Harbury Village Library & Biblio’s Café
Annual Trustees Report for the Year Ended 2020
Steering Group Members: Sharon Hancock (Chairman), Jill Credland (Biblio’s Café Lead), Rich Fowler ( Library Lead), Tim Lockley (Parish Council), Liz McBride (PCC), Karen Rea (Harbury Primary School), Nicola Thompson (Treasurer)
1
Chairman’s report for Harbury Library AGM 2021
Covid-19 was already a daily topic of conversation when we held the 2020 AGM in the Library on March 2[nd,] but I do not think any of us realised that within a couple of weeks our lives would be changed completely. Writing this report almost a year later, we are in the third national lockdown. No family or organisation has escaped the effects of this catastrophe and recovery will be a long process.
At last year’s AGM I was reporting on the celebrations for the presentation of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Shortly after the AGM the glass award was installed above the Library desk in a display designed by Richard MarshallHardy. Soon after that the Committee took the decision to close the Library and Biblio’s on March 18[th] which was before the national lockdown. This was to protect both our volunteers and users many of whom are over 70. The national lockdown began on March 23[rd] .,
To no one’s surprise, Harbury as a community rose to an unprecedented challenge. A volunteer network to support those shielding was rapidly organised by the Parish Council and many informal support networks developed. Library volunteers provided a home delivery service for those unable to leave home and then extended the service to provide ‘click and collect’ and a takeaway service for donated books. Particular thanks go to Janice Montague and Richard Fowler for all the organisation this has involved and for the excellent communications in the Harbury News and on social media.
Live and Local, a Warwickshire arts project worked to pair local communities with professional artists. This resulted in the Library being paired with the Word Association and the production of the book ‘Community Spirit: Harbury in Lockdown.’ Professional writer Holly Winter-Hughes worked with Richard Fowler to encourage villagers to write poetry and prose and to take part in recorded workshops. Holly, who had not visited the village previously, drew on her conversations and recordings to write several poems. The result is a great testimony to the strength of our community and a document for future generations.
The easing of restrictions in the summer enabled Biblio’s to open an outdoor service on two mornings weekly. I would like to thank Jill Credland who put a great deal of work into getting a new service off the ground and to the volunteers who made it possible. The loyalty of our customers is such that they
2
were prepared to sit on plastic chairs in the car park for the opportunity to drink coffee in disposable cups, but above all, to meet with friends. As the weather got colder a great deal more planning went into opening both the Library and the café indoors. In this, Richard, Jill and I received a lot of support from our Health and Safety advisor Keith Thompson. The library had re-opened on 13[th] July and we duly opened the café in October and although everything was very different, I know it was much appreciated. Sadly, it was short-lived with a second national lockdown in November followed by Tier 3 and then Tier 4 restrictions. We are now in a third lockdown with at the time of writing no date for any easing of restrictions. Once again, the Library is providing a Click and Collect service and the café is shut.
All this of course means we have had very little income and I will leave the Treasurer to explain the impact on our finances. To add to the challenges of 2020, heavy rainfall in August produced a major leak in the Pre-School end of the building and a flood in the boiler room. It transpired that the roof was in a parlous state and two sections were completely re-slated in time for Pre-School to open in September. We were advised that the third section of the roof would need to be done and heavy October rain proved that to be the case and that has also now had a complete repair. We need at some stage to replace the heating system and it is hoped to make some plans for this as lockdown eases.
It is exceedingly difficult to plan ahead when everything is still so uncertain. However, I have no doubt that eventually Harbury Village Library will once again be the vibrant community hub it was such a short time ago. I would like to thank all the volunteers for everything they have done in this challenging year. The Committee have as always been supportive and good humoured. I would like to give a particular mention to Janice Montague who did so much as Library lead before she stood down due to health problems. I would also like to thank Richard Fowler who took over at short notice and has been a tower of strength.
