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← Centre 33 (St Albans) Ltd

2023-12-31-accounts

Centre 33 (St Albans) Limited

Annual Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 December 2023

Centre 33 is the trading name of Centre 33 (St Albans) Limited, registered in England as a company limited by guarantee (No 7955132) and as a charity (No 1146438). Registered office: Centre 33, 2a Spicer Street, St Albans, Herts, AL3 4PQ. Patron: The Right Worshipful the Mayor of St Albans City and District

www.centre33.org

Centre 33 (St Albans) Limited

(A company limited by guarantee)

Annual Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 December 2023

Contents

Chairman’s Note .............................................................................................3 Significant Organisational Developments ......................................................4 What is Centre 33? .........................................................................................5 Our Visitors .....................................................................................................6 Our Local Community .....................................................................................7 2023 in Summary ............................................................................................8 Finance Overview ...........................................................................................9 The Trustees .................................................................................................10 Reference and Administrative Details of the Company ...............................11 Report of the Directors .................................................................................12 Directors’ Responsibilities Statement ..........................................................14 Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees .................................15 Financial Statements ....................................................................................16 Balance Sheet ...............................................................................................17 Notes to the Financial Statements ...............................................................18

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Chairman’s Note

2023 was a notable year for Centre 33. At the beginning of January, we were able at last to bring visitors in from the cold to eat their evening meal at a table. We are indebted to the Salvation Army for their understanding and flexibility in allowing us to set out the lobby at the Citadel as a dining room. In April, we re-opened Spicer Street to offer visitors a cooked breakfast and access to shower facilities and some fresh clothes. Centre 33 is providing a total of around 35 meals each day, 5 days each week at present: this is a tremendous achievement that is only possible because of the volunteers who give their time to the service and the donations and grants we receive from our supporters. We are really proud that Centre 33 continues to be run entirely by local volunteers.

Centre 33 continues to cooperate closely with other local charities, such as Open Door, Emmaus, and Herts Young Homeless, who work in the homelessness sector and with St Albans City and District Council and local police. Our trustees are active members of STAMP (St Albans Multi Agency Protocol) which reviews the needs and arrangements of anyone known to be sleeping rough or otherwise in need of a home, and of the St Albans Homelessness Forum which updates on the services provided by local support organisations.

Feedback from Centre 33’s visitors is testimony to the importance of the service in supporting them through difficult times. It is encouraging also to hear from some former visitors, now enjoying improved circumstances and who have become donors.

Centre 33 has 3 main needs going forward: to boost our annual income to cover our full annual operating costs; to attract additional volunteers and team leaders; and to secure new permanent premises. The trustees have activities in place to address all 3 needs, although identifying alternative premises to Spicer Street, which is too small to meet the current numbers of visitors, is proving to be the major challenge.

We are sorry that two long standing trustees have decided to retire from Centre 33’s Executive Team recently and we thank them for their significant contributions over the years. We are also delighted to welcome three new trustees, who are all active volunteers and who bring new and diverse backgrounds and skills to the Executive Team.

We are truly grateful to our volunteers who give their time, and to our financial supporters, all of whom enable Centre 33 to continue to provide support for anyone in need or homeless in our city.

Melanie O’Neill, Chairman. May 2024

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Significant Organisational Developments

The last quarter of 2023 saw a number of changes to the board of trustees of Centre 33. Alley Ashton stood down from the board after 27 years of supporting Centre 33, in particular in masterminding the refurbishment of our Spicer Street premises on more than one occasion. We thank him greatly for his involvement over the years and wish him a long and happy retirement. Claire Farquhar, Diluxshy Elangaratnam and Chrystalla Spire joined the board in late 2023 and are very welcome additions to the board and running of the Centre. Shortly after the year end, in January 2024, David Grimshaw stepped down from trusteeship and we are delighted that he is able to continue to volunteer and provide ongoing support to the Centre. Melanie O’Neill continued as Chairman in addition to her role as Treasurer.

