were interviewed as part of the launch event. David and Hettie are involved as faith guides and are working an how to get others involved locally.
During the year David and Hettie joined with our youth workers to discuss how youth work can be developed in a Covid 19 world. They met up with SU staff and local mission partners for prayer and discussion and attended nationwide conferences.
Our video projects have been used not only by schools but by other churches, regional groups, national organisations e.g. PAIS and Scripture Union and even intemationally.
David had been seconded to Scripture Union for one day a week to work with churches in the surrounding area to set up work with schools and young people. Because of ongoing restrictions this has been put on hold during 2020 although hopefully he will be able to make the time up in the coming months.
Connecting with our supporters
We held our annual celebration on Sunday 16th August. This had to be online this year with a chat function, However one of the advantages of being on line was that many more people watched it from their own homes than would have come to a live service and it certainly promoted the work of the Trust amongst supporting churches and individuals. Supporters have received regular newsletters throughout the year and have been encouraged to pray for the various projects and were encouraged to join in a day of prayer for the work of the Trust on 24th September. An added advantage of having this material online is that our supporters who would not be allawed to come into schools with us can see what we do with the children and it encourages their support. Pians for the future
At the time of writing this report, schools remain closed to the majority of pupils and even when they reopen there will still be restrictions in place and so it is uncertain when David and Hettie will be able to go back into schools to do mast face io face work, however bookings are coming in for lessons in the summer term.
They are presently creating active RE lessons under the Good Sport’ project banner, of which much of aur sports work has been on hold due to restrictions. They are currently planning for the Mission Impossible Easter Presentation to be online in 2021, which had to be cancelled in 2020. Ali the online projects will continue and although it is difficult to quantify, because we believe this ministry is productive, some of the online ministry may well continue in the future, alongside face to face centact in schools.
Hattie has been writing, by request from local primary schools, new material to use in lessons as part of the Relationships and Sex Education curiculum with a major focus on positive and heaithy relationships. 3 schools have been in cantact about booking this for the summer term.
The Trust have been approached by Compassion Acts, a local Christian Charity, who want to go into schools to help siudents think through and discuss topics such as UK poverty, social exclusion, hunger and debt, to ask if the Trust would like to be involved in this project in some way. This will be discussed at future meetings of the Trustees as they look at developing the work of the Trust as they continue to connect with children and young people and serve the local schools.
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Signed: Ls Lech
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Date: a3 } 2 } 21
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(Chairman of the Trust)
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| eRe?z || CHARITYFOR ENGLAND COMMISSION AND WALES|Southport and Area Schools Worker Trust 1075068
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date tT Period end date
from 01.01.2020 " 31.12.2020
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total tural Last year
funds funds funds
= 4— to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts 2020 2019
[FromChurches| cs] fC TT 2938 12,0855 |
[Fromindividuais| set] | |] Tt] | 22,204 |
fOtherdonationsCE esTC |eeTCCCE | [3,989] |
finterest| C80
[GrantsCE C BT]i | ] C-
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total (Gross income for — =
AR) i
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
ee
Subtotal]
A3 Payments
40719
|Officerent | 00 | 4000
|HigherTour CTC, 390 | a <5
finsurenceA - As [oe]
[Miscellaneous] | Te 3975
[Sports equipment | CTC
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A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
ee|
ee
Sub total] |
Net of receipts/(payments) See 10,534
ASTransfersbetweenfunds [| -}| Paes -
A6 Cash funds last year end 60,249} 49,715
Cash funds this yearend| 52,631] | 52,631|
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CCXX Ri accounts (SS)
u }ore 06/10/2021
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|Section|B|Statement|of assets|and|liabilities|at|the|end|of|the|period|
|Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment|
|funds|funds|funds|
|to|nearest £|to|nearest £|to|nearest|£|
|||
|Total eash funds|[__szen|[| || |i|
|(agree|balances|with|receipts|and|payments|
|account(s))|
|Unrestricted|Restricted|Endowment|
|funds|funds|funds|
|Details|to|nearest £|to nearest £|to|nearest|£|
|—|—|
|Fund|to which|r|Current|value|
|Details|asset belongs|siea|optional|
|— ——|
|Fund to which|.|Current|value|
|VEtalis|asset belongs|sc|aa|optional|
|7|—:|:|—liabilityFund|torelateswhich|Amountoptional due|=Whenoptionaldue|
|Signed|by|one|or two|trustees|on|.|:|Date|of|
|behalf|of all the|trustees|paedins|Print Name|approval|
|;fo”|Elacerf-sk|gh|a|i|Elizabethli|Lacey|||72|-&2|
|CCXX R2 accounts|(SS)|2|yfDM|ata|06/10/2021|
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independent Examiner’s Statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below*) which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
e the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or e the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
[the [the
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
| have have obtained independent verification of all bank accounts and investments
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