Timperley Duke of Edinburgh Award Centre
Annual Report September 2023
TIMPERLEY DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023
CONTENTS
| 1. | Introduction | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Review of the Year | 4 |
| 3. | Financial Report | 8 |
| 4. | Participation & outputs | 10 |
| 5. | Contact Details | 12 |
| Appendix 1 – Awards Completed | 13 | |
| Appendix 2 – Independent Examiners Report | 14 |
Page 2 of 16
TIMPERLEY DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD CENTRE
1. Introduction & Background
The Timperley DofE Award Centre is a Licenced Organisation of the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE). This report covers the year ended 30[th] September 2023.
The Centre is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a governing document which is available on the Charity Commission website. Its Charitable objects are:
To help young people in the Trafford area by providing opportunities for them to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and thereby to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
The DofE Award provides a balanced programme of activities that develops the whole person – mind, body and soul – in an environment of social interaction and teamworking. Young people progress through three levels of DofE programmes to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem. It requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who do their DofE. It is open to participants aged between 14 and 24.
Further information concerning objectives of the Award are set out on its website at: http://www.dofe.org/
All participants are registered with the DofE through the eDofE website. This tracks participation in the three elements of the Award which comprise:
-
Volunteering – this is about making a difference to other people’s lives. From conservation to youth work to fundraising for charity or caring for animals – there is an extensive list of projects that the members are involved in. Our community is benefiting from volunteering with a social value of over £22,000pa.
-
Physical – through this section participants achieve greater physical fitness and become healthier through a wide range of activities both personal or through teamwork.
-
Skills – this is all about developing practical and social skills and personal interests. There is an extensive list of skills which the young people may develop
In addition participants take part in expeditions which involve overnight camping for one night for the bronze award, two nights for silver, and three nights for the Gold Award.
The centre is located at the Altrincham Kersal Rugby Club (AKRFC) in Timperley.
Since our centre was founded we have supported over 780 young people to take part in the Award.
Page 3 of 16
2. Review of the Year
We launched the 2022-23 season with an Open Afternoon at AKRFC. Attendance was back to pre-pandemic levels and we had approximately 150 people attend over two sessions.
Bronze Award
At Bronze level we delivered both practice and qualifying expeditions. 10 groups took part (70 members).
We introduced a new format for Bronze training to consolidate training into a weekend billed as ‘The Big Weekend Out which took place in May. The training was attended by 70 Bronze participants supported by 20 leaders.
Training started on the Friday evening with Tent building & stove safety. On the Saturday the groups undertook navigation training, then on to orienteering combined with first aid scenarios, during the afternoon they completed a 5k walk to practice their navigation skills, during the evening all groups planned a walk for the next day. On the Sunday they completed the walk and returned home in the afternoon. We found that teaching them the navigation and using the skills learnt straight away over the weekend definitely made them more aware and remember the new skills.
Bronze qualifier - 66 members passed the expedition, 4 withdrew prior to the qualifier due to injuries and personal reasons.
Page 4 of 16
Silver Award
At Silver we had 8 groups and 54 participants who have successfully completed their expeditions. 24 of those were Direct to Silver entrants so we had an additional training day for those participants to ensure that they understood the basics such as using a stove, navigation, first aid and pitching a tent.
We were back to our normal locations this year so managed to complete the Practice in the Yorkshire Dates, from High Bentham to Settle and the Qualifier in the Peak District, starting at the Goyt Valley and finishing in Buxton.
For both the Practice and the Qualifier, we had support from our AAP for Mountain Leader trained leaders. We have a strong group of volunteers who are Lowland Leader trained who support year after year. We also had quite a few new volunteers who could support the expeditions as well with logistics.
Overall it was a really good year. The groups worked really well together and managed to cope with the mixed weather that we had. Generally the team work was good and they coped with some of the difficult terrain, particularly in the Peak District well.
Page 5 of 16
Gold Award
At Gold level 5 groups (29 participants) successfully completed their expeditions. Gold Level was run by Martin and Yamini McCabe who did an excellent job co-ordinating all of the groups and working with our Approved Activity Provider (AAP) Mountain Treks who deliver the expeditions.
The training strategy followed our usual approach of a ‘Big Day Out’ at Rivington Pike to refresh participants navigation skills, followed by pizza and route planning back at AKRFC. In addition we arranged full practice expeditions in the Lake District which is where the qualifying expeditions also took place. The teams experienced all weathers and proved their resilience in challenging conditions.
Page 6 of 16
Adult Volunteers
Our volunteer group has gone from strength to strength. We now have over 50 volunteers in a variety of roles. 17 new volunteers have come forward for the 2023/24 season.
Our rolling programme of adult leader training, which has previously covered areas such as safeguarding, covered First Aid training this year. During the year we invested in First Aid training
Adult volunteers first aid training at AKRFC
Stores
The Stores team, lead by Louise Hayward, have continued to run a well organised operation. Louise is standing down as stores leader this year and the Trustees would like to record their thanks to Louise for her excellent management and organisation of the equipment stores.
During the year we invested £6k in new equipment including 14 new Access Expedition tents and other group and personal expedition equipment.
We retired a number of Vango tents and donated these to the Wellspring Centre. The centre is based in Stockport and supports people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. It responds to a combination of issues surrounding housing, physical and mental health, domestic violence, substance misuse, debt, unemployment, illiteracy and social exclusion.
