Marches Housing and Charitable Trust

Trustees’ Annual Report 2008/9 Registered Charity No. 1101104 Company Registration No. 03573904

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Chair’s Review The Marches Housing and Charitable Trust have been working since its inception to provide support to communities in South Shropshire and to build on the ground breaking work undertaken by the Rosebud Single Regeneration Budget programme. Since the appointment by South Shropshire Housing Association of a Regeneration and Community Development Officer, Helen Vaughan, to work with the Trustees in realising the goals of the Trust, we have been able to step up our activities. Through Helen’s work, we have been able to assist individual voluntary and community groups to develop project ideas and access funding and work with the new partnership structures for Shropshire Council. In the last year we have continued to provide core funding to Craven Arms Community Centre and have developed an exciting project, part funded by the European Social Fund, to work with the community in Sandpits in Ludlow to access informal learning opportunities. We have also launched a new small grants scheme which has proved popular and supported a wide range of community activities. We were also instrumental in developing an exciting project, now funded by Advantage West Midlands, which provides a range of new vocational opportunities for young people and in supporting a major Lottery application (which has been successful) for a local initiative to engage deprived communities in the cultivation and use of local produce. We have strengthened the Board and now have an excellent collection of Trustees. We also continue to enjoy an excellent relationship with South Shropshire Housing Association. We look forward to making an increasingly important contribution to community development and regeneration in South Shropshire over the coming years.

Gareth S. Williams Chair. Marches Housing and Charitable Trust, a charity associated with South Shropshire Housing Association is registered with the Register of Charities and is a Registered Charity. MHCT is a non-property holding charity. Registered charity no. 1101104 Company Registration No. 3573904 The principal address of MHCT and the address of its registered office is: South Shropshire Housing Association The Gateway The Auction Yard Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 9BW MHCT is a company limited by guarantee; The Memorandum and Articles of MHCT were signed by the subscribers on 16th April 1998 and incorporated by Companies House on 2nd June 1998.

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Summary of the Trust’s Objectives To: Promote social inclusion Recognise and meet the needs of deprived sections of the communities we serve Engage local people in community development, participation and local decision making Recognise and respect the differences between people in line with the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy of South Shropshire Housing Association Provide opportunities for people who need support to take advantage of the beneficial effects of the strategies that are being implemented in South Shropshire Work in partnership with other agencies and disseminate good practice Help to build capacity and support for communities through community centres Promote sustainable regeneration, improving and protecting the environment and physical infrastructure Enhance and protect the environment

About MHCT The main objectives and achievements of MHCT during the year reflect the MHCT objective of working with communities throughout South Shropshire to secure funds to develop projects that improve and sustain communities. Over the last year MHCT has continued to work with communities within the area covered by the Southern Shropshire Partnership to deliver a range of projects. This year has seen three major projects launched that underpin MHCT’s objectives of, in particular, helping to build capacity and support for communities through community centres and engaging local people in community development.

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About MHCT’s Trustees There are no constitutional provisions relating to appointments or a process for election to the post of Trustee. Because the process is informal, recruitment is done through networking in the community with individuals who support and share the MHCT objectives. No other person or external body is entitled to appoint one or more of the charity Trustees, but Shropshire Council is invited and encouraged to nominate an officer to observe at all meetings of the Trustees. Gareth Williams, Chair of MHCT is a charity Trustee and a Director of the corporate body on the date of signing this report. The other persons who have been charity Trustees for the financial year 2008/9 are: David Mullins Dennis Vickers Nick Holcombe Alison Cundall Neville Stephens Robin Bidwell Colin Harrison Peter Cope Rick Noordegraff There are 10 MHCT Trustees at the time of signing this report. MHCT is not actively looking to increase this number but if it does change, the total Trustee membership shall not exceed 15, or be less than 5. There have been no resignations from the Board of Trustees during the financial year 2008/9. No Trustees hold property on behalf of the charity. South Shropshire Housing Association provides and holds the majority of its funds, though a working capital of approximately £7000 is kept in an MHCT current account. MHCT has a management agreement with South Shropshire Housing Association and is not responsible for day to day management of the MHCT officer or its finances. Policies that have been adopted by MHCT charity Trustees:- (i) for the purposes of determining the level of reserves which is appropriate for the charity to

maintain in order to meet effectively the needs designated by its trusts; and (ii) details of the amount and purpose of any material commitments and planned expenditure

not provided for in the balance sheet which been deducted from the assets in the unrestricted fund of the charity in calculating the amount of reserves, and where no such policies have been adopted, a statement to this effect; and

(iii) Where any fund is materially in deficit at the beginning of the financial year in question, and particulars of the steps taken by the charity Trustees to eliminate the deficit.

