## **The Blackley Centre Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ended 30th September 2024 for the Charity Commission** The Blackley Centre is a Registered Charity working for peace, transforming conflict and enabling good inter faith relations, providing quality hospitality at a centre in West Yorkshire. The Centre was founded by Blackley Baptist Church, with which it works in partnership from its shared site in the village of Blackley. The Blackley Centre was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (1184714) on 1st August 2019 (Yorkshire Day!) and officially launched on 12th October 2019 with 80 friends and supporters. ## **The Trustees 23/24** Hugh Donald (resigned during the year) Pam Smith (resigned during the year) Samina Ali (resigned during the year) Andrew Taylor Revd Mary Taylor (Chair) Karen Ainsworth Rob Quarton (elected as a trustee and Treasurer March 2024) Guy Hirst (nominated by Blackley Baptist Church September 2024) ## **The objects of the Blackley Centre are** ‘(1) To advance education for the benefit of the public in the promotion of reconciliation and peace, religious and racial harmony and equality and diversity, in particular by the provision of facilities and retreat opportunities for Christians and people of all religions and beliefs and to advance religion and in particular the Christian religion in such activity.’ ‘(2) The provision of independent mediation services for individuals, organisations and groups experiencing or threatened by dispute or conflict, such as, but not limited to, neighbour nuisance, anti-social behaviour, harassment, bullying, family or community conflict with a view to the preservation of public order and for the preservation and protection of the well-being of such individuals, organisations and groups.’ ## **Our vision** … - is of a society where any person may live safely in any community; be welcomed, accepted, valued and understood; contributing to community life; finding ways of living that are for mutual flourishing; and where the potential transformational power of conflict is embraced and transformed. ## **Our Aim is …** - To provide a Centre which is an inspiring, and welcoming meeting place offering respect and hospitality for people seeking to transform conflict and make peace, and for people of all religions and beliefs to develop understanding and friendship. - To create and enable respectful spaces where people are enabled through encounter to share stories, explore vulnerabilities, and recognise common interests, releasing energy and creativity that ultimately leads to transformation. - • To seek to model in our relationships, within and without the organisation, attitudes of respect, generosity and hospitality, born of appropriate compassion for the other. - To provide training in conflict awareness and transformation and inter faith relations ## **Our Values and initial formation …** Our values are to relate to individuals and communities with openness, respect, honesty, integrity and transparency, valuing diversity. We seek to be welcoming, hospitable and compassionate and to learn creatively as we work together for transformation. For many years, Baptist ministers Andy and Jo Williams had had a dream of bringing their particular specialisms within reconciliation and inter faith work together with ministry into one place or centre. Friends and colleagues encouraged them to pursue this, and Blackley Baptist Church and Centre was suggested as a place to consider. The church’s history, since 1993, of providing quality hospitality through their centre with a focus on spirituality and retreat certainly created an interesting possibility, and at the time the church was about to enter a period of pastoral vacancy. Meetings, further conversations, deliberations and prayers ensued, resulting in the church calling Andy and Jo to be Joint Ministers of the Church in October 2016, unanimously endorsing the vision for the centre for peace, reconciliation and dialogue/inter faith relations. The Yorkshire Baptist Association funded a six month scoping project which confirmed the need and the potential for such a place and made a three year grant of seed funding to enable the work to begin in July 2017 with Andy and Jo delivering reconciliation and inter faith work at Blackley alongside pastoral ministry. The combined resources of Church and Minsters creates this unique place, well-resourced buildings blessed by beautiful and peaceful surroundings, with experienced professionals bringing their heart for reconciliation and hope for peace. With a focus on personal conversation, enabling direct transformative encounters, stimulating curiosity and grace, the Centre seeks to affect change and build peace. The Scoping Project Group oversaw the initial work with Andy and Jo, developing a constitution for The Blackley Centre to become a CIO with a membership in consultation with the Church and wider church structures. Seven trustees, including two from Blackley Baptist Church, with a broad range of skills and specialist knowledge of church, reconciliation and inter faith relations were recruited to form the Board. This replaced the scoping project group, meeting formally for the first time in October 2018. ## **Achievements during the fifth trading year …** In this fifth trading year the Centre continued to offer its work through a mix of online, on site and hybrid meetings, gatherings, courses and retreats. ## **David Shutt Young Peace Ambassadors** Our greatest achievement for the second time is again the David Shutt Young Peace Ambassadors, enabling children in 5 primary schools to address and transform conflict among their peers. 