Bradninch Town Trust
Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31 December 2020.
Charity number 200847. Current Correspondence Address: 2020 Correspondence Address: Springfield, Millway 29 Passmore Road Bradninch Bradninch Exeter Exeter EX5 4NL EX5 4QT
The Trustees of Bradninch Town Trust present their annual report and independently examined accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020.
The Trust was created by a scheme of 1889 to take over the assets of the former Corporation of the Borough of Bradninch which had been dissolved by the Municipal Corporations Act of 1883. The principal asset was and is the Guildhall in Bradninch and the principal duty of the Trust is to maintain the Guildhall as a reading room and a place of recreation and assembly for the inhabitants of Bradninch. To this end, the Trustees hire out the various rooms in the Guildhall for a range of organisations and individuals. These are overwhelmingly used by local residents. The Trustees had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on Public Benefit.
Other assets are: a house which is let on a commercial basis; a small piece of land attached to the Guildhall which is rented as a garden to a neighbour; an endowment fund held in a portfolio of investment funds and a general fund also held in a portfolio of investment funds.
The Trustees of this Trust are also Trustees of Bradninch Parchial Charities (201496), George Pearse’s Educational Foundation (306850) and the Roger Hepburn Educational Foundation (306923).
The body of trustees is made up of four Representative Trustees who are appointed by Bradninch Town Council and five Co-optative Trustees who are appointed by the trustees.
Trustees for 2020 were:
(Margaret) Jane Webber, Chair: Appointed by Bradninch Town Council Philip Chambers, Contact: Appointed by Bradninch Town Council Joan Brown: Appointed by Bradninch Town Council Peter Lucey: Co-opted by the Trustees Jenny Richards: Co-opted by the Trustees Martin White: Co-opted by the Trustees Nigel Coveney: Appointed by Bradninch Town Council from 25 March 2020 Two Co-optative trustee vacancies.
The Clerk for the period was Sarah Wicks, though she was on furlough for some of the time.
2020 was a year in which the trust’s activities were substantially affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, in that the rooms in the Guildhall could not be hired out as would be usual. This
resulted in a major reduction in income from lettings. On the other hand, the Trust benefited from a Government Business Support grant and furlough payments while employees were on furlough.
Despite the Covid-19 difficulties the Trust replaced the Guildhall’s fire alarm and emergency lighting systems to meet current safety requirements. They also made progress in drawing up plans for a major programme of work to improve access facilities for people with mobility problems. Trustees managed to raise grant funding to partly pay for this work with the balance being taken from Trust reserves.
During this time the Trust did not have an explicit policy on reserves but did maintain a separate account holding funds not involved in the Guildhall hiring income and expenditure which is used for building repairs where grants cannot be obtained.
An endowment fund is held in an investment account with the aim of providing a small income while maintaining its real value in the long term.
Another non-endowment fund is held in an investment account with the aim of maintaining its value in the long term.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees:
Jane Webber
Chair of Trustees 22nd September 2022
Philip Chambers
Trustee 22nd September 2022
Report to the trusteesl members of BRADNINCH TOWN TRUST On accounts for the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2020 Charity no {if any) 200847 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examinalion of Ihe accounts of the above charity Ilhe Trusl") for Ihe year ended 31 December 2020 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees. you are res[m)nsib for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wilh the requirements of the Charities 2011 (he Act'i. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Acl and in carying out my examination, I have followed all Ihe applble Direclions given by the Charity Commission under seclion 14515)Ib) of Ihe Act. Independent gxaminerfs statement I have completed my examin*ion. I confim) that no material matters have come to my attentn 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 Chartties Act,. or the accounts did not accord wtth the accounting records,. or the accounts did not compty wfth the applicable requirements concerning the fo and content of accounts sel out in the Charities IAccounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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. I have no rAJncems and have come auoss no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order lo enable a proper understanding of the untS to be reached. Signed: Date: 29 September 2022 Name: Alison Waple R•l•vant professional qualification{s} or body (rf any): A$CIate Member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Membership number.. 7311904 Address: 17, Hen Street, Bradninch, Devon EX5 4NR