2024-07-31-accounts

HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB FELLOWSHIP

(Registered Charity No. 207948)

Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31[st] July 2024

The Trustees are pleased to present their Annual Report & Accounts which have been unanimously agreed by them and the Management Committee at the Annual Meeting on 16[th] October 2024.

Object & Activities	Page 2
Governance & Management Structure	Page 3
Management & Trustees	Page 4
Review of the Year	Page 5
Financial Review and Reserves Policy	Page 6
Contact & Information	Page 7
Independent Examiner’s Report	Page 7
Statements of Accounts	Page 7,8
Trustees’ Declaration	Page 9

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Object

Hampstead Garden Suburb Fellowship is a charity (founded in 1910) to promote the physical, social, cultural and educational wellbeing of Hampstead Garden Suburb residents over the age of 60.

Activities

In order to fulfil directly and indirectly its charitable object, Fellowship conducts a wide range of activities and welfare support much of which is based in the community centre building of Fellowship House at 136A Willifield Way, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 6YD

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Governance and Management Structure

Fellowship is run according to the provisions laid down in its Constitution by a Management Committee of at least eight local unpaid volunteers who choose from their number between three and five Trustees. One member of the Management Committee is appointed by the Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents Association, a body one of whose purposes is to promote the general welfare of all Hampstead Garden Suburb Residents regardless of age (i.e. about 5,000 households). As well as overseeing the activities of Fellowship, the Management Committee is responsible for the management of the buildings and land leased from The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust. Cleaning and caretaking services are provided by a professional team. To finance its charitable activities, Fellowship derives income from letting income, subscriptions from Club members, donations from residents and bequests. After examination by an Independent Examiner, the accounts of Fellowship are lodged annually with the Charity Commission and published on the website.

3

Management & Trustees during the period

Management Committee

Andrew Botterill (Chair) Neil Smith (Hon Treasurer) Jill Purdie (Hon Secretary, Activities and Newsletter) Lorna Jones (Transport, Welfare) Sally Botterill (Weekly Talks and Art Gallery) Elisabeth Kocen (Lettings) Margaret Lancaster (Fellowship Club Membership Secretary) Marie-Christine O’Callaghan (HGS Residents Association Representative) Irene Colomb Louise Scheuer

Trustees

Andrew Botterill Jill Purdie Neil Smith

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Review of the Year

Fellowship has enjoyed another satisfactory year and the local community continues to be well served by the facilities and the scope of activities provided. Welfare spending and charitable donations have doubled.

The strategy behind the £350,000 modernisation and expansion project carried out on Fellowship House 10 years ago continues to yield significant benefits. The resulting enhanced income provided by users plays a vital role in allowing Fellowship to continue to perform its charitable community role. This however does not happen without thought, dedication, time and effort. The whole operation is run by a Management Committee of just ten unpaid volunteers and the two caretakers working tirelessly to keep the charity relevant and popular and the venue attractive. As well as routine housework and maintenance we continue to invest in the building and grounds – for example this year over £10,000 was spent on painting the building, signage, chair repairs, tree surgery and improvements to the croquet lawn.

This year finally saw the successful conclusion of a 4 year negotiation whereby the liability of a crumbling, asbestos roofed hut 100m away from Fellowship House used for unsatisfactory storage was converted into an asset by excising it from our HGS Trust lease and selling it in a complex tripartite S119 compliant transaction. The other ‘leg’ of the operation had been the 2021 creation of a much greater area of warm, dry and conveniently accessible storage in the roof of Fellowship House. Half of this is currently hired out at a peppercorn rent on a short term arrangement to the local dramatics group. The 2021 storage project cost less than half the sale proceeds of the hut.

Fellowship House continues to be filled every day from morning until evening by residents involved in a wide range of activities. Autumn concerts at greatly subsidised prices have been sold out and the weekly Tuesday talks (put on for a nominal charge) are consistently well attended (between 40 and 100 residents).

