2022-12-31-accounts

Annual Report of The Troyte Ringing Centre

2022

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

TROYTE RINGING CENTRE

Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31[st] December 2022

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 Christopher Bolt (from March 2022) Leslie Boyce Chairman Mandy Burnett (to June 2022) Michael Hatchett Jennifer Jones Secretary Sheila Scofield Michael Ward (from March 2022)

ADVISORS Robert Brown Principal Conductor Jeffrey Knipe Conductor (Deceased Feb 22) Michael Spencer Conductor Simon Bartlett Examiner of Accounts Ken Smith Webmaster

WEBSITE http://www.troyteringingcentre.org.uk/index.htm

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

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. The running of an after-school bellringing club for its pupils had to be suspended after the COVID pandemic; it is hoped to revive the club in 2023.

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

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

• and with individual bell ringers to enable them to integrate more effectively into 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 2022

CENTRE ACTIVITIES IN 2022

Recruitment, Publicity & Fundraising

In 2022 TRC activities returned to a level nearer that of the pre-pandemic era following the restrictions imposed by COVID controls in 2020 and 2021. Some teaching of bell handling has taken place, but the losses of ringers from the TRC band which occurred during the pandemic have yet to be made up. Thus recruitment is a high priority for the coming year and campaigns will be linked to ringing for the Coronation in May 2023.

We retain a set of display boards illustrating the history and practice of bells and ringing. These were used on Heritage Open Days in September in Tiverton and Bampton, during fundraising events at Bampton and at one other tower in the year.

Coffee mornings were held at Bampton in February and October to raise income for the Centre and an August Bank Holiday Monday event parachuting teddy bears from Bampton church tower and a tower open event in September generated good public relations for the TRC, but sadly no new recruits. An innovation was the staging of a cream tea in the Bampton churchyard in August.

The funds raised by these events allowed the TRC to support the running costs of the two churches and to make provision in the longer term for major work on the bells.

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. This is at least four times a month. The TRC band also rings for mid-week church services, weddings and to celebrate anniversaries, other life events and civic occasions when requested. Particularly noteworthy was special ringing for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June and her death and funeral in September. Greater use is being made of local Facebook pages to inform the community of ringing for special occasions.

Not all TRC members returned to ringing immediately after the pandemic and three former ringers had moved away by the time ringing restarted. As a consequence, there have been a few occasions when it has not been possible to field a band for service ringing and there is no spare capacity to meet illness or absence. It is hoped that the recruitment initiative in the coming year will address this situation.

Group practices and Training Events

Regular Thursday night practices at Bampton have been held throughout the year. Initially the emphasis in these practices has been to rebuild the skills of ringers as a band after the pandemic break, but as the year progressed a wider range of methods has been attempted.

The TRC programme of training events and Extended Practices resumed from May 2022 and 18 ringers from other towers benefitted. Demand for help with raising and lowering training, particularly from towers in East Devon, resulted in a waiting list for places and it was the end of the year before all the demand could be satisfied.

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

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

peal attempts. A “peal” is a continuous performance of a minimum of 5,000 changes and takes between 2½ - 3 hours to complete. 33 successful peals were recorded in the year.

Details of the peals rung in 2022 can be seen on the TRC website: https://troyteringingcentre.org.uk/peals/peals2022.htm

Similarly, the Centre also hosts regular quarter peal attempts by the local ringers and bands from further afield. 4 successful quarter peal performances were recorded at Huntsham. 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 rung on Bampton Fair day in October.

Governance

The trustees were able to meet face-to-face on 7 occasions in 2022. In the early part of the year continual review of the COVID risk assessments and guidance was necessary. As the year progressed and the risk from COVID reduced, consideration was given more to other matters. A recruitment and training strategy for new ringers and a policies on membership of the TRC, on the relationship of the TRC to the two church PCCs and on protecting the Major Works funds were developed. An inventory of all the TRC’s equipment and other property was also prepared.

At the start of the year the trustee group was reduced to five following two resignations in 2021. A search for new trustees was undertaken in early 2022 with particular emphasis on finding trustees who could represent the local bands and communities at Bampton and Huntsham. We were pleased to appoint Mike Ward and Chris Bolt, but sorry to lose Mandy Burnett from the group. We thank Mandy for all her work as a trustee.

Facilities Maintenance and Improvement

Little major work was undertaken in 2022, but a fault with the headstock of the tenor bell at Huntsham revealed in 2021 was the subject of work by bellhangers. Attention was also given to the ropes and ground pulleys.

