s Commo4. eople's Lowes Barn Community Project CIO th Trustees Report and Financial Review for the year ended 30 September 2025 Charlty Number 1192101 Company Number CE023176
Contents Legal and Administrative Information TrkJStpp.s Rp_r)nrt Structure and Goveman Fulure Plans Financial Review Statement of Trustees Responsibilities Independent Examiners Report Legal and Administrative Information 1.1 The organisation is a Communty Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which was registered wlth the Charities Commlssion on 2- November 2020. Registered Charity Number 1192101 Companles House Number. CE023176 Address: Meryoaks Community Hall Park House Road Durham DH13QF 2. Trustees Report 2.1 Alms and Ob ectives The aims and objectives of Lowes Barn Community Project CIO (LBCP) are set out in the constitution as follows- 1) To further or benefit the INHABITANTS of OURHAM CITY SOUTH WEST (including NEVILLE'S CROSS CROSSGATE MOOR MERRYOAKS SHERATON PARK MOUNT OSWALD and STONEBRIDGE) and the neighbourhood THEREOF. wtthout distinction of sex, sexual orientation. race or of political. religious or other opinions by associating together the said INHABITANTS and the local authorities voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilits'es in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisu time occupation with the objects've of improving the conditions of life for the INHABITANTS 2) To establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or co operate wrth any ststutory authonty In the maintenance and management of such a centre for activittes promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above object.
In order to meet these objectives, the orqanisats.on has been committed to Drovidina a community centre which opened in May 2023 and following a competition, local schoolchildren and the communty chose the name and logo which is Merryoaks Community Hall. the People's Place. We aim to improve the sense of community and emotionallmental health and wellbeing. Also to reduce social isolation and promote improved physical health and constructive activities for all local residents and those in nearby neighl)ourhoods. At the start of this financial year we ernployed a full time Centre Manager who now overse8S the smooth running of the Hall. We also plan to provide a garden that can b8 Visited and maintsined by local residents. This year saw the continued popularity of Merryoaks Community Hall and growth in the number of users and groups frequenting the centre. LBCP successfully applied for grants as follows: £20,000 from Northem Power Grld along with £2,500 from The Clty of Durham Parish Councll for the installation of Solar Panels and Battery Storage which will allow the Hall to be used as a shelter for the community in the event of power outages etc. £4.249.50 from Cllr Ellzabeth Scott towards setting up a Companionshlp Cafe, external lighting design, garden design. bench refurbishment and planning permisslon for garden sheds £3,000 from Polnt North Fundlng for children's activities during the school holidays £999 from Cllrs Ellzabeth Scott and Liz Brown for the installation of a community notice board and leaflet holders in the Hall A major milestone for the charity was the appointment of a Centre Manager to supervise the running of Merryoaks Community Hall which has helped to bring further structure to the operations. As well as maintaining the booking system including payments etc. the role also encompasses the management of volunteers. The Centre Manager has worked to improve the operations. building up good relationships with Hall users and introduGing a new cleaning company. Among other achievements. having a Centre Manager means that the Hall is open to the public longer and the volunteers have improved supervision and support. The temis and conditions for hiring the rooms within Meryoaks Community Hall have been reviewed and revised with the benefit of now having 2 years of experience of room hire.
Blinds have been installed on the windows in the Main Hall. Multi-Purpose Room and Office using grant money received in the previous year from The City of Durham Parish Council and money raised from a Bum's Night Supper and a talk on the Falklands War givon at tho H211. Tho blindo provid& privacy 2$ wall 22 hèlpinc with t@mporature control on hot days. Adjacent to Meryoaks Community Hall is the Durharn County Council owned Lowes Bam Recreation Ground. This has vehicular access via the car park and Hall users had al times driven vehicles through and on to the children's play ar8a. To prevent accidents, LBCP successfully bbbled for the installation of bollards on the access road meaning that vehicles can only enter the children's play area if approved and supervised by LBCP staff or volunteers. LBCP also facilltsted the Installation of a community noti board on council land at the entrance to the adjoining recreation ground. This ye8r we reviewed and revised 811 of our policies and procedures. A not insignificant piece of work. Following the building work which was completed in 2023. the builders went into administration leaving several items on a snagging list incomplete. After negotiation with the administrator, LBCP undertook to make th8 repairs and this has now been completed with the exception of an on4Joing investigation into leaks above some doors in severe weather. Meryoaks Communlty Hall benefits from a large garden area whlch since the openlng of the building has remained mostly grass. A new project has stsrted to establish a community garden. The first step was a survey to 8Stablish what th8 local community want from such a project following which a design was commissioned from a local garden designer and fundralslng has started to tum this into a realty. One of the first actions was to remove an old path that was a relic from the bowling green that had been on the site before the Hall was built and had deteriorated and at some points become dangerous. Merryoaks Community Hall has a central Hub with a community library and tea and coffee making facilities which are available to all whenever the building is open. making it an ideal venue which the local community use as a drop in space. There are Iwo rooms available to hlre for meetings and events; a Main Hall and a Multipurpose Room with a Kitthen adjacent to the Main Hall that is also available to hire,
The office space which had been available to hire is now dedicated to the Centre Manaaer and volunteers. Over the course of the year several groups have used these facilities to benefit the community with a range of activities induding,. Exercise and dance dasses Yoga Home education lessons Health and Wellbeing Cultural discussions Mother and toddler groups First Aid training Martial arts Crochet and knitting Religious services and celebrations Parties The City of Durham Parish Council continue to hold their monthly meetings in Meryoaks Community Hall making them more accessible to residents. Durham Merryoaks Women's Institute also hold their monthly meetings in the Hall. As well as events and classes provided by extemal groups, LBCP has provided activities and facilities to benefit the community including; Christrnas music and crafts aftemthjn Bum's Night Supper and Murder Mystery Solar Eclipse event Table top sales Local speakers Book club Community library Puzzle library Coffee momings Aftemoon teas Activities for children during the school holidays starting in September 2025, a monthly Companionship Cafe for elderly people and those suffering the effects of dementia is run by our volunteers every month. The coffee moming which is held on the first Saturday of the month now includes an electrical testing and repair station supported by Durham County Council to reduce electrical waste and is regularly visited by a mobile Eco Van refill shop.
