Wiltshire and Dorset Deaf Association (A company limited guarantee)
Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31st of May 2024
Charity number: 1103335 Company number: 05038090
Wiltshire and Dorset Deaf Association (A company limited by guarantee)
Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 May 2024
Contents
Legal and administrative information Report of the Management Committee
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Wiltshire and Dorset Deaf Association Report of the Management Committee for the year ended 31 May 2024
The Management Committee presents its directors’ report and independently examined financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2024.
Reference and Administrative Information
Charity Name: Wiltshire and Dorset Deaf Association Charity registration number: 1103335 Company registration number: 05038090
Registered office: Lockyer Hall, 27A Morley Road, Pokesdown, Bournemouth BH5 2JJ Address for correspondence: 25 Portman Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth BH7 6EU
Management Committee
Mr Keith Simmons Chair Mr George Peter Raggett Trustee Miss Donna Cheese Trustee
Administrator – Zoe Keeping, 25 Portman Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth BH7 6EU Independent Examiner – Robert Field, AIMS Accountants, 9 Hinton Wood Avenue, Christchurch BH23 5AB
Bankers - HSBC
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Our Aims and Objectives
Purposes and Aims
Our charity’s purpose as set out in the objects in the company’s memorandum of association is to:
- TO PROMOTE ANY CHARITABLE PURPOSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF DEAF AND HEARING-IMPAIRED PEOPLE RESIDING IN OR CONNECTED WITH WILTSHIRE (INCLUDING SWINDON) AND DORSET ("THE OBJECTS").
The aims of our charity are to offer a range of services to ensure that deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people in Dorset and Wiltshire enjoy equal access, opportunity and have the same independence as hearing people and to provide information about the services available across Dorset and Wiltshire, to offer assistance and act as an advocate in the campaign for equal access for all. Our charity also offers a range of training courses, including deaf awareness, communication tactics and British Sign Language. Our aims fully reflect the purposes that the charity was set up to further.
Ensuring our work delivers our aims
We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success if each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. The review also helps us to ensure our aim, objectives and activities remained focused on our stated purposes. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
The focus of our work
Our main objectives for the year continued to be to:
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Promote Deaf Awareness.
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Increase access to information and services in BSL.
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Provide advocacy and sign posting to connect service providers and the
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deaf communities.
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Increase the involvement of all deaf people in the actions needed to achieve the aims of the Charity
The strategies we used to meet these objectives included:
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Provision of courses and training in Deaf Awareness and communication including Lip Speaking and Sign Language
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Maintaining a signposting service via our website.
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Provision of financial support to deaf people to access courses and training.
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Provision of financial and other support to the training and development of BSL Interpreters.
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- Campaigning and events.
How our activities deliver public benefit
Our main activities and who we try to help are described below. All our charitable activities focus on increasing public awareness to ensure that deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people in Dorset and Wiltshire enjoy equal access, opportunity and have the same independence as hearing people and are undertaken to further our charitable purposes for the public benefit.
Who used and benefited from our services
The main areas of charitable activity are the provision of British Sign Language and Deaf Communication Skills training. These activities and the achievements that flow from our work are described below:
Signature accredited training courses:
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The charity is a Signature approved centre with accreditation from the UK’s leading awarding body in deaf communication qualifications and delivers a portfolio of qualifications including Level 1 British Sign Language, Level 2 British Sign Language, Level 3 British Sign Language and Deaf & Deafblind Communication Skills and Tactics. Our non-qualification BSL Conversation Class has continued to run for 6-8 students on a Tuesday morning, taught by Amber, assisted by Jas, at Longfleet Baptist church in Poole where the hall hire is partially covered by course fees. This class makes no contribution to administration costs but otherwise breaks even. It has proven invaluable in Amber’s continued development as a teacher and provides links with Dorset CC Deaf Children’s Group who also meet there once a month.
