Cholsey Pavilion Trust Registered Charity No. 1203497 Trustees’ Annual Report
April 1 2024 – March 31 2025
Chair : Mr John Wheeler
21 Wallingford Road, Cholsey,
Wallingford, Oxfordshire , OX10 9LG
Names of Trustees
John Wheeler Chair & Treasurer Jane Parfitt Val Bolt BEM Adam Cox Frances Turner Jane Tyndall Neville Keating Jenny Finch (resigned 7th April 2025) Sue Jeffs Secretary
Governance
Cholsey Pavilion Trust was first established by a Trust Deed dated 22 October 2012 and registered as a charity in March 2016. However, on the 8[th] June 2023 the Trust successfully converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, primarily to encourage younger trustees to become involved over the next five years. This is our second Annual Report.
The Pavilion opened in May 2013, having been constructed by Cholsey Parish Council and leased to the Trust for a period of 6 years, the second term of which expired in 2025. This has now been successfully renewed on the same terms and conditions until 2031.
The lease is a full repairing lease which means that, although only a peppercorn rent is payable, the management committee is responsible for keeping the building in good state of repair. Major structural repairs and replacements are subject to discussion and agreement with the Parish Council on the apportioning of costs.
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025
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Appointment of Trustees
The CIO constitution governs the appointment of trustees and the management of the charity. Each trustee serves for 3 years with one third of the trustees retiring each year, there is no limit to the number of times an elected member may stand for re-election. Three trustees were appointed as the first three trustees of the CIO for a minimum period of two years, two can be appointed by the Parish Council and each of the following bodies may appoint one member: Cholsey 1000+, Cholsey United Football Club, Cholsey Community Development Trust, Cholsey Complementary Health Centre, Cholsey Happy Hub and Cholsey Community Library. The trustees form the Management Committee of the Pavilion which has the power to co-opt up to 2 further trustees on an annual basis.
Policies and Procedures
To guide the Management Committee in exercising its duty of care to members, employees and users of the hall, the following policy statements have been adopted:
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Safeguarding Policy
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Data Protection Policy
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Environmental Policy
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Equal Opportunities Policy
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Reserves Policy
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Health and Safety Policy
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CCTV Policy
Copies of these policies are available to Trustees and interested parties.
Hiring Agreement
Use of the Pavilion is subject to a Hiring Agreement which must be signed by the hirer when booking. The hiring agreement sets out the conditions of hire and identifies the respective responsibilities of each party to the agreement.
Licences
The Pavilion has a Premises Licence (including alcohol) and is licensed by the Performing Rights Society for live and recorded music.
Risk Management
The Management Committee recognises that it is under a legal obligation to protect the building, its users and employees through adequate and appropriate insurance.
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025
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The Pavilion is insured with respect to property damage (buildings insurance) by Victor Insurance, managed by Macbeth Chartered Insurance Brokers of Theale. It is insured with the same company with respect to contents, public liability, employers’ liability, business interruption and legal assistance.
Building Issues
The mains electrical installation and portable electrical appliances are tested by a qualified engineer annually. Fire-fighting appliances are inspected annually under contract with the supplier. A Fire Safety Risk Assessment is updated regularly. The Pavilion Administrator carries out other regular maintenance checks. As the Pavilion is still a new building, a building condition survey by a qualified surveyor has not yet been deemed necessary.
However, over the last year a number of issues have started to surface involving the heating system, electrical systems and water management arrangements. It has also been necessary to replace the automatic doors, which was effected with the financial assistance of the Parish Council. The Chair of the Trustees now holds regular quarterly meetings with the Chair of Parish Council to discuss building and maintenance issues and determine which of the two organisations should take responsibility for structural problems and major equipment upgrades.
The end of the year has also seen an increase in the numbers of small maintenance issues involving the fabric of the building such as window seals, internal fittings and similar. These are not necessarily capital items, and as such do not fit easily into grant schemes for capital items The Trust’s forward budgeting will have to allow for greater apportionment of funds to maintenance budgets to meet the probable need.
Another significant issue mentioned last year was the failure of the harvested water system. This had been turned off for some time after control issues, and a full survey revealed that the total cost of bringing the system back up to speed would be in excess of £2500, and that annual maintenance costs would run to nearly £1000 a year to keep the system secure and to prevent legionella and other bacterial buildup. We have taken expert advice on whether leaving this system dormant will pose any health risks, and have received written confirmation that the design is such that the constant water flow of excess water precludes any build-up of standing water with a risk of legionella and other bacterial growth. If it proves cost-effective to reinstate the system it will be overhauled and cleaned in its entirety, but we do not foresee this in the short-term.
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025
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Objectives of the Charity
The objects of the CIO are to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of the parish of Cholsey and the surrounding area the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disablement, financial hardship or social and economic circumstances or for the public at large in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life of the said inhabitants.
Principal Activities in Pursuit of Objectives
The provision of a community building through Cholsey Pavilion has been achieved by:
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Maintaining the building for our tenants (Cholsey Community Library, Cholsey Parish Council, Cholsey Complementary Health Centre and Cholsey Village CIC/Happy Hub), enabling them to provide their services to the community
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Hiring the hall to commercial users to derive an income, and to allow the community to access their services locally, including cookery classes, yoga, Pilates, fitness classes, Tai Chi groups, choirs and many others
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Hiring the hall to community groups for fundraising and other activities, including quiz nights, promises auctions, race nights and many others
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Hiring the hall to private individuals for celebrations, life events and get-togethers
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Leasing a dedicated space to The Happy Hub, allowing them to provide vital services to young parents and children in the community
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Providing a polling station venue for South Oxfordshire District Council
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Supporting the successful development of Cholsey Community Tea Shop
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Housing the Food Bank run by Cholsey Volunteers, and since 2023 the extremely popular Community Larder
All trustees have read the relevant guidance on providing public benefit, in accordance with their statutory responsibilities, and ensured this is considered in the operation of the Trust.