Sharon Hancock Chairman
3
Library Report for Annual General Meeting, March 2021
Rather than bemoan all the things we’ve not been able to do this year, I thought I’d celebrate all of the things that we have done. Without the enthusiasm and commitment of the library volunteers we may have been like many other Community Managed Libraries throughout the country who closed their doors in March 2020, and have yet to reopen them. As of today, Harbury is one of only five Warwickshire Community Managed Libraries to be operating. The status of the other eight is “closed until further notice”.
With apologies to anyone whose efforts I haven’t included, here’s a chronological summary of library life during a pandemic.
Timeline
January 9th - Spanish Classes started
January 20th - French Classes started
January 25th - Parish Council drop in held at the library
January 31st - First two cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the UK February 25th - Hosted a visit of librarians from Myanmar
March 2rd - Harbury Village Library AGM
March 4th - An evening with Mary Rhodes
March - 18th Library and Biblio’s Cafe closed until further notice
March 23rd - Harbury Seed Share launched with the help of HVL IT infrastructure March 23rd - National lockdown announced
March 30th - First Biblio’s Recipe of the Week on Facebook
April 4th - HVL WiFi available for access outside thee building
April 9th - First online book request received
April 13th - Front gate tied open so postal workers had one less thing to touch
April 14th - First picture by local artist published in our online gallery
April 21st - First online Classic Book Group meeting
April 26th - Click and collect service launched
April 27th - First book takeaway session outside front door
4
June 1st - Lockdown eased
June 4th - First online Spanish class
July 8th - Biblio’s Cafe opens for takeaway service
July 13th - Library reopens for limited browsing (one borrower at a time)
July 26th - Harbury Lockdown book project launched
July 30th - One computer available for booked sessions
August - French classes continue, but with no additional library support
August 2nd - Children’s Ready Read Pack service launched
September 30th - “Community Spirit: Harbury in Lockdown” published
September 30th - Lockdown Art exhibition opens
October 1st - HVL online shop opens
October 2nd - Biblio’s opens for indoor service
October 3rd - Library and Biblio’s open together for the first time since 14th March
October 11th - Children’s section now open for browsing
October 21st - “Community Managed Libraries as Community Hubs” published, including Harbury Village Library case study written by Janice Montague
October 22nd - Library starts to accept Food Bank donations
October 22nd - Harbury Heritage Centre 2021 Calendar on sale in the HVL online shop
October 23rd - Royal British Legion collecting box available in foyer
November 5th - 2nd National lockdown starts. Library and Biblio’s Cafe close again apart for Home Delivery and Click and Collect services
November 10th - Jigsaws now available for loan
November 30th - “New look” GASS Christmas postbox available
November 30th - Ring and Read service launched
December 5th - At request of the Parish Council HVL produces Seasonal Light Walking Trail map
December 18th - Closed for Christmas
January 4th 2021 - Opened again for Home Delivery and Click and Collect. Takeaway Shelf no longer available.
January 21st - Online Spanish Classes start again
5
A Few Statistics
Since lockdown started we have loaned 966 items, to 150 different people. This figure excludes loans of Warwickshire County Library books, and books borrowed from the Takeaway Shelves.
In order to keep people informed of what’s been happening we have posted 165 times on Facebook, 55 times on Instagram, and have submitted a piece every month to the Harbury and Ladbroke News.
What Next?
I’m not going to tempt fate by trying to speculate, instead I’ll just say that whatever the rest of 2021 brings, we’ll still be providing a library service for the people of Harbury!
Rich Fowler Library Lead 18th February, 2021
6
Biblio’s Café Report for 2020 presented to HVL AGM March 2021
Introduction
This last year has been very strange for everybody. The Biblio’s Committee would like to thank all their volunteers and customers for their support, when we were able to open.
The Café was open from 8[th] January 2020 until the 20[th] March when it closed for the first lockdown. It was open for 4 days per week and operating normal hours.
After the lockdown we wondered when we would be able to open again, recognising that we were not generating any income for the Library or the overheads.
