2023-12-31-accounts - Shrewsbury Youth For Christ

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Shrewsbury Youth for Christ – Charity No: 1106486 Annual Report to the AGM, July 2024

Report from the Chair of Trustees

We started the new year with a new Director, Ellie (Lord). We were very excited to be able to promote her from her youth worker role in the team, but this meant she would have to start the year as a team of one. The Director and Treasurers reports cover much of what happened next, and I am pleased to say that the outcome has been that Ellie has settled in extremely quickly and has taken on the Director role competently and with flair. She was able to maintain all of our regular activities and develop some new areas of work with the creative use of volunteers and casual staff appointments. Towards the end of 2023 we were able to welcome Hannah (Willson) as a part time permanent member of the team to work in the Shrewsbury area, and make significant progress on recruiting a full time Pontesbury Youth Worker with our partners.

Prayer breakfasts continue to play a vital role as we seek God’s will. They are always well attended and provide support and encouragement to Ellie and the team. These events also enable us to visit many of the Churches who support S-YFC across Shrewsbury and Pontesbury, and promote our work and engage face to face with our supporters.

The Treasurers report confirms a healthy reserve at the end of the year. Thankfully, with only one team member for the majority of 2023, our income exceeded our expenditure. However, now that we have rebuilt the team we will have to address a projected income shortfall in 2024. Much of the shortfall is a result of cost of living increases and we are very aware that these same factors are negatively impacting many of those who provide financial support to S-YFC. We will be reviewing grant funding and other fund-raising opportunities as well as trying to increase the number of individuals and Church groups who provide financial support. As always, we continue to trust in God and to be blessed by His provision. We thank God for the Church groups and all the individuals who have provided generous financial support.

We are blessed with a strong and committed group of Trustees and Council of Reference from many local Churches who together offer spiritual direction, extensive knowledge and experience and lots of practical support to the team. A highlight for me in 2023 was the response to our call for new Council of Reference (CoR) members. Following much prayer and a review of the functions and role of the CoR we have now been able to welcome five new members who bring a wide range of knowledge and experience which will be invaluable to S-YFC.

As always, my sincere thanks go to all those who have worked for and with S-YFC during 2023 – Ellie, Hannah, Erin, Ross and the Trustees, the Council of Reference, Church partners, funding partners, the team at British Youth for Christ and the many volunteers and supporters who help in so many different ways.

Looking forward, 2024 has seen the expansion of the team completed with the recruitment of Joe Barnes as the full time Pontesbury Youth Worker, supported by an

amazing team of volunteers from local Churches. This exciting new area of work has come out of many years of dedicated prayer and careful planning and preparation with financial support from St George’s Pontesbury, the Hereford Diocese and grants from the Joseph Rank Trust and Shropshire Council. However, the grant funding is time limited so we will need to build up our income further to ensure that the work remains sustainable.

I re-affirm our commitment to do God’s work in partnership with schools and local Churches in a way that honours Him and successfully brings the Good News to the young people of Shrewsbury.

Martin Withington Chair of Trustees

Trustees who served from January 2023 to December 2023

Martin Withington (Chair)
Emma Broomfield (Secretary)
Sara Short (Treasurer)
Paul Kelly
Joyce Hayward
Fi Iddon
Roy Haworth
David Summerfield – to November 2023
Greg Smith
Hannah Willson (nee Garside) – to September 2023

Council of Reference who served from January 2023 to December 2023*

Andy Houghton (Chair)
The Council of Reference did not formally meet during 2023 pending a review of the role of this body and new members being identified and appointed. Meetings re-started in 2024.

Centre Director Report

2023 felt like a quieter start than most years as we entered the new year (my first as Centre Director) with only one team member at Shrewsbury Youth for Christ (S-YFC). However, the year began by being surrounded by many other youth workers at the return of the National Youth for Christ Conference held in Blackpool. Over the week, I felt God speaking one word over S-YFC for this season: Consistency . Therefore, we entered into 2023 knowing things were going to be different this year with a reduced staff team but determined to stay consistent and committed in our relationships with schools and young people in Shrewsbury.

January signalled the start of many of our regular groups returning including Trivolle at Belvidere school, Shrewsbury Colleges Group Christian Union, ‘Y’ club Meole Brace School, Wildcraft Mentoring at Shrewsbury Academy, Break time Drop In as well as Mentoring at Mary Webb School. In each of these groups, we have seen God's faithfulness over the past 12 months through providing new volunteers and increasing numbers of young people attending our groups as well as creating different opportunities to engage within school communities.

