2025-03-31-accounts

Northstowe Hub Trustees Annual Report

Year Ending 31/03/2025 Charity Number 1203787

Reference and Administration:

Address:

Northstowe Hub, The Cabin, 1 The Green, Pathfinder Way, Northstowe, CB24 1FD

Trustees:

Hektor Marden Chair Term ends 31/3/26 Jawad Nawash Treasurer Term ends 31/3/26 Kathleen Fountain Secretary Term ends 31/3/26 Graeme Hodgson Safeguarding Lead Term ends 31/3/27 Carolina Sanchez Hernandez Term ends 14/5/27 Cristina Freniche-Velazquez Term ends 14/5/27 Madeleine De Birch-Szedler Term ends 16/10/27

Bank Account:

Natwest - Account number 25770322 - Sort code 52-10-46

Structure, Governance and Management

Northstowe Hub is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by a foundation constitution adopted on 27 June 2024 and registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales. All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits.

Trustee appointment and training

Apart from the founding charity trustees, trustees are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.

A policy for recruitment of trustees has been agreed to ensure wide representation of the Northstowe community and taking regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

On appointment all trustees receive a copy of our governance document and charity commission guidance for trustees. We are members of the Cambridge Council for Voluntary Services (CCVS) and encourage all trustees to take advantage of the training courses and opportunities they offer.

Safeguarding

Northstowe hub takes seriously our responsibility to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm. We have a safeguarding policy in place and named trustee (Graeme Hodgeson) responsible for safeguarding. Our policy is reviewed annually and DBS checks and references are obtained for any trustee, volunteer or employee before working with young people or vulnerable adults. Checks are repeated in line with statutory requirements.

The Cabin Management Board

One of our trustees, along with representatives from South Cambs District Council (SCDC), Northstowe Town Council (NTC) and Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC), form the management board for The Cabin (Northstowe Temporary community centre). The board meets approximately bi-monthly and reviews the operation of this temporary facility for Northstowe community use. Bookings and day to day running is currently undertaken by SCDC.

Objectives and Activities

The objects of the CIO as set out in our governing document are:

“To further or benefit the residents of Northstowe and the surrounding area, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to provide facilities and organise activities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents. In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power: to establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.”

Summary of the main activities undertaken this year for the public benefit in relation to these objects:

In planning our activities for the year the trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit at our trustee meetings. All our activities have been supported by a committed team of volunteers, other local community organisations, local authorities and businesses. Without their valuable contribution of time, energy and expertise we would not have been able to achieve so much – thank you to all who have been involved in some way this year.

Our main activities this year were as follows:

• Coordinating and organising Northstowe’s first Midsummer Festival, an event to bring the whole community together with performances and displays from local groups;

• Support for planning of the permanent community centre and appreciative enquiry within the community regarding needs, and forming part of the Cabin Management Board for the temporary community centre;

• Continuing and expanding the community café project;

• Continuing to manage the community microlibrary;

• Recruiting additional trustees to ensure the long term sustainability of the charity to realise its objectives;

• Starting the Baby Hub new parents support group;

• Assisting with the Community Pantry project to provide free food while reducing waste from local businesses, administered by Sustainable Northstowe;

• Supporting other community events such as the Light Up Northstowe Christmas tree switch on, the Community Beer and Carols event, as well as Community Litter Picks.

Achievement and Performance

Northstowe's First Midsummer Festival The coordination and organization of Northstowe's inaugural Midsummer Festival represented a significant milestone in building community identity and cohesion. This flagship event successfully brought together residents from across the development, creating opportunities for neighbors to meet and connect through shared celebration. The festival showcased the diverse talents within the community, featuring performances and displays from local groups that highlighted the rich array of skills and interests among Northstowe residents. By providing a platform for local

performers and community organisations, the festival not only entertained but also strengthened the social fabric of this growing community, establishing what promises to become a valued annual tradition.

Community Centre Development and Management We continued to fill an important dual role in both shaping Northstowe's future permanent community facilities and managing current provisions. Through active participation in planning discussions for the permanent community centre, we helped to ensure that resident voices and community needs were properly represented in the design and functionality decisions. Simultaneously, our involvement in the Cabin Management Board for the temporary community centre helped to meet immediate community needs. The appreciative enquiry approach adopted for assessing community requirements ensured that planning was genuinely responsive to resident priorities and aspirations, laying solid foundations for facilities that will truly serve the community's long-term interests.