The document which relates to (i) and (ii) is the MHCT business plan; (iii) is not applicable as there is no deficit. Date of report: Signature of authorised Trustees:

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Marches Housing and Charitable Trust Working with Communities

The work of MHCT has continued to expand with the support of Regeneration and Community Development Officer, Helen Vaughan, who came into the post in January 2007. MHCT is working on a number of projects with colleagues in South Shropshire Housing Association, the Shropshire Southern Partnership, local community centres, Ludlow 21, Craven Arms Food Project, Craven Arms Arts CIC, Bishops Castle Tourism Group, The Community Council for Shropshire, The Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre and the AONB (much of South Shropshire is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). 2009 saw the transition of Shropshire from five District Councils into a Unitary Authority. Although this has changed the way in which MHCT works we continue to work closely with the officers of Shropshire Council’s Community Working Team. Our officer represents SSHA and MHCT on the Shropshire Southern Partnership Delivery Groups that work with the local community to deliver projects that meet the objectives of the Shropshire Council community strategy. This year MHCT also became a member of the Shropshire Voluntary Council and we, along with Shropshire Housing Group, have agreed to adopt and promote the Shropshire Compact (an agreement between Shropshire Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) about how they will work together). Many of the projects that were developed during our officer’s first two years in post continue to flourish and significant new projects have been added. Although this report is to accompany the 2008/9 accounts, we have sought to give a picture of our work and achievements for the whole calendar year of 2009. The report looks at:

Projects MHCT and South Shropshire Housing Association are directly responsible for Community based projects MHCT has helped to develop over the last year and funding

applications that are currently being developed for new projects

Community activities supported through MHCT funding

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Projects Marches Housing & Charitable Trust

are directly responsible for

Grow Cook Share Homegrown

Shine Community Skills Project

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Grow Cook Share

A £300,000 Big Lottery funded local food project for Ludlow and Craven Arms, Grow Cook Share started its programme of activities in January 2010; much of 2009 was spent developing the funding bids to the lottery and LEADER* as well as continuing to develop the Craven Arms Community Garden and prepare the site for a community garden in Ludlow.

Grow, Cook Share is being delivered in partnership with Ludlow 21 and Craven Arms Community Food. Ludlow 21 is the accountable body; South Shropshire Housing Association employs the two project staff, managed by the Regeneration and Community Development Officer.

Grow Cook and Share is funded by the Lottery Local Food Programme and LEADER (AWM and AONB)

Pupils from Stokesay Primary School, a partner in the Grow Cook Share project

Grow Cook Share Co-ordinator, Valerie Meehan and the project’s Gardener, Sarah Robinson

Volunteers creating new raised beds for Stokesay Primary School

* LEADER is a rural development funding programme operating throughout Europe, and in this country now forms part of the Government’s Rural Development Programme of England (RDPE). The theme for the programme is improving the well-being of people in and around the Shropshire Hills by building on a sense of place and attachment to the landscape.

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Homegrown

Homegrown is a project developed with £200,000 funding from Advantage West Midlands. South Shropshire Housing Association is the accountable body. Homegrown aims to support young people (primarily 16+) to develop practical and transferable skills that will help them to find a career path. The project enables local businesses to contribute to the development of their future workforce by increasing young people’s awareness of what it does and what skills would be required to work there. If participants are inspired by the activities they have had a chance to experience, Homegrown provides information, advice and guidance which can help the young person progress towards employment.

Homegrown is a two year project employing a project co-ordinator, managed by the Regeneration and Community Development Officer.

