## Spennymoor Youth and Community Association Annual Report 2021 Looking back over the last 12 months and over the project with the people, partners and volunteers who have been part of our centre. ## 1) Activities and the people who have benefited from the project In addition to our regular/established project users, we have been able to support 1,293 people new to the project and our centre this past year. - 611 children up to the age of 10 years; - 181 young people aged 11 to 17 years; - 267 adults - 22 adults aged 50 years and over - 104 people through intergenerational and family activities - 100 residents taking part in community celebrations - 8 new residents regularly volunteering as part of our community activities Over the last 12 months we have been able to benefit residents through the activities listed below: |below:|||| |---|---|---|---| |Target group|Activity|Individual
beneficiaries|Activity| |Children 0-10|Kalma Baby|10 babies, 20
toddlers and
parents/grandparents|Fortnightly Baby, toddler and
junior yoga (6 weeks to 12
years). Physical and mental
development, confidence
building, relaxation and
mindfulness. Social
interaction and improved
wellbeing for parents and
grandparents.| ||Hartbeeps|30 babies, 30 children
and
parents/grandparents|Weekly multi-sensory parent
and child teaching through
music classes for pre-school
and nursery age children;
new-born, baby and toddler
sessions.| ||Little Movers|12 babies, 10 children
and
parents/grandparents|Twice weekly parent and
child fun, healthy activity
dance to improve
confidence, self-esteem,
movement skills, growth and
development for babies and
toddlers.| ||Mini Moors
football|25 children and
parents/grandparents|Weekly Sunday football skill
sessions for 2-6years with| ||||Spennymoor Youth FC.
Promoting social skills and
fundamental movement
development.| |---|---|---|---| ||Baby Ballers|14 children|Weekly Friday football skill
sessions for 3-4 years with
MD Physical Education &
Coaching.| ||Mini Dribblers|14 children|Weekly Friday football skill
sessions for 5-7years.| ||Groundwork
Easter and
Summer Holiday
Clubs|60 children|Fun and Food school holiday
activities providing funded
free lunch time meals and
trips.| ||Juniors|20 children|Weekly term time youth
session for children aged 8-
10 years offering peer-led
arts, crafts, play and food.
Improving confidence and
social skills alongside youth
worker mentoring and
support.| ||Inters|20 children|Traditional centre-based
youth sessions. Weekly for
children aged 10-12 years,
designed to boost
confidence and self-esteem
withyouth worker support.| ||Learning
Together|8 young people|Weekly learning catch up
sessions at Tudhoe and
Spennymoor delivered by
tutors with youth worker
support. For children aged 5-
11 years with a focus on
learning skills, maths, English
and wellbeing.| ||Steelpan
sessions|26 young people|Weekly lunch club sessions
for North Park Primary
students and home ed
students designed to build
confidence and teamwork
through music and learning.| ||Meditation|20 young people|Weekly session with North
Park Primary students
promoting mindfulness and
wellbeing.| ||Stay and Play|21 pre-school babies
and toddlers and 22
parents|Open play session with toys
and soft play in partnership| ||||with volunteers from
Kingdom Culture Church.| |---|---|---|---| ||Sensory Room|15 babies and 15 mams|Spennymoor Youth and
Community Centre private
hire sensory room for
individuals and small group
activity with equipment
funded bySpennymoor AAP.| ||Birthday Parties|360 children and 170
parents|Private hire of both centres
to families for affordable
birthday packages.| |Young People
11-17|Monday Night
Youth Sessions|16 young people|Traditional after school
youth sessions for children
aged 11 years plus. Offering
peer-led activities including
