THE MEON HALL CIO 1157815
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT - PERIOD ENDED 30[TH] JUNE 2025
Background on Charitable Status. The Meon Hall is the village hall for the residents of the villages of Meonstoke, Corhampton, and Exton in the county of Hampshire. Built as a self-design and build project by the villages between 1978 and 1981, The Meon Hall won the Secretary of State for the Environment’s prize for the best community project in Hampshire in 1981. The Meon Hall was officially opened by HRH The late Duchess of Kent in 1982. In 2014 the Trustees converted the village hall's charitable status to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO No: 1157815) in order to protect the position of the Trustees and to bring management procedures up to date. Incorporation was achieved on 14 July 2014.
Trustees. The Trustees were elected to the Meon Hall Management Committee as required by the CIO Trust Deed at the Annual General Meeting in October 2024. The Management Committee’s business has been carried out in accordance with the CIO Constitution and the Trust Deed requirements. We acknowledge guidance on management standards from ACRE. In this annual report the working title ‘Management Committee’ is used to denote the Trustees. The examined accounts and trustees report for the period ended 30 June 2025 are to be adopted at the AGM to be held in October 2025.
Operations and Public Benefit. The trustees have complied with their duty to ensure that The Meon Hall CIO charity is for public benefit. During the period the village hall has achieved its objective of providing services to the community in the villages of Meonstoke Corhampton and Exton in the rural Meon Valley in Hampshire. The accounts show receipts over expenditure of £ 2286 at 30 June 2025. The Trustees confirm in accordance with CIO (General) regulations that in the year ending 30 June 2025 the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties, nor any debts secured on its assets.
During the year ended 30 June 2025 the trustees were encouraged to review their responsibilities in Charity Commission leaflet CC3 and associated guidance, for their financial and management oversight duties. Records management was checked for hall hirings, and for data protection needs.
In accordance with its agreed policy, the Management Committee held its Reserve funds in the Charities Official Investment Fund. The Management Committee's continuing policy, agreed at the 2024 AGM, is that hiring income should fund running costs but that capital expenditure should be met mainly from reserves, grants, and fundraising. Donations during the year from private donors in the parishes were acknowledged with grateful thanks; Gift Aid recovery was received from HMRC. Grants from Corhampton & Meonstoke’s Parish Council for outside works, and grounds maintenance were acknowledged.
There was steady income from hirings of The Meon Hall in 2024/25 from block bookings and occasional hirings. Income from hired-out equipment was steady .
A review of hiring charges was made in 2022, with an increase in all charges from July 2022. The present position over income and expenditure has been confirmed in relation to the level of the hiring charges, taking account of increased costs, the largest being electricity, contract waste disposal, insurance, cleaning. Income from outside village hirings remained vital to our finances; by paying a higher rate, outside hirers subsidized local village groups and hirers. The Management Committee was grateful for the helpful co-operation of the Corhampton and Meonstoke Parish Council during the year over the use of the adjoining Recreation Ground which is a major attraction for certain types of hiring.
Building running costs. The Management Committee’s index-linked building valuation was reviewed and increased during the year; public indemnity cover is held at £10M. Running costs expenditure was reviewed during the year to make savings where practicable, particularly in the use of electricity which has reduced with the Solar panels installation. The business contract for electricity (arranged through the Crown Commercial Service) for our all-electric building was with EDF Energy.
The Meon Hall’s average annual use of day and night rate electricity over the years of 2018 to 2025, has been about 30935 Kwh units/year at an average annual cost of £4125 – amounts and costs varying annually with different winter average temperatures.
The energy efficiency reduction targets recommended in the 2013 Meon Hall Energy Efficiency Survey emphasized the continuing need to identify and fund capital expenditure projects to reduce annual electric running costs, and to update electrical equipment to the latest energy efficiency standards. Night storage heating in winter months has accounted for about 60% of annual electricity costs, and needs updating to achieve better efficiency. Car Park lighting and Main Hall overhead fluorescent lighting needs to be replaced with LED fittings to help with energy savings. Project work has been
completed for the Solar PV Array on the Main Hall’s south facing roof; planning consultant advice was taken to maximise the scope of the system. Winchester City Council (WCC)’s declaration of “climate emergency” actions in the district with a carbon neutral target of 2030, ahead of government targets, has increased our focus on energy savings.
