Rotherham u3a (Ru3a) Annual Report 2024/25
Introduction
The Charity Registration Number is 1103937.
For 2024/2025, the contact address is 52 Quarry Field Lane, Wickersley, ROTHERHAM, S66 IEJ
The Charity operates totally with unpaid volunteers, and during the financial year 2024/25 with 10 Trustees elected unopposed at the Charity’s AGM in September of 2024.
Chair Bruce Cable Deputy Chair Leslie Whte Business Secretary (Trustees) Terry Maloney Treasurer Chris Beresford Deputy Treasurer Jackie Hamer Membership Secretary Sue Cable Patricia Macredie Publicity Officer Gary Swift Trustee - Web Manager role Mandy Martin Trustee - Newsletter Editor and Coordinator Liaison roles Heather Mallan Trustee - Safeguarding Officer
Structure and Management
These ten Trustees formed the Trustee ‘Board’, for this period, meeting on a regular basis, meeting a minimum of four times during the year to develop procedures for delivery of business objectives for members.
Trustees are recruited through various media, verbal invitation both directly and through groups, advertisement in newsletter and website, but more usually by persuasion; and then nomination and election at the AGM, in line with the requirements of the Constitution.
The operation of the groups is delivered by a further 40 plus volunteers as Group Coordinators and whose input is guided by Trustees at Coordinators’ meetings held approximately quarterly. This input is assisted by further volunteers delivering the group activity at each organised session.
There is no formal procedure for recruitment, other than the guidelines developed nationally through the Third Age Trust, and whose procedures are generally adopted as good practice, delivered locally; and the above stated existing practice.
Activities and Objectives.
Ru3a, as many organisations, suffered from the impact of covid in 2020/21, resulting in a reduction in income and with ever-increasing prices, an increase in expenditure year-on-year.
The organisation, and with policies established through its members, prefers a funding structure which delivers multiple activities, with the freedom for members to attend any number of these activities for a single advanced payment for membership. These policies, during the post Covid years created significant losses, which could not be sustained. This situation had to be addressed, in order
Rotherham u3a (Ru3a) Annual Report 2024/25
to achieve financial viability for Ru3a. The year started with a significant change, in increased fees, (£60 three terms; £40 two terms; £20 single term) which was supported unanimously at the September 2024 AGM, and which had the desired effect, in that Ru3a, achieved viability in the 2024/25 period, finishing the period with a small, but welcome surplus.
The main objective of the Ru3a is the advancement of education of those people no longer in full time gainful employment, and his has been achieved through the provision of groups, meeting a variety of disciplines from languages to games and sport, to involvement in technical and craft subjects delivered through over 35 separate groups for the year.
The year saw membership increase to over 450 members during the period.
The custom of providing Member socials continued with some four such events throughout the year, offering a general meeting social with competitions or entertainment and speakers providing a focus on each, but also including a Christmas Party, with an additional admission fee, dualling with a 30[th] Ru3a anniversary celebration in December, 2024.
The body of these activities provides outlets for those joining the organisation as members, reducing the impact of loneliness, and offering interest and education on a variety of subject matter.
The organisation of Ru3a is inclusive, offering that same outlet to all residents of Rotherham, (and adjoining districts) to join, and join-in to these many and various activities, and thereby benefitting mental and physical health and wellbeing.
During this financial period, the Ru3a managed to increase membership, increase the numbers of groups operating in the variety of subjects and to increase the income stream, generating viability for the period, and offering the opportunity for the general eligible public the benefit of joining a clearly thriving organisation, with all that that offers in terms of opportunity and benefit and well-being.
Financial Matters
The year 2024/25 saw an improvement in the financial viability for Ru3a, whereby the year-end resulted in a surplus which helped contribute towards the maintenance of reserves, in line with advice to retain at 50% of turnover.
Attached to this report is a copy of the accounts for the year, together with the approved examiner’s statement of approval.
