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2022-03-31-accounts

Ouseburn Community Centre Annual Report and Financial Statement Year End 31[st] March 2022

Charity number : 1195661

Legal Structure: Charitable Incorporated Organisation (C.I.O) Period covered: 31[st] August 2021 – 31[st] March 2022.

Chairperson’s Report

My thanks to our Staff, Volunteers, Colleagues and Supporters

This is my first Annual Report since our charity incorporated as a C.I.O. on the 31[st] of August 2021. It has been another challenging year for our charity as we emerged from COVID lockdown at the beginning of April this year. Our task focused on getting our community centre back to its pre pandemic levels of activity delivering a broad range of socially driven activities that benefitted our local community.

Once again, the dedication and commitment of our staff, volunteers, partners and supporters has meant we have managed to maintain our balanced financial position at the end of this reporting period 31[st] March 2022.

So, I would like to begin this report by giving my personal and heartfelt gratitude to our management team – H.C. Horizons C.IC. who have driven the incorporation of our charity in becoming a CIO, giving us a better opportunity to attract investment in support of our move towards asset transfer and protecting our longevity as a charity serving our local community. I would also like to thank them for ensuring we did not lose any staff members due to the pandemic protecting two local families in the process and in helping to secure our business continuity and a resilient balance sheet during the past 7 months, where the response to community needs and aspirations are a priority with our resourcing and budgeting strategy.

I would also like to personally thank everyone who has supported our move to a C.I.O and those joining our new board of trustees, who have continued to attend board meetings, making critical business decisions, and continued to provide strategic leadership and direction to our contracted staff team.

Introduction

The purpose of my annual report is to provide our stakeholders with relevant information about our charity’s performance over the past 7 months following our conversion to a C.I.O on the 31[st] of August 2021.

Our charitable objectives are to further or benefit the residents of Newcastle Upon Tyne and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.

In the furtherance of those objectives our stewardship and management of the building has been focused on getting services and activities back up and running alongside developing

and responding to new opportunities and requests following the relaxation of lockdown rules and implementing our forward plan following our re-opening in April 2021.

A key focus for our board has been supporting the transition to a C.I.O, including setting up the new management board, the new articles of association and in supporting our management team to keep the building safe and operable, where possible, during the past year.

My report and associated accounts, when read together, provide key information about our organisation, what has been achieved as the result of those activities, how we are governed and our future plans.

Asset Transfer

In preparing our charity for asset transfer, we have continued to commission H.C. Horizons C.I.C. in supporting us through the asset transfer process. Building on our work to date we have commented on the proposed lease and agreed the final heads of terms with the Council.

Due to COVID progress has been delayed and our original date of completion in March 2022 now looks more likely to be March 2023. We are fully prepared to take the opportunities this now presents, with the right terms and will work to best practice, with systems, resourcing, and tools in place to ensure our future success and longevity.

The Trustees of our new C.I.O

Summary of activities

Following on from our previous years' work I am pleased to report our management arrangements continue to work well for our centre and our activities are continuing to grow from strength to strength despite the COIVD pandemic. Our reach has been extended and in particular for those communities of identity and interest such as BAME and those with special needs.

With our new policies, systems and operating procedures in place our centre now runs extremely smoothly and efficiently which in turn aids sustainability.

Following recent soft market testing we have embedded new customers within our building bringing a balance to our income generation and social impact meaning we continue operate viably whilst meeting our community obligations and beneficiaries needs.

In brief, as a board we have worked with H.C. Horizons C.I.C. to date in undertaking the following activities this has included:

Users

Over the past 7 months Ouseburn Community Centre has supported a wide range of existing and new user groups. Our approach has ensured our centre has family and children support and development at the heart of its offer.

Our partners are diverse in nature and include:

Hotspur Primary School remains a key partner to the Centre and continues to deliver their well-used Tree House after school and holiday provision. I am very grateful for their continued support of our centre and look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future.

Adventure Babies – We have established a strong working relationship with the local franchise running regular classes on a Wednesday and looking to grow their offer in the coming year. Their Sensory Storytelling Baby Classes or Toddler Classes ensure that children enjoy sensory activities which support their speech and language development, sensory development, physical development, social and emotional development.

