## WHVC Chairman’s report for year ending September 2024
Our financial year runs from October 1[st ] 2023 – September 30[th] 2024. During this period, we have been able to continue our regular work with minimal interruption. We continue to receive emails, calls, letters and word of mouth comments about how much our work is appreciated and needed by the Community in both Villages.
## Community
## **2024 Flood**
There were again serious floods in the Village of Wraysbury in January 2024. Many of the roads were cut off due to flooding, and we liaised with the Flood Team and Parish Council to arrange evacuation of some of our regular clients where the water level had become dangerous. However, the majority of our normal clients remained in their homes, and we were able to deliver to them with the help of one of our team who has a 4 wheel drive (very high) car.
The Thursday lunch club had to be cancelled for 2 weeks because the Village Hall Road was also cut off. This also meant the kitchen was inaccessible. But we managed to get to the kitchen in time to move most of the supplies we needed for cooking in our own homes again while the Hall was unavailable.
## **Lunch Club/mobile lunch club**
The mobile lunch club deliveries have continued without interruption throughout the year. Numbers fluctuated slightly but have remained around 50 per week.
Thursday lunch club has also continued with one week off over the Christmas period and the two-week break because of the floods. We have an attendance of between 20-30 people every week We also held a very successful Christmas event (c. 100 attendees) and were able to cover the costs from our own funds with additional help from local clubs and business providing Prosecco, raffle prizes and decorations. Following the success of the Coronation lunch last year, we held a special summer lunch event which was also very well attended (96 people) and helped us to raise funds towards the community kitchen project.
## Helpline
The helpline was fully manned during the year. We have introduced a system of telephone transfer which allows different members of the team to take calls. A new WhatsApp group has been created to ask for volunteers, but without naming the clients. (Once someone volunteers, we contact them directly with the details and they then confirm to the client). The new system was introduced in April 2024, and from then until the end of September, we responded to 104 calls. The majority of calls are still for transport to medical appointments, although we do eceive requests fo shopping, and ad hoc help in the home.
## WHVC Chairman’s report for year ending September 2024
## Finances
The charity’s income from coffee mornings, lunch club and mobile lunch club (aka meals-on-wheels) was £29,431, which just about covered the cost of food and containers at £24,045. The rest of the running costs are covered by endless applications for grants to local organisations, various donations, several fundraising events throughout the year and a salary sacrifice contribution of £112.50 per month from a member of the local community.
Last year, our focus was on raising funds for our own kitchen space. With grants from Windsor Lions, Prince Philip Trust, Albert Hunt Trust and from local Wraysbury News, Country Music, Christmas Fayre and Anonymous donation we raised just over 30K, which is making the bank balance at the end of September very healthy! The amount was subsequently spent on completing the works for the kitchen. We have now successfully moved and find the new space immensely helpful.
Our current balance is £16,973 of which £10,000 is our reserves level. With increased running costs we will have to double our efforts at fundraising and grant applications.
Thanks to Jayne Kennedy for auditing the accounts.
## Policies and Reporting
## _**DBS certification**_
As agreed at the meeting on 29th January 2024 all volunteers who have direct contact with clients have been asked to undergo DBS checking. We have opened an account with the online DBS agency Carecheck, who have advised us that enhanced DBS checks are required only for volunteers in roles involving providing care for vulnerable adults and children. Upon exploring the definition of ‘care’, Carecheck advised us that food delivery (even into someone’s home) is not a role that would be eligible for an extended check and that volunteers in this role should have basic DBS certification. _NB No volunteer is allowed to encourage or help a client to eat (other than plating and cutting up food) as we are not trained as carers._ Driving vulnerable adults or children to appointments is a role that is eligible for enhanced DBS certification.
Subsequently, 8 volunteers have been DBS certified at enhanced level. This is in addition to a further 11 active volunteers who had already been DBS certified at the appropriate level. We maintain a list of DBS-certified volunteers and will continue to ensure that new volunteers are background checked and DBS certified at the appropriate level.
## WHVC Chairman’s report for year ending September 2024
## _**Health and safety**_
An incident was reported involving a volunteer emptying hot water from a heavy urn in which the volunteer required medical treatment. Appropriate treatment was sought and steps have been taken to avoid a repeat (means to empty the urn before moving it and help with moving heavy objects).
## _**Food hygiene**_
No issues regarding food hygiene and safety have been reported. We continue to assess clients’ requests as regards menu requirements so that individual needs are met to the best of our ability; for example, we provide one client with reduced-sugar puddings. Several have requested smaller portion sizes and volunteer delivery drivers have been active in ensuring that uneaten food is removed after a few days so that it does not present a risk to clients.
## _**Policies and guidelines**_
WHVC Safeguarding policy (including Equality statement), Guidelines for helpline volunteers, WHVC Compliants policy and WHVC Risk register have been reviewed and circulated to all volunteers.
