2024-03-31-accounts

23-24 Annual Report

Be Trans Support and Community

Charity Number:

1186132

Table Of Content

Introduction Report from Charity Manager Our Support Services Our Project Work Celebrating community pride The Charity Governance Achievements and Performance Conclusion Financial Reports

Introduction

The Trustees are proud to present the annual report for the 1st of April 2022 to 31st of March 2023.

Be: Trans Support and Community, or Be North, is registered as a CIO, charity number 1186132. 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.

Report from the

Charity Manager

JAY ANDERSON, CHARITY MANAGER

I am incredibly proud and thankful for all volunteers and members of our community for the hard work and dedication they have put into supporting Be over 2023 - 2024. Be has collated a strong group of volunteers, remaining a trans led organisation which continues to put trans people in the driving seat in our local area. Our unique model and approach to peer support, trans led spaces, and trusted way of working with our community contribute to a successful year. Be North remains a life changing, life saving, and life enhancing charity, which I am proud to be a part of.

Being a transgender and/or non binary person in the current climate can be incredibly challenging, and to be able to see how the community empowers one another remains a driving force for our organisation to not only thrive, but grow strong foundations and create more lasting change for trans people to live happy, fulfilled lives. We not only believe this is possible, we know it is possible, and we are privileged to be apart of that process.

OUR SUPPORT SERVICES

Be has continued to see an increase in services needed for the community, with highs of 60 people per support session attending Be to be able to receive support. In August 2023, we saw a closure of the NHS Northern Region Gender Dysphoria Service (NRGDS) waiting lists, which had detrimental effects on the community. To meet this need, we adapted the sessions to allow for more 1:1 sessions to take place every Tuesday. This support was given by a trans person with lived experience, and volunteers facilitated space for group discussions around topics of mental health, access to services, and long-term dysphoria management.

We saw the closure of the waiting list had detrimental effects to trans people who are neurodivergent, and we created designated “quiet spaces” away from the main sessions. During 1:1 sessions, we adopted methods like story board templates and “worry trees”.

Due to maintaining positive reputation, regularity of sessions, and having strong community engagement, we have remained a safe space throughout local times of crisis, including transphobic graffiti in the local area, and supporting people through a time when the region has the highest hate crime rates recorded.

Be have continued to use a harm reduction approach, and maintained up to date with adult safeguarding procedures - taking duty of care seriously in group support settings.

Be having a designated Diversity and Inclusion manager was a welcomed step towards facilitated support, allowing Be members to benefit from tailored support and discussions around accessible ways this can be provided.

Be regularly ask the community what they would like to see and how Be can support them, and take these into account at all times - putting trans people’s voices, views, and feelings at the front of what we do.

Our Project work

Health & Wellbeing

• Further outreach of Be’s gender neutral cancer support leaflet. This has been shared widely within NHS trusts and within the local community, and has been a tool for trans people to know their rights to cancer screening.

• PReP Nurse attending the Be drop in sessions regularly to provide advice and information sessions regarding PReP, and types of PReP that may be appropriate. North East Ambulance Service drop-ins, providing a Q&A Session to allow trans people to know their rights within healthcare and supporting the ‘message in a bottle’ campaign.

• Supporting access to services, advising on changes within Newcastle Hospitals Northumbria Trust to support trans and non binary people and support them to change gender markers.

• Involvement with Newcastle Health inequalities event. Working alongside NHS England Commissioner, NEAS, healthcare professionals, doctors, psychologists, health inequalities England, and other support charities and organisations.

• Collated feedback from “Trans Visibility within Health and Social Care”.

• Began working with the Freeman Hospital surrounding patient experience, allowing trans people to talk about their experiences of healthcare and how this effects them.

• Continued challenging local NHS services when processes they have put in place may negatively affect the livelihoods of transgender and non-binary people.

• Providing gym memberships for members who felt that this may improve their health and wellbeing.

• New Health and Wellbeing manager assigned to the charity.

Our Project work

Sports inclusion

• Continued Yoga sessions on a monthly basis to support accessible fitness.

• Involvement in the Hadrian’s Cup, expanding to 3 awards. This was for “Ally of the Year”, “Team of the year”, and special mentions to teams and players who had done their best to ensure trans inclusion in sports and in their club.

• Special mention and promotion of a trans-led and trans exclusive Rugby Team

• Continued to distribute our “Let Us Play” Campaign, which informs the public on the ban of trans people in sports. Access to Gym Memberships

• Attendance of an LGBT+ Inclusion in sports event, including a video played inside the Stadium Of Light during half time, talking about pride in sports and trans people belonging in sports.

