## **SHERWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION CIO** Registered Charity 1158333 # **ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **2022-2023** **Sherwood Community Association CIO is the Registered Charity which runs** **Grant aided by Nottingham City Council** ## **Contents** |Trustees’ Report|3| |---|---| |Trustees and Staff|4| |Chair’s Report|4| |Treasurer’s Report|5| |Membership Secretary’s Report|6| |Fundraising/Events|7| |Staffing|7| |Training|7| |Building and Grounds|7| |Sherwood Community Centre and the|| |Environment|8| |Bookcrossing|9| |Affiliated Groups’ Reports|9| |Other User Group Reports|14| |**Appendix:**|| |**2022-2023 Accounts**|15| 2 ## **’ - TRUSTEES REPORT 2022 23** ## **ABOUT SHERWOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION CIO** The Sherwood Community Association CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, (Reg. No.1158333), a voluntary organisation which was first registered with the Charity Commission on 22nd August 2014. From 1st April 2015, this charity took over the running of the Sherwood Community Centre, and all the monies, assets, contracts etc. of the former Sherwood Community Association which was then closed. Full SCA CIO Membership is open to anyone living, working or volunteering in the area of benefit, which is Sherwood and the surrounding area. The Association is managed by The Trustees' Committee who meet monthly, assisted by two Administrative Assistants. The Trustees are elected annually by the members at an AGM and operate as per the adopted Constitution of 2014. The Trustees consult with the Members’ Support Group, which is made up of representatives from Affiliated Groups and other interested Members, who also meet regularly. It is a condition of Affiliation that representatives support the Association by attending meetings and providing assistance at events or helping in areas of their expertise. Various sub-groups (comprising of Trustees and representatives of the Members’ Support Group) carry out research, planning and other work and report back to the Trustees’ Committee and Members’ Support Group. The building and grounds are owned by Nottingham City Council, who are responsible for repairs to the structure and services of the building. The Association receives an Area Based Grant from the Council. In order to receive the grant, the Association has had to provide quarterly monitoring, as proof that the Association is providing the services expected by the Area Based Grant Agreement, which is, in effect a type of Service Level Agreement. The current Trustees’ Committee has endeavoured to be in contact with and work with other organisations and charities to enhance provision for all who live in the area of benefit. Through the democratic process, a wide range of views and opinions have been expressed, debated and decisions made accordingly. 3 Present provision and services continue to be utilised and we have had some success in responding to identified needs. ## **TRUSTEES AT 31 MARCH 2023** Chair Treasurer Secretary Membership Secretary Trustees Jill Gregory _(also known as Jill Mee)_ Margaret Hilton Hannah Fries _(also known as Hannah Malhotra)_ Valerie Hunter Louise Holland Sally Hilton Dawn Evans Wayne Barton (co-opted) ## **MEMBERS OF STAFF AT 31 MARCH 2023** Administrative Assistants Admin Training Caretaker/Cleaners Community Café Karen Southam Sue Packman Adam Cliff Alison Manifold Julie Fairholm Adam Cliff Sam Holland Jayne Marriott ## **STATUTORY AUTHORITIES** Resident Development Officer (Nottingham City Council) Castle Cavendish ## **CHAIR’S REPORT** During the last year, use of the Centre has increased, several new groups adding to the range of activities and providing important services to the Community. Karen and Sue have now been with us for a year or more, and have worked hard to boost bookings. Trustees have provided cover and enabled bookings to take place, when Caretakers were unavailable during a period of illness and a staff shortage. We have also welcomed back groups who had been hesitant to return after the pandemic. The Community Café has also been reopened during term-time. We were sorry that Debbie Seaborn stepped down as Treasurer at last AGM. Her experience, understanding and advice has been a great asset to the 4 Association during her time as Treasurer, and this was particularly important in respect of budgeting during the Pandemic and during the difficult period which followed, when use of the Centre was lower than prePandemic. Jill Gregory Chair ## **TREASURER’S REPORT** This report covers the year April 2022 – March 2023. I succeeded Debbie Seaborn as Treasurer at the AGM in January 2023 when she resigned as both Treasurer and Trustee. As vice Treasurer I had worked closely with Debbie and would like to thank her for the work she has done to help us to recover financially after the Covid pandemic, although we have a way to go yet. CA Plus have been covering our book-keeping and invoicing work and we will continue to use their services for the near future. I would like to thank Dawn Evans, Vice Treasurer, for her help and support over this last year, and also a big thank you to Karen Southam for all her hard work and support with work both before and after the monthly Finance Meetings, and liaising with CA Plus over invoices and overdue payments. Her input has been invaluable. For the year ended 31 March 2023, income was £81,539 and expenditure £98,241. However, we are working hard to cut back our expenditure where possible and increase income. We have also worked hard to increase room hire, not only to get back to pre-Covid levels but increase the range and number of bookings and of course boost income. Many thanks must go to Karen and Sue, from our Admin team, for the amount of work they have put into this. We have a new weekend regular booking which started recently, many thanks to Louise, one of our Trustees, for ensuring it all went smoothly. There have been a lot of challenges this year, such as the drop in the Grant from the City Council, and services that were done by the Council in the past now have to be arranged and paid for by ourselves. Utility bills have trebled, maintenance work not covered by the Council needs to be done, changes in staffing have made budgeting for payroll more difficult, and 5 many other expenses have increased, so we are keeping a close watch on expenditure, and working on getting the best value we can. One big success this year is the re-opening of the Café, which is now being run by the Centre once again. Thanks to Jayne, who runs the Café, it is becoming more popular with both Centre users