THE STITHIANS CENTRE TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 2 November 2022 (including financial year May 2021/April 2022)
Charity Name: THE STITHIANS CENTRE
Other name: The Stithians Centre Management Committee
Registered Charity Number: 1010543
Principal Address: The Stithians Centre, Church Road, Stithians, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 7DH
Charity Trustees :
Denis Nightingale (Chair) (elected)
Cllr Phillip Blease (Vice Chair) (Parish Council)
Ms Cath Cullen (Secretary) (co-opted)
Gp Capt. (Retd) John Colgate (Treasurer) (elected)
Jeremy Lucioni (elected)
Mr Andrew Moss (co-opted)
Mrs Ann Nicholls (Women’s Institute rep)
Mr Mike Tatnall (Royal British Legion rep)
Mrs Judith Twigger (elected)
Mr Neil Hamilton (Scout Association rep) (appointed January 2021)
Mrs Caroline Bolitho (co-opted July 2022)
Mrs Rita Wood
Trustee for the Charity: Charity Commission
Advisers:
Secretary, (from September 2022); Mrs Wendy Whittaker
Account Examiner: Mrs Claire Morgan
Solicitors: Thurstan Hoskin Solicitors
Architect: CAD Architects, Mr Roger Hocking
Quantity Surveyor: Ed Crossley and Associates
Bankers: Lloyds Bank & CCLA Investment
Type of Governing Document: Trust Deed dated 30 Mar 90, as amended 28 Jul 04 and 19 Jan 07, 6 March 2014, amended 7 December 2016, as amended 4 November 2020
How is the Charity Constituted: Trust
Trustee Selection Methods: Four trustees are elected for one year by the beneficiaries at the annual general meeting, six may be co-opted, and the rest are appointed by some of the charity’s regular user groups. All serve to promote the aims and objectives of the charity.
Additional Governance Arrangements:
Licences- The hall has a Premises Licence (including alcohol). The hall is licensed by the Public Performance Licence-Performing Right Society, PPL-PRS, for live and recorded music.
Insurance
The Management Committee recognises that it is under a legal obligation to protect the building, its users and employees through adequate and appropriate insurance.
The Stithians Centre is insured with respect to property damage (buildings insurance) by Ansvar Insurance (£1.4M cover). It is insured with the same company with respect to contents (up to £28,000) public liability (£5M) employers’ liability (£10M).
The Centre’s disabled person’s platform lift is covered by a combined inspection and damage insurance policy (up to £500,000) with Allianz Insurance
Summary of the Objects of the Charity: To manage the demised premises upon Trust for the purposes of a village hall and community centre for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Stithians in the County of Cornwall without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
The Stithians Centre November 2021-2022
The Stithians Centre came slowly back to life over Christmas and is now back in full swing and flourishing. There are some people who are yet to return but others have stepped in. Of course like any village hall we need more bookings but the hard work put in by trustees in refurbishing the building during lockdowns has really paid off.
The trustees took the difficult decision to put up rents. Spiralling costs made this inevitable. A team of trustees undertook a thorough investigation and some old anomalies were abolished. It is the first time the rents have been changed since 2009 and so far hirers have been very understanding
The building is in use most days for activities including Beavers, Cubs, Brownies and Rainbows, Lunch Club, Art, Stithians W.I., Parish Council, Coffee Drop In, and Foot Clinic, Messy Church, Baby and Toddler Group, and Ukulele Group.
What clubs are new from November 2021 to present:
There are currently 28 clubs and activities on offer covering a wide range of interests and age groups, from Baby and Toddler to Seniors Lunch Club, and 7 different Fitness Classes. New activities include Aikido martial arts club, Zumba Gold fitness class and a Wednesday Club offering social activities, talks and excursions for the older members of the community. The Bridge Club has expanded to offer lessons for complete beginners.
Stithians Pre-school remained open throughout the year, keeping the Pre-school and out of hours school club running for the community and also provided a holiday club this summer which was well attended.
The Stithians Produce Market has been held most months and been well attended. Christmas markets were especially busy and most enjoyable. The Centre is very grateful to the organiser, stallholders and the public who attend. All their contributions are greatly valued.
The Community Library continues to be a much appreciated service in the Centre. This is run by a lead volunteer and her team, and their commitment is also much appreciated by everyone.
