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2021-03-31-accounts

Annual report

Trustees report for financial year ending March 31[st] , 2021.

FYE 2021

Be: Trans Support and Community Charity Number 1186132

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 3 REPORT FROM THE CHAIR .................................................................................................................................... 4 CHARITY INFORMATION ....................................................................................................................................... 7 GOVERNANCE .................................................................................................................................................... 8 TRUSTEES .................................................................................................................................................................. 8 RISK MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................................... 8 PUBLIC BENEFIT ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................................................... 9 ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE ..................................................................................................................... 10 FINANCE REPORT .............................................................................................................................................. 11 RESERVE POLICY ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 APPROVALS ............................................................................................................................................................. 14 AIMS FOR FY2021-2022 .................................................................................................................................. 15

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Introduction

The Trustees are pleased to present the annual report for Be: Trans Support and Community (the Charity) for period ending on the 31st of March 2021. This is the first report from the Charity which was registered on the 4th of November 2019 and due to the pandemic reports on a 17month period of operations and the first full year of operation as a charity.

“Be North has become a lifeline for those individuals who have become intensely isolated during the pandemic.”

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Report from the Chair

I am incredibly proud of the group of volunteers who run and contribute to Be, we are and will always be community-led and our mission of delivering personal empowerment to members of the community via the many avenues with which we engage has had a positive impact on many lives. Our inaugural year as a charity has taken place in a very challenging environment, which has seen us operating throughout the pandemic, finding new ways of working to ensure we continue to reach those who need us. Be North has become a lifeline for those individuals who have become intensely isolated during the pandemic, with our support services being more in demand than ever before.

Our support services,

We operated a weekly drop-in centre for trans people until April 2020 when we were forced to move our operations purely online, since that time we have conducted 56 facilitated group sessions online with an additional 32 one to one support sessions up until March 31st. Additionally we have given support through our Facebook groups and email - which has at times reached the capacity of our current resources. We are currently working with two providers to bring back our physical support services as soon as possible.

Our project work

We are a partner in the TRANSforming Futures partnership. We are a group of trans equality focused organisations working together on a ground-breaking five-year project, funded and supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. The project aims to create lasting change for trans communities in the healthcare and criminal justice systems.

We are a partner in the Trans Lives North East project, which aims to bring awareness and education to those organisations and professionals who work with people who may identify as transgender. Most recently, we provided a short film highlighting the misconceptions about trans youth, filmed by Be North with contributions from the local community. We also attended and provided speakers and workshop facilitation at the annual conference.

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Our healthcare project has had limited reach because of the impact from the pandemic, however the project team has engaged with local providers and helped to create conversations around better access to services for trans people. This has been especially impactful within Cancer care providers and Maternity care. We have also given awareness advice and made good connections with providers such as bereavement and personal counselling services. We have temporarily paused our wellbeing project, however there are plans to expand this as normality resumes and we will be pursuing areas of the project such as access to swimming.

The trans visibility project has allowed us to work with other regional organisations such as the LGBT Northern Social Group, Northern Pride, Trinity Youth and many more. We have used online platforms to livestream panel discussions around important topics and contribute to partners’ streams and we have developed short films to showcase our community around Trans visibility and awareness. This project will continue all year round and hopefully centre around a showcase event on Trans Day of Visibility annually.

Events

We have led the community organisation of two Trans Day of Remembrance events, one physical and one online. These events support those who wish to remember those lost to transphobic violence over the preceding year and bring the community and allies together to stand in solidarity over action we can take in our part of the world to reduce discrimination against Transgender individuals.

We have participated in several Pride events; this both promotes the work of the charity and gives us a platform to talk about issues that affect trans people in society.

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To conclude ,

There is much work to do when it comes to equality for Trans people. Our efforts so far have helped many people, and that has been recognised both by the community and other organisations. Post-pandemic, we hope to build on our services and project work and continue to grow as a charity. We aim to move back to physical spaces, relieving isolation for many and helping people to live in the safety and dignity they deserve.

Chair – Katie Marshall

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Charity Information

Trustees Katie Marshall Felix Helianthus Gemma Dellbridge Amy Tysoe Ellen Mellor Sonya McChristie (Nov 2019 – March 2021) Registered Charity Number 1186132 Principal Address 15 Greenacres Pelton Chester le Street Durham DH2 1DJ Bankers Lloyds Bank Charity Management Katie Marshall – Chair Felix Helianthus – Vice Chair Gemma Dellbridge – Director of Operations Amy Tysoe – Finance Director Ellen Mellor – Secretary Sonya McChristie – Governance Director James Anderson – Project Manager Alice Appleby – Communications Manager Exiting Trustees / Management Sonya McChristie – Removed March 2021

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Governance

Be: Trans Support and Community (or Be North) was registered on the 4[th] of November 2019 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation by Association - charity number 1186132. The principal office for the Charity is located at 15 Greenacres, Pelton, Chester le Street, DH2 1DJ.

Trustees

Trustees are appointed by the board of trustees and meet 4 times a year, in addition to regular management meetings, to discuss the governance of the Charity. The day-to-day running of the Charity is overseen by a board which comprises both trustee and non-trustees in a volunteer capacity.

The induction process for newly-appointed trustees comprises an initial meeting with the trustees to brief them on their legal obligations under charity law, the decision making processes of the Charity and its policies and procedures. Trustees are provided with all information - including a copy of the Charity constitution, their role in the organisation and any relevant documentation.

