## Staines Shopmobility Registered Charity 1157628 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31[st] March 2023 Two Rivers Staines-upon-Thames 01784 459416 stainesshopmo@gmail.com www.stainesshopmobility.com Page **1** of **17** ## **ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2023** |Contents|Page| |---|---| |Chair’s Message / Declaration|3| |Board of Trustees|3| |Reference & Administrative Details|4| |Structure, Governance & Management|4| |Objects & Activities|5| |Achievements & Performance|5| |Public Benefit|7| |The Year Ahead 2023/24|8| |Annual Report of the Treasurer|9| |Financial Statement 2022/2023|11| |Balance Sheet|12| |Notes to the 2022/23 Accounts|13| |Thank You!|16| Page **2** of **17** ## **Message from the Chair / Declaration** I wish to place on record my thanks to all our volunteers, helpers and sponsors for their support over the year. I also express my appreciation of the help and advice of my fellow Trustees and the ever present, dedicated staff team who run the service. I would also like to thank Simon McGuigan, our vice-chair, who stepped down at the end of the last financial year before the period covered by this report. We are glad to be able to offer an uninterrupted service once again, after the challenge of operating within the Covid pandemic. This is particularly pleasing, as a number of similar organisations sadly had to close during this difficult time. The Trustees aim remains, as always, to make Staines shops and businesses accessible to all our residents regardless of their mobility and to enable them to share in the experiences that Staines has to offer. On behalf of the Board of Trustees of Staines Shopmobility, I am pleased to present the Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for the year ending March 31[st] 2023. The board declares that there have been no serious incidents during the period covered by the report and the charity has complied with its statutory requirements under the Charities Act 2011. Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Staines Shopmobility Full Name: Christine Anne Bannister Position: Chair Date: 15[th] December 2023 ## **Board Of Trustees Dates Acted As Trustee** Christine Bannister – Chair 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Terry Collier – Treasurer 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Simon Bhadye 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Keith Goldson 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Marian Rough 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Gary Little 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Colin Barnard 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Tony Harman 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023 Page **3** of **17** ## **Reference And Administrative Details** Staines Shopmobility was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, charity number 1157628, on the 27[th] of June 2014. The registered address is: Two Rivers Mustard Mill Road Staines-upon-Thames TW18 4BL ## **Staff Team** ## **Manager** David Bisiker ## **Scheme Assistant** Kathryn Rundle ## **Honorary Auditor** Les Ford ## **Structure, Governance & Management** ## **Charity Structure** Staines Shopmobility is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a foundation model constitution. This provides limited liability to the members and trustees of Staines Shopmobility whilst allowing the charity to carry out business in its own name, rather than in the name of the trustees. The charity is governed by its constitution adopted on the 1[st] of June 2014. ## **Board of Trustees:** Staines Shopmobility is governed by a Board of Trustees enlisted for their skills, knowledge, and personal experiences of disability, to effectively govern the CIO. Trustees must number between 4 and 12 members, serving an initial term of 3 years in office. Page **4** of **17** ## **Objectives and Activities** ## **Objectives** The objectives of the charity, as stated in its governing document are: _The relief of people either living in or visiting Staines and the surrounding area with restricted mobility resulting from age, sickness, disability or other causes (whether of a temporary or permanent nature), by such means as the trustees see fit, with the aim to improve their mobility and conditions of life._ ## **Financial Year 2022/2023** The main objectives this financial year were to replace older mobility equipment, increase revenue streams and to secure long-term funding for the service. ## **Our Work** Regarding the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance, the main activities of the charity this year were: - The provision of mobility equipment to enable access to the town centre. - Providing information and advice on services and products relevant to Shopmobility service users. ## **Achievements and Performance** ## **Publicity** Posters and service leaflets were maintained at locations throughout the local area, such as libraries, hotels and doctor’s surgeries. Adverts and articles were placed with local organisations and press throughout the year. Full details of Staines Shopmobility were listed on the Shopmobility UK website. The Staines Shopmobility website is complimented by a Facebook page and a Google Business