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Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust & SoapBox Islington

Annual Report 2022 to 2023

Table of Contents 02 Chair of Trustee’s report 03/04 Trustees & About Dragon Hall Trust 05/09 Youth Project 10 Food & Advice Service 11/14 Over 55s Project 15/20 SoapBox Islington 21 Staff 22 Funders 23 Contact

Chair of Trustee’s REPORT

The trustees have reviewed the sustainability of the charity in conjunction with the Risk Register and have identified areas where the establishment of Designated Funds would be advisable. Uncertainty over future funding in a changing and challenging funding landscape necessitates the need for an effective and considered growth strategy. This includes revision of the mission statement, exploring donor patterns, expanding fundraising tactics, optimising marketing, and establishing further development work with other charities.

Designated Fund for Research & Development: Allocate £40,000 - This Designated Fund will help us research, understand and address the root causes of social problems and develop innovative solutions to address them. It is the natural and necessary expansion of innovative work and sector expertise which Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust has developed since 2012. Research will consider the effectiveness of our programmes and services and help us to identify areas of development which improve the breadth, scope and quality of our provision.

Social and Digital Exclusion - since 2012, CGHDT has supported the most socially and the most digitally excluded children, young people and over 55s. Building on our nationally recognised work in this area, research will explore the access to skills, knowledge, resources and connections that socially excluded people require to avoid or minimise the double helix of exclusion (where the most socially excluded are also the most digitally excluded) and then develop provision which moves people towards social and digital inclusion.

Health & Wellbeing - this element will see research into, and development of, Early Help, Intervention and Prevention approaches across CGDHT´s work (from children up to older people), with a particular focus on promoting positive mental health, encouraging healthy behaviours and creating partnerships and pathways that support individuals and/ or groups who face multiple or complex needs

to build the requisite workplace capabilities, soft skills and resilience;

the use of digital technologies to facilitate the development of specialist and higher level skills;
staff to understand and use innovations eg Artificial Intelligence, that reduce workload pressure and enhance the effective and efficient delivery of services;

Alleviating localised deprivation issues - there are a number of key areas of need and/ or deprivation which are particularly relevant to the geographical area that CGDHT supports:

the lack of affordable community, education and leisure facilities;
the lack of green spaces;
overcrowding and associated housing issues.

This strand will focus on research which highlights the key drivers that created these issues and then codesigns CGHDT programmes and services which begin to address them.

As noted above, these represent (when viewed through both internal and external lenses) recognised areas of knowledge, experience and expertise. And, in focusing on these, the Trustees acknowledge that there is an opportunity to invest in them further, with a view to future income generation and long-term sustainability.

Sinking Fund, Training and Legals: Allocate £140,000

We also need to re-calculate the following exceptional costs and set aside Designated Funds to cover them: - Maintenance (Sinking Fund) for two dedicated delivery locations ( Dragon Hall in Camden and SoapBox in Islington)

Front of building
Boiler and air conditioning replacement
Main Hall Floor
Legal & Professional:
Lease renewal

Learning for Life - employing research and participatory engagement tools/approaches to examine and then coproduce solutions that support:

the key transition points from primary to secondary education and from adolescence to adulthood;
those who are underrepresented in the workforce and/ or specific sectors (disabled people; care leavers; over 55s etc)
Recruitment Fees (Director etc)
Staff Training These are in addition to the four months core costs.

Sue Vincent Chair of Trustees and Local Councillor

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Sue Vincent

Chair

Holborn & Covent Garden ward Councillor for LB Camden and local resident

Alex Lloyd

Trustee

PhD student in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London researching when and why teenagers take risks.

Simon Breugger Trustee

Local resident, merchant banker. Used to be a teacher & continues to support young people.

Jeff Hopwood

Treasurer

Former Camden council officer and supporter of the voluntary sector.

Claude Asgill

Trustee

Experienced fundraiser and mental health advocate working in the construction industry.

Kate Matheson

Trustee

A local resident in Covent Garden, member of West End Women’s Institute, retired.

Tim Lynn Secretary

Sound Engineer in West End Theatres and former resident of Covent Garden.

Gerrard Knowles

Trustee

Local resident, NHS practitioner, has a special interest in the strategy and development of partner organisation - The Phoenix Garden

Francis Go

Trustee

VP of Engineering at Distributed Ltd, a Technology Startup changing the future of work.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

Delivering a wide range of social, educational & recreational activities & events, developed & delivered in partnership with users, to serve the needs of our diverse communities.

Aims

To benefit the inhabitants of Inner London by associating local authorities, voluntary organisations and such inhabitants in a common effort to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupations with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants.

To educate the public in the geography, history, natural history and architecture of the area and to secure the preservation, protection, development and improvement of buildings or features of historic or public interest in London to enable them to be enjoyed by the public.

To promote any charitable purposes for the benefit of the said inhabitants and in particular the advancement of education & skills (with particular but not exclusive reference to technology & the arts).

To establish or secure the establishment of community centres and to maintain and manage the same in furtherance of the above objects.

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Youth Team

Keeley Reed - Youth Manager

Last year we said we were looking forward to extending our services and this year, that is exactly what we did!

We Started running 3 new sessions, separate boys and girls clubs and a new coding session, as well as our After School Clubs, Transitional youth clubs, Intermediates youth club, Homework club and Coding clubs.

After School Club this year really found its new rhythm, we reached our capacity on all days and were engaging young people in new activities every week.

We are open for three days a week: Monday are groups games and creations; Tuesdays have been based around STEAM team activities; Fridays are homework and open play. This has been a joy to run with young people, seeing their creative ideas come to life - from making an App for under 11’s, how they would survive a deserted island and creating their own healthy snack - these have all been incredible things to witness and we cannot wait to continue similar activities in the next year to see what the young people can create.

The development we saw from running these new sessions has been astonishing, young people’s communication skills developed, presenting their ideas to the whole group, standing up and speaking in front of people, their confidence grew. They show strong team work skills in working together to create these ideas. We really have been witness to some amazing development this year.

The Holidays were very busy for young people in Primary and Secondary school. We were funded by Young Camden Foundation to run the Holiday Activities and Food scheme (HAF), aimed at young people in receipt of free school meals, during Easter and Summer breaks. This enabled us to provide 80 hot meals a week for young people for 6 weeks. Through this project we have worked with over 30 new young people who have come via the Young Camden Foundation.

The project also saw the young people taking advantage of our community garden - The Phoenix Garden - learning about plants, the environment and urban wildlife.

Finally, as part of this project we were able to attend trips to Urban Farms, Clacton on Sea, trampoline park and Ice Skating all thanks to the funding we received.

During October half term we took 21 young people aged 13-16 on a 3 day residential to Hindleap Warren, an activity site belonging to London Youth, where young people had the opportunity to take a break from the city, try new activities and support their relationship building with the group.

