## **VISION (ROSSENDALE) TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 1 JANUARY - 31 DECEMBER 2021** ## **Contents** Charity Information 2 >> About Vision 3 >> Introduction 4 >> ## **Youth work** |Connect|5|>>| |---|---|---| |Reach Puppets|6|>>| |Inspire+Summer Social|7|>>| |Schools|8|>>| |Extra Support|9|>>| ## **Behind the scenes** Finances 10 >> Charity Development 11 >> Behind the scenes photos 12 >> Volunteers + Closing Statement 13 >> ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS** Back to Contents >> **Charity name** VISION (ROSSENDALE) **Working name** VISION **Registration** Registered in England and Wales no. 1138523 **Registered office** Woodlea Mission, Tenterfield Street, Rossendale, BB4 7BA **Trustees** Jeanne Cottrell (chair), Ian Bury, Alan Davey, Nathan Shepherd, Stephen Shepherd The Trustees, who are also directors for the purpose of company law, are named above. Appointment of Trustees is governed by the company’s Articles of Association. The Board of Trustees meet on a regular basis to review the activities of the charity. ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** **Governing document** Memorandum and Articles of Association incorporated 15 July 2010 (amended 20 March 2020) **Affiliation** VISION has been a member of the Evangelical Alliance since 2017 **Accountants** Halliwell & Company Accountants and Tax Advisors LLP Irwell House, 223 Bacup Road, Rossendale, BB4 7PA ## **Team** In 2021 VISION’s charitable activities were delivered by the following team members: Full-time employees (permanent): 1 Part-time employees (fixed term): 3 Self-employed sessional workers: 1 Active volunteers: 25 **History** The organisation became a registered charity in 2011 after running youth events in Rossendale for nine years. This report covers the 11th year of charitable activities undertaken by VISION (ROSSENDALE) taking into consideration a longer history of local youth work dating back to 2002. ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** **Aims** VISION is a Christian charity working with young people in Rossendale. We believe that the Christian faith offers hope, freedom and wholeness for every person, and as such we aim to: - present the never-changing Christian gospel message to an ever-changing youth culture, using every opportunity and all available means of communication; - inspire and equip young Christians to thrive in their schools, colleges and homes; - build lasting, positive links with local churches and others who share our vision and aims. ## **Public benefit** VISION meets the Charity Commission’s public benefit requirement under the categories of general charitable purposes, the advancement of education and training through structured programmes, and the advancement of religious understanding and engagement. ## **Charitable objectives** To advance the Christian religion amongst young people mainly but not exclusively of secondary school age, first and foremost in Rossendale (Lancashire) by all means including such religious and other charitable activities as the trustees may decide, in accordance with the statement of faith. **Signed on behalf of the Trustees by Mrs. Jeanne Cottrell (Chair)** VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 2/13 **2021 ANNUAL REPORT** Back to Contents >> **ABOUT VISION** ## **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **Our building** VISION is based at Woodlea Mission (also known simply as ‘Woodlea’) pictured above in March 2022. Woodlea Mission was built in 1894 near the spot where John Wesley famously preached to a ‘large congregation of wild men’ on 7 March 1747. The building was home to the _United Gospel Mission_ , a Christian organisation consisting mainly of working people. It was extended with new Sunday School rooms on two levels in 1930, and served as an independent church for 116 years. Woodlea was always maintained by its own members and volunteers, with no paid officials. In 2010, the church held its last service and the trustees unanimously decided to donate the building to VISION to be used to reach young people with the good news of the Gospel. Thanks to the generosity of our financial supporters and the hard work of many volunteers, the building has slowly been transformed into a fantastic, modern venue for children and teenagers, and features in most of the photos you’ll see in this report. Our main hall can seat around 100 people and has a small stage equipped with a lighting rig, screens and a sound system. There’s a connected side hall with space for extra seating or rehearsals. A recentlyinstalled mezzanine floor (2016) has a large office, staff kitchen and counselling room. Downstairs, a well-equipped kitchen with seating leads outside to the newest addition to Woodlea - our garden (read more about this on page 11). ## **Our team** VISION has one full-time employee, Nathan Shepherd (pictured above). Nathan leads the charity and currently manages all dayto-day activities. Nathan co-ordinates events and volunteers, engages with our supporters, and of course works directly with young people at Woodlea and in schools. Our long-term goal is to raise funding to bring in more permanent members of staff who can share the workload and expand our capacity to reach more young people. Also pictured is Amy Moriarty, our youth counsellor. Amy is a self-employed professional psychotherapist who is paid by VISION on a sessional basis to work 1:1 with young people in crisis. You can read more about her work later in this report. For the first 3 months of 2021, Nathan and Amy were joined by a ‘Youth Support Team’ thanks to a Government Grant. Jade, Marvin and Sarah worked for VISION on a part-time basis from December 2020 until March 2021. There are no other paid staff – the rest of our team are all volunteers! Some are retired and able to give many hours each week, but most of our team have full-time jobs and give up their time at evenings and weekends to help at events. Many