58 High Street, Felling, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE10 9LT
Felling Volunteer Library Trustees' Finance Report - 2023/24 to the Charities Commission. Registered Charity Number: 1185205 .
Felling Volunteer Library (FVL) is a small CIO run independently of, but with material support from, Gateshead Council; we have been autonomous since July 2017.
The Charities Commission will now be receiving FVL's financial accounts covering the year 2023/2024, and this Report covers our activities for that specific period.
After the more challenging scenario of the previous year to March 2023, our Library continued to stabilise, build and consolidate during the current period to 31.3.24.
Accordingly, bolstering public awareness of FVL remained a concern throughout the period of the 2023/2024 financial year.
I have previously mentioned restoring our situation, footfall, etc., to a pre- COVID level of take-up, and this remains a continuing challenge for the library.
On the positive side, FVL's expenditure has been efficiently managed, so our financial position has been relatively strong. During 2023/2024 we have continued to subsist effectively on the back of the residue of savings made during our COVID lockdowninduced inactivity (but note: we are, as of January 2025, in the process of applications for funding of at least £7k, so as to be able to pay our Council re-charge in April 2025).
During the financial year 2023/2024 we have continued our operations on the basis of opening 4 days a week (Monday to Thursday, 10am-4pm), and this arrangement continues today, based at 'The Hub' in the centre of Felling, Gateshead.
Our volunteer staff turnover has been minimal during 2023/2024, and we benefit from the resulting sense of stability, which aids our continuity planning and the efficient running of the Library. We are a compact group of 15 volunteers which communicates well; every one of our colleagues knows what we are doing, being familiar with our welcoming, inclusive principles, ethos and practice.
We have retained our two prominent local patrons who are successful authors, and we generally receive the assistance of one as 'opener' of our events.
In the Summer holidays FVL participates in the Council-run scheme which encourages children to read a number of books, after which awards are given; 2023 continued the pattern.
Additionally, we now run a Wednesday morning Creative Crafts session for young children which has proved most popular; during the summer holidays it combines in partnership with the Council's Children's Services (also based at the Hub), when we often have more than fifteen children, plus Carers, present.
In the Council ward of Felling, one of the most deprived in the North East of England, FVL pride ourselves on reaching out to offer amenities to the general public in our community, a feature which will continue. From early February 2024, after due planning, we began an English language class which takes account of the increasing number of incoming refugees to the district naturally resulting in more ethnically diverse users of our Library facilities more generally. As the end of the financial year 2023/2024 loomed, the class quickly established itself with around 12 attenders at each weekly session.
One new FVL initiative is a planned outreach venture to draw in residents of a Hospital/community care halfway house, close to the Library patients who are intending to move back home after treatment. We hope to advertise our facilities to such individuals, and/or to take books up to the Centre, for them to borrow.
The Library continues to be a partner in Gateshead Council's 'Warm Spaces' initiative, a supportive and welcoming feature, which has average regular footfall of about thirty users a month.
Originally inspired by the 'Warm Spaces' undertaking, FVL's weekly 'Knit & Natter' group continues to build upon its success, attracting an average of twelve to fourteen men and women of all ages and diversity. Knitted products from the group have been donated to a local hospital (and were for sale as fund-raisers at the 2023 'Xmas Fayre').
Christmas 2023 saw our Annual seasonal Fayre nett FVL circa. £780+ (see our accounts); at the successful May 2023 Spring Fayre, we had amassed a reassuring £760.
I have previously reported how, after our previous Treasurer left the post without our having a planned and orderly succession, FVL encountered a number of organisational challenges.
Under the oversight, particularly of our present Treasurer, Mrs. Lavender, the Trustees are (as I write, in November 2024) familiar with the requisite procedure for rendering Accounts and reports to the Charities Commission, on which we have been 'on fast catch-up' since then - (and in particular, during 2024). The matter is doubly urgent for us, since we wish to be compliant with the Commission's regulations in order to be able to apply for our next funding brief (of up to £10k) in the immediate future
Please let me know timwilson300@googlemail.com if you require more information.
Once again, I have found your telephone operatives to be immensely helpful on the two occasions very recently, when I have contacted them for advice on required compliance.
Kind regards,
Tim Wilson,
Trustee and Chair
Felling Volunteer Library.
Felling Volunteer Library Year Ending 31/03/24 Financial Position as of 31/03/24
| Unrestricted funds as at 31/03/24 Brought forward from previous year 10,331.55 Income from Library Txns 691.89 Income from charity boxes/Tesco 73.55 Income from donations & Events 1,540.98 Cost of living trans from restricted 2,605.00 Less expenses 7,721.98 |
|
|---|---|
| Total Unrestricted Funds 7,520.99 |
| Restricted Funds as at 31.03.24 – Balances | ||
|---|---|---|
| Warm Spaces (843.26) –165.39 |
677.87 | |
| Xmas 2023 (500.00) -474.60 |
25 .40 | |
| Cost of living (2,605.00) Trans to Unrestricted | 2,605.00 | |
| Clare’s Crafts (320.01) -126.17 |
193.84 | |
| Knit & Natter (500.00) - 116.83 | 383.17 | |
| Closed fund Balances |
-2,605.00 | |
| Restricted Funds | 1,280.28 | |
| Current Assets/Liabilities | ||
| Bank Balance | 10,125.89 | |
| Cash Balance | 160.06 | |
| Current Liabilities (Bills received not paid) | 0.00 | |
| Current Liabilities (Outstanding Loans) | 0.00 | |
| 10285.95 | ||
| LESS RESTRICTED FUNDS |
1280.28 | |
| 9,005.67 |
Felling Volunteer Library Unrestricted Income & Expenditure
| Summary foryear ending | Summary foryear ending | 31 March 2024 | **b/f ** | **b/f ** | **b/f ** | 10331.55 Net Gain/ Loss +26.22 -1711.15 +16.14 -22.27 -69.79 -68.77 +35.79 -172.83 -535.30 -2940.57 +173.22 -146.49 -5415.80 4915.75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Library Transactions | Other Unrestricted Income |
Expenses | Net Gain/ Loss | ||
| April | 43.20 | 15.70 | 32.68 | +26.22 | ||
| May | 20.70 | 349.37 | 2081.22 | -1711.15 | ||
| June | 43.40 | 22.43 | 49.69 | +16.14 | ||
| July | 49.50 | 13.83 | 85.60 | -22.27 | ||
| August | 41.50 | 19.78 | 131.07 | -69.79 | ||
| September | 76.70 | 56.02 | 201.49 | -68.77 | ||
| October | 67.35 | 112.56 | 144.12 | +35.79 | ||
| November | 94.05 | 12.00 | 278.88 | -172.83 | ||
| December | 65.30 | 130.60 | 731.20 | -535.30 | ||
| January | 37.69 | 700.00 | 3678.26 | -2940.57 | ||
| February | 58.40 | 154.00 | 39.18 | +173.22 | ||
| March | 94.10 | 28.00 | 268.59 | -146.49 | ||
| Totals | 691.89 | 1614.29 | 7721.98 | -5415.80 | ||
| Total Unrestricted Funds Current Year: Income 2306.18 Current Year: Expenditure -7721.98 |
||||||
| Current Year: Surplus or Deficit -5415.80 | ||||||
| ADD: Unrestricted Funds Brought Forward from Previous Year |
10331.58 | |||||
| Total Unrestricted Reserves | 4915.75 | |||||
| LESS: Designated Funds Current Unrestricted Funds Available |
0.00 | |||||
| 4915.75 |