Registered Charity No. 292359
TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT
For the period from 1 JANUARY to 31 DECEMBER 2024
We are a registered charity and have been providing services and activities, for the community in Pulborough and the surrounding villages since 1966
Chairman: John Dixon 01798 872667
Charity’s principal address: Alderbury, Church Hill, Pulborough, RH20 1AB
www.pdcca.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 292359
Chairman’s Annual Report
This has been a most successful year. We have increased the number of local vulnerable people we have supported, and the feedback from people has been heartwarming. So this includes the Lunch Club, where the numbers have nearly doubled, Pulborough Befriends, where they have more than doubled, the Community Transport Scheme, and the Pulborough Pop-in. All are therefore going from strength to strength, and more detail is set out in the full report. Because we are supporting so many more people, our costs rose, but the grants we received kept pace with this, which was very encouraging. Our funders will hopefully feel that their investment through us in our community has really paid off!
We are now developing a new scheme, for people who want to learn to cook for themselves, perhaps following a bereavement. We think there is a great need for this.
There has also been a lot of work behind the scenes. Partly of course with putting together funding applications, where we have had a high success rate, largely due to the careful targeting of applications and the sense of passion conveyed, where credit is due especially to Lynn Richards and Isla Moran. But also to the complete overhaul of our website and our social media presence, which is reaching new people and gives a sense of the real integration of our work, both within PDCCA and also with other organisations in the area, charities, churches, the health service and Councils.
I want to commend highly both those who lead our schemes: Christine Lindsay with Community Transport, Isla Moran with the Pop-in, Lynn Richards with Befriending, and Pippa Reid with the Lunch Club, and those who run the support services: Roland Brook our Treasurer, Louise Kaiser our Hon Secretary, Karen Brooks who does so much as our link with Tescos, Freddie Jones who is our indispensable link with Pulborough Medical Group, and Edna Henly, who has been for so many years a Trustee. Thanks also to David Croxson who has kept our Blue Angel wheelchair accessible vehicle on the road. Everyone and our very many Volunteers, contribute their time and their commitment to helping the people we support to have a more independent and fulfilling life, and to making Pulborough, West Chiltington and the neighbouring villages a better place for everyone to live in.
John Dixon OBE Chairman
24 April, 2025
Registered Charity No: 292359
Trustees’ Annual Report
Trustees who served during the period
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Trustee name Office (if any) Period served as Trustee
John Dixon OBE Chair Whole year
Louise Kaiser Secretary Whole year
Roland Brook Treasurer Appointed 18 April 2024
Karen Brooks Whole year
Edna Henly Whole year
Isla Moran Whole year
Mike Clenshaw Resigned 9 January 2024
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Structure, governance and management
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Type of governing document: The Association is governed by its Constitution which was adopted on 22 July 1985 and amended on 7 October 1991, 31 March 2003, 13 March 2013, 23 March 2015 and latterly on 18 April 2024. The Association is unincorporated.
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Trustee selection methods: Trustees are elected by the Committee. Trustees hold office for life or until discharged at their own request or by the Committee by resolution.
Objectives and activities
Our objects are:
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a) To promote the benefit of the elderly inhabitants of the area of benefit in any manner which is now or hereafter may be deemed to be charitable in law, and
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b) To relieve persons resident in the area of benefit who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress and to coordinate similar work undertaken in the said area by other voluntary organisations.
In planning our activities for the year we have complied with the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Our principal activities in Pulborough and the surrounding villages comprised the provision of a befriending service, community transport, a lunch club, and a pop-in. Further information is provided below. More detailed information regarding our services is available on request.
Registered Charity No: 292359
Our achievements and performance
Pulborough Befriends: Having launched in November 2022, Pulborough Befriends has now completed its second year of operation.
Pulborough Befriends matches Volunteer Friends with adults who live in the Pulborough area who are over 18 and are chronically lonely or socially isolated. Most of our Volunteer Friends are visiting people in their own homes for 1 hour, weekly.
We do not place any time limitations on the service we provide, and the relationship is encouraged to continue for as long as the person we visit, and their Volunteer Friend, wish it to.
During the year we have seen significant growth and overwhelming demand for our service. We have visited 39 people during 2024, and we have also facilitated several Group Befriending activities. These, combined with our visiting service, have enabled us to support 66 people in our community who are chronically lonely or socially isolated.
Pulborough Community Transport: provides transport to any medical appointment for members of the Pulborough community and the surrounding villages who have difficulty in accessing either public or private transport whether due to disability or age. Transport can be provided within an area as far west as Southampton, east to Brighton, north to Guildford and northeast to Redhill and East Grinstead.
During 2024 169 passengers were taken on 583 journeys. There is a general awareness of the service by members of the public alongside an understanding that it is well-organised, affordable and has reliable, polite and efficient drivers. Medical staff based at Pulborough Medical Group, regularly refer patients to PCT confident that a request for transport will usually be satisfied. In addition, 28 passengers completed 50 passenger journeys in the Blue Angel which is a purpose designed wheelchair assisted vehicle.
A total of 29 drivers currently volunteer to drive including 5 drivers trained for the Blue Angel, but there is an active campaign to recruit more drivers given the challenge of finding a driver to service all passenger requests.
