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 2025** The trustees present their report with the financial statements for the year to 31 December 2025. ## **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. Two Trustees, Nicholas Couldrey and Pauline Pearce resigned at the annual general meeting on 13 May 2025 and were re-elected. The other Trustees were John Dunne, Rosalind Marsh and Christine James 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. ## **Overview** The Library first opened in July 2021 and we are now in our fifth year serving the local community by providing books and activities for all ages. We have a wide range of fiction titles for adults including popular crime authors and a selective range of non-fiction with biographies and cookery books being the most popular. The children’s book stock ranges from board books for babies, picture books for infants, and junior fiction and non-fiction for older children. We also have a range of fiction books for teenagers. We hold a weekly Knit & Natter Group as well as a monthly Book Club for adults. For children there is a weekly Baby Rhymetime which is well attended and craft activities for 5-10 year olds during half-terms and school holidays. This year for the first time, we provided weekly craft sessions on different themes during the summer holidays which proved very popular with children and parents. This was held in tandem with our Summer Reads programme which attracted about 100 children to read six books, get a sticker for each one and a medal on completion. We invited children to write a story, poem or picture for entry into a “Book of Local Artists and Writers”. 32 submissions were received from 5-13 years olds all of which were highly original. The book included a foreword by HRH Queen Camilla and there was a presentation of prizes and certificates. Fundraising events such as raffles and quizzes are very popular and raise a lot of money. This year, in March, we launched a 200 Club, a lottery where members give a regular sum and can win one of three cash prizes each month. We gained about 90 members during the year which provides us with a regular monthly income. Sponsorship is another key source of income, and a number of local companies give regularly. ## **Statistics** During the year 241 new members joined giving a total membership of 2,263. We had 8,644 visitors who borrowed 11,257 books. ## **Volunteers** The team of 30 volunteers are an essential part of providing the full range of services we provide and in the nearly five years since we opened we have never had to miss a session by closing the library which is a very significant achievement. ## **Parish Council** The Parish Council own and maintain the building ensuring any minor issues are solved. They also maintain the garden at the front which is a distinctive feature of the building. ## **Financial Review** 2025 was the fourth full year of operating the library. The income from donations, sponsorship and fundraising activities exceeded the costs of running the library during 2025 by £1,955.00, up from £447.00 in 2024. Our status as a Charitable Trust enables us to apply for grants but this year the Trustees decided that income from our fundraising and other activities would be sufficient to cover our running costs, so no grants were obtained. Fund-raising is essential to ensure we continue to provide a library service for the community. As well as fundraising events such as our quizzes, raffles, Bluebell Walk and Magic Jack show our main income has been from generous donations by our readers, supporters and regular user groups; sponsorship by local businesses and library members and profits from the 200 Club. We have also raised funds through the sale of surplus and donated books; Easyfundraising; and recycled ink cartridges. On 31 December 2025, total reserves amounted to £7,758.00 of which £525.98 was restricted to being used for specific costs (New books and furniture). 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 **Charity Name No (if any) Fair Oak Community Library 1192709 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 01/01/2025 31/12/2025 **----- Start of picture text -----**
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
HCC Grant - - - - 1,000
Other Grants - - - - 100
Donations 3,869 - - 3,869 2,256
Fundraising 1,444 - - 1,444 2,297
Sponsorship 4,319 - - 4,319 908
Bank Interest 127 - - 127 96
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
AR) [ 9,759 ] - - 9,759 6,657
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 9,759 - - 9,759 6,657
A3 Payments
Premises costs 146 - - 146 53
Print/Post /Stationery 229 - - 229 275
Book costs 242 - - 242 -
Heat/Light/Phone/Internet 3,112 - - 3,112 1,490
Insurance & Finance 581 - - 581 554
Legal & Professional 22 - - 22 234
IT Costs 1,386 - - 1,386 1,384
Fundraising 1,529 - - 1,529 534
Miscellaneous 67 - - 67 81
7,313 - - 7,313 4,605
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
Books - 248 - 248 306
Equipment - 243 - 243 1,299
Sub total [ - ] 491 - 491 1,605
Total payments [ 7,313 ] 491 - 7,804 6,210
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,446 - 491 - 1,955 447
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 9,785 1,017 - 10,802 11
Cash funds this year end 12,231 526 - 12,757 458
**----- End of picture text -----**
CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 24/06/2026 1 |**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at**|**the end of the period**|| |---|---|---|---| |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Barclays bank
Cash
**Details**
**Details**
Computers
Furniture
Books
Shelving
Office Equipment
**Details**
Charities Aid Foundation Loan
JF Dunne
Signature
RB Marsh|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**12,078**
**526**
**153**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**12,231**
**526**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
Unrestricted
**5,000**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Rosalind Marsh
John Dunne|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**When due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval
16/06/2026
16/06/2026| CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 24/06/2026 2