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2025-03-31-accounts

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1201433

Report of the Trustees

and Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025 for Dorset ME Support Group

Dorset ME Support Group

Contents of the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Page
Report of the Trustees 3-6
Independent Examiner's Report 7
Receipts and Payments Account 8
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 8
Notes to the Financial Statements 9-11

Dorset ME Support Group

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

INTRODUCTION

The Trustees present their Report with the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. In accordance with section 133 of the Charities Act 2011 receipts and payments accounts have been prepared.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The charitable aim of Dorset ME Support Group is to support those suffering from the illness variously known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS). Educate the general public through the promotion and dissemination of knowledge about M.E./CFS/PVFS. Support research into the cause and cure of M.E./CFS/PVFS and publish such research.

Activities Employed to Achieve the Charity’s Objectives

Charity Review

Throughout the first quarter of 2025 and into the 2025-2026 year, the Trustees conducted a review of the charity with expert guidance from Steve Place, formerly a senior advisor with Community Action Network (CAN) – a charitable organisation that specialises in supporting and informing local charities. Steve offered his services on a consultancy basis having retired from CAN. This exercise included examination of the constitution, financial position and budgeting requirements, Workplace pension status, claiming Gift Aid and policies and procedures of the charity.

During the consultancy process, a number of issues were identified and Steve provided guidance as to rectify them to the chair which was disseminated to the other Trustees and staff as appropriate.

There has been much work behind the scenes from late 2024 into the first part of 2025 continuing into the 2025-2026 reporting year.

Staffing and Group Administration

The charity employs 2 members of staff – a part-time Group Administrator and Membership Secretary and a full-time SelfCare Coordinator.

The Website

The website was given a major overhaul during 2024. A new website was created for discussion amongst the trustees and staff using WiX as a free development tool. The final new website under WiX was signed off by the trustees by April 2024 and it was decided to replace the current website hosted by Hosting UK with it. The main reason for this was to maintain the existing Email hosting as WiX would not offer this service and we already had the website and Email hosted for a reasonable price, £96 pa. All the trustees agreed that we should seek professional help to do this as a one of exercise given limited expertise within the trustees and staff. A suitable organisation was identified, Radikls, who agreed to do it for a one-off charge undercutting Hosting UK themselves by a considerable amount and they did the cutover smoothly early in July 2024. From that point on it’s possible to maintain the site in terms of content plus adding new pages using a simple interface so it can be kept reasonably up-to-date.

Links with the NHS

Our group continues to maintain a link with Dorset Healthcare NHS clinic at Wareham, albeit somewhat more distant than in the past. The dedicated, adult CFS/ME service at the NHS Wareham Hospital provides a much-needed service but we DMESG are less aware of their activities than before.

Our Self Care Co-ordinator maintains a link with the Occupational Therapists to enable contact with new sufferers and members of the Group. In January 2024, she announced her planned retirement at the end of April 2026 which was the subject of discussion at the trustee meeting on 26[th] January 2025. Given her services are vital to the services of Dorset ME Support Group, it was felt that The Wareham Clinic should be informed which was done via Email the same month. The plan is to try and recruit a replacement to work alongside her for a period before retirement so the trustees feel they should aim to fill the post by the end of 2025. The NHS has a major involvement given they fund Dorset ME Support Group £34,000 pa for the post of Care Co-ordinator and the trust must ensure it is in a position to offer employment from a budgetary viewpoint before that process can be started. During the rest of the 2024-2025 period, little was forthcoming from the Wareham Clinic by way of positive response despite the stated urgency and a request to meet and discuss. NOTE: A date of 6[th] August has now been agreed to discuss this pressing issue meeting with Michelle Selby and her boss Nikki Sharp at the Wareham Clinic.

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Dorset ME Support Group

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Services to Members

In December, 8 separate Christmas lunches were organised and attended by 70 Members.

