2021-12-31-accounts

Annual Report 2021

Company Registration: 08763866 Registered charity number: 1160133 Registered office: 1 Hill Top, Coventry CV1 5AB

https://togetherforchange.org.uk/

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Chair's Report	4 - 5
Introduction	6
Objectives and Activities	6
Structure and Governance	7 - 9
Achievements, Performance and	10 - 13
Future Plans
Strategic Development Plan	14
Saints Nuneaton	15 - 16
Fresh Start	17 - 18
Proof Bakery	19

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Table of Contents

Transforming Communities	20
Together - Warwick
Good Neighbours	21
Family Link Work	22
Support and Advice to Parishes	23
Independent Examiners Report	24
Statement of Financial Activities	25
Balance Sheet	26
Cash Flow Statement	27
Notes to the Financial Statement	28 - 35

4

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Chair's Report

for the year ended 31 December 2021

[It gives me great pleasure to present my first report as chair of Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire (TFC). I] have just taken over as chair, having served as a trustee for several years.

2021 was the second year impacted by COVID-19, which was devastating for the lives of so many people, and for the work of so many churches and other charities with whom we partner. Much that is contained in this report has been influenced by the course of this pandemic, and although at times during the year things have been very hard, without the services that have kept going matters could have been a whole lot worse. In fact, the year has seen significant projects come to fruition or develop in new ways, resulting in many more vulnerable people engaging with TFC supported activities as you will read in the report.

I would like to start this report by saying thank you to our funders and partners who have stood with us during these challenging times. TFC is indebted to the continuing support of the Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance (CDBF) and Church Urban Fund (CUF) as our founding members. I must also to mention the generosity of various trusts, including Allchurches Trust (now Benefact Trust), whose support has made possible the continuing employment of Jet Jones, Director of Regeneration and Community Transformation and lead officer for TFC, who has in this role led the day to day operation and management of TFC through another challenging year. Other key funders are highlighted throughout the report. I would like to give particular thanks to Heart of England Community Foundation who have worked at speed to set up and award new funding streams to match rapidly changing circumstances.

TFC has collaborated with a number of partner organisations in our response to the pandemic, including the purchase and distribution of emergency food parcels alongside ‘’Your Farmer Meals’’ and was pleased to continue to work with Proof Bakery who produced so much bread for Coventry Food Bank. We have partnered with Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council in relation to COVID-19 resilience and our Saints Youth Hub, and with Coventry City Council in continuing the Good Neighbours scheme.

TFC’s relationship with CUF went through a transition from the beginning of 2021, away from the provision of core funding to being a partner in the CUF facilitated Together Network (TN). This network provided opportunities for TFC to engage in Near Neighbours and a Building Food Security consortium. TFC started 2021 with revised Articles of Association which reflected our new partnership with CUF – one of the main changes being the appointment of coopted trustees to our Board, rather than just having trustees nominated by CUF or the Diocese. I was the first to be coopted, bringing my experience as Director of Education for the Diocese, and my keen interest in TFC’s family link work. From its inception, TFC set out to make a real difference in some of the Diocese’s poorest communities. Trustees were clear they wanted TFC to make an impact in areas that had missed out on regeneration opportunities funded through statutory bodies or where statutory services were under particular strain. It has been a particular pleasure, therefore, to see the opening of Saints Student Lounge this year. “Saints Nuneaton” involves the transformation of a redundant nightclub into a community hub serving particularly the youth and young families in the town. Whilst the building had to close its doors to the general public during lockdown and related restrictions, TFC adapted by developing Saints as a focus for emergency food provision for the town. Considerable progress was made with plans for Phase 2 of Saints, funded by the Towns Deal, which will lead to the renovation of the first-floor former ballroom and the basement – due to commence shortly.

5

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

The year also saw consolidation of our Family Link Work, which strengthens collaboration between schools and associated local churches, with management now provided within those parishes. This underlines TFC’s intention to be an organisation which acts as a catalyst to start new Church led community projects, nurture them to sustainability and release them to be led by the local parish or deanery.

Good Neighbours Coventry (GN Coventry), a partnership between Hope Coventry and TFC funded largely by the City Council, supports vulnerable elderly people. GN Coventry was refocussed during 2020/21 as so many elderly and volunteers had to self-isolate because of the pandemic. Through the engagement of hundreds of volunteers (many new) we continued to tackle issues of isolation and loneliness, whilst getting food to many who had to selfisolate.

Our work in Warwick supported by the Warwick Team & Budbrooke Churches and the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust has made some significant steps forward. Most notably progress made with the Message Trust to convert a double-decker bus to provide youth services. Meanwhile the Warwick Food Project expanded, distributing thousands of emergency food hampers during the pandemic.

