## **Report of the Octagon, Martineau Hall and Hapton Trustees to AGM 2021**
Trustees: David Carter, Bruce Chilton (Chair), Simon Rathbone (resigned 9.1.20), Mary Rae and Rod Voegeli with the Congregational Chair, Gavin Howell (resigned 22.5.20) and the Treasurer, Dick Wright (resigned 31.12.20) were ex-officio members (as advised by the Charity Commission). The retired Treasurer, Dick Wright, has kindly remained as advisor to the Trustees. The British and Foreign Unitarian Association is the Octagon Chapel’s residual trustee.
The role of the Trustees is normally to deal with legal matters, property-holding, finance and endowments and guardianship issues. But the Covid pandemic led to a national lockdown in March and the Trustees closed the Chapel and the Martineau Hall in accord with the Government’s instructions on 16.3.20 and suspended the Octagon’s Constitution and Bye-laws. Under the Constitution, the leadership and activities of the Octagon community are normally delegated by the Trustees to the Congregational Chair and Chapel Committee to whom the Trustees give support. The Trustees currently have direct responsibility as well as legal and financial liability for the workings and activities of the Chapel which are covered by Trustee indemnity provisions of the Chapel’s insurance with the Congregational and General Insurance.
The Trustees invited the Committee to continue administering activities of the Octagon Unitarians where possible, notwithstanding the national lockdown, and are most grateful for their work in many such areas as the Meditation Group, Poetry Group and Covid Risk Assessments for the Chapel and Hall. We are very grateful to Mary and her contributors for the fortnightly Octagon newsletter which was enjoyed by everyone. Special thanks to all those members who quietly supported other members. Your Trustees met twice before the lockdown and with the Committee met jointly five times in the past year and, after the AGM on 18.10.20 (postponed from March), the Trustees met separately in two further meetings. During 2021, the separate meetings have continued including a joint meeting on 9.9.21.
Nearly all of the meetings have been through Zoom, the online facility, and without the risks of meeting in person. We must be very grateful to the Chapel Secretary for introducing many of us to this new technology which has allowed us, through the skills of David Carter, in 2021 to hold Zoomed services from the Chapel.
During 2020, the Trustees instructed a local architect, Mr. Nicholas Warns, to carry out a full survey of the Chapel and an exterior survey of the Martineau Hall. The report for the Chapel was received in 2021 and reveals the Chapel to be in excellent condition, following the replacement of the roof two years ago. The heavy plaster ceiling does not require additional support as was suspected. Apart from some minor repairs, only the portico is expected to require major work of re-roofing in the coming five to ten years. The report on the Martineau Hall is yet to be received although no major repairs to the exterior are expected. Again, the Trustees thank David Nobbs for his work as our property manager, doing small jobs and drawing attention of the Trustees to bigger repairs necessary throughout the lockdowns. David is now reengaging our cleaners for the Chapel and the Hall as we move towards weekly reopening. The Trustees thank the members who have cared so well for the Octagon gardens.
Following the successful completion in 2020 of Phase 1 of the refurbishment of the Chapel’s rooms in the Martineau Hall by the team of members led by Dick Wright, the Trustees have been pursuing Phase 2, the refurbishment of the rear wall of the Hall and the erection of a covered walkway from the steps of the Chapel to the rear door of the Hall. Again, the Trustees have instructed the architect and have considered alternative schemes during the enforced delays in the lockdown of 2021. To add to the building problems, it has become clear in 2021 that the Chapel’s front wall onto Colegate is deteriorating rapidly. It is the view of your Trustees that the high walls and narrow gates create a safety issue for vehicles leaving the carpark and the repairs are an opportunity to make the Chapel more visible. The covered walkway and alterations to walls and gates onto Colegate put the Trustees in the position of having to apply for permissions from Historic England and Norwich City Council. The architect strongly advises against any precipitant action which may prejudice the proposals. The completion of Phase 2 and repair of the walls will not be speedy, even after all the delays of lockdown.
