Wheelchair Users Group

Transcription

1 Wheelchair Users Group Annual Report & Accounts For presentation at the Annual General Meeting, Wednesday 30th September 2015 Our Mission: To empower and enable wheelchair users to lead full and active lives, by helping them obtain the right mobility equipment from the statutory or private sector Registered Charity Number

2 REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY, ITS TRUSTEES, ADVISORS & VOLUNTEERS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2015 President: Fred Lawson Wheelchair Users Group Patron: Kelly Pullen ACCESS, MOBILITY & SHOPMOBILITY Honorary Officers & Trustees Allen Jones - Chairman James Tatton - Vice-Chairman Jenny Jackson - Treasurer Stephen De-Cicco - Trustee Brian Jones - Trustee Alan Lindsay - Trustee Charity registered number Registered Office Shop 21, Second Floor, Bouverie Place Shopping Centre, Alexandra Gardens, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1AU Advisors Volunteers Membership Area County of Kent Cyril Jarrett FRICS; PPIBC - Access Advisor Françoise Montford - Access Auditor David French - Mobility Advisor Richard Iddenden - Webmaster Lorraine Jones Jeff Fenner Richard Wickham Tim Wickham (Entered Other Employment June 2015) Fred Lawson Mick Strover Madeleine Brinton - Newsletter Contact Details /Fax: Freephone Helpline: wchairuser@aol.com Website: Office Hours Monday to Saturday 10am to 3pm (excluding Bank Holidays) 2

3 About WUG The Wheelchair Users Group (WUG) was formed in 1992 and is a registered charity. WUG exists to provide help, information, mobility equipment and support for disabled and older people and their carers. Our volunteer user-led charity based in Folkestone works in partnership with the individual, their families and carers, in order to achieve a full and active life. WUG also runs Folkestone Shopmobility WUG is user led; two of its six trustees are permanent wheelchair users, three are mobility scooter users and one is non-disabled, but also an enabler / carer. The management committee, all volunteers, set the strategic goals for the organisation; three trustees are also heavily involved in delivering the service, supported by a dedicated group of volunteers. Current users of our service range in both age and ability, from 18 years to 80+, with mobility problems ranging from temporary: broken limbs, strains, sprains and operations to permanent mobility problems brought about through age, disability or illness. 70% of customers live within the Shepway District Council area. We deal with a wide range of personal mobility issues covering Blue Badges, parking, access issues, adapted vehicles, social care, aids and equipment for daily living, information on mobility scooters and wheelchairs via our support help-line and personal callers at the office. There are 23 fact sheets covering mobility issues also available on our website. We have a FREE membership scheme where you can receive newsletters and other publications; also vote at our AGM. There is no charge to join. Hire rates are: Daily powered vehicle hire is 2 for the first two hours, then 1 for each additional hour (a maximum 5 per 5 hour day). Holiday hire is 6 per day ( 16 per week) for manual wheelchairs and 10 per day (plus 10 for delivery and collection) for mobility scooters. Emergency hire of wheelchairs is also available subject to availability (holiday rates apply). WUG is an independent, not-for-profit charitable organisation which is run, controlled and managed by disabled people. All the services we provide are funded from our own fundraising efforts, advertising revenue, small grants, sponsorship, membership subscriptions and by donations from our members and supporters. 3

4 Chairman s Report I would like to welcome all of you all to our 19th Annual General Meeting, especially our two guest speakers Jane Miller, County OT Manager KCC Social Care and Gill Packham, Head of NHS Wheelchair Services in Kent & Medway. It has been another busy and challenging year for us all in a constantly changing environment and increasing financial pressures. Because of the financial strain all over with charities and with less money we are not able to do all the things we would otherwise wish to do especially when it became more difficult to attract funding for the provision of information and Shopmobility schemes. During the year important grants were received from Kent County Council and the Ronald Cruickshanks Foundation. Support came from Bouverie Place Shopping Centre who continue to give us a valuable contribution in the form of free parking for our volunteers and we receive remission of uniform business rates from Shepway District Council for which we are most grateful. As you will see elsewhere in my report, we have had a busy year with our Shopmobility service. It continues to provide mobility scooters, powerchairs and manual wheelchairs for local residents and visitors to access and visit local shops and leisure facilities in and around the town. WUG dealt with 316 general enquiries, had 1,134 bookings for scooters and wheelchairs plus 101 holiday hires. Françoise Montford dealt with 30 access enquiries via the IAM Access Project and we had 3,954 visitors to our website. (Full stats and charts are shown on pages ). On 1st November 2014 The National Federation of Shopmobility UK (NFSUK) integrated within the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) to be able to bring together the network of 307 Shopmobility Schemes affiliated to NFSUK with BHTA retailers, manufacturers and distributors. BHTA members and their customers benefit from being part of a Trading Standards Institute (TSI) Approved Code of Practice. A vital cog in the wheel of WUG, (excuse the pun) is our team of volunteers who always work exceptionally hard in helping our service users with whatever their needs are. Our community based service could not operate without our volunteers - On behalf of my fellow trustees - Sincere thanks to you all! They provide almost 1560 hours of volunteer effort a year enabling us to run our Information and Shopmobility service. If we use a notional amount of 8 per hour this amounts to some 12,480 per annum which shows the true value of our volunteers. 4

