**Trustees' Annual Report for the period**
||Period start date|Period start date|||Period end date|Period end date||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**From**|1|5|2021|**To**|30|4|2022|
## Section A Reference and administration details
**Charity name** The Gathering Place **Other names charity is known by** The Gathering Place UK **Registered charity number (if any)** 1189467 **Charity's principal address** 18 Queen Street Neath Wales **Postcode SA11 1DL**
The Gathering Place UK
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
- **Dates acted if not for whole Name of person (or body) entitled**
- **Trustee name Office (if any) year to appoint trustee (if any)**
- 1 Kenneth Arrington Director / Chair 2 Susan Rees 3 Martyn Greenway 4 5 6 7 8 9
- 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
**Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)**
**Name Dates acted if not for whole year**
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## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of adviser Name Address**
## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Section B Structure, governance and management**
## **Description of the charity’s trusts**
Constitution enacted 1 January 2020 Type of governing document
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
How the charity is constituted
CIO Constitution
- (eg. trust, association, company)
Trustees are appointed for 2 year terms at end of year returns meeting / Trustee selection methods review
- (eg. appointed by, elected by)
## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)**
You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about:
- policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
- the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
- relationship with any related parties;
- trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Volunteers and volunteer counsellors are vetted based on experience, education, and agreement with principles set out in all related charity documents, including Wales safeguarding procedures, and additional documentation and statements of belief.
- The director oversees day to day aspects and duties of running the charity, including the power to do anything which is calculated to further its objects or is conducive or incidental to doing so. The director moves and works under the auspices of voting trustees and also seeks guidance and views of volunteers in deciding activities to be undertaken and run for the public benefit.
- Safeguarding policies are in place and checks are taken out on those dealing directly 1:1 with the public at large.
The Gathering Place partners with local associations, churches, help houses, councils, homes for the elderly, mental health wards, and hospitals in order to provide tangible products, care packages, and resources for the betterment of public health. All trustees and volunteers give their time voluntarily and received no renumeration or other preferential benefits
## **Section C Objectives and activities**
The prevention, relief and support of those trapped in poverty cycles and those in need throughout Swansea / South Wales by providing items, **Summary of the objects of the** resources, and counselling services. We encourage and train volunteers **charity set out in its** and local leaders and network with regional organisations to directly **governing document** impact the local community.
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In planning our activities for the year, The Gathering Place, its director, trustees, and volunteers kept in mind the Charity Commissions guidance on public benefit at our meetings and within our communications.
The planned activities upon listing as a registered charity were as follows:
- Prevention, relief, and support of those trapped in poverty cycles and those in need by offering free clothing, toiletries, food, drink, and dry goods procured via donations and purchase
- Vehicular delivery of needed goods such as clothing and food to those in need, the hospitalised, isolated, elderly, the disabled, the impoverished, and the general public; as well as to other charities or voluntary bodies
- Offering a safe and warm space for sanctuary at our 45 Mansel Street SA1 5SW and future 18 Queen Street, Neath, SA11 1DL location, free teas/coffees/refreshment, warm hub, recharging of devices, as needed counselling services, and care package pickup – including sleeping bags, tents, shoes, coats, and gear
- **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the** - Free general counselling / weekly meetings across multiple **public benefit in relation to** spectrums provided by approved volunteer counsellors – **these objects (include within** women’s outreach, homeless outreach, general outreach, and **this section the statutory** personal fulfilment **declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance** - To provide free hosted dinners and luncheons for our women’s **issued by the Charity** outreach and homeless outreach, stirring interest through **Commission on public** signposting, social media, and word of mouth. These meetings **benefit)** provide counselling and volunteer opportunities to gauge the needs of the public and provide essential immediate services to those in need
- A bi-weekly programme of adult oriented events, trainings, and activities designed to inspire creativity, music, and art; and provide a safe space and equipment free of charge to do so. We believe it is through discovering one’s creative nature that one can aspire to changing their lives and reality and that anyone that is in need can find hope and companionship through listening ears and willing hearts.
These activities benefit those in need within our community by providing them with essential goods, services, counselling, and training to better their lives, induce self-confidence, and most importantly provide help in times of dire need. These activities also provide opportunities for volunteer and leadership growth, helping volunteers to become leaders, and those receiving services to become volunteers.
We serve all people who may need our services regardless of age, gender, religion, or personal circumstances.
## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)**
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We are grateful for the hours that our volunteers have contributed to listening, offering ideas, and taking the weight of the charity upon their shoulders to see objectives through, particularly in the arena of delivering care packages to those in need during this trying season in dealing with the scourge of Covid-19. Without the valuable contribution of our volunteers’ time, creative thinking, energy, and focus we would not have been able to re-adjust and achieve so much in so short a period.
