**e-mail: seassailability@yahoo.com www.seasailability.org.uk**
## **SEAS Sailability Trustees Annual Report to the Charity Commission**
**Reporting Period** : 31 January 2023 – 31 January 2024.
## **1. Reference and Administration Details**
## **1.1. Charity Name & Registration**
SEAS Sailability is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registration no: 118961 registered with the Charity Commission on 2 June 2020.
## **1.2. Charity’s Registered Address:**
16 Overlea Crescent, Deganwy, Conwy LL31 9TB
e-mail seassailability@yahoo.com
website: www.seassailability.org.uk
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## **1.3. Trustees:**
Richard Horovitz – Chair of Trustees
Pat Speed – Trustee and Treasurer
Jon Brookes – Trustee and Operations Director Paul Airey – Trustee Barry Hunter – Trustee Jon Gamon – Trustee (Beth Davis – Trustee – Resigned 2023) (Jen Dutton – Trustee – Resigned 2023)
## **1.4. Advisors:**
Karl Midlane – Training Officer for SEAS Sailability Jen Dutton – SEAS Evaluation and Monitoring Officer
## **1.5. Bank:**
CAF (Charitable Aid Foundation) Bank. 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ.
## **2. Structure, Governance and Management**
## **2.1.** SEAS Sailability is a ‘Charitable Incorporated Organisation’.
## **2.2.** Charitable Objective:
The objects of SEAS Sailability as stated in the constitution dated 29 May 2020: For the public benefit in North Wales to provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time activities for people with disabilities, their families and carers, in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving their conditions of life, in particular by encouraging their participation in recreational and competitive sailing and boating related activities.
## **3. Activities:**
## **3.1.** Statutory Declaration:
The Trustees of Small Charity Support confirm that they have paid due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding what activities the charity should undertake
## **4. Achievements and Performance over the Reporting Period:**
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## **4.1.** Activities, Outputs and Outcomes for the Charity’s Beneficiaries:
SEAS takes disabled people, of any disability, their families and carers out on the waters of the Menai Strait in a shared experience, with paddle-boards, kayaks, canoes, sailing and power-boats. We bring together the disabled community of North Wales and work with Mencap Mon, Cheshire Home, Stroke Foundation, Anglesey Carers Outreach, The M.S. Society, Dewis Cymru, Medrwn Mon and other charitable organisations and groups.
SEAS is based at The Conway Centre on the Menai Strait. SEAS operates with the Conway Centre to provide activities under the Conway Centre risk assessments and operating procedures. SEAS volunteers are inducted into the Conway Centre ‘ways of working’ and comply with Conway Centre risk assessments and operating procedures at all times.
The question of the definition of ‘participant’ and ‘volunteer’ can be complicated. SEAS has been visited by a consultant Kim Donahue of Kim Donahue Consulting working on a project for ‘The Spirit of 2012’ (London Olympics) on a consultation document on the philosophy and definition of volunteer as opposed to participant. The question arises as to whether the participant who assists with equipment and generally helps at activity sessions is regarded as a volunteer. Many SEAS participants do consider themselves to be volunteers. The definition in many cases is irrelevant, but is for example, required for reporting purposes of numbers to grantors, and for insurance.
For formality, SEAS trustees have defined ‘SEAS volunteer’ to be ‘one who has been formally recorded as having been inducted into the Conway Centre ways of working and has any degree of responsibility for the delivery of SEAS activities’.
SEAS Sailability won the #MoreThanSailing Award at the 2019 Sailability National Conference and were runners up for the Disability Sport Wales Club of the Year 2020.
Following the feedback from our ‘Wash-Up’ meeting at the end of the 2022 season, we commenced in March 2023 with a shore-based Open Day, for registration, planning and training.
We then held three Training Days, one dedicated to volunteers for specific skill refreshing, (such as power-boat handling, water rescue, session safety etc) and two days for participants, families and carers on a broad range of subjects, from buoyancy aid/life jacket fitting, first aid, dockside safety etc. On these days, we gave training to 86 people.