Stithians Parish Council uses the Centre to host public meetings as well as its regular council meetings. The Centre has been used a number of times by the exciting Heat the Streets green energy for presentations etc to promote the project to install heat pumps in many homes in the village. They also have a semi-permanent display and information point in the entrance porch ~~.~~
In April the Centre was one of 4 venues selected to host the prestigious Generation Expo Exhibition, a Cornwall Council/Cornwall College initiative showcasing the wide range of regeneration and renewal projects in the Mining Villages area.
In June, TSC partnered with Stithians Parish Council to organise a successful community Party in the Park to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and £2,250 was raised for local good causes, including £750 for TSC.
The Centre is also available for hire for private functions including children’s parties, wedding receptions, funeral teas, community social functions and fundraising fayres/events and we are delighted that Community charity groups such as Cancer Research UK, Cara Coweth and WI are beginning to return to the venue for their fundraising events.
A new TSC Events Team has been formed post pandemic and is busy developing a program of social and fundraising events, as well as setting up a new Film Club.
What has The Stithians Centre achieved since the last annual meeting in November 2021?
Significant Building Works
Tregonning Hall has been transformed. Work on the refurbishing the floor and the skirting was completed in early summer by a team of volunteer trustees. The works included new suspended ceiling panels and low energy LED dimmable lighting panels. New opening windows and blinds have been installed and a projector screen, donated by Stithians WI, was installed for slide, film or video shows.
The dank, concrete area outside the Centre has been transformed to provide a green space with artificial grass as well as paving and outside furniture for flexible use by hirers. It makes a perfect venue for the annual scarecrow competition which has taken place for the last 2 years.
Trustees are proud that The Stithians Centre is going green. In May newly fitted solar panels – thanks to a grant from Cornwall Council - generated their first electricity and have continued to do so very successfully. Battery storage will help to greatly reduce electricity costs. The enormous amount of work that the Stithians Energy Group, and especially their lead Brian Piper, put into this project, winning the funding for it to happen, cannot be overestimated. The Stithians Centre is indebted to him.
A fire risk assessment was commissioned following the refurbishment of the Centre and the assessor’s recommendations has informed future building and maintenance plans.
The introduction of Hallmaster for room bookings online remains very successful and the bookings officer has managed the new system brilliantly.
TicketSource- The Centre has set up this user-friendly online dashboard for promoters and ticket purchasers to manage bookings for events.
Zettle - The Stithians Centre has also set up a Zettle account for contactless card payments. This is a useful facility as less and less people carry cash. It also reduces risks associated with cash payments.
There is also still a need for more volunteers to help at events and for more people to come forward with sparkling, original ideas on how the Centre can be better used. The Trustees are all volunteers. They are dedicated and hardworking, but they cannot be expected to do everything themselves. The Centre exists for everyone in the parish of Stithians and we all have a responsibility to ensure it is successful.
We have welcomed two new trustees this year.
We would like to thank everyone who uses The Stithians Centre and supports our events.
Publicity and Promotion –
The Stithians Centre makes active use of website marketing and social media to promote events, regular clubs and activities, and venue hire to a wider audience. These communication channels were vital during the Covid 19 lockdowns for keeping our users and supporters updated. We also broadened our remit to help other smaller non-profit groups maintain links with the community. Events are still advertised by poster and in The Stithians Times.
Website: the website continues to support the aims and objectives of TSC with 37433 since it was set up.
Newsletter: the Newsletter now has just over 600 subscribers who are updated on events and activities through a monthly email newsletter, and special event bulletins.
Facebook: TSC promotes through its own Facebook page (450 followers) and shares posts with Stithians Community Stithians Noticeboard Facebook group (4800 members), as well as neighbouring village pages, e.g., Lanner, Carnkie, Four Lanes, Perranwell, Frogpool, Carharrack, Devoran, Rame Penryn, Ponsanooth. A new volunteer has recently been recruited to manage and expand social media content.
Instagram: The Instagram account opened in September 2020 to promote TSC as a hire venue as well as events now has 181 followers.
Sale of copies of The Stithians Times are back to pre pandemic levels. But printing costs have more than doubled. The Times remains an important revenue raiser but trustees are keeping a close eye to ensure it remains viable. It must never become a financial burden.
The Stithians Directory is kept updated on TSC website providing contact information on community groups and vital service, with a downloadable PDF version. The Directory continues to bring in a small income through advertising.
Advertising Leaflet: The annual combined parish leaflet drop, which provides TSC with a cost effective means of reaching all c.1000 homes in the parish, was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic but resumed in 2021.
A new Photo competition was launched in April. The winning photos are to be used in a design for greetings cards to sell and raise funds.