You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about:
- policy on grantmaking;
- policy programme related investment;
- contribution made by volunteers.
## Section D Achievements and performance
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## Section D Achievements and performance
1[st] Quarter (May – July 2021) **Summary of the main achievements of the charity** Beginning our 1st quarter as a 2nd year charity and coming out from the **during the year** spectre of Covid was a unique challenge. Originally founded as a charity to meet the local needs of the neglected, the isolated, homeless, and those in need of support, the continuing coronavirus pandemic continued to challenge us on multiple fronts. However, now that we were invested as a charity and had a firm foundation with our location’s remodel and upfit, our outgoing costs were significantly reduced from the prior year. We also benefited from large inventory stores of items from the previous quarter for distribution. Our care package programme (care packages consist of soap, shampoo, body wash, conditioner, deodorant, toilet paper, handkerchiefs, diapers, feminine needs products, brushes/combs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and when requested, food (dry good breakfasts, lunches, dinners, teas/coffees, snacks, and drinks), clothing items (t-shirts, jumpers, joggers, leisure wear, underwear, and socks), and resources to assist those suffering from isolation (books, contact numbers, and apps), continued to be delivered to hospitals, mental health wards, nursing homes and individuals in need throughout the region. With the introduction of the “Rule of 6” in July, which allowed up to 6 individuals in an indoor environment, we were provided the opportunity for counselling sessions to resume while recognising the need for continued social distancing. Preparations begin in forecasting charity direction post-Covid. . 2[nd] Quarter (August – October 2021) On August 7th, 2021, virtually all Covid restrictions were lifted in Wales, allowing us to once again hold counselling sessions for larger groups and open our facility to those in need, providing access to our homeless closet with sleeping bags, tents, and more and providing refreshment to those coming in off the street. We continue to distribute care packages to local hospitals and delivering to those isolated with Covid. During our first open volunteer meeting, seeing all of our 12 volunteers and volunteer counsellors in one place in over a year was a refreshing change. During this meeting, the director announced the intention to begin looking for a larger facility due to demand and establishing projects for 2022. Volunteers voted that 2022 will be focused on restarting outwards facing projects to benefit the public, paying particular attention to at-risk women and youth, the neglected, and impoverished while looking for additional office space in Neath Port Talbot to expand our footprint and street delivery of goods. A first order of business was voting on a pilot programme for at risk youth called “Project:Heal Backpack Programme,” primarily focusing on preteen and early teens school needs. These backpacks would be filled with pens, pencils, rubbers, hi-liters, pencil bags, notepads, activity books, glue sticks, rulers, protractors, and activewear, and made available free of charge at our community hubs in Swansea before the start of term (and afterward by request via individuals, schools, councils, or other charitable organisations with whom we work). We would also resupply each "Backpack of Hope" throughout the year. 3[rd] Quarter (November – January 2022) Due to the repealing of all Covid restrictions, hospital admissions increased with the arrival of the Omicron variant increasing demand upon our delivery services once again. At the next volunteer meeting, final
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Section D Achievements and performance
votes were cast on the Gathering Place’s 4 primary charitable directions in 2022, with special emphasis placed upon our "PROJECT:HEAL Backpack Programme" (designed to supply educational resources to over 350 disadvantaged youths under 16 in Swansea and Neath), in addition to our "Project:HEAL Homeless Outreach," our "To Restore a Dream" abused and battered women's healing outreach, and continuing to meet the needs of our NHS facilities and nursing homes with our "Covid Community Response and Supply Programme."
In December we were able to purchase 2 computers, a printer, desks and more for a small computer lab facility on our 1st floor due to a generous grant. This lab was designed with the intent of providing computing resources to abused women and at-risk youth, providing a safe place to find help and support.
In mid-December it was noticed that small water leaks were beginning to puddle in the basement, the location of our extensive homeless closet and supplies. Easily cleanable, the thought was that large rains were causing these links. However, by mid-December, upon opening on a Monday the director found that the entire basement was flooded with about 30 cm of water. The building next to our 45 Mansel Street location had building works on and had punched through the basement wall, allowing run off water from the street to slip inside and flood the basement. Nearly our entire inventory of clothing and supplies for our homeless outreach were destroyed by a mixture of water, damp, and quick mould.
Informing the landlord of our predicament, he offered the building to us in sale, as he was desiring to move on from ownership and not have to pay extensive repairs. We declined, as the amount of building repairs were too expensive, and we were already looking for a larger location anyway to handle service demands. The landlord agreed to let us out of the lease as soon as we found another location due to the damage to the building and searching began in earnest for a new primary office.
