nity Registered Charity No: 1163226 Annual Re ort 2025
MINUTES of the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Thursday 27[th] February 2025, at the Armstrongs Centre, 6pm.
In Attendance :
Jim Whitfield (Chair), Pat Crouch, Jim Sharp (Secretary), Tony Henderson (Treasurer), Barbie Middleton-Parsons, Marie Ramsden, Paul Coe, Joanne Ramsay (Manager), Chloe Russell, Fiona Rainforth, Josh Forster, Lisa Vause, Pat hatch, Helen Rawden, Jane Skeates, Helen Larkin, Bill Watts
Independent Examiner: Anthony Whitley
Copies of the annual report were circulated and are attached for submission to the Charity Commission
Minutes : the minutes of the last annual General Meeting on 4[th] March 2024 were circulated and approved.
Election of Management Committee
The following committee members were unanimously re-elected :
Chair: Jim Whitfield, Vice Chair: Pat Crouch, Secretary : Jim Sharp, Treasurer :Tony
Henderson, Trustees: Marie Ramsden, Barbie Middleton-Parsons, Paul Coe.
Accounts : Anthony Whitley (Independent Examiner) referred to his summary and accounts information in the Annual Report - attached.
He commented as follows:
“I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.”
The accounts were approved unanimously. There were no questions .
There were no payments made to trustees
Future Plans
To continue to deliver a valued service and strengthen our provisions and position in the community by meeting our statutory obligations which are governed by our constitution.
The Chairman closed the meeting and thanked everyone for their attendance
Chairpersons Report
The last year has continued to demand all of Cherry Tree's staff, trustees and volunteers time, efforts and energy. There is little end to the needs of our local community which we endeavour to meet. The cost of living, availability of work, difficult family relations, housing issues and resources for young people all, individually or often combined, present challenges to our organisation and personnel. The coming year perhaps, as the economy revives and the living wage rises, will offer help to many but our social pantry will need to continue. The advice service is overloaded, additional help, voluntary or paid is needed.
Little Gruffalo’s continues to provide a high standard of education and support for many under-fives. From personal experience I salute all the staff who offer enormous patience and care for a very demanding cohort of pre-schoolers.
Our biggest, as yet unrealised, project is to provide a Youth Hub for the local community’s young people. Provision for our teenagers has been underwhelming ever since the closure of Burden Road Youth Centre. A purpose-built Youth Hub is essential for our youth workers to maintain the support they provide for this often troubled age group. Young people need organised social education opportunities, good role models and guidance from understanding adults. Hopefully we will move on from planning to practical action in this area this Spring. Fingers crossed for funding !
Finally, I offer this report and my belief and pride in what Cherry Tree Centre does for Beverley, to my fellow trustees for endorsement.
Jim Whitfield, Chair of Trustees
Cherry Tree Community Centre Managers Report
The aims of the Cherry Tree Centre are to meet the needs of the local community and surrounding East Yorkshire area. The needs since 2020 have increased with individuals needing furniture, food, and help with utility bills, clothes and other essential items.
The team at Cherry Tree work above and beyond to ensure that individuals and families receive the support they need, and this would not be possible without the help of funders and the generosity of the public, especially at Christmas. The centre is grateful to the local community for choosing Cherry Tree Centre and allowing us to support those who are in crisis.
We work in partnership with so many agencies, too many to mention, but their support is vital in order for us to help others. THANK YOU!
We can’t help everyone, but…. Everyone can help someone. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
A big thank you is paramount to the staff and the volunteers, that work and volunteer at unsociable hours and in cold weather. Without their support the centre could not run and support the high number of people that we do.
Due to unforeseen circumstances I had to take a period of leave last year and I am extremely grateful to my amazing team for keeping the centre running smoothly.
I am very appreciative for the constant support of the trustees, especially our treasurer who works tirelessly to maintain budgets in challenging times.
Jo Ramsay Centre Manager
Advice Report
This has been the most challenging year that I have reported on since my five years at the charity. We recognise more than ever the significant challenges that our community faces. By providing free, independent and confidential advice we aim to empower people to self-help by increasing their knowledge and confidence. In all aspects of our work, we committed to ensuring equal access to advice and encouraging people to seek advice early and tackle difficulties as they arise.
We believe that by working together we can achieve more, share ideas, knowledge and experience to solve problems.
Our advice quality standards certification was reviewed, and I am pleased to confirm that we have been granted this till May 2026.
From Jan 2024 to December 2024 we completed 1,331 advice sessions, this is an increase of 30% from 2023. The top 5 issue were benefits, debts, housing, financial capability and utilities.
