Foreword

2018 has been a landmark year for the QE2 Activity Centre.

As well as continuing to provide activities and day services for hundreds of people each week this year we have

  • celebrated our 40th birthday, 
  • converted to a CIO 
  • and built a new day service building. 

We look forward to continuing to provide a quality service for adults and children with additional needs during 2019.
Phil Oates manager

 QE2 Activity Centre provides activity opportunities for people with additional needs in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving conditions of life.
QE2 Activity Centre provides activity sessions and day services for people with disabilities and their families and carers. 
QE2 Activity Centre is a registered charity

Achievements 2018

40th Anniversary celebrationsOn 29th March 1978 HRH Princess Margaret opened the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Activities Centre.  On 29th March 2018 we celebrated our 40th Anniversary.  Over the course of four ddecades the Centre has provided life changing opportunities for thousands of children and adults with disabilities.

Charitable Incorporated OrganisationIn 1978 the Centre was formed an unincorporated charity.  Immediately after celebrating our 40th Anniversary our Management Committee took the step of converting to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.   This was not an option in 1978 but better serves the needs of charities in the 21st Century.
New Gold BuildingWe had the builders in during 2018 to erect our new Gold day service building.  This offers a large activity room with kitchen, a Changing Places standard bathroom and a sensory room which will enhance our service tremendously.

Day service provision

During the year QE2 Activity Centre provided over 4250 day service places for adults with learning disabilities from Southampton and Hampshire. 

QE2 Activity Centre offers day services for adults with learning disabilities. 

Five dedicated day service staff, supplemented by activity staff, provide this service enabling up to eighty people per week to attend.  Activities are designed to help team members develop independent living skills and work skills, through a combination of onsite gardening, catering and domestic activities supplemented with a healthy dose of outdoor pursuits.
All of our day services have common aims: to be stimulating, challenging and fun, a place to meet others and make new friends, a place to learn new skills that will help every day, a place to have the opportunity to try new things, a place to spend time enjoying the countryside, an environment that is safe and a place to take part in activities that contribute to life long learning and good health.

During the course of 2018 our Day Service team members took part in all sorts of activity around the Centre from sewing and card making to foil recycling and litter picking in the Country Park and in Hedge End.  The Ukulele band performed at both our 40th Birthday Party in March and our Open Day in September.

There was a holiday to Devon, which included climbing, mackerel fishing and coasteering; and another to Butlins at Bognor for less active participants.  Other visits included Saints FC’s ground at St Mary’s and a trip to Beaulieu.

Activity provision

In 2018 QE2 Activity Centre provided around eight thousand adventure activity experiences for day and residential visitors. 

Between January and December QE2 Activity Centre provided almost 8,000 activity experiences. Each week we have groups from local special schools including Forest Park, Osborne and Limington House, residential homes such as Voyage, Dolphin and Dimensions and other services such as Autism Hampshire, The Grove and Out of Town Centre, plus independent visitors.  During the summer there are additional bookings from groups like Rose Road and Family Autism Spectrum Support.
The majority of regular day visitors come from Southampton, Eastleigh, Portsmouth and Southern Hampshire. 
Visitors took part in a variety of activities including

  • Motorboat trips, canoeing and kayaking on the Hamble River
  • Orienteering, bushcraft and nature study in the Country Park
  • Zipwire, ropes course and team problem solving
  • Recreational tree climbing
  • Indoor climbing, rifle shooting and archery in the Centre’s sports hall

Community

Community is important to QE2 Activity Centre, we like to get involved and we like to involve others! 
In March we celebrated our 40th birthday with the Mayor of Eastleigh, a ukulele band, giant inflatables, a chocolate fountain and friends and regular users.  The backdrop for our Anniversary Party was a pair of brand new Everyman murals by local artist My Dog Sighs.      

Our September garden party was another popular event with committee members and day service users running stalls and launching our Anniversary raffle.  A folk band played and Eastleigh MP Mims Davies came along to share in the fun.  

Our day service team members arranged and took part in a Coffee Morning for Macmillan, a Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children as well as taking part in a Santa Run to help raise funds for Naomi House.

FinanceFull details are provided in our Report and Financial Statement for the Year End 31 March 2018

Income
Incoming resources £349,052
Grants & donations* £160,921
Investment income £581
TOTAL £510,554

Expenditure 
Cost of providing charitable activities £370,896
Governance costs £7,587
TOTAL £378,483*includes restricted funds for Gold Day Service Building

Staffing

The QE2 Activity Centre staff team comprises Phil Oates (manager), Kerry Lees (senior instructor), Nick Cann (facilities manager), Marie Poore (Day service manager), Caroline Southgate (GreenHouse day service co-ordinator), Tracy Puttock, Stuart Blakeledge, Jackie Swann and Mira.  Jen Pearce joined us as Secretary during the year. 

Acknowledgements

  • thanks to all the staff who work so hard to make every day special
  • thanks to all the volunteers and committee members who give their time, effort and energy
  • thanks to all the local companies who have made donations or given their time to support QE2 Activity Centre
  • thanks to Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and Eastleigh Borough Council for their help and support
  • thanks to all the parents, carers and care workers who support our visitors
  • most of all, thanks to everyone who has visited QE2 Activity Centre this year to take part in activities, holidays and day services