Uttoxeter and District U3A
Charity registration number: 1121369
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1/04/2023 To 31/03/2024
Our objectives are:
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To advance the education of the public and in particular the education of older people no longer in full time gainful employment in Uttoxeter (Staffordshire) and its surrounding locality.
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To provide facilities for leisure time and recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life for the above persons in the interests of their social welfare.
Our activities:
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We run interest groups which members can attend. We have a wide variety of activities, including bridge groups, exercise classes, a wine tasting group, a history group and French, physics and philosophy classes. Support is provided to group leaders in the form of assisting with venues, equipment and publicity.
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New groups are set up from time to time.
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We organise trips and social events for members. These include visits to places of interest around the country and concert and theatre trips.
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We run a weekly coffee morning which is open to all members and prospective members. We include special events at these coffee mornings, usually once a month. For example, these may be talks from outside speakers, or musical entertainment.
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We provide IT support and advice to members who need it.
Our trustees, group leaders and other helpers are all unpaid volunteers.
Report on Public benefit
We are a totally inclusive organisation. Our membership is open to members of the public who are not in full-time employment. Most of our membership is of an older age group, consisting mainly of retired people. We provide a variety of opportunities throughout the week for our members to meet. Our members have the opportunity to join a wide range of interest groups to learn, exercise, play music and sing together, for example. We also run a weekly free coffee morning where members can socialise in an informal atmosphere. We have many members who regularly attend on these mornings to meet old and new friends. Both members and potential members are welcome to come along to the coffee mornings.
Achievements
Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible, reaching out to as many people as we can in our local area who are in the group described in our objectives, above. After a reduction in numbers during the years affected by covid, we are now finding that our membership has reached a healthy number and we are steadily gaining new members. All of our groups are well-attended.
We advertise our meetings in various ways including
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a monthly bulletin
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emails to members
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on our website
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on social media
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on a notice-board at our main meeting venue
Our coffee mornings are very popular, providing a venue in which our members can meet together in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Future plans
We hope to increase our membership, attracting a larger percentage of our target population. We will do this by advertising more widely and by choosing activities and events that will be interesting and attractive to new members.
We have plans in hand to produce our own local magazine in the near future.
Equipment owned by Uttoxeter u3a
We have a variety of items of equipment used by our groups. The main items are: A keyboard, a number of laptop computers, projectors and screens (one large, one smaller), three table tennis tables, a CD player and a PA system. These are all either in the charge of group leaders or kept in a locked storage cupboard at our main meeting venue.
We do not own or lease any land or property.
Structure and management
Our charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 25/10/2007. Our constitution was adopted on 9/06/2007 and was last amended on 21/06/2017.
We have a committee of 15 trustees, 3 of whom are executive officers: the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
The trustees receive no remuneration or other benefits.
The committee meets monthly to discuss the running of our organisation and to make any necessary decisions. Minutes of these meetings are recorded and are posted on our website and also posted on a notice-board at our main meeting venue.
We hold an AGM, to which all of our members are invited. At the AGM, reports are presented by the Chair and by the Treasurer. New trustees are elected at this time. Any member can be nominated for any vacant post, and each nominee must have a proposer and a seconder. If more than one person is nominated for a given post, then a ballot is taken. All members present at the meeting have the right to vote.
Uttoxeter u3a is part of a national organisation: “The u3a”, under the guidance of the Third Age Trust, which provides support and information.
Uttoxeter u3a is also a member of a Mid-Staffordshire Link Group including other local u3a branches. This group meets on a regular basis to exchange information and provide support.
