**Annual Report 2022 - 2023** - Providing creative, reflective prayer spaces across Oxfordshire since 2010 - Encouraging faith and spiritual development in children and young people - Equipping local churches to run prayer and reflection spaces in schools and at local community events - Facilitating church relationships with their local schools **----- Start of picture text -----**
58 Spaces 51 Schools
15 Community and
state schools
5 new schools 36 schools with a
Christian foundation
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Over 12,000 young people have experienced a prayer and reflection space in their local school or church this year. This is what they say:** _**I loved the I felt all my It made me feel please bubbles worries more inspired to because we got disappeared and pray to God to speak to everything’s God! going to be OK**_ _**It made me thankful for God and I’m more confident now**_ **100s of volunteers from over 70 local churches have been involved in prayer and reflection spaces this year.** **Charity Number: 1168891** **info@bespace.be www.bespace.be** **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1[st] April 2022 – 31[st] March 2023** |CharityName|BeSpace| |---|---| |CharityNumber|1168891| |Charity Address|St James Church Centre
13 Beauchamp Lane
Oxford
OX4 3LF| |Names of Charity Trustees
who manage the charity|Rev Dr Canon Geoff Bayliss (Chair of Trustees)
Mr Ben Leach (Treasurer)
Mr Patrick Gale
Mrs Mary Krutz
Mrs Kirsty Morgan (CEO) – resigned 26thMay 2023
Rev Nina Oskarsdottir| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** BeSpace is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission on 24[th] August 2016 under the charity Number 1168891. It is governed by a constitution which was adopted on the 24[th] August 2016. The Charity Trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity. The Trustees meet, currently online, at least four times a year and are appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the Charity Trustees. The CEO oversees the day to day running of the charity. There is a safeguarding policy in place and all trustees, staff and volunteer networkers are DBS checked by the charity. BeSpace is part of the Prayer Spaces in Schools network. There are a number of other policies in place, including Risk Management. ## **Objectives and Activities** ## Summary of the objects of the charity set out in the governing document of BeSpace The Object of the CIO is, for the public benefit, the advancement of the Christian faith through, in particular but not limited to, creating prayer spaces to engage with members of the community, developing education of the Christian faith in schools and in such other ways as the charity trustees may from time to time decide. Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects BeSpace came into existence as a registered charity on the 24[th] August 2016. In planning our activities, the charity has kept in mind the Charity Commissions guidance on public benefit. The Charity has sought to advance the Christian faith for the public benefit by running prayer spaces, engaging members of the community in prayer spaces and training Christians to provide these spaces. The prayer spaces benefited people by providing them sacred spaces, contributing to their spiritual development, and teaching them about the Christian faith. The following outlines in more detail how the objectives have been pursued throughout the reporting period. www.bespace.be BeSpace 2 **Achievements and Performance** ## Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year. In planning our activities for the year, we kept in mind the charity commission’s guidance on public benefit at our trustee meetings. The focus of our activities remains to facilitate creative prayer and reflection spaces in schools and where we have capacity at other community events. We do this mainly through equipping local churches to run prayer spaces by modelling, leading prayer spaces and training churches. These prayer spaces help advance the Christian faith and support the element of a school’s curriculum that teaches about spiritual development. The past 12 months have been a period of re-growth and re-connecting with churches and schools to run prayer and reflection spaces. Therefore, this year has seen an increase in the number of spaces since a covidimpacted previous year. We have also seen a return in confidence from both schools in allowing visitors to return and church volunteers being willing to go into schools again. Over 12, 000 young people have visited prayer spaces in their schools or local churches and have had the opportunity to connect with God. We are still working towards our ultimate aim of seeing every school in Oxfordshire regularly having a BeSpace run by their local churches. The charity has been led by a CEO supported by 2 regional networkers until September 2022, when 1 left and has not yet been replaced. We also supported a placement student training for ordained ministry at a local college. We have continued to offer regional leaders training sessions, in recognition that there are new people in post since the onset of the pandemic and for some previous leaders it will have been a few years since they last led a BeSpace. ## **The Impact of the activities of BeSpace:** ## Prayer Spaces that have happened in Schools: - Due to our work, 58 spaces took place in 51 schools. 