## **Poetic Unity** 

**Reports and Financial Statements for period ended 31[st] December 2022** 

**Charity number: 1171832 Company number: 09882990** 

1 



## **Poetic Unity** 

## **Contents of the Financial Statements for period ended 31[st] December 2022** 

||Page|
|---|---|
|Company Information|3|
|Report of the Trustee's|4-7|
|Report of the Independent Examiner|8|
|Statement of Financial Activities|9|
|Balance Sheet|10|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|11|
|Funding Summary|12|



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## **Poetic Unity** 

# **Company Information for period ended 31[st] December 2022** 

Trustee's: Sasha Shantel Bennett Naomi Louise McLean Lucrecia Seline Augustin Temwani Melida Mwale Secretary: Ryan Junior Matthews-Robinson Chief Executive: Ryan Junior Matthews-Robinson Registered Address: 1 Windrush Square, Brixton, London, SW2 1EF Registered Company Number: 09882990 Registered Charity Number: 1171832 Independent Examiner: Mr. P Okusi LCIE AFA MIPA 



## **Poetic Unity** 

## **Report of Trustee's for period ended 31[st] December 2022** 

## **Incorporation and Registration** 

Poetic Unity was incorporated on 20[th] November 2015 and registered with charity commission on 1[st] March 2017. 

## **Structure, Governance and Management** 

Poetic Unity is governed by the board of trustees and supported by dedicated staff and volunteers to provide the following objects for our beneficiaries. 

1. To advance the education of young people through the subject of poetry and spoken word 

2.  To act as a resource for young people up to the age of 30 living in London by organising workshops programmes and events as a means of: 

(a) advancing in life and helping young people by developing their skills, capacities, and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature, and responsible individuals. 

(b) providing recreational and leisure time activity in the interests of social welfare for people living in the area of benefit who have need by reason of their youth, age, disability, poverty, or social and economic circumstances with a view to improving the conditions of life of such persons. 

Poetic Unity works with children and vulnerable adults and has safeguarding and child protection policies in place to ensure our activities are conducted in a safe and friendly environment. 

The trustee board ensures Poetic Unity is run in a legal way and is in line with charity commission law. The board, staff and volunteers work together to make sure the objects carried out in the community are done so effectively and responsibly. 

4 



## **Objectives and Activities** 

Going into 2022 the lockdowns and restrictions had just come to an end but another issue in society started to gather pace which was the cost-of-living crisis. This had a direct effect on the young people we support with them being unable to afford basic costs and extracurricular activities which left many young people feeling isolated. Due to these circumstances we decided to provide extra services 

this year to support young people through this crisis. In 2021 Poetic Unity provided 155 services and in 2022 Poetic Unity provided 265 services. We managed to provide an extra 110 services due to our dedicated team and partnering with 29 organisations throughout the year including Streatham Space project, the British Film Institute, Warner Bros, Advocacy Academy, Peer Power Youth and Prince’s Trust to name a few. Poetic Unity continued to provide core services such as our regular poetry event The Poets Corner and Black British History workshops as well as forming new partnerships with fellow charities YoungMinds and the Old Vic which helped us extend our impact. Poetic Unity proceeded with a hybrid service in 2022 with many of our online projects having significant uptake from young people across the UK in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Brighton and Glasgow. In June, Purpose Foundation funded Poetic Unity to be part of a project called ‘Live and Breathe’ highlighting the significant air pollution levels in Lambeth and Southwark and how this disproportionately affects people from Black and minoritized groups. This project was one of the highlights of 2022 which led on to young people being more aware of climate change and a desire for Poetic Unity to continue raising awareness on this topic. In August, Peabody Community Foundation funded Poetic Unity to create a youth club in Lewisham to engage local young people in the area. This has grown quickly with Poetic Unity engaging up to 20 young people from the local estate every week. In October, Poetic Unity was invited to perform at the U.S Embassy as part of a special celebration event which platformed 4 young poets. The following month in November Poetic Unity was invited to perform at the Mayor of London’s Black Futures event where one of our young poets performed at City Hall. 2022 marked year two of the Poetic Relief Project with long standing partners Black Cultural Archives and Theatre Peckham. This project grew and became more impactful with the learnings from year one. Poetic Unity continued to lead on this project citing the long-term effects that the cost-of-living crisis will have on young people’s mental health and employment status. The Poetic Relief Project supported thousands of young people’s mental health, personal development, and community cohesion. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund this project also allowed Poetic Unity, Black Cultural and Theatre Peckham to hire 12 young people between them as part of the Cultural Leaders Youth Employment Scheme. Poetic Unity also received funding from Arts Council, Arnold Clark Community Fund, and the World Reimagined Grant to support our projects and beneficiaries. 2022 was another transformative year for Poetic Unity adapting to the cost-of-living crisis and building long term partnerships to extend our impact and to ensure our beneficiaries have stability. 

