2021-03-31-accounts - Whitefield Youth Association

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Whitefield Youth Association

Charity Number 1136520

Annual Report and Financial Statements

Year ended 31[ST] March 2021

Whitefield Youth Association

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

Reference and administrative details

Trustees Samina Kausar Zulfikar Ali Khan Ghazanfar Akram M. Javed Khan Irfan Zia Khan Saqab Hussain Project Manager Hamid Khan Principal address 203 Every Street Nelson Lancashire BB9 7BS

Bankers

HSBC 12 Manchester Road Burnley Lancashire BB11 1JH

Registered Charity Number 1136520

Independent Examiner M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM Chartered Accountants 1[st] Floor, Block C The Wharf Manchester Road Burnley BB11 1JG

Whitefield Youth Association

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objects of the charity are:

The relief of sickness and the preservation of health among people residing permanently or temporarily in Lancashire and the North West of England.

To develop the capacity and skills of the members of the BME community and other disadvantaged communities of the North West of England in such a way that they are better able to identify and help their needs and to participate more fully in society.
To advance in life and relieve needs of young people through:

(a) the provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life.

(b) providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.

Objectives and aims

Whitefield Youth Association’s aims are:

To work with disaffected young people and the wider community, with specific emphasis on those on the fringes of marginalisation and deprivation.
To create more effective mechanisms of engagement between these young people and the wider community.
To develop the social value of each individual and their respective skill sets.
To promote Community Cohesion & Integration from a wider community perspective.
To develop more understanding and culturally aware locally communities that contribute to the wider cohesion issues.

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that we have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit reporting in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

The remainder of this Annual Report explains the charity's work during the year and how it has been carried out for the public benefit.

Whitefield Youth Association

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (continued)

ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE

The beginning of this financial year saw WYA, like many charities, organisations and businesses, responding to the lockdown announced on the 24[th] March 2020 by the UK Government. For the whole of the period it has been an extremely challenging time with at times an uncertain future. The impact of these restrictions meant that as long as they were in place WYA would experience a reduction of 70% in terms of income due to not being able to deliver the charity’s projektswya Social Enterprise Initiative which at the time was the major income stream for the charity. This placed the charity’s future in extreme danger and unless lockdown restrictions were going to be lifted or emergency funds made available then WYA would have to close its doors for the final time.

Whilst activities could not take place, the immediate priority for the charity from the above point was to try and minimize the impact of the shortfall of generated income that was being lost. During this period, it was unclear at the time where future income would come from and even the donation scheme that was in place and operating for a number of years was potentially going to be reduced as those people and businesses who were part of it were concerned about their own financial positions.

The Programme Manager who oversees the daily operations of the charity requested an emergency meeting be held with the Trustees to identify potential emergency funding that could be accessed to ease the pressure on the charity’s reserves. Fortunately, the Government announced funds for business and the leisure industries that were affected by the lockdown which WYA were able to access that eased the pressure. These funds enabled the charity to cover its core costs but not in their entirety, the Programme Manager was therefore still working tirelessly in pursuit of further funding during the lockdown period to ensure that WYA would come out on the other side with a future, and we were fortunate enough to succeed in their application with The Rank Foundation for their Emergency Covid Fund which covered all aspects of the WYA’s operations for 6 months. This gave WYA the opportunity to rebuild its reserves which as mentioned previously had been depleted and putting the future of the charity at stake, through the funding received the charity it would be hoped, would be in a position that the reserves would cover all costs for a period of 3 – 6 months – the minimum requirement the Trustees have set themselves for a number of years.

From July 2020, WYA were able to reopen their provision but in a Covid secure manner which meant additional measures had to be put in place to ensure that the virus was controlled and not being spread during programme delivery. This was a positive step in the right direction although, with reduction in participants, the income would not be at the same level as pre-pandemic. Once the restrictions had been fully lifted it became evident that our provision was more appreciated due to an increase in demand. Since establishing the projektswya social enterprise initiative in 2015 WYA has never been as busy engaging directly with a further 50% of the number of children and young people accessing the charity’s provision. One of the contributing factors due to the increased demand was that parents became more appreciative of the benefits of the programmes that WYA provided as their children had been unable to access any activity due to the lockdown restrictions which was affecting both their health and mental wellbeing. The other factor was due to the high quality provision being provided which was delivering real impact from a holistic point of view where parents could see not only the benefits from a social perception but also from a wider perspective, helping their child to build confidence, resilience and self-esteem.

