2023-03-31-accounts - The Christopher Centre

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THE CHRISTOPHER CENTRE

Trustees’ Report

For the year ended 31 March 2023

Administrative Information

The Christopher Centre is a company limited by guarantee, registration no: 6173167 and registered with the Charity Commission no. 1120942.

Registered office:

The Christopher Centre, 10 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2EU

Trustees

Robin Hodgkinson (Chairperson) (SAVO CIC)

Jennifer Wilkins

Kathleen Leigh

David Lowe (Treasurer)

Karoline Wells

Susan Ayres

Dave Sullivan

Jesse Carter

Belinda Green (appointed November 2022)

Centre Co-ordinators

Linda Adams Kathy Lee-Rimmer

Company Secretary

David Lowe

Cleaner

Gregory Bishop

Volunteers

Receptionists: Jane Benton, Sarah Dovell, Belinda Green, Sue Howting, Jenny Ince, Jennie Wilkins, Lizzie Alexander, Judy Parmenter, Connie Gourlay and Liz Ward.

Volunteer Handyman : Niall Hennessy

Volunteer Gardener: Lee Young

Structure, Governance & Management

1. Nature of governing document

The activities of The Christopher Centre are governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association that were incorporated by Companies House on 20 March 2007 and approved by the Charity Commission on 21 September 2007.

2. Recruitment and appointment of trustees

The trustees and staff are always on the lookout for potential new trustees who can bring their skills and expertise to assist in the organisation’s governance. Potential trustees have access to both the chair and the manager to discuss their involvement. When recruited, new trustees are inducted through meetings and an induction pack, which not only covers information about the organisation but their roles and responsibilities as trustees.

3. Review of the financial position

Total income for 2022/3 was £50,776 an increase of £348 on the previous year due to an increase in Rent & User Charges.

Expenditure for 2022/3 was £51,995, a decrease of £8,176 on 2021/22.

The net result was a decrease of £1219 in the fund balances carried forward of £31,579. This is less of a decrease than last year therefore improving the overall financial position.

4. Financial Management

The Christopher Centre accounts are managed by a Treasurer who is one of the trustees.

Bank accounts continue to be held at the Sudbury branch of Barclays Bank. All cheques require two signatories. The signatories are Robin Hodgkinson (Chair) and Jennie Wilkins, in addition to the Treasurer.

The systems of internal control include written reports submitted by the Treasurer at the quarterly trustees’ meetings. Also, consideration of the financial results and forecasting of possible funding shortfalls are discussed in detail at trustee meetings.

5. Reserve Policy

The Christopher Centre has built up a reserve for possible redundancies (£3000). There is also a general reserve fund of £26,738, which includes a maintenance contingency.

6. Risk analysis and plan

There are a number of areas that the Trustees consider as potential risks. These are as follows:

a. The Christopher Centre Building – being an old building there is always a risk of the need for major structural repairs.

b. The Christopher Centre Users – losing potential hirers of office accommodation and meeting rooms always remains a risk. Organisations’ and people’s circumstances change and this is obviously out of our hands. The Trustees ensure that rents and meeting room charges are kept at a competitive level to avoid losing users who might otherwise remain. However, office users who do decide to vacate the accommodation, are required to give three months’ notice of their intention and this provides a reasonable window of opportunity to find a replacement.

c. Energy costs – Energy costs have only slightly increased in the year since having a more efficient boiler purchased last year.

7. Funding

The running of the Christopher Centre is financed from renting out office space and casual hire of rooms for meetings and community activities and the occasional donation or grant.

A number of donations were also received totalling £530.

We are very grateful to all our benefactors for their support and encouragement.

8. Objectives and Activities

The Christopher Centre’s objects are primarily for the benefit of the inhabitants of the district of Babergh and surrounding areas (in practice, the Sudbury district) to:

provide premises for the use of local and community groups, advance education through the provision of advice, advocacy, guidance, training, resources and associated activities
facilitate and encourage opportunities for local and community groups to come together to identify charitable need, express views on matters of local interest and to establish projects or policies to meet these needs. This includes running its own activities such as drop-ins, a community choir, a vegan supper club, arts and crafts activities.
develop the capacity and skills of said inhabitants in such ways as is thought fit, and particularly to enhance voluntary participation within the area of benefit
develop and promote community services for said inhabitants who are in need of such a service because of age, sickness or disability (mental or physical), or poverty, or because of a lack or availability of adequate and safe public services

improve or assist in the improvement of the physical and social environment in an effort to enhance the quality of life for said inhabitants.

