## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** ## **From 01/01/2024 Period start date To 31/12/2024 Period end date** ## **Charity name: Hitchin Bridge Club Charity registration number:1140362** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**For the public benefit**
**(a) the advancement of amateur sport by**
**promoting the game of bridge for the**
**benefit of the residents of Hitchin and**
**the surrounding area.**
**(b) the provision of facilities for the**
**learning, teaching, and playing of bridge**
**for the benefit of the residents of Hitchin**
**and the surrounding area with the object**
**of improving conditions of life.**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**The Club organises several weekly**
**sessions of duplicate bridge aimed at all**
**levels of experience, runs annual**
**teaching courses for people wishing to**
**learn to play, refresher workshops for**
**members wanting to improve their skills**
**and has lunchtime classes for primary**
**age children in a local school.**
**The club encourages members to**
**participate in club, county, and national**
**competitions and invites and welcomes**
**members not living locally to participate**
**in online sessions. Members are**
**encouraged to train as directors by**
**attending courses run by the EBU, the**
**fees of which are paid for by the Club.**| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The Trustees have had regard to these**
**objects when performing their duties.**
**None of the Trustees receive any**
**remuneration for acting in that capacity.**
**The Club is an affiliated member of the**
**English Bridge Union (the governing**
**body of the sport) and its local county**
**association the Hertfordshire Bridge**
**Association. The club supports and**
**implements their policies and guidance**| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|| |---|---|---| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|**The club has many volunteers without**
**whom the club would not be so**
**organised and run as well as it does. All**
**unpaid and much valued.**
**Many members raise small donations to**
**club funds through Easy FundRaising.**| |Other||| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**During 2024 John Colley and Martin**
**Stickland attended the EBU Directors**
**Course and are now running regular**
**club sessions.**
**Social events arranged by the club**
**increased during 2024 with the**
**Anniversary Pairs competition at a local**
**golf club, the reintroduction of a New**
**Years Party and a wine/cheese evening**
**for the Combridge Salver competition,**
**Numbers playing increased and these**
**events offer an opportunity for**
**socialising and playing with members**
**from other sessions whom they would**
**not normally meet.**
**There is a 50% discount for members on**
**benefits or in full time education on all**
**charges for playing, attending lessons,**
**or participating in competitions.**
**Every year the Club supports Children**
**in Need and the Herts Bridge**
**Association’s annual local charity ( 2024**
**Mudlarks Hertford)and donates its used**
**packs of cards to local and overseas**
**charities.**
**In planning all its activities, the Trustees**
**have considered the guidance issued by**
**the Charity Commission on public**
**benefit.**| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**The club’s financial position is sound.**
**The Club pays for members to qualify as**
**directors and in the light of the club’s**
**reserves the trustees have decided to**
**subsidise some social events.**| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**The reserves policy of the Trustees has**
**for many years been to build up the**
**financial reserves with the long-term**
**intention of owning/building or renting**
**dedicated premises for the club to give**
**the club more flexibility and**
**opportunities to expand and greater**
**security of tenure.