## **Breathing Space Coventry** ## **Annual Report 2024** ## The objects of the Charity are: To benefit the public in Coventry and the surrounding areas, in particular but not exclusively through the holding of day retreats, and by providing opportunities for growth in contemplative prayer for those wishing to worship and/or explore the Christian faith. ## Trustees: John Kirkman (chair), Dagmer Dias, Alison Lawn, Ann O’Sullivan, Peter Sidebotham, Andrew Gilham. ## **OVERVIEW** During 2024 Breathing Space Coventry continued to offer a sacred space open to the public. We are grateful to Chris and Grahame Edmonds who served as resident hosts until March 2024 when they moved to Hampshire to be closer to their family and fresh ventures there. Ellie Rose who had previously served as an artist in residence in 2023 moved in as resident host in April 2024. This has been a joy and a privilege, both for Ellie and for Breathing Space. Ellie has been able to set up her own little art studio in the annexe, and has broadened the vision of Breathing Space to encourage others to explore creativity and spirituality in their use of the place. Ellie has been wonderfully supported by Alison and the other trustees, a number of close friends, our neighbours and the gardening team. We are particularly grateful to her friend, Katherine Pickford, who moved in and kept Breathing Space running during September when Ellie had an important break. With the changes in resident host, the weekly rhythm has changed. Breathing Space is now open on Thursdays to Saturdays. In addition, Cathy Renken has run a textiles workshop on Tuesday evenings and Ellie has run a painting group on Wednesday mornings. Some additional ad-hoc visitors have been accommodated at other times. The volunteer gardening team (Chris Hitchcock, Rob Johnson, Dennis and Julie Morgan, together with Ellie) have done an amazing job keeping the garden looking amazing, bright and welcoming. Chris has introduced several new flowers and plants; Dennis and Julie have transformed the vegetable beds and kept several borders looking great; and Rob has been faithfully working hard to keep the garden tidy and has developed a number of creative prayer settings in the garden. Looking ahead, we are pleased to welcome two new members to the gardening team, Graham and Anna Rickets. The Allesley Festival open gardens in July again welcomed over 150 visitors to the garden. We were also able to welcome Ros, the daughter of Janice, who established the garden here, and a number of others on a guided walk linking the Anderson Garden near the Elms pub and Breathing Space. During the year, we have been able to welcome nearly 900 visitors to Breathing Space. This includes 602 people visiting in groups (an average of 50 per month) and 115 individuals (average 10 per month) coming for their own individual time. We have a number of individuals and groups who come on a regular basis, including a weekly prayer meeting for churches in the area. Fey Holtum and Nikki Moon both led quiet days at Breathing Space and it was also the venue for a book launch and a three-day aesthetic enquiry art retreat engaging participants from further afield in the UK and Europe. Early in the year, our chair of trustees, John, gave a talk at Hope Coventry which generated further interest and engagement with Breathing Space from new sources. Other than that, we have relied on word of mouth, or bookmarks, and our website. We remain linked to the Quiet Garden Movement and the Retreat Centre Association. We are grateful to John Kirkman for his service as chair of trustees (and as a trustee since 2022). He is taking a sabbatical from the board of trustees and handing over to Crystal and Anne jointly. ## **GOVERNANCE MATTERS** ## **Review of trust policies:** |**Policy document**|**Date Reviewed**|**Next Review**| |---|---|---| |Memorandum of
Understanding1|November 2024|November 2025| |Safeguarding Policy|January 2025|2028| |Privacy and Data Protection|October 2022|2025| |Risk Assessment|October 2024|October 2025| ## Note: The Charity does not have any paid staff and relies on volunteers. A cleaner and a gardener receive hourly wages for 2 hours each per week. ## **Trustees** |**Trustee name**|**Responsibilites**
**2025**|**Start of current term**
**( usually 2 x 3yrs)**|**Proposed stand down**
**year**| |---|---|---|---| |Peter Sidebotham|Treasurer|2024|2027| |Crystal Kofe|Joint chair|2025|2031| |Alison Lawn||2019|2026| |Ann O’Sullivan|Joint chair|2024|2030| |Dagmer Dias|Safeguardinglead|2022|2028| |Andrew Gilham||2023|2029| |---|---|---|---| |**Other Responsibilities**
Resident Host:
Ellie Rose
Independent financial examiner:
Andrea Driver
Financial Support and banking:
Richard Lawn
Bank Signatories (2):
Peter Sidebotham, Lois Baldwin
Data Controller:
Ellie Rose
Website:
Ellie Rose, Lois Baldwin|||| .*** CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENfjIAND APID WAIES rn•thlng Ip4c• Cov•ntry Recelpts and ments accounts CC16• For IM p•rfod from 31 1224 Section A Receipts and payments Unfq•lri¢i¥d fufid• R4•1riGt44 £r￿*l￿AL fund• i.¢ 3,67 1024 CaJhdDna 1.44$ 247 b foi•II ss income ftjr ARI IIM72 •lab rot•lrncelpts A3 P* m•nts In8ur•ne• 7$5 79J 743 743 8•nk¢h4rge Y•7 144 11¢ Cè9h 101 Sub tolal iQ4•2 Asmt •nd Inv•*tm• tsbl• Rthai unlre urthBsa8 Sub total 195 i•$ 10,6n 111.•7F N•rofMc•lpiw(P•￿￿vfi￿) A5 Trnn*l•rn b•t**•n fund* A8 ¢••h ￿•t •nd C•sh fvnds Ihls y8•r•nd 4,811 611 817 COJ RL aCtC4thtsl5S1 2310312025 Section B Stateinont of assets and liabilitios at the end of the period Unrejlriclvd fvnd• Rojlricted fund• Endowrnenl fvnd• Cale9orl DelNi15 lo nwr•#t¢ B1 fA•h fund• Tolal ¢•4h thnd¥ Unrn¥trtthd lur fvr*d• D•tails PfftC•th Fund D8tsil$ FuTrd *Jwhkh set al Details 84 A•Ml• r•taln¢d lort ch4r1ty'8 own u•• frtch¢n equiweTrt. ¢ioekthry, kdoè Fwd Detall8 B6 U•blllti b•h<¢71•llth• Ir￿*••$ nthur• Prfnl N•m• D410 01 roval z3 a.ls CQXXP2 ac(ounts ISSI 231D312025