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
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Oct 2018