## **HIVE** # **Trustees’ Report** For the year ending 31 March 2022 ## **Administrative Information** Hive is a charitable incorporated organisation, registration number 1165566. . ## Registered office: **Hive Community Hub, School St, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2HA.** ## _**Trustees**_ Shirley Moore (Chair) Lesley Ford-Platt Robin Hodgkinson (Secretary) Gareth Cole (Treasurer) Andrew Welsh As well as the Trustees, the organisation has a steering group who usually support the Trustee Board in planning activities. Membership of the steering group is open to voluntary and community sector groups in the local area, as well as relevant statutory agencies. Because of Covid, this has not met during the year. ## **Structure, Governance & Management** ## **1. Nature of governing document** The activities of Hive are governed by a Constitution approved by the Charity Commission on 12[th] February 2016. ## **2. Recruitment and appointment of trustees** The trustees and staff are always on the lookout for potential new trustees who can bring their skills and expertise to assist in the organisation’s governance. Potential trustees have access to the chair to discuss their involvement. When recruited, new trustees are inducted through meetings and an induction pack, which not only covers information about the organisation but their roles and responsibilities as trustees. ## **3. Review of the financial position** The accounting year this year runs from April 1st 2021 to 31[st] March 2022. Total income for this period was £281,137 and expenditure £297,294. The net result was a deficit on the year of £16,157, leaving a fund balance of £21,838. ## **4. Financial Management** Hive finances are managed by a Treasurer who reports to the Trustees at their quarterly meetings. The Bank account is held at Barclays Bank plc. All cheques require two signatories. The systems of internal control include reports submitted by the Treasurer at the regular Trustee Board meetings. Also, consideration of the financial results and forecasting of possible funding shortfalls are discussed in detail at Trustee meetings. ## **5. Reserves Policy** At present Hive has no reserves policy. If, however, sufficient surpluses are made in the future, the Trustees would designate a proportion of these as a general reserves fund. ## **6. Risk analysis and plan** There are a number of areas that the Trustees consider as potential risks. These are as follows: Inability to raise funds for existing activities. Inability to recruit future Trustees. Lack of interest in the activities and services offered by Hive Issues relating to Lockdown and potential future Lockdowns due to Covid-19. With the purchase of the URC Church and Hall, there are also additional risks of managing an old building and ensuring that this is: a) fit for purpose b) that income from hiring, events and fundraising activities meet the expenditure costs. ## **7. Funding** Funding was received from a variety of sources. These are listed in the Achievements and performance section of this report. ## **8. Objectives and Activities** Hive’s objects are primarily for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Sudbury and District area to: - a) provide a service to vulnerable adults and children supporting them with their health and social care needs; - b) provide training and learning activities and resources to local voluntary and community groups; - c) provide information services to local groups; - d) provide opportunities for local groups to work in partnership with other agencies; and - e) offer funding or funding advice to help local groups to develop - f) provide a building and space for local organisations to hire for their activities and services. Hive has fulfilled its objects in a number of ways: - Redesigning its website to contain more information about local groups and online resources. - Developing an e-bulletin sent out to its mailing list of 80 groups, with news of events, service and resources - Providing, in normal times, quarterly steering group meetings giving groups the opportunity to discuss local issues and exchange information. Several new groups have found these a very useful way to establish contacts and learn about potential funding sources. - Developing a programme of free training courses, in normal times, in subjects as diverse as 1[st] Aid, Social Media, Trustees’ Roles and Responsibilities and Managing Volunteers - Developing one to one support for new groups or existing groups - Purchasing the URC church and hall as a venue for local organisations to hire at reasonable rates. ## **9. Meeting the Principles of Public Benefit** Hive meets the Charity Commission’s Public Benefit Principles in a number of ways: - It helps new and small groups to establish contacts and learn about current projects and developments through the regular steering group meetings. A regular email newsletter is also sent out - through providing support to new groups through one-to-one meetings on issues ranging from business planning to setting up as a charity, training courses and online resources - Through the purchase of the URC Church and Hall and managing this building as a place for hire and for staging events. ## **10. Achievements & Performance** Because of the Pandemic and Covid restrictions, it was not possible to undertake our normal activities during the year such as steering group meetings, training courses etc. Most of the work undertaken during the year was around the purchase and some minor refurbishments to the URC buildings. Although Hive began the process of negotiating to buy the former United Reformed Church (URC) in School Street, Sudbury in 2018, with the building being designated an Asset of Community Value, it was not until 11 March 2021, after persistent approaches to the selling agent and the Eastern Region Synod of the URC, that Hive’s offer for the premises was finally accepted. This was mainly due to the tireless work of Lesley Ford-Platt in securing all the necessary funding to allow the purchase to take place Contracts were exchanged in Autumn 2021 and Hive moved into the building after that. Some refurbishments took place in the hall, such as removing the changing rooms to create more space as well as work outside the building ensuring fire exits were clear, removing or pruning outdoor bushes and foliage and so forth. Tribute must be paid to Gareth Cole, the trustee who took charge of all the building refurbishment plans. The church building has been renamed the Joy Abbot Hall, named after the donor who provided half the purchase price for the building and who left the money to be processed through Suffolk Community Foundation. One of the smaller meeting rooms has been named the Wheeler Room after Anthony Wheeler, a former Freeman, local historian, benefactor and an Elder of the United Reformed Church. The buildings have now been renamed under the collective name of the Hive Community Hub. On October 26[th] there was a formal handing over the keys ceremony with the Synod and Suffolk Community Foundation followed by a short organ recital in the church given by Roger Green. On 20[th] November there was a formal opening ceremony attended by those who had made the purchase possible including a number of funders and those who made private donations. This was followed by a public open day where members of the local community could come and look round the building. Since then, the building has been used by a number of hirers including Sudbury Choral Society who also performed the inaugural concert in the Joy Abbot Hall, The Befriending Scheme, Newstalk (Audio Newspaper for the Blind), Sudbury Dramatic Society and various classes including Bounce Aerobics. A planning application is being submitted in May 2022 for further refurbishments to the building. In the year under review, donations and grants for the project were received from individuals and organisations, including, amongst others: the JA Fund, Anderson Design, David Mann, the Hillier Trust, Lord Belstead Charitable Trust, Tudwick Foundation, The Bernard Sunley Foundation, Siemens Healthineers, Garfield Weston Foundation, Suffolk Community Fund, Colchester Catalyst, Co-op Community Cares, Sudbury Freemen’s Trust, Babergh District and Suffolk County Councillors and Sudbury Town Council. ## **11. Future Plans** Future plans include raising money to continue the refurbishment of the Hive Community Hub and programming events and concerts within the building. It is hoped that an Organ School will start soon and a small sub group has been set up to take this idea forward. Hive will begin programming meetings again in the new financial year and an inaugural meeting at the hub involving a variety of funders is planned for May. It is also hoped that we can revive the Sudbury and Districts Volunteers Award Ceremony in the future. I would finally pay tribute to my fellow Trustees, who have discharged their duties and responsibilities as Trustees and Directors with pragmatism and good sense. I would also like to thank all those who have helped to make the purchase of the URC buildings a reality including advice from architects, builders and electricians and people such as Tony Willson, who has given invaluable advice and practical support. Shirley Moore Chairman Date: 18[th] October 2022 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustsesl membgrs of Hive On accounts forthe year 31° March 2022 Charlty no lil any) 1165566 S•t o￿on pago I rgport to Ihg trusteeB on my examination ol the alxounts of Ihe abov• charity1lh8 Tru$t'l for the year end8d 3110312022 Re•ponslbFlOti•s and As the tharty tru5taes of the Trust, you are r88ponsib￿ forthe yeparatio ba•1• ol r•port olthe A¢￿unty in aC¢L¥darth *ith th• r8quir•m•nts ofthg ch￿￿.¢8 A 2011 1°Ihe Act'i. I report in respect of my examinatK)n ofthe Trust's aecountg out under Se￿￿n 145 of the 2011 Act and in Carrying out my examination, I have fotlry*ed the ap￿1¢able Thrections given by the Charty Commission under secb.on 14515llbl of the Act. I havè complot•d my exarnination. I confimi that no materi81 matters have o)me to my attenbon in connecaion with the examinats.on which gives me cau88 to bel￿¥8 that in. any material r8sFert'. attounting recLV(l$ were not kept in accordan￿ with seckn.on 130 of th8 Act or the accoLJnts do not acoy(I vAth the ac¢ounb'ng records Indopfrndent examinorf$ stalement I havè rto concerns and have f￿rne acro88 no other matter6 in connectic with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable proper understandiTvJ of the actounts to t* reached. 81gned: 23rf May 2022 Name: Martin klitchell, MBA FCII Relevant professlonal qualfjficatSonl$l or body {rf anyl- Oak Lodge, Straight Rd., Po18t8ad Heath, Colche8t¢r C06 5BB IER October 2018 31-M4r-22 31-￿T-ll DDn*ions to URC purchase &Tefurb. trtMRC GIftAld Letting r¢om5 In HNetrlub Key deposlts Cantdled insurance ourse fees and tertlficatlon 265,441 5,887 9.582 In 50 Totallncom 281.ts7 28.653 ExpeThlttur• Purtha5e of URC Refurbishrnent of Hive Hub Runniw costs ofFFrrfp Hub Olrert Inwolces Sala￿11Th¢ Nll PensA)n IT InltrstNtture lincVATI ftunntsw costs ole¥ents Insurance Course fees Othwwom hire Travel expenses Phototopylng etclinc VAn Refreshments Membership fee5and subscW¢n$ Profe55ional feesfor URC 265.tX¥) 21,Y4 45 2,705 319 Toialexpendttvre 297294 Sur￿ld¢￿￿tI 16.157 GIftAJd recel¥ed{In¢luded abo¥el O¢h¥amDuntsdue Bank + cash Amount5vwed CIFfrom 2020121 5,867 21W8 37.995 41 21 Atl ￿ndS Balante8eneral fw Re5trtaed funds IHNtl 4,828 17,010 zi. 5.059 32,977 ¥036 Netfv*d5 Garelh Cole ITreasurerl May I￿ 2022 These accounts a8reed by rne durin8 theant)ual inspertion of the books in May 2022 Martln Mitthell. Independent Examiner Pa8e 2