5 new schools had prayer spaces this year. - The breakdown of the types of schools that have had prayer spaces this year are: - 2 Secondary schools and 49 Primary Schools (3 Independent) - 36 schools with an Anglican foundation - 15 community/state schools - We have reached over 12,000 young people between the ages of 4-18, which has enabled the Christian faith to be shared and helped young people grow in their understanding of the faith and what it means to be able to connect with God and have a relationship with him. - Continued to benefit young people through contributing to their spiritual and moral education in prayer spaces. - We have provided training sessions for volunteers supporting local prayer spaces in 13 schools. - Over 70 churches in the county have been involved in either leading a prayer space for a local school or supporting a prayer space by providing volunteers from their congregations to help in prayer spaces local to them. ## Prayer Spaces in other areas of the community: - We have provided equipment to 3 local churches to support them in providing prayer activities for their local community - We have provided equipment to a local charity to support them running prayer activities in a school Christian Union after school club. www.bespace.be BeSpace 3 ## Awareness raising events - Leaders Training Events - We have provided 2 Leaders’ training events for those interested in leading future prayer and reflection spaces - Speaking at Churches - We have spoken at 1 church to share the work of BeSpace to encourage church members to volunteer at upcoming spaces. - Oxford Diocese Clergy Conference - We attended the Oxford Diocese Clergy Conference providing prayer activities for the clergy to participate in. As a result of attending this conference we have supported a new church to lead a space in their local school. We also had the opportunity to network with and encourage new clergy that we have worked alongside before to re-start a prayer space in their local school(s) again. - Soulnet Youth Gatherings - We have attended a Soulnet gathering of local Youth workers to spread awareness of the work of BeSpace and hosted another gathering, including providing prayer activities for the youth workers to experience what BeSpace can offer. ## Volunteers and Networkers We could not achieve all of this without the time, energy and effort of the many volunteers from over 70 churches across the county who give their time to set up, lead and facilitate prayer and reflection spaces in schools. We continue to have 1 official volunteer networker who champions the charity in their local geographic area and help grow volunteer teams to run prayer and reflection spaces in their local schools. It has been invaluable to meet and work with local volunteers again, after our covid enforced absence and this has helped to develop good relationships which will continue into the future. www.bespace.be BeSpace 4 **The impact on people experiencing prayer spaces.** The following are a sample of comments from young people who experienced a BeSpace during this time. These comments demonstrate how prayer spaces have advanced the Christian faith for the public benefit. _**I feel very happy. It felt very calm It made me feel I feel God is with and peaceful and good about I feel happy and me. I liked all the I really liked the myself and the joyful and also activities tablets because it people in the relaxed because I bonded taught me to world with God forgive I loved the I felt all my It made me It made me feel please bubbles worries thankful for more inspired to because we got disappeared and God and I’m pray to God to speak to everything’s more confident God! going to be OK now The forgiveness I liked going into I enjoyed as you can calm I feel calm and the prayer space BeSpace down and you can like I’ve been because it gave because it forgive others able to get in me time to reflect taught me even though it touch with God and think aout about Jesus may be hard how I’m unique**_ ## **And a comment from a teacher:** _I thought the prayer spaces was a lovely calming experience for all. It was great for the children to be in such small groups with a supportive adult who helped them to reflect and think quite deeply at times about the world themselves and people they cared for in quite a short amount of time. The simple activities were enjoyable and manageable for all. It was very well organised. I personally enjoyed it too as I had the chance to observe and listen to everyone in a way that is not very often possible in the classroom._ ## _**And feedback to the volunteers supporting a BeSpace from a Head Teacher:**_ "What an enormous thank you we owe you all for giving up your time to come and help with BeSpace this week. Without you, we simply could not have run the week! The children across the school of all ages got so much out of the experience. To hear comments such as: _'I feel like all my worries have come out'; 'I feel relaxed like I've been forgiven'; 'I feel calm after reflecting and praying to God_ '; and _'I loved that it made me feel calm and relaxed. I would love to do this again because I love it.'