Company number: 08909086 Charity Number: 1158817
Friends of Burnage Library Limited
Report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025
Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited
Reference and administrative information
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Company number 08909086 Charity number 1158817 Registered office Burnage Library 349 Burnage Lane Manchester M19 1EW Operational address Burnage Library, Activity & Information Hub Burnage Lane Manchester M19 1EW Trustees Trustees, who are also directors under company law, who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows: John McCrory - Chair Karen Pudner - Treasurer (appointed 21 October 2024) Stella Clare Sue Lloyd Dareema Rehman Alison Hitchen Jennifer Enobakhare Andrew Mortimer (appointed 09 September 2025) Harriet Morgan-Shami (resigned 23 September 2024)
Bankers HSBC 760 Wilmslow Road Manchester M20 2DP Accountants Arlo Accountancy Limited 107 Valley Road Stockport SK4 2DB Independent Hannah Elliott FCA Examiner Alker Elliott Accountants Limited 29 Greylag Crescent Worsley Manchester M28 7AB
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Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2025. Included within the trustees’ report is the directors’ report as required by company law.
Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
Objectives and activities
Objects and aims
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1) To further or benefit the residents of Burnage and the neighbourhood without the distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents 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 objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
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2) To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society. For the purpose of this clause ‘socially excluded’ means being excluded from society, or parts of society, as a result of one or more of the following factors: unemployment; financial hardship; youth or old age; ill health (physical or mental) substance abuse or dependency including alcohol and drugs; discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, ethnic origin, religion, belief, creed, sexual orientation or gender reassignment; poor educational or skill attainment; relationship and family breakdown; poor housing (that is housing that does not meet basic habitable standards; crime (either as a victim of crime or as an offender rehabilitating into society).
Each year our Trustees review the objectives and activities to ensure they continue to reflect our aims. In carrying out this review the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. The Charity’s objectives are:-
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To advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
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To promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.
Activities undertaken for public benefit in relation to objects
In planning our activities for the year, we kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Regular reports on activities are submitted to the directors at board meetings from the freelance staff to enable the directors to monitor progress. This and other mechanisms, such as the annual rolling plan and budget, enables the trustees to ensure that new and current activities are in line with the charity’s aims and objectives and the Charity Commission’s guidance.
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Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Achievements and performance
Friends of Burnage Library Limited’s (FOBL) activities and supporters are described below. All our charitable works focus on Burnage and are undertaken to further FOBL’s charitable purposes for the public benefit.
The year 2024-25 saw the continuation of Friends of Burnage Library’s (FOBL) work, consolidating existing groups and activities and growing others. The loyalty of our volunteers continues to impress, and we remain indebted to their dedication and commitment to the library.
Particular highlights included the transformation of our English Conversational Cafe into a taught programme led by Manchester Adult Education Society (MAES), along with the addition of a second drop-in session on Wednesday afternoons. Our work supporting local residents to improve their digital skills remains essential, with demand growing for help and guidance in this area. The activities supported by the Arts are for Everyone fund remained popular, especially the Saturday morning Children’s Arts Club.
Partnership
Friends of Burnage Library continues its partnership with Manchester Libraries and Southway Housing, who manage the library service and building maintenance respectively. The support of our partners is vital, and we thank them for the support they offer. Without their assistance and commitment our work in the local community would not be possible.
Visitor Numbers
The year 2024-25 saw a 1.3% increase in visitor numbers to Burnage Library, Activity, and Information Hub, rising from 16,231 to 16,441.
| Month | Visitors 23-24 | Visitors 24-25 |
|---|---|---|
| April | 1,099 | 1,498 |
| May | 1,332 | 1,543 |
| June | 1,273 | 1,198 |
| July | 1,490 | 1,383 |
| August | 1,186 | 1,321 |
| September | 1,281 | 1,409 |
| October | 1,385 | 1,362 |
| November | 1,339 | 1,467 |
| December | 1,070 | 1,138 |
| January | 1,406 | 1,193 |
| February | 1,471 | 1,247 |
| March | 1,899 | 1,682 |
| Total | 16,231 | 16,441 |
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Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Extending Opening Hours
FOBL collaborated with Manchester Libraries to extend the library’s opening hours by an hour on Monday evenings. This was aimed at encouraging the return of local children to the library after school and enhancing accessibility for those needing library services outside our traditional daytime hours.
