Annual report for period April 29[th] 2020-31[st] March 2021
Crossroad’s trust was set up in in April 2020 after working in partnership with the district council and local churches to provide a 7-night rolling shelter from 2017-2019 for those who homeless during the winter months.
The aim of the Crossroads Trust is to change lives through provision of temporary accommodation and services for those who are homeless and at risk of homelessness through a night shelter, supported housing and other projects in Mansfield, working holistically with each individual through work related projects, healthy living, counselling, support for tenancy management, and removal of barriers to independent living including substance misuse.
The trust was due take full responsibility for the Night shelter in November 2020 but with rising cases of Covid-19, a new lockdown expected, and Guidance issued from Public health to prohibit shared space shelters from operation, central government provided extra funding to the local council for provision of single unit accommodation within existing supported housing provisions in the town and in local hotels So Crossroads Trust services were not able to operate through the winter months.
As trustees we opted to begin to implement our vision for a providing a supported housing project, which would offer a supported housing scheme with a Christian Ethos. We had partnered with the Exaireo Trust who are a registered social housing provider in Loughborough who also developed an excellence in their work ladder programme and recovery services with a very high success rate. Exaireo Trust provided the Crossroads Trust with expertise, advise and access to funding with a view to replicating the excellence of the work being done in Loughborough in Mansfield.
We had developed a relationship with a local landlord who was very sympathetic to our desire to give people the support for change and they offered us a property in February 2021, and in March 2021 the trustees decided to accept the property. Our partnership with Exaireo Trust was formalised through a management agreement, and after £3000 of investment to bring the property up to the specification required by Exaireo which including fire detection, fire doors and many hours of work from the trustees and volunteers, and many donations of furniture and other household items the first resident was welcomed 4[th] of May 2021, and the foundation laid for the vision of the trust to develop further.
On Behalf of Crossroads Trustees
Reverend Mark Herd (Chair of Trustee)
CROSSROADS TRUST CHARITY NUMBER 1189275
| YEAR | 2020/2021 | MARCH | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPENING BANK ACCOUNT | 0 | ||
| INCOME | 7636 | ||
| EXPENSES | 2498.52 | ||
| CLOSING BALANCE | 5137.48 |