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2021-12-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period Period start date Period end date Day 12 Month 03 Year 2021 Day 10 Month 02 Year 2022 To

Section A Reference and administration details

Branch name

Weston-super-Mare (255)

(Referred to hereinafter as either the “Branch” or the “Charity”)

Other names / number Branch is known by

Eagle House

Registered charity number (if any)

1072121

Branch's principal address

21-22 Alexandra Parade

Weston super Mare

North Somerset

Postcode BS23 1QX

Names of the Branch charity trustees who manage the charity (generally known as the Branch Committee)

----- Start of picture text -----
Name of person (or
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) body) entitled to
whole year
appoint trustee (if any)
1 Mr I Norris MBE Branch Chairman 3 Years Trustees
Mr J Denman Branch Vice 3 Years
2
MBE Chairman
3 Mr A Neale Branch Treasurer 3 Years
4 Mrs S Tubby Branch Secretary 3 Years
5 Mr P Carrington Branch Membership 3 Tears
Mr C Hewson President 1 year to go
6 BEM
Mr B Thorpe Trustee 3 Years
7 Mr J Denman Branch ATC Rep.
MBE
8 Mr J Denman Military Covenant
MBE Rep
----- End of picture text -----*

----- Start of picture text -----
Mr P Follett Branch Welfare
9
Officer
Mrs A Culpeck Public Relations
10
Officer
11
12
13
14
15
16
----- End of picture text -----

Names of any other trustees for the Branch (for example, any custodian trustees in relation to branch property)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

----- Start of picture text -----
Type of adviser Name Address
Branch Auditor Mrs A Kerruish 2 Somerton, Monkton Avenue
Weston-super-Mare
BS24 9DA
----- End of picture text -----

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the branch’s trusts

Royal Charter, Rules, Byelaws, Area and Branch Governance Type of governing document Handbook of the Royal Air Forces Association.

Unincorporated association How the Branch charity is constituted

Trustee selection methods

Elected by the branch membership

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

Charity’s organisational structure

The Trustees continue to oversee the day to day running of the Branch and seek the views of Members. It has implemented several protection rules to ensure the safety of its members. The Trustees have met several times to discuss the financial health of the Branch.

Trustee induction and training

There have been several Training Virtual Meetings from HQ and the Chairman and Secretary have both attended these sessions. There was also a member at the Branch Funding session.

The charity is a branch of the Royal Air Forces Association which is a Royal Charter body and registered as a charity in England and Wales under number 226686 and in Scotland under SC037673 (“the Association”). The Association has many branches all of which share the same charitable object as the Association and are subject to the same constitution.

Related party relationships – The Branch with its own building is responsible for Renting out to our RAFA club, the Reginal Welfare team and SSAFA.

Risk management - Risk Assessments carried out 2004 and updated yearly.

Property Inventory – this has been a difficult task and is being updated continually.

Trustee Meetings - At one of the Trustee meetings held in July, we identified the Charity Policies that needed to be updated which included Safeguarding, Reserves, Data Protection, and Equality and Diversity. This has been documented in our Rules and Regulation fl

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the branch set out in its governing document

To promote, through the comradeship engendered by its members, the welfare by charitable means of all serving and former members of Her Majesty’s Air Forces, their spouses, and dependents, together with the widows and widowers and dependents of those who died whilst serving or subsequently. The Trustees have supported this with our Wings Appeal

Collection, and to advance the mental, physical, and Spiritual welfare of our elderly Members. We have a Card Reader to increase our ability to raise funds.

The Public Relations Officer has continued to up-date the Website and Facebook.

Recruitment continues at all our collection events

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

The Trustees have continued to plan activities for the year in consideration of the Charity Commission guidance at our Trustee meetings.

The Branch had an Action Plan for the year to cover the following activities:

Due to Government Regulations regarding the COVID-19 virus outbreak, the Club was closed from November 2020 to April 2021.As our members were unable to attend the Club, the Branch Committee focused on an outreach programme to contact as many members as possible. Virtual meetings were set up each week for Coffee Morning. Committee meetings AGMs were held Virtually, continuing the welfare support to all members to the local community, and the RAFA family.

On behalf of the Branch Trustees, I declare that the Trustees are in full compliance with the Charity Commission for the public benefit.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

During the lockdowns we applied for further Government Grants and were successful.

The welfare Officer makes grants to members who are in need. The Trustees are very grateful for the many volunteers on the Committee and to Members who have come forward to help. Without their help we could not Achieve our objectives.

Section D Achievements and performance

Operational Business

In June 2021 the Burnham on Sea Branch transferred their affiliation to the Weston-super-Mare Branch due to the sad closure of their Branch, which doubled our Membership. We welcome the new Members.

We now have 572 Members, The Branch has maintained contact with 418 members via email, with monthly Newsletters. The Branch Trustees have also communicated with our members via Facebook and Web site.

The first 3 months we were not allowed to meet up. However, the biggest achievement and success was the Virtual meetings to conduct our Business, and Coffee Mornings. Both Club and Branch carried out their AGM successfully.