crafts, games and outreach
football. Sessions are
designed to promote
confidence and improved
social skills for improved
relationships and wellbeing.| ||Chillax|14 children|Public Health funded mental
wellbeing group for young
people aged 11 years plus
offering youth work team
mentoring, support and
social activities including arts
and crafts with Daisy Arts
and peer-led food and
games.| ||Duke of
Edinburgh
Award and
Spenny
Reflections|6 young people and 4
adults|Accredited Duke of
Edinburgh Award
programme for young people
aged 13 years plus. Group
members took part in our
Heritage Lottery funded
Spenny Reflections project
duringtheyear.| ||Making Links|150 young people|Funded by Spennymoor AAP
our two outreach youth
workers engage and support
kids who don’t access our
youth services on the streets
and in communityspaces.| ||Volunteering
and work
experience|8 young people|We created a work
experience placement and
have received help with
youth sessions from seven of
ouryoung people.| |Adults|Adult Learning
(ESOL)|8 adults|English learning classes with
Durham Learn for refugees.| |---|---|---|---| ||Slimming World|50 adults|Weekly sessions from both
centres supporting group
members to eat healthily,
lose weight and live more
active lifestyles. Sessions
provide social contact,
motivation and confidence
buildingsupport.| ||Manhealth|13 adults|Weekly sessions for men
with lived mental health
experience, building
confidence to talk openly
about mental health and
ways to manage and improve
wellbeing.| ||Survive and
Thrive|12 adults|A support group for
residents with lived mental
health experience delivered
by local authority recovery
workers with weekly sessions
offering 1:1 mentoring,
counselling and group
activities to tackle social
isolation, improve
confidence and mental
wellbeing. The group has 12
regular attendees with ten
members aged 50yearsplus.| ||Growing
Together
Community
Allotment|6 adults|A volunteer-led community
garden for Spennymoor and
Tudhoe allowing residents to
grow together. Sponsored by
GAS Foundation, produce
grown is used by residents
and directed towards local
people in need and our food
projects.| ||Women
Supporting
Women|5 adults|A weekly volunteer-led
support group for women
who have survived domestic
abuse. Support is given to
the group’s organiser by The
Cornforth Partnership.| ||The Bread and
Butter Thing
Project and|220|Twice weekly access to food
surplus. 100 customers
servedper week with food| ||Thursday Food
Freebies||packed and distributed by
our Centre Friends via The
Bread and Butter Thing
project and Fareshare.| |---|---|---|---| ||You’re not
alone, pick up
the phone|311 adults and families|Volunteer support helpline
for residents living in the
Spennymoor area affected
by COVID restrictions
including emergency parcels
delivered to help people stay
safe and stay at home during
lockdown and isolation.| |Over 50s|The Monday
Club|16 adults and 4
volunteers|A social club for older
residents to meet weekly
and enjoy food, conversation
and agame of bingo| ||Breakfast
Buddies|8 men|A breakfast club for men, a
first activity for our Eating
Together project which aims
to bring together older
residents through food and
company to reconnect
people with their
communities.| ||Look Out Trips|21 residents|Using our community vehicle
to take groups of older
residents on local trips
including to the seaside and
market towns.| ||Dance and
exercise|16|Working with Dance North
East and NHS Social
Prescribers we have hosted
weekly exercise sessions for
older residents and those
with health problems where
gentle or informal exercise in
a community setting is
helping residents improve
health and wellbeing.| |Intergenerational
and family
activities|Carve a
pumpkin|57 families|Carve a pumpkin craft sessions
for families and children
attending youth sessions.