In response to the Bishop of Coventry’s call for the church to support refugees and migrants coming into the Diocese, Fresh Start came into existence in 2017. Despite lockdown and restrictions on getting together, even more refugees and asylum seekers engaged during 2021, supported by a second Fresh Start worker and faithful team of church volunteers. Particularly noteworthy was the creation of ‘’One Family Church’’, which had its beginnings as a support group for vulnerable refugees in St James Church Styvechale, but by the summer had expanded to larger premises to St Marks Swanswell and then St Peters Hillfields. Our Fresh Start Coordinator Matt Robinson was instrumental in bringing this about. By the end of 2021 the support group was functioning as a new worshipping community, with up to 70 refugees worshipping together with local people, in a multitude of languages.

None of this would be possible without the continuing dedication and flexibility of TFC staff and the fantastic volunteers from the many churches that have engaged with TFC. I would like to take this opportunity, along with my fellow Directors, to thank them all. I would also like to thank our many partner organisations without whom the work of TFC would not be possible.

Finally, our thanks go to Ruth Marlow who stood down this summer after over 5 years as Chair of TFC. She nurtured TFC from a small newly formed charity, to one which it is well established and impacting the lives of many hundreds of people for good. Together for Change is living up to its name, transforming lives and communities, through harnessing the resources of local authorities and grant making charities and combining this with the passion and enthusiasm of Churches and volunteers to see kingdom change in forgotten communities.

April Gold (Chair)

September 2022

6

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Introduction

The Trustees, who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, present their combined Trustees’ and Directors’ Report for Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire (“TFC”), together with the financial statements, for the year ended 31 December 2021.

TFC operates in accordance with its Memorandum and Articles of Association which were amended by Special Resolution dated 11.12.2020. The Company was incorporated 6 November 2013 and formally registered with the Charity Commission on 23 January 2015.

Together for Change are now operating under new Articles of Association as of January 2021. Amendments provide for a different structure of trustees. Please refer to the structure and governance page of this report for confirmation of these amendments.

TFC operates from its registered office which is: Cathedral and Diocesan Offices, 1 Hill Top, Coventry, CV1 5AB. The website address is https://togetherforchange.org.uk/

The Trustees have pleasure in presenting the charitable company’s report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2021.

Objectives and Activities

Our objectives remain the same as in our original Articles of Association.

TFC’s objectives are for the benefit of the public:

a) to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of Christian based charities in the furtherance of their objects or any one of them, mainly but not exclusively by the provision of information, advice, support and infrastructure provision, and

b) the relief of financial hardship, either generally or individually, through the provision of grants, goods or services.

The Trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when reviewing and deciding what activities the charity should undertake

7

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Structure and Governance

Trustees

The charity was set up as a joint venture between the Church Urban Fund (“CUF”) and the Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance. The original Memorandum and Articles of Association determine that the Board of Trustees (“the Board”) was made up of up to nine trustee Directors of whom five were nominated by CUF and four nominated by the Bishop of Coventry/CDBF.

The revised Articles of Association reduce CUF’s nominations, reflecting their reduced financial input. The revised Articles state:

“There shall be a maximum number of nine Trustees, up to three being nominated by the Church Urban Fund (“the CUF Trustees”), up to three being nominated by the DBF (“the DBF Trustees”) and up to three being appointed by the Board (“Co-opted Trustees”).”

Trustees are selected based on having the necessary skills and expertise to contribute to the charity’s activities and to be able to discharge their obligations as Trustees. As at the date of signing this report the TFC Trustees were as follows:

Andy Kennedy

Rev. Gareth Irvine

April Gold Chair of the Board

Joyce Woodings

Ven. Barry Dugmore

Stephen Wyatt

Rev. David Brown

8

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Structure and Governance

Day to day management is delegated by the Trustees to Revd. Jet Jones, CEO of Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire.

We would like to thank Ruth Marlow and Arthur Woo, who stood down as Chair of the Board and Together for Change Trustees in 2022. They both offered their valuable expertise and advice.

Trustees' responsibilities for reporting, accounting records and stewardship of assets

The Trustees (who are also the Directors of TFC for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ and Directors’ Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

• a) select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• b) observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

• c) make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• d) state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• e) prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. They are also responsible for the maintenance and integrity of TFC’s corporate and financial information included on TFC’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

9

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Structure and Governance

Staffing & Volunteers

Instrumental to the delivery of TFCs objectives is a small team of mainly part-time staff on temporary contracts, largely paid for by external funding. Whilst the TFC HQ is the Diocesan Office at Hill Top in Coventry City Centre, nearly all staff work from bases in the community such as schools, parish churches and also Saints Youth Hub in Nuneaton.

Alongside the team work a small army of volunteers: Around 90 serving Fresh Start, Saints and/or providing emergency food supplies. In addition, several hundred supporting the elderly through our Good Neighbours project with HOPE Coventry. These amazing people kept reaching out to people in need throughout the pandemic, for which so many are grateful.

