Trustees’ Annual Report and Financial Report of Youth Empowerment Platform (YEP)
(For the period 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023)
Contents:
1 Trustees’ Annual Report 2 2 Financial Review 6 3 Financial Report 7
Charity reference number 1192003 Postal Address 54 Seagrim Road BH8 0BD
Website: yepbame.co.uk
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Trustees’ Annual Report
Our Aims and Purposes
To help young people aged 11 to 18 years old to positively advance in life. Our target group are but not exclusively, young people from BAME (BLACK, ASIAN, AND MINORITY ETHNIC) backgrounds. Our purpose is:
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(a) The provision of recreational and leisure time activities in the interest of social welfare, designed to positively improve their life view and develop their resilience.
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(b) Providing support and activities which explore and develop their individual skills, capacities, and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals in later life.
Our Activities
YEP, seeks to engage young people in activities that address mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing in a safe environment. Our activities are varied and include football, basketball, swimming, music, community projects, educational trips, face to face and online meetings to discuss different topics of interest to the young people.
These activities would not be possible without the incredible input of our volunteers that are mainly the parents within the group. We have a growing number of 54 parents who play a key role in delivering sport and other activity, providing time, expertise, commitment, and enthusiasm to the participating young people. These volunteers facilitate as coaches, leaders, drivers, secretaries, and activators of YEP. Special thanks to all our hard-working volunteers and organisers, notably Lead project manager Ms Becky White and young people’s Co-ordinator Jessie Ajunbiade, and Nelly.
At the end of the year lost the venue of 5 Nursery Road where most of our activities had taken place, and we were fortunate to access YMCA fusion centre for our face-to-face meeting with the young people.
With some of the funding we were able to enrol one of our parents in Level 3 youth work training which will benefit the young people
In performance of our activities the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Our Achievements
Networking
The young people have regularly met during term times and throughout summer holidays. Post lockdown the events were a way of physically meeting other young people of the same age enabling exchange of experiences and have fun. This provided a psychological and emotional relief coming out of lockdown and social isolation.IT was a slow start at first.
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Our range of activities have created networking opportunities as the young people met different professionals and new friends through sports, special topic talks, mentor discussions, question, and answer sessions. Furthermore, the young people have over the period reached out to their friends from different schools inviting them to the different activities on the YEP calendar.
On our calendar most events were well subscribed especially the youth parties. The latter provided prime opportunities for socialising, meeting new friends, playing music and games. Over the period a beach party, a summer BBQ barbecue party, and a Christmas basketball party where all organised by YEP.
As an organisation YEP has networked with different stakeholders in the local community. YEP, has worked with engaging the young people in pep talks, projects, and sport. Notably the local facilitators include youth workers from Active Dorset, Dorset Police, Afro Disiac live radio station and Dorset Wildlife Trust Brown Sea Island.
The aim was to mobilise them to engage in the YEP agenda. One such example which we continued with Dorset Wildlife Trust Brownsea Island, where YEP was featured in the Spring 2022 edition of Wild Brownsea for all Dorset Trust magazine show casing diversity with the community stake holders. Following our interaction with Afro Disiac live radio station one of our YEP members was reorganised in the community and won an award for his DJing skills.
The meeting was well attended and included the young people and their parents of YEP who reported learning a great deal about what is available for them in Dorset as potential future calendar activities.
YEP, has been used to sign post parents and young people to different activities in the community. We encouraged parents to attend a zoom meeting on 24/11/22 whose aim was to show case and educate parents about work experience, degree and apprenticeships pathways for their children. Parents found this very informative.
We continue to sign post parents to different activities in the community through a WhatsApp group.
Empowerment:
At YEP, we do feel that bringing young people together with the right support has already changed their focus away from youth crime and anti-social behaviour, to managing their emotions, fulfil responsibility and achieve positive change. This has entailed a process of cultivating and improving the self-management skills of the young people engaged in the YEP programmes.
