St Austell Revival Together (START)
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Charity Number 1191591
Trustee’s Report 30[th] September 2022
TART - providing support to all who may need it. START work with vulnerable people experiencing clothing poverty, social isolation, and homelessness.
Who are we:
START is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. START set up as a community group in 2015 and registered as a CIO in October 2020. START operate from premises in St Austell. We have four Trustees:
Sharon Sisson - Chair Didi Aben – Treasurer Marianne Burge Paul Sweeney
We have eight volunteers, and whom are all unpaid.
Activities:
START- provide a safe welcoming space where vulnerable people can access clothing, household items, toiletries, and a safe place to meet and share crafting knowledge.
Objectives:
The prevention or relief of poverty for the public benefit amongst people in St Austell and the surrounding area but not exclusively by providing good quality donated clothing, toiletries, and household items free of charge to individuals in financial need.
To promote social inclusion for the public benefit in St Austell and the surrounding area by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.
For this clause ‘socially excluded’ means being excluded from society, or part of society, because of being a member of a socially and economically deprived community.
To protect and safeguard the environment for the public benefit through the promotion of re-use of products through the operation of a ‘Swap Shop’ a project offering access to used household items through an exchange and bartering system, as a means of preventing and minimising waste disposal.
What do we do:
START- provide support and services to, vulnerable, needy, and homeless individuals and families and were possible sign post them to other services available to them, who can provide support. START- provide pre-loved clothing, school uniforms, shoes, toiletries, bedding, sleeping bags, tents, and small household items to people in need. START- provide a safe space where people can swap their pre-loved items for items in the shop by way of a barter system. START - provide a safe space where people can come together to share their crafting skills, learn a new craft, or come along to meet new people and feel less isolated.
Performance:
In START’s first year we had to adapt to the changes brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic, for a short period we had to close, we used this time to develop a plan for when we could reopen and deliver our services in a safe way. The Swap Shop and Crafty Chat had to close for a longer period, and we had to re-launch once it was safe to do so. In this 12-month period we have helped 1215 people, with items of clothing and toiletries, we found new homes for 10105 items, which may otherwise may have ended up in land fill. We continue to forged strong links with other organisations, which have enables us to work collaboratively ‘Communities Working Together’ giving us the knowledge of where to sign post people for additional help.
START would not be able to continue without the hard work and dedication of all our volunteers, the support we receive from two of our local supermarket Community Champions and the donations we receive from our local community.
Financial Review :
STARTS running cost are very low due to the generosity of having been embedded in another charity’s premises at no cost. START Trustees believe that unrestricted reserves of six months of operating costs is prudent, to ensure we meet it meets its obligations, should anything untoward happens that requires the Charity to close. Based on 2021/2022 £700 would cover these costs.
Plans:
The Boards of Trustees are committed to growing the number of services offered by the charity, by promoting the charity at local level and to share the work START does and to network with like-minded organisations for the benefit of our service users. START will continue to recruit volunteers and offer support and training opportunities and provide Time Credits. START will recruit suitable Trustees to add to our strengths.
Trustees Responsibilities:
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records with reasonable accuracy to show the financial position of the charity at any given time. The Trustees are also responsible for the safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The above report and our accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102)
Our registered office address is: Guildhall Chambers. Guildhall Lane, South Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0BZ
Signed on behalf of the board
S Sisson Chair