## **Pro-Active Community Annual Return Charity Number 1191570** ## **1/04/24 to 31/3/2025** Registered address 1 Castlefield Court Church Street Reigate RH2 0AH 01737924084 hello@proactivecommunity.org.uk www.proactivecommunity.org.uk “I am Micheal Farrington, and I was the Chair of the Pro-Active Community In 2024/25. “I love being Chair you get to attend lots of events and tell people what it is like to have a learning disability and physical disability. I have faced much discrimination in my life, and this is my chance to make a difference to people like me “ We are a charity that supports people with learning disabilities and autistic people, run by people with learning disabilities and autistic people. We are a campaigning charity for the rights of disabled people and that we have a voice at the table. “Nothing about me without me” ||Our Board Members||Our Board members:|Our Board members:|| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |||1.Edward Cooke|Board
No.|Name|Date started| ||||1.|Edward Cooke|5/5/20| ||||2.|Nicki Fraser|5/5/20
Retired
September
25| |||2.Nicki Fraser|3.|Leanne Yeo|6/5/20| ||||4.|Lizzie Wheeler|7/5/20| ||||5.|Michael
McLachlan|7/5/20| ||||6.|Jade Vallance|9/6/20| ||||7.|Michael
Farrington|29/9/21| |||3. Leanne Yeo|||| ||||8.|Matthew
Leadbeater|29/9/21| ||||9.|Matthew
Swinburn|2023| ||||10.|Emma Jane
Levallee|2023| ||||11.|Helen Guest|2023| ||||||| |||4.Lizzie Wheeler|||| 5. Michael McLachlan 6. Jade Vallance 7. Michael Farrington 8. Matt Leadbeater 9. Matthew Swinburn 10.Emma Jane Levallee 11. Helen Guest We have 11 people on our Board as registered Board members, plus an additional 20 who support the Board and 200 as part of our wider networks. We are based in Surrey but also work in other areas in the South-East such as West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. We ensure services, providers, local and national governments hear our voice on what matters to us. We are a campaigning group for the rights of disabled people. We want people with learning disabilities and autistic people to use their right to vote and know what they are voting for Kier Starmer Labour party was Prime Minister for this report 2024/2025. We support co-production as equal partners in developing and shaping services that meet our needs. We have worked alongside many different people to ensure coproduction has happened in the last year. We audit services (people’s homes) to make sure support staff and providers understand what it is like to have a learning disability and be an autistic person who relies on services for everyday support. We monitor that people have their voice heard and people have rights and choices. We have a contract with Active Prospects, a charitable care provider, to do all their quality checking. We are experts by experience and our members are co -trainers for the Oliver McGowan mandatory training program that is currently being rolled out nationally for all health and social care staff. We train and empower people to have the skills to speak up in a range of ways: - Support public speaking - Presentations - Q and A sessions - Feedback collection We are part of research projects to ensure people understand learning disabilities and autism. We have partnered with the University of Surrey to help achieve better outcomes for people, such as training for midwives on how to support parents with a learning disability. We ensure people are rewarded for their time and talents. We support people to be paid for expert by experience work at a fair rate. We celebrate and let people know what can be achieved. We support inclusion and fight discrimination. We support training, research and sharing knowledge so people know about abuse, mate crime, and their rights. We run workshops and conferences on key subjects. We co-produce easy read resources. We support a range of other forums such as the Surrey People’s Group in partnership with Surrey County Council. We campaign and say when things are not right. We want people to know about the impact on disabled people especially learning disabilities and autistic people who may have hidden disabilities. We campaign on issues such as: - Environmental concerns - Access to local amenities - Public transport - Funding and benefits - Social care - Health inequalities We fundraise and support our communities and each other. We use peer support to draw on the skills of our members to help each other and not rely on paid services all the time. We give back and use our skills to help others. We are passionate that we can contribute to our local neighbourhoods and often join other campaigns: - Macmillan coffee mornings - Children in Need - Comic Relief - Community Cookalongs We arrange events, conferences, and social gatherings. We are part of Learning Disability England and other key membership organisations and will attend conferences, often speaking and campaigning on key subjects. We support face-to-face and digital communication. We train people to be able to use Teams and Zoom so they can join meetings or campaigns and conferences. We have been awarded a grant to support disabled people in 2025/2026 to use AI. We support Makaton training and have our own expert by experience Elizabeth Wheeler who shares her Makaton skills. We work in partnership with key organisations such as Active Prospects who support us with our administration, marketing and connections. ## **What the Pro-Active Community has achieved in the last year? 2024/2025** Pro-Active Community members have been involved in the following co-production projects – as leaders or members of the group: - University of Glasgow – Diabetes UK – My Desmond App for Learning Disability - Books Beyond Words – Surrey Hills new title, Online bullying trial and as panel members for their recruitment - Co-produced the SCIE Housing Toolkit resources - Presented to the Surrey First Community Forum about the importance of accessible communication - Supported Active Prospects in their Surrey 3 Peaks Challenge to fund raise for essential sensory equipment for supported adults across their homes. - Worked with Three Hands on a National Finance product and their Loneliness and Isolation project - Participated in the Housing Consultation for Surrey CC - Working for the 3[rd] year with Dr Anna Cox and The Together Project to deliver learning disability awareness training to undergraduate midwives at University of - - Surrey. https://www.surrey.ac.uk/research - - - - projects/together project supporting delivery-good-practice-maternity-servicesparents-learning-disabilities - Opening the Active Prospects Joint Governance Day with Makaton raising awareness of alternative communication needs - Co-produced a guidance leaflet for learning disability for inpatients at Caterham Dene - • Members worked with Surrey Coalition to research the current services for adults with support or accessibility needs in Surrey - Monthly Quality Checker visits continue across Active Prospects homes. - Winners of the SCIE Social Impact Award 2025 - Members joined the Steering group for East Surrey College to develop supported adult courses - Members took part in the first Accessible Cooking course helping to co-produce the format and content - Presented at the Accessify Launch to showcase the importance of Hospital or Care Passports and accessible communication - Helped to shape the first accessible easier to read Sodium Valproate patients leaflet - Worked with Surrey People’s Group to host Managing my Health event to celebrate Learning Disability Week 2025, with a grant from Unum. ## **Our Financial results and plans** We are on track with our budget and finances. All work carried out by the Pro-Active Community is based in the UK. Accounts are from April 2024-March 2025 Pro-Active Community does not own or lease a property. The accounts have been prepared to comply with the rules of the Charity Commission and SORP 102. The costs charged across to the Pro-Active Community show a true picture of the dedicated costs of The Pro-Active Community. These are then offset with a grant currently from Active Prospects but as the Pro-Active Community grows, we would look to obtain alternative funding for these costs. Accounts were approved on the 30 September 2025 at the AGM. The Chair and Secretary of the Board will sign on behalf of all Board members. We would like to thank the following organisations which have provided us with grants this year: • East Surrey CC £200.00 fruit for managing my health. • Unum Foundation £4,875.00 Wellbeing event grant • Walker Foundation £700.00 grant donation We are still working in partnership with Active Prospects to support our members with administration of the charity This is done with a Service Level Agreement with Active Prospects to ensure we are independent. We bank with NatWest. ## **Key risks** We are worried about funding for services for people with learning disabilities. We are worried that additional costs for care providers may mean fewer providers and less care for people. We are worried about the future of social care and the pace of social care reform. The Labour government is not talking about social care. We are worried that people might not have staff to support them to be part of the Pro-Active Community as there is a recruitment shortage. ## **Our Future Plans** To start a forum in West Sussex called the West Sussex People’s Group To increase our fundraising potential to have paid roles, buy our own equipment and train our members. Currently 2 paid roles To increase our income through selling our services such as Quality Checkers and consulting on key projects. To put on a national conference to tell people about our work, impact of social care reform on people with learning disabilities and autism. To review our charter. To increase our profile and attract new members. To continue to link with other national organisations such as Learning Disability England and increase our campaigning. We want our Board and wider membership to be more diverse. Pro Active Communlty Statement of Income and Expendlture Year Ended 31st Marth 2025 2024125 2023124 Income Grants and Fundraising Donations 8.598 75,000 30,231 50,000 Total Income 83,598 80,231 Expendlture Salaries Activities and Events Food and Sustenance Travel and Accommodation Gifts and Entertainment Subscriptlons Sundries Insurance Computers and Equipment SeNlce Charges 26,481 6.353 129 50 220 483 24,714 6.369 878 2,448 216 493 527 215 579 43,080 324 221 48,663 Total Expendlture 82,925 79,519 Flnal Surpluslldeflcltl 673 712 Servlce Char8e5 are115ted below Salarie5 Management and operatlonal support Allocatlon IT Support Costs Proactive community guide Hosting Squrespace Other 19,933 21.000 1,050 380 300 6.O¢X) 48,663 18,900 20,000 1,000 380 300 2,500 43,080 Total Servlce Charges Pro Actlve Communitv Balance Sheet Year Ended 31st March 2025 2024125 2023124 Fixed Assets Accrued Income Debtor5 Cash at bank and in hand Current Assets 26,337 39,874 66,210 8,240 32,297 40,538 Les$ current Ilabllltles Deferred Income 125,0001 125,C4X)I Net Current Assets 41.210 40,538 Credltors Net Assets 41,210 40,538 Capital & Reserves Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds 41,210 41,210 40,538 40,538 These Accounts were approved at the AGM on.. 3010912025 t Leadbeater Board Member Edward Cooke Board Member Jad Secr lance ary Independent examinerfs report to the trustses of Pro-Active Community (Charity Number 1191570) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Pro-Active Community for the year ended 31 * March 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the trnstees of the Pro-Active Community, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ 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 carying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Ad. Independent examlneVs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act,. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of aCc￿unts set out in the Charrties (Accounts and ReFJOrts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter consKYered as part of an independent examination. I have no cOn￿mS and have come across no other matters in connectton with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Name: rf¥T&-rt Relevant professronal qualification or ffEmbership of professional bodies (rf any).. (A Address." TAt LA L4SL- -Ir 14-4¢k¢Y