activities, especially our weekly youth events like _Connect_ , _Reach_ and _Inspire_ simply wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers, who bring so much enthusiasm, experience, and care for the young people. Their names are listed at the end of this report. ## **Our history** In 2002, a youth group from Rossendale wanted to run a worship night that would help other teenagers see church in a different light. They planned a small event in the church hall at Christmas, and called it ‘VISION’. Further events were planned, and within a few months, hundreds of young people were attending the ‘youth event with a difference’. By 2005, VISION had gained so much momentum that huge mission weeks were being organised in local schools, followed by open-air concerts attended by thousands of pupils. These annual missions continued for five years and were a springboard for countless other VISION activities from _Youth Alpha_ courses and small groups, to a weekly youth café and even a Sunday evening church service. Established local children’s events were also brought together under the banner of ‘VISION KIDS’. Since 2010 we’ve been developing new activities as Woodlea has slowly been refurbished, and although our core team is smaller and many activities have changed, our heart remains the same. VISION has impacted 25,000+ young people in the last 19 years, and our goal is to keep building on that foundation as we aim to see more young people find hope and new life in Jesus. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 3/13 **2021 ANNUAL REPORT** Back to Contents >> **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **INTRODUCTION** ## **A few words from Nathan…** **“God has put his Spirit in me [and] appointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts are broken, to tell the captives they are free, and to tell the prisoners they are released.” ISAIAH 61:1 - YOUTH BIBLE** As a Christian charity, we believe that all those who choose to follow Jesus are given the same mission statement, and the Bible verse above has become a focal point for VISION in recent years as the world seems desperate for good news. Back in 2020, our commitment to this mission was tested like never before. We were concerned that the loss of normality and routine, and the isolation that followed, could be overwhelming for many children and teenagers… yet as a charity we also faced restrictions and obstacles that seemed impossible to overcome. By the grace of God and the perseverance of our team, we were somehow able to find a way to keep hope alive as we found new ways to support and encourage young people. This year, with schools closing in January after just one day, we faced new challenges. With the novelty of Zoom and working from home wearing thin, there was growing uncertainty over how much longer restrictions might last, and a feeling that perhaps life might not be the same again. Nevertheless, VISION is here to help young people when they need it most - and so we had to adapt all over again, holding plans loosely and being ready to change everything at a moment’s notice. As a result: **+** Our small team ran **242 sessions** including weekly youth events, lessons for schools, mentoring and counselling. **+** We worked with **1,911** children and teenagers on Zoom, in schools, and at Woodlea Mission. It wasn’t easy. The photos above are taken from a music video we made this year (see _Inspire_ on page 7) where we’d asked young people to write something they’d found hard during lockdowns. On the flip side, they each wrote a single line: “you were with me all along”. This line – taken from the song title - refers to Jesus, who has once more proved his faithfulness, never leaving our side even on the darkest days. And as 2021 unfolded, restrictions did ease and old freedoms were regained, finally bringing us all back together in person – we hope now, for good! We trust that this report will leave you feeling encouraged and inspired. **Nathan Shepherd Founder and Director** VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 4/13 **2021 YOUTH WORK** Back to Contents >> **CONNECT (11-18s)** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **Connecting young people** **We want to help young people stay connected to each other and to Jesus.** One way we achieve this is through _Connect_ , a weekly youth event which brings together small groups of 11-18s for games, inspiration from the Bible, opportunities to ask questions, and space to talk openly about life and faith. _Connect_ welcomes every young person regardless of their beliefs, and for many it’s a highlight of their week, helping them understand more about God. Meeting regularly also helps to reduce social isolation, improve social skills, and forge strong friendships. ## **On Zoom** _Connect_ remained on Zoom from January-July 2021, with young people and volunteers faithfully logging in to enjoy games, talks, interviews and discussions, all livestreamed from the office at Woodlea on Friday evenings. No-one anticipated that _Connect_ would stay on Zoom for 17 months, but as we look back we can see that this was one of the most important activities we’ve ever run. _Connect c_ onsistently brought young people together when they needed it most, bringing much-needed laughter and respite, and providing hope and purpose through the challenges of the pandemic. ## **Back to Woodlea** Our _Summer Social_ in July was a brief but welcome opportunity to see one another in person (see page 7) but _Connect_ didn’t restart in person until November. Even then activities were restricted, with face coverings and social distancing still in place, creating new challenges - especially for discussions. Nevertheless, we were joined by some new faces and the young people were delighted to be moving back towards some sense of normality. The year finished with a memorable Christmas special at Woodlea. ## **Themes** Here are the main themes we covered at _Connect_ in 