Policy on Reserves: The Trustees seek to hold in reserve a minimum of six months’ operating costs of the facilities which they manage. This is primarily to allow for seasonal variations in use and to safeguard against any period when the facilities might be wholly or partially unavailable due to damage or maintenance works. Accrued reserves are invested in bank deposits to best advantage in terms of returns and risk minimisation whilst ensuring access, if required. In addition, there are reserves being held for major capital expenditure such as the roof.
Details of Any Funds in Deficit : None
Further financial review details: After adjustment to set aside the funds we hold in our account belonging to other community organisations for whom we act as banker, the accounts for FY21/22 show that our overall funds at the end of the
FY stood at just under £65K, up slightly from just under £62K the previous period. However, this apparent growth is deceptive. We received the last of the Covidrelated grants during the FY and that £2.7K accounts for most of the increase. Thus, we remain in a sound financial position despite the impacts of the pandemic, but our operating budget made no gains throughout the year.
Letting income has recovered to roughly the same level as the immediate prepandemic years and we saw the return of some income from Entertainments, mostly from Produce markets and their cafes, with only one other event contributing.
On the expenditure side, caretaking fees are up to a more realistic figure, having been depressed by the Covid closures, but there’s nothing else of significance. Expenditure on major improvements and renovations has ceased following last year’s projects.
So FY21/22 saw a gradual return to “business as usual”, but with no capital growth from our operations, partially due to post-Covid uncertainty restricting fund-raising events.
We started 2022 with the prospect of increasing utilities costs, not least because we came to the end of a lucrative electricity fix period. A new fix, albeit at over double the old rate, seemed extortionate at the time, but has proved relatively thrifty following the subsequent surge in prices. The new solar generation and storage system has proven remarkably beneficial in reducing our electricity draw from the grid too, resulting in electricity costs for the first half of the current FY below budget. However, overall, we can expect our utilities costs for the year to be much higher than previous years, driven partly by the high cost of oil.
Extrapolating the hire income from the first five months, we are on course to meet expectations from pre-pandemic years and should beat them after recently increased hire rates take effect. However, all other income is very disappointing. Printing cost increases have eroded the profit derived from the Stithians Times and the necessary cancellation of a major fund-raising event due to HM the Queen’s funeral meant that we have raised nothing from fundraising in the first 5 months of the FY. Further fund-raising events are planned to address the shortfall.
In summary, whilst The Centre remains on a secure financial footing, we know from previous years that the income raised from room lettings is insufficient to cover our operating costs and this is likely to remain so even with the hire rate increase. Stithians Times is unlikely to provide much in the way of additional income and our expenditure to date on fund-raising has exceeded the income
from it. Even if the solar system mitigates some of our energy costs, we face increased costs across the breadth of our usual areas of expenditure and I expect the overall expenditure sum to be higher than previous years. Whilst we have sufficient capital to cover routine repairs, we must aim to grow our funds over time and are showing very little growth over the past several years.
We look forward to seeing you all over the next year and welcoming you to The Stithians Centre.
Signed:
Date:
D Nightingale
Chairman
STITHIANS VILLAGE HALL & COMMUNITY CENTRE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] APRIL 2022