The Charity provides Benefits information and signposting via our website and through our staff and we have a quantity of useful reference material regarding benefits that can be lent to Members.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Charitable Activities

Organisational Activities

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Dorset ME Support Group

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

FUTURE ACTIVITIES AND PLANS

Following on from the charity review started in January 2025, the Charity will be addressing the following:

PUBLIC BENEFIT

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 17(5) of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aim and objectives.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The Charity is controlled by its governing document and constitutes a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation). The Charity is called DORSET ME SUPPORT GROUP (Charity number 1201433) regulated by a governing document dated 15 December 2023.

Recruitment and appointment of new Trustees

The recruitment of Trustees is the responsibility of Board Members. Before being formally proposed to the Board, potential Trustees are interviewed and briefed by the Chairman and provided information regarding the roles and responsibilities of a Charity Trustee by the Group Administrator. New members are then invited to attend a full trustee and staff executive meeting where, if both parties are willing, they are co-opted as a trustee and then made a full trustee at the next AGM.

Meetings

The Trustees are scheduled to meet in person 4 times in the year with action items and queries and questions dealt with as occur electronically.

Staff

Our Group Administrator and Membership Secretary, Carol Dadds, continues to keep the Group running efficiently dealing with all membership matters, queries, mailouts and newsletters. She is the first point of contact for most of our Members and any nonMembers. She is a vital and highly valued link between staff, Trustees and Members and she always provides a calm, helpful and professional service.

Our Self-Care Coordinator, Wendy Rideout, funded by the NHS, continues to deliver a much-appreciated service to our members and delivers support to those most in need. Wendy delivers support via telephone and email as well as in person. Wendy will retire at the end of April 2026.

Risk Management

The Trustees actively review the major risks which the Charity faces on a regular basis and believe that maintaining reserves at current levels, combined with an annual review of the controls over key financial systems, will provide enough resources in the event of adverse conditions in the short term. The trustees are in the process of examining other operational and business risks faced by the charity and seeking alternative sources of funding. A meeting with the NHS primary care trust at the Wareham clinic has been sought and we will meet with them in August to establish future funding by the NHS which is critical to the future viability of the charity especially given we will look to recruiting Wendy’s replacement during the latter half of the 2025-2026 year.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

The financial position of the Charity at the balance sheet date was secure. The assets of the Charity comprise a Lloyds Bank Treasurers Account and Savings Account.

Reserves policy

Trustees' policy is to maintain throughout the year unrestricted funds of approx. £30,000 in the bank account. This equates to approximately 9 months expenditure to cover all costs should grant funding not be received.

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Dorset ME Support Group

Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number 1201433

Principal address

25 MARINERS WAY CHICKERELL WEYMOUTH DT3 4LS

Trustees

PJ Bennett Chairman Resigned 30 November 2024 LM Melhuish Resigned 21 April 2025 AL Caygill Chairman from 1 December 2024 RA Gale PA Jones Resigned 29 March 2025 AR Bennett Resigned 9 September 2024 HM Smith Resigned 5 January 2025 SA Edwards Appointed 19 July 2025 B Hinchliffe Appointed 25 January 2025 M Giordano Appointed 16 January 2025 PL Stanley Appointed 16 January 2025

Independent Examiner

JA Richardson FCA FCCA DCHA 32 Award Road Wimborne BH21 7NT

Approved by order of the board of trustees on … 25[th] October 2025 ………..…… and signed on its behalf by:

………………………………………..

AL Caygill (Chair of Trustees)

Page 6

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of

Dorset ME Support Group

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Dorset ME Support Group (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's 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 Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection 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.

JA Richardson FCA FCCA DChA 32 Award Road Wimborne BH21 7NT

Date: … 29[t h] October 2025 ………………………………

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Dorset ME Support Group

Receipts and Payments Account for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Receipts
Subscriptions
Donations
Fundraising
Other Income
Investment Income
Total Receipts
Payments
Salaries
Admin Costs
Travelling
Insurance
Outings etc.
Other Expenditure
Total Payments
Net of Receipts and Payments
Total Movement in Cash Funds		 31 March
2025
Unrestricted
Funds
£
2,578
3,254
157
294
490
6,773
8,519
-
-
-
-
3,806
12,325
(5,552)
(5,552)		 31 March
2025
Restricted
Funds
£
-
34,000
-
-
-
34,000
27,006
2,476
2,282
958
888
-
33,610
390
390		 31 March
2025
Total Funds
£
2,578
37,254
157
294
490
40,773
35,525
2,476
2,282
958
888
3,806
45,935
(5,162)
(5,162)		 31 March
2024
Total Funds
£
480
70,646
187
-
-
71,313
7,843
681
484
-
485
610
10,103
61,210
61,210

