MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
Trustees’ Annual Report & Financial Statement
For the year ending December 31[st] 2023
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celibration (Organised by MiCE)
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
The Trustees have pleasure in presenting their report and their independently examined financial statements of the charity for the year ending December 31[st] 2023.
The Association’s formal constitution was adopted at a public meeting convened at Mickleton Church Institute on 13[th] May 1992. Charitable status was sought and this was conferred on the Association on 29/7/ 1992 Number 1011422.
At the 1994 Annual General Meeting the constitution was amended to enable various groups to become sections of MVHA with representatives on the management committee, further minor changes were made in 2015 and 2020 to clause13d.
The Association was issued a Premises Licence PL(A)0031 (Licensing Act 2003) by Durham County Council that includes the sale of Alcohol.
Organisations affiliated to the MVHA during the year were: Teesdale Village Halls Consortium, Durham County Council, Mickleton Parish Council, the Parochial Church Council and The Association of Teesdale Day Clubs.
The Holding Trustees of the Association are as follows:
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, represented by their agent Mr William Salvin John Carrington
David Philbrick
The Management Officers and Trustees for 2023 were:
David Hutchinson Chairman David Bailey Vice-Chairman Amanda Thomas Treasurer Sue Brown Secretary Jane Roberts Booking Clerk Steve Brown Terry Wilson Lezley Aldrich Anne Routledge Angie Gillings Sue Kelly Libby Thompson Simon Froom Chris Gillings
The Sections and their Representatives were as follows:
Carnival Committee Terry Wilson Ceilidh Angie Gillings Cinema Club David Hutchinson Mickleton LIVE Steve Brown Table Tennis Chris Gillings Gardening Club Simon Froom PerformMickleton Libby Thompson The Little Choir Sue Kelly MiCE (Mickleton Community Events) Terry Wilson
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
Persons representing affiliated groups and other organisations were:
Durham County Council Richard Bell Mickleton Parish Council Parochial Church Council : Jane Roberts Teesdale Village Halls Consortium : David Hutchinson The Association of Teesdale Day Club : David Bailey
The principal address of the Association is:
The Secretary: Sue Brown School House Mickleton, Barnard Castle Co Durham. DL12 0LQ Email: sue@mickletonrnb.co.uk Booking Clerk Jane Roberts West Pasture Farm Kelton Middleton in Teesdale DL12 0PW Tel:01833 641575 Mobile: 07800 987522 Email: mickletonhall@hotmail.com Solicitor: Mr I Shuttleworth Hodgson & Angus 62 Front Street Stanhope Bishop Auckland Bankers: Barclays Bank, Bishop Auckland Independent Examiner: Mrs Jane Holmes Caretaker / Cleaner: Stephine Lee Sheild Gardener/Grounds man: Field grass cutting Colin Hutchinson
The main objective of the Association is to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of the parishes of Mickleton, Lunedale, Holwick and Kelton without distinction of sex or of political religious or other opinions, by associating with local authorities, voluntary organisations and the inhabitants, in a common effort to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupation, to advance education with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants. Additionally to acquire such land as necessary, vested in the name of the Holding Trustees, and to provide a Village Hall and to manage and maintain such buildings and land so acquired and to raise and hold money in furtherance of the above objectives.
In 2007 the hall registered with the Inland Revenue to be able to claim Gift Aid. HMRC. No. XN87766.
The Management Committee have the following policies: Financial Policy, Hygiene Policy, Health & Safety Policy, Child Protection Policy, Vulnerable Adult Policy, Data Protection Policy (GDPR)
All deeds and leases are held in safe keeping by the Association’s solicitors.
The Association is run by a management committee of four elected officers and at least six elected committee members together with a representative from each of the Sections, (all sections are covered by the hall’s insurance), and affiliated organisations as may be agreed under the constitution.
Mickleton Village Hall is well known both locally and further afield as an excellent venue for meetings and private parties through word of mouth and the Hall’s web site www.thevillagehalls.co.uk/the-halls/mickleton-village-halls/
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
Volunteers 2023 Activities
The Management Committee normally meet on the first Thursday of every month at 7.30pm.
The solar panels, installed in August 2011 raised £1,708.09 in 2023 these funds go towards the hall’s running costs and maintenance. It was decided to update the solar panel with the purchase of replacement panels.
