## **Trustee Annual Report 2021** **Opportunities Empowering Supporting Nurturing** Registered Charity No. 1182187 |**Index**
1.
Vision and values
p3
2.
Executive summary
p4
3.
Reference and administration
p5
4.
Overview of provision
p6
5.
Social opportunities
p7
6.
Social groups
p8
7.
Short holiday breaks
p9
8.
Phoenix House
p10
9.
What did you think?
p11|**Index**
10.
Voluntary employment opportunities
p12
11.
Gardening
p13
12.
What did you think?
p14
13.
Afternoon Tea Cafe
p15
14.
Open Doors cafe
p16
15.
What did you think?
p17
16.
Re-Use It shop
p18
17.
What did you think?
p19
18.
Financial Review
p20
19.
Financial Statements
p25|**Index**
10.
Voluntary employment opportunities
p12
11.
Gardening
p13
12.
What did you think?
p14
13.
Afternoon Tea Cafe
p15
14.
Open Doors cafe
p16
15.
What did you think?
p17
16.
Re-Use It shop
p18
17.
What did you think?
p19
18.
Financial Review
p20
19.
Financial Statements
p25|**Index**
10.
Voluntary employment opportunities
p12
11.
Gardening
p13
12.
What did you think?
p14
13.
Afternoon Tea Cafe
p15
14.
Open Doors cafe
p16
15.
What did you think?
p17
16.
Re-Use It shop
p18
17.
What did you think?
p19
18.
Financial Review
p20
19.
Financial Statements
p25| |---|---|---|---| |||**Index**|| ||10.|Voluntary employment opportunities|p12| ||11.|Gardening|p13| ||12.|What did you think?|p14| ||13.|Afternoon Tea Cafe|p15| ||14.|Open Doors cafe|p16| ||15.|What did you think?|p17| ||16.|Re-Use It shop|p18| ||17.|What did you think?|p19| ||18.|Financial Review|p20| ||19.|Financial Statements|p25| _The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty to have regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant._ ## **VISION** # **To advance the social inclusion of people with learning disabilities.** ## **SOCIAL** ## **WORK SKILLS** Everyone needs friends and through all our social activities we aim to support our young members in maintaining friendships that they have developed and to build some new ones in a safe, supportive environment. Social activities all support the development of confidence and self-esteem as well as helping to reduce potential anxieties. A learning disability should not stop anyone from leading an active and enjoyable life or from being supported to get out and about in their local community. The larger groups provide a familiar place to meet up with friends and enjoy a variety of activities together whilst our small groups and holiday breaks enable the young people to access leisure activities in the wider community. Our supported voluntary employment opportunities provide a wide range of work skills training (catering, horticultural and retail) inclusive for people with a range of disabilities. In Dorking we run a charity shop (Re-Use It), a café in partnership with a church (Open Doors) and from 2022 a coffee shop (Cups & Co). In Leatherhead we have a gardening project managing a large allotment producing flowers and vegetables as well as some paid work in the community. Being a visible part of the local business community supports inclusion and demonstrates that a learning disability need not be a barrier to work. ## **Executive Summary** 2021 had its challenges due to the continuing pandemic and had a significant impact on our social activities due to the vulnerability of our young people. Activities needed to take place largely outside and at times there was a restriction on the number of people at any one event. Everyone was encouraged to join in activities to keep those friendships going, although at times we had to rely on zoom meetings. Our voluntary employment opportunities were less affected by the pandemic and we provided thirty work experience placements over the year. We developed our partnership working with F.E. colleges as well as Surrey Choices and have welcomed trainees on different pathways. There were unexpected changes in our café provision but other opportunities took their place as you can see in the following report. 2021 was also a time for planning for our next venture Cups & Co, a coffee shop in Dorking High Street. We were successful in acquiring a shop property in a great central location as well as grants to support the set up of the project from the Lottery Community Fund, the Garfield and Weston Foundation and Mole Valley District Council. We have had lots of interest from potential trainees and from the local community. More about this exciting provision in next year’s report! As always, we thank our managers and volunteers for all their ingenuity and support over another unusual year. Pam Walden, Chair of Trustees ## ## **Charity Commission number:** 1182187 ## **Charity’s registered office:** Greendene, Glebe Road, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2NT |**Trustee name**|**Office**|**Dates**|**Election due**||**Structure and Governance**|**Structure and Governance**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Pamela Walden**|Chair|Elected, October 2020|May 2023||Governing document|Constitution| |**Tony Leach**|Vice Chair|Elected, October 2020|May 2023||How the charity is
