Hale Community Centre, 130 Upper Hale Road, Farnham, GU9 0JH
E | info@halecommunitycentre@gmail.com
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2025 FOR HALE COMMUNITY CENTRE LTD
T | +44 (0)1252 722 362
REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 06872992 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1132822
HALE COMMUNITY CENTRE LTD
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025
The Trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. The Trustees have adopted the provision 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 (FRS102(2015).
Governing document
The Hale Community Centre is a registered charity, limited by guarantee, governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 2008.
Registered Company number 06872992 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number 1132822
Registered office
Hale Community Centre 130 Upper Hale Road Farnham Surrey GU9 OJH
Independent Examiner Roger Smith – Milne Eldridge & Co
Bankers
The Co-operative Bank Business Direct P.O. Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
Directors/Trustees John Lewis - Chair Jean Hounsham – Secretary John Cattell –Treasurer Norma Corkish
Carol McFarlane (retired Nov 2024)
Melissa Ellenden Joan Juniper Simon Porter Catherine Powell Tom Quinn Pat Evans
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
Trustees, who are also directors of the company, are appointed in accordance with the procedures set out in the company’s Articles.
Risk management
The Trustees regularly monitor and review the risks to which the Charity is exposed.
Hale Community and Youth Centre a registered charity since 2009 and one for all residents in Upper Hale, is seen as a vital hub for families and people of all ages within North Farnham – with baby to seniors’ groups, along with a Youth Centre for 11-19 year olds.
Chair’s Statement 2024-25
I am delighted to present this summary covering the past year during which our former Chair of Trustees, Norma Corkish, retired from her role after some 14 years of leadership of the Hale Community & Youth Centre (the Centre). On behalf of the Trustees, staff, volunteers and all who use the Centre, as the new Chair I wish to take this opportunity to thank Norma for her significant skill, dedication and commitment to making this very special place what it is today, a thriving community hub fully embedded in our community.
Throughout 2024-25 the Centre has continued to deliver measurable improvements in health, wellbeing, education, and community cohesion throughout Upper Hale and its neighbouring villages. Operating in one of Surrey’s most disadvantaged areas the Centre has evolved into a wholly trusted and well-connected hub, tackling deprivation, supporting people of all ages, and helping to strengthen family resilience.
This statement highlights some of the Centre’s principal impacts and achievements.
In terms of some of the projects and initiatives the Centre delivers and their resultant impacts, the following are examples of how it continues to grow and mature:
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Community reach: the Centre impacts a broadening demographic with an emphasis on youth and family support, accompanied by fitness activities and health/wellbeing support to enhance social cohesion and foster inclusivity and integration.
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Economic and financial resilience: the Centre supports the local community with focused cost-of-living guidance and training which includes, for example, access to our Community Fridge & Cupboard plus the Warm Welcome sessions which help provide direct relief and cohesion for families suffering ongoing financial strain.
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Enhanced collaboration and partnerships leveraged to multiply effect: the Centre is continuing to work directly with Surrey County Council, Farnham Town Council and organisations which include Barnardo’s, the NHS Integrated Care Board, Home-Start Waverley and our local churches and schools.
In addition to the amazing work the Centre undertakes, comprising in excess of 30 individual projects and initiatives at any one time each of which is led by our dedicated staff team and supported by now more than 60 volunteers and our Trustees, the Centre has welcomed high-profile visitors including HRH Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and the High Sheriff. Additionally, the Centre has also been recognised as a nominee for the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) of which it is particularly proud. Each of these clearly represents recognition of the profile that the Centre holds within not just the local community but also across Surrey and the south of England.
Via these routes, amongst others, and built on its robust foundations and breadth of skilled resources, over the past year the Centre has enhanced its sustainability, adaptability and profile for the long-term and continues to be a vital lifeline for our local residents and others who make use of the Centre. By continuing to tackle health inequalities, supporting young and older people alike, and fostering community cohesion and integration, measurable impact can be maintained, and the Centre will continue to remain a trusted, sustainable hub for the future. Dr. John Lewis – Chair of Trustees
The Restricted Funds will be used exclusively to finance the cost of the designated projects as agreed with the funders.
As noted in the SoFA, in order to ensure monies are available for refurbishment of the building, in particular replacement of the roof when it becomes due in approximately 10 years’ time, it has been agreed to put aside £2,400 per annum into a designated fund. Several infrastructure improvement requirements for the building have been identified that will need to take place in the near future.
Reserves Policy
Trustees have agreed to availability of funds to cover 6 months' operational costs, which at the moment, including the staff salaries, stand at approximately £47,000.
Unrestricted reserves stand at £56,661 thereby providing a surplus of £9,661. Restricted grants were primarily for the Centre’s youth and community development projects.
Room hire income has increased substantially now that all Covid restrictions are in the past, but occupancy is now close to capacity. .