Charitable Objectives

The Constitution of Centre 33 says that the Object of Centre 33 shall be ...

“The relief of persons in need who are homeless or suffering from psychological or physical infirmity or who by reason of adverse circumstances, ……… and in particular ……… by the provision for such persons of a shelter (or a home of rest) and the comfort of friendship.”

Centre 33 pursues this Object through the operation of the drop-in centre at 2a Spicer Street and the provision of meals at other locations as necessary.

Public Benefit

The Charity Commission requires that charities report on the public benefit of their activities. We believe that the public benefit from operating the drop-in centre is largely self-evident; it helps very vulnerable people, giving them practical support and encouragement; and because it is very dependent on donations from churches, businesses and others, it demonstrates to them that many in St Albans care about their welfare.

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What is Centre 33?

Centre 33 is a charity. Its objective is to provide practical support for people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or otherwise socially or materially disadvantaged in the St Albans area. It does this through both the Centre 33 drop-in centre and through a sit-down evening service run from the Citadel building in St Albans through the kind support of the Salvation Army.

What does Centre 33 offer?

Volunteering at Centre 33

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Our Visitors

Anyone and everyone who comes to Centre 33 is welcome

Centre 33 Visitors

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Our Local Community

Our Supporters

Centre 33 could not operate without the generous support – financial, other donations (clothes, food etc) and moral – of our local community. The list below is not comprehensive, but we hope it is illustrative of the wide support we receive. We are very grateful to:

Local Collaboration and Cooperation

Centre 33 works closely with others in St Albans who help the homeless. Our activity includes

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2023 in Summary

We continue to provide services from two sites:-

Spicer Street reopened and resumed full operation from April 2023. At each site we offer a restaurant service with hot meals cooked on the premises by volunteers.

7,188 meals served ... 423 sessions ...

There is a high demand for our services with an average of 17 visitors coming for a meal at each session we are open. Some are regular customers and others are seen only occasionally. But all appreciate the food and facilities we have to offer.

Over the course of the year we provided a total of 7,188 meals over the 423 sessions we were open.

Over 3,000 volunteer hours ...

To make this possible we depend on our wonderful team of volunteers who cook the meals and look after the visitors. The volunteers are drawn from a pool of over 100 people who regularly help at Centre 33. Three or four volunteers are needed for each session that we are open. Together they contributed over 3,000 hours of voluntary work in running the service.

Service details

Salvation Army Spicer Street
(Jan – Dec) (Apr – Dec) Total
Number of days open 255 168 423
Average daily attendance 19 14 17
Total meals served 4,808 2,380 7,188

Other activities

During the year we continued our regular work of maintaining the premises and services necessary for our work. This is inevitably more complicated as we work from two sites. It includes purchasing food and other consumables and maintaining the buildings and equipment. We also prepared Spicer Street for reopening and provided new shelving at the Salvation Army.

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Finance Overview

The Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 are attached to this report. We are immensely grateful for the donations and grants received during the year, which have enabled Centre 33 to continue to operate. Centre 33 continues to be run entirely run by volunteers so all income is directed to the cost of operating the service.

Overall expenses amounted to £35,029, an increase of 19% compared with 2022. Total income amounted to £33,024, a 27% increase on 2022, but nevertheless, Centre 33 needed to draw on reserves of just over £2,000 to cover costs for the year. The trustees have made further applications for grants and have organised additional fundraising to address the shortfall.

