Annual Report
January 2021 to December 2021
Having resumed the drop in service from September 2020 we operated at Christ Church throughout the period to December 2021. During this time Covid restrictions varied in their impact. At all times we operated within the guidelines, emphasising social distancing, wearing of masks and hand washing. In the early part of the year there were strict arrangements for keeping groups apart involving a one way system in the church, use of the garden when the weather permitted and good ventilation by leaving doors and windows open. As the year progressed restrictions were relaxed and a more sociable atmosphere could be encouraged. The kitchen facilities and space mean we can offer a wider range of cooked food than previously.
We have a solid core of about 20 volunteers who regularly sign up to help at lunchtimes, with another 10 or so that dip in and out when they can. We also have 2 designated volunteer outreach workers who visit people in temporary accommodation and on the streets, to offer additional emotional and practical support.
At any one time we are usually supporting about 20 homeless and vulnerable people in our community. We aim to provide hot meals and drinks to all our guests and provide clothing and other essentials as needed. We are lucky to have a place to store our supplies in council premises and during the year handed out a number of tents, sleeping bags, warm coats, boots, socks and underwear as well as toiletries. We have also provided kettles and microwaves to guests in temporary accommodation.
We were unable to run a winter night shelter due to the impact of the government guidelines re Covid but in November a number of our guests were afforded temporary accommodation by the council in an annex to a local hotel. This meant that they had somewhere out of the weather to sleep as well as much appreciated washing facilities. We continued to support them with meals at the lunchtime drop in Tuesday to Friday and by providing food for them to take away to cover the weekend.
In March 2021 we were visited by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall who came to Christ Church to see the work of the Fitzjohn Food Bank and Lewes Open Door. The Duchess was very interested in our work and in the plight of homeless people in what is thought of as a relatively affluent area.
Also in March, Lewes Open Door coordinated the distribution and collection of Census Forms amongst our homeless community, to ensure they had representation.
In May we became members of East Sussex Homelessness Forum, whose aim is for all partners to work with the local authority, statutory and commissioned agencies with a vision “To work collaboratively to bring an end to rough sleeping in East Sussex and prevent people from rough sleeping in the future ”. We continue to take an active role in bi-monthly meetings, as well as several subcommittees, and believe we are helping to formulate improved strategies and help the voices of rough sleepers and the homeless to be better heard. Rough Sleepers Initiative, including outreach workers and health professionals, started visiting the drop in to assist our guests.
In July we held a volunteers meeting in the garden at Christ Church and conducted some training on confidentiality and data protection issues. During the year four of our trustees attended online Mental Health awareness courses and two trustees attended a Safeguarding Course.
In July 2021 we took possession of a donated shower van and one of our trustees used his expertise to renovate it to a high standard. With the assistance of a local church we were able to position this regularly in a quiet but accessible spot, with towels, toiletries and clean underwear supplied.
On 2 December we took part in the Lewes Late Night Shopping event and raised awareness of homelessness with our stall. We were also chosen as the nominated charity for Lewes Chamber of Commerce and a considerable sum was raised as a result.
Christmas Eve 2021 saw us throwing our Christmas lunch, with all the trimmings, gifts, music and jollity, sending our guests away with plenty of food to last over the weekend.
Throughout the year we are especially pleased when we can help guests move into better circumstances. We were able to help one female guest who was about to be evicted by her landlord; the council were unable to assist because she was inseparable from her beloved dog and cat but there is no temporary accommodation with pets allowed available in our area. We negotiated directly with her landlord to extend her notice, and then found something suitable locally where she could take her pets. We moved all her possessions for her and assisted with her deposit.
Another success story was working with a guest who had recently been released from prison, but was determined to turn his life around. We helped him move on, and he wrote to “ all the wonderful people who give their time” to express his thanks “It was a great help knowing I would get a regular meal during the weeks I was rough sleeping. This move would not have been possible without your efforts and time. Once again, I offer you a big thank you.”
Charity Name N Lewes Open Door 1
Receipts and payments acco
Period start date
For the period from
To
01/01/2021
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds
to the nearest £
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
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Gifts and donations 17,887 - -
Lewes Covid fund -winter warm grant 1,172 - -
Neighbourly Grant - 5,000 -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
19,059 5,000 -
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
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A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - -
- - -
Sub total [ - ] - -
Total receipts 19,059 5,000 -
A3 Payments
Premises rental 1,440 - -
Insurance 400 - -
Telephone and internet 307 - -
Expenses 4,188 - -
Clothing Lewes Covid Grant funded 1,233 - -
DBS checks 648 - -
Shower van - 3,475 -
- - -
- - -
Sub total 8,216 3,475 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - -
- - -
Sub total - - -
Total payments 8,216 3,475 -
Net of receipts/(payments) 10,843 1,525 -
A5 Transfers between funds - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 18,631 - -
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Cash funds this year end 29,474 1,525 -
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of
Unrestricted Categories Details funds to nearest £ B1 Cash funds General funds 29,474 - - Total cash funds 29,474 (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) OK Unrestricted funds Details to nearest £ - B2 Other monetary assets - - - - -
Fund to which Details asset belongs
B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
| Details Details Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
Details Details Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
|---|---|
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Signature Print N
o (if any) 185742
ounts
CC16a
Period end date 12/31/2021
Total funds
Last year
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
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17,887 -
1,172 -
5,000 -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
24,059 -
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
-
- -
- -
24,059 -
1,440 -
400 -
307 -
4,188 -
1,233 -
648 -
3,475 -
- -
- -
11,691 -
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
-
-
- -
11,691 -
12,367 -
- -
18,631 -
----- End of picture text -----
the period
----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
1,525 -
- -
- -
1,525 -
OK OK
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Amount due When due
(optional) (optional)
-
-
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
-
-
-
Date of
Name
approval
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