Charlty Number1195721 DEBT CENTRE GREENWICH A Charltablo Incorporatod Organisation ICIOI AnnualAccounts Period ended 31" December 2024
Debt Centre Greenwich Charlty Numbor 1195721 Raport & Flnancl&l Stat8monts forth• Porlod onded 31" Dè¢èmb•r 2024 Contgnts Poge Charlty Information Tni8tee8 Rtsport Re¢elpis & Payments Statement ¢1 Assets & Liabilities 10 Independent Examiner'8 R•port
R•port ofthfj Managomont Commltt•• The Management Committee presents it8 ieport and independently ex8mined fin8ncial totemont¥ forthe period ended 31" December 2024 Logal &Admlnlatrfjtlv• Inlormation Charity Registratlon Numbor 1195721 Regl$tèr8d Office & Correspondence Address elo 28 Aeynold8 Place Bla¢kheath London SE3 8SX Truglee8: Andrew Beswetheriek Ichairl Tamaia Woodhou8e ChristopherAshworth Independent Examiner P M Landergan FCA L8ndergan & Co Ltd 26 8urney Stroet London SEI 0 8EX Bankèrs Thg Co-operatlve Bank POBox250 Dell Houye Skelmer8<1•10 WN8 6wr
Structuro, Gov•rnan¢è and M•nag•m•nt Debt Centre Gre$nwich IDCGI was e8tablished by g partrseT8hip of chur¢h83 in Gro¢nwich in MArch 2021. We are governed by the regLJl8tions set out in the Foundation Model constitution and run by a voluntary Board ol Trustees. The organisation was reèstered with the Charity Commissionon 6"September2021. Tru8tee8 are encouraged to t8ke an active role in enabling the organi88tion to lullil its ¢bjeetives. This allows tfUStee8 to get o clear understaring af whst the charity does and the compl8xity involved in coordinatinq activitles to respond to Ihe needs of those who are struggling with the ctsn$¥qu¢n¢es of financiol insecurity gnd debt. In 8ele¢ting individuals lor appointment as trustees, reg8rd 18 given to the skills. knowledge and experience needed foi tho eff8Ctiv? administration of the charity. The Board m$•ts formally 6 times a year, whi¢h includes on annu81 maeting of 8UPPOrter8. Obl•etlvé• and Activiti•s A8 $tat&d in our governing document, the objectives of the charity are: The religf ot fin8nci81 hardship through th8 provlsion ol support and aecess to Ifee financial advlce and assistance to people with debt-related problem8 Ilvlng In the postcode areas SE3. SE7, SE9. SE10. SE12. SE18 8nd parts ol SE2, SE8, SE28. BR7 and DA15. who through lack of mean8 would othe1$0 be unable to obtaln such support and advice Th¢ advancement of the ChSt18n t8llh and doctrlne In accordance with the slalement of belief of Chri$ti8nsA8aln$t Povérty. M8in activities: The primary work of the charlty Is providlngdebt help lor those in the community 8truggiing with unman9488blè finances.. Supporting the ¢lient to compl?te a full review ol Ih¢ir linancial Situation. Developing a repayment budget and a route out ol debt. Stepping in beeen Creditorn and clients- IBcilitating o¢ce88 to quallfied debt advi$or¥ to negotiate with creditOTS on behalf of clients. Provide 3UPPQrt through thi8journey from ouvts•m oftrainod volunteer8. Relotod PArtner8hlp Ouring 2024, DCG decided to move from being 4n accredited member of Christlans Against Poverty ICAPI. From lune 2024, we lomially switched to operating our debt 8¢¥vlce 88 Connect Centre with Community Money Advice. We continue to have a partner8hip with CAP to dèliver COUT$eS such ae Life Ski118 and Money Nan8g•ment. Going forw8rd, we will al80 be delivering a Job Club. Pollcles and Procedur0$ Through our affiliation with CMA. we hav8 access to poll¢ies And Pfoc8dures that ènsure that we operate in compllance wlth good pyactices In deliveTln$ our services. Through iegular updates and annual training. DCG can ensurè that any changes ore implemented at 8 10¢gl level. This includes conducting risk assessments on Ehe clients before doing home vi3its and being alert to any issues that would put staff or volunteers at ri$k. As part ol our membership, we 8ign an annual declaration to ensure our policies and procedure$ ore up to date and ompliani in line with the FCA regulations.
