## D.A.S.H. **Discovering Autistic Spectrum Happiness**
Registered charity no: 1116852
Registered office: Sanford House, Sanford Street, Swindon SN1 1HE
www.dashswindon.com
Contact@dashswindon.com @DASHswindon **Annual Report For the period of April 2022 to March 2023**
DASH is a small local registered charity launched in 2006 as a response to a shared concern for the unmet needs of autistic adults and those with similar neuro-diverse characteristics and who live in Swindon.
DASH was launched with the purpose and determination to help improve the quality of life of people affected by autism by raising professional, public and political awareness.
**Our Vision** is that ‘Autistic Adults Lead Happier and Healthier Lives’ Autistic adults in our communities to have access to services and social groups that promote understanding, resilience, confidence, and social inclusion.
**Our Mission** is ‘To be an accessible charity at the heart of our community, supporting, encouraging and inspiring autistic adults’ by:
● helping autistic adults to understand how ‘their individual version’ of autism affects them and their everyday lives.
● helping autistic adults to access the services and support they are entitled to.
● raising awareness of autism throughout the local community (including statutory services, health services, employers, retailers, hospitality and leisure services, education services and public transport services).
● promoting and enhancing access to assessment and diagnosis, post diagnostic support, health and care, wellbeing, social activities, housing, education and employment.
● researching, promoting and helping deliver a local model of support and services
## **Our Services**
We provide information and advice services to autistic adults, including information about housing, welfare rights, employment, health, and finance. We also offer advice to parents and families of autistic children, helping them to make informed choices and decisions.
We offer an ‘After Diagnosis Journey’ programme, tailored to individual need. Sessions may take place on a 1:1 and/or group basis (as required), covering topics such as mental wellbeing, relationships, sensory differences and healthy lifestyle. Strategies for coping with daily difficulties are discussed and individuals may be signposted to other services if appropriate.
## **Our primary aims are to:**
- Raise awareness and understanding of autism
- Provide information and support to high functioning autistic adults
- Promote and enhance access to assessment & diagnosis, welfare, housing, education and employment
- Research, promote and help to deliver a local model of support and services
## **DASH Trustees**
David Ahern Sally Grubb Robert Jordan Nina Czajkowski Martin Styles
## **Dash Staff**
Manager: Sharon Beckett Finance: Richard Parrett Social group leaders Julie Welsh Dodi Paoletta Sharon Beckett
IAS – Autism Matters Peggy Rosser Dodi Paoletta Karen Beckett
## **Overview**
In this year, the charity relocated from the first floor to the ground floor of Sanford House to provide a more accessible space for our clients. Post pandemic, we restarted the majority of our social groups. We found that the meetings and sessions with our clients were almost exclusively face to face
again. We continued to provide a hybrid working environment for our staff but all are now back in the office at least once a week.
Thanks to a grant from Wiltshire Community Fund we were able to at last recruit a volunteer coordinator for a few hours each week. We are at the earliest stage of developing a process for recruiting and managing volunteers but it is hoped that this will enable us to extend our services.
We ran a hugely successful conference across two days. We put together an interesting programme that included speakers such as the police, SEND, Oak & Furrows, Shared Lives and Disability Experts. Over 100 people were able to attend, and in the breaks people could visit exhibition stands.
With a very small team, we recognised a need for us to work more effectively with a joint referrals and distribution system so completely transitioned to a cloud system. We also began the process of looking into a more robust database to maximise our productivity and ensure we could better communicate with our clients.
## **Risk**
Risks are reviewed regularly at trustee meetings and our risk register is updated accordingly. Trustees are responsible for oversight and ensuring appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
## **Plans for the future**
Following a period in which we developed our strategy, the charity will continue to work with autistic adults in Swindon. In particular trustees were keen to make sure the charity worked to provide support to those people who were struggling with their mental health. As our respected Autism Diagnosis Journey concludes in 2024, we will develop a service that builds on the good work of this project.
If sufficient funding can be found, an LGBTQI+ group will be established.
We plan to have a stronger emphasis on the collection and reporting of data so that we can measure our outcomes more effectively and accurately.
Our thanks goes to the following for their funding support:
Big Lottery
Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation
Friends of Immanuel Church
DASH
Summarised Draft FirtafKaal Statement
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## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
## **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees/** Charity Name **members of** DASH (Discovering Autistic Spectrum Happiness) **On accounts for the year** 31[st] March 2023 **Charity no** 1116852 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **DD / MM / YYYY** .
- **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
**Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Signed: Name:** Claire Turner **Relevant professional** CIMA (FCMA) **qualification(s) or body (if any):**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Date: 24/08/23
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**Address:** Far End House, London Road, Poulton, Cirencester, GL7 5JQ
1
**October 2018**
**IER**
## **Section B Disclosure**
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
## **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** .
2
**October 2018**
**IER**
IER
October 2018