Info for annual report to Charity Commission A ril 2022 p
Background
St Helen’s Street Pastors were registered with the Charity Commission on July 2016 and began patrolling in December 2016. It is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and has a board of trustees drawn from various churches in and around St Helens and appointed by existing trustees. It is a licensed local branch of the Street Pastors movement, which is an initiative of Ascension Trust. The trustees aim to keep at least three months operating costs in reserve at all times.
Level of Activity
The Street Pastors teams offer a peaceful and compassionate presence, friendly conversation, and practical care to vulnerable people in the night-time economy. During the past 12 months, we have still struggled to be able to get the team out in a way that they feel safe from the risks that Covid poses. As we were just getting to the point of getting the teams back out on patrol, were told by our local council that they have hired night-time economy wardens which are doing the same practical aspects of what Street Pastors do, but with a different motive. We have been made aware that their contracts will potentially end in July 2022. We are exploring alternative ways to work so that we do not overlap with what they are offering.
Volunteers
Our two trainees have completed almost all of their training, except for the supervised patrols which cannot be done until we are back out on patrol. We currently have 8 volunteer Street Pastors (trained and commissioned), and two trainees. We also have recruited 2 trainee School Pastors who are looking forward to starting their training shortly.
The volunteers are drawn from local churches, including Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Salvation Army, and independent evangelical churches.
Achievements
Throughout this period some of the team spent time doing extra training for stabbing incidents, and we were awarded a ‘Bleed Kit’, and are currently one of the only organisations in St Helens to hold one. The Coordinator as also spent time building relationships with a local high school with the hope of starting School Pastors by the end of 2022, and has had the sub licence agreement set up and signed by all relevant parties involved.
Summary of achievements for this period:
The coordinator and trustees were able to keep the charity progressing forward by holding social times for the team to meet together and discuss where we were up to, continuing with relevant training to help strengthen them in their roles, and building relationships with a potential school so that we can broaden our impact as a charity.
Our Coordinator has been exploring the idea of setting up a Safe Space in order to compliment the work that the council’s night-time economy wardens are doing. She has had a meeting with the PCC at Parish Church in the town centre, who are very keen for us to run it there as it is set to become a Minster and is in a very central location.
Our coordinator has also managed to get some funding from a local grant organisation to help continue the work of St Helens Street Pastors. Some other small sources of funding have also come in and as we have been careful, we are still in a reasonable position financially, although not as strong as were previously.
Our Secretary and Safeguarding lead had to step down as a Trustee also, so one of other Trustee’s has stepped in to fill her role.
Future plans
Aims for April 2022-23:
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Team - to have the teams back out on patrol, both safely and effectively.
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Capacity - to recruit and train more volunteers, so that we can gradually increase to three patrols by end 2022, as well as being present at relevant special events in St Helens.
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Capacity – to get the Safe Space up and running and keep it under review.
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Partnership - to continue working in partnership with St Helen’s council and Merseyside Police in St Helens, and to further establish a sustainable base of financial support from local churches, individuals, businesses, and grant-making organisations.
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To explore different funding streams in order to help strengthen us financially again.
St Helens Street Pastors contact details:
Email: sainthelens@streetpastors.org
Website: http://streetpastors.org/locations/sthelens
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/sthelensstreetpastors
Online Giving: http://my.give.net/sthelensstreetpastors
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St Helens Street Pastors
Financial Accounts
6th April 2021 to 5th April 2022
6th April 2020 to 5th April 2021 6th April 2021 to 5th April 2022
Opening bank balance b/f 21,143.98 17,027.70
INCOME
Standing orders from individuals 300.00 300.00
One off donations 630.00 3,364.00
Donations from trusts, corporations and groups 5,801.24 3,645.84
Sundry 18.95 5,621.00
Other income - -
6,750.19 12,930.84
EXPENDITURE
Licence fees 2,537.01 687.60
Insurance 73.81 -
Rent - -
No 2 account transfer 500.00 1,000.00
Training courses run by Ascension Trust 95.00 -
Coordinators salary 7,521.20 6,864.00
Purchase of Uniforms - -
Other costs 139.45 5,770.00
St Helens Chamber membership costs 383.34
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Other expenses 1,248.00
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10,866.47 15,952.94
Closing Bank balance 17,027.70 14,005.60
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