To
Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 May 2024 30 April 2025
From
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1165478
Brecon Canoe Club
Charity's principal address Bryn Bolgoed Libanus Brecon Postcode LD3 8EP
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Rayner OBE | Chair | Members or trustees | ||
| Eleanor Bolt | Members or trustees | |||
| Oliver Cayless | Members or trustees | |||
| David Jones | Members or trustees | |||
| Melanie Jones | Members or trustees | |||
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
TAR
March 2012
1
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document
Constitution
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
Chartered Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted
(eg. trust, association, company) Elected at annual general meeting or appointed by trustees Trustee selection methods
- (eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
Brecon Canoe Club is affiliated to Paddle Cymru, the National Governing Body for paddlesport; Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations; the Brecknock & Radnor Sports Partnership; and The Outdoor Partnership.
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
The club operates within rules or bye-laws established by the trustees, which incorporate such rules and regulations as are set out from time to time by Paddle Cymru.
- policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
The trustees have agreed, as permitted in accordance with section 185 to 188 of the Charities Act 2011, to remunerate Steve Rayner for the occasional hire of craft and provision of specialist coaching services (such as higher-level performance and safety award training and assessment).
- the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
The trustees consider their main risks to be:
-
relationship with any related parties;
-
the safety of paddlesport activity, which they manage by authorising
-
parties; leaders and activities using guidelines established by the National
-
• trustees’ consideration of Governing Bodies (Paddle Cymru and Paddle UK – formerly Canoe Wales and British Canoeing);
-
major risks and the system - cash-flow – which they manage by closely monitoring income and
-
and procedures to manage expenditure; and
-
them.
-
loss of or damage to club equipment, for which they maintain appropriate insurance.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation, in particular by the provision of facilities for all aspects of the sport of canoeing and paddle sports (the terms 'paddle sports' and 'canoeing' are inclusive of all forms of canoeing and kayaking).
TAR
March 2012
2
| Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit) |
We provide facilities for members of our club (and to a limited extent the general public) to participate in various aspects of the sport of canoeing by: - offering membership to anyone who wishes to participate in our sport, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs; or of age or disability insofar as the club’s activities are suitable and facilities can reasonably be used by people of particular ages or with a disability; - providing instruction and coaching to our members in various aspects of paddlesport; - providing opportunities for our members to participate in recreational paddlesport activities; - organising and attending paddlesport competitions; - providing 'taster' activities for members of the public to experience our sport; - providing specialist equipment (canoes, kayaks, paddle-board, paddles and safety equipment) for participants to use in our activities; - promoting our sport locally to members of the public, including children and the disabled; and - working with other clubs and associations (including Paddle Cymru, the National Governing Body, to which we are affiliated) to further the development of our sport locally and in Wales and the UK. |
|---|---|
| The trustees have assured themselves that all activities meet the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission for: - promoting community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities (including the organising of sporting activity) for paddlesport; and/or - supporting the physical education of young people through training and participation in recreational and competitive paddlesport. |
| The | trustees have assured themselves that all activities meet the |
|---|---|
| guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission for: | |
| - | promoting community participation in healthy recreation by |
| providing facilities (including the organising of sporting activity) for | |
| paddlesport; and/or | |
| - | supporting the physical education of young people through |
| training and participation in recreational and competitive | |
| paddlesport. |
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
-
policy on grantmaking;
-
policy programme related investment;
-
contribution made by volunteers.
Our activities are open to all our members - and membership is open to anyone from our local community and further afield. Where necessary we will restrict participation for safety reasons - for example by limiting numbers to maintain recognised coach to participant ratios; or by requiring participants to have achieved a specified level of skill or experience (e.g. before participating in white-water paddling). Within these restrictions, we aim to advertise our activities on an equal basis to all members and to accept participants on a first-come, first-served basis. We aim to provide a range of activities suitable for all members regardless of ability.
Members are able to participate in the activities we provide (including coaching, events and competitions) and make use of our facilities (including use of club-owned equipment such as boats and paddles). However, we also offer occasional 'taster sessions' to members of the public, who may then become members if they wish to continue to participate in our activities.
Continued…
TAR
March 2012
3
…continued
Responsible participation in paddlesport requires third-party liability insurance and this is a key benefit of membership and a key reason why membership is required for those who participate in our activities. Membership also demonstrates a commitment to our sport and provides us with core funding that enables us to offer facilities and activities. Membership of the club is open to anyone who is interested in furthering its purposes, and who agrees to exercise their powers as a member of the club in the way he or she decides in good faith would be most likely to further the purposes of the club. There is no limit on membership numbers.
