The Hertford and District U3A
{Charity Commission number 10277661
Report and Financial Statements for the
Year ended 31st December 2025

The Hertford and District U3A
Officers and Committee- year to 31 December 2025
Chair
Elizabeth Cooper from 20 March 2025
Myra Campbell to 20th March 2025
Vice Chairman
Myra Campbell from 20, March 2025
Elizabeth Cooper to 20th March 2025
Secretary
Patrick aifford from 20, March 2025
Pamela Beale to 20 March 2025
Treasurer
Christina Knight
Committee
Robert Sprigge to 20 March 2025
Valerie Vanderbroeck
Sue Webb from 20 March 2025
Moir3 Cholerton from 20, March 2025
John Moore from 20 March 2025
O= Officer&
Trustee
T= Trustee
Accountants
Thickbroom Chartered Accountants
147A High Street
Waltham Cross
EN8 7AP
Principal Bankers
HSBC
Welwyn Garden City HowardsEate
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6BH
Charity Number
1027766

The Hertford and Distrirt U3A
Trustee5 Report and Financial Statement for
the year ended 31st December 2025
Trustees
The trustees listed have served for the Year unless otherwise indicated.
Aim
The objectives of The Hertford and District U3A IH&DI are the advancement of education and, in
particular, the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work by all
means, including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development
Organisation
H & D is an unincorporated organisation under the auspices of the Third Age Trust ITATI. It
operates using guidelines provided by TAT.
The Main Committee. all of whom are trustees. consists of four officers.. Chairman, Vice-chairman.
Secretary and Treasurer. It has at least two and not more than ten other members. Up to four
ordinary members may be co-opted to the Committee.
The Main Committee is responsible for:
a. Promoting the objettives and principles of the U3A
b. Acting with the Chairman in 311 matters re13ting to money and assets.
Appointing annually sub sub-committees as may be necessary
d. Presenting an annual report and examined accounts to the Allnual General Meeting of H&D.
Charities Act 2011
The Act also indicates responsibilities of the Main Committee, as Trustees, for H&D.
Trustees Resp0Tr5ibilities
Charity Law requires the Trustees to prepare a financial statement for each financial year that
gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Organisation.
In preparing the statement. the Trustees are required to follow applrcable accounting standards,
subject to arby material variations which may be disclosed and explained in the statement.
The Trustees are responsible for ensuring proper accounting records are kept that disc105e, with
reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position of H & D. This ensures that financial
statements comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice. They are also

responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Organisation and hence for taking reasonable steps
for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irreEularities.
Health and Safety Policy
H&D's policy is to ensure that all groups operate in a safe manner without risk to health, as far as
is practicable, and that they comply wtth legal requirements.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees guideline is that the general reserve be held representing a minimum of six months
revenue expenditure within H&D. This takes account of estimated revenue projertions and is
designed to provide suitable contingenry to protert the continuity of H&D in the future.
Risk Management Statement
Key risks are assessed and reviewed as an ongoing process and through reporting to the Committee.
H&D also has access to a CoMp￿henSlve set of policies and guidelines provided by TAT, which are
made use of as required.
Insurance policies exist to cover reasonable risks.

The Hertford and District U3A
Chalrfs Report for the year ended 31 December 2025
Lifelong learning has been the u3a mantra from its inception in 1982 and that has certainly been the
case for our 25126 Committee. with only two Members remaining in their specific roles. The leaming
curve has been steep. I thank them all for their hard work and industry this year.
Membership remains steady at around 15LKJ people. In 2025 approximately 200 people joined
Hertford u33 for the first time. As members leave during the year for a variety of reasons, the overall
number has remained stable. Sadly. we have lost some of our founder members this year.
New members are now invited to a series of dedicated coffee mornings, where they can find out
how they can 'leam, laugh and live, in our u33 family. Regular subsidised coffee mornings for all
members have continued at the Hertford Bell.
We are a vibrant active u3a and as the restrictions of Covid are finally in the past, we have had a full
year when interest groups and artivities have resumed. alongside the emergence of new groups.
These are the lifeblood of oll u3as. However, some groups have been established for a long time and
need new leaders to take over the admin and organisation. so that they can continue to operate. We
hope to have more meetings for group organisers in the next year, to which prospective leaders will
be most welcome.
Groups have organised a variety of events and outings which have been open to all members. Sci-
Tech and MAGI have interesting speakers and organise days out for 311. The Gardens Group as usual
have a splendid selection of visits throughout the summer and enjoyed a June visit to Devon.
Concert and Theatre visits have been arranged throughout the year and the Events Team led trips to
Dovercastle. Leed5 Castle, Oxford. the Weald & Downland Museum, Waddesdon Manor at
Christmas and two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. plus a four-night educational vi51t to North
Wales.
Monthly Meetings at BEAM continue to be well attended. Group leaders have been resourceful in
advertising their activities in the public area of the BEAM cafe. We were pleased to welcome Tony
Harris as King Henry Vlll, a memorable speaker in May. A presentation on Cybercrime and Fraud
Prevention was given to us by Hertfordshire Constabulary and left members with a wealth of
information and lots of questions about spam emails, phone calls and letters.
Thanks go to our Speaker Secretary for finding Inte￿$ting speakers to entertain and inform us.
I would like to thank all of you who come to these meetings. It is an opportunity to meet up with
other members, find out what is happening and learn something too. Especial thanks go to our
MAGS. the meeters and greeters. the clickers and checkers. the BEAM tech team and the front of
house staff.
CONTACT, our monthly new51etter, is our primary means of communication and is free online to all
members. This is where you will find inforniatTon about upcoming events, monthly meetings and
news from the groups. I want to thank the two editors and the proofreaders. who have done a
sterling job this year producing a 'splendid read, every month_ Although some members are no
longer 'active' they certainty enjoy receiving Contact to catch up on news and see what is Boing on.
Our website. maintained by our Website Team. contains a wealth of information about all our
activities. l encourage all members to log in and have a look. Thanks are due to the team and

