## BEXLEY WINTER SHELTER ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 30[th] MAY 2021
## **Charity Details**
Bexley Winter Shelter c/o New Community Church S E London 24 Station Road Sidcup, Kent DA15 7DU
## **Charity number** : 1184243
## **Trustees**
Charles Edward January (Chair) Sean Anthony Knights (Treasurer) Ursula Jean Ayliffe Rev James Richard Charles (appointed 2 July 2020) Rev Edward Rhys Barlow (appointed 2 July 2020) Rev Melanie Jemmett (appointed 10 September 2020)
## **Activities and objectives**
The Bexley Winter Shelter (‘BWS’) is a project run by Bexley churches to help homeless men with a connection to the London Borough of Bexley (and sometimes beyond). Set up to provide support during the coldest and most difficult time of the year, the shelter normally runs from January to March each year.
With the introduction of COVID-19 Health & Safety Regulations, the 2021 BWS season was always going to look different from previous years. In the past, BWS’s model was based on providing safe night shelter for homeless men utilising the rotating dormitory model. At a different venue each night, an evening meal and breakfast would be provided, guests would sleep in a church hall and support was provided by a large volunteer base. COVID-19 pushed us into uncharted territory for the 2021 Season. Government guidance in the form of ‘operating principles’ for Winter Shelters was published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in mid-October 2020 confirming that communal sleeping spaces would be very hard to make COVID-safe and were to be strongly discouraged in favour of self-contained or single room options. To assist shelters in making this move, the MHCLG provided grants. As a result, for 2021, with the help of such a grant, our guests were accommodated in self-contained rooms at two Bed & Breakfast establishments in Bexleyheath, Kent. Evening meals were provided, either ‘home’ cooked (at one of three participating churches) or take-aways, which the guests had to eat in their room. A breakfast and midday provisions were also provided.
BWS is not an ‘open’ shelter, people cannot simply turn-up and expect to be allowed in. Unfortunately, the support base that facilitated guest assessment, support and move-on in the past was no longer available. However, with the help of the grant we were still able to engage the services of a Guest Case Worker (GCW). They provided the assessment, support, move-on and after care support that our guests had experienced previously.
Page 1 of 6
Some things, however, were not touched by COVID-19. As usual, the view going into the season was to provide a holistic, loving approach to our guests to enable them to be empowered and experience God’s presence and love. God’s presence has been strong and visible through His work during the 2021 season. While there were many challenges, BWS saw growth and laid strong foundations for continued development going forward.
## **Community Code**
All guests at the shelter are required to sign-up to our Community Code, which outlines a joint standard of behaviour. Alcohol, drugs and weapons are not permitted on any of the premises and guests may be refused entry if they arrive drunk and unable to sober up or if they are under the influence of drugs. Repeated violations of the Community Code and these conditions resulted in the removal of the invitation to three guests.
## **Achievements and Performance**
## **During the 2021 shelter season**
## _How many people used the night shelter?_
Due to the ‘operating principles’ for Winter Shelters, written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we considered it necessary to provide our guests with self-contained accommodation. This, together with capacity issues, restricted the number of guests we could help at any one time to ten.
During the 2021 shelter season 11 guests were assessed and eight guests used the shelter. Seven guests were male and one female (self-contained accommodation allowing us be to open to women for the first time). Five of the guests were white and three BAME, with all eight being British. Two were under 24, two under 35 and four over 54 years old – the average age was 42. Seven were referred to us by Thames Reach and one by CRISIS. All guests had a connection with the Borough. Two guests were working; one had been homeless for less than one week whilst one had been for more than six years. Four guests were homeless due to a breakdown in relationships with three because of eviction due to job loss.
This information was supplied voluntarily by our guests to our GCW, who was outstanding in ensuring potential guests fitted our criteria: three people had to be declined access to the shelter due to not meeting one or more criterion (which could be as simple as allowing no pets).