These were 3 days away that the young people and staff will never forget. People pushed themselves beyond their boundaries to achieve things they thought they couldn’t. One of the highlights was seeing the young people be proud of their achievements, and the way they supported each other, cheering, encouraging, doing the activities together and sharing the support roles.

Our intermediates have had some wonderful opportunities for life skills development. We worked with Eat Club to provide them with skills for cooking for yourself, as well as

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cooking for others. They developed their own menus and prepared and cooked a three course meal. Alongside this they received the opportunity to gain work experience for 2 weeks at a restaurant in Kings Cross to understand more of a working environment, and gained essential work experience as hosts, baristas, chefs, waiters/waitresses and bar staff. They have also been involved in becoming young volunteers. Some to work on their Duke of Edinburgh award, for others to boost their CV and support their local community.

So far this year we have had 15 young volunteers come and support our After School Club for more than 30 hours at a time.

The benefit we see is incredible, young volunteers who have grown up in this area, attended the same schools as the After School Club members and have experienced the same problems and challenges that influence the area. They are role models for their younger peers, bridging the gap between age groups and being supportive and reassuring, and sharing information about going on to secondary school.

For 23/24, we will continue the work we have been doing this year, build on the successes of the STEAM activities, encourage and support young people into volunteering and strenghen our relationships with local schools and parents.

My children love Dragon Hall. It helps them with their development and they feel very safe. The leaders are all amazing and teach them invaluable tools to become independent.

Dragon Hall has provided my son with a supportive, safe space to have fun and socialise with other children outside of school...especially important to an only child.

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Boys Club

Elliot Hughes - Youth Worker

Champion! Our Boys Only Club from ages 11 to 16, developing life skills through sessions on budgeting, cooking and school study support

Our Boys Only club is where we run weekly activities, on and off site, and discuss topics in a safe environment while allowing young people to develop into young adults.

The sessions have been able to provide a wonderful opportunity for the young men to develop their friendships/ relationships in a different setting. They have set goals for themselves, considered what they want to achieve, developed life skills through our sessions on budgeting and cooking, and received school support with their studies.

We have had 25 young people come through the group, with the young men bringing their friends along.

In recent months, the Boys Club has been a breath of fresh air, due to the younger members who have been incorporated into the group to help with their transition into secondary school. This has not only brought energy and enthusiasm to our activities, but has allowed our older members to develop responsibility and leadership skills while helping and advising on this difficult period for those in year 6.

An example of this was our Secondary school Q&A sessions, in which the year 6s were able to ask all types of questions to our older members about what secondary school is going to be like and what they can expect. This was not only very informative but great to see the young men opening up about their experiences and giving honest answers.

Our volleyball tournament was also one of the highlights, as all age groups formed mixed teams to compete against each other which showed great confidence for the year 6s, who may have previously been nervous to join in with the older group.

The after school club service provided is important, it keeps children and youth engaged and helps their development physically and mentally. They’re able to socialise within an environment where they can grow, strive and mature into young adults.

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Girls Club

Eugenia Da Silva - Youth Worker

A safe space where girls can have a voice and explore their goals, hopes and dreams

The Girls Club started on International Women’s Day March 2022, this was a significant date for the group as it really highlighted the importance of having a Young Women’s group and what it would stand for.

The vision for Girls Club is to have a safe space where girls can have a voice, explore their goals, hopes and dreams with support to navigate and make a difference in their community.

The girls attending Girls Club at Dragon Hall are aged between 11-16. The sessions take place every Tuesday between 5.30pm and 7.30pm. During this time they have the opportunity to develop new relationships, a general catch up with one another, talk about different experiences, brainstorm and contribute their ideas towards their vision for the group and participate in different activities where they are able to learn different skills.

Discussions - The girls have various discussions on issues and topics which affect them as young women. The topics include current affairs, body image, employment, careers, politics, well being and mental health. These discussions enable them to articulate their thoughts, share their opinions in a safe space and hear other Young Women’s views in a safe environment.

Cooking and Baking - A lot of the girls attending have really enjoyed creating something as a group, tasting and sharing it together afterwards along with learning how to cook and bake which is a skill they can pass on and share with their family.

Movie Nights - Some of the movie nights the girls have attended had a discussion element to it afterwards which explored the roles women play in movies and has enabled them to discuss their thoughts on how women are represented and portrayed in the film industry.

Arts and Crafts - The girls have had the opportunity to try different arts and crafts activities. Some of the activities we have had previously include, making slime, flower pressing, jewellery making, painting and more. A young woman was also involved with creating a logo for the YW’s group as she really enjoys art.

Homework, Exams and Revision - As a few of the Young Women were preparing for exams we ensured that we created a space at Dragon Hall for them to revise and have support during their exam periods. They also use the space to do their homework.

1-1 Support -

Young Women have been receiving 1-1 support sessions which involves them being supported with CV’s, job searches, career options and self development.

Between 6 and 20 young women attend sessions each week, that include a wide variety of different activities -

We look forward to seeing this group’s continuous development and growth.

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Dragon Hall Trust - 2022 to 2023 After School Clubs 15% Asian Statistics 30% White 27% Black 370 Sessions or Black 3% British Attendences 11,335 Other 25% 280 Young People Mixed 35 Young Volunteers 4 Jack Petchey Winners 53%[15] Female 47% Male 47 24% Westminster Residents 60% Camden 16% Residents Other Boroughs 6

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Food Provision & Advice Sessions

In partnership with Covent Garden Community Centre and based at the Seven Dials Club, the Covent Garden Pantry has been building relationships and endeavouring to meet the needs of the local community since it began running on Friday 10th February 2023. The reopening of food provision was made possible by a grant from the Julia & Hans Rousing Trust.

Prior to the Pantry opening, a food bank ran from the Club during lockdown and the decision was made to reinstate this model of community support in response to the current cost of living crisis.

The Pantry at present serves families and individuals with food and hygiene parcels being distributed each Friday. Each individual who comes feeds between 1 and 6 people from their parcel. We estimate that since the Pantry began in February 2023 our donated food parcels have cooked 5925 meals!

The demand for assistance is steadily increasing and it is becoming more difficult to fill the need - we constantly require donations of food and hygiene products and would like to thank the businesses and individuals that meet that need, by collecting donations from staff, friends and families and deliver to the Panty each month. Clients fill in a referral form each week in order to receive a parcel of essential food and hygiene/cleaning products. Appointment slots are made and preferences for food stuffs can be requested, with no solid guarantees given as we rely on donations for our food parcels.

The atmosphere at the Pantry is one of friendly inclusivity. We provide a safe space where residents can not only collect essential food but also chat and combat any feelings of social isolation and worry.

The Pantry has made strong relationships with local businesses and individual givers which enable food donations to be good quality and varied. A wish list is circulated to those organisations who request and this enables us to try to meet the food needs of our culturally diverse residents.

In addition to food provision we offer Advice one-to-one Sessions with an advisor from Mary Ward Legal. Each appointment is for one hour and we can cover debt, benefits, & housing plus budgeting advice and assistance.

