## Annual Report 2022-23 Unit 2 Trafford Buildings | East Street | Leyland PR25 3NJ Registered Charity 1184663 ## **Welcome to the 2022/23 Annual Report for SLEAP** Like most people, we were hoping for a slightly easier year this year, but it was not to be. So many challenges have raised their heads during the year, yet there have also been opportunities for celebration and success. The sudden and unexpected death of Trustee Tom Wilson, who, with his wife Barbara, had been involved with SLEAP since its foundation and devoted many, many hours to ensuring its success, was a loss felt by all. We give thanks to God for Tom’s life, for his commitment and passion for everything he got involved with, and for the enjoyment his excellent cooking skills brought to so many people. The cost of living crisis and skyrocketing utility costs have had a negative impact on the young adults, host families, volunteers and staff alike. On behalf of the Trustees, I say a huge thankyou to everyone within SLEAP for their continuing motivation, passion and commitment. The staff, host families and volunteers go above and beyond their ‘official’ remit in so many ways. It is not just a job or a short-term involvement, it is a vocation, some would say a calling. Whatever we label it, SLEAP would not be what it is, were it not for their dedication and service. My thanks also go to the members of the Board who give up their time and skills to enable SLEAP to continue to develop and meet need. The Trustees have adopted a new structure of working to enable their particular skills to be used in relevant areas. The introduction of sub-committees focused on a particular area of development, whilst still reporting back to the full Board, has enabled progress to be made in a number of areas. These have included researching and introducing a new database systems, increased scrutiny of finances and a focus on sustainability. As we move forward into a new year this way of working will allow some groups to finish and new ones set up according to need. The collaboration between staff and Trustees is a healthy and supportive mechanism. The annual awayday creates shared values, priorities and focus. SLEAP cannot carry out its vital work without the support of local companies, local people, local schools and local organisations. We are so thankful for all those who have equipped and enabled us to deliver the services our young adults need, whether acting as a host family, donating money, or collecting items for our Christmas appeal. Thank you. As we look to the year ahead we can still see challenges looming, not least the new governmental standards for supported lodgings. However, we will face these challenges with confidence knowing that we are developing and improving all the time. We also know there will be times of celebration and success in the future. Our confidence and motivation as an organisation comes from God. We trust in his faithfulness to guide and lead SLEAP and to provide the resources required, as we seek to demonstrate her love. ## **Liz Hamilton** Chair of Trustees 2 ## **A year of challenge and celebration** 2022 -23 is without a doubt a year to remember in the history of SLEAP. For the first time in nearly thirty years SLEAP has moved into its own premises, a long dreamed-of achievement. This has been a year of risk taking and brave decisions. A year of hard work for long-term goals, continuing to build on the existing firm foundation but striving to improve and challenge ourselves to always do better. This has not been an easy year. The impact of the cost of living crisis was felt acutely by those engaging with our services and also by our host families, volunteers, staff and the organisation itself. The increase of the cost of energy during such a harsh winter posed a real challenge to many. We have worked hard to ensure that every enquiry and request was addressed with the right support, information, signposting or referral. Sadly this year we had to say an unexpected farewell to Tom, a Trustee and a former SLEAP host family. Tom was a great supporter of SLEAP, someone who was always ready to lend a hand, join in activities and who had a heart for young people. His loss was felt by many, including young people whom, Tom and his wife Barbara had welcomed into their home or mentored. Also this year we have seen the increasing difficulty in finding suitable accommodation for 16 to 25 year olds, whether for an emergency situation, supported accommodation or for moving on options. This age group faces the same cost of living crisis as others but with the added challenge of lower income, not being seen as desirable tenants by many landlords and often while still dealing with complex and harmful circumstances in their lives. Having our new premises has enabled us to improve and expand the way we are available to engage with those seeking support. More importantly, it has helped us reach more people. We love having young people coming into SLEAP and owning this space and influencing what happens in it and how we work. As we look ahead, we know there are some big challenges we need to face but we feel encouraged and confident, trusting in God who has seen us this far. We choose to see these challenges as opportunities and so we move on with new dreams and exciting new plans for the future. Watch this space! ## **Stela Stansfield** Chief Executive Officer 3 ## **Our services and activities** SLEAP works with 16 to 25 years old in South Ribble, Chorley and Preston. We provide **S** upport, **L** odgings, **E** mergency **A** ccommodation and **P** revention work in order to combat homelessness, promote safe accommodation, build social resilience and encourage young people to thrive. We promote a relational support approach