Hawkesbury Hospital Hall – Chairman’s Year-End Report 2024
Charity Number 1176993
The village hall had a very successful year in 2024 with a significant increase in both the number and variety of regular activities and services on offer. This led to increased bookings and enabled a greater choice of activities to be available to a broader range of the community. Previously, in 2023, we minimised investment spending and focussed on promoting the hall as a venue for multiple occasions and events in order to achieve these increased bookings in 2024. Following on from this, the plan for 2024 was to significantly increase the delivery of projects in our strategic investment and development plan. This is aimed at improving the hall both functionally and environmentally to improve the facilities, reduce the carbon footprint and at the same time continue reducing the costs of operating the hall.
The increased activities and services in 2024 resulted in a 15% increase in hiring income which was critical from a financial perspective as there was a significant drop off in private event/party bookings relative to the previous year, with a consequent reduction in bar income and profit. However, there was an increase in bookings from groups outside the village which helped significantly. The focus on continuous cost reduction and challenging the prices for all contracted services remained a priority throughout 2024 resulting in a 10% reduction in expenditure compared with 2023. However, maintenance costs on the hall increased by 25% reflecting additional works that are required as the building ages, but also the ever-increasing demands of legislative and insurance requirements. For more detail on both the operational revenue and operational expenditure please see the Treasurer’s 2024 Finance Statement.
In 2024 we were able to invest the profit from 2023 and secure additional grants to continue our strategic investment and development plan. The programme was dominated by the installation of a 29kW solar panel array, extending our initial 12kW system installed in 2022 to a very substantial 41kW, which we plan to use in the future to remove our dependency on heating oil. This was accompanied by additional battery storage capacity and the installation of two 22kW fast Electric Vehicle chargers. Providing EV charging capacity in a rural location such as ours has obvious benefits for both residents and visitors. We also installed a solar module to enable our hot water to be heated from the solar energy we produce. A further significant investment was the conversion of the upstairs meeting room to a modern, bespoke Pilates studio in association with a local Pilates business. The room remains available for other hiring purposes and, as a consequence of the
transformation, we anticipate increased future rental for business meetings, presentations, AGM’s etc. New signage was installed around the hall to meet statutory requirements but has also enabled a very large increase in payments received for use of the carpark by nonhall users. The investment budget we set for 2024 was substantially underspent, primarily because a 100% grant was obtained for the solar project from the West of England Rural Fund. This means we can roll over much of this budget into the 2025/26 investment fund. Further details are documented in the Treasurer’s 2024 Finance Statement.
The playpark and skatepark are financially managed as a “restricted fund” ensuring all income and donations are spent only on their improvement, and maintenance. The hall was extremely grateful for generous donations to this fund in 2024 from the Tractor Run Group,
the Fireworks Group and the Winter Skittles league enabling new picnic benches to be provided. We also improved the quality of the statutory annual safety inspection by changing contractors and negotiated a zero increase to the insurance premium. Note a monthly full safety inspection is also undertaken by a group of village volunteers who make up our maintenance team for which the Hall Committee are extremely grateful.
In the middle of 2021, as we emerged from the Covid lockdowns and enforced closure of the hall, we initiated a 3-year strategic investment and development plan aimed at ensuring the hall remains financially viable whilst meeting modern day expectations. This has been achieved. In 2024, we extended the plan by a further 3 years with the principal aim of securing the long-term financial stability of the hall whilst also continuing to further improve existing facilities and provide additional/new facilities. A major part of the plan will focus on completing our Environmental objectives with the target of achieving net zero carbon emissions from the hall and in so-doing further reduce the operating costs substantially.
Overall, in 2024 the Village Hall Trust has generated an operating profit of close to nineteen thousand pounds. This is substantially greater than our expectation at the start of the year. This demonstrates conclusively that our strategic plan, based on significant investment and development of the hall, along with environmental improvement and cost reduction investments, plus increased promotional activity, is proving to be very successful. We can now confidently say that the financial problems the hall experienced prior to the pandemic are behind us. However, we cannot be complacent. The building is starting to show its age and, along with increasing legislative and statutory requirements, the infrastructure will continue to require money to be spent just to remain operational without any improvements.
I will finish the report by offering my sincere thanks for the support and effort of the Hall Committee members and of our other volunteers without whose support the hall would struggle. I also offer a big thank you to all those regular faces that continue to support events at the hall throughout the year. Our village hall remains an entirely stand-alone entity. It is operated as an Incorporated Charitable Trust and is self-funding – it is not financed or operated by the Parish Council, nor does it have any major beneficiaries or donors. All committee members are volunteers who provide their time and effort free of charge and take on the responsibility of Charity Commission Trustees to enable the village hall to benefit the residents of Hawkesbury. The village hall is a community asset, and its continued operation and success will only be possible through the community’s use and support of it, and the work of its trustees and volunteers.