and outsiders who are discovering how friendly and welcoming it is. It’s a huge benefit to the Centre so its continued success is important. Dawn and I have been leading the Fundraising/Event group, and we held a very successful Outdoor/Indoor Car Boot Sale in October, and a Table-top sale in February. The Café was open for both events, which added enormously to the appeal of the event, and the events raised around £550 and £450. Thanks to the band of volunteers who assisted at both events to help make them so successful. Depending on how many more volunteers can help, we plan to hold more in the future, hopefully one every month or bi-monthly, and there are plans to hold some evening events which will be social events as well as raising money for the Centre. Margaret Hilton Treasurer ## **MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S REPORT** This report covers the period 01.4.22. – 31.3.23. As Users gradually returned to the Centre after prolonged Lockdown closures, a continued Affiliation was offered to all 7 groups from 2021 – 22. Only 5 groups took up the offer: NBLS, Jill Gregory School of Dancing, Yoga Village, Elevation Dance, Sherwood Playgroup CIO. From within these groups, there was a total of 37 listed members, and with 12 further Individual memberships and 1 Life member, the total membership is listed as 50 for the Membership year ending 31.03.23. This is a fall from 7 Affiliations and 52 memberships during the previous reporting period. MSG has not resumed since the return from Lockdown, but many of those who attended have now moved on; either because their group has left the Centre, or the majority of Group Representatives are already full and active Trustees. If MSG is to continue, new individual members who are able to commit to the Centre’s Sub-groups and activities will need to be recruited. |Group|Full Members| |---|---| |Sherwood Playgroup CIO|4| 6 |Elevation Dance|7| |---|---| |NBLS|23| |Jill
Gregory
School
of
Dancing|1| |The Yoga Village|2| |Individual Members|12| |Life Member|1| |**TOTAL**|**50**| Valerie Hunter Membership Secretary ## **STAFFING** Sue joined us in April 2022 to join Karen in the Office and the staff have now settled in and are working well, getting in new bookings. Although Alison had retired at the end of the 2021-22 Financial Year, she has continued to give support in respect of training and banking. We were sorry to lose Geeth Malinda as Caretaker in January 2023. Adam Cliff took his place in February 2023. Sam Holland also joined us in January 2023 as an additional Caretaker to cover the new weekend term-time bookings. ## **TRAINING** Sue and Karen attended Fire Induction Training. ## **THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS** Sherwood Community Centre (Woodthorpe House) is owned by Nottingham City Council, who are responsible for repairs to the building, although the Association is permitted to make minor repairs, or arrange for work to be carried out by approved contractors, and is responsible for painting and decorating the interior. Unfortunately, due to the costs incurred during the Pandemic (although some painting had been carried out by Caretakers during Lockdown using old paint stocks), we need to raise funds in order to carry out any improvements to the building. The Association relies on rents to pay the Centre’s running costs and minor repairs. Whereas the grassed areas around the Community Centre were previously mowed by the City Council, who also cut back trees and bushes, they are no longer carrying out this work. This led to the grounds becoming overgrown during 2022. However, thanks to Sue instigating and following through on a project to counteract this, we now have a team of unpaid gardeners who have been working hard to cut the grass and clear paths and borders of leaves, weeds and straying trees/branches. Sue continues 7 to liaise with the Team Leader to ensure that essential jobs are carried out. Unfortunately, disposal of the garden waste is a problem, as, although this is a Charity run Community Centre, it is classed as commercial premises for which there is no garden waste collection. This means that bags of waste have to be stored, until a skip can be hired to take the waste away. ## **SHERWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE & THE ENVIRONMENT** Please help us to do our bit for the planet! We would like to continue our work on reducing our energy consumption of: Water Check that nonautomatic taps are off after use. Light Heat Please turn off lights if Turn room thermostats you leave a room. Don’t down a degree or two, or put them on if it is a to zero when you leave a bright day and you can room, as hot water in the manage without. pipes helps to maintain warmth in the rooms. If you live too far away to walk, then perhaps you may be able to cycle to the Centre and take advantage of our bike bins to lock away your bike whilst using the Centre. Alternatively, you could make use of our bike planter to secure your bike. There are also buses running past the Centre regularly, with bus stops within 2 minutes’ walk. If, however, you do have to use your car to visit the Centre, please respect the car park markings and blue badge parking spaces, and park considerately. If the car park is busy and you have difficulty parking, there is space on Woodthorpe Drive, opposite the Community Centre, which is well-lit and wide. Alternatively, car parks are available a short walk away in Sherwood. The little things we do can make a big difference, so please continue with your efforts helping us to reduce our carbon footprint. 8 ## **BOOKCROSSING** The “BookCrossing Zone” is situated in the Café. We have had a ‘BookCrossing Zone’ since 2010 and this is always popular. The books can be borrowed and returned or passed on to friends. If you don’t return the book, we ask that you replace it with another book that you have read to enable the shelves to stay stocked. Each book is given a unique ID number and registered on the BookCrossing website, this enables the book to be tracked by its readers; it is interesting to discover how far some books actually travel! Donations of books are always appreciated, whether for the BookCrossing or the book stall. For more information, see: www.bookcrossing.com ## **AFFILIATED GROUPS’ REPORTS** ## **Sherwood Playgroup** Parents are enjoying the Tuesday – Friday pattern that we have continued to run. This has given parents a lot more flexibility and many families now choose to do three full days to complete their allocated funded entitlement. We have a settled, well qualified and experienced staff team. We continue to offer