## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 1[st] September 2023 to 31[st] August 2024 Charity name: Dacorum and Chiltern Potters Guild Charity registration number:** 1161265 ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The objects of the CIO are to advance
the education of the public in the
subject of ceramics, in particular but
not exclusively, by holding lectures,
discussions, practical demonstrations
and other activities_._| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|We have 143 members, a substantial
increase on 2022-23, a result of the
Guild’s return to a full range of activities
and increased social media presence.
In the year, the Guild has published four
editions of its newsletter, with copies
being sent out on-line and by post for
those members who request it. Between
newsletters, members receive email
updates which include information about
forthcoming Guild activities, members’
messages, information about events of
interest and appeals for
information/advice on ceramic matters
from the public. The Guild communicates
with members and the wider public via
Instagram, Facebook (publicly and
privately) and You-Tube. The Guild’s
demonstrations are widely publicised on
social media and the Guild’s website
(which also includes back issues of the
newsletter, which the public is able to
access) and visitors are welcome.
7 demonstrations by established
ceramicists were held between
September 2023 and August 2024.
In addition, three celebrated potters
lectured and demonstrated at the Trestle| 1 Theatre in St Albans at the Annual Potters Open Day. The event was also attended via Zoom and the day attracted non-members and members. A pottery supplier was able to supply and deliver materials to members at the event. Monthly social gatherings were arranged: 11 Guild coffee mornings/afternoon or evening gatherings were held at a variety of venues to enable as many members as possible to participate and exchange news, tips and advice. The Guild again worked in partnership with St Albans Cathedral, organising and running a “Big Build” at the Alban Festival. Guild volunteers worked with several hundred members of the public to construct a large scale model of the Cathedral. Members took part in the Fitzwilliam competition for the best interpretation of a subject chosen by members’ vote. The entries were displayed at our annual exhibition in Kingsbury barn and the public were able to vote for the winning piece while members were able to vote for a winner on-line. The Guild ran 9 free all day have-a-go sessions for the public at Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM)’s Terrific Tuesdays throughout school holidays, working with museum staff to co-ordinate the theme for the day with the museum’s programme. In September 2023 The Guild held an exhibition of members’ work at at Kingsbury Barn where members exhibited and sold their work. The public were invited to view the exhibition and encouraged to participate in the craft and a workshop was held for local primary school pupils. Several groups of members shared stalls at St Albans market, selling their work and talking to the public about ceramics and about the Guild. A small wood burning kiln was constructed at the Chiltern Open Air Museum and has been successfully fierd several times. In all, 9 kiln building and firing sessions were held at the Museum, including, in July, the construction, to which museum visitors were invited to 2 |||contribute, of a dragon kiln. Guild
volunteers also ran a dragon themed clay
activity for the public. The emphasis at
the building/firing sessions I on learning
and different members are encouraged
and supported to lead firings.
Two visits were arranged for members: to
working potteries and potters’ studios and
to a specialist local brickworks.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The Trustees have regard to the Charity
Commission guidance on public benefit.
They aim to provide a wide range of
activities and opportunities for members
and to participate in community events,
giving the wider public the opportunity to
create with and learn about clay.| |||| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|A policy has been adopted| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|All the Guild’s activities at COAM, St Albans
Cathedral, Kingsbury Barn, and the Potters Open
Day were staffed by Guild volunteers
In addition, committee members run the library,
website, and undertake roles as treasurer,
membership secretary, and secretary, social
media coordinators, social events and
demonstrator events organisers in a voluntary
capacity.| |Other||The Guild make available to members, for a
small charge, two potters’ wheels, in return
for their being made available for the ‘have a
go’ events.
The Guild has no paid employees. All the
activities are undertaken on a voluntary
basis by the members.| 3 ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole|Para 1.2|The Guild participated in the Alban Festival,
have-a-go sessions for hundreds of children
and their families at the Chiltern Open Air
Museum and held an exhibition which
included a workshop for local children, and
an informative display.
Demonstrations and the Potters Open Day
were widely publicised to the public at large
via mailings and/or social media.| **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |||| |---|---|---| |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| |Other||| 4 ## **Financial Review** |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|The charity’s principal source of funds is
membership subscriptions which saw a
welcome increase as the number of
members grew.
**A grant has been received from the CPA**
**(Craft Potters Association) towards**
**events to be organised in 2025 to mark**
**the 50th Anniversary of the Guild’s**
**founding in 1975.**| |---|---|---| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The Trustees agreed in 2019 a reserve fund
of £6000 to cover:
Replace or repair the equipment
necessary for the group’s operation
Cover unforeseen expenditure, eg
accidental damage to items not covered by
insurance, increases in costs such as
rent
Enable the group to take up new
opportunities to bring the creative use of
clay tothe publicFunds
A sum equivalent to the depreciation
of the fixed assets (kilns etc) has, for a
number of years, been transferred
annually to a sinking fund, to allow
replacement, if necessary, of the
equipment needed for the Guild’s public
education events.
This fund has been capped at £3,000
Further reserves held to allow for
Miscellaneous unexpected expenditure
£1,000
Costs associated with new opportunities
to promote pottery to the public: £2,000
This policy was last reviewed in April 2023
and will be reviewed again in April 2025.
