Disability Action Group (North Dorset)
Trustees Annual Report 2016
During the year, we have continued to work on behalf of our membership, currently around 220, and members of the public purchasing items for sale. Sadly, and it is the nature of our service, that eight of our members have died.
We have regularly had over 60 and up to 80 items of equipment out on hire to members, and have serviced and repaired over 50 items of members’ equipment.
Donations received include five of £100 or over (thanks again to the True Lovers Knot at Tarrant Keyneston and Colin’s Community Club in Damory Street for their generous fundraising and donations), around 100 small items of equipment, 23 scooters, 7 powerchairs and 18 wheelchairs and we are most grateful to all those who have donated goods and equipment to be offered for sale or hire.
During the summer, we ran out of scooters, and are also grateful to those who offered us equipment on free loan so we could meet demand.
We have sold 16 (scooters, powerchairs, wheelchairs and chargers) but a number have been scrapped as unserviceable and parts salvages for repairs of others.
We have purchased 20 items of capital equipment (2 scooters, 17 battery chargers and 1 battery tester).
Two of our trustees have attended training courses run by Dorset Community Action and we have exhibited at three community events.
Our partners have included those making referrals to us from Blandford Community Hospital, Spectrum Housing, social services and NorDDIS in Gillingham. We have also again worked with the Charity of William Williams to source and supply a scooter for one of their beneficiaries.
Our core team of trustees and volunteers have remained constant, and we have had a steady turnover of volunteers, some more long-
This year, partly because of the amount of work now being generated at the unit, we decided not to submit an entry in Blandford Carnival or the Wessex Carnival Circuit or.
Our membership of Shopmobility has resulted in wider publicity for our service to visitors to the area in addition to reducing the cost of our overheads through a consolidated insurance premium.
Disability Action Group (North Dorset)
Finance report 2016
This year the charity has been almost entirely self-
Expenditure has chiefly been on the provision of our office, workshop facilities and on maintenance of our increased number of scooters (primarily replacement batteries). We now have assets totalling around £40,000.
We have no investments, but started the year 2016/17 with a balance of 4611.75 after transferring £500 to our reserves to meet future challenges in accordance with our business plan left a modest end of year surplus of around £900 which compares to last year’s deficit of £1400 due to a scooter purchase for a client paid for this year.
Some of this has been shared between our reserves budget to meet future challenges, which now stands at £3450, and our equipment replacement budget, which is usually confined to proceeds of sales of scooters and powerchairs and now stands at around £550.
You will see there has been a massive increase in scooter hire income which is partly the result of consolidating hire and insurance into a single charge following the start of our Shopmobility insurance policy in November. There is a corresponding decreased in scooter insurance income.
There has also been a massive increase in net general insurance costs (which reflect refunds received on other policies cancelled), with a corresponding decrease in scooter insurance costs.
Scooter maintenance costs and hire income have also increased in line with the increased number of items of equipment out on hire.
The saving in the total insurance costs for this year compared with last year has been £830, but under the old system would have cost more because we would have needed more than 28 scooter policies -
Nicci Brown
Treasurer
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Tony Dando |
Chairman |
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Carolyn Carter |
Secretary |
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Nicci Brown |
Treasurer |
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Mike Wells |
Workshop manager |
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John Colgan |
Vice- |