placements to students from NTU who we have a strong link with. We have some children who benefit from free places due to the Two Year Old Early Learning Programme, And children who stay with us at 3 years old who qualify for three and then four year old funding for up to 15 for 30 hours and children that pay the normal playgroup fees. We have children who receive funding through the Higher-level needs funding administered through the local authority and children who have additional needs or a disability. We work with a range of local Authority staff including the SEND team, Teachers of the Deaf, Learning Support staff and the Autism Team. Increasingly more children have been staying with us two years or more until they move to a full-time school place school and some children stay with us longer as they will be home schooled and 9 Parents / Carers seek us out due to hearing positive feedback from others who support our ethos. We continue to have a waiting list and receive many telephone and e-mail enquiries, as well enquiries from our Facebook Page. We have a web site www.sherwoodplaygroup.co.uk At times when we have the staffing capacity we run small Stay and Play Sessions for those on our waiting list to become more familiar with the Community Centre and Playgroup. We fully support Community Centre activities promoting and attending when we can as well as supporting the Sherwood Community Café. Our new families in particular find it really helpful to be able to have a warm drink and a snack whilst their child is settling and often bring others to use the Café. We continue to receive a grant as part of the Local area awards that we use to pay Lauren from Into the Wildwood who does Forest School once a week which hugely impacts on children’s resilience, awareness of seasons and nature and develops their physical skills. We have some children in receipt of pupil premium money which is used in many variable ways depending on their needs and interests. We are grateful to the Wildlife Trust for their continued support and allowing us to use Woodthorpe Meadow which provides so much learning potential through the seasons and in all weathers. Sherwood Playgroup celebrates 62 years of being open and we are thankful to our Parents/Carers and wider community who acknowledge the difference that our small setting makes to children’s lives and development in their Early Years in the broadest sense. We are always grateful for donated items that we use on a regular basis, such as wet wipes, cleaning materials, playdough ingredients and fruit and veg. Our finances are satisfactory at the moment however government funding rates which are distributed by the Local authority do not fully match the rises in wages which is a concern for longer term sustainability. However for now we are covering our costs and aim to offer the paid places at an affordable level. We welcome donations and legacies to support the continuing work of Sherwood Playgroup CIO. Jayne Lowe / Louise Holland – Co Managers ## **Jill Gregory School of Dancing** I currently teach Advanced Adult Tap and Advanced Ladies Ballet on Tuesdays. Members of these groups mostly danced as children, and had achieved Advanced exam levels. I feel really lucky, and actually quite surprised, to have been able to bring together so many advanced dancers – sometimes as many as 8-12 being present in the ballet class. Some have had a significant amount of dance training in other parts of the country, 10 and also abroad. When I first began teaching Ladies Ballet, most attendees were either beginners or had only had a few years’ experience. Over the last 30 years of teaching Ladies Ballet, the Tuesday classes evolved to become Advanced standard, and other classes had to be created, for beginners and those with less experience. On Wednesdays, the Adult Tap Class is of a general level with members either having started as beginners with me 5-8 years ago, or of a similar level who have joined in the last two years. This class is not suitable for beginners – the beginners Tap Class I previously ran is still being taught by Elevation Dance (partner school). Some members of my tap classes took part in the Tapathon for Children in Need, in November 2022, along with Elevation Dance. The Ladies Ballet Class, which is also on Wednesdays, is suitable for beginners and those with several years-experience. It is often attended by those with more experience, but who wish to get back into dance, and feel they would like to work at a lower level at first. Those who are capable, then transfer to the Advanced group After running the Dancing School for 44 years, eventually teaching 5-6 days/evenings per week, I am enjoying just teaching for 4 hours per week, and so much less admin needed. It’s also a fun way to keep myself fit and great stress relief. Class members also tell me how important it is to their well-being and that they really miss it during holiday closures. Jill Gregory ## **Elevation Dance** April 2022 saw us continuing preparations for our first ever Elevation Dance show, Turn It Up. Our dancers enjoyed learning new choreography and working together as a team on their performance pieces. Tickets went on sale, costumes were ordered, and excitement mounted in the run up to the show! We performed our show Turn It Up on the 9th, 10th and 17th July at Djanogly School Theatre. Despite a few dancers and backstage helpers getting struck down by Covid and unable to perform/ support for the full run, the show was a huge success! For lots of our dancers, it was their first experience of performing to an audience, and we couldn’t have been prouder of how they conducted themselves both on and off stage. Our long term dancers relished being back on stage, and myself and the rest of the Elevation Dance teaching team were bursting with pride each time we reached the finale. It was such a valuable experience for our dancers, and they can’t wait until our 2024 show! From our show proceeds, we raised and donated £3,252.25 for Rainbows Hospice for Young Children and Adults (our dancers’ choice of charity), and 11 also were able to buy some new ballet barres to be used by our dancers and the Jill Gregory School of Dancing, along with some mats. We were thrilled with this amount, and so thankful for everyone involved in making our dance show possible! We turned 2 years old in August, and then started our new academic year in September, welcoming new members, and further expanding our Tuesday timetable with a couple of extra classes. We took part in a small charity fundraiser event for families of children with SEND in October, and then in November, we took part