## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 1st September 2022 to 31[st] August 2023** **Charity name: Village Life Community Project** **Charity registration number:** ## **1169515** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|Objects The objects of the CIO are to:
(a) To preserve and protect human life by
establishing and maintaining a community
based emergency response organisation,
based around publicly accessible AEDs
with volunteers trained in CPR and the use
of AEDs.
(b) The relief of those in need, by reason of
youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial
hardship or other disadvantage.| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|Provision and maintenance of community
defibrillators at five local sites.
Ongoing provision of training sessions to
teach or update people in how to do CPR
and use a defibrillator
Running a group of volunteers ready to
take a defibrillator to where it is needed
and assist with resuscitation| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|It is confirmed that the VLCP trustees have
had regard to guidance issued by the
Charity Commission on public benefit| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference Not applicable Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Not applicable Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|Regular checking operability of defibrillators
Provision of training sessions for members
of public
Help with fund raising activities
Maintenance of village emergency
response system at one village site| |---|---|---| |Other||| ## **Achievements and Performance** SORP reference Please see end of this document for copy of VLCP chair’s annual report narrative, as presented to AGM 25[th] October 2023. Summary of the main Para 1.20 achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|No specific objectives set
No resuscitation incidents reported in last
year
60 people trained or updated in CPR
Volunteer emergency response group
continuesinonevillage community| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|No specific objectives set
Income from donations £750 higher than
usual average of £450| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|No investments held| |Other||n/a| ## **Financial Review** |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Bank £3702.
Reserves £3339
Unallocated Cash £363| |---|---|---| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|Reserves held for projected ongoing
maintenance, and for planned replacement
of AED & ancillary equipment| |---|---|---| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£3339| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|n/a| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|n/a| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|n/a| |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|where relevant about:| |---|---|---| |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|Individual supporters making regular
donations with supplementary use of Gift
Aid| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|None applicable| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|1. Failure of defibrillator(s) as lifesaving
equipment
2. Theft of equipment
3. Volunteers or members of public facing
difficulty after involvement in
emergency incident
4. Liability for harm caused by use of or
access to equipment
5. Liability arising from training activities
6. Financial shortfalls leading to difficulty
in maintaining current provision of
equipment and training and future
replacement of equipment at end of
operable life.| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document|
Para 1.25|Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?|Para 1.25|Charitable Incorporated Organisation| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|New Trustees appointed with consent of
existing trustees following invitation to
individuals, already known to the trustees,
who have been involved or otherwise
interested in the running of the charity| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|Following satisfactory completion of CC
recommended vetting procedures, the new
trustee to have discussions with secretary
& be given copies of VLCP Constitution,
minutes of recent meetings, recent
accounts, latest annual report plus CC
guidance documents for trustees: the
‘Essential Trustee jigsaw’ & 6 main duties;
CC3a ‘Charity Trustee: what’s involved’ &
The Charity Governance Code for smaller
charities. Also online reference to CC3 ‘The
essential trustee, what you need to know,
what you need to do’ (since it is 40 pages
long).| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|There are currently six trustees, three of
whom have designated roles as chair,
treasurer and secretary. Trustees meetings
are held two or three times a year including
the AGM in October. VLCP is a member of
GAVO the Gwent Association of Voluntary
Organisations. VLCP was set up with the
help of the then public access defibrillator
scheme manager at Welsh Ambulance and
maintains contactwiththat organisation.| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|n/a| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charityname|VillageLife CommunityProject| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|working names: Village Life, VLCP or VL, for short| |Registered charity number|1169515| |Charity’s principal address|c/o VLCP Secretary at:
Tŷ Uchaf, St Maughans, Monmouth, NP25 5QF| **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Five Cram|Chair|2016 onward|n/a| ||Thomas Pitts-Tucker|Secretary|2016 onward|n/a| ||Linda Green|Treasurer|2017 onward|n/a| ||Julia Willis||2017 onward|n/a| ||Richard Cotterill||2018 onward|n/a| ||David Johnson||2020 onward|n/a| Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** n/a Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| |---|---|---| |n/a||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity Name and objects of the n/a charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for n/a safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ||**Names and**
