Crisis Centre Ministries - Annual Report 2001

Welcome to our Annual Report for the period April 2000 - March 2001. 'Crisis Centre Ministries' and 'CCM' are the trading names of Crisis Centre Limited, a registered company limited by guarantee, and also a registered charity. CCM is a Christian outreach to homeless and street people - the most helpless and disadvantaged section of our society.

We offer food and training, we help people find accommodation and help with their addictions, we refer people to other organisations, provide practical help, and so on. But first and foremost, we offer them friendship and a place where they can be safe. Building relationships is the most important first step towards helping people see their lives restored and rebuilt one slow step at a time.

In any Annual Report we are required to look back and review the activities of the year in question. We must give members of the public the information they need so they can be confident that the organisation is being run in a responsible way and the money we receive is being used in the most effective way possible.

But we want to go beyond the organisation and management details and say something about where we are going, and how we are planning to be more effective in the future. The most important reason for writing this report is to let people know what we are doing - to give as best we can a real sense of both the challenges and difficulties of the work, but also the encouragement and excitement of seeing people's lives changed.

We are writing this for our supporters, to show them something of what they are making possible; for our volunteers, to give them a wider view of all that is going on; and for anyone not currently a part of the work, to encourage more people to think of us, to pray for us, to come and work as a volunteer with us, and to help us raise the money which keeps us going.

The financial information in this report is strictly for the financial year, which ended in March 2001, but the other parts of the report should bring you up to date with what has happened up to the end of September 2001, when most of this report was written.

We are a Christian organisation: set up by Christians, with the aim of communicating the Christian gospel and the love of God as we work to help people with life-disrupting problems. Dealing with the need for food, housing and freedom from addiction is relatively straightforward - the deeper problems are all spiritual in nature: does my life have any value, any purpose? If not, you may as well live on the street and drink yourself to death. But as Christians, we believe we have the best possible reason for telling people that they do matter, and that they can discover a real purpose in their life.

Members' Report

The Council of Management members present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2001.

Charitable objectives and principal activities

The charitable objects of the company are the advancement of the Christian faith and the relief of poverty and sickness. These objectives continue to be pursued by:

providing a 'Drop-in Centre' that provides meals as well as help, advice and spiritual support;
training for employment;
Bible study, prayer and counselling;
providing teaching, help and ongoing support to churches and individuals who are in contact with the same client group.

Constitution

The company rules are set out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association. It is limited by guarantee and does not have a share capital. Every Member undertakes to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the company in the event of the winding up of the company.

The company members form the Council of Management, which has the power and responsibility to run the company.

Council of Management

The Council of Management members who served during the year and their interests in the company are listed in the Company Information, in section 1 above. The Council of Management meet at least once a month (apart from August), usually on the second Monday of the month, to review progress and agree strategy for the ministry. They also meet for occasional half-days when more time can be given to wider issues and longer-term planning. They delegate day-to-day management responsibility to the General Manager.

No member had any interest in the transactions of the company or received any remuneration from the company.

Reserves policy

The policy is to hold reserves sufficient to fund approximately six months of expenditure on planned activities. We do not have these reserves at present.

Small company special provisions

The report of the Council of Management members has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part VII of the Companies Act 1985 relating to small companies.

Chairman's Report

Quick learning

Nobody likes change, particularly when it is thrust upon them unexpectedly. We were all devastated when Derek's health collapsed, and realised we had all taken it for granted he would keep going for ever. He is of course totally irreplaceable, with his own inimitable vision, energy and determination to see that vision carried forward, come what may, and at whatever cost to his own well-being.

In the very early days Derek was given the text "Behold, I have set before you a door which no man can shut." It was very apparent over the 17 years of his work with us that no man could ever have shut the door on Derek! But the Lord did not set in motion all that Crisis Centre Ministries represented in order to have it fold up as soon as Derek and Mary were not around to direct it. So we, as a Management Committee, had to pull ourselves together and rally round in order to ensure that the work continued. From being a group who simply supported Derek and enthused about his achievements, we had to become a hands-on team and our learning curve has been extremely steep.

Happy and sad

One of the highlights of the year was the wedding of Jayne (who is now our Catering Coordinator) and Paul Griffiths, at which Derek had the joy of officiating. It was a lovely, joyful occasion, ending with a super garden party reception at Muller House, and we all continue to pray for them and wish them well.

We were sad to have to relinquish the workshop as no suitably qualified person could be found to run it, but the idea of providing appropriate supported employment is still very much in the forefront of our minds, and we are looking at building links with other groups who can provide this for our clients.

Bridgehead

The Bridgehead evening meetings were always a wonderful experience, under the faithful leadership of Andy, Gill and Megan Luxford, Trudie, and some of the volunteers. Participation from 'clients' fluctuated a lot, but we had some wonderful reactions. Some were desperately sad, like the young man just out of jail, with Hepatitis A and B, who asked why he shouldn't drink himself to death, there was no life ahead of him anyway. Some could be both sad and hilarious, as when we shared the Gospel with a drunken girl who greeted the idea of being able to talk to God here and now with a derisory cry of 'Bollocks!' - and stayed to pour her heart out and to be prayed for.

Bridgehead is now functioning one lunchtime a week, with Bible study and prayer, under Trudie's wing, and we pray for its development and inspiration.

Betel

Several of us enjoyed an inspiring visit to Betel in Birmingham, where four of 'our' clients were well into their rehabilitation course, having come to the point where they had decided to turn their backs on the old ways, and learn to lead a new life.

Betel have no waiting list, and on the evidence of a telephone interview offer places to men at one centre, and to women at another. No charge is made. An atmosphere of peace and welcome reigns, and one man said his craving for drink had left him the moment he entered the place two days earlier. Alcohol addiction had lost him his family, two lectureships, and his computer business.

Daily programmes of housework and training in practical skills occupy them while they are de-toxing, and the workshop for restoring old furniture and clocks has a constant supply of items gathered from auctions or gifts, with a shop to sell them, a truck to collect and deliver, and very satisfying work. One of our young men has progressed to the point where he will be helping to set up a similar centre in another city. It was a very impressive establishment and we are thrilled to have this link.

Thank-you

It is really good to have an official means of saying thank you to all the people who have contributed in a great variety of ways to the work of the Crisis Centre over the last year. We are so grateful for our staff, and for our wonderful team of volunteers, without whom we could not function at all.

Special thanks must go to Trudie Lane, Andy and Gill Luxford, and Paul Hazelden for their success in not only keeping the show on the road, but also helping to review and develop the ministry. They all gave their time and effort unstintingly, not counting hours of extra work, but doing it all 'as for the Lord' and hopefully seeing the reward of their labours.

Paul is helping to pull together many of the organisations and advice groups involved in this kind of work to ensure that we complement each other rather than compete. In at the deep end, he really has done a tremendous job, and is to be congratulated! Regular prayer and volunteers' meetings should help us all as we plan for the future.

We have greatly missed John Bilton's cheerful and enthusiastic presence at Management meetings, and particularly appreciated all the work he put into the excellent publicity leaflet. We are also tremendously grateful to Barry Rider, who will be retiring from the Management team at this AGM. Apart from serving as our Treasurer for seven years, he set up the web site and will be a sore loss.

This report would not be complete without mentioning the stalwart volunteer helpers who form the core of our Missing Peace Coffee shop team, those who come on a regular basis to look after the folk who drop in, and those too who help behind the scenes: praying, working in the office, making cakes, etc. We need you all - do what you can to share the joys and encouragements of working with CCM and infect others with the desire to come and help too! May God continue to bless, guide and keep you all.

Anni D.

General Manager's Report

Introduction

This has been, in many ways, a year of changes. Of course, some things don't change. The people begging on our streets, the misery caused by addiction and homelessness, the need for food, support, friendship and help - these things don't change. Neither, fortunately, does the willingness of our volunteers to come alongside the people with these needs, or the generosity of the people and churches that support us.

But change is an integral part of this ministry - helping people to change, helping them cope with change, and responding to our own changing needs and circumstances.

Vision

This mixture of change and continuity can be seen in the various 'vision' statements CCM has used over the years. While the essence of the ministry has been expressed in various different ways, the core of what we are doing, and why we are doing it, has not changed since Derek started it.

