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← Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd

2024-12-31-accounts

Cuckmere 5.s<s

Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd

(Registered Charity 1120494)

Trustees’ Report and unaudited Accounts 31 December 2024

| Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd | 2024 Report and unaudited Accounts Contents

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2 Contents

3 Legal and Administrative Details

4-7 Annual Review

8g Independent Examiner’s Report

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10 Balance Sheet

11 Funds Flow Statement

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12-14 Notes to the Accounts

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15 Graphs — 5-year trends

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16 Our Current Fleet

Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd : Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2024

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Legal and Administrative Details

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Legal Status

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' Objects

The object of the Company is to provide a community bus and a community transport service, including private hire, for such of the inhabitants of East and West Sussex and the City of Brighton and Hove who are in need of such a service because of age, sickness or disability (mental or physical), or poverty, or because of a lack of availability of adequate and safe public passenger services,

Trustees/Directors

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Philip Montague Ayers Beryl Anne Smith Nicholas Brian Price Paul Patrick Warren Susan Olave de Angeli {resigned 23 April 2024} Wayne John Evenden (from 23 April 2024) Stewart Colin Fuller (resigned 23 April 2024)

Principal Address Insurance Broker The Old Rectory ArthurJ Gallacher Litlington 34 Tower View Polegate Kings Hill, West Malling East Sussex Kent BN26 5RB ME19 4UY

Bankers Barclays Bank plc Co-operative Bank pic

CCLA Fund Managers

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independent Examiner Sarah Price — SLP Advisory Limited

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Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 2024

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The Trustees, who are also Directors of the company for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December - ; 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice 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 2019).

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Review of Activities

Cuckmere Buses is the trading name for Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd (CCB), a charitable limited company based in Berwick, East Sussex. It has been running for 48 years supplementing existing bus services and providing bus links for village residents throughout the Cuckmere Valley area to their nearest towns for shopping, for appointments, or for social activities.

OUR VISION is being the Community Bus service of choice in our area, and OUR MISSION is providing a safe, reliable, and courteous local bus, serving those rural and urban communities in our part of East Sussex not served by commercial companies.

CCB is run entirely by volunteers; there are no employees. We have some 41 volunteer drivers, all with D1 classification on their licences, and a few additional volunteers who all help run the fleet of 16seater low-floor Mercedes mini-buses. The MIDAS (Minibus Awareness Scheme) system of training has been radicaily altered to the point where CCB no longer considers it appropriate for new driver recruits or for continuing education and reassessment. CCB has instead developed its own training and assessment scheme, at least equivalent to MIDAS standards, which has been accepted by East Sussex County Council and our insurers. The value of volunteers to the organisation cannot be overestimated, in terms of community support and company viability. in addition to over 20 weekly timetabled services, requiring nearly twice as many half-day shifts, the company operates summer leisure services and offers private hire facilities. We also provide special annual services for the Internationa! Tennis in Eastbourne, and the Charleston festivals.

CCB remains a busy voluntary organisation and always needs new volunteers. Our ongoing recruitment programme has resulted in a reasonable net increase in drivers by the end of the year and we are still looking to increase numbers further in 2025. However, the Department for Transport’s review of the changing need for D1 licence requirements for minibuses is a positive move and may result in us being able to access a broader driver pool, given that the D1 licence is only available if you passed your test before 1997. Although this review seems to have stalled recently, we optimistically await the outcome of the consultation.

: 2024 continued the growth in passenger numbers following the pandemic and by the year-end we had carried 87,915 (2023 75,222) passengers which, not only exceeded the 2019 figure of 81,632 but was also the highest numbers of journeys we have ever catered for. in addition, we ran some 159,042 (2023 137,573) miles and hope to see a continued recovery of passenger journeys during 2025.

