25 Years Built on many milestones. Annual Report 2007/08

Transcription

1 25 Years Built on many milestones Annual Report 2007/08

2 25 Memorable Years The build up to our silver anniversary has been one of our most exciting years at Staying Put Services. We ve now entered our 25th year as a charity and are celebrating successes that have helped thousands of people move into, stay put and, just as importantly, enjoy living in their homes. What s ahead is just as exciting. In this year s annual report, as well as looking forward, we re looking back over the past 25 years to see what we have achieved at Staying Put Services (SPS). The organisation as it is today probably could not have been imagined when Kensington & Chelsea Staying Put for the Elderly came into being in Despite appearing a wealthy area, an influential report highlighted that many elderly people in the borough lived in very poor conditions. The organisation was formed to offer elderly private tenants help and advice on a range of housing issues. Since then there have been many significant milestones in the history of SPS. These have helped shape SPS into the organisation that it is today Kensington and Chelsea Staying Put for the Elderly created as a charity and based in a partitionedoff small hall in Village Gate W First paid member of staff joined the organisation 1995 Post of director created for the first time 1998 Expanded Articles of Association allow expansion of services and geographical area and a name change to Staying Put Kensington & Chelsea 2000 Staying Put Kensington & Chelsea joined Shepherds Bush Housing Group via an Independence Agreement 2001 Name changed to Staying Put Services 2008 Achieved ten consecutive years of making a surplus resulting in reserves which now exceed 500,000. Over the coming year, there will be events to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We are immensely proud to have had the opportunity to develop SPS from its humble origins to the thriving organisation that it is today. As Director and Chair, we re also celebrating milestones with ten years as Director for Graham Raine and the first year as Chair for Nigel Lucas. We are both fully committed to the continuing success of SPS. We are in no doubt that there will be many challenges ahead for the organisation but with our excellent Committee, staff and Shepherds Bush Housing Group support structure, we are confident that we can deal with everything that comes our way and continue to grow and prosper. It s been a great year and we look forward to what s ahead. Graham Raine, Director Nigel Lucas, Chair Year K&C Staying Put for the Elderly launches Year First salaried member of staff appointed Year First housing case officer appointed Year Lobbying on Local Government and Housing Bill Year Based in St Mary Abbots Church Hall for first three years Year Small Repairs Service launched Year First head of operations appointed Year Expansion to help elderly home owners as well as tenants

3 A year of successes It s been an exciting and rewarding year, thanks to the hard work of staff and the enthusiasm of clients. Within the six key areas of SPS, highlights of the year include: tonnes of furniture, made 1,537 collections of donated furniture and delivered to 822 homes while more than 1,200 clients visited the Furnish warehouse to select items for their homes. Housing Advice SPS offers free and independent housing advice to people living, working or studying in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBK&C). The value of this service was confirmed when the contract was extended by a further two years to April Other highlights include the launch of a new service when, following a competitive tendering exercise by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, SPS won the contract to provide a Homeless Prevention Service. SPS and Shepherds Bush Housing Group (SBHG) have invested in staff training to ensure that the highest quality service is offered to residents. Sarah Makhlouf, the team leader of SPS s Housing Advice Service, became a registered Shelter trainer and has gained many high profile commissions over the course of the year. Sarah said: We provide bespoke courses on most aspects of housing law. Anyone interested should contact us to discuss your organisation s requirements. Small Repairs Little things make a big difference, as anyone who has used SPS s Small Repairs service will confirm. It helps people aged 60 and above, or those who are vulnerable, by carrying out tasks ranging from changing tap washers to fitting minor aids and adaptations. This helps people to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes. In the past year, SPS launched a plumbing service initiative for older and vulnerable clients. In its first year, it has proved so successful that it made a small surplus. Following sponsorship from RBK&C, SPS has been funded to introduce a new Accident Prevention Service. In recognition of the value of the service, the budget to operate the Sanctuary project for women fleeing domestic violence was doubled by RBK&C. Nigel Lucus, Chair of SPS, said: Small Repairs is at the heart of services we provide and is highly valued by our older clients. Furnish Furnish collects donated furniture and recycles it to people in need. Its also provides services such as removals, clearances and storage. In the past year Furnish collected 170 This year saw the completion of the Safe Haven project which provided new and gifted furniture to 200 properties throughout the two year life of the programme. Funding from the Dolphin Square Foundation in Westminster provided a brand new LPG van to support Furnish s work. A unique partnership was developed with Latchmere House Open Prison for prisoners to carry out voluntary work at Furnish. Year Campaign for Fairer Rents launched and helps change law Year First business plan recommends a fulltime director Year Younger people eligible as clients Year Expands list of building contractors by 50% Year Handyperson Service expands Year Move to current base of Canalside House Year Exceeds government targets on home improvements Year Expansion into Westminster

