## **Annual Report 2020** # **Space2Create is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation** **Registered Charity No. 1159664** Space2Create Studio 31 (Unit 31) The Factory Castle Mills Aynam Road Kendal LA9 7DE (01539) 482540 info@space2create.co.uk www.space2create.co.uk ## **Contents:** |1.|Trustees|3| |---|---|---| |2.|How we provide public benefit|3| |3.|Chair’s Report|4| |4.|Activities for the public benefit 2018|4| |5.|Volunteers and Service Users|6| |6.|Organisational Links|6| |7.|Financial Report|7| |8.|Accounts|7| 2 ## **1. Trustees’ Annual Report 2020** This is the Trustees’ Annual Report detailing the activities by Space2Create for the public benefit and its finances during the period 1[st] January 2020 to 31[st] December 2020. Trustees are: Julie Tait – Chair Karen Fishwick – Treasurer Jan Write Julie Thomas – Secretary Mat Turp ## **2. How we provide public benefit.** Space2Create provides public benefit in three ways. Firstly by providing a range of creative activities and opportunities in our studios and the wider community. We believe that creative activity in a social setting with a mutually-supportive group helps improve an individual’s well-being, self-confidence, self-esteem and self-reliance. Within group sessions we ensure a positive atmosphere with outcomes that boost an individual and incorporate the recommended five ways to well-being: to connect, be active, take notice, learn and give.We aim to move people forward into volunteering, education, employment or other ways they can be useful and participating members of their local community. Secondly, we provide space and resources for other groups to meet or be creative. We have lots of space in our studios which we make available to other organisations or individuals who have similar aims to our own when we are not using them. We also have a large selection of creative resources which can be used by those groups. Finally, we hold exhibitions in our gallery space and other locations which show off the achievements of our Service Users. We also use these exhibitions to challenge stigma and inform the public about the mental and physical health problems our Service Users face. We also give opportunities for any artist struggling to create despite some form of mental or physical illness or disability. We also give opportunity to local artists to exhibit and collaborate with other local and national organisations to present projects that reflect our aims. Figure 1: Space2Create Service User Journey 3 ## **3. Chair’s Report** Well this has to have been one of the toughest years for any charity let alone S2C where virtual contact with its members is anathema to the organisation. However the organisation has risen to the myriad of challenges thrown at it since March 2020 with creativity, flexibility and compassion. The stop-start lockdowns compounded the issues for members (of isolation, frustration and more) and the staff (of having to keep re-setting, re-planning and being a steady hand). The online workshops were prolific and of high quality and for many members they were literally a lifeline. As soon as physical workshops were possible the staff managed the transition brilliantly and selflessly. The volunteers throughout have been remarkable and have been essential to S2C navigating its way through the various storms and coming out the other end more resilient and even more creative. Thank you, in particular, to Mat for being at the helm throughout. Julie Tait-Chair ## **4. Activities for the Public Benefit In 2020** ## **a) Group Sessions Prior to Lockdowns (Run by Space2Create)** Sessions ran normally up until the start of Pandemic lockdowns from March. This include seven regular weekly sessions: Tuesdays: 2Create 9.30-12 & TuCreate 1-3 Wednesday: WeCreate 9.30-12 Thursdays: Craft & Chat 9.30-12 Friday: WellArt 9.30-12 & In The Moment Dementia Group 2-4 Saturday: Writing Group 10-12 ## **b) Activities During Lockdowns** As the lockdowns came into force all our regular sessions stopped. Staff and volunteers looked at alternative ways to reach service users and devised a plan to provide resources and online content. Initially we wanted to ensure that anyone accessing online content had the creative resources to do so. Volunteers pulled materials from our resource stores and we initially put together 80+ resources bags to collect or be delivered. No restriction was placed on this and it was open to our service users and anyone else. Packs included Watercolour/Acrylic paint sets, Paper, Brushes, Pencils, Pens, Oil Pastels, rubbers and sharpeners. Over the rest of the year we purchased additional resources to distribute approx. a further 100 bags. As well as our own service users bags went to clients of the Health and Wellbeing Coaches, Hub Club Members, Kendal Integrated Care Community Nurse to distribute to families and Care houses. We initially provide three online sessions weekly. These were put out through our Facebook page as pre-recorded video content with art activities using materials provided in the art bags. As various lockdowns developed this was extended to five sessions a week with two of those being live over zoom and the rest pre-recorded. 