## Medway Night Shelter Annual Report for the year ending December 2023 ## Charity Details Medway Night Shelter Salem Church of the Nazarene, Nelson Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LH Charity Number: 1180990 ## Trustees Martin Earle (elected 25[th] October 2021, Chair from 23[rd] September 2022) Amy Brown (Secretary ex-officio, appointed 2[nd] March 2021) Martin Fielder-White (Treasurer ex-officio, appointed 2018) Gayley Horne (from 12[th] March 2020, resigned 18[th] March 2024) Tracy Read (from 12[th] March 2020, Chair 25[th] October 2021 to 23[rd] September 2022, resigned 20[th] May 2023) Natasha Beckhelling (elected 23[rd] September 2022) Rev Liz Cox (elected 23[rd] September 2022) Andy Millest (elected 23[rd] September 2022) Martyn Bellshaw (elected 23[rd] September 2022) Christopher Lindo (elected 20[th] May 2023) Pamela Grunwell (elected 20[th] May 2023) ## Activities and objectives The Medway Night Shelter is a local charitable organisation, which was 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. It was the first such facility in the Medway Towns. The shelter works with the local authority and other housing providers to help house those that are newly homeless and re-house those rough sleeping; and to help those vulnerably-housed to sustain their housing and to develop networks through engaging in activities within the local community. ## Winter Night Shelter The 2022-2023 Shelter Season opened on Monday 9[th] January as a static dormitory style shelter and closed on 31st March 2023, being open for a total of 81 nights. The venue was a church, which had been successfully used in previous years as one of the venues for our roving shelter. Now, owned by the Salvation Army, the venue was renovated and made available for the sole use of the Night Shelter. The Salvation Army was extremely generous and ensured the Salem Centre was fit for purpose, providing Internet access and also lockers for the guests. The security of the shelter was assured because of the lockable gates and the forecourt parking was useful not only for the volunteers but also for the guests, some of whom owned and ran cars, needed to sustain work. The venue was easily accessible for guests with mobility problems and not far from a main bus route. Ten beds were offered for use, following a risk assessment in the light of the new guidance post-pandemic, in two large rooms. Men and women were offered their own spaces, and a small room with its own bathroom facilities was available in case of the need for isolation. A number of testing kits had been sourced. These were not needed and the shelter remained Covid-free again. Sincere thanks to all the volunteers who were very diligent about staying away if they felt unwell to any extent. The shelter opened at 4pm each weekday afternoon to register new guests referred by Medway Council or Caring Hands. Once admitted guests were able to come to the shelter from 5.30pm, where volunteers were available to chat over a cup of tea and cake and engage in some leisure activities. Support with the use of IT in looking for accommodation was provided. A cook and a kitchen helper prepared a nutritious twocourse meal each day, taking into account dietary needs and all the guests and volunteers sat around the table to eat together. At times the guests requested that Grace be said. Guests expressed how much they enjoyed the variety of meals and puddings, and also the company. Breakfast was made to order by breakfast volunteers each morning and guests were provided with sandwiches for the day. On particularly cold days the guests were permitted to return to the shelter for 4pm, and when it snowed the shelter was staffed throughout the day so that the guests did not have to leave. The shelter session typically began at 4pm with registration on week days and 5.30pm at weekends and continued overnight through till 9am the next morning. Staffing of the shelter was mainly by a group of 48 volunteers and two staff members. Registration involved at least one staff member or volunteer experienced in registration; and the night duty was covered with a volunteer and at least one staff member or Trustee. Total number of volunteers hours was 2761 hours, which at minimum wage of £9.50per hour in 2022/2023 is a cost of £26,229. Just under a fifth of the volunteers (9) were new to the shelter this season, fewer new recruits than the previous season. There was a particular shortage of male overnight volunteers and the lead cook role was difficult to fill and needed covering by staff members. Volunteers provided cover for each other as they were able. One church volunteer took on the role of providing cake for afternoon tea and another signed up through social media to do the laundry. Seventeen guests were admitted to the shelter. All but three were referred by Housing Options at Medway Council (the three by Caring Hands). In total Housing options referred around 45 guests to the shelter which were followed up with a phone call, and sometimes a text to give them an idea of where they needed to register. But fewer than a third of those who were referred presented at registration. Some had work and said that a dormitory style shelter would not support their work, others had places where they could sleep the night, a few agreed to attend but did not show up. This was disappointing. The shelter was therefore never fully occupied on any one night. The shelter began very promisingly, with a number of the earliest guests registered moving into accommodation mainly supported housing. However the later guests had more complex needs and were more difficult to place. Four guests chose to return to the streets for a number of reasons. One moved back home, two moved on and into work, two into Private Rented Sector and five were assisted into supported or temporary housing. The shelter developed a close working relationship with a Supported Housing Provider KSH and were able to facilitate two guests to move to this type of accommodation. Sadly two guests were forced to return to the streets as the Local Authority said it had no statutory duty towards them (although there were nominal housing plans in place). Efforts by staff were thwarted due to their complex histories. A quarter of the guests admitted were female, and were placed much more quickly than the male guests. Three quarters of the guests admitted to having poor mental health, some of whom were medicated to help them. Guests were all of British nationality. The shelter assisted two guests with their first months top-up payment, around £68 each and also assisted a few guests with a start-up pack for their new homes. The support from