Trustees’ Annual Report to the Charity Commission for the period
1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023
Charity name: THORVERTON MEMORIAL HALL
Charity registration number: 203778
Objectives and Activities : to provide & maintain a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Thorverton without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including the use of meetings lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the objective of improving the condition of life for the villagers.
The Governing Document is the Scheme dated 26[th] April 1977 as amended by a resolution dated 13[th] October 2023. This resolution made a number of minor administrative changes which were accepted by the Charity Commission on 7[th] November 2023.
Thorverton Memorial Hall Committee of Management is comprised of up to ten elected Trustees, plus two co-opted Trustees, as well as one representative nominated by the Parish Council and up to five others nominated by recognised local organisations.
Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting held in April.
In 2023 our Trustees were the following:
Penny Wiles, Michael Baldwin, Peter Marshall (from 20[th] April 2023), Jan Wills, Sarah Addicott, Andrew Saunders, Stephanie Gounaris Shannon, Emmie Payne Cook (from 20[th] April 2023), Noel Tancock (from 18[th] July 2023) Michael Shelton(until 20[th] April 2023), David Reygate (until 20[th] April 2023), Jenny Reygate (until 20[th] April 2023), Claire Heaven Roberts (until 19[th] August 2023)
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
Reviewing aspects of hall management and finance:
A number of aspects of hall management have been reviewed such as the hire rates of the hall, which remain unchanged, as well as prices for Big Breakfasts and the bar.
Having jumped through an ever increasing number of hoops we were finally approved by the Co-operative Bank to open a bank account with them and whilst this has been a long drawn out process our account, which offers full internet banking, was finally up and running in November 2023.
Conscious of the need to ensure robust financial record-keeping is in place, we have spent time developing and improving our financial systems. Following a challenge to our electricity supplier about a debt they had claimed was owed by TMH arising during lockdown, our formal complaint was upheld with the debt
being wiped out and a sizable credit on our electricity account re-instated. Thorverton Memorial Hall is fortunate to benefit from payments in the form of an electricity feed-in tariff from the solar panels fitted a number of years ago.
We have kept close links with Devon Communities Together and we participated in an online training course on various aspects of running a village hall. The course was a mixture of new information and familiar material, itself reassurance that TMH is on the right track in terms of policies & procedures.
Over the past year we were able to recruit some new volunteers to help with the bar and film night – we have a good base of volunteers to build on. We are also fortunate to have the stalwart team in the kitchen who produce the ever popular breakfasts each month.
Financial Review
Whilst there was no repeat of the pandemic-related grants available from the local authority, the TMH finances continued run at a healthy level thanks mainly to the level of bookings and events held in the hall. We were able to pay for the improvements of the terrace & gates and other new amenities out of the hall’s own funds.
Finances are reviewed at each of the monthly Trustee meetings.
The accounts are presented in a separate report.
Activities and events in Thorverton Memorial Hall in 2023
The hall continues to be a well-used community resource with a good mix of regular classes, a space for the school to use in wet weather, & parties of all kinds. We have continued to organise and/or host a variety of events.
Bookings throughout the year were buoyant, with the hall being used for a greater number of hours each week, reflected in the increased income from hire charges in 2023 compared with the previous year. The bookings for regular classes have really taken off – for instance, at the beginning of the year there were 2 classes of Pilates. By the end of 2023 this had increased to 4 classes, plus two fitness classes. One interesting feature is that groups from outside Thorverton choose to use Thorverton Memorial Hall (TMH) rather than their own village halls – a testament to the facilities such as a generous car parking area that TMH has to offer.
A total of 5 wedding receptions were held in the summer, 4 of them in May and June. Managing this number of weddings was quite a steep learning curve for us as a committee but all the happy couples were delighted with their receptions & from a TMH perspective things mostly worked out. The terrace, built this time last year, really came into its own over the summer, creating a space flowing from the hall and a versatile amenity for all hall users: it makes a really attractive outside area for wedding receptions as well as a space for the weekly Toddler group to roar around on their trikes.
We hosted a performance of a Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Cygnet Theatre who skillfully adapting what should have been an open-air performance to performing instead inside the hall because of the rain. In collaboration with Villages in Action, we hosted the Neil Maya quartet for a well-received jazz performance in the autumn.
Physical improvements to the hall in 2023
We have had a hearing loop fitted and are grateful to have received a grant for Devon County Council to help fund this work. We have commissioned a new external sign to be erected to ensure the hall looks a little less tucked away.
