## **Kennington Memory Club Registered Charity number 1179830 Trustees' report for the year ending on 30[th] September 2024** ## **Purpose and Public benefit** The objects of the Charity are to assist in the care of persons with the mental and physical illness of dementia in, near or within easy reach of Kennington, Radley and Abingdon in Oxfordshire and persons who are in need of respite as a result of such illness, by the provision of facilities for day care and recreation in a safe and stimulating environment. The charity helps older people and provides relief for those in need. The beneficiaries are predominantly older people with a diagnosis of dementia, living within the area defined above, and who are members of the Kennington Memory Club (KMC). Their regular carers and/or family members who look after them also benefit by virtue of the respite the day care sessions provide and access to support and advice. The charity is set up specifically to meet these needs and provide these benefits. ## **The Day Centre** Kennington Memory Club was operating for the full year October 2023 to September 2024. The numbers of members attending varied over the year. Full capacity was now a maximum of 12 and there were an average of 10 attending on a Monday and 7 on a Thursday, so efforts were made to publicise the places available and to enlist the good offices of the Dementia Advisors to recruit more members. Sadly a few members could no longer attend the Club for varying reasons and we were finding that some new members were too far on along their dementia journey when they joined to be able to settle in to the new environment, so their attendance was short-lived. The message we were putting out was that people with dementia should be trying out the Club sooner rather than later, when they had a good chance of appreciating the new surroundings, new activities, new people to get to know, etc. Carers have seemed to hang on until they themselves were pretty desperate for respite before visiting the Club. During the year a programme of monthly craft sessions continued, much appreciated by members. We also welcomed pianist Emma, sometimes accompanied by her children, to provide more interactive singing sessions than following along to a recorded CD. Organiser Helen’s swan song was to run parties for the Monday and Thursday attendees in the week before Christmas. The Auditcare Residential Care Home Mon Choisy continued to provide the hot lunches for members throughout the year. One of the KMC volunteers collected the lunches in insulated hot boxes for the 3 minute drive to the Club. The Organiser received the menus in advance and made sure they were suitable for our members, suggesting an alternative where necessary. In April the annual rise in the Government National Living Wage meant increased costs with higher staff salaries. Also the rental of the Methodist Church premises had risen during the previous year. So the annual review of Club running expenses came to the conclusion that the fees would have to be raised. This is now going to be a regular annual occurrence with the Government figures being revised each April, but we do believe that the Club offers very good value for money and the costs are comparable with other local providers. ## **Staff** At the beginning of this year our staff team comprised: Helen, Club Organiser, Kathryn, Deputy Organiser, and Julie, Care Assistant. In the late Autumn Helen gave in her notice as she was finding her health was not allowing her to do the job as she would have liked. She left the Club at the end of December. A small panel of Trustees was involved in the recruitment process to replace Helen as Club Organiser and we were very pleased to be able to appoint Kay Welch to become the new Club Organiser starting in mid-February. We were very grateful to Helen for all the hard work she had put in to running the Day Centre from its foundation in 2018. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to all the staff who have worked over this year, Helen, Kay, Kathryn and Julie, for making the Club such a friendly, lively, cheerful, stimulating place for our members. Their dedication to providing interesting activities and care for the members is immense and much appreciated. ## **Volunteers** Susan Williams, the Trustee who looks after the volunteers, did a wonderful job of keeping the rota full particularly when there was one staff member down due to annual leave or sickness and the members numbers were sometimes quite high, getting near the maximum. In these cases three session volunteers were needed. There was a small turnover in the volunteers, and it is always very good to welcome new members to the team. Susan also successfully oversaw the updating of DBS checks for volunteers and staff. Our thanks to Susan for this work and everything else she does on behalf of the Club. ## **Trustees and Management Committee** During the year we were very pleased to welcome Tricia O’Leary as a new Trustee. As the recently retired head of Vale House, a residential care home for people with dementia, she has brought a wealth of experience and practical knowledge to the Trustees. The Trustees have continued their work, in particular looking after the finances of the Club, under the expert guidance of our Treasurer, Hugh Fleming, and updating the Club’s policies on a rolling programme. Kathleen Cahill resigned after a fairly short spell on the Management Committee due to other pressures on her time, but we were very pleased to welcome Sue Bowers to join the Committee. The Management Committee looked after the month-by-month operation of the Club successfully. ## **Fundraising** Fundraising continued throughout the year with sales in St Nicolas Church, Abingdon, and a sell-out Cream Tea and Sale on the hottest afternoon of the summer at St Ethelwold’s Garden in Abingdon. These events all proved very profitable. A pre-Christmas table top sale at the Club during December also raised useful funds. A new event was one of the regular charity Quiz Nights at the Vine Inn in Cumnor supporting KMC. It was very well attended and boosted the coffers, especially since those on the winning table (not KMC folk) donated their £50 prize money to the Club. We also had a tin shake and Information Stall at the Abingdon branch of Waitrose one Saturday in the Spring. We were very grateful for the donations or grants from various outside bodies. These included St Nicolas’ Church, Abingdon, Cumnor Historical Society, Cumnor United Reform Church, Christ’s Hospital of Abingdon Charity, Oxford Society of Friends, Abingdon Lions Club, The Doris Field Charitable Trust and several local businesses and individuals. Chris Foster, our fund-raising supremo, is due a massive vote of thanks for all her hard work in coordinating the fundraising efforts and organising her team to staff the events. The contributions from Friends of Kennington Memory Club are greatly valued. Also in memoriam collections were received following the funerals of several past members, relatives or Trustees. This is very gratifying, indicating in how much regard the Club was held by the individuals and their families. ## **Publicity** The Club now owns display boards and a stand-up banner which have been put to good use at events like the Dementia Oxfordshire Information event in Abingdon in April. The monthly item in all the local village newsletters continued throughout the year with the aim of keeping KMC in the public eye and KMC got a regular mention and plug in the Dementia Friendly Abingdon Newsletters. Fundraising events posted on village groups on Facebook generated interest from an audience who might not otherwise have been aware of the Club and its activities. The Club website was maintained by Helen Horseman voluntarily since the Club was founded. She also prepared posters for the Club and its various events. In summer 2024 she decided that her health was not good enough for her to be able to give the time required to these IT tasks, so stepped down from the role. We owe her a great debt of thanks for all she did in a very professional way to promote the Club online and with attractive posters and leaflets, besides working with Laila Ismail Khan to produce the newsletter. We were pleased to have an offer of help in this field from Louis Foster, grandson of Trustee Chris Foster, who is an IT professional himself. ## **Carers’ Support Group** The Carers Support Group met once a month for a tea party, alternating between Mondays and Thursdays. Numbers varied, but the sessions were always enjoyed by those attending. Many thanks to Gillian Cox for arranging and hosting these, aided by Susan Williams and Ruth Graham. The local Dementia Advisors, Gilly Fishleigh and Leigh Saunders, alternate at these meetings and have very useful information and advice to impart to the carers. ## **Thanks** In addition to those mentioned by name previously, I would like to thank all those who contribute to the Club in any way, Trustees, Committee Members, staff, volunteers, Friends, fundraisers, and donors. They all play their part in ensuring the success of the Club and its continuing future. Along with the members and carers, everyone involved with Kennington Memory Club should be proud that it continues to provide a friendly, happy place for people with dementia, and that ever valuable respite for their carers. _Isobel Birse - Chairman_ ## **Financial Report** The accounts have been prepared on a strict cash basis and reviewed by our independent examiner, a copy of whose report to the trustees is in the treasurer’s file available for inspection. With the improved occupancy of sessions, attendance and meal income was £1.500 greater than the previous year. Together with grants, Gift Aid recovered and donations received, this source of income has enabled the Charity substantially to maintain its financial reserves at the end of this financial year, having recorded a small loss of £1,142 during the year. The Charity wishes to record its gratitude to all those who have continued to donate so generously during difficult times. Notes to the accounts 1. The Charity has not given any guarantees and there are accordingly no potential outstanding liabilities in this regard as at 30 September 2024 2. The Charity has no outstanding debts secured by an express charge on any of its assets as at 30 September 2024. _Hugh Fleming - Treasurer_ CHARifY COMMISSION FOR ENfjiAfiD AND WALE5 Nu Otanyl t1798U) Recei tsand ments accounts CC16a 01-OLI-ZJ To 3LW24 Section A Receipts aiid payments unr￿cted Restri¢t•d fvnd y•ar A1 R•c•l Fun4rth3￿g Events 084 GfftNJd ank Int¢r•st 276 AR) 31 A3Pa 26,144 144 24,411 I￿Ur8 rt. E8￿Y1￿nI•￿Tr• 4,OJ2 974 88nk s 837 S¢th to Sub to N•¢ ofr•¢•lptrfp•ymrt) A8 Trarnf•rs beiw••n lund• A6 Cagh funds la8t yearmd Cash funth thi$ Jw•nd 62 2147 Soction B Stateinent of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Re¥Irfct￿ Endowment funds fund• 81 Cash fund8 CCXX Rf ISSI UnwE¥trictsd B2 Oth•r monetary a•s8ts Details fund8 fund8 fund8 tr) n*•re•t £ B3 Invg•tm•nt a•Mt• D•tall* Cobtlts¢*nall CwY*ntvolu• B4 A•••t• Mtaln•d for th• ch*rlty'8 own us• Deta118 Fwid tot•h*b cl￿10p110n•lI Curr￿1 ¥•lu• Fund towh 85 Llabllltl•• D•tall$ AAllOUrf Wh•n du• S¥ned by om or two twstaes on ehav of 811 ItKg tnJ$t Sign•ture Prknt Name Date of roval CCXX R1 #CU￿nts ISS CHARITY COMMISSION FOR E￿LAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinef s Report Report to the trustse81 members of Charry Name Kennington Memory Club On accounts for the year endod 30th September 2024 Charity no (if any) 1179830 S•t out on pagos (l•￿n￿r lo the p￿ts nthntyers of addrtnnal Bheetsl I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above chanty (Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 3010912024. Responsibiliti68 and bas1$ of report As the charitys trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with th& requirements of the Charrties Act 2011 ("1￿ A I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicalje Directions given by the Charity Commission under seCt￿n 14515)(b) of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confim that no material mattars have oxamlnerfs statsment come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disdosed below ') which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance wrth $8¢tion 130 of the Charrties Act; or the accounts did not accord wrth the accounting records,. or the accounts did not comply wrlh the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set OLrt in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fair, view which is not a matter Considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the K)nls in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Slgned- Date: Q.10 L Namè: Kate Rawlings Relevant profèssional qualifiGation{s) or body (if any): ACA Addrnss: 200 POI￿ar Grove, Kennington. Oxford. OX15QT IER Oct 2018