2023-12-31-accounts

Annual Report of The Troyte Ringing Centre

(Registered Charity No. 1179374)

All Saints, Huntsham

2023

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2023

TROYTE RINGING CENTRE

Annual Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31[st] December 2023

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 Leslie Boyce Chairman Michael Hatchett Jennifer Jones Secretary Sheila Scofield Michael Ward

ADVISORS Robert Brown Principal Conductor 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 2023

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 during the COVID pandemic; it is planned to revive the club in 2024.

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 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 2023

• 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 and the western part of Somerset.

(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.

• 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 2023

CENTRE ACTIVITIES IN 2023

Recruitment, Publicity & Fundraising

Recruitment was a top priority for the year. The “Ring for the King” national recruitment initiative did not produce any direct enquiries, but did set a background climate in which we have recruited three adult learners. Two of these have made good progress and a third hopes to return to ringing after a house move. A fourth adult has also joined the band from another tower.

We retain a set of display boards illustrating the history and practice of bells and ringing. These were heavily used throughout the year, not only on Heritage Open Days in September in Tiverton and Bampton and during fundraising events at Bampton and Tiverton, but also for two major recruitment taster days for W.I. members at Buckfast Abbey. In all 11 bookings were made during the year.

Coffee mornings were held at Bampton in April and October and a cream tea in the Bampton churchyard in June to raise over £1,500 for the Centre. The August Bank Holiday Monday event parachuting teddy bears from Bampton church tower and a tower open event in September for Heritage Open Days generated good public relations for the TRC, though no new recruits.

The funds raised by these events, peal fees and other donations 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 Coronation of King Charles in May. Local Facebook pages are used to inform the community of ringing for special occasions.

Some of the losses of ringers from the TRC band following the COVID pandemic have now been made good, so there have been very few occasions when it has not been possible to field a band for service ringing. We are getting some good support from our teenage young ringers and the adult learners will begin to ring for services in early 2024.

Group practices and Training Events

Regular Thursday night practices at Bampton have been held throughout the year. It has been possible to expand the repertoire of methods rung at practices in the last year and attendances regularly exceed 12 ringers.

The TRC programme of training events and Extended Practices saw 45 ringers, 29 of whom were from local towers, benefit from these events. Demand for help with raising and lowering in peal remained strong and special extended practices were offered to East Devon,

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2023

Cadbury and Broadhembury ringers. A new “teaching assistants’ course” based on the ART Module 1 day course for ringing teachers attracted 8 students and was well received.

Recorded performances – peals and quarter peals

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. 43 successful peals were recorded in the year.

Details of the peals rung at Huntsham in 2023 can be seen on the TRC website: https://troyteringingcentre.org.uk/peals/peals2023.htm

Similarly, the Centre also hosts regular quarter peal attempts by the local ringers and bands from further afield. 9 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 5 occasions in 2023. The trustees receive regular reports on finance, health and safety, safeguarding and tower maintenance issues. As well as planning and reviewing Centre activities, the group have considered a TRC membership scheme, how the Centre records the outcomes of its training events, how practices are organised and the fees paid to those who ring for weddings.

The new trustees, Mike Ward and Chris Bolt, have settled into their roles well and make a real contribution. We are sad to report the death in October of Pat Hatchett, a former trustee. Pat had served as Tower Secretary since before the start of the ringing centre in 2004, played a significant part in the work to restore Huntsham bells and assisted Mike with teaching many recruits. She also made many a cake and trifle to feed course students and visiting ringers. Her cheery presence will be much missed.

Facilities Maintenance and Improvement

Little major work was undertaken in 2023, but ropes have been taken to a ropemaker for repair and an order for new sets of ropes for both Huntsham and Bampton is being prepared.

Huntsham has two sets of handbells and an opportunity arose to get a handbell restorer to examine these and report on their condition. It is clear that both sets require significant work to make them easily ringable. Trustees took the view that the likely level of their use would not justify the expenditure needed for their restoration at present. Because of their condition their sale would realise little income, so it was decided to place them into secure storage for the moment.

