**57west.org.uk** ## **57 West Annual Report** ## **January-December 2021** ## **Purpose & Vision** Our purpose is to nurture an emerging missional church among adults who are experiencing homelessness or are vulnerably housed in Southend. In partnership with God, each other and the wider family of God, we seek to express church through sharing the unchanging Gospel of Jesus in new ways through: - Being a welcoming, loving and inclusive community - Being whole-life oriented, where God’s invitation is received to live ‘life in fullness’ - Being a community intent on realising God’s purposes and God’s plans for Southend-on-Sea ## **Church Planting Team** Trustees: Pamela Davies (Minister), Chris Warner (Bookkeeper), John Raine (Shift Leader & Administrator). Sandra Stockwell joined from Colchester Baptist church temporarily to support the trustees with a focus on fundraising and grant applications. Volunteer & Premises Co-ordinator: Julie McEvoy’s role continued to include a shared responsibility for Community Development this year. ## **Volunteering** Over the course of the year, we had four trustees and six shift leaders. Due to covid restrictions, there were no community volunteers during this period, though there are plans to reintroduce this role in 2022. We are currently recruiting additional Shift Leaders through the Hub. Five completed Mental Health First Aid training and this led to our first Mental Health policy which was approved by the trustees, focusing on how we can encourage the wellbeing of our staff, volunteer team and wider community. Julie attended Homelesslink training with a view to training our wider team on the use of Outcome Stars in the future, to help our casework recording processes align with those of other local services. 1 **57west.org.uk** ## **Statistics** This year we have been able to provide: 1. Pastoral support offered to 12 people through the supported housing scheme 2. Pastoral support to 10 through a weekly prayer group 3. Continued an online drop-in supporting 17 community members 4. Supported 1 person with an emergency mental health assessment at a local hospital and supported the subsequent mental health plan alongside other services 5. Completed 11 referrals for additional food provision and support 6. Completed 6 housing referrals 7. Supplied 78 food packages 8. Supplied 50 food bank vouchers 9. Provided 140 hours of outreach in and around the town, following which we have: - Housed and supplied 1 of our community volunteers with basic living equipment. - Signposted 12 people that were on the streets to external housing support services, they have subsequently been housed - Made 3 referrals for individuals with complex needs - Made continuing welfare phone calls to members of our community to offer follow up support We introduced an appointments system which supported 2 people managing debt and essential costs, offered 1 person ongoing signposting for mental health support, and offered a befriending service to 1 community member. ## **Midweek Services** Due to the increase in food provision by kindness kitchens over the weekend, 57 West introduced a midweek service in place of Saturday church in Autumn 2021. Themes during this reporting period included, Jesus in the Old Testament, Jesus in the New Testament, What is Advent and concluded with a Carol Service and Christingle. 2 **57west.org.uk** Prayer group met in the local park for most of the year, returning on site in Autumn 2021. Community members have reflected that this space has often been their only opportunity to see other people in person throughout the year, and it has created opportunities to pray and offer pastoral support to each other. ## **Partnership Working** 57 West continues to be a part of the Southend Area Baptist Network, exploring the possibility of taking on management responsibility for the premises at Clarence Road and growing the existing missional community in this space. 57 continues to be represented at the Southend Homeless Action Network, the Faith and Belief Network hosted by Southend Borough Council, the Eastern Baptist Association Justice Hub and Baptist Council. In December 2021 we hosted a Christmas Carol service in partnership with Wild & Holy which was accessible on Zoom. We also shared in services with four local churches and participated in the HeartEdge gathering organised by two local churches. Throughout the year we have helped to facilitate a weekly prayer group at a local charity offering supported housing, for residents and volunteers, with housing interviews and referrals taking place on site at 57 West. We co-facilitated a house blessing at the new property, along with other local Ministers, which was attended by volunteers and residents. ## **Plans for 2022** Plans for 2022 will vary depending on whether further coronavirus restrictions are implemented: - Taking on management responsibility for the premises at Clarence Road - A church series on Acts, followed by Spiritual Gifts - The development of a church service leadership team, exploring different creative ways to engage with scripture - A return to some of our midweek groups, including the community café and rough sleeper drop in during the evenings - The introduction of cooking classes, budgeting and wellbeing sessions 3 **57west.org.uk** ## **Finance and Governance** On the 1[st] December 2020 57 West Baptist Church was granted CIO status by the Charity Commission (charity number 1192598). ## **Community Reflections** As a result of our ministry this year, community members have fed back that: Prayer group has helped me a lot. I think it’s something that I want to continue with because I get to have the time to be with the Lord or be open and ask for help. The group has been really helpful for me. The main reason I enjoy going is that it gives me a chance to see other people. With covid, I haven't been able to see anybody else, and prayer group is the only space where I get to be around other people. I enjoyed attending our prayer group as it gave me something to focus on while I was suffering very badly with my mental health. I know I can talk to people who know us the most. It was good to be together, we’ve all said that. Thank you! 4 ||Salances|eet2021|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |3pBal||||50479.68|||| |ncome|ftherCht|'ches|||1705.0C||| ||3UGB||||L224A.OC||| ||)therincr|1lC|||1341.93||| ||ndividual||||2490.0C||| ||JserofPr|rmlSeS|||100.0c||| ||Srants||||10050.0c||| |ixpenditu|e||||||| ||ialaries|||||-37954.64|| ||Vlinister's|'ent||||-10800.0(|| ||iRPensio|||||-L138.92|| ||lentetc(|tBc||||-5L95.6t|| ||\dmin|||||-342.64|| ||:undraisi|o
D||||454.05|| ||)ettvcasl'|||||-300.0(|| ||Ither|l-raining|1025.0C|||-7679.49|| |||)estcontr|360.0c||||| |||Rommdir|4345.48||||| |||l-ablets|LL99.7t||||| |||iolicitorl|198.0C||||| |||fi/eb|L24.5e||||| |||{MR&C|100.0c||||| |||lraft|326.73||||| ||||7679.49||||| |||||50479.58|27926.9|-63876.34|14530.21| Template for IT￿ePendent Examiners report {Trf•here independent examlner does not wlsh to hlghllght any issues) Report of the Independent Examlnerfs) to the Trustees of On the accounts for the year ended Respecti￿ rnsponslbllltles of Trustees and Examiner The Church's Trustees are responsible for WeparatI￿ of the account& The churth's lJustees corsider that an a￿lIt is not required for this year under seLton 144 of the Chatities Act 2011 (the Charities ALt) and that an independent examination is needed. It Is my respon5ibilty to: examine the accounts under sethon 145 of the Charltles Art, to follow the procedures laid down in tt* ger*ral DirettKm￿ glven by the 0￿rty C(mmlsslon (under sectlon 145(51(bl of the Charities Act, aThJ to state whether parucular mattets have come to my attention. Basls of Independent examlmrfs statement My eXamIna￿On was Girrfed out In accordan￿ wlth gerwal DIr￿tiorS given by the Charlty Commission. An examlnation Includes a review of the accountlNJ records kept by the church and a comparlson of the accc4Jnts presented with those records. It also indudes congderation of any unu￿￿1 items or disdosures in the accounts, and seeklng explanations from the trustees ccmcerning any suth matters. Tr pr￿jure$ undertaken do not provide all the evldence that would be reQuIr￿ in an audiL and ccK*sequently no opinlon is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true afKI fairf view and the rep)rt is Ilmrted to matters set out in the ststement below. Independent examlnevs statement Slnce the Church's gross income eX￿ded £250,O¢XI your examlner must be a Memb￿ of a bc** Il*ed In sedon 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that l arn qualified to undertake the examlnatlon tecause l am a member of [insert named of appllcable Il#ed t￿Y], whlth Is one of the Ibsted (Ddete If income Is less than £250,000) In connectton wlth my examknatlon. no materlal matters have coffe to my attenth)n whlch glves me cause to belleve that In, any material respert.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with sectton 130 of the Charlties Act or the accounts do not accord with the accountirMJ records the accounts do not CoM￿Y with the aprAicable requirements ClJfKenNng the forni and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and ReFxNts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter ¢{¥￿1dered as part of an independent examination. (if accounts prepared on accruals basis ) I have come across no other matters in ccmnectkY* with the examination to whKh attentlon should be drawn In order to enable a proper understrnd1￿ of the accounts to be reached. *Delete ￿ WO￿ in the brackets if t1￿Yd0 notap Signed by or ￿ behalf of the Examlner Date IB Name Rdevant Wesslonal Quallficatlon(s) or (If any) Address Paje 7