# **Littleton Memorial Hall Trust (formerly The Millennium Memorial Hall Trust)**
**Charity Number 1045690 Website: www.littletonmemorialhall.co.uk**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report: 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2024**
## **Object**
The object of the Trust is to provide a modern and well-equipped village hall that enables a wide range of events and activities for the benefit of all sectors of the communities of Littleton and Harestock and the adjoining parishes.
## **Legal and Administrative**
The Trust is governed by a Trust Deed dated 4[th] April 1995 (as amended by Deeds of Variation in 1999, 2001 and 2004). On 1st November 2024 the Trustees signed a Deed of Variation to change the name of the Trust to Littleton Memorial Hall Trust, and the new name has been notified to the Charity Commission.
The Trustees who have served during the year are:
|Barbara Kingston (Chairman)|A|
|---|---|
|Terence Rath (Secretary)|A|
|Stephen Handford (Honorary Treasurer)|A|
|Donna Oliver|B|
|Frances Martin|B|
|Geoffrey Cox|B|
|Edward Maun|C|
|Timothy Jackson|C|
|Clifford Morton|C Appointed 4thApril 2024|
- A Elected by ballot by parishioners in open meeting B Appointed by users of the Hall that qualify for block booking rates
- C Appointed by the Littleton and Harestock Parish Council
## **Correspondence Office:**
Hall Manager, Katie Burnell, 18 Pine Close, South Wonston, SO21 3EB
**Bankers:** Barclays Bank, PO Box 87, Winchester, SO23 8TN
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## **Financial Review**
The financial statements are attached to this report. They show a surplus for the year on unrestricted funds of £7,355, compared with a deficit of £4,116 in 2023. Income from the Hall lettings increased to £41,707 in 2024 compared with £33,318 in 2023, despite the closure in July 2024 of the Littleton Pre-school which had been the largest user of the Hall since it opened in 1999. The Trustees were saddened by the loss of this much valued hirer. Fortunately, a new hirer, Florian School of Dance, started operating at the Hall from April 2024, and this has largely replaced the income lost from the Pre-school.
Interest on COIF deposit funds was £4,269 compared with £3,873 in 2023.
The first annual receipt of Smart Export Guarantee Income (£882) was received in December 2024, representing income earned from electricity exported to the national grid from the solar panels which were installed on the roof of the Hall in 2022.
Total costs were £39,503 which was £1,804 lower than 2023, mainly due to lower repair and maintenance costs, thanks to the good work done by the Maintenance Manager.
Electricity usage by the Hall has reduced very significantly from 28,128 kWh in 2019 to 13,064 kWh in 2024, thanks to the installation of solar panels in 2022, and LED lighting in August 2023, followed by a solar battery in November 2023. The Trustees are considering further measures to reduce electricity consumption even further.
No Trustee received any remuneration or expenses.
Cash balances at 31[st] December 2024 amount to £98,492 of which £90,226 is invested with COIF. Cash balances increased by £15,738 in the year, due mainly to a combination of the financial surplus and increased income received in advance for 2025 Hall bookings.
Unrestricted reserves at 31[st] December 2024 amount to £62,278. The Trustees consider the reserves held in the Balance Sheet to be at an adequate level and meet their responsibilities and commitments to protect and advance the Trust’s current activities and to enable it to progress long term aims and objectives. The Charity continues to be a satisfactory going concern. The Trust’s cash reserves are considered to be more than adequate for the foreseeable future.
The restricted reserves amounting to £142,362 represent the written-down value of the building, being the Littleton Memorial Hall. The original cost of £406,751 of the building is being written off over 40 years. As at 31[st] December 2024 there have been 26 years of write offs with a further 14 years until the balance is finally written off. A
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professional valuation for insurance purposes carried out in 2023 indicated that full rebuilding costs of the Hall were £946,344.
## **Performance**
During 2024 the Trust was fortunate to retain the services of eight of its Trustees. Cliff Morton was appointed as a Parish Council nominated Trustee on 4[th] April, bringing the Board of Trustees back up to its full complement of nine.
