## **Mencap Bedford Executive Committee – Chair’s AGM Report May 2025/2026** - The last year has been busy year for our committee: - we have a contemporary, stylish website – thanks to Jack and Gemma - the new constitution has been written guided by Mike’s incredible knowledge and expertise in these matters. It has been submitted for approval and the anticipation of waiting for approval is almost too much! - There was a small change to the Committee - Donna resigned due to other commitments and Gemma kindly agreed to take on Sparkle single handedly and is doing a splendid job! - As well as keeping this Committee on the straight and narrow Laura also does a sterling job at providing support for Gemma at Sparkle Club. Over the past year this has involved breaking up an illicit birthday party, coming up with a plan to raise charges whilst keeping everybody happy – which was done whilst jumping up and down to keep the lights on in the school library! - Sparkle Club has been through a period of change over the last 12 months with some interesting moments! Tuesday night numbers have continued to grow and a recruitment drive has led to a small number of new volunteers and this will continue to be a focus for the next 12 months. - Sparkle Club finances now being managed by Gemma with support from Deepesh. Like to say a huge thank you to our esteemed treasurer Deepesh for continuing to expertly manage our finances and also for showing true patience with myself and Laura regarding our limited knowledge of high finance or any kind of finance! - A possible collaboration with Sparkle Club and Born to Perform is being explored although finding the right venue is proving a challenge. - Heartfelt thanks go to Gemma on behalf of the committee for her dedication, commitment and enthusiasm for Sparkle Club. - Mencap Playscheme: Heartfelt thanks also go to Lauren and Nikki for another amazingly successful Mencap Playscheme offer in 2025. The heart wrenching decision has just been made that we are unable to offer playscheme this year due to being unable to find a suitable venue. Lauren and Nikki have explored every possible option but sadly nothing was available which could offer the facilities to ensure a truly inclusive playscheme. - Funding will also continue to be a serious ongoing concern. - However, plans are already underway for the return of playscheme in 2027. - Smiley Club: we are still hoping to relaunch Smiley Club for secondary age clients and the main barrier to this is also a suitable venue but the search continues. - Funding & members: We are continuing to explore funding streams to support new and existing activities and are actively seeking new members for our committee. - What is our main our aspiration for 2025 – venues, venues, venues!! Would unlock a wider offer. - Just finish by saying what a wonderful bunch of people you are, the time and energy you give to Mencap with everything else that you all have going on in your lives. I feel deeply honoured to be a small part of this committee and want to thank each and every one of you for your help and support – first venture into charity sector and I couldn’t have made a better choice thanks to all of you 😊 And just in case any of you are Detectorists fans I thought we could have a competition to design an MBEC logo so we can order matching fleece jackets! Kerry O’Neil, Chair May 2026 _**DRAFT - Subject to review and approval by the Examiner**_ ## **BEDFORD & DISTRICT SOCIETY FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES** Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society Charity Commission No 218689 ## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th SEPTEMBER 2025** |**INCOME**
Note
Minibus
Donations
1
Subscriptions
Gift Aid - tax refunds
In memory of deceased members
Weekly Bonanza: Income
655
less
:prizes paid out
(120)
Interest
Sparkle Club
2
Summer Playscheme
3
Smiley Club
4
**Total Income**
**EXPENDITURE**
Administration
Signpost Volunteers:- grants & expenses
Insurance/Affiliation
Miscellaneous
Sparkle Club costs
2
Summer Playscheme costs
3
**Total Expenditure**
**NET**|**2025**|| |---|---|---| ||Unrestricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
**£**
**£**
-
-
1,175
-
203
-
-
-
-
-
-
535
-
821
137
-
6,904
-
54,605
-
-|| ||**2,734**
**61,646**
107
110
