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Hampton Canoe Club

Trustees Report

and

Financial Statements

for the period ending 26 September 2024

Hampton Canoe Club Charity Information for the period ending 26 September 2024

Reporting Period:	15 November 2023 to 26	September 2024
Charity number:	1205734
Registered address:	50 Uxbridge Road
	Hampton Hill
	TW12 3AD
Trustees:	Tamra Cave	Chair
	Denise Fazackerley	Vice Chair
	John Freeman	Treasurer
	Elisabeth Judge	Membership Secretary
	Lewis Brown	Repairs & Maintenance
	Philip Tauwhare	Rack Manager
	Patricia Bolton	Welfare and Safeguarding Officer
Bankers	The Cooperative Bank
	PO Box 250
	Skelmersdale
	WN8 8WT

Hampton Canoe Club Trustees report for the period ending 26 September 2024

Legal Status

Hampton Canoe Club (‘the Club’) is governed by a constitution. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements and Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting for charities.

Organisation

Hampton Canoe Club has a Committee of Trustees who oversee the running of the Club and manage its premises. The Trustees who served during the reporting period are listed on page 2.

All Trustees were appointed on 15 November 2023, when the Club first registered with the Charity Commission as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO).

The Club’s secretary is not a Trustee. They attend Committee meetings as an independent, non-voting member.

Trustees are appointed at the AGM. In line with the Club’s constitution, all trustees retire at the first AGM, and are then eligible for re-election by the members, for a further two years.

As a new CIO, we have successfully inducted all Trustees into their roles, using Charity Commission guidance. The Committee also took part in a comprehensive skills audit to ensure the Club possesses the requisite governance and operational expertise.

Aims

The Club aims to promote community participation and healthy recreation through paddle sports in the Borough of Richmond on Thames and surrounding areas.

Located beside the river Thames, the Club was originally established in 1970 and transitioned to registered charity status on the 15 November 2023. The Club’s financial year end date is the 26 September, so this first Annual Report covers the first 10 months as a new CIO.

The Club is a member of Paddle UK, the national governing body for paddle sports.

Principal Risks

The Committee of Trustees is responsible for the oversight of the risks faced by the Club. The Trustees have assessed the major risks and are satisfied systems are in place to mitigate these. The principal risks identified are as follows:

Paddle sports are inherently risky activities: the risk of harm is well managed through stringent risk assessment guidelines and procedures. Experienced and suitably qualified coaches, instructors and leaders risk assess all conditions and circumstances, whenever planned Club activity is delivered.
Loss of or damage to club equipment and facilities : appropriate insurance is in place and systems in place for annual checks and maintenance and is renewed yearly.

Variable cashflow: is managed by closely monitoring income and expenditure. Any major expenditure is anticipated / discussed in advance. A Reserves Policy is also in place. On our committee we have expertise in business and finance.
Insufficient membership engagement: membership is closely monitored and members canvassed for feedback informally and formally to inform our activity planning.
As a volunteer-led organisation, the Club’s operations are subject to the risk of trustees and key members availability/attrition: mitigated by completion of a trustees skills audit, identifying strengths and gaps to inform sustainability and succession planning. Trustees and members are encouraged to share and develop skills to support the Club’s charitable aims.
Refusal or failure to renew the clubhouse lease by Richmond Borough Council: mitigated through regular engagement with the Council - discussions at an early stage - to ensure the Club is able to continue its operations without disruption.

Regular Activities

The Club provides recreational-social paddling activities which supports positive physical and mental wellbeing. All club activities are managed and delivered by members who are volunteers, and the charity is indebted to all who have given and continue to give their time and skills. This encompasses:

Coaching, instruction, training and leading paddling activities
Club management at trustee, and operational levels
Maintenance of boats, equipment, structures and infrastructures
Website maintenance and development
Communications and marketing
Organising events and social activities, on and off the water
Cleaning club facilities and ensuring adequate supplies

The Club is membership-based for adults over the age of 18. The core route to membership is the completion of a beginner course provided by volunteer coaches with appropriate qualifications, through Paddle UK. This ensures that our volunteer coaches have the skills and experience to enable safe paddling. On completion of the beginner course, our coaches are able to issue the Paddle UK ‘Discovery’ award and a pathway of support and progression is provided to build skills and confidence.

During this first reporting period, the Club has:

encouraged, supported and developed 28 new members (many of whom are new to paddle sport);
facilitated many supervised and informal paddling trips;
delivered a variety of paddling skills coaching and training sessions;
upskilled experienced members to gain qualifications and training to support aims; and
facilitated many social events, reaching out to the wider community, and
continued to foster collaborative links with like-minded organisations.

