## **Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Homelessness Action Collaborative** A Charitable Incorporated Organisation Annual Report: 31[st] March 2022 ## REGISTERED OFFICE at End of Financial Year c/o CITIZENS ADVICE, BCP Council Civic Centre BOURNE AVENUE, BOURNEMOUTH BH2 6DX Charity number 1182745 _Faithworks Wessex_ **CONFIDENTIAL** ## **Report of the Trustees for the year to March 31[st] , 2022** ## **Our Aims and objectives** The BCP Homelessness Action Collaborative (“the Collaborative”) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation formed on 2[nd] April 2019; it has the following object in its constitution: “…to relieve hardship, need and distress among those in Dorset and surrounding areas who are homeless or threatened with homelessness” ## Background and current role: The Collaborative was set up to bring together agencies, charities and businesses to find ways to “do more by doing it together” and thus reduce homelessness in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. It worked informally prior to and after its formal CIO formation, to encourage strong partnerships and provide excellent information to all those working with the vulnerably housed and rough sleepers in the area. It played a key role in the development of the Homelessness partnership (BCP) which now has a senior-level cross sector Homelessness Reduction Board, a Homelessness Forum, and a range of Action Groups working on specific tasks. Since the formation of the Partnership, the Collaborative has taken on new specific roles: - It is the **membership** body: as it is a legal entity, organisations can become members (on signing the partnership charter). - It will provide the primary means of **communicating** with partnership members; there will be a regular Forum meeting to feedback on the actions and plans from the HRB and partnership action groups. - It develops and promotes on-line **sources of help** and information for the whole conurbation - It will be a key source of **ideas** to feed into the rest of the partnership; ie. membership is about 2-way communication, allowing proposals from all sectors that will then be considered at HRB and in action groups - It will provide a **funding route** for non-statutory sources of money that are needed across the rest of the partnership. ## Covid impact and partnership actions: The Collaborative’s influence in terms of driving the homelessness partnership has been key to the extraordinary level of partnership working over the pandemic. For example, the regular monthly forums (chaired by the HAC chair) continue to be attended by 40-50 people from over 30 organisations every month making sure that partners know what is happening, and as importantly, what is fact and what is rumour. As Covid restrictions eased, the Council sought to continue to house as many verifiable people sleeping rough as possible in emergency hotel accommodation. The Partnership agreed a new Strategy in May 2021 with 3 focuses: - Core aim 1 - early and effective upstream prevention: reducing homelessness by intervening and educating prior to occurrence _BCP-HAC annual report 2021-22 final_ _page 2 of 7_ _04/01/2023_ _Faithworks Wessex_ **CONFIDENTIAL** - Core aim 2 - reducing and stopping the cycle of homelessness: where this does occur, work at making it a one-off event - Core aim 3 - ongoing improvement, development and sustainability: ensuring that progress is sustained Over the course of the last year, the partnership action groups worked to deliver against this plan including - Gathering Lived Experience feedback through the new “Oracle Group” - Developing and promoting a prospectus of all the Training, education and employability support in the BCP area for those escaping crisis - Putting together and sending out 20,000 copies of a “Worrying About Money” leaflet based on the Independent Food Action Network (IFAN) national model ## Key projects involving the Collaborative: ## 1. **Contactless giving** The Change for Good contactless giving fund continued to develop. By the end of March 2022, there were 10 points across the local area including 2 counter-top devices in local hotels, 2 podium points, one in a bank in Christchurch and one in the Dolphin shopping centre (which had been based at the skate park in the Winter Wonderland in Bournemouth town centre over December), and 6 other window giving points in churches, banks, libraires and homelessness projects. The points generated £1000 over the course of the year, and the total Change for Good fund continued to benefit from direct gifts including a one-off £5000. This enabled Dorset Community foundation, our local independent partner to manage another funding round: members of the partnership were able to bid for up to £500 to help individuals either furnish new accommodation, get essential items such as power banks for phones, or provide resources for activities for women traumatised by homelessness. ## 2. **Replacing Street support** Following the review of www.streetsupport.net/bcp last year, the partnership engaged local company, V88 to develop a new web portal that will provide local information and links for those at risk of homelessness and those experiencing homelessness. This would enable us to take advantage of existing links such as the BCP Access to Food map, the volunteering hub at CAN, and the Worrying About Money leaflet. It also meant that we were not relying on individual partners to update their information. The portal will be based on a very simple 4-5 steps to help approach, so that it is easy for individuals to find the help they need, or get to see what is needed (including a link to Change for Good). The new