Last year we increased our welfare spending and charitable donations total by two thirds to a record £35,000. This year we are pleased to have doubled this to £72,000 - made possible in part by adjusting our reserves policy. This should not be taken as any guide to the future as it is wholly dependent on the level of hard to predict end year reserves.

The Trustees remain concerned about two factors affecting Fellowship’s efficacy and activities. First, the effects of a possible societal change : the growing reluctance of people to put in voluntary work for the good of their community, day in, day out on a year round basis. Unless this changes for the better, with an ageing Committee, Fellowship’s future could be compromised. Secondly, the changing demographics of Hampstead Garden Suburb lead to a decreasing need for welfare grants in our area. We dig out some worthy local cases but feel we have no other responsible choice than to shift our focus increasingly to charities alleviating genuine hardship just beyond the Suburb’s borders as a home for any surplus reserves.

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Financial Review of the Year

Income for the year increased by 21% to £84,756 due principally to the sale of the hut plus a 6.6% increase in income from the use of Fellowship House and the doubling of investment income (COIF deposits).

Welfare spending increased by 16% to £7,351 and charitable donations by 120% to £64,519. Main recipients of the latter were: Toynbee Hall (£14,000), Food Bank Aid (£14,000), Age UK Barnet (£10,000), Lawrence’s Larder, Kilburn (£8,150), North London Hospice (£5,000), Royal Free Hospital Charity (£5,000). In addition, a further total of £8,369 was donated to 9 smaller registered charities with which we have built connections over the years through the Weekly Talks speakers etc.

The result for the year was a deficit of £27,547. Reserves carried forward (Cash at Bank plus Charities Official Investment Fund Deposit Account) were £116,526, comfortably above the slightly revised reserves policy equating to 3 years of non-discretionary running expenses.

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Contact and Information

For detailed information about Hampstead Garden Suburb Fellowship and its activities, visit our website : www.fellowshiphouse.co.uk and any questions should be directed by email to [e-mail]

Independent Examiner’s Report

I have examined the Income and Expenditure account and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities of HGS Fellowship and have obtained all the information and explanations that I considered necessary. In my opinion HGS Fellowship has kept proper books and the Income and Expenditure account and the Statement of Assets and Liabilities are in agreement therewith.

Peter Blackstaffe FCA

Hampstead Garden Suburb Fellowship Statement of Accounts Year ended 31 July 2024

2022/23 £ 10,384 1,409 6,015 37,889 9,329 2,452 0 2,605	2023/24 Total £ Income Donations collected by Residents Association 10,009 Gift Aid 1,388 Members subs and proceeds from teas and croquet 7,004 Donations for use of Fellowship House 40,390 Other donations (includes members) 6,036 Income from investments 5,531 Gain on sale of fixed assets 10,900 Miscellaneous 3,498

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70,083 26,986 6,285 29,250 3,260 856 66,637 3,446 (2,452) 85,543 (2,195) 84,342 64,264 75,081 3,599 216,619 21,375 (3,222) 377,716 84,342 283,374 10,000 377,716	Total income Expenditure Upkeep of Fellowship House, garden and croquet lawn Welfare work Charitable donations Autumn and Spring music series (net) Printing, stationery, postage, miscellaneous Total expenditure Income greater (less) than Expenditure Income from investments retained within Investment Fund Funds brought forward Fixed assets purchased Funds carried forward Statement of Assets and Liabilities Monetary assets Cash at bank Charities Official Investment Fund deposit account Debtors Other non-monetary assets held for own use Fellowship House premises, at cost less depreciation Fellowship House furnishings and equipment, at cost less depreciation Total assets held Less creditors Total net assets Representing General Fund Investment Fund Building Sinking Fund Total unrestricted funds	84,756
		34,212 7,351 64,519 3,823 2,398
		112,303
		(27,547) (5,531) 84,342 0
		51,264
		117,013 226,195
		343,208 (4,838)
		338,370
		338,370
		338,370

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Declaration

The Trustees declare that they have approved the foregoing Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts.

Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees

Andrew Botterill

Position: Chair

Date: 16[th] October 2024

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