**333** 

## **Epsom RDA** 

## **Annual Review & Accounts** 


**2021/2022** 



## **Vision & Objectives** 

Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association (Epsom RDA) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), Registered Charity Number 1180061. Our aim is to provide disabled people in the Surrey and Southeast area with the opportunity to ride to benefit their health and well-being 

Epsom RDA is entirely volunteer run by and managed exclusively for disabled participants. 

We hold sessions every day of the week including weekends. The majority take place in the mornings, but we also have evening sessions on a Monday and Wednesday, and a Saturday afternoon session. 

Each session is unique in the types of participants they support. The coaching is adapted to be most effective for the individual challenges each participant faces. 

The therapeutic benefits of interactions with horses are well recognised. Riding helps exercise and strengthen muscles, mobilises joints, and helps participants develop their balance, independence, and sensory perception. Being able to spend time caring for horses also has a positive impact on confidence levels, relationship building, and communication skills. Each session, whether it is riding or learning about caring about horses, is planned to encourage our participants to enjoy themselves and from that enjoyment gain emotional, social, educational, and physical benefits  333 

Our goal is to ensure that all our participants achieve while having fun as part of our community. 



## **Content** 

**Foreword from Epsom RDA Chair Ray Lee** 

**COVID 19** 

**Participants** 

**Volunteers** 

**Horses and Ponies** 

**Property & Grounds** 

**Fundraising & Events** 

**Communications** 

**Planning for the Future** 

**Financial Review and Accounts** 

**Governance** 

**Safeguarding** 

**Trustees as at 31 March 2022** 

**Administration and contact details** 



## **Chair Foreword** 

When I wrote the introduction to last year’s review there was a degree of optimism that we were at the end of Covid, and that life was going back to normal.  As we know recovery has been longer and more frustrating than we imagined at the time.  However, there are signs that everything is nearly back to normal and there has been much to celebrate this year. 

With a few exceptions our participants are back and so are our events from Dressage competitions to Tack Sales.  The live AGM and Awards Ceremony was back at the Epsom Downs Racecourse and was a 


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Ray Lee - Chair<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


fantastic event.   Despite Covid we managed to enter riders into the Regional and National dressage competitions albeit virtually.  The National competition was live streamed in September, and we had eight competitors across a range of disciplines from Dressage through Countryside Challenge to Arts and Crafts.  Congratulations to all for the high standard achieved. 

In terms of achievements, during this year, in a ceremony at National RDA’s headquarters, HRH Princess Anne presented Trustee and Group Coach, Jo Lee, with RDA’s most prestigious volunteer award, The President’s Award, recognising the exceptional nature of her service over 30 years.  It was fantastic for Jo and Epsom RDA as a whole and helps to 

highlight the hard work and dedication of all our volunteers for which we are all very grateful. 

Also, I would like to say a big thank you to all those who have raised funds or made donations during the year, without which we simply wouldn’t be able to operate.  After much soul searching, we did have to take the hard decision to increase our service fee for the first time in many years.  However, with the cost of providing a ride being around £35 and the fee only being £10 we remain dependent on fundraising to continue to try and keep our services accessible as possible. 

There is much to be excited about this year with competitions restarting, various developments at the yard and the ongoing search for new ponies.  As ever it’s going to be an exciting year. 

Lastly, thank you to all the Session Leaders and Trustees who work so hard, often on unseen tasks, to provide the quality facilities that our participants enjoy.  It is great to see the smiling faces of our participants again.  We have missed them. 

**Ray Lee - Chair** 



## **Covid-19** 

In Spring 2021, following the relaxation of Government and Regional guidelines, Epsom RDA started to get back to riding. We were able to invite volunteers and some participants, including some of those who required close contact support, back onto the yard. 

Our Session Leaders continued to follow the Return to Riding guideline document to be able to run their session safely. Guidelines included 

- social distancing 

- mask wearing for indoor activity and close contact support 

- additional cleaning measures 

- family members trained to support participants whilst riding or caring for our ponies. 

Our Major Incident Team (MIT) continued to adapt our procedures and policies in response to the changing National and Regional conditions with the safety of our volunteers and participants always our first consideration and from September 2021 the decision to invite all participants back to sessions was made. We still had our guidelines in place and Session Leaders and volunteers did well in managing their session back to capacity over the Autumn. 

Throughout the year some essential training has continued for our volunteers. Safeguarding training was moved online for our Coaches and Session Leaders, and First Aid training was run in line with our Covid measures, which meant we could run face to face sessions, for Coaches that needed refreshing and our newer volunteers. 

