Annual Report 2018 – 2019 Registered Charity No 293475 Company Limited by Guarantee No 1975481 Directors and Trustees Dan Abel Secretary Alison Beeton Hilder Penny Bruce Vice Chair Jay Chambers James Easterbrook Richard Farnhill Advisor Phil Hammond David Harrington Lynn Tom Henderson Chair Shaida Hussain Vicky Jenkins Hon Life President Dan Jones Michele Katzler Stewart Keep Sheena Kelly Andrew Ktenas Natalie Maderova Mike Thomas Hon President Sarah Wallis Chris Wride Permanent Staff Rachel Bean Instructor Dan Cantwell Inclusion Co-ordinator Jan Coughlin Centre Co-ordinator Rob Edwards Maintenance Co-ordinator William Tytler Youth Activities Co-ordinator Mike Wardle Centre Director Part Time Staff and Volunteers Gill Anker Victoria Chepurna Robyn Cuthbert Richard Elkan Peter Fletcher Nicki Gilbert Carl Greenslade Richard Greenslade Myriam Guenem Gabriella Leoni Claire McNally Dima Mostovyy Asher Robinson Aquilla Vitalis Rebecca Vitalis William Walker Goodbye, Good Luck and Best Wishes to: Rachel Bean, Rob Edwards, David Harrington Lynn & Michele Katzler The Centre wishes to thank: Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation Hermitage River Projects Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd Jack Petchey Foundation Belgrave Playhouse London Borough of Tower Hamlets Bench Blisters Rowing Team London Dock Community Fund BBC Children in Need London Marathon Charitable Trust Canary Wharf Ltd Maitlands Fund Charitable Trust CBRE Charitable Trust Sahajanand Swami Charitable Trust CVB Tideway Sport England East End Community Foundation Waitrose Ltd Fitch Rating Charity The Centre is fortunate to have many supporters and volunteers who assist it in providing challenging, exciting and worthwhile activities for the local community. We wish to thank everybody who has given their time, energy and enthusiasm. Bench Blisters Rowing Team Belgrave Playhouse Chair’s Report The last year has seen some fantastic achievements by our members: from a self- sufficient canoe trip across Scotland, through a 26 mile Kayak marathon on the Thames for 24 young people, to an integrated inclusive sailing residential at Brightlingsea. The Sailing Club has raced sailing across the North Sea, though not in our dinghies, I hasten to add, and the Canoe Club has paddled in Slovenia, Wales, Scotland, Alaska and through the areas of the shipping forecast. We’ve made several investments in the site this year. The climbing wall has been refreshed and significantly extended both increasing peak capacity and the range of routes available – including some especially designed for those with impaired mobility. It’s embarrassing to report that we’ve finally replaced the hot water boiler so the showers should now, once more, be reliably hot. We’ve still got further plans: from making to old top store into a more usable space through to a wholesale extension of the building to significantly increase changing room capacity, which will both increase our peak capacity and the quality of facilities. The youth programme has started operating a leadership development programme which aims to help our new cohort of younger members make the transition into leading activities, and perhaps building the next generation of junior staff. Nine youth club members gained Duke of Edinburgh Bronze awards following an expedition in the Lakes, whilst the youth club also entered a team that won overall Team Bronze in the London Youth Games - together with a number of individual medals. For next year, they’ve set a rather ambitious target of climbing Kilimanjaro. A Sport England small grant has funded our Row For All Programme taking an inclusive rowing programme into schools. Whilst on site, despite setting another record for the level of schools work, we’ve manage to find time for a second A level climbing group. Despite all this activity it’s another tough year financially: the Borough’s funding of the youth programme dropped by £25,000 to just £5,000. It was nearly £50,000 just a few years ago. The BBC’s Children in Need stepped in with three years of continuation funding for the inclusion work, and Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation with £10,000 a year for three years to help fund our youth work. That leaves a big hole, but there is some evidence that our approach of looking for multiyear funding packages to reduce the cliff edge risk in funding our activities is working. There is very much more to be done but the Tideway Oarsome Challenge raised £31,250, through a staff rowing challenge from Hammersmith to the Centre, which is going to be used to fund a part time Fundraiser and Volunteer Coordinator. Overall we still made an operational loss of £21,758, which we can contain from within our reserves but this is clearly unsustainable. If we cannot find additional funding we will have to seriously consider cutting our frontline work. Rob Edwards, our Maintenance Coordinator, left the team to pursue a new career. For me Rob will always be remembered for doing such a good job setting up the Inclusion Programme. His shoes had already been