2021-09-30-accounts - Toddington Village Hall Association

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Toddington Village Hall Association

Registered Charity Number 1001875

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2021

As the new financial year dawned the effects of the pandemic remained fluid, and we continued with the cautious approach and activities recommended by the Government, Action with Communities in Rural England and our insurers - maintaining a range of precautions to safeguard our employees and the public; to contain operational costs as far as possible; to meet the needs of our insurers; to make frequent and regular inspections of the site and the property to ensure that the needs of maintenance, health & safety and security were met.

The second national lockdown came into force in November and, after a short relaxation over Christmas, returned as the third national lockdown at the start of 2021. Indoor gatherings were severely restricted until May and legal restrictions were removed in mid-July. As the infection rates in Central Bedfordshire remained among the highest outside London, with rates in Toddington Ward being consistently above average, and as the Hall would as usual be closed for maintenance during the last two weeks of August, it was impractical to re-open straight away. Some of our regular users weren’t prepared or able to return immediately, so we aimed to recommence “business as usual” from September onwards. While the Hall remained closed we took the opportunity to give the premises a “deep clean” in anticipation.

Only one hire event took place during the year when in May, at the request of Central Bedfordshire Council and following strict Government guidance, the Hall became a Polling Station for one day. A less welcome event occurred in February however when, during the course of a Police pursuit, a target vehicle lost control and demolished a five metre stretch of the hedge and railings at the front of the Hall. Our insurers agreed to cover £1140 of the cost for putting things right, but the Association will have to bear the £400 excess.

With none of the usual income from hire fees there were still bills to be paid for some operating costs including licensing, insurance premiums, fees and maintenance and, we were grateful to be able to benefit from a series of grants from Central Bedfordshire Council which aimed to cover operational costs during the pandemic and provide financial support for subsequent business recovery. It’s clear that we shall need to rely on these funds, as the perception is that events at the Hall are unlikely to reach previous levels for some time, and lack of frequent use has exposed some weaknesses in fittings and equipment which will need repair or replacement.

The terms of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme allowed us to keep our employees on full and/or flexible furlough throughout the year. For the most part we were able to claim (and pay) 80% of their normal earnings, with greater contributions made by the Association as the Scheme wound down to its conclusion at the end of September.

As the prospect of some kind of normality returns (further developments in the virus and Government responses permitting) the onus is now emphatically on individuals to follow the Government’s recommended behaviours to control the spread of the virus. We are continuing to promote this responsibility to all Hall hirers and users, and are supporting its achievement with clear practical guidance and the provision of additional Covid-related hygiene facilities.

It's pointless to speculate what the consequences and future impact of the pandemic will be, but in the meantime our overall aim continues to be to provide facilities ”for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Toddington”.

Doug Dix

Chairman, Toddington Village Hall Association November 2021

Toddington Village Hall Association  Registered Charity No: 1001875 FINANCIAL STATEMENT

for the year ended 30 September 2021

Numbers annotated in brackets relate to the notes on the following page

The Hall was closed throughout the year as a consequence of Covid-19 restrictions

RECEIPTS	*30.09.20*	*30.09.20*	30.09.21	30.09.21
(1) Hire fees: Individual Regular (2) Sundry income (3) Interest on investments (4) Rent Special deposits taken (5) Small Business Grants (6) Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Grants TOTAL RECEIPTS			291.00	291.00 2525.87 1.36 900.00 18396.93 8660.96 30776.12
	3186.75
	8074.50	*11261.25*
		*55.00*
		*69.60*
		*900.00*

		*10000.00*
		*4334.80*
		*26620.65*

*PAYMENTS*	*30.09.20*		30.09.21
Fixtures, furnishings and equipment Operating Expenses (7) Consumables (8) Insurance and licences Miscellaneous Stationery and postage (9) Telephone and voicemail charges (10) Utilities (11) Wages and NI contributions (12) Waste disposal Website & e-mail hosting and ISP costs (13) Repairs, construction and maintenance (1) Hire fees & deposits returned *TOTAL PAYMENTS*			200.35 3039.65 39.00 612.98 1107.50 9386.28 117.94 432.00	14935.70 537.98