2021… What does the Bible say? Ready to Grow? At _Connect_ we try to Jesus famously told a cover topics that are story about seeds to warn important and relevant to us about things that stop young people, but we us from growing strong. In always ask: “what does our first Zoom series of the Bible say?” We believe 2021 we asked: What God speaks to us through competes for our His Word, so every week attention? What distracts we use Bible verses and us? How can we go stories to bring timeless beyond temporary, insight, wisdom and truth shallow experiences to see into everyday situations. real growth and impact the world around us? Under Pressure In our second Zoom series we focused on pressure that teenagers can feel: > Pressure to look good > Pressure to drink alcohol > Pressure to have sex > Pressure to achieve This was a high-impact series prompting a new level of honesty from young people who told us they found it very helpful. Fear Not When _Connect_ restarted in person, we were 21 months into a pandemic that had taken fear to a whole new level. So, for our final series of 2021, we looked at ordinary people in the Bible who did extraordinary things because God said “don’t be afraid” – or in some translations, “Fear NOT”. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 5/13 **2021 YOUTH WORK** Back to Contents >> **REACH PUPPETS (11-18s)** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **About Reach Puppets** **Reach is an award-winning puppetry group for ages 11-18.** The group meets every Tuesday night in term-time to work on exciting performances and videos. This provides young people with opportunities to build confidence, make friends, learn a variety of skills, work as a team, and enjoy the buzz of performing. _Reach_ was founded in 1999 and became part of VISION in 2018. ## **On Zoom** _Reach_ continued on Zoom from January-July 2021. Games were fun, but puppetry proved difficult (telling right from left can be tricky when videos are mirrored, wired headphones present a challenge, and there’s no interaction with other puppets!) But even so, young people and volunteers logged in every Tuesday and like other weekly Zoom activities, we can now see that the benefits went far beyond the puppeteering; it was another consistent place where young people knew they could be themselves, see their friends, and be confident that our team would be looking out for them - and praying for them - during very difficult times. ## **Back to Woodlea** However, due to the hands-on nature of puppeteering, it was important to get back to Woodlea as soon as it was safe to do so, and _Reach_ was the first weekly activity to restart in person. After a great deal of planning over summer, young people were able to return to Woodlea at the start of the new school year. Despite face coverings, social distancing and other restrictions, puppeteers rehearsed and filmed three new videos between September-December (see below). A particular highlight was the evening that family members were invited into Woodlea at the end of the weekly rehearsal to watch performances of two Christmas songs - the first time puppeteers had performed to a live audience for nearly 2 years! ## **Vision Kids Videos** With puppeteers now able to work together again, there were opportunities to create new content for _Vision Kids at Home_ … Vision Kids: Easter Special Help is on the Way Our _Vision Kids at Home_ We couldn’t run Lite Nite presenters (Nathan and this year, so in October we Kathryn) and two of our released two new _Reach_ puppeteers (Melody & videos. The first song, Theo) are all in the same _Help is on the Wa_ y, family! They worked reminds us that we can together to make a trust God to help us. His brilliant video for Easter timing is perfect and as which was viewed by more the lyrics say, “He’s never than 100 families online. early and never late”. This Little Light For 30 years Lite Nite taught children that Jesus is the Light of the World, and this inspired our second video. Performed in total darkness, with props illuminated by UV lights, the song has a stunning ‘glow-in-thedark’ effect! Light of Christmas Our final video of the year was filmed for _Vision Kids at Home_ in December. A link was also emailed to local primary schools and was seen by hundreds of children and families as part of Christmas assemblies. **All videos are available to view on** _**Vision Kids Catch Up**_ **at visionkids.org.uk** VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 6/13 **2021 YOUTH WORK** Back to Contents >> **INSPIRE (11-18s)** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **Inspiring young people** **We want to inspire young people to find purpose, and equip them with skills and experience.** One of the ways we achieve this is through _Inspire,_ where 11-18s can develop a range of skills and demonstrate these in real-life settings. The combination of learning, rehearsing and showcasing - with coaching and encouragement from our team - helps young people grow in confidence, overcome challenges, better understand their unique skillset, and build aspirations for the future. ## **New music video** Back in 2020 we produced two _Inspire_ music videos, with instruments and vocals recorded at home. These songs caught the imagination of the Baptist Union, and this year we were invited to make a new music video for the National Baptist Assembly. We chose _‘With Me All Along’_ by MOBO Award-Winning artist _Guvna B_ , and once again started the process of learning the song over Zoom, creating a guide track, then recording at home. To include those who don’t sing or play an instrument, we asked some of the young people to write something they’d found difficult during the pandemic on a piece of card (see Introduction on page 4). After carefully piecing together 80+ video clips from 23 young people and team members, we submitted the finished video. Our song was used to open the final session of the conference, and has been viewed almost 20,000 times on YouTube! **‘With Me All Along’ is available to view online at visionyouth.org.uk/videos** ## **2021 YOUTH WORK** Back to Contents >> ## **SUMMER SOCIAL (11-18s)** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **Together again!