BEGINNING AGAIN Accounts and Annual Report For the period ended 31A March 2024 Registered charity Number: 1185334 CONTENTS Trustees Annual Report Independent Examiners Report ReiptS and Payments Accounts Statement of Assets and Liabilities
ANNUAL REPORT OF BEGINNING AGAIN For the period l April 2023 to 31 March 2024 THE CHARITY Beginning Again IBAI was registered on 16 September 2019 by the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organi5ation ICIO}, reglstered number 1185334. Administration has been carried out by one of the Trustees (Sharon Woollard from her home address, which has been re8lStered with the Charity Commlsslon as the Charity's base. THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARTTY The charitable objectives of Beginning Again are". To promote the resettlement and rehabilitation of offenders, ex-offenders and those at risk of offending in order to reduce rates of re-offending and to contribute to the creation of safer communities through, but not exclusively, the provislon of mentorin& advice and opportunities for work experience. The Trvstees believe that the actS¥ltles of the Charity during the report perlod have supported these objectives. THE TRUSTEES Durlng the report perlod, the Trustee5 of Beginning Agaln were: lan William Lewis Parker Hilary James Clarke (Reappointed from April 2023) Patricia Anne Roge Allson Newcome- {Stepped down July 2023) rimothy John Sheldon (from 7 February 2023- 30 November 20231 Sharon Elizabeth Woollard (from 7 February 20231 The Charity's governin8 document provides that new Trustees are appointed by the existing Trustee5. To promote continuity. it has been agreed that each Trustee would serve for a limited period of time prior to seeking re-appointment. No Trustee may serve for a period exceeding 3 years without re-appointment. A Trustee who has served for three consecutive tems may not be re-appointed for a fourth consecutive term but may be re-appointed after an inteNal of at least one year. Efforts to increase the number of trustees. and in particular to recwit new trustees with finance. human reSoUrS and business skllls. are ongolng.
The Trustees have met. mainly via video conferencin& on 9 occasions during the reporting year to discuss progress and make decisions. THE CHARrtY'S AcnvThiES AND ACHIEVEMENTS The Background On 25 March 2019. a group of people met to con5iderthe setting up of a new charity aimed at providing support for offenders and ex-offenders in Cumbria. From knowledge of the County, it had been identified that there was a gap in the provision of community help towards rehabilitation for those within the tset group. It was decided to form a new charity and Be8inning Again was subsequently registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Those present at that first meeting agreed to be the first Trustees. Underplnnlng Beliets It was agreed that the charity would be underplnned by the following statement of Beliefs- Inspired by the Christian values of social concern. our beliets are: Every Indlvldual is of value. Change in attitudes and values can be brought about, Local community involvement has the potential to make a positive contribution to resettlement and rehabilitative processes. Social diversity is a positive." 5ervlce Focus The focus for the Charity is to give servlce users the opportunlty to prepare for work and for reintegration into their community, with support provided by mentoring and certificated work experlence. A project malntalning a local thurchyard remained as legacy of a defuntt charity and it was agreed that taking over this project, with the agreement and enthusiastic support of the Church authorities, would be a good starting point for the new charity's operations. That project remalns the cornerstone of the Charivs activities. This year the charity has negotiated more paid groundwork In local church yards and vicarage gardens. 4.4 Actlvltles The year under review, 2023-2024, has been the fourth full year of planned operation. Recognising the fragility of existen in the Third Sector, with the need to develop contacts, establish a firm base and the inevitable reliance on the generosity of donors and other voluntary funders. the Trustees continue to adopt a "softlv 50ft1y" approach. In ju 2023 BeginningA8ain became a member of Cumbria CVS and have been able to re8lSter opportuntties for volunteer5 and trustees.
