## Canvas Report and Accounts Year ended 30 June 2025 1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk ## **CANVAS** ## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE 3A Teignmouth Road Birmingham B29 7BA GOVERNING DOCUMENT CIO - Foundation Conversion Dated 18 Jun 2019 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1138522 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE CHARITY Ashley Dukart (resigned Oct 24) Thomas Gallant Vanessa Vogt (resigned Nov 25) Emma Woods Miles Costello Aimee Gatting Christophe Charbonneau-Freeston (appointed May 2025) INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB **INDEX** Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-5 Trustees' Report Page 6 Independent Examiner's Report Page 7 Receipts and Payments Account Page 8 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 9 Notes to the Accounts Page 1 ## **CANVAS** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 June 2025. ## **Objects of the charity** The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation and is governed by its Constitution. The objects of the charity, as set out in the governing document are: The advancement of the Christian faith in accordance with the statement of beliefs appearing in the schedule hereto in Birmingham and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the trustees may from time to time think fit and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the charity. ## **Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements** To further the above objectives and vision, the charity's main activities and achievements were as follows: Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, Canvas continued to work towards its mission in both Birmingham and Nottingham. The principal aim of the charity is to advance the Christian faith by bringing New Testament concepts of the church into the 21st century in a university student environment. The charity provides space for students to experience real community, figure out life & faith together, and bring a bit more love to their local area. Both locations have a building, which is a home-away-from-home where students can drop by for free tea and coffee, play games, or complete university work throughout the week. We are a diverse community where anyone is welcome and can belong, regardless of religion, ethnicity, background, sexuality, and be a part of something bigger than themselves. ## **Birmingham** The Canvas Birmingham community was around sixty students fostered by six staff members. In Birmingham, our theme for the year was serve. We had 5 students volunteer as ‘Student Leaders’ where they had the opportunity to help shape the culture of Canvas, serve the community and explore faith with their own autonomy whilst also being challenged to grow. The student leaders were mentored by Canvas staff members by meeting with them weekly, having intentional conversation and checking in with them about life and faith, family, uni, relationships, mental health and more. We had our regular events at Canvas which were: - ●Free hotdogs - for students to come into the Canvas house and get to know others in the community - ●Free tea and coffee - out on the street to meet students, provide them with a hot beverage and advertise before big events - ●Thursday dinner - sit down dinner and a talk on life and faith from the Canvas staff, followed by dessert and board games until late The house was also open Monday - Thursday for students to come by and study, chat, play a boardgame; whatever they needed the most. Page 2 ## **CANVAS** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** We also did monthly service projects to serve the community which included litter picking, Operation Christmas Child boxes, Baby bank, food bank. We also had small groups on the go which included: - ●Discovery Bible studies - reading the Bible and discovering Jesus together - ●Baking - join others in baking as a way to bond and have fun together and provide a tasty treat for the community - ●West Midlands Wanderers - exploring the great outdoors around Birmingham - ●Service projects - serving others in the community through litter picks, Operation Christmas Child, food drives, baby banks Our big events of the year were a Weekend Away in February and Banquet of Year’s End in the summer. At the Weekend away, we took 35 students to Bromsgrove for the opportunity to bond as a community, get out of Birmingham and have some fun and share discussions on life and faith. The Banquet of Year’s End was a great way to finish the year and for students to make memories and reflect on their time at Canvas and University. ## **Nottingham** The Canvas Nottingham community was around sixty members fostered by four staff members. In Nottingham, one of the primary goals of the year was to provide spaces for students to go deeper. We wanted to provide intentional spaces for people to explore faith in Jesus and share from their own thoughts and experiences. To facilitate this desire, we brought a post-talk discussion group. Every week, after the talk, two staff members would head downstairs, and anywhere from four to twelve students would come and share their thoughts. We had regular events at Nottingham, including: ●Free Dinner: On Tuesday nights, we would host 30-40 students for free dinner. After serving dinner to everyone, a staff member would give a talk on faith, and afterwards, there would be an optional discussion downstairs. Canvas would stay open until 10 for people to hang out and play games. - ●Treat Thursday: Every Thursday, a staff member would bake something for the community. The baked goods were a tremendous draw for students. We would average twenty students on Thursday afternoons. ●In addition to our weekly events, Canvas Nottingham would be open Monday-Thursday afternoon for free tea, coffee, and internet. Some students would use Canvas as a study space while other students would spend the afternoons playing board games. Page 3 ## **CANVAS** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** We would also spend time with students in other ways: - ●We had an Alpha course in the summer term for students explroing faith. - ●Host students at our home in order to practice hospitality and provide a homecooked meal. - ●Have bi-weekly one-on-one meetings where students could be checked in personally, and given the opportunity to explore faith in a deeper way. - ●On off-events like a murder mystery for people to connect at Canvas The Big Events of the Canvas year included: ●Saturday at Canvas →In early November, we open Canvas for an entire Saturday. This provides space for deeper relationships to form as there is an expanded space. We had thirty people attend it. - ●Thanksgiving Dinner →We cook an American-style Thanksgiving dinner (instead of having our weekly Tuesday night event). 