THE ROSSWAY GROUP Riding for the Disabled Association Incorporating Carriage Driving Registered under charity number 1188574
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2022
1. Administrative details
The Trustees are pleased to present their annual report of Rossway Group Riding for the Disabled Association incorporating Carriage Driving (“Rossway RDA”, “the Group”), charity number 1188574 registered at Shardeloes Farm Equestrian Centre, Cherry Lane, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 0QF.
The Trustees who served throughout the year to 31 March 2022 were:
Irene Purse Richard Allison Vivienne Bryan Caroline Hunt Sarah Embleton-Smith Heather James Malcolm Elderfield Hazel Rymer
Caroline Hunt and Sarah Embleton-Smith resigned as Trustees at the Annual General Meeting (“AGM’) on 28 November 2022 and Christopher Wilton was appointed as a Trustee at the AGM on 28 November 2022.
New trustees are recruited from our group of volunteers with consideration taken of any specialist skills they may bring to this important governance role. They are invited to stand as a Trustee, will have the role and responsibilities explained to them and and will be nominated and seconded at the AGM or by a vote of Trustees.
2. Structure, governance and management
Rossway RDA is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation incorporated under its Constitution dated 16 March 2020.
3. Objectives and activities
Rossway RDA was incorporated to promote the objects of The Riding for The Disabled Association incorporating Carriage Driving, a national charity registered under charity number 244108, by providing disabled people with the opportunity to ride and or carriage drive to benefit their health and well being in the vicinities of Buckinghamshre and Hertfordshire.
In accordance with the guidelines as per above, Rossway RDA’s aim is to give children and adults who have physical or cognitive difficulties the opportunity to learn to ride in a fun, safe and relaxed way. The Group upholds the strict guidelines as laid down in the Constitution and the Trustees are satisfied that the Group provides a useful public benefit and operates in accordance with the objectives.
4. Achievements and performance
April 2021 saw the Group move to a more positive position as the Covid regulations decreased and we were gradually able to expand our rider numbers. Back then, we still required each rider to come with a family member as a helper as RDA side walkers were still unable to assist. A year later, our rider numbers are up to capacity and our volunteer numbers are steady. In April 2021 we had just 8 riders coming regularly from a potential of 18, and the lack of riding funds caused a substantial dent in our finances. We augmented our rider numbers gradually starting in April 2021 with a new rider who had to come with her ‘bubble helper’ in those earlier days. Then over the next term we added 2 more riders with another 2 the following term and then, later on in the year, another 3 new riders and then in 2022 by another new rider. All the new riders have to commit to 2 individual lessons to start with, which they pay for at a premium rate, which has helped our finances, but more especially, has given the riders a bit of a kick start into the riding procedures. It was with particular glee that we welcomed back our regular school students in April 2022 and the participants have all gone from strength to strength resulting in gaining their RDA Stage I and II Riding and Stable Management certificates at the end of the summer term 2022. But as with all sports, we’ve gained some riders, but lost some too. We were ever so sad to say goodbye to one of our longstanding riders in December 2021. He was a casualty of the covid years and his confidence dipped to the point that it wasn’t benefiting him any longer. He did come back, however, and do some grooming and took Coco for a walk along with a volunteer, in the summer. Two other riders have had to retire from riding for health reasons with another 2 taking a health break for a few months. It is the nature of what we do and we try to stay as adaptable as possible for our riders.
We had fun taking a group of our younger riders to Berkshire College of Agriculture on a boiling hot Sunday afternoon, ably assisted by a fair few other helpers and family members. This was to compete in the Regional Qualifiers for the RDA National Championships and all who entered did extremely well bringing back fistfuls of rosettes and sporting wide grins. It’s hard work organising this type of event, and I know the participants and their families are grateful for the commitment from us.
At the same time as organising the BCA outing, we were also running a new initiative for a group of riders from High Wycombe who invaded our Mondays for a few weeks bringing much laughter to us all and challenging our ability to think on our feet! But whilst challenging it was also rewarding and we were thankful for all the support of our current and former volunteers.
