**Annual Report, 2025**
The year has been another full one, with continued consolidation of all our activities. Those that were slow to recover after Covid are doing well, so our Film Shows and our Dementia Friendly Memories are thriving, and continuing to provide a much needed respite for some. We were also delighted to be the Proud of Bucks winner for North Bucks from the Winslow and Villages Community Board.
We have added a new service of a free Prescription Delivery to our provision, run by a new Committee member, Chris Moran. We have about 8 clients benefitting from this, and it is also another example of our external partnerships, this one with Jardines, our local excellent pharmacy. Our thanks to Rachel there who works so hard to keep our local people with the medication they need.
Our partnerships with Winslow Lions, Rotary and the Patient Support Service continue also to be thriving. As an example, recently we helped a young disabled lady who had moved to Winslow with 3 young children, and arrived with virtually nothing, and bare floorboards throughout the house. Together we have furnished the house and are now looking to lay floor coverings for her. We could not do this alone, but with our partner organisations, anything is possible. Thanks also to Patricia and Winslow Community Library for giving us the free use of their premises for many of our events and being so welcoming.
We continue to attract previous customers to become volunteers also, including some with anxiety states who now are doing really well, and enjoying giving back to others. What a great way of helping everyone! Having trust in such people and giving them the support they need to relearn life skills is also rewarding for us too.
One of our other fairly new schemes is the Equipment Service which is now well used, both by donors and recipients. This service is for short term use only, but we often discover other needs whilst engaging with the clients, that we can also help them address. Our thanks to Winslow Show Association and Rotary for their generous donations, which helped purchase a new wheelchair and provide a maintenance budget for this too.
Some of our existing activities are now also accessed by those living in the villages, and this could be more if only the villages would adopt some form of car scheme like we have, so that passengers could get to Winslow.
The Telephone Befriending Service has undergone major change this year, with the retirement of Marilyn Fairclough, our trainer and befriender supporter. We shall miss her expertise greatly. However, we have developed a Big Society link for the service with 3W/ Swan practice, which Christine Dodds is doing for us and also linked with Abi Jackson at 3W, who now does much of the early visiting and checking of potential befrienders.
Diana Slevin who ran the car scheme for us has also retired this year, and we thank her for the sterling service since its inception over 10 years ago, and were delighted to have our 10[th] anniversary celebrations of the car scheme this year too. It was a great event.
We were sad also at the loss of many of our clients over the winter, and we realise how dear they are to us as volunteers too. We continue to try and support their grieving partners with our services where we can. These losses include Philip Herrington who was the reason for our first ever car journey for his dear wife Mary, who has become a friend to so many of us. I am also conscious of the emotional toll on our volunteers as a result of these losses, and hope we support them enough too. We have attended many funerals this year, and have also been so grateful for the funeral donations to the Big Society that we never dreamed of.
Without our 130 volunteers, none of this would be possible. Every month I hear stories of how they have gone the extra mile for clients, calling home via the pharmacy for them, advising them on getting a ramp, and even a dogs safety belt so that a dog can be carried safely in our wheelchair car. The committee have also decided that following a
successful Christmas drink, we need to do more informal social events to keep our volunteers well supported, as well as big events. So I’d be glad to hear your views on maybe quarterly social events etc at this meeting. I am also aware of how many new friendships have been formed through volunteering and meeting people of a like mind.
Going forward, we are also going to have a further promotion of our ICE cards this year, as we are aware of the increasing vulnerability of our clients. We will be asking all our activity leaders to do this with their clients at some point this year. My suggestion is a fun activity when we all fill them in together, volunteers included, as we could be the one sustaining a fall.
We have repeated our induction training for with 2 well attended sessions in the year, and have a first aid one booked for April.
Financially we remain sound, and are now able to put money aside for the day when we need a new wheelchair car, as well as for other events, and resources needed for our activities. Thank you to all those who have contributed financially in any way.
Our committee has changed a bit this year, with the advent of Chris Moran, Ann Lynch and Sarah Cawdell coming onto the Committee helping us with admin and our not very robust systems for filing etc. I thank all our hardworking Committee so much. Their enthusiasm, ability, support and friendship is second to none.
I have also made the decision that at the next AGM in 2026, I shall stand down as Chair. It’s now time for a new leader to take us forward. I will continue to run the activities that I do and help in any way I can., But I know it’s time to let someone else take the reins.
Vron Corben
Chair,
January 2025.
## **Winslow Big Society Group**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for Year Ending 31st December 2024**
|**Income**
Winslow Community Car Scheme
(1)
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle
(2)
WBSG Events
(3)
In Memoriam Donations
Other Donations
(4)
Savings Account Interest
**Total Income**
**Expenditure**
Winslow Community Car Scheme
(1)
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle
(2)
Public Liability Insurance
WBSG Events
(3)
Publicity & Printing
(5)
Admin Expenses
(6)
**Total Expenditure**
**Represented By**
**Bank Balance per Bank Statements 31st December'24**
Treasurers Account (WCCS Income received Dec re Jan)
**Balance Brought Forward as at 1st September 2023**
Treasurers Account
Savings Account
**less Creditors outstanding**
Cash in Hand
Wheelchair Car Account
**plus Debtors outstanding**
Wheelchair Car Acct (Income due but not yet received)
**Balance Carried Forward as at 31st December 2024**
Treasurers Account (WCCS Cheque received Dec not banked)
Treasurers Account (BACS payment not made)|1,894.40
9,953.35
2,057.40
1,734.60
934.45
105.30
893.14
7,869.27
553.88
2,447.84
500.46
421.25
1,037.06
75.00
3,189.36
6,971.38
-6.00
-2.00
2.00
165.20|**7,438.34**
16,679.50
12,685.84
**11,432.00**
11,272.80
159.20
**11,432.00**|
|---|---|---|
## Notes
- (1) Winslow Car Scheme Bookings have increased over the last year, which has resulted in a surplus this year of £1.000 mainly due to drivers not reclaiming mileage expenses
- (2) Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle surplus on account is due to Access to Work arrangements where we were driving a Winslow resident to work each day. This has now stopped, so we expect to break even in future years
- (3) This is the income and costs of all our projects.
- (4) Equipment Store donations from grateful users - £100 Winslow Rotary re budget to cover maintenance costs on equipment held - £200 Winslow Show re New Lightweight Wheelchair £400 Donations re lifts to COVID clinics - £54
General Donations from two grateful clients of our services - £175
- (5) Printing Trifold Leaflets plus other general printing costs Publicity - St Laurence Church Festival
- (6) AGM Costs, Website Hosting, Winslow ABC
## **Accounts Prepared By :**
**Treasurer :** Zoe Sutherland **Date :** 13th February'25
The above Income and Expenditure Account has been prepared from the books and records of the Winslow Big Society Group together with information provided by the Treasurer.
I am of the opinion these accounts have been prepared in accordance with the information produced and in accordance with the society rules.
## **Reviewed & Approved By :**
**Independent Examiner :** Louise Eldred **Date :** 13th February'25