in the annual Tapathon for Children In Need along with the Jill Gregory School of Dancing. We had 58 dancers taking part, raising £590 from entry fees, and a further £108.10 from selling homemade cakes and bows on the day. We enjoyed being able to do this event in person and dance together in the hall, as we hadn’t been able to run a regular Tapathon since 2019! From September, our dancers were working hard towards exams, and we held a BTDA exam session in December, and another in March. Between these two sessions, we entered a total of 63 exams, maintaining our 100% pass rate, with 94% of exam entries gaining a Merit/ Highly Commended or higher. Bronwyn Stevens, one of our Elevation Dance teachers, was successful in her final teacher’s exam in our December exam session. We were thrilled to celebrate both the successes of our students, and our colleague! Over the year, our membership has remained consistent, and we continue to welcome both children and adults to our dancing community! Yasmin Sidery ## **Nottinghamshire Bobbin Lace Society (NBLS)** From April 2022 – March 2023, NBLS has continued to be able to get back to some normality. Unfortunately our membership figures have fallen and at the end of this reporting period, there are 133 members of the Society, a significant fall from pre-lockdown numbers. However, 8 of these are new memberships, plus 1 junior membership. Regular classes and self-help groups around the county, the seasonal Lace Days and Pop-ins were almost back to normal, though attendances were generally down overall. The AGM in November 2022 went ahead, and the Committee for 2022 – 23 was established. In a change to our previous habit, we voted to give support to 4 chosen charities over a period of 2 years: Hayward House, Motor Neurone Disease Research and Parkinsons UK Research, and Anya Israel (a personal link to the Society.) All were worthy nominations, with close links to NBLS members. It was also reported that over the previous year, we had raised £1,500.00 to be shared between Brain Tumour Research and Pancreatic Cancer. 12 The Spring Lace Course was deferred this year, but the annual Residential Weekend Lace Course made a return to its most recent venue, Eastwood Hall in June, where three nationally known tutors offered various types of lace tuition. Regular Spring, Summer and Autumn Lace days went ahead at the usual venues around the county, and also the Anniversary Lace Day in January, and the AGM in November. Both of these events have a buffet lunch provided and a Speaker, which always adds to the attraction of the day, as well as the opportunity to buy equipment from the visiting suppliers. Pop-ins, a weekly Lace Class and a weekly Self-help group continued at Sherwood Community Centre though Pop-in attendances were down, possibly due in some part to the lack of availability of the Hall and Coffee Bar spaces, which are so important to the social side and sense of togetherness of these gatherings. This is lost to some extent, when we are moved to the 3 separate rooms instead. Sales of members’ equipment at Pop-ins continue to raise funds for our chosen charities and for our own funds. It is necessary to book a slot in advance, to ensure there is both space and opportunity to sell the goods. This will often depend on whether we have use of the Hall or the Rooms, which are more confining and so lacking in space to display the goods. Valerie Hunter NBLS Representative to SCA CIO ## **The Yoga Village** We have had a busy year, with an increase in pregnancy students that has taken us to three evening classes per week. Our teacher Beth ran one for a while, and also took over one of our three postnatal groups. Hannah continues to teach the other classes, except for Kids’ Yoga which Helen facilitates. One of our aims going forward is to encourage more local people to enjoy adult yoga classes and to this end Hannah ran two four month Saturday courses in 2022/3. These offer a deeper or broader exploration of classical yoga. We have also partnered with other organisations to offer specialist therapeutic sessions. With Zephyr’s, the bereavement charity, The Yoga Village has held regular workshops over the year. Some private sessions were also funded by mental health services (Trent PTS). During Sherwood Arts Week 2022, we ran a yoga relaxation and art class, which was very enjoyable and marks we hope the beginning of participation in Arts Week annually. Hannah Malhotra 13 ## **OTHER USER GROUPS’ REPORTS** ## **Chair Based Zumba Gold Social** This fun, friendly seated class & social is run in conjunction with the Centre's on-site cafe, on behalf of the Association. It is voluntarily led by one of the Association's trustees, who is a fully qualified fitness instructor. All proceeds from these weekly sessions are reinvested back into the Community Centre. The class is gently-paced and low-impact. It can be done seated or standing and primarily caters to those who tend to face physical, mental or emotional barriers when accessing mainstream fitness sessions. Sadly, a common experience for many, within these demographics, is loneliness and social isolation. In an effort to tackle this, within the local community, a social element is included as part of the session and each participant gets a free tea/coffee and cake or biscuits. The Centre's cafe provides a safe, warm place, before and after class, for them to chat, build confidence and form new friendships. It's a fun, relaxed environment with no judgement and lots of support. Everyone goes at their own pace and laughter and singing is very much encouraged throughout the class. Since launching in [2016], this session has continued to grow and thrive. Despite experiencing a substantial drop in attendance for much of the previous year, due to the Global Pandemic, class attendance has steadily increased throughout this year with many former, pre-covid participants gradually returning and many new class members being welcomed too. As well as our own marketing efforts, through social media, leaflets and posters, we are now also getting referrals coming in from organisations like Age UK and from various physios and social prescribers. A strong sense of community and friendship has developed from these sessions over the years. Quite a few class participants have become members of the Association and many of them volunteer to help at our various fundraising events throughout the year. We look forward to continuing to develop this fantastic community session and witnessing the achievements of all our class members. Margaret Hilton Trustee and Zumba Instructor 14 ## **Appendix** Accounts as prepared