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← The Harrogate University Of The Third Age

2023-08-31-accounts

TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

Unincorporated Members’ Association Registered Charity 1038457

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

Contents

Page
Charity Information 2
Trustees’ Report 3-6
Independent Examiner’s Report 7
Bank Position 8
Statement ofReceipts and Payments 9
NotestotheFinancialStatements 10

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Harrogate u3a Trustees Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

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Charity Information
Charity RegisterNo. 1038457
Trustees AlisonHarris
(Committee) Lorraine Lawson
(atyear-end) DianeNicholson
Cheryl Johnston
StellaBarclay
IanMunday
Philip Johnston
Jeffrey Jones
StephenHutchison
Nicola Kendall
Beulah Chatten
Secretary Nicola Kendall
Registered Office 4 Clifton House, StrayRoad
Harrogate
HG2 8AR
Bankers Lloyds Bankple
Harrogate

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

The Trustees present their report and the Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023.

Background

Here are some background details as per last year. 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

The principal object of Harrogate u3a is unchanged and remains 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 another successful year for Harrogate u3a in which all our activities have returned to normal after the restrictions brought about by the Covid pandemic. Members have once again been able to attend group and social meetings in their usual custom. There have been monthly Open Meetings with a wide variety of talks given by invited speakers. Numerous social events have also been held by the Social Group. Various groups have organised field trips to places of interest around the county and, on occasion, these have been made available to the wider membership. The groups have continued to thrive and increase in number.

The maximum number of members during the last year reached 876. This figure included 144 new members who joined throughout the year. The total figure was approximately 100 members higher than the previous year.

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

As in previous years, approximately 16% of the existing members lapsed their membership. Fortunately, this was offset by new members joining Harrogate u3a. A policy has been implemented to provide more support and information to new members. Work was completed to streamline the joining/renewal process. Members now have the option to pay their subscription either by credit/debit card or BACS online. By this means we hope to reduce the clerical workload associated with the old paper-based system. For those unable to use one of these methods then the option of cheque/cash will be maintained.

This year saw the return of a revived Stray News magazine with a new format. The aim was to provide a showcase celebrating the great variety of activities organised by group leaders and their members. Many groups contributed articles and photographs to the first issue. Almost all of the information provided to members is now through email and the Hu3a website. Each member has received approximately 50 email notices in the last year updating them on forthcoming events and activities. Hu3a also has a presence on the social media platform, Facebook and the intention is that this will provide a means of publicising our activities to wider audience. The use of more traditional methods of advertising by local newspapers is becoming difficult to arrange.

We have 64 active groups offering a wide range of activities from Badminton to Wine Appreciation. As in previous years these groups are managed by a team of dedicated group leaders and volunteers. New groups continue to be formed and we have seen a 12% increase in our total number of groups since last year. It continues to be Hu3a’s mission to increase and/or duplicate group activities on offer to match members’ interests. As in previous years, this can only be achieved by members coming forward to manage and support new groups and to participate more generally in helping with social activities. To this end, the Trustees have developed procedures, assistance and training for volunteers.

The Planning Day Report, held 20/9/22, is still very much a work outstanding. The recommendations made in the report are being slowly incorporated in to the way Hu3a manages its procedures and activities.

There has been the perennial challenge of maintaining the committee with a full complement of members. This has proved somewhat difficult at times. However, we have managed to meet this challenge and we have ensured that all functions and responsibilities were fully covered by the appropriate trustees and volunteers. In the longer term it is imperative that we have a steady source of volunteers to come forward to take on the many and varied roles necessary to run an organisation worthy of the name Harrogate u3a.

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

Public Benefit

As required by Charity Law, the Trustees have considered their duties to ensure that the charity operates in the public benefit. They have done so and believe that Harrogate u3a does operate in the public interest

Financial Matters

As in the previous year it is pleasing to be able to report a continuing 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 year.

Membership cards are being issued to paid up members in the current year.

We are now well settled with Lloyds as banker (previously CAF Bank). Continuing attention has been paid to minimising costs. Changing Banks from CAF Bank to Lloyds was part of this process. This year transaction processing with Lloyds has been less costly.

We have also introduced a system where members can pay their annual subscriptions online, with Paypal authorising the transaction (rather than BACS). For the current year (2023/2024) around 25% of members renewed their subscription using Paypal to authorise the transaction. This saves the Membership Secretary considerable time, since the Beacon Membership database is automatically updated using Paypal; rather than requiring a manual intervention by the Membership Secretary.

Your Committee continues to work hard to ensure that policies and procedures are up to date and that Harrogate u3a is operating legally.

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. Your Committee routinely look to get best value for its members from our membership of u3a.

The Beacon system is an integrated membership, groups, finance and mailing system. Your Committee look to get best value from its Beacon membership and encourage members to utilise its facilities.

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

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:

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.

Tan Munday Acting Chair

Jeffrey Jones Treasurer

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

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 2023.

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:

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.

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Signed: Cooln Ir t A, Date; “S9/ Vi nS
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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 2023

Bank Position
2022/23 2021/22
£ £
Opening Position (1 September)
Bank& Cash balances (Harrogate Head 20,075 12,245
Office)
Reversal ofajournalmade at 2021 - 3,025
year-endto account forTAT
subscriptions payable
Bank& Cashbalances (Groups) 8,577 9,461
Opening position 28,652 24,731
Receipts 56,025 50,921
Payments 53.458 47.000
Closing Position (31 August) £31,219 £28.652
Closing Position (31 August)
Represented by:
HarrogateHead OfficeBank& Cash 21,746 20,075
balances
GroupsBank& Cashbalances 9,473 8,577
Bank& Cash balances for £31,219 £28,652
Harrogateu3a

Note 1: The Financial Statements are prepared on a receipts & payments basis as permitted by the Charities Commission

Note 2: The Bank & Cash balances at Groups have not been inspected. Groups have submitted annual returns.

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

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Statement of receipts and payments

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----- Start of picture text -----
|||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |2022/23|2021/22| |£|£| |Receipts| |Membership|Subscriptions|15,323|16,615| |Gift Aid Recovery|-|1,995| |Miscellaneous|receipts|520|1,235| |Group|Activities|40,182|31,076| |56,025|50,921| |Payments| |Third Age Trust|membership|3,806|6,383| |Third Age|Trust publications|2,545|2,276| |Beacon &|IT|Support|1,082|830| |Group|Activities|39,286|31,960| |Open meeting|events|2,850|1,907| |Social|events|986|954| |Group|events|217|477| |Office|(admin,|IT,|meetings,|consumables,|AGM,|etc)|2,599|1,909| |Bank &|Paypal|charges|87|304| |53,458|47,000| |Surplus|receipts|for the|financial|year|2,567|3,921|

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Note 1: The Financial Statements are prepared on a receipts & payments basis as permitted by the Charities Commission.

Note 2: Group activities receipts and payments have not been verified.

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Harrogate u3a Trustees’ Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2023

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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