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2021-11-30-accounts

BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Registered Charity Number 1180903

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the Year Ended

30 November 2021

January 2022

BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the Year Ended

30 November 2021

CONTENTS

Annual Report Pages 2 to 6
1. Name Page 2
2. Charity Registered Number Page 2
3. Address Page 2
4. Trustees Page 2
5. Structure, Governance and Management Pages 2 to 4
6. Objectives Page 4
7. Geographical Area of Operation Page 5
8. Summary of Main Activities During the Year Pages 5 and 6
9. Summary of Financial Performance Page 6
10. Reserves Policy and Practice Page 6
11. General Page 6
12. Declarations and Signatures Page 6
Financial Statements Pages 7 to 11
SECTION A: RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS Page 7
SECTION B: ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Page 8
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Pages 9 to 11
Note 1: Accounting Policies and Practice Page 9
Note 2: Note Regarding Restricted and Unrestricted Funds Page 9
Note 3: Grants Received Page 9
Note 4: Membership Statistics & Temporary Waiver of Annual Membership Subs
Page 9
Note 5: Stock of Un-sold Books and Envelopes Page 9
Note 6: Trustee Remuneration and Expenses Page 9
Note 7: Employees Page 9
Note 8: Plant and Machinery Page 10
Note 9: Guarantees Page 10
Note 10: Debtors Page 10
Note 11: Related Party Information and Transactions Page 10
Note 12: Assets Retained for the Charity’s Use Page 11

Declaration and Signatures

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 November 2021

1. Name: BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

2. Charity Registered Number: 1180903

3. Address: 74 Sandringham Avenue, Leicester LE4 7NR

4. Trustees:

Kevin Paul Barsby

Jayne Caroline Cordiner

Stephen John Dixey (from 11 August 2021)

Nicholas John Fathers

Carolyn Joyce Hindocha

Janet Lucas

Sandra Eileen Moore (from 11 August 2021)

Richard Charles Norburn

Andrew Warren

5. Structure, Governance and Management

5.1 General

The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity Registration Number 1180903) (Company Number CE 015740).

The charity came into being on 29 November 2018. The financial period under review is the third period of operation.

The governing instrument is the constitution dated 31 August 2018. The Constitution closely follows the Charity Commission’s model or template constitution for charitable incorporated organisations (‘association’ model).

Those having an interest in the work and aims of the charity have opportunity (subject to the provisions of the constitution, and to payment of any applicable membership subscription) to become members of the charity and to attend and participate in the AGM.

The trustees look for opportunities to increase the membership.

The charity is managed by its board of trustees.

The charity does not act as custodian trustee for any other organisation.

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

5.2 Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

During the year, two prospective new trustees were identified and were co-opted, with a formal start-date of 11 August 2021.

New trustees are appointed at the AGM. However, the trustees have power to co-opt additional trustees at any time. Co-opted trustees serve only until the next AGM, at which time they are then eligible (subject to the provisions of the constitution) to be elected by the AGM as elected trustees.

All trustees of the charity give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity.

In order to bring a range of skills and experience to cater for the broad reach of the charity, the aim is that new trustees will be from backgrounds that reflect the charity’s needs. Suitable candidates are those who are sympathetic to the needs and aims of the organisation and who have relevant skills and experience. The trustees are developing guidelines for identifying and selecting suitable individuals.

5.3 Trustee Induction and Training

New trustees are briefed by the existing trustees on the charity’s objects and operations and the new trustees are referred to the guidance for new trustees published by the Charity Commission. In addition, each new trustees is provided with a copy of the constitution (plus any bye-laws or similar adopted by the charity), and is encouraged to study the document(s) and to discuss with the existing trustees any queries that he or she may have.

All trustees are expected to be familiar with the work of the charity.

5.4 Public Benefit

The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular to the Commission’s supplementary guidance on advancing education when reviewing the charity’s activities and planning future activities and setting policies, and that they have had due regard to such guidance.

5.5 Delay of AGM

Owing to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the first AGM was postponed sine die . Eventually, a date of 15 January 2022 was announced as the date for the delayed first AGM. However, the AGM was once again postponed, owing to concerns regarding the Omicron variant of coronavirus. The trustees are continuing to keep the matter under close review. The existing trustees continue in office pending the holding of an AGM.