5 WUG continues with our user-led forum role engaging with the Kent and Medway NHS Wheelchair Service. We meet with head of service Gill Packham, Gary Bruce of AJM Healthcare and Clare Doran (Patient Engagement Network) to address service user issues and concerns in a proactive way. I only wish that we could get more involvement from service users and their carers! Looking back over the last 7 years we have dealt with 2,448 enquiries, handled 8,237 Shopmobility bookings and had some 20,738 visitors to our website. We do not have a Facebook or Twitter presence as yet but we are looking for a keen volunteer to help develop this so that our services are accessible digitally 24/7. Our office and helpline operate Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm. At long last we have submitted a bid to Awards4All for replacement scooters. The bid includes 2k as WUG wants to create a new fully accessible website with contrast & toggle font enhancers plus blog and social media portals. We re in the middle of a digital and data revolution, and all around us the world is changing fast. The web is changing faster than most things and websites that are also mobile friendly are becoming the prominent way most of us access the connected world. This would also help raise and enhance our profile of the services we provide enabling to reach new customers and expand our beneficiary group, thus hopefully maintain and increase our income. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Donna and Sophie from CiLK, also Robert and Stephen from DISK for their continued help, support and expertise which is invaluable to me and our organisation. I d also like to thank Paul Stone and Mick Gillard of Bouverie Place Shopping Centre. It would be remiss of me not to mention Lorraine Jones and Richard Wickham, two of our volunteers who have completed six and three years service respectively. Finally, a big thank you to Jenny Jackson, our Treasurer, who does an excellent job with our accounts. Also to our other trustees who contribute their valuable time, namely Brian Jones, Alan Lindsay, Stephen De-Cicco and James Tatton who support me in my role as chairman. All go to make the charity what it is - a true user led organisation. Allen Jones Chairman and Trustee 7th September 2015 ShopMobility is an absolute godsend! AP Makes a hell of a difference AF What Our Customers Say... You re my angels of mercy: without you I would not have any freedom WA I d recommend it to anybody Mrs L Makes a wonderful difference JK Fantastic and friendly DJ Fabulous service: always here when you need it MK Excellent service PK The service is second to none ME 5

6 Wheelchair Users Group Treasurer s Report for the year to 31 st March 2015 Over the year, we have a managed to accumulate a surplus of 744, with funds remaining low, with 4,923 in the bank at 31 st March Total income was 10,818 with spending of 10,074, leaving a surplus. We do not need to have our accounts examined by an Auditor for the Charity Commission, but I do thoroughly check them with the Chairman. Although our accounts are not subject to statutory audit we have had them scrutinised and independently inspected by Grant Fergusson from Take Off in Canterbury. Grants and donations showed an increase to 3,987. The Shopmobility service brought in 4,502, ( 511 less than a year ago). Fundraising raised 100. Sale of items for disabled and older people increases our funds, and sales have been better this year. Our office costs remain as low as possible, the 2,189 of rent, insurance and utilities is mainly insurance, (including 1166 paid for this year) which is essential for the scooter and wheelchair cover. As we do not have any paid staff now, we rely heavily on volunteers to run the office and Shopmobility, but do help with travel costs, hence the 1,413 expense. We did very little advertising. Repair costs to wheelchairs are more than last year, and the office costs included essential security equipment, IT, and books for scooter users on their safe use. The Charity really could do with more funding to continue to provide the valuable service we give to the people of Folkestone and the holiday visitors. We have a very good team of volunteers, and we will try very hard to continue to do so. Mrs Jenny Jackson, Treasurer and Trustee 8 th July

