Friday Friends C/0 50 Hope Park Crescent Haddington, EH413AN Charity Registration Number SC041325 ANNUALGENERAL MEETING For the year ended 31" December 2025 Held at The Nungate and Haddington CC Kirkview th Saturday 16 May 2026 Reaching out to a hurting community
CONTENTS Agenda Details of Trustees Cha rity Details Chair's Report Project Leader's Report Treasurer's Report Statement of Receipts and Payments Statement of Balances Notes to Accounts Independent Examiner's Report
AGENDA For Annual General Meeting th 16 May, 2026 l. Welcome and Opening Prayer 2. Apologies 3. Minutes of previous AGM 4. Adoption of the Minutes 5. Chair's Report 6. Project Leader's Report 7. Adoption of Annual Report 8. Presentation of Accounts 9. Trustees- Election 10.Any other business 11,¢loiin6 remark5 and Prayer
Trustees, Report for year ending 31 December 2025 The report and accounts for Friday Friends are here presented by the Trustees. Friday Friends is a charity registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator IOSCR}, and our report and accounts have been prepared in accordance with their requirements. Charlty Trustees Linda Fisk (Trustee) Barry Morrison (Trustee) Stewart Gibson (Chairl Rosina Sansom (Trustee) Eileen Gibson {Secretary) Gavin Lawson (Treasurer) Strurture, Governance and Management th Friday Friends is an unincorporated association, governed by a Constitution dated 8 March 2010. Each Trustee holds office for three years, and thereafter may stand for re-election at an Annual General Meeting in accordance with the Constitution. Additional Trustees may be nominated and elected at any Annual General Meeting. CHAIR'S REPORT The task of Chair of Trustees is to give a brief overview of the past year. Three regular Trustees, Meetings were held, in February, June and October. There were also extraordinary meetings and some business conducted by email. Trustees and volunteers need to be registered with Disclosure Scotland every 5 years. Trustees Barry and Gavin, and volunteers Lisa, Llz and Audrey were registered during 2025. In autumn, East Lothian Council announced the upgrade of the Centre, which will involve moving to another location in Haddington while the work is done. Originally scheduled for January 2026, the move has been postponed more than once, and we await developments. There is ongoing concern over Linda and Rosina's workload. They staff the Tuesday lunches, along with Lisa and Audrey, assisted on regular occasions by Fiona Scott, Steph McDowall and Ali Sewell. In addition, Linda and Rosina lead the Friday Wellness session each week, and they are always present at F4 on Sunday afternoons, sometimes leading and speaking. A special mention needs to be made of the valuable contribution made by John Houston as a helper at Tuesday lunches and speaker at F4. John stepped down from this role in December. We are very grateful for all he has done for Friday Friends, and for his continuing support. Gavin, our Treasurer, has found locating sources of funding increasingly difficult; however, his efforts have been rewarded and we are still able to meet all our financial commitments. Our God continues to provide enough money to cover rising food bills, and he is bringing more service users to the Tuesday lunches. But above all, we need more volunteers to staff the various activities.
