# **ANNUAL REPORT March 2024/25** 

www.showerbox.org hello@showerbox.org 








## **Contents** 


- Letter from Chair 

- Our story so far 

- What we do 

- Expanding our reach 

- Our impact 

- Governance 

- Our finances 

- The future 


- Thanks 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **Letter from Chair** 



In everything we do, we help restore dignity, a sense of safety and community to people facing homelessness. In this report, I highlight our achievements and milestones during March 2024 - March 2025. 

Throughout the year, we provided over 3500 showers across our projects. Here are two quotes where our guests share their experience of our services: 

Stefano told us he had been living in a different part of London and he came back to ShowerBox because he felt " _safe here_ ". [Feb, 2025] 

To quote another guest, “ _even the air feels different on my skin after I shower here, it’s wonderful_ ” [Mar, 2025] 

We couldn’t do this without our supporters, donors, volunteers, and partners. We owe all of you our heartfelt thanks! 

The past year has been a year of milestones and growth. ShowerBox launched two new sites – ShowerBox Birmingham in April 2024, which gave its 100th shower in October 2024, and ShowerBox Barking which launched in December 2024. The Barking site represents our first partnership (with Barking Churches Unite and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council), and is our first ever fixed shower facility. 

Another council partnership blossomed this year: since January 2025, Camden Council’s Mobile Health unit has visited ShowerBox Central London, and our guests have had the opportunity to consult with medically trained personnel each month. We are hoping to build on this success to offer similar service to guests at our other sites. 

A big shout out to Yuba, our volunteer for raising £1072 for ShowerBox by organising his Hugging Challenge this year. Thank you, Yuba, ShowerBox is grateful for your fundraising creativity! What most of us wouldn’t know is that Yuba’s efforts would have been immortalised in the Guinness Book of Records… if only he hadn’t moved his hugging spot! 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 




Another (shocking) fact is that we lost (and found) our shower trailer. In May 2024, thieves managed to steal the shower trailer from a secured parking garage. But they soon hit a curb which led to a flat tyre and them having to abandon the trailer only a short distance away. It was a close call. 

Our annual accounts filed with the Charity Commission can be found **here** and show that we are in robust health for the year to come. 

As we look to the future, we will be seeking new Trustees to bring fresh skills, perspectives and diversity with expertise in areas like Communications and Grant writing. We will also be looking to find my successor, a Chair who can continue the momentum and guide future growth at ShowerBox. We will soon be publicly advertising for these positions and will keep you updated. 

Sharmistha Law, PhD 

Chair of the Board of Trustees ShowerBox 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **What we do** 



ShowerBox, led by founder and CEO Sarah Lamptey MBE, provides essential hygiene and wellbeing services to people experiencing homelessness across London, Birmingham, and Barking. In 2024–2025, we have expanded both our reach and impact, including the introduction of a monthly health clinic in Central London, delivered in partnership with Camden Mobile Health. This service addresses critical health needs and complements our core offering of showers, toiletries, hot drinks and a welcoming community. 

Our mission is driven by three core commitments: reliability, inclusivity, and safeguarding. Every guest is treated with dignity and respect, supported by a team of trustees and over 80 dedicated volunteers. 

ShowerBox’s expertise in mobile, pop-up and fixed shower spaces - built from converted trailers, vans and shipping containers - allows us to deliver flexible services across multiple locations and lays the groundwork for future expansion. We are actively working with community partners to replicate healthcare and support services at our other sites, ensuring that each project provides more than hygiene- it delivers access, care, and connection. 

Supported by funding partners such as the Vitol Foundation, the Scouloudi Foundation, St Giles Trust, Wesleyan and HS2, and donation partners including Ruia, Lofbergs, Beauty Banks and Lush Retail, ShowerBox continues to restore dignity, improve wellbeing, and strengthen community for those experiencing homelessness. 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **Expanding our reach** 



ShowerBox has continued to respond to the growing challenge of homelessness in the UK, bringing essential hygiene services and support to more communities than ever before. 

This year, we embarked on exciting new projects in Birmingham and Barking, extending our model of care beyond Central London and reaching individuals who often face barriers to accessing support. 

Homelessness remains a critical issue. Research from Shelter shows that over 4,600 people were rough sleeping in England, a 20% yearly increase and nearly double the figures from 2021. At least 382,000 people were without a home at the end of 2025 - an increase of over 70,000 in just two years. London and UK cities remain particularly affected, underscoring the urgent need for accessible services. 