Page 7 of 16
Emma Deighton Brown accompanies members dropping off kit at the Wellspring Project
eDofE
The proportion of our members who go on to complete the awards is above the national average. A large part of this success is down to the encouragement our eDofE mentor team provide to participants to ensure they sign off on the Award sections. This team is lead by Charlotte Skitterall with support from Michelle Ball, Liz Stagg and Sarah Newton, and Darren Williamson. Steph Carter from the Bowdon Church DofE Centre continues to be very supportive and performs the role of independent verifier.
Future Strategy
Looking forward the Trustees are confident that the centre will be able to continue to operate and serve the community. We are planning to hold a strategic planning meeting in February 2024 to further discuss the opportunities ahead, this will include succession planning for key roles.
The DofE Centre at Bowdon Church recently accounted its closure. Our centre was initially set up at Holy Cross Church following the success of the Bowdon model. We are very grateful for the team at Bowdon for their support over the years, the two centres have collaborated well helping one another find places for members when they have been unable to attend expeditions. We have been in contact with Bowdon and they have referred people applying to their centre to us and other local centres.
Page 8 of 16
The main risk to our centre is its dependence on members from Sale Grammar School which make up circa 65% of our cohort.
The Trustees of the Charity who served during the year and as at the date of this report are as follows:
Andy Allan (Chair) Ben Morgan Sarah Newton Caroline Royle Roz Swarbrick (resigned 18[th] October 2022) Jon Buckland (appointed 18[th] October 2022)
Page 9 of 16
3. Financial Report
Income Statement
Timperley DofE Award Centre
For the year ended 30 September 2023 Amounts in pound sterling
| Account | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | ||
| Expedition Fees | 35,460.00 | 24,900.00 |
| Interest Income | 199.48 | 5.00 |
| Kit Income | 852.00 | 675.00 |
| Other Revenue | 400.00 | 400.00 |
| Registration Fees | 7,785.00 | 7,130.00 |
| Total Turnover | 44,696.48 | 33,110.00 |
| Cost of Sales | ||
| Badges | 169.50 | 0.00 |
| Certificates | 60.00 | 0.00 |
| Direct Expenses | 3,717.90 | 1,260.00 |
| Expedition Accommodation | 4,805.75 | 2,938.00 |
| Expedition Printing | 154.83 | 0.00 |
| Expedition Transport | 163.71 | 448.00 |
| Expedition/TrainingFood | 613.02 | 60.00 |
| Instructors | 10,325.00 | 6,157.00 |
| Printing | 211.98 | 0.00 |
| Registrationpacks | 4,135.00 | 3,442.00 |
| Tracker Hire | 1,405.89 | 461.00 |
| Total Cost of Sales | 25,762.58 | 14,766.00 |
| Gross Profit | 18,993.90 | 18,344.00 |
| Administrative Costs | ||
| Audit & Accountancyfees | 354.00 | 0.00 |
| Bank Fees | 24.20 | 102.00 |
| Charitable and Political Donations | 1,000.00 | 0.00 |
| First Aid Training | 800.00 | 0.00 |
| General Expenses | 649.55 | 436.00 |
| Insurance | 707.83 | 706.00 |
| IT Software and Consumables | 300.66 | 383.00 |
| Licence Fee | 359.70 | 2,368.00 |
| Postage,Freight & Courier | 35.00 | 0.00 |
| Printing& Stationery | 346.09 | 508.00 |
| Rent | 1,250.00 | 227.00 |
| Repairs & Maintenance | 450.19 | 0.00 |
| Safeguarding | 487.60 | 1,403.00 |
| Salaries | 9,834.82 | 7,522.00 |
| Staff Training | 283.00 | 1,800.00 |
| Stores Equipment | 5,952.85 | 2,461.00 |
| Subsistence | 244.62 | 0.00 |
| Telephone & Internet | 142.19 | 9.00 |
| Total Administrative Costs | 23,222.30 | 17,925.00 |
| Operating Profit | (4,288.40) | 419.00 |
| Profit on Ordinary Activities Before Taxation | (4,288.40) | 419.00 |
| Profit after Taxation | (4,288.40) | 419.00 |
Page 10 of 16
The accounts show that the centre made a loss of £4.3k. This compares to a surplus of £419 recorded in the prior year (2021/22). The loss this year was largely attributed to our investment in stores equipment (£6k).
We are fortunate to have accumulated a healthy level of reserves (£29k) which mean we are no longer reliant on grant funding for equipment. The Trustees have discussed the use of the surplus and determined that it will be utilised as follows:
-
to provide headroom / contingency during a period when the fixed costs of the Centre will increase following the appointment of the salaried Centre Manager
-
funding for a rolling programme of equipment replacement
-
funding for fully supported places on DofE for those from disadvantaged backgrounds
Balance Sheet
Timperley DofE Award Centre As at 30 September 2023
Amounts in pound sterling
| 30 Sep | 30 Sep | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
| Current Assets | |||
| Cash at bank and in hand | |||
| Lloyds Current Account | 4,753.56 | 3,027.32 | |
| Lloyds Deposit Account | 25,719.11 | 30,519.63 | |
| Total Cash at bank and in hand | 30,472.67 | 33,546.95 | |
| Prepayments | 80.00 | 0.00 | |
| Total Current Assets | 30,552.67 | 33,546.95 | |
| Creditors falling due within 1year | |||
| Accounts Payable | 627.03 | 0.00 | |
| Accruals | 840.00 | 0.00 | |
| Historic adjustment | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| PAYE Payable | (172.91) | 0.00 | |
| Total Creditors falling due within 1year | 1,294.12 | 0.00 | |
| Net Current Assets (Liabilities) | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 | |
| Total Assets less Current Liabilities | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 | |
| Net Assets | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 | |
| Capital and Reserves | |||
| Currentyear earnings | (4,288.40) | 419.00 | |
| Retained earnings | 33,546.95 | 33,127.95 | |
| Total Capital and Reserves | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 |
*Prior year comparative amounts have been restated to the current year format
Jon Buckland has completed his first year as Treasurer. During this time Jon has migrated the accounting records to XERO and implemented a number of process efficiencies to enable us to handle the volumes of members we have in the centre. Our accounts have been independently verified and we are also grateful to Helen Sumpton for conducting this review. Please refer to Appendix 2 for the report.
