At last year's AGM we adopted new articles, which now enable us to carry out our work with a clearer understanding of our position and legality. There were some concerns expressed in certain areas and following a period of further consultation we will be presenting a refined version of the articles for approval at the 2010 AGM. We believe this will address the issues raised and ensure our constitution is a true reflection of our shared mission and values. We have been working with the Cooperative Assistance Network, CommunityMatters and the Business Development team from the Communitybuilders Fund, who have all helped us in 2010 with the ongoing development of the organisation.

We have been working with Bristol City Council in the negotiation of a longer lease for the Trinity Centre, to secure the future of this building for the community. Bristol City Council have now implemented a Community Asset Transfer Policy, which will help to advance this process and we are hopeful to achieve a positive outcome in 2011. We have also applied for Charitable status and are receiving support in order to ensure this application will be successfully concluded in the near future.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the members to thank the Board of Directors and our Company Secretary Simon Hewes and the team at Bond Pearce – all of whom have given a huge amount of time voluntarily, and have received no payment for their services, either directly or in the way of expenses.

Throughout the year we have been working to identify how best we can widen participation through our membership. We have held several consultation sessions and are keen to work with local people and Centre users to assure the needs of our communities are reflected and influence the future development of Trinity.

We have received considerable grant support from a variety of funders to deliver projects, training and improve the building. Future applications are in hand, which will hopefully yield further development. The directors and staff feel that we are now in a strong position to move forward and further develop and improve the scope and range of activities taking place at Trinity.

Check out our Annual Report for more information.

Anyone familiar with team training might have heard of Bruce Tuckman's four stage “forming, storming, norming, performing” development model. With this in mind, it is fair to say that the organisation experienced its share of storming throughout the year.

Though it was difficult and sometimes painful, the team maintained their focus. In spite of the trials faced, we were able to deliver a range of events and activities and continue to sustain and develop the Trinity Centre as a community hub.

We welcomed a new board bringing with them a range of business skills, community knowledge and expertise, which will be particularly important as we grow and expand.

In addition, we welcomed Centre Administrators Rhiannon Jones and Karina Castro, Outreach Worker Edson Burton, Research Assistant Annie Berrie and five young people who will be taking on part-time roles as part of the Future Jobs Fund.

We were also inundated with many dedicated, hard working and highly skilled volunteers, who have helped us increase our capacity to deliver our services.

With minimal resources, we have continued to make improvements and renovations to the facilities. We would like to give a special thanks to all our volunteers from Leyhill HMP who have worked with us throughout the year, helping us with a range of facilities jobs, including redecorating the main hall space and building an additional training room upstairs.

We were also supported by volunteer teams from KPMG and Deloitte, who visited us in the summer and helped us overhaul our garden as well as several other large jobs that could not have tackled without their help.

We would like to thank TLT Solicitors and Graham Partridge at Avon & Bristol Law Centre, who have given us their support and advice throughout the year. Our successes could not have been possible without the ongoing support given to us by the Simon Hewes and the team at Bond Pearce, so a big thank you to them for all their efforts in the face of some huge challenges. Thanks also to the ongoing support from Transparency Life Coaching, who have helped us with management and communication coaching.

There is, now more than ever, such strong commitment and unity amongst the team and clarity of vision that we are set to hit the ground running in 2010. Thanks to all who persevered through all that was thrown at us to keep Trinity thriving.

Check out our Annual Report for more information.

In one year we have played host to 49 live music events and facilitated 134 community sessions, from retro markets and jobs fairs to parties and forums. We have also run over 200 workshops and training sessions, either as part of our training program or through our various projects such as the Bristol Sound Project, our First Light Movies project and Project Respect.

