## **LOWLANDS FARM RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION** Registered under Charity Number 1169453 (A Member Group of Riding for Disabled Association Incorporating Carriage Driving, Registered under Charity number 244108) ## **Trustee Annual Report Financial Year ended 31[st] March 2022** Lowlands Farm Riding for the Disabled Association became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 3[rd] October 2016. The Constitution is the standard CIO Constitution of the Riding for the Disabled Association adopted at a meeting on 8[th] July 2016. The aim of the Charity is to provide disabled children and adults in Shrewley and the surrounding areas with the opportunity to ride and experience equestrian activities, to benefit their health and wellbeing. The Charity’s correspondence address is Lowlands Farm RDA Group, Lowlands Equestrian Centre, Old Warwick Road, Shrewley, Warwickshire, CV35 7AX. The activities of the Group take place at this address. The Charity’s bankers throughout the year were NatWest Bank, Royal Priors, 59 The Parade, Leamington Spa CV32 4ZX, as in previous years. The Trustees during the year to 31[st] March 2022 were as follows: - Miss Marisa Bretherton-Mackay – Chair (re-elected Chair 29[th] January 2022) - Mrs Louise Clarke – Treasurer (re-elected 29[th] January 2022) - Mr. David Ivens – Secretary (re-elected Secretary 29[th] January 2022) - Mrs Alex Claughton – Participant Representative (elected 19[th] January 2020) - Mrs Sue Mack – Coaching & Volunteers (elected 19[th] January 2020) The focus during the period under review has been to continue to develop post-COVID and build on the sessions on offer to our participants and to enhance our overall services; streamlining our practices and making the best use of the facilities, equines and resources available. Due to being able to return to activity comparatively early compared to many RDA Groups around the UK, post COVID (in early Autumn 2020) meant that during the period of this report, the group has managed to return to ridden activity at a level almost comparable to pre-COVID months. This has been thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and coaches in attending Spring refresher training in mid-April 2021 and in working to assist riders who were not able to return initially to be gradually welcomed back, and to start to consolidate each week’s sessions into more goal-based rider groups. This has meant a steady improvement in overall experience for existing riders but has also been invaluable in identifying possible vacancies in each session that might accommodate new participants to benefit from our services. As a result, 8 new participants – far in excess of LFRDAs expectations for growth – were welcomed to LFRDA. ## **Lowlands Farm RDA Group** Lowlands Equestrian Centre, Old Warwick Road, Shrewley, Warwick CV35 7AX ✉ info@lowlandsfarmrda.org.uk ☎ 07943 239003 **Registered Charity Number: 1169453** ## **Activities** During the period 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022, LFRDA delivered a total of 289 individual activities, consisting of: - 289 shared riding sessions, held on Saturdays, with up to four registered riders in each. ## **Competition:** In addition to scheduled ridden sessions on Saturdays, we were delighted to be able to enter a number of LFRDA participants to the RDA UK National Virtual Championships for Countryside Challenge and Dressage in September 2021 – the first competition opportunity post-COVID – which proved to be a real morale boost to all involved. LFRDA funds covered the entry fees for each rider entry. ## **Participants** - There were 28 registered participants in all - 16 of our participants were 17 and under - 12 were over 18 years of age - There were 8 new participants, across both age bands (1 over 18, 7 under 17) ## **Fundraising** Several loyal supporters/private donors once again provided donations during the year, but due to the lingering effects of lockdown during COVID, their fundraising activities had also been limited and impaired. It is expected that more proactive fundraising activities will be planned for the next financial year, to provide essential tack, equipment and upgrades. Servicing and maintenance of Charley (the ‘mechanical horse’) and the hoist - which are assets of Lowlands Farm RDA Group - is currently