## Annual Report of The Troyte Ringing Centre
2021
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
## **TROYTE RINGING CENTRE**
## **Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31[st] December 2021**
## **CHARITY DETAILS**
CHARITY NAME
The Troyte Ringing Centre (often known as the “TRC”) was set up in 2004.
CHARITY REG’D NUMBER The Centre was granted charity status by the Charity Commission in July 2018. Its Registered Charity Number is 1179374.
CONTACT ADDRESS Five Oaks, Bampton, TIVERTON, Devon, EX16 9LE.
CHARITY TRUSTEES **Name Office Held** Richard Barker (to October 21) Leslie Boyce Chairman (Jun 21 -) Mandy Burnett Michael Hatchett Chairman (to Jun 21) Patricia Hatchett (to June 21) Jennifer Jones Secretary Sheila Scofield ADVISORS Robert Brown Principal Conductor Jeffrey Knipe Conductor Michael Spencer Conductor Simon Bartlett Examiner of Accounts WEBSITE http://www.troyteringingcentre.org.uk/index.htm
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT**
The Troyte Ringing Centre is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and its governing document is the TRC Constitution adopted on 27[th] July 2018. The members of the TRC are for the time being its trustees. Additional trustees or trustees to fill vacant posts are appointed by the remaining trustees with due regard to the knowledge, skills and experience of the candidates. In particular, appointees must demonstrate their competence in ringing full circle tower bells and in the training and development of appropriate ringing skills.
## **Management**
The TRC operates primarily from St Michael and All Angels Church, Bampton and from All Saints Church, Huntsham in Devon. The Centre has management agreements with the Parochial Church Councils of both churches which provide for access and maintenance arrangements and the respective responsibilities of the TRC and the PCCs. The trustees and other voluntary helpers appointed by the trustees are responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the Centre. All the trustees and helpers work for the Centre on a voluntary basis without remuneration other than the reimbursement of reasonable expenses.
The Centre has developed a range of management policies covering issues such as health and safety, safeguarding, COVID-security and investment.
## **Links to other bodies**
In addition to the agreements in place with the respective PCCs of Bampton and Huntsham, the Centre cultivates links with the North East Branch of the Guild of Devonshire Ringers and is designated an ART Teaching Hub by the Association of Ringing Teachers. The TRC also has a close relationship with Bampton Church of England Primary School and runs an after-school bellringing club for its pupils.
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## The TRC sets out its objective in its Constitution, namely:
_For the public benefit, to recruit and train bell ringers, using individual and group-based programmes of continuing education and development, in Mid Devon, West Somerset, Taunton Deane and surrounding areas for the purpose of advancing the art of bell ringing on bells hung in towers for full circle ringing which are audible to the general public._
- _**Note:** This object requires the TRC to operate within three principal fields of activity:_
- _with the general public for the purpose of increasing public knowledge and understanding of tower bell ringing,_
- _within groups of practising bell ringers for the purpose of developing group ringing performances_
- _and with individual bell ringers to enable them to integrate more effectively into_
Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
_existing groups of ringers._
In attempting to meet this objective the TRC carries out a range of activities, primarily:
1) Developing competence in the full circle ringing of tower bells through training, mentoring, focused practices and recorded performances for those living principally, but not exclusively, within the local authority areas of Mid Devon, West Somerset and Taunton Deane Districts.
(2) Providing suitably competent bands of ringers to meet the reasonable bellringing needs and interests of the communities of Bampton and Huntsham and those living within the wider geographical areas of interest to the Centre.
(3) Providing appropriate recruitment information and events for those living principally within the geographical areas of interest to the Centre.
(4) Using any surplus income not used for meeting objectives 1,2 or 3 for the long-term maintenance and enhancement of the equipment used by the Centre which is owned by others and to support local communities.
