2022-03-31-accounts - The Chiltern University Of The Third Age

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Chiltern University of the Third Age

Annual Report of the Trustees

Year Ended 31 March 2022

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name: Chiltern University of the Third Age (hereinafter referred to as “Chiltern u3a”) Charity registration number: 1082794

Trustees

The following served during the year:

Helen Beaumont David Bender Jennifer Susan Harold-Barry (Treasurer) Mike Hender Jenny Jobson (Vice-Chair) Sarah Jones (Chair) Ernest Newhouse (Secretary) Christian Scott Carolyn Spencer Linda Walton Wallace Wormley

All the trustees in office at the end of the year were still in office when this report was signed.

Location

Chiltern u3a does not have premises of its own. The majority of its activities take place at the Amersham Community Centre and the nearby Amersham Lifestyle Centre, Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, Bucks, HP6 5AH. The latter will accept correspondence addressed to Chiltern u3a.

Bankers

CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling ME19 4JQ. HSBC plc, 92 Sycamore Road, Amersham, HP6 5EW

Independent Examiner

Alex Hughes, ACCA, 95 Hundred Acres Lane, Amersham, Bucks. HP7 9BP.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The Constitution of Chiltern u3a was adopted on 6 April 2000 and amended on 16 October 2002, 19 April 2004, 16 May 2012, 21 May 2014.and 24 February 2021.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees.

Trustees are elected for 2 year terms at the Annual General Meeting and may be reelected. They are drawn from the membership of Chiltern u3a. When necessary, trustees may be co-opted from the membership.

As a result of the Covid pandemic, it was not possible to hold the Annual General Meeting in May 2020 as planned, so that new trustees were appointed rather than elected. The appointments were confirmed when that AGM was held in February 2021, by Zoom. The meeting due in May 2021 was held at the proper time, again by Zoom.

Risk Management

Risk Assessment procedures and appropriate insurances are in place. Appropriate protective software is installed on Chiltern u3a’s IT equipment and users are trained as necessary.

Objectives, Activities and Public Interest

The objectives of the charity are to advance the education of middle-aged and older citizens not in full time gainful employment and living in Amersham and Chesham and the surrounding locality; to provide facilities for leisure time and recreational activities aimed at improving the life-style and social welfare of those citizens.

Chiltern u3a traditionally holds one general meeting each month, at most of which a presentation by a member or an outside speaker is the main item on the agenda. A variety of interest groups meet, generally once or twice a month. These cover a range of academic, exercise, cultural and social matters according to the expressed wishes of the members and the willingness of organisers to come forward. Excursions are also arranged.

The trustees are satisfied that the objectives of the Trust meet the public interest.

Employees

Chiltern u3a does not have any employees.

Achievements and Performance

The year has again been dominated by the pandemic, which initially caused the suspension of most activities. Much use has been made of remote meetings using Zoom; roughly half the interest groups have used it to continue their programmes, and outdoor activities continued to the extent permitted. The frequency of general meeting talks, given by Zoom, was increased to weekly, and in addition a Zoom ‘tea party’ has been held 3 times a week – much appreciated by members who are otherwise isolated. Since the restrictions were eased towards the end of 2021, some meetings which had been suspended, such as singing, resumed while others adopted hybrid working – in person and on Zoom

Chiltern u3a TAR 2022 Page 2 of 3

Membership declined to 1245 [March 2021: 1352] due largely to a lack of new members joining during the pandemic. At the end of the year there were 93 interest groups, including excursions, [March 2021: 104], ranging from Ancient Cultures to Yoga for Beginners. 1 new group was formed and 12 were closed.

Plans for Future Periods

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic has made planning difficult.

The redevelopment of the Amersham Community Centre, where the majority of the activities normally take place, was completed in December 2021. The period of adjustment to the new premises, now called the Chiltern Lifestyle Centre, foreshadowed in last year’s report, is in train.

The trustees are making particular efforts to attract new members, particularly from those recently retired. They are also concerned about the difficulty of finding people to take on leadership roles in the various activities, which seems to be a common problem in many community groups.

Financial Review

Reserves Policy

Budgeting is based on a policy of maintaining a reserve broadly equivalent to 6 months’ expenditure. This year it is significantly larger since, as a result of the pandemic, room hire costs have been significantly reduced.

Fixed Assets

Chiltern u3a has no Fixed Assets apart from computers and similar equipment, which are written off to expenditure on acquisition.

Results for the Period

The accounts for the year are presented with this report.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees are required to prepare accounts for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the end of the financial period and of its surplus or deficit for that period. In preparing the accounts, suitable accounting policies have been used consistently and reasonable and prudent judgements made. The trustees are also responsible for maintaining accounting records, for safeguarding the assets of the trust and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are satisfied that Chiltern u3a is a going concern.

Audit

Under the terms of the Charities Act 2011, the size of Chiltern u3a is such that the trustees may choose between an audit and an independent examination. The trustees have determined that the accounts should be independently examined and the corresponding report follows the accounts.