Homegrown is funded by Advantage West Midlands

Young people on a trip to Shropshire Housing Group’s offices to find out what work opportunities the Group offers. The group met with Kate Adams (left), Head of Finance and Martin Holland (right), Chief Executive and other departments to learn the roles and qualifications of staff.

‘Shop, cook and eat; a 5 day catering course organised by Homegrown and Shine Community Skills Project ’.

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Shine Community Skills Project The Shine Community Skills Project focuses on Ludlow East, an area with a high concentration of single parent families dependent on benefits.

Since July 2009, MHCT, via South Shropshire Housing Association, has employed a part time outreach worker based at Rockspring Community Trust in Ludlow East.

The need for this kind of project in this community has gradually become clearer as an increasing number of agencies have offered interventions to families in the area and had little or no take up because no one has worked with individuals to overcome the real or perceived barriers they have to taking part.

The Shine Community Skills Project is different in two ways:

One to one relationships are established to build confidence and trust in the project. All activities are ‘learner led’ and planned in response to what people say they are

interested in.

Although the ESF funding comes to an end in early July 2010, it has demonstrated how effective MHCT’s financial contribution has been when used for community development. We are currently looking for new sources of funding to top up the £10,000 and enable the Shine Community Skills Project to continue.

The Shine Community Skills Project is part funded by the European Social Fund

Outreach worker, Liz Edwards at the Rockspring Community Centre

MHCT has provided the Rockspring Community Trust with £10,000 p.a for several years. Last year Rockspring Community Trust agreed that this funding should be used for community development. As community development would not be possible without outreach work, a £12,000 European Social Grant was successfully obtained to supplement the MHCT funding.

The aim of the Shine Community Skills Project is to encourage the local community to try activities, such as family cookery, craft workshops and other activities that enable them to learn new skills and improve their confidence.

On an individual basis, Shine offers activities that suit their skills and that can help the participants possibly find employment.

Family Learning: parents and children taking part in a forest school session

‘Shop, cook and eat; participants achieved a food hygiene certificate as part of this 5 day catering course.

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Community Based Projects Supported by MHCT during 2008/9

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MHCT is gradually raising its profile and fulfilling its objective of helping local groups raise money for projects; this year we have helped Craven Arms Food Project and Craven Arms Arts CIC to raise funds for their work. Projects MHCT supports through administration and funding have continued to flourish.

For example, Craven Arms Arts (CARTS) is an Arts Community Interest Company for Craven Arms which grew out of the Face It Arts Project. CARTS has had its second successful year culminating in the 2009 ArtWalk. CARTS is about community art and most of its work is done through schools, local groups and trainee artists. The artists hope to develop their unique brand of community art through land art and developing a greater appreciation of the beautiful Shropshire Hills to which Craven Arms is the gateway. The Regeneration and Community Development Officer co-ordinates the group and is helping them to develop a LEADER bid for their next project, ‘Hills Alive’.

The artists of Craven Arts CIC are growing in confidence and skill as they use community art to increase pride in the area, its rural heritage and increasing diversity.

Blue Eyed Soul performing as part of the 2009 ArtWalk One of the art displays at the 2009 ArtWalk

Some of the art installations at the 2009 ArtWalk

The 2009 Craven Arms Festival took place on a gloriously sunny Saturday in September. Building on the successful 2008 ArtWalk, this year’s event attracted 60 local artists and 2000 visitors to Craven Arms.

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In December 2009 MHCT again funded CARTS to run the popular Craven Arms lantern workshop and Christmas Lights Lantern Parade.

CARTS is funded by the Arts Council England.

SPAM

We have continued to provide modest support to SPAM (Supported People Associate Members). They put on another great autumn programme ending in a wonderful Ready Steady Cook show.

Working Together MHCT continues to support activities being developed by people with support needs including ‘Working Together’. We hope to help Working Together get its ambitious ‘Flying Tortoises’ project to provide environmentally friendly accommodation and employment for people with support needs and their families underway in 2010.

Some of the children that made lanterns for the Christmas lantern parade

This build on the work we did last year to get SPAM cooking through a healthy eating course. The Regeneration and Community Development Officer then helped them to produce their own cook book, ‘Cooking with SPAM’.

