Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. I wish you all a warm welcome and thank you for finding the time to support us this morning.
Before going into detail of our activities this year may I introduce our two new members.
Following W Bro Neil Smith’s promotion to Vice Chair, the new representative for Area 2 is W Bro Mark Truman and following the retirement of W Bro Malcolm Boyle after many years of devoted service, we welcome W Bro Andy Ellis as representative for Area 4, both areas are in the Province of Yorkshire West Riding. I am confident that both of these brethren bring skills to the Committee, together with great enthusiasm
2025 has again been an interesting year, where we have attempted to continue our assistance to the Home and its Residents whilst placing a great emphasis on forward planning.
The dilemma regarding holding the Summer Fayre continued this year and we were unable to have this fund raising event. The three Provinces have once again been the backbone of our fund raising efforts, immediately organising transfers of funds. We received the fourth tranche of £5,000 from West Riding Masonic Charities Limited together with £5,000 from Lincolnshire Craft and Lincolnshire Mark Masonry, £2,000 from North and East Yorkshire Mark Masons and £2,000 from Cleeves and Whitehead Trust, a Yorkshire West Riding Mark Charity. This total of £14,000 has been indispensable.
Our appeal to Lodges and individuals was extremely well received, especially at a time when all Craft and Mark Lodges were either going into or were already in Festival during the year. On my visits to Lodges to promote the Association I was amazed at the interest and sympathetic commitment I received.
All the above enabled us to honour our commitments to the Home and the Residents without having to lower our standards. I did, however request that two large provisions be made. Firstly, for a Sensory Garden which is desperately required for the residents with dementia. I believe that members of the Committee have plans afoot which may see this special project being covered at least in part.
Secondly for the anticipated costs for the remedial treatment needed for access to the grounds. OFF THE RECORD EXPLANATION
The financial effects of not holding the Summer Fayre have dramatically brought to the committee's attention that it is absolutely necessary that alternative and additional means of fundraising are explored going forward. This will be easier once Lodges and Provinces are out of Festival. However, we must remember as a Festival ends it is only a matter of time until the next commences. We need to maximise the
1
income received during the non-festival years in order to build up reserves to cover those years when it will be harder to get donations. I am confident that the Committee will rise to this challenge.
Please remember that as well as the financial effect there is also the social effect upon the Residents. The court held a residents and families-only day in lieu of the Fayre which we were privileged to attend and which showed how much the Residents do enjoy the chance to have an event, especially those unable to travel.
It has not all been doom and gloom. W Bro Kevin Priestly, a chocolatier of great repute, prepared a wide selection of his finest and I delivered them to W Bro Robert Walker and his wife Anne in Hawes as a thank you for all they did to get us the donation from Prince Frederick Lodge for the minibus. A pleasant surprise for Anne. The minibus is in regular use and an incredibly useful asset, so if there are any qualified drivers out there, please contact Marinda.
We have also met all the requests for assistance that we have received.
I am sure that the Association will continue to supply the needs of the Home in future years , as it has in this year. To be able to assist Marinda and her team in their efforts, such as their incredible Dementia Accreditation, is a privilege. We look forward to your various reports at our meetings and the wide variety of requests that invariably follow.
It is obvious from the shortfall recorded in Stehanie and Fran’s report that there can be no resting on laurels. Even with the Fayre contributing we need to reinforce our fundraising practices in the future, and I am sure that your committee will all work to that end.
The Vice Chair, Treasurer and I all booked to attend the Associations National Conference in October, which unfortunately was cancelled at the last minute. Having already booked our trains we met for a tour of Grand Lodge, culminating in a visit to inspect the newly renovated bar = well recommended. Hopefully, it will run next year as discussions amongst Associations means we gain the practical experience of committees working in the same environment.
May I close with thanks to all my hardworking fellow committee members, the Secretary W Bro Martin Latham for his ideas and persistent guidance, W Bro David Wadsworth for keeping us up to date regarding our finances, W Bro Smith, the Vice Chair, for touring everywhere to talk to Lodges, W Bro Barrie Graham for an incredible amount of work behind the scenes re planning, W Bro John Day, our own Mr Fixit, W Bro Kevin Priestley and W Bro Martin Gaunt our Summer Fayre Organisers, who didn’t get to erect their beloved marquees so instead worked tirelessly in updating the storage units, W Bro John Owen-Barnett, our own Arkwright The Shop, The Castlegate Ladies, as I’m sure Margaret Powell organised
2
Dennis to get us the promotional evening with Castlegate Installed Masters Lodge and everyone else who has steered us through 2025.
My thanks also to our distinguished guests for their attendance, and who I trust will address us later.
