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2930We love coming to Bendrigg it's aplace that allows my son, in hiswords, to feel free.26346122224Surviving to thrivingChair of trustees statementMission & values2021 achievements and performanceNeeds analysisA look at the challenges faced bydisabled peopleAddressing the needWhat Bendrigg are doing to tacklethe challengesOur services & their impact2021 Impact from our charitableservicesVolunteering schemeA summary and overview2021 highlightsSome key achievements in 2021Fundraising achievementsA closer look at the support wereceiveLooking aheadTo 2022 and beyondFinancial summaryFrom our audited accountsCONTENTS2021 IMPACT REPORT102021 was a year which started with (yet another) lockdown, but ended withhope on the horizon. After a rapid roll out of Covid-19 vaccinations, 2021gradually became a year of promise and for many, freedom.This report will take you on a journey of how Bendrigg Trust navigated thechallenges of reopening our specialist outdoor centre, how we were there forour visitors throughout the year and with immense support, how we pulled itback from a predicted £150,000 deficit to end the year on a high.A huge thank you must go out to all of our amazing trustees, staff, volunteers, funders and supporters. No thank you could ever be big enough, for all you have done to get us through this turbulent time. We are so grateful to all those who have been there for Bendrigg. Your support has made it possible for us to continue our work and make a huge impact on the lives of over 2,202 disabled people and their carers in 2021 alone.Nick Liley, Centre Director

FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVINGCHAIR OF TRUSTEES STATEMENTDespite a great degree of uncertainty about the future brought on by theCovid-19 pandemic, we were finally able to reopen our doors on 22nd June2021 following fourteen months of closure. Since then, Bendrigg, with one ortwo inevitable setbacks, has moved from strength to strength. For this, weare so greatly indebted to all of our stakeholders: the professionalism andsupport of our staff team and trustees, our volunteers, sponsors and visitors.To all of you I say, “Thank you. You truly do not know how deeply you areappreciated.”A key development begun in 2021 has been the restructuring of theManagement Team which is now in place. Given the enormity of events andtheir impact on Bendrigg during the last two years, we have the opportunityto assess our current situation, priorities and challenges. In turn this will leadus to consider our strategy and business planning for the future: these areexciting times.Rachael Hodgson, Chair of TrusteesFeedback from groups visiting Bendrigg since June 2021 has been outstanding: they have, without exception,stated how much Bendrigg has been needed – how important it has been to come back and reconnect with theoutdoors and other people. And it is indeed the needs of our visitors that are our priority. With the trulyexceptional leadership of our Director, Nick Liley, and the superb contribution of all of our stakeholders we cansurely look to the future with great positivity and vision.3

To promote inclusion, encourageindependence and build self-confidence through the provisionof adventurous activitiesOUR MISSIONAn inclusive societywhere everyone is equalOUR VISIONVISIONMISSION Our 6 core values areat the heart ofeverything we doOUR VALUESVALUESMISSION, VISION & VALUES4

SOLUTIONS NOT PROBLEMSSAFETY AND RISK BENEFITPEOPLEINNOVATIONOUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTOUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTOUTDOOR LEARNINGDRIVEN BY OUR VALUES2021 ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCEThe heart of Bendrigg is our people and we dideverything we could in 2021 to keep in touch withour staff team. Thanks to Government funding andstrong internal governance, we were able to keepconnected with staff throughout the lockdown andmake no redundancies.Throughout 2021 Bendrigg adapted to the changingrestrictions and guidance. When able, we opened upour grounds for free access for shielding families;during the summer we offered free day activities andbefore our residential services reopened, we hiredout our accessible accommodation.In 2021 we embarked on our Hidden DisabilitiesProject to help ease anxieties of people withlearning disabilities, communication difficultiesand autism. The four part project has seen usdevelop a range of resources giving people moredetails about our facilities to help put them at ease.Funding to continue to develop our Trainee TutorScheme means future trainees joining the schemewill be able to gain a Level 3 Outdoor ActivityInstructor Apprenticeship. This has been developedby the Institute of Outdoor Learning and employersfrom across the breadth of the outdoor sector.Thanks to funding from the Rural CommunityEnergy Fund Bendrigg was able to commission afeasibility study looking at the various options forrenewable energy sources. This study looked atthe technology available as well as planning,finance and legal issues and produced a reportdetailing possible options for Bendrigg toconsider. We reopened our doors to residential groups in lateJune 2021, after being closed for over 14 months.After gathering feedback from our visitors, welistened and took extra measures to ensure that allwould feel safe during their stay. Various Covid-secure measures were implemented to ensure thesafety of our staff, volunteers and visitors, includinglimiting capacity.5

