## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## **From 1 Nov 2022 Period start date To Period end date**
## **31 Oct 2023**
## **Charity name: THE FRIENDS OF SOUTH PETHERTON LIBRARY**
## **Charity registration number: 1186429**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**For the public benefit, the provision and**
**maintenance of a library in South**
**Petherton.**
**To promote for the residents the**
**provision of a public library for**
**recreation and/or other leisure time**
**occupation with the object of improving**
**the condition of life of the said**
**residents.**|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**To campaign actively for the Parish**
**Council to maintain funding for a**
**Community Library.**
**To strive constantly to enhance the**
**services available for residents from the**
**Library.**
**To play a leading role in the acquisition**
**of a Community Hub, to include a larger**
**library better able to meet residents’**
**needs.**|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**It is confirmed that all Trustees have**
**signed as having read, understood and**
**given due regard to the Guidance on**
**Public Benefit.**|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||
SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|**FOSPL policy is to fund service**
**enhancements up to 66% of annual**
**income averaged over a 3 year period.**|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38||
||||
|---|---|---|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|**The continued contribution of the 31**
**volunteers is essential to the successful**
**enhanced operation of the Library. The**
**bureaucratic administrative hurdles**
**introduced by the new Unitary Authority**
**have placed additional pressures on**
**these volunteers but have been**
**successfully overcome.**|
|Other|||
## **Achievements and Performance**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**The extended opening hours enabled by**
**the volunteers has seen the figures for**
**book issues, footfall and new members**
**increase significantly over the past year**
**and are almost back to pre-Covid levels.**
**The Fast Track scheme, funded by**
**FOSPL, gives Community Library users**
**access to the very latest popular books**
**ahead of any eventual distribution from**
**the County Library service.**
**Authors’ Visits are now a regular**
**feature, and the LEGO club and**
**Rummikub are both thriving, limited**
**only by space in the current Library**
**building. FOSPL volunteers enable the**
**use of the Library as a Community**
**Meeting Space, for the “Stitch and Sew”**
**group, Book Clubs, and Solicitors.**
**FOSPL sponsored a visit of “Pete the**
**Poet” to the Infants School and enabled**
**the pupils to read out their own efforts**
**as part of the village Folk Festival.**|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41|
**FOSPL continues to play a leading role**
**in the identification and satisfaction of**
**Community needs. Trustees were at the**
**forefront of commissioning,**
**administering and the analysis of a**
**Community Survey which has provided**
**the evidence necessary to underpin**
**grant applications. This clearly**
**identified the support for a Community**
**Hub which would include a larger**
**Library space, thus enabling more and**
**varied activities. After the previous**
**disappointment described in the last**
**Annual Report, negotiations to take over**|
|---|---|---|
|||**the redundant Methodist Church are**
**well advanced and funding is being**
**sought from the National Lottery.**
**County Library Service officers continue**
**to commend the Community Library for**
**setting the standards and range of**
**activities for others to aspire to. These**
**accolades are only possible through the**
**dedication and commitment of the**
**Trustees and volunteers outside of the**
**set hours of the Library Information**
**Officer. The same personnel have**
**organised the Plant and Book Sales that**
**have raised the majority of FOSPL**
**funds.**|
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|**With the Community memory of the**
**near-loss of its Library in 2019 fading,**
**donations to FOSPL have declined;**
**however Plant and Book Sales, Authors’**
**Visits and Club activities have meant**
**that the Charity’s income has been**
**maintained. FOSPL now offers a**
**Laminating service in the Library which**
**has added to FOSPL funds.**|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**Aware that acquisition of a Community**
**Hub would require significant outlay to**
**reconstitute the Library facilities, FOSPL**
**continues to build its limited Reserves**
**and has opened a Savings account to**
**safeguard its resources.**|
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**Income for this FY was £2507, against**
