2021-03-31-accounts

MID SURREY MENCAP TRUSTEES REPORT - 31 March 2021

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Reference and Administration Details

Charity name Mid Surrey Mencap Registered Charity Number 1160493 (Registered in England and Wales)

Charity's Principal Address Fortyfoot Hall Fortyfoot Road LEATHERHEAD KT22 8RY Office (manned part time) 01372 374555 Email [e-mail] Website www.midsurreymencap.org

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Sharon Lukey Chair Cynthia Dendy Treasurer Gill Keens Secretary Gaynor Gibbins

Names of the charity committee members who attend monthly meetings with the trustees

Catherine Shrimpton Manager, Leatherhead Link Day Service Marion Price

Structure, Governance and Management

Type of governing document The Constitution was adopted on 22/04/2015

How the Charity is constituted

Mid Surrey Mencap is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with voting members comprising its Trustees and Management Committee. Its registration as a Charity was effective from 1[st] April 2016

Trustees selection method Trustees are appointed by vote at the Charity's Annual General Meeting. Vacancies or new appointments may be filled by the Trustees and must be confirmed at the next Annual General Meeting.

Decision making Proposals are discussed at our monthly meetings. Decisions are made by the Trustees by a simple vote, taking into account the Committee's views. In the event of a matter

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being raised to the members for a decision then a simple majority is required from the voting members.

Other relevant governance matters

Mid Surrey Mencap has policies and procedures in place covering the operation of the charity and what is expected of our volunteers. We also have policies for equal opportunities, health and safety, safeguarding for vulnerable adults and children and how to manage our income and expenditure. These policies are reviewed on a regular basis.

The trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits. The charity is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who give freely of their time and many skills.

Objectives and activities

The objectives of Mid Surrey Mencap are:

• The promotion and dedication to improving the lives of adults and children with learning disabilities living in Banstead, Epsom & Ewell and Mole Valley.

• To provide support and information to parents and carers of children and adults with learning disabilities.

• To provide social inclusion and meaningful activities by means of evening clubs for adults, social events, playschemes for children and a day centre for adults.

• To reduce the social stigma associated with physical and learning disabilities for all age groups by creating a safe environment where the contribution of each person is equally acknowledged.

• The promotion of volunteering as a means to increasing engagement within the community, enhancing the use of community resources and raising confidence and self-esteem of our members.

Activities and Achievements

We started this year’s activities in April 2020 with the uncertainty surrounding the emerging Covid 19 pandemic.

In line with the Government’s instruction Mid Surrey Mencap closed all its services on 23[rd] March 2020. We applied for the Government’s job retention relief and secured Furlough pay for our employees. At the same time the Trustees took the decision to make up the difference of the 20% shortfall in salaries for a period of three months to ensure we kept our staff.

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The pandemic has been especially hard for adults and children with learning disabilities and more so for families and carers who have had to look after people without respite and external support.

People with learning disabilities require structure, hands on support and stimulation in order to understand the world they live in. For many who lack the ability to comprehend the pandemic and the need for lockdown this was especially difficult resulting in cases of isolation, mental health problems and challenging behaviour.

The hardship was especially evident in people residing in supported living houses where care packages relied on accessing daily activities from within the community such as day centres. With all services closed this group of people struggled with inadequate care and support in place.

All forms of income ceased in March 2020 with the closure of the hall and day centre. Mid Surrey Mencap was successful in applying to local authority and Government grants which enabled us to keep our charity afloat during the first lockdown.

Surrey’s Covid Infection Control fund allowed us to keep in contact with our members during the lockdown by offering emotional and practical support for those in need. We distributed work packs, held Zoom socials and telephone calls on a daily basis to ensure our people were not forgotten. Our day centre, Leatherhead Link, was one of the first services in Surrey to reopen for in premises support. On 5[th] August 2020 we reopened for small bubble groups using Covid grant money to create a safe environment for our members. Due to demand and referrals, we increased our opening days from two to four days a week to allow multiple groups to attend, keeping within Government guidelines. Throughout the pandemic Leatherhead Link has supported 39 people on a weekly basis.

Our staff worked extremely hard putting in place and carrying out good practice measures to limit the possibility of infection in the centre. The early months of opening were exceptionally difficult due to the people we support being emotionally affected and their skills clearly regressed. We are proud to report that throughout the months of August to March 2021 we had no cases of Covid infections at the Leatherhead Link.

