## **ATrustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 1[st] April 2023 To 31[st] March 2024** ## **Charity name: Gillingham Area Voluntary Car Link Scheme Charity registration number: 1138732** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||| |---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|The objects of the organisation are to provide transport
facilities in Gillingham, Dorset and the surrounding SP8 area
for people who have special need of such facilities because
they are elderly, poor or disabled, people with young children
or those living in isolated areas where there are no adequate
public transport facilities| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|The main activity is to provide transport for clients to hospitals,
doctor’s surgeries, dentists, and other medical facilities.
Transport is provided by volunteer drivers using their own
vehicles. Activities are managed by volunteer coordinators
working from their own homes.| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|The trustees are aware of the guidance on public benefit
issued by the Charity Commission.| ||| |Contribution made by
volunteers|The volunteer drivers collect the clients from their homes, drive
them to the medical facility, wait while the treatment is
completed and then return the clients to their homes. The
waiting time for hospital appointments can often be several
hours.
Volunteer coordinators receive the transport requests from the
clients by telephone and then allocate the jobs to the pool of
volunteer drivers. They then notify the client of the pick-up time
and the name of the allocated driver. We are processing more
than 100 journeys per month.| ## **Achievements and Performance** Summary of the main During the year we conducted 1301 journeys covering 44,599 achievements of the charity, miles and served more than 130 clients. The average journey identifying the difference the was more than a 30 miles round trip with some of more than charity’s work has made to 100 miles. Without our services the clients would have to use the circumstances of its commercial taxi services which most of them could not afford, beneficiaries and any wider or fall back on public transport, which is unreliable and, in benefits to society as a many cases, non-existent. whole. The NHS benefitted extensively from our services with patients arriving on-time for appointments and avoiding more demand for the already restricted and stretched hospital transport services. ||Achievements against
objectives set|Our primary objective is to provide the required transport for
each request we receive. We are occasionally unable to do this
due to either short notice or a lack of available drivers, but we
are successful in more than 99% of cases.| |---|---|---| ## **Financial Review** ||**Financial Review**| |---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|The bank balance at year end stands at £26,728.15| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|We wish to reduce the reserves to approximately £15,000
which the trustees believe is appropriate for our needs. We
plan to do this over several years by adjusting the
recommended donations that we suggest for each journey
destination.| |Amount of reserves held|£26,728.15| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Not applicable| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Not applicable| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|| |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Almost all funding is in the form of donations from the clients
who use the scheme. Only 2% of funding comes from other
donations and grants. We provide a suggested donation
amount for each journey but is up to the client to decide how
much to donate.| |---|---| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|The charity is entirely dependent on volunteer drivers and
coordinators to provide the services. Finding enough of these
to cover the workload is a major challenge and the Trustees
are very focussed on recruitment.| |Other|Due to a shortage of volunteer co-ordinators, we used a paid
co-ordinator starting in August 2023. Although this
arrangement worked reasonably well some problems were
encountered and the co-ordinator left in February 2024. We
have now reverted to using volunteers for the co-ordinator
role. The cost of the paid co-ordinator was £7,000 which is
reported in the attached accounts.| **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:|| |---|---| |Type of governing document|The Charity has a constitution which was last updated on
June 3rd2014.| |How is the charity
constituted?|Unincorporated charitable association| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Trustees are appointed for a period of 3 years after which
they may stand for re-election at the Annual General
