PROJECT COLT ## AND ## COLT ENTERPRISE CALDERDALE LTD REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR YEAR ENDING 30th APRIL 2024 Charity Number: 1098268 Company Number: 5460328 VAT No: 106 4202 63 ## Contents Legal and Administrative Information ......................................................................................... 2 Executive summary ................................................................................................................... 3 Annual Report – year ending April 2024 ....................................................................................... 4 Achievements and Performance ................................................................................................ 5 Case Study ............................................................................................................................... 5 Consulting With Our Community ............................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 6 Financial Review ....................................................................................................................... 6 Looking Ahead .......................................................................................................................... 7 **1 |** P a g e ## Legal and Administrative Information Charity Name: Project Colt Charity Registration: 1098268 Company Registration: Colt Enterprise Calderdale Ltd Registered Number: 5460328 Place of Operation: Elland Bridge, Elland, HX5 0SG ## Management Committee Simon Macaulay (trustee and director) Danny Barker (trustee) Jane Mitchell (trustee) Paul McMahon (trustee) Kieran Malko (trustee) Lesley Maslen (trustee and director) ## Senior Management Jan de Villiers, Chief Executive O�icer Emma Bainbridge, Project Manager Russell Davies, Manager Colt Enterprise Accountants - Torevell Dent Ltd 1-3 St Ann’s Place, Pellon Lane, Halifax HX1 5RB Registered Number: 4923108 Bankers – Lloyds TSB for Colt Enterprise and RBS Bank and CAF Bank for Project Colt Charity **2 |** P a g e ## Executive summary 2023 to our systems, structure, and people. In comparison, 2024 has been much quieter. We extend our gratitude to our board of trustees and directors. Your wisdom and support have been invaluable. Special thanks to Danny Barker, who served as Chair for several years and has now stepped down to trustee, and to Simon Macaulay, who has taken on the role of Chair. We look forward to your guidance. In June 2023, I succeeded the leadership of Mary Spencer, who founded this project in 2003 and developed it into what it is today. Her tenacity, vision, and compassion have been inspirational. I am grateful for her and the board’s trust in me, and the opportunity to lead. Our sta� levels have remained stable, bringing strength and stability to our team. Their dedication and love for the people we serve are relentless, inspiring me to do my best as well. Our new improved addiction recovery curriculum embedded well, and we are proud of it. This past year, over 60 volunteers have supported our work, dedicating varying amounts of time. We truly appreciate your contributions. This past year has also brought some recognition with 2 awards for us as an organisation and 2 awards for volunteers. Well done to all. As we look ahead, our mission stays the same as we strive to change lives for good. Just before Covid we dreamed about developing the mill into a destination, a place where one is valued, finds purpose and can grow. This is happening, and we are delighted about the results. Our footfall is increasing, our o�er is growing in depth and scope…we are excited about what the future holds. ## Jan de Villiers CEO **3 |** P a g e ## Annual Report – year ending April 2024 The Trustees of Project Colt, who are also the sole member of the charitable company, Colt Enterprise, for the purpose of the Companies Act, are pleased to present their annual report and financial statement for the year ending 30 April 2024. This report has been prepared in accordance with Part 8 of the Charities Act 2011 and constitutes a directors’ report. ## What We Do…. Colt is Changing Lives for Good. Our mill is open to the community 6 days a week from 9.30am to 5pm, serving people from diverse backgrounds, including those struggling with addiction, mental includes therapeutic support, volunteer and training placements, social and wellbeing groups, art and organisations and businesses with a social purpose based in the mill, Colt has created an inclusive place for local people to find purpose and community in Elland. **4 |** P a g e ## Achievements and Performance This past year delivered a few awards. We were presented with the Kings Award for Voluntary Service, by the Lord Lieutenant Ed Anderson CBE. A great achievement by all the volunteers that contributed to making Colt what it is today. We were also presented with the Community Spirit Award in the Breakthrough of the year category. This is a local recognition through the Community Foundation for Calderdale. Two of our outstanding volunteers were also honoured through receiving the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Reuse network (Denise Evans) and Volunteer of the year award from the Community Foundation for Calderdale (Ameen Yousaf) ## Case Study In 2022, my life changed drastically. After a breakdown, I spent six months in The Dales, a mental health hospital. During this time, I lost my home and struggled with social interactions. Upon release, I moved into shared accommodation in Brighouse. My mental health support worker suggested visiting Project Colt for creative workshops. In July 2023, I met with a member of the team there, who o�ered me a volunteer role to help rebuild my confidence. I shared my passion for ceramics and past work as an artist. He supported me, hoping I might return to ceramics when ready. After five months, I completed a barista course, made new friends, and gained confidence. I started in housekeeping until Carly Breame set up her ceramic workshop and took me on as her assistant. I now work with Carly one day a week, and it feels like I’m back to my old self. Working with Carly has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m deeply grateful to her and Project Colt for their support over the past year. ## Consulting With Our Community We always want to hear what our community needs are as we shape our o�er. Some of what they told us is captured below. We asked people how important it is to keep Bridgefield Mills running as a community building. 