Harwell Village Hall 2024 — 2025 Charity Number 1157858
Chair’s report
April 2024 to 2025 has in general been a good year for the hall with usage levels being maintained. Our thanks to Amy our bookings administrator and her team of Emma and Laura for their work in keeping the bookings coming in.
The Halls are now starting to show their age (even the newer Orchard Hall) with the floors needing attention, especially in Cherry Hall. The Trustees feel that the flooring will need significant investment in the next 18 months.
The utilities bill is still a major cost and although the solar panels have reduced the electricity bills, the expected income from exporting electricity back to the grid has yet to materialise with an impasse between the import and export electricity companies regarding who is responsible for providing the correct meter to enable this. Issues with the heating system and air handling unit have again required multiple engineer visits with the associated costs. A new fan for the AHU is due to be installed soon which we hope will improve the situation.
The number of Trustees has stayed the same as the new Treasurer, Claire Hackett, who replaced Victoria, has joined as a trustee. It should be noted that two existing trustees will be standing down this year so new Trustees are being sought.
Giles Barwell has been leading the project to move the hall closer to Carbon Net Zero in line with government targets. Sue Greatbanks and Giles have been applying for grant funding with the aim of replacing the gas boiler with an air-source heat pump.
Giles has also been leading the effort to work with Oxfordshire County Council to install EV charging points in the village hall car park.
The Trustees acknowledge and thank the cleaning team and those who help maintain the hall as well as those who get called out to deal with the occasional user problem.
The accounts are maintained and prepared ona Receipts and Payments basis. These can be regarded as the “operational account”, covering all transactions appropriate to the hire and running of the village hall.
These are “ringfenced” funds provided for a specific purpose, and include e deposits for the hire of the hall . * grants and donations granted for specific projects There are no additional special items.
Use of the hall, and receipts from hire fees have remained consistent and increased on the previous year at £55,748 for the financial year ending 31* March 2025. Utility costs increased by £1,322 (~18% of total hire fees received, which is consistent with prior year) due mainly to an increase in usage compared to 2023/24. Gas costs are constrained by a long-term contract and will remain at the same level for another year. In 2024/25 there is an increase in contractor costs for booking and cleaning the hall to meet requirement. There was an improvement by adding CCTV at £2,317 and the AV upgrade in the Orchard Hall of £4,872.
Trustees have established a designated fund for dilapidations and improvements to forecast each year the costs for specific projects over and above the routine management of the hall premises.
Restricted Funds and transfers between funds
Main receipt of restricted funds relates to £40,466 $106 grant from the Vale of White Horse District Council for solar panels and £2,500 grant from Sustainable Harwell.
Annual budgeting now includes a five year forecast. Receipts should continue to exceed payments to enable trustees to retain a contingency fund and allocate money to the designated fund for dilapidations and improvements. During the next year, trustees anticipate receiving further S106 monies which will be allocated to the solar panel project.
Fuel costs have been a major concern, but fixed term contracts have been secured for electricity and gas so that, although much higher than in the past,
trustees have some certainty about future utility costs and provided that hire fees hold up, the immediate financial threat to the viability of the hall has been removed.
Contingency
On 31 March 2025, trustees had total reserves of £81,509 and a mortgage loan amount outstanding of £45,811.
The Charity Bank recommend that a balance of approximately six months income is retained as a general contingency fund.
The Charity Bank loan is secured against the value of the hall and the underlying land.
The hall was valued in July 2016 by Lambert Smith Hampton as follows: Market Value £700,000
Gross Development Value £950,000
The hall buildings are insured for £2,164,660 and the contents for £131,462. For the purpose of this financial report, the value of the assets retained for Village Hall use are: Fixed assets (building) £700,000 The value of the outstanding loan from the Charity Bank, as of 31 March 2025, was £45,811.
No guarantees have been provided by the Village Hall trustees. Outstanding debt, the Charity Bank loan, is secured against a charge on the Village Hall assets, which are valued at £700,000. Claire Hackett Treasurer CHAU)[G/QI2S] ; oe
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Approved by all the trustees, and signed on their behalf
Duncan Chappell Date Chair
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Independent Examiner’s Report
To the Trustees of Harwell Village Hall On Accounts for Year Ended 31° March 2025
Responsibilities and basis of Report
As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
| report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Charities Act and in carrying out my examination | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
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of the Charities Act or
e the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
(Independent Examiner) Date: Mr Nicholas Clarke CPFA 1 Lockton Barns Church Lane Harwell
OX11 OEZ
:
Harwell Village Hall. Charity no. 1157858 Accounts - 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025
| GBPE | Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted men |
total 2023/24 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | ||||||
| Grants | 0 | ~6,950 | -6,950 | 42,966 | ||
| Donations | 700 | 0 | 700 | . | -2,438 | |
| Hire Fees | 55,748 | 275 | 56,023 | 48,817 | ||
| Bank interest | 1,293 | 0 | 1,293 | 681 | ||
| Total Receipts | 57,741 | -6,675 | 51,066 | 90,026 | ||
| Payments | : | |||||
| Utilities | 10,188 | 10,188 | 8,866 | |||
| Maintenance and repairs | 5,730 | 5,730 | 3,856 | |||
| Service contracts | _ 2,632 | 2,632 | 1,884 | |||
| Cleaning | 1,325 | 7,925 | 4,982 | |||
| Administration | 9,147 | 9,147 | 5,791 | |||
| insurance | 2,889 | 2,889 | 2,813 | |||
| Licences | 180 | 180 | 631 | |||
| Purchases | 7,748 | 7,748 | 37,476 | |||
| other payments | 0 | 0 | 203 | |||
| Loan Costs | 5,312 | 5312 | 5,318 | |||
| Total Payments | 51,751 | 0 | 51,751 | 71,820 | ||
| Excess of Receipts overPaymeats | 5,990 | “6,675 | ~685 | 18,206 | ||
| Transfers between Funds | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Opening balances | 66,558 | 15,636 | 82,194 | |||
| Closing balances | 72,548 | 8,961 | 81,509 | 8,961 | ||
| Statement ofAssets | Assets and Liabilities | |||||
| GBPE | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total end | totalend | ||
| Funds | Funds | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | |||
| Cash Funds | ||||||
| Cash | 0 | ie) | ||||
| CurrentAccount | -1,112 | 8,961 | 7,849 | 16,375 | ||
| DepositAccount | 12,903 | 12,903 | 65,819 | |||
| 32 DayAccount | 35,360 | 35,360 | ||||
| 90 DayAccount | 25,397 | 25,397 | ||||
| Total Cash Funds | 72,548 | 8,961 | 81,509 | 82,194 | ||
| Debtors | ||||||
| Liabilities | ||||||
| Loan | 45,811 | 45,811 | 46,945 |
Accounts prepared by Accounts approved on behalf of the Trustees (Treasurer) Duncan Chappell (Chair)