## **Trustees Report 2024 Charity number 1180169** 

Avon Valley Partnership Youth and Community Trust Also known as Avon Valley Community Matters 

. 

## **Introduction** 

The charity had a very busy year in 2024.  It reached many more people with support. 

## **Families and Children’s work** 

Our Children’s and Families work has continued throughout this year.  Our Superstars group in Fordingbridge has given regular support every Friday morning during term time, to young families in the community.  Sadly our Families Befriender moved on in the middle of the year and we have not managed to replace her as yet.  We are so grateful for all she managed to achieve.  During the school holidays we ran free children and family days, engaging families with themed activities and providing a meal.  In the summer holidays these consisted of outdoor activities and a picnic, and were held in the surrounding villages. Our Building Together Saturdays have continued to grow. 

In November we ran lantern making workshops which culminated in a parade before the town Christmas light switch on event. 

## **Charity Shop** 

Our Charity shop continues to generate income to fund our outreach projects in the community but does so much more.  It is a warm, safe place for the lonely, somewhere they can come for a chat and a warm welcome and we have many regular visitors who just need to see a friendly face.  We continue to support other charities; including Mencap, Dorset Mind Charity, the local homeless charities and run a voucher scheme, distributed by the Salvation Army, the New Life Church and the Food Bank. 

We also run regular Jumble Sales which have proved very popular and are a good source of income for the charity. 

## **Trustees** 

The Trustees continue to work hard for the charity.  We have recruited two new Trustees to support us. 



## **Fundraising** 

We secured a substantial Grant this year from Culture in Common, specifically to set up a Storytelling Circle.  At the beginning of the year we ran free workshops to enable people to engage with storytelling and give them the tools to be able to become Storytelling Ambassadors in our community.  The aim is to meet regularly to support each other and learn new stories and to be able to go out into the community, to the elderly, children and families, schools and other organisations, to tell stories and engage with them. We hope to enable parents to tell stories to their children and others to enjoy the art of storytelling. 

## **Bereavement Group** 

We continued to offer bereavement support through counselling, befriending and activities. We work with the GP practice and many of our referrals come from the surgery. We now have 5 trained counsellors who volunteer supporting the bereaved and have managed to recruit a new supervisor for them and someone to assist them with their admin. 

**Our Friendship Group** continues to meet twice a month in a local pub and has between 3040 people attending on a regular basis.  This year the members summer outing was a river trip on the Kennet and Avon Canal.  They also produced their own calendar for 2025 and had an enjoyable Christmas Lunch, all supported by grants. 

## **Miscarriage Support Group** 

Sadly in the autumn we decided to close our Miscarriage Support Group.  We did not managed to reach those people locally who would have benefited from this opportunity. Most of the people who attended were from further afield and not local to our community. 

## **Volunteers** 

At the end of the year we held a Thank You Afternoon Tea Party for all our volunteers across the charity as none of our work could take place without them. 



