Dewsbury Community Outreach Annual Report 2021‐2022
Registered Charity 1188158
Introduction
Dewsbury Community Outreach (DCO) operates out of 74 Daisy Hill, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF13 1LS. It was formally recognised as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 24 February 2020 and this is the report for the second year of operation 2021‐2022. Our aims are to create a community where everyone is welcome, valued as individuals, and supported with their needs. Where people can meet to share their skills or learn new ones, and where there’s always the chance to talk about the important things in life. The focus had been to give support for those who were experiencing loneliness by creating an organised meeting point and to provide assistance to those who were homeless or in need.
Covid19 Restrictions
At the start of this year of operation Covid19 restrictions were still in place in the UK and beneficiaries were not allowed to enter the building but received food, goods and services socially distanced outside on Daisy Hill. In the second half of the year these restrictions were lifted and normal operations gradually resumed.
Assistance
Meals Programme. At the start of the year meals were provided out on the street through the doorway of 74 Daisy Hill. The meals were prepared for DCO by Sensory World using their commercial kitchen with some food reheated in 74 Daisy Hill. Also on Tuesdays the charity ‘Gift of Giving’ provided take‐away curry meals. In the second half of the year the meals were served inside 74 Daisy Hill and the adjacent Dewsbury Elim Church started to provide a cooked meal on Friday lunch time, easing demands on the DCO team. Throughout the year various different patterns of timings and days for meal provision occurred but at the end of this reporting period DCO and its partners were providing lunch time meals on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at DCO and Friday at Dewsbury Elim. Most days between 30 and 50 meals were provided free of charge.
DCO has two freezers which are used to store raw provisions and prepared meals. The prepared meals are available free to those in need to microwave at home on days when they are not able to receive a meal on the street.
Food Assistance . Tesco Fare Share, Asda and Fusion Housing regularly provide DCO with large quantities of surplus food and food approaching its sell‐by date. Some of this is used to prepare the meals but much of it is placed on tables to be taken free of charge by those in need. At Christmas DCO was able to use this food to make up 50 food hampers that were given to beneficiaries or delivered to persons known to us who were housebound.
Personal Advice . DCO does not offer a full advice service but being on the front line with those in need has allowed some of the DCO team to gain experience in helping refer individuals to the correct agencies to solve their problems. DCO volunteers have also been able to help individuals to gain internet connections to access items like Universal Credit portfolios and to assist with tasks like obtaining a bus pass or obtaining Covid vaccinations.
It is inevitable that some of the beneficiaries have personal difficulties that lead to debt and crime. DCO volunteers have been able to assist with the interpretation of financial demand letters or court documents and have been able to provide a ‘Mackenzie Friend’ for court appearances.
Clothing and Goods. DCO has received regular donations of second hand clothing, kitchenwear, furniture, children’s toys, books, bags and other items like PAT tested electrical goods, which have been given away free to those in need. In addition some of the grant money received has been earmarked to purchase new items of clothing (especially underwear), health care products and pay as you go mobile phones. There is a utility room in 74 Daisy Hill which, in addition to freshening up donated goods, can provide a free clothes washing facility for those in need.
Heating Assistance . DCO has helped individuals with heating bills by making small gifts of up to £20 onto a utility account.
Writing and Acting Club. In the second half of the year the writing and acting club was able to reconvene on Wednesdays in the building. The writing club has been especially successful in assisting individuals suffering from issues of loneliness and low self‐esteem by giving them a forum to share ideas and experiences with others in the club. The Acting Club provided Victorian characters for Heritage Open Day on Saturday 21 September 2021, assisting Kirklees Council in the launch of the ‘Beeline’ heritage trail. The actors also dressed in Victorian costume and provided Father Christmas and his helpers for the Christmas Lights switch on event on 5 December 2021; unfortunately this was less successful due to very poor weather on the day.
Gardening Club . Due to changes on volunteer personnel the DCO gardening club did not re‐ start after the Covid lockdown.
Bible Study . DCO is a Christian charity and a Bible Study group for those who chose to attend was re‐established in the second half of the year.
74 Daisy Hill
An Architectural Heritage Foundation grant was obtained to investigate the best way of using the building. Dewsbury architect Martin Walsh was appointed to produce a feasibility study and planning documents. This work led to a long‐term plan for the refurbishment and use of the building.
The first phase of this plan was implemented in the year by opening up a disused cellar under the utility room and making an access way through from the ground floor of the building. Further work to provide improved bathroom and kitchen facilities will be carried out in 2022.
In addition to the meeting rooms, 74 Daisy Hill currently has a single habitable flat. The remainder of the building is used as storage space by DCO for things like furniture, acting costumes and consumable items. The upper floor is used by a local artist to store his canvasses and materials. In the long term the feasibility plan suggests that this storage space should be converted to provide further accommodation.
Publicity
The DCO web site, www.dewsburyco.org.uk, was completely revamped during the year. The charity also has a presence on Facebook as DewsburyCO. Due to lack of control over content the Facebook friends group was closed down. Special printed publicity was prepared for use at Easter and Christmas.
Finance
The second year has been financially blessed and the trustees of DCO are grateful to the various organisations and individuals who have financially contributed, especially towards the programme to provide meals. In addition there have been enormous contributions of free food and second hand items. The accounts are presented separate to this report but the financial summary for the second year of operation is: income £44,866.23; expenditure £39,640.51; surplus for the year £5,225.72. Some of this is grant money that is earmarked for activities in March 2022 and the trustees propose to use much of the remainder for improvements to 74 Daisy Hill.
