2024-03-31-accounts - Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

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nit ANNUAL REPORT 2024 6"a4V>°' Making Life Better In

Welcome from the Chair and the CEO

Key Highlights for Community Action Dacorum

2023/2024 was a period of change for Community Action Dacorum with the formation of new departments based around three themes of Communities, Employability, and Wellbeing. Our new Heads of Department were appointed and our services grouped within these areas to provide consistency and a foundation of support to help local groups and residents improve their quality of life.

We were enormously proud to receive the High Sheriff’s Award for our training programme. Our online regional ESOL course was particularly recognised, alongside our work with Ukrainian guests to help them integrate into our community whilst facing horrific challenges back home. We were thrilled to collect the award at a ceremony earlier in the year and to be amongst such august company.

Our strong financial outcomes from our trading company HITS allowed us to invest in our infrastructure, with improved IT/IS systems rolled out across the organisation, as well as ensuring our working environment is welcoming to both our clients and our staff and volunteers. More and more volunteers have come in to help with our service delivery and we have really benefited from their support and assistance.

Our projects have helped residents across the borough and beyond. The growth of our Staying Connected project, which gifts IT equipment to residents, offers guidance in how to use it and ensures digital connectivity, has reached more than 1,000 people in Hertfordshire and saved enough carbon to fly around the world 30 times!

Our volunteers have continued to support us as drivers, advising people on volunteering, helping those with mobility issues access The Marlowes, and many other things. Without their help and dedication we would struggle to provide the range of services we do and we have been very grateful for their support this year.

We have recruited several excellent new trustees this year, who have helped us meet skills gaps we had identified. We are also working to increase the diversity of our board. We are grateful to trustees who have agreed to stay in post longer than their normal tenure to allow a smooth transition to a new board and to ensure our skills mix remains strong.

It has been a busy year for Community Action Dacorum as demand for our services has increased whilst at the same time grants and fundraising income has reduced. It is a testimony to our team that they have not only supported everyone who has come to us for help but managed to develop the charity with new projects and processes.

We hope you enjoy this report and the impact that Community Action Dacorum has on our community.

Simon Aulton Chief Executive

Colin Gage Chairman

Meeting our Charitable Purpose

Community Action Dacorum exists to ‘link the public, corporate and voluntary sectors for the benefit of the community’, as set out in our governing document. Specifically, these are:

To promote any charitable purposes for the benefit of the public, principally but not exclusively in the local government area of Dacorum and its environs and, in particular, build the capacity of third sector organisations, providing them with the necessary support, information and services to enable them to pursue or contribute to any charitable purpose.

To promote, organise and facilitate co-operation and partnership working between third sector, statutory and other relevant bodies in the achievement of the above purposes within the area of benefit.

We achieve this by working in three areas for the benefit of the residents of Dacorum. These are:

Communities | Employability | Wellbeing

Our Communities team promotes, organises and facilitates co-operation and partnership, working between third sector, statutory and other relevant bodies in the achievement of the above purposes. Together with our Employability and Wellbeing teams, and with the support of our training and development and interpreting service, the charity is focused on improving the quality of lives of people across the Borough. All the activities we deliver work to improve the wider determinates of health for our community, often supporting the most vulnerable residents. We support the labour market, we promote life-long education, we support people with their income and expenditure during a cost-of-living crisis, and we build a sense of community within Dacorum.

Our Impact

We are proud to showcase the hard work our team has put in this year and how it has strengthened social and community networks within Dacorum, continuing to make it a better place to live and work.

Our services help residents improve their work opportunities and environments by supporting them in developing their job prospects. Our wellbeing team ensures people can access the services they need by working to bridge the gap between patient and healthcare provider. Whether it is access to transportation or appointments, or addressing digital poverty,

our wellbeing services increase dignified independence to the most vulnerable members of our community. Our training and development work addresses loneliness and isolation through education, providing a sense of community interaction and instilling skills and self-belief that can be applied in all aspects of life.

Whilst it would bring us much pride to be able to share each and every one of the many interventions we have undertaken this year, space will sadly not allow. In this report we present and celebrate some examples or our work.

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Community

It reflects the strength of community in Dacorum that so many organisations exist and so many people choose to volunteer. Our Communities team works with community sector organisations to promote the joy of volunteering, to support groups to run safely and effectively, to bring in money into the borough, and to marshal the voluntary sector to support local communities in crisis.

At Community Action Dacorum our goal is to ensure smooth and swift movement at the heart of this. We aim to coordinate the approach to meet social needs and ensure the voices of those within the voluntary sector are heard by decision-makers.

Community Support

Our team supports local community organisations in making a difference to lives across the borough. This year we have welcomed many additional sports clubs into membership as a result of our work with Herts Sports Partnership. We have been able to support them and other members with networking, funding and minibus hires, to name but a few. Some examples of our impact are:

Stewart Hunt, Apex in the Community

“Community Action Dacorum has provided us with invaluable guidance, particularly with applications to the Dacorum Shared Prosperity

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Community Help Hertfordshire
Community Support Team
Cost of Living Advice Programme
Volunteer Centre
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
Minibuses for Groups
Supporting Refugees and Guests

Fund for funding to launch and develop free park tennis opportunities in Dacorum. Their partnership has also been crucial in our diabetes prevention initiative in Markyate and with providing affordable minibus solutions, which has given us much-needed transport solutions. Their support has significantly expanded our project opportunities, allowing us to reach and engage with a broader range of people across the community.”

Gordon Harland, Harbour Lights and Matthew Sharks Scuba Diving Clubs

“The staff and volunteers at The Roundhouse have helped us make contacts, fill in funding forms and set up spreadsheets to get our finances on track. This support has helped us receive a grant to enable 100 children in Dacorum a chance to try out scuba diving.” Gordon also said: “Having met other people at the networking event, we have been contacted by other organisations to work in partnership on events, which we are delighted with.”

We have also been able to support our wider membership, securing funds from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Mayor’s Charity to help all charities across Dacorum achieve their goals. This, as well as our ongoing provision of services, volunteers, and advice, helps promote the joy of volunteering within our community. Some comments from our members:

Carol Walls, Dacorum Mencap

“Allowing us to use the facilities at The Roundhouse for Dacorum Mencap members to meet up and socialise with a Chatter Table has been really popular.” Carol said that members, all adults with learning difficulties, can suffer from social isolation and that the weekly events have really helped give them a safe space to meet and chat.

Jo Chappell, The Hospice of St. Francis

Reported that the Community Action Dacorum community team helps them by recruiting and checking out volunteers, as well as supporting them to forge relationships with other local community organisations.

Edmund Adutwum, Smart Innovation Exchange (SIEX)

Edmund is a new member of Community Action Dacorum and says he has found the information, funding advice, marketing, governance and event planning support, all invaluable. “Loretta and Leanne helped us get our organisation off the ground and have been very helpful helping us structure our activities for black and ethnic minorities.”

Jacqui Sheppard, Liberty Tea Rooms

Jacqui said she calls on our Communities team for advice, promotion of events, DBS support and volunteer referrals and said: “Community Action Dacorum are a great source of information whenever we need it.”

Volunteering

Our Volunteer Centre helps organisations recruit and vet potential volunteers. We work with individuals to find the perfect placement to use their skills and give them something to really enjoy. By linking together potential volunteers with voluntary organisations we increase the amount of support delivered by the sector and help build the strength of our community. Some of our volunteers have told us:

Mpho Motlhabane, Receptionist role

“When I first signed up to volunteer, I was a bit nervous but there was a welcoming atmosphere that told me I should do it. I am normally a shy person, volunteering has increased my confidence, has made me meet with so many people with different characters.”

Aaron-Martin Lovette

Says he found registering to volunteer very easy saying: “I am enjoying the opportunity to help others with learning disabilities and would definitely recommend it to others”.

Yvonne Baldwin, Receptionist/admin role

“Volunteering has given me an interest outside home and it has become my hobby. I have met and worked with a lot of lovely people who have become my friends and certainly would recommend volunteering to others.”

Carol Debnam, Metoring/Community Fridge

Carol volunteers in a reading support and mentor role with children, to help enhance their reading skills. She said: “Signing up to volunteer was very straightforward, Kerry is very personable and completed the initial details, checked my ID and two references, did my DBS check and I was ready to go!”

