THE STITHIANS CENTRE TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT 1[st] November 2025 (including financial year May 2024/April 2025)
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 (elected - Chair)
Cllr Philip Blease (Vice Chair and Parish Council Representative)
Gp Capt. (ret’d) John Colgate (elected - Treasurer)
Jeremy Lucioni (elected)
Judith Twigger (elected)
Andrew Moss (co-opted)
Emma Cook (co-opted)
Jackie Barson MBE (Secretary, co-opted)
Ann Nicholls (Women’s Institute representative)
Mike Tatnall (Royal British Legion representative)
Sarah Scrivener (Scout Association representative)
Trustee for the Charity: Charity Commission
Advisers:
Account Examiner: Claire Morgan, Champion Accountancy 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 (£1.6M cover). It is insured with the same company with respect to contents (up to £35,000) 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.
The National Lottery Community Fund: The Stithians Centre officially reopened for business in March 2008. The Centre had been the recipient of a capital grant under the Grants for Large Projects. In November 2024, correspondence between the National Lottery Community Fund and the Trustees confirmed that the Lottery Community Fund had lodged an application to the Land Registry with a request to remove the legal charge registered against the Titles associated with the Stithians Centre. In January 2025, the Land Registry confirmed it had successfully completed its application to remove the legal charges in favour of the Fund.
Summary of the Objects of the Charity: To manage the 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 2024-2025
Over the years hard-working trustees and volunteers have transformed The Stithians Centre from a village hall to a bustling community centre with terrific facilities including a preschool, library, first rate kitchen and four well maintained rooms for hire. Bookings flourish and many different organisations use the Centre throughout the year. Income continues to be very good when compared to pre-covid days (see below). Many major, well thought out projects including
storage and heating have been completed in recent years. The Trustees are aware the roof on the main building is aging and they are looking at ways of replacing it with the use of grants and money raising ideas. The Trustees are also looking at how to further improve the outside area between the Centre and the school.
In common with other village halls, we need even more bookings. The trustees will continue to explore new avenues of revenue and ways of attracting people to use The Stithians Centre.
Clubs and other users:
There are many clubs and activities covering a wide range of interests and age groups, from Art, Ukulele, Bridge, WI to Lunch Club, and 9 different Fitness Classes. Youth groups (Rainbows, Brownies, Beavers and Cubs) continue to have weekly meetings. One off full day bookings from major organisations have been strong in the past year contributing significantly to the income of TSC. Regular events organised by our Events Team are growing in popularity. The Events Team has shown 9 films since November 2024 and film club membership stands at 130. Both Quiz nights proved to be popular and brought in a combined profit of nearly £1,086. In a Partnership with Kernow Concerts, 4 concerts of classical music have been held since Nov 2025. The Stithians Produce Market has been held monthly apart from August. A subcommittee including trustees and marker stall holders has been formed to see how to increase footfall, bring in more varied stalls and to look at prices paid by stall holders. Christmas markets were especially busy and most enjoyable. The Centre is very grateful to the organiser, stallholders and the public who attend.
The Community Library continues to be a much-valued service in the Centre. This is run by a lead volunteer and her team, and their commitment is much appreciated.
Stithians Parish Council uses the Centre to host public meetings as well as its regular council meetings. It has always been fully supportive of The Stithians Centre which we gratefully acknowledge.
The Preschool continues to be successful and brings in much needed regular income. The twice weekly Post Office outreach has been well attended though its future is uncertain with the coming sale of its parent Post Office at the start of 2026. Trustees will do all they can to ensure it continues.
The Centre is also available for hire for private functions including children’s parties, wedding receptions, funeral teas, community social functions and fund-raising fayres/events.
What has The Stithians Centre achieved since the last annual meeting in November 2024?
The Stithians Centre continues to emphasise its green credentials with the new infra-red heaters being well received. The main hall has been stripped of its radiators and is being painted, making it a warm and welcoming area for potential hirers. Our solar panels & Tesla batteries have continued to help our electricity bills. Hallmaster for room bookings online remains very successful.
The Centre continues to use TicketSource: for promoters and ticket purchasers to manage bookings for events.
Zettle: The Stithians Centre uses 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.
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. Events are also advertised by poster and in The Stithians Times.
Website: The website continues to support the aims and objectives of TSC with 48686 hits since it was set up.
Newsletter: The Newsletter now has just under 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 (605 followers) and shares posts with Stithians Community Stithians Noticeboard Facebook group (11.983 subscribers), as well as neighbouring village pages and any What’s On pages relevant to the area.
Instagram: The Instagram account opened in September 2020 to promote TSC as a hire venue as well as events now has 251 followers.
Stithians Times: The committee decided the Stithians Times no longer met the objective of a major fund raiser which it had been for many years. Stithians Parish Council agreed to take over the production of the magazine and successfully delivered a Christmas edition to six hundred homes for free.
The Stithians Directory: This is being continually updated on TSC website providing contact information on community groups and vital service. The Directory continues to bring in a small income through advertising.
Advertising Leaflet : A trifold leaflet has been printed promoting events and activities at the Centre, as well as opportunities for venue hire. A supply of leaflets is available in the entrance foyer and is also delivered to every home in the parish each December as part of a combined parish leaflet drop which provides TSC with a very cost-effective means of reaching c.1000 homes.
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: Nil.
Further financial review details:
The accounts for FY24/25 have been examined formally and approved without adverse comment or recommendation.
The Centre’s financial situation remains stable, with income across all categories very similar to last year. Income from room hire, our core stream, remains very good and sufficient to permit freezing hire rates for a year to help our hirers, many of whom face steadily increasing costs elsewhere. Entertainments income remains disappointing, but this reflects the situation throughout the local hospitality businesses, with no remedy in sight. However, the sound letting income removes the need to support the Centre’s routine running costs through fundraising, reducing pressure on trustees and volunteers and freeing that income to help finance improvement projects.
The Centre’s overall funds at the end of the FY stood at just under £65K, some £16K less than last year. Much of the difference is explained by knock-on costs of last year’s asbestos problem on our continuing Centre improvements projects in which we have, nonetheless, continued to invest, accepting a reduction in our capital to fund this. Utilities costs were also much higher, reflecting carryover of some electricity charges and the higher heating costs incurred by our move away from oil to electric heating for ecological reasons. Our solar generation and battery storage system continues to help keep these running costs down significantly.
Given the scale of the extra expenditure in FY24/25, the trustees paused further major improvement plans at the beginning of FY25/26 to check that income would remain high enough to avoid further erosion of capital. Initials signs are that letting income is matching last year and investment in the Centre is expected to recommence according.
In summary, The Centre remains on a secure financial footing and letting income is at a level sufficient to meet our running costs, including a reasonable level of routine upkeep and preventative maintenance, with sufficient headroom to permit continued investment in improving the Centre and its appeal to future hirers.
Signed:
Date:
D Nightingale - Chair