2025-03-31-accounts

CUMNOR OLD SCHOOL CHARITY

Chairman’s Annual Report 2025

Registered address: Cumnor Old School Charity The Old School High Street Cumnor Oxford OX2 9PE.

Formal information

The land and buildings of the former Church of England School, at Cumnor in the County of Oxford are administered under a Scheme entitled the “Old School Charity” and approved by the Charity Commission on 15[th ] November 1993. The Charity’s number is 1037031 and the Managing Trustees as of the 31[st ] March 2025 are listed in the Appendix.

General

The use of the Hall and its associated smaller rooms continue to follow a predictable pattern. The Hall continues to be used for a wide variety of community activities and during school term include the Breakfast and After School Clubs. This is an excellent use by the local community.

The Trustees have a Licence for Public Entertainment from the Vale of the White Horse District Council. This permits a wider variety of events to be held in the Hall than otherwise would be possible.

The Trust has three part time employees, a gardener, cleaner and a booking clerk. Simple maintenance work continues to be carried out by volunteers. The Trustees also employ appropriate qualified tradesmen whenever necessary for major maintenance work.

The former schoolmaster’s house continues to be used as a shop, post office with a suite of offices on the first floor. The income derived from the lettings is used to help subsidise the costs of running the Hall. Mr & Mrs S Sathiapal are the assigned leaseholders for the post office and store, and they run a highly appreciated business. A six-year lease for the post office and store was renewed in April 2022 at a rent of £5,312 per annum.

The first-floor offices are leased to Ms D W Akers on a five-year tenancy which commenced on the 9[th of] February 2016 at a rent of £6,000 per annum. Ms Akers runs a complementary health business from the property. It was considered inopportune to request a renewal of the rental agreement due to the enforced closure of her business for a considerable period due to the pandemic and the impact of reducing her staff, but Ms Akers has continued to meet her rental payments.

CHRREP25.docx

The Breakfast and After School Clubs remain two of the Hall’s chief hirers and income generator. Other lettings have remained generally constant and cover a wide range of customers from private functions, chess, bridge, table tennis etc .

Finance

The Treasurer, Mr Jim Baird, has separately reported on the financial state of the Trust. The charity’s finances remain in a reasonably healthy state. A copy of the 24/25 accounts accompanies the treasurer’s report. At the end of March 25, the Trust had a balance of £62k in various bank accounts. This amount has been established as a reasonable sum for future expenditure and a sinking fund for future maintenance works. The accounts have been issued for audit by Robin Wimborne, our independent examiner. The Treasurers’ report states that the accounts are in good order, and it is anticipated that no matters will require attention.

In this financial year the Trustees have undertaken no major items of expenditure associated with repairs and maintenance. However, the main oak entrance doors are being replaced and are currently being fabricated at a cost of £9,982 and should be installed within the next 8 weeks and the main hall floor will be resealed in the summer recess at a cost of £3,312. Finances remain reasonably healthy, and the Trust now has reserves of circa £49/K available for future contingencies and refurbishments after the planned major refurbishment expenditure. The Trustees will be undertaking further redecoration works as required together with other minor works to maintain the condition of the Facility.

Income from the post office, stores and offices remain at a satisfactory commercial level. It is important to note that were it not for the commercial income received from the Trust’s commercial lets the accounts would show a serious deficit.

Over the year the Trust incomings exceeded the Trust’s outgoings by approximately £6k.

The Hall

The building is basically an excellent one. The Trustees continue to face the problems common to all that run local Halls in the present climate i.e., financial pressures and required commitment from volunteers. We are fortunate to have a secure income from our secure lets and regular hall users which enables us to undertake small improvements and minor maintenance and our sinking fund would enable us to undertake major repairs when required. It has been difficult to find new people willing to commit their time but fortunately we have a committed group of Trustees willing to commit their time to run a community facility.

Personnel

The running of the Hall is ultimately the responsibility of the Trustees. Anne Harkness performs the role of Secretary and Jim Baird occupies the role of Treasurer, and we thank them for their continuing support.

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Meredith Ainley is the hall’s highly efficient Bookings Clerk and Hall Manager. Her effective operation is a major contributor to the healthy state of the Trust’s finances. Meredith also keeps a watchful eye on the Hall and thereby ensures that hirers receive it in as good a condition as is practicably achievable in premises relying almost entirely on voluntary effort. We thank Meredith for her continuing support.

