Lordswood Residents & Community Association
2023
Chair’s Report
Lordswood Community and Residents Association has ensured that the Lordswood Community Centre has not just survived some difficult times with COVID and a Cost of Living Crisis but, with a lot of good will and support from a core group of trustees, - special thanks from me to; Jim Morrison (Treasurer) and Sam Woodhall (Secretary and Bookings) – we have managed to maintain this 1970s built community asset and at the same time secured grants and income to cover improvements to the Centre.
“Expanding the Community Centre with better facilities and increased availability.”
We are excited at the prospect of being in a position to be able to look at expanding the Community Centre with better facilities and increased availability. Following previous plans to extend the footprint of the building to the council being unsuccessful, due to the proposed orientation to the side and the necessity to remove a mature oak tree, we have brought together a new proposal (see back pages) with professional help from Jason Phelps.
“Second new large kitchen … and a secondary large hall”
The intent is to allow the Centre to offer community space during the day, alongside the pre-school who currently operate the Centre almost exclusively during weekdays. This would enable the Association to expand its offer to wider members of our community during the day while maintaining exclusive, secure space for the
preschool, including older community groups 55+, mother and toddler groups, daytime clubs as well as provide occasional additional space for larger events.
“Separate [weekday] space for the preschool and public, including toilet facilities.”
The new plans also afford us some additional facilities, including a second new large kitchen space - suitable for groups to cook and eat together, increased storage, a new relocated ‘small hall’ for preschool use (along with the current main hall), with separate toilet facilities for preschool and public, and a secondary large hall.
Help ‘build’ your community
As you will no doubt agree, there are exciting opportunities ahead for this muchloved community centre. There will be a lot to agree around the future shape of these facilities as we look to embark on this journey towards a new modern expansion and rejuvenation.
If you would like to be a part of that conversation and join us as a Trustee, please talk to one of us or contact the Association at: lordswoodccso16@gmail.com
- Matt Renyard
Treasurer’s Report
2022 / 2023 was a good year financially for the Association. Even though we had not yet fully recovered from the effects of COVID 19, we increased our cash reserves. This was achieved mainly by deferred major capital spend and keeping the Centre’s maintenance costs to a minimum by doing as much as possible in and around the Centre by the Trustees and our self-employed maintenance man, Nathaniel Gordon.
As in previous years, the income from our largest user group, the Preschool, did not fully cover the outgoings including energy, water services and Business Rates. The income from the other users of the Centre provided for all the additional costs of running and maintaining the centre and produced a surplus.
“Even though we had not yet fully recovered from the effects of COVID 19, we [have] increased our cash reserves.”
Fortunately, due to the foresight of the previous Treasurer, Pete Wilcocks, initiating long-term contracts, our energy bills were manageable but still formed the second largest outgoing category.
As regular users continued to return to the Centre, the income increased but it was anticipated to be not enough to cover increasing costs, particularly cleaning, energy, maintenance and insurance. With this in mind, the Association increased the rental charges by about 5% from 1st September 2022.
The single biggest outgoing was on cleaning the Centre and we were very fortunate in acquiring the services of Julie Smith, who has resolved the cleaning issues we have had over recent years.
The Association began the process of transferring the banking arrangements from Lloyds to NatWest bank, with the intention of closing the Lloyds bank accounts.
“Trustees have accumulated a reasonable surplus from income and grants.”
As the Association’s annual income exceeds £20,000, we need to get the accounts checked by an independent person before submitting them to the Charity Commission.
The previous and current Trustees have accumulated a reasonable surplus from income and grants. The current Trustees have been looking to invest most of this surfeit for the benefit of the community in the coming years by improving and hopefully extending the Centre.
- Jim Morrison
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Lordswood Residents and Community Association financial summary for 20
Balances at 31 March 2022:-
Balances at 31 March 2023:-
| Lloyds current account | £63,061.88 |
|---|---|
| Lloyds savings account | £15,313.05 |
| NatWest current account | £0.00 |
| NatWest short term savings | £0.00 |
| NatWest long term savings | £0.00 |
| Total | ### |
Lloyds current account Lloyds savings account NatWest current account NatWest short term savings account NatWest long term savings account Total
| Annual income by category | |
|---|---|
| Pre-school | £15,855.99 |
| Regular users | £8,428.27 |
| Parties | £2,093.38 |
| Polling | £125.00 |
| Hiring deposit | £650.00 |
| Energy rebate | £1,000.00 |
| Grants | £0.00 |
| Miscellaneous | £0.00 |
| Total excluding interest | £28,152.64 |
| Interest from bank accounts | £361.88 |
| Total income | ### |
Annual outgoings by category Business Rates Waste disposal Insurance Energy Water Internal maintenance External building maintenance Ground maintenance New equipment Cleaning Hiring deposit return / refund Consumables Infrastructure investment Covid 19 related items Other Total
022-23
£981.46 £0.00 £23,254.31 £10,041.38 £54,320.00 ###
£220.16 £1,058.99 £924.77 £3,567.12 £1,063.38 £2,412.34 £172.29 £600.00 £419.20 £6,236.05 £1,344.00 £20.00 £0.00 £0.00 £254.00 ###
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ members of
Charity Name
Lordswood Residents and Community Association
On accounts for the year ended
31 March 2023
1171985
Charity no (if any) Set out on pages
Pages 1 and 2 of CC16a
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 /03 /2023 .
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 (other than that disclosed below *) 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:
Date:
16/01/2024
Name:
Trevor Moss
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):
Retired financial intelligence officer for the police.
October 2018
1
IER
B.Sc. (Hons)
Address:
17 Speedwell Close, Locks Heath, Southampton, SO31 6WU.
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 .
October 2018
2
IER