TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022
Unincorporated Members’ Association Registered Charity 1038457
Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
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Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Charity Information | a |
| Trustees’ Report | 3-5 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 6 |
| Bank Position | 7 |
| StatementofReceipts andPayments | 8 |
| NotestotheFinancialStatements | 9 |
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Harrogate u3a Trustees Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
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Charity Information
| Charity RegisterNo. | 1038457 |
|---|---|
| Trustees | Alison Harris |
| (Committee) | Christine Nixon |
| (atyear-end) | Lorraine Lawson |
| Diane Nicholson | |
| Anne McKillop | |
| Cheryl Johnston | |
| StellaBarclay | |
| Richard Cyster | |
| IanMunday | |
| Philip Johnston | |
| JeffreyJones |
| Secretary | StellaBarclay | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered | Office | 7 SuttonGrange Close |
| Harrogate | ||
| HG3 2UR | ||
| Bankers | LloydsBankple | |
| Harrogate |
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
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Trustees’ Report
The Trustees present their report and the Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022.
Background
Harrogate u3a (Harrogate University of the Third Age) is an unincorporated association registered as a Charity with the Charity Commission. It is run by volunteers. The Charity Commission sets guidelines for financial reporting and requires Charities to comply with Charity legislation.
Hu3a, as a Charity, is able to claim gift aid on member subscriptions.
The Charity Commission permits all Charities with income levels of less than £250,000 to prepare accounts on a Receipts and Payments basis, which Harrogate u3a does. In addition, only Charities with income levels above £500,000 are required to have an annual audit.
For Charities with income levels between £25,000 and £500,000, the Charity Commission requires only an independent examination of the Accounts and accounting records. Harrogate u3a falls into the latter category.
Principal Activity
Its principal object is the education and personal development of its members.
Harrogate u3a is a self-help educational Charity where all rely on each other as members to make the organisation work. Hu3a is grateful and appreciative to those members who give so willingly of their time and talent to volunteer in any capacity.
Review of the Year
This has been an eventful year for Harrogate u3a, which has slowly emerged from the effects of the Covid pandemic. Thankfully, Hu3a has managed to keep going throughout the pandemic with a plethora of on-line quizzes, coffee mornings, afternoon teas, talks and so on and membership numbers have remained reasonably stable throughout.
Current membership is around 775 (paid-up members), including many new members, which is always great to see. There are around 150 members who are yet to renew, so we anticipate some increase in our membership still. It has also been good to see that new members have become involved in social activities and groups.
In recent years there has been around a 20% attrition rate of members not renewing which is similar to other u3as in the region. This is largely offset by new members joining Harrogate u3a. In the coming year increasing focus will be put on membership, new members and renewals, with the intention of making the joining/renewal process more user friendly. It is envisaged that this will be a progressive process.
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
Hu3a has been keen to investigate what more can be accessed and so has been looking at other u3as in the region with a view to possible networking arrangements with them which should open up even more groups and social activities for members.
Over the year Harrogate u3a has also started new groups, and experimented with different kinds of social events and venues including successful quizzes and the recent Treasure Hunt. More ideas are always welcome!
We currently have around 57 groups, delivering a wide variety of activities. These groups are managed by a team of dedicated Group Leaders and volunteers. During the coming year it is intended that Hu3a will focus on member interests and activity waiting lists. It is hoped that Hu3a can increase and/or duplicate group activities on offer, to match more closely with member interests. The success of this initiative will be entirely dependent on volunteer members coming forward to manage and support new groups. In this regard the trustees, with the help of members, intend to develop support procedures, assistance and training of volunteers.
History has recently been made at Hu3a by the running of the very first ever Planning Day where a group of members got together to look at what is done well in Hu3a and what is done less well with a view to looking at how things can be improved. Results from this event are currently being collated and hopefully can be transformed into actions soon.
However, big challenges lie ahead with the urgent need to ensure that we fill all our Committee vacancies and that we have enough support from members to continue to operate. Harrogate u3a is run by members for members so we are entirely dependent on ourselves. And that means we all need to think about volunteering to help run our organisation.
Public Benefit
The Trustees have considered their duties to ensure that the charity operates in the public benefit. The Trustees believe that Harrogate u3a does operate in the public interest.
Financial Reporting
It is pleasing to be able to report a healthy cash position. The Trustees’ target is to hold between 6 and 12 months’ of total payments by way of cash balances. This compares favourably to the low cash position existing prior to introducing an annual subscription of £16. This is comparable with many u3as in the region. Hu3a is well placed to hold members’ subscriptions at the current level for a further 2 years.
During the current year close attention has been paid to minimising costs. Changing Banks from CAF Bank to Lloyds was part of this process. It is hoped that transaction processing will be made easier with Lloyds and less costly.