Towards the end of 2021/beginning of 2022 many of our sessions were back running to capacity and were able to invite new participants and new volunteers into the Epsom RDA community. We have relaxed some of our Covid measures, in line with National and Regional guidelines, however, the safety of our volunteers and participants still guides our decision making. Volunteers have commented that they have felt safe on our yard during Covid-19. This is due to the hard work from our MIT and Session Leaders in maintaining appropriate guidelines. 



## **Participants** 

We were delighted to be able to return to riding activities during the year with COVID-19 restrictions being gradually lifted enabling us to welcome back riders. 

COVID-19 brought many challenges to Epsom RDA but has also presented some opportunities. When restrictions meant that some participants were unable to ride, coaches and volunteers worked hard to develop activities that could engage participants without getting on a horse. From this, our groundwork sessions have been developed and some sessions are continuing to offer these sessions. These sessions enable participants to benefit from regular contact with our lovely ponies even when they can’t ride and adds an important element to our offering in building our participants’ love of horses and 

learning about how to look after them. 

Another development has been virtual competition. The RDA National Championships took place virtually in 2021 and Epsom RDA participants entered the dressage, countryside challenge and arts and crafts classes. Our coaches and volunteers had to learn some new skills in videoing and uploading! The top ten in each class were broadcast as part of the RDA National Virtual Championships in September 2021 and we were delighted that our dressage team were all placed in the top 10 of their classes with one class champion.  We also had a class champion in the Arts and Crafts section. 



## **Volunteers** 

Our volunteers have been excited and their spirts lifted to see the participants return to riding through this year. We are always grateful to the enthusiasm and commitment of all our volunteers but this has been especially appreciated throughout this particularly challenging period. 

We were delighted to be able to acknowledge their commitment and celebrate their achievements during our AGM and Annual Prize Giving in November 2021. The Mayor of Epsom and Ewell attended the event presenting Long Service certificates and Over and Above Awards to several volunteers. The afternoon also gave everyone an opportunity to celebrate the achievement of long serving volunteer, Jo Lee, in receiving the prestigious RDA Presidents Award. 


One of the results of operating a restricted provision during 2020/21 was a build-up of a strong waiting list of people wanting to volunteer with us. At the end of the year with the activities now moving back to normal levels many of those who were on the waiting list have now been able to join our teams and we now have gaps in a number of our sessions and on our support teams, such the maintenance, administration, and fundraising. We are planning a proactive recruitment drive for the early part of 2022/23 to address these issues. 

We were delighted to be able to re-start our Volunteer Training programme in the Autumn. Although numbers attending needed to be limited in line with the COVID restrictions in place, the feedback was excellent. We recently returned to full capacity and participation for Stage 1 and 2 Training sessions and have a 2-part Coaches Training event planned. 



## **Horse and Ponies** 

At the start of 2020/21 we only had 10 horses and ponies in our herd which is the lowest number we have had for some time and is well below our capacity of 15.  Acquiring horses and ponies that are suitable for RDA work is a challenging task as they need to be many things including quiet but with an active walk, responsive but not too sensitive and happy to be handled by many people.  There are many people across the country, including other RDA groups, commercial riding schools, and private buyers all looking for these perfect ponies. As a result of this, and a drop in supply from breeding and imports, prices have soared over the last few years. A horse who would have cost around £3-4,000 a few years ago will now sell for approximately £8-10,000. 

We have therefore been fortunate to have sourced some excellent new horses and ponies this year. To do this we have had to try some new things and travel quite a long way! In April 2021 we bought Tandi from a dealer in Gloucestershire and for the first time, due to Covid restrictions, we conducted a virtual viewing. Our first in person meeting with Tandi was when she stepped off the delivery trailer! Tandi is quite young and is still learning her job but is progressing and we are hopeful that in time she will be a valuable member of the team. 

In June, four Trustees and volunteers travelled all the way to Pembrokeshire for the weekend to view and try some horses at a trekking centre that was closing down. The happy result of this was that we bought Spice and Rags who arrived in August and settled in quickly to RDA life. We later also purchased Otto from the same centre but sadly, although his character is just right for RDA, he has been a little lame since arriving. As this shows no signs of improving, he will soon be returning home to Wales. Our final arrival for the year was Shannon who came in July 2021 on loan from her owner who previously kept her at a nearby livery yard. The 3 ponies purchased this year cost a total of £14,740. 

Two of our ponies have moved on during the year. We sold Hugo in April 2021 to a local riding school as he wasn’t really enjoying the life at RDA.  He is now happily working and hacking in the riding school based in nearby Horton Country Park and is often seen by our volunteers grazing in his field. In early 2022, Guinness, who was on loan to us and helped many riders in the last few years, started to show signs that he wasn’t really enjoying his job anymore. We agreed he should return to his owners to enjoy a quieter life. This meant we finished the year with a total of 13 horses. 