## **Avon Valley ‐ Income and Expenses Summary** 

|Charity Shop<br>Shop Expenditure<br>Grants<br>Donations<br>Little acorns expenses<br>Childrens<br>Toddler Group<br>Daisy<br>AVC Communication<br>Holidays activ. (Messy Church)<br>Other Projects<br>Friendship<br>Shed<br>Story teller<br>Administration, etc<br>Solicitor<br>b/fwd<br>Bank<br>Loans<br>Creditors<br>Profit/Loss|1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024<br>£<br>£<br>54,584<br>56,039<br>1,455<br>‐<br>‐<br>8,329<br>8,329<br>6,874<br>‐<br>4,215<br>‐<br>‐<br>2,361<br>896<br>862<br>2,036<br>‐<br>3,359<br>13,729<br>322<br>‐<br>14,051<br>7,177<br>‐<br>8,723<br>1,546<br>6,081<br>4,000<br>535<br>4,535<br>1,546<br>1,546|1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024<br>£<br>£<br>54,584<br>56,039<br>1,455<br>‐<br>‐<br>8,329<br>8,329<br>6,874<br>‐<br>4,215<br>‐<br>‐<br>2,361<br>896<br>862<br>2,036<br>‐<br>3,359<br>13,729<br>322<br>‐<br>14,051<br>7,177<br>‐<br>8,723<br>1,546<br>6,081<br>4,000<br>535<br>4,535<br>1,546<br>1,546|1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023<br>£<br>£<br>52,719<br>45,514<br>7,205<br>940<br>8,638<br>9,578<br>16,783<br>143<br>1,200<br>325<br>3,141<br>‐<br>546<br>175<br>4,150<br>1,254<br>‐<br>10,934<br>9,534<br>2,664<br>23,132<br>6,349<br>‐<br>15,072<br>8,723<br>12,723<br>4,000<br>‐<br>4,000<br>8,723<br>8,723|1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023<br>£<br>£<br>52,719<br>45,514<br>7,205<br>940<br>8,638<br>9,578<br>16,783<br>143<br>1,200<br>325<br>3,141<br>‐<br>546<br>175<br>4,150<br>1,254<br>‐<br>10,934<br>9,534<br>2,664<br>23,132<br>6,349<br>‐<br>15,072<br>8,723<br>12,723<br>4,000<br>‐<br>4,000<br>8,723<br>8,723|1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023<br>£<br>£<br>52,719<br>45,514<br>7,205<br>940<br>8,638<br>9,578<br>16,783<br>143<br>1,200<br>325<br>3,141<br>‐<br>546<br>175<br>4,150<br>1,254<br>‐<br>10,934<br>9,534<br>2,664<br>23,132<br>6,349<br>‐<br>15,072<br>8,723<br>12,723<br>4,000<br>‐<br>4,000<br>8,723<br>8,723|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||7,205<br>9,578|
||‐<br>4,215<br>‐<br>‐<br>2,361<br>896<br>862<br>2,036<br>‐<br>3,359||143<br>1,200<br>325<br>3,141<br>‐<br>546<br>175<br>4,150<br>1,254<br>‐|||
||||||16,783<br>23,132|
||13,729<br>322<br>‐||10,934<br>9,534<br>2,664|||
|||||||
||||||6,349<br>‐<br>15,072|
||||||8,723|
||||||12,723<br><br>4,000|
|||||||
||||||8,723|
||||||8,723|





I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the abové charty for thè ye8r ended 31
December 2024.
Respe¢tive Respon$lbllltles of Tnthes andExamlnor
The charity's trustees are responsibleforthe preparation ofthe accounts. The charitys trustees Consider
that 8n audit is not required this year under section 14412} of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and
that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibilityto:
Examine th8 8c¢ounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act:
Follow the proce(Jures laid down In the General Dlrections gprfen ty the Charty Commlssloners
{under section 14515llbl of the 2011 Act): and
State whether partlcuL8r matters have come to my attentlon.
Indep8ndent•xamln•r* $tatoment
Slnce the gross income for the year exceeds the amount provlded in section 145131 of the Act, I confirm
that l am qualrfled to act as Independent Examiner under the provisions of that sectlon of the Act and
that my qualrfication is as shown below.
I have completed my examlnatlon. I confim that no m8terl81 m8tters have come to my attentlon in
connection wlth the ex8mlnation which gives me cause to believe that in any materi81 respect:
The accountlng records were not kept in accordanc8 with sectlon 130 of the Charlrles Act: or
The accounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or
The accounts did not complywith the 8pplicable requirements concemlngthe fomi and content
of accounts set out In the Charltles {Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any
requirement thatthe 8ccount8 give 8 Yrue and falr"viewwhich Is not a matter considered as part
of an independent examination.
I have no concem 8nd have corne across no other matters in connectlon vthh the ex8mlnation to which
attention should be drawn inthis report in orderto enable a proper understsnding ofth8 accountsto be
reached
Martin Rlce FCMA CGMA
Hydeaway. Frogham Hill. Frogham. FOrdingbr￿ge SP6 2HW
22 September 2025