During the second lockdown period, January to March 2021, we continued to support our members remotely. For families and care homes struggling with continued lockdown conditions we offered free access to the hall to small bubble groups to use the space, garden and equipment.

We reopened our day service on 5[th] of March 2021 for those able to return. For members who were required to shield we offered support with online access to our daily activities via Zoom, delivered work packs which they all enjoyed and kept in regular contact by telephone.

Our other services which are considered non-essential remain closed due to Covid restrictions.

Despite the difficulties associated with the pandemic we have managed to achieve some of our previous year’s targets.

• The groundwork to the garden was completed during the first lockdown period allowing the newly laid grass to establish before our services

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reopened in August 2020. This work was carried out by volunteers with materials donated by a local company, Bury Hills Topsoil, Dorking.

• Much of the work to convert the middle storeroom into a sensory/quiet room was completed during the second lockdown. The difficulties in getting building supplies and companies to install equipment meant that we did not fully complete this room by March 2021.

• The planned work to update the toilets was postponed until the next financial year. This delay was primarily due to the lack of available materials, the availability of skilled workers to carry out the work at weekends only to protect our day service members by limiting covid infection at the hall.

• We have increased our presence at local and national level by attending Zoom forums and taking part in the many surveys in connection with the pandemic and the affect it has had with learning disabled community.

• We have been successful in applying for grants which has been an enormous relief and a direct benefit to our members.

• We have started consultations with our members and other organisations about planning a fundraising campaign for a new building.

• We continued to offer free or subsidised place to members who through financial hardship could not afford to pay in full.

Plans for the future

• Our first priority is to complete the work on the sensory/quiet room and start putting the space to good use. With more wheelchair users requiring physical aids and several with profound and multiple disabilities requiring therapeutic support this room will be very welcomed. We thank NIBS – Wells Fund for awarding us a grant of £3,946 via our application through the Community Foundation for Surrey. This money will purchase a hoist and maintenance support package for the new room.

• Carry out the planned work to upgrade the ladies and gents toilets.

• We hope to replace the flooring to our main hall and foyer. The current lino was laid when the building was first built in 1961. This floor is well overdue for renewal and is becoming difficult to maintain.

• Secure funding to renew the driveway surface. The current concrete, original to the building, requires constant maintenance to keep safe for our hall users.

• We are currently conducting a survey with members and parents at a nearby School for children with special needs to explore the need in our area for a Saturday Youth Club. Over the past three years three well known clubs supporting families with this age group have unfortunately

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closed. Depending on the result of the survey Mid Surrey Mencap will consider opening a new Saturday club.

Financial Review

Commentary on the accounts

Our surplus for the year was £100,800 (2020 : £26,800) an improvement of £74,000, principally due to the £60,800 legacy we received.

Income increased by £55,000 to £163,200 (2020 : £108,200) Fees for day services and hall lettings decreased £33,200 and donations and fundraising income fell £5,700. Grant income however increased £33,100 and legacy income by £60,800.

Our total costs decreased by £19,000 to £62,400 (2020 : £81,400). Staff costs, net of furlough receipts of £22,800, decreased £19,100. Grant-related expenditure increased £12,300 and other running costs in total decreased £5,500. Refurbishment costs decreased by £6,700 to £3,500 (2020 : £10,200).

Unspent grants totalled £9,300 at 31 March 2021.

Fuller details can be seen in the accounts on Page 8.

Reserves

Our balance sheet shows unrestricted funds of £151,900 (2020 : £51,100), an increase of £100,800. Our reserves are held in accounts at Barclays, Virgin Money and United Trust Bank.

Current Year Outlook

Our activities this year have continued to be disrupted by Covid-19. Our financial position has remained strong and will allow us to continue to invest in our services and premises.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees consider the increased level of reserves as appropriate. Our activities and both our income and costs have increased again in this current financial year. We will maintain higher levels of reserves to cover our operating costs should our income reduce, or we experience delays in receiving that income.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustee’s report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:

Signatures

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Full Name

Sharon Lukey Cynthia Dendy Chair Treasurer

28 January 2022

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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Mid Surrey Mencap

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Mid Surrey Mencap

(the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the Charity, 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 Charity’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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

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:

Name: Dan Andrew CA

Address: South Terrace, Dorking

Date: 28 January 2022

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