## **Public Benefit**
The Trustees are mindful of the guidance given by the Charity Commission in respect of demonstrating public benefit arising from the work of the TRC. In carrying out the activities outlined above the following public benefits are derived:
- Towers within the geographical area of interest are supported to provide information, open events and recruitment activities to explain and foster an understanding of tower bell ringing in the general population. Raising awareness of the heritage and history of bells and tower bell ringing from the mid-16[th] century is a key component of our public information activities.
- Through helping teachers in local towers or by directly providing tuition, the TRC enables new recruits to bellringing to be taught to control bells safely and effectively, thus sustaining ringing activities in towers that might otherwise fall silent and maintaining the centuries old tradition of ringing bells in England.
- Through providing continuing training in bell ringing, less experienced ringers are supported to maintain and develop their ringing and thus to improve their standard of public performance.
- Through offering readily available practice facilities using well-maintained bell installations, sound control systems and silent practice computer-based training, the TRC is further supporting ringers of all levels of ability. It thereby encourages the retention of ringers and supports ringers to achieve higher standards of public performance, while avoiding excessive disturbance to neighbours from long and frequent periods of open ringing.
- Through raising funds through its activities, the TRC supports its host churches to meet running costs, the costs of day to day bell maintenance and the investment needs for the longer-term overhaul of the bell installations. Surplus income is offered to other towers in the area to assist with the costs of the maintenance and overhaul of their bell installations.
- Bell ringing is an activity open to people of all ages from 8 to 80 and of all backgrounds. It offers good physical exercise and the opportunity for mental stimulation and social interaction.
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
## **CENTRE ACTIVITIES IN 2021**
## **Recruitment, Publicity & Fundraising**
TRC activities continued to be restricted by the COVID pandemic and the prohibition on members of different households mixing in the earlier part of the year. A single bell was rung before Bampton Sunday services and on Thursday evenings, when it celebrated the work of N.H.S. staff. Recruitment and the teaching of bell handling, involving as it does the close proximity of teacher and pupil, had to wait until the last quarter of the year. The ringing of a single bell was nevertheless appreciated by the local community and reminded them of the presence of both the church and the Ringing Centre.
We retain a set of display boards illustrating the history and practice of bells and ringing. Inevitably opportunities to deploy it were severely limited, but it was borrowed for use in Tiverton on Heritage Open Days in September.
A coffee morning was held at Bampton in September to raise income for the Centre and the TRC helped raise money for Christian Aid by parachuting teddy bears from Bampton church tower on the August Bank Holiday Monday.
## **Service ringing and requested ringing**
In normal circumstances the Centre’s band of local ringers performs regularly prior to most Sunday services at Bampton and Huntsham. Prior to the pandemic these Sunday Service ringing sessions occurred on six occasions each month. The TRC band also rings for midweek church services, weddings and to celebrate anniversaries, other life events and civic occasions when requested.
Ringing activity resumed from mid-May in line with Government restrictions and the guidance received from the Church of England’s House of Bishops and the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. Until July bands were restricted to six members of different households, but after that ringing 8 bells at Huntsham became possible. Wedding and other requested ringing restarted from this time also. Not all TRC members returned to ringing immediately and three former ringers had moved away by the time ringing restarted. A rota was used to try and ensure sufficient ringers at each session. COVID risk assessments were prepared for both towers and revised during the year as the situation and guidance changed. As a result of this loss of membership, during 2022 we will have some difficulty in finding bands for the significant number of weddings due to take place at Huntsham.
## **Group practices and Training Events**
TRC members were consulted about their willingness to return to a weekly practice night. After some initial caution regular Thursday night practices at Bampton returned from the start of November. Initially the emphasis in these practices has been to rebuild the skills of ringers as a band after the break of over 18 months.
The TRC programme of training events and Extended Practices remained in abeyance for the year, recognising that there were still many towers not back ringing regularly and some caution amongst ringers, particularly about attending events which involve close contact between trainers and learners. A successful tower maintenance training event was held, however, in December using the belfry at Tiverton, St Peter’s. The programme of the local North-East Branch of the Guild of Devonshire Ringers (which had regularly used TRC facilities) was also in abeyance for all of 2021. It is likely that there will have been a build-up
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
in demand for some training events over the two years of the pandemic which will put pressure on our helper resources.
