## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period**
||Period start date|Period start date|||Period end date|Period end date||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Day|Month|Year||Day|Month|Year|
|**From**|01|01|2021|**To**|31|12|2021|
## Section A Reference and administration details
**Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any)** 1157590
Druitt Hall Community Association
-
**Charity's principal address** Druitt Hall
High Street Christchurch **Postcode BH23 1AB**
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Christopher Guest|Chair|||
||Martin Vieyra|Treasurer|||
||Carolyn Guest||||
||Katie Hawksworth||||
||Annette
Hawksworth||||
||||||
## **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)**
**Name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of adviser Name Address**
## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
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**Section B Structure, governance and management**
## **Description of the charity’s trusts**
Type of governing document
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
Constitution
How the charity is constituted
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation
- (eg. trust, association, company)
Trustee selection methods
Appointed by Trustees (eg. appointed by, elected by)
## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)**
You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about:
- policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
- the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
- relationship with any related parties;
- trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
The identification and allocation of funds reserved for specific purposes was continued in the accounts, with review and adjustment being made at each meeting of Trustees.. A Reserves Policy statement was formulated by the Treasurer including in particular the recommended contingency reserve.
A problem with the finalisation of the charges from the previous energy supplier still remained at the end of this accounting period (the supplier being unable to provide correct accounts).
## CoronaVirus
The government-decreed dates for ‘lockdown’ and progressive relaxing of precautionary measures were followed throughout the year. The management of the hall by Trustees was such that it ensured availability to hirers at every permitted date. Full co-operation with hirers was undertaken on their preferences for staged or delayed return to activities.
Advice from BCP Council and from Dorset Community Action webinars was very helpful and was followed throughout. Local authority grant monies (business rates) were received to assist with public health measures. The requirement for enhanced H&S risk assessments from hirers was reviewed and maintained in respect of the pandemic.
Statutory Policies were reviewed and updated as necessary (eg Fire Risk Assessment, Legionnaires Disease and, especially, Covid-19). Annual ‘PAT’ testing and servicing of fire extinguishers was carried out.
The Friends of Druitt Gardens continued to develop the former Markham Room area as a secure ‘wildlife education area’. The area was formally opened by the Mayor of Christchurch in October.
Six trustee meetings were held, maintaining an emphasis on collective decision-making and responsibility. A fifth Trustee was appointed in March.
In June the Landlord, Christchurch Town Council, approved the proposed budget for replacement of the windows and commissioned a consultant surveyor to seek tenders for the work. They also approved the extension of the current lease of the building by a further 30 years to 2057 following a consultant surveyor’s report both on the building itself and on the estimated costs of replacing the building in both a single-storey format and a two-storey format (the upper floor being proposed office accommodation for council staff).
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## **Section C Objectives and activities**
**Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document**
**Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)**
To benefit the residents of Christchurch (Dorset) and neighbouring areas, without distinction, by associating together the said residents, and voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to provide facilities for recreation, health and fitness, education, leisure time occupation, community meetings and activities, with the objective of improving quality of life and enhancing community activities. To accumulate funds for the building of a replacement Community Hall centred on the footprint of the existing hall and to build such when funds allow. _(as stated in the constitution)_ Protects and enhances the existing building
Protects and enhances the existing building The Trustees gave due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in formulating policy and in exercising their powers and duties, notably this year in the administration of H&S measures in respect of the pandemic. The Trustees continued to demonstrate there is a financially-sustainable demand for this facility, operating within the terms of the lease. The conversion of a storage room into an equipment store was completed but repair work to the windows (and other work dependent upon that) was halted after the Town Council decision to replace the windows. Runs the hall as a community centre The regular testing of equipment, fire detection, CCTV and security installations, safety lighting etc continued. Consultation with hirers continued, both a formal meetings and informally on a week-to-week basis. Specific CO2 monitors were purchased and installed in the building as an HSE-approved means of assessing the adequacy of ventilation of the space. Users were given strict and specific instructions on the monitoring and their responsibilities in this regard. Groups using the hall had been retained through full co-operation concerning, especially, Covid precautions.heir return. At the end of 2021 the groups included: • Community food and craft market (weekly) • Twice-weekly table tennis club • Local resident's association (monthly) • A weekly youth drama group • Local Labour Party meetings monthly) • Two weekly fitness classes • Women's lnstitute x 2 groups (monthly) • Tabletop / craft markets (one weekly, one monthly) • Life-drawing class (monthly) • Youth karate group (weekly) • Age Concern coffee meeting (weekly) • Pre-school child activity group (weekly) • Two local drama group rehearsals (weekly) • Church prayer meeting (weekly) • Local authority youth outreach programme (monthly) • Sundry residents’ association meetings, mediation consultation, private parties, CQC meetings etc The hall had participated in the new ‘Christchurch Living Advent Calendar’ programme, providing the venue free of charge for this charity fund-raiser (in this case raising funds for Somerford ARC).
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Similarly we provided the venue free of charge and organised family-based activities as part of Christchurch Library’s ‘Fun Palace’ event in October.