The benefits of sport and physical activity are well reportedto have positive effects on physical, mental, social andemotional development. Sport and physical activity arealso linked to cognitive benefits, learning ability and bettergrade attainment for disabled children.Reports conducted by Sport England and The ActivityAlliance in 2020, reinforced the activity gap betweendisabled and non-disabled children and adults. The reportshows that disabled children are less active than their non-disabled peers and experience more barriers.By looking at the main barriers and motivations for beingactive, we can build a picture of what is preventing disabledchildren from being more active and what motivates themto take part in physical activity.NEEDS ANALYSISPHYSICAL ACTIVITY & DISABILITY40% of disabled children think ‘their impairment,health condition, illness or disability’ stops them frombeing active. This means many children, even at anearly age, view their impairment as a top barrier,rather than considering societal barriers.BARRIERS FOR PARTICIPATIONIT COSTSTOO MUCHNOT FEELINGCOMFORTABLEDISABILITY/IMPAIRMENT40% 37% 27%Reference: The Activity Alliance My Active Future: Including every child report - March 2020 and Sport England Active Lives surveyTOP 5 MOTIVATIONS FOR DISABLED CHILDREN TO BE ACTIVETO FEEL A SENSEOF BELONGINGTO BE MOREINDEPENDENTFOR FUNTO IMPROVEPHYSICAL HEALTHTO SPEND TIMEWITH FRIENDS6

NEEDS ANALYSISCHILDRENS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AT SCHOOLThis shows the importance of ensuring disabledchildren have access to physical activity, but sadly,many disabled children report being left out of PElessons at school altogether.25%SAY THEY CAN JOIN IN SPORT AND PHYSICALACTIVITIES INSIDE SCHOOL ALL OF THE TIMEOF DISABLED CHILDRENONLYCOMPARED TO 41% OF NON-DISABLED CHILDRENDisabled children are significantly more likely to be lessactive, compared to non-disabled children during schoolterm-time. Research showed that this gap widenedfurther, the older the child.LACK OFKNOWLEDGEABOUTADAPTIVENEEDSOTHERCHILDRENLAUGHING& STARINGLACK OFADAPTIVEEQUIPMENTBEING LEFTOUTDisabled children who are more active are significantlymore likely to say they enjoy sports and being active(85%). For the least active children, this falls to 53%. Thishighlights the association between enjoyment andactivity levels, especially for those that are less active.More needs to be done to address the barriers fordisabled people to take part in physical activity.Empowering and educating schools to source adaptiveequipment; building a more inclusive environment withpositive attitudes; and developing a greater awarenessof individual's needs, would help to close the gap.Reference: The Activity Alliance My Active Future: Including every child report - March 2020 and Sport England Active lives survey 2020-2021 It is also reported that disabled children are less likely toenjoy physical activity and sports at school than non-disabled children. Some of the reasons include :7

Compared to four in fivenon-disabled peopleReferences : TUC Poll 2021, Scope - Disability Price Tag 2019, Social Metrics Commission - Measuring Poverty 2020Life costs more for disabled people and their families, many of whom spend more on essential goods and services like:heating, insurance, equipment and therapies. These extra costs mean disabled people have less money in their pocketthan non-disabled people, or simply go without. The result is that disabled people are more likely to have a lowerstandard of living, even when they earn the same.were pushed into hardship during the pandemic Disabled workers weretwice as likely to have hadto visit a food bank thannon-disabled workersface extracosts ofmore than£1,000 amonthone in five employers say they would be less likely to employ adisabled person than a non-disabled personMore than 1 in 6 disabled workers saidtheir level of debt hasincreased1 in 52 in 5disabled peopledisabled workersDebt Food banksOnly half of disabledpeople are in workEmployment gap50%of all peoplein povertyIn the UK(7.2 million people)live in afamily thatincludes adisabledpersonNEEDS ANALYSISFINANCIAL CHALLENGES8

Reference : ONS - Coronavirus & the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain: February 2021, Mind/New Economics Foundation 5 Elements of Wellbeing ONS - Disability & social participation, England: 2018WorseMentalHealthFeellike aburdenFeelstressed& anxiousFeellonely46%29%25%10%67%54%49%37%vs non-disabled people vs non-disabled peoplevs non-disabled peoplevs non-disabled peopleDisabled peoplemore frequentlyspecified thatCoronavirus hada negative impacton their lives inthe followingareas...There are many surveys, reports and feedback in the public domain, which show disabled people continue to bedisproportionately affected by the pandemic, in comparison to non-disabled people. Impact on well-being (65%) andlack of freedom and independence (62%) were the most mentioned ways of life, that disabled people said they wereaffected during the pandemic.The Office for National Statistics gathered data in February 2021 relating to the social impacts of coronavirus ondisabled people. Factors relating to health and well-being were the most reported areas of concern.LEARNCONNECTGIVE BACKBE ACTIVEBE PRESENT5 ELEMENTS OF 40% of disabled children think ‘their impairment, health condition, illness or disability’ stops them from being active.Disability is reported as a main barrier for volunteering, especially those that are “limited a lot” by their condition.Disabled men are three times less likely to attain qualifications than non-disabled men.32% of disabled people reported that their relationships have been affected by the pandemic and 42% reportedthat they spend too much time alone.Disabled people reported poorer ratings for all well-being measures than non disabled people, and life satisfactionratings have decreased further during the pandemic.NEEDS ANALYSISWELL-BEING CHALLENGESWELL-BEING9

