FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
27th JANUARY 2021- 30 APRIL 2022
The period covered by this report is from the inception of the CIO until the end of the first financial year.
1. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
NAME OF CHARITY : FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER : 1193272 ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL OFFICE : Climpers, Clements End, Coleford, GL16 8LL TRUSTEES DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD : Roger James Keith Walker Michael Butler Alison Collison
These are the first Trustees of the charity, approved at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 26 March 2021.
Governing document: Charity Commission approved Constitution
Constitution of charity: Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Methods used to recruit and appoint new charity trustees:
Any person can apply to become a Trustee, if they meet the criteria laid out in the Constitution.
The existing Trustees and Members may ask any person if they wish to become a Trustee if they meet the criteria laid out in the Constitution.
Provisions for appointment as charity trustee:
Members of Friends of Scarr Bandstand or the Trustees can appoint a new Trustee either to replace a retiring Trustee or in addition to the existing Trustees, up to a maximum of 12 Trustees.
At the first Annual General Meeting of the CIO, in May 2022, all the current Trustees will stand down in accordance with the Constitution. They will then stand for re-election if they so wish.
It is hoped that at this Annual General Meeting, a fifth Trustee will be appointed.
Full provisions regarding Trustee appointments and duties are given in the Constitution.
Management:
The Trustees appoint a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, together with a small team of other Trustees and Members for the day-to-day management of Friends of Scarr Bandstand.
As well as the Annual General Meeting, Members' meetings are held at intervals, for which a Treasurers' Statement is presented together with accounts. Members are kept informed of the Trustees' actions via newsletters and emailed updates. Major decisions are taken at members' meetings or at the AGM.
Due to Covid restrictions and safety concerns during 2021, Members' meetings have been held via Zoom. It is hoped that face-to-face meetings will be able to resume during 2022, beginning with the AGM.
FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
2. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
OBJECTIVES
The purposes of Friends of Scarr Bandstand as set out in the Constitution are:
to promote the preservation, restoration, maintenance, and improvement of "Scarr Bandstand" and to encourage both a greater recreational use by the public of the facilities available and high standards in the provision of such facilities, particularly those centred around the bandstand.
MAIN ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN RELATION TO THE OBJECTIVES AND FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT
Preservation: the likelihood of the continued preservation of the site for the public benefit has been enhanced by successful events during the summer of 2021 when hardly any other local events were taking place. The events produced local goodwill, with much local publicity, leading to greater local awareness and pride in the site.
Restoration: plans for a permanent roof for the Bandstand are ongoing. Detailed plans have been drawn up by a London architect, acoustician, and structural engineer. Forestry England have approved the plans. However, it has been impossible to find a company to quote for the work. It is hoped that companies will come forward once the backlog of work caused by Covid has been dealt with. If no company can be found, a simpler design roof will be investigated.
Maintenance: West Dean Parish Council now takes responsibility for arranging the mowing of the site, as well as handling the insurance. The new Parish Clerk is aware of the site and is fully supportive.
Improvements:
a) Gates to the car-parking area around the football field re-sited to improve the flow of cars.
b) Pedestrian gate at the bottom of the site re-sited.
c) The entrance drive to the site resurfaced.
d) The lower car park scraped.
e) Gazebos purchased.
f) Defibrillator purchased.
g) Generator with greater power and cleaner running system purchased.
h) Tea urn, plus cable, plus cable covers purchased.
i) Posts and wires for season banner at entrance.
Encouraging Greater Recreational Use by The Public
Public awareness of the site has increased due to:
a) Running successful season of events
b) Keeping the site well-maintained
c) Good and repeated publicity
d) School visit
e) New event: "Hospital Saturday" supporting local NHS and as a tribute to the history of the Scarr Bandstand: extra publicity and goodwill.
f) Public "litter pick" organised by Forestry England
General recreational use by the public is now continuous: the site and surrounding woodland are used by families and dog-walkers every day. Litter and vandalism have decreased to almost zero.
