**NR2 Community Skills Share** **October 2021** **January 1[st] 2000 – December 31st 2000** **ANNUAL REPORT** ## **1. Introduction:** Faced with the restrictions brought about by the global pandemic in Spring 2000, we suspended our usual activities, and for the rest of the year focussed on our contribution to the local emergency response to the crisis. We continued to meet as a Trustee group every 6-8 weeks throughout 2020, but via Zoom. There were no new Trustees and none resigned. ## **2. NR2 Food bank:** Led by our Chair, Emma Corlett, we set up and operated an emergency food bank in the NR2 area to run alongside the established community food bank for people and children in need as a result of the pandemic. NR2 Food bank provided 714 x 3day food parcels and 392 children’s food vouchers. The project also included an advice and information service and half term and summer holiday projects. Both Norwich Consolidated Charities and Norwich City Council provided funding, as well as generous donations from local people. Partnerships with other local organisations, including Bignold School and the Early Childhood and Family Service, ensured continuity and prevented overlap. We tailed off the project as need diminished in the autumn, ensuring that a small number of people who needed longer term support were referred to appropriate services for further help. We are indebted to the many volunteers without whom we could not have managed the workload. An end of grant report to Consolidated Charities details our work and is available alongside this Annual Report. Consolidated Charities congratulated us on the quality of the evaluation contained in the report. As part of our evaluation, one person who had used the service said: _‘’You know, the kindness of people is just overwhelming... I realised last night that we have nobody nearby to turn to and thought ‘what on earth do we do?’ Then I remembered you. Thank you for all of your advice too. I have been a carer for one lady in her home for a long time and she died recently, so I am also now unemployed and trying to find a job. I guess for once it’s time to accept help.’’_ ## **3. What has become of the suspended projects?** Jenny Lind Gardening project: As people were not able to meet in groups for the duration of the growing season, the flowerbeds suffered considerably. This was made worse by the unusually hot and dry spring and summer. Some work to salvage the damage was achieved by Liz Rowles, who organises the project, but considerable time and work will be needed to get the volunteer group back together and renew the beds. St Stephen’s Square community gardens: the space is very much smaller in scope than Jenny Lind and Vauxhall Street shops raised beds and does not depend on getting together a strong volunteer group from a wider area, so has not suffered as much. Sunday Socials: Meetings of the socials, which included a Sunday meal, companionship, information and advice for socially isolated people, have been disrupted by two factors – the pandemic of course - but also because, the former meeting place of the socials, the People’s Palace Cafe was sold and the new owners are now unable to rent us the café on Sundays. This problem of accommodation remains to be solved as the pandemic eases. However, work done over several years on the Socials by Emma and volunteers provided a foundation that made it possible to get the NR2 emergency food bank off the ground speedily and effectively. ## **4. Projects in development:** Short Cuts: Sadly, we were unable to get funding for this imaginative project. Stretch and Chat: Gail Durbin, Trustee, has continued to work to get this project started once it is safe to do so. The project will provide gentle exercise for people who otherwise would remain inactive, with all the health risks and isolation it entails. She has a potential group leader and plans for the sessions and is seeking funding, but more frustratingly, the lack of suitable local indoor space is a continuing problem, despite extensive enquiries. ## **5. The Future:** It is not clear when all the threats posed by the pandemic and economic conditions will ease or what the future for our community will look like. There are, however, some matters arising from 2020 to take forward: - Be ready to further develop the now mothballed Food bank in partnership with