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2025-06-30-accounts

Charity number: 1195680

Registered by the Charity Commission for England & Wales

Safer off the Streets

Annual Report and Financial Statement

For the year ended 30.6.25.

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Contents

For the year ended 30[th] June 2025

Introducton 3
Our Charitable Objectve
Chair’s 2024/25 Refecton
Actvites & Achievements 4
Our Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Ambiton Refresh
Outputs & Outcomes
Roles & Contributons of Volunteers
The Benefts to those Experiencing Homelessness
Our Partners & Supporters
Looking Ahead
Structure, Governance and Management 9
Type of Governing Document
Statutory Declaraton
Trustee Board & Selecton Methods
Trustee Development
Charity Commission Submission
Financial Review and Report 10
Financial Positon
Principle Sources of Funding
Use of Funds
Administratve Details 12
Charity Name & Registraton
Charity’s Principle Address
Trustees Who Manage the Charity
Bank

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Introduction

Our Charitable Objective

Our charity constitution 3.1 states:

“The purpose of Safer off the Streets is to promote for the public benefit the relief of those in need due to their experience of, or risk of homelessness in Peterborough, in particular but not exclusively through providing information on how and where to access services, supporting engagement with service providers, enabling service providers to better meet need and raising awareness.”

Chair’s 2024/2025 Reflection

The many challenges of recent years have continued to provide hardship for many, some ending up sleeping rough and many experiencing some form of homelessness. There has been no respite and hence the work of Safer off the Streets remains as important as ever.

Our organisation primarily exists to support the work and needs of our partnership network across Peterborough as they work tirelessly to directly support the needs of those who sleep rough and/or are homeless.

Over the past year, our partnership network has continued to grow, with over 35 partner organisations now engaging with us. Our quarterly, in-person only partnership meetings are now attracting even higher numbers, 45-50 partner representatives regularly.

At the start of our reporting period, the summer of 24, our Trustee team decided it was time to refresh our guiding documents. We consulted with key partners and by the spring of 25, we finalised and agreed our new Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Ambitions. They can now be viewed on our website.

Our major achievement of 2025 has been to launch our new website. It aims to be a great resource for those at risk of, or who are experiencing homelessness, anyone directly supporting someone experiencing homelessness, along with information for the public and local corporates as to how they can support this community. It has been well received by our partners.

I wish to thank our partners for engaging with us during and between quarterly meetings and for getting involved in our activities. Our momentum is continuing to build.

Ultimately, we will only be successful, if our work enables our partners to provide improved support to their clients. Whilst this is hard to judge, we will remain close to our partners and drive activity in areas that can make a real difference.

Anna Lee Chair of Trustee Board

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Activities & Achievements

Our Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Ambition Refresh

Following consultation with our partners, our trustees agreed the following exciting strategic direction:

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Outputs & Outcomes

We are still pivoting to focus on each element of our strategic ambitions in support of our partner’s work. Outlined below are the areas where we are making some headway.

Supporting our Partners to Deliver Enhanced Services

We continue to plan, schedule and facilitate Learning Opportunities, working with topic experts. We conducted a partner survey to identify learning needs, this provided guidance as to ideal topics. In July 24 we started our focus on the hidden homeless, women, with a powerful and insightful two hour webinar supported by local specialist agencies. This was followed by a full day in person session on mental ill health and homelessness. In 2025 we opened up with a presentation by the PCC Housing Needs team on the Streets to Home and General Homelessness pathway. In June local DCI Sloan shared a very information introduction session to Serious Organised Crime with particular focus on modern slavery, exploitation and human trafficking. The learning materials can be found on our website > Learning Opportunities.

We are keen to identify gaps in service to enhance provision. Starting out in Oct 24, together with our partners we started to explore the concept of ‘Street Storage’, learning from the fantastic Rachel Woolf, found of Street Storage in Kings Cross. Many of our partners strongly support the concept, this has also been confirmed by consulting those with lived experience of homelessness. We are now working with a partner and the local authority to see if we can turn this into a reality for Peterborough.

As a small charity we have limited funds, however, we do make small grants to partners where the grant can enhance their service provision, meeting key needs. During 24/25, we have supported Peterborough Homeless Helpers with key essentials for their clients and funded YMCA Trinity to purchase a robust defibrillator, fitted in an area accessible to their clients but also the general public in Bretton.

