Chalfont St Giles Community Library Trustees’ Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
Chalfont St Giles
Charity number 1159743
Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Legal and administrative information
Chalfont St Giles Community Library is a foundation charitable incorporated organisation.
Charity number 1159743 - registered 30 December 2014
Trustees
Mr A J Hoare President Mrs J Brown Chair Dr M W Foxton Secretary Mr M J Bedford Treasurer Mr A J Davies Mrs S Long Miss K M Martin Mrs J M Thompson Mrs M Ware (to 30 January 2025) Mrs D Westall
Independent Examiner
Mr A Penson F.C.A. Fairfield House Dodds Lane Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. HP8 4EL
Chalfont St Giles Community Library High Street Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire HP8 4QA
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Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 December 2025
Introduction
The trustees present their eleventh Annual Report as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO).
The library is a community managed public library working in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council (the County).
The Community Library opened in January 2007 following the closure of the Countyrun library in the village.
Object of the charity
The object of the charity is to advance the education of the public by providing a lending library and information service for the residents of Chalfont St Giles and the surrounding area. The service is provided to the public without discrimination on grounds of age, disability or other protected characteristic.
Structure, governance and management
The charity’s activities are governed by a Management Committee (the trustees) who normally meet at least four times per year. Day to day management is delegated to the Officers who report progress to each Management Committee meeting.
Trustees are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the trustees. Those who served during the year are listed on page 1. None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the charity nor do they receive remuneration.
The trustees take into account the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when carrying out their duties.
The officers and trustees assess the major risks to which the charity is exposed and ensure that controls are in place to mitigate exposure to the risks. Insurance includes cover for public and volunteer liability and for the loss of stock, furniture and equipment. Banked funds are held in accounts protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
The Community Library is operated by and is entirely dependent on unpaid volunteers.
Under an agreement with the County, the County provides the Community Library with a grant towards running costs and provides without charge the IT equipment, a broadband link, the library management system, the public internet and Wi-Fi system together with technical support. The County provides a limited amount of library stock and supports the training of volunteers. The library is included in the County’s interlibrary delivery network. County support has been agreed through to March 2027.
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Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 December 2025
Lending from the Community Library is on the same terms as the County. Residents can borrow and return books across the county library network. Users can reserve county books at the Community Library or online for pick up at the library. Residents thus benefit from a service that is integrated with the County’s library service.
A local information service is provided in the library building. This service is administered separately from the library. All volunteers work in partnership to achieve the best possible service for the village.
The library receives some financial support from village residents who are ‘Friends of the Library’.
The library building is leased from Chalfont St Giles Parish Council.
Summary of main activities and achievements
The library continues to be well used by the village. The library had a positive 2025 with lending for the year just ahead of 2024. Opening hours were maintained at a healthy level and we continue to invest in the book stock to ensure it is up to date and relevant to users. We also added some books for very young readers thanks to a grant from the Misbourne Matins Rotary Club.
Both ’Bounce and Rhyme’ on Friday mornings and ‘Knit and Natter’ on Monday afternoons continue to be popular. ‘Storytime’ has recently started for pre-school children on a Wednesday morning.
The children at the village school visited the library during the year class by class. A grant to support the use of the ‘Reading Eggs’ software at the village school was made for the final time in 2025.
The CIO’s financial result for the year was a net cash outflow of £2,061. Action is being taken to reduce the deficit. At 31 December 2025 the charity had an unrestricted cash fund of £70,402 .
As always, a huge thank you is due to all our volunteers who have again done a wonderful job over the past year.
The trustees also express their appreciation of the support for the library from village residents, local organisations and the Parish and County Councils.
Reserves policy
Since nearly all of the Community Library’s services are provided free, the charity is dependent on grants and donations. The trustees consider that the charity should hold a level of unrestricted cash funds that will provide at least two years library running costs together with sufficient funds to maintain and where appropriate improve the library. Funds are required to periodically redecorate the library and to ensure the timely replacement of the library’s stock, equipment and furniture.
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Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 December 2025
Maintaining reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, the charity can continue its activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Mrs J Brown
Chair
4 February 2026
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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the Chalfont St Giles Community Library
( Charity no. 1159743)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees 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 the 2011 Act and in carrying 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 material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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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.
Mr A Penson F.C.A.
5 February 2026
Fairfield House Dodds Lane Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. HP8 4EL
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Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Receipts and payments
for the year ended 31 December
----- Start of picture text -----
2025 2024
Unrestricted Restricted
Notes fund fund Total Total
£ £ £ £
Receipts
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Buckinghamshire Council grant 6,000 6,000 7,565
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Library friends' donations 1,952 1,952 2,042
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Library operating receipts (2) 2,042 2,042 1,539
Other income - - - 400
Bank interest received 2,723 - 2,723 2,931
Total receipts 12,717 - 12,717 14,477
Payments
Insurance 1,529 - 1,529 1,425
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Electricity 4,064 4,064 5,046
Water and waste water 300 - 300 232
Telephone 315 - 315 313
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Maintenance and repairs 1,444 1,444 1,610
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Books, Newspapers etc. (3) 3,888 3,888 3,721
Stationery, printing and promotion 231 - 231 957
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Grant to CSG Village School - Reading Eggs 2,500 2,500 2,500
Minor refurbishment - - - 329
Volunteer costs 222 - 222 258
Other costs 285 - 285 295
Total payments 14,778 - 14,778 16,686
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Receipts less (payments) (2,061) (2,061) (2,209)
Cash funds at the start of the year 72,463 30 72,493 74,702
Cash funds at 31 December 70,402 30 70,432 72,493
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Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December
| 31 December 2025 Unrestricted Restricted fund fund Total £ £ £ Cash funds 70,402 30 70,432 |
31 December 2025 |
31 December 2024 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total £ 72,493 |
The CIO also owns the library’s furniture and most of the book stock.
Signed on behalf of the trustees:
Mrs J Brown M J Bedford Chair Treasurer 4 February 2026
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Chalfont St Giles Community Library
Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
1. Accounting basis
- The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity Commission’s guidance for preparing receipts and payments accounts.
2. Library operating receipts
- Library operating receipts arose from book fines, book sales, print charges, public internet usage and sundry sales.
3. Books, Newspapers etc.
Books, Newspapers etc. comprise the purchase of books, newspapers, book covers and labels. As well as purchased books, some books are provided by the County and by agreement books can be donated by the public.
4. Restricted fund
The Restricted Fund is to provide library materials for the visually impaired. £30 remains to be spent at 31 December 2025.
5. Secured debts and guarantees
The charity has no secured debts and has not provided any guarantees.
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