Report - AGM 2023
2022-23
My Time has had another fun filled year full of new experiences and making new friends and partners.
We have enjoyed good membership across all clubs during 2223, with the biggest change being our departure from Trinity school and moving to Leatherhead Community Hub for one of our Mole Valley junior clubs. The ambition was to support more young carers in the Leatherhead area and not only children attending Trinity school. We have gained new membership, but engaging with all the different schools remains a work in progress due to the lack of a local Home School Link Worker. Membership at all other clubs is 15 plus children, with Ewell remaining the busiest, running a junior club on Monday and Wednesday and a senior club Tuesday.
The session leaders have provided a varied programme of events which has included new crafts, with a special mention to Jenny our arts & craft director and her awesome creative talents, continuing to showcase the abilities of our members. They have tried a variety of crafts, including candle holders, denim craft, bead work and 3D animals to name a few!
The other session leaders have kept the children entertained with parties, park play, crafts, games and with the help of a long-standing volunteer who has scout connections, we have tried air rifles, archery, and clay pigeon shooting. Horton Country Park, Epsom and Meadowbank, Dorking are a favourite for park play, with a joint BBQ being held only this week for Ewell & Leatherhead clubs and a children’s entertainer supporting an end of year party at Dorking.
Last summer in the very hot weather we took the seniors camping to Polyapes scout campsite in Cobham. This was new for us, but with the help of volunteers and staff we enjoyed one night in the large scout hut and provided a programme that included team building skills, axe throwing, water fights and remote-controlled cars for entertainment. We sweltered, but had enormous fun, which we will be repeating this August but this time for two nights. A very huge thank you goes out to
volunteer David who has made this all possible. He is very generous with his time, ideas and sharing contacts to make it possible for us to expose the members to new experiences for free.
Holiday activities for our juniors have included a trip to Bocketts Farm, a session at Art K in Stoneleigh, pantomime with visits from Father Christmas and finally a day out to Hampton Court to enjoy the Magic Garden and the Easter Bunny.
Our seniors also enjoyed a Christmas party and bowling with Christmas presents. We went on a trip to Epsom theatre to see Sister Act and tackled some taxing puzzles in escape rooms, followed by lunch at McDonalds in Epsom.
As always, none of this can happen without the fantastic support we receive from volunteers. The fact they give up their time for clubs and holiday activities, plus undergo the training so this can all happen safely with limited costs to the charity, means everything we aspire to do can be delivered. They bring their skills and passions, and the drivers their cars free of charge, which means we can provide meals, delicious cakes, crafts and expose the members to new experiences. They are willing to clear out cupboards, repair kit, go shopping and wash up pots, just so our members have time out and help us keep costs down. We have awesome teams across all clubs, and I cannot thank them enough for their kindness and support.
A special thanks goes to Helen at Ewell and her husband Ben, who delivered another Quiz night for us at Ewell United Reformed Church earlier this year raising over £1.1K and to our own trustee, George who whilst studying for his Masters and holding down a job, also trained and run the London Marathon to help raise funds.
Over the year we have had continued support from Epsom Arts Society, who applied for grants and received funding for the Art K and theatre trip to Epsom playhouse.
Other supporters of note are Epsom Rotary Club who donate our Christmas pantomime trip to Epsom playhouse for our junior members and Truly Giving a partner charity, who for
another year have organised and supplied all the Christmas presents (80 plus) which Father Christmas distributed at either our Pantomime trips, our Christmas parties or bowling. These generous donations represent a very large saving to the charity and generate especially delighted faces at Christmas.
At the end of 22 we said temporarily goodbye to the Co-op community fund, so launched a successful Christmas appeal on social media and amongst friends, plus we also received generous donations from Anthony Wakefield & Company Solicitors, Dorking and The Welfare Trust, Ashtead. We were very lucky to be chosen as a beneficiary charity by the Sacred Heart Chorus and Orchestra at St. Joseph’s Church, Wimbledon for their annual classical concert and received a £1K donation from Wyfold Charitable Trust.
