ANNUAL REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] JUNE 2022
BOOST UP
[Charitable Incorporated Organisation] Charity Registration Number: 1195988
Not a handout, a Boost Up
BOOST UP (Charitable lncorporated Organisation)
CONTENTS
Legal and Administrative lnformation
Trustees' Report
Statement of Financial Activities
Balance Sheet
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Charity Number: 1195988
DATE OF REGISTRATION: 30[th] September 2021
START OF FINANCIAL YEAR 30[th] September 2021 *
END OF FINANCIAL YEAR 30[th] June 2022
*[Note: The CIOs Financial year begins on 01[st] July and ends of 30[th] June each year. As the organisation was registered on 30[th] September 2021, our 21-22 Financial year can only report from that point onward.]
TRUSTEES AT 30/06/2022
A.Boakes
A.Pavic
L.Lawrence [Chair]
S.Rehman
B.Varsani
LEGAL STATUS Charitable lncorporated Organisation
GOVERNING INSTRUMENT: CIO – Association Model.
CORRESPONDANCE ADDRESS
54 Eagle Heights
8 Bramlands Close
SW11 2LJ
PRIMARY BANKERS
Metro Bank PLC
One Southampton Row
London
WC1B 5HA
TRUSTEES REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[th] JUNE 2022
Status and Administration
Boost Up (the Charity) was registered as a Charitable incorporated Organisation (ClO) by the Charity Commission 30[th] September 2021 (Registered Number 1195988).
The Trustees who have served during the Charity's first official registered year are as follows:
Lucien Lawrence (Chair)
Andrew Boakes
Anita Pavic
Safiya Rehman
Binal Varsani
Trustee Changes
Safiya Rehman was appointed on February 04[th] 2022.
Appointed Trustee Term Lengths
As outlined in the CIO’s Constitution, appointed trustees ‘will serve a term of 3 years each’ after which point if they ‘may be reappointed’ , but if they have ‘served for three consecutive terms [they] may not be reappointed for a fourth consecutive term, unless consented by the members.’
| Trustee | Start Date of Term | End Date of Term | Eligibility for reappointment after expiry of Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Boakes | 30th September 2021 | 30th September 2024 | Yes |
| Anita Pavic | 30th September 2021 | 30th September 2024 | Yes |
| Lucien Lawrence | 30th September 2021 | 30th September 2024 | Yes |
| Safiya Rehman | 04th February 2022 | 04th February 2025 | Yes |
| Binal Varsani | 30th September 2021 | 30th September 2024 | Yes |
Elected Trustees
There were no elected trustees up to the 30[th] June 2022.
OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Vision
Our vision is a City in which homeless Londoners have the means of getting off the streets within 24 hours, the support necessary to obtain long term accommodation within a month, and the guidance necessary to build their self reliance and recognise their agency.
Mission
Our mission is to reduce the bureaucracy that keeps people trapped on the streets through the following steps:
-
Provide funds to ensure there is emergency accommodation in vetted, low cost hotels to those who are in acute housing need without the need for them to be seen (verified) by a street outreach service first.
-
Provide a 12 month rental subsidy that will allow the recipient to afford longer term, decent accommodation in the Private Sector, keeping them in their communities, as well as the rent in advance and deposit.
-
Receive weekly support from trained caseworkers who have a focus on helping them free themselves from dependency on the state and services through the financial independence that comes from employment, while helping them recognise their self-worth and potential.
Need
Our youth are tomorrow’s doctors, tomorrow’s teachers, tomorrow’s scientists, tomorrow’s leaders. But too many are homeless. Too many are trapped in this situation due to a number of factors far beyond their control. 122,000 young people in the UK approached their local council for help in 20-21, the fifth year in a row this figure has increased. Report after report shows that young homeless people under 25 find it near to impossible to get off the street into their own accommodation. Study after study highlights the plight of youth homelessness as one of the biggest barriers to overcome in the sector.
There are a mix of complex reasons for this, but one of the core reasons is due to ‘Local Housing Allowance’ rules, which is the amount of housing benefit support a young person can claim when unemployed or on a low wage, which most people who are homeless are undoubtedly likely to be. Their entitlement is to the ‘Shared Accommodation Rate’, which in London, for example, is on average £121.26 p/w [£525.46 p/m].
