VOLK’S ELECTRIC RAILWAY ASSOCIATION
Address: 8 Oak Hall Park Burgess Hill RH15 0BX
REGISTERED CHARITY No. 1186970
TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR 6[th] APRIL 2024 – 5[th] APRIL 2025
By the Spring of 2024, the winter trackwork renewals had been completed, some of the operational cars varnished and/or repainted and work had started on designing a new control system for two vehicles. All of the above was done with the Association’s help.
During the 2024 operating season, regular assistance was given to the railway management by providing relief drivers to enable the full service to operate and also on a regular basis on one day each week. Minor track and general maintenance continued over the summer. Internal blinds were fitted in Aquarium Station to improve the presentation of talks and courses.
On four occasions the Association operated the service on a weekend evening, the last being until after sunset with illuminated trains. We have improved the definition of personnel duties for similar future occasions.
During the winter of 2024/25, two separate sections of track were renewed by volunteers and staff assisted by a grant of £2.5k from the Association’s Reserved Funds. Scrap metal was collected for recycling.
Also, over the winter, six talks were arranged covering Southern Transport, London Trams, Public Transport in Paris, the Spa Valley Heritage Railway, American Trolley Museums and Crich Tramway Museum 50[th] Anniversary.
By January 2024 it had become clear that the poor condition of Black Rock station building (owned by Southern Water) meant it would be unusable for the start of the railway’s 2025 operating season. The Association hired a portable building and negotiated cost recovery for all of the Association’s expenditure from Southern Water. With additional access works by the Council and by the Association, the temporary arrangements were installed that permit refurbishment of the main building to commence in due course without disrupting railway operations.
A fresh technique for vegetation control on the track itself was implemented and will be repeated annually. A foot crossings safety project was set for University of Brighton students; the results will be presented in May 2025. Storage units have been acquired to hold the Association’s plans and records at Aquarium station.
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Currently the Board comprises four trustees Mick Mills (Chairman), David Cowstick (Treasurer), Tim Steven (Secretary), and Phil Hamerton (Membership Secretary) along with non-trustees Barrie McFarlane (Archivist/Historian), David Bailey (Editor).
For a time in 2024/25, non-trustee Ben Simmonds (Publicity Officer) also played an active part until becoming a Council employee. We remain under resourced and are inviting more members to consider becoming trustees or take an active role.
A Christmas card was produced to raise funds, the production being funded by a member. We 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. It is now made available in digital format to all members.
In late 2024 several members part-funded a bid by The Keep (Archives & Records Office) to acquire a unique collection of photos taken in 1896 of the Brighton & Rottingdean Seashore Electric Tramroad. This line was built by Magnus Volk who also built the Volk’s Railway. The bid was successful and digital versions of the photos are now publicly available.
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 cash assets of £36,000 of which Reserved Funds amounted to £29,000.
Signed: (Chairman) (On behalf of the Trustees) 28th May 2025
Signed: (Secretary)
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| Charity Name Volk's Electric Railway Association 1 |
Charity Name Volk's Electric Railway Association 1 |
Charity Name Volk's Electric Railway Association 1 |
No (if any) 186970 |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
Period start date 4/6/2024 |
To |
Period end date 4/5/2025 |
||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| to the nearest £ A1 Receipts - MembershipFees 2,194 Unrestricted Donations 2,008 Restricted Donations - Miscellaneous income received 583 Fund raisingactivities 561 Interest 224 - - 5,570 None - - Sub total- Total receipts 5,570 A3 Payments Meetingexpenses 120 1,006 Insurancepolicy - Restoration - Hospitality 193 Administrative Expenses 149 Fund RasingStock 70 Bank / Square / SumUpCharges Website Costs 106 Special Event Expenses - Miscellanious 49 - Sub total 1,693 Computer equipment - Loud Speaker - Sub total - Total payments 1,693 3,877 A5 Transfers between funds - 4,394 A6 Cash funds last year end 7,834 Cash funds this year end 7,317 Unrestricted funds Transfer from previous non-charitable Association Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). Volk's News magazine production & distribution A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) Net of receipts/payments |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - 501 - 3,025 - - - 3,526 - - - 3,526 - - - 4,340 - - - 45 - - 4,385 - - - 4,385 -859.00 4,394 26,075 29,610 |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ - 2,194 2,008 501 583 3,586 224 - - 9,096 - - - 9,096 120 1,006 - 4,340 193 149 70 45 106 - 49 - 6,078 - - - 6,078 3,018 - 33,909 36,927 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - - - - - - - - - - |
- | ||||
| 2,194 | 2,205 | ||||
| 2,008 | 871 | ||||
| 501 | |||||
| 583 | 376 | ||||
| 3,586 | 8,228 | ||||
| 224 | 213 | ||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 9,096 | 11,893 | ||||
| - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | 9,096 | 11,893 | |||
| - - - - - - - - - - |
120 | 193 | |||
| 1,006 | 896 | ||||
| - | |||||
| 4,340 | 2,467 | ||||
| 193 | 493 | ||||
| 149 | 190 | ||||
| 70 | 256 | ||||
| 45 | 107 | ||||
| 106 | 1,010 | ||||
| - | 210 | ||||
| 49 | 73 | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| 6,078 | 5,895 | ||||
| - - - |
- | 403 | |||
| - | 64 | ||||
| - | 467 | ||||
| - | 6,078 | 6,362 | |||
| -859.00 | - - - - |
3,018 | 7,560 | ||
| 4,394 | - | 244 | |||
| 26,075 | 33,909 | 28,378 | |||
| 29,610 | 36,927 | 36,182 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B5 Liabilities B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Details Cash floats Bank Account funds-Working capital Bank Account funds for Council projects Bank Account funds for VERA Projects Bank Account funds for Car 9 project Details None Details None Details Southend Railway Car No. 9 Museum Models Heritage Artefacts Miscellaneous Office Equipment Details None Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ 7,317 7,317 OK to nearest £ - - - - - - Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Restricted Car 9 Fund Fund to which liability relates |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - 8,704 16,809 4,097 29,610 OK Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| OK | ||||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
||||
| 1,000 | ||||
| 5,000 | ||||
| 17,000 | ||||
| 250 | ||||
| 650 | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| When due (optional) | ||||
| None | - | |||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - |
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Signature
Date of approval
Print Name
DC COWSTICK 17.07.25 C STEVEN 17.07.25