**NORTHIAM VILLAGE HALL TRUST Registered Charity No 269218** **ACCOUNTS** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED** **31[st] DECEMBER 2024** **B A Taxation Services 113 Shakespeare Tower Barbican London EC2Y 8DR** ## **NORTHIAM VILLAGE HALL TRUST** **Registered Charity No 269218** **Contents of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2024** - **Trustees’ Report** - **Statement of Income and Expenditure** - **Statement of Assets and Liabilities** - **Breakdown of Fundraising Income, Grants, and Special Project Expenditure** - **Independent Examiner’s Report** NORTHIAM VILLAGE HALL TRUST F￿Wen Close. Main Street, Northiam, East Sussex, TN316RA Registered Charity Number 269218 Re ort of the Trustees for the financial ear ended 31 December 2024 The land on which Northiam village hall now stands was purchased by the community in 1971 from two local landownerslfarmers. A Trust was established at that time to hold and manage the land, and to build the hall when time and funds permitted. Construction of buildings started in 1975, funded by the sale of the land on which the Six Frewen Close bungalows now stand. By 2000, the original building had been extended to provide additional meeting rooms and storage space, and the whole facility 15 now believed to be one of the largest village halls in E35t Sussex. The building5 and surrounding land are now held in trust by the Charity Commission's Official Custodian, on behalf of the local community. A management committee (Northiam Village Hall Trust) has responsibility for the day-to-day running of the hall, governed by the Trust Deed established in 1971. This set the initial goal of providing a village hall for use by the community, with the ongoing objective of improving the conditions of life for Northiam residents. The Trust is a registered charity, regulated by the Charities Commission, and answerable to the local community each year at an Annual General Meeting. Trustees are appointed each yearatthe AGM, eitherelected bythe community, nominated by local groups that use the hall, or co-opted into the Trust. At the 2024 AGM the following 12 Trustees were appointed: Keith Whiting (Chairl; Christine Palmer (Secretary}: Sylvia Wickens (Bookings Secretaryl- Bernie Bone ITreasurerl- Margaret Davies; John Fenton; Sarah Giles; John Palmer: Richard Robinson; Sandra Robin50n; Pete Sargent, and Sue Schlesinger. Sandra Robinson has subsequently retired from the Trust. The Trust generates its income from rentals paid by hall users, supplemented by donations and fund-raising activities. Day-to-day runnin8 Costs absorb most of the income but, where there is a surplus, this is used to make improvements to the hall. Where appropriate. grants from other bodies are accessed by the Trust, but all monie5 raised, whatever the source, are used in maintaining or improving the village hall and its facilities. For the financial year ended 31 Dec 2024 our income from hiring the halls was £16,622, broadly comparable with £16,695 in 2023, although some way short of our pre~pandemic income in 2019 of£19,914. Other regular income of £3,735 and fund-raising income of£5,892 gave us total "trading" income of £26,249 {£23,649 in 20231. Day to day running costs of £17,941 were an increase over 20231£17,3621, reflecting higher energy and cleaning costs. After grant income and expenditure on special projects, our overall "trading surpSu5" for 2024 was £9,680. compared with a deficit of £597 for 2023. The 2023 deficit arose because the £3,009 cost of installing cavity wall insulation occurred in late 2023, whereas the grant monies that funded that project were not received until 2024. Improvements to the hall and the facilities it provides are funded through a combination of our trading surplus, along with the cash resources built up over previous years. To enhance these funds. where appropriate, we seek grant assistance from third parties. Using all these sources, we have continued our programme of steady improvementto the hall facilities. During 2024 the following projects have been undertaken, at a cost of £17.638: A. With financial assistance from third parties: We have installed solar panels with a battery storage system. The work also involved replacing the kitchen back door to improve acce55 to the electrical control cupboard. This project was funded in its entirety by the National Lottery Community Fund. The new system is already helping to defray the increases in our electricity costs. Purchase of a defibrillator for use within the hall. This was funded in part by some generous private donations. 