Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1[st] February 2022 To 31[st] January 2023
Charity name: Broadlands Group Riding for the Disabled (RDA)
Charity registration number: 1170398
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To provide regular year-round therapeutic equine therapy including horse riding and carriage driving for children and adults with disabilities. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
The trustees are dedicated to the public benefit that our charity delivers to children and adults with physical, learning and mental health disabilities. We provide experienced coaches and volunteers, and 11 suitable ponies for riding and driving for our 55 weekly participants. Our activities take place in a tranquil rural 20-acre site surrounded by mature woodland and accessible public byways. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | We do not make grants. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | We aim to break-even as a charity with our operating expenses and revenue, and to seek and use externally sourced donations and grants to finance capital improvements and our significant maintenance workload. |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | Our volunteers are key. Individual riders and carriage drivers require up to 5 trained volunteers/coaches in attendance for the session. |
Further, our volunteers undertake most of the equine care, feeding and exercise, and we have an estates volunteer team who look after the stables, riding school, paddocks, trees and fences. n/a Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | We provide all our participants with a recurring experience which enables them to achieve physical, social and confidence goals set by themselves and/or our team of coaches and volunteers. We monitor the benefit and progression that equine therapy provides our participants. We keep our volunteers and supporters in touch with activities and developments at the Centre and share our successes with them. With the addition of carriage driving and outreach therapy, we broaden the range of participants we can work with who are limited by location, mobility, age or weight. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
For the year 2022/23, we set and achieved the following objectives: Activity levels exceeding pre-Covid levels. Financially break-even (or better) on operating costs and revenues. Carriage driving with disabled carriage drivers commenced, and 1 new Coach trained and certified. Source and purchase an additional Shetland pony for outreach work. Replace the asbestos roofing on the stables. |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | We exceeded our budgets for charitable activity funding, and for capital projects, in the 2022/2023 year. |
| Investment performance | Para 1.41 | n/a n/a |
against objectives nla Other
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | £95,000 of operating income against £85,000 of operational expenses, with a further £84,000 of grant and donation income partly expended as £29,000 on capital and maintenance projects in the year. This resulted in year-end reserves of £12,000 (Unrestricted) and £71,000 (Restricted). |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Post Covid, to build reserves to cover 3-6 months of operating expenses by 2024/25, with 2022/23 35% of this (£8-16k). |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | Restricted: £71436 Unrestricted:£11686 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | n/a |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | n/a |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | None. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 |
1. Donation, legacies, and grants 2. Contributions towards riding/driving costs 3. Commercial and individual sponsorship 4. Trading activities 5. Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | We do not as a practice hold monies for investment. Our aim is to build reserves to a modest level, to break-even operationally, and to spend restricted grants and donations fully on restricted projects. |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | 1. Another lock-down 2. Significant illness among our pony stock. |
| Other |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | At each AGM, one third of trustees retire and can be re-elected by the meeting. They retire in rotation, longest serving first. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 |
All trustees are DBS checked and receive training on Safeguarding and Child/Vulnerable Adult Protection. |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | Broadlands Group RDA pays an annual license to Riding for the Disabled, but the two charities are independent of each other. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | At each Board of Trustees meeting, trustees declare any conflict of interest including relationships with related parties, and action is taken accordingly. |
| Other |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Broadlands Group Riding for the Disabled (RDA) |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | Broadlands RDA. Broadlands Equine Therapy and RDA |
| Registered charity number | 1170398 |
| Charity’s principal address | Lower Paice Lane, Medstead, Hampshire, GU34 5PX |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnthonyWilliams | ||||
| Anne Thomlinson | Treasurer | |||
| Suzanne Stratford | ||||
| Sharon Rafter | ||||
| Neil Stratford | ||||
| Richard Benton | ||||
| Sarah Vey | ||||
| Ian Gibson | ||||
| Sara Mason | Vice Chair | |||
| Nigel Hoppitt | Chair | |||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser |
Name Address |
Name Address |
|---|---|---|
| Financial | Victoria Efstathiou | Applewood LLP, St Mary’s House, Church Street, Bentworth, GU34 5RD |
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Richard Benton
Position (eg Secretary, Trustee Chair, etc)
Date
23/10/2023
Ccl TIJ
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Broadlands Group Riding for the Disabled On accounts for the year 31/01/2023 Charity no 1170398 ended (if any) Set out on pages (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 / 01 / 2023 .
- Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis 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 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Date: 30/3/2023 Name: Victoria Efstathiou Relevant professional FCCA qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 8 Holland Drive, Medstead, Hampshire, GU345TD
1
October 2018
IER
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
2
October 2018
IER