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

5.6 Additional Governance Issues

The charity is funded mainly through membership subscriptions, donations, grants, admission charges at some of the charity’s events, and sales of books.

Though all trustees give their time voluntarily, the charity recognises that trustees may incur expense such as travel to meetings, conferences and other events. Trustees may from time to time, finances allowing, be reimbursed for expense directly incurred in fulfilling their duties.

The charity’s income at this stage in its life is quite modest. The charity has substantial aspirations for the future. The coronavirus epidemic has meant that many plans have had to be deferred. It is anticipated that much more funding will need to be generated in the future. The trustees are acutely alert to such issues and are always looking for suitable and prudent ways of developing the charity and increasing its resources.

6. Objectives

The six aims for which the charity exists are summarised below, and may be read in full in the constitution:-

  1. to advance education relating to the history and heritage of the Old Belgrave Village, with particular regard to the history and heritage of the places of worship and former places of worship

  2. to preserve, repair, maintain and enhance the land and structures of historic, architectural, archaeological or environmental value within the Old Belgrave Village (“the Heritage Land and Structures”)

  3. to provide (on or near the Heritage Land and Structures) facilities for the advancement of the aims stated in 1 above

  4. to provide (on or near the Heritage Land and Structures) social welfare, recreation and/or leisure facilities

  5. generally to further the use of the Heritage Land and Structures for charitable purposes

  6. other charitable aims incident or ancillary to the above.

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

7. Geographical Area of Operation

The constitution states that the focus of the charity is primarily or mainly upon the following areas:

  1. the land within the circumference of a circle having 400 metres radius, the centre of the circle being the crossroads and the junction of Checketts Road, Loughborough Road and Vicarage Lane (The Grid Reference of this crossroads is SK 59431 07138)

  2. Belgrave Cemetery (Grid Reference SK 58803 07969)

  3. the “Iron Church” on Abbey Lane (Grid Reference SK 58720 07227)

  4. any outlying pre-nineteenth century buildings and sites of historical, architectural, archaeological or environmental value.

The constitution also states that for the purposes of the constitution the expression ‘Old Belgrave Village’ is to be interpreted having regard to the above explanation as general guidance as to its meaning.

8. Summary of Main Activities During the Year

Some members of the charity continued to undertake some limited gardening care and maintenance tasks in the St Peter’s churchyard.

A programme of events and activities during the year had to be abandoned owing to the ongoing coronavirus health emergency.

Permission was sought but denied for one or two trustees to enter the St Peter’s Church on Armistice Day 11 November 2021 to place a wreath at the War Memorial. However, trustees did place poppy-crosses outside St Peter’s Church at 11 am on Armistice Day 11 November 2021. Some members of the Trust and other members of the public attended this very brief Ceremony of Remembrance.

An opportunity was organised for members of the public to undertake a guided walkabout of the St Peter’s churchyard by making use of QR codes and thereby enabling them to make the walkabout at their own pace and in their own way, and at the same time eliminating the need for people to gather in a way that might risk spread of the coronavirus.

The Trust has permission to re-print the book The Story of Belgrave: The life and death of a Leicestershire village by Michael Smith (first published 2012). A stock of 150 copies was printed during the year ended 30 November 2020, and a further 150 copies during the year ended 30 November 2021. The total number of copies sold stands at 135.

The trustees continued to maintain contact with the Leicester City Council regarding the matter of the future of the St Peter’s Church building. For a time, progress was adversely affected by the coronavirus emergency. However, when the discussions continued, it became apparent that, very sadly, a proposal for the City Council to buy the building and to then pass the ongoing management and maintenance of the building to the Trust is not a financially sustainable option, the main reason being that a suitable and appropriate financially-sustainable new use for the building has not at this time been identified.

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Annual Report for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

8 continued. Summary of Main Activities During the Year

The trustees continue their interest in the quest to identify a secure future for the historic St Peter’s Church building.

The trustees continue to plan and prepare for a time when normal events and activities can safely resume.