Within our closest community Sandy Hill, there are particular challenges.
The 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation show this community to be overall in the lowest 30% of LLSOAs (Lower Layer Super Output Area) in England and in the lowest 20% for education, skills and training. The 2019 local authority health profile showed that life expectancy is a number of years lower for both men and women in the most deprived areas of Waverley than in the least deprived areas.
| 2015 Education, Skills & Training LOWEST |
2019 10THLOWEST |
|---|---|
| Income Deprivation 5THLOWEST |
13THLOWEST |
| Income Deprivation Affecting Children (IDACI) 5THLOWEST |
16THLOWEST |
| Employment Deprivation 11THLOWEST |
10THLOWEST |
| Position in Surrey (709) 5THLOWEST |
14THLOWEST |
Being community led
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Respect
for all
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Our vision
Create lasting positive change with an ethos of working with, rather than for, and our mission to provide a safe, welcoming and inspiring environment where the whole community is encouraged and enabled to thrive.
Inclusivity
We aim to do this through offering inclusive activities which support the education, training, employment, cultural and recreational needs and aspirations of our local community, holding to values which reflect these headings:
Integrity – honesty, openness, transparency, fairness
Excellence
Numbers we have helped: Total number of users through the year
On average 65 individual young people each week
Approximately 100 participating in health & wellbeing projects
8 young people completed the MOALE course and 5 were supported in school
Almost 200 regular users of the Fridge & Cupboard
30 families participating in our family holiday activities together with ad hoc sessions including many more
More than 60 volunteers 25 for the Fridge & Cupboard with 40 collections on a weekly basis from 14 different stores
Our Key Achievements
Our Community Cupboard & Fridge
Whilst this was originally started in order to rescue food from landfill, it now also ensures many are able to put food on the table. The 25 volunteers involved in this activity made 40 collections each week from 14 different stores, whilst also ensuring we were open 2/3 days/week, with the outside cupboard open at all times.
Pop up Café
Our Wednesday lunch-time sessions, where people pay what they want (or nothing) have continued to be a great success often preparing 30 lunches a week. Our fantastic volunteer kitchen team
provide a delicious lunch, using our ‘saved food’, for all those attending and for those needing information or advice when our CA adviser is on hand. We also welcomed other community organisations to come along and promote other local services and opportunities.
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14.5X
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Between in March 2024 and March 2025 we redistributed 58+ tonnes of excess food which is about the same weight as 5 T. Rex’s
And enough to The 164 tonnes of CO2e saved produce 147,454 by not sending the waste to healthy meals for our landfill is equivalent to driving community. a family sized car 14.5x around the globe.
Youth Provision
This provided open access for 10-19 year olds 2 nights/week; a Junior and Senior Girls Clubs for 10-14 year olds 1 night/week; a Boys Night In for 14-19 year olds; a Code Club for 9-14 year olds twice monthly; Bethel Baptist Church youth group; Kids on the Hill for 7–11 year olds, together with holiday activities during the summer. Activities covered included a variety of educational, craft and physical activities with participation in Hale Carnival, a visit to Aldershot Lido, the seaside, bowling and a Christmas celebration.
Our Key Achievements
In 2024 we also ran MOALE – the Mighty Oak Alternative Learning Experience – for 11-16 year olds who were experiencing barriers to attending school because of social isolation, anxiety or poor mental health for 2 hours/week for 27 weeks. It provided an opportunity to explore the obstacles to school engagement and to work on personal confidence, relationship building, self-care and developing coping strategies to enable young people to thrive.
In addition, we continue to support a group of parents and young people in their efforts to get a football group up and running by ensuring they could get their DBS checks, first aid and safeguarding training and some coaching training for one of the volunteers.
Stay and Play – Parent & Pre-schoolers’ Group
ensured we were able to continue to provide early years support (no longer available since the closing of our Children’s Centre) to local families where we regularly see 10 to 12 families.
Community Garden
Volunteers continue to ensure our Community Garden thrives and provides colour, fruit and vegetables for the various meals we provide and those that are made in our cookery classes. We have held various gardening projects for families including bucket gardening to help them understand how they can produce their own food in small spaces.
Community Engagement
Our Key Achievements
This year we continued to support and develop community engagement, well-being and cohesion within Sandy Hill through providing positive and dynamic opportunities that build community resilience and empowerment. This linked well with our Health & Wellbeing Co-ordination work which focussed on building physical and emotional strength and resilience, with sessions on cooking, walking, strength and balance and mobile gym.
A successful Fun Day, with the support of SHIP (Sandy Hill Inclusive Partnership) was held offering information and fun activities for all age groups.
