LORDSWOOD RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Sandpiper Road, Lordswood Southampton SO16 8FD
……Annual General Meeting Report 14th September 2024
Chair’s Report
First and foremost, I need to say a big thank you to the Trustees who all gave their time and expertise over the past year. Especially to Rachel who joined us as a Trustee at last year’s AGM and is now our Secretary and to Jim our Treasurer, Sam who looks after our Bookings, Nalin and then to Julie Smith who keeps the centre clean and Nathaniel Gordon who maintains the area around the centre in order.
The main reason for the LRCA’s existence is simple, it is to provide the facilities for groups and occasional hirers, from our biggest user, the Preschool, through Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, Slimming World and M-Fit to the Church groups who use it on Sundays. We also provide facilities for our community to carry out their democratic right in elections, a safe place in emergency and to celebrate birthdays and other occasions.
LRCA has ensured that Lordswood Community Centre has not just survived the cost-of-living crisis, but we have managed to maintain this 50+ year old building and at the same time secured income to improve the centre. We are looking to extend, with better facilities and increased availability for the community.
The intention is to allow the Centre to offer a 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. Examples include older community groups 55+, mother and toddler groups, daytime clubs as well as provide occasional additional space for larger events.
The plans also afford 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.
Page 1
The Association have secured most of the funds required to enable this expansion and are working to raise the rest but we are disappointed, mainly due to planning issues, in not having been in a position to commence the enabling works this year.
We are keen to champion and be involved with activities by other groups in the community and to make our facilities available. For example the centre has been used recently for Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings, giving local residents the opportunity to meet your local Police and Council Officers face to face and express your views.
Following on from the submission to the Charity Commission earlier this year the Association has formally started the process of compiling Policies and Procedures, including a Risk Register, to provide guidance to current and future Trustees.
The Association congratulates the Good Shepherd Gospel Church in securing their own church building but the resulting loss of one of the main users of the centre means the Association are actively seeking another group or groups to use the centre on Sundays.
If you would like to be a part of the conversation and join us as a Trustee, please talk to Rachel or another of the Trustees or contact the Association at: lordswoodccso16@gmail.com
Jim Morrison – Acting Chair
Secretary’s Report
I joined the committee last year at the AGM to assist where I could. I have had the exciting privilege to have been part of the progression of the plans for the community centre extension, as well as partway through the year taking over the secretarial role to share the duties more equally with the other trustees. I feel the community centre could provide an even more valuable space for more user groups in the local area and I hope the remaining funds can be raised to progress plans in the coming year.
I have links in the community personally and professionally. Being on the committee has been an interesting and rewarding experience and is flexible around me, in that we are able to do online meetings.
Rachel Davis - Secretary
Page 2
Treasurer’s Report
2023 / 2024 was another good year financially for the Association as we increased our cash reserves. This was achieved mainly by deferred major capital spend and keeping the centre’s maintenance, new equipment etc. 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.
The income from our largest user group, the Preschool, did not fully cover the outgoings including, cleaning, 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.
The Association trustees, being aware of the cost-of-living pressures many people are experiencing, decided not to increase the rental charges for this year.
The single biggest outgoing last year was on cleaning the centre and the second was for energy.
The Association has completed the process of transferring the main banking arrangements from Lloyds to the NatWest bank (mainly to secure a better interest rate), with only a nominal sum remaining in the Lloyds bank accounts. The accounts with the NatWest bank require two trustees to agree outgoing payments. To better insure the Association’s capital reserves and future banking arrangements the Association have also opened bank accounts with the Co-op bank.
As the Association’s annual income exceeded £20,000, we are required to get the accounts checked by an independent person before submitting to the Charity Commission by January 2025.
The previous and current Trustees have accumulated a reasonable surplus from income and grants. The current Trustees have been looking to invest this surfeit for the benefit of the community in the coming years by improving and hopefully extending and upgrading the centre. This will benefit the local community and will generate additional revenue as the centre will be available to more user groups to hire during daytime.