Our Manchester
The Our Manchester fund supports our Development Worker, Amanda Wait, whose outstanding work includes supporting volunteers, developing and running projects, and writing funding bids for future programmes. The Development Worker reports to the Trustees on a monthly basis, as well as liaising on specific projects and activities with our community partners.
Activities supported by FOBL
Digital Café
The Digital Café continues to grow steadily, with Claire Workman taking over as the group’s lead with funding from the Voicescape Community Fund and then The Access Foundation. We welcomed several new attendees from a wide range of backgrounds, including many for whom English is not a first language. Thanks to our diverse volunteer team, we have been able to offer support in multiple languages and have adapted our learning guides to ensure they are accessible for use at home. Volunteers now also include 6 week student placements organised by City College, proving a very productive intergenerational opportunity.
We have seen an increased need for help across a broad range of digital tasks, from navigating the NHS and MyDoctor apps for urgent healthcare needs to developing CVs, managing online banking and online shopping, and addressing concerns around online safety and potential scams. The café continues to respond flexibly to these evolving needs, ensuring attendees feel supported and confident in an increasingly digital world.
Storytime
Our weekly Singing, Rhyme and Storytime sessions remain enormously popular, led by Sylvia Brown. The group has been going from strength to strength with between 15 and 25 children attending regularly.
We have had many new parents and grandparents joining the group and 4 different local childminder parties are also regular attendees. Many of the local toddler groups do not allow them and they have been extremely grateful for the Storytime group to give their children the opportunity to be in a shared environment. They have been a great asset as children's familiarity with each other makes them confident singers and dancers and fantastic peer examples for the 'individual' children. I am very proud of them choosing to come.
In the last year, we have had a number of special sessions where we celebrated the multilingual nature of our community. We read books in other languages and parents and other library workers led in singing nursery songs and rhymes in different languages including Spanish, German, Czech and Yoruba.
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Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Talk English Classes
Our Talk English group evolved over this period, from an informal conversational cafe to taught ESOL classes led by Manchester Adult Education (MAES). The demand for the service locally is very high and each group was extremely well attended, with learners from numerous backgrounds. The sessions connect people to each other, creating a space where people from different backgrounds come together to share their skills, learn something new, enjoy new friendships, and form networks of support, increasing their resilience and wellbeing.
The ESOL class was very well attended (an average of 17 learners) who made great progress. Given the scale of the demand, MAES offered an extra 6-week ESOL and Wellbeing course on Wednesday afternoons starting in 2025.
Joy Wassell Timms also ran a Journeys writing workshop, gathering stories from the Talk English Group in April.
Arts are for Everyone
Literary Activities
Our library’s Writer in Residence, Joy Wassell-Timms, continued her range of activities and events at Burnage Library: The Reading Group, Writing Group, and Open Mic Nights.
Open Mic Nights
There were 3 Open Mic Nights during this time and all continued to be well attended, with audience numbers ranging from 25 - 35. Talented poets and writers from the Greater Manchester area regularly read and were supplemented by Writing group members who have now developed sufficient confidence to contribute.
Reading group
Numbers attending remain consistent, between 8 to 10. Books read have encompassed classics, contemporary fiction, crime and historical. Work by writers from a range of countries -Nigeria, India, US, Ireland and UK have proved popular.
Writing group
The Writing group continues to thrive with up to 10 attending each session.
Our ‘Meet the Writers’ Day in October featured adventure writer Matt Dickinson, performance poet Rose Condo, novelist Halima Khatun, and a range of open mic performances over the day. 82 people attended and we had some terrific feedback. Many stayed for the Open Mic at the end of the day, where Writing group members contributed work done over a few months on the theme of ‘Journeys’.
Children’s Saturday Art Club
We continued our monthly Children' s Saturday Art Club sessions, bringing high quality creative experiences to children aged 5-11, as part of our “Arts are for Everyone” programme supported by National Lottery Awards for All funding. These sessions were enormously popular and often oversubscribed.