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Our BSL Level 1 course with Lynn, face to face at TESCO Riverside Community Room, with communication support from Helen and Kelly completed with all 16 Learners achieving the full certificate in May 2024. The exams were conducted at Beaufort Community Centre where we did incur room hire charges. This arrangement has been very beneficial and the high numbers of students meant the course made a small profit.
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Our BSL Level 2 course taught by Louise and Amber on a Tuesday evening face to face at Bournemouth Deaf Club ran to its conclusion with 7 Learners achieving their full Level 2 certificate.
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Our BSL Level 3 Access course running weekly at Bournemouth Deaf Club ran to its conclusion taught by George and Louise and assisted by Jas. 6 students attended regularly and achieved their individual aims of preparing for the full qualification course starting in 2025.
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Bespoke training packages
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Deaf Awareness and Communication Sessions for NHS Staff have not yet restarted due to pressures on staffing levels due to Covid and industrial action, the option for shorter on-line and lunch time sessions have not been taken up.
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Talbot House School ran a 5-week introduction to BSL course for 24 year 6 pupils attended facilitated by George, Caroline and David Younger. They are keen to run more sessions at some point in the 2024/25 academic year and we are in regular contact. Castle Court School invited us to run two short introduction to BSL sessions for Year 5 & 6 classes in May 2024 facilitated by George, Caroline and Richard. Canford School continue with termly classes of 8+ students and a teacher, attending two hour sessions over 10 weeks taught very successfully by Amber on Monday afternoons.
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A Blandford based Solicitors Office, Blanchard Baileys, commissioned us to deliver a two hour introduction to BSL course in May 2024 during Deaf Awareness Week, delivered by George, Caroline and Richard. The Harbour Hospital in Poole ran a Bitesize Deaf Awareness and Communication Session in April 2024 over three hours for nursing and admin staff led by George, Lynn, Richard and Caroline.
Accessible Performances and Public Events
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On Sunday 10[th] September 2023 we held our annual ‘Sign for Change’ Family Fun Day in Boscombe Chine Gardens. Our very own award-winning Signature Sign Choir took centre stage performing a repertoire of songs, we had face painting, arts and crafts, line dancing led by WDDA Trustee Donna and a fabulously entertaining sign supported magic show performed by local magician ‘Krazy Kev’. Due to circumstances beyond our control including the weather and a serious police incident in the locality the event was not as well attended as previous years but those who did join us had a great time! It is always a joy to be able to bring so many d/Deaf and hearing children and families together to help breakdown some of the barriers to communication by introducing more people to BSL.
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We have continued to support Zenith Theatre company by providing nonprofessional signed interpretation of their shows. WDDA Trustee George signed the two pantomimes produced in 2024, well attended by BSL students and members of the d/Deaf community. This initiative has been picked up by other amateur theatre companies hoping to provide the same access for their shows, but who also cannot afford to pay for professional interpreters. Moving forward, we are looking to involve other proficient signers experienced in signing of performances, on a voluntary basis.
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Our Social Coffee Mornings & Craft Sessions at Bournemouth Deaf Club is a continuing success story for 2024. The events run on alternate Friday mornings,
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facilitated by volunteers who are themselves, d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing. We were successful in gaining National Lottery funding in April 2024 that will enable us to continue to finance the thoroughly enjoyable craft sessions by Rosie & Anna from CoCreate Dorset at Bournemouth Deaf Club on the last Friday of the month and the communication support provided by DCS Ltd.
Financial Review
The Charity generated a very positive financial outcome for the period with a net increase in funds of £12,461. It’s success in obtaining new grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund in April 2024 will provide the Charity with the financial resources to help the Dorset d/Deaf community thrive as we continue to work in partnership with CoCreate Dorset to deliver the Hands Together project, a programme of creative workshops for d/Deaf BSL users in Bournemouth and Dorset.
The Charity’s bank balance as at 31 May 2024 was £60,459. This includes restricted and unrestricted grant income carried forward from previous years including £19,972 from the National Lottery Community Fund awarded in April 2024 and £8,900 income from UHD for delivery of a training programme that was due to start in March 2021 but was delayed due to the pandemic and pressures on NHS staff. The Charity will need to ensure that sufficient monies to meet the future costs of delivering this training programme and retained within its budget.
