## Dewsbury Community Outreach Annual Report 2020‐2021
Registered Charity 1188158
## **Introduction**
Dewsbury Community Outreach (DCO) was formally recognised as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 24 February 2020 but had been operating for some months prior to that date out of 74 Daisy Hill, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF13 1LS. Our aims are to create a community where everyone is welcome, valued as individuals, and supported with their needs. Where people can meet to share their skills or learn new ones, and where there’s always the chance to talk about the important things in life. The focus had been to give support for those who were experiencing loneliness by creating an organised meeting point and to provide assistance to those who were homeless or in need.
Almost immediately after the formal recognition as a charity the Covid19 pandemic started; lockdown was imposed and most of the other churches and charities that were assisting people who were homeless or in need closed down. The team at DCO chose to fill in the gap and teamed up with Sensory World CIC to provide daily meals on the street outside the building and to provide clothing and household goods free to those in need. This work has continued throughout the pandemic.
## **Activities**
Prior to the pandemic DCO was providing free of charge a Friday lunch time meal in association with Dewsbury Elim Church and a Sunday night tea independently. There was a successful writers club meeting in the building once per week and individuals were helping on a daily basis with the maintenance and upkeep of the building. Both activities were beneficial in assisting people who were long‐term unemployed to make friends, gain confidence and self‐esteem whilst engaged in a worthwhile project.
Following lockdown the clubs and groups meeting in the building had to close but an Acting Club was established that met, socially distanced, in the grounds of Dewsbury Elim Church. This group assisted Kirklees Council by providing actors to augment the tours of the town on Heritage Open Day ( 12 September 2020). Subsequent to this a grant was received to pay for actors to assist with the Christmas lights switch on. This event was cancelled but the money was used to produce a video, filmed one actor at a time in green screen for the safety of the actor and crew. The resulting production ‘A Dewsbury Christmas Carol’ has been well received in the town. It is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV0LPKXUPdQ.
DCO has a Gardening Club, which in addition to maintaining the church grounds, also goes out to help householders with garden maintenance. The club has established a compost facility within the Elim Church yard and seedlings have been planted ready for use in 2021.
DCO is a Christian charity and a Bible Study group was established in the summer of 2020 that met outside in the grounds of Dewsbury Elim Church. Due to lockdown rules this group has not been able to meet once the weather became colder but will resume in 2021.
## **Assistance**
_Meals Programme._ Since March 2020 meals have been provided out on the street either in front of 74 Daisy Hill, or outside Sensory World, a café and disabled centre located about 100m down the road from DCO and temporarily closed to the public due to Covid restrictions. The meals have been prepared by the Sensory World team using their commercial kitchen. In the summer of 2020 further links were made with the charities ‘Gift of Giving’ and ‘Magic Wishing Well’ and they now also assist by providing take‐away meals on some days thereby relieving the work for the Sensory World team. Throughout the year various different patterns of timings and days for meal provision were tried but at the end of this reporting period DCO and its partners were providing lunch time meals on 5 days a week. Most days between 30 and 50 meals were provided free of charge.
A grant was obtained to purchase two freezers and these are used to store raw provisions and prepared meals. The prepared meals are available free to those in need to microwave at home on days when they are not able to receive a meal on the street.
_Food Assistance_ . Tesco Fare Share and Fusion Housing regularly provide DCO with large quantities of surplus food and food approaching its sell‐by date. Some of this is used to prepare the meals but much of it is placed on tables outside Sensory World for those in need to take away. At Christmas DCO was able to use this food to make up 50 food hampers for delivery to those who were lonely or housebound as a result of the Covid pandemic.
_Personal Advice_ . DCO does not offer a full advice service but being on the front line with those in need has allowed some of the DCO team to gain experience in helping refer individuals to the correct agencies to solve their problems. DCO volunteers have also been able to help individuals to gain internet connections to access items like Universal Credit portfolios. Many people on low income do not have internet access at home and rely upon public facilities at the job centre or library – places that have been closed during lockdown.
_Clothing and Goods._ DCO has received regular donations of second hand clothing, kitchenwear, furniture, children’s toys, books, bags and other items like PAT tested electrical goods, which have been given away free to those in need. Some items have also been sold to raise funds. In addition some of the grant money received has been earmarked to purchase new items of clothing (especially underwear), health care products and pay as you go mobile phones.
