ARROW RIDING CENTRE Darenth Park Avenue Dartford Kent DA2 6LZ Tel: 01322 294390 Email: arc@arrowridingcentre.com Web: www.arrowridingcentre.com ## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025** |Pages|1|Trustees Report for the year ended 31stMarch 2025| |---|---|---| |Pages|2-11|Accounts and notes thereon for the year ended 31stMarch 2025| |Page|12|Independent Examiner`s Report on the accounts for the year ended 31stMarch 2025| Arrow Riding Centre for the Disabled Registered Charity No: 291623 Member of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 1 ## **TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2025** Although we increased the price of our services during the year – costs of essential supplies rose faster and with a fall in donations we incurred a deficit of £18,613. As in previous years since “covid” this sum will be covered by our reserves. With the services we provide for our riders every effort is made to keep prices at an affordable level. Unfortunately with the budget changes which came into effect from 1[st] April 2025 – namely the substantial increase in the National Living Wage. This resulting in us having to make further increases in the cost of therapy and riding lessons as well as the price of other services we offer. The increase in Employer`s National insurance should largely be off-set by the increase in the small business relief. The other services we provide - include hiring out our facilities for meetings, examinations, elections, dog club, horse events, pony days, tea with a pony and special events for Easter, school holidays and Christmas. We still look to provide our facilities for other uses that increase our income. During the year our equine team lost “Jack” who died suddenly and “Dolly”who has gone into retirement. With the earlier loss of “William” leaving the rest of the team having to work harder. Once again charity Shelby Newstead came to our rescue and purchased “Eric” for us with the promise of help for a second horse or pony. We are extremely grateful to them and would also like to thank Dartford Borough Council, Kent Masonic Lodges, many other organizations and individuals for their financial and help with projects. Not forgetting the essential work and dedication of our volunteers, staff and yard manager/chief instructor Natalie Scott. Our condolences to the family of a long time member of Arrow – Joan Styles who died suddenly Ken Blake hon. chairman/treasurer **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 2 **Establishment and property 2024/25** The Centre was founded in 1982 by the Dartford Lions. This following permission being given by the Local Health Authority for Arrow to use for riding for the disabled, free of charge, the old farm buildings and land which formed part of the original Darenth Park hospital complex. During the 1990`s a Public Finance Scheme was established whereby the District Health Authority agreed to release land for housing in exchange for the construction of a new hospital – Darent Valley The grounds and buildings which we had been using being transferred to Dartford Borough Council (DBC) under a 99 year lease from the Secretary of State for Health. This document stipulating that the property can only be used as public open space/country park and associated uses with the exception of the existing cemeteries and riding school or for agricultural use. No rental sum being charged. With grants DBC obtained from English Countryside and the Millennium Fund, together with not insignificant sums raised by ourselves through the Bluewater contractors golf day, a loan, other donations and matched funding , DBC has upgraded the parkland areas, our indoor arena, main building and barn To remain in occupation, however, DBC required us to enter into a lease to include the reconstructed main building, indoor riding arena, barn, some grazing together with two stable wings originally built in 1875 We now hold the property under a lease from DBC for a term of 30 years from 1[st] April 2007. The current rent is £3,000 a year subject to five yearly rent reviews. We are responsible for insurance of the buildings and repairs to the reconstructed parts. With the restrictions on the use of the property being reflected by the rental charge. We also hold under licence from DBC around 20 acres of grazing at a rent of £1 a year. With our being responsible for the internal fencing DBC makes small grants to local charities run by volunteers. Since 2000 we have been fortunate enough to benefit from such awards for which we are extremely grateful. The sums having completely off-set any rent due. In addition this year DBC have awarded us a community grant of £5,000 and we are also upgrading our electrics from a further grant of £5,000 instigated by DBC. As HRH the Princess Royal commented on a visit to us – “you are really lucky to have a Council that gives you so much support” **Objects of the Centre** **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 3 **2024/25** To help children and adults with physical or learning difficulties by the following:- Improve head – spine control – eye and hand co-ordination – circulation and muscle relaxation using the pony/horse to provide a unique form of therapy (Hippotherapy).- Teaching to horse or pony ride. With the opportunity to progress in dressage to competing at National and International levels. Increase confidence and self-esteem and for us to see that every one who finds a visit to the Centre to be both physically beneficial and enjoyable. To comply with our health & safety policy and liability insurance – every rider must first have completed an application form. This can be downloaded from our website. ## **Rider`s safety** We are licenced by DBC under the Animal Welfare Regulation 2018. We have been given a 5 star rating. We employ a small team of very capable people who have RDA or British Horse Society teaching qualifications as well as considerable equine experience. Also we have two experienced RDA volunteer instructors who give their time to us. We are also very fortunate to have an extremely talented volunteer Chartered Physiotherapist who gives her services to us and arranges programmes of therapy for both mature and our youngest from 18 months of age. It is necessary in nearly all lessons to have volunteer horse leaders and side helpers. Each has undergone RDA training and both volunteers and staff have been cleared under our Safeguarding Policy. Employer and public liability risks are covered under a group policy implemented by the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) ## **Ponies and horses** Our team have been specially trained for the work we do and are:- Beline Bertie Blue Champ Eric Mia Truffles Wilma Rosa and Jeremy (our mechanical horse) **Membership 2024/25** ## **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 4 Membership is made up from people involved with our development. Currently we have 7 members who are entitled to attend and vote at general meetings either in person or by proxy. Of that number we have a committee of five persons (trustees) who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Centre. Each being a volunteer who is “hands on” assisting with lessons, taking care of our ponies and horses – various tasks on the yard – repairs – administration – fund raising etc. The current members being as follows:- Kenneth Blake FCG hon chairman/treasurer Marilyn Stapley Valerie Blake BEM hon group organizer Patricia McMillen Noelle Basten hon secretary During the year none of the committee members received any honorarium, attendance allowance or payment of any kind ## **Insurance** Of buildings based upon valuations made by Chartered Surveyors acting for DBC (Landlords) who currently insure the buildings and our tack and other equipment with Zurich Insurance plc Our ponies and horses are not insured the average cost of each being £6,000 Liability insurance is covered under an RDA group policy. The RDA provides us with support and training including safeguarding where our staff and volunteers have been security cleared. In addition none of our trustees are barred or prevented by legislation from acting in that capacity. During the financial year there were no serious accidents or incidents leading to claims under our policies. ## **Continuance** Our accounts are prepared on the basis that we shall continue to operate in the future despite the present difficulties. In the event of our closure any remaining assets would have to be transferred to another charity with similar objects to our own. **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 5 ## **INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025** |**2023/24**
48,226

