**Annual Report for the period ended 31[st] March 2025 Registered Charity No: 1198148**
## **Reference and Administrative Information**
|**Charity Name:**
The Old Library
**Registered Charity Number:**
1198148
**Principal address**:
The Old Library
Skircoat Green Road
Halifax
HX3 0LQ
**Trustees**:|**Charity Name:**
The Old Library
**Registered Charity Number:**
1198148
**Principal address**:
The Old Library
Skircoat Green Road
Halifax
HX3 0LQ
**Trustees**:|**Charity Name:**
The Old Library
**Registered Charity Number:**
1198148
**Principal address**:
The Old Library
Skircoat Green Road
Halifax
HX3 0LQ
**Trustees**:|
|---|---|---|
||||
|Helen
Rosemary
Verity
Chair
Appointed: 06 September 2023|||
||||
||||
|Heather Rigg
Trustee
Appointed: 19 January 2023|||
||||
||||
|Pamela
Casson
Trustee
Appointed: 06 September 2023|||
||||
||||
|Susan
Renate
Russell
Trustee
Appointed: 06 September 2023|||
||||
||||
|Colin Hugh
Hutchinson
Trustee
Appointed: 06 September 2023|||
||||
||||
|Michael
James
Barnes
Trustee
Appointed: 14 November 2024|||
||||
|||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Rachel
Whitbread
Trustee
Appointed: 06 September 2023||||
|||||
|||||
|Grant
Moorhouse
Trustee
Appointed: 14 November 2024||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|Amy
Moorhouse
Trustee
Appointed: 14 November 2023; Resigned 02 April 2024||||
|||||
|||||
|Susan
Herbert
Treasurer
Appointed: 06 September 2023||||
|||||
## **Objectives and Activities**
The objects of the organisation as stated in its articles are:
1. To advance the education of the public by the promotion of the use of a public lending library service for the benefit of the residents of Skircoat Ward.
2. To promote or benefit the residents of Skircoat Ward, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents.
## **Mission Statement**
Our mission is to retain an important local building by generating income from it. The income will be used to develop it into a welcoming space that will serve the community, support learning and encourage neighborhood cohesion.
## **Strategic Aims**
1. To retain a local library service.
2. To create a sustainable, not for profit organisation.
3. To provide a welcoming, well run community space for all generations.
4. To encourage local support and engagement, building a local sense of community.
5. To preserve and develop an historic and culturally valuable local building.
6. To create volunteering opportunities and work experience.
The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance published by the Charity Commission on public benefit when agreeing the Old Library’s mission, aims and our service delivery principles. We have also borne this guidance in mind when setting our objectives to ensure that we correctly identify the intended beneficiaries of our work, make real difference and comply with our charitable objects at all time
## **Achievements and Performance**
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
What an amazing team, our wonderful community library is open and thriving, and it’s all thanks to the wonderful library volunteers, the bakers, the trustees, and the gardeners, and the visitors - you’ve all made the dream possible.
The books are being borrowed, the coffees and teas are flowing, the scrumptious cakes are being eaten, and our financial books are balancing. We have groups meeting regularly, childrens’ story times & craft events, sold-out talks and author events, and importantly, we are becoming the hub of the community, a safe, warm, welcoming space for all.
Thanks to the local Ward Forum grant and Calderdale Community Foundation, we’ve been able to replace the windows at the front of the building and also replaced the toilet in the basement (the old one sprung a leak).
The board are already working on the development plans for the basement, which in time will include fully accessible facilities for everyone to use. Like everything else, it’s going to be a long expensive process, requiring planning permission, and local financial support alongside national grant applications.
It’s our centenary in 2026, another milestone for our beautiful building, and one which we will be celebrating with you.
As the chair of the board, I’d like to mention a few individuals who have really gone the extra mile to support the library.
Peter Garner, whose generosity and IT expertise know no bounds.
Steve Ambler for his electrical skills.
Sadie - official minute secretary for Trustees meetings
And of course everyone else who has made the library what it is today.
## **Trustees**
Rachel for the daunting task of managing the volunteer rotas and all things volunteering.
Sue H for the keeping us in the black, and all the work required to keep us legal. Mike for stepping in when needed to take excellent meeting minutes. Colin for all things compliant, the odd trip onto the roof to help unblock the gutters,not to mention the cakes! Pam & Grant for the amazing intros to the authors.