The Village Field next to the hall is the venue for the popular Summer Carnival normally held on the first Saturday in June, the carnival was as usual well supported.
We had five live music evenings with The Malone Sibun Band, Albert Lee, Limehouse Lizzy, Ainsley Lister, Voodoo Room, in November.
This year for the first time a 3 day Folk Festival took place called the John Martyn Gathering. It is hoped that this will become a annual event. The 3 day event was well attended with campers camping on our adjoining field good weather made for the whole event a great success
We continued with the Online Booking Calendar, this has proved to be a success as anyone can go online and see which dates are available to be booked, this is controlled by the Booking Clerk Jane Roberts.
A check of all safety systems is done every month and the results recorded. Any problems found are sorted ASAP.
The Hall Committee aims to continue to provide support to the various groups and sections using the Hall by the provision of a well maintained and useful facility which is warm and welcoming for all users and an asset to the community.
The Committee would like to thank all the many volunteers who have helped in any way over the past year. The Committee is also grateful to Stephine Lee Sheild and Colin Hutchinson for keeping the premises and field looking immaculate.
Recognition
I on behalf of the committee would like to thank Kieth Roberts for been our treasurer for many years but unfortunately retired from the post at last year’s AGM due to ill health. Thanks again to Amanda Thomas for taking on this role.
Reports from our sections are at the end of the Trustee’s Annual Report.
The Management Committee continue to look at new programmes of interest for the benefit of the Association’s members.
Other regular groups who use the hall are:
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The Post Office Thursday 1pm- 3pm
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The Parish Council hold their monthly meeting in the hall, 3[rd] Monday 7.00pm.
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The Association of Teesdale Day Clubs hold their weekly lunch club meetings, Thursday 11.30 till 2pm.
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Evelyn Walton with her keep fit classes
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Teesdale Village Hall Consortium continued to use the upstairs office space.
Shows, Plays, Concerts and other events that took place in 2023.
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Jan 28[th] Perform With Castle Players performing Treasure Island
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April 8[th] MiCE Easter Coffee Morning
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April 22[nd] Mickleton Live ‘Marcus Malone’
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May 6[th] MiCE Coronation Event May 20[th] Plants on the Edge Project Event May 27[th] Mickleton Live ‘Albert Lee’
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
May 21[st] Private Party
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June 3[rd] Mickleton Carnival
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June 16[th] –18[th] John Martin Folk Weekend
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July 1[st] Private Party
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Aug 12[th] Birthday Party
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Sept 9[th] Mickleton Live ‘Ainsley Lister’
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Sept 10[th] Gardening club show
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Sept 30[th] Mickleton Live ‘Limehouse Lizzy’
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Oct 14[th] MiCE Coffee Morning and Bulb Planting
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Nov 5th Mickleton Live ‘Voodoo Room’
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Nov 18[th] 21[st] Birthday Party
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Dec 3[rd] ‘Barnard Castle Brass Band’ concert in aid of Lathkirk Church
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Dec 10[th] Perform with Highlights Believe in Magic Show
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Dec 17[th ] MiCE Xmas Coffee Morning
Management Trustees Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Charity Commission rules require the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the financial activities of the Association during the year and of its financial position at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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i. Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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ii. Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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iii. State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practices have been followed, subject to any departures disclosed and explained in financial statements.
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iv. Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Association will continue to operate.
The Trustees are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Association and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993. They are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Association and hence for taking steps for preventing and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Signed on behalf of the trustees
David Hutchinson
Chairman and Trustee
Amanda Thomas
Treasurer and Trustee
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR 2023
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
Independent Examiner’s Report 2023
SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS
A big thank you to Keith Roberts, who resigned as Treasurer towards the end of 2023 after several years of assiduous service. As a volunteer treasurer, we could rest assured that the accounts were always in very capable hands. Thank you for your commitment to the Village Hall and for your years of service.
The accounts show that we have had a very active year in the village hall. At the end of the year we were only showing a deficit of £1,171.89. That this sum is not higher is a great achievement as we had some big item purchases and costs:-
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the Mickleton Live group made a large purchase of a new digital sound desk at a cost of over £2,500.00. This was a much needed up-grade for the VH and visiting performers
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we purchased replacement solar panels for £3,137.22. These will increase our earning power from solar energy.
