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2021-12-31-accounts

Milborne St Andrew Village Hall Annual Report

January 2021 to December 2021

Governance President

Eric Crichton

Trustees and User Group representatives

Sarah Ryan - Chair and Yoga representative

Ian Karley – Deputy Chair; special responsibility for internal maintenance advice and the Players representative Ed Frost - Treasurer Linda Wright - Secretary and Women’s Institute representative Susan Dawson - special responsibility for hygiene and cleaning, on Covid subcommittee

Sandie Sach – Covid subcommittee; manages the bar and supplies. Barbara Rawlings – Covid subcommittee

Gren Elphinstone Davis - special responsibility for grounds maintenance; Deputy Treasurer

Rose Frost - Food and Wine representative Tanya Churchill

Non trustees including additional user group representatives

Paul Tasker - Ladybirds Playgroup Chair Alison Riddle - Booking secretary

Jenny Balcon - Wednesday Club/Lunch Club/Scouts representative

Structure and Governance

The Committee

The organisation aims to adhere to the recommendations of the Charity Commission.

The Village Hall is governed by a committee consisting of trustees and user group representatives; some of the latter are not trustees and have no voting rights. Trustees are voted onto the

committee at the annual general meeting; new applicants have an informal interview prior to election or post-election. Most trustees also represent a group who are frequent hall users. However, some committee members choose not to be trustees but wish to attend to represent their user group. Those who do not wish

~~to be trustees can be invited to attend mee~~ tings but have no voting rights and may be asked to leave if business topics are not relevant to their User Group. There are nominated members who have a dedicated management role, including the chairperson, secretary and treasurer. Other members have allocated responsibilities including booking secretary, events organiser, maintenance representative, etc. (see list of members)

The Meetings

The meetings are held on a monthly basis, usually on the third Wednesday of the month. The meetings are informal but structured. An agenda is circulated in advance of the meetings to all relevant members. Matters on the agenda are discussed, including the finance statement and reports from the treasurer; votes are taken when actions are required. Only Trustees are allowed to vote; nontrustees may be asked to leave the meeting if matters are confidential or irrelevant to their user group. Notes are kept of the meetings and are published on the village website once agreed and signed off.

An Extra Ordinary Meeting may be called if necessary. Email 'conversations' are used and if necessary, agreement of actions required is confirmed using this medium.

Administration

The committee aims to ensure that the users of the hall and surrounding grounds are kept safe and risks are managed. There are annual inspections of all aspects that are recommended by the Health and Safety Executive, including general risk assessments, fire assessments, electrical and building features. A portfolio of policies has been created to address important issues such as safeguarding, risk avoidance and those related to management, for example, a code of conduct, complaints procedures, etc.

For most of the year we were doing the last things – or waiting for them to be recognised – to have the Charity Commission accept our application to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Objectives

The existing charity exists to:

  1. Promote the intellectual, social and physical welfare of the inhabitants of Milborne St Andrew irrespective of their race, creed or physical ability.

  2. Provide a range of facilities that will improve the conditions of life within the community including the use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation.

At the suggestion of the Charity Commission the renewed object for the new CIO charity is to be: -

The object of the CIO is the provision and maintenance of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of the parish of Milborne St Andrew without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.

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Achievements of Objectives

Until the arrival of the pandemic, the hall was hired on a regular basis by groups established in the village such as the Women's Institute, Garden Club, Ladybirds Playgroup, Yoga group, Players, etc., and for regular and one-off meetings such as the Parish Council, Neighbourhood Planning Group, the Village Hall Committee, etc. The hall was hired by individuals and by groups for one-off functions e.g. child and adult parties, presentations, etc. There were regular social functions such as film shows, Artsreach presentations, amateur play productions and pantomimes, etc. Most of these stopped during 2020.

By the beginning of 2021, however, things were beginning to happen again. Our Covid committee worked continuously updating policies according to latest government guidelines, and the hall was able to be used again. The grants that we were given by Dorset Council during the time of the pandemic were put to very good use, enabling us to carry out expensive work on the floor and refurbish the kitchen. We decided to get rid of the dishwasher which had never worked satisfactorily, feeling that the instalment of a double sink would make up for this to a certain extent. We started planning to renew windows and the front door. Storage space was looked at again in an effort to make things easier for the Ladybirds Playgroup.

In the grounds we repaired the base of the zip wire and the steps by the slide. We installed two picnic benches, one of which is wheelchair-friendly (and child buggyfriendly) picnic bench, and had an ongoing battle with moles. We decided to allow dogs on leads in the grounds once more.

We started investigating the possibility of enlarging the car park, as there are so often problems with lack of space. Alongside this, we also investigated the possibility of EV charging points. We also looked into the installation of solar panels.

We took part in the village preparations for the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations planned for June 2022.

Policies

These are available on the village website; they are updated regularly

Summary of Achievements 2021

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Future Plans and Targets for the year ending 2022

To complete the conversion of the Charity to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

To ensure the building remains in good order

To continue to promote the use of the hall by hirers to ensure viability of the facilities.

To get new windows and front door

To obtain external funding for the car park extension now that planning permission has been obtained

Financial Review 2021 and Budget for 2022

The restrictions imposed as a result of the continuing Covid 19 pandemic restricted the use of the hall and rental income was massively down for the second year. In normal times we can expect a rental income of around £18,000, in 2020 it was down to £7,000 and in 2021 down further to £5,000. Fortunately, we were eligible for and received a number of Covid Lockdown-related grants from the government/Dorset County Council and in late 2020 received £10,000 and then in 2021 a total of £18,400.

The grants comfortably compensated for our loss of rental income and the Trustees agreed to provide a two-term rent holiday for the Ladybirds pre-school group. In addition, funds were used to refurbish the kitchen, replace the steps for the playpark slide and carry out treatment for woodworm in the main hall floor.

Overall, we spent almost £5,000 more than we received but were left with enough to confirm the replacement of windows and the front door for the spring of 2022.

In 2022, as well as the replacement of glazing and the front door, we hope to obtain external funding for the car park extension now that planning permission has been obtained. At the time of writing, Covid restrictions have been lifted and clubs are returning and we look forward, with optimism, to a more normal year.

The Statement of Assets below covers the 12-month period 01/Jan/2021 to 31/Dec/2021. The Trustees are grateful to Elizabeth Humphrey for preparing the Statement.

Edwin Frost (Treasurer) March 2022.

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