Trustee's Annual Report - For the period 1/9/20 31/8/
Reference and administration details
Charity Name Maxi's Mates Registered Charity No: 1162442 Address Maxi's Mates Rescue & Rehoming Centre Carlin Howe Farm Redcar Rd Dunsdale TS14 6RG
Charity Trustees: Jane Galliford Secretary & Admin Michelle Cooper Chairperson Antonia Boyd Chairperson from 1/4/21 Lesley Jones Treasurer
Maxi's Mates is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The object of Maxi's Mates is for the benefit of the public to relieve the suffering of dogs in need of care and attention. We are dedicated to providing a safe haven for stray and surrendered dogs and to finding them their forever home. We firmly believe ALL dogs deserve another chance at finding that right home for them. We care deeply about dogs regardless of breed, age or whether they are sociable with other dogs or not. Maxi’s Mates will meet all their needs until we can find them their forever home and for however long it takes. We vaccinate, spay or neuter where possible and home check every home. Our mission is to protect our stray dogs and provide a safe place for as long as they need.
Maxi's Mates is governed by its Trustees and supported by small, working groups of volunteers. This year one trustee, Lesley Jones, was reappointed for a second term. In the year we employed 10 paid staff and had 20/30 volunteers due to restrictions on numbers beacuse of Covid 19 which increased steadily as restrictions laxed. Volunteers do a variety of roles including walking dogs, cleaning kennels and carrying out home checks. We also provide a practical learning environment for students from local colleges undertaking relevant studies.
Maxi's Mates are a not for profit organisation. We only keep reserves sufficient to cover the normal cash flow requirements of our ongoing activities with a buffer to cover unexpected costs. This year we have made some progress towards achieving the goal for our Reserves Policy to cover 6 months running costs. The impact of Covid 19 has shown this to be a conservative buffer to ensure our financial safety.
In 2020 Covid 19 hit us hard and these have been very worrying times since. We have worked hard to get through and every day has been a blessing that we have even survived so far with limited fund raising and without the public coming to kennels as they normally did. They always brought food, treats and even donated money when visiting but they have supported us thankfully with donating online or dropping food into our donation box outside the gates. Businesses and stores are now starting to have our collection boxes and this is starting to bring some funds in.
Our dedicated staff are still in operation with a rota and have 2 shifts per day 7 days a week. The kennels were still closed to visitors and student placements suspended throughout the lockdown period. We are still so very proud of the fact that we were able to keep going and that Covid 19 did not affect our dogs welfare in any way and to them it was the same care as normal.
We have worked hard to ensure that the strays of Redcar & Cleveland and Hambleton councils areas have been safe in the knowledge that we have not had to close and we continued safely reuniting strays all the way through. We also continued to take in owner surrenders and rehomed dogs following the guidelines to ensure we did this safely. Between 1st September 2020 and the 31st August 2021 we took in 273 dogs in total. We also took in 104 strays with 60 of those being reunited. We took in 165 owner surrenders and rehomed 187 in total from the dogs previously in our care and also unclaimed strays. We have continued to ensure that our dogs receive the best vetinary care as well as continuing our vaccination, flea and worming programme. We have also spayed and neutered where necessary and provided specialist vetinary treatment when needed.
This year we have made it a policy to spend as little as possible on any improvements where only essential works were done. The main aim of this year was to maintain the high standard of care and to keep costs to a minimum to ensure we remain open and there for
any dogs that need our help. We applied for and successfully gained covid support funding from the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes ( ACDH ) and Support Adoption for Pets ( Pets at Home Foundation ). Without this funding the past two years would have been even more difficult and potentially devastating for the Centre's future. We are extremely grateful for their kindness and support.
We have had the most awful year in loss. It is with great sadness I write that on 4/11/2020 we lost Maxi herself. She was around 10 years old and the reason Maxi's Mates exists. We came up with the name Maxi’s Mates as it all started with her when she was a stray dog living on the slip road of the A66, in Middlesbrough. She looked so much like my own dog that I had to help. I started a facebook page in August 2012 to pressure the dog warden service to set the trap they had as that was the only way she would have been caught. Doing this I met Michelle Cooper who helped with checking the trap and leaving food. The full story is on the Facebook page “Help desperate dog near A66 Middlesbrough”. She was successfully caught in September 2012. We then had an idea to help other dogs like Maxi and approached the local dog pound Waterfall Kennels. We thought that we could help them find homes by putting their profiles and photographs online. Maxi’s Mates was born 9th October 2012 on Facebook. We then set about getting them seen by the public, generating donations and food, plus volunteers to walk the dogs. Maxi was a beautiful girl that so many people were frightened of when she was living as a stray but she had the best life with her owners when they adopted her. She was the most special girl and an inspiration to so many of us. She was and still is much loved and greatly missed.
We are proud to say we are now an approved homing centre for retired Greyhounds. We applied and passed the inspection in December 2020 and satisfied the requirements expected by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Since then we have taken in 32 Greyhounds and successfully rehomed them into their first real home.
On 18/3/2021 we then lost Chairperson, Michelle Cooper, Trustee & Co Founder of Maxi’s Mates. She collapsed after an aneurism and despite the best efforts of North Tees Hospital where she worked as a porter and later being transferred to James Cook Hospital, she passed away.