Owing to the current impasse regarding the future of the St Peter’s Church building, the focus of the Trust’s attention and activities will now fall increasingly upon other aspects of the history and heritage of Old Belgrave.

Work was begun on a project to develop a much-improved website which will serve to promote the Trust and its Objects and will provide useful information about Belgrave’s history and heritage.

9. Summary of Financial Performance

Payments exceeded Receipts by £ 558, whereas in the preceding year (ended 30 November 2020), Receipts exceeded Payments by £ 459.

There is a contingent liability (carried forward from pre-coronavirus days) amounting to £ 499, as stated in Section B6 of the Financial Statements and as explained in Note 3 of the Notes to the Financial Statements.

10. Reserves Policy and Practice

At this early stage in the life of the charity, the trustees have not formally designated any funds as reserves nor has a formal Reserves Policy been adopted.

However, the trustees aspire to build-up the charity’s unexpended income as much as reasonably possible at the same time as seeking to strike a fair balance between spending on current events, activities and promotions and building financial resilience for the future.

One of the reasons for seeking to build financial resilience for the future is that the trustees anticipate that when arrangements for the future of the St Peter’s building move forward in a substantive way, this may result in increased demands upon the charity’s resources.

Even if it turns out that is not practically possible to build up the unexpended income above the year-end level of £ 3290, the trustees consider that every possible means should be used to ensure that the balance in hand does not fall below the level one full year’s anticipated routine expenditure.

11. General

This Report should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements for the same period (given as pages 7 to 11).

12. Declaration and Signatures

This annual report is signed this 30[th] day of January 2022 on behalf of the board of trustees by

Richard Norburn, Chairman

Carolyn Hindocha, Secretary

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2021

SECTION A RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS (see Notes 1 and 2)

TOTAL GENERAL RESTRICTED PREV 2019-20

A1. Receipts
Grants received (seeNote 3) - - - 499
Membership subscriptions received (seeNote 4) 44 44 - 5
Events (admission charges etc) - - - 190
Raffle - - - 34
Donations 467 467 - 57
Sales of Book 410 410 - 940
Postage and packaging for book 25 25 - 91
Total Receipts 946 946 - 1816
A2. Asset and Investment Sales- - - -
A3. Payments
Insurance 56 356 - 592
Printing of Book 527 527 - 519
Postage and packaging for book 21 21 - 103
Cost of hiring hall 125 125 - 50
Website domain name - - - 18
Website set-up 400 400 - -
Donation to Royal British Legion 35 35 - -
Donation/Fee re Arm Day 2019 bugler - - - 50
Arm Day 2019 wreath - - - 25
_God’s Acre_Membership subscription 40 40 - -
Total payments 1504 1504 - 1357
A4. Asset and Investment Purchases - - - -
Net RECEIPTS (PAYMENTS) (558) (558) - 459

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

SECTION B STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES as at 30 November 2021

TOTAL GENERAL RESTRICTED 30 Nov 2020
B1. Cash Funds 3290 2791 499 3848
These Cash Funds are held as follows –
Cash at bank 3260
Cash in hand 30
B2. Other monetary assets - - - -
B3. Investment assets - - - -
B4. Un-sold stock(seeNote 5) 1650 1650 - 573
B5. Assets retained for the
charity’s own use(seeNote 12) - - - -
B6. Liabilities(seeNote 3) 499 - 499 499

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1: Accounting Policies and Practices

SECTION A of the Financial Statements is prepared on the ‘Receipts and Payments’ basis, and is accompanied by SECTION B , a Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at the end-date of the period under review.

Note 2: Note Regarding Restricted and Unrestricted Funds

Unrestricted funds are funds that can be used in any way within the charity’s objectives, at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds are funds held by the charity where there is a contractual requirement for the funds to be spent on a particular purpose.

Note 3: Grants Received

A Ward Grant of £ 499 was received for use in connection with the Belgrave History Fair planned for July 2020. The Fair has been postponed owing to the coronavirus emergency and the money remains un-spent. There is a contingent liability (shown in Section B6 ) in that the Ward Grant may have to be repaid if it proves to be not possible eventually to use it for a delayed Belgrave History Fair.

