Bar Hill Community Association (BHCA)
Chair’s Annual Report for the Annual General Meeting
Period Covered: May 2025 – July 2026
Date of Report: 14[th] July 2026
1. Executive Statement & My Stepping Down as Chair
As I present this annual report covering the extended period from May 2025 to July 2026, I do so with a mixture of pride in what we have achieved and a serious message regarding the future leadership of our charity.
After founding the Bar Hill Community Association and guiding it as Chair over many years, I have made the decision to step down from my role. It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside so many dedicated individuals to build the BHCA into the organization it is today, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the trustees, volunteers, and residents who have shared this journey with me.
The Challenge of Succession
Our primary challenge moving forward is securing the long-term governance and continuity of the charity. Despite our ongoing efforts, we have not yet been able to recruit and appoint a permanent new Chair.
To safeguard the BHCA and prevent the very real possibility of closure or the Charity Commission stepping in to place us into administration, our Vice Chair, Anthony Mitchell , has agreed to step into the role of Chair on an interim basis (subject to a formal Trustee vote).
A Serious Note for our Community:
I cannot overstate the gravity of this situation. Without Anthony’s willingness to step up, the BHCA faced the prospect of winding down, which would mean remaining charity funds being lost to administration costs rather than staying in the village. Furthermore, Anthony’s transition means that the BHCA is now without a Vice Chair .
To secure the future of the BHCA, we are urgently looking for:
-
An experienced individual to take on the permanent role of Chair
-
A volunteer to step into the role of Vice Chair
-
Additional volunteers to help with fundraising and community events
-
An individual to assist with the administration and processing of Gift Aid
Without this vital community support, the fantastic activities and services that rely on the BHCA umbrella remain at serious risk.
2. What the BHCA Does for Bar Hill
For those unfamiliar with our structure, the BHCA acts as an essential umbrella charity for several volunteer-led groups across the village. The Board of Trustees manages the background administrative machinery—governance, finance, compliance, insurance, and policy—so that our active community groups can focus entirely on running great events and projects.
The BHCA currently provides:
-
Compliance & Policies: Frameworks covering safeguarding, inclusion, fundraising, health & safety, data protection, and conflicts of interest.
-
Financial Infrastructure: Centralized banking services for village groups via our Metro Bank account.
-
Volunteer Safety: DBS/CRB check processing through Care Check.
-
Licensing: PRS licensing for community events like the Fete and Christmas Market.
-
Protection: Public liability and event insurance for affiliated local activities.
-
Reporting: Meeting all Charity Commission registration and annual filing requirements.
We are also in the process of setting up Gift Aid processing, which will significantly boost the value of local fundraising. While our volunteer capacity currently limits us, we hope to explore future VAT recovery opportunities to make our community funds stretch even further.
Without the BHCA, every single volunteer group in the village would have to manage their own bank accounts, insurance, and legal compliance individually—an administrative burden that would likely cause many of them to fold.
3. Highlights of the Year (May 2025 – July 2026)
It has been an incredibly busy and productive 14 months. Some of our major milestones include:
-
Victory Park Playground: The brand-new playground is officially open! This successfully completes the major project that originally inspired several of our current Trustees to join the Board.
-
Bar Hill Fete & Festival: A highly successful and well-attended event in July 2025.
-
Saxon Park / Skatepark Project: This project has officially moved from the concept stage to a live tender. Following a thorough public consultation, we have received bids from five distinct contractors.
-
First Lego League: We established an excellent new partnership with Buttercups Nursery, running a highly successful season of youth coaching.
-
Christmas Event: Despite severe financial pressures on the organising committee, the festive event went ahead successfully.
-
Bar Hill News: Continued its unbroken run of monthly publications, fully funded and sustained by local advertising revenue.
4. Trustees, Officers, and Volunteers
Over the course of this reporting period, the Board of Trustees consisted of:
-
Andy Pellew (Chair)
-
Anthony Mitchell (Vice Chair / Incoming Interim Chair)
-
Jenni Foster-Smith (Secretary)
-
Bunty Waters
-
Jo Hall
-
Dee Callaghan (Stepped down after the July 2025 Fete)
-
Dave Wright (Incoming Secretary)
-
Portia Northwood-Kilsby (Stepped down May 2026)
Hilary Whipp has continued her excellent work in the role of Treasurer.
I would like to extend my personal thanks to Dee Callaghan for her brilliant work chairing the Fete & Festival Committee, and to Portia Northwood-Kilsby for her dedication during her time on the board. Looking to the future, I am delighted to welcome Michael Roland , who will be joining us as a Trustee, and Dave Wright , who will step up as Secretary.
5. Finances and Governance
Financial Management
This year, we successfully simplified our financial operations by closing our legacy Barclays account and consolidating all activities into a single Metro Bank account.
To maintain transparency and control, we review a rolling 12-month cost-centre financial report at every monthly Trustees' meeting. This allows every sub-committee to track exactly what they have raised, spent, and held in reserve.
Our overall reserves remain stable at approximately £8,500 . However, the vast majority of this money is strictly ring-fenced for specific projects and committees rather than general, unrestricted expenditure.
Because the charity's income exceeded the £25,000 threshold, our accounts underwent a formal Independent Examination and our annual return was successfully submitted to the Charity Commission on time.
