2024-09-30-accounts

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Beinge@ Alongsidee@ Association for Pastoral Care in17 Mental Conifer HealthClose FLEET, Hants GU52 6LR www.beingalongside.org.uk

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024 Charity registration number: 1081642

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Background, Objectives and Activities | Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing Para 1.17 document Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public | Pa" 1.17 and benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the 19 accounts. Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the Para 1.18 guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit

The Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health (APCMH) was formed in 1986 by the parents of a son who was living with serious and long-term mental ill-health in order to educate and campaign for effective spiritual care at a time when little was available or even understood within the mental health context. Initially the Association was formed as an unincorporated association, called The Association for the Pastoral Care of the Mentally Ill. Its name was changed in 1997 to The Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health. In 2000 the Association was incorporated in

England and Wales with registered number 3957730. Its charitable registration was transferred to the Company. The Association adopted the operational name of "Being Alongside" and continues to use that name for its promotional activities.

On 18 May 2022 the Association converted to a Foundation Charitable Incorporated Organisation ("CIO") and it ceased to be registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee. A new Constitution was adopted. In this report, APCMH will be referred to as “the Charity”.

In November 2023, following discussion and consultation with the Charity Commission during the preceding reporting year, the Charity’s trustees agreed to adopt revised objects to better reflect the scope of the charity's work, albeit fully aligned with the founders’ original vision. The Charity’s revised objects are: “To promote social inclusion for the public benefit of those who have experience of mental ill-health and their families in the United Kingdom, and to reliver the needs of such people in particular by encouraging the provision of local pastoral care.”

In adopting these revised objects, and in all other activities during the reporting year, the trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained within the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

The aims of the Charity are mainly achieved through: (a) activities of local branches and affiliated groups such as drop-in facilities and befriending schemes; (b) by encouraging others to provide similar activities and appropriate pastoral care; and (c) its website and by publication of a national newsletter and resource information.

The Charity, both locally and nationally, depends on its many volunteers to carry out its work. The trustees would like to extend their thanks to the volunteers serving our affiliated projects, without whom we would not be able to deliver our objects effectively.

The trustees would also like to record our thanks formally to 34SP.com, a web hosting company which kindly provides their services for free to us (alongside many other registered charities), therefore saving us expenditure in order to provide this key external platform to promote our services to beneficiaries. We understand the company has provided services to charities over the last year with a commercial value of £70,000: their generosity is much appreciated and hugely valuable to a small charity like Being Alongside.

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2. Achievements and Performance
Se
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Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference
the charity's work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and
any wider benefits to society as a whole. -ara 1.20
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The Charity continues to support its network of affiliated projects which in turn help deliver support services to those experiencing mental ill-health and their carers/families. In particular, Croydon APCMH (1097979) and the Battersea Befriending Network (1194593) continue to operate as affiliated groups, providing drop-ins, support and befriending between them. The trustees remain in regular contact with these two projects.

We continue to hold funds previously raised by Merton and Sutton APCMH, a branch of the Charity, which wound up operations in February 2023. We continue to seek local partners with similar charitable aims operating in those boroughs and have taken steps to engage with local church leaders who might be able to facilitate the establishment of a project replicating the drop-in service previously run by the branch.

In early 2023, the Cellar Camino Café in Godalming (operated by the Warehouse Christian Trust) became an affiliate member of Being Alongside. The café has "the principle objective of providing a caring and friendly meeting place for disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the community", and shares many of the same objects as the Charity. We have remained in contact with the managing committee of the Cellar Camino Café and offered support as they extend and promote their services.

The trustees continue to see an important role of the Charity as encouraging the development and continuation of local initiatives for the support of those with mental health difficulties and their carers. With this aim in mind, in July 2023 the trustees launched a grant scheme, offering funding of up to £2,000 to organisations seeking to start a new support service to those experiencing mental health difficulties, particularly through the model of drop-in café or befriending relationships. The trustees have set aside £10,000 during each of the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25 for these purposes and a grant sub-committee assesses applications received on a quarterly basis. During the reporting period, the scheme awarded funds to six projects across the country: e Pippins Community Centre, Axminster - for a drug and alcohol recovery project at Axminster Hub (£1500)
e Freemantle Baptist Church, Southampton - to set up "Sunflowers Cafe", a Renew Wellbeing Space (£933)
e Frodsham Bee Friends, Cheshire - to set up drop in coffee mornings at a retirement living development and a men's group serving Park Homes communities (£1960)
e Warehouse Christian Trust, Godalming — to set up a mental health drop in at the Cellar café (£1250)
e One Life Church, Tiverton - to set up a Kintsugi Hope group (£1520) e St Andrews Church, Nottingham - to run a Samaritans listening course to improve mental health provision in their area (£2000)
The Charity regularly producesa full colour magazine sent in hard and digital copy to supporters and made available at events. This includes updates on the Charity’s work, features related to organisations working in similar areas of support, and articles and other contributions from supporters and beneficiaries. During the reporting year the trustees agreed to regularise publication of the magazine annually (reduced from an average of twice a year) to preserve resources, while supplementing this with a lower cost newsletter to provide an update to supporters in the second half of the year. This approach has been well received by supporters.