More and more people are seeing their applications for benefits declined or having their benefits stopped when reviewed. This is leading to a high number of requests for appeals. We have seen a large increase in clients been given notice to leave private rented accommodation as landlords look to get ahead of any changes in legislation. The removal of the winer fuel payment has created as significant increase in the demand for advice from older people.
We are now seeing more people on a face-to-face basis as our client base prefer this over telephone or digital based.
Throughout 2024 we have continued to provide fortnightly outreach advice sessions at Driffield Foodbank. There is undoubtedly a need, and the sessions are well attended.
However sustainable funding for advice continues to be challenging. In addition to this we receive regular donations from local business and individual members of the community. We are very grateful for this support which enable us to continue to provide our advice service.
None of the above would be possible without our amazing team of staff and volunteers. They continue to go the extra mile to deliver high quality advice, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication.
Lisa Vause Senior Advisor
Pantry Report
We open two and a half days each week and have weekly 185 slots. We currently have 169 families registered, leaving 16 slots available, including the emergency slots.
On average we feed 235 adults and 152 children per week, which equals 1548 people per month.
It has been a constant struggle to keep the shelves stocked, but we have been helped by large donations at different times of the year such as Harvest Festival, Easter and Christmas. We are fortunate to receive regular donations from Minster WI and Beverley Athletics Club, plus monthly donations from Graham Construction and Glen Wilson Ltd which help us hugely. Thank you all, we are very grateful for your support.
I have increased the number of items the pantry members receive from 10 to 12 as every little bit helps. This is not a permanent change for now as I need to monitor how it works within the budget, but I hope it will be long term.
It was very busy at Christmas, to the level of chaotic, but it all went to plan with very few mishaps along the way! All members enjoyed Christmas week and the month of January free, and also received extra food and gifts for everyone in the household. We had some lovely feedback saying how it made a huge difference for them, and had someone say that they had cancelled Christmas until they received what they did from Cherry Tree Pantry and that they had a lovely time.
It has been a successful year as a partner of ERFPA. The funding for food has helped the pantry. The white goods project has made a difference to so many members that would not have been able to afford fridges, washing machines, air fryers or cookers.
Feedback forms were completed by members of the pantry. Here is a selection of their comments:
The pantry has helped us out in our current financial situation. The volunteers are so very helpful and kind. Thank you!
----- Start of picture text -----
Always helps using the pantry,
especially during the school holidays.
----- End of picture text -----
Thank you all so much for your kindness and
help financially and emotionally over the last
couple of years.
----- Start of picture text -----
The pantry has helped me have the ability to pay
for my car, otherwise I would not have been able
to carry on.
Your help and attention helps me reduce the burden I feel
every day worrying about my family.
----- End of picture text -----
It has helped me look after my family and reduce stress.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to all my volunteers. I know I say it every year, but I wouldn’t be able to run the pantry without you all. You are amazing; I appreciate you and really love working with you all and look forward to the next year.
Helen Rawdon Pantry Supervisor
Youth Report
This year has been a challenging year for our youth club. We are still homeless, but we are currently in talks with the BBC DIY SOS and various funders for them to build the youth hub that we have planning permission for. We continue to support record numbers of young people. A few months ago, we registered 150 young people in one evening at twilight football. This was the highest number of young people we have engaged with since our record number of 120 in 2023.
Athletics club
The Beverley Athletics Club's support of the Cherry Tree Centre (youth department) as their charity of the year has been an inspiring and heartwarming partnership. Last year, they went above and beyond by connecting with our young people and sharing the numerous benefits of running. In addition to the athletic engagement, the club's generosity extended into the holiday season, when they thoughtfully donated shoe boxes filled with gifts for our young people. These boxes, packed with care and consideration, brought extra joy and warmth during the festive period, reminding the young people that they were supported and valued by the wider community.
Look North
The youth club recently received wonderful publicity when Look North filmed our team and featured us on the news. This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the hard work and positive impact our club has on local young people. It was an exciting moment for everyone involved, and the news segment highlighted the struggle our team is facing without a building to provide for our young people. This coverage was a great success and will undoubtedly strengthen our connections with local organisations, partners, and supporters, ensuring that more young people can benefit from the opportunities we provide.
HAF
The positive engagement we received as a youth club providing the Holiday Activities and Food program has been truly rewarding. Both young people and families have expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to access meals and a variety of fun, enriching activities during the school holidays.
The program has not only supported children’s well-being by offering them a safe and enjoyable space but has also eased the burden on families, providing them with valuable resources during a time when support is needed most. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting how much it has meant to them, and we are proud to have made such a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.
In addition to the core activities, some of our young people had the exciting opportunity to engage with Emma Garness to create a vibrant wall mural in the park. This collaboration allowed the young people to express their creativity while contributing to a lasting piece of art in the community. It was an inspiring project that brought everyone together and added a beautiful, meaningful touch to the local area.