Community Café Project Expansion The continuation and expansion of the community café project reflected our commitment to creating accessible social spaces that combat isolation and build connections. This initiative has provided a community hub where residents can gather informally, fostering the kind of spontaneous interactions that help transform a housing development into a genuine neighborhood. The project's expansion demonstrates its success in meeting community needs and our ability to scale successful initiatives in response to growing demand and community feedback.

Community Microlibrary Management This small but significant initiative provides residents with easy access to books for all age groups, while also encouraging a culture of sharing and community ownership, with our records showing a consistent use throughout the year.

Trustee Recruitment The focused effort to recruit additional trustees represented essential work in ensuring our charity's long-term viability and effectiveness. Recognising that sustainable community organisations require diverse skills, perspectives, and committed leadership, this recruitment drive aimed to strengthen our governance and operational capacity.

Baby Hub New Parents Support Group The launch of the Baby Hub new parents support group addressed a critical need within the growing Northstowe community, providing essential peer support for new families with young children. This initiative recognised that new parents often face isolation and uncertainty, particularly in a developing community where extended family networks may not be readily available. The Baby Hub created opportunities for parents to share experiences, access information, and build supportive relationships that benefit both adults and children, contributing to the overall family-friendliness and social cohesion of the community.

Community Pantry Support Our assistance with the Community Pantry project administered by Sustainable Northstowe has helped to tackle food waste while providing free food access to community members - this partnership like the Midsummer Festival has highlighted that community challenges often require collaborative solutions and that supporting others' initiatives can be as valuable as leading new projects.

Supporting Community Events Our involvement in supporting community events led by other groups, including Light Up Northstowe, Community Beer and Carols, and Community Litter Picks, has helped bring more residents together for different worthwhile purposes. This supportive approach has helped create a busy calendar of community activities while demonstrating our commitment to collaborative community building.

Financial Review

Cash at the bank at 31/3/2025 was £4389.64 in total, with £1014 in a designated fund from the dissolution of Northstowe Social for use towards free and inclusive community events, and £1262 primarily from residual funding and post event donations from the Midsummer Festival 24, to be carried forward for the Midsummer Festival 25. The main financial risk to the charity is failure to obtain future grants and reduced donations. As we currently have no employed staff and minimal assets to maintain we have adopted a reserve policy to maintain £1000 for use in the event of loss of income or to meet any unexpected expenditure e.g. repair costs for the coffee machine.

Our main source of funds have been grants, donations and revenue from charitable activities.

Our main costs have been on consumables for use in the community café, items/equipment for the Cabin and other community activities, and costs associated with the delivery of community events such as room hire, sound staging and events management.

Plans for 2025/26

We are in the process of expanding our community cafe project to include sessions at the new cafe space at Northstowe Secondary College, supporting residents as Northstowe continues to grow. We are also co-leading on the delivery of the second Northstowe Midsummer Festival for the summer of 2025, and will be the lead organisation for delivering Light Up Northstowe for the community in December. We are also looking to continue to expand our volunteer and trustee network to support our ongoing projects. And our trustees are keen to continue conversations with Northstowe Town Council regarding the plans for managing the future community centre and how we can best represent the needs of the community in the delivery of this crucial facility.

Declaration

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

Signed on behalf of the charities trustees:

HKMarden

Hektor Marden (Chair)

Northstowe Hub - Financial Activities Report For the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025

		Restricted	Designated	Unrestricted	Totals
	Opening bank balance as on 1/4/2024	£918	£1,799	£1,631	£4,348
Receipts	Cafe sales			£4,583	£4,583
	Grant- Midsummer Festival 24	£8,536			£8,536
	Sponsorship	£270			£270
	Total Receipts	8,806	-	4,583	£13,389
Payments	Cafe runningcosts			£2,019	£2,019
	Midsummer Festival 24	£7,643			£7,643
	Raised Bedproject costs	£819			£819
	Social fund		£785		£785
	Room Hire			£1,514	£1,514
	Insurance			£192	£192
	Miscellaneous			£375	£375
	Total Payments	£8,462	£785	£4,100	£13,347
	Net of Receipts and Payments	£344	-£785	£483	£42
	Closing bank balance as on 31/3/2025	£1,262	£1,014	£2,114	£4,390