listing. The website is www.stainesshopmobility.com and the Facebook page is www.facebook.com/stainesshopmobility The charity linked with local organisations to further promote the services available via leaflets, posters and their websites. Posters are also on display in the Elmsleigh Centre. A digital screen is sited in the Shopmobility unit facing the car park exit, this promotes the service to the many cars exiting the West car park each month. The service was also advertised on the digital screens located on the Two Rivers, Staines High Street and the Elmsleigh centre. Page **5** of **17** ## **Fundraising / Donations** Fundraising and donations are vital in keeping the service open and available to use. Activities included selling RADAR keys, books and other small, donated items; commission referral schemes with Acorn Stairlifts, Easyfundraising, Amazon Smile and Mobility for You. Many local organisations continued to support our work by way of donations. These included the United Church of Egham who donated £500 from one of their monthly book fairs, £175 from the Staines Business Improvement District, £500 from the Staines 10K runners and the Staines Parochial Charity who gave £500 towards our work. We would like to thank all the organisations, volunteers and individuals that supported us throughout this year. Your support is invaluable, and we look forward to working with you all through the next financial year to ensure that Staines remains accessible to all. ## **Strategic / Operational** This year saw the continuation of the war in Ukraine, which fed into the current cost of living crisis. We also had the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the July heatwave, the sad passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II and subsequent state funeral. A number of strikes along with freezing weather and more works to the Iron bridge impacting traffic flow, were some of the additional obstacles for our members wishing to access the service. All in all, it was a difficult year for many people and this impacted greatly on our services and demand for them. The staff team managed to offer a normal service through to Christmas when it was decided to close on Mondays from January 2023. This was due to having a smaller number of staff and Mondays being very quiet. The service will now be available Tuesday through to Saturday going forward. The service was open on 267 days of the year and equipment was loaned on 2,714 occasions. This was 42% up on the previous year and 3.5% up on the last pre-Covid financial year. The service has now been used 86,594 times since opening. Total registrations to date totalled 5,601 with 164 new members registered and trained to safely use mobility equipment. The holiday hire scheme loaned equipment for a combined total of 1,311 days, bringing an income of £2,750; this was an increase of 35% on the previous years’ revenue and above pre-Covid levels. Card payments were available for those wishing to keep their visit contactless. The charity once again met the criteria of best practice for affiliation to Shopmobility UK and was accredited with a 5-star rating, the highest available. This enables the service to use the Shopmobility trademark, recognising the charity meets all the requirements of a Shopmobility scheme including fully accessible premises. Shopmobility UK is governed by Driving Mobility, a national charity that accredits a network of driving and mobility assessment centres. All affiliated Shopmobility schemes adhere to the Driving Mobility code of practice. ## **Reserves** The charity aims to hold free reserves equivalent to at least six months running costs. This is necessary to guard against future uncertainties such as a decline in income and to meet any financial obligations to staff and creditors. The reserve is currently held in a Monmouthshire Building Society deposit account. Page **6** of **17** ## **Public Benefit** The charity enables people with limited mobility to independently access shops, banks, opticians, libraries and social / recreational facilities within the town of Staines. This promotes an equality of opportunity and community involvement amongst the beneficiary group. The service also improves confidence, health and mental welfare amongst service users who would otherwise be left isolated from the community and dependent on others to shop and access services for them. Staines town centre has developed over a large area from its original size, which centred on the High Street, increasing the distances between shops, banks and other services. The High Street is now pedestrianised and the car parks are located on the periphery of the town, making the town inaccessible to many disabled people. People with limited mobility can access the town by car, public transport or accessible transport schemes but are unable to access the town further without access to mobility equipment. The Shopmobility service compliments local accessible transport schemes by providing beneficiaries with outdoor mobility aids upon their arrival in Staines. This fills the gap in service originally identified by SCAN and in several reports since. Staines Shopmobility supports the Spelthorne Corporate Plan 2016-2019 (new plan pending) along with