The young people are getting younger and younger that are wanting to meet with us and the adversity they are facing as well as the cost of living has hit the families of our young people, therefore we have continued to offer hygiene bags regularly to the young people we engage with. Safeguarding keeps us as vigilant as ever, this has been very difficult especially whist supporting the young people on the street corners. Our team struggled to engage with young people during the winter months due to the harsh conditions. Being outdoors in the cold often made it uncomfortable for both staff and participants, reducing the effectiveness of outreach and engagement efforts.
Going forward
As we move into the new year, we are excited to launch a new project by providing 1-1 targeted early intervention for young people. This initiative aims to offer personalised support to those who may benefit from closer guidance and support. By identifying individual needs and challenges, our team will work closely with young people to help them build confidence, develop skills, and navigate personal obstacles. We hope this project will represent our commitment to deepening the impact of our work and ensuring every young person has the opportunity to achieve in a supportive environment.
Words of thanks
Thanks go out to our staff and volunteers, whose efforts are essential to achieving our goals. Additionally, we are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support and kindness shown by Jo. Her constant encouragement makes every member of the team feel valued and heard. Through thoughtful leadership, she creates an environment where everyone can thrive, and her genuine care for each staff member creates a sense of belonging and respect. We are fortunate to have a manager who leads with compassion and dedication, always putting people first. Finally, to the board of trustees, who play a key role in supporting our vision and mission.
Chloe
Youth Worker
Little Gruffalo’s Report
Last year was a very busy year in the preschool and out of school club. We had a lot of children with SEN, and they needed lots of extra support to meet their needs. The staff wanted to ensure all the children were given the best start for transitioning to school. This included children with challenging behaviour. We claimed AIS funding for several children to help and also successfully two children were given EHC plans, and another child was given one when they started school from our application which will help the children through their education. Also, there were a lot of children who were under safeguarding these children were under child in need or child protection this is an important part of our job making sure the children are not at any risks. All our staff make sure their safeguarding training is up to date.
We have 10 staff in total, including Lani our Level 2 apprentice who all work extremely hard and are passionate that all the children are given the best opportunities possible this includes helping the families were ever possible. This is where we are unique by offering parents and carers the help by telling them about the pantry, advising them to contact the advice service upstairs offering a holistic approach as this is important for the children.
We had 23 school leavers, and they were all treated to a trip to Sewerby hall and also went on the land train to the beach. The children and staff had a lovely day making memories. A big thankyou to Barbie and Pat who fundraised at their bingo afternoons, so the children were able to have an ice-cream on the trip.
In the Summer we were based at the Rugby club for the HAF holiday club. Beverley Athletic club came and did a few sessions with the children which they enjoyed.
We have had some generous donations such as the knitting club where they make jumpers, hats and gloves for the children. Kayleigh from the one stop is very generous with new games, Christmas gifts and food.
A big thank you also to Jim Whitfield who comes to the preschool and fixes all our DIY jobs, and also is our father Christmas.
Working in a pre-school can be very challenging, but is also possibly one of the most rewarding jobs as you see the children meeting their milestones and provide each child with the correct support they need.
Alison Smith
Little Gruffalo’s Manager
Community Bingo Group Report
Over the last year the bingo group has continued to thrive. We currently have 37 members, with an average of 27 attending every Wednesday at the Armstrong Centre.
Throughout the last year the group has enjoyed afternoon tea at the Ferguson Fawcett, fish and chips at Papa’s Restaurant and Christmas dinner at Toby Carvery.
In January our members received feedback sheets. All of the feedback was extremely positive.
I would like to say thank you to my volunteers Andrei and Sue for all your help and assistance; Andrei for his entertaining bingo calling and Sue for selling raffle tickets. Thanks also to Pat and Irene for your continued support.
Barbie Middleton-Parsons Trustee and Bingo Group Leader
Treasurer Report
Good evening
Another challenging but successful year for the Cherry Tree Centre. The accounts have been prepared by Anthony and I'm ever grateful for his support and the work of Claire Dixon, accounts clerk.
I believe success for the Cherry Tree Centre is measured by how many people and families we support whilst maintaining staff and volunteers social, emotional and physical wellbeing.
It's with these thoughts in mind I'd like to thank the trustees, the manager, the staff and volunteers for all their hard work and efforts in making this happen. I'd also like to thank the funders and those who have donated out of their own pocket.