48 year 4 and 5 children and 9 staff did the training and their peers now have the opportunity to deal with conflict in a positive way when YPAs invite them to peace talks. Thus, potentially all year 5 and 6 pupils across all five schools are seeing that there are non-violent ways of resolving conflicts. The schools are becoming more peaceful learning communities where the impact of destructive conflict is being reduced and transformed. We hope this approach to culture change will help to stop children, young people and adults becoming involved in violence, including knife crime now and in the future. We introduced the concept of Peace Ambassadors to the whole staff teams in two new schools. Out theatre artist delivered the special launch assembly with the children and staff and our Director for Reconciliation introduced Young Peace Ambassadors and invited the children from years 4 and 5 to apply. She also led assemblies in the pilot schools, drawing on the experiences of the existing YPAs and again invited the children from years 4 and 5 to apply. This led the children and staff coming to the Blackley Centre for two days to train to be Peace Ambassadors. After the summer, everyone met up for a refresher day, leaving excited and confident about being Peace Ambassadors in their schools, supported by their teachers. Finally, the children and their families were invited to the Centre Celebration for their commissioning as Peace Ambassadors and 90 came along! All this was only possible because of a grant from the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Fund of £7970. YPAs is much needed in our increasingly divided world and it has huge potential. ## **Training** Through our Director for Reconciliation we delivered commissioned training days for 5 church colleges, Regional Associations and Dioceses. These days, or combination of days, focus on how we manage ourselves in conflict situations, and how we can address anxiety in churches caused by difference and division and general education work around conflict in churches, improving the culture. She also delivered a final Mediation Skills Training for Smile Mediation. A key development this year was the creation of our own mediation skills and restorative practice training entitled ‘Paths of Peace – Handling Conflict Well’. Initially, this is for ministers and church leaders. It is designed to help people within their own context, to handle conflict and disagreement well: learning processes and practices that promote restoration of relationship and reconciliation. We hope that this will be a significant resource for churches of all denominations, but primarily the Baptist denomination, to improve the culture in churches. This course was delivered for the first time in October 2024, outside the scope of this report, but at the close of our year in September 8 people had booked. In all, approximately 200 people have experienced training coming from (or in partnership with) the Blackley Centre. ## **Interpersonal Mediations and Group Facilitations.** Over the course of the year the Centre has offered several Group Facilitations to church congregations. These occasionally involved a single meeting, but more often have taken several months of careful and committed working to improve relationships. One additional significant conversation was between people of different faiths, including Jews and Muslims, as well as community leaders, living within the same city, exploring the impact of the war in Gaza with Israel. This involved facilitating about 50 people in listening deeply and carefully to one another. The CEO of the City Council who commissioned the conversation said it was exemplary and the best ‘conversation’ of that kind that she had ever participated in. Our Director for Reconciliation has conducted 1:1 Handling Conflict Coaching Sessions with a variety of people, some connected with the group sessions above but others on unrelated issues. We are also indebted to associates of the Centre who have worked with us on several of these cases. In all, around 275 people have received mediation/facilitation from The Blackley Centre. ## **Inter Faith Work** The challenges of funding interfaith work have meant that this has been a smaller part of our work this year. However, due to the Hamas attack on Israel last October and the ensuing war in Gaza, we were asked, as mentioned earlier, to facilitate representatives of the faith communities in a city to have dialogue about the impact of the conflict on their interfaith relations here. We were also saddened by the closure of the Interfaith Network UK, but delighted to be asked by Calderdale Interfaith to work in partnership with them and the Peace Studies Department of the University of Bradford to plan a Peace Conference to be hosted at the Centre in Inter Faith Week 2024. Our Director for Reconciliation continued to support interfaith work in Calderdale as part of the steering group of Calderdale Interfaith. ## **Revd Nikki Jenkins** It’s not so much of an achievement, but more the appreciation of a gift and certainly a major highlight of this year to have had the Revd Nikki Jenkins working with us. Nikki led on our Peace and Quiet Retreat Days, drawing participants into deeper reflection through her ‘Out of the Box’ storytelling with sand and figures and in the ideas to develop our Peace Garden. She also led us in a partnership event with the Church to host the Project Violet Exhibition on the experience of women in Baptist ministry. She did an interfaith course on ‘Mulitiple Belonging’ and supported our inter-faith work in Calderdale, Young Peace Ambassadors, the Centre’s stall at the Baptist Assembly and our first Paths of Peace course. ## **Other achievements include:** - Provided Gilmore Fraleigh Friendly Style Profiling which is a personality profiling process that is helpful for managing ourselves in stressful and anxious times. It is routinely used in much of our training with groups as well as with individuals. Our Director for Reconciliation developed a simplified version which is part of the Young Peace Ambassador training. - Continued to work with the Yorkshire Baptist Association exploring how the Centre could assist in handling conflict in churches and through this we have recognised the Blackley Centre as a national, as well as regional resource. - Continued to work with Calderdale Inter Faith and their steering group - • Welcomed regular and guest organisations to use the Blackley Centre and provide hospitality. - Continued as a partner of Reconcilers Together and ran a regional networking and support day for past participants of the Journey of Hope as well as partner organisations in the north. ## **In terms of organisational developments, the Centre has:** - Welcomed a new Trustee nominated by Blackley Baptist Church - Elected our new Treasurer who had previously been co-opted - Continued to extend the list of regular contacts; - Continued to welcome new members - Continued to support the development of the Blackley site. - Continued to fund our half-time Directors, with a full shared Baptist minister’s stipend; - Strengthened the staff team with two small part-time roles with a Co-leader for Playing with Peace and a Graphic Design and Communications role. ## **Organisation** The Centre is run on a day-to-day basis by the Directors, Revd Andy Williams and Revd Jo Williams (one full time equivalent) assisted by Christine Allcock, the Centre Manager (voluntary), who oversees all use of the Centre, manages bookings by external groups and arranges volunteer teams from the Church and its friends to provide the catering. During the year the team has been strengthened with the addition of two small part-time roles with a Co-leader for Playing with Peace in Michelle Edwards and a Graphic Design and Communications role with Tim Ingram. The Centre’s finances are coordinated by the Treasurer, with banking assistance by Pauline Barnard, a volunteer from the Church The Centre is overseen by the trustees and we began the year with seven, but it was a year of change. In November, Hugh Donald resigned due to a change in personal circumstances and Pam Smith felt it was time to conclude her work as trustee nominated by the church. Desley Taylor concluded her time as the minute secretary to the trustees in February. Due to a new work role Samina Ali concluded her time as a trustee in August. We owe a huge debt of thanks to all of these for their work as all but Samina had been with us since the trustee body was established in 2019 and have seen the Centre through its early years, including the challenges of Covid 19. We’re very grateful to our Chair, Revd Mary Taylor for her leadership and to the remaining trustees for navigating this time of change. Rob Quarton had been coopted as our Treasurer in 2023 and was elected as a trustee at our AGM in March 2024. Karen Ainsworth has continued to serve as has Andrew Taylor although he gave notice that he would conclude his last year of service in November 2024 as a trustee nominated by the church. We carried a vacancy for a trustee nominated by the church for much of this year, but we were delighted when Guy Hirst offered his services and was appointed as a nominated trustee by the church in September, thus concluding the year with five trustees. The trustees have worked particularly hard this year with the Directors to find a sustainable way forward for the Centre which has included the development of our Paths of Peace Mediation Skills Training, Mediations, Young