The first AGM was due to be held in April 2020 however due to the pandemic it was cancelled. This was eventually replaced by an Emergency General Meeting on the 15/06/2020 which was called to establish both how we continue to operate during the pandemic and deliver our annual governance commitments. Both the Secretary and Chair resigned as trustees and during the meeting and the election of the posts was overseen by the vice chair. Both were duly re-elected to their posts by nomination and unanimous vote. Sonya McChristie left her role at the end of the financial year – her responsibilities have been absorbed by the Chair until a suitable replacement can be found.

Risk Management

The trustees have examined strategic, business, and operational risks which the Charity may face and can confirm that any risks involved are currently very minimal and have training and systems in place to mitigate these risks. We regularly report any necessary actions to the trustees.

Public Benefit

The trustees have complied with the duty in section 17(5) of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission in respect of public benefit and, in planning the activities for the year, have kept this in mind.

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Objectives and Activities

Be North was formed from a community interest group in the North East of England (originally established in March 2010). We have developed over the years to have an impact both locally and nationally, contributing to causes that benefit Transgender people and those that they come into contact with.

The object of the CIO is,

To promote equality and diversity and to eliminate discrimination in relation to transgender people in the North East of England for the benefit of the public by:

a) providing advice and support services for transgender people.

b) promoting education and training and raising awareness in relation to all aspects of transgender health and social care needs and related equality and diversity issues with the aim of eliminating discrimination.

c) cultivating a sentiment in favour of equality in particular by the provision of information and advice.

The main activities in relation to the purposes for public benefit are as follows:

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Achievements and performance

Due to the pandemic our strategy was deferred, and we operated on a constant review basis of what we could achieve as the world changed and so did the measures of success for our charity.

What we achieved during the pandemic;

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Finance report

The following financial reports have been created on a receipts and payments basis, and cover the period from initial Charity registration in November 2019 to the end of the financial year on the 31[st] of March 2021.

The first report is an account summarising all money received and paid out by the Charity over this period.

The second is a statement giving details of all assets and liabilities at the end of FY 2020-2021.

These reports have been prepared by the Finance Director, Amy Tysoe, and signed off as an accurate statement by the Trustees.

Reserve Policy

It is the policy of the Charity to maintain £600 as a reserve, which is to be used in the event that unanticipated costs are incurred – such as insurances for events, extra costs for day-to-day operations should our existing meeting space be unavailable, and to handle the winding up of the Charity should it become necessary.

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Profit and Loss B•: Trans Support and Community Date Range.. Nov 01, 2019 to Mar 31. 2021 ACCOUNTS Nov 01. 2019 to Mar 31, 2021 rect Public SupFX>rt- IrKlividwl ContriEthorts IRecwwingl E461.¢XJ tXre¢t Publlc Support - INllvlthxJl Co￿￿J110ns £160.40 IrKlirect F4JblK &Jpport E211.14 Servlces Provlded £2.CQO.C T•tol In￿rn• Q832.54 T•tsl C•* •f G••ds S•ld £0.00 Q832.54 100.00% As u ptr¢entag• ol Total Incoffh• Equlpment Lease or Rental £73.08 IT Servlce5 E172.68 Postog• & D•liv•ry £0.99 pr￿n￿rg and Reproducti £40.64 Training Service5 £398.40 Tronsoctlon Fees £3.86 Total Op•rating Exp•nMg E689.65 N•t Profft A& a percertoq• ot Total Irum• Q142.89 75.65° 12

Balance Sheet B•: Trans Support and Community A5 01 Mor 31, 2021 ACCOUNTS Mqr 31, 2021 Cash and Bank DONR £0.05 Lloyds Be.. Treosur¢rfs Account 762.86 Paywl £138.25 Total Cosh ond a901.16 Accounts R8ceSvthl• ESOO.00 Total Oth•r CuTh•nt AM•ts £soo.00 AV Equipment £41.57 Total Lontt•mi AM•ti £41.$7 Totol ￿1•ts £3.442.73 Uablllll•i Cwff•nt Uoblltt Totol Curr•nt Liabllltl•s £0.00 L0nY•t•n￿ Liabiliti Totol L•wt•mi Llibll*l•s £0.00 Total Liobiliti•s £0.00 13

Approvals

This report was approved by the board of trustees and was signed on its behalf by

Katie Marshall

Chair of Trustees

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Aims for FY2021-2022

Our planned projects and provisional expenditure for the 2021-2022 financial year are listed below. Due to the ongoing pandemic and uncertain nature of many of our events and programmes, this may be subject to substantial adjustment. Some of these costs may be deferred until the following financial year, or until it becomes feasible to deliver the related work.

The key aims for the Charity are to return to face-to-face support group meetings, attend all Pride events within our area of operation, to hold events to mark the major trans-related events in the calendar (Trans Day of Remembrance and Trans Day of Visibility) and develop our project work – with a particular focus on health and wellbeing provision.

Support
Setting up physical support services £500
Professional Counselling services £500
Events £600
Project Work
Wellbeing Project £1200
Healthcare Project £300
Trans Lives project £100
Core Costs
Training £250
Reserve £600
IT services £180
Operating costs £50
Total £4280
Fundraising Requirement FY21-22 £879

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