A number of requests for information about hiring the site were received, and the site was booked for: 1) Photoshoot for book cover (cancelled due to Covid)
2) St Johns Academy School Year 6 visit (brass band demonstration, plus talk by Friends of Scarr Bandstand, leading to a display in Coleford Library of the student's designs for a permanent roof)
3) Music video shoot
4) Proms at the Bandstand: major annual event organised by Lydbrook Brass Band (first time at the Bandstand)
5) Private party with band
6) Zumba class
FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
7) "Breathe In, Sing Out" class held by local lung-health charity
The increasing facilities that Friends of Scarr Bandstand are able to offer (e.g. gazebos, chairs, tables, good generator, defibrillator) will encourage more groups to consider booking the site.
The Trustees note :
The school visit from St Johns Academy was especially welcome, as this increased awareness and appreciation of the site by the next generation of locals. It is hoped that this visit will be repeated for future Year 6 students.
The Trustees hope for an increase in the use of the site for activities organised by local groups.
Providing High Quality Events for Locals And Visitors
Summer 2021 was challenging due to the uncertainty over Covid restrictions being either lifted or extended. Forestry England were unable to confirm whether events would be permitted on their land until very late in the planning process and issued the wrong information which had to be challenged. Six events were planned, four with free entry. All dates had to be altered, and then two events in June and early July had to be cancelled when the Covid restrictions were extended at the last minute.
However, the four remaining events went ahead with record audiences.
Number of Public benefitting directly from events: Artists 14 Participants 288 Live Audience 829 Audience via local radio 3000 (estimate)
TOTAL 4131
TRUSTEES' PLANS IN RELATION TO ITS OBJECTIVES
The Trustees are satisfied that the direction in which Friends of Scarr Bandstand is currently heading meets its objectives. There is continued progress in all areas, with resultant great public benefit both to locals and visitors.
The Trustees intend to continue with the current methods of raising funds via donations, raffles, funding, sponsorship, Forest Lottery and membership fees in order to preserve, restore, maintain and improve the Scarr Bandstand and its site. Becoming a charity has added the financial advantages of Gift Aid, some zero-rated VAT items, and cheaper event insurance.
The next main goal is the provision of a permanent roof.
The Trustees appreciate that good relationships with local public bodies and groups are essential. Contact has been established during this year with Coleford Town Council, as well as continuing contacts with Forestry England and West Dean Parish Council. A bid for one-off funding from Gloucestershire County Council was successful, although it is realised that this is unlikely to be an on-going source of funding. Links with Sling Football Club and with Friends of Dilke and Lydney Hospitals have been established.
The summer season of events will continue as this provides great public benefit and keeps the public's awareness of the site at a high level. Events will only be undertaken if sufficient funding can be obtained to ensure a high standard of performance without risk to Friends of Scarr Bandstand's financial stability. The Trustees will continue to interrogate the summer season's costings, e.g. ticketing some events, keeping brass band events free, raising funds from catering and other sources.
The other important factor in the continuing success of the summer season is having enough willing volunteers to run the events.
The Trustees would like to see more community groups organising their own events at the Bandstand, as this will further increase the public benefit of the site. The Trustees will continue to work towards this goal.
FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
THE TRUSTEES HAVE HAD REGARD TO THE CHARITY COMMISSION'S GUIDANCE ON PUBLIC BENEFIT.
VOLUNTEER HOURS 27th JAN 2021-31 MARCH 2022
Recorded volunteer hours for this period: 1,636
2021 produced particularly high volunteer hours due to the admin involved in rescheduling and cancelling events, and coping with Covid rules.
The Trustees note:
Friends of Scarr Bandstand is run entirely by volunteers, and the objectives of the charity could not be accomplished without their time and expertise.
3. FINANCIAL REVIEW
Review of Financial Position on 31[st] March 2022
The Receipts and Payment figures at year end of 31[st] March 2022 were £14,049 and £9,685 respectively, resulting in a net balance of +£4,363. Friends of Scarr Bandstand were reconstituted from a constituted community group (CCG) to a charity (CIO), achieving charitable status on 27[th] January 2021. Adding the net balance to the cash funds transferred from the CCG (£13062), results in a total in cash at year end of £17,426.
The CIO does not currently have any investments, debts, or potential liabilities under guarantee. There are currently no uncertainties about the CIO continuing as a going concern.
Policy for Holding Reserves
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Following the restoration of the Bandstand and Arena in 2017, Friends of Scarr Bandstand adopted a policy, that to re-establish the venue as a viable venue, as many events as possible should be ‘free to attend’. To achieve this, sponsorship is sought for performers fees, and other expenses are largely met from grant aid funding. Both elements are sought in the financial year prior to the actual Season of Events, therefore sponsorship funding is recorded as ‘reserved’ and grant aid funding as ‘restricted’.