We are grateful to our financial supporters including West Sussex County Council Forum for Accessible Transport.
Lunch club: this club provides weekly socials and lunch to older residents and has continued to operate throughout the year.
The number of regular members has increased by over 50% during the year as a result of a marketing campaign, and there are now 33 regular attendees.
Tesco Pulborough kindly provide many of the lunch groceries and also provide volunteer assistance, and we are also grateful for support from Rotary and Pentalpha Lodge. We are also dependent on a number of other valued volunteers who freely give their time to assist with the lunches.
Registered Charity No: 292359
Pulborough Pop-in: the Pulborough Pop-in was an initiative from our late President and Co-founder Jean Seagrim, and we are delighted that one of her children John Seagrim continues to cover the library room hire costs.
Over the past year the Pop-In has seen an average of 6-8 families every week, most of whom are regulars. During the year the Pop-in has been visited by a number of invited guests including the Early Help Team from Horsham District Council and from local churches. We were delighted to receive support from Rotary.
We are very grateful for the grants and donations received from The David Hunt Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Sussex Community Foundation, local councils, local organisations, and from individuals, but also for the many hours which volunteers contribute. Without such contributions we would not be able to continue all our existing activities.
Financial Review
Our cash at the bank as at 31 December 2024 totalled £37,554 including £9,858 in restricted funds.
The main financial risk to the Charity is a reduction in future grants and donations.
Funds are held to cover operational costs in the event of a loss of income and to meet any additional expenditure which may occur whether from current or planned expansion of services.
The Charity reported a surplus of £1,062 during the year. No funds are in deficit on a cumulative basis.
Declaration
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ Annual Report above.
Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees on 24 April 2025 by:
John Dixon OBE Chair
Louise Kaiser Secretary
Registered Charity No: 292359
PULBOROUGH ef DISTRICT COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLANO WALES PULBOROUGH & DISTRICT COMMUNITY CAREASsOCTI0N RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS No 292359 From I JANUAY 2024 Port wk¥J 31 DEc£ER 2024 Section A Receipts and payments funds Jnds Toial pri year 2023 A1 Receipts D C put( P C Wesi P C Wesl SUS County Council ForumTDI Trs[)rt The &Jsx CommNty Fndar The twd WnlFcdJndafjL We#oTh The thnal Loiby Commr DDrthon F4te¥ 5,orx) 1,0 2,OfN) 6.9 5,OL¥) 5.orx) 1,257 279 1,257 219 4,988 1,255 Lunch Cknb I)ILet reipts Intsr8st 4170 6n 4U6 381J I U220 Sub total 37,620 22,8 A2 Asset and Invesknentsaks Totsi recelpts 15,4fy) 37,Fb) 22,876 A3 Payments Betilei for 12,Q24 24 9.122 LunGh 9.1r 9,676 11,176 10,2B6 Cra1 Sub tot81 13,$24 3& A4 Asset and Invesknent purchases TO181yts 13,$24 Net of receipts1lpaytrI$> AS Ttansfers Ixtween A6 Cash funds lastyearend Cash funds this yoar end 1,U7fj 1,062 2e.510 7.982 S58 3&402 37.554 42.817 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unr@strted fund5 ReSt[t@ Totsl d5 B1 Cash fut>. Bank 9,85B 37.554 B2 Otretary assels 37,554 85 u1 Sw8dforaKIb6IdI Trtssiees Slgnabjre John ThE. Date of approval 24WIlZ Registered Charity No: 292359 T[ear 24NYil 2025
PULBOROUGH ef DISTRICT COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION (HARIIY (OMMISON FOR MiII4oANOw Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Rtport to the Trust¢¢s ol PULBOROUGH & DISTRICTCQMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIAnON On accounts for the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024 Charlty no. 292359 Set out on page Attathed. I report to the trustee5 on my examination of Ihe accounts of the above charity I'lhe Trust") for the yèar ènded 31 Decèmbèr 2024 Responslbllltles and As the charity's trusteés, you are responsibl? for thè prèparation of th8 accounts in basls of report accordanc8 With the requirements of the Charities Act 20111"th? Acfl. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carrEd out under section 145 of tt)e 2011 Act and In carrwng out my èxamination. I havtr followèd all Ihé applicabl? Dir8cIK)ns gni8n by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent I have eompletsd my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my •xamln•V$ statement attenb'on in connection wth the examin8tion which gives m8 cause to believe ihat in. any rnalerial re5ped". Ihe awounbng rewrds were not kept in 8cGordaDce with 5e¢ts"on 130 of the Chants"es Act.. or Ihe actounts did not accord vnth the attountinu records." or thè accounts did not comply with the applicablè rèquirèmènts concèming the bmi and cont&nt of accounts set out in th& Charit&s (Accounts and Reports) Regulation8 2008 other than any requir8menl th81 the 8ccounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part cf an independent exarnlnatn. I hav8 no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which altenlion should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the a¢¢ounts to b$ rea¢hod. Signed Peter Lloyd on 24 April 2025 Address Highfiald, 20 Haglands Copse, Pulborough. RH20 20W. Re9lStered Chority No.. 292359