_Heating Assistance_ . DCO has helped individuals with heating bills by making small gifts of up to £20 onto a utility account. In addition a grant awarded in December 2020 allowed the
purchase of heated throws; these low energy usage electric blankets allow an individual to keep warm without having to heat the whole house.
_Laundry._ Sensory World obtained a grant to provide white goods to people in need. Some of this was used to purchase a washing machine and tumble dryer which were donated to DCO. These have been set up in a utility room in 74 Daisy Hill to provide a free clothes washing facility for those in need.
## **74 Daisy Hill**
During the year an agreement was reached with the owners of 74 Daisy Hill that the charity would use the building rent free but take on responsibility for all reasonable upkeep, utilities and maintenance. One of the boilers has been replaced using a Spacehive crowd funding grant.
In addition to the meeting rooms 74 Daisy Hill currently has a single habitable flat which has been used by a tenant seeking to recover from problems of addiction. The remainder of the building is used as storage space by DCO for things like furniture and by a local artist to store his canvasses and materials.
An Architectural Heritage Foundation grant was obtained to investigate the best way of using the building. Dewsbury architect Martin Walsh was appointed to produce a feasibility study and planning documents. This work is ongoing.
## **Publicity**
A logo has been prepared and this is used on all publicity. Business cards, with details about the charity, have been printed and these have been extensively issued to supporters and benefactors.
DCO has set up a web site, www.dewsburyco.org.uk. It also has a presence on Facebook as DewsburyCO. In addition to the main Facebook page some of the support team have established a group page where they can share pictures, information and activities.
## **Governance**
Day to day management of the charity is carried out by the Chair of the Trustees. Trustees seek advice and inform each other of any critical developments via e‐mail, telephone and a WhatsApp group. The trustees have also met formally about once every six weeks to receive an update on activities and issues and to plan for the coming weeks. During the lockdown these meetings have been on Zoom.
## **Finance**
In addition to establishing a bank account with Lloyds Bank the charity has set up an account with Give.net to facilitate on‐line giving.
The first year has been financially successful and the trustees of DCO are grateful to the various organisations and individuals who have financially contributed, especially towards the programme to provide meals. In addition there have been enormous contributions of free food and second hand items. The accounts are presented separate to this report but the financial summary for the first year of operation is: income £30,502.31; expenditure £18,342.54; surplus for the year £12,159.77. Some of this is grant money that is earmarked for activities in March 2021 and the trustees propose to use much of the remainder for improvements to 74 Daisy Hill.
##
|Lloyds Bank&Petty Cash
RECEIPTS
General Income
Donations
74 Daisy**Hill**
Rent
Utilities
Sale of Items
Refunds
2810.40
687.58
8463.46
3497.98
602.07
138.78
Grants
One Communities
Spacehive (for Boiler)
Third Sector Leaders (HeatingAssistance)
GiftofGiving
Third Sector Leaders (Acting Club)
BigSleep Out
Poor&Sick Fund
Luke&Markus Trust
Tesco
11,755.00
2,305 .02
1,000.00
960 .00
500.00
500.00
500.00
200.00
80.00
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
PAYMENTS
74 Daisy Hill
Utilities
Repairs
Consumables
BoilerReplacement
Activities
Writing&Drama Club
Gardening Club
Pre Alpha Meetings
Assistance
Food distribution
Furniture&Goods
Heating
Clothing
Health
Phone
Personal
Travel
1515.33
326.50
36.45
2200.00
464.46
34.49
26.4
9460.87
909.80
305.00
268.21
161.98
66.00
13.00
5.00|0.00
12702.29
17800.02|
|---|---|
||**30,502.31**
4,078.28
525.35
11,189.86|
|Capital
Freezers
Portable Strimmer
Administration
Volunteer Expenses
Publicity
Administration
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**NET SURPLUS/DEFICIT FORTHEYEAR**
CLOSING BALANCES
Lloyds Current Account
Petty cash
Signedbytwo trustees on behalfofall the trustees
**Signature**
858.00
28.00
1573.75
54.57
34.73
**PrintName**|886.00
1,66305|
|---|---|
||**18,342.54**
**12,159.77**
12081 .75
78.02
**12159.77**
**Date**|
||£|£|
|---|---|---|
|Lloyds Current account|12081 .75||
|Petty cash|78.02||
|||12159.77|
|Hotpoint Freezer|429.00|
|---|---|
|Hotpoint Freezer|429.00|
|Washing Machine*|250.00|
|Tumble Dryer*|150.00|
|Portable Strimmer|28.00|
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