Our approach goes beyond providing a safe, clean space to shower. By listening to our guests and shaping services around their experiences, we offer a place that restores dignity, supports mental and physical well-being, and reduces social stigma. Guests frequently share that their time with us leaves them feeling “alive” and “human again.” 

The expansion into Birmingham and Barking represents a significant step in our mission. Each new location builds on the lessons and successes of our existing Central London project and community clinics, combining hygiene provision with opportunities for connection and access to wider support services. Through this growth, ShowerBox continues to strengthen community ties, improve health outcomes, and champion the rights and dignity of people experiencing homelessness across the UK. 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **Our impact** 








Since its founding, ShowerBox has delivered over 18,500 showers and distributed more than 15,000 underwear items, restoring dignity and wellbeing to people experiencing homelessness across London and beyond. 

## **Over the past 12 months alone, our projects have provided:** 




**3500 12000 guest visits 7000 pairs of socks showers for hygiene and underwear supplies** 

This continues to demonstrate the growing demand for our services and the trust our guests place in us. Each interaction represents not just a clean shower or an item of clothing, but a meaningful connection and a step towards wellbeing, health, and confidence. 

Our volunteer community is pivotal to this impact. Each week, our Central London project relies on 20 dedicated volunteers to support the Shift Leader across the sixhour service day. Over the last year, our volunteers contributed over 4500 hours - equivalent to the work of two full-time employees - bringing compassion and continuity to every guest experience. 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 




## **Measuring Future Impact** 

To strengthen our understanding of the outcomes we achieve, ShowerBox is continually developing a comprehensive framework to measure our impact across all projects. These include: 

- **Operational Metrics:** Capturing service delivery and reach. 

- **Community Engagement Metrics:** Monitoring guest satisfaction and interactions. 

- **Financial and Resource Efficiency Metrics:** Ensuring optimal use of donations and funding. 

- **Awareness and Outreach Metrics** : Tracking the visibility and accessibility of our services. 

- **Long-term Outcomes:** Understanding the wider impact on health, wellbeing, and community integration for our guests. 

Through rigorous measurement and ongoing service delivery, ShowerBox is committed to continually enhancing the dignity, health, and wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness, ensuring that every shower, item, and interaction counts. 



ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **Governance** 


The name of the charity, as it appears in the Register of Companies, is ‘ShowerBox CIO’. Its charity registration number (England and Wales) is 1198395. 

The address of the charity’s registered office is: 

## **ShowerBox CIO 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London** 

## **EC2A 4NE** 

The charity appointed 3 Trustees before inception, and have subsequently appointed 2 more trustees; one of which is also the Honorary Treasurer. 

Those who were trustees of the date that this report was approved, or who served as trustee during the reporting period include: 

- Dr Sharmistha Law (Chair of Trustees) 

- Paul Taylor (Trustee and Honorary Treasurer) 

- Caroline Allouf (Trustee and Shift Leader) 

- Claire MacNeill (Trustee and Shift Leader) 

- Bruce Loudon (Trustee and Shift Leader) 

Those to whom the trustees delegated day-to-day management of the charity in a senior management role during the reporting period include: 

Sarah Lamptey, Founder and CEO, ShowerBox (in post since 2018). 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **Our finances** 



ShowerBox produces accounts on an annual basis. They are reviewed by an independent company in accordance with Charity Commission Guidelines (CC32a). 

Key financials from the latest financial year 28 March 2024 - 27 March 2025 are detailed below. 


ShowerBox started the year with current assets in the form of bank and deposit accounts of £44,063. 

- Income of £133,709 was received from grants and donations. 

- Total expenditure of £109,012 supported **frontline service delivery** , covering the provision of showers and hygiene support; **core operations** , ensuring services ran safely, efficiently and sustainably; **on-site project costs** associated with facilities and environmental requirements at shower locations; and **vehicle and equipment costs** , enabling our shower units to remain safe, compliant and operational. Salaries, consultancy fees and other associated staff employment costs totalled £24,250. 

- Therefore, total cash and reserves were increased in the year by £24,698 to a year end value of £68,760, with just under 92% being unrestricted in its use. 

