The Downton Memorlal Centre (Registered charity, number 1183511) Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 Paga Contents Trustees, annual report Independent examiner's report Receipts & payments account Statement of assets & liabilities Notes to the accounts 9-11 capLUS The Downton Memorial Centre Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 December 2024 Full name The Downton Memorial Centre CIO Organ18atlon type Charitsble incorporated organisation Reglstered charlty number 1183511 Principal addrass Downton Memorial Hall, The Memorial Hall, The Borough, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3NB Truste08 Susan Kirsten Parsons, Chair David Philip Mace, Treasurer Hilary Mace, Booking Secretary Jeremy Parsons Lesley Giles Andrew Philip Smith Independent examiner John O'Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street. Nottingham, NG15GL Governance and managemont The charity is operated under Ihe rules of its CIO Foundation constitution adopted 21 May 2019. Trustees are nominated by local organisations or trustees and appointed by the Irustees. Initially there were 3 'first trustees, from the previous unincorporated charity {Downton Memorial Hall, Charity No. 305507). Other trustees up to a maximum of 23 in number Can be nominated by local organisalions. The trustees can also appoint up to 4 local residents as new trustees. ObJ•ctlves and actlvltles The provision and maintenance of Ihe Downton Memorial Centre for use of inhabilants of the parish of Downton in the county of Wilts and its immediate vicinity without distinction of sex or political or religious or other opinions, including use for.. a) physical and mental training and recreation, and b) intellectual development through the medium of reading and recreation rooms library lectures, classes, recreations. The Downton Memorial Centre Summary of the main activitles undertaken for the public benefit The main activities of the Trustees are concerned with the operation of the Downton Memorial Centre to achieve the aims of the charity e.g. maintaining the fabric and servi￿$ of the building. taking bookings for the hire of rooms and other facilities at the ￿ntre, managing the clèaning arrangements for the building, collecting hire fees and rent, and managing the finances of the charity, fundraising for items to improve the premises for the public benefit, and advertising in Ihe local press, and the village website, to promote the facilities of the charrty. The activities of the charty enable its local community to have easy access to rooms with good facilities, in a safe, clean, heated environment, and at a very reasonable cost. The rooms and other facilities of the Downton Memorial Centre are hired by local residents, organisalions, and other parts of the community. for a wide variety of different activities, in line wilh the aims of the charity, which include-. physical exercise and development classes, recreational activities. intellectual lectures etc. and development, and entertainment in the form of film, theatre, musical performances and children's parties etc. The trustees wish to put on record their grateful thanks to the volunteers who help with the running of the Downton Memorial Centre, the fund-raising events and the improvements Ihal Continue to be made to its facilities. Publlc benèflt statement The Trustees Gonfirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard lo Ihe Charity Commission's general guidan on public benefil, 'Charltles and Publlc Beneflv. Summary of the maln achlevements durlng the porlod The Downton Memorial Centre CIO (DMCI energy conlract came to the end of its term in April 2023. At that point the DMC'S gas and electricity rates became approximately and a half times higher than on its previous contract. In March 2023, and in anticipation of the large increase in energy costs, the Trustees reviewed the fees which it charged for ils principal Sour￿ of income (i.e. the room hire fees) and, after taking everything into account, raised each of the hourly room hire rates by 10 % effective from May 2023 room bookings onwards. Thanks mostly to increased occupancy rates, DMC'S hire fee income continued lo grow in 2024 when compared to the last few years and is currently well in excess of the pre-covid pandemic levels of 2019, as can be seen in the table below.. 2019 £21,566 2020 £10,913 2021 £8,553 -600/0 2022 £17,955 -170 2023 £25,552 +18% 2024 £31,165 +45% Hire Fees 'kn change over 2019 The Downton Memorial Centre Notable uses of the building in 2024, which also demonstrates the diversity of uses. included: The Robin Hood stage production, which was a very popular show, and a su¢¢essful fund-raising event for the Projector & Screen Fund. Slimming World; Child Health Clinic; New Life Church., Little Buds la weekly class for new mums); Ballet Tutoring Tai Chi Colour Wheel (weekly art classes) Pilates Willow Weaving Community Choir The ¢harlty'8 pollcy on reserves The Trustees policy on reserves is to maintain unrestricted cash reserves which are approximately equal to.. six month's hire fee income {£16,0001. plus a cash reserve for em8rgency maintenance to the premises and facilities 1£8,0001, plus the Projector & Screen Fund {£3,425), plus the Flat Roof Fund (£2,000). This makes a total of approximately £29.425. The total unrestricted reserves at the 2024 year-end stood at £31,915. This appears to be a strong financial position. However, some of these unrestricled reserves will need to be earmarked for other future maintenance work {see next section) once those works have been fully identrfied and quantified. This planning work started in 2024 and will continue during 2025. Flnanclal rovlew The charity has Iwo principal Sources of income, namely.. al the hire fees charged for the use of its facilrties and b) the pre-school rent. The increasing level of room bookings in 2024 resulted in a healthy growlh in the income from room hi￿ fees. Following the termination of the Downton Community Preschool's tenancy at the end of 2023, the trustees. with the active support of Wiltshire Council's Early Years team, and aftef taking independent professional advice on the rental market value of the premises, ran a competitive Invilation to Tender process in the first quarter of 2024. The winning Candidate for the tenancy was Giant Steps, who already operate a successful nursery at The Trafalgar School in Downton. Giant Steps slarted operating their new preschool, at the Downton Memorial Centre, in June 2024 and are pleased wilh the number of children who attend the preschool. The Downton Memorial Centre The hiatus between one tenant ceasing it5 operation and another starting up has resulted in a reduced level of rental income during 2024 compared with 2023, but the outlook for ￿ntaI income in 2025 is now much more positive than it seemed possible in 2023. As at the end of 2024 some1005e ends remain to be sorted out during 2025 betrween Downton Community Preschool and the Downton Memorial Centr8. Financlal r18k8 Unexpected, unplanned mainlenance costs. The completion of the Memorial Hall Extension Project by Downton Parish Council {DPC} in late 2018 resulted in a new lease being agreed be￿88n DPC and the Ihen Trustees of the Downlon Memorial Centre CIO (DMCI. In this new lease the full responsibility for maintaining the building transfers from DPC to DMC once DPC completed certain remedial works on the building, the most slgnificant of these being the replacement of roofs and guttering. Those works have been in progress from 2019 onwards and were completed in 2024. It is expected that the newly replaced flat roofs, as is normally the case with flat roofs, will need to be redone in aboul 20 years, time. The Trustees have earmarked some of the reserves for a 'Flat Roof Fund, with the intention of growing this fund each year so that sufficient funds will be available lo replace the flat roofs when needed. Similarly, other Maintenan￿ items which have a significant potential cost will be identified, quantified and, where appropriate, reserves will be eaTmarked and grown over time lo enable the Trustees to pay for such future maintenance as and when the time arises. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees.. Signed Susan Kirsten Parsons, Trustee Dale £ d L 102'.i Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Downton Memorial Centre for the year ended 31 December 2024 I report to the trustees on my examination of the acwunts of The Downton Memorial Centre (the charity) for the year ended 31 December 2024. Re8pon8lbllltles and basis of report As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act'l. I ￿port in resped of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the 2011 Act and in Carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)Ibl of the Act. Independent examlner's statemont I have completed my examination. I confimi that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving m8 cause to believe that in any material respect.. 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act.. or 2. the accounls do not accord with those records. I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed John O'Brien Msc, FAIA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus Date 3011012025 The Downton Memorial Centre Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 December 2024 2023 Total Funds 2024 Total Funds Unrg*lcted R•*tet•d Funds Fundg Recolpts Grarts & donations Fundraising events Rental income Sa￿s & hire fees Bank interest Utility, repair & maintenance recharges Key deposits Damage deposits Total re¢•lpts 778 1858 5514 25591 1171 2232 100 200 37242 30 1553 3050 30154 1315 3254 25 125 39506 30 1553 3050 30154 1315 3254 25 125 39506 Payments AdbErtisiThJlProrrntional C￿an1r0 Equipment Fundraisiro costs knsurarKe Key & damage deposlls refunded Legal & professional fees Membership fees Music Licence Office & general admin expenses Repairs & maintsnance Supplies Utilities Website Total payments 45 6238 231 763 726 45 6258 822 812 754 275 2004 50 154 312 28751 41 7499 1325 49102 45 6258 822 812 754 275 2004 50 139 216 7248 312 28751 41 7499 1325 49102 8686 567 24909 12333 29178 41511 Net recelptsl(paymentsl Cash funds at stsrt ofthis period Cash funds atend of this period 195961 40410 30814 19596) 41511 31915 1101 1101 The Downton Memorial Centre ststement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2024 2023 2024 Cash assets Bank accounts Cash in hand Note 41511 31737 178 31915 41511 Other monetary assets Debtors Prepayments 5411 856 6267 2212 1603 3815 A888ts retalned for tho charlty$