The Cafe reopened, for two days per week operating a take-away service from the kitchen door, on the 8[th] of July until the 26[th] September as the weather had deteriorated and given the average age of our clients it was not safe for them to be sitting outside in low temperatures, rain and wind. The take-away service involved a different way of working to ensure that we complied with the COVID regulations. All the volunteers who wished to work were given training prior to opening. This type of service and the COVID regulations meant that we incurred some additional costs for PPE, take-away cups, lids and sleeves and additional cleaning materials. During this period we used the lawn in front of the Scout Hut and the playground of the Pre School; we are very grateful for their support and assistance.
A member of the Committee left during this period.
From the 30[th] of September the Café moved back indoors. A substantial amount of work was needed to ensure that the Café complied with the additional regulations involved in working indoors. We only operated for three days a week, Wednesday, Friday (opening hours 9.45 – 12.00) and Saturday (opening hours 10.00 – 12.00). The number of tables were reduced 9 to ensure that we met the social distancing regulations. We also introduced a booking system using email and personal booking. This seemed to work well and our customers again were very supportive. However, on the 31[st] of October the Café had to close again. We have remained closed since that date. Thanks to Sharon and
7
Keith Thompson for their help and support in making sure that we were COVID safe.
Footfall
This is gauged by totalling the number of drinks that we serve on a daily basis. Since we opened in May 2012 we have served a total of 55607 drinks.
| Financial year end December 2020 |
2020 |
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks sold | 2470 | 7513 | 7097 | 6996 | 6794 | 7029 | 6468 | 6859 | 3746 |
| Portions of baked goods sold |
1176.5 |
4361 | 4371.5 | 4380 | 4159 | 4271 | 4349 | NR | NR |
| Loyalty cards redeemed | 96 | 400 | 391 | 393 | 376 | 380 | NR | NR | NR |
Trading surplus passed to the HVL Treasurer
The money passed to the treasurer is before any adjustments are made.
The numbers above and the trading surplus have decreased this year. This has been the worst trading period in the Café’s history. This is as a result of the COVID Pandemic.
The Parish Council purchased 150 vouchers, for a coffee and cake, from the Café which cost £562.50
| 2020 | 4389.77 |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 12491.89 |
| 2018 | 12010.91 |
| 2017 | 11646.12 |
| 2016 | 11209.83 |
| 2015 | 11587.20 |
| 2014 | 10472.77 |
| 2013 | 10500.04 |
| 2012 | 5808.99 |
Handbook and Procedures
The procedures had to be reviewed and updated to allow us to open under the COVID regulations. All volunteers received training as appropriate and a copy of the procedures.
8
Changes during the year
There have been many changes in the last year, these have been noted in this report where applicable. This has been because of the implications of the pandemic.
Cleaning
The team maintain the general cleanliness of the café area. We had a new cleaner in 2020, she has worked well and she was given training in the requirements for cleaning during a pandemic.
Terry Timms has continued to be a huge support during the last year by looking after the premises and building issues. The Biblio’s volunteers would like to register their thanks to him.
Equipment
The coffee machine has been maintained regularly. We had to purchase disposable cups, lids and sleeves for our take-away service.
There have been no new capital purchases in the last year.
Health and Safety
Accidents - We had two accidents during this year, both involved customers falling off their chairs. No-one was hurt and full reports were made. Action was taken on both occasions to ensure that the same thing did not happen again.
Events
The café has not supported any events this year.
Communications with the Library
Communication with and mutual support between the library and café teams has been excellent during 2020.
The Future
New products and ideas are always valued by the Committee, and we hope that customers and volunteers will continue to make suggestions.
Succession planning is still an issue for Biblio’s.
9
We have an incredibly supportive and collaborative group of volunteers who continue to support Biblio’s Café.
Our customers have proved their loyalty during these very difficult times. It is because of them, together with the contribution of the Biblio’s team, that the Café remains a success. As a committee we are very grateful for all the support that both groups offer us.
We all look forward to being able to welcome you when we can open again.
