## **Report of the Trustees and Accounts for the Year Ended 31 December 2023 for**
## **Caversham Hall**
(registered charity number 234438)
Simon Porter FCA 1 Prospect Street Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 8JB
**Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438)**
## **Report of the Trustees**
## **for the Year Ended 31 December 2023**
The Trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023.
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **Registered Charity number**
234438
## **Caversham Hall address**
St John's Road Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 5AN
## **Registered office**
2 Wolsey Road Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 8BY
## **Trustees**
Marie Elizabeth Barnett Mrs Ann Deane Appointed August 2024 Ken Deane Chair (deceased April 2024) Jean Evans Retired February 2023 Mrs Sue McQueen Alastair Muirhead Chair (appointed August 2024)
## **Independent Examiner**
Simon Porter FCA 1 Prospect Street Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 8JB
Page 1
**Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438)**
**Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2023**
## **Purpose and Overview**
The purpose of the charity is the provision of a hall to rent at low cost for community benefit.
In 1892 the land was transferred into trust, and covenants over the property mean that it has to be used for institutional, educational, recreational and social purposes, and that the trustees may charge for such use. Any excess funds are to be held as a reserve fund in a bank account. If the income is insufficient or the trustees determine that the continuance of the trust is no longer justified, then the hall shall be sold and the proceeds given to the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Under a title registered on 23 July 2008, the property is held in trust by Susan Mary McQueen, Kenneth George Deane, Jean Evans and Jeff Horncastle.
There are to be at least four trustees, and two represent a quorum.
## **Objectives and activities**
The charity's aim is to provide low cost facilities rental to support those living in Lower Caversham. In 2023 a ten-year lease was signed for the whole of the car park, generating a yearly rental of £13,000, with a rent review after five years.
Recurring and party bookings made constant use of the facilities of the halls during the year, and it was great to welcome again hirers who have used the halls for many years.
The hall booking system worked well, with hirers being able to request changes to times, days etc. Confirmation replies were dealt with by Mrs Marie Barnett, a Trustee acting as our Party Booking Coordinator.
The Trustees agreed to retain McQueen Consultancy, on a monthly basis, to ensure the smooth running and updating of both the Caversham hall website and the booking platform on Hallmaster. One of the Trustees has a family connection to this consultancy, and she therefore declared her interest and recused herself from the decision to appoint McQueen Consultancy.
Caversham Vehicle Hire, who rent the car park, paid their new rental regularly helping to keep the rent for hall hirers at a reasonable rate. However, hall rental rates will be reviewed in 2024/25 before deciding how much they will need to be increased.
Maintenance had to be carried out on the external drains, as one of the toilets was blocked regularly - No1 PHD re-lined the exterior pipes and fitted a new manhole. The cost was high but due to Caversham Hall not being VAT-registered, the firm was able to refund the VAT cost. During our maintenance closure in August the North Hall floor was re-sanded, varnished and the badminton lines repainted - another costly but necessary expenditure.
Page 2
**Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438)**
**Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2023**
## **Objectives and activities (continued)**
The tower above the halls was looking in need of repair, and the structure needed to have a professional to take a closer look. This was discussed and a cherry picker was hired during the half term break so that a structural engineer could inspect the tower. He recommended that the tower should be taken down, and finding a building firm willing to undertake this was a long process, resulting in the work being delayed until 2024.
Since the year end, the Trustees have identified a potential need to replace the boiler, but are not aware of any other significant items of expenditure on maintenance which will be required in the foreseeable future.
Fifty second-hand chairs were purchased from Collectico during the year, providing a good addition to the facilities at the hall.
Mrs Jean Evans, a long-time Trustee, retired in February 2023, and the Trustees would like to formally record their thanks for her contribution. In February 2024 we were able to welcome Mr Alastair Muirhead, who agreed to become a member and Trustee of Caversham Hall. The Trustees will need to find more volunteers to help carry on the work of keeping Caversham Hall running during the coming months and future years and, despite the Trustees' efforts this year, it has not been possible to recruit more people to volunteer at the Hall.
Concerns were raised and discussed as to the continuation of Trustees should the present ones no longer wish to remain as Trustees. This remains an ongoing concern, but concerted efforts will be made in 2024/25 to secure the future of Caversham Hall as a resource to the people of Lower Caversham and surrounding areas.
