**The Living Well Project Trustees’ Annual Report** 1[st] November 2024 to 31[st] October 2025 ## **Charity contact information** The Living Well Project Scottish Charity Number: SC042266 The Living Well Project Brimmond Church Bucksburn Aberdeen AB21 9SS info@thelivingwellproject.org.uk www.thelivingwellproject.org.uk **2** ## **Charity Trustees** Name all of your charity trustees for the period, and the date they left if they were not in post for the whole year 1. Daniel Bennett (Convenor) 2. Margaret Stapel (Secretary) 3. Taibat Ghbadamosi (Treasurer) 4. Melaine Reid 5. Jonathan Clipston 6. Peter Johnson (until 1[st] May 2025) 7. David Stewart (from 1[st] May 2025) 8. Mary Smith 9. Muriel Reid 10. Jane Magee 11. Diane Cumming 12. - Elaine Kidd (from 27[th] January 2025) **3** ## **Objectives and activities** The Living Well Project aims to improve the physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing within the local community. The project undertakes this in two main ways. Firstly it operates a befriending service for elderly residents of the North of Aberdeen. There is a befriending co-ordinator who oversees matches of volunteer befrienders with those in need of befriending. The befrienders are given training and all matches are monitored by the befriending co-ordinator. The befriending service is a member of the befriending network. The other way the aims of the project are met is through the Living Well Café. This is aimed at those with all forms of memory loss and their carers. Cafés operate on a Tuesday and Thursday in two of the venues on alternate weeks. The cafes operate in four venues across Aberdeen: Brimmond, Oldmachar, Devana and Hillside Churches. During the year in review work was underway to recruit volunteers to reopen the café at Hillside which had not reopened since the COVID-19 restrictions. The cafes offer social interaction, games, entertainment and dancing. There is also signposting to other third sector and statutory agencies which support those with dementia. The cafes operate with a large number of volunteers who also benefit from the interactions that are undertaken. This is a key strength of the community which is created. **4** ## **Structure, governance and management** Type of governing document The Living Well Project has, as its governing document, a constitution. This was last updated on 23[rd] January 2023. It is an unincorporated charity. Trustee recruitment and appointment Trustees must be members of any Church that supports or operates any of the activities of the Charity and are appointed in accordance with the Constitution by way of a two thirds majority vote by existing Trustees and any members of Brimmond Church aged 18 years or over present at the AGM. There is also provision for co-opted members. **5** ## **Achievements and performance** The Living Well Project has continued to offer its support to those who attend the cafes and are befriended. In April 2025 the project relocated from Glebe Cottage at the Stables to the main Brimmond Church building. There was a small team of dedicated individuals as well as staff who made that flitting happen. Also in April of 2025, albeit there was a period of grace, there was a change to the rules regarding who requires Disclosure and the levels of Disclosure. This change resulted from the changes to the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. This meant, for our purposes, that many volunteers and members of the management team required to be members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. This was co-ordinated by Avril Cooper, our befriending co-ordinator, and the process was supported by Volunteer Scotland. The Living Well Cafes celebrated their 10[th] birthday in July. There were special events at each of the cafes. Both staff and volunteers have attended events such as the Celebrate Aberdeen parade; the Student Show Dispersement ceremony and befriending network events (the befriending co-ordinator is a regular contributor to these events). The volunteers gain a great deal from these opportunities and more depth to the representation of the charity. Staff from the charity attended a number of events to promote its services to those who could benefit. This included talks at churches such as St Columbas in March, the Dyce Guild in October or having a stand at the Aberdeen Wellbeing hub in June during Dementia Awareness week. The charity also supports local schools (in the review period Oldmachar, Bucksburn, Portlethen and Robert Gordon’s College) with their contribution to the Youth Philanthropy initiative, positive feedback was received in February regarding this from Bucksburn Academy. We had a change of staff Jeanette Abel and Linda Rendall from the Café retired at the end of August. We had a retirement tea for them on 13[th] of September which **6** was an opportunity to thank and celebrate. It was a great turnout to thank them for their work and we were joined by friends, volunteers and trustees present and past which was fabulous. The project however continues and, following a competitive interview process, Karen Somerville started as the Team Leader for the project and Brenna Collie as a Project Worker on 28[th] July 2025. We were very lucky to find two motivated colleagues to take the café project forward. The charity is very grateful to them too for their work to date and enthusiasm for the project. They have also been very patient with the various systems glitches we have experienced. All of this occurs with the ongoing highlighting of the project, appearing at local events, supporting those who are fundraising for us, celebrating the major anniversaries of those we support and ensuring that we are abreast of, and responsive to, their feedback. **7** **Financial review** In the reporting period the charity had £25 057 in donations and a further £36503 in grants giving a total income of £61 560. That compared to an income of £67 868 the previous reporting year. The total expenditure on charitable activities was £69 584 in year and compared to £53246 the previous year. This partly related to increased costs of staffing and a short period of additional staffing during the handover from one café team to another. For this year there is an in-year deficit of £8 024 which was covered by existing funds held by the charity. Further breakdown is shown in the appended receipts and payments document. Statement of the charity’s policy on reserves The Living Well Project aims to keep the equivalent of three months operating costs and any redundancy payments to staff. This is estimated at £15,000. Details of any deficit There are no deficits in any funds in the period being reported. Donated facilities and services The Living Well Project is privileged to be provided with office accommodation by Brimmond Church. The cafes occur in the buildings of Brimmond, Oldmachar, Hillside and Davana Churches in Aberdeen. We are grateful to all these organisations for donating the use of their facilities. **8** **Future plans** The key aim for the following period is for the fourth café at Hillside to reopen. This will ensure that he benefits of the Living Well Café can return to all of those in the areas that we have traditionally served. This will be supported by the new staff who have been employed who will continue to settle into the roles. **9** ## **Declaration** Signed on behalf of the charity trustees: _D.M.Bennett_ Daniel M Bennett Print name Convenor Designation 30[th] July 2026 Date **10**