Friends of Beechcroft Library Annual Report 2024-2025 Charity registration number: 1188953
Annual Report for the period from 1[st] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025
Organisation name: Friends of Beechcroft Library Charity registration number: 1188953
Objectives and Activities
This annual report has been created following guidance contained in the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) issued by the Charity Commission.
| SORP Ref. |
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|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 |
Purposes as defined in the Constitution agreed in April 2020: The advancement of education for the public benefit in particular by the provision of library facilities and services for learning, for information, advice and other related library provision for the benefit of the residents and the wider community in Stratton St Margaret and the surrounding areas. |
| 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 |
The main activities undertaken to achieve the aims are: Working with the Library Staff and Stratton Parish Council to develop the library as a community hub Meeting with Library staff and Parish to agree objectives, approach and activities Running events and activities such as Basic IT skills, social groups and clubs, developing/ displaying Stratton History Archive material, organising regular events Promoting the Library via social media, posters, displays, developing a community network Raising funds to support activities. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 |
The Trustees assess each of their activities with regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
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Friends of Beechcroft Library Annual Report 2024-2025 Charity registration number: 1188953
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP Ref. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 |
The Friends do not currently give grants to individuals or other organisations |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 |
The Friends do not currently undertake any social investments |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 |
There are no employees, all the Trustees are volunteers. Library Volunteers are engaged by the Parish rather than the Friends but are supported and encouraged by the Friends. Their contribution is vital in enabling the Library and the Friends to undertake the numerous activities and groups which take place |
Achievements and Performance
| 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 Friends continue to support Stratton St Margaret Parish Council in developing Beechcroft Library into a thriving multi-functional community library. We were excited to welcome a new stakeholder in March 2024 with the opening of the Brewbook Community Cafe in the library. Co-locating with another community service is already showing benefits in terms of enhanced community engagement, increased footfall and a reduction in operational costs for the Parish. Co-location will potentially improve long term sustainability for the library and community hub and we feel the future of the library is secure. The Friends reviewed their key objectives at the beginning of the year to ensure they were still appropriate. It was agreed to retain them but with an increased focus on supporting education, training and skills. All the Friends’ activities in support of Beechcroft Library are aligned to our four key objectives, namely: 1. Improving health and well-being, 2. Encouraging community engagement, 3. Supporting education, training and skills 4. Reducing the cost impact of running the library. Our achievements this year are discussed under the relevant objective below. |
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Friends of Beechcroft Library Annual Report 2024-2025 Charity registration number: 1188953
Achievements and Performance (continued)
| SORP Ref. |
||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Objective 1 - Improving health and well-being The regular groups and activities supported by the Friends are all well attended and help to mitigate the loneliness and isolation experienced by some of our residents. These regular groups include: Fun Art Group Friendship Group Getting On-line workshops Book Club Local and Family History Research Chess Club Lego Club These regular groups are supplemented by activities organised by library staff, volunteers and the Parish team, resulting in a very busy, welcoming and engaging feel to the library. We work closely with the library staff to put on various free activities for children during half terms and longer holidays. We continue to run the Home Delivery Book Service for local residents who are housebound and unable to visit the library. Members of the Friends liaise closely with the Swindon Live Well Hub, especially the Social Prescribers and Community Navigators. They direct their clients to the various services provided by the library such as Stratton Advice Point, Getting Online workshops, Friendship Group and Art Group. Members of the Friends also work closely with the local Primary Care networks in particular to help with potential digital exclusion as the NHS becomes oriented towards digitisation of their services. We also work closely with Stratton Advice Point which has successfully claimed over £300,000 in welfare benefits for service users during 2024-25. Objective 2 - Encouraging community engagement We have built a strong collaborative working relationship with the new community cafe Brewbook which opened March 2024, with joint involvement in several events and with the exchange of ideas and initiatives. The co-location is proving very beneficial in enhancing community engagement for the library. The library has organised or taken part in various one-off |
