Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024
| Contents | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 2 | |
| Trustees Report | 3 - 6 | |
| Independent examiner’s report | 7 | |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 8 | |
| Balance Sheet | 9-10 | |
| Schedule of fixed assets | 11 | |
| Notes forming part of the financial statements | 12 – | 14 |
Page 1
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Legal and administrative information
Status Charitable Company limited by guarantee Charity number 1097172 Registration number 4355269 Registered office Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall Pontrilas Road Ewyas Harold Herefordshire HR2 0EL Management Committee Roger Bradley Trustee, Chairman Tony Capon Trustee Chris Tomlinson Trustee, Fleet Manager Trefor Edwards Trustee, Treasurer David Bond Trustee, Company Secretary Peter Barns Graham Trustee Jean Wise Trustee Bankers HSBC High Town Hereford HR1 2AQ
Page 2
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Report of the trustees for the year ended 31[st] March 2024
The trustees, who are also directors of the company for the purposes of the Companies Act, submit their annual report and the financial statements for the year ending 31[st] March 2024. In preparing this report the trustees have adopted the provisions of the Charities SORP (FS102).
The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is governed by its memorandum and articles of association.
Aims
Dore Community Transport was set up over 23 years ago and throughout that time our object has been to provide an accessible and affordable transport service to the inhabitants of South West Herefordshire who are in need of the service because of age, sickness or disability, or because of the lack of available public transport. We operate in a rural area covering approximately 200 square miles, an area poorly served by public transport and our service enables our clients to participate in community life and retain their independence in isolated areas.
DCT's aims are simple and have remained unchanged since its creation:-
-
To ensure that it can continue to provide a transport service for those living in the South West area of Herefordshire who have little or no access to public transport, and do not have any independent means of transport.
-
To provide a safe and reliable service to all who use it or give up their time to make it work.
-
To keep the costs of running the service as low as possible to ensure that it remains affordable to those who need to use it, recognising that many of its clients are elderly and infirm and potentially on low income.
-
To minimise its impact on the environment by where possible increasing the load factor on its MPVs and minimising dead mileage.
-
To increase the awareness of the service we provide to ensure we reach as many of the vulnerable and elderly people in our area and with the additional aim of broadening the demographic profile of its users.
-
To extend the hours that the service is available if resources exist.
-
To work closely with other interested parties including other Community Transport Groups, Parish Councils and Herefordshire Council to seek opportunities to improve service, reduce waste and duplication and minimise cost, provided this does not adversely affect our customers.
-
To ensure the service can continue to grow as demand increases by building contingency plans and funds for new and replacement vehicles, and by planning for driver, committee and trustee retirements.
-
To remain responsive to changing conditions and requirements and seek to ensure a process of continuous development and improvement so that we can maintain the high levels of respect and customer satisfaction currently existing.
Page 3
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial review
2024 saw a continued increase in demand for Dore Community Transport’s services and consequently fare income rose from £23,196.to £24,955.
During the year we continued to receive good financial support. Herefordshire Council provided basic funding of £22,298 up from £20,248 the previous year. In addition the Council gave us a one off grant of £4,000. Total funding from Herefordshire Council therefore amounted to £26,298. Support from Parish Councils was virtually unchanged at £6,125.compared to £6,245 in FY2023. The support we receive from local Parish Councils, clubs, societies, shops and pubs, as well as individuals continues to amaze us and this continued this year with total donations of £13,081, virtually unchanged from the previous year.
We were also very pleased to see that the Government Bus Service Operators Grant that we receive, a grant normally based on fuel usage during the year, was again held at pre-Covid levels in an attempt to support community transport operators.
Fundraising by selling refreshments at the local auction house, raised £1,896 four times more the previous year and my thanks again go to Ann Edwards, the wife of one of our trustees for doing this.
Overall, for the 23/24 financial year our income amounted to £72,640, slightly down on the 22/23 income which was £75,103, a figure which was boosted by a one off council grant of £7,000 for Ukrainian refugee travel. This grant was not repeated this year.
Expenditure fell compared to FY23, mainly as a result of lower vehicle maintenance expenditure, down from £14,162 to £9,218. Fuel costs also fell from £15,164 to £14,162. The year saw a significant increase in expenditure on salaries which rose from £17,160 to £23,978. This was partly because we recruited a new salaried administrator at the start of the year, replacing the volunteer who had previously undertaken this role. Dore Community Transport is committed to paying salaries above the living wage
Other costs were generally similar to the previous year. Overall our expenditure (excluding depreciation) was virtually unchanged at £60,929 compared to £61,219 the previous year, resulting in an operating surplus for the year of £11,771..
