2022-12-31-accounts - Layton Community House

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LAYTON COMMUNITY HOUSE

ANNUAL REPORT 2022

2022 was a momentous year for Layton Community House (LCH). After spirited and successful attempts to emerge from lockdown in 2022 the House reached a new level with more customers than ever before and the introduction of social programmes to mitigate the cost of living crisis. We became not just a social venue but also a venue for social change.

The brilliant Rebecca Eliott finally departed LCH early in the year. She had performed every financial transaction since we started as a charity and produced the monthly cashbook. She is one of those selfless individuals who are rarely recognised.

We were particularly fortunate to find a Trustee replacement for Rebecca in Melanie Kelly. Melanie took on all Rebecca’s activity. She also handled our social media and was a tremendous contributor to all our discussions. More than anybody she originated the social programmes which were so successful later in the year.

The House’s central personality was, as always, the House Manager, Peter Mercer. We were particularly impressed with the way he adapted to the breadth and range of our programmes.

We said goodbye to our experienced and capable administrator Karen Pennington though we are sure she will help out if we are in need. Alison Raisbeck ably substituted.

It was a particularly strong year for our craft groups which meet four times a week. We widened our focus, going above and beyond our previous activities. New volunteer Kitty Flowers gave instruction in painting and sewing. She was so versatile that she even started a singing group at one point though this, alas, was short-lived. Kitty created an empathetic environment in which some who had been

socially isolated or had experienced crises in their lives felt more welcome and able to contribute.

Melanie Kelly’s cake decorating group, helped with Communities Together funding, also was a forum through which those who lacked resources and confidence could release their inner creativity. Some stunning displays were produced

Our neighbourhood police held surgeries at the House early in the year. Otherwise, an innovative attempt was made to set up an Autism Spectrum Disorder Group which met twice a week for a while. Sadly, this was disbanded before the end of the year. Much CBT counselling took place at the House. Our longstanding Friday afternoon mental health recovery group continued to function very well, we know how much the participants look forward to it. Some groups; the Ladies Trefoil Group, Reading Group and Philosophy Café, were happy to use the House on a monthly basis.

We weren’t surprised to win Blackpool in Bloom (the small community garden category) for the third time. The garden really is a tribute to our House Manager and his band of volunteers.

The Trustees anticipated the problems caused by the explosion in energy prices. By the summer of 2022 we had equally stunning increases in the cost of living, so much so that it was difficult for many to afford basic household hygiene and sanitary items.

In July 2022 we announced financial help for people on benefits who had gas or electric prepayment meters. We gave out £20 a household.

The cash payments were administered efficiently with the minimum of bureaucracy. We are grateful for the volunteers who helped our House Manager administer the scheme. On Friday mornings when we gave out the money the House was packed and we enjoyed entertaining new customers, some of whom became involved in our

other activities. The customers were polite and orderly, rather in contrast to how this demographic is often portrayed in the media. The support given was targeted, non-judgemental and very effective.

We didn’t just give out money, we also gave support to families with children who were struggling with the rising cost of essentials. We supplied nappies, formula milk, baby wipes, toiletries and sanitary products completely free of charge. Customers were often moved to tears.

The demographic of house users changed as more young people passed through our front door. The House now has more supporters than ever before and a greater than ever number of users.

To fund these social programmes we effectively bid to the Household Support Fund (administered by the Council) and later the Tenants Project Fund (run by Blackpool Coastal Housing). As winter approached we gave out electric blankets, fleeces, thermal flasks and dehumidifiers. Our support was desperately needed and very much appreciated.

We used some of the funding to establish the House as a Warm Hub. We put the heating on earlier in the morning and supplied hot drinks to everyone who wanted them. Of course we already operated as a drop-in centre but towards the end of 2022 we markedly increased our number of guests.

Summary

We would like to thank Blackpool Coastal Housing, Blackpool Council, the Community Foundation for Lancashire, the Arnold Clark Community Fund and the Co-op as well as our volunteers and staff. 2022 was the year we had more customers than ever before, undertook more activities than ever before, enjoyed more recognition and made more funding bids. We continued our

successful relationship with the Tudor Trust although the best news from that quarter came after the close of the year.

The Trustees are very proud of the very real differences Layton Community House has made to people’s lives. We have matured as a charity and if we meet future challenges with the resilient spirit of 2022 we can look forward to further success.

Martin Mitchell

Chair

Layton Community House

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2022 LCH ACCOUNTS HEADER PAGE I LCH Profll & Loss AC LCH B•14nco She•t

2022 LCH ACCOUNTS HEADER PAGE LCH Profft & Lou AC I LCH 8•lJnc• Sho•1 219344 8Jl 10 )401U• 27411.•• 18 1M97 ieij (x) 179 95 223 3B J2 24241.12 1084 2 J171.

41W 55 225 C#) 4J333.83 150C 16368.22 1151822 879.75 2257 30 31J7.05 2S514J3 40196.71 Pmfft & •t 3111 ol D•crbw2tr22 TOTAL FUNDS InA4 ? 3403 39 2J19.11 C• Ilal & R•••rY 13(X).C TOTAL FUNL 15319.11 /s/of//o%> 15/D8/1013

2022 LCH ACCOUNTS HEADER PAGE I LCH Profll & Loss AC LCH B•14nco She•t

2022 LCH ACCOUNTS HEADER PAGE LCH Profft & Lou AC I LCH 8•lJnc• Sho•1 219344 8Jl 10 )401U• 27411.•• 18 1M97 ieij (x) 179 95 223 3B J2 24241.12 1084 2 J171.