**REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 02024373 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 294589** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND** ## **UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **FOR** ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** Andrew Cross & Co. Chartered Certified Accountants Plaza Building Lee High Road Lewisham London SE13 5PT **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ||**Page**| |---|---| |**Report of the Trustees**|1 to 13| |**Independent Examiner's Report**|14| |**Statement of Financial Activities**|15| |**Balance Sheet**|16 to 17| |**Notes to the Financial Statements**|18 to 23| |**Detailed Statement of Financial Activities**|24 to 25| **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). ## **Chair of the Board of Trustees Review of the year April 2020 - March 2021** This Annual Report covers the financial period April 2020 to March 2021- well what a year this has been and continues to be! The CEO's report from Jill Andrews gives much more colour on the extraordinary ups and downs of the year. The fact our community centre stayed open and supported the community through the most difficult of years is something I am immensely proud of. When we first went into lockdown Jill and I spent many hours modelling the cash flow consequences of an almost complete loss of income and for how long this was sustainable. I have to say that without Jill's leadership, the hard work and commitment of our staff and the support of the governments furlough scheme and significant grants, not least from our partners at Royal Borough of Greenwich Council, whom I cannot thank enough, the future would not be looking as bright as it does now. I would also like to acknowledge the support of Christ Church and the Diocese of Southwark as our landlord who gave permission for us to make alterations to the Forum so we could build and launch our now hugely successful second soft play "Sinbad", which was donated by my friends Amrish & Katarina Patel; so thank you to them also. I would also, on behalf of the trustees, like to thank Jill and her team at the Forum for whom this has been a difficult year. Jill and the team kept the Forum open for the license holders and in particular More2Child so they could offer child support for those parents in critical jobs. This often meant one caretaker working on their own all day in pretty much total isolation-a slightly bizarre and unfulfilling experience. Other employees were on furlough with the stress of not knowing what the future would hold. As with many businesses we had to make difficult decisions and had to say good bye to three of our colleagues. We're all looking forward to returning to some sort of normality. The fact that Jill and the team kept the Forum open all through the period has not gone unnoticed by the community such that, now we are fully opening up we are welcoming new and exciting classes that had previously used other facilities that closed during the pandemic. We have worked hard on improving the facilities during lockdown, making them better and safer, and have been able to open up quickly. This has involved a huge amount of work from Jill and the team over the lockdown months in preparation to get us to this position. So once again congratulations to Jill and the team for their foresight, efforts and not least good humour in such difficult circumstances. Finally I would like to welcome three new Trustees who joined us during the period Vidhya Ratnam, Daniel Bright and most recently Claire Vince who can now finally come and see what a terrific place the Forum is. ## **Tim Anderson (Chair of the Board of Trustees)** ## **Chief Executives Review of the year April 2020 - March 2021** ## **Overview:** I am now in my 8th year as Chief Executive for the Forum at Greenwich. My role here is extremely rewarding, but it also comes with many challenges. 2020/21 has to have been the most unprecedented and challenging year the charity has faced and I would like to thank the Staff and Trustees for their exceptional support and loyalty to the Forum and myself. With so much uncertainty, unlocking, then re-locking down, the situation became one big roller coaster ride for all of us. A number of staff, including myself were placed on furlough to reduce the Charities outgoings. Many of our long-term suppliers deferred or reduced costs, which was a great help. The Charity lost around 85% of its revenue overnight. Page 1 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** Unfortunately we had to say farewell to 3 members of the team. However I am pleased to say they have all been able to find other employment. As no one was sure when the lockdowns would be lifted, many of our customers were requesting refunds for parties, weddings and classes. The Forum honoured all of the refunds in full. ## **Strategy during Covid-19** Both the Trustees and I needed to ensure that we kept the charity financially viable, but at the same time remaining in a position to support the communities needs throughout the Covid-19 crisis. Greenwich Mutual Aid and the Food bank services based in the Forum were crucial to a lot of vulnerable and elderly people who were shielding and too anxious to step outside of their door. We agreed to remain partially open to enable the Childcare centre and offices to remain open and accessible to the Community and a life line for local people seeking advice, guidance and support, when most other places were closed. The nursery was a vital service for children of frontline key workers. We were very proud and happy to support Mammakind a local charity that supports vulnerable families with Christmas gifts. The free space to store and wrap presents we offered them in the Forum allowed in total 160 children and parents to receive some fabulous presents, all donated by local businesses, without this support