2023-03-31-accounts

HAPPY LANDINGS DRIVING GROUP RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION INCORPORATING CARRIAGE DRIVING

Annual Report and Accounts

for year ended

31[st] March 2023

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CONTENTS

Our Aims and Activities ........................................................................................................................... 3 Achievement and Performance .......................................................................................................... 3 Volunteer Members ............................................................................................................................ 3 Location and Facilities ......................................................................................................................... 4 Period under Review ............................................................................................................................... 4 Financial performance ........................................................................................................................ 4 Outlook ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Risk Management ............................................................................................................................... 4 Organisers Report ................................................................................................................................... 5 Structure and Governance ...................................................................................................................... 5 Financial Statement Year ended 31[st] March 2023 .................................................................................. 6 Notes to Accounts ................................................................................................................................... 7 Reference Information ............................................................................................................................ 8

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OUR AIMS AND ACTIVITIES

Happy Landings Carriage Driving Group’s (HLDG) objective is to promote objects of the Riding for the Disabled Association incorporating Carriage Driving (RDA) by providing disabled people with the opportunity to carriage drive to benefit their health and well-being in the West Sussex and neighbouring area.

HLDG’s activities enable our disabled driver participants to live more fulfilling lives and provides them with direct and indirect benefits some of which can be life changing. All participants that can are able to learn new skills in a safe environment including horsemanship, carriage driving and communication as well as improving their personal well-being through activity and social interaction. For the more disabled we take them out to experience the pleasure of carriage driving along quiet lanes while the more ambitious are able to progress to participation in local or even national competitions with other groups.

Many of the disabled people we seek to help are in urban residential care and, by reason of mental or physical disability, are socially isolated without access to external stimulus and activity. They include, for example, people with acquired brain injury, cerebral palsy, challenging behaviour and epilepsy. For many, carriage driving in specially adapted vehicles, supported by trained coaches and helpers, is the only activity they are able to do.

The Trustees confirm that they have taken regard of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Achievement and Performance

The RDA with which we are affiliated, has clearly shown the benefits of association with horses. Carriage driving, in specially adapted vehicles, offers the same therapy for those unable to sit on a horse. Many of the disabled drivers (those that are able enough) have shown their desire for improvement by taking and passing approved proficiency tests.

Benefits to our participants include:

• social interaction at regular meetings

• physical improvement

• better communication and relationships

• development of horsemanship skills

• increased motivation and personal satisfaction

• enhanced personal confidence and independence.

Equestrian activities are physically demanding, and our disabled drivers are given the opportunity to participate to their fullest ability. We help both our disabled members and volunteers lead healthier and active outdoor lives.

We receive a lot of feedback from the disabled drivers, their relatives and carers as to how much they look forward to our regular sessions. The disabled drivers remain with the Group for many years usually until they are unable to attend our sessions.

Volunteer Members

HLDG enjoys strong support from a committed team of volunteer members, several of whom have been trained as qualified coaches that are needed to accompany the disabled participants. All volunteers are required to complete basic training before being able to help with our activities to ensure safe delivery of our activities. Records of training and skills acquired are maintained in accordance with RDA National guidelines. All volunteers are required to be cleared to work with vulnerable adults.

There are also many supporters assisting with fund raising and increasing community awareness to the needs of the disabled.

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Location and Facilities

HLDG operates from a country estate at Tismans Common, near Rudgwick, West Sussex, where we drive from April to October each year on Wednesday mornings. Our facilities and the use of the grounds of the estate are kindly provided by the owner at no expense to the group. We have also started using RDA Cranleigh indoor school on Monday afternoons in the winter months to provide extra sessions.

Our horses are kept stabled or loaned to us by our volunteers who ensure their welfare. They are brought to the venue for each session. The group also owns a number of specially adapted horse drawn carriages that will take wheelchairs and ambulant disabled drivers.

PERIOD UNDER REVIEW

The group registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) No 1196839 in November 2021 and received the assets of the previous unincorporated charity No 1073580 that had been in existence for since 1994. The services of the CIO commenced on 1[st] April 2022. This Report and Accounts relate to the period ending 31[st] March 2023 and prior year comparisons are made with those of the unincorporated charity.

Financial performance

A surplus of £2,125 was achieved increasing our cash reserves to £23,425. The reserves are sufficient to meet the expected horse welfare cost and minimum operating expenses for two years. In addition, there are plans to replace aging equipment and purchase another horse as soon as a suitable one can be found.

Generous donations, representing 55% of the total income, were made by repeat donors and individuals. A further 24% was raised through our own fundraising effort such as social events. Contributions from driver participants make up most of the remaining 20%.

HLDG is operated entirely by volunteers.

Outlook

Our strategy is to at least maintain the number of sessions that we are able to offer to our participants throughout the 2023 season. To this end, we will be seeking to obtain a new lighter carriage and look to acquire another horse. We will continue to encourage personal development of our volunteer helpers and coaches to support our activities.

