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2023-05-31-accounts

MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Contents

Legal and administrative information 2
Trustees’ report 3
Financial policies and risk management 5
Future plans and responsibilities 6
Report of the independent Examiner 8
Statement of Financial Activities 9

MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Name of Charity

Market Deeping Model Railway Club CIO

Charity Registration No. 1187779 Governing Instrument Charity Commission approved Constitution

Constitution Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Charity objects The main objects of the charity as defined by the Constitution are:-

To advance public education and foster an understanding of the skills, heritage and development of model railways and to develop a high standard of modelling by members of the club.

Charity Trustees:

P Davies Chairman A Hancock Secretary B Driscoll Treasurer D Ashwood S Rouse

Revd Canon Mark Warrick (replacing B Norris)

President Colin S. Brown

Honorary Vice Presidents None Charity Principal Address: 47 Deeping St James Road, Northborough, Peterborough. PE6 9BT

Bankers Barclays Bank, 1 Church St, Peterborough. PE1 1XE

Solicitors Buckles Solicitors LLP, Grant House, 101 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough. PE1 1NG

Independent Examiner Godfrey Parkes

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MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Trustees

In accordance with Charity Commission enabling legislation, suitable personnel are identified by the existing trustees on the basis of their skills and knowledge and are invited to become trustees. Newly appointed trustees are provided with copies of the charity’s Constitution, policies and accounts prior to appointment. Guidance on the charity’s ethos and activities is provided by the Chairman and members’ committee.

One third of the trustees must retire at each AGM. The following trustees retire by rotation. A Hancock, and P Davies. Both are happy to continue in the role if so appointed. In the absence of any approaches from other interested parties, the trustees will reappoint A Hancock and P Davies.

Organisation structure

The Trustees are responsible for all financial, Constitutional and legal matters. The trustees are an integral part of the club committee structure. Most trustees currently have an organisational role within the committee.

The Club Committee, governed by an agreed management document takes day to day club management decisions within the Charity Commission approved Constitution. Officers of the committee include the chairman, secretary and treasurer of the charity (who are all currently trustees), exhibition manager, social media manager and club membership and youth section representatives.

Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 May 2023

Legal and administrative information set out on pages 1 and 2 forms part of this report. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Charities (SORP FRS102) ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102).

Objects and principal activity of the charity

The Trustees have complied with the duty in Section 17 (5) of the Charities Act 2011 and have had due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission in setting the activities required to meet its objects.

The charity’s objects are to advance public education and foster an understanding of the skills, heritage and development of model railways and to develop a high standard of modelling by members of the club.

The principal activities of the charity during the year have been to grow membership, increase outreach, increase the size and complexity of its annual exhibition, develop its youth section, further develop facilities within its new premises and consider options for donated heritage item display.

Chairman’s Report 2023

With Covid restrictions now a thing (thankfully) of the past, the club’s pattern of regular meetings (Monday evenings, Thursday afternoons and Thursday early evenings (Youth Section) have returned. Other ad-hoc sessions have also taken place and plans are in place for skill-based training sessions to further extend the club’s opening hours.

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MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Donations of a wide variety of stock, tools and materials have continued to arrive through the year, requiring many hours of fetching, sorting, categorising and storing prior to transport to the club’s premises. The club is very fortunate to receive such donations but the work of categorising everything is often an emotional experience which has fallen to only a few members of the club, simply because of the logistics involved. Where practical, donations are offered to other, similar clubs.

Unfortunately, it has again not proved possible to commence school-based youth projects. Finding volunteers from amongst the membership to give time to this most valuable activity has proved very difficult. However, the number of young people in membership (aged eight to late teenage) continues to grow. At the time of writing the club has 14 youth section members. The club maintains a small (donated) layout to take out on school education visits.

Total membership of the club currently stands at 82. This represents an increase of almost one third over that reported last year. Ensuring new members are engaged, find projects which they will enjoy and feel that they will benefit from has challenged the club committee. New projects as well as some skill-based sessions either at weekends or midweek will be announced for the autumn, aimed at increasing skill levels and helping new members integrate by developing new build teams.

