2020-12-31-accounts

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Trustee Annual Report & Accounts Year Ending 31[st] December 2020

Open House (Christian Outreach) Trust 773 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats, Sheffield, S8 0SP www.openhousesheffield.co.uk hello@openhousesheffield.co.uk

A registered charity in England & Wales no. 1156654

Reference & Administrative Details

Charity Name Open House (Christian Outreach) Trust

Charity Number A registered charity in England & Wales no. 1156654 Registered Office 773 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats, Sheffield, S8 0SP Trustees David Stout (Chair) (at time of report approval) Paul Bassindale (Secretary) Rebecca Popplewell (Treasurer) Janet Bassindale Jo Edwards Janice Hill Anthony Hill

Structure, Governance & Management

Open House (Christian Outreach) Trust was registered as a CIO with the Charity Commission in England and Wales, on 11th April 2014, and became active on 5th September 2014, following transferal of assets from Open House (Christian Outreach) Trust (Charity No 700997), an unincorporated registered Charity, constituted under a Trust Deed dated 15th December 1988.

During the year, the Trustees formally met once with the volunteer Management Team, to ensure compliance with the agreed objectives and constitution. The Coronavirus Pandemic beginning March 2020 had a significant effect on the operations and activities of the organisation, as well as the plans and aspirations that had been made for the period.

Recruitment and Induction of Trustees

The current trustee board are open to further recruitment of additional members to enhance, broaden and increase the skill set to support the running of the charity and advance the vision.

During the year, the Trustees and Management Team worked together to create a Trustee Application Pack that could be given to potential new board members. This pack outlines Open House’s mission, values, and Statement of Faith. Trustees are appointed on their Christian beliefs, character, and commitment to the vision of Open House. The new application process requires a completed pack and an informal interview with two members of the current board.

On recruitment of new trustees, the whole trustee board completes an updated Skills Audit to ensure that areas of need are covered or highlighted. This audit also helps identify growth and development within the existing board.

Aims, Objectives & Values

The object of Open House (Christian Outreach) Trust is:

To advance the Christian faith in accordance with the Statement of Faith, appearing in Clause 31, in Woodseats and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the trustees may from time-to-time think fit, including by (but not limited to):
the provision of a place of Christian witness by providing a place for Christians to meet Christians and non-Christians;
the provision of facilities for teaching, worship, and prayer.

The aims of Open House are:

To sow community, service and love in Woodseats in the name of Jesus
To cultivate an inclusive and open place where people are accepted whatever their story
To feed and sustain wonderings about God with food, drink, relationship, creativity and prayer
To provide a place of refuge and relationship, especially for those with need or vulnerability
To work alongside local churches, community groups and schools to encourage open conversation and exploration of faith
To serve high quality and responsibly sourced food and drinks and exemplify sustainable and ethical business practices

The vision for the coffee shop is anchored by these core values:

Jesus Focussed : In a world of independence, competition and distractions, we try and keep Jesus’ teachings and actions at the heart of what we do. He calls us to love one another and often did this through conversations over food. Here at Open House, those are things we want to do best.

Everybody Welcome : No matter what background, race, gender, age, ability or political leaning, everybody has a place at the table. At Open House we believe the more diversity, the better. There is beauty in difference: together. We will strive to reach out to those in our community who may find it difficult to come in.

Always Searching : We want questions to be asked, opinions to be challenged and for the search for truth to be an exciting and guided experience. We will always welcome conversation, offer prayer, support, and point to other help as necessary. We do not presume to have all the answers. We hope local churches, community groups and

people will find each other under our roof. And if you’re searching for good coffee, we can help with that too…

Generous Giving : Open House only exists through generous giving. We believe in finding unmet need; doing more than the minimum; in putting the last, first. On a daily basis our staff, volunteers and supporters give to keep Open House open for business by their time, skills, resources, encouragement and prayers. We look for creative ways to give generously to our guests and to other organisations and projects.

People not Profit : Delicious food and a homely welcome cannot be produced at the expense of people or their environment; we look after our staff, our suppliers, our volunteers and our guests. Generous, sustainable and appreciative relationships go very well with good coffee. We’re in no rush for your table – we want you to feel at home.

Achievements & Performance

A note from the Chair of Trustees

2020 was a challenging year for the trust, but a year that saw some exciting seeds starting to shoot through the surface.

Whilst the global pandemic had an impact on our developments, we were still able to talk to contractors and get some quotes meaning we were able to do further preparatory work and set the ball rolling for more substantial developments in 2021. Furthermore, we managed to engage new volunteers in a variety of ways that has been a good way of drawing people closer to the work of the trust and build a sense of momentum.

David Stout

Prayer Team

At the beginning of 2020 the Prayer Team consisted of two members. During the autumn and during the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, it was decided to start a weekly virtual prayer meeting. Each Friday morning between 4 and 12 people regularly join online to pray for the local community and for the Open House building project. This space has been vital in supporting the work and team at Open House, creating more accountability, enthusiasm, and community around the project.

Communications Team

During 2020 there have been regular communications with the Open House supporters via email, Facebook, and Instagram. These platforms have been important in sharing news, sharing litanies (at Christmas and Easter) and keeping people in touch with what’s going on at Open House.

Dream Team

In March, discussions were being had as to how the community could be served by Open House before the building was ready. Plans had been put in place to create a pop-up coffee morning in the local Scout Hut on Helmton Road on a weekly basis. Everything was going to plan until the first national lockdown was announced in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. This idea was put on hold indefinitely.

Connections were made with local churches and community groups to discuss ways of partnering with them when the coffee shop is open.

Fundraising Team

Open House continued to receive regular donations from individuals equating to just over £195/month. There were also two one-off donations made in 2020 totalling £1,322.20. No bids for grant funding were completed in 2020.

Operations & Ethics Team

In addition to the quote for building works received at the end of 2019, during 2020 the trustees received a quote from Creative Building Projects which came to approximately £75,000 to get the building into shape. After meeting with this contractor, it was agreed that the values of Open House and the contractor aligned, and that Creative Building Projects would be the preferred contractor for the building works. Conversations about the way forward began at the end of 2020.

By the end of the year, the damp and the lintels were the main concerns for immediate building work.

Research into the policies and procedures required for the safe opening and operation of the coffee shop has been undertaken, while the creation of relevant and legislative documentation is on-going.

Finance Review

Financial Activities 2020

Balance Sheet as of 31 December 2020

The main financial asset of Open House (not noted on the balance sheet) is the property at 773 Chesterfield Road, Sheffield which is owned outright by the charity without mortgages or encumbrances, and which is currently valued at £65,000. However, when fully renovated it is anticipated that the market value would increase.

At the end of 2020 the total monies held in the current and savings account amounted to £21,398.29. Regular giving amounted to £2,350 for the year, equivalent to £195.83 per month.

Reserves Policy

As the charity outgoings are currently very low, we maintain unrestricted reserves of at least £1,000. This policy will be reviewed as circumstances change.

Public Benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with Section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on Charities and Public Benefit.

Risk Review

During the year, Trustees reviewed significant risks relating to the charity, with a focus on ensuring new processes and communication materials complied with new GDPR legislation.

No safeguarding or serious incidents occurred during the financial year.

Approved by the trustees on 28[th] October 2021 and signed by the Chair of Trustees, David Stout.