2023-08-31-accounts - Downend Folk House Association

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WHAT IS D.F.H.A.?

Downend Folk House Association was founded in 1970 by a group of local people and is a registered charity. It serves the residents of Downend and the neighbouring areas irrespective of sex or religious, political or other opinions.

MISSION STATEMENT

Its purpose is to improve the quality of life of the local community by advancing education and providing facilities in the interests of social welfare, recreation and leisure

HOW WE ARE FUNDED

We receive no funding of any kind from any source and so our running costs have to be covered by income raised through our own efforts. Membership Fees: £10.00 per adult. Paid before September 1[st] 2023 £7.50 For those aged 13 -17yrs: £7.50 per annum. Paid before September 1[st] 2023 £3.00 per annum. Club & Class Fees: — These vary, see the Prospectus for details Fund-raising events: — See our Prospectus and our website for details. External Hirings: our facilities are available for private functions at competitive rates. Details from our Office Administrator.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Chairman : Mrs Eileen Bendrey. Vice-Chairman: Ms Janet Biggin. Treasurer: Mr Mel Brown. Secretary: Mrs Christine Bilella. Chairman Social & Fundraising Committee: Merle Hosking.

Elected representatives serving on the Management Committee Emma Bayley, Andrew Clements, Julia Kennett, Bruce Gibbs. Cllr Liz Brennan who also attends as a representative of the South Gloucestershire Council. The Management Committee usually meets on the first Monday of each month.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

AGM Chairman’s report 2023

You will see from the Treasurer’s report that the Barn year September 2022 to August 2023 has not been a good one financially for the Barn.

All the roofs had to be replaced/repaired, the paths leading to the Barn tarmacked, work done on the outside wall, electrical work done in Jubilee and Concorde halls and Heath room. In addition we had to pay for a five yearly electrical installation condition report. We also needed the kitchen and coffee lounge to be redecorated and repairs carried out to Jubilee hall floor. You will have noticed that we have now installed a handrail on the front steps to make the steps easier to negotiate. All these things have cost the Barn almost £50,000.

In the Office we have recruited Melinda Gunnion on a part-time basis to assist our Office Manager. We have tried to improve the look of our grounds and Dave Regan has kindly offered to help us in this regard.

I should like to thank Bruce Gibbs and Zoe Tanner for their efforts in producing the Barn News, which takes a lot of time to collate and print. Thanks must also go to our maintenance volunteer Phil Abbott and his team without whose efforts it would cost the Barn quite a lot of money to maintain the building and its surroundings. I should like to thank our office Manager Zoe Tanner and her Deputy Martin Bailey for their input.

Thanks must go to Mel Brown, our Treasurer, who sorts out all sorts of problems for us beyond the remit of a Treasurer.

Finally my thanks go to our Secretary, Christine Bilella, Janet Biggin our Deputy Chairman and all the members of the Management Committee for all the help and support they have given me this past year.

Eileen Bendrey.

Chairman

BARN NEWS & PROSPECTUS

The Barn News continues to be an important channel for members to keep in touch with the Association and each other. It is issued to members three times a year, with distribution largely completed at Club and Class meetings, and Coffee Mornings. Copies of the magazine can be found in the foyer and outside the Office in racks.

The Summer Term copies are always more difficult to distribute as fewer members tend to visit the Barn regularly at this time of year. Many members come to the Barn to collect their copies. A stamped-addressed envelope may be left in the office for those who would like a copy posted to them.

Thanks are again due to Zoe Tanner and Bruce Gibbs who have taken on the job of editing the Barn News which entails dealing with advertisers, organising the layout and helping to produce copies. We also thank Zoe and the office staff who produce many copies of each edition.

Our Prospectus was assembled this year by Zoe Tanner and Janet Hanlon and again produced "in-house" which enabled us to keep production costs well below commercial printing rates. It is distributed to local surgeries, libraries and similar locations. It is also available on our website.

All those who contributed to the major task of producing and distributing this year's Prospectus deserve our sincere thanks.

SOCIAL & FUND RAISING

During the 2022/2023 year the Social and Fund Raising Committee are running with 6 people on the Committee. Social activities within The Barn during this past year have been quiet. Trips this year have included Kelmscott Manor, Botanic Gardens, all trip information is listed on the S&FR notice boards. Monthly speaker mornings have resumed, the first Thursday in the month. The S&FR Committee are trialing a lunch time fund raiser which follows after the speaker mornings.

There was a Christmas Market in November, Cleeve singers gave a Christmas Concert. In July a Table Top sale was held.

The S&FR Committee organised other social gatherings but through lack of interest these trips were cancelled.

Our activities are displayed on our Facebook page as well as our Website.

If anyone else would be interested in coming forward and joining this group, please contact the S&FR Management Committee.

Merle Hosking

MEMBERSHIP

The amount taken in membership fees up to 1st September 2023 was £2399 with some members paying at the discounted figure and some at the full price.

CLUBS & CLASSES

As in past years, our main aims were to produce a balanced programme designed to provide the local community with as many varied activities as could be arranged.

To create opportunities for the resumption of friendships or the forging of new ones here at the Barn.

To encourage the wider age-band of membership which we see as vital to the sustained vigour and financial health of the Association.

The established Clubs and Classes continue. We get many enquiries from private hirers wanting to run activities in our premises and new groups. Anyone wanting to join these privately run groups can find contact numbers in our prospectus or on our web site. Guests and visitors to the Barn are impressed by the range of activities on offer here, although they are often surprised to learn that, in the absence of any kind of external funding, the successful running of most of our Club activities is largely due to the personal effort and enterprise of a relatively small number of volunteers.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

This year the Barn premises have been as much in demand throughout the year as ever and as before the main challenge has been to maximise Class, Club and associated activities for our members while, at the same time, generating that flow of revenue from private hirings upon which we have become increasingly dependent. That income is vital in enabling us to meet our increasing costs. We have had a lot of work done to keep our premises in good condition.