Page 11 of 16
4. Participation & outputs
Participation
Although Timperley is a relatively affluent area the Centre places great emphasis on taking an ‘everyone welcome’ approach which encourages participation from a range of children from varying socio-economic and ethnic groups. The Centre is an Open Award centre promoted throughout Trafford. Most members are drawn from local schools and come from the Altrincham area.
Participation during the 2022/23 season by ethnic background, gender and disability is set out below. This is based on eDofE system data for registered participants:
----- Start of picture text -----
Bronze Silver Gold Total
Unknown Male Female Total by Unknown Male I describe Female Total by Male Female Total by
Level my gender Level Level
31 30 15 76 1 23 1 19 44 4 9 13 133
31 30 15 76 1 23 1 19 44 4 9 13 133
Asian or Asian British Black/African Chinese or Do not Mixed Unknown White Total
Caribbean/Bl Other wish to
ack British Ethnic Grp state
Indian Pakistani African Chinese Prefer not Any other White and White and Any other Arab Not Scottish/Eng Any other
to say Mixed/Multipl Asian Black ethnic Specified lish/Welsh/N White
e ethnic African group orthern background
background Irish/British
15 1 1 8 4 1 8 1 1 1 32 58 2 133
15 1 1 8 4 1 8 1 1 1 32 58 2 133
I do not have I have additional Not Specified Prefer not to say Total
additional needs
needs
96 3 32 2 133
96 3 32 2 133
----- End of picture text -----
Applications by school and gender for the forthcoming 2023/24 season are set out below. This is based on data captured during the registration process:
Applications by school
| Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Altrincham Grammar School for Girls Sale Grammar School Blessed Thomas Holford CC Ashton on Mersey Loreto Urmston Grammar school Sir John Deane's 6th form College W ellington School Urmston Grammar School W arrington Vale Royal College Broadoak School Other |
30 7 111 4 3 3 2 1 4 2 1 1 2 171 |
|---|---|
Page 12 of 16
Volunteering and community outreach
The impact that participants have on their communities through volunteering activity is viewed by the Centre as an important output of the programme. The DofE have confirmed this has a value of £22k. Sarah Newton has co-ordinated volunteer activities and has provided support for members by working with local charities to signpost opportunities.
Examples of volunteer activity undertaken during the year include :
Animal Welfare
I took part in volunteering for the Warrington Park Run event which is free and takes place every Saturday at Victoria Park.
Art Club (Cre8) at my primary school Artistic Swimming Assist Year 7s with their reading skills Assistant Brownie Leader Assistant instructor at taekwon-do Befriending service Charity Shop Charity Shop and tutoring my brother
Coaching Coaching childrens football Coaching family member Coaching the younger years at my netball club Coaching young runners at my club Community organisation beavers club Cricket Coach Dance Leadership English mentoring Event Management Faith communities Football coaching Fostering rabbit(s) for the RSPCA Friends of Stamford Park Fundraising Girlguiding UK Group Leadership Guitar tuition to my Dad. Handball Coachinf for U12 Handball coaching Heaton park Parkrun Volunteering Help dance Teacher teach younger Freestyle dance class (age 8 -12) every week for 1 hour 4.30 -5.30pm.
Helping a local family with chores, helping with homework, shopping etc. Helping and organising an art class weekly
helping at a primary school art club and after school wrap around care Helping at Cafe in the Park Helping elderly grandparents Helping people with special needs
Helping run the primary school age Sunday School groups at my local church Helping students who struggle with maths Helping teach the younger class at my dance club. helping with community events I am cleaning up, and also gardening in my local park with the friends of stamford of park. I am going to help out at a local beavers club. I am going to volunteer at Trafford handball club for 1 hour a week and help train the u12 players.
Irish Dance Junior Drama Group Leading a bbyo group Leading Year 7 drama club librarian Library volunteering Library work- neatening, straightening and shelving the books. Litter picking- for Sale Wombles Managing school library by helping stock and sorting shelves. Promoting reading in the school community. Issuing books to students. Maths tuition Maths tutoring Missing Maps Music Tuition Netball and tennis coaching Park Run Volunteer Psychology mentoring of year 11 Religious Education Rowing Bank support rspca christmas cards charity sale / fostering Science Tuition Scout Association Sports Leadership Sunday school at the local church Supporting a local community garden project supporting a rowing coach Supporting a tennis coach Supporting the younger members of the dance school Swimming Swimming coaching
Teaching Hockey
Tennis Coaching Tennis help/volunteering
Tuition for my Spanish Grandmother how to speak English through weekly zoom calls.