PROJECT LEADER'S REPORT This annual report will include the charitable purposes, the objectives and activities of the charity and a summary of the charty's achievements and performance for the year 2025. As a charity, recognised by OSCR, we operate under the guidelines of our Constitution and adhere to the purposes and objectives defined therein. The purposes of Friday Friends are to offer the uncondrtional love and friendship of God and his people to those experiencing issues of drug andlor alcohol misuse andlor related mental heaSth issues (and their families)- enable people with drug andlor alcohol misuse issues to overcome them and live healthy and crime free lives. and help individuals resist drug and alcohol misuse in order to achieve their full potential in society. In furtherance of these purposes and objectives, the charity strives to offer service users of the group a sense of social 8cptan, ownership, purpose and accountability., offer service users access to services; offer assistance with confidence, selfesteem and communicationlsocial skills,. and offer assistance to improve Servi users. physical, mental and spiritual well-being. In conjunction with the above purposes, the Friday Friends outreach is comprised of the following.. bi-weekly sessions (Tuesdays- Recovery Café Lunch) and (Fridays - Well-being focus and activities) all held in the Nungate & Haddington Communty Centre, Haddington, where it provides support, friendship, counselling (when requested), and access to other network agencies to those who experience some degree of exclusion, usually from drug andlor alcohol abuse andlor the related mental health issues associated with such misuse; a Saturday evening outreach known as The Jericho Café, as a prevention project targeted at reaching young people aged 12-16 (currently meeting once a month). In addition, a Sunday afternoon gathering and encouragement opportunity known as F4 (Friday Friends Faith Focus} is held and includes music, prayer. short devotionals and a time of teaslcoffees and socialising following. Monies received over the past year have enabled the project to continue to provide services and engage in the outcomes and targets projected for 2025-2026. We have once again been recipients of monies from One Council Partnership Funding, H&LAP (Haddington & Lammermuir Area Partnership), DAAT. Benefact Trust, Micah Fund, Rotary, Vardy Fund, The Jerusalem Twst, The Paristaman Charity and donations from individuals and service users, conlributions made from time to time or on a monthly basis. Also included in what FF receives over and above grants, is the encouragement and support from many of the businesses in Haddington who acknowledge the Importan of the work of Friday Friends and contribute generously at Christmas with items for gifts.
March 2025 represents 23 years of outreach to the local community, and 15 years of having the Nungate & Haddington Community Centre as the venue for all our sessions. We want to acknowledge with thanks the hard work and commitment of all those who have helped FF over the last year. It is a challenge, at times, to work with those coming with druglalcohollrelated mental health scenarios, who when they do come, bring their 'stuff. attitudes and behaviours, with them. Still, they comel And in their coming, they know that they are accepted, valued, loved and supported. The core manifesto of our charity is to offer the unconditional love and friendship of God to those who come through the doors, while at the same time enforcing the rules and guidelines for acceptable conduct and behaviour. Certain required conditions for the charity took place during the year.. 1) VCEL Trustee training for all FF trustees in September. The purpose of the training was to review and update all duties and responsibilities of charity trustees. All received certificates of completion. 2. VCEL Governan Health Check- this was a very involved and in-depth review of all charity documents, policies and pr0dUreS, We were very pleased (and relievedl) to receive an excellent rating upon completion of the health check. TUESDAY RECOVERY CAFÉ SESSIONS The first session back in 2025, included distributing chocolates (given to FF by the daughter of David Greg in memory of her dad) to all present. She was very generous and wanted to express thanks to Friday Friends for the assistance they had given to her father. This year is one that has not been without its challenges, in tenns of both service providers and service usersl Numbers for the year have continued to grow, with several new faces appearing as a result of the contact that the MELD support workers have and encouraging those contacts to come along. Café sessions average 15-20 on a weekly basis, with some weeks having more and some weeks less. Attendan usually is dependent on the places in which service users find themselves. During the course of the year, there were some sessions where certain service users were totally disrespectful, verbally abusive, and aggressive. A significant breach of rules took pla in the Autumn, and an official letter was sent to the individual involved stating they were banned from attending any and all sessions. Incidents such as occurred were disruptive and distressing to both volunteers and service users. The craft sessions on Tuesdays continued to prove very SUCssful and productive. Crafts provided opportunities for folks to be creative and build self-confidence as well as being able to tslk about 'stuff in a non-threatening environment. Conversations around the craft table are entirely different to those around the table when eating.