## **Recorded performances – peals and QPs**
The TRC promotes the value of extended ringing performances as a way of developing the skills of ringers. Ringers throughout the South West are encouraged to participate in weekly peal attempts. A “peal” is a continuous performance of a minimum of 5,000 changes and takes between 2½ - 3 hours to complete. Peal ringing resumed in May at Huntsham and 27 peals were recorded in the year. Details of the peals rung can be seen on the TRC website: http://www.troyteringingcentre.org.uk/peals/peals2021.htm. At noteworthy milestone was achieved in November when the 600[th] peal on the bells was rung.
Similarly, the Centre also hosts regular quarter peal attempts by the local ringers and bands from further afield. 3 successful quarter peal performances were recorded. A “quarter peal” is a continuous performance of a minimum of 1,260 changes and takes about 45 minutes to complete. At Bampton there was one peal and one quarter peal in 2021.
Resumption of peal and quarter peal ringing was regarded as problematic as evidence grew that COVID infection is spread more easily in indoor settings with poor ventilation. At Huntsham this issue was addressed by the regular peal band members taking Lateral Flow Tests before each attempt. At Bampton the problem of poor ventilation was addressed in 2021 by the commissioning of a mechanical ventilation system as explained below.
## **Governance**
Despite the restrictions imposed because of COVID, the trustees continued to meet, sometimes outside, and to transact business by email. It again was not possible to hold the annual meeting of the TRC ringers, but this will be arranged in 2022 and consultation meetings were held with them prior to resuming service ringing and practices.
The new hazards presented by the COVID virus required that additional risk assessments were prepared for both towers and these were revised during the year as the pandemic conditions and resulting guidance changed.
Two trustees resigned during the year, and we thank Pat Hatchett and Richard Barker for all the work they have done for the Centre. Mike Hatchett stood down as Chairman and Leslie Boyce was elected in his place. At the end of the year steps were taken to find new trustees and it is planned to make new trustee appointments in 2022.
## **Facilities Maintenance and Improvement**
Significant work to maintain and improve the bell installations and our ringing environment was done during the year.
At Bampton a long-standing concern about the lack of ventilation in the ringing room was given added emphasis by the COVID pandemic and the growing evidence that the Corona virus is spread particularly through aerosol droplets in the air. In 2020 a feasibility study had indicated that a mechanical ventilation system could be installed to extract air from the ringing chamber, placing the necessary trunking in the redundant clock weight casing, with the fan located within the clock chamber, and exhausting the air in the bell chamber, without harm to any of the historic fabric of the tower. This system was installed and commissioned in the spring of 2021 and supplemented by the purchase of a free-standing air purifier unit.
As part of the commissioning of the ventilation system, Dr. David Pouncey, an adviser to the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, came to Bampton and conducted tests to measure
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
its effectiveness. The tests measured levels of CO2 in the atmosphere of the ringing room while ringing was being undertaken and they showed that the ventilation system is effective in changing the air in the room and thus preventing a build up of aerosols which might contain the virus. The tests were part of a national evaluation of ventilation in bell towers and the results were published in the journal, _The Ringing World, No. 5747, pp 536-38 (18 June 2021)._ The installation of the system required an upgrade to the electrical supply to the tower and the opportunity was also taken to improve emergency and external lighting in and around the tower.
At Huntsham work was done on the clappers and main bearings of the bells by Nicholson Engineering, a firm of bellhangers. Volunteers from the Ringing Centre assisted with this work, thus reducing the cost to the TRC. A fault with the headstock of the tenor bell was revealed after this work and will necessitate a little further attention in 2022. The cessation of regular ringing also allowed the ringing room floors in both towers to be sanded and resealed.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Introduction**
At the 31 December 2021 our total assets were £6,892, of which £3,864 was held in our HSBC Current Account and £3,028 was held in our CCLA Deposit account. In addition, Huntsham PCC held Accumulated Shares in the CCLA CBF Church of England Investment Fund valued on 31 December 2021 at £9,807.06 and Bampton PCC held shares in the same CCLA Investment Fund valued on the same date at £17,594.97 on our behalf.