ADDRESSING THE NEEDWHAT IS BENDRIGG DOING TO TACKLE THE NEED?Our analysis shows that there is an overwhelming need to address the many issues facing disabled people and theirfamilies. These are some of the areas which are in need of addressing:Initiatives that encourage participation in sport and leisure activities, together with social and cultural activities,influence health and well-being. But as the needs analysis shows, there is much to be done to address barriers toparticipation and access, including providing financial assistance and raising a greater awareness to tackle a lack ofinclusion. The needs and depth of work to be done is of a huge scale and whilst we acknowledge we are not able to completelysolve the issues, we are committed to tackling these issues through our charitable activities and working as part of thewider network of services provided to disabled people to help make a collective difference.IMPROVEACCESS TOPHYSICALACTIVITIESAND SPORTINCREASELEVELS OFWELL-BEINGFOR DISABLEDPEOPLE ANDTHEIR FAMILIESPROMOTEGREATERINDEPENDENCERAISE GREATERAWARENESS INSCHOOLS, THEWORKPLACE ANDTHE GENERALPUBLIC TO TACKLEABLEISM AND LACKOF INCLUSIONPROVIDEBETTERFINANCIALASSISTANCEFOR DISABLEDPEOPLE ANDTHEIR FAMILIES10

The social model of disability is a way of viewing the world developed by Disabled people. The model says that peopleare disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Bendrigg takes on this model through ourservices and acknowledge that we are not able to tackle the barriers alone. We know that to have a wider impact, acollective approach is vital.INDIVIDUALFA MI LY &FR IE NDSHE AL THCAR EPR OF ESSIO NALSPO LI CYMA KE RSED UC ATORSCH AR ITIES /AD VO CACYLO CA LCO UN CILSEM PL OYERSA COLLECTIVE APPROACHReference: Disability Rights UK: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/social-model-disability-language11One of our core values is"People". We work with manypeople and organisations whoalso play their part in addressingthe issues faced by disabledpeople.Bendrigg play it's part throughproviding a range of inclusiveservices which are not only forthe individual, but can alsoinclude their family, friends,carers, educators and the widercommunity. Through our serviceswe are proud of the impact wehave and are told this does lead toa "ripple effect" throughout otherareas of the individuals life.

2021 SUMMARYClients1,40796%Increased confidence & self-esteem90%Improvedphysical & mental well-being93%Improved social skillsGreaterindependence93%Felt moreincluded96%129Leaders7952,202Total visitors56 86WheelchairusersResidentialvisitsDayactivities64% 36%People who accessed our services in 2021and rated their overall experience 4.6 out of 5 starsnoticed improvements in...12

OUR SERVICES & THEIR IMPACTWe provide accessibleaccommodation forpeople of all abilitiesto enjoy a residentialexperience with theirfamilies, friends andpeersRESIDENTIALEXPERIENCEADVENTUREACTIVITIESAWARENESSBUILDINGLIFE SKILLS SOCIALOUTDOORSCONSULTANCY VOLUNTEERINGCHALLENGEINDEPENDENCECONFIDENCERELATIONSHIPSINCLUSION COMMUNITYWELL-BEING We offer a range ofadventure activitieswhich are adapted usingspecialist equipment andknowledge, so that evenpeople with the mostcomplex needs canexperience themWe provide opportunitiesfor people to be involvedwith our work throughvolunteering schemes. Wealso provide training andconsultancy services fordisability awarenessExposure to newexperiences inthe greatoutdoorsPeople learn toembrace uncertaintyand achieve more thanthey believe themselvescapable ofTraining and educatingpeople about inclusion,disabilities and the useof adaptive equipmentPeople areencouraged to dothings forthemselves in asafe environmentLiving alongsideand working withothers as part ofa teamThis helps to buildpositive relationshipsand develop socialskills in turn reducinglonelinessThis generates a senseof responsibility andpurpose leading to anincreased sense ofindependenceGiving people theopportunity to giveback and workingalongside people of allabilitiesFreedom and spaceto connect withnature and benefitfrom it's moodboosting impactThis gives them a sense ofachievement andaccomplishmentThis educatesothers to build amore inclusivesociety whereeveryone is equalBringing people of allabilities together tobridge the disabilitygap and help to buildinclusive communities13