Note 4: Membership Statistics and Temporary Waiver of Annual Membership Subscriptions

The number of members on the Roll of Members as at 30 November 2021 stood at 99.

The reason for the very low income from membership subscriptions is that the trustees decided, owing to the coronavirus emergency and the consequent curtailment of activities, to waive the annual membership subscriptions for the period April 2020 to 31 December 2021. The membership fee income (amounting to £ 44) shown in the accounts for the year-ended 30 November 2021 is advance payments of fees due for the year commenced 1 January 2022

Note 5: Stock of Unsold Books and Envelopes

At 30 November 2020, the charity held a stock of 165 un-sold copies of the re-print of the ‘ Story of Belgrave ’ book by Michael Smith and 24 padded envelopes. The books have a potential future sale value of £ 1650. There were 17 padded envelopes in stock, these having a potential future sale value of £ £ 9.

Note 6: Trustee Remuneration and Expenses

No trustee was remunerated. No trustee claimed expenses.

Note 7: Employees

The charity had no employees.

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued

Note 8: Plant and Machinery

The charity had no plant or machinery, other than that declared in Note 12 of these Notes.

Note 9: Guarantees

The trustees declare that the charity has given no guarantee where potential liability is outstanding at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.

Note 10: Debtors

The trustees declare that the charity has no outstanding debts which are secured by an express charge on any of the assets of the charity at the date of the statement of assets and liabilities.

Note 11: Related Party Information and Related Party Transactions

Several years ago, a ‘ Belgrave Hall Conservation Area Society’ was formed, as an un-incorporated association. One of the matters that had the attention of the Society was the uncertain future of the historic St Peter’s church building which had been declared redundant by the Church of England, and at one time even had a ’for sale’ notice board outside it.

The Society came to the view that the future of the St Peter’s building was a major project that would best be carried forward by a dedicated separate organisation. As a result, some of the members of the Society formed a group of ‘ Friends of Belgrave St Peters ’ as an un-incorporated association separate from the ‘ Belgrave Hall Conservation Area Society ’.

The committee of the ‘ Friends of Belgrave St Peters’ then came to the view that the project would best be carried forward by a body having formal charitable status and incorporated with limited liability. Plans were made to create such a body as a successor to the un-incorporated ‘ Friends ’ group.

While considering the wording for the charitable objects clause for the envisaged new body, the individuals who were the members of the committee of the ‘ Friends ’ concluded that it was appropriate and opportune to declare wider charitable objects that were not restricted to the St Peter’s building, and to form a ‘ Belgrave Heritage Trust’ relating to old Belgrave more generally. This plan was put to the members of the ‘ Friends ’ group at its AGM held on 30 June 2018 and received their endorsement. A constitution for the new body was drawn-up, the individuals who were the committee of the ‘ Friends ’ group standing as the first members and the first trustees of the new body. The new ‘Belgrave Heritage Trust’ was incorporated by the Charity Commission as a ‘charitable incorporated organisation’ on 29 November 2018 and received registered charity status at that same time.

The ‘ Friends ’ group decided to wind-up its operations. All members of the group were invited to transfer their membership to become members of the new charity, and the ‘ Friends ’ group decided to transfer its assets to the new charity. The final or closing balance on the books of the ‘ Friends ’ group was £ 3401 which was transferred in its entirety to the charity. In addition, some of the items identified in Note 12 of these Notes were donated by the ‘ Friends ’ group.

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BELGRAVE HERITAGE TRUST

Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 November 2021, Continued

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, Continued

Note 12: Assets Retained for the Charity’s Own Use

The charity owns a number of items as identified below which have been donated to the charity and which (although useful to the charity) are regarded by the trustees as having minimal commercial or re-sale value. Also, such commercial or re-sale value (if any) may be difficult to quantify with any degree of accuracy. The trustees have decided to treat these items as fully depreciated. (Some of the items listed were donated by the ‘ Friends of Belgrave St Peters ’ group).

The following items are on loan to the charity and are available for its use:

Declaration and Signatures

These financial statements (including the statement of assets and liabilities presented as SECTION B , and the NOTES thereto) are signed this 30th day of January 2022 on behalf of the board of trustees by

Richard Norburn, Chairman

Carolyn Hindocha, Secretary

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