## **Income during the period up to 31 December 2021**
Our total receipts received during the year were £7,191 which were slightly higher than the total received during 2020. Voluntary donations, together with the Income Tax recovered through the Gift Aid Scheme, totalled £3,812. Income from peals, quarter peals and celebration ringing, mainly weddings, totalled £1,641. We also received grants from the Listed Places of Worship Scheme of £1,134 as reimbursement for the VAT paid for maintenance work carried out during the year. We also raised £542 through fund raising events and trading.
## **Expenditure during the period up to 31 December 2021**
Our total payments made during the year were £9,367 of which £5,761 was used for the second phase of the Huntsham twenty-year maintenance programme which involved the replacement of the main bearings of all eight bells.. We also spent £3,079 on the use of church facilities during the year. Our normal annual payments to Bampton PCC and Huntsham PCC were reduced to reflect the access which was denied during periods of statutory lockdown. The Bampton payment was reduced from £1,000 to £635 and the Huntsham payment from £700 to £444. We were also able to maintain our normal annual contribution to each PCC of £1,000 to be used to purchase additional Accumulated Shares in the CCLA CBF Church of England Investment Fund for future major works of maintenance or rehanging.
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
The Financial Statement for the period 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2021 and the Report of the Examiner of Accounts are appended.
## **DECLARATION OF TRUSTEES**
This annual report and the accompanying accounts were approved by the Trustees at their meeting held on 5[th] October 2022.
Signed Leslie Boyce Chairman Signed Jenny Jones Secretary
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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2021
## **Troyte Ringing Centre**
## **Financial Statement for period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021**
|**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**|**General**|**Huntsham**|**Bampton**|**Training**|**TOTAL**
**2021**|**TOTAL**
**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**RECEIPTS**
Use of bells
1
Voluntary receipts
2
Fund raising
3
Other incoming resouces
4
**Total receipts**
**PAYMENTS**
Maintenance & Repairs
5
Fund raising costs
6
Facilties
7
Training
8
Other outgoing resources
9
**Total payments**
**Surplus (Deficit)**
**Note**|**Unrestricted**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**£**|**£**|
||1,188
25|1,509
1,221
20
1,134|132
1,353
522
0|50
38|1,641
3,812
542
1,197|389
5,227
154
1,033|
||1,213|3,884|2,007|88|7,191|6,803|
||390|5,761
1,444
0|1,635
13|124|5,761
0
3,079
124
403|5,684
0
1,360
140
320|
||390|7,205|1,648|124|9,367|7,503|
||||||||
||824|(3,321)|359|(37)|(2,175)|(700)|
|**TRANSFERS**
Transfers between funds
10
**Surplus (Deficit) after transfers**|0|0|0|0|0|0|
||824|(3,321)|359|(37)|(2,175)|(700)|
||||||||
|**AVAILABLE FUNDS**
11
Available funds at start of Financial Year
Available funds at end of Financial Year|1,357
2,180|3,621
307|2,803
3,169|1,263
1,226|9,043
6,882|8,819
9,043|
|**STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES**|**General**|**Huntsham**|**Bampton**|**Training**|**TOTAL**
**2021**|**TOTAL**
**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Monetary assets**
Bank current account
Cash
Deposit account
**Liabilities**
Cheques not presented
Agency Account
12
**Note**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**£**|**£**|
||2,180
0
0|(1,207)
0
1,514|1,655
0
1,514|1,236
0
0|3,864
0
3,028|5,378
427
3,014|
||2,180|307|3,169|1,236|6,892|8,819|
||0
0|0
0|0
0|10|10
0|0
0|
||0|0|0|10|10|0|
Jack Ward Accounts Manager
Approved at Trustees Meeting on
Mike Hatchett Treasurer
Jenny Jones Secretary
|**NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT**|**General**|**Huntsham**|**Bampton**|**Training**|**TOTAL**
