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2022-12-31-accounts

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Hertford and Hitchin Area Meeting

Annual Report 2022

Headings: Page: Structure and objectives of the Area Meeting 2 Public benefit statement 3 Governance 3 Activities 5 Achievement and performance 6 Membership and meetings for worship Children and young people Pastoral and spiritual life of the community Outreach to other communities Use of meeting houses by the community Sustainability Quaker witness Peace Cottage Community Hub (formerly Hoddesdon Quaker Meeting House) Financial governance Trustees Financial Review 2022 11 Key plans for the future 13

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Structure and objectives of the Area Meeting

  1. This annual report has been compiled by the trustees of the Hertford and Hitchin Area Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), abbreviated as Hertford and Hitchin Area Meeting . The Area Meeting is also known as Hertford and Hitchin Quakers, and was previously known as Hertford and Hitchin Monthly Meeting.

The Area Meeting is part of the organisation of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain, and the national body is known as Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM). The Area Meeting contains six Local meetings (LMs), which hold public Meetings for Worship and have day-to-day care of Meeting Houses and other property.

The objective of the Area Meeting is the furtherance of the general religious and charitable purposes of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain in the area of the Area Meeting and beyond. This may be done by work such as:

5. Trustees:

The following Trustees served in 2022: Clare Cooper David Hindle Andrew Meek Paul Evans

1 “Members” are those who have formally been accepted into membership of the Area Meeting, “Attenders” are those who regularly attend Meeting for Worship but are not Members. The Area Meeting has a general policy of not distinguishing between Members and Attenders.

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6. Key officers

These roles are rotated between Clerks and Members/Attenders of constituent local meetings. A Continuity Clerk (Kathy Hindle) was appointed to maintain the flow of information between constituent local meetings.

Names and addresses of other relevant organisations or persons:

Bank: Triodos Bank, Brunel House, 11 The Promenade, Bristol, BS8 3NN

Examiner of Accounts: Chris Maylin

Custodian Trustees for the Area Meeting:

Friends Trusts Limited 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ#

Serious Incidents .

There were no serious incidents in 2022 which should have been reported.

Public Benefit Statement

  1. The principal public benefit of the Area Meeting is that in normal circumstances, at least weekly each of the 5 Meeting Houses in current use is open to the public for Meeting for Worship. The Meeting Houses are also made available as appropriate, sometimes at a subsidised charge, to suitable local community and interest groups and charities. Due to Covid, many Meetings for Worship continued to be held online at the start of the year, before government guidance allowed the reopening of places of worship. Access to the online meetings was permitted for genuine requests from members of the public who contacted the local meeting link.

  2. The Area Meeting and its constituent Local meetings provide financial support to Quaker activities in the UK and abroad, mostly through contributions to national Quaker organisations. Support is also provided to a number of organisations and projects which are in broad agreement with Quaker principles, including peace, justice, and welfare.

Governance

  1. The Area Meeting in session adopted a Governing Document on 13 October 2007 (Minute 81/07), amended on 9 November 2008 (Minute 81/08). As a result of meetings for worship being held online due to Covid, a further amendment was made to incorporate this change (Minute 22/23)

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  1. The activities of the trustees are defined by the Governing Document, and by the Terms of Reference for trustees adopted by the Area Meeting business meeting on 9 June 2007. The minutes of trustees’ meetings, and supporting documents, are available (currently passworded) on the internet, and the attention of existing and new trustees is drawn to this and other significant information sources on the internet.

  2. Meetings for church affairs, in which the Religious Society conducts its business, are meetings for worship based on silence, carrying the expectation that God’s guidance can be discerned if members are truly listening together and to each other. The unity that is sought depends on the willingness of all to seek the truth in each other’s utterances. There is no voting in any meeting as this would inhibit the process of seeking to know the will of God as expressed in the sense of the meeting.

The Clerk of the meeting bears the final responsibility for preparing the business, conducting the meeting and drafting the minutes of the meeting. Minutes are drafted by the Clerk during the course of the meeting, but the final decision about whether the minute represents the sense of the meeting is the responsibility of the meeting itself, not of the Clerk.

  1. The Area Meeting during 2022 had 6 constituent geographically based Local meetings which organise public Meetings for Worship. These Local meetings are at:

Eyeworth (Guilden Morden Meeting) Letchworth Hertford Hitchin Stevenage Welwyn Garden City (WGC).

The Local Meeting at Hoddesdon was laid down at the start of 2012; the Area Meeting continues to oversee the building and plans for its use are progressing. See Plans for the Future below.

  1. All of these Local meetings are authorised to hold bank accounts, and each (except Guilden Morden) has the use of a Meeting House, as its place of worship. These are owned by the Area Meeting. Three of the Local meetings also accommodate wardens, and WGC also has a small building used as a function room.

Friends Trusts Ltd is the custodian trustee of the Area Meeting's properties.

A number of advisory and executive functions are delegated to subsidiary committees:

The Area Meeting is part of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain, of which Britain Yearly Meeting is the body which centrally manages the policy, property, employment and work of the Religious Society.

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6. Risk assessment: the Trustees have considered a number of areas of possible risk, as follows:

Care of property:

The properties are appropriately insured, and Area Meeting Properties Committee have oversight of any significant alterations to property which Local meetings propose and provide advice as needed on proposals, and receives annual reports on the condition of the Meeting Houses and other properties.

