Medway Night Shelter Annual Report for the year ending December 2020 Charity Details Medway Night Shelter Salem Church of the Nazarene, Nelson Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LH Charlty Number: 1180990 Trustees th Ann Richardson {Chair; re-elected 18 Sept 2019: resigned 20th January 2020 from the Board of Trustees) th Caroline Clarke (Trustee and then Chair from 19 December 2019; re-elected 18 Sept 20191 Theresa Harrison (Secretary ex-offlcio) Martin Fielder-white (Treasurer ex-officio) Christopher Lindo {relected 18 Sept 2019) Pamela Grunwell (relected 18" Sept 2019) Ih Stephen Ramshaw (re-elected 18 Sept 2019) th Paul Yaxley (re-elected 18 Sept 2019) th Fiona Allan (re-elected 18 Sept 2019) Angela Edwards (from 19 December 2019) th Gayley Horne (from 12 March 2020) th Tracey Read (from 12 March 2020 Activities and objectives The Medway Night Shelter is a local charitable organisation. incorporated in 2018. It was originally set up in 2015 as a result of close collaboration between Medway Churches and concerned local groups in response to a perceived need to support and champion those sleeping rough, especially in the winter months. The shelter now also works with the local authority and other housing providers to help re-house those known to be the hidden homeless and to help those vulnerably-housed to sustain their housing and to engage activities within the local community.
Winter Night Shelter Over the five years the shelter has settled into a familiar rhythm, with extensive training for staff and volunteers in the autumn and the shelter season running from January until March. The summer months are used to clean. audit and store the shelter equipment and finalise on the data and review paperwork and training requirements. 201912020 saw the Shelter firm up its Safeguarding and Privacy policies. Enhanced DBS checks were undertaken for all Trustees, volunteers in leadership roles and overnight sleepers. It is the intention of the Board that all future volunteers will be required to undertake a DBS check- basic or enhanced according to their role. Our greatest success would be to see the winter night shelter made redundant. However there are still homeless people on the street. and we must measure our Success according to the service we provide with some degree of realism. 2020 was a successful year. Twelve beds were offered per night at 10 different church venues across the Medway Towns. 31 guests stayed at the shelter for at least one night; 18 came off the streets and 3 more returned to their homes, ie around 67% of guests were housed. During their time at the shelter. 3 guests found employment, and as far as it is possible to know they are still working and those that went into housing are still housed. Two guests had moved out of area into supported housing in Bradford. Two guests unfortunately had to be declined a bed for the night. in line with shelter policy. On any day, at most the shelter accommodated 10 guests which implies that the size of the facility is appropriate. Shelter staff worked closely with DWP who supported those guests not receiving benefits (about a third of the guests) and also with the Rough Sleepers outreach team to place the guests. Emmaus once again supported the shelter with transport as did Medway Norse. Referrals were received from Caring Hands and Medway Council equally. The number of referrals were down significantly. It appears this may be because the outreach team and the housing department have achieved greater success in placing guests quickly. More than half of the guests said they were homeless due to relationship breakdown. The shelter closed ten days earlier than scheduled just aboLrt the time that the country began to go into lockdown. with all guests being placed. Due to lockdown. items from the venues were only able to be collected in July to be stored at Elim Church, which is now where the Chinese Church is b35ed. 130 volunteers worked 4060 hours which at living wage equates to just over £33,IX)O. Sincere thanks to all the volunteers who are crucial to thi5 work being done.
The future of the shelter, in light of COVID restrictions, seemed precarious. Dormitory- style accommodation was deemed unacceptable due to severe risk of transmission among guests and volunteers. and roving shelters prohibited due to the potential for spread across the reach of the Medway towns and beyond. Preparations for the new shelter required a re-think. The shelter staff worked closely with the Local Authority and Housing Justice and Homeless Link, through whom Government funding was being made available to community groups for new COVID-safe provision in view of the need and the lack of housing options. With approval from the Local Authority. the Winter Transformation Grant was successfully applied for and the shelter made plans to work with Caring Hands to offer a six-bed single unit shelter in one location. Around 40 volunteers were trained over Zoom. a thorough risk assessment implemented in discussion with Public Health Medway and the Local Authority. The shelter planned to offer the same high standards of hospitality, care and case- working. However it became clear that the inter-agency working would be less personal and managed through the Shelter Coordinator and Guest Support Worker. Simultaneously Trustees began exploring the opportunity to work with Hope into Action with a view to increasing the move-on options for the guests. Weekly Drop-in Throughout the year The Drop-in which runs each Monday evening all year, ran through the 2020 shelter season with on average around 20 guests per session. CAB visited fortnightly for a few weeks to support the guests. A take-away service was trialled for two weeks after lockdown was imposed but the take-up was pretty much non-existent. Food was being given to guests in their homes where they stayed by other charities. We delivered emergency food and household items for one or two ex-guests and also for a single mum with four children under six who was having a difficult time getting hold of food. Some of these items were sourced from food bank. After the first lockdown. the Drop-in re-opened with a full COVID-safe risk assessment under the hospitality rules. Trustees continued to monitor the guidance as it emerged and the Drop-in reverted to a take-away service as soon as the second lock-down was imposed and continued in this way into the new year. Christmas dinner was served as a take-away meal. Two homeless guests presented and were referred for housing and were subsequently placed. Governance Structure Trustees The charity trustees manage the affairs of the Medway Night Shelter ensuring the activities are in line with the Objectives of the Charity outlined above. Decisions taken by
