FAIR OAK COMMUNITY LIBRARY
(a charitable incorporated organisation registered under no 1192709)
Fair Oak Library Cambell Way Fair Oak Eastleigh SO50 7AX
Report of the Trustees for the period ending 31 December 2023
The trustees present their report with the financial statements for the year to 31 December 2023.
Structure and Governance
Fair Oak Community Library is a charitable incorporated organisation which was registered on 8 December 2020 under no 1192709. Its principal office is at Fair Oak Library, Campbell Way, Fair Oak, Eastleigh SO50 7AX. It is governed by its constitution and is operated by trustees.
The constitution requires one third of the Trustees to retire each year. John Dunne and Roz Marsh stood down but were re-elected by members of the charity at the annual general meeting on 15 May 2023. The other Trustees were Steven Broomfield, Nicholas Couldrey, Chris James, Beth Lack and Pauline Pearce. There is power for Fair Oak and Horton Heath Parish Council to appoint up to two trustees, but this has not been exercised.
Objectives and Activities
The object of the Charity, set out in its constitution, is “to advance the education of the public in the parish of Fair Oak and Horton Heath and the surrounding area, by operating and managing a lending library”.
Throughout the year, the charity has maintained a library service for the community.
Renovations
The library closed for major renovations at the end of March and approx. 6,000 books (200 boxes) were packed by volunteers and put into storage along with the furniture. A temporary library with 400 books was made available by the Parish Council at the Woodland Centre from April to the end of June. The Parish Council Operations team helped with the move.
The library re-opened on July 17th and nearly 600 people visited in the first two weeks with 80 new members joining. The overwhelming response from the public was how fantastic the new layout and decorations looked internally and the external painting, garden design and book signposts too.
Regular sessions
The Monday weekly Rhyme-time continued at the Woodland Centre and then re-started along with the Friday Stories & Crafts sessions when the library re-opened and both have proved very popular.
The weekly Knit & Natter group also returned to the re-opened library as did the monthly Fiction Reading Group.
The summer holiday “My Summer Reads” scheme took place with 140 children taking part, reading and reviewing 6 books each. Children who completed all six books received a bookmark (sponsored by a local printer).
Events
A launch re-opening event was held on Saturday August 5th with 150 attending featuring: Bella Crafts, face painting, balloon and sketch artists - all funded by the Parish Council.
A number of fund-raising events took place during the year including two very successful Quiz evenings (March and October) with raffles, a Bluebell Walk in April, two Magic Jack shows in August and December and a talk by a local beekeeper.
Publicity
Producing publicity for events and postings on social media all helps to make people aware of what we are doing. The website is also an important way of gaining new members and keeping them up to date on events.
Statistics
Despite the main library being closed for ten weeks and the temporary library being on the edge of the village we increased the number of visitors over the year to 7,309 (from 7,193 the previous year). We also signed up 555 new members giving a total membership of 1,634 since re-opening in July 2021. In addition, we loaned out 10,031 books.
Volunteers
The library would not function without the support of almost 30 volunteers who cover the 25 hours of opening (over six days). In addition, they support all the events, make readers welcome, share book choices with them, run the computer systems, carry out all the administrative tasks needed to provide the library service and keep the library clean and tidy.
Financial Review
2023 was the second full year of operating the library. The income from donations, fundraising activities and unrestricted grants from local public bodies exceeded the costs of running the library during 2023 by £1,202. This was very encouraging given that costs exceeded income in the previous year.
As expected, the costs that arose from the refurbishment of the building; boxes for moving; rebuilding of the counter; reconnection of the telephone lines and new exterior signs were more than covered by what was left of the original set-up grant provided by Hampshire County Council
Our status as a Charitable Trust enables us to apply for grants and during the year grants were secured from; Eastleigh Lions to assist with the purchase of new mobile shelving; the Local Area Committee for the purchase of new books; Fair Oak & HH Parish Council for the purchase of furnishings and Sunnybank House Care Home sponsored the printing of the 2024 Pets Calendar.