Health and Safety:

The Local meetings are responsible for assessing the safety aspects of the use of the buildings in their care or which they use. The Trustees will incorporate oversight of this into Memoranda of Understanding.

Financial probity:

The Area Meeting and its constituent bodies have no activities which constitute a major financial risk. There is a financial reporting system which includes independent examination of the Area Meeting’s and its constituent bodies’ annual accounts.

Investments:

The Area Meeting’s funds are all in bank accounts and building societies. The placement of the funds is reviewed periodically.

Employment:

The Trustees have examined the employment practices in the Local Meetings with regard to legal requirements.

Safeguarding

Our Safeguarding policy and practice was revised in 2022 in light of new guidance from British Yearly Meeting working with the Christian safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight. A programme of induction provided for all Meetings during the year to explain the implications of the new policy. Due emphasis was placed on the responsibility of all Friends and Attenders to abide by the Safeguarding policy for everyone who comes to our Meeting Houses or premises. Where needed, Friends or Attenders volunteering with children attended Safeguarding training, which was funded by the Area Meeting.

Activities

  1. The main activity of the constituent local meetings is the holding of public meetings for worship using Quaker practice, and regular meetings for church affairs. The Area Meeting itself holds business meetings for church affairs and supports its constituent local meetings, including providing grants and practical support to develop the life of meetings, and of individual Quakers (Members) and attenders.

  2. While we have seen an increase in attendance by younger people in two Meetings, the membership in general continues to age and decline in numbers. Fewer people are available to take on administrative roles within the local and area meetings due to age or other work/life commitments. At the Local Meeting level, some committee functions continue to be held by Local Meetings’ Business Meetings (eg Premises Committees). At the Area Meeting level, committee functions have been shared amongst different local meetings (such as the Area Meeting Nominations Committee, and Area Meeting Business Meeting Clerking).

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  1. Other activities include:

  2. Nurturing relations with other Quaker bodies, other denominations and other faiths;

  3. Promoting our Quaker way of life, values, beliefs and practices;

  4. Witness through action, engaging in work to address social problems including supporting those struggling with the cost of living, and resettling and befriending of refugees, often in partnership with other organisations.

  5. The Area Meeting and its constituent local meetings decide how to use their funds to support Britain Yearly Meeting and other Quaker bodies, and also to support individuals and non-Quaker organisations whose objects and actions are in accordance with core Quaker values, including peace, simplicity, truth, justice, and equality.

Achievements and Performance

1. Membership and meetings for worship

At the end of 2022, for Tabular Statement purposes, there were 142 Members of the Area Meeting, the same as the previous year, and 108 attenders. The Area Meeting lost 1 Member by death, and 1 by transfer out. We also welcomed 2 new members by convincement and 1 by transfer in.

The year 2022 continued to see the gradual return to weekly Meetings for Worship across the Area Meeting. The pace of return across the Area Meeting was varied, given that Covid-19 was still around but became less of a threat as most people were vaccinated. In general, local meetings reported a reduced attendance following Covid. The use of a laptop using Zoom enabled blended meetings to continue to take place in Hertford and Hitchin Meetings, and this allowed the participation of those who lived, or had moved, further away, which was warmly welcomed. In Welwyn Garden City, online participation was discontinued as Friends returned to the Meeting House. Hitchin Meeting continued to hold a second half-hour online Meeting for Worship on Wednesday evenings, and Welwyn Garden City Meeting held two meetings for worship on Sundays. Average attendance, including online meetings, varied from three to five in the two smallest meetings, 14 – 18 in larger meetings and up to 30 in the largest meeting.

Six Area Meetings for Business were held online until the middle of the year, when they resumed in person. Average attendance was between 10 and 15 attending when meetings resumed in person. Reports were received regularly from Meeting for Sufferings (the national standing executive body between Yearly Meetings) and the various committees accountable to Area Meeting. Triennial reports were received from Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City. Area Meeting dates for 2023 were agreed, and the tabular statement (an indicator of the numerical strength of our Local meetings) for 2021 was received, the Area Meeting being the body responsible for membership.

2. Children and Young People

In-person children’s meeting continued regularly at Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City Meetings where families regularly attended with their children. In Hitchin, the regular child attenders were under 2 years old and so the meetings were mostly play and stories, or garden activities. In one local meeting an online older children’s meeting took place monthly at weekends until October 2022, held to keep some contact with families who had

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moved abroad. Four children (along with their parents) regularly took part in discussions ranging from the meaning of gifts to what they thought about war. Welwyn Garden City Meeting held monthly children’s meetings with between 2 and 6 children joining. In other local meetings, children joined in shared lunch events for celebration occasions, such as summer picnics and Christmas. Three local meetings held All Age Worship Meetings at different times of the year, some monthly, including at Christmas, and these were often followed by shared lunches.

3. Pastoral and spiritual life of the community

Local meetings continued to support Friends and Attenders through the roles of Elders and Pastoral Carers. Regular meetings, usually around six times a year, allow these role holders to share information and consider ways to reach out to other Friends and Attenders with vulnerabilities, and plan activities to strengthen their Quaker community. As numbers have declined however and it continues to be difficult to fill these roles, Local meetings have started to share these functions and work more collaboratively. The use of the term ‘Overseer’ was replaced across all local meetings by the term Pastoral Carer or Pastoral Friend, given its association with oppressive contexts. One meeting agreed to also drop the term ‘Elder’ as this could feel exclusive to some, and now use the term ‘Pastoral and Spiritual Care Friend’.

