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2022-03-31-accounts

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Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 March 2022

Thank you to our team

The Board of trustees and senior management team would like to take this opportunity to say how incredibly proud we are of all the staff at Launchpad. Whilst the year remained difficult post-lockdown, their passion and resilience has been remarkable, and the impact of their dedication to improving the lives of those they support can be seen on a daily basis.

Launchpad’s Mission, vision and values

Our Vision

Launchpad Reading wants everyone in Reading to have their own home and the opportunity for a positive future.

Our Mission

Our mission is to house, support and empower vulnerable people to transform their lives and fulfil their potential.

Our Values

We are committed to the following values:

Every person who turns to us for help is different and faces unique challenges. We provide bespoke, holistic support on an individual basis, always considering the best way to help in each situation.

These are the tangible things we do to help people in Reading:

Our Services

Launchpad is Reading’s leading homelessness prevention charity, providing vital information and holistic support for individuals, couples and families who don’t have a stable place to live, or are at risk of losing their home.

We deliver 3 key services - we prevent homelessness, provide homes and rebuild lives:

  1. Preventing homelessness - Homelessness figures are rising year on year. Launchpad works in a number of ways to stop a housing problem becoming a crisis, and to prevent homelessness in Reading.

  2. Our drop-in service offers specialist information and support for anyone at risk of losing their home. No referral is needed - anyone can simply visit our offices.

  3. Sometimes people need more help to overcome a serious housing-related challenge. Our floating support service works with individuals, couples and families to address the root of their housing problems so they are able to obtain and sustain a long-term home and lead full and independent lives. We provide tailored support for periods of three to six months for people who have special educational needs or disabilities, are victims of domestic abuse or are leaving care or prison, and people who are struggling with issues such as addiction, debt management, hoarding, poor mental health and numeracy and literacy.

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3. Rebuilding lives –

We know it takes more than just a home to help people move out of homelessness. We support people to tackle their issues and rebuild their lives through therapeutic activities and support with education, training and employment.

Launchpad 135 - Work and Life Skills centre

The Work and Life Skills centre at 135 Cardiff Road is just ten minutes’ walk from Launchpad’s town centre offices and boasts the following bespoke facilities for vulnerable people in Reading. At the centre, people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home can learn new skills, attend counselling, build confidence and get back into training, education and employment.

A virtual tour of the centre can be found here: https://youtu.be/F9cwTanNk_Y

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Client stories - Claire

Claire became homeless during the pandemic, having spiralled into class A drug addiction. Claire and her partner weren’t keeping up with their rent payments and were evicted from their home in July 2020, just a few months into the outbreak of COVID-19. With nowhere to go and keen to start their recovery, they lived in a tent in the woods.

They washed their clothes in the brook, and collected wood for fires so they could keep warm and heat their food for the day, which would be a tin of soup that they’d share. Once the weather started turning colder, Claire and her partner moved into the back of a broken-down van.

“I couldn’t afford tax on the van and I was always worried it would be taken away with me in the back of it. I was on a friend’s driveway for a time and then moved it to a car park. At this point, my boyfriend left me and I was on my own. It was scary. It was then that I got in touch with St Mungo’s.”

Claire was put in an emergency B&B over Christmas, and she started working with St Mungo’s and Reading Borough Council to find a more long-term home. She managed to secure a studio flat via the Rent Guarantee Scheme and was referred to Launchpad in February 2021 to help settle her into the new home. A nationwide lockdown was in place, so while she wasn’t able to come to Launchpad’s drop-in service and receive support face-to-face, Claire was in touch with Wayne, a Launchpad floating support officer, over the telephone.

Wayne worked with Claire remotely over the next few months to help her access the benefits and discounted utilities she was entitled to, and Launchpad provided food parcels so she was eating well while she straightened out her finances. He helped Claire to source clothes, toiletries and items for her home, and access additional support from local voluntary organisations. Wayne also referred Claire to Launchpad 135, our work and life skills centre, to improve her confidence and reduce her sense of isolation.

‘I started doing art classes at Launchpad 135, and meeting new people and doing something creative really helped. Being at the centre made me realise that I’m not the person I used to be and that I’m now a functioning member of society,” explains Claire.

Claire says Launchpad has empowered her to make positive changes in her life: “I’ve been given the guidance and the tools to help myself and if you feel like you can help yourself, it gives you self-esteem and that feeling that you can move forward. I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression for a long time, but Wayne gave me the confidence to access support from mental health services and start medication to make sure my condition doesn’t negatively impact my life anymore.

