Charity number: 1190952 Company number: 12727846 ASSOCIATION OF SERVICE DROP-IN CENTRES LIMITED ALSO KNOWN AS ASDIC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the year ended 31 July 2024 CONTENTS Legal and administrative information Chairman's Introdurtion Chief Executive's Report Report of the Trustees Independent Examinerfs Report 12 Statement of Financial Activities 13 Balance Sheet 14 Notes to the Financial Statements 15 ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July 2024 LEGAL AND ADMINISTrATIVE INFORMATION COMPANY NUMBER 12727846 REGISTERED CHARITY 1190952 TRUSTEES Dr David Trotman IChairman- resigned 16 Ort 20231 Mr Roger Nield MBE (Treasurer) Ms Annette Lindsay (resigned 7 March 20241 Ms Dorind3 Wolfe Murray (Chairman from 16 Oct 23 to 21 May 20241 Mr John Graham Jones (Chairman from 22 May 20241 Mrs Lury Nield lappointed 31 May 20241 Captain Malcolm Farrow OBE RN lapw)inted 24 July 20241 CHIEF EXECUTIVE Mrs Tracy Bryant EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Cdre Barry Bryant CVO RN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Mr ChristopherToulmin REGISTERED OFFICE Brydale Wellesley Close Crowborough England TN6 IQP BANKERS CAF Bank Ltd 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ INDEPENDENT LYAMINER Samantha Wells Lindeyer Francis Ferguson Limited Chartered Accountants North House 198 High Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 IBE SOLICITORS Pothecary Wvtham Weld 84 Eccleston Square Londorh SWIV IPX ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July 2024 CHAIRMAN'S INTrODUCTION Having Stepped into the ASDIC Chairman's shoes less than three months before the end of this reporting period, I hope that my thoughts will a150 be advised by my own military career back to the Falklands Conflirt in 1982, and my subsequent experience with the Drop-ln comrrhunity leading to my present role as CEO of Woody's Lodgè in Wales onè of the èarly establi%hmÈnts which saw how Èffettive largely volunteer efforts based on shared comradeship can be. 15till feel very strongly that those who have truly 'been there, and shared the comradeships and hardships of front-line service, or have been touched by that Service life themselves. are uniquely placed to offer solace and understanding to their erstwhile comrades in need of support. Sadly. I can only support my CEO'S feelings on the detachment of much of the established military welfare sector and the similar Eap in available financial support from government money. My own experience here at Woodvs Lodge has taught me how hard one has to work to keep the bank balance in the black, and how often one has to rely on very local connections and support while national initiatives seem to throw large sums at glossy headline projects. Indeed. I become increasingly frustrated as to why so many grant offerings have to be singularly 'projecV based. when what really needs support is the everyday, unsung routine work that keep5 this vital Show on the road. l am a hLJge supporter of the ASDIC network, both in principle and from what I've seen at grassroots level. The sheer number of independent organisations that join us bears witness to the volume of need right across the United Kingdom and, while the nature of that support may differ in different regions and for different communities. this makes it all the more important that there is a single body such as ASDIC to support, connect and represent the totality of the movement. The sense of belonging and the knowledge that there is help and advice at hand is vital to many of our members whilst similarly it is valuable for those that have greater maturity to share their experiences and best practice to the less established. There is no doubt that each and every one of our Centre leaders is committed to helping their comrades and wider family to the best of their ability. That fart bears witness to the sterling labour5 of the small ASDIC team too, who, in the face of considerable financial adversity, have continued to produce a strong service to the membership and have 5ever31 initiatives in train to Secu￿ not only their own sustainability but also improvements across all fa￿tS of the membership. I commend their effort5 and much look forward to workirhg with therrh during the next twelve months. Graham Jones Chairman of Trustees, ASDIC ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT I write this foreword with slightly mixed feeling5. 