In February, the Council of Management spent some time talking and praying together, and from this time came a new 'vision' statement, along with a two word summary, 'Transformed Lives', and a description of the ministry used on our letterhead and the cover page of this report: 'Bringing God's grace and healing love to people with life-disrupting problems'.

Please take time to read the updated vision statement on the last page of this report. We believe that it expresses the heart of God for the homeless people of Bristol.

People

Derek Groves

Derek Groves, the Director of Crisis Centre Ministries since its foundation, was always initiating change - finding news ways to help people out of the holes they find themselves in.

Many of you will know that Derek has suffered from Parkinson's Disease for a number of years. In the Summer of 2000 he was given a sabbatical break, but during that time it became clear that he would not be able to return to a full time involvement in the ministry. Shortly before the AGM, there is a chance for people to come together in a public acknowledgement and celebration of his ministry.

Derek's vision and ministry have been the means of bringing hope and love to countless numbers of people in and around the city - particularly people with life-disrupting problems, the homeless and the unemployed. His work in establishing CCM has been acclaimed and admired far beyond the city boundaries. Although he has now retired from a day-to-day involvement with CCM, we continue to benefit from his experience and wisdom in his new role as our Life President.

Volunteers

Every aspect of the ministry - shop, LITE, Bridgehead and administration - all depend on the willing, skilful and generous participation of numerous volunteers. They make the work possible, and through their work and prayers they help to determine the course we plot.

We are doing reasonably well for volunteers at present: there is an active and lively group of people who come in to the Coffee Shop and do most of the 'real' work of spending time with and befriending our customers.

But volunteers are constantly moving on, and we need a steady supply of new people just to maintain the current level of service. Beyond that, we are looking for more volunteers to enable us to open more hours each week. There is also a special need for people who can help us during school holidays, when a number of the current volunteers are unable to come in.

Apart from those who help us in the coffee Shop, other volunteers are helping us in the office in a number of support and administrative roles, for which we are very thankful. We are looking for at least one more person to come in on a regular basis and help us with fundraising.

We are putting an increasing amount of work into supporting and encouraging the volunteers, with 'formal' meetings, training sessions and social events. We also continue to provide personal support on a one-to-one basis when it is needed.

Staff

Staffing issues have been a kind of 'good news - bad news' story over this past year. On the down side, we lost three Coffee Shop Managers, and Derek retired. On the other hand, Trudie Lane and Andy Luxford continue to work wonders, showing a dedication to the ministry and a heart for the people we are helping which goes far and beyond any employment contract could ask. We gained Jayne Griffiths, and Sam Colgan will be joining us shortly.

We have been thrilled in each round of advertising to see the high quality of the people applying to work with us. Thrilled, and a bit frustrated - it is comparatively easy to turn down an applicant who could not do the job, far harder to break the news to people who could do the job, and do it well. But even this has been turned into a blessing: several of the people who responded to our job adverts have continued to show a commitment to what God is doing here, contributing their time and talents.

One implication of the decision to employ Sam is that we will then have five members of staff. This means that we are required to provide a 'stakeholder' pension scheme for the staff. I am please to be able to report that the Council of Management had already agreed to this before it became a legal obligation, and that the necessary arrangements are being put in place.

It is traditional in many Christian organisations to treat the staff poorly - to offer low pay, dismal working conditions, and long hours. While we don't want to go to the other extreme, we believe that this approach is not honouring to God, and we want to provide a good working environment in which His character is expressed in the way we treat the staff, as well as the way we treat the people we are here to help.

Social Events

Alongside the serious, and sometimes heartbreaking, work helping people on the streets of Bristol, there was also some time for relaxation and enjoyment.

During the year, there were two CCM weddings. Not only were Paul and Jayne Griffiths married, but also Dik and Lorraine Allen. Dik had helped Andy with the LITE Course and then spent several months managing the Coffee Shop, and Lorraine has been involved in CCM since the earliest days. We wish both couples a long and happy married life together.

A number of picnics were held over the Summer, and these proved to be great opportunities for relaxing and having fun together. They were also a good way for the management, staff and volunteers to get to know each other a bit better.

Training

A great deal of effort goes into supporting, training and equipping the volunteers for the varying roles and responsibilities they carry.

Some of the training material is mainly written. The 'Notes for Volunteers' contains the basic information that people need to know and apply if they want to work as a volunteer in the shop. There are more detailed notes available to all volunteers on various areas - drugs and the law, claiming benefits, and so on.

Beyond the written material, training is provided in various ways.

· Several people went on a 'Drugs Awareness' training day, which was organised by ISR, and provided a useful overview of the area.

· Some basic training is regularly provided through question-and-answer sessions in the volunteer meetings.

· Secular training courses are also used, in areas such as Food Hygiene and First Aid.

More detailed training in personal evangelism was delivered in the form of a 'Share Your Faith' course, developed by Open Air Campaigners. We hope to run this again in the new year.

Further training is being organised for November and December. This will include areas such as: working as a volunteer, befriending, setting boundaries, listening skills, coping with challenging behaviour, and aspects of drug and alcohol awareness. We are arranging this as part of the 'Helping the Homeless' group.

Projects

The Coffee Shop

As we have mentioned, the Missing Peace Coffee Shop has had several changes of Manager over the past year. When Shirley Marshall left to follow a wider ministry, Dik Allen bravely stepped into the breach until we could appoint a replacement, Anne White. Sadly, Anne found that she could not give the job the time it needed alongside her other commitments - not least, her role as a City Councillor - and had to resign, although she is still a volunteer.

We are very grateful to each of them for their varied contributions to the work of CCM. However, this lack of stability led us to consider whether we had been asking the Coffee Shop Manager to take on too many responsibilities: from counselling customers to cleaning the shop, from preparing menus, shopping, cooking, and serving food to making referrals to other organisations.

After much prayer and consideration, we decided not to re-advertise for a Coffee Shop Manager, but instead to create two new posts: the Catering Coordinator, and the Pastoral Care Coordinator.

Jayne Griffiths, who kept the shop open during each of the changes of manager and through other, lesser crises, was appointed as the Catering Coordinator. We are extremely grateful to Jayne for all she has done - she not only provides food, but also personally helps many of the people who come through our doors.

Alongside Jayne, we are delighted to have appointed Sam Colgan as the Pastoral Care Coordinator. Sam officially starts work in November, but is already putting in many hours as a volunteer in a number of roles.

For some time, we have seen the need to improve the follow-up we give to people who have been helped through the Coffee Shop. Introducing our customers to Jesus is comparatively easy; helping them to grow, and to continue growing, as people and as Christians, that is a major challenge. We believe that Sam will, in her new role, be able to make a significant difference in this area.

Since March, we have been counting the number of meals and drinks we serve in the Coffee Shop. A summary of the figures we have collected is shown here. If you are interested, the full details can be seen in the office

We know these figures are not accurate: there are several reasons why they are too low. Many volunteers are not used to this kind of record keeping, and sometimes forget about it; and during the busy periods, the priority is to help the customers, not to fill out the forms. Based on the amount of food consumed, it is probably safe to assume that the real figures would be at least 20% higher than the records say.

The dip over the Summer is partly explained by the reduction in our opening hours, as we often struggled to find volunteers and stopped opening on a Saturday. The numbers were also lower because many of our customers prefer to spend the Summer at the seaside, as they can make more money begging there. They return to Bristol as the crowds depart.

Each morning the Coffee Shop is open, we meet for a short Bible reading and meditation, and pray for our customers and for ourselves: that we would be a real blessing to them.

One final point needs to be made: the work we do in the Coffee Shop is severely hampered by the physical limitations. If the work is to expand, as we believe it must, we must find more space. This will either mean expanding outwards from the present site, or re-locating somewhere near. Either would be a major challenge! Please pray with us as we consider the options, and seek to hear God's voice on the matter.

The LITE Course

Andy has produced a full report on the LITE Course for the period from June 1999 to April 2001, which is available on request from the office. Here is a brief summary.

During this time, Andy ran six courses and one two-week 'taster' session. Forty-two people attended these courses, and we know of a positive outcome for 28 of them (66%!) who went either into employment or further training. The remainder either dropped out during the course, or we have no record of where they went afterwards. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this work, it is a stunning success rate, in line with the achievement of previous years.

