CHAIR’S REPORT 2024
A strong Committee of 10 was formed and all received an induction as to the requirements of being a Trustee for the u3a. All relevant documents have been updated and can be found on the St Helens u3a website under Committee.
Since the AGM in 2023 St Helens u3a has had over 100 new members and currently stands at 728 members.
In order to increase membership, it was decided to have a St Helens Roadshow where the promotions were taken to various areas in St Helens, starting in the Town centre. The shows were a success and gained considerable interest.
An extensive amount of work has been done by the Treasurer, Group Co-ordinator and Group Leaders to improve the financial situation of groups which has resulted in the majority of the overall costings of groups are now being covered by income.
Due to issues with premises the General Meeting and Drop In have had to move locations several times but are now settled at the URC. We have had a number of excellent speakers on a range of subjects which is all thanks to our old and current Speaker Secretaries.
The Christmas Concert was a great success at the Town Hall with all our very talented groups displaying the skills they have learnt and developed.
Links have been developed with other local u3as and the North West Region u3a and the Douglas Valley Network. All these contacts have been valuable as discussions have provided new information and ideas which, where possible, have been implemented.
To assist new members to feel part of St Helens u3a a New Members Meeting took place on the 5[th] June when new members can to meet Committee Members and Group Leaders. Even though the event was a bit chaotic all the new members felt it was worthwhile with a number of members identifying groups that they would like to participate in.
To further improve communication with members a Members handbook is in development and hopefully will be issued shortly.
A new website for St Helens u3a is currently under development and our Web Manager is working very hard to ensure it is very user friendly and contains all the relevant information. Hopefully, it will be launched around September.
The Committee have endeavoured to improve the social aspect of the u3a and therefore a 60/70 evening was organised which featured our ukelule group, guitar group and a our regular comedian Ann Mallett. The evening was a great success and the guitar group became renamed as ‘Born in the u3a’.
In addition we held a Quiz night on the 31[st] May which again everyone enjoyed. Special thanks was due to Pam and Paul Bolton for undetaking most of the organisation.
A proposal will be put forward to the AGM to standardise the term of service for Committee Members. Currently, terms of service vary with regard to the role of the Committee Member and this was thought to be discriminatory. The Committee voted on the changes and it was unanimously agreed and therefore it will be presented to the members at the AGM. The Trust has agreed in principle to the changes and are looking at the exact wording to ensure it meets the requirements of the Charities Commission.
My first year as Chair has had its challenges which is to be expected with 728 members who all have different ideas and priorities but it has also been very enjoyable. Many members have been very supportive of myself and the Committee which makes all the hardwork worthwhile.
Some of our members go that bit further in their support for the u3a and have helped out at various events providing help in many ways for which we are always thankful.
Finally, I would like to thank the Committee for all their support and commitment to the St Helens u3a. Many have taken on new roles which takes time to understand and become competent at but they have all done it excellently. Thank you.
St Helens u3a - Treasurer’s Report to the AGM 2023 -2024 Prepared by Katharine Partridge
Having dipped into rainy day reserves during Covid times, in 2023 to 2024 we increased our bank balance slightly. Not deliberately. Despite universal rising costs, we have found ways to keep costs down. We had 130 new members in the year and most groups are thriving. I welcome feedback and questions from members to StHu3aTreasurer@outlook.com and at the AGM.
Thank you to our Independent Examiner for checking over the accounts. We are too small to need a full audit. Please refer to page 4 of the Annual Report and Financial Statements distributed with this.
Receipts
Membership on 31 March 2024 was 718, of which 28 were Associate Members. To encourage new members year round and to spread the workload, members joining after 1 April 2023 renew on the anniversary of their join date. Most members joined before 1 April 2023 and renew on or before 1 September 2024, as always.
General Meeting our £2 contributions totalled £1,070.
Group Meetings – Group leaders or administrators record group meetings and members on Beacon. This means all of us who need to know can see at a glance when meetings happened. It is easier now to identify problem areas and to manage on waiting lists.
Gift Aid includes the claim I submitted to HMRC for the past 4 years.
Other incoming resources incudes Drop-In and Christmas Concert contributions.
Theatre group activities and Trips and events - both have made a small surplus, mostly as a result of monies collected in this financial year and tickets and coaches paid for in the year before or after. Cheques are only paid into the bank once it is clear events can go ahead. Refunding is a nightmare. I encourage all members to look out for events on the website and enews. Going to interesting places and performances is more fun in a group and is an excellent way of getting involved with our u3a. Coaches are too expensive now unless they are full.
Payments
Third Age Trust – the U3a Capitation fee of £4 we send to central funds from your membership fee..
General meetings – room hire and speakers’ fees cost us £1,254
Group meetings – the shortfall between group subs and venue costs is no more, as a result of much effort in helping individual groups to ensure subs are collected, increasing group numbers and finding the most cost-effective venue for each. Most Group Leaders are more conscious of the need to report on money they handle and take responsibility for their group finances. HMRC have rejected other u3as’ Gift Aid claims on Membership Fees where they are being used in part to subsidise group activities for members.
Other meetings – Group leader meetings, held twice a year, Drop in meetings and Committee meetings
Newsletters/printing - Sadly, we no longer produce a printed newsletter. We invite members to volunteer to work on a quarterly newsletter. This section covers Promotion, TAM (Third Age Matters) magazine and AGM printing. Errors in TAM circulation numbers meant that most of the TAM contributions have just been refunded.