As we have returned to normal services, we were able to re-introduce formal schooling sessions to keep the ponies fit and ready for their jobs. The schooling team of volunteers work with the ponies weekly and have regular lessons with external instructors to build their knowledge and to make sure the ponies are all benefitting as much as possible from the sessions.  We have been incredibly pleased to welcome Sarah Sjoholm-Patience as an external instructor this year.  Sarah is an International Grand Prix dressage rider and is experienced in working with para riders and RDA groups.  Her wealth of experience is a great asset to the team. 



## **Grounds & Property** 

A number of upgrades and investments were delivering in 2021-22 and it continued to be a busy year for our volunteer Maintenance team. 

In October 2021 we carried out some lighting upgrades which included replacement of all our emergency lighting. We also replaced the aging lighting in the indoor school with energy efficient LEDs. The LEDs give a brighter light and will also help to manage our electricity bills. 

Storm Eunice arrived in February causing minor damage including the overturning of a field shelter and some damage to our perimeter fence by fallen trees from neighbouring land. We were lucky to have escaped with only minor damage with the repairs being carried out in- 

house by our Maintenance team. 

On a Sunday morning in March 2021, we held the Spring Big Tidy Up. During the morning we planted 20 tree saplings from the Treescapes Fund grant which was awarded to Surrey County Council with a 

mission to plan more trees in the County. Our volunteers were joined by supporters from the Epsom and Ewell Tree Advisory Board, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and Epsom Footcare. The trees, once fully grown will provide valuable shade and shelter for our herd. The team also helped us to carry out a much-needed tidy up of our Sensory Track, an ongoing task. The track is a valuable asset, where our riders can enjoy being challenged to complete an obstacle course and get the feel of riding in countryside without leaving our site. 



## **Fundraising and Events** 

Over the last 18 months our fundraising events which play a large part in helping us meet our day to day running costs have been hit hard by the restrictions imposed by COVID, however, with the easing of restrictions from Autumn 2021 we have been again able to plan and hold these events which are so crucial to our income. The first of these saw the return of our Tack Sale which had a tremendous response from the local equine community who helped us raise c. £4k in just over two hours. Our intention is to continue to hold the Tack Sales on a regular basis as a cornerstone of our fundraising events. 

In May 2021 we received the excellent news that the newly elected Mayor for Epsom and Ewell had chosen Epsom RDA to be one of three charities to be supported with fundraising activities during his year long term of office. An indicator of the regard with which Epsom RDA is held in the local community. 

We are also partners with The Derby Walk: an annual charity fundraising event which celebrates the historic route walked by race goers from central London to Epsom Downs to watch The Derby. We are grateful to the John Sandys and Pat Larkin, and the Jockey Club for their continued support. 

We continue to have an on-line fundraising presence including the Easy Fundraising portal, which enables shoppers to raise donations whilst shopping online. We have also had success with the Just Giving portal which gives our supporters an efficient means of donating money from several different sources including sponsored events and memorial collections 

Our strategy to fund projects that are in addition to our day to day running costs through grant making bodies and trust funds paid dividends this year when we were successful in securing funding to update of our electrical and fire safety systems. We were delighted our bid submitted into the national SEIB Giving Awards came in second place overall, and first place in the small charities section in resulting a cheque for £8,000 being presented to us. 

In the next twelve months we are looking forward to lifting our income from fundraising events as normal life returns although we are aware that the increasing cost of living will impact both on our overheads and on the pockets of those who so generously support us. We will be continuing to further develop our 


fundraising partnerships and explore more opportunities for trust and grant funding. 



## **Communications** 

The objective of our communications is to engage and inspire people from all our varied audiences; our participants and volunteers and beyond our own boundaries reaching out to the wider local community. The aim is to encourage support for our activities including volunteer recruitment and fundraising by raising our profile and explaining what we do and achieve. 

We use a mix of communication channels to support this aim and make the most of opportunities to tell our stories to as wide an audience as possible through the media and our social media channels. 

We focus our social media activity on three channels alongside our website Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We continue to work on improving the accessibility of our social media content and ensure we keep up to date with the latest social media best practice. 


Our profile on social media has bought us several opportunities during the year including as a location for the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). 

The BHA crew filmed and interviewed our participants and volunteers on a rather cold morning for a future communications campaign raising awareness of diversity and inclusion within the equine industry. 

As our level of activities in the year ahead increase and we look towards adding to the range of services we offer we will continue to tell our story 



## **Planning for the Future** 

Due to Covid and the economic legacy it has left, progress on the development plans has been very slow.  There has been some progress in the background such finalising the planning permission and gaining further financial support, but it wasn’t possible to progress any of the construction work. 