constituted|Charitable Incorporated
Organisation(CIO)| |**David Phibbs**|Treasurer|Elected, October 2020|May 2023||Trustee selection methods|Elected by members in line with
constitution| |**Val Pomroy**|Secretary|Elected, October 2020|May 2023|||| |**Hazel Gibson**||Elected, October 2020|May 2023||Bankers|Lloyds Bank plc
VICTORIA(309897)| |**Jennie Blackburn**||Elected, October 2020|May 2023||Independent Examiners|HM Day BSc (Hons) FCA DChA
ICAEW Tudor John Limited,
Nightingale House, 46-48 East
Street,Epsom, Surrey,KT17 IHQ| |**Vacancy**||||||| **----- Start of picture text -----**
Social
Opportunities
Conquerors
Small
groups
Short
breaks
Craft
workshop
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**----- Start of picture text -----**
Supported
Employment
Open Doors
cafe
Gardening
Re-Use It
shop
Cups & Co
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## **Social Opportunities** ## **Aim:** social activities that promote well being ## **How?** - Facilitating friendships that contribute to people feeling happier, included and valued - Extending social opportunities for members who may live isolated lives in the community - Small friendship activities based on choices - Maintaining long term friendship groups - Enjoyable large and small group activities **Aim:** short breaks supporting independence **How?** - Experience of living away from home - Going on holiday with friends - Team working - sharing and negotiating skills with peers - Developing life skills and decision making - • Inclusion in the wider community **----- Start of picture text -----**
Social Groups
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In April we had our first meeting in person for a while, with a small, restricted number walking on Ashtead Common. We ensured our regular zoom meetings kept us in contact with each other. Covid guidelines meant that we met outside as much as possible, for example, Crazy Golf at Horton Park and a Big Pub get together in the garden. Over the summer and autumn we were back at the Dell Centre again. Yay!!! Operating with slightly shorter inside with the when the weather continued to be unstable. We had activities based on hours, being doors open not moving around too much, but sitting at tables in smaller groups, and outdoor activities as and when the weather permitted. We also managed to squeeze in a trip to Guildford and some 10pin bowling, something that the members had been wanting to do for so long! **Short Breaks** Camping at Etherley Farm Before we left for Etherley Farm we met at the allotments, decided as a group what we wanted to eat, and wrote a shopping list. We picked onions, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, squash and rhubarb from the allotment and then went shopping at Tesco’s for the rest. When we arrived at the farm it was time to put up the tents working together – followed by getting our evening meal ready everyone had a task to do, preparing vegetables or cooking the sausages on our fire. Rhubarb from our allotment and custard for pudding! The next day we went for a walk to Leith Hill and made it to the tower at the top. It was very steep coming down and was a 5 mile round trip, so we rewarded ourselves with a drink at the pub before returning to the farm for an enormous dinner of spaghetti bolognaise and blackberry & apple pie. The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast in the sun before taking down the tents. We all had a great time together! **----- Start of picture text -----**
Craft Workshop
Phoenix House
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We managed to open our craft workshop for a few months between lockdowns and rises in number of Covid cases, however as the premises are small and ventilation is restricted we decided to close in the autumn as our members are potentially vulnerable. Whilst we were open we ran some art and craft activities that focused on upcycling, e.g. decorating picture frames, using materials to make new objects such as making pin boards, decoupage, collage, painting and even knitting! There were opportunities to use different materials, concentrate, maybe problem solve and most importantly have time with friends, chatting whilst crafting. Everyone who came along enjoyed