“The Covent Garden Pantry has been a huge lifeline for so many of us locally struggling with the cost of living crisis. Not only does it help with putting food on the table, but creates a feeling of belonging to something which is developing between the regulars who support each other during these times. This is beautifully orchestrated by Natalie who is both welcoming, warm and supportive of our individual needs” Pantry User 3

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Over 55s - 2022 to 2023 John Hayes - Community Development Manager

What a difference a year makes! In May 2021, older people were still hesitant to mix and socialise with other people. Travelling on public transport, shopping and going to the theatre were Herculean tasks to be carried out. Twelve months later, Dragon Hall timetable for the over 55’s represents something of the new ‘normal world’.

During 2022 our telephone befriending scheme started to wind down, online classes were no longer as popular as before. Older people re-started their adult education classes, participate in group exercise sessions and our monthly tea dances were, once again, hugely successful.

Last year, sessions were taking place at The Phoenix Garden. Smaller groups and a desire to be out in the open were the priority. This year sessions were attracting more people and we needed larger spaces to accommodate everyone, Dragon Hall became our default location for most of the larger group sessions.

During the summer there were many ‘coming out of lock down celebrations’ including a summer tea at the British Museum that attracted hundreds of people from the community. Our own Summer BBQ at The Phoenix Garden was equally successful and enjoyable.

Our partnership work remains at the heart of our timetable and this year saw the number of different partners grow and our variety of sessions broaden. During the summer, 2 Temple House hosted a number of different half day workshops with different themes; including working with ceramics, watercolours and textiles.

The Garden Cinema offered older people a lifetime membership and over the last few months, members have taken advantage of reduced ticket prices and have seen a host of films on the big screen (including Chinatown, Brazil and An age of Innocence). Many of our group are looking forward to the Alfred Hitchcock season that is coming up in June 2023.

Another hugely successful partnership has been working with the Community Access Scheme at the English National

Opera. Over the last year, Dragon Hall members have been offered free tickets to eleven operas (including Carmen, Tosca and Akhnaten) as well as been invited to three weekend workshops (one of which focused on juggling and singing). Nearly two hundred members were able to participate in this wonderful scheme.

One of the biggest challenges that the over 55’s project has faced is the increase in demand to join. Last year membership stood at 385, currently it stands at 575 an increase of 186 (an average of 3 new requests per week).

We have continued to expand our activities (especially evening and weekend sessions) which have included health walks, herbal workshops and creative writing.

Our work with the Covent Garden Community Centre at 7 Dials Club remains the jewel in the crown. The Friday Lunch Club is extremely popular. Over 2000 lunches have been served during the past twelve months. Our numbers continue to grow each week and the feedback has been amazing. Thanks to Phil Walls who manages the venue and Karol - our fantastic chef.

Our annual report cannot be completed without mentioning our Annual Christmas Lunch - attended by the Mayor of Camden. As always, it was an extremely busy and popular

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time. Close to 250 traditional Christmas lunches, with all the trimmings, were served over two days.

A brand new community space has also been made available for over 55’s projects at Covent Garden Community Centre, and during the last six months, workshops and social activities including bridge, tai chi, video editing and a monthly pub quiz have taken place.

The future of our project remains positive, but as always, we are reliant on funding and donations. The current cost of living crisis has followed on the heels of the COVID crisis and many more people are in need of support - directly or indirectly.

Reducing loneliness and isolation remain the core of our work and I am grateful for the support of the youth team (Keeley Reed and Elliot Hughes, both of whom continue to play a huge role in the expansion of our project.

Dragon Hall Trust provides over 50 activities each month. Without the wonderful support of our volunteers, who have contributed hundreds of hours last year, we could not have planned and delivered the activities we do without them.

I am grateful to Sarath Thenabadu, Pearl Wong, Caroline Dowdell, Helena Lee, David Andrews and Richard Wilson.

As I get older, sadly, old friends die or move away so that it’s easy to feel a bit isolated and lonely at times. It is so important to my well being to have the opportunity to socialise during visits to places like Kew where the calm, relaxed setting provides an ideal opportunity to make new friends.

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Over 55s Project Statistics 8% Asian 6% Other 45% White British 28% 385 Members Chinese 584 Activities 13% 5671 Attendences Mixed 59% 41% Female Male[1] 41 23% 38% Other Boroughs 7% 15% Camden Residents Age 85+ Age 55 9% to 64 26% Southwark 1 Age 75 6% 24% to 84 52% Lambeth Westminster Residents Age 65 to 74 38

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SoapBox Islington

Overview

This year, as we began to truly move away from the Pandemic, SoapBox staff were determined not to return to ‘normal’, because that was not what lots of young people needed, but instead to pose (and find answers to) the question of ‘what comes next’? In doing so, we tried to draw on the best bits of pre- and during Covid and then to add new things which could engage, excite and inspire the young people that we support.

What we didn’t fully know was, having turned the corner with Covid, and Austerity, and Brexit, that a new problem was around the corner. The Cost of Living Crisis loomed large in this period and, with the residual impact of the three previous challenges still in evidence, this period represented significant issues for our organisation, for staff and for young people.

Nonetheless, the charity can be proud of the way everyone responded to this crisis through hard work, empathy and maintaining a commitment to delivering the very best work possible at the centre. Below are some of the highlights that staff and young people have chosen to share during 2022/ 23.

SoapBox Live

One aspect really took hold as we moved online, were our Live Events, curated and delivered by young people. Starting off with live music and performance at the centre, these evolved during 2022 into a broader range of both internal and external activities.

SoapBox Live is our flagship event series, where young people organise every aspect of the events from locating the performers to promoting the shows right through to hosting and sound engineering on the night. This is one of our most visible examples of putting young people right at the heart of what we do, as they work with staff to develop and deliver opportunities for their peers to have a regular space to perform and be creative. This year we have been wonderfully supported by SoundSkool, the music industry college partner which calls SoapBox home. Over the course of the year, 37 events took place, with a team of 10 organisers and over 300 musicians, performing to an audience of 1,110+ people.

SoapBox also offered an Event Space for young people to put on their own activities, workshops and showcases. As with all of our work, we believe passionately in partnerships, so it is a logical step for us to also provide young people with the chance to use the centre to host their own events. For many, it is the first time that they have done something like this, so having a venue which is available for free, where they don’t have to meet any expectations (apart from their own) and with a supportive team of youth workers behind them, means they can put all the effort into making their ‘thing’ the best it can be, without fear or worry.

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In 2022/23, 20 young people took advantage of this opportunity, putting on 13 events, attended by over 270 people.

With SoapBox Live a group of young people now have professional event organising experience which they can take elsewhere. SoapBox’s Event Organising Team has been busy this year.