The old proverb is true – give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

“To know Launchpad is there to support me is fantastic – it’s like a safety net and you don’t feel alone. Wayne is understanding and non-judgemental, and I was able to open up to him about aspects of my life I’m ashamed of. It has meant everything. I hope that by telling my story I can help somebody in a similar situation, because there have been people – including Wayne – who have helped me and I can never repay them.”

Claire has been drug free for 18 months and off methadone for just over a year – and is settled in her new home and feeling positive about her future.

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Impact and achievements

In 2021/22, Launchpad helped 1,129 people (2020/21 – 819).

Our client numbers across the year remained high, and we are delighted that we have supported so many clients across the services despite the continuing operational challenges posed by covid-19 restrictions, and our own staff absence.

The number of clients supported by each service:

Our in-house solicitor also helped 93 people with their housing issues, including representation at court if required, as well as advising our floating support staff with legal queries for other clients.

In 2021/22, Launchpad Reading’s service delivery achievements included:

Preventing homelessness

Providing homes

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Rebuilding lives

Launchpad 135, Reading’s Work and Life Skills centre continued to adapt how courses and support were delivered as covid-19 restrictions allowed, using virtual access and social distancing to ensure clients could continue to access the service. This year:

Launchpad 135 was successful in obtaining funding from The National Lottery Community Fund which will support the service over the next 3 years.

Counselling

Volunteering

Partnership working

Launchpad prides itself on its wide network of partners and collaborative way of working, and has excellent relationships with local agencies including Thames Valley Police, Reading Borough Council, Change Grow Live, the National Probation Service and Thames Valley Community Rehabilitation Company amongst others.

The solicitor provides crucial housing and homelessness-related legal advice – and takes legal action on behalf of people who are at risk of losing their home or who don’t have a safe place to live. The solicitor works with our clients to ensure they are treated lawfully by landlords, housing associations and other agencies across Reading; by upskilling our staff, educating people who come to us for support on their legal rights, helping them navigate complicated legal proceedings and acting as an advocate when they are too vulnerable to use their voice.

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Pro-bono support from partners and supporters continues to be invaluable:

Organisational development

Su Hamblyn was appointed as the new CEO of Launchpad in June 2021, having been Launchpad’s Head of Operations for six years before that. During her time at Launchpad, Su has been hugely instrumental in growing our services including the introduction of a drop-in service. Since appointment as CEO has had a particular focus on culture, governance and staff wellbeing. Key outcomes include:

Following the principles of the Charity Governance Code, we have further enhanced effective governance and leadership by:

This focus will ensure that Launchpad has the organisational resilience and depth of skills with which to support development and strategic growth.

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Client stories - Bob

When 57-year-old Bob’s marriage broke down and he lost his business – he turned to drink to numb the pain and soon found himself homeless. He even considered taking his own life.

Bob secured a room in a local pub and found work as a lorry driver – but the emotional impact of the previous months started to take effect, and he began drinking to excess. Over the next five years, Bob was determined to keep working and drifted from job to job whilst sleeping rough.

Bob’s sister told him about Launchpad after she’d heard about the charity through a friend, and they both came to drop-in. He was assigned Carl, a Launchpad floating support officer, who started working with the local council to help Bob find a safe home and get him set up on Universal Credit. Within weeks, Bob had accepted a flat.

Carl worked with Bob to build his self-esteem and develop new skills, referring him to Launchpad’s art classes, counselling and gardening sessions, and he taught him how to use a computer. The removals team at Launchpad then took Bob on as a volunteer in late 2019, which continued to boost his confidence.

However, when the pandemic hit in March 2020, Bob was no longer able to volunteer and he really struggled with the isolation of lockdown, which impacted his mental health.

‘Launchpad helped me through it. I got back in touch with them when I was anxious and as Launchpad 135 had just opened, I went in and with the help of Dan at the centre, I did various courses for my reading and writing on the computers, and I just talked about my experiences with other people at the coffee mornings. It taught me to be more calm and collected, take life at a steady pace, and it’s given me confidence to express myself.”

Earlier this year, Bob was offered a volunteer role in the garden at Launchpad 135, helping clients to build and paint planters and furniture, and maintain the outside space. He volunteers once a week at the centre and said, “Volunteering has given me satisfaction and belonging, and I’ve realised I’m not useless like people used to call me. I’m part of a team and I’m equal. I used to be suicidal but I don’t want to kill myself now because I’ve got too much to give. If it wasn’t for Launchpad, I wouldn’t be here.”