| 2020/21 RECEIPTS 7,663.25 HALL LETTINGS 0.00 EVENTS 904.66 PROFIT FROM “STITHIANS TIMES” 0.00 PROFIT FROM STITHIANS DIRECTORY 17,597.79 COVID-19 RELATED GRANTS 1,025.00 DONATIONS 45.03 BANK INTEREST Charities Deposit Account 30.60 LIBRARY INCOME (Fees, Membership, fines etc) 453.00 STORAGE HIRE AND DEPOSITS 0.00 LIBRARY, GARDEN, PATCHWORK & ART CLUB FUNDS 221.00 SALE OF SURPLUS FURNITURE & IT EQUIPMENT 42.99 OTHER 27,983.32 PAYMENTS 2,050.00 CARETAKER1 1,947.21 INSURANCE 5,467.64 SERVICE COSTS 550.55 STATUTORY INSPECTIONS 3,306.70 MAINTENANCE 31,834.61 IMPROVEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT 578.76 IT EQUIPMENT – MAINTENANCE & TRAINING 0.00 PROMOTIONAL 65.00 CONSULTANCY & PROFESSIONALS’ FEES 180.00 LICENCES & EVENTS COST 82.83 LIBRARY EXPENSES2 125.00 REFUND OF HIRE CHARGES & DEPOSITS 58.02 RETURN OF LIBRARY & USER CLUB FUNDS 264.00 OTHER COSTS 46,510.32 EXCESS OF: RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS (18,527.00) PAYMENTS OVER RECEIPTS 81,718.55 Balance brought forward from previous year _plus_Excess Receipts (18,527.00) _less_Excess Payments 63,191.55 Balance of fund at 30thApril Represented by: 45,755.54 Charities Deposit Fund 16,948.36 Lloyds Bank General Account 435.12 Cash 52.53 Library Cash Account 63,191.55 |
2021/22 16,588.10 2,663.73 1,126.19 0.00 2,667.00 434.53 35.21 100.45 265.00 762.00 0.00 301.96 |
|---|---|
| 24,944.17 | |
| 4,113.00 1,902.29 5,082.47 1,697.07 2,528.42 4,240.80 601.56 16.16 65.00 814.82 18.25 292.00 598.75 52.00 |
|
| 22,022.59 | |
| 2,921.58 | |
| 63,191.55 2,921.58 |
|
| 66,113.13 | |
| 45,790.75 19,652.71 534.94 134.73 |
|
| 66,113.13 | |
| Adjustment to reflect Local Club funds and Storage Deposits held in account: 1,104.63 _Less_Garden, Patchwork & Art Club funds 250.00 _Less_Deposits held against storage hires 61,836.92 |
1,037.48 250.00 |
| 64,825.65 |
1 Difference due mainly to reduced rates payable during Covid-19 lockdown.. 2 Excludes £200.40 for book sales trolley entered under Improvements, Equipment.
“STITHIANS TIMES” ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] APRIL 2022
| 2020/21 RECEIPTS 1,349.80 ADVERTISING 508.00 SALES 10.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS 1,867.80 PAYMENTS 947.35 PRINTING 15.79 OTHER COSTS1 963.14 904.66 EXCESS OF: RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS PAYMENTS OVER RECEIPTS |
2021/22 1,898.85 518.00 18.00 |
|---|---|
| 2,434.85 | |
| 1304.66 4.00 |
|
| 1,308.66 | |
| 1,126.19 | |
1 Primarily postage & packing costs for issues sent by mail.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examlnerfs Report ITr1 Ififos vi LLRGe HA comrn ffrEE On accounts for the year ended OTh APRIL 2011 Charity no (rf any) IOIOSW3 Sot out on pages Respeetsve Tr f*taWs trustees are respon11e for Ihe proparation of Ihe acUnts in responsibilities of XX)rdan vAth the char1tS Act 2011 rthe Acr). tmder selaion 144 of Aca aTrJ that an IndepeIent examination is needed. he charis gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualifi8d member of [named b(xJyl]. Delgt• [ l rfn apl4icab. It is my responsibility to: exarnine the acc#Junts urmder section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow Ihe applicable Directions glven by the Charity Commission (under se(kn 145(5Xb) of the Acl, and Basls of Independent My examination carrd oxrt in accordarK¥ V•ith general DilOn$ given examinerfs statern by the Charity CommissK)n. An examina(ion inde5 a reeW of the )unting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented IMth tIK>se reojrds. It 8150 ifKaudes cDnsKJerab"on of any unusual trustees (%)miE¥j any sud) matters. The wJure$ UFKlertaken do not provide all e1rfKje that V•Duid be ruired in an audtl, ar]d nsequenty opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and wew and the reFMNt is lifflited to those fftters s8t out in the slatemenl below. IER May 2018
Independent In ¢onnedion with my examination. no malerial matters have come to my examinerfs statement attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material resp.: the a(%ounlirKJ rec4)rds We not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Art., or acix)unts did mt arxx)rd with the accounting records; or the accounts dvj rjot comply the applicable r4uirements (xx)ceming the form and content of aco)unts set (Mjt in the Chartl (Accounts and Repts) Regulations 2(J)8 other than any rry]u1ment thal the accoujts give a Inje and fairf view WI is not a matter considered as Ffjrt of an iTrYepdent examination. with the examination to attenlion shEwld be drawn in this in order to enable a propw urvJeFstandir¥J of the a¢unIS to be rea(#)ed. . Fry8ase d&lef8 lh8 in Ihe bets fffhey do Trappfy. Sryned: 8181 CL moo FMAAT quallfleatlorfs) or body (if any): Addross: Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern {see CC32, Irependent examination of charity acunts'. directions and guidance for examiners). IER May 2018