Employability

Employability environments have a strong link to our overall health, so we offer skills-based practical development opportunities to all members of the Dacorum community, including the most vulnerable. From helping young people build their CVs through our schools’ careers work, to supporting those whose abilities outshine their disabilities, or providing purposeful retirement to people leaving the workforce, we support residents to better their life chances and thrive. Through this work, members of our community get the support they need to gain employment, schools are supported in meeting their Gatsby targets, and volunteering opportunities are available for skills development or retirement.

Developing Employability Opportunities

After many years of being a full-time mum and with her daughter now attending secondary school, Katie was seeking a volunteering role where she could gain experience for a career in admin or finance. She joined the finance department at Community Action Dacorum in January 2023 and volunteered one day a week for 10 months. Katie gained experience in invoicing, purchase orders, sending emails, petty cash, volunteer expenses, bank reconciliation, and credit notes. Most importantly, it increased her confidence.

EMPLOYABILITY SERVICES

Connect Dacorum
CV Writing Days
Digital Inclusion
Dragon’s Apprentice
Employment Courses
Introduction to Interpreting Courses
Purposeful Retirement
Staying Connected
Volunteering for Employment

Finance manager, Linda, said: “Katie has been extremely helpful to a very busy finance office. To have another person to enter things for us and help with the admin has taken some pressure off the rest of the team.”

Katie was looking for a permanent job position, so we helped her prepare a CV and invited her to the Dacorum Schools Careers fair as a volunteer, where she could also meet employers. She was offered an interview with B&M Care as a care assistant and has since been offered the job. Congratulations, Katie!

Katie thanks Community Action Dacorum for all the help offered to her. She says she has really enjoyed volunteering here, has met a lot of new people, and her confidence only continues to improve.

Radio Dacorum

Bournemouth University student Joel reached out to Radio Dacorum in the hope of completing some practical work experience to enhance his Sports Journalism coursework portfolio. The 20-year-old was offered the opportunity to shadow the station manager, Matt Hatton, and quickly immersed himself, learning how to use the station’s database and show programming software, as well as invaluable tools for creating engaging content like Canva and Audacity. Joel designed a social media poster, a short video reel to promote his show, and produced a radio jingle. He even curated and planned his own two-hour live sports show. Although Matt was available to support with any technical difficulties, the content and direction of the show were entirely Joel’s creation, demonstrating his growth and confidence.

Joel’s experience at Radio Dacorum gave him tangible skills to flourish in the broadcasting industry and allowed him to develop a portfolio that will undoubtedly benefit his future career in sports journalism.

Dragons’ Apprentice Challenge

For 11 years, Connect Dacorum has run the Dragons’ Apprentice Challenge, whereby local secondary schools are supplied with £100 stake and compete to turn it into £1,000 or more, with support and advice from business mentors and local charities.

We have heard many great stories over the years about what an amazing difference the challenge has made to students. This year all the teams showed determination and perseverance in their aim to raise as much money as possible for their charity.

Reflecting on an incredible journey with the Dragons’ Apprentice Challenge 2023/24 one of the students from a local school said:

Goal Setting and Achievement: Setting clear objectives and working strategically to exceed our fundraising targets was both challenging and rewarding.

Marketing and Promotion: Promoting our events and engaging with the community sharpened my skills in social media marketing, public relations, and persuasive communication. One of my highlights being the radio interview with Radio Dacorum.

It was an incredible experience that reinforced my passion for making a positive impact. Also, including budget and financial management and problem solving skills. I’m excited to apply these skills in future roles and projects.”

“Throughout this journey I honed a variety of transferable skills that I’m excited to carry forward into future endeavours:

Project Management: From planning to execution, managing every detail of our fundraising events taught me the importance of organisation and time management.

Team Collaboration: Working closely with a diverse team, I learned the value of effective communication, delegation, and leveraging each team member's strengths.

Wellbeing: Support Where Needed

Our wellbeing services provide people with mobility challenges, who would not otherwise have access to various healthcare services, dignity and increased independence. Services like transport to and from medical appointments, easy access to mobility scooters to allow families to shop together, or day trips that provide dignified independence and a sense of community and ease feelings of loneliness and isolation, all contribute to an atmosphere of belonging in Dacorum.

Community Cars

Our Community Cars initiative provides transport solutions to Dacorum residents where needed. After experiencing some anxiety over how to get to and from an important eye appointment, Lou reached out to Debbie in Community Transport, who arranged for Community Car driver, Philip – Lou’s ‘Knight On A White Charger’ – to help.

Philip collected Lou from home and took her to the entrance, waited for two-hours then picked her up and drove her home.

WELLBEING SERVICES
Cancer Prevention Programme
Community Buses
Community Help Hertfordshire
Community Transport
Dacorum Library of Things
Day Trippers
Door2Store
ShopMobility

Lou said:

“I felt the most important part was waiting for me and taking me home, I had 10% vision so a taxi wouldn’t have sufficed, I could not have looked for one. Philip was like having my own special person looking after me and making me feel safe.”

Lou continues to thank Community Transport, Debbie, Philip, and Community Action Dacorum for their valuable support.

Shopmobility

Shopmobility assists those with disabilities or limited mobility in getting out and about independently, helping them access community spaces and reducing their sense of isolation. It plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life of its users while also contributing to the local economy through the so-called ‘purple pound’, the spending power of people with disabilities and their families.

Located in the heart of Hemel Hempstead at The Marlowes Shopping Centre, Shopmobility has scooters and wheelchairs among its range of mobility equipment for hire. The service is designed to facilitate access to shopping areas, leisure facilities and local amenities, making it easier for users to participate in community life. The impact of Shopmobility is hard to quantify, with some of the key benefits being:

Enhanced Independence: The opportunity to hire a mobility aid allows people to access shops, restaurants, and other services independently without relying on friends or family.

Improved Quality of Life: By offering opportunities to participate in everyday activities, Shopmobility contributes to mental wellbeing and social inclusion.

Accessibility: The service not only provides physical mobility aids but also raises awareness about accessibility issues in the community and encourages local businesses to consider inclusivity in their services and facilities.

Increased Spending: Shopmobility provides access to the high street for individuals who might otherwise stay home due to mobility challenges. This increased footfall can lead to higher sales for local businesses, with close to 9,000 extra shopping hours facilitated in The Marlowes alone.

Encouraging Inclusivity: As more businesses recognise the importance of accessibility, the overall shopping environment improves, benefiting all customers, including those with disabilities.

The Shopmobility service is a vital resource for people with mobility challenges, providing tools to engage with the community and to live independently for longer. Its impact extends beyond the individual to stimulate the local economy via the ‘blue pound’. And, by fostering inclusivity and accessibility, Shopmobility enhances the lives of its users and strengthens the economic fabric of Hemel Hempstead.

Comments from some of Shopmobility’s service users include:

“All the staff and volunteers are so welcoming and helpful. Without the use of the scooters, I would not be able to go to the shops or socialise, I'm so grateful.”

“It makes such a big difference to my life.”

“Nothing seems too much and the pick-up and drop off of the scooter is so easy!”

Wellbeing: Improving Quality of Life

Being part of a community has proven benefits for your health and wellbeing. Our social and community networks make us who we are and provide us with support and strength. The joy that comes from volunteering and being involved in the community is one of the ways that Community Action Dacorum supports residents to have purposeful lives. Our wellbeing services ensure that people across Dacorum have the highest quality of life possible.

Blurring Boundaries: Volunteers and Service Users

At The Repair Shed and Radio Dacorum, the line between volunteer and service user blurs beautifully. Unlike traditional volunteer roles where there is a clear distinction between the helper and the helped, these projects foster a more symbiotic relationship. Participants give and receive support, contributing their skills while benefiting from the therapeutic and educational aspects of the work.

The Repair Shed

In The Repair Shed, individuals engage in practical projects that promote skill development, mental wellbeing, and social interaction. Similarly, Radio Dacorum offers a creative outlet for volunteers, many of whom are also service users. This dual role builds confidence, teaches new skills, and promotes a sense of purpose and community.

The impact of these projects is enhanced by the intertwining roles, making them valuable to the charity's mission of fostering inclusive and supportive environments.