and strive to develop trauma informed practice. SLEAP is there to support, nurture and empower so that young adults can move on as confident and independent members of the community. We have continued to help young people avoid sofa surfing or street homelessness through our supported lodgings scheme. When staying in **supported lodgings** young people have their own bedroom within a family home. This means that although they’re independent, there is always someone around to talk to. The host family provides support with practical skills like cooking and using a washing machine as well as becoming ‘encouragers,’ supporting the young person’s physical and mental wellbeing. We have continued to recruit new host families in order to grow the number of placements available. Recruiting host families is an ongoing task as this can be a long process and it requires a high level of commitment. This means that not everyone that originally shows some interest in the role, goes on to become an active host family. Assessment and induction are parts of ‘safer recruitment’ that we follow and help us ensure we get the right people for such an important role. 4 **Moving 4ward** is part of our non-residential services and it aims to help prevent homelessness through early intervention. It is about providing information and the practical support young people need to build up their skills, knowledge and confidence so that they can succeed as independent young adults. This could include signposting to other services, making referrals and supporting with initial access, advocacy or practical direct work. In practice, this work varies depending on the individual and their priorities, as we work alongside the young person to enable them to identify and address the issues affecting them. This year that work has varied from help with accessing different items of furniture, home equipment, to help with debts, setting up or stopping bills, attending meetings with the young person or on their behalf, helping access emergency accommodation, referring to supported accommodation or health services and many other aspects of support. ## **“I like coming to SLEAP coz you get things sorted”** **Thrive** , our wellbeing service, offers a range of different sessions for 16-25 year olds with experience of homelessness/risk of homelessness, supported or temporary accommodation. Young people often reported that besides very long waiting lists for counselling, sometimes, their experience had been that they felt misunderstood or disappointed due to a lack of understanding of their circumstances and the impact homelessness or unsecure accommodation has on how they can access services. Thrive is led by a qualified counsellor with many years of experience working within homelessness and with young adults. This year we ran the first THRIVE group. We looked at skills to help manage feelings and explored how food and sleep (or lack of it!) can impact on emotional health. The group looked at self-care and shared ideas as well as trying mindfulness techniques. The Thrive group was also a fun experience that promoted new relationships and peer support within a safe and positive environment. 5 **”I found going to group helped structured my week. I enjoyed the mindfulness and learning how to focus the mind. I enjoyed the week where we looked at healthy living. I would recommend the course to others! It was really good and the ice breakers were fun.”** The counselling sessions offer Person Centred Counselling. The Counsellor isn’t there to tell young people what to do or what to talk about but they will help the young person to explore thoughts and feelings and give them a safe space to work through any struggles that they might be facing in their life. **“I have found counselling helpful as I have been able to express my feelings and I have been able to talk about issues that may have occurred weekly”** **SLEAP Buzz** is about bringing our young people together to have fun, get involved in the community, learn new skills, grow, make new friends and feel good about life. We want young people to be buzzing with life and excited about their future however, when dealing with so many issues life can feel far from exciting. These activities and the relationships formed are key in combating isolation and improving physical and mental health & wellbeing. We were really excited this year, to finally be able to restart Buzz activities after a period of interruption. One of the young men accessing SLEAP commented how much he loved movies and how they were his way of escaping and coping with life, especially when it was as challenging as it was at the time. However, he had never been to the cinema before. Through Buzz, we organised a trip to the local cinema for a small group. 6 This experience gave them the opportunity to escape their day to day lives for a couple of hours and enjoy what others may take for granted. Needless to say, this was a huge success. And so another young person suggested the next activity, a walk in ‘his woods’ which he would lead with a picnic on top of the hill. A little bit of practical help when things get tough can make all the difference. We have a bank of food, toiletries blankets and some clothing items for when people are going through a period of **crisis** . This year in particular we distributed many duvets and bedding sets, blankets, hot water bottles, sleeping bags as well as the usual food and toiletries. Due to specific grants we received, we were able to also provide energy top ups to many individuals and families. This was particularly welcomed by young single people living in supported accommodation, whose heating is usually provided with pre-payment meters and who were struggling to afford any heating. **Cycling 4 Fun** has been growing with more bikes having been donated by members of the community. This service evolved as young people who wanted to apply for certain warehouse jobs, couldn’t take them because there was no suitable public transport. Since then, the bikes have been borrowed by young people to attend appointments, go to work, college or just for fun. 7 In response to the lack of access to services outside traditional office hours, and in response to young people’s suggestions, every Tuesday we're open until 7pm. We know that people can't always get to services during normal working hours. So anyone experiencing housing difficulties or with concerns about someone else, can pop in for support or just a chat. We can provide a hot meal, drink and somewhere warm and safe to hang around. 