** **When the school year ended in July, restrictions began to ease and there was an opportunity to run a Summer Social to briefly bring together all the young people from Connect, Inspire and Reach for the first time in 15 months.** It was a very exciting occasion, especially as many of the young people were seeing friends in person for the first time in well over a year! But there was another cause for celebration as this was the first youth event to make full use of the new garden (a small patch of land behind Woodlea which was purchased by VISION in 2018 and transformed into a fantastic outdoor space). We cooked pizzas, burgers and hot dogs, enjoyed games and quizzes, and handed out ‘Zoom Award’ certificates – a wonderful evening! VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 7/13 **2021 YOUTH WORK** Back to Contents >> **SCHOOLS** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **On Zoom** Back in 2020 when pupils first returned to classrooms, we’d trialled an adapted version of our Emotional Wellbeing sessions using Zoom for year 6 at Waterfoot Primary School. The technology worked well and pupils were very responsive to the content, which paved the way for more livestreams this year. As well as revisiting Waterfoot Primary, we streamed multiple sessions for Sharneyford Primary and St Mary’s CE Primary School. Zoom sessions for schools usually run with around 30 pupils, but when St. Wilfrid’s CE Academy asked if their whole school could take part, we set up 4 sessions with 500 pupils joining each time live from their classrooms! ## **Back to school** When restrictions on school visits eased, Sharneyford Primary asked if we could run our Emotional Wellbeing session in person with years 3-4. At the time, this was the youngest group to participate in our Emotional Wellbeing sessions, but the children were so engaged that we have now extended the age range for this topic to include any group aged 8+. The school year finished with two visits to St. Christopher’s CE High School for their annual “Spirituality Week”. With secondary school pupils still required to wear face coverings, we asked for special permission for classes to use their mobile phones to vote for a discussion topic on the theme of ‘Under Pressure. Pupils could also use their phones to ask anonymous questions during the lesson. This gave each session a feeling of spontaneity and interactivity, and staff were so impressed that Nathan was asked to return to school at the end of the week to give an inspirational end-of-year message to all pupils and staff. ## **Photos** For almost 2 years, The Government grant With face masks required, Nathan’s office has helped us buy high quality mobile phones in doubled up as a ‘studio’ equipment for professional classrooms actually for livestreams on Zoom. livestreaming. improved engagement! Nathan spoke to every year group at St. Christopher’s at the end of term in July. **Schools can visit visionyouth.org.uk/emotional-wellbeing to book a session or find out more.** VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 8/13 **2021 YOUTH WORK** Back to Contents >> **EXTRA SUPPORT** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **What is extra support?** Our Emotional Wellbeing sessions for schools are designed to help young people (1) identify situations that cause anxiety, (2) understand how the body responds to stress, and (3) learn techniques to support their emotional wellbeing and mental health. This approach has proved very effective, especially for teenagers who also have a strong support network in place (friends, family, youth groups etc.) However, for some young people, the situations and obstacles in their lives are so serious that they require extra support on a 1:1 basis, from weekly mentoring with a youth worker to professional support from a trained counsellor. ## **Funding** Providing consistent extra support over a long period of time can be very costly and not all parents can afford to pay for weekly sessions. To ensure we can help those who need it most, we’ve worked hard to find alternative sources of funding: **Government Funding:** In last year’s report we detailed the support received from the UK Government’s _Coronavirus Community Support Fund_ . This was temporary funding with a six-month time limit on spending but was nevertheless an opportunity for VISION to increase short-term support and trial new services. We received £37,319 to cover staff, running costs, Covid safety measures, online resources, and any necessary building work or maintenance from 1 October 2020 – 31 March 2021. **Cover the Cost:** In June 2021 we launched a new campaign inviting local businesses to ‘Cover the Cost’ of supporting young people. Several businesses responded, donating £2,530 in total. One company (Trickett’s Insurance Brokers) also paid for a billboard advertisement in Rawtenstall Town Centre (see photo above) which ran for three weeks and raised our profile locally. **NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG):** In September 2021, we received a £5,000 NHS grant, administered by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS), to provide free or subsidised counselling and related support. ## **Counselling** As we reported last year, one of VISION’s founders and longest-serving volunteers, Amy Moriarty, is a professional counsellor who had already been leading our Safeguarding and Pastoral Care Team. After receiving the Government Funding back in 2020, we invited Amy to set up a Youth Counselling Service on a self-employed, sessional basis, and Amy was ready to accept referrals within a few weeks of VISION receiving the grant. In 2021, the Youth Counselling Service has developed significantly. For the first 3 