Earlier this year, a teacher from St Luke’s Special Educational Needs School asked The Repair Shed if they could introduce a small group of children to basic woodworking. After some discussions about scope and supervision, it was agreed to host five students over several weeks to create flowerpot holders. The project quickly turned into a valuable experience not just for the students but also for the ‘Shedders’ guiding them.

SUPPORTIVE WELLBEING PROJECTS

Day Trippers
Radio Dacorum
Volunteer Centre
The Repair Shed

The Shedders’ experience:

“The work began by designing the holders, with each student creating a drawing that included precise dimensions for each panel. As the children marked out the wood panels using a ruler, set square, and pencil for the first time, it was clear they were eager to learn. Intergenerational sharing of knowledge and seeing their interest grow was incredibly rewarding. It wasn’t just about the technical aspects; it was about passing on skills that could inspire confidence and creativity.

Sawing was a new skill for many of the students. They started out cautiously, but their determination to master the task was inspiring. Their successes, however small, brought a sense of accomplishment that made the teaching process fulfilling. It was encouraging to see how quickly they caught on, turning their initial hesitation into confidence.

Drilling and countersinking screws was another challenging step. Using hand drills required patience and coordination, but they managed to get through it with some guidance. These moments, though simple, were a reminder of how hands-on activities can teach focus and persistence. There was a sense of quiet satisfaction in watching them overcome each hurdle.

The gluing stage, while messy, brought some light-hearted fun to the project. It wasn’t just

about the building; it was about enjoying the process. When the students decided to paint their holders, the excitement and creativity they displayed added a fresh dynamic to the experience. Their enthusiasm made all the effort worthwhile.

Throughout the project, it was interesting to see the transformation in the students. Some who were quiet and reserved at the beginning gradually began to open up and share their thoughts. From a supervision perspective, the project was both exhausting and rewarding. It served as a reminder of the simple joys of working with others and passing on practical skills. In the end, it wasn’t just about building flowerpot holders — it was about creating a shared experience that had a positive impact on everyone involved.”

The benefits of intergenerational working and role modelling such as this are huge. The school is able to put real-life experience in front of young people who develop skills for life from the experience. The ‘Shedders’ get a purposeful volunteering experience, experiencing the joy of volunteering as well as sharing their knowledge with a future generation. The value of this type of project was recognised when The Repair Shed won the National Schools and Academies Innovation Award.

Training and Development

We are firm believers in the idea that you ‘learn something new every day’. Education is a lifelong pursuit, and keeping both body and mind active with new challenges is proven to improve our health and overall wellbeing.

Community Action Dacorum training courses cover all three areas of focus: Communities | Employability | Wellbeing, and support our work with the trading company HITS.

Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning is a way to ensure residents can build essential skills for employment, or skills that bring people together. Crafting is one of the key areas in which we work with people to address loneliness and isolation, as well as building skills within the community.

Sarah, who attended our Rehash the Stash training in August, said:

“I left school at 15 and I couldn’t wait to get out! I did get O Level English and several CSE’s. I was entering retirement but still wanted to learn and develop. I was a full-time carer for my mother who had Alzheimer’s and dementia. When she passed away, I was feeling very lost and lonely with a void to fill. I didn’t want a regimented environment and wanted a small group. I also knew the tutor from a previous course and liked her teaching style. I liked the tutor, the idea of utilising old items into

new, learning about sustainability and creating beautiful pieces into which I could incorporate natural items like twigs, offcuts of wool, threads, and ribbons, etc. I loved the company of the other ladies and learnt a lot.

Living in a sheltered housing scheme now since my mum died, I run monthly craft classes for the residents and get so much pleasure teaching them the way my tutor did with a ‘yes, you can do it’ approach, just give it a try! I’m also volunteering as a teaching assistant, where I have really enjoyed seeing what other people can achieve and stretching myself to remember all that I have learnt through previous Step2Skills courses.

I consider myself to be young for my age and capable of learning new skills and now with my tutor’s help I have learnt ways to pass this information on to other people in ways they can understand. I know I can relate to people’s different learning styles. I am more at ease.

Community Integration

We run numerous courses to help members of our community integrate into British culture and society, including ESOL, integration and communication, interpreting, employability, and cultural trips.

Recent courses for BNO Hong Kongers included boat trips arranged with the Waterways Experience, which were very much liked and appreciated. Both the adult and family boat trips had a good turnout, with more than 80 adults and young people attending.

Participants got in touch to share their gratitude:

“Thank you for organising the boat trip, it was fantastic.”

“Thanks for organising those wonderful trips!”

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Community Interpreting
Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI)
ESOL
Governance for Charities
Introduction to Interpreting
IT courses
Lifelong Learning
Multiply
Recruiting Volunteers
Safeguarding for Charities
Staying Connected.

If you get the opportunity to enrol on a course, then just do it! They are great learning experiences and can lead to opportunities for future learning and volunteering, building new friendships with like-minded people and doing different courses. Your health and wellbeing improves by keeping physically and mentally active and having a new interest.”

A very busy year for Training and Development, training over 900 people throughout Dacorum, Hertfordshire and the East of England.

The last of our 3 year contract with DLUHC was successfully run with over 200 Hong Kong participants, their classes included English for beginners and high fliers. We then took families on our canals, showing them our countryside whilst giving them the history behind the canals. Nearly all of them willing jumped off and opened/shut the locks. Many of them have now gone into employment or set up their own small businesses.

We worked closely with our Ukrainian families, offering English classes and leisure/crafting courses, both of which were readily received and participated in. They happily ran coffee mornings and invited others to join them including a wonderful feast prepared in their homes and brought to St Mary’s Church Hall. This is a strong resilient Matriarchal system with great support from their community and their courage is evident for all to see.

It is an honour to work closely with these groups as well as other refugees and asylum seekers and with the help of these 2 groups we achieved The High Sheriff award for literacy.

Our Future

Our Vision

Our vision for Community Action Dacorum is to be the local leader in the provision of high-quality and good-value community services, both directly and indirectly, to the people of Dacorum, addressing identified social needs in the areas of Communities, Employability, and Wellbeing.

Our Mission

Our mission is to make a positive difference to the lives of people in our area of operation. We support our community by working through member and partner organisations. Through the services we deliver directly, we improve life chances for those seeking employment or moving into retirement. We also improve the quality of life for individuals by delivering wellbeing programmes.

Our Core Values and Beliefs

We believe that community organisations play a vital role in an inclusive society. We aim to achieve this by: -

Listening to and respecting others’ ideas and aspirations;

Giving everyone the right to equality of opportunity and the chance to make a contribution;

Committing to quality in all that we do and emphasising throughout our activities that quality matters;

Encouraging the widespread participation of volunteers in the organisation and leadership of all our Activities and Business Units;
Working always in an ethical and responsible manner;
Responding to the need for change in a timely and responsible way;
Seeking to develop new initiatives which address developing social needs;
Being an employer of choice, supporting our staff team.

Bringing people and organisations together to achieve more;

How we will achieve this

Our strategy is made up of seven key objectives:

Communities
Employability
Wellbeing
Trading
Finance, Funding and Governance
Resources
Reputation, Impact and Influence

The first three strategic objectives in the Trustees’ Strategic Plan 2022-2025 set out our direction to meet our charitable objectives of Communities, Employability, and Wellbeing. These strategies were developed following a review of our successes from the previous strategic plan, and the gaps we saw in providing a holistic service to vulnerable people in the borough. We have set out our plans to work for the public benefit in Dacorum and surrounding areas over the next three years. The trustee board has been restructured in line with the seven themes and closely monitors progress in each area.

Focusing on the three major areas of our charitable delivery:

Communities remain at the centre of our strategy. Over the coming years we will get to know our community even better, building our relationships to understand the residents of Dacorum, and be an independent voice for those hardest to hear. Our work will be impactful and facilitate community groups to grow and be stronger, through an increasing range of offers and the development of our community services. These include Radio Dacorum and Connect Dacorum, as well as our work supporting community groups and the Volunteer Centre. We will aim to forge strong partnerships across the sector to work collaboratively towards a common goal.

Employability and aspiration are perennial issues in Dacorum, with average incomes lower than the rest of Hertfordshire. We will work with voluntary, statutory and business partners to offer holistic support to both those who need help in achieving their ambitions and those

seeking employment. By delivering training and offering opportunities to learn through intergenerational experiences we will support people seeking their first job, those who wish to upskill or reskill, and those leaving the workforce to begin a purposeful retirement. Through our ESOL courses and language services, we will break down barriers to employment and build our local workforce.