Varying measures of support (both during sessions and outside of sessions) for some of our 'friends' as follows.. O Counselling when requested rf Social work and housing re 'friends' issues O On-going involvement with practical issues O Access to foodlgroceries sources < Referrals to agencies offering access to foodlgrorIes sources O Referrals to communty advisor assisting benefit issues InteNening in crisis situations O Texts, coffees, meet up with 'friends' who have had difficult issues O Follow-up and follow-through contact to locate 'friends' who don't appear for few sessions to ensure where they are and how they are doing In June, a team from Ohio USA came to volunteer time and talent to FF. They were well received and they provided and prepared the closing session B-B-Q as well as an afternoon tea. They spoke at F4 and they had some good conversations with many of the seNice users. They also worked extensively on tidying up the garden area outside and painting and patching on the inside and installing additional boarding around the pool table area. There was a good turn out for the mid-July 'work day, clean up. These included Audrey, Lisa, Eileen, Jen, Ron, Rachel. Esther, Jasmine, Rosina, Linda, and Alex. The 'work day, provides an opportunity for service users to take a bit of ownership in the venue that is used for FF sessions to make it neat, clean and presentable as possible. We were On again able to have an in-house Christmas meal and paty thanks to generosity and time given by Louise Begbie and Fran Wright, together with Liz from Blooming Haddington and Stuart Baxter from ELC. WELL-BEING SESSIONS The numbers attending Friday sessions fFuctuate from week to week. This pretty much depends on what is going on in the lives of service users when a Friday rolls aroundl Numbers vary from 4-5 to 11-12. What has been observed over the year is that those attending are learning how to be a bit more supportive as well as trying to briefly consider and discuss specific topics aimed at improving and supporting mental health. Topics and tasks over the year have included.. soup making, cooking demos for simple meals, planting raised beds, finding purpose, improving low mood, setting boundaries, picnic in St Mary's Pleasance Garden, making Choi5, the importance of good sleep and some quizzes.
F4 GATHERING ON SUNDAYS While F4 is a completely different format than Tuesdays or Fridays, it has an element of significant importance, i.e. providing an opportunity for those who choose to come, to hear and leam about where and in whom true hope is found. We are very grateful for all those who have given of their time to prepare and present messages on Sundays. Those who have helped over the past year are Barry Morrison, Stewart Gibson, Mike & Sheri Johngrass, Bob Bell, Colin &Audrey Cameron, John Houston, Gavin Laon, Rosina Sansom, Bob Hogg, Team from Ohio, Alex Hart, and Linda Fisk. MANAGEMENT OF THE N&HCC 2025 marked the 8th year of Friday Friends having management of the N&HCC. To date, this has proved to be a favourable working arrangement with the Council. It provides the Council with monies they would otherwise not receive were it not for the increased hire and use of the Centre. The duties of the manager of the Centre are numerous and are prety much a 2417 commitment. These include liaising with Facilities Management regarding Yrfeekly cleaning and supplies, rnaintaining weekly diaries for noticeboard and keeping noticeboard tidy and up to date, keeping files updated for bookings, invoices, etc., liaising with Security every week regarding alarm times and advising of any changes, opening and closing the centre for all lets 7 days per week, preparing all booking forms for completion and subsequent invoicing for bookings, showing Centre to perspective interested parties, and dealing with payments for bookings and paying into ELC. Along with these duties are the preparation and submission of statistics which the Council has additionally requested. Following on from an October meeting with ELC where y were advised that the Centre would be closing for refurbishment and a decant of all services to other venues would be necessary, additional correspondence and meetings have had to be added to the list of duties. FUNDING As previously shown in this report, we were recipients of grants from four different organisationslfoundationsltrusts in 2025. These funds have gone towards the continued work of New Hope Counselling and to cover the short-fall of funding from ELC for the Project Administrator's remuneration. We continue to be encouraged and supported by the Haddington & LammermuirArea Partnership. ile we continue to be very grateful for the monies reiVed from One Council Partnership Funding and Haddington & LammetmuirArea Partnership, individual