Lastly, I would like to thank those who are no longer with us but have been an important part of our journey & helped us mould our futures, thank you. Please see attached accounts, I’ll hand over to our chair to sign them off
Tony Henderson
Treasurer
Dog & Duck Inn Latimer Church St Nicholas Church Rotary Club All Saints Church South Cave Primary Humberside Police Minster WI Flowerbox Beverley Athletics Club Salon 55 Unison Gym Group Beverley RUFC Andrews Car&Van Hire Riverview Autos Cornish Bakery Hays Travel Dunelm Claremont House …plus many others
A BIG thank you
to all of our volunteers
Without each one of you the centre would not be able to offer the range of services it does
The present Management Committee Trustees
Jim Whitfield – Chair
I moved to Beverley in 1978 to teach Design and Technology at Beverley Grammar School. I was elected to Beverley Town Council in 1999 and was elected to be Mayor of the town in 2003/2004 and 2007/2008.
I am also a trustee of the local charity Beverley Community Lift and the Chair of Go Kids Go, a wheelchair skills training charity. My hobbies include athletics, cycling and DIY. I joined the committee by invitation and strive to ensure its ongoing success in assisting the local community.
Pat Crouch – Vice Chair
I have been associated with Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre since 2006 and was Chair of the Trustees for nine years. I have always been very active within charities and community groups in Beverley. I volunteered at British Red Cross for several years.
My hobbies include spending time with my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, taking holidays within the UK and further afield. I am also a regular attendee of Beverley Baptist Church. It has been a privilege to watch CTC blossom and flourish over the years, to become the place it is today.
Jim Sharp
I am a founder member and have been involved with the centre since 1986. I live in Beverley, and before retirement worked as a structural engineer with the local authority.
I am actively involved with several other charities including Beverley Against Poverty and Churches Together. I have recently been made a Freeman of Beverley.
My hobbies include golf and spending time with my family. I am also involved with Hull and East Yorkshire Credit Union and play the piano in care homes.
Marie Ramsden
I have been a trustee at CTCC for approximately 14 years. My original role was as a mentor/practice assessor for social work students on placement with the Advice Centre. This setting was an excellent training ground for students, exposing them to the many complexities of the Welfare Benefits system and the problems and anxieties experienced by claimants. I am passionate about fighting
poverty.
Tony Henderson – Treasurer
I grew up in the area around Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre. I have held various roles within the NHS, including my current role with the SMASH team within schools in East Yorkshire.
My role as treasurer at CTC includes ensuring robust and effective financial controls are in place, reviewing the charity’s financial performance and writing and reviewing policies for finance and investment. I enjoy spending time with my family and travelling. My hobbies include playing and watching football, cooking and gardening.
Barbie Middleton-Parsons
I live in Beverley, close to Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre and joined as a trustee three years ago after volunteering at the centre for a number of years.
I have always been passionate about volunteering and have run a successful arts and crafts group locally for a number of years. I was an active member of the Friends of St Mary’s School, organising events to raise funds for the school. I currently run a busy social community group at the centre. My hobbies include arts and crafts and spending time with family.
Paul Coe
I was born at Beverley Westwood and have lived in the town since March 2015. I am married to Kay and we have two young children who attend Keldmarsh Primary School. I work for DHL as a HGV Driver in Scunthorpe.
I am a proud member of Beverley Town Council. I represent the residents of Minster North which is where The Beverley Cherry Tree Centre is based.
I am also proud to be the chair of the litter picking group, The Wombles of Beverley, who I have been heavily involved with since April 2019.
Inde Tr ndent examlnerfs Re ni rt to the trustees ol Beverl Ch mm 24 I report to the trustees on my examination of the account5 of crcc for the year ended 31" March 2024 Res nslbllltles and basls of re As the charity trustees of the CTCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitie5 Act 2011 {-the Acfl. I report in respect of My examination of the cfccs accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under settion 145151{bl of the Act. Inde ndent examlnerfs Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: l. Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Charities Act: or 2. The accounts did not accord with these accountin8 records; or 3. The accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the account5 give a "true and fair vie%¢ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection wtth the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ANTHONY WHITLEY ACMA 7 Chestnut Avenue HESSLE HU13 ORH 25-02-2025
crry Tr•0 C•nlro FwbdB yj J34• 2.115 47>) r• JJ?4 55 ZlJ15 X.569 11.914 L3 21JYJ 21XD i.c•i 4BI P•G xoj IA75 1.175 Y¢*thha 12.740 74D
¥#rt F• Pthht Fyr 147 147 411 Fur ipi 4077 $727 fT &727 &Td7 1.7YY 617 324 iQTr4 tJL 4075 7.747 l.T47 17PD Tiaw¥ s¥ S029
2•2J Frn•hold Ff••holth AL212 U14 T4575 31 117.OSg th14 rMY4r 117 i JI T•tti Toial X2$ Toial TIN Trad tbr(S UJ16 im) D7J Tdiii Tdil Ttsw Toiii 3•6 TJ¥ Tow T•tsl To¥ T• 724