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2024-12-31-accounts

Annual Report – 2024/2025

The Trustee’s report covers the period from April 2024 to April 2025

Reference and administrative details

Halstead 21st Century Group is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the Charity Commission, number 1180748.

Registered address:

c/o 20 Weavers Row Halstead CO9 2JX

Structure, governance and management

Halstead 21st Century Group formed in January 2013 and registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Foundation model) in November 2018. Up to April 1st we had 174 members, 14 friends and 5 Trustees.

The Group is controlled by its governing document, the Constitution, and has been managed by 5 Trustees during the year April 2024 -2025.

Under the terms of a foundation model CIO, only Trustees have voting rights. Trustees usually meet every month normally hybrid meetings in person and via zoom, whilst we were gradually returning to in person only, we have found it useful to have the ability to use zoom meetings at times. The groups AGM was held in April 2024,

We continue to have full membership of the Heritage Trust Network and insurance has been renewed. We have managed to catch up on our governance skills and have completed our policies and procedures, which will be reviewed periodically.

Trustees April 2024 –April 2025

Jane Giffould, Jan Mellon, Janet Atkinson, Mary Atkinson. Glen Lagdon

Charity number 1180748

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Annual Report – 2024/2025

Officers April 2024 – April 2025

Chair – Glen Lagdon Vice Chair – Janet Atkinson Treasurer – Jane Giffould Secretary - Mary Atkinson Membership Secretary – Jan Mellon

Friends

Friends do not have voting rights but are invitees to all Trustee meetings in an advisory capacity and receive regular updates on meetings and governance matters.

Their membership (£10 per person or £15 per couple) assures a small income and encourages us to consider value for money and accountability. Some of our Friends are very active in thought and deed. We are very grateful for their contribution.

Associate Members

All associate members continue to receive newsletters and regular updates.

Meetings

Trustees’ meetings are generally have been held monthly and are hybrid, both in person and via zoom. Other working party meetings have been held to address specific issues, such as Heritage Park Project steering group, we also have a volunteer steering group and fundraising group.

Working for the public benefit

Since its formation in 2013, the Group has made many representations and presentations to local councils in a bid to preserve Halstead heritage and green spaces.

In November 2013, the Group set up its first display to promote and provide education about our heritage at a local event. The number of displays has increased in number and variety

Charity number 1180748

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Annual Report – 2024/2025

since then. Group members have exhibited outside of Halstead and adapted displays to fit events while retaining an educative purpose.

A project to record local social heritage began in 2014 and some of the oral histories recorded were used by Braintree District Museum in 2015. The Group has been involved with the Local Heritage List since its launch in August 2015 and most of the Courtauld buildings in Halstead have been added and approved. No further work has been done on the list, but the group have been researching possible buildings for addition.

We have continued to campaign to preserve the Land East of the High Street, which includes the air-raid shelters, along with other areas within Halstead. The land that included the Air Raid Shelters was sold at Auction in February 2022. We subsequently started negotiations with the new owners, Halstead New Homes & Liam Boyd from B3 Architects, with a view to a long term lease to preserve all of the Air Raid Shelters, with the exclusion of 5 in poor condition. We are looking at restoring 8 of these shelters and the overground shelter.

Three of the Trustees are involved with the Earls Colne to Halstead Cycle Path group, now known as Greenway.

The Group works with Halstead Town Council and other community groups, such as River Care to enhance areas within Halstead.

During this year we continued our schools project, engaging with a local school whose children created plans of what the shelters could be used for.

Trustees have complied with the duty in section 17(5) of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Charity number 1180748.

Financial Review statement for 2024

The financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December 2024.

The full accounts are provided in a separate document.

Charity number 1180748

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Annual Report – 2024/2025

The Group remained in credit throughout 2024 and ended the year with an income of £1230.16, expenditure £476.47, and a balance of £2204.04.

The Group holds reserves of £200, an amount set to cover any outstanding invoices (e.g. room hire) and other contingencies, and guard against any financial loss.

Charitable Object 1: To preserve, maintain and enhance local sites of historic or architectural importance in the area of Halstead, Essex for the public benefit.

We made representations on planning applications impacting on heritage or green space

We made contact with the new owners of part of the Land East of the High Street, Halstead New Homes, who now own a number of the Air Raid Shelters. We are in negotiations with them to renovate the shelters with the view to managing them on a long-term lease.

We have worked a a team and with support from the North Essex Heritage Group to develop a management plan for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the Halstead Heritage Park and this has been included with the planning application for the Land East of the High Street.

We have petitioned Braintree District Council to support the application, as well as take a more strategic approach to the site and avoid selling it off in small parcels.

Charitable Object 2: To advance the education of the public on the subject of the local heritage, historic assets and natural environment of Halstead, Essex.

