Annual Report 2025 April 2024 - March 2025
North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Registered Charity number: 1186844
Web: olgbtstoke.org.uk Email: olgbt2009@gmail.com facebook.com/OLGBT @OLGBT_N_Staffs Tel: 07757 750255 (please text us or leave a voice message) Postal Address: 1 Linley Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 6AX
About Our Charit y
North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group (Also known as OLGBT+) Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Registered Charity 1186844
Trustees: Maurice Greenham (Chair), Andrew Colclough (Vice Chair), Joseph Waring (Treasurer), Stephen Malkin, Paul Smith
Governance -The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 9th December 2019.
Object (paragraph 3 of Constitution) Certified 19 December 2019
The object of the CIO is the promotion of social inclusion for the public benefit by working with people who are socially excluded on the grounds of their gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation (in particular lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people) to meet the needs of such people and assist them to fully participate in society, in particular by: (a) providing a local network group that encourages and enables LGBT+ people to participate more effectively with the wider community and (b) increasing, or co-ordinating, opportunities for LGBT+ people to engage with service providers, to enable those providers to adapt services to better meet the needs of those people.
Combatting Isolation and Loneliness
Members at our January social meeting at Fenton Town Hall with guest speaker Craig from Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent Victims Gateway.
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In the reporting period from April 2024 to March 2025, the OLGBT group held 52 support meetings, of which 12 were in-person at Fenton Town Hall Café at lunchtime, 12 at Summer Street Community Centre, Stoke in the evening, and the remainder online via Zoom. The new regular meeting at Summer Street fulfils our workplan consideration to have another in-person meeting each month and reduce our online Zoom meetings.
Back in 2023, the board developed a strategy and workplan that considered the feedback obtained from our members. This set out our priorities for the things that we would endeavour to achieve in the forthcoming years. Funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, The Arts Council, the LGBT Consortium, VAST and Stoke City Council has enabled to the group to pursue its objectives of public benefit.
Healthcare and wellbeing messages have been carried throughout the period in our weekly mailings and monthly newsletters.
In December 2024, the North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group celebrated its 15[th] anniversary. The celebration event also included the launch of a commemorative book of the history of the group.
Celebration event December 2024 at which the history book pictured was launched – photo from an album specially created by Ruby Nixon
We also created a video presentation of our fifteen year history which you can view here: https://olgbtstoke.org.uk/celebrating-fifteen-years
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Partnerships
The group has benefitted from partnership working with a several larger charities and arts organisations. Members participated in a theatre project with B-Arts - Who is Molly Leigh?
Members also participated in partnership working with Potboiler Theatre as part of the ‘Gay Stoke’ project, which culminated in a highly professional production of ‘Stories from the Heart’ in Fenton Townhall Ballroom. Attendees included the Lord Mayor of Stoke on Trent.
Potboiler Theatre Gay Stoke – Stories from the Heart – photo Jenny Harper
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OLGBT+ with Potboiler Theatre – Stories from the Heart – photo Jenny Harper The group has continued working with the Beth Johnson Foundation, supporting their monthly Tea and Tech sessions and other projects like Tackling Loneliness and Isolation.
Our most recent partnership has been with GRAIN Photography – a collaboration which began with the LGBT+ Memory Fair at Hanley and Stoke Libraries and brought in members of the local community in addition to our own members.
Group members together with Stoke on Trent Lord Mayor Cllr. Lyn Sharpe
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Community Health Champions
The North Midlands LGBT Older Peoples Group is a partner of the Community Health Champions (CHC) initiative co-ordinated by VAST.
We have continued our participation in the NHS Community Health Champion scheme, the group has four health champions who have overseen regular health messages delivered inperson by healthcare professionals, as well as digitally through our weekly mailings and monthly newsletters. A summary of our achievements can be viewed on our website - olgbtstoke.org.uk/reports
In addition, we are participating in the CHC Tackling Health Inequalities Grants Programme which provides funding to support Community Health Champions to identify and develop a small number of projects aimed at addressing health inequalities affecting our community in Stoke-on-Trent. Our small research project aims to gather data OLGBT+ members’ experience of three areas of health inequalities. The result of the first survey on Adult Social Care can be viewed here
Financial support from the Community Health Champions scheme, has allowed us to continue offering free lunches at all Fenton Town Hall meetings, which has helped members to cope with the rising costs of living. Our social lunch gatherings are extremely popular and help us achieve our core aim of combatting isolation and loneliness.