Some major repair work has gone ahead. Last winter revealed the Octagon heating boiler to be exhausted and the pipe system to be leaking. David Carter has sought repairers and the Trustees agreed his recommendation of Panks as giving the best estimate. The work of replacing the boiler required the rebuilding and lining of the chimney above it. The new control system can be adjusted online. We can look forward to be more warm this coming winter. Well done, David!
From his retirement at the end of 2020, our former Treasurer, Dick Wright, has helped the Trustees prepare alternative arrangements for the financial and booking arrangements of the Chapel and Hall. Delayed by the further lockdown in 2021, a Panel of a Trustee, Committee member and ordinary Member are to consider and select an Administrative and Booking Officer following successful external advertisement to be employed by the Trustees. It is hoped the appointment will take place in October, 2021.
The Octagon had a much reduced number of marriages during 2020 and none after the delayed AGM on 18.10.20. Many were moved into 2021. Since the end of the last lockdown in July, the Octagon’s four approved persons for marriages, appointed by the Trustees and led by Jackie Grace, have been very busy with 12 registered ceremonies and 4 more booked after 1.10.21. Our four Approved Persons are making a major contribution to the income of the Octagon!
Sadly, the usual two summer meetings and picnics at Hapton Ground were not possible in 2020 or 2021. The annual financial returns and reports for 2019 have been made to the Charity Commission for Hapton and the Martineau Hall . Similar reports for the Chapel have gone to the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. The Octagon has a renewed membership for 2021 of 58 which has very encouraging at this time of lockdowns. Please do make new faces very welcome!
The Covid pandemic has been a dreadful experience for us all. The Norwich Unitarians have been fortunate in having only one member contract the infection and enter hospital and we all hope she has made a full recovery. Let us also hope, despite still high numbers of infections around the UK, that the pandemic is now coming to an end without further lockdowns.
Finally, this is an important request to all Octagon members. Sadly, the delayed AGM of 18.10.20 received no nominations for the Chair of the Chapel, despite what proved to be only a brief pause in the national lockdowns. With the AGM arranged for 3.10.21, when the 2020 reports will be presented for approval, it is very much hoped that the Octagon will elect a new Chair to lead the Committee and the community in its return to renewed, normal activities. This will allow the Trustees to return the suspended Octagon Constitution and Bye-laws largely into force. Those parts relating to the duties of the Admin and Booking Officer and the financial arrangements will have to remain suspended while all of the Constitution and Byelaws are revised, brought up to date and presented for approval to the next AGM as usual in March or April, 2022.
With apologises for an over-long report covering 20 months, I commend this report of the Trustees to you. Please elect a new Chair! Bruce Chilton.
**Octagon Chapel & Martineau Hall 2021 AGM Treasurers Report for 2020** Page 1 of 6
This report covers the financial period 01/01/2020 to 31/12/2020.
Accounts records are kept using a computer program specifically designed to maintain church records.
The accounts have been independently examined by C H Philips. A copy of the examination report is included on page 2 of this report.
The Balance Sheet follows on page 3.
A more detailed breakdown of the Fund holdings is on page 4.
It should be noted that the Endowment Fund is not an available asset, but does provide income for the Chapel.
Income and expenditure for 2020 is shown on page 5.
This shows both the normal income and expenditure plus, remaining costs from the phase 1 refurbishment of the Martineau Hall and the legacy which we have gratefully received from the Estate of Sophia Hankinson.
The subset of accounts for the Martineau Memorial Hall which will be separately reported to the Charities Commission are shown on page 6.
2020 has of course been an extraordinary year due to the Covid pandemic. The financial support of the congregation has been wonderfully maintained throughout the year and so although our income from events and ceremonies has been severely reduced, our running costs have been similarly lower allowing us to reach year end with a modest surplus.
