Fusion South Kerrier Trust 12 December 2024
Statement from the Chair
Our current operations remain legally correct in terms of our policies (primarily health and safety, and risk assessments) and insurance, and for the time being we continue an informal connection with Scripture Union. In the past year the Bus Project has made significant practical progress, with volunteers working on the refurbishment of our vehicle on Monday evenings throughout 2024 and more recently on the last Saturday of the month also. There remains much work to do, however progress is no longer piecemeal, but structured and presently focused on achieving an excellent mechanical standard of maintenance and refurbishment.
Last year we reported that we had produced a self-promotional video to encourage interest and support from local Churches, and from this recruited volunteers (24) and restructured our Bus Project Plan (which we continue to review). We communicate with volunteers weekly by email and more widely by posts on Facebook. We have a strong core of regular volunteers, mostly from one Church, for which we are grateful, but continue to look for other opportunities to broaden our appeal and achieve a wider engagement. Presently however, it is difficult to work productively if we have more than 4-5 volunteers at each weekly Monday evening or monthly Saturday session, this due to space, equipment, and knowledge. The support of a professional HGV mechanic has not yet materialised, but we are confidently working within our skills. Our knowledge has grown significantly and we have acquired a good level of equipment, but we are unable to change the space in which we operate.
Slowness in progress has in the past prevented us from making potentially serious mistakes, so while we desire faster progress, the old adage of more speed, less haste, generally holds good for the project. Within that we have this year made good progress with understanding function, stripping components and rebuilding the engine and systems that support it. This thorough process has led to the discovery of significant defects that with care and detailed maintenance we have managed to correct, often at minimal cost. It would be good to expedite progress further, but the base and facilities available are a constraint we need to work within. It also keeps us within the commitment to ensure that to the best of our ability we will return to the road a vehicle that is far less likely to experience mechanical breakdown. This best assurance of reliability is regarded as essential to maintaining the goodwill of volunteers, service users and the communities within which we will operate.
At the present rate of progress it is hoped we will be able to complete the mechanical refurbishment of the bus by the end of Summer 2025. We will then turn to the completion of the interior and preparation of bodywork. As previously reported when the bus can be moved under its own power to a commercial garage, any outstanding mechanical work will be completed, the vehicle MOT tested, and then taken for completion to a vinyl wrapper. As above we intend taking all prudent measures to reduce the risk of a breakdown when the bus is in service, and through our volunteers nurture a team with sufficient operational knowledge to be good stewards of the asset.
Since the beginning of the project we have received donations totaling £31,500 and we still believe our balance of funding to be at least sufficient to see us through the capital expenditure phase of the project. Our account balance at the end of November 2024 is £17,675.00, our expenditures in the past year relating primarily to replacement engine components.
Our continued thanks to the Alston family for the provision of space to work on the vehicle, for which the Trust continues to pay / owe £1.00 per day. As ever I am most thankful for the support of fellow trustees, volunteers and others who have kept faith with the vision for the Fusion Bus and helped in generating a new momentum for the project.
Mark Bayliss – Chair of Fusion South Kerrier Trust
Fusion South Kerrier Trust Accounts 2023-24
| Income Income Expenditure Bus repair Health & Safety Admin Storage rent Surplus for the year Surplus brought forward Surplus carried forward |
£ 0 1,804 209 106 365 |
|---|---|
| 2,484 | |
| -2,484 22,048 19,564 |