The Trust is always seeking additional Trustees, and we continue to encourage members of the community to come forward and help support this community facility.

Conclusion

2024/25 has been another satisfactory year. The Trustees work hard to ensure that this continues, and we can consequently continue to look forward with confidence.

N E P Surman

Chairman, 12[th] June 2025

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Managing Trustees of the Cumnor Old School Charity

Name	Address/Email	Telephone
Rev. Jonathan Widdess	The Vicarage, Cumnor 1 Abingdon Road, Cumnor OX2 9QN Email:[e-mail]	01865 863702
Steven Badger Cumnor Primary School Head	Cumnor C of E Primary School, Oxford Road, Cumnor, Oxon OX2 9PQ Email: [e-mail]	01865 862337
Juliette Ash Oxford County Councillor	[e-mail]
District Councillor Judy Roberts	1 Stone Close, Botley, Oxford OX2 9SQ Email: [e-mail]	01865 864041
Parish Councillor Alison Jenner	Email: [e-mail]
Peter Baldwin Additional Co-opted Trustee	2 The Park, Cumnor, Oxford OX2 9QS Email:[e-mail]	01865 865193
Nick Surman Chairman Additional Co-opted Trustee	58 Norreys Road, Cumnor OX2 9PU Email : [e-mail]	07711903615
James Baird Treasurer Elected Trustee	22 Oxford Raod, Cumnor OX2 9PG Email :[e-mail]	01865 863169
Zoe Harding Elected Trustee	37 Kimmeridge Road, Cumnor OX2 9RF Email : [e-mail]	07738333513
William Topping - Co-opted Trustee	[e-mail]
Anne Harness Secretary Additional co-opted Trustee	[e-mail]
Dick Mayon-White	[e-mail]
Lucy Walker	[e-mail]

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**1/04/2024 - 31/03/2 **	025 CUMNOR OLD SCHOOL OUNTS YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 2025	025 CUMNOR OLD SCHOOL OUNTS YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 2025	025 CUMNOR OLD SCHOOL OUNTS YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 2025	025 CUMNOR OLD SCHOOL OUNTS YEAR ENDING 31ST MARCH 2025	COMMUNITY ACCOUNT	COMMUNITY ACCOUNT
STATEMENT OF ACC	OUNTS
INCOME	2024/25	2023/24		EXPENDITURE	2024/25	23/24
Balance Forward £ 28,525.23		£ 22,051.16
Deposit Account
Lets	£ 10,642.50	£ 14,614.25		Utlity	£ 6,253.06	£ 4,748.73
TASC/B'fast club	£ 4,912.50
Clinic Rent	£ 6,000.00	£ 6,000.00		Cleaning	£ 4,800.00	£ 3,775.00
Post Ofce Rent	£ 5,312.00	£ 5,312.00		Gardener	£ 2,400.00	£ 2,400.00
Returned Payment	£ 50.00			KeyHolder	£ 2,100.00	£ 1,650.00
				Repairs/Maintenance	£ 14,143.10	£ 2,162.73
				Fees	£ 309.00	£ 1,321.35
				Deposit Return	£ 1,015.00	£ 840.00
				Sundries	£ 321.45	£ 303.90
				Insurance	£ 2,551.68	£ 2,250.47
				Red Box Fire	£ 537.07
				Phone	£ 151.96
	£ 26,917.00	£ 25,926.25			£ 34,582.32	£ 19,452.18
Net Gain 2023/2024		£ 6,474.07
Net Loss 2024/2025	£(7,665.32)
Balance Brought Forward	£ 28,525.23	£ 22,051.16		Expenditure	£ 34,582.32	£ 19,452.18
Income	£ 26,917.00	£ 25,926.25		Current Acc	£ 20,859.91	£ 28,525.23
TOTAL	£ 55,442.23	£ 47,977.41		TOTAL	£ 55,442.23	£ 47,977.41
I certfy that the Statement of Accounts and supportng documents have been examined and found to be correct. EXAMINER DATE TREASURER DATE

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE CUMNOR OLD SCHOOL CHARITY

I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on the attached pages.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts you consider that the audit requirement of section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 43 (7)(b) of the Act, whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

• (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

• a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act, and b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act

have not been met; or

• (2) (Z) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper to which, in m

• /) understanding understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Robin Wimborne & Co ] Robin Wimborne & C 26 Appleton Road 26 Avvleton Road Cumnor Oxford OX2 9QH

22nd July 2025