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2022 Annual report for the Downswood Community Association
(Established in 1986).
Before we start I should mention that it’s a very sad time for all of us losing her Majesty the Queen last week, who was just like a loving, caring Mother to the whole country for the last 70 years & I also feel I have to include . . . . long live the King!
This is the annual report for the Downswood community association, a registered charity (No. 298218), which is to be approved at the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the charity trustees to be held on Tuesday 13th September 2022 and then sent to the charities commission along with a copy of the DCA annual audited accounts, remembering of course that this annual report will be read by someone with no knowledge whatsoever of the DCA, who we are & how we operate, so it may come across to our general committee as a big pat on the back for everyone & why not?
The Downswood Community Association (the DCA), is operated and managed by a general committee of charity trustees who are governed by a constitution. The DCA general committee currently consists of twelve charity trustees, made up of Honorary Officers, Ordinary committee members and representative of DCA Sections, affiliated groups and statutory authorities.
The community centre has been exclusively and successfully managed by volunteers from the Downswood community association since the opening in 1990. We receive no regular funding to run the centre and our income is purely from
Honorary officers:
Honorary Secretary – Diane Everett Honorary Treasurer – VACANCY Ordinary committee members:* Val. Saunders.
Rose Langlands Centre user group representatives:
Bernard Dunn – DOARA - Active Retirement Association – (AFFILIATED GROUP). Scott Raffle – Willington Players – (AFFILIATED GROUP) Mike Dyerball – East Sutton Community Youth Theatre – (AFFILIATED GROUP). Lorraine Rowe – Kidz Kung Fu Academy – (AFFILIATED GROUP). Nicki Cooper - Willow Rise Pre-School - (AFFILIATED GROUP). Pete Fincham - Downswood Parish Council (STATUTORY AUTHORITY).
- Also responsible for the day to day management of the centre.
As we still have no volunteers for the role of Honorary Treasurer, the regular monthly accounting is carried out by the Honorary Officers of the association.
All major decisions concerning the DCA and the community centre are discussed at general committee meetings which are held five times a year with the DCA Honorary Officers managing the day to day running of the community centre & any major expenditure associated with this day to day running of the centre is reported at every following general committee meeting, however we must never forget that the DCA charity trustees are all ultimately responsible for managing the association and the centre & must ensure we have a safe, clean and efficient community centre which we appear to do very well.
The DCA currently have three part time employees who work in connection with the community centre centre management team, one caretaker who unlocks the community centre every morning, de-activates the intruder alarm and checks to ensure that the centre is ready for our hirers. Two part time cleaners who work alternate weeks, sometimes well after midnight, clean the whole centre, lock and activates the security alarms every evening. We also have a booking secretary who charges for their services.
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Aims and objectives:
The aims and objectives of the Downswood community association have not changed since the DCA was established in 1986 and as stated in our constitution and we still manage and provide a fantastic community centre in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time activities improving the conditions of life for the residents of Downswood. The centre also provides a wide variety of groups which are available to anyone in the area, along with information distribution, social events organised and run by the DCA volunteers & the opportunity for private hirings at weekends.
Current regular hirings at the Downswood community centre currently include:
Monday: Willow Rise Pre-School, the new Downswood community Pre School, Downswood Bowls Club, KIdz Kung Fu,
Tuesday: Willow Rise Pre-School, Downswood community Pre School, Kent School of Bridge, Kidz Kung Fu, Hilary’s Pilates group & monthly Downswood Parish Council, Community Association or Maidstone Lions meetings. Wednesday: Willow Rise Pre-School, Downswood community Pre School, Downswood Bowls, Clubacise keep fit, Kidz Kung Fu & once a month a Bonsai club..
Thursday: Willow Rise Pre-School, Downswood community Pre School, Kidz Kung Fu, the Willington Players Drama Group & the Downswood Badminton Club.
Friday: Willow Rise Pre-School, Downswood community Pre School, Downswood Active Retirement Association and the Kent Karate group.
One Saturday group is Mike Dyerball’s children’s drama group.
Achievements over the past twelve months:
Well, we survived the COVID pandemic with the help of community services grants from the government, so the centre is still open for anyone & everyone to enjoy, with the recent addition of a refurbished disabled toilet & most recently the lounge.
I know many of our general committee are from individual regular groups & it’s these groups we rely on for regular income, but our booking secretary does a fantastic job with all the private weekend hirings, sometimes with four children’s parties in one day & larger parties sometimes until midnight. You may not realise it, but Vanessa not only takes the bookings, but does show rounds for larger private hirers if they ask for it & meets every single one of them to not only allow access, but to remind them of their responsibilities before, during & after their hiring.
Our cleaner also carry out a fantastic job for us, sometimes when many of us are in our beds! The centre management also have to keep on top of the health & safety regulations necessary, along with all the
certificates, licenses, maintenance, cleanliness & the general look of the place. Yes, we pay a lot for our gardener every month, but if the grass wasn’t cut & the outside was covered in weeds it would stop people hiring it.
This means there are occasions there are people, (who have never been to the centre before) walk in & remark how lovely it is. They will hopefully go away & mention this to their friends & families, I believe we should all be proud of this.
