2024-08-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report

1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024 Alsager and District University of the Third Age

1072030

Objectives and Activities

	Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	Educational and recreational activities aimed at improving the physical, mental and social welfare of people in the Alsager and surrounding district who are no longer in full time employment
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 Para 1.19	Operate a variety of classes and group meetings covering both educational and amateur sporting activities. Also, arrange a number of day trips for both educational and recreational purposes. The Charity with a local travel firm also facilitates holidays for members.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The trustees remain aware that the prime objective is to ensure that the senior members in the community of Alsager and District who are no longer in full time employment have the opportunity to remain active and involved in a wide variety of activities, which helps in their wellbeing.

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Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference	SORP reference	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20			The Charity returned from its summer break in early September 2023. The membership, at that stage, was 984 with 58 groups operating. Throughout the year membership has increased and at the end of August 2024 was 1021. Throughout the year we have lost groups due to members declining or leaders retiring but new groups have started. As of the end of August 2024 we had 58 groups functioning. The major activity remains the weekly Charity hub meeting at the Civic Centre and also includes some groups activities along with the unique Talk Time events which attract an average attendance of over 60 members
Financial Review
		SORP reference
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period		Para 1.21	The Committee set a budget for the year of 2024 with the intention of incurring a deficit of £5,000 to continue to reduce the balance held on reserves. This is in line with the guidance from the Charity Commission to ensure that reserves balances held were not held unnecessarily high. The initial financial results are that the end result is approximately £5,750 which is a slightly larger deficit due to late committee approval to use some of the reserves for external support services and the purchase of some new equipment.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held		Para 1.22	Sufficient funds are held in reserve to ensure that all financial commitments can be met in the event of winding down the Charity. There are no restrictions in place on the proper use of reserves by the Charity. The Committee over the years set the reserves and were originally caped at six months turnover. The previous Committee recognised the times of austerity reduced the yearly membership fee for 2023. The current Committee retained this decision for 2024. This further reduces reserves in 2024 and will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Amount of reserves held		Para 1.22	The Committee are aware of the guidance from the Charity Commission that reserves should not be greater than 50% of turnover. The current reserves balance at 31 August 2024 is £17,577 and is 27.5% of the last year’s turnover and has been a planned and managed reduction over the last two years.

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Reasons for holdingzero reserves	Para 1.22	Not Applicable
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	None
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	None

Structure, Governance and Management

Type of governing document	Type of governing document	Para 1.25	Trust Deed
Constitution of the Charity		Para 1.25	Part of National Organisation Third Age Trust
	Charity Name	Alsager and District U3A
	Registered Charity Number	1072030
	Charity’s principal correspondence address	8 Denford Place Church Lawton Stoke on Trent, ST7 3RF

Names of the Trustees who manage Alsager & District U3A Charity

Trustee Name	Office	Dates acted	Who Appoints Trustees
Alan Bell	Chair	30/10/2023 – 21/10/2024	Charity AGM 2023
Gaynor Butler	Secretary	06/11/2023 – 21/10/2024	Executive Committee
David Gaston	Vice Chair	06/11/2023 – 21/10/2024	Executive Committee
Celia Hudson	Treasurer	08/01/2024 – 21/10/2024	Executive Committee
Regina Lo	Financial Controller	12/02/2024 – 21/10/2024	Executive Committee
Christine Bell	Trustee	30/10/2023 – 21/10/2024	Charity AGM 2023
Christine Butler Meadows	Trustee	30/10/2023 - 21/10/2024	Charity AGM 2023
Geraldine Dalton	Trustee	30/10/2023 - 21/10/2024	Charity AGM 2023

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Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity	None
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how these falls within the custodian charity’s objects	None
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets	None

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Alan Bell Chair 21 October 2024

