Open Door Friendship Group Chair: Paula Wilson Hometime Ringwould Road Treasurer : Jayne Chandler Kingsdown CT148DJ Secretary : Julie Goodall
01304368425/07956844829 opendoorfriendship@gmail.com Charity No 1201918
Date. March 2025
Dear Trustees and Members
We have again had a very busy year. We have seen our membership increasing, organised a holiday in Deal, introduced volunteer t shirts and fleeces showing our logo. We also continue to provide a substantial healthy snack for our members each week.
We ended last year with our Christmas dinner which we have be able to keep the cost at £5. Members can bring family members or friends to this wonderful celebratory evening. One of the highlights of the year is when Chris’s choir come and sing to us. Chris is one of our volunteers. The members enjoy a sing along as do the dogs who also seem to join in !
A group of members enjoyed a play at the E15 acting school in Debden. We also held a Shine afternoon during the year where members can perform a poem that they have written or sing a song it is an opportunity for members to show their talents.Very important for the members is our memorial afternoon where we remember those members that have passed. We gather around our memorial bench, some members like to say a few words or read a poem.
We also visited an animal rescue centre locally. Members enjoyed holding various animals that had been rescued such as lizards, rabbits and many more.
Everyone worked hard at Loughton Day where we had a stall. We offered a variety of games for children. We handed out many leaflets and raised an amazing £250.
This year we also applied for Gift Aid which was successful .
The holiday to Deal was enjoyed by fourteen members. They spent four days in a hotel over looking the sea and the pier. We subsidised the trip by paying for train fare and a lunch.
Our membership continues to grow. Each week we average between 30/35 members, most of which are men. We have purchased a table tennis table to compliment the pool table.
During the year we struggled to gain funds from the grant applications that we made. However we did have a generous donation for £500 from a friend of the club. ( I have attached a copy of the latest accounts)
Finally I would like to thank the Trustees for supporting us and enabling us to become a Charity. Also I would like to thank the volunteers for their continued hard work and loyalty.
Paula Wilson Chair