A previous trustee topic has been to monitor the local need, funding, and provision of Electric Vehicle charging points with the Corhampton & Meonstoke Parish Council. The Meon Hall car park may be a possible future public access location, but Corhampton & Meonstoke Parish Council’s grant application to Hampshire County Council in early 2022 was rejected on grounds of likely insufficient usage. Efforts to control and manage village and recreational parking at the Meon Hall continue.
Internal Maintenance. During and after Covid Lockdown, mostly by late 2022, the Management Committee completed an extensive programme of necessary interior refurbishment work supported by WCC business rate grants, which contributed to successful re-opening. Much of this work was the first time that full re-decoration had been carried out for some 20 years; the work was carried out by a local volunteer who was paid expenses.
External Maintenance. “Autumn Leaf Fall” from the 62 trees in the Meon Hall surrounds and car park continued to be a substantial annual management task, with over 40 hours volunteer work at a cost of over £400, plus voluntary action for removal of fallen leaves off-site. A further cost from annual leaf fall is that the Meon Hall roof gutters and leaf guards need regular inspection and clearing about every 6 months, at an annual cost of over £700 by a local contractor working at heights up to 7.5 metres. Installation of the Solar PV Array will bring future additional external maintenance costs.
Fundraising and Data Protection. The Management Committee does not engage in regular active fundraising, and does not employ a professional fundraiser. The trustees comply with the Charities Act 2016 guidance in relation to Gift Aid on donations and small donations, and are registered with HMRC. Data protection policy has been identified to guide the Meon Hall Committee’s fundraising using The Meon Hall’s 200 Club which is an annual lottery licensed by Winchester City Council. The generous contribution from the 200 Club supporters in our three villages has provided our annual fundraising in the year ended 30 June 2025 demonstrating community support for the Meon Hall trustees objectives for public use. The 200 Club's 357 member subscriptions in 2025 have raised about £2,750 net for Meon Hall funds, after deducting administrative expenses and awarding £850 of prizes. This money has helped to fund new equipment and some maintenance items.
Minimum necessary data protection requirements have been followed, and annual review procedures carried out. Hiring conditions include permission to retain personal data for a defined period. As a CIO, the Management Committee is registered with the Information Commissioner.
Major risk and serious incidents. The Management Committee has kept under regular review its assessment oft financial and other risks faced in the day-to-day operation of the Meon Hall. Standard operating risks have been identified and steps taken, where appropriate, to safeguard people, funds and accounts, and the Meon Hall building and surrounds. Fire Safety, COSHH, Health and Safety, Food Safety, Medical Emergency actions, Asbestos Risk Assessment, Vulnerable Persons, Child Protection, and Equality & Diversity policies were all reviewed during the period to 30 June 2025 by a working group of three trustees, with actions agreed by the Management Committee, and updated policies published. There were no Serious Incidents notifiable to our Insurers or the H&S Executive in the year ended 30 June 2025.
Reserves Policy. The Reserves policy of the Management Committee follows Charity Commission guidance. The Meon Hall's Reserve protects against risk of serious financial difficulty from either unexpected major expenditure or lack of hiring receipts resulting from damage to the building. In the year ended 30 June 2025 we were able to increase the level of the Reserve to about £100,000. It remains an important aim of the Trustees to be able to provide emergency cash cover at a level of up to 5% of the index linked building insurance valuation in case of significant insurance loss or damage. This would require cash payments to be released on the authority of a loss adjuster prior to any insurance claim outcome.
Trustees have agreed that a flexible view over the availability of a proportion of the Reserve for capital works should continue to be taken to enable the Management Committee to address necessary projects. In the longer term the Management Committee’s position is that the Reserve is for future renovation, major maintenance, or development of the Meon Hall building or its facilities for community needs. In particular the Reserve ensures smooth cash flow, and helps to protect the Trustees position over unexpected insurance loss or other circumstances.
To safeguard important day-to-day needs, the Management Committee’s Lloyds Treasurers current account balance was kept broadly at about £6,500 for cash flow purposes; the account receives no interest. The monthly insurance premium, monthly electrical costs, six monthly contract waste disposal cost and increasing building maintenance costs demonstrate
the need for this level of current account balance. Sums may be transferred to the Reserve in the Charities Official Investment Fund (COIF) or withdrawn for current needs at the delegated discretion of the Management Committee’s treasurer. In 2000 action was carried out to confirm that the COIF was the Trustees preferred investment choice for the Reserve in terms of risk, inflation, and interest earned; this choice is unchanged in 2025. The national rate of inflation and subsequent increased interest earned have been beneficial, adding monthly to the Reserve.
