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Annual Report April 1[st] 2022 to March 31[st] 2023 

**Community Works, Community House, 14a Market Place, Thirsk YO7 1LB** Registered Charity No: 1096518 



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## **Introduction from the Chief Executive Officer, Rob Rolls.** 

As I write this, the annual battle for supremacy between Autumn and Winter is in full swing, and Winter is winning!  One season has ended, and we blend into another.  It’s a striking metaphor as we look back on the last year for Community Works.  Recently I asked some of our senior staff team to list what they saw as the major changes affecting the charity since September last year, and between us we counted over 40 of them.  Many of them were challenging, but none have been negative in the long run. During the course of a year people come and go and we’ve been recruiting at different times throughout the year, strengthening some of our team around the Re:Use store, and at times changing the roles of staff to play more to their strengths as situations demand. 

Those staffing changes have been quite significant and have strengthened our leadership structure.  Notably, Kirsty White has moved from the keywork team to become our Operations Manager, Oliver Lewis has become the Head of Keywork and Engagement and Victoria Stapylton has moved to be the new Head of Women’s Work. These three staffing changes recognise not only the great depth of ability that Kirsty, Oliver and Vic have, but also how highly they are regarded throughout the community and Community Works itself. 

One of the many changes we made during this reporting period was to our strap line which you’ll see underneath our logo.  It was a small change in many ways, but ‘because life matters...’, seemed to summarise so much of what we’re about.  The dots at the end of the statement are called Ellipsis Points and they signify that something has been left unsaid or undone.  For us as a charity, this creatively sums up our desire to help, to serve and to be involved as much as we can. We work with many hundreds of vulnerable people and each day there always seems to be something left undone, something more to be said, or a new way in which we can help. 

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2022/2023 was a very challenging period for many families and individuals across North Yorkshire. Inflation hit its highest rate for thirty years, and the combined effects of Brexit, what many would see as financial mismanagement at the highest level and other international factors, pushed daily costs beyond reach for many thousands of families in our area.  As a result, we saw, (and continue to see), heightened demand across many of our services. 

## **Food Bank** 

One clear increase in demand was at our Food Bank where our dedicated volunteer team helped to feed almost 500 people in October 2022 and November 2022 alone. 

Despite the generosity of so many hundreds of people across Thirsk and our nearby villages, we saw supplies at the Food Bank begin to diminish a little, and as a result we 



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needed to change the way we work with those who use this provision.  A new system was designed to assess the point of need of Foodbank users and as such we have been able to streamline this service, a change that has received much positive feedback. 

I have been so humbled by the kindness of our volunteer team at the Foodbank, who week in, week out, bound up and down the cellar stairs, filling bags, taking donations, and spending time with those who use the Foodbank.  It seems that in so many ways, this kindness and dedication sums up what we are all about as a charity. 

## **OPS** 

Our Older People’s Services continued to strengthen during the reporting period, and again our volunteer and staff team deserve great credit for their continuous commitment to working in this challenging and moving area.  During the week, our Older People’s Team generally deliver three sessions, but in 2023 we started a group for those living with early/young onset dementia and at the time of writing, this group has grown in number by 400%.  One email we recently received expresses how much the work of our OPS team means for one particular service user; 

_As the main carer, you have to start to live and organise a 2nd life alongside your own. I’m always asking, ‘are you well?’, ‘are you too hot, too cold?’  I might then have to take a coat off, take boots off, how do I do that?  I come across boredom, resistance.  I try and explain, I reason, and then I repeat, and I repeat, and I repeat.._ 


_This might not be one of the much older people at Community Works’ older people’s groups, it might be your parents. It might be your son, your daughter, your brother, your sister.  This all takes place before Doctors, Dentists, Social Workers, or any form of expert has got involved.  Everyone has to be spoken to – Hairdressers, Banks, and permission has to be obtained.  You have to run two lives!  But you have become the_ 

_expert on this person, everyone asks you the questions. Then they tell you you’re doing a great job._ 

_Then they ask how you are. -That’s not an easy one._ 

_You ask for help. This usually comes as more homework and reading material. No one seems to have the answers._ 

_The work of your Older People’s Services team has been invaluable for my relative. This is her favourite day out. Never a complaint, never a bad word. This cannot be duplicated by family. Your team have become her friends and part of her routine.  More_ 



