HARROGATE u3a TRUSTEES, REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024 Unlncorporated Members, Assoclatlon Reglstered Charlty 1038457
Harrogate u3a Trnstee3' Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 Allgust 2024 Contents Page Charity infOrnll0n Trustees. RepK)rt Independent Examiner's ReFL)rt Bank Position Statement of Receipts and Payments io Notes to the Financial Statements 11
Harrogate u3a Trustees Report and Unaudited Acco4nts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 Charity Infornjation Charity Regisl¢r No. 1038457 Trustees (Committee) (at year¢nd) Lorraine Lawson Cheryl Johnston Stella Barclay lan Munday Philip Johnston Jeffrey Jones Stephen Hutchison Nicola Kendall Beulah Chatten Secretsry Regist¢red Office Nicola Kendall 12 Richmond Close Harrogate HG2 9AW Bankers Lloyds Bank plc Harrogate
Harrogate u3a Trustees, Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 The Trustees present their report and the Accounts for the y¢ar ended 31 August 2024. Background As in th¢ previous year and to remind members of some ba¢kground details. Hamigate u3a (Harrogate University of the Third Age) is an unincorporated association regist¢r¢d as a Charity with the Charity Commission. It is run by volunt¢¢rs. The Charity Commission sets guidelines for financial r¢portin8 and qUIreS Charities to comply with Charity legislation. Hu34 as a Charity, is able to claim gift aid on member subs¢ription8. The Charity Commission perniits all Charities with income levels of less than £250,000 to prepare accounts on a Receipts and Payments bls, 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 ind¢p¢nd¢nt examination of the Accounts and accounting records. Harrogate u3a falls into the latter category. Priu¢ipal A¢llvity The principal object of Harrogate u3a is unchang¢d and remains the edUtIon and personal development of its members. Harrogate u3a is a self-help ¢du¢ational 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. Publle Beneflt As r¢quired by Charity Law, the Trustees have considered their duties to ensure thai the charity operates in the public benefit. They have done so and believe that Harro8ate u3a does operate in the public interest Committee There is the perennial challenge of maintsining the committee with a full complement of mcmb¢rs. This proves somewhat difficult at times. However, in the last year, we have managed to meet thi5 challenge and we have ensured that all functions and responsibilities were fully covered by the appropriat¢ tn15tees and volunteers. In the longer tenn it is imperaliv¢ 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.
Harrogate u3a Tn]stees' Rewjrt and Unaudited A¢Unts For the Year End 31 AUgt 2024 Your Comrnittee continues to work hard to ensure that policies and predureS are up to date and that Hatrogate w3a is operating legally The Tntees. target is to hold between 6 and 12 rnonths of totsl payments by way of cash and bank balances. This compares favourably to the low cash position existing prior to intr(xlucing an annual subscription of £16. This subscription level is comparable with many in the region. Hla is well placed to hold members. subscriptions at the CUTr¢nt level for a fiffther year. Third Age Trust As a member of the Third Age TrusL Hu3a enjoys many benefits, not only of indemnity insurance for t (to 8uard against personal liability) but also many p)licy Charity templates which help us to ensure we are owating in line with rel¢vant legislation and guidance, as mentioned above. This covers such 8T as member safety, personal dats protection, health & safety, safeguarding and so on. Your Committ¢e routinely look get best value for its members from our membership of u3 The Beacon system is an integrated rnembership. groups, finance and matling system. Your Committee look to get best value frorn its Beacon membership and encourage members to utilise its facilities. Communiutions The Committee are continuing to fo¢ on the development of communications both internally and externally. Monthly newsletters are now being produced with the intention of detailing events taking place in the immediate future. This is intended to replace the stream of emails previously sent to rn¢mbers. Email notifications will continue to be sent to m¢mbers in exceptional ciwumstances. The monthly newsletter is being Support by the revived Stray news which provides a showcase window for events delivered by Hu3i incoryx)rating the variety of activilies undertaken by u3a groups. Hu3a is also developing a more significant presence on social medi& The intention is that this will provide a means of publicising our activities to wider audience. More traditional methods of advertising by local newspapers is becomin8 difficult to arnge, though the Committee continue to consider options
Harrogate u3a Trustees, Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year End¢d 31 August 2024 Membership The m&ximum number of members during the last year reached 1007 This figure included 241 new members who joined during the y¢ar. The total figur¢ was approximat¢ly 130 members higher than the previous year. In 2023124. overall membership increased kcause the majority of existing membcr5 renewed their membership and new members joining Harrogate u3a increased We have updated our systems where existing members and new members can pay their annual subscription online, with Paypal authorising the transaction (rather than BACS). For the current year (202312024) round 270/0 of members renew¢d their subscription using Paypal to auihorise 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 Sccrctary. For those unable to use one of these methods then the option of paying subscriptions by chequelcash will be maintained We 8re lookin8 to provide more support and inforniation to new memb¢rs. Membership cards are now being issued to paid up members. (For those attending open meetings, new members and, those members requesling a membership card) Groups W¢ currently have approximately 70 active groups offering a wide range of activities. managed by a team of dedicated group leaders and volunteers. It continues to be Hu3a's mission to incre&se andlor duplicate group activities on offer to match members, interests. This can only be achi¢ved by members coming forward to manage and support new groups and to participate more generally in helping with social activities. BaDk Conlinuing attention has been paid to minimising costs. Changing Banks from CAF Bank to Lloyds was part of this process. This year transaction processin8 Wlth Lloyds has been less costly. Review of the Year This has been a financially healthy year for Hu3a. Cash and Bank Tcsources at Harrogale head office have increwd from £21,746 (I September 2023) 10 £29.196 (3 IAugust 2024). In analysin8 the increase, several factors are relevant: (i) Membership subscription receipts in 2023124 are significantly and intentionally up on the previous financial year (by around £4,300). This is mainly because the Committee were suc¢¢ssful in persuading members to pay annual subscriptions