The overall result for the year was that, after including depreciation of £6,708, total assets rose to £106,407 (FY23 £101,397), with cash resources rising from £76,185 to £86,782 and tangible assets falling from £25,212 to £18,508.
The financial position of DCT remains healthy and the charity is financially well placed to meet future demands.
Once again the Trustees decided not to raise fares.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees decided maintain the operating reserve to £20,000, keeping it at roughly the equivalent of 4 months operating costs. The vehicle replacement reserve is unchanged at £40,000.This reserve is set at 50% of the cost of a new wheelchair adapted MPV in the expectation that we will be able to obtain match funding.
Page 4
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Review of activities
We transport people living within our catchment area in South West Herefordshire, a very rural area with limited bus services, offering a door to door service to people who have no transport of their own and who would without us be isolated in their homes. We take them to medical appointments in the year accounting for approximately 28% of our activity, and also for day care, social activities, shopping etc.; in fact anything they need to do. We are frequently told by our passengers that they don’t know what they would do without us and all of us involved in delivering this service understand how critical it is.
During the year we have seen a significant increase in demand for our service, with the number of journeys undertaken rising from a figure of 5,632 in 22/23 to 7,088 in 2023/2024, an increase of 25%. Whilst it is gratifying to see passengers returning to our service it does of course increase the demands on our vehicles and on our volunteer drivers without whom we could not operate. At the time of writing this we have 29 volunteer drivers on our books and the major challenge we face is to maintain and increase the size of our volunteer team.
We own 6 vehicles, four of which are adapted to carry wheelchairs and although demand is still below our peak levels this has not substantially reduced the demand for vehicles. We regularly have all six of our vehicles on the road to meet peak demands, supplemented occasionally by volunteers using their own cars. The need for this is basically because we offer a door to door service, covering an area of 200 square miles, and we still have to spread ourselves widely, even if activity levels are less. We anticipate that the growth in demand will continue, there is certainly a need for the service we offer in the rural area we cover, and this will enable us to increase the utilisation of our vehicles when they are out and about.
Our office at Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall continues to provide a valuable opportunity for drivers to meet staff and perhaps other drivers and we thank Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall for providing this space and also for allowing us to park three of our vehicles there. Our other three vehicles are parked at CR Autos in Kingstone and we thank them for providing this space and also for carrying out maintenance on these vehicles, sometimes at very short notice.
The Trustees and management committee remained unchanged.
Future plans
The biggest challenge for Dore in the coming year is recruiting more volunteer drivers. We are mainly retired, getting older and it is vital that we continue to recruit.
Financially we are very fortunate that the service we provide is valued by our community and is well supported with funding and donations from many sources so that over the years we have built up a healthy reserve. Given the cost of living pressures on many of our clients we are reluctant to increase our fares which have remained unchanged since 2014 but we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
We will throughout the year continue to promote the service we provide with the ultimate aim of getting back to the level of activity we saw pre-Covid and, as always, recruitment is a key issue for us and we will continue our efforts to recruit more drivers.
We are actively looking at making changes to our fleet in the forthcoming year with our oldest vehicle now being 13 years old and approaching 190,000 miles on the clock.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
The trustees would like to record their thanks and appreciation to all the volunteer drivers without whom DCT could not exist. Particular thanks go to Clive and Dermot who look after our vehicles and to Chris for his work managing our fleet.
Page 5
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
We are also grateful for the financial support provided by Herefordshire County Council; the Parish Councils within our area and to the many organisations and individuals who so generously support our operations. Our thanks also go to the families who donated to DCT following the funerals of their loved ones,.
Our thanks go to Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall for continuing to make the office space available to us and for allowing us to park there. Similarly we thank CR Autos for allowing us to park on their premises and for providing excellent maintenance support..
