House of Grace Witham - Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered charity no: 1199138 Address: 41 Laburnum Way, Witham CM8 2NY
Trustees’ Report For the year ending 31st March 2023
The trustees present their annual report together with their financial statement.
Summary of the purposes: prevention of poverty amongst the homeless by provision of temporary accommodation.
Summary of the main activities: create a partnership with the Social Enterprise organisation, Green Pastures with a view to the provision for the public benefit of supported accommodation in Witham for the homeless. (property acquired: 19th January 2024). We also engaged in fundraising to prepare the property. In carrying out the above activities the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
We are very grateful that during the period of preparation we had the skills of ten volunteers, of whom seven are our trustees.
Thank to the work that went on in the preparatory period, we are excited that as of January 2024, we have the property and the hands-on work, fitting it out for our first residents, can begin.
At the end of the period the charity had a balance carried forward of £18,005.00 which will be used in the expected £30,000.00 cost of converting the house for charitable use. At this stage the charity has not evolved a formal reserves policy but will consider this in more detail once the project is up and running.
There is no reason to believe there is any uncertainty about the charity continuing as a going concern since it is likely that the charity’s main running costs will be covered by housing benefit receivable respectively of the residents and as at January 2024 fundraising has covered costs of initial conversion of property.
The trustees have identified that the main risk for the charity is failing to fill bed spaces, however given the identified need in Witham and surrounding areas, this is remote.
The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation (foundation model) governed by its constitution dated 30th May 2022.
Trustees are selected by the existing trustees on the basis of their skills, experience and knowledge needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
Trustees:
| Name of Trustee | Date of original appointment |
Re-appointed | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Brett | 17th August 2021 | n/a | 16th August 2024 |
| Alison Ives | 17th August 2021 | 17th August 2022 | 16th August 2025 |
| Audrey Kennedy | 17th August 2021 | 17th August 2023 | 16th August 2026 |
| Martin Andrews | 17th August 2021 | 17th August 2023 | 16th August 2026 |
| Muriel Heppinstall | 17th August 2021 | n/a | 16th August 2024 |
| Geofrey Davey | 17th august 2021 | 17th August 2022 | 16th August 2025 |
| Emmelia van der Walt James |
17th August 2021 | n/a | 16th August 2025 |
During the period ending 31st March 2023 the charity had no employees.
HOUSE OF GRACE wrrHAM FINANaAL STATEMENT- YEAR ENDED 31° MARCH 2023 RECEIPTS PAYMENTS l>onations £10999.03 Burns Supper £236.39 Concerts £1608.38 Expenses £81.85 Sponsored Walk £1794.iXI Rocio's Farewell £246.22 Quiz £352.LK) Burns Supper £767.75 Gift Aid £2392.63 TOTAL £18241.86 TOTAL £236.39 BALANCE BIF NIL BALANCE CIF £185.47 TOTAL £18241.86 TOTAL £18241.86 Wendy Mcwhirr Treasurer 10 April 2023 Audited and found correct n4-