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← Cornerstone Warminster

2025-03-31-accounts

Cornerstone Warminster. Central Car Park, Warminster, Wiltshire. BA12 9BT

01985 220657

TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

For the Year Ending 31st March 2025

info@cornerstone-warminster.org www.cornerstone-warminster.org Registered Charity No. 1157440

Summary by Chair of Trustees for period 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025

This year has seen a slight rise in the overall level of activity with a total of 734 episodes of assistance between our static Town Centre location (698) and from our Mobile Team (36). Next year it is planned to appoint a dedicated trustee to oversee the mobile service for greater continuity and standardisation of procedures. Overall, this brings the total number of client interactions since opening (June2014) to 6604. One of the less welcome developments this year has been the suspension of our Counselling Service, due to the departure of our qualified Lead Counsellor who managed the service on a voluntary basis. On the positive side, the recent collaboration with the Wiltshire Citizens Advice Buro has enabled further advice to be offered to our clients in our main location. This has been possible due to a grant from the County Council under their Household Support Fund initiative.

Cornerstone has continued to work with local government agencies, such as the “Rough Sleeper Team’ as well as other local charities and healthcare professionals. Referrals from the medical centre’s Social Prescriber has played a significant part in directing some of the most vulnerable in our community to our Mobile Service. There remains a critical shortage of local authority (housing association) accommodation for single people below state pension age. We anticipate that the forthcoming changes in the law in respect of improved tenancy rights will further reduce the number of low-cost private lettings available.

Volunteer training has remained a priority to keep pace with developments and provide accurate information to our clients. As well as in-house training, external face-to-face and online learning has been achieved with the help of Wiltshire Money and the Benefits Training Company. In addition, Cornerstone is a member of the Warminster Health and Wellbeing Forum , which meets regularly to share information and help find solutions to local concerns. Group training was provided at our Volunteers Forum in October.

There have been no safeguarding incidents to report. The main safeguarding challenges have been ensuring all volunteers are trained to the appropriate level, maintaining records and identifying training providers.

In terms of financial management, expenditures came within the annual budget allocation.

Our biggest challenge continues to be the recruitment of new volunteers. Although we have had some success this year, since most volunteers are in the post-retirement age group (average 67) the search for new people is continuous. 

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Cornerstone Client Data 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025

1. Summary

During the reporting period Cornerstone provided 698 episodes of assistance from its static town centre location, with Mobile Cornerstone providing 36 episodes of assistance over the same period. See analysis below.

2. Analysis – Static Cornerstone

• Age Breakdown.

Over half the clients fell within the over 60 years group, which is a slight rise on the previous year. Those belonging to the broad age range of between 26 and 60 years of age made up the next largest group. There was one client in the 13-18 group and 5 in 19-25 age group. In general, a similar pattern to last year.

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Fig 1. Age Breakdown
13-18
1%
46% 19-25
0%
26-60
over 60
53%
.
----- End of picture text -----

• Degree of Need.

In order to try and assess the nature of the assistance given by Cornerstone, a general 1 to 5 ‘degree of need’ scale has been used. This scale is based upon an individual’s personal circumstances. The vast majority of episodes (71%) relate to clients facing hardship and distress (level 3), through to the most severe instances when serious consequences are likely to occur if the situation is left unchecked (level 5). This highlights the fact that people seeking help are facing generally more serious situations than in previous years. The proportion requiring the most basic help has increased to 13% (from 9%), reflecting a rise in those that need help dealing with situations requiring on-line access/IT skills. In order to clarify how the scale works in practice, two examples are set out below:

2

• 1. Requires Help .

May require help with such things as accessing and completing on-line forms

• 5. Serious Consequences if no help provided.

A typical example might be someone who is homeless (sleeping rough), unemployed, no source of income (or limited benefits), in severe financial trouble, in despair and feels there is no one else to turn to.

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----- Start of picture text -----
Fig 2. Degree of Need
----- End of picture text -----

1. Requires Help

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----- Start of picture text -----
15%
11%
17%
25%
32%
----- End of picture text -----

  1. More significant Help required

  2. Distress and hardship if no help given

  3. Significant Distress and hardship if no help given

  4. Serious Consequences if no help provided

• Gender Breakdown

As seen at Fig 3 below, the proportion of male and female clients, at roughly 50% each, is similar to previous years. Of those classified as need level 5, the proportion of females was 45% and males was 55%. doubled

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----- Start of picture text -----
47% Male
53%
Female
oe
Fig 3. Gender Ratio
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• Type of Contact.