1,017
-
7,433
54,418|| ||**1,234**
**61,851**|| ||**1,501**
**(205)**|| _1 of 5_ _**DRAFT - Subject to review and approval by the Examiner**_ ## **BEDFORD & DISTRICT SOCIETY FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES** Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society Charity Commission No 218689 ## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30th SEPTEMBER 2025** |Note
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Scottish Widows 3 month notice a/c
CafBank Deposit Account
CafBank Current Account
Cash in hand
**REPRESENTED BY:**
**Unrestricted Funds**
5
Balance b/f
_plus_: Excess of income over expenditure
**Restricted Funds**
6
- balance brought forward
_less_: Excess expenditure over income|**2025**| |---|---| ||| _2 of 5_ _**DRAFT - Subject to review and approval by the Examiner**_ ## **BEDFORD & DISTRICT SOCIETY FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES** |**Note**
1
2|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
DONATIONS RECEIVED
Amazon Charitable Giving
1,000
Other personal & charity donations
175
1,175
1,050
SPARKLE CLUB
**Income**
Subs
4,141
Tuck
2,339
Other
424
Total Income
6,904
5,641
**Expenditure**
Tuck shop purchases
1,572
Resources
1,444
Leader - salary
267
Rent
3,195
Miscellaneous
955
Total Expenditure
7,433
8,390
**Excess of Expenditure over Income**
**(529)**
**(2,749)**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
DONATIONS RECEIVED
Amazon Charitable Giving
1,000
Other personal & charity donations
175
1,175
1,050
SPARKLE CLUB
**Income**
Subs
4,141
Tuck
2,339
Other
424
Total Income
6,904
5,641
**Expenditure**
Tuck shop purchases
1,572
Resources
1,444
Leader - salary
267
Rent
3,195
Miscellaneous
955
Total Expenditure
7,433
8,390
**Excess of Expenditure over Income**
**(529)**
**(2,749)**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
DONATIONS RECEIVED
Amazon Charitable Giving
1,000
Other personal & charity donations
175
1,175
1,050
SPARKLE CLUB
**Income**
Subs
4,141
Tuck
2,339
Other
424
Total Income
6,904
5,641
**Expenditure**
Tuck shop purchases
1,572
Resources
1,444
Leader - salary
267
Rent
3,195
Miscellaneous
955
Total Expenditure
7,433
8,390
**Excess of Expenditure over Income**
**(529)**
**(2,749)**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**| |---|---|---|---| |||**2024**|| ||||**£**
1,050
5,641
8,390| ||||| |||**(2,749)**|| _3 of 5_ _**DRAFT - Subject to review and approval by the Examiner**_ ## **BEDFORD & DISTRICT SOCIETY FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES** |**Note**
3
4|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
SUMMER PLAYSCHEME
**Income**
Grants: Bedford Borough & Central Beds Councils
22,680
19,860
Grants: Harpur Trust
0
5,000
Raised by Bedford Mencap:
Personal gifts
0
794
Interest
0
0
Parental payments
31,925
31,913
Total Income
54,605
57,566
**Expenditure**
Staff salaries + N.I. + Tax
46,800
46,533
Transport
255
1,050
Volunteers' expenses
332
51
Admin costs
734
636
Toys and equipment
316
2,074
Entertainment
785
2,850
Rent & Registration fee
3,811
2,960
Training costs
128
835
Miscellaneous
1,258
388
Total Expenditure
54,418
57,377
**Excess of Income over Expenditure**
**187**
**189**
SMILEY CLUB
Previous funds held
**2,735**
**2,735**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**
Smiley Club has closed down since 2023. We previously held sponsorship money earmarked for Smiley Club, using our Just
Giving page. However since closing in 2024, Smiley Club paid it's remaining assets to this charity. Bedford Mencap has agreed
to hold these funds until a new club, replacing Smiley Club, is established.|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
SUMMER PLAYSCHEME
**Income**
Grants: Bedford Borough & Central Beds Councils
22,680
19,860
Grants: Harpur Trust
0
5,000
Raised by Bedford Mencap:
Personal gifts
0
794
Interest
0
0
Parental payments
31,925
31,913
Total Income
54,605
57,566
**Expenditure**
Staff salaries + N.I. + Tax
46,800
46,533
Transport
255
1,050
Volunteers' expenses
332
51
Admin costs
734
636
Toys and equipment
316
2,074
Entertainment
785
2,850
Rent & Registration fee
3,811
2,960
Training costs
128
835
Miscellaneous
1,258
388
Total Expenditure
54,418
57,377
**Excess of Income over Expenditure**
**187**
**189**
SMILEY CLUB
Previous funds held