A series of ‘action sheets' sharing good practice on different aspects of providing local pastoral support to those experiencing mental health issues were updated during the previous reporting year and are among the various resources made available freely on the Being Alongside website.

Drawing on the rich experience of our affiliate groups, the trustees organised a one day conference in March 2024 to explore different models of community-based pastoral support. More than 30 supporters of Being Alongside gathered at St Peter’s, Battersea, to hear from speakers including the Charity’s new patron, Dr Larry Culliford, who reflected on his experience as a psychiatrist, in particular in training new practitioners to respond attentively to the needs of their patients. Larry stressed the importance of ‘being’ rather ‘doing’; and of sitting in true company with those who are suffering.

The second part of the programme saw Canon Andrew Wilson, Vice-Chair of Croydon APCMH,, introduce the organisation’s work supporting residents of Croydon and surrounding areas. The group has been active since 1989, offering various drop-in sessions and weekly activities for those experiencing mental health challenges. Andrew offered reflections on the nature of the group’s ministry in journeying alongside those in need.

After a lunch and briefing on the Charity’s grant scheme — and an introduction to one of its beneficiaries, the Cellar Café in Godalming — attendees heard about the work of the Battersea Befriending Network (BBN) from the organisation’s Chair, Sarah Rackham and trustees. BBN’s presentation included a moving insight into the value of befriending relationships, both for the immediate parties involved but also for the wellbeing of the wider community.

Audio recordings of all the presentations are available on the Being Alongside website.

3. Financial Review

3. Financial Review	3. Financial Review
Reviewofthe charity's financial position atthe end ofthe period Statement explaining the policyfor holding reserves statingwhythey are
held
Amount of reserves held
Reasons for holding zero	reserves
Details offund materially in deficit Explanation ofanyuncertaintiesaboutthe charity continuing asagoing
concern

There were charity funds as at 30 September 2023 totalling £61,990 (2022: £65, 008). Of those funds £8,283 (2022:£5, 802) is designated for the Merton and Sutton Branch.

Part of those funds came from branches that are currently dormant, namely, Forest Hill (£1,812) and Haslemere (£1,903) which paid over those amounts to the national committee when they ceased their activities. The funds are held by the National Committee. Future payments to a re-established Forest Hill or Haslemere Group would be for the Trustees to determine.

All funds are unrestricted and derive mainly from legacies totalling about £150,000 received around 2008.

Part of those legacies has been used to cover the Charity's annual deficits.

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4. Structure, Governance and Management
Description of charity's trusts: [sid
Type of governing document
[How'sis thethe charitychery constituted? consttted oe |
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional Para 1.25
provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to
appoint one or more trustees
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As set out in section 1 above, the Charity is established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, governed by a Constitution (available on the Being Alongside website). Under the Constitution trustees are appointed by a properly convened meeting of the trustees, for specified terms not exceeding 3 years. On the expiry of their specified terms trustees may be reappointed subject to an agreed policy that no trustee should serve in that capacity for a total of more than 9 years.

The trustees keep the skill requirements of the organisation under review and whena trustee retires or additional new trustees are required, the existing trustees collectively discuss the change. Vacancies are advertised to supporters and through other channels, as deemed

appropriate by the trustees. Appointments are then made by nomination based on their skill and knowledge.

There is no formal induction or training of the new trustee, beyond briefing on the Charity's Safeguarding Policy and the provision of documents (as set out in section 11 of the Charity’s Constitution).

Trustees are kept up to date on new issues through their own professional expertise and under advice from relevant professional organisations. The Charity's Safeguarding Policy is reviewed and signed by all trustees annually.

At trustee meetings the trustees agree the broad strategy and areas of activity for the Charity. The day-to-day administration of the Charity is delegated to the Administrator and CIO Secretary, Revd Lucy Roose.

Reference and Administrative details [Charityname ————| The Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health Other name the charity uses| Being Alongside Registered charity number 1081642 Charity’s principal address 17 Conifer Close Church Crookham Fleet Hampshire GU62 6LR

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

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Revd Cathryn Wiles a
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Patrons

The Rt Revd Guli Francis-Dehqani Dr Larry Culliford

= Administrator and CIO Secretary Revd Lucy Roose

Treasurer

John Vallat

6. Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

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Full name(s) Benjamin Wilson

Helen Trout lVice Chair

Position (eg Secretary, Chair Chair, etc)

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A Receipts and payments accounts For the period To from 01-Oct-23 30-Sep-24

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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of
the period e
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest to nearest £
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Fund to Amount When due which due (optional) Details liabilityrelate (optional) B5 Liabilities} Outstanding Admin fee Unrestricted i Outstanding Committee Unrestricted Expense Signed by one or two trustees on Signature Print Name aarord behalf of all the trustees SS etth Helen Trout Q \y. 2A

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