Tutoring Various volunteering activities Volunteering as a shop assistant
Volunteering as a stable hand Volunteering at the COVID Centre Walking a dog Weekly shopping for elderly neighbours
Working at Bean & Brush which is a family and art cafe. Working with a company as a UX Tester
Young Leader with Girlguiding UK
Page 13 of 16
5. Further Information
For further information please email: membership@dofetimperley.org.uk
Call 0161 533 2459 or contact the relevant member of our team :
Emma Deighton Brown Centre Manager emma.db@dofetimperley.org.uk Charlotte Skitterall eDofE Manager charlotte.skitterall@dofetimperley.org.uk - Martin Deighton Brown Bronze Expedition Manager martin.deighton brown@dofetimperley.org.uk Ben Morgan Silver Expedition Manager ben.morgan@dofetimperley.org.uk Paul Gorton Gold Expedition Manager paul.gorton@dofetimperley.org.uk Jon Buckland Treasurer jon.buckland@dofetimperley.org.uk Louise Hayward Stores Manager louise.hayward@dofetimperley.org.uk Caroline Royle Safeguarding Officer caroline.royle@dofetimperley.org.uk Sarah Newton Volunteering Co-Ordinator sarah.newton@dofetimperley.org.uk Andy Allan Chair of Trustees andy.allan@dofetimperley.org.uk
Page 14 of 16
APPENDIX 1 – AWARDS COMPLETED
Bronze
Abbie Rainey Aidan Christmas Alexander Kosa Alexandria Skitterall Alexis Marquis Amber Schofield Amber Webb Amy Parker Anna Wilson Annabelle Stuart Ava Flanagan Benjamin Fulthorpe Bethan McGrath Caitlin Cawdrey Caitlin Murphy Charlotte Stanton Chloe Horwood Daniel Gillham Daniel Hardy Daniel Jim Edward Atkinson Eleanor Leeder Ella Ashworth Ellie Sansome Elliot Sheldon Eloise Furlonger Erin Lee Erin Meacock Esme Beaver Ethan Ho-Wan Euan McCrink Faris Ravji-Smith Finley Newton Freya Riley Georgia Flood Grace Edwards Hannah Bone Hannah Stansfield Harry cooper Hazim Hamada Isabelle Williams Ishi Saran Arya James Bricknell James Currie James Wareing Jamie Hanson Jamie hawthorn Jemima Hernen
Silver
Bronze
Jessica Riley Abdullah Mahmood Joe Roy Akash Rudralingam Perez Katie Wareing Alexandria Skitterall Keyon Cassidy Alice Binks Kirit Gupta Amber Liew Kitty-Anna Quinn Amelia Davis Lauren Johnson An Dang Layla Weller Arun Rudralingam Perez Leila Anwar-Watts Casey Murray Lilia Eskandar Ceri Birchall Lilia Nicholls Charlotte Bardwell Luke Gili Charlotte Stansfield Malin Connolly Charlotte Stanton Matthew Thompson Chris deBoeck Max Butterworth Conor O’Donnell Meg Barnsley Daisy Thoms Megan North Dan Bradley Mia Gili Daniel Kilcoyne Millie Stewart Daniel Wood Nathan Sinclair Eleanor Leeder Oliver Bodey Eleni Poku - Agyemang Oliver Lark Ella Williams Oliver Law Erin Daly Omar Abdelaziz Erin Meacock Oscar Gilbert Esmé Maxwell Owen Quinn Eve Millward Paula Langheinrich Ferrer Fara Ross Poppy Royle Faris Memon Rayan Khan Freya Riley Rehan Sumeetansh Pabby Gabriel Cuming Robyn Gray Grace Edwards Sammy Cuffe Jacob Mansfield Sebastian Parkes James Mcilhagger Seth Williams Jess Terry Sheeman Khan Jessica Riley Sophie Brown Joe Howells Sophie Gregory Joe Rainey Sumeet Kandale Joseph McCaffer Tamara Al-Mula Abed Kilvington Sam Thomas Bailey Lauren Christmas Tom Savage Livia Armitage Varunavi Kumar Louis Poyser William Newman Maisie Kirkpatrick Zaki Amar Matthew Bonney Zara Latham Michelle Yang Zayd Sodawala Millie Stewart Zixuan Lula Xia Nathan Sinclair Zubaida Raja Niamh Hardwick Nivedha Adhiyaman Poppy Royle Ramsundar Athi Rohan McCabe Ryan Thwaites Sachin Aggarwal Selin Chang shachar leshem Sid Wallace Tara Logan-Virden Tara Seagger Thomas Dykes Vince Ashley Yoana Rudeva Zabrina Salau Zoe Bartlett
Gold
Benjamin Hayward Benjamin Huntley Charlotte Bardwell Daisy Thoms Emma Rhodes Flo Stagg Freya Morgan Isabella Kilvington Keshika McCabe Lucy Spark Michael Deng Nathan Fuller Noah Meacock Olivia Bradley Olivia Effingham Samuel Higgins Scott Swarbrick Tara Seagger Tessa Lindsay Thomas Bridge Weronika Davis Zoe Bowyer
Page 15 of 16
APPENDIX 2 – INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS
See separate attachments.
