Chair’s Annual Statement 2022
Ladies & Gentlemen of Sherburn & Villages u3a, here we are, AGM time once more. Another year has just flown by since we started to get out and about, once the most serious part of the Covid pandemic had passed. However, even now it’s still lurking out there and infecting people and some are still really suffering. Moving on, groups are currently much more active and it seems that our many and varied zoom sessions are a part of history but they did prove useful at the time. Our groups have collectively had over 400 sessions, trips or events during the last year, so well done group leaders.
The membership level of Sherburn & Villages dropped during the Covid pandemic following the national trend. Over the last year, the level of membership has risen and we are now at 619 members with 248 still to renew, including myself! We had 118 joining during the last year. We are a charity and are part of the UK’s u3a which has been active since 1982 and presently has just under 400,000 members in over a 1,000 u3as. Our membership draws on life experiences of our individual members who help to run the various interest groups of which there are 63. Over the last year 2 groups ceased to function (Website Design & Four Paws) and 4 new groups started up (Play Folk Music, ACT3, Motorhomes & Caravans and Deaf Awareness), this reflects the change in our interests and has to be seen as positive. We are a self-help organisation and will always welcome new Groups, Group Leaders, Committee members and volunteers.
A little more on what has transpired during the last year. Apart from the numerous trips, events and sessions mentioned above we have had a New Members meeting, Open Day, Christmas Party, Fish & Chips as well as Pie & Peas Sundays. Additionally, we had a stall at the Sherburn Gala and a litter pick was also conducted sometime after.
The committee meeting minutes, once approved, are available for all to see on SharePoint. The asset register has been updated. Quite a few items that were old or had not been used for some time were disposed of. We have enabled members to assist university researchers with their studies. The GDPR policy has been updated with the committee having a presentation on current GDPR practises. Our bank has been replaced by the Coop Bank who do not charge charities whereas the previous bank announced it would start doing so.
There have been occasions where group leaders’ emails have gone astray, this is something that just happens, I’m unable to explain it away. However, if any group leader wishes to have more information on whether their emails have succeeded or not they can have group email addresses where any failure messages are also delivered to the group inbox as are responses.
It is today that two of our Officers are stepping down, Tony Kell our Vice Chair and his brother Trevor Kell, the Membership Secretary. Both have been invaluable in the services they have provided over the last three
years and I thank them, as I do the remainder of the committee for being such conscientious and thoughtful contributors to the running of our u3a.
This is the end of my third year as Chair and half way through my second term. This means I am now entering my final year as Chair. Our constitution states that the chair can serve no more than two consecutive terms, each of two years. You may ask: “Can the constitution be changed to allow more terms?” The answer is yes, but only in an AGM or a SGM and there has been no resolution presented to achieve this for this AGM! I will be happy to finish after four years as Chair. I think to extend a term or terms is not ideal, there does need to be a change of leadership to bring in fresh ideas. What amuses me sometimes is that my initial interest was only in joining the committee, I had no intention of becoming chair but then events overtook me! Time for one or more of you, to start thinking about my succession, will it be you? Our Business Secretary will also be stepping down, anyone fancy trying that position? Job descriptions are on the website under Contacts, click on the job title, that’s the easy bit!
Thank you and thank you for being in our u3a. Barrie Wharton Chair S&V u3a
| Glossary | |
|---|---|
| u3a | University of the Third Age |
| S&V | Sherburn and Villages |
| AGM | Annual General Meeting |
| SGM | Special General Meeting |
| GDPR | General Data Protection Regulation |
| Table 1 | Table 1 | Table 1 | Table 1 | Table 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHERBURN AND VILLAGES U3A | |||||
| Income and Expenditure for theyear to September 2022 | |||||
| Actual | 2020/2021 | ||||
| Income | |||||
| Door Money | 1,020.00 | 123.55 | |||
| Sherburn U3A | 5,989.97 | 5,309.56 | |||
| Donations | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| H.M.R.C. | 926.25 | 885.00 | |||
| Other Income | 50.00 | 410.00 | |||
| Website Income | 100.00 | 75.00 | |||
| GroupIncome | 18,554.40 | 3,281.73 | |||
| Total Income | 26,640.62 | 10,084.84 | |||
| Expenditure | |||||
| Venue Hire | 1,378.00 | 422.75 | |||
| Refreshments | 315.12 | 130.90 | |||
| Speakers | 320.00 | 240.00 | |||
| Post/Print/Stationery | 224.53 | 138.97 | |||
| MembershipSubscriptions | 2,316.00 | 1,771.00 | |||
| Publicity | 25.00 | 17.69 | |||
| Equipment,etc | 449.00 | 309.42 | |||
| GroupExpenditure | 18,158.19 | 3,367.01 | |||
| Other expenses | 1,587.02 | 1,942.27 | |||
| Other Expenses breakdown | |||||
| U3A Magazines | 1177.93 | ||||
| Lanyards | 48.99 | ||||
| Auditor | 50.00 | ||||
| Website | 217.18 | ||||
| TAT | 60.00 | ||||
| Bank charges | 32.92 | ||||
| Total Expenditure | 1587.02 | ||||
| Total Expenditure | 24,772.86 | 8,340.01 | |||
| Net Surplus/(Deficit) | 1,867.76 | 1,744.83 | |||
| Group Accounts | Total | ||||
| After Hours | 84.57 | ||||
| Ballroom Dancing | 25.45 | ||||
| Bridge Group | 103.11 | ||||
| CountryDancing | 246.25 | ||||
| Digital Photograpjy | 75.00 | ||||
| Flower Arranging | 0.00 | ||||
| French | 92.95 | ||||
| Garden | 279.40 | ||||
| Holiday& Travel | 320.86 | ||||
| Mahjongg | 52.00 | ||||
| Paint & Draw | 100.00 | ||||
| Pottery | 14.76 | ||||
| Science & Technology | 682.18 | ||||
| Serendipity | 72.60 | ||||
| Singing | 48.75 | ||||
| ACT 3 | 934.47 | ||||
| Total | 3132.35 | ||||
1
Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts
The Charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.
