End of year overview report 2024
Who are we and what do we do ?
Dartmouth Community Chest is grassroots community-led organisation, run by the community for the community, everyone is a volunteer.
We are ALL ABOUT collaboration through shared values and co-operative ways of working that focus on supporting the community to lead their own change, with services in a supportive capacity for mutual benefit.
We have found a home at the Community Café in Market Square where we focus on supporting the enabling conditions to peoples improved health through information and support, understanding and kindness, connection and belonging, both for residents and those who provide support services to our community, giving them a welcome place to be, people who need them and an informal environment where better support can be delivered through good and trusted relationships rather than remote out of town helplines and long waiting game to any help. This space has been vital for this to happen in the wider way it does now.
Food is central to how we work and the environments we create from cooking and sharing and eating together from warm space and free hot meals, the community events to the food parcels and pantry that is available 24/7 to over 400 local families, working to support them as they need.
We can’t always solve life’s problems, but we can certainly take some stress away with practical help, information, direct contact with advice, sprinkled with kindness and a vital open door accessibility. We take a holistic and community approach to local problems but also like to work with the right kind of people around to provide wider support
But support is just one part, the most important part of our community work is to create connection and belonging and enable the community to find their own ways to what they need and we see our community thrive through this. As well as the café, we host community gatherings, from family fun days in the school holidays, seasonal parties, community natters, skip days, community walkabouts and support many peer support groups including SEN support, Home Ed group and mental health support.
We can do these things well because we are the community and everyone in our community feels welcome and has a part to play because it’s their community too.
SUMMARY 2024
Watch this film about the work we are doing
https://youtu.be/gsb4wzsxwTM?si=lxfPh1kOhpOKHV_K
What a year! another busy year supporting our community through the challenges of the ebbs and flows of our seasonal town. 2024 we were still feeling the impact of cost of living, housing crisis and the broken nature of statutory support organisations, which meant we supported more people and our space has become an even more important anchor for both our community and support services who work remotely.
We support hardworking families and their children of Dartmouth who may struggle to make ends meet because of the seasonal and low pay economy, the older generation and many people who experience complex challenges whose needs are not met locally. Long term trauma, mental health, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol and homelessness are things we see every day.
2024 our support has moved beyond food and energy poverty, into complex needs around mental health, suicide, domestic abuse, substance misuse and of course supporting the impact of the housing crisis. As volunteers we again have become the 4[th] emergency service locally holding spaces and saving lives.
Overview of the year
The Community Café/ Warm space
We are open regularly on Monday/Wednesday and Friday as a ‘drop in’ warm space with hot food, connecting and friendship, all run by volunteers. On Monday we have been hosting support services including South Dartmoor Energy/ Housing support and Fridays we have our support worker, drug and alcohol teams and other support organisations, like veterans mental health support, who drop in as a is needed to touch base with us or with their clients. In the summer months this changes to – Tuesdays and Fridays. Warm spaces, warm people, warm feelings Dartmouth Community Chest
Everything we do is free to all who use it and we are able to do this by using what we have and being resourceful. All our cooked food is created from the donated food from Lidl, Co-op, Sainsburys Jilly's, Bakehouse, Royal Castle. Nutritious food is important and Lyn Garton and team in the kitchen, are busy thinking of new and creative menus to introduce new food ideas and healthy eating to our community. It has been so successful that the Dartmouth Food festival have taken some of Julie's recipes and published a food festival book. Food warmth from food waste - TQ6 Community Partnership. We work with support services and have found funds to have our own support worker.
Here are just some of the many things that happen in the café
The warm space café has cooked & served over 7,000 hot cooked meals
Delivered over 3000 food parcels
Housing support (Livewest, Westward, Devon Home Choice ) have seen over 200 residents this year for face to face housing support . This has steadily grown because people know where it is and what time and it has been consistence because of the cafe
The Drug and Alcohol team Together are supporting over regular clients from the café this year working closely with South Hams homeless outreach team whom we work closely in partnership with each and every week and during Severe Weather Emergency Protocols SWEP both in times of extreme cold and heat.
