ELM PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
JUNE 2023- JUNE 2024
CN: 1057074

Elm Park Community Association
Eyhurst Avenue
Elm Park
RM12 4RA
Management Committe8:
Chair-
Rebecca Mazrreku - Elected October 2021, Appointed Chair 2023
Treasurer-
Andrew Whitton - Elected June 2022
lan Norris - Health & Safety, Elected 2021
Teresa Parrish - Deputy Health & Safety, Elected 2021
Debbie Whitton - Events & Fundraising Lead, Elected 2022
Stephanie Nunn - Elected 2021
Sue Burchell - Elected 2021 (previous committee member)
Reslgned: Barry Mugglestone, 2023
Rebecca
Mazrreku
Andrew
Whitton
lan
Norrls
Teresa
Parish
Debbie
Whitton
stephanie
Nunn
Sue
Burchell

Annual Report of Elm Park Community Association 2023 to 2024
The past 12 months have been a joumey of rediscovery, restructure and refocus for
the Association. We have tried to hone in on what the community need is, the
desires of our user groups, what we want to achieve as a management committee
and how we want the Association to be represented amongst the community.
Looking back over 2022-23, the year had held way for a lot of aesthetical work with
trying to solve neglected maintenan￿, modemise the space and make it more
welcoming for new and existing users.
Heading into the current reporting year, we actually started our financial year in June
2023, with a very slightly negative balance to our finances. Despite this, the
Association had no concerns as we had utilised our finances to overhaul the heating
system. This was something that was of great need to all users. Like all new things,
there were tremendous teething problems and we thank all of our hirers for
persevering whilst we got the heating right.......and yes, it is right!
Unfortunately, our finances took another hit in temis of the rent we pay to the Local
Authority. For whatever reason, the billing system had not updated and a rent
increase had not been imposed in 2018, therefore this had now become an
outstanding bill which needed to be paid. The Committee tried to argue that they
cannot pay for something retrospectively and that the error was that of the Authority,
however this had no bearing. Our hands were tied and we had to pay the backdated
rent. Low and behold, a few short months later, EPCA were notified that we had
again reached a point in our lease whereby our rent was due to increase again.
Surely not, was our response but to no avail our rent increased again. Both the Chair
and Treasurer of the Association held lengthy conversations with the Local Authority
about ways foDNard. One of the suggestions made was to maximise our income
potential and think about having a bar to sell alcohol. Obviously, they were reminded
of the covenant held on the Association that denies the sale of alcohol. The Chair
and Treasurer were then tasked to think about ways to maximise our income. The
Management Committee have given this some in-depth thought and really gone
outside the box in terms of ideas. However, every suggestion posed back to the
Authority, results in costs ranging into the thousands at our own expense. For now,
we have decided that the maximisation of our income is at where we can take it on
the resources available to us at this time.
The Management Committee are constantly looking at ways to reduce our outgoing
costs to run the charity. We feel that we have cut back services as much as we can,
whilst still providing an all-round good experience for all. We are extremely
conscious in ensuring that we don't hit our regular user groups in their pocket
because they then have to put the costs onto the community and it becomes
vicious circle. This has meant that a lot of what we have achieved collectively this
year has come from donations of items and donated time to get varying jobs and
tasks completed.
This has not always been as smooth sailing as we hoped. One step is often taken
forward and then a giant leap going back. For example, the heating system was
installed, smart, neat and tidy but the remedial works subsequently meant that
boxing in had to be removed. We have tried to repair the leak to the annexe roof to
no avail and are now at a point whereby we have very little options left. The
association was gifted a disabled access ramp, which came at a huge saving,
however this had a slight tilt and no drainage installed, so when it rained the main
hall flooded substantially. We have had a considerable amount of items donated in
terms of improvements to the hall, a second kitchen and also some insulation and
plaster boarding. We highly value these donations and often have to take them when