Other References and Administrative Details

Independent Examiner Nicholas Romney Avuncular Limited, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ

Bankers CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4JQ

By order of the Board

April Gold

Chair of Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire

30 September 2022

10

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Achievements, Performance and Future Plans

TFC Trustees have adopted a strategy with the following strands:

AREA BASED AND REGENERATION PROJECTS

A number of area based and regeneration projects have been identified in parishes identified as having the highest levels of deprivation (20% most deprived). During 2021 TFC facilitated progress on the following area based and regeneration projects, helping their local parishes to take forward their plans: -

Nuneaton

Chosen as a regeneration target area in 2018 against a background of substantial deprivation but relative lack of social action. Phase One has focused on the renovation of the ground floor of the former St George’s Hall to form a hub for church action, with an emphasis on reaching out to disadvantaged young people. The building has been renamed Saints. Phase One, which was officially opened in January 2020, includes a cafe and safe play area for young children. Other facilities provided in Phase One support “Enterprise & Equip” activities - providing opportunities for people to start their own business enterprise, and equipping people with skills for life. TFC has led the project on behalf of a local ecumenical partnership of 8 Nuneaton churches.

Saints Phase 2 will provide space within the building to offer “Sports & Support” and “Create & Connect” themes, and the refurbishment of the first floor of St Georges Hall. In 2021 TFC was successful in securing a substantial National Lottery Grant (£363K) to support the employment of two development workers for Nuneaton who are now based at Saints. The Phase Two refurbishment of the Saints building has also received a huge boast from the success of Nuneaton and Borough Council securing significant government funding through the Towns Deal. £1.8m has been allocated to the purchase and refurbishment of St. George’s Hall.

St Georges Hall, Saints Nuneaton

11

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Warwick

Where a range of projects moved forward (see “Warwick Team churches & Budbrooke” below), including working up proposals for Message Youth Bus to be launched in 2021 and developing the Warwick Food Project. Five Anglican churches comprising the Warwick Team & Budbrooke Parish signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TFC in 2016 to establish a new TFC office dedicated to the needs of residents of the town of Warwick & Parish of Budbrooke. The parishes receive funding from the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust who are supporting this initiative on activities that take place within the geography of the parishes and the CV34 postcode area. TFC’s Stacey Bains has been developing a programme of activities engaging the Warwick churches, working on projects such as a Message Bus mobile youth facility. This project is in partnership with The Message Trust. The focus of the work during 2021 has been the procurement of the bus and completion of the refit specification to equip it as a mobile youth facility.

Message Bus

COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROJECTS

In 2021 TFC focussed on:

Working with families facing multiple challenges – schools/church links

This involves brokering arrangements between pairings of church and primary school in a number of areas of the Diocese, including Salford Priors, Alcester Minister and St Laurence Foleshill. The project developed a holistic approach to support between school and community for families facing multiple challenges. Family Link Workers have been employed with a combination of funding from TFC, parish churches, and linked Diocesan schools. The year finished well, with nearly 300 children involved in collective worship, and groups of 10-30 taking part in activities like messy church and afterschool clubs.However, this project has faced significant challenges in 2020 and early 2021, as a result of school closures and other government restrictions implemented to address the Covid19 crisis. During lockdown Family Link workers were still able to provide support to families by going on-line, as well as providing dance, drama and craft activities during school holidays.

Supporting the elderly and vulnerable/ lonely:

A partnership funded by Coventry City Council, involving Hope Coventry and ourselves launched “Good Neighbours” in September 2016. During lockdown there was a surge in the number of vulnerable elderly people seeking help, ranging from befriending to shopping trips. Throughout 2021 over 500 volunteers were mobilised in the scheme, responding to a thousand client referrals of whom many elderly people had been matched with a befriender. Most of the volunteers came from Coventry churches. The isolation many elderly people experienced during the lockdown period generated much of the increased demand for this servicet

12

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Fresh Start

This initiative engages in supporting and befriending refugees and asylum seekers. Matt Robinson (our Fresh Start Coordinator) has continued to work closely with the Coventry Migrant & Refugee Centre and Coventry and YWAM, driving initiatives such as multi-cultural football (where COVID restrictions allow), and English Conversation Classes for new arrivals in the UK. These classes went online in March 2020 and have proved popular especially with a growing number of women refugees. With the help of COVID Resilience funding, TFC was able to retain a second part-time Refugee Worker to cope with the increasing demand, including more support for female refugees throughout 2021. By July 2021 nearly all sessions had returned to being in-person.

ESOL Class

Providing Emergency Food

Led by the example of the Warwick Food Project, TFC’s engagement in the provision of emergency food has spread to other areas of the Diocese working in partnership with “Your Farmer Meals”, notably in Nuneaton but also involving many church schools. During 2021 our support included school holiday programmes combining food with activities, notably at Saints Nuneaton.

INCOMING RESOURCES

Soon after TFC was established, TFC was encouraged by CUF not to rely on their core funding of £50k per annum, as this would be tapering, and has now ended altogether. Meanwhile the DBF raised its contribution to £30k for 2021.

TFC has worked hard to fundraise to compensate for the reduction in core grant, widening its funding base. This has included developing separate funding streams for Good Neighbours (from City Council/HOPE Coventry), Family Link Workers (from parish churches and linked schools), and for the Warwick area (from King Henry VIII Endowed Trust/Warwick Team churches). This has been supplemented by gifts from charitable trusts and individual churches, notably Allchurches Trust (now Benefact Trust), Heart of England Community Foundation, 29th May 1961 Charity, The Passionists, Stoneleigh Trust and various churches. We are also grateful to the growing financial support from individuals, including our volunteers and participants in our programmes (including refugees).