The café support worker/ IDAV has supported over 250 residents in the last year .with a variety of issues including domestic abuse, social services advocacy, housing issues, benefit support voting Id, bus passes.
South Dartmoor Community Energy have supported over 200 local people through the with vulnerability and low income both with immediate energy issues but also home visits and energy efficiency
A regular space for the local police to drop in, have a cuppa and a chat with locals
A place for connection and friendship and on average 300 plus people drop by each week A discreet and accessible, help yourself’ food and hygiene pantry which is well used and topped up daily
Help yourself ‘ pre -loved ‘school uniform rail , which changes to a help yourself Warm coat rail in the winter Uniform rail – Dartmouth Community Chest
Supported and delivered a local appeal for ‘ back to school’ back packs and shoes for local children Backpack challenge! – Dartmouth Community Chest
Supported and delivered a local food for the school holidays fund raising called ' Hunger has no holiday'
Supported and delivered Heat and Eat appeal. funding heated blankets, throws, flasks for those who most need it in our community.
Christmas Activities
-
1.Christmas hampers 'Hamper scamper' organised and delivered by the amazing ‘Hamper Scamper crew and delivered to 199 local families Dartmouth Community –
-
Christmas Hamper thanks Dartmouth Community Chest
-
2.Christmas Toy bank 269 children had toys/books and seasonal treats
-
3.Christmas and New Year's Day community meal’s – all full to capacity and free 4.A Carol service in the café
-
5.Café hosted a Post box for Santa @ North Pole with handwritten letters for all the kids
-
6.Hosted a SEND support group Christmas party
A base for Brittania Royal Naval College to deliver their Easter egg collection supporting our local families and children.
Cooking lessons for adults and children in a really informal environment which encourages curiosity and learning
Hosting the language sessions for English for speakers of other languages
We are base for the continued Dartmouth Collections for vans to take supplies to Ukraine We again hosted our own music festival in the cafe , all free and the place was rocking Music fest - TQ6 Community Partnership
Every school holiday and half term we hold family fun messy play/ craft days
We are able to be a free venue for our community to celebrate their special moments, this year the highlight was celebrating little Rosie’s 1st birthday party
Community Events and outreach
Well, if you think the above is a lot for a group of volunteers? Then that’s only a one part of it. We continuously create events and celebrations to bring our community and families together and to keep listening to our community to ensure that we are meeting needs.
Community Natters listening events
We host listening events that are free, fun, have support services on hand and of course, food. We listen to what matters to people, both positive community moments but also local issues, so we understand what’s happening and know what needs support or which services need a nudge. 2024 we hosted one in the autumn and mid-winter
Community Holiday Activities and Food (CHAF)
Each year we run our own Holiday Activities and Fun sessions, always with food.
Each week of the school holiday we have a free day’s fun for our local families. This year we started with a Bushcraft session out in the woods , with cooking on the fire, natural crafts and a day of – healthy outdoor activities and being together. A brilliant day in the woods Dartmouth Community Chest
We had a pizza making workshop @ St Clements, that was just a joy and a fun way to introduce new things to eat to our children, who just loved creating and exploring new foods. It was messier than the messy play days!
We also had a ‘ party in the park’ to celebrate the recent refurbishment of the Davies Road play area, with fun, play, Clive the Pig storyteller and lots of food.
Next was the swimming pool party, where we hire the local outdoor swimming pool for the day and families can come and enjoy the day, it’s always great day and we love to support our local community swimming pool.
Of course, nothing is ever complete without a messy play arts and crafts day @ the café which is always busy.
Finally, we celebrated the end of the summer holidays with a community summer party at the football club, which is always popular.
Halloween Party
This seasonal milestone is a firm favourite in our community.
It’s an important event in the calendar that takes us from the send of the summer employment season into the winter months and its not just a celebration but an important touch base with our community.
Recycling of furniture & white goods.
-
Collection of house clearances and keeping dozens of good items of furniture and white goods saved from landfill, checked and repurposed to local families to help stop the use of high interest debt.
-
Skip days, a regular event run at least twice a year with our housing partners, supporting families with no transport to get rid of large goods and reduces landfill and fly tipping but recycling as much as we can to redistribute.
Fundraising
With locals we raised money for a statue in the gardens for veterans. Our community are always generous for good causes but don’t seek publicity or reward.
Keeping connections going
We host a monthly visit to our local care home bringing activities and connections for those in our community who can no longer live at home. Our volunteers love doing this and so do the care home residents. They also come and visit us weekly in the café and its wonderful to see them back within the community. Volunteers at Beacon House Residential Home – Dartmouth Community Chest
Bringing Candlelit Dartmouth back
Together with TQ6 Community Partnership and the Rotary, we supported bringing Candlelit Dartmouth back again after covid. We hosted several lantern workshops up in Townstal and in the café, putting our local Townstal families at the heart of the event.
Supporting setting up a resident’s association for Little Cotton Farm. Bakers Estate
A new housing development solving local issues ?? think again!
This new estate has brought problems after problems and have impacted all residents of this new estate in some very challenging ways. So we supported bringing together all those service partners who held responsibility for decision making together with residents to try some collection solution-based working. Its still work in progress but there is a constituted resident’s group busy trying to make things better for all.
Local peer support groups
SEND SUPPORT GROUP
This support group grows from strength to strength and supports our local children with SEND in a very important way that is not available in the school setting. It also supports parents who have children with SEND and we parents say it is great to feel “ understood, included and great to have useful and practical help and guidance in such an unconditional and expert way” . The children say the group makes them feel happy, have fun and to feel included. This group happens e very week during term time, its peer led and is a safe and enabling environment for our children and their parents.
HOME EDUCATION GROUP
As a natural development of the SEND group and with schools not being able to support our children in the nurturing ways needed, parents identified a need for a group and to help that first step into home education by having a regular time and space to bring children together to learn and play together.
MENKINDE
Menkinde, a men’s peer support group with activities was well attended during 2024 bringing friendship and support for men to the heart of our community on their terms, as well as reducing mental distress and isolation. The group continued to meet weekly and to Although this group meets weekly. The group help special activities like football matches and Bushcraft sessions.
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
This group started with another community identified need with a young dad being recently widowed, who was approached by others in a similar situation. They came together not just for emotional support but around practical advice too, something everyone felt was missing and had to navigate. This group ran over the year until it was no longer needed, people moved on mentally, geographically and it provided an important springboard to taking the next step.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP
This peer support group continued in 2024 and we welcomed another facilitator to the café. It is an important peer support group for our community and as well as group work, 1-1 sessions have also evolved. This group was invited to meet with the GPs to discuss how to better work together.
We also have the Veterans support group running from the café, the organisation has no local base, so a natural partnership has developed to better support our local veterans in an accessible space.
Influencing policy, practice and research
Dartmouth Community Chest are often invited into many regional and national forums to bring a grounded touch of lived experience to decision makers. This year we have supported
-
Devon Community Foundation to improve how funding is accessed, how it is reported back and more impactful ways to evidence impact.
-
Improving Lives, changing futures, supporting One Devon Mental Health Alliance to better understand how to support complex lives in rural Devon.
-
Invited to the Health Creation Alliance (formerly NHS Alliance – national cross sector organisation for health) to shape advice to the policy sector around creating conditions for stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities, also advising on supporting residents action on housing issues.
-
Working with the World Health Organisation to develop a policy on advice and strategy for successful ways to work in co-production with communities ( policy paper available on request)
-
Are part of the teaching team for the master’s in public health@ Exeter University, supporting future Public Health practitioners to challenge the assumptions of disadvantaged communities and health. (Watch 2025 for some new and exciting developments to this programme)
-
Are part of the C2 national Network of connected communities, sharing learning, supporting and enabling with other communities across the country to embrace community led working and to support services to better support their communities in this.
