Chairmans report for The South Stanley Partnership 2023
We have had quite a successful year at St. Stephen’s during 2022 and 2023. Some of our regular community groups are still with us, but sadly some have left due to lack of funding. We will continue to advertise for more people to use our facilities which will help towards us once again being self-supporting.
The café continues to do well, but as with most things some days are busier than others. Our new Autum Winter menu started last week and that has helped to increase sales. We have more people eating in now than in previous years, but we would still even more people to eat in rather than take out or ask for deliveries.
Since Zoe started working for us in September last year, she has arranged many successful courses, which has also brought us some income through room hire, and has also increased café sales as many learners will have breakfast or lunch while they are here.
We have had some really good grants over the past year, including one to pay for a new stairlift as the old one was beyond repair. The new stairlift has now been installed and is used frequently by people accessing the reading room.
We have had a lot of support from our local AAP. They have enabled us to provide breakfast and lunch for local children during school holidays, and activities for our School Holiday Club.
Due to all the courses that have been running during the early part of this year, there hasn’t been much time for events. However, we did have a ladies Pamper night last month which was very successful. We have many more events planned between now and Christmas.
Our community shop is popular with local people who are in need of food support. We work closely with local schools to make sure we are reaching families who are most in need. We also work with pact house and Craghead village hall, to make sure food parcels are not being duplicated to the same people.
I would like to thank all the Staff, Volunteers and Trustees for all their hard work over the past year. Recovery from the pandemic has been a slow process, and is still ongoing, but with such a great hard-working team, and new projects planned for the coming year, we will get there.
I reportto the trStee5 on myexarnSnation of thÈ accDunts of the above charityl"theTrust-I forthe year ended 3110312023. A5 the ¢harity'S trusiees, you are responsible for the preparation of the actounts in a¢¢ordance vlth the requlrements f the CharltiesAct 20111.the A1. Respl¥IblI[e$&rtd basls of report I report rÈspect of my examination of thÈ Trust's accounts carrled out under Section 145 of the 2011 Ats ancl in carryingout my examination. I havÈ followed all the applicable Direction5 given bythe Charity CofflmiSSiOn under Section 1451Sllbl vf the Att. Independentexamlner's wtÈmÈni I have completed my examifjation. I confirm thal no mateThal maners have come to myattention in connection with the exarnination lothei than that disclosÈd below) which 8ive5 me cause to believe that in. any tnaterkHI respect.. the accounting recordswere not kept in Attordance wlth section 130 of the Charities Aci,. or the accountsdid not accord wlth the accounting record5.' Of the accounisdid not complywlth the applicable requirements concerningihe form and contentof account5 set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Re8ulatlons 2008 otherihan any requiremenrihai the accounts give 'truÈ and falr. Viewwhlch Is not a matterconsidered as partol aD independent eA6tnin4tion. I have no conrerns and have come atross noother maner5 in conneciioD wirh the examination to which attention should be drawn In thls repDrt Inorderio enable a proper undersianclingof the acryunt5 to be reached. 51ined DAt Iliu Nam• OweDTemple Retlred Chartered Financial Planner or Professlohal Body Addre55 300 Medomsley Road, Conseit, DH8 51P
I reportto the trStee5 on myexarnSnation of thÈ accDunts of the above charityl"theTrust-I forthe year ended 3110312023. A5 the ¢harity'S trusiees, you are responsible for the preparation of the actounts in a¢¢ordance vlth the requlrements f the CharltiesAct 20111.the A1. Respl¥IblI[e$&rtd basls of report I report rÈspect of my examination of thÈ Trust's accounts carrled out under Section 145 of the 2011 Ats ancl in carryingout my examination. I havÈ followed all the applicable Direction5 given bythe Charity CofflmiSSiOn under Section 1451Sllbl vf the Att. Independentexamlner's wtÈmÈni I have completed my examifjation. I confirm thal no mateThal maners have come to myattention in connection with the exarnination lothei than that disclosÈd below) which 8ive5 me cause to believe that in. any tnaterkHI respect.. the accounting recordswere not kept in Attordance wlth section 130 of the Charities Aci,. or the accountsdid not accord wlth the accounting record5.' Of the accounisdid not complywlth the applicable requirements concerningihe form and contentof account5 set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Re8ulatlons 2008 otherihan any requiremenrihai the accounts give 'truÈ and falr. Viewwhlch Is not a matterconsidered as partol aD independent eA6tnin4tion. I have no conrerns and have come atross noother maner5 in conneciioD wirh the examination to which attention should be drawn In thls repDrt Inorderio enable a proper undersianclingof the acryunt5 to be reached. 51ined DAt Iliu Nam• OweDTemple Retlred Chartered Financial Planner or Professlohal Body Addre55 300 Medomsley Road, Conseit, DH8 51P