Gressingham Village Trust
a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Registered with the Charity Commission as charity number 1181569. Trustee’s Annual Report 2022
Gressingham Village Trust (GVT) was incorporated and registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 15 January 2019, with registered charity number 1181569.
Overview 2022
During 2022, GVT continued to manage and maintain Gressingham’s Old School Room (OSR), including the grounds and the upstairs flat.
At the Annual Parish Meeting on 18[th] May John Hamlett was re-elected to a term of office to run to 2024, Rosie Smith was re-elected to serve until 2025 and Martin Brooks was re-elected to serve until 2026.
In November the solicitors, Oglethorpe, Sturton and Gillibrand, completed the process of registering legal title at The Land Registry for the OSR septic tank site on land adjacent to Juniper Cottage. The solicitors had made errors in the registration and agreed to correct these at no additional cost to GVT and payment for their work would still only be made when the registration had been confirmed by GVT as having been completed correctly.
GVT Trustees met once during the year. Quotations were received for external painting of windows, doors and railings and a change of electricity provider was agreed. Use of the OSR has not returned to pre-Covid pandemic levels but it was agreed use of the OSR room for village events, organized by people in the parish, should free of charge; £30 would be charged for use by individuals/organisations from outside the parish and £15 for parishioners for events aimed at an audience outside the parish.
No progress was made in 2022 by the Pearson Trust Working Group on the project to turn the parish church into a multipurpose community centre (and place of worship) and to support its operating and maintenance costs from income generated by converting the OSR into two rental flats.
Constitution and ‘committees’ (subcommittees) (to be noted in each annual report)
The constitution is very practical and sets out in detail how the organisation is to operate. It should be referred to for questions on practical matters such as what constitutes a quorum (clause 15(3)) and the election and appointment of trustees (clause 10).
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The Pearson Trust Working Group is a ‘committee’ of GVT under the terms of clause 14 of the constitution; its delegated powers are set out in the minutes of 23 January 2019 and 27 February 2019.
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Independent examination of accounts is required when income exceeds £25,000 per year.
The following policies are in place (to be noted in each annual report)
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The individual occupying the upstairs flat at the OSR as tenant in February 2019 should be given the opportunity to move to the new downstairs apartment, should that individual still be occupying the upstairs apartment if and when the conversion of the downstairs into an apartment goes ahead (adopted 27 February 2019)
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Emergencies can be handled in good faith between meetings (adopted 29 April 2019; the example was slates having blown off the roof and a repair having been quickly organised)
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Any three trustees acting together can attend to repairs, renewals and replacements between meetings up to £500 (adopted 11 July 2019)
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The following policies have been submitted to the Charity Commission, which requires policies in each of these areas to be in place:
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Investment Policy. Funds beyond those in the current account are currently held in a bank deposit account. This will be reviewed on completion of the current ongoing feasibility study investigating the feasibility of creating new community facilities inside Gressingham Parish Church.
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Risk Management Policy. A Risk Assessment has been carried out for the building and activities within it. The risk of loss of money by fraud or theft by a trustee is managed by requiring two signatories on cheques and other instructions to the bank.
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Conflicting Interests Policy. This is set out in the GVT constitution.
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Complaints Policy. Should a complaint be made it will be addressed by all Trustees by meeting or by online communication within one week of the complaint being made.
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Volunteer Management Policy. Volunteers and volunteering will be overseen directly by the trustees.
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Safeguarding Policy. Best practice will be followed in relation to safeguarding practices for young people and vulnerable adults. Advice is available via the church-appointed trustees from the Diocese of Blackburn safeguarding team.
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Staff Payments policy. Payments to staff will be made by bankers order only.
Property ownership (to be noted in each annual report)
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GVT has Possessory Title at the Land Registry on “School House, Gressingham, Lancaster LA2 8LP”, title number LAN220739, Registered Proprietor Gressingham Village Trust, since May 2019. Absolute Title can be claimed after twelve years, that is, in May 2031 (see minutes of 11 July 2019).
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GVT additionally holds title to the septic tank site across the road from the OSR. Registration of this with The Land Registry, title number LAN247174, was completed in May 2023.
Key observations in relation to current tenancies (to be noted in each annual report)
- From the current tenancy agreement for the upstairs flat: “The Landlord may increase the rent on 1 January each year, by a maximum of the percentage change in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to the preceding June, as published in the middle of the preceding July. To do so, the Landlord must serve a rent review notice on the Tenant during September or October each year specifying: (a) the percentage by which the rent will increase on the forthcoming 1 January; and (b) the new rent payable from the forthcoming 1 January.”
List of attachments
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Accounts 2022
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See also ‘Note on the status of trustees in the event of the delay or cancellation of the Annual Parish Meeting’, attached to the 2019 Annual Report.
Jane Paxman (Chair of Trustees) 27 June 2023.
Gressingham Village Trust Accounts 2022
Year end; 31st December 2022
| Income | General | PTWG | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Flat rental | 4,644.00 | ||
| LCC polling station rental | 260.00 | ||
| Savings interest | 27.44 | ||
| Gressingham Parish Council | 400.00 | ||
| (2021 village use of room) | |||
| Gressingham Parish Council | 400.00 | ||
| (2022 village use of room) | |||
| Expenditure | General | PTWG | Total |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Water (Water Plus) | 0.00 | ||
| Electricity (SSE/SWALEC) |
1,348.63 | ||
| Insurance (Reid Hamilton) | 1,772.24 | ||
| Cleaner (12 months @ £20) | 240.00 | ||
| Total | |||
| Income | 5,471.44 | 0.00 | 5,471.44 |
| Expenditure | 3,360.87 | 0.00 | 3,360.87 |
| Income over Expenditure | 2,110.57 | 0.00 | 2,110.57 |
| Brought Forward | 48,779.90 | 124.50 | 48,904.40 |
| Carried Forward | 50,890.47 | 124.50 | 51,014.97 |
| as :- | |||
| Current Account (NatWest) | 21,506.90 | ||
| Savings Account (NS&I) | 29,508.07 | ||
| 51,014.97 | |||
| Of which – provision for water | charges | 200.00 |
Notes Water Plus does not recognize GVT’s account and is not billing GVT. GVT is making a £100 pa provision (plus in future CPI inflation) in readiness for the resumption of billing.