4[th] Quarter (February – April 2022) Continuing to deliver products to those in need and isolated, counselling services continued at our 45 Mansel location. Unfortunately due to the basement damage, damp began to spread to the main meeting floor and the upper floors impacting service. However, the community response to us losing our “homeless closet” was fantastic. Within weeks we had replaced all items lost with newer donated items, some items with tags still on them!
After an extensive search, by the end of January a new potential Gathering Place location was identified at 18 Queen Street in Neath Town Centre, occupying the ground floor of a large former retail building. After initial assessments were made, budgets forecast for a move into a new facility and meeting with the letting agencies, we placed a bid for £11,500/yr for ground floor rental which was accepted on February 21st. In March we began moving our facility’s activities towards Neath, working with additional volunteers from Calan and the Help House to meet the community needs while securing our new facility and storage from our former facility, with the target to open our new location in June of 2022.
March **2012**
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## **Section E Financial review**
**Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves**
At close of the day 30/4/2022, cash on hand at the bank was £9,825.47 in unrestricted funds. Remembering our lessons from the year prior and with the addition of our 2 months/£6,000 reserves policy in 2020, our funds were stable throughout the year, resulting in net positive funds
**Details of any funds materially in deficit**
Not applicable
## **Further financial review details (Optional information)**
In 2022 our primary sources of funding this year have been grants and You **may choose** to include donations (96%). We use the majority of our general funds towards our additional information, where outreach programmes, including our Covid Support program – “Project relevant about: Heal,” which includes care package and PPE distribution to NHS • the charity’s principal hospitals, mental health wards, and nursing homes throughout South sources of funds (including Wales. Each care package includes soap, shampoo, body wash, any fundraising); conditioner, deodorant, toilet paper, handkerchiefs, diapers, feminine • how expenditure has needs products, brushes/combs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and when requested, food (dry good breakfasts, lunches, dinners, teas/coffees, supported the key objectives snacks, and drinks). If requested, we include clothing such as t-shirts and of the charity; leisure wear for inpatients during their hospital stays. These items are • investment policy and also available for delivery to those in isolation, or anyone that contacts us objectives including any and needs support. As our Covid support drew down with reduction of ethical investment policy restrictions and vaccine uptake, funds went to our our "PROJECT:HEAL adopted. Backpack Programme" (designed to supply educational resources to over 350 disadvantaged youths under 16), in addition to our "Project:HEAL Homeless Outreach," and our "To Restore a Dream" abused and battered women's healing outreach.The remainder of our general outreach funds go to upfitting our “in-needs” area which is designed to supply new coats, clothing, hats, scarves, shoes, and other related resources to those who may need assistance. We also provide teas/coffees/refreshment to anyone who wishes to stop by and come off the streets, as well as counselling and a listening ear. Our primary funder continues to provide an annual £20,000 grant on January 5th and has agreed in principle to renew annual funding indefinitely as long as we can demonstrate we are committed to the established aims of our charity. These funds go to the operational costs of the charity (17.6% of our expenditures during this year in question) and training and resources (6.1%), with the remainder going towards outreach programmes and general support (72.4%). The remainder of other funds raised (such as through the Lottery foundation) go to further funding of pilot programmes to meet the public benefit and reinforce programmes currently underway.
As we do not have any paid volunteers, staff, or trustees, funds received are maximised for public benefit.
**Section F Other optional information**
March **2012**
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Future Plans:
The coming year will see a move to our new facility at 18 Queen Street, Neath, SA11 1DL which enables us to expand our services in a more efficient manner throughout Neath Port Talbot and Swansea counties. With a larger more open multi-functional space, our facility will also be able to be used by smaller micro-organizations for the public benefit, offering therapeutic art classes, writing courses, training, and the like.
As the need for our Covid Support programme begins to taper off, instead of distributing care packages (including food, toiletries, clothing) directly to hospitals, mental health wards, nursing homes, our focus will turn to individuals and families in need of support. We will also work with local operations within Swansea, Neath, Bridgend, RCT, and Cardiff to provide various charities necessary goods to meet their community needs. For 2022-23, we are excited to expand our community outreach services from Swansea city centre to Neath town centre, with special emphasis placed upon our "PROJECT:HEAL Backpack Programme" (designed to supply educational resources to over 350 disadvantaged youths under 16), in addition to our "Project:HEAL Homeless Outreach," our "To Restore a Dream" abused and battered women's healing outreach, and continuing to meet the needs of our NHS facilities and nursing homes with our "Covid Community Response and Supply Programme."
With a new facility to outfit and uplift, we are very encouraged to launch various other pilot community programmes. One area we are interested in pursuing is opening up our facility as a “warm hub” in the winter months to combat rising energy costs and to be able to provide warm packs with blankets and heaters to warm lower income homes. Another concept we are looking at integrating is a front facing shop where “everything is free” providing resources to the community free of charge - clothing, toiletries, and other items. And we look forward to bringing back coffee mornings, offering social participation.
We aim to provide a holistic approach that considers an individual's underlying needs: establishing a support network around them, and instilling them with confidence and self-esteem, as they begin to find their sense of purpose within communities they feel may have disregarded them. We work to re-engage individuals and families on the fringe of society: empowering them to overcome cycles of poverty and disadvantage and improving their access to services and support, and increasing their opportunities so they may go onto achieve their potential.
By providing the basics of food/clothing in “judgment-free” environments, we will be enabled to provide 1-1 support to help address underlying reasons for why men, women, and youth turn to anti-social behavior or find themselves in abusive environments. For many, we understand that the lack of basic life skills, and the lack of community and sense of belonging, often leaves them feeling alone, isolated, and overwhelmed by the responsibility of handling things on their own.
We also look forward to once again hosting our bi-weekly programme of outreach events, gatherings, and trainings designed to benefit the public and raise up additional volunteers. Our new location will provide ample opportunities to do this.
Once our offices are relocated to a larger space, we will immediately begin holding our bi-weekly public gatherings and outreach dinners once again. We are also desiring to open up a creativity and mixed media lab for the public to use free of charge. This lab will be outfitted with multiple PC’s, monitors, a large scale printer, and ethernet hub and preloaded with software designed to provide those in need with a way to access online documents, services, and other projects. This directly ties into our public benefit mission to positively transform lives and restore hope throughout South Wales.
Due to our increased profile with our larger space, we will also aggressively pursue new grant and support funding from various foundations and resources.
## **Section G Declaration**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Kenneth Arrington **Position (eg Secretary, Chair,** Chair **etc) Date** 14-01-2023
March **2012**
**TAR**
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**Charity Name No (if any) The Gathering Place 1189467**
## **Receipts and payments accounts**
Period start date Period end date **To** 01/05/2021 30/04/2022
**For the period from**
## **CC16a**
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
|**to the nearest £**
**A1 Receipts**
Grants & Donations
**33,978**
**1,260**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**35,238**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ 35,238**
**A3 Payments**
Covid Support & General Outreach Costs
**19,759**
Training/ Reference Library
**1,927**
Fundraising (inc travel fees for conference) **1,151**
Operational Costs(inc utilities)
**5,519**
Office Needs(inc technologyupgrades)
**89**
Payment Remttance
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ 28,444**
Vehicle
Camera, Media Equipment and computers.
**3,000**
**_Sub total_ 3,000**
**_Total payments_ 31,444**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ 3,794**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**6,032**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 9,825**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
Refunds from purchasing public benefit
goods
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**33,978**
**1,260**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**35,238**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**35,238**
**19,759**
**1,927**
**1,151**
**5,519**
**89**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**28,444**
**-**
**3,000**
**3,000**
**31,444**
**3,794**
**-**
**6,032**
**9,825**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||34,503|
|||||656|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**35,159**|
||||||
||||||
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
||||||
|||||**35,159**|
||||||
|||||26,149|
|||||3,251|
|||||2,683|
|||||7,855|
|||||2,854|
|||||2,670|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**45,462**|
||||||
|||||2,900|
|||||1,861|
|||||**4,761**|
||||||
|||||**50,223**|
||||||
||**-**|**-**|**3,794**|**-15,064**|
||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|
||**-**|**-**|**6,032**|**21,096**|
||**-**|**-**|**9,825**|**6,032**|
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
Cash at Bank
**Details**
none
**Details**
none
**Details**
Car
Computer & Media Equipment
Office Furniture - Décor
Library and Resources
**Details**
none
Signature
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Clothing - Shelters - Trailer - Toiletries for
distribution
~1,000 clothing items inc shoes, boots,
coats, womens, mens, kids|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**9,825**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**9,825**
**-**
OK
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Kenneth RayArrington
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**2,200**|
||||**7,145**|
|||||
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||Kenneth RayArrington|13/02/2022|
|||||
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
**Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees/** THE GATHERING PLACE **members of On accounts for the year** 30 April 2022 **Charity no** 1189467 **ended (if any) Set out on page** 1-2
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the period ended 30 April 2022.
- **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
**Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Signed: Date:** 15 February 2023 **Name:** Chaweevan Williams FCCA **Relevant professional** Chartered Certified Accountants **qualification(s) or body : Address:** Verdant Accountants Limited 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU