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2021-03-31-accounts

Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee Annual Report 2020 – 2021 Registered Charity No: 1172048

Dovecote project is a Community led project set up in 1996 delivering inclusive, engaging, integrated and effective services meeting the needs of disadvantaged young children and families. Also, to make effective use of The Dovecote Centre – a purpose-built building for young children and family activities built as part of the Single Regeneration Project for the development, Greater Leys. The building is owned by a local housing consortium. The Dovecote is seen as a focus point providing support to families, a place to build positive lasting friendships and for

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some children a place to escape the daily tension and anxieties of family life, along with being a base providing activities and services tailored to meet the needs identified by local residents

Play is a critical way child come to understand themselves and the world around them.

Play is a vital component of a child’s life.

A child’s capacity for positive development will be inhibited or constrained if denied access to a range of stimulating play opportunities.

Through play children explore their physical and social environment, ideas and concepts, and learn how to deal with situations that trouble or frighten them. Through play children learn what cannot be explicitly taught.

Play is to be ranked outside education in terms of its fundamental role in enabling children to engage positively with the complexities of the world around them.

The Need

Our project focuses on Blackbird and Greater Leys estates (the Leys); with a population of over 13,000 people in eight Super Output Areas. The 2015 Indices of Deprivation placed the Leys among the 10% most deprived areas in England. There are 5,100 households living in the Leys, nearly one in five is headed by lone parents, over double Oxford’s average. Over 50% are under 29; over 40% of children live in poverty affecting their educational attainment. Over 50% of residents have no or low qualifications (22% Oxford average). While 41% of working age adults’ work in low skill routine or semi-routine occupations.

Need for local accessible good quality support is supported in The English Indices of Deprivation 2019 Oxford City Results https://www.oxford.gov.uk/downloads/fle/6758/indices_of_deprivation_2019_oxfor d_report

Oxford remains the most deprived of the five Oxfordshire districts. Over the same period Cherwell has become relatively more deprived and South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire have remained similarly ranked.

Oxford has one LSOA within the 10 per cent most deprived areas nationally (Northfield Brook, Oxford

Why Dovecote Children & Families Project is Important

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There are very few initiatives engaging with families in Greater Leys. The Dovecote centre is based in the centre of the estate is the only provider of out of school play facilities for young children and children with disabilities aged 4 to 14 years old, along with being the only provider of these schemes for children aged 4 to 8 across the Leys estate with an estimated population of 1153 within this age range.

As a community owned and run project, we have been fortunate to have the ability to flex in order to meet the needs of the Leys community. We provide holistic services that meet the multiple-needs of local residents, build trusting relationships, provide low-cost services and attract people that are highly committed to making their community a better place to live.

Achievements to Date

The guiding principle underlying all our work is consultation with, and involvement of children, young people and families. A key aim is to maximise the use of the Dovecote a valuable community resource. For Dovecote to be vibrant, fun, local community resource owned by the community in which it seeks to serve – whose lives it enhances.

Focus of our project is providing young children including children with disabilities, young people and families’ access to affordable good quality, safe, secure play and social opportunities and experiences not normally accessible and access to them. When the new estate was established, consultation took place with local residents. The need for stay and play sessions and out of school play facilities was identified along with family social and parenting support groups. The outcome of the consultation was the creation of the Dovecote Voluntary Parent Management Committee made up of local parents who developed the Dovecote project, which has been successfully running for 22 years working with over 1000 families.

With the commitment and dedication of the Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, volunteers and staff currently we have achieved the following project developments in the 23 years we have been operating:

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Volunteers play a vital part role in the running of our project. Without their help and commitment there would not be a Dovecote project. All activities are offered to families at below cost to ensure accessibility and affordability to all young children and families living in the Leys. It is encouraging to see young children develop; many have gone on to become volunteers helping in our project. Several have been supported to access training to become qualified play workers working in our schemes before pursuing a career in child care. Our current board of trustees consists of two young men, former users of the Dovecote from the age of 4 years old along with helping deliver services on a volunteer basis for several years. We feel the value of our project is best attested to by the users themselves;

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Click on the following link to view a video of Dovecote project https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ai_I5Lg34BY&list=PLG3qKpQvraECmbUB7_ZziPO7l9nI2vTS2&index=1

Project Management

We the Dovecote Voluntary Parent management committee receive regular reports from the Children & Families Services Manager Carol Richards. We hold up to six business meeting per year along with training and informal meetings taking place when required. Committee is elected at our AGM. Accounts are prepared by a qualified accountant and signed off at our AGM. Day to day activities of the project are managed and developed in consultation with the committee by Carol. Children and young people play a lead role in planning and development of project. We also employ two part-time afterschool club play workers and have a good bank of regular seasonal play staff. Stay and play sessions are delivered by volunteers Maureen Sim and Alison Logan, supported by Carol. We also have a very good network of parents/carers and supporters who are always willing to help when they can.