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Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 20241cont) The charity did eventually take dellvery of its new bus (ordered in 2023), a little later than planned, and this went into 5erviLe from March 2024. Given Supp￿ chain issues a further bu5 wa5 ordered at the beginnlng of 2024, with expected delivery in 2025, but this arrived much 500nerthan anticipated and was delivered in thé autumn and went irFtO service from November 2024 and coincided wlth the disposal of our oldest bus, meaning, that the fleet now consi5t5 of eight minibuses at the year-end. There are no further planned addition5 to the fleet for 2025, with any Ilkely additions to take place In 2026. Roadworks and road closures continued to present major challenges durlng thé year, especially in Hailsham town èentre, which often resulted in delays re-scheduled and re-routed seNlces and regrettably. some cancellations. Hopefully these will ease during 2025. The charity operate.s efficiently to a hlgh standard under the control of 'the Board of Trustees who met formally on four occasions during the year. They reviewed operatlons of the company, its financial P05itiDn, and the outlook for the fvture. In addition, two Stakeholder meetings consisting of representatives of parish and town touncils and company officers wÈre held. plus the AGM in April. The annual social gatheringof stakehDlders 3n(J drlvers was held in July and periodlc driverg meetlngs were held during the year to review resource 8vailabllity, services operated arld passenger views. Drivers provlde a vital first polnt of contact with passengers and their feedback is Invaluable. The trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the charlty commission's public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidan￿ is relevant. Flnanclal Performance The financial sl3temerrts are included on page5 8 to 14. All income and eipenditurp_ are related to unrestricted funds. there are no restrlcted nor endowment fund Cehtra5 2nd local government Continued financial support for bus operators generally durlng the year bycontinuing to pay fuel rebate grants and concessionilry travelfares based on pre-covid levèls, along with other support grants. These government SUPF)Ort initiatives, together with our volunteer structure avoidifig staff costs and related overheads. plus maintenance costs reflecting a relatively young fleet, all helped the charity maintain a viable operdting financial position. With a gross income of £339,02712023 - £266,781) and expenditure of £329 667 (2023 - £257,256), the year ended with a modest surplys of £9,360 (2023 - £9,525). Year-end net assets amounted to £284,187 {2023- £274,827) including cash at bank of £114,30912023-£136,722).The charityoperate5 a policy of holding cash reserves to meet projected cash outlays tal<ing account of sourcing requlrements for acquisitions under its bus replacement programme. Funds not required in the short term are held in an appropriate deposlt account. At the Ènd of the year, the Trustees agreed an unrestricted bus replacement reserve fund of £20,000 (2023 £55,000), to cover future bus acquisitions. A high-level five-year trend of finances, passengers and miles run i shown 8raphlcally on page 15. The Trustees have not Identified any major uninsured risks to which the charity is exposed.

Cuckmere Communlty Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 2024 {cont) STRUCTU#E, GOVERNANCE AND MANAfjEMENT Governlng document The governing document of the charity is the Meniorandum and Articles of Association, which was adopted In Novembe¥ 2006 on the formation of the Cuckmere Community Bus as a company which was registered as a charity. The current members of the Company are all Directors of the Company aiid Tr'ustees of the Charityi who meet quarterly to fulfll both functions and who may stand for re-election at the next Annual General Meeting. Golng conre.rn The Trustees continue to monitor the ongoinÈ impacts the Industry faces, including recovery of passenger numbe￿ as well as other events, partlcularly levels of inflation and increased fuel and vehicle running costs. They have determined that, whtlst significant, they do not create a material uncertainty that casts major doubt upon the charit￿5 abllity to continue as a going concern. Fonmard View In addition to maintaining a strong Operational busihe5s base forthecharity, ourfocus overthe coming year will again be threefold. F¥rst, to tontinue to build patronage nurnbers so we can provlde support to the same or greater level of deserving passen8ers we helped pre-pandemic. Secondly, to continue to develop our driver training, assessment and support programine and thirdly, to continue with the recruitment programme to increase the overall number of volunteer drivers. As a result of central government's posltive focus on the bus Industry. a number of initiatives within East Sussex may provide the opportunity for CCBto increase current service levels leading to increased net revenues. We look forniard to these possible developments during the coming year. Changes In TrusteeslDlrectors In April 2024 we welcomed onboard Wayne Evenden a$ Trustee/ Engineering Director. Wayne is also a volunteer driver. In April 2024 we sadly said farewell to Susan Olave de Angelli and Stewart Fuller, both Trustee/Directors who resigned after many years, service and we thank them for all their hard worl<. Acknowledgements We are a SUC￿ssful business in meetlngour mission and as always, thanl(s go to oufvolunteer drivers, our regular passengers, to everybody involved in the day to day rL6nning of the organisation, ?nd to Berwick Service Station for keeping the buses well maintained. Particular thanks also go to the individuals and local authorities who made donations to the charity during the year, A summary of donation support is listed on page 13 of this report. Thank you all.

| Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 2024 (cont)

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

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The Trustees (who are also Directors of the company for the purposes of company law} are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdam Generally Accepted Accounting Practice}.

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financiai statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

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+make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable ~ accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps forthe — - prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

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Approved by order of the board of trustees on Z April 2025 and signed onits behalf by: =

Beryl Smith - Chairman

2. April 2025

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Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Independent Examiner’s Report

| report to the Board of Trustees/Directors on my examination of the accounts of Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd for the year ended 31 December 2024.

As the Trustees of the Charity, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act).

