Trustee Annual Report
Cirencester Signpost ‘Embracing Hope, Creating Community’ Creating opportunities for lives to be transformed, empowered and uplifted
01 July 2023 to 30 June 2024
Registered Charity Number 1175014
Introduction
The trustees of Cirencester Signpost present their annual report for the period from 01 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.
The cost-of-living crisis continued to impact across our community, both in terms of those who engaged with us and for ourselves operationally.
We focused on responding to those challenges in terms of our outreach and ensuring our financial reserves were underpinned and strengthened with our aim to remain a sustainable force for good over the long-term.
This report reflects our efforts to create opportunities for lives to be uplifted, empowered and transformed.
Objectives and Activities
In accordance with Christian principles, the relief of poverty for those in need with a particular focus on those who are homeless in Cirencester and the immediate surrounding area in particular, but not exclusively by:
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The provision of ‘drop in’ sessions offering advocacy, a befriending service and information on other local agencies
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Providing free meals to help relieve poverty
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The provision of clothing, footwear and toiletries together with assistance to find housing
With a view to integrating such people into society.
Review of Activities and Achievements
To optimise the impact of our charitable objectives necessitates coming alongside the homeless directly at their point of need. Homelessness takes many forms such as rough sleeping, sofasurfing, being in emergency accommodation or a local authority hostel. As trust and friendship is established, they engage through our weekly activities and support plans are put in place.
Our weekly Well-being Café and Good Neighbour Hub continued to provide a safe, inclusive space for people to connect offering a range of free hot meals and drinks. At these events, we were able to provide toiletries, clothing and footwear as well as arranging access to shower facilities and haircuts.
Helping the homeless to integrate back into society, we provided 15 home-starter packs of key kitchen, bedding, bathroom and cleaning essentials to those moving from emergency accommodation into a new home. Feedback we received included: -
‘Wow, I cannot believe all the items you have given to me, I am only 21 and up until recently, homeless, I have moved into a new flat with a bed and a cupboard. I can now cook meals in the microwave and even dish them up on the lovely plates. Your support is amazing’
‘When you arrived at my new property I burst into tears with gratitude because I never expected such kindness and generosity and just couldn’t believe all the beautiful items. After such a traumatic experience for myself and my daughter, you have given me a glimmer of hope in starting my new life.’
We purchased outdoor furniture for the courtyard of one local hostel to help promote the well-being of tenants. Working closely with management across the three local authority hostels we supplied bedding and toiletries upon arrival to new tenants as well as household items such as kettles, toasters, crockery and cutlery.
Our practical outreach to the homeless was incorporated into our new homeless charter with a promise to be responsive, accessible and inclusive along with using our platform to give a voice to those who would otherwise go unheard.
On 20 occasions, we helped people who found themselves in a crisis to secure help with counselling, debt management and gaining employment.
We continued to work with other agencies and professionals striving to add value and never simply replicating what others are doing.
The trustees have fully considered and taken into account the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in determining the activities undertaken by the charity.
Financial Review
For the period from 01 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, our expenditure totalled £25,030 with the majority of these monies £18,075 used to provide our direct services such as the Well-being Café, Good Neighbour Hub and outreach support as detailed in our section on review of activities and achievements.
We have always been an ‘in person’ engagement charity but due to the effects of the pandemic and the resulting aftermath, getting together with both those needing our help and with our key partner agencies proved problematic. During this time the decision was taken to temporarily widen the qualifying criteria for our home-starter packs to referrals from approved agencies.
Many more people were helped but our operational costs rose significantly in our financial year ending 30 June 2023.
Recognising our duty to ensure our long-term, financial viability, at the start of the new charity year beginning 01 July 2023 the trustees undertook a comprehensive review of our outreach support.
We proposed no changes to assisting anyone rough sleeping, sofa surfing, living in a car or in an emergency placement. No changes upon arrival to those placed in local authority hostels.
As trustees, we acknowledge that overseeing a charity comes with obligations and on occasions this necessitates hard choices being made. With the ending of pandemic restrictions, a return to the office for support agencies and the availability of funding streams elsewhere, we concluded that the time was right to re-introduce our qualifying criteria for home-starter packs to the need for continuous engagement with ourselves.
Furthermore, we prioritised additional fundraising and were able to increase our income by over 100% on the previous year.
Our actions demonstrate our commitment to being an ongoing and sustainable organisation. In order to do this, we will aim hold at least two years’ operating costs to create a sustainability surplus.
Structure, Governance and Management
Cirencester Signpost is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a constitution as its governing document, its members being the trustees. Our registered charity number is 1175014.
Currently, trustees are recruited from those who are volunteers. Charity means more than having worthy aims. A charity must be a living example of charitable conduct. It must, therefore, be good as well as do good. Our trustee group recognises that legal and regulatory compliance are the central pillars of governance ensuring that we fulfil our obligations incorporating key areas such as charity law, health and safety, financial, data protection and insurance.
As we deal with the most vulnerable in our community safeguarding is at the core of our governance. We are committed to providing a safe and trusted environment, establishing an organisational culture that prioritises safeguarding, having adequate policies, procedures and measures to protect people and ensure they are regularly reviewed and handling incidents as they arise and reporting them to the relevant authorities.
