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2024-04-30-accounts

Labrador Welfare Registered Charity No 1012192

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 01 MAY 2023 TO 30 APRIL 2024

Reference and Administration Details

Charity name Labrador Welfare Registered Charity Number 1012192 Charity’s address 90 Leader Road Sheffield S6 4GH Phone Number 07795 178375

Names of Trustees who manage the charity

Ray Carnall Chairman Officer of charity and Trustee Debra Ellis Treasurer Officer of charity and Trustee Ruth Leckie Secretary Officer of charity and Trustee Susan Roberts Trustee Nicola Aldgate Trustee

Name and address of advisors

Vets 4 Pets Barnsley 161 Wilthorpe Road Barnsley S75 1JQ

~~LT~~ Objectives and Activities

Summary of the Main Objectives of the Charity

We continue to accept dogs for rehoming from all locations within the area we cover and to support those members of the public who find that they have to relinquish their dog.

Trustees of the charity ensure that our work is carried out within the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

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Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objectives.

When undertaking the rehoming of Labrador Retrievers, we follow the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and this is embraced by our Policy and Procedure document.

We continue to accept dogs within our area from all backgrounds.

Where financial hardships are being experienced we continue to waiver the relinquishing donation.

Where the owner has no means of transport, every effort is made to help with the transportation of the dog to the kennels we use.

Our Lifetime Foster Dog Scheme for older dogs of 9 years and over enables those on low/limited income to enjoy the benefits of dog ownership as no adoption donation is requested for these dogs and Labrador Welfare helps to pay for major vet bills.

The ethos of Labrador Welfare is to offer support and guidance to the adopters of our dogs for the whole of the dog’s life whether this is by phone, email, other means made possible by technology or in person by our registered volunteers.

Labrador Welfare has a non-discriminatory policy. No prospective owner will be refused the right to adopt a dog on the grounds of age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, age of children, nationality or religion. The person’s ability to provide the dog with a safe, secure and loving home is the only consideration.

Additional details of objectives and activities

The 100 Club continues to help support the Lifetime Foster Dog Scheme for dogs over the age of 9 with funds raised through this means being directed towards the payment of veterinary fees for these dogs.

Our Sponsor Dog Scheme enables supporters to make regular payments to help towards veterinary fees for dogs under the age of 9 that may come into our care with a known chronic medical condition that cannot be covered by insurance.

The regularity of the funds raised through the 100 Club and Sponsor Dog Scheme helps to maintain the financial support the charity is able to offer, where it is required, to those people caring for these dogs.

Without the invaluable voluntary help of our supporters, all of which is unpaid, we would be unable to continue with our work and we are indebted to those who give their time unstintingly and freely to help.

Achievements and Performance

The 12-month period covered by this report has, as expected, been a busy one for the charity with a sustained increase on the previous year in the number of requests from owners needing help to safely rehome their Labradors.

As a small, breed-specific charity, run wholly by volunteers and with limitations on kennel capacity and resource, it has been impossible to accommodate every single one of the requests for help due to the sheer volume received and, where this has been the case, we have acted in the best welfare interests of dog and owner in directing them to other reputable organisations so that the dog can receive the help and care it needs at the time they and their owner need it most.

Navigating our way through the post-pandemic era, it did not come as a surprise to find ourselves at the beginning of a new wave of a different kind of pandemic whereby owners whose working commitments had changed or those who were suffering from ill-health needed help with rehoming

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their dogs as there was no other family or means of owner support. These proved to be the two main reasons for relinquishing and, it has been no mean feat to successfully rehome the 52 dogs that came into the care of the charity throughout the period covered by this report not least because 65% of those admitted were not neutered and 55% required vaccinations which were all necessarily funded by the charity prior to rehoming at a not insignificant cost. This is because the charity ensures that all dogs are vaccinated prior to rehoming and neutered prior to adoption unless there are reasons why this may not be appropriate. In essence, the number of non-neutered/non-vaccinated dogs arriving in care together with the increase in dogs admitted with a pre-existing health condition or those of advanced age was seen as an indicator of the emerging cost of living crisis that had been bubbling under the surface as the pandemic eased and it is likely this trend, along with the rising cost of veterinary care, is set to continue apace.