SEAS held a First Aid training day in March that qualified six volunteers to receive First Aid Certificates.
Sponsored by The Outdoor Partnership, six SEAS volunteers attended an RYA Safety Boat Course at Plas Menai, the Welsh National Watersports Centre where all qualified as Safety Boat Operators, including on one profoundly deaf attendee, and a British Sign Language Interpreter, the only two such qualified in the UK.
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SEAS is working closely with RYA Cymru Wales in progressing our profoundly deaf participant towards being an RYA Powerboat Instructor, the first such instructor in the UK.
Activity sessions commenced in April and attendance at the activity sessions is by invitation only. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, if it is simply ‘open’, SEAS attracts in excess of 100 people which compromises safety and does not enable SEAS to provide participants with a proper activity experience. The optimum number of attendees is approximately 40 participants. Secondly, SEAS can better tailor the activities to the physical abilities of attendees taking into account the tide level at activity sessions. For attendees with mobility issues, (such as wheelchair users) we can transfer from land to water craft (power and sailing boats) only at high water using the pontoon, wheelchairs cannot access these craft down the slipway at low water when the pontoon is not afloat.
At low water, those with greater mobility can access craft such as kayaks, paddleboards, canoes and rafts.
Although a method of invitation via WhatsApp group was trialled, it was quickly apparent that it was not a feasible method of invitation due to several reasons; such as the ‘turnover’ of paid carers, lack of smart-phones by many participants, lack of receipt of confirmation etc and it fell to Pat Speed, our Participants Coordinator to return to contacting participants individually to invite them.
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The invitation of participants has been the subject of much discussion and consideration, ‘cascading’ invitations, for example via WhatsApp fails at the weakest link when one person fails to respond. Software based systems are not viable due to participants lack of access or being able to operate computer or smart-phone software. Each time, SEAS has had to revert to individual invitations by telephone or e-mail which is extremely time consuming and unsustainable for a volunteer. SEAS is actively looking for a viable alternative system for 2024.
On 27 May 2023, SEAS participants sent the day preparing for the Great Strait Raft Run building their rafts and preparing for the following days run. On 28 May, 73 participants, family members and carers enjoyed participating and the spectacle of the raft run, with each raft having a dedicated fully crewed safety boat. Once again, a SEAS raft completed the course to a rapturous applause at the finish.
It had become apparent for some time, especially with the review of SEAS activities in 2022, and the feedback received at the pervious Wash-up, that the management, operation and impetus of SEAS activities, driven by demand for activity sessions had become difficult to maintain on a purely volunteer basis. The programme for 2023 had to be ‘pared-back’, compared to that of 2022 due to ‘volunteer-fade’, and a general overextension in 2022 of SEAS ability to provide activities.
The trustees had considered all the feedback, which included requests for additional ‘quiet’ sessions for autistic participants, full days of sessions, as well as weekend sessions for those who could not make Tuesday evenings. As a result, the trustees applied to the National Lottery for funding for an Operations Manager on a 0.5 fulltime contract.
In July 2023 SEAS received the news that they had been awarded a £47,000 grant towards funding an Operations Manager’s post for two years and in October 2023 after an exhaustive application process, Dr Matt Beaumont was appointed as SEAS Operations Manager. Matt is hugely experienced in outdoor education and is a highly qualified dinghy and powerboat instructor. At this time (Dec 2023) Matt is liaising with Conway Centre management regarding the 2024 programme, arranging the annual maintenance of equipment and for spring volunteer training amongst a myriad of other issues, all being overseen by SEAS trustees.
SEAS trustees are appointed for their skill-set and application for the benefit and furtherance of SEAS. In 2022, SEAS appointed a trustee who is professionally qualified in process monitoring as Evaluation and Monitoring Officer and who has implemented the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scales (WEMWBS) to evaluate the value and effects of SEAS Activities.
This Jen also records all feedback SEAS receives and disseminates points of interest. Due to other commitments, Jen has left as a SEAS trustee in 2023, but continues as SEAS Evaluation and Monitoring Officer.
