## **CONTAGIOUS - Trustees Annual Report** **Year Ending 31st December 2023** ## **Charity Number: 1089954** ## **Trustees** The following is correct as of 31[st] December 2023: |**Trustee**|**Date**|**Status**| |---|---|---| |Andrew Duf|21/05/2013|Appointed| |Henry Playle|16/11/2016|Appointed| |Madeline Russell|04/03/2019|Appointed| |Roy Dobb|24/02/2020|Appointed| |Maureen Dixon|03/11/2021|Appointed| |Sue Inglis-Jones|16/02/2023|Appointed| |Susan White|09/11/2023|Appointed| ## **Specific responsibilities of Trustees** Chair of Trustees Andrew Duff Treasurer Maureen Dixon Employee Supervisor Sue Inglis-Jones Safeguarding Lead Sue Inglis-Jones Minutes Secretary Madeline Russell Fundraising Andrew Duff ## **Activity leaders in addition to Trustees:** Jessica McArdle Ignite Youth & Schools Worker/Project Leader Sarah Hamer Pioneers Schools and Community Worker (from 6 November) Chris Friend Ignite Chaplaincy at Duchess Community High School Caroline Friend Messy Church Alnwick representative ## **Partner organisation representatives:** Geoff Brown Scripture Union representative Robin Winder Appleby Trust Trustee, Alnmouth ## **General overview** The work of the charity has continued under the new working title ‘IGNITE’. The official charityregistered name remains ‘Contagious’. After the various set backs of the previous couple of years, 2023 has been an exciting year of develoment - a time of challenge and change. Change: as we have entered into new local collaboration arrangements with church groups across Alnwick’s Duchess High School catchment area, and being designated as a ‘Growing Faith Learning Hub’ by the Church of England (see below). Challenge: this has required a scaling up of our core team, working with more local church partners, putting in place new local funding agreements and a new financial management system. ## **Trustee Meetings** Five Trustee meetings were held in 2023: in February, May, June, September and November. Each meeting was quorate with a minimum of 3 Trustees present, plus our Youth and Schools Worker. ## **Objectives and Vision** No change has been made to the charity’s core aims, which are: - Our belief that all young people should be encouraged to think about spiritual matters while recognising that they need the space to make their own choices as to what to believe. - Our desire to raise the aspirations of young people and facilitate their healthy and full development. - Our wish to help young people become active in the community and develop into mature and responsible citizens. ## **Youth and Schools Worker** Our Youth and Schools Worker Jess McArdle has continued to drive forward our core activities, including ‘Rooted’ youth groups involving around 30 young people, supported by a small team of volunteer leaders and helpers. The growth of these groups and need for a more active structure is constrained by difficulty finding a suitable venue or venues and enough helpers. A wide range of schools work has been delivered, including Year 6 ‘transitions’ work offered to 12 High School feeder primaries, and other seasonal activities. ## **‘Growing Faith’ Learning Hub** The Church of England’s Growing Faith Foundation has designated IGNITE as one of its 12 ‘learning hubs’, a significant investment into developing new ways of working with schools, churches and families to engage creatively with children and nurture young people into becoming active disciples. Work started in September with the receipt of the first of two years grant of £10,000 from the Foundation. A project Steering Group of local leaders has been set up and met twice, and formulated an exciting vision for how this change will happen. As part of this Jess McArdle has benefited from taking part in the Growing Faith Strategic Leaders development programme. ## **Other services provided under the banner of IGNITE (Contagious):** **Open the Book** – this Bible Society story-telling activity has continued and grown as more schools have welcomed our volunteers into classrooms. By the end of the year this has expanded to nine schools each with a team of four volunteers. **Chaplaincy at Duchess Community High School** - working with the school Pastoral Team, a small team (Chris and Caroline Friend, and David Archer) offers support to a small group of young people facing personal challenges. **Restorative Practice in Schools** – delivering training of staff and IGNITE chaplaincy team in this pioneering practice for addressing behavioural issues in school – funded by the regional Police and Crime Commissioner. **Messy Church** – has continued monthly during school term-time, led by a small group of volunteers. It continues to be well attended with a number of families regularly taking part. **Mighty Oaks** – this volunteer-run service offered free hot drinks in the centre of Alnwick. After two years off-road and requiring significant repairs, a trial re-launch over the summer proved unsuccessful due to lack of footfall and insufficient volunteers. The project was terminated as no longer viable, and the van gifted to another group wishing to use it as a resource for rural churches. ## **Finances** With many existing activities resuming and new ones planned, expenditure has steadily increased – also driven by recent inflationary pressures. Support from individual donors has not kept pace and has declined slightly. However, with support from local churches, new collaboration agreements and the injection of Growing Faith Foundation funds, our finances remain in good shape and our reserves remain healthy. The final year-end accounts show a surplus of income over expenditure of £4,181. However, most of this is for activities to be delivered in 2024. Trustees are therefore working on a 3-5 year fundraising strategy to enable us to continue the planned build-up of activities in 2024, and to plan responsibly for the future. ## **Volunteers** We