**Type of**
**adviser**|**addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Name**
**Address**|**addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Name**
**Address**| |---|---|---|---| ||n/a||| **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** n/a ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details n/a ## **Other optional information** n/a ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Five Cram Thomas Pitts-Tucker
Position (eg Secretary, Chair Secretary
Chair, etc)
Date
20 [th] November 2023
**----- End of picture text -----**
See Chair’s narrative annual report overleaf as presented to AGM 25th October 2023 **VILLAGE LIFE** _**Saving life in the community**_ ## **Chair’s Annual Report - October 2023** Village Life was set up in 2016 to install and maintain public access defibrillators in Llangattock Vibon Avel CC district and also to provide ongoing training updates in how to perform CPR and use a defbrillator. These remain the chief purposes of the charity. The original intention had been to set up a community based emergency response organisation, based around the defibrillators with volunteers trained to assist but this proved over ambitious in that only one village now has such a structure in operation. The constitution also refers to the possible relief of those in need, for any reason or disadvantage, as an overriding general objective of public benefit. This was the case in two village communities with local Village Life efforts aimed at boosting community spirit and morale during the Covid pandemic. But the trustees recognise that limited funds and resources preclude any significant undertaking beyond the chief purposes to do with operating defibrillators in the community and providing training in their use. A major change for us all since last year is that Covid has finally turned into being a lower level problem. Along with everyone else Village Life has been able to resume a more normal range of activities this past year, including provision of further training sessions. This report summarises VL activities & developments during the year and will be presented by the chair at the AGM for approval by all the trustees. It is also being sent as part of the required annual return to the Charity Commission. ## **Insurance cover** After the last AGM in October 2022 the Trustees met at the beginning of March, when there was discussion about whether to continue training or not, in the light of high and it seemed ever increasing insurance costs. The latest premium from Hiscox/PHP had reached £530, more than half VL’s usual annual expenditure of around £850. Enquiries about the availability of any help, such as cost sharing or even simply advice about the problem, had disappointingly drawn a blank at the County Council, both Skenfrith and Whitecastle Community Councils, and GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) as well as the BHF (British Heart Foundation) and RCUK (Resuscitation Council UK). But in the end PHP suggested approaching new brokers, A-Plan in Macclesfield, who recommended a policy with very similar cover at a premium of only £170, with Ansvar, who specialise in insuring faith, charity and not for profit community groups. ## **Training** The reduced premium has taken off some of the financial pressures and means we do not necessarily have to abandon the VL training programme as indemnity cover for this still continues. A newly revised and updated version of this programme continued in use during the year with six sessions at which 60 people in total attended, including two meetings outside the area, one in Buckholt Community Centre and the other in Garway Village Hall, for the new defibrillator group based in Broad Oak. Uptake of VL training offered in the community continues at a worthwhile level although rather lower than when VL first started out. Enquiries were made again with Welsh Ambulance as to whether Tom and Kate, our current trainers, could be reapproved given that previously it had been said new arrangements were imminent. Apparently Public Health Wales is now taking over responsibility for CPR & Defibrillator training courses for members of the public, but no definite trainer scheme has been set up yet. VL has registered an interest in being part of this scheme, which may entail VL trainers attending an update course themselves. Plans are for a further round of training sessions to be offered in the coming year. It would be much appreciated once again if these could be organised and advertised locally in each village area, using existing community contact networks. Hopefully there will be sufficient interest to justify the effort! ## **Community Councils** Whitecastle and Skenfrith Community Councils have now taken over from the former Llangattock Vibon Avel CC, which means VL partially straddles both areas. Approaching Les Taylor, clerk to both Skenfrith and Whitecastle CCs, over the insurance question led to better mutual understanding with details of VL’s activities being posted on both these websites. VL has also been encouraged to formally apply for financial support as an active local community group with both councils, the results of which application are awaited. ## **Finances** See the separate detailed statement of accounts by Linda as treasurer. But in broad terms VL’s financial position has remained much the same. Incoming donations usually at around £450 have remained below the level of expenses of £850 so that it has been necessary to draw on