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

Registered office: Sanford House, Sanford Street, Swindon SN1 1HE www.dashswindon.com Contact@dashswindon.com 

## **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**