One of the difficulties of running a 17 week course is that people who are interested in joining often have to wait a long time before the next course starts. To overcome this difficulty, Andy started to run the course on a 'carousel' basis, with people able to start at the beginning of any week. This proved to be a mixed blessing: it was harder to create a 'team spirit' with people joining every few weeks, and the lack of a gap between courses made it hard for Andy to spend time documenting what was done and recruiting new people.

We decided to ask Andy to undertake a major review of the course, starting in April 2001. A great deal has changed since we started running the LITE Course 11 years ago. At the time, we were one of the few places in the country where such training was available; now, many groups offer some form of basic skills training. So we needed to know if there is still a need for us to run the LITE Course.

Andy spent several months researching this question, with both our customers and other groups in Bristol. What other basic skills training is available in Bristol? What does it cover? What are the restrictions? Who can access it? Who really does make use of it? Is there a 'gap in the market' - something our customers need, which they will not get somewhere else? And, if there is a gap, how can it best be met?

To cut a long story short, we believe there is considerable need for basic skills training for our customers, but it can best be delivered in a much more modular fashion. Instead of asking people to commit themselves to a 17 week course, they sign up to a module that lasts between 3 and 5 weeks. Each module has a distinct focus, so people can sign up for the modules which are relevant and helpful to them. And they get a sense of achievement as they complete each module.

The updated LITE Course started in September 2001, so it is early days yet, but looking good.

Eight people started the first module. Several were unable to continue for personal reasons, but four completed it and have received their certificates.

The SRB funding for the LITE Course ran out in April, and we are continuing to work on an application for new funds. A number of volunteers are helping Andy run the course, and have made a significant difference. However, much more help is needed if we are to deliver training for our customers, when they are ready and able to receive it. If we are successful in our funding bid, we aim to employ an assistant to Andy, who will then be able to spend more time arranging for training to be delivered in an appropriate way, and less time delivering it himself.

Bridgehead

'Bridgehead Church' has been running, in a variety of forms, for some years. We are now trying to call it just 'Bridgehead', as the word 'Church' suggests a number of completely wrong ideas to many people. We want to provide a place where people can meet with, worship and learn about God, in a way that is culturally relevant to them; a chance to get together as God's people, without having to cope with unfair and unreasonable expectations.

This is a vital part of our work. The good side is that we, and many of the people we work with, want to get together and 'be church' in this way. The other side is that many of our customers may attend the 'traditional' churches, but they rarely understand much of what is going on, or feel that they belong. So, while we encourage people to attend the normal Sunday services of whichever tradition is most appropriate for them, we also try to provide something more specifically geared for their needs.

Over the past year, Bridgehead has been through a number of changes. From a time of meeting in a home, we started monthly public meetings in the Coffee Shop, and then weekly meetings. A number of churches and other groups helped us lead these meetings. Each meeting on its own was worth doing, but we did not have a sense that anything was building from week to week.

At present, we are experimenting with a different format: 'Bridgehead Lunch.' We eat together, and then systematically cover basic areas of Christian truth, one a week. The sessions are very interactive, seeking to draw out truth and application rather than telling people what they should believe and do.

We hope to re-start evening meetings, with leadership and ideas largely coming from the Bridgehead Lunch group, and just some basic supervision and 'facilitation' from staff and other volunteers.

Partnership

We work as an expression of the church in Bristol, alongside the other churches, Christian groups and secular groups serving the same people. We are increasingly building bridges and partnerships with other groups. This is achieved in a number of ways. It often involves attending committees and other meetings. It seemed right for the General Manager to be become a Director of VOSCUR, the primary group working to help the voluntary sector in Bristol, and this involvement has already led to a number of useful contacts.

Helping the Homeless

We are sharing the lead in this partnership with Caring at Christmas. It is a joint venture by six charities in Bristol that work with homeless people, aiming to raise the public profile of our work and gain more volunteer support. A public meeting has been organised in the Council House on the evening of 8 November. Do pray for this event: it is a great opportunity, not only to raise public awareness of the needs of the homeless, but also for us to bless these other groups.

BCAN Homeless Forum

This grew out of a suggestion from Anne White, and has been described as the most successful aspect of BCAN's activities in Bristol to date. With the agreement of the BCAN ('Bristol Christian Action Network') leadership, we invited people to a meeting in their name. We wanted to invite all the Christian groups working to feed homeless people in Bristol, but nobody knew who all these groups were - so we had to find out who should be invited. In the end, we discovered around twenty groups, but there are probably others we have yet to make contact with.

