2024-08-31-accounts - Alsager Community Support

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

Period start date: 01/09/2023 Period end date: 31/08/2024

Charity name: Alsager Community Support

Charity registration number: 1200173

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The objects of the Alsager Community Support are, 1 The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage in the town of Alsager and the surrounding area through the provision of practical help, support, information and advice. 2 The prevention or relief of poverty in Alsager and the surrounding area by providing: items and services to individuals in need and/or charities, or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	Alsager Community Support offers the following support to the community in particular: • A ‘drop in’ centre where visitors can obtain information about a range of issues and/or can be signposted to appropriate help • Confidential appointments in which guidance can be given on financial matters • A school uniform and shoe recycling scheme • Lost and found point of contact • A transport scheme which offers elderly people lifts to and from a local Lunch Club and to and from medical appointments • A Befriending scheme to support people in isolation • A Shopper scheme to support people who are unable to get out • A Helping Hands service that helps people with small DIY projects • Annual toyappeal
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to theguidance issued bythe	Para 1.18	The trustees have taken cognisance of the guidance issued by the Charities Commission and are confident that all of the charity’s work is for thepublic benefit.

Charity Commission on public benefit.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	The charity has a small hardship fund. The Manager can decide whether a client should receive help from this fund up to the value of £30. Beyond this sum, agreement must be obtained from one of the trustees in line with the scheme of delegation.
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	The charity is not involved in social investments.
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	At the end of the reporting year, the charity had 68 active volunteers contributing in 4 principal areas of activity. These are described in the summary of main achievements section. We would also like to say a huge and sincere ‘Thank You’ to all our hard-working volunteers, most of whom have been with us for many years, and without whom our work would not bepossible.
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20		ACS Annual Report Sept/23– Aug/24 The past year has been a year of significant change for ACS. During 2023, the trustees were successful in securing a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund and Reaching Communities/Partnerships programme. In autumn 2023, recruitment processes were completed, leading to the appointment of a full-time Manager and a part-time Volunteer Coordinator and Project Development Officer. Although these positions were filled in 2023, both members of staff officially started in January 2024. The appointment of an Administrative Assistant followed later in 2024, further strengthening the ACS team. Inevitably, there was a great deal for the newly appointed staff to learn about the charity and a significant amount of time has, and continues to be spent, working to make ACS compliant with current best practice. In addition to the appointment of staff to manage the charity, ACS moved into new premises with the help of a local businessman andphilanthropist. This was a necessarymove,

not least to accommodate the new employees, and it has taken a lot of time and energy to make the premises suitable for the charity’s needs. Despite the many hours spent on back-office activities, ACS has continued to provide its usual range of services to the local community and, indeed, has increased its offer. Brief descriptions of the most frequently used services follow: Enquiries: 2700 contacts p.a. People contacted ACS by phone, email or by coming into our premises. Our volunteers deal with a very wide range of queries which vary from concerns about energy bills, to requests for help getting to appointments, to asking the whereabouts of the nearest doctor’s surgery. Budgetary Advice: 90 contacts p.a. Our trained volunteers are able to help clients with budget planning and can advise and help with benefit applications. As they are not regulated they are not able to provide debt advice and clients who need such help are referred to other appropriately qualified agencies. We estimate that our help has enabled clients to apply for and be awarded over £70,000 in various benefits. School Uniform Recycling: 500+ families p.a. We estimate that this scheme has benefitted over 700 school pupils during the year. Parents can bring their children to ACS premises to try different items. If they can, we ask each parent to make a small donation towards our costs. This scheme encourages parents to recycle items in good condition and is a significant help to families who are struggling financially. Transport – Medical Trips: 130 p.a. Our volunteer drivers have taken over 100 individuals to hospital and doctor appointments. Hospital appointments can take several hours but our volunteers wait for the client and return them home. Transport – Lunch Club: 1200 p.a. The local Lunch Club is held every Tuesday and Thursday in the Civic building. The average age of the diners is 86 and, understandably, many of them cannot get to the Club under their own steam. Ten volunteers collect and return 3 diners, meaning that 30 diners are transported to this social occasion each week. Over the year, that’s around 1200 passenger return journeys. Befriending / Shopping: 30 On average 15 people have benefitted from our befriending service. These people are mainly elderly and isolated. Our befrienders telephone them regularly and sometimes meet with them in person. When the client needs help, our befrienders do what they can to obtain the help they need by linking back to our services.

Shoppers help a wide range of people who, for whatever reason, are unable to get to the shops. Sometimes the shopper takes the client with them, but most shoppers do a ‘top up shop’ once a week. Finally, 5 people are paired with a volunteer who acts as a befriender and shopper.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

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Achievements Para
1.41
against objectives set
Performance of Para
1.41
fundraising activities
against objectives set
Investment Para
1.41
performance against
objectives
Other
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Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The charity held £74,720 in its account at the year end.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	In 2022- 23 the charity employed one person on a half time temporary basis in the role as a Project Development Officer. This was the principal commitment. From January 2024, ACS employed a full-time Manager and a part time Volunteer Coordinator. These colleagues were joined by a part time administrator in May 2024. These three posts were funded by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund from the Reaching Communities/Partnerships programme and will continue until December 2028. Rent and energy bills were the other main outgoings. The trustees have a policy to hold 3 months of outgoings in reserve. Thispolicyis kept under review.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£11,505
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	Not applicable
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	Not applicable
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	The charity had successfully submitted a bid to the National Lottery Community Fund and Reaching Communities/Partnerships programme. This was to appoint a full-time Manager, a part-time Volunteer Coordinator and a part-time Administrator. The funding is for five years and therefore the position of the charity is stable. The Project Development Officer role is currently funded by short term grants, ending December 2025. The trustees are working on a future strategy that will allow the charityto continue beyond 2028.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	The charity’s main source of funding came from the National Lottery Community Fund and Reaching Communities/Partnerships programme. Other sources of funding came from successful application of grants from various bodies, e.g. Cheshire East, these grants are the: • Flourish fund • Healthy Neighbourhood • Cost of living fund Small sums were also raised bycharitable donations.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	None
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	To secure funding to cover ongoing core costs.

Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	The charity’s memorandum, articles of association and confidentiality agreements are based on a template taken from the Charities Commission web site.
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Alsager Community Support is a CIO.
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Trustees are largely recruited from our team of volunteers. Some trustees have been recruited based on their expertise, for example, the current chairperson worked at a senior level in the education sector. He brings much experience relevant to our development as a charity. When selecting new trustees, their skills and experience is taken into account. There are constitutional provisions in regard to the appointment of trustees and the length of time they serve on the board.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	We have a trustee induction pack. The trustees are offered training and can ask for a ‘buddy’.
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	Trustee board I Manager I I I I VCO AA PDO Volunteers VCO – Volunteer Coordinator AA – Administrative Assistant PDO – Project Development Officer
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	Partnership working with: Cheshire East Council Plus Dane Housing Disability Information Bureau Fedcap Age UK
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Alsager Community Support
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1200173

Charity’s principal address	The Pinkney Centre 19-21 Crewe Rd Alsager S.o.T. ST7 2EW

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any)
David Black	Chairperson		The ACS board of trustees
Liz Pinkney	Trustee	01/09/23 – 02/06/24	The ACS board of trustees
Lynne Gammon	Trustee	01/09/23 - 01/02/24 16/04/24 – 31/08/24	The ACS board of trustees
Sarah Fidal	Treasurer	31/07/24 – 31/08/24	The ACS board of trustees
Jayashri Lowe	Trustee		The ACS board of trustees
David Fidal	Trustee	21/02/24 – 31/08/24	The ACS board of trustees
Jean Shepherd	Trustee	21/02/24 – 31/08/24	The ACS board of trustees
Helen McCourt	Treasurer	26/08/2022-31/06/2024	The ACS board of trustees

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name None

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for whole year
None

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets None held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of	Name	Address
adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date

~ CHARITYCOMMISSION	~ CHARITYCOMMISSION	~ CHARITYCOMMISSION	Cll,ill'yName	Cll,ill'yName					No (f111yl	No (f111yl
~ FORENGLAND	ANDWALES		AlsagerCommunity			Support			1200I/3
				Receiptsand				·mentsaccounts			CC16a
			For the period from						To PP.r,• l_;,~rJ_d'>' Aug-24
Section A Receipts		and payments
			Unrestricted funds			Restricted funds			Endowment funds	Total funds	Last year
			to	thenearest £		tothenearest£			tothenearest£	tothe nearest £	tothenearest £
A1Receipts
Donations				6,066			14,645			20,711
Grants							97,042			97,042
Incomefromcharitableactivities				4,011			.			4,011
Fundraising				200			.			200
Investments/roomhire				1,500			.			1,500
Otherincome				196			...			196 .
							.			.
rossincomeror AR)			11,974 .______.				111,687			123,661
investment sales,
1	Subtota,I			:1§§§§
Total receipts			(	~I		111,sa111			·II	123,661JI	-I
A3Payments ...
Raisingfunds				101			.			101
Expenditureoncharitableprojects				1,032			1,992			3,024
EmploymentCosts				7,448			40,147			47,595
RunninQCosts				4,876			13,597			18,473
Governance				142			.			142
Otherexpenditure				870			.			870
							.			.
				.			.			.
	Sub total			14,468			55,737			70,205
A4 Asset and Investment
,.....,.. /coo_t"hlo\| _Sub total			135. 135	~ ~			~ t==::j		2,7:9~ 2,769t::::::j
Total payments			(	14,602j	(		58,371J	I	-]I	72,974lI	-I
Netofrecelptsl(payments) ASTransfers between funds ASCash fundslastyear end			'-	2,629 14,145	53,316 1----"""""'r,c-i			~- •		50,6~7~- 24,044 -
Cash funds this	year	end'		11,517					•	74,732	-

Section B Statement	ofassets and liabilities at	ofassets and liabilities at	the endofthe period	the endofthe period	the endofthe period	the endofthe period	the endofthe period	the endofthe period
				Unrestricted				Restricted		Endowment
Categories	Details			funds				funds		funds
				tonearest£				tonearest£		tonearest£
81Cashfunds	Cash inBank							63,215
	PettyCash			~ 192		I
				-
	Moneyduefromcardpayment *Totalcashfunds*			11,s1~ 2I I				63,21~	I_
	(agreebalanceswithreceipts	andpayments
		account(s))	_01_				'.)I<			OK
				Unrestricted				Restricted		Endowment
				funds				funds		funds
82Othermonetaryassets	Details	l	I	tonearest£ • I I				tonearest£ tonearest£ ·1a
83Investmentassets	Details	11		Fundtowhich ~m~oag•		11	Cost(optional)		I	Currentvalue 8
	Details - -··--			Fundtowhich assetbelOJ!Q$_ -- --			Cost (optional)			Current value {®tional)
84Assetsretainedforthe	Laptopsfor staffandadvisor		NLCommunity IC,,~,.,
charity'sownuse	Printer		NLCommunity le: ,,.,
	Printer		General
	Phoneformanager		General
85Liabilities	Details		1	Fundto which '"'"'>re•m	Amountdue Whendue 188