Dewsbury Community Outreach Annual Report 2024-2025
Registered Charity 1188158
Introduction
Dewsbury Community Outreach (DCO) operates out of 74 Daisy Hill, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF13 1LS. Our aims are to create a community where everyone is welcomed, 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. The activities described in this report are considered by the Trustees to reflect the way that the charity will operate for the foreseeable future within the constraints of the current volunteer team and premises.
Assistance
Food Assistance . In association with Fare Share and Neighbourly, DCO collected daily surplus food from two local Tesco stores then once a week further collections were available from Aldi, Asda, KFC, Sainsburys and the Tesco Extra at Batley. In addition DCO worked in partnership with Fusion Housing who passed on food surplus to their requirements and on occasions used food collected by the DCO team for their own operation. Some of this food was used to prepare the meals but much of it was placed on tables to be taken free of charge by those in need, on a typical day up to 80 people benefitted from this service. We also operate a Community Kitchen Food Swap where persons who have received a food parcel from another organisation that contained items that they do not eat can return the unopened item to us to be passed on to another beneficiary. At Christmas DCO was able to use the supermarket food, supplemented by items purchased by grants, to make up 100 food hampers that were given to beneficiaries.
Some food collected by DCO was used by Dewsbury Cares who provide a drop-in from a stall on Dewsbury market on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
DCO has two freezers and three fridges which are used to store donated food 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 at our premises.
Meals Programme. Throughout the year 74 Daisy Hill has been opened on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10.30am serving tea coffee and snacks throughout the morning. Then at lunch time cooked meals have been provided, for the meal on Tuesdays the charity ‘Gift of Giving’ provided curries, which were well received. Most days around 50 meals were provided free of charge.
The charity Artist Attic at 44 Daisy Hill runs a children’s club on Monday evenings, we have used surplus supermarket food to make sandwiches for them to give to the children.
Clothing and Goods. DCO has received regular donations of second hand clothing, kitchen utensils, crockery, furniture, bedding, towels, household items, children’s toys, books, bags and other items like PAT tested electrical goods, which have been given away free to those in need. The Kirklees Council Housing Solutions Team regularly referred people to us who were being rehoused and had no goods to enable them to live in their new home. Sometimes DCO received items that were not of use to our beneficiaries and in the latter part of the year The Arcade Group supported DCO by providing a charity table in their unit in the Princess of Wales Precinct, Dewsbury, where items could be taken for a voluntary donation. Further items, including non-reusable textiles for sale as rags, were passed to other charity shops in the town.
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.
In addition to the free goods some of the Household Support grant money received has been earmarked to purchase new items especially to help people over the winter, this included heated throws, electrical goods, blankets, other items of clothing (especially underwear) and health care products.
Heating Assistance . DCO has helped individuals with heating bills by making small gifts of up to £30 onto a utility account.
Shower . Our shower was used about ten times a week by people who were homeless or who could not afford to provide heat and hot water in their accommodation.
Acting Club. The Acting Club provided Victorian characters for Heritage Open Day on Saturday 14 September 2024, assisting the town walking tours. On 30 September 2024 some of the actors dressed in Victorian costume to pose for Dewsbury Photographic Society. At Christmas the actors delivered Santa’s Grotto for the Dewsbury Christmas Festivities event on 7 December 2024. All of these activities created a sense of self worth for those participating and an involvement in a wider Dewsbury community spirit.
Health Care . A number of grants were received this year to allow DCO to pay for emergency dental treatment for beneficiaries who are not registered with an NHS dentist. DCO volunteers have regularly supported beneficiaries with hospital appointments by providing lifts in their cars.
Money Advice Our volunteers regularly give advice to volunteers to try to assist them to spread their money more wisely over a payment period. We also received a grant to raise awareness of Gambling and Alcohol Addiction and to help people who have these vices.
Some of our beneficiaries have difficulty in paying for items like phone contracts and council tax bills because the standard payment process is by on-line or card-based banking. We have offered a limited service where the beneficiaries pay us in cash and then we make the payment for them.
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 bank account.
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.
DCO has developed working relationships with various external organisations to assist beneficiaries including the Kirklees Street Homeless Team, and Change Grow Live (CGL). Cardwell Angels provide grants to people living in Dewsbury for various large purchase items including white goods and furniture, with our referral they have supported many of our beneficiaries in times of more expensive need. We also work with Churches Together to share information on activities and events and other support services offered in the town. Our working relationship with Sensory World has continued.