The first meeting was very encouraging. We are talking about practical ways of encouraging and helping each other, so that together we can provide a better service to the homeless people of Bristol - better quality of service with fewer gaps. Numerous people have said that we should have done this years ago. Notes are available, for anyone who is interested.

Two brief points from the meeting. Firstly, we were in agreement that feeding homeless people, while it was the starting point of our discussion, was only a small part of the help we need to be providing: we need to consider more carefully how the food can be used to help people move on. For CCM, this is central to our ministry, but for some other groups, it is a challenging question.

And, secondly, we agreed that we would be happy to open the meeting to the (comparatively few) groups that are working with homeless people but not Christian-based. This has the potential to raise the profile of Christian work for many people in the Council and other official groups in Bristol. Please pray that these relationships will be fruitful.

Working Together

We are part of a potential consortium being led by Aspire, which seeks to enable the groups working with our customers to work together more effectively. A lot of these groups are considerably 'down-stream' from us - they help people who have moved on from the street, but still need a great deal of support - and there is not much overlap with the BCAN group.

Publicity

Communicating what we do is an important part of the work. People can't pray for us if they don't know what is happening. But preparing material for publication is quite time consuming, and it is hard to keep a balance between this activity and our 'real' work. Any offers of help with publicity would be really appreciated.

The CCM Newsletter is produced 4 times a year - at least, that is the plan! We distribute around 2,000 copies each time. For many of our supporters, the Newsletter is the main point of contact they have with the work, so it has a vital place within the ministry. Maintaining the mailing list for the Newsletter is a significant task in itself.

Prayer

Each month, we distribute a Prayer Update to some church contacts. The purpose is to give them more up to date news than we can put in the Newsletter, for distribution to those who pray for us within their fellowship. The Prayer Update also contains more personal details about individual needs, which we could not put into the Newsletter. We do not identify people, of course, but some personal information helps people to pray.

We would be happy to send the Prayer Update out to more church representatives, if they would like to make use of it: please ask us if you are interested.

Web site

This is playing an increasing role in telling people about the work we do, and in recruiting supporters and volunteers.

Publications

We are making good use of 'What is CCM?', the publicity leaflet masterminded by John Bilton before he left last Autumn.

We also have produced an 8-page booklet entitled 'Transforming Lives' which outlines the work of CCM: what we do, why we do it, why our work is effective, and what people can do to support it.

Copies of both these publications are available on request - please let us know how many you would like.

Churches

We continue to send people to talk to churches: everything from a small midweek group to a Sunday morning service. There is always a very warm response.

Several churches have featured CCM in their church magazine. We were absolutely delighted by the results. They could say all kinds of nice things that we couldn't possibly say about ourselves!

Financial Report

Support

We are, as always, immensely grateful for all the ways people contribute to the work of the Crisis Centre.

Our work could not continue without the active support of many people and organisations. Any attempt to list them is a minefield: once you start, it is impossible to know when to stop - but we really must express our appreciation to the George Müller Foundation, BCF and Woodlands for their encouragement and support during this past year, and look forward to continuing our relationship in the years to come.

New salary commitments

For several years, the LITE Course Manager's salary has been funded from an SRB2 grant. This came to an end in April. We had understood that the next round of grants (SRB6) would follow on in a straightforward way, but somewhere along the way the rules changed, and we still do not know precisely when our application for further funding for the LITE Course will be considered.

Because the funding had ceased, and we had almost no reserves in the bank, we feared that we might have to stop running the LITE Course. But we prayed and talked, and came to the conclusion that it was a vital part of ministry, and had to be continued. God has been good, and the gifts we have received each month have increased to cover the shortfall.

We are now in a similar position with the Pastoral Care Assistant. We believe it is essential that we provide more consistent and proactive care for the people we have started to help, and that this can only be done through another member of staff dedicated to this area of ministry. Despite considerable effort, we did not raise any additional funds to support this new post, but we went ahead and confirmed the appointment in faith, trusting the Lord to provide what is needed - and some of the required money has now been promised.