The Club welcomes adults of all ages and backgrounds and abilities - a number of our active paddlers are in their eighties.

The Club provides a range of paddling equipment including kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and auxiliary equipment. This enables members to participate in a range of paddling activities. The equipment is maintained by the Club and is available for members for use throughout the year.

Those taking up the sport as new entrants or returning to it in later life have commented on the Club being really open and welcoming. Many become regular paddlers and have commented on the positive effect participation has on their physical and mental wellbeing. Through its activities, on and off the water, the Club gives its members the opportunity to develop strong social connections through a common interest, providing a unique benefit to the local community.

Achievements

Transitioning from a company to a CIO

In our first year as a charity, we have made significant strides in aligning our operations with our new charitable obligations. This includes comprehensive trustee training, a skills audit, and a thorough review of our existing policies and procedures. We have also initiated the discussions on renewal of premises lease and winding down our Limited Company structure.

Membership Growth and Engagement

Our membership is thriving, with 119 members at the end of this reporting period. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive community, welcoming adults of all ages and backgrounds. Our modest membership fees and nominal equipment charges ensure accessibility for all. We actively seek member feedback, both informally and through a formal survey, to inform our activities and strategic direction.

Supporting New Members

We are dedicated to providing safe and enjoyable paddling experiences. This year, we provided:

Four beginner courses and several one-off assessments, resulting in 28 new members.
Twelve improver sessions, with structured support and development, so new members can progress from beginners to confident paddlers, ready to participate in all club activities.

We have also invested in training our members to deliver and support club activities, including:

Six members were sponsored to complete the Paddle UK Paddlesport Rescue and Safety course
Eight new first aiders trained
Two new coaches sponsored to qualify with Paddle UK, to become club coaches

To further support our training and development commitments, we applied for a grant of £1,500 from the Royal Borough of Richmond upon Thames’ Civic Pride Fund for 2025 activities, as well as a grant of £500 from the Paddle UK ‘Stronger Together’ Fund. These funds have since been received and will help us to ensure we have a strong contingent of coaches and trip leaders to run our activities.

Diverse Paddling Activities

Our Club offers a wide range of paddling activities, catering to all skill levels and abilities. From frequent river and canal trips to specialised training sessions, our members have opportunities to enhance their skills and enjoy this great sport. Highlights include:

Fitness and social paddles:

Hare and Hounds race through summer months, with social BBQs open to all members to participate as it is handicapped.
Early morning fitness paddles
Peer paddles and club trips throughout the year, using local canals and other waterways, where members can paddle safely through winter months

Skills development:

10 open canoe training and safety sessions
25 Improver sessions
5 technique development sessions
One paddle boarding training sessions (equivalent to Paddle UK SUP award)
Rescue practice/training in single and double kayaks
Specific sessions for members to try faster kayaks, in a controlled and safe environment
● Pool training sessions for sea kayaking skills in a sheltered environment
Sea kayaking trips in the UK and abroad

Social Events and Community Engagement

We believe in fostering a strong sense of community through social events and collaborative initiatives. This year, we hosted a variety of social events, including:

Annual regatta
Christmas party
New Year Day & Summer Solstice paddles inc. lunch on the Wey Navigation
Prize-giving ceremony and social
BBQ socials through the warm season
Themed evening paddle/social as such as “Paddle & Pizza” “Paddle & Pub”

We also participated in wider community activities, such as

Big Paddle Clear Up and PlasticBlitz initiatives: clearing the river at Bell Hill Recreation Ground and our local area of plastic and other debris. We removed more than 30 large bagfuls during the year.
RNLI rescue training: with members acting as victims of paddlesport accidents
‘Swim Safety’: providing on the water rescue support for events such as The Henley Swim, London Triathlon, Arctic One Charity Tri & Para Tri Festival
‘AquaPaddle’ events: regular support/participation and marshalling. Aquapaddle charity brings paddle sports to those communities who would really benefit from being out on the water for Physical and Mental Health.” with support to BlueSpace charity.
Supporting 3 young people on two occasions attaining their community volunteering element of Duke of Edinburgh through paddling assistance on/off the water (1 young man) and litter picking around Bell Hill and the Club (2 young men)

Environmental and Social Responsibility

We are dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship / responsibility. This year, we:

Donated to and participated in Thames Watch, a river water quality testing initiative.
Participated in invasive species removal initiatives.
Hosted and supported emergency services public open day.

Statement of Public Benefit

The Trustees have considered the guidance provided by the Charity Commission relating to public benefit and its impact on the Club’s work, and in particular the requirement that there must be specific identifiable benefits as well as ones applicable to the wider public. Trustees consider that both requirements have been met.