Wellbeing support is at the heart of our volunteering offer, we will continue to work in strong partnerships to leverage the benefits of the voluntary sector to strengthen the wellbeing of Dacorum’s community. Building on our existing range of services, we will encourage independence and develop confidence for vulnerable residents. Through this work we will continue to contribute to the health and wellbeing of Dacorum and beyond.

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Our Year in Numbers

The financial year which ended in March 2024 has been a relatively stable period for Community Action Dacorum in terms of the charity’s finances. The activities of the charity remained consistent allowing us to renew our focus on delivering a better service for our stakeholders. Once again, the contribution made

by our trading subsidiary was much larger than expected. This led to another increase in our overall reserves position which is now in excess of £2.0m.

The trustees have designated £791k of our funds to continue overdue renewals of facilities and updating of our operations; to develop projects that will enhance the work of the charity; and to provide funds for our trading subsidiary to develop its business. All of this should enable us to provide a better service to our beneficiaries.

It is always difficult to predict the future, but we try to focus on the main risks we think the charity may face. One of these is the ongoing cost of living crisis and the effect it may have on our costs and those of residents. Another potential challenge is the impact on the work of the charity as a result of decisions made by the new government. Community Action Dacorum is largely dependent on local authority funding, in one form or another, and any decisions to change the levels of local authority expenditure would affect the charity. However, Community Action Dacorum’s high level of financial reserves give us confidence that we will have sufficient time to adjust to any unforeseen difficulties that may arise in the future.

James Lowe Honorary Treasurer

How we spend your money

Where the money comes from

Scan the QR code For our full historical accounts

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charitysearch/-/charity-details/288080/accounts-and-annual-returns

01 ShopmobllltyWÈllbelng We helped anaddltlonal 114 peoplethrouxh ShopM)bSllty durItheyeIr. Repair Shed5 06 83%ofourSheddersrepDrtodth?t b¢lnKa rnemberhad posltlvety Imp4aed on thelr quaiityoflll¢. 114 02 Community Volunteering We hawd rttruitqd, Chk. and Plac 394pe4Jpl4 1ntovUt1ry rolusfor DacDrum ba5Id charitiq& Dacorum Volunteer$ 07 Wt have referr¢d454¥•1unteersio |Kal c(mmurityof8aniSations a¢rOSS the gorough. 03 Radlo Dacorum ur Employability 08 4.573 peoplefullowed Radlo Oacarurn on FacEbook 55%0f whtsrn wtrefem#le. O¥er£110.IA¥J rafjsedloy hx•l charkles In the 10yearsofthe DragMs•prentlceyrogramme. ommup Im £llO.000 Stayin8 Conn•ct•d 09 04 Hert5 Interpreting HITSsupport¢d 40.927 popletr+ crrnmynlc4teln dllferent TAtIN 1.571 IndlvldualithwtaltyunnHcEqd th4nksta 5t4ylngcdnneE4d 40,927 1,571 05 Trainlng & Development w traIrt69 n•w Intrpr*tws throu8th •)$•ttèIthbrtS pro8rnmM4. DBS Checks 10 2Lh) DDS Checksd•)e lorlocal 8WOUPSto help keep tya<orumsale. 69 200 2023-2024 Scootérs Our Shopmobility scooter5 facilitated 2p8 shopping trips in the Marlowe5, which is 8,813 shopping hours. R• Imaginèd 69.776 557 computers reimaged and gifted to Hertford5hire resident5 people helped by us Listènèrs Being Well Over loo tonne5 of Carbon saved from landfill. Radio Dacorum was tuned into 72,925 times by 19.653 local listeners. 72. )2. Shed Health 56% of our Shedders said that shedding was important to improving their Mental Wellbeing. Community Support 92 community groups received one-to-one support to help them grow and develop. 19.6 56 17

Financial Review

The parent charity had incoming resources of £1,306,046 and expenditure of £1,011,685 for the year giving rise to a surplus of £294,361. At the year end the charity had total reserves of £2,104,659 comprising of £43,708 of restricted funds, £790,789 of designated funds and £1,270,162 of unrestricted general funds

Reserves Policy

The Charity Commission’s guidance does not proscribe a single method or approach to setting a reserves policy. Community Action Dacorum’s reserves policy has been tailored to the charity’s plans and objectives. This approach takes into account the size, complexity of activities, legal structure and the nature of funds received and held by the charity. The Executive Committee decided that Community Action Dacorum will seek to maintain free reserves within a target range of 9 to 12 months of net operating expenditure. The trustees will review the reserves policy in the middle and at the end of each year to determine whether it continues to be appropriate. Free reserves represent

unrestricted general funds of Community Action Dacorum and exclude both the restricted funds held and funds that have been designated by our Trustees. The free reserves also exclude any funds that could only be realised by disposing of fixed assets held for charitable use. As of 31 March 2024, the charity had free reserves of £1,164,543 which equates to 9 months of net operating expenditure.

Trustees are aware that with ongoing inflationary costs and reduction in income from some funding sources, recourses may be needed to support the delivery of our charitable purpose and are keen to ensure that appropriate provision is made to protect the charity.

Funds Held on Behalf of Others

As a part of our role as a CVS, Community Action Dacorum operates a payroll service for our members. As part of this service Community Action Dacorum holds funds on behalf of our member organisations, which are used to pay salaries on a monthly basis. As of 31st March 2024, the charity held £129,969 (2023: £129,898) on behalf of our payroll service users. These are held as a specific account in the Community Action Dacorum balance sheet and reported in Note 13.

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
Comply with applicable accounting standards, including FRS102, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
State whether a Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) applies and has been followed, subject to any material departures which are explained in the financial statements
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.

They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

There is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and
The trustees have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.

The Trustees’ Annual Report is approved by the trustees of the Charity. The Strategic Report, which forms part of the Annual Report, is approved by the trustees in their capacity as directors in company law of the Charity.

Signed on behalf of the trustees on 5th November 2024.

Colin Gage Chairman

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2024 Contents

	Page
Reference and administrative details	21
Auditors' report	22
Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities	25
Statement of Financial Activities	26
Consolidated Balance Sheet	27
Balance Sheet	28
Consolidated Cashflow Statement	29
Notes to the Financial Statements	31

Legal and administrative information

Company number:	01745852
Charity number:	288080
Registered office:	48 High Street
	Hemel Hempstead
	Hertfordshire
	HP1 3AF
Directors and Trustees:	Colin Gage (Chair)
	margaret Griffiths (Vice Chair)
	Doug Root (Vice Chair)
	James Lowe (Hon. Treasurer)
	William Allen
	Peter Ashman
	Chris Dove
	Richard Milnes
	Sally Symington
	Roger Taylor
	Helen Young
Chief Executive Officer:	Simon Aulton
Deputy Chief Executive Officer:	Helen Mutio
Auditors:	Moore Kingston Smith LLP
	4 Victoria Square
	St Albans
	Hertfordshire
	AL1 3TF
Solicitors:	SA Law
	Gladstone Place
	36-38 Upper Marlborough Road
	St Albans
	Hertfordshire
	AL1 3UU
Bankers:	The Co-operative Bank
	3/7 Market Street
	Watford
	Hertfordshire
	WD18 0PB
	Metro Bank
	56-58 Marlowes
	Hemel Hempstead
	Hertfordshire
	HP1 1DX

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ annual report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement set out on page 10, the trustees (who are also the directors of the group and charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group and charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under the Companies Act 2006 and section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with those Acts.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

The objectives of our audit in respect of fraud, are; to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the

Our approach was as follows:

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the group and charitable company and considered that the most significant are the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, the Charity SORP, and UK financial reporting standards as issued by the Financial Reporting Council.
We obtained an understanding of how the charitable company complies with these requirements by
We assessed the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements, including the risk of
We inquired of management and those charged with governance as to any known instances of non-
Based on this understanding, we designed specific appropriate audit procedures to identify instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. This included making enquiries of management and those charged with governance and obtaining additional corroborative evidence as required.

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Responsibilities of trustees

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under the Companies Act 2006 and section 151 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with those Acts.

Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Our approach was as follows:

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to the group and charitable company and considered that the most significant are the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011, the Charity SORP, and UK financial reporting standards as issued by the Financial Reporting Council.
We obtained an understanding of how the charitable company complies with these requirements by
We assessed the risk of material misstatement of the financial statements, including the risk of
We inquired of management and those charged with governance as to any known instances of non-
Based on this understanding, we designed specific appropriate audit procedures to identify instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. This included making enquiries of management and those charged with governance and obtaining additional corroborative evidence as required.

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Independent Auditor's Report to the Trustees of Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK) we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purposes of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the group and parent charitable company’s internal control.
Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the trustees.
Conclude on the appropriateness of the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the group and charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the group and charitable company to cease to continue as a going concern.
Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entities or business activities within the group to express an opinion on the consolidated financial statements. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and performance of the group audit. We remain solely responsible for our audit report.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the group and charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the group and company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to any party other than the group and charitable company and charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

………………………………………………. 4 Victoria Square Roger Ogden St Albans Senior Statutory Auditor Hertfordshire For and on behalf of Moore Kingston Smith LLP, Statutory Auditor AL1 3TF

Date: 5th December 2024

Type text here

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2024

Note INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS: Donations and legacies 2 Other trading activities Income from investments 3 Income from charitable activities 4 Total Income and Endowments EXPENDITURE: Expenditure on charitable activities 5 Total Expenditure Transfers 14 Reconciliation of Funds Balance brought forward at 1st April 2023 Balance carried forward at 31st March 2024 14 Net (Expenditure)/Income before other recognised gains and losses 8 Net (Expenditure)/ income after transfers between funds	General £ 451,899 14,736 35,111 501,746 2,637,373 2,637,373 3,139,119 2,844,758 2,844,758 294,361 (39,750) 254,611 1,015,551 1,270,162 Unrestrict	Restricted Designated Funds £ £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 39,750 - 39,750 790,789 3,958 790,789 43,708 ed Funds 2024	Total Funds £ 451,899 14,736 35,111 501,746 2,637,373 2,637,373 3,139,119 2,844,758 2,844,758 294,361 - 294,361 1,810,298 2,104,659	General £ 810,002 7,903 1,328 819,233 2,302,822 2,302,822 3,122,055 2,748,672 2,748,672 373,383 (529,000) (155,617) 1,171,168 1,015,551 Unrestrict	Restricted Designated Funds £ £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10,789 - 10,789 - (10,789) 529,000 - 529,000 (10,789) 261,789 14,747 790,789 3,958 ed Funds 2023	Total Funds £ 810,002 7,903 1,328 819,233 2,302,822 2,302,822 3,122,055 2,759,461 2,759,461 362,594 - 362,594 1,447,704 1,810,298

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year and all income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The notes on pages 31 to 42 form part of these financial statements.

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2024 Note INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS: Donations and legacies 2 Other trading activities Income from investments 3 Income from charitable activities 4 Total Income and Endowments EXPENDITURE: Expenditure on charitable activities 5 Total Expenditure Transfers 14 Reconciliation of Funds Balance brought forward at 1st April 2023 Balance carried forward at 31st March 2024 14 Net (Expenditure)/Income before other recognised gains and losses 8 Net (Expenditure)/ income after transfers between funds	General £ 824,280 14,736 30,187 869,203 436,843 436,843 1,306,046 1,011,685 1,011,685 294,361 (39,750) 254,611 1,015,551 1,270,162 Unrestri	Designated £ - - - - - - - - - - - - 790,789 790,789 20 cted Funds	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - 39,750 39,750 3,958 43,708 24	Total Funds £ 824,280 14,736 30,187 869,203 436,843 436,843 1,306,046 1,011,685 1,011,685 294,361 - 294,361 1,810,298 2,104,659	General £ 1,061,893 7,905 971 1,070,769 408,964 408,964 1,479,733 1,106,350 1,106,350 373,383 (529,000) (155,617) 1,171,168 1,015,551 Unrestrict	Designated £ - - - - - - - - - - 529,000 529,000 261,789 790,789 20 ed Funds	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - 10,789 10,789 (10,789) - (10,789) 14,747 3,958 23	Total Funds £ 1,061,893 7,905 971 1,070,769 408,964 408,964 1,479,733 1,117,139 1,117,139 362,594 - 362,594 1,447,704 1,810,298

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year and all income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The notes on pages 31 to 42 form part of these financial statements.

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Consolidated Balance Sheet

For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Notes 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets:
Tangible assets 9 105,619 68,506
Total fixed assets 105,619 68,506
Current assets:
Debtors 12 519,723 511,250
-
Short term desposits 598,004
Cash at bank and in hand 1,430,185 1,768,470
Total current assets 2,547,912 2,279,720
Liabilities:
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one
year 13 (548,872) (537,927)
Net current assets 1,999,040 1,741,792
Total assets less current liabilities 2,104,659 1,810,298
The funds of the charity:
Restricted funds 14 43,708 3,958
Designated Funds 14 790,789 790,789
Unrestricted funds
General funds 14 1,270,162 1,015,551
Total funds 2,104,659 1,810,298
----- End of picture text -----

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006, relating to small companies.

These financial statements were approved by the members of the Board of Trustees on 5th December 2024

......................................................

Mr Colin Gage Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees

Charity number: 288080

Company number: 01745852 (England & Wales)

The notes on pages 31 to 42 form part of these financial statements.

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Balance Sheet

For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Notes 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets:
Tangible assets 9 102,288 62,784
Investments 11 1 1
Total fixed assets 102,289 62,785
Current assets:
Debtors 12 628,275 1,298,388
-
Short term deposits 598,004
Cash at bank and in hand 1,148,101 854,181
Total current assets 2,374,380 2,152,569
Liabilities:
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year 13 (372,010) 2,002,370 (405,056)
Net current assets 2,002,370 1,747,513
Total assets less current liabilities 2,104,659 1,810,298
The funds of the charity:
Restricted funds 14 43,708 3,958
Designated funds 14 790,789 790,789
Unrestricted funds
General funds 14 1,270,162 1,015,551
Total funds 2,104,659 1,810,298
----- End of picture text -----

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006, relating to small companies.

These financial statements were approved by the members of the Board of Trustees on 5th December 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

......................................................

Mr Colin Gage Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees

Charity number: 288080

Company number: 01745852 (England & Wales)

The notes on pages 31 to 42 form part of these financial statements.

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Notes 2024 2023
£ £
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities 1 290,519 78,221
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest received 35,110 1,328
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (66,407) (4,541)
Proceeds on sale of fixed assets 497 47,399
Transfer to short term investments (598,004) -
Net cash used in investing activities (628,804) 44,185
Change in cash and cash equivalents in
the reporting period (338,285) 122,405
Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginning of the reporting period 1,768,470 1,646,065
Cash and cash equivalents at the end
of the reporting period 1,430,185 1,768,470
----- End of picture text -----

Notes to the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities

Net income for the reporting period Adjustments for: Depreciation charges Interest received Increase in debtors Increase/(decrease) in creditors Loss / (Profit) on disposal of assets Net cash provided by operating activities 2 Analysis of cash and cash equivalents Cash in hand Total cash and cash equivalents	2024 £ 294,361 26,581 (35,111) (8,473) 10,945 2,214 290,519 1,430,185 1,430,185	2023 £ 362,594 26,435 (1,328) (95,732) (185,115) (28,636) 78,221 1,768,470 1,768,470

Dacorum Council For Voluntary Service

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies

Basis of preparation of the Financial Statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and with the Companies Act 2006, The Charities Act 2011 and follows the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland ('the SORP'). The financial statements have been prepared on the historical basis except for the modification to a fair value basis for certain financial instruments as specified in the accounting policies below.

Going concern

The trustees have assessed whether the use of going concern is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charitable company to continue as a going concern. The trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of the approval of these financial statements. In particular, the trustees have considered the charitable company’s forecasts and projections and have taken account of pressures on fee income. After making enquiries, the trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charitable company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The charitable company therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.

Basis of consolidation

The results of DCVS Trading Limited have been consolidated on a line by line basis. The results for the subsidiary are disclosed in note 11.

Significant judgements and estimates

No items in these financial statements include significant judgements and estimates that management has made in the process of applying these accounting policies or that have a significant risk of causing material adjustment to the book value of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.

