Hope 4 U Foundation Trustees, Report The trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023. Objectives and activities Objects and aims The objects of the Foundation aTe as set out in the trust deed..- l Assisting people (without prejudice to any) who are in need or are suffering hardship because of their social, personal or economic circumstances including (though not by way of limitation) through the provisions of social care, such &$ advice, counselling and childcare the provision or use of items of basic necessity the provision of help and advice to persons in need in relation to debt and personal fmancial management, welfare benefits, accommodation and homelessness and similar matters. promoting the preservation and protection of health and particularly (though not by way of limitation) to provide advice and education into the dangers of drug, alcohol or other substance addition or abuse promottng the rehabilitation of persons affected by drug, alcohol or other substance addiction or abuse relieving persons who are experiencing mental or emotional suffering and to relieve distress associated therewith, including by means of providing advice, counsel, assistance and support to such persons the provision of spiritual help, sUPPOrt . advice, education. personal prayer and encouragernent in relation to any of the above or othenvtse. 2 The advancement of the Christian faith including ( though not by the way of limitation) through the provision of places of worship 3 The provision of recreational and comtnunity facilities in the inteTests of social welfare and cohesion Public benefil The foundation operates a community Christian Outreach Centre based in the old Courthouse building in Clogher, serving the community of the wider Clogher Valley area. Our core activities during the first two month5 of the year were Providing a community meeting place where locals can Telax. enjoy food and social engagement, in a coffee shop environment Providing welfare services through the provision of cooked meals at significantly reduced prices to individualslfamilies in times of crisis and in severe financial need. Providing free food to individuals/families in particular times of crisi5 Or need. Hosting a fortnightly men's bible study and fellowship group Providing a space for young adults (18 +) to socialise in an environment free from alcohol or drugs Providing a free parent and toddler group, a club for primary school children and a group for retirees Providing pastoral care (and onward referral for professional helplcounselling where appropriate) for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, relationship breakdown, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts The provision of free foodlvouchers to individualslfamilies in need continued to be a very important aspect of the chaTity's work. The 'cost of living crisis, replaced covid as the key contributory factor to financial hardship Page 2 Hope 4 U Foundation Trustees, Report (continued) The coffee shop continued to prove a vital neutral space for the local community, both in tenns of somewhere to socialise and also acting as an acce55 point to the other services the charity provides. Price rises in the coffee shop were kept to a minimum and the associated costs were absorbed by the charity in an effort to continue to provide reasonably priced food for the local community. This was a deliberate decision by the trustees, as increased prices in the coffee shop would have prevented some families from bringing their children in, which in turn increases social isolation, mental health issues etc The benefieiaries and how they ben¢fRted from the Core activities(as listed above) The community meeting spacelcoffee shop was open on Thursdays and FTidays, and in addition it was manned for a minimum of a further two days peT week which enabled the comrnunity to access the other services. It continues to be used as a social meeting place by the entire community irrespective of age group, gender, social status or religious background. There is seating capacity for approx. 50 people. It continues to provide the older generation in the local rural community with a neutral meeting place where they can meet up with neighbours and friends in a relaxed atmosphere. During the year free food and food vouchers to the value of approx. £ 12,000 was distributed to families in need in the local community. The demand for the in-house professional counselling service remained high. The counsellor had appointments for a full day every week, and later in the year a second counsellor was introduced to handle some of the referrals. Recipients (of all ages) received help with issues such as addictions, anxiety, depression, relationship breakdown and loss. The charity receives counselling refe￿alS through a number of agencies as the waiting times are only a fraction of those in the NHS. A number of different schools(from both sectors) refer children to the counsellors The new group for retirees launched in 2022, is now well established with a consistent attendance of 45-50 every month, from all sections of the community. The free 3-course lunch ensures that those who live alone get a nutritious meal, as many of them admit to not cooking much when they live alone. The short programme afterwards helps inforni them of important practical issues such as telephone scams. maintaining physical & mental health etc At Christmas, the charity distributed approx. 50 free hampers in the community, focusing on the elderly, the isolated or those struggling with widei 'life issues,. Some of these were in response to refe￿al$ from local Social Workers. A number of special community events were hosted during the year, this included a free family fun night and the now annual pre-christmas event called the 'Hope of Christmas,. Both of these events attracted over 350 people from the local community and the fact that everything was free was greatly appreciated by parents who were already feeling the impact of the 'cost of living crisis,. A new 8 w¢ek addiction COUTse was introduced in Q4, for those strnggling with alcohol and drug addiction. This provided practical help in identifying, understanding and fighting addiction. Restrictions on who eould benefit There were no restrictions as to who could benefit from the charity's service5 during the year. Promotion of the community food proorarnme was obviously targeted towards lower incoTne families and those in associated financial need, however there wer¢ no restrictions as to who could benefit. Mitigation re harm floiving from Charity's purposes Page 3 Hope 4 L, Foundation Trustees, Report (continued) Our staff are trained and monitored against the food hygiene standards as documented in the 'Safe Catering Plan. published bv the Food Standards Agenc%,. This militsates any potential hami i¥hich could arise from the provision of food 10 the public as part of the Foundation's purposes. Our adherence io these standards is also monitored by the local Environmental Healtli Dept. Our current food hvtriene ratints (Tjillen by Environmental Health folloii'ing our lasi inspection was a .5. the highest rating available. Private benefit One of the trustees. Len keys provide5 management consultancy services to the Foundation on a self-employed ba515. and because h¢ 15 SUPPOrtive of the objectives of the charity. he provides his services far below Commercial rares. The private benefit is onlv incidental as his services are absolutely iiital ro the ToundaEion beintr able 10 achieve ir's objectives. He has approx. 20yrs Management experienee in various senior roles with a liioh street bank. The services h¢ provides for rhe foundation includes.. day lo day managemeni of staff. payroll. stock control. orderino supplies. manaoino maintenance of the building & equiprnent. adherence to food safer). & environmental health siandards, and ensurino all local authority & reoulaton, requirements are adhered to. N'one of the trustees receive any remuneration for the discharoe of their duries as trustees. Compliance with the Commission's tsuidance on public benefit In setting our objectives aT]d plannino our activities for the year ending )Ist Dee ?O?i, the m151ees have tsiven eareful ¢onsidÈrdtion to Ihc CharitN' Commission for NTonliern Ireland's guidance on public benefit to ensure the a¢livities have helped to achieve the charity's purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on ?9 Oetober ?0?4 and signed ork its behalf by: N4r Len keN's Trustee Mr Fred m￿lI.ell Twstee