Financial Review

This first period for the Club is not a complete year - so as to align with our previous financial year end. Even allowing for the shorter time period of 27/9/2023 - 15/11/23 - our expenditure has exceeded income by £679 so we can confidently say that the picture for the year is that we are a going concern, with a small surplus.

Our main sources of income were membership and rack fees, public courses and boat money - all of which comprised 84% of our total income of £17,493.

Our main expenditure items were rent, insurance and depreciation - all of which comprise 51% of our total expenditure of £16,190. Our building maintenance expenditure of £2,692 was unusually high as it included one-off unplanned expenditure for a new security shutter.

These financial statements have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with the applicable regulations governing charity accounts, including the Charities Act 2011.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees have examined the Charity's need for reserves in the context of planned activities during the coming year. In particular:

Re-negotiation of the Club premises lease in 2026, including the risk of the need to find new premises or for significant rent increase at the end of the 20-year lease
Unexpected expenditure such as building maintenance
Maintain a level of working capital to finance its charitable operations/hold 6 months operating costs as a general reserve
Allow for the development of new initiatives in support of our charitable aims

The Trustees wish to maintain unrestricted reserves to a level to cope with financial contingencies. The Club Charity holds current reserves of £40,000 to cover: six 6 months of foreseen running costs as well as expenditure, risks related to lease renewal and other unexpected expenses.

Investments

The Club’s reserves are invested in a 95-day investment account with The Cooperative Bank.

Sources of Income

During the period we received funding from the following sources:

Membership fees and equipment hire
Fees from public courses

Future 2025 Plans

We are excited about our development plan - agreed by the Committee and delivered by members - to improve local people’s physical and mental wellbeing through healthy recreation and community participation in paddle sports.

Three public courses have been scheduled to be run by our volunteer coaches over the next year, which we hope will attract at least 20 new members in the coming year.

Our governing body, Paddle UK has laid down new standards for the training and deployment of coaches and trip leaders, and we are seeking further funding to support the new / necessary programmes.

We will continue to enable and support regular paddling throughout the year and especially to encourage members to keep going through the winter months, and continue to involve ourselves in a range of activities to support our local and the wider community.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 9 April 2025.

Tamra Cave Chair of Trustees

John Freeman Treasurer

Hampton Canoe Club Statement of Financial Activities period ending 26 September 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
Charity Name No (if any)
Hampton Canoe Club 1205734
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 15/11/2023 26/09/2024
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
Membership fees 5,469 - - 5,469 -
Rack fees 1,550 - - 1,550 -
Boat money 4,579 - - 4,579 -
Courses 4,683 - - 4,683 -
Events 615 - - 615 -
Bank interest 597 - - 597 -
keys 200 - - 200 -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
17,693 - - 17,693 -
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 17,693 - - 17,693 -
A3 Payments
Rent 3,165 - - 3,165 -
Website and administration 559 - - 559 -
Water 168 - - 168 -
Light and heat 844 - - 844 -
Insurance 2,294 - - 2,294 -
Event expenses 631 631
Course expenses 1,539 - - 1,539 -
Equipment repairs and renewals 155 - - 155 -
Building maintenance 2,692 - - 2,692 -
sundry expenses 666 666
Bank fees 564 564
Licences 130 130
- - - -
Sub total 13,407 - - 13,407 -
----- End of picture text -----

Section A Receipts and payments

	Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds	Endowment funds	Total funds	Last year
	to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
equipment	478	-	-	478
	-	-	-	-
**Sub total **	478	-	-	478	-

**Totalpayments **	13,885	-	-	13,885	-

*Net of receipts/(payments)*	3,808	-	-	3,808	-
A5 Transfers between funds	-	-	-	-	-
A6 Cash funds lastyear end	-	-	-	-	-
*Cash funds thisyear end*	3,808	-	-	3,808	-

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories	Details	Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds	Endowment funds
		to nearest £	to nearest £	to nearest £
B1 Cash funds	Cooperative Bank current account	13,654	-	-
	Coopoerative Bank savings account	40,981	-	-
		-	-	-
	*Total cash funds*	54,635	-	-
	(agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	Agreement Error	OK	OK
		Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds	Endowment funds
	Details	to nearest £	to nearest £	to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets		-	-	-
		-	-	-

	Details	Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional)	Current value (optional)
B3 Investment assets			-	-
			-	-

	Details	Fund to which asset belongs	Cost (optional)	Current value (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use	Boats and paddles	unrestricted	-	5,821
			-	-

	Details	Fund to which liability relates	Amount due (optional)	When due (optional)
B5 Liabilities	key deposits	unrestricted	1,920
			-

Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Signature	Print Name		Date of approval
		John Freeman		29/05/2025

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