Arkell Community Centre Charitable Trust
"The heart of Forest Green"
www.arkellcommunitycentre.org.uk
Annual Report 2021-2022
Contact: Katherine Kearns Charity Secretary 01453 833592
Charity number: 1138668
The Charity is run by Nailsworth Town Council as sole trustee and the management committee (Trust Board) is made up of all town councillors. The Secretary role is undertaken by the Town Clerk and the Treasurer role is undertaken by the Deputy Clerk. Facility bookings and day-to-day issues of the building are dealt with by Nailsworth Town Council, supporting the Arkell Community Centre Trust. The Trust contracts out cleaning and caretaking duties.
Aims
The aim of the Centre is to provide a central point for community support, facilities for children, young people and older people, social and leisure activities particularly for the Forest Green area. The Centre is a place where people can make new friends, volunteer, receive advice, learn new skills and get support. We work with partners to meet those needs and respond to the needs of our community and use the centre to target support during emergencies.
Our partners include:
Stroud District Council, Home Start, Nailsworth Health Partnership, Nailsworth Youth Club, Gloucestershire Rural Communities Council (GRCC), Community Roots, SDC’s Neighbourhood Warden, FGR, Nailsworth Primary School, PSALMS and The Long Table. Commercial hirers and community groups form a valuable part of our community, and the Trust is open to collaborations with them to support the people of Forest Green.
Report of the year’s activities
The year started with COVID still very much affecting the centre, but we slowly welcomed back some groups like the Dance school in April. Community Roots continued to support the town running the freezer of love and the pantry sessions. In May, Slimming World returned with face-to-face meetings but with tight restrictions. Yoga and Home Start also re-started, the later providing much missed support sessions for local families. As the months passed more groups returned and as people’s confidence grew, we all adjusted to the new normal. There was an increase in enquiries and bookings for children’s parties. The centre once again was becoming a thriving mix of groups from the community and businesses providing activities for children and young people in particular.
The older demographic took longer to feel comfortable with returning to pre-covid activities. Better balance started the classes again in June, but the Forest Green Seniors and Lunch club did not return in this year at all. Sadly, due to a reduction in the number of members the Forest Green Seniors folded as a group. Lunch club put on an afternoon tea which was well received, and they focussed on rebuilding the group for 2022-23.
Community Roots led on the provision of the freezer and the pantry alongside volunteers. These were very much needed in the community and continue to be so.
The centre continued with COVID measures in place which included a reduced capacity in the halls, the use of paper towels for hand drying and the provision of multiple hand sanitising stations throughout the building. Groups were kept separate by one-way systems and different entrances for the two halls. Many groups experienced a decrease in attendees during this time.
Nailsworth Town Council continued to be a major support to the Arkell Community Centre Trust, contributing administrative support to the value of around £7,000 per year. The time given by the Town Council in administrative tasks for the centre is in excess of this amount.
The Arkell Community Centre has proved its worth as a strategically placed asset for the town.
Work to change the Trust’s governance with the help of a firm of specialist charity lawyers needs to carry on.
We would like to offer sincere thanks to our donors and partners.
Our building
The Arkell Centre is bright, warm and well-equipped. The garden was cut back by a contractor.
Maintenance to the building this year included the lift, air conditioning units, intruder and fire alarm are all maintained and serviced. PAT testing and fire extinguisher service were completed.
Repairs were minimal but included replacement of a damaged door, an overhaul of the wall heater, and lighting repair in the lift.
Covid-19 has continued to bring extra costs in consumables.
Storage remains a challenge for the centre, and it is hoped that racking can be installed in the under eaves cupboard to ease the problems and facilitate regular groups using the venue.
Challenges
The financial security of the centre was a challenge over the year. Total income including a COVID support grant was £31,523.75. The outgoings were £37,027.96. The difference being £5504.21. This can be accounted for in the level of bookings against the monthly regular outgoings.
The centre will be requiring more maintenance work as the building and appliances get older. The fridge and dishwasher have both needed work carried out. The air conditioning units required work following the annual service as has the fabric of the building with the facia boards coming loose already in the current financial year.
Legionella assessments were carried out early in 2022-23. With the centre having been under used it was important to carry out legionella testing. It would be desirable to have a contractor look after all the legionella testing of water samples and to do other checks, this would come at a cost of £760.
Into the future
The Centre will continue to meet the challenge of supporting the people of Forest Green in these times of financial hardship, as the cost-of-living crisis develops and to adapt to whatever use is most needed by the community.
The new financial year has continued to highlight a trend that the centre is loosing around £450 per month. The centre receives two thirds of its income from non-community groups like Slimming World and the dance classes.
New non community groups are enquiring to use the centre which will boost the income to support the future of the centre.