## _What services did the shelter offer the guests during their stay?_
The shelter was open from 18[th] January 2021 to 30[th] April 2021. Each guest was accommodated in a self-contained room in B & Bs in Bexleyheath.
COVID-19 restrictions meant that we could not provide the usual evening meal and breakfast in a communal setting. However, three churches opened up their kitchens to allow seven teams of cooks to prepare and provide a ‘take-away’ evening meal for the guests. These were delivered to the B & Bs by five voluntary drivers along with a snack-box for breakfast and mid-day meal. New socks and underwear were provided as well as a range of new or second-hand clothes, along with toiletries. Access to the Citizens Advice was arranged as well as medical professionals and four guests accepted COVID-19 vaccinations. No cases of COVID-19 were reported amongst the guests.
Page 2 of 6
## _How the shelter helped people move into more permanent accommodation_
Guests were signposted by our GCW and supported to complete applications for more permanent accommodation. Thames Reach, who were working with the local Council, were invited and regularly attended the shelter or were in contact with us. During these interactions seven guests were found accommodation - a success rate of 88% (the one remaining guest refused offers of two places and is regarded as an entrenched rough sleeper). On average, a guest stayed with us for 52 nights before moving-on.
## _What preparations took place for the new shelter season which began in January 2021?_
When COVID-19 struck, BWS was winding up its 2020 season. The few remaining guests were passed over to the _Everyone-In_ initiative and found accommodation by the local authority. As the year went on and it was obvious that the Coronavirus pandemic would not disappear anytime soon, thoughts around the country turned to how to build upon the Everyone-In initiative. BWS still wanted to help the homeless in the Borough but the rotating dormitory model was clearly not COVID-19 secure and so we began to investigate alternatives. We looked (and are still looking) into Hope into Action, pods, utilising an empty local authority property and hotel/B & B accommodation. Despite a promising start in all these areas, all options slowly ground to a halt apart from the use of hotel/B & B accommodation.
In late 2020, in recognition that the night shelter sector needed financial support to help homeless in a COVID-19 secure way, the Government launched the Winter Transformation Fund, administered by Homeless Link. With the assistance of Housing Justice, BWS’s bid was successful. This provided BWS with sufficient funding to provide hotel/B & B accommodation for up to ten guests at a time, to engage the services of a Guest Case Worker, operate in a COVID-19 secure way, provide move-on help and assist in finding long-term accommodation for homeless men and women.
The Guest Case Worker started on 11th January and the launch of 2021 Season started on 18th January 2021. Weekly Wednesday meetings were scheduled for the season between BWS and London Brough of Bexley (LBB) to discuss referrals, guests, and process. Thames Reach, Housing Justice (HJ) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) were also involved. These allowed us to address concerns and flag situations early. These meetings continued until the end of April 2021.
The week leading up to 18th January was used to secure self-contained rooms for guests at B & Bs in Bexleyheath, finalising the referral process with Thames Reach and LBB, and producing and finalising the Referral Pack and New Guest Assessment Packs for BWS. Everything was finished and confirmed the evening of 17th January for the 18th January launch.
## _Community Involvement_
Due to the radical change in our modus operandi, volunteer numbers were restricted to needsbased support rather that interaction.
Although the number of churches involved never fell (some 33 churches participated in one form or other in 2020) the number of active-on-the-ground volunteers was limited to less than 20. In addition, there were numerous people praying for BWS, the guests and associated bodies throughout the season. In addition, the Al Ihsaan Community again provided ‘goody bags’ of personal items for our guests and Bexley Foodbank provided items like baked beans and soup.
Page 3 of 6
A Thank You event was held in July where some 22 people enjoyed a short church service followed by afternoon tea. The attendees included BWS Trustees, volunteers, the GCW as well as representatives from the B &B and Housing Justice.
## **Governance Structure**
## _Trustees_
The Charity Trustees manage the affairs of Bexley Winter Shelter, ensuring the activities are in line with the Objectives of the Charity outlined above. Decisions taken by the Trustees throughout the year have taken into account the Charity Commission’s Public Benefit guidance.