Publlc Bonoflt In reviewing the scope of the activitie8 delivered by the charity the trustee8 have con3ideied the Charity Commission's guidanee on public benefit and arè satislied that the purposes lor which the charity has been established and the activitie3 undertaken demonstrate how we meet the requirement8 of the test. A¢hi•v•m•nt8 for the Yo8r Since becoming on accredited organi3ation in November 2021. Debt C¢ntTe Grttenwi¢h ha8 become a tiusted provider ol debt support across the Royal Borough of Greenwich. We have e$tabli$hed ¥tronÉ working relationshipa with Council oflicer8, Sociol hou8ing landlords, DWP advisors and the community mèntal health team at Oxleas. Through supporting our clients. we have developed our ski118 a8 debt coaches to deliver 8 high level of 8upport, including welfare right8 8UPPOrt and advice in term$ of foim filling for health benefits through to appeal, advocating for len8nt8 with landlord$ regarding rent arr88TS or répairs. supporting clients at court regarding pos38ssion oYder9 and dealing with utility companies. A8 well as the debt counselling work we have remained committed tc provldlng pastoral support. praying with clients and walking with tham in their laith journey. Sever81 clients now Bctlvely particlpate in Church ond cllents were recently baptlsed èt one ol our partner churches. In the final quarter of 2023. the management team m8t to review and reflect on the work Debt entre GieeTmlch hoo actompllshed over the flrst two year8. We a¢knowiedged that Christians Again8t Poverty ICAPI was a¥$ential in providing the foundstion Irom which we have been atslts to develop and g¥ow as an organlsation. Looking toward8 the future, we exploTed how w8. as an org8ni88tion. could take steps to become more sustainable. better able to $upportthe needs of clients and increasingthe level ol supportwe can offef in the long term. Wa looked at three key areas in term$ ol growing our portfolio ol advice and the prodUCwe could offer our cllents in terms of: Income maximization Supportto manage a budget once the eliènt18 dabt-free Support getting back Into Ihe workplace We researched organlsatlons that 8h8red the $8me v8lue8 and vislon ol Debt Centre Gieenwlch 8nd could support dévÉlap the organiaation towards becoming an accredited FCA debt 8dvice centre. One option explored at the revlew day was to con3ider 8 move from CAP to Community Money Advice ICMAI. CMA'S three.tiered approach ol., Maximise Income Mlnimi$¢ Exp8ndituro Manage D8bl Fell In Ilne wlth our objectives and the needs of our cll¢nts. CMA also offered 8 Budgetlng Mentor course that we believe clients would benefit from. This, in turn, would attract a talent pool ol voluntèÉrs to be up8klll¢d and support clients In terms of aftewcare once thelr dèbt has been m8n8ged. The busine¥$ Case wag taken to the board of Trustees in November 2023 and g vote to move Debt Centre Greenwlch from CAP to CMA wa8 agreed. wlth the objectlvè to tran81tlon to CMA over th• course of 2024.
2024 has $een us amicably trangition ag a CAP Debt Centre to a CMA Conngct Oebt Centre. training and up8killing our tgom In term$ ol service, 8y8tEm¥ and support. In terms of cliBnt management we ere able to prioritise ca$$s and triage case8 effèetlvèly glving us more control and providing urgent support where necessary. Having seen success wth both th& CAP Money Coaching and Lile Skills courses we agreed to continue working with CAP as part ol our client learning development porttolio. With the Govemment's deci8lon to encourage people back to wor*. we made the decision to include the CAP lob club to our cli8llt learning ond development portlolio. Underthe le8der8hip ol Beverley Campbell a$ CAP Job Club Manager. C&rolin• King and Leanne Rivett trained a8 Job Club Coaches. 2024Achlevements ata Glance £350,COJ Managed Lliert Debt £76,343 £58W2 alert Dtbtwrltte) Off Uient Financial Galns. ctiens stoppd through nteNentl NewTeam MemkR Sutte5sful Monev Coach & Ufe Skills Cour$ D•bt Manag•m•nt Throughout 2024 we managed over £350,000 ol cllent debt th18 year and 8ucce88tully wrltten off £76.$00 by the ond of 2024. We are antlcipgting our first CMA client5 t¢ become debt Ifee in the ¥pring of 2025. We continue to 8UPPOrt two long term CAP clients when we made the tr8ll$ltion to CMA. UnfoTtun8tely, the debts were deemed too complex for the te8m to support remately. and we 88reed to step in and transition them to CMA. Bgth clients wero h&ppy to continue to Y4ork wSth us.
