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2021-03-31-accounts

APPENDIX 1b

Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod
**From ** Period start date To Period end date
01 April 2020 31 March 2021

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name

Other names charity is known by

HITCHIN TOWN HALL GYMNASIUM & WORKMANS HALL TRUST

CHARITY FOR A GYMNASIUM AND OTHER PURPOSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INHABITANTS

Registered charity number (if any) 233752

Charity's principal address NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL COUNCIL OFFICES, GERNON ROAD LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY, HERTS Postcode SG6 1JF

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee(if any)
North Hertfordshire
District Council		 Corporate Body
(represented by Sub
Committee
consisting of the
trustees named
below)

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year
Councillor Judi Billing
Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg
Councillor Steve Jarvis

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

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APPENDIX 1b

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

TRUST DEED

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted

TRUST

THE COUNCIL AS A CORPORATE BODY IS THE TRUSTEE, Trustee selection methods COUNCILLORS SIT AS TRUSTEES AND ARE ELECTED BY THE (eg. appointed by, elected by) ELECTORS OF NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

The Trust comprises of an element of the Hitchin Town Hall comprising the Gymnasium and Workman’s Hall. The remainder of the building is in the ownership of North Hertfordshire District Council, which is also the Trustee of the Trust part of the property.

Since local government re-organisation in 1974, when the Trustee changed from Hitchin Urban District Council to North Hertfordshire District Council, until 2009 the distinction between the Trust owned element of the building and the Council owned element has been lost. The arrangements explained above have been put in place to correct this omission.

Section C Objectives and activities

The objectives of the Trust are set out as:

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

“Upon trust to use or permit it to be used as a Gym for the benefit of the residents of Hitchin and for other purposes mentioned in s6(3) Museums and Gymnasiums Act 1891 and also for any other (charitable) purpose for the benefit of the North Hertfordshire District for which North Hertfordshire District Council can lawfully use building and land vested in them”.

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APPENDIX 1b

The whole of the Hitchin Town Hall complex, including the Trust part of the property was closed at the end of October 2012 to commence work on converting the building to a refurbished community facility, substantially incorporating that part of the building owned by the Council, and a District Museum substantially incorporating the Trust part. Work continued throughout until 2016, with the Museum opening on a restricted basis in 2017.

After a period of complex contractual negotiations between the Council and Hitchin Town Hall Limited, the Council finally purchased 14 & 15 Brand Street in January 2019, which now consists of the main entrance to the facility. The refurbishment was completed, and the Museum was fully opened to the public with access through the new entrance on 6 July 2019.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

The new Museum has four galleries, including a terrace gallery and a changing exhibition gallery. The museum hosts educational activities for adults and children, including school groups, in the top floor Learning Centre. These include a regular after-school activities for stressed young people, called ‘A Space to Be’, and dance projects for teenagers, as well as regular holiday art and craft workshops.

An on-site café that serves food and drinks catered by staff in the new kitchen hosts seasonal activities such as afternoon teas. The Town Hall is a beautiful community facility available to hire for a wide range of private and corporate events. which along with the Museum provides a fantastic community facility for the residents of North Herts and beyond. In the week, a range of classes is held during the day, from Tai Chi to fitness classes, while on weekday nights the hall is rented out for dance lessons, choir practice and Zumba. On Sundays the hall is used by a church group. From comedy nights to conferences, weddings to wakes, the Mountford Hall is booked well into 2022.

Since its full opening in summer 2019 North Herts Museum has held many exhibitions and events. In the period 01 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, visitor numbers were 30,930. Since then the museum has had to close its doors twice because of the Covid pandemic, but has still managed to host some extremely popular exhibitions. Summer 2021 saw ‘ The Tiger who came to Tea’ exhibition, which bought in over 6,500 children and families from a wide area. In 2021 the museum also held an exhibition about a local project during the lockdown period, where people with dementia and their carers made artworks based on the museum objects. The participants all visited the museum to see their work on display.

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APPENDIX 1b

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

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APPENDIX 1b

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

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APPENDIX 1b

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the

charity’s policy on reserves

The Trust’s reserves total £2,735,707 at 31 March 2021. The reserves consist totally of restricted funds. These funds represent the property asset (Gymnasium and Workman’s Hall), which is retained for actual use rather than to be expended.

The Trust has no unrestricted funds as at 31 March 2021 that can be expendable at the discretion of trustees in furtherance of the charity’s objectives. The Trust’s general expenditure is greater than general income. As a result North Hertfordshire District Council provides a contribution to the Trust and unrestricted funds are maintained at a zero balance over time. If the financial situation was to change and the Trust’s level of income significantly increased the Trust would need to adopt a policy on an appropriate level of reserves.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

No funds are materially in deficit.

