December 2021 to November 2022
DSO TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT
I. INTRODUCTION
This Annual Report is produced following a significant existential challenge to the charity brought about by eviction from our original venue. This was compounded by the lingering debilitating effects of Covid regulations within the care sector which were reported in our 2021 Report. We are proud to report that we have weathered these and our charitable objectives have continued to be fulfilled thanks to the resilience and determination of trustees, volunteers and supporters.
II. OVERVIEW of ACTIVITIES
DSO’s weekly provision of free, singing sessions for those both living with dementia and their carers, has thrived in the hybrid manner which we pioneered during the height of lockdown regulations. The success of this approach has rested upon a number of key factors not the least of which has been the sheer determination of trustees not to be defeated by what could very easily have been terminal logistical difficulties.
The initiative of nurturing care home collaboration has been extended through further visits to cement relationships with individual homes. Despite the flexibility created by Zoom facility, the objective has been to encourage as many homes as possible to return to face-to-face contact and the benefits which this affords in terms of social interaction for both residents and carers.
We have instigated regular feedback opportunities with the express aim of providing what carers and those living with dementia are seeking rather than simply what we, as trustees, believe should happen. Every care home is different and every person living independently with dementia faces differing circumstances. This has been the case in something as simple as the logistics of getting to and from the weekly sessions. We have been able to offer transport support which has been gratefully received.
Beyond this ongoing Covid-related climate, DSO’s greatest challenge has been that of facing eviction from our base at the Champions Centre in Wellingborough with only two months’ notice. This report is written at a time when we are facing a review of the first three months at our current venue at the Compass Church also in Wellingborough, but we are optimistic that we will be secure for the foreseeable future. The uncertainty was unsettling but our new home has been well-received from all of our users because of its facilities; it has a flexible space and the technology we require as well as access for wheelchair users and ease of parking for minibuses. We have nurtured a good relationship with the curators and are optimistic for the future. The significant ‘fly in the ointment’ is that our weekly costs have undergone a four-fold increase which has placed an unprecedented pressure upon our funds and our financial planning.
Our weekly singing sessions continue to be led by the inspirational choirmaster Gareth Fuller. Whilst he has cultivated an even broader repertoire of songs which have been well-received, we have incorporated a far wider choreographical approach and have built further upon the use of percussion instruments.
DSO CHARITY COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT COVERING PERIOD UP TO NOVEMBER 2022. 1
In the final weeks of 2022 we began to see the return of care homes on a wider in-person basis as well as seeing the benefit of our more extensive poster and publicity campaign. Numerically we have seen an increase to a regular number of at least 60+ attendees with often 20-30 of these on-line. There has been a marked increase in family members attending alongside those living with dementia. Intriguingly we have seen a number of relatives of care home residents joining them in person for this one hour each week.
Last year, perhaps as a Covid-related phenomenon we began to notice attendees who were not readily identifiable as living with dementia indeed they were either lonely or perhaps have not yet received a diagnosis of dementia. We continue to pride ourselves in the fact that all are treated equally respectfully. From DSO’s inception we sought to be proactive in promoting dementia awareness and we have continued our programme of ambassadorial work and training for our volunteers.
Trustees have consistently promoted the concept which underpins DSO’s work which is the power of music to enhance the living experience of those living with dementia. We have ceaselessly undertaken presentations and talks in venues across Northamptonshire to promote DSO’s work but also that of an understanding of dementia in general. In this vein we have continued to develop links with local schools; the inter-generational mutual benefits of collaboration between our clients and young schoolchildren has been one of the most rewarding aspects of our work.
III. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES
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I. Weekly in-person singing and rhythm sessions
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II. Zoom facility to enable remote access to weekly sessions.
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III. Promotion of a broader awareness of dementia
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IV. Safeguarding training for all trustees and volunteers.
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V. IT Teaching support for private individuals and care homes
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VI. Monitoring of success of DSO activities/provision via website analytics
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VII. Promotion of DSO activities through increased media publicity campaigns
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VIII. Publicity given to promoting the broader benefits of singing for others not necessarily living with dementia.
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IX. Care home relationships
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X. Increasing the numbers of volunteers and in particular providing volunteers to assist with overstretched care homes both in terms of transporting residents and then supporting overstretched personnel actually within the singing sessions.
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XI. Extending DSO’s fundraising activities and promotions via an increase in social media activity and personal attendance at local community groups.
IV. FUTURE PLANNING
The DSO trustees have conducted reviews of our strategic longer-term aims and objectives. We are now more aware of the charity’s future development path and the challenges, potential and real, financial and logistic, which could undermine the well-documented successes. The pressures upon trustees in running a charity in the present economic climate, compounded by time-consuming bureaucratic challenges, have been acknowledged widely. We will continue to thrive because of the impressive team which we have been able to put together and which continues to grow.
DSO CHARITY COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT COVERING PERIOD UP TO NOVEMBER 2022.
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Charity Name No (if any) Dementia Sings Out 1186115 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/12/2021 30/11/2022
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds Last year funds funds funds to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ £
A1 Receipts
| A1 Receipts | funds to the nearest £ |
funds to the nearest £ |
funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VoluntaryDonations | 18,333 | - | - | 18,333 | 11,772 | ||||||
| National LotteryGrant | - | - | - | - | 9,727 | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
18,333 | - | - | 18,333 | 21,499 | ||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, | |||||||||||
| (see table). | |||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Total receipts | 18,333 | - | - | 18,333 | 21,499 | ||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||
| Choir Director fees | 6,450 | - | - | 6,450 | 7,050 | ||||||
| Room Hire | 1,720 | - | - | 1,720 | 320 | ||||||
| Refreshments | 427 | - | - | 427 | 95 | ||||||
| Website Costs | 1,051 | - | - | 1,051 | 1,229 | ||||||
| Equipment | 386 | - | - | 386 | 817 | ||||||
| Marketing& Printing | 695 | - | - | 695 | - | ||||||
| Gifts | 192 | - | - | 192 | 92 | ||||||
| Public LiabilityInsurance | 425 | - | - | 425 | - | ||||||
| BankingCorrections | 12 | - | - | 12 | - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | 11,358 | - | - | 11,358 | 9,603 | ||||||
| A4 Asset and investment | |||||||||||
| purchases, (see table) | |||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Total payments | 11,358 | - | - | 11,358 | 9,603 | ||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 6,975 | - | - | 6,975 | 11,896 | ||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Cash funds this year end | 6,975 | - | - | 6,975 | 11,896 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
22/02/2023
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature Details Details Current a/c Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Gift Aid to be claimed Details |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 31,109 - - - - - 31,109 - Agreement Error OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 1,250 - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
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| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
22/02/2023
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