What news of our horses and ponies? Having had a rotten 2021 health wise, and causing our finances to take a further battering, they are in better form than they have been for a long time. Our purchase of young Hector back in February ended our year long search and he is learning the ropes with the professional expertise of the Shardeloes staff. At the end of last year we had to say goodbye to Nory who was returned to her delighted owners but then took delivery of the sweet natured Hetty, who is also on loan to us and Shardeloes. These days Diesel is positively cheerful most of the time and we’re rather hoping he’ll have a word in Hector’s ear about looking happier. They get 5 star treatment at Shardeloes and the team are brilliant.
Over the years, Rossway has had a few encounters with the Royal Family and in the last Newsletter we chronicled the report of how The Queen received the Group at Windsor back in 1993. It’s a lovely story.
We have much to be thankful for and we are fortunate in many respects. In particular, the continued good care from Shardeloes of our equines, the wonderful support of our volunteers, many of whom have been with us for years and stuck loyally with us through those tricky times, and the horses and ponies themselves without whom we would not exist. In Buckinghamshire, we are one of the RDA groups that has managed to expand its rider capacity since those troublesome lockdowns, which means that we totalled 18 riders per week on average to end March 2022. We are up to capacity but still have a folder of hopeful riders on our waiting list. We are thankful that we are able to help those we have space for and look forward to welcoming new participants as and when we can find space. Praise, as always, to a fabulous set of Trustees, Coaches and Committee members who help smooth the way through the ever increasing mountain of necessary paperwork and policy procedures. We make a wonderful team and thank every one of them for their commitment and energy.
5. Financial review
Current account balance at 31 March 2022: £1,527 (31 March 2021: £2,648) Savings account balance at 31 March 2022: £12,085 (31 March 2021: £18,078)
Rossway has a very conservative reserves policy, which is to keep two years’ running costs on deposit (approximately £10,000 per annum). The purchase of a new pony increased expenditure in the year to 31 March 2022. Since the year end the newly formed Fundraising Committee has raised funds which will reverse the losses made in the previous two years and will enable the Group to purchase another pony.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Irene Purse
15 January 2023
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The Rossway Group Riding for the Disabled Association Incorporating Carriage Driving 1188574
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 1-Apr-21 To 31-Mar-22
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted
funds funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Donations 2,123 - - 2,123 692
Ride money 4,304 - - 4,304 1,280
Bank interest 7 - - 7 20
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 6,434 - - 6,434 1,992
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total receipts 6,434 - - 6,434 1,992
A3 Payments
Hire of facilities 3,632 - - 3,632 148
Tack 43 - - 43 263
Vet fees 4,148 - - 4,148 1,402
RDA insurance 366 - - 366 450
Pony insurance 288 - - 288 -
New horse 5,000 - - 5,000 -
Sundries 71 - - 71 115
- - - - -
Sub total 13,548 - - 13,548 2,378
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 13,548 - - 13,548 2,378
Net of receipts/(payments) - 7,114 - - - 7,114 - 386
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 20,726 - - 20,726 -
Cash funds this year end 13,612 - - 13,612 - 386
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted funds | Restricted | Endowment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds | funds | ||||
| B1 | Cash funds | Current account Deposit account |
Total cash funds | to nearest £ |
1,527 12,085 - 13,612 |
to nearest £ - - - - |
to nearest £ - - - - |
| (agree balances | with receipts and payments account(s)) |
OK | OK | OK | |||
| Unrestricted funds | Restricted | Endowment | |||||
| funds | funds | ||||||
| B2 | Other monetary assets | Details | to nearest £ |
- - - - - - |
to nearest £ - - - - - - |
to nearest £ - - - - - - |
|
| B3 | Investment assets | Details | Fund to which asset belongs | Cost (optional) - |
- Current value (optional) |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
01/15/2023
1
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- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Details Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the - -
charity’s own use - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which liability relates Amount due When due
Details (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities -
-
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name approvalDate of
Richard Allison Richard Allison 11/28/2022
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CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
2
01/15/2023