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2021-03-31-accounts

Rochdale and District Disability Action Group RADDAG

Trustees Annual Report and Accounts Rochdale and District Disability Action Group Charity Number 1115475

For Financial Year ending March 2021

Aims and Purpose

RADDAG exists to promote the Social Model of Disability and to work towards securing Full and Equal Human and Civil Rights for all Disabled People, through the removal of barriers.

RADDAG aims to: -

RADDAG will achieve these aims by continuing to: -

Rochdale & District Disability Action Group (RADDAG) Charity Number 1115475

Our Work

This year has proven to be one of our busiest ever as an organisation, we have continued to focus on our core aim of ensuring that our voices as disabled people are heard, we would like to say thank you to our funders for recognising the challenges faced by disabled people, which have been compounded by the pandemic and providing funding which has enabled us to continue our work.

There is no doubt that this has been a challenging year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, restrictions have meant that face to face meetings were not possible for months, groups had to stop meeting and although official government restrictions were eased people were still reluctant and scared to meet face to face. This has meant as an organisation we have needed to change and adapt with new ways of working, including online meetings, Zoom calls and posting newsletters out to make sure people who are digitally excluded still receive up to date information. We will continue to work with our members in jointly finding our way through this ongoing challenge and to ensure our work continues to be accessible for all disabled people.

Here are some of the highlights of our work this year:-

Increasing Access to information

RADDAG received funding from the Action Together Emergency Response fund to provided radios for disabled people to help reduce loneliness and isolation, improve mental well-being and give access to up to date information. Everyone who received a radio was contacted and asked what difference it had made to them, the feedback was very positive, one stand out comment was ‘Thank you for thinking of us oldies who don’t get our news from our phones, I like to know what’s going on, if I turn on my radio on the hour I know I’ll hear some news or other’ and another comment ‘Just wanted to say thank you really, it was nice to feel remembered, I’m shielding it’s as though the world has forgotten about us.’ The comments gave our volunteers involved in the project remotely a real boost as they could see they’d really made a difference to people.

Rochdale & District Disability Action Group (RADDAG) Charity Number 1115475

Connected

RADDAG received funding from Lankelly Chase to ensure that local disabled people, some who are digitally excluded, had access to up to date factual information, in a way that is accessible to them, and also to provide peer support for disabled people, who felt they were not a priority during the pandemic, due to negative messaging from the national government and lack of available support from services.

GM Disabled Peoples Panel

RADDAG continues to be a member of the Disabled Peoples Panel for the Mayor of Greater Manchester; which aims to strengthen the voice of disabled people and their organisations in shaping, challenging and influencing strategic policy issues. The panel is made up of representatives from Disabled People’s Organisations from across the 10 GM boroughs and is a great opportunity to influence decision making and also to share good practice across areas. The panel worked hard during the Pandemic to highlight the disproportionate effect that Covid19 had and continues to have on Disabled people.

Working with Rochdale Borough Council

The SLA with RBC has continued which ensures that people, in the borough with a protected characteristic, under the Equality Act, are involved in the decisionmaking processes to ensure they receive equitable and inclusive access to services. RADDAG provides information and support regarding the legal and statutory duties relating to the Equality Act, Equality Duty and other relevant legislation. The SLA has empowered RADDAG and its members to noticeably influence the planning and development of services and demonstrates a commitment by both organisations to partnership working.

Engagement

Engagement with our members and members of the public continues and includes encouraging people to have their say in consultations along with regularly sharing important messages on social media, via our newsletter and by email. Along with our own membership we also forward information to our wide network of organisations who in turn disseminate information to their membership.

We continue to be contacted directly by our members and members of the public, around experiences of health and social care services, where appropriate feedback is given directly to services.

RADDAG carries out targeted focus group when commissioned, examples are Learning disability focus groups, LGBTQ+ disabled people’s experiences of services and more recently, a focus group for unaccompanied asylum seeking

Rochdale & District Disability Action Group (RADDAG) Charity Number 1115475

young people. The reports and recommendations are shared with decision makers.

RADDAG’s Project Manager is the chair of Greater Manchester Police Rochdale Division Police Independent Advisory Group (IAG)

Rochdale Borough Disability Forum

RADDAG facilitates the Rochdale Borough Disability Forum which is an opportunity to connect, share information, highlight issues and work together to break down the barriers experienced by disabled people. The aim of the Disability Forum is that as a collective of disabled people and organisations we can work together to drive change and ensure our voices are heard when decisions are being made. There is huge strength in information sharing and collaboration.

Focus for the year ahead

Thank you

RADDAG is a user led Disabled People’s Organisation which aims to be representative of the diverse community across the borough of Rochdale. Volunteers are central to our organisation and the trustees would like to express their sincere thanks to our volunteers for everything they have done this past year in such challenging times.

Rochdale & District Disability Action Group (RADDAG) Charity Number 1115475

RADDAG Accounts Year Ending 31[st] March 2021

RADDAG Accounts
Year Ending 31st March 2021		 RADDAG Accounts
Year Ending 31st March 2021
Income
RBC SLA 27,100
RBC HCAW 1,500
RBC Holocaust Memorial Grant 320
RBC Grant 5,600
Government Grants 5,472.32
Unlimited Potential Grant 5,000
EmergencyResponse Fund 997.60
DisabilityAction Grant 3,741.75
ConnectingYou Fund 5,000
GM Disabled People’s Panel 900
Total Income 55,631.67
Expenditure
Staffing 21,459
Communications 1,242.71
Volunteer Expenses 1,020.63
Insurance 89
Projects
HCAW & Holocaust Memorial 1,820
Unlimited Potential 5,000
Radio Project 997.60
Connected Project 3,741.75
DisabilityForum 5,000
Total Expenditure 40,370.69
Balance C/F frompreviousyear 1,805.35
Total Income 55,631.67
Total Expenditure 40,370.69
Balance C/F to nextyear 17,066.33

Rochdale & District Disability Action Group (RADDAG) Charity Number 1115475