In these times of uncertainty, it is of paramount importance that WYA consolidates its social enterprise initiative provision first and then builds on it as demand increases. This provision is currently the major income stream for the charity and it is therefore vital that the standards that have been set are maintained and there is no room for complacency to set in especially as others are looking at replicating the charity’s model and delivering similar initiatives which if standards are dropped could impact on income earned.

Whitefield Youth Association

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (continued)

AREAS OF GOOD PRACTICE

The model that the charity has implemented for several years has proven to be working and it has taken a global pandemic for the future of the charity to be placed under threat. Many smaller charities similar in size to ourselves have closed and therefore credit must be given to those who have been managing the charity that it not only survived this difficult period but is now growing with increased income from its social enterprise activity as well as fundraising initiatives. By working in collaboration with the right partner organisations this has enabled WYA to reach a larger number of young people then it should do when looking at the funds it has secured. The charity continues to work in a manner which is financially sustainable and provide value for money when comparing to the larger charities who work with similar client groups as mentioned in previous Trustees reports due to lower management and operational costs.

WYA continues to use its social media platforms to highlight and showcase the work it delivers within the local communities of Burnley & Pendle and through this has gathered momentum with increased enquiries coming from those who would like their children or young people approaching us directly to see how they can access the programmes.

Due to the pandemic and the lockdown restrictions WYA were unable to match what it self-generated on the previous year but it will be aiming to match this for the next financial year 2021 – 22.

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT

In the previous year Trustees’ Report it was mentioned that the website requires updating as soon as funding allowed. Through the funds received from The Rank Foundation the charity is happy to report that it will be relaunching a new website with fresh content in early 2022 as the organisation celebrates 20 years since first being established, 12 years as a charity and 8 years a community voluntary organisation.

The projektswya health & fitness initiative continues to be monitored to ensure that it is operating in an efficient manner. Now more than ever it is essential that it is closely monitored after the difficult year WYA has had to endure with minimal burden to the charity’s budget. As in previous years the charity will continue to monitor the space and identify potential new programmes to maximise the financial return which will help further with the aim to become completely self-sustaining.

PHASE 2 of projektswya still requires to be completed in order to provide long term sustainability and security for WYA. The Trustees will be looking to address this but there will need to be conversations had as to whether what was proposed initially for the building is still relevant and addresses need as there are now other operators within the local area who have set up also delivering initiatives what the charity hoped to do when first starting with the projektswya health & fitness capital programme.

From 2014 the Trustees made the intention that they wanted WYA to be in a position of becoming selfreliant and sustainable and they would be doing this through strengthening fundraising activity as well as the delivery of the projektswya social enterprise initiative. This will continue.

PARTNERS

The Rank Foundation Burnley Borough Council Burnley Leisure Trust Volunteer Burnley Asda Colne Heasandford Primary School Lancashire Football Association Accrington & District Junior Football League

Whitefield Youth Association

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (continued)

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The future of WYA in the early months of this financial year at many times was under threat but due to the funding secured from the Government as well as The Rank Foundation this ensured that it made it through this difficult period. There was a significant percentage reduction in self-generated income and fundraising activity for this financial year which the Trustees would like to see improved upon next year due to the lockdown restrictions that were in place. Trustees as well as the Programme Manager will be aiming to increase this figure to match the 2019 – 20 amount at least as well as looking to secure further funds to help re-establish the firm foundations that had been built prior to the lockdown.

The projektswya Social Enterprise Initiatives continue to help showcase the charity to the local communities of Burnley & Pendle and demand for them has increased as mentioned earlier. As demand increases the need for volunteers increases too which has been the case to meet the capacity who are helping with the delivery of the provision, these volunteers will be further developed to ensure they are working to the same minimum standards as the charity so that the quality of provision is not affected.

