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Didsbury Civic Society Report To The Charity Commission For 2022
The year 2022 started to bring improvement to the Civic Society as we started to face the changes brought about during the Covid-19 lock down. The community started to communicate verbally and by meeting up rather than by incessant emails and messaging. Though we still used Zoom as a platform for our general meetings, and with other local community groups.
Increasing the membership is still slow and a recruitment campaign is planned at the local festivals and with a stall and event at the local library. The DCS is dependent on membership funds as it is our main source of income, we do apply for grants for which have to be attached to an appropriate project rather that for equipment type purchases. Which are more readily available from councils and easier to fulfil. Funding restrictions are also being applied to applications such as deprivation, the number of free school meals issued in your area etc. The DCS`s key areas are history, culture, heritage and local infrastructure which many councils are not now really as interested in. The rapid deterioration to local infrastructure such as pavements and roads has become a serious restriction to the mobility of older residents and members alike. Especially those with disability who are clearly disadvantaged by uneven and broken pavements and water filled potholes. In many cases the Disability Act 2010 seems to be ignored and with a blind eye being turned. Along with the usual mantra of no budget or funding rather than looking to construct budgets for forthcoming financial years to address the problems.
Towards the end of 2021 we started to roll out our main and substantial project for 2022 which was a fully inclusive community project to improve the local War Memorial Garden into a Garden of Contemplation, for which we now have a fully operational project team. We have currently raised a proportion of the funding required to start the site clearance during autumn 2023 and we are still seeking funds from the larger notable heritage charities. We are also close to the provision of a wall plaque/storyboard for a second project called the Spann`s Ghost Art using QR code technology for visitors to Didsbury. Allowing them to look up the full story of the associated family who were a key Didsbury family of the time.
Our website was fully upgraded during 2021 which now allows us to take payments directly via the website which has proved to be a hit to our members. Though, we now have to be more aware to the possibility of opening ourselves to fraudsters testing stolen cards making small donations to test if cards are still active. Which allows fraudsters to commit larger frauds. The cards being used are usually from South America and Russia and can be challenged, and the donations returned. Removing the possibility of penalty payments being charged to our bank account.
Our Social trips also still prove to be a big success with members, and are also open to the public with trips to the Liverpool old law courts, a lunch and Knowsley Safari
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Park. We also made a trip to Wedgewood Pottery again with a lunch which was also a very successful trip with nearly 40 travellers out of lockdown.
We continue to support Didsbury Pride which is a great day locally with a large number of attendees. Which allows us a to meet and discuss many topics and interests with the public and display our collection of old local photographs. Attendees are not necessarily members of the civic society but always appear to enjoy viewing the past. The planning was also started for the follow up to our 2021 Climate and Pollution meeting for a future public meeting. This was scheduled for Spring 2023. With two eminent and recognised Manchester doctors who are specialists in pollution and its damaging effects on lungs. We also had the Didsbury based branch of Mums for Lungs speaking on childrens lung damage. Which can be caused by a variety of events from idling vehicles, local traffic jams, home deliveries and returns, school drop offs and pickups etc.
Our Heritage Open Doors filming successfully continues at a pace. Completed projects continue to be uploaded to YouTube for both members and public viewing by those who use and search this medium.
The DCS has agreed to ensure it works with all community groups within the local area. Without working together, it becomes very difficult for all groups to achieve the best outcomes for the various interest groups. Politics are not now necessarily always in the best interest of the local public for many and multiple reasons. With the achieving of best outcomes proving much more difficult. Such as the highly acclaimed Didsbury Civic Societies Didsbury Plan and Future Didsbury which remains far from Manchester City Councils agenda for our leafy Didsbury.
Yours sincerely
Mike Corlett DCS Chair
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DIDSBURY CIVIC SOCIETY
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2022
PAYMENTS 2022 2021 RECEIPTS 2022 2021
Social General Restricted Total Total Social General Restricted Total Total
Social events £ 2,395 £ 2,395 £ 999 Social events £ 2,422 £ 2,422 £ 881
Newsletter £ 170 Subscriptions £ 1,414 £ 1,414 £ 1,718
Heritage Day £ 83 £ 83 £ 618 Donations £ 332 £ 332 £ 115
Jim Leeming Memorial Acer £ 180 £ 180 £ 85 Gift Aid reclaimed £ 415 £ 415 £ 428
Fundraising Expenses £ 24 £ 24 Fundraising £ 33 £ 33 £ 23
Postage £ 31 £ 31 £ 72 Heritage books £ 58 £ 58 £ 158
Printing £ 53 Cenotaph and garden £ 16,790 £ 16,790 £ 50
Insurance £ 101 £ 101 £ 101 Ghost Art £ 2,000 £ 2,000
Committee expenses £ 144 £ 144 £ 168 Heritage filming £ 500 £ 500
Website costs £ 112
Rememberance Day costs £ 27 £ 27 £ 20 TOTAL £ 2,422 £ 2,252 £ 19,290 £ 23,964 £ 3,373
Office expenses £ 102 £ 102 £ 160
Notice Board £ 2,361 SUMMARY
Didsbury Plan £ 48 Balances as at 31 Dec 2021 £ 1,359 £ 3,390 £ 2,919 £ 7,668 £ 9,977
Bench Refurbishment £ 715 Income £ 2,422 £ 2,252 £ 19,290 £ 23,964 £ 3,373
Cenotaph and garden £ 3,250 £ 3,250 Expenditure £ 2,395 £ 692 £ 3,250 £ 6,337 £ 5,682
Balances as at 31 Dec 2022 £ 1,386 £ 4,950 £ 18,959 £ 25,295 £ 7,668
TOTAL £ 2,395 £ 692 £ 3,250 £ 6,337 £ 5,682
Bank Balance at 31 December 2022 £ 25,295 £ 7,668
RESTRICTED FUNDS
2021 Receipts Payments 2022 I certify that the above accounts are in accordance with the Society's books and records
Gargoyles £ 2,869 £ 2,869 Mike Corlett
Cenotaph and garden £ 50 £ 16,790 £ 3,250 £ 13,590 Chairman 23 March 2023
Ghost Art £ 2,000 £ 2,000
Heritage filming £ 500 £ 500 CJ Smail
£ 2,919 £ 19,290 £ 3,250 £ 18,959 Independent Examiner 23 March 2023
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