Page 16 of 16
Timperley Duke of Edinburgh Award Centre
Annual Report September 2023
TIMPERLEY DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD CENTRE ANNUAL REPORT YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2023
CONTENTS
| 1. | Introduction | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Review of the Year | 4 |
| 3. | Financial Report | 8 |
| 4. | Participation & outputs | 10 |
| 5. | Contact Details | 12 |
| Appendix 1 – Awards Completed | 13 | |
| Appendix 2 – Independent Examiners Report | 14 |
Page 2 of 16
TIMPERLEY DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD CENTRE
1. Introduction & Background
The Timperley DofE Award Centre is a Licenced Organisation of the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE). This report covers the year ended 30[th] September 2023.
The Centre is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a governing document which is available on the Charity Commission website. Its Charitable objects are:
To help young people in the Trafford area by providing opportunities for them to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and thereby to develop their capabilities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
The DofE Award provides a balanced programme of activities that develops the whole person – mind, body and soul – in an environment of social interaction and teamworking. Young people progress through three levels of DofE programmes to achieve a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem. It requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who do their DofE. It is open to participants aged between 14 and 24.
Further information concerning objectives of the Award are set out on its website at: http://www.dofe.org/
All participants are registered with the DofE through the eDofE website. This tracks participation in the three elements of the Award which comprise:
-
Volunteering – this is about making a difference to other people’s lives. From conservation to youth work to fundraising for charity or caring for animals – there is an extensive list of projects that the members are involved in. Our community is benefiting from volunteering with a social value of over £22,000pa.
-
Physical – through this section participants achieve greater physical fitness and become healthier through a wide range of activities both personal or through teamwork.
-
Skills – this is all about developing practical and social skills and personal interests. There is an extensive list of skills which the young people may develop
In addition participants take part in expeditions which involve overnight camping for one night for the bronze award, two nights for silver, and three nights for the Gold Award.
The centre is located at the Altrincham Kersal Rugby Club (AKRFC) in Timperley.
Since our centre was founded we have supported over 780 young people to take part in the Award.
Page 3 of 16
2. Review of the Year
We launched the 2022-23 season with an Open Afternoon at AKRFC. Attendance was back to pre-pandemic levels and we had approximately 150 people attend over two sessions.
Bronze Award
At Bronze level we delivered both practice and qualifying expeditions. 10 groups took part (70 members).
We introduced a new format for Bronze training to consolidate training into a weekend billed as ‘The Big Weekend Out which took place in May. The training was attended by 70 Bronze participants supported by 20 leaders.
Training started on the Friday evening with Tent building & stove safety. On the Saturday the groups undertook navigation training, then on to orienteering combined with first aid scenarios, during the afternoon they completed a 5k walk to practice their navigation skills, during the evening all groups planned a walk for the next day. On the Sunday they completed the walk and returned home in the afternoon. We found that teaching them the navigation and using the skills learnt straight away over the weekend definitely made them more aware and remember the new skills.
Bronze qualifier - 66 members passed the expedition, 4 withdrew prior to the qualifier due to injuries and personal reasons.
Page 4 of 16
Silver Award
At Silver we had 8 groups and 54 participants who have successfully completed their expeditions. 24 of those were Direct to Silver entrants so we had an additional training day for those participants to ensure that they understood the basics such as using a stove, navigation, first aid and pitching a tent.
We were back to our normal locations this year so managed to complete the Practice in the Yorkshire Dates, from High Bentham to Settle and the Qualifier in the Peak District, starting at the Goyt Valley and finishing in Buxton.
For both the Practice and the Qualifier, we had support from our AAP for Mountain Leader trained leaders. We have a strong group of volunteers who are Lowland Leader trained who support year after year. We also had quite a few new volunteers who could support the expeditions as well with logistics.
Overall it was a really good year. The groups worked really well together and managed to cope with the mixed weather that we had. Generally the team work was good and they coped with some of the difficult terrain, particularly in the Peak District well.
Page 5 of 16
Gold Award
At Gold level 5 groups (29 participants) successfully completed their expeditions. Gold Level was run by Martin and Yamini McCabe who did an excellent job co-ordinating all of the groups and working with our Approved Activity Provider (AAP) Mountain Treks who deliver the expeditions.
The training strategy followed our usual approach of a ‘Big Day Out’ at Rivington Pike to refresh participants navigation skills, followed by pizza and route planning back at AKRFC. In addition we arranged full practice expeditions in the Lake District which is where the qualifying expeditions also took place. The teams experienced all weathers and proved their resilience in challenging conditions.
Page 6 of 16
Adult Volunteers
Our volunteer group has gone from strength to strength. We now have over 50 volunteers in a variety of roles. 17 new volunteers have come forward for the 2023/24 season.
Our rolling programme of adult leader training, which has previously covered areas such as safeguarding, covered First Aid training this year. During the year we invested in First Aid training
Adult volunteers first aid training at AKRFC
Stores
The Stores team, lead by Louise Hayward, have continued to run a well organised operation. Louise is standing down as stores leader this year and the Trustees would like to record their thanks to Louise for her excellent management and organisation of the equipment stores.
During the year we invested £6k in new equipment including 14 new Access Expedition tents and other group and personal expedition equipment.
We retired a number of Vango tents and donated these to the Wellspring Centre. The centre is based in Stockport and supports people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. It responds to a combination of issues surrounding housing, physical and mental health, domestic violence, substance misuse, debt, unemployment, illiteracy and social exclusion.
Page 7 of 16
Emma Deighton Brown accompanies members dropping off kit at the Wellspring Project
eDofE
The proportion of our members who go on to complete the awards is above the national average. A large part of this success is down to the encouragement our eDofE mentor team provide to participants to ensure they sign off on the Award sections. This team is lead by Charlotte Skitterall with support from Michelle Ball, Liz Stagg and Sarah Newton, and Darren Williamson. Steph Carter from the Bowdon Church DofE Centre continues to be very supportive and performs the role of independent verifier.