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The CIO is also working to re-establish a canopy (roof) on the bandstand to ensure that events can continue in the event of inclement weather. Various elements of funding are ‘reserved’ or ‘restricted’ to this end.
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The CIO also seeks grant aid on an opportunistic basis to help with specific future costs, to ensure continuing financial viability.
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The CIO also has a policy to accumulate sufficient unrestricted funds (Headroom) to ensure match funding is available for grant aid funding (events), and that in the event of such grant aid being unavailable, sufficient ‘Headroom’ exists in the CIO financial reserves to ensure that a subsequent Season of Events can be promoted at the Bandstand.
To summarise; the CIO operates a single business current account, and the cash total of £17,426 held in the account on 31[st] March 2022 is subdivided into £8,263 of restricted funds and £9,163 of unrestricted funds. The restricted funds are composed of accrued grant aid funding. In addition, the CIO reserves funds for specific projects and purposes. The total amount of Restricted and Reserved Funds on 31[st] March was £12,574, leaving the balance of unrestricted funds (headroom) of £4,852.
Signed by one of the trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| Signature | Print Name | Date of Approval |
|---|---|---|
| KEITH WALKER | 12/07/2022 |
FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGL4NO AND WALES FRENDS OF SCARR BANDSTAND Receipts and payments accounts CC16a Forth# period To 27ffj1f2Wdl 31ffj3r2W22 Section A Receipts and payments UnrestrictÈ funds RÈstrictÈd fundB Endowment funds Total fund Last year A1 Re¢ei 511 ColeLtoro Bte¥ents Oonatons Fcrfjd & Dnnk SFle4 356 191 737 2022 Brochure Att4ert S81 Ebntsi 1.744 1,744 SForw5hy FoTest Lott Mwlaneo Arena Hire Cttal Grafits Sub lotal (Gtvss InMe forAR) 571 511 8,153 Q.153 14049 A2 Ass•t and In$Ont ui•s. (sé¢ tsblel. Sub lol•l 5196 8.153 14IM9 A3 Paym•nts Events tir£nsr Sundry Cost offood & thnks Perfom)ern fee6 Ivmts) 88bntyng payrnts ITheamc E¥entsl Ar¢hrteLt8 Fees IFOSE ctsthtthoni en8 Hire RehJnd5 ACE ButhJet2021 season lexd Aet 1.016 1.016 29) 4241 91 4S2• ACE Budget2 I0 Sub tolal 4332 7.970 A4 As8•t and Inv•8tmnt purc&•. {see tabl ACE 8u(Jet2021- rea(r ACE 8udget 2021- Sam8un9 mot4e phone ACE Budget 2021. ACE Budgd 2021. Tea um & at¢wB 35 115 41 134 1.315 175 1.715 Sub total 4,038 S,847 Net of receiptsl(paNMts) AJ Trnnsfvr¥ b¢twn fvnd$ A6 Cash funds kgst #nd Cash fvnds this •nd 7.305 S.757 13,062 17826 CCXX R1 a¢t4unts ISS)
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds Restncted fvnd4 to n•Ar•stÉ Endowment funds Categorie Detail B1 Cash fund• LLOYDS 8USINESSACCC4JNT 103 Totsi ¢h ffunds 9.163 8,283 Endowm•nt funds tr) nearest£ funds funds thtsarest£ Details Fufvj v•lu• Details Fund ¥•thlch urr•ntvakni Oetai15 Co¥tlopkna 84 Assets retslned tho ¢harlty'8 ¢)wn use ) banotha Lfi1- 115 17$ Fund Amouhtdu• Cletails B5 Uabllltl•s all th¢ Intste88 Pn"nt N8m& Date of roval gn IL.07.z CCXX R2 Unts ISS) 18104r2022
FRIENDS OF SCARR BANDsfAND Notes to Recelpts & Payments Accounts for the perlod 271Oy2021 to 3110312022 To be reod in conjunction with the completed Chority Commission Forny CC16uforsaid reporting period BANDSTAND FOSB- Notes to Financial Statement (Charity Commission Forni CC161 l. Friends of Scarr Bandstand became a Registered Charity {CIOI on 2* January 2021. Friends rrfscarr Bandstand previously existed as an unincorporated Community group. Following vote of members of Friends of Scarr Bandstand lunincorp)rated community group), the surn of £7308 shown in the 'Cash funds at last year end. unrestricted column and the surn of £5754 'Cash funds at last year end. restrirted column VAS transferred fiom FTiend5 of scarr Bandstsnd lunintorporated community groupl to Friends of Scarr Bandstsnd ICIOI on 2fh January 2021. The restricted funding figure of £5754 represent unspent grant aid funding in reporting period 2019-2020 intended for spending in reporting period 2020-2021. The Covid19 pandemK caused all events at the bandstand to be cancelled in the reportin8 period 2021>2021, so with the agreement of Arts Council England and West Dean Parish Council, the funding was transferred to Friends of Scarr Band5tsnd ICIOI 27 January 2021. 