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_than this though, the feedback gives a valuable 2nd insight and assessment of progress the family cannot see. Also, the input and help, both practical help and in terms of advice has been, and continues to be invaluable in finding a way forward for future care._ 

## **CarScheme** 

During this reporting period, we changed some of our infrastructure as a charity to enable us to more tightly manage our services.  A new CRM system became embedded within the charity and enables us to more effectively manage our data and reporting. One of the areas of our work to significantly benefit from this new ability to capture and record data has been our CarScheme.  At the click of a mouse, we are now able to find out how many journeys we have done over the last few weeks, which kind drivers have driven how many miles and even who has been the busiest of our service users! 

In January 2023 we were strengthened by the arrival of Kate to run our car scheme. Kate is one of the many success stories at Community works and we are very glad of the enthusiasm and care that she brings to our team. Recently, (albeit in her own time), Kate has formed a group for carers. Based out of some of Kate's own personal experiences, this group is beginning to grow, and is a result of the passion that one of our team members has for the local community.  The CarScheme project continues to be busy and we are the busiest service provider in Hambleton and Richmond. Some months alone we can do over 300 Journeys.  This is another service which simply wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the dedicated team of drivers, to whom we owe so much. 

## **Catalyst Project** 

During the latter part of 2022, there was a staff change within the Catalyst Project and we took the decision to move one of our more senior members of staff into the role of 


Head of Women's Work.  Vic Stapylton has been with Community Works for many years and brings with her great experience of one-toones, and pastoral care for people right across the charity. We recently completed our yearly report for this project, and over its time we have reached 114 women and we have been able to work with such issues as social isolation, poor mental health and complicated domestic situations. 

A new focus on the work has emerged and there has been a great emphasis on positivity and looking at what our service users can do, and the skills and abilities that they have as individuals.  One of our service users said. 

“ _I have attended the Catalyst Project for the past 18 months, this project has been instrumental in boosting my self-esteem, and ending my loneliness, it has helped me_ 



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_address my anxieties and find ways to cope. I have made lasting friendships and regained the confidence to seek employment. I was overjoyed to be able to apply for one of the roles and was a successful candidate. This opportunity has opened so many doors for me, I feel that I can look to the future with optimism. I acknowledge that without the support of Victoria and other members of the women’s group, I would not be in the position I’m in today. I was so isolated, locked in my bedroom, only leaving it to eat. I still enjoy my online gaming but realise that this cannot be the centre of my universe, there is a big world out there, and I’m just starting my journey into exploring it. I cannot overestimate the importance of the support I have received, I’m now part of a team, this is massive for me, even more importantly it is a team which helps in our local community, I have such a sense of pride in being a part of that._ 

We are very grateful to the National Lottery for funding this piece of work. 

## **Meals on Wheels** 

Our Meals on Wheels service continues to provide vital hot meals for a dozen people across Thirsk and the surrounding area.  The service runs at capacity at the moment, and is another area of our work that has benefitted from the online Client Relationship Manager system which has been a part of Community Works for several months now. We’re grateful to our volunteers from CarScheme who deliver the meals every Monday to Friday. 

## **Re:Use Store** 

This last reporting period has been a time of change for the Re:Use second hand furniture store in the Market Place.  There have been some staff and volunteer changes which have strengthened our operations, and the store continues to be indebted to this volunteer team, who are now perhaps even more dedicated and go ‘above and beyond’, many times each week. 

The Store has been able to receive and sell more items than before during this financial year, and the change to our operating systems has enabled us to provide a better service for the many customers that visit us.  We now have a growing social media presence for the store furniture, and have seen a huge rise in the number of items that we have been able to sell online.  We are grateful for the kindness of those that donate to us on a regular basis, and any surplus that the shop makes is put into the overall running of the Charity itself. 

## **One to One work** 

Our one-to-one work was also strengthened during this reporting period, and Oliver Lewis one of our longest serving staff members was recognised for his achievements in the field of Information, Advice and Guidance by the then High Sherriff of North Yorkshire, Jamie Lambert OBE. 

Oliver’s award noted that, ‘this award was given by The High Sheriff of North Yorkshire to Oliver Lewis in recognition of great and valuable services to the community. This 



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award also recognises the appreciation of the residents and people of North Yorkshire for activity and contribution in enhancing the life of the community’. 