**
**During 2024 a small industrial unit came**
**on the market for rent and seemed to**
**hold potential for the club, but**
**agreement could not be reached with**
**the owner. It now seems likely that the**
**club will have to reconsider what**
**options are available and look to**
**adding/extending accommodation to**
**existing community buildings or sharing**
**rental property with other similar**
**groups.**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£150000**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**Not applicable**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**Not applicable**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**none**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
**All the club’s funds come from annual**
**membership fees, many of which are gift**
**aided, payment for lessons,**
**participation in regular bridge sessions**
**and competitions.**| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Association Model Constitution**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO (converted from a charitable**
**company 27th May 2020)**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**All trustees are elected for a 3-year term.**
**Each year one third of the trustees**
**retires but they can offer themselves for**
**re-election when their term expires.**
**By rotation at the 2024 AGM Robert and**
**Pauline Girvan stood down from the**
**trustee board. Pauline decided not to**
**stand for re-election. Mary Malcolm was**
**proposed by the trustees as a new**
**trustee and she together with Robert**
**Girvan elected unopposed. Pauline was**
**awarded life membership of the club.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: Policies and procedures adopted for the induction Para 1.51 and training of trustees The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Hitchin Bridge Club| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|| |Registered charity number|1140362| |Charity’s principal address|Dane House| |---|---| ||23 West Hill| ||Hitchin SG5 2HZ| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Margaret Elsie
Eddleston|Chairman||| ||Richard Astley
Jones|Secretary||| ||Robert John Girvan|Treasurer||| ||Roger Adrian
Perrott|||| ||Ealine Duff|||| ||Christopher Rice|||| ||Mary Alexandra
Malcolm|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s) Full name(s)** Margaret Elsie Eddleston **Position (eg Secretary,** Chairman **Chair, etc) Date** 25[th] May 2025 Table 1 |♠
♣
♥
♦|**Hitchin Bridge Club**|**Hitchin Bridge Club**|**Hitchin Bridge Club**|♠
♣
♥
♦| |---|---|---|---|---| ||**_Charitable Incorporated Organisation_**|||| ||**Year ended 31 December 2024**|||| |||||_31/12/23_| |**General Receipts**|Members’ subscriptions||£
1,864.50|_£_
_2,090.00_| ||Gift aid tax refund||£
559.44|_£_
_532.56_| ||Table money||£
24,709.66|_£_
_27,142.86_| ||Deposit account interest - Redwood||£
2530.63|_£_
_2,617.19_| ||Deposit account interest - CC bank||£
2380.14|_£_
_1,748.99_| ||Deposit account interest - UTB||£
71.67|| ||Deposit account interest - Lloyds||£
28.51|| ||Hire of prepared boards||£
510.00|_£_
_510.00_| ||||£
32,654.55|_£_
_34,642_| |**Fundraising Receipts**||||| ||Easyfundraising/Amazon commission||£
30.13|_£_
_128_| ||Sales of surplus equipment||£
0.00|_£_
_45_| ||Other gifts and donations||£
20.00|_£_
_43_| |||||| |**Bridge School**|Beginners course|£
4,338.00||| ||Teacher’s fees|£
2,895.00|£
1,443.00|_£_
_1,189_| ||Improvers course|£
1,110.00||| ||teacher’s fees|£
873.00|£
237.00|_£_
_300_| ||||£
34,384.68|_£_
_36,345_| |||||| |**Children in need SIMS donation**|||£
496.60|_£_
_410_| |**Cancer SIMS donation**|||£
200.00|| |**HBA Lukyn donation**|||£
180.00|| |**Anniversary pairs**|Receipts|£
1728.00||| ||Expenses|£
1720.00|£
(8.00)|£231| |||||| |**Expenses**||||| ||fees to BBO|£
1,038.55||_£_