Residential trips are held throughout the year and provide organised groupsfrom schools, charities and other organisations, the opportunity to stayaway from home often for the very first time.We also run "open" courses for adults and families, providing the chance foradults or families with a disability, to meet new people, and practise greaterindependence through the residential experience. Many of theseparticipants report feeling more confident as a result and go on to try newactivities or join a club when they return home.Our residential courses are open to many groups of peopleincluding schools, colleges, charities, organisations, familiesand adults. We have accessible facilities onsite with up to 64beds across 2 accommodation buildings. Facilities have beendesigned to make it possible for visitors to be as independentas possible, with open social spaces to help bring peopletogether.RESIDENTIAL COURSESIt is due toyourselves thatour pupils have thechance to grow.Bendrigg is themost accessibleplace we haveever been and themost inclusive.Keep doing whatyou're doing here,it makes such adifference to youngpeople's lives. Our pupils flourishin thisenvironment.14

WARD FAMILY STORYYou're then met by a Bendrigg representative - a most warm welcome which is so important, especially if you’ve neverbeen before and are unsure what to expect and it is here that you know you are in safe hands. The staff are so easy to getalong with - very friendly and you get the feeling that nothing is too much trouble for them - they are here to help in anyway they can.For children and adults on the go you can be active all day, or for those that may need a rest, there is absolutely nopressure at all to take part in all the activities. You are encouraged obviously, but only if you wish to take part ineverything. But why wouldn’t you? The activities on offer are amazing! From canoeing on open water to abseiling, archeryto roasting marshmallows over an open fire pit, it is all there for you to enjoy. When it comes to the activities andindividuals abilities, there are no barriers - the staff will make it work no matter what. Plus other family members aremore than willing to help - it is always a group effort because everyone is in the same boat.On arrival at Bendrigg, your initial reaction is to thebeauty of the surrounding countryside. You leave themotorway and within minutes you are transported to anarea of open fields and woodland. You feel a sense ofpeace and breathe a sense of relief. No matter how faryou’ve travelled, you realise it’s worth the journey.As a family we have been to Bendrigg lots of times now and will continuecoming back. We have been fortunate to meet wonderful people and lookforward to seeing them again. The work the staff and volunteers do cannotbe valued highly enough. Bendrigg has become a highlight of our year - thisyear we're booked in twice and we are already thinking about the followingyear. All the team at Bendrigg are there to ensure you have the best timepossible and that is exactly what you will have.15

...such as social effectiveness,communication skills, group cohesionand skills in working with others.Examples of outcomes includeindependence, confidence, self-esteem,self-perception, self-efficacy, personaleffectiveness and coping strategies;An outcome of enjoyment in learningleading to higher achievement andimproved knowledge, skills andunderstanding.INTER PERSONAL& SOCIAL SKILLSIMPACT ONRELATIONSHIPSRESILIENCE, SELF-CONFIDENCE & WELL-BEINGBEING PREPARED FORTRANSITIONS INTO NEWENVIRONMENTSATTITUDES, BELIEFS& SELF-PERCEPTIONSIMPACT ONCOHESIONINDEPENDENCEIMPACT ON LEADERSHIP& FACILITATIONATTAINMENTIMPROVED ENGAGEMENTWITH LEARNINGIMPROVEDBEHAVIOURIMPACT ON KNOWLEDGE,SKILL & UNDERSTANDINGKEY OUTCOMES OF A HIGH QUALITY RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCEThere is substantial research evidence surrounding residentials for young people in an education capacity, to suggestthat high quality residential learning can positively impact the following areas: Much of the research is focussed around people from mainstream education. At Bendrigg, we believe that due to thedisability gap and the scale of challenges faced, the positive impacts are likely to be more profound for disabled people.16Reference: Various reports from The Outdoor Education providers panel & Learning Outside The Classroom

