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31 March 2020 St Vincent de Paul Society Trustees’ Report and Consolidated Financial Statements Company Number: 3174679 Charity Number: 1053992Our Vision Our Vision, which is inspired by Christ’s message to love our neighbour as ourselves, is for individuals and families who are in need to have hope together with a sense of dignity, worth, well-being and peace of mind. Our Mission To seek and find those in need, to help them in a spirit of justice, and to tackle the causes of poverty where we can. Our Values Christ Centred - We acknowledge the presence of Christ everywhere. Compassionate - We aim to show a compassion that is non-judgmental towards those with whom we work. Respectful - We respect the dignity of all in the knowledge that we are all equal before God. Generous - We aim to be generous with our time, our possessions and ourselves in the service of others. Responsive - We aim to be alert to the ever-changing needs in the communities in which we work and to respond accordingly in order to alleviate poverty in all its forms as well as we can. Accountable - We recognise our accountability to God and to those we seek to help, whilst acting within the limits of our own knowledge and skills. Confidential - We respect the confidentiality of those we help, while recognising that the physical and mental well-being of any vulnerable party must always be paramount. We strive to achieve these values through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, through prayer, friendship, mutual support and encouragement. Contents Our Vision, Mission and Values 2 St Vincent de Paul Society - an introduction 3 Chair’s Statement 4 Covid Response 6 Social Impact 8 Our Year in Numbers 9 Volunteers 10 Strategic Report 12 Conference Activity 14 SVP Young Adults / svp1833 20 Community Support Projects 22 Holidays and Camps 26 Youth Development 30 Overseas Aid 34 Financial Summary 38 Structure, Governance and Management 40 Chief Executive’s Statement 46 Special Thanks 47 Management and Policies 48 2 Trustees’ Report and Consolidated Financial StatementsHelping and befriending people in need Inspired by their Christian faith, St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) volunteer members seek and find people in need and offer help, support and friendship. They assist anyone who needs help, irrespective of their beliefs, background, race, gender, sexuality or attitudes, without judging them, and respecting their dignity and wishes at all times. Members, who are grouped into local ‘Conferences’, help the poor, the homeless, the hungry and the lonely, as well as prisoners and ex-offenders, refugees and asylum seekers, older people, the sick and those with mental health problems. Our members visit anyone in need in their homes, in hospital, in care homes, or on the streets, and offer practical support such as food, furniture or financial help when this is needed, but equally important they offer friendship. This core befriending service is complemented by four additional areas of activity: community support projects, youth work, holiday provision for children, and overseas aid. A history of caring The SVP was founded in Paris by a student, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and a group of friends in 1833. They were inspired by the 16th century saint Vincent de Paul, who was famous for his work among the poor. The organisation grew rapidly across France, quickly spreading to other countries, and arriving in England in 1844. Frédéric famously said: ‘I would like to embrace the whole world in a network of charity.’ He realised his aspiration, and the SVP now has an established presence in 153 countries worldwide with a global membership of over 800,000 people, all giving their time to help others. The SVP in England and Wales is one of the longest- established in the international Vincentian family. In February 2019, we celebrated our 175th anniversary. The first English group met at a hotel in London’s Leicester Square. Only five years later there were 14 groups in England and Wales. Today there are nearly 1,000. How we help... As well as the core work of our members, we help people in need in the following ways: Community Support Projects Community Support Projects (CSPs) is the term we use to describe the project work we do in the community and includes our Community Shops, Furniture Projects, Advice and Support Centres, Supported Accommodation and our contract with the Home Office to manage and run two local Approved Premises for offenders making the transition from prison into the community. Youth Work Our youth programme takes our Vincentian values, especially the befriending of others, into primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities, inspiring young people to give their time to volunteer, and sowing the seeds for a lifetime of service. Overseas Aid Through ‘twinning’ groups in England and Wales with SVP groups in India, Sudan, South Sudan, Guyana, Grenada and Romania, we aim to create a unique worldwide community of love and solidarity, dedicated to sharing the necessities of life with as many of the world’s poor as possible. Holiday Provision Each year our holiday homes and children’s camps provide holidays for about 1,600 adults and children who, in the current economic climate, find it hard to afford a break. The camps are run by teams of enthusiastic volunteers, many of whom return year after year to help. St Vincent de Paul Society - an introduction Turning Concern in Action 3 Turning Concern into Action 3Chair’s Statement I am proud and privileged to welcome you to the St Vincent de Paul Society (England and Wales) Annual Report. The Covid-19 outbreak has dominated the news this year, and as I write, its impact on large numbers of people in this country and worldwide is still unfolding. Those who are suffering most are the poorest and most marginalised in our communities, and it is the mission and duty of the SVP to respond as effectively as possible. On pages 6 and 7 you can read specifically how we have been responding to this crisis. It means being agile and brave as an organisation while also working within reduced means and restrictions on operations. Our patron St Vincent was no stranger to pandemics, but he sought continuously to find pathways to give people a future and to inspire hope. We must do the same. In 2019-20 our members and staff continued to meet need in many different forms. A call for innovation saw real support being given more widely to prisoners, prisoners’ families, asylum seekers, homeless