The Objects of Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee are;

The Objects of the CIO are:

Our Contact Details

Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee, Registered Charity number 1172048,

Dovecote Centre, Nightingale Avenue, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, OX4 7BU - Tel: 01865 712299 Mobile: 07974234661

E-mail: leysdvpc@hotmail.com Website; www.dovecoteproject.com facebook:leysdvpc

Ofce Hours

Monday to Thursday 9.00 am until 4.30 pm.

Trustees

Rachel Partlett – Chairperson; Amie Prior – Secretary; Jacob Brain, Tara Collier, Craig Logan, Hilary Miles and Dwayne John

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Dovecote Team

Carol Richards: Children & Families Services Co-ordinator Amanda Mackenzie Play Leader Sharon Bishop Play Assistant Along with a range of seasonal staff throughout the year

Playscheme Staf

Kady Wenborn Play Leader Amanda MacKenzie Assistant Sharon Bishop Assistant

Mr Peter J Stevenson, MA FCA, has independently examined our accounts

Chairs Report

I am pleased to present our annual report for 2019-20 albeit very brief. The past twelve months have been challenging to say the least. Local residents of the Leys have been hit pretty hard by the pandemic’s long economic fallout.

The pandemic will have a lasting HARMFUL impact on the mental health of families, children and young people for many years to come.

The Furlough scheme introduced by the government in April last year has been a live saver for our project. It enabled us to retain our current staff and pay essential wages to families to keep a roof over their heads, feed their families and pay essential bills. Along with help secure the delivery of our project

I would like to say a huge thank you to all Trustees for their valued input and huge contributions to the on-going success of the project. Without their dedication and commitment which is very much valued and appreciated, there would not be a Dovecote project.

Last but by no means least a thank you to our Children’s and Families Service Manager Carol Richards for her commitment, drive, and continued hard work she has given and continues to give the project

Treasurers Report

2020/21 financial accounts have been prepared by Peter J Stevenson MA FCA our accountant for many years now.

I would like to reiterate what our chair Rachel has said, without the government furlough scheme we would be in a very bleak financial situation. Had this support not been available we would have no doubt had to have made staff redundant.

It will be an extremely challenging time ahead for our project as it will be for most local charities and voluntary organisations raising the necessary funds to delivery vital services to vulnerable families.

We are fortunate to have secured the necessary funding need to allow our project to continue until March 2022. This includes a three-month project wind up period

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and employers’ responsibilities (see attached). Children & Families Services Manager is working very hard to secure long term funding for the project.

Secretary

Even more so this year, it is an honour, as Secretary, to be presenting this report on the activities of the Dovecote Children & Families project over the past 12 months. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all members to our Annual General Meeting tonight. The goal of my report is to outline the activities, achievements and development of our project and future vision and aspirations going forward

The past year has been very challenging to say the least! Despite dealing with a Global Pandemic, we were able to continue supporting vulnerable children and families albeit it very limited. What services we were able to deliver, i.e., half term playschemes, some afterschool club sessions, delivery of art and craft resources and some food parcels were very much appreciated by children and families.

Last but by no means least a huge thank you to our cohesive, enthusiastic, dedicated Trustees who work hard and give their time despite busy hectic lives to keep this vital project going for the community of the Leys, a nationally recognised area of disadvantage

Easter & Summer Playschemes

I’m sure you will not be surprised to read that sadly both schemes were not able to run this year due to the pandemic. Instead, we were put together and delivered 35 art and craft activity packs for current and past users of our service. Along with provided these families with some foodbank packages of food to these families.

We effectively delivered two half term playschemes for children aged 4 to 12 years old, October half term and Christmas. Children had the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of activities and experiencing supporting their learning and development in a safe secure environment. Our schemes also provided children with an opportunity to discuss and explore the impact of the pandemic on them and their families. We focus on this during each scheme to firstly give children the opportunity to talk about the impact on them and secondly to enable us to better understand their needs and that of the families we support. Unfortunately, offsite activities were not possible due to the pandemic .

Afterschool Club

We worked with several agencies to put together a comprehensive Covid-19 risk assessment along with procedures to ensure our users safety along with provide parents/carers with confidence in our ability to keep their children safe. This resulted in us being able to re-start our afterschool club at the beginning of October. Delivering three sessions per week. This was the earliest the landlord of our building (Catalyst) would let us re-start our project.

To our surprise many of our regular re-engaged with us quickly. In spite of many of our families and children struggling with having the confidence in feeling safe and motivated. Children and parents' anxieties have sadly become much higher with many experiencing deep depression as a result of the pandemic. After several weeks of running, we are pleased to say that along with our regulars we had two new children join us.

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We were all set to restart our afterschool club after the Christmas break but unfortunately due to the latest lockdown which includes the closure of schools, we are unable to restart.

We closed our doors March 18[th. ] As the country went into lockdown for the first time. After months of negations with Catalyst Housing we were able to reopen 6[th] October. It was so nice to see the return of many of our regulars. It was also very sad to see the negative impact the pandemic had on many of the children’s confidence and motivation. Due to a large rise in Covid-19 cases at Windale primary school with all but reception and one other year not at home isolating we sadly had to close for the month of November. Our reopening in December was very much welcomed and appreciated by parents and children. Little did we know that this would be the last month we would operate for the remainder of the year.

Stay & Play

Sadly, we have not been able to deliver any stay and play sessions for 20/21. This sadly will have a lasting devastating impact on the mental health of many parents especially new parents who have not had the support and ability to socialise with other mums. Baby’s born during the pandemic may have not met anyone accept their parents. Social support from friends, family, community groups and professionals is normally considered vital not only because it provides infants with variety, stimulation and opportunities for learning, but also because it is good for the wellbeing of parents, on whom babies are so dependent.…

Aim of Stay and Play sessions

Be Healthy Much of the play, especially for the older children, is physically active at sessions helping develop physical health. Additionally, there is a very strong ethos of promoting healthy eating, with snack time consisting of only fruit, which

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develops a healthy lifestyle and encourages the parents to support the children to follow a healthy lifestyle. Through playing, learning and developing in a supportive environment, where parents are helped to promote these activities, children are nurtured and remain mentally and emotionally healthy. Stay Safe Through playing with their children and enjoying time with other parents, parents’ bond better with their children and develop support networks to help them cope with parenthood and learn new skills, which will reduce the occurrences of maltreatment, neglect and violence. Enjoy & Achieve Through both structured and unstructured, children become more socially independent and socially able making them ready to engage fully in school when they are old enough. Through these same process’s children are able to develop personally and socially while enjoying recreation. Make a Positive Contribution Stay and Plays are social environments where children are encouraged to develop positive relationships with other children and behave appropriately in play. Through play children are encouraged to be more independent which helps them develop self-confidence.

Funding

See attached 2018/2019 financial report prepared by Peter Stevens, MA FCA

Equal Opportunities

We are fully committed to caring for children in a multi-cultural/racial community. We give the following undertaking and declare that:

We will treat the children in our care with equal concern and without prejudice to their Religious persuasion, racial origin, cultural background, gender, disability or special needs.

The Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee is committed to taking positive and proactive steps to ensure that we provide a safe and caring environment, free from discrimination for everyone in our community; we provide facilities that promote and reflect cultural and social diversity and are equally accessible to all.

We are proud of our record of success in including children with various specific physical intellectual or behavioural needs in our activities and we are fortunate to have a very good partnership with the Parasol Project. Parasol is based on the belief that children with disabilities are children first. With the help of enablers provided by Parasol, we are able to better meet the needs of children with disabilities in our playschemes.

Acknowledgements:

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all the people, groups and organisations who have contributed to the continued success of the Dovecote projects over the past year. Without your help and support the Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee would not have succeeded in continuing to deliver good quality, low-cost play experiences and opportunities for the children, including children with disabilities, young people and families living in one of Europe’s largest social housing estates Blackbird Leys.