I would like to give my personal thanks to all the volunteers and Committee members, whatever their role, for their hard work and ongoing support.
Jill Credland Biblio’s Café Lead
10
Treasurer’s Report for the Year Ended 31[st] December
2020
This year has been a year of unprecedented difficulty for Harbury Village Library and Biblios Café, as it has been for the majority of organisations and businesses. From a financial point of view, our major problem has been that the café has had to remain shut for a large part of the year with only restricted take-away opening over the summer months. The café managed to open for 29 weeks out of a possible 51 (allowing for the exclusion of Christmas week) and much of this was only possible due to the dedication and determination of Jill and her team of volunteers. We do however have some good news to report:
S106: During the year, the library was paid £35069 in S106 money which relates to the housing development at Bishop Bowl Lakes. Of this £13400 was spent on essential roof repairs leaving £21665 as ringfenced for future capital projects and repairs.
Trading Surplus: Due to the receipt of the S106 money, our accounts show a trading surplus for 2020 of £17484 which is a distortion of our true trading figures for the year. Taking out S106 receipts and payments leaves income of £7857.89 and expenses of £11789.24, giving a trading loss of £3931.35.
Biblio’s Café: Biblio’s made a net profit of £4368.90 in 2020 compared to £13545.62 in 2019.
Utilities: During the year, the steering committee made the decision to waive the Pre-school share of utilities for 9 months, as, at that time, the Pre-school had been shut for a number of weeks due to lockdown. Six months of this waiver was in 2020 and three months in 2021 up to end of March. The Wight School building also still needs to be heated etc even when closed.
Broadband/Phone: These charges are similar to last year as much of our charges are fixed. The charges are likely to be around £200 more for 2021 as they had previously not been invoicing us for line rental.
Equipment Purchase: A laptop was purchased during the year to facilitate the Spanish lessons moving online.
As I write this report in late February 2021, there are positive signs that lockdown and the national vaccination programme are starting to work and we can tentatively look forward to the situation improving in the next few months.
11
All of what has been achieved during this very difficult year in terms of continuing some level of service has only been possible due to the sheer tenacity of the library and café volunteers. Our bank balance remains relatively healthy, however, how our finances fair this year very much depends on quickly we are able to come out of lockdown and start trading again.
I would like to thank Bryan Pratt for carrying out the audit again for us this year with all his usual professionalism. The accounts can be seen below together with the Independent Examiner’s Certificate. As always, I am happy to respond to questions and can be contacted via the library or at treasurer@harburyvillagelibrary.org.uk
Nicola Thompson Treasurer
12
Receipts & Payments Acccounts - Harbury Village Library & Biblio's Cafe for the year ended 31.12.20
| 2020 | 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | |||
| Warwickshire CC - Broadband | 500.00 | 500.00 | |
| Donations (to Library & Biblios) | 30.00 | 25.00 | |
| S106 | 35065.69 | - | |