True to her spirit in life she has given her organs as gifts to others so they can carry on living. Michelle leaves behind her devastated husband, son, daughter in law and grandson. Michelle was a huge personality and we will all miss her so much. She will live on in the knowledge that she was one of the founders of Maxi’s Mates and we helped so many strays find safety, and new families.
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Michelle was also a dedicated NHS frontline worker all through the pandemic working in awful circumstances to help save lives. For hers to end like this is just cruel. Words can't describe the loss we feel and we hope that Michelle is at peace. She will never be forgotten here at Maxi’s Mates.
We created a memorial wildlife pond in the honour of Michelle at the kennels.
She will always be part of Maxi’s Mates legacy, never forgotten and this feature will grow over the years into a beautiful space with lots of colour.
Michelle would have loved it, she had so much spirit, a force of nature herself. She was so proud of Maxi’s Mates and what we all have achieved. Loved coming up to kennels so much, her favourite place to be.
She is now looking after the other Maxi’s Mates dogs who’s ashes are buried under the paw stones.
A lovely tribute to a strong lady who helped make Maxi’s Mates what it is today. Alive in our memories forever.
We have been making plans and gathering quotes for a further grant from Support Adoption For Pets for 27k for the building of 6 kennels for the dogs that have been with us for a while. These 6 bigger, brighter, warmer kennels will make their living conditions so much better for them. The solid brick walls between each would have insulation so it's quieter and as most of the long termers are dog reactive, this would help sound proof as much as possible. Each kennel would have access to a secure area outside, with a hatch, so they can enjoy the sunshine or allow more air ventilation in. It would give them a choice to go outside or stay inside and not feel as cooped up.
All kennels will have switches to lights, heat lamps and the hatches to operate from outside the kennel which is also useful for the safety of the person if one of the dogs is difficult to handle. The flooring will all be concreted and tiled and a new sick bay which has separate drainage to enable isolation from any infection from the rest of the kennel dogs.
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Summary of the main activities & achievements of last year
The Trustees of Maxi's Mates have followed the Public Benefit guidance set out by the Charities Commission in all aspects of our aims and objectives.
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We have successfully remained in operation throughout the Pandemic helping reunite, rehome and provide a safe haven for our long term dogs that still need a home
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We have created a beautiful wildlife pond in memory of Michelle Cooper
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We have increased the number of dedicated volunteers that are now able to return due to restrictions lifting
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We have ensured that all dogs requiring vetinary care have received this and that all dogs are vaccinated and free from worms ticks and fleas
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We have retained our valued supporters and gained new ones who love what we are trying to achieve and do whatever they can to help us
Financial Review
Maxi's Mates is a not for profit organisation. We only keep reserves sufficient to cover the normal cash flow requirements of our ongoing activities with a buffer to cover unexpected costs. This year we have made some improvements to achieving some progress towards our Reserves Policy and increased our planned surplus to cover six months running costs. The impact of Covid 19 has shown this to be a conservative buffer to ensure our financial safety.
Miss Sharon Waters 8 Heddon Grove Ingleby Barwick Stockton On Tees TS17 OFT 26 June 2022 To whom It may concern, I confirm that l Completed MJx5$ Mat•s financlal accounts from the period 15optember 2020 to 31 Au8USt 2021. Yours slncerely, Mlss S Waters MAAT ACCA
MAXIS MATES PROFIT AND LOSS SEPTEMBER 2020- AUGUST 2021 CHARITY NUMBER 1162442 Donations £117,474 Council fees & Grants £ 16,574 Total £134.048 Expenses Gross Wages £60,279 Labour £910 Rent and Rates £16,489 Heat, Ll8ht and Power £6,068 Motor Expenses £4,036 Telephone £2,410 Stationary £1,074 Accounts fees & HR £3,166 Dog Beddln8 & Supplies £8.083 Vets £13,435 Subscrlptlons £133 Premises Expenses £4,324 Donations £1,593 Clothing Costs £1,207 Insurance £1,269 Depreciation £2,505 Total Expenses £126,981 £126,981 NET PROFIT £ 7,067
Miss Sharon Waters 8 Heddon Grove Ingleby Barwick Stockton On Tees TS17 OFT 26 June 2022 To whom It may concern, I confirm that l Completed MJx5$ Mat•s financlal accounts from the period 15optember 2020 to 31 Au8USt 2021. Yours slncerely, Mlss S Waters MAAT ACCA
MAXIS MATES PROFIT AND LOSS SEPTEMBER 2020- AUGUST 2021 CHARITY NUMBER 1162442 Donations £117,474 Council fees & Grants £ 16,574 Total £134.048 Expenses Gross Wages £60,279 Labour £910 Rent and Rates £16,489 Heat, Ll8ht and Power £6,068 Motor Expenses £4,036 Telephone £2,410 Stationary £1,074 Accounts fees & HR £3,166 Dog Beddln8 & Supplies £8.083 Vets £13,435 Subscrlptlons £133 Premises Expenses £4,324 Donations £1,593 Clothing Costs £1,207 Insurance £1,269 Depreciation £2,505 Total Expenses £126,981 £126,981 NET PROFIT £ 7,067