The Management Committee consider there are sufficient funds available in the designated Reserves fund to meet the £20,000 that has been assessed as the minimum necessary for estimated premises dilapidations that is a stringent condition of the Trust Deed, should The Meon Hall have to be handed back to the Parish Council under terms set out in the Trust Deed. This sum of £20,000 is viewed as a potential minimum sum that has been identified as a Contingent Liability in the 2024/25 accounts notes as a priority for ring-fenced retention in the Reserve; the sum is based on an informal professional assessment.
The Management Committee’s policy has continued to be that sums identified for ‘Known Future Contingent Liabilities’ should be placed in a designated project reserve to fund future needs, including the ring-fenced premises dilapidations sum, based on identified future projects and their estimated costs. The Management Committee consider that after these deductions the remaining balance in the Reserve will be broadly equivalent to running costs, plus new equipment, maintenance, and training expenditure of the Meon Hall CIO trustees, to conform with general grant criteria published by the Charity Commission and local government authorities about the size and relevance of the CIO’s charity financial reserves which are for public benefit. This annual running costs measure will fluctuate from year to year, so the Management Committee has chosen an annual figure as the likely general measure of one year's estimated average running costs expenditure, which in future may have to take account of “ known unknown” inflation or other costs.
Management Plan. The Meon Hall's Management Plan was reviewed early in 2025 with a detailed assessment of annual income and expenditure, and likely future projects and their costs, and whether grants should be applied for where appropriate. Expenditure items identified in the Management Plan affecting the designated Reserves fund, and their outline costs plus VAT, are likely to include capital works projects, equipment purchases, and management training needs. Future hiring income may be affected by government policy, inflation or other effects on potential hirers finances. The Management Plan 2025 review needs to introduce the effects of likely annual changes to the finances of The Meon Hall, and possible level of hiring charges and increases. Government policy changes to the Annual Business Rate exemptions must be included in this assessment.
The principal financial risk for the Meon Hall CIO is sudden loss of hiring income. The unexpected Covid19 pandemic building closure in March 2020 stopped all hiring activity but administrative and maintenance expenditure continued to run down the level of funds. Most groups and hirers offered to allow The Meon Hall CIO to retain payments made for future hirings and asked for bookings to be rolled forward to later dates. The Meon Hall CIO is assessed for annual rateable value of £13,000 with a potential mandatory charge of £6,487 business rates, but is exempt from payment of 80% as a charity; the remaining 20% is also exempted at the discretion of our Local Authority, Winchester City Council (WCC). Present changes to local government administration need to be monitored closely. Despite being exempt from paying a Business Rate, the Meon Hall CIO was awarded four Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure grants by WCC during Lockdown – £10,000 in March 2020, and between November 2020 to May 2021 a further £17,907, and in 2022 £2667. These grants (received in lieu of hiring income) were fully spent on administration expenditure, and maintenance costs normally met from hiring income.
In normal circumstances the Management Committee would generally plan to hold a total of up to £125,000 in current and designated funds for these and other purposes, all of which are of direct public benefit. The Management Committee believe that these Reserve and General Financial Policies are prudent and justified, not only to give our successors a sound financial base, but also as a hedge against the increasingly limited grants available from local authorities and other sources. Specifically the Management Committee needs to be able to provide for the sudden impact of providing emergency cash cover in case of significant hiring income loss, insurance loss or damage, an unexpected increase in running costs, and particularly for implementing new or changing government legislation affecting the safe operation of a community building, so as to be able to continue to maintain and update its 47 year old village hall building.
Future Counter Terrorism measures. The effects of the new 2025 law on Counter Terrorism (Protection of Premises) known as Martyn’s Law, are still to be assessed for cost and management impact. It is thought that the Meon Hall will be within the capacity affected by Home Office guidance policy on implementation measures and cost. The effect on hirings and management may be significant.
Acknowledgements. The Management Committee are grateful to the Corhampton & Meonstoke Parish Council for
their continuing financial support and for acting as a supportive landlord; and to the Exton Parish Meeting for renewed financial support. The Management Committee have acknowledged with thanks a recent grant of £1,000 from the Corhampton & Meonstoke Parish Council precept for 2024/25.
People. The CIO's Management Committee met seven times face-to-face in the period reported, the average attendance was 8 out of a possible 13 members.