Instead, we continued to focus on getting back to normal operations, bringing on new ponies and maintaining the facilities we have. 

However, despite it all we remain optimistic and in 2022/23 we will be building the car park phase of the project following a kind donation of £30,000 from the Peter Harrison Trust. The building of the car park will enable us to separate the flow of ponies and people from vehicles as they travel around the location and so enhance the safety of our site. 

We remain committed to our long term aims: 

- increase the number of participants 

- improve the facilities to the benefit of participants, volunteers and ponies 

- improve the quality of the experience for our participants and volunteers 



## **Financial Review and Accounts** 

The financial year ended 31[st] March 2022 has been another atypical year for Epsom RDA due to the COVID-19 pandemic which saw us having to close our doors for some of the year with a gradual return of riders as the Covid restrictions eased. 

## **Overview** 

For the year ended 31[st] March 2022 the charity showed a small annual operating loss of c.£563 (c£975 loss in 2020-21). These figures do not include any income or expenditure related to the Indoor School project which is classed as non-operating expenses and income. This comprised total operating income of c.£59k (c.£56k in 2020-21) with operating expenses of c.£60k (c.£56k in 2020-21). 

In addition, we have received a sum of £30K from the Peter Harrison Trust which has been awarded for the Indoor School Project. Related to the same project there were nonoperating expenses, of c.£6k (c.£6k in 2020-21).  This left us, in total, with an overall surplus of c.£23k against a loss of c.£7k in 2020-21 

This reflects the support we have had from donors, participants, SEIB prize money and the policy of the Trustees to limit expenditure in the year to essential expenses for the upkeep of the herd and buildings and to limit major works spend to those related to safety. 

## **Income** 

The continuing absence of participants due to the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to have an effect on income. 

The total income for the year is standing at c.£59k which is slighter higher than the c.£55k in 2020-21. This is in contrast with our last full year of riding of c.£79K in 2019/20. There was an increase in service fees (ride money) from c.£8k in 2020/21 to c.£16k in 2021-22. However, we have also seen a fall in donations from c.£39k in 2020-21 to c.£25k in 2021-22. 

We remain grateful to all the individual participants who continued to pay throughout the year even though they were not able to access our services. Our thanks too to Papillon House School who donated funds over and above the service fee due. 



**Income Comparison 2021-22 versus 2020-21** 


Key 2021-22 2020-21 

We have also received support from generous donors including: - 

- The Thompson Family Trust 

- St Mark’s and Mitcham Buffalos 

- Rotary Club Inner Wheel of Kingston whose President has supported us for several years as her chosen charity 

- HOGGS golf club 

- Papillon School 

- Harrodians School 

- The family of Joyce Hill a former volunteer who donated in her memory 

- Former Participants who continue to donate monthly 

- Annette Emery Gemstone Jewellery who continues to make and sell jewellery with the profits used to buy items we need for our ponies 

Of course, we are also grateful for all the donations we receive from volunteers, friends and relations of participants, the local allotments and gardeners who donate when collecting our quality manure, hot chocolate reindeers and pocket money as these 



unrestricted funds go directly to supporting the upkeep of the herd and their home to the benefit of our participants. 



## **Expenditure** 

The upkeep of the herd forms a major part of our outgoings. This year our herd (13 ponies at year end) cost c.£18k (c.£21k in 2020/21) which includes expenses for feed, hay, farriers, dentist, vet, and various equipment including tack. The reduction in expenditure is due to the careful cost management allied to the good health of the herd with the associated reduction in vet bills from the previous year.  This excludes the cost of purchasing new herd members. (21/22 purchases of c£15K less sale of c.£1k versus c£3K in 20/21). 

The average cost of keeping a herd member during the last year was £1,384 per annum or £26 a week. So, a donation of £6 can buy a bale of hay, £20 pays for a pony to be visited by the farrier and £25 pays for a visit from the equine dentist. 

Our next expense is in keeping the site safe, secure, and well maintained. The cost of maintaining the buildings and grounds in 2021/22 was c. £21K (c.£24K in 2020/21) of which c.£9k (c.£13k in 2020/21) was for major works which included a full electrical survey and upgrade to our lighting system. The major works 


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£1,384 per year x<br>13 horses<br>**----- End of picture text -----**<br>


undertaken this financial year reflect the decision of the Trustees to limit our spend to those items that were needed for safety or continuing operation.  However, the SEIB Giving Award of £8k offset the cost of all our major works. 

During 2020/21 we spent c.£4k to make our site Covid-19 safe for our volunteers and our participants/ visitors. This included additional cleaning by a professional company which continues at c£2k. 

Other expenses include insurance, utilities, training, security, and general office expenses. All essential to our operation. 