Bloom Baby Newcastle – We supported a local entrepreneur establish her Bloom Baby franchise in Newcastle using our centre as her venue. Bloom Baby Classes support parents by teaching baby play activities that can be replicated at home.

Busy Bees – Is an NHS and Council funded service unique to Newcastle that supports families with children that have autism. We are proud to be host to this organisation and the wonderful work they do to help parents care for autistic children, bringing families together to share mutual support, offering help, support, advice and guidance in dealing with this challenging condition.

Crossroads Project – Is a new group, developed through support provided via H.C. Horizons, our management contractor who are themselves a community enterprise. They are supporting incorporation of this venture into a social business with a focus on supporting vulnerable, isolated, elderly, physical and mentally disabled people, helping them lead fulfilled and active lives by socialising with likeminded people, learning new skills, having nutritious food choices but ultimately having fun in a safe and inclusive environment.

The company primarily provides fun and educational activities to beneficiaries with the aim of stimulating their motor and cognitive senses to help maintain and improve their bodily and mental functions. We supplement our activities with a lunch service to provide healthy, nutritious and affordable hot food.

They offer a range of healthy services and activities including but not limited to:

This new venture has added a whole new dimension to our social purpose by helping and supporting a very vulnerable group of interest.

Friends Action North East (FANE) – FANE is a new customer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Their sole purpose is to help adults in the Northeast of England with learning disabilities to make and keep friends. FANE champions friendship, raising expectations and creating opportunities to do ordinary things. Having this organisation within our centre helps us to reinforce our support for vulnerable adults from within our local community.

Heart beeps – As with Adventure babies we have established a good working relationship with Heart beeps reinforcing our commitment to children and early years development, they now operate a regular class every Tuesday for babies and toddlers.

Mana Christian Church – Use our centre for their sermons every Sunday and is predominantly attended by members of the BME community. We see this as a great platform to welcome people from all denominations into our centre and integrate into our local community.

Foodnation – we are continuing to develop our collaborative relationship with Foodnation continuing to host their Men’s pie club which is popular with its participants. We are also developing new services and activities with them acting as their new local base. We are working on plans to upgrade our kitchen area making it fully commercially compliant which should help us open up new markets and opportunities associated with food and cooking. And adding to our traded income options.

Nourish Food School – Nourish Food School is another new partner established in 2021, and previously a part of social enterprise Food Nation. They use our centre as their registered operating address and provide cookery classes, workshops and food events in partnership with us. The company’s focus is to positively shape the way people see, eat and experience food every day at every age. They believe food should be enjoyed and a positive part of every lifestyle, and that everyone should have access to the skills, knowledge and confidence to make that happen. Everything they do matches up with our social mission - allowing us to support our local community’s health, well-being, skills and happiness. They have worked with us to cascade key messages.

Summin U g p

I firmly believe our move to a C.I.O. puts us in a better position to ensure the longevity of our charity looking into the future. With the continued help and support of H.C. Horizons C.I.C. I am confident that we will continue to grow our portfolio of social partners and increase our social impact whilst taking ownership of the building in 2023 and maintaining a healthy balance sheet to ensure our financial sustainability.

Statement of Accounts 31[st] Au ust 2021 – 31[st] March 2022 g

Charity Number: 1195661

Please note this statement of financial activities has been independently examined.

The charity was incorporated on the 31[st] of August 2021 as a C.I.O. From that date it began operating as Ouseburn Community Centre C.I.O. This is a financial statement of the accounts of the new charity up until the end of the current financial year.

Income and ex enditure account p

Income

----- Start of picture text -----
Source Total
Sales £16876
Grants COVID support - £5597
Donations £0
Sponsorship £0
Total Income £22773
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Expenditure

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Source Total
Rent and Rates £529
Heat, Light and Power £3416
Telephone and Computer £1189
Maintenance £814
Gross Wages £34500
Professional Fees £710
General Expenses £0
Total Expenditure £41158
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The bank balance closed at £14,570.01 on the 31[st] March 2022.

The Business Savings Account balance on the 31[st] March 2022 was £46,248.94

Please note

Approved by the Trustees on 19[th] January 2023 signed on their behalf by: Stephen Powers

Chairperson

Stephen Powers (Jan 19[th] , 2023, 19:00GMT)