2. Restrirted and reserved funding. The restricted funding figures in the report relate to grant funding awarded to the charity. The figure shown in the unrestricted funds column in A3 payments section. & A4 Asset purchases I'Grant spend'l. represents match funding provided frorn the chart5 reserves. The chartty opeTates with one bank account and manages and controls the restricted and reserved funding via a spreadsheet. At 311312022 the total restrKted and reser¥ed funding vfds £12823.35. 3. Ticket sales (Theatrical Events). ficket sales for theatrical events are made independentlv both by the charity and the productbon companies of the events. The charity benefits from an agreed sales split with the production companie5. Balancing payments are made to the production companies to align the ticket sales with the agreed split 4. The'sundrf payment of £504 represents two payments of £252 each. made respertively to Friends of Lydney Hospital & Friends of Dilke Hospitsl. following collections made at the 'NHS saturda event on 2810812021. 5. Excepting theatrical events. all other events at Scarr Bandstsnd oreanised by Friends of Scarr Bandstand are currently'free to attenrf for members of the public. This is achieved through sponsorships, which cover performers fees, and grant aid. which covers all other costs of organising the events. Specific grant aid and matched funding is rnanaged and controlled for reporting purposes ¥ia a spreadsheet. 6. Friends of Scarr Bandstsnd have no potential Ibabilities under8uarantee outstsnding at the date of the ststement of assets and liabilities. 31 March 2022 (see Financial Ststement). 7. Friends of Scarr Bandstand have no debts outstsnding at the date of the ststement of assets and liabilities, 31° March 2022 (See Financial Ststementl. which is owed by Friends of Scarr Bandstsnd, and which is secured by an express charge on any of the assets of Friends of Scarr Bandstsnd. CCXXRI accounts ISS) 1810412022
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of ,9.>s-, A i On accounts for tho year ended Charlty no Ilf any) Set out on pages I retMJt to the trustees my examinatiC cl the acCntS of the atove chity1lhe Trust.) the year ended3 i lo 3 | le22. RpOnSIbIlItIeS and As the Chwity trusiees d the Trusi, you are resp)nsible for the prepwation basls ol report of the ac£ounts in ardance with the requirements of the Chariiies Act 2011 {Ihe A(r). I rewt li respecl rf my exanination of the Trust's accounts carrTred (Njt under sedion 145 of the 2011 Acl arKI in rying ¢JJt my examination. I have followed the applicable Direcicns given by the Chanty Commission under Sed1 145(5){b) cl the AIX. I have completed my examinaticm. I ccrfrni that no material matters have come to my attention I "l in connection vath the exinatiOn vhjth gjves me c2use to believe that in. any material resrect: Independent examinefs ststsment theAdc the acInIS do not *ith the acc<)unting records I have no conM$ and have auoss no other matters in conneCt)n ith the examinati to attention shoukj be dra in order to engble proper understanding of Ihe accy)unts to be reached. . Please deleté th8 wonts in the brackets rfthey do not awly. Slgned: C) 202 Name: e£ci L Relevant professlonal quallfl¢atlon{s) or body (If any): tm& I A r4g Addre55: sss IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Onty complete rf the exanner needs to hty3hlKJht matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examination of cawty a¢cwnts.' dred)nS and guKlance for examiners). Glve her• br1 detalls any Item8 that the examlner wlshes to dlsclose. IER October 2018