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Alsager & District THE UNIVERsif< OF THE THIRD AGE Annual Accounts for the Year 2u2J12U24 Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2024 15,318 2024 2023 Travel Prepayments Debtors Travel Bank Account &Cash in Hand Main Bank Accounts & Cash in Hand 3,536 1,152 3,411 15,318 4,145 21,906 23,417 Less Creditors as at 31 August Members Receipts in Advance Travel Group Receipts in Advance 26,051 (1,337) (2,162) (2,319) (124) (2,833) Total Net Assets (5,818) 17,599 (2,957) 23,094 General Reserve Main Activity Balance Brought Forward Main Activity Deficit for the Year Savings from Prior Year Creditor Provision Main Activity Surplus (Deficit) for the year Receipt from Travel Funds 19,094 22,568 (5,759) (5,212) 1,594 (3,618) 145 (5,759) 265 (5,495) 13,599 Closing Balance Working Capital Travel Balance Brouqht Forward Travel Surplus (Deficit) for the year Transfer to the General Reserve Closing Balance (3,474) 19,094 4,000 265 (265) 4,000 145 (145) 4,000 4,000 Charity Fund Balance Total Reserves 17,599 23,094 I certify that in my opinion, this account is in agreement with the records submitted and is a true and fair statement thereof. Independent Examiner and Hon. Auditor 2MS•È &*AP T Smith BFP FCA Date On behalf of the Trustees 05/09/2024 Hon. Chair A Bell Date Trustee/Accountant Regina P K Lo R Tsimpson Date

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent ExaMine￿S Report Report to the trustees Alsager & District The University Of The Third Age On accounts for the year ended 31st August 2024 Charity no (if any) 1072030 Set out on pages 1and2 einbei lo 1.9 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees, 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 IThe charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of linsert name of applicable listed body]]. Delete [ l if not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below ') which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements Con￿rning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no 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. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 5th Sept 2024 Name: Timothy Smith Relevant professional qualification{s) or body FCA IER Oct 2018

{if any): Address: 100 Station Road, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 2PF Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief detsils of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018

Alsager & District 0￿] THE UNIVERSITY OF THÉ THIRD AGE Annual Accounts for the Year 202312024 Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ending 31 August 2024 2024 2023 Income Annual Enrolment Fee Class Attendance Fees Gift Aid Teas and Coffees Donations & Grants Received Sale of Equipment Total Income Main Activities Travel Income Charity Income Total Income 4,985 48,023 913 426 155 39 5,320 39,587 863 328 150 20 54,540 13,434 2,125 70,099 46,268 17,175 63,443 2024 2023 Expenditure Room Hire & Rentals Less overprovision in Prior Year Other Class Costs Talk Time Fees & Expenses Other Meetings Third Age Trust Purchase of Equipment IT Support Donations Made Postage Stationary & Support Costs Banking Fees Administration Total Main Activity Expenditure Travel Expenditure Charity Expenditure Total Expenditure 39,834 34,495 11,594) 5,861 1,228 1,079 4,861 1,697 1,068 372 106 558 91 64 8,296 1,351 874 5,203 2,051 1,190 290 462 649 99 60,299 13,169 2,125 75,594 49,887 17,030 66,917 Surplusl(Deficits) Main Surplus l (Deficits) Travel Surplus I (Deficits) Charity Surplus (Deflcit) for the Year (5,759) 265 {3,619) 145 {5,4951 {3,474) JJF*2023-24 U3A Accounts

Alsager & District THe RSFfY OF TI4E THIRD AGE Annual Accounts for the Year 202312024 Balance Sheet as at 31 August 2024 15,318 2024 2023 Travel Prepayments Debtors Travel Bank Account &Cash in Hand Main Bank Accounts & Cash in Hand 3,536 1,152 3,411 15,318 4,145 21,906 23,417 26.051 Less Creditors as at 31 August Members Receipts in Advance Travel Group Receipts in Advance (1,337) (2,162) 12,3191 {124) 12,8331 (5,818) 17.599 {2,9571 23,094 Totsl Net Assets General Reserve Main Adivity Balance Brought Forward Main Activity Deficit for the Year Savings from Prior Year Creditor Provision Main Activity Surplus (Deficit) for the year Receipt from Travel Funds 19,094 22,568 {5,759) 15,212) 1,594 (3,618} 145 {5,759) 265 (5,4951 13,599 {3,4741 19,094 Closing Balan Working Capitsl Travel Balance Brought Fo￿ard Travel Surplus (Deficit) for the year Transfer to the General Reserve Closing Balance 4,000 265 {2651 4,000 145 {1451 4,000 4,000 Charity Fund Balance Totsl Reserves 17,599 23,094 I certify that in my opinion, this account is in agreement with the records submitted and is a true and fair statement thereof. Independent Examiner and Hon. Auditor T Smith FCA Date On behalf of the Trustees 05109/2024 Hon. Chair A Bell Date ./+</// 05109/2024 Date Trustee/Accountant Regina P K Lo R T Simpson P￿fi 2023-24 U3A Accounts