7 Wheelchair Users Group - Trustees Statement As a registered charity we are required by Charity Commission law to produce a Trustees Annual Report, a set of accounts and an Annual Return. All charities must prepare accounts and make them available on request. The duty to file accounts and the Trustees Annual Report applies to all registered charities whose gross income exceeds 10,000. Charities whose gross income exceeds 25,000 must also send a completed Annual Return to the Charity Commissioners. Charities are also required to prepare a Trustees' Annual Report. The basic contents of the Annual Report are mandatory, though smaller charities which are not subject to statutory audit are not required to provide as much information as larger charities which are legally required to have an audit. As Trustees we have a legal duty to complete & submit an Annual Return to the Commission, so that they can ensure that the details on the Register of Charities are as complete and accurate as possible. The Annual Return provides the Charity Commission with basic financial details, and details of contacts, trustees, activities and of the charity s classification. Our accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. This is the simpler than the Accruals method of preparation and may be adopted where a non-company charity has a gross income of 100,000 or less during the year. It consists of an account, summarising all money received and paid out by the charity in the financial year, and a statement giving details of its assets and liabilities at the end of the year. As we are below the threshold for this financial year there is no requirement for independent examination. Audit or Independent examination? Except for NHS charities, only those charities with gross income of more than 25,000 in their financial year are required to have their accounts independently examined or audited below that threshold, an external scrutiny of accounts is only needed if it is required by the charity s governing document. Broadly speaking, an independent examination is needed if gross income is between 25,000 and 500,000 and an audit is needed where the gross income exceeds 500,000. An audit will also be needed if total assets (before liabilities) exceed 2.8m, and the charity s gross income is more than 100,000. Notes from charity s governing document concerning accounts and annual reports are outlined below: Accounts The Executive Committee shall comply with their obligations under the Charities Act 1992 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that Act) with regard to: - The keeping of accounting records for the Charity; The preparation of annual statements of accounts for the Charity. Annual Reports The Executive Committee shall comply with their obligations under the Charities Act 1992 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that Act) with regard to the preparation of an annual report and its transmission to the Commissioners. Signed and dated 10th September Mrs J Jackson - Hon Treasurer Mr AV Jones - Hon Chairman 7

8 8 Wheelchair Users Group

9 Wheelchair Users Group Independent examiner s report on accounts continued - Pages 2 & 3 9

10 Wheelchair Users Group 10

11 Wheelchair Users Group 11

12 WUG Enquiries Enquiries Where from by Area Enquiry Numbers (by month) Total for Year: 316 Enquiries - Who are they from? Enquiries 12

13 WUG Enquiries Enquiry by Subject Website Visitors Total for Year: 3954 IAM Access Project & Talks IAM Talks 13

14 WUG Shopmobility Activity Shopmo Bookings Hours of use Manual wheelchairs Scooter bookings Shopmo Use Emergency & Holiday Use Above - Hours of use Below - Bookings Long term loan

15 WUG Activity During : 3 donated scooters were passed on to people in need 1 donated manual wheelchair (suitable for a child or young adult) was passed on to Operation Sunshine The 7 Year Itch - PEOPLE HELPED AND SUPPORTED 2008 TO TOTAL General Enquiries SHOPMOBILITY Shopmo Bookings Emergency & Holiday Hire Long Term Loan TOTAL Website Visits The 7 Year Itch... Top: Website Visits Middle: Shopmo Bookings Below: Enquiry Numbers 15

16 WUG is extremely grateful to everyone who has donated to our charity. This support has enabled us to continue and develop our valuable services. We would particularly thank the following trusts and organisations for their help and support during Ben Helliwell Electrical Contractors Bouverie Place Shopping Centre Kent County Council Cinque Ports Mobility Limited Classic Canes Centre for Independent Living Kent (CiLK) Disability Information Services Kent (DISK) Kent & Medway NHS Wheelchair Service Ronald Cruickshanks Foundation Ryan s Bathroom Design and Installation Safe Hands Mobility Centres Shepway District Council Z-Tec Mobility And a big THANK YOU to our members and friends who continue to support the Wheelchair Users Group and our Shopmobility Service. Bankers Lloyds TSB Bank Plc, 43 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2UD WUG are a Member of: APEK (Advice Partnership East Kent), CASE Kent, Disability Rights UK, National Association for Voluntary Organisations (NVCO) and BHTA who oversee the National Federation of Shopmobility. Registered under the Data Protection Act Registered Number: X