Operation of the hall continued to require careful and proper management of maintenance and improvement works so as to minimise disruption to hirers’ activities and health and safety risks to anyone present in the facility.
A supporter of the DHCA paid for the purchase a defibrillator and cabinet. We paid for an electrical supply to the cabinet and mounted it externally on the building. We registered the equipment with the ambulance service, purchased back-up supplies of consumables and instigated a continuing maintenance check to ensure it remains serviceable.
## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)**
As noted above, time given by volunteers continues to make a crucial contribution to the maintenance and improvement of this facility.
The Trustees are aware of the need to encourage participation by more volunteers and the need for additional skills in (eg) grant-funding. It is planned to fund and out-source more of the maintenance / improvement works in future, as the amount of this work becomes smaller over time.
You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about:
- policy on grantmaking;
- policy programme related investment;
- contribution made by volunteers.
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## Section D Achievements and performance
**Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year**
Retention of existing users and the gaining of some additional hirers was achieved. New and frequent enquiries about hiring continued. A volunteer continued to carry out the monthly safety / maintenance checks (smoke alarms etc) and to maintain a proper log of these checks.
Some funds continued to be generated by participation in the BH Lottery. During the pandemic, whether open or during ‘lockdown’ the hall and hirers were successfully managed in respect of both hire conditions and H&S measures and communication with hirers was maintained very well.
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## **Section E Financial review**
## **Brief statement of the**
## **charity’s policy on reserves**
It remains the charity's policy to hold in reserve as a minimum, an amount equivalent to 6 months' operating costs (£10,800 was in hand at end of 2021). Charity Commission guidance is to hold a reserve equivalent to between 4 and nine months’ of operating costs.
The amount of £100 was reserved in a fund for possible installation of a PA system, £19 in respect of defibrillator supplies.
The amounts of £196 and £1,300 were respectively reserved for the improvement of a storeroom and for remaining repair and decoration works to external walls.
The amount of £1,025 was reserved for repairs and varnishing to the hall’s woodblock flooring. The amount of £500 was held for roof maintenance. Dedicated reserves of £7,074 in respect of Covid-19 measures and £2,760 for liabilities for key deposits and energy charges were in hand.
The construction of a replacement hall remains a long-term aim of the constitution but other, more immediate, improvements to the existing are the foremost aims, it being impossible to yet start a fund for any new building.
**Details of any funds materially in deficit**
None
## **Further financial review details (Optional information)**
Aside from small donations and grants, both of which remain rare, the sole income from which to meet operating costs remains the hire income. However being liable to business rates has had the benefit of receiving further grant-assistance (Covid) from the local authority.
You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about:
- the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
- Hire income has continued to be affected by Covid restrictions although this effect is reduced as compared with 2020. Continuing without employed staff, in particular, means no liability to employment costs.
- how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
A survey and report commissioned by the Landlord (Christchurch Town supported the key objectives Council) advised them that, with the current adequate maintenance work of the charity; being continued, there was a reasonable expectation for a further 30 years• investment policy and plus life expectancy for the building. The report confirmed that a programme of refurbishment work to the windows was possible although it cast some objectives including any doubt over the economic efficacy of this compared with complete ethical investment policy replacement. No quotations for the refurbishment work were sought by adopted. either the consultant or the Landlord. Following the report a formal undertaking was given by the Landlord to extend our lease by 30 years (to 2057) and to fund replacement of all the windows. The extended lease will enable Trustees to apply for grant funding that would otherwise have become unavailable owing to the shortness of the remaining term of the lease. However, at year-end, 6 months have been allowed to pass by the Landlord without the issue of a new lease – this despite the Trustees having complied with a belated (October 2021) insistence by the Landlord that it was for the Trustees to prepare the lease document. A document in the form of a reversionary lease was submitted very quickly following the Landlord’s requirement to do so. Furthermore at the year-end, the Landlord (via their appointed consultant) had failed to invite tenders for the replacement windows – 6 months having been allowed to pass. The delay in implementing these decisions made at Full Council in June
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have caused ongoing and directly consequential delays to a range of planned maintenance, repair and improvement works. The reinstatement of adequately-opening windows remains a necessary measure to aid control of ventilation of the hall for public health purposes.
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## **Section F Other optional information**
Our aims for the coming year (largely carried forward from last year) are:
- to co-operate in the installation of replacement windows at the earliest possible date and then continue with improvements and our maintenance etc obligations under the lease
- to monitor and maintain resources to permit adequate public health measures
- to review and determine whether certain services (eg janitorial, decorating) should be ‘out-sourced’ rather than rely on the volunteers
- to identify and obtain additional skills at trustee- (or consultant-) level in respect of funding and marketing
- to further improve the facilities for hirers / users of the facility
- to improve the fabric, insulation and ventilation of the building, the storage facilities etc
- to support the Friends of Druitt Gardens in their work and protection of the adjacent gardens
## **Section G Declaration**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
## **Signature(s)**
**Full name(s)** Christopher Roy Guest
Carolyn Jane Guest
**Position (eg Secretary, Chair,** Chair Trustee **etc) Date** 23/9/2022
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