Chairman’s Report 2023
Peter Boss, our past President has tendered his resignation this year. This was the end of an era as he and Pat have been very active members for over 40 years. We thank them for all they have done. While we are saying good byes, Peter Taylor is resigning as a Trustee and committee member and we thank him for his work as skipper and Chairman as well. However we are pleased that Brian Dawson has agreed to take over as President. Brian is a long-standing member and barge mate who has previously served as Commodore, Chairman and Treasurer.
2022 was a difficult sailing season given that we only had one working barge and the continued uncertainties of living with Covid. We limited numbers to two per cabin on public sailings so this meant that takings were slightly down. The continued uncertainties of socialising further limited our opportunities for open days, children’s days and the pop-up shop, so ending even slightly, in profit was a success. Our Treasurer will be presenting the full accounts for adoption as the next item on the agenda. John Rayment curated another successful exhibition in Rochester and Chatham which gave us an opportunity to reach audiences in Kent where we may not have had a high profile in recent years. This summer we are planning for a full set of open days and children’s days in the hope that life will return to normal. Our training scheme continues strongly under the direction of Mick Nolan, drawing funding from Trinity House and the willing involvement of the wider Thames Barge community which means our trainees gain the broadest possible experience.
Pudge continued to be a drain on our resources, but she gave us an excuse to party in July when we celebrated her centenary. In some of the hottest weather of the summer, on 13 July her actual birthday, we enjoyed a successful ‘Tea on the Quay’, at which we were pleased to launch the book ‘Pudge – a Survivor’. This was followed by a celebration dinner the next Saturday. Both events were well attended by members old and new and it encouraged us to look forward to the time when we would once again have two barges sailing for the summer. Pudge was on the Hythe and rigged for the celebrations but below decks there was still much work to be done. I am pleased to report that in the intervening months, due to the hard work of an army of volunteers she is ready to sail once more. Realistically she is still a work in progress, and there will probably be adjustments to make as she settles down but we have a lovely new strong barge to sail through the summer and into the future.
Centaur, of course, continues to be cared for under the watchful eye of Tim Jepson. She has passed her out of water survey for the next five years but there is no escaping the fact that she is 128 years old and needing some major remedial work in the not-too-distant future. Sailorman, too, is showing her age so we are not short of projects.
However we have two barges ready for the summer ahead and we need to capitalise on this. We have an excellent pool of crew to call on. It is a healthy mix of experienced ‘old hands’ and the next generation of skippers, mates and third hands now that our training scheme is fulfilling its potential. We just need to sell ourselves to the sailing public and keep our barges full for all available sailings.
Membership has been fairly static over the past five years settling somewhere about 300 The truth of the matter is that we have a largely aging demographic (and I include myself in that) so we need a drive to try to increase the membership over the next 5 years involving the next generation. The training scheme does this very well with the hands-on sailing but we also need engage with a wider
range of people and inspire them with the fun of sailing and conserving barges. This will be one of our tasks in the year ahead. If anyone with ideas or the willingness to join in, please get in touch John or me or any committee member.
I am very grateful to the Committee and my fellow Trustees for all their support and hard work during this past year. However I am very conscious that we still rely, in great part, on the efforts of just a few and this is not a healthy state of affairs. If we wish the Trust to continue developing as a beacon in the world of sailing and maritime preservation we need to share the knowledge and responsibilities; no one person should be indispensable.
We have been lucky to have Keith Foster join us as our Treasurer, and guide us through these really trying times of the final stages of the Pudge project set against the country’s wider economic pressures. Similarly we are pleased to welcome Kate Rodman onto the committee as our Sales Officer and thank her for volunteering to take over from Peter Holmes. Pat Schulenburg has also made a big impact on our marketing profile with his videos and on-line promotions (as well as being one of our new team of mates). These three are examples for the future and demonstrate the beneficial effect of fresh faces and new ideas on your committee.
I want our aim for 2023 to be to share the running of the Trust more widely. This need not be an onerous task, as it does not necessarily mean regular committee attendance; but involvement is satisfying and it can be exciting to be part of the decision making about how the Trust grows for the future. In the June Golden Chaffcutter there will be an article about the work of the Committee and Trustees and where we are keen to expand involvement. The retirement of Peter Taylor opens opportunities for Trustees and committee. Feel free to speak to any Trustee or committee member to discuss ideas or interest.
As we look forward to another sailing season I will borrow the words of President Kennedy, by saying “Ask not just what can the Trust do for you but what can you do for the Trust!”
