**Trustees' Annual Report for the period** ||Period start date|Period start date|||Period end date|Period end date|| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| ||Day|Month|Year||Day|Month|Year| |**From**|01|04|2024|**To**|31|03|2025| ## **Section A Reference and administration details** **Charity name** Devauden Hall **Other names charity is known by** Devauden Village Hall **Registered charity number (if any)** 1207141 **Charity's principal address** Devauden Chepstow Monmouthshire **Postcode** NP16 6NX ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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8|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Tim Walker|Chair|Until 12 January2025|| ||JeremyHorton|Vice Chair||| ||Jo Cann|Secretary|Until 6 June 2024|| ||Richard May|Chair from 12 Jan 2025||| ||Tessa Legg|||| ||Lyndon Rowlands||From September 2024|| ||Chris Jackson||From September 2024|| ||Julia Hitchcock||From September 2024|| **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** N/A ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**| |---|---|---| |**Type of adviser**
**Name**
**Address**||| |Bank|The Co-operative Bank plc|1 Balloon Street, Manchester M4 4BE| |Solicitor|Hugh James LLP|Two Central Square, Cardiff CF10 1FS| **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** N/A **TAR** 1 **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) How the charity is constituted - (eg. trust, association, company) There must be at least three charity trustees. If the number falls below this minimum, Trustee selection methods the remaining trustee or trustees may act only to call a meeting of the charity trustees, (eg. appointed by, elected by) or appoint a new charity trustee. There can be up to 12 charity trustees elected at the charity's AGM, plus up to 6 charity trustees appointed by user bodies and up to 6 individuals co-opted by the charity trustees The elected charity trustees must be elected at an annual general meeting. The charity trustees maintain a list of user bodies that they consider to be supportive of the CIO’s objects and which have indicated a wish to appoint a charity trustee of the CIO. Each listed user body shall have the right to appoint one charity trustee. The period of office of elected charity trustees starts at the end of the annual general meeting at which they are elected and ends at the end of the next following annual general meeting. The period of office of charity trustees appointed by listed user bodies at the annual general meeting in any year starts at the end of that meeting and ends on the day on which notification of his or her removal is received by the secretary. The period of office of co-opted charity trustees starts at the time when they are appointed by the charity trustees and ends at the end the next following annual general meeting. In the event of a casual vacancy among elected or co-opted charity trustees, the charity trustees may appoint a person who is willing to act to be a charity trustee who holds office only until the next annual general meeting. ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: - policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; - the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - relationship with any related parties; - trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. All trustees are provided with a copy of the charity’s Trust Deed, a document outlining their responsibilities and a short history of the hall, and the charity’s Financial Policies and Procedures and Committee of Management Rules documents (both of which were ratified on 4 June 2020). The charity’s committee of management comprises all the trustees and other volunteers interested in helping run the charity. It elects the chair, vice chair, treasurer and secretary at its first meeting after the AGM. The committee takes all major decisions relating to the management of the charity (noting that only trustees have voting rights). Subcommittees may be formed with express authorisation to take certain decisions. Generally, sub-committees are formed to organise major events. The charity is not part of any wider network and raises its own funds, primarily through fund-raising events held throughout the year and income from rental of the hall. It liaises with Devauden Community Council and Monmouthshire County Council (e.g. to give notice of major events), other local community organisations (including the Devauden Green WI, the St James the Great of Devauden Parochial Church Council and local Scout groups, all of which use the hall), and local businesses (e.g. to request sponsorship and to place orders for goods and services). **TAR** 2 The charity relies on numerous volunteers (including trustees) to help run events. Maintaining the enthusiasm and commitment of volunteers is of huge importance to the charity. The committee is responsible for management of the controls and risks around the charity’s finances, in line with the documented financial policies and procedures. The sub-committees responsible for major events also assess risks related to those events and put in place and execute detailed event management plans that are shared in advance with the Event Safety Advisory Group at Monmouthshire County Council. All trustees and members of the management committee give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefit. **TAR** 3 ## **Section C Objectives and activities** **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** The objects of the CIO are to establish and run a village hall and to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Community of Devauden (“area of benefit”) without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, race or political, religious or other opinions 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 conditions of life of the said inhabitants. The main activities that the charity undertakes are: **Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)** - Operation of sport, arts, leisure and educational activities aimed at the beneficiaries of the charity. Often these also raise funds for the charity via raffles, entrance fees, sales of food and drink and so on. Notably, the annual Devauden Festival has generated large surpluses that enable the hall to invest in its physical assets, with free tickets provided to local residents. The charity aims to provide a range of activities that across the year cater for a wide range of tastes and demographics, and also subsidise activities (including running free activities) to increase accessibility. - • Provision of the hall grounds and Cae Ni, a large field adjoining the hall grounds, for the day-to-day use of the community. The hall’s car park was used by the Friday night fish & chip van. Cae Ni houses a wireless transceiver operated by Ogi that provides wireless broadband connections to residents of the Cot. - • Maintenance of public amenities including the children’s playground located in the hall grounds and the statue of John Wesley on the village green. The charity also buys and erects the village green Christmas tree. - • Rental of the main hall and the hall grounds to community groups and private groups. In effect the charity subsidises the rental cost because the rental income is less than the cost of operating and maintaining the hall and its grounds. Meetings and events open to the public attract a lower rental cost than private bookings. The trustees keep in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning activities for the year and aim to cater for all members of the community of Devauden and its neighbourhood. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related investment; - contribution made by volunteers. The charity normally makes a significant donation to the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), which provides first aid facilities at major events run by the charity, and donates ha share of the profits from the annual fete to the local Scout Group and St James the Great of Devauden church. The charity also occasionally runs events in aid of specific charities (often instigated by volunteers who wish to raise funds for a specific charity). The operation of the charity, day to day maintenance of the charity’s property and running of events relies entirely on volunteers – notably the trustees and other volunteers that form the committee of management of the hall plus many other volunteers who help with maintenance of the hall and its grounds and who run and help with events. We continued to rely on volunteers during this year, particularly for operation of the festival and the fete and maintenance of the hall and its grounds. Notably however, we continued with a hall management service operated by a local resident which was started in 2023. **TAR** 4 ## **Section D Achievements and performance** The CIO was incorporated on February 21, 2024 and at the AGM of Hood Memorial Hall **Summary of the main** (charity no. 524336) on August 31, 2024, it was agreed that Devauden Hall CIO should **achievements of the charity** take over the activities and assets of Hood Memorial Hall. Managing the shift from **during the year** charitable trust to CIO has been the most significant achievement of the year under report. Since September, the charity has continued the work of Hood Memorial Hall, running a successful bonfire night and Christmas children's show. It also began planning for the 2025 Devauden Festival - a significant annual fundraising activity. Plans were laid for the creation of a separate trading subsidiary - Devauden Festival Ltd - to run that event, which was formally established on the first day of the next financial year - April 1, 2025. ## **Section E Financial review** The charity has a reserves policy which follow that of its charitable trust predecessor. A **Brief statement of the** reserve is maintained in order to ensure the stability of the ongoing operations of the **charity’s policy on reserves** charity by providing an internal source of funds for situations such as a sudden increase in expenses due to one-off, unplanned issues (e.g. urgent and uninsured building works) and for an unanticipated reduction in funding (e.g. poor attendance at a major event). The target minimum reserve fund is equal to the average annual operating cost calculated at the end of each financial year. The simplification of the trust's finances during the covid-19 pandemic previously enabled us to identify the typical minimum annual costs to operate the hall (primarily maintenance and running costs of the hall and its grounds), and a reserve fund of £20,000 is maintained as a designated fund for this purpose.. **Details of any funds materially** None **in deficit Further financial review details (Optional information)** The charity’s principal sources of funds are: You **may choose** to include additional information, where 1. rental income relevant about: 2. a small society lottery (the Top 60 Club) that raises money for a restricted fund • the charity’s principal to be used for maintenance of the hall and its grounds sources of funds (including 3. direct donations any fundraising); 4. income from electricity generation by the rooftop solar panels • how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; • investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. **Section F Other optional information** The trustees updated records of land ownership at the Land Registry to accord with the change to CIO status. Since the transfer of activities to the CIO, the Hood Memorial Hall charitable trust has continued to exist, as a Nat West bank account, used exclusively for the charity's Top 60 small lottery, could not be transferred to the CIO due to Nat West's rules. The trustees passed a resolution to wind up Hood Memorial Hall charitable trust once a suitable new bank account has been set up by the CIO and subscribers have been transferred. There is much to be positive about, including the range of activities hosted by the charity, the level of community leadership of activities ,the financial position of the charity and the successful move to CIO status. **TAR** 5 Last, but not least, the trustees would also like to thank all the volunteers, donors and sponsors who keep the charity operating and run events. **TAR** 6 **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature Full name(s) Richard May Jeremy Horton Position Chair Vice Chair Date 01/07/2025** **TAR** 7 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustees Devauden Hall CIO On accounts for the year ended 31. March 2025 Charity no {if any) 1207141 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I'lhe Trust") for the year ended 3110312025. 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 Acl 2011 {"the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination. I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5){bl of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm thal no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which 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 nol accord with the accounting records- or the accounts did not comply with Ihe 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 nol 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 in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete Ihe words in th8 brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 1910312026 Name: Vivien Joy Scott Relevant professional qualification{sl or body Ilf any): ACIB Address: 33 Main Road, Portskewett, Monmouthshire, NP26 5SA IER OGt 2018 Sectioi) B O Isclosure Only compkts rf the examiner ne&ts to Iw1￿h1 material matters of concern (see CC32. Indep￿ examination of charity accounts: directions arKI guthnce for exam1￿). Glve here brlef detalls of any Items that the examlner wishes to dlsclose. Thls is 8 long perKal of acccAmt frrAn date of ts CIO being set up in February 2024 hth¥evw the organ*akn ￿lY stsrt￿ operating from 1 September 2024. The org￿lSa1￿￿ operdLed as Hood Memortal Hall until that dat8 & thos8 &c(Kints have been reportwj on indep8ndently. The delay was due to the transfer of ass8ts frc*n the fonner Charity. this is all cornp￿ted wtth th8 exceptKn of a Nat West account still hekl in the name of Htx*J M&norÈl Hall Ihat is inlixled in the reports Ixrt wh￿h the bank has yet to amerKI. IER Oct 2018