Training
Members of the DCO volunteer team have attended First Aid and Food Hygiene training courses that were arranged locally for them.
Governance
Day to day management of the charity is carried out by the Chair of the Trustees. Trustees seek advice and inform each other of any critical developments via e‐mail, telephone and a WhatsApp group. The trustees have also met formally about once every six weeks to receive an update on activities and issues and to plan for the coming weeks. During the first part of the year these meetings were on Zoom.
| Last Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| OPENING BALANCES | |||||
| Lloyds Bank&Petty Cash | 12159.77 | 000 | |||
| RECEIPTS | |||||
| General Income | |||||
| Donations | 10869.49 | 8463.46 | |||
| 74 Daisy Hill | |||||
| Rent | 3,054.00 | 2810.40 | |||
| Utilities | 664.00 | 3718.00 | 687.58 | ||
| I nland Revenue | 1243.11 | ||||
| Locate Properties refunded | 1346.00 | ||||
| P.W. Funeral Fund | 1500.00 | ||||
| Invoiced work | 864.00 | ||||
| SaleofItems | 109.39 | 602.07 | |||
| Refunds | 132.24 | 138.78 | |||
| 19782.23 | 12702.29 | ||||
| Grants | |||||
| AHF Building Feasibility Study | 14850.00 | ||||
| One Communities | 5000.00 | 11,755.00 | |||
| Third Sector Leaders | 4000.00 | 1,000.00 | |||
| Third Sector Leaders (Volunteer Support) | 90.00 | ||||
| Community Champions (Acting Club) | 400.00 | ||||
| Big Sleep Out | 250.00 | 500.00 | |||
| Tesco | 184.00 | 80.00 | |||
| Creative Scene | 160.00 | ||||
| Luke&Markus Trust | 150.00 | 200.00 | |||
| Spacehive (for Boiler) | 2,305.02 | ||||
| GiftofGiving | 960.00 | ||||
| Third Sector Leaders (Acting Club) | 500.00 | ||||
| Poor&Sick Fund | 500.00 | ||||
| 25084.00 | 17800.02 | ||||
| TOTALRECEIPTS | 44,866.23 | 30502.31 | |||
| PAYMENTS | |||||
| 74 | Daisy Hill | ||||
| AHF Building Feasibility Study | 14,850.00 | ||||
| Building ImprovementWork | 8,044.38 | ||||
| Utilities | 2,127.90 | 1515.33 | |||
| Insurance (Building) | 474.47 | ||||
| Repairs | 463.57 | 326.50 | |||
| Consumables | 462.45 | 36.45 | |||
| Boiler Replacement | 2200.00 | ||||
| 26,422.77 | 4078.28 | ||||
| Activities | |||||
| Back toWork | 864.32 | ||||
| On-line help | 800.85 | ||||
| Writing&Drama Club | 461.59 | 464.46 | |||
| Vaccination Study | 25.00 | ||||
| Gardening Club | 1.50 | 34.49 | |||
| Pre Alpha Meetings | 26.40 | ||||
| 2,153.26 | 525.35 |
| Assistance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Food distribution | 3,883.48 | 9460.87 | |
| Clothing | 858.78 | 268.21 | |
| Health | 212.29 | 16198 | |
| Heating | 180.00 | 305.00 | |
| Laundry | 72.72 | ||
| Furniture&Goods | 60.94 | 909.80 | |
| Travel | 58.20 | 5.00 | |
| Phone | 50.97 | 66.00 | |
| Personal | 11.00 | 13.00 | |
| 5,388.38 | 11,189.86 | ||
| Financial Assistance | |||
| PWFuneral Fund | 1500.00 | ||
| Locate Properties | 1346.00 | ||
| 2,846.00 | |||
| Administration | |||
| Volunteer Expenses | 1763.65 | 1573.75 | |
| Insurance (Charity Activities) | 693.46 | ||
| Repayment toIF~ | 191.07 | ||
| Publicity | 97.92 | 54.57 | |
| Administration | 84.00 | 34.73 | |
| 2,830.10 | 1,663.05 | ||
| Capital | |||
| Freezers | 858.00 | ||
| PortableStrimmer | 28.00 | ||
| 0.00 | 886.00 | ||
| TOTALPAYMENTS | 39,640.51 | 18,342.54 | |
| NETSURPLUS/DEFICITFORTHE YEAR | 5,225.72 | 12,159.77 | |
| CLOSING BALANCES | |||
| Lloyds Current Account | 16876.33 | 12081.75 | |
| Petty cash | 509.16 | 78.02 | |
| 17385.49 | 12159.77 |
| Last Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Uoyds Currentaccount | 16876.33 | 12051.75 | ||
| Petty cash | 509.16 | 78.02 | ||
| 17385.49 | 12,159.77 | |||
| OTHERASSETS | ||||
| Hotpoint Freezer | 322.00 | 429.00 | ||
| Hotpoint Freezer | 322.00 | 429.00 | ||
| WashingMachine | 188.00 | 250.00 | ||
| TumbleDryer | 113.00 | 150.00 | ||
| PortableStrimmer | 21.00 | 28.00 | ||
| RESTRICTEDFUNDS | ||||
| OneCommunitiesGrant | 319.41 | |||
| TSLGrant | 699.57 | |||
| 1018.98 | ||||
| OTHERLIABILITIES | ||||
| Nil | Nil |