It was quite a year for Oliver who was moved from a position of Keywork to the Head of Keywork and Engagement in February 2023. 

Our drop ins for both volunteers and service users have got busier as the year has progressed and we continue to engage with those who need us at any level. 

## **Behind the Scenes** 

Finally, it seems right to recognise the hard work and dedication that goes in to the life of Community Works that generally is not seen by anybody outside of our buildings. There are many hard working staff members not mentioned by name in this report!  This hard work also encompasses volunteers who drop 


off food that has been collected from the outlying villages, drivers that take some of our older service users to hospital appointments, unknown volunteers that will faithfully turn up with bags of food at Christmas when we collate hundreds of food parcels, and of course those who are even more hidden away, working hard to ensure that our accounts are accurate, that our policies are succinct, and those who faithfully heave furniture to and from the store every day.  Without those people, our staff team and the kind donations that we receive month in, month out, we couldn’t do what we do. 

With your support, we’ll continue to be Community Works, because life matters... 

Rob Rolls Chief Executive Officer December 2023 



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||Page|
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|Chair'srcpor t|1|
|LeSal andadministrative information|2|
|Trusteesreport|3-9|
|lndeperrdcntcxaminers report|l0|
|Statemcnloffinancialacti!itics||
|Balanccsheer|t2|
|N_otestothc financialstatements|13-21|





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||UnrestrictedRestricted|UnrestrictedRestricted|UnrestrictedRestricted|2023||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||funds|funds|Total|Total|
||Notes|<br>[|$|,C|c|
|Incomingand endowments<br>Donationsand legacies<br>Investment income|2<br>3|30.360<br>121||30.360<br>127|<br>88..t50<br>1,1:l|
|Incomingresourcesfromcharitable activities|1|305.359|119,211|;+8:1,600|480.822|
|Other income|5|2.000||2,000|3.228|
|Totalincome||I37.8.16|119.211|517.087|571.6.11|
|Expenditure||||||
|Expenditure on charitable activities||415.368|166.608|581,976|7 I5.,116|
|Total expenditure||415.368|166.608|581.976|715.:ll6|
|Netincome(expenditure)<br>beforetransfers|||r2.633|(61.889)|(142,'772)|
|Transfers betweenfunds||55.291|(55.29.1)|||
|Netincome(expenditure)||||||
|fortheyear||/ll)rR,|(12.661)|(64.889)|(t12.112)|
|Totalfundsbroughtforward||256.873|217.580|,+7.+..+53|611,225|
|Total funds carriedforward||234,6,15|17.1.919|,109.56.1|47.1.1153|





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|Balancesheet<br>asat3lMarch2023||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Notes|I|ztt23<br>I|is|2022|
|Fixedassets||||||
|Taogibleassets|l1||28t,379|||
|Currentasscts||||||
|Debtors|t2|24,018||21 .O4'1||
|Cashatbankandinhand||I14,436||t67,046||
|||138,484||194,093||
|Creditors:arnountsfalling<br>duelvithinoneyear|13|(10,299)||(16,864)||
|Netcurrentassets|||r28,t85||117.2).9|
|Netassets|||409,564||!:.^*|
|Funds|t4|||||
|Resttictcd incomcfunds|||114,919||217,580|
|Unrestrictcd incomc funds|||234,645||256,873|
|Total funds|||409,564||t1]:|





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|I)onationsandIegacies||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Unrestricted|Rcstricted|2023|2022|
|||funds|<br>furds|Total|Total|
|||4a||t|t|
|Generaldonationsand firndraisin|s|30,360||30.360|88.'150|
|||30.360||30,360|88,450|



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|InYestment income||||
|---|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted|2023|2022|
||fuuds|Total|Total|
||r|s|s|
|Bankinterestreceivable|121|127|144|
||t)7|),27|144|