1 am incredibly proud of what our membership and their Centre5 have achieved during the course of thi5 reporting period (Aug 23- Jul 241,. and the 5UPPOrt ASDIC has contributed is reflerted in our Impart Report from early 2024, which makes seriously impressive reading. A reflection of this considerable impart is reported on Page 7 and outlines the huÈe tonnettivity we've had with members and this continues as far as our resources will allow. I have to reiterate that there is no other linking that binds this vast nationwide network together and allows its collective voice to be heard at the higher levels. At the same time. l and my small team are continually frustrated by the lack of understanding and support we see from the wider sector. We know that many of our most vulnerable are to be found within communities at the coalface of need. yet major amounts of money continue to go to the 'established' operators whilst ASDIC and its members face regular funding challenges. Wiser and more experienced heads than mine are increasingly makirhg this very point via various media outlets, but the situation is only leading to an increasingly divided sector with considerable duplication of effort to deploy exce55 resources. It is our view that greater collaboration and mutual understanding from the top down would go a long way to improving overall effectweness and allow resources to reach the need. Nevertheless there is no doubt that our network continues to deliver much needed support regardless. and works above and beyond to help those in need. They know the individuals with whom they're dealing. They know the front-line traumas that these people have been through. and they know that only real-time care, understanding and face-to-face compassion and guidance are the answer. Human interaction will always be worth a hundred establishment-led bright ideas. and long may that continue but financial support will always be needed. Desplte many challenges, though, I'm delighted to end this report with the good new5 that ASDIC is now back on a Sure footing, delivering the services and prartical support that our membership want5 and deserves. We have a very small but deeply committed team, with a strategic plan for the future which we hope will secure our ongoing 5UStainability and much needed place in the tapestry of 5UPPOrt acr055 the landscape for veterans and their families. It is my sincere hope that in twelve months. time I will be refletting on even greater success in 5UPPOrting the areas of delivery to the Armed Forces community where our help and support is most needed. In the meantime we'll continue to work in response to need to ensure the best possible outcomes for our needy and vulnerable beneficiaries. Tracy Bryant, Chlef Executlvè, ASDIC ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES The Trustees (who are also Directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act) present their report and financi31 statements of the charity for the year ended 31st July 2024. The Tru5tee5 have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Prartice1SORPI "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" IFRS 1021 in preparing the Annual Rèport and Financial Statements of the Charity. In doing so thè Tru5tee5 have taken advantage in the exemption from providing a Strategic Report as the Company is defined a5 sm311. Executive Summa Mission Statement ASDIC'S original foundation Mission Statement asserted that: ASDIC ￿11 Wo￿t0 MIL￿mIse the5USt￿n￿ty. resilien￿. effecti￿ (NNldelibEryof Dropln Centres and improve lioison Mth 8reukfqst Club5 the United ￿ngdoM to ensure that all wlnemble vetemns receiwe 5￿ft ond empat1￿tr( and th(rt theirneeds are apprecioted1rthiqherle￿lS. This simple statement largely holds good today. It gives us the flexibility and bandwidth to work flexibly but efficiently across the whole veterans. welfare sector and, having been democratically elected to Cobseo's Executive Committee in mid-2023. ASDIC looks forward to doing our utmost to brinEin@ about a more equable approach to veterans, welfare and wellbeing in both the charitable and nation31 sense. However. while we have striven to do this without conflicting with the many established charities within the sector, we have been disappointed by the apparent unwillingness of many of the existing organisations to become too closely involved with innovative and more efFicient procedures. The majority of the sector would seem to be rooted in tradition and their own closely guarded constituencies and have little interest in considering the needs of the wider veteran community - particularly the most vulnerable who often have little idea of where to seek help. We have made overture5 to all those cr055-sertor, tri-service harities who m05t c105ely reflect our owrh objectives, but with little re5pon5e. ASDIC believe5 there 15 no doubt that 8 more collaborative approach both in funding and service delivery would provide a far more effective overall service, but there seems little prospert of this in the near future. With regard to the above reference to Breakfast Clubs. this vibrant grouping continues to exist. These are not wholly dissimilar from the original Dmp-ln concept but tend to have