_ is testament to the fact that BeSpace is a wonderful experience for children which we simply could not have done without the volunteers. Thank you all." www.bespace.be BeSpace 5 ## **Future plans** We are still in a phase of re-growth and re-connection following the Covid pandemic, and this will continue for some time as we continue to re-build relationships with both schools and churches, alongside supporting churches and schools new to BeSpace. We plan to recruit more regional networkers to support the growing number of spaces happening around the county. We plan to re-start our Networker Retreat days to recognize key people who are running prayer spaces in their local area, and also to provide them with an opportunity to pause, pray and reflect for themselves too, as well as having time to encourage and learn from one another. We plan to recruit a fundraising consultant to help us to identify and apply to more grant making trusts in order to increase our income to meet the current shortfall between income and expenditure. www.bespace.be BeSpace 6 **Financial Review:** ## Brief Statement of the charity’s policy on reserves The charity had £75,163 in unrestricted funds at the end of the financial year. The main financial risk to the charity is loss of grants and gift funding. The Trustees do not deem it necessary to hold a specific minimum level of reserves. The Trustees are very mindful of the financial health of the charity and at each Trustee meeting review the current financial resources. The trustees complete an annual budget and regularly review its forecast income and expenditure (this includes scenario planning as appropriate). ## Details of any funds in deficit The accounts for this reporting period show a healthy surplus. We do not anticipate that any funds will be in deficit going forward into the next financial year. ## **Declaration** ## Signatures The trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report ## **Signed on behalf of the Charity’s Trustees** |**Signature(s):**||| |---|---|---| |**Full Name(s):**|**Rev Canon Dr Geoffrey Brian**
**Tudor Bayliss**|**Ben Leach**| |**Position:**|**Chair of Trustees**|**Treasurer**| |**Date:**|**16th January 2024**|**16th January 2024**| www.bespace.be BeSpace 7 ## **Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of BeSpace** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2023 which are set out on pages 9 to 15. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner's 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: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ 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 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. ## **Emma Ravenhill** **20[th] January 2024** **30 Bute Street Sheffield S10 1UP** BeSpace www.bespace.be 8 **BeSpace** ## **Statement of Financial Activities** ## **for the year ended 31st March 2023** |**Note**
**Income**
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
2
Government grants receivable
2
**Total income and endowments**
**Expenditure**
Expenditure on:
Charitable Activities
3a
**Total expenditure**
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Balance brought forward
at 31st March 2022
Net surplus / (deficit) for the year
Transfers between funds
9
**Balance carried forward**
**at 31st March 2023**|**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**Funds**
**2023**
**Funds**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
30,391
30,391
38,884
38,884
-
-
2,730
2,730
30,391
30,391
41,614
41,614
38,933
38,933
29,101
29,101
38,933
38,933
29,101
29,101
(8,542)
(8,542)
12,513
12,513
83,705
83,705
71,192
71,192
(8,542)
(8,542)
12,513
12,513
-
-
-
75,163
75,163
83,705
83,705| |---|---| www.bespace.be BeSpace 9 **BeSpace** ## **Balance Sheet** ## **as at 31st March 2023** |**Note**
**Fixed assets**
Tangible fixed assets
6
**Current assets**
Debtors
7
Cash at bank and in hand
**Liabilities: amounts falling**
8
**due within one year**
**Net current assets**
**Net assets**
**Funds**
Unrestricted funds
9|**£**
**£**
882
554
73,920
74,474
(193)
74,281
75,163
75,163
75,163
**2023**|**£**
**£**
1,792
1,424
81,546
82,970
(1,057)
81,913
83,705
83,705
83,705
**2022**| |---|---|---| Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by: …........................................................................... **Ben Leach - Treasurer** 16th January 2024 www.bespace.be BeSpace 10 **BeSpace** ## **Notes to the Accounts** ## **for the year ended 31st March 2023** ## **1. Accounting Policies** ## **1a. Basis of accounting** The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102 1A) (effective 1 October 2019). The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. ## **1b. Income Recognition** All incoming resources are included in the SOFA when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. Incoming resources are included gross. No credit is taken for either general or gift aid donations until they are actually received. The amount credited to the income and expenditure account in respect of gift aid donations does however include the amount of income tax recoverable in respect of income actually received. Grant income is recognised as receivable subject to fulfilment of any associated conditions. Where conditions have been met or are likely to be met, grant income is recognised in full. ## **1c. Expenditure Recognition** All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis, and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Charitable