It is the duty of each Trustee 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 Trustee must be a natural person.
- A Trustee must be at least 16 years old.
- They must be properly appointed following the procedures and any restrictions in our governing document, with due regards to re-election.
- They must not act as a Trustee if they are disqualified, unless authorised to do so by a waiver from the Commission. The reasons for disqualification are shown in the disqualifying reasons table and include:
- being bankrupt (undischarged) or having an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)
- having an unspent conviction for certain offences (including any that involve dishonesty or deception)
- being on the sex offenders’ register
## _Appointment of Trustees_
There should be not fewer than three nor more than 10 elected Trustees.
The Trustees named within this Report were appointed without an election. A number of them were sourced from previous volunteers or individuals connected with the Shelter during previous shelter seasons. Further Trustees were sourced from individuals who expressed an interest in ensuring the work of the Shelter continued and were interviewed by the Chair of the Trustees prior to appointment.
Further details on the appointment of Trustees, their responsibilities and the structure of the Charity can be found in the Constitution of Bexley Winter Shelter.
Signed off by
Charles Edward January, Chair of Trustees, 17/03/2022
Page 4 of 6
## **Bexley Winter Shelter**
## **Analysis of income and expenditure Selected period: 01 June 2020 to 31 May 2021**
||**Total**
**General**
**Designated**
**Restricted**
**Endowment**
**This year**
**Last year**|
|---|---|
|**Income and endowments from:**
**Donations and legacies**
D01 - Personal Donations
D02 - Corporate Donations
D04 - Church Donations
D05 - Donations From Other Charities
D07 - Anonymous Donations
D08 - Personal Donations - Gift Aided
D10 - Church Donations - Gift Aided
**Donations and legacies Totals**
**Income from charitable activities**
**Income from charitable activities Totals**
**Other trading activities**
**Other trading activities Totals**
**Investments**
D09 - Bank Interest
**Investments Totals**
**Other income**
D03 - Grants
D06 - HMRC Gift Aid Reclaim
**Other income Totals**
**Income and endowments Grand totals**|£400.00
-
-
-
£400.00
£540.00
£2,005.00
-
-
-
£2,005.00
£4,223.33
£846.72
-
-
-
£846.72
£6,090.23
£500.00
-
-
-
£500.00
£607.84
£881.99
-
-
-
£881.99
£916.11
£100.00
-
-
-
£100.00
£545.00
-
-
-
-
-
£3,732.10|
||**£4,733.71**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**£4,733.71**
**£16,654.61**|
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
£2.87
-
-
-
£2.87
£5.59|
||**£2.87**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**£2.87**
**£5.59**
-
-
£76,525.00
-
£76,525.00
£19,060.43
£1,069.40
-
-
-
£1,069.40
-|
||**£1,069.40**
**-**
**£76,525.00**
**-**
**£77,594.40**
**£19,060.43**|
||**£5,805.98**
**- £76,525.00**
**- £82,330.98**
**£35,720.63**|
## **Expenditure on:**
|**Raising funds**
**Raising funds Totals**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**
E01 - Food For Guests
E02 - Bed & Breakfast Accommodation
E03 - Guest Case Worker
E04 - Move On Assistance
E07 - Catering Equipment
E09 - Bedding
E14 - Administration
E16 - Guest Referrals||
|---|---|
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
-
-
£2,682.79
-
£2,682.79
£3,804.16
-
-
£20,270.00
-
£20,270.00
