2024-03-31-accounts

Exmouth Community Car Service

AGM and Volunteer get together Church Hall – St John’s, Withycombe Village Road 16[th] September 2023, 19:15 for a 19:30 start AGM Agenda and report April 2023 to March 2024

AGENDA

1. Welcome

2. Apologies

3. Chair’s report

4. Treasurer’s report

5. Office Manager’s report

6. Committee members / Trustees

7. Recruiting volunteers

8. ECCS Fleece, Polo shirt & Sweatshirt

9. AOB

10. Thank you and close

Refreshments and a chance to catch up will follow the meeting.

Current trustees: Phil Rackstraw Chair Leslie Henry Treasurer Nick Cooper Peter Horning

Committee members: Avril Denton, Bryan Colley and Caroline Lodge

Exmouth Community Car Service

Report for the period April 2023 to March 2024

Chair’s report:

Overall, another successful year for the charity. We provided 3683 journeys an increase of nearly 10% on the previous year. We have not increased our fares, ensuring our service remains affordable, even during these inflationary times. Financially we made a good surplus for the year and our finances remain in good shape.

Inflation has progressively fallen throughout this financial year, with the price of vehicle fuel finally returning to more normal levels, which is very helpful to our volunteer drivers as fuel is their biggest expense.

The demand for our services continues to grow, to the point where on most days we are fully booked. To manage expectations, the committee has written to all our clients explaining that with the increasing demand there is a limit to the number of journeys we can provide and that we may not always be able to provide a ride.

We ran two First Aid courses for our volunteers in October and November. We were pleased that one of our volunteers, Helen Taylor, who is a qualified First Aid trainer, ran the courses and was able to tailor them to the needs of our clients.

We are a full member of ‘Devon Access to Services’ (DAS), who provide vital support to enable us and other community car schemes in Devon to operate an effective, efficient service. They coordinate the funding we receive from Devon CC, liaise with the NHS sites to provide services like parking permits and run regular sessions for car schemes to discuss and explore key items.

To raise our profile the committee decided to offer our volunteers Polo shirts and Sweatshirts with our logo. This also helps our clients spot our volunteers in crowded areas like hospital entrances.

The committee are keen that both the drivers and office staff are represented on the committee. During the year Lesley Rackstraw from the office team stood down from the committee and was replaced by Caroline Lodge.

Although the majority of COVID restrictions have been phased out, we continue to provide PPE products and Lateral Flow Tests to our volunteers.

Finally, I’d like to thank all our volunteers who made it possible to deliver over 3600 journeys for our 800+ clients during the year April 2023 to March 2024.

Office Manager’s Report

It would be fair to say that this last year has at times been a little chaotic, mainly brought about the last minute appointments and cancellations sent out by the hospitals and health centres. So many times, having struggled and finally succeeded in finding a Driver, the appointment has then been cancelled, which is annoying for the Driver and even more frustrating for the Office Staff who then have to sort out all the paperwork. We had a very difficult few months during the spring when we were almost completely overwhelmed with calls and the Committee made the decision to only accept calls from 9 – 12 to enable the Office Staff to complete the paperwork from 12 – 1.00 so they could get away on time. We all think this has made a difference and gives us a chance to check the bookings, allocate drivers and file without the endless phone calls. A three month embargo was also put on taking on any new clients, although we are now helping the most vulnerable or those who are able to claim. Throughout the whole year the Office was manned each and every weekday morning, a testament to the dedication of the Volunteers – who have been called by one Driver ‘The Office Angels’!

We were very sorry to say goodbye to Lesley who had worked so hard in the Office for five years and we miss her. I am however delighted to report that we have welcomed Sara and Sue who have settled in very quickly and we now have ten volunteers.

Recruiting and keeping Drivers is always a problem and this year we were delighted to welcome Sue and Steve. All our Drivers help to keep this worthwhile Charity going and the clients are, on the whole, extremely grateful and I do wonder how they would cope without the service we give. However there are times when we can no longer take clients due to their mobility problems and that is always a difficult call to make.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your help and dedication throughout the past year, you are really appreciated by everyone who uses our service.

Treasurer’s report:

In our latest operating year, up to the end of March 2024, we have continued to operate in a financially sound manner, building up our reserves so we can cover outgoings and liabilities for several years, and cope with increases in costs or reductions in income should these occur. I am pleased to say that we have had the accounts thoroughly examined and passed by Martin Board, our financial examiner.

Over the 12-month period ending March 2024, we had a total driver income of over £45,000 (up c18% from the previous year), which led to a surplus after driver expenses of £14,000 (up c12%). In addition, we received approximately £2,750 from donations and a grant from DAS.

In total, outgoings totalled approximately £11,100 (up c14%), so that the net income for the period was approximately £5,700 (down about 12%). The main outgoings were telephone, rent and maintenance charges (50% of outgoings), with insurance, equipment and legal fees accounting for another 35%.

Looking forward, we expect to continue operating at a surplus, and are in a position to cover sudden financial shocks without risking financial instability.

The Board has also decided to place £20,000 into a savings account (which is currently being processed), and will continue to assess appropriate organisations which might benefit from a donation from ECCS.

Donations:

During the period we received donations of £2,075, the great majority of which was small donations from our clients, for which we are very grateful.

We also made a single donation of £1000 to Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF), to assist in the running of their transport cars.

EXMOUTH COMMUNITY CAR SERVICE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT PERIOD 1st APRIL 2023 T0 31st MARCH 2024

	2023-24	2022-23
Tripfees/Gross driver income	45,289	38,452
Driver expenses	-31,476	-25,991
Job surplus	14,010	12,461
DAS Grant	786	684
Donations	1,975	1,553
TOTAL INCOME	16,772	14,698
EXPENDITURE
Rent	1,750	1,750
Maintenance/EDDC	1,961	1,344
Website	171	122
Telephone	1,742	1,424
Legal fees	340	40
Insurance	762	686
Equipment	916	675
PPE	252	457
Stationery	664	468
Professional & accountancyfees	300	200
Dataprotection/U check	19	34
Sundry	709	896
Parking	229	51
Postage	86	11
Venue hire	88
Other	38	21
Donations out	1,000
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	11,103	8,179
NET INCOME FOR THE PERIOD	5,745	6,519

EXMOUTH COMMUNITY CAR SERVICE

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31st MARCH 2024

	2023-24	2022-23
Bank balance	28,021	22,576
Pettycash	63	54
	28,084	22,630
Accruals frompreviousyear	-1,800	-1,700
Prepayments and March income accrued	1,988	1,597
	28,272	22,527
Reserves brought forwards	22,527	16,008
Net income for theperiod	5,745	6,519
Reserves carried forward	28,272	22,527

Exmouth Community Car Service

Summary of the service provided 2023/24

MONTH	HOSPITAL TRIPS	LOCAL TRIPS	CANCELLATIONS	UNABLE TO FULFIL	COVID VACCINATIONS
April	129	149	42	4	35
May	142	136	48	6	5
June	143	159	57	16	2
July	161	138	49	22	0
August	150	144	46	13	0
September	151	176	58	15	40
October	179	156	48	22	24
November	184	130	51	24	2
December	128	116	39	12	0
January	179	160	43	16	0
February	145	217	65	8	0
March	181	130	43	8	0
Total	1872	1811	589	166	108

Volunteers: Office staff: 10 Drivers: 20 Others: 3