Had it not been for these purchases the account would have had a surplus of over £4,465.33.
Also Electric and Heating Oil cost were very high in 2023 compared to the previous year up £900. All in all, this was a good financial year. This year is looking very good for booking’s partly due to the Sports Centre being closed for refurbishment. Thank you to all the volunteers who make this happen.
A big thank you also to Jayne Holmes for checking the accounts at short notice.
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023 SECTION REPORTS
Saturday 3[rd] June 2023
Mickleton Carnival – Saturday 3[rd] June 2023
For a second year in succession the weather was kind and the sun shone for this year’s Carnival.
Local businesses and people from around the community once again supported the occasion with donations for the Raffle.
The Marquee attracted many visitors to the Craft stalls, whilst Children enjoyed the fun of traditional games and the Bouncy Castle.
Many volunteers gave their time freely to support the event in set-up and standing behind various stalls and games.
Once again Barnard Castle Brass Band provided some background music, whilst our Compare for the day, Ethan, interacted between the stalls and games to give us commentary over the PA system.
Marko’s Circus Skills workshop entertained the Children more notably with juggling, spinning plates and giant bubbles
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Food and Refreshments was available in the hall with Alison providing the catering.
The whole day was a joy to observe as families soaked in the atmosphere as they sat in the sunshine, tried their luck on the Raffle and Games, shopped on the Bric-Brac and Craft Stalls before competing in the finale of the kids games.
Many thanks to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure the event was a success.
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
The Village Halls Consortium
The Directors of The Village Halls Consortium are grateful to Mickleton VH for allowing the Consortium to continue using the upstairs space for meetings and office equipment. In 2023 we had 3 meetings in the office, the Hall committee did not charge any hire costs. The Hall Committee’s generosity and understanding is much appreciated.
Sophie Stanwix, Secretary for TVHC
Cinema Club
In 2023 we continued with our 2 Films per month on the First and Third Friday of the month at 7pm
A regular brochure is sent to members listing films we intend showing in the four months ahead, this also includes a list of other future events planned in the hall. We had a total of 516 members compared to 445 members in 2022 though the door. We continue to produce the Cinema Newsletter which also promotes other events in the hall, this is now mostly emailed.
The cinema facilities are available for use at meetings and parties.
Steve Brown, Terry Wilson & David Hutchinson
Mickleton LIVE (R’n’B) Club
Mickleton Live Music Club has hosted 5 events this year 2023 , Marcus Malone, Albert Lee, Aynsley Lister , Limehouse Lizzy & Voodoo Room. All of the Artists have played before at the Hall and enjoy returning to our Club for its friendly atmosphere. The club continues to attract national & international Artists to perform at the Hall.
Details of future gigs can be found on our website @
www.mickletonlive.uk. We have also set up online payment for tickets through PayPal.
Steve & Sue Brown & David Hutchinson
MiCE - Mickleton Community Events - 2023 Report
Our expanding group of willing volunteers continued to build its reputation for putting on high quality, and memorable, community events in the village hall.
Once again the dwarf daffodil bulbs appeared to signal the end of winter.
On 8[th] April we held an Easter themed coffee morning, featuring hot and cold food and drinks, childrens' activities, Easter eggs and competitions for the best Easter bonnet and decorated egg.
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
The highlight of the year was the event we provided to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III on 6th May. The hall was beautifully decorated with special red, white and blue bunting, Union Jacks and other patriotic flags. The actual coronation was projected onto the cinema screen and lots of activities were provided for the children in the bar area. Families collected their commemorative coronation mugs and medals for the youngsters. Following this around 100 Mickletonians of all ages sat down for a slap up meal, prepared in our well equipped kitchen and served by our MiCE members. Nobody was expecting such a high quality event and our efforts were greatly appreciated by all who attended.
A couple of weeks later, on Saturday 3rd June, most of our members were fully involved in the organisation, and running, of the annual Carnival. Once again it was blessed by good weather and ran very smoothly.
Our next event was supposed to be a repeat of our popular Curry and Quiz night on
Saturday 14th October. Unfortunately, a few days before, MiCe was devastated by the death of Barbara Wilson, one of our founder members, amazing driving force, good friend and beloved wife of Terry. It was a unanimous decision to postpone this event until a more appropriate time. Barbara will never be forgotten and her legacy will live on in every event we deliver in the future.
