Holsworthy Day Companions, Charity no: 1171699 Scout & Guide HQ, Well Park, Holsworthy EX22 6DH
Currently open: Wednesdays 12 noon to 4.15 e-mail: holsworthydaycompanions@outlook.com Tel: 07798 520675 Postal address .... Hensleigh, North Tamerton, Holsworthy. EX22 6SF
Manager: Mrs Anne Jose
Holsworthy Day Companions continued to try and attract new members during 2023 but there is still reluctance of the elderly to socialise following Covid. Behaviour patterns have changed and they have developed new routines etc that they are reluctant to change. This trend has also been seen in other similar local charities and even in the most popular local weekly coffee morning. Added to this is the chronic shortage of suitable and available transport. This has a very detrimental effect on the socially isolated and taxies are financially unviable for most.
Regular clients attending improved slightly with between 7 to 9 every Wednesday. Despite the low numbers, we continued supplying the same service as always, taking them out to Christmas dinner and putting on seasonal ‘special’ lunches in January. The usual soup and a roll was replaced, by request, many times during the year with fish and chips, much enjoyed, by the members request, by eating straight out of the paper! Pancakes cooked on site were extremely popular, with everyone having several at the same sitting and an extra ‘pancake’ day by request in May!! The Folk group from Bude came and entertained us a couple of times and although we put on a cream tea and advertised, no outsiders came. One of our Volunteers does Karaoke once a month with an option for those that don’t like singing, to play games instead. We had one trip out to Homeleigh, Launceston which was hugely popular, and another to Cotehele. Everyone wished we could have as many trips as we used to do pre Covid. We had a sequence dance as fundraising with Simon Inch one evening and again, wished we could do more. Trips out etc are dependant on ‘outsiders’ joining us to help with the costs, and we used to have lots of locals pre Covid but they have not joined us since.
Our fees have stayed at £5. As we are all volunteers, so no wages to pay, the increasing numbers of clients does now cover the hall rent but not the other unavoidable expenses which are currently being covered by pre Covid fundraising. We knew this would happen and hoped to attract someone to help with a grant application but that hasn’t happened yet.
The fall out from Covid continues to have an impact on us, not only with client members but also with committee and volunteer numbers.
It is clear that the transport .. a mini bus with escort .. that we had the use of for many years and was withdrawn from us by Social Services in 2017 together with the lack of referrals from them and the Covid reluctance, is having a very detrimental effect on the numbers attending..
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| E | E | ||
| INCOME LESS DIRECT COSTS |
1 2 |
2,339 (2,778) |
2,317 (3,098) |
| LESS ADMINISTRATION | (438) (2,241) |
(r81) (1,62e) |
|
| LESS CAPITAL ITEMS | 0 | 0 | |
| (LOSSYSURPLUS IN PERIOD | (2,679) | (2,410) | |
| BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD | 1g,0gg | 20,499 | |
| BALANCECARRIEDFORWARD | 18^089 | ||
| BEING REPRESENTEDBY: | --=iqm | ||
| BANK | 15,345 | 18,024 | |
| CASH | 65 | 65 | |
| OTHERS | 0 | 0 | |
| 15,410 | 18,089 |
| NOTE | 1 | INCOME | 31.12.23 | 31.12.22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECEIPTSFORCLIENTS | 2,134 | 2,017 | ||
| DONATIONSANDGRANTS | 205 | 300 | ||
| 2,339 | 2,317 | |||
| NOTE | 2 | DIRECT COSTS | ||
| MEALS | 1,143 | 954 | ||
| RENT | 1,560 | 1,694 | ||
| OUTINGS | 75 | 450 | ||
| 2,778 | 3,098 | |||
| NOTE3ADMINISTRATION | ||||
| TELEPHONE | 718 | 585 | ||
| REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS & KITCHENWARE | 125 | 54 | ||
| ADVERTISING | 664 | 12 | ||
| ACCOUNTANCY | 276 | 552 | ||
| SUBSCRIPTIONS | 35 | 35 | ||
| INSURANCE | 397 | 365 | ||
| SUNDRIES | 26 | 26 | ||
| 2,241 | 1,629 |