Meryoaks Communty Hall is located adIanI to Lowes Bam Re¢atIOn Ground which is owned and maintained by Durham County Council and includes a children's play area as well as a multi-use games area (MUGA) and adult exercise facilities. The Community Hall ho9 toilot And boby chgnging f2cilitiQC 2£ woll 2£ providing 2 warm, dry space for users of the recreation ground to shelter during periods of indement weather. It has been estimated that beiween 330 and 380 people use the building each week and the age range has been from 3 weeks old to over 90 years old. We have also installed a defibrillator on th8 outside of M8ryoaks Community Hall so that it is available for use by the public at all times. 3. Structure and Governance This year there were 9 Trustees: Glen Walker (Chair) Claire Murray-Kemp (Secretary) Suzanne McGoay (Treasurer) Jennifer Thompson Martin Ruerup Will Greeves Susan Walker Suzann8 Whelan Alan Doig At the Annual General M8eting {AGM) for the year ending 30th September 2024, which was held on 29th January 2025. Alan Doig stood for and was duly elected as a trustee. In accordance with the constitution, one third of the Trustees need to retire at the AGM but can stand for reappointment. This year Suzanne McGoay, Claire Murray-Kemp and Will Greeves retired and were duly reolected by the members. Glen Walker, who had been acting as chair and secretary since Jennifer Thompson had stood down from the role at the previous AGM18aving the role unfilled. has become chair and Claire Murray-Kemp has taken on the role of Secretary. Trustees, on joining, are given a copy of the LBCP constitution. the latest annual report and the Charity Commission publication Yhe essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do. Trustees are required to sign 8 Declaration of Eligibility fomi and abide by the Trustees Code of Conduct. A register of Trustees interests is maintained to protect against conflicts of interests.
Merryoaks Communty Hall is built on land leased from Durham County Council. The terms of the lease restrict what LBCP could do wtthout pemiission from the Council. Sometimes such permission would take a long time to be obtained due to the workload within the relevant council departtnents. LBCP met with the Council and agreed what works could be carried out without permission being obtained. This should enable the charity to move quicker and more efficiently to implement improvements to the building and surrounding garden area. 3.2 Or an ation Trustees continue to meet monthly and have organised themselves into 7 workstreams: Governance Building Management Merryoaks Community Hall Operations Volunteer Management and Recruitment Grant Applications Community and Stakeholder Engagement Events Organisation and Communty Fundraising Each workstream has a trustee as lead and may indude other trustees and volunteers as appropriate. A Finance Committ8e has been established comprising the Treasurer. Ihe Chair and a volunteer with experience in accounting practices. Tem)s of reference for the Finance Committee were drawn up and agreed by the trustees. A new 8uilding Snagging and Remediation Committee was established with 2 of the trustees who had been instrumental during the construction of the Hall to focus on completion of outstsnding building works. A separate activity has also started to establish a Community Garden. 3.3 P nd Procedures When Meryoaks Community Hall was opened in May 2023, new policies and procedures were put in place, many with a review period of 2 years. In order to prevent all of thes8 policies needing review at the same lime. the reviews were spread out over several months. New poliGies impletnented thi5 year inGluded: Anti bullying and Harassment Social Media Policy
Future Plan5 In the coming period, the trustees expect that the use of Meryoaks Community Hall will continuo to grow. It is expected that leaks which happen above several doors during severe weather will be remediated allowing the trustees to focus on new initiatives around Merryoaks Community Hall. Extra solar panels and battery storage will be installed alloviing the Hall to be used as a safe space or refuge in the ev8nt of a power outage. Lighting will be installed in the car park areas to make it easier and safer for Hall users and the users of the adjacent Council owned recreation ground especially during the darker months. Funding to establish a Communty Garden is being sought and ff( is anticipated that progress towards achieving the design that was commissioned this year will be made. Community events are expected to be held at holiday b'mes as well as the regular coffee mornings, "tea. cake and chaf meetings. book dub etc.. The trustees have agreed that donations will be used for psenting children's activities especially during the school holidays. 5. Financial Review The Lowes Bam Community Project was financially active in the period 1st Oct 2023 - 31 st Sept 2024. During this financial year the primary bank account was switched from the Lloyds Bank to the Co-operative Bank current account in the name of Lowes Bam Community Project cio. A savings account also with the Lloyds Bank was closed and two new savings accounts were opened with the Co-operats've Bank. an Easy Access Savings Account and a 95 Day Access account. The trustees agreed a policy to reduce the amount in the current account from £8,000 (2 months expenditure) to £3,000 which is larger than the biggest regular invoice received (approx. £2,000). The reasoning is that monies can be easily transferred between the savings and the cuent account and can be done at the time that any extraordinary spend is happ8ning. It has also been agreed to hold reserves of 6 months to 2 years of budgeted expenditure. The Finance Committee continues to meet monthty and advises on budgeting, financial planning, and the allocation of resources to support the LBCP'S activities and