-
-
-
£6,151.50
-
£6,151.50
£5,040.00
-
-
£4,464.25
-
£4,464.25
-
-
-
£324.79
-
£324.79
-
-
-
-
-
-
£251.06
£52.25
-
-
-
£52.25
£3,000.00
-
-
-
-
-
£3,000.00|
(8 March 2022 4:48 pm) Page 1 of 2
Page 5 of 6
||**Total**
**General**
**Designated**
**Restricted**
**Endowment**
**This year**
**Last year**|
|---|---|
|E17 - Guest Travel
E18 - Toiletries
E19 - Utilities Contribution
**Expenditure on charitable activities Totals**
**Other expenditure**
E05 - Insurance
E06 - Training
E08 - Other Equipment
E10 - Fees & Subscriptions
E11 - Cleaning
E12 - Website, Email & Phone
E13 - Gratuity
E15 - Stationery & Printing
**Other expenditure Totals**
**Expenditure Grand totals**|-
-
£10.00
-
£10.00
£175.00
-
-
-
-
-
£3.75
-
-
-
-
-
£1,043.87|
||**£52.25**
**-**
**£33,903.33**
**-**
**£33,955.58**
**£16,317.84**
£545.83
-
-
-
£545.83
£676.24
£129.00
-
-
-
£129.00
£34.00
-
-
£73.72
-
£73.72
£225.14
£520.00
-
-
-
£520.00
£35.00
-
-
-
-
-
£15.45
£359.51
-
-
-
£359.51
£311.36
£100.00
-
-
-
£100.00
£52.00
-
-
-
-
-
£261.00|
||**£1,654.34**
**-**
**£73.72**
**-**
**£1,728.06**
**£1,610.19**|
||**£1,706.59**
**- £33,977.05**
**- £35,683.64**
**£17,928.03**|
(8 March 2022 4:48 pm) Page 2 of 2
Page 6 of 6
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES
Independent examiner's report on
the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner'5 Report
Roport to the truste
manbers of
BEXLEY WINTER SHELTER
On accounts lor the yèar , 30TH MAY 2021
end
Charity no 1184243
{rfany>
Set out on pages 5 _ 6
I report to the trusiees on my examination of the nts of the above
chafty Trust) for the year 3015r2021.
As the ctharity's trustees. you are resnSIble the preparali(Jn of the
accounts in ar¢ance with ihe wuirements of1he Charities Ad 2011 llhe
Act)
Respon5ibititi¢S and
basis of rnport
l pOrt in respErt of my examination of the Trusl's accounts camed out
under section 145 of the 2011 Ad and in carying ¢Jut rny examination, I h*rfe
followed all the arol&3trJe Directions given by the Charity Gommi55ion under
Secti 14515){b) of the A
Independent th*ty's gross Inciyne exceedpA £250.1) and l am qualthed to
examinerfs ststemont undertake the examination by bw.ng a qualified member of [tnsért name of
apF4icable Itsted t(rfJy]l Delete I l rf not applicaNe
I have completed my examination. I confim that no material rna1 have
come to my attenbon in connedion with the exarninth'on whKh gives me
ause to telieve that in, any nuterial respect".
the ac£ounling records weie nol kept in xccdae wilh S•La1 130
of the Ghanbes Ad., or
the accounts ¢Jid rNA ac with the accounbng rec(". or
the accounts dMY Tr)t comply wrth the apFdicabie requirements
conc£rning the form and conient of accounts set out in the Charities
(Accounts aThJ Rep(xts) Regulations 20L18 olher than any requiremw)t
that %ccxJnts give a 'true and fa.r whid) is not a matter
consKlefed as part of an indeperthnl examination.
I have no o)ncems and have come across no other matters in CneCtIon
wilh ttbe examinabm io which atlentton stw)uld be drawn in this report Ni
order to enable a proper Unde13ndIng of the accounts to be reached.
Sigrbed..
Date: 211312022
Nam•: KATHLEEN KENNEDY
Reknfanl prvftssional CIPFA
qualificatiorfsl or body
(if any):
Address: 7 OAKLANDS CLOSE
BEXLEYHEATH
, KENT DA8 7AP
Section B
Ois¢losure
Only com*ie rf the examiner needs lo highlTrghl malenal matters of corKern
(see CC32. Indepefkyeni examina'on of thwrty acco(wrfs: th'reclHm and
guidance for examiners).