**£3107 last year, whilst Expenditure was**
**£1946 against £1914 last year. This**
**small reduction in Income is explained**
**below. Overall the Charity’s finances**
**remain healthy with £3,836 carried**
**forward.**|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**Reserves are held in part to smooth**
**annual variations in Income and**
**Expenditure, but principally in**
**anticipation of the eventual acquisition**
**of a Community Hub; expenditure on**
**Library facilities therein will be required.**|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£3,000**|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**In early Jan 2023 FOSPL’s Treasurer**
**had her personal computer hacked and**
**fraudsters gained access to the**
**Charity’s account with Lloyds Bank. The**
**Bank responded immediately and all**
**monies were refunded to FOSPL the**
**same day. The Treasurer has improved**
**her security protocols and her computer**
**has been declared safe by a local IT**
**company.**|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
**Plant and Book Sales, Authors’ visits,**
**Club subscriptions, Laminating service**
**and Supporters’ Donations.**
**The Village Map, which was a major**
**contributor to funds last year, is**
**produced biennially so there was no**
**income this year. Similarly there was no**
**Covid-recovery grant available from the**
**Somerset Community Fund.**|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**The objective of our investment is to**
**safeguard funds raised such that when**
**the acquisition of a Community Hub**
**comes to fruition then FOSPL will have**
**the resources to establish improved**
**Library Services in the new facility.**|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**Should the Parish Council withdraw**
**from its contract with Somerset Council**
**then FOSPL would be unable to fund the**
**full costs of the Library on its own;**
**however the operating contract has**
**been renewed for a further 2 years to**
**March 2026, deferring any risk for the**
**time being.**|
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Foundation Model Constitution**|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**Charitable Incorporated Organisation**
**established 1 July 2019.**|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**Election by existing Trustees; re-**
**election of Trustees on completion of**
**term. FOSPL is keen to elect more**
**Trustees and was pleased to recruit**
**Anne Tole.**|
|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|
|---|---|---|
|Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|**The new Trustee has past corporate**
**experience so was quickly up-to-speed.**
**She has read and signed as having**
**agreed and understood the various**
**policy documents including Public**
**Benefit.**|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**The Trustees meet on a monthly basis**
**to address the FOSPL agenda alongside**
**the larger Library Management Group.**
**FOSPL has representation at the**
**quarterly meetings with Somerset**
**Libraries which review the workings of**
**the partnership between Somerset**
**Council and the Parish Council.**|
|Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|The Friends of South Petherton Library|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|FOSPL|
|Registered charity number|1186429|
|Charity’s principal address|44 Compton Road, South Petherton, Somerset TA135EN|
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## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Peter Kidner|Chair|||
||Mark Freeman|Vice Chair|||
||Anne Brown|Treasurer|||
||Biddy Martin|Lead on Community
Hub|||
||Marion Parr||||
||Michael Callaghan||||
||Anne Tole||||
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## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
**Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of Name Address adviser**
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
**N/A**
## **Other optional information**
Declarations
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
_Mark Freeman_ **Signature(s)** _Peter Kidner_ Mark Freeman **Full name(s)** Peter Kidner **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair Vice Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 17 Nov 2023
## **FOSPL Accounts 1/11/22 to 31/10/23**
|**Income From**|**2021/22**|**2021/22**|**2022/23**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Donations||998.52|2404.01|
|Charitable Receipts||2109.16|102.25|
|Savings Account interest|||1.58|
|**Total Income (b)**||3107.68|2507.84|
|**Expenditure on:**||||
|Raising Funds||42.5|260|
|Charitable Activities||1872.25|1686.61|
|**Total Expenditure (c)**||1914.75|1946.61|
|**Net Income/Expenditure (b-c)**||1192.93|561.23|
|**Total Funds Carried Fwd (a+b-**
**(a)**3275.02|||3836.25|
**Funds held:Lloyds Current Account £2834.67; Savings Accou Total £3836.25Plus £40 Cash Float**
**A.M. Brown** Nov-23 FOSPL Treasurer …............................
**P.J. Kidner** Nov-23 FOSPL Deputy Treasurer
…...............................
Int £1001.58.