8 ## **The people – beneficiaries and volunteers** **Beneficiaries -** This year we have actively supported 53 young people aged between 17 and 25 years old. 32 were male and 21 female. Due to the long-term aspect of our work, some young people may stay involved with SLEAP, accessing different services for longer periods of time, some over several years. Nevertheless, 25 young people were new referrals for this year. Self-referrals and enquiries from friends/family members continue to be one of the main forms of accessing SLEAP support at nearly 50%. This reflects the fact that the great majority of people we engage with have chosen to engage with us rather than being referred without consent or their knowledge. In addition, we also supported another 19 people that fall outside our age group. We are often approached by people over 25 years old and we always try to signpost them to the appropriate organisations. However, there are different situations in which we help in practical ways or with accessing the services they require. Sadly, a comment we hear too often is about the difficulty many have in even getting to ‘the front door’ of services. ## **“You were the first ones talking to me. Nobody else even rang back. Thanks for helping.”** **Volunteers –** Besides our 8 trustees, we currently have 9 volunteers regularly involved in the work of SLEAP. They help with a range of different roles and aspects such as the dropin, group work and activities, organising the food cupboard and donations, helping with cleaning and providing admin support to the Board of Trustees. We also have 5 young volunteers (all under the age of 18) who get involved with specific projects and are planning to help us improve our social media presence. Recently this group of young people worked on ‘Yummy Food on a Budget.’ The idea was to involve different generations within the community and so the young volunteers asked older people that they knew to cook easy, affordable meals which they filmed and made into short videos. By adding them to the website, many young people both now and also in the future, will be able to enjoy and benefit from this work. All recipes were thought through carefully so they would be inexpensive and not requiring specialist equipment. The videos are being used to encourage young people on SLEAP to have a go and develop their cooking skills! Some host families are using them as an opportunity to work together with the young people they are hosting. 9 **Host Families -** We currently have 10 host families on our supported lodgings scheme. The host families vary in composition, some are couples, some are single individuals, couples with children, larger families or smaller, from different backgrounds and cultures, retired, in employment… ## “ **We like it when we have them staying. Even though it can be challenging. It’s not always easy. When we don’t we actually miss them.”** Like staff, all volunteers and host families are recruited under safer recruitment principles, all have an induction, supervision and attend regular training sessions. The last training session was on Trauma Informed Approach and what that looks like at SLEAP. A range of different aspects were covered such as the impact of trauma on the brain and the signs of trauma. We reflected on some of our own experiences of trauma and looked at how we can support our young people (and each other) in a trauma informed way. ## **“The trauma informed training was really good and informative. I enjoyed it.”** ## **Partnerships in and with the community** SLEAP is a community charity and as such, from trustees to host families, volunteers, partners, local people and local organisations, the community is part of what we do, why and how we do it. We are proactive in seeking to increase representation at governance level of people with lived experience and also other underrepresented groups. SLEAP is all about the community getting involved. Our dispersed accommodation model is based on bedrooms in the homes of individuals and families. Volunteers are an important part of our work and many community members and businesses, schools and churches get involved throughout the year. We want to be a catalyst for community action. This year saw the return of face to face networking opportunities, with services and volunteering fairs helping to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Much emphasis was given to revisiting local partners and reviewing referral pathways, shared goals and values. This was reflected in the increasing variety of referral sources. In particular, this year we strengthened our presence and relationship with the Preston Community Network and the Blackburn VCS (as there isn’t one in Central Lancashire). 