At Bampton the opening of the tower to visitors in September necessitated a thorough cleaning of the ringing room, tower stairs, clock room and bell chamber. An inspection of the frame in the bell chamber suggests that it will need repainting soon.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Financial Statement for the period 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2022 and the Report of the Examiner of Accounts are appended.

We summarise our financial activities under three headings: current account activities, deposit account activities and investment activities.

Current Account Activities:

The opening balance on 01 January 2022 in our HSBC Current Account was £3,864.13 and the closing balance on 31 December 2022 was £5,259.35. We therefore ended the year with a surplus in our current account of £1,395.22.

Our principal income generating activities were from the use of the Huntsham bells for our programme of recorded performances and for the celebration ringing we provide for weddings. Together these totalled £1,722 during 2022. Voluntary receipts during the year

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

totalled £3,225 of which £1,500 came from Bampton donations. There was also income of £700 from Huntsham donations and £200 from training related donations. Most of our fund raising income was generated from coffee mornings held in Bampton which generated £1,800 during the year. There was no income from visiting ringers during the year and the local ringing society held no meetings at either of our towers during 2022. These absences in our annual ringing programme were the consequence of the COVID pandemic.

Thus, the total income during 2022 was £7,822 which was just about £600 more than the total income for 2021.

The total payments out of our current account during 2022 were £6,422 which were almost £3,000 less than the total expenditure for 2021. We spent just about £2,000 on improvements to the performance of the Huntsham tenor bell. A detailed inspection had suggested that one of the gudgeons was loose and needed replacement. However, dismantling revealed a smaller problem which was more easily and cheaply rectified. We made annual payments of £1,000 to Bampton PCC and £700 to Huntsham PCC for the costs they incurred when we use their bells. We also made annual payments of £1,000 to each of these PCCs to increase the amount they held on our behalf in the form of investments to be used for major works to these bells as and when such work becomes necessary.

Deposit Fund Activities:

The Troyte Ringing Centre holds a COIF Charities Deposit Fund, the purpose of which is to provide an easily accessible monetary reserve should we be faced with either an unexpected large expenditure, or our income streams decline so that normal annual expenditure is not covered. We also have to consider the implications of banks paying no interest on current accounts; of banks imposing high charges on overdrafts; and also banks charging fees for the day-to-day management of current account transactions. Therefore, we anticipate that for the foreseeable future we will need a COIF Deposit Fund holding a minimum of six months anticipated income.

On 01 January 2022 the balance in our COIF Deposit Fund was £3,022.35 and on 31 December 2022 this had increased to £3,051.84. The good news is that the interest paid for the month of December 2022 was £7.81. Therefore, we anticipate that the interest to be paid during 2023 will exceed £100.00. We also anticipate transferring at least another £1,000 from our current account to this deposit fund during 2023.

Investment Fund Activities:

The Troyte Ringing Centre trustees have taken the view that tower bell ringing should be seen as an asset to the community rather than a financial liability to the Parochial Church Council. Therefore, having completed the fund raising needed to remodel and rehang the Huntsham bells in 2004 the TRC trustees took the view that it was sensible to establish separate Major Works Investment Funds to raise over time the funds needed to remodel and/or rehang the tower bells at Bampton and Huntsham. It was anticipated that such funds were unlikely to become necessary for at least another 50 or so years. It was further considered appropriate that these funds should be held in the name of each PCC as tower bells are the property of the church and the Troyte Ringing Centre might cease to exist when the need for remodelling or rehanging becomes necessary. The TRC trustees assume that

Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

each PCC recognises that these investments are restricted to the work of remodelling and/or rehanging their tower bells for which a Faculty will be required.

At 31 December the bid market value of the Bampton Bells Major Works Fund was £16,968.45 and the bid market value of the Huntsham Bells Major Works Fund was £9,890.27. Thus, we have raised almost £27,000 towards these anticipated costs. We shall continue to make annual donations of £1,000 to each PCC to enable further investments in these two funds to be made during 2023.

DECLARATION OF TRUSTEES

This annual report and the accompanying accounts were approved by the Trustees at their meeting held on the 11[th] day of October 2023

Signed Leslie Boyce Chairman Signed Jenny Jones Secretary

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2022

Troyte Ringing Centre

Financial Statement for period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022