donations and standing orders are an important factor towards Friday Friends, financial status. Funding applications are not an easy task. The application process can be long and tedious. with a small percentage of success. We are exceedingly indebted to Gavin Lawson for being our Volunteer Fundraiser. He has spent innumerable hours researching possible fijnding sources and then completing the (sometimes lengthy) application prOS$. His expertise and ability to 'put words together, to clearly outline the work and mission of Friday Friends is invaluable and has resulted in positive resulls. He also has produced and distributed the Friday Friends quarterly newsletter which informs recipients of the prayer items for both Servi users and the charity itself. JERICHO CAFÉ Currently, the Jericho Café is 'on hold., Elim Church took on the running of The Jericho for two years. Numbers attending fell to single digits. This appears to be the trend in several of the youth outreaches in Haddington. NEW HOPE COUNSELLING NHC is under the umbrella of Friday Friends but offers counselling to those in the community of Haddington, or indeed East Lothian. The Servi continued lo offer Monday sessions throughout 2025. The distribution of leaflets outlining the counselling service has resulted in several contacting us. There is currently a moderate waiting list. THE VOLUNTEER SITUATION It is a known fact that charities and organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to find volunteers. We remain very thankful for the volunteers we have and for the time and effort they are able to give. As was mentioned in the Chairfs Report, John Houston stepped down as a helper at the close of 2025. Stewart and Eileen stepped down from team leads in the Autumn but continue to do the shopping and set up for hvo sessions per month. Liz Gibson had to step down as well because of personal and work commitments. Doreen also finished as a volunteer due to health concems. but is hopeful that she may be able to return at some point. Archie, the volunteer sent to us via MELD, has continued his commitment to helping with the weekly kitchen wash-up duties. He is very appreciative and thanlrful for our support: and we are very grateful for him. Lisa came onboard to help FF in February and has been a much appreciated member of the team. We are also very thankful for the help of Fiona. Ali, Audrey and Steph. Fran Wright offered in September to come and cook a healthy, nutrrtious meal for one Recovery Café session a month during the winter months. She donates all the ingredients and her time.
COMMENTS OF SERVICE USERS: Coming on Tuesdays and Fridays helps me mentally it makes me cheerier and gives me a sense of family. It gets me out of the house and being isolated and I really enjoy coming along. I have spent too much time alone and coming helps me leam to have chats with other people that are here. T & FF have carried me through so many things. Sometimes l am so anxious to come in, but I make myself on Tuesday, Fridays and Sundays because I need the connection. I would be totally lost with Friday Friends. It always helps me on the nights before the groups when alone, to remember that the next day T F and S I have somewhere to go and that cheers me up. Finding FF enables me to get out of the house and have somewhere to go. I get so anxious sometimes and it frustrates me and my mental health goes down. I so want to do things myself, but when I do I sometimes suffer. It helps coming and talking and sharing issues with people who understand and I don't then feel so alone. AN UNEXPECTED EVENT In July, Linda and Rosina attended the Royal Garden Paty at Holyrood Palace. A notice of invitation arrived in February inviting us to attend, and this was a gesture of recognition of the work of Friday Friends in the community. IN CLOSING This report could not be concluded without again expressing appreciation and gratitude for the continued commitment and timeless efforts of the volunteers, Trustees and the Project Administrator. Friday Friends has sustained its 23 year outreach to the community by the valuable contribution of the 'FF Team., God has been faithful to provide and undergird FF for these many years. We praise and thank Him for His past provision, His present provision and we look to Him for the futurAnowing that He is faithful, and that He is our sour. In a time and season where it seems people are almost apologetic for a Christian stance, Friday Friends is committed to its Christian ethos and it will continue to undergird all that we do.
FRIDAY FRIENDS 2025 Tu•sday Lunch, x-1x & pool 2025 Linda and Rosina dressed for the Kings Garden Party Such an honour to represent Friday Friends Chrlstmas 2025 Frid Friends FrtO•v2pm.iaow OARDENINO 2025
Presentation of Accounts The Treasurer's report for Friday Friends The report is for the financial period I, January 2025 to 31" December 2025 The opening bank balance at the beginning of the year amounted to £36,262. Grants received for the year totalled £30,009. Donations received from Individuals and Service users totslled £2,325. Totsl income to Friday Friends of £32,334 for the year. Total expenses for the year amounted to £31,379 giving a surplus 01. £955. See Statement of Financial Activities for more detailed figures The closing bank balance on 31. December 292¢ amounted to £37.217. Made up in the funds as follows. E L DAAT Grant Jericho Cafe Nehemiah Project New Hope Counselling + Benefacl Funding Admin Remuneration Funding Area Partnership Funding General - Unrestricted £4.288 £3.143 £10.908 £3,379 £3,728 £3.957 £7,814 All financial documentation has been independently reviewed and approved by Simon Cunningham. Reserves Policy The Charity's Reserves Policy is lo maintain reserves so that cash and investment income is sufficient to meet at least two months, nornial operaling costs and any other committed expenditure. 1.he unrestricted bank and cash balances held at 31 December 2025 were £7814. The charity is Satisfied that the reserves are suificient to meet at least two months. operating costs {approximately £4,000). Signed...-. Signed... . May 2026
APPENDIX2 FRIDAY FRIENDS SC041325 OSCR Recel ts and ments accounts Forthè p•0d t1sh Charty RegUtOr ZOZ5 31 1021 Soction A Statement of receipts and paymonts exp•ndabl• •ndowm•nt fundl Toi•l lund• fundB fund ondovmiont fund# Totsi fundi l#t pl0d A1 R•c•l Donal9 320 10 R8Gei 5 frorn fundrai GrosBtrsdi In¥e8 iano aj bu11 Rents Irom18nd & tyjibji A2 RK•lpi• ••••t I In¥m•nI ul•• Procewh frorn ol •tsset8 Proc40di frryn ol Inve&lmenls Totslrne•lpi 2,32LI 30,0•2 A3 Piym•n Expen8e8 Tor •thibei Gro88 Ir8dino peyrnen Invoyiwg m•n4gamoni m•t• PAymenli rekryliry dkeciiy lo ehbntat40 Gr4nts and don•lion# ALvrt I IDd•pBnd8nt 0MIn• Prepar8in of•nnu•l arryn LW COBt• A3 Sub tatsl A4 Pym•nts to m*na Inv••lffl•nt mov•m•nts Pw¢h88•8 of fixod 8S9et$ PLTtM68 olinve¥imBni¥ A4 Sub to 31,3Y8 73S A6 Yrnn•l•r• to I lfroml fund• Sutrplu81(doficttJ fory••r
APPEMDrrt2 FRIDAY FRIENDS SC041325 35.262 147•11 37A17 •¢¥ Tqknl 14llJ T*1 Iso STEART &,,3so 2.3
FRIDAY FRIENDS SC041325 Section C Notes to the Accounts C1 Naknre and pur$ of fundv5 (m8ybest•lod DMT IwKJiw wl onty for runrityd ofthèTuexday 8rYJ Suw F4 group. faulit ot tho & Hathlmllkn GUmruruty C Tyw of a¢tlvlty or pro1t BUPPOrtoJ C2 Gr•nl• Ea81 Lothtsn CothKI- DA4T Easi LothL8n Cow(4- Nthrnlth Plv Lothn AdmlrriJtrjn F E•Bt Lothlan Coundl.Area PwtAxf8N Tn•t Toial (m88 thL¥ box BeLon 3bl Auihorlty unrt•r whlch p•ld C1 0•ts1 Ilwnb•rot dvtll Nature ol r8lation&hl Natiiyo ot IrEnSa¢¢017 C8 TvanB•ction•vAth Iru8ts08 and eoDn•¢tsd p•rnon• Mmtrfy sh¢prj Is 8Lwlred kn Ihe mnnivJ oflhe rKg#rMStitKJri Tffj¥1e wrth88ethÈ Shuppinolrn thdr
