## **Bawburgh Village Hall Management Committee -Chairman’s report 2024/25** The 2024/25 period has been relatively quiet at the village hall, with regular hire groups continuing their activities. Notably, the Bridge Club has seen an increase in participation, particularly in the Monday beginner sessions and a new session on Thursday mornings. The _Talks for Everyone_ series has remained a cornerstone of community engagement, offering a diverse range of speakers and topics. Attendance at the annual fete and duck race was lower than in previous years, possibly due to competing events in Norwich. Nevertheless, those in attendance enjoyed the variety of stalls, including contributions from our newly elected MP and the John Innes Centre. Raffle events also proved popular. Planning for the 2025 fete is already underway. In December, the committee once again extended the coffee morning and social evening, providing food for attendees. The October _Harvest Supper_ was well received, and social evenings have continued to grow in popularity, with increased family participation. The annual fireworks display in November remained a highlight of the community calendar. The decision to employ professional display technicians was met with positive feedback, with attendees praising the event’s quality. Ticketing has continued to be an effective measure in managing attendance, allowing the committee to maintain safe and controlled numbers following past overcrowding issues. ## **Financial Overview** Financially, the hall experienced only a minimal surplus this year, primarily due to rising energy costs (oil and electricity) and ongoing minor repairs. However, thanks to a Parish Council grant, solar panels have been installed on the hall’s roof, positioning the facility to generate a modest income through power returns to the national grid, pending necessary electrical upgrades. Additionally, an EV charger ( _plug-and-pay_ ) has been installed, which will be managed by the council. This initiative is expected to generate a small income stream. ## **Facilities & Maintenance** A newly formed community gardening group—including committee members, spouses, and other volunteers—has contributed significantly to the upkeep of the hall’s outdoor borders, improving its exterior aesthetics. Plans are in place to further enhance the hall’s surroundings. Discussions at committee meetings have highlighted the need for interior refurbishment, as the décor has become somewhat dated. Efforts are underway to refresh the hall’s appearance over the course of the next year. ## **Looking Ahead** The committee remains dedicated to ensuring a diverse range of events and activities for the local community. Their ongoing efforts, often undertaken without formal recognition, are deeply appreciated. As we move into the 2025/26 period, our priority is to maintain the hall’s position as the heart of the village—serving all members of the community and fostering continued engagement. ## **Steve Brolly** Chairman. BAWBURGH VILLAGE HALL Charlty No. 10499)3 Balance Sheet at 3tst Marth 2025 Accumulatsd Fund Balance Brought Forward 51067 41534 Surplus/-Deficit -9533 10366 Balance Carried Forward 41534 51900 Represented By:" Stock Bar 1163 1440 405 Floats Bank Current Account Bank Deposit Account Receipts to be banked 200 3154 38202 775 11285 38770 51900 Less Creditors Hire Charges ReceNed in Advan Caretaker/Booking Officer O/S -1778 -587 41534 51900 I have examined the financial records of the Hall as presented to me by the Treasurer and l am pleased to confirni that in my opinion the Income and Expenditure Account shown above is a correct ststement of the financial actSvlties of the Hall during the year ended 31st March 2025 and that the Balance Sheet shown above is a true statement of the Financial postion of the Hall at 31st March 2025. Roger Canwe 28th June 2025 Independent Examiner BAWBURGH VILLAGE HALL Charity No. I(149￿)3 2025 Income Bar Sales Less Costs 5976 -2112 -267 -1111 10810 4050 -83 -1157 Purchases Gas/Sundries Wages Bar Profit 2486 5S20 Hall Hire/Bridge Club/50/50 Club Coffee Mornlngs Quiz Nights Vlllage Fete/Duck Race Bonfire NighVBarbecue Harvest Supper Interest /Commission Other Recelpts and Donatlons Total 18812 27333 1278 665 2368 1576 208 567 19 39534 126 511 914 26164 Expendfture Buildlng Maintenan Grounds Maintenance Elertricity/Oil Rates/Water Insurance Caretsker Paye Cleanlng Fire Extinguishers Kitchen Equipment Hall Equipment Alarm Service/Securlty Boiler servi￿ and repair Bonfie Night/auiz Costs Fete Costs Professlonal Fees Office Costs Booking Officer Bank Charges/Card Machine Proprietor Income Tax Oonation5 Sundrles 4799 3868 3575 3762 1257 1365 5654 1767 1079 1610 5274 410 228 824 1620 1414 709 1689 1219 579 831 481 1729 1792 1262 966 1474 1774 271 214 338 297 35697 456 29168 Surplus/-Deficit -9533 10366 ## **BAWBURGH VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE** ## **TREASURERS REPORT** ## **FINANCIAL PERIOD 1[st] APRIL 2024 to 31[st] MARCH 2025** 2024-25 has seen a return to ‘normal’ activity following the disruptions of COVID, the subsequent social restrictions and public confidence to re-attend events. Bawburgh Bridge Club continued to be a significant user of the hall, adding more well attended sessions to their schedule in the year. A total of £12,820 was received from the club in the period and the committee extend sincere thanks to the organisers and members for their loyalty and support. Other hirers and events contributed over £12,000 in the year taking hire income alone to over £27,000. The licensed bar also had a good year with several parties, wedding receptions and village events seeing gross taking reach over £10,000. A big thank you to Kathy for her assistance and hard work this year helping make this happen. Another successful Duck Race and Bonfire Night took place, made possible by the efforts of all the volunteers involved. Over £2000 was raised by the Duck Race and almost £1600 by the Bonfire Night, all before expenses. Other regular users, the coffee morning, 50/50 club and the Harvest Supper all played a valuable part too. There was nothing particularly unusual in 2024-25 with respect to expenditure. All costs continue to see an increase, including well publicised electricity rates, heating oil prices and costs of employment. The committee has continued to take a prudent and considered approach to all expenditure still maintaining a good level of facility for users. Costs are also kept down by committee members sacrificing personal time to perform tasks for the hall rather than buy in externally. Overall it is very pleasing to report that cash reserves have grown from £42,331 to £50,055 in the year. The hall has also again benefitted from generous government/environmental support with the recent installation of solar panels and EV charger point. This was only possible with the assistance of a grant secured by the Bawburgh Parish Council. The committee wishes to thank Peter Markham and the other councillors for their persistence with this. With the Village Hall celebrating 25 years of age it is evident that re-investment in items such as playground fencing, toilet facilities, roof repair and bar refurbishment are necessary so having the cash buffer is very important. The Treasurer is confident that with the continued strategy of cautious expenditure and working closely with key contributors that the financial position will remain strong. Finally the Treasurer would like to thank Sue Williams for her support as Assistant Treasurer and Steve Brolly as Chairman, as well as the rest of the committee for all of their help this year.