Medway Shelter & Support Annual Report for the year ending December 2024 Charity Details Medway Shelter & Support {formerly Medway Night Shelter) Salvation Army Green Street Gillingham ME7 IXA Charity Number: 1180990 Trustees Martin Earle (elected 25 October 2021, Chair from 23, September 2022) Martin Fielder-white {Treasurer ex-officio, appointed 2018) Natasha Beckhelling (elected 23, September 2022) Andy Millest (elected 23, September 2022) Martyn Bellshaw (elected 23 September 2022) th Christopher Lindo (elected 20 May 2023) th Pamela Grunwell (elected 20 May 2023) Name Change With the changing nature of how we are able to help the local homeless & vulnerably housed, it was approved in September 2024 that the name of the charity be changed to Medway Shelter & Support. Activities and objectives The Medway Night Shelter/Medway Shelter & Support 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. The charity provides shelter and support and an evening meal from a number of locations within the Medway towns. Winter Shelter The 2024 Shelter Season opened on Monday 15 January as a provision of an evening meal and support across five locations within Medway and closed on 28th March 2024.
In a contrast to previous years we did not operate an overnight shelter facility but instead expanded the Monday night drop in to provide a hot meal. safe space and advocacy in multiple venues across Medway over the period. Meals were provided at the following locations, some instigated by the charity, and others in conjunction and supporting those with existing arrangements. Sunday evening meal at the New Testament Church of God, Vicarage Road, Strood. Monday evening meal at the Salvation Army, Green Street, Gillingham. Thursday evening meal at the Quakers Meeting House. Northgate, Rochester. Friday evening meal at Rochester Baptist Church, Crow Lane, Rochester. Saturday morning breakfast at St Barnabas. Stopford Road, Gillingham. Over the three month period, we opened for 42 sessions and served around 350 meals to guests, thanks to the generosity of nearly 50 volunteers of whom 50% had been with the shelter previously, In addition to the existing guests who attend the Monday night drop-in, we welcomed 15 new members- 5 of whom were homeless. The other sessions welcomed 27 new guests, 15 of whom were homeless. Advocacy proved challenging as many of the homeless guests attended only once or did not want to register with Medway Council making placing them difficult. During this three month period, the charity employed (on a part time basis) a support worker who attended meals and assisted guests in housing applications. This had a mixed level of engagement and success with clients. However, the overarching message we received on asking guests (both homeless and housed) why they were attending the sessions was that they wanted food and companionship. Contact with a number of the guests have continued with the Monday night drop-in into 2025. Thank you to all the volunteers and venues for welcoming the guests and providing them with a safe place to come, a warm reception and good food to sustain them. Weekly Drop-in Throughout the year The Drop-in which runs each Monday evening all year, ran throughout 2024 with on average around 20 guests per session, though for some sessions there have been 25+. The guests are generally those who are vulnerably housed, though some homeless people have also attended. The drop-in operated with approx. 16 volunteers.
A drop-in also ran at the Strood venue {New Testament Church of God) from October 2024 to March 2025, providing shelter, support and a weekly Sunday evening meal. An average of 10 to 15 guests attended, with 20 volunteers attending on a rota. Governance Structure Trustees The charity trustees manage the affairs of the Medway Shelter & Support 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. (bl 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. (cl 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. One elected trustee resigned at the AGM in 2024. 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 yearf,. 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 ststed above. Further details on the appointment of trustees, their responsibilities and the strurture 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 Shelter & Support. Name: Martin Earle Designation: Chair of Trustees Signed:
MEDWAY NIGHT SHELTER 111124 TO 31112124 CHARITY NUMBER 1180990 RECEIPT & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT PERIOD ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2024 RECEIPTS 2023 2024 Church Donations Anonymous Donations Firms Donations Other Donations Grants Watts Charity Just Glving Medway BC Grant Homeless Link Grant 7147 460 235 394 1695 54C 147 218 Total Re¢elpts 14783 913 PAYMENTS Drop In Food Shelter Food Insurance MNS Equipment Cookin8 Equipment Admin Expenses CCPAS Phone Employment Costs Payroll Services Training Just Giving Cost Homeless Shelter 1060 2234 771 716 1753 1710 751 790 656 120 15643 83 294 216 534 1050 30 1063 41 24 216 Totsl Payments Z2583 7172 IncomelExpendlture -6259 Funds Carried Fonvard 30082 16023 Represented by- Bank Account 22282 16023 Total 22282 16023
MEDWAY NIGHT SHELTER 111124 TO 31112124 CHARITY NUMBER I180$ BALANCE SHEET Asat 31112n023 Asat 3111212024 Receipts as per sthedule 14783 913 Total Incomln Resources Payments as per schedule 22583 7172 Total Ou nses BALANCE -6259 Funds b/f from prior year 22282 Funds clfto new year 22282 16023 BANK STATEMENT 22282 16023
Medway Night Shelter- Independent Exarninerfs Report This report on the financial statements of Medway Night Shelter for the year ended 31 December 2024, is In respect of an examination carried out in accordance with sertion 145 of the Charities Art 20111.the Act'l. Respectlve responslbllltles of the trustees and examiner As trustee5 VOL¢ are resw)nsible for the preparatlon of the financial statements.. you considèr that the audlt requirements of the Regulations and se100 144 of ihe Art does not apply and that an independènt examlnation Is needed. It is my vesponsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act,. follow the produreS laid down in the general Dlrections wven bythe Charity Commlssion under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Act; and to state whether partkul8r matters have ¢ome to my attention. Basls of Independent exarnlners ieport My examlnatlon was orried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Chartty Commis51on. An examination includes a rtW of the accounting re¢ords kept by the charity and a comparlson of the a¢¢ounts presented wlth those records. It also includes conslderation of ar)y unusual Items or disclosufès in the flnanclal Statements. and seeklng explanatlons from the tnjsteei concerning any such matters. The pro¢edures undertaken do not provide all the evldeno that WOLtld be required in an audit and ¢on5equently no opinion is glven as to whether the accounts present a'true and falr and the report is Ilmited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner's statement In connectlon with my examination, no materlal matters have come to my attention which glves me cause to believe that in. any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordano with sectlon 130 of the 2011 Act or the ac¢ounts do not accord with the accounting reords the accounts do not compty wrth the applicable requirèments conteming the form and content of accounts set out In the Charities IActounts and Herts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement thai the accounts gwe a 'true and fair view whith is not a matter considered as part of an independent examlnatlon. I have come across no other matters In connertion wtth the examination to whlch attentlon shoLtld be drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Mr Keith Scudder 42 Frobisher Wav Gravesend Kent DA12 411A Date 9 April 2025