The facilities at Bendrigg Trust are just brilliant for Rob. He was able to have freedom toexplore in a safe, nurturing environment and did not need to be right next to me the wholetime. This enabled him to be much more independent.CARYS ANN HUGHES CARYS ANN & ROB'S STORYAlthough my official capacity was to support Rob to participate in the activities, the natureof the week broke down any barriers that may have been there between support workerand individual. We were in a different setting and the week is devised to be fully inclusiveand it is 100%. The timetable of activities is action-packed so you're kept busy from themoment you get up to when you're ready to go to bed. It was fantastic and both myself andRob had an amazing time experiencing the activities together.One of the most illuminating things to come from the experience was howmyself and Rob bonded in a far more meaningful manner than just beinghis support worker at home. I was able to see a different side to him andhis personality really shone through. I was able to see his lack ofconfidence and also his courage when he was faced with challenges. It washumbling to witness. Rob was able to conquer his fear of see through stairsand heights whilst on the zip wire. I nearly cried when I saw how scared hewas, but despite his fear, myself and the Bendrigg tutor gently nurturedand supported him. The tutor took her time (I was scared too!) and shewent down the zip wire with him. I screamed all the way down the zip wireand Rob thought it was hilarious. 17

GROUNDS ACCESS DAYSDAY ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES & SCHOOLSWINTER WONDERLAND EVENTDue to restrictions from the pandemic, there were timesthat we were unable to provide our adventure activities.After talking to our visitors there was demand for safe,accessible outdoor space. Through providing free accessdays in our accessible grounds, we removed the financialbarrier for people and supported them to get outdoorshelping to increase their physical activity levels which inturn can help to improve overall health and well-being.We provided a range of fully accessible day activities forfamilies and schools at a subsidised rate.Our Winter Wonderland is a low cost event to encouragepeople to get outdoors, whatever the weather and havelots of fun. This event is open to the local community,helping to bring together people of all abilities.ADVENTURE ACTIVITIESOne of our full-time wheelchair users,when on the swing said that it made herfeel free, without pain and not disabled. Such a powerful experience.Research shows that there is a great benefit when pairinga residential experience alongside outdoor adventureactivities, but there is also an impact for regular day visitsfor outdoor activities. By providing a combination of dayvisits and longer residentials, people who are moreanxious about staying away can have a "taster" during aday session, then progress to try longer residentials, thushaving a greater impact. At Bendrigg we offer a whole host ofadventure activities. All of which areadapted and made fully accessible topeople with even the most complexneeds.18

As a family, lockdown hit usvery hard. This was justwhat we needed to showus that we can starthaving fun again.KEY OUTCOMES OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITIESBENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITYEXPERIENCE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTVarious developmental benefits are associated withregular physical exercise (such as regular outdooradventure experiences can provide), e.g. humour,patience, energy, optimism, self confidence, self-esteem, self-assurance, emotional stability,improved body image, etc. Outdoor adventure can have significant mental andphysical health benefits, can enhance self-esteemand self-confidence, and can provide opportunitiesfor spiritual development.The only thingthat stops meis me!I was able todo things Inever thoughtI could.Strong anecdotal evidence indicates that outdooradventure experiences can enhance interpersonalrelationships and improve socialisation, and canfacilitate group bonding and co-operation. Outdooradventure can help to reduce formality inrelationships and develop awareness between youngpeople, and between young people and staff. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTSome kinds of outdoor adventure can cause short-term gains in self-esteem and self-efficacy. It cancause short-term improvements in individualsperceptions of themselves. These gains appear to bemore significant on longer adventure programmes.SOCIAL SKILLSReference: Various reports from The Outdoor Education providers panel & Learning Outside The Classroom19

20 CLIMBING CLUB After much anticipation we were able to restart our fortnightly climbing club in September 2021 after 18 months of closure due to the pandemic The club offers an opportunity not only for regular physical activity and climbing coaching to improve skills but the social aspect of the club is also important As well as climbers focussing on their own growth people are encouraged to support other attendees by b laying and doing important safety checks helping to build a sense of responsibility confidence and independence Lockdown was a huge setback for Chris as he physically lost many skills By the time he tried to get out and take part in climbing again he was struggling to stand and unable to get up the wall It was a huge blow and he was determined to get back what he d lost Climbing club staff have been a huge support and the climbers support each other He s worked so hard in rehab driven by progress on the wall each session September to December 2021 8 Climbing sessions 11 Regular attendees AGED 29 14 ALL ABILITIES ADHD We welcome people of all abilities to attend the club and many of the attendees have been coming for several years building great friendships and going from strength to strength improving their climbing skills AUTISM ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY DOWNS SYNDROME DDX3X NON VERBAL DYSPRAXIA

