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2022-12-31-accounts

Always Learning Developing And Growing

Annual Trustee Report 2022

Index Index
1. Vision p3 10. Cups & Co trainee programme p13
2. Mission p4 11. Voluntary employment p14
3. Reference and administration p5 12. Craft Workshop p15
4. Making a difference p6 13. Allotment p16
5. Work experience p7 14. Open Doors café p17
6. Gardening Services p8 15. Social Opportunities p18
7. Re-Use It shop p9 16. Conquerors and Short breaks p19
8. Re-Use It shop p10 17. Small groups P21
9. Cups & Co aims p11 18. Goals for 2023 P22
10. Cups & Co community impact p12 19. Financial Statements p23

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.

Our Vision To advance the social inclusion of people with learning disabilities.

2022 has been a year of challenges and opportunities! Although the year started with another bout of Covid causing the shop to close for January, by March we were on track again and received some great donations over the year being very well supported by the local community. Unfortunately for us, in the spring our Social Groups Leader decided on a career change but Hazel and our wonderful volunteers have kept Conquerors going until we can recruit a new leader in 2023. This year we have seen our vision of social inclusion grow as we continue to develop our provision providing more opportunities for young people with a learning disability to be a visible part of their local community. The Gardening Services team started work in private gardens and this has been welcomed by a number of people who needed their gardens kept in order! The craft workshop opened in March with a focus on carpentry and included some paid work for the Dorking URC. Our biggest project came to fruition this year with the fitting out of our new coffee shop, Cups & Co, opening to the public in October and opened officially by the Chair of Mole Valley during Dorking’s Christmas Gala night. A busy year!

Our mission

Develop an employment pathway by providing:

Reference and Administration

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
Amanda Finch Secretary Elected, March 2022 March 2025
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

Making a difference in 2022

2 trainees moved onto paid employment

29,590 hours of voluntary employment and skills training

Social activities for 32 young people

Partnerships with 2 F.E. colleges, 2 special schools, Surrey Choices, 2 similar charities, 2 residential settings and 50 families

1,937 accessed information on our website up 36% from 2021 1,095 new visitors

Supporting and training 36 young people with a learning disability in work skills

Cups & Co opened in Dorking, High Street providing work experience for 15 people

Gardening Services

Work experience

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Retail
Hospitality
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Gardening Services

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We have two teams providing gardening services to the general public on Mondays and Fridays each week. Our gardeners have learnt many skills working on our allotment and can now put those skills into practice in private gardens. Some comments from satisfied customers –

“…the team did a great job working on my front garden, weeding, trimming and tidying all the edges on the beds and drive, it looks so much better, when are you coming again?”

“…good work clearing all the leaves, cutting the grass and planting up my spring bulbs.”

“…a friendly team of gardeners who worked hard.”

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Always Learning Developing And Growing
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ReUse It shop

“Re-Use it” continues to open for six days a week with Monday covered by volunteers and the rest of the week run by two shop managers.

During 2022 Re-Use It had thirteen shop assistants who worked between four and sixteen hours per week. In addition, we supported a young lady from a special school in completing her Duke of Edinburgh award. We continue to write end of placement reports as well as regularly updating targets for all our trainees.

Trainees develop confidence and competence in using different methods for customers to purchase products, practising numeracy skills when giving change and selecting categories and payments using the card reader. Following direction is another work skill as is the ability to ask for advice. Using initiative to identify tasks is encouraged and this can include anticipating customers’ needs, offering direction to the changing room and bringing products from the window displays for customers. Developing customer service skills involves communicating with people to establish a friendly shop that customers will come back to, e.g. by greeting customers as they enter the shop and listening to customers who may engage in conversation.

ReUse It shop

Always Learning Developing And Growing

We are very proud of all our shop assistants. RG graduated from his college course and successfully moved on to a paid job in a local shop and a few months later JV also moved onto a paid job in a nearby supermarket.

HK started her retail apprenticeship in July, working for two full days per week for two years. We promoted the achievements of young people with learning disabilities using one of our shop windows to demonstrate personal achievements, this included medals from our Paralympian, examples from the craft workshop and some lovely prints and paintings supplied by Art Rabble and The Grange – several were sold.

Window displays created by our young people are used to promote products and the trainees work on identifying key areas to achieve the maximum visual impact and create a display that is eye catching.

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Cups & Co

Aim (1) Develop opportunities for work experience for people with a learning disability by opening a coffee shop run by a team of young people with a learning disability supported by a manager.

Aim (2) Provide an inclusive workplace for people with a learning disability where our team can develop self- confidence, social communication and interactive social skills Aim (3) Be an integral part of the local business community as evidenced by a successful coffee shop demonstrating that a learning disability doesn’t need to be a barrier to work.