Influencing Strategy, Policy and Practice

Our focus so far in 2025 on the city’s homelessness strategy, has been to utilise our in person partnership meetings to start to gain valuable partner input to the forthcoming PCC Homelessness Strategy refresh, due to be published in 2026. This work is ongoing, but we are pleased to see our partners working collaboratively to gain lived experience input.

We spent time over 24/25 reviewing documented best practice, in support of the output from our 23/24 project assessing the additional support needed by those living in temporary accommodation. Whilst we wish to work with our partners to develop tangible improvements in this area going forward, we have made a start by initiating the development of a ‘Development Support’ area within our website to help partners and their clients navigate to local support offerings. Going forward we will entitle this work ‘Move on and tenancy sustainment’. It is so vital that having experienced homelessness, that clients can sustain good housing and not return to the devasting impacts of homelessness, hence our charities name ‘Safer off the Streets’.

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Connecting and Communicating

As previously mentioned, our quarterly partnership meetings have gone from strength to strength during 24/25. The main purpose of these are to ensure all partners get to know each other, so they can strengthen relationships in support of great collaborative working. We received wonderful support from local corporate British Sugar, providing their brilliant meeting facilities for our Oct 24 AGM and partnership meeting. We are now booking larger meeting rooms to aid workshop elements of the meeting and allow our partners to move freely to talk to each other. We are always on the look out for more local corporates to provide us with suitable meeting facilities.

Above all, our partners appear to enjoy our partnership meetings, as evidenced by the growing attendance. There is always a great vibe and sense of everyone pulling together to support those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Lastly under this strategic objective, we have put significant effort into designing and launching our new website: htps://saferofhestreets.co.uk

We have included key guidance for three categories of individuals:

Our ‘Find Support’ page, lists all of the specialist services offered by each of our partners under multiple categories; accommodations support, addiction, advice & financial, clothing & personal Items, day time drop in, ex-offender support, food supplies, haircuts, health, help for pets, home essentials, homelessness prevention, hot meals, multiple disadvantage

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support, phone & internet, refugee support, showers, toiletries, women’s support, work and training and young people’s support, e.g.

We plan to continue to develop our website to be a great resource for the city. It has initially been well received by our partners.

Roles & Contributions of Volunteers

We have a small group of volunteers, some offering time and assistance for a brief period, some more longer term. We would like to thank them for their valuable contribution, in particular to helping us develop our website over the past year.

Not forgetting the time and efforts of our trustee team, who are all volunteers themselves. Thank you all for your commitment to such a worthwhile cause. As a small charity we have no staff positions.

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The Benefits to those Experiencing Homelessness

As our main focus is to provide support for our partners, enabling them to improve and enhance their work directly with those at risk of homelessness or those that are homeless, it is hard to state the direct benefits felt by our ultimate clients.

Networking/improved collaboration among partners during our partnership meetings and learning opportunities will likely have led to enhanced provision and an increase in skills and knowledge.

Our small partner grants are also an effective way of enhancing key service provision across the city.

Our Partners and Supporters

More partners have come on board during this period, they already included drop in centres/hubs, clinical providers, temporary accommodation providers, addiction support, food and provision providers, PCC teams, women’s, young people and refugee support organisations. Over 24/25 we have also attracted more organisations supporting those exiting criminal justice and homelessness prevention.

Thank you to our partners for engaging with our charity and coming along to our quarterly partnership meetings.

Thank you to our supporters who have helped to fund our charity over this last period of operation. The ‘Help & Support’ page on our website, lists how the public can donate money, items, or volunteer their time across our partnership. It also explains how corporates can engage with our partners for corporate and social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Looking Ahead

Our strategic ambitions will continue to guide our trustee and volunteer recruitment, ensuring that we can expand our activity. We do lack certain skills, knowledge and above all volunteer time to work to enact all our ambitions, long term recruitment will be a key area for us during 25/26.

So, what is on our mind as we enter our 25/26 operational year?

