Truth in A Trailer
Annual Report 6 June – 31 December 2024
Introduction
Truth in a Trailer was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (number 1208552) on 6[th] June 2024. The aim in registering this charity was to consolidate, continue and where possible expand upon evangelistic work that two of the Trustees have been organising together since 2021.
The stated charitable object of Truth in a Trailer is as follows:
To advance the Christian religion for the public benefit in accordance with the statement of beliefs in the Schedule hereto, primarily in South Wales and also in other parts of the United Kingdom and further afield as the charity trustees may from time to time think fit. This object will be achieved mainly, but not exclusively (a) by producing or otherwise sourcing literature and other material on Christianity and distributing it at public events, (b) by public preaching, and (c) by acts of kindness to those in evident need as a practical expression of the Christian faith.
When planning our activities for the period we have considered and conformed to the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In these activities we seek to introduce as wide a range of people as possible to the Christian faith, to encourage people in their Christian faith, and specifically also to provide practical help to meet the immediate needs of people who are homeless and others living in poverty. Our main areas of activity are as follows:
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Christian outreach at agricultural shows and town fairs
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Preaching and literature distribution in town/city centres and at drive-in services
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Outreach to homeless people
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Literature production and acquisition
In most of the outreach activities a trailer of some sort has some role to play, e.g. for transporting equipment, as a backdrop for drive-in preaching, or as a kiosk from which we can distribute items to homeless people. In all these activities we seek to bear witness to the One who declared “I am … the truth” (John 14:6); hence the name “Truth in a Trailer”.
The sets of people we encounter in the above areas of activity are almost disjoint from each other, contributing towards our purpose of introducing as wide a range of people as possible to the Christian faith with the resources we have available. The work with homeless people and others in poverty arises out of a specific long-standing concern we have had for people in such situations, as will be explained more fully below.
Our activities take place in various locations across South Wales, with some of them focussing particularly upon the Cardiff area. These activities are covered in more detail in the following sections.
Achievements and performance
Christian outreach at agricultural shows and town fairs
Prior to the formation of the Truth in a Trailer CIO we already had experience of securing pitches at agricultural shows and town fairs in the South Wales area for the purpose of introducing people to the Christian faith. Our first agricultural show event was the Shire Horse Show held in Abergavenny on 24[th] July 2021, and our first town fair event was the Caerphilly Little Cheese on 3[rd] September 2022. By 2024 our operations had expanded such that between the date of registration of Truth in a Trailer and the end of the year pitches were secured by ourselves at four agricultural shows (Abergavenny Shire Horse Show, Bridgend Country Show, Pembrokeshire County Show, Usk Show), at three winter fairs (Blackwood, Bargoed, Ystrad Mynach) and at the Abergavenny Food Festival. Earlier in the year, prior to the date of registration of Truth in a Trailer, we had pitches at three spring fairs in the same three locations as the winter fairs.
At these events we have found that distribution of tote bags overprinted with a Bible verse has proved to be very popular, with anywhere between 300 and 2,000 being accepted at any given event, depending on footfall, weather and other variables. Each bag has a Bible verse carefully selected to provide key elements of the Gospel message (John 3:16, John 3:17 and Romans 5:8). The contents of the bags have varied by event, but in most cases we have packed a flyer giving a brief explanation of the verse printed on the bag, and a further tract that also presents the Gospel message. The bags have been a talking-point that have led to discussions with visitors about the Gospel, and also with people who are already believers. A recurrent theme has been the opportunity to talk with people who no longer attend a place of worship, offering them encouragement.
At each of the agricultural shows we set up a 6 x 6 metre tent/gazebo, or larger, offering children’s craft activities and a range of free literature. During the children’s craft activities there were opportunities for conversations with children and their parents/guardians about the Bible. On the literature table we provided a variety of items including brief Gospel tracts; individual books of the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John – the latter in both Welsh and English), New Testaments and Bibles; booklets addressing specific matters of faith (e.g. “Can we be good without God?”); and, for children, story and colouring books, bookmarks and Bible verse wristbands. All these items were available for visitors to take free of charge. These items have provided a focus for discussions with visitors seeking further information about the Christian faith.
At the Winter Fairs (and at the 2024 Spring Fairs that preceded Truth in a Trailer’s registration) we were granted a “mobile pitch”. For a mobile pitch the organisers allow us to bring a delivery tricycle into the town centre from which we are able to distribute tote bags; we are also able to display a small range of literature. Regrettably two of these Winter Fairs (Blackwood and Bargoed) had to be cancelled by the organisers due to severe weather conditions.