13

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

In the last two years new grant opportunities arose in the form of COVID resilience funds. This included funding streams backed by the Department of Culture & Media Services (DCMS) Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This featured a £20k grant from the Rank Foundation, much of which was available for our core activities.

Fundraising efforts were rewarded with a range of new grants which saw a healthy rise in income, rising to £556k for 2021. As a result, TFC was able to spend significantly more than in previous years, rising from £275k in 2020 to £575k for 2021. The increase in spend has not been in employment costs, but programmes linked to COVID (such as emergency food) and major capital projects like Saints and the refurbishment of the Message Bus.

FUNDS AND RESERVES

TFC’s total fund balance was £186k at the start of the 2021, of which all but £9k was restricted.We ended with a balance of £167k - of which £28k comprised restricted funds. The restricted funds were earmarked for projects that will be happening in future months, notably the Message Bus and creation of the Saints Hub. The Board has also set aside some of our reserves of the purpose of awarding some small grants to our most deprived parishes.

In June 2018 the Trustees reviewed their reserves policy and agreed that because of the flexible nature of our work, TFC should set a minimum reserve of 3 months’ unrestricted income, but ideally aspire to 6 months. At the start of 2021 unrestricted reserves of £9k were lower than the target, but by the end of the year had a healthier £28k (just over 6 months) in unrestricted funds.

FUTURE PLANS

TFC has been extremely fortunate to have been generously funded by CUF and the CDBF (with help from the Benefact Trust) over a number of years. With direct grant funding from CUF having come to an end in 2020, unrestricted funding, which has supported a central costs and start-up initiatives (small grants for parishes) will need to be managed very carefully in the coming years.

TFC revisited its strategy in Autumn 2021 and agreed to progress with the currently identified theme and area based themes as set out in the Strategic Development Plan diagram which follows. It agreed to expand work with young people (which includes Saints and the Message Bus), provide more to support Fresh Start, and re-established TFC small grants where it is successful in drawing down specific funding. In general, TFC will work to augment the Diocesan strategy.

An area of particular emphasis for TFC over the next 5 years will be the Phase Two development of the Saints project in Nuneaton. This project to support disadvantaged people in Nuneaton will be tackled through a three-pronged strategy of ‘Enterprise and Equip’, ‘Create and Connect’ and ‘Sport and Support’, to help lift people out of poverty, isolation and feelings of hopelessness. Provision of this new hub harnesses the efforts by many Nuneaton-based churches and other Christian based charities to work together effectively to address such matters, for the benefit of the town’s residents, especially its young people and those experiencing financial hardship (notably food and fuel insecurity).

14 ANNUAL REPORT 2021 Strategic Development Plan Theme I NEWTheme4 Youth Work Family Link Work Message Trust + YWAM Theme 2 Schools + Ilnk churches Thenie 3 G(¥xl Nelght)urs Fresh Start IRefuqeesl Partners Partners Warwlck Tezm Churches + KHVIII t Peters Centr Bedworth Cw•ntry DW Stole AlderrDOQf + Tlle Hlll+ NEW.. Wykqn +Whrtle¥llUWYA+ Communlty Partnershlp + stonelelgh Trust essage Small Grants TFC Ra(Jford + Wood En EW Theme 5 Mental Health 15wt.Muslc & Artsl NEW Theffle 6 Emergew Food Ru¢bv Your Farmer Mea15 WASPS Partners Key.. Blue • MI￿ ieo¢ryhlc•l pdrylty •re• •nd De4•lopment •lloc•ied Gr••n- Sknllk•nt i r•phkal •1•4 no d•¥•ly•nt •lkK•i•d Partners REVIVL. Ru8 Churche5Together + HOPE4 Nuneaton Churches Together

15

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Saints Nuneaton

At the beginning of 2021, Saints was closed to the public due to the national lockdown. This meant that we could not run projects the way that we would normally do. So we decided to adapt to respond to the needs of the community.

Food Hampers

From the beginning of January till May, we ran a weekly food hamper collection day. Our food hampers included frozen meat and fresh vegetables from Your UK Farmer, purchased through a grant we had received. When support groups were allowed to meet indoors, we also opened our building up to host a group for care leavers who were trying to get into work, and we also fundraised to provide counselling sessions for NHS nurses from our local hospital.

During the Easter of 2021, with support from Warwickshire County Council Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) funding, we packed and distributed food hampers and activity packs to 1500 free school meals children across Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Holiday Clubs

During the summer holidays, we again applied for the HAF funding, this time to run an in-person holiday club, four days a week for four weeks. In partnership with YWAM The Kings Lodge, we were able to run days filled with free family fun and food for families who would normally receive free school meals. Some days we had over 100 children attend!

We finished off 2021 by running another HAF funded programme for children on free school meals, this time including a walk through experience based on the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe film, a trip to see a pantomime, real reindeer and a visit from Santa Claus!