Administrative details
| Administratve details | |
|---|---|
| Charity name | Uttoxeter and District U3A |
| Other name the charity uses | Uttoxeter Third Agers |
| Registered charity number | 1121369 |
| Charity’s principal address | Beamhurst Hall Farm Beamhurst Uttoxeter Staffordshire ST14 5EA |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | |
|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Cash at bank at 31/03/2024 was £9815.44 in unrestricted funds |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
The main fnancial risk to the charity is loss of funding from reduced membership and group atendee fees. The funds are held to cover 4 months operatonal costs in the event of a loss of income and to meet any unforeseen expenditure that may occur. |
| Amount of reserves held | £9629.08 as at 31/03/24 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
N/A |
Trustees during year ending 31/03/2024
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Hawkins | Chair | ||
| Jennifer Lingham | Secretary | ||
| Christine Brewster | Treasurer | ||
| Eileen Egerton | Until 27/09/23 | ||
| Gerald Higginbottom | |||
| LesleyLaw | |||
| Carol Hogan | |||
| Andrew Matthews | From 19/07/2023 | ||
| Margaret Bellchambers | From 19/07/2023 | ||
| Pamela Merrett | |||
| Caroline Derry | |||
| Hazel Glover | |||
| Graham Goodall | |||
| Paul Kempson | |||
| Simon Haas |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others: none
none Exemptions from disclosure:
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) J Lingham
Full name(s) Dr Jennifer Lingham
Position (eg Secretary, Secretary Chair, etc)
Date
UTTOXETER AND DISTRICT U3A Statement of Financial Accounts for the Year Ending: 31st March 2024 Registered Charity number 1121369
2023/24
INCOME
| INCOME | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Membership Fees | £ | 4,998.81 |
|
| Group Session Fees | £ | 17,586.66 |
|
| Miscellaneous | Open House | ||
| Gift Aid | £ | 557.62 |
|
| Other incl Book S | £ | 714.80 |
|
| Holiday Commiss | £ | 251.82 |
|
| Social Account | £ | 4,671.00 |
|
| Bank Interest | £ | 101.14 |
|
| £ | 28,881.85 |
||
| EXPENDITURE | |||
| U3A Magazine Mailing | Costs | £ | 1,191.85 |
| Equipment/ Books | £ | 1,096.29 |
|
| Zoom Licence | £ | 143.88 |
|
| IT costs | £ | 42.00 |
|
| Postage | £ | 13.50 |
|
| Printing | £ | 499.07 |
|
| Room Hire | General | £ | 14,129.70 |
| Comm/AGM Open House exp inc entertainment |
£ £ |
132.00 782.12 |
|
| Stationery/Consumables | £ | 151.62 |
|
| U3A Capitation Fee | £ | 1,748.00 |
|
| expenses | £ | 684.85 |
|
| Working Luncheon GL | £ | 351.00 |
|
| Sundries | £ | 20.00 |
|
| Social Account | £ | 5,280.75 |
|
| £ | 26,266.63 |
||
| Surplus for the year | £ | 2,615.22 |
|
| Accumulated funds brought forward | £ | 16,829.70 |
|
| Accumulated funds at end of year | £ | 19,444.92 |
|
| Assets | Reserve a/c | £ | 9,629.08 |
| Current Liabilities | Current A/c | £ £ |
9,815.84 4,968.16 |
| Net Assets | £ | 14,476.76 |
Notes:
All low value equipment is written off at time of purchase At this time all assets have been fully depreciated.
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Uttoxeter & DiStrt u3a On accounts forthe year ended 31103124 Charity no (rf any) 1121369. Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {he Trusf) for the year ended Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accCn with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 fthe Actl. I report in respect of my examination of the Trusfs accounts carried out under SeCtn 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 ACL I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below-) in connection with the exarninatK)n vthith gives me cause to believe that in, any material restEd." accounting records were not kept in accordan with sectton 130 of the Act or the accounts do rK)t accord with the accounting records Independent examinerfs statement I have no concems aTKI have come across no other matters in connection with the e In n to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper of the accounts to be reached. "Ple words in the brackets rf they do not apply. Signed: Name: Relevant profess" al qualification(s) or body (if any)= Cs4 Address: L QwG- IER October 2018