To facilitate this governance, any potential trustee must be fully conversant with our framework of policies and procedures, which includes: -
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a safer recruitment process
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safeguarding policy and procedures
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code of conduct and good practice
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roles and duties of a trustee
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data protection policy; and
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health and safety policy
together with signing a trustee certificate of eligibility confirming they are a fit and proper person to hold the position of trustee, declare any conflicts of interest and confirm they have read and understood the Charity Commission’s document ‘the essential trustee’.
The trustees are responsible for ensuring our safer recruitment process is adhered to and where appropriate volunteers must provide satisfactory references and be made aware of and sign up to our core polices and codes.
Beyond our policies and procedures, we recognise the need for practical application and for this reason any potential trustee must undertake an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check and pass a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited safeguarding course as agreed by the trustee group.
Looking Forward
We are mindful that we are a charity of limited in terms of people and funding and this necessitates us applying those resources to maximum effect. We constantly monitor the everevolving community in which we operate in terms of what other offerings are available and fit for purpose in terms of key criteria such as safeguarding and the provision of dignity.
We commit to remaining vigilant to the needs of those we serve in terms of their physical, emotional and mental well-being.
We confirm that this report complies with the requirements of the Charities Act 1993, as amended by the Charities Act 2006 and the Charities SORP 2005.
Reference and Administration Details
Charity name: Cirencester Signpost
Registered Charity Number: 1175014
Charity’s contact and principal postal address:
Mrs Juliette Harris Office 4 Betec Business Park Love Lane Cirencester GL7 1YG
| Trustee Name | Date where not acted for wholeyear |
|---|---|
| Graham Harris | |
| Jayne Taylor | |
| Juliette Harris | |
| Charlotte Gorman | |
| Steve Morton |
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Full name: Graham Harris
Graham Harris Position: Joint Founder Date: 12 January 2025
|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————||~~|1175014
Cirencester Signpost
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date
Period end date
To
For the period
from
CC16a
01-Jul-23
30-Jun-24
~~—————|_|~~|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Section A Receipts and payments|||||||||
|Unrestricted
funds||Restricted
funds||Endowment
funds||Total funds||Last year|
|to the nearest £|to the nearest £|to the nearest £||to the nearest £||to the nearest £||to the nearest £|
|A1 Receipts|||||||||
|Donations
37,565||2,251||-||39,816||21,438|
|Grants
6,500||3,060||-||9,560||1,500|
|Gift Aid
2,721||-||-||2,721||1,627|
|Investment Income
330||-||-||330||277|
|-||-||-||-||-|
|-||-||-||-||-|
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
(Gross income for AR) |
47,116 | 5,311 | - | 52,427 | 24,842 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 47,116 5,311 - 52,427 24,842 ~~————~~ |
||||||||||
| A3 Payments | ||||||||||
| Provision of communitymeals | 6,610 | 2,311 | - | - | 8,921 | 8,555 | ||||
| Outreach support | 8,154 | 1,000 | - | - | 9,154 | 28,719 | ||||
| Hire/rental costs | 4,422 | - | - | - | - | 4,422 | 4,456 | |||
| Insurance | 284 | - | - | - | - | 284 | 274 | |||
| Admin & marketing | 2,249 | - | - | - | - | 2,249 | 2,595 | |||
| Sub total | 21,719 | 3,311 | - | - | 25,030 | 44,599 | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total payments 21,719 3,311 - 25,030 44,599 ~~—_-——~~ |
||||||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end **Cash funds this year end ** |
25,397 2,000 - 27,397 - 19,757 - - - - - 44,538 1,007 - 45,545 45,545 70,942 2,000 - 72,942 ~~===>~~ |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
23/01/2025
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted |
Endowment | |||
| Categories | Details | funds funds |
funds | |
| to nearest £ to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | |||
| B1 Cash funds | 72,942 - - - - - - - - 72,942 - - Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments Santander account ~~SSS~~ |
|||
| account(s)) | ||||
| Unrestricted Restricted |
Endowment | |||
| funds funds |
funds | |||
| Details | to nearest £ to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | ||
| B2 Other monetary assets | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~—_—~~ |
|||
| B3 Investment assets | Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional) Deposit Fund - - - - - - - - - - Details CCLA A/cs 348580001C and 34858001T ~~ee~~ |
|||
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Details Catering equipment Lockable storage cabinets ~~meee~~ |
|||
| Fund to which Amount due |
When due | |||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
liability relates (optional) (optional) - - - - - - Date of approval 08/12/2024 Details Lease of office in Love Lane to 28/2/27 Print Name Juliette Harris Signature 2 23/01/2025 ~~—~~ |
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Cirencester Signpost
On accounts for the year 30 June 2024 Charity no 1175014 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
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I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30/06/2024 .
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Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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~~accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or~~
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~~the accounts do not accord with the accounting records~~
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I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection | have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection
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with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. * * Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: nats: Date: [YEE ESEE
Name: AY sw & BRCE\CE
Relevant professional FEELS of PECZSOrm FirsArsCe SSCUETA,
qualification(s) or body CKHACE CEO FL CARAC PA reste ~ CKACTE
(if any): \r®PSOZAca© Le STIWTE Address:
aG™
October 2018
1
IER
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
October 2018
2
IER