During the year, the lift installation was completed. It has proved a huge asset for members unable to climb the metal staircase as well as for moving layout sections. However, the security gate at the top of the staircase (to prevent anyone falling out of the lift and down the stairs) has still to be fitted. The company responsible is being ‘chased’!

Through contacts with a club member, Barhale Construction undertook the work to concrete and fence the path to the lift access and, beyond, to the emergency access for the club’s landlord, TRDP. The work was done as part of Barhale’s community outreach programme and cost the club nothing.

Negotiations with the Deeping Branch of the Men in Sheds organisation initially showed promise for the construction of displays of donated heritage and non-UK outline stock. Unfortunately, the club was recently informed that the organisation could not help further as the project was too big and the skill base of its members insufficient to help. Alternatives will now have to be explored as commissioned modelling projects must receive priority.

A major commission has come from BRM/World of Railways. The company, with which the club has had previous very successful relationships, has commissioned the club to build a TT120 gauge layout of the Dawlish main line coastline. With a deadline for the build of early 2024, work will have to proceed at pace and involve a wide variety of members and skills.

The club’s extensive library has continued to receive valuable donations. With over 700 books on almost every aspect of railways and modelling, it is a huge resource and one that requires continual monitoring as new donations are received. Many duplicates have been passed on to others as have generic volumes not specific to railway companies (past or present) and modelling.

Pen and Sword Books has now published the second of the original four books commissioned. The contract for a fifth volume (on TT120) has been signed for submission in eight months and publication 12 months thereafter. Vice Chairman and trustee David Ashwood has written all volumes with contributions from other members. It has been a huge amount of work from which the club has benefitted enormously. Part of that work has involved considerable academic research into the history and development of Euston Station. A model of the station was donated to the club in 2019. Now massively expanded following the research, Volume Four of the Pen and Sword series will be devoted solely to it.

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MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Outreach has continued in a variety of ways. The club maintains contact with and organises layout displays for a wide number of charities and the club’s corporate sponsors. This has involved both club and members’ own layouts for organisations as widely disparate as The National Trust, Country Court Care and T C Harrison as well as a wide variety of model railway exhibitions, fetes and charity events. Further outreach possibilities are being examined.

Led by the club’s new Exhibition Manager, advised by our own Exhibitions Consultant and with huge thanks to corporate sponsors, advertisers, traders and an amazing public response, the club’s annual exhibition was both the largest and most complex it has ever organised. Support also came from an external caterer and the Peterborough Society of Model Engineers, members of which provided an outside ‘ride on’ steam railway. While still learning lessons for future such mammoth exhibitions, the outstanding reaction from our visitors was that the club had achieved a superb exhibition which few could consider ways of improving. With over 1500 visitors and a further 150+ staff, stewards, servery and trader staff, it was by all possible measures an outstanding success.

As part of its education and engagement remits, at both National Trust and main exhibition events, demonstrations of modelling technique have been mounted. These received very keen attention by a wide range of interested people. And, in an effort to attract really young potential modellers, large scale, garden railways have also been demonstrated. These, too, attracted wide, family based, attention.

Through in-house fund raising and activity in association with another local club (Sleaford), money has been raised for two other key charities in the area: Little Miracles which supports youngsters with disabilities; Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

MDMRC is a lively, active, increasingly large group of modellers, anxious to learn new skills, wishing to increase outreach opportunity and determined to help others develop in this amazing hobby. That all of this is possible is a testament to the dedication of all involved in the organisation and to the wider membership. Thank you all.

Peter Davies

Review of Financial Controls

Barclays Bank continues to offer excellent on-line income, payment and statement facilities.

