**VOLK’S ELECTRIC RAILWAY ASSOCIATION**
Address: 8 Oak Hall Park Burgess Hill RH15 0BX
## **REGISTERED CHARITY No. 1186970**
## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 6[th] APRIL 2021 – 5[th] APRIL 2022**
During 2020 the activities of the Volk’s Electric Railway Association (VERA) were severely curtailed because of Covid restrictions, and the railway itself only operated for a very limited season. However, as the 2021 season approached the situation eased somewhat, and the railway opened to the public, a little later than usual, on 29[th] May.
After a period where all board meetings and our winter lectures were held via Zoom, we were finally able to have a live AGM (with social distancing) on 13[th] June. At that meeting three trustees, Peter Williams, Sarah Luxford and Les Kenward, decided to step down.
We were very sorry to lose Peter Williams, who had been Chairman for the last three years and had done so much work in securing the railway’s Heritage Lottery Grant, and Sarah Luxford, who had been our treasurer since the inaugural meeting in 1995, a remarkable long period of service. We are also grateful to Les Kenward for stepping in on a temporary basis to fill a vacancy on the board. We will miss all three of them.
The four remaining trustees – David Cowstick, Ian Gledhill, Tim Steven and Barrie McFarlane – were joined at the AGM by new trustee Mick Mills. We also have two non-trustee officers who attend board meetings: David Bailey, editor of Volk’s News, and Carly-May Kavanagh, publicity officer. We are still under-staffed, with several of us undertaking more than one role. We will be inviting more members to consider becoming trustees in the future.
At the AGM approval was given to amendments to the CIO Constitution in line with the Charity Commission’s requirements. These were approved by the commission on 28[th] August and slightly widen the Objects of the Association.
Despite the late start to the operating season, we were still able to operate 5 late running evenings, when our volunteers take over the railway after normal running hours and keep it open until 7 or 8pm, thus raising valuable extra revenue for restoration projects on the railway. In September we held a belated anniversary celebration at Aquarium Station. VERA was founded in September 1995, and we had planned a number of special events to mark our 25[th] birthday in 2020. However, these of necessity had to be cancelled because of Covid. Instead, we celebrated “25 + 1” years of VERA with a gathering for members following our September late running evening.
After initial restriction, VERA volunteers were gradually able to resume their regular working parties while observing social distancing and other Covid regulations. Volunteers have been much involved in sleeper replacement, ballasting and track relaying, most recently in connection with the installation of new crossings over the line to connect with the new boardwalk between Banjo Groyne and Black Rock, which opened on 7[th] April this year. After months of neglect there was also much weeding to be done along the track.
Page **1** of **2**
Over the winter, cars 7 and 8 finally received a much-needed coat of new paint. They were looking distinctly shabby compared to the other cars, as they were the last cars to be repainted, their previous repaint being for the 125[th] Anniversary in 2008. In addition, members converted a redundant box van into a people carrier to safely transport personnel to their worksites along the line.
Our winter lecture series on transport and contemporary local history was able to resume with live meetings in September. Our new venue at Patcham Community Centre has proved very successful. Our meetings are advertised in the local press and are open to all, not just VERA members. Research into the history of the railway and the life and works of Magnus Volk continues. We have also continued to publish our regular journal Volk's News, containing up-to-date information about our activities, about the railway together with articles of relevant transport and historical interest.
Through the above, we consider that we have paid sufficient regard to the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and thereby complied with Section 4 of the 2006 Act. At the year end, the Association held total reserves of £14,735.56. One quarter is available for day-to-day projects or equipment at the railway, with the remainder being mainly for a substantial restoration project that we hope to start planning next year.
In March, Stuart Strong retired after 27 years as Manager of the railway. We wish him a long and happy retirement. Stuart’s replacement is James Barton, and the trustees look forward to working with James for the future good of the railway, and its long-term preservation for the general benefit and education of the public.
**Signed: (Chairman) (On behalf of the Trustees) 20[th] May 2022**
**Signed: (Secretary)**
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## **Charity Name Volk's Electric Railway Association**
**No (if any) 1186970**
## **Receipts and payments accounts**
**For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 4/6/2021 4/5/2022
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
## **Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds**
## **Total funds**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Transfer from previous non-charitable
Association - - - -
Membership Fees 2,340 - - 2,340
Unrestricted Donations 1,471 - - 1,471
Restricted Donations - - - -
Miscellaneous income received 666 - - 666
Fund raising activities - 167 - 167
Interest 1 - - 1
- - - -
- - - -
4,478 167 - 4,645
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
None - - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - -
Total receipts 4,478 167 - 4,645
A3 Payments
Meeting expenses 170 - - 170
Volk's News magazine production &
distribution 1,181 - - 1,181
Insurance policy - - - -
Restoration - 669 - 669
Hospitality 225 - - 225
Administrative Expenses 39 - - 39
Miscellanious 170 - - 170
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ 1,785 ] 669 - 2,454
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
Computer equipment - - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - -
Total payments 1,785 669 - 2,454
Net of receipts/payments 2,693 - 502 - 2,191
A5 Transfers between funds - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end - - - -
Cash funds this year end 2,693 - 502 - 2,191
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**|**Details**|**funds**|**funds**|
|**B1 Cash funds**|Cash foats
Bank Account funds for Council projects
Bank Account funds for other restoration
Bank Account funds-Working capital
**_Total cash funds_**|**to nearest £**
**6,084**
**6,084**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**3,623**
**11,112**
**-**
**14,735**|
||(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|Agreement Error|Agreement Error|
|||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|
|||**funds**|**funds**|
|**B2 Other monetary assets**|**Details**
None|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B3 Investment assets**|**Details**
None|**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B4 Assets retained for the**|**Details**
Southend Railway Car No. 9|Unrestricted Funds
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost (optional)**
**-**|
|**charity’s own use**|Museum Models
Heritage Artefacts
Miscellaneous
Ofce Equipment|Unrestricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
Unrestricted Funds
**Fund to which**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Amount due**|
|**B5 Liabilities**|**Details**
None|**liability relates**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**(optional)**|
|Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|Signature|Print|Name|
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
DC COWSTICK
TC STEVEN
**----- Start of picture text -----**
CC16a
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **Last year**
## **to the nearest £**
**16,652 2,700 1,387 197 107 83 19 21,145**
**21,145**
**30 1,606 266 100 - 300 - - - 2,302**
**214 214 2,516 18,629 - 18,629 20,820**
## **Endowment funds**
## **to nearest £**
**-**
## OK
## **Endowment funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**Current value (optional)**
**-**
**Current value (optional) 1,000 4,700 16,500 200 400 - - -**
**When due (optional)**
Date of approval
8/18/2022
8t25n022