they become available but with our time being limited and not enough people power
to get the jobs completed occasionally items are often left hanging around. This
means by us trying to improve the conditions of the space we also upset some of our
hirers with the items left lying around" which results in the Management Committee
having to smooth relationships with user groups.
Talking of smoothing relationships, the Management Committee spent a
considerable amount of time with a small working group on restructuring the way we
want to communicate and represent the Association. From various avenues, the
Committee had received some negative feedback by methods of the way members
of the community and user groups had been spoken to or communicated with. This
blip obviously shocked many of the Association and we took swift action to rectify
this by creating a Marketing and Communications plan. This is a big step for the
Committee because for the last 3 years we have all been working with an idea of
how we think we need to represent the Association. The Marketing and
Communications Plan is the blueprint that we now use to provide excellent customer
service. So far, all seems to be working welll
Over the last 12 months we have held some fantastic fundraising events, these are
always amazing because they bring together so many different members of the
community. We often hear how people look forward to our indoor boot sales, not only
for the bargains and cake but they get to tske a seat in the Tea Room and talk to
people they've never met before. Our most successful fundraising event for this
reporting year was the Evening of Mediumship with Becs. which raised an incredible
£1,630. However, what was most special about the evening was being part of
peoples very sentimental moments. I know that everyone who attended felt part of a
person's journey and connection to their loved one.
The total funds raised from fundraising this year is £12,444.93. This is in part down
to every single person that volunteers, attends or organises these events. Everyone
should feel proud of their involvement in achieving such a substantial amount and
from the Management Committee we thank and praise you for your hard work,
dedication and determination, we simply could not do it without youl
Last reporting year we were able to share with you that we had received a small pot
of money to deliver a warm hub I social session. Unfortunately when the funding
expired we were left with a dilemma on whether to close the hub or keep it operating
for the community. We managed to self-fund the hub from our fundraising events for
a couple of months and were spurred on when we received funding from the
National Lottery Community Fund to replace the tables and chairs for people
attending the hub. This meant that they could now sit comfortable without back pain
from uncomfortable seats. Members of the Management Committee did not rest
there and constantly approached the Local Authority to ask why in partnership with
the NHS they were able to fund warm hubs in Harold Hill, Harold Wood and
Rainham and to remember the Wami Hub in Elm Park too. This badgering did not go
unnoticed and we are pleased to share that the Warm Hub I Social Session received

funding of £1,000 to continue. Let's hope that the people that hold the purse strings
can see value in adding to free provisions in Elm Park and offering more to the local
community but don't worry our Management Committee will be straight on the case
again if not!
J.
Chair's Report
This never quite feels the way I would like it to when l express or write my thanks but
l am genuinely so thankful, grateful and appreciative of all of the support the
Association receives from people far and wide. We absolutely couldn't do a fraction
of what we do without the support from the community and I sincerely hope that you
all know, this AGM report is for you. It's to remind you of how far we have come
together, how your £1 raffle ticket or slice of cake has made a difference, how
together, no matter how big or small we all have a part to play in keeping the hall at
the heart of the communityl
We have worked really hard to continue to improve relationships between our user
groups and the Management Committee. There are now more groups supporting our
fundraising events and donating raffle prizes which is fantastic. We want our user
groups to become just as invested as we are in seeing the hall thrive and will
continue over the next 12 months to further reinforce those connections. Thank you
to our user groups over the last year, new and old for supporting us and bearing with
us whilst we undertake mass renovations and little tweaks here and there.
The EPCA Family have had some great achievements with events, fundraising and
the continuation of the wam hub. The volunteers involved with these are second to
none, from making cakes, to pouring cups of tea, shopping for supplies, sourcing
donations and raffle prizes to taking bookings, whether you've rolled up your
sleeves, swept a floor or sold a raffle ticket, whatever the part you played in these
events, I thank you because without you, they simply wouldn't happen!
Everybody involved in the success of EPCA are volunteers, the events teams, Warm
hub Crew, Tea Room Squad, Maintenance and Tidy up Team and Management
Committee all give their time freely to see the hall become a success. There is an
exceptional amount of hard work and commitment that go into running the
Association. Volunteers tum up and muck in because they have the heart and the
passion for the community - they are the heart in our logo keeping us all going,
keeping us motivated and keeping us focused and I hope you share in my sentiment
to them for their dedication to EPCA.
I would like to also take this opportunity to thank the previous Chair Bary
Mugglestone for taking the reins when the Management Committee first

