2023-12-31-accounts - Layton Community House

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2023 LCH Annual Report

2023 was a successful year for LCH in which we continued to offer a range of social programmes while consolidating our traditional activities. We said goodbye to our longserving House Manager Peter Mercer and welcomed new customers of diverse backgrounds.

With help from Blackpool Council’s Household Support Fund and also Blackpool Coastal Housing we continued to make payments for those suffering from the crisis in energy payments. We gave out equipment to cope with the worst of the effects of winter including dehumidifiers, electric blankets, fleeces and woolly hats for infants. We gained more visitors than ever before with our House Manager ably supported by volunteers.

We identified funding to give IT support for four hours a week and advertised a vacancy. The successful candidate, Lewis Simons, enabled customers to use their devices better, tailoring his teaching to the specific needs of customers who were then able to apply for passports, jobs, benefits and housing using their newly acquired skills.

Later in the year we entered a partnership with Blackpool Centre for the Unemployed in which Adam Evenson held a weekly surgery at the House. Adam offered a full range of advice on housing, benefits, disability issues and employment rights. He helped people fill in forms and represented customers at tribunals as appropriate.

In 2023 we entered into a fresh partnership with the Tudor Trust, an independent charitable trust which supports work which meets the different needs of people at the margins of society. The Trust had previously awarded us a three year grant which ran out in 2022.

In July 2023 we were overjoyed to learn that the Tudor Trust had once again agreed to award three years of funding, this time to the

tune of £24,000 a year. The first payment was most gratefully received in August.

The Nationwide Building Society also gave very generous support, £9,000 in total, which we gratefully received and spent on our Winter Warmth, Infant Essentials and gardening programmes.

In April our longstanding House Manager, Peter Mercer, decided to call it a day. He was no small act to replace! As often happens when somebody leaves others added fresh energy and ideas with volunteers developing new capabilities.

We were very pleased to recruit Jamie Tonner, at first in the short term and then in a permanent capacity as House Manager. In the immediate aftermath of Peter leaving Lewis Simons, our IT expert, added to our management team, acting as host for two days a week. The Trustees would also like to thank Tina Kift, David Forrest and Hilary Moore for their assistance in staffing. None of them were money-oriented, each contributed something different.

The Gardening Group was introduced as a regular item on the House calendar. Our sessions on Wednesdays were very much enjoyed. Our gardeners, working closely with Jamie, were officially recognised when we were Highly Commended in the Blackpool in Bloom awards.

At the very end of the year we were fortunate to meet Dawn Thaw who with her great temperament, interpersonal skills and specialist craft knowledge supported Jamie excellently with managerial duties. Thanks also to Alison Raisbeck, our administrative worker, for her support in assisting Trustees and staff alike. Our new Trustee, Pam Isherwood, speedily settled into her role.

Our 2023 house activities included Basic Art, the Trefoil Guild, the Philosophy Café, Sewing, Knitting, the Recovery (mental health) Group, IT support, the Gardening Group and the Reading Group. We

are, as ever, open to new ideas. We have enjoyed meeting new customers and growing a more diverse clientele.

We aim not to rest on our laurels but to rise to new heights of achievement.

Martin Mitchell

Chair

LCH

72 Rhlyn Avem4e Bloc4)oolFY3 8ED IIEBSITE. IYIVW.SGR4CCOUNTINGSOLtrTIONS.COM EMAIL.. &fEYEN@SGRACCOUNTINGSOLUTIONS.COM PHONE." 07977-222395 Accountants report to Layton Community House on the review of the Unaudited Financial Infornmtion of Layton Community House In accordan with your instruclion we have reviewed the financial Informati of Layton Communty House which c(xnprises the Profft & Loss Accoun( Balanr Sheel and related notes fr the entitys accounting records ar from the information explanation8 you have given us for the accountiNJ peri(MJ 2023. This report is made 801ety to you in accordance vth your instrLKtion8. Our work has been undertaken solely to rev for your approval the financial information of Layton Cunmunty House and state those matters that we have agreed to slate to you in this port in accordan wilh starthrd accountancy practice. To the fvllest extent pemiitted by law. we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Layton Communty House for our report. You have approv&J financial infomialion for the year and have ad(nowledged your responsibilty for i( for the appropriateness of the financial reporting framew ad(yted and for provid#w all inf0Mn aNI explanatK)n nerxssary for its ompilalion. We have verified the accuracy or completeness of the accountiThJ records or 8 you have given to U8. Signed Steven Rudman SGR Account1r Solutions 72 Rathlyn Avenue Layton Blackpool FY3 8ED

Layton Communlty House Reglstered Charlty No 1170042 6 Grenfell Avenue, Blackpool, FY3 7BP Accounts for the yr •nding December 2023

Layton Community House Profit and Loss Account to 31st December 2023 2023 Income Grants Room Hire Donations Fundraisin Collections from Other 47166.82 1387_00 2979.17 711.36 1707.60 5855.86 rou TOTAL INCOME 59807.81 Expendlture 2023 Sala & on costs Insurance Tele hone ITILa to Heat & Li ht Rates & Water Re airs, Renewals & Checks" Posta e & Stallone Cleanin & Sundri8S' User Involvement En Accountan Services Other Craft itemsl rou Laudrette Scheme Bab Items Pe Cash Winter Wam)th Cash Top ups for Gaslebec Garden Serviceslsafety Checks TOTAL EXPENDITURE 23145.43 96.00 833.13 431.00 1636.39 588.96 388.37 41.92 ui ement" 787.39 62.50 58.99 939.24 1088.8 7921 670.00 2017.66 15108.6 168.86 205.20 56189.44 Losslsurplus for the year 3618.37

Layton Community House Registered Charity No 1170042 Balance sheet as at 3111212023 Current Assets Cash at Bank Cash in hand Debtors Preypayments Total Assets 2023 45544.22 2022 41936.55 480.00 460x22 41936.55 Accruals Creditors Total Laibilities 150.00 16368.22 16518.22 11663.13 11663.13 Total As3et8 less Current Llabllllle•: 34361.09 25418.33 Capltal & Ro8orve• Profrt & Loss as at 31 st December 2023 Profit & Loss as at 31 st of December 2022 TOTAL FUNDS 3618.37 -1084.28 2534.09 ftal & Reserve8 Resèrves as r Reserrfes Poli Unrestricted 13000.00 TOTAL FUNDS 15534.09 {Audft•d by SGR A¢(ntIng Sdy1145ns) Date gz /*J7fr Sl8ned Ichalffln of LCH Trustees) ' 13 /7/2+

Layton Communlty House Reglstered Charlty No 1170042 6 Grenfell Avenue, Blackpool, FY3 7BP Accounts for the yr •nding December 2023