the activities and we look forward to opening up again in the spring. Do you meet old friends at Conquerors? I certainly do. Have you made new friends at Conquerors? Yes I have. We think that the pub night is great, would like to do it more often! What I like about being at Conquerors is meeting up with friends and learning to do different activities. Twenty five young people have enjoyed group activities. My favourite activity is playing games, crafts and talking. Three new members joined our social groups this year. We believe that the crazy golf was an excellent event and would appreciate if we could do that again. I liked going camping with all my friends. Climbing the big hill, it was hard! I liked making the bonfire. ## **Supported Employment** **Aim:** opportunities for both paid and voluntary employment for people with a learning disability. **How?** - Create an employment pathway including both generic and work specific skills - Induction during which targets are identified - • Develop apprenticeships - Part of the local community - Interview experience, support job applications - • Work with local employers **Aim:** an inclusive workplace for people with a learning disability where our team can develop their independence, self esteem, social communication, self-confidence and interactive social skills **How?** - Positive reinforcement - Positive team relationships - Respecting everyone’s views - • Providing time for 1:1s - Setting own achievable goals **----- Start of picture text -----**
Gardening
Barnett Wood Lane Allotments
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We have had another successful year at the allotment. The group have learnt many skills and now can work mainly independently. The beginning of the year was spent organising the new top area of the allotment, marking out the beds and laying paths. We grew about 17 different vegetables this year including potatoes, onions, sweetcorn, beans, swede, radishes, cabbage, leeks, sprouts, calabrese, tomatoes, rhubarb, runner/broad and green beans, carrots, courgettes, pumpkins and squash. We entered produce in 7 classes in Ashtead’s 2021 Horticultural Show and were extremely pleased to win first prize for the biggest onion! In addition we received prizes in 5 other classes. We had a in the summer which was all. and Mark continue to once a barbeque enjoyed by Joseph go, month, to the Clear Up Sundays. They are now happy to independently go down by themselves and join the other allotment holders for a morning’s work and a cup of tea – real inclusion in the community. Travel independence has been achieved by two trainees. J enjoys gardening so much he has also joined another allotment group and has quickly become a valued member of their group too. Our vegetables are taken to the shop each week by Mt who enjoys telling the customers how he helped to grow them. I like the clear up A customer paid £7 for Sundays, making our prize winning onion! friends. The gardening team are fully integrated into their allotment community. I like digging up the potatoes the best. M walked down to the allotments ON HIS OWN. He worked with the group and one of the people down there who he knows gave him a lift home. His mum phoned me today to tell me. He is so proud of himself. The whole family were really pleased. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Afternoon Tea Cafe
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The church decided to run their café on Mondays and Tuesdays, so unfortunately Café ALDAG has permanently closed, and instead we ran an Afternoon Tea Café over the summer holidays – the weather was good, so we were able to use the outside space as well as the café area. Some new people joined our café team and everyone was enabled to work independently using the many skills that they had developed. On Tuesdays we ran baking classes at The Dell and delicious cakes for sale in the Afternoon Tea Café. Our bakers each focused on one produced so that could remember the order to allow them to work as as special recipe they independently possible. Everyone enjoyed the baking as well as being back in the café. There was excellent teamwork and we all had a brilliant time. Following a visit to the Afternoon Tea Café the church community worker from the United Reformed Church in Dorking asked if we could run their café on Thursdays – and we said yes please! The church is in West Street just a few doors down from our Re-Use It shop – parking behind the church in Church Street or the nearby Waitrose. The main goals of the Open Doors Café partnership are to: fulfil the church’s mission of building community by