This report was approved by the trustees on 21 April 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Chiltern u3a TAR 2022 Page 3 of 3

Sarah Jones Chair

Chiltern u3a TAR 2022 Page 4 of 3

CHILTERN UNIVERSITY of the THIRD AGE (CU3A) Registered Charity Number 1082794 INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT for YEAR to 31 MARCH 2022

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Notes 2021/22 £ 2020/21 £
OPERATING ACCOUNT (1)
INCOME
Subscriptions (2) 26,887 35,161
Bank Interest 9 14
HM Revenue & Customs - Gift Aid 4,867 6,715
Sundries (3) 180 108
31,942 41,998
EXPENDITURE
Accommodation 14,897 1,745
Guest Speakers - Fees & Expenses 1,005 500
Broadband, Telephone Fees & IT 160 348
Newsletter - Production and Distribution 4,479 3,984
Administration 0 122
Simple & Membership cards 1,500 2,222
Software for Administration (4) 80 334
Banking Costs 564 853
Membership Fees to Third Age Trust (5) 4,424 5,166
Equipment Purchases & Maintenance (6) 1,238 515
Activity Support 316 10
Sundries (7) 1,151 693
29,815 16,491
SURPLUS/DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR 2,128 25,507
Funds brought forward from 1 April 2021 39,950 14,443
FUNDS AS AT 31 MARCH 2022 42,077 39,950
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2022
ASSETS
Bank Balances 73,187 64,253
Prepaid Expenses 0 0
TOTAL ASSETS 73,187 64,253
LIABILITIES & RECEIPTS IN ADVANCE
Subscriptions for 2022/23 30,918 24,304
Other Liabilities (8) 192 0
TOTAL LIABILITIES 31,110 24,304
Specific Reserve for Equipment (9) 10,000 10,000
General Reserve 32,077 29,949
NET ASSETS (OPERATING) (10) 42,077 39,949
EXCURSIONS & GROUPS ACTIVITIES ACC (11)
RECEIPTS 4,726 2,349
PAYMENTS 6,303 2,089
SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR -1,577 260
Funds brought forward from 1 April 2021 9,431 9,171
FUNDS AS AT 31 MARCH 2022 7,854 9,431
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2022
ASSETS
Bank Balance 7,854 9,430
LIABILITIES
Group Activities for future years 114 0
NET ASSETS (EXCURSIONS & GROUPS) 7,740 9,430
TOTAL INCOME (12) 36,669 44,347
TOTAL EXPENDITURE (12) 36,118 18,581
TOTAL NET ASSETS (12) 49,817 49,379
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J S Harold-Barry - Treasurer

S M Jones - Chairperson

Notes to accompany end of year accounts to 31 March 2022

The Operating Account is presented on an Accrual basis, showing Income and Expenditure together with a Balance Sheet. The notes below focus on material items. Assets are written off in the year of purchase. The Excursions & Groups Activities Account is presented on a Receipts & Payments basis.

The Covid-19 pandemic again curtailed excursions, group outings and meetings, especially in the earlier part of the year. Outdoor activities took place when permitted and many groups met by Zoom or maintained other forms of communication. General talks and social gatherings took place by Zoom multiple times a week.

OPERATING ACCOUNT

1 The accounts are shown separately for the monies used to run Chiltern U3A (Operating Account) and for the monies held on behalf of excursions organisers and groups (Excursions & Groups Activities Account).
2 Subscription income for the year of £26,887 was received from 1,360 members. Because of the constraints on activities caused by Covid-19, the main rate was decreased to £20 from its normal level of £26, which pertained in 2020/21.
3 Sundries income for 2021/22 comprises donations from members, over and above subscriptions, and a Third Age Trust grant towards u3a Day promotional activity.
4 Other software costs are included under Equipment or Newsletter, as appropriate.
5 TAT Membership Fees of £4,424 are calculated on £3.50 per member, based on the number of members at 31 March 2021, and payable to the Third Age Trust for National Office services and insurances.
6 Comprises Zoom licences and equipment for hybrid meetings.
7
Sundries expenditure includes cost of Third Age Matters, licences, the CU3A website, u3a Day expenses, and promotional material.
8 Other liabilities are £192 for accommodation.
9 £10,000 has been set aside for future equipment updates for the Barn Hall and the Pottery Room, and new equipment which may be necessitated by the new accommodation and by hybrid Zoom/face-to-face meetings.
10 There is a contingent liability potentially arising from recent guidance from TAT in respect of the entitlement to a portion of the Gift Aid received. Our membership subscription covers the cost of accommodation for our interest groups and the guidance has suggested that this money should have been excluded from our Gift Aid claims. The Committee is seeking advice on whether the circumstances specific to Chiltern u3a maintain eligibility to claim the full Gift Aid. Should Chiltern u3a have claimed Gift Aid to which it is not eligible, the repayment is not expected to exceed £25,000.

EXCURSIONS & GROUPS ACTIVITIES ACCOUNT

11 Monies collected by convenors and excursions organisers are held in a dedicated bank account. Expenditure of these monies for groups activities and general excursions is administered by the Treasurer and overseen by the Committee. Funds collected by any individual group are only made available for use by that group for a specific activity. Activities normally include visits to theatres, art galleries, gardens, museums and other places of interest, dancing tuition, and specialist speakers. In 2020/21 some talks were presented to groups by Zoom but most transactions were refunds for pre-booked activities which were cancelled.

TOTALS

12 Because the Operating Account is presented on an Accrual basis and the Excursions & Groups Activities Account is presented on a Receipts & Payments basis, these figures are indicative of scale only.

Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees & members of Chiltern U3A (Reg. No. 1082794)

I report on the accounts and notes for the year ended 31 March 2022 which are set out above and on the previous page.

The Charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility: to examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Act); to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act); and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by Chiltern U3A and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be requested in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair' view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner's Statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and

to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act, have not been met; or

2 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

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April 2022
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Alex Hughes ACCA

95 Hundred Acres Lane Amersham HP7 9BP