Households also took part in
the online Spennymoor Area
Pumpkin Trail and Christmas
Lantern Trail.| ||Doorstep Santa
visits and
Relaxed Santa|34 children and parents|In place of traditional
Christmas activities during
lockdown, the Centres
undertook doorstepSanta| ||||visits to children and older
residents living in
Spennymoor and Tudhoe.| |---|---|---|---| ||Christmas disco
and parties|24 children and parents|School holiday disco and
parties for families and
children with games and
food as part of our regular
fun and food funded
activities.| ||Relax Families|16 children and
parents/carers|Sessions for families and
their children with additional
needs designed to help in
managing big feelings,
emotions and with learning
skills.| |Community
events and
celebrations|Mince Pies and
Music, The Big
Jubilee Picnic|200 residents (Adults
and families)|Christmas and Jubilee
community events organised
byour team of volunteers.| - 2) How we have involved people, partners and volunteers in developing and delivering our activities The response to COVID involved a new group of volunteers in the project. These were a mix of working and retired residents who wanted to make a difference during the pandemic. During that time we were able to use those volunteers to deliver emergency food and toiletries to families and residents who were isolating and we delivered hot meals to isolated older residents thanks to additional funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. We are delighted that over the last 12 months as we have emerged from COVID restrictions, the volunteers who joined us during that time have stayed with us and become involved in other project activities aimed at getting the people we’ve helped back out into the community and into the centres as beneficiaries. Over the last year we have partnered with charities, The Bread and Butter Thing and Fareshare, to give residents access to affordable food surplus. The Bread and Butter Thing provides residents with three big bags of shopping every week packed by our volunteers and is one of the charities biggest hubs with over 200 members. Our Fareshare Thursdays is also volunteer run and allows residents to fill a bag with food in return for a small donation. The opportunity remains to support our new and committed volunteers to become a bigger part of running the project, in establishing more volunteer run activities and events (steadily happening now) and to go on and become members of bigger, more involved management committees and trustees. The relaxed style and enabling approach of The Communities Together project encourages volunteer involvement and ownership, but the next phase of the project will give us the resources and capacity to make this happen over the next three years. ## 3) Working with the people we planned to In addition to our National Lottery Fund grant, we were able to secure £73,488 in grant funding for projects and activities. At the same time as starting to broaden and increase revenues through venue hire, paid activities, services and projects. In particular, venue hire to ABL Health, Positive Journeys and Durham Learn is generating an annual income which we are able to invest back into the project. Improved facilities including bouncy castles, soft play, a refurbished kitchen meeting food business registration requirements and a community vehicle is allowing us to deliver projects able to generate income and benefit more residents. And our youth work team and centre staff enables us to offer services out in the community and to other community venues and partners allowing us to generate other income to help sustain and invest in the project and venues. A successful application to the National Lottery Community Fund this year secured a grant of £191,434 which will allow us to sustain and develop the project over the next 3 years which we are describing as Communities Together Stepping UP. Partnership working has been key to the project’s rapid growth and success. Without the partners listed below we would not have been able to reach the groups of residents we wanted to benefit at the start of the project. We’ve used their capacity and skills wherever possible to bring new activities into the centre. This approach has also made it much easier to fund new projects and activities at the same time as improving our facilities. |**Organisation**|**Activity/project**|**Funding**
**secured**| |---|---|---| |Durham County
Council/DofE Fun and
Food|School holiday activity tackling holiday hunger for
children and young people.|£3,479| |Spennymoor Area
Action Partnership
Covid Recovery|Funding for Admin Worker, new outdoor facilities,
community transport (trips and Eating Together
transport).|£24,312| |ASDA Foundation|To pay for wall mounted baby change stations for
both centres.|£774| |ASDA Green Token
Giving|To support centre youth sessions.|£500| |Livin|School HolidayActivities Fund 2022.|£2,100| |Co-op Community