Reserves are only kept because income is difficult to be assured of, on a year by year basis. We spend approximately £3700 per month on the direct costs of providing showers, underwear and toiletries which is difficult to reduce substantially without regular supplier donations. 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **The future** 


ShowerBox continues to respond to rising demand across the UK, delivering vital hygiene and wellbeing services to those experiencing homelessness. 

## **Expanding ShowerBox’s services** 

Our Barking project launched in December 2024 and is a partnership with Barking Churches Unite and The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, supported by NHS North East London. 

With weekly numbers consistently reaching our service capacity, ShowerBox Barking is providing invaluable insights for future UK expansion in cities such as Bristol, Manchester, and Newcastle. We are also trialling community clinics in new London borough locations, with further plans for clinics in Hackney and the South London borders in progress, so that we able to reach more people in need. 

## **Securing a commercial storage space** 

A major milestone for 2024–2025 is the secure, centrally located parking facility we have secured for our trailers and vehicles. Our sincere gratitude to ASTOP for donating free year-round protection of our mobile assets, enabling us to increase London-wide service days, making our services more accessible than ever. 

## **Building ShowerBox’s operational team** 

We have also strengthened our operational team with a part-time Administrator who has established key foundations, from operational policies, system and process development and volunteer training, creating the structures needed to support our growing network of projects and volunteers. 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 




## **Introducing Partner Services** 

Since January 2025, we have partnered monthly with Camden Mobile Health at our Central London project and are exploring opportunities to replicate this model in Barking and Birmingham. 

Camden Mobile Health delivers on-site health checks, including blood pressure monitoring, BMI measurement and ‘Know Your Risk’ assessments, followed by lifestyle and health-advice conversations based on individual results. 

Although the team offers flexible support, the range of assessments is limited by the equipment available during outreach compared with a full GP surgery. To enhance each session, the non-clinical council team prepares relevant resources and signposting materials, ensuring guests can access up-to-date local health and wellbeing information. 

Camden Mobile Health uses a community EMIS system, enabling clinicians to view and update records for guests registered with a Camden GP who have consented to share their information. While they cannot issue prescriptions or make direct clinical referrals, they can record test results for eligible patients. Guests not registered with a Camden GP, or who prefer not to share their data, receive a printed results sheet with tailored next-step advice, and urgent cases are directed to walk-in centres or A&E. 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



## **Thanks** 


We are deeply grateful to everyone who supports ShowerBox and helps us transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Every gift enables us to provide not just showers, but dignity, wellbeing, and a sense of community to those who need it most. 

Such generosity ensures that our guests can access vital services and essential hygiene supplies week after week, across all our projects in London, Birmingham, and Barking. Each donation, large or small, has a direct and lasting impact on the lives of the people we serve. 

We would like to extend huge thanks to the following organisations and individuals for their invaluable support, which makes our work possible: 

## **Grants:** 

## **Donations:** 

- National Lottery Vitol Foundation 

- John Coates Charitable Trust 

- St Giles Trust HS2 

   - Jens Dietri 

   - Gus Miah 

   - Shirley Baptist Church Robert Brass 

   - Goldman Sachs 

- Frontline 

- Wesleyan Foundation 

- WWKD Limited 

- Speedomick Foundation 

- Royal Bank of Canada 

- Scouloudi Foundation ASDA 

- Bliss Digital 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 




## **Supporters and Suppliers** 

We are incredibly thankful for the ongoing support from the following organisations, companies, charities, brands and individuals who have donated supplies or services to us over the past 12 months. 

- Arcade 

- JustGiving 

- Create Balance Boucleme Lofberg’s Crisis 

- Decent Packaging Johnson’s Linen Lush Retail Derek Pickles, Ruia Tangle Teezer Beauty Banks The Hygiene Bank 

- Birmingham Cathedral Shirley Baptist Church 

- Quaker Mobile Library 

- Serving Our Superheroes 

- Under One Sky 

- Smalls For All 

- Call Si plumbing 

- Beccy and Simon Pini Baylis and Harding King’s Heath Lions Harborne Garage Let’s Feed Brum 

- The Barking Learning Centre ASTOP 

- St Giles-in-the-Fields Church Christ Church Southgate 

- Hazlitt’s Hotel Soho 

## **Volunteers** 

ShowerBox thrives because of the dedication and passion of our amazing volunteers. To date, over 80 individuals have joined our community, with 30 volunteers supporting our Central London, Birmingham and Barking projects each week. 

