Volunteer Action Fletton House Fletton Way, Glapthorn Road Oundle Peterborough PE8 4JA Tel: 01832 275433 E-mail: admin volunteeractionoundle.or Web Site: www.volunteeractionoundle.org.uk Volunteer Action Annual Statement Registered charity no. 1161080 15tApril 2023 to 31st March 2024 Mission Volunteer Action's mission is Volunteering to improve the lives of local people in need" Strategy This mission is fulfilled by running a Community Car Scheme, Befriending Services and launched new Group Befriending activities. Operational Artivity Demand for our services This 12-month period has seen another increase in demand for the car scheme, partly due to an increase in NHS appointments at Hospitals. Miles driven increased to 131,814 (previous year 126,945), fulfilling 12,308 (14,604) passenger trips. We introduced a Membership Fee for the Car Scheme of £24 per year and have seen 498 paid members as of the end of 23124 financial year. We are continuing to support a small number of the community with a weekly shopping service, where we shop for our members and deliver to their house, restricted to the most vulnerable. Over 60% of our drives are for medical related appointments. Our Befriending service has seen an increase in demand for our services and the proportion of face-to-face to telephone befriending is 81%. The number of members on the befriending scheme remains steady at 68. We have launched a monthly Group Befriending Event which supports 76 members in East Northants and a further 43 members in rural Corby. Group Befriending is a new project we have been invited to join as part of the Countywide Befriending Seniice which extends our reach to include Corby. Northamptons Cornmu•ityFwndallon Q¢g&tor&d vThih Masonic Norfh REGULATOR Z CoLmcU
Runnlng the services It would be impossible for VA to deliver its services without its volunteers. The number of volunteers across the three schemes is 136. Administration and management VA runs an administration operation close to the centre of Oundle. Staffed by four part-time employees and one full time (FTE 2.8}. A loyal group of 8 office volunteers who usually work on a one-day a week basis. These volunteers have contributed to 904 hours within this year. Apart from the normal activities of a small charity. the main workload is the weekly task of receiving bookings for drives and then matching them with drivers. In addition, the befriending service is supported by one administrative volunteer and a volunteer assessor who visits people who have been referred. We have continued to supply monthly invoices and have seen an increase of member payments being received via BACS payment- however the majority are still on the phone via card. There is a150 a trustee body of 6 volunteers contributing approximately 350 hours per year. Community car scheme Recruiting volunteer drivers for the Community Car Scheme has continued to be difficult. During the year we used nearly 68 different drivers. We paid our drivers 45 pence per mile for their mileage, including home to pick-up point. Our passengers pay the same rate, but only for the passenger return mileage. An annual membership fee to join the car scheme was introduced in September 2023 to new members and existing members from April 2024 to support increasing operational costs and keep the cost of the rurally located passengers, invoices subsidised. We provide training for our drivers on subjects such as manual handling, lone working and safeguarding. Both passengers and drivers generally thoroughly enjoy the opportunity for conversation, contributing towards reducing loneliness and social isolation, over and above getting the member out of their house. We estimate volunteer driver hours at approximately 11,6913 pa (based upon the average journey/wait time of one hour) Befriending & Group Befriending Befriending volunteers contribute approximately 2,978 hours pa. We have a team of 61 volunteers across the three schemes. Rlsk Assessment The charity maintains a wide range of risk assessments in relatlon to both the services we provide to our members and to our administrative operations. These are reviewed on an annual basis or as required. Northam Cornmun nshire Masonic opth t4orthrmplon Coun¢ll FR .4151',Ifi