paid for, by agreement, with the RDA National Training Centre (LEC) in return for access for use by the centre’s own clients, at times when not in use by LFRDA Group. ## **Employees** The Charity has no employees but pays one self-employed coach per session on a service agreement basis (beginning September 2019) and is otherwise entirely reliant on voluntary helpers who are trained on a regular basis, according to RDA UK standards and policy. ## **Volunteers** During the year, 26 volunteers, who are now also Members of the Group, provided riding and fundraising support to enable the group to carry out its prime objectives. ## **New Coaches** In December 2021 we were delighted to congratulate three longstanding volunteers on their attainment of Group Coach status, following successful training and assessment against the RDA UK Coaching pathway. The Trustees have approved this report. Marisa Bretherton-Mackay (Group Chair) For and on behalf of the Board of Trustees 13[th] January 2023 ## **Lowlands Farm RDA Group** > ✉ info@lowlandsfarmrda.org.uk Lowlands Equestrian Centre, Old Warwick Road, Shrewley, Warwick CV35 7AX ☎ 07943 239003 **Registered Charity Number: 1169453** CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of FOR rtr£ 7) 14&LA k£COci *llOI On accounts for the year 8nd8d Isr 20 ? Charlty no lif any) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ('the Trusv) for the year ended Rasponslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basls of rèport of the accounts in accordance with the requirèments of the Charilies Act 2011 ('the ACV). I report in respeGt of my examinatson of the Trust's aGGounts Garried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in caryin9 Out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(bl of Ihe Act. I have completed my examination. l ¢onfim that no material m8tters have come to my attention I ") In connection wlth the examination whith gives ffle cause to believe that in, any malerial respecl.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord vlth the accounts'ng records Indopendent examlner's gtatement I have no con¢ems and have come across no other matters in connection wilh the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper underslanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the worrls in the brackets if th8y do not 8ppIy. Slgned: Date: 15- Namo: Relevant professional quallfication{s) or body {if any): F-C.A. CI6A£trV Address: 4A00￿m0￿￿o Cu0££ IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Only ￿mpIO1￿ rf the examiner ne￿IS to highlight matters of concern (see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guldance for examiners). Glve here brief details of any Items that the examlner wl8he8 to disclose. IER October 2018 Cs CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe pèrfod Irom To Section A Receipts and payments Uni8siriGt4d funds EThdowtnont funds to th* M¥•*t £ Rgstrtctod funds Total funds Lo¥t yèor to r￿•￿t £ to lh• n•aF••t £ io th• n•ar••l E A1 Ro¢•1 t$ Cknnallons Crants FuDd Fund 8.626 5.4 hoT5E sharès Jncorne 12.239 846 Other Ineo Sub tot81(Gross income forAR) 20,88S 8,2fj1 A2 As$gt and Inv•stm•nt •il•s. g9• table Sub lot41 Totalrnc•lpts 20.885 6.281 A3P ment6 035 480 063 Co6t ol Sjpport ¢ts¥i$ iopèlf9 & ryttn¢olconwuior Support coBts uIprt￿nt lor hM•oni Support ¢ostJ . vc4unt¢efs ¢0616 Supwrt ccstj - 4thln & ollt• C￿lI Bank And Other ehBr 874 505 711 368 711 10 Sub toial 14zn 15.277 A4 Asset and Inv8stm•ni purchas&8, Isoe table) Sub tolol Tolalpaymenls 15.277 15.277 6,000 Net of recelpts/(p8yment$) AS Tran$f¢rs betweèn funds A8 Cash funds last yearend C45h funds this y•ar •nd 5.608 5,608 281 1 5,225 20,833 15,225 14,944 15,225 P.y. F( IL CCXX R1 a￿Ou￿18 ISSI 1511112022 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrp5trirtEd funds io r*ar*xt£ Restri¢ied funds Endowment fund5 to neèrwJt £ B1 Cash fund$ tt4*St Cuirènt Cash In ha￿sIn￿* a¢e(¥Jni Tot&lcash fvnds 20.834 Resirfct•d funds Endowment I￿ndS to DB•r•81 £ funds nMi•st E to Mw•st £ B2 Othor monetary o$$*ts SirW fund$ tyJt Curr•rtt valts• OPlloMI Dct.ill- Currorn vDIug ¢pti4ntyl Details B4 A5sots r•talnod lor th• harl¢y'ty us• r*stt*L•J J.846 F￿low￿r* du• Detalls B5 Uabllttles Swned by on8 ortwo Iru$tees OTr beh8W of 811 th? truste85 JTralure Prit Name Datt of approv CCXX R2 8(uunts ISSI 151111202?