Statement of Assets and Liabilities for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Cash Funds
Cash
Bank
Current Liabilities
Total Funds		 31 March 2025
Unrestricted
Funds
-
55,733
-
55,733		 31 March
2025
Restricted
Funds
-
390
(75)
315		 31 March
2025
31 March
2024
Total Funds
Total Funds
-
-
56,123
62,072
(75)
(862)
56,048
61,210

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on … 25[th] October 2025 . and were signed on its behalf by:

………………………………………………..

AL Caygill (Chair of Trustees)

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 8

Dorset ME Support Group

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charity have been prepared as receipts and payments accounts under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.

Donations

Donations are included within the financial statements as soon as the income is received

Grants receivable

Grants are accounted for on a cash basis.

Direct charitable expenditure

Direct charitable expenditure includes all expenditure directly related to aims of the Charity. Expenditure is accounted for when paid.

Management and administration of the Charity

Management and administration costs represent expenditure incurred in the management and administration of the Charity's assets, organisational administration and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

The charity maintains the following types of fund:

Unrestricted funds

General unrestricted funds represent funds which are expendable at the discretion of the Trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the Charity.

Restricted funds

Restricted for specific purpose by the donor or grant funder. The only restricted fund held is in respect of the grant funding for the NHS Self Care Co-ordinator.

Cash at Bank and in hand

Cash at bank includes the Lloyds Bank Account.

2. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the prior period ending 31 March 2024.

Trustees' expenses

One Trustee received reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses during the year ended 31 March 2025 totalling 135 (2024: One Trustee - £135).

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Dorset ME Support Group

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025 (continued)

3. STAFF COSTS

TAFF COSTS
Wages and salaries 2025
£
35,525
35,525		 2024
£
7,842
7,842

The wages for the two staff members includes payments for the final three months of the period as previously wages were paid through The Dorset ME Support Group (Charity Number – 1087393).

The average monthly number of employees during the period was as follows:

Head Count 2025
2		 2024
2

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

4.

MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Unrestricted fund
Restricted fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 At
1.4.24
£
34,575
26,635
61,210		 Net movement
in funds
£
(5,552)
390
(5,162)		 Transfers
between funds
£
26,710
(26,710)
-		 At
31.03.25
£
55,733
315
56,048

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted fund
Restricted fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 Incoming
resources
£
6,773
34,000
40,773		 Resources
expended
£
12,325
33,609
45,935		 Movement in
funds
£
(5,552)
390
(5,162)
Unrestricted fund
Restricted fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 At
1.1.23
£
-
-		 Net movement
in funds
£
34,575
26,635
61,210		 Transfers
between funds
£
-
-		 At
31.03.24
£
34,575
26,635
61,210

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Dorset ME Support Group

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2025 (continued)

4. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (continued)

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted fund
Restricted fund
TOTAL FUNDS		 Incoming
resources
£
37,313
34,000
71,313		 Resources
expended
£
2,738
7,365
10,103		 Movement in
funds
£
34,575
26,635
61,210

Restricted fund

The NHS grant funds the salary of the Self Care Co-ordinator delivering support to members in person and via telephone and email.

Transfers between funds represent amounts transferred in respect of the transfer in the prior period from the unincorporated charity The Dorset ME Support Group (Charity Number - 1087393).

5. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

Membership subscriptions and donations totalling £180 (2024: £135) were received from eight (2024: six) Trustees with no restrictions and on an arms length basis.

One Trustee received total payment of £360 (2024: £45) for charitable services delivered to the charity on an arms length basis and not in accordance with the duties of a Trustee prior to being appointed a Trustee.

Out of pocket expenses paid to Trustees are disclosed in Note 2.

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