## **Reserves** 

As a charity we are in the fortunate position that we have always been prudent with our use of incoming funds versus expenditure. At the end of 2021/22 we had c £268K cash in hand in various bank accounts (c.£245k in 2020/21). 

The Trustees have several ringfences in place on this money: 

## • **Indoor School Project - £100k** 

Having received several legacies, the Trustees agreed to contribute £100k of funds to the work needed to build the new indoor school. Some of this has been spent on planning fees and the related surveys. The car park, which was due to be completed in 2021/22, was delayed by the need for an additional drainage survey. However, this has now been completed and the intent is to use these funds to build the car park in 2022/23. During 2021/22 we have received a grant of £30k from the Peter Harrison Trust towards the Indoor School Project and the remainder of the funds we will need will come from dedicated fundraising.  This forms part of the designated funds as stated in the financial statements. 

## • **Minimum Reserves as required by the Charity Commission - £60K** 

All charities have a statutory duty to set minimum reserves to ensure their continued status as a going concern. Our minimum reserves were set some years ago to be held at a year running costs. This was initially set at £50k but has increased to £60k in 2021/22 to recognise rising costs. These funds are there for dire emergencies and can only be utilised for general running costs should our status change and we need to use them to remain a going concern. 

## • **Funds available for use – c.£93k** 

This is the cash we have in hand that we can use to keep our herd fed and well, to maintain our land and buildings and to make improvements for the safety, wellbeing, and enhancement of our offer to our participants.  We also keep a further amount to funds in the designated funds account mentioned above for major works to ensure our site is safe and secure for our herd and our participants. 

During 2020/21 the Trustees delegated authority to the Finance committee to manage the running of the charity by allocating budgets to designated Trustees who have the responsibility for property management, health, safety and cleaning, the upkeep of the herd and general running costs (e.g., insurance, rubbish removal, utilities, professional services including the bank account, audit fees etc.). The Finance committee have full authority to spend within their budgets and we have a procurement process that has been agreed by the Trustees which gives us a framework to ensure we spend wisely and get the best value for money we can.  This is all part of our enhanced Governance and has continued to work well during 2021/22. 



In addition, the Finance committee have set up a major works (capital expenditure rather than general running costs which are operational costs) list which logs all the non-essential work needed to improve our environment. They can recommend to the Trustees any major spend e.g., in 2021/22 the refurbishment of the electrical system and improvements to the fire safety system. This list is split into those works that will become essential, other work that would be good to do in the right economic climate and projects that could be funded by donors. This list is helpful when we are approached by organisations who express an interest in funding us but wish but wish to invest in a specific project or item. 

In addition, Epsom RDA owns: 

- The freehold of St Ebba's Farm, which cost £84,657 (inclusive of legal fees). 

- Equipment including two tractors, a trailer, three harrows, a grass cutter and sundry other tractor attachments, 

- A hand operated motor mower, a strimmer and various workshop tools, competition fences, poles, and games 

- equipment with an approximate current value of £15,000 (2021 - £15,000) 

## **Notes to the accounts** 

## **Restricted Funds** 

We have had £31,200 added to our restricted funds during the year. This consisted of £30,000 from the Peter Harrison Foundation for the Indoor School project; £1,200 received for the sale of Hugo and used against future pony purchases as agreed with the Fiona Strong Memorial Fund who funded the purchase of Hugo; £115. During the year we purchased Tandi (new herd member) from the anonymous donation received in March 2021. 

## **Designated Funds** 

The Designated Fund of £138,764 (closing balance as at 31st March 2021 £130,177) was increased by the award of prize money from SEIB which was designated for the upgrade of all our electrics on site and towards the upgrade of the fire safety system completed in the last financial year. In addition, the trustees designated £20,000 (total of £14,889 spent in the year of which £13,414 came from designated funds) towards the purchase of new herd members and the costs related to said purchases. A further £875 was invested in the purchase of new stable mats for the indoor stalls. 

This designated fund represents amounts set aside by the trustees out of the general fund to meet the cost of future improvements to the property. The interest on the balance in the Fund provides income for general purposes to help meet the Group’s running expenses. 

The following projects have been identified by the Trustees, for implementation as and when funds become available: - 



- Additional development that would result in a new indoor riding school for which planning permission has already been granted. This will include upgrading carparking and other buildings being used for better purpose to promote our services to more riders. The trustees agreed at the outset of the project, to make £100,000 available some of which has already been used for the successful planning application and associated costs. Work on the car park was delayed in 21/22 by the need for an additional drainage survey. 

- To purchase other equipment necessary for maintaining the estate. 

- To maintain or expand our herd which, although it has been added to over the past year, will need to be expanded further as participants return and in recognition of the age of the some of the current herd members. 