But this rate does not come anywhere close to the cost of a room in a shared house in the city, which is on average £163.9 p/w [£710.25 p/m].
Therefore, there is a shortfall of around £184.79 per month, or £42.64 p/w. Put on top of that the deposit/rent in advance, which can reach into the thousands, coupled with the continual refusal to let out properties to those on benefits, and it becomes apparent how difficult it is for young homeless people to get themselves out of this hole.
Due to this, they remain on the streets or in very
insecure and often dangerous housing situations. Additionally, as younger people are less likely to ‘bed down’ in one specific spot and tend to keep moving at night, they have the further disadvantage of being ‘unverifiable’ by outreach teams, who require an individual to be sleeping rough in a single spot before they can be ‘verified’ - a requirement of many homeless services before someone can access support and emergency accommodation.
Boost Up has a plan and a team ready to rectify this.
What we do
Long Term Accommodation
Given that most shared accommodation in the Private Sector costs more than the housing benefit eligible for young people, we pay a rental subsidy [A ‘Boost Up’] that covers the part of the rent not covered by the housing benefit component of Universal Credit. Given the figures above, we have calculated this at £42.64 per week.
Additionally, given that Landlords are wary of renting property out to people on benefits, we enter into an agreement with the Landlord that we will help the young person with their Universal Credit account and ensure it is paid to cover their housing costs.
We also arrange for the first month’s rent and deposit to be paid in full, as barely any young homeless person has this money upfront, and pay the young person a £20 a week Independence Payment to help with gas and electric bills. The Independence Payment and the Boost Up Rental Subsidy will continue for 12 months, giving the young person security they previously lacked and the time necessary to get into employment and afford the rent themselves without the need of either Universal Credit or our subsidy.
We will act as the intermediary between the young person and the Landlord, which allows us to ensure that the young person is aware of their rights and responsibilities in the property, and we will be there to step in and resolve disputes if needed. With the board’s extensive knowledge in relation to Housing Law, we will be able to know if the landlord/agent is not fulfilling their part of the agreement.
This all means that our young people are armed with more purchasing power, something they lacked before, rebalancing the power dynamic between tenant and landlord/agent to a fairer footing.
Our volunteers will then support the young people with finding employment, which will increase their income and allow them to get off both benefits and our subsidy, possessed instead with financial independence.
Emergency accommodation
Obtaining this long term accommodation for our clients will take up to a month. In the interim, we will provide funds to ensure there is emergency accommodation for them in vetted, low cost hotels without the need for them to be seen (verified) by a street outreach service first. Volunteers from our mentor network will aim to meet with them within 24 hours of being referred. They will usually meet at a place of safety [such as a café local to where the young person is] rather than meeting them on the street to do the assessment.
Alignment with Charitable Objects
The Trustees are satisfied that this aligns with the Charitable Objects of the Charity, which are:
‘the relief of poverty throughout England and Wales through the provision of grants to individuals in need, primarily (but not exclusively) to assist in covering the costs of accommodation, basic living necessities and activities designed to enable individuals to generate a sustainable income and be self sufficient.’
As the Charity is based in London which we are most knowledgeable about, we will focus initially on London before expanding outwards.
Public Benefit
The CIO acknowledges its requirement to demonstrate clearly that it must have charitable purposes or 'aims' that are for the public benefit. The Trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit before deciding what activities the CIO should undertake.
Year One Activities
Year One was devoted towards establishing the Charity, setting up the Bank Account, registering with HMRC, Research, Building further connections throughout the homeless sector, developing a Theory of Change, a Strategy, and applying for funding.
Funding and Financial Affairs
Although Year One was focused more on the establishment of the Charity and the setting out of a long term plan, Boost Up was successful in the last month of Year One in receiving a grant from the Souter’s Charitable Trust to the sum of £3000, which will be carried forward into Year Two.
Plans for the Future
Boost Up has a target of receiving enough grant money to accommodate 10 Young Homeless People during 2022-23.