We make a charge to our members for participation in many of our activities. Our rules state that: "Members shall pay a fee for participation in all activities provided by the club, except where these are provided free of charge. Fees may be charged by the club to cover the cost of coaching, equipment, facilities, overheads and other incidental costs but shall be set at the minimum level necessary to cover the club’s costs so as to maximise participation by members."
The level of charges is therefore commensurate to the cost to us of providing our service, taking account of direct costs (e.g. the hire of facilities such as swimming pools and the transportation of equipment for members to use) and indirect costs (e.g. wear-and-tear on club-owned equipment and a contribution to general overheads). For the most part, our activities are led by volunteers although occasionally we may choose to use professional (paid) staff and to pass on their costs to participants (for example when providing specialist instruction that would otherwise be available only at greater cost from the commercial sector).
Although the trustees consider that this level of charges could be unaffordable for some, our rules state that: "It is not the club’s intention to deny access to its activities to those members who are genuinely unable to pay the fees associated with those activities, so members who are unable for whatever reason to pay the fees due for an activity should contact the trustees who shall have the discretion to waive or agree reduced fees in exceptional circumstances. Such requests shall be considered by the trustees in the strictest confidence." We maintain a small deposit fund that we are able to draw upon for this purpose; and are able to raise funds to increase the value of this; so we believe that we have made adequate provision for anyone to benefit from our services.
TAR
March 2012
4
Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
2024/5 has been a year of consolidation and growth for the Club, with existing members participating actively in a range of activities; a strong cohort honing their skills on white water; and a growing polo squad.
In May we travelled abroad for the first time, with our white-water paddlers spending a week developing their skills on the challenging waters of the River Soca in Slovenia.
We continued our usual weekly pool sessions from September to Easter, alternating general training (with good attendance and several new members, both adult and youth) – and polo training (continuing to re-build our squad and entering indoor Paddle Cymru and UK Southwest Region tournaments). During the summer we maintained low-key weekly social paddles and training activities outdoors at Brecon Promenade.
Throughout the year we ran well-attended bi-monthly trips at weekends – with day trips on rivers (including regular white-water trips throughout the winter season) and the sea (in Pembrokeshire).
We have maintained regular communication with our members through our website and weekly newsletters and have continued to manage our membership and activity programme through online self-service systems where appropriate.
We used the £11,400 grant funding received last year from Sport Wales to purchase polo boats and an additional box trailer; and an additional £500 from the local sports partnership to purchase new polo helmets; which will help us to sustain and grow for the future our canoe polo activity.
We have also this year updated or introduced governance and operational policies and procedures to bring us more into line with established good practice and comply with Paddle Cymru and Paddle UK requirements.
TAR
March 2012
5
Section E Financial review
Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
The trustees currently maintain a deposit fund of approximately £1000 to cover unforeseen expenses and short-term cash-flow when required.
Details of any funds materially in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:
-
the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
-
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
Our primary sources of funds are:
-
membership fees (supplemented by Gift Aid);
-
activity fees (as described above);
-
grants (from Sport Wales and other grant-making bodies); and
-
- small-scale, local fund-raising.
We also require our Members to register individually with Paddle Cymru, which is necessary for us to maintain appropriate insurance cover.
-
Our (unaudited) accounts for the financial year 1 May 2024-30 April 2025 are attached.
-
investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
Section F Other optional information
We intend in 2025/6 to maintain our programme of weekly training and twice-monthly weekend trips and events – as well as a week of white water paddling in the French Alps – and to continue gradually to update and improve our policies, procedures and website as-and-when resources permit.