The cost of food and household items has risen very slightly compared with 2022: this in part reflects the re-opening Spicer Street for breakfast in April in addition to continuing the evening meal service at the Salvation Army Citadel. We continued our practice of buying food for a planned weekly menu at both the Citadel and Spicer Street. Outgoings on utilities have risen significantly compared with 2022, largely as a result of delays in being expensed by energy companies for electricity consumed in 2022. Centre 33’s trustees agreed to take steps to ensure that all volunteers involved in preparing food have Level 2 Food Safety certification, the cost of some of the training for this is reflected in the accounts under volunteer management and support. The need to buy additional chairs for use at the Citadel accounts for increased spending on equipment as shown under repairs and maintenance. Additional administration costs are largely due to increased spending on publicity to attract new volunteers and to promote fundraising. We continue to be grateful to the Salvation Army who generously allow Centre 33 to operate the evening meal service 5 days each week: the special outgoings indicated in the accounts reflect donations made to cover the costs of gas and electricity consumed during Centre 33’s service during the year.

The bulk of Centre 33’s income comes from donations from individuals, local businesses, churches, the synagogue and other local voluntary organisations. Many individual donors wish to remain anonymous, but we are pleased to acknowledge significant donations from St Albans Cathedral, St Saviour’s Church, St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society, St Albans Lions, St Albans Choral Society and St Albans Round Table.

We are also very grateful for the grant of £5,000 from St Albans District Council’s Community Project Fund, for the provision of hot meals and other support to local people in need, and to Herts County Warm Spaces Fund with provided £500 towards the cost of providing a warm and welcoming place to eat between January and March 2023.

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The Trustees

The Trustees during 2023 are shown below.

----- Start of picture text -----
Trustees 2023
Chairman Melanie O’Neill
Vice Chairman Bob Barrett
Secretary Andrew Copley
Treasurer Melanie O’Neill
Minutes Secretary Penny Williams
Other Trustees Alley Ashton (resigned 21 Nov 23)
Diluxshy Elangaratnam (appt 7 Nov 23)
Claire Farquhar (appt 12 Sept 23)
Peter Graham
David Grimshaw
Chris Lewis
Chrystalla Spire (appt 7 Nov 23)
----- End of picture text -----

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Reference and Administrative Details of the Company

CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

Reference and Administrative Details of the Company its Trustees and Advisers for the period ended 31 December 2023

Board of directors/trustees as at 31 December 2023

Mr RE Barrett Mr AP Copley Dr D Elangaratnam Mrs C Farquhar Mr P Graham Mr DM Grimshaw Dr M O’Neill Ms C Spire Mrs PA Williams JP, DL

Company registered number

7955132

Charity registered number

1146438

Registered office

2a Spicer Street St Albans Herts AL3 4PQ

Company secretary

Mr AP Copley

Independent examiner

Mr R McClure Chartered Accountant Unit 82739 PO Box 6945 London W1A 6US

Bankers

Lloyds TSB 36 Chequer Street St Albans Herts AL1 3YQ

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Report of the Directors

CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

Report of the Directors for the period ended 31 December 2023

The Board of Directors (members of which are also Trustees for the purposes of the Charity Commission) present their annual report for the year ended 31 December 2023. The Directors confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the company comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the company’s governing body and the current provisions of the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)).

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

a. Constitution

Incorporated under the Companies Act 2006 on 20 February 2012, the company (number 7955132) is a private company limited by guarantee, does not have a share capital and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The company is also a charity (number1146438).

The directors, who were also trustees throughout the financial period, unless stated otherwise, were:

Mr A Ashton (resigned 21 Nov 2023) Mr RE Barrett Mr AP Copley Dr D Elangaratnam (appointed 7 Nov 2023) Mrs C Farquhar (appointed 12 Sept 2023) Mr P Graham Mr DM Grimshaw Mr C Lewis Dr M O’Neill Ms C Spire (appointed 7 Nov 2023) Mrs PA Williams

Mr Peter Graham, Dr Melanie O’Neill and Mrs Penny Williams were due to retire, or retire by rotation and, being willing to offer themselves for re-election, were re-elected at the Annual General Meeting held on 19[th] September 2023 and the election on 12[th] September 2023 of Mrs Claire Farquhar as a director and trustee was also confirmed at that meeting. Dr Melanie O’Neill continues to act as Chairman.

b. Method of appointment or election of board of directors

Potential members of the board/trustees are identified by their profession and experience and consideration is given to how these attributes may complement those of the existing trustees to provide a broad skill base to meet the challenges and responsibilities of the Company. Prospective members are invited to attend meetings so that they may gain an insight into the operation of the Company and an understanding of the responsibilities to be undertaken and the commitment required.

c. Policies adopted for the induction and training of board members

Beyond basic induction procedures no formal training is usually provided as this should not be necessary due to the background and experience of the prospective members.

