Westleton Village Hall CIO
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 5 April 2024
Charity information
Registered Address: Westleton Village Hall CIO The Street Westleton Saxmundham Suffolk IP17 3AD
Registered Charity Number: 1164038
Trustees:
John Shepherd (Chair) Barry Banks Liz Barton Francesca Bartlett Sue Brett (Treasurer) Nicola Feltham Dilys Hall (Archivist) Andy Gilmour (from 5 June 2023) Carole Homersham (from 4 December 2023)
Independent Auditor: Brian Boulanger
Structure, Governance and Management
Westleton Village Hall (the Charity) was registered as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) on 25 October 2015. Management of the Charity is by a Board of Trustees which meets about six times a year. Trustees, who are normally appointed for a term of three years, may be either elected by members of the public at the annual general meeting (AGM), nominated by User Groups or appointed by sitting Trustees in accordance with section 10 of the Constitution of the CIO. The Trustees are supported by a part-time Centre Manager and a number of volunteers who run events at the hall and/or support specific activities or projects.
Objectives
The objectives of the CIO set out in Section 3 of the Constitution,
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To own and manage the building known as Westleton Village Hall for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Westleton in the County of Suffolk (the area of benefit) without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, race, ethnic origin, or political, religious or other opinions for meetings, lectures and classes and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
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To make the Hall available for use for the above purposes by all people who have need for such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving their conditions of life.
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- To make the Hall available for private hire by individuals or organisations, both within and beyond the area of benefit, for the above purposes and for private or social purposes at the discretion of the trustees.
Activities and Achievements: Chair's report to the AGM
It had been (at last) the first completely normal year since the end of Covid restrictions, so that we have been able to have a full programme of events for the first time since before the renovations in 2019 ! Attendances at events have been mostly back to near normal, especially for anything involving food & drink, and various events involving sales. Our finances are in a sound position, and although we had budgeted for a small deficit we have done a bit better than expected. Fundraising via Hall for All events is now part of our normal programme: we aim to run events for fun, or for profit, or (preferably) both ! We have also spent more money on maintenance (e.g. the flint wall restoration) and minor improvements (Foyer furniture, a better printer, and the courtyard development).
Among activities the most successful have been flea markets, craft fairs, quizzes, the book fair, French day, and our (first !) jumble sale. Some (bingo, race night) have not gone so well, and we are sorry that the carpet bowls club has folded, but very grateful for their support over the years and the donation of their equipment to the Hall. We plan to resume a regular programme of talks, and welcome new ventures such as the very popular Tech Table, and upcoming Wimbledon Cream Teas. New ideas are of course always welcome...
The Trustees have been pleased to welcome Carole Homersham (as Camera Club nominee) to their number following the decision last year, but we s till need a Secretary, and some help in keeping the website up-to-date would be welcome, as would more user group representatives... [NB the Hall is a CIO, and Trustees' liability is extremely limited]. Brian Boulanger is stepping down from managing the bar for us, with a presentation to him taking place tomorrow to thank him for his hard work for many years. Dilys Hall has also decided to retire as Archivist (and Trustee), and we are grateful to her too for her work in that role. We shall be looking for a successor in due course. Please note that the official inauguration of the Ingram Memorial Courtyard, will take place on Saturday 29 June
Finally thanks to all those who have helped to make this a successful year, including all our users, user groups and visitors, our Volunteers - especially the foyer hosts (the Foyer has become our USP !), to Brian for taking care of the planters and other gardening tasks, to Annie for her efficiency, enthusiasm and commitment to keeping everyone happy, and getting new activities up and running, and to the Trustees for their commitment and contributions over the last year. Special thanks also to Chris Simpson & Mike Brett for overseeing maintenance as volunteers, and to Paul Shore & Dave Collins, as our resident Tech Table experts.
Accounting, accounts, annual reports and returns Treasurer's report to the AGM
Sue Brett (treasurer) thanked Liz Barton for preparing the formal accounts, which were circulated, and Brian Boulanger for auditing them. Total income for the year £58,326.58, an increase of approximately £16,000 from the previous year, and our expenditure was £58,997.75, an increase of about £21,000 from 21/22. We finished the year in a satisfactory position with a very small deficit of £585.
Hall lettings (mostly regular weekly/monthly activities) accounted for over a third of our income (largely thanks to Annie's promotional efforts). Activities include, music, art, soup and pud, various sports, French conversation, health and well being activities, WI, gardeners, Camera Club, and the model railway group. The Hall is also now a popular venue for private events, birthday parties etc. The pricing structure gives reduced rates for Westleton residents.
Regular "Hall for All" events (organised by trustees and volunteers) accounted for nearly another 20%, with thanks to all of the volunteers who help to put these events together, and to everyone who supports them. The main events during the year were: French Day, Book Fair, Jumble sale, Irish night, Christmas Fair, Music with fish and chips
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evening, as well as the perennial Wild Flower festival and craft fair, run in collaboration with the church, and numerous other (smaller) events such as quiz nights, barrow markets, talks and food!
Other significant areas of income have been the foyer, bringing in about 11% of the annual income, with thanks to all our volunteer foyer hosts. Also we have benefitted this year from interest on our reserves following the bank interest rate rises. Lastly, we have received over £2000 in donations, and have claimed nearly £300 in gift aid, and received a final payment of £3820 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Our biggest expenditure is the Centre Manager's salary, but since Annie is also our most valuable asset this is not problematic ! Our other large outgoings are for electricity, accounting for nearly £7000 during the year. Our previous (lowish) contract rate finished in December, so unfortunately that figure will be even higher this year.
Cleaning is also a significant expense (about £4000 a year). However, as the Hall is used more, so the cleaning inevitably needs to increase. Also in line with increased use of the Hall, our repairs, maintenance etc costs have increased, but it is important to keep the Hall both safe for our users, and an attractive environment. The enhancement in the foyer with the new wall cupboards has been well received. Other significant expenses are the non negotiables – insurances, licences, rates, utilities etc. Moving outside, we have made repairs to the flint wall, and we have also nearly finished a project to create a lovely courtyard area in memory of Tony Ingram, with a new bench to appear very shortly, and a formal inauguration scheduled for the end of June.
Declaration
The Trustees have complied with the provisions set out in Section 25 of the Constitution and the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 with regard to the keeping of accounting records, the preparation and scrutiny of statements of account, and the preparation of annual reports and returns.
Professor John Shepherd CBE FRS (Chair) On behalf of the Board of Trustees Westleton Village Hall 20 December 2024
See next page for financial report.
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