10 A new partnership SLEAP joined this year was Preston Wellfest. This is a network of health and wellbeing organisations that are based and/or work in Preston. Wellfest organises regular awareness events reaching out to the public and promotes the networking and partnership work across its membership. The events attended last year enabled us to promote our services to new referrers and to increase our knowledge of services available for those we support. These were also opportunities to increase public awareness of SLEAP and how it can help. With the increasing number of enquiries and referrals from the Preston area, a new partnership was established last year with the Plungington Community Centre. This made it easier for people to access SLEAP’s support as they did not have to travel into Leyland. This year, we were able to invite the Mayor of South Ribble to join us at Plungington together with other representatives of the local community to highlight the weekly drop-in and the issues faced by young homeless people. Every year different community groups get involved with SLEAP to support the work that we do either directly or through fundraising. Crafts for Everyone is a wonderful example of those groups. They get together to make different types of crafts which they then use to raise funds for SLEAP. They have been doing this for several years now and in doing so, they are also helping to raise awareness of homelessness and where to get support and help. 11 The Christmas campaign that we run every year has become a fantastic opportunity for community involvement and awareness raising. So many organisations and individuals get involved each year and once again, despite the cost of living crisis, we were overwhelmed by the generosity of so many who donated items of food, toiletries and cash. Thanks to these donations, we were able to take presents and large food parcels to all the young people we are supporting and also to some we used to support and are now living independently. These gifts were really welcomed, and all were very grateful for them, this year more than ever. 12 Imagine spending a whole night awake, without any sleep, just before you are helping lead a Christmas service in the morning. That is just what a group of young people and their leaders from Buckshaw Village Church did in December for SLEAP. In the run up to ‘no sleep for SLEAP’ event, the young people discussed and learnt about homelessness and the different challenges faced by those who have no home or nowhere to go. They learnt about where to access help if they ever needed it and raised an amazing amount of money and toiletries in the process. Another great example of working in partnership with our local community. ## **The difference we have made** Nothing we have said so far would matter if we were not making a difference and having a positive impact on the lives of individuals and our community. Although figures give us some idea of the outcomes achieved, it’s people’s stories that really show the impact of the work. ## Lucy Last year Lucy came onto supported lodgings having struggled in foster care placements for many years. She wasn’t sure about wanting to stay with SLEAP and everything felt very scary and daunting for this painfully shy young woman, who carries a long history of trauma. It took her sometime to settle and she had to keep reminding herself that she didn’t have to suddenly move again. Supported Lodgings has been just what she needed and Lucy is now thriving. She loves feeling that she has her freedom but knowing that she is also supported. Lucy says the support is not overwhelming. She is finishing an apprenticeship this summer and has ambitions and a plan for the future. Lucy has been supported with her money management, which she used to struggle with and now she’s opened a savings account so she can save for her driving lessons. Lucy feels part of the family and included in family plans and outings. Her leaving care worker has stated how wonderful the placement is and how pleased they are that Lucy has now settled. Lucy’s host family shared that they received a text from Lucy saying how grateful she is to live there and how much she appreciates everything the host does for her. Here are some of the recorded outcomes for those we formally supported through the year: **----- Start of picture text -----**
92% Better 86% Increased 89% Reduced 71% Have
knowledge of support the risk of plans and
where and how network homelessness ambitions
to get help for life
**----- End of picture text -----**
13 ## Mark Mark was street homeless when he first came across SLEAP. He was 23 years old and couldn’t return to his hometown due to bail conditions. He was feeling low and considering suicide. We helped him contact the council for a homelessness assessment. As there was no accommodation for him, he was accommodated in various hotels, each time for one night. In order to have somewhere to sleep, Mark had to contact the council every day so they would find availability and book him a room. This meant travelling to wherever he was placed. Mark couldn’t always afford transport so he would walk for hours to get to the next town or at times tried to ‘jump’ the train. SLEAP advocated on his behalf to access travel support and at times, we ended up transporting him ourselves or getting bus tokens. As he had nowhere to cook, Mark relied on sandwiches or pot noodles. He had to carry all he owned with him each time, so he couldn’t really buy in bulk either. When SLEAP took Mark for a hot meal, he had not eaten a proper meal in over a month. Mark had tried to continue working while street homeless and despite all the moves to different places. However, this meant he wasn’t always in the right place to be picked up for work as each night he was placed somewhere different. Also, by trying to earn some money, he was then responsible to pay for his own stays at the hotels where he was placed, which left him with no money to eat. Mark