Annual Report of The Dengie D-Caf 1st October 2021 – 30th September 2022
A. Reference & administration details
The Dengie D-Caf was established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 19th October 2015, registration number: 1164014 Address for correspondence: 19 Garden Close Althorne, Essex CM3 6BP
B. Structure, governance & management
Chair and Organiser – Cristina Franchi until 22[nd] June 2022, Karen Butler from 23[rd] June 2022
Trustees: Secretary Kirsty Finch until July 2022, Treasurer Alexandra Southcomb until 1[st] June and continued as Trustee, Barry Butler took over as Treasurer from 2[nd] June, Jane English became Trustee on 1[st] June 2022 Under our governing document, we are required to have a minimum of three trustees.
This was the year we started to recover from lockdown and restart our monthly sessions indoors. We continued to follow our COVID 19 policy, agreed in March 2020 to ensure the health and safety of our members and volunteers.
The Dengie D-Caf is a small, local charity that is volunteer led and run. We have no paid staff. The Chair co-ordinates the volunteers and organises the social media page and monthly sessions. All our volunteers have regular Disclosure and Barring checks to ensure compliance with our Safeguarding policy.
This year has been a year of change for us, not only were we recovering from lockdown, our Founder, existing Chair, of Trustees and Organiser, Cristina Franchi and her partner, Peter Argall, a Dengie D-Caf volunteer, emigrated to Australia moving away on 23rd June 2022 and our second Trustee, Secretary Kirsty Finch relocated to Dorset in August 2022. Cristina organised a handover meeting on 1[st] June and Karen Butler, an existing Dengie D-Caf volunteer with experience of organising Dementia Cafes, agreed to take over as Chair of Trustees and Organiser. Subsequently Karen recruited 2 more Trustees to remain in line with Charity Commissions requirements and 2 volunteers to ensure sessions run smoothly and safely.
The Chair reports back on the sessions to the trustees in a quarterly meeting and in-between via telephone when necessary. One of our new trustees is also a very experienced Dengie D-Caf volunteer and she approves new memberships as needed. Trustees also approve activities chosen by our members every January to ensure they promote awareness of the organisation and of people living with dementia in our area, relationships, referrals and requests from other professionals and charities working locally, and any expenditure. The Chair reviews training needs and the trustees approve and agree of any update needed to policy documents as required.
The Chair also renews the website registration, updates the website and social media pages and files the annual return to the Charity Commission.
The Dengie D-Caf continues to be a paid member of The Maldon & District Community Voluntary Services (MDCVS) which enables us to publicise our group throughout Maldon and the Dengie peninsula, to make use of their Disclosure & Barring Service for new volunteers and to keep ourselves updated about developments locally and nationally. They also offer training for volunteers locally such as Dementia Friends training and other useful courses. The Dengie D-Caf is part of Connect Well in the Maldon district, which both publicises the support we offer as well as enabling us to accept referrals from other members.
The Chair is the main point of contact and responds to telephone calls and messages. As well as existing members, The Dengie D-Caf is contacted by people wanting more information about dementia. They are signposted to local services as appropriate and sent information leaflets supplied by Dementia UK, Alzheimers society and other local organisations.
C. Objectives & activities
The Dengie D-Caf aims to promote a good quality of life by supporting people living with dementia, their carers, family and friends. The Dengie D-Caf dementia support group members normally meet on the first Wednesday of every month and restarted these indoor meetings October 2022. The main aim is to provide a safe, welcoming space and to actively listen and engage with all members. Activities are chosen by the group to reflect their interests and histories and to promote living well with dementia. We provide support and information to carers as well as to those living with dementia.
