The Spires Centre A Company Limited by Guarantee Report and Unaudlted Flnanclal Statements Year ended 30 September 2024 Charity Registration No. 1076888 Company Reglstered in England No. 03785409
THE SPIRES CEKfRE (REGISTERED NUMBER." 03785409) Report of the Trustees for the year ended 30 September 2024 The Trustees have pleasure In presentlng thelr Annual Report and Account5 for the year end 31 March 2024. This Is also a Direttors, Repon requlred by Companie5 Act. The Trustees. Annual Report contalR5 a Directors. Reporr as requlred by cofflpany law. The report and accounts comply with the requirements of the Companles Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charttle5.' Statement of Recommended Practlce appllcable to charltles preparing their accounts In accordance with FRSI 02 (effectlve l January 2019). Objectlves and Activltles l. Sumfflary of charws objects Splres Is a hlghly regarded charlty that has been worklng with homeless and dlsadvantaged people In South London since 1990. Spires support5 people to exit homelessness. malntaln accommodatlon and access a network of support in order to achieve thelr goals. Our obLects are as follow5.. The rellef of persons In need by reason of youth, age,111-health. dlsablllty, finandal hardshlp or other dlsadvantage, in partlcular In South London and the surrounding area, by provldlng counselllng, Information, advlce, food. clothlng and other Items through outreach and by any other charltable means." The objects were offlclally changed wlth the charlty commisslon In February 2025 whlch Is outslde of the reportlng perlod of these account5. However. the new objects are Included here as the revlew of our objects was underway during the reporting perlod. The prlmary change is that under the new objetts Splres Is no longer11sted as a day centre. The change means that the objects better reflect hu•V Splres works under the new model 2. Slgnlficant Activities Spire5 5UPPOrts people who are deallng wtth complex Issues, whlch have resulted or mlght result In their homelessness. In addition, Splres helps women at rlsk of violence and those engaged In sex work. 2.1 Pamela's 25 years of servlce Thls year marked 25 years of service for our Head of Cllent Servlces. Pamela Mhlophe. She has been Instnjmental to the development and evolution of Spires, to learn more about her achievements, check out our blog piece: http5=Ilwww.spires.org.uk/news-bloglpamela- mhlophes-25-years-at-splres. We are grateful to Pamela for her dedication and support.
Pamela belng fecGgnlsedar rhe Wlmbledon Foundatlon 2.2 A new era for Splres A slgniflcant event for 2024 was the Identlflcatlon and subsequent move into our new premlses In Stockwell following the end of our lease with St Leonard'5 Church Hall. This marks the end of an era as St Leonards Church Hall had been Splres. home 51nce our Inceptlon, wlth members of St Leonards Church and The Engllsh Martyrs Cathollc Church belng Involved In the settlng up of the early activlties and forrnation of Spires. Whllst It wlll not be our maln centre of operations. we look forward to contlnuing to dellver weekly drop- In services from St Leonards Church Hall. The move presented an opportunlty for Splres to accelerate the implementatlon of our multl-slte model. Thls model sees Splres move to a rnodel of working across multlple sltes. The objectlve Is to expand our servlces into new locations and making our them more accessible to people In need. 2.3 Rough Sleeper Servlces and Tenancy Supporr Our Rough Sleeper and Tenancy Support Services work to empower homeless and vulnerably housed adults, to Source and maintain secure and appropriate accommodation
whllst tackling the root causes of their homelessness. Our service Provide5 stability and an opportunity for people to rebulld thelr Ilves. Our breakfast servlce runs four days a week and Is open to anyone in need. Last year we serrfed 3.234 meals and this Is often how we flrst meet people who need support. At the breakfast sessions cllents are provlded wlth a comblnatlon of practical support. such as accesslng to warm clothlng, and more In depth casework support to exlt homelessness and Ilnk in wlth vital servlces. Every person's plan Is different, but the team conslstently support people to: Access or maintain houslng and accommodation Access mental health services and adopt wellbeing strategies Reglster wlth a GP and access physlcal health servlces Work wlth drug and alcohol servlce5 and establlsh healthler coplng strategles Develop basic rr, budgeting Ifinance skills and work-ready skills Maintaln personal safety and establlsh a support network Alongslde our team of skilled support workers, we have key partnerships with other agencies who bring speciallst services to our drop-ins. These include- The sfART team who provide mental health support on behalf of the NHS. This has 'helped a number of cllents to access mental health support. who would not have been able to do thls otherwise. Southwark Law Cenire, The NHS Health Incluslon Team and other ImmigratSon teams. We work wlth these partners to ensure that cllents have acce5S to Immigration advlce. The Salvatlon Army employablllty servlce. We work together to provlde support to cllents who are looklng for work. The Thames Reach outreach team wlll often attend drop-lns to meet wlth cllents. Thls 15 Lambeth's commlssloned outreach team and they play an Important role In 5UPPOrtlng homeless people. A new and exciting partnership thls year was our Ilnk up wlth The Lunch Club cfLQ. In July 2024 TLC joined our drop in at St Leonards. Each week Spires deliver our usual breakfast for people experiencing homelessness. After thls TLC provlde a communlty lunch whlch Is well attended. This session providès a further opportunity for the Spires team to meet more people who may need support and provides a space for community connection for the people we support.
