## **Soho First Community Development Trust Trustee’s Annual Report and Financial Statement for the Period 1st April 2022 - to 31st March 2023** 

**Charity name:** Soho First Community Development Trust 

**Other names charity is known by:** Soho First, Soho First CDT 

**Charity Number:** 1173499 

**Principle address:** Handsworth Baptist Church Centre 38A Victoria Road Handsworth Birmingham B21 0SA 

## **Trustees** 

Andrew Simons (Chair) Rhona Rouse (Treasurer) Robert John Higginson (Minutes secretary) Rev John Mall Carol Henry 

We thank the Trustees for their continued commitment and contribution to the work of Soho First. 

We would also like to thank Chris Milton for taking the lead on Soho First’s environment work. Thanks also to Pat Whyte from Birmingham City Council’s Neighbourhood Development Support Unit for keeping us up to speed on Council matters. 

## **Structure, governance, and management** 

## **Governing document** 

Association model constitution Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered 20 June 2017 

## **Trustee selection** 

The Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting. 

The objects of the charity are: 

1. To develop the capacity and skills of the members of the socially and economically disadvantaged community of Soho Ward, Birmingham, in such a way that they are better able to identify, and help meet, their needs and to participate more fully in society. 

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2. The promotion for the public benefit of urban regeneration in areas of social and economic deprivation (and Birmingham’s Soho Ward) by all or any of the following means: 

   - a) the relief of poverty in such ways as may be thought fit; 

   - b) the relief of unemployment in such ways as may be thought fit, including assistance to find employment; 

   - c) the advancement of education, training, or retraining, particularly among unemployed people, and providing unemployed people with work experience; 

   - d) the provision of financial assistance, technical assistance, or business advice or consultancy in order to provide training and employment opportunities for unemployed people in cases of financial or other charitable need through help: (i) in setting up their own business, or 

      - (ii) to existing businesses; 

   - (e) the creation of training and employment opportunities by the provision of workspace, buildings and/or land for use on favourable terms; 

   - (f) the provision of housing for those who are in conditions of need and the improvement of housing in the public sector or in charitable ownership provided that such power shall not extend to relieving any local authorities or other bodies of a statutory duty to provide or improve housing; 

   - (g) the maintenance, improvement, or provision of public amenities; 

   - (h) the preservation of buildings or sites of historic or architectural importance; 

   - (i) the provision or assistance in the provision of recreational facilities for the public at large and/ or those who, by reasons of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, poverty, or social and economic circumstances, have need for such facilities; 

   - (j) the protection or conservation of the environment; 

   - (k) the provision of public health facilities and childcare; 

   - (l) the promotion of public safety and prevention of crime; and 

   - (m)such other means as may from time to time be determined subject to the prior consent of the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales. 

## **The Trust’s mission statement is:** 

“Connecting the gifts, aspirations, capacities, and skills of people in Birmingham’s Soho and Jewellery Quarter Ward so that we are better able to identify local needs and priorities and act in response to them. Soho First aspires to work alongside residents and partners to make a difference to local priorities - social, economic, and environmental - to create a place that is even better for all to live and work in.” 

## **Summary of main activities undertaken** 

This report covers the financial year from 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023. 

## **Neighbourhood Network Scheme (Ladywood NNS)** 

For two years till end of March 2022, Soho First was one of four partner organisations overseeing Ladywood Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS). The 

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other partners were Birmingham Settlement (lead partner), Karis Neighbourhood Scheme and Nechells Pod. 

Set up in 2020, Ladywood NNS is one of ten constituency based NNS schemes in Birmingham that aim to support adult citizens (50+) in the community to live healthy, independent lives. The Neighbourhood Network Schemes help connect people to individuals, groups, organisations, activities, services, and places in their neighbourhoods. 

The scheme was extended in 2022 to include young people with long-term disabilities. 

Representatives from Soho First attended regular meetings of the partners and also the wider steering group meetings which included representatives from the social work team and many statutory and third sector organisations active in Ladywood Constituency. 

A part-time project worker was also employed through Birmingham Settlement to coordinate NNS in the Soho Ward. This model worked successfully for the two-year pilot. However, with the extension of the scheme from April 2022 a different model was adopted and Soho First are no longer directly involved in the running of Ladywood NNS. 

## **Thriving Soho** 

The Economic Community Development Plan for Soho and Jewellery Quarter Ward has been updated to include the research conducted by two groups of community researchers as part of the USE-IT! initiative. 

- _Procurement in the Soho Ward of Birmingham_ , Alison Thompson and Debbie Kerslake, USE-IT! Community Researchers 2019 

- _Enquiry into the possibility of a Maker Space in the Soho Ward_ , Jeanette Derbyshire, Gazala Aslam, Katarzyna Gut, Karen Thomas, Shazia Baig and Jennifer Thomas, USE-IT! Community Researchers 2019 

Reference to the research has also been included in a report on _Progressive Procurement in Perry Barr_ looking at some of the challenges faced by social enterprises in accessing the public sector procurement process and how these might be overcome. 

## **Environment** 

Chris Milton has continued to organise litter picks and clean up days in the area bringing together numerous partners and residents. 

## **Website and Facebook page** 

Lee Thorpe at Steamroom Media continues to help maintain and host the Soho First website – www.sohofirst.org.uk – which includes a link to the Facebook page. Thanks to Thomas Cantwell for continuing to add updates to the Facebook page. 

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## **Soho First Community Development Trust Financial Statement** 

## **1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023** 

|**Income**<br>**Expenditure**<br>Public Liability Insurance<br>Website domain name and hosting<br>Service charges<br>**Total expenditure**<br>Balance from previous year<br>Total income<br>**Total expenditure**<br>**Balance as of 31st March 2023**|**0.00**<br>99.31<br>105.99<br>72.00<br>_______<br>**277.30**<br>6,948.97<br>0.00<br>_______<br>**6,948.97**<br>**277.30**<br>**6,671.67**|
|---|---|



Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees 

Signature 


Full name: Andrew Simons Position: Chair Date: 26[th] January 2024 

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