Incoming resources

Grants are recognised as income over the period to which they relate. Any grant funding received in advance is recognised as deferred income on the balance sheet.

All other incoming resources are recognised when the charity is entitled to the income, there is certainty of receipt and the monetary value can be measured with reasonable accuracy.

Resources expended and the basis of allocation of costs

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Overheads and other costs not directly attributable to particular projects are apportioned to the relevant funds on the basis of management estimates of the amount attributable to that activity in the year, either by reference to staff, time or space occupied, as

Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly and others are apportioned on an appropriate staff basis. All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories of the Statement of Financial Activities on a basis designated to reflect the use of the resources.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less. Deposits with a maturity date of over 3 months are presented as short term deposits.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost or valuation of fixed assets, less estimated residual value, over the expected useful life on the following basis:

Motor vehicles - 8 years Straight Line - Office fixture and fittings 20% Reducing Balance - Computer equipment 3 years Straight Line - Lease premium 7 years Straight Line

Investments

Interests in subsidiaries are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals are recognised immediately in profit or loss.

A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the charitable company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the intity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

Financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method, unless arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest.

Financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities are initially measured at transaction price.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for a particular purpose.

Designated funds are reserves which have been earmarked for particular uses by the trustees.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies (continued)

Foreign currency translation

Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate at the date of the transaction. All differences are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities.

2.1 Donations and legacies Gifts and donations Sponsorship Affiliation fees Grants	2024 2023 £ £ 21,333 9,900 3,572 7,001 14,710 17,338 412,284 775,763 451,899 810,002 Group

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

Dacorum Borough Council Hertfordshire County Council Other Grants	2024 2023 £ £ 62,758 43,409 151,524 344,280 198,002 388,074 412,284 775,763 Group

There was no restricted income during the current or prior year.

2.2 Donations and legacies Gifts and donations Sponsorship Affiliation fees Grants	2024 2023 £ £ 393,714 261,792 3,572 7,000 14,710 17,338 412,284 775,763 824,280 1,061,893 Charity

Grants received, included in the above, are as follows:

Dacorum Borough Council Hertfordshire County Council Other Grants	2024 2023 £ £ 62,758 43,409 151,524 344,280 198,002 388,074 412,284 775,763 Charity

There was no restricted income during the current or prior year.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |3.1|Investments|Group| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Bank interest|35,111|1,328|

----- End of picture text -----

There was no restricted investment income in the current or prior year.

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |3.2|Investments|Charity| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Bank interest|30,187|971|

----- End of picture text -----

There was no restricted investment income in the current or prior year.

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |4.1|Income from charitable activities|Group| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Management fees|21,881|13,135| |Contract income|2,451,707|2,061,657| |Rent receivable|10,700|3,600| |Earned income|152,811|194,688| |Other income|274|1,106| |Profit on disposal of fixed assets|28,636| |2,637,373|2,302,822|

----- End of picture text -----

There was no restricted income from charitable activities in the current or prior year.

----- Start of picture text -----
|||| |---|---|---| |4.2|Income from charitable activities|Charity| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Management fees|75,881|65,635| |Contract income|197,177|172,228| |Rent receivable|10,700|3,600| |Earned income|152,811|137,759| |Other income|274|1,106| |-| |Profit on disposal of fixed assets|28,636| |436,843|408,963|

----- End of picture text -----

There was no restricted income from charitable activities in the current or prior year.

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
5.1 Expenditure on charitable activities Group
2024 2023
£ £
Costs directly related to activities Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
-
Activity costs 103,081 224,017 224,017
Advertising and publicity 838 93 - 93
Communication costs 12,456 25,282 - 25,282
-
Computer costs 67,017 69,487 69,487
-
Office expenses 5,841 10,990 10,990
Events 1,249 3,426 - 3,426
Insurance 10,037 10,328 - 10,328
Staff conference and training 554 6,322 - 6,322
Direct staff costs (note 7) 1,356,394 1,345,928 10,789 1,356,717
-
Subscriptions and publications 2,964 4,977 4,977
-
Translation / interpreting 887,245 773,194 773,194
Premises costs 48,194 (1,691) - (1,691)
-
Motor expenses 43,422 41,665 41,665
-
Volunteer expenses 23,906 34,132 34,132
-
Depreciation 17,654 18,111 18,111
-
Sundry 9,001 13,285 13,285
-
Foreign exchange (gain)/loss 6,700 (10,470) (10,470)
2,596,553 2,569,076 10,789 2,579,865
Other
Advertising and publicity 893 7 - 7
-
Staff costs (note 7) 108,740 102,180 102,180
Communication costs 7,267 1,904 - 1,904
-
Computer costs 32,377 5,233 5,233
Office expenses 4,789 828 - 828
-
Governance costs (note 6) 71,932 56,075 56,075
-
Depreciation 8,927 8,324 8,324
-
Sundry 7,203 1,001 1,001
-
Bank charges 3,863 4,044 4,044
-
Loss on disposal of fixed assets 2,214
-
248,205 179,596 179,596
----- End of picture text -----

Support costs are allocated on a basis of time spent as determined by staff time allocation.

There was no restricted expenditure on charitable activities in the current year.

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

5.2 Expenditure on charitable activities Costs directly related to activities Activity costs Advertising and publicity Communication costs Computer costs Office expenses Events Insurance Staff conference and training Direct staff costs (note 7) Subscriptions and publications Translation / interpreting Premises costs Motor expenses Volunteer expenses Depreciation Sundry Foreign exchange (gain)/loss Other Advertising and publicity Staff costs (note 7) Communication costs Computer costs Office expenses Insurance Governance costs (note 6) Depreciation Sundry Bank charges Loss on disposal of fixed assets	2024 £ Total 102,174 966 7,329 35,176 5,933 1,249 10,037 464 538,743 2,964 15 48,084 43,422 23,906 17,654 7,962 6,683 852,761 765 43,190 5,803 27,847 4,697 - 59,976 6,689 6,304 3,334 319 158,924	Unrestricted Restricted Total 185,104 - 185,104 64 - 64 13,700 - 13,700 32,743 - 32,743 6,675 - 6,675 3,392 - 3,392 10,328 - 10,328 322 - 322 618,264 10,789 629,053 2,423 - 2,423 1,101 - 1,101 (1,691) - (1,691) 41,665 - 41,665 34,132 - 34,132 18,111 - 18,111 8,277 - 8,277 (10,470) - (10,470) 964,140 10,789 974,929 36 - 36 47,376 - 47,376 7,707 - 7,707 18,418 - 18,418 3,754 - 3,754 - - - 50,612 - 50,612 6,155 - 6,155 4,659 - 4,659 3,493 - 3,493 142,210 - 142,210 Charity 2023 £

Support costs are allocated on a basis of time spent as determined by staff

There was no restricted expenditure on charitable activities in the current year.

6.1 Governance costs

Auditors' remuneration Professional fees	Group £ 32,955 38,977 71,932

There were no restricted governance costs in the year.

6.2 Governance costs

Auditors' remuneration Professional fees	Charity £ 25,180 34,796 59,976

There were no restricted governance costs in the year.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

7.1 Staff costs - Group Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2024 £ 1,370,562 75,185 19,387 1,465,134	2023 £ 1,376,057 59,296 23,544 1,458,897

Included in staff costs above are costs in relation to contracted workers engaged via workers' agreements for translation and adult learning services. These workers are not employees of the charity.

Number of employees - Group The average number of employees including workers during the year was: Management Administration Activity 7.2 Staff costs - Charity Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs Number of employees - Charity The average number of employees during the year was: Management Administration Activity	2024 10 9 237 256 2024 £ 538,787 29,191 13,955 581,933 2024 10 9 24 43	2023 10 8 239 257 2023 £ 629,085 33,634 13,710 676,429 2023 10 8 32 50

Key management personnel include the Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer. The total employee benefits of the Group and Charity's key management personnel were £135,897 (2023: £125,210).

No trustees received any remuneration or were reimbursed for any expenses in the current or prior year.

