Mid Surrey Dementia Care Trust Charity No 1051814 Annual Report 2024-2025
WHAT WE DO
The Trust was set up by deed dated 13 December 1995 for general charitable purposes, with particular reference to those who need care as a result of living with dementia. The Trust owns and maintains a conservatory where it runs a small social club for people in the early and middle stages of dementia; the club’s location in the conservatory has given rise to its name: The Conservatory Club.
The Club operates five days a week and is open from 10am to 3pm each weekday, with capacity for up to eight members to attend daily. A senior club manager runs the Club from Monday to Thursday with a second club manager running it on Friday; each club manager is assisted daily by a volunteer. Potential members initially attend a free trial day to allow a mutual assessment of whether the club is appropriate for their needs and, if so, further assessment takes place over the following month before membershipis agreed and confirmed.
The conservatory is adjacent to the Fairfield Centre in Leatherhead, a social centre for the over-60s run by Mole Valley District Council (MVDC). Conservatory Club members and staff are also members of the Fairfield Centre in order to access its catering and other facilities while enjoying their own discrete club room in the conservatory.
As a precaution against the risk of potential closure of the Club (described later in this report), and to ensure that we would be withdrawing our service to those relying upon it from as few people as possible, the trustees decided in February 2024 to quietly run down membership of the Club. At one point, it appeared that closure might take place as early as May 2026 when the Leatherhead redevelopment works might begin but, as that date was pushed further and further back, the decision to close to new members was rescinded in the first quarter of this year. However, the staffing issues described in the Management section below prevented us adding new members for a few months and consequently membership levels this year have been slightly lower than last year.
At the start of the year, 78% of available places were booked and this level dropped slightly during quarters 2 and 3. We ended the year with 74% of available places booked but daily attendance levels have remained high throughout at 92% to 94% of the booked places. Daily activities include arts, crafts, games, quizzes, music and general conversation and reminiscence to help members maintain their mental and physical activity, communication skills and interest in life. Our members have also joined in with the Fairfield Centre’s special lunches and events.
An important aspect of the club is that it provides carers with a 5-hour period of respite from the unremitting task of caring. This respite helps many to continue caring for their loved one at home for longer than might otherwise have been possible, often to the end of life.
MANAGEMENT
Thé Trust’s six Trustees manage as a team through bi-monthly meetings, regular communication and personal contact.
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Staff, Trustees and Club volunteers are all DBS checked and subscribed to the DBS update service, which enables us to monitor all DBS checks on an annual basis.
Both GDPR and Safeguarding policies and associated required procedures are in place.
Our challenge this year has been the absence due to ill-health of our Senior Club Manager whose illness took many months to identify and whose eventual diagnosis led her to offer her resignation. During the months leading to her diagnosis, the trustees’ determination to keep the Club open led to the employment of a temporary manager and the eventual recruitment of a new permanent Senior Club Manager, who has been in place since 4t November 2024.
FINANCES
Our finances this year, including the reserve fund, have been considerably depleted. In last year’s report, we stated the risk to our finances from heavy costs that might arise due to the possible future relocation of the Club and perhaps the setting up in new premises. We had, however, not anticipated the rapid decline in the health of our Senior Club Manager and the high cost of employing temporary cover for her role, plus the agency fee incurred for the recruitment of a permanent replacement manager.
Although our reserve fund had ideally been set aside to cover the cost of replacement or repair of the conservatory, the trustees decided that the priority during this year was the continued operation of the Club and so voted to allocate some of the reserve funds for that purpose.
We were also challenged by the combination of rising staff costs, increased catering charges at the Fairfield Centre and inflationary increases in respect of insurance, publicity materials and other service providers. The daily fee for Club attendance had been held at £23 since 2019 while the previously mentioned running costs had been increasing but, even with membership levels on the higher side, the daily fee was no longer covering our running costs and left us little leeway to continue to afford withoperating should membership levels fall. Hence,we increased our daily fee to £35 effect from 1st January 2025.
We were grateful to receive donations from Hallett London Limited, the Ernest Hecht Foundation, Age Sentinel Trust, the Bookham Fetcham and Effingham Nurses Association Trust, The Meeting Place Bookham, Menzies, Ranmore Charitable Trust, Hakim Fry, Ashtead WI and from personal supporters.
OUR BUILDING
There are two areas where water has been leaking into the conservatory during very heavy rainfall and, in conjunction with the Fairfield Centre, we have attempted to resolve both. We are hopeful that the repairs have been successful, but we cannot be certain as rainfall has been at low levels since they were completed.
MVDC has renewed our lease for the courtyard area that our conservatory stands upon although it is for a much shorter term than the original 20-year lease that expired on 10% January 2024. Our new lease is for 3 years and expires on 9th January 2027.
