**Trustees’ Annual Report Leiston Town Pastors, 2021-2022** Charitable Incorporated Organisation No 1188933 Correspondence address: 11 Lime Tree Avenue, Leiston, IP16 4EH
## **Objectives and Activities**
The objectives of the CIO are:
- To advance the faith in Leiston, Suffolk and surrounding districts and in such other parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees of the Charity may from time to time think fit and to fulfil such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales and are connected with the charitable work of the charity.
- To promote safety and the prevention of crime for the benefit of the public by such means as the Trustees may consider appropriate, including but not so as to limit the generality of the foregoing by providing services for mediation and conciliation between persons involved in disputes or interpersonal conflicts which may lead to acts of nuisance, vandalism, racial abuse or breach of the peace in Leiston and surrounding districts and in such other parts of the UK or the world as the Trustees may from time to time think fit.
- To relieve sickness and financial hardship and to promote and preserve good health by the provision of funds, goods and services of any kind including counselling and support in Leiston and surrounding districts and in such parts of the United Kingdom or the world as the Trustees from time to time think fit.
## **Main Activities**
The main activities of Leiston Town Pastors for the benefit of the general public and local businesses are:
- Patrolling the streets of Leiston in the night time economy on Friday nights in pairs of Town Pastors, in contact with and supported by two people in our Base in the United Church and a rota of people praying at home during patrols;
- Providing a listening ear and practical help where needed, such as ensuring vulnerable people get home safely, supplying water and refreshments, removing dangerous or harmful substances from the streets and attempting to diffuse aggressive situations before they escalate;
- Building good rapport and supporting the owners and workers in local businesses such as public houses, restaurants and takeaway establishments;
- Rarely, but when necessary, summoning assistance from the emergency services.
## **Personnel**
The Leiston Town Pastors Co-ordinator, Margaret Graver, leads a team of approximately 20 volunteers from local churches and reports to a Board of Trustees, currently comprising five members as follows:
Lesley Aldred Julia Catterwell Carol Cotton (Acting Chair) Adrian Neville (Treasurer) Amanda Taylor
Leiston Town Pastors is part of a wider organisation of Town Pastor Groups in Suffolk and Norfolk, overseen by Town Pastors Central who operate from Ipswich.
## **AGM/Annual Service of Thanksgiving**
The Annual General Meeting of Leiston Town Pastors was held on Sunday 4 September 2022 followed by a service of thanksgiving where volunteers were recognised for their selfless contribution to the work and services of the charity.
## **Achievements of the Charity**
For part of the accounting year, due to Covid, patrols were not able to go ahead and were not needed when public houses were closed during lockdowns. However, patrols were in place as and when possible. Town Pastors have aided vulnerable people over the course of the year, including escorting people home and ensuring the safety of vulnerable lone women, diffusing difficult situations, etc. Our ministry continues to be supported and appreciated in the community. The link police officer for Leiston Town Pastors assures us that our patrols continue to have a positive impact on the levels of anti-social behaviour in the town and reduce the number of occasions when emergency services might otherwise have been called upon to deal with non-urgent situations.
## **Training**
Town Pastors undergo extensive training although during the period of this report there have been no new volunteers recruited. However, some updating of training has taken place in the following areas:
- Safeguarding;
- First aid including safety measures due to the Coronavirus pandemic;
- Drug and alcohol awareness;
- Safety on the streets.
DBS checks have also been carried out and updated.
## **Accounts/Fundraising**
Support from The Suffolk Police & Crime Commissioner continued and additional grant funding through the Suffolk Community Foundation in the sum of £1250 was received during the period. In addition, donations were received from a local church, an individual and Leiston Town Council.
The annual accounts of Leiston Town Pastors for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 are available separately.
## **The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
## **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees by:**
______________________________________Carol Cotton, Acting Chair of Trustees _________________________________________Adrian Neville, Trustee & Treasurer
Date __________________________________ Date
______________________________________
**----- Start of picture text -----**
TOWN PASTORS LEISTON
Summary Receipts and Payments account
1st April, 2021 - 31st March, 2022
RECEIPTS PAYMENTS
Total budget Total budget
(year) (year)
Donations £ 261.12 Travelling £ -
Church Donations £ 250.00 Staff payments £ 4,611.00
Company Donations Uniforms £
Suffolk PCC £4,000.00 Office £ 1,358.59
Leiston Town Council £ 250.00 Training £ 350.00
Suffolk Coastal District Council £ - Base Costs £ 257.20
Clinical Commissioning Group £ Insurance £ 339.04
Supermarket Donations £ Refreshments £ 37.12
Refund First Aid Training FE £ Radio/Telephone £ 427.00
Suffolk Community £ 1,250.00 Miscellaneous (DBS checks) £ 120.00
TP Central £ 180.00
Publicity/Printing £ 64.50
TP Kit/Equipment
Solicitors cost
Sub total £ 6,011.12 Sub total £ 7,744.45 £ -
balances brought forward 1st April, 2021 balances carried forward
Current Account £ 9,433.71 Current Account £ 7,700.38
Deposit Account Deposit Account
£ 15,444.83 £ 15,444.83
Prepared by Pat Carter (Treasurer/Trustee)
**----- End of picture text -----**