many of their expressed values and priorities. The charity’s work supports many of the issues identified, including stimulating more visitors to the Borough and to provide a place where people want to spend their leisure time. Additionally, the charity supports the local authority’s commitment to tackling social exclusion and compliments local accessible transport schemes. The charity: - ❖ Assists disabled people to participate independently in shopping, leisure and other activities in Staines. - ❖ Promotes an environment that is healthy, safe and inclusive. - ❖ Improves respite for parent / carers. - ❖ Enables access to social and recreational facilities for disabled people. - ❖ Provides outdoor aids for people with restricted mobility. - ❖ Reduces isolation and loneliness, a contributing factor to ill health. - ❖ Enables independence, well-being and choice. - ❖ Promotes equality and diversity. Staines Shopmobility supports the public sector Equality Duty and the Equality Act 2010 by providing an equality of opportunity for disabled people visiting Staines. Having a Shopmobility service in Staines ensures the town is accessible to all visitors, making it more appealing to those with limited mobility. This helps maintain Staines as a destination of choice for residents of Spelthorne and many surrounding boroughs, where there are no similar schemes. Without Shopmobility, many people with limited mobility would be unable to carry out everyday tasks such as shopping and would have to visit another town with a Shopmobility scheme, where possible. The charity provides the last link in the transport chain and offers people with limited mobility the only viable access to the town. Staines Shopmobility links with many local and national organisations with the shared aim of improving the quality of life for older and disabled people. Page **7** of **17** **The Year Ahead - 2023 / 2024** ## **Funding** Staines Shopmobility held cash reserves of £35,474 at the end of the financial year 2022/23, meeting the desired reserve level of 6-months running costs necessary to safeguard against unforeseen costs and to meet any financial obligations. The reserve was slightly higher than usual mainly due to the surplus income against expenditure from the financial year 2021/22. Our fundraising, donations and other income has dropped dramatically since 2020 and our main goal is to increase this back to pre-Covid levels. A detailed overview of the charity’s finances can be found in the Treasurer’s report beginning on pg. 9. ## **Service** The charity will endeavour to provide a normal service 5 days a week but may need to reduce this at times due to reduced staff levels. We will continue to provide a quality service that meets the needs of its beneficiaries. Where possible, any change in opening times or planned closures will be advertised in the shop and via our website so please check these for the latest news. The charity will be seeking funding to renew older mobility equipment. ## **Fundraising** Staines Shopmobility will continue working with organisations such as the Staines Business Improvement District to promote its services and fundraising. Staines Shopmobility hopes to organise or participate in the Elmsleigh Xmas Wrapping Service, Purple Tuesday and the Rotary Santa Float collection as well as a range of other events! Additional fundraising schemes include sale items such as books and Radar keys. Easyfundraising is another way to support Staines Shopmobility; simply register at www.easyfundraising.org.uk and choose Staines Shopmobility as your chosen cause. The current cost of living crisis and high inflation will make fundraising difficult as it will impact people’s ability to donate to charity, making it difficult to raise revenue from these activities. ## **Publicity** Staines Shopmobility recognises the importance of publicity in raising awareness of its services so that it is available to as many people as possible. The charity will continue to distribute leaflets and posters around the local area; the website will be kept up to date with all the latest news and information; links with other organisations will be maintained and new working partnerships set up. A social media presence will be continued to engage with new supporters. Roller banners will be used to promote the service at outside events. A static display will be held in the Elmsleigh Centre periodically along with seasonal posters being displayed. Adverts will continue to be displayed on the digital screens at Shopmobility and other sites throughout the town centre. Please let us know if you can promote our service via a website or by holding our literature. Page **8** of **17** ## **Annual Report Of The Treasurer** I have pleasure in presenting the audited accounts to you for the year ending 31st March 2023. The accounts have been audited by Les Ford and we are grateful to him. We are also grateful to Arun Sood for having done the detailed work of preparing the accounts statements. The Income and Expenditure Account summarises the total income received, and expenditure incurred in the last financial year by Staines Shopmobility. From the statement you can see that total income for the year was £40,581.49 which represented a reduction of £16,383.58 