As was the case for the previous year, funding towards the salaried position has not been secured, the Trustees will be looking at addressing this or identify ways of increasing unrestricted income. The Trustees have also agreed that for the next 12 months there will be intensified efforts to consolidate and build on the existing delivery model before looking at any new provision unless there is big demand for it as to not place too much of a burden on the finances.

The capital programme for PHASE 2 has not been completed yet, for this financial year this was not an immediate priority, it was about survival. The Trustees will reassess in the next 12 months what they want to do with this aspect as the charity gets back to some form of normality.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

The Receipts and Payments Account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities are on page 9.

Balances at the year-end amounted to £24,122.

The charity aims to hold 3 months expenditure in unrestricted funds – at present the amount is higher than the target.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Trustees

The trustees as listed on page 2 served throughout the year and are in office as of the date of this report.

Governing document

Governed by the Constitution adopted on the 19th day of January 2007, amended on 15th June 2010. The majority of the Committee Members are residents of Nelson and specifically the Whitefield ward, and hence the name.

Whitefield Youth Association

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (continued)

Structure

The Management Committee form a cohesive group who meet regularly to discuss matters relating to governance and management, also to steer the direction of Whitefield Youth Association

The Management Committee is made up of professionals from the legal profession, public sector, and private sector. There is considerable diversity in the Management Committee, especially gender, race and faith.

Charitable status

The Association obtained charitable status on 15th June 2010, reg no. 1136520. The charity is working towards becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

Risk management

The Trustees have introduced a risk management process to assess business risks and are implementing systems to mitigate these risks. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures or authorisation of all transactions and projects and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the Charity. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to the premises. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still met the needs of the Charity.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 28[th] January 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

M. Javed Khan – Trustee

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF WHITEFIELD YOUTH ASSOCIATION

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 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:

(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by Section 130 of the Act; or
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM 1[st] Floor, Block C, The Wharf Burnley Lancashire BB11 1JG

28 January 2022

WHITEFIELD YOUTH ASSOCIATION

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

Unrestricted funds £ 24,649 2 19,431 - 44,082 8,760 480 10,509 6,520 287 3,500 250 234 780 554 1,200 1,320 155 - 600	Restricted funds £ - - - 22,180 22,180 8,760 5,241 623 3,467 175 1,964 - 950 250 750	Total funds £ 24,649 2 19,431 22,180 66,262 17,520 480 15,750 6,520 910 6,967 425 234 780 2,518 1,200 1,320 155 - 600 950 250 750	As at 31.03.20 £ 35,704 12 - 8,000
			32,181
			17,520 480 11,101 7,274 243 2,536 248 3,880 369 1,200 1,272 86
35,149	22,180	57,329	47,444
8,933 - 15,189 - 24,122 - Unrestricted As at funds 31.3.21 £ £ 13,596 13,596 10,526 10,526		8,933 15,189 24,122 As at 31.03.20 £ 7,324 7,865 15,189 5,095	-11,728
			26917
			15,189

24,122 24,122
5,095 5,095

Approved by the trustees and signed by:

M. Javed Khan - Trustee

28[th] January 2022

WHITEFIELD YOUTH ASSOCIATION

Year ended 31[st] March 2021

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 Basis of preparation These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
2 Fund Accounting
(a) Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity
(b) Restricted funds are those that may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor.
3 Taxation
The charity is not liable to tax on its charitable activities.
The charity is not registered for VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the expense to which it relates.
4 Transactions with trustees
No remuneration nor expenses were paid to trustees, or any persons connected with them during the year or previous year.
5 Restricted funds

Rank Foundation		Balance b/fwd £ -	Balance b/fwd £ -		Receipts £ 22,180	Payments £ -22,180		Balance c/fwd £ -	Balance c/fwd £ -

			-		22,180	-22,180			-

The purpose of this restricted funds is explained in the Trustees Annual Report.