## **Reserves Policy**
The trustees look to hold sufficient reserves to meet operating costs for a period of at least six months, and to hold a contingency against unforeseen maintenance or repair costs.
## AGMuirhead
Alastair Muirhead Chairman of Trustees
Page 3
**Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438)**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2023.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Simon Porter FCA 1 Prospect Street Caversham Reading Berkshire RG4 8JB
30 September 2024
Page 4
**Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438)**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2023**
|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
Note
£
**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Incoming resources from generated funds**
Voluntary income
2
41,541
Investment income
3
77
**Total Incoming Resources**
41,618
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Cost of generating funds**
Fundraising trading: cost of goods sold
and other costs
213
Governance costs
50
Other resources expended
4
40,544
**Total Resources Expended**
40,807
**NET INCOMING RESOURCES**
811
**Total funds brought forward**
36,165
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
36,976||2023|**Total**
**Funds**
£
41,541
77
41,618
213
50
40,544
40,807
811
36,165
36,976|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Restricted**
**funds**
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-||**Total**
**Funds**
£
37,254
2|
|||||37,256|
|||||162
50
25,819|
|||||26,031|
|||||11,225
24,940|
|||||36,165|
**The notes form part of these financial statements**
Page 5
**Caversham Hall**
## **(registered charity number 234438)**
## **Balance Sheet**
## **At 31 December 2023**
|**Balance Sheet**
**At 31 December 2023**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Unrestricted Restricted**
**funds**
**funds**
Note
£
£
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Cash at bank and in hand
36,976
-
36,976
-
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
36,976
-
**NET ASSETS**
36,976
-
**FUNDS**
Unrestricted funds|**2023**
**Total**
**funds**
£
36,976
36,976
36,976
36,976
36,976
36,976|**2022**
**Total**
**funds**
£
36,165|
|||36,165|
|||36,165|
||||
|||36,165|
|||36,165|
|||36,165|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 30 September 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:
## AGMuirhead
Alastair Muirhead Chairman of Trustees
**The notes form part of these financial statements**
Page 6
**Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438) Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2023**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of Accounting**
The accounts have been prepared using cash accounting under the historic cost convention.
## **Resources expended**
Expenditure is accounted for on a cash basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost relating to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
|**2.**
**VOLUNTARY INCOME**
Lettings income
Rental income
Insurance claim income
**3.**
**INVESTMENT INCOME**
Deposit account interest|2023
£
25,658
13,300
2,583
41,541
77|2022
£
25,570
11,684
-|
|---|---|---|
|||37,254|
|||2|
## **4. SUPPORT COSTS**
During the year the charity spent £12,300 with McQueen Consultancy, a business run by a family member of one of the trustees. The trustees satisfied themselves that this money was correctly authorised and spent, in order to maintain the administrative systems of the charity .
## **5. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2023 (2022 - nil).
|**6.**
**STAFF COSTS**
Wages and salaries|2023
£
4,630
4,630|2022
£
4,630|
|---|---|---|
|||4,630|
Page 7
**Caversham Hall (registered charity number 234438)**
## **Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2023**
|**INCOMING RESOURCES**
**Voluntary income**
Lettings income
Rental income
Insurance claim
**Investment income**
Deposit account interest
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**
**RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**Fundraising trading: cost of goods and other costs**
Supplies
**Governance costs**
Independent examination
**Support costs**
**Management**
Wages
Insurance
Light and heat
Rates
Maintenance
Window cleaning
Fire extinguishers
IT support
Accountancy
Legal fees
Subscriptions
Sundry
Returned deposits
**Finance**
Bank charges
**TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED**
**NET INCOME**|2023
£
25,658
13,300
2,583
41,541
77
41,618
213
50
4,630
1,561
3,030
254
14,688
340
430
12,300
115
-
383
20
2,793
40,544
-
40,807
811|2022
£
25,570
11,684
-|
|---|---|---|
|||37,254
2|
|||37,256|
|||162
50
4,630
1,335
2,759
303
6,875
-
-
3,829
-
2,788
224
220
2,856|
|||25,819
-|
|||26,031|
||||
|||11,225|
**This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements**
Page 8