| | Annual Report from the Chair 2023-24 The high cost of heating has been a major concern for the trustees this year, | in particular for heating the hall. Work carried out in 2022 and 2023 means | Stocksfield Community Centre continues to be well-used for a range of that the Mary Clayton Room, the Richardson Room, the Conmputer Rea, the | activities, and as a meeting place for various groups within the village. The kitchen and the Parish Office are now heated by efficient electric radiators. trustees have been pleased to see an increase in children’s activities this This is much more flexible than the previous gas central heating system, In | year. It has become a popular venue for children’s parties, and a group that we do not heat rooms when they are not occupied. These upgrades | providing art and craft activities for young children has been hiring the hall . have been made possible by a grant received trom the edf Renewables Fund | regularly throughout the year. Regular activities that have taken place for via the County Durham Community Partnership, and we are grateful for their | many years include aerobics, Pilates, badminton and yoga. Tuesday Club support. | continues to provide a hot lunch, the option of carpet bowls and the chance a . . ie | to socialize for older members of the community. The Stocksfield Players put January saw the filming of a promotional video commissioned by the on a very successful performance of ‘A Christmas Carol’ in December, and Northern Powergrid Foundation in the CarngiMnity Centre. The film also | other events during the year have brought more people into the Community featured two other community buildings in the northern region which have Centre. Much of the credit for the day-to-day running of the association benefitted from grant funding for energy security projects. We received | goes to our manager Terri Anne, and | would like to thank her for her funding from the Foundation for batteries to store energy produced by our | welcoming approach and efficiency. | would also like to thank Peter and solar PV panels, which were fitted several years ago. The batteries were | Betty Scott for keeping the building scrupulously clean and inviting to the installed and commissioned over the summer. Unfortunately there have | community of Stocksfield. been sporadic but ongoing difficulties in getting the batteries to work with | the panels, and the installers are working with us to find a permanent | Our active involvement with the Village Halls Heritage Project concluded with solution. | an event held in July, although we hope to add more oral history recordings | in due course. Oral histories - memories of the people and the groups who Climate change along with the cost of energy present an Increasing challenge | have used our community centre in the past — are now held at the to Stocksfield Community Association. Looking forwards, we hope to reduce | Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn, and we retain digital copies. A video our reliance on gas by installing a more efficient electricity powered HESLINg of excerpts was compiled and shown at the event in the hall, along with a system for the hall. This will necessitate improvements to the electricity | display of photographs, newspaper articles and other items of historical supply to the building, and we are applying for grant funding to help with | interest, and some of these are included in the recently-published book ‘The these projects. | Heritage of Northumberland Village Halls’. | July also saw the retirement of our long-standing treasurer. It has been Stocksfield Community Association has had a website since 2006, and this difficult to find a permanent replacement, and | would like to thank Paul was replaced in 2016. By 2023 it had become difficult to update and was in Westbury for taking on the role of temporary treasurer. Finally, | would like need of replacement. A new website would have involved significant initial to thank all of my fellow trustees whose individual contributions have ner investment as well as ongoing charges for maintenance. After looking at the y been mentioned but are much appreciated, and wittn whom Stocksfield | available options, trustees took the decision to remove the old website and Community Association would not be able to provide a service to the village. link our domain name to our pages on the Northumberland Village Halls site. | Terri Anne is now able to update the website quickly and easily to provide information about regular activities, bookings and events. |
| Receipts | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Hire of Premises | £24,611.56 | £25,840.09 |
| Subscriptions | £2,329.00 | £2,052.87 |
| Donations | £176.00 | £20,495.88 |
| SCAN | £1,056.54 | £390.00 |
| Miscellaneous | £110.63 | £414.50 |
| Activities | £911.82 | £1,958.04 |
| Government Grants | £5,800.00 | |
| Job Retention Scheme | ||
| Interest Received | £99.33 | £453.87 |
| Computer Funds | £30.00 | |
| Gift Aid Tax Refund | £449.78 | £477.50 |
| Receipts notyet banked in curr. Acc. | -£246.83 | |
| Total | £35,574.66 | £51,835.92 |
| Balances at 1st April | 2022 | 2023 |
| UnityTrust Bank | ||
| Current a/c | £10,727.54 | £7,853.98 |
| Virgin Savings | £37,789.27 | £37,888.60 |
| Office Cash | £432.04 | £325.37 |
| £84,523.51 | £97,903.87 | |
| Opening bank and cash at 1st April 23 Total receipts Total payments Net deficit in the year Less receipts not yet banked at 31/3/24 Closing bank and cash at 31st March 24 Variance |
£46,067.95 £52,082.75 -£64,315.69 -£12,232.94 -£246.83 £33,588.18 £0.00 |
| Payments | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Manager’s Salary | £11,618.46 | £12,159.36 |
| Cleaner’s & Caretakers wages | £7,767.60 | £7,921.50 |
| Office(Postage,Stationery& Telephone) | £1,988.68 | £2,830.58 |
| SCAN | £32.00 | |
| Installations & Repairs | £4,038.28 | £23,966.22 |
| Electricity,Gas & Water | £7,764.42 | £11,510.60 |
| Insurance | £1,660.07 | £2,575.64 |
| IT(Software/etc.) | £594.52 | |
| Licences & Service Contracts | £381.08 | |
| Cleaning | £329.38 | £703.84 |
| Miscellaneous | £666.99 | £59.90 |
| Activities | £180.00 | £896.55 |
| HMRC | £915.58 | |
| Bank charges | £60.60 | £149.40 |
| Bywell Event Repaid | £2,000.00 | |
| Total | £38,455.56 | £64,315.69 |
| Balances at 31st March | 2023 | 2024 |
| UnityTrust Bank | ||
| Current a/c | £7,853.98 | £2,927.00 |
| Savings | £37,888.60 | £20,248.31 |
| Office Cash | £325.37 | £412.87 |
| Saffron Bldg. Soc. | £10,000.00 | |
| £84,523.51 | £97,903.87 |
CHARIry COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees stoCksfld Communty Assofiation On accounts for the year ended 3113r2024 Charity no (rf any) 1139996 Set out on pages l port to Ihe trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust") for year er)ded As the charitys trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charilies Act 2011 rtr*). I report in $[ of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying OLrt my examination. I have foll0vd all the aPIcable Diredions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5){b) of the Acl. Responslbilities and basis of report Independent I have completed my examinalion. I confirm that no material matters have examinerfs ststement come to my attention in connection wtih the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material resped: the accounting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Charities Act". or the accounts dKJ not accord with the accounting records; or the accounts did not comply wllh the applicable requirements conceming the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities {Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems and have come auoss no other matters in connection with the examinatton to which attention should be dravffl in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: ,L4&1 Date: 0211012024 Name: Martin Brunskill F.C.A Relevant professional qualificatlon(s) or body (rf any): Fellow of the ICAEW Address: 12 Mount Terrace Slocksfield Northumberland NE43 7HL IER Oct 2018