Meetings for worship included ‘Afterword’ sessions or sharing of spiritual readings or art works. Most local meetings continued to share readings from Advices and Queries during their Meetings for Worship for Business. Three local meetings held regular discussion groups on spiritual themes, reading from different texts, including Friendly Bible Study, Advices and Queries, and ‘Experiment with Light’. One Meeting invited a speaker from Quaker Peace Education to talk to their community.

Across different local meetings, special meetings were held to bless a wedding, celebrate a birth, and to celebrate the lives of two Friends who had passed away.

As in-person contact increased, local meetings gradually resumed regular group activities to support each other and rebuild their social connectedness, such as shared lunches, discussion or book groups, craft mornings, monthly walks and talks. Hitchin continued to produce their monthly newsletter (Quakerview) which is also shared and enjoyed by other local meetings. Other meetings set up email or digital messaging groups, to share notices and news, or photos with each other.

The emerging trend of on-line training, which increased during Covid, has allowed the increased availability to learning for Friends and Attenders. This included regular online discussions regarding the revisions to the Safeguarding policy, and meetings for Clerks and Trustees around the country. Friends across different Local Meetings attended on-line or in-person talks and workshops during the annual Britain Yearly Meeting conference.

4. Outreach to other communities

Local meetings continued to have regular contact with Church and community groups within their immediate areas. Examples in 2022 were:

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Some meetings have strong links with other faith groups and volunteers attended and assisted in regular Interfaith events and shared suppers. One meeting house was regularly used by their local Ukrainian support group for Hosts and Visitors free of charge, twice a month. The group loved coming to the QMH and valued the opportunity to meet each other. A number of Friends and Attenders across all local meetings were involved individually with working with refugee groups, disability groups, food banks, and projects in the UK or overseas working for the relief of poverty.

Welwyn Garden City Meeting hosted a successful Arts and Craft Extravaganza to draw in the local community, including Ukrainian refugees. The Peace Garden in the grounds of Hitchin Meeting which is also supported by other faith groups saw the installation of the sundial donated by Churches Together in Hitchin, a Unity sculpture, and a mosaic panel. This brought together local artists and sculptors, the Tilehouse Rotary Club and local churches to share readings and prayers.

The Peace Garden was also used for an event recognising International Peace Day on 21 September 2022. Members of the Orpheus Choir sang, and a Ukrainian refugee spoke of the loss of her country and flight to the UK, and doves were hung in trees.

The 17[th] century Hertford Meeting House opened for visitors on the second Saturday of the month from May to September and all day on September 10th for Heritage Open Day and the Herts and Beds Bike ‘n Hike. Friends welcomed 34 Bike ‘n Hike participants and 59 other visitors. The Meeting House also opened for visitors during Quaker Week in October and a group from Friends House visited in September when a friend gave a talk about the history of the Meeting House and Quakers in Hertford.

The Area Meeting joined other faith communities when invited to covenant with the local authority in building a relationship of mutual understanding and goodwill. Hertfordshire local authority were pleased to see the support offered by faith communities to local communities, during and after Covid. This may mean that faith bodies, including Quakers, are included into the council's consultation process regarding planning for example, or are encouraged to participate in training, such as safeguarding.

5. Use of meeting houses by the community

Local meetings with meeting houses have continued to work to maintain their premises in good condition and improve them for the communities they serve, carrying out annual premises checks, repairs, servicing of equipment and annual ‘deep’ spring cleaning.

Some refurbishment and building work that was delayed due to Covid was able to be completed, such as restoring the perimeter wall at Hertford Meeting House. Letchworth Meeting undertook work to roof fascia boards, removing asbestos, refurbishment of the Warden’s flat, and alterations to the Garden room in order to make it viable to be let to community groups and to decrease their carbon footprint.

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All the Local meetings except Guilden Morden have Meeting Houses and other facilities which are normally available for use by the wider community. Welwyn Garden City Meeting has the Backhouse Room which is an additional separate meeting room. The availability of these premises is regarded as a form of service to the community, particularly when they are used by groups answering a social need or providing a cultural service. Meetings reported a steady return to pre-Covid levels of hiring, or an increase, including to some new groups:

The hiring of these premises remains a significant source of revenue for the meetings. Charges may be reduced to encourage groups in difficulty, however, as a result of increased energy charges, meetings also needed to increase their basic hire rates, and this was understood by hirers.

6. Sustainability

Our local meetings continue to support our commitment to the policy of sustainability being pursued by Britain Yearly Meeting, and this includes the care and use of our properties. We continue to aim to make our meeting houses become sustainable and reduce our energy consumption, buying this from renewable sources. Letchworth Meeting made alterations to their heating system and installed cavity wall insulation.

Local meetings are continuing to manage their grounds to encourage wildlife and biodiversity (ponds, wild areas meeting house gardens). Hertford Meeting is exploring the idea of installing swift boxes although this requires planning permission as the building is Grade 1 listed.

Hertford continues to work closely with local sustainability groups when suitable opportunities arise, for example at the Extinction Rebellion carnival and hosting a Transition Hertford sustainability fair which was well attended by the local community.

