CAMBRIDGE CYRENIANS HOMES. CHOICES. FUTURES ANNUAL REVIEW 2020121
On behalf of Cambridge Cyrenians Board of Trustees I am delighted to present our Annual Review for 2020-21. I and the Board of Trustees are grateful for how our skilled and dedicated team of staff and volunteers have worked hard and flexibility during the Covid-19 pandemic to support our service users. I would like to thank my fellow Trustees for their work in supporting and guiding the organisation, and all our supporters, partners and funders. It is the contributions from many that enable us to provide high quality accommodation and support for the homeless and vulnerable people of Cambridge.
While working with the Council and other partners to put in place emergency housing for local homeless people during COVID lockdowns we progressed our business plan objectives and agreed aims to grow our housing in line with the increase in the local population. Whilst our planned events for raising our public profile during our 50[th] year were impacted by COVID restrictions we developed our focus on fund-raising, crucial as we are only able to deliver our additional services as a result of generous charitable grants and donations from organisations and individuals.
As we look ahead COVID continues to impact on how we support our service users. We will pursue options for providing more accommodation and securing a new office base for our team. We will also focus on the Councils contracting process essential to fund the services we provide.
Neil Offley—Chair of Board of Trustees
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Following a year unlike any other experienced by Cambridge Cyrenians I am proud to be presenting the annual review where Cambridge Cyrenians safely navigated the coronavirus pandemic. I am full of gratitude to our team of staff and volunteers that maintained accommodation and support for the 103 people who live with us, while our extended services supported many more living in the community.
It’s fair to say that our 50th year celebrations were knocked sideways by the pandemic, but fitting that we should focus on providing quality support during this difficult time rather than shouting about our 50-year existence. That said we swiftly moved into PR in the 21st century, hosting online concerts, Zoom quizzes, virtual Q&A sessions and balloon races.
We were an integral partner in the ‘Everyone In’ initiative providing staff and managerial support to the mammoth effort to house all those homeless during the pandemic. The amount of people revealed during ‘Everyone In’ showed the true level of homelessness in Cambridge, confirming how important our services are in helping to provide solutions for those homeless in Cambridge.
Despite the pandemic we provided quality accommodation and support throughout, we moved people on into their own homes and supported them to engage with their community, and we will continue to do this in the coming year.
James Martin—Director
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To support anyone at risk of or experiencing homelessness, no matter their background or past, to have an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential.
To support and empower those who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness and to make a positive difference to the quality of their lives.
Pioneering: Leading in new and innovative ways of supporting homeless people and finding solutions to the challenges of homelessness. Inclusive: Open to all, valuing and respecting people for their differences. Flexible: We are continually looking at ways to be innovative, to find solutions that will improve the quality of life of our service users. Empathetic: We strive to understand and share the feelings of others. Respectful: We believe in tolerance, acceptance, valuing diversity, and treating each other as equals.
Empowering: We believe in bringing out the best in people, equipping them to make their own decisions and reach their potential.
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Steven returned from working abroad in 2012 where he worked as a head chef; he spent a number of years sofa surfing and street homeless without asking for help because of the stigma and the thought of going into a hostel was too much for him. Eventually, he got into a privately rented flat but he couldn’t afford to keep up the rent which meant he returned to homelessness.
Steven lived in a Cyrenians house from September 2017 until December 2020 when he secured, with support from Cyrenians, a social housing flat in Cambridge. The period from 2012 to 2017 had had a hugely detrimental impact on Steven’s mental health. He spent three months feeling isolated and felt that there was no future for him.
Steven said: “Cyrenians are amazing and really helped me. I didn’t see my children for three years and I missed them so much. The mental health practitioner at Cyrenians helped me to go to family court to gain access to my children again. When I first moved into the Cyrenians house, I was stressed and found myself snapping at everyone. I did not realise I was suffering a mental breakdown as a result of my life experiences. I could not continue to work in that emotional state. I was lucky enough to meet Cyrenians’ Mental Health practitioner; her help was invaluable to me.”
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Cambridge Cyrenians operates a range of housing and support services meeting the needs of homeless and vulnerable individuals within the city. This includes varied supported accommodation options for different levels of need, an older homeless floating support service, an in-house mental health nurse and a therapeutic allotment project.
Despite the challenges faced in the past financial
year as a result of COVID-19, we were able to maintain our accommodations and support throughout, albeit with some new adjustments. During the initial wave of the pandemic, we reluctantly paused face to face support, opting for creative and remote ways of linking in with our residents. This brought about new obstacles for both staff and residents whom adjusted to new software and equipment to maintain their relationships in a safe manner.
