Treasurers Report for 2021
This has been an interesting year.
We finally received official notification on 07-12-2020 that, after some five months of effort, we were officially recognised as a Charity.
Little did we realize the difficulties that circumstances were able to throw in our way as we started to get operational.
Who would have thought that it could take up to three months to get Bank accounts opened? Or that one of those Banks would close its local branch some four months after they had deigned to allow us to open account.
It’s probably just as well that I like ‘Sade’ because I must have heard one of her albums at least four times, as I spent endless hours waiting on the telephone to speak to someone sensible. After extreme customer testing, I can confirm that at least two Banks are rubbish at internet customer relations. Hence resorting to the phone. Best time to phone, 8:30 in the morning.
Our search for a venue, any venue, was an education. Covid seems to have provided a readymade excuse for a considerable number of charities that were on their last legs, to close. Some even closed whilst we were in negotiation for a rental agreement. I think one has had a management change twice and we are still not sure where we stand.
It is amazing to consider that, despite the above, we have finished the year with some £4000 in the kitty, £3,300 of which is still to be spent from the various Grants that Les has been able to find for us. We also have a log cabin and a weatherproof trailer to house our 300 plus jigsaws and various elements of our embryonic craft shop. Somewhat annoyingly we have yet to achieve a permanent or semi-permanent base of operation.
The Future.
We have learnt a lot over the last year, but it has become very apparent that we have a lot more to learn. Not least the effect of the major changes that have occurred in the charitable sector over the last few years, and the changes wrought by Covid.
Venues.
Because of various delay our venues are prepaid as follows
Builth from 19/5/21 to 18/4/22 Rock Park from 26/5/21 to 26/4/22 Crossgates from 28/6/21 to 27/5/22
Honeybrook from 1/9/21 to 1/8/22
As can be seen we have some security of tenure at all four locations for part of next year. We do need to confirm that each is serving our needs adequately and if not look for good alternatives. We also need to consider the timing of our rental agreements. It seems to me that there are considerable advantages in having staggered renewal dates, allowing the trustees to concentrate on each separately, as opposed to the additional workload if they all have similar renewal dates.
Covid cruelly emphasised (or disguised) the effect of seasonality. When we set up our jigsaw library initiative the only effect we anticipated was around Christmas. Otherwise, we thought there would be a consistent demand for jigsaws pretty much throughout the year.
Looking back, it seems somewhat laughable to have not recognised that a large proportion of our prospective members, who do have time on their hands, which we are attempting to fill, would not have turned to gardening. So maybe we should be aiming for somewhere warm and welcoming for the winter months and expect lower attendances during the summer, which is probably peak gardening and holiday season.
We could possibly reflect this by having fewer meetings at the height of summer, balanced by more meetings in the spring and autumn.
Alternatively, we could practice a ‘if you can’t beat them, join them approach’. Possibly having guest speakers to talk through gardening and holiday issues. With following meetings for the members to discuss in open forum
Signed
30-1-22 D Gregory Treasurer
West Rador Community Haven Registered Charity Number 1192686
Accounts for the period from registation to 31-12-2021
| Grants Received | Received | Paid out | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30/03/21 POWYS VoGrant 1 | 5638.97 | 4392.81 | |
| 30/03/21 POWYS VoGrant 2 | 500 | ||
| 07/07/21 The PrinceGrant 3 | 5976 | 4921.07 | |
| 08/07/21 Local Givi Grant 4 | 500 | ||
| 12614.97 | 9313.88 | ||
| Balance | 3301.09 | ||
| Christmas Fair | 145 | 55.96 | |
| Balance | 89.04 | ||
| Donations | 159.38 | ||
| Annual Membership | 140 | ||
| Lloyds Complaint Settlement | 400 | ||
| Net Cash Surplus for the Period | 4089.51 | ||
| Represented by | |||
| Cash at Lloyds Bank | 3187.37 | ||
| Cash at Barclays Bank | 1165.29 | 4352.66 | |
| Less Accruals | -263.15 | ||
| Balance carried forward | 4089.51 | ||
| Notes to Accounts |
1.Official notice of our Charities regisration was received on December 7th 20
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Due to Covid effects we were unable to open our bank accounts until 23-2-2 3. All expenditure has been treated as an immediate expense, with no account taken of the period it covers, such as for Rent or Zoom licence costs.
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In some instances we had to ask trustees to make purchases personally. sinc bank accounts were not fully functioning. They have been reimbursed accordin 5. As a result of Covid disruption both our banks had dificulties setting up our accounts, with Lloyds being particularly bad. As a result three complaints were raised and upheld. The trustees agreed that the treasurer should be reimburse for time taken and telephone use.
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Accruals have been made to reimburse the Secretary and Treasurer for expe with Payments yet to be made but reflected in these accounts. Dated
01/30/2022
Signed D Gregory Treasurer
20. '.021. ce our Igly.