months, the Government funding enabled us to offer all counselling sessions free of charge. After the spending deadline on 31 March, some of the young people continued to access the service at Woodlea, and Amy was invited to work with students at The Valley Leadership Academy one day each week with invoices paid by the school. Thanks to our ‘Cover the Cost’ campaign and the NHS CCG grant, Amy was able to continue running discounted counselling sessions at the school throughout 2021, with additional free and discounted sessions held at Woodlea. In total, Amy ran 120+ counselling sessions in 2021 which helped 56 individual young people. ## **Additional youth workers** As detailed in last year’s report, a large proportion of the Government Grant was used to employ three additional youth workers on a part-time basis to increase short-term support. Jade, Marvin and Sarah were employed as a ‘Youth Support Team’ from December 2020 until the end of the grant period in March 2021. With a national ‘lockdown’ announced just 4 weeks after joining VISION, the team faced many challenges on top of the temporary basis of their employment, but were still able to help seven very vulnerable young people by offering frequent 1:1 mentoring sessions and working with parents and social workers. The team also contributed to Zoom sessions for schools, filmed content for future lessons, and helped with admin and social media. It was hard to say goodbye after such a short time, but as a charity we gained insight from this project that will help us in future and we trust that Jade, Sarah and Marvin have also benefitted from the experience of supporting young people with VISION. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 9/13 **2021 BEHIND THE SCENES** Back to Contents >> **FINANCES** **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **VISION received…** ## **VISION spent…** **£34,853** from our amazing supporters; that’s **£29,170** from monthly donations (standing orders and Direct Debits) and **£5,683** in one-off donations. Despite the financial pressures of the pandemic, donations to VISION increased by almost £10,000 in 2021, bringing the total amount raised to almost double pre-Covid donation levels (based on figures from 2019). **£6,000** in grants; that’s **£5,000** from NHS East Lancs. CCG (see Extra Support on page 9) for Youth Counselling and **£1,000** from Lancashire County Council for Emotional Wellbeing. **£6,306** in Gift Aid from last year’s donations. **£2,770** of other donations; that’s **£1,550** from local businesses in response to our ‘Cover the Cost’ campaign, and **£1,220** from churches. **£43,310** on staff costs. This includes salaries, training, DBS checks, and out-of-pocket expenses such as travel costs for employees and volunteers. **£21,443** on Woodlea Mission running costs. This includes day-to-day costs (utility bills, cleaning, stock and supplies) along with licenses, subscriptions and all development costs. **£4,683** on resources, materials and equipment. **£3,131** on insurance and other professional services including accountants’ fees and membership costs for ThirtyOne: Eight (safeguarding), Stewardship (legal and employment advice), and the Evangelical Alliance. **£1,536** on other costs including fundraising (not visible on chart). **£2,500** of other income; that’s **£1,780** from schools to cover Youth Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing, and **£720** from Amazon Smile, EasyFundraising, and the sale of old equipment. ## **Financial position of the charity** More detailed information on the financial position of VISION is set out in the attached accounts. ## **Supporters** More than 100 people donated to VISION in 2021. We wrote to each person every term to thank them for their generosity and provide an update on the work of the charity. We also continued the tradition of designing our own Christmas Cards with Bible verses to send to financial supporters and volunteers in December. ## **Trustees’ Policy on reserves** The policy on reserves is to hold sufficient resources to continue our charitable activities should income and fundraising fall short of the amounts needed to meet the costs of those activities in the short term. Projects requiring significant amounts of funding are only entered into when the income required to meet the associated expenditure is secured. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 10/13 **2021 BEHIND THE SCENES** Back to Contents >> ## **CHARITY DEVELOPMENT** ## **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **Woodlea Mission** One of the goals we set out last year was to make VISION more visible and accessible for the next generation and their families. Thanks to the Government funding received in 2020, we were able to continue the development of Woodlea Mission in the first three months of 2021. New equipment was purchased and a number of improvements and repairs were made to improve functionality throughout the venue, but the most notable developments were as follows: - **+** A new path was constructed (see photos below) providing all-weather access through the garden. - **+** New lighting was installed on the path and on the rear of the building for safety and security. ## **Training** Last year we invested in external training resources, allowing our team to choose from 20 online courses - from First Aid and Food Safety, to Personal Development and Customer Service - which could be completed in their own time from home. In addition to these courses, VISION offered funded training places for core team members including: - **+** “PG Workshop” by _Visible Ministries_ , focusing on the effects of pornography and how parents and youth workers can help - **+** “A Mind of Their Own” by _Care for the Family_ , helping adults understand emotional challenges faced by young people ## **Covid-19 Safety** Our team have always worked incredibly hard to make sure our activities are safe. In 2021 we continued to stay