providing a welcoming and friendly café environment open to all; provide our trainees with experience of a working café; provide a long term voluntary job; build associated skills as a stepping stone towards working in Cups & Co ; create a happy working environment in which trainees develop social skills and grow in confidence. “I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for giving W the opportunity to work in the cafe. She is thoroughly enjoying it and it is surely boosting her confidence and ability no end.” “I like the café it is very important in my life.” The café team have been able to transfer their skills to different environments. “Her pride and self esteem in being a valued member of the team was an enormous boost to her mental well-being.” “In the café I have learnt to order food, drinks for people and then take their food to them and when I am waiting for people to pay I will work on the till for the customers to pay.” “K’s time at the café has given her many new skills both social and practical.” “I like meeting and chatting to all the customers and working with different teams.” **----- Start of picture text -----**
Re-Use It Shop
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Late spring saw the gradual re-opening of Dorking town centre, with its many and varied individual shops all contributing to a market town with a busy footfall. The young trainees have embraced their positive work experience in this thriving shop with commitment and enthusiasm. One young man has successfully completed his retail apprenticeship, and has grown in confidence acquiring numerous skills such as serving customers in a polite and helpful manner, working on the till and card independently and displaying goods that will appeal to customers. Over the past year there have been 16 trainees including a young lady working on her Duke of Edinburgh award. New trainees complete their induction programme supported through SMART or SCRUFFY targets to demonstrate their achievements and provide next steps. Partnerships include Surrey Choices, NESCOT and East Surrey College. Very capable on the till with great customer service skills. She has a great sense of humour, has helped to dress a window and table, researched the cost of antiques etc. She gets on well with everyone and is a helpful member of the team. “Brilliant shop. I’ve got so many cool things from Re-Use It and the staff are super friendly.” Sorting clothes “I really enjoyed doing it. I checked for rips, stains, holes, broken zips and buttons.” “I can serve customers in a professional and friendly manner.” “I can write price labels. I am working on deciding what is the best price.” Our first apprentice achieved his Retail Award with flying colours. “Excellent shop Lovely people Great atmosphere” “Love your shop – hidden treasures….” ## **Financial Review** This is the second full year of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation ALDAG (Always Learning Developing And Growing). **Statement of Risks and Safeguarding** The Trustees regularly review their safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that ‘protecting people and safeguarding responsibilities is a governance priority...and all reasonable steps are taken to protect people who come into contact with the charity from harm’ (Charity Commission October 2018). All volunteers and trustees are subject to a DBS check and a code of conduct is included in induction. All trustees report on the risks associated with their remit to the full Trustee Board. ## **Statement of Responsibilities** Trustees of the Association are required to prepare Financial Statements for each financial period that provide a true and fair view of the state of affairs of ALDAG and of its incoming resources and the application of the resources for that period. In preparing these Financial Statements the trustees are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently - make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent - state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the Financial Statements Registered Charity No. 1182187 Trustees of the CIO are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose at any time the financial position of ALDAG and to enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements are correctly prepared. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of ALDAG and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. ## **Reserves Policy** Charity law requires any income received by a charity to be spent within a reasonable period of receipt. Trustees should be able to justify the holding of income as reserves. The trustees have decided that 12 months funding should be held in reserves to manage unforeseen financial difficulties, i.e. £109,500 which includes the £50,000 designated funds for Cups & Co carried forward from 2020 into 2021 plus £59,500 to meet 2022’s legal liabilities for one year. **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of ALDAG (Always, Learning, Developing And Growing)** I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of ALDAG for the year ended 31 December 2021. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act’). Registered Charity No. 1182187 I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: I . accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. HM Day BSc (Hons) FCA DChA ICAEW Tudor John Limited, Nightingale House, 46-48 East Street, Epsom, Surrey KT17 IHQ Date: Registered Charity No. 1182187 ## **2021 Income - total £74,346** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Other
Donations
Sales
Grants
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|Sales|36,193| |---|---| |Grants|29,274| |Donations|7,479| |Other|1,400| ||74,346| ## **2021 Expenditure - total £69,259** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Admin
Other activity
running costs Rent & Rates
Cost of Sales
Salaries
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|Rent &Rates|20,043| |---|---| |Salaries|33,931| |Cost ofSales|930| |Other activity
running costs|10,123| |Admin&insurance|4,231| ||69,259| ## **Transactions & Financial Position** The accompanying Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice published in March 2005, applicable Accounting Standards and the Charities Act 2011 and are presented on a Receipts and Payments basis. As stated in the introduction to this report, the Trustees consider the financial performance by the charity during the year to be satisfactory. ## **Financial Statements** ## **Receipts and Payments Account for the year ending 31[st] December 2021** |||**Total**|**Unrestricted Funds**|**Restricted Funds**| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Receipts**||**£**|**£**|**£**| ||Donations|7,479|5,279|2,200| ||Grants|29,274|0|29,274| ||Social Groups|40|0|40| ||Fundraising|1,355|0|1,355| ||Sale of goods|36,193|36,193|0| ||Other income|5|5|0| |**Total Receipts**||**74,346**|**41,477**|**32,869**| |||||| ||**Total**
**Unrestricted Funds**
**Restricted Funds**
**Payments**
**£**
**£**
**£**
Fundraising expenses
0
0
0
Gardening
3,456
3,256
200
Café ALDAG
1,524
1,524
0
Open Doors Café
586
586
0
Re-Use It Shop
55,160
0
55,160
Social Groups
927
87
840
Short Breaks
268
268
0
Craft Workshop
2,118
618
1,500
Cups & Co
990
0
990
Administration
2,850
2,644
206
Insurance
1,380
1,380
0
**Total Payments**
**69,259**
**10,363**
**58,896**
**Receipts and Payments Account for the year ending 31st December 2021 continued**| |---|---| ## **Receipts and Payments Account for the year ending 31[st] December 2021 continued** |||**Total**|**Unrestricted Funds**|**Restricted Funds**| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Receipts minus payments**||**£**|**£**|**£**| ||Receipts|74,346|41,477|32,869| ||Payments|69,259|10,363|58,896| |**Surplus/deficit**||**5,087**|**31,114**|**(26,027)**| |||||| |||**Total**|**Unrestricted Funds**|**Restricted Funds**| |**Net movement in funds**||**£**|**£**|**£**| ||Retained funds|146,019|110,394|35,625| ||Current year surplus|5,087|31,114|(26,027)| |**Treasurer’s account**||**151,106**|**141,508**|**9,598**| |||**Total**|**Total**|**Total**|**Unrestricted Funds**|**Unrestricted Funds**|**Unrestricted Funds**|**Restricted Funds**|**Restricted Funds**|**Restricted Funds**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**Assets**||**£**|||**£**|||**£**||| |Lloyds Business Current Account||137,356|||141,508|||(4,152)||| |Cups & Co Rent Deposit||13,750|||0|||13,750||| |**Total Assets**||**151,106**|||141,508|||9,598||| |||||||||||| ||**Total**|||**Unrestricted Funds**|||**Designated Funds**|||**Restricted Funds**| |**Reserves**|**£**|||**£**|||**£**|||**£**| |Retained Funds|146,019|||60,394|||50,000|||35,625| |Current Year Fund Tfr|0|||(28,386)|||28,386|||0| |Current Year Funds|5,087|||0|||31,114|||(26,027)| |**Total Reserves**|**151,106**|||32,008|||109,500|||9,598| |||||||||||| ||||**Total**|||**Rent**|||**Building maintenance**|| |**Designated funds**||||||**£**|||**£**|| |Liabilities per annum|||**£59,500**|||51,500|||8,000|| The above Statement of Assets and Liabilities and associated Receipts and Payments Account were approved by the Board of Trustees on 24.03.22, approved by the Members on 30.03.22 and are signed on their behalf by: Pamela Walden (Chair of trustees) David Phibbs (Treasurer)