H4V Hope for the Valleys GIC Gobaith i’r Cymoedd Period of report: 1/12/2023 – 30/11/2024 Legal and Administrative Details ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE Melrose, 5 Gelli Road, Tredegar, NP22 3RD GOVERNING DOCUMENT 24 February 2021 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1193657 TRUSTEES Rev T Hallam Mr G Bent Rev A Pitt Rev J Allan Mrs Esther Chaplin Bankers Lloyds Bank INDEX Page 1-2 Legal & Administrative Details Page 3-5 Report of Trustees
H4V Hope for the Valleys GIC Gobaith I’r Cymoedd
Period of report: 1/12/2023 – 30/11/2024
Objects of the charity: TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES, IN SCHOOLS AND GROUPS, AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHURCHES IN THE AREA OF THE HEADS OF THE VALLEYS, SOUTH EAST WALES.
Structure governance, and management
The policy and operating decisions of the charity rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the Trust.
The trustees are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance regarding the charity. A new trustee can only be appointed with the unanimous decision of all the present trustees.
The trustees met regularly during the period of this report. One trustee has been appointed permanent secretary and minutes all meetings. The minutes are checked by all trustees.
Aims and purposes
The trustees of Hope for the Valleys work alongside one another an employ a children and youth officer in order to ‘advance the Christian Faith among young people and Families’. Hope for the Valleys works in schools and after school group settings ‘and in conjunction with the churches in the area of the Heads of the Valleys, South East Wales’.
Summary of the charities main activities and achievements
The trustees of Hope for the Valleys are committed to enabling as many children, young people and families as possible, regardless of social means and background to participate in the many activities undertaken by the charity.
In planning the activities, the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission. In particular we try to enable children, young people and families from all walks of life to learn about the Christian Faith through:
Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus Christ.
Provision of Pastoral care for people living in the community.
Missionary and Outreach work for children, young people and their families.
New additions to the team
2023 -2024 proved to be a very exciting time for Hope for the Valleys. We had new additions to the Hope for the Valleys team.
First a new Trustee was added. We were extremely grateful that Mrs Esther Chaplin was added to the Trustees during 2023. We value her help in the running of the Charity.
As our last reported sated Mick Moffat decided to step down and seek pastures new in September 2023. After a vigorous recruitment and interview campaign a very strong candidate, Mr Ilan Tricker was appointed as our Children and Youth Worker in March 2024. Ilan’s skill set has proven to be of an immense value to Hope for the Valleys. He’s a great communicator with the children and young people, a very conscientious and hard worker and a great team player. His Christian faith is sincere, and yet he presents the Christian message in a kind unobtrusive manner. Ilan was born and bred in the Valleys and therefore understands the culture and complexities of working in the Valleys.
Schools work
Ilan has had many opportunities of building bridges and working in schools. There have been too many schools to mention all by name. But since Ilan’s appointment many new schools have come on to the Hope for the Valleys radar. Ilan has taken assemblies, and lessons relating to Christianity in many schools. There are some schools – we’ll mention one- on the Gurnos estate in Merthyr where Ilan has been asked to visit on a weekly basis. In his role visiting that particular school Ilan was able to act as a community link between the school and a local church. Ilan accompanied some of the school children and teachers on a visit to Park Baptist Chapel in Merthyr. This is just one example of how Ilan has been able to impact community interaction between different groups in the Valleys.
We’re grateful for the help of our partners Scripture Union who loaned us free of charge during the summer a “Football cage”. Ilan with the help of Scripture Union Staff and volunteers took sessions in different schools all through the Valleys. There were links and bridges built with local Churches as volunteers from local churches helped Ilan in these sessions. We received feedback from the schools that the children thoroughly enjoyed these sessions. As a part of these games and football sessions Illan would share a story from the Bible. The children enjoyed these Bible stories as well.
Deputation Meetings and Raising Profile
Once again during this year, links were strengthened with churches both local and further afield. Ilan visited numerous churches in the Valleys, Cardiff, and Bridgend to hold deputation meetings, where he thanked churches for their support, both financial and in prayer. Ilan was able to explain the aims of the work – to share the good news of Jesus with
Children and Young people in South East Wales. These deputation meetings proved a fruitful resource in raising the profile of Hope for the Valleys, and we are grateful for the support of these churches.
Connecting with Children and Youth out of School
During the year Ilan has worked extremely hard in trying to connect with Children and Young People out of school hours. He has linked up with many local Valley Churches in helping in their children and youth activities.