D. Achievements & performance
We moved to a brand-new venue, still in Burnham on Crouch as our local council offices remained closed. This new venue was larger and had more facilities including a fully accessible toilet and more parking. We had many visitors from local agencies including Alzheimer's society, a local day centre for people living with Dementia and had continued support from United-in-Kind Coach, Amy Melton. We enjoyed our Christmas party and were pleased to be able to receive gift bags made up from local donations organised by United in Kind plus a selection of small personalised gifts for all. We held our usual planning session in January with our members and volunteers to choose their activities for each session in the next 12 months and their outings for the summer months. We took our members to lunch at a local golf club, we also visited a local garden and a local vineyard where our members and their carers enjoyed lunch and a talk about English wines. This was hugely popular and we agreed to repeat it next summer. We participated in the annual Burnham Art trail as usual and one of the participants and one of our volunteers organised a visit to her studio and a cream tea in her garden.
As all our carers have Smart phones, the Chair set up 2 WhatsApp groups in November 2022, one for volunteers and one for members to be able to
share tips, concerns and contact a friendly voice for support in-between sessions. Also, the Chair uses this as a reminder for the monthly sessions and any news or events that occur in-between the monthly sessions that would benefit or be of interest to our members. These groups have been popular and are well used. Permission was sought from everyone to share contact numbers to ensure compliance with data protection.
We received funding via Maldon & District Community Voluntary Services (MDCVS) for a bi-monthly Dementia Friendly cinema showing which commenced in March 2022 showing appropriate films in a Dementia friendly local setting. During the summer months, in order to maintain good numbers and secure additional funding, these film viewings were also opened up to people living with Dementia in the wider community with local care homes and day centres for adults with learning disabilities also participating.
During the year 1 member passed away. As at September 2022, we had a total of 20 members made up of 11 people living with dementia, 7 family members/carers and 2 bereaved carers. Our members were mostly in their 70s and 80s. As well as dementia and other memory issues some had Parkinson’s disease, COPD, chronic asthma, epilepsy, and diabetes.
E. Financial Review
The biggest challenge by far for us this year has been the lack of access to our bank account due to the need to change our signatories after 2 trustees and signatories moved out of the area half way through the reporting year. During this time, the new Chair and treasurer funded the D Caf from their own savings plus we did some fundraising in the form of a Quiz Night. This quiz night would be instrumental in funding our Christmas party.
Sources of funding
We started the financial year on 1st October 2021 with an opening balance of £2785.05, being made up of £2588.01 in the bank and £197.04 in the petty cash.
During this year, Dengie D-Caf signed up to Easy Fundraising, a free initiative where many retailers donate a small percentage of the contributors purchases to a chosen charity. We regularly publicise and encourage our members and their families and friends to use Easy Fundraising and select Dengie D-Caf as their chosen charity when shopping online.
A total of £2654.82 in donations was received : including in October the Burnham Golf Club donated £2400 from Captain’s chosen charity and a £100 donation was received from St Andrews Church, Althorne.
In November a donation of £31.63 was received from two of our members, Vin and Jean Lomas. Burnham Golf Club donated a further £23.19 in March 2022, and two more members, Kath and Roy Harmer donated £100 in August 2022.
Total expenditure for the year was £1,083.17 , made up of £982.04 via bank and £101.13 from petty cash.
Closing balance was £4356.70 , of which £4260.79 in bank and £95.91 in petty c a sh.
Burnham Town Council continued to support us by printing out the newsletter and any other printing we needed.
Our main expenditure this year has been for hire of the Church Hall, outings and insurance, Christmas presents and in the second half of the year the outings to Burnham Golf Club and Clayhill Vineyard. Our reserves policy for the next financial year will be to continue to hold £1500 to cover one year’s insurance and basic running costs.
F. Declaration
Overall it has been a challenging year for The Dengie D-Caf, with the need to manage the change of Leadership with our founder and Chair emigrating, and one trustee relocating to Sussex from Essex, the need to recruit new volunteers and trustees and the period of lack of access to our bank account. However, our members, and the trustees are satisfied that in this time we have managed to both adapt and make the necessary changes for the smooth running of The Dengie D-Caf and to have continued to successfully meet our aims and objectives.
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees report above.