Carers’ Cafe
The monthly Burnage Carers Cafe/forum, run by Manchester Carers Forum and supported by Helen Mooney and volunteers from FOBL, continues to thrive, meeting every month and welcoming new carers. With 15 - 20 members each month the meetings support, advise and signpost carers to help them in their Caring role. This year, speakers from Greater Manchester Law Centre, South Manchester
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Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
local care organization, first aid training, and massage therapy have supported carers by providing information and relevant services, and offering one to one follow up appointments to meet their individual needs and provide emotional support.
The carers also have opportunities, if able, to attend other activities. These include healthy walks, lunchtime music events and trips out, one recently to Liverpool, to benefit their mental health and wellbeing, and ensure they feel valued and heard
Local History Sessions
The local history group was led by Dean Kirby and supported by Southway’s Ambition for Aging funding. The group explored a range of subjects from the local and wider area, drawing on his extensive experience as a tour guide in Manchester. This year, trips were organised to Manchester Art Gallery and the Police Museum.
The group provides a welcoming and supportive atmosphere, enabling local people to research and discuss topics, as well as to explore shared memories and experiences. Many of the group’s members are older and at risk of becoming isolated, and our fortnightly sessions offer a warm and friendly social outlet for all.
Legal Aid Clinic
We host monthly sessions with Greater Manchester Law Centre, with an average of five calls or face-toface appointments a month, supporting local residents with very complex and acute needs such as eviction notices, issues with private landlords, and benefit problems. Those who’ve used the service note how helpful they’ve found the support; they enter the library bowed down with worry and leave with their head held high.
Lego Club
Lego Club led by Helen Beesley has continued to be well attended by the local community. We have a core group of regular attendees who work together on projects with children from age 8 to 12 who have no connection outside of Lego Club collaborating at each session to create brilliant Lego builds. We also have several new families who have joined us this year. The children have also taken part in wider library activities such as the Summer Reading Challenge.
Art Group
Our monthly art club led by Tom Musgrove continues its popularity, giving local people the opportunity to learn new skills, develop their confidence, and produce impressive work. Art Club has seen consistent numbers over the past year with between 7 and 10 attendees per session, most of these returning members. There is a good sense of community moving along together with our work and in life as we share a lot about our lives as that bleeds into what we make our artwork about.
We spent a number of sessions developing techniques in lino cutting with many people producing 3 or 4 different prints. The group submitted a selection of images for an Artist’s Sketchbook Exhibition that took place in the Shakespeare Garden at Platt Park last July. This was followed by a mirrored exhibition in Devon.
Recently we have been concentrating on tone with light & shade, drawing from still life in charcoal then progressing to a limited palette with our own mixed oil paint from raw pigment. We hope to hold our own exhibition at Burnage Library, showcasing the wonderful work we make in the near future.
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Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Craft Group
Our craft group continues to thrive, with up to 20 people attending weekly. They share their skills to help each other with sewing, alterations, knitting and crochet. Single parent fathers have joined to learn how to sew for their home and children. They are a diverse, welcoming and enthusiastic group, and a great asset to the library and community.
Garden
We hosted Ciaran from Sow the City and 4 corporate volunteers from Praetura in July, who laid turf and filled the library’s raised beds with soil and compost ordered from our NIF budget. Iain from Outer Space constructed two beds with sleepers in front of the shelter and filled them with donated soil.
Careers Workshops
Our Trustee Jenni Enobakhare brought her professional experience to Burnage Library in 2024, organising and delivering four evening sessions improving the employability of local residents. The sessions followed a structured programme, covering finding a job, CV writing, cover letter writing, and guidance on interviews.
Other Activities
The library hosted writer Kimberly Wittam’s Saturday monthly podcast book club in April 2024 as part of the Read Manchester/National Literacy trust initiative, aimed at 12-15 year olds.
Foodbank
We continued to be a drop off point for the Burnage food bank, which has seen a great increase in demand in recent years.
Festive Fair
Our Festive Fair in November, organised by our volunteers, was very well attended by approximately 200 people, raising an impressive £450 in support of library activities.
Defibrillator Installation
Thanks to the generous support of Age Friendly Burnage and Manchester City Council, funding was secured for a defibrillator which was installed outside Burnage Library in 2025.