**2,735**
**2,735**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**
Smiley Club has closed down since 2023. We previously held sponsorship money earmarked for Smiley Club, using our Just
Giving page. However since closing in 2024, Smiley Club paid it's remaining assets to this charity. Bedford Mencap has agreed
to hold these funds until a new club, replacing Smiley Club, is established.| |---|---|---| |||**2,735**| _4 of 5_ _**DRAFT - Subject to review and approval by the Examiner**_ ## **BEDFORD & DISTRICT SOCIETY FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES** |**Note**
5
6
**Reserves Policy**|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
**Accumulated Fund (Unrestricted Fund)**
Balance brought forward
46,859
_plus_: excess of income over expenditure
1,501
**48,360**
**46,859**
RESTRICTED FUNDS
**Jim Nickson Holiday Fund**
Balance brought forward
8,348
_plus_: interest
137
_less_: grants made
0
8,485
8,348
**Summer Playscheme**
Balance brought forward
738
_plus_: excess of income over expenditure
187
925
738
**Sparkle Club**
Balance brought forward
(209)
_less_: excess of expenditure over income
(529)
(738)
(209)
**Held for Smiley Club**
Balance brought forward
2,735
2,735
2,735
**11,407**
**11,612**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**|Affiliated to The Royal Mencap Society
Charity Commission No 218689
**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
**Accumulated Fund (Unrestricted Fund)**
Balance brought forward
46,859
_plus_: excess of income over expenditure
1,501
**48,360**
**46,859**
RESTRICTED FUNDS
**Jim Nickson Holiday Fund**
Balance brought forward
8,348
_plus_: interest
137
_less_: grants made
0
8,485
8,348
**Summer Playscheme**
Balance brought forward
738
_plus_: excess of income over expenditure
187
925
738
**Sparkle Club**
Balance brought forward
(209)
_less_: excess of expenditure over income
(529)
(738)
(209)
**Held for Smiley Club**
Balance brought forward
2,735
2,735
2,735
**11,407**
**11,612**
**Notes to the Accounts**
**2025**| |---|---|---| |||**2024**| |||**£**| |||**46,859**| |||8,348
738
(209)
2,735| |||**11,612**| |||| The Executive Committee has established a policy whereby the Unrestricted Funds not committed or held in a Designated Fund should be maintained at a level of between 6 to 9 months of annual expenditure so that the activities of the Society would be able to continue should there be a significant drop in funding. For the current year-end, the Unrestricted monies held are at the upper end of this range (c.9 months). The Committee will carefully consider ways in which these monies can best be used for the benefit of People with Learning Disabilities in the Bedford area. _5 of 5_ REPORT OFTHE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER TOTHETRUSTEES OF BEDFORD & DISTRICTSOCIEfY FOR PEOPLEWITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Reglstered charity: 218689 I report to the trustees on my examination of the 8ccovnts ofthe above chartty for the year ended 30" September 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charitytrustees. you are responsible for the preparalion of the accounts in accordance with the CharrtiesAct2011. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts Ca￿led out under section 145 of the Charities Act and in carrying out my examinakn"on, I have followed allthe applicable directions given by the Chariry Commission under section 145(5}(b) ofthe Act. Independent examiner's statement I h8ve completed my 6xamination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me C8use to believe that in any material respect." the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act. or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records- or the accounts did not complywith the appts"cable requirements concerning the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charlties (Accounts and Reports) Regu18tions 2008 ottter th8n any requirement that the accounts give a'true and fairf viewvlhich is not a matter considered as part of an in(Jependent examination. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection wilh the examination to which attention should be drawn in thi5 report in orderto enable a Pfoper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Roger Gadsden 29 Great Portway Great Denham MK40 4GA Date= io 'Tu x¢a2b .