Other activities included:
Under our ‘Warm Welcome’ banner: Weekly Seniors Group, Pop In Craft for All, Weekly Craft Group, Weekly Job Club, Swap shop, SEND parents group
We also hire out room space to external groups which has included healthy diabetes courses, Slimming World, karate for children, food bank cooking courses, Rainbows and a variety of craft clubs. We also host a range of counselling services and medical sessions in our consulting room.
Impact
It is important that we monitor and evaluate all our work to the best of our ability to ensure that we are making a difference, and are:
VY Improving health and well-being, whilst reducing levels of anxiety, stress, depression and associated ill-health
- V Reducing isolation
VY Improving confidence and self-reliance
- V Improving levels of education, skills and training
Feedback we have received includes:
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“I love coming down and doing arts and crafts with my friends”
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“I have learned about all different things, like how to treat people with respect” “Girlz Club and the Youth Club has made me feel so much better”.
When asked what we could do better, all those participating in the evaluation process emphatically said ‘nothing’. Feedback on our health and wellbeing sessions has included:
“My fitness has improved, and some confidence has returned. My balance has also improved, so quite a change for which I am very pleased.”
“I particularly like the social bit afterwards as I live on my own.”
- “We had THE BEST time today - thank you so much for bringing back the lifeline to the wider community - it makes such a difference to so many!:
Working with Others
In all of the above we have worked with a number of other organisations which has included Citizens Advice, local secondary schools, Farnham Youth Practitioners, Farnham Health Inequalities Forum and Barnardo’s Family Centre. We also networked with the Farnham Younger People Task Force run by Farnham Town Council, VIVID which is our local Housing Association, Waverley Borough Council Leisure Services, Voluntary Action South West Surrey (VASWS), Farnham Connects, Sandy Hill Inclusive Partnership (SHIP) and The Hygiene Bank.
All that we achieve is down to the hard work and team effort of our committed staff – 9 (all part-time) – and our over 60 volunteers and Trustees . Training was provided for our volunteers and Trustees and in recognition of their contribution and of the need to have ‘fun’ we said a big ‘thank you’ to all of them in July at a BBQ hosted by one of our Trustees at their farm.
The estimate of volunteer contribution is thought to be approximately 13,000 hours per annum . This goes far beyond a financial evaluation of their worth, but it is salutary to note that this is over £148,000 per annum .
Our volunteers are supported by the staff team and we hold training sessions for specialist roles. We also hold Christmas and Summer thank you events to which all volunteers are warmly invited.
Thanks to supporters Our achievements are also impossible without the support of our donors, which along with individuals, include:
PR/Marketing
Facebook and Instagram - over 1.1K followers Community Fridge & Cupboard – nearly 1,000 followers
Environment
We have continued to implement our environment policy with recycling of all recyclable materials used in the Centres, together with milk bottle tops, old pens and ring pulls which we collect for outside agencies who can fundraise with these. We are part of Plastic Free Farnham. We also host a textile recycling bank in the garden.
Plans for the forthcoming year
We will use the impact research that we have had carried out independently for our youth services to inform our plan for the future. We will be investigating new funding streams for this work and developing our local relationships with other youth service providers to support this work.
We will continue to provide health and well-being opportunities with our community through funding via the National Lottery; these include fitness, cookery and well-being sessions.
We will continue to draw together the community through the opportunity to meet and socialise via our Warm Welcome sessions, Fridge & Cupboard opening, Community Wednesdays and various kids and adults’ activities.
We will review our Business Plan and through that ensure we are listening to and meeting the needs of our community. We will also continue to develop our fundraising strategy to ensure that we continue to diversify our income and so ensure financial sustainability going forward.
At all times we will continue to ensure that we keep our running costs to a minimum, but not at the expense of a quality service. Also, importantly, we want to ensure that we can effectively demonstrate to our funders and all stakeholders that we add value and are making a difference together with achieving a positive impact.
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). The financial statements are required by law to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the surplus or deficit of the charity for that period.