Peace Ambassadors, interfaith work and encouraging membership of organisations, as well as individuals, and applying for grant funding. All this takes time to develop and as an interim measure the Centre made an appeal for £20,000 in the summer of 2024. With the help of our funding consultant, Lisa Jagger, an application was also made to the Community Fund of the National Lottery for core funding of £20,000 and in June we received the wonderful news that this had been successful, but the challenge of sustainability continues. It was good that we were able to share our funding consultant's expertise in making another Community Fund application for £20,000 for the Church for the refurbishment of the Prospect Suite entrance and toilets and we heard in March that this had been successful. **As we enter a sixth year of trading** ... Hopeful indicators for 2024-2025 include: - Further developing the 'David Shutt Young Peace Ambassadors Project' in partnership with primary schools and funders and extending it to a secondary school. - Delivering our own Mediation Skills Course in the name of the Blackley Centre. - Developing an ongoing partnership with a regional association of churches - Developing closer working relationships with the regional associations that make up the Baptist Union of Great Britain - Continuing the development of commissioned training and mediation work - Continuing to develop 'Playing with Peace Parent and Toddlers' in partnership with the Church. - Continuing successful searches for external funding to develop the work of the Centre in strategic areas. - Increasing personal membership and financial support - Developing organisational membership and financial support - Continuing to work in partnership with Blackley Baptist Church to help in achieving its vision of Blackley Gatherings for Peace. All of the above provide continuing evidence of the Blackley Centre's work and influence. As strategic planning continues, the Centre remains confident in its potential for growth in the coming years. The trustees continue to put in place further structural provision, that will underpin further strategic planning and enable the Centre to develop ever more widely its ability to fulfil the original vision. Signed by Revd Mary Taylor Chair of Trustees ckle Relate estore The Blackley Centre Annual Financial Statements For the year ending th 30 September 2024 Charity Registration Number 1184714 TRusfEES OF THE BLACKLEY CEKfRE My examination was carried out in accordan￿ with general directions by the tharlty Commission. An examlnatlon indudesthe review of the accouftting reconls kept by the charity and a comparlson of the accounts presented with those records. It also Includes consideratÉon of any unusual items or disclosure5 in the accounts and seekin8 explanations from the trustees conceming any suth matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audlt, and consequently no opinlon Is gfven as to whether the accounts present a Irue and fairf view. and the report is Ilmited to those matters set out In the statement below. Independent Examlnerfs Ststefflent In connectlon wlth my examlnation, no matter has come to rny attention; which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the Blackley Centre has falled: a. to keep accountln8 records in accordance with the Charltles Art; b. to prepare accounts whlch accord with the accounting record5 and to complv with the accounting requirements of the Charity Art to whlch, In my oplnlon. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understandln8 of the accounts to be reached. Name Robert Stephffi Wllllams Slgnature 28 January 2025 Releyant Professlonal (a4llfifatlon or Body Aa6 Address 15 Rld8e Vlew Drlve 8ITkby HUDDERSFIELD HD2 2EX DEfAILED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 Current Year 2023-24 Notes 2022-23 Income Service Provlslon 16.450 11,732 Donatlons and Grants 31,105 30,959 Other 3.373 2,463 Total 50.928 45,154 Expendlture Practitioner Costs 33,114 30,296 Delivery Cost5 1,470 5,872 Operatln8 Costs 5.526 4,989 Other 2,701 Totol 40,758 43,858 Net income for the reportln8 pwSod 10.170 1,296 BAkniNCE SHEET AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 Current Year Notes 2022-23 130109124) (30/09/23) Fixed assets Tanglble Assets TotolAlxed assets 1,075 1.075 Current assets Debtors 100 1,466 Cash at bank and In hand 36,640 26,470 Prepayments Totol current omets 36.740 27,936 Less Current liabilltles Credltors: amounts falllng due wlthln one year Net current assets 36,740 27.936 Total net assets 36,740 29,011 Funds of the Charity Net Income thls report1￿ perlod Retalned Income brought forward 10,170 1,296 26,470 25,174 Total funds 26.470 For the year ended 30 September 2024 the compw Tmas entitkd to eXefflptk￿ from audlt under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2￿6 relating to Small companie5. The members have not requlred the company to obtain an audit of fts flnanclal statements for the year ended 30 September 2024 In accordance ¥￿th Section 476 of the Companies Aci 20￿. The trustees acknowledge