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Projects
A National Lottery, Awards for All grant has provided funding for a two-year project of creative arts workshops and outings. The first workshops with local textile artist Jane Titley were held under the title ‘Rainbow Threads’ and have already encouraged some amazing creativity from group members and the wider community.
A selection of Rainbow Threads pennants created by OLGBT+ and other organisations
Outings
Trips to Manchester and Birmingham focused on LGBT+ culture and history with a full itinerary, meticulous planned by member Jerome. In both cities, members had conducted tours of art galleries and museums as well as library archives.
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LGBT+ tour of Manchester Art Gallery in November 2024
Excursions to Biddulph Grange, Little Moreton Hall, and Sudbury Hall were of a more relaxed social nature that promoted group cohesion and members’ confidence to engage with the wider community in places of historical interest and natural beauty.
Lunch at Biddulph Grange – September 2024
Our annual outing in August on the Caldon Canal was blessed with fine weather and allowed members to spend time together in the safe, healthy, friendly environment of the narrowboat Beatrice. For the first time, the boat was skippered by a female volunteer.
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Theatre Trips
Since coming out of the COVID pandemic, our members have shown increasing interest and growing confidence to see live performances together as a group. In July 2024 members attended a performance at the New Vic of Joe Orton’s classic play, What the Butler Saw, our first outing paid for by the two-year lottery award. One member said he hadn’t laughed so much since the last show we saw at the New Vic… ’One Man Two Guvnors’. In October, members enjoyed visits to the New Vic to see Company of Wolves and Rock of Ages at the Regent Theatre, Hanley in which one of our members took part.
Members also organised visits amongst themselves to Birmingham Rep to see Becoming Nancy. The trend continued in 2025 with an invitation to the New Vic Theatre to watch the dress rehearsal of ‘The Last Quiz Show on Earth’ and an organised outing to see The Miner Birds about the miners’ strike in 1984.
Cast of the Miner Birds outside the actual caravan used by the North Staffs Miners' Wives
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Stoke Pride 2024
OLGBT+ had three pitches at Stoke Pride 2024. Our stalls saw a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. In spite of inclement weather, some members took part in the parade whilst others tried to protect displays from the water seeping through the gazebos. We definitely need waterproof gazebos for the future. With increased attendance and the largest parade to date…Stoke Pride 2024 was an undoubted success.
Lining up for the parade for Stoke Pride in Hanley Park
We also had a small presence at Stafford Pride – their first. The organisers are to be congratulated in their meticulous planning that led to a smoothly run and successful event.
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Stafford Pride 2024
Exhibition
With the assistance of Shiobhan and her team at B-Arts, we were able to mount a public exhibition of the artwork of our late and much-loved member Angie Boote. It was fitting that the exhibition was held in June, alongside Stoke Pride, and uplifting to know that over 100 people visited the exhibition.
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Allies
We are fortunate to have a number of allies, amongst them is Berryhill Retirement Village who gave donations and made items for sale to raise funds for OLGBT+ The amount shown on the giant cheque was surpassed with further contributions on the day.
Cheque presentation at Berryhill Retirement Village
Communications
Website
Our website has been comprehensively redesigned and updated to better meet the needs of members and to promote our organisation. In the past year, we have added a history timeline, which has attracted attention not only within the local LGBT+ community, but also to a much wider audience. Local LGBT+ History Timeline
Newsletter and Mailings
We have produced a Newsletter every month throughout the period and kept in touch with our members and prospective members through weekly emails as well as by phone and personal contact.
We include health information from Community Health Champions and tips from Discover Digital in every mailing.
Our mailing list, which is open to all adults, increased from 270 to 333.
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Social Media
We now have a Facebook page and private group, a twitter (X) account and a WhatsApp group. All have been used within the reporting period, with the WhatsApp group proving the most popular.
Phone
Our mobile phone is staffed by volunteers and regularly checked for voicemails, texts and WhatsApp messages.
Financial Statement (Appended)
The appended financial statement sets out our income and expenditure for the financial year April 2024 to March 2025.
