CHAIRMAN’S REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024
The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................ 2 LATH VISION MISSION AND VALUES .................................................................................. 3 LATH CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR 2024 ............................................................................... 4 Success of the Charity ............................................................................................................ 4 Improving Relationships ......................................................................................................... 4 Food donations ...................................................................................................................... 5 Grants ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Donations and Fund-Raising .................................................................................................. 5 Volunteers .............................................................................................................................. 6 Summary ................................................................................................................................ 6 CHARITY INFORMATION ................................................................................................... 7 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER 2024 ............................ 8
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The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
LATH VISION MISSION AND VALUES
VISION
Helping To Make Lives Better
MISSION
To support the homeless, vulnerable and those affected by poverty in the Crewe and Nantwich area both physically and emotionally.
We will do this by:-
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operating a twice weekly drop-in service (Tuesday and Thursday), to provide a welcoming, warm and safe space for the homeless, vulnerable and those affected by poverty.
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offering the basics of life such as food, drinks, clothes, toiletries, sleeping bags and tents.
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delivering support to improve the lives of our clients longer term by helping them find accommodation, write CVs, access benefit s, provide information on accessing health care and tests, and any other service required that we believe will benefit them.
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providing positive emotional support with the aim of improving the self-worth of people impacted by homelessness or affected by poverty.
VALUES
Humanity Empathy Support Respect Voluntary Service
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The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
LATH CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR 2024
Success of the Charity
Over the last 12 months we have seen a significant increase in the number of clients using the drop-in and we now regularly have more than 40 clients in a session. The number of visits made by the clients in 2024 was 3,127; this compares with 2,285 visits in 2023 - an increase of nearly 40%. It looks like we are doing a good job and we are being recognised by the homeless and vulnerable for the services provided.
During the Autumn of 2022 we moved into the new Caritas centre in Crewe Town Centre. There is no doubt that the new centre has played a vital part in the success of LATH. The building has an excellent location and great facilities, including a shower and laundry. It also enables LATH to run many of its fundraising events at the centre, almost a purpose-built facility. I hope our relationship with Caritas grows stronger and remains beneficial to both parties.
The success of the charity can also be seen by the regular attendance at the centre of various groups to help the clients. In particular, Change Grow Live, an addiction charity, held monthly sessions at the centre. Liver health, sexually transmitted diseases, and eye testing groups also periodically visit the centre.
Improving Relationships
Our relationship with the other Crewe charities in the same field has improved. There have been two meetings held, organised by a Crewe Town Councillor, which all the charities attended. I also visited Chance Changing Lives and the Salvation Army facilities to see if we could learn from them and to explore if there was anything we could do as joint charities.
We have a great relationship with both Cheshire East and Crewe Councils, with the Crewe Mayors visiting 3 times during the year. In addition, one of the councillors for Crewe attends the drop-in regularly to share updates on the homeless and vulnerable in Crewe. The outreach workers for Cheshire East are weekly visitors to the Centre, to check on the homeless situation and for updates on any of the clients. Finally, the local MP for Crewe and Nantwich, Connor Naismith, attended the Centre and was introduced to all the clients and volunteers to help understand the issues both groups face. I think overall, these visits are a measure of the success LATH has had building relationships with the various bodies also involved in helping the homeless and vulnerable in the Crewe area.
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The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
Food donations
Greggs continues to support the charity with twice weekly donations from one store and an additional weekly donation from the Crewe town centre store. The Greggs pastries and cakes are always eagerly anticipated by the clients.
New this year, we collect twice weekly from Aldi, who provide a mixed bag of food donations, which are either used for meals or distributed to the clients.
In addition, in 2024 we received a grant from the National Lottery to provide a hot meal at each session of the drop-in. This has enabled LATH to provide nourishing, healthy food for the clients, which has proved to be very popular. The clients have benefited significantly from the donations and grants and we try to ensure no one leaves the centre hungry.
Grants
We cannot talk about 2024 without acknowledging the various grants that we had during the year. LATH entered the year with the grant from Bentley still in place; this was primarily to fund Pathways (social prescribing) and to pay the rent on the Caritas Centre.