up-to-date with the latest information from the National Youth Agency (in partnership with Public Health England) to provide information for youth organisations via free webinars and comprehensive guidance documents. A great deal of time and attention was taken every day to ensure our building was as safe as possible for our team and for visitors, particularly when offering counselling for young people or filming performances. ## **Links with churches** 2021 saw the return of the “Leaders Lunch” which brings together clergy and other church leaders from across Rossendale. This is a great opportunity to strengthen links between those involved in local Christian ministry, and team members from VISION have attended whenever possible for more than 10 years. Nathan also spoke at two church services in 2021: first, at Kay Street Baptist Church in May (broadcast live on YouTube) where he was interviewed following a specially-filmed video outlining our work with young people, and then at Helmshore Christian Fellowship in July. ## **Other developments** One of our long-term goals has been to streamline our background systems and processes to cut admin time and increase efficiency. In 2021 we continued to develop the new digital system for registration and accounting which we’d built from scratch in 2020. This not only ensures all data is collected, stored and used in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) but also makes it easier and faster for our team to process information and stay in touch with young people, parents/carers, volunteers and supporters. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 11/13 **2021 BEHIND THE SCENES** Back to Contents >> ## **SNAPSHOTS** ## **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** As rules changed throughout the year, we worked hard to make sure VISION was as safe as possible. We set up a covid testing area for team members, introduced recyclable face masks alongside existing PPE, and ensured signage always displayed the most up-to-date rules and guidance. Once again - despite all the restrictions and disruption - Woodlea Mission remained open throughout the year come rain or shine (or snow!) for our team to offer hope and provide support for young people. We continued to use green screens to create professional-looking videos. For live events, various rooms at Woodlea were once again used as ‘studios’ as we streamed into homes and classrooms. Although we had been able to offer counselling and mentoring in person, there was such a relief and sense of excitement when we were finally able to get the building ready for larger activities. We began outdoors with the Summer Social in August, followed by refresher training (and lots of food!) to welcome back our regular volunteers in September. Weekly youth events like _Reach Puppets_ and _Connect_ were then able to restart. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 12/13 **2021 BEHIND THE SCENES** Back to Contents >> ## **VISION TEAM** ## **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** ## **Volunteers** VISION runs on the passion and dedication of ordinary people who believe that our small charity is making a big difference. The charity is powered by an incredible team of volunteers - most of whom have been with VISION for 15 years or more – who continue to give their time freely to impact the lives of children and teenagers in Rossendale. The Trustees would like to recognise the efforts of everyone who volunteered in 2021: those who gave up many hours of their time to help run weekly youth events (on Zoom and at Woodlea); those who worked behind the scenes to create videos or help with admin, finances and fundraising; and those on standby to help with DIY, IT, Safety, First Aid and more… Adam Shepherd, Alan Davey, Alison Aspin, Christine McGuinness, Elizabeth Johnstone, Emma Shepherd, Ian Bury, Jane Shadlock, Jeanne Cottrell, Jenna Potts, Jenny Broadhurst, Jess Aspin, Joseph Jones, Josh Potts, Karen Shepherd, Kathryn Ashman, Lottie Quinn, Matt Worrell, Michael Aspin, Nathan Ashman, Paul Iddon, Steve Shepherd, Stuart Aspin, Suzie Elkington, Yvonne Lord. Last but not least, we would like to say a huge thank you to all the young volunteers aged 11-17: thank you to all our _Reach Puppeteers_ and young people from _Inspire_ who helped create some fantastic videos under very challenging circumstances! ## **2021 CLOSING STATEMENT** Back to Contents >> ## **PLANS FOR 2022** ## **/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////** As we reflect on the last two years, we can see that some of our long-term goals have been achieved despite the pandemic. However, most plans have needed to be adapted, postponed or even cancelled – sometimes at very short notice. At the start of the Covid-19 outbreak we expected some short-term disruption, but it is increasingly clear that the virus has not gone away and that we need to hold our plans lightly. With this in mind, this section is once again much shorter than usual, with our plans for 2022 laid out in broad terms. ## **Charitable activities** In 2022 we aim to hold as many activities in person as possible. Weekly youth events like _Connect_ , _Inspire_ and _Reach Puppets_ will continue at Woodlea, and we hope to be able to work with more pupils in classrooms at primary and secondary schools. We’d love to see the return of larger events like Lite Nite, as well as all-age events and presentations. In particular, we want to make sure that young people have opportunities to be involved in our bigger events, as they always have been in the past - this is crucial as restrictions ease, providing teenagers with something exciting to focus on and look forward to. ## **Woodlea Mission** Our building has benefitted from a significant amount of investment since being gifted to the charity in 2010. The next step is to make the venue more visible by installing permanent signage. We’d also like to improve lighting in the kitchen, create more comfortable