2021-07-31-accounts - Langney Community Library

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date
From Day Month Year To Day Month Year
1 August 2020 31 July 2021
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Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Langney Community Library

Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) Charity's principal address	LCL
	1179763
	1 Rydal Way
	Eastbourne
	East Sussex
	Postcode BN23 8HU

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
1 Alan Shuttleworth Chair
2 Tim Hervey CTA Treasurer
3 Mary Doonan Resigned 19/08/2020
4 Jackie Cornish Secretary
5 Susan Tourle Appointed 01/07/2021
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, custodian trustees)

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Name Dates acted if not for whole year
None
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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

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Type of adviser Name Address
None
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Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Constitution

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

(eg. trust, association, company)

Trustee selection methods

Appointed by Trustees

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

LCL currently has no adopted policies or procedures for trustee training.
You may choose to include At the date of their appointment, Tim Hervey was already a trustee and
additional information, where the treasurer of another charity and has considerable experience as a
relevant, about: trustee. The Trustees have considered and intend to introduce appropriate
 policies and procedures training for all the existing Trustees and induction and training for newly adopted for the induction and appointed trustees. Such training has not been possible due to Covid-19. training of trustees; New Trustees are expected to familiarise themselves with the Charity
 the charity’s organisational Commission's own 'CC' guidance in CC3 and CC3a. structure and any wider The organisational structure is described in note C5 to the accounts. LCL
network with which the charity has close informal links with several other local community libraries with
works; whom we share ideas and general information.
relationship with any related parties; Information about related parties is disclosed in note C6 to the accounts.
 trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system Risk identification and management is carried out by the Library and procedures to manage Operations Team, General Committee and Trustees. them.

Section C Objectives and activities

To promote for the benefit of the residents of the Langney and surrounding areas and communities the provision of the Library for learning, recreation and or other leisure-time occupation of individuals Summary of the objects of the who have need of such facilities by reason of their age, youth, infirmity or charity set out in its disability, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for governing document the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said residents.

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Main activities:  Operating the Community Library  Operating the Community Hub
Summary of the main  Provision of laptop computers (see Section D for more details) activities undertaken for the  Summer Book Challenge during the summer holidays (see Section D
public benefit in relation to for more details)
these objects (include within  Outreach to, and liaison with, local infant and junior schools including
this section the statutory declaration that trustees have arranged visits by pupil groups to the Community Library and the Trustees visiting and attending school assemblies
had regard to the guidance  Implementing existing plans for improved disability provision and
issued by the Charity access for community groups to use the Community Hub
Commission on public  Liaison with Eastbourne Access Group
benefit)

The Trustees declare that they have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;

The Community Library is run entirely by unpaid volunteers who, with great enthusiasm, give up their time and devote much energy to help run a smooth operation. During the year there were up to 24 volunteers including up to five Trustees. The Community Library would not be able to operate without the volunteers and the Trustees are extremely grateful to all of them for what they do and the range of knowledge, skills and experience they bring with them.

policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

The year started off with as the previous year ended with the Community Library closed due to Covid-19 lockdown measures until it re-opened on 18 August 2020 albeit with restricted opening hours and services available. Further temporary lockdown closures were in place from 3 November to 2 December 2020 and from 29 December 2020 to 12 April 2021. Throughout the closures, the Trustees monitored the Covid-19 situation and met via Zoom. Library members and others were kept aware of matters with notices in the Community Library's window and the website and Facebook pages kept up to date with information regarding Covid-19 closures and re-opening. Monitoring of messages and responding to them was maintained throughout the temporary closures and books on loan to members were renewed so nobody had to be concerned about overdue books. The building works needed to establish the Community Hub, located in the basement of the Community Library, were completed in August 2020 with the carpet tiling, a bench seat, cushions and artwork added over subsequent months. In July 2021, a contract to install a platform stairlift to provide disabled-person access to the basement was agreed with the installation taking place in mid-September 2021. Fundraising events were not possible due to the Covid-19 lockdown measures and during the lockdown closures income sources (e.g. printing and photocopying charges and the donations bucket) ceased. LCL's registration with the Eastbourne Local Lottery since September

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2019 has continued to provide a small amount of fundraising income each month. LCL registered with Amazon Smile during the year so that anyone shopping with Amazon can nominate LCL as their chosen charity with Amazon Smile donating a percentage of all eligible sales to LCL at no cost to the purchaser.

LCL was eligible for a number of government grants related to business closures due to Covid-19. The Trustees decided not to apply for one of the grants but all of the others were applied for and the grants received. They were all designated as 'unrestricted' funds and have been or will be applied for big projects as well as some running costs. The only other grant successfully applied for was for some laptops and devices together with running free training courses. Covid-19 restrictions meant the grant remained unused at the end of the year but plans have since been made to progress with this project.

Each time the Community Library was able to re-open, meetings and plans included discussions with all volunteers (of whom most are considered to be in 'at risk' groups) about their views and when they felt ready and willing to volunteer. Services normally available were drastically reduced to simply enabling members to return and borrow books and registering new members; no printing or photocopying or laptops available. Hours of business were also reduced to three mornings a week. Since re-opening on 13 April 2021, we have gradually increased the opening hours and two of the four laptops have been available but they have not been used as much as before Covid-19 and there has been no computer buddy due to social distancing.