16

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Saints Nuneaton

Student Lounge

Student Lounge runs across 3 days, from TuesdayThursdays from 3-5.30pm, and offers support with homework, a free meal and drink, and access to life skills and hobbies workshops to young people in school years 7-13. Wednesdays are run by ThinkHigher, and Tuesdays and Thursdays are run by four youth workers now employed by the Saints project.

Saints Café

Over the year we had been working on renovating part of our bar area to become a fully functioning kitchen, thanks to a grant from ThinkHigher. We opened the café up successfully again in November 2021, and with the new kitchen we were able to start serving food for our brand new project for young people, the ‘Student Lounge’.

Our kitchen is run by Elena Izzo, a local woman keen to set up her own café business. We were able to offer her some start up grants to purchase equipment and initial food stock, and she has been building the business from there. Her menu has gone down well with the local community, and we have been able to partner with Elena to provide food for different projects and events we are running.

17

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Fresh Start - Allesley

Asylum seekers come in to the country seeking hope and a new life from trauma and unavoidable difficult situations in their country. Their journey here itself is very challenging but once they arrive, having to settle in, learn new ways of living and make friends is a set of challenges on it own. Fresh start bridges this gap for them. Through our sessions, they form new friendships, build community, learn about the country and ways of living, feel connected, and are able to call this country their new home.

We are grateful to people from our community, local churches and local charities that give their time, and resources to help support Asylum Seekers and Refugees through Fresh Start. This year we were able to host a few parties for Christmas, Easter and Eid. Thanks to Bablake school for lending us their minibus for a trip to Kenilworth Castle. The excitement on their faces for this trip just proves what we do makes such an impact – big or small.

At Fresh Start we have the opportunity to support Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the country and create a link between them and the organisations that are able to meet their specific needs. We provide English Conversational Sessions, Recreational activities, worship and Football. We run sessions in the city centre and at the Hotels up in Allesley.

“Living in the hotel in Allesley feels like prison, there’s not much we can do here. Every Tuesday I look forward to our English conversation sessions. It brightens my day and I am grateful to be learning English whilst waiting till I’m allowed to go to college.” – Residents from Quality Hotel

18

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Fresh Start - Hillfields

We have developed our strategic partnership with St Peter's Hillfields.

ESOL Classes

We have ran multiple ESOL and Conversation Cafes at the church, as well as drop-in sessions. We’ve had over 200 different individuals join our English classes from 24 countries, with around 30-40 people coming to the church each day.

Football

We’ve continued running football sessions in partnership with the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre which are always popular (around 50 participants each week), and in the last couple of years we have also partnered with St Marks to establish an FA-registered football team, who play in the Coventry Church League. This side has both St Marks attendees and newly-arrived refugees and asylum seekers, and the relationships within the team have been brilliant.

One Family

The highlight of 2021 was the growth of our multi-linguistic One Family service, in partnership with YWAM Coventry. We started in January 2021 as a home group aimed at asylum seekers and refugees who were struggling to engage with online church during lockdown, but have grown into a church of 50-60 people from many different backgrounds. The service is completely translated into Farsi, Spanish and French, and we worship in multiple different languages led by individuals from within the different communities. We have had the great privilege of baptising ten new believers since November, and have run numerous home groups and discipleship courses.

"I joined St Marks FC last summer, and have loved making new friends through this team. We are from many countries, but we are one team"

"One Family Church is my family here"

*Juan, a Salvadorian Christian: “I first met Matt and Tish through the English classes, and they invited us to church. I was born a Christian in Salvador but struggled with faith. I have learned so much about Jesus through this church, and especially during the YWAM-led Bible school. Halfway through this course I gave my life to Jesus Christ, and was baptised.”

19

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Proof Bakery

An innovative project which facilitated by TFC during the pandemic was Proof Bakery. Based at St Catherine’s in Stoke Aldermoor, it involved Syrian refugee women being trained as bakers by Proof Bakery at the church. Many of the women are war widows, and came to Coventry under the Syrian Resettlement Scheme. Whilst most could not speak English when they arrived,they were good at baking. Proof Bakery was set up to capitalise on their baking skills, focussing on wholesome sourdough bread, which was sold through churches and other community outlets.

When lockdown came in 2020, they switched their focus to supplying Coventry Food Bank with loaves, ensuring that many hundreds of hungry families were getting some fresh food. It was a lovely sight, to see women who had lost nearly all they had, eagerly serving the hungry in Coventry. Because St Catherine’s Church was closed to the general public for much of 2020 and 2021, they were able to set aside their portacabins accommodate expanding bread production.

73% of the trainees not only progressed into employment, education or training after graduating from the programme but but were still there 12 months after their graduation date.

Sadly, the baking came to a sudden end in December 2021, due to irreplaceable damage caused by Storm Arwen to the portacabins at Stoke Aldermoor. Although alternative space was found, most of the Syrian bakers said they wanted to use this time of transition to move onto other things. So Proof Bakery decided to close the project – the timing of which coinciding with the ending of another COVID-19 lockdown. The war widows shared with great pride how they had become school dinner ladies, care assistants, started their own businesses, or gone to university. Their project was supported by the generosity of various funders (often assisted by TFC), and many donations by individuals (particularly from churches).