My thanks also go to all the Trustees and Management Committee for the unseen work that they have done keeping DCT operational. Of course we must not forget our co-ordinators, Sarah and Sue who keep everything running on a daily basis and to Claire who has taken on the role of clerical administrator. These people have made my, and the Trustees, job much easier than it might otherwise be.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees
R Bradley Chairman and Trustee 02/09/2024
Page 6
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee Auditors report goes here Page 7
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating the income and expenditure account)
For the year ended 31 March 2024
==> picture [524 x 529] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
2023/24 accounts
SOFA
2024 2023
Unrestricted Restricted
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds funds Total
Incoming Resources
Herefordshire Council Grant £ 26,298 £ 26,298 24,248 6,789 31,037
Donations £ 13,081 £ 13,081 13,042 13,042
Fares £ 24,955 £ 24,955 23,196 23,196
Grants £ - -
BSOG £ 4,082 £ 4,082 3,741 3,741
Gift Aid £ 1,334 £ 1,334 688 688
Insurance payment £ - 2,744 2,744
Other £ 129 £ 129 -
Interest £ 866 £ 866 217 217
Vehicle sales £ - -
Fund raising £ 1,895 £ 1,895 439 439
Total incoming resources £ 72,640 £ - £ 72,640 68,314 6,789 75,103
Resources expended
Volunteer expenses £ 2,956 £ 2,956 4,982 4,982
Salaries £ 23,678 £ 23,678 17,160 17,160
Administration expenses £ 2,118 £ 2,118 963 963
Telephones £ 1,589 £ 1,589 598 598
Diesel £ 14,425 £ 14,425 15,614 15,614
Vehicle expenses £ 9,218 £ 9,218 14,162 14,162
Vehicle purchase and improvement £ - 784 784
Fees £ 93 £ 93 176 176
Other £ 305 £ 305 593 593
Insurance £ 6,546 £ 6,546 6,186 6,186
Depreciation £ 6,703 £ 6,703 10,388 10,388
Total resources expended £ 67,631 £ - £ 67,631 71,607 71,607
Net incoming (outgoing) £ 5,009 £ 5,009 - 3,293 6,789 3,495
Net movement in funds £ 5,009 £ 5,009 - 3,293 6,789 3,495
Total funds brought forward £ 94,609 £ 6,789 £ 101,398 97,902 97,902
Total funds carried forward £ 99,618 £ 6,789 £ 106,407 94,609 6,789 101,397
----- End of picture text -----
Page 8
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Balance sheet
For the year ended 31 March 2024
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----- Start of picture text -----
2024 2023
unrestricted restricted total unrestricted restricted total
Fixed assets - see schedule
Total fixed assets £18,508 £18,508 £25,212 £25,212
Current assets
Cash in bank £79,993 £6,789 £86,782 £69,210 £6,789 £75,999
Cash in hand £876 £876
Debtors £2,242 £2,242 £288 £288
Prepaid expenses
Creditors -£1,127 -£1,127 -£978 -£978
Current assets (liabilities) £81,108 £6,789 £87,897 £69,396 £6,789 £76,185
Total fixed and current assets £99,616 £6,789 £106,405 £94,608 £6,789 £101,397
Represented by
Unrestricted funds £ 99,618 £ 99,618 £94,610 £94,610
Restricted funds £ 6,789 £ 6,789 £6,789 £6,789
£ 106,407 £101,399
----- End of picture text -----
Note: Due to rounding, numbers presented throughout this report may not add up precisely to the totals indicated and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures for the same reason
The balance sheet continues on the following page.
Page 9
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Balance sheet (continued)
Trustees’ statements required for the year ended 31 March 2024
The company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2024
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for:-
Ensuring that the company keeps accounts which comply with the sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006.
Preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at the end of each financial year in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provision applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
Approved by trustees on and signed on their behalf by
R Bradley
Chairman and Trustee
2/9/2024
Page 10
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
SCHEDULE OF FIXED ASSETS at 31/3/2024
| VW3 VW5 VW3 suspension Z1 R1 R1 lift Z2 C1 |
Purchase cost Purchase date depreciation during year Book value |
|---|---|
| 31/03/2024 £32,034.40 29/03/2011 £0.00 £1.00 £36,070.75 11/07/2014 £0.00 £3,000.00 £3,650.00 18/12/2013 £0.00 £1.00 £9,348.30 29/07/2017 £0.00 £1.00 £31,961.00 26/10/2017 £2,815.40 £3,000.00 £2,980.00 23/02/2018 £323.73 £0.00 £8,600 June 2018 £0.00 £1.00 £24,385 Nov 2020 £3,564.12 £12,504.60 £6,703.25 £18,508.60 |
Total asset value
VW3
VW Transporter converted for wheelchair use, fully depreciated.
VW3 Suspension
Air suspension upgrade – fully depreciated.