It is becoming clear, however, that developing the Pavilion more as a community resource rather than simply a self-funding hire and lease operation, while laudable as an aim, means that some hire capability is lost. It may become necessary in the near future to prepare funding and grant applications to address and support this change of emphasis.
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025
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Funding Strategy
It is the strategy of the Trustees to manage the revenue budget on a self-financing basis. The contributions made by users of the hall are set to achieve this. As noted above, however, the time has now come to seek funding from statutory and charitable bodies to enable the Pavilion to function as a community resource.
Volunteers’ Efforts
The Trustees have sought to create a self-sustaining operation within the Pavilion, not reliant on the services of volunteers for the day to day running of the building. As such we have employed cleaners, handypersons, electrical contractors and other services from the beginning. Voluntary effort, and the support of Cholsey Parish Council, has been focused on the management of the building.
However, a request by the Parish Council for the Trust to employ staff for whom it previously paid for under a contract for services with the Council led to a review of the provision two years ago. The Trust has increased the hours available to its (now) employees, and this has revolutionized the management and administration of the building. This in turn has freed up volunteer time from trustees and others to develop the Pavilion.
2024-2025 Achievements
The Trustees work hard to make the building attractive to potential users and judge their success by the range of users, building usage, sustainability of our finances and by the anecdotal feedback regularly received from visitors. Feedback remains exceptionally positive, although the wide range of alternative venues now available in the village has had some impact on the bookings for private events and parties.
The creation of Cholsey Volunteers Trust and its subsequent use of the Pavilion for its Food Bank and more recently the phenomenally successful Community Larder has gone a long way towards making this a true community building. The development of the Welcome Space two days a week, which affords local people the opportunity to enjoy games, company and refreshments to make use of a permanently heated building, has been one step further in making this a space which the community ‘owns.’
The challenge for the future is to maintain the momentum by attracting the next generation of trustees to carry on the progress initiated by a group who are reaching ‘trustee retirement’ age. Having converted the original Trust into a Charitable
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025
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Incorporated Organisation, the limitation of personal liability which this brings will help to address the concerns several younger potential trustees expressed about financial exposure during the harsher economic climate likely for several years.
Reserves Policy
The charity held £ 25,682 as unrestricted reserves at the end of this accounting period. This cash is available for unforeseen expenditure in relation to building maintenance, urgent furniture or equipment replacement, or as we have seen in recent years, a complete loss of income, The Trustees’ policy to build and maintain unrestricted reserves of £50,000 was successfully met, but unforeseen capital expenditure, an increase in staff costs and rising energy costs have made it impossible to maintain the reserve at this level. As the Pavilion makes the transition from being a self-funding venue to a community space, the trustees will further explore sources of core funding from statutory and local government bodies, as well as charitable foundations.
Future Plans
The Trustees maintained a “wish-list” of enhancements to the building which could be implemented as funds became available, and thanks to the support of the Parish Council was able to replace the automatic entry doors
Some of the items from previous years, such as improved access to the rear doors of the building (paving) and improved insulation over the kitchen remain as future objectives
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature
Full name Mr John Wheeler Position Chair Date 26[th] January 2026
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025
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Ind•pvrtdènt Examlnar's R8port to tho Tte¢¥ and members of Cholsoy Pavlllon Trust for tho part-yoar l-April 2024 to 31$t Mar¢h 2025 The charitys tru5tee5 Gonsider that the audrt is not required for this year (under section 43121 of the Charilies A¢t 7993 (the Actll and that an independ8nt examination 18 needed. An examinatK)n includes a rleW of Ihe accounting CordS kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presanted with those record5. It also include5 ¢onsideration of any unusual itwns or di8clo8ures in the account5. and seeking explanations from the tru5tee5 ConmiNj any such matt8f8. The procedures ufidertaken do nol provide all the ewdence that ¥V1 be required in an audtt, and con88quently I do not expres5 aft audit opinion tsn the arLounts In the cour8e of my exarninatn, no rnatter ha$ come to my a¢tenti¢)n 1. whKh gives me reasonable cause to believe that in. any material respect. the trust88s have not met the requIrents to ensure that.. Proper accounting record5 a kept". and Accounts are ppared which agre8 Wlth the accountiny records.. or 2. to which. in my opinion. attenDon $htsukl be drawn in order to enable a proper undeF5tanding of the accounts lo te reached. Slgn•d Nam• Elleen Watts Addre88 7 Pound Lan• Cholsey OX10 9NR 5° January 2026 Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report April 2024- March 2025 Pag8 7
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Registered Charity No. 1203497 Receipts and Payments Account April 1 2024 – 31 March 2025
| Last Year | This Year | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023-24) | (2024-25) | |
| £ | ||
| INCOME | ||
| Operation |
7571 | 10155 |
| Hire of Hall |
18683 | 20197 |
| Hire of Kitchen | 1965 | 2489 |
| Hire of Foyer | 0 | 3900 |
| Tenants |
14158 | 18836 |
| Total Income | 42377 | 55578 |
| Expenditure | ||
| Operations | 32907 | 49978 |
| Staff | 8147 | 10129 |
| Capital Expenditure | 604 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 |
| Total Expenditure | 41658 | 60107 |
| Surplus (Deficit) | 718.59 | (4523) |
| Reserve at end of last year | 30392.60 | 31111 |
| Reserve at end of this year | 31111.19 | 26582 |
Cholsey Pavilion Trust Annual Report 2024-2025 Page 8