Delivering the main stage at the Whitecross Festival has become a fixture in the SoapBox Calendar. But this year was different, as pulling the 2 day event together now fell to our Event Organisers, who took control of liaising with the Festival organisers, stage management, working the technology, budgeting, networking, being an artist liaison & performing. Whitecross is a brilliant example of positive endeavour leading onto further opportunities, with the team and performers doing further work at two events for the Queen’s Jubilee, Local Village Network’s Annual Event, Discover SoapBox sessions with Toffee Park Adventure Playground and St Luke’s Community Centre and a series of Health & Wellbeing events with Break Comms.

After School Clubs

Drawing on the experience and success of Keeley’s work at Dragon Hall, SoapBox developed and honed our own after school provision. Delivering three weekly sessions during term-time, we focus on an exclusive version for young women on Mondays and mixed groups on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Whereas Dragon Hall delivers work from 8 years old, we focus on young people who are 10+.

In keeping with our wider work, these clubs have a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths, with programmes including coding, Virtual Reality, 3d Design, Music Production, Digital Content Creation and STEAM Mentoring. We also include activities which focus on health & wellbeing, with weekly cooking sessions delivered by our partner Eat Club and a mixed football group.

Having piloted work with 1 school previously, we built a network of 5 primary schools in the immediate area around the centre. We currently offer a ‘walking bus’ from one school and are in discussions with other schools about how we can add other schools in the coming year.

Finally, one of the most exciting developments has taken place with Eugenia’s Young Women’s ‘No Ceilings’ group. A pivotal reason why we started doing after school activities in the first place was to offer young people an organisation, professionals and friends who continued to be around whilst they were going through the tumultuous transition from Primary to Secondary School, where young people can lose

the security of so much that they have grown up with.

This year has seen that being realised, with the group of Year 6 young women who attended in the summer of 2022 returning as Year 7 students in September. Whilst this meant that Eugenia quickly needed to offer a new Year 7 group, it showed that the intention of genuinely supporting young people on both sides of their transition was being realised. That doesn’t just have implications for young women, but also gives us a template for the rest of the after school work going forward.

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SoapBox Programme Highlights

Employment, Mentoring & Soft Skills

During Covid, SoapBox really got to grips with the need for us to provide support for young people who were transitioning from adolescence to adulthood and from school to the workplace. Work by the amazing Sally Rush was our first foray into that and then Jordan Sterling, of Loud Futures fame, really picked up the ball and ran with it through the Peabody Young Ambassadors programme. This set the scene for developments in 2022/23 through two pieces of work, UK Youth’s Dream It Real initiative and the Greater London Authority’s New Deal for Young People : STEAM Mentoring programme.

Dream It Real

Dream It Real, funded by Coach, was a programme led by Nick, Jordan and Kase, seeing 60 young people completing a 12-hour employability and soft skills course, which included a SWOT analysis, financial management, managing mental health and networking. Out of the 60, 20 young people won grants totaling nearly £20,000 to purchase tools, software and vocational courses for their future professions.

Leading on from this work the 60 young people are currently still developing skills internally and externally covering employability, new digital technologies, as well as building personal development programmes.

STEAM Mentoring

The Greater London Authority’s STEAM Mentoring programme is one of the charity’s most important pieces of work of the last decade, impacting on almost every aspect of work at SoapBox. Set across two projects, it delivers both group and individual mentoring support in Primary, Secondary, Further Education and Community settings for socially excluded young people aged 10-25 years old.

The Primary element (First Steps) in Project 1 is delivered to whole Year 5 class cohorts in 5 local Primary Schools, involving 6 sessions where STEAM industry leaders provide an introduction to various STEAM sectors and disciplines and participants capture their learning and progress through a bespoke workbook. In Project 2, we have added a community aspect, with young people who attend SoapBox’s after school provision accessing weekly mentoring support in small groups of 7 each.

The Secondary School programme is called ‘Power of a Virtual Hour’ and this involves small groups of Year 10 students accessing mentoring and networking support through the medium of Virtual Reality. Here, a bespoke platform and VR games, provides participants with a distinct vehicle through which to engage with mentors.

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SoapBox Programme Highlights

Get Ahead

Our post 16 work is titled ‘Get Ahead’ and this includes 3 specific approaches:

A purpose-built Bootcamp Model: 3 x 8 hour Bootcamps which include Industry Spotlights, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Networking, Q&A and Next Steps, alongside self-assessment impact measurement to explore distance travelled and journey undertaken;

Coaching: both small group and individual coaching. The group coaching programme takes place over 3 months, including 4 x 1 hour sessions, out of session support and follow ups from SoapBox staff for a further 3 months, whilst the individual support involves 3 months of coaching, including 5 x 1 hour sessions, plus out of session support and follow ups;

1-2-1 Mentoring: young people receiving 6 months support from STEAM industry professionals to explore their personal/ career plans, expand their professional networks and set future goals.

This work is being delivered in Further Education, Community and online settings, and to targeted groups of young people (either by area of interest or type of exclusion). To date, this has included games design students from Westminster Kingsway College, young people with SEND from Elatt College, a cohort from Royal Mencap, 2 groups from Music Industry College SoundSkool and online cohorts of young women and young people from racilaised communities.

We exceeded the whole participant target for two years of Project 1 in our first year, a truly remarkable achievement, one which highlights not only the quality of the offer, but the fact that young people don’t get this anywhere else. It was so successful in its first year that the GLA invited us to deliver a second project…

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SoapBox Awards

We wanted to finish off by celebrating two specific individuals who have really captured everything that is good and positive about SoapBox. Firstly, Edward Campbell, who in 2022 won Islington’s Young Volunteer of the Year Award (the second consecutive year that a young person from SoapBox had been selected for one of the two most prestigious awards for young people in Islington) and secondly, SoapBox’s Deputy Centre Manager, Nicholas Crivello, who from a list of over 30 nominees, was one of 8 people selected for Islington’s Civic Awards which “recognise people who are making an outstanding contribution to life in Islington”.

Starting with Edward , he joined SoapBox in October 2021 via Royal Mencap’s Supported Internships programme, which supports learning disabled young people aged 1624 years old to move onto the next stage of their lives. As part of this programme, Edward had to complete a 300 hour volunteer placement and because of his great passion for music, he chose to do that at SoapBox. It was for this work, from October 2021 to July 2022, that Edward won his Young Volunteer of the Year Award, which included:

YoVR: a co-produced project that supports young people to develop employment and soft skills using virtual reality. Initially delivered to a group of 4 learning disabled young people, Edward joined as a participant, but quickly moved into supporting his peers to engage with the sessions; Music Production Sessions: SoapBox runs a variety of music activities throughout the week and Edward supported both masterclass activities and studio sessions, using his skills and abilities to help other young people to make music. At the start, he acted as a support worker, but as he became more confident and other young people started to recognise his abilities, his peers began to request that he lead on supporting them;

Music Course for Autistic Young People: not only the highlight of his volunteering, but also of all of the work at SoapBox over the last two years, this saw Edward, as a learning disabled young man, supporting and then leading on a weekly music course, delivered to six autistic Year 13 students from Courtyard School. The reason why SoapBox was delivering this course in the first place is that autistic young people do not get opportunities like this elsewhere. But for that to be led by someone with a learning disability, and led with distinction, showcases the very best of what youth work can be or achieve;

General Building Support: As Edward became more settled at SoapBox, he sought additional ways to help and support staff at SoapBox. As a busy building with a high footfall each week, Fridays present an opportunity to reset and prepare for the following week. Seeing that there was an opportunity for him to assist beyond the activities listed above, Edward offered to stay on after the music course and beyond his usual volunteering to help staff get things in order. This demonstrates that he is willing to muck in and help out with the important, but unglamorous tasks that keep a centre going.