Policy & Governance Reviews
To ensure we remain compliant with modern charity regulations, the Trustees completed a comprehensive review and refresh of our core policies and committee structures:
| Policies Refreshed & Updated | Terms of Reference Approved |
|---|---|
| •Charitable Donations & Fundraising •Complaints & Equal Opportunities •Investment & Reserves •Campaigns & Political Activity •External Speakers & Grant- Making •Expenses & Purchases •Safeguarding & Conflicts of Interest •Data Protection |
•Phone Box Library •Bar Hill News •Christmas Event •Parks & Recreation •First Lego League •Friends of Bar Hill Library |
6. Looking Ahead
As the BHCA transitions to new leadership for the 2026/27 period, the Board will focus on two clear objectives:
-
Active Succession Planning: Prioritising the recruitment of a permanent Chair and Vice Chair, alongside new volunteers, to ensure we are not overly reliant on just a few individuals.
-
Organisational Focus: We will be working with our sub-committees to ensure efficiency. Any committee that has been inactive over the last 12 months will be asked to either restart its activities or close in an orderly fashion.
-
Note: Having successfully completed its mission during the library’s transition period, the Friends of Bar Hill Library Committee will close and transfer its remaining funds directly to the library.
Final Remarks
In closing my final report as Chair, I want to thank every single volunteer, donor, advertiser, and resident who has supported the BHCA. Your passion and community spirit are what make Bar Hill such a special place to live.
I wish Anthony and the incoming team the absolute best as they guide the association forward—especially as the village prepares to celebrate Bar Hill’s 60th Anniversary !
Andy Pellew
Chair, Bar Hill Community Association
BAR HILL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE PERIOD 01-JAN-2024 TO 31-DEC-2024
| Budget | Receipts | Re-Allocation | Payments | Net | result | ||||
| Bar Hill News | £ | 10,231.99 | £ | 82.50 | £ | 5,440.16 | £ | 4,874.33 | |
| Christmas Event | £ | 1,756.48 | £ | - | £ | 137.94 | £ | 1,618.54 | |
| Donations Made | £ | - | £ | - | £ | 25.00 | £ | (25.00) | |
| Fete & Festival | £ | 10,491.78 | £ | 917.50 | £ | 10,149.72 | £ | 1,259.56 | |
| First Lego Leagu | £ | 1,806.74 | £ | - | £ | 15.85 | £ | 1,790.89 | |
| Friends of Bar H | £ | - | £ | 100.00 | £ | - | £ | 100.00 | |
| General | £ | 6,023.36 | £ | (6,100.00) | £ | 6,984.59 | £ | (7,061.23) | |
| Parks & Recreat | £ | 1,887.12 | £ | 5,000.00 | £ | - | £ | 6,887.12 | |
| Saxon Park | £ | 19.50 | £ | - | £ | 19.50 | £ | - | |
| TOTAL | £ | 32,216.97 | £ | - | £ | 22,772.76 | £ | 9,444.21 |
| BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31-DEC-2023 | BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31-DEC-2023 | BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31-DEC-2023 | BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31-DEC-2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash at Barclays | £ | 14,957.84 | ||||
| Cash at Metro | £ | 4,558.44 | ||||
| £ | 19,516.28 | |||||
| NET ASSETS | £ | 19,516.28 | ||||
| FUNDED BY | ||||||
| Previous Period | £ | 10,072.07 | ||||
| Result for Period | £ | 9,444.21 | ||||
| Total to Period End | £ | 19,516.28 | ||||
BAR HILL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 December 2025
Page 1
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS
Report to the trustees of Bar Hill Community Association (Charity number 1195382), on accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025, set out on pages 3 and 4.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above Charity ("The Trust") for the year ended 31 December 2025
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commision under sectiion 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examinationw hich gives me cause to believe that, in any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a "true and fair" view 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 with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper uncerstanding of the accounts to be reached
Signed Hilary Whipp Date 04 August 2026 Name Hilary Whipp Address 74 Hollytrees Bar Hill Cambridge
Page 2
BAR HILL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
| First Lego League Receipts Payments Result Bar Hill News Receipts Payments Result Donations Receipts Payments Result Fete Receipts Payments Result Christmas event Receipts Payments Result Saxon Park / Friends of Bar Hill Receipts Payments Result General Receipts Payments Result Parks & recreation Receipts Payments Result Result for the year |
This year 0.00 1,496.95 6,622.00 8,287.24 25.00 25.00 7,882.56 7,934.56 1,103.54 2,720.74 565.04 436.06 226.28 540.40 17,491.35 25,756.34 |
This year (1,496.95) (1,665.24) 0.00 (52.00) (1,617.20) 128.98 (314.12) (8,264.99) (13,281.52) |
Last year Last year 1,806.74 15.85 1,790.89 10,231.99 5,842.16 4,389.83 0.00 25.00 (25.00) 10,491.78 10,149.72 342.06 1,756.48 137.94 1,618.54 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,023.36 6,984.59 (961.23) 1,887.12 0.00 1,887.12 9,042.21 Page 3 |
Last year Last year 1,806.74 15.85 1,790.89 10,231.99 5,842.16 4,389.83 0.00 25.00 (25.00) 10,491.78 10,149.72 342.06 1,756.48 137.94 1,618.54 0.00 0.00 0.00 6,023.36 6,984.59 (961.23) 1,887.12 0.00 1,887.12 9,042.21 Page 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9,042.21 | ||||
| Page 3 |
BAR HILL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2025
| Assets Cash at Barclays Cash at Metrobank Less current liabilities Net assets Funded by General fund at start of year Result for the year General fund at end of year |
This year 0.00 6,234.76 |
This year 6,234.76 0.00 6,234.76 19,516.28 (13,281.52) 6,234.76 |
Last year 14,957.84 4,558.44 |
Last year 19,516.28 0.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,516.28 | ||||
| 10,474.07 9,042.21 |
||||
| 19,516.28 |
Page 4