In September, S-YFC was asked by Belvidere School to develop an intervention programme for year 11 students who were at risk of dropping out of school. Tea Mentoring was the group born out of this request, this program offers hot drinks and conversations around selected themes. We have seen amazing progress made with

these students over a short amount of time including seeing an increase in attendance of participating students.

A focus for 2023 was growing the S-YFC team by recruiting a part-time town centre youth worker alongside a full-time Pontesbury youth worker. The prayer which was echoed during this time was ‘ Lord, send the right person at the right time’ . In September 2023, we welcomed the brilliant Hannah Willson to the S-YFC team as a part-time youth worker. Hannah has quickly built strong and trusted relationships with local schools and students and was the right person to join our team at the right time.

Over the year we completed 5 assemblies at Mary Webb where we were able to give a Good News message to over 800 students. We delivered ten year-7 Christmas classes at Meole Brace school where we shared what Christians both believe and celebrate about Christmas. Finally, we also completed It’s Your Move classes in 5 local Primary schools to help year 6’s before their big move up to secondary school.

At the end of 2023, the community of Shrewsbury grieved after a period of several tragic deaths of teenagers within the town. Aiming to support local teenagers, S-YFC pastorally supported students both in Shrewsbury Abbey, and Meole Brace School, by hosting chat and reflective spaces. As people who love young people, we sat in a place of grief amongst young people who were mourning their dear friends, supported by a loving God.

2023 has been a year of change, a year of learning, a year of joy and a year of grief but it has been a year in which we have seen God's Faithfulness. We are thankful for new volunteers that have supported these groups this year including Kath Day from Shrewsbury Baptist Church and Richard Lonsdale from St George’s Church Pontesbury. We are also deeply thankful to our supporters for upholding us prayerfully and financially during this year. Personally, I would like to thank the trustees of S-YFC for being so graceful and supportive during my first year as Centre Director.

Ellie Lord Centre Director

Treasurer’s Report 2022

2023 has been a team building year for S-YFC. It took a number of rounds of recruitment and a decision by the Trustees to offer a more attractive salary package before we managed to secure permanent staff to build the team. Until then we benefitted from the expertise of a number of people who joined us on casual contracts: Erin Mosdell, Ross Sargeant and Hannah Willson (nee Garside). You may remember Hannah as our latest Trustee recruitment at last year’s AGM: she has now stepped down from that role as she accepted a three days a week contract with us from 1 November 2023 to serve the young people and Schools in Shrewsbury. Joe Barnes joined us on 1 February 2024 as a full time youth worker in Pontesbury.

Joe’s appointment has been built on a great deal of hard work: Hannah Moore and our Trustee Rev Greg Smith started the process in 2022 with an application to the Joseph Rank Trust for half the funding; the remainder being provided by St Georges. Ellie continued the hard work of the application process with Joseph Rank which was finally fulfilled in March 2024, securing £12,500 per year from them for the next three years. It was a stringent application process with a requirement to show how the joint project will be sustained once the three years are up.

Despite all this teambuilding and focus on recruitment during 2023, you will see from the Director’s report that Ellie managed to keep up the work of S-YFC in Schools pretty much unchanged from 2022 levels, with the help of volunteers and casual workers.

Our income fell in 2023 compared to 2022. This was for a variety of reasons but included a number of our regular monthly donors moving out of the area or changing their focus of financial support (perhaps for their own cost of living reasons). We secured less in grants principally because we made fewer applications, but Ellie did secure £1,000 from The Lintel Trust with her very first letter. Making those applications takes time as each one needs to be tailored to the specifics of each Trust; we would welcome prayerful support for this particular area of S-YFC work that is now a focus for us.

There was a drop in funds in the category of ‘other income’ as we did not charge any of the schools for Ellie’s work, something that we have done, with discretion, in the past. We are blessed that our regular financial support from Churches has remained relatively unchanged and we are most grateful to New Nations Church for joining our other eight supporting Churches who donate to us on a regular basis.

Having only Ellie employed for much of the year meant that the project’s outgoings were reduced in 2023 compared to 2022, so we were blessed that the very healthy reserve at the start of the year continued to grow up until the point of employing both Hannah and Joe. We do face financial challenges moving forwards: although reserves were healthy at the end of 2023, there is a gap between income and staff costs now due to having a fuller team, plus cost of living increases since the funding grant was obtained from Joseph Rank. We are mindful of the need to grow our income to be able to continue to support the staff team once that Joseph Rank funding ends.

