ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
We celebrated the start of the 2019-2020 year with The South Westminster Community Choir who entertained members and invited guests at the Christmas Party, with a recital of carols and a lively brass accompaniment. In January and February, the society launched the first two in a series of four short talks in the Archives on the subject of Christchurch Gardens and Ignatius Sancho, the polymath African buried in Christchurch Gardens. Our corporate partner the Blue Orchid Hotel Group/Integrity International supported this innovative programme and also allocated professional staff to begin the development of a new website and database for the Society.
The Spring/Summer Newsletter was produced and mailed in March but our diary of scheduled visits and walks was abruptly curtailed by Covid-19 and the lockdown which affected so many aspects of all our lives. We took the decision to defer the visits to 2021 and to set-up a skeleton series of virtual-educational talks for members to enjoy. The committee learned a great deal from this experience and we are grateful for the time and expertise of our contributors, all of whom are members of the Society. The support, encouragement and understanding of members sustained the committee during this period. One of the disappointments of the year was the cancellation of our T@35 birthday celebrations in St James’s Park and the Cinnamon Club.
As part of the Society’s planning role, we contributed to Westminster City Council’s deliberations of a policy to retain or remove statues as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement and going forward we will be consulted as part of The Mayor of London’s Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. The Society initiated a planning group/hub comprising the amenity/resident groups in the south Westminster area and responded to over 60 planning applications including major building developments. We supported the Judicial Review taken by The London Parks Trust against the Government over the fact that the decision on the Planning Inquiry will be made by a member of the very Government that has promised to build the Holocaust Memorial come what may. The 5-week Planning Inquiry started in October with The Thorney Island Society as ‘an interested party’ opposing the application.
Our accounts for 2019-2020 reflect a significant shortfall in unrestricted income as a result of Covid-19. The coming year will be a challenge to maintain our financial position and focus on our delayed priorities. Our Treasurer, Gordon Slater retires this year after 15 years in the role and attendance at nearly every Thorney Island dinner, visit, party, sorting in the archives and envelope-stuffing since then! We are most encouraged by the nomination to the Committee of two new local residents in the roles of Treasurer and Membership Secretary.
Sue Ball Chair
THE THORNEY ISLAND SOCIETY Registered Charity No 1000751 TREASURER'S REPORT FOR 2019-20
I am pleased to report that the Society had a successful financial year in 2019-20 despite the extraordinary circumstances, recording a surplus of £1,503 on our ordinary activities. Regrettably, many of our planned activities including our 35th birthday party had to be cancelled, so we are especially grateful for the loyalty of our members at this time. On the expenditure side, we were able to further reduce postage and printing costs through greater use of email, though we are pleased with the quality of the bi-annual newsletter. We again thank Blue Orchid Hotels for their generous hospitality at our parties and AGM. These figures are dwarfed by the further amount of £108,000 raised in support of the Save Victoria Tower Gardens campaign, which was used at the request of the organising group to obtain professional advice on the planning application, and will be used for legal representation at the forthcoming inquiry. We are also very pleased to receive a special grant of £2,600 from Integrity International for various development projects. We are grateful to Gwyndaf John for acting as independent examiner in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission. This is my 16th and last report as Treasurer; I am delighted to be handing over to Robert Timms, and wish him and the Society every success in the coming years.
Gordon Slater - Treasurer
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2020
| Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Total 2020 £ £ £ BALANCE SHEET Unrestricted funds Balance at 1 October 2019 20,066.18 20,066.18 Add net (deficit)/surplus for the year 1,502.93 1,502.93 Balance at 30 September 2020 21,569.11 21,569.11 Restricted funds Balance at 1 October 2019 9,551.25 9,551.25 Add net surplus/(deficit) for the year - purse -Victoria Tower Gardens 70,501.26 70,501.26 - Integrity International 1,975.00 1,975.00 Balance at 30 September 2020 82,027.51 82,027.51 (VTG £80,052.51; Integrity £1,975.00) TOTAL FUNDS 21,569.11 82,027.51 103,596.62 Represented by Lloyds Bank Accounts Instant Savings 07214020 627.10 627.10 Treasurer's Account 00355214 12,695.13 82,027.51 94,722.64 Old Pye St Account 00287456 834.96 834.96 Affirmative Deposit Fund for Charities 8,911.92 8,911.92 Sundry creditors (1,500.00) (1,500.00) NET ASSETS 21,569.11 82,027.51 103,596.62 |
Total 2019 £ 18,791.63 1,274.55 |
|---|---|
| 20,066.18 | |
| 557.88 (557.88) 9,551.25 |
|
| 9,551.25 | |
| 29,617.43 | |
| 436.82 25,027.17 500.68 8,849.61 (5,196.85) |
|
| 29,617.43 |
THE THORNEY ISLAND SOCIETY
Registered Charity No 1000751
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2020
| INCOME Membership fees Visits - net surplus Christmas drinks party - net surplus Summer drinks party - net surplus Bank interest Christmas raffle - net surplus Donations - general Donations - for 18th century purse Donations & gift aid - Save VTG campaign Donation - Integrity International Total Income EXPENDITURE Civic society insurance Printing, postage, stationery Membership of other societies AGM expenses Books and materials for archives Miscellaneous expenses Website Restricted expenditure - 18th century purse Restricted expenditure - Save VTG Restricted expenditure - Integrity Expenses re Old Pye Street Rent Electricity Business rates Water Total Expenditure SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR |
Unrestricted funds Restricted income funds Total 2020 £ £ £ 3,484.00 3,484.00 678.68 678.68 191.29 191.29 0.00 62.59 62.59 606.88 606.88 952.43 952.43 0.00 108,497.26 108,497.26 2,600.00 2,600.00 5,975.87 111,097.26 117,073.13 283.33 283.33 930.58 930.58 46.00 46.00 0.00 87.75 87.75 430.70 430.70 28.86 28.86 0.00 37,996.00 37,996.00 625.00 625.00 2,665.72 2,665.72 2,000.00 2,000.00 117.39 117.39 456.00 456.00 92.33 92.33 4,472.94 38,621.00 43,093.94 1,502.93 72,476.26 73,979.19 |
Total 2019 £ 3,870.00 2,390.05 383.98 403.75 59.31 541.82 142.01 380.00 57,438.75 |
|---|---|---|
| 65,609.67 | ||
| 283.33 1,272.64 46.00 0.00 53.32 1,182.31 380.94 1,296.98 47,887.50 2,938.73 |
||
| 2,000.00 261.33 469.00 208.40 |
||
| 55,341.75 | ||
| 10,267.92 |
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of THE THORNEY ISLAND SOCIETY (Registered Charity No 1000751)
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Thorney Island Society (the Trust) for the year ended 30 September 2020.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
| report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: {Vv Zaav
Name: Gwyndaf Edward John
Address: Msasa, 40 Beech Waye, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, SL9 8BL Date: 28 March 2021