The Branch Club was opened after the lockdown in April 2021 with a Garden Party, bringing together our members for the first time after the long Lockdown. Coffee Morning was restarted, and we were able to have a full programme of Events organised by the Club Committee.

The Branch has forwarded funds from the Wings Appeal Collection of £5,809.93 to RAFA Headquarters, this was a great achievement considering the lockdown and unable to collect.

The Branch continued to carry out specified work to bring the Branch building up to the current standards regarding Fire and Electrical safety, and to remedy structural and cosmetic problems internally and externally.

Welfare Ofcers Report

In 2021 there was (on the telephone) twenty individuals who were

asking for assistance. Eleven of those cases resulted in applications to the

Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund for financial and or material help.

In three cases this resulted in Regular Financial Assistance, this means they

are given £10 or £20 a week to top up their pension and enable them to buy

a few extras. Payment is made quarterly, and each case is reassessed

annually.

Other cases included payment of three months’ rent up front to enable an individual to move into a flat, providing a mobility scooter, rise and recline chairs, a special bed, fitting of stair lifts and help with funeral expenses. Several cases just required reassurance and advice on how to obtain State Benefits. One case was referred to Social Services, with his

agreement, as he was not capable of managing his financial

affairs. He was refusing to pay his bills, but he had more than enough in the

bank to cover all his debts. This case needed a visit to the individual which

was authorised.

We are looking forward to being able to return to home visits, as often one is

able to identify needs, that have not been asked for.

North Somerset Armed Forces Covenant Partnership

RAFA Weston-super-Mare Branch has a representative member on the North Somerset AFC Partnership Group.

AFC partnership meetings are normally held at Weston Town Hall, However, due to Covid nearly all the meeting have been Virtual. The meetings are attended by members of local council, institutional, charitable, and social organisations. Meetings are usually attended by speakers from local projects who advise what they can do to assist military veterans needing assistance in difficult circumstances.

Outcomes from this group are brought up at Branch Committee by our Representative that are likely to be of assistance to our welfare officer, and other items are distributed to those members who have interests.

Subsequent quarterly meetings have been conducted successfully using the Teams system, and the AFC work appears to be proceeding normally using on-line communication.

RAF Air Cadets (Air Training Corps (ATC)

The Branch has an ATC Representative, attending all the Quarterly virtual, 290 Sqn Civilian Committee meetings.

The Weston-super-Mare 290 Sqn ATC (and associated Detached Flight at Burnham-on-Sea) have been affiliated with the Weston Branch for many years, assisting us with the Armed Forces Day, Street Collection and Church Service. In the past we have held an annual Disco for the Cadets, and Games nights. Most of these activities had to be cancelled last year.

Due to Covid the cadets have been restricted to virtual meetings for most of the time. They did, however, attend the Remembrance Service last year.

Parade and Ceremonial

The Branch held a Battle of Britain Church Service in September with local dignitaries from the Council attending. Several Funerals were attended by the Standard Bearer and Members of the Branch. In November we attended the Remembrance Service held by the Local Council. The

purpose of which was to lay a RAFA Wreath in memory of those who died. All Veterans and the Town Mayor were invited back to the Branch Club.

Wherever possible keeping contact with the RAF and RAFA Summary of the main families in these difficult times. achievements of the

branch during the year

Providing where needed, Welfare support to the RAFA family.

Managing and overseeing the refurbishment of the Branch property. In particularly with the Flooding of the main Bar which remained closed until September.

Holding a virtual Club AGM on the 27[th] January 2021 using Teams.

Holding a virtual Branch AGM on the 10[th] February 2021 using Teams.

The moving in of the Regional Welfare team in March to the Top Floor. Approval of the RAFA Regional Welfare Lease. Approval of the SSAFA Lease.

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the branch’s policy on reserves

The Trustees have a “Reserve” policy document which was raised by the Branch for the Club property to identify the amount which they needed if they had to close the Club. This is known as the “Trigger Point”. This document is a working document and is updated.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Further financial review details (Optional information)

The main principal of funding for the Branch is the Rent and You may choose to include Raffles. additional information, where relevant about:

The key objective is funding for Wings Appeal to support Welfare for the RAF Family.

This year’s Objective is to raise our profile of the Branch and recruit new Members.

Section F Other optional information

The Future will be to continue to bring our members together for comradeship, building on the relationship, friendship, with our members for support and welfare.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the branch’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Iain Norris MBE MSM

Position (eg Chairman Secretary, Chair, etc)

Date 2 February 2022

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Independent Examiner's report on the Branch Club accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the members of

Branch Club Name

On accounts for the Date year ended

Set out on pages

(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the members on my examination of the accounts of the above Branch Club for the year ended DD / MM / YYYY .

Responsibilities and As the Committee, you are collectively responsible for the basis of report preparation of the accounts in accordance with SCR 75/SCR 76 in accordance with Byelaw 25.

I report in respect of my examination of the Branch Club’s accounts

Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material Examiner's matters have come to my attention in connection with the statement examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that, in any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: Date: Name: Address:

1

January 2021

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the Examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern

Give here brief details of any items that the Examiner wishes to disclose .

2

January 2021