Cups & Co

‘Great to see a new business open up in Dorking, fabulous coffee shop, all new, very clean, friendly staff and great management. Recommend’

‘Recommend Cups & Co! A community coffee shop thar offers training and employment to adults with learning disabilities. VSP (Very Special Place)’

‘This is a charity that does wonderful things to offer training and employment to adults with learning difficulties, so that should already be the draw to spending your money, especially over tax evading megacorp S**ks.’

‘Irrespective of the excellent credentials, this brand new cafe is bright, airy and inviting. It’s cleaner and more hygienic than chain competitors. Prices are fair and very competitive with the large chains, a great selection of freshly made drinks and baked goods are on offer, and the coffee is really delicious. But the best thing about this café is the service, I was left smiling and happy with the cheerfulness and camaraderie behind the counter, and that’s something money can’t buy.’

‘Hello , we were in your Dorking coffee shop it was a delight , the welcome, the food and the amazing design of the space was wonderful I hope you open many more.’

Cups & Co - Trainees

Always Learning Developing And Growing

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Craft Workshop

Voluntary employment

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Allotment
Open Doors Cafe
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Craft Workshop

Our craft team were commissioned to replace some wooden gates and fencing at the Dorking United Reformed Church, this took several weeks but the result was well worth waiting for –

In the workshop the team are busy making wooden items for sale and developing their concentration, dexterity and use of tools in the process. The items are all for sale in our two Dorking shops – ReUseIt in West Street and Cups & Co in the High Street.

Allotment

We started the New Year with a lovely new shed, MUCH bigger than the last one and we can all fit in comfortably on a cold day! ALDAG supplied a big skip which was much appreciated and quickly filled by us and the other allotment holders, JE and ML went to the ‘Clear Up Sunday’ to help everyone fill it. Being part of the wider community is part of ALDAG’s ethos and as well as working on our allotment, our keen gardener JE, has joined the community allotment group on a Monday. Everyone worked hard to get the allotment ready and we planted a wide range of vegetables this year hoping for a bumper crop. The hot weather in the summer caused some problems with it being just too hot to work in the afternoons on several occasions. However both teams managed to go to the allotment in the cooler mornings, keeping it watered and cared for.

We were very sad to lose our long term volunteer and gardening mentor in October. Colin is going to be missed by so many people, he was a real supporter of ALDAG’s aims and worked alongside our gardeners for many years. We will miss his gardening wisdom and his positive, friendly manner whilst always expecting the very best from everyone.

Open Doors Café

The Open Doors Café is a partnership between the United Reformed Church in Dorking and ALDAG. The café is run by a small team of volunteers offering tea, coffee and delicious cakes, with soup or paninis for lunch every Thursday during term time. The Open Doors Café provides an excellent training ground for our members, some of whom move onto the more pressured environment of our commercial coffee shop, Cups & Co. Freshly baked cakes - most mornings the trainees bake some small cakes or flapjacks before the customers arrive ready for sale that day.

The four trainees enjoy their work and continue to make progress being more independent in the tasks they do each week. The confidence of the trainees has grown dramatically since we started in September and they have built up a strong rapport with each other and the two volunteer managers. We are really feeling at home at the church now and getting to know our regular customers as well as seeing some new faces.

Conquerors

Social Opportunities

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Holidays
Small groups
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Conquerors

The first part of 2022 was overseen by our very capable leader and ran in its usual smooth way with members attending twice a month. Other opportunities meant that she left us at Easter and it proved difficult to replace the position.

With the support and enthusiasm of our volunteers we ran twice monthly until the summer break and resumed in September running once a month.

Conquerors club members ended the summer term with a pub night at The Brewery Inn in Ashtead, attended by 30 members and volunteers we enjoyed an excellent evening of good company and delicious food. We were all made very welcome by the new manager and his staff and the food, which was pre ordered, arrived on time and was very good. A most enjoyable evening was made extra special when a generous man in the other bar settled our food bill.

During the evenings we enjoyed our familiar inside activities with a different focus each session. We had fun with a special Guy Fawkes event outside and were fortunate that the weather was good. We were able to use the fire pit producing cheesy chips and toasted marshmallows- all very popular - along with the obligatory sparklers! Other evenings included making ‘mocktails’, a dinner at the local pub and in December our Christmas party with good party music overseen by one of our members and excellent food which was organised by our volunteers. We are now looking forward to the panto in January. My thanks to all who volunteer at Conquerors for your support and encouragement whilst we wait for a new manager.

Short breaks

After two long years the day finally arrived, and we met at St George’s Church ready to spend some quality time with our friends at Butlins. During the week we enjoyed numerous shows - musical rocks, Ultimate Coldplay, roller boys and animals versus dinosaurs. We visited the funfair and Clare was definitely the most adventurous going on every ride! We enjoyed the new swimming pool with the outdoor rapids experience and the slides.

