**Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 01/01/2022 To 30/06/2023** **Charity name: V22 Communities** ## **Charity registration number: 1180229** ## **Objectives and Background** _“It's open to everyone. A true community.” –_ Library User Since mid-2016, a number of local organisations and residents have come together in Lewisham to transform their former public libraries into community libraries, complemented by work and event space. Partners include neighbouring landlords, local traders’ associations, local entrepreneurs, residents’ associations, Lewisham Library Services, and over 100 volunteers. Together we have also incorporated this CIO - V22 Communities - to form an ongoing umbrella organisation and guardian for our work into the future. The object of V22 Communities is to keep these libraries open as a free public resource. Our formal objects are: 1. _The provision of public library services in the London Borough of Lewisham and in other locations where the trustees decide to operate._ _2. To promote for the benefit of the residents of the London Borough of Lewisham, and in other locations where the trustees decide to operate, and in the surrounding areas and communities, the provision of a public library for recreation and or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said residents._ _In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power:_ _To establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or cooperate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects._ _Nothing in this constitution shall authorise an application of the property of the CIO for the purposes which are not charitable in accordance with [section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005] and [section 2 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008]_ ## **Activities** Forest Hill Library has been running under the community model since 2016. Manor House has been running since 2017, and Sydenham Community Library since late 2019. Lewisham was awarded the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture status for 2022 and we hosted an incredible number of events throughout the period. By spring 2023 we were already engaged with the council regarding taking over a fourth library building to build upon the work we do. 1 All three of our existing buildings service a massive need in the community: as well as being able to continue to borrow books due to the involvement of, and partnership with, Lewisham Library Services, people come here for a variety of reasons. Senior citizens come to sit and read in a warm public space, young people come here en-masse to study before exams, mothers come with their children for rhyme time and extra lessons on offer in one of our community studios, people come for courses, workshops, events and even weddings, but they also come just to be in a public space without feeling obligated to spend money or be constrained by time. With the majority of Covid-19 restrictions behind us, we enjoyed a return to a full programme of events and activities. However it was not long before the war in Ukraine started, and we quickly had to adapt to deal firstly with a fund-raising effort, then secondly with the influx of refugees, not least of all at Manor House, which neighbours a Home Office refugee dispersal centre. Partnering with local charities we set up ESOL classes for Ukrainian and Syrian refugees and we increased the books and activities we had on offer to help the displaced adapt to life in the UK. Against the backdrop of covid recovery, the war in Ukraine and the rising costs of fuel and food, we were able to act as a signposting point to foodbanks, offered support and workshops for reducing energy bills and acted as a ‘Warm Space’ during the colder months, with offers of free cups of tea and coffee along with a warm place to sit and special befriending activities run in conjunction with Lee Fare Share. Manor House celebrated its 250th anniversary throughout 2022, and we held a crowd-funder to raise funds for building repairs and operating costs, and we held some celebratory events to mark the milestone. Borough of Culture events kicked off with the Sheroes event, celebrating the achievements of women everywhere. At Forest Hill Library we hosted one of the flagship events of the Borough of Culture year, an installation produced in cooperation with Cockpit Arts titled Murmuration, it was all about displacement and over 1000 origami paper birds made by residents from children to senior citizens were part of a display that caught the eye and the imagination, and featured in some of the daily newspapers. As part of the legacy of the Borough of Culture, V22 Communities were asked to join a small advisory board to guide Lewisham’s future cultural strategy for the next five years. Our advocacy service at Sydenham Library continued in 2022 due to further funding, providing vital help for over 250 people during the period, on a number of fronts from housing and benefits matters to letter writing, court cases, form filling and job searches to budgeting and debt management work. Once again our Christmas appeal helped raise funds and food items to feed local families in need in partnership with Lochaber Hall Community Association and South East London Basket Brigade. We hosted events to help celebrate the Windrush anniversary and, with the aid of a grant from The Mayor of London’s Untold Stories programme, we embarked upon researching the history of Manor House in Lee, and it’s former owners, in particular Sir Francis Baring, the noted merchant banker, to whom there is a maroon plaque dedication on the front façade. In addition to services for the community, formerly unused spaces in the buildings are let out to artists, not-for-profit organisations, entrepreneurs and creative businesses as affordable studio, workspace, desk and event space. This income helps to keep the buildings open, lit, heated and serviced. 