Case stydy: Stephen visited Spires after being evicted from his home. His son had passed away and he was sufferlng complex health Issues. After sleeplng rough for weeks. he came to Splres. We provided him with washing facilities. food parcels and wami clothes. before successfully helping him move into sheltered housing. Splre51s now helplng hlm to address hls health Issues, Includlng referrfng hlm to a bereavement counclllor. who he 5peak5 to weekly. He descrlbed Spires. help as 'offering him a new beginning.. 2.4. Croydon DroTrln In addltlon to our regular Rough Sleeper and Tenancy Support Service In Lambeth, In November 2023 we began to operate in the neighboring borough of Croydon for the flrst tlme. Once a week we rvn a drop-ln service in partnership with Croydon Refugee Dav Centre ICRDC) for newly recogni5ed refugees who are homeless or at rlsk of homelessne55. The 5ervlce was set up In response to the emerglng refugee homelessness crls15. Accordlng to offlclal Government data, people sleeplng rough after leavlng asylum accommodatlon In England, had Jumped from 42 people In July 2023 to 469 In December 2023. Thls project Is partlcularly Innovatfve as It Involves co15aboratlon between homele55ne55 and refugee charltles and Croydon Local Authority. To the best of our knowledge. It Is one of the only projects of Its klnd dellverlng targeted support for refugees In London. The support we have provided has Included.. Help to understand and access housing options, includlng the Councll housing team; help completlng outreach referral5. Support to make benefit applicatlons or open a bank account Help to register or be referred to health servlces. Slnce Its opening In November 2023, Splres has supported l 19 people through thls service. Case Study: EL attended our Croydon refugee serrfice after being gwen notice to vacate the hotel. As a young, healthy male wlth no dependents he was not a prlorlty for Councll accommodation. With no support network in the UK, he didn't know what to do. EL'5
caseworker provided him with a sleeping bagi food, tollerrles and helped him apply for accommodation. Spires helped EL prepare for his asse55menL advising hlm of what would happen and the documents he would need to provide. A week later, EL avoided street homelessness, as he was offered a hostel space. 2.5 Women's Servlces Splre5 ha5 a dedicated team of staff who focus on supportlng women. Central to this is the Splres 5treetllnk seNlce which for the last 2 5 years has maintained a consistent source of support for women who are engaged in sex work. Women who are sex working from the street are among the most marginalised and it Is therefore essential that support is delivered through outreach. Supportlng them In thelr own terrilory, on their (Mn terms and at times that colncide with their worklng hours, enables us to build trust and establish posStive relationships to achieve beneflclal outcomes. Our Spires-street link service ha5 continued to complete 2-4 outreach se$51ons per week durlng 2023. The key alms and outcomes from outreach Include: Provkllng condoms and harm reductlon advlce Provldlng a Ilnk to other support servlces Slgnpostlng women who are sex-worklng to the Spires Centre. Thls year we have also started to dlverslfy our approach to outreach. For Instance. since September, as part of the Lambeth Community Project, Spires. has partnered with the MET pollce to deliver periodic outreach sessions on Windrush Square which has provided an opportunity to meet with the women we support outside of our vehicle. When Splres. outreach takes place between l Opm and 2am, our sUPPOrt workers provlde support wlthout exiting the organi5ation's car for safety reas6n. Since March 2024. we have run a weekly women's only drop-Sn service from our new offtce location in Brixton. Thls Is done In partnershlp wlth Refuge and alms to support women at risk of homelessness. vlolence and other social Injustice. The women's drop Is dellvered In partnershlp wlrh many of the agencles11sted above who attend breakfast servlce. For example the employabillty adSer from Salvatlon Arniy, Thames Reach outreach and the START team. The drop in also benefits from having a speclalist DV workÈr frorn Refuge attending. The sessions are well attended, and we had 175 attendances over the year. In addition to this, the pilot based within Lambeth's Drug and Alcohol Service has continued.
Case study: Katie attended our women's drop-in looking for support after experiencing harassment from her neighbour5. Katie ha5 EU pre-settled status but needed help to apply for Unlversal Credit as she was not currently able to work while recovering from varlous health Issues. Wlth support from Splres, she Is worklng wlth Lambeth Councll and the pollce to tackle and challenge the harassment she Is experlenclng from nelghbours. Katle knows Splres is a safe place she can come to for support and has continued to meet wlth the team. She has also been connectlng with the sfART team to address her mental health need5. 3. Cllent Feedback Durlng 2024 Splres also Introduced feedback surveys. Servlce users are Invlted to complete satlsfactlon surveys on a quarterly basls and thelr Suggestions are encouraged and acted upon. The results of the surveys and the feedback have fomied a central part of our measure of success in our work. The flrst of these took place between 7~I i ottober 2024. Of the 36 people sur4eyed'. 83% agreed they felt %ery satlsfied" wlth the support they get from Splres 89% agreed "I feel effertlvely supported and clearer on my next steps" 78% agreed .1 have greater awareness of the support available to me. 81% agreed .1 feel I have an Improved abllity to manage my sltuation. 86% agreed '] feel my quality of Ilfe Is Improved as a result of the sUPPOrt I have recelved. 81% agreed .1 feel less Isolated a5 a result of the support I have recelved.