Administration costs comprise Admin/Committee @ £743, Beacon @ £682 and Storage @ £1,204.
Insurance is now included in the Capitation payment to u3a nationally.
Training – First Aid Training to those Group Leaders who required it. There were no conference attendances.
Group requests - the only Capital Purchase was a printer for the Choirs to use. Our accounting method depreciates capital purchases in the year of purchase.
Treasurer’s report to the AGM 2024 2025
Accountancy – the cost of the Independent Examiner
Treasurer’s report to the AGM 2024 2025
St Helens U3A
Charity number 1145707
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2024
St Helens U3A
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 March 2024
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Trustees' report | 2 |
| Examiner's report | 3 |
| Receipts and payments account | 4 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 5 |
| Notes to the accounts | 6 to 7 |
Prepared by the Greater Merseyside Community Accountancy Service
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St Helens U3A
Trustees' report
The Trustees during the year were:
Name Position Irene Kearney Chair Monica Hughes Vice Chair and groups Co-ordinator Katharine Partridge Treasurer Brenda Knowles Secretary/minute secretary David Charlston Membership Secretary Joseph David Pearson Safeguarding Officer Lynn Pickersgill Venues Co-ordinator Barbara Hennessy Speakers' Secretary Barbara Jean Shepherd Facebook Admin Susan Heneghan Buddy Co-ordinator
Method of appointment
Trustees are appointed with regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity.
Principal address
153 St Helens Road Eccleston Park Prescot L34 2QB
Bankers
Natwest Bank plc 5 Ormskirk Street St Helens Merseyside WA10 1DR
Governing document
Constitution adopted 20th April 2011 as amended on 10 June 2015 as amended by scheme dated 12 July 2018
Objects of the organisation
The advancement of education and, in particular, the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work, by all means including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development, in St Helens and its surrounding locality.
Independent examiner
on behalf of:
Greater Merseyside Community Accountancy Service
Beacon Building College Street St Helens WA10 1TF
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St Helens U3A
Independent examiner's report on the accounts of St Helens U3A
for the year ended 31 March 2024
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024, which are set out on pages 4 to 7
Respective responsibilities of trustees and the examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- q examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act:
q to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
q to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
- 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
q to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
q to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
- 2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jane Williams MAAT Greater Merseyside Community Accountancy Service Beacon Building College Street St Helens WA10 1TF
10th July 2024
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St Helens U3A
Receipts and payments account for the year ended 31 March 2024
| Notes 2024 Unrestricted funds £ Receipts Grants and donations (2) 28 Membership fees 10,668 General Meeting 1,254 Group Meeting 34,796 Gift Aid 3,357 Other incoming resources 168 Interest received 300 Theatre group activities 7,785 Contributions for events & trips 8,138 Total receipts 66,494 Payments Third Age Trust 2,728 General Meeting 1,070 Group Meeting 32,535 Other Meetings 622 Newsletter / Printing 2,645 Administration Costs 2,628 Training / Conference attendance 714 Group Requests 130 Other expenditure - Accountancy 180 Theatre group activities 7,314 Trips & Events 7,464 Total payments 58,030 Net receipts / (payments) 8,464 Transfer in from social activities - Cash fund balances brought forward 19,507 Cash fund balances carried forward 27,971 |
2024 Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
2024 Total funds £ 28 10,668 1,254 34,796 3,357 168 300 7,785 8,138 66,494 2,728 1,070 32,535 622 2,645 2,628 714 130 - 180 7,314 7,464 58,030 8,464 - 19,507 27,971 |
2023 Total funds £ - 10,772 773 27,184 - 1,510 47 6,923 5,620 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52,829 | |||
| 2,000 2,305 32,335 - 4,391 3,626 - - 750 180 7,167 4,847 |
|||
| 57,601 | |||
| (4,772) - 24,279 |
|||
| 19,507 |
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St Helens U3A
Statement of assets and liabilities
as at 31 March 2024
| 2024 Unrestricted Cash funds £ Cash at bank current account 9,965 Theatre group account 1,611 Social Account bank 5,399 Reserve account 10,997 Cash in hand - Total cash funds 27,971 |
2024 Restricted £ - - - - - - |
2024 Total £ 9,965 1,611 5,399 10,997 - 27,971 |
2023 Total £ 7,380 1,140 4,725 6,182 80 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19,507 |
Approval of the accounts
The annual report and accounts were approved at a meeting of the Trustees held on 10th July 2024
Name: Irene Kearney Chair Signed:
Name: Katharine Partridge Treasurer
Signed:
on behalf of the Trustees
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St Helens U3A
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2024
1 Accounting Policies
a Basis of accounting
The Trustees have taken advantage of section 42 (3) of the Charities Act 1993 and have prepared the accounts on a receipts and payments basis.
b Taxation
As a registered charity the organisation benefits from rates relief and is generally exempt from income tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
c Fund accounting
Funds held by the charity are either:
Unrestricted general funds
These are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds
These are funds that can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Designated funds
These are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted general funds for specific future purposes or projects.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the accounts.
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St Helens U3A
Notes to the accounts continued
for the year ended 31 March 2024
| 2 Grants and Donations Donations |
2024 Unrestricted funds £ 28 28 |
2024 Restricted funds £ - - |
2024 Total funds £ 28 28 |
2023 Total funds £ - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - |
3 Trustee remuneration and expenses
No trustees received any remuneration or expenses during the accounting period.
4 Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions during the period
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