Belper and District u3a Annual General Meeting
6th December 2024
Annual Report
CHAIR’S REPORT
I am pleased to present to you the Annual Report of the Belper u3a 2024. It has been a challenging but very rewarding experience for me, in my first year as Chair, and I owe many thanks to all who have encouraged and supported me.
Your Executive Committee
On behalf of all members of Belper u3a, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to those seven EC members who have happily given their time and efforts to manage this seriously large organisation. The Executive Committee are all volunteers and have no professional or paid staff to support them.
Two members who joined the Committee for the first time this year are Stephen Frampton and Lesley Bowell. Janet Ingram and Bernadette Roberts were elected to the EC at the last AGM.
Stephen was co opted to the EC to take on a wide-ranging role acting as the liaison between the Executive Committee and the IT and Website team. He makes valuable and effective contributions to committee discussions.
Bernadette returned to the Executive Committee for a second term to take on the role of Business Secretary despite her many other commitments. This post involves ensuring that we meet the legal requirements of the national u3a and the Charity Commission. Sadly, Bernadette has decided that she needs to retire from the role. We thank her for her contribution to the organisation and for her calm and considered advice in committee.
Janet has taken on the Membership role dealing efficiently with the Beacon management system to record lapsed members and renewals of membership.
Lesley B joined the EC as a casual vacancy in the spring, to run the important role of Activities Coordinator supporting Group Coordinators and ensuring their information on the website and Beacon is kept up to date.
Lynn McLoughlin has been on the EC since February 2022. She is Vice Chair and also organises the excellent and varied programme of speakers for our Open Meetings. At times when Lesley B is away visiting her family in Italy, Lynn steps in to competently cover the Activities Coordinator role. Between them they have worked hard to revise and update the Groups’ Coordinator Handbook, for which many thanks are due to both.
Laura Romney joined the committee in April 2022 and, as New Members’ Coordinator, has provided a friendly welcome to new members and organised the New Members’ introductory meetings. She also cheerfully organises the Meet and Greet and the Refreshment volunteer rotas.
Finally, a vital role is played by Lesley Courtney as Treasurer. Lesley joined the Committee in September 2022 and took over as Treasurer when Julian Bentley left. Lesley manages the u3a bank accounts paying in the membership fees and making the capitation payments to national u3a, paying the invoices for the national newsletter “u3a Matters” and interest group expenses and ensuring licences and insurances are paid on time. Lesley has carried out this exacting role with calm efficiency for which she has our grateful thanks.
While not an elected member to the EC, there is one more person who attends the meetings and performs a vital function. This is Fred Barrett, our minute taker. This is a volunteer position and without Fred’s generous efforts we could flounder in confusion to recall actions agreed.
Communications
This year has seen some significant changes to the communications management of Belper u3a. The initial change was the establishment of an IT subcommittee, a new volunteer team with overall charge of Information Technology. David Chilvers came forward, volunteering to run the Beacon data management system that allows us to keep track of interest groups and members’ information. He was soon joined by Nick Lowe who has taken over the regular publication of online issues of the Newsletter and Bulletin as well as the AGM Notices by email and, where necessary, by post. As Deputy Beacon Administrator Nick is also the backup for David’s role.
Barbara Whitchurch and Stephen Frampton, complete the IT team, and are responsible for the Belper u3a website. This was an important year for all u3a websites, as one by one they were moved to a new operating platform. Much preparation work was involved for Barbara and Stephen, and even though the move has been completed, work is still ongoing and a review of the much improved website is recommended.
While David, Barbara and Nick carry out their roles in the background, Stephen acts as Chair to the IT subcommittee as well as a Trustee on the EC, able to keep the Committee in touch with the issues and progress of all aspects of IT. May I record many thanks to you all for your important, but unseen, efforts.
Another team of volunteers, who turn out regularly for the benefit of members, are the AudioVisual team led by Ray Butler. This team has been strengthened this year with new volunteers and are part of the consultation taking place with equipment suppliers before a final decision is taken on the purchase of a new Public Announcement system. Hopefully, the decision will be made in early November.
Finally, on behalf of all members, may I thank our editors for their sterling efforts, Julie Butler for the Newsletter and June Lindsay for the Bulletin. Between these 2 publications, we members have no excuse for not knowing what is going on.
Our Interest Group Programme
Interest groups are central to the mission and rationale of the u3a. As such, Group Coordinators provide the opportunities for the rest of us to join in social and learning activities, for our benefit and enjoyment.
The special interests of the Group Coordinators, combined with their enthusiasm and commitment are what offer members with similar interests, the chance of coming together and sharing knowledge and experience.
We currently have over 90 interest groups and the Executive Committee will continue to encourage and support current groups, as well as assist the formation of new groups to develop the width of the programme on offer to all. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the group coordinators for their time, energy and commitment, thank you.
Going Forward
The u3a is a successful organisation with sound policies, a secure financial position and membership numbers that have continued to steadily increase. The Executive Committee has resolved that the membership fee will not be increased this year, staying at just £10/an.