Client Quotes 66 The stoff hav? boon most welcomiTrg, and hèlpl in tha most difficult limes for me. BLyng homeless & afraid, I feel sofe in their compony and they htsve been o mossive help in helping me bock lo some sort of decent lif8. They are on amazing leam thttF are true to whot they do and go beyond. I hove never had such genuine people help me. I would like to thank the Spires leom forthe comfort & guidance they hovÈ shown me - I don't fe81 so ulone onymore. 99 66 I hove always received a very good service from Spires. When I was homeless I got a lot of support to flnd accommodotion. I'm now in o hougng association provided by Spiros. I would recommond other people to get help if they need so from Spires. As someone who has got lo know the services Spires provide,. $1 15 0 9reut service. l am blessed with such local help and support 99 99 66 'The support I received wa5 oma2ing and helped me oul so much, l cannot express how much Spires hos done for rnyselfand others - Iruly omozing. I now havè o flol and om turning my life or¢und. Amozing people!* 99 4. Flnanclal Revle The Statement of Flnanclal Activities shows income of £623.687 12023.. £580,447) of which £294,450 (2023: £310.691) was restricted and £329,237 (2023- £269,756) was unrestrlcted. The total expenditure was £596,514 (2023-. £574,019) of whlch £294,450 (2023- £310,691) was re5trlcted and £302,064 (2023: £263,328) was unresirlcted. Net Income for the year was £27,173 (2023= £6.428). Thls resulted in increase In total funds at the end of 2024 to £316,825 from £289,652 in 2023 of which £50,000 (2023.. £50,000) was restricted and £266.825 (2023= £239,652) was unrestricted.
4.1 Prlnclpal fundlng sources Ouring 2024 fundlng from a comblnatlon of grants from trusts and foundations, statutory and govemment grants. consultancy Income and donations and legacies has enabled the continuation of Spires, services. Grant5 from tnjsts and foundations account for approximately 57% of our annual Income, thls Is a reduced percentage when compared to previous years and 15 taken as evidence that Splres attempts to dlverslfy our Income have been broadly successful. As well as flnanclal 5UPPOrt. Spires receives other assistance (In-klnd support from Indlvlduals, church communitles. schools and community groups). Splres remains equally appreclatEve of thls flnanclal and In-kind sUPPOrt. A full list of our donors and supports can be found at the end of thls reporL 4.2 Prlnclpal flnanclal management pollcles Splres has a slmple flfianclal structure and model focussed on the need to sustaln a breakeven posltlon. supported by a prudent level of flnancial reserves. 4.3 Reser$ pollcy Free reseroes are unrestrlcted funds not Invested In fixed assets or otherw15e cornmltted. The Trustees have established a pollcy of aimlng to malntaln free re5erve5 of between three and.six months of total resources expended, whlch equate5 to a flgure of between 155,922 and 311 ,844. In the current year the unrestricted reserves are £266,825. Restrlrted Reserves of £50,000 are being held as an emergency fund to be used only to cover closlng Costs In the event that the organisation cease to operate. 5. Revlew of the Year 5.1 The Splres flnanclal year ends on September 30th However. for the sake of clarity we reference the calendar year January- December of 2024 In the below revlew. Over the course of 2024, the demand for SpirFS' services has contlnued to be high. In total. there were 5,325 attendances across all our services. amounting to 757 dlfferent people over 1 ,869 se55ions. During this time. we served 3.234 breakfasts and supported 466 dlfferent people who were rough-sleeplng. Demand for our women's sep4lce has also contlnued to Sncrease over the course of the year and the number of contacts wlth women has risen to 1,673 compared to 1.398 In 2023, 784 In 2022 and 1,179 over the same perlod in 2021. The number of women supported through In-depth casework ha5 also continued to Increase- 373. compared with 369 In 2023, 310 in 2022 and 353 In 2021.
As descrlbed above, Splres Is focused on the outcomes achieved through targeted interventions. This is a shift from short term help to longer term recovery. Some key outcomes from 2024 are included below: Splres 2024 In numbers Housing 4PIAF.S People supported into housing People supported to avoid eviction People referred to street outreach 315 people recelved housingsUPPOrt 143 34 124 Health People SLlPPC)rted to attend health .appn"ntrnpnts People supporred ro engage wlrh drug & alcohol £prvices People supported to en8agewlth the mental hAal:li team 117 people recelved health support Ivelfare Benefits mLiirJined Welfare Benefits started People supported to start v.irtitr,iining 122 people recelved benefitslwofk support o o o 5.2 Comrnunlty Support Splre5 ha5 undergone a perlod of slgnlflcant change and Is now worklng across multlple slres. However, at our core we are a Voluntary and Community SeNices (VCS) organlsatlon that was born out of a community response to help those in need. Our volunteer base and community SUPPOrters remain an essential part of Spires. Over the course of 2024 we have undergone a recruitment campaign to attract new volunteers. Followlng a comprehenslve onboarding and Inductlon these volunteers wlll support with the delivery of Outreach and Housing and Homelessness drop-ln services. Here Is what some of our new volunteers said about what motivated them to support Spire5'. io
