ABOVE US ONLY SKY
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020
OBJECTS
The Objects of the charity are the relief of poverty for the homeless by meeting their immediate needs, as an expression of Christian faith.
THE CHARITY: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The charity began as a response to meeting homeless people who were developing hypothermia as a result of sleeping rough in the winter. The main thrust of the charity’s activities is to provide warm, waterproof military-grade sleeping bags. Another means of providing relief is through Bags of Hope, which contain necessary toiletries, underwear and winter accessories, such as hats and gloves. The charity has also been involved in contributing to ‘Starter Packs’ for the newly-housed.
The charity works very closely with Christian partner organisations, such as The Salvation Army and Church-Without-Walls, who are dealing with the homeless on a daily basis. This ensures that the needs that are being met by the charity are genuine. The work of the charity is conducted solely by a team of volunteers, who give their time and expertise freely to serve the needs of the homeless. The Trustees also volunteer with partner organisations, meeting with individuals who are homeless and assessing their needs.
THIS YEAR
There was not a great need for the charity’s services in 2020. As the pandemic swept into the UK early in the year, and during the lockdowns, there were many schemes to temporarily house the homeless to protect them from COVID-19, as they were deemed to be particularly vulnerable. This meant that there was little demand for our arctic-grade sleeping bags during the year. In total during 2020, 78 sleeping bags were given to the homeless in London and the surrounding areas through our partner organisations, who regularly support rough sleepers and are ideally placed to assess the needs of those homeless that they come into contact with.
Above Us Only Sky continues to focus on the immediate needs of the homeless, giving out life-saving sleeping bags and warm fleeces. Fleeces are purchased as they are needed, and a stock of 87 sleeping bags remained at the end of the year. It is expected that these will be given out during the next few months.
Our team of volunteers continued to manage the charity’s finances, administration and stock and the Trustees wish to express their grateful thanks to all who continue to work to meet the charity’s aims and objectives.
The Trustees have had due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
NEXT YEAR
It is difficult to predict the needs of the homeless in 2021, however the charity will continue to purchase and distribute warm, waterproof sleeping bags for as long as funds allow and the need remains. The Trustees will also consider the individual needs of the homeless as they arise.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The charity received £11,289 in income during the year (2019: £15,223). One-off donations were lower than in previous years, although the charity received a large donation of £5,000 at the beginning of 2020, which boosted income. Expenditure was low at £2,127 (2019: £22,321), as no sleeping bags were purchased during the year. This resulted in a net increase in funds for the year of £9,162 (2019: net decrease of £7,098).
The charity aims to hold enough in reserves to buy stocks of sleeping bags and bivvies to cover well into the next financial year. Due to the cyclical nature of the charity’s income, with a large proportion being received towards the end of the year, and the increasing costs of sleeping bags, the trustees consider that the year-end balance of £19,985 will enable the charity to continue meeting the needs of the homeless into 2021 and beyond.
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES
Charity law requires the trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the profit and loss of the Charity for that period. In preparing these accounts, the trustees are required to:-
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.
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Make adjustments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
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Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Acts. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees confirm that the accounts comply with current statutory requirements and those of the Charity’s trust deed.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on:
and signed on its behalf by:
Above Us Only Sky?
Receipts and Payments for the year ended 31st December 2020
| Income received Regular donations One-off donations Grants/Awards Special events Gift Aid claims - HMRC Expenditure Sleeping bags, jackets, fleeces General support for homeless Starter packs Other expenses Fundraising expenses Grant fund - toiletries Net increase/ (decrease) in funds |
£ £ 4,510 6,021 - - 758 11,289 184 - 183 1,175 50 536 2,127 9,162 2020 |
£ £ 4,885 4,629 3,781 - 1,928 15,223 20,064 98 76 1,288 - 796 22,321 7,098 - 2019 |
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Above Us Only Sky?
| Balance Sheet at | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31st December 2020 | ||||
| 2020 | 2019 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Current Assets | ||||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 19,985 | 10,824 | ||
| Opening balance | 10,824 | 17,922 | ||
| Net increase/ (decrease) in funds | 9,162 | 7,098 - |
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| Closing balance | 19,985 | 10,824 |
Above Us Only Sky?
Funds for the year ended 31st December 2020
| Restricted Funds Warm Fund Grant Fund Womens's Fund Unrestricted Funds General Fund Gift Aid Total Funds |
Opening Income Payments Adjustments Closing balance balance - 360 (184) 176 2,985 - (536) 2,449 - - - - 2,985 360 (720) - 2,625 2,376 10,171 (738) 11,810 5,462 758 (670) 5,550 7,839 10,929 (1,408) - 17,360 10,824 11,289 (2,127) - 19,985 |
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