Below is the cost of accommodating one person:
| Client Support | 1 |
|---|---|
| Funding Required 12 month period | £6,957.28 |
| Direct Costs | |
| Deposit - £750 | £750.00 |
| One Month Rent in advance - £750 | £750.00 |
| Independence Living Payment - £20 per week | £1,040.00 |
| Top Up Fees - housing benefit shortfall @ | £2,217.28 |
| £42.64 per week | |
| Mentoring Budget - weekly meeting £10 for 12 | £520.00 |
| months | |
| Emergency accommodation - 30 days | £1,500.00 |
| Direct Costs - Total | £6,777.28 |
| Volunteer DBS Check | £100.00 |
| Email Support Set Up | £80.00 |
| Expenses | £180.00 |
We therefore have the target of raising £69,572.8 in Year Two.
Given our Board’s connections throughout the homeless sector, we will develop effective referral routes to our project from existing services who are working with young people in need, ensuring the project is targeting those who truly need it.
We also plan to develop a high quality mentorship network, made up of volunteers who are from the communities that our clients come from.
Structure, Governance and Management
Boost Up is a charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 30[th] September 2021. It is presently run by volunteers, including the trustees, who receive no remuneration.
The CIO follows an Association Model, which means that members have certain benefits such as voting rights.
Trustee’s Responsibilities
The Charities Act 2011 require the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the CIO and the surplus of the CIO for that period.
In addition to this, trustees are to:
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Be clear that what our charity does supports its purposes and benefits the public
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Check that the decisions we make are within the rules for our charity
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Ask ourselves what’s best for the charity and who it helps
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Satisfy ourselves that the charity’s funds, people and reputation are used sensibly and are protected from undue risk
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Be prepared. Have the information we need, in the format we need, and set aside time to read it prior to meetings.
Trustee recruitment
Boost Up’s Constitution allows for 10 Trustees. 8 of these are appointed, and 2 are to be Elected at every AGM [if there are nominations], the first of which will be on 30[th] March 2023.
Our Governance & Skills
Our Trustee Board is extremely well equipped to take this forward, with our Chair an extremely experienced professional in the homeless sector with 12 years’ experience. He currently works for the National Homelessness Charity Housing Justice, supporting the Homeless Winter Night Shelter Network, as well as providing accreditation of homelessness services and contributing to the ongoing strategic direction in relation to homelessness provision.
The trustees are also extremely experienced, made up of all the former Homeless Sector Project Workers and Co-ordinators, possessing a great deal of experience working directly with homeless people as well as a thorough understanding of safeguarding, support work and risk assessments. They now work in a diverse range of relevant roles from helping young NEET people into employment & training to advising those on Universal Credit to working with those with Mental Illnesses.
We will use these skills to advise and support those young people who are on our programme to ensure that they obtain and maintain accommodation, to supporting them into employment and/or training through regular casework sessions.
Safeguarding
All volunteers who work with our clients will have to undergo training in Safeguarding and an enhanced DBS Check. During our first year, we have worked on our Safeguarding and Lone Worker Policy.
Reserves Policy
The current activities that the Charity undertakes [no staff/property] and our current low cash levels mean that we will develop a reserves policy in Year Two based on the direction the Charity takes.
Assessment of Going Concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] JUNE 2022
| Income from: Donations and legacies Charitable activities Other Total Resources expended Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities Other Total Net income/(expenditure) Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Total funds Prior year funds £ £ £ £ 21-22 21-22 21-22 N/A - 3,000 3,000 - - - - - - - - - |
|---|---|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| - - - - - - - - - - - - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - - - - - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
06/27/2022 Approved by the Trustees on _______ Signed on their behalf by trustee[s]: ______
Lucien Lawrence - Chair
Printed name[s] _______
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] JUNE 2022
| Fixed assets Tangible assets Investments Total fixed assets Current assets Debtors Cash at bank and in hand Total current assets Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Net current assets/(liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due after one year Provisions for liabilities Total net assets or liabilities Funds of the Charity Restricted income funds Unrestricted funds Total funds |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Total this year Total last year £ £ £ £ 21-22 21-22 21-22 N/A |
|---|---|
| - - - - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - - - - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| 3,000 3,000 - |
|
| - - |
|
| - 3,000 3,000 - |
27/06/2022
Approved by the Trustees on _______
Signed on their behalf by trustee[s]: ______
Lucien Lawrence - Chair
Printed name[s] _______
ANNUAL REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] JUNE 2022
BOOST UP [Charitable Incorporated Organisation] Charity Registration Number: 1195988
We cannot leave them out there.