## **Chair's Report** This is the **16th Annual Report** of **Bolton Neuro Voices** , covering the period **April 2025 to March 2026** . Founded in 2013, Bolton Neuro Voices has benefited from the dedication and commitment of its founder and previous leadership, who worked tirelessly to establish and develop the charity into the organisation it is today. We remain grateful for the strong foundations that were laid during those years. Our Annual General Meeting was held on **10 June 2026** , followed by our annual Summer Lunch. We were delighted to welcome **36 people** to the event, making it an enjoyable opportunity to reflect on the year's achievements and spend time together as a community. ## **Aims and Objectives** Bolton Neuro Voices provides a unique and valued service that is not currently available in the surrounding areas. As a result, we support not only people from within Bolton but also members from neighbouring communities who travel to access our services. Our membership extends beyond the Bolton area, with individuals and carers attending from locations including Preston, Bury, Warrington, and other surrounding areas. This reflects the importance of the support we provide and the need for a dedicated forum where people affected by neurological conditions can access information, share experiences, and connect with others in a supportive environment. ## **Exercise Activities in 2025/26** Our main regular activities are Wednesday hydrotherapy sessions at the Sir Jason Kenny Leisure Centre and Monday dry exercise sessions at the Bolton Arena Leisure Centre. These take place approximately over three terms of 10 weeks, The members contribute £40 each per term and this is subsidised by the charity through the generous support of our donors. Our hydrotherapy continuation programmes ran for a total of 30 weeks with 2 classes and a regular attendance of between 16 and 25 per week. This year in total we have had a total of 600 class attendances. A successful new partnership with the University of Greater Manchester has been in place since September 2024 to provide specialist physiotherapy support under the supervision of Anna Zeimer (Senior Lecturer) and supported by two dry side volunteers and a lifeguard from the Sir Jason Kenny Centre. ## **Exercise Activities in 2025/26** Our main regular exercise activities continue to be the Wednesday hydrotherapy sessions at the Sir Jason Kenny Leisure Centre and the Monday dry exercise sessions at Bolton Arena Leisure Centre. These programmes are delivered across approximately three 10-week terms each year, providing members with consistent opportunities to participate in safe, structured physical activity. Members contribute £40 per term towards the cost of these sessions. However, the true cost of providing these activities is subsidised by Bolton Neuro Voices through the generous support of our donors and supporters, enabling us to keep the sessions accessible and affordable. During 2025/26, our hydrotherapy continuation programme operated for a total of **30 weeks** , with **2 classes running each week** . Attendance remained strong, with an average weekly attendance of between **16 and 25 members** . Over the course of the year, we recorded a total of approximately **600 member attendances** , demonstrating the continued importance and value of our activities. The activities at Bolton Arena that take place on Wednesdays have suffered from reduced membership. The participants have typically been **4 members** each week with intermittent volunteer assistance. We have continued to benefit from our successful partnership with the University of Greater Manchester, established in September 2024, which provides specialist physiotherapy support under the supervision of Senior Lecturer Anna Zeimer. This support is further enhanced by the contribution of two dry-side volunteers and the dedicated lifeguard support provided by the Sir Jason Kenny Leisure Centre. This partnership continues to strengthen the quality of our exercise programmes, ensuring that members receive safe, effective, and professionally supported activities tailored to their needs. I would like to thank all our members, volunteers, Trustees, and supporters for their patience, commitment, and dedication during this period of change. Together, we look forward to building on our achievements and continuing to provide valuable support to our community. We are particularly grateful to our dedicated pool dry-side volunteers for their continued commitment and faithful service. Without their support, our hydrotherapy activities would not be possible. Their assistance plays a vital role in ensuring that sessions run safely, smoothly, and effectively for our members. We would like to express our sincere thanks to our faithful volunteers: - Thaira Qureshi - Christine Lee - Denise Shakespeare - Marie Parkinson We recognise that the limited availability of volunteers represents one of the greatest risks to the long-term sustainability of our charity, even more so than financial challenges. However, thanks to the commitment and dedication of our existing volunteer team, we have been able to maintain an organised and effective rota, ensuring that members continue to receive the support they need while also managing the demands placed on our volunteers. **Social Activities** Supportive social contact remains a valued and popular part of Bolton Neuro Voices’ activities. Throughout the year, we organised opportunities for members to come together, strengthen friendships, and enjoy time within a supportive community environment. Our annual Summer Lunch was attended by **31 people** , while our Christmas Lunch at Bolton Golf Club was attended by **61 people** . These events provide an important opportunity for members to socialise outside of our regular activities. They also allow us to invite our donors and volunteers as special guests, giving us the opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for their generosity, commitment, and ongoing support of Bolton Neuro Voices. ## **Trustees** The Trustees continue to work hard to build confidence in their respective roles. We are now in a much stronger position, with a clearer understanding of both the organisational structure and the administrative responsibilities involved in running a charity such as Bolton Neuro Voices. This has placed us on a firm footing as we look ahead to the coming year with optimism and renewed confidence. There have been no changes the trustees of the charity, however we did have to cope with personal and health challenges that meant some duties had to be taken over by others. Our less centralised management structure proved to be sufficiently resilient in these circumstances. Our founder Dr Marie Oxtoby has remained as a valued adviser to the trustees. The composition of the Trustees will change from September 2026 as we have had one resignation and one new appointment as secretary. The new appointment will maintain the governance of the charity and support its continued development. The Trustees held formal meetings in April, September, and January, alongside regular informal communication throughout the year through face-to-face discussions, email, WhatsApp messages, and telephone conversations as required. This ongoing communication has supported effective decision-making and ensured the continued smooth running of the charity. The trustees of Bolton Neuro Voices are as follows: - Thaira Rasheed Qureshi (Chair) - John Gyves (Deputy) - Neil Germaine (Treasurer) - Chas Andrews, - Marie Boardman - Kathleen Delaney - Alan Lyons. - Dave - Shelley Radcliffe ## **Financial Summary** We are most grateful for the assiduous work of our treasurer Neil Germaine who continues to manage the many and frequently irregular transactions that are necessary for our charity to operate in a sound and publicly accountable manner. The attached Finance Report shows an **annual income of £9,195** of which £5,001 came from donations while the remainder is made up of user contributions and payments for social events. The trustees raised the member contributions in September 2025 to £50 for the autumn term to include insurance costs that are paid in October and the £40 for the spring and summer terms. Our **total expenditure was £10,570** and this demonstrates the long erosion in our financial position however we remain able to meet all ongoing costs and keep an adequate reserve. We had a notable grant of £1856 from Bolton Community Voluntary Service in June 2025 and we continue to benefit from thoughtful charitable donations from local trust funds and individuals. ## **Bank Account** We experienced significant disruption that was beyond our control from our bank. At the outset our account was blocked without notice for 3 weeks whilst security procedures relating to authorised signatories was addressed. This was apparently a result of recent government requirements however it was poorly managed, and the situation lasted from December 2025 until a financial resolution in May 2026. The disruption cost us a sponsorship and to date we have just 2 authorised signatories to the account, which is being addressed. ## **Conclusion** As Chair, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all our members and their carers, our wonderful volunteers, our generous donors, our physiotherapist, Anna Ziemer, and her students, as well as our trustees, for their continued commitment and invaluable support of Bolton Neuro Voices over the past year. It is truly humbling to witness the courage of our members, the faithful dedication of the volunteers and the discreet donations that we have received. ## **Thaira Qureshi Rasheed** ## **Chair of Bolton Neuro Voices** ## **28[th] August 2026**