Dick Wright
**Octagon Chapel & Martineau Hall 2021 AGM Treasurers Report for 2020**
Page 2 of 6
**Octagon Chapel & Martineau Hall 2021 AGM Treasurers Report for 2020**
Page 3 of 6
## **Balance Sheet detailed**
||**As at**
**As at**
**31/12/2020**
**31/12/2019**|
|---|---|
|~~**Fixed assets**~~
1401
Church Equipment
1,317
**1,317**
Total Fixed assets
1,317
1,317
**Current assets**
1501
Bank current a/c
403,951
**7,931**
1503
COIF 1 deposit a/c
107,286
**103,360**
1506
The Charities Property Fund
35,317
**36,251**
1507
COIF Charities Investment Fund
31,107
**29,237**
1508
COIF Ethical Investment Fund
92,654
**87,172**
1511
Debtors
—
**—**
1513
Prepayments
4,845
**4,279**
Total Current assets
675,163
268,232
**Liabilities**
1611
Creditors
—
**—**
1613
Accruals
1,092
**1,597**
Total Liabilities
1,092
1,597
Net Asset surplus (deficit)
675,388
267,952
**Reserves**
Excess / (deficit) to date
401,018
**—**
Z01
Starting balances
267,952
**250,785**
Z02
Gains and losses on investments
6,417
**17,166**
Total Reserves
675,388
267,952
**Represented by Funds**
**Unrestricted**
164,522
**148,155**
**Designated**
**37,104**
**3,386**
**Restricted**
**350,000**
—
Endowment
123,762
116,410
**Total**
**675,388**
**267,952**||
**Octagon Chapel & Martineau Hall 2021 AGM Treasurers Report for 2020** Page 4 of 6
## **Breakdown of Funds**
## **As of: 31 December 2020**
|**Nominal code**||**General**|**Designated**|**Restricted**|Endowment|Total|Last year|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Nominal code**||||||||
|1401 : Church Equipment||1317.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|1317.00|1317.00|
|1501 : Bank current a/c||16847.45|37104.18|350000.00|0.00|403951.63|7931.14|
|1503 : COIF 1 deposit a/c||107286.76|0.00|0.00|0.00|107286.76|103360.16|
|1506 : The Charities Property Fund||35317.07|0.00|0.00|0.00|35317.07|36251.64|
|1507 : COIF Charities Investment Fund||0.00|0.00|0.00|31107.85|31107.85|29237.90|
|1508 : COIF Ethical Investment Fund||0.00|0.00|0.00|92654.53|92654.53|87172.25|
|1511 : Debtors||0.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|1513 : Prepayments||4845.97|0.00|0.00|0.00|4845.97|4279.20|
|1611 : Creditors||0.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|0.00|
|1613 : Accruals|(|1092.00)|0.00|0.00|0.00|( 1092.00)|( 1597.00)|
|||||||||
|**Totals**||**164522.25**|**37104.18**|**350000.00**|**123762.38**|**675388.81**|**267952.29**|
|**Represented by**||||||||
|Unrestricted - General||164522.25|0.00|0.00|0.00|164522.25|148155.84|
|Designated - Building||0.00|36901.76|0.00|0.00|36901.76|101.32|
|Designated - M-Hall||0.00|202.42|0.00|0.00|202.42|3284.98|
|Restricted - SH-Chapel||0.00|0.00|175000.00|0.00|175000.00|0.00|
|Restricted - SH-Hall||0.00|0.00|175000.00|0.00|175000.00|0.00|
|Endowment - Endowment||0.00|0.00|0.00|123762.38|123762.38|116410.15|
|||||||||
|**Totals**||**164522.25**|**37104.18**|**350000.00**|**123762.38**|**675388.81**|**267952.29**|
**Octagon Chapel & Martineau Hall 2021 AGM Treasurers Report for 2020**
Page 5 of 6
## **Breakdown of Income and Expenditure**
**Octagon Chapel & Martineau Hall 2021 AGM Treasurers Report for 2020**
Page 6 of 6
## **Martineau Hall Income and Expenditure**
From **01 January 2020 01 January 2019** To **31 December 2020 31 December 2019**
|M-Hall - Martineau Hall (Designated) Fund Incoming resources and Resources used
**Receipts**
Incoming resources from generated funds
Activities for generating funds
Fund raising
Total Activities for generating funds
Other incoming resources
Martineau Hall lettings
Martineau Hall rent (NORCA)
Reimbursements from third parties
Total Other incoming resources
**Total receipts**
**Payments**
Governance costs