Future Strategy
Looking forward the Trustees are confident that the centre will be able to continue to operate and serve the community. We are planning to hold a strategic planning meeting in February 2024 to further discuss the opportunities ahead, this will include succession planning for key roles.
The DofE Centre at Bowdon Church recently accounted its closure. Our centre was initially set up at Holy Cross Church following the success of the Bowdon model. We are very grateful for the team at Bowdon for their support over the years, the two centres have collaborated well helping one another find places for members when they have been unable to attend expeditions. We have been in contact with Bowdon and they have referred people applying to their centre to us and other local centres.
Page 8 of 16
The main risk to our centre is its dependence on members from Sale Grammar School which make up circa 65% of our cohort.
The Trustees of the Charity who served during the year and as at the date of this report are as follows:
Andy Allan (Chair) Ben Morgan Sarah Newton Caroline Royle Roz Swarbrick (resigned 18[th] October 2022) Jon Buckland (appointed 18[th] October 2022)
Page 9 of 16
3. Financial Report
Income Statement
Timperley DofE Award Centre
For the year ended 30 September 2023 Amounts in pound sterling
| Account | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | ||
| Expedition Fees | 35,460.00 | 24,900.00 |
| Interest Income | 199.48 | 5.00 |
| Kit Income | 852.00 | 675.00 |
| Other Revenue | 400.00 | 400.00 |
| Registration Fees | 7,785.00 | 7,130.00 |
| Total Turnover | 44,696.48 | 33,110.00 |
| Cost of Sales | ||
| Badges | 169.50 | 0.00 |
| Certificates | 60.00 | 0.00 |
| Direct Expenses | 3,717.90 | 1,260.00 |
| Expedition Accommodation | 4,805.75 | 2,938.00 |
| Expedition Printing | 154.83 | 0.00 |
| Expedition Transport | 163.71 | 448.00 |
| Expedition/TrainingFood | 613.02 | 60.00 |
| Instructors | 10,325.00 | 6,157.00 |
| Printing | 211.98 | 0.00 |
| Registrationpacks | 4,135.00 | 3,442.00 |
| Tracker Hire | 1,405.89 | 461.00 |
| Total Cost of Sales | 25,762.58 | 14,766.00 |
| Gross Profit | 18,993.90 | 18,344.00 |
| Administrative Costs | ||
| Audit & Accountancyfees | 354.00 | 0.00 |
| Bank Fees | 24.20 | 102.00 |
| Charitable and Political Donations | 1,000.00 | 0.00 |
| First Aid Training | 800.00 | 0.00 |
| General Expenses | 649.55 | 436.00 |
| Insurance | 707.83 | 706.00 |
| IT Software and Consumables | 300.66 | 383.00 |
| Licence Fee | 359.70 | 2,368.00 |
| Postage,Freight & Courier | 35.00 | 0.00 |
| Printing& Stationery | 346.09 | 508.00 |
| Rent | 1,250.00 | 227.00 |
| Repairs & Maintenance | 450.19 | 0.00 |
| Safeguarding | 487.60 | 1,403.00 |
| Salaries | 9,834.82 | 7,522.00 |
| Staff Training | 283.00 | 1,800.00 |
| Stores Equipment | 5,952.85 | 2,461.00 |
| Subsistence | 244.62 | 0.00 |
| Telephone & Internet | 142.19 | 9.00 |
| Total Administrative Costs | 23,222.30 | 17,925.00 |
| Operating Profit | (4,288.40) | 419.00 |
| Profit on Ordinary Activities Before Taxation | (4,288.40) | 419.00 |
| Profit after Taxation | (4,288.40) | 419.00 |
Page 10 of 16
The accounts show that the centre made a loss of £4.3k. This compares to a surplus of £419 recorded in the prior year (2021/22). The loss this year was largely attributed to our investment in stores equipment (£6k).
We are fortunate to have accumulated a healthy level of reserves (£29k) which mean we are no longer reliant on grant funding for equipment. The Trustees have discussed the use of the surplus and determined that it will be utilised as follows:
-
to provide headroom / contingency during a period when the fixed costs of the Centre will increase following the appointment of the salaried Centre Manager
-
funding for a rolling programme of equipment replacement
-
funding for fully supported places on DofE for those from disadvantaged backgrounds
Balance Sheet
Timperley DofE Award Centre As at 30 September 2023
Amounts in pound sterling
| 30 Sep | 30 Sep | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
| Current Assets | |||
| Cash at bank and in hand | |||
| Lloyds Current Account | 4,753.56 | 3,027.32 | |
| Lloyds Deposit Account | 25,719.11 | 30,519.63 | |
| Total Cash at bank and in hand | 30,472.67 | 33,546.95 | |
| Prepayments | 80.00 | 0.00 | |
| Total Current Assets | 30,552.67 | 33,546.95 | |
| Creditors falling due within 1year | |||
| Accounts Payable | 627.03 | 0.00 | |
| Accruals | 840.00 | 0.00 | |
| Historic adjustment | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| PAYE Payable | (172.91) | 0.00 | |
| Total Creditors falling due within 1year | 1,294.12 | 0.00 | |
| Net Current Assets (Liabilities) | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 | |
| Total Assets less Current Liabilities | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 | |
| Net Assets | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 | |
| Capital and Reserves | |||
| Currentyear earnings | (4,288.40) | 419.00 | |
| Retained earnings | 33,546.95 | 33,127.95 | |
| Total Capital and Reserves | 29,258.55 | 33,546.95 |
*Prior year comparative amounts have been restated to the current year format
Jon Buckland has completed his first year as Treasurer. During this time Jon has migrated the accounting records to XERO and implemented a number of process efficiencies to enable us to handle the volumes of members we have in the centre. Our accounts have been independently verified and we are also grateful to Helen Sumpton for conducting this review. Please refer to Appendix 2 for the report.