maintenance. The committee has been instrumental in imDrovina the financial reDortino for the trustees. LBCP continues to use Xero accounting package. The principal income source outside of grants is from room hire with £49,066 being received in FY24125. Grants totalling £64,374 were received this year. £30,749 as detailed in section 2.2 Achievements (page 3) and £33,625 from grants applied for successfully in previous years including £30,329 towards the cost of employing the Centre Manager. For the detail see the table in Notes to the Accounts. 3 Income (page 13). The trustees are pleased to report that the financial position of LBCP CIO is robust and the strong start to the history of Meryoaks Communty Hall which opened in May 2023 continues. 6. Statement of Tru5tees' Responsibilitie5 The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees. report and the financial ststements in accordance with the Uniled lQngdom Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) arKI applicable laws and regulations. The law applicable to charities requires the trustees to prepare the financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charily and of the incoming resources and application of reSoUrS of the Charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to.. se18Ct suitable accounting tM)lioes and apply them consistently. • observe the methods and principles of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). make judgemenls and estimates that are reasonable and pwdent. state whether applicable accounting stsndards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements. prepare the financial statements on the going conrn basis unless rt is appropriate to presume that the charity will not continue in business. The annual report was approved by the trustees of the Charity on 13th July 2025 and signed by its order. Approved by the trustees and signed on tts behalf by: 22 JJJ 1026 Glen Walker Date: Chair
Independent Examiners Report I report to the trustees on my examinatson ot the accounts of Lowes Bam Gommunity Proje Glo (th8 charity) for the year ended 30 September 2025. Responsibilities and basis of report As trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011. I report in respect of my examination of the chariws financial statements cartied OLrt under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carying out my examination I have followed Ihe Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Chanbes Act. Independant examiners statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination gtvo me cause to believe that in any material resp8Ct: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the tharity as required by section 130 of the Charits'es Act 2011. 2. the financial statements do not accord with those records" or 3. the financial statements do not comply with the applicable requirements conceming the form and Content of financial statements set out in Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair viow, 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 to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached. David Holloway F Finchale House Belmont Business Park Durham DH1 1TW A DChA 10
g. Accounts Lowes Bam Community Project CIO Registered Charity Number: 1192101 Year Ended 30 September 2025 Statement of Financial Activities Unrestrktod Restykts lunds Funds Vnrestrkted ReStrle lunds Funds TthE Totsl Income Grants. (all¢fand1ew[es Olhertra(SngacD%iIE5 64374 FA374 ).219 1.158 7( 64374 IJW6 &724 ,2 r4, SL 51. 9) other Expendlture Ralslngfunds CharFtableAGtit1 4&51 3l164 17, 48,251 Other iQ8 17. 48.251 NeInm•If¢1Is 17164 m639 FuTrJSuledI0rnI 47A68 ni.w 769 11
Lowes Barn Community Project CIO Registered Charlty Number: 1192101 Year Ended 30 September 2025 Balance Sheet Trt•l Yotal FixedAsS•ts BUIWI 431 864431 iQ3XJ 781 EqLrfpiw¢ io. IQ6T8 10.678 ¢urrentAssets CurrentAccotht s3MnEsAcco1 Ca5hinharrJ SI 37.7&5 .2&$ &V54 S.YJl 6L793 541 L748 61.793 541 1,748 AccountsreceNabie &jrythIor5 2.515 5.213 15 &2 13L416 37.755 CredltorxAmtsIl1lrIdtt&TrYW1r &JryCreE1I(S 31151 2& 1267 8T3 873 418 oo NetQJtt£ntAssds 374 F¥trbJs io 47 12
Lowes Barn Community Project CIO Reglstered Charlty Number: 1192101 Year Ended 30 September 2025 Notes LYJI 2.XQ IlQl IIJY 21W 4 3T4 IS •?) &07J 1217 174 7J• 7J• 4roi Yt zs J.ry5 ise 27.J 17.[67 4001 13
Lowes Barn Community Projèct CIO Registered Charity Number: 1192101 Year Ended 30 September 2025 Notes l¥j 7W•i 1217 n2.1 A4• 40.•AI J7.%• 7•1n7 71>A75 I•JS0 LU411 otr•r• 7.72B ohr¢v io. 14