5 



## **Achievements and Performance** 

Poetic Unity directly supported 1,313 young people in 2022 and it’s estimated that 8,346 young people aged between 10-30 years old benefited from our services in total in 2022. However, the impact of our work far exceeds the young people we help directly which includes relieving stress on the friends and family of the young people we work with and building community cohesion in boroughs such as Lambeth which has some of the highest rates of youth violence in London. These services generally provide alternative education, personal development, safe and friendly environments, and mental health support. 

## **Financial Review** 

In 2022 Poetic Unity is in a healthy financial position due to the long-term funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and securing new funding from Peabody Community Foundation. Although our finances are stable, we are constantly monitoring the cost-of-living crisis and the effect this could have on 

our financial status. We are persistently looking into new funding streams to ensure our financial health over the next 5-10 years. Poetic Unity’s finances in 2022 have seen a slight uptake on what was made in 2021 but ultimately 2022 has seen financial stability for Poetic Unity. Poetic Unity has continued to have a good balance of restricted income and unrestricted income in 2022. Although our restricted income is greater through receiving funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Peabody Community Foundation, Arts Council, Arnold Clark Community Fund, Purpose Foundation and The World Reimagined Grant, it’s imperative for the financial health of Poetic Unity that we continue growing our partnerships with organisations like the Prince’s Trust, Dark Matter Agency, Streatham Space Project, and We Are Parable to receive unrestricted funding that can support Poetic Unity’s core costs and reserves. Poetic Unity has built new partnerships with organisations such as YoungMinds and Peer Power Youth which has helped Poetic Unity build on its unrestricted income. Poetic Unity has continued to receive regular donations and regular donors who support the work we do. Poetic Unity’s financial forecast is healthy, and we expect to see more financial growth in 2023 with the need for our services continuing to grow. 

6 



## **Public Benefit** 

All the charity's activities are primarily aimed at the development of young people. In creating activities and providing services, the board have taken note of the guidance provided by charity commission on public benefit. 

## **Risk Management** 

The Board has taken into consideration the major strategic risks, operational risks, and the vulnerability of our beneficiaries. We can confirm our systems have been established to ensure our policies are up to date and reports can be produced when necessary to lessen these risks. 

Approved by the board on 01/03/23 and signed on their behalf by 


…………………………….. 

Naomi McLean 

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## **INDEPENEDENT EXAMINATION REPORT TO THE DIRECTORS OF POETIC UNITY ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022.** 

## **Respective responsibilities of the directors.** 

The directors are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The directors consider that an audit is not required for this year. 

I report on the accounts for the Poetic Unity for the year ended 31st December 2022 which are set out on the following pages. 

This report is made solely to Poetic Unity as a body. My review has been undertaken so that I might state, those matters I am required to state to them in a report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law. I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Directors as a body for my review, for this report or for the opinions I have formed. 

It is our aim to: 

- Examine the accounts: 

- State whether particular matters have come to our attention. 

## **Basis of independent report** 

Our review was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by Companies House. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the company and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as directors concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide any of the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 

## **Independent statement** 

In connection with my inspection, no matter has come to my attention. 