During the year the Finance committee carried out work as held on the capital project list. This included: 

- essential maintenance work needed to ensure the safety and upkeep of our buildings and ground 

- provision of equipment for the herd and participants 

as well as a list of other projects where donors require a specific use for the funding being offered. 



## **EPSOM RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION** 

## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT** 

## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2022 TO THE TRUSTEES** 

I report on the accounts of Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 4 to 8. 

## **Respective responsibilities of Trustees and examiner** 

The Charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.  The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an 

independent examination is needed.  It is my responsibility to examine the accounts, under Section 145 of the Charities Act, following the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners, (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act) and to state whether particular matters have come to our attention. 

## **Basis of independent examiner’s report** 

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners.  An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.  It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters.  The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair” view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. 

## **Independent examiner’s statement** 

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 

- (a.) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: 

## • 

- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and 

- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met; or 



- (b.) To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 


T W Slater ACA,CTA 

Harmer Slater Limited Chartered Accountants 

79 High Street Teddington Middlesex TW11 8HG 

26[th] May 2022 



## **Receipts and Payments Accounts Income and Expenditure** 

## **Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association inc Carriage Driving For the year ended  31 March 2022** 

||**General**|**Restricted**|**Designate**|**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**d**|**2022**|**2021**|
||**Purposes**|**Funds**|**Funds**|||
|||||**£**|**£**|
|**Income**||||||
|||**£**|**£**|||
|Interest income|<br>1,264|||1,264|1,608|
|Livery Fees|5,048|||5,048|4,884|
|Other Revenue|5.933|||5,933|0|
|Ride Money|16,066|||16.066|8,373|
|**Total Income**|**28,311**|||**28,311**|**14,865**|
|**Gross Income**|**28,311**|||**28,311**|**14,865**|
|**Plus Other Income**||||||
|Donations|9,185||8,000|17,185|25,170|
|Online donations|8,353|||8,353|11,918|
|Ring fenced Donations|0|||0|2,582|
|**Fundraising Activities**||||||
|Tack sale|4,223|||4,223|341|
|Adopt a pony|0|||0|90|
|Use of School|1,375|||1.375|250|
|**Total Fundraising Activities**|**5,598**|||**5,598**|**681**|
|**Total Other Income**|**23,136**||**8,000**|**31,136**|**40,351**|
|**Less Operating Expenses**||||||
|Health and safety|99|||99|0|
|General Expenses|0|||0|397|





|Subscriptions|295|295|295|
|---|---|---|---|
||**394**|**394**|**692**|
|**Events**||||
|Event Costs|1,325|1,325|345|
|Events|-1,616|-1,616|-168|
|**Total Events**|**-291**|**-291**|**177**|
|**General Expenses – office**||||
|IT Software and||||
||702|702||
|Consumables|||0|
|Printing & Stationery|118|118|69|
|Telephone & Internet|644|644|783|
|**Total General Expenses –**<br>**office**|**1,464**|**1,464**|**852**|
|**Professional Services**||||
|Audit & Accountancy fees|1,897|1,897|1721|
|Bank Fees|224|224|440|
|Fundraising Partner costs|290|290|101|
|Legal Expenses|0|0|1,864|
|**Total Professional Services**|**2,411**|**2,411**|**4,126**|





## **Receipts and Payments Accounts Income and Expenditure continued** 

## **Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association inc Carriage Driving For the year ended  31 March 2022** 

|**Property – bills**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Insurance|2,162|||2,162|2,162|
|Light, Power, Heating|1617|||1,617|14|
|**Total Property – bills**|**3,779**|||**3,779**|**2,176**|
|**Property – maintenance**||||||
|Gardening|492|||492|334|
|Cleaning|2,785|||2,785|3,696|
|Maintenance of grounds|2,940|||2,940|4,048|
|Motor Vehicle Expenses|1,867|||1,867|754|
|New Works improvement|658|2,550|5,999|9,207|13,155|
|Repairs & Maintenance - building|3,800|||3,800|1931|
|**Total Property – maintenance**|**12,542**|**2,550**|**5,999**|**21,091**|**23,918**|
|**Training**||||||
|Staff Training|0|||0|720|
|Training - coaching and bursary|74|||74|0|
|**Total Training**|**74**|||**74**|**720**|
|**Upkeep of the Herd**||||||
|Pony Care|9,330|||9,330|11,489|
|Pony costs – equipment|1,083|||1,083|2,911|
|Pony Feed|6,736|||6,736|6,257|
|Pony Purchase|0|1,475|13,414|14,889|2,873|
|Pony schooling|250|||250|0|
|Sale of ponies|0|-1,200||-1200|0|
|**Total Upkeep of the Herd**|**17,399**|**275**|**13,414**|**31,088**|**23,530**|
|**Total Operating Expenses**|**37,772**|**2,825**|**19,413**|**60,010**|**56,191**|