For the largest part, the fee covers the capitation fees charged by the Third Age Trust for the insurances, licences, resources and advice provided to each u3a. However, this year we will be investing in a new PA system for which the executive has set the budget at up to £7,000. Though affordable, this outlay will reduce the reserves, such that an increase in the subscription may be required in future years.
Conclusion
The efforts of many people are needed to ensure this organisation, of approaching 900 members, runs efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all. While the Executive Committee, and members of other support teams have defined roles and responsibilities, and Group Coordinators plan their walking routes or the groups’ next visit to an historical site, there are many more who turn up to help when they know they’re needed: they set out chairs, welcome new members and visitors to Open Meetings, make the all important tea and coffee. The organisation is successful on the backs of all these volunteers and without them it would fail. Their contributions ensure that Belper u3a is the open, welcoming and vibrant organisation it must be. We thank all volunteers and hope to see even more members coming forward to support the organisation, not just receiving and participating in our programme, but sharing the team work.
Barbara Aslin
Belper and District u3a Chair,
21[st] October 2024
Belper & District U3A Statement of Accounts - Financial Year - 202312024 Income & Expenditure, 1st November- 31st Ortober start year,, 2023 2022 INCOME Small Grants Committee £ O.OOj £ 0.00 £ 46.62 Group/Activities Co-ordinator Open & EC Mtgs & AGM TAT Membership & TAM Derbyshire Network & Licences Tfrs to PC & Float io £ 0.00 £ 0.00 li £ o.ool £ 0.00 12 £ 0.00, £ 0.00 13 £ o.oo_ £ O.OOi £ 6.58 14 Treasurer Costs £ 0.00 15 Tfrs tollfroml Reserve Gift Aid £ 400.00 16 £ 963.71, £ 861.39 17 Group Activities / Social Account Receipts Interest Rec £ 22,018.38 £ 28,199.03 18 £ 213.05 £ 160.16 19 Donations £ 39.00 £ 26.00 20 Membership TOTAL INCOME £ 8,609.50 £ 8,443.50 £ 31,843.641 £ 38,143.28 21 22 23 Brought Forward £ 15,510.13 £ 15,972.31 24 25 EXPENDITURE 26 Equipment Approved by EC Membership Costs Small Grants Committee £ 38.521 £ 321.581 £ 73.95 £ 268.64 27 £ 185.64 28 £ 250.00 29 Group/Activities Co-ordinator Open & EC Mtgs & AGM Speakers Fees Prizes & Gifts £ 44.63, £ 1,960.741 £ 608.50 30 £ 1,611.25 31 £ 646.24 32 £ 56.501 £ 46.66 33 Bus Sec. incl Spec Mtg New Members Mtgs etc Chair Specific cost5 £ 48.57 34 £ 308.501 £ 385.60 35 £ 107.57 £ 14.97
36 TAT Membership & TAM Derbyshire Network & Licences Tfrs to PC & Float £ 5,739.20 £ 5,588.13 37 £ 67.21, £ 64.20 38 £ 0.00 £ 6.58 39 Treasurer Costs £ 41.34 £ 89.27 40 Tfrs to/(froml Resenle Beacon Costs £ 0.00 £ 400.00 41 £ 814.00 £ 807.00 42 Group Activities / Social Account Outgoings Membership Paypal Commission TOTAL EXPENDITURE £ 21,499.59 £ 28,136.00 43 £ 0.00 £ 10.00 44 £ 74.84 £ 93.34 45 £ 31,803.33 £ 38,605.43 46 47 INCOME OVER EXPENDITURE £ 15,550.44 £ 15,510.16 48 Total Cash and Bank Balances 49 Represented by: Group Activities Cash - held by Groups Club Account 50 £ 1,669.79 £ 1,029.95 51 £ 85.79;, £ 61.86 52 Social-Business Account £ 1,043.881 £ 12,916.38 £ 986.91 53 Reserve Account £ 13,410.14 54 Paypal Petty Cash -£ 9.66 55 56 £ 30.93 57 Total £ 15,742.621 £ 15,510.13 58 59 60 Total Cash and Bank Balances- Surplus Unpresented cheque Flnal Totsl Cash and Bank Balances- Surplus £192.18 £165.00, £27.18 61 62 63 64 Lesley E. Courtney, Treasurer 28th October 2024 65 66 67 These account5 have been inspected and verified by Alison Lowe 68 69 70 Signed 71 72 73 74 75
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ members of
Belper & District u3a
31/10/2024 1168551
On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any)
Set out on pages
u3a Statement of Accounts 23:24
Responsibilities and basis of report
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/10/2023 DD / MM / YYYY .
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. * Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed:
Alison Mary Lowe
Date:
20/11/2024
Name:
Miss Alison Mary Lowe
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):
Retired Audit Manager
1
October 2018
IER
H.M. Revenue and Customs
Address:
5 Blackberry Way
Kilburn
Derbyshire DE56 0LE
Section B Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose . N/A
2
October 2018
IER