4 Volunteering Volunteering is a valued and expanding part of SPS. As well as enhancing the business, placements help people learn vital business and social skills. In the past year funding from Enhance developed a Good Practice Guide for Volunteering. Working with Shepherds Bush Housing Association, a project was developed to bring tenants into volunteering and secure qualifications. Funding from Campden Charities allowed SPS to employ one of its beneficiaries on a year s contract as an Administrator at Furnish during which time she will be sponsored for an NVQ in Administration at West London College. Jennette Skinner, volunteer coordinator, said: Volunteering gives people stability and builds self esteem and confidence. This helps lead to fulltime employment in exciting, worthwhile jobs with real prospects. If the right opportunity is available, volunteers can move on to fulltime employment with us becoming valued members of staff. WellBeing Project With health and wellbeing setting many parameters for quality of life, SPS s WellBeing Project is a community based initiative which tackles health inequalities. It provides a variety of projects such as food and nutrition, carers and early years. It was successfully rebranded as the WellBeing Project from the Healthy Living Centre and staff worked tremendously hard to ensure the continued sustainability of this important project. to make children fitter, healthier and happier. Following a competitive tendering exercise by the Hammersmith & Fulham Primary Care Trust, SPS won the contract to provide the generalist Health Trainer service. Jane Baxter, of the WellBeing Project, said: This is a fantastic opportunity for SPS and provides a firm foundation on which to build for the future. Home Improvement Agency life. Crucially, it also helps people to remain in their own home when this might not otherwise be possible. SPS assists people living on a low income to repair, improve and adapt their homes and improve their feeling of safety and security. Following the loss of the Westminster project last year, the Home Improvement Agency has successfully reestablished itself and achieved a sustainable future. SPS successfully negotiated with RBK&C for a plumbing service to install central heating and new boilers under the auspices of the Keep Warm Grant. In addition, SPS achieved remarkable results in terms of agency fees and customer satisfaction while training and developing a completely new team during the course of the year. Following sponsorship from New Deal for Communities and the Primary Care Trust, and working in partnership with Fulham FC, it delivered the pilot MEND (Mind Exercise Nutrition Doit) programme SPS s Home Improvement Agency improves people s home conditions which not only makes where they live more pleasant, but also improves their health and enhances their quality of Year SPS joins Shepherds Bush Housing Group Year Government funding to help homeless families Year Awarded Specialist Quality Mark for Housing Advice Year Healthy Living Centre joins up with SPS Year Small Repairs Service expands to three boroughs Year Furnish joins SPS Year Volunteering programme launched with fulltime coordinator