64 students went to this. ●Weekend Away →We went off to the Yorkshire countryside for a weekend away, where we had an extended talk on forgiveness and a panel where a couple of members of our community talked about their relationship with their family. We had fifteen students attend the weekend away. ●End of the Year Celebration →We have a night where we are able to celebrate all the students for their hard work through the year. Again, one of the most popular weeks of the year. In�planning�the�activities�the�Trustees�have�applied�the�guidance�on�public�benefit�issued�by�the�Charity� Commission. ## **Financial review** During�the�year�income�increased�by�£29,434,�to�£169,842,�and�expenditure�increased�by�£18,816,�to £158,778.�As�a�result�the�cash�held�by the�charity increased�by�£11,064,�to�£43,305�of�which�£43,023�is� unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose. ## **Reserves policy** The�Board�of�Directors�have�established�a�policy�whereby�free�reserves�held�by�the�charity�should�be� maintained�at�a�sufficient�level�to�maintain�the�charity’s�operations�which�does�not�need�to�be�substantial� due to the level of�commitment from�its supporter network. At year�end the�charity has�approximately three� months equivalent expenditure in free cash reserves £43,023 (2024: £31,959) ## **Governance** Responsibility�for�setting�policy,�for�determining�the�parameters�within�which�the�charity�should�operate� and�for�making�operating�decisions�rests�with�the�trustees�who�meet�regularly�to�monitor�the�activities�of� the�charity.�Responsibility�for�the�day�to�day�operation�of�the�charity�has�been�delegated�to�a�senior� management�team�led�by�the�team�leaders/managers�of�both�the�Birmingham�and�Nottingham�locations.� New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees, by a majority vote. Page 4 ## **CANVAS** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** ## **Risk statement** The charity is exposed to various risks - be they operational, financial or reputational. The trustees review the charity's activities regularly to identify significant risks and, where possible, they take appropriate measures to mitigate those risks. ## **Responsibilities of trustees** Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities. ## **Approval** This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by: ## TGallant ___________________________TGallant (Mar 31, 2026 10:13:51 GMT+1) Thomas Gallant Mar 31, 2026 Date:_______________________ Page 5 ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT** ## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF** ## **CANVAS** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Canvas ('the charity') for the year ended 30 June 2025 on pages 7 to 9 following. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 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 2011 Act. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I 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. Sarah Crispin Sarah Crispin (Apr 1, 2026 14:27:43 GMT+1) Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB Date: Apr 1, 2026 Page 6 ## **CANVAS** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** |Notes
**_Income receipts_**
Donations
Income from courses and events
Interest income
**_Total receipts_**
**_Payments_**
2
**_Total payments_**
Transfers between funds
4
**Net movement in funds**
Cash funds as at last year end
**Cash funds at this year end**
A
Net of receipts / (payments) before
Payments
in
relation
to
charitable
activities undertaken directly|General
Funds
£
169,231
450
161
169,842
169,842
158,781
158,781
11,061
-
11,061
31,959
43,020|Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
282
282|2025
£
169,231
450
161
169,842
169,842
158,781
158,781
11,061
-
11,061
32,241
43,302|2024
£
138,270
2,070
68
140,408
140,408
139,962
139,962
446
-
446
31,795
32,241| |---|---|---|---|---| The notes on page 9 form part of these accounts. Page 7 ## **CANVAS** ## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** |Notes
**A Cash funds**
Cash at bank with immediate access
Petty cash
**B Other monetary assets**
Gift aid due to charity
Rent Deposits
Council tax refunded
**C Liabilities**
**Falling due within one year**
Fee for Independent Examination
Salary due
**Total**|General
funds
£
42,695
325
43,020
-
3,725
9,175
12,900
1,386
-
1,386|Restricted
funds
£
282
-
282
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|2025
£
42,977
325
43,302
-
3,725
9,175
12,900
1,386
-
1,386|2024
£
31,233
1,008
32,241
73
3,725
-
3,798
1,320
1,884
3,204| |---|---|---|---|---| ## **D Guarantees and secured debts** The charity has not given any guarantees and has not provided its assets as security for any liabilities. The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by: TGallant TGallant (Mar 31, 2026 10:13:51 GMT+1) ___________________________________ Thomas Gallant Mar 31, 2026 Date:_______________________ The notes on page 9 form part of these accounts. Page 8 ## **CANVAS** ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025** ## **1 Accounting policies** The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs. General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects. |**2**
**Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly**
Outreach Activities
Staff costs
Team retreat, meetings and expenses
Rent
Equipment and refurbishment
Travel
Exchange Student costs
Independent examiner's fees
Office running costs & professional fees
Governance costs incl legal fees|General
funds
£
14,247
91,372
5,857
23,450
675
1,758
606
1,320
19,322
174
158,781|Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Total
2025
£
14,247
91,372
5,857
23,450
675
1,758
606
1,320
19,322
174
158,781|Total
2024
£
17,958
69,742
7,055
21,883
864
1,263
928
1,260
18,821
188
139,962| |---|---|---|---|---| ## **3 Transactions with related parties** T Gallant served as Birmingham Team Leader and was paid £24,258 (2024: £22,225) for serving in that capacity, not for serving as a trustee; these payments are permitted by the charity's governing document. J Gallant is the spouse of T Gallant and was paid £24,258 (2024: £22,225) during the year. ## **4 Movement of funds** |General funds
Restricted funds
Weekend scholarships
Total funds|Opening
balance
£
31,959
282
32,241|Receipts
£
169,842
-
169,842|Payments
£
(158,781)
-
(158,781)|Transfers
£
-
-
-|Closing
balance
£
43,020
282
43,302| |---|---|---|---|---|---| The restricted fund balance is to be used towards scholarships for students to be able to go on our bi-annual weekend retreat in March. Page 9