Wolfare Rlght$ Support: Well8ie rights h8s been c103e to our che8t from the moment we provided debt support. We leel it is of Immense importanee that OLSI clionts have full access to any benelits that they are entitled to. Maximising a client's income en8ures a sustainable income, manage a household budget 8nd prevent1811ing into arrears and debt in the future. We have successfully 8ppli8d for over £58,800 of ben¢fits forour most vulnerable Clients, manywith laige amounts of back pay. ManJg•d Mlgr•tlon The DWP announced in the summer ot 2024, that the proces8 of moving clients on legacy benefits of Employment and Support Allowonce IESAI and ESA with Housing 8enefit IHBI to Univers81 Credit will be st8rtlng on a small scale in the Autumn 01 2024. Ttte DWP began sanding migration notices to these claimants in September 2024 aiming to notlfy claimants in this cohort by December 2025. Legacy ESA claimants include 8 percentage of our vulnerable clionl base. os such. we hav& engaged with both new 8nd previous clients whom we believe m8y be pBrt of this cohort. This en8ure8 that our clients are fully engaged and Supported. reducing anxi8ty ènd eoncerns that they may have. HouBing We have seen an Increase In cllents who need Support with hou3ing appllcations and health & digabllity assessments. Wè have held social landlords to account and helplng residénts wha$¢ propety l¥ in di8rep8lr. Th18 has devoloped 8 trusted relatlonshlp wlth the PIou8lng Enforcement Off iC8f and the R8G Housing Surveyor8. assessing properties in disrepair or black mould. We have gTrven Ilght touch IrontliTre 8UPPOrt for those in ttsmporary accommodation, either by section 21 no-tault evictian. or those who have been dec8nted from their Pfoperties with Kettle packs from the Greenwich Foodbank. We also successfully repr¢sent¢<J two clients, both Single mums, at court. threatened wlth possession orders for $oeial hou8ing. due to rent airears. Working with them to provirle emergency financial Statements and 8ugge8t affordable repayment plans, we were able to save both18milies from evictlon. Cours•$ and Voluntoer8 We ran two Successful Money Coaching Courses thi3 year at St John's and Christ ChuTch East Greenwich Caroline King and Yetsie Adeboy* Ined Beverley's T08m a$ newly quali¥ied Money Cooches in the sprlDg, while Su8an Archer ond Leanne with the 8UPPOrt ol Caroline King ron a successful Lite Ski118 Course at Woolwich Service Usars Project IWSUPI over the Summer. Upskliilng Beverley trained as 8 lob Club Monager, broadening our portfolio of cour888 foi 2025. Caroline upskilled as a Life Skills and Job Club Coach to 3UPPOrt Beverley. Susan and Leanne. Whil Beverley and Leanne upskilled as coaehes under each otherf8 18ader8hip a8 peT6PeCtivé Jots Club and Llle Skllls Coaches. Expand•d Taom We welcom•d Kathy Byfield to our tèam. Kathy brings a plethoia of exportise and piofe88ional experlence, supportlng our client¥ as the flrst polnt ol call on the ielephonfj, 8xploining our seNiee to clients ar7d supporting ug at ¢¥tem81 ntrtworkin8 en8agements. Kathy will also be respon8ible lor our volunteer engagement and has developed a strategy to grow and traln our volunteer base. Our clients love her- she h83 settled in well 8nd is a huge asset to the t&8m.
First Christma• Dinn•r We ended the year on a high. Having 3upporled a lot ot single rnen with Seve mental he8lth 1s8ue$, oui m8jor concern was that Christmas is a difficult and lonely time for them. We made the executive decision to open ihe Boys, Brigade H811 and host a home-eooked Christrna3 Dinner lor our clients on Christmas Day. This was funded by the generosity of members of Emmanuel Church London and CBCF. Togtsiher we raised £700 for a great fe88t, with festive music, g8me8, and a visit from Father Christmas himself. Plans for the Future Our plans lor 2025 continue to be Iocu8ed on how we con better 8erve the needa ol our clients ond develop the organisation to do this sustain8bly. Oui objectives lor next yeBf are to: Continue to provide debt help to iesidants of Greenwich struggling to manoge their linances. Deliver more Money CoÈching and Life Skills courses. Set up & lob Club Laun¢h our volunteer programme Acce83 additlonal tundingto ensure the sustainability ol Ihe charity. Flnanclal R•vl All funds raised by DCG are detailed in the accounts at the end of this