On the 13th of April 2022 a networking meeting took place at Sovereign centre Boscombe with the police in which the young people were given some information what their rights under the law and how to look after themselves on the public streets. They talk briefly discussed what was expected of them in the community and what they should expect from the police. The meeting was very well attended and both the parents and young people participating felt empowered. This was a follow-up of last year’s zoom meetings.
Some of the young people expressed a desire to know more about the army as a career.This was facilitated on 9th of April 2022 at 5 Nursery Road Winton when we invited some Army personnel to chat with the young people. They discussed live in the army and the possible carrier paths. This was well attended and well received and the young people felt more empowered about career choices. This was a great exposure to the young people.
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Wellbeing:
The young people fulfilled their sporting interests by having a really good time playing basketball, football and swimming. These and other physical activities were beneficial to their mental and physical health. To this end YEP linked up with Active Dorset and programme of swimming, basketball and football was organised.
We had some of our young people who were not confident swimmers. They became more confident with the extra lessons arranged by YEP and will carry that skill for life.
We also arranged Football League on 2nd April 2022 at Sir David English . It was a pleasure to see the young take this on enthusiastically. They organised themselves into different teams and made the day’s programme. They involved parents as referees for the different matches. The young people were able to sort out the football kits on their own which was remarkable. It was well attended by the young people, and well received.
We then continued with football and basketball games at Sir David English over summer 2022, which kept the young people busy and active over summer.
Following the interest in basketball over summer we continued indoor basketball every Wednesday evening at Boys 1st brigade at Winton over the autumn and winter. We managed to meet consistently.
During the games the young people had to manage their behaviour and emotions in keeping with the spirit of sport with the help of a coach/ sports facilitator. After the games the young people were engaged in pep-talks on everyday issues which served as character building sessions. The games were often utilised as conversation icebreakers and helped eliminate social isolation.
We also organised a summer fun packed day on 30th July at Kings park.There was food and games then peer to peer chats with the YEP members .This was well attended.
YEP, is constantly seeking to recruit mentors and coaches with unique personal experiences, especially from the BAME community that can input and impact the young people and help them in their struggles. Notably topics like identity crisis/challenge, lack of motivation, social exclusion and bullying are frequently addressed.
Breaking Barriers
Through networking we undertake frequent scans in search of beneficial opportunities that parents and young people engaged in YEP may not be aware. Once located we use this research to guide us to either signpost opportunities individually via online WhatsApp chat forum or create a taster event for group suitable opportunities.
For instance, we notice that young people from BAME were under-represented in local conservation activities so, in spring April and May, we organised and conducted two trips to Dorset Wildlife Trust Brown Sea Island. During the trip the young people learnt more about conservation and engaged in conservation projects and increased their awareness of the community and the environment. The trips were well attended.
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We organised a Rock Reef Day at Durley beach on 18th February. We realised that not many of our young people had done much rock climbing. They got involved in the activities which boosted their confidence. This event was well attended.
One of YEP young people composed an orchestral piece that won an award. This piece was played by the Dorchester orchestra 0n 18/3/23. He gave the feedback that he had become more confident to put himself forward following the YEP facilitated training with Afro Disiac community radio the previous year. This was very encouraging.
Our Governance and Management
The governing document for YEP is our constitution. The YEP trustees have been constitutionally elected and charged with fiduciary duties to oversee and interpret how YEP’s charitable purposes are being fulfilled in accordance with the YEP constitution and in accordance with the regulator (the UK Charity Commission) and UK law. This includes making the Annual Return that includes the financial reports as required by the regulator.
Current list of Trustees includes Ms Alima Jalloh-North, Pastor Newton Ndlovu, Dr Eva Muhumuza, Mrs Kundai Muzura (Lead Trustee). The work done by all our trustees is highly appreciated.
This Trustees’ Annual Report was approved by the YEP Trustee Committee and signed on their behalf by Dr Eva Muhumuza, Trustee.