Although several of the SPAM group are also involved in the community garden project, MHCT has deliberately had less input this year as SPAM now have sufficiently strong links with Adult and Community Learning to find their own tutors once activities are decided on.

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Craven Arms Community Garden Craven Arms Community Garden which MHCT created in partnership with local residents and the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre led directly to our inclusion in the Grow Cook Share Project which will be a key element of community development for years to come.

The garden has continued to have a number of successes, with the project being awarded a £15,000 Shropshire Council Community Grant to make the garden and raised beds accessible for people with restricted mobility and to create a picnic area.

Some of the community garden volunteers on the raised area, with views to Norton Wood.

Winner of 1st prize for best veg plot 2009 was Steve Prime. He began growing vegetables for the first time in 2008.

In September the garden had its first open day. Mrs Lyons who runs the local plant nursery kindly judged the competition, and donated some of the prizes.

As intended, the garden is being used for courses and art displays; this year it hosted performance artists, Blue Eyed Soul as part of the Craven Arms ArtWalk.

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Working through local partnerships and community based groups has proved a useful way of utilising MHCT and SSHA to attract funding for significant non housing local projects.

Funding for the community garden has been provided by Shropshire Council and Biffa

Invaluable voluntary support has been provided by Jim O’ Rourke Garden & Landscape Design.

Shropshire Outdoors Project provided funding for seating and signage.

In February and March courses in hedge laying and willow weaving proved very popular. We received funding for a second Grow, Cook and Eat course and extended some of its activities so that Craven Arms Homework Club could participate.

The garden was also short listed for the 2009 Biffa Award in the small grants category. Biffa gave a grant of £3,000 in 2007 that enabled us to start constructing the garden. The garden was one of six finalists selected from hundreds of entries.

Helen Vaughan, Regeneration and Community Development Officer with Judge Dr Mark Fishpool and Garden Designer Jim O’Rourke

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Bishops Castle Better Welcome Project

The Bishops Castle Better Welcome Project aimed to improve tourist facilities and public spaces in Bishops Castle. The project was completed in 2009 with a £25,000 grant from Advantage West Midlands through the Better Welcome scheme. Working in partnership with Bishops Castle Tourism group a further £5000 funding was obtained. A celebration event is planned for March 2010.

New interpretive signs as part of the Bishops Castle Better Welcome Project

The Bishops Castle Better Welcome Project is funded by Advantage West Midlands

Craven Arms Community Centre

MHCT also works closely with, and funds Craven Arms Community Centre. Aikido demonstration at Craven Arms Community Centre.

Public consultation event at Craven Arms Community Centre

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Community Activities Supported through MHCT Funding

It is easy to apply for a grant of up to £500 for a community activity.

To request the application form contact Helen Vaughan on 01588 676235 or email: helen.vaughan@shropshirehousing.org.uk

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MHCT provides small grants to a wide range of organisations across Shropshire. In 2007/8 MHCT reviewed the way in which it funds local projects; over 50% of MHCT funding is committed to supporting Craven Arms Community Centre and activities at the Rockspring Community Trust. This is the first full year that MHCT has used the balance of £15,000 as a community purse with local projects able to obtain grants of up to £500 through a simple application process. By advertising through The Key, the quarterly tenants’ magazine from South Shropshire Housing Association, and parish magazines, MHCT has promoted small grants for community activities. This has proved successful and MHCT awarded 16 grants in 2008/9. The Trustees have emphasised a preference for community activities rather than applications for funding for equipment, which can be made to the Shropshire Council Local Joint Committees. MHCT also agreed to donate £500 to the Community Council of Shropshire Grassroots endowment fund as this helps to ensure the Grassroots Grant remains available in future years through Government match funding. This is a selection of some of the funded activities: Ludlow Cycling Support Group; £100 contribution to a promotional leaflet. High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Young People’s Volunteering Event; £500 towards an event to attract new young volunteers. Strettons Mayfair Trust; £500 towards providing flexible childcare places at the Mayfair Centre in Church Stretton.

HomeStart; £500 to purchase play equipment for South Shropshire and Bridgnorth District HomeStart, which provides support for families with children under the age of 5.

