Rockfield Park Community Centre
Trustees Annual Report for Financial Year Ended 31 October 2023
Administrative Details:
Charity Registration No.: 1175374 Address: Cornwallis Way, Monmouth NP25 5DN Names of Trustees at time of approval of this Report:
Nicky Jameson, Peter Jefferies, Kingsley Jones, Hannah Lineham, Steve Miles
Post Holders: Treasurer: Nicky Jameson Secretary: Various
Structure, Governance and Management:
The Centre is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Background: the first four Trustees were proposed in 2017 by the then-current management of the Company that was running the Monmouthshire County Council’s Rockfield Estate Community Centre after publicity and meetings to review need for succession following their retirement. Those four volunteers set up the Rockfield Park Community Centre as a CIO, with a relevant Constitution, registered on 26 October 2017 and as Trustees took over the management of the Centre on 1 February 2018.
The Trustees undertake all the work involved in running and maintaining the Centre: there is no Management Committee or caretaker, although the Trustees pay someone to clean the centre 6 days a week.
A Business Plan covering the three years following hand over on 1 February 2018 had been prepared and submitted to the Charity Commission as part of the Registration process; many assumptions made in that Plan are still valid and it was updated to cover the five years 2019/2024.
The Centre has a GDPR Policy in place and has advised those who might be concerned how we handle their data. The Trustees have developed a Policy covering risk management and remedial measures in accordance with CC14, CC26 and CC29.
Page 1 of 4
The Trustees have continued to meet on a regular basis, either in-person at the centre or via Zoom, to review the day-to-day activities of the Centre and its financial stability. The meetings are conducted in accordance with CC 48 with the Chair being elected on the day.
The Centre has been a member of GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) and WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action) and has developed relationships with local bodies such as Transition Monmouth and the Community & Partnership Development Team of the Monmouthshire County Council.
Objectives and Activities:
The objects of the CIO are:
To further or benefit the residents of Rockfield Estate in Monmouth and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power:
To establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.
The management of the Centre was formally transferred to the Trustees at the previously agreed date of 1 Feb 2018 with a 10 year lease drawn up by Monmouthshire County Council.
The community Centre acts as a meeting facility for many local groups and organisations and provides a wide range of classes, workshops, fitness classes and other local events.
Achievements and Performance:
The Charity has run the Centre for the benefit of the local residents by providing a location where, typically, educational and leisure classes, children’s birthday parties, a Church group, Nursery Day care sessions, English and Welsh Medium play groups and a ‘Repair Café’. The centre has been used by the Local Authority to facilitate First Aid training and has also been used for one-off photography sessions by a local company. The hall was used by the local community for an event to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
Page 2 of 4
The centre also provides an allotment area for use by the local community and benefited from a grant from Monmouth Town Council to improve this area this year.
It also provides an outdoor Petanque area that is used on a weekly basis by a local club who also book the hall for refreshments for some matches. The hall is used for a ‘Councillor Clinic’ once a month to enable local residents to engage with their local councillor.
The Community Centre is a hive of activity and is enjoyed by local residents for regular and ad-hoc bookings. The centre has been booked every day with only a small number of slots available and unused. The groups using the centre provide recreational, educational and leisure activities to over 150, children, parents and other residents every week. The local community value the centre and what it offers them.
Following a period of vandalism and concern about drug activity around the centre at the end of 2021 the trustees worked closely with the police and local community police officers to improve the situation for both the centre and local residents who were being troubled by noise and low level criminal activity. The local community police office held drop-in sessions at the centre on a regular basis in order to engage with local residents. We are pleased to report that there have not been many reported cases of vandalism or anti-social behaviour for some months.
We have been successful at recruiting volunteers for the allotment area at the rear of the building. However, we would like to recruit more volunteers willing to help with the day-to-day running of the centre which in time may lead to more trustees with greater experience of the centre.
Financial Review:
We have not accumulated sufficient funds to warrant a decision as to how any surplus funds are to be formally treated as reserves. Money will be set aside for the upkeep of the building. Please see separate Financial Report for the year ending March 31[st] 2023.
Public Benefit Statement:
The Trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in PB1, PB2 and PB3 in taking over the Centre and running it more efficiently for the benefit of the residents of Rockfield Estate in Monmouth and the neighbourhood.
Page 3 of 4
The trustees confirm their belief that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the commission's public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant.
Plans for future periods:
Revise our Business Plan, developed to cover the period 2019 to 2024.
Report prepared by Trustees Hannah Lineham, Kingsley Jones and Nicky Jameson, Steve Miles and Peter Jefferies in the course of their Meeting on 19[th] January 2024.
End of report
Page 4 of 4
Financial Statement
Rockfield Park Community Centre
| Charity number | 1175374 | |
|---|---|---|
| Statement for Year ending |
31-Oct-23 | |
| Opening Balance | £18,838.07 | |
| Closing Balance | £16,116.90 | |
| (Loss) | -£2,721.17 | |
| Income | £ | |
| Gifts | 0.00 | |
| Grant | 7,247.00 | For Community Garden |
| Interest on Reserve Acc. | 195.34 | |
| Hire_One-Of | 1,136.50 | |
| Hire_Regular | 10,885.25 | |
| Total Income | £19,464.09 | |
| Expenditure | ||
| Bank Charge | -64.00 | |
| Cleaner | -4,218.63 | |
| Cleaning Materials | -481.47 | |
| Garden & Gardener Costs | -13,381.00 | See Grant |
| Hire_Refund | -56.00 | |
| H&S_FireAlarm | -93.00 | |
| H&S_FireService | -744.00 | |
| H&S_PAT Tests | -50.40 | |
| H&S_Sanitary | -1,045.98 | |
| Insurance | -549.48 | |
| Keys | -33.50 | |
| Maintenance | -21.60 | |
| Marketing | 0.00 | |
| Misc. | -100.00 | Charity Donation in Memory of April Wiggins |
| Music Licence | -460.84 | |
| Projects | 0.00 | |
| MCC Management Fee | -77.75 | |
| MCC Rates | -171.21 | |
| MCC Rent (Quarterly) | -490.00 | |
| Web_Site | -146.40 | |
| Total Outgoings | -£22,185.26 |