VW5
A long wheelbase VW Transporter converted for wheelchair use, purchased July 2014 and being written off over 6 years with a residual value of £3,000.
Z1
A used Vauxhall Zafira being depreciated over 4 years with a residual value of £1
R1
A Renault Master being depreciated over 6 years with a residual value of £3,000. The restriction in the grant funding for this vehicle (that it must be retained for 2 years) is now complete and it is treated as an unrestricted asset.
R1 lift
A modification to R1 being depreciated over 68 months to match the life of R1.
Z2
A used Vauxhall Zafira being depreciated over 4 years with a residual value of £1
C1 A wheelchair adapted long wheelbase VW Caddy treated as a restricted asset and being written off over 6 years with a residual value of £3,000.
Page 11
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes forming part of the financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] March 2024
1. Accounting Policies
a. Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and FS102.
b. Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the charity and which have not been designated for other purpose. Our Renault vehicle is no longer restricted and in these accounts is now treated as unrestricted. C1 purchased with a grant from Herefordshire Council is shown as a restricted asset.
c. Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the SoFA when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
No amounts are included in the SoFA for services donated by volunteers.
d. Resources expended
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under natural headings.
e. Fixed assets
Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. For the new vehicles purchased new since 2014/2015 depreciation is calculated on a life of 6 years with a residual value of £3,000. Used assets are depreciated over a shorter period, dependent on the estimated useful life. Modifications to fixed assets are depreciated over the remaining life of the asset. Depreciation is charged proportionately in the year of purchase A schedule of fixed assets is included in the accounts.
2. Herefordshire County Council funding
Herefordshire County Council’s basic funding for community transport throughout the county remained unchanged for the year. DCT however saw small increase in its apportionment as a result of the formula used for distribution. In addition to the normal Council funding we received an additional sum of £4,000 for general use The funding shown as reserved in the accounts is the residue of the £7,000 received in FY23.. There were no expenditures from this fund during the year.
3. Donations
Donations remained virtually unchanged at £13,081.
This included 49 individual donations totalling £4,879 plus £6,125 from Parish Councils and £1,972 in tips given to drivers. Donations came from various sources
Page 12
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
including several funeral collections, a wedding collection instead of gifts, and several donations from church and other groups in our area. Donations come from many groups and organisations that raise money on our behalf, and from private individuals. We are immensely grateful for this support.
4. Fares
These were kept unchanged for the11[th] consecutive year. The increase in fare income arises from increased activity.
5. Grants
No grants were received this year.
6. Volunteer expenses
Volunteer expenses consist of mileage payments made to volunteers for the use of their own cars to carry out trips and for miles covered to access our own vehicles. Expenses fell significantly, with fewer car journeys being carried out than in the previous year
7. Staff costs
The number of employees, calculated on a full time basis, was 1.0. Staff costs were higher than the previous year as a result of appointing a clerical administrator and increasing the hourly rate paid to our staff.
8. Vehicle expenses
Vehicle maintenance costs fell significantly as once we sorted problems with the air suspension fitted to two of our vehicles.
9. Net outgoing resources
This is stated after charging depreciation.
10. Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.
11. Debtors
This is unpaid fares for billed journeys, (£1,295) and cash fares still to be collected (£905).
12. Creditors
This comprises mainly expenses owed to drivers (£258) and to trade creditors for fuel (£821).
13. Trustees’ remuneration
The trustees neither received nor waived any emoluments or expenses during the year.
Page 13
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
14. Taxation
The charities activities fall within the exemptions afforded by the provisions of the income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. Accordingly, there is no taxation charge in these accounts.
Page 14
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024
| Contents | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 2 | |
| Trustees Report | 3 - 6 | |
| Independent examiner’s report | 7 | |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 8 | |
| Balance Sheet | 9-10 | |
| Schedule of fixed assets | 11 | |
| Notes forming part of the financial statements | 12 – | 14 |
Page 1
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Legal and administrative information
Status Charitable Company limited by guarantee Charity number 1097172 Registration number 4355269 Registered office Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall Pontrilas Road Ewyas Harold Herefordshire HR2 0EL Management Committee Roger Bradley Trustee, Chairman Tony Capon Trustee Chris Tomlinson Trustee, Fleet Manager Trefor Edwards Trustee, Treasurer David Bond Trustee, Company Secretary Peter Barns Graham Trustee Jean Wise Trustee Bankers HSBC High Town Hereford HR1 2AQ
Page 2
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Report of the trustees for the year ended 31[st] March 2024
The trustees, who are also directors of the company for the purposes of the Companies Act, submit their annual report and the financial statements for the year ending 31[st] March 2024. In preparing this report the trustees have adopted the provisions of the Charities SORP (FS102).