We have seen our staff numbers grow from one full time member to three key posts. Activities Coordinator Emma Harvey continues excel in her role to achieving success for the Centre and the communities we service. Project Coordinator, Nick Young, has ensured successful delivery of our Heritage Lottery Young Roots grant, creating a project that was both engaging and ground-breaking. The newest member of our team, Training Coordinator Katie Pearce, will see us developing and improving upon the success of our 2008 training program, offering a wider range of courses to a broader social demographic.

We have several new directors, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. We have also seen an encouraging increase in voluntary participation at Trinity, increasing the efficiency and capacity of our admin team.

The most notable development this year has been Bristol City Council awarding us the status of Key Arts Provider within the city. This recognition of our achievements within arts and the community shows how far we have come since re-opening the Centre four years ago.

Another major success of the year has been the development of our IT facilities. We have made great progress in providing Free and Open Source Software alternatives to those using our facilities - improving the likelihood of continued use of these accessible tools outside of the Centre. We now have a fully networked IT suite running from our own Linux distribution, which will be of great benefit to the communities we service. We have also continued to develop and improve our website and have secured a second grant through the Quartet Foundation to add some more interactive features.

Finally 2008 has been a year of developing the building. We have a completed Recording Studio, part funded by our Bristol Objective 2 grant, and have secured an English Heritage grant to carry out a full conditions survey of the building in 2009. We have also renovated and improved our hall spaces, stage and the exterior of the building - much of which has been achieved on a minimal budget with huge voluntary participation.

A massive thank you to all those who have put their blood, sweat and tears into making all these great things happen.

Check out our Annual Report for more information.

This year Trinity has seen rapid growth within our management team, and development of the infrastructure of the building and our facilities. This is due to the continued intensive investment of time and energy made by all who have Trinity’s success at heart. The success of Trinity Community Arts, in my opinion, is now firmly fixed as a stable reality. We can now boast that we are truly self-supporting, and that any investment made in us will be solely used to directly benefit the community.

For example, we have seen the completion of the first year of training here, one of our finest achievements so far, leading to the close partnership we now have with City of Bristol College. Trinity has now made the necessary first steps to becoming an accredited learning centre, and we look forward to a bright future with more courses planned and a wider remit. In particular we are continuing to address the inability of main stream education to target those young people who have disengaged from society, or who are at risk of doing so - those most in need of a sense of direction.

Another milestone that we have passed this year is the start of the long-awaited first floor improvements funded by Objective 2, Bristol City Council Equalities team, Yansec and ourselves. These improvements make the first floor more accessible to the public and will provide high-quality sound-proofed studios for the local community.

In July we saw the arrival of Emma Harvey, our new Activities Coordinator and Administrator. She immediately adapted to the position and has now become the central focus and the most valuable asset to the organisation. Emma sees no boundaries to her job title, and has successfully taken on fundraising, website design, publicity, and recruitment - far exceeding our expectations. It also gives me great pleasure to welcome Jennie Jones as new Chair of the organisation. I believe that we would not find a more talented and enthusiastic person and I am now very excited about the future with such a solid team. Watch this space.

Let’s not forget the events which are such an important part of Trinity’s heritage. Muse Music (now Meme Music) has continued to raise the game in this area with highlights for 2007 including The Good the Bad and the Queen and Willy Mason.

We have now entered a more professional and high-profile arena, which mirrors the progress we have been making as an organisation. Many thanks to Simon Bell and Teresa Vandre of Meme Music for the effort they have made in maintaining and improving our partnership.

Finally, the year 2007 ended on a very positive note, as the successful management of Objective 2 funding now opens the door to significant funding from Heritage Lottery, English Heritage and the Arts Council. Our short lease previously excluded us from access to major funding from these bodies, but in 2008 we will draw up a new service level agreement with Bristol City Council. This should provide a lease long enough to persuade these bodies to invest substantially in the fabric of the building, and in other worthy projects to enhance the resources available to deprived local communities.

We all firmly believe that Trinity can and will develop into a renowned centre of excellence for the South West, and become one of the finest jewels in Bristol’s crown.

Check out our Annual Report for more information.