## **Still walking the streets with you**
_**NO STROLL IN THE PARK: raining here**_
_**GLAD TO REPORT that Hartlepool Town Pastors – pictured left on night patrol in the centre of town – are still operating. This 2024 photo of one of the project’s three-person patrol teams in action illustrates their distinctive hi-viz yellow weatherproof jackets. Note clear logo badging, shoulder and waist bags carrying first-aid and other gear. Some volunteers have moved on but new recruits have joined us to help maintain Saturday night patrols at least once a month – and often twice a month. We’re still in harness in autumn 2025 and aim to continue helping people stay safe and get home.**_
## Year 13 was one of progress – and we’re praised for our patrols
**STILL on our feet after 13 years of continuous operation since HTP was founded in 2011, the year ended November 2024 has been one of slow expansion and innovation.**
**Hartlepool Town Pastors aka Street Angels – Annual Report to Charity Commissioners for 2024 Annual Return**
That is most welcome after
the unforgettable pandemic
lockdowns and cautious contact which followed to protect public health.
Much to report with success of the project’s recruitment campaign being foremost. Started in November 2023 and continuing into the year under review, we have been fortunate with new volunteers eager to help as some friends had to move on to other towns or take on other life interests.
We said goodbye to a number of old friends but the campaign helped maintain an overall strength of 14 volunteers, seven of whom shouldered the vital 4-hour night patrols on Saturday nights into the early hours. New supplies, new hot-weather bibs to add to the kit, new handbooks, renewed printing of our street angel logo on all-weather uniforms joined by _**Stats at a glance**_ a brand new QR code which keeps up with i | ~ modern methods of contact. ~~po~~ ee a Part of the project’s stand at the Northern School **FOURTEEN … 12 … 7 … 5 … 1** of Art freshers’ day in September 2024 featured **… that’s the count for HTP’s** new QR keyrings to offer students about to sample Hartlepool’s **year – 14 patrol nights in the** nighttime economy and fun spots. They were a popular gift to join **year under review; 12 more** old favourites flip-flops and lollipops. **during 2025 to date; seven events attended; five trustees** Our stats for the year are listed in the panel on the right but a **and one formal Trustees’** notable feature of the year was Street Angels’ attendance at **meeting [with a second** seven engagements with other community agencies, first-aid **planned but postponed]. And** training, meeting young people socially, and a town event to meet **most eye-catching: volunteer** Cleveland’s Unit for the Reduction of Violence (CURV). **hours calculated for the year –** Trustees kept contact with Hartlepool Borough Council, its **between 380 and 400. The cash** licensing and community safety officers; Cleveland Police liaison, **value could be calculated but is** and a new initiative to monitor and counter violent behaviour – **priceless!** part of a Home Office and local authority funded partnership. Because of this enterprise HBC included a bid to fund the purchase of equipment and consumables for use by the Street Angels – arranged and purchased by the Council.
That maintained supplies throughout the year and going forward, reflected in HTP’s accounts showing no income or other funding required during the year under review to meet the project’s bills.
We linked arms with new partners Lilyanne’s, first teaming up in December 2023. The street angels also maintained contact with parent organisation, Redeeming Our Communities (ROC) to which HTP now makes a financial contribution towards running costs.
Founder of the national Street Angels Paul Blakey, MBE, planned another visit to meet us in 2025, keeping the working relationship with ROC personal.
_**FIT TO GO,: HTP's display stand at freshers’ day**_
We didn’t forget to relax together to thank departing friends and to meet informally over refreshments to share ideas for improving the way we work together. Most uplifting news was waiting for us in the year ahead – when 2025 brought a Community Champions award for HTP, presented to chairman of Trustees Terry Hegarty. Much
more about that … but you’ll need to read all about it in the next annual return to the Charity Commissioners! We’ve included the presentation picture at the end of this year’s report just to whet your appetite. Volunteers walking the streets have remained steady at 8-9 people available for street patrols. We have concentrated on putting out two teams of four once a month while we consolidate training and build experience for new members.
Thanks to £1,000 funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner HTP has been able to renew all of its first-aid training. Every volunteer has been trained in dynamic risk assessment, active listening based on the SHUSH model used by Samaritans and conflict hazard and avoidance. The project has now purchased some hi-viz jackets for summer use from a local supplier. The only outstanding item is Nalaxone training which also formed part of the PCC bid so contacts are being sought.
Our Street Angels have been able to take part in the Critical Bleed training at the Helmsley Hub, thanks to liaison with Hartlepool Borough Council’s licensing officer. It allowed HTP to have Lilyanne’s included.
It was a particularly useful short session as it not only covered what was in the cabinets and bleed packs but also what you could use out of street litter and things you might find in a bag or purse. We now know how to apply tourniquets using a pair of socks and mascara tube! We have added tourniquets to our kit as a result of the course.
