## **Milfeld Reading Room Trustees’ annual report for the period 1st April 2021 to 31 st March 2022.**
## **Reference and administration details.**
**Charity Name.** Milfield Reading Room
**Other names Charity is know by** MRR
**Registered Charity Number** 1092983
**Charity’s principal address.** Milfield Reading Room
Main Road Milfield NE71 6HT
## **Names of the Charity Trustees who manage the Charity**
John William Fairbairn. Chairman Allan Colman Treasurer John David Hughes Secretary Iain Burn Robert De Thorp. Resigned 28/6/21 Collin Pattern Jeffries
## **Names and Addresses of Advisers (Optional Information)**
Community Action Northumberland Louise Currie (Village Hall Adviser) Front Street, Pegswood , NE61 6UF
The Charity has no Staff
## Structure governance and management
## **Description of the Charity’s trusts**
## **Type of Governing Document:**
Order of the Charity Commission Sealed on the 17[th] May 2002 as amended on the 11[th] May 2019
## **How the Charity is Constituted**
Unincorporated Association
## **Trustee selection methods**
The Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting
## **Additional governance issues (optional)**
Membership is open to all residents of Milfield and North Northumberland. The trustees oversee the day to day running of the Reading Room. The Trustees seek the views of members and user groups in deciding how to run the Charity and what activities are required.
There is a Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults and safeguarding policy in place which is reviewed annually.
The Trustees and volunteers receive no remuneration or other benefits.
## **Objects and activities**
## **Summary of the objectives of the Charity set out in its governing Document**
The object of the Charity is the provision and maintenance of a Village Hall for the use by the inhabitants of the area of benefit without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including for use for a) meetings, lectures and classes, and b) other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions and life for the inhabitants. The land inventoried in part 3 of the schedule of the scheme must be retained by the committee for the use for the objects of the charity.
## **Summary of the main activities undertake for the public benefit In relation to these objects**
When planning our activities we keep in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit at our trustee meetings.
Our main activities are providing meeting space for community groups to operate at minimal cost.
We are working with RuralUs to encourage new groups to start following the Covid 19 closure of many community groups.
We are exploring becoming an emergency hub for the community and have started a coffee morning every week as a warm hub.
## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional Information)**
We are extremely grateful for the very many hours volunteers have put in to assisting with the refurbishment works during the long Covid 19 closures especially as this has meant working individually to comply with social distancing. Without this help we could not have completed the refurbishments or achieved as much as we have.
## **Achievements and performance.**
Much of this period has been influenced by Covid 19 restrictions meaning we were effectively closed. We had commenced essential renovation works as our building was over 100 years old and no longer fit for the 21[st ] Century just prior to the covid 19 outbreak. As a result of which the renovations came to a halt. Once work was allowed to restart there was a shortage of building materials which caused more delays and an escalation of cost and severely delayed reopening. We were very fortunate that the community provided assistance with many hours of free labour and expertise including the plumbing and kitchen fitting, digging out old concrete floors, demolishing walls and barrowing in tonnes of new concrete. We now have a building that if fit for purpose and should not require substantial internal work for a good few years.
Since reopening the snooker/billiard table is now well used, we have established a Small Art Club and have a community coffee morning operating every week. We have held a community engagement event to seek out what groups and activities the community are seeking and are working to develop these. We are now looking to fully restore and improve the exterior of the building to increase its usability and aesthetics.
## **Financial review**
## **Brief Statement of the Charity’s Policy on reserves**
Following the Covid 19 pandemic the trustees are looking to adopt a reserves policy of 1 years running costs. The main risk to the Charity is the time it will take to restart groups and rebuild public confidence in meeting in larger groups. We anticipate that it may take some time to re establish full use. We received £21,771 income from Covid 19 Government grants and a legacy of £3,112. Our total income was £28,027. Our expenditure was £8,612 of which £4,568 was on completing the refurbishment of the interior of the Reading Room. Our current bank bank balance at the end of the year was £28,121 with cash of £737.
## **Details of any funds materially In deficit**
None.
## **Further financial review details (Optional Information)**
Our main source of funds has been Government grants to cover the closures imposed by The Covid 19 pandemic and National Emergency. We have also received a small legacy for a former trustee’s estate for which we are very grateful. The 111 club has continued to operate its monthly draw and membership during the pandemic. Letting and room hire have been minimal due to enforced closure.