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d. Organisational structure and decision making

The board/trustees are responsible for the supervision of the activities of the Company. It has a minimum of five meetings annually and full minutes are circulated to all directors/trustees, all of whom are volunteers. The minutes are made available to the independent examiner.

The day-to-day management of the Centre is described in earlier sections of this report.

e. Risk management

The directors/trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charitable company is exposed and are satisfied that the systems are in place to mitigate exposure to those risks.

POLICIES AND OBJECTS

The objects of the charitable company are contained in the company’s articles of association and are the relief of persons in need who are homeless or suffering from psychological or physical infirmity or who by reasons of adverse circumstances, ill health or who are suffering or have suffered a legal restriction on their liberty in any penal or corrective establishment are in need of help in acquiring a settled way of life and in particular but without limiting the generality of the foregoing by the provision for such persons of a shelter (or a home of rest) and the comfort of friendship.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

a. Going concern

After making appropriate enquiries, the directors/trustees have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason they adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.

b. Review of activities

An overview and review of the 2023 year is contained in earlier sections of this report.

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Directors’ Responsibilities Statement

CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

Directors’ Responsibilities Statement

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Directors’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Statements (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law, the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Directors are required to:

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Provision of information to Independent Examiner

Each Director has confirmed that:

So far as that Director is aware, there is no relevant financial information, of which the company’s independent examiner is unaware: and

The Directors have taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a Board in order to be aware of any information needed by the company’s independent examiner in connection with preparing his report and to establish that the company’s independent examiner is aware of that information.

Independent Examiner

Mr Richard McClure indicated his willingness to continue to examine the company’s financial statements and the Directors will propose a motion to reappoint him at the next Annual General Meeting.

This report was approved by the Directors on 2[nd] September 2024 and signed on their behalf by Mr AP Copley, Director.

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Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees

CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

Report to the trustees/directors of Centre 33 (St Albans) Limited (company number 7955132 and charity number 1146438) on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 as set out on pages 16 to 20.

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees of the Company (who are also the directors of the company 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 for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’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 material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that:

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

Richard McClure Chartered Accountant Unit 82739 PO Box 6945 London W1A 6US

Date 2[nd] September 2024

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Financial Statements

CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Note
INCOMING RESOURCES
(UNRESTRICTED)
Incoming resources from generated funds
Voluntary income
2
Investment income
3
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES
(UNRESTRICTED)
4
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES
(RESTRICTED)
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Charitable activities
5
Governance costs
6
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED
NET (DEFICIT)/SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR
TOTAL FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD
TOTAL UNRESTRUCTED FUNDS AT 31
DECEMBER 2023*		 2023
£
30,133
237
30,370
0
30,370
33,284
299
33,583
(3,213)
54,165
50,952		 2022
£
25,926
107
26,033
0
26,033
29,451
299
29,750
(3,717)
57,882
54,165

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CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023

Note
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors and prepaid expenses
Short term deposits
Cash at bank and in hand
CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL
CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year
Accruals and deferred income
NET ASSETS
Represented by:
ACCUMULATED UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
Funds brought forward
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year
TOTAL FUNDS		 2023
£
0
15,000
38,743
53,743
(2,791)
50,952
54,165
(3,213)
50,952		 2022
£
0
0
56,765
56,765
(2,600)
54,165
57,882
(3,717)
54,165

The company's financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime (Note 1, page 18)

Approved by the board of directors on 2[nd] September 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Mr AP Copley, Director

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Notes to the Financial Statements

CENTRE 33 (ST ALBANS) LIMITED (A company limited by guarantee)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

1.1. Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared under the historic cost convention and in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015), and the Companies Act 2006.