8.1 Net incoming / outgoing resources Net movements in resources are stated after charging / (crediting): Auditors' remuneration Depreciation Loss / (gain) on foreign exchange 8.2 Net incoming / outgoing resources Net movements in resources are stated after charging / (crediting): Auditors' remuneration Depreciation Loss / (gain) on foreign exchange	2024 2023 £ £ 32,955 23,607 26,581 26,435 6,700 (10,470) 2024 2023 £ £ 25,180 18,144 24,343 24,266 6,683 (10,470) Group Charity

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
9 A) Tangible fixed assets Short Term Motor Plant &
Total
Group Lease Vehicles machinery
£ £ £ £
Cost:
At 1 April 2023 16,622 284,818 205,259 506,699
Additions - 57,516 8,891 66,407
-
Disposals (106,543) (168,614) (275,157)
At 31 March 2024 16,622 235,791 45,536 297,949
Depreciation:
At 1 April 2023 16,622 232,624 188,949 438,195
-
Charge for the year 17,652 8,926 26,578
-
Eliminated on disposal (106,543) (165,900) (272,443)
At 31 March 2024 16,622 143,733 31,975 192,330
Net Book Value:
At 31 March 2024 - 92,058 13,561 105,619
At 31 March 2023 - 52,194 16,310 68,504
9 B) Tangible fixed assets Short Term Motor Plant &
Total
Charity Lease Vehicles machinery
£ £ £ £
Cost:
At 1 April 2023 16,622 284,818 177,245 478,685
Additions - 57,516 7,148 64,664
-
Disposals (106,543) (149,131) (255,674)
Transferred to DCVS - -
At 31 March 2024 16,622 235,791 35,262 287,675
Depreciation:
At 1 April 2023 16,622 232,624 166,655 415,901
-
Charge for the year 17,652 6,688 24,340
-
Eliminated on disposal (106,543) (148,311) (254,854)
At 31 March 2024 16,622 143,733 25,032 185,387
Net Book Value:
At 31 March 2024 - 92,058 10,230 102,288
At 31 March 2023 - 52,194 10,590 62,784
----- End of picture text -----

10 Freehold property

The company holds the freehold of 3 St Mary's Road, Hemel Hempstead. This is subject to an equitable interest with Hightown Praetorian Housing Association Limited who are entitled to receive one half of the sale proceeds if the property is ever sold. The property is currently let to Dacorum Borough Council on a 125 year lease at a peppercorn rent. The lease commenced in December 1995.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

11 Fixed Asset Investments

The company has a trading subsidiary, DCVS Trading Limited, of which it is the sole shareholder. The company is incorporated in England & Wales and its registration number is 01745852.

In the year ended 31 March 2024 the company made profits of £nil and at the period end had net assets of £1 after donating profits of £372,381 (2023: £251,891) to the charity.

Cost as at 1 April 2023 Additions Disposals Cost as at 31 March 2024 12 Debtors Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors Amounts due from trading subsidiary 13 Trade creditors Funds held for others Tax and social security costs Accruals and deferred income Other creditors Movement in deferred income Deferred income brought forward Released in year New provision added Deferred income carried forward Creditors: amounts falling due within one year	Group £ - - - - 2024 2023 £ £ 478,516 202,859 40,774 308,390 433 - - - 519,723 511,250 2024 2023 £ £ 87,255 75,901 129,969 129,898 109,188 92,043 194,820 226,674 27,640 13,411 548,872 537,927 132,972 335,277 (132,972) (335,277) 79,631 132,972 79,631 132,972 Group Group	Charity £ 1 - - 1 2024 2023 £ £ 65,284 61,889 36,274 100,188 11,540 43,953 515,177 1,092,358 628,275 1,298,388 2024 2023 £ £ 87,255 75,901 129,969 129,898 158 856 136,440 184,990 18,188 13,411 372,010 405,056 131,943 335,277 (131,943) (335,277) 79,631 131,943 79,631 131,943 Charity Charity

Income is recognised in the year to which it relates, these conditions are set by grants and contracts.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

11 Fixed Asset Investments

The company has a trading subsidiary, DCVS Trading Limited, of which it is the sole shareholder. The company is incorporated in England & Wales and its registration number is 01745852.

In the year ended 31 March 2024 the company made profits of £nil and at the period end had net assets of £1 after donating profits of £372,381 (2023: £251,891) to the charity.

Cost as at 1 April 2023 Additions Disposals Cost as at 31 March 2024 12 Debtors Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors Amounts due from trading subsidiary 13 Trade creditors Funds held for others Tax and social security costs Accruals and deferred income Other creditors Movement in deferred income Deferred income brought forward Released in year New provision added Deferred income carried forward Creditors: amounts falling due within one year	Group £ - - - - 2024 2023 £ £ 478,516 202,859 40,774 308,390 433 - - - 519,723 511,250 2024 2023 £ £ 87,255 75,901 129,969 129,898 109,188 92,043 194,820 226,674 27,640 13,411 548,872 537,927 132,972 335,277 (132,972) (335,277) 79,631 132,972 79,631 132,972 Group Group	Charity £ 1 - - 1 2024 2023 £ £ 65,284 61,889 36,274 100,188 11,540 43,953 515,177 1,092,358 628,275 1,298,388 2024 2023 £ £ 87,255 75,901 129,969 129,898 158 856 136,440 184,990 18,188 13,411 372,010 405,056 131,943 335,277 (131,943) (335,277) 79,631 131,943 79,631 131,943 Charity Charity

Income is recognised in the year to which it relates, these conditions are set by grants and contracts.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

14 Reserves (continued)

During the prior year the Trustees took the decision to designate £529,000 to two reserves. £250,000 was designated to costs of a potential move of premises in future years and £279.000 was designated againsts a possible downturn in the fortunes of the trading subsidiary DCVS Limited. Following the successful negotiation of a new lease on the office, £250,000 has been redesignated against 4 specific projects to create employability opportunities for carers, expand the training and development function of the charity, expand the transport offering and to transfer Radio Dacorum to a DAB platform. Also included in designated funds brought forward was £261,789 of development funds for the expansion and modernisation of the charity. A project relating to the Highfield restricted funds is due to commence later in 2024. The minibus restricted reserve relates to an insurance payout to replace a minibus that was stolen.

15 A) Analysis of net assets - Group Fixed Assets Debtors Short term deposits Cash at bank and in hand 15 B) Analysis of net assets - Charity Fixed Assets Debtors Short term deposits Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Creditors: amounts falling due within one year	General £ 105,619 519,723 598,004 595,688 (548,872) 1,270,161 General £ 102,289 628,275 598,004 313,604 (372,010) 1,270,162	Designated £ - - - 790,789 - 790,789 Designated £ - - - 790,789 - 790,789	Restricted £ - - - 43,708 - 43,708 Restricted £ - - - 43,708 - 43,708	Total £ 105,619 519,723 598,004 1,430,185 (548,872) 2,104,659 Total £ 102,289 628,275 598,004 1,148,101 (372,010) 2,104,659

16 Pension commitments

The charity operates a defined contribution scheme. Contributions payable by the charity to the fund amounted to £24,617 during this year (2023 - £22,120).

There was an outstanding contribution amount at 31 March 2024 of £4,643 (2023: £724).

17 Operating lease commitments

Leases:

At the reporting end date, the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

Due within one year Due after one year	2024 £ 2,216 - 2,216	2023 £ 1,152 1,056 2,208

18 Share Capital

The company has no share capital and is limited by guarantee. Each members liability is limited to £1.

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

19 Related party transactions

DCVS Trading Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service. It is a company registered in England and Wales with the same registered office.

The Charity has taken the exemption under paragraph 33 of FRS 102 Section 1A from disclosing related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries.

DCVS (Trading) – Herts Interpreting and Translation Service

DCVS Trading Ltd is the commercial (trading) arm of Community Action Dacorum and is the mechanism through which it manages Herts Interpreting and Translation Service (HITS).

Founded in 2001 as a training provider for potential interpreters located within Dacorum, HITS is now one of the largest and most successful providers of language support services in the UK.

HITS provides a full range of services (faceto-face, video and telephone interpreting, communication support services for Deaf people, written translation, audio recordings, language assessments) for Health Trusts, Local Authorities, non-statutory-sector organisations, commercial and private clients throughout Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and beyond.

In addition to the delivery of language services, HITS has also established a national reputation

for its high-quality interpreter training courses. Since 2001, HITS has been a training and examination centre on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Linguists and has received more than a dozen awards for the success of its students in national examinations. As well as its own core training provision throughout the East of England, HITS has also been commissioned to deliver interpreter training courses by local authorities throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

HITS in numbers

Although bare numbers cannot hope to capture the high quality of the service we provide and the positive impact we have upon the lives of the users of our service, they do provide a good representation of the scope and extent of our work.