The community association organised & run some social/fundraising events over the past twelve months, these included The annual children’s Easter egg hunt where we made £261.00 this year, not a fantastic amount I know, but it’s a great little community event & all the kids enjoy it. The annual summer fete which was unfortunately the same weekend as Her Majesty the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations where there were many other events taking place, but we still managed to raise over £1700. A Quiz night last November where we made just under £400.
Forthcoming events already planned are;
a Quiz night on Saturday 24[th] September for teams of eight.
A children’s Halloween party on Saturday 29[th] October. A private event - A Drag Night on Sunday 11[th] December, where the DCA will be running the bar.
Other fundraising events in the planning stage are a cheese & wine evening & a race night both of which are still being discussed by the fundraising team.
All DCA events are organised by our very hard working fundraising team, not just the organisation but running them & I do understand everyone has busy lives, but It may not be such hard work if we had some more volunteers on the fundraising team.
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We should not only thank the fantastic volunteers who help us organise & run these events, but everyone who supports us by donating prizes and/or coming along to the events.
The future:
As far as the centre is concerned, as I’ve already mentioned, following COVID we are lucky enough to have the return of most of our regular groups, which of course means we have the income necessary to operate normally. Sadly we lost a few of our smaller, regular groups over the past year; Sewing Club, Cate’s Keep fit club & the Wiggles & giggles children’s group. The daily Tipee & twinkle toes after school club also never really got started, couldn’t get the children she expected & have now finished, but we do however have another daily Pre-school in the lounge , run by Bonnie Slater & we all wish her good luck.
The centre is here for our residents enjoyment & all our charity trustees have all volunteered to take on the roll to ensure this continues for as long as possible.
Unless anyone has any questions, additions or alterations can the DCA general committee approve the DCA annual report & the audited accounts ready for them both to be sent off to the Charity commission.
Thank you.
Downswood Commtjnty Association Balance Sheet A$ al 31 May 2022 2022 2021 FA- Spare category Cost- b11 Depn. blhwd 25,333 125.3331 25,333 125.3331 FA- Other Loft CDnvwsion Millennium Project 16.160 10.000 28.160 978 1,309 2,287 20 22,113 12,796 34.929 16.160 10.000 26,160 Debtors Fete June 2022 Trade debtors Bank Booking fee float Current al¢ Dewt ale 20 18.424 ,795 27,239 63.376 53.399 Credrtors Accnjals Booking Fees in a(fvance Key Depwts 14801 17.9861 11201 18,5861 13841 12.4941 {1201 12.9981 18,586} 12.9981 Net assets 54.790 50.401 Accurnulated Fund Accumulated Fund Blfv Exces(Defi¢ll) to Fund 50.401 4,388 41.638 8,764 54.790 50,401 General Fun 54,790 50,401 Pag¢1of1
Downsw0j Communty Association Income & Expenditure AcGount For the year ended 31 May 2022 2022 2021 Inenme AffilMtion Fees BoOn5 Fee5 Donations & Gr*nts Fundraising Interest 100 49.088 4.049 2.335 19.342 36.693 74 $5,573 55,573 56,227 56,227 Gros8 profit Exp$09 Aeeountsnts I5 Cleaning Fundraising expenses Gardening Insuran. woperty Licenwd Repatr$ & Rents Stabonery an¢Y pnnts'ng Sundry expense5 Ub"11SerV1ces Wages and sdanes 14801 {4701 {6851 111,5571 12.0811 11.5431 17,0841 15861 11851 110,2161 116,2961 {3841 17931 16.6201 12.0311 12,6371 15.3691 11161 {581 113.6661 115,7701 151.1851 147.4641 EXC9{D"t>tO Fund 4,388 8,764 Page1of1
DOWNSWOOD COMMUNrrY ASSOCIATION YEAR ENDED 1st MAY 2022 Variance Anal Is 2020121 Excess of Income over Expenditure 8764 INCOME Higher booking fees Higher Affiliation Fees Higher Donations Lower Grants 29746 50 49 -32693 Same payphone Lower Interest received Hlgher Fundraising -73 1582 TOTAL -1339 EXPENDITURE Lower Services-utilities Hlgher Insurance Lower Cleaning Higher gardening Higher Repairs & Maintenance Higher Office expenses Higher wages Same Telephone Lower Licences Higher Audwt & Accountancy Same Bank ¢harge5 Higher Sundries Same Bad debts 3470 320 -4937 -1715 470 -527 1094 -96 -128 Same Depreciation TOTAL -3037 2021122 Excess of Income over Expenditure 4388
DOWNSWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MAY 2022 The following accounts have been Approved by the Trustees on Date 15.09 2L and signed on their behalf by: John Everett Chairperson ACCOUNTANTS REPORT I certify that the accounts overleaf show a true and fair view of the Downswood Community Association's affairs for the year ended 31 May 2022 and the Balance Sheet at that date and are in accordance with the books and records for that year. All Funds are Unrestrirted. T.G.Aylward FAIA FMAAT Hon.Auditor