Thankfully, Cambridge Cyrenians have managed to remain largely unscathed by the virus itself with only 3 houses experiencing a period of isolation. Thinking on our feet, we ensured we were able to provide food and support to successfully allow 2 weeks of provisions for those households experiencing isolation.
We also began working with our first resident of the Housing First city scheme, working in partnership with the County Council providing self-contained accommodation and with intensive support from staff to remain independent.
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After a marriage breakdown, Tony found himself without a accommodation. He exhausted his options of staying with friends before spending nights on the streets, covered only by his sleeping bag or hiding in public toilets. Tony was able to engage with the Cambridge Street Outreach Team, helping him locate a bed at the local assessment centre. He was then referred to Cambridge Cyrenians.
“Initially I was shocked by how quick the process was. I attended an interview, and quickly after I was offered a room. The property felt very much like a home. It wasn’t as busy as a hostel, and I felt at peace.”
Tony was supported by his Project Work to look into work options, however during this process it was discovered that Tony had cancer. “I was grateful to have the support of staff at Cyrenians, and knowing I had a stable place that I could rest after treatment.”
After Tony’s successful treatment, he was presented with an opportunity to join a shared house in the private rented sector. He felt this was a good fit after his positive experiences of shared living within Cyrenians. Initially nervous, Tony feels the process to his new accommodation went smoothly and is pleased to have his independence and a place for his daughter to visit.
“I still keep in contact with the staff at Cyrenians and some of the friends I made in their accommodation too. Since I’ve moved, I really appreciate the ongoing support I receive from Cyrenians, especially in the current circumstances.”
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Our specialist floating support service helps older men and women to transition into and maintain independent living. Supporting people in all types of tenure, the service plays a vital role enabling formerly homeless individuals to manage and maintain their accommodation.
We were able to continue this service face-to-face throughout the pandemic. We recognised that users of this service were at a much higher risk of isolation and for some of those people our Older Homeless Service is the only regular contact they have. With many other support agencies unable to deliver face-to-face support safely, it has provided an essential service ensuring our clients were not ‘left in the dark’.
As a response to the increase of people moving into independent accommodation throughout 2020 and in order to create further spaces for those struggling to adjust to a new tenancy, we were able to employ a second member to this team. As a result, we increased the number of people we can support from 25 up to 40, and we also reduced the age of entry to 45, reflecting statistics that those experiencing homelessness are more likely to live shorter lives. During this growth, we were able to safely end support to those who no longer needed assistance in maintaining their tenancies. Those people were reassured that Cambridge Cyrenians operate an open door policy, and are provided with the tools to access alternative assistance too.
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The Jubilee Project provides accommodation for 10 people with an offending background who are facing homelessness or those without stable accommodation. In 2019/20 the project saw 19 people enter whilst 8 moved on to more permanent accommodation. Our dedicated Project Workers use their skills to liaise with other agencies such as the Probation Service and health professionals whilst regularly meeting with our service users on a 1 to 1 basis to help our residents in achieving their goals.
Throughout COVID-19, the residents of the Jubilee Project have had many new challenges to deal with. Disruption to all services meant that many further support networks were difficult to engage with or access, especially those without the use and skills needed for technological alternatives. We were however able to get many residents using computers and tablets with thanks to Cambridge Online who helped provide the technology. Our residents were then able to access virtual services such as counselling and substance abuse therapies. One resident was even able to enter residential rehab due to their continued engagement in the face of adversity throughout the pandemic.
We were also able to provide a brand new kitchen to our residents at the Jubilee Project which in the future we hope to utilise for culinary skill projects as part of our meaningful activity service. We noticed the challenges in continuing many of these activities, even online, in a busy and communal building.
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Our Meaningful Activities programme encourages residents to engage with training and volunteering opportunities which helps them to gain stable employment further down the line. By joining in with these activities, service users are able to expand their social circles and create environments for lasting change too.
Many of our residents were disproportionately affected by job losses as a result of the pandemic due to many engaging in careers that were determined non-essential or temporary. We were also faced with the challenges of promoting digital courses, workshops and socials to a client group who largely do not have the technical experience or interest to do so. Some residents did however take up these options, including one resident who attended a virtual social group for members of the LGBTQ+ community and other residents also expanded their creativity with online art classes.
Thankfully further into the pandemic many of our residents who experienced job losses, and some previously unemployed were able to find further work with 6 people engaging in Wintercomfort’s Overstream Clean enterprise.
One such resident has now filled an 18 year gap in their CV after applying for many roles about the city to no avail, but has received training and guidance from the team at Overstream, where they continue to work.