	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Income	50,700	58,600	49,300	56,750	56,300	63,820	59,730	58,360	44,080
Exps	58,500	55,600	52,800	55,100	53,580	53,220	64,870	58,195	42,200
Reserve	14,400	17,400	13,900	15,550	18,260	28,860	23,720	23,885	25,765

We could not do any of this valuable work without your support both prayerful and financial. The majority of our income comes directly from individuals and families; we have over 60 active donors at present and this is our greatest strength. My prayerful request is that you continue to be strong advocates of our work as we place our faith in the Lord for the financial provision that this project needs in order to continue to grow and take advantage of the many open doors we have in Schools in Shrewsbury and Mary Webb.

Immense thanks to Ellie for her super efficiency – she also took on a new home, got married and handled all this with a cheerful smile and a calm faith throughout 2023!

Thanks again to David Smith for auditing our accounts and for much guidance.

If ever you wish for any more information about anything, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you.

Sara Short Treasurer saralshort@icloud.com 07702905839

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Shrewsbury Youth for Christ On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 Charity no (if any) 1106486 Set out on pages Two to Six I report to the truslees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {"the Trust") for the year ended 3111212023. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance wilh the requirements of the Charities Acl 2011 {'the Act"). I report in respect of my examination 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 given by the Charity Commission under section 145151(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement I have no con¢ems and have come across no other matters in Gonnection wtth the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the arKounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 8° July 2024 Name: David Arthur Smith Relevant professional qualificationls> or body (rfanyl: CPFA Address: 5 Sawston Close. Radbrook Green, SHREWSBURY Shropshir8 SY3 6AY IER October 2018

Flnal shW$bUry Youth forChrist- Chaiity Number t106486 Statement of FlnanclalActlvld¢s- Yeareniled37 1)e¢ember2023 Note Unrestricted Restrlcted Funds Funds Yearended Ye8rended 31 December 31 December 2023 2022 Incomlng $oUr¢e$ Voluntary Income Investmont Income Other Incoming Resources lincl. Grants) 42689.82 263.01 1133.47 42689.82 263.01 1133.47 53613.17 27.49 4720.80 0.00 o.oo rotal incoming resources 44086.30 0.00 44086.30 58361.46 Resour¢e$ expended Cost8 of generating ¥oluntary irtcon Charitable Activities 40.T9 3,4&5 42172.85 0.00 0.00 40.79 42172.85 34.79 58160.54 Total resources expended 42213.64 0.00 42213.64 S8196.33 Net incomlnty(otstgolng. )resour¢•$ 1872.66 1872.66 166.13 Tot81 Funds bmught fonvard 23891.68 23891.68 23.725.SS Total fund5 canyed fon¥ard 2S764.34 0.00 25764.34 23891.68

Final Shrewsbury Youth for Christ- Charity number f 106486 Income and Expenditure Account- Year ended 31 December 2023 Note Year ended 31 December 2023 Year ended 31 December 2022 Income Donations and voluntary income Interest received Other income and reimbursements 42689.82 263.01 1133.47 53613.17 27.49 4720.80 44086.30 58361.46 Expenditure Employee costs Other operating costs Depreciation 34739.96 7154.71 318.97 42213.64 51079.87 7013.46 102.00 58195.33 Surplus/{deficit) 1872.66 166.13 Funds Unresticted Reserve brought forward Surplusldeficit(-) for year 23891.68 1872.66 23725.55 166.13 Reserves carried fonvard 25764.34 23891.68

Final Shrew5bury Youth for Christ- Charity number 1106486 Balance Sheet at 31 December2023 At 31 D8cembgr2023 At 31 December 2022 FixedAssets Tangible Flxed Assets Note 1071.00 137.00 Current Assets Dgbtors and Prepayments Cash at Bank and in hand 1495.36 23244.67 24740.03 881.06 22873.62 23754.68 CurttEnt Liabilities Trade Creditors 46.69 0.00 Net Current Assets/Liabilitles{-} 24693.34 23754.68 Net Assets 25764.34 23891.68 Funds of the Charity Unrestricted funds Restricted Funds 25764.34 0.00 2S764.34 23891.68 0.00 23891.68 The above accounts, together with the accompanying notes, were consldered by the Trustees at thelr meeting on 7th uly 2024 and are signed on their behalf by: Chairman Sectary