they would have received nothing. ## **Financial Sustainability:** With the whole situation becoming extremely unpredictable the Forum Trustees and I focused on the future financial viability of the Forum. We tracked our income and expenditure on a week-week basis, by using cash modelling charts. This allowed us to measure our current and long term financial position and quickly alerted us to any substantial outgoings. The Trustees and I would also like to personally thank the Royal Borough of Greenwich Commissioning Department, Peta Cubberley and Bernard Dattadeen, as well as the Rates and Business Teams, all who worked tirelessly to ensure grants and rate reliefs were paid out as quickly as possible. ## **Future Sustainability:** The Trustees and I focused on adapting the centre to meet the changing needs, of a changing world. Our vision and Mission is strongly focused around inclusivity and accessibility, with an overall emphasis on bringing people of all ages and abilities together. Covid-19 restrictions worked in the totally opposite way. During the many months of lockdown we were very lucky to receive a number of grants. - **City Bridge Trust Adaption Grant** : £29,808 to adapt the centre into a more digitally friendly and accessible centre. This would support those in the Community that did not readily have access to the internet or the equipment to enable them to access facility's and support. - The National Lottery, Sport England's grant £10,000 to help us to cover some of our core essential costs I.e. electric, gas water etc all the services which are still needed during a pandemic. - **GAVS Grant** £6,000 was to help us adapt the Forum into a Covid secure and safe place for the Community. This allowed the centre to remain open and allow some reductions in licence fee for the most needed groups. - Various Government grants: distributed via the RBG; including rate relief and discretionary grants. **Pre-Pandemic:** Our focus was on adapting some of our spaces to offer a more bespoke setting. Our 2 Dance studios and our Wild adventure soft play were hugely popular with all of the community. Page 2 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** During the lockdown we focused on adapting the centre to become Covid safe, whilst remaining, inclusive and accessible. The lockdown was quickly changing the way we all communicated, face to face meetings were not possible, feasible, or safe. The Forum set about looking at ways in which we could become a more digitally inclusive setting. Below are some of the changes we have made: - The adaption of our booking system to an online platform, will allow customers to book rooms, soft play and other activities via their mobile phones. - Our all new Business/conference suite is fully AV accessible, allowing meetings to take place through Zoom and Teams. - Our old café space is now a new, modern, bright and welcoming snack bar and Soft play zone. Sinbad Soft Play was kindly donated by Amrish & Catrina Patel. - Our reception now houses a large Totem screen, allowing visitors and customer to access the internet, our website and classes, at the touch of a button. - Our fully automatic AED Defibrillator and training for all staff and trustees will allow us the peace of mind, should the need arise. - Digital camcorders in our studios allow for streaming of classes into people's homes, so they do not feel excluded. - 4 new laptops allow the community to access the internet at no cost and for staff to work at home if required. - Wi-Fi extenders throughout the building allow for better internet access for the public and the license holders. - Our 2 new digital screens highlight many of the services and activities we have throughout the building. ## **Summary:** 2020/21 has been a very challenging year. We are proud to say that the Forum is well on the way to recovery and almost all of our groups have returned and we have a number of new groups joining us. The centre is at full capacity with licenced offices, with a number of groups on the waiting list. Everyone, from the Trustees, the Staff, the RBG, our Licence Holders and many of our activity groups have pulled together, all with the same focus: Protect the community and ensure vital services remain at the forefront of everything we do. The Trustees and my focus was also to ensure the Forum remained a "Happy, Vibrant and inclusive centre for all the Community to continue to enjoy for many years to come. Our vision and mission will always remain the focus for delivering our business plan. **Our Vision:** A happy, vibrant and inclusive centre at the heart of the Greenwich Community, bringing people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities together. **Our Mission:** To provide a fully inclusive and accessible environment offering positive support and facilities to meet the di verse needs of the Greenwich Community. In 2019 The Trustees and I had a clear sense of purpose and a firm 5 year business plan, which was to improve and extend the community services that we offered, ones that particularly focused on tackling social isolation that bought the community together. Our 3 projects focused on: - Community Interaction - Reducing Social Isolation - Accessibility & Affordability With our 3 projects complete, 2021-2023 would enable us to focus on developing and building further on our strategy. In April 2020 Covid-19 hit the UK. All business were told to close down, all but essential services could remain open. Page 3 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** **The Soft Play Zone:** Due to Covid-19 the soft play parties slowed in late February and under Government Guidelines the play zone was closed in mid-March. **Dance and Fitness Studios:** These too were very popular and demand was rising, until Covid-19 hit. Many of our classes went on hold with the hope that they would return. However as the pandemic lasted for