stopped working. He had enjoyed going to work because it kept him busy and gave him a purpose. Mark had no other support network, family or friends and was completely alone. SLEAP became Mark’s safe place to go to and to get help and talk to people who understood what he was going through. SLEAP supported Mark in accessing mental health and mentoring support. We also worked with Mark to register with social housing and obtain the required documents and proofs. He could not access private rented as the rents were unaffordable. Supported lodgings was unfortunately not a suitable option for Mark due to his ongoing criminal charges. During this unsettled time, Mark also struggled to keep up with his probation appointments. He couldn’t always travel from hotels out of area. When he was able to stay with a friend in one place for a few weeks, Mark borrowed a bike from SLEAP so he could get to his probation appointments. We persisted in advocating on his behalf, especially as we were concerned about the impact all this was having on Mark’s mental health. Mark was finally placed in supported shared accommodation. He became a model tenant, keeping his flat clean and tidy and abiding by all the rules. Now Mark continues to engage with Probation and carry out his Community Service. He is doing online training to improve his chances of finding a better job. Mark’s story is a good example of the need for persistent, long-term commitment, not giving up on people and working to overcome barriers. Due to his homelessness, he was at risk of breaching his probation order, being recalled to prison or committing further offences in order to survive or cope. 14 **“Anyway I told her that you have helped me loads which you have. Use at sleap gave me hope to keep going because things are gonna get better for me. I am so greatfull for all the help use have given me, it really has helped me so much, even just having someone that believe in me. You don’t understand how much that has actually helped me, so thanks to you all at sleap.”** Lizzie Early last year Lizzie was referred to SLEAP. She was 18 years old and lived in challenging circumstances in an environment that wasn’t safe. Lizzie presented with anxiety and depression and had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She was struggling with her alcohol usage. Her anxiety was a barrier to leaving the house. Lizzie also struggled with her home environment due to family breakdown and arguments. The thought of meeting for even just a wellbeing check was a huge challenge so it was important to be flexible and work at Lizzie’s pace. At first, she asked to meet the worker for just 5 minutes outside her home. The second time Lizzie felt able to sit in the worker’s car outside her house so they could chat a bit more. By the third session Lizzie felt more comfortable and was able to go into a coffee shop and after that started to meet for short walks. Over the past few months, Lizzie’s confidence grew and the wellbeing sessions began taking place weekly. Lizzie used the sessions to explore her anxiety and depression. She also reflected over past struggles and traumas that she has experienced. Through these sessions, Lizzie built enough trust to ask for practical help with other aspects of her life. SLEAP supported her with money management, exploring and applying for alternative accommodation, accessing additional support and discussing future plans. Lizzie now feels confident to move into supported shared accommodation, she is managing her own money and income and is also hoping to go to college in September. **“Counselling has helped me to express myself through talking and exploring my emotions in day to day life. I am also able to explore my feelings by playing songs I have created which helps me explain what goes on in my life. I feel this is a good way to express how am feeling alongside talking about things”** 15 ## **Highlights of the year - Reasons to celebrate** SLEAP moving to its own premises, with more space, in a more central location was one major reason to celebrate this year. On 4[th] October 2022, our Open Day, we welcomed a non-stop stream of visitors that came to see our new home and find out about all that is going on at SLEAP. We saw colleagues from many different agencies, young people, volunteers, host families, trustees, supporters and funders. We were so encouraged by their feedback and ideas. We soon put the building to good use. The wellbeing sessions on Thursday evenings in the lounge looked cosy and fun. The young volunteers loved the small meeting room when they worked on their projects. It was great to be able to host our training in our own training room and everyone wants to chill in the ‘therapeutic’ room where we have our counselling sessions. Christmas was also a great time of celebration as we were able to bring together young people, host families, volunteers, trustees, guests and staff. For different reasons, it had been several years since we had been able to celebrate Christmas all together. We had so much fun, and it was such a good reminder and illustration of our values in practice and of what SLEAP is all about. 