-
Being community partners in research:
-
University of Exeter, being part of focus group advising around family hubs and integrated financial support.
-
University of Exeter, being part of focus group advising around perceptions of antidepressants, what do people know about pros and cons – to understand how better to enables decision making with GPs
-
University of Exeter/ Bangor/Nuffield Foundation: The role of communities and connections in social welfare law https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/project/socialwelfare-law-advice-community-connectedness-equality-and-well-being Dartmouth is was one of 4 areas, and highlighted the rural challenges in accessing support. Lots of key issues around communities highlighted Understanding Communities: midpoint of a £1.1m programme - Nuffield Foundation (report available on request)
-
Ongoing work with C2 Connecting Communities and Exeter University to develop research cafes and be a point of access for communities to research and researchers to communities.
What happens at Community Chest would not be possible without the kindness and support of our wonderful community, the great people we are lucky enough to work with and the local supermarkets and businesses who always support us in everything we do.
Many blessings to all of you
Dartmouth Community Chest 2024
| CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | 1181605 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORENGLAND | AND | WALES | |||||
| Receipts and payments accounts For the period 01/01/2024 To 31/12/2024 |
CC16a | ||||||
| from | |||||||
| SectionAReceipts | and | payments | |||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Totalfunds | Lastyear | |||
| tothenearest | tothenearest£ | tothenearest£ | tothenearest£ | tothenearest | |||
| A1Receipts | |||||||
| Endof2023balance | 12,484 | 12,484 | |||||
| Neighbourlygrants | 3,280 | 3,280 | |||||
| TQ6Reimbursement | 15,313 | 15,313 | |||||
| DevonCommunityFoundation | 9,666 | 9,666 | |||||
| DartmouthTownCouncil DartmouthUnitedCharities |
5,000 14,400 |
5,000 14,400 |
|||||
| St.PetroxTrust | 4,700 | 4,700 | |||||
| SmallDonationsandFundraising | 15,554 | 15,554 | |||||
| Subtotal(Grossincomefor AR) |
80,397 | 80,397 | |||||
| A2Assetandinvestmentsales, | |||||||
| (see table). | |||||||
| Subtotal | |||||||
| Totalreceipts | 80,397 | 80,397 | |||||
| A3Payments | |||||||
| CaféRentAndEventHire | 15,686 | 15,686 | |||||
| Food | 17,352 | 17,352 | |||||
| Licences/Stationery/Postage | 3,919 | 3.9 | |||||
| VolunteerTravel/Fuel/VanExpences | 4,939 | 4,939 | |||||
| Storage | 2.831 | 2,831 | |||||
| SessionalWorkers | 16,230 | 16,230 | |||||
| Furnitue/Uniforms/emergencyitems | 1.188 | 1,188 | |||||
| FuelPoverty | 1,400 | 1,400 | |||||
| Training | 855 | 855 | |||||
| Subtotal | 64,400 | 64,400 | |||||
| A4Asset and investment | |||||||
| Durchases. (see table) | |||||||
| Subtotal | |||||||
| Totalpayments | 64,400 | 64,400 | |||||
| Netofreceipts/(payments) | 15,997 | 15,997 | |||||
| A5Transfers between | funds | ||||||
| A6Cash funds last year end | |||||||
| Cash funds this | year | end | 15,997 | 15,997 |
| SectionB Statement | ofassetsandliabilitiesat | theendofthe | theendofthe | period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | |||
| Categories | Details | funds | funds | funds | |
| tonearest£ | tonearest£ | tonearest£ | |||
| B1Cashfunds | |||||
| Totalcashfunds | |||||
| (agreebalanceswithreceiptsandpayments | |||||
| account(s) | AgieenerntFnor | OK | |||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | |||