Penny Baines Chairman Thames Sailing Barge Trust
REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07550326 REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1102840
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2022 FOR
THAMES SAILING BARGE TRUST LIMITED (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
THAMES SAILING BARGE TRUST LIMITED CONTENTS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2022
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Statement of Financial Activities | 1 |
| Balance Sheet | 2 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 3 to 6 |
THAMES SAILING BARGE TRUST LIMITED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2022
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies Grants Charitable activities Supply of services EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities Maintenance and repairs Other NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward Transfer of reserves TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
2022 2021 Unrestricted Resticted Total Total Fund Fund Funds Funds £ £ £ £ 19,760 47,712 67,472 13,329 - 61,650 61,650 107,771 34,271 - 34,271 35,463 |
|---|---|
| 54,031 109,362 163,393 156,563 13,218 178,337 191,555 201,202 24,733 15,425 40,158 33,740 |
|
| 37,951 193,762 231,713 234,942 16,080 (84,400) (68,320) (78,379) 432,895 73,087 505,982 584,361 (15,000) 15,000 - - |
|
| 433,975 3,687 437,662 505,982 |
Page 1
THAMES SAILING BARGE TRUST LIMITED BALANCE SHEET FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2022
| Note FIXED ASSETS 1 CURRENT ASSETS Prepayments and accrued income 3 Debtors 3 Cash at bank and in hand 5 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 4 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL NET ASSETS FUNDS Unrestricted funds Restricted funds |
2022 2021 Unrestricted Resticted Total Total Fund Fund Funds Funds £ £ £ £ 360,000 360,000 360,000 15,757 - 15,757 29,828 - - - 200 69,678 3,689 73,367 139,500 85,435 3,689 89,124 169,528 (11,462) 0 (11,462) (23,546) (11,462) 0 (11,462) (23,546) 73,973 3,689 77,662 145,982 433,973 3,689 437,662 505,982 433,973 - 433,973 432,894 - 3,689 3,689 73,088 433,973 3,689 437,662 505,982 |
|---|---|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 October 2022.
The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 October 2022 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for:
-
(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
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(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 15 January 2023 and were signed on its behalf by:
G Moore - Trustee
Page 2
THAMES SAILING BARGE TRUST LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2022
1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of accounting
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these financial statements. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with: the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 105) issued on 16 July 2014 and with the Charities Act 2011.
Going concern
The principal risk facing the charitable company is its ability to generate sufficient income to cover expenditure incurred in fulfilling the objectives of the charitable company. The trustees have reviewed the cash position of the charitable company and cash forecasts at the date of signing of the accounts and are satisfied that the charitable company will be able to meet all of its financial commitments. As a consequence the trustees believe that the charitable company is well placed to manage its financial risks successfully and that the charitable company has adequate reserves to continue in operational existence for the forseeable future. Accordingly the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the accounts.
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation commiting the charity to that expenditure, it is possible that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under the headings that aggregate all cost related to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Fixed assets
Fixed assets are reviewed and revalued on a regular basis by the directors to reflect the current value of those assets.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Page 3
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to Ihe Irusteesl members of Thames Sailing Barge Trust On account$ for the year ended 31 October 2022 Charity no (if any) 1102840 Set out on pages 1to5 pdge I report to Ihe trustees on my examinalion of the accounts of the above charity {Ihe TTusl-) lor the year ended 3111012022. As the charity's trustees, you are responsible lor the preparation of th8 accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Acl 2011 Ilhe Act.). Responsibllltles and basis of roport 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 giv8n by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of th8 Act. Independent •xamln•r's statement I have complelgd my examination. l ¢onfimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination {other than that disclos8d below ') which gives me cause to believe that in, any material Tespect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with s8¢tion 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 conceming the form and content of accounts sel out in the Charities {Accounts and Rewrts) Regulations 2008 other than any requiremènt that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems 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 r'Qnderstanding of the accounts to be r8ached. . Plea te the words in the brackets rf they do not apply. Date: Signed.. 13 March 2023 Name." Alan Cowperthwaite FCCA Relevant professlonal qualification(s) or body (if any}: Association of Chartered Certffied Accountants Address: Harvey Smith & Co DVQ Limited, 2 High Street IER Oct 2018
Bumham on Crouch, Essex CMO 8A4 Soction Disclosure Only complete Il Ine examinei Treeds lo higr,Iight material mallers o( conceiii (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounls." directions and guidance for examiners}. Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018