The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is governed by its memorandum and articles of association.
Aims
Dore Community Transport was set up over 23 years ago and throughout that time our object has been to provide an accessible and affordable transport service to the inhabitants of South West Herefordshire who are in need of the service because of age, sickness or disability, or because of the lack of available public transport. We operate in a rural area covering approximately 200 square miles, an area poorly served by public transport and our service enables our clients to participate in community life and retain their independence in isolated areas.
DCT's aims are simple and have remained unchanged since its creation:-
-
To ensure that it can continue to provide a transport service for those living in the South West area of Herefordshire who have little or no access to public transport, and do not have any independent means of transport.
-
To provide a safe and reliable service to all who use it or give up their time to make it work.
-
To keep the costs of running the service as low as possible to ensure that it remains affordable to those who need to use it, recognising that many of its clients are elderly and infirm and potentially on low income.
-
To minimise its impact on the environment by where possible increasing the load factor on its MPVs and minimising dead mileage.
-
To increase the awareness of the service we provide to ensure we reach as many of the vulnerable and elderly people in our area and with the additional aim of broadening the demographic profile of its users.
-
To extend the hours that the service is available if resources exist.
-
To work closely with other interested parties including other Community Transport Groups, Parish Councils and Herefordshire Council to seek opportunities to improve service, reduce waste and duplication and minimise cost, provided this does not adversely affect our customers.
-
To ensure the service can continue to grow as demand increases by building contingency plans and funds for new and replacement vehicles, and by planning for driver, committee and trustee retirements.
-
To remain responsive to changing conditions and requirements and seek to ensure a process of continuous development and improvement so that we can maintain the high levels of respect and customer satisfaction currently existing.
Page 3
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial review
2024 saw a continued increase in demand for Dore Community Transport’s services and consequently fare income rose from £23,196.to £24,955.
During the year we continued to receive good financial support. Herefordshire Council provided basic funding of £22,298 up from £20,248 the previous year. In addition the Council gave us a one off grant of £4,000. Total funding from Herefordshire Council therefore amounted to £26,298. Support from Parish Councils was virtually unchanged at £6,125.compared to £6,245 in FY2023. The support we receive from local Parish Councils, clubs, societies, shops and pubs, as well as individuals continues to amaze us and this continued this year with total donations of £13,081, virtually unchanged from the previous year.
We were also very pleased to see that the Government Bus Service Operators Grant that we receive, a grant normally based on fuel usage during the year, was again held at pre-Covid levels in an attempt to support community transport operators.
Fundraising by selling refreshments at the local auction house, raised £1,896 four times more the previous year and my thanks again go to Ann Edwards, the wife of one of our trustees for doing this.
Overall, for the 23/24 financial year our income amounted to £72,640, slightly down on the 22/23 income which was £75,103, a figure which was boosted by a one off council grant of £7,000 for Ukrainian refugee travel. This grant was not repeated this year.
Expenditure fell compared to FY23, mainly as a result of lower vehicle maintenance expenditure, down from £14,162 to £9,218. Fuel costs also fell from £15,164 to £14,162. The year saw a significant increase in expenditure on salaries which rose from £17,160 to £23,978. This was partly because we recruited a new salaried administrator at the start of the year, replacing the volunteer who had previously undertaken this role. Dore Community Transport is committed to paying salaries above the living wage
Other costs were generally similar to the previous year. Overall our expenditure (excluding depreciation) was virtually unchanged at £60,929 compared to £61,219 the previous year, resulting in an operating surplus for the year of £11,771..
The overall result for the year was that, after including depreciation of £6,708, total assets rose to £106,407 (FY23 £101,397), with cash resources rising from £76,185 to £86,782 and tangible assets falling from £25,212 to £18,508.
The financial position of DCT remains healthy and the charity is financially well placed to meet future demands.
Once again the Trustees decided not to raise fares.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees decided maintain the operating reserve to £20,000, keeping it at roughly the equivalent of 4 months operating costs. The vehicle replacement reserve is unchanged at £40,000.This reserve is set at 50% of the cost of a new wheelchair adapted MPV in the expectation that we will be able to obtain match funding.