seating areas in the lounge, and replace older computer equipment. ## **Support** We will continue to look for new supporters to give monthly and hope to build on links with local businesses through ‘Cover the Cost’. Our ultimate goal is to increase income so we can employ permanent youth workers to support Nathan, Amy, and our team of volunteers, as we seek to offer hope and support to many more young people. We believe that Jesus really can heal broken hearts and set people free, and we want to see children and teenagers experience this for themselves. VISION (Rossendale) Trustees Annual Report 2021 Page 13/13 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **DIRECTORS REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED** **31ST DECEMBER 2021** ## **HALLIWELL & COMPANY ACCOUNTANTS & TAX ADVISORS LLP** **IRWELL HOUSE 223 BACUP ROAD RAWTENSTALL LANCASHIRE BB4 7PA** **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Company Information** ## **Directors** Ian Bury Jeanne Cottrell Alan Davey Nathan Shepherd Stephen Shepherd ## **Registered address** Woodlea Mission, Tenterfield Street, Rossendale, BB4 7BA ## **Bankers** Lloyds plc, Burnley, Lancashire. ## **Company Number** 7315280 ## **Charity Registered Number** 1138523 ## **Accountants** Halliwell & Company Accountants & Tax Advisors LLP Irwell House, 223 Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, BB4 7PA. **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Contents** |Page|| |---|---| |1|Report of the directors| |2|Independent Examiners Report| |3|Statement of Financial Activities| |4|Balance sheet| |5-7|Notes to the accounts| ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Report of the directors for the year ended 31st December 2021** The directors present their annual report together with the unaudited accounts of the company for the year ended 31st December 2021. ## **Principle Activities** The Charity was incorporated as a private company, limited by guarantee, on 15th July 2010. On 12th August 2010 the trustees of Woodlea Mission donated their premises at Tenterfield Street, Rossendale to Vision Rossendale For £nil consideration. On 1st January 2011 the "Vision" activities previously undertaken through St Mary's Church, Rawtenstall, and the assets related to them, were transferred to Vision (Rossendale) for £nil consideration. Also on that date the activities and assets of Engage Café operating on the Balladen Estate were transferred to the charity for £nil consideration. Since that date the company has continued activities to advance the Christian religion amongst young people in Rossendale. ## **Directors** The directors who held office through the year are as follows: Ian Bury Jeanne Cottrell Alan Davey Nathan Shepherd Stephen Shepherd This report was approved by the Board on the 11th July 2022 and signed on its behalf by: N Shepherd - Director 29th July 2022 1 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Independent Examiners Report** I report on the accounts of the charity for the period ended 31st December 2021 which are set out in the following pages. The directors are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The directors consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: - examine the accounts under section 43 of the 1993 Act, - to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act, and - to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## **Basis of independent report** My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the directors concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. ## **Independent Examiners Statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any materials respect, the requirements: - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act have not been met; or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts reached. Halliwell & Company Accountants & Tax Advisors LLP Irwell House 223 Bacup Road Rawtenstall Lancashire BB4 7PA 29th July 2022 2 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31st December 2021** |Notes
**Incoming Resources**
Voluntary Income
(2)
Activities for generating funds
Investment income
Incoming resources from charitable
activities
Other incoming resources
**Total Incoming Resources**
**Resources Expended**
Cost of generating voluntary income|Restricted
Unrestricted
Income
Endowment
Total this
Total Prior
Funds
Funds
Funds
year
year
£
£
£
£
£
49,929
0
0
49,929
70,889
87
0
0
87
368
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2,413
0
0
2,413
1,019
**52,429**
**0**
**0**
**52,429**
**72,276**
57
0
0
57
54| |---|---| |Fundraising trading costs|0
0
0
0
0| |Staff Costs
Charitable activities
(3)
Governance Costs
Other resources expended
**Total Resources Expended**
**Net Incoming/Outgoing Resources**
**Before Transfers**
**Transfers**
Gross transfers between funds
**Net Incoming resources before**
**other recognised gains/losses**
**Other recognised gains/losses**
Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed
assets for the charities own use
Gains and losses on investment assets
**Net Movement in Funds**
**Reconciliation of Funds**
**Total funds brought forward from**
**previous year**
**Total funds carried forward**|43,310
0
0
43,310
22,188
23,728
0
0
23,728
21,962
0
0
0
0
0
7,008
0
0
7,008
6,977
**74,103**
**0**
**0**
**74,103**
**51,181**
**(21,674)**
**0**
**0**
**(21,674)**
**21,095**
0
0
0
0
**(21,674)**
**0**
**0**
**(21,674)**
**21,095**
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
**(21,674)**
**0**
**0**
(21,674)
**21,095**
298,991
0
0
298,991
277,896| ||**277,317**
**0**
**0**
**277,317**
**298,991**| The notes form part of these Financial Statements 3 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE) BALANCE SHEET as at 31st December 2021** |Notes
**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets
(5)
Investments
**Total fixed assets**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Stock and work in progress
Debtors
(6)
(Short term) investments
