2022-03-31-accounts

Parry Hall, Parry Road, Gloucester, GL1 4RZ

Annual Report 1[st] April 2021 – 31[st] March 2022

Trustees Candy Wiltshire – Chair Gemma Allen– Vice Chair

Cat Illingworth – Treasurer Julie Smith

Governing Document

Increase the Peace became a registered Charitable Incorporate Organisation (number 1153861) on 19[th] September 2013. We have all necessary policies and procedures including a child protection policy. DBS checks are carried out prior to commencement of employment. These checks are carried out every 3 years in line with statutory requirements.

Objectives and Activities

The purpose of the charity is:

To help and educate young people especially but not exclusively through their educational and leisure-time activities so to develop their physical, emotional, social and behavioural capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society and that their conditions of life may be improved, and to support other charitable purposes in the local community.

Summary of main activities undertaken for the public benefit:

All our activities are undertaken for public benefit. Our main activities are educational youth clubs, outreach work and performances. We are open to all young people regardless of personal background, faith, gender or personal circumstance and we look for the person they can be rather than judging them by their past or background. We work with local partners, such as the police, schools, housing providers and local organisations, to provide joined up support to young people and we value the support and contributions from our partners.

Our work benefits young people aged 7 to 25 by developing their self-confidence and social skills, alongside practical and life skills. We encourage them to make positive life choices to have a successful future and particularly focus on anti-guns, -gangs and - crime work.

Our volunteers make a huge contribution to Increase the Peace and we could not do the work without them. They are always willing to give time, energy and ideas to making the projects and youth clubs succeed.

Achievements

Increase the Peace is well known in Gloucestershire for our anti-guns, -gangs and - crime work. During 2021 – 22 we were pleased to return to delivering our Impact workshops, as well as focussing on raising awareness of the dangers of the knife crime, being a listening ear and providing signposting.

Supporting our local young people and their families is always our main focus and our work included advice, visits and advocacy for young people, siblings and parents. As services started returning to normal after Covid-19 we delivered Easter eggs to vulnerable young people, which allowed us to catch up with them and to re-engage.

Our ‘Impact’ educational anti-knife crime workshops are always well received, and we delivered five sessions at schools, college and training providers. One student told us “your talk today … opened my eyes to how much there is behind knife crime and all the repercussions it can cause. Thank you for what you’re doing, you’re doing a good thing for the community” and a teacher fed back “Thank you for your time today. Very valuable for all of our young learners.”.

We predominantly use our Facebook page to highlight issues and give support to our followers. We shared information about local activities for young people, knife amnesties and national events such as Children’s Mental Health Week. We regularly posted videos on topics such as “signs that your child might be involved in knife crime”.

Our Facebook page became a focus and a vital support for the local community in December when a young person well known to the charity was sadly killed in a knife attack. As this was so close to home, we spent much time providing support, guidance and a conduit for the family and local community. We also held candlelit vigils and remembrance ceremonies, drop in sessions in the park for young people affected, attended community meetings, and supported other community activities.

Many local people turned to us and were grateful for our advice and our ability to speak out about the situation. We also emphasised the importance of the community working together to make a positive change, using the motto “Piece by Peace”. We received a lot of positive messages through Facebook, for example:

“amazing job supporting the kids of our community, you’ve touched so many lives.”

We have also been able to raise awareness by being featured in local and national news; on BBC and ITV, radio, newspaper and podcasts.

We are very grateful to those that chose to fundraise for us this year. Special thanks go to Danny Lee Davis and Michael Hagan (31 x 5k runs in January in memory of Ramarni), Fin Brown (fundraising run), Spencer & Spencer (comedy night), Station Pub Hotel and The Navarones (music night), Whitminster Inn (quiz night), Shooting Stars Nursery (chosen charity), Tredworth Tigers (charity football match).

During 2022/23 we intend to increase delivery of our Impact workshops, continue to support our community as best we can and we are hoping to re-start our youth clubs.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signature: Name: Candy Wiltshire Position: Chair Date: 7/12/22

Increase the Peace Accounts 1/4/2021 - 31/3/2022

Section A Receipts and Payments	Section A Receipts and Payments
		Unrestricted funds £ Restricted funds £		Total funds £	1/4/20- 31/3/21 £
Receipts Grants and donations 10,209 Total Receipts 10,209 - Payments Costs of charitable activities 2,695 Total Payments 2,695 - Net of receipts/(payments) 7,514 - Cash funds last year end 1,463 Cash funds this year end 8,977 - Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod				10,209	1,130
			-	10,209	1,130
				2,695	1,542
			-	2,695	1,542
			-	7,514	(412)
				1,463	1,875
			-	8,977	1,463
Categories	Details			Unrestricted funds £	Restricted funds £
Cash funds Assets retained for the charity's own use Signed on behalf of Board	Cash at bank Total cash funds			8,977
				8,977	-
	-			-	-
	Name: Position:			Date:	24/11/2022