Day service
During 2024, Day Service has increased in size and is now offering 8320 day service places a year. As we are providing 7501 places, Day Service is almost full.
We have over 66 adults with learning disabilities, from Southampton and Hampshire, using our day service every week. This is an increase on last year.
We do many things within Day Service, including work and living skills as gardening, fire making, upcycling, woodwork, bailing, painting, maintenance, cleaning, shopping, litter picking, travel training, fruit picking, cooking, baking, jam making, and window cleaning.
In addition, we also do many fun, leisure activities such as archery, visits to a local gym, walking, bushcraft, ukulele, motorboat, bird watching, sensory sessions, , football, camera club, craft and zipwire.
There really is something for everyone!
Activities
During 2024 we further increased the number of Activity sessions we provide for children and adults with additional needs.
Owing to their general popularity, the number of school groups has increased to eight a week, including the Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision from local mainstream primary schools.
Developments / Community
In May 2024, we had a change of management when Phil Oates retired and Marie Poore took on the role of Centre Manager while Kerry Lees became the Operations Manager.
As Day Service has become busier, so we have increased our staffing levels. To ease the excessively busy car parking, we had Morgan Sindall complete an additional section of the car park in September – free of charge. This provides much needed parking for staff and allows greater parking space for visitors and service users.
Before: After:
The re-roofing work on all of the A frame cabins has now been completed and the cabins are being used every day by Day Service and they provide a central hub for Blue Bubble.
Beaulieu is used for Craft and Wool
Test is our Work shop/ garden equipment store
Itchen is our training flat to promote independent living skills
Hamble is our Music / Wellbeing space
Meon we us for out IT suite / Photo group space.
The Ropes course was completed at the beginning of this year and provides a lot of opportunities for groups and individuals to develop their skills while taking part in activities.
We have invested in additional training for our Activity staff this year, enabling more of them to run a wider range of activities.
Following on from the work in 2023, we have focused our attentions on the Centre and its upkeep.
Thanks to volunteers from HSBC and Aviva Health, the main building has had a new coat of wood stain on the outside as well as some redecorating for the kitchen and canteen. In addition, the Gold building has been decorated inside and out, and the Greenhouse building has been painted an attractive deep green.
So now the Centre is looking great.
Events
With all the changes and renovations, 2024 has been an interesting year. We have made improvements to the site and increased our staffing numbers to meet increased demand.
We have held many events this year from the Bigfoot III, The Summer Showcase where Blue Apple performed, and our ukulele band showcased what they has been learning over the year. There were stalls and we invited the Riverside Concert Band to entertain everyone.
On 7th December, we are holding a wreath making workshop to raise funds, followed by a Christmas Showcase, which will be similar to the Summer Showcase but with more craft stalls and a raffle, to which local businesses have donated prizes.
This year, QE2 Activity Centre has arranged four holidays – one more than last year. These included a sailing holiday on the Jolie Brise, a holiday at Sandy Balls, another holiday at Center Parcs and finally a holiday with Forest Holidays.
Day Service excursions have included beach trips, a visit to the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, as well as a series of Seal and Sunset boat trips from Hayling Island with the organisation, Sailing Therapy.
We held our yearly Macmillan coffee morning, we took part in the Paralympics at Winchester and our craft group – The Crafternoons – is still going strong.
2025 looks to be an equally exciting year with new challenges and opportunities for those who attend. QE2 Activity Centre continues to provide day service and activities to young people and adults with physical or learning disabilities.
Finance
During 2023-24 QE2 Activity Centre generated income from provision of services for people with additional needs.
Full details are provided in our Report & Financial Statement for the year ending 31st March 2024
Income £
Incoming resources 572,331
Grants & donations 15,371
Investment income 8,401
TOTAL 596,103
Expenditure £
Staffing costs 408,087
Cost of providing charitable activities 229,834
Governance costs 3,198
TOTAL 641,119
Surplus of income over expenditure 45,016
Acknowledgements
Thanks as ever to
All the staff who work so hard to make every day special
All the volunteers and committee members that give their time up to the Centre
All the local companies who have made donations and supported QE2 Activities Centre
Hampshire County council, Southampton City Council and Eastleigh Borough Council for their continued help and support
The parents, carers and care workers who support our visitors
Most of all thank you to everyone that has visited QE2 Activity Centre this year to take part in activities, holidays and Day Services.
QE2 Activity Centre
River Hamble Country Park
Pylands Lane
Hedge end
SO31 1BH
Registered charity no 1165893
Email [email protected] Telephone 023 8040 4844
Website www.qe2activitycentre.co.uk