Fund-raising is a big part of ensuring we continue to provide a library service for the community. As well as fundraising events we raised funds through the sale of Pet Calendar; the sale of books; library hire; Easyfundraising; recycled ink cartridges and donations from our regular user groups.
At 31 December 2023, total reserves amounted to £5,354.40 but, of this, £4,058.72 was restricted to being used specific costs. The trustees consider that these together with the income that they expect to receive will be enough to cover the Charity’s needs over the next year.
The main risks facing the trustees is that running costs will increase and income will fall. The trustees continue to pursue ways of raising money and limiting costs as far as possible without detriment to the services we provide.
The trustees have not yet adopted a reserves policy as they consider that it would be premature.
Public Benefit
In exercising their powers or duties, the trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the Charity Commission
| Fair Oak Community Library |
Fair Oak Community Library |
Fair Oak Community Library |
1192709 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
1/1/2023 | To | 12/31/2023 | ||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| A1 Receipts HCC Grant 1,000 Other Grants 1,000 Donations 1,376 Fundraising 1,894 HCC Grant - Other Grants - - - 5,270 - - Sub total - Total receipts 5,270 A3 Payments Premises 468 Print, post, stationery 144 Heat,light, phone,internet 1,509 Insurance 453 IT 1,350 Fundraising 174 Miscellaneus - 23 Moving Costs - Legal&Professional Fees - Loan Repayments - Equipmentpurchases - Sub total 4,075 Shelves - Books - Sub total - Total payments 4,075 Net of receipts/(payments) 1,195 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 5,094 Cash funds this year end 6,289 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
to the nearest £ - - - - 1,000 1,450 - - 2,450 - - - 2,450 511 169 - - - 343 - 343 378 - 24 1,768 1,476 390 1,866 3,634 - 1,184 - 5,250 4,066 Restricted funds |
to the nearest £ Endowment funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 1,000 1,000 1,376 1,894 1,000 1,450 - - 7,720 - - - 7,720 979 313 1,509 453 1,350 517 - 23 343 378 - 24 5,843 1,476 390 1,866 7,709 11 - 10,344 10,355 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - - - - - - - - - |
1,000 | 2,000 | |||
| 1,000 | 800 | ||||
| 1,376 | 1,570 | ||||
| 1,894 | 1,385 | ||||
| 1,000 | - | ||||
| 1,450 | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| 7,720 | 5,755 | ||||
| - - - |
- | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | 7,720 | 5,755 | |||
| - - - - - - - - - - - - |
979 | 2,945 | |||
| 313 | 215 | ||||
| 1,509 | 1,708 | ||||
| 453 | 425 | ||||
| 1,350 | 1,264 | ||||
| 517 | 34 | ||||
| - 23 | 260 | ||||
| 343 | - | ||||
| 378 | - | ||||
| - | 3,890 | ||||
| 24 | 125 | ||||
| 5,843 | 10,866 | ||||
| - - - |
1,476 | ||||
| 390 | |||||
| 1,866 | - | ||||
| - | 7,709 | 10,866 | |||
| - 1,184 | - - - - |
11 | - 5,111 | ||
| - | - | - | |||
| 5,250 | 10,344 | - | |||
| 4,066 | 10,355 | - 5,111 |
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 Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Details Wessex Bank Brclays Bank Petty Cash Details Details Details Computers Furniture Books Shelving Details Charities Aid Foundation Loan Signature John Dunne RB Marsh Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ 434 - 5,640 4,059 222 - 6,296 4,059 Agreement Error Agreement Error to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - 1,476 - - - - - Unrestricted 5,000 - - - - Print Name JOHN DUNNE ROSALIND MARSH Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| John Dunne | JOHN DUNNE | 5/22/2024 | |
| RB Marsh | ROSALIND MARSH | 5/22/2024 |