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Fundraising

Fundraising Standards information

Launchpad is committed to its charitable aims, and fundraises in order to provide housing and additional support and services to its clients. Launchpad Reading has an ethical fundraising policy, abides by the Fundraising Regulators Code of Practice and follows the Chartered Institute of Fundraising's Codes of Fundraising Practice. The Head of Marketing and Fundraising is a member of the Institute of Fundraising. We do not use external fundraisers, with the exception of a grants and trusts consultant who works with us one day a week as an extension to the team. Launchpad respects the rights of its supporters to receive clear, truthful information on the work of Launchpad and will openly report how we spend donated monies and undertake to manage donors' data and information responsibly. We comply with the Charity Commission and UK law in every respect, including those regarding openness and honesty with our supporters and members of the public.

Fundraising support, campaigns and events

Matt Allwright

Our patron, Matt surprised us in 2021 by raising over £75,000 with his appearance on ‘Beat the Chaser’. He also won £12,700 on the Weakest Link at the end of 2021/22 (with monies received in 2022/23 financial year). We are incredibly touched and thankful for Matt’s support.

The Big Sleep Out at home

Our 2nd virtual Big Sleep Out at home saw 60 people from across Berkshire sleep in their gardens on Saturday 9 October, to mark World Homeless Day. The event raised over just over £18,000 and whilst this is a significant amount, it is well below the £57,000 raised from the event in 2020. This demonstrates the difficulties of fundraising during the year as supporters may have been experiencing ‘virtual/online fatigue’, or may be experiencing their own financial challenges as a consequence of the pandemic.

Christmas – campaign and event

At a time when many reflect on their lives and look to give to those in need, the local community were incredibly generous, supporting our online Christmas campaign, which raised over £35,000.

Due to ongoing concerns with social distancing, we decided to take our much-loved carols event outside for the first time. Partnering with Reading UK CIC, we ‘piggy-backed’ on their annual Twilight Trail event and hosted a one night ‘Launchpad Carols by Twilight’ in Reading Abbey ruins. Ticket proceeds and donations on the night totalled over £21,000 with 690 people enjoying an evening of carols with Reading Gospel Choir.

Pancake Race

Our iconic, much-loved pancake race returned in February 2022 - 30 corporate teams in fancy dress raced against each other on Broad Street, and raised over £7,000.

Regular giving

We continue to see an increase in those who choose to support us with a regular monthly donation as the certainty of this income helps us to plan and direct it to where it’s most needed.

Corporate support

There has been a continued challenge as businesses have needed to focus on their own operations. However, as corporates have begun to return to the office we have worked with them to find new and innovative ways of working together going forward.

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The Future

The Board and senior management team have reviewed Launchpad’s longer-term strategy and we aim to:

We want to build on our services and develop a culture that is continually learning and developing; where our staff and volunteers, and the people we exist to serve, feel valued and empowered.

Our focus will include:

We will also continue to monitor and review the needs of our clients, and those in need within Reading, to identify potential improvements to, or expansion of, services provided; and to work with clients to identify and adapt activities and services delivered at our work and life skills centre. This is to ensure that these best meet the needs of our client group and give them the best possible chance of a positive future.

The full impact of 2022’s rising food, energy and fuel prices on people in need, existing clients, our fundraising efforts, and our own costs and expenditure remain to be seen. However, we do expect a further rise in demand for our services and support as local people are affected by increased costs and general economic uncertainty.

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Financial review

Income & Expenditure

The principal funding sources for the charity during 2021/22 were:

As expected, 2021/22 was a difficult year for fundraising activities with continued uncertainty as to whether events and challenges could go ahead as planned. We were so appreciative of an outpouring of generosity from donors during 2020/21 in response to the covid-19 pandemic but we knew that this level of support was not sustainable. In particular, securing grant income has become increasingly challenging as so many funders had diverted funds to covid-19 responses. Businesses too had their own challenges in respect of new ways of working and have not had the availability of time or funds to enable them to prioritise their charitable activities and giving. As such, income generated in 2021/22 saw a decline relative to the prior year and slightly below pre-pandemic levels.

Expenditure also decreased slightly, primarily due to difficulties in recruiting staff to fill vacancies. This meant that our staff worked harder than ever to support our clients, especially given the increase in client numbers as lockdown restrictions eased and government support in response to covid-19 ended.

Operational surpluses generate the funds needed to ensure sufficient and continued investment in capital assets such as our housing stock, office premises and IT.

We continued our investment in our IT infrastructure with further new hardware purchases and the commencement of a cloud migration project which will complete in 2022/23. There is an ever-increasing threat of cyber-attack against any IT system and the changes being made are to ensure that our systems are as secure as possible whilst also enabling more effective and agile use of IT throughout the organisation.

During the year we upgraded the lighting throughout our offices to improve working conditions as well as reduce the environmental impact of our operations. Environmental considerations are taken into account in all of our operations, particularly in respect of our property portfolio and utility consumption.

The current economic challenge of rising inflation will impact Launchpad in a number of ways over the next few years. We are already seeing a rise in demand for our services from individuals and families struggling to cope with the rising cost of living; we know that our loyal supporters, both individuals and organisations, may not be able to give as much as they would like to charitable causes; and we are also experiencing the impact of rising costs in our own operations – most noticeably significant increases in the cost of utilities across our properties.

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Reserves

The Board of Trustees has examined Launchpad's requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the Charity. The Trustees have set a reserves policy which requires that Launchpad’s reserves are maintained at a level which ensures that core activity could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty, and a proportion of those reserves is held in a readily realisable form.

On this basis, the Trustees have identified the need for free unrestricted reserves of £550,000.

The trustees also designate unrestricted funds for known or expected commitments such as those relating to property or project development. The Trustees monitor the level of reserves as part of the management accounts reporting and review the reserves policy and reserve requirements at least annually.

Launchpad’s reserves can be summarised as:

Total funds at 31 March 2022
less: Restricted funds
less: Designated funds		 £6,318,178
£ 41,766
£1,002,971
£5,273,441

However, at 31 March 2022, the value of functional fixed assets (primarily property used for core service provision) was £6,856,336 which means that Launchpad has no ‘free reserves’. However, if both functional assets and long-term borrowing (of £1,653,568) which is related to property purchase and development are excluded; the picture is as follows:

Net current assets at 31 March 2022
less: Restricted funds
less: Designated funds		 £1,115,410
£ 41,766
£1,002,971
£ 70,673

Included within designated funds is £750,000 which has been set-aside to facilitate the purchase of residential property for use by our clients. It had been hoped to purchase property during the year but no suitable properties were identified. Where possible, Launchpad will buy property rather than leasing as this provides security and improved cash flow in future.

The remainder of the designated funds is primarily for provision of additional services to our clients such as the invaluable work conducted at our work & life-skills centre, Launchpad 135, as well as funding access to a specialist solicitor to help clients with more complex housing issues. Funds have also been designated for further IT development - primarily completion of our cloud migration project and replacement software systems to enable our staff to more effectively and efficiently record, analyse and report on the impact of their work. Further investment is also needed in our office environment and in respect of long-term maintenance of our housing stock.

The Trustees are confident that the level of free reserves will increase during the coming years due to a reduction in loan financing and related repayments.

Investments

Aside from retaining a prudent amount in reserves each year, most of the charity's funds are to be spent in the short or medium term so there are no funds for long-term investment. Funds held for longer than 12 months (medium term) are held in interest bearing deposit accounts. As the purchase of new properties did not happen as planned during 2021/22, the cash set aside for the purchase was instead used to pay down some of the existing loan portfolio. This has reduced Launchpad’s debt burden and annual repayment requirements (both capital and interest) meaning that a greater proportion of operational surpluses will be available for investment in new property and service delivery.

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Structure, governance and management

Legal Structure

Launchpad Reading is a registered charity and is a company limited by guarantee incorporated on 5 November 1979. The Charity's governing instrument is its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Members have guaranteed a contribution of £1 each in the event of the dissolution of the charity.

Organisational Structure

Launchpad Reading has a Board of Trustees with between six and fifteen members who meet quarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. A scheme of delegation is in place and day-today responsibility for the provision of the services rests with the Chief Executive Officer along with the Senior Management Team.

Public Benefit

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. There are clear identifiable benefits to the community from Launchpad Reading’s charitable activities:

Recruitment and Appointment of Launchpad Trustees

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company's Articles are known as members of the Board of Trustees. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of Board of Trustees have to be elected by two thirds of the Board of Trustees. One third of members of the Board of Trustees are up for re-election each year.

Launchpad Reading focuses upon the needs of those people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Reading, and their needs for support and accommodation. The Board of Trustees seeks to ensure that the needs of this group are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the trustee body. A trustee skills audits help to inform future recruitment to the Board to ensure that we have access to a broad range of relevant skills and experience with which to guide the charity.

The charity seeks trustees who represent both the local community, have a housing background and the traditional skills needed for a small business. Best practice is for us to report that two trustees have served on the Board for more than 9 years. However, the contribution of these trustees continues to be invaluable, and we are grateful for their dedication to our aims.

The trustee recruitment process has been updated this year, and a trustee handbook created to provide clear guidance for new trustees.