The Christopher Centre has continued to fulfil its objects in a number of ways:

by providing office space within the building for affordable and reasonable rents for a number of different voluntary and community groups
by providing rooms available for hire by voluntary, community and statutory local groups
by offering space free of charge within the reception area for local groups and services to promote their work, display leaflets and posters etc
by utilising volunteers as reception staff who have a good knowledge of the local area and who can therefore offer information about local activities.
by looking at ways of supporting or setting up community groups to help people who are disadvantaged or vulnerable to provide them with opportunities to learn new skills, make friends and build their confidence and self-esteem.

9. Meeting the Principles of Public Benefit

The Christopher Centre has continued to fulfil its objects in a number of ways:

through its facilities, activities and information services which are open to all voluntary and community groups, The Christopher Centre provides services which help local groups to meet, exchange information and develop their own services to a wide variety of people within the local community. It also develops its own services to help vulnerable and isolated members of the community through activities such as the Monday morning Drop-in Coffee and Chat, the Monday lunchtime Community Lunches, the Community Choir, monthly Community Markets etc.
it provides a community resource which members of the public can visit to find out information about local groups, events and services.
The Christopher Centre is a Grade 2 listed building and the staff, volunteers and trustee board are therefore maintaining and preserving an important piece of Sudbury heritage, ensuring that any improvements and refurbishments made are in keeping with local heritage regulations.

10. Achievements & Performance

Teresa Bishop and Helen Martin retired at the end of March 2022 and so April saw the start of two new Centre Co-ordinators, Linda Adams and Kathy LeeRimmer. Since joining the Christopher Centre in April 2022, their aim has been to continue to bring the Centre to the forefront of the community. Regular columns in publications such as the local Community News has brought in new hirers and new volunteers.

Room bookings have increased significantly with the addition of some exciting and vibrant groups including Weight Watchers, U3a Whist, Boomerang Petfood Bank, Turning Point and the Makers Market to name but a few. The Diabetic Eye Clinic has continued to use the Centre on a regular basis. The Pet Food Bank has been using the Centre’s Cart Lodge to distribute much needed pet food to local residents on a regular basis.

One significant development came out of Linda and Kathy’s attendance at a local Health Awareness Day. An issue that cropped up was the need for older women to have more menopause support. This led to the creation of a Support Group in the Autumn with monthly meetings offering a range of support and talks by a variety of speakers offering advice on medical, dietary and exercise issues. The inaugural meeting would have featured on BBC’s Look East Programme had a certain East Anglian MP not resigned as Prime Minister on the same day!

The Centre’s own groups have continued to flourish with the Monday morning Drop-in sessions and Community Lunch proving as popular as ever. The Community Singers have met on a regular basis and have given a number of concerts locally. C’Art continues to offer the centre a variety of workshops and its Jubilee Window display in the Summer drew many favourable comments.

The building is looking very smart with a number of improvements made, including new carpets and the redecoration of some of the downstairs rooms. Some of the lighting has been replaced with more efficient LED lighting and further grant applications will be submitted in the future to replace all the lighting in the building. A welcome addition to the exterior of the building has been the purchase of a defibrillator, funded by the Curly Wurlies (the Christopher Lane Residents Group).

Work has also been undertaken to re-brand the centre and update the website. Hopefully this work will be completed by September 2023.

The Centre received various grants that have allowed many of the above groups and plans to take shape. This included £1000 from Cllr Carter’s Locality Budget for the Monday Drop-in, a £1000 Winter Warmth grant from Babergh District Council, £250 from Sudbury Common Lands and £272 from Cavendish Church.

Gregory Bishop has continued to give an excellent service in ensuring that the building is smart and tidy and our volunteer receptionists, gardeners and handymen have helped to ensure the smooth running of the building.

11. Future Plans

The Centre will continue to offer an excellent service to the local community and through increased marketing, will attract even more hirers to the building. Plans are already afoot to increase our funds through holding events such as Quiz Evenings to ensure that we can keep our hire charges as low as possible.

Many thanks must go to the wonderful work undertaken by our volunteer receptionists and others who have continued to provide a great service.

I would finally pay tribute to my fellow trustees, who have discharged their duties and responsibilities as trustees and directors with pragmatism and good sense. Thanks must also go to Adrian Walters and the Sudbury Common Lands Trustees for their help during the year and also to those who have donated money or given grants to The Christopher Centre.

Robin Hodgkinson 29 September 2023 Chairperson

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Christopher Centre

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023 which are set out on pages 7 to 11.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination: or
the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)].

