**The Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust** Reg. Charity 1090166 Annual Report for 2023–2024 In presenting this report, the Trustees are aware of the requirement that the charity’s activities should be for the public benefit. They are satisfied that the activities, available through the Centre, including the provision of work-experience placements, meet this requirement. They also always seek to ensure that volunteers and staff can take advantage of suitable training opportunities. ## **Core activities** The resources of the charity continue to be specifically directed to maintaining and developing the 7Corners Centre*, the Hot Spot Outreach, and various other outreach activities in Abergavenny. - The long-term impact of the Covid 19 pandemic continues to impact on the Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust’s activities over the last 12 months. Aggressive and disruptive behaviour displayed by some of the new young people has required the 7 Corners Centre to review its safety procedures to adapt to this challenge. - The Mentoring Programme in King Henry VIII School is continuing. - Film Night/Chip Night continues to be popular and has over the year utilised some of the produce collected via the FareShare scheme. - The Café is seeing a diverse group of Young People attending, and staff are working hard to forge trusting relationships with them. - HOTSPOT activities i.e., Detached Youth Work continues with pot noodles and hot chocolate still being “hot” favourites. We are also able to keep in touch with many ‘older’ Young People who no longer access the Centre based work. - IYE Festival, this annual event was, due to extremely poor weather, attended by smaller numbers this year, but the Young People were undaunted and fully committed and enthusiastic in their involvement in the planning and execution. - FareShare food donated by Waitrose and Tesco have been, due to collaboration between 7 Corners and the Saint Vincent De Paul (SVP) organisation, making weekly collections/deliveries providing support to both Abergavenny and Ebbw Vale regions. These activities, and the demands of food safety regulations have grown to such an extent that they have encroached on 7 Corners core work. Therefore, in early 2024 the reluctant decision has been made to take a break from these activities until further notice. Chip night and the celebration BBQ events will continue. The Trustees look forward to next year continuing good governance of the charity, with particular focus on financial controls, safeguarding, user engagement and branding. ## **Finance** The trustees are grateful to Dorrell Oliver for auditing the accounts again this year, as well as our Treasurer submitting accounts and providing us with regular reports 1 ## **The Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust** Reg. Charity 1090166 Annual Report for 2023–2024 throughout the year to manage financial risk. We have continued to receive generous support from many donors in the local community, who support the charity through regular giving many of whom are able to add Gift Aid to their donations. We have also continued to receive support through Donor grants from Gwent High Sheriff’s Fund, Abergavenny Town Council, with whom we have established a co-operation agreement, and the continued support of local churches and business. This financial year we also received a grant from Postcode Lottery which was very welcome. Despite the support it is always a challenge each year to maintain level of support necessary and essential costs are increasing. We recognised and appreciate the efforts of the Administrator in maintaining and securing grants needed to enable us to continue to support our community. ## **Trustees** The Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust has seen considerable change in this last 12 months with the Chair - Peter Nuttall, and the Chaplain - Nick Pryor stepping down. The Deputy Chair - Alison Stroud has temporarily assumed the Chair, and we have a new Chaplain from the Salvation Army, Nigel Collins. Alan Freebury as Treasurer, Michael Marsden as Secretary, and all the other actively supporting Trustees, including Sandy Greenslade, Mary Kennedy, Dr. Huw Morgan, Caroline Woollard, and Andrew Willie have recently been joined by two new Trustees, Fr. Matthew Carney and Keith Rutherford. Both are extremely welcomed by all. ## _**Payments to trustees**_ There were no payments to Trustees during the year. ## **Employees** Mrs Julie Sussex continues to quietly, efficiently, and effectively, to support us all in her role of Administrator, giving excellent backing to the Centre Manager, Chair, and Treasurer. Her efforts have continued to ensure, through these financially difficult times, that we have obtained financial support from a wide range of donors. We are also extremely grateful that she continues to volunteer for some of the activities of the Centre Ange Sampson continues to manage all aspects of the Centre, Hot Spot Outreach, and various other activities with her customary sensitive care and dedication. The negative effects of Covid 19 shut down’s have again made her work with the young people more challenging in these last 12 months and she has benefitted from receiving confidential supervision to enable her to reflect on and rise to this challenge. 2 ## **The Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust** Reg. Charity 1090166 Annual Report for 2023–2024 ## **Volunteers** We continue to be extremely grateful to all our volunteers and helpers who have supported Ange in the various outreach activities and at the Centre. ## **Patron** Our Patron, Dame Claire Clancy, Deputy-Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, continues to be an enthusiastic proactive asset to 7 Corners. Claire’s offer to write a definition of the Patron’s role was particularly appreciated and has been incorporated into the ‘Trustees & Patron’s roles and responsibilities. ## **Data protection** The Centre does not retain information about casual Centre users. Appropriate data is retained for employees, volunteers and gift-aid donors in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations. ## **Conclusion** In the face of the desperately volatile and unsure times we live in, the charity continues to “make a difference” to the lives of the young people who seek us out. We continue to provide a safe place where the young people can gather in safety, receive support and guidance and, as opportunity offers, be encouraged to develop life and practical skills. Chair of Trustees Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust _*The 7Corners Centre is a project funded by the Bridge to Cross Charitable Trust and is dedicated to offering hope and hospitality to all young people and to meet the mission statement of providing ‘a centre where young people can meet in safety, find help for personal development and support if in crisis.’_ 3 IUDGE TO CJIOSS CItARITABLE TRL5T sTATE￿IE14T OF Trif4AP4CIAL ACTJvfTIES YEAR ENDEDJI MARCH 2024 2•24 2024 2024 Total 2023 FU￿d￿ F¥￿$ tWCOMif*G RESOURCES 20.342 5(K> 20.342 21.4(H 1.744 175 1.256 20.904 1.744 175 .256 21.470 680 427 Invts*knThl lTrcon FwDd rdising TOTAL IiICOMJNG RESOURCES RESObRCES EXPENDED 18.448 3.514 3.731 659 12356 1.419 5 J35 3.6Jl 31, 4.933 29,513 3.931 9.419 4.399 1.104 4.290 TUTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED NEf INCOMIN￿oi￿colyG) RESOURCES -2373 4J72 -16,781 TOTAL FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD 43.436 7.491 50,927 67.708 TOTAL FLNDS CARJUED FORWARD YW ENDED31 IIIRCM 1124 EAJlwvFCA