The Bryce Institute, Burneside
the Bryce Burneside Kendal Cumbria LA9 6QX
Registered Charity No.: 233864
This annual report has been prepared for the financial year 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023.
Details
The Bryce Institute Burneside Kendal Cumbria LA9 6QX
email: brycebookings@btinternet.com website: www.thebryce.co.uk
The Bryce Institute is registered with the Charity Commissioners (no. 233864) in a declaration of trust dated 17[th] April 1897 and sealed on the 15th October 1992.
The object of the Charity shall be the provision and maintenance of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of Burneside without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
A Management Committee that meets regularly throughout the year administers the Charity. The Management Committee is constituted as seventeen persons, consisting of seven elected and ten representative members, and assumes the roles and responsibilities associated with being the trustees of the charity.
The Bryce Institute Charity Scheme is approved and established with the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales and is administered and managed in conformity with the provisions of the Scheme by the Management Committee constituted as the Charity Trustees within the meaning of section 46 of the Charities Act 1960.
The Management Committee at the financial year end was as follows:
| Chairperson | Mrs Yvonne Nelson | (Elected) |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary | Mrs Sue Cook | (Burneside Amateur Theatrical Society) |
| Treasurer | Mr Gordon Lawson | (Elected) |
| Elected | Mrs Patricia Turton | |
| Elected | Mrs Sheila Daws | |
| Elected | Mr Nigel Crook |
www.thebryce.co.uk
The Bryce Institute, Burneside
Representative Mr Ron Milnes (Bryce Street Strummers) Representative Mr Ian Conway (Kendal Model Railway Club) Representative Mrs Judith Notley (Burneside Parish Council)
Independent Accounts Examiner Daniel Craghill Bankers Barclays Bank plc
Finance
The banking arrangements were unchanged during the year with the main operating account being with Barclays Bank plc.
The published accounts show a profit for the year of £2,457.
We have again spent money on refurbishment of the building.
This has included:
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Electrical repair work (including recommendations from the 5-Year Electrical Inspection completed during this accounting period) - £2,005.60
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Re-roofing the flat roof over the stage wings area - £5,200.00
-
Replacement of windows - £3,300.00
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New infra -red heaters for the Acland Room (installation costs included in electrical repair work noted above) - £790.00
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Repairs to roof (specifically flashing replacement) over the stage - £1,585.80
The total maintenance expenditure for this financial year was £16,256.97.
The closing bank balance was £38,140 (2022 - £34,959).
The cash balance available remains in line with the objective of a minimum of 6 months of normal expenditure.
It is an aim of the Management Committee to maintain a reserve equivalent to at least six months of the normal running costs as a contingency against a total loss of income for a prolonged period due to unforeseen circumstances.
This objective is being controlled well, balancing the income with the ongoing running and improvement project costs, whilst still maintaining this reserve.
Room hire income continues to improve year on year, as below:
Total income from room hire: 2023 - £20,590 2022 - £16,888 2021 - £ 4,413 2020 – £25,841
Whilst this has improved since the COVID-19 shutdown, but still has not reached pre-pandemic levels.
The Committee continue to market the venue through social media and advertising, and have picked up bookings from other diverse organisations such as the Camping and Caravanning Club and the Environment Agency.
www.thebryce.co.uk
The Bryce Institute, Burneside
The Committee has also attempted to increase footfall through the Hall by booking groups into the space and selling tickets. 2 events have been held thus far, and have probably broken even on costs. The Committee is yet to decide whether to continue to stage these events to low audience numbers and low revenue return.
The Committee has also purchased a cinema sizes screen and projector (cost £1,347.33) and it is proposed to offer a community cinema to Burneside. This will probably pick up in Autumn 2023. The projector and screen was used successfully to broadcast the Coronation to the community in May 2023.
The cottage income was £6,000. The tenant also contributes to electricity and water costs.
There has been no review of room hire tariffs since July 2018. This has now been reviewed and increased for all bookings from the 1[st] April 2023.
£2,000 was received from the Parish Council Precept, and many thanks for their continued support.
The Bryce also enjoys a secondary income stream from bar sales. We continue to operate a bar for parties and events (such as plays and pantomimes).
Sales for the year were £5,605.50, with stock costing £2,192.00. With other charges, the profit on the bar for this year was £3,242.10.
All monies from the Bar are held in a reserve account and are earmarked for any emergency or immediate payment.
The running costs for gas, electric and, particularly, water are the most significant proportion of ongoing cost.