Admin, consumables, licenses
Insurance less NORCA share
Total Governance costs
Other resources used
Water (less NORCA share)
Cleaning
Payments to be reimbursed
Electricity
Equipment (purchase, repair & maint)
Building Maintenance & Repair
Telephone & Broadband
Total Other resources used
**Total payments**
Excess of Incoming resources over Resources used
Brought forward balance
Transfers in/(out)
**Total carried forward balance**|10
—|
|---|---|
||10
**—**
695
4,576
16,666
25,000
—
3,022|
||17,361
**32,598**|
||**17,371**
**32,598**
61
—
207
225|
||268
**225**
199
318
80
480
—
3,022
852
817
17
915
4,497
6,924
288
266|
||5,935
**12,743**|
||**6,204**
**12,969**|
||11,167
19,629
3,284
1,155
( 8,000)
( 17,500)|
||**6,452**
**3,284**|
SH-Hall - Sophia Hankinson Martineau Hall (Restricted) Fund Incoming resources and Resources used
## **Receipts**
|Incoming resources from generated funds
Voluntary income
Donations (Legacy)
Total Voluntary income
**Total receipts**
Excess of Incoming resources over Resources used
Brought forward balance
Transfers in/(out) to Building Fund
**Total carried forward balance**|189,363
—|
|---|---|
||189,363
**—**|
||**189,363**
**—**|
||189,363
—
—
—
( 14,363)
—|
||**175,000**
**—**|
## **Report of the Octagon, Martineau Hall and Hapton Trustees to AGM 2021**
Trustees: David Carter, Bruce Chilton (Chair), Simon Rathbone (resigned 9.1.20), Mary Rae and Rod Voegeli with the Congregational Chair, Gavin Howell (resigned 22.5.20) and the Treasurer, Dick Wright (resigned 31.12.20) were ex-officio members (as advised by the Charity Commission). The retired Treasurer, Dick Wright, has kindly remained as advisor to the Trustees. The British and Foreign Unitarian Association is the Octagon Chapel’s residual trustee.
The role of the Trustees is normally to deal with legal matters, property-holding, finance and endowments and guardianship issues. But the Covid pandemic led to a national lockdown in March and the Trustees closed the Chapel and the Martineau Hall in accord with the Government’s instructions on 16.3.20 and suspended the Octagon’s Constitution and Bye-laws. Under the Constitution, the leadership and activities of the Octagon community are normally delegated by the Trustees to the Congregational Chair and Chapel Committee to whom the Trustees give support. The Trustees currently have direct responsibility as well as legal and financial liability for the workings and activities of the Chapel which are covered by Trustee indemnity provisions of the Chapel’s insurance with the Congregational and General Insurance.
The Trustees invited the Committee to continue administering activities of the Octagon Unitarians where possible, notwithstanding the national lockdown, and are most grateful for their work in many such areas as the Meditation Group, Poetry Group and Covid Risk Assessments for the Chapel and Hall. We are very grateful to Mary and her contributors for the fortnightly Octagon newsletter which was enjoyed by everyone. Special thanks to all those members who quietly supported other members. Your Trustees met twice before the lockdown and with the Committee met jointly five times in the past year and, after the AGM on 18.10.20 (postponed from March), the Trustees met separately in two further meetings. During 2021, the separate meetings have continued including a joint meeting on 9.9.21.
Nearly all of the meetings have been through Zoom, the online facility, and without the risks of meeting in person. We must be very grateful to the Chapel Secretary for introducing many of us to this new technology which has allowed us, through the skills of David Carter, in 2021 to hold Zoomed services from the Chapel.