• Gave a platform during Trans Day of Visibility 2023 throughout our short documentary interviews, dedicating time to speak about what it means to be a trans person in sports.

• Created social opportunities at local sports games, encouraging trans people to be in attendance and engage with sports.

Celebrating Community Pride, and commitment to community development

-Held a stall at Northumbria University during Trans Awareness Week.

-Engaged with Sunderland Family Pride to be able to provide support resources to families regarding where trans people can engage with support in the region.

-Worked alongside the local community to create World Aids Day projects, under the “More than HIV” project, which showcases and celebrates the lives of people who are living with HIV/AIDS.

-Ran the yearly Trans Day of Remembrance service, bringing approximately 150 members of the trans community and allies together to remember the lives lost to violence within 2023. Be worked closely with community advocate and artist NaviiMedia, creating artwork in commemoration.

-Being active on social media showcasing support for Black History Month, International Non Binary Peoples Day, LGBT+ History Month, Pansexual + Panromantic awareness day, IDAHOBIT, and giving educational information in accessible formats.

-”March Together” for Northern Pride 2024, enabling the community to engage together throughout the march and feel a sense of pride within the community.

-Providing referrals to third party advocates to support Trans people to live safe lives and have access to safe housing, equal healthcare and employment.

-Be has worked hard on volunteer recruitment within 2023-2024 to provide as much lived experience within the Be team as possible and be able to provide more opportunities to trans people within the North East.

-External events ran by Be in community hubs, including Be’s annual Christmas Party.

The Charity

Be: Trans Support and Community is constituted as a CIO by association, the most recent updated version of governing document was adopted on the 3rd of November 2019 and the charity was established by the following Trustees:

Katie Marshall Felix Helianthus Gemma Dellbridge Amy Tysoe Ellen Mellor Sonya McChristie

The charity was managed during this period by:

James Anderson - Charity Manager Stephen Teale - Chair of Trustees Gemma Dellbridge - Operations Director Amy Tysoe – Finance Director Rose Blackwood – Secretary Jordan Blackwood - Sports Inclusion Project Manager Byron Magnavacca - Health and Wellbeing Manager Liam Irwin – Diversity and Inclusion Manager Roxanne Soul - Peer Support Worker Rosalina Wold - Shadow Finance Director Daniel Napier - Media Manager Josie Mackenzie - Media Team Kaitlyn Donaldson - Media Team

The Charity throughout this period appointed a new chair of trustees, Stephen Teale. Stephen has successfully managed a board of trustees, including 7 trustees. As we enter the next financial year, we move forward with 6 trustees . Be have worked tirelessly on volunteer retention throughout the year, which has been an asset to the running of the charity and ensuring we have consistently met above a minimum number of trustees for the charity. Throughout the next reporting period, Be plan to appoint a new secretary and new treasurer, and maintain a focus on recruitment of volunteers and trustees going forward.

The Charity 23-24

James Anderson - Charity Manager

Stephen Teale - Chair of Trustees

Gemma Dellbridge - Operations Director

Amy Tysoe - Financial Director

Rose Blackwood - Secretary

Jordan Blackwood - Sports Inclusion

Byron Magnavacca - Health and Wellbeing Manager

Rosalina Wold - Shadow Financial Director

Liam Irwin - Diversity and Inclusion Manager Roxanne Soul - Peer Support

Daniel Napier - Media Manager

Kaitlyn Donaldson - Media Team Josie Mackenzie - Media Team

Governance

All charity trusties have been supplied with a copy of the governing document, guidance around being a charity trustee and the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

All documents relating to the management of the charity and materials regarding safeguarding have been made available to all members and trustees who carry out activities on behalf of the charity.

Governance remains in place and accessible for all members of the board, all trustees and volunteers of Be Trans Support and Community, and all events are ran with a volunteer who is trained in safeguarding adults, first aid, and all volunteers are aware of the designated safeguarding lead allocated to Be.

Our strategy includes:

A) Meeting the needs of the community

B) Community Development

C) Providing Safe and Accessible Physical Spaces

D) Providing Facilitated Support

E) Healthcare and Active Lifestyles

F) Creating Financial Support Structures

G) Improve Service Provision’s

We meet our strategy always to public benefit, seen throughout our project work to sports inclusion, health and wellbeing, and our dedication to community development and community pride, and the dedication we have in providing high quality support services.