At the Abergavenny Food Festival we stood in the streets and distributed tote bags to passers-by. Each helper took some copies of the Gospel of John with him or her, to offer as appropriate to people who stopped to converse.
We have met some of our visitors on multiple occasions, and there has been the opportunity to develop relationships with them and also with fellow exhibitors and the event organisers. We are very grateful to the organisers of these shows and events for the opportunity to be present, and for their helpfulness.
Preaching and literature distribution
Since December 2021 we have held a yearly Christmas carol service and Easter outreach in Cardiff city centre. At each of these events we distribute in the region of 500 leaflets explaining the Christmas or Easter message as appropriate and preach a brief message relevant to the occasion. In the Christmas events we also sing Christmas carols. Regrettably it was necessary to cancel the 2024 Christmas carol service due to illness. The 2024 Easter outreach falls outside the reporting period, of course. However, both these events are due to take place again in 2025 and will be reported on in the next annual return.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a monthly open-air meeting was held in Cardiff city centre, which we used to attend when possible. In September 2024 we took on responsibility for recommencing these monthly meetings. At each event a number of people took it in turn to preach the Gospel message, while appropriate literature was distributed. It is difficult to estimate the number of people reached through these efforts in 2024, but it would be in the order of several hundred at least.
During the pandemic we witnessed the benefits of drive-in services organised by others. There was the specific benefit in the pandemic that there were periods when it would not have been allowed to hold such services indoors. However, there is the on-going benefit that some who might hesitate to set foot within a church building have been happy to drive in to a car park in order to listen to the Gospel message there. We facilitated two drive-ins organised by the Bridgend Gospel Hall during the reporting period: a week of meetings in a car park in Porthcawl in June 2024, and a week of meetings in a car park in Bridgend in September 2024. Attendance at these meetings was fairly small, but at least one contact was made that was maintained after the events were over.
We are grateful for the permissions that we have been granted to organise these events.
Outreach to homeless people
We, and several members of Bethesda Church (Ty’n y Parc Road, Cardiff), have had a long-standing desire to reach out to homeless people, seeking to provide help for their immediate needs and also to share God’s love with them. In the activities described above we do not have much contact with such people. However, it should be mentioned that we had contact with two homeless people at the Porthcawl drive-ins, one of whom attended the meetings (on foot) regularly, and it was possible to provide some refreshments afterwards.
Accordingly, in June 2021 we commenced evening visits to Cardiff City Centre to seek to understand the homeless situation there at the time. The work developed with the acquisition of a horsebox converted into a catering unit. During the reporting period, we visited Cardiff city centre approximately once a fortnight, with some groups walking around
the city centre on foot, providing refreshment and clothing to people in need, and one group taking the horsebox to a location outside a centre for homeless people, providing refreshment and clothing from there. Pot Noodles, hats, gloves, socks and blankets are particularly popular. People we meet are under no obligation to listen to or talk with us about the Christian message, but there have been many opportunities to talk with people who are in the middle of very challenging and difficult situations, seeking to be an encouragement and help to them. On a typical evening we might see between about 15 and 40 people.
Literature production and acquisition
One of the on-going goals of Truth in a Trailer is to produce literature suitable for use at its outreach events. Some of the literature used in the events described above was produced by ourselves, but prior to the reporting period. This includes flyers explaining John 3:16, John 3:17 and Romans 5:8; a “God is speaking” series of tracts; “Good news for Abergavenny”; an Easter tract (“An empty tomb and a living Saviour”) and a Christmas tract (“God’s wonderful gift”). We have not produced new literature specifically for Truth in a Trailer during the reporting period; however, a new Children’s Christmas story book has been produced for distribution in a range of contexts, including in schools and at Truth in a Trailer’s winter events. It is hoped to produce further literature in 2025.
Financial review
Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £12,452; no restricted donations were received during the reporting period. A legacy of £10,000 was allocated to a designated fund set up to be used in 2025 to pay for purchase of tote bags overprinted with Bible verses. Although they are individually fairly inexpensive, the large number we distribute means that bag purchase is the largest recurrent cost anticipated in the immediate future.
Truth in a Trailer’s bank account opened towards the end of the reporting period, on 29[th] October 2024, and so funding (pitch fees, etc.) for the events covered in the present report was provided personally by other individuals and ourselves prior to that date. During the reporting period there was no expenditure other than one monthly account fee of £5 on 16[th] December 2024.