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| community events during the year such as coffee mornings, raffles, book sales etc. These included: 4th May - Book stall at the Craft Fair organised by Brewbook, who kindly donated £80 to supplement the £47.50 raised on the book stall for the Library. 28th June - Book stall, History display and Library information stall at Stratton Festival, which raised £64.50 for Prospect Hospice 10th August - Book stall and tombola at the Brewbook Summer Craft market which raised £55.50 for the Library plus £50 generously donated by Brewbook 14th September - Book stall, History display and Library information stall at Stratton Community Fete, which raised £24.50 for the Library 27th September - Coffee morning in conjunction with Brewbook Cafe which raised £1,012.10 for Macmillan Cancer Support 5th October - Book stall at the Autumn Craft Fair organised by Brew Book which raised £21.50 for the Library 9th October - members of the Friends gave a well received talk about our work at Community Libraries Network Annual Awards event. 30th November and 12th December - Book stall, raffle and tombola at the Brewbook Christmas fair followed by the raffle draw at Parish Christmas Carol event. We raised £525.51for Prospect Hospice. Kingsdown School’s Art Department generously provided another eight pieces of art to the Library in May 2024. Each piece is the final outcome of a Year 10 or Year 11 student’s GCSE Art work. Pictures are on display in the Library, Brew Book cafe and Grange Community Centre. Public transport links within the parish are poor, so we maintain a small book-exchange library at Grange Community Centre in Lower Stratton. We are very fortunate that the Stratton St Margaret History Society is based in the library and the team work hard to maintain the history archive from multiple sources. They curate the various history displays both in the library and at various events throughout the Parish. The displays engender a lot of local interest and their Facebook Group now has over 1300 followers. They have started producing a series of leaflets on walks |
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| around Stratton and various local history topics, and these will be available from the library. Several of our Trustees are active members of various local organisations including: The Swindon Trustee Network, Get Connected Swindon, Stratton St Margaret History Society, Local Primary Care Networks Live Well Swindon Wiltshire Building Records Swindon and District Local History Society Wiltshire On-line Parish Clerks National Literacy Trust Community Managed Libraries Network Women’s Institute Objective 3 - Supporting education, skills and training The Friends have increased their focus on this objective this year in view of the findings identified in the 2019 Indices of Deprivation. The deprivation is most severe within the Educational, Skills and Training domain where some areas of Stratton are ranked within the worst 3% in England. The Friends and library staff have joined the National Literacy Trust, in order to work together with Swindon Stories to support Children’s literacy. The Friends piloted a writing competition for primary school children during the summer holidays and involved local children’s author Steven Antony to judge the competition. The Friends have formed a literacy sub-group together with staff and the volunteers who run Story Time, in order to develop a programme of literacy initiatives for children. The Friends organise information displays with relevant reading material to support national awareness days and campaigns, including: World Earth Day Day 80th Anniversary Child Mental Health week Women’s History Month Summer Reading Challenge British Science Week Digital exclusion is a problem in the local area and the Libraryis |
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| a registered Digital Inclusion hub, and the Friends are members of Libraries Connected Digital Inclusion Network. The Friends run weekly Getting Online workshops to help users with a range of queries including: Improving confidence with digital devices Setting up and using the NHS and other apps Accessing council services which are only accessible online, eg Blue Badges, Housing benefit, etc Online safety and security Searching and applying for jobs online Our monthly LEGO Club encourages young children to think creatively. LEGO is not only fun but also a powerful educational tool that supports learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. Chess is also recognised as a valuable STEM learning activity for children and is also a great way of developing and maintaining mental sharpness in adults. Our popular weekly chess club has coached many children and adults over the last year. We are very fortunate to have Peter Richmond as our chief chess coach, a former 9 times Wiltshire Champion who has coached 11 national champions. Objective 4 - Reducing the cost impact on the Parish of running the library The Friends have organised or taken part in various money making activities during the year such as coffee mornings, regular book sales, raffles, tombolas, can recycling, etc., and have raised £693 in sales and donations to support activities in Beechcroft library. We also donated £288 of supplies to the Community Pantry, which is co-located in the Library. Although this is only a small amount in relation to the overall cost of running the library, we hope that it provides some of the nice-to-have elements for the public, such as craft materials, prizes, children’s activity resources, badges, books, etc. Future Plans Looking to the future, we are hoping to support further initiatives within education, skills and training domain, and to work with the National Literacy Trust. We are also excited to be working with Stratton St Margaret Parish and with Brewbook Cafe to develop Beechcroft Library |
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into an even more successful and vibrant community hub.