Fund|Tudhoe Community Centre Youth Sessions.|£2,386| |Public Health|Chillax CREE and CREE plus supporting our weekly
young person’s mental wellbeing group.|£4,000| |SYACA|The CommunityTakeawayincomegenerated.|£9,664| |Barratt Homes|Donation towards sustaining our weekly youth
sessions.|£500| |Kingdom Culture
Church|Donation towards project activities.|£500| |Spennymoor Area
Action Partnership
Jubilee Fund|Funding for Jubilee community celebrations which
included a Jubilee Quiz and Music Night, a Big
Jubilee Picnic and commemorative badges for
children andyoung people.|£2,275| |---|---|---| |DCA Community
Buildings Support Fund|Cleaning materials for SYACA and Tudhoe and
contribution towards a storage container for Tudhoe|£1,500| |PCP Happiness Hub|Funding to develop our Survive and Thrive
wellbeing social group for people with lived
experience of mental health problems and to
deliver weeklyexercise sessions inpartnership.|£4,000| |DCC Support and
Recovery|Survive and Thrive group funding.|£1,000| |Government Contain
Outbreak
Management Fund|Covid 19 Community Buildings Recovery Support
Grant.|£6,000| |Government/DCC
Covidgrant funding|Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant.|£5,334| |Spennymoor AAP|Capital grant for hall lighting and sensory room
equipment|£4,664| |DCC Civic Pride|It’s Your Neighbourhood grant for outdoor space
plants and compost.|£500| ||**Totalgrant funding secured inyear 3:**|**£73,488**| ## 4) Engaging with diverse groups of people Having seen rapid growth in the number of new people using the centre, over the last twelve months we are seeing people become regular project users, accessing several activities and services and finding a place for themselves as we are able to deliver more of a wrap around offer. In addition to more of the wider community using our centre for the normal activities you would expect to find; parties, youth sessions, baby and toddler classes, Slimming World we have learned that there is a need for activities and support for people who are marginalised and excluded financially, socially or face other barriers to involvement. The funding and activities we have developed during COVID and over the last 12 months and the cost of living crisis are helping us to meet this need. Access to affordable food, mental and wellbeing support, exercise for people with long term health problems, support for families with additional needs, learning and basic skills for residents with no qualifications, disabilities and refugees. Angela is a grandma who has fostered her grandson. Angela and Jack have attended our Regular Relax Families sessions delivered by tutors Sam and Gemma, which helps families learn how to deal with emotions, big feelings or challenging behaviour. Angela told us that she in now using the techniques she learned to support Jack and it is really helping the family. Alan has attended Breakfast Buddies and recently gone on one of the Look Out trips to Barnard Castle. Having lost his wife earlier this year, Alan told us that despite finding it very difficult to socialise again, the trip really helped and he enjoyed a day with company he wouldn’t have had otherwise. ## 5) Building improvements The most recent improvements to our venues have included party, disco and mood lighting in the hall at the centre which has added to the package available to families hiring for children’s parties and other activities such as Little Movers, Hartbeeps and Boogie Bounce fitness sessions as well as our own community events and activities. We also secured grant funding to create a baby sensory room which is generating another source of income and has created another social space in the centre. New wall mounted baby change stations have been funded by ASDA to improve our family facilities. To increase the sustainability of the centre, we want to install solar panels. Quotes and discussions with funders are underway. With funding from Spennymoor Area Action Partnership, we have created a new courtyard space at the centre. The space includes picnic benches, seating and planters with bike racks to be added. The courtyard provides a safe space for group activities and will provide an outdoor area for our Eating Together activities. ## 6) Promoting the centre We have developed some strong partnerships and have established a regular programme of activities and events. Term time youth sessions, holiday hunger activities, outreach youth work, parent baby and toddler sessions, wellbeing groups (social and exercise), learning for children and adults, access to free and affordable food, meals and community transport and trips. This year our Jubilee celebrations became one of the biggest community events for Spennymoor with other events including an afternoon tea and Mince Pies and Music proving popular. Our ability now to bring people together reflects the success of the work carried out. ## **#Growing Together** Investment in our Community Allotment in partnership with Great Annual Savings has seen a polytunnel and tool