by CA Plus – Printed from pdf and attached to the back 15 Sherwood Community Association CIO (Registered charity, number 1158333) Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023 Page Contents Trustees, Annual Report Independent Examinerfs Report Receipts & payments account Statement of assets & liabilities Notes to the accounts 9-10 capLUS COMMUNITY ACCOUNTING Sherwood Community Association CIO Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2023 Full name Shemood Communty Association CIO Other names by which the charity is known She￿ood Community Centre Organisation type Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered charity number 1158333 Principal address Woodthorpe House. Mansfield Road, NorriNGHAM, NG5 3FN Trustees Jill Gregory, Chair Sally Hilton Margaret Hilton Louise Holland Valerie Hunter Maxine Leigh, until 3113122 Hannah Malhotra Deborah Seabom, until 28112122 Dawn Evans Wayne Barton, from 2611123 Independent examiner John O'Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West. 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL Governance and management The Charity is operated under the rules of the CIO A&sociation Constitution adopted 22108114. Overall management of the charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected annually at an AGM or co-opted under temis of the Constitution. They are advised by the Members, Support Group, made up of Affiliated Groups and other interested members who meet regularly. Day to day project activity is managed & carried out by volunteers & paid staff. Objectives and activities To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the area of benefit without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, race or of political, religious or other opinions, by associating together the said inhabitants and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants (whether alone or in co-operation with any Statutory Authority or other person) in furtherance of the objects. To establish or secure the establishment of a Comrnunity Centre and to maintain and manage the same. To promote such other charitable purposes as may from time to time be determined. Sherwood Community Association CIO Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit The number and variety of sessions and activities, taking place within the Centre, support the health and general well-being of the public by providing support for physical and mental health and the opportunity for educational and recreational facilities. The Centre, together with varrous groups who hire our rooms and offices, run several sessions open to the publi¢. There are a variety of Dan￿ and Drama classes for children and adults including Ballet and Tap. There are several Yoga sessions including Pregnancy Yoga and Post Natsl Yoga and Children's yoga classes. We run a weekly chair-based exercise class, combined with refreshments and an opportunity to socialise afterwards, for the elderfy. people with mental health issues. and people with disabilities or limited mobility- A Playgroup is held weekdays, Tuesday to Friday, for children aged 2-5 years. There is a weekly Bulgarian language school, where children have the opportunity to leam their native language and to learn more about Bulgarian history, traditions and cultural values CIC runs weekly training sessions, mainly in social care. Several Self-Help Groups meet in the Centre, including.. Aphasia, Alcoholics Anonymous. Anxiety Management. Nottingham Self Help Group for People who Stammer and Versus Arthritis. There are many classes meeting at the Centre catering for special leisure interests, including Nottinghamshire Bobbin Lace Society. Woodthorpe Model Railway and Slained Glass. The garden to the rear of the Community Centre is a Community Garden run by Shewood Community Garden Group. Members of the public are able to rent a mini plot of garden for a minimal fee. We have a reduced rental rate for charities making the building more accessible for their use. All offices are now rented out to organisations who provide education and services in health, education, fitness etc. e.g.. APT Care - who provide domiciliary Care SeNices - rented an office at the Centre. Their trained carers provided a variety of personal services to a high standard of care to those that are in need. Open Wings Adult Leaming. based at the Centre, work with adults with18aming disabilities and other disadvantaged groups and offer workshops to colleges and day centres. Support For Survivors, a charity supporting male and female survivors of childhood sexual, physical, psychological abuse, neglect, incest and rape. those exploited by sex and Violen￿ with a wide range of holistic interventions. Sprouts. a children's drama group, held term-time drama sessions for children. Elevation Dance took part in a Tapathon to raise money for Children In Need. Since the Centre rfropened after the Covid pandemic restrictions ended, we have been planning to convene an annual Forum of representatives from groups, organisations, and agencies which use the Centre. or are active within the community, as soon as possible, to discuss ways of co-operating and working together in ways to benefit the community. This should take place later this year. We are part of a breastfeeding-friendly scheme in Nottingham. Public benefit statement The Trustees confimi that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidan on public benefit. 'Charities and Public Benefit,. Summary of the main achlevements during the period The Trustees and staff have been working hard to bring the Centre back to pre- pandemic use by not only encouraging the retum of fomier groups and users, but welcoming new ones by an efficient booking system. The CCTV system has been upgraded. with a new monitor, a camera has been replaced and the front door system has been enhanced to increase security for both staff and users. particularly in the evenings. Since the City Council no longer deal with the grounds. we have arranged for a 'Pay Back. team to come once a week to mow grass. weed, trim etc., to make the grounds as pleasant and welcoming as possible. Sherwood Playgroup. a statutory body, have been running throughout the year providing a vital service for children and many parents. The Chair-based exercise and social group, with the help of a Magic Little Grant from the Peoples Lottery. has seen attendance more than double, and we may have to start a second group to be able to include all those wishing to join. The sessions are recommended by various sources, e.g., Age Concem and Nottingham City Council, and details held at some local Doctors, surgeries