It is clear that the frame in the bell chamber at Bampton will need repainting soon.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Financial Statement for the period 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2023 and the Report of the Examiner of Accounts are appended. Financial activities are summarised under three headings: current account, reserve fund and investments.

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2023

Current Account

The opening balance in the Centre’s HSBC Business Account on 1[st] January 2023 was £5,259 and the closing balance on 31[st] December was £7,219. The year therefore ended with a surplus of £2,039. This was £600 more than the closing balance for year ending 31[st] December 2022.

The total income for the year was £7,506 with the largest contributions coming from peal fees (£1,420), fundraising events (£1,892) and Gifted Aided donations of £1,735. However, total income for the year was just over £300 less than the total for 2022.

The total payments from the current account for the year were £5,466. This sum was about £1,000 less than in 2022. The Centre makes annual payments to Bampton and Huntsham PCCs to cover the use of their bells. It also makes annual contributions to the restricted investments held by each PCC in their Bells Major Works Funds. The major expenditure in 2023, other than those already stated, was for repairs to bell ropes. At the beginning of the year the Centre changed its bell rope supplier from Mendip Ropes to Avon Ropes of Bristol and they have provided new sallies and tail ends to Bampton and Huntsham ropes as required.

Reserve Fund

The Centre holds a COIF Deposit Fund, the purpose of which is to provide an easily accessible monetary reserve to cover normal expenditure should income streams reduce significantly, or the Centre is faced with unexpected expenditure.

On 1[st] January 2023 the balance in the COIF Deposit Fund was £3,051.84 and at 31[st] December it was £3,185.57. No transfer of funds from the current account was made during the year. The increase in the balance at the year end was a consequence of increased bank interest rates.

Investment Fund

At the 31[st] December 2023 the value of the investments held by each PCC was:

St. Michael and All Angels, Bampton	£20,139
All Saints, Huntsham	£12,148

These funds are intended to be used only when a faculty is required for major works to the bells, the bell frames and their fittings.

DECLARATION OF TRUSTEES

This annual report and the accompanying accounts were approved by the Trustees at their meeting held on the 17th day of July, 2024

Signed Leslie Boyce Chairman Signed Jenny Jones Secretary

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Troyte Ringing Centre Annual Report 2023

Troyte Ringing Centre

Financial Statement for period 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

----- Start of picture text -----
TOTAL TOTAL
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT General Huntsham Bampton Training
2023 2022
Note Unrestricted Designated Designated Designated
£ £ £ £ £ £
RECEIPTS
Use of bells 1 2,035 228 2,263 2,027
Voluntary receipts 2 652 809 1,298 106 2,865 3,225
Fund raising 3 0 1,913 1,913 1,861
Other incoming resouces 4 0 31 434 465 709
Total receipts 652 2,844 3,470 540 7,506 7,822
PAYMENTS
Maintenance & Repairs 5 553 486 1,039 2,013
Fund raising costs 6 58 58 25
Facilties 7 1,700 1,878 3,578 3,700
Training 8 274 274 179
Other outgoing resources 9 555 10 10 575 505
Total payments 555 2,263 2,432 274 5,524 6,422
Surplus (Deficit) 97 581 1,039 266 1,982 1,400
TRANSFERS
Transfers between funds 10 0 0 0 0 0
Surplus (Deficit) after transfers 97 581 1,039 266 1,982 1,400
AVAILABLE FUNDS 11
Available funds at start of Financial Year 2,499 (504) 4,912 1,436 8,343 6,886
Available funds at end of Financial Year 2,596 77 5,950 1,702 10,325 8,343
TOTAL TOTAL
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES General Huntsham Bampton Training
2023 2022
Note Designated Designated Designated Designated
£ £ £ £ £ £
Monetary assets
Bank current account 2,596 (1,476) 4,397 1,702 7,219 5,378
Cash 0 0 0 0 0 427
Deposit account 0 1,553 1,553 0 3,106 3,014
2,596 77 5,950 1,702 10,325 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
----- End of picture text -----