In 2023, SEAS has held training sessions for three volunteers to obtain British Canoe Foundation and Rescue Certificates, four volunteers to obtain British Canoe White Water
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safety and Rescue, with twelve volunteers receiving canoe rolling training, all to assist with participants partaking in paddle sports.
In total, SEAS provided 98 person training sessions to volunteers in 2023.
SEAS is proud to have been able to provide in excess of 816 person activity sessions in 2023 for disabled people, their family and carers.
## **4.2.** How The Public Have Benefited:
Within the process of the invitation of attendees, SEAS has regular weekly contact with the local coordinators and organisers of all the partner organisations we operate with and we bring together the disabled community of North Wales and work with Mencap Mon, Cheshire Home, Stroke Foundation, Anglesey Carers Outreach, The M.S. Society, Dewis Cymru, Medrwn Mon and other charitable organisations and groups as well as individual families and carers.
Our Evaluation and Monitoring Officer and trustees make a point of speaking and chatting to as many participants, their families and carers at each activity session to gather their views, thoughts and feedback on the session.
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Every donor, contact, local supplier or supporter is invited to attend SEAS and many have done so. Numerous local businesses have supported and visited SEAS, as have the local MP (whose son is a SEAS volunteer) and the local MS.
SEAS maintains a strong social media presence with regular updates and information on everything concerning SEAS at https://www.facebook.com/groups/153522182027642 and our website www.seassailability.org.uk
At the end of each season, SEAS holds a ‘Wash-Up’ meeting, where everyone, participants, families and carers, volunteers, supporters and friends, gather and give advice and their views on the success – or otherwise, of how they felt that the SEAS season went, and what they would like to do next season, with respect to every aspect about SEAS – activities, training, session format, equipment, and we record those views and feedback and take it into account for planning for the following season. For example, the feedback from the ‘Wash-up’ at the end of the 2022 season requested mini expeditions; kayak, canoe and paddleboards on day-long adventures on the Menai Strait. To enable this, in 2023 SEAS has enabled National Governing Body training for volunteers to gain qualifications to be able to safely provide these activities. **4.3.** Making a difference.
SEAS has coached and encouraged participants who were previously ‘hydrophobic’ and would not go anywhere near the water, into a boat, then on to a giant paddleboard, then on to a solo paddleboard – and then on to wild swimming in the sea. Those people have taken that new-found confidence into the rest of their lives and have progressed exponentially. The Chair of Mencap-Mon has stated that “Out of all the activities we do, it is SEAS that makes the biggest difference to our members lives”.
One extremely visually impaired participant with an interest in sailing was taken out in a dinghy with a qualified volunteer and he has now joined the local sailing club Port Dinorwic Sailing Club and now sails regularly.
The confidence that has been found by participants realising that they can take part and successfully engage in activities previously considered inaccessible to them has resulted in significantly changing lives. They have taken that confidence into the rest of their lives to change their perspective about what they thought themselves capable of and challenging that perspective.
SEAS has been on national television on several occasions, showing that disabled people, their families and carers can get involved in outdoor activities that make a difference, and our participants spoke on that television programme explaining the difference SEAS makes.
https://www.itv.com/walesprogrammes/articles/coast-and-country-series-10-episode-12 This has been repeated on television numerous times, and on each occasion SEAS receives further enquiries as a result.
As in 2022, paddlesports, that is kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, including the two giant paddleboards, have introduced many participants to the water and have proved
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extremely popular. This experience has given many participants the confidence to progress in the sport to the extent that there have been requests for mini-expeditions of days out on the Menai Strait on paddleboards and to enable this, **i** n 2023 SEAS enabled National Governing Body training for volunteers to gain qualification to be able to safely provide these activities for SEAS participants.
SEAS is engaging closely with Canoe Wales, the National Governing Body of paddlesports in Wales and is affiliating with Canoe Wales, in addition to our current affiliation to RYA Cymru. Canoe Wales is looking at the model of SEAS to develop inclusive paddlesports in Wales with a SEAS trustee sitting on a Canoe Wales working party into encouragement and implementation of inclusive practice.