Ru3a End of Year
| Ru3a End of Year |
Ru3a End of Year |
Ru3a End of Year |
Ru3a End of Year |
Ru3a End of Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~~Main account~~ |
||||
| Income | ~~2024/5~~ | 2023/4 | ||
| Subs | 26,766.40 | 22,772.00 | ||
| Gif Aid | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Riviera Travel | 1,469.70 | 1,536.48 | ||
| Int rec'd | 107.73 | 95.66 | ||
| Other | 350.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Total Income | ~~28,693.83~~ |
24,404.14 | ||
| Expenditure | ||||
| Venue hire | 21,055.90 | 21,443.47 | ||
| TAT/TAM | 3,356.00 | 3,312.60 | ||
| Printng | 1,076.51 | 681.57 | ||
| Licences | 119.37 | 67.21 | ||
| Bank chs | 123.86 | 160.52 | ||
| 25,731.64 | 25,665.37 | |||
| Admin Exp. | ||||
| Audit | 40.00 | 40.00 | ||
| Refunded Exex | 479.94 | 357.42 | ||
| Other | 348.36 | 40.00 | ||
| Total Spend | ~~26,599.94~~ | 26,102.79 | ||
| Spend/Inco | me | ~~2,093.89~~ | -1,698.65 |
| Ru3a | Balancesheet | Balancesheet | 2O24ls | 2O24ls | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chqsnotyet | ||||||||
| Currentassets:- | presented | Actual | Balance | |||||
| Cashat bank | Maina/c | 74,675.73 | 0.00 | 1.4,6L5.7? | ||||
| Savingsa/c | 5,633.13 | 0.00 | 5,633.13 | |||||
| Representedby:- | Maina/c | |||||||
| asat 07/09/24 | 12,521,.84 | |||||||
| income/spend | 2,093.89 | / | L4,6L5,73 | |||||
| Savingsa/c | ||||||||
| asato!/o9/24 | 6,770.L7 | |||||||
| spend/income | -1,136.98 | 5,633.X3 | ,/ | |||||
| savingsa/cbreakdown | ||||||||
| 2023/4 | in | out | 2024/s | |||||
| Art-Monday | 723.50 | 120.00 | 536.50 | 307.00 | ||||
| Art-Wednesday | 7.OO | 370.00 | 370.50 | 6.50 | ||||
| Art-Thursday | 933.40 | 90.00 | 536.50 | 486.90 | ||||
| Choir | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
| Come Dancing | 317.40 | 680.00 | 420.00 | 577.40 | ||||
| Games | 0.88 | 450.00 | 300.00 | 150.88 | ||||
| GOAT | 834.60 | 734.05 | 856.60 | 777.05 | ||||
| Line Dancing | 0.00 | 286.00 | 222.OO | 64.00 | ||||
| Opera | 74.02 | 0.00 | 74.O2 | |||||
| 5panish(combined) | 3.20 | 70.00 | 0.00 | 73.20 | ||||
| TaiChi | 212.90 | 100.00 | 274.50 | 98.40 | ||||
| Ukulele | 727.27 | 1,801.00 | 7,558.77 | 969.44 | ||||
| WalkingCricket | 150.40 | 842.69 | 742.60 | 250.49 | ||||
| Walking Netball | 76.70 | 420.00 | 496.10 | 0.00 | ||||
| Walking Football | 20.47 | 370.00 | 390.47 | 0.00 | ||||
| GroupsTotal | 4,021.08 | 6,333.74 | 6,644.54 | 3,770.28 | ||||
| Banklnt,rec'd | 8.79 | 705.27 | 107.73 | 6.33 | ||||
| Otherinc adv subs | 535.00 | 1,200.00 | 535.00 | 1,200.00 | ||||
| Eventsinc Xmas | 2,705.24 | 958.75 | 2,447.47 | 7L6.52 | ||||
| TOTAL | 6,77O.LL | / | 8,597.76 | ,/ | 9,734,74 | / | s,633.t1 | |
| spend/income | -1X36.98 |