on the previous year. This reduction was mainly due to the Charity receiving in the previous year COVID-19 Job Retention Grant of £10,91.45 to compensate the Charity for continuing to employ staff during lockdown periods when it was required to close, and a £10,000 discretionary COVID-19 grant from Spelthorne Borough Council; these grants dropped out in 2022-23 as we moved out of the Pandemic. Positively, as we started to come out of the Pandemic, membership income increased by £825 (17%) from the previous year. This is still more than £5k lower than our membership income from three years ago before the pandemic and reflects the challenge of supporting our membership to have the confidence to return to previous levels of activity in the town centre, and possibly also reflects the impact of the Cost-of-Living Crisis. It will be noted from the income details that we received a £10,000 grant from Spelthorne Borough Council, the leaseholder of the Elmsleigh Centre. Moving forwards the Council has committed to maintaining this grant on a long-term basis, which helps provide some additional financial certainty for the Charity. The annual grant from Spelthorne Borough Council was maintained at £15,000. It is important to remember, as note 4 of the accounts mentions, that Shopmobility receives from the owners of Two Rivers its premises on a peppercorn rent and pays no service charges, which makes an important contribution towards our viability. Expenditure for last year totalled £43,040.26, a reduction of £5,351.57 on the previous year’s total of £48,391.83, which helped to partially offset the impact of the drop in income. This reduction reflected largely a reduction in mobility vehicle maintenance and support costs. Overall, therefore as income was less than expenditure for the year, the net outturn was a deficit of £2,458.77, This is a deterioration compared to the previous year’s surplus, and means the Charity needs to remain very focused on protecting its ongoing financial viability. The cash balances at the year-end totalled £ 35,474.35 (or 82% of annual expenditure). This means that we, as of 31 March 2023, were achieving the objective of the Trustees of having reserves equivalent to at least 50% of annual running costs. The Pancake race did not take place in 2023 but we are hopefully that Staines Rotary and the Business Improvement District will run one in 2024. Clearly our clients, like other households are being impacted by the current “Cost of Living Crisis” and this may have an impact on membership income. We do not yet understand what the longer-term impact on our membership activity will be. Page **9** of **17** The need therefore remains to obtain long-term financial commitment from both the local Councils and the business community and to diversify our range of income streams. Many Runnymede residents use the Staines scheme as there is no Shopmobility scheme in Runnymede, so we will continue to look for a funding contribution from Runnymede Borough Council. ## **Looking Ahead** As we have come out of the Pandemic and are now in a Cost-of-Living Crisis we are operating in exceptionally challenging financial times for all organisations, including charities and their potential funding partners. Trustees are continuing to work on strategies to ensure the ongoing financial sustainability of Staines Shopmobility. As I have commented on previous occasions, the users of the Staines Shopmobility scheme bring important additional revenue to the retail sector of Staines. It is important that we continue to explore, with bodies such as the Staines-upon-Thames BID, as to how retail businesses in Staines can best help support Shopmobility moving forward. We do now have certainty with respect to the £10k annual grant previously made by Clerical Medical that will be honoured by Spelthorne Borough Council on an ongoing basis. ## Terry Collier ## Treasurer Page **10** of **17** ## **- Financial Statement 2022 2023** ## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** |**Note**
**Income & Expenditure**
**INCOME**
Spelthorne Borough Council Grant
**4**
Job Retention Scheme Grant from Central
Government
**4**
Support Grant - Elmsleigh Centre
**4**
Spelthorne Borough Council Discretionary Covid
Grant
**4**
Membership
Donations & Sponsorship
**10**
Fundraising
**11**
Interest
**Total Income**
**EXPENDITURE**
Mobility Vehicle Maintenance & Depreciation
**7**
Support Costs
**8**
Costs of Administration and Management
**9**
Payments made in advance (Insurance 23/24)
**Total Expenditure**
**Operational Surplus/(Deficit) for the Year**
**Transfers**
**Net Income/Expenditure for the Year**
Balances Brought Forward 1 April 2022
**Balances Carried Forward 31 March 2023**|**General**
**Wheelchair**
**Total**
**Total**
**Fund**
**Fund**
**2022/23**
**2021/22**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
15,000.00
15,000.00
15,000.00
.00
10,091.45
10,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
.00
10,000.00
5,616.00
5,616.00
4,791.00
3,006.00
3,006.00
2,490.04
6,611.29
6,611.29
4,527.35
348.20
348.20
65.23| |---|---| ||40,581.49
.00
40,581.49
56,965.07| ||1,402.55
600.00
2,002.55
3,110.34
42,795.98
42,795.98
45,011.49
250.00
250.00
270.00
(2,008.27)
(2,008.27)| ||42,440.26
600.00
43,040.26
48,391.83| ||| ||(1,858.77)
