VOLK’S ELECTRIC RAILWAY ASSOCIATION
Address: 8 Oak Hall Park Burgess Hill RH15 0BX
REGISTERED CHARITY No. 1186970
TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR 6[th] APRIL 2022 – 5[th] APRIL 2023
In the Spring of 2022, apart from a short delay while foot crossings were completed between Halfway and Black Rock as part of the Council’s seafront improvements, the Volk’s Railway returned to normal operation, virtually free of Covid restrictions. The Association’s activities also fully resumed with volunteers initially helping to complete railway works at the east end of the line as well as assisting with routine maintenance of infrastructure and rolling stock.
Association members completed the re-painting of Car 8 and helped install its replacement wheelsets. Other work included the collection and disposal of large amounts of scrap metal from the eastern end of the railway and clearing considerable amounts of undergrowth that had grown largely unchecked for several years.
During the winter of 2022/23, talks were arranged on San Francisco’s Tramways, Blackpool Tramway and France’s Royan Tramways.
We had greeted James Barton, appointed Manager of the Volk’s Railway in March 2022. Then in May, his deputy Barry Fuller retired being replaced by Maurice Curran. Fresh thinking is being applied by the new management team to the best utilisation of our volunteers, to the administration of the railway’s records, to the safety of railway operations and to the heritage side of the railway as well as signage and safety. The Association supports and is assisting with these changes.
A few months after his appointment at the last AGM as a trustee and Membership Secretary, Ian Buck regrettably resigned for personal reasons and David Cowstick (Treasurer) kindly offered to also look after membership matters temporarily. However, Phil Hamerton has now become Membership Secretary and offers himself for election as a trustee.
Currently the Board comprises trustees Ian Gledhill, David Cowstick, Tim Steven, Mick Mills and Barrie McFarlane with non–trustee officers David Bailey (Editor), Carly-May Kavanagh (Publicity officer) and Phil Hamerton (Membership Secretary). With Ian Gledhill’s imminent departure, we do remain under resourced and are inviting more members to consider becoming trustees in the future.
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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.
At the time of writing, work is underway to plan August 2023 events celebrating the 140[th] Anniversary of the Brighton’s Volk’s Railway. We will also be temporarily returning the Association’s ex-Volk’s Railway ‘Southend Car 9’ to the line to launch a fund-raising appeal to restore it to full working order.
Through the above, we consider that we have paid sufficient regard to the Charity 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 £21,149.13 of which £9,374.73 is available for day-to-day projects or equipment at the railway, with the remainder being mainly for a substantial restoration project that commences this year.
Signed:
(Chairman) (On behalf of the Trustees) 29th May 2023
(Secretary)
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Charity Name No (if any)
Volk's Electric Railway Association 1186970
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 06/04/2022 05/04/2023
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Transfer from previous non-charitable
Association - - - -
Membership Fees 1,988 - - 1,988 2,340
Unrestricted Donations 641 - - 641 1,471
Restricted Donations - - - -
Miscellaneous income received 412 - - 412 666
Fund raising activities 252 6,044 - 6,296 167
Interest 43 - - 43 1
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 3,336 ] 6,044 - 9,380 4,645
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
None - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 3,336 6,044 - 9,380 4,645
A3 Payments
Meeting expenses 89 - - 89 170
Volk's News magazine production &
distribution 1,033 - - 1,033 1,181
Insurance policy - - - -
Restoration - 100 - 100 669
Hospitality - - - 225
Administrative Expenses 95 - - 95 39
Fund Raising Stock 118 - - 118 170
Bank / Square / SumUp Charges 77 77
Website Costs 300 300
Miscellanious 8 - - 8 -
- - - - -
Sub total [ 1,643 ] 177 - 1,820 2,454
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
Computer equipment - - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - -
Total payments 1,643 177 - 1,820 2,454
Net of receipts/ payments 1,693 5867.00 - 7,560 2,191
A5 Transfers between funds - 548 548 - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 6,084 14,736 - 20,820 18,629
Cash funds this year end 7,229 21,151 - 28,380 20,820
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CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
01/12/2023
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature None Details Heritage Artefacts Miscellaneous Office Equipment Cash floats Bank Account funds for Council projects Bank Account funds-Working capital Bank Account funds for other restoration Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) None Details Details None Details Southend Railway Car No. 9 Museum Models |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - 9,375 11,774 7,229 - 7,229 21,149 OK Agreement Error Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) Unrestricted Funds - Unrestricted Funds - Unrestricted Funds - Unrestricted Funds - Unrestricted Funds - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name DC COWSTICK TC STEVEN |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) 1,000 5,000 17,000 250 650 - - - When due (optional) Date of approval 01/07/2023 01/07/2023 |
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
01/12/2023
2