Page 11 of 16
4. Participation & outputs
Participation
Although Timperley is a relatively affluent area the Centre places great emphasis on taking an ‘everyone welcome’ approach which encourages participation from a range of children from varying socio-economic and ethnic groups. The Centre is an Open Award centre promoted throughout Trafford. Most members are drawn from local schools and come from the Altrincham area.
Participation during the 2022/23 season by ethnic background, gender and disability is set out below. This is based on eDofE system data for registered participants:
----- Start of picture text -----
Bronze Silver Gold Total
Unknown Male Female Total by Unknown Male I describe Female Total by Male Female Total by
Level my gender Level Level
31 30 15 76 1 23 1 19 44 4 9 13 133
31 30 15 76 1 23 1 19 44 4 9 13 133
Asian or Asian British Black/African Chinese or Do not Mixed Unknown White Total
Caribbean/Bl Other wish to
ack British Ethnic Grp state
Indian Pakistani African Chinese Prefer not Any other White and White and Any other Arab Not Scottish/Eng Any other
to say Mixed/Multipl Asian Black ethnic Specified lish/Welsh/N White
e ethnic African group orthern background
background Irish/British
15 1 1 8 4 1 8 1 1 1 32 58 2 133
15 1 1 8 4 1 8 1 1 1 32 58 2 133
I do not have I have additional Not Specified Prefer not to say Total
additional needs
needs
96 3 32 2 133
96 3 32 2 133
----- End of picture text -----
Applications by school and gender for the forthcoming 2023/24 season are set out below. This is based on data captured during the registration process:
Applications by school
| Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Altrincham Grammar School for Girls Sale Grammar School Blessed Thomas Holford CC Ashton on Mersey Loreto Urmston Grammar school Sir John Deane's 6th form College W ellington School Urmston Grammar School W arrington Vale Royal College Broadoak School Other |
30 7 111 4 3 3 2 1 4 2 1 1 2 171 |
|---|---|
Page 12 of 16
Volunteering and community outreach
The impact that participants have on their communities through volunteering activity is viewed by the Centre as an important output of the programme. The DofE have confirmed this has a value of £22k. Sarah Newton has co-ordinated volunteer activities and has provided support for members by working with local charities to signpost opportunities.
Examples of volunteer activity undertaken during the year include :
Animal Welfare
I took part in volunteering for the Warrington Park Run event which is free and takes place every Saturday at Victoria Park.
Art Club (Cre8) at my primary school Artistic Swimming Assist Year 7s with their reading skills Assistant Brownie Leader Assistant instructor at taekwon-do Befriending service Charity Shop Charity Shop and tutoring my brother
Coaching Coaching childrens football Coaching family member Coaching the younger years at my netball club Coaching young runners at my club Community organisation beavers club Cricket Coach Dance Leadership English mentoring Event Management Faith communities Football coaching Fostering rabbit(s) for the RSPCA Friends of Stamford Park Fundraising Girlguiding UK Group Leadership Guitar tuition to my Dad. Handball Coachinf for U12 Handball coaching Heaton park Parkrun Volunteering Help dance Teacher teach younger Freestyle dance class (age 8 -12) every week for 1 hour 4.30 -5.30pm.
Helping a local family with chores, helping with homework, shopping etc. Helping and organising an art class weekly
helping at a primary school art club and after school wrap around care Helping at Cafe in the Park Helping elderly grandparents Helping people with special needs
Helping run the primary school age Sunday School groups at my local church Helping students who struggle with maths Helping teach the younger class at my dance club. helping with community events I am cleaning up, and also gardening in my local park with the friends of stamford of park. I am going to help out at a local beavers club. I am going to volunteer at Trafford handball club for 1 hour a week and help train the u12 players.
Irish Dance Junior Drama Group Leading a bbyo group Leading Year 7 drama club librarian Library volunteering Library work- neatening, straightening and shelving the books. Litter picking- for Sale Wombles Managing school library by helping stock and sorting shelves. Promoting reading in the school community. Issuing books to students. Maths tuition Maths tutoring Missing Maps Music Tuition Netball and tennis coaching Park Run Volunteer Psychology mentoring of year 11 Religious Education Rowing Bank support rspca christmas cards charity sale / fostering Science Tuition Scout Association Sports Leadership Sunday school at the local church Supporting a local community garden project supporting a rowing coach Supporting a tennis coach Supporting the younger members of the dance school Swimming Swimming coaching
Teaching Hockey
Tennis Coaching Tennis help/volunteering
Tuition for my Spanish Grandmother how to speak English through weekly zoom calls.