4 As lockdown eased in the autumn and support groups were able to start working, volunteers made the Unit as covid safe as possible. A one way system was introduced with hand sanatizing and temperature checking at the door. Rather than one large table we separated desks so there was 1.5m-2m separation and limited numbers to six participants. We provided three weekly sessions up until December when a new lockdown just prior to Christmas was introduced and we returned to our online offering. ## **c) Other Organisations benefiting from use of Unit 31 and S2C resources** Up until March 2020 we continued to provide space and resources to other organisations for the benefit of vulnerable people. After the initial lockdown in March 2020 all use of the Unit by other organisations halted and had not resumed as of 31[st] December 2020. ## **Cumbria County Council Adult Learning** Space2Create continued to work with Adult Learning. In the early part of 2020 we cooperated in offering sessions in Japanese Calligraphy and Mosaic with S2C Service Users. ## **Community Mental Health Team** CMHT made use of the Unit at the start of 2020 up until lockdown. This included weekly group counselling sessions and delivery of the Decider Training Course for people recovering from long term mental health issues. ## **Meditation Group** A weekly group open to all. The group offers a form of Buddhist Meditation that benefits people through the calming contemplation of focusing on the moment. ## **Make and Mend** A collaboration with local businesswoman Karen Bently-Brown that helps people in the community develop making skills with a view to selling craft items. The sessions occurred monthly over a weekend. ## **Hub Club** Space2Create continued to support Hub Club giving them space free to keep the sessions going after losing their premises in 2019. We felt the activities offered to people with physical and learning disabilities was a much needed service in the local community. Sessions on Wednesday and Thursday provided art and music. Sessions were halted during lockdowns. ## **Whinfell Group** We continued to provide space and resources to Whinfell who lost their art rooms in the flooding of 2017. They used the Unit on Mondays 9-4 while S2C had no sessions on that day. The group supports adults with learning disabilities. 5 ## **d) Exhibitions** Our exhibition programme was severely disrupted by Covid restrictions through 2020. We managed just two exhibitions where normally we put on six yearly. Exhibitions included: Coalescence: An exhibition by Liz Nevett and Rachel Waters during February/March 2020 Selection: An exhibition of Kendal Arts Society Links Project with Ceramics by Paul Rutter and Artwork by S2C artists. Started August 2020 ## **e) Projects within local community** With Covid Restrictions we were unable to engage in any organised projects in the local community this year. ## **f) Events and shows** With events, shows and festivals being cancelled or moving online due to Covid restrictions we were unable to participate in any events this year. ## **5. Volunteers and Service Users** ## **Service Users** The number of people we were able to support in 2020 was effected in the sense that face to face engagement was disrupted. Numbers were then also effected by having to restrict numbers to comply with Social Distancing requirements. However online content proved to have a wide reach beyond our normal service user base. Video posts for creative activities attracted 400-700 views and Zoom sessions ranged from 7-12 participants. Lockdowns and isolation had a major impact on our services users with many having their mental health severely impacted. Feedback from our online content was often described as a “life line” or “life saver”. ## **Volunteers** Volunteering was severely effected over the year. Many of our volunteers were forced to change working arrangements or even seek new employment limiting their ability to offer volunteering to S2C. A core of volunteers worked extremely hard to keep essentials going. We have to thank all our volunteers for their hard work during 2020 in extremely challenging circumstances. In particular for their efforts in putting together and distributing art materials and preparing the Unit for Covid safe measures. ## **6. Organisational Links** As with all other aspects of the Charity, links to other organisations were severely effected throughout 2020 by the Covid restrictions. Despite this we worked in collaboration with a number of other organisations to support the members of the local community. This included: - Cumbria Voluntary Service - Kendal Town Council 6 - South Lakeland District Council - Hub Club - Green Door Artists - South Lakeland Arts Community - Many local artists - Kendal Arts Community - Community Mental Health Team - Cumbria County Council - Kendal Integrated Care Community - Food Club - Health and Wellbeing Coaches And many private individuals of whom we are grateful for their support. ## **7. Financial Report** While Covid restrictions had a big impact on funding in 2020 we managed to cope well through the year. The funding position towards then end of 2020 started to look more difficult and offered concerns for funding at the start of 2021. During 2020 there was a significant drop in public donations as Covid restrictions were enforced reducing the opportunities for people to donate at sessions or events. We also lost the majority of the years income from room rental again due to sessions and events at the Unit stopping. NHS sessions were stopped and even after lockdowns ended were consequently run within NHS properties where a strict control of hygiene could be maintained. Support from Government Grants through South Lakeland District Council and the National Lottery helped to meet running costs and we were also eligible for Covid Grants supporting small business. - Kendal Town Council Grant - South Lakeland District Council - National Lottery Covid Grant - Government Small Business Covid Relief Grant - Cumbria Community Foundation - Public Donations - Private individual donations - Session donations - Income from room hire - Sales of artwork - Craft and sales at shows, pop-up shop and events - Lakes International Comic Art Festival ## **8. Accounts** 2019 Accounts: 7 CHARITY COMMI5510N FOR ENGLAND AND I'IAIES Receipts and pa ents accounts CC16a For the perlod from To Q1-J8n-20 31-Dec-20 Section A Receipts and pa ments Ufjrgstrlctsd nds tolh• nHr• R4strict8d fuwrds Endowment funda Total tund Last y•8r toth• Yd•4miÉ to th• mMrv*tÉ A1 R8c81 ts Seswns FundinoidMations .Ct2ft yales Rrttnlei .Groisps Other5ncornè 6,633 2Iq74 37,350 907 52 37.350 32 Sub lotsl(Gross income for AR) A2 Assetand Invegtmènt Aale¥. 18•• tablo). 3•200 3S1112 Sub total 39.20C* 35,012 Rènl&nd In$uraDcè 142 142 la￿17 f.110 2,710 997 fj15 14302 Rpfr85hrn8nts 11.1J9 Tralt Cann￿9￿5 I￿6 1 JS1 1216 Sub total 2i192 2&1 A4 Atsot Ènd Iii¥estm¢n¢ urcha$#s. seE tswe offtGe fvrnllure & e ent ts.f39 Sub eotal 4139 34331 37,860 Plgl of r8ce1ptsl(￿ymOnts} A5 Tr*nslerB belwwn fund8 A6 C4sh futsd¥ l••t ye•r end Cash fvnds this yèar end &60 1P.520 10.S2• 465 CCKY Rl acaiunLy ISSI 22n012021 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unr*$trl¢tsd funds Regtrl¢t¢d funds to nurmt £ Endowmonl funds to neare8t£ lo n•zr•*¢£ B1 Cash funds Bank 1088S Cash 41 Total Cash fvnds 10,526 xrf¥)) Unro#trlcted funds to M•r•t£ Re5tr1cted nds Endowment lund$ B2 Other monetary assets Fundtovthkh ¥￿v• B3 Invgstmont a$$ets Fund hwhbch ¥•¥•l b•kni Unr95tricted B4 Ass9ts ratalned for th• charitys t)wn usè 0fficefumllu￿ ffjuipmthii 967 Fund ivvknl¢h li•bllll r411ts• 85 U3bllitl•s Slgn8d by0nèor￿yl trUSte8s on behowd ￿1 Ihe trJ5tees Slgnature Prfnt Namg Dato of 8tT Julio A Tail CCXX R2 accounrJ IS51 2V10r2021 CHARITY COMMISSION Independent examiner's report on the FOR ENGLAND AND WALES accounts , Section A Independent Examlnees Report Report to the trusteesl members of ChaTily Naffle Space2Cre818 On accounts for thè year ended 31 De¢ember 2020 Charlty no lif any) 1159664 Set out on pages 1and2 the I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I"Ihe Trust") for the year ended 3111W2020. As the charity's Irusloes, you are Tesponsibl& for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitses Act 2011 {'the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my ex8min8lion, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Ch8rity Commissson under secliori 1451SXbl of the ACL Responsibilties and basis of roport Independent I have completed my examir78lion. I confirm that ￿ material matters have examinerfs statement come to my attenlion in wnneclion with the examination 10th•r￿1 ') which gives me ￿U89 to belvave that in. any material respect.. the accounliiig records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not ac(x)rd wlth the ac(x)unting records; or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conceming the fomi and content of ac￿)unIS set out in the Charities IA¢counts and Reports} RegulatKJns 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to whtch attention should be drawn in this report in order lo enable a proper understanding of Ihe a¢￿UnIS lo be reached. ' Please delete the words in the br8ckets rf they do not apply. 30.10.21 Slgned: Nam8: G F Whll8side Relovant professional qualifi¢ationlsl or body Irf any): ICAEW Address: Ingalls (Kendal) Ltd IER Oct 2018 io Libra House, Murley Moss Business Village, Oxenholme Road. Kendal. LA9 7RL Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts= directions and guidance for examiner51. Give hore briof details of any items Ihat the examiner wish9$ to dlsclose. IER Oct 2018 li