Despite these obvious challenges and associated financial costs, we have worked very hard to maintain our core values:

Aside from those owners seeking help with rehoming their dogs, we continue to work with and maintain links to other Labrador Rescue groups, Dog Wardens and general rescues when they need help with any Labrador Retrievers. Such collaborative working has seen an increase in the number of stray or abandoned dogs being signed over to us for rehoming from stray kennels during the 12month period up to 30 April 2024.

We continue to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the private licenced kennels we use whose help and advice have been invaluable to us over the year. We are grateful to them for their continuing support and the diligent hands-on day-to-day care of our labradors not least because of the additional pressures they too are facing with an unprecedented increase in stray or abandoned dogs of all types/breeds that their own remit obliges them to care for alongside our dogs.

Despite the challenges we, like every other rehoming organisation are facing in what all of us knew would transpire following the pet ownership boom born of the pandemic, we continue to meet our objective of providing lifelong support to our rehomed dogs and their owners through a dedicated team of Home Visitors and our core Rehoming Team. Their willingness to literally go the extra mile is invaluable not only in ensuring our dogs are safely and responsibly rehomed but also in assuring their new owners of our ongoing support and guidance throughout their dog’s life.

We have sadly lost one or two long-standing members but have welcomed new members over the last 12 months too and have produced two newsletters during the period covered by this report so that our members are informed about our activities and updated on those dogs the charity has rehomed. We actively encourage members and supporters to contribute to our newsletter which helps to ensure that it remains vibrant and interactive and provides an opportunity for our supporters to engage and share their own experience and/or views on a subject of particular relevance or topical interest to those with the breed’s best interests at heart.

With the help of our voluntary web master, our website continues to evolve and remains a central point of information to engage with members of the public with a genuine interest and enthusiasm for our work. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers we also have an active presence on social media platforms which generate interest and are well supported with a loyal and growing follower base.

Fundraising in the post-Covid era continues to be a challenge as does the recruitment of new helpers whose extra hands are vital in helping us with fundraising at face-to-face events. Despite this, the charity was able to hold its first post-Covid in-person Fun Dog Show in the summer which was well received by all who attended and well supported in terms of funds raised. The team were also in attendance at several events organised by local groups which provided further opportunities to fundraise and/or raise awareness of our work with the breed. Supporters throughout the area we cover have also turned their hand to innovative ways to raise funds which have included the use of on-line donation platforms as well as in-person social events.

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Our Sponsor Dog Scheme and 100 Club continue to help support our Lifetime Foster dogs and those rehomed with a pre-existing condition but, while we are fortunate in having found homes for these dogs, we have seen an increase in the number of claims for reimbursement of veterinary fees which reflects the upward trend in the cost of veterinary care that is evident across the board. Where possible, owners and carers are asked to purchase medications through reputable on-line veterinary pharmacies which has been found to be significantly cheaper than directly purchasing through the practice the dog is registered with. It is hoped that ideas under discussion and currently at a formative stage will widen the knowledge of our 100 Club and Sponsor Dog Scheme and attract more subscribers over time.

We continue to work to the standards laid out by The Kennel Club in their own Code of Practice for Breed Rescues and whose support is of great benefit. Our ongoing commitment to adhering to the Kennel Club's Code of Practice for Breed Rescues provides peace of mind for relinquishing owners that their dogs will be in good hands while we work to find their new homes as well as inspiring confidence in the general public as to the standards we aim to achieve and always strive to maintain.

The Trustees have met several times during the period covered by this report to review performance in meeting our objectives and to ensure internal governance continues to be upheld. The 2023 AGM saw the election of a new Trustee to the Board whose wider experience in canine massage and long association with the charity will be an asset to our ongoing work. The AGM also provided the platform by which two of our longest standing Trustees intimated their intention to step back whilst looking forward to welcoming further new additions to the Trustee Board who will be able to benefit from the years of experience our retiring Trustees are able to share with them.