This year we have had extensive redecoration throughout the whole building due to the disruption caused to the rewiring of cables to enable the DFHA to obtain our electric EICS certificate. As before there has been a frequent need for repairs and maintenance of some kind throughout the year. Aaron Mitchell is our Property Manager and he has responded promptly to calls from the Office Manager. We now have three volunteers to help with maintenance and we are very grateful to Phillip Abbott, Peter Smithson and Adrian Helps for their time and expertise and for their help with looking after the grounds and some interior work. Any help that members can give, using their skills and experience, would save the Association considerable expenditure and would be much appreciated.

Finally, it is necessary to repeat our annual appeal to our members, to remain vigilant and security-conscious in and around the building since a quick response from the Police cannot be taken for granted. It is essential that we should support each other in an effort to keep crime and hooliganism at bay.

ADMINISTRATION

It is the face or voice of the Office Volunteer on duty which is often the first point of contact with this Association for many enquirers. As stated in previous years, we are very fortunate to have a team of agreeable and experienced, volunteer Office staff at the Barn, to support our day-to-day activities. As we no longer close down when the schools are shut the demands on the Office have greatly increased, and more volunteers are always needed. There are three new part time staff in the Office, Jane Faithfull, Derek Whitchurch, and Melinda Gunnion. We now only have two Office volunteers Maureen Walker and Janet Hanlon. They deserve praise and admiration for the efficient, polite and patient way they deal with enrolments for classes, bookings for outings, and telephone calls, queries, the occasional dissatisfied member and much more. A "thank-you" to them is always welcome.

May we take this opportunity to state that any verbal abuse will not be tolerated from DFHA members towards the Office Staff. Members found guilty of such actions will be banned from The Barn.

The premises are cleaned by an outside company, G E Treasure.

They are responsible for keeping the building in a tidy and hygienic condition, and this has enabled our members and hirers to enjoy their chosen activities in a clean and safe environment.

Those who join our "behind the scenes" operation for the first time are usually amazed at the amount and variety of work involved in running this Association. It is for this reason that new recruits are always welcomed, especially those who are willing to serve in a back-up capacity on an occasional basis, since they can give the team an added strength at times of enrolment, fund-raising events and when tickets are on sale for the various events.

Additional pairs of hands are especially welcome whenever an event is being held. Setting up and clearing up afterwards are an integral part of the event itself and many hands certainly make lighter work.

Members are reminded to keep the office informed of any changes of address or telephone numbers so that if necessary they can be contacted with information pertaining to clubs and classes or social events.

uuvvNtNu ruLli nUUJt AJaVL•lA I IVIY nan {CC16a sybBlltul•) RKelpts and Payments Ac¢ounts For the perlod 1st September 2022 to 31st August 2023 Totsl Funds (£1 Last ytaf (£1 FLhThts 1£) Furth I Furth {£) A1 R•¢41p MnbershIp Club Fs menls for ?1024 Fundraisi Caleri Hire of mlxdneous tit AIC int•ro8t DcywlKJn3 and CoV¥YFu .399 18,922 5176 3,039 1,488 77,587 2.399 18,922 5.176 3.039 1.488 77.587 fj03 1.451 10.751 220 4.110 910 56,472 2.212 5.852 3,247 2.7 sUrotal A2 Asset Ifiv8slm•nt 8ub Tothi Tot•1 Il¢c•liX• A3 Paym•nB Cost of Fundraisn larS 1,031 39,236 68.985 1.031 39.236 &q.985 G.2 1.676 10,862 I,S48 32.113 26.394 7.162 715 7,332 732 424 305 ,622 htit Water & Sewa Insur8n(lLi¢en8eJ Phonellntemet Stallone Bank cna Cleanin Traini srAl3neous Catenn ITSU Club EX Cov 1.676 10.862 52g 234 22,327 634 1.374 696 570 529 234 22,327 034 1.374 177 570 1,349 89 Sub Toial A4 A68ét and Inv•stm•nt puh1• New Porch . lannkn Cc£&er sTallI T(al Paym•nls

A5 Trnnst•fg botav•an fund• A6 lunds It ymr Cash Fund& thlg yèar •nd zzz EndMeThI Funds {£) Funds (£1 Funds 1£) 81 ¢h Fund• C83h Book 5rt%¢cnI Petty Cash Toial Cash Funds 12.337 71.725 Oeralls None Detsils The Charity kne8 the bwldmg as Lincc/nbe 8am frrTh 84 AM•ts r•tsln•d for th• ehirftl•• own u compulers, fvrniture. ojtlery etc all tyE Twlyè)Iv Trn 85 U8bllltl•• N¢)n• 8buned by one trust•• L behaw Gf 911 the tru¥le Date of approval Mel Brchvn reasurer 27 /c

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to thè trusteesl members of Downend Folk House Association On accounts torthe year ended 31 August 2023 Charity no (if any) 1157237 Set out on pages CC16a Sections A & B I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trusf) for the year ended 31 August 2023. Responslblllties and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for Ihe preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions gNen by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in wnnection with the examination which gives rne cause to believe that in, any material respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wtth the a¢counting records Independent examiner's statement I have no Gonm5 and have come auoss no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Date: 271,. Izo Name: Susan Rickerby Relevant professional qualification(s) or body Ilf any): ACA Address: 118 High Street Staple Hill Bristol BS16 SHH IER October 2019

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

October 2019

IER

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

October 2019

IER