80% of 371 respondents indicated that the building is important to the community with comments such as “a vital hub”, “a wonderful space that helps many”, “needed for people from all walks of life”, “made such a positive mark on the Elland area.” The top five activities that people think are important were 1) community café, 2) a home for Project Colt and other charities, 3) recycled furniture and household goods, 4) a safe and warm place for everyone to come to, 5) training, volunteer and work opportunities. What do you like most about Project Colt? 1. “I love the atmosphere of Colt, it is such a welcoming place, and each visit is unique, there are lots of stories to be heard by individuals and it is quite rightly so. A very well-respected community establishment.” **5 |** P a g e 2. “Their non-judgemental, constant support for people. Also, not just for people in need but also for their families/ friends who may be in need of support or a listening ear as they are struggling due to the impact of service users’ addictions/ past addictions.” 3. Havercakes! And all the wonderful people - I always feel happy when I leave even if I didn’t when I arrived. 365 out of 371 people will recommend Project Colt to people but all of it builds on our existing o�er, highlighting that people would love to see more of the activities and training programmes we already have on o�er, and perhaps some expansion into family activities. ## Acknowledgements As well our incredible sta� and volunteers we want to acknowledge our collaborators who have been an incredible asset as they delivered services to the wider community - they are the barber, horticulturalist, ceramicist, artists, baristas, food providers, bike maintenance guys, and upcyclers. We applaud and thank you. To achieve long term sustainability, we continue to build our infrastructure and funding base. Lloyds Bank Foundation, Henry Smith Charity, Garfield Weston Foundation, Reaching Communities and Community Foundation for Calderdale have continued to be the backbone of our financial support. These, along with several other funders, enable us to keep our core o�er running and growing, and we would like to express our gratitude to all our donors and supporters for their generosity and belief in our mission. A BIG thank you to our many supporters and partners CFFC - VCS Support Fund, General Fund, Harnessing the Power of Communities, Cost of Living Fund, Sovereign Health, Active Calderdale, Lower Valley Staying Well Community Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Cost of Living Fund – Lottery, Morrisons, Anton Jurgen Charitable Trust, Mayors Safer Community Fund, Tabhair Foundation, Supporting Stronger Neighbourhoods, DCMS, Awards for All, Calderdale Council Highway and Engineering Services, Scurrah Wainright Charity, Anglo Recycling, South West NHS Foundation. ## Financial Review During the year several ideas and projects have taken o� and come to completion. This is evident in the appearance of the building and the expansion of services and of course filters through to the finance systems which have needed to adapt as time has gone on to accommodate new schemes and ways of working. While this hasn’t been straight forward all areas have pulled together to streamline processes and implement systems designed to protect the business and improve e�iciency. We are moving towards operating increasingly robust systems, these improvements which for example include: implementation of stock checking /valuation process for new stock for resale, **6 |** P a g e intervals. ## Looking Ahead We continue to develop a sense of community rooted in working together. When you visit us, you will hopefully see and experience this. Key goals for us include; - Purchase the mill to secure our future and establish a long-term community hub for the people of Calderdale - Develop our wider community o�er in scope and depth - Help more people recover from addiction and the destruction it causes to them and their family’s lives thankful. As we move into the next year, we are excited and hopeful about what might be. **7 |** P a g e PROJECT COLT ACCOUNTS AND ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2024 PROJECTCOLT Independent Examlner's Report to1heTn￿teeS of Projed Cott lorthe yearended30Aprll2024 I report lo the truslees on my examinalion otthe accounts of Ihe Projeci Cott forihe yearended 30AprS12024. Responslbllltles and basls olr•port As the charlty trustees of Ihe TA￿1 you are responsible forthe preparatlon olthe accounts In accordance wfth the requlremènts ofthe cha￿lleSAc1 2011 {IheArtI I report In respect ol myexamination of the Trusfsaccounts carried out urKlersectlon 145 ofthe 2011 Act and in carrylnq out my examlnalion I have lollowed ail the applicable Directions gNen bythe char￿ Commlsslon under sectlon 1451511bl of the Act. Independ8nl examlnefs stalemenl I have completed myexamlnation. I conflrm that no material matlers have come to my attentlon In connectlon wbth the exèmlnauon gMn8 me cause to tyell￿ that In ￿materIal respect: l accountlng records were nol kept In respect ol Ihe Trust as requlred by sectlon of the Act: or 2 the accounts do not accord wth I￿se records: or 3 the accounts do not complywllh Ihe applicable requlrement5 concemlng the form aThl content of accounts set out In the Charilles (Accounts and Reports) Reguiallijns 21XJ8 oihei than any requlremenl that the accourts gfve a Irue and falrvievl *thlch Is not a matter con5hJered as part ol an Independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no Oiher matters In connecllon wlh ihe examlnatlon to whlch altentlon should be drawn in thls report in order lo enable a pioper understandlng ol the accounts lo be reached. ntha.J. Sutcl FCCA Torevell Dent Ltd Chartere