Flnal Shrewsbury Youth forchrlst. Charftynumbw 1106486 Notes to theAccounts 1 Accountlng Pollcies and Bas58 of Accountlng The Aecounls h8ve been prepared on an accru818 b8S1S 8nd In accordance wth Ihe SORP"Accounling endReporting by Chanties" arKJ relevant Charily Commissiort Guidance. It IS scknoÉd9ed that Ihe Chanty can fiuctuale aroufjLI the threshold fN Accruals accoiinliTrq Ihe Truslees have continued lo use Ihis basis for cotnpaiability wilh previou$ Years. Income Is recoqniseo in IIE accovnls on the 0851s of when rt is due, rather than when il 1$ reteived. Expenditure is charqed to the attounts In Ihe period to whi¢h rt relaies. not vA)en the payment Is 8clualty made. Items of equipment with an I1¥al value of £500 or more andlor have a useful life of more Ihan one yeaf 8re rAegon8ed ès18noible Fixed 8sseis and recorded in the Balance Sheet as such Depreoalion Is charge¢ lo Ihe Slalemenl of FinanGial Atlivilies ad Incotne and Exptrnditu Account on the b8sis ofiheir useful lives 10 the Charity.. Years Compulinq and relaled Eouipmenl Other equipment 2 Income 31 D0Cgmb•r 2023 31 Decèmbor 2022 The following areas of Income were receivable in the period-. Grants. Donations and Voluntary Subscription5 ITld315 - Organisalions [dding Grdnts received) 32245.58 10444.24 42689.82 40244 09 13369 08 53613.17 Inleiest re¢Èived 263 01 27.49 Olher Incorne and feimbuisements 113347 4720.80 3 Oth?r omrating c05ts'. Equipment. Resources and M8ten8I OffiTr expenses lind Poslagesl Telèphones 8nd Inietrl costs Travelling expenses Training InsurantÈs Subscriplions and Uonalions Rental of Office and other spacÈ 2nd associated costs Club Expense5 Fundraisino costs linrludino Websiiei Payroll A(Imin151raln other mi8¢£llaneous ewenses 391.00 98.65 409.48 972.36 242 00 476.54 100000 2887 10 521.04 40.79 110.00 5.75 7154.71 350 49 271.76 543.56 939 05 200 00 516.69 0.00 2754.00 837.81 3479 120.00 445 31 7013.46 4 Employ•e costs.. 831èry Emplwts Pension Contributions National Insurance costs Olhercosi$ of employment Imainty latett to ul1ment) 30702.27 1090.91 2552.53 394.25 34739 96 45754.37 1002.42 40go 88 232.20 51079.87 The Choniy appoinled 8 new lulltime Centre Oirectorfrorn January 2023Jnd opernted J re5trr¢ted Support W¢therb8$1S with zero hours contracts until November2023 when a contracted Support w0rterlprevuslY on zero hoursl was engaged for Ihree days perweek. In 3ddrtion,a furthersupptrrt Worterwas engaged fDm l December2023, again on a zero hours basts, the costs olthis 8PPOlntmentbeing re1mbu6Y S Ge0'S PCC In Pontesbury. Ponslons: rhe Charity has maintained itspractKe. a5 in Ihepast. of supporhngpensDn an3ngements fork5 emplOe5. EmploJEr Contribut$ have been Includedin the èccouftts as 8 conseouertce

Shrew51Jury Youth lor Chry5t- Charty number 1106484 lotes to theA¢¢ounts 31 Do¢emher 2023 3f DecembBr 2022 S Tanoiblè Fixod Assèts Expenditurg Brought forward 311 January 2022 2547.79 2547.79 Purchased In period 'spo$al in period 1252.97 0.00 000 0.00 Total al 31 Decernber 2023 3800 76 2547.79 D8preclation Brouom forward 81 1 Janu8ry 2022 241Q.79 2308.79 Charged in period 318 97 102(M) Total al 31 Dernb 2023 2729.76 2410.79 Net v•lue at 31 De¢efflber 2023 1071.00 13700 S Dobtors Payments in Advancelpaid 2023 forir8initt9 event 2024) Other Debtorsl GiftAKI Rece15 8ndAccounts forseryresl 455.00 1040.36 230.00 S51 06 7 Cr8dltoYs Trade creditors- due vAlhin one year 4669