Signed: Full name: Karen Butler Position: Chair and Organiser Dengie D Caf
Date: 29th June 2023
D Caf Accounts October 2021 to September 2022
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Opening
balance £2,588.01 £40.46 £2,628.47
Income Petty Cash
Date Description Source Amount Descrption Amount
1st October Donation Burnham Golf £2,400.00
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| 17th OctoberDonation | 17th OctoberDonation | Althorne Chur | £100.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Oct | £2,500.00 | £0.00 | ||
| 15th NovembDonation | Vin and Jean | £31.63 | ||
| Total Nov | £31.63 | £0.00 | ||
| Total Dec | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| Total Jan | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| Total Feb | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| 10th | Donation | Burnham Golf | £23.19 | |
| Total March | £23.19 | £0.00 | ||
| Total April | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| 17th May | ||||
| Total May | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| 16th June | ||||
| 1st June | ||||
| 6th June | ||||
| Total June | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||
| 18th July |
| Total July | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th August | |||
| 16th August Donation | K and R Harm | £100.00 | |
| Total August | £100.00 | £0.00 | |
| 16th September | |||
| Total Sept | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| Yearly Total | £5,242.83 | £40.46 | |
| Income | £2,654.82 |
All income
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Payments
Refresh Stationary Insurance Gifts Outings Workshop
and Postage supplies
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| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £ | 16.60 | 104.25 | ||||
| 36.42 | ||||||
| £200.00 | ||||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.60 | £340.67 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £7.75 | £16.56 | |||||
| £7.75 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £4.25 | £10.20 | £16.56 | £30.00 | |||
| £4.25 | £10.20 | £16.56 | £30.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £16.56 | ||||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £16.56 | ||||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £16.56 | ||||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £16.56 | ||||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |
| £16.56 |
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £16.56 | |||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| £16.56 | |||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £16.56 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| £12.00 | £10.20 | £165.64 | £370.67 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
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Balance
Premises Website
Mar Dec 22
Maldon CVS
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| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £ | 5,088.01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £ | 5,119.64 |
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £ | 4,762.37 |
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £4,738.06 | |
| £200.00 | ||||
| £200.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £4,477.05 | |
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £4,483.68 | |
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £4,467.12 | |
| £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £4,450.56 | |
| £191.53 | ||||
| £32.00 | ||||
| £0.00 | £191.53 | £32.00 | £4,210.47 |
| £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £4,193.91 |
£0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £4,193.91 |
|---|---|
| £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £4,277.35 |
|
| £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £4,260.79 |
|
| £200.00 £191.53 £32.00 |
£4,260.79 |
| Expenditure thru Year end Petty Cash Total funds |
£982.04 |
| £4,260.79 | |
| £95.91 | |
| £ 4,356.70 |
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Opening Petty Cash
Balance 2021/2022
£197.04
Date Income Expenditure
Description Amount Description
8th Stamps
13th Meeting supp
12th Insurance fee
26th Photocopying
26th Milk and hand
26th Jacaranda Flo
27th Church Hall f
October £0.00
9th Milk, Rachel
9th Stationary (S
10th Donation Mrs £20.00 Church Hall f
10th Donation Mr £1.00
November £21.00
8th Donation Mrs £20.00 Church Hall f
7th Milk
December £20.00
Church Hall f
January
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9th nation Mrs Ha £20.00 Church Hall f
10th Donation Bev £150.00
February £170.00
March £0.00
8th milk
April £0.00
11th Balloons
11th milk
Easter eggs
May £0.00
June £0.00
milk
Supplies (bisc
Postage
Afternoon Tea
July
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Milk ugust September £0.00 £211.00 Total Income
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TOTAL
Amount
£10.20
£19.34
£20.00
£7.49
£4.70
£35.00
£20.00
£116.73 £80.31
£12.69
£9.37
£20.00
£42.06 £59.25
£20.00
£1.85
£21.85 £57.40
£20.00
£20.00 £37.40
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£20.00
£20.00 £187.40
£0.00 £187.40
£2.50
£2.50 £184.90
£5.00
£1.68
£11.16
£17.84 £167.06
£0.00 £167.06
£2.50
£3.90
£3.50
£60.00
£69.90 £97.16
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£1.25 £1.25 £95.91 £95.91 £0.00