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|Incomingresourcesfromcharitable activities|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted|Restricted|2023|2022|
||firnds|<br>funds|Total|1'otal|
||rx||T|f|
|Rc:use|61,355||61,355|48.641|
|Better Connect(YourConsortium)|55,605||55,605|62.914|
|Broadacres||||39.'7t2|
|CarScheme|6.t5t|34,613|40.764||
|MultiplyNYCC|6,O52||6,052||
|Catalyst(lottery)||30.832|30,832|30.832|
|TwoRidings Community Foundation(Activity)|6,500||6,500||
|Thc Henry SmithCharity||56,00;|56.000|21-150|
|Kickstart||3,879|3,879||
|MealsonWheels|12.631||t2,637|10,589|
|MentalHealth||1s.000|15,000||
|Foodbank<br>ThrivingatWork|t))q)|28,625|28,625<br>1)ro)|10,000<br>t6,592|
|CommunityGrants||||4.000|
|GovernmentGrants reCovid||||18,093|
|Dementia DayCare|51.231||51,237|17.182|
|Library||'ta))|2,422|9.201|
|SHIC|15,000||15,000||
|OlderPeople Services||7,81;|7,870|7.960|
|I-carning&PartnershipHUB||||11.694|
|Playschemes||||98.266|
|StrongerCommunitiesNYCC|16.000||36,000|36.000|
|CIientincome|578||578|621|
|Other smallgrants|||,ta5)|30.709|
||305.35 9|t19,241|184f00|180j2|



|Otherincome||||
|---|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted|2023|2022|
||funds|Total|Total|
||r|f|s|
|Giftaidincome|2.000|2,000|3,228|
||2,000|2,000|3,2?8|





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|Costsof charitable activities-byfun|dtype||
|---|---|---|
||UnrestrictedRestricted<br>2023|2022|
||funds<br>funds<br>pf<br>Total|Total<br>f|
|Communit)Works (notc7)|157.920410.590|583.2.11|
|Corecosts(nolc8)|8.688t7t.385<br>r62.696|1]2.1'1.1|
||415.368166,608581.976|715.416|



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||Communit]|2023|,l\r7|
|---|---|---|---|
||Works|Total|Total|
||{|{|d|
|Directcosts|72.984|71.984|l-s2,073|
|\\'agesend salaries|239.536|239.536|326,458|
|Training&rccruitmcnt|1.330|1.330||
|St.rff- othcr costs|1.317|1.3t7|10.1'7)|
|Rent|3i.56,1|33.56:r||
|Utilitics|15.55 2|15.552|10.35,1|
|Insulancc|1,1.619|l-+.6:19|5.629|
|Motorandtravellingcosrs|7,501|7.501|1.781|
|Accountancycharges|6,967|6.961|6.500|
|Other professionalfees|||5.075|
|Othcl officccxpcnscs|8.077|8.017|18.520|
|Telcphonc|3.113|3.3|1219|
|Sundryexpeses||||
||410.590|.110.590|s83!4'|





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|8.|Corecosts|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|2023|2022|
|||funds<br>fs|<br>funds|Total<br>{|'lotat<br>g|
||DirectcostsActivilics|2.r38||2,138||
||I)ircctcosls -lnter\.entions||||r60|
||Dircctcosts -Transport&mileage||||61|
||Dircctcosts - Repairs&maintenancc|r.862||1.862|2.256|
||Dircctcosts -Buildingnraintenancc|8t||8l|r.689|
||Wages and salalies|106.05r||106.051|16.t31|
||Stalfrccruitment& trainirg|13.679||13.619||
||Staflother costs|1.679||1.619|.1.009|
||Rcnt|I1.895||11.895|9.2:+8|
||Utilities|3.930||3.930|4,425|
||lnsurance|1.82.1||3.824|6.906|
||NIotorandtravcllingcosts|65r||651|2.389|
||Accountancychargcs|1.709||1.709|1.5E,1|
||Other professionalfccs|1.355||1.355||
||Otherofficcexpcnscs|1.976||1.916|3,597|
||Telephone|163||763|2.:135|
||Bank interestandchargc!|9,19|||535|
||Depreciation|7.154|8,68i1|r5.8.13|16.537|
|||162.696|E.688|171.385|132.1'71|
|9.|Netoutgoingrcsourcesforthe year|||||
|||||2023t|2022<br>{|
||N-ctoutgoingresources is statedaftcr charging:|||||
||Deprcciationandothcrarrlouiltsu'rittenofftangiblefixedassets|||r5,8.13|r6.537|





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|Employmentcosts|2023|2022|
|---|---|---|
||f|f|
|Wages and salaries|322.758|369.560|
|Social securitycosts|22.8)9|22.666|
|Pension costs|r1.266|r0.369|
|Othercosts|730|l:1.781|
||357.583|411.376|



