Annual Report for The Mere Lecture Hall Trust For the Year Ending 30[th] June 2022
(Charity Registration Number 202620)
1 Administrative Details
Registered Office:
Newport House Salisbury Street Mere Wiltshire BA12 6HE
Correspondence Address:
Chris Wood (Treasurer) Swainsford Fish Farm Woodlands Road Mere Warminster Wiltshire BA12 6BY
Trustees as of 30[th] June 2022:
Mr A Bristow Mr S Burroughs Mrs D Potter Mr P Platt-Higgins Mr C Rutter (chairman) Mrs H Watts Mr B Watts Mrs M White
Mr Gareth James Mr A Rees Mr Simon Rutter Mr C Wood (treasurer)
Number of Active Trustees at Year End: 12
Custodian Trustee:
Legal Trustee Limited Company registration number 00195819 C/O Rutters Solicitors 2 Bimport Shaftesbury Dorset SP7 8AY
Trust Document:
The Trust was created by Deed dated Saturday 22[nd] November 1924
Page 1 of 5
The Mere Lecture Hall Trust
April 2023
Annual Report for The Mere Lecture Hall Trust For the Year Ending 30[th] June 2022
(Charity Registration Number 202620)
2 Structure, Governance and Management
The Trust is governed by up to 25 Administrative Trustees, with the backing of a Custodian Trustee. Six Trustees are especially representative of the Christian presence in the town and are elected by their own churches each for a period of three years. The rest are selfperpetuating, elected by the remaining trustees for an indefinite term, being gathered from the local community resident within 13 miles' radius.
"The Administrative Trustees shall manage or superintend the management of the trust properties with power to deal therewith as if they were absolute owners thereof." They thus have wide powers.
The Trustees currently meet once or twice a year. They annually elect a management committee to manage the day-to-day business of the trust, consisting of a chairman, secretary, treasurer and four others plus a hall manager. They also appoint a Grants' subcommittee of up to 5 trustees. The management committee meets as required, but usually 4 – 6 times a year. The Trustees approve the annual accounts, set the level of grants for the year, receive and discuss the management committee's report and decide items of policy.
The Trustees employ the services of a Caretaker/Cleaner for the Lecture Hall building. Although they are at liberty to employ any other servant if they wish, all the office holders are also trustees and act in a voluntary capacity. From time to time, they employ professional help as required.
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The Mere Lecture Hall Trust
April 2023
Annual Report for The Mere Lecture Hall Trust For the Year Ending 30[th] June 2022
(Charity Registration Number 202620)
3 Public Benefit Statement
The Primary Objective of the Trust is to provide a meeting place for the community of Mere and surrounding area for non-commercial use. This enables the various groups that make up the community to meet and develop spiritually, physically and socially.
The Hall is available to all sections and groups within the community although there are restrictions on use based on the requirements as set out by the original Trust Deed and the limitations of the building.
The Grants provided to the local community require the benefit to be used within an 8-mile radius of Mere and the purposes of the grant must be consistent with the objectives of the Trust as set out in the original Trust Deed.
None of the Trustees receive any benefit, direct or indirectly from the Trust.
Page 3 of 5
The Mere Lecture Hall Trust
April 2023
Annual Report for The Mere Lecture Hall Trust For the Year Ending 30[th] June 2022
(Charity Registration Number 202620)
4 Objectives and Activities
"The objects of the Trust are the promotion of the spiritual, moral, intellectual or social welfare of the inhabitants of Mere in the County of Wiltshire and elsewhere, along lines not inconsistent with non-conforming Christianity, or the promotion of temperance, or the promotion of similar charitable objects elsewhere."
To this end the "Lecture Hall" building, a main 100-seater hall and stage, two smaller halls and various ancillary spaces, was given to the Trust in 1924. In many ways it serves as a community hall. At the same time various properties were also given to the trust as endowment for the Hall to ensure its spiritual freedom and financial independence.
The Trustees maintain the Hall as an attractive and suitable venue for many local activities as a benefit to the community. One of the halls is now a coffee bar and there are modern toilets and disabled facilities. The rooms are offered for rent at a subsidised rate to the community and at a commercial rate for commercial purposes.
The trustees endeavour to make small grants each year to community organisations and continue to explore opportunities to promote the objects of the Trust.
To maintain a viable level of income, the trustees maintain, manage and let a number of properties, both residential and commercial.
Page 4 of 5
The Mere Lecture Hall Trust
April 2023
Annual Report for The Mere Lecture Hall Trust For the Year Ending 30[th] June 2022
(Charity Registration Number 202620)
5 Achievements and Financial Review
Having been closed for certain periods during the pandemic the Mere Lecture Hall is now being well used and the Trust is now able to meet the primary objective of providing a suitable venue for the people of Mere and district.
The Trust continued to do various works to maintain the properties the Trust owns and manages. The Trust endeavours to keep abreast of current legislation to ensure all the properties are within the Health and Safety and building regulations.
Considerable work was done to repair the roof to the Lecture Hall itself.
