Chair’s Annual Report for Dunmow U3a June 2025
Our big opening day for September was our Wellness Day arranged by Maureen and her small team. The day ran from 10-3pm allowing members to drop into the sessions that most interested them. The most popular seemed to be Tammy Blest (Essex police) talk on fraud prevention and Lois Sparks talk on MIND which was interactive.
During the year our monthly meetings have had generally better speakers of which two stand out as especially popular: Heather Brennan a local chiropractor showing us the importance of standing up correctly and Barry Linton a retired policeman on staying safe online that drew our biggest attendance to date of 180 members.
Robert James arranged for 40 of us to go on a walking holiday with Holiday Fellowship for a week in Sussex in early October. Such a success was this that a rerun has been arranged for this summer by Wendy Townsend. During the year Hilary has arranged 2 quizzes both in the Foakes Hall attracting 15 teams each time. For last Christmas she arranged a concert sung by Rhiannon, daughter of one of our members accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies. In April we held a New Members welcome afternoon and plan a social with barbecue for all our Group Leaders on June 9, shortly before our AGM.
Added New Groups; the MOTO (singles) group which is flourishing, restarting of a photography group, indoor bowling and a 3-mile walking group.
Outings kicked off for the year with a Kiss me Kate musical at the Barbican theatre, a canal boat in the Lea Valley, Holkham Hall in Norfolk, the National Space Centre and Christmas shopping in Cambridge to round off 2024. This year visits to the Milestone museum in Basingstoke, Chelsea Royal Hospital, and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake with men dancing the ballet in Milton Keynes.
Membership continues to rise totaling 715 by the end of March (when we start the new year) and up 110 on 2024.
During the year we had to change our website provider which required some retraining or our users including most of the Group Leaders. Adrian Hoodless bore the brunt of this work including offering training in the new system for us all. I should end by thanking him and all my committee members for the work done behind the scenes. This includes our treasurer Ian and his assistant Derek who looks after the Outings finances; without these we couldn’t operate.
Mike Best
Chair of Dunmow u3a
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES DUNMOW U3A Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For th pewiod 01 -24 31-Mar-25 Section A Receipts and payments ChTitabl8 Clwiabl• Charttabl• Funds AIC No 1 Funds AIC No 2 Funds AIC No 3 Total funds L•styo•r A1 Recei Gfft AKI 1.104 243 39.062 t•10 19M39 rKket Sa8 39M2 374 263 Bank Interest Sub total (Gross Inco for AR) 31JJ• 72.706 A2 Asset and Investmènt 1&$, (sée L*blel. Sub total Total rneelpts 31W6 39.052 1017 49,693 A3 Paynxnts U3A Nat1 Fees 194 4.174 17J07 18853 1.203 1,226 21 21A36 37A10 J7.110 131 Ha¥ Hire 161 1.12• Welfare 14 301 J01 SI totsi 37.741 ¥ts36 M Asset and inveslmeTht purchases. Isee table) Sub tixai 37.741 44035 Not ofrn¢•ipo1•yrnts) AS Trnnsfers between funds A8 Cash funds last year end Cash funds thls ye•r•nd 1.312 1M17 5,658 10,731 8.027 26.358 17 43.118 47,852 5.658 CCXX Rl accounts ISSI 03107r2025
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Chartable Charitablè Gharitabla Funds NC No 1 FuTrds AJC No 2 Funds AIC No Categories Delails to [•51 c B1 Cash fvnds .174 7,330 28,174 Unrestricted funds EndowThnt tunds funds Details Details charitys own ufe Details BS Liabllitses c•. 4.lQO e•. {QOO 1000 Sign•a * one Or*M trLLth8& on beh4f of all the trLthes Date of al nature int Name I. M8Tsh CCXX R2 •r¢ounts ISSI 03KJ7r2025
Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of DUNMOW U3A On accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 Charity no (if any) 1168310 Set out on pages 1and2 Respective The charity's Irustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. responsibilitles of The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year trustees and examiner under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibilty to: examine the accounts under seclion 145 of the Charities Act. to follow the ProdureS laid down in the general Directions given by the Chaiity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent My examination was carried out in accordan with general Directions given examinerfs statement by the Chanty Commission. An examination indudes a review of the accounting recxjrds kept by the chanty and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also indudes consideration of any unusual items or disdosures in the )unts. and seeking explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The prcKedures undertaken do not provide all the eviden that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a Irue and fail view and the rert is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention examinefs statement 1 . which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements: to keep a(xounling records in accordan with section 130 of the Charities Act; and lo prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charits'es Act have not been r¥t. or 2. to which, in my opinion. attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. IER
Slgned: &L 201( Name: Peter Hodge Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Relired Bank ManaJer Addre3S: 4 Millers Croft Great Dunrr#)w, Essex CM6 2AW Section B Disclosure Onty complete rf Ihe examiner needs to hhlIght material problems. No matters have come to my attention during my Independent Examination of the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025 that require disdosure to the Charity Commission. Give here brief detsils of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER