## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 1.4.22 Period start date To 31.3.23 Period end date**
## **Charity name: Activity Station**
## **Charity registration number: 1165502**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The objects of AS CIO are to support the
needs of children, young people and adults
with learning disabilities, their families and
carers in the LBRUT and the surrounding
boroughs in particular, but not exclusively,
by all or any of the following means:- 1.
Providing activities and social events for
people with learning disabilities (PWLD),
their families and carers. 2. Collaborating
with other service providers and public
services to facilitate and deliver activities
and social events. 3. Working to increase
the choice of activities available to and
promoting social inclusion of PWLD and
their families and carers.|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|AS provide a choice of activities and social
events for PWLD such as, sports events,
music therapy and music concerts,
drumming, singing, cooking, pottery and
creative arts, dance and drama, discos,
days out, sensory cinema screenings,
gardening and rambles, free events i.e.
specially adapted pantomimes, Christmas
singalongs and online activites. The
exclusive use of hired venues, all our
activities and services promote the public
benefit of health and wellbeing, social
inclusion, anti-discriminatory environment,
advocacy, equality (free events for deprived
areas/families), independence, adult
learning; encourages personal
responsibility of financial budgeting. For
some service users who find interaction
with others difficult our volunteers can offer
social support to avoid them being socially
isolated.
By offering a choice of activities and for the
PWLD to understand the options, planning
routes and transport to our events and|
|||making the choice will promote advocacy. It
will also encourage financial budgeting for
instance if there is more than one activity to
choose from.
AS have the exclusive use of their venues
they hire for most of their activities.
Exclusive use of venues ensures an
accessible & safe environment for users,
carers and their families. Users can enjoy
the space and make full use of the
activities free from any interaction with
the general public. We provide relaxed
sensory cinema screenings, with
subtitles, lowering of lights, reduction of
loud noises.
This improves health and wellbeing of the
PWLD, families and carers and promotes
safety by being in a quiet, safe and
accessible environment. They will not be
rushed when purchasing refreshments at
the cafe, the cafe staff are all trained and
understand to be patient. The families and
carers can also relax in the knowledge that
the public will not be rushing the service
user or reacting to them if any challenging
behaviours occur.
By having exclusive use of venues and a
cafe area it offers a chance to promote
social interaction between service users.
We have noticed friendships forming whilst
communicating over lunch together. By
having private use of the cafe we are able
to promote healthy eating by requesting
cafe staff remove unhealthy food from sight
which might be tempting to buy. It also
enables PWLD, parents and carers to bring
their own packed lunch to eat. We have
noticed this helps support those who have
a special diet or may choose unhealthy
food and perhaps are unable to budget for
purchasing any refreshments as well. This
would not be possible in a public cafe.
AS help PWLD, families and carers without
computers or the internet e.g. registering
people for activities. AS download
information for them and communicate with
the support workers and care homes.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|We ensure service providers/facilitators
make reasonable adjustments to their
services so PWLD can access them in the
same way as other people (sensory
screening, panto and all our activities).
We enable them to choose what activities
they would like to undertake.
We promote healthy eating and a choice
which also promotes financial budgeting.
We offer wellbeing, social, health and
fitness activities and encourage them to|
participate in a safe and stimulating environment. We work in partnership with other agencies and providers to improve our service for vulnerable people. The objectives, activities, achievements and performance for the past year addressed throughout this trustee annual report clearly sets out the activities which AS undertakes for the public benefit. The trustees, in setting our aims, objectives and planning our activities have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission general guidance on public benefit.
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||
SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38||
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38||
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|All AS volunteers are inducted and trained
before they start. They are expected to
read and understand all aspects of the AS
policies i.e. safeguarding, health and safety
guidance and risk policies. They contribute
significantly to the success of AS by
offering additional support and
encouragement. With the help of our
volunteers it gives families and carers
respite. The volunteers know when to
support and when to allow the PWLD to do
a task on their own which encourages
independence and confidence to grow.
They support with access & registration on
arrival of attendees and work with our
service providers to ensure activities are
well prepared, inclusive to everyone, & also
help with support encouraging our users to
take part and have fun.|
|Other|||
## **Achievements and Performance**
SORP reference
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|In April AS were nominated for the Queens
Award which is for voluntary organisations.
We were very pleased to receive the award
in June and celebrate all the wonderful
support we have had from the many
volunteers over the last 10 years and
continue to run our voluntary organisation
and offer our service for PWLD.