It is my responsibility to:
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Examine the accounts
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To follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission, and
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To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
I have reviewed the accounts of Sherburn and Villages u3a for the year ended 30 September 2022. 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 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:
In connection with my examination, following discussions with the treasurer and a number of amendments to the accounts, the only residual point that I raised was a discrepancy in the year end cash balance – spreadsheet suggested this should be £510.79, compared to cash in the tin of £444.80, difference £65.99.
The treasurer has subsequently investigated this and noted that the current actual bank and cash balances do match those in the accounting spreadsheet. This suggests the likely explanation of the above discrepancy was a couple of cheques (totally £65) were actually part of the cash balance as at 30 September (ie received and accounted for in the spreadsheet), but not paid in until October.
Other than this there are no further matters that have come to my attention which gives reasonable cause to believe in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records
have not been met.
Signed: Date: 7 November 2022
Name: Chris Gore
Address: 60A Westfield Lane, South Milford, LS25 5AW
Notes to Accounts
Start year positions consistent with prior year accounts:
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Balance sheet checked
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Income and expenditure checked
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Individual group balances (bank and cash) checked
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Start of year Garden group balance needed correction
Gift aid claim reviewed - all fine, 25% of total gift aid donations claimed, accounted for in this year, although amount not received as at 30 Sept 2022.
Observations/changes to note:
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Income/exp
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Group income / expenditure should reference the figures in the “group movement” sheet, not the “group income&exp” sheet – this is for consistency with prior year and also so figures include group income and expenditure using their own cash funds – changes made
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Other expenses – “bank interest”, should read “bank charges” – change made
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Balance sheet
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Funds available figure (section 4) did not equal the summary figure (section 5) – further investigation needed at these items should balance
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Following the changes detailed below, this now balances – however it suggests the year end cash balance should be £510.79, compared to cash in the tin of £444.80, difference £65.99
- Could there be any cheques at the year end where there is a line item in the accounts for receiving the cheque, but where there is no corresponding line item to pay the cheque in? This would increase cash balance and could explain the difference.
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Fixed assets and depreciation over 2021/22
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figures all fine – all prior assets now fully depreciated, but one new asset during 2021/22 (treasurer laptop), no depreciation on this, fine as purchased at end of August
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labelling of line items not clear, in particular references to years (2021 and 2022) as these don’t apply to the prior year column – changes made to make this clearer.
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current assets – prior year figures need moving up one row – change made
- current liabilities – prepayments – entered as minus £60, figure consistent with last year would be positive £59.38 (see subscriptions section below for further details) – change made
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Subscriptions spreadsheet:
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18 Oct 2021 – minus £52 – added reference to explain refunds
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o 25 Oct 2021 – minus £10 – added reference to explain refunds o 30 Nov 2021 – minus £2, not minus £2.31 – to match amount on receipt 30 – change made
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30 Sep 2022
- refund member on sheet 94 – need to add as purchase and refund, so total amount is consistent with receipt 94 – change made - need to add line for single member receipt 98 – does not appear to be included anywhere – change made - I assume the 5 red lines are for next year – the prepayment amount in the accounts should be net of commission (£59.38 not £60) – change made -
Allowing for these amendments, the total in the subscriptions spreadsheet exactly matches the total in the subscriptions column in the accounts - £5989.97
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Detailed accounts sheet
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Added formula into cell T99 to track running cash total (previously incorrectly blank), to include £40 serendipity cheque received on this line
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Also amended cell T100 to reference cell T99, not cell T98
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o Line 118 – banking transaction – had £81 in to bank (which agrees with bank statement, but minus £91 out of cash (which is what is written in paying in book) – I have assumed £81 is correct and amended cash amount
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Cell T171 was hardcoded as £736.74 – correct formula allowing for paying £60 speakers fee in cash (as implied by the entries on this line item) gives £786.74 – change made, and this is the £50 difference we were looking for!
- Note the reference for this speakers fee is 64, but this is a coach invoice, no sign of invoice for this speakers fee -
Line 199 – French Conversation cash in – receipt 100 and group sheet suggest £105, not £100 – change made
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Lines 281-285 not included in bank account as at 30 Sept 2022 – need to make sure these are not included in 2022/23 accounts, and make a note that opening bank balance will not equal the actual 30 Sept 2022 on statements
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Final cash figure did not include £12 cash subs – receipt 139 – change made
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Group accounts
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Garden
- opening cash balance £65.24 not £77.68 – change made
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20221/22 accounts do not tally with start and end positions – £28.50 difference to resolve – assume year end cash balance is £55,73, then everything balances – change made
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o Serendipity
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No accounts available
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In the group income and exp sheet, there was a random extra £40 expenditure in row 118 (no description or reference, and no corresponding item in the main accounts sheet) – I have removed this figure and increased their bank balance by £40
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Lines 18-21 were not showing an amount in the expenditure column (in the group income and exp sheet) – change made