The period covered by this report has proved somewhat challenging in terms of a significant increase in demand for our services which we acknowledge is likely to continue to be the case not least because of the national financial climate and the associated difficulties dog owners are now facing and the difficult decisions they may need to make for the future wellbeing of their dogs.

Financial Review

Brief statement on the Charity’s policy on reserves

Money is held in our reserve account to ensure that, should we raise no funds in one year, we would still be able to function. This account also holds money that has specifically been designated for certain projects and developments. The remainder is to support the payment of vet bills for our Lifetime Foster dogs and dogs the charity has rehomed through the Sponsor Dog Scheme.

Further financial review details

Unless otherwise advised by a vet for reasons such as age or underlying, pre-existing conditions, all dogs leave us leave us neutered, treated for fleas and worms and with vaccinations as up to date as possible. Microchipping is undertaken on those dogs that are found not to have been chipped prior to admission into our care and arrangements are made to effect transfer of the microchip into the owner’s name on adoption.

We also request a relinquishing donation to cover initial kennelling and general care costs whilst we assess the dog to ensure that it finds the right home. This donation is waivered in cases of financial hardship.

We continue to explore new avenues by which donations can be generated on line or in person with supporters now able to donate through Charitable Giving if their employers are signed up to a Payroll Giving Scheme. We are also encouraged to see individuals raising funds at local level through a variety of in-person means as well as on-line through our JustGiving link where their self-set challenges have successfully raised funds to support our work. The charity actively promotes several other on-line shopping routes through which supporters are already able to generate donations at no cost to themselves and there are plans to expand the repertoire of fundraising opportunities offered by organisations such as Recycle 4 Charity that promote recycling of items as a ‘greener’ way to raise donations to the charity of a supporter’s choice.

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~~LT~~ Structure, Governance and Management

Description of Charity’s Trusts

Type of governing document

How the Charity is constituted

Trustee Selection Methods

Additional Governance Issues

Declaration ~~LT~~

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s Trustees

Signature Full Name Ruth Leckie Position Secretary - Trustee Date 17 November 2024

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Labrador Welfare Summary of Accounts for Financial Year 2023-24

Total Closing Balance of Bank Accounts at previous year end:

Total balance for new Financial Year (1)

£ 46,042.44 £ 46,042.44

Add Sources of Income: Main Account No 2 Account Totals
Adoptions £ 15,455.00 £ - £ 15,455.00
Donations £ 71,543.61 £ - £ 71,543.61
Fundraising £ 12,578.72 £ 313.69 £ 12,892.41
Insurance Commission £ 1,995.37 £ - £ 1,995.37
Membership £ 720.00 £ - £ 720.00
Transfers In £ 5,000.00 £ 5,000.00
100 Club £ 5,595.00 £ - £ 5,595.00
Sponsor Dogs £ - £ 1,516.00 £ 1,516.00
Total Income (2) £ 112,887.70 £ 1,829.69 £ 114,717.39
Less Expenditure: Main Account No 2 Account Totals
Annual Payments £ 1,053.86 £ - £ 1,053.86
Kennelling £ 47,448.00 £ - £ 47,448.00
Miscellaneous £ 851.14 £ - £ 851.14
100 Club Wins £ 455.00 £ - £ 455.00
Transfers £ - £ 5,000.00 £ 5,000.00
Vet Bills & Internet Medication £ 60,325.55 £ - £ 60,325.55
Total Expenditure (3) £ 110,133.55 £ 5,000.00 £ 115,133.55

Balance (1) plus Income (2) less Expenditure (3)

Total Bank Accounts' Balance at Year End

£ 45,626.28 £ 45,626.28

In respect of the above charity, I confirm that the accounts for the financial year 2023 to 2024 have been checked and are in good order.

Anne Hull AAT Independent Auditor

02 November 2024

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Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Independent Examiner’s Report Report to the trustees/ members of[LABRADOR WELFARE ] On accounts for the year Charity no ended[30.04.2024 ] (if any)[1012192 ] Set out on pages 1 of 1 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30/04/2024 . Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention ~~(other than that disclosed below *)~~ in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

• accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or • the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Address: hull.anne@yahoo.co.uk
Kingswood Hall, Sheffield S6 1RF

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