23,465
49,156
27,221
7,022
155,090
**2023/24**
116,406

3,248
13,081
3,453
1,635
1,600
12,378

11,301

3,168

166,270
7,950

174,220
(**19,130)**|**INCOME**
Donations & sponsorships
(note 1)
Fund raising
(note 2)
Riding lessons
Donations from stabling

Miscellaneous income
(note 3)
**TOTAL INCOME FOR THE YEAR**
**EXPENDITURE**
Salaries & NIC instructors & grooms (note 4)
Buildings & liability insurance

Heat, light & water

Repairs & renewals

Stationery, telephone, broadband

Training, transport & subscriptions

Horse/pony – feed and bedding

Veterinary & farrier services

Tack, hygiene & yard expenses


Special expenditure
(note 5)
**TOTAL EXPENDITURE FOR YEAR **
DEFICIT FOR YEAR
£|

**£**













**(**|**2024/25**
44,748
27,005
61,132
28,528
6,851
168,264
**2024/25**
127,953
4,782
13,539
5,328
1,846
2,008
10,797
11,847
3,777
181,877
5,000
186,877
**18,613**)| |---|---|---|---| |**ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED**
**BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31ST MARCH 2025**
**2023/24**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
112,372
Bank accounts
(note 6)
50
Cash in hand
6,527
Debtors
(note 7)
**118,949** **TOTAL ASSETS**
16,812
Creditors & accruals
(note 8)
80,000Reserves (note 9)
96,812