Craven Arms Methodist Church; £400 towards providing a hearing loop in this popular facility used by many local groups. Lydbury North Primary School; £181 for a year 3-5 visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth.

Flames Netball Club; £500 towards training for volunteers and young leaders working with clubs and schools to provide netball coaching. Craven Arms Homework Club; £130 for a tutor for a half term cookery class for children in Craven Arms who need additional support to become independent learners.

“The visit was a great success; the children returned to school with a renewed enthusiasm for their environmental studies.”

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Land Life and Livelihoods; £500 to purchase information display equipment to promote the work of the group at community events throughout South Shropshire. Newcastle and District Garden Society; £500 towards running the annual garden and produce show. Hightown Community Rooms, Clun; £500 to purchase tables for community events in the rooms. .

Craven Arms Arts Community Interest Company; £500 towards the cost of producing a film about the work of CARTS in 2009, to be used to promote community art in local schools. St. Georges School, Clun; £500 towards a traditional arts and crafts week and craft fete for pupils and the local community.

Craven Arms Community Centre; £500 towards their Victorian Fair – a celebration of Craven Arms as a Victorian Market Town.

Strettons Mayfair Trust; £500 towards providing weekly ‘Get Out of That’ sessions which challenge young people and help them develop life and survival skills. Craven Arms Arts Community Interest Company; £290 towards the cost of running a Lantern Workshop and Lantern Parade as part of the Craven Arms Lights event.

“The new utensils have been used for catering and the Harvest Supper and Garden Show. We have numerous dinners, weddings and private parties booked, and they will all be using our new kitchen facilities.”

Newcastle Community Centre; £500 to purchase cooking utensils for community events held at the Community Centre.

“The children interacted with crafts people and local groups; as well as lots of hands on experience for pupils, there was a craft and produce fete. It was very successful and many community members and groups got involved.”

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Craven Arms Community Chest

Since April 2009 MHCT has also administered a residual sum of £9,500 on behalf of Craven Arms Community Chest. The Community Chest was made available through South Shropshire District Council when Shropshire became a unitary Council. Since April it has made 12 grants available to groups in Craven Arms and the surrounding parishes. This is a summary of the funded activities:

Organisation Month Amount Comment/Feedback Red Cross young Carers April £500 Feedback received with a summary of the

activities for young carers paid for by the grant.

SSYF Cricket Project June £500 Staff at the Community Centre reported that they were extremely pleased with all the activities provided by SSYF this year including the cricket.

Culmington Flower Show May £190 The event was well attended and the contribution ensured local people will want to continue to take part.

CARTS Film of ArtWalk 2009 August £250 The film has been made and is currently being edited. There will be a showing for the Town Council.

Craven Arms History Group June £160 The equipment as outlined in the application has been purchased.

Victorian Fair CACC June £160 The fair took place in July and was a great success attended by several hundred people. It is hoped it will become an annual event.

Halford Church disabled access ramp

July £442 The work has been completed to a high standard and is clearly an improvement in giving access to the church.

Craven Arms History Group Sept £350 It was established that there is a cost to training and setting up a link with the Discovery centre website (when CAHG made their first application including this in June, it was thought this was a free service) the training has been completed and the website link is in place.

South Shropshire Youth Forum towards the cost of working with young people/hiring Craven Arms Community Centre to do a consultation session on the BMX track

Sept £116 Staff at the Community Centre reported they were extremely pleased with all the activities provided by South Shropshire Youth Forum this year, including consultation on the BMX track.

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CARTS Christmas lantern workshop

Nov £290 This workshop took place on 28th November in time for the Christmas Lights evening on 4th December. The workshop was well attended.

Christmas Lights grant Nov £400 8 applicants given £50 each. Harpscape harp workshop for absolute beginners

June £250 This was the second workshop; it was subsidised to allow more people to take part and proved to be very popular.

TOTAL £3,016 MHCT and its partners rely on other grant funding, such as the Community Council for Shropshire Grassroots to deliver projects. Community Council for Shropshire can continue to sustain these grants with Government match funding. For this reason MHCT this year donated £500 to the Grassroots funding administered by Community Council for Shropshire.

