Plawsworth and Kimblesworth Community Centre and Recreation Ground (Charity No: 1174075) (https://www.nettlesworthcommunitycentre.co.uk) Annual General Meeting, June 11[th] , 2024 ## **Trustees’ Annual Report** The charity, which began as a CIO on 1[st] January 2018, has the following aims: The objects of the CIO are to run a Community Building and to promote, for the benefit of the inhabitants of Kimblesworth and Plawsworth Parish and Sacriston parish (“area of benefit”) without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, race or political, religious or other opinions, the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the conditions of life of the said inhabitants. This report covers the period from June 2023 to June 2024. The current trustees are: John Barclay (Chair); George Kendall (Vice-Chair); Lisa Walker (Bookings Secretary); Lillian Walker; Heather Liddle (Treasurer); Diana Barclay (Minutes Secretary); Donna Bruce (appointed by Kimblesworth and Plawsworth Parish Council). Bill Jackson stepped down as Parish Council-appointed trustee during the course of the year, and Donna Bruce replaced him. Heather Liddle is stepping down as Treasurer at this meeting, but will continue as a Trustee. Our constitution allows a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 Trustees The Management Committee of the Centre consists of the Trustees and meets every month. Membership of the Charity is open to any member of the community, on completion of an application form. The Nettlesworth Centre is used by a wide range of groups, and continues to be an important hub for our villages and the surrounding community. The Sacriston Youth Project is an ‘anchor-tenant’ and makes excellent use of the building; one room (the Conference Room) has become an SYP Youth Room. Other regular users during the period of this report include: The Community Café; Mini Melodies; two Dog Training groups; Step this Way (Clog dancers); Durham Music Theatre; Durham Hiit Club; Zumba; the Parish Council; and a local arts group. The Centre and the Recreation Ground were the site of a very successful family Fun Day on June 2[nd] 2024 (for the third year running). The funding for this year’s event, enabling all the rides to be free, was supplied by the Parish Council. We hope to continue this as an annual tradition. The rise in energy costs has hit our finances hard: both electricity and gas bills have been hugely higher this year and we nearly went broke. We are grateful for emergency support from the Parish Council in March 2024. We are now on better tariffs and are monitoring and controlling use as far as possible. The raffle associated with the Fun Day brought in more than £600. We are making a number of bids for grants. We are required by Barclays Bank to change the name and status of our account but their service in this regard is slow and inefficient. For financial reasons, we had to cease buying the services of a cleaner; we are very grateful to Lisa Walker and Lillian Walker who are covering the cleaning for the time being. Water ingress at a dormer window over the side entrance caused some significant damage, including the collapse of the ceiling over the entrance corridor. This has been repaired, but the building remains difficult to maintain. We still have plans for significant refurbishment of the building, and have an options report from D3. The Trustees have agreed priorities for refurbishment, but we are unable to progress until the new lease is in place. Following the intervention of Kevan Jones MP, the Lambton Estates have finally made an offer of a lease (50 years, not automatically renewable, at a peppercorn rent of £10 per annum). We are in discussion with the Council about whether they or we should be the primary lease-holders, since the Council are proposing that they cease to be the Custodian Trustee (by the 1972 agreement). Refurbishment would allow a significant enhancement of our activities. We are applying for funding to be able to employ a development worker, and are seeking to develop a new business plan. We have a number of plans for the development of the building and the attraction of new users. We badly need new volunteers to help us with a number of tasks, including publicity/website and buildings maintenance. The current trustees are considerably overstretched. The Trustees have proposed that, in order to increase the involvement of the community, the first part of each month’s trustees’ meeting be open to anyone from the community to attend, if they have given prior notice to the Chair that they intend to do so. We record here our immense gratitude for the faithful and efficient work performed by Lisa Walker, our Bookings Secretary, and for the energy, vision and highly effective administration performed by Heather Liddle, our Treasurer, who is stepping down from that role at this AGM. John Barclay (Chair) on behalf of the Trustees UNAUDITF.D FlI¥ANCIAL STATF.NIF.NI TS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEftrlBER 2023 FOR IKIIL IBLESII'ORTH & PLAII'SII'ORTH COhlillUN'ITY ASSOCIATIONI l%lNIBLESII'ORTFI & PL.411'SII'ORTH C'O,11,I[IIliITI'_4SSOC'I_4TIO C'ONI TENTS OF TIIE FINI .4NC'I.4L ST.4TElI IEYI TS FOR THE I'E.AR EYI DED 31 DEC'EIllBER 2023 P.4CE InLvrnL' Jr)d l...Kr*ndiiufL' ALl￿￿nI C'lilni Approial C'Lniliiaie RL'lXKi ol'ihL' ]ndLr&ndL￿l l..iutninLY I%lli IBLESII'ORTII &. PL.411'SII'ORTII C-011.IIIINI ITI".4SS(K'I.4TIOI FOR THE I'E.4R ENDEDJI DEC'ENIBER2023 REI'ENIIE .4C-C'OiINT l-'nreslricled Funds Ilnr¢slricted Funds 2023 2023 202Z 2022 INC'OIIE 31.(Tr()9 13.663 313 2C).8i8 16,6h6 277 I)onaiicins 8llndr% Incom¢ 4i.07i 43.801 TOT.4L INI C'OIIE 43,801 ENPEIIDITIIRE (irani CNPindiiuri 4.?3j 7,801) R¢Dt.'I.L-&KholJ fLx" 3.666 7¥0 i.467 784 S.IK)S (-I)IllPLIIEf eiPin5L"5 ?1 &- profi55ional 1.097 41)4 13,?1? 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