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 {re*lected 18 Sept 2019)
Pamela Grunwell (re*lected 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 V￿th 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 cOn￿mS 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 cOn￿M (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
2￿49
Funds b/f from prior year
18497
Funds clf to new year
18497
47546
BANK sfATEMEKT
18497