FCCCL Committee Report – January 2025
This year has been a challenging one for the library. Dorset Council underwent changes in its library organisation in May, including allocating Petra, formerly our very helpful link to the council library service, to another job. We now have James with the same role but re-labelled as ‘team leader’. At the same time Libraries West changed its library management system from one which all our volunteers had used for many years, to a very different one which required a lot of training. This transition brought problems to all Dorset libraries, but impacted especially on community-managed libraries and their customers. We are extremely grateful to all our volunteers for staying on, meeting the challenges with good humour, and dealing with customers’ frustration and problems.
We again saw an increase in the number of customers and we continue to see families with young children using the library regularly. Liz has helped with publicity on Facebook, which has brought us new customers. Links with the pre-school during Storytime have continued. We have also retained the ‘Warm Cuppa’ offer, providing an opportunity for a sit down and a chat for those who want it. The solar panels are doing a good job providing our electricity.
We had interesting talks from David and Chris Kemp on their trip to Antarctica, ‘Shopping in Bygone Swanage’ by John Patrick from Swanage Museum, ‘Swifts in Purbeck’ by Richard Caldow and ‘Populism and Fatalism’ by Gerry Stoker. We finished off the year with a Christmas celebration in the library.
In April we helped organise a quiz hosted by Barry Stocks, who has also looked after the garden throughout the year with help from Mags Pettitt. David has produced some colourful new badges for the volunteers.
The annual accounts are reasonably healthy but once again outgoings exceeded income. The annual grant from Dorset Council, which has not increased since it was first agreed, is under review and we hope to link it with inflation. Thanks to our treasurer Karen for her hard work updating spreadsheets and providing statistics to help with these negotiations. Chris has also helped provide valuable background information on the library lease. Once this is all agreed with the council, we will be able to renew our service level agreement.
Thanks to all the committee, the Friends and to all our dedicated volunteers – your help is what keeps the library going. Thanks to Martyn for all his work on events and publicity. And last but not least, thanks to all our customers.
Alison Allwright (Chair, Friends of Corfe Castle Community Library)
FRIENDS OF CORFE CASTLE LIBRARY ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER
| BANK ACCOUNT MOVEMENT SUMMARY | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Lloyds Bank balance b/f | £11,268.38 |
| INCOME | |
| Donations inc Friends subscriptions | £97.00 |
| Dorset Council | £48.37 |
| Solar Panel Income | £321.72 |
| Fund raising | £380.00 |
| £847.09 | |
| EXPENDITURE | |
| ScottishPower & Water | £1,498.39 |
| Littlebirds & Window Cleaner | £524.20 |
| Insurance/Fire | £957.38 |
| Advertising | £200.00 |
| Solar panels | |
| Sundry expenses | £344.81 |
| (£3,524.78) | |
| Lloyds Bank balance c/f | £8,590.69 |
| INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT | |
| Total banked | £847.09 |
| Total spent | £3,524.78 |
| £3,524.78 | |
| Net surplus (defcit) for the year | (£2,677.69) |
| STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES | |
| at 31 December 2024 | |
| Bank balance at year end | £8,590.69 |
| Bank balance less unfulflled liabilities | £8,590.69 |
R 2024
2023
£14,716.38
£186.55 £1,988.48 £3,000.00 *Grant £267.92 £5,442.95 £807.16 £667.20 £599.88 £300.00 £6,000.00 £516.71 (£8,890.95)
£11,268.38
£5,442.95 £8,890.95
£8,890.95 (£3,448.00)
£11,268.38 £11,268.38