## _**Insurance**_
WHVC is covered by appropriate community schemes insurance that includes public liability protection.
## **No further safeguarding issues have been reported.**
## Volunteers and Rota Management
We decided to close the rota calendar to Trustees only due to items being incidentally deleted or rearranged when used by all volunteers, currently the chairman or Trustee with responsibility for Volunteers are notified of dates and changes etc and are updated as necessary which continues to work well.
We have lost two kitchen staff this year but gained one new member. We have unfortunately lost two volunteer meal delivery drivers which we currently have been unable to replace as yet. We require help on Mondays and Thursday lunch club requires kitchen help 10-12, servers seem to be ok at present. We have gained a new lunch delivery driver who also helps drive our clients to and from appointments.
We continue our efforts to recruit new volunteers, including kitchen help, delivery drivers, and mini-bus drivers which would really help ease the load. The telephone helpline is currently manned by Trustees and has been proving quite a struggle with demand for transport with few volunteers. We have advertised in Wraysbury News, floated flyers door to
## WHVC Chairman’s report for year ending September 2024
door and at events, Wraysbury’s Got Talent, Coffee Morning, Summer Fair and The Grange with little uptake. However, generally, there are a good array of personalities, skills and reliable volunteers working well together.
We would ideally like to recruit help with manning the telephone line and pastoral care.
## Plans for a new permanent kitchen for the Charity
It became clear that whilst we have managed to continue with the meal provision using the Village Hall kitchen, having to clear out the equipment and food most weekends and re-instate on a Monday morning is an untenable overhead.
So, the Trustees took the decision to apply to the Village Hall to take over the lease of the offices and former doctor’s surgery for use as kitchen premises. The space is at least double what we currently have and enables us to still provide lunches on a Thursday since the rooms open directly onto the Village Hall Foyer. There is also an external entrance from the car park. We are able to store more of our equipment and all the food rather than in private houses as before.
Having made the decision to obtain our own kitchen and storage space, much of the year was spent raising money towards the costs. We managed to raise sufficient money (C. £30,000) by the end of September and the work was started soon after.
Whilst this report only covers the period to end of September, it is worth noting that the work was successfully completed, and we were able to move into the new kitchen in November 2024.
In the longer term, we are also trying to arrange for our phone line to be permanently installed there rather than in the local pharmacy as now. The kitchen and storage area can then become the effective HQ for the Charity.
o – 0 –o
## **Wraysbury & Horton Voluntary Care**
## **Annual Accounts Summary**
_Year end September 30th 2024_
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2024 2023 2022 2021
Receipts
Meals on wheels 17,314 14,544 14,585 21,865
Lunch Club 9,627 7,946 6,789 860
Coffee morning 2,490 2,702 2,209 534
Total from activities 29,431 25,192 23,583 23,259
Charities box/Fundraising 5,272 1,919 716 119
Donations/Grants 4,698 7,213 10,589 6,855
Bank interest received 278
Funds for the new kitchen 30,154
Other 55 765 1,487 1,576
Total Grants & Donations 40,457 9,896 12,792 8,550
Total Receipts 69,888 35,088 36,375 31,809
Liabilities
Food 21,022 20,122 18,242 11,503
Catering equipment 3,023 2,526 2,661 2,287
Other equipment 221 1,631 304 2,152
Hall hire 8,450 8,975 9,271 6,355
Admin/Phone 291 778 889 981
Insurance 448 420 402 345
New Kitchen spending 17,597 1,070 85 963
Other payments 72 92 307 87
Total Liabilities 51,123 35,614 32,161 24,673
Unrestricted Funds 11,977 12,502 8,288 1,152
Surplus/Deficit for the year 18,765 - 526 4,214 7,136
Bank balance 30,742 11,977 12,502 8,288
**----- End of picture text -----**
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trusteesl
m)berS of
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Charity no
(rfany)
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On accounts for the year
ended
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Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (Yhe Trust") for the year ended 30 o q
Respon8lbllltle8 and As the charity trustees of the Twst, you are responsible for the preparation
basis of report of the accounts in accordance wth the r8quirements of the Charities Act
2011 (Ihe Act").
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's a¢counts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145{51(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
come to my attention (other than that disclosed below ') in Connection with
the examination which gives me Gause to believe thal in, any material
resp8Ct.'
accounting records vKr8 not kept in accordance with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable
proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached.
Please delete th8 words in the brackets rfthey do not 8ppIy.
Date:
Independent
examlnerf8 Statement
Signed:
Name:
114oÉ kÉ-oTrJf.D
Relevant profe$81onal
quaiificatlon(s) or body
(if any):
14sJOC I q TE mÉ'rr)66JZ of C 114Lf e£Eg Ij Sf i fuTe
Address:
Jzg
IER
October 2018
Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concem {see CC32,
Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for
examiners).
Glve here brief details of
any Itoms that tho
examiner wish88 to
disclose.
IER
October 2018