As seen at Fig 4 below, the vast majority of contacts made by clients seeking assistance comprised personal visits to the Cornerstone centre. Although less than half of those seeking assistance stated how they heard about Cornerstone, friends and family were the usual means cited. Others heard about cornerstone through word of mouth or simply saw the sign as they passed the building and came seeking help. Other referrals came from the likes of Wiltshire Council, the Food Bank, the Avenue Surgery’s Social Prescriber or as a response to Cornerstone’s own publicity such as the Warminster Journal, flyers, and website. With less than half of those seeking assistance stating how they heard about Cornerstone, all of the above figures serve only to indicate that referrals come via a range of professional and voluntary organisations as well as the more traditional sources.

Fig 4. Type of Contact

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----- Start of picture text -----
11%
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Visit Telephone/Email 89% aD.

• Returners.

As seen at Fig 5 below, over half of all episodes of assistance involved prior attendees. Return visits can relate to protracted or more complex issues which require further assistance, or because of their ongoing general situation they continue to experience various other difficulties. Because a level of trust and confidence tends to develop, clients often look to Cornerstone for practical or moral support when dealing with subsequent personal challenges.

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Fig 5. Repeat Visit?

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Yes
41%
59% No
oe
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3. Mobile Cornerstone – Summary

This service has been designed especially for those in our community who find it difficult to travel to our Warminster town centre location because of a lack of mobility. Typically, this might be due to a physical disability or lack of transport, especially in the more isolated villages and hamlets. As well as undertaking home visits upon request, the Mobile Cornerstone team has continued to engage with local communities in the more isolated locations. In addition to this, on a number of occasions Cornerstone has accompanied individual clients to specialist appointments, such as benefit appeals hearings, specialist health assessments and Job Centre appointments.

Mobile Cornerstone has provided 36 episodes of assistance. We believe the introduction of a dedicated trustee to oversee the Mobile service will improve the quality of the service provided. In addition, using trusted and known people (but non-cornerstone volunteers) to act as chaperones and comply with safeguarding requirements will also alleviate the workload of our main venue volunteers.

4. Analysis – Mobile Cornerstone Gender Breakdown

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As seen at Fig 6 below, the majority of mobile clients were female.
Fig 6. Gender Ratio
25
20
15 Female
10 Male
5
0 oll
----- End of picture text -----

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• Age Breakdown.

The vast majority of Mobile Cornerstone clients were aged over 60 years, with very few under 60 years.

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Fig 7. Age Breakdown
over 60 34
26-60 2
19-25 0
13-18 0
PL
0 10 20 30 40
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• Venue of Assistance

Apart from a few visits to rough sleepers’ locations and accompanying clients to specialist appointments, Mobile visits have taken place in the clients’ home, following a written request.

Cornerstone Training Overview: 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025

We are still operating with a reduced number of Volunteers; this is a combination of a post-Covid slump and a reflection of the older demography of the group. There are more opportunities for face-to-face training but some training by external organisations continues to be offered via Zoom. In addition to the cascading of information and training as it is received, the primary method of training is in the form of shadowing on the job.

6

Fundraising Report 1[st] April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025

Fundraising during our 11[th] Financial year has been low key. We have no current Grant applications in at the moment. Future Grant applications will be to: Warminster Area Board (for Capital items only)

We have been blessed by many Personal donations, and donations from local organizations. We currently use Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). They collect the Gift Aid on our behalf. We have been unable to put on a Quiz Night this year or Lent Lunches.

We have received Donations from The District Community Membership Scheme, Warminster Baptist Church, St Johns Carol Service & The Church of the Living God.

It is very difficult to find grants for running costs for the Charity, as such we look to Fundraising efforts and personal donations including Standing orders to keep the Charity going.

Cornerstone Volunteer Report 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025

In March 2025 there were 21 volunteers – 16 active and on the rota and 5 inactive (but wanting to stay as volunteers) and 9 Trustees. We continue to recruit by word of mouth and specific talks in our churches.

All volunteers and trustees have completed application forms, have had references taken up and have been checked by DBS. They have read the Safeguarding Document and signed to say so. New volunteers have interviews and induction before proceeding further. Blank rotas are available for volunteers to add their own names for convenient dates. Training is still given ‘in house’ and volunteers also attend relevant outside training courses where applicable.