	571.88
	2822.76
	52.00
	67.33
	706.02
	4172.37
	10760.50
	953.49
	583.71	*20690.06*
		*2514.27*
		*609.50*
		*23813.83*		15473.68

*BALANCE OF FUNDS*		*30.09.20*		30.09.21
Brought forward from previous year Net receipts and payments for current year (14) Carried forward to next year		*20312.14*		23118.96 15302.44 38421.40
		*2806.82*
		*23118.96*

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2021

Hire Fees: Income relates only to a special dispensation for hosting a Polling Station in May 2021.
Sundry Income: Insurance claims for premises break-in (£995.87) and replacement of hedge and railing destroyed by vehicle during Police chase (£1340.00); repayment by miscreant for repairs to waste pipes (£90.00).
Interest on Investments: Business Deposit Account.
Rent is received from Toddington Parish Council ( see ASSETS below ).
Covid-19 Grants made to village halls by Central Bedfordshire Council in lieu of fee income, to cover operational costs during the pandemic and provide financial support for subsequent business recovery. A Ward Councillor Grant of £156.00 was also received towards kitchen shutter repairs.
Our employees were furloughed under the Job Retention Scheme and claims made under the Scheme rules. Amounts received from HMRC were used to offset Wages payments (Item 11).
Consumables: The amount relates primarily to janitorial supplies, the majority of which are purchased in bulk at preferential rates through Herts FullStop (a County supplies service).
Insurance, licences and fees cover: Premises, contents, and public and other liability insurance (Aviva VillageGuard Policy for Village Halls); PPL PRS licence fees for playing and performing music (calculated at 2% of annual hire income); Processing fees for PAYE and associated services; Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity affiliation.
Telephone and voicemail charges: the Association maintains a dedicated telephone and broadband facility for the use of the Bookings Secretary.
Utilities: (2019 amounts in brackets) Gas £980.95 (£ 2,291.92 ) ; Electricity £309.37 ( £ 905.03) ; Water -£182.82 (£ 975.42 ) after writing back an erroneous Wave charge of £991.18 from previous year.
Wages and NI contributions: The Association employ a Bookings Secretary, a cleaner and a caretaker. Additional cleaners are engaged ad hoc to cover peak periods and absences.
Weekly collections of commercial waste by F&R Cawley Ltd (an authorised contractor).
Repairs, construction and maintenance: Break-in and kitchen shutter repairs (£438.00); heating thermostat replacement (£99.98).
Balance of funds carried forward consists of:
Santander Business Current Account: 17,863.18 Santander Business Savings Account: 20,558.22 .

The Association uses its current account with Santander for normal transactions. Reserves are normally held on deposit, and are primarily earmarked as “designated funds” for significant future repairs and replacements, and for the purposes detailed in Note 5 above.

ASSETS

The land in Leighton Road, Toddington on which the Hall is built (described in a Conveyance dated 29 June 1987 between Toddington Parish Council and Bedfordshire County Council) is held by the Parish Council as Custodian Trustee of Toddington Village Hall Association, as witnessed by Deed of Declaration of Trust dated 22 January 1991.

The property is subject to a Lease dated 31 July 2002 to Toddington Parish Council in respect of that part of the Hall used as a Parish Office. To meet its statutory obligations the Association is required to charge rent at a level proposed by a qualified Surveyor and with the approval of the Charity Commission. The current annual rent is set at £900 (subject to a five-year review). The Lease expired on 31 March 2017 and is in the process of renewal.

The insurance premiums reflect a valuation carried out in November 2019 (and subsequently inflation linked) to cover  buildings (including boundary walls, fences, car park and landscaped areas) £1,313,00  contents (including equipment, furniture, fixtures and fittings) £33,870

LIABILITIES

The Association’s accounts have been compiled on a receipts and payments basis, and are not adjusted for accruals or prepayments. Liabilities other than normal operating expenses are restricted to the deposits mentioned at (3) above.

The Association’s accounting records are maintained by the Hon. Treasurer. This Financial Statement has been prepared by the Association from those and other records.

An independent examination of the accounts, to meet the recommendations of the Charity Commission has been carried out by Geoff Hanson, 88 Derwent Road, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 2XT, who is competent for the purpose.