so long classes and activities were streamed on-line directly into people's homes, so they could continue to enjoy their classes. This was the same for the children's activities. Art and ballet were streamed in to the homes, keeping the classes alive and providing some much needed contact, all be it through a screen. I am happy to say that almost all the classes have returned and many new clients are now accessing their services through word of mouth and the power of social media and digital inclusion. **Community Engagement:** With a strong focus on community engagement and inclusivity the Forum struggled to come to terms with shutting its doors to the community during the Covid restrictions. Our partnerships with GMA, RBG, Food bank and MammaKind were needed more than ever. Being able to form an alliance to support the most vulnerable of our community was a key priority for all of us. The Forum is pleased and proud to say that we stayed open throughout the pandemic to ensure these services, including the childcare centre M2 C were able to deliver their invaluable services and support to the local community. **Greenwich Winter Night Shelter (GWNS):** The Forum has been supporting GWNS for 6 years now. In 2020 we worked closely with Christchurch East Greenwich and GWNS to set up a day centre within the Forum to support homeless guests with, housing needs, job search, CV's etc. Unfortunately due to COVID-19 the programme was cut short and there h as been no indication when this is likely to re-start. **Hire Spaces:** Our lease requires that we only grant licences to charitable organisations. Registered Charities, Community Interest Companies and Social Enterprises. At present we provide spaces for 11 charitable org anisations; - More 2 Childcare - Little Fish Theatre - Debt Free London - BLG Mind - Boadi Therapy - Infertility Network - Greenwich Association of Disabled - Re-wise project - South East London Community Energy (SELCE) - Mammakind - Greenwich Mutual Aid **Greenwich Mutual Aid: (GMA)** Greenwich Mutual Aid was set up during the Covid-19 crisis and The Forum at Greenwich were delighted to be able to offer GMA a free space within the centre. They have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support families and vulnerable people in need. Forum is proud to have been a part of supporting GMA and the conduit to enable them to carry out much needed work within the Borough. **Debt-Free London: (DFL)** is the newest Charity to make its home at the Forum. Debt Free London Free, expert advice you can trust Debt Free London is London's free face-to-face debt advice service helping over 23,000 Londoners with their debt and money problems each year. ## **The Future 2020/21:** COVID-19 and the National Lockdown has bought many challenges, not least a loss of 85% in our revenue overnight and sadly the loss of some longstanding groups, who have found it impossible to carry out their activities under the current Government restrictions. We are hoping they will recover and come back in the future. Page 4 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** Change, can also make people think about their future and one thing the pandemic seems to have done is inspire people to start their own businesses. Although we lost a number of groups, we have also gained some new groups. A number of the dance studios in Central London sadly did not survive and several new groups have been making use of our 2 studios for practicing, including strictly come dancing professional dancers Kevin and Joanne Clifton, who regularly practice for a new West End show called "Hit the Floor" Trading was obviously very slow, due to the effects of the pandemic. For a full picture of our accounting year please see accompanying unaudited accounts, year ending 31 March 2021 The forum has an exciting and challenging year ahead, with the support and commitment of the staff, Board, Trustees and volunteers we will continue to strive to enhance the services we provide to our community. We listen to what our customer say and the feedback they provide. Due to the popularity of our current Wild Adventure Soft Play Zone, we have recently installed a new soft play and snack bar which is becoming a real hit with the children and parents. All services are gradually returning to some normality and interest is growing for party bookings. A bespoke on-line booking system is up and running to make the customer booking journey a seamless and faster experience. We will continue to upgrade our rooms and halls to meet the needs of our users and licence holders. We will work with our current and new partner organisations and support them whenever we can. We have recently linked up with Avant Gardening Charity, who will be carrying out planting and building a herb garden within the Forum grounds. This will also involve working with M2C nursery and volunteers from Debt Free London. We are passionate about delivering a fully inclusive experience for our users. Our new, bespoke conference room and our state of the art av facilities within the building provide a perfect setting for our community to access free Wi-Fi, tablets, lap tops and digital meeting facilities. Our newest initiative is to work with parents of children with "Special Educational Needs and Disabilities" (SEND) utilising and adapting our soft play zones to enable exclusive play sessions. The Forum Trustees are confident that the Forum is financially stable and we are all looking forward to continuing to deliver on our vision and mission for many years to come. ## **Jill Andrews Chief Executive Officer** Page 5 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES** ## **Objectives and aims** We have referred to the Charity Commissions' general guidance on Public Benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the Trustees have considered how the planned activities of the organisation