We record thanks to our Committee Secretary, Anne Morrice, who has written accurate minutes; to Sue Marsh our Treasurer who has kept the CIO's accounts to the required Charity Commission model with accuracy, and for her advice on expenditure. To Natalie Lumby for her careful Examination of the Annual Accounts. To Nicholas Riley for leading on contracts – particularly the Solar PV project work - and for his valuable professional knowledge of building and works procedures. To Jenny Creese, our Housekeeper, for her enthusiasm and hard work in unsocial hours in looking after the kitchen, toilets, sports changing facilities, and general cleaning and assistance; and particularly for updating the Meon Hall contents list. To Norman Creese who has carried out a wide range of maintenance work to the Hall building. To Michelle Kempster for her continuing work outside in the car park area, particularly with seasonal autumn leaf clearance (helped by John Dobby); to Barry Heard and his wife Anita who ended their work with grass and bush trimming early in 2025; and to the firm of EMS South for taking on this work. The trustees acknowledge the Chairman’s extensive work on behalf of the committee.
Signature and Declaration
Declaration : I declare in my capacity of charity trustee that the Trustees of The Meon Hall CIO 1157815 have approved this report at the AGM held on 22 October 2025 and have authorized me to sign it on their behalf.
Full name Alexander James Morrice Position Trustee and Chairman Date 22 October 2025
THE MEON HALL – CIO - CHARITY 1157815 - ANNUAL ACCOUNTS TO 30 JUNE 2025
Financial year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS Account 2024 to 30 June 2025
RECEIPTS
Income from voluntary sources Beetle Drive 1505.48 County Council Arts Programme 0.00 200 Club Lottery (Gross receipts) 5100.48 (1) Fundraising 5100.48 C & M Parish Council(including grass cutting) 975.00 Exton Parish Meeting (grass and other) 0.00 WDAPC 0.00 WCC 0.00 HCC 0.00 Grant making trusts and other bodies 0.00 (2) Grants 975.00 Gift Aid donations 3600.00 Other donations 486.50 Legacies 5537.23 Covenanted receipts 0.00 Gift Aid Tax Refunds 900.00 (3) Donations & Bequests 10,523.73 Income from Trading Actvites (4) Block Regular bookings 7813.87 (5) Occasional bookings 12491.81 (6) Badminton Club 300.00 (7) Hired Out Equipment 1943.85 (8) Damage deposits received 0.00 Payments by Hirers for Electricity 968.54 (9) Electricity 968.54 Income from Assets Deposit fund 5 035.06 (10) Interest 5035.06 Miscellaneous Receipts Insurance claim 43.21 General refunds 0.00 (11) Miscellaneous receipts 43.21 Total Receipts for 2024/2025 £45,195.55
Financial year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
PAYMENTS
Direct Charitable Expenditure
| Housekeeping and Cleaning Services | 4061.25 | |
|---|---|---|
| Car park sweeping/Pato | 0.00 | |
| Caretaking services | 1718.85 | |
| (1) Facilites services | 5780.10 | |
| Insurance | 2727.22 | |
| Stage, Public, and Performing Licences | 35.00 | |
| Annual site rental | 50.00 | |
| Community Acton Hants fee | 0.00 | |
| Electrical & Fire Equipment Inspectons & Works | 1256.26 | |
| (2) Premises | 4068.48 | |
| Electricity | 5356.52 | |
| Telephone Line, Calls, and Maintenance | 475.29 | |
| TV Licensing | 169.50 | |
| Refuse collecton | 2401.15 | |
| Cesspit | 0.00 | |
| Piano Tuner | 0.00 | |
| Window Cleaning | 196.00 | |
| (3) Supplies & Services | 8598.46 | |
| Major Works and Repairs (over £200) |
15,084.00 | |
| Minor repairs | 660.00 | |
| (4) Building Maintenance & Works | 15,744.00 | |
| General maintenance | 3227.50 | |
| Grass cutng/Tree Surgery | 2592.00 | |
| (5) Grounds Maintenance | 5819.50 | |
| Repairs/Replacement | 516.87 | |
| New equipment | 0.00 | |
| (6) General equipment | 516.87 | |
| Hire of equipment | 0.00 | |
| Purchase of new equipment | 0.00 | |
| Consumables | 330.34 | |
| (7) Cleaning Equipment and Supplies | 330.34 | |
| Other Expenditure | ||
| Secretarial expenses | 0.00 | |
| Booking Secretary/Telephone/ Statonary Accounts examinaton (8) Management Commitee |
0.00 0.00 |
0.00 |
| 200 Club Prizes | 850.00 | |
| 200 Club administraton and Registraton Fee | 0.00 | |
| Fundraising Event Expenses | 701.48 | |
| (9) Fundraising | 1551.48 | |
| (10) Damage Deposits returned | 0.00 | |
| Hospitality | 0.00 | |
| Return of Hire Fees | 250.00 | |
| Gif/Donaton | 250.00 | |
| (11) Other | 500.00 |
Total Payments for 2024-2025
42,909.23
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES - 30 JUNE 2025
ASSETS