Volunteer Quotes 66 -[ would lik• to volunteer because I have personolly experienced homelessness in thè past due to a domgsli¢ obusive relolionship ihot forced meto leavo my home for my sofety. Dug to thoi diffictsl* timg, charilies like Spires were a lifeline for me. providing the support I needed when I had nowhere else lo lurn. Now thot rny life is stable, I feol it's the perfect time to give back lo my local community." 99 66 I have begn impressed with the supportyou give to women. I now have some additional free time. os I start a new job (in the same field) ihot is part lime. I would like to support o charity that WDrk$ with people experiencing homelessness andlor housing issue5, os this is on orea thol intersects with my current work. I find that housing i$sues aro becoming morts and more prevalent omongst my clients. 99 66 "Volunteering with Spires allows me lo conlinue helping other5 in Lombelh while pursuing my possion for supporlin9 v¥omen and gir15 impacled by viol&nce. I would like to contribute to the important work Spires is doin9." 99 6. Future Plans 6.1 As detalled above. Splres has gone through a period of rapid change. At the end of our flnanclal year (October 2024) we were dellverlng services In Croydon and Lambeth and operating out of four locatlons across Lambeth In Streatham. West Norwood, Brlxton and Stockwell. We were also maklng plans to set up a new service In Wandsworth to start In January 2025. Whilst this period of change has been a success. there Is acknowledgment across the organisaiion that what is now needed is a period of stability. This understanding is reflected in Spires, new strategic objecrlves for the next two years. These are that our services should be: li
Embedded - Embedding the new model and operations. Looking at how we deliver our servlces and making sure that we are clear: where. when and why we run the servlces that we do. Strengthened - Strengthenlng our support offer and focusslng on contlnuous quality improvement. Sustalned - EnsurSng we have the resources. people and processes we need In order to achleve the above two objecttves. Our focus for the year ahead Is therefore to dellver on these core objectlves. Some elements of thls that we would like to highllght rr: To better support staff. we will be Investlng in our IT Infrastructure. Thls will mean providlng staff wSth the equipmerrt they need to work in an aglle way between 51tes. Trauma Informed Practlce: To strengthen our support offer we wlll be undertaklng a project to embed trauma Informed practice across our serrfice5. This projert will be delivered with the support of homeless Ilnk wlth funding provlded by the Uoyds Foundation. Fundralslng Strategy.. In order to develop and sUStaln our fundralslng efforts we wlll be developlng a new strategy. Thls will include a focus on expanding our communlty SUPPOrter base and Sooklng ai way5 for Splres to share the p051tlve Impact of our work by building our profile. As well at the strategic objectlves, Spires has defined its organisational values whlch are: 12
THESE ARE OUR C(pre Values SPIRES Welcoming Hopeful Creative Professional Ik*- Collaborative These value5 underpin all current and future work carried out by Splres. 6.2 Flnandal Plannlng A key focus for 2024 was to establlsh new multi-year funding grants as an Identified rlsk was that some key funding streams were coming to an end. Multi-year funding will also help US to achieve greater financlal stabillty across several years. We ended the Spires. financ4al year with a number of pendin9 Outcomes from multi-year funders.
The focus for the 2025 year is therefore to establish multi-year funding Streams. contlnue with the progre55 we have rnade around cornmunity fundraising and to further develop our relationships With local authority funders. To support our focus on income generation and dlversification, Including our renewed focus on communiry fundraising and engagement a full-time Head of Fundraising and Communications was appolnted on l January 2024. In July 2024 our part-rlme Communlcatlons Offlcer became full-time a5 our Communications & Communlty Engagement Lead Wlth responslblllry for helplng to recrult new volunteers. 7. Structure, Govemance and Management Splrns, le1d•h1p structur• Ind ¢0v•m•nc• 7.1 Governlng document The charlty Is controlled by Its governlng document, a deed of trust. and constltutes a Ilmlted company. Ilmlted by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. Spires Ss a prlvate charltable company Ilmlted by guarantee. havlng no share capital, governed by Its memorandum and article5 of association. The liability of each member in the event of a wlndlng up Is £1 O. The charltable company does not use 'Umlred' In Its name by virtue of section 30 of The Companies Act 2006. The affairs of the company are managed by the Trustees who arÈ obllged to meet at least four tlmes a year for thls purpose. The Trustees may number between three and ten. 14
7.2 Publlc benefit When planning activities, the trustees have consldered the Charfty Commlsslon's guidance on public benefit and are satlsfled these are compliant with the guldance. 7.3 The post of Trustee Trustees are recruited through advertlslng followed by an application and intervlew. Subsequent appolntment Is by an ordinary resolution of the Board. Trustees are subject to perlodlc retirement and reappointment. 7.4 Trustee Indurtlon and tralnlng New Trustees vlslt the Centre to meet staff, volunteers and cllent5 and to understand fully the nature of Splre5 work. New Trustees are encouraged to shadow Spires, key staff by arrangement. Funher 5peclfic skills training deemed necessary to undertake the role of Trustee may be arranged in conjunction wlth Splres Chalr of Trustees and Spires Chief Executlve. 7.5 Management and organlsatlon The Trustees meet every two months to coordinate the general strategy, directlon and management of Spires, receiving detailed reports from Spires, Chlef Executive and other officers a5 required. In additlon. there Is a sub-committee structure in place to progress certaln crltlcal areas of work with the day-to-day affalrs of Splres delegated to the Chief Executlve. 7.6 Rlsk management The trustees have assessed the major rlsks to which the charltable companyls exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mltlgate the exposure to those risks. An organlsational risk reg15ter is held and reviewed at each board meetlng. 8. Reference and Admlnlstratlve Detalls Reglstered Company nurnber 03785409 (England and Wale5) Reglstered Charlty number 1076888 15
