OPEN DOOR - ST ALBANS

Registered charity 1028528 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Open Door supports a homelessness night shelter and daytime drop-in for vulnerable people in St Albans. Set up in 1992, the charity aims to ensure that no-one needs to sleep rough in St Albans and generally to improve the life chances of homeless people. Our main activities are to raise funds, primarily from the local community, to support and improve the service and to promote volunteering.

Objects

1) THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL NEED AMONG PEOPLE RESIDENT IN HERTFORDSHIRE AND IN PARTICULAR BUT NOT SO AS TO LIMIT THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, THE PROVISIONS OF ACCOMMODATION AT NO COST OR LOW COST 2) THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR RECREATION AND LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF LIFE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEED BY REASON OF THEIR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES

Area of benefit: HERTFORDSHIRE

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Accommodation/housing · website · Get email alerts

Financial health, per its FY2026 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ran with an annual deficit of £15,000–£30,000 for the last five years, leading to an expectation that the General Fund will continue to reduce until additional income is secured. Despite this, the charity holds unrestricted reserves of £204,380, which exceeds its stated policy target of £94,500 (nine months of running costs). The trustees acknowledge the need to use reserves to address homelessness issues and fund new projects while working to cover the operational shortfall.

Automated summary of the FY2026 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

• Top pay band moved from below £25,000 (FY2025) to below £30,000 (FY2026).

Comparing this charity’s FY2025 and FY2026 accounts as analysed by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

• Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
• Complaints policy and procedures
• Conflicting interests
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Internal risk management policy and procedures
• Investment
• Paying staff
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Volunteer management

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Open Door St Albans (matched by registered charity number).

Trustees · trustee networks

• CARLA WATSON
• David Richard Hunt
• JACQUELINE BUTTON
• LINDSEY MCLEOD
• PETER JOHN GRAHAM · trustee of 1 other charity
• RICHARD UPTON
• Rachel Merelie
• Roger Michael Gosine

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Hertfordshire

Income and spending

Common questions