|**Operating Surplus (Loss)**|**13,675**|**2,825**|**11,413**|**-563**|**-975**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Non-operating Expenses**||||||
|**Indoor School Project**||||||
|Indoor School costs|6,156|||6,156|6111|
|||||-||
|Indoor School funding|0|-30,000||30,000|0|
|**Total Indoor School Project**|**6,156**|||**23,844**|**-6111**|
|||**-**||||
|**Total Non-operating Expenses**|**6,156**|**30,000**||**23,844**|**6111**|
|**Net Surplus (Loss)**|**7,519**|**27,175**|**-11,413**|**23,281**|**-7,086**|
|**Transfer of Funds**|**(20,000)**||**20,000**|||
|**Balance at 1st April 2021**|**102,991**|**11,667**|**130,177**|**244,835**|**251,921**|
|**Balance at 31st March 2022**|**90,510**|**38,842**|**138,764**|**268,116**|**244,835**|





## **Receipts and Payments Accounts Balance Sheet** 

## **Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association inc Carriage Driving For the year ended 31 March 2022** 

|**Bank Accounts**<br>Cambridge and<br>Counties Bank<br>ERDA CIO current<br>account<br>ERDA old charity<br>ERDA Virgin<br>National Counties<br>Building Soc<br>Accessible savings<br>account<br>Metrobank savings<br>account<br>Metrobank credit<br>card<br>**Total**|**Opening**<br>**Balance**<br>**Cash**<br>**Received**<br>**Cash**<br>**Spent**<br>**Closing**<br>**Balance**<br>86,795<br>505<br>87,300<br>0<br>47,337<br>90,999<br>99,217<br>39,119<br>15,325<br>0<br>13,403<br>1,922<br>382<br>0<br>0<br>382<br>94,996<br>752<br>0<br>95,748<br>0<br>129,821<br>1<br>129,820<br>0<br>2,000<br>0<br>2,000<br>0<br>0<br>875<br>-875|
|---|---|
||**244,835**<br>**224,077**<br>**200,796 268,116**|





## **Receipts and Payments Accounts Statement of Assets and Liabilities Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association inc Carriage Driving For the year ended  31 March 2022** 

|**Bank Balances at 31st**<br>**March 2021 held by**<br>**Epsom Riding for the**<br>**Disabled ( 1073638)**<br>Net Receipts/<br>(payments) in year<br>Transfer of Funds<br>**Bank Balances at 31st**<br>**March 2022**|**General**<br>**Purposes**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**(note 1)**<br>**Designated**<br>**Funds (note**<br>**2)**<br>**2022**<br>£<br>£<br>£<br>£|
|---|---|
||**102,991**<br>**11,667**<br>**130,177**<br>**244,835**|
||**General**<br>**Purposes**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**(note 1)**<br>**Designated**<br>**Funds (note**<br>**2)**<br>**2022**<br>7,519<br>27,175<br>-11,413<br>23,281<br>(20,000)<br>(20,000)|
||**90,510**<br>**38,842**<br>**138,764**<br>**268,116**|



In addition, Epsom RDA 

owns: 

The freehold of St Ebba's Farm, which cost £84,657 (inclusive of legal fees). 

A herd of 13 horses at 31st March 2022.  The current value of the horses owned by the charity is £35,350 

(2021 - £22,300) 



Equipment including two tractors, a trailer, three harrows, a grass cutter and sundry other tractor attachments, 




## **Receipts and Payments Accounts Notes to the Accounts at 31st March 2022** 

**Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association inc Carriage Driving For the year ended  31 March 2022** 

## **1.  Restricted Funds** 

|**Donor**<br>Sound System for the<br>riding school<br>Oxshott Ladies<br>Lighting<br>The<br>Livingstone<br>Trust<br>Lighting for outdoor<br>School<br>Love of<br>Learning<br>Purchase of a pony<br>and associated costs<br>plus provision of a<br>plaque<br>Fiona Strong<br>Memorial Fund<br>Indoor school project<br>Peter Harrison<br>Foundation|**Fund as**<br>**at 1st**<br>**April**<br>**2021**<br>**Received Spent**<br>**Fund as at**<br>**31st March**<br>**2022**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>1,742<br>0<br>0<br>1,742<br>4,850<br>0<br>2,550<br>2,300<br>4,800<br>0<br>0<br>4,800<br>275<br>1,200<br>1,475<br>0<br>0<br>30,000<br>30,000|
|---|---|
||11,667<br>31,200<br>4,025<br>38,842|





