2025-03-31-accounts

Annual Report & Financial Statements for Year Ended 31-Mar-25

Charity Number: 1207979

Southend Community Matters (SCM)

- - Annual Report for Year Ended 31 Mar 25

Registered Address & Contact Details:

Main Contact:

Registered ofice:

Sarah Lander: Chair Civic Centre Southend Community Matters Victoria Avenue, Southend on Sea T: [phone] SS2 6FY

T: [phone] E: [e-mail] W: www.southendcm.org

Legal Structure:

Southend Community Matters is a (Foundation) Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO):-

Charity Number: 1207979 Date of Establishment: 23-Apr-24

Governing Document:

Constitution (Foundation CIO)

Objects:

The objects of the CIO are:

To further the benefit of the residents of Southend and broader Essex environs, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious, or other opinions by associating together the said residents, the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.

Board of Trustees:

1. Chris Silvey Trustee/Chair 2. Glyn Halksworth Trustee/Treasurer 3. Sarah Lander Trustee/Secretary 4. Stuart Long Trustee

2. Sirajun-Nessa Motin Trustee

Structure & Governance:

1

The idea for Southend Community Matters was developed by a team who became first Trustees when the CIO was established; the ‘team’ was representative of local groups operating in the area e.g. ATF (Southend), South Essex Homes (SEH) and members from statutory sector and local communities.

Long-term, it is aimed that the CIO will be community-led which is a key part of our ABCD ethos; this will be facilitated by recruiting additional Trustees from local communities who will be supported into service by joining Community Forums we will set up as part of our projects, whereby they will be able to receive training as a pathway to becoming a formal Trustee of the charity.

Ultimately, it is planned that SCM will engage a small staff team, led by a chief officer, to promote community development, deliver localised project work and engage communities to foster self-help and ‘system change’, all of which will benefit local communities.

At this point, the Board of Trustees will adopt a more ‘governance’ orientated role as opposed to the direct management presently practiced in the absence of salaried staff or operational volunteers. In the interim, the Board will directly manage operations and staff engaged to deliver the first programmes once funding is achieved to deliver the planned work.

Objectives & Activities:

Southend Community Matters (SCM) was registered as a new charity in Apr-24 with a remit to conduct ‘Asset Based Community Development’ (ABCD) in all areas of Southend to engage communities in identifying local needs and develop user-led responsive activities.

During Year 1, we have yet to become operational having prepared / developed a Business Plan, operational strategies, budgets and policies, ahead of Year 2 during when we will be ‘connecting with local communities’ to identify needs and develop user-led activities, which, typically, may include:-

1. Bringing together system partners, community groups and funders to support local communities

2. Connecting communities e.g. through social activities

3. Sports & physical exercise

4. ‘Handy-man services’ e.g. gardening and home support

5. Recycling projects e.g. white goods and furniture

6. Training & skills development e.g. financial literacy

7. Health workshops [collaborating with local health professionals]

8. Volunteer opportunities for peer support

2

9. Resident led community safety initiatives

Achievements & Performance:

During Year 1:-

1. Capacity Building & Development:

We prepared / developed a Business Plan, operational strategies, budgets and policies, preparatory to becoming operational in Year 2; these resources are available to support our development.

1. Fund-Raising:

“Connecting Communities” is our planned first formal, operational programme, for which we secured funding from Essex Community Foundation (£4,000), and we also have in-kind contributions from ATF (£3,840.00), a local charity which supported the establishment of SCM.

These contributions have enabled the charity to become operational which is planned for Year 2 as the grant funding was received late in Year 1 and carried forward.

With this project, we want to adopt a different approach to community development, ensuring local people are ‘in the lead’ and develop longer-term strategies which can be continued.

For example, after this project has ended, during 2025 – 26, we will leave in its wake a functioning local Forum comprising local people and connected network of local services providers and system partners, to pick up activities we will have initiated. As such, this is the key project which will feed into ensuing projects, programmes and grant bids i.e. the outcomes from this project will inform strategy.

Financial Review:

- Funding & Fund Raising:

As above, Year 1 was spent conducting developmental activities, preparatory to Year 2 whereby we will become operational; this included preparing our first grant bids to Awards for All, Essex Community Foundation and the Community Investment Board which is a local fund within Southend.

From these bids, we secured our first funding from Essex Community Foundation which will be carried forward into the new year to support the new project it will fund, and was matched in-kind, by contributions from ATF to support establishment and general administration of SCM.

Reserves Policy:

3

As a new charity, one key objective is to be financially responsible; therefore, we already have a policy for reserves despite not actually holding any at this juncture. Our Reserves Policy aligns with the Charity Commission’s guidance, aiming to cover 3-6-months running costs should funding fail, emergency, dissolution costs and to invest in new programmes as needs are identified.

We aim to be proactive in this policy, seeking unrestricted funds from grants and we will also set up fund-raising activities within local communities to generate income through donations and activities as these are key sources which can be diverted to reserves, whereby many grant awards tend to be restricted to be expended on project work.

Along with a formal fund-raising strategy, this is a policy which will be developed in Year 2 and updated on an ongoing basis.

Signed:

……………………………………………………………………….

Chris Silvey (Chair) [On behalf of Southend Community Matters]

4

Southend Community Matters (SCM)

Accounts to 31-Mar-25

			Un-Restricted Restricted	Total
Income : 07/03/25 - Essex Community Foundation		Income :	£ £ - 4,000.00	£ 4,000.00
	Total Income		- 4,000.00	4,000.00
Expenditure : No expenditure during this period	Expenditure :		-	-
Total Expenditure			--	-
Surplus / Deficit Funds Brought Forward			- 4,000.00 - -	4,000.00 -
**Funds Carried Forward at 31-Mar-25 **			- 4,000.00	4,000.00

The financial statements were approved by the committee on 12-Jun-25 and signed on its behalf by :-

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Mr. Chris Silvey (Chair): Glyn Halksworth (Treasurer):
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