Tutoring Various volunteering activities Volunteering as a shop assistant
Volunteering as a stable hand Volunteering at the COVID Centre Walking a dog Weekly shopping for elderly neighbours
Working at Bean & Brush which is a family and art cafe. Working with a company as a UX Tester
Young Leader with Girlguiding UK
Page 13 of 16
5. Further Information
For further information please email: membership@dofetimperley.org.uk
Call 0161 533 2459 or contact the relevant member of our team :
Emma Deighton Brown Centre Manager emma.db@dofetimperley.org.uk Charlotte Skitterall eDofE Manager charlotte.skitterall@dofetimperley.org.uk - Martin Deighton Brown Bronze Expedition Manager martin.deighton brown@dofetimperley.org.uk Ben Morgan Silver Expedition Manager ben.morgan@dofetimperley.org.uk Paul Gorton Gold Expedition Manager paul.gorton@dofetimperley.org.uk Jon Buckland Treasurer jon.buckland@dofetimperley.org.uk Louise Hayward Stores Manager louise.hayward@dofetimperley.org.uk Caroline Royle Safeguarding Officer caroline.royle@dofetimperley.org.uk Sarah Newton Volunteering Co-Ordinator sarah.newton@dofetimperley.org.uk Andy Allan Chair of Trustees andy.allan@dofetimperley.org.uk
Page 14 of 16
APPENDIX 1 – AWARDS COMPLETED
Bronze
Abbie Rainey Aidan Christmas Alexander Kosa Alexandria Skitterall Alexis Marquis Amber Schofield Amber Webb Amy Parker Anna Wilson Annabelle Stuart Ava Flanagan Benjamin Fulthorpe Bethan McGrath Caitlin Cawdrey Caitlin Murphy Charlotte Stanton Chloe Horwood Daniel Gillham Daniel Hardy Daniel Jim Edward Atkinson Eleanor Leeder Ella Ashworth Ellie Sansome Elliot Sheldon Eloise Furlonger Erin Lee Erin Meacock Esme Beaver Ethan Ho-Wan Euan McCrink Faris Ravji-Smith Finley Newton Freya Riley Georgia Flood Grace Edwards Hannah Bone Hannah Stansfield Harry cooper Hazim Hamada Isabelle Williams Ishi Saran Arya James Bricknell James Currie James Wareing Jamie Hanson Jamie hawthorn Jemima Hernen
Silver
Bronze
Jessica Riley Abdullah Mahmood Joe Roy Akash Rudralingam Perez Katie Wareing Alexandria Skitterall Keyon Cassidy Alice Binks Kirit Gupta Amber Liew Kitty-Anna Quinn Amelia Davis Lauren Johnson An Dang Layla Weller Arun Rudralingam Perez Leila Anwar-Watts Casey Murray Lilia Eskandar Ceri Birchall Lilia Nicholls Charlotte Bardwell Luke Gili Charlotte Stansfield Malin Connolly Charlotte Stanton Matthew Thompson Chris deBoeck Max Butterworth Conor O’Donnell Meg Barnsley Daisy Thoms Megan North Dan Bradley Mia Gili Daniel Kilcoyne Millie Stewart Daniel Wood Nathan Sinclair Eleanor Leeder Oliver Bodey Eleni Poku - Agyemang Oliver Lark Ella Williams Oliver Law Erin Daly Omar Abdelaziz Erin Meacock Oscar Gilbert Esmé Maxwell Owen Quinn Eve Millward Paula Langheinrich Ferrer Fara Ross Poppy Royle Faris Memon Rayan Khan Freya Riley Rehan Sumeetansh Pabby Gabriel Cuming Robyn Gray Grace Edwards Sammy Cuffe Jacob Mansfield Sebastian Parkes James Mcilhagger Seth Williams Jess Terry Sheeman Khan Jessica Riley Sophie Brown Joe Howells Sophie Gregory Joe Rainey Sumeet Kandale Joseph McCaffer Tamara Al-Mula Abed Kilvington Sam Thomas Bailey Lauren Christmas Tom Savage Livia Armitage Varunavi Kumar Louis Poyser William Newman Maisie Kirkpatrick Zaki Amar Matthew Bonney Zara Latham Michelle Yang Zayd Sodawala Millie Stewart Zixuan Lula Xia Nathan Sinclair Zubaida Raja Niamh Hardwick Nivedha Adhiyaman Poppy Royle Ramsundar Athi Rohan McCabe Ryan Thwaites Sachin Aggarwal Selin Chang shachar leshem Sid Wallace Tara Logan-Virden Tara Seagger Thomas Dykes Vince Ashley Yoana Rudeva Zabrina Salau Zoe Bartlett
Gold
Benjamin Hayward Benjamin Huntley Charlotte Bardwell Daisy Thoms Emma Rhodes Flo Stagg Freya Morgan Isabella Kilvington Keshika McCabe Lucy Spark Michael Deng Nathan Fuller Noah Meacock Olivia Bradley Olivia Effingham Samuel Higgins Scott Swarbrick Tara Seagger Tessa Lindsay Thomas Bridge Weronika Davis Zoe Bowyer
Page 15 of 16
APPENDIX 2 – INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS
See separate attachments.
Page 16 of 16
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Timperley DoE Award Centre
On accounts for the year Charity no ended 30th September 2023 (if any) 1181067
Set out on pages
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended DD / MM / YYYY . 30/09/2023
- Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
-
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have ---------------------------------------
-
examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Date: 09/04/2024 Name: Helen Sumpton Relevant professional Chartered Accountant (CIMA) - ACMA qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: Lees Road, Mossley, OL5 0PG
October 2018
1
IER
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
October 2018
2
IER