**22,137 ** **ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**

Represented by:-
16,867
Accumulated funds at 31stMarch 2021
(19,130)
Deficit for year
(2,263)
4,400 Balance of RDA loan waived (note 10)
20,000
Transfer from reserves
(note 7)
**22,137**
|Page 6
**2024/25**
£ 94,920
101
5,143
**100,164**
16,640
70,000
86,640
£ **13,524**

22,137
(18,613)
3,524
__
10,000
**£ 13,524**| |---|---| ## **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** ## Page 7 ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025** ## **NOTE 1 DONATIONS & SPONSORSHIPS OF £25 AND ABOVE** |||**2024/25**| |---|---|---| |Adams|Jackie
|400| |Barclays|Thames & Gateway|150| |Barnes|Ron & Eileen|400| |Blake|Ken & Val|600| |Bexley|Group Therapeutic Riding|595| |Bluewater|Forum|238| |Bowles|Charitable Trust|1,000| |Bramwell|Michael & Henrietta|240| |Bristow|Lynn|120| |Buttress|Alan|35| |CBRC|Chelsham & Bromley Riding Club|1,090| |City|Central Cleaning Company|1,000| |Crossways|Limited Dartford|405| |Currans|Rosanna|31| |Dartford|Borough Council community funding|5,004| ||Borough Council low emissions funding - upgrading electrics 5,000|| ||Cricket Club|120| ||Ladies Probus|162| |Fox|Estate Agents - Dartford
|25| |Healthcare|Retirement Group|122| |Hunnisett|Derek and Linda|100| |Jefferies|Diane|30| |Kennedy|Celia|980| |KRB|Consultant Ltd|100| |LAMBARA|Longfield|1,992| |Lock|Jackie|100| |Maison|Maurice Ltd|600| |Mannion|Michael & Mary|7,895| |Mathews|Brian
|1,000
| ## **ARR0W RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** ## Page 8 ## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025** ## **NOTE 1 DONATIONS & SPONSORSHIPS OF £25 AND ABOVE (continued)** |Masonic Lodges Burnt Ash No 6285
Beauchamp
1422
Chapter of Emulation 299
Grand Mark Lodge Kent 857

Ideal Endeavour
7379
London Borough of Woolwich
6610
Mark Mason & Mariners 1494
Meridian
9202
Richard of Bordeaux
8333
Saye & Seal
1973
Walsingham
2148
Westwood Chapter Rose Croix 764
Rooke
Jodie
Sheldon
Charlotte
Sittingbourne & Milton Regis Ladies Golf Club
Smithy`s
Mobile café
Southfleet
WI
Three Pillars Gravesend
Vaughan
Joan
Wanstall
Mike & Sally
Ward
Trina
Warren
Helen
Whelan
Mrs Elizabeth

White
Debbie
Write
Trak Ltd
Other Donations via Kindlink - towards hay, raffles etc
Small sums

