Trustees report
Good evening everyone and welcome to the Oatlands Community Centre annual general meeting.
The purpose of this report is to provide an update of the activities of the Charity and relates to the financial year from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.
Our accounts this year were prepared by Claire Temple and Julie Watson, trustees of the Charity.
This year was an important one for the charity for several reasons. It was our first loan free, having secured grant funding to pay off the mortgage. Secondly was the plan to merge with Oatlands Community Group. The Charities were intrinsically linked through their aims to support the Oatlands community and having two trustees in common. The groups have supported each other with Oatlands Community Centre providing a home for many of the fundraising activities of the Group that in turn have benefited the centre alongside other Charities.
Permission was granted by the Charity Commission for the Charities to merge. The merger was registered on 29[th] January 2025 with a transfer date of 14[th] October 2024. At this point, the Community Group was removed from the Charities register.
The merger of the Charities provides additional trustees to help support the Community Centre which has previously struggled for volunteers. Victoria Smith Dunn has been elected as Chair of the Charity going forward with Julie Watson as Treasurer and Ella Smith Dunn and Secretary.
The accounts include the activities of the Community Group from August 2024 (reflecting the previous financial year end for the Charity).
This year the income was £15,585.37 compared to £78,248 for the year ending 2024. Expenditure has also dropped to £23,065.37 compared to £24,889. The Charity has ended the year with a deficit of £7529.50.
The main income stream for the Charity is through hall hire representing just over half of income. Utilities remain the biggest expenditure – approximately 70% of income is spent on utilities. As highlighted in the previous two Chairs report, rising energy costs remain a significant threat to the viability of the community centre. We have also spent £5,801.60 repairing and maintaining the building.
Reserves are still held in addition to the main account in excess of £30,000.
We are looking at ways of reducing expenditure and increasing income through grant funding.
I would like to acknowledge and say a thank you to all those who have volunteered their time to support the Charity. Vic, Julie, Chris, Ella, Judith and all the volunteers from Oatlands Community Group especially those transferring over as trustees.