MVDC has advised us that the major building redevelopment works planned for the Swan Centre in Leatherhead are likely to begin in Spring 2027 and, although the courtyard area is not part of the redevelopment area, it will be required for
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construction access at certain times during the redevelopment. We await definitive information on dates and plans in order to makea final decision on how we will proceed in respect of operating the Club in the conservatory. See further details under Closure Risks below.
RISKS
A major risk lies in the potential closure of the Club but the most significant risks on a day-to-day basis are injury to and security of members, and fire. Staffing the Club also presents a significant risk.
Security of members, risk of injury, fire There is always a risk of injury to our members, some of whom are unsteady on their feet or have failing eyesight, and to volunteers and staff. Members must be able to walk unaided for at least a short distance. An on-going dialogue is maintained with each carer about a member’s state of health and behaviour. We require carers to make a signed commitment that they will inform us of any changes in a member’s behaviour. We also require a carer’s signed authority that we may administer medication, which must be provided in a container with the correct dosage along with details of potential sideeffects.
Confidential records and photographs are kept of all members as a check for changes or trends that may indicate a need for action. In the event of accident or injury, the Fairfield Centre Manager, or deputy, is the responsible First Aid Officer and they are based within easy reach of the conservatory. We hold records of the medication that a member is taking so that this information can be supplied, should a doctor or paramedic have to be called upon.
Risk of fire is low and the conservatory opens onto a large brick courtyard through doors that give easy access to it.
Funding security
As described earlier in this report, we have had a very costly year and our reserves have been called upon to maintain the Club’s operation. The increase in the daily fee should ensure that our higher running costs will be covered, providing always that Club membership remains at current levels or higher. Donations help us to fund activity for our members beyond the daily running costs and we will continue to use them for that. However, where we can, we will also seek to build up our reserves to ensure that we can meet our commitments to MVDC under the termination terms of our lease, should the redevelopment plans for the Swan Centre result in our permanent relocation from the conservatory.
As we have seen this year, the major risk to our finances lies in staff costs and our ability to afford the provision of a full service to our members or, indeed, to continue operating at all should we find ourselves in a similar position in the coming year or beyond.
Shortage of members
Although this is currently not a problem, we are mindful that this can change . throughout the year. Low membership levels would result in a loss of income, which could mean that we are unable to operate the club on a daily basis.
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Staffing the Club
Paid employees: Our vulnerability in this area was made clear when our Senior Club Manager was absent for a number of months this year prior to her eventual retirement on health grounds. The high cost of employing a temporary manager depleted our finances, as did the recruitment process that led to the employment of a replacement manager. Stand-in managers, including the trustees can be appointed for short absences but our resources will be severely strained should we again find ourselves in a similar situation with the senior club manager’s position.
Volunteers: The club cannot operate on any day without a volunteer in place to assist the club manager. We ended the year with five volunteers in place covering Monday to Friday but in the knowledge that our Monday volunteer was stepping down. There has been a degree of turnover in respect of Monday volunteering and we have been seeking a permanent volunteer for that day for many months. All of our volunteers and the trustees step in to provide cover when necessary and we are in the process of building up a volunteer bank that we can call upon as needed.
Risk of Closure
While MVDC has renewed our lease, as described above it is very much for the short term as it is not yet known how operation of the Club in the conservatory will be affected by the redevelopment works that are currently going through MVDC’s planning process.
MVDC has suggested to us that we might only be required to vacate the conservatory for relatively short periods of time (perhaps a week or two at a time but maybea little longer) to allow access for construction vehicles carrying equipment and materials to the redevelopment site. Should that be the case, it will be very disruptive and unsettling for our members were we to keep opening and closing the Club and we would potentially be looking at the Club’s permanent relocation to best meet our members’ needs.
It may also be that we will anyway be required to permanently vacate the conservatory. The redevelopment plans still have a long way to go in the planning process and it is not yet possible for MVDC to advise us on that. Plus, the new unitary local authority will be in existence from May 2026 and that reorganization brings with it its own uncertainty about how local services will continue to be provided.
Added to all this uncertainty is the age of the majority of trustees who are in their mid- to late-70s and are looking to retire rather than commit to many years further service to the Trust, and so will not be available to oversee its relocation and ongoing operation. Should the need for alternative premises arise, and younger trustees not present themselves, the Club is at threat of closure.
OUR PARTNERS
We work with Surrey County Council Adult Social Care, MVDC and other voluntary organizations including CSVA. MVDC manages the Fairfield Centre to which our conservatory is physically attached; we use their catering services and our members enjoy many of the events that take place there. MVDC also provides a Community Bus service for some of our members.