Proof Bakery is the trading name of Proof Community Projects CIC. For more details see article: "Church supported Syrian refugees bake bread for Coventry Foodbank" - Diocese of Coventry (anglican.org)

"By purchasing baked goods, making a donation, and sending us encouragement, you have played your part in enabling these lasting changes in the lives of local women from refugee backgrounds, and often in the lives of their children as well...We are so grateful to you, particularly given the uncertain Covid times of the last few years, for the support that you have shown to the bakery and the women it has served."

20

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Transforming Communities Together - Warwick

In 2021 we continued to support bereaved adults through our monthly bereavement groups. We also supported adults and families experiencing food poverty and crisis through our two community based foodbanks. We continued to support our schools through our secondary schools team delivery of wellbeing and mental health courses. We began the piloting of the Family Link Worker program in partnership with All Saints Church who appointed a link worker this year. We also provided food hampers every school holiday period through our local schools to families at risk of experiencing holiday hunger. We also provided food support for care leavers and were grateful for our partnerships with Your UK Farmer our supplier and Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council and L&Q who provided support and funding for the project. This year saw the arrival of the Message Bus and the appointment of a bus manager to take the project forward over the coming year. TCTW continued to be active members of the Warwick Community Network and the Warwickshire Food Forum helping to inform policy and working together to create and deliver effective partnerships projects that meet the current needs of those in CV34.

21

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Good Neighbours

One of our society’s biggest problems is loneliness, particularly in older people living alone. It affects mental and physical health, leading to early death in too many people. Good Neighbours (GN) basic concept is simple: we connect lonely over 50s to befrienders, building positive relationships across the city.

GN has been developed by TFC and HOPE Coventry in conjunction with local churches determined to tackle loneliness in older generations. It connects volunteer befrienders via telephone or a visit to an older person, and during lockdown GN helped get food/shopping for those isolated at home.

TFC has been helping fund projects run at local churches for elderly people. In recent times this has included choirs and dementia cafes, such as the Singing and Luncheon Club held at the House of Empowerment in Longford. Although the choir was not able to meet together during the pandemic, clergy and volunteers from the church continued to stay in touch with club members, including delivering food parcels.

Following the success of Good Neighbours in Coventry, in 2021 a new Good Neighbours project in Bedworth was started, so extending the project into part of Warwickshire.

----- Start of picture text -----
In 2021
we connected 609
elderly people to
befrienders
----- End of picture text -----

Empowerment Singing and Luncheon Club

Ashiri Singers

22

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Family Link Work

In 2021, we have continued our initiative to strengthen links between schools and churches to support vulnerable families and establish positive pastoral relationships. This has included brokering arrangements between pairings of church and primary school in a number of areas of the Diocese, including Willenhall, Salford Priors, Alcester Minister and St Laurence Foleshill. Family Link Workers have been employed with a combination of funding from TFC, parish churches, and linked Diocesan schools. Management of most of our Family Link Workers was transferred from TFC to the parish churches in December 2021. TFC have continued to facilitate Family Link Work in a supportive and advisory role. This included securing some further funding.

Some activities of our Family Link workers have included;

Stay and Play

This group provides an opportunity for mums to meet other mums, make new connections and rebuild old ones through this group. The children play together, read a story and sing nursery rhymes, which they always enjoy. We’ve been able to revamp our toys to make them more suitable for the children and also get some sensory play for children with additional needs and learning difficulties.

WOW (Women of Willenhall)

Many women have been isolated since the first lockdown and have lost many connections. Most single mums have said they lack connection with adults and never have time for themselves. Through this group, we’ve learnt new skills together, bring our skills and ideas to the table and empower each other. We have people from Be Active, Be Healthy that come along and do some healthy activity sessions for women and children. We did some bracelet/jewellery making, knitting, learnt how to make a fire, bird feeders, lanterns etc.. intense workout sessions, and other useful activities that help upskill women like healthy cooking together using slow cookers, salsa dancing etc.

Friday Brunch Club for Families

We’ve built close connections with food, and real talk. Through this I was able to bring more support to families and linked them to the right organisations to support with their specific needs.

Parenting Courses

This has helped parents immensely with bringing up their children.

23

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Support and Advice to Parishes

TFC provides support and advice to Christian based charities, especially those working with disadvantaged communities. This includes sharing of good practice, help with project development, and securing grants for them.

Examples of this include initiating Family Link Work (described on page 22 of this report) where we have worked alongside a handful of churches and their linked schools in serving families facing multiple disadvantage. By the end of 2021 most of these had transitioned from being managed directly by TFC, to being locally managed within their parishes. TFC continued to support a handful of these partnerships into 2022, including finding grants for them.