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Structure, Governance and Management

Type of Governing Document

Our governing document is our “Constitution as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation” dated 23rd August 2021, revised on 19th October 2023

Statutory Declaration

The Trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

Trustee Board & Selection Methods

All trustees contribute operational time and expertise to the charity’s activity. These are volunteer positions. The charity trustees are appointed for a period of two years and may be reappointed up to three times, before there must be a break of a minimum of one year.

During the 24/25 operational year, Sean Evans, Fay Hirel, Simon Kinsey and Esinam Gbekle all stood down from their trustee roles. Our thanks to them all for their contributions, especially to Fay, for her support and treasurer role over a full six year term.

Anna Lee, Hannah Bowers and Joy Nwandu have continued in role. Emily Moone has joined as a new trustee. Joy Nwandu is now our Treasurer

Quarterly Trustee Board meetings take place to govern our activity.

In 25/26 we will be seeking additions trustees. We will firstly identifying the skills, knowledge and experience that would be advantageous to add to our Board.

Trustee Development

New trustees are encouraged to complete Charity Commission and other online trustee training. One to one Chair and trustee reviews take place to discuss and agree how each trustee contributes to our work and to identify additional training needs.

Charity Commission Submission

Our last AGM was held on 18[th] October 2024. Our next AGM will be held on 17[th] October 2025, where our Annual Report and Financial Reports will be formally approved by our members (partners). We will be submitting the required documentation to the Charity Commission during November 2025, in line with requirements.

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Financial Review & Report

Financial Position - The year in summary

2024/2025
Total income £ 5,245.92
Total expenditure £ 6,383.40
Total funds in bank as at 30.6.25. £9,735.51
Grants provided to partners 2
Quarterly Partnership meetngs held 4in person

Full statement of financial activities

For the year 1[st] July 2024 - 30[th] June 2025

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Opening Balance £ 10,872.99
Charities Aid Foundation Donations £ 3,189.92
Cash Donations £ 0
Corporate Donation – PayData £ 2,056.00
Total Income £ 5,245.92
Bank Charges £ 60.00
LiabilityInsurance £ 198.14
Website Development & fees £ 3,032.65
Grants to Partners £ 1,922.00
CharityComms Annual Membership £ 132.00
Room hire/refreshments for
meetings		 £ 740.50
Microsoft 365 charges £ 93.52
Best Practice research visit £ 204.59
Expenditure £ 6,383.40
Closing Balance £ 9,735.51

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Principle Sources of Funding

During the period of this report, our fund raising has been via regular donor monthly donations, ad hoc donations via our website and one corporate donation from a local company, Pay Data, who choose us as their charity of the year. Our Donation point on Bridge Street has not worked all year, despite action to reactivate it. This will soon be taken out of service.

Use of Funds

We have made grants to two of our partners activities via Grant Applications, this has included funding a new defibrillator at one of our temporary accommodation partner sites, along with funding of key items required by those living on the streets that are not typically donated.

We have had invoices for room hire for partnership meetings and learning events, our insurance policy, along with some ad hoc charges.

Our biggest expense of the year was to pay a web developer to develop and host our new website. We would like to thank Joseph Lavington for his guidance and work developing our new site.

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Administrative Details

Charity Name & Registration

Charity Name Safer off the Streets Charity Number 1195680

Charity’s Principle Address

Registered office Amplius Housing Axiom House Cottesmore Close Peterborough PE3 9TP

Trustees Who Manage the Charity

Trustees who served for the full year, or part of the year ended 30.6.25.

Fay Hirel Part year (Stepped down 5.2.25.) Kevin Dawson Full year Sean Evans Part year (Stepped down 15.8.24.) Anna Lee Full year Simon Kinsey Part year (Stepped down 5.2.25.) Esinam Gbekle Part year (Stepped down 1.3.25.) Joy Nwandu Full year Hannah Bowers Full year Emily Moone New - Part year (Ratified by partners 18.4.25.)

Bank

Bankers HSBC, Cathedral Square, Peterborough, PE1 1XL

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Charity number: 1195680 Registered by the Charity Commission for England & Wales

Annual General Meeting of Safer Off the Streets Peterborough Date: 17th October 2025

Location: 1 Samson Place, London Rd, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8QJ Attendees:

Agenda items and discussions:

1. Trustee updates:

2. Annual report & financial statement:

4. Trustee openings: