PLYMOUTH PROPRIETARY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
President's Report for 2025
In 2025 various changes and upgrades were made at the PPL for the benefit of members. Two new ceiling fans were installed to keep members cool in the summer and warmer in winter. Three new blinds were also installed to reduce UV levels to better protect the books and get rid of the glare from sunlight when the projector and screen are used (also newly acquired). Two PPL members kindly provided the money to purchase both the blinds and the fans. Other developments include an additional car parking space outside the kitchen window and additional signage by the front entrance.
The library continued to host a wide range of regular activities in 2025 including monthly coffee mornings, a latin group, book group, history of art group, watercolour group and a textile group. The library hosted nineteen talks in 2025 plus a further range of special activities including three book launches, four workshops, two plays, five room hire events and a display of the Doreen Mole collection during Heritage Open Days. Doreen Mole spent seventeen years conducting research on the history of Plymouth. After she passed away, her son donated her archive (containing research papers, photographs, maps, leaflets and books) to the library. In May, the PPL was awarded a community grant of £150 from Plymouth City Council to purchase material to conserve this archive. Further funding of £250 was awarded from the Plymouth Astor Trust to help upgrade our IT.
In April 2025, the PPL doubled its' opening hours on Saturday to 10am-2pm thanks to the goodwill of staff and trustees. Nevertheless, many of the activities already listed continued to take place when the library was 'closed' and we were indeed open a lot longer than perhaps perceived. The PPL continued to reach out and had stalls at Local Studies Day at Plymouth University and at Christmas and summer fairs at Stoke Damerel Church. The PPL also re-established Cottonian Representative meetings with the descendants of the Cotton family and contacts at The Box (a long-standing agreement that was halted due to Covid). For more details of the relationship, see: https://www.theboxplymouth.com/collections/cottonian
We end on a sad note; in 2025 James Bridgwater passed away. James was a very active member of the library. On becoming a trustee in 2022, he ensured the library was promoted through his many contacts, and immediately set up his successful writing group. His association with Script-in-Hand theatre also ensured a series of plays were performed at the library. James was a complex character with a longstanding battle with mental health as conveyed in his autobiography 'Confessions of an Emotional Shipwreck'. We are very privileged to have known him.
Peter Howarth
(President PPL Association)
PLYMOUTH PROPRIETARY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION C F4ARITY Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from to 0110112025 3111212025 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestrieted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds Total funds Last year to the noarost to the nearest£ to th¥ nearest to the neare81 E toth• noarest£ A1 Ree•ipts Doaniions & olhervoiunlary IDcomelwitten off £4,541.(M) £5.384.00 £1.800.CK) E4,541. £6,672.00 £8.585.00 £1,800.00 Rent81 Income Investment lficome & Interest 1,800.00 Attiviles re Gener*ing Funds & Fund Miscellaneous re¥eDue £4,201.fN) £1,790.(K) £4,201.00 £1,790.00 £0. £6,039. £0.00 £956.00 £000 £0.00 Inland Revenue reb81e MeTnbership Subscbptions £6,039.00 Leciuies, Excur&onts & Open t)ays Bank error In ourfrdvour £2,554.00 £2,554. £4,083.00 Sub total( ross income for AR) £26,309 £26,309 £22,096 A2 Asset and Investment sales, Isee table). Sale of Investments £0.00 £o.c £0.00 £5,775.00 Sub total £0 £0 £5.775 Totsl receipts £26,309 É26,309 £27,871 A3 Payment5 Pieviously property rep81rs Event Expenses £0.00 £0.00 £0 £0 £32 £9.802.(K) £2,884.00 £121.00 £9.802 £12.618 Propery Rep81rs Pur¢hase 8 Rep8ir of 8th)ks Newsp3ppr & MagalleS pur¢ha8es £2,884 £121 £68 £327 EO.00 £0 £373 Office Supplies Sundry Cos Professional Co818 £617.00 £617 £1.080 £362 £123.00 £471.00 £12.613.00 É26,631 £123 È47f £493 Wage5 £12.613 £11,518 £26.869 Sub total £26,631 A4 Asset and Investment purchases, (see table) Purchase buSldin Sub total £26,631 ,631 £26.869 Net of re¢elpts/(paymentsJ A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cz5h funds last yèar end Cash funds this year end -322 322 £1,002 3251 3,251 2.929 £2,249 £3,251 2929
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period unStrICted funds to nearest £ Restricted funds to nearest £ Endowment funds to nearest £ Cdtègoriks 81 Cash funds Bank Accounts £2.920 owed 10 Treasurer Pelly Cash Total cash funds 2,929 iagrve balaweswith re5 payments Unrestricted fund$ to nearest É Restricted funds ¢0 nearest £ Endowment fund5 to nearest £ Detai15 Librsry lIdIng 200,000 Fund 10 which assèi belon Unwtrict Detai15 HAWKSMOOR INVESMENT MAfhl4GEMENT AS AT 31112124 Cost loptionall current value 83 Investment assets 57,746 Furtd 10 whith asset belo Unre5Ericie Details kS & Documen15 Cost loption811 Curront valuo E4 Assets retained for the charity's own use 180,000 Other ContenLS Uiiresiflcted 30,000 Fund to whi¢h Amount dvt Whèn du Detai15 BS Llabllrtles si9r by one or bvo Iru$tee$ on behalf of all the twstee5 ignalure Print Name Dale of rov
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF PLYMOUTH PROPRIETARY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
I report on the attached accounts of the Plymouth Proprietary Library for the year ended 31 December 2025, in respect of an examination carried out under Section 145, Charities Act 2011 [“the Act 2011”].
Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under Section 145(5)(b)) of the 2011 Act; and
-
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
The accounting records were kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
The accounts did accord with the accounting records; or
-
The accounts did comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns 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 understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Luz Maria Carpenter
16.08.2026
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………. Luz Maria Carpenter on behalf of West Country Bookkeeping Ltd, 2 Stoke Meadow Close, EX4 5EG