As mentioned above, we received a grant from the National Lottery to fund food, clothes, sleeping bags and tents. This grant has been very beneficial to the clients and they have been appreciative, in particular, of the clean underwear we have been able to provide, especially after using the shower.
There were also two grants from Crewe Town Council, partly to fund training for the volunteers and partly to provide sturdy winter shoes for the clients.
Finally, we received the first year’s payment of a 3 year grant from Nantwich Church Wardens as a contribution to the costs of supporting clients specifically from Nantwich.
Donations and Fund-Raising
We continue to be supported by the Friends of LATH. The Friends provide regular donations to the charity, basically keeping LATH afloat. In particular, I have to mention one specific corporate sponsor, Beautonic Beauty, who have and continue to make significant donations throughout the year.
In addition to the Friends of LATH, three companies, Navio Lounge, Equans and Goddard Dunbar, organised warm clothing appeals on behalf of LATH. We had more than 20 bags of clothes from these companies, received just as we were going into the cold weather. Navio Lounge also provided and cooked a meal for LATH clients at the end of November, which was enjoyed by all.
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The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
There were five LATH fund-raising events in the year, all raising significant funds towards the running of the drop-in. The autumn concert was the most successful financially, but we also had a bingo night, a quiz night, and had a tombola stand at the Summer and Christmas Fairs run by Caritas. Each event required significant input from the LATH volunteers. The plan is to have a similar cycle of fund-raising events in 2025 and hopefully these will be as successful.
Volunteers
The first point to make on the volunteers is how great they are, remembering that no-one receives a penny for their work for the charity. We are always looking for new volunteers to be trained to work in either the kitchen or front of house.
In recognition of the increased level of professionalism of our volunteers, during the year we started ensuring our volunteers were properly trained for the roles they are doing. All the kitchen staff have been trained in Food Hygiene to at least grade 1. And the front of house staff are required to complete the basics of Safeguarding and must undergo a DBS check in order to work with the clients. Additionally, all volunteers received basic First Aid training.
Some of our volunteers kindly gave up time on Christmas Day and Boxing Day to ensure the clients had somewhere to go over Christmas. There were two new homeless men that attended on Christmas Day. In addition, a further 25 clients came for the Christmas curry. Boxing Day saw 20 clients attending for warming soup and hot drinks. Without LATH it is not clear where the clients would have received food and drink over that period.
Summary
From my point of view, what an exciting last 12 months it has been for LATH. LATH is definitely a positive influence in Crewe, and we feel we have a beneficial impact on our clients. Certainly, this is the feedback we receive from our clients and also from outside agencies. We plan to continue what we are currently doing and so far in 2025 we have seen further increases in the numbers of clients, and for the first time at LATH, Asylum Seekers, who bring new challenges. I look forward to providing a complete update for 2025 next year.
Mick Tobin, Chairman
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The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
CHARITY INFORMATION
Registered Name
The LATH (Looking After The Homeless) Group
Operating Name
LATH
Registered Charity Number 1157729
Registered address
St Mary’s Caritas Centre, 65 Delamere St, Crewe, CW1 2JX
Correspondence address
The Secretary, St Mary’s Caritas Centre, 65 Delamere St, Crewe, CW1 2JX
Operating address
Operating address St Mary’s Caritas Centre, 65 Delamere Street, Crewe, CW1 2JX Trustees Bernard Potter (President)
Mick Tobin (Chairman)
Barbara Francis (Secretary)
John McManus
Joan Walton
Pat Gardner (Treasurer)
Bankers
Co-operative Bank, 3 Earle Street, Crewe, CW1 2BS
07734 169721
lathsecretary@gmail.com
facebook.com/LATHcrewe
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The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) Helping To Make Lives Better Charity Number: 1157729
St Mary’s Caritas Centre 65 Delamere St Crewe, CW1 2JX
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER 2024
07734 169721
lathsecretary@gmail.com
facebook.com/LATHcrewe
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