trustees throughout the year has taken into account the commission's public benefit guidance. It is the duty of each of the trustees to exercise their powers and to perform their functions a5 a trustee in the way they decide in good faith would be most likely to further the purposes of the charity. Eligibility for trusteeship {a) Every charity trustee must be a natural person. (b) No one may be appointed as a charity trustee: If he or she is under the age of 16 years; or If he or she would automatically cease to hold office under the provisions of re-election requirements outlined in clause 13.1.f of the charities constitution. {c} No one is entitled to act as a charity trustee whether on appointment or on any re- appointment until he or she has expressly acknowledged. in whatever way the charity trustees decide, his or her acceptance of the office of charity trustee. {d)At least one of the trustees of the CIP must be 18 years of age or over. If there is no trustee aged at least 18 years, the remaining trustee or trustees may act only to call a meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint a new charity trustee. Appointment of trustees There should be not less than 6 nor more than 10 elected trustees and 2 ex officio trustees. Seven trustees named within this report were elected at the first AGM, and three trustees were recruited subsequently. At future meetings, a minimum of one-third of the charity trustees shall retire from office. Trustees also reserve the right to appoint additional trustees for the period to the next AGM provided this does not exceed the number of trustees stated above. Any perx)n who retires as a charity trustee by rotation or by giving notice to the CIO is eligible for reappointment. A charity trustee who has served for three consecutive terms may not be reappointed for a fourth consecutive term but may be reappointed after an interval of at least three years. Further details on the appointment of trustees. their responsibilities and the structure of the Charity can be found in the Charitable Organisations Constitution, a copy of which can be made available to any member or trustee who requests it.
Members Individuals can become a member of the Medway Night Shelter by: Requesting to join the membership and expressing an interest in the workings of the shelter and a care for those it seeks to help Volunteering at the Medway Night Shelter At the end of each shelter season. existing volunteers will be asked if they wish to continue to be contacted by the shelter for volunteering opportunities in the next season. Any volunteers who wish to cease to volunteer will be given the opportunity to remain a member of the Shelter and have a right to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting. There are currently 34 registered members of the Medway Night Shelter. Name: Paul Yaxlev Designation: Chair of Trustees Signed: th Dated: 16 June 2021
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examine$ Report Report to the trustee I members of L MEDWAY NIGHT SHELTER On accounts for the year131ST DECEMBER 2020 ended | Set out on pages Charity no (if any) 1180990 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trusl.) for the year ended 31112 12020. Responslbillties and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you a 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 cam8d out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5){b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection Vth the examination vhiich gives me ause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord vnth the accounting records I have no cOnmS and have come across no other matters in connection bwth the examination to which attention should be dravm in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to b8 reached. Independent examiner'8 Statement Dats."11610212021 Name: KEITH SCUDDER Relevant professional ICB qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 42 FROBISHER WAY GRAVESEND KE, DA12 4RA Section B Disclosure Only complete rfthe examiner needs to highlight matters of cOnM (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts". directions and guidance for examiners). IER
Give here brief details of any items that the examinar wishes to disclose. NIA
MEDWAY NIGHTSHELTER 111120 TO 31112120 CHARITY NUMBER 1180990 RECEIPT & PAYMENfs Accou PERIOD ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2020 RECEIPT5 2019 2020 Church Donations Anonymous Donations Irms Donation5 Other Donations Grants Watts Charity 2020 Just Givin8 Medway BC Grant Homeless Link Grant 8196 1787 2450 11479 7816 3671 2041 1082 22150 Totsl Recelpts 41953 46759 PAYMENrs Drop In Food Shelter Food Insurance MNS Equipment Cooking Equipment Admin Expenses CCPAS Phone Employrnent Costs Payroll Services Trainin8 Just Giving Cost Homeless SheFter 1097 ' 2018 668 39 392 2544 575 1955 1782 1062 755 465 12287 89 196 198 429 iio 10845 116 24 216 913 Total Payments 23456 17710 Income/Expendltu 29049 Funds Carrled Foryard 18497 47546 Represented by- Bank Account 18497 47546 Total 18497 47546
MEDWAY NIGHT SHELTER 111120 TO 31112120 CIIARTTY NUMBER I180) Asat 3111212020 3V1212019 Receipts as per schedule 41953 46759 Total Incomln Resources Payments as per Schedule 23456 17710 oln BALANCE 18497 249 Funds b/f from prior year 18497 Funds clf to new year 18497 47546 BANK sfATEMEKT 18497