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Led by our Therapeutic Horticulturalist, those accessing our thriving allotment community are able to learn about food produce, sustainability and our taking care of our environment. It has been heart-warming to see the team of regular attendees embrace and adapt to new working methods over the past year, to look after the environment they’ve worked so hard to grow. The community saw some major changes during particularly restrictive periods of the
pandemic and had to learn to manage parts of the gardens alone, or with a slim team of helpers. At parts, the team worked on a rota in order to socially distance correctly but we were also thankful to have purchased individual gardening kits thanks to funding from the Anglian Water Positive Difference Fund.
The lockdowns inspired some residents to take on gardening responsibilities in their homes, some of whom moved on to help with the allotment team’s gardening group, who help to maintain our properties’ green spaces. We also prepared and delivered plenty of home kits, such as seedbombs and windowsill grow kits, to encourage attendees to keep growing, caring and creating through the times they were unable to attend the plots due to the restrictions.
An anonymous allotment attendee stated –
“When I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety I got told a good way to battle it was to go out and do some gardening. It was so beneficial for me. Being able to see my hard work turn into something, but also I enjoyed the process of everything from pruning back the bushes, to digging out the weeds.”
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Cambridge Cyrenians’ Mental Health Service is run by a qualified Mental Health Nurse and provides professional mental health support to our residents, liaising with consultant psychiatrists, local GP doctors and Adult Mental Health Services. In 2021, our Mental Health Nurse Practitioner received training to provide EMDR Therapy, a reprocessing technique that aims to minimise the impact of traumatic life experiences using interesting bilateral stimulation techniques.
An extremely important service particularly during lockdowns, our Mental Health Service was able to continue to operate with some expected changes. Many sessions were held on walks or by providing alternative contact such as video calls. We were also successful in temporarily expanding the service to meet the needs of those who needed some lighter, but essential nonetheless support, and to those struggling with isolation, fears around the pandemic and heightened anxieties.
During our annual resident survey, one resident commented that they had not used the Mental Health Service so far but felt reassured in knowing that it was accessible to them if ever needed. Another person commented that the mental health support over the past year has been a very great help to them.
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Sam was living in a Cyrenians property when three years ago his Project worker visited him as part of their weekly support visits. Sam wasn’t coping well; he couldn’t touch the walls, was constantly hand washing and had covered his room in cling film. It was very clear that something was not right; he had considered suicide and the situation was very serious.
His Project worker referred him to the Alternative Futures Project where he received support straightaway. Over time he began to improve. Our mental health practitioner worked with him to treat his whole body and supported him with some of the immediate barriers he had to overcome, including gaining important ID documents that he had lost.
Sam said when asked what the biggest difference the support had made: “The difference for me is huge; I was suicidal and homeless. Without Cyrenians, I wouldn’t have survived. They helped me a great deal.”
“I now feel more equipped to manage my mental health and avoid crisis point again in the future. I feel lucky to have had Cyrenians and their mental health service at the time that I did. I honestly don’t think this service could be any better; they offered me far more than a room - their care and support has had such an impact on me.”
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The work of Cambridge Cyrenians depends on the support of our selfless volunteers. Many volunteers help with administration or fundraising, live-In volunteers aim to provide extra support to those who require it whereas other volunteers are instrumental to the running of the Allotment Project. Our volunteer counsellors and befrienders provides crucial emotional and practical support to our residents and service users.
Although part-time volunteering was postponed due to the pandemic, we were able to maintain our full-time, live-in volunteers who deserve a huge thank you. In the height of a global pandemic, our volunteers persevered through the challenges they had faced such as life in a new country, adjusting to a new workplace and experiencing the lifestyles of homeless people for the first time. They maintained peace and order within our houses, motivated residents and maintained government guidance on how to remain safe in supported accommodation.
Our counsellors also continued their sessions, sessions utilised technology in order to proceed through lockdowns. Some residents preferred this method and we have continued to keep some sessions online, however to maintain social distancing rules we began to use space at the Wesley Church as soon as in-person sessions were possible. Multiple residents expressed how helpful they had found the continuation of our counselling throughout the pandemic.
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I am hopeful that by the time you read this we will have completed the purchase of our new office and will have moved the base of our operations to the new location in Signet Court. This represents a long term ambition that started before my journey with Cambridge Cyrenians and I am pleased to have enabled this to become a reality.
The new office will not only provide the space we have been needing over recent years, it will allow us to grow as we look towards the future. During the pandemic we increased the capacity and staff in our Older Homeless Service to respond to the increased move-on as a result of ‘Everyone in’. I am optimistic that the debilitating impact of Covid-19 is now behind us and we can focus on new projects and the elements of our business plan which have been neglected as a result.
