Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
| 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 – | 13 |
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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
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Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Report of the trustees for the year ended 31[st] March 2025
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 2025. 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 24 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:-
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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.
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To provide a safe and reliable service to all who use it or give up their time to make it work.
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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.
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To minimise its impact on the environment by where possible increasing the load factor on its MPVs and minimising dead mileage.
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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.
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To extend the hours that the service is available if resources exist to do that.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Financial review
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Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
24/25 was a very good year for Dore Community Transport financially, with income rising to £92,108, an increase of almost 27% compared to last year’s figure. Major contributors to this increase were two substantial donations, one of £6,509 from NFU Mutual and one of £5,100 from the East Wales and Borders Vintage Enthusiasts. Increased demand for Dore Community Transport’s services saw fare income rise from £24,955 to £27,967.
The financial support that we receive from Herefordshire Council rose from £26,298 in 23/24 to £28,887, an increase of 11%. Support from Parish Councils increased by over 8% at £6,625.compared to £6,125 in FY2024.
The support we receive our local community including Parish Councils, clubs, societies, shops and pubs, as well as individuals continues to amaze us and in this financial year total donations rose by almost 85% to £24,152, on last year’s figure.
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, achieved largely by selling refreshments at the local auction house, raised £3,405, up 80% from the previous year and my thanks again go to Ann Edwards, the wife of one of our trustees for her sterling work in doing this.
Expenditure was slightly higher than the previous year at £69,457 (£67,631). The major contributors to the increase were higher volunteer expenses, as a result of greater use of volunteers’ cars to meet demand and a 5p increase in the mileage rate paid to our volunteers for the use of their own cars. Salaries also rose by approximately 12% to £26,664. Vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, our other major cost centres, were virtually unchanged from the previous year.
Overall our expenditure (excluding depreciation) was up 8% at £65,983 compared to £60,928 in the previous year.
The overall result for the year was that, after including depreciation of £3,564, total assets rose from £106,407 to £129,057 with cash resources rising from £85,954 to £114,111.
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 to 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.
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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. We provide a door to door service to people who have no transport of their own and who would without us be isolated in their homes. Most of our passengers are elderly, infirm or disabled and their needs are varied. A major part of our activity is taking them to medical appointments which account for just under 30% of our activity and once we add in trips taking people to daycare establishments that figure rises to 60%. The remaining journeys cover shopping and social needs; in fact anything our clients need to do to maintain an active life. We are frequently told by our passengers that they don’t know what they would do without us and all of us who are involved in delivering this service understand how critical it is.
During the year we have seen a significant continuing increase in demand for our service, with the number of journeys undertaken during the year rising from 7,088 in 2023/2024, to 7,674 in 24/25, a growth of over 8% in the year. This is the highest number of trips we have ever carried out in a 12 month period and there are no signs of the demand slowing. This of course increases the demands on our vehicles, our volunteer drivers without whom we could not operate, and on the staff who handle bookings and scheduling. Recruitment of volunteers is a major challenge for us but it is essential if we are to continue growing.
We own 6 vehicles and on some days we have all six vehicles on the road and still have to turn to our volunteers to use their own cars in order to meet the need. We pick up clients anywhere within our 200 square mile ‘catchment’ area, offering a door to door service and as a result we have to spread ourselves very widely. 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. Meeting this increasing demand will be a challenge given the area we cover.
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 continues to be recruiting more volunteers, not only as drivers but also as trustees, 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. 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 plan to start a programme of vehicle replacement in FY25/26, our oldest vehicle now being 14 years old and approaching 190,000 miles on the clock. The donations from NFU mutual and the East Wales and Borders Vintage Enthusiasts will go a long way towards the cost of replacing this vehicle.
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 Dermot who looks after our vehicles at Kingstone, to Chris for his work managing our fleet and to Roman who has picked up the role of volunteer training.
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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 our 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 1/10/25
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Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of
Dore Community Transport
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Dore Community Transport ('the Company')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).
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.