Jack Ward Accounts Manager

Approved at Trustees Meeting on

Mike Hatchett Treasurer

Jenny Jones Secretary

----- Start of picture text -----
TOTAL TOTAL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT General Huntsham Bampton Training
2023 2022
Designated Designated Designated Designated
£ £ £ £ £ £
1 Use of bells
Peals 1,390 30 1,420 1,169
Quarter Peals 153 20 173 83
Weddings, funerals and celebrations 450 160 610 775
Visiting Ringers 12 12 0
Branch Practices 30 18 48 0
0 2,035 228 0 2,263 2,027
2 Voluntary receipts
Online Giving Ltd 62 62 94
Non-Gift Aided Donations 234 223 21 478 522
Gift Aided Donations 575 1,075 85 1,735 1,920
Income tax recovered (Gift Aid Scheme) 590 590 690
652 809 1,298 106 2,865 3,225
3 Fund raising
Trading 21 21 63
Events 1,892 1,892 1,798
0 0 1,913 0 1,913 1,861
4 Other incoming resouces
Bell Club fees & subscriptions 0 0 30
Training fees 331 331 185
Refreshments 56 56 6
Grants (LPW Scheme) 0 421
Sale of assets 0 2
Transfer from Deposit Account 0 0
Other 31 47 78 66
0 0 31 434 465 709
5 Maintenance & Repairs
Maintenance & repairs 553 486 1,039 2,013
New equipment 0 0
0 553 486 0 1,039 2,013
6 Fund raising costs
Invoices & reimbursements 58 58 25
Cost of trading 0 0
0 0 58 0 58 25
7 Facilties
Use of faclities 700 878 1,578 1,700
Major Works Investment Fund 1,000 1,000 2,000 2,000
0 1,700 1,878 0 3,578 3,700
8 Training
Training material
Reimbursements 159 159 79
Other 115 115 100
0 0 0 274 274 179
9 Other outgoing resources
Administration 345 345 446
Other 210 10 10 230 59
555 10 10 0 575 505
----- End of picture text -----

• 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 (Current Bank Account + Cash + Reserves) 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 Troyte Ringing Centre m•mbors of On accounts for th• y•ar •nd•d 2023 Charfty no (If any) 1179374 S•t out on pag•s I report to the truslees on my examination of t￿ accounts of the above chafity (Ihe Trusf) for the year erKled R•sponslbllltl•s and basls cl rnport As the charitys tsitstees, y<)u are resportsble for the preparation of the accounts n accordance with the rwmrements cf the Charities Act 2011 (?he Acr). I report in resped of rny examination of the Trust's accounts carried out u￿r se￿10n 145 of the 2011 Act arKI in carying out my examination, I have folloknpd all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Xb) of the A( Indop•ndgnt oxaminorfs statsm•nt app16a￿ll. Delete [ ] rfnot applKable. I have c(ynpkled my examinatThi. I confinn that no material matters have come to my attention in connedion ith the examination4oth8A 41661￿") vthith gives me cause to believe that in, any merial respett. the accounting rocorts Thwe ncrt kept in accordance with sectFon 130 of the Chariiies Act.. or the accounts dKI ncrt COrnFAy the applicable requiremerts conceminq the fom and content of acc(NJnts set out in the Charities (Accounts arKI Reports) Regulations 2CK)8 Other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fairf view which is not a matter consKlered as part of an i￿18[¢nderrt examinattcm. I have no concems and come a(xoss no other matters in connection wrth the examination to which attention Sh￿￿1 be drawn in this report in order to enable a Fyoper urKlerstandiNJ of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete in the b￿kets rfthey do not apply. s￿ned. 21/05/20 3 I MON PJWTrET IER Oct 2018

R•hvant prof•sslonal I quallflcatlonls) or body I / {rf any): Addr•ss: 12 Vi*£ "FIW CLDS Section B Disclosure Only ccffiplete rf the examiner naeds to h￿h1wjht material matters of concern (see CC32. I￿le[￿ndent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for exwninw5). Gfv• h•rn br1￿ d•talb of any It•ms that th• •xarniMr wlsh•s to dlsclos•. IER Oct 2018