We are grateful to the following for the grants we have received in the financial year 2024/25
Grants received £1,000 or more 2024/25
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Awards for All (The National Lottery Community Fund) - £18,415 , a two year grant to be spent by 28th May 2026)
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Arts Council - £13,500 for our photography based history project in partnership with GRAIN Photography which will conclude in financial year 2025/26
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Consortium LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund (Consortium of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Voluntary and Community Organisations) - £4,740 , to be spent by 30th October 2025
-
Stoke-on-Trent City Council / UK Government (Small Community and Heritage Assets Grant) - £3,180 (fully spent)
-
VAST Health Inequalities - £1,218 (fully spent)
Thank you also to all the individuals and organisations that have donated smaller amounts. Every penny donated is used to benefit our members. Thank you!
Thank you to all our members and supporters, we look forward to another successful year!
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees’ of North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group for the year ended 31 March 2025
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the period ended 1 April 2025 which are set out on pages 7 to 9.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
As the charity’s trustees of The North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act).
I report in respect of my examination of The North Midlands LGBT Older Peoples Group accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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Accounting records were not kept in respect of The North Midlands LGBT Older Peoples Group as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts to not comply with the accounting requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
02/08/25
Signed ____ Date _______ Daryl Denson ACMA VAST
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North Midlands LGBT+ Older People Group Receipts & Payments account for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Receipts Notes Donations Grants 3 Bank interest Total receipts Payments Misc, insurance etc Visits Project costs Total payments Net receipts/(payments) Cash funds at start of this period Cash funds at end of this period |
Unrestricted Restricted 2025 2024 £ £ £ £ 1,327 - 1,327 567 - 39,703 39,703 4,076 95 - 95 - |
|---|---|
| 1,422 39,703 41,125 4,643 |
|
| 176 - 176 979 - 9,885 9,885 130 176 1,974 2,150 2,608 |
|
| 352 11,859 12,211 3,717 |
|
| 1,070 27,844 28,914 926 1,377 500 1,877 951 |
|
| 2,447 28,344 30,791 1,877 |
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North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 March 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash assets | £ | £ |
| Current account | 505 | 1,852 |
| Savings Account | 30,286 30,791 |
25 1,877 |
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the organisation by:
02/08/25 Signed ______ Date _ Maurice Greenham (Aug 2, 2025 07:55:28 GMT+1) Name - Maurice Greenham Position - Chair
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North Midlands LGBT+ Older Peoples Group Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this context “cash” includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due.
2. Creditors
| Accountancy | 2025 £ - - |
2024 - |
|---|---|---|
| - |
3. Funds
| Unrestricted General Funds Restricted Awards for All All the Small Things Arts Council Consortium LGBT+Futures Stoke-on-Trent City Council VAST Health Inequalities Total |
Funds b/f Income Expenses Funds c/f £ £ £ £ 1,377 1,422 (352) 2,447 |
|---|---|
| 1,377 1,422 (352) 2,447 |
|
| - 18,415 (6,315) 12,100 500 - (500) - - 12,150 - 12,150 - 4,740 (646) 4,094 - 3,180 (3,180) - - 1,218 (1,218) - |
|
| 500 39,703 (11,859) 28,344 |
|
| 1,877 41,125 (12,211) 30,791 |
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2025-08-02
OLGBT+ 2025 final accounts
Final Audit Report
Created: 2025-08-01 By: VAST Accounts (accounts@vast.org.uk) Status: Signed Transaction ID: CBJCHBCAABAAzCnRXpkAElgWjq12KxWVzkRfRcZVarCC
"OLGBT+ 2025 final accounts" History
Document created by VAST Accounts (accounts@vast.org.uk)
2025-08-01 - 5:37:13 PM GMT- IP address: 82.31.1.14
Document emailed to Maurice Greenham (maurice.greenham@gmail.com) for signature 2025-08-01 - 5:37:21 PM GMT
Email viewed by Maurice Greenham (maurice.greenham@gmail.com)
2025-08-01 - 5:37:29 PM GMT- IP address: 142.250.32.3
Document e-signed by Maurice Greenham (maurice.greenham@gmail.com)
Signature Date: 2025-08-02 - 6:55:28 AM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 31.48.70.164
Document emailed to Daryl Denson (daryl.denson@vast.org.uk) for signature 2025-08-02 - 6:55:31 AM GMT
Email viewed by Daryl Denson (daryl.denson@vast.org.uk) 2025-08-02 - 7:21:21 AM GMT- IP address: 31.94.15.32
Document e-signed by Daryl Denson (daryl.denson@vast.org.uk)
Signature Date: 2025-08-02 - 7:22:06 AM GMT - Time Source: server- IP address: 31.94.15.32
Agreement completed.
2025-08-02 - 7:22:06 AM GMT