reformalised. His involvement got us to where we are today and helped us to
continue to thrive.
Whilst we have grown and developed leaps and bounds since our last AGM, I know
that we still have a long way to go. The Management Committee still have efforts to
make in ensuring that we all work in unison and support each other. We still have
some ground to cover in ensuring that we invite more members of the Gommunity to
feel the benefits of the Association and all that we achieve together. With our biggest
need being to develop and continue to improve the features at the hall by
undertaking maintenance and works. I must pay great thanks to those that form the
Management Committee and those in the wider Committee that continue to support
all that we do. I may not always have the opportunity to thank each and every one of
you for the part you play but l am always forever extremely thankful for you all. Each
of you inspire me to continue to make positive changes, I feel your passion in what
you do and I know that this not only encourages me to take action but others around
you too.
Our growth and development as an Association has led us to become busier with
users groups at the hall, the need to fundraise to keep going has led to bigger and
better events and the never ending maintenance has led to us needing more help.
Moving into 2024-251 know that l echo the sentiments of the Management
Committee when I say we ale forever gratefvl for the support we receive already but
we need more people power.to take the Association even bigger and even better.
We welcome members of the community to join our EPCA Family at any time, if you
are at a loose end and want to be part of something special then we are waiting to
hear from you.
My heartfelt thanks and very best wishes
Rebecca Mazrreku
The Management Committee over the last 12 months have worked really hard to try
and welcome a diverse stream of Hall Hirers. We are really pleased to say that the
halls have gone from 10 regular users to 14 user groups across the entire week. We
still have popular demand for Adhoc hirers too. also choosing to host a variety of
events from fundraisers to birthday parties and everything in between. We must
pause to thank those that support the hall users, be it from Key Holding to Viewings,
without that support we wouldn't have such a well-used community facility.
We have not been without our challenges this year. There have been pigeons
nesting, damaged floors and leaks galore.
Some of the worst flooding had to have been in the
main hall. Many a time, user groups and
Committee Members spent hours trying to mop,
what seemed like a never ending amounl of water.
Heavy rainfall, a slight tilt on the ramp and leaves
in the gulley's contributed to the flooding and
unfortunately some additional damage to the floor.
Nevertheless, we did have some volunteers come
to our rescue and installed additional drainage,
which touch wood, has worked a treat!
Our male toilets were also out of action for a considerable amount of time, with the
root cause being, well, roots! It would appear that the drainage outside may have
shifted due to tree roots and caused some debris to enter the system. When we

