2022-09-30-accounts

Friends of Bungay Community Library Annual Report of the Trustees April 2023

This annual general meeting has been called earlier than in previous years in order to align this meeting a little more closely to the end of our financial year. Therefore, in this report I am looking back on only the last seven months.

At our last AGM we were still feeling the impact of the restrictions of the pandemic which had limited the range of activities which could be offered. I am delighted to say that in most ways the Library has returned to ‘normal’ but we now recognise that this really has become a rather different ‘new normal’.

In these challenging times so many people have come to discover the Library as a place where they can find a warm space, a hot drink, practical support, a chance to talk about the things on their minds and experience invaluable companionship – not to mention informed advice and essential up to date information on all measure of issues. All this in addition to the joy of books and reading!

The Friends are immensely proud to play a part in the excellent work of the Library and it is good to know that the local community value it every bit as highly as we do.

In summary, below are the main ways in which the Friends have been supporting the Library.

• We have given financial support to help to resource the Warm Rooms offer and have helped to purchase items for hygiene packs, menstrual products and basic food packs. Other donations have come from Morrisons Supermarket, The CoOp, Bungay Lions, Owles Architects, East Suffolk Communities Fund and District Councillor Judy Cloke as well as several anonymous donors.

• Our biggest expense this year has been completely refurbishing and replanting our lovely courtyard garden. We were rather shocked to discover the extent of the work needed and the extra demands on our funds. However, our landscape gardening firm have done a fabulous job working closely with us to deliver our ideas and wish lists. The work is nearly complete and we encourage all visitors to take a moment to enjoy the beautiful calm space this provides.

• With the generous financial support of Bungay Lions we have continued to make a commitment to Maxine’s excellent work with five local schools. Book boxes, library cards and storytelling sessions have encouraged children to explore and enjoy reading. We know that the schools and many families really value the way Maxine has enthused children with an enjoyment of stories and books.

• The 2022 Children’s Summer Reading Challenge in August was a great success with The Friends providing volunteer cover throughout the summer holidays. Plans for this year’s Challenge are already being made and it promises to be equally popular but as always will rely on the ongoing support of our team of volunteers.

• The range and number of children’s craft activities has continued to increase under the enthusiastic direction of Laura and Maxine. There are a good number of children who look forward to taking part in the creative activities and also enjoy the Lego challenges. We have been very happy to support the purchase of materials for these sessions as and when needed.

• Other new activities include Stay & Play on Tuesday mornings for under school age children and their grown-ups. After School Club on Thursdays is a popular

• event with up to sixteen children coming along and enjoying refreshments and games.

• We continue to provide funding for a number of ‘extras’ including daily newspapers, equipment for Scrabble and Cribbage clubs and we have purchased still more jigsaws for the ever popular jigsaw table.

• It is a pleasure to be able to report that our volunteers have restarted the Home Library service, taking books to local care homes and to people in their own homes.

• We enjoyed providing support and refreshments for Bungay Open Gardens last summer and are extremely grateful for their donation of £424 to the Friends of the Library. We are always very grateful to our fantastic team of cake bakers and volunteers who helped us provide very popular teas. We are looking forward to this year’s event in June and will once again be recruiting helpers.

• Once again, in November, Luke Wright very generously dedicated a fund raising performance at the Fisher Theatre for both the library and the theatre. As always Luke, and fellow poet John Osborne, gave an entertaining and thought provoking evening. We are enormously grateful for his support for the library in this way and were delighted to receive £770 for our funds as a result.

• As always, The Friends are closely involved with working in partnership with Suffolk Libraries – the charity which has done such an excellent job in providing Library facilities across Suffolk for the last 10 years. At this time of restricted funding we are very conscious of the need to constantly remind people that they need the on-going support of the community as a whole.

Our biggest challenge now remains the replacement of the entrance foyer to the library. Our existing lobby is in an extremely poor state of repair and we have exciting plans to not only replace but to extend it to create a much more accessible entrance with better display, seating and storage options. We have worked with architects on the plans and are now setting to work on securing the estimated £130,000 we will need to carry out the work. Support from Friends and the wider community will be an essential part of our applications to a number of funding agencies.

Once again we are enormously grateful to Amanda, Maxine and the rest of the staff team for their hard work and commitment to creating the warm and welcoming environment which so many members of the Bungay community value.

Christine Douglas

Chair of Trustees of the Friends of Bungay Community Library March 2023

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: CE000346 {England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1151649 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 FOR FRIENDS OF BUNGAY COMMUNITY LIBRARY <> vandiik ACCOUNTANTS

INDEPENDETr￿ EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FRIENDS OF BUNGAY COMMUNITY LIBRARY CHARITY NUMBER 1151649 FOR THE YEAR ENOED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 We ￿port on the accounts of the Friends of Bungay Community LilKary for the year to 30 September 2022, which are set out on pages 2 and 3. Respectlve responslblllties of Frlends and examiner The Charitys trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity's Iru5tees consider that an audit is not required fof this year under section 14412} of the Charities Act 2011 (the Chartties Act} and that an independent examination is needed. It is our responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act to follow the proeedure laid dowm in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under sects'on 145{5){bl of the 2011 Act to state whether particular matters have come to my attention Basis of independent examlnerfs report Our examination was carried Olrt in ac¢xJrdance the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting record5 kept by the harity and a comparison of the accounts presented wth those records. 11 also includes consideration of any unusual items or dis¢105ures in the accounts, and seekin9 explanations from you as Iruslees con￿mIng any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequenuy no opinion is given as to whether the xcounts present a In￿ and fair viwf and the report is limited to those sel out in the statement below. Independent examingr's statement In connection wth our examinab'on. no matter has come to our attention whieh gNes us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: the accounting records were not kept in ￿0rd8ft￿ with section 130 of the Charitses Act or the accounts did not accord with the accthinting records" or the accounts did not Compty the applicable requirements conceming the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a'true and fairf, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinab'on. We have come across no other matters in connection the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. J van Dijk FMAAT van Dijk Accountants 11 Trinity Street Bungay Suffolk NR35 1EH Date.. 25-Nov-22

FRIENDS OF BUNGAY COMMUNrrY LIBRARY CHARITY NUMBER 1151649 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 2022 2021 UNRESTRICTED FUND RECEIPTS Sales Fundraising Misc Interest GTanls Donations 6,146 1.615 3,109 1.909 10 605 530 400 TOTAL RECEIPTS 8.167 6.168 PAYMENTS Purchases Repairs and renewals Event costs Commission paid Staff Post and stationery Donations Accountancy General expenses 2,424 1,499 816 1,289 608 87 109 180 773 180 261 TOTAL PAYMENTS 5.738 2.535 RECEIPTS LESS PAYMENTS Bank balance and cash in hand at 1 Odober 2021 2,429 23.707 3,633 20.074 Bank balance and cash in hand at 30 Sepiember 2022 26,136 23,707

FRIENDS OF BUNGAY COMMUNITY LIBRARY CHARITY NUMBER 1151649 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 2022 2021 MONETARY ASSETS Lloyds Treasurers Account Savings Account Cash in hand 15,931 10,000 205 13,528 10,000 179 26,136 The financial statements were approved by the trustees and signed on ils behalf by.. Chairperson - C Douglas Date.. 14- IQ-Z022