Harrogate u3a Tntstees, Rep)rt and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 on time at the s of the membership year. (note- Our bank balance at 31 August is highly dependent on the timing of payment of memlxr subseriptions. In August 2024 we received approximately £12.000 of the £16,000 due (based on 1000 memkTS). The Committee intend to push ahead and encourage all members to pay their due subscriptions on time.) {ii) Reducing costs- Your Committee has been successful in minimising costs, for example (a) We have effectively rid ourselves of most print & postage Costs by going rnainly online, thereby saving thousands of pounds. (b) By changing Banks (from CAF to Lloyds) we have eradicated bank charges. (c) We have continued to monitor Third Age activity and have successfully held down any increase in costs. (d) By experimenlin8 on using ditTerent venues for open meetings and other m¢¢tings, we have minimised costs. Having cxperimented on using the Odeon as a venue for open rneeting& we have now moved to Si Marks Chu]th which offers b¢tt¢r overall facilities and is inexpensive, and (e) Generally. tightly up in all areas of spend (iii) Gift Aid - In 2023r24 we received £2268 of gift aid. None in the previous year. When considering th¢ Cash & Bank w>sition. it is importsnt to note thal we receive member subscriptions mainly at the start of the subscription year whereas costs are spread throughout the year. The larger wsts payable (o Third A8e Trust take place in April each year. As indicated above we have stsrted to further develop interna] communications of Hu3a and certain other local events. We are also looking to put on a wider range of social events. In order to sp*ed up the delivery limescales, there will inevitsbly be a need for volunteers. Statement of Trustees. Responslbilities The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees. Regx)rt and Accounts in accordance with applicable law and regulation& Charity Commission law requires the Intee5 to prepare Accounts for each financial year. Under Charity Commission regulatio% the Accounts may be prepad on a receipts and payments bls.
Harrogate u3a Tntee$, Report and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 In preparing Accounts, the trustees are required to: s¢lect suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently; and prepare the Accounts on a going concern basis unless il 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 p)sition of the association and enable them lo ensure that the Accounts comply with Charity Commission law. The trustees are also responsibl¢ for safeguarding the assets ofthe association and hence t&king re&8onable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. lan Munday Chair Jefftey Jones Treasurer
Harrogate u3a TnL8tees' Rep)rt and Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 Independent Examiner's Report I report to the trustees on my examination of the Accounts of th¢ alx)ve Charity for the year ended 31 August 2024. Reyponsibilities #nd basis of report The Charity trustees are responsible for th¢ preparation of the A¢Unts in aLYord8n¢e with the requirements of th¢ Chatities Act 2011. I report in respect of my examination of the Accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Xb) of the Act. Independ¢Dt exam1De8 ststement I have completed my examination. I confinn 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 rewrds were not kept ift accordance with seclion 130 of the Act or . the Accounts do not accord with the accounling record5. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in onler to enable a proper understandin8 of the Accounts to be reached. Signed: Date. 1,, I Name: Cook Trotter Lirnited Address: 3 Sceptre House. Horni*am Square North, Hornbeam ParL Harrogate, HG2 8PB
Harrogate u3a Trustees, Report and Unaudited Aceounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 Bank Position 2023124 2022123 Opening Position (I September) Harrogats H¢ad Offi¢¢ Bank & Cash bal8D¢¢J Groups Bank & Casb balances 21,746 20.075 Opening position (Total) 31.219 28.652 Total Receipts 68,353 56.025 Total Payments 58 458 Closing Position (Totsl) Closing Position (31 August) HArrogats H¢ad Offlee Bank & C#¥h balanees Groups Bank & Cajb balaneeg 29,196 21.746 9,473 Closing Position (Total) Note I: The Financial Statements are prepared on a receipts & payments basis as perniitted by the Charities Commission Note 2: The Bank & Cash balances at Groups have not b¢¢D inspected. Groups have submitted annual returns.
Harrogate u3a Trnstees. Report 2nd Unaudited Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2024 Statement of reeeipts and payments 2023124 2022123 Receipts Membetship Subscriptions (22J23 and 23r24) Gift Aid Recovery Miscellaneous receipts Group Activities l9,630 2268 70 15.323 520 Payments Third Age Trust membership Third Age Trust publications Beacon & IT Support Group Activities Open meeting events Social events Group events otTice (admi IT. meetings. consumables, AGM. etc) Fixed Assets Paypal charges 3,876 3,047 965 44.140 2.527 1.028 264 2.316 358 137 3,806 2,545 1,082 39,286 2,850 986 217 2.599 87 Surplus receipts for the financial year 9.695 2,567 Note I: The Financial Staiements are ptepated on a reipts & payments basis as pennitted by the Charities Commi10n. Note 2: Group activities receipts and payments have noi been verified. Groups have submitted annual returs. 10
Harrogate u3a Trustees? Report and Unaudited AccouDts For tbe Year Ended 31 August 2024 Notes to the Aeeounts Accounting Policies l. l B&sis of Preparation of Financial Statements The financial statements are prepared under the receipts and payments basis as perniitted by the Charity Commission. 1.2 Fund Accounting The Trustees seek to hold sufficient banking reserves lo cover between 6 and 12 months oftotal payments. 1.3 The trustees have prepared and approved a variety of policies to ensure the health and safety of its members and assets. 11