Pickering War Memorial Charitable Trust
Treasurer’s Annual Report for the financial year from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Registered Address
Memorial Hall Potter Hill Pickering YO18 8AA
Charity Registration Number: 1045498
1 Trustees – The Committee of Management
The following people served as members of the Committee of Management during the period of the report:
Joan Lovejoy - Chair to 22/07/2025. Resigned on 13/11/2025. Emma Dineen – Nominated representative of Pickering Town Council. Chair from 22/07/2025 until 18/11/2025. Resigned from the Management Committee on 18/11/25. Alison Seaward – Chair from 18/11/2025 Ruby D’Alquen – resigned on 26/01/2026 Richard Haythorne (Treasurer) Helene Haythorne (Secretary) Andrew Gadsby Ishmail Ahmed – stood down on 22/07/2025. Adrian Johnston - co-opted on 27/01/2026 Donna Rueth, nominated representative of Pickering Town Council - co-opted on 27/01/2026 Simon Webster co-opted on 27/01/2026
2 Objectives and Activities
The current Charity was created in 1994 with the object, as defined in the Charity scheme document, of providing and maintaining a facility for the use of the people of Pickering, without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, to be used for meetings, lectures, classes and other forms of recreation and leisure activities.
The Charity is managed by a Management Committee of Trustees. Pickering Town Council is designated as Custodian Trustee and holds legal title of the Memorial Hall. The remaining trustees are volunteers appointed under the terms of the Charity scheme document.
The Trustees are committed to the provision of the facilities in the Memorial Hall for the benefit of the people of Pickering, at the lowest prices possible while maintaining the viability and integrity of the building and equipment.
While carrying out their duties the Trustees believe they have complied with the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
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3 Achievements and Performance
The Memorial Hall continues to be an extremely well used asset in the heart of our town providing a meeting place for the community, as well as office space for small businesses, independent groups and Pickering Town Council. The Hall is also used regularly by NHS and Social Care providers for treatment sessions, vaccine delivery, and health education.
Occupancy rates of rental rooms remain healthy and income from room hire has increased since the last reporting period. The Management Committee and the Hall Manager continuously and actively explore ways to increase room occupancy and therefore income.
The Management Committee’s attempts to broaden the reach of the Friends Of The Memorial Hall fundraising scheme by offering an additional online donation option, as well as the traditional method, resulted in a small increase in the number of regular repeat donations. ‘Friends’ donations amounted to £1200 during the reporting period.
The resurrection of the 1940s Event in October 2025 provided a welcome boost to income. Over the three days of the event traders pitch charges and admission fees generated income of just of £3000.
During the reporting period the Management Committee agreed to carry out significant essential works including the replacement of leaking heating system valves in the plant room, replacement of the obsolete CCTV system, replacement of the large window blinds in the main hall (Whistler), repairs to timbers on the veranda/deck and repairs to sanitary fittings in the ladies toilets.
Annual fundraising efforts continued including a Quiz Night at the Sun Inn which raised £560, and the ever popular secondhand book donation scheme, located in the foyer of the Memorial Hall which generated £1326.
4 Financial Review
Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026 are included with this report.
Although Receipts increased by £5988 from £60,623 for the year to 31 March 2025 to £66,612 in the year to 31 March 2026, the exceptional cost of repairs and maintenance in the reporting period resulted in a net deficit of £16,904. Total expenditure on repairs and maintenance in the period was £25,544 compared to £8614 in the previous year. Major items included gas boiler £10,766, heating system valves £909, blinds £1600, CCTV £4200.
The financial environment in which the Charity operates remains challenging due to inflationary increases in running and maintenance costs. While it remains an aspiration of the Management Committee to provide low cost facilities to the community it is acknowledged that rental and room hire prices must reflect the economic reality of running and maintaining the Memorial Hall.
Cash reserves fell by £16,911 from £87,735 on 01/04/2025 to £70824 on 31 March 2026.
The Management Committee continues to explore ways to reduce running costs and increase income.
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5 Risk
The last major renovation of the building was over twenty-five years ago so it is likely the cost of repairs and renewals will continue to have a significant impact on finances in the future. It is advisable that the Management Committee continue to explore ways to increase cash reserves to ensure contingency funds are available for major repairs/replacements. At the same time it should implement a structured 3-5 year plan of ongoing maintenance.
During the reporting period the Management Committee learned that Pickering Town Council had formed a working party to investigate the feasibility of relocating their offices away from the Memorial Hall to alternative office accommodation. Although the working party ultimately recommended that Pickering Town Council should not proceed with a move in the short term, it advised the Council should reserve the option to do so in the future. The Management Committee needs to monitor this situation closely encouraging close and open dialogue with Pickering Town Council.
Richard Haythorne Treasurer June 2026
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| Charity Name | No (if any) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickering War Memorial Charitable Trust | 1045498 | |||
| Receipts andpayments accounts | CC16a | |||
| For the period from Period start date 01/04/2025 |
To | Period end date 31/03/2026 |
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rent |
15,776 | - | - | 15,776 | 15,389 | ||||
| Room Hire | 39,504 | - | - | 39,504 | 38,780 | ||||
| Catering | 212 | - | - | 212 | - | ||||
| Fund Raising | 3,772 | - | - | 3,772 | 334 | ||||
| Donations | 2,925 | - | - | 2,925 | 1,687 | ||||
| Bank Interest | 2,107 | - | - | 2,107 | 2,036 | ||||
| Sundry | 2,316 | - | - | 2,316 | 2,397 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 66,612 | - | - | 66,612 | 60,623 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||||
| 60,623 | |||||||||
Wages |
9,445 | - | - | 9,445 | 8,486 | ||||
| Insurance & Utilities | 23,233 | - | - | 23,233 | 25,568 | ||||
| Stationary/Postage/Telephone | 2,037 | - | - | 2,037 | 1,965 | ||||
| Renewals & Maintenance | 25,545 | - | - | 25,545 | 8,614 | ||||
| Fees & Licences | 488 | - | - | 488 | 1,033 | ||||
| CatereringExpenses | 192 | - | - | 192 | 84 | ||||
| Equipment Purchases | 2,072 | - | - | 2,072 | 897 | ||||
| SundryExpenditure | 786 | - | - | 786 | 1,182 | ||||
| Hall Management | 19,719 | - | - | 19,719 | 19,272 | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 83,517 | - | - | 83,517 | 67,101 | ||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | |||||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||||
| 67,101 | |||||||||
| - 16,905 | - 6,478 | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| - 16,905 | - 6,478 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
02/06/2026
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Current Account Investment Accounts Petty Cash Total cash funds Details Details Details Details Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 3,314 - 67,460 - 50 - 70,824 - Agreement Error OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval | |||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
02/06/2026
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Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Pickering War Memorial Trust
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Pickering War Memorial Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 31[st] March 2026
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I note that the Statement of assets and liabilities of the Trust does not record any value to the Pickering War Memorial Hall nor have I been able to see any evidence of registered title or ownership of this property, I have however seen documentation that supports that Pickering Town Council are custodian trustees of this property.
I have no other concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Name: John B Harrison
Relevant professional qualification FCA:
Address: The Old Rectory, 23 Hallgarth, Pickering, YO18 7AW
Date: 16 June 2026