have been fortunate in retaining many of our volunteers, currently numbering around 45. The continuing growth of the Open the Book activity has attracted some new volunteers. All volunteers working with young people or vulnerable adults are DBS checked (as appropriate) with a requirement that they register for the update service so allowing the charity to carry out 6 monthly checks on the volunteers. ## **Safeguarding and Risk Management** Our safeguarding policy and procedures were updated in 2023. Our Safeguarding Recruiter ensures that all volunteers complete the current appointment process and checks. We continue to maintain and apply policies on risk assessment, anti-bullying and data privacy (including GDPR compliance). We maintain comprehensive insurance cover for all activities, with risks reviewed annually. ## **The future** With new local collaboration agreements and the Growing Faith programme, we have exciting new opportunities for growth and development of our work. We appointed an additional part-time Schools and Community Worker in November, and recruited another (due to start in early 2024) to deliver new activities under new local collaboration agreements with Felton Parish Church, the Farne Churches-YAFO group, and the United Reformed Church. Jess McArdle has also had her role extended and upgraded to Project Leader. This opens up the prospect of significant new activity over the next couple of years, which will require recruitment of new trustees, volunteers and supporters. Trustees will continue to meet at least four times per year. Priorities for the year ahead are to: - Continue to develop the work amongst young people within the wider Alnwick High School catchment area as part of the Growing Faith Learning Hub and in collaboration with key local church partners and organisations. - Continue to build relationships with local church leaders, community organisations, teachers and students in local primary schools and the Duchess High School. - Review our policies, procedures, risk assessment and management structure to ensure that we provide effective support to our Project Leader, new employees, activity leaders and volunteers, and that we have the capacity and skills to respond to new opportunities. - Plan and carry out a new ‘way forward’ appeal for new trustees, volunteers and supporters. - Continue to raise funds to augment our finances and enable us to deliver activities on a sustainable basis Signed: Andrew Duff Chair of Trustees 11 July 2024 CONTAGIOUS IIGNrrE) CHARITY, ALNWICK Income and Expenditure for to December 31st 2023 Income 2023 - Contagious Group Monthly Donations A]nwick Bapttst Church/ work children Total Group Monthly DonatioThs Group One4)ff Donations Northumbria Police Appleby Trnst (Alnmouth) St James URC National SocAety CEFS Scripture Union (grant) Other Total Group Donations 4,575 10,(KX) 15,500 24575 Income: Individual Donations Monthly Donations One-off Donations via Stewardship One-off Donations - other Contributions for Books/Calendars Total Individual Donations 450 674 Other Income Monies Banked by YSW HMRC Gift Aid Reclaim Bank Interest Other income 2,062 Total Other Income 2,070 Contagious Income for 2023 39.793 Income 2023- Mighty Oaks Alnwick Baptist Church Arn￿trOng Hall Alnwick Town Council Individual Donations Mxghty Oaks Income for 2023 527 Total Ignite Income for 2(Y13 40J%) Expenditure 21Y23 - Contagious Youth & Schools Worker Uessica Moknlleysarah Hamer Salary PAYE Payments to HMRC Gross SaIary Payments to NFST Pension Pam Yorke Payroll service Total Employment Costs 15,949 1319 17,269 2,194 19A63 Contagiou8 General Expenses Other Overheads Restorative Now Traininglsafety YSW Expenses Youth Cells Messy Church Eventsl activities Contagious Expenses for 2023 2J29 2.752 117 141 Expenditure 2023. Mighty Oaks Consumables Vehicle krvi Vehicle Tax Vehicle Insuran Mighty Oaks Expenses for 2023 811 Total conta8ious/Ugnite) Expen8e8 for 2023 36,139 Surplus/Defiat for 2011 Lontsgious/lgnite Mighty Oaks Total Contagious 4A65 4,181 Bank Balance Contagious b/f 2022 Contagious c/f 2023 Change in Cash 36,111 40575 4465 Mighty Oaks Current Account b/f 2022 Mighty Oaks Current Account c/f 2023 Change in Cash 3,464 3,180 Total Cash b/f 2022 Total Cash c/f 2023 Change in Cash 39,574 43,755 Prepared by: Examined by: CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl mombors of Contaghjus {1gnite) Charity, Alnwick On accounts for the year 31$1 D￿rnber 2023 Charity no (rfany} 1089954 Sét out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty {Ihe Trus1°} for the year ended 31 St December 2022. Responslbllltlas and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are Tesp)nsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounls in accordance with the requirements of the Charities knt 2011 Ilhe P£n, I report in respect of ry &Yarn1nat￿ of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions gi￿ by the CharTty Commission under section 145(5){b> of the Act. I have completed my examinat¥)n. I t>)nfim that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination vthth gtves me cause to believe thal in. any material Independent examlnerfs statement accountiThJ reo)rd8 were not kept in accordance wtth section 130 of the Act or the a(xx)unts do rK)t accord wilh the aLtounting r&ords I have no concems and have ccrfne across no other matters in connection . with the exarrllnatton to Yth￿h attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the words in the brackets rf Ihey do not apply. 26th Febwary 2024 Signed.. Name: Jean Barr Relevant wofessional qUalifi&￿10n1$) or body (if any): nla Address: 37 Springfiekl Park Alnwi Northumbertand NE66 2NH IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Onty complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of con￿rn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER October 2018