The Charity operates without any reserves. The Charity does not employ any staff or hold any liabilities.
Structure, Governance and Management
Organisational Structure
Wiltshire and Dorset Deaf Association has a Management Committee of at least three and not more than twenty-one individuals, all of whom must be members of the Charity. At present the Committee has three members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the Charity. The Management Committee meets at least twice a year.
The Trustees as Charity Trustees have control of the Charity and its property and its funds.
Governing Document
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 9 February 2004 and registered as a charity on 22 April 2004. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to pay up to £1 towards the costs of dissolution and the liabilities incurred by the Charity while the contributor was a member.
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Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees
The directors of the company are also Charity Trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the Company’s Articles are known as members of the Management Committee. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association one third of the Trustees must retire at each AGM, those longest in office retiring first.
All members of the Management Committee give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the Charity.
Mr Keith Simmons, Mr George Raggett and Miss Donna Cheese retire by rotation and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election.
The Management Committee seeks to ensure that the needs of the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing community are appropriately reflected through the diversity of the trustee body. To enhance the potential pool of trustees, the Charity has sought to identify individuals with direct experience of living with hearing loss, children of deaf adults and/or working with the deaf community who would be willing to become members of the Charity and use their own experience to assist the Charity.
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Responsibilities of the Management Committee
Company law requires the Management Committee to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the Management Committee should follow best practice and:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
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Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is not appropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis.
The Management Committee is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 1985. The Management Committee is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities
Members of the Management Committee
Members of the Management Committee, who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of charity law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 3.
In accordance with company law, as the company’s directors, we certify that:
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So far as we are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditors are unaware; and
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As the directors of the company, we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditors are aware of that information.
Independent Examiner
The Charity’s annual income for the year ended 31[st] May 2024 was over £25,000. Accordingly, the trustees appointed Robert Field BSc FCA to carry out an independent examination of the charity’s accounts.
Approved by the Management Committee on 2[nd] February 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Mr George Peter Raggett (Trustee)
Date: 02/02/25
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THE WILTSHIRE AND DORSET DEAF ASSOCIATION
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
01/06/23 TO 31/05/24
| RECEIPTS: Donations Grants Training Total receipts PAYMENTS: Training Promotion Admin/ Other charitable activities Total payments NET (DEFICIT) SURPLUS FOR YEAR CASH FUNDS: 31/05/23 CASH FUNDS: 31/05/24 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS |
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS RESTRICTED FUNDS 1,424 19,972 24,904 26,328 19,972 £17,953 £ 4,710 £10,366 £33,839 £12,461 £47,998 £60,459 AT: £60,459 £60,459 £1913 £1913 £62,372 |
TOTAL 2024 1,424 19,972 24,904 46,300 £17,953 £4,710 £10,366 £33,839 £12,461 £47,998 £60,459 31/05/24 £60,459 £60,459 £1913 £1913 £62,372 |
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| CASH FUNDS: Bank current account Total cash funds FIXED ASSETS: Equipment Total investment assets TOTAL SECURITY ASSETS |
Approved on behalf of the trustees by: MR GEORGE PETER RAGGETT, TRUSTEE
DATE: 2[nd ] February 2025
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ THE WILTSHIRE AND DORSET DEAF ASSOCIATION members of On accounts for the year 31/05/2024 Charity no 1103335 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1 of the “THE WILTSHIRE AND DORSET DEAF ASSOCIATION” “Receipts and Expenditure Accounts/Balance Summary” to 31/05/2024
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/05/2024
Responsibilities and basis As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in of report accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
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Independent examiner's I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to statement my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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.
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.
Date: 26/03/2025 Signed: ~~hoe) [|~~ Name: ROBERT FIELD BSc FCA ~~PO~~ Relevant professional ICAEW qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: AIMS ACCOUNTANTS 9 HINTON WOOD AVENUE BH23 5AB
Oct 2018
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