A further initiative strengthening contact with partners in the night-time economy is renewing connection with the Licensees’ Association and their new chairman. He came out in the night-time economy
## **Big thanks to all our partners**
**AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS the Street Angels have many partner organisations, groups and individuals to thank for their invaluable help which keeps us going. After several years of service in autumn 2025 we say a fond goodbye to trustee in charge of fundraising Norman Bell, Huge thanks for the work he’s put in to keep us not merely solvent but able to afford improvements. Good health, Norman. For yet another year of support the project offers HTP’s partners grateful thanks. You know how you have helped with co-operation, advice, and material benefits as we salute Cleveland Police, Hartlepool Borough Council and its staff, the cctv team and community safety staff, Cleveland Police & Crime Commissioner, Hartlepool Foodbank, all pub & door staff, Hartlepool Poolie Exchange, Lilyanne’s’ team for their ideas and night skills, plus our friends at Whitby Street Reach Out Ministries.**
to meet us, pub staff and door teams, encouraging pub-watch membership.
This may well be a 13-year first.
_**HTP’s Hartlepool Hero Terry Hegarty receiving his Community Champion award from Alisdair Beveridge, a trustee of sponsors The Teesside Charity at a town presentation night.**_
**Photo courtesy of carnpatrick.com**
## **Contact:**
**Social media: www.facebook.com/hpooltownpastors Email: aide.hartlepooltownpastors@outlook.com**
**Approved by the Trustees of HTP / 11 September 2025**
**Hartlepool Town Pastors Income from 01/12/2023 to 30/11/2024 Deposit # Stand Order Petty Cash Funding Donations 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00**
## **Hartlepool Town Pastors**
## **Expenditure from 01/12/2023 to 30/11/2024**
||**CHK #**|**Consumables**|**Account**|**BNIB**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**Check**|**Insurance**||
|31/01/2024|000046|106.27|||106.27|
|22/05/2024|000047|||285.23|285.23|
|10/03/2024|000048||37.00||37.00|
|||106.27|37.00|285.23|428.50|
## **Hartlepool Town Pastors Income and Expenditure Summary year from 01/12/2023 to 30/11/2024**
## **Income**
|Standing Orders
0.00
Donations
0.00
Funding
0.00
Petty Cash
0.00
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Consumables
106.27
Account Check
37.00
Insurance
285.23
**Total Expenditure**
**Net income for period**
**Opening Bank Balance**
Add Net Income
**Closing Bank Balance**|**0.00**|
|---|---|
||**428.50**|
||**-428.50**|
||**5597.88**
-428.50
**5169.38**|
CHECKING OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR FROM 01/12/2023 TO 30/11/2024 BY EKATERINA VERNER
## Introduction
I was asked to make an independent check of the HTP financial statement for the period from 01/12/2023 to 30/11/2024. I agreed to do this, and this is my report. I know the treasurer Keith Milner having conducted the check for the last eight years.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales (italics used to quote from their document)
## _Guidance_
_Charity reporting and accounting: the essentials November 2016 (Updated 14 June 2023)_
From the government website
- Charity reporting and accounting: the essentials November 2016 GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This is 2016 (Updated 14 June 2023) and I have checked that it remains the same at the date of this report.
## _1.4 Audit or independent examination?_
_Except for certain NHS charities and where the charity’s governing document requires some form of external scrutiny, only charities with a gross income of more than £25,000 in their financial year are required to have their accounts independently examined or audited._
_The type of scrutiny required depends on the income and assets of the charity. Broadly speaking, an independent examination is needed if gross income is between £25,000 and £1 million and an audit is needed where the gross income exceeds £1 million. An audit will also be needed if total assets (before liabilities) exceed £3.26 million, and the charity’s gross income is more than £250,000._
In this respect, the Hartlepool Town Pastors require neither independent examination nor audit.
## _**1.3 Types of charity accounts**_
_A charity may prepare either receipts and payments accounts or accruals accounts. Which of these is needed will depend on the income of the charity and whether or not it has been set up as a charitable company._
## _**Receipts and payments accounts**_
_This is the simpler of the 2 methods of accounts preparation and may only be used where a noncompany charity has a gross income of £250,000 or less during the financial year. Receipts and payments accounts contain a statement summarising all money received and paid out by the charity in the financial year, and a statement giving details of its assets and liabilities at the end of the year. Charitable companies are not allowed by company law to adopt this method._
## _**Accruals**_
_Non-company charities with gross income of over £250,000 during the financial year, and all charitable companies must prepare accruals accounts that comply with the applicable Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). The SORP to follow will depend upon the charity’s financial year. Accruals accounts contain a balance sheet, a statement of financial activities and explanatory notes. These accounts are required in accountancy terms to show a ‘true and fair view’._
For Hartlepool Town Pastors having a gross income of less than £250,000 per year it is quite in order that the “Receipts and payments” method be used. This has been the method used.
## **The Treasurer, Keith Milner**
Keith has been the treasurer and a pastor with the Hartlepool Town Pastors from the start (for 14 years) and has prepared these accounts. We have conducted the check by exchanging documents, including images of invoices and bank statements, over email.
In this way we were able to go through the figures for 01/12/2023 to 30/11/2024 together with the supporting documentation and he answered all questions I put to him.
## **Conclusion**
As a result of this examination, I am satisfied that this statement of accounts is a fair and accurate record of the financial activities of Hartlepool Town Pastors between 1 December 2023 and 30 November 2024.
> Ekaterina Verner AATQB Jory— Date: 08 September 2025