1.2. Company status

The company is a company limited by guarantee. In the event of the company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the company.

1.3. Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the company is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

1.4. Resources expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities.

1.5. Fund Accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the company and which have not been designated for other purposes. Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the company for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

1.6. Non-monetary donations

Non-monetary donations are included in both income and expenditure if it is possible to measure the cost of the goods or service provided reliably. It is not possible to quantify the provision of time given by both trustees and volunteers and this is therefore not included in income and expenditure - but is described in note 7. It is also not possible to quantify the provision of Centre 33's premises at Spicer Street or the temporary use of the Salvation Army Citadel, both of which are described in note 7.

1.7. Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis to write off the cost over its estimated useful life as follows: Equipment: 5 years. Fixed assets with a value under £1,000 are written off as expenditure in the Statement of Financial Activities.

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2. VOLUNTARY INCOME
Grants
Donations
Fund raising
3. INVESTMENT INCOME
Bank interest		 2023
£
5,500
21,932
2,701
30,133
2023
£
237		 2022
£
5,250
20,676
0
25,926
2022
£
107

4. UNRESTRICTED INCOME

A grant of £5,000 was received from St Albans District Council for the provision of hot meals and other support to local people in need. A grant of £500 was received from Herts County Warm Spaces Fund towards the cost of provision of a warm and welcoming place to eat between January and March 2023. Both grants are aligned with the sole purpose of Centre 33.

5. RESOURCES EXPENDED ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Volunteer management and support
Food and other household costs
Repairs and maintenance
Heat, light and utilities
General administration
Clothing and Sleeping Bags
Special Outgoings		 2023
£
319
23,937
2,527
1,733
2,368
400
2,000
33,284		 2022
£
12
22,191
2,352
1,244
1,652
0
2,000
29,451

Note: Special Outgoings

Centre 33 began operating a takeaway meal service from the Salvation Army Citadel in St Albans after the Covid lockdown when it became impractical to use the Spicer St premises. The practice has continued throughout 2023 as evening visitor numbers have risen and a new demographic of volunteers has been recruited, some of whom would find the access issues at Spicer St challenging.

Two payments each of £1000 were made to the Salvation Army towards the cost of gas and electricity for cooking and serving the meals. £1,000 of this donation was accrued from 2022.

6. RESOURCES EXPENDED ON GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES

a) Governance costs include the specific costs directly involved with the constitutional issues of the company as opposed to generating voluntary income, fund raising or undertaking charitable work to meet its objects. b) Trustees are not remunerated but are entitled to reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred in the furtherance of their duties. No expenses were paid to trustees in the year (2022: nil).

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c) The trustees incur expenditure on behalf of the charity and this expenditure is reimbursed to them. The amount to be reimbursed for 2023 was £25,819 (2022: £23,174). 7 (2022: 5) trustees were reimbursed for expenditure incurred.

d) No charge was incurred for the independent examination of the accounts (2022: nil).

7. DONATIONS IN KIND

Rent: The premises occupied by Centre 33, 2A Spicer St, St Albans AL3 4PQ are owned by St Albans District Council. They are leased to Centre 33 rent free. The Salvation Army offered the use of its premises, at the Citadel, 16-18 Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3JB rent free throughout 2022 for provision of the evening takeaway meal service.

Voluntary work: Centre 33 is operated entirely by volunteers, of which there are approximately 100 listed on Centre 33's database. During the year, rota volunteers donated 3,010 hours of their time. Centre 33's 10 trustees donated time to running the charity: it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of this time during the year.

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