## **Preston Village Hall CIO Annual Report November 2021 – March 2023** I want to start my report by thanking the Trustees for their support, goodwill and commitment. I would like to thank Karen Wright for her positivity and hard work as Treasurer in controlling the finances, seeking the best deals from our suppliers and in producing our audited accounts and Mandy Kemp who keeps the day to day account management so efficiently. I would like to thank Kath Marsden for her excellent management of the hall bookings and her role as key-holder, Mona Hodgetts who takes the minutes of our meetings and Colin Cross for his support as Vice Chair. I would also like to thank Jan de Pledge for her valuable contribution as our cleaner and Richard de Pledge, who steps in when Jan takes her holiday break and who opens up extra early and closes up late at night when we operate as a polling station. ## **Trustees and Management Committee** **Jill Matthews** was re-elected as Chairman of the Trustees. **Colin Cross** was elected as Vice Chairman **Karen Wright** has continued in the role of Treasurer. **Kath Marsden** has continued to act as the keyholder and booking secretary for the hall. **Diane Johnson** and **Pam Donaldson** continued to serve as trustees; they are the longest serving members of the Committee and have a wealth of experience on which we continue to draw. **Alwyn Pigeon** **Susan Marsden Garrett** keeps the community informed of events through Facebook and other social media. **Mona Hodgetts** acts as secretary. We would like to recruit more trustees from the wider “area of benefit” i.e. Stourmouth and the surrounding hamlets and more trustees representing users of the facilities. Other residents of Preston and Elmstone, who would like to become a trustee should contact Mona in the first instance. ## **Aims and Objects** The objects of the CIO are to establish and run a village hall and to promote, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Preston Kent and its neighbourhood ,the provision of facilities for recreation 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 conditions of life of the said inhabitants. ## **How we have achieved our objectives** Our main income comes from the hire of the hall. Residents can take part in yoga and chair yoga sessions on three different days, either morning or evening sessions are offered. The Art Class has restarted on a Monday afternoon and uptake has been very good. Unfortunately, the Tai Chi and Zumba classes did not restart following the pandemic closure. We were pleased to see that a new weekly toddler playgroup has started and seems to attracting parents from the parish and the wider community. The hall is booked on most evenings by village clubs and societies. These include the Short Mat Bowls Club, the Table Tennis Club, with weekly slots, and dog training classes and a children’s football club run weekly during the summer months. A local band practises in the hall regularly. Monthly bookings are by the Preston Parish Council , the Preston, Elmstone and Stourmouth Horticultural Society and The Tuesday Club books occasionally. The Cricket Club uses the facilities when there are home matches. The Remote-controlled Car Club continues to meet on alternate Sundays. There are a pleasing number of weekend bookings for children’s birthday parties. ## **Community Fund Raising Events** We continue to raise funds to contribute towards the development of the new Village Hall. The monthly Big Breakfast is well supported and provides residents with an opportunity to meet up and chat. The team of Breakfast Beauties does a great job by cooking and serving the breakfasts and run like a well-oiled machine. Regular events such as the Preston Christmas Craft Fair, the Annual Plant Sale, the Spring and Autumn Walks with tea and cakes and the Bingo Evenings are popular providing useful income and are established as part of the village tradition. We celebrated the Queen’s Jubilee weekend by inviting residents to have a picnic on the Recreation Ground. This was also an opportunity to take a village photograph which is displayed in the hall. A Village Hog Roast is planned for the Bank Holiday following the Coronation of King Charles. Over the time covered by this report, we have organised several larger scale events which have each raised in excess of £1000. These include the September Hog Roast, The Race Night and more recently, the Live Music with a curry supper event. These events have been well attended. My thanks go to the volunteers who work so hard to make them so successful. ## **Other Fund Raising** We signed up to Dover District Council’s Lotto last year. For every £1 ticket purchased on line, the hall receives 50p and a further 10p goes towards grants to deserving causes. The hall has received financial aid through this mechanism. ## **Maintenance** Regular maintenance has been undertaken by Ed Matthews. A new UPVC window was fitted to replace a rotted out wooden frame. Other minor works have been undertaken but we are waiting to see what progress is made towards the new Village Hall development before committing to any significant expenditure. ## **The New Village Hall Project** At present, the project has been mothballed. As stated in last year’s report, we are looking for circa £2,000,000 to complete the development. The Preston Parish Council are in discussions which may raise sufficient funds to undertake the project. As yet, the outcome is unknown. Applications for smaller grants supporting community social amenities may be successful and we intend to follow this path in the coming year. We would like to recruit more trustees from the wider “area of benefit” i.e. Stourmouth and the surrounding hamlets and more trustees representing users of the facilities. Other residents of Preston and Elmstone, who would like to become a trustee should contact Mona in the first instance. Jill Matthews 16 March 2023 PRESTON 114TH ELMSTONE VILLAGE HALL INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2022 Bank Balance BIF - LI¢)yd8 Cash in Hand BIF Intsrest R￿1Ved Hire charges DDC Grant Income Stoumiouth Donation Other Income & Donations Trf fft)m R8creats'on Fund 57849.42 27.04 3.89 6951.e6 IC667.00 471.76 2786.54 85.00 Cleanlng & R6p8ir Costs Wages and Honorarium. Water. LkJhC Heat Insuranc& PPUPRS Music Licenco Fundrak8lng Event and Other Sundry Ewnse8 Trf to Recrn8tion FurKI Trfto Renovation Fund Balance6 CIF- Lloyds Cash in Hand B81ance i 2141.80 2362.40 3247.92. 986.54 134.11 2663.08 175.00 16587.50 50516.92 27.04 78842.31 78842.31 lonF Balance BIF - Lloyds Interest Recervod Trf From Vlllage Hall Fund 45304.15 5.17 16587.50 61896.82 Sundry Expens8S Trf to Recreation Fund Balance CIF - Lloyd8 28.26 422.25 61446.31 61896.82 Balance alF - Lloyd8 Trt trom Vlllage Hall Fund Trf from Renovalon Fund 90.00 Trf to Mllage H811 Fund Balance CIF - Lk)yds 85.00 602.25 422.25 887.25 687.25 Total Balances BIF Exc4B8 of Income over EXp￿￿llUre for tho Year 103270.61 Total Bank 8al8nrM CIF Cash in Hand CIF 112565.48 27.04 9321.91 112592.52 112592.52 I have prepared the above Income and Expenditure Account and Cèrt￿ that it18 In s￿OrdanCe with the books and re¢ords maintained by the Treasurer and explanation8 gr8nt&J to me. G M Heathf￿d Elgar3 Honorary Audltor K Wright Honorary Treasurer 30th Sept￿ber 2022