## **SWALCLIFFE VILLAGE CHARITY** ## **Registered charity number 1209392** ## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE EIGHT MONTHS PERIOD ENDED 31[ST] MARCH 2025** ## **Registration and Objects** Swalcliffe Village Charity was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 1[st] August 2025. The objects of the Charity are: (1) the provision and maintenance of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of Swalcliffe without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for: (a) meetings, lectures and classes, and (b) other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants. (2) to advance such charitable purposes (according to the law of England and Wales) as the trustees see fit from time to time by the provision of grants to other charities or organisations furthering charitable purposes for the benefit of the inhabitants of the village of Swalcliffe and the surrounding area. ## **Trustees** The founding trustees who have served during the period from 1[st] August are: Nico Borkmann Martin Collett (chair) Kate Foley Stephen Gandy Laura Holloway David McLindon Ian Purvey Peter Riordan (treasurer until 2[nd] December, resigned 31[st] March 2025). In addition Peter Morgan was appointed as a trustee, by the founding trustees, on 2[nd] December to take over as treasurer. ## **Address of the Charity** The Charity’s address is Swalcliffe Village Charity, Swalcliffe Village Hall, Green Lane, Swalcliffe, Banbury, OX15 5EQ. (www.swalcliffe.org) ## **Structure, governance and management** The Charity’s Constitution is based on the Charity Commission’s foundation model constitution for a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and the trustees are responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the Charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. The trustees, one of whom may be nominated by Swalcliffe Parish Council, elect the chair and the treasurer, and hold regular meetings in person or electronically. Written policies have been agreed for key areas of the Charity’s activity and trustees’ responsibilities and conduct. ## **Activities** The Charity teams up with residents and community groups to help raise funds that can be allocated to benefit the village and those that live in it. It aims to complement existing volunteering and fundraising in the village but also to enable further benefits available to registered charities such as the collection of gift aid on some types of donations and by acting as a vehicle for local grant applications. A major aim of the Charity was that it should become the new custodian of Swalcliffe Village Hall. Following consultations with the local community and Parish Council, the Hall has now been leased by the Charity on a long-term lease with effect from 1[st] April 2025 and oversight of management of the Hall has passed from the Parish Council to the Charity. This effectively replaces a 100-year-old charitable trust with another more modern and better suited arrangement that should also allow the Hall to access more grant opportunities to cover the cost of the ongoing renovation and maintenance work. ## **Achievements and performance** The founding trustees met a number of times in the period, supplemented by electronic discussion, to get the Charity up and running with sound governance arrangements and to ensure a smooth transition of the Village Hall and predecessor funds to the new charity. In addition, the Charity has been registered with HM Revenue and Customs for ‘Gift Aid’ and has facilitated fund raising and other village events as described below. The largest fund-raising event for the Charity was a Christmas Market organised by a number of volunteers and held in the village church. The Charity handled the financial matters and the distribution of the net proceeds of £4,169 equally to the Church, Swalcliffe Playpark and Swalcliffe Village Hall. The Charity also benefited from an ‘Oktoberfest’ event that was generously hosted in aid of the Charity and raised £500. Village events supported by the Charity included Christmas carols around the village green. The Charity has distributed funds in the period in accordance with its objects as follows: |Swalcliffe Play Park
St Peter and St Paul Church
Swalcliffe Village Hall
Refreshments for Christmas carols event
|£
1,449
1,390
1,390
200
_____
£4,429| |---|---| The trustees were also pleased to agree with the trustees of the Reverend John Loggins Charity that the portion of the annual funds of that charity that are allocated to Swalcliffe should be made over to the Swalcliffe Village Charity. The Loggins Charity owns 20 acres of land in Sibford Gower, the rent from which is used to provide financial support to seven villages in Warwickshire and Oxfordshire of which Swalcliffe is one. The amount due to Swalcliffe is about £200 a year and £600 has now been transferred to Swalcliffe Village Charity in May 2025 representing a backlog of payments due to the village. The aims of the Loggins Charity are the prevention or relief of poverty and to help the elderly, those with disabilities and the residents of the community. The Swalcliffe Village Charity intends to use this money to support projects that benefit the local community. ## **Financial review for the year** Surplus receipts before distributions were £5,326 and amounts distributed by the Charity were £4,429 leaving an excess of receipts over payments of £897 that represents the increase in accumulated distributable funds. The Charity intends to build up a reasonable level of reserves over time to be available for payment should the need for payments or distributions exceed the available income in any particular year. ## **Declaration** The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the trustees: Martin Collett Date: 2nd July 2025 ## SWALCLIFFE VILLAGE CHARITY ## RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT Eight months ended 31[st] March 2025 |**Receipts**
Transfer of funds from previous Village Fund
500
£
Grant from Swalcliffe Parish Council
500
£
Christmas market pitch rents
540
£
Christmas market proceeds
4,368
£
Donation re Oktoberfest event
500
£
Play Park donations
59
£
Sundry donations
7
£
**Payments**
Materials / expenses re Christmas market
589
£
Church hire cost for Christmas market
150
£
Lottery licence fee
20
£
Cost of Sum Up machines
284
£
Postage
9
£
Insurance
96
£
**Surplus receipts before distribution**
**Distributions**
Play Park donations
59
£
Play Park share of Christmas market proceeds
1,390
£
Church share of Christmas market proceeds
1,390
£
Village Hall share of Christmas market proceeds
1,390
£
Refreshments for village Christmas carols
200
£
**Net increase in Distributable Funds**
Swalcliffe Village Charity general funds
897
£
**Bank and cash balances**
Bank
696
£
Cash
201
£|**Notes**
2
2
1
6,474
£
2
2
1,148
£
________________
5,326
£
2
2
2
__________________
4,429
£
897
£
897
£| |---|---| Signed P Morgan, Treasurer Date: 2nd July 2025 ## **SWALCLIFFE VILLAGE CHARITY** ## NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS Eight months ended 31st March 2025 1. Donations Donations include any associated Gift Aid receipts. ## 2. Christmas Market Net proceeds from the Christmas market were donated equally between St Peter and St Paul Church Swalcliffe, Swalcliffe Play Park and Swalcliffe Village Hall. Net proceeds were derived as follows: ## £ |Pitch rents
Market proceeds
Less:
Materials / expenses
Church hire cost|540
4,368
4,908
589
150
4,169| |---|---|