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TOTAL TOTAL
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT General Huntsham Bampton Training
2022 2021
Note Unrestricted Designated Designated Designated
£ £ £ £ £ £
RECEIPTS
Use of bells 1 1,722 305 2,027 1,641
Voluntary receipts 2 783 709 1,538 195 3,225 3,812
Fund raising 3 10 1,851 1,861 542
Other incoming resouces 4 30 423 36 221 709 1,197
Total receipts 813 2,864 3,729 416 7,822 7,191
PAYMENTS
Maintenance & Repairs 5 2,013 2,013 5,761
Fund raising costs 6 25 25 0
Facilties 7 1,700 2,000 3,700 3,079
Training 8 179 179 124
Other outgoing resources 9 495 0 10 505 403
Total payments 495 3,713 2,025 189 6,422 9,367
Surplus (Deficit) 319 (849) 1,704 227 1,400 (2,175)
TRANSFERS
Transfers between funds 10 0 0 0 0 0 0
Surplus (Deficit) after transfers 319 (849) 1,704 227 1,400 (2,175)
AVAILABLE FUNDS 11
Available funds at start of Financial Year 2,180 304 3,166 1,236 6,886 8,819
Available funds at end of Financial Year 2,499 (531) 4,885 1,463 8,316 6,886
TOTAL TOTAL
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES General Huntsham Bampton Training
2022 2021
Note Designated Designated Designated Designated
£ £ £ £ £ £
Monetary assets
Bank current account 2,499 (2,056) 3,359 1,463 5,264 5,378
Cash 0 0 0 0 0 427
Deposit account 0 1,526 1,526 0 3,052 3,014
2,499 (531) 4,885 1,463 8,316 8,819
Liabilities
Cheques not presented 0 0 0 0 0 0
Agency Account 12 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
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Jack Ward

Accounts Manager

Approved at Trustees Meeting on

Mike Hatchett Treasurer

Jenny Jones Secretary

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TOTAL TOTAL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT General Huntsham Bampton Training
2022 2021
Designated Designated Designated Designated
£ £ £ £ £ £
1 Use of bells
Peals 1,129 40 1,169 903
Quarter Peals 83 83 78
Weddings, funerals and celebrations 510 265 775 660
Visiting Ringers 0 0
Branch Practices 0 0
0 1,722 305 0 2,027 1,641
2 Voluntary receipts
Online Giving Ltd 94 94 34
Non-Gift Aided Donations 279 213 30 522 441
Gift Aided Donations 430 1,325 165 1,920 2,183
Income tax recovered (Gift Aid Scheme) 690 690 1,154
783 709 1,538 195 3,225 3,812
3 Fund raising
Trading 10 53 63 74
Events 1,798 1,798 467
0 10 1,851 0 1,861 542
4 Other incoming resouces
Bell Club fees & subscriptions 30 30 0
Training fees 185 185 38
Refreshments 6 6 0
Grants (LPW Scheme) 421 421 1,134
Sale of assets 2 2 0
Transfer from Deposit Account 0 0
Other 30 36 66 25
30 423 36 221 709 1,197
5 Maintenance & Repairs
Maintenance & repairs 2,013 2,013 5,761
New equipment 0 0
0 2,013 0 0 2,013 5,761
6 Fund raising costs
Invoices & reimbursements 25 25 0
Cost of trading 0 0
0 0 25 0 25 0
7 Facilties
Use of faclities 700 1,000 1,700 1,079
Major Works Investment Fund 1,000 1,000 2,000 2,000
0 1,700 2,000 0 3,700 3,079
8 Training
Training material
Reimbursements 79 79 24
Other 100 100 100
0 0 0 179 179 124
9 Other outgoing resources
Administration 446 446 55
Other 49 10 59 348
495 0 0 10 505 403
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• 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 examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of Troyte Ringing Centre On accounts forthe year ended 311t December 2022 Charity no (ff any) 1179374 Set out on pages 10- 11 of the Annual Report I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended Responsibilities and As the canty trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the a(￿UnIS in ￿0[dance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe A￿). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's aco)unts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination. I have followed the applicable Direthons given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Acl. I have completed my examination. I confinn that no material matters have orrE to my attention (other than that disdosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting re(%>rds ￿re not kept in a(￿rdance with section 130 of the Act or Ihe acrnunts do not &cord with the accounting records Independent examinerfs ststem•nt I have no cOn￿mS and have come across no other matters in connection with the examinatson to which attention should drawn in order to enable a proper understarKling of the accounts to be reached. . Please (lete the wonls in the braL8ts rf they do not apply. Slgnod: Date: io 20L3 Name: 6ArfiTUE Relevant profosslonal quallficatsonls) or body Ilf any): Address: C 4sc qFF IER October 2018

Section B Disclosure Only ￿rnplete ifthe examiner needs to highlight mattefs of concem (see CC32. Independent examinalion of dwrty ￿￿nts." diredions and guidance for examiners). Glve here brlef detslls of any items that the examiner wishes to dlsclose. r£tL a-t l . -Fpa￿al tvJ fv 1 I(￿￿￿ ,--ty4- ". bJ s tsy- IER October 2018