2024-03-31-accounts

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 2023 to 31[st] March 2024.

Details

The Bryce Institute Burneside Kendal Cumbria LA9 6QX

email: [e-mail] 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 loss for the year of £7,165.

This can largely be attributed to the money spent on refurbishment and maintenance of the building.

This has included:

• £10,980.00 - ladies toilet refurbishment;

• £9,462.00 – installation of a ramp from the side doors into the Main Hall;

• £1,200.00 – new flooring in the ladies toilets;

• £1,072.00 – new carpeting on the aforementioned ramp, the entrance foyer and the small toilet area in the Acland Room; and

• £920.00 – replacement blinds in the Cropper Room.

The total maintenance expenditure for this financial year was £29,877.77.

The closing bank balance was £29,482 (2023 - £38,140).

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: 2024 – £22,920 2023 - £20,590 2022 - £16,888 2021 - £ 4,413

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.

The cottage income was £6,000. The tenant also contributes to electricity and water costs.

www.thebryce.co.uk

The Bryce Institute, Burneside

During the year, a total of £3,550 was received in donations.

• £2,500 was received from the Parish Council Precept, and many thanks for their continued support;

• £800 from Youth Engagement Service (South Lakes); and

• £250 from United Utilities.

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 £4,830, with stock costing £1,278 With other charges, the profit on the bar for this year was £3,416.

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 £3,448.48 (Net £1,197) (2023 – £1,870) – This is offset by

• £321 credit from Sir James Cropper for electricity used by a chlorination plant which shares the Bryce electricity supply;

• Cottage tenant contribution £480; and

• Overpayment to E.On £1,029 on transfer of contract to British Gas Lite.

• Gas £3,200 (2023 - £1,654)

• Water £2,416 (Net £2,296) (2023 – £2,122) – Offset by cottage tenant contribution of £120

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, the Committee continue to utilise the Conditions and Greening Report from A Muir Surveying to follow through on his recommendations.

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.

There is no cost associated with the cleaner. All cleaning continues to be undertaken by volunteers.

The annual insurance premium has increased once again (£5,133). This includes “gap” insurance as the flood excess on the main policy is £5K. However, the Committee has now negotiated a much reduced premium which will filter into the next set of accounts. We have also been able to discontinue the “gap” insurance which covered the first £5,000 of any claim as part of the 2024 renewal.

Annual running cost of the Bryce (excluding variable maintenance costs) is projected to be £13,498.

The accounts of The Bryce Institute were subjected to independent examination, as required by the 1990 Act, by Mr Daniel Craghill.

www.thebryce.co.uk

The Bryce Institute, Burneside

Bryce Institute Building

The only asset managed by the Committee / Trustees remains the Bryce Institute building consisting of:

• Foyer;

• Main Hall with permanent stage area and Green Room (including theatrical lighting, owned separately by Burneside Amateur Theatrical Society);

• 3 meeting rooms (Cropper Room, Acland Room and Hoyle Room);

• A room rented out on a sole user basis to the Kendal Model Railway Club;

• An office used by the Community Police Officer; and

• Male and female toilet facilities.

• 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.

A new permanent access ramp from the car park into the Main Hall has now been fitted and the ladies toilets have been retrofitted with disability aides.

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.

Activities undertaken include:

• Burneside Amateur Theatrical Society (Pantomimes, plays, songs from the shows and cabaret evenings);

• The Bryce Street Strummers (Ukulele performance and learning)

• Cumbria Woodturning Association;

• Kendal Model Railway Club;

• Karate;

also

• Space for bands practicing;

• Space for business meetings;

• Local and meetings and information “drop-in’s”; and

• Private parties.

and

• Cumbria Police “drop-in” session

www.thebryce.co.uk

The Bryce Institute, Burneside

Future Development

There are no further improvement plans at the moment, although we have reached out to Burneside Community Energy to begin to understand whether there is potential to instal solar panels on the roof. This is very much down to what the payback would be in cost against current utility bills. We have taken steps to change the mix of energy consumption away from gas to electricity and this will be reported further in the next financial report.

However, maintenance will continue:

• 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 had agreed to allocate the 2023 / 2024 cottage rental income to this project, but as yet no decision has been taken as to when this work will start.

• We continue to see damp coming into the Hoyle Room and this requires further investigation to understand how it can be remedied.

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

Registered Charity Number 233864

The Bryce Institute

Accounts for the Year Ended

31 March 2024

The Bryce Institute

Profit and Loss account for the year ended 31 March 2024

Income Main hall rental Stage rental Cropper room rental Acland room rental Railway room rental Hoyle room rental Office room rental Storage rental Flat rental Equipment rental Donations and grants Fundraising events Barnabys Bar (net) Expenses Cleaning costs Gas Electric Water Insurance Telephone costs Performing rights licence Premises licence Stationery costs Advertising costs Sundry expenses Fundraising costs Equipment hire Equipment servicing costs Equipment purchases Plumbing costs Electrical costs Building maintenance Accountancy Legal and professional costs Depreciation Net profit/(loss)	2024 £ 9,219 469 6,545 2,558 3,120 1,327 288 467 6,000 1,238 3,550 258 3,416 38,455 478 3,200 1,198 2,416 5,133 503 572 330 25 163 47 696 460 713 256 1,574 1,742 25,715 250 - 149 45,620 (7,165)	2023 £ 9,021 48 6,096 1,853 2,793 491 288 537 6,000 45 2,200 194 3,242 32,808 455 1,654 1,811 2,122 4,491 252 350 203 79 132 30 480 - 776 2,555 - 2,324 11,471 250 750 166 30,351 2,457

1

The Bryce Institute Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024

Fixed assets Bryce Institute Stage Extension A Room and Storage Fixtures and Fittings Current assets Stocks Debtors Current account Bar account Creditors Net current assets Net assets Capital and reserves Brought forward balance (Loss)/profit for the year	250 4,367 8,962 20,520 34,099 (250) (250)	2024 £ 1,500 7,500 43,592 1,345 53,937 33,849 87,786 94,951 (7,165) 87,786	2023 £ 1,500 7,500 43,592 1,494 54,086 250 2,725 21,037 17,103 41,115 (250) (250) 40,865 94,951 92,494 2,457 94,951

2

The Bryct Institute Burne5ide Kendol Cumbria L49 6QX Registered Charity No.: 233864 Independent examlnerfs reP￿t to the trustees ofThe Bryce Inslltuts I report to the twstees on my examlnatmin ofthe accounts of The Bryce Institute (the Trust) for the vear ended 31 March 2024. Responslbllltles and basls of report As the charrtvs trustee5 you are responslble forthe preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charlties Act 20111.the Arfl. I report in respert of my examlnation of the Trusvs accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrylng out my examination. I have followed all the applicable Directions given bv the Charity Commission under section 14515){bl of the ACL Independent examlnerfs slatem I have completed my examlnatlon. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attentlon In connection wlth the examination whith wes me cause to believe that in. any materlal respert: l. Accountin8 records were not kept in re5peLt of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Charltles Att: or 2. The atcounts did rK•t accord with the accountlng records: or 3. The attounts did not comply with the applicabte requirements conceming the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charittes (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 't￿￿ and fairf lllew which 15 not a matter considered as part of an Independent examination. I have no o)ncems and h￿e come across no otFw matters in connettion with the examination to whid) attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understandlng of the accounts to be reached. Daniel Craghlll 14 June 2024