Meeting.| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Gillingham Area Voluntary Car Link Scheme| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|| |Registered charity number|1138732| |Charity’s principal address|c/o Firle House, Dolphin Lane, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4HQ| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
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8|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Robert Wellen|Chair|25/08/2023 – 31/03/2024|| ||Norman Locke|Vice-Chair &
Principal Co-
ordinator||| ||Martin Wingrove|Treasurer &
volunteer driver||| ||Pauline Avery|Assistant Treasurer
& Client Support
Officer||| ||Philip Walker|Volunteer Support
Officer||| ||Suzan Walker|PublicityOfficer||| ||Peter Hurst|Secretary &
volunteer driver||| |||||| |||||| **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Type of**
**adviser**|**Name**|**Address**| |---|---|---| |Auditor|Mr T Kingsmill|20 Barleyfields, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4UN| ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s) Full name(s)** Peter Hurst ~~a~~ **Position (eg Secretary,** Secretary **Chair, etc)** ~~a~~ **Date** 03/11/2024 Gillin8han) Aiea Voluntaiy Car Link scheme clo Jonquilla, Wyke Rd. Gillingham. Doisel SP8 Re8. Cliarily number l 138732 www.gillinghamcarlink.or8.uk Gillingham Area Voluntary Car Link Scheme Financial Statements For Year ending 31 March 2024 Gillin8hain Afea Voluntary CaT Link Scheme clo lonquilla. Wyke Rd, Gi Ilin8hAm. Dorsel SP8 Re8. Chaiily nuniber 1138732 WWW.8illin8lianicarlink.or8.uk Contents: Independent Examiner's Certificate Page I Statement of Affairs Page 2 Income and Expenditure Account Page 3 Notes to Financial Statements Page 4 Gillin8hdmAiea Voluntarycar Link Scheme clo Jonquilla. Wyke Rd. Gillingham. Dof sel SP8 Re8 Charity numbei 1138732 WWW.8illin8hamcarlink.org.uk Pagelof4 Independent Examlner's Certlflcate I have examined the books, accounts and financial documents supplied to me by Gillingham Voluntary Car Link Scheme Given this, the attached Financial Statements reflect the financial activities of the scheme's operations for the year ending 31st March 2024 Signed: Date: Gillin8ham Area Voluntary Car Link Scheme clo Jonquilla. Wyke Rd, Gillingham. Dorset SP8 Re8. Charity numbeT 1138732 www.8lllin8hamcaflinlor8.uk Page2of4 ham Area Volunta Car Link Scheme st Statement of Affairs as of March 31 2024 2024 2023 Current Assets & Debtors Cash at Lloyds Bank Gillingham CL Account I Cash at Lloyds Bank Gillingham CL Account 2 Reserves held at Wyvern Savings and Loans HMRC Gift Aid (Paid Apr 2024) Current Liabilities Sundry Creditors 23,120.70 319.76 19,624.58 111.75 12,OlJ).00 2,919.94 3,287.69 0.00 Net Current Assets 26,728.15 34,656.27 Accumulated Funds Balance April 1, 2023 Gain/Loss year to March 31st 34,656.27 -7.928.12 39.884.70 -5228.43 8alance at March 31st 26,728.15 34,656.27 Chair: Treasurer: GlllirvdhamArea Voluntary Car Llnk Scheme clo J￿ul113. Wyke Rd. Gillin8ham. Dorset SP8 Re8. Charity numbei 1138732 www4illln8hamcatlink.or8.uk Page3of4 Income & Ex enditure Account for Year Endin March 31st 2024 Notes 2024 2023 Income Grants - Specif ic 0.00 Donations Scheme Users Sundry Income Gift Aid 21,986.35 16,868.10 480.00 254.00 3,287.69 2,919.94 25,754.04 20,042.04 Total Income Expenditure: Administrative Mileage Insurance Mileage Expenses - Volunteer Drivers Other Expenses- Volunteer Drivers Postage & Delivery Telephone (and new telephone) Paid Coordinator Printing & Rep Off ice Supplies Publicity Sundry Expenses Total Expenditure 44.20 0.00 345.60 204.62 22,152.65 19,708.68 776.30 , 1,249.90 157.54 . 173.58 1,036.74 1,642.39 7,000.00 ', 514.32 274.48 503.73 162.87 618.99 ' 782.00 532.09 1071.95 33,682.16 25,270.47 Excess of Income over Expenditure Excess of Expenditure over Income 7,928.12 5,228.43 Chair: Treasurer. GlIli￿harn Area Voluntary Caf Llnk Scheme clo Jonquilla. Wyke Rd. Gillingham. Dorset SP8 Re8. Charity number 1138732 wwwolllln8hamcartink.or8.uk Page4of4 Glllin ham Area Volunta Car Link Scheme Notes to the Financial Statement for year ended 31st March 2024 Sundry Income: £480 Charity Donation (Strood) Charity Donation (Masonic Lodge) Charity Donation (Pogson) Grant from 3 Rivers Partnership 50.00 150.00 30.00 250.00 Sundry Expenses: £532.09 M. Hebditch Leaving Donation Coordinator Laptop Replacement Xmas Lunch costs Gillingham Carnival Committee 50.00 239.99 182.10 60.00 Due to a shortage of volunteers, a paid coordinator was engaged from Sep 2023 to Feb 2024. This necessitated an increase in recommended donations. Gillin8hamArea Voluntary Car linkS(hen clo jonquilla.wyke Rd. Gillin8ham.Oorset SP8 Re8. Charity number 1138732 WWW.8illin8hamcaflink.Ofg.uk Pagelof4 Independent Examlnerfs Certificate I have examined the books, accounts and financial documents supplied to me by Gillingham Voluntary Car Link Scheme Given this, the attached Financial Statements reflect the financial activities st of the scheme's operations for the year ending 31 March 2024 Signed: A cfjrfA Date: