COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER 05217005
HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
CHARITY NUMBER 1106115
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HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
| CONTENTS | Page |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 3 |
| The Trustees | |
| Objectives and Achievements | |
| Activities and Performance | |
| Financial Review | |
| Risk Management | |
| Plans for Future Periods | |
| Responsibilities of the Trustees | |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 9 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 10 |
| Balance Sheet | 11 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 12 - 16 |
| Trading and Profit and Loss Account | 17 |
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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
THE TRUSTEES
The trustees who served the company during the period were as follows:
Jennifer Elizabeth Hartland– Chair Stephen Richard Potts – Secretary Rosemary Beatrice Hunt – Treasurer Richard Green Jennifer Margaret Hay Helen Hoult Mark Anthony William Hoult Alison Leadbetter
Resigned as trustees at the AGM on 16 November 2024
Robert Clifford Anderton Lesley Jane Jones Michael Alexander Thomson
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
The Charity’s objectives are to restore, maintain and preserve the Holgate Windmill for the purpose of satisfying the cultural, historic, and educational needs of the local community and people of York.
The Society fulfils these objectives by
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maintaining the mill in full working order and milling flour
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researching and documenting the mill’s history in the Society’s archive
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keeping its members informed of developments and activities at the mill with half-yearly newsletters
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hosting visits by the public on Open Weekends and by schools and other interested groups by appointment
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giving illustrated talks to local groups and societies explaining the history and mechanism of the mill, how it was restored and its current operation
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mounting regular themed exhibitions in the mill
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organising and participating in events in the local community
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publishing books and images relating to the mill and its history.
The Society’s accounts reflect these activities as follows:
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income is generated from members, visitors, flour sales and donations
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expenditure is incurred to purchase grain and merchandise, maintain the mill and to cover overhead and administrative costs
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contingency funding is accumulated for eventual repair/renewal of major items such as sails and millstones and for future development of milling capacity.
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ACHIEVEMENTS and PERFORMANCE
The Windmill is always a busy place and a great deal happened during this financial year, although it’s hard to identify key events. I plan to try to cover the full range of activities, without going into too many details.
I believe we were still (still are in some ways) feeling the effects of Covid and lockdowns. As you know, it wasn’t all bad news for a working traditional mill in that the demand for flour rose dramatically and then settled to a comfortable, but still enhanced level. However, I do think that there has been a legacy which has changed our working relations, and this has sometimes been a challenge.
Financially, we have had some interesting times. The two big problems we faced were our insurance premiums – especially the buildings insurance – and the electricity bills. The former was being passed on by our ‘Landlords’ the City of York Council. Once we sat down face to face with a councillor and two council officials in the windmill, and pointed out that they were about to bankrupt us, some serious action was taken and we now have affordable and manageable premiums. The electricity was, in many ways, harder to resolve. However, I take it you have all read the Spring edition of Mill News and will know how Mark Hoult valiantly managed to get our meter changed and, as a result, greatly reduce the standing charges.
Milling continued on a regular basis with two teams working each week on Wednesday and Friday mornings. I lead the Wednesday session, and Steve Potts does Friday. Alison Leadbetter manages all the wholesale orders (there were nine very varied outlets during that year), which are becoming a significant part of our work, and Mike Thomson takes over as lead miller if neither Steve nor I can do a session. We added rye to our range of milled flour and it is clear that spelt is becoming very popular, despite its higher cost. We raised the price of all our flour from January ’24, for the first time since we began milling in 2012. This seemed to be completely acceptable to our customers and we shall be keeping a closer eye on realistic pricing. One sadness is the rarity of occasions when we are able to mill using the wind.
As members of the Traditional Corn Millers Guild, we have a special connection in that Lesley Jones, one of our volunteers is also national secretary to the Guild. During the year in question we heard the news that the campaign, in which we had been particularly active, to get exemption for small traditional mills from adding folic acid to wheat flour had been successful. It was a great relief and joy to know that no mill producing less than 500 tonnes a year would be required to make any chemical additions to its products.
