YOU MATTER
Charity Registration No: 1194554
Trustee’s Annual Report
January 2022-December 2022
You Matter Charity was set up on 20th May 2021 with the vision of opening up a charity shop to meet the needs of the local community Meridan Watford.
The shop opened January 2022 providing good quality items, clothing, furniture and home ware at affordable prices.
When we opened our Charity shop in January 2022, we very quickly identified the loneliness within the community especially after Covid/ Pandemic , with the elderly as well as other age groups. We noticed that people would come into the shop and spent their time talking to staff or other people in the shop.
We decide that we needed to create a Hub space within the shop for individuals, providing an opportunity for social interaction, to give them a safe space to escape the loneliness that Covid restrictions may have imposed on them.
The Hub Space within the shop, is used regularly by people living within the community. This has allowed for individuals to interact with each other and to develop friendships. We provide our community with tea’s & coffee’s for free and we also have a leaflet dispensers that provide general information within the Hub Space. The Hub Space has allowed us to help individuals, particularly with the elderly, with their letters that they can’t understand, bill’s etc,. We were able to help an elderly lady with her energy bill, she had over paid an energy supplier by £1400. The lady was not aware of these over payments, but because of a shared concern, I was able to contact energy company, with her permission, and hence discovered the over payments.
We have also been proactive in arranging for OT’s to visit individuals to provide adaptations to their homes. This has happened because the Hub Space provides a safe space for people to talk about what they are going through and as my background ( A Best) is working with elderly, I’m able to identify, and address matters, and if I can’t, I will sign post.
People in the community are intrigued by the space and how it is used and presented and know this space is for all.
We have created our website which the community and others can see and understand the aims and objectives of the charity.
The website has allowed us to promote activities for our local community, for example, our Performing Arts Week, provided for free to the local children, which
was held at the Meridan Community Centre. This free event allowed children to explore their creativity in singing, acting and dance, and to develop skills in communication, team building, confidence building, self- esteem, self -worth. It has been a difficult 2 years for children with the impact of Covid, which has caused an increase in mental health in young people. This activity helped to encourage and build back confidence in children.
You Matter used professionals in the performing arts field, ie: choreographer used, works with the TV show ‘Strickly Come Dancing’, singing coaches used by professional actors & singers. This gave children an opportunity to work with professionals and give them an experience of a life time. To attend a stage school is very expensive, and the families in the area of Meridan Watford, would not be able to afford an opportunity like this as parents live below the belt and are struggling financially particularly in these times. You Matter provided hot meals for the whole week as well as fresh fruit and water. This was very appreciated by parents/carers. As this was a success, You Matter will be putting on another event like this next year 2023.
The Performing Arts Week had a special Write up in the local paper and magazine, which was a great highlight of what You Matter is about.
Throughout the year You Matter has meet the needs of the local community with a food bank. With the support of Wenzel’s, Asda and WD6 Food Support, we have continually supplied food to locals, families and elderly who are struggling financially. We deliver Wenzel’s surplus every Friday to the Meridan community as well as working in partnership with a local church ‘The Hub’ to support the delivery of hot food and bakery items to the Homeless in Watford. You Matter help to provide clothing, socks, toiletries and sleeping bags to the Homeless too.
We also open the You Matter shop on a Sunday for an hour and a half for families to come and pick up food.
In the summer of this year, You Matter was able to support families who were affected by a fire in the high rise flats (Abbey View). Families on the 1[st] , 2[nd] , 3[rd] , 4[th] and 5[th] floors were very badly affected, all items in their properties destroyed. You Matter working in partnership with Asda, was able to provide families with new bedding, towels, cleaning products, clothing, baby items etc.
Trustees:
Androulla Best – Chair
Kathy Stewart
Alice Watson
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
CHARITY NAME Charity Registation Number
YOU MATTER
1194554
Charity Registered in England & Wales 20 May 2021
Accounting Period
| 01 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2022 Income Expenditure Operating Overheads |
2022 Jan-Dec Sales 43,406 Donations 5,000 Government Grants 8,350 Interest Income 0 Income Earned from Other Activities 0 TOTAL INCOME 56,756 Rent 26,191 Rates 2,248 Utilities 756 Insurance 341 Advertising 4,747 Staff Expenses 0 Property Maintenance 0 Accountancy Fees 0 Legal Fees 0 Other Business Expenditures 5,799 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 40,082 SURPLUS INCOME / (DEFICIT) 16,674 |
|---|---|
Accounts Prpeared By: Date:
Leroy Goodman 06-October-2023
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report YOU MATfER Charlty no Ilf •nyl 1194554 I rewt lo tnee8 on my exwrmnation of the acccuts of tho at charity Ilhe Tr¥Jst") for the yew 31 Cjecwthr 2022. RMpon8lbllltl•8 and As the charity trustees of the T, you ate reSp¢ible for the wepwthn ba818 of report of the accounts in with the requirements of the charrt A(1 2011 fft Acri. under 145 of 2011 kt in carying out nry exwThn8tK, I ha¥8 lolkAl the appkcable gi¥•n ty tho CW under 145(5Xbl of the kt. Ind•d•n1 •xamln•rf8 •tat•m•nt corne to my attentk)n ttk7n that disckxed bekw ') in cOnntIon with the examinat# whth gives rr cwge to believe th in. ary rrotwigl wrth the examin8tM)n to 8ttenlKm shoukj L dr in ¢xdw to 8 proper urthrslaThling of the aGoJmts to be reac1. ' P188se delete the W6S in the brthts rfthey do not awy. sn•d. 31 Od 2023 Plam•: qu•llfiutknrf8) or botty {11 any): Addr•s•: LU6 ILIQ IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
October 2018
2
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