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OUR PLANS FOR 2025/26
Given the uncertainty about the redevelopment plans, combined with the setting up of the Unitary Authority and how it will want to run services, we must continue to plan either for closure of the Club or for its future operation, which itself depends on our success in recruiting new trustees.
REVIEW
The Conservatory Club provides members with the opportunity to socialize, which is vital to their wellbeing, and provides carers with some much-needed respite from their caring responsibilities. Living with dementia can be very isolating and a key aspect of the Club is the social interaction that it provides to our members who respond well to the activities and the friendly, relaxed atmosphere in the conservatory. We are thankful that we have been able to continue providing the support that brings benefit both to our members and to their carers.
Glynis Peterkin, Chairman 4th August 2025
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MID-SURREY DEMENTIA CARE TRUST (Charity Commission registered number 1051814)
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||||
| GENERALFUND (Unrestricted) | |||||
| Income - Receipts | |||||
| Members attendance | 37,343 | 41,321 | |||
| Donations | 10,127 | 5,343 | |||
| Job Retention Scheme | = | - | |||
| Bank Interest | 564 | 656 | |||
| Tax refund | - | - | |||
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | 48,034 | 47,320 | |||
| Expenditure - Payments | |||||
| Charitable Activities | |||||
| ; | |||||
| Staffcosts and cleaning | 28,349 | 23,180 | |||
| Members’ lunches & refreshments | 15,990 | 16,217 | |||
| Fairfield Centre Membership | 670 | ||||
| Equipment and repairs | 411 | 302 | |||
| Outings and activities | 1,337 | 1,711 | |||
| Sundries - Membership refunds | - | - | |||
| 46,757 | 41,409 | ||||
| Management and Administration | |||||
| Insurance | 809 | 704 | |||
| Administration incl Accounting | 4,416 | 2,959 | |||
| Agency Fees | 18,955 | ||||
| Website & Mobile phone | 668 | - | |||
| Training | - | 1,303 | |||
| Bank Charges | 168 | ||||
| Other | 391 | ||||
| Fundraising | - | - | |||
| 25,407 | 4,966 | ||||
| TOTAL PAYMENTS | 72,164 | 46,375 | |||
| NET PAYMENTS/RECEIPTS FORTHEYEAR | - | 24,130 | 945 | ||
| Bank and cash balances ‘st April 2024 | 41,394 | 40,449 | |||
| Bank and cash balances 31st March 2025 | 17,264 | 41,394 | |||
| Bank current Account - |
362 | ||||
| Bank Savings | 17,406 | ||||
| Petty Cash O/S |
220 | ||||
| 17,264 |
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D:\Users\User\Data\Mid Surrey Dementia Care Trust\Accounts\Year to March 2025\Accounts 31 March 2025 V2 220525 FINAL15/07/202509:16
MID-SURREY DEMENTIA CARE TRUST (Charity Commission registered number 1051814)
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 MARCH 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| TOTAL CASH FUNDS 31 March 2025 | 17,264 | 41,394 | |
| General Fund (Reserve Fund) | |||
| Balance brought forward 1 April 2025 | 13,914 | 12,969 | |
| Net (payments)/receipts forthe year | - | 24,130 | 945 |
| - | 10,216 | 13,914 | |
| NetTransfer from Conservatory Replacement Fund - Note 1 | 12,000 | - | |
| Balance carried forward 31 March 2025 | 1,784 | 13,914 | |
| Conservatory Replacement/Repair Fund (Designated) - Note 1 | |||
| Balance broughtforward 1 April 2025 | 27,480 | 27,480 | |
| Transfer from General Fund | - | 12,000 | - |
| Balance carried forward 31 March 2025 | 15,480 | 27,480 | |
| TOTAL FUNDS 31 MARCH 2025 | 17,264 | 41,394 | |
| DEBTORS 31 March 2025 | - | - | |
| CREDITORS31March2025 | 4,189 | 1,146 |
Note 1. Due to the limited life expectancy of the conservatory building, the Trustees have created a Conservatory Replacement Fund, to replace or repair the conservatory or to provide alternative accommodation.
Note 2
The Creditors includes the amount owed to HMRC £932.87 for PAYE Payment due to Howell Jones for legal fees in accs £3,256
On behalf of the Trustees ) ; > G Peterkine (Trustee) NT Tennent (Trustee)
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MID-SURREY DEMENTIA CARE TRUST (Charity Commission registered number 1051814)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 31st March 2025
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act")
| 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, | have followed the applicable Directions given by Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention 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 did not accord with the accounting records
| 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.
—_SE FA CharteredJ WhittakerAccountant Bsc 10 Taleworth Road Ashtead Surrey KT21 2PT
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