In the financial year, 2023-24, HITS received approximately 46,000 requests for interpreting and translation services from more than 170 customer organisations on behalf of over 15,000 end users.

As an indicator of the recent move away from in-person interpreting towards remote services, approximately 13,300 were requests for an interpreter to be provided via telephone and approximately 9,500 via video.

Across our entire customer base, the most requested language was Polish, with nearly 4,400 incidences, followed by Portuguese (3600), Romanian (3400), Lithuanian (3150) and Arabic (2800). Our Top Ten was rounded out by

Pashto (2200), Russian (2000), Urdu (1950), Turkish (1925) and Kurdish (1850).

Among the subject areas in which our interpreters most commonly operated were mental health services (7500 bookings), maternity (5500), child protection (2500), consent and support for surgery (2000), physiotherapy (1500), cancer treatment (700), GP appointments (600), school and college meetings (600), CT scans (450), diabetes (350), occupational therapy (250), dental (220), housing (200), driver awareness classes (200), hospice care (45) and Coroners Court (40). During the year, we provided interpreters for voluntary sector organisations on 315 occasions. We also provided an interpreter for one wedding!

During 2023-2024, HITS provided at least one interpreting session or written translation in more than 140 languages and dialects.

Case Studies

During the year, HITS deployed more than 400 interpreters and translators on at least one occasion. Nine interpreters were assigned on at least 450 occasions during the year.

The following three case studies show how HITS has successfully developed its own resources through a commitment to professional training and community development.

Nihal

Our most frequently engaged interpreter in 2023-24 was Nihal, a Turkish-language interpreter based in St Albans, who was booked on just under 700 occasions.

Nihal’s history is proof positive of the impact HITS has had on individual lives. She first contacted HITS in 2009 to enquire about enrolling on one of our introductory (“short”) training courses. From there she progressed to our full DPSI (Diploma in Public Service Interpreting) the following year and obtained the full degree qualification at her first sitting. Since 2010, she has turned that initial speculative enquiry into a full-time job and a profession.

Rahmatullah

Arriving in the UK as part of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, Rahmatullah trained with HITS in 2023 on a course funded by the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) and administered by Community Action Dacorum’s Training and Development service. In his first year of work after completing his training and passing his interpreter assessment, Rahmatullah had more than 550 assignments, making him our fourth most frequently engaged interpreter during the year.

Iram

An Urdu and Punjabi speaker living in Watford, Iram first trained with HITS in 2019 and joined the HITS interpreter Register the following year. She has since become one of our most outstanding interpreters. In 2023-24, as well as achieving her full DPSI qualification, Iram completed 520 assignments, making her our fifth most used interpreter for the year.

Contact Us

HITS provides a full service to its customers every minute of the day, every day of the year.

If you would like to book an interpreter, or arrange for a written translation, or if you are interested in finding out how you could train to become a professional interpreter, or if you just want to know more about any aspect of our overall service, please get in touch:

Address: Herts Interpreting and Translation Service, 48 High Street, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 3AF

Phone: 01442 867212 Email: interpreting@ communityactiondacorum.org.uk

Website: www.hertsinterpreting.org

Directors

Chris Dove Colin Gage Richard Milnes Terry Douris (Independent) Tup Dutta (Independent)

Legal and Administrative Information

NAME OF CHARITABLE COMPANY: Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service (Community Action Dacorum) Legal and Administrative Information

COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE NUMBER: 01745852

CHARITY COMMISSION NUMBER: 288080

TRUSTEES (NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS)

Colin Gage (Chair)

Margaret Griffiths (Vice Chair)

Doug Root (Vice Chair)

James Lowe (Hon. Treasurer) [Appointed 07 December 2023]

William Allen

Peter Ashman

John Birnie [Deceased 28 August 2024]

Chris Dove

Pushpa Kalu [Resigned 07 December 2023]

Richard Milnes [Appointed 07 December 2023]

Richard Roberts

Sally Symington

Roger Taylor

Helen Young

Trustees are inducted and have opportunities for ongoing training on a regular basis both individually and as a group.

Tina Howard [Resigned 07 December 2023]

SENIOR STAFF MEMBERS TO WHOM DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT OF THE CHARITABLE COMPANY IS

DELEGATED BY THE TRUSTEES:

Simon Aulton Chief Executive Officer Helen Mutio Deputy Chief Executive

PRINCIPAL ADVISERS:

BANKERS:

Metro Bank 56-58 Marlow Centre Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP1 1DX

ACCOUNTANTS:

AUDITORS :

LB Group Moore Kingston Smith LLP Swift House 4 Victoria Square 18 Hoffmanns Way St Albans Chelmsford Hertfordshire CM1 1GU AL1 3TF

The Cooperative Bank SOLICITORS: SA Law 3/7 Market Street Gladstone Place Watford 36-38 Upper Marlborough Road Hertfordshire St Albans WD18 0PB Hertfordshire

Background

Dacorum Council for Voluntary Service is a charitable company, limited by guarantee, originally incorporated on 8 December 1976 with its activities taken over by the company on 1 October 1983, and registered with the Charity Commission on 1 October 1983. In addition to the legal name the charity has as a working name Community Action Dacorum, which is primarily used in promoting the work and activities of the organisation.

We are a registered non-profit company limited by guarantee and governed by a memorandum of association and articles of association which date back to 11th August 1983. The charity is controlled solely by its members, who elect its trustees and whose members make up the board of directors. Trustees are appointed for an initial term of three years and can stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting for a maximum of three terms. During the current period of transition to comply with the principles of The Charity Code, we are working to replace some longer-standing trustees with new members. In this period several trustees are remaining on the board beyond the three-term limit to ensure that we do not lose all of our established skill sets at the same time.

The trustees elect from their membership the positions of Chair, two Vice Chairs and Honorary Treasurer. All trustees are volunteers and receive no payments. Trustees are elected to the executive board which meets eight times per year, alternating between general business (including risk management / mitigation) and financial review. The risk register is reviewed annually. Sub-committees monitor progress against our strategic objectives and report into the executive committee meetings four times per year.

Our CEO is responsible for operations reporting to the board four times per year. The CEO manages the management team who in turn manage staff, interns and volunteers. The

trustees set the salaries of key management personnel and oversee the allocation of pay increases for all personnel. Community Action Dacorum has an Equal Opportunity Policy which is applicable both internally to all staff, volunteers, the board and externally. We also have a Safeguarding Policy, a Modern Slavery Policy, a User Engagement Policy, a Data Management Policy, and a Volunteering Policy. We have an employee handbook and a Finance Management Policy.

The charity adheres to the guidelines laid down in The Charity Code and follows the principles that are in that document.

The charity has a wholly owned subsidiary trading company, “DCVS Trading Ltd.”, which includes Hertfordshire Interpretation and Translation Service (HITS). This trading company was formed prior to the financial year ending 31st March 2019. DCVS Trading Ltd., is a company limited by shares. It is controlled by a board of five directors brought together from the local community, including three directors who are trustees of the charity. The board meets 6 times per year to make decisions and receive the report of the Chief Executive Officer. The CEO is responsible for the operations and line manages the DCVS Trading Ltd. management team, who in turn line manage staff and contractors. All profits from the trading company are transferred under the terms of a deed of covenant by GiftAid donation to Community Action Dacorum.

We are grateful to our many sponsors and supporters some of whom are listed here:

Dacorum Borough Council

East of England Local Government Association

Hertfordshire Community Foundation

Hertfordshire County Council

Hertfordshire Interpreting and Translation Services

Hertfordshire County Councillors Locality Budget

Herts and West Essex ICB

Herts Sports Partnership

Herts Valleys CCG

NHS Charities Together

Step2Skills

The Mayor of Dacorum’s Fund

The National Lottery Communities Fund

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Registered Office: Community Action Dacorum 48 High Street Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 3AF Office telephone: 01442 253935

www.communityactiondacorum.org.uk Email: reception@communityactiondacorum.org.uk Web: http://www.communityactiondacorum.org Charity registered in England and Wales number 288080 Registered company number 01745852