and pharmacies We were able to employ a new member of staff in April to replace a long service Administrator, who retired at the end of March. With the help of a grant we received at the end of the last financial year, the Community Café was re-opened in April, run by a new employee, and has become a thriving hub in the Centre, regularly used by both users and other members of the Community as its reputation has grown. We again applied to tske part in World Book Night, and received free copies of The Kiss by Santa Montefiore. These books were distributed to groups which use the Centre who best fitted the criteria. In October we held a very successful Car 8ooUTable-Top Sale. the fi'rst Fundraising Event since Covid. The maximum number of spaces were booked and it was visited by well over 200 people as well as making a profit for the Centre. A second Table Top Sale was held in February with similar success. We plan to hold them regularly throughout the year. £990.58 from sales of books and bric-a-brac, unwanted fumiture and donations using the fundraising collection box in Reception Financial review Having ended the previous year with a loss due to the pandemic, we have been working hard to not only bring hire rental back to its previous level, but increase both usage and rental incorne. Wrth careful budgeting. the help of some grants and the withdrawal of some more funds from the reserve account. we have finished the year with a loss which is manageable We intend to not only redu￿ this deficit, but begin to build up the reserves as a cushion against any future economic crises. The charity's policy on reserves Sufficient reseNes are held in a charity savings account to ensure the safe running of the Centre for a period of at least 3 months. and to cover any redundancies, including pension contributions, should the need arise. This is reviewed every quarter by the Finan￿ Sub-committee. Risks The main risk we face is if the Council were to stop its grant, especially as it is now a third of the amount we received a few years ago. Another major risk we face is the rising cost of fuel bills. There was a marked increase in gas and electricity over the year, influenced by conditionslconflicts globally. We will have a deficit budget next year. Thanks to the hard work of our admin staff, bookings are continually increasing. The Administrators, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, are chasing late payments. advertising roomsloffices for hire to increase rental income to rectify the position. We are investigating as many grant opportunities that we may be eligible for, and the Fundraising group have have introduced a yearly programme of events to bring in more regular income from these events. Signed on behalf of the Charity's Trustees: Signed Valerie Hunter, Trustee v,w Date 30.9.)3 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Sherwood Community Association CIO for the year ended 31 March 2023 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of She￿ood Community Association CIO (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2023 Responslbilities and basis of report As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of th8 2011 Act and in carying oui my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed John O'B , FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus Date 31 Sherwood Community Association CIO Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 March 2023 2022 2023 Total Funds Unrg*rlctsd Rostrictsd Funds Funds Total Funds Nots Rèceipts Grants & donations FundraisirvJ Membership Room hire Sales & fees Bank interest Equipment hire Total receipts 29672 37 516 29902 1809 1668 380 59450 9375 598 8259 10068 1668 380 59450 9375 598 17 117 60261 73280 8259 81539 Payments Wages. Nl & pension Hospitality Equipment, repairs & renewals Office costs Insuran Subscriptions Legal & professional fees Fundraising Ub lities Premises maintenance Bank charges Charitable donations SuThJry payments Café Totsl payments 41204 37307 212 2938 4374 37307 212 5742 4374 1347 299 4842 79 25577 5561 5763 3396 1300 2804 1347 299 4842 79 25577 1453 2220 8892 3250 4108 50 63 407 7494 84982 407 12494 98241 5000 13259 66139 (5878) 63024 57146 Net receiptsl(payments) Cash funds at start of this period Cash funds at end ofthls period (11702) (5000) (16702) 52146 5000 57146 40444 40444 Sherwood Community Association CIO Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2023 2022 2023 Cash assets Bank accounts Cash in hard Nots 56839 307 57146 39971 473 40444 Olher monetary assets Debtors" roorn hire 6336 6336 4380 4380 Assets retained forthe charity's own use Ge￿ra1 eqLipment. Cooker PLrchased in 2019 at a cost of £899 Liabilities Creditors 1522 (15221 1819 (1819) These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by: Signed Margaret Hilton, Trustee Dated 3118123 Sherwood Community Association CIO Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 1. Receipts & payments accounts Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually. cash ￿ceIVed and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand. 2. Grants & donations Unrn¥trictsd R•stricted Tolal Nottingham City COU￿11 SU￿rygrants & donations 5455 2804 8259 5455 4613 10068 1809 1809 3. Funds analysis Oponlng R¢celpts (Payments balance Closing balance Restricted funds NCC Block Grant Café Project (Lottery) Flooriro Fur 5455 (5455) (5000) {2804) {10455 5000 2804 5455 sooo Unrestricted funds General futK 52146 52146 73280 73280 (84982) 40444 (84982) 40444 The block grant funding from Nottingham City Council is towards the running costs of the centre. for the year ending 31sI March 2023. The restricted grant of £5,000 from the National Lottery Places Called Home funding was used to re-open the Community Café, which happened in 2023 The flooring Fund replaced old flooring. 4. Creditors Independent examination Bookkeeping fees Payroll fees Wages, Nl & pension (HMRCI Wages, Nl & pension (pension) 732 126 230 719 12 1819 10 Sherwood Community Association CIO 5. Premises & staff The premises are provided by the local authorty. 6. Truste•s' remuneration Trustees re￿iVed no expenses, remuneration or benefrts in this period. 7. Related party transactions There were no related party transactions. 8. Glossary of terms Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charty. but nol paid during the accounting period. Debtors: These are amounts owed to the charity. but not received in the accounting period. Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity. subject to specific restrictions set by the donor. but still within the general objects of the charity. Sherwood Community Association CIO (Registered charity, number 1158333) Financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023 Page Contents Trustees, Annual Report Independent Examinerfs Report Receipts & payments account Statement of assets & liabilities Notes to the accounts 9-10 capLUS COMMUNITY ACCOUNTING Sherwood Community Association CIO Trustees, Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2023 Full name Shemood Communty Association CIO Other names by which the charity is known She￿ood Community Centre Organisation type Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered charity number 1158333 Principal address Woodthorpe House. Mansfield Road, NorriNGHAM, NG5 3FN Trustees Jill Gregory, Chair Sally Hilton Margaret Hilton Louise Holland Valerie Hunter Maxine Leigh, until 3113122 Hannah Malhotra Deborah Seabom, until 28112122 Dawn Evans Wayne Barton, from 2611123 Independent examiner John O'Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West. 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL Governance and management The Charity is operated under the rules of the CIO A&sociation Constitution adopted 22108114. Overall management of the charity is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected annually at an AGM or co-opted under temis of the Constitution. They are advised by the Members, Support Group, made up of Affiliated Groups and other interested members who meet regularly. Day to day project activity is managed & carried out by volunteers & paid staff. Objectives and activities To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the area of benefit without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, race or of political, religious or other opinions, by associating together the said inhabitants and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants (whether alone or in co-operation with any Statutory Authority or other person) in furtherance of the objects. To establish or secure the establishment of a Comrnunity Centre and to maintain and manage the same. To promote such other charitable purposes as may from time to time be determined. Sherwood Community Association CIO Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit The number and variety of sessions and activities, taking place within the Centre, support the health and general well-being of the public by providing support for physical and mental health and the opportunity for educational and recreational facilities. The Centre, together with varrous groups who hire our rooms and offices, run several sessions open to the publi¢. There are a variety of Dan￿ and Drama classes for children and adults including Ballet and Tap. There are several Yoga sessions including Pregnancy Yoga and Post Natsl Yoga and Children's yoga classes. We run a weekly chair-based exercise class, combined with refreshments and an opportunity to socialise afterwards, for the elderfy. people with mental health issues. and people with disabilities or limited mobility- A Playgroup is held weekdays, Tuesday to Friday, for children aged 2-5 years. There is a weekly Bulgarian language school, where children have the opportunity to leam their native language and to learn more about Bulgarian history, traditions and cultural values CIC runs weekly training sessions, mainly in social care. Several Self-Help Groups meet in the Centre, including.. Aphasia, Alcoholics Anonymous. Anxiety Management. Nottingham Self Help Group for People who Stammer and Versus Arthritis. There are many classes meeting at the Centre catering for special leisure interests, including Nottinghamshire Bobbin Lace Society. Woodthorpe Model Railway and Slained Glass. The garden to the rear of the Community Centre is a Community Garden run by Shewood Community Garden Group. Members of the public are able to rent a mini plot of garden for a minimal fee. We have a reduced rental rate for charities making the building more accessible for their use. All offices are now rented out to organisations who provide education and services in health, education, fitness etc. e.g.. APT Care - who provide domiciliary Care SeNices - rented an office at the Centre. Their trained carers provided a variety of personal services to a high standard of care to those that are in need. Open Wings Adult Leaming. based at the Centre, work with adults with18aming disabilities and other disadvantaged groups and offer workshops to colleges and day centres. Support For Survivors, a charity supporting male and female survivors of childhood sexual, physical, psychological abuse, neglect, incest and rape. those exploited by sex and Violen￿ with a wide range of holistic interventions. Sprouts. a children's drama group, held term-time drama sessions for children. Elevation Dance took part in a Tapathon to raise money for Children In Need. Since the Centre rfropened after the Covid pandemic restrictions ended, we have been planning to convene an annual Forum of representatives from groups, organisations, and agencies which use the Centre. or are active within the community, as soon as possible, to discuss ways of co-operating and working together in ways to benefit the community. This should take place later this year. We are part of a breastfeeding-friendly scheme in Nottingham. Public benefit statement The Trustees confimi that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidan on public benefit. 'Charities and Public Benefit,. Summary of the main achlevements during the period The Trustees and staff have been working hard to bring the Centre back to pre- pandemic use by not only encouraging the retum of fomier groups and users, but welcoming new ones by an efficient booking system. The CCTV system has been upgraded. with a new monitor, a camera has been replaced and the front door system has been enhanced to increase security for both staff and users. particularly in the evenings. Since the City Council no longer deal with the grounds. we have arranged for a 'Pay Back. team to come once a week to mow grass. weed, trim etc., to make the grounds as pleasant and welcoming as possible. Sherwood Playgroup. a statutory body, have been running throughout the year providing a vital service for children and many parents. The Chair-based exercise and social group, with the help of a Magic Little Grant from the Peoples Lottery. has seen attendance more than double, and we may have to start a second group to be able to include all those wishing to join. The sessions are recommended by various sources, e.g., Age Concem and Nottingham City Council, and details held at some local Doctors, surgeries and pharmacies We were able to employ a new member of