Jim Morrison – Treasurer
Page 3
Lordswood Residents and Community Association financial summary for 2023-24
Balances at 31 March 2023:-
Balances at 31 March 2024:-
| Lloyds current account | £981.46 | Lloyds current account | £0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyds savings account | £0.00 | Lloyds savings account | £0.00 |
| NatWest current account | £23,254.31 | NatWest current account | £5,809.79 |
| NatWest short term savings | £10,041.38 | NatWest short term savings | £10,176.31 |
| NatWest long term savings | £54,320.00 | NatWest long term savings | £65,851.68 |
| Co-op current account | £0.00 | Co-op current account | £1,088.50 |
| Co-op savings account | £0.00 | Co-op savings account | £18,240.50 |
| Total | £88,597.15 | Total | £101,166.79 |
| Annual surplus | £12,569.64 | ||
| Annual income | Annual outgoings | ||
| Pre-school | £16,404.05 | Bus. Rates | £182.41 |
| Regular users | £8,766.25 | Waste disposal | £1,008.54 |
| Parties | £1,747.25 | Insurance | £1,030.79 |
| Polling | £250.00 | Energy | £3,530.03 |
| Hiring deposit | £1,368.63 | Water | £957.25 |
| Grants | £0.00 | Internal maintenance | £1,069.42 |
| Total excluding interest | £28,536.18 | External building maintenance | £240.00 |
| Interest from bank accounts | £1,736.54 | Ground maintenance | £480.00 |
| Total | £30,272.72 | New equipment | £0.00 |
| Cleaning | £6,985.99 | ||
| Hiring deposit return / refund | £1,119.00 | ||
| Infrastructure investment | £500.00 | ||
| Other | £599.65 | ||
| Total | £17,703.08 |
Page 4
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Reportto the trusteesl members of Lordswood Residents and Community Association On accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 Charlty no (If any) 1171985 Set out on pages 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the ave charity (llhe Trust.) for the year ended 3110312024. Responslbllltles and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (llhe Act.) I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examinalion, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm Ihat no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disdosed below ') in connection with the examinalion which gives me cause to believe that in, any malerial respect.. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statement 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 wonls in the brackets if they do not 8ppIy. Slgned: Dats: Name: Relevant professlonal quallficatlon(s) or body (if any): 4i%Th Address: li £e&YSNELL CLO> SooitrfA 5 051 tsL} IER October 2018
Lordswood Residents and Community Association financial summary for 2023-24
Balances at 31 March 2023:-
Balances at 31 March 2024:-
| Lloyds current account | £981.46 |
|---|---|
| Lloyds savings account | £0.00 |
| NatWest current account | £23,254.31 |
| NatWest short term savings | £10,041.38 |
| NatWest long term savings | £54,320.00 |
| Co-op current account | £0.00 |
| Co-op savings account | £0.00 |
| Total | £88,597.15 |
| Lloyds current account | £0.01 |
|---|---|
| Lloyds savings account | £0.00 |
| NatWest current account | £5,809.79 |
| NatWest short term savings | £10,176.31 |
| NatWest long term savings | £65,851.68 |
| Co-op current account | £1,088.50 |
| Co-op savings account | £18,240.50 |
| Total | £101,166.79 |
| Annual surplus | £12,569.64 |
| Annual income | Annual outgoings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-school | £16,404.05 | Bus. Rates | £182.41 |
| Regular users | £8,766.25 | Waste disposal | £1,008.54 |
| Parties | £1,747.25 | Insurance | £1,030.79 |
| Polling | £250.00 | Energy | £3,530.03 |
| Hiring deposit | £1,368.63 | Water | £957.25 |
| Grants | £0.00 | Internal maintenance | £1,069.42 |
| Total excluding interest | £28,536.18 | External building maintenance | £240.00 |
| Interest from bank accounts | £1,736.54 | Ground maintenance | £480.00 |
| Total | £30,272.72 | New equipment | £0.00 |
| Cleaning | £6,985.99 | ||
| Hiring deposit return / refund | £1,119.00 | ||
| Infrastructure investment | £500.00 | ||
| Other | £599.65 | ||
| Total | £17,703.08 |