Gifts

We are financed almost entirely through gifts, mainly from individuals. The majority of the gifts we receive are one-off. Approximately one third of the gifts on an average month come from regular standing orders, and this provides a vital level of stability. We would love to be able to increase this ratio.

We are supported with far more than financial gifts - vital though these are! Over the year, we have received thousands of pounds worth of food. We receive a regular donation from GroceryAid, which provides much of the coffee and sugar we use (most of our customers drink very sweet tea or coffee), and much more.

Other food gifts turn up as food parcels (especially around Harvest time) and as prepared food (especially cakes and puddings) that people prepare at home and bring in. Our customers very much appreciate these gifts - especially the cakes and puddings.

We also should note the time and commitment given by our band of volunteers. Depending on the figure you use, their direct contribution to the ministry each year is worth somewhere between perhaps £25,000 and £75,000.

But this figure does not allow for the extra administration that would be required if they were paid. More importantly, it does not take into account the importance to our customers of finding that people are willing to love and care for them, and will do so - astonishingly! - without being paid a penny.

About the statement

The 'statement of financial activities' in section 6.5 below is a summary of information from the annual accounts that were approved by the Council of Management on 8 October 2001. The accounts have not yet been filed with the Registrar of Companies or the Charity Commission.

These figures are not the statutory accounts and may not contain sufficient information to allow for full understanding of the financial affairs of the charity. For further information, the full annual accounts should be consulted. Copies of the full accounts will be made available at the AGM, and can be obtained from the CCM office. They are also available for inspection in the CCM office by prior arrangement.

These accounts are prepared on a cash basis. This means that income is recorded on the date that the money is paid into the bank, and expenditure is recorded on the date that the cheque is written. Consequently, the figures that follow do not contain any anticipated income or outstanding liabilities.

The main outstanding liability is a debt to the Müller Foundation. This arises from unpaid rent before we returned The Bridge to them last year. When the accounts closed in March 2001 we owed £1,700. This debt has now been reduced (as of the start of October 2001) to £800.

Statement of financial activities

Item	2001	2000
Incoming resources	£	£
Voluntary income:
Donations and legacies	64,297	60,239
Grants for core funding or general purpose	200	600
Activities in furtherance of the charity's objectives:
Shop income	1,146	2,257
Grants for the provision of services	19,429	18,028
Investment income:
Interest receivable	126	60
Total incoming resources	85,198	81,184

Resources expended	£	£
Cost of generating funds:
Printing leaflets, etc.	1,030	-
Charitable expenditure:
Cost of activities in furtherance of the Charity's objectives	84,487	86,289
Resources expended on management and administration:
Bank and legal charges	73	229
Total resources expended	85,590	86,518

Net movement in funds	(392)	(5,334)
Total funds brought forwards	35,598	40,932
Total funds carried forwards	35,206	35,598

Vision

Bringing God's grace and healing love
to people with life-disrupting problems

What we do

We support people, and provide them with opportunities for development, with the aim of seeing their lives transformed.

We provide non-threatening contact on street level.

We hold together evangelism and practical care, helping people on the physical, spiritual and emotional levels.

We work to develop partnerships with other local churches, other Christian groups, other community groups and agencies.

We seek to do this as an expression of radical discipleship, constantly exploring new ways to become more effective, while remaining on the cutting edge of service to our local community.

How we do it

We aim to work with people who have life-disrupting problems to take them step by step along the 'ladder of progress'. These people can also be described as 'disenfranchised', 'marginalized', or (in Biblical terms) simply as 'the poor'.

We aim to share our vision and experience with other Christians in the local churches, and to do our work in a way that blesses the staff and volunteers, building the Body of Christ in Bristol.

We aim to be a clear Christian voice, in St. Pauls and beyond.

We aim to be 'church on the street', understanding 'church' to be the whole Body of Christ in a network of relationships, and not as an hierarchical organisation. We aim both to be church and to share leaders and members with other local churches.

We aim to be an open door for people in our client group, available when people choose to walk through and make use of the services we offer.

Summary

The vision of Crisis Centre Ministries can be expressed in two words.

Transformed Lives

Contents

Derek Groves

Volunteers

Staff

Social Events

Training

The Coffee Shop

The LITE Course

Bridgehead

Helping the Homeless

BCAN Homeless Forum

Working Together