staff in April to replace a long service Administrator, who retired at the end of March. With the help of a grant we received at the end of the last financial year, the Community Café was re-opened in April, run by a new employee, and has become a thriving hub in the Centre, regularly used by both users and other members of the Community as its reputation has grown. We again applied to tske part in World Book Night, and received free copies of The Kiss by Santa Montefiore. These books were distributed to groups which use the Centre who best fitted the criteria. In October we held a very successful Car 8ooUTable-Top Sale. the fi'rst Fundraising Event since Covid. The maximum number of spaces were booked and it was visited by well over 200 people as well as making a profit for the Centre. A second Table Top Sale was held in February with similar success. We plan to hold them regularly throughout the year. £990.58 from sales of books and bric-a-brac, unwanted fumiture and donations using the fundraising collection box in Reception Financial review Having ended the previous year with a loss due to the pandemic, we have been working hard to not only bring hire rental back to its previous level, but increase both usage and rental incorne. Wrth careful budgeting. the help of some grants and the withdrawal of some more funds from the reserve account. we have finished the year with a loss which is manageable We intend to not only redu￿ this deficit, but begin to build up the reserves as a cushion against any future economic crises. The charity's policy on reserves Sufficient reseNes are held in a charity savings account to ensure the safe running of the Centre for a period of at least 3 months. and to cover any redundancies, including pension contributions, should the need arise. This is reviewed every quarter by the Finan￿ Sub-committee. Risks The main risk we face is if the Council were to stop its grant, especially as it is now a third of the amount we received a few years ago. Another major risk we face is the rising cost of fuel bills. There was a marked increase in gas and electricity over the year, influenced by conditionslconflicts globally. We will have a deficit budget next year. Thanks to the hard work of our admin staff, bookings are continually increasing. The Administrators, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, are chasing late payments. advertising roomsloffices for hire to increase rental income to rectify the position. We are investigating as many grant opportunities that we may be eligible for, and the Fundraising group have have introduced a yearly programme of events to bring in more regular income from these events. Signed on behalf of the Charity's Trustees: Signed Valerie Hunter, Trustee v,w Date 30.9.)3 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Sherwood Community Association CIO for the year ended 31 March 2023 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of She￿ood Community Association CIO (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2023 Responslbilities and basis of report As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act,). I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of th8 2011 Act and in carying oui my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed John O'B , FCCA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus Date 31 Sherwood Community Association CIO Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 March 2023 2022 2023 Total Funds Unrg*rlctsd Rostrictsd Funds Funds Total Funds Nots Rèceipts Grants & donations FundraisirvJ Membership Room hire Sales & fees Bank interest Equipment hire Total receipts 29672 37 516 29902 1809 1668 380 59450 9375 598 8259 10068 1668 380 59450 9375 598 17 117 60261 73280 8259 81539 Payments Wages. Nl & pension Hospitality Equipment, repairs & renewals Office costs Insuran Subscriptions Legal & professional fees Fundraising Ub lities Premises maintenance Bank charges Charitable donations SuThJry payments Café Totsl payments 41204 37307 212 2938 4374 37307 212 5742 4374 1347 299 4842 79 25577 5561 5763 3396 1300 2804 1347 299 4842 79 25577 1453 2220 8892 3250 4108 50 63 407 7494 84982 407 12494 98241 5000 13259 66139 (5878) 63024 57146 Net receiptsl(payments) Cash funds at start of this period Cash funds at end ofthls period (11702) (5000) (16702) 52146 5000 57146 40444 40444 Sherwood Community Association CIO Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 March 2023 2022 2023 Cash assets Bank accounts Cash in hard Nots 56839 307 57146 39971 473 40444 Olher monetary assets Debtors" roorn hire 6336 6336 4380 4380 Assets retained forthe charity's own use Ge￿ra1 eqLipment. Cooker PLrchased in 2019 at a cost of £899 Liabilities Creditors 1522 (15221 1819 (1819) These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by: Signed Margaret Hilton, Trustee Dated 3118123 Sherwood Community Association CIO Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023 1. Receipts & payments accounts Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually. cash ￿ceIVed and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand. 2. Grants & donations Unrn¥trictsd R•stricted Tolal Nottingham City COU￿11 SU￿rygrants & donations 5455 2804 8259 5455 4613 10068 1809 1809 3. Funds analysis Oponlng R¢celpts (Payments balance Closing balance Restricted funds NCC Block Grant Café Project (Lottery) Flooriro Fur 5455 (5455) (5000) {2804) {10455 5000 2804 5455 sooo Unrestricted funds General futK 52146 52146 73280 73280 (84982) 40444 (84982) 40444 The block grant funding from Nottingham City Council is towards the running costs of the centre. for the year ending 31sI March 2023. The restricted grant of £5,000 from the National Lottery Places Called Home funding was used to re-open the Community Café, which happened in 2023 The flooring Fund replaced old flooring. 4. Creditors Independent examination Bookkeeping fees Payroll fees Wages, Nl & pension (HMRCI Wages, Nl & pension (pension) 732 126 230 719 12 1819 10 Sherwood Community Association CIO 5. Premises & staff The premises are provided by the local authorty. 6. Truste•s' remuneration Trustees re￿iVed no expenses, remuneration or benefrts in this period. 7. Related party transactions There were no related party transactions. 8. Glossary of terms Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charty. but nol paid during the accounting period. Debtors: These are amounts owed to the charity. but not received in the accounting period. Restricted funds: These are funds given to the charity. subject to specific restrictions set by the donor. but still within the general objects of the charity.