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2024-12-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

Period: 31/12/2023-31/12/2024

Charity name: The Year of Rest

Charity registration number: 1201396

Objectives and Activities
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document		 The objects of the CIO, for the public benefit and
within the Christian ethos are:
The relief of those in need by reason of financial
hardship or other social or economic
disadvantage by providing such people with
support including in:
(i) Advice and advocacy services;
(ii) Participation in retreats to provide coaching
and support to creating personal
strategies to move out of hardship and
disadvantage;
(iii) Access to community activities and
mentoring to break the social isolation
which is a consequence of hardship and
disadvantage.
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.		 The Year of Rest is a year-long programme
which offers support to those living on low
incomes in three main ways: through retreat,
through advice and advocacy services and
finally through creating supportive community.
Through these activities the Year of Rest works
to ‘relieve poverty’ and also to ‘prevent social
exclusion’.
1. Advice and Advocacy
Every person on the programme is in
receipt of benefits/has no recourse to
public funds and/or living in council or
supported housing. We make certain of
this during the recruitment process, in
the referral and sign-up forms which look
for multiple different indicators of
disadvantage: In receipt of benefits, no
recourse to public funds, in
social/supported housing (council), has
been in care, has a physical/mental
disability, has a physical/mental illness,
received free school meals/has children
that receive free school meals, Is NEET
(not in work/training/education), has a

criminal record, less than 5 A*-C GCSEs. To support those on the programme we offer advice and advocacy throughout the year. We identify with them the current challenges they are facing in the areas of housing/benefits/debt management and employment support and then work with them through a caseworker to support them to resolve these issues. This includes running budgeting sessions with them, helping them to access services (e.g. benefits and housing support) and giving employment support (showing them how to write CVs and looking through job applications with them). This helps to both prevent and relieve poverty. The people we work with are often navigating multiple public services at once, which can be both confusing and overwhelming. A failure to understand the system can leave them without support they are entitled to. As such immediate advice can directly improve the material situation of households. This prevents further poverty, and can relieve poverty as well (e.g. through employment support). 2. Retreat Retreat is a central aspect of The Year of Rest. As stated in the initial application, multiple studies (as reviewed by Alice Walton in the Chicago Review) suggest that poverty related concerns can lower IQ by using up mental resources and leaving less available for other tasks. The Year of Rest is designed around giving support to some of the concerns of poverty and as a result leaving more mental capacity amongst individuals experiencing it. This not only alleviates one of the effects of poverty, but it is also aimed at preventing poverty by providing people with the mental capacity and support to create strategies out of poverty. Retreats are central to this because they allow a break from the concerns of everyday life, a chance to rest and reset and then a chance to strategise. The retreat this year was structured around a mix of 1-1s and group coaching, these are designed to enhance their wellbeing and work with them to come up with individual support plans The retreat was completely funded, everything from transport to food and

accommodation is included and freely available to those registered on the Year of Rest. Although it is typical for many people to take holidays when they feel burned out and take time to rest and recuperate, for many living on low incomes a chance to get away is unaffordable. The cost of transport/accommodation is often too high for individuals, and for single parents/carers who may need respite from caring, they often cannot find or afford suitable respite care so that they can go away. This leaves people trapped in environments which are not conducive to rest. The place they live may not feel safe or restful to them, and they may have lots of responsibilities within their home. In covering the costs of getting away (from transport and food to childcare), retreats also act to relieve poverty by providing something which they would otherwise be unable to afford, but which has a positive impact on their wellbeing and lives. 3. Community Community is provided in two main ways across the course of the retreats: (i) Community Dinners Once a quarter all the women we worked with met for dinners. These dinners are free, and the venue etc is paid for. At each dinner there is a mix of socialising and also group activities (whether that be a craft activity or a group coaching session). This achieves two charitable aims: Firstly, because everyone who benefits from The Year of Rest is on a low income or living below the poverty line, it would not be possible for them to eat out and take some time away from the home where they are served and looked after. This offers a monthly opportunity to socialise and leave the house, to rest, and to enjoy an evening together. Secondly, because the people who are registered on The Year of Rest are all on low incomes (as ascertained in the registration process) and many have other indicators of disadvantage