1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements 

- to keep accounting records in accordance with section of the Act; and 

- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the 

accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or 

2. to which, in my opinion, attention shown be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

Thompson & Co Approved Independent Examiner 336-338 London Road Cricket Green Mitcham CR4 3UD 

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|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**||||||
|**1st January - 31st December 2022**||||||
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|**_Total_**||
|**Income**|**2022**|**2022**|**2022**|**_2021_**||
|**Advocacy Academy**|318||318|||
|**Arnold Clark Community Fund**||1,000|1,000|||
|**Arts Council**||703|703|_13,050_||
|**Beyond the box Consultants**||||_675_||
|**Birkbeck University**||||_500_||
|**Change Grow Live LTD**||||_200_||
|**Dark Matter Agency**|1,150||1,150|||
|**Donation**|5,902||5,902|_787_||
|**DTA**|170||170|||
|**Greater London Authority**|500||500|||
|**Hitherfield Primary School**|300||300|||
|**Lambeth Council**||||_690_||
|**Leathersellers**||||_1,000_||
|**London South Bank University**||||_1,000_||
|**Men-TALL**|1,789||1,789|||
|**National Lottery and DCMS**||||_2,500_||
|**National Lottery Community Fund**||120,000|120,000|_120,000_||
|**Other Income**|1||1|_567_||
|**Peabody Community Foundation**||9,000|9,000|||
|**Penguin Books UK**||||_1,500_||
|**Peer Power Youth**|2,050||2,050|||
|**Prince's Trust**|2,905||2,905|_4,075_||
|**Purpose Foundation**||2,000|2,000|||
|**Salix Finance**||||_1,000_||
|**Seven Dials Playhouse**|825||825|||
|**St Georges Unversity**||||_350_||
|**Streatham Space Project**|714||714|_1,500_||
|**The Brixton Project**|1,715||1,715|_720_||
|**The Poets Corner**|2,393|105|2,498|_2,690_||
|**We Are Parable**|534||534|_2,373_||
|**We Out Here Festival**|440||440|||
|**World Reimagined Grant**||500|500|||
|**YoungMinds**|1,250||1,250|||
|**Youth Beyond Borders**|300||300|||
|**Total Income**|23,255|133,308|156,563|_155,177_||
|**Expenditures**||||||
|**Accountancy**|787|691|1,478|_469_||
|**Advertising/Promotional**|314|99|414|_2,275_||
|**Black Cultural Archives**||30,000|30,000|_30,000_||
|**Cultural Leader**|2,829|14,144|16,973|_5,581_||
|**Insurances**|304||304|_309_||
|**Legal**|13||13|_13_||
|**Office/General Administrative Expenses**|270|345|615|_734_||
|**Other Professional Services**|6,544|24,995|31,539|_28,265_||
|**Pension**||842|842|_1,875_||
|**Taxes**||-4,417|-4,417|_7,418_||
|**Wages**||43,333|43,333|_23,333_||
|**Photography and Videography Services**|250|2,360|2,610|||
|**Poetry In Motion**||150|150|_150_||
|**Printing, Postage and Stationery**|23||23|||
|**Theatre Peckham**||30,000|30,000|_30,000_||
|**Training**||510|510|_913_||
|**Travel and Accommodation**|18||18|||
|**Uniform/ Merchandise**|189||189|||
|**Venue Hire**|3,075|1,000|4,075|_657_||
|**Volunteer Costs**||345|345|||
|**Total Expenditures**|14,617|144,398|159,015|_131,993_||
|**Net Deficit for the Year**|8,638|-11,090|-2,452|_23,184_||
|**Funds Brough Forward**|29,798|36,020|65,818|||
|**Prior Year  Reversal**||-5,328|-5,328|||
|**Fund Balances 31st December 2022**|38,436|19,602|58,037|||



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|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**||
|---|---|---|
|**Balance Sheet**|||
|**As**at**December 31, 2022**|||
||||
||**Total**||
|**Fixed Asset**|||
|**Total Fixed Asset**|||
|**Cash at bank and in hand**|||
|**Bank**|58,632||
|**Total Cash at bank and in hand**|**58,632**||
|**Net current assets**|**58,632**||
|**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|||
|**Trade Creditors**|||
|**Creditors**|595||
|**Total Trade Creditors**|**595**||
||||
|**Total Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|**595**||
|**Net current assets (liabilities)**|**58,037**||
|**Total assets less current liabilities**|**58,037**||
|**Total net assets (liabilities)**|**58,037**||
|**Charity funds**|||
|**Retained Earnings**|60,490||
|**Surplus/(Deficit)**|-2,452||
|**Total Charity funds**|**58,037**||
||||



10 



## **Poetic Unity Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements Year Ended 31 December 2022** 

## **Accounting Policies** 

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (SORP 2015 & FRS 102). 