portal (https://homelessnesspartnershipbcp.org/) will be launched at the Homelessness Conference in September 2022. ## 3. **Communications strategy and plan** It became increasingly clear to the Collaborative that the partnership needed a team dedicated to communicating the key messages of our local work. A comms plan was developed including a range of events, a conference in 2022, regular social media messages, good news story videos etc. _BCP-HAC annual report 2021-22 final_ _page 3 of 7_ _04/01/2023_ _Faithworks Wessex_ ## **CONFIDENTIAL** Thanks to BCP Council identifying £30k for 2022-23 to put into additional capacity, BCHA (as a key member of the partnership) offered to host a comms lead; a recruitment exercise was undertaken, but no suitable candidate could be found. So the chair of the collaborative in conjunction with a senior Council officer asked BCHA if they would provide this service from within their team. This was agreed and the team started in May 2022. Further funding will be sought through the Collaborative to ensure this capacity can continue. At the end of 2021, it was agreed that Claire Devaney who had provided project admin support to the Collaborative since its inception, would finish with the charity. We are very grateful for her dedication to this cause over the challenging Covid period. ## **Financial Review** - In 2021-22, the Collaborative were grateful for the following grants: - Bournemouth University contributed £4500 towards the development of the new partnership web portal - Bournemouth Town Centre BID gave £2450 to help with paying for and installing Contactless giving points. The costs shown in the accounts are largely from 3 sources: - The costs of Street Support – £475 per month – final payment made in Dec 2021 - The costs of our project officer who works 6hrs/week – final payment in Dec 2021 - The purchase, lease, installation and promotion of the Contactless points At the end of March 2022, the Collaborative had £4,242 in their accounts, nearly all in restricted funds ahead of future projects including the development of the web portal. The trustees agreed that to maintain at least 3 months reserves in unrestricted funds, they had to seek immediate additional grant funding which they achieved in April 2022 with a £5000 grant from Valentine trust. ## **Governance & internal Controls** ## _Trustee team_ Jane Joy moved YMCA resigned during the year, leaving 5 trustees from Business, University, Charitable and Faith sectors. A representative from the Voluntary sector umbrella body, CAN, has been asked to join the trustees at the next AGM. The trustees meet at least every quarter; they continue to ensure that there is sound governance in place: - Banking systems and book-keeping (now outsourced to Oak Accounting) - Policies especially around Safeguarding, volunteer management etc. - Communications with members (the wider Partnership forum provides this) As part of the ongoing development of the Homelessness Partnership (BCP), the Council Partnership manager has been invited to attend the trustee meetings to cement links, and enhance communications across the partnership. _BCP-HAC annual report 2021-22 final_ _page 4 of 7_ _04/01/2023_ _Faithworks Wessex_ **CONFIDENTIAL** ## _Statement of trustees’ responsibilities_ Company law and charity law require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the surplus or deficit of the company for that year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to: - Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently - Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent - Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provision of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. This report was approved by the trustees on November 7[th] , 2022. Signed: Dated: 7 November 2022 (Alistair Doxat-Purser, Chair of Trustees) Appendix 1: Trustees The following are trustees of the CIO on 31[st] March 2021: - Alistair Doxat-Purser, CEO, Faithworks Wessex (Chair) - Zoe Bradley, CEO, BCP Citizens Advice (Treasurer) - Ian Jones, Head of Engagement, Bournemouth University - Richard Marshall, Manager, Premium Event Productions Ltd - Kate Parker, Manager, Shelter Dorset _BCP-HAC annual report 2021-22 final_ _page 5 of 7_ _04/01/2023_ CONFIDENTIAL Faithworks Wessex Appendix 2.. Annual Accounts 8CP Homelessness Actlon Collaboratlve Year ended 31.Mar-2Z Total Year ended 31-Mar-21 Re￿Ipts and payments Unrestrlcted Restrlcted Re￿ipts. Member donations Contattless donations Other donations Grants Other incorne 50 962 962 326 6950 326 98 4320 9SO 5418 6950 326 7912 8238 Payments.. Bank/contactle55 charges Contactless donations Promotional costs Staff costs street support system Support work costs 15hoE ￿u(he￿I Website and app development Substription Insurance Equiprnent lease, installation & service fees Other expenses Accounts 154 154 939 1858 2366 3800 69 939 1858 2366 3800 3660 3800 2450 1400 1400 434 434 4463 293 5713 950 250 17185 4463 280 7034 280 15693 8660 Excess of receipts over payments -6708 -748 -7455 -11767 Transfer5 between funds Funds brought fon￿ard 3113120 Funds carried forward 6690 -18 5007 4259 11697 4242 23464 11696 OpenlnB Balance 5QK17 Closlng Balance 1136 23 3100 4259 Restricted funds- Contactless Set up costs Contactless Donations Website and Food App Income 2450 962 4500 7912 Expenses -6321 -939 -1400 -8660 Transfers 5(X)7 BCP-HAC annual report 2021-22 final page6of7 04/01/2023 _Faithworks Wessex_ **CONFIDENTIAL** **BCP – Homelessness Action Collaborative Charity ref: 1183745** ## **Independent Examiner’s Report for the Year to 31[st] March 2021** _BCP-HAC annual report 2021-22 final_ _page 7 of 7_ _04/01/2023_