2024 saw the 25[th] anniversary of the opening of the Hall and this was celebrated at a small reception immediately before the AGM on the 13[th] May. Two projects were undertaken by the Trustees to mark the anniversary: the cleaning of the sculpture, _Pax in Futuro_ , at the rear of the building and the installation of a Chairmen’s Honours Board in the foyer.
As already mentioned, the Trustees resolved to revert to the original name of the Hall, _Littleton Memorial Hall_ in 2024. The change of name of the Trust was confirmed by the Charity Commission on the 9[th] December 2024. A new name sign is displayed at the entrance to the building, a new logo has been adopted and our website has been updated to reflect the change.
The Trustees continue to comply with the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 and with Employment Law, with formal Contracts of Employment and Job Descriptions for the managers and cleaning staff. The Trust operates a pension scheme through NEST, which is open to all employees. The Trust submitted the Trustees’ Annual Return and Accounts to the Charity Commission as required.
## **The Outlook for 2025**
The outlook for the year ahead remains positive, with demand for the use of the Hall from both regular users and casual bookers remaining strong.
The Trustees consider that a breakeven financial outturn is likely in 2025, because of lower interest income (as interest rates are forecast to fall), the loss of Littleton Preschool income, and the cost of the 3-yearly electrical certification which is due towards the end of the year. However, the Trust is in no danger of running out of cash for the foreseeable future.
The Trustees have continued to make a provision of £4,800 per annum to provide for the cost of regular refurbishments, to maintain the Hall in a good condition. A refurbishment and redecoration programme was carried out as planned in August 2023 at a cost of £15,273, and the next refurbishment is due in August 2026. As at 31[st] December 2024 the accumulated provision for refurbishments stood at £13,005.
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## **Acknowledgments**
Diligence and good teamwork are the basis for the smooth running of the Hall and for which our thanks are due to many people:
Katie and Andrew Burnell, the Hall Managers for looking after the Hall and the staff in what has been another busy and sometimes challenging year.
Steve Handford for all his work as the Treasurer and in particular, keeping the Trustees advised of the financial position of the Trust by the preparation of comprehensive Management Accounts and Notes. He has also produced and prepared the Statutory Accounts for 2024 for vetting by the Independent Examiner and subsequent filing with the Charity Commission.
Lisa Fielding, the Parish Clerk, for her co-operation and attention to matters concerning both the Trust and the Parish Council.
Our Independent Examiner, Paul Brooks, who has again agreed to examine the Trustees’ Accounts, thus ensuring that the Trustees will have met all statutory and other requirements.
Finally, many thanks to all the Trustees who served during the year, with particular thanks to Terry Rath, our Secretary, who will have served six years by the date of the 2025 AGM and will therefore have to stand down as Trustee.
**Barbara Kingston Chairman of Trustees Date: 7[th] April 2025**
**Stephen Handford Honorary Treasurer and Trustee**
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## **LITTLETON MEMORIAL HALL TRUST (FORMERLY THE MILLENNIUM MEMORIAL HALL TRUST)**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st December 2024**
|**Note**
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Charitable Income**
Hire of Hall
Smart Export Guarantee Income
Hampshire County Council grants
Interest received
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Hall Running Costs**
Salaries and Wages
Maintenance and Cleaning Materials
**2**
Administration (including Licences)
Insurance
Services
New & Replacement equipment
Provision for future redecoration
**3**
Provision for floor replacement
**2**
Solar battery, LED lighting (funded by HCC grants)