have a higher than usual amount of male attendees using the facilities, this causes
the drainage to back up and flood the gents loos. We kindly had a local plumber
come along on his Saturday off and take a look and provide some suggestions.
Unfortunately we are currently in a back and forth with the Local Authority as to
whose ￿spOnSibl11tY the drainage system is, so watch this space!
We have continued as best as possible to precede with various maintenance works
at the hall. Our next big project that we are working towards is new LED lighting
throughout the building, a streamlined fuse board system and a few upgrades to
sockets and switches. Again, a local Electrician has come to our rescue and has
been working for the last 9 months to source various components at either cost or
donated by other local businesses. EPCA will still have a considerable amount of
expenditure alongside the hard work of the Electrician to source elements but it will
be nowhere near what it would be if we were to go out to market value. We are really
excited to get the ball rolling and again modernise another element to the hall
enhancing the experience for all those who use the space. If anyone would like to
add any donations of materialslservices to improve the halls or offers of help we
would very much welcome the support.
Being Part of the Management Committae
We say this every year but it's very easy to forget that the Management Committee
are volunteers who freely donate their time to the hall but being part of the committee
is much, much more than attending a meeting, making a few decisions and popping
off until the next one. This was one of the very main drivers in us changing our name
from Executive Committee to Management Committee.
The Association takes managing an asset like the hall with great consideration. The
Hall is very much an asset, one that takes constant thought and attention. Being
'Executive' screams decision maker and the Chair of EPCA did not want anyone
under any disillusionment that being part of the Committee was purely a 'yes" or 'no"
every few weeks at a meeting. A meeting was called to discuss individual roles
within the previously named Executive Committee and all members were asked what
they wanted from being part of the group. The only real answer was to see the hall
thrive and be at the heart of the community. Being part of the Management
Committee isn't about personal gain, yes, we all get a little buzz when we see things
go well but there is often blood, sweat and a lot of hard graft to get things to go well.
After lengthy discussions we feel that Management Committee is the most
appropriate way of describing what we do. We still have a tremendous amount of
work to do as a Management Committee, not only in terms of managing the asset
but actually working as a team. We are a work, very much still in progress but there
is progress nonetheless. The Management Committee are a great team, there is
always fun to be had and enjoyment in seeing things change for the better. If you
would like to be part of the Management Committee then please come forward and
join the team!
Finances
The events & fundraising team have had yet another outstanding year. We again
looked at what was and equally wasn't working in terms of our events and
fundraising and pooled ideas for a fresh start. This led to Table Tops becoming
Indoor Boot Sales, Specific Craft and Small Business events as well as some larger
celebratory events and fundraisers.
Teresa kicked off our Indoor Boot Sales by managing the booking in system and
ensuring that we had a nicely packed hall. The Indoor Boot Sales have been a great

source of fundraising having brought in £8,158.93. Teresa made the decision to step
away from organising the Indoor Boot Sales due to needing to focus her attention on
her future plans. We thanked Teresa at our May 2024 Boot Sale by presenting her
with some flowers as a small token of our appreciation. The Events and Fundraising
Team have now taken over the organising of the Indoor Boot Sales and they have
continued to grow from the foundations laid previously. We have opened the side
door and passing footfall has increased which has led to an incredible amount of
people coming through the door. Indoor Boot Sales are now sell out events every
month with people desperately trying to book in last minute.
OurQuiz nights also continue to prove popular, as soon as one finishes there are
calls for the next. Quiz nights take an exceptional amount of planning between out
Quiz Master and the Events and Fundraising Team but again hard work prevails as
these have raised £2,596.
We tried a totally diffe￿nt type of fundraising event this year, one that our
Fundraising and Events Lead had tried previously somewhere else and that was our
Evening of Mediumship with Bec's. Again this was hugely popular with tickets selling
fast but I know when we say, this event became more than just fundraising. It was an
incredible special evening, with shared tears, love and,joy at others getting much
needed and cherished messages. The wonderful Bec's very kindly donated her time
on the evening which helped EPCA raise an incredible £1,630. We have had lots of
requests to host another one and we would like to say that we hope to be bringing
this event back to our halls in 2025. As always, if anyone has any further
suggestions on event ideas, then we would love to hear theml
Here are a few reminders of a few of our events over the last 12 months:
FUNDRAISING EVEN
AN EVENING OF MEDIUMSHIP
WITtrI BECS
FRIDAY 15TH MARCH 2Q
(i PFESTIVE
SPRING CRAFT
I￿O00R
.' lQthl
25fN*AP
SUMMER FUNDAY
.IP•
ACT
Grab Yourself
We have also had a successful year of grant funding and have been successful in
securing income from:
Groundworks Tesco Bags- £1,500
National Lottery Award for All - £9,800
Warburtons- £400
LBH Wann Hub- £1,000
This is a total of £12,700 brought into EPCA in grants alone, this has enabled the
Association to again enhance and improve aspects of the hall.
The Groundworks Tesco Bags fund enabled the Association to upgrade their Fire
Extinguishers and make remedial works to the fire exits. This was vital for the