……………………… Dr Eva Muhumuza ……………… Date……………30/01/2024……………………
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Financial Review
Summary
During the financial period we received grant income from funding partner organisations including the local Bournemouth council, Dorset Community Fund and Active Dorset. Our principal charity income source is mostly from grants; however, we are pleased to have also received income from, members donations.
Grant income received is directly related to our charity activities in which our young people were enrolled. The most popular events attracting the highest grant funding appropriation. The funding has been graciously unrestricted, so YEP members typically conduct consultation involving parents and young people before making grant funding appropriations to activity programmes.
We would not be able to have done our much-needed youth work if not for grant-making organisations and all who generously support our work at YEP, to who we are most grateful. Therefore, in seeking to progress the YEP agenda, we are constantly looking to meet different grant funding eligibility criteria to access new funding streams and increase funding partners.
Our expenditure focused mainly on spending to pay for recurrent and pertinent expenses that support our calendar activity plans including venue hire and trained coaches, amongst others. The trustees recognise the need to have a limited amount in reserve to bridge the gap between the income received and expenditure needed to ensure sustainability of YEP ongoing activity commitments and to cover contingent expenditure.
YEP’s total income in the period was £7,394.96, with costs of £4,353.4 achieving funds carried over of £3,041.56. There were no restricted income funds for the period. It is the intension of YEP to maintain last year’s level of reserves which therefore stand at £601. The Trustees review the reserves policy every year. A full breakdown is provided in the financial statements.
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Financial Report
Statement of Financial Activities For the period 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023
| General Fund (£) |
Restricted Funds (£) |
Total 2023 (£) |
Total 2022 (£) |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts Donations FundingGrants |
127.96 7,267.00 |
- - |
127.96 7,267.00 |
7,581.88 3,271.00 |
|
| Total Receipts Payments Cost of Raising Funds Cost of Charitable Activities Administration and Compliance Costs Donations |
7,394.96 - 4,066.19 287.21 - |
- - - — — |
7,394.96 - 4,066.19 287.21 - |
10,852.88 - 8,601.00 175.00 50.00 |
|
| Total Payments | 4,353.40 | - | 4,353.40 | 8,826.00 | |
| Net receipts / (payments) |
3,041.56 | - | 3,041.56 | 2,026.88 | |
| Total funds brought forward |
- | - |
- |
- |
|
| Total funds carried forward |
3,041.56 | - | 3,041.56 | 2,026.88 |
Statement of Assets and Liabilities For the period 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023
| General Fund (£) |
Restricted Funds (£) |
Total 2023 (£) |
Total 2022 (£) |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Assets Cash at bank Cash in hand |
3,651 - |
- | 3,651 | 610 | |
| Total Current Assets | 3,651 | - | 3,651 | 610 | |
| Debtors Gift Aid(HMRC) |
- | - | - | - |
|
| Investments | - | ||||
| Prepayments Insurance |
- - |
- - |
- - |
- - |
|
| Total Assets | 3,651 | - | 3,651 | 610 | |
| Liabilities | - | ||||
| Totals | - | - | - | - | |
| Net Assets less Liabilities |
3,651 | - | 3,651 | 610 |
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Notes to the Financial Statements
The members have not required YEP to obtain an audit of its accounts for the accounting period 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 using the Receipts and Payments basis.
The accounting records consist mainly of cash records, reconciled to activity in our bank account the Co-op bank current account.
The General Fund is unrestricted for both income and expenditure. There were no Restricted Funds.
Increase or decrease of reserves pertains to cash or property assets. Cash reserves are aimed to cover contingent expenditure.
This Financial Report for the period 01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 including the notes to the financial statements, was approved by YEP and signed on its behalf by Dr Eva Muhumuza, Trustee.
……………………… Dr Eva Muhumuza ……………… Date……………30/01/2024…………………
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