CONSULTANCY & TRAININGVOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIESBendrigg provides consultancy and specialist trainingto organisations across a number of industriesincluding the outdoor sector. We also provideaccredited training courses for professionals includingClimbing For All, Disability Awareness, Paddle-abilityand Moving and Handling In The Outdoors.We have many volunteering opportunities available atBendrigg for people to give back and learn a new skill. Italso helps people to gain experience working alongsidedisabled people, learning more about their challengesand needs.AWARENESS BUILDINGBUSINESSESOUTDOOR SECTORHEALTHCARE PROVIDERSGENERAL PUBLICBendrigg recognise the importance of building awareness and understanding the challenges faced by disabled peopleand how others can play their part to tackle them. We provide a number of services and programmes to learn moreabout our work as well as providing specialist training and consultancy to help people tackle challenges head on.Through our other charitable activities we are helping to improve disabled peoples lives directly through our services,but thinking back to the social model of disability, it is important that we also work on raising awareness and supportingothers to do more to tackle needs.All full-time staff have taken part in two Disability Awareness Training days to help ourstaff grow in confidence and help with the delivery of inclusive activities at our sites.The team have fully embraced this training and we’ve seen a huge change in theirconfidence and ability to welcome people with additional needs to Treetops.21

144volunteersWe were supported byBendrigg in 2021VOLUNTEER SCHEMEIn September 2021 students from Manchester Business School carried out acomprehensive analysis of our volunteer programme. The students surveyed a numberof volunteers and identified a high satisfaction rate with key comments being; -working with people from various backgrounds, exceptional friendliness and supportof the Bendrigg staff, and excellent food and accommodation facilities. They alsomade several recommendations to attract more volunteers and inspired the trust tolook at a "revamp" of the volunteer scheme which we look forward to developing in2022.2021 OVERVIEWDue to the pandemic and restrictions within the prison services, we were unable torestart our Bendrigg Alternative Scheme in 2021. The scheme is something we'reincredibly proud of and are looking forward to having it back up and running in 2022.Since re-opening for residential visits in June 2021 we have been supported by 144volunteers, helping with everything from residential groups to supporting ourmaintenance team and working in the grounds.I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has volunteered atBendrigg in 2021. It was a monumental effort to reopen after such a longperiod of closure and a special thank you must go to our maintenancevolunteers who have continued to be a huge support through this time. Wewere also delighted to welcome a number of longer term volunteers whosupported us with domestic duties and projects throughout the year.ALLIANCE MANCHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL(AMBS) PROJECTKATE MCCALLUM - VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR22

UNDERLEY GARDEN PUPILS' STORYWhen Underley Garden School first got in touch with Bendrigg about work experienceopportunities for their students, they expected to be turned down because of the studentscomplex educational needs, explaining they had previously been told, “volunteering forchildren like ours is deemed too risky,” and said that, “people are usually too scared to letthem try in case it 'all goes wrong'.” Of course, Bendrigg were keen to support the school and the pupils, who shortly aftergetting in touch, embarked on a four week program. The students and teachers came eachweek for two hours to support Ed, our Site Supervisor, with much needed assistance in ourgrounds.I just want to say a huge thank you for giving our young people the opportunity to volunteer at Bendrigg.They got so much out of it and could not wait to tell the rest of their class what they had been doing. Ed wasfantastic with them and had them all engaged from the minute he introduced himself. A few of them werevery nervous to begin with, but by the end of the session their self-esteem was sky high.We were absolutely blown away by the way Ed was able to engage and adapt his approach with each andevery student in the group; enabling them to achieve things that many of the staff never thought the youngpeople would be able to do. He was teaching the children health and safety, science, design technology,environmental science, geography and team work.One of the teachers commented that through volunteering at Bendrigg, they had seen more out of one ofthe children in a few hours, than what they had seen in the entire year at school. It was a magical momentwhen one of the young students turned round to his teacher as he was carrying a spade saying, “Miss, I didit, this is my first real job and I love it."23

2021 HIGHLIGHTSREOPENINGThe Covid pandemic meant that Bendrigg was closed to residential visitors for 14 months.However on the 22nd June 2021 we welcomed our first residential groups back oncemore. The achievement was covered by BBC North West News team and MP Tim Farroncame to site to lend his support after being a strong voice for the 'Save Outdoor Ed'campaign throughout the pandemic. There was such uncertainty as we entered 2021 as to how much longer the pandemicwould affect our services and what support would be forthcoming, that we werecautiously predicting an £150,000 deficit for the year. We are therefore delighted toreport a £29,040 surplus for the year (before depreciation). This is thanks to the demandfrom our visitors, to return in greater numbers and more quickly than predicted, as well asfundraising success with existing and new funders and supporters. ACHIEVING A SURPLUSNEW MINIBUSThe Hartley Trust granted us £65,000 towards a new minibus is 2020. By agreement,Bendrigg delayed purchasing this vehicle until the centre was reopen. When the delaymeant that the cost of the vehicle had increased, the Hartley Trust once again stepped in tocover the shortfall. Delivery of the new vehicle was taken in Autumn 2021, increasing thesize of our accessible fleet allowing us to transport more people in a Covid-secure way. The Big Give Christmas Challenge has become a regular feature in our fundraisingcalendar and 2021 was our fifth year taking part. We set ourselves our most ambitioustarget yet - £30,000 - as we knew the need for our services was great. Over the seven daychallenge our supporters raised a staggering £34,239 including gift aid. Thank you toeveryone who donated, shared and supported this event. THE BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE24

