Annual Report Chair 2024 Crosby group rid ing for the disabled Association, Charity registered nu mber 107 4270 is based at Home farm stables, back lane, Little Crosby, Liverpool L23 4UA. The trustees for 2023-2024 Joanne Welsh-treasurer Judith Parsons-secretary Louise Fraser-chair Val Parry Stephanie Highet Anne Grindy Pauline Davies Jim Hankinson Structure and management The trustees are responsible for protecting the assets of the charity and ensuring that they are properly used for the groups best interests. Trustees are also responsible for long-term planning, meeting legal obligations and the requirements of our governing body. Riding for the disabled UK. We routinely review the risks that cross the RDA and these include. Review of investment and reserve policy Analysis of financial risk and regular review of the cash position Review of health and safety and risk assessments for operations Succession planning The Constitution for Crosby RDA specifies a maximum of 11 trustees. The current trustees have a range of skills and expertise and experience, including those supporting people with disability (which includes family members of riders.) , administration., Legal, financial, communications, equitation and horse and stable management. We aim to recruit trustees both from volunteers within the group with relevant skills and experience and from outside the group who have a genuine interest in furthering the group's aims and objectives. Trustee are elected by the group members at AGM although they can be co-opted partway through a year to f ill a vacancy subject to election at the AGM. Our ride coaches are responsible for all aspects of rides to include assessments of riders, delivery of ride sessions, training and development of leaders and sidewalks. coaches meet regularly to consider all aspects of provision of rides and activities for our participants and to review the waiting list. Horse care is managed by Anne Grindy our horse coordinator and undertaken by our horse carers. All aspect of the operation of Crosby RDA are undertaken on a purely voluntary basis. Our purpose and activities Our purpose is to provide therapeutic riding for people with disabilities to promote their health and well-being. The public benefit Crosby RDA makes a difference. It provides the physical and mental benef its, fun and enjoyment, boosts conf idence and increases social interaction to those who live with a disability irrespective of their race, age, religion, sexuality, or gender. We support participants from Sefton and surrounding areas. We currently have 84 Riders & in the last year had 927 Sessions. As already mentioned, we rely completely on our wonderful volunteers. We have many volunteers who keep our group going some have just joined us and some have been involved for many years which you will know from the regular long service awards that are received. There are some people who help out on a very regular basis and do a tremendous amount of work there are some who, due to other commitments, are much more time limited, there are some who can only help occasionally and other others who are very regular in their attendance. The group is extremely grateful to all our volunteers. I cannot name anyone individually for fear of missing out somebody who has done a tremendous amount. Without our wonderful volunteers this group could not exist and l am sure that all our riders are grateful to them and I would like to pass on the thanks of all the trustees for all that you have done over the past year. Tea with a pony is supporting those with Alzheimer's and dementia and is much appreciated by those who attend and their carers. As mentioned above, we have coaches responsible for the rides and you will have heard the reports from the different sessions held in addition we also have meet and greet for those unable to ride. Our wonderful treasurer Jo has produced a financial report and you will see that once again our expenditure exceeds our income we had anticipated this and the trustees had made a decision regarding the annual drawdown from our reserves. Everybody is aware of the huge increase in costs for everythi ng you only have to go shopping on a regular basis to find that basic day-to-day food items seem to go up on a regular basis and not just buy a small amount but by IOO/o in most cases the situation is exactly the same for a horses and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are well cared for and can meet the needs of our riders Anne does a wonderful job in maintaining the health of the horses. We have a wonderful and dedicated fundraising team who work tirelessly to try and raise funds on our behalf and you will be receiving a fundraising report setting out the events for the last year in addition to our usual and much loved events this year a dog show was introduced and it went down extremely well. The dogs who participated all seemed to enjoy themselves as did the owners that they brought with them. We have just had a Brilliant Christmas Fair which many of you attended. As ever we are extremely grateful to the Blundell Estate for the free stable and tremendous support they provide We had hoped to have made more progress on becoming a CIO which is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and have taken legal advice and are moving on with that and hope to be incorporated within the next year Rldlng for the Disabled {RDA) Crosby Branch Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 March 2024 2023 2024 Income 7,259 Horse Care 1,632 Buildings and Maintenance 16,698 Riding Provision 12,715 Fund Raising Income 4,002 9,044 10,607 11,537 38,303 Operating Income 35,190 Expenditure 27,309 Horse Care 6,167 Buildings and Maintenance 2,674 Riding Provlslon 5,138 Fund Raising Income 41,288 27,058 10,897 3,100 5,052 46,107 Operating Expenditure Operatlng (Deficit)/Surplus 46.107 12,9851 (3,134) Depreciation (10,917) 1,333 {Deficlt)/Surplus for the year 16,1191 (12,251) 2023 Arena Fund 2024 55,124 Opening Balance 118,375) Depreciation in Year 36,749 Closln8 Balance 36,749 {18,375) 18,375 2023 Balance Sheet as at 31 March note 2024 40,749 Flxed Assets Current Assets 21,041 164,676 Cash 153,758 153,758 205,425 Total Assets 174,799 107,675 General fund 80,924 36,750 Arena Fund 18,375 45000 General Reserve 10000 Designated Arena Repair Fund 49,500 20,000 6000 Restricted Fund 174,799 205,425 Total Funds 174,799 I have reviewed the underlying accounting records and the Income and Expenditure and Balance Sheet and in my opinion they represent a true and fair view of the finanical position of the RDA Crosby Branch as at 31 March 2024 Mark Taylor, B.A,. A.C.A. Chartered Accountant 10th November 2024