Annual Report for 2021 of the Fenland CAP Debt Centre, Registered Charity Number 1181269
Background: The Fenland CAP Debt Centre was established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on December 2018. The year 2021 was therefore only the third full year of operation as a charity, although the work of the Debt Centre was previously done under the auspices of the Centenary Baptist Church March and Wisbech Baptist Church. There are currently 5 Trustees:
Linda Albon – Chair (5 year term expires at Annual Meeting 2026)
Judith Prior – Treasurer (3 year term expires at Annual Meeting 2022)
Jenny Webb – Secretary (2 year term expired at Annual Meeting 2021, extended for 1 year to 2022)
Karen Beckwith (5 year term expires Annual meeting 2026)
Gail Ruston (5 year term expires Annual Meeting 2026)
Jo Rayner (5 year term expires June 2026)
Siobhan Land retired during the course of the year
The Centre works in partnership with the two Baptist churches and Christians Against Poverty.
The Work of the Centre:
The Centre’s main aims are the relief of poverty for people in Fenland, providing access to debt counselling, and money management, and supporting people to address the causes of financial difficulties; and the advancement of the Christian faith. Services are open to anyone regardless of faith, ethnicity, sexuality or disability.
When individuals from Fenland contact the CAP help-line they are put in touch with a debt coach in the local area, based in March and Wisbech, who usually visits their home, however Covid restrictions throughout most of 2020 and for part of 2021 meant that information had to be collected by telephone, with a visit to collect a client’s paperwork if they could not upload it themselves electronically. However, by late Spring it was possible to resume face to face meetings with PPE, and social distancing. During the meetings the debt coach explains the service, and gathers information including income and outgoings and supporting paperwork. This is then passed to CAP Head Office caseworkers who work out an affordable budget plan and negotiate with creditors on the individual's behalf. The budget and the options to debt freedom are then presented and explained to the client by the local debt coach.
Once a debt plan has been set up, the Local debt coaches and volunteers continue to contact the individual/family to support them in keeping to the plan until they become debt free. Where appropriate, help can also be arranged via the local Food Banks.
As of the end of 2021, the Fenland CAP Debt Centre was working with 28 clients (individuals/families in the Fenland Area. During the year 5 clients have become debt free. Since 2008, 95 individuals have become debt free.
Covid restrictions limited running training events and group sessions with Clients for most of the year, but we were able to hold 2 drop-in/chat sessions and provide hampers for 32 clients.
Finances and Staffing
Until 2021 the services in Fenland were provided entirely by volunteers with a Centre Manager/Debt coach covering the March, Chatteris and Whittlesey area and a Debt Coach covering the Wisbech area, and 15 volunteer Befrienders, plus catering and prayer teams. However, there are costs to the service in terms of travelling and office expenses, and a payment, currently £7500 per year, to CAP UK for the provision of the budget planning, negotiation and debt management plan service. The expenditure budget for these costs is approx. £10,500 per year, which has to be raised by funding from Churches, fund-raising and individual donations.
Towards the end of the year the Centre Manager confirmed her intention to retire after 13 years of voluntary service, by the latter part of 2021. In the early part of 2021 the Trustees sought to recruit a new Manager, without success after 2 advertisements. A decision was therefore made that we would try to raise funds to appoint a paid, part-time Centre Manager for 16 hours per week, for a 3 year period, at an approximate cost of £25,000. We were fortunate is being granted the following funds:
Ely Food Bank: £12000 (£4000 per year for 3 years)
Elizabeth Wright Trust £6000 (£3000 per year for 2 years) Laing Charity: £3000
Diocesan Social Aid Fund £2000
The Fenland CAP Trustees were also able to ear-mark £2000 from donations, to raise the total sum of £25,000. A restricted fund has been established within the accounts for administration of the salary funding. We are very grateful to our funders for helping us achieve the amount needed.
Appointment of Centre manager and Debt Coach
We were successful in recruiting Lin Stanton, formerly volunteer Debt Coach, to the post of Centre Manager with effect from September 2021. The suitability of a potential applicant for the voluntary Debt Coach position is currently being assessed, in conjunction with Christians Against Poverty.
Work of Trustees:
The Trustees’ main concern in 2021 has been to ensure compliance with the requirements of a Registered Charity, updating of policies and procedures, setting budgets, monitoring finances and monitoring the on-going work of the Centre. A significant amount of time and effort has been expended in seeking funding for and recruiting to the post of Centre Manager. Unfortunately, the impact of Covid 19 has meant that most meetings have
had to take place via ZOOM, and it was not been possible to run fundraising activities, other than via ZOOM. However, plans have now been made for fund-raising activities in 2022. The Trustees will also need to turn their attention to ensuring sufficient annual income to employ a Centre Manager at the end of the initial 3 year funding period.
Jenny Webb
Secretary to Trustees March 3[rd] 2022
Fenland CAP CIO Accounts for the year ending 31-12-211 Registered Charity Number 1181269 Opening Balance,, £14,180.05 IRestri¢bJ Salaryl FuThJ Iln¢omo IRestricted Salary Fund EXOndItle General FurKI General Fur Travel ExFenses Sue Tfavel ExnseS Lin Telephonellntem CAP Head 115.52 1,297.93 497.13 Iother Donations Gift StaThJing Ckders Centenary ' Donations Wisbeth ,,Gfft Refw¥Js 416.05 Fund Raising 'Miscellanew$ |Transfer from ',Gener Fund Lk)nalion$ to 1.825.001 1.080.00': 7512.00 Stationery Equipment Ink PAYE Insurance 45.60 0.00 1.171.95, 278.081 107.53 Pogta9elStamp8 20()J.CQ Saary Client Events Fund Raisin9 Miscellaneous Transfer to Salary Fund 120(KI. 62.21 217.98 2000 001 £11.253.43 £2,080.24 Openlng Balance General Fund Excess of Incomel Expenditu £14,180.05 -£3,C68 Restricted Saary, Fund Exces9 of Inwmel ExndItUre £11,919.76 Balance held in National Westminster Current Account £23,032.25.. I have exanir*d the a(xounts for ts FenlaThY CAP Debt Cenlre, including the axounl reds. recapts payments. invoices and bank statements and confimi Ihat they repre an rnirate statement of Income and exFenditure.