_1,372_| ||Fees to Realbridge|£
437.04||_£_
_435_| ||EBU P2P|£
4,518.42||_£_
_4,166_| ||Director fees|£
6,933.43||_£_
_6,620_| ||Rent|£
9,864.00||_£_
_9,406_| ||HBA/EBU/EBUTA (entry fees etc)|£
0.00||_£_
_172_| ||Prizes|£
348.95||_£_
_500_| ||Website/Scorebridge/internet|£
142.80||_£_
_139_| ||Insurance|£
74.70||_£_
_75_| ||Consumables, printing etc|£
238.99||_£_
_330_| ||EBU annual fee|£
29.00||_£_
_28_| ||Surveyor|£
900.00||| ||Refreshments|£
393.20||_£_
_644_| ||Director training|£
288.00||_£_
_327_| ||Wessex Youth Bridge|£
160.00||| ||New year/Combridge parties|£
561.90||_£_
_115_| 1 ||Advertising|£
15.00||_£_
_15_| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Sundry|£
202.98|£
26,146.96|_£_
_114_| ||||£
7,369.12|_£_
_11,246_| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| 2 ## **Hitchin Brid e Club g** _**Charitable Incorporated Organisation**_ **Year ended 31 December 2024** |**ASSETS**
**Restricted Funds**
**Note 2**
EBED Schools bridge grant
**Unrestricted funds**
**Note 3**
Bank current account (Lloyds)
Bank current account No 2 (Lloyds)
Deposit a/c {Lloyds)|_31/12/23_
£
0.00 _£_
_70_
£
564.55 _£_
_6,181_
£
1,481.27 _£_
_11,323_
£ 20,028.51|_31/12/23_
£
0.00 _£_
_70_
£
564.55 _£_
_6,181_
£
1,481.27 _£_
_11,323_
£ 20,028.51| |---|---|---| |Savings a/c (Redwood Bank)|£ 62,347.01 _£_
_79,816_|| |Savings a/cs (CC Bank)
Savings a/c (United Trust Bank)
**Debtors**
unpaid table money
**Fixed assets**
**Note 1**
**Current liabilities**
**Creditors**
Prepaid table money
Realbridge fees (November/December)
EBU P2P fees (November/December)
EBU BBO fees (November/ December)
Directing fees (December)
Unpaid teacher’s fees
CIN expenses
**Represented by**
**Restricted funds**
Balance
**unrestricted funds**
Opening balance
Increase for year
Closing balance|£ 64,817.85 _£_
_52,438_
£ 10,071.67
£
1,703.30 _£_
_3,460_|| ||£ 161,014.16 _£_
_153,288_
£
2,324.10 _£_
_1388_
£
47.28 _£_
_26_
£
278.32 _£_
_300_
£
55.44 _£_
_116_
£
480.00 _£_
_440_
£
0.00 _£_
_600_
£
41.40|| ||**£ 157,787.62**|**_£_**
**_150,419_**| ||£
0.00
£
0.00 _£_
_70_
£ 150,418.50 _£_
_139,102_
£
7,369.12 _£_
_11,246_|| ||**_£ 157,787.62 _**|**_£_**
**_150,419_**| **Notes** 1 Assets include a Dealer 4 dealing machine, printer, laptop, Bridgemate server and handsets, 3 traditional tables (now for sale), filing cabinet, bidding boxes, sets of duplicate playing boards, tablecloths etc, all depreciated to nil. Also 24 tables kept in the Our Lady Church Hall and made freely available to other hall users. 2 The restricted grant from EBED for Bridge in schools was made in 2017. 3 The unrestricted capital funds shown in the accounts are intended to be applied by the club to obtain greater security of tenure by acquiring a dedicated building/space from which to conduct and expand their activities. It remains the policy of the trustees to build up and retain reserves for this purpose when appropriate and possible, to continue to search for any suitable property to buy/ share or lease and to explore opportunities to work with other community groups with similar needs and aspirations. One possible site was explored this year, without success. 1 Ind•pendwt examinerfs stat•menl I hbve completed my examinèb"¢)n of Hiichln Bri¢Jge Club Accounts for the year pnding 31 December 2024. 1 confirm that no material matters have come to my attention In connecD"on with Ihe examinatson giNina rne cause lo bclicve th?t in uny material re5pecl- 1. accountlrg records were not kept in res¢*ct of the CILtb as reqtsired by seclion 730 olthe Charit￿5 Acl 2011", or 2. accounts do not accryd %4ryth those record5. I have no concems and have comc across Th) other fnattets in connecoon Wilh the examination to which attenlion sh￿Id LE drawn in this tewrt in order to enatAe a proper understanding of thè accounis to be reached. SvJned: Name.. M8rk savage Add￿$$. 21, Cromwcjl Way. Pirton. Herts SG5 3RD Date.. g March 2025