Trustees’ report to AGM 2025
Thank you all for coming this evening. Our AGM is a little later this year to facilitate the transition between our external examiners
Working from our office now for almost 8 years continues to be a good move for securing the future of Romsey Good Neighbours. The arrangement we have with Carers Together is that we rent a ‘desk’ space. Recently we have negotiated renting a second desk space to expand our working area. This has all been achieved at a very favourable fee and we are grateful to Anne Meader of Carers Together for being willing to be flexible.
During the past year we carried out 2,065 journeys, 404 trips fewer than 2024. The busiest month being April of last year and again, December being the least busy.
Of that 2,065 journeys 99 trips were ‘doubles’ i.e. where the client is dropped off and the driver returns for them later. 85 trips had clients accompanied by a spouse, friend of carer. These statistics confirm how willing our volunteer drivers are to accommodate what our clients request. Doing a double trip makes inroads into what a driver can plan for the remainder of their day and taking an extra person helps anxious clients to feel more at ease with someone they know well.
34 journeys were made with people who are ‘underage’ i.e. they are not eligible for the TVBC transport grant but these are funded from our own funds. 36 journeys fewer than last year.
We had 20 drives cancelled at the point of collection where clients had forgotten, or had already been admitted to hospital. This remains fairly constant and given the age demographic of our clients is, perhaps, inevitable. There were 32 requests that had to be declined because we were at capacity with available drivers and had no one to help.
We achieved this with 41 drivers, an increase of 3 drivers on last year – Sarah Holt, David Johnson and Trevor Clark. Last week was National Volunteer Week. I had a look at the Volunteer Week website and an important point made on the site was that existing volunteers should be empowered to engage new volunteers – by asking family, friends and colleagues to get involved. You can share your experience first hand with people which can be inspirational. We desperately need more drivers and could also do with more help in the office, mostly for back-up during holiday periods. So over to you!
One of the things we were asked to do from last year’s meeting was to inform drivers when we hear of a client’s death. I have tried to do this during the past year. Our sources of information are limited but
when I have heard I have passed this on to drivers and will continue so to do.
We hope we provide a supportive atmosphere for all volunteers to work in. Our volunteers enable us to deliver our service and for our clients that means completing vital tasks for their health without which they may not be able to function effectively. I would like to take this opportunity of paying tribute to our drivers who give many hours of their time, their skills – not to only to their at driving skills but their skills of communication, empathy and understanding to a very diverse range of clients. RGN could not exist if you were not so willing to make a difference for the people of Romsey. People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,
Thank you
Bank Accounts Receipts and Payments
Registered Charity No. 1119751
Year Ended 31 March 2025
| NatWest Accounts | NatWest Accounts | NatWest Accounts | TSB Account |
Consolidated | Consolidated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current a/c Reserve a/c | Current a/c Reserve a/c | Liquidity | ||||
| Manager | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 2024/2025 | 2024/2025 | 2024/2025 | 2024/2025 | 2024/2025 | 2023/24 | |
| OPENING BALANCE of funds 01 April 2024 | ||||||
| Current Account | 11,677.83 | 4,823.16 | 16,500.99 | 11,212.84 | ||
| Reserve Account | 3,174.26 | 3,174.26 | 5,618.48 | |||
| Liquidity Manager | 51,409.06 | 51,409.06 | 50,000.00 | |||
| Cash | 0.00 | |||||
| 11,677.83 | 3,174.26 | 51,409.06 | 4,823.16 | 71,084.31 | 66,831.32 | |
| Receipts | ||||||
| Regular donations (via drivers or direct) | 3,959.45 | 3,959.45 | 4,548.72 | |||
| Funeral donations | 732.00 | 732.00 | 187.35 | |||
| Legacies and Bequests | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| Other donations | 6,203.46 | 6,203.46 | 3,568.87 | |||
| Interest | 44.66 | 1,631.35 | 1,676.01 | 1,464.84 | ||
| TVBC Farepass Grant | 10,930.00 | 10,930.00 | 10,155.40 | |||
| TVBC deposit return | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 600.00 |
| Transfer from Business Reserve Account | 7,000.00 | 7,000.00 | 2,500.00 | |||
| Transfer from TSB Account | 0.00 | 4,000.00 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | 0.00 | 23.20 | ||||
| Sub-Total Receipts | 10,894.91 | 44.66 | 8,631.35 | 10,930.00 | 30,500.92 | 27,048.38 |
| Payments | ||||||
| Computer and website | 705 | 705.00 | 0.00 | |||
| Rent of office space | 2,500.00 | 2,500.00 | 2,500.00 | |||
| Telephone (office + mobile) | 721.76 | 721.76 | 640.48 | |||
| Room Hire (AGM and meetings) inc. deposits | 68.75 | 68.75 | 684.90 | |||
| Office equipment | 137.99 | 137.99 | 40.00 | |||
| Office consumables | 331.09 | 331.09 | 365.84 | |||
| Food and drink | 560.56 | 560.56 | 537.52 | |||
| Coordinators' expenses | 633.80 | 633.80 | 462.80 | |||
| Volunteer Drivers' Farepass mileage | 9,275.80 | 9,275.80 | 9,762.10 | |||
| Miscellaneous | 205.50 | 205.50 | 338.75 | |||
| Startup fund returned to TVBC | ||||||
| Transfer to Liquidity Manager | 7,000.00 | 7,000.00 | ||||
| Transfer to NatWest current account: donations | 1,169.00 | 1,169.00 | 963.00 | |||
| Transfer to NatWest current account: liquidity | 0.00 | 6,500.00 | ||||
| Sub-Total Payments | 12,864.45 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10,444.80 | 23,309.25 | 22,795.39 |
| BALANCE of funds 31 March 2025 | ||||||
| Current Account | 9,708.29 | 5,308.36 | 16,500.99 | |||
| Reserve Account | 3,218.92 | 3,174.26 | ||||
| Liquidity Manager | 60,040.41 | 51,409.06 | ||||
| Cash | 0.00 | |||||
| 9,708.29 | 3,218.92 | 60,040.41 | 5,308.36 | |||
| TOTAL FUNDS at 31st March 2025 | 78,275.98 | 71,084.31 |
I have examined the records of Romsey Good Neighbours for the year ended 31 March 2025. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the above account represents a true and fair view of the transactions and balances in the bank accounts.
David Willey 5th June 2025
Report from the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of Romsey Good Neighbours
Trustees:
I have agreed the accounts for 2024/25. I confirm that I have conducted and concluded my examination of the accounts and concluded that they represent a true and fair view of the financial transactions and balances for RGN for 2024/25. I have certified the accounts accordingly. The Treasurer has the original signed copy.
The Treasurer and I worked through a few points I picked up during my examination. I am happy that these have now all been satisfactorily resolved. The one remaining observation I would make to the Trustees concerns the plethora of claim forms used by drivers. In my opinion, the use of more than one version of the form runs a real risk of errors being introduced or missed, and a move to a single version of the form would be a positive step, reducing such a risk of errors. If some drivers are reluctant or are unable to use an excel version, then at least they should use a standard paper equivalent. The Treasurer and I briefly discussed how this might be implemented, and I understand that the next meeting of drivers might present a suitable opportunity for those drivers who might require support in using the form.
Thank you for inviting me to act as the Independent Examiner for RGN. I am pleased I have been able to help.
David Willey.