The Hazel Project (THP) Trustees 2023 Charity Commission Yearly Report
Our funds are looking healthy, still at more than 2 times our current average yearly spend. It is good to have this money in reserve as we aim to occasionally fund short-term niche rehab places for particularly complex individuals whose needs cannot be met by the normal (and free to us) rehab institutions we refer to. This would require a few thousand pounds for each instance. Giving to us has been unexpectedly generous over the year, mainly from churches, but also some individuals and couples. Our thanks go out to you all. Due to this our funds have risen from £10,017 to £12,806 at years end. A healthy situation.
.
Total income this year - £7,265 (all via church or individual donation – Gift Aid still to be applied to
individual donations)
Total spending this year - £4,475
THP total assets value - £12, 807
Spending on our “bread & butter” items this year has been at around expected levels. Slightly more than last year, but less than 2021. Spending on food continues to be our biggest expense as it still is our main tool for initiating contact with the street folks. There seems to have been a slow but steady increase in the number of street folks and homeless in Southampton, and the number of folks wanting our services has seen a constant slow rise. Referrals from other organisations seem to have been more noticeable this year in bringing people to our attention. Our main activity of meeting folks out on Southampton City Centre streets with food and drink, to build relationships & trust and to bless these folks with friendship, guidance and love continues and the volunteers are all incredible people.
There is always a steady need for bibles, christian books and crucifix-based jewellery by the street community and we see continued spending on these themes. We also continue to fund cheap mobile phone communication for selected clients we come to work closer with. Phone contact with us can be a hugely important support medium for them.
The boost in spending on overheads this year is almost entirely down to the payment of our 3 yearly website fees, which although significant every 3 years, seems to be the economical way to do it. Spending on training has gone up this year, and we feel this is a positive sign for a charity. Our service basically is our volunteers and without their skills and insight we cannot do what we do. These things come mainly via experience and training.
The main structural change for THP this year has been that we have registered with the Charity Commission, with the associated charity number (which can be found on our website). The criteria required for achieving registered status potentially gives us some slight extra level of credibility and trustworthiness with those who may interact with us in any capacity. It also allows us to register with HMRC to be able to reclaim gift aid on appropriate donations, which is always a nice bonus. We have also finally set up a genuine THP charity business bank account with appropriate access for 2 of the trustees.
Our registration with the Charity Commission has meant that we now have and official board of trustees (who meet officially 3 x yearly) and the Charity structure is this …...
Trustees – Alan Bridges (chairman), Debs Niblett & Linda Bridges
Overall Team lead- Linda Bridges Mentorship lead – Debs Niblett Treasurer – Alan Bridges
In terms of our services, the mentorship arm of THP continues to function under Deb's helm very effectively, in parallel to the street outreach. A recently started endeavour is a Sunday morning (pre-church) “drinks & porridge” meet up for the street community at a coffee shop in the city centre. Linda leads this with occasional extra volunteer help. Attendance has been fairly small at these events although they have certainly been constructive. It's a much less threatening way to access a small piece of church without the intimidating perception that many of our clients feel about going into a church building.
Several new volunteers have joined the fold – a large % of these from Southampton Lighthouse Church, which is now of course much more aware of THP's activities, as this is Linda & Alan's home church. So we
have enough volunteers to keep our services running, although there is always a need for more, as there is always more we could do with more people. However, in this challenging work especially, it is very much the “right” people who are needed.
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Spending in 2023 - £4475.45
Income in 2023 - £7265
40-
THP current account balance - £12,806.81
Itemised spending
Overheads - £365.72
Clothes - £14.99
30-
25.6 % Food/Drinks/Cups - £1145.06
Books, leaflets & stationery - £742.09
Miscellaneous - £434.30
20- Communication & postage - £738.98
16.6% Transport & parking - £194.70
16.5%
Training - £558.85
12.5% Jewellery - £280.762
9.7%
10- 8.2%
6.3%
4.3%
0.3%
0
Food Misc.
postage Training Clothes
Stationery Books & Overheads Transport Jewellery
Comms &
% of total yearly spending
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| Charity Name - The Hazel Project |
Charity Name - The Hazel Project |
Charity Name - The Hazel Project |
No 1203665 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
Period start date 01/01/23 |
To | Period end date 31/12/23 |
||
| Section A Receipts and payments Uid |
Rid | Ed | |||
| A1 Receipts Donations – churches 5,050 Donations individuals 2,215 - - - - - - 7,265 none - - ~~Sub total~~- Total receipts 7,265 A3 Payments Clothes 15 Food,drinks & cups 1,145 Books,leaflets & stationery 742 Overheads 365 Miscellaneous 434 Communication &postage 739 Transport &parking 195 Training 559 Jewellwry 281 Sub total 4,475 - - Sub total Total payments 4,475 Net of receipts/(payments) 2,790 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 10,017 Cash funds this year end 12,807 nrestrcte funds to the nearest £ ~~Sub total~~~~(Gross income for AR)~~ (see table). A4 Asset and investment |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - estrcte funds |
to the nearest £ nowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 5,050 2,215 - - - - - - 7,265 - - - 7,265 15 1,145 742 365 434 739 195 559 281 4,475 - - - 4,475 2,790 - 10,017 12,807 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - - - - - - - - - |
5,050 | 5,169 | |||
| 2,215 | 490 | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| 7,265 | 5,659 | ||||
| - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | 7,265 | 5,659 | |||
| - - - - - - - - - |
15 | 203 | |||
| 1,145 | 1,025 | ||||
| 742 | 624 | ||||
| 365 | - | ||||
| 434 | 651 | ||||
| 739 | 439 | ||||
| 195 | 134 | ||||
| 559 | 487 | ||||
| 281 | 109 | ||||
| 4,475 | 3,672 | ||||
| - - - |
- | ||||
| - | |||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | 4,475 | 3,672 | |||
| - | - - - - |
2,790 | 1,987 | ||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 10,017 | 8,030 | |||
| - | 12,807 | 10,017 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use Signed by one or two trustees on |
Details Bank Account Details none Details none Details none Details none Signature Alan Bridges Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 12,807 - - - - - 12,807 - OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Alan Bridges Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of ~~l~~ |
|||
| Alan Bridges | Alan Bridges | 09/01/24 ~~approva~~ |
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