Free Books Halfield A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Report and Financial Review For Period End June 30th 2024 Charity Number: 1167923
Trustees Annual Report and Accounts. Reference and Admln18trative Infomiation Charity Name: Free Books Haffield CIO Charity Registration Number: 1167923 Correspondence Address: Unit 96, The Galleria, Comet Way, Hatfield, Herts, Board of Trustees Mr A Lush Mrs J Macdonald-smith Mrs A Perry Mr J Windle Miss N Mieze Chair Treasurer Volunteer Co-ordinator (appointed 6th June 2022) (appointed 22nd November 2022) Independent Examiner: Mohammad Aslam FCCA, 8 Kestrel Green, Haffield, Herts AL10 8QJ Bankers: Metro Bank. Borehamwood Shopping Park, Unit 3E, Borehamwood, Herts, WD6 4PR
Our aims and objectives Our charity's purposes are set out in our constitution: 1 . The protection and preseryation of the environment for the public benefit by recycling books and other literature within the local community. 2. To advance the education of the public by promoting reading in the local community Our Work In 2023r24 Our aims for the year were to continue to re-home books from our Unit in the Galleria by offering our customers, managing the book limit between 5 and 8 adult books {3 and 5 children's books) to manage stock levels. whilst improving the shop fixtures and fittings to provide a better customer experience. We are seeing increased foot traffic into the shop, as well as higher levels of donations throughout the year. We also had meetings with the Galleria management to better our work, planning for future events and a potential move to a bigger unit. We also welcomed a handful of new volunteers. As always, our main focus is to rehome books, with books being taken from our shop 6 days a week. The Trustee Board has acted regarding guidance issued by the Charity Commission to ensure that the charity works towards the aims set out above. The total number of books re-homed since opening in December 2016 continued to increase. During the year 23/24 we have rehomed approximately 65000 books with approximately 5400 going per month. This work saved the books going to landfill or pulping both of which have considerable environmental impact. Many teachers and self-educators have continued to rely on us to gain books for their classes and subjects, as well as many students and parents of students. We have continued to support people through Free Books Hatlield, giving out Bibliophile cards to not only educators and homeschoolers, but also other customers that we believe should be able to take more than our usual limits - this includes customers who travel a long way, so they can't come in often, customers who are coming on behalf of others who can't physically come to our shop etc. We are proud to continually support the promotion of literacy and reading. We have also continued to have a very diverse volunteer team, from various backgrounds and nationalities. Not only have we provided volunteering opportunities for local people through the Welwyn Hatfield CVS, but we have helped people gain other opportunities by developing their customer service skills and giving them a professional reference, as well as supporting volunteers with disabilities such as deafness. autism and mobility issues.
We continued to supply books to several other organisations, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institute so they can raise funds for their aims and goals, other shops in the Galleria for waiting areas for children and local production companies, who use them as props for fv shows/movies. The children's section continues to be very popular. A handful of large donations of books from local schools t)oosted both this section and the Teaching Resources. Our Social Media feeds are used to promote reading and continue to be a popular link with our customers and some of our volunteers. We continue to assess the training of our volunteers, as well as the layout of the shop, planning based on our stock and feedback from our customers. Financial Revlew Bank balance has remained stable despite the increase in insurance and energy bills. The trustees will continue to act prudently to ensure the fi'nances remain healthy. ReseN8s Pollcy We currently operate under a rolling 6 month licence with Land Securities Limited, with plans to change this to a more permanent lease once a shop move has been agreed. Should Land Securities Limited start enforcing rent or ask us to leave the Galleria, Free Books Hatfield would be forced to find alternative accommodation and in the interim place its existing stock in storage. It is estimated that funds in excess of £12.000 could be required for this process. In deciding upon reserves trustees have taken account of the information contained in the Charity Commission document Charity reserves: building resilience (CC19). The estimated funds increased from last year due to an increase in stock as well as the economic demands. Free Books Hatfield is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation the provisions of which are contained within our constitution document. The maximum number of trustees has been set at six, however. Trustee terms of office have been set as follows: From September 2021 Akash Lush, Alison Pery, Joycelyn Macdonald-smith 3 years From June 2022 James Windle 3 years From November 2022
Nikoleta Mieze 3 years In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the trustees have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. It is the hope of the current trustees to appoint an additional trustee each year to ensure that there is some continuity of experience as each trustee's appointment expires. I have read and approved the FBH Report and Flnancial Statements For Year End June 30th 2024. Slgned: (Akash Lush, Chair) 01/11/2024 Slgned: JTrbdoad£f.d (Joycelyn Macdonald-smith, Treasurer)
CHARITY COMMISSIO tsl tf4(JllND ANO WALL 1167923 CC16a •17123 )JW2Q24 Sectlon A Recelpts and payments Tdal A1 Rtt•lO• EO &• tht(Gn>u vKc¥yx É3.1 ÉJ.&ii Pr¢fjiixs i4)Si £1. E5• £• £527 ES27 £1 U505 ¢• SL* eNal t4.7T3 ,773 £J.s .£1.07$ £0 É24.871 É24.•T• É24.811 IYlI011024
Sectlon B Slatement of assets and Iiabillties at the end of the period Unr•&kiL lun B1 C&•h funth 23.102 Dgi411 D<.Ltyil¥ 84 Ass•ls retaln•d th• charh3 own u DL4iIs io
Soctlon 8 Disclosure Only complete rf tne examiner Theeds lo hwhli9ht motefial matters ol concern Is CC32. Inoependeni •x*nination of chanty •ccount8. Oir•dK)ns arml gUMlanc• lor •xammrsl. Giv• hern brl•f d•tail• ol •ny It•m• th•t the •%amlner w•JhH to dlsck•s•. IER Oct 2018