will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been established for the charity. The Forum @ Greenwich is well established and been operating for nearly 40 years. The Forum's key objective is to provide a community centre, at the heart of the East Greenwich community, one that is accessible to all, offering a wide range of services to meet the needs of our community. ## **The Forum has clear objectives which are:** - To be a source of information and advice - To ensure services are affordable or free to some local groups - To provide opportunities for leisure and social activities - To support and provide a platform for vulnerable groups with learning disabilities to get back into the work - place. - To provide support for the aspirations of our community, particularly those whose voices are seldom heard - To actively engage with our community and respond to their needs - To support the long-term needs of the elderly, physically disabled and vulnerable members of the - community - To provide services and work with groups that actively seek to tackle social isolation - To work in collaboration with our partner organisations to provide a more cohesive approach - To work towards sustainable development - To adapt our services to meet the growing needs of a growing and diverse community. Page 6 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Significant activities** The Forum continues to deliver on its series of programmes which focus on the following: - **Babies and Young Children** : The Forum actively promotes partnership working and continues to work with our licence holders and customers to offer competitive and sometimes free spaces for young children to play, interact and pursue intergenerational activities. WE are working with Carol and Rachael of the Parent Carer Participation Forum who support parents where children have Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND). - **Young Adults and Families** : 2020/21 has seen a further increase in new families moving into the area, The Forum will continue to look at new ways in which to adapt our services and activities to meet the growing need. With space at a premium in the Borough the Forum can provide ample opportunities for all the community. - **Partnership building, Elderly and Volunteering:** We have strong partnerships with Avant Gardening, GMA, MammaKind GWNS and most recently the Retired Civil Servants Fellowship, with OXLEAS NHS adult mental health groups hoping to return in Septembe r. - **Volunteers:** We currently have 10 volunteers, including 8 Trustees. We are continually looking at ways in which to expand our volunteer base and offer opportunities to local people. We are pleased to continue our partnership with GLAbb, offering career work placements opportunities for the long-term unemployed. The Forum is signed up to the Government Kickstart scheme and awaiting new placements. - The Forum remains a popular venue for the community to hold children's parties, Family celebrations, BBQ's, public consultations, local council and voluntary sector conferences, election voting and much more. We know that the Forum is even more crucial now as the population of the area grows and the pandemic crisis has and will continue to hit many local facilities. - When regulations permit we will continue to provide our ever popular free Christmas and Summer Fairs, a great opportunity to bring all the local community together. Due to COVID-19 our summer and Christmas fairs are on hold until further notice. - Keeping In line with our Vision & Mission, this year we were delighted to actively get involved with GWNS to expand our support to the homeless of Greenwich. We were pleased to support the great efforts of More 2 Childcare who offered spaces for children of NHS Key frontline workers during the Covid-19 national lockdown. - This year our maintenance programme included: Repairs and maintenance to the Tower, repairs to the main church roof. We continue our programme of replacing and upgrading the lighting to LED. - Our programme of updating the Accessible toilets continues along with updating and maintaining all common areas, rooms and halls. ## **COMMUNICATION AND ADVERTISING** Communication and Advertising are key to spreading the word about the work the Forum undertakes. We have a weekly presence on most social media sites. Our website is updated regularly www.forumatgreenwich.org and an online booking platform is due to be released this year to provide our customers with a more efficient service when booking facilities at the Forum. Page 7 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE** ## **Charitable activities** Trading conditions were slow due to Covid-19 and the Government restrictions that were imposed on businesses and Community Centres. March 2020 saw a sharp downturn in our day to day revenue, due to COVID-19 and the National Lockdown, as well as returning deposits and payments for future bookings. The 6 July 2020 allowed us to operate a COVID secure building and a few of the classes returned, but only to be told to shut again. However we continue to promote the centre and we have seen new groups start to use our facilities. We will continue to invest in the future of the centre and in particular our new projects launched early 2021 including our new soft play and digital meeting/conference room, which will allow us to work towards future sustainably and self-sufficiency. ## **STAFFING** The Forum staff team underwent a small restructure this year to support our long-term business plan. The team is as follows; 5 full time staff, 6 part-time staff 10 volunteers, 1 work placements, ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** ## **Principal funding sources** **Principal Grant funding sources:** During this period we have been successful in securing a grant from the Royal Borough of Greenwich Growt h fund of £45,000 to renew some of our accessible doors. Our 