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

Signed:

Name: Nick Farr FCA Moore Green

Address: 22 Friars Street Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2AA

Date: 02/10/2023

The Christopher Centre

(Registered Charity No: 1120942)

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year ended 31 March 2023

Note s Income & Expenditure Incoming Resources Voluntary income 2a Activities for generating funds 2b Income from investments 2c Charitable activities 2d Other incoming resources 2e Total Incoming resources	Unrestricted Funds 530 - 59 44,353 44,942	Restricted Funds 5,834 5,834	2023 530 - 59 50,187 -
			50,776

Resources Expended

Cost of generating voluntary income 3a Fund raising trading costs 3b Charitable activities 3c Governance costs 3d Total Resources Expended Net movement in funds for the Year Fund Balances Brought Forward Fund balances carried forward	- - 44,510 1,050 45,560 (618) 27,355 26,737	- - 6,435 6,435 (601) 5,443 4,842	- 50,945 1,050
			51,995
			(1,219) 32,798
			31,579

The Christopher Centre

(Registered Charity No: 1120942)

BALANCE SHEET as at 31 MARCH 2023

Notes Fixed Assets Tangible assets 6 Current Assets Bank Current Account Tracker Account 7 Petty Cash Prepayments	2023 £ - 4,771 27,191 152 -	2022 £ -
		6,156 27,132 151 13

Debtors

Dbt
eors Current Liabilities Creditors Accruals 8 Net Assets Represented by Funds Unrestricted (General) Restricted	- 32,114 - 535 535 31,579 26,737 4,842 31,579	-
		33,452 - 654
		654
		32,798
		27,355 5,443
		32,798

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime and in accordance with FRS 102. The Financial Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

For the year ended 31st March 2020, the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Directors' responsibilities:

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476;

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act

with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements

29/09/2023

Robin Hodgkinson - Chairperson

The notes form part of these financial statements

The Christopher Centre

(Registered Charity No: 1120942)

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31st March 2023

1 Accounting Policies

. The accounts are prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with applicable accounting standards.

. Income is not anticipated, but recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities only when it is received. Grants and donations are credited to income in the year to which they relate.
c. Full provision is made for all known liabilities (expenses and losses) whether the amount is known with certainty or is a best estimate in the light of the information available.

. Only fixed assets under five years of age are capitalised and depreciation is calculated

on a straight-line basis from the year of purchase so as to reduce their value to nil at the end of five years. Computer equipment is depreciated over three years.

2 Incoming Resources a . Voluntary income Donations b . Activities for generating funds Fund raising c. Income from investments Bank interest d . Charitable activities Grants Other income Rent & user charges e . Christopher centre activities f. Other incoming resources Total Incoming Resources 3 Resources Expended a . Cost of generating voluntary income b . Fund raising trading costs c. Charitable activities Restricted grant Salaries Staff travel Christopher centre activities Council tax & waste Rent & Insurance Stationery & postage Advertising Telephone Volunteer expenses Repairs & maintenance Gas, electric & water Furniture & equipment Cleaning Other admin Depreciation d Governance costs Independent examination Company House Total Resources Expended	Unrestricted Funds 530 0 59 500 17 43836 0 44942 0 0 14091 0 0 1915 16326 564 0 1274 515 1936 4861 1997 207 824 0 44510 1050 0 1050 45560	Restricted Funds 5834 0 5834 . 0 0 6435 6435 0 0 6435	Total 2023 530 0 59 6334 17 43836 0 0 50776 0 0 6435 14091 0 0 1915 16326 564 0 1274 515 1936 4861 1997 207 824 50945 1050 0 1050 51995	Total 2022 1007 0 3 13875 430 32865 2248 0
				50428
				0 0 12833 11810 0 2021 1852 16096 546 601 828 514 6225 4424 245 738 466 0
				59199
				972 0
				972

				60171

4 Donations

Donations received from private individuals, local businesses and charitable trusts. The amount does not include any Gift Aid tax refunds.

5 Lease

The 21 year lease for the Christopher Centre expired 4[th] July 2014 and has been extended for a further 10 years with 3 yearly reviews. The current cost of the lease is now £14,000 per annum, Paid quarterly with building insurance payments to the trustees of the Sudbury Common Lands Charity.

6 Tracker Accounts

The tracker account is an interest earning account with Barclays Bank.

7 Accruals

Expenses received after the year end which related to goods received or expenses incurred during the year ended 31.3.23

8 Trustee Remuneration & Related Party Transactions

No member of the Trustee Board received any remuneration during the year.

No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity during the year (20189- nil).