COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION CHARITY NUMBER 1074165 ANNUAI REPORT, RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT AND STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED A&SOCIATION Annu¥l Report and Aceounls for Ihe year ended 31 March 2025 Contents Page Legal and Administrative Infomiation Report of the Trustees 3to6 Independent Examinerfs Report Receipts and Payments Account Statement of assets and liabilities and other notes 9t0 10
COBBES MEAi)OW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED A&CIATIoN Annual Report and Accounts for the yearended 31 Mareh 2025 Legal and Administrative Infomiation Trustees Mr David Hall (Chair) Mrs Marguerite Heath Mrs Gerrie Serpell {Treasurer) Mrs Mary Mustafa Mr Philip Harland Mrs Catherine Mccullv Mrs Suzi Ross-Browne Mr Barnaby Swire Mr5 Sally Murch Mrs Christine Sladden Mrs Teresa Whitehead Registered charity number 1074165 Governing document Constitution Principal address Candlers Way St Augustine's Chartham Canterbury Kent CT4 Independent examiner Bay Tree Accountan Chartered Accountants Stelling Minnis Canterbury Kent cr4 6AA Bankers National Westminster Bank PLC 20 High Street Ashford Kent TN24 SSH
COBB ES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSIXIATION Annual Report and Aeeounts for the year ended JI M4r¢h 2(125 Trustees, Annual Report Aim and organisation The Cobbes Meadow Group was started in 1972 and at that time was a Group within the single national Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) charity. In 1999 the national RDA charity was broken up and the Groups within it, including Cobbes Meadow Group, became individual charities, The Group is governed by a constitution agreed at that time between RDA National and the Charity Commission on behalf of Groups across England and Wales. The aim of Cobbes Meadow Group is to provide disabled people with the opportunity to ride and/or carriage drive to benefit their health and well-being. The charity is managed by the Committee of Trustees which has control of the Group's property and funds. The Group's constitution requires a committee of at least 3 and no more than 11 trustees. No trustee may be a paid employee of the Group but must be a member of the Group. Election of trustees occurs at the Annual General Meeting {AGM) usually injune each yearto which nominations may be made by any member or the Committee. One third of the Committee must retire at each AGM with the longest in office retiring first. Retiring trustees are eligible for re- election. If a vacancy occurs, the Committee may appoint a replacement until the next AGM. Day to day running of the Group is the responsibility of a Management Subcommittee which reports to the Trustees. The Treasurer and Secretary of the Committee of Trustees sit on this subcommittee which then appoints its own Chairman. The charity employs no paid staff. Review of progress and athievements Our charitable objective is to provide disabled people wtth the opportunity to ride and/or carriage drive to benefit their health and well-being. The Trustees are pleased to report that both riding and carriage driving sessions provided during the year increased with an uplift in income of £8,599 in providing these core activities. Carriage driving sessions were increased with the introduction of Tuppence, one of the riding ponies. who has provided extra flexibility in the use of the driving ponies. Driving sessions operate between April and July and September to December.
COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION Annual Report and Accounts roy the ye*reDded 31 Mgtth 2025 Review of progress and achievements Icontinued) Various events were held during the year which not only raised funds for the Group but also raised awareness of our existence in the local area and showed other people. not associated with Cobbes Meadow. what we provide. We had a May Day Ramble which attracted many local people to the Centre for the first time, and many brought their dogs and finished the walk with hot drinks and a barbeque (it was a wet ramble}. In the summer we repeated our successful Family Support Days which enabled other families to visit ourcentre to meet the ponies and to try riding. Canterbury Fire fighters again brought one of their fire engines to the Centre and the visiting children were delighted to be allowed to climb aboard. Thank you, Canterbury Fire Service, for your support. We also hekl a Dressage Day for our riders as well as a dog show and a successful Christmas Fair rai5in8 £2,450. Our Quiz Night in March raised further a £1892 as well as being a most enjoyable evening. Review of financlal activities The accounts forthis financial year show a defKit of income over expenditure of £8,879 {2024: an excess of income over expenditure of £32,197). Factors contributing to this were that we purchased a replacement horse lorry for £28,0(K), selling our old lorry for £13.OCK) so there was a net expense of £15,OCWJ. We also bought a new horse. Birdie, for £7,000 plus costs for vetting and transport amounting to a total of £8.026. This expense has now been reimbursed to us by a donation which could not be made by the year end. Overall expenditure for the year, including purchase of the lorry and horse was £107,%)9 {2024: £62,337). Our main category of expenditu is for the care and welfare of our horses. We have had a full year with 5 horses at livery and had an increase of £20 per horse per week increasing livery costs alone by £5,200 for the year. We have received generous donations of £4,2CK) (plus gift aid) from Diane Tatt for a third-year sponsoring "Poppy", also £6,CK)O from the Albert Burns Children's Trust Fund and £4,000 from Martello, both received via the Kent Community Foundation for the upkeep of our horses. In addition we have another horse on loan where we share the livery costs with the owner and a further 3 horses on loan stabled at the home of one of our Trustees, and long serving volunteer, Catherine Mccully BEM, where we pay for the cost of food and supplements but Catherine and her husband very generously provide for their grazing and stsbling. Sources of income come from a wide range of activities and donors and our grateful thanks goes to each and every one of them. We reiVed another £l,CL]J donation from The Sir John Swire Foundation and 'Yhe Purchasers" donated £5,1 which was put to the purchase of the new lorry early in the financial year. Thanks are due to all our supporters who kindly donated funds to us and whom I have not publicly thanked by name. 10. The policy of the Trustees is to have a financial reserve equal to one yearf5 normal operating Costs. This has been in the order of £30,(MX) but in the light of the increased livery costs and other expenses the Trustees have reviewed this and set a new reserve of £50,000 to cover eventualities which may arise.
COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION Annu*l Report and Aeeounts for the yeareDded 31 March 2025 Review of fjnancial activlties (continued) 11. Fund raising events which have already been planned for the next financial year as well as high levels of acttvity on the riding and driving front, give the Trustees Confidence for the year ahead and it is the opinion of the Trustees that the charity is considered to be a going concern for the next 12 months. 12. The Independent examinerfs report {attachedl has been seen and noted by the Committee of Trustees. 13. The Trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the charity faces and confimi that Systems have been established to enable the charity to lessen or mitigate these risks. Furthermore, the Trustees consider that the Group's objectives and actsvities comply with the Charity Commission guidance on Publtc Benefit. 14. The Trustees consider that the charity is in a sound financial position. Approved by and signed on behalf of the Committee of Trustees Signed: Date: 7th Ju
COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION Afbnual Report and Ac¢ounls ror the year ended 31 M8rch 2025 Independent examiner's report I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of Cobbes Meadow Group Riding for the Disabled Association ("the charity") for the year ended 31 March 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the Trustees of the charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under 5ertion 145{5Xb) of the Act. Independent examiner's sLitement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: accountin8 records were not kept as required by section 130 of the Act. or b. the accounts do not accord with those records. 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. Bay Tree Accountancy Chartered Accountants Stelling Minnis Canterbury Kent cr4 6AA Signed: Date: 8° July 2025
COBBES MEAI)OW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED AlATION Annual Report and Aeeounts for the ye*rended 31 Mareh 2025 Receipts and Payments Account Unrestricted Restricted Fund Fund Total 2025 Total 2024 Incorne Grants and donations 16,813 14,21 31,013 49,034 Receipts from activities - note 3 43,281 43,281 27,138 Fundraising activities Other Investment income Interest received 6.206 6,206 9,231 1,535 1,535 1,334 Other income Sale of assets Gift Aid/GASDS claim5 13,1Th) 2,945 13,C 3,995 1,050 7,797 Total income 83,780 15,250 99,030 94,534 Expenditure Direct charltable expenditure Veterinary and pony care Tack and clothing Equipment, including repairs Transport Insurance (vehicles) Insurance Ihorsesl Purchase costs of clothing Costs of public website Costs of outings, events & other activities 31,304 451 879 9,732 944 15,250 46,554 451 879 9,732 944 32,372 1,184 1,521 7.501 825 291 1.155 291 1,155 287 2,793 Management and administration - note 4 Purchase of horse Purchase of equipment Total expenditure 12,903 7,0 28,(KJO 92.659 12,903 11,854 4,000 28,000 15,250 107,909 62,337 Exces51{Deficit) of income over expenditure Cash funds brought forward Cash funds carried forward 18,879) 97.270 88,391 (8,879) 97,445 88,566 32,197 65,248 97.445 175 175
COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION Annu21 Report 2nd Aeeounts for the yearended 31 March 2025 Statement of Assets and Liabllities and other notes Note I Monetary assets - cash and bank account Unrestrirted Restricted Totsi Natwest Current account Yorkshire Building Society 36,902 Sl,489 88,391 175 37,077 51,489 88,566 175 Other monetary assets Inland Revenue (Gift Aid tax refund) 1,535 Note 2 Non-monetary assets - held for charity'5 own use All stated ot original cost value Land at the FormerStAugustine's Hospital, Chartham Riding school, Linnet Room and viewing gallery extension Sand school (all above insured for £385.289) Renault Master Horsebox- HZ15 LZB Renault Master Horsebox - HV65 KHH Hoist and associated equipment Sensory Ride Muck trailer 19,974 125,370 28,202 30,420 28,(XX) 1,660 2.290 350 All stated at estimated value 7 ponies owned atyearend 4 ponies loaned at year end 4 carriages plus 2 sets of harness Tack, jumps and general equipment 24,0(K) 12,650 15,878
COBBES MEADOW GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION Annu*l Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 Statement of assets and Ilabilities and other notes - continued Note 3 Receipts from artivities 2025 2024 Riders and drivers, subscriptions Sale of merchandise Donations for use of facilities 32,017 134 23,418 11,130 43,281 3,720 27,138 Note 4 Management and administration 2025 2024 Property Costs including maintenance and utilities Administration Insurance {public liability/personal accidenVbuildincontents) Training Costs including courses Independent Examiner's fee Sundry expenses 8,738 367 6,993 119 2,199 999 1,997 2,145 12,9)3 11,854