Our charity often works with local groups of churches, notably Nuneaton churches around the Saints project, Warwick & Budbrooke Team Churches, and churches in Tile Hill (Coventry). TFC has acted as a broker for grants for projects in these areas. During the pandemic some of our fundraising has been to support churches and charities tackling food insecurity, notably Proof Bakery in Stoke Aldermoor, and seed funding anticipating a Community Pantry in Camp Hill, Nuneaton.

In the closing weeks of 2021, TFC set aside £12k of its unrestricted funds to give out as micro grants to parishes in half a dozen of the most deprived parts of the Diocese.

24 ANNUAL REPOAT 2021 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire l on the fir4naal Statements of corr¢Jwry for the yaar ended 31 December 2021 vthich are set ￿t on Respective responsibilities of Trustees and examiner The Trustees (who are also the Directors of tho compary for Iho purr)sos of company lawl are TOsp￿sible for thg preparat￿n ot the fina￿al ststements. The Trusie8S ¢>)nsid8r that an wdil is not r8quT8d for this yea¥ und8r sothon 144(21 of the Charrties Act 2011 2011 Act. arnl that an mdopendent examinatyon Is needed. Having satisfied my5erf th8t tho cIwritsb￿ 1X¥r￿ny k8 not io auth undèr ￿Vnp8ny I&w 8nd is eligble for indeperKlent examination. it is my {esp￿s1)i11ty to: Examine th8 finar￿181 stst8m8nts uThJer se￿1(￿ 145 of the 2011 Act; FL4lw the procedures laid down in tho gen8ral dIrect￿S gwn by tho Charity C(Mr¥ntssIc￿ uThJ8r soction 1451511bl of the 2011 Act- and State vtheth8r particular matters hav8 corrn to my allen1K￿. Basis of independent examinerfs report My oxamination v4a5 carr￿1 out n a(xordanca wrth thg g8neral ￿Ven Charity Commission. An examination includes a feview of the aCC￿ntIrva records kept by the chanty a)d a comparison of the accounts pres8nted with those r8COTds. It abo indudes Tr)nsiderati￿ of any ￿￿sU8[ rtems or disclosures in the 8ccovnts and seeking explanations from you as Tru5tee3 Car￿arThr￿J yjch matters. The proceduras und8rtak8n do not prowde all Ihe evidence ihat woull be requir&J in an pdJ(t and c<KIsequ8n￿Y no opinion is gsven as to whether the aGcourbts prgsent a 'tru9 and fair arhj Ihe rop(xi ￿ limited to ttM)se nwtt8rs set in the statement bokiw. Independent Examiner's Statement 11 ￿lch gNes m8 raasonablg raus8 to b8li8v8. that in any mat8nal r8specL th8 r8qiitr8m8nts'. To keep accounting records n aeeordanee sectK)n 386 of the Ce￿n￿l8n18S Act 20C6. arwj To wepare accounts accord with the records, ￿)rn￿y wth tt accounting r￿Uir￿1ents of seclion 396 01 th8 Companies A¢t 2{￿ and wrth the rrothc¥Js arKI pMoplg5 of thg Ststemont of RecommeThJ&J Pract￿. Acctyjntng and RarX￿n0 try Ch8riti8s have noi b99n met.. or 21 to which. in my opinKsn. attention shoull be drawm to en8bl8 a pro￿ understsnithng of tha count5 to bè reached. 2 LL 1822 Nthola5 Romney Avuncular Limited 71.75 Shdton Street. Covont Gardon. L(Yth. VIC2H 9JO

25

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 December 2021

All amounts above are derived from continuing operations and there are no recognised gains or losses other than these passing through the Statement of Financial Activities.

26

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Balance Sheet - as of December 2021

For the financial year ending 31 December 2021, the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006 – however, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 the financial statements have been examined by an independent examiner whose report appears on page 24.

The Directors/Trustees acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

The financial statements on pages 28 - 35 were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 30th September 2021 and are signed on its behalf by:

April Gold

Trustee and Chair of Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire

September 2022

27

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Cash Flow Statement - for the Year Ended 31 December 2021

28

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021

1. Principal Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting

TFC is a charitable company and a public benefit entity. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities (FRS 102), the Companies Act 2006 and the applicable UK accounting standard (FRS 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland). The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. TFC has elected to apply in full FRS 102 sections 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ to all of its financial instruments.

Income

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to it, ultimate receipt is probable and the amount to be recognised can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Income is recognised as deferred where the event or period to which the income relates occurs beyond the end of the financial period being reported on.

Expenditure

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate similar costs under each category of the Statement of Financial Activities.

Current assets and liabilities

Cash and cash equivalents include cash at bank and in hand and short-term deposits with any qualifying institutions repayable on demand without notice.

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.

Fund accounting

The General Fund is an unrestricted income fund which receives incoming resources available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. None of these resources have been designated by the Trustees for specific purposes.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The aim and use of restricted funds is set out in the notes below.

29

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

2. Donations and Legacies

General Funds of £50k shown against Coventry DBF comprises £30 annual donation from Coventry DBF (essentially towards TFC core costs), but this year was augmented by coronavirus resilience support, notably from the Rank Foundation.