2 ## **Achievements and Performance** By the end of June 2023 we were setting about plans and securing funding to refurbish Sydenham Library, repair some of the damage that had accumulated over the years and replace all the lights with energy saving bulbs, something that we also mirrored at Forest Hill Library. Partnerships with various charities and NHS trusts returned to pre-pandemic levels or above, with NCT, SLaM, Community Midwives and Mind all booking sessions in the community rooms and we started hosting the local police ward panels for the first time. Local groups came out of their temporary hiatuses and again we offered free spaces for the meetings of Lee Manor Society, The Friends & Users of Staplehurst Shops, Lee Green Open Studios, The Lee Green Consortium, The Forest Hill Society and more. It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Chris Moore, the former manager of Manor House Library for a number of years when it was still run by the council. Chris was a much loved and respected colleague and a great supporter of V22, and we held an evening to celebrate his professional life, with current and former colleagues from a number of libraries and services attending; we were incredibly proud to host such an event for the library community. ## **Issue Figures** Issue figures rocketed as the effects of the pandemic fell away. Forest Hill Library saw almost 100,000 issues, only falling three thousand short of that number; an incredible increase on the 55,942 seen over the same length of time a year earlier. Manor House rose to 71,971; Sydenham more than doubled their issue figures to 27,020. Of the 13 libraries in Lewisham (including the four run by the council) Forest Hill finished 2[nd] in the number of books issued and Manor House finished 4[th] . The final combined figure for V22 libraries was 198,657 books in a year, which is almost 550 books for every day of the year. ## **Visitor Numbers** With visitor numbers returning we are still slightly shy of our normal 400,000 visits a year, but Manor House remains by far the busiest venue, with roughly 200,000 people coming through the doors during 2022. ## **Volunteering** Over 250 regular volunteering positions were filled in the year, plus further opportunities for work experience through school and college programmes and Duke of Edinburgh schemes. Further volunteers came to us from organisations specialising in mental health support, often providing adults with their first experiences of being useful in a working environment. Our regular volunteer base is made up of people from across the community, a survey in 2021 found 22.1% of our volunteers to be in the 16-24 age bracket and 17.6% to be aged over 65; 23.5% Identified at LGBTQ+, giving us a hugely diverse base in terms of sexual orientation; and 20.6% identified as having a disability. ## **Future Challenges** We will continue to try and deliver all the services we possibly can and add to those where needed. Our bank of dedicated volunteers continues to amaze, and this support has not waned as we have returned, although we see a few different faces at the counters. 3 Our biggest challenge is a financial one as the cost of utilities continues to sky-rocket. We are very concerned about the future. ## **Financial Review** ## **Energy Crisis** The energy bills we faced throughout the period were much higher than in previous years. Already our largest overhead, this produced real problems for us and although we were helped by grants for being ‘warm spaces’ they were not nearly enough to cope with the increase. The addition of LED lights at Forest Hill and Sydenham should help reduce the rise, but unless things change there is no doubt we will need further funding in order to ride out these gas and electricity prices. ## **General** The Friends of Forest Hill Library scheme donated a total of £1,827 and we received other donations of £2,040. Book sales throughout the period raised £673 for the libraries. Administrative support costs of £20,261 reflect amounts paid to V22 London Ltd and V22 Foundation for our Forest Hill Library Manager. ## **Reserves Policy** Our aim is to have three months of unrestricted reserves to cover out short term operating requirements. This has not been achieved, due primarily to the ongoing energy crisis and the significant hike in energy costs during the period. At 30 June 2023, we held cash at bank of £14,484. However, there was a small deficiency in our unrestricted reserves of £245. Restricted funds have, in this exceptional period, been used to cover this minor short fall and replaced in July 2023. We have ensured that the specific purposes placed on the use of restricted funds have all been met. ## **Principle Risks** The funding model for the CIO is moving away from support by the other V22 companies to a stand alone model. This provides risks from being exposed to the vagaries of the financial climate, and increases the importance of funding from grant making bodies and other fundraising activities. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The charity is constituted as a CIO with a Constitution as a governing document. The Trustees meet quarterly unless more regular meetings are required. Eligibility for trusteeship includes that: - (a) Every charity trustee must be a natural person. - (b) No individual may be appointed as a charity trustee of the CIO: - if he or she is under the age of 16 years; or - if he or she would automatically cease to hold office under the provisions of clause 12(1)(e). 4 (c) No one is entitled to act as a charity trustee whether on appointment or on any re-appointment until he or she has expressly acknowledged, in whatever way the charity trustees decide, his or her acceptance of the office of charity trustee. (d) At least one of the trustees of the CIO must be 18 years of age or over. If there is no trustee aged at least 18 years, the remaining trustees may only act to call a meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint a new charity trustee. ## **Number of charity trustees** There must be at least three charity trustees. If the number falls below this minimum, the remaining trustee or trustees may act only to call a meeting of the charity trustees or appoint a new charity trustee. There is no maximum number of charity trustees that may be appointed to the CIO. ## **Appointment of charity trustees** During the period we had two trustees resign, and we began the process to recruit a new chair of trustees. ## **Related Parties** V22 Communities is related to other V22 companies through its name; being reliant on financial support from these companies within its start-up phase; and through Kathleen Tara Cranswick who is both a Trustee and the Director and Founder of the V22 Group. ## **Potential conflicts of interest or loyalty are dealt with as follows:** A charity trustee must: (a) declare the nature and extent of any interest, direct or indirect, which he or she has in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the CIO or in any transaction or arrangement entered into by the CIO which has not previously been declared; and (b) absent himself or herself from any discussions of the charity trustees in which it is possible that a conflict of interest will arise between his or her duty to act solely in the interests of the CIO and any personal interest (including but not limited to any financial interest). Any charity trustee absenting himself or herself from any discussions in accordance with this clause must not vote or be counted as part of the quorum in any decision of the charity trustees on the matter. ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|V22 Communities| |---|---| |Other name the charity
uses|V22| |Registered charity number|**1180229**| 5 Charity’s principal address Manor House Library Manor House Old Road LONDON SE13 5SY ## **Charity Trustees** The charity trustees are as follows: Desmond Reid Eloise England Kathleen Tara Cranswick Michael Jonathan Abrahams ## **Charity Chief Executive** Simon Higgs ## **Declarations** The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. ## **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** ## **Signature(s)** **Full name(s)** Kathleen Tara Cranswick **Position** Trustee **Date** 19/07/2024 **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** ## **Signature(s)** **Full name(s)** Michael Abrahams **Position** Trustee **Date** 18/07/2024 6 **----- Start of picture text -----**
V22 Communities 1180229
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period 01/01/2022 30/06/2023
To
from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Voluntary Donations: - - - - -
Friends of Forest Hill Library 1,827 - - 1,827 1,723
Donations for use of facilities 559 - - 559 -
Other donations 2,040 - - 2,040 2,000
Local authority, National Lottery and
49,397 36,266 - 85,663 83,177
other grants
Crowdfunding 6,895 - - 6,895 -
Book sales 673 - - 673 400
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 61,391 ] 36,266 - 97,657 87,300
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
Related party loan repayment received 7,403 - - 7,403 -
- - - - -
Sub total 7,403 - - 7,403 -
Total receipts 68,794 36,266 - 105,060 87,300
A3 Payments
Library management and maintenance 94,294 10,000 - 104,294 67,416
services
Administrative support costs 20,261 - - 20,261 -
Property rates 3,828 - - 3,828 -
Bank charges 130 - - 130 62
Accountancy 1,440 - - 1,440 2,160
IT support - - - - 2,130
Equipment repair and maintenance 2,075 - - 2,075 585
Advocacy service - 15,984 - 15,984 5,328
Projects and workshops 1,100 225 - 1,325 -
Sub total [ 123,128 ] 26,209 - 149,337 77,681
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 123,128 26,209 - 149,337 77,681
Net of receipts/(payments) (54,334) 10,057 - (44,277) 9,619
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 54,089 4,672 - 58,761 49,142
Cash funds this year end (245) 14,729 - 14,484 58,761
**----- End of picture text -----**
9 ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Monies due from related parties
Bank account
**Details**
**Details**
Photocopiers
Furniture
Loan received from related parties
**Details**
Amount owed to Lochaber Hall Community
Association
Signature|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**(245)**
**14,729**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**(245)**
**14,729**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**18,842**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
Unrestricted
**4,320**
Restricted
**6,445**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
Unrestricted
**31,514**
Restricted
**6,445**
**-**
Print Name
Kathleen Cranswick|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**When due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval
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