Thanks to both financial and moral support from Torpenhow District Church Council and the Team Rector. we were able to continue to employ a part-time Operations Manager to oversee the regular maintenance of a large churchyard. By common consent, the service users- ex-offenders- who have carried out the work have done so enthusiastically and to a high stsndard. Paid groundwork has also been negotiated and completed in vicarages which have become unoccupied. Further paid work has also been negotiated in West Cumbria following campaign of Direct mail as a strategy for fundraising and gaining wOrk-plaments. Besides the regular work at Torpenhow, the project has carried out work at other sites and talks are in progress to secure regular contracts at other locations, Naturally* this will require addressing issues of transport, supervision and manpower. More equipment has been purchased to meet the increase in variety of groundwork. The underlylng purpose of the projert induded the provision of appropriate training for seice users. with the aim of improving their employment prosperts. Under guidance of the Operations Manager Servi users who demonstrate capability in the use of and maintenance of horticultural equipment. health and safety at work. will have their achievements recorded in certificates whlch Can support their search for employment. Service users, motNation, reliability and commitment to the project are also key fartors for accreditation. However, helpin8 attendees reach competence in the use of machlnery Is only part of the role of the Operatlons Manager who. with active support from Trustees, takes a personal interest in each participant, offering advice and support for them as they deal with the everyday issues that can arise in life. He is also responsible for liaison with the Probation Service to recruit appropriate service users. To date, the project has benefitted 6 seNice users. of whom I has received offer5 of employment and the others are seeking interviews for employment. Only one has re-entered the criminal justice system, for an historic offence committed well before Involvement with the project. The progress of each indlvldual is measured by use of a widely recognised tool called CrimePics. Participants. who are risk-assessed before being referred to Beginning Again by the Probation Service or their a8ent Achieve Northwest Connect, are assessed on entry and then regularly thereafter. Even though the sample slze remalns small. rt is Possible to detert progress in the attitudes and thinking processes of individuals. Trustees recognise the importance of relationships with key stakeholder5, especially the Probation Service. Early meetings with the Probation Service and their agent Achleve North West Connect IANW}, established the bona fides of the new Charity and began the discussion into how the Charity could work wrth those bodies to support their work on rehabilitation. A Memorandum of Understanding on how the or8anisations would work together was agreed with Probation. That close liaison continues to be crucial to both Beginning Again and those referred to the project. It is of key importance that confidence in what Beginning Again can offer remains hi8h,
because the projert is nothing without referral of suitable candidates for participation. In the past Probation has accepted accrediting hours spent by a SeN1 user against unpaid work hours mandated under a court order. It is hoped that this practice will be extended to other seryice users. In a further development, it was identified that service users very often required a55iStance with handling money. Beginning Again has therefore developed a modular programme of training tailored to service users and others who find difficulty in budgeting on a limited income. As Part of on-going work to make the Charity effKient. effectFve and viable, the Trustees have drafted a Development Plan to underpin their efforts, and have developed a website, containing contact details. along with a printed flier to introduce the Charity to funders and to the wider public and to record its progress. Havin8 consldered the Charlty Commlsslon 8uldance, the Trnstees belleve that their activities are Contributing to the publlc benefft and that they have complled wlth that 8uldan¢e. THE CHARITVS FINAN AND RESERVES The a8reement with Torpenhow Church Council for the upkeep ofthe churchyard has secured a regular donation. enabling the employment of a member of staff to supenjise service users. A generous grant has been reiVed from the Charity Aspatria & Distrltt Community Chartty Association. Donation5 have been recelved from churches in the Western Fells Methodist Circuit, personal donations and work completed in other locations has generated an addition income. The Trustees are 8rateful to all of our funders for their generous support and continue to seek other funding streams to further strengthen the Charity. It is inevitable with Third Settor charitable organisatlons that there is a never-endin8 need to identify a variety of funding sources. Given that charities such as Beginning Again make a significant contribution to delivery of national priorities, it is important for government- national and local- to accept some responsibility for ensurlng that such l)odies do not perish through lack of financial support. In vlew of the fart that the Charlty Is stlll very small, the TteeS have declded that it currently has sufficient funds to cover unavoldable costs If necessary but that it is too early to have a more fornial Reserves Policy. However this matter will be kept under regular revlew. Slgned on behalf of 8eglnnSng Again Trustee Trustee Date:
Indeperbdent Examiner's Report to The Trustees of BennIng Agaln I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024. which are set out below. Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and the Inde Examiner The charity's trustees are re5ponsibte for the preparation of the accounts and consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144{2} of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Art follow the procedures kiid down in the general Dlrertlons glven by the commlsslon under section 14515}Ib} of the 2011 Act state whether particular matters have come to my attention Basls of Independent examlner'5 report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Oirections 8iven by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those cordS. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosu5 in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concemin8 any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the eviden that would be requSred In an audit and consequently I do not express an audit oplnion on the accounts. Independent examlner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: (11 whkh glves me reax)nable cause to belbeve that in any material respect the requirements: to keep accountlng records in accordance with sectK)n 130 of the 2011 Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply wlth the accounting requIrnents of the 2011 Act have not been met or {2) to which. in my opinion. attention 5Uld be drawn In order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Name In Full: Mrs Joyce Keetley Address: Stonehaven. Tower c1¢ WaKcop. Appleby CA16 6NL IkAte:2 September 2024
BEGINNING AGAIN RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS AccouKr For The Period 1 April 2023 to 31 Mah 2024 Unr•str5ctsd Funts £ Restricted Funds £ Total £ Donations 7923 86 10923.66 Re-charged exFenses 184. 16 184 16 Grft Aid 181.93 181.93 Bank irrteresl 21.34 2134 Contracted wo 11. Accx)untancy 71.50 7150 Bank charges 6000 Publicty 83.00 6300 Trusteg expen8¢8 Staft exper Servlce u8er 6xp&n8e8 Insuranco 250.94 250.94 132229 1322.29 e10.35 610.35 1110.39 1110.39 Purchase of equipment stsff salaries 1417.00 1417.00 5408.04 WeE6it8 426.90 NET RECEIPT8 PAYMENTS (1715.81 1284.19 Cash Funds brimjght foThv8rd Cash Funds at 31 March 2024 872189 8721.89 3000.00 10006