capital reserves left over from grants and donations received at the time the defibrillators were first installed. Reducing insurance costs will help ease this, as explained above. In the past the trustees have felt unable to set aside reserves to fund future replacement of the defibrillators and associated equipment at the end of its working lifespan. Income raised through donations and other activities has simply been insufficient. And latterly Covid had rather reduced opportunities for public events to raise money. But this was never felt entirely satisfactory and in early September the Trustees reviewed this policy. In the event it was felt preferable that VL should resume this objective and the accounts have been revised accordingly. This has moved VL’s financial position from one of credit to debit, with a consequent need to raise an additional £1600 each year for the next 5 to 6 years to meet these future liabilities. One practical problem has been knowing exactly how long the Zoll AED Plus defibrillators can be expected to remain operational. Currently three are 7 years old and two 5 years, with the extended guarantees expiring at 7 years. In future VL may well need to arrange servicing checks with Zoll to extend their life. Given that their operability is potentially critical to life it is envisioned that replacement occurs by 13 years if not sooner. Further enquiries are being made with Zoll about recommended lifespan. Defibrillator replacement costs are expected to be between £1100 to £1200 per unit, allowing for inflation. ## **Fund raising** If we are to meet these revised targets, for setting aside replacement reserves, plans will need to be made for fund raising and grant applications. ## **Incidents** No further incidents have occurred in the past year needing a VL defibrillator to be taken out, whether just as a precaution or being used in earnest. The trusty band of volunteer defib gofers continues to be available 24/7 in Maypole & St Maughans, contactable via the village emergency telephone system (VETS). A similar VETS scheme operates in Broad Oak, but the idea hasn’t so far caught on in the rest of the VL area. ## **Equipment Checks** All five defibrillators are checked regularly by kind volunteers, with thanks going to them, and this is also logged with the BHF national defibrillator database, The Circuit, which is referred to by the emergency services during 999 calls. A recent check in September confirmed the defibrillators and cabinets were in good condition, with first aid leaflets, what to do cards and sa cissor/razor pack in each. The rather faded RCUK posters, reminding people how to recognise and what to do for cardiac arrest, are being replaced in the three phone boxes. Paediatric pads were replaced at the school in Cross Ash in April; adult pads and batteries in Rockfield in September; with new batteries also in Newcastle. Both the batteries and adult pads last up to 5 years, but the paediatric pads only two. Electrical safety checks were last done on the three phone boxes in Feb 2021, and are due every 5 years. Responsibility for the electric supply at Cross Ash & Skenfrith comes under the school and village hall respectively. ## **Charity Commission** The Charity Commission is adopting a new extended range of questions, when filing annual returns, to check on charities’ governance, financial procedures and other general policies such as risk management, safeguarding, data security, volunteers etc. VL’s existing policies in these areas were drawn up some five years ago now, so the trustees will need to carry out a review of these over the coming months. ## **Trustees’ statement of compliance with Charity Commission guidance on Public Benefit** Charities by law must be concerned with the provision of public benefit. The trustees have a duty to comply with guidance on public benefit from the Charity Commision. This report therefore also includes the following required statement: that the trustees are aware of the guidance on public benefit and have had due regard to it, when exercising any powers or duties to which it applies. CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLANO AND WALES VILLAGE UFE COMMUNtTY PROJECT 1169515 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forthe period from 01h)7r2022 30A)612￿3 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestri¢ted funds Endowment funds funds Total funds Last year to the nearest to th* n*artst£ tothe Treorest£ to th• ntartst£ tothe nearest£ A1 Receipts DDn8tion$ Training Don8Uon5 Aid R8d81m 776 60 776 60 415 Sub total (Gmss income for ARJ 415 A2 Asset and investment Soles. Isè• tablèl. Sub totsl 886 886 415 A3 Payments Insurance Volunteer EmeroenryT*Fthone AEO M&nteTrance Tr8lnlng Bank Ch4rge¥ 703 120 240 116 5DD 120 128 95 35 120 240 116 Sub total 1.184 1,184 878 A4 Asset and investment purGhases, (see table) Sub totsl 1,184 1,184 87B Net of receiptsK(paymentsJ A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash fiinds this year end 298 298 463 3,844 3.546 3,844 3,$46 4,307 3,844 CCKX R1 accounts (SS) 10107r2023 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds Its ne•￿t£ Restricted funds Endowtnent funds Categories D*ails tD neaTest£ to Theare5t£ 81 Cash lunds ets0p￿3￿É Bank Totsl cash funds 3,546 Unrestrfcted funds trj near&%tE Restricted funds to heare5t£ Endowment funds Detai15 to nearest£ 82 Other rnonetary assets Fund towhKh Cost lopth)nall CurreThtvalue Detsils B3 Invostmont a55ets Fund towh*h Details Cost lopdonall Currentvalue B4 Assets retslned for the charity's own use Fund to which Amountdue tional Then due tiona Details 85 Liabillties Z•5a S￿nad by ona ortsvo trustees on b8half of all th& twstÈes Signatu Prfnt Nam• Dale of roval L G￿en IQIU7r2023 T Prfts-Tuc*8r CCXX R2 8(tounts ISS) 10107r2Q23