Chair’s Report
Lordswood Community and Residents Association has ensured that the Lordswood Community Centre has not just survived but, with a lot of good will and support from a core group of trustees, - special thanks from me to; Jim Morrison (Treasurer) and Rachel Schuster-Davis (Secretary) Kay Broomfield (Bookings) – we have managed to maintain this 1970s built community asset and at the same time continue to secure grants and income to cover future plans and improvements to the Centre.
We are excited at having submitted for planning approval our plans for a major expansion of the Community Centre (see back pages) with better facilities and increased availability with thanks to the professional help of Jason Phelps (ICIOB).
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+, parent and toddler groups, daytime clubs as well as provide occasional additional space for larger events.
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.
As you will no doubt agree, there are exciting opportunities ahead for this much-loved community centre. There will be a lot of work and fundraising as we look to deliver these plans for a new modern expansion and rejuvenation of these facilities.
If you would like to be a part of that work and join us as a Trustee, please talk to one of us or contact the Association at: lordswoodccso16@gmail.com
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Cllr. Matt Renyard
A Few Words from our Secretary - Rachel
My name is Rachel and I joined the committee 2 years ago. I enjoy helping where I can in the community and I liked the idea of the building extension to enable more users during the daytime and wanted to have a say in how it happened.
I have also requested that the underpass nearby / under Woburn Road, that is an access route for many of us to the community centre, was made good after 2 burst pipes. I also joined with Oakwood school to launch their PPP (Please Park Politely) campaign to aid with parking on Sandpiper Road in front of the community centre and put an application in for double yellow lines to help with traffic flow at peak times, particularly around some of the nearby junctions.
Being part of the committee isn't always as full on as this - however, it has enabled me to have a say in our community. Any help by other locals is always appreciated.
Treasurer’s Report
2024 / 2025 was another a good year financially for the Association as we increased our cash reserves. This was again 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. Unfortunately for the Association Gordon has more pressing commitments this year. The
Association thank Gordon for all the good work around the centre and we have advertised for a replacement Handyman / Caretaker / Gardner. Hopefully as a volunteer.
As in previous years 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 appreciates Preschool cooperation, in particular for the proposed extension and for purchasing the consumables used in the centre by all the users and we reimburse them. The Association receives no subsidy from Southampton City Council to run the centre and all the monies for the proposed extension come from past users of the centre over many years and EU, national and local grants.
“Trustees have accumulated a reasonable surplus from income and grants”
The Association Trustees being aware of the cost-of-living pressures froze hire charges for two years but because of increased costs decided to increase them from
September this year.
The single biggest outgoing last year was on cleaning the centre and we were very fortunate in having the services of Julie Smith. The second-largest outgoing
was for energy.
The Association has completed the process of transferring the main banking arrangements from Lloyds to the NatWest bank and closed the Lloyds bank accounts. The account with the NatWest bank requires two trustees to agree outgoing payments. As a safeguard of the Association’s capital reserves and continuity of banking the Association also operate a current and savings accounts with
the Co-Op Bank.
Thanks to Kay, our new Bookings Officer, the Association have increased the usage of centre to record levels and we now have 12 different user groups across every day / evening of the week.
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 end of January 2026.
The Association has continued the process of compiling and updating a Policies and Procedures document to provide guidance to current and future Trustees.
The previous and current trustees have accumulated a reasonable surplus from income and grants. The current Trustees have used some of this surplus to apply for planning permission to extend the centre. We currently don’t have quite enough to cover all the projected costs of the extension so will need to actively apply for grants. When the extension has been completed it will generate additional revenue as the centre will be available to more user groups to hire particularly during daytime. The Association will look to refurbish the existing rooms once the extension has been completed.
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Lordswood Residents and Community Association financial summary for 2024-25
| Balances at 31 March 2024:- | Balances at 31 March 2025:- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyds current account | £0.01 | Lloyds current account | -£4.24 |
| Lloyds savings account | £0.00 | Lloyds savings account | £0.00 |
| NatWest current account | £5,809.79 | NatWest current account | £3,664.70 |
| NatWest short term savings | £10,176.31 | NatWest short term savings | £8,320.71 |
| NatWest long term savings | £65,851.68 | NatWest long term savings | £72,922.06 |
| Co-op current account | £1,088.50 | Co-op current account | £1.13 |
| Co-op savings account | £18,240.50 | Co-op savings account | £31,453.78 |
| Total | £101,166.79 | Total | £116,358.14 |
| Annual surplus | £15,191.35 | ||
| Annual income | Annual outgoings | ||
| Discripton | Discripton | ||
| Pre-school | £12,631.01 | Bus. Rates | -£111.03 |
| Regular users | £10,813.10 | Waste disposal | -£1,059.60 |
| Partes | £4,180.63 | Insurance | -£1,268.82 |
| Polling | £320.00 | Energy | -£3,544.08 |
| Hiring deposit | £2,450.00 | Water | -£1,093.57 |
| Energy rebate | £1,600.00 | Internal maintenance | -£1,100.99 |
| Grants | £1,000.00 | External building maintenance | -£332.76 |
| Misc. | £260.44 | Ground maintenance | -£830.00 |
| Total excluding interest | £33,255.18 | New equipment | £0.00 |
| Interest from bank accounts | £2,448.06 | Cleaning | -£8,155.33 |
| Total | £35,703.24 | Hiring deposit return / refund | -£2,501.87 |
| Infrastructure investment | £0.00 | ||
| Other | -£513.84 | ||
| Total | -£20,511.89 |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteasl members of Lordswood Residents and Community Association On accounts for tho year ended 31 March 2025 Charlty no lff anyl 1171985 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 31103 12025. Rasponslbllltles and As the charity Irustees 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 ('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. I have compleled my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come lo my attention (other than that disdosed below ") in connection with Ihe examination which gives me cause to believe thal 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 Independent examiner's ststsment I have no concems 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: Dato: 1510112026 Name: Trevor Moss Relevant professlonal quallflcaUon(s) or body (If any): Retired Financial Intelligence Officer, Hampshire Constabulary. B.Sc. (Hons) Address: 17 Speedwell Close, Locks Heath, Southampton, S0316WU. IER October 2018