2024-03-31-accounts

Discovering Autistic Spectrum Happiness (DASH) Registered charity no: 1116852

Registered office: Sanford House, Sanford Street, Swindon SN1 1HE www.dashswindon.com [e-mail]

Annual Report

For the period April 2023 to March 2024

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 started with the purpose and determination to help improve the quality of life of people affected by autism by raising professional, public and political awareness.

Post-diagnostic support for parents and carers, employers and statutory services is important so that autistic people can access appropriate resources to enable them to lead more independent, more fulfilled, safer, more engaged and happier lives.

DASH campaigns and lobbies and works in partnership with others to develop and promote such services.

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 and diagnosis, welfare, housing, education and employment

• Promote social skills through a range of social group activities

• Research, promote and help to deliver a local model of support and services

DASH Trustees

David Ahern, Sally Grubb, Nina Czajkowski, Martin Styles

DASH Staff

Manager: Sharon Beckett Finance: Richard Parrett

Social Group Facilitators : Julie Welsh, Dodi Paoletta, Yvonne Nolan (volunteer)

Autism Advisors: Peggy Rosser, Dodi Paoletta

Volunteer Co-ordinator: Yvonne Nolan

Overview

During this period social groups have continued to thrive, particularly the Monday evening group. An additional ‘Inclusivity’ group has been started, specifically targeting LGBTQI. And one of the groups has started attending either bingo or a meal once a month. The Monday evening club has done footgolf, bowls, badminton, walks, meals out as well as encouraging the group to take more responsibility for themselves including mentoring new attendees. We were delighted to see two members were successful in finding jobs.

This year we explored an opportunity to work more closely with Mind Swindon although eventually no formal agreement was settled. We continue to cross-refer, and we work closely with other groups that are based in the Swindon area.

We relocated to the ground floor of Sanford House since one of our staff. The fire evacuation procedure for the building was not suitable for people in wheelchairs and we are committed to being inclusive to all.

We are hugely grateful to the Postcode Lottery which has enabled us to strengthen our services, and we remain indebted to the national lottery for their support this year – the last in the current round. As we wind down our post-diagnostic ADJ service, the team are looking forward to the next phase of our work with high functioning autistic adults.

Risk

Risk is 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.

Our work in the year included the following CASE STUDIES :

• Supporting a young adult who was selectively mute and therefore struggled to make their needs known to providers

We worked with this young person over a period of several months, including their support worker. They joined one of our groups and although at first they remained quite isolated from others, after a few weeks they started to join in. As their confidence grew, they relied less on their support worker to interpret their needs and

were able to communicate directly with other group members and the volunteers assisting the group.

• A man whose health was suffering as he was not eating properly because his teeth were in a very bad way. He had developed a terror of the dentist.

Peggy worked with this individual over a period of several weeks, looking at what it was that most affected him (mainly the sensory overload of lights, noise, people having to touch his mouth). Using a slow and gradual approach he was initially able to go and visit the dentist without any treatment, and then from there was eventually able to seek treatment and pain relief.

• A fete was set up with a steering group of people who would normally have found it difficult to work as part of a team.

This enabled them to feel in control of the process, through the early planning and delivery of a successful fundraising event. It taught communication skills, financial planning, marketing and team-building.

Plans for the future

The organisation is transitioning to be a Charitable Incorporated Organisation to provide greater stability for the future.

The charity is keen to hear from new potential trustees as it continues to support autistic people in Swindon.

Our thanks goes to the following for their funding support:

National Lottery

Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation

Postcode Lottery Pearce Funeral Services

DASH Registered Chariiy Number 1116852 Summarised Financial Statement for the year ended 31 St March 2024 Income and Expenditure 2023-24 Restricted and Designated Income: The National Lottery Gommunty Fund - RC South West Region Wiltshire Community Foundation Group Subscriptions 43946 5000 3104 52050 Unrestricted Income: Postcode Lottery Grant NHS England Donations & FUndral￿.ng Miscellaneous Income 13000 10455 2755 100 26310 Total Income 78361 Expenditure Salaries Pension Costs Room Hire Stationery/Office Costs Telephones Training Insurance IT Costs Miscellaneous Expenses 45185 143 1835 275 1009 55 397 618 708 Total Expenditure 50226 Surplus (defictt) of Income over Expenditure 28135

Cash and Reserves at start of year= l Unrestf7Cted Funds ' RestriGted and Designated Funds Cash in Hand 3902 34021 Total 379231 Surplus of Income over Expenditure 281351 Total 66058. Cash and Reserves at year end: Unrestricted Funds R8Stricted and Designated Funds Cash in Hand 27839 Total 66058 Plant, Machlnery, Flxtures and Fittings Opening B81ance Additions this year Depreciation 1728 (432) Closing Balance 1296 Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees: Signature Print Name Date ' 34

Income and Expenditure 2022-23 Restrlded and Designat￿1 Irwne: Lottery Grants fts CommuntyFoundation vi￿1 UK RiuThYafyon 41to) Group Subsrytions 2851 51850 Unreslri¢ted Income: Donations arxl Fund Raisinq miscellar￿QUs InGome 1129 1315 Totsl Incoma 53165 ExFendsture W8ges and Salaries Pens￿￿ Costs 43370 Room Hi 2642 132 Teleph￿￿$ Trainir 597 Insurani Equipment ITCosts Catering 1073 jwis￿lan￿uS Ex￿nSeS 11 Totsl Expendtttjre Surplus (defiot) of Inoyre ExpendI￿re

' Cash and Reserrt at Startof Y&v: 5411 , ' Restfycted and De￿n8tedFUlMjS . Cash in Hand 32010 '. Total 37421. ' Surplus of Inttjme over E￿ndIt￿re 502 ,Tolal 37923 Cash and R￿ry•S at Year End Unrestr￿ted Funds 3902 R8$trictsd and Deslgnated FuThYs 34021 C8sh In Hand Total 37923. Plant, Machinery, Fixtuffjs and Flttings Openlng 8818nL Ac4Yltlons this year Depmclatlon 23041 Cl¢Yding 8alance 1728

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees

Charity Name

DASH (Discovering Autistic Spectrum Happiness)

On accounts for the year ended

31/03/24

Charity no (if any)

1116852

Set out on pages

(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

Responsibilities and basis of report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2024.

As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation 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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

• the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

• the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

• 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.

Signed:

Date:

1

Oct 2018

IER

08/08/24

Name:

Claire Turner

Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):

CIMA (FCMA)

Address:

Far End House, London Road, Poulton, Cirencester, GL7 5JQ

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material 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

Oct 2018

IER