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|Theaveragemonthlynumbersolcmployccs(includingthc<br>fulltimc cquivalcnts.wasasfollows:|trustees)duringthe year. calculatedonth|cbasisof|
|---|---|---|
||2023|2022|
||Number|Number|
|Trustees|l0|l1|
|Administration|I|I|
|Staffand developmenLworker!|19|3)|
||30|44|



|||Landand|LeaseholdFixtures,|LeaseholdFixtures,|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|11.|Tangible fixedassets|buildings|propertyfittingsand||Computer|Motor|Skate||
|||freeholdimprovementsequipment<br>,fc,|||equipmcnt<br>f|vehicles<br>s|Park<br>{|Totalt|
||Cost||||||||
||At IApril2022and||||||||
||At31March2023|1!!40|28.058|_tr!30|t2.361|_yn|I 13.25.1|l8sg0|
||Depreciation||||||||
||AtIAptil2OZ2||28.058|8,603|10.060|8,965|32.360|88.046|
||Chargefortheyear|||3,424|2.239|2,O90|8.090|15,8,1i|
||At31March2023||28,058|_tz,0n||11,055|40.450|l0t.tt9|
||Netbookvalues||||||||
||At3lMarch 2023<br>At31March2022|202.1,10<br>202.t10||103<br>3,526|__68<br>:!!|_:!'<br>jir|72.80,1<br>80,89.1|281,379<br>7q7I7t|





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|12.|Debtors|||
|---|---|---|---|
|||2023|2022|
|||t|t|
||Trade debtors|18.7.18|)).'11|
||Otherdebtors|5.300|4,314|
|||1M!|lll|
|13.|Creditors:amountsfallingdue|||
||withinoneyear|2023|7l\,)|
|||t|{|
||Trade creditors|197||
||Othertaxes andsocial security|5.212||
||Othercredito$||l.:1511|
||Accrualsanddeferred income|1.)10|15.:106|
|||10.299|,rl|



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|Analysisofnetassetsbetrveenfunds||||
|---|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted|Restrictcd|'l-otrl|
||funcls|funds|fLrnds|
||x|t|r|
|Fund balances at3lMarch 2023asrepresented by:||||
|Tangiblefixedassets|208.,138|11.911|281.379|
|Currcntasscts|36.506|r01.978|138..18:l|
|Cunentliabilitics|(10.299)||(10.299)|
||23,1.6,1517.1.919||409,561|



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|Unrestricted funds|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||At|Incoming|Outgoing|At|
||IA,prila0zz|resources|resources Transfers31March2023||
|||||f|
|GcncralFunds|ls6j?3|111!f|(415!68)jijl|234,615|



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|Restricted funds||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||AtIncoming||Outgoing|Funds|At|
|7April2022resources<br>{<br>I|||resourcesTransferred31March2023<br>,CCC|||
|Conrrnulity lVorks||||||
|Thc Hcnr)SmithCharitr-|35,760|56.000|rI)6c)fl)||59.070|
|Catalyst|21,330|30.832|(19,364)||32.79E|
|Brelms Trust|,1.906||(4.906)|||
|Reachingcommunities(llambletontogcthcr)|1.141||G,"/11J|||
|NYSport(llappy ncwycar)|3.996||(3,996)|||
|Scrubs|1.955||(955)||r.000|
|Foodbank|837|28.625|||7.009|
|I-ibrary|(3.:105)|||983||
|OlderPeople Services|4.110|7.870|(5.206)||1-10,1|
|Playschemes|6r.820||(5.s43)|(s6.211)||
|Kickstart||3.879|(3,879)|||
|N{cnulHealth||r5.000|(r5.000)|||
|Car scheme||3,1.613|(.39.'7'79)||(s.166)|
|'l'hirskSkatePark||||||
|HamblctonDistliclCouncil|11.105||('1.rr0)||36.995|
|Big LotteryFund|25.125||(1.s00)||)1.6)5|
|ThirskTo*nCouncil|1.500||(2s0)||2.250|
|-\orthYorkshirc Countv Council|9.000||(900)||8.t00|
|Gcncraldonations|3.161||(330)||2,83.1|
||217.580119.24t||166.608|(55,29,1)|17.1.919|



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