Page 4
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Review of activities
We transport people living within our catchment area in South West Herefordshire, a very rural area with limited bus services, offering a door to door service to people who have no transport of their own and who would without us be isolated in their homes. We take them to medical appointments in the year accounting for approximately 28% of our activity, and also for day care, social activities, shopping etc.; in fact anything they need to do. We are frequently told by our passengers that they don’t know what they would do without us and all of us involved in delivering this service understand how critical it is.
During the year we have seen a significant increase in demand for our service, with the number of journeys undertaken rising from a figure of 5,632 in 22/23 to 7,088 in 2023/2024, an increase of 25%. Whilst it is gratifying to see passengers returning to our service it does of course increase the demands on our vehicles and on our volunteer drivers without whom we could not operate. At the time of writing this we have 29 volunteer drivers on our books and the major challenge we face is to maintain and increase the size of our volunteer team.
We own 6 vehicles, four of which are adapted to carry wheelchairs and although demand is still below our peak levels this has not substantially reduced the demand for vehicles. We regularly have all six of our vehicles on the road to meet peak demands, supplemented occasionally by volunteers using their own cars. The need for this is basically because we offer a door to door service, covering an area of 200 square miles, and we still have to spread ourselves widely, even if activity levels are less. We anticipate that the growth in demand will continue, there is certainly a need for the service we offer in the rural area we cover, and this will enable us to increase the utilisation of our vehicles when they are out and about.
Our office at Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall continues to provide a valuable opportunity for drivers to meet staff and perhaps other drivers and we thank Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall for providing this space and also for allowing us to park three of our vehicles there. Our other three vehicles are parked at CR Autos in Kingstone and we thank them for providing this space and also for carrying out maintenance on these vehicles, sometimes at very short notice.
The Trustees and management committee remained unchanged.
Future plans
The biggest challenge for Dore in the coming year is recruiting more volunteer drivers. We are mainly retired, getting older and it is vital that we continue to recruit.
Financially we are very fortunate that the service we provide is valued by our community and is well supported with funding and donations from many sources so that over the years we have built up a healthy reserve. Given the cost of living pressures on many of our clients we are reluctant to increase our fares which have remained unchanged since 2014 but we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
We will throughout the year continue to promote the service we provide with the ultimate aim of getting back to the level of activity we saw pre-Covid and, as always, recruitment is a key issue for us and we will continue our efforts to recruit more drivers.
We are actively looking at making changes to our fleet in the forthcoming year with our oldest vehicle now being 13 years old and approaching 190,000 miles on the clock.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
The trustees would like to record their thanks and appreciation to all the volunteer drivers without whom DCT could not exist. Particular thanks go to Clive and Dermot who look after our vehicles and to Chris for his work managing our fleet.
Page 5
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
We are also grateful for the financial support provided by Herefordshire County Council; the Parish Councils within our area and to the many organisations and individuals who so generously support our operations. Our thanks also go to the families who donated to DCT following the funerals of their loved ones,.
Our thanks go to Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall for continuing to make the office space available to us and for allowing us to park there. Similarly we thank CR Autos for allowing us to park on their premises and for providing excellent maintenance support..