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Finally

A huge thanks to all our staff for the great job they do providing a fun, happy, friendly, welcoming, secure, challenging and stimulating environment for the children, young people and families of the Leys!

ALSO BIG THANKS TO:

The Trustees and Members of the Management Committee All our wonderful volunteers; Maureen Sim, Alison Logan, Jamelia Tansley

Catalyst Housing Group Oxford City Council Oxford University Oxford Food Hub National Lottery Community Fund St John's College Pye Charitable Settlement Unipart PF Charitable Trust Christ Church University Cumber Family Charitable Trust All Souls College City of Oxford Charity Queens College St Peter's Church Wolvercote Tambour Foundation Blackbird Leys Parish Council Doris Field Trust Oxfordshire Community Foundation

All our funders for their valuable support

Peter Stevenson for examining the accounts All parents and carers of our users and children and young people who make it all worthwhile!!!!!

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Restrlcted U nrestrlcted 2021
Funds Funds Totals
£££
INCOME
Grants and donations 26,500 11,882 38,382 61,071
Activities for generating funds:
Fees and hirings 0 3,551 3,551 12,161
Cther income
Furlough payments 29,028 29,028
Interest 21 21
TOTAL INCOME 26,500 44,482 70,982 737318
EXPENDITURE (Note 3)
Fundraising and publicity 0 2,010 2,010 2,559
C haritable activities
staff costs
Activity oosts
Property costs
Office costs
Professional faes
Charitable donations
Sensory garden		 21,971
1,379
3,150
0
0
0
1,394		 18.363
0
0
317
895
250
0		 40,334
1,379
3,150
317
895
250
1,394		 44,687
6,219
3,150
497
870
150
TOTAL EXPEN DITURE
27,894 21,835 49,729 58,132
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
-1,394 22,647 21,263 15,184
Funcl8 on at 1 st April 2020
1,394 86,843 88,237 73,053
Total funds c# at 31st March 2d21
€o fi oo,4eo fi og,49o
£88'237

2021 2020
Note £ £
FIXED ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors and prepayments
Bank deposit a/c
Cash at bank and in hand
133,908 1 11 ,714
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Deferred income 23,628 22,460
Creditors 790 24,418 1,017 23,477
NET CuRRENT ASSETS 109,490 88,237
NET ASSETS
£88,237
FUND BALANCES
Restricted I
Designated

2021 2020
4. Debtors ££
Payments in advance: insurance 500 500
5. Creditors
Deferred income: grants
HM Revenue & Customs
Other creditors

TOTAL
Balance b/f, 1.4.20
Income 1,394
0
Less; expencliture
Balance c/f, 31.3.21		 1,394
`3i5

Rectri cted U n rest ricked
Funds Funds
£ £
INCOME
Grants and donations 49,759 11,312 61,071
Activities for generating funds:
Fees and hirings 12,161 12,161
Other income
Refunds and miscellaneous
Interest
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENDITURE
Fundrai§ing and publicity
2,559
Crlaritable activitl.es
Staff costs
Activi.fy costs
Property costs
Office costs		 40,390
6,219
3,150		 44,687
6,219
Professional fees 0 3,150
Sensory garden 0 497
150 870
150
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
49'909
OO'13Z
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
-150
15,184
Funds b/f at lst April 2019
1'544
73,053
Total funds c/f at 31st Marsh 2020
£1,394
£88,237

2020/21 2019/20
££ ££
INCOME
Fees 1,081 7,686
Rentals 0 2,005
Grants: Oxfordshire County Council 0 1,964
Grants: Oxford City Council 14,000 14,650
Grant: BIackbird Leys Parish Council 500 1,800
Grant: Awards for All 10,000 10,000
Grant: Gannet Foundation 0 8,645
Grant: Oxfordshire Community Foundation 2,050 0
Grant: Tambour Foundation 3,739 0
Grant: Catalyst Housing Group 0 6,500
Other grants and donations: restricted 2,500 6,200
Other grants and donations: unrestricted 5,593 11,312
Furlough payments 29,028 0
Building Management fees 2,470 2,470
Bank interest 21 70,982 84 73,316
EXPENDITURE
Wages
Training, travel and subsistence
Services Coordinator: salary + Nl
Fundraisjng fee
Sensory Garden (grant fun
Equipment, workshops & t		 8,280
54
32,000
2,010
1,394		 12,322
162
32,203
2,559
150
Rent 1,219 5,725
Insurance 2,600 2,600
Accountancy and bookkee
Payroll charges
Inspection and DBS check f		 550
400
495		 550
400
470
Telephone
26tn anniversary donation
Miscellaneous		 126
317
250		 494
4e9
34 49,729 0
28		 58,132
SuRPLUS FOR THE YEAR