Responsibilities of the Trustees
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
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prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which, with reasonable accuracy, disclose at any time the financial position of the charity and which enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence take reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by order of the Board of Trustees on and signed on its behalf by:
Dr. John Lewis – Chair of Trustees
Hale Community Centre Ltd Statement of Financial Activities Year Ending 31st March 2025
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|2024-25|2023-24|
|Unrestricted Use|Restricted Use|Total|Unrestricted Use|Restricted Use|Total|
|Incoming Resources|
|Grants|5,741|217,871|223,612|17,760|214,910|232,670|
|Donations|5,755|5,755|6,084|1,282|7,366|
|Room Hire|61,234|61,234|60,242|60,242|
|Bank Interest & Sundry Income|10,770|713|11,483|5,967|5,967|
|Gift Aid|681|681|681|681|
|Total Income|84,181|218,584|302,765|90,734|216,192|306,926|
|Expenditure|
|Employee Costs/Project Management|57,648|18,609|76,257|49,654|13,760|63,414|
|Group Leaders Fees|0|128,334|128,334|125|85,882|86,007|
|Holiday Events & expenses|1,229|566|1,795|0|857|857|
|Consultancy Fees|0|2,500|2,500|-168|-168|
|Resources and Equipment|6,120|34,913|41,033|5,162|15,727|20,889|
|Repairs & Maintenance|6,182|10,798|16,980|5,160|5,160|
|Cleaning & Waste Removal|17,049|2,982|20,031|13,139|52|13,191|
|Core Costs Recovery|-12,949|12,949|-|-15,894|15,894|0|
|Other restricted fund expenditure|16,030|16,030|13,867|13,867|
|Other Property Costs|14,879|388|15,267|9,799|1,203|11,002|
|Events & Publicity|136|4,969|5,105|1,310|245|1,555|
|Charitable Donations|0|500|500|474|474|
|IT Costs|1,159|181|1,340|421|421|
|Bad Bebts written off|34|34|
|Total Expenditure|91,487|233,719|325,206|69,182|147,487|216,669|
|Deficit/Surplus for the year|-7,306|-15,135|-22,441|21,552|68,705|90,257|
|Spend against reserve for|
|infrastructure upgrades|-14,890|-14,890|
|Reserves Brought forward 1st April|107,767|154,183|261,950|86,215|85,478|171,693|
|Reserves Carried forward 31st March|85,571|139,048|224,619|107,767|154,183|261,950|
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Hale Community Centre Ltd Balance Sheet As at 31st March 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Assets | — | — | ||
| Prepayments | 3,135 | 200 | ||
| Debtors | 6,882 | 6,088 | ||
| Cash in Bank | 223,811 | 261,012 | ||
| 233,828 | 267,300 | |||
| Less: | ||||
| Current Liabilities | ||||
| Creditors and Accrued Charges | 9,209 | 5,350 | ||
| Net Current Assets | 224,619 | £261,950 | ||
| Representing: | ||||
| General Reserve as at 1stApril 2024 | 66,367 | 47,215 | ||
| Unrestricted Use Deficit - year ended 31st March 2025 |
-7,306 | |||
| Transfer to provision for major refurbishment | -2,400 | (9,706) | 19,152 | |
| General Reserve carried forward | 56,661 | 66,367 | ||
| Provision for major refurbishment (note 2) Provision for Infrastructure Upgrades |
28,800 110 |
28,910 | 41,400 | |
| Restricted Use Funds | 139,048 | 154,183 | ||
| Fund Balance as at 31stMarch 2024 | 224,619 | £261,950 | ||
For the financial year ended 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476. The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the trustees and authorised for issue on 15th December 2025 and are signed on its behalf by:
…………..…………… …………….……… Trustee oa Trustee =
Company registration number 06872992 (England and Wales)
Hale Community Centre Ltd Statement of Financial Activities Year Ending 31st March 2025
1. Accounting policies
1.1 Statutory information
Hale Community Centre Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Hale Community Centre, 130 Upper Hale Road, Farnham, GU9 0JH.
1.2 Accounting convention
Hale Community Centre Ltd Note to Financial Statements Year Ending 31st March 2025
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and "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)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
1.3 Going concern
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
1.4 Charitable funds
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives. Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used.
1.5 Income
Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Hale Community Centre Ltd Statement of Financial Activities Year Ending 31st March 2025
1.6 Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised in the period in which it is incurred. Overheads are apportioned to activities on a reasonable basis for example, hours engaged in different activities for staff costs.
A provision for major refurbishment, primarily roof replacement, has been created to set aside funds for this purpose when it becomes due. It is intended that an amount of £2,400 will be put aside in each year.
2 Trustees
No remuneration, benefits or expenses were paid to trustees during the year (2024 – nil).
3 Employees
Hale Community Centre Ltd Note to Financial Statements Year Ending 31st March 2025
The average number of employees (excluding directors) during the year was:
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Number | |
| Total | 10 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Wages and salaries | 157,068 | 79,206 |
| Social security costs | 12,561 | 5,090 |
| Pension costs | 3,070 | 1,308 |
| 172,699 | 85,604 |
Employment costs
There were no employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.
4 Taxation
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
5 Related party transactions
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - nil).
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Hale Community Centre Ltd (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
Independent examiner's statement
Hale Community Centre Ltd Independent Examiner’s Report To the Trustees of Hale Community Centre Ltd
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination that give me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006. 2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
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the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
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the financial statements 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 financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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 financial statements to be reached.
R.J.Smith FCA Date: 15th December 2025 Milne Eldridge & Co Chartered Accountants The Little House 88A West Street Farnham Surrey GU9 7EP
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Hale Community Centre, 130 Upper Hale Road, Farnham, GU9 0JH
E | info@halecommunitycentre@gmail.com
T | +44 (0)1252 722 362