We have been busy with local and not so local events throughout the last 12 months. We have attended the Halstead Christmas Fayre’s, The Summer Fayre, Meet & Greet at the Bull, Halstead Town council Meeting and Essex Industrial & Archelogy Group Farye. We gave a talk to Ipswich Industrial Archaeology Group

We have continued to distribute the Heritage Trail leaflet that we produced with the help of volunteers and in conjunction with the Local History Society we produced a Heritage Trail leaflet.

We continued working with a local school who are keen to utilise the group’s knowledge on Halstead’s cultural heritage, more specifically the air raid shelters and Land East of the High Street. The school designed possible interiors for the future use of the shelters and posters

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Annual Report – 2024/2025

to save the shelters. We continue to work with the school and utilise the contacts we have made to work with more schools in the future.

Charitable Object 3: To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in Halstead, Essex

Braintree and Essex councils have still not resumed work on the Local Heritage List

Members have supported: (i) Essex Industrial Archaeology Group an organisation that promotes industrial heritage across the county. (ii) River Care and River Improvement groups (iii) Halstead Town Council’s Tree Charter commitments v) The Earls Colne to Halstead Cycle Path Group (Greenway). We regularly update our website and social media accounts with information, blogs etc.

Organisational sustainability: To ensure that we are legally compliant and able to withstand external demands and recognise and respond to opportunities

The Friends membership continues to increase our income and accountability.

We continue to seek funding from new sources, and have been quite successful, the application process requires us to demonstrate that we are living our environmental, social and governance values and processes.

Trustees and volunteers have taken part in training, webinars and conferences.

Acknowledgements

Trustees are grateful to:

Charity number 1180748

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Annual Report – 2024/2025

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees by:

GLEN LAGDON CHAIR

Dated:14[th] October 2025

Charity number 1180748

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Date Item Activity Income Banked Pay in/c Exp Balance Bank statem Inc Exp Subs
01 01 24
bfwd
1450.35
17 01 24
G B Lagdon membership
10.00
10.00
1460.35
1460.35
01 03 24
Janet Mellon membership
10.00
10.00
1470.35
1470.35
05 03 24
Eileen Penn membership
10.00
10.00
1480.35
11 03 24
Charities TrusGrant from Be 1000.00
1000.00
2480.35
30 03 24
donation
5.00
5.00
2485.35
Heritage Trussubs
100.00
2385.35
Treasurers Fosubs
35.00
2350.35
2350.35
17 04 24
Janet Mellon donation from
20.00
20.00
2370.35
30 04 24
Zurich Chariti insurance
105.59
2264.76
2264.76
13 05 24
Janet Atkinsomembership
10.00
10.00
2274.76
2274.76
08 08 24
M Atkinson
membership
15.00
15.00
2289.76
summer fair
balance
22.95
22.95
2312.71
J Giffould
URC hire
20.00
2292.71
31 07 24
E Penn
Summer Fair
15.00
2277.71
2297.71
27 08 24
2277.71
2277.71
02 09 24
J Blunden
membership
10.00
10.00
2287.71
2787.71
Halstead Eve Christmas Fair
15.00
2272.71
2272.71
28 09 24
S Card
membership
15.00
15.00
2287.71
10 10 24
J Giffould
membership
10.00
10.00
2297.71
2297.71
10 10 24
J Giffould
Zoom
155.88
2141.83
2141.83
03 12 24
Revival Books
7.21
7.21
2149.04
2149.04
25 12 24
Debbie's Walking group raf
85.00
85.00
2234.04
2234.04
28 12 24
J Giffould
SubBrit subs
30.00
2204.04
2204.04
2204.04
2204.04		 y
0.00
y
0.00
y
0.00
y
0.00
y
0.00
0.00 y
0.00 y
y
0.00
0.00 y
y
0.00
y
0.00
y
0.00
0.00 y
0.00 y
0.00
0.00
y
0.00
0.00 y
y
0.00
y
0.00
0.00 y
y
0.00
y
0.00
0.00 y
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00		 10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
15.00
10.00
15.00
10.00
Totals
1230.16
1230.16
0.00
476.47
2204.04
2204.04
0.00
0.00
90.00
Accounts for 2024
To my knowledge these are a true and fair record of the accounts for the year 2024 for Halstead 21st Century Group.
Jane Giffould
H21C Treasurer
**Meetings ** Donation sFund rais Transpor **Website ** **Courses ** Visits Subs Equipmen Postage Phone **Publicity ** Meetings
1000.00
5.00
20.00
22.95
7.21
85.00		 100.00
35.00
20.00
15.00
15.00
155.88
30.00
0.00
1117.21
22.95
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
165.00
0.00
0.00
155.88
30.00
20.00
misc
check		 Date Detail **Income ** Exp Balance
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
105.59
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00		 Summary
2024
bfwd
1450.35
Income
1230.16
Expenditure
476.47
Balance
2204.04
Bank balance
2204.04
unc inc
0.00
unc exp
0.00
Balance
2204.04
Cash in hand
20.00
Balance + cas
2224.04
105.59
0
0		 0
0
0
0
64.65
64.65
20.00
0