By the end of the coming financial year our current Housing Related Support contract will have come to an end and hopefully we will be commencing the delivery of the Street to Homes Service. Should the commissioning of this new service proceed as expected then we will be starting an exciting journey where Cambridge Cyrenians and the current homelessness support services come closer together to provide a more seamless service to the homeless and vulnerably housed in Cambridge.
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----- Start of picture text -----
2020/21 2019/20
Income £ £
Donations and Legacies 47,883 40,183
Net Rental Income 849,426 830,956
County Council Grants 223,167 217,879
Grants from Trusts 173,669 74,205
Cambridge City Council Homelessness Grant 20,000 2,600
Other Local Authority Grants - 1,780
Sundry Income 15,149 3,389
Investment Income 5,636 6,209
Total Income 1,334,930 1,177,201
Expenditure
Costs of Raising Funds 38,495 9,199
Expenditure on Charitable Activities 1,135,883 1,100,154
Total Expenditure 1,174,378 1,109,353
Net Movement in Funds 154,682 67,848
Total Funds Brought Forward 560,898 493,050
Total Funds Carried Forward 715,580 560,898
Balance Sheet
Fixed Assets 15,461 7,822
Net Current Assets 700,119 553,076
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities 715,580 560,898
represented by:
Restricted Reserves 113,002 23,885
Designated Reserves 425,000 250,000
Unrestricted Reserves 177,578 287,013
Total Capital and Reserves 715,580 560,898
----- End of picture text -----
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Income (£) •bt¢re51 S¥ppry¢•¢ Peopywi fywty&wndryirne Totsl £l,33I930 Expenditure (£) $141 sol¥les • w4es AthtP4yAIA• •CoUnd1t & ulllltks Food8 Eqdynent maSnt & dep, Prwertymalntenan(e orfi(e AthTrinc05ts aff iiaknkn& travel et( •FuThJraiskniCon5ultants Totsl £1.174.378 17
Cambridge Cyrenians would like to thank all trustees; staff, both full- and part-time; and volunteers for their hard work during the year:
James Martin - Director Min-Hui Bird - Finance Manager Emma Hooton - Supported Accommodation Manager Kristian Claxton - Senior Project Worker Rikke Jensen - Senior Project Worker Shanice Jones – PR, Volunteer and Resident Activities Manager Louisa Hallisey - Mental Health Practitioner Lucine Harrison - Older Homeless Project Worker
Victoria Howell - Admin Assistant Megan Humphrey - Project Worker Kate Duckett - Project Worker Ruth Wood - Allotment Co-ordinator Brad O’Dwyer - Project Worker Val Oliver - Project Worker Grahame Richards - Maintenance Katherine Rodgers - Project Worker Rachel Savage - Project Worker Sheila Smith - Admin Assistant Alan Warner - Project Worker Hebe Rudder-Logan - Project Worker
Neil Offley—Chair of Board of Trustees Sarah Coates—Trustee Serin Dabb—Trustee Dave Glover—Trustee Sophie Kelk—Trustee Jonathan Manning—Trustee Harriet Truscott—Trustee
Alyse Roberts—Trustee Mariella Giancola—Trustee Richard Robertson—Treasurer
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Cambridgeshire County Council South Cambridgeshire District Council Cambridge City Council The Nationwide Foundation The Tudor Trust Good Gifts Catalogue The Big Lottery The Henry Smith Charity Cambridgeshire Community Foundation Mills and Reeve The Gwyneth Forrester Trust
The Barnabus Oley Trust CAF Bank Resilience Fund Garfield Weston Foundation Albert Hunt Trust D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Cambridge Online HTS Estates Morrissons Foundation Savills Estate Agents Independent Age
Cambridge City Council Cambridge Housing Society King Street Housing The Dawe Trust Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing
Friedrich von Bechtolsheim Amelie Klein Paula Eisoldt Moritz Dornenburg
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Cambridge Cyrenians Tel: 01223 712501 4 Short Street Email: office@cambridgecyrenians.org.uk Cambridge CB1 1LB Web: www.cambridgecyrenians.org.uk Registered Charity Number 261994 @CamCyrenians Company Number 992199 @CambridgeCyrenians @the_allotmentproject
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27 Jiily 2021
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AFT reported above are limited to those deficienctes thai ihe audilor has identified during the audit and that the auditor has concluded are ol sutTicieni importance lo merit being reported io those charged with governance. We are able to offer as an addilional engagement services designed to review specific areas of your activities such as PAYE and VAT conipliance. We may contact you shortly to discuss the contents of this letter. Your5 faithfully W Shipley FCCA Prentis & Co LLP ian.shi renlis.co.uk Encs