Cash at bank and in hand
**Total current assets**
**CREDITORS-**Amounts falling
due within one year
(7)
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
**CREDITORS-**Amounts falling
due after one year
(8)
Provisions for liabilities and charges
**NET ASSETS**
**Funds of the charity**
General fund
Designated Funds
Restricted income funds
Endowment funds
Total funds|Restricted
Unrestricted
Income
Endowment
Total
Total Prior
Funds
Funds
Funds
year
£
£
£
£
£
243,358
0
0
243,358
247,538
0
0
0
0
0
**243,358**
**0**
**0**
**243,358**
**247,538**
0
0
0
0
0
6,306
0
0
6,306
5,125
0
0
0
0
0
19,064
9,919
0
28,983
47,529
**25,370**
**9,919**
**0**
**35,289**
**52,654**
1,330
0
0
1,330
1,201
24,040
9,919
0
33,959
51,453
**267,398**
**9,919**
**0**
**277,317**
**298,991**
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0| |---|---| ||**267,398**
**9,919**
**0**
**277,317**
**298,991**| ||267,398
9,919
0
277,317
298,991
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0| ||**267,398**
**9,919**
**0**
**277,317**
**298,991**| For the year ended 31st December 2021 the company was entitled to exemptions under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. No notice from members requiring an audit has been deposited under section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. The accounts were approved by the board on 29th July 2022 and signed on its behalf. N Shepherd - Director 4 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Notes forming part of the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2021** ## **1. Accounting Policies** Basis of preparation These accounts have been prepared on the basis of historic cost (except that investments are shown on market value) in accordance with: Accounting and reporting by Charities - Statements of Recommended Practise (SORP 2005); Financial Reporting Standards for smaller Enterprises (FRSSE); and with the Charities act 1993. Recognition of incoming resources These are included in the statements of Financial Activities (SoFA) when: - the charity becomes entitled to the resources; - the trustees are virtually certain they will receive the resources; and - the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability. Incoming resources and related expenditure Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract income) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA. ## Grants and donations Grants and donations are only included in the SoFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources. Tax reclaims on donations and gifts Incoming resources from tax are included in the SoFA at the same time as the gift to which they relate. Tangible fixed assets for the use by charity These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £500. They are valued at cost or a reasonable value on receipt. Depreciation is provided at the following rates in order to wrote off each asset over its estimated useful life; Freehold Building 2% on cost or revalued amount Equipment 25% on cost ## **Goodwill** In accordance with the ASB's Statement of Principles for Financial Reporting Interpretation for Public Benefit Entities where the acquisition of entities is for nil or nominal consideration, the ecess for fair value of the assets acquired over the fair value of the liabilities assumed is treated as a gain and recognised as income. 5 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Notes forming part of the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2021** ## **2. Incoming Resources** |**Voluntary Income**
Gifts and Donations
Regular Donations
Church Giving
Grants
Gift Aid Claims
Fundraising Income
Other Income
**3. Resources Expended**
**Charitable Activities**
Youth Events
Vision Kids
Woodlea Running Costs
Woodlea Development
Other Premises Costs
Computer, software and office equipment
Materials, printing and related costs
Travel and subsistence
other
**4. Staff Costs**
4a. Wages and salaries
Wages and Salaries|Restricted
Unrestricted
Income
Endowment
Total this
Total Prior
Funds
Funds
Funds
year
year
£
£
£
£
£
7,233
0
0
7,233
5,961
29,170
0
0
29,170
18,964
1,220
0
0
1,220
240
6,000
0
0
6,000
40,059
6,306
0
0
6,306
5,665
87
0
0
87
368
2,413
0
0
2,413
1,019| |---|---| ||**52,429**
**0**
**0**
**52,429**
**72,276**| ||Restricted
Unrestricted
Income
Endowment
Total this
Total Prior
Funds
Funds
Funds
year
year
£
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5,074
0
0
5,074
8,082
10,901
0
0
10,901
1,490
3,922
0
0
3,922
5,325
1,546
0
0
1,546
3,143
414
0
0
414
0
136
0
0
136
685
1,735
0
0
1,735
3,237| ||**23,728**
**0**
**0**
**23,728**
**21,962**| ||2021
2020
£
£
43,310
22,188| 4b. Payments to trustees Travel expenses paid to trustees in respect of the normal activities of the charity amounted to Nil. 6 ## **VISION (ROSSENDALE)** ## **Notes forming part of the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2021** ## **5. Tangible Assets** |**Costs:**
At 1st January 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 31st December 2021
**Depreciation:**
At 1st January 2021
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31st December 2021
**Net Book Values:**
At 31st December 2021
At 31st December 2020
**6. Debtors**
Debtors
**7. Creditors falling due within one year**
Accruals
PAYE and NI
**8. Creditors falling due after one year**|**Property**
**Land**
**Cost**
**Cost**
**Equipment**
**Total**
£
£
£
263,390
12,580
30,152
306,122
0
0
2,829
2,829
0
0
0|**Property**
**Land**
**Cost**
**Cost**
**Equipment**
**Total**
£
£
£
263,390
12,580
30,152
306,122
0
0
2,829
2,829
0
0
0|**Property**
**Land**
**Cost**
**Cost**
**Equipment**
**Total**
£
£
£
263,390
12,580
30,152
306,122
0
0
2,829
2,829
0
0
0| |---|---|---|---| ||263,390
12,580
32,981
308,951||| ||35,405
0
23,179
58,584
4,559
0
2,450
7,008
0
0
0
0||| ||39,964
0
25,629
65,592||| ||223,426
12,580
7,353
243,358||| ||227,985
12,580
6,973
247,538||| ||7|2021
£
6,306
6,306
£
648
682
1,330
£
0|2020
£
5,125| ||||5,125| ||||£
648
553| ||||1,201| ||||£| ||||0| |||||