(outlined above), they can suffer from social exclusion. This can be due to a mix of factors e.g. being unable to afford social activities, suffering from mental health issues which make it hard for them to create new relationships (e.g. Borderline Personality Disorder, Social Anxiety, Depression), or caring responsibilities which can make it hard to socialise. Dinners offer a chance for them to build community with the same group of people over the course of the year. It also offers a regular chance to look at the women’s support plans and catch up on any additional casework needs that they want support with. (ii) Mentoring Each person on the programme is paired with a mentor. Mentors receive training (in both coaching skills and safeguarding procedures) and regular checkins with the Programme Director after mentoring sessions. Mentors work with individuals registered on The Year of Rest towards the personal goals that they identify on the retreats in their support plans. Mentors meet or call once a month with their mentees, and in doing so provide emotional support; developing resilience and raising aspirations, alongside providing them with social connection. All of this supports those on The Year of Rest to make good choices in all areas of their lives – financially/relationally/emotionally. Many of those living on low incomes feel like they live life moving from one crisis to another, mentoring allows regular time to take stock of what is happening and make proactive plans rather than simply reacting to situations. In the complex mix of issues that can cause poverty, this helps to build a strategy and a strategic way of thinking which gives individuals on the programme the tools to address the long-term roots of living on low incomes and

the resilience to make positive decisions for long-term change. Statement confirming When writing the constitution, the trustees whether the trustees have referred to the guidance issued by the Charity had regard to the guidance Commission on public benefit. issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Contribution made by
volunteers		 Although we primarily have had two
volunteers over the course of the year, they
have been a significant support. Offering
mentoring each month and also attending
the retreat.

Achievements and Performance
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.		 Our aim over the course of the year is to work
with a small group of women to build
community, individual resilience and break
down their barriers to rest.
This year we continued work with 12 women.
All the women we worked with were all either
in receipt of benefits or with no recourse to
public funds, this means that it would be
challenging for them to afford time away.
Over the year they had a fully funded retreat,
quarterly dinners and mentoring sessions.
We use a resilience scale (the Conor
Davidson Resilience Questionnaire) to mark
the change in their resilience, this year the
women all increased by an average of 10
points. This data can be compared to data
used against different groups, and brings their
scores into line with the general population
rather than with groups who have faced
significant trauma.
The effect of this is shown in the barriers to
rest, each woman identified at least one
barrier to rest, all of which they noted a
complete change or significant improvement
with over the year.

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s At the end of the year we were left with

financial position at the end
of the period		 £428, we spent more than our income over
the year but this was part of a plan to spend
down some reserves.
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held		 We wanted to spend our reserves down this
year which we have achieved.
Amount of reserves held £428
Details of fund materially in
deficit

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Our principal and sole source of funds is individual donations. The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s
trusts:		 CIO
Type of governing document Our governing document is a written
constitution outlining the objects/purposes
and structure of the CIO.
How is the charity
constituted?		 The charity is a CIO registered with the
charity commission. We are governed by our
constitution.
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		 (a)Every charity trustee must be a
natural person.
(b)No individual may be appointed as a
charity trustee of the CIO:

if he or she is under the age
of 16 years; or

if he or she would
automatically cease to hold
office under the provisions of
clause [12(1)(e)].
(c) No one is entitled to act as a charity
trustee whether on appointment or on
any re-appointment until he or she
has expressly acknowledged, in
whatever way the charity trustees
decide, his or her acceptance of the
office of charity trustee.
(d)At least one of the trustees of the
CIO must be 18 years of age or over.
If there is no trustee aged at least 18
years, the remaining trustees may
only act to call a meeting of the
charity trustees, or appoint a new
charity trustee.
(1) Apart from the first charity trustees,
every trustee must be appointed for a
term of three years by a resolution

passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. (2) In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name The Year of Rest
Other name the charity uses N/A
Registered charity number 1201396
Charity’s principal address Flat B201
134 Spa Road
SE16 3AE

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name

1 Rachel Gray Paul Whittlesea 2 3 Caragh Bennet Elizabeth Blacknell 4

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) Paul Whittlesea

Position (eg Secretary, Treasurer Chair, etc) Date 21/01/2026

Section A Receipts and payments

A1 Receipts One-Off Donations Monthly Donations Other Income

Sub total(Gross income for AR)

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).

Sub total

Total receipts

A3 Payments Retreat Costs Community Admin Costs Advocacy

Sub total

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)

Sub total

Total payments

Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories

Page 1

Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees

Page 2

The Year of Rest

Receipts and payments accounts For the period from

01/01/24

Unrestricted funds Restricted funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £
300 -
1270 -
-
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
1570 -
- -
- -
- -
1570 -
1355 -
436 -
180 -
1391 -
- -
- -
- -
3361 -
- -
- -
- -
3361 -
-1791 -
- -
2219 -
428 -

Details

Page 3

2219

Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))

Details

Details

Details

Details

Signature

Page 4

1201396

CC16a

31/12/2024

To 31/12/2024
Endowment funds Total funds Last year
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
- 300 -
- 1270 -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- 1570 -
- -
- - -
- - -
- 1570 -
- 1355 -
- 436 -
- 180 -
- 1391 -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- 3361 -
- -
- -
- - -
- 3361 -
- -1791 -
- - -
- 2219 -
- 428 -
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £

Page 5

428 - -
- - -
- - -
428 - -
OK OK OK
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Current value (optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) When due (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name Date of approval
Rachel Gray 21/01/2026
Paul Whittlesea 21/01/2026

Page 6