Investment policy

The charity’s investment powers are set out in its Constitution. The Trustees consider the day to day cash flow requirements of the charity are such that consideration can now be given to longer term investment options. Cash funds are monitored on a regular basis.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees’ aim is to create sufficient reserves to ensure the charity’s long term viability and in particular to support the development of future projects and exhibitions. Based on budgets of income and expenses, the trustees are satisfied that, despite finances committed to the 21 year lease, the Club will be financially viable and that an adequate level of reserve can be retained at 31 May 2023 to allow the Charity to continue to meet its objects for the foreseeable future.

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MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Risk Management

The Trustees have assessed the major risks which they have identified and to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate the charity’s exposure. The major risks relate to:-

financial viability which the trustees have adopted a reserves policy to address and event risk for which insurance cover is held;

A detailed risk assessment will be monitored in relation to the property lease and associated costs, the interest free loan which the club negotiated to enable it to complete the move to new premises and the costs of lift servicing and maintenance.

Tax Status

The CIO being a registered charity is exempt from corporation tax on its investments and other nontrading income.

Property and Leases

In September 2021, trustees signed a 25 year lease for the use of premises, built to charity-agreed specifications and owned by The Retail Data Partnership in Essendine. The lease is valid until 31[st] August 2046. It is the intention of the trustees to build reserves over the intervening (now) 23 year period to be able to negotiate an appropriate lease extension or, should the need arise in the interim or at the end of the lease period, to move to new premises without jeopardising the future of the club.

The charity is responsible for the repayment of an interest free loan in annual payments, ending May 2031.

The Charity as an Employer

The charity has no employees.

Future Plans

  1. Better engage new members into new and exciting projects.

  2. Extend provision, projects and engagement for younger members.

  3. Extend the skill-based learning programme to incorporate many different aspects of railway modelling.

  4. Complete the display space so enabling the many donations the club has received to be seen.

  5. Further enhance the charity’s library, making it a resource available beyond the boundaries of club membership.

  6. Consolidate the charity’s annual exhibition both in the minds of the local population and in the national diary of such events.

  7. Ensure that those working with the young or vulnerable are afforded appropriate DBS checks.

  8. Organise the provision of open events to encourage new entrants to the hobby.

  9. Ensure all relevant policies are monitored and modified as is necessary to comply with both legislation and best practice.

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MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Statement of Trustee Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the CIO and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure of the CIO for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the CIO and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with all relevant legislation. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the CIO and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by order of the trustees on 24 July 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

Alan Hancock Secretary

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Charity registration number 1187779

MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Report of the Independent Examiner to the trustees of Market Deeping Model Railway Club CIO

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of its accounts for the year ended 31 May 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of all relevant legislation.

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that, in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Charities Act; or

the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

the accounts did not 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 the accounts to be reached.

Signed Godfrey Parkes

Date 22/07/2023

12 Sandringham Way Market Deeping Peterborough PE6 8AX

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MARKET DEEPING MODEL RAILWAY CLUB CIO

Charity registration number 1187779

Trustees’ report and financial statements for the year ended 31 May 2023

Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 May 2023

As provided by the Treasurer and as an addendum to this report.

Notes (forming part of the financial statement)

1. Constitution

The CIO was registered in England under the Charities Act 2011 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

2. Accounting policies

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the CIO were prepared on a receipts and payments basis as allowed in the Charities Act 2011, since gross income was less than £250000.

Financial reporting standard 102 – reduced disclosure exemptions

The CIO has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemption in preparing these financial statements, as permitted by FRS 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’:

a. Donations

Income from donations is credited to the statement of financial activities when it is receivable. The CIO is registered with HMRC to receive Gift Aid on Income Tax-relevant donations.

b. Grants

Grant income is recognised when the charity is entitled to the income and receipt has happened.

c. Resources expended

Resources expended are included in the statement of financial activities when it is expended.

d. Unrestricted funds

These are monies received by the charity which can be used by the trustees without restriction to meet the charity’s objects.

e. Restricted funds

These are monies received by the charity for a specific purpose imposed by the donor.

f. Deferred income

Deferred income is income received during the year which is carried forward as it relates to following years.

g. Going Concern

There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue.

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