We held our tenth Anniversary Celebrations at our Volunteer Forum on 15[th] October. We looked back with gratitude – acknowledged our achievements – 

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thanked our present volunteers for their valued commitment and support – and looked forward to the next ten years!

I would like to thank all volunteers for their support and commitment to Cornerstone and the invaluable work they do in supporting the vulnerable in our society. It is very much appreciated – thank you.

Safeguarding Report 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025

Cornerstone remains committed to putting Safeguarding at the forefront of its priorities to protect its clients and volunteers alike.

A Safeguarding Policy is in place and is updated to ensure it complies with current Regulations and GDPR requirements are complied with. All Trustees and Volunteers are DBS checked and updated as necessary. Safeguarding Training is undertaken through a Salisbury Diocese Link. Trustees complete Basic, Foundation and Leadership modules and those involved in recruitment of new Trustees or Volunteers complete a Safer Recruitment module. Volunteers complete the Basic and Foundation modules. The Training is monitored and refreshed every three years.

Any significant Safeguarding concerns are reported to the Trustees who decide what action needs to be taken. There have been no significant events during the period of this Report. 

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Cornerstone Warminster Accounts

Year ended 31st March 2025

Notes
Income from Donations
1
Income from Fundraising Events
Counselling
Expense Refunds
Rent Received
Total Incoming Resources
Resources Expended
Rent
Computer Costs
Equipment Purchases
Phone & Broadband
Insurance
Counselling Costs
Stationery & Printing
Client Expenses
Office Expenses
Kitchen Utilities/Resources
Sundry Expenses
Total Resources Expended
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year
Depreciation
Surplus/(Deficit) after depreciation
Incoming Resources		 Restricted
£		 Unrestricted
£
3,591.16
1,074.05
650.00
0.00
280.00
5,595.21
2,700.00
641.49
0.00
1,047.33
96.00
2,170.00
36.31
406.17
44.14
123.53
76.99
7,341.96
-1,746.75
0.00
-1,746.75		 2025
Total
£
3,591.16
1,074.05
650.00
0.00
280.00
5,595.21
2,700.00
641.49
0.00
1,047.33
96.00
2,170.00
36.31
546.17
44.14
123.53
76.99
7,481.96
-1,886.75
0.00
-1,886.75		 2024
Total
£
3,140
0
1,390
18
0		 2024
Total
£
3,140
0
1,390
18
0
0.00 4,548
140.00 2,475
413
0
1,035
96
2,016
120
200
0
132
47
140.00 6,534
-140.00 -1,986
0
-140.00 -1,986

Cornerstone Warminster Accounts Year ended 31st March 2025

Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2025

Notes
Fixed Assets
2
Current Assets
Cash in Bank
Petty Cash
Current Liabilities
Creditors
Net Current Assets
Represented by:-
Unrestricted Funds:
Balance at 1 April 2024
Less: Deficit for the year
Balance at 31 March 2025
Restricted Funds:
Balance at 1 April 2024
Less: Deficit for year
Balance at 31 March 2025		 £
£
0.00
12,300.37
27.92
12,328.29
0.00
12,328.29
12,328.29
13,553.89
1,746.75
11,807.14
661.15
140.00
521.15
12,328.29
2025		 £
£
0
14,187
28
14,215
0
14,215
14,215
13,554
661
14,215
2024		 £
£
0
14,187
28
14,215
0
14,215
14,215
13,554
661
14,215
2024
12,328.29
0.00
13,553.89
1,746.75
14,215
13,554
661
661.15
140.00
14,215

Cornerstone Warminster Accounts for Year ended 31st March 2025

Notes to the Accounts year ended 31st March 2025

1
2		 £
Income from Donations
Warminster Relief in Need
0.00
General Donations
1,315.00
CAF
1,303.16
St Johns Heytesbury
0.00
District Community Membership Scheme
300.00
Warminster Baptist Church
250.00
St John's Carol Service
123.00
Church of the Living God
300.00
3,591.16
Fixed Assets
Computer Equipment at Cost
2,144.00
Depreciation:
At 1 April 2024
2,144.00
Charge for the year
0.00
At 31 March 2025
2,144.00
Net Book Value at 31 March 2025
0.00
2025		 £
400
1,891
761
88
0
0
0
0
2024
3,140
2,144
2,144
0
2,144
0