Restrlcted U nrestrlcted 2021
Funds Funds Totals
£££
INCOME
Grants and donations 26,500 11,882 38,382 61,071
Activities for generating funds:
Fees and hirings 0 3,551 3,551 12,161
Cther income
Furlough payments 29,028 29,028
Interest 21 21
TOTAL INCOME 26,500 44,482 70,982 737318
EXPENDITURE (Note 3)
Fundraising and publicity 0 2,010 2,010 2,559
C haritable activities
staff costs
Activity oosts
Property costs
Office costs
Professional faes
Charitable donations
Sensory garden		 21,971
1,379
3,150
0
0
0
1,394		 18.363
0
0
317
895
250
0		 40,334
1,379
3,150
317
895
250
1,394		 44,687
6,219
3,150
497
870
150
TOTAL EXPEN DITURE
27,894 21,835 49,729 58,132
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
-1,394 22,647 21,263 15,184
Funcl8 on at 1 st April 2020
1,394 86,843 88,237 73,053
Total funds c# at 31st March 2d21
€o fi oo,4eo fi og,49o
£88'237

2021 2020
Note £ £
FIXED ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors and prepayments
Bank deposit a/c
Cash at bank and in hand
133,908 1 11 ,714
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Deferred income 23,628 22,460
Creditors 790 24,418 1,017 23,477
NET CuRRENT ASSETS 109,490 88,237
NET ASSETS
£88,237
FUND BALANCES
Restricted I
Designated

2021 2020
4. Debtors ££
Payments in advance: insurance 500 500
5. Creditors
Deferred income: grants
HM Revenue & Customs
Other creditors

TOTAL
Balance b/f, 1.4.20
Income 1,394
0
Less; expencliture
Balance c/f, 31.3.21		 1,394
`3i5

Rectri cted U n rest ricked
Funds Funds
£ £
INCOME
Grants and donations 49,759 11,312 61,071
Activities for generating funds:
Fees and hirings 12,161 12,161
Other income
Refunds and miscellaneous
Interest
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENDITURE
Fundrai§ing and publicity
2,559
Crlaritable activitl.es
Staff costs
Activi.fy costs
Property costs
Office costs		 40,390
6,219
3,150		 44,687
6,219
Professional fees 0 3,150
Sensory garden 0 497
150 870
150
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
49'909
OO'13Z
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
-150
15,184
Funds b/f at lst April 2019
1'544
73,053
Total funds c/f at 31st Marsh 2020
£1,394
£88,237

2020/21 2019/20
££ ££
INCOME
Fees 1,081 7,686
Rentals 0 2,005
Grants: Oxfordshire County Council 0 1,964
Grants: Oxford City Council 14,000 14,650
Grant: BIackbird Leys Parish Council 500 1,800
Grant: Awards for All 10,000 10,000
Grant: Gannet Foundation 0 8,645
Grant: Oxfordshire Community Foundation 2,050 0
Grant: Tambour Foundation 3,739 0
Grant: Catalyst Housing Group 0 6,500
Other grants and donations: restricted 2,500 6,200
Other grants and donations: unrestricted 5,593 11,312
Furlough payments 29,028 0
Building Management fees 2,470 2,470
Bank interest 21 70,982 84 73,316
EXPENDITURE
Wages
Training, travel and subsistence
Services Coordinator: salary + Nl
Fundraisjng fee
Sensory Garden (grant fun
Equipment, workshops & t		 8,280
54
32,000
2,010
1,394		 12,322
162
32,203
2,559
150
Rent 1,219 5,725
Insurance 2,600 2,600
Accountancy and bookkee
Payroll charges
Inspection and DBS check f		 550
400
495		 550
400
470
Telephone
26tn anniversary donation
Miscellaneous		 126
317
250		 494
4e9
34 49,729 0
28		 58,132
SuRPLUS FOR THE YEAR