people and care leavers as well as older isolated beneficiaries. Our youth and young adult programmes successfully attracted younger people to our mission. However, there is no doubt that the pandemic has kept many of our older members in their homes whilst also attracting new people to help the Society respond to the crisis. This involved heroic efforts with food provision and different ways of keeping in touch with people who were shielding and lonely. Our support centres went from strength to strength and really showed how they were able to adapt to changing needs during lockdown when normal service was not possible. Our shops were on target to make a valuable contribution to our charitable income when Covid struck forcing them to close. Unfortunately during this year, we were one of the many charities that fell victim to a sophisticated cyber fraud involving a money transfer to the SVP in Sudan. The police and Charity Commission were informed, and a police investigation instigated. The Charity Commission has responded and confirmed that it is satisfied with the actions taken by the Trustees in the wake of the fraud. Work has been underway to retrieve as much of the money as possible. An internal investigation and an external review were commissioned to ensure that the Society can learn all that it can from the incident and to be better protected going forwards. The Board agreed to make good any shortfall from reserves so that those in need in Sudan do not suffer from a reduction in funding, particularly now when life is very difficult for them. That aside, there were some undoubted highlights during the year. Our National Meeting at Loughborough in June was a brilliant event, showcasing the work of our members and sharing learning from an array of uplifting Inspiring hope 4 Trustees’ Report and Consolidated Financial Statementsexternal speakers. It underlined the importance and value of solidarity and shared mission and values. Another highlight was an international SVP safeguarding initiative led by SVP England and Wales, which kickstarted a review of safeguarding in all of the countries where there is an SVP. This was very important work and began with an inspiring two-day conference in Paris involving SVP leaders from around the globe. We were also blessed to be able to work with the wider Vincentian Family and the FamVin Homeless Alliance in its 13 Houses campaign aimed at ending homelessness. To this end we opened emergency accommodation in Norfolk which, with the amazing wraparound care offered by our local members, is a holistic model we intend to replicate moving forward. A personal highlight was a trip to India in February when I was able to see for myself the help given through our financial support and friendship. In particular, I visited Kerala and saw the projects that our Kerala flood appeal had funded. It was so satisfying to meet people who had received the means to earn a living through the generosity of our members and donors. Each fishing vessel or weaving loom or herd of goats represented a chance for hope, dignity and independence where there had been devastation. We were blessed to receive a very generous legacy this year from Mr Di Mascio who knew the SVP from the work of our members in Brentwood. His generosity enabled us to quickly establish a Covid hardship fund in the early months of the epidemic. In addition, the legacy allows us to invest in income generation projects with the aim of achieving the financial sustainability to ensure we can continue to meet need where we find it. Helen O’Shea National President Turning Concern in Action 5Covid Response At a time when Covid-19 drove more people into poverty and increased the need for our activities, lockdowns and social distancing had the potential to completely shut down the Society’s offer of friendship and practical help, which is founded on face-to- face service. Considering the extraordinary challenges of 2020, the Society’s response was agile and effective. It is fair to say that this was due in part to the responsiveness of the Trustees, the preparedness of the senior management team, and the flexibility shown by our members, staff and volunteers. Given that our traditional face-to-face methods were no longer possible, our resolute members wrote letters, telephoned, sent emails, and even embraced Zoom and social media to keep in touch with beneficiaries. However, the pandemic also took a toll on our members themselves, many of whom had to self-isolate or shield. We therefore provided monthly support sessions aimed at bolstering existing Conferences and providing support for new ones. A new online membership application process was devised which is faster and more efficient. A similar procedure for temporary auxiliary members was also introduced, which resulted in a small army of compassionate people who contributed to ‘knock and drop’ Locked down, but not locked out deliveries of food parcels and medication. The closure of churches impacted us in many ways, not least financially, with members unable to raise funds through collections. Using our reserves, we set up a Hardship Fund of £100,000, to which members could apply for grants to support people in need. So far, £77,000 has been released from this fund, helping over two hundred beneficiaries. Meanwhile, lockdown meant the closure of our shops, so we offered click and collect services, using eBay and social media to sell our low-cost goods to people who need them. Although we had to close two stores permanently, we also opened one new shop. The Society’s response to COVID-19 6 Trustees’ Report and Consolidated Financial StatementsOur support centres also had to close, suffering a loss in income from room hire, but we sought creative ways to support beneficiaries regardless. In Brighton, our staff and volunteers delivered 30- 40 food parcels a week to isolated older people who had no means of getting to the shops and whose lack of digital know-how meant no access to online food services. In Newcastle, our volunteers fed and clothed asylum seekers and refugees. They also provided a weekly hot takeaway food service outside. In Sheffield, we continued to make furniture deliveries to those who have been rehoused following domestic or financial trauma. In Bradford, our trained debt advisors switched to offering their services over the phone. In Southend, we opened a new centre to focus on the homeless community. In Leeds, when the food banks all closed during lockdown, our support centre took its response outside, preparing and serving 1,800 takeaway hot meals to