store added to the greenhouse and potting shed. Getting the volunteers we need to manage and maintain the allotment is still a challenge but over the last 12 months we have better aligned the aims of the project to growing produce which is going directly to residents in need through our access to food activities, in particular The Bread and Butter Thing Mondays and Fareshare Thursdays. ## **#Eating Together** In March, The Community Takeaway covid support project came to an end having delivered 4,416 hot meals to mainly older isolated residents. Post COVID restrictions, we have worked to reconnect these older residents with their communities and involve them in both centres. The Monday Club at Spennymoor, Breakfast Buddies and Look Out trips have helped us maintain links with the people we identified through The Community Takeaway project. Over the next twelve months we will develop a weekly lunch club and community café session for older residents. Recruitment of an Eating Together Cook and Communities Together Stepping UP Project Worker will give us the capacity to deliver more food focused projects for all ages, as well as being able to cater for partner activities and community events/activities. Holiday hunger activities for children have become an established part of our programme at both centres. Regular grant funding from the Department of Education’s Fun and Food fund has allowed us to provide free access to lunch time or tea-time food during school holidays. In addition to our own holiday activities, working with Groundwork has seen additional holiday hunger activities making us a large hub for holiday hunger work. Where funding allows, we also try to include food as part of our term time youth sessions. Food as a way to bring people together and as one of the challenges for low-income families will be a priority. Addressing the cost of living crisis has been another priority over the last 12 months. Opening up the centre to allow people access to warmth, food, advice and support will be another priority. Funding applications have been made to create 7-day centres where our spaces and facilities are open to the whole community to help and support where we can. ## **#Learning Together** In the last year, Durham Learn has returned to teaching from our Spennymoor centre. English classes for refugees occupy our training rooms 9 hours per week as part of a 12-month contract. With refugee children attending the primary school next door, it has been an opportunity for us to support these families and involve them in the project. We have also hosted week-long security training courses, first aid and domestic abuse training. Our improved facilities means that we are better equipped to support adult learning and is something we plan to grow in the next phase of the project. Our Learning Together activities for children has built up a dedicated group of learners at weekends including some home educated children. The partnership with Relax Kids and Learning a New Way CIC will see activities sustained from the centres but delivered and funded directly by those two organisations going forward. ## **#Feeling Better Together** Having identified a need for support which helps isolated and marginalised including struggling families with additional needs, we have made wellbeing activities a priority. The project has taken on hosting the weekly Survive and Thrive group offering residents with lived experience of mental health problems a social space and support. Chillax, Relax Kids and Relax Families offers children and young people more structured youth activity with additional support, meditation and yoga to address individual needs such as anxiety and autism. And as part of all other activities we are now considering how we can include people with additional needs, helping overcome barrier to involvement. Quiet Santa, smaller events, additional staff/youth workers, transport and diet are all now factors in making sure we respond to the additional needs of the people we are working with and that we want to be part of the project. ## 7) The difference the centre is making The centre has achieved three important outcomes to date: - It has engaged 4,276 residents and involved 48 volunteers. Most importantly supporting increasing numbers of regular project users and most of the volunteers users to stay involved and participate in more than one thing. - It has developed partnership working with local providers who have been able to benefit local people with the help of the project and our venues. - It has secured additional grant funding which has been invested in residents, our venue and the communities we serve. The feedback we have received from project users and the positive differences big and small that the project has made for individuals involved is what we are most proud of. The project allowed us to be there in response to COVID and harness the determination of residents to help each other. Over the last year the increase