The Globe Community Library (Registered Charity Number 1171473) **----- Start of picture text -----**
www.theglobelibrarystokesley.org.uk
**----- End of picture text -----**
Annual Report to Charity Commission for Year to 31 March 2023 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Yorkshire Council
**----- End of picture text -----**
In partnership with North Yorkshire Council (8 pages after front cover) The Board of Trustees of Stokesley Community Library ( _The Globe_ ) present their report, together with the accounts of the charity, for the year ended 31 March 2023. ## **Structure, governance and management** The Globe Community Library **(The Globe)** was registered on 6 February 2017 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation constituted under a governing document dated 23 January 2017. The charity is managed by a Board of Trustees - under the Constitution there should be not less than 5 and not more than 11 appointed trustees. Every trustee is appointed for a term of 3 years. The trustees who have served during the year were: |Peter Chandler|Bryn Griffths| |---|---| |David Heggarty (Chairman)|Robert E Roberts (former Chairman)| |Jeffrey King|Carolyn Kitching| |Jan Hunter|Jane McGill| |Sally Atkinson|Jon Borwell| |Andy Wake (resigned mid-year)|| The library operates under a contract with North Yorkshire Council (NYC) - the Council provides, as their employee, a professional librarian who supports our Library managers. The Library is managed by two, job-share Library Managers both funded and employed by Stokesley Town Council, though the charity manages their day-to-day work. Trustees continue to value support given by the Town Council. Manager Gill De Cosemo retired in January 2023 after four years in post. Trustees are most grateful for her dedication, enthusiasm and energy and they acknowledge her inter-personal skills in managing 90 plus volunteers. Gill encouraged library users to expand their breadth of reading and she did much to nurture community activities and events in the Library. Throughout the covid pandemic lockdown Gill continued to provide a library service by providing an ‘on demand’ service and trustees believe that this will have provided some relief to the community at a difficult time. 2. ## **Charity Objective** The objects of the charity are to: _Provide facilities for the education and social welfare of the public by the provision of a library and information hub for the benefit of residents of Stokesley and North Yorkshire-wide and for facilitating community activity._ In planning activities for the reporting period, trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. ## **Keeping in Touch** Library services and activities are made known to the community through the local press, via posters in local venues and businesses, on social media and on our website (www.theglobelibrarystokesley.org) - the latter provides details of library services, recommended reading and publicises community event. Our website also gives details of how the charity can be supported by individuals and businesses. Trustees very much value the support given by Friends of _The Globe_ and business sponsors. Having given notice in the press, social media and ‘flyers’ in the local area, we held our Annual General Meeting on 17 November 2022. Though the evening event was well advertised, Trustees were disappointed that there were few attendees from the community. 3. ## **Celebration** The charity celebrated five years of service to the community on 1 April 2022. Trustees are pleased to report that our contract with NYC (Libraries) has been extended to 2032 thereby giving greater certainty to our continuing community work well into the future. ## **Financial review** In the year ending 31 March 2023 income had increased from that in the previous year (£12,973 against £7,587 in FY20/22) - significant were increased receipts from library charges and room hire. Payments doubled in year (£12,875 against of £6,453 in FY20/22) - significant was expenditure on improvements: replacing chairs, updating the screen and sound system, additional window blinds, payment for theatre and film performances, provision of art classes. Income/expenditure balance at year end was £98 in surplus. At the end of the year cash balance was £59,783 (£59,685 in FY21/22) and is available to expend on activities that further _The Globe’s_ charitable purposes. The cash balance includes £12,112 of restricted funds declared in the accounts for last year. Trustees are content that unrestricted funds remain sufficient to allow library operations to continue in FY23/24. Moreover, trustees are well aware of the priority to utilise the charity’s significant funds as plans are developed to restart and expand community activity following two years of restricted access to the premises. See finance statement at end of this report (pages 9 to 11). 4. ## **Activity** The core function of the charity is to provide a high class library service and we report significant increase in footfall and book transactions as we recover from the hiatus of the pandemic. By the end of the year footfall had risen to 38,067 compared to 12,812 the previous year and book issues at 37,922 was 2,105 higher than FY21/22. We significantly increased the number and variety of community events and activities. The following illustrations give a snapshot of the breadth of some of our community work: **----- Start of picture text -----**
Pantomime
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
5.