## **2. Designated Funds** 

|**Opening balance**<br>**Additional funding from donations**<br>**Transfer of funds**<br>**Less**<br>**Electrical upgrade**<br>**Mats for old stalls**<br>**Purchase of new herd**<br>**Closing Balance**|**£**<br>130,177<br>8,000<br>20,000<br>-5,124<br>-875<br>13,414<br>138,764|
|---|---|





## **3.  New Works (Improvements and Equipment) Purchased** 

## **in year** 

|**New Works (Improvements)**<br>Electrical upgrade<br>Repair/renew lighting in indoor school<br>Beacon for disabled toilet<br>Mats for old stalls<br>Panel Heater for tack room<br>**Total New Works (Improvements)**<br>**Equipment**<br>Saddles<br>Girths<br>Bits for herd<br>Other equipment costs<br>**Total Equipment**<br>**Total new works (Improvements and equipment)**|£<br>5,124<br>(designated)<br>2,550<br>(restricted)<br>184<br>875<br>(designated)<br>474<br>**9,207**<br>800<br>168<br>53<br>62<br>**1,083**<br>**10,290**|
|---|---|





## **GOVERNANCE** 

Epsom RDA is managed by ten elected trustees including the Chairman.  Within the group there is a wide range of skills and experience bringing well rounded expertise to manage the charity on a day-to-day basis and plan and deliver for the future. 

There have been some changes to Trustees during the year: Gill McPherson resigned in February 2022 after several years on our Board.  We owe Gill a huge debt for her contribution, in particular for steering through the changes in charity status and our constitution which gave us a more solid governance foundation. We are delighted Gill remains with the Group as Session Leader of the Monday morning Session. 

We welcomed two new Trustees in the last two months of the year: Liz Clark who has been a volunteer for with the Group since 2018 and David Hart who brings business experience and knowledge to our list of skills. 

Covid presented challenges through the year with the Board continuing to meet remotely, an approach we have found to be efficient and effective We will continue to have this option available when conducting our regular Board and Session Leader meetings. The Board met seven times during the year and held one strategy meeting. This year we were very pleased to be able to return to holding our Annual General Meeting as a face-to-face meeting on 21 November 2021. Our thanks to the kind support of Epsom Downs Racecourse who hosted our social distanced meeting. 



## **Safeguarding** 

Everyone within Epsom RDA has the right to report any issues which cause concern about another person in confidence, this can be done to the appointed Safeguarding Officer or direct to our National body, RDA UK. 

At Epsom RDA we have a 

- Safeguarding Policy Statement 

- Safe recruitment – standardised application form, requirement for two references and disclosure checks 

- An appointed Safeguarding Officer who can be contacted by email: safeguarding@epsomrda.org.uk 

All in the Group are aware of who to contact if there is a safeguarding concern with the details sign posted on our coffee room noticeboard as well as detailed on our website. 

All Coaches that run Sessions have a current (within 3 years) safeguarding certificate and are required attend a formal training course provided by RDA UK to renew their certificate. 

More information on safeguarding guidelines and policy can be found at RDA National Safeguarding. 



## **Trustees as at 31 March 2022** 

Ray Lee, Chair re-elected at AGM on 27 September 2020 

Angela Wilson, Treasurer re-elected at AGM on 27 September 2020 

Tessa Kelly, Secretary elected 17 November 2019 

Liz Clark, Volunteering, appointed 14 February 2022 

Rebecca Courtman, Health, and Safety and Safeguarding re-elected 21 November 2021 

Laura Hales, Property & Grounds,  re-elected 21 November 2021 

David Hart appointed 1 March 2022 

Gill McPherson, resigned 20 February 2022 

Jo Lee, Horse and Pony, at AGM on 27 September 2020 

Stuart MacFarlane, Events re-elected 21 November 2019 

Gill McPherson, resigned 20 February 2022 

Beryl Randall, Fundraising, re-elected 21 November 2021 

Jane Sanders, Communications re-elected at AGM on 27 September 2020 



## **Reference and Administration** 

**Formal name** : Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association 

**Charity Registered Number** : 1180061 

**Registered Office** : St Ebba’s Farm, Hook Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8Q 

**Honorary Officers** : 

Chair – Ray Lee 

Treasurer – Angela Wilson 

Secretary – Tessa Kelly 

**Objects:** 

Providing disabled people with the opportunity to ride and/or to carriage drive to benefit their health and well- being in the Surrey / Southeast area 

**A Member** of the Riding for the Disabled Association incorporating Carriage Driving 

Registered Company No 5010395 Registered Charity No 244108 

**For more information:** 

Website: www.epsomrda.org.uk 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/epsomrda 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/epsomrda 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/epsomrda 

**Enquiries:** 

info@epsomrda.org.uk 