Volunteers
Our team of over 40 volunteers bring a huge range of skills, experience and local knowledge to the library, supporting its day to day running across the week. They answer queries, support local peoples' access to computers, signposting them to information, develop and support our activities, organise and support fundraising and community events.
Volunteers receive induction and training, volunteer reviews, and attend regular lunches to share information and feed into FOBL’s design and delivery. Volunteer and Trustee skills audits identify areas for development and external training opportunities. The majority of our volunteers are from the local area and our retention of volunteers is extremely high. Many have been with us since 2013 when FOBL was established.
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Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
FOBL recruited six new library volunteers this year, including students and local residents, to support the library service and associated programmes. We also developed new roles for volunteers which better reflect the skills we need to support our other work. These new roles include working with social media, supporting our book sales, garden volunteers, and events volunteers. Our work with City College Manchester now provides student volunteers for our Digital Cafe. We recognise further work is required, and a wider volunteer recruitment programme was started in the summer of 2025.
Governance and Organisational Growth
In this year Friends of Burnage Library:
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Welcomed a new Trustee to the Board, Karen Pudner, who acted as Treasurer of her local Women's Institute for 3 years. Her work experience includes 11 years in various support, coordination and advice roles for Manchester City Council, and 16 years as an IT professional.
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Bid farewell to Trustee Harriet Morgan-Shami, whom we thank for her excellent work with our English Conversation Cafe group.
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Appointed Karen Pudner as FOBL’s new Treasurer, replacing Stella Clare. Stella has given many years of excellent service in this role, and we’re delighted she continues as a Trustee.
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Created new volunteer roles to better reflect the range of work we do at the library, including social media assistants, book sale volunteers, and those who can assist at our events. These more flexible roles encourage new types of volunteers, particularly younger participants, those from diverse linguistic backgrounds, and those who cannot commit to a conventional library volunteer position.
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Created a series of working groups, the first focusing on our digital presence and our volunteers.
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Hosted an Annual General Meeting with 12 volunteers, ensuring transparency in our finances and governance.
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Installed a large smart television in our activity room, to enhance learning sessions and improve room hire opportunities.
Financial review
Friends of Burnage Library relies on charitable donations and grants for its income. During the year key sources of income included:
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Donations from room hire.
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Donations for tea, coffee and soft drinks and other general small-scale donations in the library.
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Sale of second hand books which are donated to FOBL. (Sold both in the library and via Amazon and Ziffit).
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Fundraising and community events, including cake stalls, book sales, a Christmas Fair etc.
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Grants.
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Occasional raffles.
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Sale of local Burnage items, such as mugs, coasters and keyrings.
The charity’s expenses are principally freelance sessional workers and a freelance development worker, who helps to organise events and manage the growing team of volunteers. This freelance support will continue to be vital to building the capacity of the charity, in order to both provide an excellent service for the public and a quality experience for our volunteers.
We use an online accounting system (QuickBooks) and an accountant helps to ensure all transactions are correctly recorded, with regular management accounts produced for the board. An annual budget is set and reviewed for the year ahead.
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Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Overall, the Trustees were satisfied with the performance of the charity during the 24/25 financial year. Unrestricted income totalled £33,098 (2024: £33,044). There was unrestricted expenditure of £32,056 (2024: £31,980) with expenditure mainly on sessional workers to deliver the library’s activities. Restricted income totalled £25,801 (2024: £35,262) and total restricted expenditure totalled £26,154 (2024: £25,143).
At the end of the year the charity has unrestricted funds of £27,935 (2024: £22,720) and restricted funds of £23,691 (2024: £28,217). The trustees are satisfied that the current operational activities of the library will continue to generate income to cover expenditure and maintain a surplus position on unrestricted funds.
The Our Manchester funding program is set to run until April 2026, providing essential support for the continued operation of the library. In anticipation of the program's conclusion, a new funding application has been submitted to Our Manchester for consideration, seeking funding to sustain our services from April 2026 onwards. In the event that this application is unsuccessful, the trustees will conduct a thorough review of the library's future operations and strategic plans to ensure continued service delivery and sustainability.
The Trustees are confident that they charity has sufficient income to continue to meet its objectives in the year to 31 March 2026.