| funds | funds | funds | |||
| Details | tonearest£ | tonearest£ | tonearest£ | ||
| B2Other monetaryassets | |||||
| Details | Fundtowhich assetbelongs |
Cost(optional) | Current value (optional) |
||
| B3Investmentassets | |||||
| Details | Fundtowhich assetbelongs |
Cost(optional) | Currentvalue (optional) |
||
| B4Assetsretainedforthe | |||||
| charity's ownuse | |||||
| Fundtowhich | Amountdue | Whendue | |||
| Details | liabilityrelates | (optional) | (optional) | ||
| B5Liabilities | |||||
| Signedbyoneortwotrusteeson behalf ofallthe trustees |
Signature | Print Name Date of approval JayneHlGGINS/2 |
25 |
| CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | CHARITYCOMMISSIONDARTMOUTHCOMMUNITYCHEST | 1181605 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORENGLAND | AND | WALES | |||||
| Receipts and payments accounts For the period 01/01/2024 To 31/12/2024 |
CC16a | ||||||
| from | |||||||
| SectionAReceipts | and | payments | |||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Totalfunds | Lastyear | |||
| tothenearest | tothenearest£ | tothenearest£ | tothenearest£ | tothenearest | |||
| A1Receipts | |||||||
| Endof2023balance | 12,484 | 12,484 | |||||
| Neighbourlygrants | 3,280 | 3,280 | |||||
| TQ6Reimbursement | 15,313 | 15,313 | |||||
| DevonCommunityFoundation | 9,666 | 9,666 | |||||
| DartmouthTownCouncil DartmouthUnitedCharities |
5,000 14,400 |
5,000 14,400 |
|||||
| St.PetroxTrust | 4,700 | 4,700 | |||||
| SmallDonationsandFundraising | 15,554 | 15,554 | |||||
| Subtotal(Grossincomefor AR) |
80,397 | 80,397 | |||||
| A2Assetandinvestmentsales, | |||||||
| (see table). | |||||||
| Subtotal | |||||||
| Totalreceipts | 80,397 | 80,397 | |||||
| A3Payments | |||||||
| CaféRentAndEventHire | 15,686 | 15,686 | |||||
| Food | 17,352 | 17,352 | |||||
| Licences/Stationery/Postage | 3,919 | 3.9 | |||||
| VolunteerTravel/Fuel/VanExpences | 4,939 | 4,939 | |||||
| Storage | 2.831 | 2,831 | |||||
| SessionalWorkers | 16,230 | 16,230 | |||||
| Furnitue/Uniforms/emergencyitems | 1.188 | 1,188 | |||||
| FuelPoverty | 1,400 | 1,400 | |||||
| Training | 855 | 855 | |||||
| Subtotal | 64,400 | 64,400 | |||||
| A4Asset and investment | |||||||
| Durchases. (see table) | |||||||
| Subtotal | |||||||
| Totalpayments | 64,400 | 64,400 | |||||
| Netofreceipts/(payments) | 15,997 | 15,997 | |||||
| A5Transfers between | funds | ||||||
| A6Cash funds last year end | |||||||
| Cash funds this | year | end | 15,997 | 15,997 |
| SectionB Statement | ofassetsandliabilitiesat | theendofthe | theendofthe | period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | |||
| Categories | Details | funds | funds | funds | |
| tonearest£ | tonearest£ | tonearest£ | |||
| B1Cashfunds | |||||
| Totalcashfunds | |||||
| (agreebalanceswithreceiptsandpayments | |||||
| account(s) | AgieenerntFnor | OK | |||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | |||
| funds | funds | funds | |||
| Details | tonearest£ | tonearest£ | tonearest£ | ||
| B2Other monetaryassets | |||||
| Details | Fundtowhich assetbelongs |
Cost(optional) | Current value (optional) |
||
| B3Investmentassets | |||||
| Details | Fundtowhich assetbelongs |
Cost(optional) | Currentvalue (optional) |
||
| B4Assetsretainedforthe | |||||
| charity's ownuse | |||||
| Fundtowhich | Amountdue | Whendue | |||
| Details | liabilityrelates | (optional) | (optional) | ||
| B5Liabilities | |||||
| Signedbyoneortwotrusteeson behalf ofallthe trustees |
Signature | Print Name Date of approval JayneHlGGINS/2 |
25 |