We created financial support structures which supported our charity by continuing to build external relationships with local organisations, businesses and charities. This included Be having a sponsored podcast with Pride Radio, having multiple fundraising events held by the community for us, including Bobbys Newcastle, Dots Bagles, Geordie Grand Slammers, Newcastle University Clinical Psychology Doctorate Students, Newcastle Ravens, Newcastle College, and creating lasting positive relationships. Our contribution to local service provisions has welcomed and ensured the safety of trans people into more life-saving spaces like NHS hospitals, ambulances, sports clubs, LGBT owned spaces, and support organisations.

Achievements & Performance

Be has achieved great things throughout the reporting period, and this is not only evident by our ability to engage our community but the lasting changes made to empower the lives of transgender and/or non binary people in the local area. Here is a few of our proudest achievements this year:

• Be won an award in 2024 for their contribution to positive media with Pride Action North, and the amazing work carried out by our media team throughout the reporting period.

• Record numbers of people accessing support from our services.

• Trans and/or Non Binary people engaging in tailored support around healthcare, including unique ways of engaging like bringing PReP nurses for advice and support, Members of Ambulance services to the group, and provide feedback to improve services.

• Successful external events which are for public benefit and benefit of transgender and/or non binary people in the local area.

Access to equal opportunities within sports given throughout the year

• High volunteer retention, improving from previous years and creating clear structure for future development in the board.

• More access to neurodivergent trans people to access our support services, taking pride in our ability to provide high quality support.

• Speaking at an NHS England Event to multiple healthcare professionals and directors of NHS England about the importance of transgender inclusive care.

• Parking in multiple pride events throughout the region, bringing out community together Transgender Day of Visibility Documentary Series

• “What’s the T?” Podcast with Pride Radio

Outreach to further areas (Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, and Hexham)

Conclusion

To conclude,

Be Trans Support and Community continues to thrive, and has used valuable time to plan a busy and impactful year throughout 2024 to 2025. The charity has grown in popularity, outreach and has shown its ability to improve lives of transgender, non binary, and people who need facilitated support to safely explore their gender identity.

We are extremely proud of our achievements, and even more excited for the future of the charity. We remain committed to empowering trans lives in the North East, and have identified our key areas for the upcoming year, these being:

[phone] A) Continue to develop our approach of diversity and inclusion, including taking a more tailored and dedicated role to supported plans for people to engage with us and facilitate that support.

B) Continue to encourage trans people to live active lifestyles, including the facilitation of events and making clear trans presence to support events, relaying our belief of trans people having equal [e-mail] opportunities and spaces.

C) Support volunteer retention, including giving more opportunities to volunteer with Be and creating www.reallygreatsite.com more roles within the charity.

D) Create lasting structure and system changes to the charity, including policy updates, additions and best practice recommendations when representing the charity.

E) Provide more opportunities for community voice to be given, including and outside of our peer support sessions

F) Spread awareness of health inequalities for transgender and non binary communities, including multi agency working with healthcare practitioners, commissioners, and allow chances for people to engage with services bought to them, in a safe environment.

Be continues to grow as the needs of trans people grow, and we are proud of the role we play in supporting those needs to be met.

“On behalf of the charity, I’d like to take this time to thank all the trustees, board members and volunteers of Be Trans Support and Community. It is due to their dedication that we have built so many positive relationships with local organisations, charities, NHS and health care provisions, and members of our community. ” - Stephen Teale, Chair of Trustees.

Financial Reports

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Financial Reports

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Financial Reports L Balance Sheet B•: Trans Support and Communlty As of Mor 31. 2024 Report T￿P￿ AccNol (Pald & UnpaSd) ACCOUNTS Mar 31. 2024 Cath and Bank DONR £0.05 Lknyd5 8•.. Trqaur•rfs Accourt £4,407.19 Poyp¢l 644. Total Cah £7.OSIAS Total Oth•r CwT•rt Acce51￿lIty Equlprn￿t £87.48 AV Ety4pmwt £11.95 Evff￿DISP1Qy It•ms £783￿8 POS Ewirrfmnt £20.CK) Total Long4•rffl A•• Totsl A•••ts £7,954.46 Llabllll•• R•lmtKW5•rn￿ IB Mow¥occo) U7. T•t•l Cwr•ftt Llthllll•• £47.90 Total Long•t•ffn Llabllttl•s Asof Mai )1, 2024 Pay112

Financial Reports L Llobll Totol Uablltl £47.90 Equky R•tatn•d Earnlng• PN>fit for dl PTlor £6,460.67 P￿￿t b•kn¥•4n Apr l 2023 and Mar 31. 2024 É1,44S.89 T•to1 Rrtoln•d Etynlv41 £7.906.56 Tot¢¥l Eq £7.906.56 CreulEd Tr&>v It 2024 Pc¥e212 As af Mar 31.2024