Principal funding sources, and how funding has supported key objectives
Manchester City Council “Our Manchester” funding. Southway Housing Trust – towards running costs of the building. Donations from Room Hire - towards general running costs.
Funding Awarded
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The Access Foundation (£4,520) to support our Digital Cafe sessions.
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Southway Housing - Age Friendly Burnage (£1,278) to fund our smart television for the Digital Cafe.
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Southway Housing - Age Friendly Burnage (£2,381) to fund the defibrillator installation.
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Manchester City Council (£600) to fund equipment for the defibrillator.
We are particularly grateful for the ongoing support from Manchester Library Service and funding from Southway Housing Trust without which we would not be able to continue.
Reserves policy
Friends of Burnage Library Limited seeks to build up unrestricted reserves to cover: - our contractual obligations to our suppliers, clients, and funders; legal requirements as specified by HMRC, Companies House and the Charity Commission. In addition, three months’ worth of fixed running cost to allow time for the organisation to complete its contractual obligations and plan an orderly closure or find alternative sources of funding, should it be necessary. The trustees believe that £15,000 adequately reflects three month running costs and are pleased to report that current unrestricted reserves exceed this. Reserves are being carefully managed and reinvested into the library to improve facilities and bring further benefit to the community.
The reserves are used to cover cash flow fluctuations. They can also be used to cover short term gaps in funding; to progress with grant-funded projects which require a funding match, before the match has been secured; towards fundraising; for training and other expenses designed to improve the effectiveness of the organisation.
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Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
This policy is reviewed annually. The amount is calculated annually and when there are major changes, such as changes in the staffing levels and the taking on of additional leases.
Investment policy
The charity holds no funds that can be invested for any long period of time. If in future assets are built up above our level of reserves these will be held in interest earning accounts, and the board will annually review its investments to earn the best possible rate of interest.
Plans for the future
Friends of Burnage Library will continue to provide an accessible library. Activity and Information Hub for all local people run by volunteers. We will further develop activities and projects which seek to support young children, older people, socially isolated people and those seeking skills to return to work.
Structure, governance and management
Organisational structure
The Chairperson leads the Board and has a close working relationship with freelance staff members. Members of the board take on key roles in relation to the supervision of volunteers and running of the charity.
The Treasurer has a close supervision of the day to day running of the finances of the Charity.
Governing document
The charitable company is controlled via its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Board members of the company are volunteer directors of the company and trustees of the charity. The number of members must be a minimum of three.
An AGM is held by the company and the Board of Trustees meets at least six times per year. The board is responsible for policy and overseeing the strategic direction of the Charity. It ensures charity documents and key policies are reviewed on a regular basis.
Recruitment and appointment of Trustees
Trustees are recruited from a number of sources, including personal recommendation, volunteers with the charity, and via advisory bodies such as MACC.
The Board has defined the skill profiles required for its make up and seeks people with the necessary background experience. The Board actively seeks to establish a diversity of backgrounds and experience of its members.
Prospective Trustees are invited to meet the board to find out more about the charity. They are subsequently asked to observe a Board meeting, and co-opted by the board, or appointed during an AGM. They are made aware of their responsibilities as directors and trustees.
Induction and training of trustees
New trustees are given information about Friends of Burnage Library, its policies and procedure and the roles and responsibilities of trustees. They are invited to attend training courses relevant to their roles.
Company status
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 24th February 2014 and registered as a charity on 9th October 2014.
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Doc ID: fa123ac950894b8535ac0f49ad200b9d25da43eb
Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
The company was established under a memorandum of association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its articles of association.
Members of the charity guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £10 to the assets of the charity in the event of winding up. The total number of such guarantees at 31 March 2025 was 7 (2024:7). The trustees are members of the charity but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.
All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity.
Related parties and relationships with other organisations
The charity operates independently and there are no related party transactions. Board members and their immediate relatives have no contractual relationships, other than at arm’s length, with any suppliers or fund providers.
Risk management
The Charity has undertaken a comprehensive Risk Assessment and established a policy of regular checking of all the activities of the Charity for risk. A comprehensive Risk Assessment is undertaken annually with regular monthly checks made and reported to the Board. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly. Insurance is in place to cover all liabilities.