Governing Document The Charity's governing document Is its Memorandum and Articles of Assoclatlon, which were registered on 9 June 1999. amended on 12 July 2000, and amended by special resolution on 26 April 2017. As described in the trustees. report, the constlrutlon wa5 further amended on 4 February 2025 wlth the Charity Commission's approval: however, thls amendment has yet to be reglstered wlth the Companles House. Reglstered office 2rxl Floor, Elmfleld House. 5 Stockwell Mews Lambeth SW9 9GX Trustees Fleur Swaney Natasha Roberts Dan Fairclough (resigned 2 5.11 .2024) Rossana Rocchlnl Fiona Richmond Slmonetta DI Benedetto (appolnted I1.06.2024) Hugh Llnd5ay (appointed 13.08.24, re51gned 25.11.2024) Idrls Arshad (reslgned 5.02.2024) Independent Examlner Charlty Accountant 01732 807 48210772 705 5016 W.Charl1YacCOUntant.cO.uk shruti@charityaccountant.co.uk Company regsstered In England no. 09314304 Reglstered office= l 17A St. Johns Hlll. Sevenoaks TNI 3 3P Bankers: Natwest. Streatharn Branch, 54 Streatham Hlgh Road, London SWI 6 1 BZ Bank of Scotland, 600 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh EHI 1 3XP and The Spires Centre Is a member of. Homeless Llnk Lambeth MARAC Lambeth VAWG Forum (Violence Against Women and Girls) 16
Larnbeth Sexual Exploitation Harm Panel (SEHP) Women'5 Resource Centre National Ugly Mugs Servlce Partnershlps C4WS Care4Calais Croydon Council Croydon Refugee Day Centre (CRDQ Croydon Reach Emmaus SLC Find & Treat Team, UnSverslty College Hospltals London Glassdoor Groundswell Guy's and St Thomas, NHS Foundatlon Trust's Health Inclusion Team Job Centre Plus Kings College Hospital, Community dentistry team Lambeth Councll Lambeth Drug and Alcohol Treatment Consortium Lorralne Hewltt House Refuge - GAIA Centre Safer Neighbourhi)od Tearn Salvation Army South London and Maudsley Hospltal Southwark Law Centre SPEAR London START Team St Leonards Church, Streatham St Luke's Church. West Norwood St Nlcholas Church. Tootlng St George's Hospital, Homeless Inclusion Team¥ Team A5 Support Thame5 Reach The Lunch Club, Streatham The Robes Project Wandsworth Communlty Drug & Alcohol Support (WCDAS) West Croydon Bapilst Church Young Roots Funders and Communlry Supports: We are very grateful to the organlsatlons that have been generous supporters of Spires In the flnandal year. Communlty Supporters: Aviva 17
Clty Harvest Fare5hare Horsnby House School Saltgate Stjames The Greater, Cathollc Church, Thornton Heath St Luke's Church. Battersea St Margaret's Badmlnton Club. Tootlng St Mark's Church. Balham St Mary's Church. Merton Stockwell Methodlst Church Tesco The Co-op Wlmbledon Foundatlon St Mary's Merton Funders: Abbvle Ltd Barratt Foundation Buziacott Clty Bridge Foundation Coopers Charlty CIO Croydon Asylum-seekers Suppon Fund Department for Culture, Medla and Sport Garfield Weston Gowllng WLG Charltable Trust Hlghfields Trust Inner London Maglstrates Courts Poor Box and Feeder Charlty LandAld Lambeth C05t Of Llvlng Fund Leeds Bulldlng Society LHA Lloyds Bank Foundatlon Lloyds Bank Foundation Specialist Fund London Caialy5E- Project Grant London Catalyst - Samaritans Grant Mlranda Bennlon Charltable Trust Q Charitable Trust Refuge - Lambeth VAWG Souter Charitable Trust Stavros Nlarchos Foundatlon Streetsmart Streets of London The Albert Hunt Trust The Alexandra Trust 18
The Chapman Trust The Felix Trust The Fitton Trust The Marsh Trust The Natlonal Lottery- Reachlng Communitles The Wimbledon Foundation Homelessness Fund. The Worshlpful Company of Secretarles Thrale Almshouse and Relief in Need Charity Approved by order of the board of trustee5 on Lthth&2025 and slgned on Its behalf by: Ms Rossana Rocchlnl - Trustee
Independeirt EXamineS Report to the Trustees of The Splres Centre I report to the charitytrustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 30 September 2024 as set out on pages 21 to 32. Responsibilltles and basts of report As the charity trustees of the company land also its directors for the purwses of company law} you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts In accordan wlth the requirements of the Companies Act 20C6 ('the 2C06 Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not requlred to be audited under Part 16 of the 2(X)6 Act and are eli@'ble for independent examlnation, I report in respect of my examination of your cornpanvs accounts as carried out under settion 145 of the Charitie5 Att 2011 {Ihe 2011 ACV). In carrying out my examlnatk)n I have folSowed the Directions wen by the Charty COMMs1on urKler sectlon 14515){b) of the 2011 Art. Independent examlner's statement Slnce the companrfs 0$$ income exceeded £250,(bXi your examiner must be a member of a body1Ssted in section 145 of the 2011 Att. I confim that l am qualified to undertake the examination becau l am a member of the Associatlon of Certified Chartered Accountants, whlch Is one of the Ilsted bodies. I ha completed my examSnation, I C1n that no matters have come to my attenth)n In connection wlth the examination giving me c3use to believe that Sn any material respect: l. accounting records were not kept kn respect of the company as required by sertion 386 of the 2006 Att; or 2. the accourrts do not accord with those records,, or 3. the accounts do not complywith the accounting requlrernents of secdon 396 of the 2< Act other than any requlrement that the accounts 8ive a true aThl fair via¢ which Is not a matter consldered as part of an independent examination. or 4. the accounts have not been prepared In accordance with the methods and prfncipbes of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charitses lapplicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordan with the Finanaal Reportlng Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 1021. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn In thls report in order to enable a prcyer understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Shrutl Soni FCC4 ACIE Shruti Soni Ltd 1173 St Johns Hlll Sevenoaks TN13 3PL Date 0610612025