16 There are many other highlights from this year that could be mentioned. From individual successes and achievements for people engaging with SLEAP, to our young volunteers and the amazing energy they pour into all their projects, there is so much more that could be said. However we want to highlight the joy of seeing more people with lived experience of homelessness, who have engaged with support from SLEAP, now choosing to volunteer or get involved with different roles and tasks. ## **“I really enjoy volunteering at SLEAP because I can make a difference like they did with me** 😊 **”** ## **Challenges and opportunities** One ongoing trend that gives us reasons for concern is the difficulty in accessing suitable accommodation or housing. This year the situation has worsened, and whilst this confirms the importance of supported lodgings as an alternative, affordable model, it still raises issues around moving on options. Locally the waiting time for someone who is homeless on the social housing register has significantly increased. It can take up to twelve months or more for a property to become available and even longer for one that is appropriate and matches preferences. Private renting is impossible to secure and costly. The shared housing available tends to mostly prioritise those in employment. Buying, even with the income, is difficult to obtain at the lower end as demand exceeds supply. Consequently, the young people we support are being squeezed out of housing and are left at the bottom of the pile. As we ask where can they go, we can’t but worry about the potential for further situations of homelessness this may cause. Alongside this, we are also concerned about the availability of supported accommodation in the area. As local authorities buy bed spaces for 16/17 year olds in their care or with previous experience of living in Care, it significantly reduces the accommodation available for other vulnerable young people who do not attract the same level of funding. Young people no longer can self-refer in most cases, which adds more barriers to their already challenging situation. In the meantime this year the DfE published new regulations, standards and guidance for any supported accommodation for 16/17 year olds with care experience. With this there is a requirement to register and later on to be subject of Ofsted inspections. The cost of registration, including registered manager and different locations, could cost SLEAP as much as £10,000, which for an organisation of our size, it represents a significant impact on the budget. Although it could be tempting to limit supported lodgings to 18+, local authorities have already expressed that they may choose to award contracts exclusively to those who are registered, even if not supporting under 18s. We do welcome the standards as a way of ensuring quality of provision however we are conscious of the challenges this process may raise. 17 In addition, at the end of last year’s report we mentioned a growing need for emergency accommodation. This request for help have continued throughout this year and it is something that our young people and those homelessness experience have highlighted as a priority. So when faced with these issues and the ongoing challenge of funding SLEAP, the trustees and staff have chosen to focus on the opportunities these challenges create. We have started working on an emergency accommodation scheme to be run as a pilot so we can test both the model and the cost. We are also looking at other options that may help us respond to the growing need for accommodation for our age group. Watch this space! At the end of this report it seems fitting to mention Tom. This summer we said goodbye to a very special member of the SLEAP family. For the last 15 years Tom and his wife Barbara were involved with SLEAP as a host family, supporters, and in the last 4 years Tom was one of our trustees. Tom always made us laugh and was always ready to help. One young man who was placed with them through SLEAP shared this with us: **“At the time I didn’t necessarily think that the SLEAP project or the roles of Tom & Barbara would be the long-term solution to my problems. But it was never meant to be that. I soon realised and bought into the concept that the project provided a shortterm break from my problems and I was able to take a step back from my life at that time. Tom & Barbara offered a safe and neutral environment where I could take the time needed to reflect, vent, open up and to address the issues in my life and how they could be resolved…** **My life needed a reset and Tom & Barbara were the perfect people to help me start afresh. And I know that without them both I wouldn’t be who I am, where I am or more importantly have the relationship with my family that I do now. And I will be forever grateful to them both for that. And that gratitude extends to their family and friends who were all so good to me. The work that SLEAP does allowed all of this to happen. And if I didn’t at the time then I would like to thank SLEAP for putting me with such an amazing family…”** 18 ## **Funding** The breakdown of this year’s funding and spending is presented in the Annual Accounts Report. We are extremely grateful to all our donors. We acknowledge the faithful group of individuals who regularly donate to SLEAP and have done so for years. Similarly we want to thank all those, individuals, companies, schools and churches who donated so generously this year. We continue to receive the support of New Day Homes and Hope Charity Shop and their regular donations for which we are so grateful and do not take for granted. Likewise, the donations in kind received throughout the year are a key part of enabling our work. From food and toiletries to the use of rooms for meetings or events, equipment and furniture. We are very grateful to all those organisations and individuals that have so generously contributed to our work. This year we also have to say a very special thank you to Beaverbrooks The Jewellers and in particular to their Marketing Team. The funding they awarded us meant that we could equip and furnish our new premises in one go, rather than having to do it in stages. Visitors have told us how comfortable, safe and welcome they feel when they visit. Despite these wonderful donations, currently our main source of income continues to be the