Bible Study . DCO is a Christian charity and a Bible Study group for those who chose to attend was held at the start of the year, but this service stopped due to falling interest.
External recognition of the work. The success of our drop-in centre as a place that is making a valuable contribution to the welfare of less well-off people in Dewsbury was recognised in March 2024 when Kirklees Council awarded a certificate of appreciation.
The volunteer team were acknowledged in July when Kirklees Third Sector Leaders awarded a grant for them to be taken on an evening canal boat trip provided by the Safe Anchor Trust.
74 Daisy Hill
In addition to the public rooms on the ground floor, 74 Daisy Hill currently has a single tenanted flat. On the first floor there is an emergency accommodation space which is intended to be used for short term housing; a Hungarian couple have been using it since May 2024 and are still unable to secure suitable permanent accommodation. The remainder of the building is used as storage space by DCO for things like furniture, acting costumes and consumable items. DCO has secured further free storage above the Big Discount Store on Church Street and this is used to keep long term items such as Christmas decorations and wrapping paper.
During the year further improvements were made to the building, electrical work on the upper floors were substantially funded by grants from the Neighbourly B&Q Foundation; these areas now have lighting and limited power sockets. Further work included the installation of roof insulation and the replacement of all of the windows with double glazed units both improving the safety and thermal insulation of the building.
A grant was obtained to allow our beneficiaries to gain building skills by creating a play area in the yard of the Elim Church adjacent to our property. This work was completed during the year with an artificial grass surface. Additional support with the supply of free materials was provided by builders merchants A.W. Lumb and Wickes. Brewers Foundation provided special paint for use on tyres to create a snake play feature. The play area has been finished off with a climbing frame, slide and swings provided by a Local Giving Magic Little grant.
In October B&Q provided a team of volunteers and a range of paint and decorating supplies to allow us to finish the refurbishment of the cellar room on the ground floor. Additional work by our volunteers installed fireproof paint on the ceiling giving under protection to the laundry room floor.
Publicity
The DCO web site, www.dewsburyco.org.uk, continues to be maintained and the charity also has a presence on Facebook as @DewsburyCO. Special printed publicity was prepared for use at Easter and Christmas. A monthly news sheet continues to be sent to our supporters.
Finance
The fifth year has continued to be financially blessed and the trustees of DCO are grateful to the various organisations and individuals who have contributed financially, especially towards the programme to provide meals. In addition there have been enormous contributions of free food and second-hand items. A major contributor has been Kirklees Council via One Communities and Kirklees Third Sector Leaders, the various grants awarded have covered every day running costs such as utility bills or volunteer expenses or have been for specific purchases such as heated throws or additional non-perishable foods that have been used to supplement the food obtained free from the supermarkets.
The trustees also wish to acknowledge a significant grant from the Yorkshire Building Society towards our operating costs. We have also received substantial gifts from staff and customers at The West Riding Public House and at UK Greetings.
The accounts are presented separate to this report but the financial summary is: income £33893.93; expenditure £49523.54; loss for the year £15529.61 This loss was entirely expected by the trustees; at the start of the year we carried over £20,309.09 in reserved funds generated by ongoing grants all of which has been spent during the year. In addition
we have paid for the replacement windows (£11685.60) which were not funded by a specific grant. The charity still has a bank balance of £48045.91 and the trustees propose to use much of the surplus for further improvements to 74 Daisy Hill and to generate a reserve allowing us to purchase it from the current owners.
Training
Two volunteers have refreshed their food safety certificates by using an on-line training course. Two other volunteers have undertaken training in preparation for activities in British Science week; the event is actually in March and thus in our next reporting year. At the start of the year two gap year volunteers, based at Morley Community Church, also assisted the DCO team on one day each week.
Governance
The charity was formed in February 2020 and is governed by a constitution. The management is overseen by five trustees who have not changed in the last year. 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 and telephone. The trustees have also met formally about once every three months to receive an update on activities and issues and to plan for the coming weeks.