The Splres Centre ststement of flnanclal activitles (incorporatlng an Income and expendlture account) For the ar ended 30 Se ternber 2024 2024 Total Unrestrlcted RestrScted Funds Funds Funds 2023 Total Funds Unrestricted Restrlcted Funds Fund5 Note Restated Restated Restated Income from.. Donation5 and legacles Charitable activities Tenanry Support - consultan Women's Support Service - consultancy Other trading activities Investments - bank Interest 277,004 294,450 571.454 220,629 310.691 531.320 37.932 37.932 35,958 35,958 2,000 5,727 5.442 2.000 5,727 5.442 136 14.165 136 14,165 Total Incorne 329,237 294.450 623,687 269,756 310,691 580,447 Expendlture on: Raising funds Charitable actlvltles Rough Sleeper Ser4dce Tenancy Support Women's support Service 2,465 2,465 30,474 30,474 73.564 62.592 163,443 203.580 277,144 62,592 254,313 100.780 94.059 38,015 93.333 194,113 94,059 217,358 255,373 90,870 Total expendlture 302,064 294,450 596.514 263,328 310.691 574.019 Net Income l (expendlture) 27.173 27,173 6,428 6,428 Transfers between funds Net movement In fvnds 27,173 27,173 6,428 6,428 Reconclllatlon of fvnds: Total funds brought forward 239,652 so.000 289,652 233.224 50.000 283,224 Total funds carrled fornard 266,825 50,000 316.825 239,652 50,000 289,652 All of ihe above results are derived from conllnuing artivities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. Movements in funds are disc105ed in Note 14 to the financialstatements. 21
The Splre5 Centre Balance sheet Company no. 03785409 t30Se tember 2024 2024 2023 Note Fixed assers: Tanglble assets 1,262 9,873 1,262 9,873 Current assets: Debtors Cash at bank and In hand 49,351 312,148 47,836 277,828 361,499 325,664 Llabllltles: Creditors- amounls falllng due wlthln one year 45,936 45,885 Net current assets 315,563 279,779 Total net assets 316,825 289,652 The funds of the charlty: Restricted income funds Unre5trlcted Income funds- General funds 14 50.000 50,000 266,825 239,652 Total unre5tritted funds 266,825 239,652 Total charfty funds 316,825 289,652 For the year endlng 30 September 2024 the company was entltled to exemptlon from audlt under sectSon 477 of the Companles Art 2006 relating EO small companies. Trustees, Re5pon51bilities'. The members have not required the company to obtaln an audlt of its flnanclal siarements for the year in question In accordance wlth sectlon 476 The trustees acknowledge their responsibility for complylng wlth the requlrements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparatlon of flnanclal statements. These financial statement5, which have been prepared In accordance wlth the special prov15ion5 relatlng to the small companies regime wlthln Pan 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance wlth the Financlal Reportlng Standard applicable in the UK and Republlc of Ireland IFRS 102) leffective l January 2019). were approved by the Board on 04106125 and signed on it5 behalf by: Name". Trustee &)&sA EoocAINI 22
The Splres Centre Statement of cash flows For the ear ended 30 Se tember 2024 Note 2024 2023 Cash flows from operatlng actlvltles Net cash provided by l (used In) operating activities 20,155 5,787 Cash flows from Investlng actlffltles.. Dividends. interest and rents from Investments 14.165 5,442 Net cash provlded by l (used in) investlng actSvltles 14,165 5,442 Net cash provided by l (used In) financing activities Change In cash and Gh equlvalents in the year 34,320 11,229 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginnlng of the year 277,828 266,599 Cash and cash equlvalents at the end of the year 16 312,148 277,828 23
The Splres Centre Note5 to the flnanclal statements For the ear ended 30 Se tember 2024 l Accountlng pollcles a) Basls of preparatlon The financial statements have been prepared In accordance vArh Accountlng and Reporting by Charltles: Statement of Recommended Practlce applicable to charltles preparlng their account5 in accordance wlih the Financial Reportlng Standard applicable In the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 1021 (effective l January 20191- (Charities SORP FPS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companles Act 2006. Assets and liabillties are initlally recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless Otherwise stated In the relevant accountlng policy or note. b) Publlc beneflt entlty The charitable company meets the definition of a publlc benefft entlty under FRS 102. c) Going concern The trustees conslder that there are no materlal uncertalntles about the charitable companvs ablllty to continue as a golng concern. In formlng this opinion, they have considered income and Èxpenditure for at least a perlod of twelve months from the date of approval of these flnancial statements. The trustees do not conslder that there are any sources of estlmatlon uncertalnty at the reportlng date that have a 51gnlflcant rlsk of causing a material adjustrnent to the carrying amount5 of assets and Ilabillties wlthln the next reporting period. d) Income Voluntary Income Indudlng donations, glfts and legacles and grants that provlde core fundlng or are of general nature are recognised where there is entitlement. certainty of recelpt and the amount can be rneasured wtth sufficient rellability. Such income is only deferred when: The donor speclfle5 that the grant or donation must only be used In future accountlng perlods.. or The donor has Imposed condltlons whlch must be met before the charlry has unconditional entitlement Investment Income Is recognised on a receivable basls. Income from charltable actlvitie5 Includes Income received under contract or where entlrlement to grant funding 15 subjett to speclflc performance conditions Is recognlsed as earned (as rhe related goods or 5ervFces are provided). Grant Income included In this category provldes fundlng to support advlcel performance actlvltles and is reco9nlsed where there 15 entitlement, certainty of recelpt and the amount can be measured with sufflclent rellablllty Income received In advance of the PTovlslon of a specified service is deferred untll the crlteria for Income recognltion are met. e) Donarlons of gift5. 5ervlces and facllltles On receipt, donated gift5. professional services and donated facllltles are recognised on the basis of the value of the 9ift to the charlty whlch Is ihe amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facllities of equivalent econornlc benefit on the open market,. a corresponding amount is then recognlsed In expenditure in the perlod of recelpt. f) Interest recelvable Interest on funds held on deposlt15 included when receivable and the arnount can be measured relIab by the charlty. thlsls normalty upon notlficatlon of the interest pald or payable by the bank. 9) Fund accounting Restrlcted funds are to be used for speclflc purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure. Including Staff cost, which meets these criteria 15 charged to the fund. Unre5trlcred funds are donations and other incomlng resources received or generated for the charitable Designated funds are unre5tricled fund5 earmarked by the trustees for particular purposes. 24
