2024-03-31-accounts

Stansted Mountfitchet U3A Accounts

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stansted Mountfitchet University of the Third Age Registered Charity Number 1148073

Contact Details: Stansted Mountfitchet U3A c/o Stansted Free Church Chapel Hill Stansted, CM24 8AG Email: [e-mail] Tel: [phone]

Stansted Mountfitchet U3A Year ended 31 March 2024 Trustees Report

	List of Trustees
Trustee	Office
Susan Sedgebeer	Chairman
Pauline Green	Vice Chair
Louise Da Costa	Secretary
Eric Fidell	Treasurer
Sue Bradbury	Committee Member/Speakers Co-ordinator
Gaynor Mordcovich	Committee Member/Assistant
	Treasurer/Groups Coordinator
John Oldman	Committee Member/Webmaster
Alison Garrard	Committee Member/Membership Secretary

Who we are.

Stansted Mountfitchet u3a is an unincorporated members association and a member of the Third Age Trust. The amended constitution was adopted on 15[th] June 2023 and is available to view on the Stansted Mountfitchet u3a website. The Objects of the charity are 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 Stansted Mountfitchet and its surrounding locality.

Committee Members (Trustees) of the charity are appointed at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) and hold office for a fixed term of three years. The Charity should have the following officers:- Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. No officer can be re-appointed after the end of the three year term. The number of trustees shall be not less than 5 and not more than 15. Vacancies on the committee can be filled during the year by the committee, but they then may stand for election at the next AGM.

Highlights of the past year and future plans

In 2023/4 we have continued to reap the benefits from our marketing efforts of the past two years. Our membership has risen considerably since the immediate post-pandemic levels and prior to renewals, at

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Stansted Mountfitchet U3A Year ended 31 March 2024 Trustees Report

time of writing, has reached 330. A consistently rising number of members also now attend the monthly, general meeting.

Since the last AGM each person who joins our u3a receives a “New Member Pack” comprising a welcome letter together with a badge containing their membership card, an activities leaflet, a page showing the committee members and their contact details, as well as up-to-date reports from a variety of activity groups. Each pack is hand delivered by a committee member at which point, wherever possible, the new member is engaged in conversation about the u3a ethos of giving as well as receiving benefit from membership with a view to identifying those who may wish to take a future role as a committee member, group leader, or to help in other ways. This is yet another method of ensuring good succession planning which is key to our future security.

This year will see the retirement of a number of committee members but we are confident we have the plans in place for those vacancies to be filled. I am happy to reiterate the words I used in last year’s report: we view the future with enthusiasm and hope.

Our Finances

The main source of funds is from membership subscriptions, associated Gift Aid and group activities. Group funds are ring fenced so that money paid in by any group is available for that group to use. With acceptable reserves, future annual trading is budgeted to break even.

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees,

Susan Sedgebeer Chairman 15[th] May 2024

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Stansted Mountfitchet U3A Year ended 31 March 2024 Income and Expenditure Account

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Stansted Mountfitchet U3A

As at 31 March 2024 Balance Sheet

Approved by the Trustees on 15 May 2024

Susan Sedgebeer

Eric Fidell

Chairman

Honorary Treasurer

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Stansted Mountfitchet U3A

As at 31 March 2024 Notes to the Accounts

1 Membership Subscriptions

As at 31 March 2024 there were 330 (2023:311) members of the Stansted Mountfitchet U3A.

2 Third Age Trust Capitation Fee

The Third Age Trust is the umbrella organisation for all U3As to which the Stansted Mountfitchet U3A pays an annual capitation fee of £4.00 per member. The fee is payable every year based on the maximum number of members during the year.

3 Reserves

The general reserve represents monies available to the Trustees for the promotion and administration of the Stansted Mountfitchet U3A. The group reserve consists of monies held at the bank on trust for the benefit of individual groups and represents monies paid in by their members specifically for their group’s activities.

Balance brought forward Excess /(Deficit) income in year Balance carried forward	General Reserve £ 3,603 1,838 £5,441	2024 Group Reserv e £ 4,849 (144) 4,705	Total Reserve £ 8,452 1,694 £10,146	General Reserve £ 7,039 (3436) £3,603	2023 Group Reserve £ 6,092 (1,243) £4,849	Total Reserve £ 13,131 (4,679) £8,452

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Stansted Mountfitchet U3A

As at 31 March 2024

Independent Examiner’s Report

Respective The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The responsibilities of charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under trustees and section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the 1993 Act) and that an independent examiner examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts under section 43 of the 1993 Act,

• to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 43(7)(b) of the 1993 Act, and

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

• Basis of independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by examiner’s the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting statement 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 the 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.

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention

Independent examiner's statement

1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:

2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act; and

3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 1993 Act

4. have not been met ; or

5. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed

15[th] May 2024 Sally Rich The Old Laundry, Stansted, CM24 8TJ

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