the community of East Leeds between March and June. In our Approved Premises and hostels, it has been business as usual, and staff continued to work round the clock to support residents during this time. All our services were scrutinised by our compliance and safeguarding teams to ensure they complied with government guidelines, had been risk-assessed and that the wellbeing of staff, volunteers and our clients remained paramount. With up to 68% of staff furloughed and the remainder working from home, the Society moved to support employees with training and advice on how to adapt. Regular email communications offered support and reminders of our Employee Assistance Programme. Embracing digital technology to stay connected has enabled us to adopt more flexible working arrangements and has increased our resilience for the uncertain times that lie ahead. Through constant forecasting and with the help of the government support grant the Society was well placed at the end of lockdown to rapidly reopen our shops and continue trading. We contacted our landlords on a regular basis and were offered support in the form of payment holidays and in some cases reduced rent. Small grants from local business, individuals and councils were much appreciated. Nevertheless, like all charities, the Society faced severe financial challenges during this time, and the fundraising and communications teams have never been more important. We accelerated the move towards digital fundraising, recruiting a Digital Fundraising Manager and seeing income from online donations well above budget. We brought forward our Rise to the Challenge Campaign, aligned our annual Awareness Month with it, and invested in both print and digital advertising to raise the profile of the Society at a time when traditional avenues in churches were closed to us. We moved fast to apply for emergency funding and secured nearly £40,000 in grants from foundations and £9,000 in donations from individual donors in response to our appeal. During its nearly 190 years’ history, the Society has weathered every storm, including pandemics, war, economic collapse and political turmoil. Taking the words of St Vincent de Paul as our guide, ‘love is inventive to infinity’, we will continue to adapt in the face of the challenges that Covid-19 brings. With faith, prudence and determination, we will continue to serve our communities, bringing friendship and relieving poverty. Turning Concern in Action 7Social Impact Our summer holiday camps enabled 1,092 disadvantaged children and young people to experience an exciting holiday full of activity and care, and gave over 60 young people invaluable leadership training. In addition, 350 families enjoyed a holiday at one of our facilities around the country. Through a system called Twinnage, SVP groups in England and Wales offer financial support to SVP groups in six other overseas countries. These funds support local befriending activity as well as major projects such as baby feeding, education programmes and funding small sustainable businesses. Last year a total of £734,749 was transferred to overseas SVP projects, alleviating poverty from South Sudan to Grenada. This report describes in detail how the SVP’s activities contributed to the public benefit in 2019-20. Support for anyone in need As part of an international lay Christian organisation, Catholic in origin, character and traditions, which respects religious liberty and the value of all God’s people, the objects of the Charity are: + The relief of poverty and sickness without differentiation on the ground of race, colour, creed, ideology or sex and in particular, but not so as to limit the generality of the foregoing, to bring spiritual and/or material solace to the sick or individuals who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress due to their social, economic or other circumstances. + The undertaking, in any part of the world, of such other object or objects which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales as the Charity in its discretion shall see fit. The core work of the Society is its befriending service which operates through local groups known as Conferences. Befriending is undertaken by the Society’s members, all of whom are volunteers. In 2019-2020 these members made 405,733 visits to 60,459 beneficiaries. These visits relieved loneliness, expressed compassion, and on 83,617 occasions, also offered material support: anything from a food parcel to a ride to a hospital appointment. In addition, members ran food banks which served 20,847 meals, and soup runs which served another 25,200 meals. This support is given to anyone in need, no matter their background. A family on the Isle of Wight expressed their thanks this way: We were so very stuck, but your continuing support and friendship has given us hope. I have never received such help and support in all my life. Thank you, SVP. Our advice team in Bradford saw 1,788 clients with 4,379 issues. They achieved a total of £2,512,168 income for clients, which included debt write-offs and additional benefits accessed. Sheffield furniture project delivered 7,278 items of furniture, which would have cost over half a million pounds to purchase new from budget stores. St Vincent’s support centre in Leeds provided 1,044 hours of 1-2-1 counselling. Local and national projects complement the work of the local Conferences, meeting additional need. Here is a small sample of their accomplishments last year: 8 Trustees’ Report and Consolidated Financial Statements10,000 items of furniture delivered though our network of furniture stores 853 requests for help processed at National Office 20,847 servings given at Conference-run foodbanks In India: + 120 students sponsored in higher education + 250 students sponsored in vocational training + 1,500 children sponsored for basic education £734,749 donated to overseas SVP projects Our Year in Numbers: 60,459 beneficiaries visited 405,733 visits made in total Material help given on 83,617 occasions 604,541 hours in total donated by our volunteer members 8 young adult Conferences 21 B-Attitude groups 100 Youth SVP groups 496 volunteers in our summer camps 629 Mini Vinnie groups 870 volunteers in shops and support centres 945 Conferences 8,978 active members 350 families enjoyed a holiday at one of our facilities 25,200 servings given at Conference-run soup runs 1,092 children attended a Vinnie camp Please note that all volunteer member data in this report is based on an internal data return response rate of 82%. 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