The mill itself is in very good nick (I always like to touch wood at this point) and for this we have to thank our visiting millwright, Dave Andrews. Together with Alison and me, and from time to time, Richard Hill, he does a long day every month. Part of that day is always a regular oiling greasing and adjusting of all moving parts together with other regular maintenance tasks. The rest of the time, and sometimes an extra day, is spent checking everything that could go wrong (not least rotting wood) and doing whatever repairs are needed to keep the mill safe and working. One interesting repair happened early this year when one of the fork irons, connecting the spider to the sail shutters, was seen to be bent out of shape. There is still no conclusive explanation of why it had happened, but the maintenance team managed to remove the iron, Richard Hill straightened and strengthened it, and it went back in remarkably easily. Another unusual but more well-recognised operation was ‘pushing the sails out of the house’. In time, the weight of the sails, the iron cross and the windshaft pulls down so that the sails are slightly too close to the cap. Both of these processes were described in
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detail in Mill News. Replacing lengths of wood in the sails (known as fitting pieces) continued to be a regular occurrence, although gradually reducing in number. However, we are constantly amazed by the fact that when we remove the shutters, almost all of them are in perfect condition – as good as the day they were made. Just a few need recovering with canvas due to the reaction between paint and bird poo.
I’m glad to say that we continued to have a very good year regarding Health and Safety. The mill is a potentially very dangerous place, and I think we have been able to prove that we take it very seriously. As well as being Treasurer, Rosy Hunt is H&S co-ordinator and she organised the first annual First Aid training session for us all through the Ambulance Service.
Opening the mill to the public is of prime importance and we constantly struggle to get the right amount of time and the right times to do this. The other struggle is getting all those folk who have signed up to come and be volunteers, to come and staff the mill when it is open. For the first time we invited the public to come in and see round the mill when we are milling. This proved very popular with visitors, for obvious reasons, but could be extremely challenging for the milling teams, especially in school holiday weeks. It was also a year in which, having tried opening on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons, with not entirely satisfactory results, we changed in the New Year to opening all day Saturday. The jury is still out on what works best. Nonetheless, we have continued to receive visitors from all corners of the globe, and one of the joys of being there on open days is just to engage with the level of appreciation and enthusiasm we constantly encounter. In addition to these regular open times, Jen Hay continued to organise and receive a huge number of booked visits from schools, clubs and societies. Jen’s other great project (Santa in the Mill) happened, as usual, and we also had another carol concert from the Barberellas in the week before Christmas. There were several other events during open days during the year: pop-up art displays, a pottery workshop and exhibitions. We took part in the first York Unlocked weekend, so that twice in the year we had the mill open for free for a whole weekend – the other being Residents First weekend in January. A very new way of making the mill available to the public was in the installation of a camera, sensors and links to the internet through the Smartmolen scheme. This means that at any time of the day or night, it’s possible to have a live image of the mill and technical details of wind direction, temperature and all sorts of other information.
A number of new pieces of merchandise arrived in the mill. Especially successful was the new recipe book, designed for children, as a partner volume to the adult one. Do consider one as a stocking filler – there’s even a recipe for dog biscuits.
During the year, Sarah Turbill and Helen Hoult got together to recruit, encourage and support volunteers. Also, Rosy Hunt started a monthly e-mail newsletter for all active volunteers, which has proved very popular and useful.
Anna Cook, our archivist, continued to labour away on collecting and conserving our historical records. During the year in question, she came across a newly discovered painting of Holgate Mill, which pre-dates all previous depictions and added a huge amount to our knowledge of the early years of our mill.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Society’s accounts for 2024-24 report no restricted funds.
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Gross income from flour sales rose from £5,418 to £7,903, and merchandise sales increased from £3,349 to £5,371. Income from visitor entry rose from £5,118 to £6,454. Membership income dropped slightly, from £2,871 to £2,640.
All Gift Aid was claimed for the year and we received £1,093.
Maintenance costs included £2,206 for various non-routine repairs.
Overall there was an in-year deficit of £9,032 and the balance of funds stood at £62,450 (£57,204 excluding stock). The deficit is partly due to the extra £7k we were charged for electricity. In the present year these bills are back down to around £100 pm.
The Society’s cash funds are kept in a current, a deposit and two longer-term accounts. At the financial year end about £11.5k was in Charities Aid Foundation Bank current and deposit accounts, £21.8k in the longer-term interest-bearing account with Shawbrook and £25k (a legacy) with United Trust. Interest over the year was £254.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The financial position of the Society remains secure. The mill is in a sound condition and well maintained. The Trustees are confident that the costs of even a major breakdown of machinery or equipment can be met from accumulated funds. Ownership of the building remains with City of York Council who insure the property, the cost of insurance being recharged to the Society.
The Society has robust Health and Safety policies in place, and they are continually reviewed in the light of accumulated experience of operating the mill and receiving visitors to it. The improved volunteer training system continues to reflect this gathered experience. Grain for milling is purchased from certified suppliers and arrangements for storing, milling and bagging are maintained at approved hygiene standards.