4 year funding grant from the Royal Borough of Greenwich continues until 2023. - -Growth Fund Grant £45,000 - -RBG Grant £25,000 ## **Total £70,000** This does not include Government Grants received via the RBG. Additionally our management team are continually applying for various grants where the Charity meets the funding criteria. During the Pandemic the Forum applied for a variety of grant funding. The criteria of the funding was almost 100% for COVID-19 adaption and support. - London Community Response Fund £29,808S (Successful) - GAVS COVID-19 response fund £6,500 (Successful) - Sport England grant to support COVID changes £10,000 (Successful) - Royal Borough of Greenwich Discretionary Fund £25,000 (Successful) ## **Grants & Fundraising prediction 21/22** - Veolia Energy saving grant £20,000 - Growth Fund Grant to fit Solar panels 25,000 - General core funding grants as they become available ## **Investment policy and objectives** Aside from the reserves outlined below, our aim is to build up funds for long term investment, including the repairs and maintenance of the fabric of the building Page 8 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** ## **Reserves policy** The charities commission recommends that charities maintain reserves at a level equivalent to 3 months operating costs. The Board of Trustees has developed a reserve policy for the organisation which seeks to take all reasonable steps to designate funds for provision of redundancy, long term sickness or maternity leave, fixed asset fund, replacement of equipment and repair fund. These funds will be dependent on unrestricted funds only. At present the reserve fund is around **£50,000** which trustees consider adequate. ## **Debt** The board has an approved debtors procedure and has written off debt where there is insufficient evidence to substantiate this. ## **FUTURE PLANS** The Charity has exciting plans for the future of the organisation, along with delivering our central function, we will continue to grow our new projects; enhance our collaborative working; contribute towards tackling homelessness and social isolation. All our work promotes community cohesion whilst building strong and meaningful partnerships that support vulnerable people with learning disabilities and the long-term unemployed, as outlined in our Objectives and Activities. ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** ## **Governing document** The Charity is controlled by its governing documents, the Memorandum and Articles of Association and is constituted as a limited company as defined by the Companies Act 2006. Page 9 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Organisational structure** The Forum is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 30 May 1986 and registered as a charity on 10 June 1986.The Forum was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under those Articles. The governing body is the Board of Management ("Board") whose members are elected by the charity's membership at the Annual General Meeting and are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of charity law; in this report, they are referred to as Trustees. The Board has in place policies and procedures in respect of governance including: - A code of conduct for our Trustees; - Terms of Reference for the Board of Trustees; - Conflict of Interests Record form, which is completed by all Trustees and reviewed periodically; The principal responsibilities of the Trustees have been set out in the Terms of Reference and include: - a. Oversight and governance of the charity, including control and accountability systems - b. Annually reviewing the skills and experience represented on the Board in light of the Forum's strategic direction, and approving Board composition; electing Chair, vice-Chair and Treasurer; - c. Appointing, determining the composition of, and setting the terms of reference for Board sub-committees; - d. Determining and implementing an appropriate process for assessing the effectiveness of the Board, the Board Chair, committees and Trustees in fulfilling their responsibilities; - e. Assuming responsibility for the Forum's governance practices; - f. Ensuring that Trustees meet regularly; - g. Setting and reviewing the terms of reference for the Board; - h. Ensuring that members are consulted regularly as required by the Memorandum of Association, setting the agenda and preparing minutes - i. Appointing and removing the Chief Executive and establishing his/her remuneration package - j. Monitoring the performance of the Chief Executive - k. Contributing to and final approval of vision, mission and values statements - l. Contributing to and final approval of the budget and business plan and associated performance objectives - m. Contributing to and final approval of the Strategic Plan and associated performance measures - n. Implementation of strategy and ensuring appropriate resources are available - o. Reviewing and ratifying policies for reserves, risk management and investment - p. Reviewing and ratifying leases and matters relating to property holdings - q. Monitoring risk management and internal compliance and control systems and assessments - r. Approving the authorisation structure applicable to capital expenditure and operational commitments - s. Approving and monitoring financial and other reporting - t. Setting pay policy generally, including bonus - u. Ensuring compliance with the Forum's Environmental, Health and Safety Policies - v. Appointment of bankers and auditors - w. Dealing with and settling legal claims Page 10 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Premises** The Forum operates from 2 buildings in the same site. One is the former Christchurch Church, which was converted in the late 1980s into its present layout. One part of the building is not demised to the Forum and is occupied by the newly constructed parish church. The