Graham Mason F.C.C.A Golden Valley Accountancy Limited Unit 4 Westwood Industrial Estate Pontrilas Herefordshire HR2 0EL Date: 13 January 2026
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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 2025
| he year ended 31 March | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Herefordshire Council Grant Donations Fares Grants BSOG Gift Aid Insurance payment Other Interest Vehicle sales Fund raising Total incoming resources Resources expended Volunteer expenses Salaries Administration expenses Telephones Diesel Vehicle expenses Vehicle purchase and improvement Fees Other Insurance Depreciation Total resources expended Net incoming (outgoing) Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
2025 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total |
2024 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Total |
| £28,887 £28,887 £24,152 £24,152 £27,967 £27,967 £0 £0 £5,358 £5,358 £918 £918 £0 £0 £110 £110 £1,311 £1,311 £0 £0 £3,406 £3,406 £92,108 £0 £92,108 £4,314 £4,314 £26,664 £26,664 £2,280 £2,280 £1,545 £1,545 £14,341 £14,341 £9,678 £9,678 £0 £0 £377 £377 £189 £189 £6,506 £6,506 £3,564 £3,564 £69,457 £0 £69,457 £22,650 22,650 99,619 6,789 106,408 122,269 6,789 129,058 |
£26,298 £26,298 £13,081 £13,081 £24,955 £24,955 £0 £0 £4,082 £4,082 £1,334 £1,334 £0 £0 £129 £129 £866 £866 £0 £0 £1,895 £1,895 £72,641 £0 £72,641 £2,956 £2,956 £23,678 £23,678 £2,118 £2,118 £1,589 £1,589 £14,425 £14,425 £9,218 £9,218 £0 £0 £93 £93 £305 £305 £6,546 £6,546 £6,703 £6,703 £67,631 £0 £67,631 £5,010 5,010 94,609 6,789 101,398 99,619 6,789 106,408 |
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Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
Balance sheet
For the year ended 31 March 2025
| Fixed assets - see schedule Total fixed assets Current assets Cash in bank Cash in hand Debtors Prepaid expenses Creditors Current assets (liabilities) Total fixed and current assets Represented by Unrestricted funds Restricted funds |
2025 unrestricted funds Restricted funds total £14,944 £14,944 £14,944 £14,944 £105,549 £6,789 £112,338 £2,653 £2,653 -£879 -£879 £107,322 £6,789 £114,111 £122,267 £6,789 £129,056 £122,269 £122,269 £6,789 £6,789 £129,058 |
2024 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds total £18,508 £0 £18,508 £18,508 £0 £18,508 £79,993 £6,789 £86,782 £2,242 £2,242 -£1,127 -£1,127 £81,108 £6,789 £87,897 £99,616 £6,789 £106,405 £99,618 £99,618 £6,789 £6,789 £106,407 |
|---|---|---|
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.
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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 2025
The company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 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
1/10/25
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Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
SCHEDULE OF FIXED ASSETS at 31/3/2025
| VW3 VW5 VW3 suspension Z1 R1 R1 lift Z2 C1 |
Purchase cost Purchase date |
depreciation during year Book value |
|---|---|---|
| £32,034.40 29/03/2011 £36,070.75 11/07/2014 £3,650.00 18/12/2013 £9,348.30 29/07/2017 £31,961.00 26/10/2017 £2,980.00 23/02/2018 £8,600 June 2018 £24,385 Nov 2020 |
31/03/2025 £0.00 £1.00 £0.00 £3,000.00 £0.00 £1.00 £0.00 £1.00 £0.00 £3,000.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £1.00 £3,564.12 £8,940.48 £3564.12 £14,944 |
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.
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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. The funding shown as restricted in the accounts is the residue of the £7,000 received in FY23.for providing free transport for Ukrainian refugees. There were no expenditures from this fund during the year.
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 funding for community transport throughout the county increased by almost 12% and DCT saw an increase of 11% in its apportionment as a result of the formula used for distribution.
3. Donations
Donations rose by 85% to £24,152 (£13,081). As well as the donations from NFU Mutual and the East Wales and Borders Vintage Enthusiasts we received 62 individual donations totalling £3,760, plus donations from 18 Parish Councils totalling £6,625 and £2,219 in tips given to drivers. Donations came from various sources including several funeral collections and several donations from church and other groups in our area. We receive donations from many private individuals and several
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Dore Community Transport Registration number 4355269 Charity number 1097172 Company Limited by Guarantee
groups and organisations raise money on our behalf. We are immensely grateful for this support.
4. Fares
These were kept unchanged for the12[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 rose with more car journeys being carried out than in the previous year and a 5p increase in the mileage rate paid to volunteers using their own cars.
Staff costs
The number of employees, calculated on a full time basis, was 1.0. Staff costs were higher than the previous year because we increased the hourly rate paid to our staff.
7. Vehicle expenses
Vehicle maintenance costs were little changed from the previous year.
8. Net outgoing resources
This is stated after charging depreciation.
9. Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.
10. Debtors
This is mainly unpaid fares for billed journeys, (£2,372) and cash fares still to be collected (£238).
11. Creditors
This comprises mainly expenses owed to drivers (£295) and to trade creditors for fuel (£533).
12. Trustees’ remuneration
The trustees neither received nor waived any emoluments or expenses during the year.
13. 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.
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