Heather for the food safety compliance and knowledge, and scrubbing the floors…
Sue R for knowing everyone, from tree pruners to heritage experts, and our resident Tesco insider.
**Volunteers** (past & present) for keeping the doors open, welcoming our visitors, serving drinks and cakes and generally being amazing. (special mentions in brackets) :
Ann (book club and admin), Michael (storytimes), Heather B (stock control and cakes), Amanda (organisation skills!), Sue R (cakes & banking), Martin R, Jill M, Anne-Marie (safeguarding), Barbara, Jill W, Karen (training). Grace B (amazing posters), Grace W, Helen D, Isobel W, Jackie (cakes), Jane, Jo L (childrens’ section revamp), Jo M, Sue B (crafts), Sam, Helen D, Lynn, Maneesha, Mary, Noor, Rose (cataloguing), Dianne (cataloguing), Sue B, Tracy D.
**Bakers** in addition to regular volunteers who make a huge contribution every week.
Ann H, Clare, Jane , Janet, Julia, Kath, Khadija, Liz, Martin H, Maxine, Pam, Ruth, Val.
**Gardeners** who together with regular volunteers help make our garden beautiful all year round.
Anthea, Anne-Marie H, Richard and Stephanie.
Thank you
Helen Verity, Chair.
## **Financial Review**
The financial statements below show receipts and payments for the first year the library was open to the public from Sunday 6[th] April 2024 to 31[st] March 2025.
The accounts are very encouraging and show that (ignoring grants, which distort the picture) income has exceeded our plan by over £5,000. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the breakdown of income is completely different to that in the Business Plan with café receipts bringing in £10,000 more than expected but room hire and members subscriptions lower.
Overheads are broadly in line with the plan with savings being made on DBS checks (not required) and cleaning (done by volunteers) amounting to £3,400. Heat & light was higher than expected but usage was impossible to predict as accurate usage was unavailable from Calderdale. Similarly insurance was higher but this was an estimate with no real information available at the time. There were also unplanned book and equipment purchases.
Cash reserves have increased in the year by almost £8,000. We expect to maintain at least this level of reserves into the future assuming café sales continue at the current level.
All in all a very good first year.
Sue Herbert Treasurer
**The Old Library**
**1198148**
## **Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
**-**
**758**
**2,505**
**12,425**
**2,002**
**1,501**
**1,800**
**820**
**37**
**21,848**
**1,200**
**878**
**-**
**1,750**
**5,274**
**-**
**1,616**
**926**
**679**
**555**
**-**
**-**
**664**
**-**
**363**
**13,905**
**7,943**
**5,284**
**13,227**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
**13,000**
**-**
**13,000**
**1,000**
**790**
**10,110**
**11,900**
**1,100**
**-**
**1,100**|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
**13,000**
**758**
**2,505**
**12,425**
**2,002**
**1,501**
**1,800**
**820**
**37**
**34,848**
**1,200**
**878**
**1,750**
**5,274**
**-**
**1,616**
**926**
**679**
**555**
**-**
**1,664**
**790**
**10,473**
**25,805**
**9,043**
**5,284**
**14,327**|**Last**
**year**
**£**
**2,000**
**1,847**
**4,011**
**-**
**1,915**
**1,562**
**1,655**
**20**
**-**
**13,010**
**799**
**-**
**652**
**2,064**
**1,292**
**624**
**-**
**-**
**15,479**
**510**
**-**
**-**
**21,420**
**-**
**8,410**
**13,694**
**5,284**|**Business**
**Plan**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Grants|**-**||||**3,500**|
|Fundraising events|**758**||||**1,000**|
|Donations|**2,505**||||**1,000**|
|Donations from The Old Library Café|**12,425**||||**2,636**|
|Members'subscriptions|**2,002**||||**5,000**|
|Gift Aid|**1,501**||||**1,250**|
|Book sales|**1,800**||||**-**|
|Room hire|**820**||||**5,000**|
|Bank interest|**37**||||**-**|
|Fines|||||**300**|
|**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**||||||
||||||**19,686**|
|||||||
|Library system|**1,200**||||**1,040**|
|Book purchases|**878**||||**-**|
|DBS checks|**-**||||**1,400**|
|Other library and event costs|**1,750**||||**-**|
|Electricity, Gas & Water|**5,274**||||**4,225**|
|Rates|**-**||||**300**|
|Insurance|**1,616**||||**750**|
|Alarm systems, Wi-fi & Telephone|**926**||||**300**|
|Service costs|**679**||||**1,400**|
|Repairs and renewals|**555**||||**-**|
|Cleaning|**-**||||**2,000**|
|Refurbishment costs prior to opening|**-**||||**5,700**|
|Furniture & Equipment|**664**||||**-**|
|Lighting upgrade|**-**||||**-**|
|Replacement windows|**363**||||**-**|
|**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**||||||
||||||**17,115**|
|||||||
||**7,943**|**1,100**|**9,043**|**-**
**8,410**|**2,571**|
||**5,284**|**-**|**5,284**|**13,694**|**9,375**|
||**13,227**|**1,100**|**14,327**|**5,284**|**11,946**|
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The Old Library is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation incorporated on 7[th] March 2022 with charity number 1198148. In its structure it has both trustees and members with voting rights.
