## **CHALFONT ST GILES**
## **MEMORIAL HALL**
## **TRUSTEES REPORT**
## **and**
## **ACCOUNTS**
**for the year ended 31[st] December 2025**
**Charity No. 1163859**
## **CHALFONT ST GILES MEMORIAL HALL**
## **School Lane, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks, HP8 4JJ**
## **Legal and Administrative Information**
Chalfont St. Giles Memorial Hall is a foundation charitable incorporated organisation. Charity No. 1163859 – Registered on 6 October 2015
## **Trustees**
Dr. R. Perkins Chair (from 1 January 2025) Miss K. Martin Deputy Chair Mr. K. Huxham Hon. Secretary Mr. A. Penson Hon. Treasurer Mr. A.J. Hoare Fund Raising Co-ordinator (was Chairman until 31 December 2024) Mr. G. Jackson Ms. C. Santry Mr. S. Whitehurst Mrs E. O’Connor Appointed 14 January 2025 Mrs S. Patel Appointed 18 March 2025
**Booking Secretary** Mr. D. Howkins memorialhallbookings@gmail.com
## **Independent Examiner**
Mr. M.J. Bedford Retired Chartered Accountant 10 The Brow Chalfont St Giles HP8 4JD
## **Bankers**
Lloyds Bank plc Buckinghamshire Building Society, Chalfont St. Giles,
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall**
## **Trustees Report for the year ended 31 December 2025**
## **Introduction**
The Trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 together with the report of the Independent Examiner.
The Chalfont St. Giles Memorial Hall was funded by public subscription from 1919 and constructed in 1923 as a memorial to servicemen from the village, who lost their lives in the Great War. The hall was extended in 1999/2000 with the benefit of some restricted fund donations.
The current incorporated charity was formed in 2015.
## **Objectives of the Charity**
The Memorial Hall is operated for “the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Chalfont St. Giles or within one mile of the Memorial Hall without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for:
- a) Meetings, lectures and classes
- b) Other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants.”
## **Organisational Structure**
The activities of the Charity are governed by the Trustees (The Committee) who normally meet six times during the year. Day to day management is delegated to the officers who report progress to each Trustee meeting. Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and include representatives of regular user groups of the Hall and, from time to time, from the Parish Council. Vacancies are filled by co-option during the year. None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the charity nor do they receive any remuneration. The trustees are closely involved in the operation and maintenance of the Hall.
The Trustees take into account the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when carrying out their duties in line with the Charity policy documents.
## **Trustee Investment Powers**
The Trustees have powers to invest monies not immediately required in accordance with the Trustee Act 2000. It is not the policy to invest long term. Funds held on deposit are regularly monitored.
## **Review of Activities**
The Hall is the largest in Chalfont St. Giles and is hired for a variety of activities including drama, public meetings and a range of social and leisure events. 2025 has continued the recent trend for a high level of bookings. Once again, the Hall has been used most days of the year. The Infant School uses the Hall for various school activities, including for school lunches.
Receipts from hall hire were up in 2025 by about £600 (just under 4%). The number of bookings, including regular weekly hirers, increased to 76 from 63 in 2024. There were over thirty family/children’s parties and private events in 2025. This is a further remarkable increase. We hope that these one-off bookings will continue in 2026 for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of Chalfont St Giles.
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall**
## **Trustees Report for the year ended 31 December 2025 – continued**
Our regular fundraisers have continued to organise events successfully.
The main activities: Lottery, two Quiz Nights and The Open Gardens Day in 2025 have all had a successful year with a 2% increase in the amount raised. We were pleased to welcome back the folk band, the Churchfitters for another well-attended folk night. As a follow-on to the Hall’s Centenary Year in 2024, £563 was raised from the sales of a book about Chalfont St Giles and WW1 and this helped to achieve an overall fund-raising total of £10,196. A wonderful success. As always, we must thank the fundraising team for their unstinting support.
In 2025, in addition to fund-raising, the Hall has benefitted from some exceptional and generous grants and donations totalling £17,331. In particular, this included a grant of £5,810 from the Community Board and a greatly appreciated £10,000 donation from a private individual. These have helped to cover the costs of the major upgrade of the audio-visual equipment completed in February 2025.
The overall expenditure was up by £18,700 (increase of 50%) compared to 2024. Most of this increase (£13,200) arose from the audio-visual upgrade. Among more routine expenditure, energy and utility costs were down nearly 20% on 2024. This was a mix of lower prices and lower consumption. Insurance premiums were approx. £500 down too. Repairs and maintenance expenditure were up by nearly £7,000 mainly because of some essential wall repairs and a five yearly electrical safety check.
For 2026, as in 2025, the Hall has negotiated electricity and gas contracts at a lower fixed rate, so hopefully there should be continuing reduction in these costs. Total unrestricted receipts less total payments for 2025 were an inflow of £2,442. Unrestricted Cash funds at the year-end were £71,186.
The trustees have been working to raise funds for the installation of solar panels and storage batteries as part of its sustainability initiative. This builds on the existing air source heat pump, which was installed in 2017. We are immensely grateful to Awards for All, who have already in 2025 made a restricted Grant of £20,000 exclusively for the solar panel work.
In addition, we have received confirmation of a grant of a further £30,000 from HS2, that means we can go ahead with installation work in April 2026.
## **Reserves Policy**
It is the trustees’ policy to try to maintain at least a year’s running costs in unrestricted cash reserves. The trustees are satisfied that unrestricted reserves at the year-end will do so.
The reserves policy is also intended to ensure that the charity can cope with occasional significant items of expenditure to maintain or upgrade the Hall. There are two particular examples of possible such expenditure, which the trustees have discussed, they are: Replacement of suspended wooden floor -------- £20,000 Replacement of parts for air source heat pump---£12,500
## **Risk Factors**
The Trustees assess the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to them. Insurance covers employers, public and product liability, personal accident, and trustees’ indemnity as well as buildings and contents.
## **Volunteers and staff**
Members of the Committee and the fund-raising group assist with various administrative and practical matters during the year. These services are greatly appreciated as is the contribution of other volunteers who provide services to the Hall. The Charity has no paid employees.
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall**
## **Trustees Report for the year ended 31 December 2025 – continued**
## **Independent Examiner**
Mr. M.J. Bedford has indicated that he is willing to continue in office.
## **Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities**
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. In preparing those financial statements the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.
- state whether the policies adopted are in accordance with the regulations and Charity Commission guidance.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the detection and prevention of fraud or other irregularities.
## **Approval**
This report has been approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf.
Signed R.Perkins
Dr. R. Perkins Chair
_17 March 2026_
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts**
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall (Charity No. 1163859) for the year ended 31 December 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity 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 Memorial Hall’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out 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:
1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed
M J Bedford
Mr. M.J. Bedford Retired Chartered Accountant 10 The Brow Chalfont St Giles HP8 4JD
_24 March 2026_
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall**
## **Receipts and Payments For the year ended 31 December 2025**
|2024
Notes
£
**Receipts**
15,934
Hire of Hall
12,453
School
3,100
Snooker Club
10,008
Fund Raising (net)
2
2,395
Unrestricted Grants and Donations
-
Restricted Grants
1,194
Interest
45,084
Total Receipts
**Payments**
9,217
Cleaning/Caretaking
9,420
Gas/Water/Electricity
3,839
Insurance
1,785
Gardening
3,718
Administration/Sundries
9,176
Repairs/Renewals
3
Tree Surgery
AV Upgrade Project
37,154
Total Payments
7,930
**Receipts less (payments)**
60,814
**Cash Funds on 1 January**
68,744
**Cash Funds on 31 December**|2025
2025
£
£
Unrestricted Restricted
Funds
Funds
16,522
12,865
-
10,196
17,031
20,000
1,644|
|---|---|
||58,258
20,000|
||9,560
7,619
3,342
1,950
3,614
15,331
1,200
13,200|
||55,816
-|
||2,442
20,000
68,744
0|
||71,185
20,000|
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall**
## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December 2025**
|2024|||2025|
|---|---|---|---|
|£|||£|
||Cash Funds|||
|61,057|Building Society|63,057||
|7,687|Banks|8,129||
|68,744|||71,186|
||Unrestricted Funds|||
|68,744|General Purposes||71,186|
||Fixed Assets at cost (note 4)|||
|2,300|Land and buildings||2,300|
|182,488|Extensions||182,488|
||Building Society||20,000|
|184,788|||204,788|
||Restricted Funds|||
|184,788|Fixed Assets||204,788|
The bulk of Restricted funds have been established specifically in connection with the premises including extensions. The grant of £20,000 from the National Lottery is restricted for the project to install solar panels and storage batteries in 2026.
Signed on behalf of the trustees:
R Perkins A Penson Chairman Treasurer _17 March 2026_
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## **Chalfont St Giles Memorial Hall**
## **Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025**
## **1. Accounting policy**
These Accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity Commission’s guidance for preparing receipts and payments accounts.
## **2. Fundraising**
|2024
Net
£
3,108
"Open Gardens" day
2,840
Quiz Nights
3,087
Lottery
974
Proceeds of WW1 Book Sales
Churchftters concert
(NB 2024 Centenary Events)
10,009|Receipts
£
4,362
4,241
4,148
563
1,507
14,821|2025
Payments/Prizes
Net
£
£
985
3,377
1,583
2,658
978
3,170
-
563
1,079
428
4,625
10,196|
|---|---|---|
## **3. Expenditure**
The largest recurring expense category and one that fluctuates from year to year is repairs / renewals. This can be analysed as follows:
|2024||2025|
|---|---|---|
|£||£|
|4,000|Building repair work|6,700|
|-|Repairs to sleeper wall at back of Hall|4,156|
|-|Five yearly electrical safety check|2,720|
|1,328|Other general maintenance|1,755|
|3,847|Contributon to cost of new electric|-|
||oven and related electrical upgrade||
|9,175||15,331|
## **4. Fixed Assets**
Land and Buildings are shown at original cost in 1923 of £2,300 and Extensions at cost in 1999/2000 of £182,488.
The building was professionally valued in October 2020 by Roger Falcon MRICS FCIoB of Josling & Hamlyn of Amersham, who assessed a reinstatement value at £2.11m + VAT. On this basis the Hall is insured for £3.67m on an index linked basis.
## **5. Secured debts and guarantees**
The charity has no secured debts and has not provided any guarantees.
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