DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH BARNWELL TRUST
Report of the Trustees
2020/21
The year was a difficult one for our tenant, another local charity, due to the pandemic and the Government’s subsequent restrictions.
It became clear in March 2020 covid was about to take hold throughout the world. We started the financial year in the first national lockdown where all nurseries and preschools had been required to close. After a plea for help from the Preschool Charity the Trustees agreed to provide financial assistance to ensure the preschool’s future financial viability and its sustainability going forward which in turn would ensure the continuation of preschool education for local children post pandemic. The Trustees agreed to allow the preschool to occupy the building rent free in May, June, and July 2020, this equates to financial assistance of about £2100.
The lease for the building with Little Ducklings Preschool, ended on 31 August 2020. The Trustees decided to offer the Directors of Little Elms Nursery Ltd a five-year lease with the first three years being at a reduced rate to help once again to support the reopening and recovery of the facility after the pandemic. With the closure of the preschool and parents working at home or being furloughed the occupancy of the preschool had significant reduced when it reopened.
The Trustees continued to invest in the building to ensure its future useability and to ensure the building complied with appropriate standards. The fire alarm system was found to be outdated and unusable by our tenant. To ensure the continued safety of users and local children the Trustees agreed to take professional advice and subsequently installed a WiFi system at a cost of £7,139 funded by the Trust from its own reserves. The chimneys were capped to prevent birds’ nests and infestations that was causing issues to users.
Unfortunately, the project for the replacement of the rear extension that currently houses the boys’ and girls’ toilets had to be put on hold due to the pandemic and the risk of the preschool closing permanently and the Trust being unable to find another tenant/use for the building. In addition, Trustees found grant making bodies targeting their funding to schemes that had far
wider community use than our building. Planning Permission is still in place.
Trustees will review the project for the rear extension after coming out of the pandemic. In the meantime, the Trust will look to carry out external redecoration and carry out some smaller schemes to enhance the building.
THE DUKE of BUCCLEUCH TRUST BARNWELL
Receipts and Payments Account for year ended 31 March 2021
Opening Balance as at 1 April 2020 40,398.06
2020/21 Payments
Chimney and Bird Guard - 1,050.00 Fire Risk Assessment - 420.00 Zurich - Insurance - 1,860.87 Hire of Scaffolding Tower - 138.00 Tree works - 175.00 Garden Rent - 5.00 New Fire alarm - 7,139.10 Preston's Insurance - Garden - 348.69 Remove old mesh to roof vent - 140.00 -11,276.66
2020/21 Receipts
Rent/Insurance 6,961.82 Licence Fee for September 2020 580.00 Interest on investment 120.00 Increase in Rent Deposit 700.00 8,361.82 -2,914.84
Closing Balance as at 31 March 2021 37,483.22
Notes
Future Long term Liability - The Closing Balance includes the sum of £2,200 held as a rent deposit that may be repaid to the tenant of the Princess Alice Centre on 31 August 2025 if the tenant satisfies all its obligations under the lease.