CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Chairman’s Report – Overview of the year. This report covers 1/4/23 to 31/3/24
I would like to start by thanking all our members for making this another successful year. With 22 of our members we have over 50% of the membership actively supporting which is a very high percentage for any voluntary group. The society has maintained a steady membership but has not been able to significantly attract new members.
During the year there has been on-going work on developing policies, procedures, risk assessments and safe working methods for our activities.
The society has also kept its links with Beverley Town Council and where possible been part of community activities in the Beverley area. The society also took part in the Heritage weekend opening the vessels to the public in an event that was well received.
After the winter period we started of 2023 with an open day to try and attract new members. The vessels had been maintained over the winter and were all operable for the summer of 2023. Initially the River to Hull closed due to a problem with the Wind Turbine at Cargills. This issue was resolved and Cargills made a donation of £1000 to the society as compensations for the loss of sailings.
I do not intend to repeat the treasurer ‘s report here but do want to point out while we had a surplus of £1640 for the year this did include £2500 of donations, which may not be repeated. There were also costs involved with the boat safety certificates. It is noticeable that costs are going up. We have sufficient reserves for day-to-day operation at over £11,000 but I will return to this in my conclusions.
SUN undertook 18 public sailing between 22[nd] April and 2[nd] October. Syntan made two round trips to Hull on 28.29 April and 11/12 August. In addition the vessels were open on the Beckside with Mermaid providing short trips on one Sunday a month from May to September.
Heading upstream the condition of the river with particular reference to weed has led to a cut back on trips to Hempholme and concentrating on Aike Beck as a turning point. Tree growth is a problem both up and downstream from Beverley with the lower River Hull now needing to be navigated much closer to high water which make a round trip to Hull in a day no longer practical.
There were also a small number of static use events on the beck for SYNTAN.
Over the winter period maintenance has taken place on the Beck with the vessels being prepared for their boat safety certificates. The poor weather has delayed this work and also made the dry dock unusable. There were also issues with the surveyor. This has now been resolved but that did run over into the current year.
Overall the year 2023/2024 has been a successful one for the society. The vessels are being maintained in good condition and operations have enabled us to fulfil our objective to keep navigation going on the river Hull, keep the skills needed and also give the public a chance to experience travel on the river Hull and Beverley Beck.
The Beverley Barge Preservation Society Charity Number: 1177522
http://www.syntanbarge.org.uk
There are however significant challenges facing us. These are
1) an aging membership and a lack of new members.
2) the condition of the river Hull
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3) increasing need for documentation and compliance
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4) generation of more income
5) lack of resources to develop areas like the on line presence, publicity, and the documentation we need
None of these areas are in a crisis state at this time but they need to be a priority going forward to ensure the long-term future for the BBPS.
Once again thanks to all our members and supporters for enabling the BBPS to keep sailing into 2024.
The Beverley Barge Preservation Society Charity Number: 1177522
http://www.syntanbarge.org.uk
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
| Year Ending 31st March: | 2023/2024 | 2022/2023 | 2021/2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INCOME | ||||
| Donations | 2,165 | 3,290 | 1,198 | |
| Sales | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Events | 100 | 50 | 204 | |
| Membership | 280 | 250 | 460 | |
| Bookings | 4,191 | 3,261 | 1,670 | |
| Grants | 1,500 | 2,000 | 2,930 | |
| Gift Aid | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 126 | 11 | 14 | |
| Interest | 110 | 7 | ||
| Transfer (to)/from Reserves | 56 | (1,146) | 0 | |
TOTAL INCOME |
8,530 | 7,729 | 6,476 | |
| EXPENDITURE | ||||
| Repairs & Renewals | 2,077 | 1,517 | 1,615 | |
Fixtures & Fittings |
84 | 396 | 1,372 | |
Hire Costs |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| PR/Social Media | 360 | 360 | 360 | |
| Stationery | 102 | 2 | 0 | |
| Galley | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Telecom & Postage | 45 | 0 | 20 | |
Fuel & Oil |
575 | 0 | 354 | |
| Licences & Memberships | 1,306 | 427 | 412 | |
Insurance |
2,231 | 1,993 | 2,144 | |
| Accounts fees | 0 | 240 | ||
| Health & Safety | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
Events costs |
30 | 195 | 0 | |
| Training | 56 | 354 | ||
| Depreciation | 0 | 0 | 760 | |
| Other Expenses | 24 | 3 | 10 | |
TOTAL EXPENDITURE |
6,890 | 5,499 | 7,057 | |
| NET SURPLUS /(DEFICIT) | 1,640 | 2,230 | (581) |
The Beverley Barge Preservation Society
Charity Number: 1177522
http://www.syntanbarge.org.uk
BALANCE SHEET
| Year Ending 31st March: | 2023/2024 | 2022/2023 | 2021/2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIXED ASSETS | ||||
| Barge Syntan | 95,000 | 95,000 | 95,000 | |
| Vessel Mermaid | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | |
| Vessel Sun | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | |
| Upgrade | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTAL FIXED ASSETS | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | |
| CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
| Cash at Bank / PettyCash | 11,176 | 8,871 | 5,033 | |
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||
| Loan | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 | |
| Membership Fees Paid in Advance |
10 | 0 | 170 | |
| Refundable BookingDeposits | 100 | 194 | 132 | |
| Deferred Income - Training | 1,590 | 1,646 | ||
| Short Term Creditors | 1,375 | 570 | ||
| TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES |
5,575 | 4,910 | 2,802 | |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 5,601 | 3,961 | 2,231 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS | 155,601 | 153,961 | 152,231 | |
| REPRESENTED BY: | ||||
| General Reserve 1stApril | 153,961 | 151,731 | 152,302 | |
| Adj. to opening balance | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Net Surplus /(Deficit) | 1,640 | 2,230 | (581) | |
| General Reserve 31stMarch | 155,601 | 153,961 | 151,731 | |
| plus Restricted Reserve | 0 | 0 | 500 | |
| TOTAL RESERVES | 155,601 | 153,961 | 152,231 |
The Beverley Barge Preservation Society Charity Number: 1177522
http://www.syntanbarge.org.uk