25 REBOOT CAMPAIGN With the centre being closed for over a year our grounds buildings and equipment needed some tender loving care before we could welcome our visitors back to Bendrigg But as we had been closed our income levels were extremely low We therefore created the Reboot Campaign to ask our local community for help with five projects to rejuvenate our grounds and buildings After the support of many volunteers gift in kind donations and financial support we were able to complete four out of the five projects with very little expenditure for the charity This was due to the generosity of our community and corporate partners Thank you to all of the individuals and businesses who gave their time made donations or gave gifts in kind to support the charity with this campaign including The Breedon Group The Roofbox Company Amphigean LTD Sealy UK B Q Kendal Homebase Kendal Asda Kendal THINK Recycling Joseph Strong Frazer Trust Cumbria Community Foundation and Simply Moving Sleeping RAISING AWARENESS Despite being closed we wanted to ensure we were communicating with our visitors supporters and the general community as we knew when we reopened our visitors would need our services more than ever We played a part in the Save Outdoor Ed campaign which featured on the national news and various newspapers including The Guardian The BBC also came out to cover our first groups returning to Bendrigg which was a wonderful moment to capture and share with the nation Our corporate partners at Cicerone Press invited us to be a guest on their Footnotes podcast and we were also featured in Trail Magazine as part of an Access for all feature We attended the Keswick Mountain Festival to spread the word about our work in the local area and BBC Radio Cumbria included us in their charity feature throughout the first week in December

59%15%£135,44924%2%£13,568FUNDRAISINGOrdinarily, we would see costs forstaffing and other unavoidable corecosts covered by a large proportion ofincome from our residential services.However, as we remained closed forhalf the year, much of this income waslost. Therefore, fundraising has beenparamount to the survival of Bendriggthroughout the pandemic and thefundraising team has workedincredibly hard to make up for theadditional loss of income .raised throughfundraising in 2021£559,182 General Funds to support ourcharitable activities and unavoidable running costs£327,467£82,698Specific funding forequipment, capital, IT andother projectsSpecific funding claimed forstaffing (CJRS)SUMMARY OF FUNDS RAISED& SPENTTo use for group and individualsponsorship for those unableto afford our servicesIt is worth noting that Bendriggdoesn't ordinarily receiveGovernment funding, but in 2021 wereceived £135,449 towards staffingcosts through the Coronavirus JobRetention Scheme (CJRS). Withoutthis funding Bendrigg would have hadto consider redundancies or use up alarge proportion of our reserves toretain our highly skilled staff team,leaving the charity in a vulnerableposition going forward.26

FUNDRAISINGMy son has been withdrawn andanxious over the past year but thishas really boosted his confidenceagain. It's been lovely. Without thefunding we really would havestruggled to find the money to comeand therefore we are reallygrateful for everyone raising funds.Our sponsorship fund helps to subsidise ourservices so that people who are facing financialhardship are still able to access our services.INDIVIDUAL DONORSAn enormous thank you must go to the many individual donors who have kept Bendrigg going over the past year. Thepart that this support plays in changing many people's lives for the better cannot be underestimated. Together, all ofour individual donors make a huge difference and it is a simple fact that Bendrigg might not be here without thesewonderful people. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONSWe give thanks to all of our funders including:There is no doubt that, once again, funding from charitable Trusts and Foundations has been incredibly importantfor Bendrigg. We are grateful to all of our funders for their continued understanding and flexibility in terms of theirgrants to us. We would particularly like to thank the Mary Kinross Charitable Trust, Bendrigg Support Trust andCumbria Community Foundation whose long-term support is greatly appreciated. 1 Life to LiveThe 29th May 1961 CharityThe Alchemy Foundation Arnold Clark Community FundBaily Thomas Charitable FundBendrigg Support TrustCumbria Community FoundationDrapers' Charitable Fund The Joseph Strong Frazer TrustGarfield Weston FoundationThe Gene Aid Trust The Edward Gostling FoundationThe Hartley Charitable TrustHomelands Charitable TrustLocal Energy North West HubMarsh Charitable TrustMary Kinross Charitable TrustP F Charitable TrustPOM Charitable TrustThe Frieda Scott TrustScottishPower FoundationThe Souter Charitable TrustSir John Fisher FoundationSt. James's Place Charitable FoundationYWCA Kendal27