greater emphasis on sociability and comradeship than making direct links with external welfare organisations. Clearly there is a place for both cadres within the overall veteran firmament and the two both have a part to play. but the objects of each should not be confused. A few locations run both functions successfully but are clear about split objectives and respK)nsibilities. Within our own structure, we intend to remain a very small and flexible core team. Each member has both specific and wider-ranging responsibilities but also a common understanding of aims, activities and progress, increasingly using Social media and our bespoke online Community Hub to maintain contact and improve information and data flow with all a550Clated parties. Thi5 integration and teamwork enable5 all staff to work acr055 boundarie5 and cover for other members when required. ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Development Artivity ASDIC operates both tartically and strategically across the whole of the UK. It's membership welcomes all veterans and serving membèrs of the Armed Forces and their families, as well as veteran members of the Merchant Navy and the Emergency I'blue lighVI services, and they will triage any reasonable mental health, welfare and/or social need. These wide respon5ibilitie5 reflert a unique and valuable posltion shared with only a few other organisations in the veterans. welfare settor. and tomplements the work of, inter alia. the Office of Veterans, Affairs IOVAI. the Confederation of Setvice Charities Icobseol. the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust IAFCTI and the Veterans Advisory and Pension Committees IVAPCsl. Close relationships with these organisations are therefore vital for ASDIC in developing and contributing to the UK-wide picture of need from their experience of all issues at the coalface. and in theory this should be enhanced by ASDIC'S position on the Cobseo Executive Committee. Some key themes from the 'Strategy for Veterans, INOV 20181 paper formed the initial framework for ASDIC'S work, and we are now using the 'Veterans' Strategy Action Plan 2022 - 2024 Ipub. Jan 20221 as our primary policy guide. Indeed, we continue to concentrate on the Plan's three main areas: Trqn5forming Servicesfor veteron& Improving seThices to make sure vetenrn5 ondfvmilie5 h¢7ve the support thot theyneed. ASDIC champions the provision of local support. integrated in local communities. and delivered by local veteran5 and charities, in partnership with other agencies. Our Centres. work is absolutely based around local ¢ommunities and relationships, some of whom have no military connections but art in support of wider society. ASDIC aims to enhance collaboration between these local groups. using our Community Hub to share best practice, link networks and variou5 points of contact to enable the needs of veterans to be met and optimise the shared potential. Understunding our veteran community govemment is rootedln robustevidence. use data ond research to ensure policy ocross ASDIC gathers and collates data. manages surveys and commissions research on a routine basis. often from and with previously negletted veterans. area5. Result5 are forwarded to the Office for Veterans, Affairs IOVAI, Cobseo and other authorities as requred to widen the appreciation of the 'small organisations, community and the soci31 value of the work they carry out. However, there is still evidence of disparate approache5 from some stakeholders to the wider Strategic picture, and it is unfortunate that some charities seem unwilling to take a wider perspective. Recognising our veterons, contribution to society. Fully recognising tyll veterans. contributions to society. including those who moy not hove historicolly felt their service wos recognised. ond challenging negative stereotype& ASDIC advocates the provision of local support, fully integrated within local communities, and delivered by individual local veterans and charities. The inclusion of activity-based organisations within our membership has highlighted the extent of veteran-led groups within local communities. ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES The Centre5' work always promotes and value5 the role that Veteran5 play in the running of the centres themselves and all linked activities they promote positive messages about the role of volunteering, the innate talents and abilities of fonner servicemen and women, and the aggregate value this plays in the support of local communities. At the strategic level. ASDIC promotes regular liaison by supplying vital information on our membership and their operations to higher-level authorities. Levels of activity in this FY have remained reasonably constant. with some 40.000 physical and 35.