Apart from regular maintenance the mill and the Society are run entirely on a voluntary basis by the Trustees and others. The Trustees identify as the greatest risks to the Society’s continued operation a possible dwindling of support among members and volunteers or lack of candidates to fill Trustee positions as they fall vacant.
PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS
A new and very vigorous sub-committee has grown up around the areas of our website, advertising and social media. They are full of ideas and are hoping to enhance and standardise the visual image of the society.
We also hope to recruit more volunteers to get involved in all aspects of running the mill and to start taking over from us ‘old guard’.
We recently noted that it takes about £100 per day to run and maintain the mill. We hope that this neat figure will become something of a rallying cry to encourage everyone who visits and loves the windmill to contribute to the ongoing project.
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees confirm that the Annual Report and financial statements of the charity comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charity’s governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).
Registered Office: Robison House Lang Road Bishopthorpe York YO23 2QJ
Signed by order of the trustees Stephen Potts Company Secretary
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HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES/MEMBERS OF THE HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024 set out on pages 9 to 16.
RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011(the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts (under section 145 of the 2011 Act, as amended);
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to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, as amended); and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S STATEMENT
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity 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 you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on 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
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(1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
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proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 130 of the Act); and
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accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or
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(2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
M Brooks Independent examiner
40 Moss Green Lane Brayton Selby YO8 9EN
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HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 202
| Note Incoming resources Incoming Resources from generating funds: Voluntary income Visits, subscriptions & donations 2 Activities for generating funds Flour & merchandise sales 3 Investment income 4 Total Incoming resources Resources expended Costs of generating funds: Fundraising trading costs Costs of goods sold & other costs 5 Other fundraising costs 6 Charitable activities 7 Governance costs 8 Depreciation 10 Total resources expended Net incoming/(outgoing) resources for the year Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 2024 2023 £ £ 12,734 - 12,734 37,545 13,274 - 13,274 8,767 254 - 254 187 |
|---|---|
| 26,262 - 26,262 46,499 |
|
| (10,103) - (10,103) (8,391) |
|
| (3,906) - (3,906) (2,700) |
|
| (13,679) - (13,679) (14,697) |
|
| (7,557) - (7,557) (606) |
|
| (49) (49) - |
|
| (35,294) - (35,294) (26,934) |
|
| (9,032) - (9,032) 20,105 |
|
| 71,482 71,482 51,377 |
|
| 62,450 - 62,450 71,482 |
The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses in the year and therefore a statement of total recognised gains and losses has not been prepared. All of the above amounts relate to continuing activities.
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HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
BALANCE SHEET 31 MARCH 2024
| Fixed assets Tangible assets 10 Current assets Stock 11 Debtors & prepayments 12 Cash at bank Cash in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 13 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due after one year Net assets Funds Restricted income funds 14 Unrestricted income funds 15 |
2024 £ 4,826 1,250 56,444 115 62,635 (605) |
2024 £ 4,826 1,250 56,444 115 62,635 (605) |
420 62,030 62,450 - 62,450 - 62,450 62,450 |
2023 £ 6,188 282 65,144 115 71,729 (247) |
2023 £ 6,188 282 65,144 115 71,729 (247) |
- 71,482 71,482 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71,482 | ||||||
| - 71,482 71,482 |
For the financial year in question the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. No members have required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime. These financial statements were approved by the members of the committee on the 26th November 2024 and are signed on their behalf by:
J. HARTLAND, Chair COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER 05217005
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HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Accounting
These 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 accounts. The 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 102) issued on July 2014 and Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and Charities Act 2011.
Fixed Assets
All fixed assets are initially recorded at cost.
Depreciation
Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows:
Plant and Machinery
25% reducing balance
Donations
Voluntary income is received by way of both grants and subscriptions and donations and is included in full on the statement of financial activities when receivable.
Resources expended
Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred.