The Gables Ground Floor also known as the Coffee Saloon which was let to Gilyard Scarth who are the Trust’s letting agents has now been let to Woolley & Wallis with a new six-year lease and they will continue on as the Trust’s letting agents.
Various other repairs and renewals have been made especially to Newport House and Courtfield.
The property known as Homelea has been fully refurbished and a new tenant will be moving in August as of 30th June 2022, all the other trust properties are let.
No grants were given during the year ending 30[th] June 2022.
Two long standing trustees have regretfully had to resign their trusteeships and we thank them for their service.
Attempts will be made to find new trustees.
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The Mere Lecture Hall Trust
April 2023
| Contents of the Financial Statements | |
|---|---|
| for the Year Ended 30th June 2022 | |
| Page | |
| General Information | 1 |
| Accountant's Report | 2 |
| Trading and Profit and Loss Account | 3 |
| Balance Sheet | 5 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 6 |
| for the Y | ear Ended 30th June | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||
| lncome | t | t | ||
| The Gables-ground floor The Gables-Drama Room The Gables-Top floor flat Hartfield Courtfield Nerwport House-Maisonette 1 Nerwport House-Maisonette 2 Nerwport House-Office Town & Country House - office Tc,wn & Country House - snookeroom Ho,melea Truscott Le,cture hall Garrage |
6,862 400 6,997 9,540 4,800 5,700 7,920 1,560 5,000 921 7,500 4,161 480 |
6,500 400 6,678 3,180 4,800 5,700 7,125 1,620 5,000 637 6,722 7,500 718 480 |
||
| 61,841 | 57,060 | |||
| Property direct costs | ||||
| Repairs to property - Gables Repairs to property-Courtfield Repairs to property |
258 2,846 |
85 265 |
||
| - Newport House Repairs to property - Truscoft Repairs to property - Homelea Repairs to property - Lecture Hall Repairs to property-Hartfield |
3,075 90 4,861 15,263 120 |
484 323 85 6,212 66,987 |
||
| 26,513 | 74,441 | |||
| GROSS PROFTT(LOSS) | 35,328 | (17,381) | ||
| Establishment costs | ||||
| Security Management fees Rates, water, & insurance Cleaning Heerting & lighting |
862 5,271 6,229 1,836 1,572 |
15,770 | 476 5,262 4,913 1,107 1,883 |
'13,641 |
| 19,558 | (31,022) | |||
| Adrninistrative expenses | ||||
| Telelphone Post and stationery Advertising Sundry expenses Acc,ountancy Othr;r professional fees Donations & grants |
328 353 50 115 650 120 (3) |
315 1 1 0 187 650 |
||
| 1 , 6 1 3 | 1.262 | |||
| Carried forward | 17,945 | (32,284) |
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s | I | c | t | ||
| Brought forward | 17,945 | (32,284) | |||
| Depreciation | |||||
| lmprovements o property Plant and machinery |
696 199 |
696 234 |
|||
| NET PROFTT(LOSS) | 17,050 | @219 |
| Mer | e Lecture Hall Trust | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet | |||||
| 30th June 2022 | |||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Notes | t | t | |||
| FIXED ASSETS | |||||
| Tangible assets | 191,263 | 191,829 | |||
| CIJRRENT ASSETS |
|||||
| Trade debtors Deposits held by Gityard Scarth Bernk current account Cersh in hand |
107 5,337 29,038 20 |
497 5,407 11,701 84 |
|||
| 34,502 | 17,689 | ||||
| CT'RRENT LIABILITIES |
|||||
| Trade creditors Derposits received from tenants Accrued expenses Loan-Peter Platt Loian-Chris Wood |
111 5,337 650 10,000 10,000 |
244 5,407 1,250 10,000 10,000 |
|||
| 26,098 | 26,901 | ||||
| 8,404 | (e,212) | ||||
| NET ASSETS | l_99,692 | _1U,61! | |||
| FIIIANCED BY |
|||||
| CAPITAL ACCOUNT |
l_99,692 | 182,617 |
| lmprovements | lmprovements | Fixtures | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold | to | Plant and | and | ||
| COST | property t |
property e |
machinery s |
fittings e |
Totals € |
| At 1st July 2021 Additions |
159,462 | 34,803 | 2,391 329 |
2,179 | 198,835 329 |
| At30th June2022 | 159,462 | 34,803 | 2,720 | 2,179 | 199,164 |
| DEPRECIATION | |||||
| At 1st July 2021 Charge for year |
3,872 696 |
955 199 |
2,',179 | 7,006 895 |
|
| At 30th June2022 | 4,568 | 1 , 1 5 4 | 2,179 | 7,901 | |
| NET BOOK VALUE | |||||
| At 30th June2Q22 | 159,462 | 30,235 | 1.566 | 191,263 | |
| At30th June2021 | 159,462 | 30,931 | 1.436 | _191,!?9 | |
| CAPITAL ACCOUNT | |||||
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Brought forward Add |
€ 182,617 |
€ 215,831 |
|||
| Net profit | 17,050 | ||||
| Less | 199,667 | 215,831 | |||
| Net loss | 33,214 | ||||
| 199,667 | 182,617 | ||||
| l_99,667 | J82517 |