On the internal organisational side, your Committee has been working hard to bring policies and procedures up to date to ensure Hu3a is operating legally. As you will be aware, Hu3a has developed a revised Financial Policy and Procedures document (on the website), with
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
input from the national u3a. Hu3a is looking to update its 20+ year old Constitution and will be seeking to develop and improve a whole plethora of documentation to ensure we comply with relevant legislation and guidance.
As a member of the Third Age Trust, Hu3a enjoys many benefits, not only of indemnity insurance for trustees (to guard against personal liability) but also many policy Charity templates which help us to ensure we are operating in line with relevant legislation and guidance, as mentioned above. This covers such areas as member safety, personal data protection, health & safety, safeguarding and so on. Over the coming year your Committee will be looking to get best value for its members from our national organisation.
A similar focus is in regard to Beacon which is an integrated membership, groups, finance and mailing system. Over the coming year your Committee will be looking to get best value from its Beacon membership by seeking support from the national Beacon team.
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and Accounts in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Charity Commission law requires the trustees to prepare Accounts for each financial year. Under Charity Commission regulations the Accounts may be prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
In preparing Accounts, the trustees are required to:
-
select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; and
-
- prepare the Accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the association will continue to operate.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the association’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy the financial position of the association and enable them to ensure that the Accounts comply with Charity Commission law.
The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the association and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Richard Cyster Chair
Anne McKillop Vice-Chair
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
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Independent Examiner’s Report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the Accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31 August 2022.
Responsibilities and basis of report
The Charity trustees are responsible for the preparation of the Accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
I report in respect of my examination of the Accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
‘ the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
‘ the Accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the Accounts to be reached.
Signed: C a
Date: 2A \ lao
Name: Cook Trotter Limited
Address: 3 Sceptre House, Hornbeam Square North, Hornbeam Park, Harrogate, HG2 8PB
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
| SRLee ce ner ee |
SRLee ce ner ee |
SRLee ce ner ee |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Position | ||
| 2021/22 | 202021 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Opening Position (1 September) | ||
| Bank& Cash asperFinancial Accounts |
12,245 | 7,855 |
| Reversal ofajournalmade at2021 | 3,025 | 0 |
| year-end to account forTAT | ||
| subscriptions payable | ||
| IntroductionofGroupBank& Cash balances |
9,461 | n/a |
| Revised opening position | 24,731 | 7,855 |
| Movement in theyear | ||
| Receipts | 50,921 | P7217 |
| Payments | 47,000 | 12.827 |
| £ 28.652 | £12,245 | |
| Closing Position (31 August) | ||
| Represented by: | ||
| Harrogate Head Office Bank& Cash | 20,075 | 12,245 |
| balances GroupsBank& Cash balances |
8.577 ‘ |
nee |
| Bank& Cash balances for | £28,652 | £12,245 |
| Harrogateu3a |
Note 1: The details of Group Bank & Cash balances are not available for 2020/21 & before. Note 2: The Bank & Cash balances at Groups have not been inspected and verified.
Note 3: The Financial Statements are prepared on a receipts & basis as permitted by the Charities Commission.
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
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Statement of receipts and payments
==> picture [437 x 328] intentionally omitted <==
----- Start of picture text -----
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|2021/22|2020/21|
|£|£|
|Receipts|
|Membership|Subscriptions|16,615|15,957|
|Gift Aid Recovery|1,995|1,180|
|Miscellaneous|receipts|1,235|80|
|Group Activities|31,076|n/a|
|50,921|17.217|
|Payments|
|Third Age|Trust membership|
|(current|/ previous|years &|2021|year-end journal)|6,383|3,025|
|Third Age|Trust publications|(current|&|previous|years)|2,216|5,200|
|Beacon|Support|(current|&|previous years)|830|1,960|
|Group|Activities|31,960|n/a|
|Open meetings/room hire/zoom|costs/speaker|fees|1,907|1,009|
|Social|events/room|hire|954|0|
|Group Leader meetings/room hire/showcase|477|0|
|Office,|meetings & consumables|1,509|1,257|
|AGM|costs|400|0|
|Bank charges|304|341|
|47.000|12,847|
|Surplus|receipts|for the|financial|year|3,921|4.390|
----- End of picture text -----
Note 1: The details of Group activity figures are not available for 2020/21 & before.
Note 2: u3a membership in 2020/21 relates to a year-end journal for TAT subscriptions payable.
Note 3: Group activities receipts and payments have not been verified.
Note 4: u3a publications and Beacon payments in 2020/21 include payments of previous years liabilities
Note 5: The Financial Statements are prepared on a receipts & basis as permitted by the Charities Commission.
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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
Notes to the Accounts
Accounting Policies
1.1 Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements
The financial statements are prepared under the receipts and payments basis as permitted by the Charity Commission.
1.2 Fund Accounting
The Trustees seek to hold sufficient banking reserves to cover between 6 and 12 months of total payments.
1.3 The trustees have prepared and approved a variety of policies to ensure the health and safety of its members and assets.
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