Chairman's Report 2020
Well if we thought last year had it's problems and difficulties, this year and the influence of Covid 19 put everything in perspective, albeit in a much more pessimistic one.
I ended my last report on a bit of an optimistic note, as we had secured the necessary grants to provide a springboard to get LRAC operating as we envisaged and with what should have been a nucleus of Volunteers to support the development of the site and the opportunities it could offer. However no one apart from Graham Garden apparently could have foresaw the appearance of Covid 19 and its impacts on everyone's lives.
As we started the year under Sarah's stewardship the centre was moving gradually into the vibrant and active centre we envisaged. Bookings were on the increase, more users of the centre were benefitting from the groups, individuals and the agencies that were providing services for the benefit of all. Through the grants Sarah had been able to secure we were becoming more efficient and environmentally friendly especially with the refurbishment of the Main Arena and the upgrading of it's lighting. My thanks to all who helped in securing the grants from Sport England, Reaching Communities, Awards for All and Tesco.
We were just about to have a mini celebration of those efforts and to reap the benefits of these developments as well as beginning work on recruiting volunteers to help support and further develop the centre, when the spectre of the Coronavirus stopped everything in its tracks.
As we all know the world and the centre came to a sudden halt. The services that we were facilitating at the centre had to stop. From a situation where we had a vibrant and expanding centre, all existing work and any future proposals were put on ice. Income reduced to virtually zero but our expenditure continued as we had to keep the centre ticking over. Fortunately, Stuart was able to continue working and with safeguards in place re social distancing etc he has been able to maintain the centre, ready for when it could open again. So on behalf of trustees I would like to formally thank Stuart for all his virtually single handed efforts. Although it is a bit of an irony that if he had not been lone working then he couldn’t have worked.
Sarah, after the initial onslaught of the virus was in lock down like everyone else and the charity was able to access the furlough financial support for her wages. Doing whatever she could within the requirements for being furloughed Sarah has maintained a watching
brief on the mothballed centre. We have maintained regular telephone contact. As with Stuart, I would therefore want to pass on our thanks to Sarah for her support and commitment to keeping the centre going during lockdown and in her efforts to get the centre prepared for opening under the social distancing and Government guidelines.
So it has been a very stressful five/six months and it would seem we are not out of the woods yet. There have been some significant losses to our income and although the grants have been continued to be paid to able the developments to recommence, after they had to be so drastically stopped. It will feel, for the next year at least, as though we are starting all over again. However, we are fortunately not in the position of a number of charities and businesses that are struggling to continue or have had to close completely. So in July and August we saw a steady resumption of the services at the centre, and as we saw in August’s Accounts the income streams for the first month post lockdown are now starting to improve.
As I said earlier we rely heavily on our two permanent staff, they will in the future have to maintain a cautious and vigilant approach in ensuring the centre is a safe and virus free facility for everyone who uses it. Trustees will, I know, continue to provide the support and if required practical assistance to ensure the charity is able to continue to function and develop so that we are stronger and more resilient in the future. All involved in the charity, will I know, work together to ensure we can continue to provide a friendly and welcoming approach, to all those who need the services and facilities provided at Lincolnshire Rural Activities Centre, Kenwick Hill.
At a minuted Virtual meeting on 10th November 2020 the Independent Examination of Accounts were presented:
Colin reported that the End of Year Accounts have now been Audited as per the Information sent by E mail to Trustees. He asked if they could be now signed off so they could be placed on the Charity Commission Website. Trustees Approved the End of Year Accounts 2019-2020.
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Lincolnshire Rural Activities Centre
Year ended 31/3/21
| 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Income Grants CovidGrant |
33338.62 74070.00 17368.97 |
53395.92 143000.00 0.00 |
| Interest | 0.00 | 2742.79 |
| , Total income |
124777.59 | 199138.71 |
| Wages Telephone Heat& light Cleaning |
56109.96 1398.32 6484.37 4841.01 |
54613.60 1202.46 10540.40 5191.69 |
| PPS Repairs Misc |
2309.34 12671.92 11887.74 |
175.22 98266.61 9976.12 |
| Total expenditure | 95702.66 | 179966.10 |
| Surplusforthe year | ps 29074.93 |
——— 19172.61 |
| broughtforward reserves | 238384.80 | 219212.19 |
| Reserves carried forward | eeereeeeee ee 267459.73 |
ee, 238384.80 |
| Funded by | ||
| Lloyds Cambridgeshire Virgin Hampshire |
85259.02 76093.86 31670.82 74359.06 |
56184.09 76093.86 31670.82 74359.06 |
| Cash | 76.97 | 76.97 |
| Totalfunds | —__ 267459.73 |
a 238384.80 |
| Examined&Approvedby | PAYarnellBA(Hons)FCCA | |
| Cassells Limited | ||
| 02/07/2021 |
No statements supplied for accounts ex Lloyds. Balances per 1/4/20.
Cassells Limited Chartered Certified Accountdnts Lincolnshire Rural Activities Centre Kenwick Hill Louth LNII 8NR 28 Queen Street Market Rasen Lincs 1/7/21 LN8 3EH 0 7673 849395 Dear Sirs er cassellsaccountants.co.uk Independent Examination 2021 As requested, we have completed the examination of the accounts of the centre for the year ended 31 /3/21. We examined the sales invoices and matched these to the banking receipts and found all to be correctly banked within a reasonable time. We examined the purchases of the centre and found all expenditure to be of a nature for the centre and to be paid in a timely manner. We examined the payments to staff and noted all payments were correctly reported under PAYE with the scheme operated correctly. The monthly income and expenditure reports were checked to the bank and reconciliations carried out and all found correct. The summary of the monthly reports and year report was confinned as agreeing. We were unable to confirm the balances on the bank accounts except Lloyds as these were not supplied. A copy of the signed accounts is enclosed, and your records can be collected from the office. Yours sincerely P A Yarnell Registered in England & Wales Company number 4769063 VAT number 801404778