COTON VILLAGE HALL
DIRECTORS’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MAY 2025
Name of Charity Coton Village Hall Charity Registration Number 1134860 Company Number 06914266 Registered Office 56 High Street, Coton, Cambridge, CB23 7PL Directors Celia Mary Beadle Alistair Graham Burford ` Elizabeth Lawton Susan Mary Green Paula Jane Hain Gerald Anthony Radford Ann Puntis Geoffrey Forrester Taylor Dr Clare Elizabeth Fox Deborah Nicholas Sajjana Hart
Governance and Objectives of Coton Village Hall
Coton Village Hall is a registered company limited by guarantee. The Articles and Memorandum of Association are the governing documents which control the way that the Coton Village Hall is run. Coton Village Hall was incorporated in May 2009 but did not start trading until the end of May 2010.
The objects of Coton Village Hall are contained in the Memorandum of Association. They are to provide and maintain a village hall for the use of the residents of the area without distinction of political, religious, or other opinions with the aim of improving the conditions of life for the residents. In discharging their duties, the Trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
The Directors of the Village Hall, who are also its trustees, continued to meet monthly through the reporting year with the exceptions of August and December.
The Directors have the power to manage the business of the Charity and may exercise all the powers of the Charity. The Directors also have the power to appoint a person who is willing to be a director.
The reporting year for Coton Village Hall runs from 1 June to 31 May.
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Activities and expenditure
Throughout 2024 - 2025, Coton Village Hall continued its busy diary of community events, hall bookings and classes. A usage survey showed that the hall had bookings on over 80% of days throughout the year.
While most bookings were from Coton itself – and enjoyed the discounted booking rate available to residents – some were from farther afield. In the words of one such user:
Your wonderful hall enables our family to meet in a relaxed, well equipped, clean space with a great atmosphere. We have all come to feel at home in Coton Village Hall and have also made some amazing memories. When we first hired the hall two of my Aunties were still with us, sadly they aren’t now. The gatherings at the Hall enabled us to see them and them to see the whole family in one place, those memories are priceless!
The revenue raised by the wide programme of events and activities at the Hall in recent years enabled us to begin to think about development projects as well as addressing maintenance and refurbishment needs at the Hall,
At the beginning of 2025 we formed a project group to plan the began the refurbishment of the kitchen. A new fridge and freezer combo was an important part of this if we were to increase usage for catering events and we needed to revamp fittings and floorings. (The work was successfully completed in August 2025).
We were also able to open discussions with Proctor Investments, the owner of 58, High St to buy out their share of the common access path between our two buildings. We also took the decision to close the Hall for the major part of August 2024, taking advantage of the summer quiet period to enable us to carry out a major clean, redecoration and repairs at the Hall with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
The Hall’s ‘top revenue earners’ in 2024-25: monthly coffee mornings £3054) the Fete (£2020 net) Christmas lunch (£390 net), quiz (£700 net) and cinema club (£604 net) demonstrate the truth of the principle ‘doing well by doing good’.
We were also able to introduce our ‘No Charge Hires’ policy to enable those with a strong local connection to be given free use of the hall.
For some time, we have not made a charge for the hire of the hall when it is used for funeral refreshments and/or funeral proceedings when the deceased is known to have lived in the village. In 2024 – 25 we also introduced a further of category of benefit for those residents who are holding events for a charity which will deliver community benefit and for which there is no other source of funding. This also extends to residents who initiate campaigns designed to safeguard the facilities or environment of the village for which there is no other funding who may also request no charge hires. This has been very much appreciated by users.
Towards the end of the 2024-25 reporting year, we began to explore an application for a national quality accreditation designed for village halls. Meeting the Hallmark quality standard would yield short term benefits in terms of reduced insurance premiums but more importantly it gives Trustees the opportunity to review processes and to demonstrate a commitment to operational quality. We have in the last couple of days heard that we have successfully achieved the standard and our Hallmark Accreditation Certificate is on its way to us.
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We look forward to increasing the way we can use the hall for public benefit in the years to come.
In this as ever we must acknowledge our good fortune to have energetic and experienced volunteers serving both as Trustees and as active members of the Coton community. The services provided by the friendly and endlessly helpful battalion of volunteer caretakers provides a much-valued personal touch appreciated by all who use our hall. At this point I would like to hand you over to our Bookings Secretary before ending my report.
Directors
At the 2024-25 AGM the following re-elections were made and approved.
Alistair Burford, Clare Fox and Gerry Radford.
Ann Puntis and Celia Beadle were re-appointed as Chair and Treasurer respectively.
A new Trustee, Deb Nicholas, was appointed to the Committee.