Association as we had fire exits that were not secure and mechanisms that were
failing. this funding enabled us to make these improvements that also reduced heat
escape. This ultimately helped with lowering our utility expenditure.
Our biggest funding obtained was from the National Lottery Awards for All funds.
This enabled EPCA to install an extemal sign and notice board, as well as intemal
notice boards to promote the activities of user groups and the Association. This fund
also enabled the Committee to further purchase 50 chairs and 10 tables for the
annexe with the sole purpose of improving the comfort of attendees to the warm hub.
We have also been able to upgrade our email and website plafforms to have a more
professional look and feel. If you haven't seen the website please go to
www.epca.org.uk.
We also received funding from Warburtons to improve facilities at our warm hub and
monthly boot sales. We purchased ums, pump flasks, hotplates and microwaves
with this funding which all'helps with what we are able to offer and provide iri terms
of refreshments.
Lastly, what feels like a victory is the funding received from NEULBH for the warm
hub. This took tenacity to obtain, an awful lot of door knocking and reminding lots of
people that Elm Park has a warm hub and that they should be funded just like others
in the borough. Until this funding was obtained EPCA were running the warm hub by
self-funding and often at a loss and despite offers of paying from attendees, the
Commlttee felt strongly against this.
Treasurers Report
2023 - 2024 has been an exceptionally busy. but very productive and successful
year financially for the Association as reported in the year-end financial summary.
even with some large expenditu￿ we have managed to remain in the black, ending
the year with a surplus just shy of £5000.
Some of the financial highlights are a 50 % increase in Hall Hire revenue, an increase
of just under 50 % in Grants and almost doubling our Fundraising efforts. With this
increased revenue we could afford to completely refurbish the heating system. We
also manage to keep our overall running costs similar to the previous year despite
the "cost of living" increases: the ex￿ptIOn was our rent which unfortunately
increased quite dramatically.
The year-end summary shows the actual numbers. but it doesn't highlight the
savings made by our volunteers and committee members, who give their heart &
soul to the running and upkeep of the hall. They work tirelessly and enthusiastically
from the small jobs to the major works, whether it be collecting & delivering
paperwork, collecting and sorting raffle prizes, repairs to the premises, organising
events etc. Over the course of a year this saved the Association approximately
£20,000 - £22,000 if they were paid wages. I would personally like to thank them and
express my gratitude for their continuous dedication.

Moving forward, our revenue is still increasing with the help of more fundraising
through the regular monthly boot sales & craft fairs and the introduction of themed
nights such as the Medium Night. With our income improving it is our hope to
arrange for the main hall floor to be repaired and the hall roof to be replaced.
On closing, our accountant that has verified our accounts for the Association has had
some circumstances in his personal life and has decided to ￿tire, we are grateful for
his support over the past years and wish him all the best.
If you also know anyone who has spare time that would like to donate their time to
the hall please let any of the committee know, we need all the help we can get.
Best Wishes
Andrew Whitton
The Future
EPCA only has a future if we still have members of the community behind the
Association. Only if we can continue to on-board more groups, continue to keep on
top of maintenance and continue to increase the income. This takes team work!
We already have some amazing people involved with keeping EPCA at the heart of
the community but as always we need more help and support. We need fresh ideas,
fresh passions, new vibrancy to continue to build on all that we already have.
Everybody has value that they can add no matter how big or small. We know that
those reading this report are the ones already involved and heavily supporting the
hall to thrive but we need you to spread the word. Share proudly with your friends,
family and neighbours about what you do for the hall, encourage them to come and
speak with some of the Management Committee and let's see if together we can
inspire more people to join the team!
We are also really passionate about involving younger people in the hall. We know
that the future success of EPCA lies in getting younger people to be invested and
passionate about seeing the hall succeed. Those younger people are the future
Management Committee members, we need them invested in the hall now so that
they can continue to grow on the passions and foundations that we all pave. If you
know a young person looking to build skills, confidence or has some time to spare to
lend a hand, then we would love to hear from them.
As always we are here to listen to suggestions and tips, constructive criticism is
always welcome. We ask that with problems and issues raised some thought into
solutions also be offered. We ask as always for patience towards the Management
Committee, we are human; we have feelings, personal lives and commitments
outside of the Association. We value all of the input and suggestions given and whilst
on the face of things they may not always be acted upon, they are always given
great consideration.
As you have read from the report previously we are not without challenges. The roof
is going to be a huge challenge and we will need to take lots of advice as it will need
to be treated professionally by council contractors at the committee's expense.
We will be installing LED lighting to become more environmentally friendly, this is
going to be a huge undertaking and will require a total rewire. With this again we will
be asking all user groups and beneficiaries of the hall to bear with us as this will
require some patience whilst the install is undertaken.