## _Depreciation_ 

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows: 

Equipment & Fixtures and fittings 25% Reducing balance basis 

## _Fund Accounting_ 

1.  Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity; 

2.  Restricted funds are those that may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for specific purposes. 

## _Income recognition_ 

Income is recognised and included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) as follows 

1. (a)  when the charity becomes entitled to the income, receipt is probable and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability; 

2. (b)  when income has related expenditure, the income and related expenditure are reported gross in the SoFA; 

3. (c)  bank interest is recognised when credited to the account. 

4. (d)  Income, which is subject to conditions that the charity is yet to fulfil, or which is specifically for use in a future accounting period, is treated as deferred income. 

## _Expenditure and liabilities_ 

1. (a)  Expenditure is recognised on the accruals basis; 

2. (b)  The charity is not registered for VAT thus all costs are shown inclusive of VAT. 

3. (c)  Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation to pay out resources. 

## _Tangible assets_ 

Tangible assets are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £250. They are valued at cost or, if gifted, at their market value. 

## _Debtors_ 

1. (a)  Debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due; 

2. (b)  Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid. 

## _Creditors_ 

1. (a)  Creditors are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are normally recognised at their settlement amount. 

2. (b)  Accrued charges are normally valued at their settlement amount. 

## _Going Concern_ 

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. 

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## **Trustee Expenses** 

No expenses were claimed by Trustees in their role as Trustees, but some are also volunteers supporting the youth and also raising funds through events. 

## **Funding Summary** 

|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**|**POETIC UNITY**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Grant & Core Funding Summary**|||||||||||
|**Year End December 2022**|||||||||||
||**Arnold**<br>**Clark**<br>**Communit**<br>**y Fund**|**Arts**<br>**Council**|**General**|**General**<br>**(Core)**<br>**Funding**|**National**<br>**Lottery**<br>**Communit**<br>**y Fund**|**Peabody**<br>**Communit**<br>**y**<br>**Foundation**|**Purpose**<br>**Foundation**|**The World**<br>**Reimagined**<br>**Grant**|<br>**TOTAL**||
|**Income**|||||||||||
|**Advocacy Academy**||||318.00|||||318.00||
|**Arnold Clark Community Fund**|1,000.00||||||||1,000.00||
|**Arts Council**||703.00|||||||703.00||
|**Dark Matter Agency**||||1,150.00|||||1,150.00||
|**Donation**||||5,901.55|||||5,901.55||
|**DTA**||||170.00|||||170.00||
|**Greater London Authority**||||500.00|||||500.00||
|**Hitherfield Primary School**||||300.00|||||300.00||
|**Men-TALL**||||1,788.60|||||1,788.60||
|**National Lottery Community Fund**|||||120,000.00||||120,000.00||
|**Other Income**||||1.03|||||1.03||
|**Peabody Community Foundation**||||||9,000.00|||9,000.00||
|**Peer Power Youth**||||2,050.00|||||2,050.00||
|**Prince's Trust**||||2,905.00|||||2,905.00||
|**Purpose Foundation**|||||||2,000.00||2,000.00||
|**Seven Dials Playhouse**||||825.00|||||825.00||
|**Streatham Space Project**||||713.50|||||713.50||
|**The Brixton Project**|||80.00|<br>1,635.00|||||1,715.00||
|**The Poets Corner**|||135.00|<br>2,362.50|||||2,497.50||
|**We Are Parable**||||534.40|||||534.40||
|**We Out Here Festival**||||440.00|||||440.00||
|**World Reimagined Grant**||||||||500.00|<br>500.00||
|**YoungMinds**||||1,250.00|||||1,250.00||
|**Youth Beyond Borders**||||300.00|||||300.00||
|**Total Income**|**£      1,000.00**|**£         703.00**|**£         215.00**|**£    23,144.58**|**£  120,000.00**|**£      9,000.00**|**£      2,000.00**|**£           500.00**|**£   156,562.58**||
||||||||||||



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