DEWSBURY COMMUNITY OUTREACH (Charity No. 1188158) RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 28 FEBRUARY 2025 Last Year OPENING BALANCES Lloyds Bank & Petty Cash 63675.52 25105.04 RECEIPTS General Income Donations 74 Daisy Hill Rent 74 Daisy Hill Utilities 74 Daisy Hill TV Licence Inland Revenue Bank Interest Sale of Items Income to Pay Bills Dewsbury Sick & Poor Fund Refunds 6452.34 7928.16 1251.84 156.00 374.72 553.74 834.00 426.00 330.00 7.13 6851.58 4430.00 840.00 156.00 386.75 376.78 196.53 128.00 12.00 13377.64 18313.93 Operational Grants TSL One Community Core Costs (2 grants) One Community Household Support (2 grants) Yorkshire Building Society TSL Gambling Adiction British Science Week S2R - Christmas Dental Support TSL Volunteer Support KFC Creative Scene Big Hug Grant Sharegift TSL Healthcare (4 Grants) TSL Garden Project West Yorkshire Hardship Project Kirklees MDC (Coronation Paty) TSL Winter Support (2 grants) 5000.00 7200.00 1250.00 1000.00 500.00 300.00 150.00 100.00 80.00 8910.00 6080.00 100.00 9420.00 5000.00 4000.00 1800.00 1200.00 450.00 745.00 37705.00 15580.00 Building Improvement Grants B&Q Neighbourly Big Hug Grant Local Giving Ltd 10000.00 8400.QO 500.00 18900.00 0.00 TOTAL RECEIPTS 33,893.93 69982.64 PAYMENTS 74 Daisy Hill Building Improvement Work Windows Utilities Repairs Gas & Fire system service TV Licence Consumables 14792.35 11685.60 6119.77 924.36 271.00 169.50 33.97 7860.00 4224.60 173.14 261.00 159.00 47.71 12725.45 33,996.55 Page 1
Activities Gardening Club Christmas - Dewsbury Dental Volunteer Boat Trip Writing & Drama Club Coronation Paty 917.53 300.00 100.00 329.92 100.00 3.14 456.20 889.26 1317.53 Assistance Furniture & Goods Food distribution Utilities Clothing Health Financial Phone Travel Laundry Cleaning & Gardening 2866.41 2401.77 1830.00 916.89 825.00 384.00 176.53 46.00 29.50 885.75 1678.53 1599.69 264.44 2149.16 18.99 174.00 13.50 4170.49 10,954.55 9,476.10 Administration Volunteer Expenses Insurance Phone Publicity Administration 2804.19 1744.15 87.31 20.12 12.60 3519.79 1347.80 99.18 291.58 10.00 5,268.35 4,668.37 Capital Urn Garden Play Equipment Washing Machine Candy Oven for flat Steel Catering Table Printer 64.99 684.99 458.00 219.00 149.95 62.97 1,574.91 64.99 TOTAL PAYMENTS 49,523.54 31,412.52 NET SURPLUSIDEFICIT FOR THE YEAR -15,629.61 38,570.12 CLOSING BALANCES Lloyds Deposit Account Lloyds Current Account Petty cash 46061.53 1377.39 606.99 48045.91 62307.79 1187.36 180.37 63675.52 Signed by two trustees on behalf of all the trustees nature Print Name Date (L41 2el *1 Page 2
DEWSBURY COMMUNITY OUTREACH (Charity No. 1188158) ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDING 28 FEBRUARY 2025 Last Year Lloyds Deposit Account Lloyds Current account Petty cash 46061.53 1377.39 606.99 62,307.79 1187.36 180.37 63,675.52 48045.91 OTHER ASSETS Garden Play Equipment Washing Machine Candy Oven for flat Steel Catering Table Printer Safe Carpet Cleaner Hotpoint Freezer Hotpoint Freezer Tumble Dryer Urn 514.00 343.50 164.25 112.50 47.00 29.00 28.50 135.00 135.00 48.00 64.99 684.99 458.00 219.00 149.95 62.97 39.00 38.00 180.00 180.00 64.00 RESTRICTED FUNDS TSL Household Support British Science Week B&Q Neighbourly Big Hug Grant TSL Household Support TSL Garden Project 1297.45 500.00 8994.00 7598.81 2246.20 1470.08 20309.09 1797.45 OTHER LIABILITIES Page 3
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Dewsbury Community Outreach Charity No. 1188158 I report on the accounts of Dewsbury Community Outreach for the year ended 29 February 2025, which are set out on pages one and two. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 43 of the 1993 Act. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accurate accounting records has not been met. (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to ensure a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Audited by Signed Date Page 4
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Dewsbury Community Outreach Charity No. 1188158 I report on the accounts of Dewsbury Community Outreach for the year ended 29 February 2025, which are set out on pages one and two. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 43 of the 1993 Act. to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accurate accounting records has not been met. (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to ensure a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Audited by Signed Date Page 4