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Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP Ref |
||
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 |
Formal fundraising objectives were not defined other than ensuring that the objectives described in the previous section were supported financially where necessary. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 |
Not applicable |
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Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP Ref. |
||
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 |
Our income for 2024-25 was£1,223.88: We have spent £1,450 on purchases for the library, including £288 for restocking the Community Pantry in the Library. Our net worth as at 31 March 2025 was £2,158.22, which is a reduction of £226.12 on the previous year. Please see the Annual Financial Report for full details. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 |
Our Reserves Policy states that we will only hold reserve funds if we have formal financial commitments. As we now have Public Liability Insurance premiums going forward we will ensure that we have sufficient funds to cover the premium and run-off insurance in the event that the charity closes down. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 |
Sufficient to cover Public Liability Insurance Premium which was £214 in 2024-25, and the estimated premium of roughly £800 for run-off insurance for 7 years in the event the charity closes down. |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 |
Not applicable |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 |
Not applicable |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 |
We are dependent on the continued existence of Beechcroft Library. There is little chance that the Library would close in the near future as it is a popular resource for the parish. |
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 |
We have received £500 in grants this year from Stratton St Margaret Parish Council We have received £539 in donations and £154 from sales of books |
|---|---|---|
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 |
There are few risks facing the Friends charity and they are all categorised as low, the highest risks are: Activities where safeguarding risks may arise Heavy use of available space in the library due to the popularity of the library may restrict space available for events and activities |
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Friends of Beechcroft Library Annual Report 2024-2025 Charity registration number: 1188953
Structure, Governance and Management
| SORP Ref. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document |
Para 1.25 |
Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? |
Para 1.25 |
Charitable Incorporated Organisation following the Foundation model |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions |
Para 1.25 |
The existing Trustees can select new Trustees as required following the procedure described in the next section. |
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 |
Recruitment of Trustees for the Friends should be in line with the guidance given below: There is a written job description / person specification for the post If a trustee wishes to volunteer for the Library they should complete a Parish Council volunteer application form and the Parish Recruitment policies be followed A suitable induction programme is provided The applicant is given a copy of the Safeguarding Policy and knows how to report concerns. |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 |
Charitable Incorporated Organisation with a written constitution. We are not affiliated to any wider network |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 |
We work closely with Stratton St Margaret Parish Council who run Beechcroft Library. |
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Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Charity name | Charity name | Friends of Beechcroft Library | Friends of Beechcroft Library | Friends of Beechcroft Library |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | |||||
| Registered charity number | 1188953 | ||||
| Charity’s principal address | 188 Beechcroft Road, Swindon, SN2 7QQ | ||||
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 |
|||||
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
||
| LesleyHemingway | Chair | ||||
| Richard Hemingway | Treasurer | ||||
| Indra Robson | |||||
| Lynette Dodson | |||||
| GregBrowne | Secretary | ||||
| Clive Carter | |||||
| Linda O’Kane | DeputyChair | ||||
| Nigel Chalk | DeputyTreasurer | ||||
| Anne Chalk |
| Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved | Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved | Corporate trustees–names of the directors at the date the report was approved |
|---|---|---|
| Director name | ||
| N/A | ||
| Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity | ||
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for whole year | |
| N/A | ||
| Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others | ||
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
Not applicable | |
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
Not applicable | |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
Not applicable |
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Not applicable
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