At the end of July 2021 Edward’s volunteering with SoapBox

came to an end and by that time it was clear that he had been through a transformational experience. He had developed immensely as a person, with improved levels of confidence, agency, leadership and reflective abilities. It was therefore an easy and unanimous decision, once his volunteering was finished, to offer Edward a paid role. He accepted and started this new role in September 2022. To give this context, only 5-7% of learning disabled people are in employment, so the fact that he is now working for us is important for himself, but also sends a broader message about the importance and impact of employing those who are furthest from the workforce.

To conclude, Edward’s journey is the quintessential youth work story: young person joins a centre, often lacking belief, but in search of direction, gains confidence, develops skills, begins to excel, sees the importance of giving back, becomes a role model and then finally secures the opportunities that they were seeking in the first place.

And finally, for those who were fortunate enough to be with Edward when he received his Award in front of 200 people, including a local MP and Islington’s Mayor, the memory of the roar of appreciation that he received will live long in the memory.

Dragon Hall Trust - 2022 to 2023

P. 2 0

SoapBox Awards

And turning to Nick, we interviewed him about his Award, what he received it for and what it meant to him…

So, Nick, can you tell us what you received your Award for?

I received Islington’s Civic award for “nurturing and supporting children and young people at Soapbox Youth Centre”.

The award night was absolutely fantastic, we had organised 3 young people to perform on the night of the awards lead by Alex Tihomirova. It was a pleasure to be a part of an event that celebrates some of the honourable work that all the nominees were a part of. The awards were given by the Mayor of Islington alongside various council members and commissioners, it was a surprise to see local news and reporters on the night, made it feel like a very special occasion.

This includes;

Development of our after school provision
Weekly live showcases and performance opportunities involving over 1000 young people
Online offer from 2020-2023
Summer activities
Digital Media & Technology Offers

To be one of the eight people who won, from such a long list of nominees must be really pleasing?

All of the nominees were doing some amazing things in the borough, it was great that the work we are doing at SoapBox was highlighted in this way, it was an extremely proud moment and a wonderful acknowledgment.

How did you feel when you heard that you were nominated?

Extremely grateful, its not everyday you get acknowledged for the work that you do. There are so many people in the charity that do amazing work and it felt like it was a nomination for Dragon Hall as a whole!

Tell us about the Awards night itself.

What do you think this says about the work you are doing at SoapBox?

It highlights the wonderful work we are doing with young people and gives us the opportunity to be proud. As for me, it has reassured the quality of work we are doing at SoapBox, It has also given me the confidence to develop in my personal and professional career.

Dragon Hall Trust - 2022 to 2023 P. 2 1

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust also runs SoapBox Islington on a 15 year contract with Islington Council to deliver youth services for the young people of Islington, sharing strategy, resources and staff members, administration tasks, maintenance and fund raising initiatives.

Dragon Hall Staff Team

----- Start of picture text -----
Nicole Furre Chris Farrant Keeley Reed James Dellow
Director Finance Manager Centre & Youth SoapBox Manager
Manager
John Hayes Nicholas Crivello Eugenia Da Silva Michaela Crivello
Community Girls Club Youth Worker
SoapBox Deputy
Development Coordinator
Manager
Michael Mathura Bea Furre Lucas Lane Elliot Hughes
Youth Worker Bookings Admin Youth Worker Youth Worker
Tech Apprentice
Muhammad Bello Yosias Desta Natalie Moor Pickle
Premises Officer Youth Worker Pantry & Advice Therapy Dog
Music Support Coordinator
----- End of picture text -----

Dragon Hall Trust - 2022 to 2023

P. 2 2

Funding Support

The work that we do at Dragon Hall Trust and Soapbox would not be possible without the support of all of our funders. We are very proud to be considered for their support - this year, in past years and, hopefully, in future years.

Contact Us

Dragon Hall Trust 17 Stukeley Street London WC2B 5LT Soapbox Islington 69-85 Old St, London EC1V 9HX 020 7404 7274

www.dragonhall.org.uk info@dragonhall.org.uk @dragonhall www.soapboxislington.org.uk info@soapboxislington.org.uk @soap__box

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Company No. 03456508 Charity No. 1087268

Report and financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Report and financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Contents
	Page
Reference and administration information	1
Trustees’ annual report	2 - 6
Independent auditors' report	7- 10
Statement of financial activities	11
(incorporating an income and expenditure account)
Balance sheet	12
Statement of cash flows	13
Notes to the financial statements	14 - 21

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Reference and administrative information

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Trustees:	Ms S Vincent - Councillor I Chair
	Ms C A Matheson
	Ms C Asgill
	Mr S Bruegger
	Mr T Lynn
	Mr A Lloyd
	Mr J Hopwood - Treasurer
	Mr F L Go
	Mr. G Knowles
Company Secretary:	Mr T Lynn
Company number:	03456508
Charity number:	1087268
Registered office:	17 Stukeley Street, London, WC2B 5LT
Auditors:	Goldwins Limited
	75 Maygrove Road
	West Hampstead
	London NW6 2EG

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COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

The trustees, who are also directors under company law, present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.

The trustees confirm that the financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guaranteed, incorporated on 28 October 1997 as Covent Garden Community Trust and subsequently changed its name on 8 June 2001 and registered as a charity on 29 June 2001. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute such amount as may be required (not exceeding £1).

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company's Articles are known as members. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the longest serving members retire and may offer themselves for re-election at the Annual General Meeting.

The Trustees seek to ensure that the needs of this group are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the trustee body. To enhance the potential pool of trustees, the charity has, through advertising with the Volunteer Centre Camden and networking with local groups, sought to expand its skillset and experience.

Induction and training of new trustees

Potential new Trustees are invited to attend a short training session with the Project Director of the charity to familiarise themselves with the charity and the context within which it operates. They are then invited to attend three General Meetings to learn more about the chanty and its operations. Finally, they are invited to join the board. New Trustees are given a copy of the Memorandum and Articles, the latest financial statements and the previous Annual Report. New Trustees are supported by the Chair, other Trustees and ad hoc meetings with the relevant Project Director.

Organisational structure

The company was incorporated on 28 October 1997 as a charitable company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital. Its members are such persons admitted to membership by the Trustees. At present the Trustees are the only members of the company.