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. | can confirm that | am qualified to undertake the examination because | am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

| have completed my examination. | confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe in any material respect:-

1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2) the accounts do not accord with those records

3) the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement

4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended

Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

| have no concerns 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 proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Sarah Price — SLP Advisory Limited Independent Examiner O2 April 2025

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Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Income & Expenditure Aécount for the year ended 31 December 2024 Note5 2024 2023 Income Passenger Services Grants & Donatlons Private Hire & Speaal Events Other Income Total Income 248,919 31,802 22,760 35. Jf46 339,027 196,831 29,220 30,106 10,624 266,781 Expehditure Charitable Artivitles Servicin& Repairs & Cleanlng Diesel (net of BSOG) Licences & Insurance Operations (112,762) (21.346) (34,927) (33.061} (202,096) 176,814) {29,423} 127,136) 138,238) {171,611 Support Costs Administration Depreciation (39,751> (87,8201 {127.5711 (20,7081 164,9371 185,6451 I'otal Expenditure {329.667) 257,256) Surplus (Defidt) for tl* yepr 9,360 9,525 Opening reserves 274,827 265,3Q2 CloslnB reserves {per Balance Sheet) 284187 274J127

Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Balance Sheet at 31 December 2024

Notes 2024 2023
£ £
Tangible Fixed Assets 7 427,125 257,513
Current Assets
Debtors 8 14,448 12,996
Cash at Bank 9 114,309 136,722
128,757 149,718
Prepayments and Accrued Income 12,493 12,851
Total Current Assets 141,250 162,569 .
Creditors due within one year
Amounts falling due within one year 10 (83,578) (68,319)
Accruals and deferred income (49,389) (26,274)
Unamortised grants for purchase of assets 6 - (4,842)
Total Creditors due within one year (132,967) (99,435)
Net Current Assets (liabilities) 8,283 63,134
Total Assets less current liabilities 435,408 320,647
Creditors due afterone year 10 (151,221) (45,820)
Total net assets 284,187 274,827
Funds ofthe Charity
Unrestricted funds - general 264,187 219,827
Unrestricted funds - asset replacement 20,000 55,000
TotalUnrestrictedFunds 284,187 274,827

i) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with sections 368 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

ii) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs 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 which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies act 2006 relating to financial statements so far as applicable to the charitable company.

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The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for
issue on 2 April 2025 and were signed on its behalf by: C ee
Neu
bentBerylASmithSE Paulnd Warrennd Warren Warren
Trustee/Director Trustee/Director
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C ee Neu Paulnd Warrennd Warren Warren Trustee/Director

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Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd : Funds Flow Statement | for year ended 31 December 2024 :

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |:|Notes|2024|2023| ||| |.Surplus|for the year|9,360|9,525| |add|back|Depreciation|(net)|5|87,820|64,937| |less Other Income|4|(35,546)|(10,624)| |Cash from|Trading|61,634|63,838| |Other Income|4|35,546|10,624| |Capital|Grants|Received|;|-|“| |Movement|in|fixed|assets| |Acquisitions|7|(262,377)|-| |Procéeds|of disposal|(NBV|before|surplus}|7|103|-| |(262,274)|-|*| |Movement|in Working Capital| |Debtors|(1,452}|(3,790)| |Prepayments|358|(5,430)| |Creditors|35,250|10,289| |34,156|1,069| |Movement|in|Loans| |New|debt|171,142|-| |Interest|10,855|7,323| |Payments|(73,472)|(57,360)| |108,525|(50,037)| |Movement|in Funds|in the Year|(22,413)|25,494|—| |Cash|at Bank| |Opening|436,722|111,228| |Movement|in|Funds|(as|above)|(22,413}|25,494| |Closing|(per Balance|Sheet)|114,309|136,722|