Support also comes from smaller local organisations and local people who run Christmas craft stalls, and the places we visit who give discounts, such as Bocketts Farm and Hampton Court, who provide free entry. Ewell scouts let us use their facilities for free and provide their minibuses very cheaply. Every kindness helps us achieve our aim, in giving the young carers a break from their role and is very much appreciated.
Finally, a huge thank you to Nickie and Camelot Events in Beare Green, Dorking who beat the previous year’s fundraising Mud Run total and raised over £3K in 2022. We had a large team of young carers, their friends, family, and staff, getting dressed up, muddy and wet on a Sunday morning. It is fantastic to see nervous members really grow in confidence after successfully completing an arduous course with the support of their My Time friends and club leaders. And whilst the mud levels were lower then usual due to the hot summer, it was still challenging to complete and will be done again this year!
The 2023 Mud Run will be our final year and we hope it will be our best. I am hoping that local businesses can be encouraged to sponsor us the price of a club (£100), so if you know anyone who might be willing to help please let me know!
In the early part of 2023, we reviewed our contracts with staff to reflect their hard work but also to create more resilience
during times of leave and ill health. With that in mind we recruited Sarah Alexander to the team as a bank team member for Ewell. She has been brilliant at volunteering at clubs to get to know the children, volunteers, and processes, but has also stepped into a Session Leader’s shoes in their absence. We have been very lucky to find such a fantastic and qualified team member and we welcome her.
So, as we look forward to another year of providing valuable respite and entertainment for our members, finding new young carers and making new friends within the community I thought I would leave you with some words from our young carers who were asked this week what My Time meant to them.
Thank you. Cathy
‘I like My Time, it is nice to meet different people and to get away from family. It’s just different and nice.’
‘It is great to have time out with mates where no-one judges anyone.’
‘My Time is a safe haven away from stress and family.’
‘It’s my little bit of freedom after working hard helping everyone else.’
‘It is escape from home for me and I like it. I have good friends.’
‘I like meeting new people who relate to me and trying all the activities.’
‘I like coming to My Time, it gets me away from my sister. I really like hanging out with my friends.’
‘I love My Time, it’s great to get out of the house and try doing different things. I must love it I have been coming for years!’
M Thmefor Youn StatementolAcco¥ntsforthÈ rendin 31st Marth 2014 20Z3 2022 2023 2022 RECEIPTS EXPEP4DmJRE (harttable Attl¥lfies Se55ion Worker project Manègef tosts TrainiDg PromotionlMater131s Hire of H311s HolidayActivity costs Clubscatering costs Clubsequipment & M2terialscosts Volunteer ETr5e5 81Fwd 20,350 25518 8,245 6,259 8,203 492 Gr3nt Income Fundrai5ins IntomÈ Donations JustGlving Don3tiOThS Interest Addition31 Grft Aid 13.222 3,202 12.477 4,593 169 I,oio 11,759 5,142 479 4,105 513 1,271 145 1,796 3,657 33,662 1712 S4,011 43329 SupporttDsts Printin8 P05ta8e &Stationery Telephone In5uran¢e Gifts- Other Website Icomputer¢osts 97 425 256 368 415 216 72 198 96 8aTrkChar8es Recruitment costs Misc Cost5 25 22,980 26,293 BalanCaMÈd forward 27,719 20,350 8ALANCE AT BANK ANDCKSH IN HAND CAF CurreniAccount CAF Gold Account Petty Cash TOTAL BALANCE 3NIO 24,162 147 S,084 15,002 263 INCOME & EXPEfiDITURE SUMMARY Unringfenced Inme Ringlenttd Income Total 1ftme 20,440 17,812 ,222 33.66Z 17.812 Charitable SupportC05ts Totsi EMpenditu¥e .001 21,467 1,292 1,512 24293 22,980 I have examined the accounts and supporbngdocumenw I find the recordsaccurate and well kepr. I coTrfirrn thatthe 3ccountS 3 e record ofthe situation of MyTimeorYoun8 Carefs 3sat 31 March 2013 .Independent Rev. ewer M.Kelly, ACMA Date-.
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