Risk Management

The Trustees have considered the major risks to which the charity is exposed and satisfied themselves that systems or procedures are established in order to manage those risks.

This report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf.

John Massey OBE – Chairman

Date: 15 October 2023

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ORGANISERS REPORT

During the year there were 18 driver participants registered which was an increase of one over the previous year. The three ponies, Misty, who the group owns, Rocky and Flash worked well throughout the year providing a total of 201 participant sessions.

There were 31 volunteer members including five RDA coaches assessed to drive out with our participants. Five volunteers joined HLDG although unfortunately one has since left for personal reasons. A number of volunteers were also able to update their First Aid qualifications.

We had a very good year driving at our driving venue, Tismans, and for the first time we used Cranleigh RDA’s indoor school on a Monday afternoon during the winter. This proved very successful and the drivers that attended learnt a lot.

We started the year with our usual clean-up day followed by our in-house training day. Driving sessions started on the 6[th] April 2022.

The RDA Regional committee ran a qualifier for the National championships at Bradbourne in May but none of our drivers felt they had had enough practice, and we did not go. On the 26[th] July 2022 we took four drivers to the Carriage Driving summer show. Our drivers, Sally, Norman, Caroline and Emma, all drove well and came home with lots of rosettes.

Once again, our annual helpers’ lunch and croquet match was very kindly hosted at Oldsmith. It was a lovely day, and the match was won by Liz and Jonathan.

We finished driving on the 19[th] October 2022 and continued to hold our monthly coffee mornings over the winter months at Alfold village hall.

On the 14[th] December we held our Christmas party at a new venue of Old Barn Nursery. It was a very popular venue, and we were looked after really well. We also drew our annual raffle and our 100 Club draw. The entertainment was excellent with Santa making an appearance with one of his reindeer and everyone joined in singing a selection of Carols.

It is good to be able to report that we are now back to full strength following the Covid lockdowns. On behalf of the Trustees, I would like to thank all our wonderful volunteers for all they have done to make it such a successful year.

Carol Porter -Trustee and Group Organiser

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE

HLDG is a CIO affiliated with the RDA and is governed in accordance with its founding constitution which is in accordance with RDA requirements.

The board of four Trustees is responsible for governance and oversight of the charity’s activities. The board aims to meet at least quarterly. Trustees are nominated and elected by the membership.

Membership is open to anyone wishing to assist in furthering the purpose of HLDG and who agrees to exercise their powers as a member in good faith. Membership is subject to approval by the Trustees to ensure that they are suitable and meet the safeguarding requirements. All volunteers are require to be “Green Carded” to show they meet the required standard of training before being allowed to participate in driver session

An operations committee, chaired by the Group Organiser and Trustee, comprises a number of members who meet frequently to plan all participant sessions, events and review performance.

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FINANCIAL STATEMENT YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2023

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS Receipts Donations Fundraising (Note 2) Drivers Donations Goods sold Assets sold Total Receipts Expenditure Operating expenses (Note 3) Horse welfare Goods purchased Assets purchased Total Expenditure Surplus for the period ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31st MARCH 2023 Bank balance Equipment Carriages Horses Total Assets (Note 4)	2023 2022 £ £ 5,621 4,537 2,425 352 2,100 780 55 270
	10,201 5,889 0 1,500
	10,201 7,389
	4,459 896 2,773 2,614 0 124
	7,231 5,473 845 1,709
	8,076 7,182
	2,125 207
	23,425 21,300 6,592 6,480 14,860 16,511 2,500 2500
	47,377 46,791

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NOTES TO ACCOUNTS

1. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with UK charities Financial Reporting Standard (FRS102 - 2019) on a receipts and payment basis.

2. Fundraising

ndraising
Events Raffles !00 Club Other Total Fundraising erating expenses Training and Conferences Sundry expenses Hire/Event costs Insurance Equipment repairs Total Operating Expenses	2023 2022 £ £ 1,425 479 150 25 371 327
	2,425 352
	£ £ 490 80 256 118 1978 402 1734 1838 0 296
	4,459 2,734

1. Operating expenses

2. Fixed assets (except horses) are valued at cost less 10% annual depreciation. Horse valuations are estimated at the yearend based on likely resale value.

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REFERENCE INFORMATION

Charity name

Happy Landings Driving Group Riding for the Disabled Association Incorporating Carriage Driving

Charity number 1196839

Contact details Carol Porter Ash Tree Cottage Coolham Road Coolham HORSHAM RH13 8GP 01403741355 [e-mail]

www.Happylandings-RDA.co.uk

Trustees Chairman John Massey OBE Secretary Angela Figgis Treasurer Susan Underhill RDA Representative Janice Massey Organiser Carol Porter

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