7. Quaker witness

Our witness included supporting Quaker and non-Quaker organisations which pursue aims in line with our values, particularly (but not exclusively) historical Quaker concerns such as peace, justice, refugees, treatment of

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criminals, and emergency relief, all areas where ‘that of God in all people’ is often not recognised. As part of our support, Local meetings have provided funds for Quaker and non-Quaker charitable bodies either on a regular or one-off basis, or by holding a special event to raise funds: These include:

Financial support for Quaker organisations in 2022 amounted to £12438, for non-Quaker organisations £8977.

Local meetings have supported Amnesty International in various ways, including organising and participating in letter writing events (individually and in groups).

8. Peace Cottage Community Hub (formerly Hoddesdon Quaker Meeting House)

The Peace Cottage Community project continued to thrive, with significant involvement from a dedicated steering group from Welwyn Garden City, Hertford and Eyeworth Meetings. Relationships with representatives from the Hoddesdon community continued to strengthen and events were held to draw in local people. Another open day was held in August and further progress made in developing and clearing the garden with a team of committed local volunteers. Further grant applications were successful in obtaining funds to upgrade the building.

9. Financial governance

During 2022 the Area Meeting continued to pursue policies of good governance and furtherance of our charitable objectives in compliance with its governing document.

Fiscal oversight was achieved at all levels by the receipt and acceptance of both the examined Area Meeting business accounts, and also the receipt of the examined Area Meeting amalgamated accounts, for 2021 for the Local meetings over which it had oversight. The proposed budget, financial timetable, and Area Meeting Quotas for 2023 were received and accepted.

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10. Trustees

During 2022 four trustees served. The trustees see one of their functions as providing advice and counsel to local meetings. Trustees occasionally flag up matters of concern to Area Meeting for Business by minute and may bring proposals. Trustees appoint representatives to all Area Meeting Business Meetings. New trustees are appointed by the Area Meeting following expressions of interest from local meetings and nominations by local meetings. The trustees compiled the Annual Report for 2021 on the activities of the Area Meeting, which was presented to the Area Meeting Business Meeting and submitted to the Charity Commission. The trustees also produced a report to Area Meeting Business Meeting on trustees' activities. During 2022 not all trustee meetings were quorate although records were kept of matters discussed.

Financial Review 2022

1. Reserves Policy The reserves policy for Area Meeting central funds is based on holding money in various nominal funds at Area Meeting level. We are in the process of running down Area Meeting funds as agreed by the Treasurer in consultation with Finance Committee. The level will be as follows:

Funds held for the following purposes Amount £
Properties Emergency Fund 15,000
General Purposes 10,000
Designated funds:
Peace Group 500
Quaker Work 1,000
Camp Committee 7,000
Total 33,500

For the operation of Local meetings, it is expected that each of these should hold enough reserves to operate for 1 year and meet future building requirements. The level of funds for 2022 were:

Local Meeting Amount £ Guilden Morden 1,000 Hertford 17,000 Hitchin 22,000 Letchworth 45,000 Stevenage 9,000 Welwyn Garden City 63,000 Total 157.000

The criteria and levels of reserves for Local meetings are currently under review.

2. Income and Expenditure None of the Area Meeting’s funds were in deficit during 2022. At 31[st] December 2022, the Area Meeting had a total cash value of £324,394 (2021: £219,793). A significant part of the increase in value was due to a legacy received by one of the Local Meetings.

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3. Income: Our income was significantly increased by a legacy and by insurance payments for lost income during the Covid shutdowns, income in 2022 was £300,882 (2021: £128,614). A further insurance payment will be reflected in the 2023 accounts.

Funds from Friends were £33,676 (2021: £53,306).

Income from letting our Meeting Houses etc was £94,217 (2021: £53,502), a fall of 14% compared to prepandemic income. Much of the letting business has now returned, but there are some previous hirers who no longer operate. Local Meetings have received insurance compensation for some of the lost business due to Covid.

Grants or donations from outside bodies were £35,850 (2021: £21,240). This includes grants of £10,900 for various aspects of the work at Peace Cottage at Hoddesdon. At the end of 2021, £7,320 remained held as restricted funds for the purpose of developing Peace Cottage; this includes some donations by individual Friends for this purpose. Grants to Local Meetings amounted to £24,950, mostly for work on the Hertford Meeting House which is a Grade 1 Listed Building. £705 remains held as a restricted fund.

Interest received on cash balances was £2,581 (2021: £359).

4. Expenditure : Our largest expenditure remains the insurance, maintenance, and improvement of our properties, at £159,176 (2021: £99,063) in support of our role as a religious organisation at a local level. This includes planned expenditure at the Peace Cottage, Hoddesdon, of £21,017 to repair and improve the property, of which £16,841 was funded by external grants and donations.

In 2022, £21,415 (2021: £23,819) was expended on grants and other support to outside bodies, of which about 58% went to Britain Yearly Meeting in furtherance of the centrally organised work of the Religious Society of Friends.

The amount spent on administration within the Area Meeting in 2022 was £15,264 (2021: £11,709).