Our usual trip to the shops in Bognor did not disappoint, everyone found something to buy and we enjoyed a coffee stop at our favourite independent shop. It was here the decision was made to go along to the jubilee beach party on the last night; we listened to a local choir, watched the beacon being lit and enjoyed the fireworks that were set off from the pier. We took our own little afternoon tea with us and sang some patriotic songs whilst we waited to wave our flags. Whilst on the beach our young people asked, ‘can we come back next year?’ The answer was ‘yes of course we can’, We decided to take the break during August next year.

MATf PAGAN ROLLI SWAIN ALDAG• wayh Liarfiing ￿￿￿O￿Tr￿And¢tOWlng Small groups Having fun with friends ?%¢h l)i I'rfiilx"T 211 J 2 iiy •

Advertise services more Gardening Services widely to break even Market products online as Craft Workshop well as in the two shops

Goals for 2023

Conquerors

Open Doors Cafe

Employ new leader and new programme

Review focus of cafe

Financial Review

This is the third 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:

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. £63,000 to meet 2023’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 2022. 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

  1. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  2. 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

2022 income – total £133,704 2022 income – total £133,704 2022 income – total £133,704 2022 income – total £133,704 2022 income – total £133,704
64,764
51,875
11,513
2,320
2,575
Donations
11,513
Grants
51,875
Sales & services
64,764
Other
658
Short breaks
2,320
658
Donations 11,513
Grants 51,875
Sales & services 64,764
Other 658
Short breaks 2,320
Fundraising 2,575

2022 expenditure – total £203,301

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56,373
75,771
14,151
6,385
50,621
Salaries 50,621
Running cost 14,151
Set up 75,771
Rent & rates 56,373
Central costs 6,385
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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 A Receipts and Payments A ccount for the year endin
Total		 g 31st December 2022
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted Funds
Receipts £ £ £
Donations 11,513 5,938 5,575
Grants 51,875 - 51,875
Social Groups 2,320 - 2,320
Fundraising 2,574 548 2,026
-
Sale of goods & services 64,764 64,764
Other income 658 18 640
Total Receipts 133,704 71,268 62,436

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ending 31[st] December 2022 continued

Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds
Payments £ £ £
Gardening 9,086 8,616 470
Open Doors Café 2,254 2,254 -
Re-Use It Shop 47,185 45,452 1,733
Social Groups 2,395 2,395 -
Short Breaks 3,838 1,518 2,320
Craft Workshop 9,910 7,735 2,175
Cups & Co 122,248 7,906 114,342
Administration 6,385 6,385 -
Total Payments 203,301 82,261 121,040

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ending 31[st] December 2022 continued

Payments Gardening Gardening Workshop Workshop Social &
Short Breaks		 Social &
Short Breaks		 ReUseIt ReUseIt Open Doors Open Doors Cups & Co Cups & Co Central costs Central costs
Salaries 7,637 3,616 5,088 22,501 11,779
Running costs 549 625 1,145 4,342 1,054 6,436 6,385
Set up 900 1,169 1,200 72,502
Rent & rates 4,500 20,342 31,531
TOTAL payments
203,301		 9,086 9,910 6,233 47,185 2,254 122,248 6,385
Income Gardening Workshop Social &
Short Breaks		 ReUseIt Open Doors Cups & Co Central costs
Donations 500 2,320 5,075 5,938
Sales & services 594 1,552 44,698 2,492 15,428
Grants 51,875
Other 640 2,026 566
TOTAL income
133,704		 1,094 1,552 2,960 44,698 2,492 74,404 6,504
Designated 50,000
Surplus/Deficit (7,992) (8,358) (3,273) (2,487) 238 2,156 119

Receipts and Payments Account for the year ending 31[st] December 2022 continued

Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds
Receipts minus payments £ £ £
Receipts 133,704 71,268 62,436
Payments 203,301 82,261 121,040
Surplus/(Deficit) (69,597) (10,993) (58,604)
T Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds
Net movement in funds £ £ £
Retained funds b/fwd 151,106 141,508 9,598
Transfer to Cups & Co - (50,000) 50,000
Current year deficit (69,597) (10,993) (58,604)
Treasurer’s account 81,509 80,515 994
Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022 Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022 Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022 Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022 Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022 Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022 Balance sheet for the year ending 31st December 2022
Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds
Assets £ £ £
Lloyds Business Current Account 67,759 66,765 994
Cups & Co Rent Deposit 13,750 - 13,750
Total Assets 81,509 66,765 14,744
Total Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds
Reserves £ £ £
Retained Funds b/fwd 151,106 141,508 9,598
Designated transfer to Cups&Co - (50,000) 50,000
Current Year Funds (69,597) (10,993) (58,604)
Total Reserves 81,509 80,515 994
Total Rent Building maintenance
Liabilities per annum £63,000 55,000 8,000

The above Statement of Assets and Liabilities and associated Receipts and Payments Account were approved by the Board of Trustees on 18.04.23, approved by the Members on 15.06.23 and are signed on their behalf by:

Pamela Walden (Chair of trustees) David Phibbs (Treasurer)