(KK) virtual welfare interactions in one twelve-month period. We have maintained a good liaison with several established research organisations and strive to promote focused studies on the activities and impact of the smaller. community-based centres nationwide. This all helps to inform larger organisation5 of the value and volume of Such groups. Our previous aspiration to recruit volunteer regional coordinators did not succeed, and we therefore decided to disband this group and aspire to a more pro-artive strategy v5ing salaried full-time staff to carry out informal visits to all cerhtre5. In mid-2023 we were grateful for specific funding from the Utley Foundation for 3 6-month travelling Regional Manager projett to prove this concept and we recruited an extremely able and energetic individual who managed to visit the majority of Centres and members in the east of England within a six-month period. This gave us a hugely valuable picture of the problems and issues occurring on a day-to-day basis at the coalface. and it was with great regret that subsequent strategic funding problems led to this project having to be abandoned in early 2024. ASDIC also strives to maintain informal but strong liaison at both the national and local levels with the wider matrix of any and all organisations which can offer assistance to veterans in need. These obviously include the large number of Armed Forces charities. small local community organisations. local authorities, NHS services, and other statutory bodies. For some of these, ASDIC membership will be appropriate and welcomed. Oblectlves and Regtonal Actl¥ltles The objects of ASDIC as per the charIt￿S governing document are as follows.- To provide assistance to and improve the wellbeing of the Beneficiaries (defined below) by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Drop-ln Cent￿S for the public benefit. including but not limited to.. promoting co-operation between Drop-lns and promoting a network of communication, training and 5UPPOrt,' arting as a representative of Drop-lns with statutory bodies and local and central government agencies,. and setting best practice in seM¢e delivery and governance to ensure sustainability and resilience. Beneficiarie5 are those persons who have been or shall be at any time member5 of the Armed Forces, veterans. their families. current and former veteran members of the merchant natry 2nd emergency services in the UK. We strongly believe that this wide definition allows ASDIC to respond flexibly and rapidly to the swiftly developing spectrum of smaller organisations which have evolved, particularly during and since the pandemic. within local communities. In setting and advancing the objectives. the Trustees will always consider the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Our Impact We regard our dirert beneficiaries as our members themselves, including their volunteers, many of whom have expÈriÈnced physit31 or mental hardship5 during thèir Armed Forces tareers nd who have expended huge energy, resources and time in Setting up Drop-ln location5 for the wellbeing of their erstwhile colleagues. Our impatt on them 15 One of overall 5UPPQrt, mentoring and training while keeping an eye open for their own over311 wellbeing. Personal burn-out is all too easy when SLJrrounded by those in need on a daily basis. ASDIC'S impact on our ultimate but indirect beneficiaries. those veterans most in need, is obviously delivered second-hand as we enable our many Centres and associated organisations to provide a better service on the front-line. However, ASDIC believes that we are having an ever-increasing national and first-hand irnpact in providing vastly improving liaison between more nationally focused agencies in government le.g. DWPI, the Ministry of Defence. Cobseo and the OVA, and other welfare charities. Working with the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust as a Strategic Lead within the original VPPP programme until the end of 2023, we have been able to act as an interlocutor between a wide spectrum of local interest group5 and the wider national picture. Thi5 contribution should be considerably enhanced by our election to the Cobseo Executive Committee. This all reflects ASDIC'S unique ability to position itself as a small but agile and flexible unit, responding swiftly to inputs from all directions and effectively 'joining up the dots., No other agency appears able or willing to fulfil this vital role. Impart itself can be a somewhat subjective concept. with different asperts meaning more to some than others. Following the impressive groundwork undertaken by many in our membership and displayed at our Conferences in the past two years. ASDIC has always believed it would be of immense value if a more standardised and objective evaluation and reporting mechanism were introduced for our members. This would at least provide a more common