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Key plans for the future

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Charity No
(if any)
1131894
Period start date
01/01/2022
To
Period end
date
31/12/2022
Hertford and Hitchin Area Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Annual accounts for the period		 Charity No
(if any)
1131894
Period start date
01/01/2022
To
Period end
date
31/12/2022
Hertford and Hitchin Area Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Annual accounts for the period
Section A Statement of financial activities
Recommended categories by
activity
Guidance Notes
Incoming resources (Note 3)
Income and endowments from:
Donations and legacies
S01
Charitable activities
S02
Other trading activities
S03
Investments
S04
Separate material item of income
S05
Other
S06
S07
Resources expended (Note 6)
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
S08
Charitable activities
S09
Separate material item of expense
S10
Other
S11
S12
S13
Net gains/(losses) on investments
S14
S15
Extraordinary items
S16
S17
S18
Other gains/(losses)
S19
S20
Reconciliation of funds:
S21
S22
Total
Net movement in funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
Total
Net income/(expenditure) before investment
gains/(losses)
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Other recognised gains/(losses):
Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed assets for the charity’s own use		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowment
funds
Total funds
Prior year
funds
£
£
£
£
£
F01
F02
F03
F04
F05
132,259
39,107
-
171,366
74,726
2,997
-
-
2,997
-
94,227
-
-
94,227
53,502
2,581
-
2,581
359
29,657
-
-
29,657
-
54
-
-
54
27
261,775
39,107
-
300,882
128,614
-
-
-
-
-
21,415
-
21,415
23,189
-
-
-
-
126,248
48,192
-
174,440
110,772
147,663
48,192
-
195,855
133,961
114,112
9,085
-
-
105,027
5,347
-
-
-
-
-
-
114,112
9,085
-
-
105,027
5,347
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
114,112
9,085
-
-
105,027
5,347
-
202,255
17,112
-
219,367
224,714
316,367
8,027
-
324,394
219,367

CC17a (Excel)

31/10/2023

1

Section B Balance sheet

Fixed assets
Intangible assets (Note 15)
Tangible assets (Note 14)
Heritage assets (Note 16)
Investments (Note 17)
Total fixed assets
Current assets
Stocks (Note 18)
Debtors (Note 19)
Investments (Note 17.4)
Cash at bank and in hand (Note 24)
Total current assets
Creditors: amounts falling due within
one year (Note 20)
Net current assets/(liabilities)
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after
one year (Note 20)
Provisions for liabilities
Total net assets or liabilities
Funds of the Charity
Endowment funds (Note 27)
Restricted income funds (Note 27)
Unrestricted funds
Revaluation reserve
Total funds
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all
the trustees		 Guidance Notes
B01
B02
B03
B04
B05
B06
B07
B08
B09
B10

B11
B12
B13
B14
B15
B16
B17
B18
B19
B20
B21
 Unrestricted
funds
£
F01
-
80,000
-
-
Restricted
income
funds
£
F02
-
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
Total this
year
£
£
F03
F04
- -
- 80,000
- -
- -		 Total last
year
£
F05
-
80,000
-
-
80,000 - -
80,000		 80,000
-
16,412
-
324,245		 -
-
-
8,027		 - -
- 16,412
-
-
-
332,272		 -
11,585
-
220,888
340,657 8,027 -
348,684		 232,473
12,682
24,288 - - 24,288
316,369 8,027 -
324,396		 219,791
396,369 8,027 -
404,396		 299,791
-
-
-
-		 -
-		 - -
- -
396,369 8,027 -
404,396		 299,791
-
316,369		 8,027 -
8,027
- 316,369
-		 -
17,112
202,680
316,369 8,027 -
324,396		 219,792
Signature David Hindle
Print Name		 Date of
approval
dd/mm/yyyy
28/10/2023

CC17a (Excel)

31/10/2023

2

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 3 Analysis of income

----- Start of picture text -----
Restricted
Unrestricted income Endowment
funds funds funds Total funds Prior year
Analysis £ £
Donations Donations and gifts 31,094 3,257 - 34,351 46,911
and legacies: Gift Aid 4,352 - - 4,352 6,395
Legacies 96,815 - - 96,815 -
General grants provided by government/other
charities - 35,850 - 35,850 21,420
Membership subscriptions and sponsorships
which are in substance donations
- - - -
Donated goods, facilities and services - - - - -
Other - - - -
Total 132,261 39,107 - 171,368 74,726
Charitable Area Meeting Camp
activities: 2,997 - - 2,997 -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Other - - - - -
Total 2,997 - - 2,997 -
Other trading
activities: - - - - 53,502
Hirings and Lettings of Meeting Houses 94,217 - - 94,217 -
- - - - -
Other 64 - - 64 27
Total 94,281 - - 94,281 53,529
Income from Interest income 2,581 - - 2,581 359
investments: Dividend income - - - - -
Rental and leasing income - - - - -
Other - - - - -
Total 2,581 - - 2,581 359
Separate insurance payment for loss of business
material item (Covid19) 29,657 - - 29,657 -
of income: - - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Total 29,657 - - 29,657 -
Other: Conversion of endowment funds into income
- - - - -
Gain on disposal of a tangible fixed asset
held for charity's own use - - - - -
Gain on disposal of a programme related
investment - - - - -
Royalties from the exploitation of intellectual
property rights - - - - -
Other - - - - -
Total - - - - -
TOTAL INCOME 261,777 39,107 - 300,884 128,614
Other information:
All income in the prior year was unrestricted except for: (please
provide description and amounts)
Where any endowment fund is converted into income in the
reporting period, please give the reason for the conversion.
Where any endowment fund is converted into income in the
prior period, please give the reason for the conversion.
Within the income items above the following items are material:
(please disclose the nature, amount and any prior year
amounts)
----- End of picture text -----

CC17a (Excel)

31/10/2023

3

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 6 Analysis of expenditure

----- Start of picture text -----
This year Last year
Restricted
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Unrestricted income Endowment
Analysis funds income funds funds Total funds funds funds funds Total funds
Expenditure on raising funds: £ £
Incurred seeking donations - - - - - - - -
Incurred seeking legacies
- - - - - - - -
Incurred seeking grants
- - - - -
Operating membership schemes and
social lotteries
- - - - -
Staging fundraising events
- - - - -
Fudraising agents
- - - - -
Operating charity shops
- - - - -
Operating a trading company
undertaking non-charitable trading
activity - - - - -
Advertising, marketing, direct mail and
publicity - - - - - - - -
Start up costs incurred in generating
new source of future income
- - - - - - - -
Database development costs - - - - - - - -
Other trading activities - - - - -
Investment management costs: - - - - -
Portfolio management costs - - - - - - - -
Cost of obtaining investment advice
- - - - - - - -
Investment administration costs
- - - - - - - -
Intellectual property licencing costs
- - - - - - - -
Rent collection, property repairs and
maintenance charges - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
Total expenditure on raising funds - - - - - - - -
Expenditure on charitable activities:
Area Meeting Camp 3,613 - - 3,613 808 - - 808
Grant Making (see note 13) 21,415 - - 21,415 23,189 - - 23,189
Hitchin Peace Garden
- 6,651 - 6,651 - - - -
- - - - - - - -
Total expenditure on charitable
activities 25,028 6,651 - 31,679 23,997 - - 23,997
Separate material item of expense
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
Total - - - - - - - -
Other
Area and Local Meeting Expenses 11,651 - - 11,651 10,901 - - 10,901
Premises Costs 110,984 41,541 - 152,525 87,488 11,575 - 99,063
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
Total other expenditure 122,635 41,541 - 164,176 98,389 11,575 - 109,964
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 147,663 48,192 - 195,855 122,386 11,575 - 133,961
----- End of picture text -----

Other information:

Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities

Activity or programme
Activity 1
Activity 2
Other
Total		 Activities
undertaken
directly
Grant
funding of
activities
Support
Costs
Total this
year
Activities
undertaken
directly
Grant
funding of
activities
Support
Costs
Total last
year
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
- -
- -
- - -
-
- -
- -
- - -
-
- -
- -
- - -
-
This year
Last year
- -
- -
- - -
-

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Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 11 Paid employees Please complete this note if the charity has any employees.

11.1 Staff Costs

This year:
Last year:
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Other employee benefits
Total staff costs
Pension costs (defined contribution scheme)
Please provide details of expenditure on staff working for the
charity whose contracts are with and are paid by a related party		 This year
Last year
£
£
13,504 12,806
- -
1,875 1,778
- -
15,379 14,584

Please provide details of expenditure on staff working for the charity whose contracts are with and are paid by a related party Please give details of the number of employees whose total employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) fell within each band of £10,000 from £60,000 upwards. If there are no such transactions, please enter 'true' in the box provided.

No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) for the reporting period of more than £60,000

Band
Please provide the total amount paid to
personnel (includes trustees and senior
services to the charity. For specific am
see Note 28.
11.2 Average head count in the year
The parts of the charity in which the
employees work
£60,000 to £69,999
£70,000 to £79,999
£80,000 to £89,999
£90,000 to £99,999
£100,000 to £109,999		 Fundraising
Charitable Activities
Governance
Other
Tota
key management
management) for their
ounts paid to trustees,		 This year
Last year
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
This year
Last year
£
£
- -
This year
Last year
Number
Number
-
-
2 2
-
-
-
-
Number of employees
l2 2

11.3 Ex-gratia payments to employees and others (excluding trustees) Please complete if an ex-gratia payment is made.

Please state the accounting policy for a
termination payments
Please explain the nature of the
payment
Please state the legal authority or
reason for making the payment
11.4 Redundancy payments
The extent of redundancy funding at the
Please state the amount of the payment
a right to an asset)
The nature of the payment (cash, asset
etc.)
Please complete if any redundancy or te
Total amount of payment		 This year
Last year
This year
Last year
ny redundancy or
balance sheet date
(or value of any waiver of
rmination payment is mad		 This year
Last year
£
£
- -
This year
Last year
£
£
-
-
This year
Last year
£
£
- -

e in the period.

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5

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 13 Grantmaking

Please complete this note if the charity made any grants or donations which in aggregate form a material part of the charitable activities undertaken.

This year:

13.1 Analysis of grants paid (included in cost of charitable activities)

----- Start of picture text -----
Grants to
Analysis institutions Grants to individuals Support costs Total
£ £
Britain Yearly Meeting 12,438.00 - nil 12,438.00
Grants of £1000 and over - - nil -
Miscellaneous grants of under £1000 8,977.00 - nil 8,977.00
- - - -
Total 21,415 - - 21,415
----- End of picture text -----

Please enter “Nil” if the charity does not identify and/or allocate support costs.

13.2 Grants made to institutions

Yes
No
TOTAL GRANTS PAID
Other unanalysed grants
Total grants to institutions in reporting period
Britain Yearly Meeting
Purpose
Central Funding of Quaker activities
Names of institution
My charity has made grants to particular institutions that are material in the
context of its grantmaking. Details of the institution supported, purpose of
the grant and total paid to each institution is available on the charity's web
site.		 Please provide
details of charity's
URL.
Provide details
below
Total amount of
grants paid £
12,438
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12,438
-
12,438
Last year:
13.3 Analysis of grants paid (included in cost of charitable activities)
Grants to
Analysis institutions Grants to individuals Support costs Total
£ £
Britain Yearly Meeting 19,342.00 - nil 19,342.00
Grants of £1000 and over - - nil -
Miscellaneous grants of under £1000 3,817.00 - nil 3,817.00
- - - -
Total 23,159 - - 23,159

Please enter “Nil” if the charity does not identify and/or allocate support costs.

13.4 Grants made to institutions

13.4 Grants made to institutions
Yes
No
TOTAL GRANTS PAID
Total grants to institutions in reporting period
Other unanalysed grants
My charity has made grants to particular institutions that are material in the
context of its grantmaking. Details of the institution supported, purpose of
the grant and total paid to each institution is available on the charity's web
site.
Names of institution
Purpose
Britain Yearly Meeting
Central Funding of Quaker activities		 Please provide
details of charity's
URL.
Provide details
below
Total amount of
grants paid £
19,342
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
19,342
-
19,342

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6

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 14 Tangible fixed assets Please complete this note if the charity has any tangible fixed assets

14.1 Cost or valuation

----- Start of picture text -----
Freehold land & Other land & Plant, Fixtures, fittings Total
buildings buildings machinery and equipment
and motor
vehicles
£ £ £ £ £
At the beginning of the year 8,000 - - - 8,000
Additions - - - - -
Revaluations - - - - -
Disposals - - - - -
Transfers * - - - - -
At end of the year 8,000 - - - 8,000
14.2 Depreciation and impairments
Basis SL or RB (Straight SL or RB SL or RB SL or RB SL or RB
Line or Reducing
Balance)
 Rate
At beginning of the year - - - - -
Disposals - - - - -
Depreciation - - - - -
Impairment - - - - -
Transfers - - - - -
At end of the year - - - - -
14.3 Net book value
Net book value at the beginning of the year 8,000 - - - 8,000
Net book value at the end of the year 8,000 - - - 8,000
14.4 Impairment
This year: Please provide a description of the events and circumstances that
led to the recognition or reversal of an impairment loss.
Last year: Please provide a description of the events and circumstances that
led to the recognition or reversal of an impairment loss.
14.5 Revaluation
If an accounting policy of revaluation is adopted, please provide: This year Last year
the effective date of the revaluation
the name of independent valuer, if applicable
the methods applied and significant assumptions
the carrying amount that would have been recognised had the assets been - -
carried under the cost model.
14.6 Other disclosures
This year Last year
£ £
(i) Please state the amount of borrowing costs, if any, capitalised in the construction of - -
tangible fixed assets and the capitalisation rate used.
(ii) Please provide the amount of contractual commitments for the acquisition of tangible - -
fixed assets.
(iii) Details of the existence and carrying amounts of property, plant and
equipment to which the charity has restricted title or that are pledged as
security for liabilities.
----- End of picture text -----*

** Please indicate the method of depreciation by deleting the method not applicable (SL = straight line; RB = reducing balance). Also please indicate the rate of depreciation: for straight line, what is the anticipated life of the asset (in years); for reducing balance, what is the percentage annual deduction.

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7

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 19 Debtors and prepayments

Please complete this note if the charity has any debtors or prepayments.

19.1 Analysis of debtors Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors

----- Start of picture text -----
This year Last year
£ £
- -
16,412.0 11,585.0
- -
16,412.0 11,585.0
----- End of picture text -----

Total

Please complete 19.2 where a material debtor is recoverable more than a year after the reporting date.

19.2 Analysis of debtors recoverable in more than 1 year (included in debtors above)

Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors

Total This year
Last year
£
£
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -

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8

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 20 Creditors and accruals

Please complete this note if the charity has any creditors or accruals.

20.1 Analysis of creditors

Accruals for grants payable
Bank loans and overdrafts
Trade creditors
Payments received on account for contracts or
performance-related grants
Accruals and deferred income
Taxation and social security
Other creditors
Total		 This year
Last year
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
- - - -
- - - -
24,288 12,682
- -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Amounts falling due within
one year
Amounts falling due after
more than one year
24,288
12,682
- -

20.2 Deferred income

Please complete this note if the charity has deferred income.

Please explain the reasons why income is deferred. Movement in deferred income account Balance at the start of the reporting period Amounts added in current period Amounts released to income from previous periods Balance at the end of the reporting period

come.
This year This year
Last year
£
£
- -
- -
- -
Last year
- -

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9

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 24 Cash at bank and in hand

Note 24 Cash at bank and in hand
Other
Cash at bank and on hand
Total
Short term cash investments (less than 3 months maturity date)
Short term deposits		 This year
Last year
£
£
- -
268,900
159,062
63,371
62,029
- -
332,271
221,091

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10

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 27 Charity funds

27.1 Details of material funds held and movements during the CURRENT reporting period

Please give details of the movements of material individual funds in the reporting period together with a balancing figure for 'Other funds'. The 'Total funds' figure below should reconcile to 'Total funds' in the blanace sheet.