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Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Notes to the Accounts for year ended 31 December 2024 Accounting Policies 1.1 statutory InfotmatioN- Cuckmere Communlty Bus LÉmited1s an incorporated charity and registered in England & Wales. The charlty'5 registered number and reglsteied office addte$s can be found in the Report of the Trustees. l.Z Basls of Accounting-The financial statements of the charitable company, whld) is a publlc benefit enttty under FRS 102, have bpen prepared in accordaiice wlth the Charities SORP IFRS 1021 'Accountlng and Rèporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice appllcable to charitl.e5 preparlngthelr accounts in accordance with thè Flnandal keporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 {effectlve l January 2019),, Flnaftclal Report5ng Standard 102'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable In the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Companies Act 2006. The financial #atements have been prepared under the hi5tori¢al cost conventlon. Income and expenditure are accounted for on an accru815 basis. 1.3 Intome-15 recognised in the account5 when the tharity beconles entitled to the resources and Is shown tsxclusive of VAT. The significant value of voluntary help received is not included in the 8ccounts but Is described in the trusteés, annual report. Debtors are measured at settlement amourrts less any trade discounts. 1.4 Expendlture- liabilities are recogni5ed as expenditure as suon as there is a legal or constructive obllgation committing Ihe chBrity to pay out resources, and the amount of the obllgation can be measured wlth reRsDnable certainty. Credltors are measured at settlément amounts l'ess any trade discounts. 1.5 Tan%ible Flxed A55ets are recorded at ¢ost and subsequenlty stated at cost les5 attumulated depreclation and accurnulated impairment losses. Depreclatlon is Cal￿18ted to write off the cost of an asset, less Its e#lm3ted residv81 value, over the prudent useFul economic Ilfe of that asset on a straight-line bas15. Capltal grants supporting fixed asset acqui51tlons are released to revehue account on a straight-line basis over the Ilfe of the related a55et Cla￿ and reduce the annual total depFeciatiiJn charge. 1.6 Hlre Purthase Agroements - assets are capltallsed as tangible fixed assets and deprèciated over theSr useful Itve5. The capital element cf future fihance payments is induded within creditOf5; finance charges are allocated to accountinE perlods over the length of the contr3cL 1.7 Fund Accountlng- unrestricted fund5 (including designated funds) may be used in a¢cordance with the charrtable objectives of the charfty at the discretion of the trustees. 1.8 Taxatlon- The charlty Is exempt from corporation tax on its charltable actlvlties. 12

Cuckmere Communlty Bus Ltd Notes to the Accounts for year ended 31 DecembÈr 20241cont) 2023 2 Passengtrs Service$ Concessioniry Fares Ticket Fares Support from: Charleston Towner Support E&st Dean & Frlston PC ESCC/p&H Hallsham Town Council Polegate Town Councll 128,899 42,469 127,325 31,754 28,833 1,628 47,090 13,217 1,921 30,214 2,050 350 196,831 3 Gr•nts and Donations Town and Parish Councils Alfri$ton Arlln8ton Berwitk Cuckmere Valley Heathfleld & Waldron Herstmonceux Long Man olegate Se?ford Westham Willlngdon & Jevington 200 loo lao 250 200 250 25U 500 2000 2QO 2L)O 1,271 250 250 2,5ao 150 800 5,621 5,133 S,LNJO 9,929 6,119 31802 850 4,700 3,705 5.OQD 12,198 3.617 29,220 ESCC WealdÈn District C¢unfjil Passen8er donatlons Other donations 4 Other Income Surplvs on dlsposal of fixed assets Bank Interest nsuranGe Claims Timetable and other adverts 2024 29,150 1,569 2023 1,345 8027 452 10,fjZ4 1.100 55,546 5 Depreaatlon Charge in yéar less a(nortisatlon of grant in y2ar (note 61 2024 92,662 14,8421 87020 88,653 123,7161 64,937 6 Unamortlsed Grants at start of year rel¢as¢d during year Inote 51 at end of year 2024 (4,842) 4￿42 21n3 (28.558) 23,716 (4.842) 13

Cuckmere Commuttity Bus Ltd Notes to the Accounts for year ended 31 December 2024 {cont) 2024 2023 7 Tan8ible Flxed assets Cost at stayt of year ddltlons In the year disp05als in the year at end of year 690,636 262,3TI {94,219 858,794 F90,636 690,636 Cumulatlve Depreclatlon at start of year charges in the year (note 5 disp05als in the year at end of year 433,123 92,662 194,116 431fi69 344.470 88,653 433,123 Not Book Value 427.125 257,513 8 Dèbtors Accounts receivable VAT feclaim8ble 2024 11,469 2,979 2025 6,612 6,384 12.996 9 Cash at BaTrk Bar￿a￿ current arcount Co-operative rurrent a¢count Charltles deposit aC￿uTht Petty Cash 2024 105,091 8.303 915 2023 65,708 25,666 45.Y8 136,722 10 Credttors Amounts fallinE due wffithin one yeat Tralle yeditors Hire purtha5É contrarts 2023 (29,603 153,975 (83,578 (17,468) (50,851) 68319) Amounts f?Ilin8due after one year Hlre purchase Contracts (1-5 years) {1512211 (45,820) 11 Audlt: Expenditure Is after charges for Independent Review £gQO {2023- £9601 and other professional setvices £nil (2023- £8￿) 12 Transirtlons wlth Olrertors: There were no transactions between the company and its TYu5teeslDirettor5 13 Related P*ty Dis¢loswg5: There were no transattlons between the company an(4 related partles 14

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