| Library Till | 362.93 | 1331.50 | |
| Hire of Premises | 60.00 | 240.00 | |
| Biblio's Cafe - Gross Sales | 6758.40 | 17557.15 | |
| Art Gallery - Fees & Commissions | 20.00 | 320.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | 14.40 | 47.61 | |
| Bank Interest | 20.36 | 2.27 | |
| Spanish Classes (Net of Tutor Fees) | - | 120.00 | |
| Online Store | 91.80 | - | |
| Total Receipts to 31.12.20 | 42923.58 | 20143.53 | |
| Payments | |||
| Insurance (Net of Pre-school contribution) | 1329.35 | 1427.11 | |
| Utilities (Net of Pre-school & E-Car) | 3428.64 | 2606.15 | |
| Repairs & Maintenance | 14719.39 | 1141.48 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 959.75 | 608.20 | |
| Equipment purchase (Laptop) | 206.93 | ||
| Broadband/Phone | 375.70 | 348.32 | |
| Queen's Award Evening | - | 976.07 | |
| Cleaning (Library & Biblios) | 725.00 | 1250.00 | |
| Subscriptions | - | 860.42 | |
| Library Consumables | 935.23 | 1295.05 | |
| Biblio's Expenses (Equipment Maintenance) | 1058.44 | 218.00 | |
| Biblios Trading Expenses | 1331.06 | 3793.53 | |
| Connections Cafe | - | 60.00 | |
| Buy a Book Fund (Net of Receipts) | 175.85 | 127.15 | |
| Bank Charges | 60.00 | 60.00 | |
| Misc Expenses | - | 289.46 | |
| Training | - | 25.00 | |
| Spanish Classes | 70.00 | - | |
| Paid to Harbury Tennis Club (Court Fees 2019) | 46.00 | _ | |
| Paid to Harbury News (sale of copies 2019) | 17.90 | 30.32 | |
| Total Payments to 31.12.20 | 25439.24 | 15116.26 | |
| Represented by cash at bank: | |||
| Balance b/fwd January 2020 | 28204.04 | 23176.77 | |
| Trading Surplus 2020 | 17484.34 | 5027.27 | |
| Balance at Bank 31.12.20 | ** | 45688.38 | 28204.04 |
13
| Funds are made up as follows: | |
|---|---|
| HSBC | 500.00 |
| CAF Bank - Current Account | 6543.32 |
| CAF Bank - Gold Account | 38645.06 |
| 45688.38 | |
| **Analysis of Funds - 31/12/2020 | |
| General Funds | 23016.02 |
| Buy a Book Fund | 618.36 |
| S106 (Capital Exp) | 21665.69 |
| Connections Cafe | 388.31 |
| 45688.38 |
14
IrepDrtonthe accounts ofthe Tnxtlorthe¥ear eThled 31" Dpcemt¢r202 The dStrstéSWl msptshObl forth pr•p•r4 ofth••¢t•yts.Il th1$truSt•$ consbtsthatan a&Nlltls r•qthred for thIsar w4•r s•¢th)fi 14412lofth•th•iirits 112011 2QIIPdl •rKlttwtin IrKlependerteyarnthètkn15reded. It bnyrespM511ty10: E¥4ffAne tr•rU0der 145olthe 2011Art,' T•f10Wth2Pr0Cure$tsld dovm In the ieneral IMrecthinsWbYn tyth2Charlty Crynm15%0n under Settn 14y51(blofthe Xlll Act,. My•x•rnlnknn urrd oui in4cwrd•nco th rhe yn¢r•l Direcrion5 lhe Ch•FIty COmmL. kn tvamlDoth)n Indudes a mlewoftht4tt0uminB retord% ktpt th•rtynd¥ mp•d50nofthe xcovntspresentedwhh tfv)se record& Ir also Indudesconsideniion ofany l it•msordS)gJrns tn th• •c((4xu•nd y•ekhtPI•n•1s fromyou as trurt•eJ toftsrn1N4aryh m•tttrs.Th• protédwes thlert4kén do nOtPmde all1e0ttè tls•t tAtrJld retyirtd th •tsavdn arConnt ntsc$4nloh1s iknna5towPthtrthe accDunts e5ent alrueand Ieandlhe report Is Ilmltedto thosernattersstttyAkn thesÈatsment bdow. t•nvcthnlthmy exIntOI1. no matttrhascomets rnyatteniiDn.' 111 me m¥on•blEUutp th•tlnanyrnatsrtd rewtthE rewlremerts: To kttp aCC(tInrecorL& In accordantewlth 13001 the 2fiiiArt To prepare accounts whkh x£ord th the account1rrrdsAttd ctsmpty Aihi atccrtrtlrerernentsOlthe 2011 noti•n ryrt, or 121 Tovknlth. In rnyopkaors. artmknnshrAAd hdrw¥ffl In ordor to •nAb * kYop•r derthndtr4 oft 4 r Th•. H¥bury. i•*min8EoNSpa. wa(hre, CV339HX 25"Janu•ry2021 15