grant from The National Lottery Community Fund – Reaching Communities Northwest without which we could not reach and support so many beneficiaries and make a difference in their lives and in our community. This funding enables us to work in a flexible way that can respond to the influence and changing needs and suggestions of our beneficiaries. Nevertheless, our goal for the future continues to be that we diversify further our sources of funding so we can develop and expand our work. On behalf of all those who have benefited from the work of SLEAP, we thank you all for making it possible. The difference this makes will continue to impact people’s lives for a very long time. 19 SLEAP is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and it is controlled by its constitution adopted in July 2019. The organisation’s only voting members are its charity trustees who constitute the Trustee Board and are responsible for the administration of the charity. Where there is a requirement for new trustees, they are identified by the existing trustees with due regard to the skills and experience needed and appointed at the AGM or a trustee meeting. The Chair and other officers are elected by the Trustee Board and come up for reelection in every year of their holding office. The trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. ## **Purpose and mission:** SLEAP’s purpose as set out in the objects contained in its Constitution: - The relief of poverty of young persons in Lancashire who are in conditions of need, hardship and distress by the provision of temporary accommodation. - The expression of the Christian faith through care, compassion and relevant practical and spiritual help as the trustees may from time to time think fit. Mission: ## **Trustees for 2022/23** Liz Hamilton – Chair Daniel Williams – Vice-Chair Mike Neill Emma Foxall Tim Grose Tom Wilson Anthony Matthews Barbara Coulton Chinyere Ajayi ## **Independent Examiner** Emily Miller 20 The trustees declare that they have approved the Annual Trustees Report above. Signed on behalf of SLEAP’s trustees Signature – Full name – Position – Date - 21 ## **SLEAP** ## **Financial Report and Accounts** April 2022 – March 2023 Unit 2 Trafford Buildings East Street Leyland PR25 3NJ ## **Registered Charity Number 1184663** ## **Notes Applicable to the accounts** ## **1. Financial Management** SLEAP is Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) managed by the Trustees, and its management accounts are maintained in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice Accounting (FRS 102). ## **2. Reserves Policy** ## **Purpose** SLEAP is Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) managed by the Trustees, and its management accounts are maintained in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice Accounting (FRS 102). ## **Scope** The Trustees of SLEAP have considered the following points in developing the Reserves Policy: - Our responsibility as an organisation and as Trustees to provide good stewardship and active financial management - Strategic planning and future vision of SLEAP, responding to the needs of the beneficiaries - Budget setting and whether reserves require building up or drawing down - The ability to respond to and manage any unforeseen financial difficulties - Building resilience and capacity by identifying in advance any uncertainty in future income streams - Levels of potential redundancy amounts in the event of major loss of funding ## **Definitions** ## Unrestricted or free reserves These are funds which have been received without any conditions attached and are therefore able to be spent as SLEAP sees fit to meet the mission and needs of the organisation and the beneficiaries ## Restricted funds Funds which have been received with specific conditions attached. The money can only be spent for the stated purposes. ## Designated funds Funds which have been set aside by SLEAP for a specific purpose. This may include long-term saving to acquire or replace a capital item of high value, or the development of a new service or pilot project ## **Aims** - a. To provide sound financial management of SLEAP and reduce risk - b. To enable the organisation to grow, develop and respond to the needs of beneficiaries - c. To enable diversification of income streams - d. In the event of loss of income that requires SLEAP to close, to ensure good support is given to beneficiaries. This includes allowing sufficient time for case loads to be handed over to other organisations or support brought to a close in an empowering and timetabled way. - e. To enable staff to seek additional and replacement funding - f. To support staff well in the event of redundancy notice being given, assisting in exploring options and in their search for alternative employment. - g. To be able to respond to funding opportunities by ensuring sufficient funds to invest in staff time in carrying this out. In order to meet the aims set out above the Trustees of SLEAP have resolved: - SLEAP will aim to hold 25% of annual costs as unrestricted reserves. This is equivalent to 3 months expenditure. - Where unrestricted reserves are higher than this level the development needs of the organisation, one-off capital expenditure and potential new or increased service levels for beneficiaries will be the priorities when drawing down these funds. The long-term impact of any draw down, the financial, political, social and funding environment at the time and foreseeable future will also be major factors in supporting these decisions. - Trustees have the ability to designate funds for development and growth at any point. - Where unrestricted reserves are below the agreed level, SLEAP will aim to bring these in line over a period of time as agreed by