A scheme of delegation is in place and day to day responsibility for the provision of the services rests with the Project Director. The Project Director is responsible for ensuring that the chanty delivers the services specified and that key performance indicators are met. She is also responsible for day to day management of the Centre,

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

individual supervision of staff and ensuring that the team continue to develop their skills and working practices in line with good practice.

Related parties

In so far as it is complementary to the charity's objects, the charity is guided by both local and national policy. The charity is a member of Camden Community Centres' Consortium, an organisation made up of 20 community centres in the London Borough of Camden whose purpose is to improve the quality of life for Camden residents, tackling key issues and seeking engagement from all members of the community and other voluntary sector organisations.

Risk management

The risk management strategy includes an annual review of the risks related to governance, operation, finance and litigation and establishment and implementation of procedures to mitigate and minimise impacts. Significant external risks to funding have led to the revision of our business plan and funding strategy to encourage diversification of funding and activities.

Financial review

Reserves policy

The Trustees consider it appropriate to aim for operating reserves to keep the Charity operating for a period of 4 months in the event of a funding fall-out. This target will be reviewed each year and adjusted if needed. The free reserves at the 31st March 2023 are £225,100 (2022 -£262,943).

We calculate 4 months of reserves target is £301,000.

Designated Funds

The trustees have reviewed the sustainability of the charity in conjunction with the Risk Register and have identified areas where the establishment of Designated Funds would be advisable.

Uncertainty over future funding in a changing and challenging funding landscape necessitates the need for an effective and considered growth strategy. This includes revision of the mission statement, exploring donor patterns, expanding fundraising tactics, optimising marketing, and establishing further development work with other charities.

Designated Fund for Research & Development: Allocate £40,000

This Designated Fund will help us research, understand and address the root causes of social problems and develop innovative solutions to address them. It is the natural and necessary expansion of innovative work and sector expertise which Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust has developed since 2012.

Research will consider the effectiveness of our programmes and services and help us to identify areas of development which improve the breadth, scope and quality of our provision.

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

Learning for Life - employing research and participatory engagement tools/ approaches to examine and then co-produce solutions that support:

☆ the key transition points from primary to secondary education and from adolescence to adulthood;

☆ those who are underrepresented in the workforce and/ or specific sectors (disabled people; care leavers; over 55s etc) to build the requisite workplace capabilities, soft skills and resilience;

☆ the use of digital technologies to facilitate the development of specialist and higher level skills;

☆ staff to understand and use innovations eg AI that reduce workload pressure and enhance the effective and efficient delivery of services;

Alleviating localised deprivation issues - there are a number of key areas of need and/ or deprivation which are particularly relevant to the geographical area that CGDHT supports:

☆ the lack of affordable community, education and leisure facilities;

☆ the lack of green spaces;

☆ overcrowding and associated housing issues.

This strand will focus on research which highlights the key drivers that created these issues and then co-designs CGHDT programmes and services which begin to address them.

Sinking Fund, Training and Legals: Allocate £140,000

We also need to re-calculate the following exceptional costs and set aside Designated Funds to cover them:

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

Maintenance (Sinking Fund) for two dedicated delivery locations ( Dragon Hall in Camden and SoapBox in Islington)

Front of building

Boiler and air conditioning replacement

Main Hall Floor

Legal & Professional:

Lease renewal Recruitment Fees (Director etc) Staff Training

These are in addition to the four months core costs.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees (who are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

Statement as to disclosure to our auditors

In so far as the trustees are aware:

There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditors are unaware; and
The trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

Auditors

Goldwins Limited were re-appointed as the auditors of the charitable company during the year as the result of an invitation to quote process. They have expressed their willingness to continue in that capacity.

19 September The trustees’ annual report was approved by the trustees on ………………….. 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

----- Start of picture text -----
Sue Vincent (Nov 8, 2023 10:03 GMT)
----- End of picture text -----

Ms S Vincent

Trustee

Independent Auditor’s Report

To the members of

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust for the year ended 31 March 2023 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, statement of cash flows and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Opinion on financial statements

In our opinion the financial statements:

give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2023 and of its income and expenditure for the year then ended:
have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditorʼs responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRCʼs Ethical Standard and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditorʼs report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

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Independent Auditor’s Report

To the members of

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinion on other matter prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

the information given in the trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the trustees’ report (incorporating the directors’ report) have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the Charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of the trustees

As explained more fully in the Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view and for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

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Independent Auditor’s Report

To the members of

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the Charityʼs ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditorʼs report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are set out below.

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

We enquired of management, which included obtaining and reviewing supporting documentation, concerning the charity's policies and procedures relating to:
Detecting, evaluating, and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;
Detecting of the risks of fraud and responding whether they have knowledge of any actual or suspected fraud;
The internal controls in place to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations.
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the charity operates in, focusing on those laws and regulations that had a material effect on the financial statements or that had a fundamental effect on the operations of the charity from our professional and sector experience.
We performed analytical procedures to detect any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud.

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Councilʼs website at: [www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities]. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

-9-

Independent Auditor’s Report

To the members of

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

aepton

aepton (Nov 8, 2023 12:03 GMT)

Anthony Epton (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Goldwins Limited Statutory Auditor Chartered Accountants 75 Maygrove Road West Hampstead London NW6 2EG

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Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Statement of financial activities

(incorporating an income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Note Income from: Donations Charitable activities 3 Other trading activities 4 Investment income 5 Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities: 6 Other trading activities Total expenditure 7 Transfers between funds Gains / (losses) on revaluation of fixed assets Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward Net income/ (expenditure) for the year Net income / (expenditure) before other recognised gains and losses	Unrestricted funds £ 12,892 223,131 88,050 636 324,709 360,516 360,516 (35,807) - (35,807) - (35,807) 263,819 228,012	Restricted funds £ - 387,328 - - 387,328 298,620 298,620 88,708 - 88,708 - 88,708 164,438 253,146	2023 Total funds £ 12,892 610,459 88,050 636 712,037 659,136 659,136 52,901 - 52,901 - 52,901 428,257 481,158	2022 Total funds £ 7,636 550,659 52,652 -
				610,947
				574,218
				574,218
				36,729 -
				36,729 -
				36,729 391,528
				428,257

All of the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above. The attached notes form part of these financial statements.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Balance sheet As at 31 March 2023

2023 £ 51,377 465,963	2023 £ 2,912	2022 £ 26,184 467,074	2022 £ 876
	2,912 478,246		876 427,381
517,340 39,094		493,258 65,877
228,012		263,819
	481,158		428,257
	253,146 228,012		164,438 263,819

	481,158		428,257

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under Part15 of the Companies Act 2006.