Housing Options was minimal this year. No visits were made to the shelter and apart from referrals, communication was limited to providing Housing Plans. It was not clear what was being done to actually assist the homeless people with finding suitable accommodation. Links with the RSI team and the Housing Strategy Team has been strained. Overall the shelter did what it aims to do, but there is huge sense of disappointment and a sense of unease that in this day and age the shelter has closed with two of its guests, who wish to be housed, back on the street because the local authority has deemed it has no statutory duty towards them, failing even to provide temporary housing. The shelter staff did all that was possible for them to be placed. I note that there is a distinct lack of the personal touch and empathy for these vulnerable people within the Local Authority since the COVID pandemic and offering and insisting on phone interviews/appointment systems and phone calls when many of these people do not possess a phone or struggle to make themselves heard, makes the whole system harder for them to navigate, even with support. The whole issue seems to me to have become more de-personalised and therefore easier to dismiss. For the guests that did take up the spaces, there was a sense that the shelter offered them a space where they were not judged for past mistakes, where they were treated with care and respect and genuinely welcomed. Volunteers have commented on the transformations seen in some guests, in the way they relate to each other and hold themselves and the care they showed towards each other, the volunteers and the place which was their home if only for a few weeks. There was never a sense from any of the volunteers that any of their efforts were wasted even if it benefitted just one guest. Thank you to all shelter volunteers - for the value they put on every guest’s life and nothing was too much for them. Thank you. ## Weekly Drop-in Throughout the year The Drop-in which runs each Monday evening all year, ran throughout 2023 with on average around 17 guests per session, though for some sessions there have been 23. The guests are generally those who are vulnerably housed, though some homeless people have also attended. Volunteer support for this venture needs developing further. ## 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 as 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 reappointment 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. One elected trustee resigned at the AGM in 2023 and the Secretary of Trustees also resigned at the AGM. Two new Trustees were recruited and appointed at the AGM, bringing the number of trustees up to 8. At every AGM a third of the Trustees (or the number closest to a third) will retire. Any person who retires as a charity trustee by rotation or by giving notice to the CIO is eligible for reappointment. Following a change to the constitution at the 2022 AGM the constitution requires that “a charity trustee who has served for six consecutive terms may not be reappointed for a seventh consecutive term but may be reappointed after an interval of at least one year”. This change to the constitution was shared with the Charity Commissioners in 2022. Trustees 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. 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 36 registered members of the Medway Night Shelter. Name: Martin Earle Designation: Chair of Trustees Signed: Dated: 9/6/2024 Medway Nlght Shelter- Independent Examinerfs Report This report on the financial statements ol Medway Ni8ht Shelter for the year ended 31 December 2023, Is Sn respect of èn examination carried out in accordance with section 145 of the ChBrities Act 20111'the Act'l. Respectlve responslbllltles tsf the trustees and examlnei As trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the flnancial statements* you consider that the audSt requirements of the Regulations and section 144 of the Act does not apply and that en independent examination is needed. It is my responsibillty to.. examine the accounts under sertion 145 of the 2011 Act,. follow the procedures lald down In the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Act,. and to state whether particular matter5 have come to my attention. Basis of independent examlners report My examlnètion was t8rried Dut in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the tharity and a comparison of the accounts presented wlth those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements, and seeking explanations from the trustees toncerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the eviden￿ that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a'true and fair viev/ and the report is limlted to th05e matters set out in the statement below. Independetht examlner's st•tement In connection with my éxamination, no material matters have tome to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordante with section 130 of the 2011 Art or the accounts do not accord with thè accounting records the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the fom) and content of account5 set out in the Charities IAccounts and Report51 Resulations 2008 other than any requlrement that the atcounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have come across no other matters in connettion with the examination to whlch attent5on should be drawn in ordèr to enable 3 proper understsnding of the accounts to be reathed. Mr Keith Scudder 42 Froblsher Wèy Gravesend Kent DA12 4RA Date 15 April 2024 MEDWAY NIGHT SHELTER 111123 TO 31112123 CHARtTY NUMBER 1180990 RECEIFf & PAYMENTS AccouNf PERIOD ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023 RECEIPTS 2022 2023 Church Donations Anonymous Donations Firms Donations Other Donations Grants Watts Charity Just Giving Medway BC Grant Homeless Link Grant 1468 7147 394 1695 5400 147 835 925 Total Recelpts 13228 14783 PAYMENTS Drop In Food Shelter Food Insurance MNS Equipment Cooking Equipment Admin Expenses CCPAS Phone Employment Costs Payroll Services Training Just Giving Cost Homeless Shelter 796 2042 705 1060 2234 771 716 4129 932 120 15752 143 790 656 120 15643 83 294 216 216 28529 Total Payments 53544 22583 Income/Expenditure 40316 Funds Carried Forward 30082 22282 Represented by- Bank Account 30082 22282 Total 30082 22282 MEDWAY NIGHT SHELTER 111123 TO 3V12123 CHARITY NUMBER 1180990 BALANCE SHEET Asat 3111212022 Asat 3111212023 Receipts as per schedule 13228 14783 Total Incomin Resources Payments as per schedule 53544 22583 Total Ou oi nses BALANCE 40316 Funds blf from prior year 70398 3(K182 Funds c/fto new year 30082 22282 BANK STATEMENT 30082 22282