the Trustees. - Funds to cover redundancy costs will not be included in the calculation of the unrestricted reserves. The Reserves Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis, including the level of unrestricted funds and the potential level of redundancy costs. Redundancy costs are calculated based on the coming financial year. SLEAP pays any redundancy in line with statutory redundancy levels. ## **3. Reporting Method** The accounts presented in this report have been prepared using the Receipts and Payments method, which is permitted for Charities with an annual turn-over that does not exceed £250,000. This means that: - a. Income is recognised when the money is received by the Charity. - b. Expenditure is recorded when payment is made. - c. The 'non-financial assets' of the Charity are not included in the Financial Statements. ## **4. Principle Sources of Income** The SLEAP Project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund for staffing, expenses and training. ## **5. Use of Leyland Premises** SLEAP now rents offices at Trafford Buildings, unit 2. However when moving, the Trustees chose not to forfeit the pre-paid rent for the premises at Leyland Baptist church, choosing to retain them for the pre-paid period as agreed. In 2013-14 Former SLEAP (1050738) made a contribution to the costs of renovating the church building, in the form of an advance payment of rent for a 15-year period. This is shown as an asset on the balance sheet, which is depleted by a monthly charge for rent which is shown as an expense. The rent charges shown in the financial reports account for the use of office accommodation, and reducing nominal value of the asset recorded on the balance sheet, but involve no cash payments. ## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities (Cash Basis)** |**tatement of Assets and Liabilities (Cash Basis)**||| |---|---|---| |**ASSETS**
Advance Rent Paid
**Other Assets**
Petty Cash
Current Account
Savings Account
Retail Vouchers
**Cash at bank and in hand**
**Total Assets**
**LIABILITIES**
Payroll Liabilities
**Current Liabilities**
**Total Liabilities**
**NET ASSETS**
**CAPITAL AND RESERVES**
Retained Surplus / (deficit)
Surplus/ (Deficit) for the year
**Total Capital and Reserves**|**31 Mar 23**
7,111
**7,111**
25
67,204
32,303
4,958
**104,490**
**111,601**
(2,172)
**(2,172)**
**(2,172)**
**109,429**
103,556
5,873
**109,429**|**31 Mar 22**| |||8,444
**8,444**
20
70,245
27,252
0
**97,517**
**105,961**
(2,405)
**(2,405)**
**(2,405)**
**103,556**
80,765
22,791
**103,556**| ## **Statement of Receipts and Payments (Cash Basis)** For the Period from 01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023 ||**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Restricted**|**Designated**|**Designated**|**Un-**|**Total**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||National|Employment|Supported|Household|Beaverbrooks|Groundwork|Emergency|Redundancy|**restricted**|| ||Lottery|Support|Accommodation|Support Fund|Office Refit||Accommodation|||| |**Receipts**||||||||||| |Accommodation Income|||11,698|||||||**11,698**| |Grants|110,416|||22,500||||||**132,916**| |Donations (inc Gift Aid)||2,989|||4,750||2,100||14,320|**24,159**| |Fundraising|||||||||160|**160**| |Bank Interest|||||||||52|**52**| |**Total Receipts**|**110,416**|**2,989**|**11,698**|**22,500**|**4,750**||**2,100**||**14,532**|**168,985**| |**Expenses**||||||||||| |Compliance Costs|4,983|||||||||**4,983**| |General Running Expenses|21,535||||4,189||||1,363|**27,087**| |Salaries|96,746|||||||||**96,746**| |Accountancy|1,341|||||||||**1,341**| |Promotion|536|||||||||**536**| |Service Delivery|782|||||||||**782**| |Training|961|||||||||**961**| |Accommodation Outgoings||2,049|10,789|||||||**12,838**| |Household Support||||15,251|||||252|**15,503**| |Groundworks||||||248||||**248**| |Travel|1,465|||||||||**1,465**| |Young People|622|||||||||**622**| |**Total Expenses**|**128,971**|**2,049**|**10,789**|**15,251**|**4,189**|**248**|**0**|**0**|**1,615**|**163,112**| |**Surplus/(Loss) for the year**|**(18,555)**|**940**|**909**|**7,249**|**561**|**(248)**|**2,100**|**0**|**12,917**|**5,873**| |_Transfer of funds_|_8,265_|||||||_5,000_|_(13,265)_|**_0_**| |_Brought forward from prior years_|**_10,290_**|**_2,685_**|**_(2,030)_**|**_0_**|**_0_**|**_500_**|**_19,171_**|**_11,000_**|**_50,386_**|**_92,002_**| |**_Surplus to carry forward_**|**_0_**|**_3,625_**|**_(1,121)_**|**_7,249_**|**_561_**|**_252_**|**_21,271_**|**_16,000_**|**_50,038_**|**_97,875_**| |||**Note**||||||||| ||||||Advance Rent|balance transferred|in from former charity (No Cash)|||11,554| ||||||||Reconciles to Balance sheet|||**109,429**| ## **Notes** 1. Accountancy includes the payroll service charge. 2. Rent for new offices at £1,200 pcm included in General running costs (£14,400 in total) 3. For the budget of 23/24 there is already a commitment of £10,000 for registration with the Department of Education, which brings the reserves to the level suggested in the Reserves Policy. ## **Consolidated Receipts and Payments** ## **Apr 22 to Mar 23 Apr 21 to Mar 22** ## **Receipts** |Housing Benefit - Other|11,698|6,705| |---|---|---| |Grants|132,916|110,275| |Donations (inc Gift Aid)|24,159|11,625| |Fundraising|160|4,763| |Bank Interest|52|3| |**Total Receipts**|**168,985**|**133,371**| |**Expenses**||| |Compliance Costs|4,983|2,902| |General Running Expenses|27,087|10,471| |Salaries|96,746|86,206| |Accountancy|1,341|318| |Promotion|536|938| |Service Delivery|782|869| |Training|961|1,064| |Accommodation Outgoings|12,838|10,135| |Household Support|15,503|-| |Groundworks|248|-| |Travel|1,465|1,240| |Young People|622|437| |**Total Expenses**|**163,112**|**114,580**| |**Surplus/ (Loss) for the year**|**5,873**|**18,791**| ## ## ## ## ##