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

Income from activities for generating funds is earned from the hire of the Workman’s Hall and Gymnasium. The Trust received a contribution from North Hertfordshire District Council to cover all resources expended.

Expenditure incurred during 2020/2021 was general running expenses of the Workman’s Hall and Gymnasium.

The income and expenditure in 2020/21 was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Trust does not have any significant assets or liabilities other than the tangible fixed asset.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date

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HITCHIN TOWN HALL GYMNASIUM & WORKMAN’S HALL TRUST

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31st March 2021

Notes
INCOMING RESOURCES
Contribution from North Herts District Council
Grants and Donations
Sales
Rents Income
Museum Talks and Events
Total Incoming Resources:
RESOURCES EXPENDED
1
Charitable Activities
Governance Costs
Total Resources Expended:
Net Incoming Resources for the year
before Transfers.
Gains/(losses) on revaluation of fixed assets
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Total Funds B/Fwd
FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD:-		 Unrestricted
funds
42,968
6,676
58
473
917
51,092
51,092
-
51,092
-
-
-
-		 Restricted funds
-
-
-
-
-
60,793
-
60,793
60,793
-
349,811
289,018
2,446,689
2,735,707		 Total Funds 2021
42,968
6,676
58
473
917
51,092
111,885
111,885
60,793
-
349,811
289,018
2,446,689
2,735,707		 Total Funds
2020
13,067
22,625
4
-
3,669
39,365
109,270
109,270
69,905
-
-
69,905
-
2,516,595
2,446,689

HITCHIN TOWN HALL GYMNASIUM & WORKMAN’S HALL TRUST

Notes
2021
£
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets
2
2,735,707
Total Assets less Current Liabilities
2,735,707
Reserves
Restricted Funds
2,735,707
Unrestricted Funds
-
Total Funds:-
3
2,735,707
Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2021		 2020
£
2,446,689
2,446,689
2,446,689
-
2,446,689

HITCHIN GYM AND WORKMAN'S HALL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31st March 2021

1 RESOURCES EXPENDED
Direct Costs
Rates
Utilities
Repairs and Maintenance
Museum Exhibition and events
Equipment Purchases and Repairs
Fixture and Fittings
Stationery
Hired Services
Depreciation		 2021
2020
£
£
2,025
54,143
-
22,034
16,711
11,126
5,496
6,553
28,743
7,383
40,873
1,002
127
252
96
717
1,463
60,793
69,905
111,885
109,270

2 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Hitchin Town Hall Gym and Workman's Hall
Carrying Value b/fwd at 1st April
Revaluation
Depreciation Charge for Year
Net Book Value at 31st March		 2,446,689
2,516,595
349,811
-
60,793
-
69,905
-
2,735,707
2,446,689

* Revaluation as at the 22nd February 2021 undertaken by the Chartered Estates Surveyor at North Hertfordshire District Council. The valuation is a depreciated replacement cost, and it is sensitive to build cost volatilities. As build costs have been fairly volatile over the last year or so,it was deemed prudent to undertake a further valuation of the property rather than wait for the residue of the 5-year cycle to expire.

3 FUNDS
Balance at Start of the Year
Net Incoming (Outgoing) resources for the Year
Depreciation of Fixed Assets
Net Movement in Funds
Reserves at the end of the Year.		 Restricted
Funds
£
2,446,689
349,811
60,793
-
289,018
2,735,707		 General
Unrestricted
£
-
-
-
-
-		 Total
£
2,446,689
349,811
60,793
-
289,018
2,735,707

Independent Examiner’s Report for the Hitchin Town Gymnasium & Workman’s Hall Trust

I report on the accounts of Hitchin Town Gymnasium & Workman’s Hall Trust for 2020/21.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

The Trusts transactions run through the North Herts District Council’s bank accounts. My examination includes a review of the accounts prepared, considering any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations concerning any matters arising. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have obtained all the information and explanations I consider necessary to complete the statement below. Further, I have not identified any significant concerns regarding these accounts which remain either unresolved or undeclared in the accounts themselves or this report.

I certify that the accompanying final accounts (summary income and expenditure account and balance sheet) present an accurate picture of the activities and transactions undertaken through this account and of the financial position at the end of the year.

Examiner’s / Auditor’s signature

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Date: 26 January 2022

Name (please print): Mark Chalkley