Future plans for hall improvements
Looking ahead in terms of our plans for the hall as a building, there is some external painting to be tackled and this is something that is being programmed in for the summer 2024. Obtaining quotes from building contractors to improve the accessible WC, a long desired capital improvement, has proved challenging and so scaling down the work is something under active consideration.
Committee meetings have been held once a month throughout the year. All trustees give their time voluntarily and received no remuneration or other benefit. Whilst four long-standing Trustees stood down during the year, we were fortunate to recruit three new Trustees.
Running the hall is a true village endeavour and we are grateful to be able to draw on the help of many villagers to run the website, to organise the Big Breakfast and Saturday Market as well as Film Night.
The trustees declare that they approved the trustees’ report above at the Committee Meeting held 26[th] September 2024.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Penny Wiles
Chair of Trustees
CHARITY COMM15510N FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES TIvrtOn M•mori•l H•ll 203778 Receipts and payments accounts Forth• p•rfod To CC16a 01101r2023 3111212023 Section A Receipts and payment Unrnstrl¢t•d fun(ts Rl[let• funds Endowm•nt fund• T•tal funds 14¥t y•or A1 R•c Hre EventB Bar and chen T 1315 10,370 GrBnt Int•ro8t J.166 3.1•8 117 Sub totsl(Gross Income fi)rAR) Ji,82 A2 A8vot and InlIm•nt 98194. 31.820 31.•20 38.791 A3 Eoulwrnt 11 ty#hrterAnce Eyqnl CLxBts LftHMI95 aj slte IrouronGe arps l*•r8$ M5canJUs and Sub 41,81• A4A8#•t and Inv•#tm•nl pur¢haso& tabhl Sub total A1. 20.217 Notrfr8celptslpaym•nts) . A5 Trangfor4 botw••n fund¥ A6 Ca•h fund8 lasl y•v•nd C•$h funds thIsyrOnd 9.749 9.749 18A94 3JJi• 43.009 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period U#r•¥ttst•d R••tsl¢W fund• Endowmenl funds fund• C2legorfes Detai15 •r••te B1 Cash lundl Totalcash fwKI8 33,319 CCXX R1 ¥LvJunts (SSI
fvndg l• r¢tt fvnd8 to ii•aro£ Detalls r••te FthJtotAthlèh i Detai15 Co•t l)0) cwr•rtV Details 84 Assots rotalned forth• Charlty's •)vm u•• T1 t• wN¢h Il•blllty D#tails B5 Ltsbillt Svdned by ono orlwv Irust8eB on tstrha ol al the frustegs Pri No Date ofapmal PE-tsJcLoPC IAIL CCXX R2 acwunts (SS} 0811112024
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Rèport to tho trustoosl members of Thorverton meMla1 Hall On accounts for the year onded 31 December 2023 Charlty no (If any) 203T18 Set out on pag•s 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charlty {°the Trusf) for the year ended 3111212023 Re8ponslbllltles and As the chartty trustees of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of rewt of the accounts in acwrdance wlth the requirements of th8 Charilles Act 2011 (Yhe Acf). I report in respect of my examlnation of the Trusfs accounts carrted out under se¢tlon 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying ¢Jut my examination, I have followed the applicable Direcoons glven by the Chai7ty Commission under sectlon 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examinatlon. l nfirM that no material matters have como to my attentlon (other than that dlsdosed below ') in connection with the examinatk)n which gives m8 cause to belleve that In. any material respect aCCntIrJ records were not kepi In 8ccordan(% wtth sedon 130 of the Act or th8 acca)unts do not accord wrth the auntIng reld$ Independent examlnerfs statement I hav8 no ncernS arKI have come a(¥0s3 no other matters in connectlon wth the examSnafjon lo which attention should be dravffl in order to enable a proper understanding of th8 accounts to be readled. ' Please delete the words in the brackets If they do notapply. Slgned: Name: Stuart Crebo Ralavant professlonal quallflcatlon{8) or body (If any): FCIB. CF Addre85: ITictorfa Orchard Thorverton, Devon EX55NU IER Octob•r 2018
Section B Disclosiii'o Only complete tf the examiner needs to hlghllght matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examlnatlon of drity accounts: directions and guidancè for examiners). No areas of concem to disclose Glve here brfef dotslls of any ttems that the oxamlner wlshes to dlsclose. IER October 2018