**2021**|**TOTAL**
**2020**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**1 Use of bells**
Peals
Quarter Peals
Weddings, funerals and celebrations
Visiting Ringers
Branch Practices
**2 Voluntary receipts**
Online Giving Ltd
Non-Gift Aided Donations
Gift Aided Donations
Income tax recovered (Gift Aid Scheme)
**3 Fund raising**
Trading
Events
**4 Other incoming resouces**
Bell Club fees & subscriptions
Training fees
Refreshments
Grants (LPW Scheme)
Transfer from Deposit Account
Other
**5 Maintenance & Repairs**
Maintenance & repairs
New equipment
**6 Fund raising costs**
Invoices & reimbursements
Cost of trading
**7 Facilties**
Use of faclities
Major Works Investment Fund
**8 Training**
Training material
Reimbursements
Other
**9 Other outgoing resources**
Administration
Other|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**Designated**
**£**|**£**|**£**|
|||873
66
570|30
12
90||903
78
660
0
0|288
32
30
0
39|
||0|1,509|132|0|1,641|389|
||34
1,154|220
1,001|206
1,147|15
35|34
441
2,183
1,154|122
736
4,040
329|
||1,188|1,221|1,353|50|3,812|5,227|
|||20|54
467||74
467|154
0|
||0|20|522|0|542|154|
||25|1,134||0
38|0
38
0
1,134
0
25|58
28
12
0
0
935|
||25|1,134|0|38|1,197|1,033|
|||5,761|||5,761
0|3,344
2,340|
||0|5,761|0|0|5,761|5,684|
||||||0
0|0
0|
||0|0|0|0|0|0|
|||444
1,000|635
1,000||1,079
2,000|360
1,000|
||0|1,444|1,635|0|3,079|1,360|
|||||24
100|24
100|20
20
100|
||0|0|0|124|124|140|
||55
335||13||55
348|320
0|
||390|0|13|0|403|320|
10 The General Fund is used for payments which are not liabilities falling to one of the other funds (e,g, insurance, website costs and governance) and receipts which are not other fund credits (e.g. income from Just Giving) or not attributal to a single fund (e.g. Gift Aid).
11 Monetary Assets less Liabilities
- 12 Money which passes through the TRC's bank account but which is not part of its income or expenditure. e.g. Collections for other charities.
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
Report to the trusté¢$l
members of
Troyte Ringing Centre
On accounts for the year
ended
31" Dernber 2021
Charity no
lif any)
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the
above charity llhe TTUSt") for the year ended 3111212021
Responslbllltios and
basls of report
s the chanty's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the
acco'jnts in accordance wth the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 {"the Act")-
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried
out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my
examinalion, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the
Charity Commission under section 145{51(b) of Ihe Act.
Independent examiner's
ststement
11. Delete I l if not applicable.
I have completed my examinalion. I confimi that no material matters
have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other
han that disclosed below "I which gives me cause to believe that in,
any material respect".
. the accounting records We not kepl in accordance with section
130 of the Charities Act; or
. the accounts did not accord the accounting records", or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements
concerning the foryn and c£Jntent of accounts set out in the
Charities (Accounts and Reports} Regulations 2008 other than
any quIrernent that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view
which is nol a mattef consKlered as part of an independent
examinatK)n.
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in
connection with the examination lo which attention should be
drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understsnding of
the accounts to be reached.
Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed:
Date: [*
ame:
Relevant professional
qualificationls) or body lif
any)-
Address:
0114y a.ii..o.ele i., Lhe &Xdf.Iiiib-.
-5 :o highlight nialerial mallers o,.
concem (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts..
irections and guidance for examiners).
Give here brief detsils of
any ilems that the
examiner wishes to
dlsclose.
IER
Oct 2018