(600.00)
(2,458.77)
8,573.24| ||0
0
0
0| ||(1,858.77)
(600.00)
(2,458.77)
8,573.24| ||61,768.21
(11,457.44)
50,310.77
41,737.53
**59,909.44**
**(12,057.44)**
**47,852.00**
**50,310.77**| Page **11** of **17** ## **BALANCE SHEET FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** |**FIXED ASSETS**
Mobility Vehicles Purchases (1998 - March 2020)
Accumulated Depreciation (1998 - March 2021)
**Net Book Value of Fixed Assets currently Held**
**12**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Current Account
Monmouthshire Building Society
Petty Cash Balance
VAT Control Account
Creditors not to be paid
Payments made in advance (Insurance 23-24)
Debtor - Support Grant - Elmsleigh Centre
**Total**
**CURRENT LIABILITIES**
Creditors
**Net Assets**
**Represented by:**
Wheelchair Reserve Account
**3**
General Reserve Account
**2**
**Total**|**Total**
**2022/23**
**£**
67,323.85
(66,159.87)
1,163.98
5,069.84
30,404.51
(70.56)
(367.61)
(356.43)
2,008.27
10,000.00
46,688.02
47,852.00
(12,057.44)
59,909.44
47,852.00|**Total**
**2021/22**
**£**
67,323.85
(65,559.87)| |---|---|---| |||1,763.98
19,104.05
30,056.31
71.66
(328.80)
(356.43)| |||48,546.79
50,310.77| |||(11,457.44)
61,768.21| |||50,310.77| Page **12** of **17** ## **Notes to the Accounts** ## **1 Accounting Policies** _Basis for the preparation of the accounts_ The accounts have been prepared in accordance with: a) Relevant accounting standards b) the Charities Act 2011 c) the historic cost basis of accounting ## _Income_ Grants, sponsorships and donations are accounted for in the year they are receivable ## _Fixed Assets_ Wheelchairs, scooters, power chairs and ancilliary equipment are depreciated on a straight line basis over their estimated life ## **2 General Fund** The General Fund is an unrestricted fund which represents the balance of unused revenue funds ## **3 Wheelchair Fund** The Wheelchair Fund is a restricted fund established to enable the purchase of mobility and ancillary equipment ## **4 Grants** Staines Shopmobility was awarded grant aid of £15,000 (2021/22 - £15,000) by Spelthorne Borough Council Staines Shopmobility Support Grant- Elmsleigh Centre (Amas Ltd.) expected to be paid of £10,000 (2021/22 - £10,000) The premises are provided rent free by the owners of the Two Rivers. This was recently valued at £10000 per annum ## **5 Independent Examiner's Costs** An Independent Examination is carried out by Hunt Ford & Co. (Accountants) Ltd for a consideration of £nil ## **6 Trustee Remuneration** No Trustee receives any remuneration in respect of their duties ## **7 Wheelchair Running Costs** Repairs and maintenance to the mobility equipment is charged to the General Fund Depreciation of the mobility equipment is charged to the Wheelchair Fund Page **13** of **17** ## **Notes to the Accounts cont.** |**8**
**Support Costs**
Salaries
National Insurance
Income Tax
Insurance
Telephone
Travel & Subsistence
Printing, Stationery & Postage
Other Supplies and Services
Maintenance
**9**
**Administration and Management**
SBC Admin payments
**10**
**Donations and Sponsorship**
United Church of Egham
Bid Parking Scheme
Office Donation Box and other private donations
Two Rivers Donation
Staines Parochial Charity
Staines 10k donations
Acorn Sales Commission
Tesco Bags of Help
L Windle
Gift Aid Donations
Digital Screen Advertisement
**11**
**Fundraising**
Easy Fundraising
RADAR keys
Sum Up
X Mas Wrap
Izettle
Amazon Smile
Rotary Float Collection|**2022/23**
**£**
37006.08
14.48
-25.80
3799.04
668.57
12.41
631.22
612.97
77.01
42,795.98
**2022/23**
**£**
250.00
250.00
**2022/23**
**£**
500.00
175.00
2.00
500.00
500.00
1,269.00
60.00
3,006.00
**2022/23**
**£**
100.71
95.00
5,905.12
65.00
14.46
431.00
6,611.29|**2021/22**
**£**
41404.32
-97.2
195.4
1644.17
396.3
0
643.38
621.75
203.37| |---|---|---| |||45,011.49| |||**2021/22**
**£**
270.00| |||270.00| |||**2021/22**
**£**
500.00
37.54
300.00
500.00
1,000.00
2.50
150.00| |||2,490.04| |||**2021/22**
**£**
132.88
75.00
4,221.22
74.68
23.57| |||4,527.35| Page **14** of **17** ## **Notes to the Accounts cont.** ## **12 Fixed Assets** |Assets Opening Balance
Additions/ (Deletion)
**Assets Closing Balance**
Accumulated Depreciation Opening Balance
Charge for the Year
**Accumulated Depreciation Closing Balance**
**Net Book Value**|**Scooters**
**Power Chairs**
**Wheelchairs**
**Total**
47,517.98 14,700.99
5,104.88
67,323.85
- -
-
-| |---|---| ||47,517.98 14,700.99
5,104.88
67,323.85| ||46,233.99 14,341.00
4,984.88
65,559.87
560.00 40.00
-
600.00| ||46,793.99 14,381.00
4,984.88
66,159.87| ||| ||**723.99**
**319.99**
**120.00**
**1,163.98**| **Les Ford Terry Collier Hon. Auditor Treasurer** Page **15** of **17** ## Thank You! Staines Shopmobility would like to acknowledge the invaluable support it receives and wishes to take this opportunity to thank the following: **----- Start of picture text -----**
United Church of Egham
**----- End of picture text -----**
Staines Parochial Charity Les Ford (Honorary Auditor) Spelthorne Committee for Access Now (SCAN) Staines Shopmobility would also like to thank everyone that donated or gave their time and other resources over the period of this report. Page **16** of **17** Staines Shopmobility Registered Charity 1157628 **ROTTAFS22-23** Page **17** of **17**