0
0
O
o
0
0| |Amount of reserves held
~~Ce~~|Para 1.22
~~Ce~~|£6000 General reserve
~~Ce~~| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**N/A**| 5 ## **Additional information (optional)** |**Additional information (optional)**|**Additional information (optional)**|**Additional information (optional)**| |---|---|---| |You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:||| |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Membership subscriptions, commissions
from sales of members’ work, Gift aid
claimed on participating members’
subscriptions and an exceptional grant of
£1500 from the CPA towards activities to
mark the Guild’s 50thanniversary in 2025.| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**N/A**| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|Curtailment of activities due to pandemic
type event leading to prolonged denial of
funds.
Significant call on funds – depleting all
reserves – created by catastrophic events.| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution based on using model
document for a Charitable Incorporated
Organisation| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Trustees are selected from the membership
by election
They are co-opted by the Committee,
formally voted onto Committee by the
members at AGM| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees|Para 1.51|Committee members reviewed the Guild’s
policies on Data Protection and Retention,
Safeguarding, Honorary Membership and
Social media| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider|Para 1.51|In addition to the posts indicated in the list of
Trustees, named trustees have oversight of:
editing and distributing the newsletter,
newsletter production, exhibitions and| 6 |network with which the
charity works||events and the annual Potters Open
Day.The data controller is also a trustee.
The committee incudes volunteers who are
not trustees, who have the following roles:
treasurer (from June to the year end the role
of treasurer was covered by the bookkeeper,
a new treasurer was appointed at the AGM
2024); committee secretary; membership
secretary; programme organiser; librarian;
safeguarding officer, website manager;
social events organiser; firings co-ordinators.
Additionally, members act as book-keeper
and a social media co-ordinators.
The member, Laura Gibbs, who was elected
treasurer at the AGM in November 2024 but
who, prior to that date, had had no
involvement with the finances/accounts of
the Guild, undertook an independent
examination of the accounts and identified
no matters of concern.| |---|---|---| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Dacorum and Chiltern Potters Guild| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|DCPG| |Registered charity number|1161265| |Charity’s principal address|6 Falstaff Gardens,
St Albans
AL1 2AL| 7 ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person**
**(or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee**
**(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||John Higgins|President||| ||Rosalind McGuirk|||| ||MaryAnne Bonney|||| ||Jacqueline Harrop|Chair||| ||David Evans|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved ## **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity 8 Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** 9 ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** ~~eee a~~ **Full name(s)** Mary Anne Bonney **Position (eg Secretary,** Administrator **Chair, etc)** **Date** 10th March 2025 10 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Dacorum and Chiltern Potters Guild 1161265 CC16a Receipts and payments accounts To Forthe period from 0110912023 3110812024 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricte d funds to the nearest Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ A1 Receipts Membership Fees Metnber Donations Vdunteei Gifts 3,274 74 3,274 74 2.433 157 New51etterAdverbsing COAM FridayslMis¢ Firin9 Fees Events 55B $58 642 798 798 195 419 419 Gift Aid 506 506 Exhibitsons 7.557 5,067 118 7.557 5,067 118 5.690 4516 1,773 POD Trips Ilntemational Geram￿C5 Festival 221231 8ank Interest 101 101 Incorne 1,947 20.419 1,947 20.419 113 ub total ( ross income or R) 15.830 A2 Asset and investment sales. (see table). tota 20,419 20,419 15,830 A3 Payments Newsletter Costs 794 794 1,306 1,804 4,317 2,854 Friday Demonstiat10Tr5 Exhibition Costs 1.755 6,118 2.883 È104 1.755 6,118 2,883 404 POD Costs Garage Outreach eventslcommunity Engagemenvclay Builds COAM SitelFiring costs Insurance 308 308 187 1.783 641 1,783 641 451 755 Bank Charyes Gifts for Voluntews (Paid from Mernber Donations) Misc Expenditure Webgte and ZcK)tn Trips Ilnternational Cerdtnics Festival 221231 library 64 69 70 70 199 1.511 1.511 380 299 120 120 1.773 35 14,613 Sub total 16.451 16.451 A4 Asset and investment purchases. (see tsble) Laptop 6, Folcjing Table5130 Tr0.1 Heavy Trestle Table Calor Gas Cage ICOAMI Gazebo $40 1,079 1,079 294 292 Sub totaiL $40 S40 1,713 16,991 16,991 16,326 Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 3.428 3.42 496 3,428 3.428 496 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to nearest £ Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ Categories Detsils B1 Cash funds Current account 1,841 14,602 138 Reserve Petty Cash Total cash funds 16,581 18gfee baian(xswith receipis and payment5 accounllsll Unrestricted funds to nearest £ Restricted funds Endowment funds Details to nearest £ to nearest £ B2 Other monetary assets Details Fund to which asset bÈlon Cost loptsonall Current value ional B3 Investment assets Fund to which asset belon rjotails kiln Cost Itwtionall Current value onal 2,518 1,170 606 10 wheel B4 Assets retained for the charit￿5 own use exhibition 291 14brary office 600 535 1,529 B94 6. Folding Tables130 no.) Treslle Table 1.025 CaSor Gas Caye Gzzebo 279 277 Total 6.423 3.357 Fund to whTrch relatva Amountflu• tional When due tional Details B5 Liabilities Total Signature Print Name Date of proval SOFQNYCY 3.12.2021 Signed by one or fv40 trustees on behalf of 811 the trustees