In May 2023 SEAS were delighted to unveil their new bilingual website courtesy of Adam Ford at Bridge Digital, a local software company free of charge. This was extremely generous of Adam who has become our ‘webmaster’ and spends a considerable amount of time keeping the website relevant and up to date. The website has been much admired and is the first port of call for those looking for information about SEAS and is the perfect showcase for our activities.
## **4.4.** Trustee Development:
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SEAS trustees are appointed for their skill-set and application for the benefit and furtherance of SEAS. Trustees are encouraged and supported to undertake regular CPD in their own particular areas of expertise, and partake of training specifically for their role as trustees, such as Safeguarding. To enable this, SEAS engages with providers such as The Outdoor Partnership, The Fore and the Anne Craft Trust.
## **5. Financial Review:**
## **5.1. Principal Sources of Funding and Outgoings:**
During the reporting period, SEAS Sailability has been fortunate to receive donations from numerous sources; individuals, companies and charitable funds including a donation of £47,000 by the National Lottery Community Fund towards the employment of an Operations Manager and a donation of £6,000 by ‘The Fore’ for ‘Transitional Training’ of our participants. Our thanks also go to The Westminster Foundation, The Barchester Foundation, The Bernard Piggott Charitable Trust, AkzoNobel, Co-Op and many local businesses who have supported us. All outgoings are for the principal purpose of the charity and associated equipment and maintenance of that equipment.
## **5.2. Debt:**
SEAS Sailability has no debts or funds which are materially deficit.
## **5.3.** Remuneration of Trustees:
All trustees act in a voluntary capacity and receive. No remuneration or other material benefits from their services to the charity.
## **5.4.** Financial Status:
Although modest, SEAS Sailability’s current resources from unrestricted donations are sufficient to meet its outgoings for at least the next year. All indications are that this will remain the case for the foreseeable future.
## **5.5.** Statutory Statement on Liabilities:
The Trustees declare that:
The charity has given no guarantees where potential liability under the guarantee is outstanding at the date of this statement.
The charity has no debt outstanding at the date of this statement which is owed by the CIO and which is secured by an express charge on any assets of the CIO.
Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf –
Richard Horovitz - Chair of Trustees SEAS Sailability
December 2023
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_SEAS participants being interviewed on ITV Wales ‘Coast and Country’_
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SEAS Sailability 118961
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 1st April 2022 31st March 2023
To
from
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
- - - - -
Donations 3,918 - - 3,918 14,115
Funding 19,820 6,000 - 25,820 16,000
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 23,738 ] 6,000 - 29,738 30,115
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 23,738 6,000 - 29,738 30,115
A3 Payments
- - - - -
Sundries 9,385 - - 9,385 10,798
Centre Services 16,801 - - 16,801 -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ 26,186 ] - - 26,186 10,798
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 26,186 - - 26,186 10,798
Net of receipts/(payments) - 2,448 6,000 - 3,552 19,317
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 26,208 6,000 - 32,208 12,891
Cash funds this year end 23,760 12,000 - 35,760 32,208
**----- End of picture text -----**
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
03/01/2024
1
|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**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
NONE
**Details**
**Details**
NONE
Bank Balance
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
NONE
**Details**
NONE|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**23,760**
**12,000**
**-**
**-**
**23,760**
**12,000**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**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 £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**When due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
03/01/2024
2
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
**Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees/ members of** SEAS Sailability **On accounts for the year** 31[st] March 2023 **Charity no** 118961 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** Sheet 1 and 2 of the Receipts and payments accounts (CC16a) for the period 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 / 03 / 2023.
**Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
**Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Signed:** A Peters **Date:** 03/01/2024 **Name:** Andrew Peters **Relevant professional** ACCA **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** Clear Accounting Unit 22, Rossmore Business Village Ellesmere Port, CH65 3EY
1
**October 2018**
**IER**