Every Monday evening Ilan helps run a football club with Hebron Evangelical church in the “Engine House” community centre in Dowlais, Merthyr. There’s a keen number of children that come every week to play football and listen to a relevant Bible talk.
Ilan is also a regular helper with the Youth Group on a Friday evening in Blaina Evangelical Church.
During the summer 0f 2024 the National Eisteddfod of Wales was being held in Pontypridd. The Evangelical Movement of Wales is an organisation that have a stall on the festival field. During the week of the Eisteddfod, Ilan joined their team and amongst other activities, he could interact with Children and Young people sharing in a relevant manner the good news of Jesus.
At the end of the summer of 2024 – Ilan teamed up with Bethel Baptist Church in Tredegar. The church had access to a local shop and efforts were made on a weekly basis to use the shop as a drop-in centre for young people. The church was grateful to Ilan for his efforts, and it might be an activity that will be pursued again in the future.
Ilan continues to lead the monthly youth group on a Saturday evening. It’s proven a great opportunity to draw children and young people from different church youth clubs together. Again, we’re grateful to be able to partner with a community youth project, such as the established ‘Engine House” scheme in Merthyr. Monthly youth meetings were held in the Engine House, regularly drawing around 40-50 young people who are associated with different churches in South East Wales. There was plenty of games and fun! There was also an opportunity for the young people to hear the good news about Jesus in way that was relevant to them.
Conclusion
As we look back on this period 01/12/2023 – 30/11/2024 we are grateful that the work of Hope for the Valleys is flourishing in the Heads of the Valleys and South East Wales. There are more children and young people to hear the good news about Jesus. We have continued to build and develop with other local charities and organisations who share in our concern about children and young people in our area. Many hundreds of children and young people have learned about the Christian faith through the work of Hope for the Valleys. It’s been an encouragement to see schools welcoming Ilan, and some on a weekly basis. Relationships with schools and the local community have been strengthened and
deepened. As trustees we are extremely grateful for the appointment of Ilan Tricker as our Children and Youth worker, and as a Christian organisation we are grateful to God for all his provision. 2023-2024 proved to be a very exciting and rewarding year for Hope for the Valleys.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALE5 Hw• lor the Vall•ys-GJbalth I'r Cvmo•dd 11936S7 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe perfod from 0111212023 3011112024 Section A Receipts and payments UnrestdctÈd funds tothB R•StCted lund$ Endowment funds ttsth• r#£ Tot•1 lund8 Last y•ar lo ngaf•gt£ to th• nf•t£ thp nHr•t E A1 R8coI D)nalKJns 24.7eiJ 24,700 Sub totl(Gross incomg brAR} 24760 24,Tep A2 Assot and Investment Bal•s. see tablo . None Sub total Totalr•¢elpls 24.760 38.280 A3Pa ent Sal?n9s and Nl Pension nttjtithI lysurar lrytemBt bsile c4nslrLlIW & Fknsiing Tr8inityJ th[Be8 & thnlÈrenc8 Faes Travd & Sub818t8n¢ 017 451 372 145 280 Hall Hi Sports otc Sub totsi IY,832 17,832 15.918 A4 Asset and Inv95tment purGhase5,1see table) Com uter& Pdntfrr Sub totsi Totalwyments 17.832 17,432 17.B15 N•tof r•c•lptslpayrngntsJ A5 Tr4n5fers between fund8 A6 Cash lund# la61 yearend C•sh fivth thls y•ar end 6.928 6.928 18.465 11,424 18.352 11.424 18,352 18,465 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestrlcted Re5trfcttrd funds Endowment to marn•t£ B1 Ca8hfuNts In BAnk *Lc 18,3$2 Tot4lea5h funds 18,3S2 Unr¢•tsl¢tqd Restdclod fund8 Endowm•nt CCXX R1 alounts (SSI Detall8 to r•Ar4gt£ to Trp•r411£ "Y%E812025
Fw¥J to wtrachas••t tailS ne Cwr•rtvaluB B3 Investment assèts FtowN¢h as$ot Cwrènt val* 84 Assgts relalngdfor thg charity's own uso ¢(ryLner & Prtnier Gen 1,449 Details FdIowN¢h BS Uabilitl8S SvJned by one ortr tNste•s on behoK of all thtr IruElee$ Sbanliure Prlnt Name Dats of apw 2810812025 Gr8h8m Bent CCXX R2 acmunis ISSI 2810812025