The Community Library continued to meet and, even after restrictions were lifted, operate social distancing measures. These included temporarily removing laptop stations and other furniture, retaining the purpose-made sneeze screen, floor markings, signage, face coverings, a hand sanitiser station and quarantining returned books for 72 hours. All volunteers had to attend one of several refresher training sessions to ensure they each understood the measures put in place in order to protect themselves, colleagues and customers.

Community projects and Community outreach

Working with Eastbourne Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB), there is now a by appointment video-link facility to the CAB within the Community Library on Tuesday mornings. It is early days and we actively promote this.
People Matter, a charity that provides employment advice and help with CVs hold a weekly session on Monday mornings.

Membership

The number of members at 31 July 2021 was 1,701 net of any member reported as deceased and whose records have been deleted from the system. New member registrations during the year (whilst not temporarily closed) being 125. The membership had been increasing steadily before Covid-19 and has started to pick up again.

The gender ratio of members who borrowed at least one book in the period to 18 August 2020 (date re-opened) to 31 July 2020 was 73.5% female and 26.5% male.

Loan of laptop computers to local school during lockdown

The Trustees worked with our insurance broker and insurer to enable LCL to loan its four laptop computers to the teaching staff of a local primary school for use by their own children during the lockdown which

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also freed up four other laptops for other children in the same school to use. At the time when schools were in desperate need for computer equipment to help with home-learning, the Trustees were very pleased to be able to loan the LCL laptops which would otherwise have been unused in the Community Library. The laptops were loaned out for seven weeks.

Footfall and laptop computer users

Footfall (the number of visitors to the Community Library) and the number of laptop computer users are recorded for each shift. The table below provides a summary for the period 18 August 2020 (date re-opened) to 31 July 2021 but excludes dates of temporary closure as reflected by the much lower number of shifts.

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|||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |Laptop|Laptop| |Footfall|Footfall|users|users| |am shift|pm shift|am shift|pm shift| |Total|2,528|380|36|17| |Number of shifts|90|20|45|16| |Average per shift|28|19|1|1| |Maximum in a shift|52|33|3|5| |Minimum in a shift|9|6|0|0|

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Summer Book Challenge

This was not held in 2020 due the Covid-19 situation although LCL promoted the scheme run by East Sussex Library Service in conjunction with the Reading Agency by putting posters in the Community Library windows and on its Facebook page. The 2021 challenge was held and will be reported on in next year's annual report.

LCL expects to run such activities when it is appropriate and safe, given the Covid-19 situation.

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

The CIO's Reserves Policy is to maintain a general reserve of £5,000 representing one year's estimated operating costs.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
investment policy and objectives including any

The CIO relies heavily on donations, fundraising activities, printing/ photocopying charges and room hire to help fund the Community Library's general operating costs. The temporary closure for around five months of this financial year impacted all of those income streams. No fundraising events took place including no Christmas Fair (see Section D) Fundraising events and activities would have been planned and held but for the Covid-19 situation. A number of government Covid-19 related grants were successfully applied for (see Section D).

The continued availability (except during the temporary closures) of the two desktop computers and library software enables LCL to continue to provide the library service to members and fill the gap following the

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ethical investment policy adopted.	clo av re wh la do is av inc an et LC th so ed is Th 70 gr LC ob	s p c e a sure of the local branch of the County librar ailability (except during the temporary closur trictions are eased) of four laptop computer ich are available for LCL's members, and tw tops and one for general use) together prov not own a computer and/or a printer. Furthe normally available on every shift (when the l ailable) to help members with IT hardware a luding e.g. setting up and/or accessing an e d online applications and printing forms, trav . They can also advise on matters relating t L welcomes and assists anyone and everyo young, elderly, infirm, enabled, physicallya cially and/or financially deprived, health depr ucation deprived - no matter what their race, all inclusive. e Community Hub building works were fully % of the building works were funded from 're nts applied specifically for those building wo L has no investments and so requires no in jectives.	y s a n o f v . The continued free es and until the Covid-19 with Internet access, o printers (one for the ide facilities to those who rmore, a 'computer buddy' ptop computers are d/or software issues mail account, job searches el and other documents members' own devices. ne as members including nd/or mentally disabled, ived, employment and/or ethnicity or religion – LCL unded from grants. Over stricted funds' grants, i.e. rks. estment policy or

Section F Other optional information

The main priority for the next few mo n ths is to monitor the Covid-19 situation and its impact on the Community Library's operations. As c ircumstances permit, the opening hours will be expanded and other services brought back. Hiring out the Community Hub has picked up and discussi o ns with a number of interested groups are taking place. T h e next major premises project is to facilitate access to the Community Hub in the basement by installing a p l atform stairlift which wheelchair users can u s e whilst seated in their own or another wheelchair. It will als o allow those with walking difficulties to use t h e built-in pull-down seat. [Note: the platform stairlift was install e d in mid-September 2021].

Section G Declaration

The Trustees declare that they have approved this Trustees’ Annual Report.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature Full name Position (e.g. Chair, Secretary) Date
	Alan Shuttleworth	Tim Hervey CTA
	Cha ir	Treasurer
	27/0 9/2021
		27/09/2021

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