activity costs are those costs incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the Charity. Support costs are those incurred in connection with administration of the Charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements. ## **1d. Pensions** Contributions payable for the year are charged in the income and expenditure account. The charity contributes to a defined contribution scheme for its employees. ## **1e. Irrecoverable VAT** The Charity is not registered for VAT and hence is unable to recover VAT on expenditure incurred. All costs are therefore shown inclusive of the associated input VAT. ## **1f. Fixed Assets** Equipment which is deemed by the charity to have a useful life of more than one year is capitalised and included within fixed assets. Depreciation is provided on all equipment so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over the expected useful economic life on a straight line basis at 33% a year. www.bespace.be BeSpace 11 **BeSpace** ## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2023** ## **1g. Fund Accounting** ## _Unrestricted Funds_ These are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects of the charity at the discretion of the Trustees. ## **1h. Government Grants** In the preceding financial year, the charity received government grants in respect of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. These grants are recognised using the accruals model and as such are recorded in the statement of financial activities in the period in which the charity is entitled to such grants as a result of having furloughed staff members. ## **2. Income** |Donations and legacies from:
Individual giving
Gift Aid recoverable
Church and Organisation giving
Grants receivable
Government grants receivable:
Coronavirus job retention scheme|**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**2023**
**2023**
**2022**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
13,114
13,114
17,595
17,595
2,237
2,237
2,419
2,419
3,990
3,990
4,770
4,770
11,050
11,050
14,100
14,100
30,391
30,391
38,884
38,884
-
-
2,730
2,730| |---|---| ## **3. Expenditure** ## **3a. Expenditure on charitable activities** |**Note**
Prayer space costs
Support costs
3b|**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**2023**
**2023**
**2022**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
1,382
1,382
795
795
37,551
37,551
28,306
28,306
38,933
38,933
29,101
29,101| |---|---| www.bespace.be BeSpace 12 ## **BeSpace** ## **Notes to the Accounts** ## **for the year ended 31st March 2023** |**3b.**|**Support costs**||**Unrestricted**|**Total**|**Unrestricted**|**Total**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||**2023**|**2023**|**2022**|**2022**| |||**Note**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**| ||Staff costs|4|33,513|33,513|24,018|24,018| ||Office costs||3,196|3,196|3,125|3,125| ||Governance costs:|||||| ||Consultancy and legal fees||842|842|1,163|1,163| ||||37,551|37,551|28,306|28,306| |**4.**|**Staff Costs**||||**2023**|**2022**| ||Salaries including employer's|national insurance|||**£**
30,664|**£**
22,162| ||Pension contributions||||1,099|752| ||Training and other staff costs||||1,750|1,104| ||||||33,513|24,018| ||No employee received £60,000 or more in this or the preceding financial year.|||||| ||The average number of staff employed||during the year was:||**2023**
2|**2022**
3| ## **5. Trustee Remuneration** One former trustee - Mrs Kirsty Morgan - was employed throughout the year. Trustee expenses totalling £1,130 (2022: £819) were incurred in the year. The amount owing to trustees at the end of the year with respect to expenses was £98. www.bespace.be BeSpace 13 **BeSpace** ## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2023** ## **6. Fixed assets** |**Cost**
As at 1st April 2022
Additions in year
As at 31st March 2023
**Depreciation**
As at 1st April 2022
Charge in year
As at 31st March 2023
**Net book value**
As at 31st March 2023
As at 31st March 2022
**7.**
**Debtors**
Prepayments
SMP recoverable
**8.**
**Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year**
Trade creditors
Deferred income|**Office**
**Equipment**
**£**
3,474
-
3,474
2,442
628
3,070
404
1,032|**Venue**
**Equipment**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
9,764
13,238
-
-
9,764
13,238
9,004
11,446
282
910
9,286
12,356
478
882
760
1,792
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
554
643
-
781
554
1,424
**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
193
276
-
781
193
1,057| |---|---|---| www.bespace.be BeSpace 14 **BeSpace** ## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2023** ## **9. Funds** |_Unrestricted_
General unrestricted
_Unrestricted_
General unrestricted|**Balance at**
**Transfers**
**Balance at**
**1st April**
**between**
**31st March**
**2022**
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**funds**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
83,705
30,391
(38,933)
-
75,163
**Balance at**
**Transfers**
**Balance at**
**1st April**
**between**
**31st March**
**2021**
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**funds**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
71,192
41,614
(29,101)
-
83,705| |---|---| ## **10. Related Parties** The trustees made donations totalling £8,704 (2022: £10,453) to the charity. www.bespace.be BeSpace 15