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Trustee Induction and Training

New trustees are initially interviewed by existing board members, then invited and encouraged to attend a series of short meetings to familiarise themselves with the charity and the context within which it operates. These are led by the Chair, Chief Executive Officer and the senior management team of the charity, and cover:

Safeguarding

We take the safeguarding of our clients, volunteers and staff very seriously. All staff and volunteers go through a robust recruitment process, which includes full referencing, plus DBS checks if they are required for the role.

Our Code of Conduct clearly sets out expectations for professional boundaries and safeguarding. Safeguarding is part of our mandatory induction and training programmes for client-facing staff and volunteers. We also have a wide range of safeguarding policies and procedures.

Where safeguarding concerns arise, we fully investigate and make reports to safeguarding teams in relevant organisations. We have processes in place to ensure we continually learn and improve our practice in relation to safeguarding. Launchpad also has a whistleblowing policy, and anti-bullying and harassment policies.

Risk & Internal Control

The Board of Trustees oversee a review of the risks to which the charity is exposed, and these are recorded in a risk register. A risk assessment process and written evaluation has been established and is updated as required and reviewed at least annually. Where appropriate, systems and procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. In conjunction with this, Launchpad management and Trustees adopt a dynamic response to risk management and regularly review and assess risk, as well as our response to those risks as they evolve over time.

Launchpad mitigates risk by taking a rigorous approach to policy development, implementation and enforcement in areas including safeguarding, vulnerable adults, data security, health and safety, employment, financial management and control, and fundraising. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects, and ensuring procedural compliance with any current legislative requirements or best practice. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers, clients and visitors to supported accommodation and office environments. These procedures are reviewed regularly to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity.

Principal Risks and Uncertainties

The trustees have established a register for all major strategic, business and operational risks, identified by them, to which the charity is exposed. These have been reviewed regularly during the year by the relevant subcommittee, and annually by the Board of Trustees. Systems and procedures have been established to manage these risks, and initial responsibility for managing risk lies with the CEO and Senior Management Team, prior to review by the trustees.

The table below summarises the highest-rated key risks from the risk register, and demonstrates the management and monitoring of these risks. The risk related to staff recruitment and retention has increased over recent years as, like many employers across the country and across a variety of sectors, the recruitment market has become far tougher.

The Coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the way in which we have delivered services to our clients and the wider community. Our dynamic risk management has ensured that risks and procedures have been regularly reviewed and have evolved to reflect best practice and government guidance at each stage of the pandemic.

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Identified Risk Factor Risk Control Monitoring
Health & Safety (Critical
Incident)		 Incident procedure & Death of Client
procedure
Health & Safety Policy and Procedure
Business Continuity Plan		 Board of Trustees
Senior Management
team
Significant cuts in Local
Authority fundingwhich
could lead to cuts in non-
statutory homelessness
services or loss of core
contracts at renewal		 Monitoring of Government & Local
Authority Funding
RBC Contract review meetings held
quarterly
Regular contact with commissioners		 Board of Trustees
Senior Management
team
Turbulent economic
environment
Inflation – rising costs of
goods & services
Impact on fundraising &
commercial rental income		 Monitoring of Monthly Management
Accounts & budget spends
Forecasting and cashflow analysis
Utilities multi-year contracts secured &
prices fixed		 Board of Trustees
Senior Management
team

Related Parties & Connected Organisations

At every meeting, Trustees are asked to declare any conflict of interest. Matt Andrews and Bill Montague, who served during the year, are linked with the provision of services to Launchpad, as Trustees of Reading Rotary Community Projects.

Pay and remuneration of key management staff

The remuneration of the CEO is agreed by the Board of Trustees and this is benchmarked against similar organisations. The remuneration of senior management is set by the CEO. This is benchmarked against similar-sized private, public and charity sector organisations. All staff are entitled to the same employment benefits.

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Trustees’ responsibilities statement

The Trustees (who are also directors of Launchpad Reading for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under company law the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITOR

Each of the persons who are Trustees at the time when this Trustees' report is approved has confirmed that:

This report was approved by the Trustees on 23 November 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Sean Sutcliffe 30 Nov 2022 17:19:35 GMT (UTC +0)

…………………………………….

Sean Sutcliffe, Chair

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VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:30 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 38/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:31 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 39/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:31 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 40/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:32 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 41/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:33 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 42/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:34 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 43/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:34 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 44/45

VirtualSignature Transaction Ref. QGPX-4VGD-MQQF 30 Nov 2022 17:20:35 GMT (UTC +0) D 5/5 P 45/45