8th November 2023

Approved by the trustees on ……………………………… and signed on their behalf by:

J G Hopwood J G Hopwood (Nov 8, 2023 11:36 GMT)

Mr Jeffrey Hopwood

Company registration no. 03456508

The attached notes form part of the financial statements.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Statement of cash flows For the year ended 31 March 2023

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust For theyear ended 31 March 2023 Statement of cash flows
Note 2023 £ Cash flows from operating activities: Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities 16 Cash flows from investing activities: Interest/ rent/ dividends from investments - Proceeds from the sale of property,plant and equipment - Sale/ (purchase) of fixed assets (5,366) Cash provided by / (used in) investing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 17	2023 £ 4,255 (5,366)	2022 £ - - -	2022 £ 39,763 -

	(1,111) 467,074		39,763 427,311
	465,963		467,074

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

1 Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102 - effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The charitable company meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.

b) Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

c) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred. Income received in advance for the provision of specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

For legacies, entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor(s) to the charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the charity, or the charity is aware of the granting of probate, and the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is a treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material.

d) Donations of gifts, services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, any conditions associated with the donation have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), volunteer time is not recognised so refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.

On receipt, donated gifts, professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

e) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.

f) Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

1 Accounting policies (continued)

g) Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:

Costs of raising funds comprise of trading costs and the costs incurred by the charitable company in inducing third parties to make voluntary contributions to it, as well as the cost of any activities with a fundraising purpose. Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of delivering activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.

Other expenditure represents those items not falling into any other heading.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

h) Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity's activities. These costs have been allocated between cost of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 5.

i) Operating leases

Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

j) Tangible fixed assets

Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £1,000. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write down the cost of each asset to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life. The depreciation rates in use are as follows:

Land and buildings Straight line over 10 Plant and machinery etc. Straight line over 5 years and Straight line over 3 years

k) Stocks

Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value. Donated items of stock are recognised at fair value which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay for the items on the open market.

l) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

m) Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

n) Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

o) Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

2 Detailed comparatives for the statement of financial activities

Income from: Donations Charitable activities Other trading activities Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities: Community hall Total expenditure Net gains / (losses) on investments Net income / expenditure Transfers between funds Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward 3 Income from charitable activities Ageing Better Camden London Borough of Camden St Giles & St George City Bridge Trust John Lyons Charity Peabody Innovation Fellowship Mercers Camden CIL GLA Steam Mentoring Peabody Wave 5 Peabody Young Ambassadors Julia and Hans Rausing Trust Other grants Islington Council London Community foundation Other grants- Soapbox Project funding- Soapbox Net income / expenditure before gains / (losses) on investments	£ - 48,750 - - - - - - - - - - - 169,981 - - 4,400 223,131 Unrestricted	2022 £ 7,636 261,414 39,254 308,304 278,912 278,912 29,392 - 29,392 - 29,392 234,427 Unrestricted	2022 £ - 289,245 13,398 302,643 295,306 295,306 7,337 - 7,337 - 7,337 157,101 Restricted	2022 Total £ 7,636 550,659 52,652 610,947 574,218 574,218 36,729 - 36,729 - 36,729 391,528
		263,819	164,438	428,257
		£ - 78,614 20,910 - 35,000 6,000 30,000 27,000 46,392 - - 30,000 4,096 - 10,000 53,993 45,323 387,328 Restricted	2023 Total £ - 127,364 20,910 - 35,000 6,000 30,000 27,000 46,392 - - 30,000 4,096 169,981 10,000 53,993 49,723 610,459	2022 Total £ 7,500 57,000 - 8,250 - 4,400 30,500 27,000 13,296 46,660 6,900 29,895 54,907 204,936 - 16,962 42,453 550,659

4 Income from other trading activities

4 Income from other trading activities
Venue hire Total income from charitable activities 5. Investment income Interest Total income from charitable activities	Unrestricted £ 88,050 88,050 Unrestricted £ 636 636	£ - - £ - - Restricted Restricted	2023 Total £ 88,050 88,050 2023 Total £ 636 636	2022 Total £ 52,652
				52,652
				2022 Total £ -
				-

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

6 Analysis of expenditure

Analysis of expenditure
Staff costs Other direct expenses Temporary staff Rates and water Insurance Light & Heat Telephone Postage and stationery Advertising Staff training and welfare Cleaning and security Property maintenance Computer costs Bank & credit card charges Equipment expensed Entertainment Subscriptions Travel costs Legal fees & professional fees Auditors` remuneration Bookkeeping Consultancy fees Management and staffing costs Depreciation of computer equipment Support costs Total expenditure 2023 Total expenditure 2022	£ 328,264 31,760 106,625 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Charitable activities	Support costs £ - - - 4,072 6,625 25,433 14,266 4,646 7,161 837 24,849 33,924 9,924 670 25,490 2,348 1,358 1,478 80 6,900 14,040 3,808 1,248 3,330	2023 Total £ 328,264 31,760 106,625 4,072 6,625 25,433 14,266 4,646 7,161 837 24,849 33,924 9,924 670 25,490 2,348 1,358 1,478 80 6,900 14,040 3,808 1,248 3,330	2022 Total £ 307,396 24,154 68,590 7,378 2,037 18,764 14,051 3,923 3,627 1,270 22,529 43,393 11,023 1,015 9,517 910 888 1,222 - 6,913 16,070 4,039 1,966 3,543
	466,649 192,487 659,136 574,218	192,487 (192,487) - -	659,136 - 659,136	574,218 - -
			-	574,218

Of the total expenditure, £360,516 was unrestricted (2022: £278,912) and £298,620 was restricted (2022: £295,306).

6a Analysis of expenditure (prior year)

Analysis of expenditure (prior year)
Staff costs Other direct expenses Temporary staff Rates and water Insurance Light & Heat Telephone Postage and stationery Advertising Staff training and welfare Cleaning and security Property maintenance Computer costs Bank & credit card charges Equipment expensed Entertainment Subscriptions Travel costs Legal fees & professional fees Auditors` remuneration Bookkeeping Consultancy fees Management and staffing costs Depreciation of computer equipment Support costs Total expenditure 2022 Total expenditure 2021	£ 307,396 24,154 68,590 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Charitable activities	Support costs £ - - - 7,378 2,037 18,764 14,051 3,923 3,627 1,270 22,529 43,393 11,023 1,015 9,517 910 888 1,222 - 6,913 16,070 4,039 1,966 3,543	2022 Total £ 307,396 24,154 68,590 7,378 2,037 18,764 14,051 3,923 3,627 1,270 22,529 43,393 11,023 1,015 9,517 910 888 1,222 - 6,913 16,070 4,039 1,966 3,543	2021 Total £ 300,280 14,439 46,741 1,457 3,875 17,303 15,063 1,691 5,951 180 22,549 46,484 8,548 1,107 5,085 - 397 14 (262) 6,000 18,495 4,184 - 3,847
	400,140 174,078 574,218 523,428	174,078 (174,078) - -	574,218 - 574,218	523,428 - -
			-	523,428

Of the total expenditure, £278,912 was unrestricted (2021: £338,089) and £295,306 was restricted (2021: £185,339).