| Monetary assets - Cash and bank balances | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearing bank balance at close of business 30 June 2025 | 8316.59 | |||
| Less unpresented cheques | 0.00 | |||
| Plus receipts banked but not yet credited by Clearing Bank | 0.00 | |||
| Plus cash & cheques not banked by Treasurer | 0.00 | |||
| Other monetary assets | 0.00 | |||
| Deposit Fund at 30 June 2025 | 99,860.05 | |||
| Total of Monetary Assets at 30 June 2025 | 108,176.64 | |||
| Net surplus (Loss) for Financial Year |
2286.32 | |||
| Non-Monetary Assets : |
||||
| Equipment and Contents, Trustees valuaton |
31,000.00 | |||
| Hire fees to be received | 0.00 | |||
| Pre-paid utlites (BIFFA waste ) |
638.00 | |||
| Electricity paid in advance |
182.00 | |||
| Metered water paid in advance |
0.00 | |||
| 200 Club Lotery tckets allocated but not paid for | 0.00 | |||
| Gif Aid Tax Repayments to be received | 0.00 | |||
| Total of Non-Monetary Assets at 30 June 2025 | 31,820.00 |
The Meon Hall CIO 1157815 - NOTES TO THE 2024-2025 ACCOUNTS
The accounts are prepared on a “Receipts and Payments basis”. Only monies received by or notified to the Treasurer of the CIO by 30 June 2025 are included. The accounting period began on 1 July 2024.
The accounts are subject to examination by an independent examiner in accordance with Charity Commission requirements.
Uncashed cheques held by the Bookings Manager as damage deposits are not shown.
A thorough review had been made in early 2024 of the Trustees Valuation of the movable contents of furniture, equipment, kitchen items, and consumable stores. The valuation has been reviewed again in 2025, and has been reduced to £31,000. This is what value might be raised if the Meon Hall contents had to be sold at auction or by private treaty or closing down or other circumstances. It might be much less.
The Meon Hall, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) holds a lease expiring in 2078 as Lessees on a fully repairing and insuring lease. The property is held on trust as a village hall, with no alternative use or investment income. As a consequence it would be prudent to view the lease as a liability and not as an asset. During 2024-2025 the CIO held insurance cover for the property, contents, and public liability. No professional survey of dilapidations has been undertaken and the figure of £20,000 is purely an estimate and cannot be relied upon to reflect the exact state of repair on 30 June 2025.
The CIO Trustees are grateful for private donations totalling £3600, and legacies of £5537.23 in 2024-2025.
Major expenses in this financial year were : £15084 installation of Solar PV panels on part of the south side of the Main Hall roof; £4582 Reducing height of trees and shrub maintenance.
The 200 Club Lottery runs from January to November. On 30 June 2025 undrawn prizes totalled £ £675.00.
The CIO Trustees confirm in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated (General) Regulations 2012 that at the end of the year (30 June 2025) the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor debts secured on the CIO’s assets. On 30 June 2025 had contractual liability as lessee in relation to the Meon Hall premises.
The accounts 2024 – 25 show a balance of £108,176.64 with excess of receipts over payments of £ 2286.32.
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES i Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of On accounts lor the year ended 20 IS- Charity no lif any) Set out on pages llErybel to lh8 page liuiTr5 ol addition31 sheesi I report to the trustees on my examination o th ounls the above Responsibilities and As the charrty trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance wrth the requirements of the Chanties Act 2011 Ilhe Act") 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 given by the Charrty Commission under section 14515)Ibl of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention "l in connection wrth the examination which gives me Cause lo believe that in. any material spect. accounting records were not kept in accordance wtth sectioft 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no conM$ and have come across no other matters in connection wrth the examination to which attention should be drawn in nrder to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the words in the brackets if Ihey do not apply. Date: Independent oxaminerf8 statement Signed: 2£ Name: iLI C H Lun6 Relevant professlonal qualrfication{s) or body (if any): ICAE Address: n AfvryL nCo4U7o fLE S()31 Skm. IER October 2018