assessment of the real monetary value of the huge volume of Social Prescription and tangible support that goes on within each individual organisation. ASDIC continues to consider research and development options for the introduttion of such a system if funding can be found. ASDIC has also long argued that seeking proper appreciation of the full impart of the smaller or8anisations, an external in-depth study is required of this sub-settor. Given the litany of research already c3rri@d out into much smaller but perhap5 more vociferous minority veteran5' grouping5, such a study is long overdue. It was therefore unfortunate that despite its sponsorfs promises, the much-heralded quinquennial Sector Insight Report 2024 completely ignored the magnitude. achievements and impact of the Drop-ln community. On a far more positive note. ASDIC was delighted to secure the offer of a short but targeted pro-bono consultancy from EY Parthenon Ithe consultancy ami of Ernst and Young) in late 20231early 2024. Their extremely professional approach looked at all aspects of ASDIC'S operations, and they interviewed widely across the veterans, welfare sertor before producing an accurate and highly complementary report reflerting all facets of our work and making some very useful recommendation5 for the future. It was subsequently unfortunate that the funding establishment took very little notice of it5 findings. ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Achievernents and Performance Regional Oefinition Last year we took the experience-based decision to align our region5 Wlth the long-standing national structure used by government and the ONS, on the ba515 that a5 national data gathering becomes of intreasing importance. it can be viewed comparably with other nationwide inpLJts. We thus recognise the seven regions within England plus the three devolved administrations- a total of ten. Advisory role for grant-making organisations on coal-face activity It has been interesting to explore the operations of the wider veterans, grant-making community, offering to give an experienced opinion on the efficary of their grants and their impact on the efficiency of applicants. ASDIC'S advice has sometimes been requested by government agencies on the true and realistic impact on veterans of national issues such as the existential 'cost of living crisis. It 15 believed that few other Stakeholders have the ability to drill down sufficiently swiftly and accurately to produce hard-hitting observations directly from the coalface. Brleflng polltlclans & slgnlficant indlvlduals There have been fewer opportunities to give individual briefings during the period of this report. but one enthusiastic recipient was the then Minister for Veterans who seemed very impressed with the Drop-ln concept and verbally promised positive support- but then did absolutely nothing. Regrettably, experience has taught us that although our reception has generally been welcome on the surface. it has transpired that many senior individuals in this sector are frankly untrustworthy and too wedded to the status quo. Where relationships have proved positive. the briefings stress that ASDIC should not and cannot replace other agencies but can certainly help them to improve their own delivery of services by warm referrals and easing their acce55 to the realistic veterans. world. Growlng Membership Having recovered from an understandable 51owdown during the pandemit, ASDIC'5 rnember5hip continued to grow to a figure of 170. Several members operate over several locations. with 3 present overall total of 220. We encourage new organisations to join with an increasing range of benefits and training packages, plus the visibility that we can give to grant-making programmes. We hope in the coming year to use our Community Hub extensively to provide a wider trainin& information and support package. Risk Management ASDIC strives to operate flexibly. with a minimum of formal stricture5 in place. Nonetheless, the appreciation and management of risk takes a high priority, particularly a5 the Association develops and expands its operations and new threats and opportunities emerge. All the A5sociation'5 member5 are independent, setting and policing their own standards arhd practices having all agreed to ￿DI￿5 C(>de of Conduct, which is itself based on common Sense and respect for others. This freedom of operation carries an inevitable degree of reputational risk to the A550ciation itself, but this has not been problematic during the first five years of operation. ASDIC continues to maintain a formal Risk Register covering the USLJal gamut of both objective and subjective threats and the measures proposed to deal with them should they arise, and this is regularly approved by the Trustees. ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Financial Review The charity has total income for the year Aug 2023- July 2024. made up of grants and donations, totallinÉ £491,576 (July 2023.. £269.1441. In prior years most of this income was restrirted however the current year comprises mostly emergency funding which is unrestrirted. Expenditure for the year to July 2024 totalled £485,289 (July 2023.. £234.7001, giving net incoming resources of £6,287 (July 2023.. £34,444). Total funds carried forward at l Aug 24 zre £129.30111 Aug 2023= £123.0141. Reserves policv While understanding and appreciating the normal Charity Commission advice on the need for all longer- standing charities to have a Reserves Poliry, the Trustees have agreed that while ASDIC is a relatrvely new and evolving Association, it needs to deploy all existing resources from existing grants to con501idate and grow its work with the expanding Drop-ln community. This policy will pertain for the next couple of years but, while the certainty lor otherwise) of secure longer-term funding remains in the balance, we will retain just enough to ensure that any existing contrartual or other responsibilities can be met if further grants are not forthcoming. As above. at l August 2024 the charity had free reseNes. that is ￿n￿strIcted funds £129,301 12023.. £46.0351 less fixed assets £3.80712023= £3.3131. of £125.49412023.. £42.8221. Going Concern After making appropriate enquiries. the Board of Trustees has a reasonable expectation that the charitable company has adequate resources to continue in existence for the foreseeable future. For the reasons detailed in Note l in the Statement of Accounting Policies, the trustees have adopted the going concern basis in preparing the firhancial Statements. Buslness Plans ASDIC has been encouraged by certain potential funders to develop a more detailed, comprehensive and longer-term Business Plan and a strategic fwe-year document has now been produced. However, a shorter- term downstream Annual Plan is produced to guide real time operations Plans for the Future A5 ASDIC enters its sixth year of independent operation, it remains determined to maintain and strengthen it5 own unique brand of grass-root5 coordination and representation and is also committed to its newly perceived role of becoming the nationally appreciated voice of the 'small and medium, veteran5' welfare organi5ations. During our first three years of operatiorh, we appreciated the underpinning 5UPPOrt of the Armed Forces Covenant Trust IAFcfi which initially re3li5ed that we had something different to offer within the complicated matrix of welfare support. However. life and charity management move on, and the AFCf's aims now centre on discrete project artivity rather than pursuing a wider strategic objective. This does not easily meld with ASDIC'S wide objectives. but conversation continues- both the Trust and ASDIC each have ASDIC IAssociation of SeThice Dropin Centres Ltd} YEAR ENDED 31 July2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES a part to play. Nonetheless it has to be said that the past couple of year5 have seen an ever-widening gulf between the Smaller and more innovatwe charitie5 leg ASDICI and the long-stsnding 'e5tablishment' leg R8L, SSAFA, etcl Evolution also continues to take place in other a5pett5 of the wider military welfare scene. The Office for Veteran5' Affair5 IOVAI, wa5 originally based wtthin the Cabinet Office but has recently been ab50rbed within the Ministry of Defence with a much enhanted complement. It pn)vides a focus for the provision of governmentally provided welfare resources. Unfortunately. the OVA does not have the ability to provide core fundin& but it is still hoped that ASDIC can open negotiations with them to supply services on a more contractual basis Structure. Management & Governance ASDIC is a charitable company limited by guarantee. It was incorporated on 8 july 2020 and obtained charitable 5tatU5 on 19 August 2020. It IS Eoverned by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. During the year in question, ASDIC'S Board of Trustees numbered between four and Six individuals with varied experience of the military and care disciplines, led by a Chair with mLJch highly successful involvement with the Drowln movement across Wales. Unfortunately. one of our more experienced, senior and influential trustees had to step down during the year due to ill-health. and this adversely impacted on succession planning. The original Chairman stCM)d down as planned in October 2023 and was succeeded by one of the other trustees for an interim period- she subsequently resigned in May 2024 following a conflirt of interests, and the present Chairman assumed the responsibility. New trustees are recruited by word of mouth and through adverts within the Cobseo and NCVO newsletters. All applicants are inteNiewed by the CEO and Chairman prior to appointment. It was intended that the present management structure should evolve along with the perceived requirement Since the present Chief Executive was appointed to lead the separation frorn VOS in late 2019. At the end of July 2024, the permanent team had reduced to three individLJ315, Wlth the Chief Executive and Development Director remunerated full-time. The Executive Di￿ttor continued to contribute full-time effort on a nominal salary. At the end of 2023 and the completion of the original VPPP projert, ASDIC was extremely Surprised to learn that they would have no part to play in the follow-on phase into 2024, and that therefore our strategic funding assumptions were no longer valid. Shortly afterward 3 further application for fLJndinÉ from the Veterans Foundation. originally strongly supported by their senior team, was also refused, leaving ASDIC in a perilous financial situation from which we have yet to fully recover- although remaining confident that we can. At the beginning of this FY, ASDIC continued to employ the full-time Membership and Engagement Officer who had become the real-time daily link with the increasing membership. She possessed excellent interpersonal skills to interact with our many diverse and very individual Centre leaders. Again, the above funding difficulties meant that by early 2024 we were unable to continue with her appointment, and this typifie5 the way that strategic government finance meant for veterans. wellbeing ha5 been diverted to les5 effertive but more apparerhtly attractive projects. The rest of the team have done their best to maintain internal Imember5hipl communications but have not had the time properly to influence extern313nd Social media, which would have done much to spread ASDICS aspirations and achievement to a wider aLJdience. Governance continues to be conducted with a light but fim) touch while still fulfilling all legal requirements and normal good practice. There is frequent communication between the Chair of the Board and the CEO concerning operations. and the monthly accounts are agreed between the Chair. the Treasurer, the CEO 10 ASDbC IAssoclatlon at ￿ntr¢S Lld) YEAR ENDED 31 Jul¥ 2024 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES and the £xeculive Director. ASIXC Is awa￿ of the cot￿ Governance Guldance and refers to that as Truste Directo￿ ofthe c(¥npany, wtho are *0 the Tnthees for pwpose of charity law. are sei our on PaÈe l of ihis Rèport. STATEMENT OF TRUSTEEY IIESP(AY51BiunES The trustees are reJFonsible for prepariw the finan£i•l starements in accordatKe wrth appllcable law aNI Unlted Kitwdom Generalty kcepted Accountin6 Practice. Company law requlres the trustees to pre￿Ie finanual statements tor each financial year. UTrJer thal law Ihe Iruslees ha￿ electsd to prepare the financial ststerrents in accordan¢e with the United Kin8th)rn Generally kcepied kcounring Praaice (Llnited Kingdom Accounting Standard5 and Applicable lav4). Llndpr company law the trustèÈ5 must not appr¢)ve the ff nar￿la1 statements unless they are satisfred that they gl¥e a true and fair v*w of the state of 3ffair5 of the Charitab￿ I0￿￿￿v 3F¥J ol the gurplus oi dencit of the charitsble company for that year. In preparirq tho* financial statemerrt4 thE trustee5 are required to." 5elEct suitable accounti￿ wlic*s an(J then apply 1￿M £onsi5tentlvJ obseryt the methods and principles in the Chawies SORP: make judgemenis and est￿aleS TF4t ale reax)nable aFMS prtxlent: state whether applicable UK k£l￿￿ti￿ Standards have been froli0•￿1, subjert to any material deparwfes dis(b￿ and explained in the financial statements.. ar• prepare the linar*ctal statemcnts on the goin8 corKem basis unless It Is Inappropriate to Pfesume thal thE charitable eomparry WIM In buslmw. trustees are resp￿sIble for keepinl ￿eqU￿e •¢countiry records th•t a￿ sufficient to show and explain the charltabSe ccffnpanW5 trdnsxtjons ènd dlsclose wlth reasonable any time t finarKlal p09tion of charitaNe company and enable them to that the fina￿131 statements comply wilh the Companies Act 2￿. They are a150 responstble for safeguardtry the assets of the charitable company and herKe lor tak1￿ reasonable sreps fix the prevention and detecti￿ of frawj arxl other irreiularit*s. Tris report ha5 been prepared in x¢ordance whth the pr￿￿￿OnS applicable to cLYnpanies subject to the small companies, ie8ime ¥riihin Part 15 of thti. Companies Act y Order of the Board Mfjohn Jones Chalr 24th April 2025 11 A501C Wsoclatitin ol Str￿£ Drnp4n Cthtrej yE￿i ENDED31 1024 INDEPENDENT EKAMINEYS REPOATTO THE TRI￿ OFASDK (Asso¢iithJn ol SeThk4 Ilropkn Centr*l I rewrt to the charfty trustees on my examinatr'on of the financial ststerr*nt5 ASDK IA550cixion d Ex. Servlce Dropin Centrel for the year Énded 31 July 2024. Aesptsrtilmlilioi abxl balis vl rEpryt As Uustees ol ihe