The Remembrance Day poppy garden (near the bus shelter) was even more poignant this year. We added a couple of soldier silhouettes, repainted the poppies and made quite a few more, and even provided some lighting for dramatic night-time effect. 16th December – our Christmas Cracker coffee morning was very well attended. The hall was filled with decorated Christmas trees and adorned with our hand-made bunting. All the children met Santa in his grotto and received a stocking filled with goodies. As usual the food was impressive and everyone enjoyed listening to the choir and seasonal music.
MiCE continues to go from strength to strength and we look forward to providing more community events in 2024
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
PerformMickleton
The Perform Mickleton section was set up in 2018, to bring more live performances, especially theatre, to Mickleton Village Hall. We work in association with Highlights Rural Touring, who select top-class acts from around the world, to come and perform in rural village halls across the north of England. In addition, we are very happy to host other performing groups, such as The Castle Players, in line with our aims. We are currently preparing for our 23rd show.
Our 2023 season began with the return of The Castle Players in Treasure Island.
In April, we hosted local artist Sara Cox for a workshop: Wings of Wire.
Several beautiful wire sculptures were produced
and everybody had a lovely day.
We finished the year by welcoming Magic Romany and her show Believe!
We have more great shows and workshops coming up; you can find more information about these by emailing MickletonVH@gmail.com and requesting that you be added to the mailing list. Follow us on Twitter @MickletonVH, on Instagram mickletonvillagehall, on Facebook at MickletonVillageHall; or keep an eye on the village hall website and village hall notice board.
Libby Thompson
Gardening Club
Mickleton Gardening Club meets on the evening of the second Tuesday of most months and provides an opportunity for those who share a common interest in gardens and horticulture to meet in a sociable environment. Evening meetings are held in the hall but usually conclude in the Blacksmith’s Arms. In 2022 we had a packed programme of talks, shows, socials, competitions, garden visits and open gardens.
Events in 2023:
In February, David Shepherd gave a talk on 'Carl Linnaeus' garden in Sweden'.
Then, in March we had a talk by Geoff Herbert entitled 'Plants on the Edge', about the special wild flowers growing in Teesdale.
On 23rd March we went on a visit to Acorn Bank.
The AGM was held and the committee re-elected comprising Martin Ingall, chair; Susan Ingall, vice-chair, Paul Hunter, 2nd vice chair, Libby Thompson, treasurer, Lynda Bares, secretary, and Simon Froom as Village Hall rep,. Rowena Fowler retired from the job of Events organiser. Membership stood at 26 members.
The April meeting featured a talk by Martin Uitenbosch about the creation of his garden, near Darlington.
In May Dr. Margaret Bradshaw gave us a talk which put a different slant on the wild flower species in Teesdale.
We had our usual plant stall at the Carnival on 3rd June, and a social get-together on the 13th.
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MICKLETON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31[st] 2023
On 27/28th June, 9 members visited RHS Bridgewater near Manchester, stayed overnight and then went on to Arley Hall. A very suiccessful and enjoyable two days away.
On 11th July Gillian Watson gave a talk entitled 'Italian Gardens from Lake Como'.
Garden judging was on the 16th July, followed by a tour of members’ gardens and a party at Heather Cottage on the 23rd.
In August we gathered at Paul Hunter's home for a social
evening. Potatoes and sunflowers were judged on the 23rd, as part of our annual friendly competition.
10th September was our Annual Show.
Libby Thompson and Simon Froom gave a talk on the flora to be seen in Iceland following their trip their (10th October).
In November Christine Hartas tested us all with a quiz.
A Christmas tree was decorated in the village hall in early December and on the 12th December many of the members attended a Christmas Meal at The Foresters, Middleton, bringing to an end a busy year of events.
If you’d like to join our friendly group, please contact Martin Ingall on 01833 640980
Simon Froom
The Little Choir
The choir maintains a core of ten members singing in three sections: Lead, Baritone and Bass. New members always welcome
Our 'sing outs' in the past year have included a variety of fundraising events for Darlington and Barnard Castle Rotary Clubs; Eggleston Christmas lights, The Stainmore Railway Company's Christmas fair at Kirkby Stephen East railway station, a carol concert at St James the Less.
Sue Kelly
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