## **Other optional information**
We are waiting to hear if we are successful with a lottery grant bid to fully renovate the exterior of the building. If we are successful with this it will enhance the usability of the building and the appearance of the village, and mean the building should not need any major works for many years.
We looking at the possibility of expanding operations to include the old Methodist Church Building as this is closing and without it many community facilities will be lost. Our current building is not large enough to take them on. With both buildings we could keep the community sustainable and expand our activities.
## **Declaration**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above**
## **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature**
**Full name John David Hughes Position Secretary /trustee.**
**Date 27/1/2023**
**Charity Name Milfield Reading Room**
**N**
## **Receipts and payments acco**
Period start date
## **For the period from**
**To**
01/04/21
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
## **A1 Receipts**
**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ £**
**to the nearest £ to the nearest £**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Receipts from Charitable Activities 2,356 - -
Government Grants Received 21,771 - -
Other Grants Received 288 - -
Bequest Received 3,112 - -
Other Receipts 500 - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
28,027 - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - -
- - -
Sub total - - -
Total receipts 28,027 - -
A3 Payments
Payments on Charitable Activities 1,673 - -
Refurbishment Payments 4,568 - -
Other Payments 2,371 - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
Sub total [ 8,612 ] - -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - -
- - -
Sub total [ - ] - -
Total payments 8,612 - -
Net of receipts/(payments) [ 19,415 ] - -
A5 Transfers between funds - 555 555 -
A6 Cash funds last year end 9,443 - -
Cash funds this year end [ 28,303 ] 555 -
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of**
|||**Unrestricted**|
|---|---|---|
|**Categories**|**Details**|**funds**|
|||**to nearest £**|
|**B1 Cash funds**|Bank Account
Cash
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**28,121**
**182**
**-**
**28,303**
OK|
|||**Unrestricted**|
|||**funds**|
|**B2 Other monetary assets**|**Details**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|||**Fund to which**|
|**B3 Investment assets**|**Details**|**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**|
|**B4 Assets retained for the**|**Details**
Freehold land & buildings (the Reading|Unrestricted funds
**asset belongs**|
|**charity’s own use**|Room) bought on 18 June 1948 for £1|**Fund to which**|
||**Details**|**liability relates**|
**Fund to which liability relates**
## **B5 Liabilities**
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Signature Print N
J D Hug
**o (if any)** 1092983
## **ounts**
## **CC16a**
Period end date
31/03/22
## **Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
## **Last year**
**to the nearest £**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2,356 1,147
21,771 11,334
288 -
3,112 -
500 664
- -
- -
- -
28,027 13,145
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
-
- -
- -
28,027 13,145
1,673 730
4,568 13,413
2,371 1,096
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
8,612 15,239
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
-
-
- -
8,612 15,239
19,415 - 2,094
- -
9,443 11,537
28,858 9,443
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **f the period**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
555 -
- -
555 -
OK OK
Restricted Endowment
funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Current value
Cost (optional)
(optional)
1 -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Amount due When due
(optional) (optional)
-
-
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
-
-
-
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Date of
Name
approval
ghes 25/01/23
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts**
## **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report**
**Report to the trustees/** Charity Name **members of** Milfield Reading Room **On accounts for the year** 31[st] March 2022 **Charity no** 1092983 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/03/2022.
**Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
**Independent** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn 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:** Peter Forrester **Date:** 26[th] January 2023 **Name:** Peter Forrester **Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** 3 Whitton Park Milfield Northumberland, NE71 6HT
**October 2018**
1
**IER**
**Section B Disclosure**
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Cash receipts from the two forms of cash raising events were casually recorded in the review period (as had been the historical practice) and therefore cannot be voucher sampled or checked for accuracy.
Whilst a theoretical petty cash ‘loss’ can be calculated it is relatively small as a percentage of total income, there having been large grant receipts in the period. However, the lack of financial control over petty cash receipts and for some payments is a matter of concern. Vouchers for expenditure incurred were also not always retained.
It is acknowledged that the newly appointed Treasurer has now identified and rectified all of the control deficiencies and has carefully reconstructed the accounts from bank statements and any retained vouchers, seeking explanations from the Trustees where required.
On balance, therefore, the Independent Examiner believes the accounts materially reflect a fair record of income and expenditure.
**October 2018**
2
**IER**