Major assets used in our activities prior to the registration of Truth in a Trailer, and previously owned by one of the Trustees (Stuart Scammell), are now the property of Truth in a Trailer. These include the converted horsebox and two other trailers; gazebo frames, walls and other equipment; previously-purchased overprinted tote bags; and literature.
The net result for the period was an excess of receipts over payments of £12,447 (including the above-mentioned receipt of £10,000 allocated to a designated fund). No balance was brought forward at the beginning of the period, and so the balance carried forward on 31[st] December 2024 was £12,447 of which £10,000 was allocated to a designated fund for purchase of bags in 2025.
We should like to express our gratitude to individuals who have contributed to the funding of Truth in a Trailer and, in particular, to those who provide space free of charge for trailer storage, equipment and literature.
Volunteers
Truth in a Trailer does not have any employees. We are grateful to volunteers who participate in running these events, and in preparation for them. Without their involvement far fewer outreach endeavours would be possible, and they would need to be on a smaller scale. Typically, a team of about 10 to 15 people has participated in most of the events described in this report, with the exception of the homeless outreach, where it was more typical on a given evening for between 5 and 10 volunteers to be present.
In addition to the outreach events themselves, we organise other events from time to time to prepare materials for the various activities. During the reporting period two such events were held, on 25[th] June and 10[th] September 2024. Typically, between 15 and 20 volunteers help at these preparation events.
Structure, governance and management
Truth in a Trailer has three Trustees:
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Stuart David Scammell (Chair)
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Andrew Clifford Jones (Secretary)
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Peter James Barton
As mentioned above, it does not have any employees. The Trustees provide their services free of charge to the charity.
The Truth in a Trailer constitution currently specifies a meeting quorum of two charity trustees, or the number nearest to one third of the total number of charity trustees, whichever is greater (hence the current quorum is two trustees). During the reporting period the Trustees met twice; on the first occasion (30[th] September 2024) one of the Trustees was unable to attend but had previously provided his assent in writing electronically to the details agreed in relation to the single agenda item (opening a bank account with CAF Bank). The other meeting, on 11[th] November, was attended by all Trustees. Among other matters, it was agreed at that meeting that the Trustees would thenceforth meet at approximately 3 monthly intervals, except when matters needing more immediate attention might arise.
Approved by the Trustees on 28[th] October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Stuart Scammell (Chair)
Andrew Jones (Secretary)
Truth in a Trailer Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024
----- Start of picture text -----
Charity Name No (if any)
TRUTH IN A TRAILER
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 06/06/24 31/12/24
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Designated Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Legacy (designated to Gospel bag
purchase fund) - - 10,000 - 10,000 -
Other donations 2,451 - - - 2,451 -
Bank interest 1 - - - 1 -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
2,452 - 10,000 - 12,452 -
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - - -
- - - - - -
Sub total - - - - - -
Total receipts 2,452 - 10,000 - 12,452 -
A3 Payments
Bank account fees 5 - - - 5 -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
- - - - - -
Sub total 5 - - - 5 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - - -
Total payments 5 - - - 5 -
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,447 - 10,000 - 12,447 -
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - - - -
Cash funds this year end 2,447 - 10,000 - 12,447 -
----- End of picture text -----
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Bank current account Details |
Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Bank current account Details |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Restricted funds to nearest £ |
Designated funds to nearest £ |
Designated funds to nearest £ |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,447 - - |
- | 10,000 | - | |||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| 2,447 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ |
- | 10,000 | - | |||||
| OK | ||||||||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
||||||||
| - - - - |
- | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - When due (optional) Date of approval 28/10/2025 28/10/2025 |
|||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | ||||||
| Gazebos | Unrestricted funds | - | - | |||||
| Trailers | Unrestricted funds | - | - | |||||
| Gospel bags | Unrestricted funds | - | - | |||||
| Literature | Unrestricted funds | - | - | |||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| - | - | |||||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
||||||
| - | ||||||||
| - | ||||||||
| - | ||||||||
| Signature | Print Name | |||||||
| Stuart David Scammell | 28/10/2025 | |||||||
| Andrew Clifford Jones | 28/10/2025 |
Approved by the Trustees on 28[th] October 2025 and signed on their behalf by
Stuart Scammell (Chair)
Andrew Jones (Secretary)