other building is formerly a school and East Greenwich Community Centre (the Community Building). There is a children's play area attached to this building. The Rochester and Southwark Diocesan Church Trust are our landlords. There is a separate lease for each building, different in format but both are 99 year Full Repairing and Insuring leases on a peppercorn rent, dated 29 February 1996 for the main building and 1st December 1986 for the Community Building. The leases are non-transferable. The car park at the rear belongs to the Diocese and although the Forum has access for its occupants and users this is not formalised by lease. The Forum is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings, including the space occupied by the parish church. As pointed out in the accounts, land and building represents the capitalisation of the lease and all subsequent improvement costs incurred over the years. The freeholds of the land and buildings are owned by Rochester and Southwark Diocesan Church Trust; the Forum does not have any financial interest in these properties and the reserves reported are not cash reserves available for spending. The Forum undertook a re-valuation of the lease, carried out by Messrs Andrew Youens and Co. FRICS as at 31 March 2017 and this valuation was included in both the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 year end accounts. The Forum plans to review this in 2022. ## **Induction and training of new trustees** The Board of Trustees seeks to ensure that the needs of community are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the trustee body. To enhance the pool of Trustees, the forum continues to working with The East London Business Alliance (ELBA) a registered charity. (Due to Covid-19 all interviews were conducted via Zoom), which helps match charities with potential trustees. Our Trustee Board remains strong with a wide range of skill sets and demographics. There has been 4 changes to the trustee board: Vidhya Ratnam and Daniel Bright Joined the Forum board in January 2021. Claire Vince joined the board in April 2021. Naresh Sethi Resigned from the board in September 2020. We continue to work closely with ELBA and attend Board Match events twice per annum. Due to COVID-19 these events are currently being held digitally until further notice. Potential new Trustee members are initially interviewed by at least one Trustee and the Chair for recommendation to the Board for appointment. They may attend as an observer to a Trustee meeting before accepting an appointment. An induction bundle of information is provided to all applicants. The Charity also seeks to ensure a high level of skills and experience from the voluntary and community sector, business sector as well as representation from local volunteer-involving agencies. In an effort to maintain this broad skill mix, members of the Board of Trustees are requested to provide a list of their skills and experience. The Board has met 12 times during the last year. Page 11 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Wider network** In so far as it is complementary to the Charity's objects, we are guided at local level by assisting in the delivery of the Local Area Agreement, relevant Royal Greenwich Borough Strategies and Service Level Agreements with Royal Greenwich. The Forum is a member of the Federation of Greenwich Community Centres and we are actively participating in the review of Community Centres being currently conducted by Royal Greenwich which will determine the funding structure for 2019-2023. ## **Risk management** Within The Forum @ Greenwich, the Board of Trustees has full responsibility for ensuring risks are addressed and this Risk Register is kept up to date. The Board of Trustees has conducted its own review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks. Internal risks are minimised by the continuous improvement of procedures to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the charitable company. The Forum has adopted the Charity Commission's template for risk assessment. The procedures are reviewed annually to ensure they still meet the needs of the charity. The main risks continue to be identified, among others, as: - Loss of sustainable revenue - Pandemic hits the Uk and Worldwide - Increase maintenance costs - Loss of Chief Executive - Long-term absence of key staff - Inadequate reserve - Increase building maintenance costs - Loss of funding - Loss of license holders - Catastrophic disruption - Reduction in demand for room hire - Malicious electronic damage - Revised legislation, for example, increased environmental requirements. Fire Risk Assessments are conducted yearly by specialist consultants and its recommendations have been implemented accessibility assessments have also been conducted. As well as the COVID-19 Secure Building Risk assessment & our adapted Covid-19 risk and fire Assessments - Increase building maintenance costs - Loss of funding - Loss of license holders - Catastrophic disruption including Pandemics. - Reduction in demand for room hire- Malicious electronic damage - Insurance company does not pay out for business interruption due to a global pandemic. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number** 02024373 (England and Wales) ## **Registered Charity number** 294589 Page 12 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **Registered office** Forum @ Greenwich Trafalgar Road Greenwich London SE10 9EQ ## **Trustees** T R B Anderson J A Grinfeld N Sethi (resigned 16.9.2020) M Theodosiou Ms N Barrington Ms J E D'Costa D Bright (appointed 13.1.2021) Ms V Ratnam (appointed 13.1.2021) Ms C Vince (appointed 14.4.2021) ## **Company Secretary** Mrs J L Andrews ## **Independent Examiner** Andrew Cross & Co. Chartered Certified Accountants Plaza Building Lee High Road Lewisham London SE13 5PT Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by: ............................................................ Mrs J L Andrews - Secretary Page 13 ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Forum @ Greenwich ('the Company')** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2021. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act'). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act. ## **Independent examiner's statement** Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a registered member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or 4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)). I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Charlotte Cross FCCA BSc IMA Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Andrew Cross & Co. Chartered Certified Accountants Plaza Building Lee High Road Lewisham London SE13 5PT Date: ............................................. Page 14 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** |Notes
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
Donations and legacies
**Charitable activities**
Direct Charitable Expenditure
Other trading activities
2
Investment income
3
Other income
**Total**
**EXPENDITURE ON**
Raising funds
4
**Charitable activities**
Direct Charitable Expenditure
**Total**
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
**Transfers between funds**
11
**Net movement in funds**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
**Total funds brought forward**
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|Unrestricted
fund
£
238,313
253
60
164,738
9,256
412,620
20,662
255,322
275,984
136,636
(33,426)
103,210
91,509
194,719|Restricted
fund
£
1
-
-
-
-
1
-
48,687
48,687
(48,686)
33,426
(15,260)
1,173,345
1,158,085|2021
Total
funds
£
238,314
253
60
164,738
9,256
412,621
20,662
304,009
324,671
87,950
-
87,950
1,264,854
1,352,804|2020
Total
funds
£
58,249
10,182
1,565
301,157
31,328
402,481
20,333
404,902
425,235
(22,754)
-
(22,754)
1,287,608
1,264,854| |---|---|---|---|---| The notes form part of these financial statements Page 15 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **BALANCE SHEET** ## **31 MARCH 2021** |Notes
**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets
8
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors
9
Cash at bank and in hand
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
10
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT**
**LIABILITIES**
**NET ASSETS**
**FUNDS**
11
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Unrestricted
fund
£
22,659
2,800
191,599
194,399
(22,339)
172,060
194,719
194,719|Restricted
fund
£
1,158,085
-
-
-
-
-
1,158,085
1,158,085|2021
Total
funds
£
1,180,744
2,800
191,599
194,399
(22,339)
172,060
1,352,804
1,352,804
194,719
1,158,085
1,352,804|2020
Total
funds
£
1,219,315
-
73,612
73,612
(28,073)
45,539
1,264,854
1,264,854
91,509
1,173,345
1,264,854| |---|---|---|---|---| The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2021. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for - (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and - (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company. The notes form part of these financial statements continued... Page 16 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **BALANCE SHEET - continued 31 MARCH 2021** These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on ............................................. and were signed on its behalf by: ............................................. T R B Anderson - Trustee ............................................. V Ratnam - Trustee The notes form part of these financial statements Page 17 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES** ## **Basis of preparing the financial statements** The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. ## **Income** All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. ## **Expenditure** Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. ## **Tangible fixed assets** Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life: Long leasehold - 1/99 depreciation per annum, based on 99 year lease Fixtures and fittings - 25% on reducing balance Computer equipment - 25% on reducing balance ## **Taxation** The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities. ## **Fund accounting** Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements. ## **Hire purchase and leasing commitments** Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease. ## **Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits** The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate. continued... Page 18 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** |**2.**
**OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES**
Fundraising events
**3.**
**INVESTMENT INCOME**
Rents received
Interest income
**4.**
**RAISING FUNDS**
**Investment management costs**
Room Expenses
**5.**
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation - owned assets
Hire of plant and machinery|2021
£
60
2021
£
164,723
15
164,738
2021
£
5,595
2021
£
41,501
2,233|2020
£
1,565
2020
£
300,652
505|2020
£
1,565| |---|---|---|---| |||301,157|| |||2020
£
1,653
2020
£
41,279
3,282|2020
£
1,653| **6. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS** There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2021 nor for the year ended 31 March 2020. ## **Trustees' expenses** There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2021 nor for the year ended 31 March 2020. continued... Page 19 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **7. STAFF COSTS** The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows: |Full time
Part time|2021
5
5
10|2020
7
7| |---|---|---| |||14| No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000. ## **8. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS** |**COST**
At 1 April 2020
Additions
At 31 March 2021
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 April 2020
Charge for year
At 31 March 2021
