ECHO Herefordshire Annual report 2016 17

Annual Report 2016—2017 Making a real difference to the lives of disabled people in Herefordshire

Chair’s Welcome This has been another busy year at ECHO. Here are a few of the highlights, but there have been many others which I hope you enjoy reading about in this report.

We started with a party! About Face celebrated its 21st birthday with ‘Zip it’ - a fantastic evening of music, drama, and dance that over 150 people enjoyed.

2016 saw our first fully participant led AGM. This was a great success and we all wondered why we had not done it before!

Our five year Big Lottery funded inclusive volunteering project has come to an end. This project helped people learn new skills and make new friends. We hope to be able to continue this work.

Frock On made some beautiful waistcoats inspired by 18th Century men’s fashion. The work has been on show at Berrington Hall and was in a national magazine.

All year we have worked hard to raise money and awareness of what we do. As well as fundraising activities, like coffee mornings, we’re also hoping to increase the number of people who give a regular donation to ECHO. I’d like to thank everyone who volunteers, works or supports us in any other way. ECHO wouldn’t be the success it is without you.

ECHO—WHAT WE DO ECHO works to make a real difference to the lives of disabled people in Herefordshire. We support people to be valued members of their community.

ECHO offers lots of different activities during the day and in the evenings. Each week we provide 115 hours of activities over 6 days and 2 evenings.

Our day opportunities provide a full day of supported activity where people work together to learn new skills.

Our leisure and social activities happen in community venues during the day, the evening and at weekends.

Community Connections support individuals in their local community: making friends, volunteering, getting involved and joining in community life.

Speaking Up supports our participants to get involved in all aspects of running ECHO, including trusteeship and volunteering.

OUR WORK THIS YEAR

Day Opportunities At Rural Crafts we've had a busy year growing and eating fruit and veg, bottling elderflower champagne, making chutneys, having bonfires and spending time together.

Rose Tinted Rags is open 4 days a week.

Every day is different. On Mondays the group make greetings cards and small gifts for sale in the shop.

Tuesday’s group, Frock On, are all becoming really expert at sewing skills.

Wednesday is an unpacking and shop sorting day. And on Thursdays the group have been working on a fashion project. But whatever the day there is always time to have fun.

The Weavers have been busy this year making bags, cushions and rugs. Susan finished her beautiful handwoven stole in the summer, just in time to wear it on her Mediterranean cruise.

We all enjoyed demonstrating our skills at the Leominster Apple Fair in October.

In June About Face celebrated 25 years with a big party. Zip It showed off the talents of all our different groups.

The Wednesday Drama Club performed Peter & the Wolf, with props, masks and puppets made by the actors The main company performed Don’t Stare at 4 local primary schools thanks to a grant from Kington Lions Club In September we started a new stage craft day. This means About Face now runs on 5 days a week. More people can now find out about becoming an actor.

And thank you Mark for organising a fantastic music night to raise funds for About Face The Storytelling Group have had a fabulous year learning new things, enjoying each other’s company and having lots of fun! We use stories old and new to think about the world around us.

Clever Betsy is definitely the brightest, most creative shop in Leominster! As one customers says: "being in Clever Betsy is like being inside a massive HUG"....Need we say more!

Our Lifelinks groups are always busy volunteering in the community. But in between there is often time for having fun together.

We had a visit to Abby-Cwm-Hir, where we saw 52 rooms decorated with 52 different Christmas themes.

We made bat and bird boxes for the Yazor Brook Restoration project.

We ran a stall at the Buttermarket to raise funds for ECHO and made just over ÂŁ100!

We did a course called Culture and Cuisine.

Here is Sammy, learning how to use chopsticks.

We held an afternoon tea for friends and family

Leisure and Social Activities Here are some of this year’s highlights Our younger participants enjoy their monthly social nights at the Shooters Bar in Leominster. Debbie the landlady makes us all really welcome.

Everyone loved their tennis coaching sessions with Howard Richards from Leominster Tennis Club Leominster Town F.C. adopted the ECHO players as an official Leominster Town team. The new Leominster Town ECHO Football Club are proud of their new kit.

And there are now new opportunities to play football in Hereford thanks to the support of Hereford Lads Club.

After many years at the turntables, our DJ Graham and his wife Lynda Archer have sadly hung up their disco shoes. We will miss them.

But with a new venue and a new DJ the monthly disco continues to be a popular night out.

Friday club have started a health walk each week and are all feeling fitter.

We also enjoy healthy eating once a month.

Thank you to the Santander Foundation for funding our healthy Fridays We had another fantastic holiday at the CMC outdoor centre at Pensarn.

We got to the top of the mountain‌.

‌.And we built a raft

Monday night badminton continues each week. This year some players havebeen making a night of it by heading over to the pub for a much needed refreshment, which adds to the fun of the evening.

The Walking Group take a stroll around Leominster every Wednesday evening

Community Games The third Community Games at Hereford Leisure Centre was a fun packed day It was a bright and sunny day as we started with a Rio Olympics themed procession You could try trampolining, archery, bowls, dodge ball, go on the bouncy castle and soft gym or try your hands at boxing skills.

Outside there were accessible bikes and a very exciting laser shooting gallery.

About Face Theatre Company treated us to an Olympics inspired flag dance.

At the end of the day we all wound down with some Tai Chi

Our Summer Activities programme Included old favourites like our summer BBQ …..

….. cricket social at Burghill.

There were also countryside walks, fun round the camp fire at Houghton Farm….

Willow Trust Barge Trips….

and a day out at the Bromyard Gala.

More than 70 participants enjoyed the 15 different activities.

Community Connections Inclusive Volunteering We support many of our participants to volunteer in ECHO and in the community.

Jeanette volunteers at Grange Court Tim greets visitors at Hereford Cathedral

Nick is busy in the Yam Jams kitchen

Buddying matches participants with volunteer buddies who have had a great time going to the cinema, swimming and having saunas.

And lots of our participants make new friends through volunteering

How is ECHO Run? Participant Led Anyone who uses our services can join ECHO. We now have over 200 members.

The Rep Group We have enjoyed our year working with the ECHO participants, staff and trustees to run our charity.

We love visiting all the activities and meeting everyone. We feel proud to be part of such a great organisation.

The Board One third of the people on our Board of Trustees are ECHO participants and have a disability.

The Staff and volunteers We now have 27 people working for us and over 90 volunteers. Without their dedication and hard work, ECHO could not continue.

THANK YOU! Thank you to our participants who make ECHO such a special place.

Thank you to all our grant funders: Awards for All, Big Lottery Fund, Childwick Trust, Croft Trust, Eveson Charitable Trust, E F Bulmer Benevolent Fund, GMC Trust, Heineken, Herefordshire Council, Masonic Charitable Foundation, Morrisons Foundation, Santander Foundation, Screwfix Foundation, Thank you to all the individuals and local groups who have made donations to ECHO this year: Acorn Carpets, ASDA Hereford, Eye W.I., Hamnish Gardening Club, Howdens Joinery Hereford, Kington & Hereford Lions Club, Leominster Inner Wheel, Leominster Morris, Leominster Rotary Club, Madley Primary School pupils, Miss Phillips Trust, Orleton Coffee Shop, the Tram Inn Eardisley, the staff at Brightwells auction rooms, everyone who gives a regular monthly donation by direct debit and all the people who have made a one off donation, organised a fundraising event, bought a draw ticket or put a coin or two in our collecting tins‌‌ To our partner organisations Brightspace Foundation, Green Eyed Monster The Fetch Theatre, Herefordshire Activities Together, Herefordshire Mencap, Leominster Tennis Club, Leominster Town Council, Leominster Town Football Club, Hereford Lads Club, Music Pool, Walk Herefordshire

Our Trustees

Jocelyn Hughes Chair

Mand Hamblin

Sara Siloko

Joy House

Blaise White Treasurer

Rose Hunt

Richard Smith Jason Stuchbery

Paul Scott Vice Chair

Sue Robbins

Michelle Tilbury

The Rep Group 2015 –165

From left to right: Standing: John Stuchbery, Nick Burt, Marianne Simpson, Bev Davies, Richard Woodall, Donovan Lewis Seated: Matt Jones, Aida Kiledjian, Mand Hamblin

Thank you to all our volunteers who give their time so unstintingly: Franca Addyman, Aisha Ahmad, Iona Allan, Margie Amos, Graham & Lynda Archer, Paul Baines, Sophia Bangham, Kara Bannister, Justine Bell, Ginny Bennett, Daphne Bevan, Frances Biseker, Andrew Boar, Sara Buckley, Natasha Bufton, Tiz Chapman, Ciaran Cleery, Lucy Cole, Carol & David Cross, Jemma Donnelly, Caitlin Eckley, Jackie Francis, Annie Gamble, Sonia George, Ellie Hadfield, Nick Haines, Sue Hall, Samantha Hardy, Jenny & Mark Harrison, Susan Harvey, Donna Helme, Bella Hesbrook, Kayleigh Hicks, Molly Higginbottom, Sheila Hobden, Jessica Hodnett, Lauren Holt, David & Wendy Holton, Joy House, Jim Howden, Heather Hughes, Nicola Hurley, Louise Ingram, Angela Jauncey, Sarah Jessiman, Lydia Jones, Matt Jones, Molly Jones, Cate La Barre, Jo Yee Lai, Beth Layton, Kieran Levett, Sara Lewis, Gavin Long, Astrid McBride, Peter McKay, Pat MacLean, Viv Mair, Ann & Dave Marshall, Yvonne Mifflin, Peter Morgan, Sophie Morgan, Maureen Morton, Grace Owens, Dony Paul, Anne Penning, Su Pollard, Caitlin Powell, Sharon Powell, Edmund Proctor, Jeanette Reid, Hetty Scott, Anna Smith, Jan Smith, Kathryn Smith, Jason Stuchbery, Kevin Stuchbery, Rosie Taylor, Ann Tether, Kristina Thimm, Pauline Thomas, Sue Thomas, Mel Townsend, Emma Tustin, Lauren Ware, Jeanette Washington, Viv Webb, Caroline Wood.

Thank you to all our staff who always go the extra mile:

Steph Baines Participant Support worker Nick Baker Leisure Development Worker Mary-Jane Bayliss Finance Officer Kay Beeden Office Manager Kris Betterton Rural Crafts Co-ordinator Zoe Bradley Clever Betsy Manager Liz Evans Lifelinks Project Worker Martha Fosberry About Face Assistant Ruby Gibbens About Face Assistant (until Aug 16) Jody Gorle Office Assistant Denise Kerwood Volunteer Coordinator & Smart Arts Storyteller Jess MacKenzie About Face Artistic Director Lyndsay Maples Lifelinks Project Worker Karen Meiklejohn Rose Tinted Rags Paul Murray About Face Drama Worker Suzie Owens About Face Assistant Emily Penrose Clever Betsy Assistant Maggie Percy Operations Manager Fiona Ritchie Chief Officer Richard Smith Finance Officer (until July 16) Jacqui Stewart Lifelinks Project Worker Jane Stockton Yoga Tutor Juliet Stroucken About Face Drama Worker Rebecca Tabram Clever Betsy manager Lucy Tisdale Project & Activities Worker Lisa Woakes Marketing & fundraising Tina Walton Rose Tinted Rags

Money This is a summary of how we have spent our money this year. Full copies of our accounts are available from the ECHO office.

Summary Income & Expenditure for the year ending 31/3/17 Income From generated funds From charitable activities Total income

2016 £70,247 £336,481 £406,728

2017 £68,536 £371,799 £440,335

Money spent Fundraising costs Charitable activities Total Money Spent Balance Money brought forward Money to carry forward

£937 £399,230 £400,167 £6,561 £324,545 £331,106

£1,507 £461,974 £463,481 -£23,146 £331,106 £307,960

Balance sheet for year ending 31/3/17 Current Assets Creditors Net current Assets Funds Restricted Unrestricted—general Unrestricted—designated Total Funds

2016 £344,980 £13,874 £331,106

2016 £331,402 £23,442 £307,960

£29,702 £188,590 £112,814 £331,106

£16,489 £141,530 £149,941 £307,960

For further details of the work of ECHO please contact

40 West Street Leominster Herefordshire HR6 8ES Telephone: 01568 620307 Fax: 01568 620308 Email: echo.info@echoherefordshire.co.uk Website: www.echoherefordshire.org.uk Registered Charity No: 1096449 Company No: 4475254