My thanks also go to all the Trustees and Management Committee for the unseen work that they have done keeping DCT operational. Of course we must not forget our co-ordinators, Sarah and Sue who keep everything running on a daily basis and to Claire who has taken on the role of clerical administrator. These people have made my, and the Trustees, job much easier than it might otherwise be.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees
R Bradley Chairman and Trustee 02/09/2024
Page 6
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee Auditors report goes here Page 7
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating the income and expenditure account)
For the year ended 31 March 2024
==> picture [524 x 529] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
2023/24 accounts
SOFA
2024 2023
Unrestricted Restricted
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total funds funds Total
Incoming Resources
Herefordshire Council Grant £ 26,298 £ 26,298 24,248 6,789 31,037
Donations £ 13,081 £ 13,081 13,042 13,042
Fares £ 24,955 £ 24,955 23,196 23,196
Grants £ - -
BSOG £ 4,082 £ 4,082 3,741 3,741
Gift Aid £ 1,334 £ 1,334 688 688
Insurance payment £ - 2,744 2,744
Other £ 129 £ 129 -
Interest £ 866 £ 866 217 217
Vehicle sales £ - -
Fund raising £ 1,895 £ 1,895 439 439
Total incoming resources £ 72,640 £ - £ 72,640 68,314 6,789 75,103
Resources expended
Volunteer expenses £ 2,956 £ 2,956 4,982 4,982
Salaries £ 23,678 £ 23,678 17,160 17,160
Administration expenses £ 2,118 £ 2,118 963 963
Telephones £ 1,589 £ 1,589 598 598
Diesel £ 14,425 £ 14,425 15,614 15,614
Vehicle expenses £ 9,218 £ 9,218 14,162 14,162
Vehicle purchase and improvement £ - 784 784
Fees £ 93 £ 93 176 176
Other £ 305 £ 305 593 593
Insurance £ 6,546 £ 6,546 6,186 6,186
Depreciation £ 6,703 £ 6,703 10,388 10,388
Total resources expended £ 67,631 £ - £ 67,631 71,607 71,607
Net incoming (outgoing) £ 5,009 £ 5,009 - 3,293 6,789 3,495
Net movement in funds £ 5,009 £ 5,009 - 3,293 6,789 3,495
Total funds brought forward £ 94,609 £ 6,789 £ 101,398 97,902 97,902
Total funds carried forward £ 99,618 £ 6,789 £ 106,407 94,609 6,789 101,397
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Page 8
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Balance sheet
For the year ended 31 March 2024
==> picture [486 x 351] intentionally omitted <==
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2024 2023
unrestricted restricted total unrestricted restricted total
Fixed assets - see schedule
Total fixed assets £18,508 £18,508 £25,212 £25,212
Current assets
Cash in bank £79,993 £6,789 £86,782 £69,210 £6,789 £75,999
Cash in hand £876 £876
Debtors £2,242 £2,242 £288 £288
Prepaid expenses
Creditors -£1,127 -£1,127 -£978 -£978
Current assets (liabilities) £81,108 £6,789 £87,897 £69,396 £6,789 £76,185
Total fixed and current assets £99,616 £6,789 £106,405 £94,608 £6,789 £101,397
Represented by
Unrestricted funds £ 99,618 £ 99,618 £94,610 £94,610
Restricted funds £ 6,789 £ 6,789 £6,789 £6,789
£ 106,407 £101,399
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Note: Due to rounding, numbers presented throughout this report may not add up precisely to the totals indicated and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures for the same reason
The balance sheet continues on the following page.
Page 9
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Balance sheet (continued)
Trustees’ statements required for the year ended 31 March 2024
The company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2024
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for:-
Ensuring that the company keeps accounts which comply with the sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006.
Preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at the end of each financial year in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395, and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provision applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
Approved by trustees on and signed on their behalf by
R Bradley
Chairman and Trustee
2/9/2024
Page 10
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
SCHEDULE OF FIXED ASSETS at 31/3/2024
| VW3 VW5 VW3 suspension Z1 R1 R1 lift Z2 C1 |
Purchase cost Purchase date depreciation during year Book value |
|---|---|
| 31/03/2024 £32,034.40 29/03/2011 £0.00 £1.00 £36,070.75 11/07/2014 £0.00 £3,000.00 £3,650.00 18/12/2013 £0.00 £1.00 £9,348.30 29/07/2017 £0.00 £1.00 £31,961.00 26/10/2017 £2,815.40 £3,000.00 £2,980.00 23/02/2018 £323.73 £0.00 £8,600 June 2018 £0.00 £1.00 £24,385 Nov 2020 £3,564.12 £12,504.60 £6,703.25 £18,508.60 |
Total asset value
VW3
VW Transporter converted for wheelchair use, fully depreciated.
VW3 Suspension
Air suspension upgrade – fully depreciated.
VW5
A long wheelbase VW Transporter converted for wheelchair use, purchased July 2014 and being written off over 6 years with a residual value of £3,000.
Z1
A used Vauxhall Zafira being depreciated over 4 years with a residual value of £1
R1
A Renault Master being depreciated over 6 years with a residual value of £3,000. The restriction in the grant funding for this vehicle (that it must be retained for 2 years) is now complete and it is treated as an unrestricted asset.
R1 lift
A modification to R1 being depreciated over 68 months to match the life of R1.
Z2
A used Vauxhall Zafira being depreciated over 4 years with a residual value of £1
C1 A wheelchair adapted long wheelbase VW Caddy treated as a restricted asset and being written off over 6 years with a residual value of £3,000.