**----- End of picture text -----**
Our range of activities also includes: Chess Club, Silver Surfer’s iPad Workshop, Scrabble Club, Robotics Club, Knitter & Natter, Coffee Mornings, Seniors Afternoon Tea, regular Under 5s Storytime, ‘Junk Modelling’. We are particularly proud of the volunteer effort in providing a range of activities for children. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Robotics Club
Craft activity
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Detective work - following author’s talk Queen’s Jubilee activity
**----- End of picture text -----**
6. We continued to visit local schools (Primary, Secondary and 6[th] Form) to tell pupils about the range of books and, for the older pupils, the availability of periodicals and research papers that can be accessed through the library service. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Primary School Children visit the Library
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Looking Ahead** Our volunteer base shrunk significantly following the pandemic; from a prepandemic base of 100+ to 40 by the end of the reporting year. Clearly, having fewer volunteers has the potential to limit the delivery of community events, yet we have seen a reverse effect - community activity has flourished. The Board of Trustees records its grateful thanks to our managers and volunteers for their dedication. Mindful not to over-burden our willing helpers, Trustees will seek to expand the volunteer pool in the coming year. For a third year we gave opportunity to Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme youngsters to do community work by volunteering at _The Globe._ The Board of Trustees salutes these boys and girls and much values their involvement in the Library; we look to supporting others in the future. Trustees are looking ahead to widening the range of activities and events that enhance community involvement. With the potential for leasing additional rooms adjacent to the Library we will reduce the pressure on floor space in the library and be able to expand the range of community activity.7. Plans are in hand to make improvements to Library facilities:upgrading the entrance and reception area,reducing the footprint of the reception desk so as to enhance the ambiance,adding additional shelving and making improvements in the children's area.The project envisages moving the public PCs area to gain additional floor space in the central area thereby allowing for seating for lectures/film nights.Trustees look to complete these improvements in 2024. This report was approved by trustees and is signed on behalf of the Board: David Heggarty (Chair of Trustees) 8. THE aLOBE COWAU￿Ty LIBRARY ECEIPTS W4D PAYIIENTSAc¢¢thI FOR THEYEhR ENOED 31 202) L￿N￿¢h￿se$ •rA ofgoDds hirB 3.497 445 420 1.100 1.531 l>¥n Contthbons IrCm￿ri&h CA)unc Donations t>ftAidtsxrethJTr Fu￿ra￿￿9 fft mDmory ofRowo Pago Spongor. T•nlon 12.973 7.$87 Payrn4nt8 Lknrary Insurnnce anino ProresslDr￿1tse* New & Impo%*¢ Chawi Nw Blir Replacem8al Scrn•n & NBwSouTrJ Syotwn Shtyii st￿ comr•ts)n ptho Other Répa*s & R￿¢wIl5 w•b&1￿ Hosting Theatro & Flrn An (#¥ae8 t￿•]10n toNY Ho6pire in P PurchBseofA*¥ets Ind•p¢ndenl ex•minEliortf•• Sunthyw8n$88 537 359 295 2.170 780 275 1.$34 12.875 Cmh knd••tl Aprfl 69.688 C••h lundBat 31 IANr¢h 1023 59885 THE GLOBE COMMUNITY LIBRARY STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABIUTIES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 2r123 2022 Cash Fund8 Cash at bank 59783 59783 59685 59685 FIX￿ Ass•ts Websrte Fumrture & equipment Computer equipment Donated assets 900 13114 5038 150 19202 14798 5038 150 20886 Llabilitio# Credrtors and accruals S40 342 on their behalf by Davwj H Carolyn J Kitc ing 10. THE GLOBE COMMUNITY LIBRARY INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE GLOBE COMMUNITY LIBRARY I r8Fort on the accounts ofThe Globe Community Libraryfor the year ended 31 March 2023 - which are 881 out on pages l and 2. R•8P•Ctlvo r•spon8lbllltle8 of trust￿ and exam1r￿f The charity's tru51ees are re5Wns1b￿ forthe preparation ofthe arcounts. Tha charity s twstees con51der that an a￿411 is not required for this year under sect￿n 144 of th8 Chadties Act 2011 I1￿ Chorilies Aetl and thBt an independent exatnination is n88d8d. It is my résw)nsibilty to". exatnine accounts und&r sethon 145 of the Chan1168 Act follow the procedures12￿ down in the general Directions gwen by the Charty Commission (under section 14515llbl of the Charities Act. and stale wh￿h￿r particular matter8 have corne lo ry attenlK>n Ba818 of Indepondent examlnovg 8tatsmont My exarninalDn was carried out in accordanGe *ilh gerETal Direaion$ gi￿ by ts Charity Commission An examination indudes 8 review of the accountin9 records kept by the charity and a cofflpgrison of the yccounls presented with those records. It also Includes consideration of any unusual Ilern5 or disdosures in the account5 and seeking éxplanallons from the tru51ees coniErning any such matters The prO￿d￿re& utHlertaken dD not provide all the evidence that would b& rèquired in an audit. and consegL*nlly no opinion is given as lo whelher the 8rGounts présènt a'lnJ& and fair. view, and th8 report is limited lo those mallers sel OJI In the statement b81ow. ndopondent oxamlner'8 8tatomont In connection wlh my examination. no material matters have crrtne to my attention which glva me cause lo believe that In. any malenal ￿spect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charftlas Act. or Ihe 3Gwun15 do not aGcord with the accounting Tècords. 1 have corne aGr055 no other tnatters in ¢onneth￿n with Ihg examination to which allenlion should be drawn in order lo enabig a proper under$tanding ofthe accounts lo be reached. ,.t, . 2023 Dav A Swallow FCA