2025-04-30-accounts - Folkestone Youth Project

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REGISTERED CHARITY 1113379

ANNUAL REPORT MAY 2024 – APRIL 2025

WRITTEN BY RUTH TYLER – PROJECT MANAGER

Executive Summary

The project has adapted to the everchanging climate and challenges affecting young people.

The effects of the Covid pandemic are still coming to the surface for young people and the youth team have identified the needs and work to address these.

Securing a continuation of multi-year funding from The National Lottery has given the Charity financial security to build upon.

The trustees are working towards having a long-term lease from The Arch Company.

The youth team continues to provide a wide range of activities whilst keeping sustainability at the forefront of the project.

The Trustees are pleased to have improved accessibility to the project by installing a substantial disabled ramp.

The only negative is a personal injury insurance claim which the Charity contests and which in the hands of the insurers/solicitors.

Introduction

The Charity established a youth project in Folkestone Harbour in 2006. (Full history can be read in our 2016 Annual Report.)

In 2014 we relocated onsite to modular units due to our old building being demolished for regeneration work.

In 2017 we had to leave that site and put the buildings into storage, leaving the project temporarily homeless.

In 2018 we took over Network Land to establish our new Urban Wilderness site at Bradstone Avenue. The modular units were brought out of storage and have been completely refurbished.

The project works in a holistic way to provide free activities/preventative education that support the social, emotional, and physical development of young people aged 10 -18 years through open access sessions and 1-2-1 support 10 -25 years via referral.

The Charity now delivers a wide range of activities with a sustainable ethos.

The outside space provides opportunity for wildlife garden and community gardening.

Through working with the Police and Council Crime Reduction Team, the youth team are making an impact on the lives of vulnerable young people in the area.

The project allows no social media use onsite and discourages the use of mobile phones during sessions. This is to reduce stress on young people and to give them opportunity to fully engage in activities.

Demographic profile of the youth population served.

The project sits within the East of Folkestone surrounded by the Wards of Folkestone Harbour, Folkestone Foord, Folkestone Harvey Central, Folkestone Foord and Folkestone East, which are recognised as areas of deprivation and need.

The area is in the top 5% Decile for Poverty and deprivation.

Although down for redevelopment, recognised problems in the direct area are –

High drug use/dealing. / Risk from County Line gangs.
Anti – social behaviour.
High rates of NEETS/ Young People in Inclusion.
High levels of crime.
Increased number of Knife crime.
High numbers of people smoking Cannabis.
High levels of unemployment
High rates of contact with CAMHS
High levels of Youth Offending.

The direct area has a high quantity of emerging ethnics groups, migrant population, and unescorted asylum seekers. The project does not see this as a problem and celebrates the diversity of its members.

The area also has numerous houses of multiple occupancy. The area has not benefitted from any investment in the town development; however rental prices have increased greatly with many families now facing being homeless due to this.

A high proportion of our members are frequently excluded from school. We are experiencing higher levels of young people who are self-harming.

Many of our young people have challenging behaviour due to conditions such as ADHD, have complex family lives and lack social skills.

The area still has high levels of drug dealing and related violence. There were two serious knife assaults in the direct area during this period.

Safeguarding and Policies Summary

The Folkestone Youth Project:

 Recognizes its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all young people involved with the project by protecting them from physical, emotional, or sexual harm and from neglect or bullying of any kind.

 Will ensure that all external bodies using the facilities at the centre, providing activities for our members (whether at our centre or at their own premises) exercise a similar approach to their duty of care for the young people they work with.

 Will ensure that all adults who work with young people are aware of their role and responsibilities and that training opportunities are made available to them.

 Will practice safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks as appropriate.

Service Outcomes

Service Standards

All youth work services should enable young people to demonstrate an increase in the social and emotional capabilities which will then support them in making positive transitions from childhood to adulthood. These capabilities include:

The ability to communicate effectively.
Developing self-confidence and self-esteem
Developing resilience and determination
Learning to manage their feelings & relationships well.
Developing creativity and problem-solving skills
Reduce risk to vulnerable young people.
Improve Physical and Mental Health.

This service will also contribute to the following geographic and thematic priorities which have been identified through local needs assessment.

The service will focus on raising the aspirations of young people aged 10-25 and support them in achieving their potential.

General Youth Work Principles

Our ethos is that all young people deserve a space where they feel welcome and valued regardless of their individual circumstances.

Therefore, the project must -

Be inclusive; offering an equality of access for young people regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual identity and/or disability.
Offer challenging, free and fun activities which allow for young people to engage in informal education, develop positive relationships and increase personal and social skills.
Deliver a broad curriculum of activities including (but not exclusively) healthy choices, participation, challenging prejudice, creativity and information and guidance.
Offer the opportunity for young people to gather and socialise in safe spaces during evenings and school holidays.
Develop the participation of young people, involving them in the design, delivery and evaluation of services.
Promote positive relationships between young people and the wider community.
Contribute to a preventative agenda which recognises young people who are more vulnerable and offers pathways to additional support where required.
Demonstrate a partnership approach ensuring that a range of organisations and community sectors work together to help young people.

The project has adopted a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach,

Evidence of Impact.

Youth services in the area have drastically reduced with government cuts.

The effects of lockdown on young people are now being realised, especially those from lower income families.

Attendance has increased and the youth team have worked very closely with young people to identify challenges to their well being both physically and mentally.

All activities remain free.

Most young people attend both open access sessions for the full three hours. Therefore, we provide 6 hours free engagement per week for some of the most vulnerable young people in the area.

Over the period of this report we have welcomed over 100 new young people and session attendance is averagely 20 young people per session.

YOUTH WORK AND PREVENTATIVE EDUCATION.

The project opened two evenings per week 4pm -7pm for open access to young people aged 10 -18 years.

The youth team provided weekly 1-2-1 support for two clients aged 20 -25 years from the local Early Psychosis unit and one young person aged 13 years.

From June, a Kent Wildlife Community worker visited weekly to do extra environmental work with young people focusing on their Blue water project.

Young people and the youth team worked together to mend the potting/greenhouse and erect sunshade for the kitchen garden area. This work was funded by local councillors.

The Charity purchased a new Air Hockey table for young people.

Young people had a Christmas Party.

The youth team attended two school engagement mornings.

The project provided work experience for four young people from the local secondary school and one young person from East Kent College.

Currently we have one student from Canterbury University doing work placement.

Preventive education has focused on positive relationships and vaping.

COMMUNITY AND URBAN WILDERNESS WORK.

The youth team have continued to develop the sustainability ethos of the project.

Partnership working on this includes Kent Wildlife, AW Rail for building supplies and Sandgate Community Gardens for compost.

A local sustainable flower farm held a fundraising plant sale for the project and donated any unsold plants.

We had the large trees onsite checked for safety and overhanging branches trimmed to allow more sunlight onto the meadow area.

The youth team continued to keep the site weeded and safe for use.

A new septic tank was fitted.

We started 2025 of with the installation of a disabled ramp, allowing more access for all to the project.

In March we started an extensive revamp of the meadow area which includes the addition of a seating area, expansion of the meadow area and animal habitats.

FUNDING

We secured multi year funding from The National Lottery.

Starbucks Community fund provided the creation of the new decking area/meadow revamp.

Rotarians

FHDC

Kent Community Foundation

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4 HARI MMISSI
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period To
from 01/05/2024 30/04/2025
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
finds ahs fants Total funds Last year
touttia)rsearust to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
Ai Receipts
Grants[Rental50] (=es =fig” [ee] - v2) | [9050]] [[9350] |
| |eS|
i CO ees | e
eeeee| |eee es| rr |
| CO [ eeeees| CY
PrSub ee eet || i —- ||
total (Gross income for 16,049 56,108 72,157 66,749
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
Eee ET
eae ee
Subtotal[_____-|
A3 Payments
Activities=) [(16st)] [(|)] ese
WasteRemoval SCT SSCSCSCSC~S | e Se)
a”Natiets1 EESe="h os P2245
WagesdS [aint] |
liternetiTelephone| SCT | [SCC] dd]| [retin [CSCS]
P|ane+0 ne |ee |ee’)~ drtCti‘i0 CCC
eeee CE|es [|es) eesUl [ee
Sub total| 3,716 | Eins | [Rea]
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
Eee See
yt re a i] aT ee]
Subtotal] |
Net of receipts(payments) [ 12,333] [-
AS 3.643 6,688
A6 TransfersCash funds between last year funds end [| {Ss68,700 | —T_ 95,354]
Cash funds this year end T65,055 [413,359] [_104.674
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CCXX R11 accounts (SS)

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds B1 Cash funds to nearest £ |to nearest £ edto nearest £ (agree balances withTotalreceipts cashand fundspayments es |See account(s)) Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ :a — Detaiis Fund to which - Current value asset belon: Cost (optional) optional a === Details Fund to which . Current value[retained][ forthe] fi BA[Assets] asset belo Cost (optional)i optional Fund to which Amount due When due i ==vetans ==liability relates optional =optional Signed by one or two trustees on , : Date of behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name approval E Smiteete 13 9.284 KW. Cocke &

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

K ‘ CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examiner's FOR ENGLAND AND WALES report on the accounts

Section A

Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ members of |FOLKESTONE YOUTH PROJECT

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On accounts for the year | 30 April 2025 Charity no | 1113379
ended (if any)
Set out on pages | Annual Report and Receipts and payments accounts pages 1-2
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| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30/04/2025.

Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act’).
| report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent | have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: e accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- e the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

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Name: | Mark Minus FCA, Beresfords
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Relevant professional | ICAEW
qualification(s) or body (if any):

Address: | 1-2 Rhodium Point, Spindle Close, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent CT18 7TQ

IER

October 2018

Section B

Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

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Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
disclose.
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IER

October 2018