## **Durham Deafened Support**
## **Trustee Chair’s Report 2025**
Since our last report, we have said a sad goodbye to Alison Burton, who retired early in October. We wish her all the very best and thank her for all her time and support she has given to Durham Deafened Support. Alison will still be a member and attend events.
## **Support**
Support still escalates month-on-month. 1:1 support in the home, Lip Reading Support groups, Cochlear Implant Support group, Dealing with Deafness Rehab weeks, Tinnitus support groups, and 1:1 support and crafts and relaxations groups, can be offered throughout County Durham and Darlington. These are kept small and friendly to accommodate deafened adults.
1:1 work will always be paramount, as well as giving advice on equipment we also are able to identify the needs, being there to support people who have become isolated and given up on their social life. Even at family events.
Complementary therapies are also offered and are a great success throughout the year. Sandras Day is very popular with the members. Reflexology, Facials, Head Massage, Nails, darts and New Age Kurling is offered throughout the day. As this is a social event for members, lunch is provided with tea and coffee offered throughout.
Donna and Graham have also been very busy and successful in gaining Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance payments and Blue Badges for deafened members this year. We have had many referrals from social services for benefits this year.
## **Funding**
Again, a lot of work has been done on funding applications. We are still waiting for the outcome of a few, but are happy to announce we have ongoing funding from:
|Durham County Council|£25,300.00 Quarterly|
|---|---|
|Ballinger Charitable Trust:|£30,000.00 spread over 2 years.|
|Awards for All:|£18,800.00 spread over 2 years.|
|Happiness Hub:|£7,432.00 lump sum.|
|Coalfields Regeneration Trust:|£1,500.00 lump sum.|
|The Rothley Trust:|£1,000.00 lump sum.|
|Durham Freemasons:|£500.00 lump sum.|
The team recently had a meeting with Sir James Knott, pending a funding decision.
We would also like to thank Charlotte Glendenning for all her hard work completing applications.
**Dealing with Deafness** is a non-residential rehabilitation course which is open to people identified as struggling with their or their partners/family members loss. We have learned that even people at the onset of hearing loss can gain huge benefit from attending the course and giving support in the early stages of hearing loss can prevent mental health and family conflict problems before they begin.
These are run three times a year. On the course we deliver topics that helped deafened people and their partners to understand and to cope with the changes that has been made to their lives and how to deal with the anger, anxiety, fear and frustration associated with severe or profound hearing loss.
## **Some Comments from Attendees**
The deaf people were asked how deafness made them feel, and how it had changed their lives. Tears flowed but there was laughter too from both the deaf and hearing people comments were:
- “My social life has gone.”
- “People don’t understand I’m deaf, I get so frustrated.”
- “I can’t go to appointment on my own as I need my wife to hear.“
- “My family think I’m miserable because I avoid get-togethers.”
- “Lack of meaningful conversation.”
- “Everyday conversation, people keep everything to a minimum now.”
- “Grandchildren as I can’t understand them.”
- “I avoid people. Even my family.”
- “I miss friendship and general, everyday chat.”
- “We have no social life now.“
- “I feel angry and a burden to my family.”
No one will leave the course without ongoing support, whatever they require. Other agencies are also contacted if needed by the attendees.
The trustees would like to thank the staff and volunteers of DDS. Their hard work and commitment along with passion for DDS will ensure that we will continue to thrive and provide advice and support to the deafened community.
Please join our new Facebook page Durham Deafened Support County Durham and Surrounding Areas for regular updates.
**Durham Deafened Support**
## **Income & Expenditure Account April 2024 to March 2025**
|**Income Restricted**
DCC
Claim Settlement (HSBC)
Happiness Hub
Ballinger
Coalfields
Main Grants
Rotherly Trust
**Income Unrestricted**
Donation
Memberbership
Fundraising
Tombola
Oakerside Collection Tin
Money Owed/Uncashed Cheques
Christmas Lunches
Rock & Roll Donations
Refunds
Salery overpayment
Commision
Door Bell
Freemasons
Mileage Overpayment
**Total Income**
**Total Income**
**Total Expenditure**
**Income over Expenditure**
**Add Balance b/f 01/04/2024**
**Income over expenditure**
**Total Balance c/f 31/03/2025**
**Balance as per Bank Statement 31/03/2025**|101,582.00
£
101,582.00
750.00
£
750.00
7,432.00
£
7,432.00
15,000.00
£
15,000.00
1,500.00
£
1,500.00
18,984.00
£
18,984.00
1,000.00
£
1,000.00
**146,248.00**
**£**
**682.00**
**£**
682.00
**1,893.00**
**£**
1,893.00
**240.00**
**£**
240.00
**211.00**
**£**
211.00
**70.00**
**£**
70.00
**5,371.43**
**£**
5,371.43
**1,177.90**
**£**
1,177.90
**250.00**
**£**
250.00
**672.25**
**£**
672.25
**259.46**
**£**
259.46
**61.11**
**£**
61.11
**24.00**
**£**
24.00
**500.00**
**£**
500.00
**207.90**
**£**
207.90
**11,620.05**
**£**
**157,868.05**
**£**
**157,868.05**
**£**
**225,119.35**
**£**
**67,251.30**
**-£**
**172,869.60**
**£**
**67,251.30**
**-£**
**105,618.30**
**£**
**105,618.30**
**£**|
|---|---|
||**Expenditure**|||
|---|---|---|---|
||Wages|£|111,401.30
|
||Project|£|10,956.48
|
||Pat Testing|£|280.00
|
||Rent and Rates|£|13,692.00
|
||Room Hire|£|7,603.38
|
||Transport|£|1,006.50
|
||Office Equipment|£|1,372.26
|
||Staff Expenses|£|7,230.68
|
||Pension|£|2,998.83
|
||Events|£|2,914.20
|
||Dealing with Deafness|£|1,738.15
|
||Postage and Stationery|£|1,831.58
|
||Lip Reading|£|11,705.00
|
||Volunteer Expenses|£|1,563.26
|
||Utilities|£|1,340.93
|
||Tinnitus|£|870.00
|
||Insurance|£|1,571.49
|
||Web Sites and Computers|£|481.21
|
||Membership|£|351.00
|
||Promotion|£|788.08
|
||Bank Charges|£|125.45
|
||Petty Cash|£|50.00
|
||Accountancy|£|720.00
|
||Training|£|60.00
|
||Other|£|3,531.36
|
||HMRC|£|31,515.97
|
||Peninsula|£|4,615.68
|
||Interpreter Palantype|£|2,522.56
|
||DBS / CRB CHECKS|£|242.00
|
||ICO|£|40.00
|
||**Total Expenditure**|**£**|**225,119.35**
|
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trusteesl
m8mb8rs of
Durham Deafened Support
On accounts for the year
ended
31st of March 2025
Charity no
(if any)
1080663
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (°the Trust.) for the year ended 31 03 2025.
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 Acr).
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.
I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have
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
Independent
examinerfs statement
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.
Please
te the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed:
Date:
OE>
Namo:
ME S S TEVMEIKJJoLkJ
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body
(if any):
frccA
Address:
o DA Ictrt Lo
IER
October 2018
Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32,
Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for
examiners).
Give here brief detalls of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
disclose.
IER
October 2018