in activities, footfall and business has been rapid. It demonstrates how well the project has positioned the partnership to meet the needs of the community. We have moved from COVID to helping people through the cost of living while continuing to offer venues where people come together and meet their needs as individuals or a community. We are near full capacity and we have now developed a clear plan for the next phase of our project which will increase our staff capacity and give a focus on helping struggling families, reconnecting isolated older residents, improving mental and physical wellbeing and acting as a learning gateway. Illustrating the difference the project is making, here are a selection of comments: _“I found out about this from my sister who volunteered in Covid._ _She meets people on their doorsteps. One man said:_ ## _**You are the first person I have met since you delivered my last meal.”**_ _Volunteer_ _“It’s a massive help to me…_ _**I can come here** ,_ _and the cost is great for what you get.”_ _The Bread and Butter Thing member_ _“We live in sheltered accommodation, but it is_ _**so good to get out** ” Monday Club participant_ _“_ _**They work exceedingly well with other partners** , …_ _which is good news for the community as the cost of living crisis starts to take effect.” Spennymoor Area Action Partnership_ _“This organisation_ _**really listens** to my ideas,_ _and I feel I can contribute to helping the organisation grow.”_ _Volunteer_ _“Three years ago I did not know it existed”_ _Fun and Food Programme_ _Having this investment from the Lottery_ _has made a_ _**significant difference** ”_ _Trustee_ _**“** We would never have believed_ _**how well this** would have_ _**worked.”**_ _Trustee_ Management Committee Barbara Graham – Chairperson Neil Foster – Secretary Wayne Gibson – Treasurer Committee Members: Dianna Charlton Jim Graham Staff: Community Development Worker Michael Fishwick (National Lottery Community Fund) Children and Young People’s Workers – Spennymoor Chris Milner Claire Peat David Stow, Sandra McDonnel Caretaker Val Richardson Community Take Away Staff (National Lottery / Government Funding) Pat Lawton – Cook Katya Edwards – Assistant Cook Stephen Cutler – Driver David Sparks – Driver Special thanks must go to all the VOLUNTEERS who have supported the association over the past 12 months. Well done everyone. ## **SPENNYMOOR YOUTH & COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT - YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021** |**RECEIPTS**
PayPal Donation
Rental Income
Canteen
Youth Club Resources
Chillax Sessions
CDCF Food Products/Hall
Project/Covid 19 Comm Takeaway
Reaching Community
AAP Learning/Making Links
Sundry Income
Pool Table Income
Non Profit Income
Uncategorized Income
Grants
Living Holiday Act
Excess of Payments - over
Receipts|**2021**
**2020**
**PAYMENTS**
**2021**
**2020**
7840 Cleaning
16666 7571
Gas & Electric
5445
4965
Water
687
732
Building Insurance
1058
702
12045
4328 Insurance
Telephone
1273
344
4221 Office/General Admin Expenses
222
4000
3000 Sundry Expenses
1312
492
Accountancy Charges
354 354
T V License
155
155
Repairs and Renewals
1502
16885 88033 Canteen Purchases
1680
46254 60488 Bank Charges
116 54
Affiliation Fees
282
26666 43977 AAP Learning Together
/AAP Covid
28335 6296
Funding
400
Computers/ICT
2104
6935
Youth Club Activities
7666
11448
4856 Grants Expenses
430
56725 31591 Photocopier Expenses
644
604
Chillax Expenses
262 488
500
480
35728
Wages Expenses
93175
64441
Advertising
154
2500
D of E Expenses
489
608
Reaching Communities
11098
34213
PayPal Fees
20
Petty Cash
DBS Checks
CDCF Hall/Covid 19 Food Packs 1080 17055
Covid 19 Take Away
10919 45182
Uncategorized Expenses
2143
3449
Spennymoor Reflections
3168
Excess of Receipts - over
22839______ Payments
______74184
188394 284562
188394 284562
====== ======
===== =====| |---|---| ============================================================================ ## **SPENNYMOOR YOUTH & COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION SUMMARY** _____________________________________________________________________________________ **2021 2020 2021 2020** Balance as at 01.01.21 164199 90015 Balance as at 31.12.21 Less Excess of Payments Unity Trust Bank 140933 161359 over receipts for the Year 22839 - Debtors 22949 11158 Creditor (22822) (8618) Plus Excess of Receipts Over payments for the Year 74184 Cash in Hand 300 300 ______ ______ ______ ______ 141360 164199 141360 164199 ===== ===== ===== ====== Approved by ============================================================================ We have compiled these unaudited accounts from the books and records of Spennymoor Youth & Community Association and from information given to us. We have not performed an audit therefore we do not express any opinion on the financial information. Smith + Co 45-47 Cheapside Chartered Accountants Spennymoor DL16 6QF 9th March 2022 Looking back over the last 12 months in photos