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
| Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date |
[original signed] | |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen James Rayner OBE | David Jones | |
Chair |
Trustee | |
| 31 May 2025 | ||
| 31 May 2025 |
TAR
March 2012
6
Brecon Canoe Club Accounts 1 May 2024-30 April 2025
at 30 April 2025
| at 30 April 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | ||||||||||||||
| Notes | Income | Expenditure | Income | Expenditure | Income | Expenditure | Income | Expenditure | |||||||||
| Capital & Maintenance | |||||||||||||||||
| Grants, donations, fund-raising | 1 | £ | 1,960.30 |
£ | 11,440.00 |
£ | 169.03 |
£ | 748.12 |
||||||||
| Activity Equipment | 2 | £ | 7,568.88 |
£ | 360.99 |
£ | - |
£ | 1,544.03 |
£ | 540.06 |
||||||
| Vehicles/Trailers | 3 | £ | 1,500.00 |
£ | 7,774.98 |
£ | 77.02 |
£ | 52.10 |
||||||||
| Premises/Facilities | |||||||||||||||||
| Operations | |||||||||||||||||
| Membership | £ | 1,017.50 |
£ | 885.50 |
£ | 1,270.50 |
£ | 1,051.00 |
|||||||||
| Affiliation to Canoe Wales etc. | 4 | £ | 100.00 |
£ | 108.93 |
£ | 268.50 |
||||||||||
| Pool training | £ | 4,255.00 |
£ | 3,529.50 |
£ | 2,892.00 |
£ | 2,952.00 |
£ | 2,980.00 |
£ | 3,504.45 |
£ | 2,589.00 |
£ | 3,435.90 |
|
| Summer training | £ | 375.00 |
£ | 22.50 |
£ | 601.00 |
£ | 177.16 |
£ | 1,421.00 |
£ | 475.00 |
£ | 1,282.00 |
£ | 89.50 |
|
| Boat hire & trips | 5 | £ | 1,390.00 |
£ | 1,567.00 |
£ | 2,104.62 |
£ | 1,257.70 |
£ | 807.10 |
£ | 240.00 |
£ | 304.00 |
£ | 39.50 |
| Polo | 6 | £ | 965.00 |
£ | 789.78 |
£ | 915.00 |
£ | 631.70 |
£ | 525.00 |
£ | 349.00 |
£ | 90.00 |
£ | 60.00 |
| Courses | £ | 240.00 |
£ | 237.50 |
|||||||||||||
| Sale of goods | 7 | £ | 792.00 |
£ | 785.70 |
||||||||||||
| Volunteer training | 8 | £ | 267.50 |
£ | 18.39 |
£ | 611.27 |
£ | 200.00 |
||||||||
| Insurance | £ | 999.96 |
£ | 890.20 |
£ | 1,019.07 |
£ | 989.39 |
|||||||||
| Interest & bank fees | 9 | £ | 88.81 |
£ | 140.82 |
£ | 12.69 |
£ | 140.85 |
£ | 2.18 |
£ | 155.42 |
£ | 0.14 |
£ | 106.91 |
| Legal fees | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 10 | £ | 388.68 |
£ | 420.81 |
£ | 393.38 |
£ | 256.85 |
||||||||
| Total | £ | 12,343.61 |
£ | 23,935.30 |
£ | 18,850.81 |
£ | 7,035.75 |
£ | 7,174.81 |
£ | 8,612.22 |
£ | 6,304.26 |
£ | 5,955.61 |
|
| Surplus/deficit | -£ | 11,591.69 |
£ | 11,815.06 |
-£ | 1,437.41 |
£ | 348.65 |
|||||||||
| Closing Balance | Opening Balance | Notes | |||||||||||||||
| Lloyds Current Account(s) | £ | 271.31 | £ | 308.16 | _1 _ | Donations from members, | gift aid | ||||||||||
| Lloyds Instant Access Savings | 11 | £ | 1,014.27 | £ | 12,898.01 | _2 _ | Purchase of polo boats and helmets - from grant income | ||||||||||
| Merchant Accounts | £ | 238.44 | £ | 185.46 | _3 _ | Purchase of Ifor Willams box trailer - from grant funding; repair of Lynford box | trailer; sale of canoe trailer | ||||||||||
| Creditors | £ | - | -£ | 275.92 | _4 _ | Affiliation to Canoe Wales | |||||||||||
| Debtors | £ | - | £ | - | _5 _ | Trip income & expenditure includes remaining elements for May 2024 Slovenia | trip | ||||||||||
| Cash | £ | - | £ | - | _6 _ | Polo tournament entry fees paid, player fees due in | |||||||||||
| Total | £ | 1,524.02 |
£ | 13,115.71 |
_7 _ | Purchase and sale of rash vets and | hoodies | ||||||||||
| Increase/decrease | -£ | 11,591.69 |
_8 _ | Includes net cost of Outdoor Partnership training subscription 2024; and subscription 2025 |
-
9 Bank fees include payment processing fees imposed by LoveAdmin, GoCardless & PayPal
-
10 'Other' includes website & accounting software
-
11 Savings comprise £1,000 reserves