thelr responslbilities for: (a} ensuring that the company keeps accountlng records which comply wlth Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Art 21J)6 and Ibl preparing fmancial statements ￿ffikh a true and fw view of the stste of affalrs of the company as * the end of eath financial year and of its surP￿S of defitlt for each Ilnantial year In accordance wlth the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and whlch otherwise comply ￿th the requlrements of the Companies Act 21X)6 relatin8to finanaal statements. so far as appkable to the company. The financlal statements have been prepared in accordance with the 5peclal provislons relating to companies subjert to the srnall companie< regTme Wlthln Part 15 of the Companles Act 2¢￿. ift accofda)te with FRS102 SORP Ih The financial statements were approved by the Trustees 13 February 2025 and sl8ned their behall by the Chalr of Trustees: Mary TJylor D*t• , qL['" NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMEKrs FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER Z024 (cont.) Accounting Policie5 Accounting convention These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention wlth items recognised at cost or transartion value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charitie5 preparing their account5 in accordance with the Financial Reportin8 Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 (effective January 20151. The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.There has been no change in accounting policies since last year. No changes have been made to the accounts for prevlous years. Goln8 concern The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the charitls ability to continue. Incomlng resources All Incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities ISOFAI when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured wlth sufficient reliability. Grants and donatlons Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources. Expendlture and Ilablllties Expenditure is reco8nised on the accrual basis as the liability Is accrued. Liabilities are reco8nised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or construttive obli8ation committin8the charity to pay the resources and the resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty. Taxation As a charity the organisation is generally exempt from income tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which tt relates. Exemptlon from preparing a cash ftow statement Exemption has been taken from preparing a cash flow statement on the grounds that the company qualifies as a small company. Fund accountin8 Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objective5 of the charity. Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor. There are currently no restricted funds to account for. NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 20241cont.) Fee Income frorn Service Provision 2024 2023 Including teachin& trainin& mediatlon services and special events consistent with the objects of the tharlty 16.450 11,732 Grants and Donatlons 2024 2024 Unrestricte Restricted d funds funds 2024 Total Funds 2023 Total Funds Awards For All Yorkshlre Baptlst Assoclatlon West Yorkshire Mayor- Safer Communlty Fund Southall Trust 20.(NJJ 20,OCM) 6.000 7,970 Donatlons- Standlng Orders Donatlons- Other 3,813 3,813 3,394 7,292 31.105 7.292 31,105 10,595 30.959 Other Income 2024 2023 Glft Ald Mansfield Baptlst Church Hope Churth Other 3,231 682 1,456 325 142 3,373 2.463 Practltloner Costs 2024 2023 Dlrertors. Stlpends Other Employees Professlonal Assodates Staff tralnlng and Supervision 31,800 1.154 29,817 479 160 33.114 30,296 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL sfATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEIryEMBER 2024 Icont.) Project Delivery Costs 20Z4 2023 Interfalth Reconclllatlon and Medlatlons Commissioned Tralnlng Retreats. Networks & Young Peace Ambassador 353 5,519 85 960 425 1.470 5,872 Operatln8 Costs 2024 2023 Fundralsln8 Consultancy Publiclty Insurance Telephone Computer Software and Hardware rr Support and Email Stationery and Postage 3.150 49 1,030 606 187 2,458 272 839 906 181 333 16 5,526 4.989 Other 2024 2023 Contrfbutlon to Blackley Baptlst Churth Hlre and other costs to Blackley Baptlrt Churth Trust* strategy Event 500 1,500 1,201 2,701 Tanglble Assets th At 30 September 2024 there were no Tangible Assets held by the or8anisation Debtors Invoices issued before end of September2024 2024 2023 Lister Hill Baptist thurch Ilnvoices 2024-010. and 2024-012) Newcastle DBF (Invoice 2023-0371 100 1,466 1.466 i￿? NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEwfEMBER 2024 Icont.) io. Trustee's expenses None of the trustees have claimed expenses during the year for travel, subsistence, and accommodation costs. ii. Cash at bank and In hand 2024 2023 Coop Current account 36,640 26.470 12. Pollcy on Reserves During the year 2023-2024 the Blackley Centre achieved its policy to hold a minimum of £15,000 as Its reserve (agreed ot Meeting of Trustees, 25, November 20211 HD2 IfA