FUNDRAISINGCORPORATE PARTNERSWhen lockdown measures began to ease, many people took on a challenge to raise funds for Bendrigg, more thandoubling our normal funds from events. A huge array of physical challenges were undertaken by our supportersincluding the Coniston to Barrow Walk, London Marathon, Great North Run and Yorkshire 3 Peaks as well aspersonal challenges such as 'A Dip A Day' and 'Brightening Up Our Spirits'. Thank you to all those people involvedin these incredible feats of endurance and generosity.Despite organisations facing another year of incredible hardship, we were fortunate to be supported by a numberof corporate and organisational partners, both old and new. Through financial contributions as well as gifts orservices-in-kind, the support we receive from the community is humbling and we are grateful to everyone who hassupported us in this way. Special thanks to :Cicerone Press, Tree Top Treks, Cunningham's Outdoors, The Rum Shack, Upper Eden Rotary, Windemere andAmbleside Lions, Simply Moving & Sleeping, The Breedon Group, The Roof Box Company and Amphigean.FUNDRAISING EVENTS28

LOOKING AHEADComplete theBendriggTheory ofChange modelContinue ourfundraising efforts andachieve £364.5k for2022Develop a new businessplan to drive Bendriggforwards for the next twoyears BUILDINGFINANCIALSTABILITYAs we emerge from the pandemic and a long period of closure, we now look to the future. In 2022 we plan to:PLANNING &STRATEGYCONSOLIDATEOUR DELIVERYDevelop a longterm StrategicPlan for BendriggCatch up onessential remedialwork at BendriggTrust Review the Bendriggactivity offer andexplore newactivities Rebuild and developthe Bendrigg staffteam back to pre-pandemic levels Continue our project todevelop our provision forpeople with hiddendisabilities Rebuild ouroccupancy levels andachieve £734k incourse fee income Achieve £67k infundraisedsponsorship fundingto help fund visitorcourse feesAchieve anoverall deficit of(no more than)£35k 29

FINANCIAL SUMMARYIncoming Resources Donations, Grants & Legacies £423,733Charitable Activities £363,900Investment Income £212CJRS Income £135,449Total Income £923,294Resources ExpendedFundraising £41,654Governance £7,946Charitable Activities £960,608Total Expenditure £1,010,208Reserves PolicyNotes :1. Although the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) for the year shows a total deficit of £86,914, this is made up of anunrestricted surplus of £37,920 and a restricted funds deficit of £124,834. We are delighted to be able to report this return to surplusin our unrestricted activities in 2021, in spite of another very challenging year.This information is drawn from the audited accounts and annual report of the Trust for the year ending31st December 2021. The full set of accounts and annual report is available on the Bendrigg website.YEAR ENDING 31ST DECEMBER 2021In previous years we have established a target range for free reserves, based upon holding anamount equivalent to at least four months' worth of normal expenditure. Given the emergingeconomic uncertainties, and also given the ongoing potential for a resurgence in Covid-19, we willcontinue to adopt an alternative and more cautious approach, whereby all of our unrestrictedfunds are re-purposed entirely towards enabling the Trust to overcome any ongoing financialchallenges in the year ahead. As a result, our entire unrestricted funds balance of £422,975remains re-purposed for the next 12 month period at least, as are all available unrestricted cashbalances. Our normal Reserves Policy will therefore remain suspended until such time as theTrustees consider it appropriate and sensible for this to be re-instated. 30

H O W C A N Y O U S U P P O R T U S ?If you'd like to help address the needs of disabled people in the UK, there are many ways you can do that throughsupporting our work.V O L U N T E E R M A K E AD O N A T I O NC O R P O R A T EP A R T N E R S H I P SL E G A C I E SG I F T S & S E R V I C E S I N K I N DF U N D R A I S EF O R U SS P R E A DT H E W O R DIf you make a donationto Bendrigg, it willenable hundreds ofpeople to have lifechanging experiencesin 2022.Fancy taking on achallenge? There arelots of great local andnational events tochoose from.We are grateful to receivegifts and services in kindfrom individuals andbusinesses. Help to spread the wordabout who Bendrigg areand what we do throughour social media channelsand word of mouth. We can always use anextra pair of hands. Youcan sign up to support usas a residential or dayvolunteer on your own oras a work party withcolleagues.Legacy gifts are vital toensure we continue tochallenge perceptions ofdisability. Your gift couldmake the world ofdifference. Maybe you'd like Bendrigg tobe your charity of the year?Or perhaps you'd like to do ateam "give back" day? Thereare plenty of ways you can support our work.3 1

www.bendrigg.org.uk01539 723766 bookings@bendrigg.org.ukBendrigg Trust, Bendrigg Lodge, Old Hutton, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0NRCharity number: 508450Company Limited by guarantee: 1396557