Depreciation of solar panels
Depreciation: Statutory Write-off of Assets
**TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**NET MOVEMENT OF FUNDS**
**BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD**
**BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD**|**Unrestricted**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2024**
**2024**
**£**
**£**
41 707
882
-
-
4 269
**46 858**
**-**
19 896
2 869
3 825
1 749
5 884
-
4 800
-
-
-
480
-
10 169
**39 503**
**10 169**
**7 355**
**-10 169**|**Unrestricted Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**2023**
**2023**
**£**
**£**
33 318
-
-
13 440
3 873|
|---|---|---|
|||**37 191**
**13 440**|
|||19 757
5 221
2 922
1 701
6 426
-
4 800
-
-
13 440
480
-
10 169|
|||**41 307**
**23 609**|
||||
|||**-4 116**
**(10 169)**|
|||**59 039**
**162 700**|
||**54 923**
**152 531**||
||||
||**62 278**
**142 362**|**54 923**
**152 531**|
## **LITTLETON MEMORIAL HALL TRUST (FORMERLY THE MILLENNIUM MEMORIAL HALL TRUST)**
## **Balance Sheet as at 31**[st] **December 2024**
|Note
**2024**
£
**FIXED ASSETS**
Building
4
142 362
Loose Equipment
4
-
Solar Panels
4
8 319
**150 681**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Debtors & prepayments
5
3 244
Cash at Bank
6
98 492
**101 736**
**LIABILITIES:**
Amounts falling due within one year
7
10 772
Amounts falling due in excess of one year
7
37 005
**47 777**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
**53 959**
**NET ASSETS**
**204 640**
**FUNDS**
**Unrestricted**
Revenue Reserves
8
**62 278**
**Restricted**
Written-down Hall Fund
4
**142 362**
**TOTAL FUNDS**
**204 640**
**APPROVED BY THE TRUSTEES ON 27th JANUARY 2025 AND SIGNED ON ITS BEHALF BY :-**
**B. Kingston**
**S. Handford**|**2023**
£|
|---|---|
||152 531|
||-|
||8 799|
||**161 330**|
||3 186
82 754|
||**85 940**|
||7 612
32 204|
||**39 816**|
||**46 124**|
||**207 454**|
||**54 923**
**152 531**|
||**207 454**|
|||
## **LITTLETON MEMORIAL HALL TRUST (FORMERLY THE MILLENNIUM MEMORIAL HALL TRUST)**
## **CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the year ended 31st December 2024**
|Cash received from charitable activities
Hall lettings
Smart Export Guarantee Income|**2024**
**£**
45 580
-
-
4 269
**49 849**
34 111
-
-
**34 111**
**15 738**
82 754
98 492
**15 738**|**2023**
**£**
33 300
-
13 440
3 873|
|---|---|---|
|Cash received from HCC battery and LED lighting grants|||
|Cash received from investments
**TOTAL CASH RECEIVED**
Cash expended on charitable activities
Hall operations
Expenditure on solar battery and LED lighting
Redecoration costs
**TOTAL CASH EXPENDED**
**CASH SURPLUS/ (SHORTFALL)**
Bank balances at 1st January 2024
Bank balances at 31st December 2024
**CASH SURPLUS/ (SHORTFALL)**|||
|||**50 613**|
|||35 372
13 440
15 273|
||||
|||**64 085**|
|||**(13 472)**|
|||96 226
82 754|
|||**(13 472)**|
**LITTLETON MEMORIAL HALL TRUST (FORMERLY THE MILLENNIUM MEMORIAL HALL TRUST)**
**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **General**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with current accounting standards and under the historical cost convention
## **Funds**
Income associated with the running of the Hall is not subject to any restrictions regarding its use, and is available for application to the general purposes of the Trust.
The accounts include transactions, assets and liabilities for which the Trust can be held liable.
## **Incoming Resources**
Receipts from hiring fees are accounted for in the year in which the hire takes place.
Interest is accounted for when received.
Donations are accounted for when received.
Government grants for specific projects are recognised as income when they are received and when the related expenditure has been made. Any unspent grants are treated as deferred income until the related expenditure has been made.
## **Resources Expended**
Expenditure includes provisions for goods and services received by the Trust, but not paid for as at 31st December.
## **Fixed Assets**
For statutory accounts purposes, the building is being depreciated over 40 years. The solar panels acquired in April 2022 are being depreciated over their minimum expected useful life of 20 years.