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

7 Net income / (expenditure) for the year

Net income / (expenditure) for the year
This is stated after charging / (crediting):	2023	2022
	£	£
Depreciation	3,330	3,543
Auditor's remuneration:
Audit fees	5,750	5,750

8 Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel

Staff costs were as follows: Salaries and wages Social security costs Employer’s contribution to defined contribution pension schemes	2023 £ 323,965 22,710 4,526	2022 £ 306,365 21,131 4,258
	351,201	331,754

No employee received employee benefits (excluding employer pension) of over £60,000.

The total employee benefits including pension contributions and employer national insurance contributions of the key management personnel were £109,262 (2022: £103,603).

The charity trustees were not paid or received any benefits from employment with the Charity in the year (2022: Nil).

Staff numbers

The average number of employees (head count based on number of staff employed) during the year was as follows:

Youth workers Older people worker Administration and support	2023 No. 8 3 5	2022 No. 8 2 5
	16	15

9 Taxation

The charitable company is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

£ 8,536 - - Land and buildings	£ 17,430 5,366 - Plant and Machinery etc	Total £ 25,966 5,366 -
8,536	22,796	31,332
8,230 306 -	16,860 3,024 -	25,090 3,330 -
8,536	19,884	28,420
-	2,912	2,912
306	570	876
	2023 £ 51,162 - 215	2022 £ 24,147 2,037 -
	51,377	26,184
	2023 £ 18,771 6,499 11,220 2,604 -	2022 £ 18,235 7,672 12,970 - 27,000
	39,094	65,877
	2023 £ 27,000 (27,000) -	2022 £ 54,000 (54,000) 27,000
	-	27,000

Deferred income in 2022 comprises of £27,000 related to grant from London Borough of Camden - CIL 3 year after school club.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

13 Pension scheme

The charity operates a defined contributions pension scheme.

14 Analysis of net assets between funds

General unrestricted £ 2,912 225,100	Restricted £ - 253,146	Total funds £ 2,912 478,246
228,012	253,146	481,158
General unrestricted £ 876 262,943	Restricted £ - 164,438	Total funds £ 876 427,381
263,819	164,438	428,257

£ 164,438 At the start of the year	£ 387,328 Incoming resources & gains	£ (298,620) Outgoing resources & losses	Transfers £ -	£ 253,146 At the end of the year
164,438	387,328	(298,620)	-	253,146
263,819	324,709	(360,516)	-	228,012
263,819	324,709	(360,516)	-	228,012
£ 157,101 At the start of the year	£ 302,643 Incoming resources & gains	£ (295,306) Outgoing resources & losses	Transfers £ -	£ 164,438 At the end of the year
157,101	302,643	(295,306)	-	164,438
234,427	308,304	(278,912)	-	263,819
234,427	308,304	(278,912)	-	263,819

Purposes of restricted funds London Borough of Camden

This fund represents grants received from London Borough of Camden to fund various schemes run by the charity and the Director`s salary.

London Borough of Islington

This fund represents grants from London Borough of Islington to fund the Soapbox Youth Centre.

Dragon Hall Trust won a tender from Islington Council to run SoapBox, a youth centre for those aged 13 to 24. This centre opened in September 2017. Dragon Hall had a lease and funding to 2020. Dragon Hall Trust won a tender to carry on the running of Soapbox on a 15 year contract.

Trust/Foundation Grants

This fund represents grants received from foundations.

Other Grants

All other grants used to Fund community projects.

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023

16 Reconciliation of net income / (expenditure) to net cash flow from operating activities

Net income / (expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the statement of financial activities) Depreciation (Increase)/ decrease in debtors Increase/ (decrease) in creditors Net cash provided by / (used in) operating activities	2023 £ 52,901 3,330 (25,193) (26,783)	2022 £ 36,729 3,542 15,807 (16,315)
	4,255	39,763

17 Analysis of cash and cash equivalents

Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash at bank and in hand Total cash and cash equivalents	£ 493,258 At 1 April 2022	Cash flows £ (27,295)	£ - Other changes	£ 465,963 At 31 March 2023
	493,258	(27,295)	-	465,963

18 Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. Each member is liable to contribute a sum not exceeding £1 in the event of the charity being wound up.

19 Related party transactions

During the year there have been various transactions with related parties. All such transactions have been approved by the Board of Trustees before being entered into.

Dragon Hall is rented from the London Borough of Camden, of which Ms Sue Vincent is an elected Councillor, for a peppercorn rent. The rental is covered by a 25 year lease dated 26th July 2005.

The London Borough of Camden is a major source of grant income for the charity. During the year to 31st March 2023 grants were received totalling £82,500 (2022: £57,000).

A2 - Covent Gardent Dragon Hall Trust Accounts 2023 (1)

Final Audit Report

2023-11-08

Created: 2023-11-06 By: nicky furre (nicky@furre.co.uk) Status: Signed Transaction ID: CBJCHBCAABAAVZqDfaq5n60paS7hPgvukKqB3JDrdraX

"A2 - Covent Gardent Dragon Hall Trust Accounts 2023 (1)" Hist ory

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Agreement completed.

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2023-03-31-accounts

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust & SoapBox Islington

Annual Report 2022 to 2023

Chair of Trustee’s REPORT

Sinking Fund, Training and Legals: Allocate £140,000

Sue Vincent Chair of Trustees and Local Councillor

Sue Vincent

Chair

Alex Lloyd

Trustee

Simon Breugger Trustee

Jeff Hopwood

Treasurer

Claude Asgill

Trustee

Kate Matheson

Trustee

Tim Lynn Secretary

Gerrard Knowles

Trustee

Francis Go

Trustee

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

Aims

Youth Team

Keeley Reed - Youth Manager

Boys Club

Elliot Hughes - Youth Worker

Girls Club

1-1 Support -

Food Provision & Advice Sessions

SoapBox Islington

Overview

SoapBox Live

After School Clubs

SoapBox Programme Highlights

Employment, Mentoring & Soft Skills

Dream It Real

STEAM Mentoring

SoapBox Programme Highlights

Get Ahead

SoapBox Awards

SoapBox Awards

So, Nick, can you tell us what you received your Award for?

This includes;

To be one of the eight people who won, from such a long list of nominees must be really pleasing?

How did you feel when you heard that you were nominated?

Tell us about the Awards night itself.

What do you think this says about the work you are doing at SoapBox?

Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust

Dragon Hall Staff Team

Funding Support

Contact Us

COVENT GARDEN DRAGON HALL TRUST

Report and financial statements

Report and financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Reference and administrative information

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing document

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

Induction and training of new trustees

Organisational structure

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

Related parties

Risk management

Financial review

Reserves policy

Designated Funds

Designated Fund for Research & Development: Allocate £40,000

Sinking Fund, Training and Legals: Allocate £140,000

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

Trustees` Report for the year ended 31 March 2023

Statement as to disclosure to our auditors

Auditors

Ms S Vincent

Trustee

Independent Auditor’s Report