Andrew Webb, Chair of Trustees – Hawkesbury Hospital Hall Incorporated Charity
HAWKESBURY HOSPITAL HALL
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2024
Year ended 31st December 2024
INCOME
| INCOME | ||
|---|---|---|
| 31/12/2023 | ||
| £782.74 | Donations | £800.50 |
| 725 | Donations for Playparks | £2,604.26 |
| £1,260.00 | Grants | £14,000.00 |
| £17,177.52 | Hall Hire | £19,793.00 |
| £2,421.91 | Fund raiser | £1,765.60 |
| £1,294.68 | Fund raising for Playparks | £1,430.36 |
| £318.25 | Car park donations | £1,114.05 |
| £1,300.00 | Office Hire | £3,900.00 |
| £11,130.70 | Bar Sales | £7,313.73 |
| £9.85 | Interest | £0.00 |
| 351.74 | Solar Panel payments | £327.11 |
| 0 | Open Garden Tickets | £324.11 |
| 2237.59 | Toddlers Funds Received | £9.00 |
| 7000 | Transfer of funds from reserves for new development programme | £18,000.00 |
| Solar 2 Grant (ACCURED FROM JANUARY 2025) | £29,930.00 | |
| £46,009.98 | TOTAL INCOME |
£101,311.72
EXPENDITURE
| £5,168.34 | Bar Purchases | £2,380.32 |
|---|---|---|
| £117.45 | Business Rates | -£1.80 |
| £156.13 | Water | £552.42 |
| £1,065.45 | Licences | £827.20 |
| £2,247.89 | Insurances | £2,423.88 |
| £1,346.45 | Cleaner | £1,594.15 |
| £388.54 Cleaning materials £3,743.48 New development programme costs £6,091.39 Maintanence (including regulatory inspections) £1,864.14 Waste Disposal £204.44 Electricity £3,572.89 Oil £136.39 Internet and Website £427.00 Bar Expenses £50.00 Sundries £0.00 Open Garden Funds transferred £2,116.59 Toddlers Funds Transferred £28,696.57 TOTAL EXPENDITURE £17,313.41 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INCOME AND EXPEDITURE |
£350.22 £44,227.96 £7,616.87 £1,067.55 £888.03 £2,332.49 £240.42 £0.00 £11.95 £324.11 £9.00 £64,844.77 £36,466.95 £39,381.72 £20,616.81 £18,764.91 £43,930.00 £18,000.00 £61,930.00 £44,227.96 £17,702.04 |
|---|---|
| OPERATING ACCOUNT - DETAIL INCOME (excluding grants and transfer from funds) EXPEDITURE (excluding new development programme costs) OPERATING PROFIT |
£39,381.72 £20,616.81 £18,764.91 |
| DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME RESERVED ACCOUNT DETAIL INCOME - Grants INCOME - Transfer EXPENDITURE- Development programme costs DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INCOME AND EXPEDITURE |
£43,930.00 £18,000.00 £61,930.00 £44,227.96 £17,702.04 |
| Closing balance @ 31st December 2024 (without accrual) Main Treasurers Account £27,433.30 Closing balance @ 31st December 2024 (with accrual) Main Treasurers Account £57,363.30 Opening Balance @ 1st January 2024 Main Treasurers Account £38,896.35 BALANCE SHEET AS 31st DECEMBER 2024 Closing Balance @ 31st December 2024 Opening balance @ 1st January 2024 £38,896.35 Transfer to Development programme reserved account £18,000.00 Difference between Income and Expenditure £36,466.95 £18,466.95 Closing Balance @ 31st December 2024 OF WHICH OPERATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT FUND RESTRICTED PLAYPARKS FUND |
|
|---|---|
| £57,363.30 | |
| £57,363.30 | |
| £51,465.59 £5,897.71 |
I hereby certify I have prepared the above figures in conjunction with the books and records submitted to me and that they are in accordance therewith as far as I able to ascertain William J Cullen
1 September 2025
Dear Committee
Hawkesbury Hospital Hall – Statement of Income and Expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2024
I have reviewed the Statement of Income and Expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2024 and the supporting cash book spreadsheets, bank statements, invoices and receipts provided by the treasurer. I confirm that the statement correctly reflects the financial position of the Hall supported by the bank statements of the corresponding period. Difference between Income and Expenditure £36,466.95 and Closing balance sheet reserves £57,363.30.
The bank statement balance during the year decreased by £11,463.05. The difference between the surplus on the Income and Expenditure account and the movement in the bank balance is the sum of two items:
-
1) £29,930 grant income relating to solar development project was not received until January 2025, but is included in the income statement to correctly match the period of expenditure.
-
2) £18,000, transfer of funds from reserves for new development programmes in accordance with the improvement and development strategy.
Accounting records
All the accounting records and cash book for the year reported on were once again extremely comprehensive, well-organised and easy to follow. The accounts were easy to review again this year, the files are clearly organised and labelled, consistent and easy to cross reference.
Yours faithfully
Anna O’Brien ACA