## **2. MAINTENANCE**
It is the Trustees' intention to continue to make improvements where necessary, and to keep the hall in first class condition. The flooring of the main hall will require to be renewed in the foreseeable future. An annual charge of £3,000 was made in the 8 years to 2022 to provide funds for that replacement. At 31 December 2022, the provision for replacement of the floor was £24,000. In 2023 an estimate was obtained from a flooring contractor. This showed that the provision is adequate, so no further charge will be made to the accounts in 2023 and 2024. The position will be reviewed in 2025 when a new estimate will be sought.
## **3. REDECORATION**
The Trustees carried out a triennial refurbishment in August 2023. An annual charge of £4,800 is being made to provide funds for the cost of the regular work. The next refurbishment is due in August 2026.
At 31 December 2024, the provision for redecoration was £13,005.
## **4. FIXED ASSETS AND THE RESTRICTED HALL FUND**
Following guidance from the Charity Commissioners, the original cost of the building is being written off over forty years in the statutory accounts. All of the costs of building and equipping the hall have been paid and there are no outstanding covenants.
The write-down in 2023 impacts the net book value as follows:-
|||||**Building**|**Loose**|**Solar Panels**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**Equipment**||
||||**£**||**£**|**£**|
|**Gross book value**|At 1st January 2024|||406 751|27 852|9 599|
||At 31st December 2024|||406 751|27 852|9 599|
|**Write down**|At 1st January 2024|||254 220|27 852|800|
||At 31st December 2024|||264 389|27 852|1 280|
|**Net book value**|At 1st January 2024|||152 531|NIL|8 799|
||**At 31st December 2024**|**£**||**142 362**
|**NIL**|**8 319**|
The annual write down on Buildings is not reflected in the Trustees' management accounts, as it cannot form part of their cost structure and will not be reflected in charges to hall users. There are no cash flow implications. Ongoing maintenance and renewal of hall equipment will be the responsibility of current and future trustees. As and when the hall needs replacement, the community will need to repeat the fundraising activities conducted by their forebears in 1922-26 and 1995-99. It is unrealistic to assume that trustees can build up a reserve with which to replace the hall in the future.
Solar Panels were fitted to the roof of the Hall in April 2022 at a cost of £9,599. They are being depreciated over the minimum expected useful life of 20 years.
## **5. DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS**
The Trust is owed or has prepaid the following sums:-
|**2024**
Prepaid insurance premiums
1 691
Other prepaid costs
671
Smart Export Guarantee income due
882
**3 244**
**£**
**6. CASH**
The following sums are held on the Trust's behalf:-
**2024**
Barclays Bank current account
8 266
COIF Deposit Account
90 226
**98 492**
**£**
**7. LIABILITIES**
The Trust has the following liabilities:-
**2024**
Future rentals paid by hirers
9 224
Sundry creditors and accruals
1 548
Provision for redecoration
13 005
Provision for floor replacement
24 000
**47 777**
**£**|**2023**
1 610
1 576
0|
|---|---|
||**3 186**
**£**|
||**2023**
2 797
79 957|
||**82 754**
**£**|
||**2023**
5 351
2 261
8 204
24 000|
||**39 816**
**£**|
## **8. UNRESTRICTED FUNDS**
Revenue reserves at 31st December 2024 were £62,278. By resolution of the
trustees' meetings these funds can be designated for any purpose that the trustees wish.
## Endependent Examiner's Report to the members/trustees of The Littleton Memorial Hall Trust (Registered No. 1045690)
I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024 which are set out on the preceding pages.
## Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner
The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to
- e examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
e follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
> : « state whether particular matters have come to my aitention.
## Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissien.
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 ar disclosures in the accounts, and seeking expianations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide ail the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
## Independent Examiner's Statement
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention
1. which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
« to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or
- to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or
- 2. te which, in my opinion, attention shouid be drawn in order to enable a proper derstanding of the accounts to be reached.
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Paul A Brooks 7 Pitter Close, Littleton, WINCHESTER, SO22 6PD.
28 February 2025