ieport. The account8 provide a summ8ry of financial activity ovar the la3t yoai. Fundg are used to achieve the objactive8 summari88d abov8 and to develop DCG frjr the benefil of the community it serves. We Bre thanklul for the partnership with the Greenwich Foodbonk that provldes lunding to March 2025 through a Servi¢e Loval AgeMent and to oui portner chur¢he$ who h&ve provided fundiTr8 and other resources. We al80 acknowledge the funding trom the Goymunity Organisation8 Cosl ol Living Fund. which supported the transition trom CAP to CMA. Funding from London Catalyst enabled us to dellvei L¢fe Skllls and 2 Money Coachlng course3 in 2024. Re$or¥•s Pollcy AS a mission chBrity wè f881 stfongly that the priarity for the fund8 re¢èlved should be to use them to achitrve our charitable purpose¥, thls means that we keep our reserve8 low. A luture objective ct the trustees going ton8rd will be to reylow ¥equirgments lor 8 Suitable r896rve8 position lor the Charity. Fundralslng Pollcy DCG ar¢ in the proce88 of developing an active programme of funding. We are hoping to Impiove the 8U8tainability ol the charity through funding bids. publicity fundralser# ond rBising awareness to attract more individual donor8. We were recently successful in a bid to Awards for All r¢ceiving an eward of £15.830 tor ourvolunteering programme. The above Report was appfoved by the trustees at the meeting held on 8nd is signed on behalf ot all trustees. 141h May 2025 Andrew Beswetharick Chalr ol Trustee$
CHARITY COMM155ION FOR ENGLA140 AND WALES CSBT CENTr5 fjPEENWlCbl 1196721 Recelpts and payments accounts CC16a Fof th• p•riod To 0110112023 J111212tr23 Section A Receipts and payments UnrÈ6tilctett ndi Roslrlcted fvnd• Endowm8nt Total lund8 51 y8&r toth• M•r•rtt ioth• fi••r•rt¢ tp th• n•Di•¥t¢ AI RK•l Donllions Glvin •0 tsrnrrts Ftsndrn1n Èv•nt• H•rdihi Fuhd Ghl A4d R•cl•lm ¥60 711 716 All 4nd tvth Sllmn P• ioll Admln CAP 8ub&¢ CAP Couis n F••# 17¢ 170 offl¢• AlmInl¥irnln Cll•nl S rtIH•rdghi Fund MA Connqcl Set-u & Affjll•l io Sub tst•l A4 A•••t •nd In¥•4lm•nl SLtb ioi•l N•t o11•¢PtP•&Th1 AOTrTrsf•v belw•en lundi Al ¢•sh fvnds lait yr nd C•sh frJnd• th1* y••rwd
Sectioii B Statenient of assets and liabil ilies at the end of tlie period Unrestrictqd fvjnds to nearE31 É Restricted fund5 Endowment fund5 lo neare1¢ lo n•are•i £ 81 Cah ldI Current AOUnt .72 rot&u•h fund• pA¥nts o¢rwntls)I Unr•Jtrfd RtrIcted fvnd• to IarE51 £ Endowment to near•si£ to Ilest £ Fund to whkh aSS•l b•lon4s Costloptlonal) Cuty•ni foptlonil) to wh4th Cost lop#oMII Cuffent loptlonal) 84 A¥¥•ts r•talned fvr Ih•¢•rtty'¥ Fund lo YthlGh Ilablmty ¢ela¢e• Amount loptlonal When due lo01) BS LlbllW•¥ HMRC- PAYeiNI¢ 1.187 19 January 2021 zzzz" Sign•d by Chali on b90[1 lh• Siorotw¢ PFlni NAM• PAI• 01appr ANOREW BESWETHERICK 14.05.2025
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A IndepeTideni Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl mèmbor$ of DEBT CENTRE GREENWCH On a¢counts for the year ended 31" DECEMBER 2024 Charlty no lif any) 1195721 Sot out on pages I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('thè Trust) for thg y99r ended 31112 12024 Rosponslbilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in 8ccordance wRh Ihe requirements of the Charities Act 2011 I'lhe Acl.). I report in respect of my examinallon of the Trust's accounts c4rried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed the applicable Diredions given by the Ch8rity Commission under section 145(51{b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirn that no material matters havo come lo my attention lolher than that disclosed below in connection with Ihe examination which glves me cause lo believ¢ that in. any material respect.. 8ccounlino rer£fyfds were not kept in accordanc8 with seciion 130 of the Act or the accounts do nol accord with the ao¢ounling records Independent examinerfs statement I have no conGems and have come aOsS no other matters in connection wilh the examination to which attention shoulj be drawn In order to enable a prop8r understanding ofthe accounts to be reached. . FYe8se delete the words in (he brackets if they do not appty. Dot¢: 16 May 2025 Signed: Nam•: P M Landergan Relèvant professional quallficalionlsl or body Irf any): FCA 7643305 Address: Landergan & Co Ltd 26 Burney Street London SE10 8EX IER October 2018