Term time to non-term time bookings continue to show a huge divide in the bookings and in turn the financial income. Our main regular hirers are term time only and leave large gaps in the yearly calendar which are not back filled. This dip in bookings impacts the income and brings down the average monthly income.
Term time statistical breakdown:
Income based on example term time week in the Main hall as illustrated above.
Hours as listed in above chart = total income £217.00 Potential weekly income. (Calculated at 3x sessions a day at £31 x 7 days a week) = £651.00 Potential hours £651.00 – Billed hours £217 = £434
Income based on example term time week in the Upper hall as illustrated above.
Hours as listed in above chart = total income £81.00 Potential weekly income. (Calculated at 3x sessions a day at £23 x 7 days a week) = £483.00 Potential hours £483.00 – Billed hours £81.00 = £402
Non-term time (school holidays) statistical breakdown:
Income based on example non term time week in the Main hall as illustrated above.
Hours as listed in above chart = total income £155.00 Potential weekly income. (Calculated at 3x sessions a day at £31 x 7 days a week) = £651.00 Potential hours £651.00 – Billed hours £155 = £496
Income based on example non term time week in the Upper hall as illustrated above.
Hours as listed in above chart = total income £0 Potential weekly income. (Calculated at 3x sessions a day at £23 x 7 days a week) = £483.00 Potential hours £483.00 – Billed hours £0 = £483
THE ARKELL COMMUNITY CENTRE
INTERNAL AUDITOR’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31.03.2022
I have examined the Community Centre’s annual accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2022 and all the associated documentation. I can confirm that those accounts are a true statement of the Centre’s financial activities during the year. The balance sheet is a true representation of the state of its finances at the end of the year.
Comments & Recommendations:
None.
Ian Crowe FFA. Date. 1[st] August 2022
Unaudited
31/03/21 £
31/03/22 £
Consolidated Balance Sheet
| Current assets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | Investments | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Loans Made | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Investment | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Stocks | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | VAT Recoverable | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Debtors | 1,651.50 | |
| 0.00 | Payment in Advance | 0.00 | |
| 38,363.07 | Cash in Hand & at Bank | 31,700.62 | |
| 38,363.07 | TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS | 33,352.12 | |
| 38,363.07 | TOTAL ASSETS | 33,352.12 | |
| Current liabilities | |||
| 0.00 | Loans Received | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Temporary Borrowing | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | VAT Payable | 0.00 | |
| 200.81 | Creditors | 493.26 | |
| 0.00 | Receipts in Advance | 0.00 | |
| 200.81 | TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES | 493.26 | |
| 38,162.26 | TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES | 32,858.86 | |
| 0.00 | Long Term Borrowing | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Deferred Liabilities | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | Deferred Credits | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| 38,162.26 | NET ASSETS | 32,858.86 | |
| Represented by | |||
| 14,219.50 | General Fund | 13,552.20 | |
| 12,077.04 | 600 Sinking Fund RESERVE | 12,077.04 | |
| 263.58 | 300 Pop-up Café | 263.58 | |
| 0.00 | 6010 Childrens Hol. Activities | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | 6020 Co-op Community Grant | 0.00 | |
| 0.00 | 6030 Growing our Comm Grant2019 | 0.00 | |
| project sustainability funding | |||
| 500.00 | 6040 NTC Grant from PCCfor Pop Up café training | 500.00 | |
| 0.00 | 6050 Towards staff costs at NTC | 0.00 | |
| 5,000.00 | 6060 Legal fees RESERVE | -1,039.12 | |
| 2,742.88 | 6070Thriving Communities Grant | 2,742.88 | |
| 126.56 | 6080 Awards for All Grant 2019 - Sept 2020 | 1,529.58 | |
| 3,232.70 | 6090 Glos Coronavirus Support Fund | 3,232.70 | |
| 0.00 | LONG TERM Investment Accounts | 0.00 | |
| 38,162.26 | 32,858.86 |
Arkell Community Centre
Page 1
20/06/22 11:32 AM Vs: 8.74.00
Unaudited
31/03/21 £
31/03/22 £
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Signed Chairman 19th October 2022 Date AUDIT OPINION
Responsible Financial Officer
Arkell Community Centre
Page 2
20/06/22 11:32 AM Vs: 8.74.00
THE ARKELL COMMUNITY CENTRE
INTERNAL AUDITOR’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31.03.2022
I have examined the Community Centre’s annual accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2022 and all the associated documentation. I can confirm that those accounts are a true statement of the Centre’s financial activities during the year. The balance sheet is a true representation of the state of its finances at the end of the year.
Comments & Recommendations:
None.
Ian Crowe FFA.
Date. 1[st] August 2022