In Memory of Maurice Barlow
Carol Larbey
Much Beloved
anon
TOTAL DONATIONS|**2024/25**
489
500
250
675
150
80
150
1,500
240
250
200
250
148
150
50
1,067
60
464
25
500
1,000
100
150
30
5,200
330
162
500
290
254
£44,748| |---|---| |**ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED**||Page 9| |---|---|---| |**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2025**||| |**NOTE 1 DONATIONS & SPONSORSHIP CONTINUED**||| ||**2023/24**|**2024/25**| |Total Donations
£48,226||£44,748| |-||| |**NOTE 2 FUNDRAISING**||| |Carol concert, dressage, shows, events etc|£ 5,158|£ 5,219| |Hiring – out our facilities|19,632|22,396| |Collection boxes/collections|346|1,126| ||25,136|28,741| |Less: cost of fund raising
|1,671
|1,736| ||23,465|27,005| |**NOTE 3 MISCELLANEOUS INCOME**||| |Gift aid recovery
|£ 4,163|£ 3,742| |Bank interest (net of chgs)
|2,859|3,074| |Sale of sundry items
|---|35| ||7,022|6,851| |**NOTE 4 SALARIES & NIC**
||| |Salaries
£|112,601
|£ 122,583| |Employers NIC
|3,200|4,765| |Work place pension
|605
|605| ||116,406|127,953| During the year we employed an average of three full-time and three part-time instructors/horse carerers Employers NIC was only payable on sums due to HMRC above £5,000 in the 2024/25 tax year. All employees are paid above the National Living Wage. |**ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED**|**ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED**|||Page 10| |---|---|---|---|---| |**NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST**|||**MARCH 2025**|| |||**2023/24**||**2024/25**| |**NOTE 5 SPECIAL EXPENDITURE**||||| |Purchase of Rosa|£ 7,950||Upgrading of electrics £5,000|| |**NOTE 6 BANKING**||||| |Current account with CAF Bank Ltd||32,372||24,920| |Charity Deposit account||80,000||70,000| ||£112,372|||£94,920| |**NOTE 7 DEBTORS & REPAYMENTS**|||**NOTE 8 CREDITORS & ACCRUALS**|| |Gift Aid||634|HM Revenue & Customs 1,986|| |Hire of Facilities||1,020|Nest pension scheme|118| |Fund raising||210|Marjorie Mc Clure lessons 5,000|| |Interest on deposit account||1,330|Feed & bedding
|1,716| |March receipt banked April||1,007|Electricity
|695| |Sundry Debtors||942|Building insurance|964| ||£ 5,143||Stabling in advance|1,150| ||||Sundry creditors|5,011| |||||£16,640| |**NOTE 9 CHANGE IN RESERVES**||||| |Building fund|20,000||General reserve
|80,000| |Transfer above from reserve|(20,000)||Transfer from above|(10,000)| |General reserve|80,000|||| ||£80,000|||£70,000| ## **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 11 **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025** ## **OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION SINCE COVID** |Deficit 2020/21
|£23,603| |---|---| |21/22|23,946| |22/23|10,098| |23/24|19,130| |24/25|18,613| ||95,390| |Covid reserve created 20/2145,243|| Balance of deficit to date £ 50,147 ## **ASSETS** Ponies & Horses at cost £32,946 (2023/24 £29,796) Saddles at yard manager`s valuation 6,250 (2023/24 £ 6,000) New Holland Tractor purchased 2014/15 18,995 ( Major part of funding donation from QBE European Insurance Group UK) Mechanical horse at cost 2018/19 -including Mounting blocks and installation 47,194 ( purchased from various donations) Other assets – mainly s/h furniture and tack All of the above assets have been purchased from donations and gifts. With our charitable status the Trustees do not see any purpose in their inclusion within the balance sheet and having to provide provision for depreciation. In the case of our ponies and horses – this would necessitate write-offs in the event of retirement or the death of an animal. ## **ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED** Page 12 ## **ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1[ST] APRIL 2024 TO 31[ST] MARCH 2025** ## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE ARROW RIDING CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED:** The charity trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). Under Section 145(1) (a) of the Act the trustees have elected for the accounts to be examined by an independent examiner. I have been appointed by the trustees to undertake that task. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust`s accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act and In carrying our my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission Under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act. ## **Independent examiner`s statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect :- - 1 accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Act; or - 2 the accounts do not accord with those records; or - 3 the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set our in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a “true and fair view” which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed Alan Buttress 109 Coombfield Drive Darenth Kent DA2 7LE