GREAT GRANSDEN READING ROOM Martha Sophia Webb Charity, Number 1077994 Annual Report for the Year January to December 2024 Presented to the AGM 24 February 2025 This is the annual report of the trustees of the above-named charity for the calendar year 2024 which is also its financial year for the purpose of preparing final accounts. The Reading Room is located on Fox Street in Great Gransden. SG19 3AA. l. Governance The following individuals served as management trustees during this period". Anne Constantine Claire Turner Stephanie Beaumont Vikki Murphy Cathy Davis Ann Girling Martin Davies Ralph Goodchild Emily Glover Fiona Coulson Cathy Davis Paul Greenland Sarah Bray Kelly Wa15h Elaine Boyd Stephanie Beaumont Elected Elected Elected until 19.02.24 Elected Elected from 19.02.24 Nominated by the Gransdens Horticultural Society Nominated by the Gransdens Society Nominated by Carry on Learning Nominated by the Gransdens Guides Nominated by the Allotments Society Nominated by Great Gransden Parish Council until 19.02.24 Nominated by Great Gransden Parish Council from 19.02.24 Nominated by Barneys Club until 19.02.24 Nominated by Barneys Club from 19.02.24 Co-opted until 19.02.24 Co-opted from 19.02.24 'Evergreens, Revellers and the Royal British Legion remain as nominating user groups but did not have a trustee during 2024. The Custodian Trustee for the premises (Reading Room building and garden) is Great Gransden Parish Council. The charity is governed by a Scheme that was adopted on 19 June 1953 and amended on 11 February 2020. This Scheme describes the purposes of the charity as "physical and mental training and recreation and social, moral and intellertual development through the medium of reading and recreation rooms, library, lectures, classes, recreations and entertoinments or otherwise as may be found expedientfor the benefit of the Parish of Great Gransden and its immediate vicinity,. Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The Management Committee (the trustees) met on 19 February 2024, after the AGM and on l October. Other matters were considered via email between meetings. The Event5 Group/Café Management Group met regularly to manage the café and plan for events. Key matters considered and decisions taken at the meetings related to: Reading Room maintenance Events Reading Room extension and improvement project Financial reports Trustee roles Net Zero strategy Broadband Safeguarding and Health and Safety Policies 2. Usage The Reading Room was busy during 2024. Barneys After School Club and Holiday Club operated for local families for 47 weeks. The Parish Council held its monthly meetings in the Reading Room. Other regular society/club users were: Gransden and District Horticultural Society Gransden Society Carry on Learning Gransden Guides Adult Ballet Village Knitting Bee Jan-April East Anglia Model Railway Club There were three fundraising events, screenin85 of the football Euros, and HDC booked the room twice for elections. Occasional bluegrass concerts have again been very popular, attracting talented musicians from the US and Europe. A popular innovation in 2024 was the Pop-up Pub, the Fox Street Tavern, which ran on the first Saturday night of the month from June to December, standin8 in for the {temporarily) closed village pub. In December the Fox Street Tavern combined with the Christmas Light5 celebration and the children's Christmas event. The café, which opened for 51 Fridays in 2024, continued to be busy and café income was able to provide various free activities for children during school holidays. The café was a collection point for food donations to the NEED project. There were 27 private lettings for parties and meetings etc. an increase on 2023, but the Reading Room is underused at the weekend. More private hire would help to boost income. 3. Lettings Lettings income was £10,920, a 14% increase on 2023. The café contributed a further £3060 for usa8e of the premises. The Fox Street Tavern made a profit of £859. 4. Financial Review The charivs financial position for the year is set out in the accounts foryear ending 31 December 2024. There was a deficit outturn of £8,630 due to the roof repair, additional expenditure on the new toilets and project costs. This deficit was financed from reserve5, which stood at £82,263 held in a savings account at the end of the financial year. These reserves are intended for further investment in the Reading Room as and when required for repair, maintenance, grant match funding or other improvement of the facility. Sums held in the current account are for general operating expenses. 5. Premises The outside painting project, which began in 2022, was completed in August 2024. An inspection of fire extinguishers and blankets was carried out in the autumn. A full repair and insulation of the slate roof on the old building was completed in June 2024. All toilets were refurbished in June and October. This was badly needed and has been widely appreciated. The work also resolved some leaking pipe/damp problem5. The FCC Recycling Community Fund awarded the Reading Room a grant of £35,166 toward5 the refurbishment of the toilets and the insta113tion of LED lighting. LED strip lighting was installed in place of old strip lights throughout the building. The Reading Room engaged with the Green Business Programme on devising a Net Zero strategy for the premises with a particular focus on the potential for solar power and a low carbon solution for heating. 7. Tralnlng The Chair undertook Fire Prevention training and attended the ACRE conference on community buildings. The Chair and another trustee attended fundinglgrant seminars. New volunteers at the Reading Room Café undertook food hygiene training. 8. Thank you Thank you to all Members of the Committee in 2024 for their time and contributions to maintaining the Reading Room and helping it to thrive. A particular thank you to Ralph Goodi50n and Stephanie Beaumont who are standing down. Thank you to the Parish Council for its support, to all volunteers for their help with activities, and all users for bringing life to the Reading Room durin8 the year. DECLARATION The trustees declare that they have approved this Annual Report. Signed on be e charitys trustees Full name Anne Constantine Position Chair Date 24 February 2025 **Great Gransden Reading Room Reg. Charity No 1077994 Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024** |**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**|**Great Gransden Reading Room**
**Reg. Charity No 1077994**
**Accounts - Year Ending 31 December 2024**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||||||||||| ||**Income**|||**Expenditure**||||**Balance Sheet**|| ||Room Hire
Bookings
Café
PC repayments
Contributions to Rental Water
Donation to Fox Tavern
Bowls Club Electricity
Equipment Hire
Café card income
Café cash income
Fox Tavern
Bathroom Grant
sub-total
Interest
Deposit a/c
**Total Income**
Excess of Exp over Income
**Total**|**£'s**
10,919.74
0.00
1,160.60
309.12
1,227.00
0.00
0.00
9,501.01
1,801.70
5,401.20
35,166.00
65,486.37
828.90
**66,315.27**
**66,315.27**||Operational Expenditure
Repairs and Maintenance
Electricity
Equipment
Insurance
Licences & Memberships
Oil
Administrative
Rates
Refuse Collection
Testing
Water
Café Running Costs
Pub Running Costs
Bathroom & Lighting
Extension
sub-total
Bank charges
Total Expense
Excess of Inc over Exp
**Total**|**£'s**
3,112.65
7,690.85
2,009.40
224.00
518.64
115.96
1,221.61
300.00
410.42
77.88
0.00
1,523.13
6,122.49
4,542.12
43,854.02
3,222.24
74,945.41
0.00
**74,945.41**
(8,630.14)
**66,315.27**||**Credit**
**Debto**||| ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees** Charity Name Great Gransden Reading Room |**On accounts for the year**|31/12/2024|**Charity no**|1077994| |---|---|---|---| |**ended**||**(if any)**|| ||||| |**Set out on pages**|1-2.||| ||I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above||| ||charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended**31 / 12/ 2024**.||| **Responsibilities and** As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the **basis of report** 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 examiner's statement** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination 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 concerning 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:** D. Jefferson **Date:** 30/09/2025 **Name:** Dawn Jefferson **Relevant professional** ICAEW **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:**[2 bakers court ] great Gransden 1 **Oct 2018** **IER** SG19 3PF ## **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 details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . n/a 2 **Oct 2018** **IER**