8. Funded solely from village hall resources.. To make our WiFi provision more reliable, we have changed from a cellular connection to full fibre, and allied this with a mesh distribution system around the buildings. This gives a more robust system with much better bandwidth for hall users to enjoy. Improving the ground through the gate into the paddock area. This was necessary after an emergencyvehicle became bogged down in the previously 50ft ground. A thorough flush of the central heating systeT¥Tr, and replacement of life-expired radiator valves have helped to make the heating more efficient. and this in turn has kept our gas costs down when set against rising prices. External repainting. 2025 will see further upgrades and improvements throughout the facilities. In the medium term we will need to provide resources to replace the gas boilers, and we are reviewing the kitchen equipment with a view to replacement where necessary. January 2025 Keith Whiting Chair, Northiam Vlllage Hall Trust Bernard Bone Treasurer, Northiam Village Hall Trust NORTHIAM VILLAGE HALL TRUST Registernj Charity No: 269218 STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2024 2024 2023 tNCOME Lettings Donations Fund Raising Miscellaneous Grants re: Special Projects Bank Interest Maintenance Pety C&8h not longer required 16,622 531 5,361 3,432 19,010 303 16,695 40 4,285 2,443 16,125 186 loo 39,874 45,259 EXPENDITURE Insurance Repairs, Ren¢wals and Maintenance Cleaning Equipment Administration 1.418 5.770 2,400 691 1,437 1,242 3,727 2,220 3,588 1,181 57 2,909 418 942 23,109 600 479 40,471 Heat and Light Water Fund raising exp¢ns&s Expenditure on special projects Loan repayment Miscellaneous 3,208 528 821 17,638 600 1,069 35,579 SURPLUSI(DEFICIT) FOR THE YKAR 9,680 (597) Cash funds brought forward 1.1.24 19,236 19,833 Cash funds carried forward 31.12.24 28,916 19,236 ORTHIAM VILLAGE HALL TRUST Register￿1 Charity No: 269218 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31st DECEMBER 2024 2024 2023 ASSETS Cash at bank Cash in hand 28,756 160 19,076 160 28,916 19,236 LIABILITIES Deposit for hall hire Loan from Don Hanson Charitable Foundation 200 600 800 1,200 1,200 The Income and Expenditure ALYount and Stst¢m¢nt of Assets and Liabilities w¢r¢ approved by the Trustees. Name Date 22nd Janua.ry. 2025 NORTHtAM VILLAGE HALL TRUST Registered Charity No: 269218 BREAKDOWN OF FUNDRAISING ITrICOME 2024 2024 2023 Jumble Sales Fanners Market breakfasts Boot Sale Coffee Morningslother Cinema Special Projects: defibrillator Amazon Smil¢ 1,221 1,214 1.411 353 1,984 505 2,073 1,244 140 32 4,285 5.892 BREAKDOWTrI OF GRANTS RE: SPECIAL PROJECTS 2,024 2,023 Roth¢r District Council.. Cavity Wall Insulation National Lottery ConJnunity Fund: Solar Pan¢ls Committee Room reinstatement Acoustics Installation Coronation paty Shell Community Kindness Progrdmme 3,010 16,000 10,356 3.000 1,769 1,000 16,125 19.010 BRFAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURE: SPECIAL PR(XIECTS 2,024 2,023 Solar Panels Defibrillator Central Heating: Clean & Refresh Heating & access system control Paddock Room reinstatement Coronation Paty LDcaJ Election hustings Acoustics Cavity Wall insulation CCTV enhancement Whifr lining.. car park 16,635 668 335 1.741 7,888 1,530 281 6,360 3,009 1,400 900 23,109 17.638 Independent Examiner's Report on tbe Unaudited Financial Statements to the Trustees of Northiam Village Hall Trust Charlty No: 269218 I report on the financial statements for the year ended 31 Sl December 2024 set out on the following pages. Respeelfve responsibllities of Trustee5 and Independent Examiner The charity's tn￿le¢S consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 {the Act). and that an independent examination is needcd. It is my responsibility to.. Examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Act), To follow the proc¢dures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section J45(5)(b) of the Act), and To state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basls of independent examlner's statement My examination was conducted in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by ihe charity and a comparison of the accounts pres¢nied with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matterg. 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 accounts. Ind¢peDdent examlner's gtat¢ment In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention (l) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that. in any mateAial respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that: proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 130 of th¢ Act); and accounts are prepar¢d which agre¢ with the accounting requirements of the 201 I Act; or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the a¢¢ounts to be r¢ached. B A AntTobus Bsc (Open) FCA CTA 113 Shakespeare Tower Barbican London EC2Y 8DR 23.1.2025