We offered our service free to Ukrainian
families and have introduced a new
environmental and educational workshop
which is gardening and woodcraft run by a
local Barnes environment charity. AS ran
29 activity sessions (2 sessional days were
cancelled due to covid and traffic issues
due to boat race) reaching 386 people and
not including their families. Quantitative
results have shown from our data that due
to returning to live sessions, after covid,we
are not reaching as many participants as
we were when exclusively online as we
deliberately keep attendee numbers small
for our live sessions to allow for positive
and safe experiences by all of our service
users. We have noticed a larger number of
newcomers. AS often have sold out events
and keep a waiting list. Qualitative
information has shown a positive request
for certain activities such as music and
cookery which is very popular, keeping the
recipes nutritious and healthy. We also run
classes to offer fitness and wellbeing.
From completed AS evaluation forms, our
service has been described by users,
parents and carers as excellent and
includes very positive comments and
feedback. We have had many people give
us positive responses from conversation
analysis. We have service users attending
that have been referred to us by other
parents and carers, and local care homes
accessing our service. Existing partners
and organisations (which includes, Mencap
Richmond and Hammersmith, Crofters
Club, RUILS, SEN family support group
Richmond and SEN group Chiswick social
work & disabled teams, Skylarks,
Richmond CVS, RHLT, Achieving For
Children, Elysium Healthcare and
SeeAbility carehomes) promote our
activities and have recommended us to
new organisations and parents/carers
increasing our network.
Since covid an increase in the number of
activities for PWLD of different ages whilst
offering an online service and the
introduction of free events throughout the
year has made our activities more
accessible with an increase of service
users from other boroughs. We have been||
|---|---|---|---|
able to offer our service to Ukrainian families in the borough. Fundraising We are starting to research ideas since having to stop due to covid. After receiving a nomination for the Queens Award for voluntary services in the borough we were pleased to receive the award and demonstrates what has been achieved due to the support of our funders all our volunteers over the last 10 years. Going forward this will help when applying for more funding. Plans for the future Increase the number of free events at key calendar dates during the year. Evaluate user and carer views of our service and identify unmet needs. Increase current programme of days out and the possibility of more respite for families and carers.
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41||
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41||
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41||
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|In this financial year we have received a
number of private donations from
individuals and we will be applying for
grants from organisations such as Barnes
Fund, the Richmond Voluntary Fund and
the Lottery.
Expenditure has supported our key
objectives of providing activities and social
events to people with learning disabilities
with the majority of payments being made
to events (60%) and the remainder on
overheads (40%).
Fundraising events on hold due to
covid19restrictions.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|We continue to implement our reserve
policy. Our activities and social events
programme is flexible and can be tailored
to run any number of activities at any given
time out of an annual ‘rolling’ planned
programme. In the event of uncertainty of
future income we can reduce the number of
activities and also remove activities which
are more expensive to run and introduce
new less expensive ones. As a small
charity that does not have fixed assets or
overheads such as staffing costs, the
amount put aside in reserves is considered
to be low risk.
We seek to maintain a reserves policy
of approximately 50% of the total
expenditure used. Currently £10000
has been agreed by the trustees to be
put aside for reserves. This will allow
for at least 6 months to develop new
sources of income or to reduce the
number of activities we run
accordingly.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22||
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22||
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24||
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23||
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including Para 1.47 any fundraising)
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46||
|---|---|---|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46||
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:||Activity Station’s governing document is a
‘Foundation model constitution
Whose only voting members are the
charitytrustees|
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25||
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Activity Station is constituted as a
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
(CIO)|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Appointed by charity trustees|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|
Para 1.51||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
Charity name Other name the charity uses Registered charity number Charity’s principal address
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6
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12
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Christine Chittick|Chair/Financial
Manager|30.01.16|Activity Station|
||Sam Hurst|Founder|30.01.16 Resigned Jan
2019||
||Heidi Mansfield||21.04.16||
||Hester Larkin||24.02.17||
||Coral Allen||11.05.17||
||HumphreyHawksley||21.2.20||
||Claire Eaves|Founder|30.01.16||
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## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of Name Address adviser**
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)**
**Date** 11.1.24
**Charity Name No (if any) Alara Foundation 1183849 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 4/1/2022 3/31/2023
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
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**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ -**
**A3 Payments**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ -**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ -**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**524**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 524**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**to the nearest £**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
||**-**
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**524**
**524**|**-**|
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|||||**524**|
|||||**524**|
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Signature
Kmann
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**524**
**-**
OK
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Kate Mann
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
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||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
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||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
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**(optional)**|
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||||Date of
approval|
||Kmann|Kate Mann|6.2.24|
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