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Friends of Burnage Library Limited Trustees’ annual report
for the year ended 31 March 2025
Statement of responsibilities of the trustees
The trustees (who are also directors of Friends of Burnage Library Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
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Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on 19 December 2025 and signed on their behalf by
John McCrory Karen Pudner Chair of Trustees Treasurer
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Independent examiner’s report
to the members of
Friends of Burnage Library Limited
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 set out on pages 14 to 27.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
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have not been met; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Yaaral Elhstt
Hannah Elliott FCA Alker Elliott Accountants Limited 29 Greylag Crescent Worsley Manchester M28 7AB
19 / 12 / 2025
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Statement of Financial Activities including Income and Expenditure account for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Note Income from: Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activities 4 5 Total income Expenditure on: Charitable activities 6 Total expenditure 7 Transfer between funds Net movement in funds for the year Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward Net income/(expenditure) for the year Other trading activities |
Unrestricted funds £ 31,857 885 356 33,098 32,056 32,056 1,042 4,173 5,215 22,720 27,935 |
Restricted funds £ - 25,801 - 25,801 26,154 26,154 (353) (4,173) (4,526) 28,217 23,691 |
Total funds 2025 £ 31,857 26,686 356 58,899 58,210 58,210 689 - 689 50,937 51,626 |
Unrestricted funds £ 31,835 1,000 209 33,044 31,980 31,980 1,064 (80) 984 21,736 22,720 |
Restricted funds £ - 35,262 - 35,262 25,143 25,143 10,119 80 10,199 18,018 28,217 |
Total funds 2024 £ 31,835 36,262 209 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68,306 | ||||||
| 57,123 | ||||||
| 57,123 | ||||||
| 11,183 - |
||||||
| 11,183 39,754 |
||||||
| 50,937 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd Company number 8909086
Balance sheet as at 31 March 2025
| Note | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Fixed assets | |||||||
| Tangible assets | 11 | 3,924 | - | ||||
| Total fixed assets | 3,924 | - | |||||
| Current assets | |||||||
| Debtors | 12 | 160 | 1,498 | ||||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 13 | 48,032 | 49,929 | ||||
| Total current assets | 48,192 | 51,427 | |||||
| Liabilities | |||||||
| Creditors: amounts falling | |||||||
| due in less than one year | 14 | (490) | (490) | ||||
| Net current assets | 47,702 | 50,937 | |||||
| Total assets less current liabilities | 51,626 | 50,937 | |||||
| Net assets | 51,626 | 50,937 | |||||
| The funds of the charity: | |||||||
| Restricted income funds | 15 | 23,691 | 28,217 | ||||
| Unrestricted income funds | 16 | 27,935 | 22,720 | ||||
| Total charity funds | 51,626 | 50,937 |
For theyear in question, the company was entitled to exemption from an audit under section 477 of theCompanies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' responsibilities:
-
Themembers havenot required thecompany to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordancewith section 476 of the Companies Act 2006,
-
Thedirectors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of theAct with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts are prepared in accordance with thespecial provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and constitutetheannualaccounts required by theCompanies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.
The notes on pages 16 to 27 form part of these accounts.
Approved by the trustees on 19 December 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
John McCory (Trustee)
Karen Pudner (Treasurer)
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
1 Accounting policies
Theprincipal accounting policies adopted, judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
a Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicablein theUK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019 - (Charities SORP (FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.
Friends of BurnageLibrary Ltd meets thedefinition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in therelevant accounting policy note.
The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £ sterling.
b Judgments and estimates
Thetrustees haveestimated therunning costs of theLibrary building to beequivalent to a valueof £30,000 based on prior year calculations provided by theproperty owner. A donation and corresponding expenditure has been recognised for this amount.
Thetrustees do not consider that thereareany sources of estimation uncertainty at thereporting datethat havea significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.
c Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis
Thetrustees consider that thereareno materialuncertainties about thecharitablecompany's ability to continueas a going concern.
The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
d Income
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to thefunds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income havebeen met, it is probable that the incomewill bereceived and the amount can bemeasured reliably.
Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Income received in advanceof a provision of a specified service is deferred untilthe criteria for incomerecognition are met.
e Donated services and facilities
Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the useby thecharity of the item is probableand that economic benefit can bemeasured reliably. In accordancewith the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised; refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.
On receipt, donated professionalservices and donated facilities arerecognised on thebasis of thevalueof the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on theopen market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.
f Interest receivable
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
g Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.
Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
h Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:
-
Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of running the library and other costs undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs.
-
Other expenditure represents those items not falling into any other heading.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
i Operating leases
Operating leases areleases in which the titleto theassets, and the risks and rewards of ownership, remain with the lessor. Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.
j Tangible fixed assets
Individual fixed assets costing £250 or more are capitalised at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on a straight line basis as follows:
| Computer equipment | 33% |
|---|---|
| Office fixtures and equipment | 33% |
k Debtors
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
l Cash at bank and in hand
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
m Creditors and provisions
Creditors and provisions arerecognised where thecharity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions arenormally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
n Financial instruments
The charity only has financial assets and financialliabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
2 Legal status of the charity
Thecharity is a company limited by guaranteeregistered in England and Wales and has no sharecapital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The registered office address is disclosed on page 1.
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| 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Room Hire | Forever Manchester | Southway - Defib | Access Foundation | Awards for All | Our Manchester | Southway Digital Café | Manchester City Council | Grants | Income from charitable activities | Total | Southway Housing Trust - in kind | Donations | Income from donations and legacies | ||||
| 885 | 885 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | £ | Unrestricted | 31,857 | 30,000 | 1,857 | £ | Unrestricted | |||
| 25,801 | - | - | 2,381 | 4,520 | - | 18,300 | - | 600 | £ | Restricted | - | - | - | £ | Restricted | |||
| 26,686 | 885 | - | 2,381 | 4,520 | - | 18,300 | - | 600 | £ | Total 2025 | 31,857 | 30,000 | 1,857 | £ | Total 2025 | |||
| 1,000 | 1,000 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | £ | Unrestricted | 31,835 | 30,000 | 1,835 | £ | Unrestricted | |||
| 35,262 | - | 984 | 2,160 | - | 8,880 | 18,300 | 2,178 | 2,760 | £ | Restricted | - | - | - | £ | Restricted | |||
| 36,262 | 1,000 | 984 | 2,160 | - | 8,880 | 18,300 | 2,178 | 2,760 | £ | Total 2024 | 31,835 | 30,000 | 1,835 | £ | Total 2024 |
| 5 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale of books and other items | Income from other trading activities | |||
| 356 | 356 | £ | Unrestricted | |
| £ | Restricted | |||
| - | - | |||
| 356 | 356 | £ | Total 2025 | |
| 209 | 209 | £ | Unrestricted | |
| £ | Restricted | |||
| - | - | |||
| 209 | 209 | £ | Total 2024 |
Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
6 Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities
| Building running costs Charitable activities Freelancers Repairs Office Expenses Professional fees Sundry expenses Bad Debt write off Bank charges Travel and mileage Volunteer expenses Depreciation Support costs Governance costs Restricted expenditure Unrestricted expenditure Net income/(expenditure) for the year This is stated after charging/(crediting): Independent examiner's fee |
Total 2025 £ 30,000 - 24,365 - 57 - 2,098 - 67 308 - 505 570 240 58,210 26,154 32,056 58,210 2025 £ 240 |
Total 2024 £ 30,000 - 23,760 - 252 - 1,743 600 72 18 - - 438 240 |
|---|---|---|
| 57,123 | ||
| 25,143 31,980 |
||
| 57,123 | ||
| 2024 £ 240 |
7 Net income/(expenditure) for the year
8 Staff costs
No employees has employee benefits in excess of £60,000 (2024: Nil).
The average number of staff employed during the period was nil (2024: nil).
The average full time equivalent number of staff employed during the period was nil (2024: nil).
The key management personnel of the charity comprise the trustees. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £nil (2024: £nil).
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
9 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions
Neither the management committee nor any persons connected with them received any remuneration or reimbursed expenses during the year (2024: Nil).
No members of the management committee received travel and subsistence expenses during the year (2024:£nil).
Aggregate donations from related parties were £nil (2024: £nil).
There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.