FRIDAY FRIENDS SC041325 YiM4 T¢t• a7•Z 111,JlS •19 4t¥ 3.ljl TTp 1 T*xir
SC041320 Tolil
S¢04132S
APPENDIX 3 OSCR Independent examiner's report on the accounts Friday Friends v? Reportto thè CbJny trusteeslrnPmbe ot Reglstered ch8rlty SC041325 number On the accounls of th ¢haTity for thc perio Period 51afl datp Period Lind Jale f)3y Yoay iy 2025 to D?r4VtptyJ"
Qj4 Set out on pages Respectlve The cb.&inty s trdsiees are responsible for Ilie prcparaÈioii DI Ilie 8CCtyJnls fn acctsrO84C8 responsibilities of with ttte terms ol tho Ch8rilie5 and TrLi¥lev Inve%lmant IScot&ndl 2005 Act and e truste•s and •x#mlner ChBrit.cs Ac"-OblliS15col.'an¢' Rpgulalians 2Q06 rhe charity tnJS.:QeS CGnsider Ihai Ilie audit rttquiiemenl ol Re9ulatn 10111 (til of the Accounts Regulal'.Dris dees noi apply 11 FS my r05F¥)n51brlity lo examine Ihe accounls as Teoujred undersèction 44{11 Icl ol ihe Act io state whelhei partcUr matlers have conie lo n)y gltpnlion Basls ol Independent My examination Is camee out acwidcince will) Reoul3iix)n 11 ol tho. c.hant$ examirtèr'5 Statement Accour4ls IScotlanLI Règul8tions 2006 An examination Inrlijdes 3 review ol tne accouryting CordS kept by the charily and ¢? compan8on ol the acwunts prcsenlL.d willi IIDSi rL%cofl.s 11 asso Includ?.8 -rynsfdÈralitsii of ang unusual ittslljt tti. d5sr.In8iir.-s Ira I,e 8L¢ouiits an(J seeks explanafrons from the trLTSlees con-ernirig any siith rttr$ The piuc£duios undp_rtaken do nat provide 311 the PV.,den that ivtsuld iequiied in an aijflil and, consequently. I do no¥ cxpress an audil orinirjp. nn lh8 3¢CDunls Independent examinar's In Ilie Course ol my ex3M1n8tn no matter has ClIe lo ¢hy allenlion statement whil* gwes me reasonable cause lo belEve that In any nwterial fe5pecl th& r¥qUlfcmenis io keL'p accounlsng records In accor(Sance wrth secl1( 44111 lai ol ihe 20Q% Act and Rggulatx 4 01 the 2006 Account5 Regulaljons 3nLS In prepare accofints which accorri with the 2ccoi.nling re.rnrds and comply wff h RegUlatn 9 01 thp 2ntt6 Account5 Regu181K)ns have not been mel. or 2 to which. in my opinicm attention should tse Orawn in or(ler lo cnable a proper undEf5tsnding of tthe accoiints to be wr.hpd T)ate: Signed: Name: SIMON CUNNINGHAM Relevant professional qualificationl51 or body Chartered AecounlafEI lif any).. ICAS IITislilule ol chartp.red Accountants of Scollandl Address: 14 VINEFIELDS vmelA"[ LANPJ I RANENT EH34 514D 16TH April 2026 'Pb35e dp1 wdirjx iii Ihp iT1Y do 11 Lb 111090 whth h2-.V yoiL" a.'luiilKJ.I Ihtr l¢Abw.n4 page
rHE VARDY FOUNDATION East Lothian Council Haddington & Lammermulr Area Partnership M&IL DIA,IP BLNLI,IL I TRLI%T Jerusalem Trust The Paristamen Charity Slandlnity•sth ¢h•rftl•iwSth wll y•nts to m•k• a blldlll•nn¢•