* Key: PE - permanent endowment funds; EE - expendible endowment funds; R - restricted income funds, including special trusts, of the charity; and U - unrestricted funds

----- Start of picture text -----
Fund Fund
balances balances
Type PE, EE Purpose and Restrictions brought Gains and carried
R or UR
forward Income Expenditure Transfers losses forward
Fund names £ £ £ £ £ £
Area Meeting General Fund UR General Purposes of Area Meeting 13,537 821 - 15,514 16,399 - 15,243
Area Meeting Quaker Work
Fund UR Supporting Quaker projects 1,000 - - - - 1,000
Area Meeting Building Fund UR Emergency repair of our buildings 15,000 - - - - 15,000
Area Meeting Camp Fund UR Area Meeting Camp 7,212 3,174 - 3,613 - - 6,773
Local Meetings General Funds UR General Purposes of Local Meetings 165,505 257,783 - 128,535 - 16,399 - 278,354
-
Hitchin Peace Garden R to be used for Hitchin Peace Garden 6,401 250 - 6,651 - - -
350th Anniversary Fund R to be used for Hertford Meeting House 705 24,700 - 24,700 - - 705
-
Herts CC R Peace Cottage raised garden beds 105 - - - - 105
Peace Cottage cleaning R Peace Cottage cleaning 30 - - 30 - - -
Broxbourne BC R Peace Cottage refurbishment 4,950 - 4,950 -
Places Called Home R Peace Cottage garden workshops etc 4,920 - - 740 - - 4,180
Peace Cottage Dementia Café R Peace Cottage Dementia Café facilities - 336 3,000 2,664
Peace Cottage General Fund R Peace Cottage general 3,256 - 10,785 7,900 371
-
Captain Tom Dementia Café R (Peace Cottage Dementia Café facilities) 1,500 - 1,500 -
Herts CC Dementia Café R (Peace Cottage Dementia Café facilities) 1,500 - 1,500 -
Community Wealth Building -
Fund R (Peace Cottage general) 5,000 - 5,000 -
Rosedale Community R (Peace Cottage general) 500 - 500 -
Broxbourne BC R (Peace Cottage general) 1,400 - 1,400 -
Herts CC R (Peace Cottage general) 1,000 - 1,000 -
-
Other funds N/a N/a - - - - - -
Total Funds 219,365 300,884 - 195,854 - - 324,395
----- End of picture text -----*

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11

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 27 Charity funds (cont)

27.2 Details of material funds held and movements during the PREVIOUS reporting period

Please give details of the movements of material individual funds in the reporting period together with a balancing figure for 'Other funds'. The 'Total funds' figure below should reconcile to 'Total funds' in the blanace sheet.

* Key: PE - permanent endowment funds; EE - expendible endowment funds; R - restricted income funds, including special trusts, of the charity; and U - unrestricted funds

----- Start of picture text -----
Fund Fund
balances balances
Type PE, EE Purpose and Restrictions brought Gains and carried
R or UR
forward Income Expenditure Transfers losses forward
Fund names £ £ £ £ £ £
Area Meeting General Fund UR General Purposes of Area Meeting 15,723 1,144 - 18,204 14,874 - 13,537
Area Meeting Quaker Work
Fund UR Supporting Quaker projects 1,000 - - - - 1,000
Area Meeting Building Fund UR Emergency repair of our buildings 15,000 - - - - 15,000
Area Meeting Camp Fund UR Area Meeting Camp 8,020 - - 808 - - 7,212
Local Meetings General Funds UR General Purposes of Local Meetings 183,377 100,377 - 103,374 - 14,874 165,506
Hitchin Peace Garden R to be used for Hitchin Peace Garden 888 5,513 - - - 6,401
350th Anniversary Fund R to be used for Hertford Meeting House 705 - - - - 705
Herts CC R Peace Cottage raised garden beds 1,250 - 1,145 105
Peace Cottage cleaning R Peace Cottage cleaning 150 - 120 30
Broxbourne BC R rPeace Cottage refurbishment 4,950 - 4,950
Places Called Home R Peace Cottage garden workshops etc 4,920 - 4,920
Peace Cottage garden R Peace Cottage garden 10 - 10 -
Allchurches Trust R Peace Cottage building work 1,800 - 1,800 -
Broxbourne PCN R Peace Cottage general 1,500 - 1,500 - - -
Countryside Properties R Peace Cottage general 7,000 - 7,000 - - -
- - - - - -
Other funds N/a N/a - - - - - -
Total Funds 224,713 128,614 - 133,961 - - 219,366
----- End of picture text -----*

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12

(HARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to thè trustees of Hertford and Hitchin Area Meeting ol the ReligioLSS Society of Friends (Qtjakersl On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 Charity no 1131894 Set out on page I report lo the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {"the Trust") for the year ended Responsibilitie$ and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 l.the Act.). I report in resped 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 given by the Charity Commission under sertion 145(5){b) of the Art. Independent I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have examinerfs statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or the accounts did not comply wrth the applicable requirements Con￿rning the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 olher than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I 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 lo be reached. Signed: Date: S. QPe-2023 Name: C. O M8-ILlfv) Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: SG) 64 HHQ Report P8geYofl to 31 Dec 2022