filled by Dan Cantwell who, I’m happy to report, is making fine progress delivering against the new performance measures for Children in Need. Thanks to everyone who gets involved, and makes this place so special, especially Mike and his team; my colleagues on the management committee; and those involved in running the adult clubs. Without your efforts none of this would happen. Tom Henderson November 2019 Centre Activities Report 2018-19, our 42nd year engaged in outdoor and adventure activities, has been another year of challenges for the Shadwell Basin community. The incredible range of activities, now including improvised raft building, at affordable costs for all, one of our charitable objectives, and the focus on development makes the Centre a unique place within London. The activities are used by both young people and adults alike as a vehicle for; change and development, creating opportunities, testing abilities, pushing boundaries, exploring emotions and values, experiencing concepts like teamwork and leadership, creating a healthy lifestyle, enjoyment, fun and friendship as well as training and pathways into employment. Each individual finds their own fulfilment from the structured learning ‘Pathways’ of the youth project and club training sessions to the freedom experienced through exploration and competition within the natural environment. 2018-19 was about individuals working with others to support each other through challenge to push their limits, discover new abilities and experience new places. For the club members, staff, volunteers and young trainees this meant professional and personal development, with an increasing number of people gaining qualifications and taking part in expeditions exploring the country here and overseas. For the young people it has meant learning new skills and applying them whilst on expeditions into wild environments, pushing personal achievement whether examined under syllabi or taking on incredible journeys within themselves and with others. The Centre has a ten year community created plan guiding development that started in 2014 and has to date achieved 124 of its 243 targets. There is still an important need by the whole Shadwell community to raise money to help the Centre continue to deliver special experiences for all. A big thank you to all involved for doing this. The Centre offers a journey to young and old, creating a positive and stimulating atmosphere where all are welcomed and all are encouraged. Stretching everyone through challenging situations gives the individual an unforgettable experience that enables them to learn more about themselves and others. The consequences of which, from beginner to experienced member, are that they develop into a holistic person with a positive attitude, giving them answers to problems and arming them to cope with adversity in the face of what would seem at times like insurmountable odds. Youth Activities In 2018-19 254 young people in the youth project have taken part in 62 sessions and 81 days of challenging and adventurous activities, with a total of 4,788 attendances. In an area that has one of the highest child poverty rates in the UK it is more important than ever that the Centre continues to provide high quality activities at an 80% subsidy so that all local young people, whatever their circumstances, are able to take part. This year the young people have continued to push the boundaries of what is possible with day trips in climbing, kayaking and mountain biking. Special trips included a joint River Thames Kayak Marathon with the adult club and a self sufficient canoe journey coast to coast across Scotland. Young people rowed across Ullswater and conquered ‘Striding Edge’, a knife edge ridge, as well as bivouacking out in the Lake District. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze group had a very challenging assessment in July in North East Lake District but all passed, this included helping on a real and successful mountain rescue. As a result of the ‘Girls Can Adventure’ group all six of the young people on the Adventure Coach Training Scheme for 2018-19 were girls. In its fourth year, the 5 to 8’s programme has now expanded its activities to include outdoor climbing with the purchase of full body harnesses. In the 2018 Summer Project 148 young people participated in activities over 25 days, obtaining 201 certified and 146 accredited outcomes, with 1,802 visits in total. The high quality teaching is recognised by the ‘Learning Outside the Classroom’ Award that the Centre has achieved. This is down to the unique and educational ‘Pathways’ structure which allows participants to progress through practical challenges and get accreditation from them. The higher level of skill acquisition that the Pathways allow young people to develop means an increase in visible performance across all the sports. This has a positive effect on the young people and what they can accomplish but also what they can achieve in the future when it comes to competition, training for leadership and future employment opportunities.