5 Looking ahead With such an achievement packed past year, looking ahead really helps build momentum. Some of the highlights that SPS is preparing for over the next year include: Football Working with Fulham, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers Football Clubs, the Football Foundation and the Primary Care Trust, SPS hopes to launch the MEND programme extensively across Hammersmith & Fulham. Farming With Phoenix High School, SPS is now fundraising, primarily from the Big Lottery, to expand the school farm project across the White City Estate and provide foodrelated learning, healthy eating and community development schemes. Advice Building on the success of previous work, SPS hopes to Treasurer s Report On behalf of the staff, clients and management committee of SPS, I would like to thank the following funders and donors: Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Shepherds Bush Housing Association, Westminster Primary Care Trust, New Deal for Communities, Hammersmith & Fulham Primary Care Trust, Dr Edwards and Bishop King s Fulham Charity, Women s Pioneer Housing Ltd, Big Lottery, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Campden Charities, Westminster Amalgamated Charity, Department for Communities and Local Government, and all other funders and donors. Let me first of all congratulate all the staff at SPS as we have now made a surplus on our activities for ten consecutive Year Home Improvement Agency rebuilt make a successful bid to the London Borough of Hillingdon to run their housing advice, options and homeless prevention service for single people. Safety Preventing accidents in the home is a priority for SPS. In the next year it will be launching a new small repair initiative, the Accident Prevention Grant, which will contribute to a safer and more secure home enviroment. Health Building on work to encourage and facilitate healthy lifestyles, and following a three month training programme, the Health Trainer service will launch in Hammersmith and Fulham. Reuse To help support a cleaner, greener London, Furnish, working in partnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Waste Services, will soon launch a reuse service operating in parallel to its bulky waste collections. years and reserves are now in excess of 500,000; a great achievement. We have again achieved an extremely healthy balance sheet and set of accounts. This has enabled us to continue to expand and sustain our services effectively in all our major areas. It has also enabled us to launch new projects and initiatives over the course of the year. The balance sheet continues to strengthen and this will help us to meet future uncertainties and challenges with continued and increasing confidence. I can report that the expenditure continues to be carefully controlled through a variety of meetings. In this respect I must thank our Head of Operations Lorna Revell for all her terrific work throughout the course of the year. Stephen Bashorun, Treasurer Year Tenth consecutive year of financial surplus Statement of Financial Activities (including income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 March 2008 Incoming resources from generated funds Voluntary income Donations Miscellaneous income Activities for generating funds Investment income Incoming resources from charitable activities Grants and contracts Total incoming resources Resources Expended Charitable activities Housing Advice Service Home Improvement Agency Small Repairs Service Shepherds Bush Housing Association Furnish WellBeing Project Governance costs Total resources expended Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward 01 April 2007 Total funds carried forward 31 March 2008 Unrestricted funds 980 3,987 13,101 1,550,831 1,568, , , , , ,211 91,486 1,475,512 38,750 1,514,262 54, , ,949 Restricted funds 40, ,655 Balance Sheet (As at 31 March 2008) Fixed Assets Tangible assets Current Assets Stocks Debtors Charity Aid Foundation Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year Net assets Funds Unrestricted funds Designated funds General funds Restricted funds Total funds , , , , ,334 (266,683) 76, , , , ,949 Total ,987 13,101 1,741,486 1,759, , , , , ,866 91,486 1,666,167 38,750 1,704,917 54, , , , , ,610 (213,908) 61, ,618 Total ,775 3,402 11,208 1,809,636 1,873, , , , , , ,286 1,776,477 31,027 1,807,504 65, , , , ,312

6 Staying Put Services Management Committee Stephen Bashorun Treasurer Russell Conway Tina Cotis Resigned Aug 07 John Curnow Resigned Feb 08 Richard Featherstone Chris Hancock RBK&C rep. Resigned Nov 07 Marie Hogle Nigel Lucas Chair Doreen Tucker Vice Chair Karen Smith Vice Chair Kevin Tallon Bobby Thomas Cooptee Staying Put Services Offices 6 and 7 Canalside House, 383 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5AA Tel spsinfo@sbhg.co.uk Web Bankers Barclays Bank plc Willesden and Notting Hill Group PO Box 3750 London NW10 6AQ External auditors DBO Stoy Hayward LLP Emerald House East Street Epson Surrey KT17 1HS Solicitors RussellCooke 2 Putney Hill London SW15 6AB