The governing document of the charity is its Constitution.
The appointment of charity trustees is laid down in the Constitution as follows:
- (1) At the first annual general meeting of the members of the CIO all the charity trustees shall retire from office;
- (2) At every [subsequent] annual general meeting of the members of the CIO, onethird of the charity trustees shall retire from office. If the number of charity trustees is not three or a multiple of three, then the number nearest to one-third shall retire from office, but if there is only one charity trustee, he or she shall retire;
- (3) The charity trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment. If any trustees were last appointed or reappointed on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined by lot;
- (4) The vacancies so arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the annual general meeting; any vacancies not filled at the annual general meeting may be filled as provided in sub-clause (5) of this clause;
- (5) The members or the charity trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new charity trustee, whether in place of a charity trustee who has retired or been removed in accordance with clause [15] (Retirement and removal of charity trustees), or as an additional charity trustee, provided that the limit specified in clause [12(3)] on the number of charity trustees would not as a result be exceeded;
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
The charity does not hold any funds on behalf of others.
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
|**Signatures**
**Full names**
**Position**
**Date**|_HR Verity_|_S Herbert_|
|---|---|---|
||Helen Rosemary Verity|Susan Herbert|
||
Chair|Treasurer|
||14 May 2025||
||14 May 2025||
**----- Start of picture text -----**
The Old Library 1198148
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period
01-Apr-24 To 31-Mar-25
from
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
Grants - 13,000 - 13,000 2,000
Fundraising events 758 - 758 1,847
Donations 2,505 - 2,505 4,011
Donations fron The Old Library Café Ltd 12,425 12,425 -
Members' subscriptions 2,002 - 2,002 1,915
Gift Aid 1,501 - 1,501 1,562
Book sales 1,800 - 1,800 1,655
Room hire 820 - 820 20
Bank interest 37 - - 37 -
Sub total (Gross income for AR) [ 21,848 ] 13,000 - 34,848 13,010
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 21,848 13,000 - 34,848 13,010
A3 Payments
Library system 1,200 1,200 799
Book purchases 878 878 -
Other library and event costs 1,750 1,750 652
Electricity, Gas & Water 5,274 5,274 2,064
Insurance 1,616 1,616 1,292
Alarm systems, Wi-fi & Telephone 926 - 926 624
Repairs and renewals 555 555 -
Building refurbishment costs - - 15,479
Service costs 679 679 -
Furniture & Equipment 664 1,000 - 1,664 510
Lighting upgrade - 790 790 -
Replacement windows 363 10,110 10,473 -
Sub total [ 13,905 ] 11,900 - 25,805 21,420
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 13,905 11,900 - 25,805 21,420
Net of receipts/(payments) 7,943 1,100 - 9,043 - 8,410
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end
5,284 5,284 13,694
Cash funds this year end 13,227 1,100 - 14,327 5,284
**----- End of picture text -----**
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
17/07/2025
1
## **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
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**|Signature
**Details**
**Details**
Bank
Cash
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**13,016**
**1,100**
**211**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**13,227**
**1,100**
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)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Helen Verity
Susan Herbert|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
17/07/2025
2
## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Old Library Community Charity, number 1198148**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable entity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees of the charitable company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charitable company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 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 examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities [applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS 102)].
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 in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed
## Martin Simm
Martin Simm 08 July 2025
2 Bayswater Terrace Skircoat Green Halifax
HX3 0NB