2. VOLUNTARY INCOME
| Visits Subscriptions Donations & Grants Gift Aid |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ 6,454 - 6,454 5,118 2,640 - 2,640 2,871 2,547 - 2,547 27,154 1,093 - 1,093 2,402 12,734 - 12,734 37,545 |
|---|---|
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3. INCOMING RESOURCES FROM ACTIVITIES FOR GENERATING FUNDS
| Sales Flour sales Merchandise sales INVESTMENT INCOME Bank interest Designated Undesignated FUNDRAISING TRADING Operating costs: Grain cost of sales Milling & visitor expenses Milling utilities Merchandise cost of sales Packaging costs |
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ 7,903 - 7,903 5,418 5,371 - 5,371 3,349 13,274 - 13,274 8,767 |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ 153 - 153 115 101 - 101 72 254 - 254 187 |
|
| COSTS Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ 2,839 - 2,839 2,085 1,097 - 1,097 2,268 1,140 - 1,140 1,367 4,059 - 4,059 2,398 968 - 968 273 10,103 - 10,103 8,391 |
4. INVESTMENT INCOME
5. FUNDRAISING TRADING COSTS
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6. OTHER FUNDRAISING COSTS
| 6. OTHER FUNDRAISING COSTS | STS | |
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Funds Advertising & publicity 1,699 Fundraising expenses 754 Member communications 1,244 Volunteer expenses 209 3,906 7. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Unrestricted Funds Security & maintenance 5,717 Insurance 7,922 Skills/knowledge - Community involvement - 13,679 8. GOVERNANCE COSTS Unrestricted Funds Utilities 7,236 Admin/Fees 13 Bank Charges 308 Depreciation - 7,557 |
Unrestricted Funds 1,699 754 1,244 209 |
Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ 1,699 1,282 754 86 1,244 1,267 209 65 3,906 2,700 |
| 3,906 | ||
| Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ - 5,717 10,243 7,922 4,454 - - - - - - - 13,679 14,697 |
||
| 13,679 | ||
| Unrestricted Funds 7,236 13 308 - |
Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ - 7,236 263 - 13 51 - 308 292 - - - - 7,557 606 |
|
| 7,557 |
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9. TRUSTEE EXPENSES
| 9. TRUSTEE EXPENSES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of Trustees who were paid expenses Nature of expenses: Reimbursement of expenditure on printing & stationery, postage, publicity, merchandise, fees, maintenance & operating costs, equipment purchases 10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Cost: At 1 April 2023 Additions At 31 March 2024 Depreciation: At 1 April 2023 Charge during the year At 31 March 2024 Net book value: At 31 March 2023 At 31 March 2024 11. STOCKS Grain Merchandise 12. DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS Debtors Prepayments |
2024 7 £ 1,757 1,757 |
2023 8 £ 2,712 2,712 |
| 2024 £ 1,155 3,671 |
Plant & Machinery £ 8,303 469 |
|
| 8,772 | ||
| 8,303 49 |
||
| 8,352 | ||
| - | ||
| 420 | ||
| 2023 £ 707 5,481 6,188 |
||
| 4,826 | ||
| 2024 £ - 1,250 |
2023 £ - 282 282 |
|
| 1,250 |
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13. CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year
| 13. CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Trade creditors Accrued expenses 14. RESTRICTED INCOME FUNDS Balance at 31 March 2023 Outgoing resources Balance at 31 March 2024 15. UNRESTRICTED INCOME FUNDS Balance at 31 March 2023 Incoming resources Outgoing resources Balance at 31 March 2024 Unrestricted funds analysed as follows: Designated contingencies fund Interest on designated fund Undesignated funds |
2024 £ - 605 - |
2023 £ - 247 - 247 |
| 605 | ||
| £ - - - £ 71,482 26,262 |
||
| 97,744 (35,294) |
||
| 62,450 | ||
| 11,653 153 |
||
| 11,806 50,644 62,450 |
16. COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE
The company, being limited by guarantee, has no share capital. Every member is liable to contribute a sum not exceeding £1 in the event of the company being wound up whilst still a member or within one year thereafter.
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The following pages do not form part of the statutory financial statements
HOLGATE WINDMILL PRESERVATION SOCIETY
DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
| ETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL OR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 |
ACTIVITIES |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME: Subscriptions Visits Flour Sales Merchandise Visits/Members/Sales Total Donations received Gift Aid received Interest Received TOTAL INCOME RECEIVED EXPENSES: Cost of Grain Milled Milling & Visitor Expenses Merchandise Cost of Sales Packaging Costs Fundraising Expenses Maintenance/Security Insurance Utilities Advertising & Promotion Member Communications Skills & Knowledge Volunteer Expenses Community Involvement Administration & Fees Bank Charges Depreciation TOTAL EXPENDITURE NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR |
2024 2,640 6,454 7,903 5,371 22,368 2,547 1,093 254 26,262 2,839 1,097 4,059 968 754 5,717 7,922 8,376 1,699 1,244 40 209 - 13 308 49 35,294 (9,032) |
2023 2,871 5,118 5,418 3,349 16,756 27,154 2,402 187 46,499 2,085 2,268 2,398 273 86 10,243 4,454 1,630 1,282 1,267 - 65 - 51 292 - 26,394 20,105 |
|
| 16,756 27,154 2,402 187 |
|||
| 46,499 26,394 20,105 |
|||
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