During 2020, the Trustees instructed a local architect, Mr. Nicholas Warns, to carry out a full survey of the Chapel and an exterior survey of the Martineau Hall. The report for the Chapel was received in 2021 and reveals the Chapel to be in excellent condition, following the replacement of the roof two years ago. The heavy plaster ceiling does not require additional support as was suspected. Apart from some minor repairs, only the portico is expected to require major work of re-roofing in the coming five to ten years. The report on the Martineau Hall is yet to be received although no major repairs to the exterior are expected. Again, the Trustees thank David Nobbs for his work as our property manager, doing small jobs and drawing attention of the Trustees to bigger repairs necessary throughout the lockdowns. David is now reengaging our cleaners for the Chapel and the Hall as we move towards weekly reopening. The Trustees thank the members who have cared so well for the Octagon gardens.
Following the successful completion in 2020 of Phase 1 of the refurbishment of the Chapel’s rooms in the Martineau Hall by the team of members led by Dick Wright, the Trustees have been pursuing Phase 2, the refurbishment of the rear wall of the Hall and the erection of a covered walkway from the steps of the Chapel to the rear door of the Hall. Again, the Trustees have instructed the architect and have considered alternative schemes during the enforced delays in the lockdown of 2021. To add to the building problems, it has become clear in 2021 that the Chapel’s front wall onto Colegate is deteriorating rapidly. It is the view of your Trustees that the high walls and narrow gates create a safety issue for vehicles leaving the carpark and the repairs are an opportunity to make the Chapel more visible. The covered walkway and alterations to walls and gates onto Colegate put the Trustees in the position of having to apply for permissions from Historic England and Norwich City Council. The architect strongly advises against any precipitant action which may prejudice the proposals. The completion of Phase 2 and repair of the walls will not be speedy, even after all the delays of lockdown.
Some major repair work has gone ahead. Last winter revealed the Octagon heating boiler to be exhausted and the pipe system to be leaking. David Carter has sought repairers and the Trustees agreed his recommendation of Panks as giving the best estimate. The work of replacing the boiler required the rebuilding and lining of the chimney above it. The new control system can be adjusted online. We can look forward to be more warm this coming winter. Well done, David!
From his retirement at the end of 2020, our former Treasurer, Dick Wright, has helped the Trustees prepare alternative arrangements for the financial and booking arrangements of the Chapel and Hall. Delayed by the further lockdown in 2021, a Panel of a Trustee, Committee member and ordinary Member are to consider and select an Administrative and Booking Officer following successful external advertisement to be employed by the Trustees. It is hoped the appointment will take place in October, 2021.
The Octagon had a much reduced number of marriages during 2020 and none after the delayed AGM on 18.10.20. Many were moved into 2021. Since the end of the last lockdown in July, the Octagon’s four approved persons for marriages, appointed by the Trustees and led by Jackie Grace, have been very busy with 12 registered ceremonies and 4 more booked after 1.10.21. Our four Approved Persons are making a major contribution to the income of the Octagon!
Sadly, the usual two summer meetings and picnics at Hapton Ground were not possible in 2020 or 2021. The annual financial returns and reports for 2019 have been made to the Charity Commission for Hapton and the Martineau Hall . Similar reports for the Chapel have gone to the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. The Octagon has a renewed membership for 2021 of 58 which has very encouraging at this time of lockdowns. Please do make new faces very welcome!
The Covid pandemic has been a dreadful experience for us all. The Norwich Unitarians have been fortunate in having only one member contract the infection and enter hospital and we all hope she has made a full recovery. Let us also hope, despite still high numbers of infections around the UK, that the pandemic is now coming to an end without further lockdowns.
Finally, this is an important request to all Octagon members. Sadly, the delayed AGM of 18.10.20 received no nominations for the Chair of the Chapel, despite what proved to be only a brief pause in the national lockdowns. With the AGM arranged for 3.10.21, when the 2020 reports will be presented for approval, it is very much hoped that the Octagon will elect a new Chair to lead the Committee and the community in its return to renewed, normal activities. This will allow the Trustees to return the suspended Octagon Constitution and Bye-laws largely into force. Those parts relating to the duties of the Admin and Booking Officer and the financial arrangements will have to remain suspended while all of the Constitution and Byelaws are revised, brought up to date and presented for approval to the next AGM as usual in March or April, 2022.
With apologises for an over-long report covering 20 months, I commend this report of the Trustees to you. Please elect a new Chair! Bruce Chilton.