The Splres Centre Notes to the flnanclal statements For the ar ended 30 Se ternber 2024 l Accountlng pollcles Icontlnued) h) Expendlture and Irrecoverable VAT Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a thlrd party. it is probable that settlement will be required and ihe amount of the obllgatlon can be measured reliab. Expenditure is classified under the followin9 actlvity heading5'. Cost5 of raising funds relate to the costs incurred by the charitable company In Induclng thSrd parties zo make voluntary contributions to it, as V11 as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose Expenditure ory charitable activities includes the costs of projects undenaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs Other expendlture represents those items not falling into any other heading Irrecoverable VAT Is charged as a cost agalnst the actlvlty for whlch the expendlture w25 Incurred. l) Operatlng leases Rental charges are charged on a stralght Ilne bas15 over the term of the lease. J) Tanglble flxed assets Ilem5 of equlpment are capltallsed where the purchase prlce exceeds £500. Depreclatlon costs are allocated to acrlvltles on rhe basls of the use of the related assets In those activltles. A55ets are revlewed for Impalrment if clrcumstances Indicate their carrying value rnay exceed Ihelr nei reallsable value and value In use. Where fixed a55ets have been revalued, any exce55 between the revalued amount and the historic cost of the asset wlll be shown as a revaluation resetve In the balance sheet. Depreclatlon Is provlded ai rale5 calculated to wrlie down the cost of each asset to its estimated re51dual valu& over Its expected useful Ilfe. The depreciation rates In use are a5 follows.. Fixtures. fittlngs and equipments over 4 years k) Inve5trnent propertles Investment properties are rneasured Inltlally at cost and subsequently Included Sn the balance sheet at falr Usted Investments Investments are a form of baslc flnanclal Instrument and are Inltlally recognlsed at thelr transacrlon value Debtors Trade and other debtors are reco9n15ed at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepaymenls are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due. m) Credlrors and provlslons Creditors and provlsions are recognlsed where the charlty has a present obligatlon resulting from a past event that wlll probably result In the transfer of funds ro a thlrd party and the amount due to settle the obllgatlon can be measured or estlmated rellably. Creditors and provision5 are normally recognlsed ar thelr settlement amount after ajlowlng for arry trade dlscounts due. n) Flnancial InStMentS The charlty only has financlal assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial Instruments. 8aslc flnanclal Instruments are Initially recognlsed at transaction value and subsequentfy measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortlsed cost uslng the effertive interest method. o) Penslons The charlws contributlon to employees, personal pen51on 15 tharged to revenue on accrual basls. 25
The Splres Centre Notes to the ftnaThclal statements or the ear ended 30 Se tember 2024 pl Company Infonnatlon The Spires Centre 15 a charltable company Ilmited by guarantee reglstered in England with rÈgistralion number 1076888. It5 registered office address IS 2nd Floor, Elmfield House, 5 Siockwell Mews.Lambeth. England. SW9 9GX. 2 Income from donations and legacies 2024 Total 2023 Total Unrestricred Restrlcted Restated Donations and legacles Crants from trusts and foundatfions Statutory and government grants Donation in kind 102.230 96,907 75.227 2.640 102,230 357,497 109.087 2,640 76,632 0 454,687 260,590 33.860 277,004 294,450 571,454 531,319 Donation In kind Include glfts of sleeping bags. food and toiletries. In prevlous years incoming from project grants was recorded a5 income from charitable activities. It Is now recorded as Income from donations as per SORP guldellne5. For conslstency thls change Is reflecied In both curreni and prior year presentations In these accounts. Statutory and government grants Includes grant of £62,500 from The Government's Communlty OrganSsatlons Cost of Llvlng Fund (delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund). 26
fo ¢ncN ooN ¢£ tyi ry i o) ¢71 1 rn r¥ enth QI CLSi¢J