particularly PeteT Roberts who began work on developing a web51te for us back in 2010, meaning 16
years of behind the scenes service to our u3a.
Praise is also due to our Tech Team who have been tidying up elements of our use of the technology
available to us to make the information more easily available.
We have been represented at national and regional level meeting5 on Zwm, good practice and ideas
are shared with local u3a groLFPS at Cluster Meetings and one group leader has led a seminar at
regional level.
Otsr healthy finances are a measure of our sucte5S as 3 U3A. This coming year must see us make
decisions on how we go about Using some of these funds for the benefit of our membership. To this
end WÈ are starting to plan the 35, anniversary of Hertford & District u3a in 2027. %Mth events
throughout the year. rulminating in a big Celebration Event in the summer.
However. we continue to find It thallenging to persuade mernbers to become more involved in
orgarFising such events, running groups and eenerally Sharing the load. Perhaps this yearL
ou can
make a difference?
l invite you all to leafn, laugh and live with our Hertford & District u3a family.
Elizabeth Cooper
Chalr
9" February 2026

The Hertford and District U3A
TTeasurer'5 Report for the year ended 31" Decembw 2025
The results for the year are shown in the attsched financial ststeTnents.
As you ¢an see, there is a surplu5 this year of £10,029. The main rea50n5 for this are a gift aid claim
of £3.633 received, membership nLtmbers contr"rÈue to rise and expenditure has not increased
significantly from lastyear.
We have also continued to maximise bank interest receNed by placing funds on short term Money
Market deposits with the Bank. This helps offset the cost of bank charges paid by both the main
account and the Groups a¢¢ount, although as interest rates are falling this may not continue to cover
the bank charges for much longer.
Details of expenditure are shown in notes 2 and 3 of the accounts.
We have continued with the monthly coffee momings for the benefit ofall mernbers who choose to
attend. We have returned to the BEAM theat￿ for monthly meetings thi5 year, the cost of which is
higher than that at the Sele Community Centre but considered by the Committee to be worth the
extra cost in view of the greater comfort and capacty of the venue.
As a result of the surplus this year, our reserves have increased to £57,368. The committee are
ton5iderinE way5 of reducing this. We propose to hold the memberships fee5 at their current level
for the foreseeable future and are going to continue using the large theatre at BEAM when it 15
available, rather than the smaller one, as this mean5 that rnore members can attend the monthly
meetings.
My thanks go to the members of the committee for their support this year and to those who have
allowed the committee to hold its meetings in their homes, thus keeping down the committee's
admin costs.
Christina Knlght
Treasur
9, February 2026

The Hertford & District U3A
Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31st December 2025
Note
202S
2024
Main
Groups
Main
Groups
Receipts
Members Subscriptions
23,167
22,729
Groups Income
87,188
100,929
Bank Interest
1,376
2,011
Gift Aid
3.633
7,419
Transfers In
1,000
Contact (Subs & Adverts)
1.778
1,862
Other Income
68
Total Income
30,022
87.188
35,021
100,929
Payments
Groups Expenses
90.363
101,879
Bank Charges
53
Contact IPrint, Post & Editoriall
1.424
1,821
Management/Administration
5,433
6.696
Events
7,400
5,381
TAT Membership Fee
5,428
Miscellaneous
199
117
Total Expenditure
19.993
90.363
19.430
101,879
Surplus /IDeficitl for the year
10,029
13,1751
15,591
{950)

The Hertford & District U3A
Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2025
2025
2024
Main
Groups
Main
Groups
Net Movernent
10.029
{3,1751
15.591
19501
Total Funds Brought Forward
47,339
34.302
31.748
35,252
Total Funds Carried Forward
57.368
31,127
47,339
34,302
Current Assets: Cash at Bank & in hand
57.368
31.127
47.339
34,302
Total Assets
57,368
31,127
47.339
34,302
Date- 9th February 2026
ri5tina Knight- Tré
rèr
Accountsnvs Cert1fi13te
I have examined. without carrying out an audit, the Financial Statements of The Hertford &
Distri¢t U3A for the year ended 31st December 2025. taken from the accounting records.
and from the information and Èxplanations supplied to Lts and certify them to be in accordance
therewith. I have not examined the finances of the Member's Activity Group5.
Date
R W Boulton FCA
Thickbroom Chartered Accountants
147A High Street,
Waltham Cross, EN8 7AP

The Hertford & District U3A
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
The H&D U3A membership subscriptions received include a TAT affiliation
element (membership feel.
2025
2024
ManagementlAdministrati<
Computer software. Lrcenses etc
AGM expenses
Computer and Office Equipment
First Aid Courses
Plastic Membership Cards
Postage and Telephone
Printing & Stationery
Professional Services (Accounts Examination)
Groups Leaders/Organisers
St. John's Ambulance {in attendance}
Travel & Parking
Trustee Expenditurelcommittee Meetings
U3A Magazine (Payment toTAMI
1,682
85
1,633
130
720
70
63
360
72
206
367
115
224
276
2,953
69
52
2,864
Total
5,433
6,696
Events
Hall Hire & Refreshments
Coffee mornings
Speakers
4,723
1,304
1,373
2.436
1,671
1,274
Total
5,381