Financlal matters Income and expenditure VA receives its income from a range of sources- Local Authorities, NHS, donations, fundraising and contracts. Salaries are the largest expense, howeverthere are office costs including rent, IT, administration and we continue to fund the cost of mileage to get drivers to members, pick-up points. In a large rural area, this is a key consideration. During the year we achieved a surplus of £9,876 due in part to the new Group Befriending project income and an increase in grant applications to help support the Charitable purposes. Reserves In the Trustees, view, the reserves should provide the charity With adequate financial stability and the means for it to meet its charitable objectives for the foreseeable future. A number of significant risk factors for the future have been identified, including the uncertainty of future statutory funding from local government and the NHS. This continuing uncertainty over the level of funding and increasing day-to-day operational costs remain a key focus for the Trustees. Taking these factors into account, the trustees have determined to maintain the charitws reserves at a minimum level of six months running costs plus associated wind-up costs. Public Beneflts The trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. Rural isolation and loneliness are well known to be closely associated with poor mental well- being and we know that our services help tackle this. Older people value independent living, and we can help maintain that for longer by providing a reliable way to get to vital appointments or just getting the shopping. Bus services have been withdrawn entirely through most of our surrounding villages and are very limited in the two small market towns we support. These same issues are also alleviated to some extent by our befriending scheme. In addition to the services provided, VA offers an opportunity for volunteers to engage with their communities and contribute towards the success of a highly regarded and service. For many it provides the opportunity to be a valued member of a team and maintain a more artive retirement. Maintaining that balance is a key ethos of our thinking. Location Our eligibility covers addresses in a largely rural area of approximately 340 square miles incorporatlng more than 50 villages and 2 small towns. We are fortunate to have drivers throughout most parts of this, however matching members to local drivers or befrienders is a constant challenge and contributes to running costs. Norihamptonshtye CommUnltyF¢jnda1tsl1 Masonic ftqg1steiwmh REGULATOR ¢uun¢ll
Governance The charity has been a CIO since 2015. Recent recruitment of trustees has been by application from people who bring the skills needed to run the organisation. The 2023-24 board comprised: Mr Stuart Anderson- resigned January 2024 Mr Peter G Burrows - resigned January 2024 Mrs Val Chesser- Resigned January 2024 Colin Brown- Resigned November 2023 Ms Moira Froggatt Mr Charles Wallace {Treasurer} Mr David Cashmore {Chairl Mr Lloyd Martin {Vice-Chair) In 2023-24 we appointed Mr Richard Allinson Mrjohn Pick Signed on behalf of the board of trustees: F&)rthaMpionshi CommunityFovndatlo Masonic North RÉfjUiATOR C•un¢il
VOLUNTEER AcnoN RECEIPTS AND PAYMEbJTSACCOUNT Forthe paiod from 1st Awij 2023 to 31st March 2024 arltyNunkner. 116110) RECEIPTS MErnb•rppYThts Annwl K1ernbÈr£F••l 48,215 7A16 45>97 7.416 ,136 6r¥rts -carxtr¢rn•tur 4AY 7.670 NNC-Otsry•nts NHS AVFr Ottrir4ts 74 7J204 6EDEMIdc¢i¥ FA¢rdsurount 274 18J74 PaInktrIE Z75Q 7$0 410 Quk&Frf FwthWryevent5 1797 4p5 i0.aE7 JOA PAYMENTS 71785 cts v•n5b)h•(NESr1 1723 4L4U 1723 52. 75 PAIE5 357 72 495 752 4253 4.348 591 11252 laJ36 4n 119 iY2 Stsff &trÈthkn5r 4x61 41 379 S.7$0 nkthary•5 451
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlner's Report Report to the trustee81 members of VOLUNTEER ACTION On accounts for the year ended 31 MARCH 2024 Charlty no (if any) 1161080 Sot out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Ihe above charity (Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 3110312024. Responsibilltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basls of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act.). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515Xb) of the Act. I have completed my examlnatlon. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with Ihe examination which gNes me cause to believe Ihat in, any material respect: accountlng records were not kept Sn accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examlnerfs statement I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with Ihe examination lo which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delele the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Slgned: Date: qIL4 Name: MR GRAHAM DARBOURNE Relevant professlonal qualification(s) or body (if any): FCA Address: THE OLD TOWN HALL, MARKET PLACE OUNDLE PETERBOROUGH, PE8 4BA IER October 2018 Scanned wlth CamScanner-; cs
S•cllon B Oisclosur• CWiplel8 N tho examirw needs to h)hIh1 mallef¥ rf eoncem ($8e CC32. Jependent examinatA of tharity 8cwJnts: directr •rMJ 9uthne• lor examiners). Glv• h•r• brhl d•tall• of any It•ms that th• •xamln•r wlihm to dliclos•. IER October 2018 Scanned wlth CamScanner-; cs