Financial results
Our total income for 2024-25 was £38,258 (2024: £34,870). This total includes lettings income, fundraising receipts and donations. Against this, our outgoings amounted to £18.404 (2024: £29,066). Our fixed assets (building and fixed equipment) are valued at £353,760 and this, together with our other net assets of £115,588 provides total funds for the Charity in 2024-25 of £465,558 (2024: £445,734).
Overall, the board believes it is being prudent in its approach to the Hall’s finances.
Role of volunteers
We are extremely grateful to all our volunteers – to our fundraisers, our DIYers, and our caretakers. Our accounts are prepared and evaluated on a pro bono basis. Local businesses are generous with sponsorship, prizes and support. We recognise our good fortune in being able to take advantage of such good will and advice.
The successful management of Coton Village Hall is entirely dependent on a small band of volunteers who take responsibility for the Hall’s strategic direction, lettings and community use, its repair programme, the supervision of cleaning and the Community Entertainment programme throughout the year.
We have not used any professional fundraisers during the year.
Trustees' responsibilities statement
The Trustees (who are also directors of Coton Village Hall for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Annual Accounts and reserves policy
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The Annual Accounts are attached to this report. They reflect the healthy position that the charity has achieved through its fundraising and lettings. As at the year end, we had total cash of £115,588 in bank accounts and building society investments which the Directors consider represent an adequate level of reserves. A reserves policy has been developed by Trustees to demonstrate the processes and procedures which are used to safeguard the sustainability and continuing success of the hall.
Signed by the following authorised Directors this 22[nd] day of January 2026
Ann Puntis, Chair Alistair Burford Vice Chair
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COTON VILLAGE HALL Charity No 1134860 Company No 06914266
Section B Balance sheet
| Guidance Note Fixed assets Intangible assets (Note 15) B01 Tangible assets (Note 14) B02 Heritage assets (Note 16) B03 Investments (Note 17) B04 Total fixed assets B05 Current assets Stocks (Note 18) B06 Debtors (Note 19) B07 Investments (Note 17.4) B08 Cash at bank and in hand (Note 24) B09 Total current assets B10 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (Note 20) B11 Net current assets/(liabilities) B12 Total assets less current liabilities B13 Creditors: amounts falling due after one year (Note 20) B14 Provisions for liabilities B15 Total net assets or liabilities B16 Funds of the Charity Endowment funds (Note 27) B17 Restricted income funds (Note 27) B18 Unrestricted funds B19 Revaluation reserve B20 Fair value reserve B21 Total funds B22 |
Unrestricted funds £ F01 |
Restricted income funds £ F02 |
Endowment funds Total this year £ £ F03 F04 |
Endowment funds Total this year £ £ F03 F04 |
Total last year £ F05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3,760 | - | 350,000 | 353,760 | 354,398 | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 3,760 | - | 350,000 | 353,760 | 354,398 | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 400 | - | - | 400 | 220 | |
| 69,431 | - | - | 69,431 | 51,056 | |
| 42,920 | - | - | 42,920 | 40,403 | |
| 112,751 | - | - | 112,751 | 91,679 | |
| 923 | - | - | 923 | 343 | |
| 111,828 | - | - | 111,828 | 91,336 | |
| 115,588 | - | 350,000 | 465,588 | 445,734 | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | - | - | |
| 115,588 | - | 350,000 | 465,588 | 445,734 | |
| - | 350,000 | 350,000 | 350,000 | ||
| - | - | - | |||
| 115,588 | - | 115,588 | 95,734 | ||
| - | |||||
| 115,588 | - | 350,000 | 465,588 | 445,734 |
The company was entitled to exemption from audit under s477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
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The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS102 SORP.
| Signed by one or two trustees/directors on behalf of all the trustees/directors |
Print Name | Date of approval dd/mm/yyyy |
|---|---|---|
CC17a (Excel)
01/04/2026
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| Signature of director authenticating accounts being sent to Companies House |
Signature | Date dd/mm/yyyy |
|---|---|---|
| Print name |
CC17a (Excel)
01/04/2026
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a = ss —————————__, | t = nA)| CHARITYFOR ENGLAND COMMISSION AND WALES | Independent examiner'saccounts report on the ,| section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees ' Coton Village Hall On accounts for the year | 31 May 2024 Charity no | 1134860 ended (if any) | : Set out on pages | 3-4 | | report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (‘the Trust”) for the year ended 31/05/2024. Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’). | report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent The charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 and | am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the ICAEW | have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below “*) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: e the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or e the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or e the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination,
| 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.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: C4 Toba Date: | 30/03/2025 Mii | Name: | Christine Tibbatts ew =i Relevant professional | ICAEW qualification(s) or body (if any): 1 Oct 2018
IER