No trusteeor other person related to thecharity had any personalinterest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year (2024: nil).
10 Corporation tax
Thecharity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within Chapter 3 of Part 11 of theCorporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.
11 Fixed assets: tangible assets
| Cost Additions in the year Depreciation Charge for the year Net book value At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2025 At 1 April 2024 At 31 March 2025 At 31 March 2025 At 1 April 2024 |
Computer equipment £ 3,136 - 3,136 3,136 - 3,136 - - |
Fixtures and Equipment £ 2,269 4,429 6,698 2,269 505 2,774 3,924 - |
£ 5,405 4,429 Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,834 | |||
| 5,405 505 |
|||
| 5,910 | |||
| 3,924 | |||
| - |
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
12 Debtors
| Trade debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand Cash at bank and on hand 14 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Other creditors and accruals |
2025 £ 160 160 2025 £ 48,032 48,032 2025 £ 490 490 |
2024 £ 1,498 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,498 | ||
| 2024 £ 49,929 |
||
| 49,929 | ||
| 2024 £ 490 |
||
| 490 |
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
15 Analysis of movements in restricted funds
| Forever Manchester Southway - Defib Total Comparative period Forever Manchester Total Burnage History Group Manchester City Council Digital Café Burnage History Group Awards for All Our Manchester Our Manchester Manchester City Council NIF Grants Awards for All Digital Café |
Balance at 1 April 2024 £ - 16,103 984 - 1,501 7,901 1,728 28,217 Balance at 1 April 2023 £ 2,449 15,569 - - - - 18,018 |
Income £ 600 18,300 - 2,381 - - 4,520 25,801 Income £ 2,760 18,300 984 2,160 8,880 2,178 35,262 |
Expenditure £ - (16,230) - - (1,587) (4,265) (4,072) (26,154) Expenditure £ (5,289) (17,766) - (659) (979) (450) (25,143) |
Transfers £ (600) - - (2,381) 86 - (1,278) (4,173) Transfers £ 80 - - - - - 80 |
Balance at 31 March 2025 £ - 18,173 984 - - 3,636 898 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23,691 | |||||
| Balance at 31 March 2024 £ - 16,103 984 1,501 7,901 1,728 |
|||||
| 28,217 |
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
Name of restricted fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund
Manchester City Council
Funding to assist with purchase of Defib
Build our capacity to connect people in Burnage to information, to each other and to opportunities.
Our Manchester and to opportunities. Forever Manchester Funding to provide digitial outreach sessions. Southway - Defib Funding to assist with purchase of Defib Burnage History Group Funding from Southway towards local history group. Awards for All Arts for Everyone project Digital Café Funding to support the weekly drop in sessions to increase digital literacy Manchester City Council NIF Grants Towards digital outreach activites and 10th Anniversary celebration costs
16 Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds
| Comparative period Designated fixed Designated fixed assets General fund General fund |
Balance at 1 April 2024 £ 22,720 - 22,720 Balance at 1 April 2023 £ 21,736 - 21,736 |
Income £ 33,098 - 33,098 Income £ 33,044 - 33,044 |
Expenditure £ (31,551) (505) (32,056) Expenditure £ (31,980) - (31,980) |
Transfers £ (256) 4,429 4,173 Transfers £ (80) - (80) |
As at 31 March 2025 £ 24,011 3,924 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27,935 | |||||
| As at 31 March 2024 £ 22,720 - |
|||||
| 22,720 |
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Friends of Burnage Library Ltd
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 (continued)
Name of unrestricted fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund
General fund The free reserves after allowing for all designated funds
Designated fixed assets Funds received for purchase of specific assets
17 Analysis of net assets between funds
| Tangible fixed assets Net current assets/(liabilities) Total Comparative period Tangible fixed assets Net current assets/(liabilities) Total |
General fund £ - 24,011 24,011 General fund £ - 22,720 22,720 |
Designated funds £ 3,924 - 3,924 Designated funds £ - - - |
Restricted funds £ - 23,691 23,691 Restricted funds £ - 28,217 28,217 |
Total 2025 £ 3,924 47,702 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51,626 | ||||
| Total 2024 £ - 50,937 |
||||
| 50,937 |
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