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The Year Ahead

Looking ahead to 2010, MHCT is already developing applications for funding for projects within MHCT and South Shropshire Housing Association and from community groups supported by MHCT. LEADER is a rural development funding programme operated throughout Europe, and in this country now forms part of the Government’s Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) are administering £1,000,000 of LEADER funds throughout the next four years. The theme for the programme is improving the well-being of people in and around the Shropshire Hills by building on a sense of place and attachment to the landscape. This works well with several projects MHCT has helped to develop. The Grow, Cook, Share project is already funded by LEADER and a number of further applications have been submitted. These are: Hills Alive, which would develop community art and landart through CARTS over the next four

years. Rural Skills for the Future, a pilot project for Homegrown that would give young people at risk

of social exclusion the opportunity to learn traditional crafts from skilled craftspeople at Action Scott Working Farm.

Sacred Landscapes; working with God’s Acre, communities will be identifying the natural

landscapes that are most important to them and looking at why they value them. A main target for 2010/11 is to find funding to continue the Shine Community Skills Project, and to expand the range of outreach it provides. The project has identified a need for after school work with pre-teen youngsters. We are developing the following bids: Reaching Communities Lottery Bid; a consortium bid via Shropshire Council Learning

Employment and Training Services, which, if successful would enable an extension of the work being done by the Shine Community Skills Project.

Reaching Communities Lottery Bid in conjunction with Craven Arms Community Centre to

bring additional resources for working with young people into the area.

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Our Aims for the Future MHCT is in a good position to help community groups access local funding available from Shropshire Council, Shropshire Partnership, the Community Council of Shropshire and Advantage West Midlands. In our last Annual Report (2007/8) the Trustees expressed the view that the community development role of MHCT could be utilised more effectively to support South Shropshire Housing Association’s core activities. Since then, two significant changes have had an impact on MHCT;

Shropshire has changed to become a unitary council Shropshire Housing Group has changed the way it is structured to reflect the two main

operational areas covered by South Shropshire Housing Association and Meres and Mosses Housing Association.

Shropshire Housing group is a key player within the Shropshire Partnership. At a local level we need to do more to support our communities to make the best of the opportunities presented through local partnership working, in particular those where Shropshire Housing group’s tenants are well represented,. MHCT can quickly respond to community needs and is well suited to partnership working because it is flexible and non bureaucratic and it has funding that can lever in more significant amounts. South Shropshire Housing Association and, to a lesser extent, MHCT is increasingly being asked to act as lead partner for funding bids. MHCT has a strong framework because of its place within Shropshire Housing Group. It is further strengthened by the guidance of the MHCT Trustees and our commitment to work in partnership with others to develop projects that make a significant contribution to major regeneration and community development projects. The MHCT Regeneration Officer is working on projects with Shropshire Council Community Working Team in Ludlow, Bishops Castle and Craven Arms and will continue to look for opportunities to develop projects that are community based and benefit the communities we serve, either with the Community Working Tea, or with local groups.

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Marches Housing and Charitable Trust The Gateway

The Auction Yard Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 9BW

30th June 2009

Company Number 03573904

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Marches Housing and Charitable Trust Balance Sheet

As at 30th June 2009

Fixed Assets £ £ Premises 0 Equipment 0 Vehicles 0 0 Current Assets Debtors due within one year 23,603 Bank 33,273 56,876 Less Current Liabilities Creditors due within one year 23,603 23,603 Working Capital 33,273 Net Assets/Accumulated Funds 33,273 Financed By Capital 33,273 These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the statutory Instrument 2008/409 under the Companies Act (CA 2006) relating to small companies. For the year ended 30th June 2009 the company was entitled to the exemption from the requirement to have an audit under provisions of s477 of the Companies Act 2006. No notice has been deposited with the company under CA 2006, s476 requiring an audit to be carried out. The directors acknowledged their responsibilities for:

a) ensuring the company keeps accounting records in accordance with CA 2006, s386 and s387, and

b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of its financial year in accordance with the requirements of CA 2006, s394 and s395 and which company with the accounting requirements of the legislation relating to the accounts so far as they are applicable to this company.

Signed Director Date