Whilst no donations are shown for 2021 from CUF, they did facilitate a consortium of Together Network members around Food Insecurity projects supported by the Albert Gubay Community Foundation.

3. Charitable Activities

30

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

4. Other Trading Activities

5. Expenditure on Charitable Activities

Despite a substantial growth in TFC activity, the bill for wages & salaries fell slightly. In contrast programme costs increased substantially, comprising major projects at Saints and with the Message Trust, together with an emergency food programme.

6. Trustees

TFC benefits from significant amounts of time contributed by unpaid TFC Trustees by their attendance at meetings and contribution to the strategic development of TFC. The value of this time cannot be quantified and recognised in the financial statements of TFC.

None of the Trustees has received any emoluments from TFC for services performed as Trustees. No trustee received any amount in the year for travel expenses related to activity as a trustee.

31

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

7. Statement of Funds

Warwick Team PCCs – funds are for the benefit of the work of Transforming Communities Together Warwick, and arise out of a partnership agreement involving TFC, Warwick Team Churches and the King Henry viii Endowed Trust.The acquisition and conversion of the Message Youth Bus was our biggest project in terms of spend (£235k in 2021)

Heart of England Community Foundation (HECF)– several grants involving TFC were awarded during the year, though new grants have been coded under others fund headings, or were awarded direct to churches we partner with. These were:-.

£5,000 from HECF Coronavirus Resilience Fund towards Fresh Start work focussing on women. This was for the period April-December 2021

£5,000 from HECF COOP Fund for emergency food supplied by Your Farmer Meals, at Warwick and Saints

£4,925 for St Catherine’s Stoke Aldermoor from HECF ‘’Coventry Building Society – Making Good Grow’’for emergency food supplies baked by refugees at Proof Bakery for Coventry Food Bank. TFC helped St Catherine’s and Proof Bakery run this project from March-July 2021.

32

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Stoneleigh Trust – funds are for the benefit of the ancient parish of Stoneleigh and those given to TFC are restricted to use by Tile Hill Churches for their projects. These have included specific project costs to deliver a new older Men’s Club involving St Oswalds Church and Good Neighbours Coventry.

The 29th May 1961 Charity – a further grant was awarded to support continuing Family Link activities supporting families facing multiple challenges, delivered by several churches working with their local schools:-

• St Laurence CofE Foleshill

• Salford Priors CofE Alcester Minster

Some of the 29th May funding also went to support the Saints Student Lounge, where a kitchen was created, serving hot food as part of newly established after-school clubs.

Our membership of the CUF Together Network opened up the opportunity for funding for various food insecurity initiatives, including emergency food supplied by Proof Bakery to Coventry Foodbank.

Good Neighbours and Hope Coventry - These funds derive from an agreement between TFC. Hope Coventry and Coventry City Council to deliver a Good Neighbours programme for elderly people. With lockdown and subsequent restrictions, most church-based group activities were put on hold, so only a couple of grants were made in 2021.

In addition to the grant from the Big Lottery, money towards the work of Fresh Start was given by various churches (notably St James Church Styvechale), and other Christian organisations (notably Passionists UK).

Saints is TFC’s major regeneration project in Nuneaton, providing a hub where TFC in partnership with local churches provides outreach activities to disadvantaged youth and young families. Although this fund slightly in deficit at the end of the year, this is as a result of the timing of grants and the fund balance will be positive early in 2022. The £143k income against “Saints Nuneaton” is from a combination of sources. Part was COVID emergency grant from Government, including payments from the Borough Council in relation to non-domestic rates. Another element was emergency food, especially that Easter.

The HAF Scheme built on this, with food and associated activities over school holidays.

Saints also benefitted from grant from Warwickshire County Council for a new team of youth workers, who were recruited in December – hence no expenditure is showing yet.

The Reaching Communities Big Lottery funding covers two staff posts at Saints. The £36k was part of the first instalment which will last 5 years. Again recruitment was at the end of 2021, so there is little expenditure to show for that year.

33

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

8. Debtors

1. Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year

2. Analysis of Net Assets Between Funds

34

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

11. Related Party Transactions

The charity began as a joint venture between the Church Urban Fund (“CUF”), the Bishop of Coventry and the Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance. In the year ending 31 December 2021. Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance provided TFC with grants of £30,000.

12. In Kind Donations

The Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance provided a Chief Executive, Human Resources, I.T. and accountancy services together with office space. The cost of which are not included within these financial statements, but made possible by an annual grant from the Benefact Trust (formerly Allchurches Trust) to our Diocese.

"Matt Robinson is the ‘Fresh Start’ Project Coordinator - an initiative run by Together for Change (TfC), supporting churches and other organisations in Coventry to offer a warm welcome and sense of companionship for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, as they begin their new lives here. Benefact Trust’s annual grant to the Diocese of Coventry and Warwickshire helps fund TfC’s work" Benefact Trust Website

35

ANNUAL REPORT 2021

13. Pensions

Together for Change Coventry and Warwickshire provides a defined contribution pension scheme with NEST, the workplace pension set up by Government.

14. Salaries and Staff Costs

15. Prior Year Statement of Financial Activities