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 March 2021
At 31 March 2020|Long
leasehold
£
2,045,526
-
2,045,526
869,480
20,662
890,142
1,155,384
1,176,046|Fixtures
and
fittings
£
320,932
1,895
322,827
280,738
19,812
300,550
22,277
40,194|Computer
equipment
£
9,863
1,035
10,898
6,788
1,027
7,815
3,083
3,075|Totals
£
2,376,321
2,930| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||2,379,251| |||||1,157,006
41,501| |||||1,198,507| |||||1,180,744| |||||1,219,315| The Trustees of the Forum undertook a revaluation of the property lease at the Forum, Trafalgar Road, London SE10 9EQ with the leasehold tenure noted as 99 years from 1 December 1986 in respect of the community building, and a lease dated 29 February 1996 for a period of 99 years for the main building, with the valuation carried out by Andrew Youens and Company Ltd, Chartered Surveyors and Registered Valuers. The market value of the property was noted as £1.235 million as at 31 March 2017 and taking into account the overall position, the trustees consider the depreciated value of the long leasehold of £1.238 million as shown in the accounts here to be stated at an appropriate level as at 31 March 2020 also. continued... Page 20 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** |**9.**
**DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Prepayments
**10.**
**CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Trade creditors
VAT
Payments received in advance
Other creditors
Net wages payable
Accrued expenses
**11.**
**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
Net
movement
At 1.4.20
in funds
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
91,509
136,636
**Restricted funds**
Restricted Funds
1,173,345
(48,686)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
1,264,854
87,950
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
412,620
**Restricted funds**
Restricted Funds
1
**TOTAL FUNDS**
412,621||2021
£
2,800
2021
£
13,244
599
5,657
328
11
2,500
22,339
Transfers
between
funds
£
(33,426)
33,426
-
Resources
expended
£
(275,984)
(48,687)
(324,671)|2020
£
-
2020
£
23,548
1,179
224
613
9
2,500
28,073
At
31.3.21
£
194,719
1,158,085
1,352,804
Movement
in funds
£
136,636
(48,686)
87,950| |---|---|---|---| ||||| ||||| continued... Page 21 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued** ## **Comparatives for movement in funds** |Net
Transfers
movement
between
At 1.4.19
in funds
funds
£
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
90,900
(47,048)
47,657
**Restricted funds**
Restricted Funds
1,196,708
24,294
(47,657)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
1,287,608
(22,754)
-
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
Resources
resources
expended
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
344,231
(391,279)
**Restricted funds**
Restricted Funds
58,250
(33,956)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
402,481
(425,235)
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:
Net
Transfers
movement
between
At 1.4.19
in funds
funds
£
£
£
**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
90,900
89,588
14,231
**Restricted funds**
Restricted Funds
1,196,708
(24,392)
(14,231)
**TOTAL FUNDS**
1,287,608
65,196
-|At
31.3.20
£
91,509
1,173,345
1,264,854
Movement
in funds
£
(47,048)
24,294
(22,754)
At
31.3.21
£
194,719
1,158,085
1,352,804| |---|---| continued... Page 22 **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** ## **11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued** A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: |**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
**Restricted funds**
Restricted Funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Incoming
resources
£
756,851
58,251
815,102|Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(667,263)
89,588
(82,643)
(24,392)
(749,906)
65,196| |---|---|---| ## **12. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES** There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2021. Page 23 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** |**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS**
**Donations and legacies**
Grants
Covid-19 government grants
**Other trading activities**
Fundraising events
**Investment income**
Rents received
Interest income
**Charitable activities**
Café & catering income
**Other income**
Other income
**Total incoming resources**
**EXPENDITURE**
**Raising donations and legacies**
Grant related expenditure and similar
**Other trading activities**
Purchases
**Investment management costs**
Room Expenses
**Charitable activities**
Wages
Social security
Pensions
Hire of plant and machinery
Rates and water
Insurance
Light and heat
Telephone
Postage and stationery
Advertising and marketing
Carried forward|2021
£
144,157
94,157
238,314
60
164,723
15
164,738
253
9,256
412,621
14,393
674
5,595
157,248
6,798
2,842
2,233
1,402
12,885
27,889
5,992
891
-
218,180|2020
£
58,249
-| |---|---|---| |||58,249
1,565
300,652
505| |||301,157
10,182
31,328| |||402,481
8,562
10,118
1,653
220,576
12,271
3,685
3,282
1,476
10,127
38,634
4,904
2,546
85
297,586| This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements Page 24 ## **THE FORUM @ GREENWICH** ## **DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021** |**Charitable activities**
Brought forward
Sundries
Repair & Maintenance
Computer expenses
Staff expenses
Legal and professional
Payroll services
Vending Machine
Long leasehold
Fixtures and fittings
Computer equipment
**Support costs**
**Finance**
Bank charges
**Governance costs**
Accountancy and legal fees
Total resources expended
**Net income/(expenditure)**|2021
£
218,180
782
30,032
7,471
430
149
1,027
(46)
20,662
19,813
1,027
299,527
1,096
3,386
324,671
87,950|2020
£
297,586
1,360
40,711
4,383
2,914
3,045
1,343
8,121
20,662
19,592
1,025
400,742
1,660
2,500
425,235
(22,754)| |---|---|---| This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements Page 25