The Splres Centre Notes to the flnanclal statements For the ar ended 30 Se tember 2024 Net incoming resources for the year This15 Stated after charglng: 2024 2023 Depreclatlon OperatSng lease rentals.. Property 8,066 3,291 31,820 29,312 The trustees changed the depreciation method from reducing balance to stralghi Ilne to apply to all Items. Prevlously, offlce furnlture and tre depreciated uslng the reducing balance method. Thls change was necessary to provlde rellable and more relevant information. The reducing balance method was resultlng In an Inflated Flxed A55er on the balance sheet. Since the office furnlture and IT are deemed to have a useful life of 4 years. the straight line method offers a more accurate representation of the depreciatlon and value of rhese a55ets over rhelr useful life. The impact of such change to ihe accounts ro September 20241 Is an addltlonal depreclatlon charge of £5,639. Analysls of staff costs, trustee remuneratlon and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel staff costs were as follows.. 2024 2023 Salarles and wages Soclal security costs Employer's contributlon to deflned contrlbutlon penslon Schemes 359,858 31.586 20,032 315,426 26,136 16,096 411.476 357,658 No employee earned more than £60.000 during the year (2023: none). The total employee beneflts Indudlng penslon contributlons of the key management personnel were £151,62812023= £141,855). The charity trustees were not pald or reCed any other beneflts frorn employment wlth the charlty In the year1202 3.. £nll). No charlry irusree received payment for professional or other servlces supplled to the charity12023.. £nil). Trustees, expenses represents the payment or relmbursemtnt of travel and 5ubslstence costsls nll (2023- £nil) relating to attendance at meerlngs of the trustee5. Staff numbers The average number of employees (head counr based on number of staff employed) durlng the year was as follow5.. 2024 No. 2023 No. Charltable actNities 28
The Splres Centre Notes to the flnanclal statements For the ear ended 30 Se tember 2024 Related patry transactlons There were no related party transactlons to dlsc105e for 202412023.. none). No related party donatlons were received that fall outslde the nonnal course of busine55. and no restricted donatlons were received from related parries. Taxatton The charltable company Is exempt from corporatlon tax as all its Income Is charitable and Is applled for charltable purp05e5. TangSble flxed a55ets Furniture. fittings & Equipment Total Cost or valuailon At l October 2023 Addlrlons In year Dlsposals in year 43,828 43,828 (38.097) (38,097) At 30 September 2024 5,731 5,731 Depreclatlon At l Qctober 2023 Charge for the year E]Imlnated on disposal 33.955 8,066 137.552) 33,955 8,066 (37,552> At 30 september 2024 Net book vaiue At 30 September 2024 4.469 4,469 1.262 1,262 At l October 2023 9.873 9,873 All of the above assets are used for charftable purposes. l O Debtors 2024 2023 Trade debtor5 Other debtor$ Prepayments Accrued income 5,707 450 14,183 29,011 1,762 20,519 25,556 49,351 47,836 29
The Splres Centre Notes to the financlal statements For the ar ended 30 Se tember 2024 I I Credltors: amounts falllng due wlthln one year 2024 2023 Trade credltors Taxation and soclal securlty Other creditors Accrua15 Deferred Income 7.471 9,198 1.193 11,407 16,667 4,420 9,634 5,056 5,942 20.833 45.936 45,885 12 Deferred Income Deferred Income comprfses grants recelved In advance for the comlng year 2024 2023 Balance at the beglnnlng of the year Amount released to income In the year Amount deferred In the year 20,833 (20,833) 16.667 6,667 (6.667) 20,833 Balance at the end of the year 16.667 20.833 13 Analysls of net assets between funds 2024 General unrestrScted Designated Restritted Total funds Tanglble flxed asset5 Net current assets 1 .262 265,563 1.262 315,563 50.000 Net assets at the end of the year 266,825 50.000 316,825 2023 General unrestricted Designated Restrltted Total funds Net current assets 239,652 50,000 289,652 Net assets at the end of the year 239,652 50.000 289,652 30
The Splre5 Centre Notes to the flnanclal statements For the ear ended 30 Se tember 2024 14 Movements In funds Incorning Outgoing At the start resources & resources of ihe year gains & losses 2024 At the end of the year Transfer5 Restricted fund5= Rough Sleeper SeNice 8lg Lottery Fund ciry of London Women's Support Senrtce London Catalyst London Community Fund London Borough of Croydon London Borough of Lambeth Stavros Nlarchos Foundatlon Support Fund 163,580 (163,580) 40,000 140,000) 6,500 10.510 30.000 3,860 40.000 (6,500) 110,510) 130.000) (3,860) (40.000) 50,000 50,000 Total restrlcted funds so,000 294,450 (294,450) 50,000 Unrestrlcted funds.. General funds 239,652 329.237 (302,064) 266.825 Total unrestrltted funds 239,652 329,237 (302,0641 266,825 Total funds 289.652 623.687 1596,5141 316,825 14 Movements In fvnds (contlnued) 2023 Incoming Outgolng At the start resources & resources of ihe year gains & losses At the end of the year Transfers Restrlcted funds: Big Lottery Reachlng Communltles City of London Garfield Weston LHA London 5tavros Niarchos Foundation Streets of London Support Fund 171.450 {171.450> 45.908 <45.908> 25.000 (2 5.0001 30,000 (30,0001 23,333 (23.3331 15,000 (15.000) 50,000 50,000 Total restrlcted funds 50,000 310,691 (310,691) 50,000 Unrestrlcred funds.. Designated funds: Special projects General funds 154,940 78.284 1154,940) 154.94 269.756 (263,3281 239,652 Total unrestricted funds 233,224 269,756 (263,328) 239,652 Total funds 283.224 580.447 (574,019) 289,652 31
The Splres Centre Notes to the nnanclal statements For the ear ended 30 Se tember 2024 Purpose of restrltted funds Big Lottery Fund.. Wornen'5 services City of London.. Women'5 5eNice5 Lottery Fund Reachlng Communities London Catalyst." Homelessness London Community Fund." CEO Salary London Borough of Crovdon.. Refugees homelessness and sUPPOrt London Borough of Larnbeth". Homelessne55 Stavros Nlarchos Foundation". Homelessne55 (salaTle5 and dlrect Cosrs) Support Fund. Cllent grants 15 Reconclllatlon of net income l (expendlture) to net cash flow from operating actmtles 2024 2023 Net Income l (expendlture) for the reponlng period (as per the staternent of flnanclal actlvlties) Depreclatlon charges Divldends. Interest and rent from Investments IProfit)IIos5 on the dlsposal of fixed assets Decrea5elUnCa5ej In debtors {Decrease>llncrease In credltors 27.173 6,428 8,066 (14.165) 54S (1,5151 51 3.291 15,442) (18.801) 20,311 Net cash provlded by l (used In) operaiing attlvltle5 20,155 5,787 16 Analy515 of cash and equlvalenrs Atl Ottober 2023 Cash flow5 At30 September 2024 Other changes Cash at bank 277,828 34,320 312.748 Total cash and cash equlvalents 277.828 34.320 312,148 17 Legal status of the charity The charlty Is a company limited by guarantee and has no share opltal. The liabllity of each member In the event of windlng up is limited to £ l. 32