We would like to give particular thanks to those who lead our onsite service delivery - their consistent weekly commitment is the backbone of our services and plays a vital role in ensuring every guest receives a safe, welcoming, and dignified experience: 

- Caroline Allouf Don Russell Paul Taylor Bruce Loudon Ewen Kinnear Emmanuel Arthur 


ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 




We also acknowledge Andrew Smith’s invaluable pro bono support in developing and updating our website, ensuring our services and impact are effectively shared with our community and supporters. 

## **Partnerships** 

Our partnerships are an important part of delivering our services, and we extend huge thanks to: 

## **Camden Mobile Health** 

## **The Source, Barking Churches Unite NHS North East London** 

## **The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council** 

Their generous collaboration, ongoing support and commitment enhances our ability to provide reliable and welcoming spaces for our guests. 

And finally, we are enormously grateful to St Giles-in-the-Fields for their ongoing and unwavering support of our Central London project; to the Barking Learning Centre for generously providing premises that make our Barking services possible; and to Birmingham Cathedral for hosting our Birmingham project. Their generosity and commitment create safe, welcoming spaces where our guests can access showers, hygiene supplies, and a sense of community - making a real difference every week. 



ShowerBox Annual Report March 2024/25 



||**Showerbox**|**Showerbox**|**Showerbox**|**No (if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**For the period**<br>**from**|28.3.24<br>Period start date|**To**|Period end date<br>27.3.25|



|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**|**Section A Receipts and payments**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**<br>**funds**<br>**to the nearest**<br>**£**||**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**to the nearest £**||**Endowment**<br>**funds**<br>**to the nearest £**||**Total funds**<br>**to the nearest £**||**Last year**<br>**to the nearest**<br>**£**|
|Grants and donations|**133,709**||**-**||**-**||**133,709**||**89,672**|
|Balance from CIC|||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**||**-**|
|~~**_Sub total_**~~~~_(Gross income for_~~<br>_AR)_|**133,709**||**-**||**-**||**133,709**||**89,672**|
|||||||||||
|~~**A2 Asset and investment**~~<br>**sales, (see table).**||||||||||
||**-**|||||||||
||**-**||||||||**-**|
|~~**_Sub total_**~~|**-**||||||||**-**|
|**_Total receipts_**<br>**A3 Payments**||||||||||
||||||||||**89,672**|
|||||||||||
|<br>Consumables<br>Staff Costs<br>Vehicles<br>Transport Costs|**44,144**||||||||**21,633**|
||**23,395**||||||||**-**|
||**25,232**||||||||**13,206**|
||**3,764**||||||||**3,145**|
|Other|**12,476**||||||||**10,000**|
||**-**||||||||**7,756**|
||**-**||||||||**-**|
||**-**||||||||**-**|
||**-**||||||||**-**|
|**_Sub total_ **|**109,012**||||||||**55,740**|
|||||||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**<br>~~**purchases (see table)**~~||||||||||
|~~**,**~~|**-**|||||||||
||**-**|||||||||
|**_Sub total_ **|**-**||||||||**-**|
|**_Total payments_**<br>**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**<br>**A5 Transfers between funds**<br>**A6 Cash funds last year end**<br>**_Cash funds this year end_**||||||||||
||||||||||**55,740**|
|||||||||||
||**24,698**||||||||**33,932**|
||**-**<br>||||||||**-**|
||~~**44,063**~~||||||||~~**-**~~|
||**68,760**||||||||**33,932**|



## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** 

|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Endowment**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**|**Details**|**funds**|**funds**|**funds**|
|||**to nearest £**|**to nearest £**|**to nearest £**|



CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 

09/01/2026 

1 



|**B1 Cash funds**|||**68,760**|**68,760**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
||**_Total cash funds_**<br>(agree balances with receipts and payments||**68,760**||<br>O||||**-**|||**-**|
||account(s))||OK||K OK||||||OK||
||||**Unrestricted**|||**Restricted**|||||**Endowment**||
||||**funds**||||**funds**|||||**funds**|
||**Details**||**to nearest**|**£**||**to nearest**|||**£**||**to nearest £**||
|**B2 Other monetary assets**||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
|||||**-**|||||**-**|||**-**|
||**Details**||**Fund to which**<br>**asset belongs**|||**Cost (optional)**|||||**Current value**<br>**(optional)**||
|**B3 Investment assets**|||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||**Details**||**Fund to which**<br>**asset belongs**|||**Cost (optional)**|||||**Current value**<br>**(optional)**||
|**B4 Assets retained for the**|||||||||**-**|||**-**|
|**charity’s own use**|||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||||||||**-**|||**-**|
||||**Fund to which**|||**Amount due**|||||**When due**||
||**Details**||**liability relates**|||**(optional)**|||||**(optional)**||
|**B5 Liabilities**|Payroll deductions owed||Unrestricted|||||**(811)**|||||
||||||||||||||
||||||||||**-**||||
||||||||||**-**||||
||||||||||**-**||||
|Signed by one or two trustees on<br>behalf of all the trustees|<br>Signature||Print||Name||||||Date of<br>approval||
||||Paul||Taylor||||||02/11/2025||
||||||||||||||
||||||||||||||



CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 

09/01/2026 

2 



## **Report to the Trustees of Showerbox (charity registration 1198395)** 

## **Independent examination of annual report and accounts for period 28th March 2024 to 27th March 2025** 

I can confirm that I have undertaken an independent examination of the annual report and accounts for Showerbox for the financial year 2024/25 following the directions set out in the Charity Commissions ‘independent examination of charity accounts checklist (CC32a).  I can confirm that the charity is eligible to have an independent examination undertaken; that I have no conflict of interest that would prevent me from undertaking such an examination and that I am qualified to do so as a qualified accountant with membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).  I have planned my examination of the accounts based on the scale, scope and size of Showerbox and have kept a record of the examination of the accounts undertaken and this can be made available should it be required. 

This is the 3rd year that the charity has produced a set of Charity Commission Receipts and Payments Accounts and as such it has been possible to undertake analytical review to compare the current year with previous as contained in Direction 3 of the Charity Commission’s Guidelines.  It is pleasing to note that the level of donations and grants has significantly increased in the current year, an increase of nearly 50% on the previous year, giving receipts of £133,709.  In addition, the level of expenditure has increased in absolute terms by 96% on the previous year.  If the level of expenditure is considered in relation to funds raised, this has increased from 62% in 23/24 to 82% in 24/25 ( note this percentage ratio is more in line with the financial year 22/23).  The most significant movement in expenditure is the introduction of staff costs of around £23,000.  Overall Showerbox has derived a net receipt in 2024/25 of £24,698 which when added to previous surpluses gives a balance of £68,760 in Showerbox’s bank accounts as of 27 March 2025 (the majority of which is held in a deposit account in order to generate interest). This is considered to be a healthy cash reserve when compared against monthly outgoings putting the charity on a stable footing in relation to cashflow however it would be worth bearing in mind the increase in overheads the charity has now to support with the introduction of regular staffing costs. 

I have examined the accounting records kept – the primary source being from Xero, the charity’s accounting software which has been used as the basis for compilation of this year’s accounts. During the independent examination of the accounts prepared it was noted that accounting basis has moved from a cash basis to an accrual basis.  This resulted in an error being identified in the preparation of the CC16a statement for submission to the Charity Commission, in that the statement had been complied on an accrual basis not cash basis as required.  This error was subsequently adjusted and the proposed CC16a statement is now on a receipts and payments (cash) basis as required. It has been possible to reconcile the opening and closing position of the charity’s bank statements to the downloaded transactions recorded in Xero during the year (adjusted for bank interest that is not recorded in Xero and balancesheet creditors and debtors which are not cash) 

As a result, I can confirm that the accounts presented for the financial year 2024/25 appear to be a true reflection of the accounting records held by Showerbox.  The accounts are now for the first time presented on an accruals basis, but the only items that are affected are salaries and wages costs and these figures appear reasonable in terms of payments owed to/from HMRC and pension provider. There are not any items that contain any significant judgements or estimates which is consistent with my expectations for the size and scope of the charity. 



Finally with reference to the directions of the checklist and the proforma for accounts for submission to the charity commission it is my opinion that the format of the accounts provided is correct.  It is also my opinion that there are no matters of material significance that are to be directed to the Commission. 


**----- Start of picture text -----**<br>
Suzanne Tracey BA (Hons); IPFA  31 October 2025<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>