Electric £1,870 (2022 – £2,376) – include £311 credit from Sir James Cropper for electricity used by a chlorination plant which shares the Bryce electricity supply.
Gas £1,654 (2022 - £1,481)
Water £2,122 (2022 – £2,220)
Cost have risen year on year due to increased usage following the pandemic. We entered a 3-year contract with E.On for gas and electricity commencing September 2020 and is due to change in September 2023.
We have now signed into a new 2-year deal with British Gas which will come into effect on the expiration of the existing contract in September.
It is anticipated that monthly costs will rise as follows:
Gas - £115 per month to £321 per month
Electricity - £101 per month to £231 per month
We have engaged with Utility Aid to ensure that we are doing as much as we can in this area.
The Committee are committed to ensuring that the building is run as efficiently as possible, and in this financial period commissioned a Conditions and Greening Report from A Muir Surveying (through an ACT recommendation). This report gives the Committee an indication of where works need to be completed to maintain the fabric of the building and provides insight into how we can manage moving to a “greener” operating model.
We have been closely following this report and improving where recommended. This is a continuing project for the Committee.
www.thebryce.co.uk
The Bryce Institute, Burneside
There is no cost associated with the cleaner. All cleaning continues to be undertaken by volunteers.
The annual insurance premium has increased once again (£4,491). This includes “gap” insurance as the flood excess on the main policy is £5K.
The accounts of The Bryce Institute were subjected to independent examination, as required by the 1990 Act, by Mr Daniel Craghill.
Bryce Institute Building
The only asset managed by the Committee / Trustees remains the Bryce Institute building consisting of:
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Foyer;
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Main Hall with permanent stage area and Green Room (including theatrical lighting, owned separately by Burneside Amateur Theatrical Society);
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3 meeting rooms (Cropper Room, Acland Room and Hoyle Room);
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A room rented out on a sole user basis to the Kendal Model Railway Club;
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An office used by the Community Police Officer; and
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Male and female toilet facilities.
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Separate 2-bedroom cottage, which is currently rented out.
The Main Hall is now fitted with an induction loop for the hard of hearing and a permanent ramp has been created at the front door to allow ease of access into the foyer and the Cropper Room.
Future Development
The Committee has 3 long term development plans for the building:
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Improve disability access to the Main Hall from the car park entrance by installing a permanent ramp from this area into the hall. This will result in a small area of the Hall being lost and the creation of a wall underneath the existing balcony. New fire doors will be installed at the end of the corridor created. This will have the added advantage of further insulating the hall. This has been costed at £9K and work will begin on this project late summer / early autumn 2023.
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Refurbish the larger ladies’ toilets on the car park side of the building, making them more accessible for wheelchair users and improving the disability equipment in there. The cost is currently projected to by £9K. The Committee hope to be able to undertake this in early 2024.
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Finally repairs to the cottage gable wall which has issues relating to damp. This will require the existing render being removed and replaced. Due to the height of the building, scaffolding will be required. Initial quotations suggest that this will cost £5K. The Committee have agreed to allocate the next 12 months cottage rent to this project. Work is therefore likely to be summer 2024.
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Ongoing maintenance will continue where necessary.
User Groups
The Institute is used on a regular basis by a wide variety of users ranging from sports activities to theatrical performances and musical concerts, model railway to woodturning enthusiasts and young dancers.
The Committee would like to see new user groups using the meeting facilities from the local community, but there does not appear much movement on this front as new societies setting up are very rare with people seeming to be ever more reluctant to get involved. However, the Committee is involved with local initiatives to improve services and community facilities within Burneside.
www.thebryce.co.uk
The Bryce Institute, Burneside
Activities undertaken include:
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Burneside Amateur Theatrical Society (Pantomimes, plays, songs from the shows and cabaret evenings);
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The Bryce Street Strummers (Ukulele performance and learning)
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Cumbria Woodturning Association;
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Kendal Model Railway Club;
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Karate;
also
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Space for bands practicing;
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Space for business meetings;
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Local and meetings and information “drop-in’s”; and
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Private parties.
and
- Cumbria Police “drop-in” session
Other
This report would not be complete without thanking all the members of the Management Committee for their support and efforts over the last 12 months and for their representation of their respective user groups.
There is no doubt that the village needs a building such as The Bryce to provide facilities to explore a range of hobbies, social and recreational activities, and without the dedication, time and effort shown by the Management Committee the position would not look as bright as it currently does for maintaining this provision for the longterm use by the community.
www.thebryce.co.uk
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