ELM PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Balance Sheet for Accounts endlng 31st May 2024
Charlty No.. 1057074
Current and ReseThe Account
INCOME
Hall Hire
Grants
Donations
Fundraising
Interest
Deposits
61,164.75
12,700.00
671.04
12,444.93
544.26
4,800.00
92.324.98
EXPENDITURE
Cleanlng
General Supplies
Equipment
Membership/Subscriptions
Events
Warm Hub
Maintenance
Insurance
utilitles
Rent
Buslness Rates
IT/Webslte Maintenance
Deposit Returns
5,553.52
284.35
6,601.71
50.00
1,122.17
1,027.06
39,515.67
96.00
14,536.56
12,464.49
338,60
557.53
5,210.00
87.357.66
Surplus/Deficit
4,967.32
Openln8 Balance Brought Forward
Surplus/Deficlt
Closln8 Balance @ 31st May 2024
65.241.44
4,967.32
70.208.76

ELM PARKCQMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
•kntt•Sh•otfarArcounts •ndlni 3tst May 2024
Ch•rJty 140: los￿74
Currqntand Re*¥• A¢¢ounthryount
Openln8 BaLinces Brought Fopward
SurpluslDeflclt
Closln8 balances @ 31st May 2024
fj5,141.44
4.967.32
70.208.70
Balance of Accounts held .,
Natwest Current Account
NatWEst Reserve Account
Overall aosing 8alance @ 31st May 2023
11,397.81
5B.AIO,(IJ
70,208.76
There are current Uabllltle5 of Él.OOD relevantto Deposlt Retuins
A¢countln8 Pollcles:
The accounts are prepared on a cè5h re¢¥lved and pold basls
The Assoclatlon Wfltes off all a$set purchases In thg year of
expensesunder non-re¢urrln8 expendltwe
No provlslonls made for accrual$ or prepayments
15-0q-
Approved by the ManaBlng Commltte• on ... ...........
.2024 and 518ned on Its behalf by .'
Date '. I
Independent Emamlners Report
Name.,
Date..

We will also be aiming towards repairinglreplacing the flooring to both halls as well
as the soffits and facias to prevent the wildlife from nesting.
As we look towards the next 12 months, we know that we will continue to build on
the achievements of the pastyear. The Management Committee are tenacious and
stubbom but 100 % committed to the vision, mission and aims but most of all the Elm
Park Community.
The Management Committee Extend Our Thanks to:
Support Volunteers:
Linda
Peter
Rob
Paul
Shaz
Shelley
Kerry
Ray
Sarah
Keith
Barbara
Eni
Gillian
Jane
Sue
steve
Jackie
Judy
Ann
Lorraine
Warm Hub Volunteers:
Linda
Denise
Kery
Rose
John
Julie
Dot
Doreen
Peter
Lesley
Neil
Lisa
Sophie
Young Volunteers
Lily
Eleanor
Aden
Tudor
Andre
We thank all the volunteers who have dedicated their time throughout our reporting
years of 2023-24.
We would also like to thank:
Local Businesses:
Lads and Dad's Barbers
Regal Fish Bar Elm Park
Lauren Smee Scentsy
Laura Mcconkey Avon Rep
Figure Shapers Elm Park
Voluntary Sector Partners:
Dagenham & Redbridge FC
Havering Volunteer Centre
B&D College
Thank you to everyone who has supported the Management Committee- you
have been invaluable and should feel equally proud of your achievements.