3
Association of Friends of Connaught Court Year ending 30 September 2025
SUMMARY OF ACCOUNT FUNDS
| Assets NatWest General Account NatWest Deposit Account Liabilities Accruals Tai Chi classes Bose speaker Music therapy sessions August Music Concert Replacement Ipads Arborist and ground remediation Sensory garden area Net Assets Represented by :- General Fund Special Projects Fund |
September 2025 £ 14,698.07 77,734.85 92,432.92 £ 0.00 0.00 0.00 (1,000.00) (1,000.00) (15,000.00) (4,000.00) (21,000.00) 71,432.92 £ 40,000.00 31,432.92 71,432.92 |
September 2024 £ 10,968.59 76,800.10 |
|---|---|---|
| 87,768.69 | ||
| £ (750.00) (199.00) (740.00) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 |
||
| (1,689.00) | ||
| 86,079.69 | ||
| £ 40,000.00 46,079.69 |
||
| 86,079.69 |
As at 30/09/2025
Association of Friends of Connaught Court
Consolidated Income and Expenditure Account Year ending 30 September 2025
| Year to 30 | September | Year to 30 | September | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| General Donations | Lodges | 8,829.70 | 1,839.65 | ||||
| Provinces | 9,000.00 | 9,931.47 | |||||
| WRMCL | 5,000.00 | 5,000.00 | |||||
| Individuals | 2,356.12 | 1,675.90 | |||||
| Shop Sales | 320.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| Summer Fair | 0.00 | 5,392.92 | |||||
| Summer Fair Flyers | 0.00 | 9,170.50 | |||||
| Badges | 50.00 | 35.00 | |||||
| Interest | 934.75 | 1,024.34 | |||||
| Investment Income | 0.00 | 70.18 | |||||
| Membership | 30.00 | 175.00 | |||||
| Capital growth - HSBC | bond | 0.00 | 1,293.61 | ||||
| 26,520.57 | 35,608.57 | ||||||
| EXPENDITURE | |||||||
| Amenity Fund | (16,000.00) | (16,000.00) | |||||
| Secretary Expenses | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| Life Membership Secretary Expenses | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| Postage | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||
| Summer Fair Expenses | 0.00 | (3,656.02) | |||||
| Less Sponsorship | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | (3,656.02) | |||
| Website | (446.40) | (402.38) | |||||
| Amenities | (2,369.95) | (10,909.51) | |||||
| Storage Container | (2,977.24) | (5,285.58) | |||||
| Summer fair marquees & gazebos | (27.75) | (11,723.97) | |||||
| Minibus Rental | 0.00 | (1,260.00) | |||||
| Replacement Minibus | 0.00 | (382.80) | |||||
| Music Concert | (1,000.00) | 0.00 | |||||
| Replacement Ipads | (1,000.00) | 0.00 | |||||
| Arborist and ground remediation | (15,000.00) | ||||||
| Sensory garden area | (4,000.00) | ||||||
| Write back 2024 provisions | 1,689.00 | (24,685.94) | 2,000.00 | (27,561.86) | |||
| Sundry | (35.00) | (55.00) | |||||
| (41,167.34) | (47,675.26) |
Net Income/(Expenditure)
(14,646.77)
(12,066.69)
Inde ndent Examiner's Re to The A&soeiation of Friends of Connau t Court I have exarnined ihe attached a¢¢ount and stat1 for the ye4r athj 3th 2025. Rupecdve ro8pon8ibllSdes of director and auditors The tru81ee8 of the Charily tre respoMiN¢ for the preptirntiOD of they con8idtr that the audit requLr¢m¢nt under the Ch8riti¢8 Act 2011 dou not apply. I bave bty appointal under the Cljaritseg Aet 2011 Teport An accordan th re8ulation8 mede undex Art. It 18 my responsibility to to fouow the proc•JureJ laid down in the c11 DÉreiXion$ 8iven by th¢ Charity Commi1gion Commi88iory and B4818 of Examlner'a Statemenl My examination was carried out in accordance with GeneraE Directions 8ivert by the Charity CommiJsion¢rn. An examination inc]ude8 a review of the aCcntIn8 rOrdS kw by the Charity and a comparison of the acrounts prc8cnted with thD8e rELX)rds It a15D includu Condentit)n of any unusual iteJL8 or discio$L in tho accoun18, al Je¢kin8 explanatio from the tswtees oiwernin8 any rnatt. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the tvid¢tKe that would be rwired in In audii and conwueJrt]y I do noi expre an Audit opinion on the a(xx)unis. Examloer's Statement In the courso of my Èxaminotiory no mitter hts conx to my attentio . which 8ives me reasonable c8U to believ¢ that iry any M$181 resprt the tn¢¢8 hav¢ not met the requirennms to that." - proper accountin8 rec4)rds are kwL arml . a¢¢ounts ar¢ prepared whith a8re¢ with the aw)U• rec comply with ihe 2. to which. in my Opinio attention ShthI be drown in order to elwble a proper underandin8 of the ac¢ount$ to be reacw. Si8ned David Arthur Taylor FCA Be¢¢h House 4 Wentworth Street Wakefield WFI 2RX