other organisations with whom we have further developed relationships, if the pandemic/unemployment/benefit changes lead to a serious deterioration in people’s circumstances - Search for suitable accommodation for the Sunday Socials, Stretch and Chat and future projects - Nurture and develop the volunteers who have supported the Food bank and Gardening project. ## **Trustees:** Emma Corlett (Chair) Rob Freeman (Treasurer) Susan Gourvish (Secretary) Gail Durbin Liz Rowles **NR2 Community Skills Share (Charity Number – 1157844)** **Financial Report for 2020** ## **Income and Expenditure account** |**INCOME**
Norfolk Community Foundation - Covid-19 Community Response Fu
Norwich Consolidated Charities - First Grant
New Anglia Local ENOA - Summer Holiday Project Fund
Norwich Consolidated Charities - Second Grant
Norwich City Council
New Anglia Local ENOA - Christmas Holiday Project Fund
Norfolk Community Foundation - Winter Reslience Fund 20/21
Donations to Earmarked Fund - Food Bank
Donations to Earmarked Fund - Sunday Social
Donations to Earmarked Fund - School Winter Holiday Activity
Donations to General Fund (Unrestricted)|£ 1,000.00
£ 2,602.00
£ 9,000.00
£ 10,147.36
£ 500.00
£ 999.50
£ 4,700.00
£ 12,140.27
£ 38.54
£ 690.00
£ 0.00|| |---|---|---| |**Total Income**
**EXPENDITURE**
**Restricted Funds**
**Norfolk Community Foundation - Covid-19 Community Response Fund**
Operational costs
£ 1,000.00||£ 41,817.67| |**Norwich Consolidated Charities - First Grant**
Capital Costs
£ 783.85
Operational costs
£ 1,818.15|£ 1,000.00|| |**New Anglia Local ENOA - Summer Holiday Project Fund**
Operational costs
£ 9,000.00|£ 2,602.00|| |**Norwich Consolidated Charities - Second Grant**
Capital Costs
£ 299.99
Operational costs
£ 9,847.37|£ 9,000.00|| |**Norwich City Council**
Operational costs
£ 500.00|£ 10,147.36|| |**New Anglia Local ENOA - Christmas Holiday Project Fund**
Operational costs
£ 999.50|£ 500.00|| |**Norfolk Community Foundation - Winter Reslience Fund 20/21**
Operational costs
£ 1,505.44|£ 999.50|| |**Sunday Social Restricted Fund**
Capital Costs
£ 95.97
Operational costs
£ 278.19|£ 1,505.44|| |**Earmarked Fund - Food Bank**
Capital Costs
£ 126.24
Operational costs
£ 4,694.83|£ 374.16|| |**Unrestricted Funds**
Gardening Group
St Stephen's Square|£ 4,821.07
£ 37.50
£ 75.00|| |**Total Expenditure**||£ 31,062.03| |**Excess of Income over Expenditure 2020**||**£ 10,755.64**| |||| |**Capital Reserves brought forward from 2019:**
Earmarked Fund - Sunday Social
Unrestricted General Fund|£ 2,687.91
£ 626.06|| |||£ 3,313.97| |||| |**Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2020**||| |Cash at Bank
Add: Cash to be banked
Add: Petty cash
Less: Uncashed Cheques|£ 14,110.87
£ 0.01
£ 37.82
£ 79.09|| |**Capital Reserves carried forward to 2021**
Norfolk Community Foundation - Winter Reslience Fund 20/21
Earmarked Fund - Food Bank
Earmarked Fund - Sunday Social
Unrestricted General Fund|£ 3,194.56
£ 8,009.20
£ 2,352.29
£ 513.56|**£ 14,069.61**| |||**£ 14,069.61**| £ 0.00 10/10/2021 18:16 NR2 Accounts 2020 RF **NR2 Community Skills Share Year ended 31 December 2020** ## **Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts** **Report to the members of** NR2 Community Skills Share **Registered charity number** 1157844 **On accounts for the year ended** 31 December 2020 ## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** The Charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under Section 145 of the Charities Act; to follow the procedures laid down under the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act); and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## **Basis of independent examiner’s report** My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Direction given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the financial statements. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an opinion on the view given by the accounts. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material aspect the requirements - To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and - To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act Have not been met; or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached Signed Date 31 October 2021 Examiner Samantha Demetriou Professional Qualification FCCA (Fellow of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants