Disability Action Group (North Dorset)
Trustees report to the Disability Action Group (North Dorset)
Annual General Meeting, Wednesday November 8 2017.
During the year we have worked on behalf of our membership, currently around 230, and members of the public purchasing items for sale.
We have been sorry to lose some members – those who have moved away from the area, and those who have sadly died – but have welcomed new ones seeking our help, and as a result the membership in total has remained steady, and in fact increased slightly over the year.
A number have come through Shopmobility from further afield than North Dorset, improving our service to visitors to the area.
We now have nearly 120 items of equipment, and have regularly had up to 80 items out on hire to members. We have serviced and repaired over 90 items of members’ equipment, a 50 per cent increase on last year. The number of pairs of batteries purchased, either for our own scooters or for those of members, has doubled to 80.
We are very grateful to all those who have made over 100 financial donations, two of £100 or more in memory of former members, and another 100 items of equipment, including 38 scooters, powerchairs and wheelchairs.
We have sold 11 scooters, powerchairs, and wheelchairs, the majority in part exchange for replacements, but a number have been scrapped as unserviceable and parts salvaged for the repair of others.
We have purchased 1 new scooter and 3 battery chargers, and were thrilled to be top of the in-store voting in the Tesco Bags of Help scheme and receive a grant for the purchase of two new scooters.
We have worked with a number of partners, including those making referrals to us from Blandford Community Hospital, Spectrum/Sovereign Housing, social services and NorDDIS in Gillingham.
We have recruited three new volunteers, largely through publicity in the local press, all of whom have proved very valuable to us.
We have also exhibited at two community events, and promoted the charity in the Gillingham & Shaftesbury News, on our Facebook page and website, and it was very pleasing to be contacted through our website by our former chairman and life-president of the charity Alan Dunn who has now left the area but visited us during the year.
Sadly, our shop manager since it opened in 2012 and chairman since 2015, Tony Dando, had to resign to become a carer to his wife, Barbara, in May, and on August 31 tendered his resignation as a trustee. We would like to thank him for all he has done for DAG in the last five years.
John Colgan (Acting chairman), Carolyn Carter (Secretary), Nicci Brown (Treasurer), Mike Wells (Workshop Manager)