Page 11
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Notes forming part of the financial Statements for the year ended 31[st] March 2024
1. Accounting Policies
a. Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985 and FS102.
b. Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the charity and which have not been designated for other purpose. Our Renault vehicle is no longer restricted and in these accounts is now treated as unrestricted. C1 purchased with a grant from Herefordshire Council is shown as a restricted asset.
c. Incoming resources
All incoming resources are included in the SoFA when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
No amounts are included in the SoFA for services donated by volunteers.
d. Resources expended
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under natural headings.
e. Fixed assets
Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. For the new vehicles purchased new since 2014/2015 depreciation is calculated on a life of 6 years with a residual value of £3,000. Used assets are depreciated over a shorter period, dependent on the estimated useful life. Modifications to fixed assets are depreciated over the remaining life of the asset. Depreciation is charged proportionately in the year of purchase A schedule of fixed assets is included in the accounts.
2. Herefordshire County Council funding
Herefordshire County Council’s basic funding for community transport throughout the county remained unchanged for the year. DCT however saw small increase in its apportionment as a result of the formula used for distribution. In addition to the normal Council funding we received an additional sum of £4,000 for general use The funding shown as reserved in the accounts is the residue of the £7,000 received in FY23.. There were no expenditures from this fund during the year.
3. Donations
Donations remained virtually unchanged at £13,081.
This included 49 individual donations totalling £4,879 plus £6,125 from Parish Councils and £1,972 in tips given to drivers. Donations came from various sources
Page 12
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
including several funeral collections, a wedding collection instead of gifts, and several donations from church and other groups in our area. Donations come from many groups and organisations that raise money on our behalf, and from private individuals. We are immensely grateful for this support.
4. Fares
These were kept unchanged for the11[th] consecutive year. The increase in fare income arises from increased activity.
5. Grants
No grants were received this year.
6. Volunteer expenses
Volunteer expenses consist of mileage payments made to volunteers for the use of their own cars to carry out trips and for miles covered to access our own vehicles. Expenses fell significantly, with fewer car journeys being carried out than in the previous year
7. Staff costs
The number of employees, calculated on a full time basis, was 1.0. Staff costs were higher than the previous year as a result of appointing a clerical administrator and increasing the hourly rate paid to our staff.
8. Vehicle expenses
Vehicle maintenance costs fell significantly as once we sorted problems with the air suspension fitted to two of our vehicles.
9. Net outgoing resources
This is stated after charging depreciation.
10. Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.
11. Debtors
This is unpaid fares for billed journeys, (£1,295) and cash fares still to be collected (£905).
12. Creditors
This comprises mainly expenses owed to drivers (£258) and to trade creditors for fuel (£821).
13. Trustees’ remuneration
The trustees neither received nor waived any emoluments or expenses during the year.
Page 13
Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
14. Taxation
The charities activities fall within the exemptions afforded by the provisions of the income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. Accordingly, there is no taxation charge in these accounts.
Page 14
Inde endent Examinerf5 Re Dore Communi Trans ort to the Trustees of Independent examinerf$ pOrt to the trustees ol Dore CommunltyTransport I'the Company'l I report to the charity trustees on my examination of ihe accounts of the Cofflpany lol the year ended 31 March 2024. Responsibllities•nd basls of report As the charity's trustees of the Cotnpany land also its directors ft)rthe purp05e5 of company lawl vou are responsible forthe preparation of the account5 in accordafice with the requirements ol the companiesArt2c I'the 2Art,). Having satisfied myself that the accounis of the Company are not required io be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independenl examination, I report in respect of my exarnination of your charity's accounts as carried out under sertion 145 of the Charities Act 2011 I'the 2011 Act'l. In carrying out my eXamiation I have followed the D*rections given by the Charity Commission under section 145151 Ibl of the 2011 Act. Independent exzmTrnerfs statement I have completed rny examination. I confiim that no matters have come to my attention in connectiofi with the e¥amination givlng me cause to believe.. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2W6 Att; or 2. the accouTrts do not accofd with those records,. or 3. the accounts do comply with the accounttng requirements of section 396 01 the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter con51dered as part of an independent examination.. or 4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance wilh the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practite ft>r a¢countinK and reporting by charities (applicable to charitie5 preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Stsndard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 10211. I have no concerns and have come across no other matter5 in connection with the examination io which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a propel understandin8 of the ccounts io be reached. Grahatn Mason F.C.C.A Golden Valley Accountancy Lirniled Unit 4 Westwood Industrial Estate Pontrilas Herefordshire HR2 OEL Date. .i.8.11